The Health Minister says we could end up in a "very dangerous place" if people move ahead of the From Monday, construction sites and hardware stores will be among the businesses allowed to operate again. Read More: But Simon Harris says people need to be careful. We need to make sure people dont get ahead of the plan and its entirely human nature, he said. Its been tough and challenging beyond belief for many people. But we do need to make sure people dont now try to jump ahead of the plan. Mr Harris said if we get into the mindset of if its safe to this, that and the other, sure maybe it wouldnt be any harm if I did a little bit more the country will end up in a very, very dangerous place. Meanwhile, Mr Harris said it will be up to the Attorney General to decide what punishment people face if they break self-isolation rules after entering the country. It is now mandatory people fill in a form detailing where they will be quarantining for two weeks due to Covid-19. Earlier this month, it emerged more than a third of people didn't do it when arriving into Dublin Airport. More than 100 people were left without a home after portions of an apartment building roof collapsed in Holyoke, Massachusetts, after a severe storm hit the area on May 15, reports said. Facebook user Mariposa La Baybe, a resident in the apartment block, captured videos and photos from the scene that showed the extensive damage to the building. Two people were taken to the hospital after suffering minor injuries, according to local news outlet WWLP. Those left without a home were offered hotel accommodation for the night, the report said. Severe weather hit many parts of the state on May 15. The National Weather Service reported that up 30,000 people were left without power as a result. Credit: Mariposa La Baybe via Storyful SRINAGAR: The security forces on Saturday busted a terrorist hideout in the Badgam district of Jammu and Kashmir and arrested one Over-Ground Worker (OGW) of Pakistan-backed terror out Lashkar-e-Toiba. According to reports, the terrorist hideout was busted in Arizal Khansaib in Badhane in Budgam district and one LeT OGW, who has been identified as Zahoor Wani, was arrested. A large cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered from his possession. Based on the information provided by Wani, the security forces are likely to make more arrests and recoveries later in the day. The man arrested by the security forces is a close associate of LeT terrorist Yusuf Qantroo. The hideout was found some 200 to 300 m away from his house at his own land. He was providing logistics, hideout and transportation to LeT terrorists led by Yusuf, who mainly operates in Badgam and Baramulla areas. Migrants travel in a truck to reach their native places, during the ongoing COVID-19 nationwide lockdown, at Delhi-UP border in Ghaziabad, Saturday. (PTI) Little over two weeks after Infosys founder Narayana Murthy predicted that more people would die of the coronavirus lockdown than coronavirus itself, the human tragedy is now unfolding almost on a daily basis. At least 25 migrant labourers were killed after the truck they were travelling in rammed into a van in Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh. The tragedy came just a day after the Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote to all the chief secretaries of the states to ensure that no migrant walks to his hometown or travels in crowded trucks. "However, the movement of migrant workers, walking on roads, railway tracks and travelling in trucks, is still being noticed in different parts of the country," the home secretary's letter read, adding that they needed to be sent to relief camps and transported back home via buses and Shramik trains. Auraiya biggest tragedy so far The Uttar Pradesh accident is the biggest in terms of number of causalities so far. The accident in Maharashtra's Aurangabad, where 16 migrants were killed after a goods train ran past them, comes second. Despite the huge uproar over the May 9 tragedy, the spate of tragedies continues till now. On Thursday, six migrant workers were killed in three separate incidents in Uttar Pradesh. Tragically, they were just hours away from reaching their destination. While three were killed in Barabanki, two died in Jalaun and one migrant lost his life in Bahraich when the truck he was travelling in overturned. On Wednesday, 14 migrants were killed in three separate incidents across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Eight migrant workers were killed when their bus collided with a truck near Guna in Madhya Pradesh. Six people, including an infant girl, were killed in four separate incidents on Tuesday. In one incident, a truck carrying 54 migrant labourers and their families from Ahmedabad to Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh rammed into a stationary truck on Kanpur-Jhansi highway. The accident killed three migrants, including a two-year-old girl. Last Saturday, six migrant labourers were killed in Nasinghpur district in Madhya Pradesh, when the truck in which they were travelling overturned around 40 kilometres from the district headquarters. Not to forget the several individuals who chose to walk to their destinations but lost their lives due to fatigue and dehydration. Killer trucks but offer convenience A common factor in the deaths of several migrants has been overcrowded trucks, which are transporting migrants illegally to their destination for an amount. The migrants find trucks convenient as they drop them close to their home, unlike the buses which carry them only till the state border. On the other hand, trains ferry them to their home state but they have to arrange for vehicles to reach their hometowns. However, their journey is fraught with danger. Devoid of social distancing norms, the tightly packed trucks portend a higher risk of contracting Covid-19. According to a PTI report, the truckers in Mumbai and adjoining areas charge anywhere in the range of Rs 1,500 to Rs 4,500 per person for the journey to Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, depending upon the distance to their native places. Centre puts onus on states Several migrants have been forced to walking or travel by trucks, largely due to their failure to book a seat in the Shramik trains. However, their plight continues to be caught in the political crossfire between the states and the Centre. The Madras High Court on Friday took cognisance of the migrant crisis and directed the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government to submit a report on all the action taken to help the migrants. A livid two-Judge bench was quoted by LiveLaw as stating: "The heart breaking stories are reported in the print as well as visual media that millions of workers were compelled to start walking to their native states with their little children carrying all their belongings over their head, surviving on the food provided by good Samaritans, as no steps were taken by the governments to help those migrant workers." Meanwhile, the Centre apparently chose to blame the increasing number of accidents upon the restrictive lockdown policies of the state governments. On Saturday, while condoling the deaths of the migrants in Uttar Pradesh, civil aviation minister Hardeep Puri tweeted: Deeply pained to hear about unfortunate deaths of migrant workers in the Auraiya accident. This underlines the necessity for stakeholders, including receiving states, to ease restrictions for all affected people, particularly migrants, & allow limited air, road & rail connections (sic). Puris statement, while not new in the "tu-tu, mein-mein" culture of Indian politics, clearly indicates that co-operative federalism needs to rise to the occasion during a national calamity such as Covid-19, and that the Centre and the states need to co-ordinate their efforts to alleviate the migrants sufferings. At the end of February, Cecil and Josh Nidiver flew Delta out of Houston. For two years starting while Josh was still in college theyd been planning to ride motorcycles across South Africa. A once-in-a-lifetime trip, Cecil called it, and a way to celebrate that Josh had come to work with him at Total Leather Care, the leather-repair shop he runs in southwest Houston. That was, of course, the Before Time, when vacations and planes still seemed normal. COVID-19 was a distant threat, something to worry about if you were going to China or on a cruise. Americans didnt yet own face masks or sing to themselves while washing their hands. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was just cranking up. People got haircuts, shook hands, sat next to strangers at bars. Cecil and Josh landed in Johannesburg and spent two and a half weeks riding their rented Harleys all across South Africa, stopping along the way to visit Cecils old friends. Some places looked like West Texas, Cecil thought. Others were lush, like Houston. It was a blast. But as the days went by, they began hearing more about the new virus. On March 5, South Africa documented its first case. Commercial flights began to be canceled. Their return flight, on Delta, was one of them. The American embassy offered them a flight out of the country, but by then, Cecil, whos close to 70, was nervous about being packed tight with other people on a plane. And besides, he had a mild cough. He and Josh figured theyd catch a later flight. The embassy, Cecil says, didnt warn them that it might be their last chance. They didnt know that all commercial flights would be canceled. On March 25, the U.S. State Department estimated that more than 50,000 Americans had been stranded abroad, stuck by shutdowns and quarantines. Two days later, the Nidivers were clearly in that category. South Africa reported its first death, and the country went into lockdown. Any other countrys embassy On Airbnb, Cecil and Josh found a bed-and-breakfast in Pretoria a nice place, if you have to be stuck in limbo. Imagine staying at your favorite uncles house, says Cecil. Thats how South Africans make you feel. Theyd signed up with the U.S. State Departments Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, the one thats supposed to send security alerts to travelers, but thats been useless, Cecil says. When he called the programs number, a recording referred him to its Facebook site and the embassy website. Those, in turn, gave him the phone number. (When I tried calling the embassy, I was greeted by the same recording.) Cecil and Josh tried visiting the American embassy in person, but the doors were locked. A guard slid a note with a phone number under the door. But when Cecil called, no one answered. He was stunned. Americans shouldnt assume that the U.S. Embassy will help you, he says now. But if you need help, you should go to any other countrys embassy. Qatars Olympic running team happened to be staying at their B&B; the team trains for six months a year at Pretorias high elevation. So Cecil and Josh tried the Qatari Embassy. Through it, they managed to book a flight out on May 7. But at the last minute, that one fell through. No flights, no flights, a man at the embassy informed them. Qatar Airways still hasnt refunded the $4,800 they paid for tickets, and Cecil wonders whatll happen with all the other unexpected bills theyre racking up. For once in his life, hed bought travelers insurance, just in case the worst happened. But now hes afraid the insurance company will go bankrupt. Past guards and barricades One time they got wind of what Cecil calls a secret Qatari flight and followed the running teams bus into the Pretoria airport. They got past the guards and barricades, Cecil says. But then police showed up. So they couldnt get on that flight either. Another time they thought theyd booked a May 9 flight on South African Airways. But that one was canceled May 7, apparently because the plane was too empty. As of Thursday, theres hope for another South African Airways flight. This one is scheduled to leave May 17. The South Africa Airways lady coordinated it, Cecil says. The U.S. Embassy is doing jack. The airline rep told him not to worry that this flight might also be canceled. Its full, she said. That doesnt surprise Cecil. He says he knows of at least 20 Americans stuck in South Africa, and he figures thats only a small fraction. If all goes well, he and Josh will fly from Pretoria to Washington, D.C., then take a Delta flight to Houston. Still, Cecil worries. I emailed the U.S. Embassy six hours ago, he said Thursday. I was asking, Are you sure its leaving? Ive heard zip back from them. But the lady from South African Airlines says its for sure, he says. In his voice, you could hear how much he wants that to be true. lisa.gray@chron.com, @LisaGray_HouTX Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (18) The Message: Sitting with the questions about why there is suffering Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-15 20:06:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close An ambulance drives into the clinic for COVID-19 patients at the Ljubljana University Medical Centre in Ljubljana, Slovenia, May 15, 2020. The Slovenian government formally called an end to the COVID-19 epidemic at home on Thursday with the majority of the related public health measures remaining in place. (Xinhua/Peng Lijun) LJUBLJANA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The Slovenian government formally called an end to the COVID-19 epidemic at home on Thursday with the majority of the related public health measures remaining in place. The government said there have been 35 COVID-19 cases confirmed in the past 14 days, while the coronavirus reproduction rating, which shows how many people a patient infects on average, fell below 1. In another decree, the government decided to allow the entry by European Union (EU) nationals at selected border checkpoints and call off a 7-day quarantine policy. However, third-country nationals will be subject to a 14-day quarantine, with some exceptions. The Slovenian government on Wednesday decided to lift more COVID-19 restriction measures imposed to contain the coronavirus epidemic. According to government spokesman Jelko Kacin, all shops will be allowed to open from Monday, and restaurants and bars to serve customers indoors again. Tourist accommodations with less than 30 rooms will resume at hotels, but spas, discos and nightclubs will remain closed, he said. The government also announced the plan to gradually reopen kindergartens and certain grades in primary and secondary schools across the Balkan country. Slovenia confirmed its first COVID-19 case on March 4 and declared a coronavirus epidemic on March 12. To date, it has reported a total of 1,465 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 103 deaths. Enditem Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The number of COVID-19 deaths in Pennsylvania nursing homes and long-term care facilities has passed the 3,000 mark, representing about 69 percent of the statewide death toll during the pandemic. On Saturday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 61 new deaths since Friday, for a total 4,403 people who have died from the virus. Out of those deaths, 3,043 people were residents at nursing homes and long-term care facilities. The daily number of new cases continues to hit below 1,000 people -- 989 new cases were added Saturday. Out of the 61,611 positive cases total across Pennsylvania, 13,257 are nursing home residents and 2,075 are facility employees. All told, about 55 percent of the positive cases are state residents ages 50 or older, according to the departments reports. Most of the people hospitalized by the virus or killed by it are 65 or older. On Saturday, the Lehigh Valley passed the 6,000 mark for new COVID-19 cases, with 335 deaths total, according to the states latest figures. Lehigh County has the most positive cases with 3,440, and Northampton County has 2,659. But Northampton County has a higher death toll, 196, compared to Lehigh Countys 139 people. A weekly analysis by lehighvalleylive.com has found that counties in and around the Lehigh Valley continue to see their rates of new cases decline over recent weeks. As of Thursday, Lehigh Countys rate was 158 new coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents over the last two weeks, and Northampton Countys rate was about 169 cases per 100,000 people over two weeks. The goal set forth three weeks ago by Gov. Tom Wolf and Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine is to see counties and regions head below a rate of 50 new cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people over 14 days. The data is part of the metrics Wolf and his administration are using to end the statewide shutdown by county. Twelve more Pennsylvania counties, including one next to the Lehigh Valley, will soon begin reopening from the coronavirus shutdown, joining the 37 counties already in the yellow phase. Some counties and business owners in red counties have reopened despite the governors order. On Saturday, Monroe County commissioners said they do not intend to defy Wolfs order. In a prepared statement, the board said its not a decision for them to make, because land use decisions like zoning and occupancy permits are handled by individual municipalities. The commissioners suggesting that businesses reopen carries about as much weight as receiving the same advice from ones neighbor, the release says. The Monroe County District Attorney has said his office will not enforce criminal citations against businesses that defy Wolfs order, calling use of criminal courts in those matters morally inappropriate and legally suspect. The commissioners noted that issues related to businesses licenses required by the state are beyond the district attorneys control. The board is asking Gov. Wolf to consider allowing Monroe County to move to yellow when it hits 85 new cases over a fourteen day period, and that he consider allowing additional businesses to open even before then. We believe that hair and nail salons, barber shops, small retailers, car dealerships, realtors, and others could ensure equal or better levels of protection. It goes without saying, that business in the near future will not be transacted the way that it has been done in the past, the statement says. We are hopeful that the governor will consider our recommendations. In the meantime, keep doing what youre doing. Hitting the magic 85 number depends on the cooperation of everyone. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. (Photo : REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov) Vials with blood samples are pictured at a clinic providing testing for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and antibodies, after authorities launched free mass screening for residents in the Russian capital, in Moscow, Russia May 15, 2020. A California biotech company, Sorrento Therapeutics, claims to have discovered an antibody that can block the novel coronavirus. Therefore, according to them, social distancing is no longer required. As reported by Fox News, the San Diego-based company claims its STI-1499 antibody completely blocks the coronavirus from entering the body. The company is waiting for consent from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after filing for an emergency use approval. Sorrento said in a press statement that it could produce up to 200,000 doses a month while the drug may be available sooner than a COVID-19 vaccine. After making the claims, stocks for Sorrento skyrocketed by 244%. Closing at $549 on Thursday, the company's market value soared on Friday's intraday high to around $1.9 billion. Finally a cure? Biotech Company Claims They Have Found an Antibody That Blocks the Coronavirus Like several antibodies, STI-1499 is set to be included in a drug "cocktail" the company is working on with Mt Sinai School of Medicine in New York. Sorrento CEO Dr. Henry Ji stressed that "there is a cure" and a solution that completely works. This announcement comes on the same day when social distancing rules expire and many states begin to reopen. Ji also told Fox that social distancing may no longer be needed if there is a "neutralizing antibody" in the body. He added that "you can open up a society without fear." This would be a relief after the World Health Organization recently stated that the coronavirus may just become an endemic virus in communities, which would never go away. Experts have also already warned about the possibility of a second wave of infections once restrictions are lifted. However, the antibody was only seen to work in human cells during lab tests has not yet been tested on humans. This questions the company's claim that the antibody has blocked the virus 100%. After all, there is still no data on how it might behave inside the human body and its potential side effects. The antibody cure The STI-1499 antibody is an immune cell that neutralizes pathogens and it is seen to have some effects on coronavirus. A combination of antibodies serves as a "protective shield" blocking the SARS-CoV-2 virus from the ACE2 receptor, a receptor on the surface of human cells which is the primary entry point to the body. Ji also told Fox that they have seen in the laboratory how the antibody "wraps around the virus" then takes it away. He added that if the virus cannot get inside the cell, it cannot replicate or survive. Numerous companies and universities worldwide have been exploring on finding the cure to the coronavirus, including the use of antibodies. Sorrento's drug is classified as "neutralizing" or binding antibodies, which fully bind to a certain part of the virus. Human tests While tests using blood plasma from recovered patients to treat COVID-19 patients have already begun, there is still no specific date when STI-1499 will be subjected to human trials. Earlier this month, the FDA gave emergency approval to Remdesivir, an antiviral from Gilead Sciences, which showed slim but promising benefits for survival and recovery times after a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study. However, there is still no proven cure for the coronavirus. As of Thursday, May 15, according to John Hopkins, there are now more than 4.5 million cases of coronavirus worldwide, in which over 1.46 million are from the US. The death toll in the US has now reached more than 87,000. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The speaker of the Ukrainian parliament says efforts to return control of Crimea to Kyiv are part of "a difficult and slow process," that Ukraine is determined to resolve. Dmytro Razumkov, head of the Verkhovna Rada, made the remarks in an interview with RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that was published on May 16. Russia forcibly took over Crimea in March 2014 after Russian forces seized control of strategic sties on the Black Sea peninsula and organized a referendum that was not recognized by the international community. Shortly thereafter, Russia began supporting separatists in two eastern Ukrainian regions, Donetsk and Luhansk. The conflict in eastern Ukraine has left around 13,000 people dead, tens of thousands more injured, and uprooted well over 1 million Ukrainians, according to UN and Ukrainian officials. The West has sanctioned Russia for its seizure of Crimea and its support for the separatists in eastern Ukraine. Moscow denies supplying fighters, weapons, and financing to the separatists, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. It also claims that the referendum in Crimea was legitimate, and has ruled out handing control back to Ukraine. Razumkov said Kyiv would not abandon efforts to return Crimea to Ukrainian control, nor efforts to regain control of separatist-controlled areas of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, also known as the Donbas. "It is a difficult and slow process, but at the same time we can take this issue off the agenda and [cannot quit] trying to resolve it in all sorts of ways on various levels and neither can we lose means of communication with the occupied territories -- both Donbas and Crimea," Razumkov said. Ukrainians in separatist-controlled areas of Donbas who have accepted passports offered by Russia often had no choice, Razumkov explained. "There are many -- very many -- people who were, are, and will remain citizens of Ukraine. The conditions they find themselves in force them to take steps you are referring to [taking Russian citizenship]. But, you know, God forbid we ever had to find out what it is like in their shoes," Razumkov said. U.S. and other Western officials have condemned Russia's move to fast-track the granting of citizenship to all residents of Donetsk and Luhansk as running counter to efforts to achieve peace. Donald Trump said he not spoken to Chinese premier Xi Jinping during the coronavirus crisis and that the US could cut off its relationship with China altogether. I have a very good relationship, he said, but I just right now I dont want to speak to him. I dont want to speak to him. The president was being interviewed outside the White House by Fox Businesss Maria Bartiromo, who went on to ask if the US should stop issuing visas to Chinese students coming to study hi-tech subjects including quantum computing and AI. However, Mr Trumps animus seems to come down largely to money, and specifically to the trade deal he struck with the Chinese. There are many things we could do, said the president, we could do things, we could cut off the whole relationship. Now if you did, what would happen? Youd save $500bn. Look, at what point and Ive said this for years, Ive said it with other countries also, Chinas not the only country ripping us off. Recommended Trump extends executive order against Huawei phones Mr Trump has long claimed that closing the USs trade deficit with China could save $500bn. Fact-checkers have, however, found this assertion to be false, since it both misstates the size of the deficit and refers only to goods at the exclusion of the trade in services where the US runs a surplus. There are already moves underway to rein in US investments in China, albeit only incrementally. This week, the US governments main retirement fund, which manages hundreds of billions of dollars in assets for nearly six million workers, scrapped a plan to shift investments into Chinese companies. Mr Trump had complained that the move could jeopardise national security. Bringing the conversation back to coronavirus after a long Trump ramble about NATO, Ms Bartiromo asked about Chinas allowing people to travel before cornering the market on protective equipment. Mr Trump cut her off. Thats not the big thing. The big thing is they should have never let this happen. So I make a great trade deal, and now I say, It just doesnt feel the same to me. The ink was barely dry, and the plague came over. And it doesnt feel the same to me. For all his complaints about Chinas behaviour, Mr Trump stayed agnostic about a conspiracy theory that the virus escaped from a Wuhan virology lab a theory propagated by various public figures on the right despite an absence of evidence. Whether it came from the lab or came from the bats, it all came from China. And they should have stopped it. They could have stopped it at that source. I call it the source. Ms Bartiromo wrapped up the interview with a blunt question. How are you going to have a partnership with China when you cant trust anything they say and do? It may be hard to do, said Mr Trump. Its okay, its okay with me. May be hard to do, but thats okay with me. The number of reported coronavirus cases in India rose over 10 percent over the past two days to 85,940, data from the morning update of the ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW) showed. This is roughly in line with the rate of increase in the previous 48 hours, when the reported case count rose to 78,003 on Thursday. So far this week, the number of cases has gone up by 28 percent (between Monday morning and Saturday morning). This is a slower rate of increase compared to the previous five days, when confirmed cases had risen by 36 percent. After tapering last month, Indias coronavirus trajectory has picked up this month, with new infections rising faster than several Asian peers and deaths rising faster than in most other badly-hit countries. Indias case count has now roughly doubled in the last twelve days. This is a much slower rate compared to early-April, when cases were doubling every four days. Deaths have also seen a slower rise compared to the trend in early-April but have picked up pace over the past couple of weeks. Indias death toll from covid-19 as of Saturday morning was 2,752, roughly double what it was twelve days ago. At the rate of compounded daily growth in this twelve-day period, the number of cases could cross 100,000 by next Tuesday, two days after the current phase of the lockdown ends. The continuing rise in cases poses a severe challenge for Indias strained medical capacity and overburdened health system. At 21,468, Maharashtra leads in terms of the number of active cases, according to the health ministry update this morning. Active cases exclude deaths and recoveries from the list of confirmed cases. Next on the list is Tamil Nadu with 7,438 active cases, followed by Gujarat, with 5,290 patients still under treatment. Delhi is fourth on the list with 5,254 active cases and Madhya Pradesh fifth with 2,073. The top five states together account for 78 percent of the active cases nationally, and the top ten states account for 93 percent of all cases. Nationally, the active case count was 53,035 as of Saturday morning. View Full Image Source: MoHFW Over the past seven days, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Delhi have seen the highest spike in cases among the top ten states with most cases. These three states account for 81 percent of all the new active cases in this period. Over the same period, fatalities have also surged the most in Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, which account for 55 percent of all covid-related deaths over the past seven days. Active cases have risen much slower in Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh compared to previous weeks. Among top ten states with most active cases, the case fatality rates are the highest in West Bengal (9.1%), Gujarat (6.1%), and Madhya Pradesh (5.4%). Indias case fatality rate continues to hover around 3.2%. Among all states, the case fatality rates are the lowest in Odisha (0.4%), Bihar (0.7%), Kerala (0.7%) and Tamil Nadu (0.7%). Over the past two days, Mumbai, Chennai, Thane, Ahmedabad, and Pune districts have seen the biggest spike in confirmed cases nationally. These five districts account for 57 percent of new cases over this period, data compiled by howindialives.com last evening shows. Other districts that have seen a sharp spike over the past two days are Indore, Aurangabad (Maharashtra) and Udaipur. View Full Image Source: MoHFW, state health ministries and national/regional publications View Full Image Source: NDMA, state health ministries and national/regional publications So far, 553 districts have confirmed cases in the country. Mumbai (17,623 cases) has reported the most number of cases nationally among all districts, followed by Ahmedabad (7,171) in Gujarat. Chennai (5,940) in Tamil Nadu, Pune (3,621) in Maharashtra, and Thane (3,499) in Maharashtra are the other leading districts. These top five districts now account for 49 percent of confirmed cases in the country. Indore (2,369) in Madhya Pradesh, Jaipur (1,371) in Rajasthan, Kolkata (1,227) in West Bengal, Surat (1,015) in Gujarat, and Jodhpur (1,011) in Rajasthan are the other high-burden districts which figure in the list of top ten districts. The top ten districts account for 58 percent of all the confirmed cases nationally. District-wise data for Delhi are unavailable and hence not part of this list. Most of Indias hotspots so far have been urban affluent districts, with richer states hit harder than the rest. Meanwhile, the global coronavirus case count has crossed 4.5 million even as some badly hit countries begin to relax lockdown measures after over a month. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Sitting under a tamarind tree in Government Girls Secondary School in Kanota on the outskirts of Jaipur, Mohd Azad Tyagi and his family are clueless about their journey ahead. Five of them began walking from their rented house in Jaipurs Jalupura area on Friday morning for their native village in Uttar Pradeshs Muzaffarnagar district. Theres a three-month-old infant also with the family. Around noon, when they reached Kanota, police directed them to the shelter house in a government school. I have been jobless for four months, said 37-year-old Tyagi. My wife was in hospital for delivery in March. Our new born daughter has congenital defect in heart. I have been busy taking her to hospital for treatment. After the lockdown, the shop where I worked to repair mobile phones has been shut. I burrowed Rs 3,000 to pay the rent. We thought there was no point staying in Jaipur anymore, he added. There was another reason for Tyagi and his family to return to their village. The Jalupura neighbourhood in Rajasthans capital city where they were living is a densely-populated area. I feared for my new born daughter. If we had continued living there, she may have gotten infected, he said. Tyagis family is one of the 218 families camping at the school in Kanota. All across India, thousands of migrant workers along with their families have been walking home from cities and urban centres during the lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19. On Thursday, the Rajasthan government instructed all district collectors to set up camps with essential facilities such as food, water and toilet for people walking on highways. If workers are found walking on roads, they should be sent to the nearest camps through buses, said Subodh Agarwal, who heads the state level committee for interstate migration, in the government order. The order said collectors should organise roadways buses to take these people to the states border. On Friday morning, many people were still seen walking on the Jaipur-Agra national highway. But they were stopped at a police check post at Kanota and directed to two camps set up in government schools. Ajaz Ahmad of Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh is also among the migrant workers taking shelter in one of the schools. He worked as a welder at a government bridge near Jaipurs Sikar Road intersection. Though he registered himself on the e-mitra portal - the government facility for permission for interstate travels - on May 2, but didnt get any reply. We began walking at 4am this morning. First we went to the Sindhi Camp bus stand hoping to catch a bus but were turned away. We were walking when police told us to come to this camp, he said. By 2pm, Jaipur district administration had marshalled five roadways buses to ferry 195 people to two camps in Rajasthans border town of Bharatpur, said Jaipur divisional commissioner KC Verma in a government release. But the bus journey is momentary relief many of them were stopped at the border in Bharatpur. Bharatpur district administration has told us that their camps are full. They cant take more people. Until this is resolved, we have stopped the buses at Dausa-Bharatpur border, said Bassi tehsildar Premraj Meena, who is coordinating travels from Kanota. Around 50 families have assembled at the camp again. We will send them as and when the buses are available to us. In the meantime, we have made all arrangements for them, Meena said. Tyagis family got into a bus and reached Dausa-Bharatpur border but is now stuck there. They should provide bus to our home towns. This is hardly any help picking us from one point and abandoning at the other, he said on telephone. Meanwhile, 74 families of Uttarakhand boarded a special train to Haridwar from Jaipur railway station on Friday evening. We screened them at the check post in front of Kanota police station before sending them to the railway station, the tehsildar said. The divisional commissioner said the train to Haridwar carried 1,300 passengers. Another train left Jaipur for Saharanpur at 9pm, he said in the release. According to the government, more than nine million people have registered themselves for permission to leave Rajasthan. Registration is also required to travel in buses arranged by government and in special trains. India's 80 per cent coronavirus COVID-19 cases are from 30 municipal areas spread across 12 states, UTs and top health ministry officials on Saturday held a meeting with senior officers and district magistrates from these areas. These areas are in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Odisha. An emphasise was made that added attention needs to be accorded to the timely tracing of patients to improve recovery percentage, which currently stands at 35.09 per cent. So far, a total of 30,150 people have been cured. In the last 24 hours, 2233 patients were found cured. The total number of confirmed cases is now 85,940. Since yesterday, an increase of 3970 has been noted in the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in India. Health Secretary Preeti Sudan, Union Health Ministry OSD Rajesh Bhushan, along with senior officers of the ministry, held a high-level review meeting with the health secretaries, municipal commissioners, DMs and other officials from these areas. The measures taken by the officials and the staff of the municipal corporations for the management of COVID-19 cases were reviewed. It was informed that fresh guidelines on the management of COVID-19 in urban settlements are being shared. Highlights of this strategy were discussed. A presentation was made on the present status of COVID-19 infections in the districts while highlighting the high-risk factors, indices such as confirmation rate, fatality rate, doubling rate, tests per million etc. They were briefed about the factors to be considered while mapping the containment and buffer zones; the activities mandated in containment zone like perimeter control, active search for cases through the house to house surveillance, contact tracing, testing protocol, clinical management of the active cases; surveillance activities in the buffer zone like monitoring of SARI/ILI cases, ensuring social distancing, promoting hand hygiene etc. It was highlighted that in general the geographic area of containment zones to be defined based on factors like mapping of cases & contacts, geographical dispersion of cases and contacts, an area with well-demarcated perimeter and enforceability. For Municipal Corporations, residential colony/mohallas/municipal wards or police-station area/municipal zones/towns etc. can be designated as containment zones, as appropriate. It was advised that the area should be appropriately defined by the district administration/local urban body with technical inputs from the local level. Along with the containment zones, the buffer zone around the containment zone also must be demarcated to break the chain of transmission. Maintaining high vigilance and monitoring in areas of old cities, urban slums and other high-density pockets along with the camps for migrant workers are important steps in COVID-19 management in the urban areas. Regarding management of indicators like high doubling rate, high case fatality rate and high confirmation percentages seen in the containment zones, they were informed about the possible root causes and recommendations were offered on possible actions that could be taken. It was also highlighted that especially in the densely populated urban areas further challenges need to be considered like poor socio-economic conditions, limited health infrastructure, lack of social distancing, issues faced by women among others factors. Health Secretary also emphasized that along with the containment and management of COVID-19 cases, the issue of continuing all essential non-COVID health services in the urban localities like RMNCHA+N care, cancer treatment, TB surveillance, immunization efforts, vector control measures in view of the ensuing monsoon, etc., need to be ensured. The Municipal Areas were asked to focus on effective risk communication in order to build trust and confidence. They were requested to engage with community leaders and local opinion leaders who could accompany the local surveillance teams to encourage cooperation from the local communities. Mumbai shared its experience of Containment leaders, who were local community elders and leaders working with the Ward Officers to support the government efforts in encouraging the people, particularly in the slum clusters. Role of community leadership was highlighted in finding local solutions, building trust, and for a positive influence on the health workers. It was also emphasized that attention needs to be given to SARI/ILI Surveillance, and more effective human resource management. It was advised that all health service providers need to be provided with adequate protective gear and communication must focus against the stigmatization of these frontline health workers. Maintenance of sanitation standards of the relief and isolation camps and waste management from the homes of COVID-19 cases was also stressed upon. Pakistan on Saturday partially resumed domestic flight operations amidst easing of the coronavirus-linked nationwide restrictions even as the COVID-19 cases continued to rise unabated and went past 39,600 with over 860 deaths. The limited resumption of the services under strict restrictions from five major airports came after Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that 20 per cent of domestic flights would resume from Saturday, but in a limited capacity. The domestic flight operation has been restored to facilitate the passengers ahead of Eid which is expected to be observed on May 25 depending on the siting of the moon. Separately, a PIA flight carrying 257 stranded Pakistani nationals from Iraq reached Islamabad International Airport. Most of the passengers worked for oil and gas companies and were unable to return home after international flights were suspended. A spokesperson for the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) said that for now, the domestic flights will be operated by the PIA along with a private company. The ban on international flight operations, meanwhile, has been extended until May 31. The PCAA, in a series of tweets on Friday, said it would closely monitor the passengers before they board the flight to ensure there is no further rise in the COVID-19 cases. "In view of the difficulties being faced by passengers in travelling between major cities, Pakistan has been pleased to allow limited domestic flight operation from 5 major airports namely Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta with effect from 16th May, 2020," it said, adding it has set very strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), ensuring disinfection, sanitising, social distancing and safety for the airline crew and passengers. "It is highlighted that the SOPs for domestic passengers and chartered flight operation require disinfection of the aircraft prior to boarding, at least one vacant seat between the passengers, compulsory wearing of masks and use of hand sanitiser," the PCAA said. As per the norms, no food and beverages will be allowed during flight. Airlines are required to maintain emergency Personal Protective Equipment in every aircraft to deal with any health emergency during flight. "Every passenger will be required to fill a health declaration form prior to boarding the aircraft, which include identification of the passenger, brief travel history during the past two weeks, current health state and an undertaking to comply with the SOPs," the PCAA said. Aviation Minister Khan earlier said that social distancing will be followed based on available seats and flights will only be allowed to fill 50 per cent of their full capacity. Meanwhile, officials said that the number of coronavirus patients in the country has reached 39,642. The Ministry of National Health Services said that 1,581 new cases were reported during the last 24 hours. A total of 10,880 patients have so far recovered from the coronavirus while the death toll stands at 861. The total tests conducted so far were 359,264, including 14,878 tests done in the last 24 hours. The infection is fast spreading but Prime Minister Imran Khan has declared that addressing the financial problems of the poor was as important as containing the contagion. Therefore, he has been pushing the provinces to further relax the restrictions. Meanwhile, a report by a team of public health specialists associated with the Institute of Public Health at Jinnah Sindh Medical University said that Pakistan missed two critical opportunities that could have placed the country in a better position in its fight against the coronavirus. Titled Easing Lockdown in Pakistan: Inevitable but Potentially Catastrophic, the report pointed out that official indecisiveness led to a delayed and ineffective lockdown with constant increase in cases and the government failed to utilise the period of two-month lockdown for building a policy framework on how to return to normalcy, Dawn reported. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The move, according to the Municipal Coordinating Director (MCD), Mr Sahib M. Abdul Rahman, who led the team, on an inspection was to ascertain how the market women were adhering to government preventive protocols and also to ensure that social distancing was observed in the daily market activities. He pointed out that those who flouted the order had their goods confiscated to serve as deterrent. According to him, more than ten market women and other businessmen who flouted the order of social and physical distancing had their goods such as canned drinks, food stuff and mobile phone accessories, running into hundreds of Ghana cedis confiscated. He hinted that, the monitoring team would extend the exercise to areas like Tanoso, Anhwiaso, Awaso and Sefwi Bekwi among others, to enforce the wearing of nose masks, hand washing with soap under running water and physical distancing. Mr Rahman was hopeful that regular visits to the various markets within the Municipality would go a long way to compel the market women to comply with the laid down protocols to protect themselves from being infected with COVID-19. He said military personnel would soon be engaged to beef up security in the Municipality to deal with market women who refused to comply with government protocols, so as to curb the spread of the virus in the Municipality. ---GNA Theres a tension at the heart of all of the plans to reopen the country in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic: The economy needs Americans to get back to work, but workplaces need employees and customers to feel that coming back wont endanger their health or their lives. Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, seems to be concerned primarily with the first half. The biggest obstacle, as he sees it, is not a deadly disease but rapacious trial lawyers, capitalizing on the virus to chase ambulances and bankrupt American businesses. If people dont come and businesses are afraid to open because of the lawyers that are lurking on the curbside outside their doors, we wont have the reopening we want, he said late last month. He warned of years of endless lawsuits from employees and customers flooding the courthouses with claims that a businesss negligence infected them with the virus. Hes called this supposed wave of litigation a second pandemic. As Congress gears up for the next installment of its stimulus package, Mr. McConnell has drawn a line: No more money for anyone until businesses get immunity from liability during the pandemic. The demands being debated include making it harder to claim that a business is at fault for a workers or customers infection, protecting businesses that are making personal protective equipment like masks for the first time, and protecting employers against privacy lawsuits if they disclose a workers infection. They are controlling the narrative and they are not allowing the people to speak about anything else other than what they claim is the truth, shouts a man to a crowd of protesters. Weve unpicked everything to do with this creation, this supposed virus. Next to him, a woman holding a sign calling coronavirus a fake pandemic nods appreciatively while police warily look on. In the surrounding crowd, people wave placards linking the outbreak with 5G technology, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and the new world order. This is the largest anti-lockdown protest yet seen in the UK, seeing around 100 people gather in Londons Hyde Park. As the UKs coronavirus death toll neared 36,000, demonstrators had no qualms about violating social distancing to show their contempt for public health measures. While some cast doubt on the existence of the illness, others were voicing beliefs that the virus had been created as a weapon and was being spread deliberately, while fellow protesters took aim at the tyrannical lockdown. Chants of freedom regularly broke out throughout the protest on a sunny Saturday afternoon, which was allowed to proceed by police despite a small number of arrests. The demonstration centred on Speakers Corner, a bastion of British debate, where a more conventional speaker was laughed at for asking participants to stay two metres apart. Few attendees were wearing masks, and those that were seemed to be doing it for the benefit of police officers and television cameras. I will not be masked, tracked, chipped or vaccinated, read one womans sign. This will not be my new normal. I do not consent. Jeremy Corbyn's brother arrested at anti-lockdown protest One man held a sign displaying a photo of British conspiracy theorist David Icke and supporting his theories, shouting: He speaks the truth, hes being silenced. Its tyranny. At one point, a man apologised for bumping into a woman, only to be pulled into a hug. Dont worry, were all here because we dont mind, she told him. A large number of police officers supervised the combative crowd, who repeatedly chanted shame on you and booed as demonstrators including Jeremy Corbyns brother were arrested. Piers Corbyn, an astrophysicist, had used a megaphone to claim the pandemic was a pack of lies to brainwash you and keep you in order, shouting: Vaccination is not necessary. Like many of the protesters, he claimed coronavirus was linked to 5G technology, adding: 5G enhances anyone whos got illness from Covid, so they work together. The vast majority of the crowd opposed vaccinations, with one sign calling them a bioweapon. At several points, people sang shove your vaccinations up your arse. Others were calling for freedom against the so-called tyranny of the lockdown. Conspiracy theorists at Hyde Park Corner on 16 May 2020 in London (Getty) Two women walked through the crowd wafting incense, while another insistently gave out copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The crowd was bolstered by bemused passers-by who chanced upon the demonstration while walking through Hyde Park. Some attempted to challenge the conspiracy theorists, with little success. The mass gathering attracted a range of people, from young families, to groups of friends, elderly women and middle-aged men in suits. One man was walking around with Kermit the Frog on his shoulder, while another wore a red Make America Great Again cap. No signs displaying allegiance to extremist groups were visible but at least one man present, and sipping from a can of super-strength lager, previously protested with the far-right UK yellow vests. Were all here no matter what we believe people are unhappy about different things, said a woman holding a sign calling the BBC, ITV, CNN and Sky deadly viruses. Several protesters discussed the fake news, with one man speaking with pride about he did not read the mainstream media or own a television. As the afternoon wore on, demonstrators retreated from Speakers Corner to spread out on the grass in the warm sunshine. Police speak to a protester as conspiracy theorists gather at Hyde Park Corner on 16 May 2020 in London (Getty) It was the largest of at least 60 mass gathering protests called by a loose collective calling itself the UK Freedom Movement. Flyers were distributed through a since-deleted Facebook group urging people to be part of the largest mass gathering since the lockdown. They said: We say no to the coronavirus bill, no to mandatory vaccines, no to the new normal and no to the unlawful lockdown. The leaflet called for people to bring a picnic, some music and [have] some fun and say yes to life. Never has a slogan felt more ironic. Property tycoon and National Basketball League owner Larry Kestelman has resorted to Supreme Court action to claw back millions of dollars from investors who failed to pay up for luxury apartments inside one of Melbourne's most high-profile developments. The $700 million LK Tower development, rising 50 storeys on the corner of Toorak Road and Chapel Street in South Yarra, is the tallest building outside the Melbourne CBD and pitched to the market as "where the city's style aficionados meet and mingle". Charlize Theron with developer Larry Kestelman promoting the Capitol Grand development in 2015 Credit:Chris Hopkins Apartments in the complex have been put on the market from well under $1 million, up to a whopping $20-million-plus for a luxury penthouse. The glitzy advertising campaign for the adjoining Capitol Grand project featured Oscar-winner Charlize Theron, who was paid $3 million by Mr Kestelman's company, LK Group, to appear at the 2015 Melbourne Grand Prix and in the development's promotional material. Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad, UPMSP will most likely release the UP Board Class 10 and 12 Result 2020 next month. According to sources, the result will be out at the end of June 2020. Candidates are advised to keep a check on the official website upresults.nic.in. Here are the steps you need to follow to check your results: -Log on to the official website-upresults.nic.in. -Go to upresults.nic.in. -In the provided fields, enter your roll number and other details. -Click on submit and result will be displayed. Earlier Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma had informed that the evaluation of answer sheets, which were already conducted before the announcement of lockdown, has begun in various parts of the state. The minister had then stated that around 1.5 crore answer sheets of already conducted Class 10, 12 exams would be delivered to the teachers for evaluation. According to a rough estimate by the UP Board, a total of 1.47 lakh teachers have been appointed to complete the assessment of high school and intermediate school students. A total of 275 evaluation centres have been set for checking answer-sheets of UP Board 2020 result. This year, around 56 lakh students appeared for the Class 12th and Class 10th for which the exams were held in March in the state. Last year, the Board released the annual examination results in April. Thousands marched in Bosnia on Saturday to protest against a Mass being held to honour Croatia's Nazi collaborators and civilians killed after World War II. The annual service, usually held in Austria at the site of the Croatian regime's last stand, was moved to Sarajevo because of coronavirus restrictions in Austria. Croatian groups gather each year for the commemorations, co-organised by the Catholic Church in Bosnia and Croatia, often brandishing Nazi memorabilia. The Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Center urged the Bosnian government to ban the Mass, labelling it a "travesty of memory and justice". The service provoked outrage from most political parties, Jewish leaders, the Serbian Orthodox Church and anti-fascist NGOs, who held a march during the Mass in central Sarajevo. - 'Death to Fascism' - "In Sarajevo, a multi-ethnic and anti-fascist city, there is no room for fascism," local Jewish leader Boris Kozemjakin, who took part in the march, told AFP. Sarajevo Archbishop Vinko Puljic, who held the Mass in the Bosnian capital's cathedral, earlier rejected the accusations and said praying for victims' souls did not mean approval of their acts. "No one has the right to neglect the victims for whom we pray today," Puljic said during the Mass. "We want that double standards in respecting the victims of hatred and massacre be stopped." Meanwhile, the marchers, who rallied despite a ban on public gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic, sang songs linked to the anti-Nazi struggle. "Death to Fascism, Freedom to People!" they chanted. Above a monument with names of 55 people from Sarajevo killed by the Croatian fascist regime known as Ustasha, the organisers of the march placed a large photo showing the hanged victims. Also large banners reading "I'm an anti-fascist too" were placed at the main Titova street. - 'All the victims' - The service was held under tight security and police sealed all roads leading to the cathedral with metal fences. Only about 20 people attended the service which, like the march, ended without incident. The Mass, originally announced as the service for those killed at Bleiburg, was eventually presented as the one for "all war and post-war victims". The Ustasha persecuted and killed hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Jews and anti-fascist Croatians. At the time, the so-called Independent State of Croatia (NDH) included Bosnia and parts of Serbia. More than 10,000 Sarajevo residents -- mostly Jews but also Serbs and Roma -- were killed by the Ustasha regime during WWII. Near the end of the war, the Ustasha, accompanied by civilians and Slovenian and Serbian collaborators, started to flee towards Austria hoping to surrender to British forces. But the British refused their surrender. The Ustasha were caught and executed by Josip Broz Tito's partisans in the border region between Austria and Slovenia. Croatian conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said earlier that 75 years on "we remember a difficult chapter of Croatia?s history and we remember all the victims". The number of those killed in the Bleiburg area -- where the commemorations are usually held -- is still debated but independent historians put it at tens of thousands. Short memorial ceremonies for the victims were also held in Croatia. The marchers rallied despite a ban on public gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic, singing songs linked to the anti-Nazi struggle Sarajevo's archbishop said praying for victims' souls did not mean approval of their acts This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions Dear Editor, Kingston Area Public Access is a public, education and government access channel serving the city of Kingston, the towns of Esopus, Hurley, Kingston, Marbletown, Rosendale and Ulster. KPAs locally produced programming is carried on Time Warner Cable Channel 23. Currently, Channel 23 is now under Esopus Community TV 23. (Town of Esopus workshop minutes on 5/7/19, Esopus Community TV 23) The city of Kingston and the towns lack resident appointees on the Cable Commission. The city of Kingston receives $405,000 from cable franchise fees from the cable subscribers, and doesnt direct any funds to the public access station. I would encourage the city of Kingston to support and use Public Access Television to inform the senior citizens who dont have the internet or Facebook. Clark Richters Sr. Kingston, N.Y. The writer is a former public access producer and commissioner. Deandre Baker and Quinton Dunbar have both turned themselves in to Florida law enforcement. The two had arrest warrants issued by the Miramar Police Department for an alleged armed robbery, and Baker is also facing four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm stemming from an incident that occurred at a party Wednesday night. According to the police report, Baker was armed with a semi-automatic weapon and robbed partygoers of cash and other valuables, including watches worth $18,000 and $25,000. The report says Dunbar was unarmed, but assisted in collecting the money. Dunbars lawyer, Michael Grieco, asserted his client was innocent in comments made to ESPN. Nobody is running from this, Grieco told ESPN. My client is innocent. I dont want him to do a minute in jail for this... Miramar Police Department is pot committed to this case because it has become public. Bradford Cohen, Bakers lawyer, also claimed innocence on Instagram. I want to thank Miramar PD for being professional in regard to surrendering and issues with the case, Cohen wrote. We understand that the officers can only base warrants on what was told to them at the time. We have had affidavits from several witnesses that also dispute the allegations and exculpate our client. Our investigator has had them for some time. We would have rather presented them to the court at the proper time, rather than in the media, but in this day and age, people rush to judgement. Where some seek publicity, we seek justice. I look forward to moving this case forward to proper conclusion, as we believe our client is innocent of any charges. You can read the full police report here. As a child, Marta Calhoun was often sick. She still remembers weekly visits to a doctors office, where shed get a penicillin shot. As a teacher, the Fremont woman never seemed to develop the same immunities as her fellow instructors. Shed battle illness throughout the school year. I would catch every germ going around, Calhoun said. Every child who had a cold or cough or bronchitis, I would catch it. I would be sick from August through May. An Omaha specialist would pinpoint the problem: Calhoun has Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID). By definition, its an antibody deficiency that leaves the immune system unable to defend against viruses. I dont make gamma globulins in my blood, Calhoun said. Therefore, I cant fight off colds, flu, bronchitis, anything in the lungs we commonly get. Thats why its critical to Calhoun and thousands of others like her that people donate blood. Its from these donations that gamma globulins are acquired to make infusions that patients, like Calhoun, need. So Calhoun hopes area residents will participate in an American Red Cross Blood Drive next week. The Fremont Area Retired Teachers is sponsoring a two-day blood drive in honor of Calhoun. The event is set from noon to 6 p.m. May 18 and 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 19 at Christensen Field, 1730 W. 16th St., Fremont. Appointments are necessary and walk-ins cannot be accepted due to social distancing and limited numbers of staff available. Kyle Jensen, Red Cross account manager, points out the need for donations. With many blood drives being canceled in recent times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, blood supplies are starting to diminish. I went from having 40 blood drives this month all the way down to 20, Jensen said. In the past few months and into July, blood drive hosts in the United States have had to cancel about 30,000 blood driveswhich would have collected approximately 700,000 units, Jensen said. Due to a lack of travel (and accidents) and elective surgeries, the supply was adequate during the last couple of months. But with everything starting to reopen and the elective surgeries starting back up, I think the need for blood will definitely start to increase, Jensen said. To make an appointment for the local blood drive, visit www.redcrossblood.org or call Kyle at 402-910-0681 or Barb at 402-659-1951. Donors need to bring their donor card or photo ID. Participants need to eat breakfast/lunch and drink plenty of water before donating. Another drive is scheduled from 12:30-6:30 p.m. May 18 at Mohr Auditorium in Scribner. All social distancing guidelines will be in effect. Donors need to wear a mask. Temperatures will be taken upon arrival. No walk-ins accepted. Only packaged snacks will be available. Be sure to use the Rapid Pass before arriving. Other drives are set from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 29 at the Fremont Family YMCA; from 2-7 p.m. May 31 at Woodcliff; and from 7:30 a.m. to noon June 7 at First Lutheran Church in Fremont. Donations are appreciated and for Calhoun and others like her, the need is acute. Its critical that people donate blood, because this is where we get the gamma globulins for us to have these infusions, she said. Calhoun said gamma globulins cant be manufactured in a laboratory. Donated blood is used for many conditions as well as for patients having surgeries and cancer patients, she said. After her diagnosis, Calhoun began in 2004 to receive immunoglobulin intravenously for six hours, one Saturday a month at whats now called Methodist Fremont Health. She did that until 2006. My veins shut down after doing that every month, she said. So it became necessary for Calhoun to learn to give herself weekly infusions using four small needles under the skin. The needles are hooked to lines and a device pumps the gamma globulins into her stomach. Nurses from ARJ Infusion Services in Omaha came to Fremont to train Calhoun how to give herself the infusions. They came every week until I felt that I could do it for myself, Calhoun said, adding. Those nurses were fantastic and they still are. They send her the medication and equipment once a month so she doesnt have to go to a hospital. Its marvelous, she said, adding that shes grateful for insurance which pays for the expensive medicine. Calhoun was a schoolteacher for 20 years. Her experience included a year of teaching first-graders on a Native American reservation in St. Francis, South Dakota. She did substitute teaching back in Nebraska. Calhoun then was kindergarten teacher in Prague for eight years. Thats when she discovered she had the immune deficiency. She later taught English as a Second Language for students in grades 6-8 in the mornings and kindergarten through second in the afternoons in Nebraska City. That came to a close five years ago. I just couldnt project the voice anymore and the body was wearing out, she said. It became harder and harder to teach. She was continuing to become sick and her primary care physician in Nebraska City suggested she look into going on disability. I remember being very depressed that weekend, she said. I just decided I had to do it. Calhoun, who moved back to Fremont, is retired now. She has a dog, Bella, and does dog sitting. She limits the time shes around children and doesnt do substitute teaching. For me, its just too risky, she said. She keeps busy with volunteer work. She works with the Fremont Area Retired Teachers group. And shes encouraging others to donate blood which can mean so much to so many people. 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. Press Release May 15, 2020 Senators express grief over passing of former Senator Tessie Aquino-Oreta Senators expressed their grief over the demise of former Senator Tessie Aquino-Oreta, or TAO as she was commonly called by friends and colleagues. She was 75 years old. "My family and I are so saddened by her demise. She was very close to me," Senate President Vicente Sotto III said in a statement. He said his wife, Helen, who was Oreta's relative, was devastated by the former senator's demise and has not stopped crying since they were told the news Thursday night, May 14, 2020. Sen. Richard Gordon said he and his wife, Kate, are mourning the loss of Oreta. He said the country lost a dedicated public servant who was also an advocate of education and employment. "Not only did we share the same passion for promoting the welfare of our country's teachers because of our belief that having good teachers is the key to a better future for our country, but Tessie was also a very close friend to us," Gordon said. "We extend our deepest condolences to her bereaved family and our prayer that they may find solace in their time of grief. Tessie may have gone ahead of us but she will always be remembered for the great legacy she left behind," he added. Sen. Kiko Pangilinan said Oreta was appropriately called TAO because she had the heart for the common people. She was also humble and devoted to her advocacy in promoting education in the country. "We will miss Tessie and we want to express our sympathy to her family for their loss," Pangilinan said. The Senate has been flying its flag at half-mast as a symbol of mourning for the passing of Oreta. Oreta was elected senator in 1998 and served her term during the 11th Congress. Before joining the Senate, she was a member of the House of Representatives for three consecutive terms, from 1987-1998, representing the district of Malabon-Navotas. According to Sotto, Oreta was the chairperson of the Committee on Education from 1998 to 2004. Sotto said some of Oreta's landmark bills that were signed into law included the Early Childhood Care and Development Act, Solo Parent Act, Solid Waste Management Act, Philippine Micronutrient Fortification Program, Clean Air Act, E-Commerce Act, the Philippine High School System Act, Governance of Basic Education Act and the Philippine Landscape Architecture Act. The migrants said that they prefer trucks and tempos to go back to their native places as the trucks drop them close to their villages, while buses drop them only till the state border, from where they have to find another mode of transport to reach home. IMAGE: Migrant workers manage to board a truck at Lucknow-Faizabad road to reach their hometown amid COVID-19 lockdown in Lucknow. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo Even as special Shramik trains and buses are being run by the government to ferry stranded migrant labourers from Maharashtra and other states, most of them still prefer to travel in vehicles like trucks and tempos to return home, flouting the social distancing norms. The migrants find trucks and tempos convenient, mostly because they drop them close to their home in their respective states, unlike the buses which carry them only till the state border, while the trains ferry them to their home state, from where they have to arrange for vehicles to reach their places. However, their journey in trucks and tempos is not safe as these vehicles are almost always tightly packed, due to which the risk of contracting COVID-19 infection is higher. Small tempos carry around 20 persons, while the medium-sized ones can accommodate 25 to 40 people. Small trucks can carry 40 to 60 people, while the larger ones are found carrying up to 100 or even more, with several of them sitting atop. Sources said that the truckers charge anywhere in the range of Rs 1,500 to Rs 4,500 per person for the journey to Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand depending upon the distance to their native places from Mumbai and adjoining places. IMAGE: Migrants gesture from a trailer that will drive them across the border, during an extended nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in New Delhi. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters Several migrant labourers said that vehicle operators charge Rs 1,500-2,000 for MP, Rs 3,000-3,500 for UP and Rs 3,000-4,500 for Bihar. The migrants said that they prefer trucks and tempos to go back to their native places as the trucks drop them close to their villages, while buses drop them only till the state border, from where they have to find another mode of transport to reach home. Several of them said that they were forced to undertake journey in vehicles like trucks, as their efforts in seeking permission for Shramik special trains did not get any response. Umesh Kumar Maurya, a worker from a sweet shop in Maharashtra's Kalyan, who was heading to Lucknow, said, "For the train journey, I had first applied online and later on visited local police station in Kalyan three times. However, I did not get any response and hence decided to take road journey." After the Centre extended the lockdown, especially for the second time, a large number of migrants started returning home by whatever mode of transport available to them. IMAGE: Migrants from Mumbai board a truck at Chakghat border to return to their native places in Madhya Pradesh's in Rewa district. Photograph: PTI Photo A large number of them even started their journey back home on foot. According to the residents of villages located along the highways, until last week a large number of migrants could be seen walking in groups with their meagre belongings on their head and back. However, slowly the number of them going on foot started dwindling as most of them are now hiring trucks and tempos. Mumbai, which is one of the biggest COVID-19 hotspots in the country with over 17,500 cases so far, houses lakhs of migrants. During a surprise visit on Thursday evening, Maharashtra transport commissioner Shekhar Channe checked a few trucks and tempos on the Mumbai-Agra Highway. During the inspection at Bhiwandi Phata, he found over 55 migrants crammed inside a truck. He directed the RTO officials to impound the UP-registered truck that was without any number plate, and take necessary action against the operator. IMAGE: Migrants travel in a truck to reach their native places. Photograph: PTI Photo He also asked the authorities to arrange for free buses for the migrants found inside the truck. Apart from Shramik special trains being run for the labourers from different cities in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, the state government has arranged free buses to drop them till the state border. Around 22 migrants are carried in each bus. According to the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, it has ferried over 1.34 lakh passengers in 10,000 buses till Friday. Channe said, "RTO officials have been asked to take action against the trucks and tempos illegally carrying migrants. They have also been asked to arrange free buses for the people found travelling in such vehicles." According to RTO officials, before travelling in trucks and tempos, the migrants do not apply for e-passes, issued for intra-state and inter-state travel. Even the truck operators do not have any permission to ferry them, and hence the entire exercise is illegal. IMAGE: The migrants find trucks and tempos convenient, mostly because they drop them close to their home. Photograph: PTI Photo Sources said that the trucks returning to UP, Bihar, MP and Jharkhand prefer to ferry the migrants instead of running empty and some agents do the booking for the labourers. From the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the truck operators pick up the migrants from Majiwade in Thane, Ghodbandar, Mira Bhayander, and many other locations on Mumbai-Agra highway, apart from Anjur phata and Bhiwandi phata. Small tempos charging Rs 100-500 per person drop the migrants outside Mumbai, from where trucks and tempos pick up these migrants. Many of them even to walk from Mumbai to these pick-up points. Sources said that most of the times, the authorities, turn a blind eye towards the trucks and tempos ferrying labourers illegally without following any social distancing norms. Serbia has deployed troops near a town not far from the border with Croatia where hundreds of migrants are located, hoping to reach the European Union. In a statement issued on May 16, the Serbian Defense Ministry said that President Aleksandar Vucic sent the troops to "secure" three migrant camps near the western town of Sid that are housing some 1,500 people, mostly from Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Vucic said he ordered the deployment to protect the local population from alleged harassment and robberies committed by the migrants. He told TV Prva that, after a state of emergency imposed to fight the coronavirus spread in Serbia was lifted earlier this month, the migrants started venturing outside the camps, committing "petty crimes and illegal entries into houses." "Because of that people are feeling unsafe," Vucic said. There are an estimated 4,000 migrants stranded in Serbia, one of the main transit routes through the Balkans for people fleeing wars and poverty. Based on reporting by AP Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL. 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 Angola, IN (46703) Today Snow showers this evening. Breaks in the overcast later. Low 12F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 70%.. Tonight Snow showers this evening. Breaks in the overcast later. Low 12F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 70%. It was only a matter of time. So Friday's announcement that fund manager Mark Barnett dubbed 'Son of Woodford' had left investment house Invesco by 'mutual' consent hardly took financial experts by surprise. Speaking to a number of investment advisers on Friday, the consensus view was that he should have been jettisoned by Invesco a long time ago, so consistently poor had been his decision-making in recent years on key multi-billion pound funds once loved by hundreds of thousands of private investors. 'In well run businesses, if you continually under-perform you're booted out,' said investment expert Brian Dennehy, someone who never pulls his punches on matters of investment importance. Shunted out: Mark Barnett oversaw a 40 per cent fall in the funds' value in just three years 'So why should it be so different in the fund management industry? Barnett had long overstayed his welcome. He should have been shunted out long ago.' Ouch. Jason Hollands, a director of wealth manager Tilney, was equally damning. 'The writing had long been on the wall given the dire performance Barnett had delivered on Invesco's flagship UK investment funds. We'd lost faith in him some time ago. It's now an opportunity for Invesco to reset the dials, although it will take time to repair the impaired fund track records he has left behind.' Ben Yearsley, a fund expert at Shore Financial Planning, was a little more forgiving, but agreed that Barnett had long passed his sell-by-date. He said: 'It feels as if this had been coming for a while. Barnett's funds have had a torrid time of late, first undone by Brexit and then the Covid-19 outbreak. 'However, all UK investment managers have had to deal with these macro events and their funds have weathered the turmoil far better. Ultimately, the poor performance has to be down to Barnett's investment decisions.' How Barnett took over from Woodford For Barnett, it is an ignominious end to a 24-year career at Invesco Perpetual the page bragging about his experience as a specialist in UK equity income investing was quietly removed from Invesco's website on Friday. For much of his time at the Henley-on-Thames based fund management operation, he was Neil Woodford's right-hand man. He basked in the manager's glory as Woodford steered Invesco's multi-billion pound flagship funds Income and High Income through the bursting of the dotcom investment bubble in 2000 and on to a long run of success. A period of out-perfomance built on investing in some of the UK's most defensive and solid stocks for example, pharmaceutical stocks and shares in tobacco companies. When Woodford, puffed up by his success, left Invesco to set up his own doomed investment operation in 2014 just down the road in Oxford, it was Barnett who stepped into his shoes. As well as being appointed head of UK equities, he took over responsibility for a number of Invesco funds and stock market-listed trusts previously managed by Woodford. But key as far as Invesco was concerned would be his successful management of Income and High Income, multi-million pound annual fee earners for the US-owned fund management house. The Invesco Income fund has fallen by considerably more than the average in its sector Manager was hit as investors chased Woodford Barnett was on a hiding to nothing from the word go. First, he had to sit back while advisers switched money out of High Income and Income into Woodford's newly launched Equity Income Fund. The 'Master', they said, is better than the 'Son'. Secondly, he struggled to stamp his own mark on the two funds, understandably preferring to carry on doing the things Woodford had previously done so well. That is, continuing to invest the funds in the same undervalued stocks that Woodford had liked as well as maintain a small portfolio of unquoted companies built up by his predecessor. When this approach, built on the 'value investing' principles that had served Woodford so well in the 2000s, failed to deliver, Barnett was in trouble. Money haemorrhaged out of the funds, Barnett had to sell stock into a falling market to pay those investors wanting out, and investment losses piled up. The numbers do not lie. When Barnett took over management of High Income and Income, they had assets of 13.1 billion and 8.3 billion. Today, they are valued at 3.3 billion and 1.5 billion respectively. How Barnett fell 30% behind the market According to fund data provider Financial Express, the two funds have recorded losses over the past three years of 40 per cent give or take a fraction of a percentage point. Over the same period, the FTSE All-Share Index has registered a loss of 13 per cent while the two funds' peer group have generated an average loss of 0.5 per cent. Woeful Invesco numbers, however they are dissected. Peter Sleep is a senior portfolio manager at Seven Investment Management. On Friday, he told Wealth: 'I think Barnett followed too closely in Woodford's footsteps.' In particular, he is critical of Barnett's decision to continue to hold and add to a number of small and mid-cap stocks that went on to perform poorly (such as Provident Financial, New River Real Estate and Raven Property). He also says most of the unquoted stocks in the two funds, bought by Woodford but then held by Barnett, were akin to pouring 'money down a drain'. Although Invesco has shaken up the UK equities team in the wake of Barnett's departure, changed the names of High Income and Income (to UK Equity High Income and UK Equity Income), and merged away a couple of other UK funds, Sleep says it will probably not be enough to revive the UK team's fortunes in the short-term at least. He believes Invesco's failing was to allow a star fund manager culture to embed itself at Henley-on-Thames. One that allowed Woodford and then Barnett to rule supreme with little in-house oversight or questioning of the risks they were taking with investors' money. Also, unlike other investment houses such as Fidelity, there was no bank of in-house research analysts presenting Barnett with their best investment ideas. He was Mr Ideas. The good news, says Sleep, is that the UK equity team's funds will now be regularly assessed by investment risk experts working from Invesco's New York offices. That's fine and dandy. It's just a shame it didn't happen before Barnett decimated the wealth of many retail investors' portfolios. 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 Photo credit: Ezra Bailey - Getty Images As I write this, I'm embarking on week 10 of workingand eating, exercising, socializing, and everything elsefrom home, and, whether you're on week 8 or week 12, chances are you're in a similar boat. As the coronavirus has spread across the globe, it has, quite literally, pushed us all into our homes, making for an unprecedented relationship with our surroundings that will no doubt shape the future of design for good. Over the past few months, there have been countless jokes about the new functions required of our homes. I, for one, particularly enjoyed a certain cartoon that reimagined a wine tasting tour, substituting "bedroom," "kitchen," and "dining room" for vineyards. In the design world, many a joke has been cracked about this being the change that could finally take down America's obsession with the open floor plana fallout which, I can't lie, I'd be happy to see. But the truth is, this pandemic, a global phenomenon the likes of which the world has truly never experienced, will have repercussions in design that go much deeper than better home office setups and a renewed appreciation for separate rooms. Photo credit: Courtesy of Maryline Damour First, and perhaps most instinctual, is an increased understanding of the home as a safe space. Any threat or uncertainty leaves us as humans longing for security, and in this instance, we've been pushed more than ever to find that in our homes. "Our homes are our sanctuaries more than ever before," says Maryline Damour of Damour Drake. Damour is one of several designers who has seen a real push towards prioritizing physical and mental well-being in home design well before the pandemic beganand she points out that this has only become a more important consideration now. Adam Rolston, partner at INC Architecture & Design, agreesand points to a more macro representation of wellness: Sustainability. "There are a lot of things happening in our world already like around health and wellness which I think are going to become even more important now," Rolston says. Story continues "What's good for the planet is good for the human, so theyre inextricably tied, and in that way, we feel like wellness can be a gateway to broadening the scope of what it means to be sustainable and to support the health of the planet," he adds. That's something Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams CEO Allison O'Connor sees as a silver lining. "Those principles of creating a healthy, environmentally-conscious home are really important," she says. "And I think coming out of this, companies that speak to that in an authentic way will be strong." As for what we can expect in terms of style, O'Connor says that swatches being shipped from MGBW's North Carolina factory tell a pair of distinct stories: "Some folks have been really bold with their choices of fabric, and then we're seeing people on the polar opposite creating this very serene, warm, neutral, safe space," she explains. Designers seem to agree that this divide speaks to people spending more time in their homesand being more in tune with what they want there. Quite simply, says Tina Ramchandani, "your style is going to continue to be your style." The most impactful changes, then, will likely come in terms of functionality, with the possibility of increased time at home making flexible spaces far more appealing. "It's very easy for someone, especially in a small condo or apartment, to say, 'You know what, fine, I'm going to work from my kitchen island,'" says architect and developer Peter Darmos of Asteras Properties. "But then you're also having dinner on that same space, and you feel like you're just in this sort of rut. I think when you blend work in in the personal life too much, it may not be a good thing." While it's tempting to try to simplify that into an easy "home offices are in, open floor plans are out" mantra, the reality is that the very uncertainty of these times means the boundaries aren't so set in stone. Nancy J. Ruddy of architecture and design firm CetraRuddy has seen increased demand in "flex spaces" that can be customized for different needs (besides home offices or school spaces, this may also mean rooms for aging parents, who choose options other than nursing homes post-pandemic). In smaller apartments that can't necessarily contain a built-in office or home-schooling station, Rolston predicts that clients will be looking for larger bedrooms, which can function as offices in a pinch. Photo credit: Courtesy Rockefeller Group & Recent Spaces "The American home must function as it has never before," says Studio Sofield founder William Sofield. "Gracious and thoughtful plans, quality of craft"more on that in a moment"and multifunctional spaces are the harbingers of a new era in design." This multifunctionality will likely extend to outdoor spaces, too. "In the past few years there has been a big movement towards semi-private exterior spaces," Rolston says. While this has mostly applied to newer apartment buildings in big cities, they may become a more widespread norm. "I think that people are going to be looking for more of those amenity spaces because they allow you to socialize with a more controlled group," says Rolston. Photo credit: Binyan Studios That said, the separation between indoors and out is more important than ever, and designers predict that psychology will have a serious impact on design. "Our clients are already asking for mudrooms with a bathroom, shower, and washer/dryer" to allow for a complete desensitization upon entering the house, says designer Nicole Fuller. Chicago-based Katie Wozniak agrees, citing "back entrances" as a design element that will grow moving forward. But these spaces are about more than just an amended footprint. Indeed, the concept of a distinct barrier between outside and inside may fundamentally change the way we approach entering ourand other people'shomes. "That process may become part of some new, beautiful ritual we have," says Rolston. This idea touches on something that connects every prediction designers are making: an increased thoughtfulness in design, be it in the way we move through and use a space, the way we protect it, or the things we put in it. Several people I spoke to cited this, coupled with rough economic times, as an impetus to support more small, local businesses. Similarly, the pause on project timing may allow more patience for hand-crafted elements that take longer to produce. After all, if you're going to be stuck in your home, you might as well be surrounded by things that have meaning, things that you love, and things that will stand the test of time, both in durability and style. As renowned trend forecaster Lidewij "Li" Edelkoort said on the Business of Fashion podcast last week, "the virus is making us do already the things we for a long time knew we had to do." So, as we look forward from this time of great uncertainty, let's find hope in the possibility of starting anew with a rekindled appreciation for wellness, one that's exemplified in our own health as well as that of our families, the planet, and those responsible for making the things that fill our homes. "I think it's a critical time to be a designerwe're going to help make the physical world an easier and a better place to be, says Rolston. In a way, when this is over, designers will be the front line workers of the rebuilding. Follow House Beautiful on Instagram . You Might Also Like The government of Chiles ultra-right President Sebastian Pinera has responded to the explosion of the pandemic and signs of growing popular resistance by fast tracking laws normalising the deployment of the military in the streets. No less than a dozen laws beefing up the repressive agencies of the state have been drafted by both the executive and Congress in the last six months. They are already being put to use as the coronavirus spreads rapidly in working class districts in Santiago and regional cities. Special forces troops in Santiagos streets Today, Santiagos entire Metropolitan Region of almost seven million is under quarantine, with more than 2,500 new cases being reported daily. The total number of confirmed infections has risen to roughly 40,000, and the number of deaths to close to 400. As elsewhere in Latin America and internationally, the real toll is vastly higher. With the deadly virus hitting hardest in the most densely populated working class boroughs of Santiago, its spread is a damning indictment of the criminally negligent and reckless policies of the government, further inflaming anger towards the entire political establishment. As of May 14, 14,000 members of the Armed Forces, the paramilitary Carabineros, the PDI police, along with detachments of the Armys elite Lautaro Special Operations Brigade, or black berets, Air Force special forces, the Marines, as well as the Carabineros special forces, riot police and tactical units began patrolling the streets of metropolitan Santiago. More than 74,450 military and police personnel have been dispatched across the country, and the military brass has been placed in charge of the 16 regional zones since Pinera declared a State of Catastrophe in March. To date, these patrols have detained 6,888 for violating curfew, 969 for committing crimes during the curfew and 1,255 for violating the total quarantine. In other words, with COVID-19 as a cover, the military is being used to suppress the working class. Minister of Defence Alberto Espina, explained that the Metropolitan Regions 52 mayorsincluding those from the Chilean Communist Party (PCCh), Chilean Socialist Party (PSCh), Frente Amplio as well as the rightwill have officers assigned to them so they can contribute suggestions and opinions to improve the patrols of the military, who will be in charge. Defence Minister Espina with troops in Santiago Among the actions that are being carried out is the safeguarding of critical infrastructure that includes more than 22 food and health distribution centres in the Metropolitan Region that provide resources to the rest of the country, Espina said, adding what can only be characterised as a threat: collaboration of the citizens is fundamental. These actions were foreshadowed by a bill passed in the Senate allowing the president to call out the military to protect electricity, communications, transportation, hospitals, supplies etc., without having to declare a State of Exception, which requires congressional approval. The military will also be permitted to protect the branches of government or place these political institutions under military supervision. On May 8, Francisco Chauan senator for the extreme right Renovacion Nacional presented in Congress a bill that will not just criminalise demonstrations, mass strikes and protests, but will allow the police and the military to carry out mass round-ups. They have borrowed this law from the German Landfriedensbruch, or breach of peace statute. It allows for the mass arrest of individuals present at violent demonstrations and carries prison sentences of up to three years. Our Chilean Criminal Code lacks a legal figure that would allow for the punishment of those who participate in a violent agglomeration if they are not caught directly committing a crime Chauan stated. A week earlier, on April 28, Defence Minister Espina addressed the House Defence Committeean 11-member committee that includes Guillermo Tellier (PCCh), and Jaime Toha (PSCh)urging it to pass a bill giving far-reaching powers to military and police intelligence services. The bill was passed unanimously in January by the 43-member Senate, 16 of whom are from Nueva Mayoria (PSCh, PDC, PPD, PCCh), and one from Frente Amplio. The danger of this bill cannot be overstated. A revamped intelligence system will be made up of the National Intelligence Agency, which includes the intelligence directorates of the Armed Forces, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Carabineros, the investigative police, gendarmerie and customs. Internal Revenue Service and the Financial Analysis Unit will be involved in the provision of information. This vast intelligence gathering operation, ostensibly created to deal with drug trafficking, corruption, money laundering, child prostitution and paedophilia, has all the powers that Latin American dictatorships and US imperialism have employed in the past against mass revolutionary struggles, as with Operation Condor in the 1970s and 80s. The repressive legislation is the response of the bourgeoisie to the mass protests initially triggered by public transport fare hikes in October of last year that developed under the slogan of its not 30 pesos, its 30 years into demonstrations that brought millions into the streets against decades of privatization and transfer of wealth to the top that have led to obscene levels of social inequality. Chile is undergoing a profound crisis of bourgeois rule. Historically reactionary, weak and venal, the ruling elite rested in the 20th Century on the services of the economic nationalist policies of the anti-Marxist Socialist Party (PSCh) and the Stalinist Communist Party (PCCh). These parties sought subordinate the working class to the capitalist state by sowing illusions in the myth of Chiles parliamentary democratic tradition, as the bourgeoisie prepared to unleash mass repression in the bloody military coup of September 11, 1973. Today the institutions of bourgeois rule lack all credibility. Support for the ultra-right government that came to power in 2018 oscillates between 5 and 20 percent. The legislature, however, has single digit approval, while the parties within itthe PCCh, the Greens, the PSCh, Frente Amplio, Christian Democrats, as well as the extreme righthave registered single digit support, according to polls taken at the height of the demonstrations. The judiciary is seen as merely a corrupt bastion of entrenched power. The Chilean left is attempting to foist a new political trap on the working class with the purpose of channeling mass social unrest back into parliamentarism, while concealing the extremely ominous dictatorial measures being prepared under Pinera. The way forward, they say, is to hold a Constituent Assembly, as though drafting a new charter will change the nature of the capitalist state. Every single so-called left organization is promoting this perspective, not least the misnamed Workers Revolutionary Party (PTR) which is ideologically tied to the late Argentine Pabloite, Nahuel Moreno. The bourgeoisie and its servants are using the coronavirus pandemic as a means of preparing for the next stage of the class struggle with mass arrests, mass torture and mass disappearances. That is a legacy etched in blood in the annals of capitalist Chile. The only answer to this threat is the independent mobilization of the working class in the fight for revolutionary international socialism and the overthrow capitalism. This requires, above all, the building of a Chilean section of the International Committee of the Fourth International. About two weeks ago, immigration lawyers showed up at a downtown immigration court for hearings or dialed into the courtroom from home. But the doors were shut, the phone disconnected. With no notice, the courts on St. Marys Street that hold hearings for detained immigrants were shut down indefinitely May 1. Lawyers were told by clerks at another local immigration court that there was a case of coronavirus at the facility. They werent given details, sparking fears that some were exposed to the virus. The Executive Office for Immigration Review acknowledged it closed the court when it learned someone who had tested positive with the coronavirus was present. They quarantined their staff for their safety but didnt let the counsel know. If we were in court that week or that day, we shouldve taken the same precautions, immigration lawyer Melanie Lira said. The pandemic has exacerbated the enormous backlog of cases in immigration court, which had surpassed 1 million cases precoronavirus a record high. Nondetained hearings conducted at the Dolorosa Street court building have been postponed until June 12, which means the immigration proceedings of those who live in the community are delayed. Hearings for migrants caught in the nearly defunct Remain in Mexico program, which requires U.S. asylum-seekers to wait on the streets or in shelters in northern Mexico, have been postponed until June 19. San Antonio has nearly 30,400 immigration cases pending in its courts, according to the Syracuse University-based organization Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. Texas has more than 173,000, behind only California with the highest number of backlogged cases. With the St. Marys Street courts closed, immigrants in detention must stay there until they get a hearing. The virus is spreading rapidly in jails, prisons and detention centers, raising fear that immigrants who could qualify for release might instead be exposed. The South Texas Detention Complex in Pearsall, some 50 miles southwest of San Antonio, has seen a rise in cases to 32 in the past few weeks. On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases Overall, more than 270 immigrants have tested positive for coronavirus at Texas immigrant detention centers. A clerk at the Dolorosa Street courts which remain open for some detained immigrant cases confirmed to the San Antonio Express-News that the St. Marys courts were under quarantine due to a case of coronavirus. The clerk said no official bulletins or memos were sent out. Everybody has been learning from me, basically, he said. Lawyers remain frustrated at the lack of communication, and the potential risk it put them in. The doors are locked to the St. Marys court building. A sign, now outdated, says the court will be closed until May 11. Theres been such a lack of transparency of what is going on, immigration lawyer Hillary Peldner said. We dont know whats closed, how long theyre closed, whos sick. Are we at risk? I mean, Im 35 weeks pregnant. The canceled hearings range from final, individual ones, which determine immigrants deportation fate, to simpler bond hearings - petitions brought by immigrants with no criminal history to get released from detention while their cases make their way through the courts. With the backlog, lawyers fear the canceled hearings will get postponed months in advance. On May 4, Melanie Lira, a local immigration lawyer, waited for hours for the judge for a morning hearing to give her a call so she could participate in the hearing via phone an increasingly common scenario during the pandemic. But she never got that call, and the case of her detained client, Juan, never moved forward. She learned later the courts had closed that day. Juan, whose last name is being withheld for fear it would affect his case, has been detained since February. He was living in the U.S. on a visa for years to care for his U.S. citizen daughter who had leukemia and since has died. His other child also is a U.S. citizen. But after a failure to renew his parole, he was picked up on a traffic violation and put in immigrant detention. He was denied bond. He was scheduled for a hearing May 4, which would set the date for his final hearing, when the judge would rule on his potential deportation. Hes detained at the Laredo Processing Center, which hasnt reported any coronavirus cases. That means youre talking about another six weeks being detained, without bond, in a pandemic, Lira said. Detained immigrants have grown increasingly anxious and fearful. In late March, 60 immigrants at the South Texas Detention Complex staged a protest demanding their release. They were pepper-sprayed by contract workers. The center has stopped admitting new detainees, but it continues to transfer them out to other facilities. On ExpressNews.com: Coronavirus cases mount at South Texas immigrant detention center A 57-year-old man was the first to die in ICE custody of the coronavirus. He was detained at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in California, which has the worst outbreak: nearly 150 cases. At least with the nondetained cases, theyre out and can quarantine with their families. But the detainees are suffering, I cant imagine being in their shoes, Peldner said. Theyre scared theyre going to die in the U.S., in a detention center, and their families are never going to see them again. sfosterfrau@express-news.net Presidential office denies Tsai involved in TSMC's U.S. plan ROC Central News Agency 05/15/2020 08:29 PM Taipei, May 15 (CNA) The Presidential Office has denied that President Tsai Ing-wen () played a role in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s (TSMC's) decision to build an advanced wafer plant in the United States, but said Tsai welcomed the plan. Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang () said Friday that TSMC is a well-known multinational company that plans operating strategies based on the needs of its business development. "President Tsai is delighted to see any investment that is helpful to Taiwan's economic development, but she will not get involved," Chang said, in response to a report in Apple Daily. The report said TSMC's plan to invest US$12 billion to build an advanced wafer plant in Arizona was based on "political considerations." It said TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker, was lobbied by the U.S. government and the Tsai administration to announce its intention to invest a large sum in the U.S., with Tsai serving as the lead lobbyist. Under political pressure, TSMC had no choice but to make such a quick decision to build a state-of-the art wafer plant in the U.S. amid lingering concerns over trade tensions between Washington and Beijing, the report said. TSMC posted a filing on the Taiwan Stock Exchange as recently as Monday saying it had no concrete plans to invest in the U.S., although the company confirmed it had been in talks with American authorities. Just four days later, it announced its intention to build a 5nm process wafer fab in Arizona at a cost of US$12 billion, which is expected to directly create 1,600 jobs and indirectly add thousands of other jobs in the semiconductor ecosystem. Before TSMC's announcement, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that both the U.S. State and Commerce Departments were involved in the plan. According to TSMC, construction of the 5nm process wafer plant is scheduled to start in 2021 and mass production is expected to begin in 2024, with a monthly production of 20,000 units. U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo praised TSMC for the investment, calling the deal "a game changer for the U.S. semiconductor industry that will bolster American national security and our economic prosperity." In response to TSMC's plan, Science and Technology Minister Chen Liang-gee () said the investment was a rational decision and that Taiwan would still be able to maintain its lead in the global semiconductor industry. Chen said as the planned Arizona plant will not begin mass production until 2024, and TSMC is planning to launch mass production of the 3nm process in 2022 in Taiwan, the country's lead will not be endangered by the move. The decision still has to be reviewed by the Investment Commission, which said it will carefully consider such issues as Taiwan's industrial and economic development, technology applications, and national security. The commission said it has yet to receive an application from TSMC. The review will be conducted with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Science and Technology and national security authorities, and is expected to take one to two months. Under the commission's rules, any investment bound for overseas from Taiwan valued at NT$1.5 billion or more needs the commission's approval. According to TSMC, the Arizona facility will be the company's second production site in the U.S. Currently, the company runs a fab in Camas, Washington and design centers in Austin, Texas and San Jose, California. TSMC is currently developing the even more advanced 3nm process which is expected to go into production in 2022. (By Wen Kuei-hsing, Su Ssu-yun, Wu Po-wei and Frances Huang) Enditem NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rising COVID-19 cases in the hill district of Wayanad and Kasaragod are causing concern to authorities and contact tracing is proving to be a herculean task amid indications thata truck driver who had recently returned from Koyambedu, a hotspot in Chennai, is supected to have spread the infection in the hilly district. The sprawling Koyambedu market, which has over 3000 licensed shops selling flowers, fruits, vegetables,among others, spread in around 300 acres, has been linked to a recent spurt in coronavirus cases in neighbouring Kerala. Fifteen of the Wayanad based 52-year-old truck driver's primary and secondary contacts, including his close relatives,have tested positive for the virus. On Friday, Wayanad reported five more cases, taking the tally to 19, the highest in the state. In Kasaragod, another north Kerala district, days after reporting nil cases, the graph is on the rise with 13 COVID-19 cases as on Friday. The district had at a point of time the highest number of positive cases but managed to bring it down to nil cases, thanks to strict containment measures. But several people, including health workers, were asked to go into quarantine after a ruling CPI(M) local politician tested positive for COVID-19 recently. The politician had on May4 picked up a relative from Thalapady, who had reached the state border from Mumbai without pass. Subsequently the politician's wife, two young sons and the Mumbai returnee all tested positive. At least 50 people, including 17 health workers-- two doctors and nurses-- had come in contact with the politician and have been quarantined. Theirsamples have been sent for testing, District Medical officer Dr AV Ramdas told PTI. Police said the politician, who refused to go into quarantine, had attended a marriage, a funeral, a cradle ceremony besides visiting few hospitals from May 4-11. He has been booked by police under the Kerala Epidemics Act. The state, which had last week declared that it had flattened the curve, had only 20 active cases as on May 10, but five days later, on May 15, the tally jumped to 80. The truck driver along with his co-driver (cleaner) had reached the Chennai market on April 21 with a load of ginger and set off on the return journey the next day to reach Wayanad on April 25. He also visited few shops in the area and tested positive on May 2. Though the co-driver's sample was negative, his son and friend tested positive for the virus. Wayanad, a 'green zone' for 32 days, has now the maximum number of infected patients---19, causing concern. The district also has the highest number of tribal population in the state. Three policemen, who had come in contact with the secondary contacts of the cleaner's son's friend, who is an accused in a case, have also tested positive following which nearly 100 police personnel, including the Wayanad District Police chief, R Illango, have been asked to quarantine themselves as a precautionary measure. Police said contact tracing of the accused is a herculean task as he was not cooperating. Police even tried to question him at the isolation ward wearing PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), but in vain. Mananthavady Municipality, Vallamunda, Edavagah and Thirunelly panchayats have been fully closed and declared as containment zones. Tribal colonies have been closed and 'reverse quarantine' is on to protect the vulnerable from the infection,an official said. All shops have been closed in the area. In Palakkad, a bakery owner, who came to Kerala through Walayar checkpost after visiting Koyambedu,has tested positive. Three Kerala MPs and two MLAs, all belonging to the opposition congress, who had staged a protest against the state government at the border checkpost when the bakery owner was there among the stranded people, are among the 200 people who have been asked to go into quarantine by health officials. In Idukki district, health authoritieshave still not been able to trace how a bakery owner,who tested positive, got the infection. It is suspected that over 200 to 300 people must have come in contact with him,health department sources said, adding the man could have been infected while serving tea and snacks at his bakery to some truck drivers who had come from Tamil Nadu. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Just over a year after President Omar al-Bashir was deposed following months-long protests across the country, Sudan finds itself in an increasingly difficult political and socioeconomic situation. Counter-revolutionary forces have sought to undo much of the progress that has been achieved since last year, while the civilian government, which is supposed to lead the country through a political transition, is increasingly exposed to attacks and internal divisions. Meanwhile, the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) alliance, the civilian coalition behind the protests which helped form the government, is facing increasing fragmentation due to political, ideological and ethnic differences, further weakening civilian power. Amid this increasingly difficult situation, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok sent two letters to the United Nations, requesting the formation of a special political mission to Sudan under Chapter VI of the UN Charter, which deals with the peaceful settlement of disputes. The current UN mission in the country, the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), which was created under the Chapter VII provisions on peacekeeping and operates along with an African Union force, has a peacekeeping and civilian protection mandate in Darfur which will expire in October this year. The requested new mission is to cover the entire territory of Sudan and support the application of Sudans Constitutional Declaration, which was introduced last year to pave the way for civilian rule. It would also be tasked with the promotion of peace settlements in conflict zones in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, the mobilisation of international economic assistance, the coordination of humanitarian aid, and constitution-making and various state reform efforts, as stated in Hamdoks letters to the UN. His request, if approved, will shift the role of the international community in Sudan from peacekeeping to peacebuilding, something Khartoum has been calling for since last year. This move by the prime minister has triggered extremely heated debate and tensions that could lead to deep divisions and violence in Sudan. Many Islamist groups, particularly the leaders and supporters of the old regime, have taken the opportunity to attack the government and accuse it of undermining the countrys sovereignty and independence and putting its territorial integrity at risk by opening Sudan for new colonialism. Among other factors, the accusations stem from claims that Hamdoks letters to the UN were reflecting the British and German joint proposal at the UN Security Council. This strengthened the belief in some circles that the requested new UN mission would be a tool for foreign interference in Sudans internal affairs and that Hamdoks government is a puppet of foreign powers. Others also found the move problematic, albeit for different reasons. Many activists and observers inside the country believe that the divisions within the FFC and Hamdoks failure to capitalise on the momentum of the revolution by mobilising grassroots support for his government have weakened it. His request for a new UN mission, which to a certain extent indeed aligns with British and German proposals, constitutes an attempt to increase his international legitimacy as he faces growing domestic troubles. But more worryingly, Hamdoks decision to seek a political mission with no peacekeeping powers is a concession to the military. Many have feared that tensions between the prime minister and the FFC have pushed him to seek support from General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the army and chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (also known as Hemeti), the leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), one of the main state-sponsored militias accused of war crimes in Darfur. It is in the interests of both the army and the RSF for UN peacekeepers to withdraw from the country and for no foreign force to have a civilian protection mandate, which would interfere with their operations in different conflict hotspots across the country. A weaker UN presence would also mean a weaker position of civilian power vis-a-vis the military. Undoubtedly, this situation will eventually undermine Sudans civilian government and the transition it is supposed to lead. Therefore, not requesting civilian protection powers for the new UN mission is a fatal mistake. Hamdok has claimed that the political, security and humanitarian situations have improved after al-Bashirs removal, but nothing is further from the truth. The civilian population of Darfur has seen no improvements in their daily lives so far. The armed attacks, as well as the systemic and wide-spread human rights violations against civilians, particularly, internally displaced persons, continue in the region. In early January, violence erupted in West Darfur, from where UNAMID forces have withdrawn, killing more than 80 people, injuring 190 and displacing 8,000. The area of Jebel Marra in central Darfur, where UNAMID still has some presence, has also seen continuous incidents of violence. A UN report released in March lists 21 violent incidents from October 2019 to January 2020, which resulted in the deaths of 17 people. Some 8,600 people were displaced in the area as a result of the violence while frequent sexual violence and physical assaults against civilians have continued. UNAMID has had to step up patrols in order to deescalate the situation. In May, more than 30 people were killed when clashes between Fallata and Rezeigat tribes erupted in South Darfur. Some 95 criminal incidents were reportedly perpetrated by armed persons in military uniform, as well as members of nomadic communities. The March UN report expresses concerns about the persistent violence in areas from which UNAMID has withdrawn and warns that the fundamental conflict drivers remain unresolved which could exacerbate intercommunal tensions. Apart from the UN, various non-government organisations have also expressed concerns about the withdrawal of UNAMID and the lack of civilian protection provisions for the new UN mission requested by Hamdok. Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, has argued: The UN Security Council should recognize that Darfur requires a far more gradual withdrawal and keep a UN security presence on the ground to actively protect civilians. Past and ongoing violence there means civilians cant trust Sudanese security forces alone and still look to peacekeepers for protection. On May 4, 98 human rights and civil society groups and activists sent a letter to Hamdok, in which they expressed their strong opposition to the departure of the UNAMID from Darfur with a mandate under Chapter VII to be replaced with a Chapter VI mission. In the face of grave vulnerabilities facing civilians in displaced camps, it is inconceivable that your government would not put civilian protection at the top of the list. Currently, there are negotiations going on in South Sudans capital Juba between Sudan and various armed groups on its territory, but no final peace agreements have been reached yet. There are still various sticking points, such as security arrangements and power sharing. The fact that some of these armed groups and the government itself suffer from internal divisions is additionally complicating the process, which will take a long time to conclude. In the meantime, attacks on the civilian population, particularly on internally displaced persons, will continue and once UNAMID withdraws completely, they will likely become that much more ferocious and deadly. Therefore, a UN special political mission under Chapter VI, as requested by the prime minister, will fall short of addressing the situation in Darfur and other conflict-ridden regions of the country. Given that achieving peace is at the top of the transition agenda of the new government, this would undermine all its efforts to establish stable civilian rule in the country. Ignoring the plight of millions in the IDP camps and hundreds of thousands of refugees would only push Sudan towards fragmentation, violence and chaos. Therefore, the government has to request the extension of the UNAMID mandate beyond October 2020 and its equipment with a more robust force for civilian protection to properly implement its Chapter VII mandate. Or it could ask for the force to be replaced by a broader mission under Chapter VII with additional tasks to assist and support the transitional government. The threat of the deep state and counter-revolution is very real in Sudan. The agents of the counter-revolution, as well as some anti-democracy regional powers, are working hard to undermine Sudans political transition. Protecting civilians and achieving a just and comprehensive peace is the only way to a successful political transition and strong civilian rule in Sudan. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. WASHINGTON Neither Civil War nor Great Depression nor any other national crisis has pushed the House to allow lawmakers to vote by proxy without being present, as the Constitution requires. Thats about to change during the coronavirus pandemic. The House approved Friday a package of historic rules changes so Congress can keep functioning even while it's partly closed. The shift will dramatically change the look, if not the operation, of the legislative branch launching a 21st century WFH House, like others, working from home." "This House must continue legislating," Rep. Jim McGovern, the chairman of the House Rules Committee, said during a lengthy session ahead of the vote. "And we have to do so in a way that is safe for all those around us. Debate over the changes has been fierce. As President Donald Trump encourages Americans back to work, the 435-member House has stayed away due to health risks while the smaller Senate has resumed operations. Democrats argue the House can rely on technology for remote work as the pandemic drags on. But Republicans objected to what they see as a power grab during the crisis. The vote was 217-189. Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, the top Republican on the rules panel, warned the changes will fundamentally alter the nature of the institution, and not for the better. One by one Republicans lined up Friday to speak against it. We should all get to Washington, do our jobs, said Rep. Bradley Byre, R-Ala. Under the new rules, House lawmakers will no longer be required to travel to Washington to participate in floor votes. They will be allowed to vote by proxy assigning their vote to another lawmaker who will be at the Capitol to cast it for them. Eventually, a provision allows for direct remote voting, once the technology is approved. Just as important, the House committees the bread and butter of legislative work will be able to fully function remotely. Committee hearings are prime-time for lawmakers the chance to grill officials, spar with colleagues and have much of it captured on C-SPAN. House lawmakers will be able to draft bills, conduct oversight and even issue subpoenas from the comfort of their homes. This is about allowing the people's House and the people's representatives in committees to work, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., who has helped lead the effort, testified before the Rules Committee. With the Capitol physician warning it could be years before Congress resumes full operations, lawmakers are anxious to chart a new normal and not be sidelined. An earlier proposal was shelved two weeks ago as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisted she wanted any change of this significance to be bipartisan. She tapped a task force to try to reach a bipartisan compromise. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy proposed a hybrid plan that would allow the committees to conduct work remotely but stopped short of allowing the proxy voting on the floor. A key Trump ally, McCarthy argues if other Americans are at work, Congress should be, too. Its a very sad day inside this House, the California Republican said. He mocked Pelosi for having claimed the House would serve as the captain of the ship, last to leave during the crisis, only to go home. The changes are expected to be temporary, only through the remainder of this session of Congress, at the end of the year. Democrats insist the changes should be used only under times of crisis. But Republicans warn there will be legal challenges to legislation passed during this period, questioning the constitutional legitimacy of proxy votes. The House has never allowed proxy floor votes, even during some of the most challenging eras in the nation's history. Lawmakers convened during the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic and only stayed away a short time after the 2001 terror attacks. Proxy votes had been allowed in committees, but that ended decades ago. Under the new rules, one lawmaker can carry up to 10 votes by proxy to the Capitol. You got to be here, said another Trump ally, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. You cant phone it in. But Hoyer, quoting President Abraham Lincoln, told his colleagues, We must act and think anew. Two teenage boys have been killed after their stolen motorcycle crashed into a car. The passenger Zachary Sandelance, 17, and the rider Jaydn Short, 18, both died after colliding with a car in Elizabeth East in Adelaide's north just before 8pm on Friday. As the boys rode through the intersection of Main North Road and Hogarth Road, a car in the oncoming lane turned right onto Shandon Court, resulting in a crash. Zachary died at the scene while Jaydn was rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital where he died from his injuries. The car was driven by a 46-year-old Hillbank man, who was not injured but taken to hospital as a precaution. The passenger Zachary Sandelance, 17, and the rider Jaydn Short, 18, both died after colliding with a car in Elizabeth East in Adelaide's north just before 8pm on Friday. The car (pictured) was driven by a 46-year-old Hillbank man, who was not injured but taken to hospital as a precaution Family and friends gathered at the crash site on Saturday to pay tribute to Zachary and Jaydn, leaving behind flowers and writing messages to the two boys. Zachary's girlfriend Allira Williams said she would no longer be able to spend the rest of her life with her best friend. 'He always loved being around his family. He was so kind-hearted, loved by everyone,' Ms Williams told 9News. Another friend, Isabelle Trower, told the broadcaster: 'He (Zachary) got in a little bit of trouble but he was a good kid.' Jaydn's cousin Tahlia Short expressed her heartbreak on Facebook. 'This pain is never gonna (sic) stop, I never saw this day coming. All you boys out riding bikes this ain't no joke, this is real life,' Ms Short wrote. 'People are heartbroken and heaven has gained not only one angel but two.' Zachary's girlfriend Allira Williams (pictured) said she would no longer be able to spend the rest of her life with her best friend A friend leaves flowers for Zachary and Jaydn at the crash site before writing a message to the two Friend Frank Anderson warned his friends to stop stealing and riding dirtbikes on Facebook Another friend Frank Anderson warned his friends to stop stealing and riding dirtbikes on Facebook. 'To all my brothers out there stealing and riding dirt bikes, its about time this all comes to a stop, we dont need to loose another beautiful soul like we have tonight,' he wrote. SA Police said Major Crash are investigating the double fatality crash. 'The orange 2016 KTM RC390 motorcycle had allegedly been stolen from Adelaide on Wednesday 13 May,' the police statement read. There have now been 44 lives lost on SA roads this year compared to 45 at the same time last year. A rice agent in Phnom Penh. (Source: AFP/VNA) The decision was made on May 13th at the request of the Cambodia Rice Federation after the Southeast Asian country has detected no new COVID-19 cases for a month. According to Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth, the government decided to allow the resumption of white rice exports based on purchase orders from abroad, starting from May 20th onwards. The government also encouraged factories to produce face masks, medical supplies, and personal protective equipment for local demand and export, he added. In the first four months of this year, Cambodia exported over 300,000 tonnes of rice, a year-on-year rise of 40.5 percent. The Cambodian Health Ministry reported that the country has so far recorded 122 COVID-19 infection cases, with 121 patients recovered./. (Photo : DAVID RYDER on Reuters ) Coronavirus: FDA Stops At-Home COVID-19 Testing Backed by Bill Gates Due to Lack of Permit (Photo : Handout on Reuters ) Coronavirus: FDA Stops At-Home COVID-19 Testing Backed by Bill Gates Due to Lack of Permit A coronavirus testing program that was backed by billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is now halted as a response to the United States Food and Drug Administration's (US FDA) command. On Friday, May 15, the US FDA sent a memo to Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network (SCAN) to pause all their testings "until proper authorization is obtained." A health expert calls this move "bizarre," especially now that everyone needs rapid mass testing. Bill Gates' at-home COVID-19 testing now paused! Here's why On Tuesday, May 12, Bill Gates introduced a Coronavirus program that allows people to test for the viral disease even when at-home. The program is called SCAN that targets to test Americans in the Seattle area-- wherein the first outbreak began in the country. "More testing, of course, will help us answer them. But with tests in short supply in many parts of the world, including the U.S., it is impossible to test everyone-at least for now," the Microsoft co-founder wrote in a blog post on Tuesday, explaining the idea behind the program. Unfortunately, after only a few days, the US FDA issued a halted response on the at-home testing process and said that SCAN needs to stop all operations due to a lack of additional authorization from the government. "Please discontinue patient testing and return of diagnostic results to patients until proper authorization is obtained," the F.D.A. wrote in a memo. SCAN had already commented on the issue and complied with what the F.D.A. wanted. They said that they were in talks with the federal agency about 10 weeks ago and already submitted the necessary data last month. SCAN said that they are currently "actively working to address their (F.D.A.) questions." What SCAN does and why it was prohibited America already has millions of cases and thousands of deaths since the disease's first outbreak. Worse, the Harvard Global Health Institute reported that there is still a huge need for more COVID-19 testing with an estimated number of at least 900,000 tests daily. The Seattle program is aimed to test both healthy and sick people in residence. Gates clarified that it is not created to replace the proper medical test made by the government or to test all the people in a state. However, with the help of SCAN, the demographics would be obtained easily since info like age, gender, and pre-existing health conditions would be quickly submitted to testing. Still, FDA said that home collection kits might be dangerous for most people. They categorized two kinds of testing, surveillance and diagnostic. SCAN was said to be under the surveillance group wherein testing would be made, and the test results will be sent to the person. But it looks like FDA doesn't want this to happen. Health expert thinks it is bizarre' Dr. Eric Topol, the director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, who is not involved in the SCAN, told the New York Times that the move of FDA was simply 'bizarre.' "Home testing is really the only way we can get massive testing in the United States," he said. "To withhold that information from people is downright absurd," Dr. Topol said, referring to the classification of 'surveillance' testing. ALSO READ: Abbott's COVID-19 Test Kit Gives False Negative Results; Patients May Need Retesting - FDA 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Apply by May 25th! As a Lime Pathways Scholarship recipient, I can stress out less about the cost of college and focus more on my academics and activities. I am so excited to get involved in my university's community, and this scholarship has helped me do that.Megan, 2019 Lime Pathways Scholar Lime Connect (Lime) believes strongly in the potential of high school students who happen to have all types of disabilities, and is committed to supporting their future. In 2019, we were pleased to launch our inaugural Pathways Scholarship designed for current high school seniors who are pursuing a degree at a four-year university or college in either the U.S. or Canada. 2020 scholarship applications are open, and are due by Monday, May 25, 2020. Tom Wilson, Lime Connect global board chair, said, Access to higher education can be a game-changer for young people who happen to have disabilities, and were proud to recognize the achievements of our outstanding Pathways Scholars with these awards. Recipients of the Lime Connect Pathways Scholarship each receive $1,000 in support of their university/college studies. The awards are merit-based, but financial need will be taken into consideration. The Pathways Scholarship is funded through proceeds from the annual Lime Connect Century Ride. Find out how you can participate to support next year's scholarship recipients. Click here to learn more about the Century Ride. Eligibility Requirements: 2020 Scholarship Applicants must match the following criteria: Have, or consider themselves to have a visible or invisible disability* Current high school senior in the U.S. or Canada graduating in the Spring or Summer of 2020 Accepted to, or applied and awaiting acceptance to, a 4-year university or college in the U.S. or Canada for the 2020-2021 academic year Intending to be enrolled full time in that 4-year university or college in Fall 2020 *An individual with a disability is defined as someone who has, or considers themselves to have, a long-term, or recurring, issue that impacts one or more major activities that others may consider to be a daily function); this definition also includes the perception among others that a disability exists. We know that 90% of disabilities on campus are invisible, and candidates with all disabilities are encouraged to apply. How to apply: Applicants will apply online via The Lime Network and provide general background information, a resume/CV, and answer to one essay question related to living successfully with a disability. Those applicants who are selected as finalists will submit letters of reference. For more detail regarding the process, read stories of previous Scholars, and to apply, go here. Lime Connect is a not for profit organization that is rebranding disability through achievement. The organizations focus is to attract, prepare and connect high potential university students and alumni for scholarships, a Fellowship Program, Foundations Program and internships and full time careers with their corporate partners the worlds leading corporations. This work showcases the vast strengths and benefits that are found in disabilities and provides individuals who happen to have disabilities with the tools, access and confidence to realize their dreams. For more information on Lime Connect, visit http://www.limeconnect.com. ### Weve heard it said time and time again during this pandemic that not all heroes wear capes. Some are ordinary people who are doing extraordinary things. Direct support professionals are among them (Staff care for adults with disabilities amid pandemic, funding challenges, May 5). Even before COVID-19 struck, direct support professionals and the agencies that employ them faced mounting challenges. This pandemic has made clear that these selfless workers deserve as much support from us as they give of themselves to others. The work of direct support professionals remains largely mission driven, as many could earn more in other fields or unrelated jobs. In fact, theres a shortage of these workers within nearly every health and human services field, and that shortage has only been exacerbated by this health-care crisis. But those on the job literally are saving lives. Direct care workers provide support for everything from basic daily living needs to administering medication to job and life-skills training, and more. With direct care workers, individuals with disabilities can live fuller lives, taking on jobs, enjoying volunteer opportunities, participating in learning and recreational activities --- all of the things we take for granted. Before the pandemic struck, Pennsylvania proposed investing $1.2 million to attract and retain direct care professionals to reduce turnover and enhance continuity of care. If investing made sense before the pandemic, then it remains even more crucial now, as the challenges these agencies and professionals face wont diminish even when the pandemic ends. Richard S. Edley, PhD, is President and CEO of the Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association. 2 Congressional Democrats Probe Firing of State Department Inspector General Two top Democrats have begun an investigation into the late-night firing of State Department Inspector General Steve Linick, following concerns that the move may be politically motivated. Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.), who chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced the probe May 16, saying that they had requested the White House, State Department, and the State Department Office of Inspector General to preserve all records related to the firing and to hand over those documents to the two committees by May 22. Late on May 15, President Donald Trump notified Congress of his intention to dismiss Linick, saying that the inspector general no longer had his fullest confidence. Linick, who will be removed in 30 days, is to be replaced by Ambassador Stephen Akard, the State Department said in a statement. Linick is the latest independent watchdog to be replaced this year. In April, Trump announced the dismissal of Michael Atkinson, the inspector general (IG) for the Intelligence Community who handled the anonymous whistleblower complaint that triggered the House Democratic-led impeachment inquiry against Trump. Glenn Fine, the acting inspector general for the Department of Defense, also was removed in April after he was named to lead a watchdog committee overseeing how the $2.2 trillion CCP virus relief package is being spent. Engel and Menendez raised concerns about the pattern of IG dismissals, saying in a statement that they unalterably oppose the politically motivated firing of inspectors general and the Presidents gutting of these critical positions. The two lawmakers claimed, citing media reports, that Linick was fired after he had opened an investigation into alleged wrongdoing by State Department Secretary Mike Pompeo, while the timing of the move suggests that it could be an act of retaliation. The lawmakers didnt provide any details. President Trumps unprecedented removal of Inspector General Linick is only his latest sacking of an inspector general, our governments key independent watchdogs, from a federal agency, the lawmakers said. The State Department didnt immediately respond to inquiries from The Epoch Times about the circumstances of Linicks dismissal. The lawmakers are asking the administration to hand over records and information on the firing of Linick, information about his replacement Akard, and records of inspector general investigations involving the Office of the Secretary at the time of Linicks firing. Linick, an Obama appointee, had served in the role since 2013. Before that, he served as the first inspector general of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Prior to that, he supervised fraud cases at the Department of Justice. Linicks office investigated former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons use of a private email server in 2016. A May 2016 report (pdf) concluded that Clinton had violated federal rules but also noted that there existed systemic weaknesses, and made eight recommendations to the State Department at the time. Following Trumps notice, Democratic lawmakers expressed opposition and called for a probe into the ouster. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement that the firing was particularly concerning, because it comes after the House passes The Heroes Act, which contains critical funding for the State Department IG to oversee and ensure the effective, wise spending of coronavirus response funds. This also follows an announcement by Trump earlier this month that he would nominate Jason Weida to be the permanent inspector general to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to fill the duties of Christi Grimm, the HHSs principal deputy inspector general who had been running the office since January. Her office in early April released a report (pdf) that said there was a shortage of supplies and testing at hospitals. Trump later accused Grimms report as being a fake dossier in a statement on Twitter. He also called the findings of the report wrong during a White House briefing on the CCP virus. Mimi Nguyen-Ly contributed to this report. Minister of Communications for Madagascar, Hon Lalatiana Andriamanarivo and former AU Ambassador Dr Arikana Chihombori-Quao have urged African countries to rally behind Madagascars newly discovered Herbal Cure for the Coronavirus. But according to the Minister of Communication in a live video interview with Akosua Dentaa Amoateng on the Dentaa Show monitored by Attractive Mustapha , said the World Health Organizations request for clinical trials for their COVID-19 herbal cure is not necessary. She said that WHO should respect Africa and Madagascar because they have some of the finest world refined researchers. She then added that they are not worried if WHO and the western world do not endorse their herbal cure, but rather they are encouraged and well-motivated with the high endorsement from African countries. She together with the former AU Ambassador who joined the live video then asked other African countries who have not endorse the herbal cure and support Madagascar. Counting On star Jinger Duggar and her husband, Jeremy Vuolo, have been married since 2016. The two tied the knot after only courting for a few months, and fans were excited to see Duggar start to come into her own once the two wed. At first, fans adored their marriage and many still do. But Duggars recent posts seem to have some people reading between the lines (or so they think) and finding subtle hints that things might not be so perfect. Jinger Duggar and Jeremy Vuolo | Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images Jinger Duggar and Jeremy Vuolo were married in 2016 Duggar and Vuolo met more unconventionally than other Duggar couples. The two were introduced through Jessa Duggar and Ben Seewald, who had met Vuolo through a mutual friend while visiting Texas. Once Duggar and Vuolo met, it was pretty much love at first sight. They started texting, and eventually, a courtship happened. The two only courted for a few months before Vuolo proposed, and they tied the knot quickly. After they wed, Duggar moved to Laredo, Texas with her new husband, and her life started to change. Duggar seemed to become a better version of herself after they wed Once Duggar was out on her own, she started dressing differently from the rest of her family. Before long, she was wearing pants. She and Vuolo also waited more than a year to have kids, which is something most Duggars wouldnt do. Plus, once Duggar and Vuolo announced they were moving to California in 2019, Duggar made the major move of dying her hair blonde. These days, Duggar listens to mainstream music and watches television two things she was not allowed to do growing up. And for the most part, fans have loved to see her come into her own. Some think Duggars social media hints that shes unhappy Recently, Duggar has been posting photos and videos to social media that have some people concerned. Critics who follow the show seem to think that, based on one close-up photo of Duggar in her kitchen, her eyes were withdrawn and she looked upset. In another post, Duggar praised Vuolo something critics suggested could actually mean that things werent going well behind the scenes. Related: Counting On Fans Say Jinger Duggars Eyes Look Like Shes Hiding Something: She Cries A Lot But above all other posts, a video of Duggar and Vuolo caught fans attention. Duggar and Vuolo sat down to answer fans questions, and people felt that Vuolo was constantly cutting off his wife and trying to answer for her. Later, when Vuolo saw the comments section criticizing him, he posted a loving photo with Duggar and commented sweet things on her photos. But fans thought that it was all just Vuolo trying to do damage control. And within a few days, the video was deleted from Duggars account. Related: Counting On: Jinger Duggars Fans Call Jeremy Vuolo a Dictator, Warn Her Thats Hes Too Controlling Ultimately, fans dont know the answer to how the couples relationship is behind the scenes. But some fans think that social media often serves as a front for people who actually arent that happy and that Duggar could be one of those people. Its impossible to tell; Duggar and Vuolos relationship could be struggling, or fans and critics could just be reading too far into things. You are here: Arts Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region invested nearly 400 million yuan (about 56 million U.S. dollars) in 2019 to launch about 110 projects on the protection, repair and utilization of the region's cultural relics, according to local authorities. Among the total, the central government has allocated a special fund of 296 million yuan last year to 56 projects on the protection of cultural relics in the region, said Liu Shizhong, director of the administration of cultural heritage of Tibet. The regional government appropriated about 90 million yuan and launched 53 programs for cultural relics preservation, Liu added. GMB's former leader has been accused of running a 'sexist and aggressive casting couch culture' as head of Britain's third-largest union. An anonymous letter, believed to be from a union worker, was sent to the organisation last month just before Tim Roache, 58, stepped down from his role as General Secretary for health reasons. He has since condemned the 'outrageous' allegations, including that he was an alleged cocaine-user, and said they were part of a 'politically motivated smear campaign', reported The Times. An anonymous letter, believed to be from a union worker, was sent to the organisation last month just before Tim Roache (pictured in January), 58, stepped down from his role as General Secretary for health reasons The letter claimed Mr Roache led a 'casting-couch' culture and gave young women he was in a relationship with a boost within the organisation. Mr Roache's wife Mandy works at the union's Wakefield branch in West Yorkshire. The couple's family home is in Leeds but Mr Roache spends most of his week at GMB HQ in London. A QC has been appointed to lead an investigation into the allegations. A statement issued after a meeting of the union's executive on Friday said: 'The need for a full, transparent and independent investigation following a number of very serious allegations made by way of anonymous correspondence received by the union has been agreed. He has since condemned the 'outrageous' allegations, including that he was an alleged cocaine-user, and said they were part of a 'politically motivated smear campaign', reported The Times. Pictured in February last year 'A recommendation was made to - and agreed by - GMB's Central Executive Committee (CEC) members last week that this investigation should be a fully independent one. 'The CEC met again today to determine the scope of this investigation and has determined that Karon Monaghan QC be formally instructed to undertake the investigation and make recommendations. 'We have no doubt that our union will emerge from this stronger. 'We will, now and always, continue with our mission as a campaigning union to improve the lives of our members and ensure all our people are proud to say they're GMB.' Mr Roache joined the GMB in the postal room in 1979. He was appointed General Secretary in 2015 and re-elected in November. He has since been diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, a chronic fatigue syndrome that previously forced him to take a two-year leave of absence. Of the claims he has said: 'The allegations are entirely made up with the intention of totally discrediting me. With no names of the accusers I have no opportunity to challenge and prove my entire innocence.' John Phillips, GMB regional secretary for Wales and South West, has become unions acting General Secretary until a replacement for Mr Roache is elected. The union is considering a process and timetable for that election, which will be held as soon as practically possible. Mr Roache stood down just months after he was re-elected as the unions leader in November. Under his leadership the GMB backed Lisa Nandy in the race to become Labour leader in January this year. He described her as a breath of fresh air. Following the election of Sir Keir to replace Jeremy Corbyn, Mr Roache called for the party to start a new chapter, adding: We need to leave behind the infighting and navel-gazing and get on with being a government in waiting. RYANAIR is still finalising plans to axe up to 3,000 workers after confirming that 250 people have already been let go at its offices in Dublin, Stansted, Madrid and Wroclaw. It said the 250 layoffs included staff who had been on probation or fixed contracts, as well as resignations and redundancies. The airline pointed out that it expected to carry less than 100 million passengers in the current financial year, which is more than 35pc lower than the 155 million it had expected to carry in the 12 months to the end of next March. "Regrettably, we will now have a small number of compulsory redundancies in Dublin, Stansted, Madrid and Wroclaw to right-size our support teams for a year when we will carry less than 100 million passengers due to the Covid-19 crisis," said Ryanair's people director Darrell Hughes. "These job losses were communicated to individual team members this week, and they will not be returning to work in our Dublin, Stansted, Madrid or Wroclaw offices when they reopen on June 1 next," he added. Mr Hughes said Ryanair was continuing to hold meetings with pilot and cabin crew unions across Europe to finalise up to 3,000 job cuts as the airline plotted a return of about 40pc of its normal flight schedule from July. "Ryanair is also facing intense price competition across Europe as we are forced to compete with flag carrier airlines who have received over 30bn in unlawful state aid subsidies from their governments, and who will be able to engage in below low-cost selling for many years with the benefit of this illegal state aid," he claimed. Since the Covid-19 flight restrictions were introduced in the middle of March, Ryanair has been operating a skeleton daily schedule of 30 flights between Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe. It released a video this week showing what it expects flying procedures to be like for passengers when services resume. Its customers will be expected to take their own temperature before they leave home and wear face masks at the airport and on board. They will also have to ask permission to use the toilet while on the aircraft. But just how the procedures will work in practice remains to be seen. Ryanair group CEO Michael O'Leary (inset left) this week likened German carrier Lufthansa to a "drunken uncle" at the end of a wedding, "drinking from all the empty glasses", as the airline lines up state aid to help it survive the pandemic. Ryanair is also targeting lawsuits against other bailouts. France has agreed to provide Air France with 7bn in loans, while the Dutch government has pledged between 2bn and 4bn to KLM. Keiv Soliman doesn't want to receive his diploma joined onstage by a hologram of his principal. But as the coronavirus continues to cast a shadow on American traditions, making large gatherings like graduation ceremonies dangerous, a virtual ceremony might be the Highland High School senior's only chance at pomp and circumstance. Soliman's school, in Gilbert, Arizona, is staging an elaborate virtual graduation ceremony, where Highland seniors will be filmed walking across a stage to receive their diploma. Their principal will read student names from a different room. Using "holographic technology," video editors will then edit the ceremony to make it appear as if everyone was in the same room together. Keiv Soliman, a high school senior, started a petition for Gilbert Public Schools to hold an in-person graduation. But Soliman's friends don't want a studio-produced graduation, he said. They want a real ceremony. Soliman started a petition, which has more than 600 signatures so far, asking for an in-person ceremony with masks and social distancing. "You can't really replace the real thing with anything but the real thing," Soliman said. Graduation ceremonies have become a political battleground for schools, students and parents in the wake of school closures caused by the coronavirus. Some believe they can have a ceremony safely while others are accusing the high-schoolers and their parents of being selfish during a global pandemic. "This is much bigger than a graduation ceremony," said Reed Burris, a Gilbert resident opposed to in-person ceremonies. "You should be pushing for people to stay inside." Soliman's petition is one of more than 500 on Change.org, pleading for the preservation of in-person ceremonies across the U.S. Not the real thing, but... Students will cross the finish line to high school with a lap at the Daytona 500In Knoxville, Tennessee, district leaders backpedaled on a plan to hold graduation without guests when parents revolted. "There's a lot more involved in these ceremonies than a student getting a paper diploma and turning their tassel," Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs said. Story continues The discourse shares similarities with the fervent demonstrations staged for and against reopening America's businesses, as well as the debate over the use of masks in public places. The rancor underscores an increasingly fractured conversation around COVID-19. 'Tale of two cities': Across US, some embrace reopening amid coronavirus and others remain wary Uncertainty looms over ceremonies Arizona's stay-at-home order expired Friday. The governor is still encouraging social distancing, but nothing in his new order appears to forbid gatherings. The Arizona Department of Health Services recommended last week "that mass gatherings (such as graduations, concerts) are not held at this time." Still, the agency outlined steps for attendees and organizers to take if they planned to forge ahead with a ceremony: Anyone sick should stay home. Attendees should stay 6 feet away from each other. Anyone in a high-risk group should not attend, including older adults and anyone with a serious underlying medical condition. Attendees should not touch their eyes, nose or mouth and should use hand sanitizer after leaving the event. They should also wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds upon returning home. Attendees should cover their faces at the event. They should not borrow or rent graduation regalia. Major Arizona school districts have either postponed ceremonies or have decided to hold virtual ceremonies. Chandler Unified, the second-largest school district in the state, wrote to families May 5 that the district was working on a plan to hold graduation ceremonies at each high school "while still adhering to the recommended CDC guidelines." At the ceremonies, students would be seated 6 feet apart and the audience would likely be limited. The ceremonies would be livestreamed for families to watch. One superintendent in suburban Milwaukee initially resisted the idea of a virtual graduation because it made the emotional event seem so impersonal. Back in early April, Wauwatosa School District Superintendent Phil Ertl said he hoped to just keep pushing back the date of an in-person ceremony for as long as it took to do it safely. But by early May, his district had gone the route of many others, with a planned video celebration set for June 7. "We are also still hanging on to July 26 in hopes that we can do something in person," Ertl said this month. "So much is changing. To cancel that date right now doesn't make sense to me." Pleas for the show to go on People in at least nine school districts across Arizona have started Change.org petitions to hold in-person graduation ceremonies. After Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced that businesses could start to reopen, a group of Arizona seniors made a video pleading for an in-person ceremony. "There are ways we can make this happen," one of the students in the video said. "We deserve a graduation." Governor Doug Ducey, here is part of the Class of 2020. We have a favor to ask. @dougducey pic.twitter.com/z8XszDeXq2 amelie (@amelielanddd) May 6, 2020 The video was posted on Twitter and received nearly 100 retweets. But some who responded to the tweet scoffed at the idea. "Youre asking to put your friends' parents at risk of dying so you can feel accomplished for a completely normal and baseline accomplishment," one Twitter user responded. Beth Obermeyer, youth minister from New Foundation Church in Goodyear surprises Angel Queiro with a driveway graduation. Queiro is graduating from Hope High School. Others have tried to come up with alternatives to graduation. Beth Obermeyer, who works with high school students at New Foundation church in Goodyear, held driveway graduations for seniors. Using a megaphone, church staff surprised students by showing up on their driveway and holding impromptu celebrations, 6 feet apart. "We were trying to think of a way to make our high school seniors feel better because they've had such a rough spring," Obermeyer said. No prom, either: So these families toasted a high school couple in their own backyard prom In Great Falls, Montana, district officials said they did not want the coronavirus to end the tradition of graduating seniors' ringing a school bell. Officials are leaving the bell in the school's parking lot for students to ring. If students choose to ring the bell, they are asked to maintain social distancing, wear the supplied disposable gloves and sanitize hands before and after ringing the bell. The school is setting up a hand-sanitizing station. 'We're not taking this lightly': Small Montana school to be among first in US to reopen Some have said schools are being too cautious. A group of Mountain View High parents in Mesa, Arizona, threw a senior salute parade for grads. Seniors on May 16 lined up 6 feet apart on the sidewalk of a Mesa street for cars to drive by in celebration. Destinee Mack, a parent and one of the event's organizers, initially asked the district whether parents could drop their student off in the high school's parking lot so the students could safely line up. Mesa Public Schools denied that request, Mack said. Mesa did not respond to a request for comment. "I do think there's a risk, but I do also think that if we follow the social distancing protocols ... I think we can still do this in a socially responsible way," Mack said. Contributing: Erin Richards, USA TODAY; Monica Kast, Knoxville News Sentinel; Skylar Rispens, Great Falls Tribune Follow Lily Altavena on Twitter: @LilyAlta. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Coronavirus: 2020 graduation ideas become controversial amid COVID-19 By IANS ROME: The Italian government has signed a decree that will allow travel to and from the country from June 3, as it moves to ease its coronavirus lockdown measures, it was reported on Saturday. The decree was signed by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Friday and published early on Saturday, the BBC reported. It will also allow travel between the regions, which has so far been tightly restricted, from the same day. Italy, one of the worst affected nations in the world, was the first country in Europe to impose nationwide restrictions when coronavirus cases began to surface in northern regions in February. ALSO READ | Slovenia becomes first European country to call an end to COVID-19 epidemic But it began to relax those measures earlier this month, when it allowed factories and parks to reopen on May 4. Shops and restaurants are also due to reopen from May 18 provided that social distancing was enforced. Catholic churches weree preparing for the resumption of Mass on the same day, but there will be strict social distancing and worshippers must wear face masks, reports the BBC. Other faiths will also be allowed to hold religious services. Conte's announcement on Friday came shortly after the country, which was once the global epicentre of the pandemic, reported a further decline in its daily death toll. It reported more than 900 deaths on March 27, but the authorities said there were 262 on Friday. Earlier this week, the government approved a $59 billion stimulus package designed to offset the economic impact of the pandemic on businesses and families. As of Saturday, Italy had 223,885 COVID-19 cases, with 31,610 deaths. We're definitely into long term investing, but some companies are simply bad investments over any time frame. It hits us in the gut when we see fellow investors suffer a loss. Anyone who held King Wan Corporation Limited (SGX:554) for five years would be nursing their metaphorical wounds since the share price dropped 77% in that time. We also note that the stock has performed poorly over the last year, with the share price down 32%. Even worse, it's down 16% in about a month, which isn't fun at all. See our latest analysis for King Wan 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...' By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time. During five years of share price growth, King Wan moved from a loss to profitability. That would generally be considered a positive, so we are surprised to see the share price is down. Other metrics might give us a better handle on how its value is changing over time. It could be that the revenue decline of 3.2% per year is viewed as evidence that King Wan is shrinking. That could explain the weak share price. You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). SGX:554 Income Statement May 15th 2020 If you are thinking of buying or selling King Wan stock, you should check out this FREE detailed report on its balance sheet. A Different Perspective While the broader market lost about 19% in the twelve months, King Wan shareholders did even worse, losing 32%. 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 25% 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. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand King Wan better, we need to consider many other factors. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for King Wan (of which 2 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about. Story continues We will like King Wan better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on SG 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. Its no secret that some games are designed to riff on others ideas, but Ubisoft believes one title is far too similar to let it go unchecked. Bloomberg reports that the publisher has sued Apple and Google for selling Area F2, a game it claims is a near carbon copy of Rainbow Six: Siege meant to piggyback on Ubisofts success. The mobile title from Alibabas Ejoy and Qookka Games allegedly borrows virtually every aspect of Ubisofts character-driven team shooter, right down to the interface layout. Drones, destructible walls and rappelling down walls are also staples of both games. Ubisoft said it had alerted Apple and Google to the reported copyright violations, but that both had so far declined to pull Area F2 from their respective app stores. Weve asked Apple and Google for comment. While Ubisoft didnt elaborate on why it was suing the app store operators and not Area F2s developer, it may come down to region. Ejoy is located in China, making a foreign copyright challenge more difficult. A successful lawsuit forcing Apple and Google to take down Area F2 would deprive the games creator of at least some revenue, even if it could still sell through third-party stores. Dont be surprised if other developers follow suit if this move proves successful. By David Parrish Parrish is a retired professor of crop and soil environmental sciences at Virginia Tech and the author of a soon-to-be-released book: The Gyroscope of Life: Understanding Balances (and Imbalances) in Nature. At some level, the role of scientists is to learn how the physical universe operates to explain phenomena. As a bonus, scientific findings often have societal benefits. Much of technology, to include modern medicine, is an outgrowth of science. Right now, the scientists who study living things biologists are faced with a rapidly developing, rather amorphous phenomenon, the novel coronavirus pandemic. They have put names to the causative coronavirus and its disease, but thus far they do not know enough to offer us life-saving and economy-opening solutions. In all fairness to biologists, though, please note that coronaviruses are not living things. The study of viruses fell to a sub-subfield of biology virology by default in the early 20th century, when viruses were discovered. Coronaviruses of which there are many are simple. They are made of just a few types of chemicals: RNA (genes that scientists have now fully sequenced for the coronavirus causing Covid-19), a few proteins (whose roles in infection are beginning to be understood), and oily substances too simple to carry on the processes we associate with life. Antibiotics (the name means against life) kill bacteria and fungi, but they are not effective against viruses exactly because viruses are not alive. Viruses, to include coronaviruses, do something that makes them seem alive, though. They act like living microbes (bacteria and fungi) in their ability to cause a disease, reproduce, disperse, and then repeat the cycle. A virus causes disease by invading living cells, unpacking its genes, and commandeering the cells machinery to make new virus parts. Those parts self-assemble, and the resulting viruses are released by the millions to repeat the sequence. The disease a virus causes depends on which cells or tissues are invaded, and each different virus tends to be rather specific for the type of cell it attacks. If a virus infects cells lining air passages, as many coronaviruses do, the symptoms produced will be respiratory from colds to bronchitis to pneumonia. We animals have virus-fighting machinery. Our immune systems can detect viruses and mobilize armaments against them. Vaccines help us fight viral diseases by causing our immune systems to ramp up defenses more quickly against diseases that have been studied enough to result in vaccines. By definition, novel viruses have not been studied. So, where does a novel coronavirus come from? How does a fatal disease like COVID-19 suddenly appear? Unfortunately, a never-before-seen virus with lethal potential can be produced in just one viral generation. The genes that viruses carry are subject to mutation, just like the genes in plants and animals. When millions of copies of a coronaviruss RNA are being made, there is always the chance for an error, and sometimes those faulty copies produce a coronavirus with different characteristics. In another cruel twist, a host cell may be invaded simultaneously by two different viruses and forced to make viral parts for both. As those parts self-assemble, mixtures of the two viruses may form. And those hybrids may instantly have properties never seen before but that can be reproduced time after time. Many virologists suspect that the coronavirus causing COVID-19 may have resulted from this kind of mashup between something as innocuous as a common cold coronavirus and a coronavirus from a bat. Theres much more for science to know about such matters, and we must learn it, because, even though the current pandemic will be resolved and I am confident that it will be we can be sure that another will appear. Lots of good science is being brought to bear on this new scourge. Unfortunately, the pace at which science moves is not always closely correlated with either the quality or the quantity of the work. Until enough science is done to tease the knot apart, or until some virologist, immunologist, or epidemiologist (or, more likely, a team of such scientists) makes a knot-severing discovery, we need to let science run its course. Some suggest we should just let nature run its course to reach a resolution to this pandemic, but both science and history argue against that. We already know that a laissez faire approach to COVID-19 will allow the disease to surge. History tells us that 675,000 died in the U.S. during the Spanish flu pandemic of the early 20th century, and many of those died in spite of the quarantining, face masks, and personal distancing imposed in many quarters. What they lacked then is a century of growth in science and technology to help turn the tide. Lets not throw that away. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 13:47:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday approved Jamaica's request for emergency financial assistance of about 520 million U.S. dollars to help meet the urgent balance-of-payments needs stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. "Despite the authorities' best efforts, the pandemic is severely impacting the Jamaican economy, as a sudden stop in tourism and falling remittances are generating a sizable balance-of-payments need," Zhang Tao, deputy managing director of the IMF, said in a statement, adding the economic outlook remains subject to "an unusually high degree of uncertainty". The disbursement under the IMF's Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) will strengthen Jamaican reserves and help catalyze additional support from other international financial institutions and development partners, Zhang noted. "Once the crisis abates, building on their demonstrated commitment to reform and stability-oriented measures, the authorities should continue the implementation of their ambitious reform agenda to support the economic recovery and ensure strong and sustainable economic growth," he said. The Government of Jamaica has declared the entire island as a disaster area and established a special taskforce to coordinate the country's COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, according to the IMF. Enditem WHO Says Symptoms of Mystery Syndrome in Children Include Rash, Fever Symptoms of a mysterious new condition appearing in children in Europe and North America include extended fever, shock, and diarrhea, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. The WHO describes the syndrome as a multisystem inflammatory disorder, and some scientists believe the new condition is linked to COVID-19. The WHO said in a new scientific brief that its essential to characterize the syndrome and its risk factors, to understand what causes it, and outline ways to treat it. The definition at this time hinges on youth up to 19 years old having a fever for three days or longer as well as two of the following: rash, pink eye, or skin inflammation; hypotension or shock; abnormalities around the heart; coagulopathy, or a bleeding disorder; and diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal pain. Patients with the disorder also have elevated markers of inflammation but no obvious causes of it, as well as evidence of COVID-19 infection or likely exposure to the disease. The case definition stems from doctors who have treated youth with the new syndrome. It will be revised as more data becomes available. Scientists work in a lab testing COVID-19 samples at New York Citys health department, during the outbreak of the CCP virus in New York City on April 23, 2020. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) Up to Age 21 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently outlined guidance for doctors about the new syndrome, which has sickened more than 100 young people in New York and at least 18 other states. The CDCs case definition states that the patient must be younger than 21 and have fever, inflammation, and evidence of illness severe enough to require hospitalization. They must also be experiencing impairment in multiple organs, test positive for a CCP virus infection or antibodies against COVID-19, and have no alternative plausible diagnoses. Some of the patients are displaying features similar to those seen with Kawasaki disease, a condition that causes inflammation in the walls of some blood vessels, while others show symptoms of toxic shock syndrome. Patients in the worst shape experience severe illness with inflammation, leading to failure of multiple organs. New York, France New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said recently that health officials identified 110 cases of the syndrome, three of whom have died. New Yorkers were urged to seek care if a child has a prolonged fever of more than five days along with severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, or vomiting, bloodshot eyes, and skin rash. Other symptoms include a change in skin color, with skin becoming pale, patchy, and/or blue, difficulty breathing, a racing heart or chest pain, and lethargy, irritability, or confusion. French doctors said May 15 that the death of a 9-year-old child was believed to be from the inflammatory disease. For the moment, we the scientists who are studying this, have the impression that there is a link with the coronavirus, Caroline Ovaert, chief of pediatric cardiology at the University Hospital of La Timone in Marseille, told reporters. Most patients either test positive for COVID-19 or for antibodies, meaning they had the disease in the past. Doctors stressed that in most cases, the children recover. (CNN) President Trump has not made a final decision on the restoration of funding to the World Health Organization, according to a tweet he sent Saturday morning. This came in response to a report from Fox News that the administration was going to restore some funding to the WHO. Fox obtained a five-page draft letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Friday that says the administration will "agree to pay up to what China pays in assessed contributions" to the WHO. A senior administration official told Fox that the President had agreed to the plan in the letter. Trump said the plan detailed in the report "is just one of numerous concepts being considered under which we would pay 10% of what we have been paying over many years, matching much lower China payments," adding that all funds to the WHO are still frozen. Some context: Trump said Thursday that the White House will likely be making an announcement related to the WHO next week, after his administration sought to cast blame on the organization for not acting quick enough to prevent the spread of coronavirus. In April, Trump announced he was halting funding to the WHO while a review would be conducted. Read Trump's tweet: With human populations around the world being forced to take a back seat, emboldened animals are gliding through clear waterways, stepping out onto peaceful city streets and reclaiming deserted national parks. Animal sightings are drawing wonder on social media. A jellyfish floating along the canals of Venice, a civet cat sauntering along a zebra crossing in Kerala, a puma lying asleep in a tree in a back yard in Boulder, Colorado, and others scouting the streets of Santiago. In Istanbul, dolphins are frolicking in the Bosphorus. In Thailand, on beaches devoid of tourists, more endangered leatherback turtle nests have been counted than at any time in the past two decades. This only goes to show how damaging the human presence is. It is also, however, a welcome sign of natures ability to recover. But, will it ever get a proper chance to bounce back? Even now, in what could be a respite, it is being hit when it is down. The threat to wildlife continues apace. Places left unpatrolled and unprotected are particularly vulnerable. From the Amazon, to the African plains and the Himalayas, there is concern about encroachment not only from profiteers but also from people who are desperate to find food and fuel as the economic shock of the pandemic hits. Restoration projects have come to a halt. Scientific expeditions have been cancelled. A major UN conference on biological diversity planned for later in the year has been postponed. While animals run wild in parts of the planet usually occupied by humans and a pageant of beautiful creatures parades across screens, one million species are still facing extinction, many within decades. The 60 percent of animals we have wiped out since 1970 can never be brought back from the dead. Several critical issues will be demanding our attention once the pandemic has abated. Conservation must be one of them. Healthy ecosystems are fundamental for a healthy planet and healthy people. We ransack, trade and consume animals as we do all the planets resources. And the results, as the COVID-19 pandemic shows only too clearly, can be fatal. In the following five earthrise films we meet conservationists who are fighting natures corner and, in some cases, winning. Their stories are a reminder of the urgent need to protect our fellow creatures on Earth, even while the pandemic is making us fear for our own lives. While the novel coronavirus is thought to have emerged from bats, an intermediary host may have carried it over to humans. Sold at the wet market in Wuhan, China, where the COVID-19 outbreak began, pangolins have been cited as the possible go-between. This is yet to be scientifically proven but, still, pangolins have been getting a bad press. Whereas, due to rising demand for their meat and scales, they are some of the most illegally trafficked and threatened animals in the world. It will be impossible to eliminate further pandemics without abolishing the wildlife trade, which brings animals and the pathogens they carry directly into contact with humans. In 2013, earthrise visited a conservation programme in Cambodia which is protecting the endangered Sunda pangolin. If I keep hunting the animal, it will soon be extinct ... instead of hunting we will protect them. Kong Heng, ex-pangolin poacher One way of protecting animals and keeping viruses contained is simply to keep people away. Conservation groups and the UN are calling for governments to protect 30 percent of the planet by 2030. In 2018, we followed a Greenpeace campaign to create the worlds largest sanctuary in the remote Weddell Sea in Antarctica. The continents spectacular biodiversity is under threat from human activity. The campaign is yet to succeed. Greenpeace had been pinning hopes on this years gathering of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the international body responsible for protecting Antarctic waters, but this may not take place due to the pandemic. The big problem is getting people to realise why they should care about the Antarctic. Will McCullum, head of Oceans, Greenpeace UK The wildfires that raged across Australia between 2019 and 2020 are estimated to have killed a third of the countrys koalas. But, as if the extreme impacts of climate change were not bad enough, these mammals were already in big trouble. An epidemic of chlamydia, which can lead to infertility and even death, has been hitting them hard. Initial research suggests the chlamydia virus detected in koalas is virtually identical to that found in sheep and cattle and, therefore, that it crossed over between species. On top of this, as cities expand, an increasing number of koalas are forced to live within them. This brings new threats. In Brisbane, scientists and volunteers are working to save this iconic animal. This road is a hotspot for koala deaths in the area ... when they get on the rail lines ... they are exposed to really significant injury and death. Dr Jon Hanger, veterinary ecologist Human encroachment can be disastrous for local wildlife. But what happens when people bring other invasive species with them? In New Zealand, the native wetapunga has been around for 190 million years. But in only a century and a half, human-introduced pests such as stoats and rats almost wiped it out. Now, a breeding programme at the Auckland Zoo is bringing this huge, dinosaur-era insect back from the brink of extinction. They're really, really important for the environment ... without insects, we wouldn't be here. Kirsty Macfarlane, learning guide, Auckland Zoo Our final stop is Wuhan, China, a city built on the banks of the Yangtze river. But rapid development has put huge pressure on the rivers entire ecosystem. Its polluted, murky waters are home to the critically endangered Yangtze finless purpoise. In 2006, its relation and one of the rivers other inhabitants, the baiji dolphin, became the first species of dolphin to be driven to extinction by humans. The fight is on to ensure the worlds only freshwater porpoise does not meet the same fate. We are not only trying to save this species. We are also trying to improve the health of the Yangtze river. Professor Wang Ding, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences You can find more earthrise films here. China has acknowledged it destroyed early samples of COVID-19, confirming a claim put forward by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo late last month. On Friday, Liu Dengfeng, a supervisor with China's National Health Commission, admitted that 'the Chinese government issued an order on January 3 to dispose of coronavirus samples' at unauthorized laboratories, according to Newsweek. But Liu denied that the samples were destroyed as part of a cover-up, insisting that they were disposed of so as to 'prevent risk to laboratory biological safety and prevent secondary disasters caused by unidentified pathogens.' He stated that the labs were 'unauthorized' to handle such samples, and they had to be terminated in order to comply with Chinese public health laws. Liu did not specify how many labs destroyed coronavirus samples. China has acknowledged it destroyed early samples of COVID-19, confirming a claim put forward by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo late last month. A worker is pictured inside a laboratory in Wuhan, China Liu Dengfeng (pictured), a supervisor with China's National Health Commission, admitted that early samples of the coronavirus had been destroyed The admission comes amid souring diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China over the COVID-19 outbreak. China's President Xi is pictured left, U.S. President Trump is seen at right The admission comes amid souring diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China over the COVID-19 outbreak - which originated in Wuhan late last year. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last month accused the Asian superpower of not being transparent about spread of the coronavirus. 'The Chinese Communist Party still has not shared the virus sample from inside of China with the outside world, making it impossible to track the disease's evolution,' Pompeo stated at a briefing on April 22. 'We strongly believe that the Chinese Communist Party did not report the outbreak of the new coronavirus in a timely fashion to the World Health Organisation,' he added. 'Even after the CCP did notify the WHO of the coronavirus outbreak, China didn't share all of the information that it had.' Pompeo continued: 'Instead it covered up how dangerous the disease is, It didn't report sustained human-to-human transmission for a month until it was in every province inside of China. It censored those who tried to warn the world in order to halt the testing of new samples, and it destroyed existing samples.' As of Saturday afternoon, more than 4.59 million people around the world have tested positive to COVID-19. At least 309,000 have died. The United States has been disproportionately affected by the disease, with the country accounting for almost a quarter of global cases and deaths. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last month accused the Asian superpower of not being transparent about spread of the coronavirus Earlier this week, President Trump gave an interview with Fox Business Network, where he claimed he was he was 'very disappointed in China'. The coronavirus outbreak originated in Wuhan in December and was spreading silently as the U.S. and China signed a Phase 1 trade deal hailed by Trump as a major achievement. 'They should have never let this happen. So I make a great trade deal and now I say this doesn't feel the same to me. The ink was barely dry and the plague came over. And it doesn't feel the same to me.' Trump's pique extended to Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom, Trump says repeatedly, he has a good relationship. 'I just - right now I don't want to speak to him. I don't want to speak to him,' Trump said. 'I don't want to speak to him ': The once-rosy relationship between President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping has now turned very frosty Meanwhile, a Department of Homeland Security report shared last Sunday revealed US officials believe China 'intentionally concealed the severity' of the pandemic in early January and hoarded medical supplies. The four-page report dated May 1 that was obtained by the Associated Press notes that China downplayed the virus publicly but increased imports and decreased exports of medical supplies. The document accuses China of covering their tracks by 'denying there were export restrictions and obfuscating and delaying provision of its trade data.' It lends weight to a leaked dossier drawn up by the Five Eyes intelligence alliance which describes how Beijing made whistleblowers 'disappear', destroyed early virus samples and scrubbed the internet of any mention of the disease in the early stages. The 15-page document brands Beijing's secrecy over the pandemic an 'assault on international transparency' and points to cover-up tactics deployed by the regime. It claims that the Chinese government silenced its most vocal critics and scrubbed any online scepticism about its handling of the health emergency from the internet. China has roundly come under fire for suppressing the scale of its early outbreak which did not afford other nations time to react before the disease hit their shores. Chinese workers are pictured inside a laboratory in Wuhan in 2017. US officials believe China deliberately downplayed the threat of COVID-19 late last year Elsewhere, the CIA believes that China pressured the World Health Organization into delaying public warnings about coronavirus early in the outbreak, according to a report recently published in Newsweek. The alleged delay came at a crucial time in January, as the virus was spreading around the world undetected and China was stockpiling medical equipment and protective gear made in the U.S. and elsewhere. The contents of the the CIA document, called 'U.N.-China: WHO Mindful But Not Beholden to China,' were confirmed to Newsweek by two U.S. intelligence officials. It is the second Western intelligence report to indicate that China strong-armed the WHO into downplaying the risks of the epidemic, after a German intelligence document reported by Der Spiegel suggested that Chinese leader Xi Jinping personally pressured WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (left) and Chinese leader Xi Jinping shake hands in Beijing on January 28, 2020 The German newspaper cited intelligence from the country's Federal Intelligence Service, known as the 'Bundesnachrichtendienst' (BND). According to the BND: 'On January 21, China's leader Xi Jinping asked WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to hold back information about a human-to-human transmission and to delay a pandemic warning. 'The BND estimates that China's information policy lost four to six weeks to fight the virus worldwide'. The WHO released a statement shortly after the publication of the shock claims, calling them 'unfounded and untrue'. A former director-general of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Edet Akpan, is dead. Mr Akpan, a retired major general in the Nigerian army, died Friday morning in his home in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, two persons who work as his domestic aides confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES, Saturday morning. One of Mr Akpans aides said they were shocked over his death as he did not show any signs of illness. The aide said they were too shocked to break the sad news to Mr Akpans wife who lives in the same home with the late husband. Mr Akpan was commissioned a lieutenant in the Nigerian army in 1968 and was appointed the director-general of NYSC in 1984. He was promoted to the rank of a major general in 1994. Mr Akpan was actively involved in Akwa Ibom politics and was one of the most influential politicians between 1999 and 2007, during the administration of Victor Attah, the second civilian governor of Akwa Ibom. READ ALSO: One of the sad moments in his post-retirement life was in February 2010 when he was abducted inside a church, Qua Iboe Church, at his hometown, Nsit Atai, by gunmen who shot and killed a woman, a police officer, and a soldier. That was during the administration of Godswill Akpabio, when the oil-rich state recorded several unresolved abductions and killings. Mr Akpan was arrested for alleged involvement in ballot stealing during the April 2015 general elections in Akwa Ibom state. He was detained for four days by the State Security Service in Uyo and later charged to court. The retired general retired from active politics after his tumultuous experience during the Akpabio era, and lived a quiet life with his family in Uyo. Restructuring advocate Mr Akpan, in 2016, told PREMIUM TIMES he supported the call for the restructuring of Nigeria, but that he was against the country returning to regionalism. He also said it was impossible for the people of Nigerias South-South to be part of the agitation for the independent State of Biafra. READ ALSO: Biafra, he said, lost the civil war because the minorities in the then eastern region did not agree with the Igbo for a separate country because they were not sure that their future was secured in an Igbo-controlled nation. Lack of trust has always been on between the Igbo and the minorities, he had said. I remember one Igbo leader who said, Dont worry the quarrel between the Igbo and the minorities is that between a husband and wife. Oh, this place almost went into flame. Then it was asked, Who is the husband and who is the wife? You see, the lack of trust is still there. Justin Bieber attends an event honouring Sir Lucian Grainge with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 23, 2020 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images) Pop star Justin Bieber has revealed he wishes he had saved himself for marriage as sex can be kind of confusing. The 26-year-old made the statement while talking to wife Hailey Baldwin about their relationship on Facebook series, The Biebers on Watch. The pair, who have been married since 2018, exchanged their thoughts on life before they became a couple. Read more: Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin talk the hardest part of marriage He said: There are probably a lot of things I would change. I dont regret anything because I think it makes you who you are, and you learn from things. If I could go back and not have to face some of the bad hurt, I went through I probably wouldve saved myself for marriage. I know that sounds crazy Sex can be kind of confusing when youre being sexually active with anybody. Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin attend the John Elliott front row during New York Fashion Week: The Shows on September 6, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows) She responded: I dont know if Id say the same, but we had different experiences with everything. I do agree with the fact that being physical sometimes can make things more confusing. Bieber has had a host of famous girlfriends since becoming famous as a teenager, including fellow child star Selena Gomez, and Baldwin, daughter of actor Stephen, has been open about being compared to his past beaus. She said on the series recently: Its definitely not easy. Justin knows I have a hard time with the things people say and the way people make comparisons, the way they have made me feel like less of a woman. Read more: Billie Eilish cares about Justin Bieber more than anyone in her life She isnt the only one who struggles with insecurity though - he recently said on the show: Theres a lot of things that I need to work on - forgiveness things, jealousy things, insecurities... that I didnt even realise I had until I chose to spend my life with you. He added. I realised that there were a lot of blind spots in my life that I didnt realise that I had that was really hard to work through those things... I feel now that Ive worked through a lot of that stuff, you and I are closer than ever. The Biebers on Watch streams of Facebook evert Monday, Wednesday and Friday. There were no graduation robes and group pictures, but just students' happiness of getting their degrees at Jaipura Institute of Management's virtual convocation ceremony which was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Over 900 students from the institute's Noida, Lucknow, Jaipur and Indore campuses graduated at the e-convocation. "Whenever in history youth has come together, they have created and rewritten the history itself. The usage of technology to invent innovative solutions will become a norm for success. Technology can be a real rescue in difficult and challenging times. So, both technology and youth have immense potential for India," Singh said. "Graduation day is not the end of learning rather it has just begun and will continue throughout. Hence, it is important to learn new lessons and skills in order to survive and succeed in the corporate world. Critical thinking is one of the most sought-after attributes in the corporate world. Tackling problems with an open and objective mind helps in finding the best solutions to combat them," he added. Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16, when Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. Later, a nationwide lockdown was imposed from March 25, which was extended till May 17. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16) The number of coronavirus cases in the country continues to rise with the Department of Health confirming 214 new infections on Saturday. The Philippines now has a total of 12,305 cases of the coronavirus disease, which has infected more than 4.5 million people worldwide. The health department in its 4 p.m. bulletin also announced that 101 more people survived the viral illness, bringing total recoveries in the country to 2,561. The death toll jumped to 817 after 11 more patients died of COVID-19. Majority of the country's COVID-19 cases are in Metro Manila. Of the newly reported infections, 147 or 69 percent are in the capital region. Metro Manila is now under a slightly eased modified enhanced community quarantine along with Laguna, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Zambales. More businesses are allowed to reopen in these areas but mass transportation is still suspended. A stricter ECQ remains in place in Cebu City and Mandaue City while the rest of the country is under a general community quarantine. Under a GCQ, adults from age 22 to 59 can go out and public transport resumes subject to social distancing and other safety protocols. While more people may be allowed outside, health authorities call on the public to continue practicing social distancing measures to prevent further spread of the virus. ISRO espionage case to be heard by Supreme Court next week Our citizen in arbitrary detention in China says Australia Kerala court says victims of ISRO espionage case will be heard Espionage: Key accused travelled to Pakistan under guise of conducting trade India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, May 16: Investigations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have revealed that the key conspirator in the Visakhapatnam espionage case had visited Karachi in Pakistan to meet with his handlers. The prime accused, Mohammad Haroon Haji Abdul Rehman Lakdawala who was arrested visited Karachi, met with his handlers under the guise of conducting cross border trade. During those visits, he came in contact with two Pakistani spies, Akbar Ali and Rizwan. AP police busted espionage racket with Pakistan links, 7 naval personnel held Haroon was directed by the spies to deposit money into the bank accounts of Navy personnel at regular intervals. He did the same through different means, the NIA said. The case on hand relates to the international espionage racket involving individuals based in Pakistan and at different locations in India. The Pakistan based spies recruited agents in India to collect sensitive and classified information regarding the location and movement of Indian Naval ships and submarines and other defence establishments. Few Navy personnel came in contact with Pakistani nationals through various social media platforms and were involved in sharing classified information in lieu of monetary gains. The money was deposited into the bank accounts of these personnel through Indian associates having business interests in India. During the search conducted at the house of Haroon, the NIA recovered a number of digital devices and incriminating documents. Haroon is a resident of Mumbai. From top left: The country catwalk: Victoria Beckham in Le Chameau boots and Barbour jacket poses with Eva Longoria. Princess Anne in her trusty waxed cover-up. When in Balmoral Diana and Charles, 1981. Fearne Cotton rocks Barbour. Zara Tindall in a Holland Cooper jacket at the Badminton Horse Trials. Vogue Williams wears Holland Cooper to Ladies Day at Cheltenham. Queen, country and padded gilets: HM shows us how its done. The Duchess of Cambridge in Barbour Could a 30-year-old waxed jacket and waterproof boots really be the height of fashion? Dont knock it those savvy rural folk can teach us all a thing or two about style, says Edwina Ings-Chambers When I think about a fashion icon, I wouldnt automatically think about my sister-in-law Lucy. She has had the same Barbour jacket for 30 years. A pair of her wellies has clocked up at least 15 years of dedicated service, while her best pair have just celebrated their fifth birthday. Meanwhile, Ive had trainers that have worn out in a season. Yet in comparison to me an avid follower of fashion I think that Lucy inherently understands the value of clothes, particularly those that stand the test of time. The reason? Shes a country dweller. And when you look at country kit, its self-evident that its one of the most environmental routes to getting dressed you can take. This stuff is built to last. Styles hardly change, production values are rigorous, and many firms offer a repair service to extend the life of their clothing for as long as possible. Try finding that in your average fashion boutique. Thats likely why The Queen is so comfortable in it and why its also very much part of the style of the Duchess of Cambridge because this is about clothes doing their duty and giving loyal and steady service. At its heart, countrywear is a technical product, built for purpose. And at a time when 300,000 tons of clothing end up in landfill each year, we should be advocating the brands that promote re-wearing and mending the clothes we already own. Looking a little worn, even weather-beaten, is part of the country style. As social commentator and fashion pundit Henry Conway points out, Its part of the style, because a toff look was never too done anyway. He knows of many people, himself included, who still wear some of their grandparents kit. Whats more, he appreciates the honesty to country clothing that I think is reflected in the prices. Even high ranges arent silly fashion prices. Plus, he adds, theres a gentleness to country life which means that you dont want things to change too quickly. Country chic has been on a fashion trajectory in recent years, ever since the 2015 launch of the private club Soho Farmhouse in the heart of the picturesque Cotswolds and the ubiquity of the celebrity country dweller (think the Beckhams or Guy Ritchie and model wife Jacqui Ainsley). A cooler, younger crowd has brought an edge to rural dressing the types who might opt for a Belstaff Trialmaster over a Barbour, Ariat Rambler boots, or maybe even Ugg slippers worn outdoors a la Stormzy. Of course, we dont want to spend our whole time in waxed cotton and boots. But the notion that our clothes should be built to last as well as look good and that the people who make them can even help in the maintenance process is surely a good basis that every clothing brand should be built on. Here are some of the names to know Alexa Chung in Barbour at Glastonbury The forever jacket: Barbour The labels world-renowned waxed cotton jacket is a stalwart of the country wardrobe. Practically a national treasure, its a brand that holds three royal warrants as a manufacturer of waterproofs and protective clothing and also courts a more fashion-conscious crowd its current collaboration with Alexa Chung has been a great success. Longevity has always been at the heart of its ethos, while the renewable and sustainable waxed cotton that it uses remains one of the toughest fabrics available on the market. The jackets are so durable that the oldest one the company knows of Uncle Harrys was bought in 1911, and having been passed down through the family, was still providing sterling service well into the 90s (though it has now been archived). Barbour is well known for its repair service, which is carried out in its factory in South Shields (currently given over to producing PPE). The company also sells over 100,000 tins of wax globally every year for home re-waxing. The go-to gilet: Schoffel Another keep it-for-a-lifetime label, outdoor clothing company Schoffel is known for its hard-working gilets, which can be worn at a shoot, under a smart jacket to keep warm, thrown over a shirt for a spring walk or even used as a blanket or pillow when travelling. If you prefer not to go the fleece route, then last year it introduced its technical Aerobloc lambswool version, which is still machine washable. The brand also offers a repair service on items that are most exposed to the elements, such as gilets and jackets. Princess Anne wearing Dubarrys Galway country boots The all-weather boots: Dubarry Flexibility is key to Irish rural brand Dubarry. Its many timeless, unisex products appeal across the age spectrum its boots and jackets are beloved by both the Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Anne and it often creates pieces in navy and black which are traditionally smarter in a town setting. Nowadays, Dubarry is particularly famed for the waterproof leather Galway Country boot, created in the 90s. Though the style has remained the same, it has been updated technologically to ensure it lasts longer with a direct-injection moulded method of manufacture, where hot liquid polyurethane is inserted between the rubber outsole and leather upper for durability. The company offers a refresh service for its waxed jackets. Jade Holland Cooper is a stylish ambassador for her own label The timeless tailoring: Holland Cooper This is another label successfully blending rural and city style with must-have pieces such as jodhpur jeans, neat blazers and bestselling capes and trench coats. Founder Jade Holland Cooper is British fashion royalty: married to Julian Dunkerton, the co-founder of Superdry, shes become an Instagram star for her brand (44,000 followers and counting), and can count Zara and Mike Tindall as loyal customers. Her British-made tailoring is inspired by her own childhood in the countryside and an interest in fashion. She pulled out of the London College of Fashion to go to agriculture college before also dropping out of that when she realised there was a gap in the market for country clothes with a more urban touch. Im not chasing trends, she says. This is about creating a product for a woman who lives a certain lifestyle and will suit it this year and in ten years time. Its all produced the old-fashioned way hand cut and with such care and attention. Though the brand doesnt officially offer a repair service, it is big on customer service (that personal touch and going the extra mile), but its more on a case-by-case basis. The Italian edit: Brunello Cucinelli Countryside Instagram influencer Lady Alice Manners one third of the Manners sisters, three aristocrat socialites who hail from Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire is a big fan of the stylish Italian label Brunello Cucinelli, where a fancy tweed, leather gilet or knitwear is seriously desirable stuff. Its factory is home to skilled workers who are dedicated to updating preloved clothing for clients and restoring pieces, an essential part of Brunello seeing mending as the value that extends the life of things. Kate Moss in Le Chameau wellies The classic wellies: Le Chameau Le Chameau boots both the bestselling Jameson quilted leather (as worn by the Duchess of Sussex) and the Chasseur Neoprene varieties are very much socially acceptable country kit. Head of production and sourcing Alexandra Doubleday describes the boots as professionally sustainable, not fashionably disposable. Our products are iconic, classic and functional there is a real quiet power about being consistent, she says. They are designed to last and you should expect to get anything up to 15 years out of them, though the company knows of boots that have lasted for 27 years. And of course it offers wellington boots too, which nowadays are just as at home on a country walk with the labrador as on the feet of the fashionable crowd at Glastonbury. The Duchess of Cambridge wore Really Wild Clothing in Pakistan The go-anywhere gear: Really Wild Clothing This is another brand much loved by the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore some of her older, classic pieces on the October 2019 royal tour of Pakistan (a leather nubuck gilet and her chocolate suede La Mancha boots). Founded in 2002, with its first shop at the Royal Berkshire Shooting School, and later modelled by Kate at Blenheim Palace, Really Wild Clothing is an easy mix of rural and city style. The brand has a go-anywhere, do-anything approach to dressing, all of which is meant to fit seamlessly into your wardrobe season after season so youre acquiring a collection over the years that youll keep, says founder Natalie Lake. Quality is at the brands core, with pieces made in small batches from limited runs of fabric (with no waste), so theres an element of exclusivity about prints. And those La Mancha boots, which are waterproof and handmade by artisans in Spain, are built to last. Many customers tell the company theyve had the same pair for 15 years (and, where reasonable, the brand can help with repairs such as replacing zips). The covetable cashmere: Brora Underneath the wax jackets and tweed youre likely to find plenty of Brora cashmere too: hoodies and jogging bottoms on the youngsters and more classic jumpers and snuggly cardigans on their mothers. Brora is very much a nought to 90, all the family brand, says founder Victoria Stapleton. It has expanded into linen and silk pieces, and Liberty-print designs too. Slow fashion is something we promote big time we love it when people tell us stories of the Brora pieces theyve had for 20 years. Banks and regulators are in talks about extending the length of time lenders can support the one in 10 households who have deferred mortgage repayments once their six-month grace period ends. The big four banks delayed home loan payments for 424,000 customers worth about $150 billion in the March quarter as coronavirus shutdowns forced people out of work. About 450,000 Australians have deferred their home loans to get them through the coronavirus downturn. Credit:Gabriele Charotte Australia's biggest home lender, Commonwealth Bank, deferred 144,000 payments worth $50 billion, while Westpac and ANZ delayed 105,000, worth $39 billion and $36 billion respectively, and National Australia Bank 70,000 worth $26.5 billion. This represents about 12.5 per cent of CBA's home loan accounts, including Bankwest. About 7 per cent of Westpac mortgagors have deferred payments, totalling 9 per cent of total balances, and about 14 per cent of ANZ's Australian home loan customers are in the same position. NAB declined to provide further data. LOUISVILLE, Ky. Kentuckys stand your ground law allows its residents to use deadly force against intruders they believe are breaking into their home. So why is Kenneth Walker charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a Louisville police sergeant March 13 who forced his way with two other officers into Breonna Taylors apartment while serving a "no knock" warrant? When the officers returned fire, Taylor, an ER technician and former Louisville EMT who was unarmed, was struck at least eight times and died on her hallway floor. Commonwealths Attorney Tom Wine wouldn't discuss Walker's pending prosecution. But Wine told The Courier Journal in an email that the "stand your ground" statute "is central in any determination of how to proceed. Enacted in 2006, the law says it doesnt apply to force used against police officers but only if police identify themselves "in accordance with any applicable law." Louisville Metro Police have said officers did identify themselves before the early morning raid on Taylors home near Iroquois Park, but witnesses have said otherwise, according to a lawsuit filed April 27 by Taylors family against the city. Peter Kraska, a criminologist at Eastern Kentucky University who has studied no-knock and SWAT team searches, called the March 13 operation at Taylors apartment a "classic botched raid." Wine, he said, will have to decide whether he wants to antagonize police by dropping the charge or anger "everybody else." Metro Council President David James, a Louisville police officer for 20 years, said the two laws stand in deadly conflict with each other and the city of Louisville should reduce and restrict their use to only the most serious investigations that justify their use. "We have put police and citizens in a very, very bad situation," he said. Mayor Greg Fischer said he has asked Chief Steve Conrad to "take another look into this practice." Story continues Minute by minute: What happened the night Louisville police fatally shot Breonna Taylor Photos of Breonna Taylor were displayed during a vigil for her outside the Judicial Center in downtown Louisville, Ky. on Mar. 19, 2020. Taylor was shot and killed by LMPD officers last week. The family chose the vigil site because it is across the street from the Louisville Metro Police Department. Jurors side with defendants in 'no knock' cases Jurors elsewhere have sympathized with defendants who killed police during raids in which they didnt know their homes were being invaded by law enforcement officers. In 2017, a jury in Corpus Christi, Texas, for example, acquitted a man who spent 664 days in jail after he was charged with attempted capital murder for wounding three officers during a no knock raid that targeted his nephew. And a grand jury in Burleson County, Texas, refused to indict a man for capital murder after he fataly shot a sheriffs deputy inside his home during the execution of a no-knock warrant on Dec. 19, 2013. Kraska and other experts say injuries and deaths, like Taylors, are hardly surprising, given that 4 in 10 American families are armed. She and Taylor thought someone was breaking into their home when Walker fired his weapon, their lawyers have said. "The use of non-uniformed undercover officers to effect no-knock warrants has become a highly dangerous enterprise for both the policeman and the citizen, who can now fire away without having to try to withdraw," retired Kentucky Judge Stan Billingsley warned in a 2016 blog post. Before 1960, it was almost unheard of for officers to force their way unannounced into a home. But with the proliferation of illegal drugs, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that police may barge into a home if they have a reasonable suspicion that knocking and announcing their presence under the particular circumstances would be dangerous or allow suspects to destroy evidence. That's what LMPD officers claimed in securing a no-knock warrant for a suspected drug house in the Russell neighborhood and Taylor's home, which they believed was being used to receive drug shipments. LMPD spokeswoman Jessie Halladay, citing a pending internal investigation, declined to say who approved the no-knock for Taylor's apartment. No-knock searches result in serious, fatal injuries Across the U.S., the number of no-knock searches has increased from 3,000 in 1981 to 60,000 today, according to Kraska, and the results have included avoidable deaths, gruesome injuries and multimillion-dollar legal settlements at taxpayer expense. The New York Times found that between 2010 and 2016, 31 civilians and eight officers died in the execution of no-knock warrants, while the libertarian Cato Institute has reported that 40 bystanders have been killed since the early 1980s. For example, in Cornelia, Georgia, in 2014, a deputy sheriff secured a no-knock warrant based on false information, then breached the door of a home with a battering ram and threw a stun grenade inside during a predawn raid. It landed in a babys crib, burning away part of her face. No drugs, no drug dealer and no weapons were found. The county paid a $3.6 million settlement for the injuries to Bounkham Phonesavanh, who was known as Baby Bou Bou. During a no-knock search, a deputy sheriff in Georgia threw a flash grenade into home. It landed in a baby's crib, causing her grievous burns. In Atlanta in 2006, after an elderly woman, Kathryn Johnston, 92, fired one shot into her ceiling, thinking her home was being invaded, police fatally shot her. Their only injuries came from friendly fire. Three officers were sentenced to prison. In 2013, in Tucson, Arizona, a SWAT team fired 71 shots in seven seconds after making an unannounced entry, killing Jose Guerena, whose family was given a $3.4 million settlement. Kraska said his research shows that in the 15 years ending in 2018, 335 no-knock or "quick knock" raids by SWAT and narcotics teams have resulted in lethal or serious injuries to police or civilians. Breonna Taylor shooting: Mayor Fischer declines to say he has confidence in police chief 'No knock' searches often turn up empty Sixty percent of the time, the searches found no illegal drugs or other contraband, as was in the case of the police raid on Taylor's apartment at 3003 Springfield Drive. Some of the tragedies were compounded by the discovery that raids were conducted at the wrong address or based on false information. No-knock warrants are allowed in every state except Oregon, where they are prohibited by state law, and in Florida, where they are banned under a state Supreme Court decision. But Houstons police department announced last year that it will largely ban the practice, after a deadly drug raid in which two civilians were killed and four injured. An officer had lied about an undercover informant to justify the warrant, according to press accounts. Police Chief Art Acevedo announced that from now on officers will need his express permission to search homes without warning. I dont see the value in them, he told reporters of no-knock searches. "So thats probably going to go by the wayside." Follow Andrew Wolfson on Twitter: @adwolfson. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Breonna Taylor shooting: No-knock search deadly for civilians, police When Shakespeares soothsayer predicted doom for Caesar, little did he know how accurately the Ides of March would pan out for rest the world centuries later. Severe lockdowns, peaking unemployment, bear markets and overflooded hospitals have materialized in a Corona infested world, as leadership worldwide is either being severely criticized or heavily praised. Regardless, people have submitted to even the most invasive and unthinkable government demands in this black swan event. This, in turn, provokes a serious debate. With governments across the world getting unadulterated power, should we expect them to submit allegiance to Judas and betray democracy or imitate Penelopes faithfulness to Odysseus. Recent reports from present a worrisome picture. Take for example Cambodias Hun Sen. To deal with the recent historys greatest pandemic, he gifted himself unrestricted power as the national assembly passed emergency laws permitting unlimited surveillance of citizens and a stronghold over the media. Myanmar, in 2010, welcomed a democratic civilian government which many still argue is just a facade for the Burmese military, the Tatmadaw. The Corona crisis seemed like a boon for the Tatmadaw as it sought to reaffirm its powers while the ill-equipped government tried to fight a battle with abysmal testing rates and poor infrastructure. A military task force, with unregulated powers was assembled, comprising primarily of cherry-picked members, shockingly overlooking even the countrys health minister and putting the Tatmadaw back in command. Another south-east Asian head of state to follow this power amassing pattern is Rodrigo Duterte. While Duterte hasnt exactly been a media darling or an emissary of individual rights given his controversial drug war or his vitriolic rhetoric, the recent emergency powers have sent alarm bells ringing. Hungary seems to be another victim of the Corona clampdown as its parliament handed the prime minister, Fideszs Viktor Orban, unfettered power without an expiry date. Interestingly, Orbans tenures in the public space have often witnessed democratic backsliding which makes sceptics wary of the duration of the free reign. Israels Netanyahu sought to keep the newly elected government from taking over by shutting down courts and stalling the parliament, ultimately leading the coalition to split and ensuring his grip on power. While many of these countries have had a battered history with democracy, the Corona crisis threatens liberty everywhere and the integrity of governments worldwide is being questioned as they give themselves complete carte blanche to impose control and legitimize snooping. In political science, there is a concept of Overton window, which marks a socially acceptable range of policy decisions and discussions. This window could move along the spectrum depending on the mainstream acceptance of ideas. So, while the womens rights might have negative policy discussions in regressive societies and the Overton window thus might be to the extreme, as the society becomes more egalitarian, the window would shift to the centre, and policy decisions might be much more optimistic. Thus, while Saudi Arabia still discusses about legalizing womens right to drive, the US discusses about equal pay. The problem for countries worldwide is that as Corona becomes a quotidian affair, governments would seek to consolidate more power to either curb the pandemic or get the economy in order and citizens would comply in a bid to seek big brothers protection. This would mean that the Overton window would shift to the extreme and people would accept totalitarianism as normal. This, in turn, threatens democracies worldwide. The end of World War II saw a sharp increase in the birth of democracies. While many of them have been on shaky grounds, unadulterated power could be an irresistible temptress to even the most liberal regimes. If Plato is to be believed, tyranny is the next natural transition from democracy. The rise of Papa Doc in Haiti, Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines and Hitler in Germany are all a testimony to this. After all, democracy is the progenitor of dictatorship, which eventually indulges in the most bloody parricide. In recent times, the deep resentment against the unfair assignment of equality coupled with the urgent desire to mitigate the Corona crisis might prompt countries globally to shift their Overton window and accept more autocratic governments. On the other hand, lockdowns and illustrative autocracies might appreciate the value of freedom for the public, ultimately ensuring the renewal of democratic systems. So, while we wait to see the end of this war, one can only hope that this crisis would not be an exordium to the rise of dictatorships but instead uphold unflagging democracies in the trial by fire. Binoy Viswam By Nothing will be the same anymore. Contemporary history will be divided into pre- and post-Covid-19 days. The pandemic came as an eye-openerthe greed of the market and the failure of its neoliberal polity were exposed for all to see. Its disregard for human life and the public health system caused the biggest tragedy in world history. It was neither a divine comedy nor a cyclical crisis, but a systemic debacle. It proved the total bankruptcy of a profit-centred market-driven system. From the US to Turkey and from India to Brazil, it was the same economics and politics that stand accused. It should not be allowed to further play havoc on the people. Unlocking of the lockdown is now being carried out in different states. One may very well argue about the timing and measures taken by the Central and state governments. It is taking place in the background of a rising severity of the pandemic in the country. Hence, it is not without reason that certain quarters are questioning the loosening of restrictions. But no country can continue to lock down forever. While unlocking the restrictions, preparedness and precautions are very important. On March 24, the prime minister proclaimed the lockdown through an address to the nation without preparing the ground for it. The miseries and hardships it caused were severe. As it happened, everywhere, the poor were the most affected. After more than 45 days, the government is announcing relaxations in the same casual manner. The poor continue to be the worst hit. The capitalist part of development is notorious for putting the burden of the crisis on the shoulders of the poor and the common people. In the name of going back to normalcy, they have begun those same old practices again. All of a sudden, they have started thinking about migrant labourers, who constitute 30-40% of the workforce. One fine morning, the labourers were asked to report at the workplace with immediate effect. Their natural human desire to go to their families was ignored. The Aurangabad tragedy on the rail track was a shocking reminder to the nation of the unbelievable living conditions and struggle for existence of the migrant poor. The scattered rotis and the bundles of old clothes tell us volumes about their hard-earned wealth! Official reports say that 383 migrant labourers have died till May 10, which is presumably lower than the actual number of deaths. In fact, they were food refugees of modern India. These migrant workers represent the distress of the downtrodden in India. The first measure the government needs to take is to address the basic needs of the working people. A minimum amount of Rs 7,500 should reach them immediately. Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan estimated that the total amount needed for this may come up to Rs 65,000 crore. This money, reaching the poor, will automatically go back to the local market, never the share market. It will stimulate the economy that needs the flow of money. Nobel laureates like Abhijit Banerjee and Amartya Sen have said the same. There is nothing new in this. Market economy is accustomed to this crisis-fighting measure since Keynesian days. But the Modi government is hesitant to think even in those terms. Experience says that when the question of the poor comes, the Modi government is not truthful to even capitalist principles. The latest exercise with regard to the price of petroleum products also proves that theirs is bad economics, ill-advised and mismanaged. With a Rs 200 lakh crore GDP at their disposal, the government should give priority to activating the whole economic process, creating maximum job opportunities and pumping money into the market. For that, their pro-rich policy is the biggest hindrance. The other day the government came with a new attack on the workers by imposing a ceiling on their Provident Fund. The employers need to remit their share for only up to Rs 15,000, it said. Reports say the working hours are going to be increased from 8 to 12 hours. Retrenchments have also begun violating the words of the PM. The government talks about the scarcity of resources and on that pretext, plunders from the common peoples pocket. According to official statements, there is a tax recovery due of Rs 8.96 lakh crore. The government will not bother with that. Instead, it reduced the corporate tax to the tune of Rs 1.45 lakh crore. The government wants to rebuild the economy through squeezing the workers, peasants and the poor. It shows that the government of the rich has not learned any lessons. The first lesson from the pandemic days is the greatness of human labour. It is a lesson to be understood by the planners and followed by the governments. Labour is an essential part of wealth creation, according to even classical capitalist principles. By not giving their due share, the country cannot progress. It is high time for all those who talk about Indias future and growth to understand this basic truth. (The author is secretary of CPIs National Council and leader of the party in Parliament) Flash Far from crowded scenic spots and bustling metropolises, Li Shengbo commonly uses Tsuwanoa little-known town in the southeast of Honshu, Japan's main islandas a tourist destination for his Chinese clients. In 2016, Li was so impressed by the Japanese movie Little Forest that he quit his job at an internet company and couch surfed in Japan for three months. He was touched by the scenes of rural life in the movie, in which a young woman leaves fast-paced Tokyo and returns to her hometown to live a self-sufficient life, sowing seeds and growing her own food. When he returned to China in 2017, Li started his business with the intention of sharing similar experiences. Unlike traditional tourist trips, in which people hastily take photos to impress friends on social media, the 31-year-old's tours are intended to provide cultural exchanges and nurture emotional bonds between visitors and Tsuwano's residents. Featuring rural life and Japanese traditions, the tours offer a close look at the lives of the 7,500 local people, including an elderly ceramics artist, who advises the (mainly) young visitors that, "The idea is not to work hard to earn much more money for a better life, but to make the most of the money available to live life better." The visitors also have the opportunity to talk with a group of new immigrants who have settled in the area to explore their love of country life or to revitalize Tsuwano, which has an aging population and lacks young people as a result of urbanization. The newcomers have brought a fresh look to the town: a woman who was once an intern at the United Nations slaughters wild boars and sells the meat to Tokyo's top restaurants; a man who studied overseas works on educational innovation at the local high school; and a former computer programmer from Osaka has devoted 12 years to saving an abandoned school building by developing it as a library and attracting locals and tourists. Li's initial visit to Japan was not the first time he had pulled himself out of a daily routine. In his third year at university in Beijing, he took a gap year and traveled around China alone. From February to December 2011, the junior student hitchhiked around the country, using more than 200 free rides to tour 18 provinces. At the time, he was frustrated after a disappointing result in the gaokao, the national college entrance examination, and his life at college, which fell short of expectations. When he saw how many of his peers wasted their time sleeping in and playing computer games, he was confused about how to live a better life and eager to find a way out. The temporary derailment from his normal path benefited him a lot. Now, when people ask how he can firmly believe in what he is doing, Li says he owes his confidence to his gap year. Inspired by his odyssey, Li has named his brand "Gap Trip", and lays great emphasis on stopping for a while to create enough time for self-reflection. "People are often too busy to remember what they are busy for in life," he said. Most people on his trips are young urbanites who are tired of their jobs, monotonous lives or tepid relationships, but either have no idea how to make a change or lack the courage to do so. Since China and Japan face similar social problems, such as slowing economic growth, rapidly aging populations, falling marriage rates and greater urbanization, Tsuwano can provide young Chinese with a reference point on how to make good life choices, Li said. In the short, well-designed trips visitors get a chance to take their own "mini gap year". Excluding visa fees and airfare, each visitor pays 12,500 yuan ($1,763) for a six-day stay in the small town, which is not cheap even for a trip overseas. The tour group is usually small, about 10 people, to ensure in-depth exchanges between the locals and visitors and also between the travelers themselves. The tours have promoted folk exchanges between China and Japan, with a group of Tsuwano residents paying a visit to China in 2018. "Unlike simple worldly success, it is important to explore more possibilities in life as well as the topic of how to live a better life," Li said. Researchers reveal common origin of fermi bubbles and galactic center x-ray outflows A pair of gigantic gamma-ray bubbles centered on the core of the Milky Way galaxy were discovered by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope 10 years ago. But how these so-called "Fermi bubbles" arose was a mystery. Recently, however, researchers at the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have presented a new model that for the first time simultaneously explains the origins of both the Fermi bubbles and the Galactic center biconical X-ray structure, which was discovered in 2003. According to this model, the two structures are essentially the same phenomenon and was caused by the forward shock driven by a pair of jets emanating from Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) - the supermassive black hole lurking at the Galactic center - about five million years ago. The study was published in The Astrophysical Journal. Fermi bubbles are two colossal blobs filled with very hot gas, cosmic rays and magnetic fields. Although they cannot be seen with the naked eye, they are very bright in diffuse gamma-ray emissions. In gamma rays, the Fermi bubbles have very sharp edges and the edges coincide well with an X-ray structure called the Galactic center biconical X-ray structure. Seeing the very similar edges of Fermi bubbles and the Galactic center biconical X-ray structure, the SHAO researchers realized these structures might share the same origin. Furthermore, the biconical X-ray structure could be naturally explained by the shock-compressed thin shell of hot thermal gas driven by a past energy outburst from the Galactic center. In previous theoretical models and computer simulations of the Fermi bubbles, two major competing energy sources were proposed, i.e., star formation at the Galactic center and Sgr A*. However, in both models, the Fermi bubbles are explained as ejecta bubbles, while the forward shock is always located much further away from the edge of the Fermi bubbles. In other words, these models could not explain the Fermi bubbles and the Galactic center biconical X-ray structure simultaneously. In contrast, the theoretical model in this study, proposed by GUO Fulai and his graduate student ZHANG Ruiyu from SHAO, used computer simulations to demonstrate for the first time that the Fermi bubbles and the Galactic center biconical X-ray structure are the same phenomenon. In this model, the edge of the Fermi bubbles is the forward shock driven by a pair of jets emanating from Sgr A* about five million years ago. "One good thing about this model is that the energy and age of the Fermi bubbles can be constrained by the X-ray observations quite well," said corresponding author GUO Fulai. The age of the bubbles inferred in this study is also consistent with that derived from recent ultraviolet observations of some high velocity clouds along many sightlines towards the bubble region. The new model indicates that the total energy injected during the Fermi bubble event by the supermassive black hole is close to that released by about 20,000 supernovae. The total matter consumed by Sgr A* during this event is about 100 solar masses. "Another very interesting thing that we found in our study is that if the bubbles and the biconical X-ray structure share the same origin, they are very unlikely to be produced by star formation or black hole winds," said GUO. Near the Galactic center, the biconical X-ray structure has a very narrow base, while the forward shock produced by star formation or black hole winds can easily propagate to large distances, leading to a base much wider than observed. In contrast, collimated jets deposit most of the energy quickly to large distances along the jet direction, naturally leading to a narrow base for the shock front near the Galactic plane. The supermassive black hole in our own Galaxy has been very quiescent in recent years without any evidence of current jet activities, but "our study strongly suggests that a pair of powerful jets emanated from it about five million years ago, lasted for about one million years, and produced the gigantic Fermi bubbles still seen today," added GUO. ### This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: Believing in social media posts that juice made of Datura seeds will protect them from contracting COVID-19, a family of four, including a three-year-old girl child, consumed the juice only to land in a hospital in Pallamalli village in Cheemakurthy Mandal on Saturday. The four-member family fell ill after they consumed the juice made of toxic seeds of Datura (Ummetta plant in local parlance) and their condition is stable now. According to information, Kantlam Suseela alias Suseelamma (52), a Class IV employee who reportedly watched a video on TikTok which suggested that datura seeds could act as a deterrent to the virus, especially for the elderly and children, allegedly encouraged her son K Tirupathi, his wife K Santhamma and their three-year-old daughter to follow the tip. She collected the seeds, crushed them and prepared juice. All the family members consumed the juice before breakfast on Saturday. Immediately they developed vomiting and giddiness. Their neighbours took them to an RMP and from there to a private nursing home in Chimakurthy. FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE "All of them showed signs of giddiness and vomiting. We were informed that they had consumed datura seeds after watching a video on TikTok. The seeds are toxic and will have an undesirable impact on the nervous and metabolic systems. Now, their health condition is stable," said medical officer Dr Venkateswara Rao, who treated the victims. The medical officer said the woman was carried away by the false information that datura seeds would miraculously improve immunity among the elderly and children against COVID-19. He advised the villagers not to believe in all the social media posts promoting unscientific ways of either curing or acting as a protective shield from the virus. Donald Trump has publicly pleaded with senior Republicans to back his "Obamagate" theory to help him win the next election. The president has been trying to popularise the phrase, sending out one word tweets saying "Obamagate" and accusing his predecessor of unspecified criminal offences. The accusations, which Mr Trump claims also implicate his likely Democratic opponent in November, Joe Biden, relate to investigations into the behaviour of former national security adviser Michael Flynn. While Trump supporters and media allies like Fox News have enthusiastically piled in, senior Republicans like Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham have so far been more circumspect. On Saturday morning, while tweeting a series of attacks on his political opponents, the media and web companies, and praising his own handling of the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Trump sent a direct message to Mr McConnell, with Mr Graham's Twitter handle included. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell speaking to the press on Capitol Hill on 12 May, 2020 (Getty Images) He wrote: "Mitch, I love you, but this is 100% true. Time is running out. Get tough and move quickly, or it will be too late. The Dems are vicious, but got caught. They MUST pay a big price for what they have done to our Country. Don't let them get away with this! @LindseyGrahamSC." In a separate tweet, alluding to a supportive article from The Federalist's Mollie Hemingway, Mr Trump wrote: "This is true. I say it all the time. The Republicans must play by the same rules, or die! Wow Mollie, you are good." On Thursday Mr Graham, chairman of the Senate's judiciary committee, rejected the president's suggestion that he force Barack Obama to testify about the alleged conspiracy on Capitol Hill. Mr Trump said the supposed plot was "worse than Watergate", adding: "No more Mr Nice Guy. No more talk!" Mr Graham responded: "I don't think now's the time for me to do that. I don't know if that's even possible. "I understand President Trump's frustration, but be careful what you wish for." Ms Hemingway's article calls on Republican Senate majority leader Mr McConnell to do more to hit back at what she calls the "Russia hoax", warning that the Republicans risk losing their majority in November if he fails to do so. Gen Flynn was appointed national security adviser in January 2017 but the president fired him for lying to the FBI and to vice-president Mike Pence over his contacts with the then Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak. The retired three-star general twice admitted lying to the FBI in court. However, Attorney General William Barr has instructed his Department of Justice prosecutors to withdraw the case against him, arguing that Gen Flynn's admissions were not "material" to the Bureau's investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The judge in his case has asked to hear an opposing opinion before deciding how to proceed. Richard Grenell, Mr Trump's acting Director of National Intelligence, has revealed the names of Obama-era officials who knew that Gen Flynn was an object of interest to authorities. While Mr Trump and others have argued that this points to a conspiracy against his incoming administration, others have said there is nothing unusual in senior figures requesting the identities of people who may be subjects of investigation, something that has continued under the current administration. Others have pointed out that Mr Trump has a habit of making outlandish claims about his predecessor, some of which including that Mr Obama was not born in America and therefore was ineligible to be president, or that he founded the terror group Isis have been shown to be false. Asked on Monday by Washington Post reporter Philip Rucker exactly what crime he was accusing Mr Obama of, the president declined to explain, saying: "You know what the crime is. The crime is very obvious to everybody. All you have to do is read the newspapers, except yours." Richwood, TX (77531) Today Showers and thundershowers early, then mainly cloudy after midnight with light rain possible. Low 43F. WSW winds shifting to NNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.. Tonight Showers and thundershowers early, then mainly cloudy after midnight with light rain possible. Low 43F. WSW winds shifting to NNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph. Philippine stocks dropped two percent on Friday, leading losses in the Southeast Asian region, with most other markets ending subdued due to fears of worsening Sino-U.S. ties after U.S. President Donald Trump again blamed China for the coronavirus outbreak. Trump on Thursday signaled a further deterioration of his relationship with China over the novel coronavirus, saying he has no interest in speaking to President Xi Jinping right now and suggesting he could even cut ties with Beijing. Philippine stocks slipped nearly two percent to their lowest closing level since May 4 and recorded a second straight weekly fall. "Sino-U.S. Trade tension drove down the Philippine market today, and even continued improving oil prices did not help to neutralize the market movement," said Luis Limlingan, managing director at Regina Capital Development Corp. A spike in coronavirus cases also dampened the sentiment. The country's health ministry reported 16 more coronavirus deaths, bringing the total to 806 and recorded 215 additional infections, increasing the total tally to 12,091. Index heavyweights Aboitiz Equity skid 5.5 percent, while SM Prime Holdings dropped 5.2 percent after first-quarter profit fell. Shares in Indonesia, the region's largest economy, closed 0.1 percent lower and were down three percent for the week, the second straight weekly loss. Earlier in the day, data showed that the country slipped into trade deficit in April as exports and imports plunged. Meanwhile, a Reuters Poll showed that Indonesia's central bank is expected to deliver this year's third rate cut on Tuesday. An index of Jakarta's 45 most liquid stocks was 0.7 percent lower. Meanwhile, better-than-expected industrial output data from China, the region's biggest trade partner, helped offset some of the losses in the region. Thai shares were little changed as gains in energy stocks on higher oil prices were offset by renewed U.S-China trade tensions. Thailand will begin allowing department stores, shopping malls and other businesses to reopen from Sunday, the government said. The Malaysian bourse gained 0.4 percent supported by a jump in oil prices. For the week, the index gained 1.5 percent. Vietnam's index reversed course to end 0.7 percent lower, pressured mostly by financials. The benchmark extended its weekly gain into a second session. Coronavirus cases in India: The Union Home Ministry is likely to announce the guidelines for lockdown 4.0 on Saturday or early Sunday as the country gets ready for a staggered exit in the wake of coronavirus induced curfew across the country. The states are likely to relax lockdown rules as they prepare for the phased exit from the countrywide lockdown which started during the third extension and will further be eased post May 17. The central government is expected to give further relaxation in lockdown curbs to facilitate economic activities but with stricter curbs in containment zones. According to sources, the government may give greater flexibility to states and Union Territories as India prepares to learn to live with coronavirus. The whole lockdown will not be completely withdrawn but will in phases. The source added that during lockdown 4.0, schools, colleges, malls and cinema halls will not be permitted to open anywhere in India, however, salons, spas, and barber shops could be allowed to operate even in red zones, except in areas identified as containment zones. Presently, they are permitted to operate in orange and green zones. India's total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases jumped to 85,940 on Saturday, according to the lastest update by the Union Health Ministry. The tally includes 53,035 active cases, 30,152 recoveries, 1 migrated, and 2,752 deaths. The country recorded 3,970 new cases, and 103 deaths in the last 24 hours taking the total count of confirmed coronavirus cases to 85,940 in India. Also Read: Nirmala Sitharaman press conference at 4 PM: Time, where, how to watch live streaming, telecast Also Read: Coronavirus: COVID-19 cases touch 85,940; check state-wise tally, deaths Follow BusinessToday.In for all the latest updates on coronavirus 10:45 PM: Italy to open borders; seeks to boost tourism The Italian government announced Saturday that it will throw open its borders next month, effectively ending Europe's longest and strictest coronavirus lockdown just as the summer tourism season gets under way, news agency AP reported. 10:30 PM: UP sees highest single-day spike, records over 200 fresh cases in past 24 hrs Uttar Pradesh has reported over 200 fresh cases in the past 24 hours, highest single-day spike in coronavirus cases. The new cases have been reported in Merrut, Rampur and Saharanpur districts. 10:00 PM: 195 new positive cases reported in Madhya Pradesh As many as 195 new positive cases reported in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, taking the state tally to 4790. Death toll stands at 243: State Health Department. 9:50 PM: Coronavirus in Rajasthan: 213 new cases reported on Saturday; tally rises to 4,960 Rajasthan now has 4,960 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus with 213 new cases coming to light in the last 24 hours, the state's Health Department said on Saturday. The state also recorded 1 new coronavirus-related death during the same period, taking the Covid-19 death toll in Rajasthan to 126. Out of the total 4,960, 1,890 are active cases. 9:35 PM: With 1,606 new cases and 67 deaths, Maharashtra's tally climbs to 30,706 Maharashtra on Saturday reported 1,606 new cases and 67 deaths, taking state's tally to 30,706. Total deaths recorded were 1,135. Meanwhile, Mumbai's total cases reached 18,555 and 696 deaths. Mumbai's Dharavi recorded 53 new Covid-19, taking the total number of cases in this area to 1,198. The death toll in Dharavi stands at 53. 9:25 PM: Gujarat's COVID-19 tally climb to 10,989 on Saturday Gujarat's coronavirus tally has now reached 10,989, with 625 deaths. In the last 24 hours, 348 new cases have been detected, and 19 persons have succumbed to the disease, while 273 have been discharged in the state. 9:15 PM: Noida Metro resumption plan: Aarogya Setu app, body temp below 37.8 C must for passengers Passengers hoping to ride the Noida-Greater Noida metro, whenever it resumes operations, will be required to wear face masks, install Aarogya Setu app on their smartphones and have a body temperature not more than 37.7 degrees Celsius, officials said on Saturday. 8:45 PM: Auraiya tragedy: PM Modi approves ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for kin of deceased Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday approved ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of those who lost their lives due to the unfortunate accident in Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh. Rs 50,000 each for the injured has also been approved. This amount has been approved from the PM's National Relief Fund. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who lost their lives due to the unfortunate accident in Auraiya, UP has been approved from the PM's National Relief Fund. Rs 50,000 each for the injured has also been approved. - PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 16, 2020 8:25 PM: Railways ready to run 'Shramik Special' trains from any district, says Piyush Goyal In a bid to provide relief to migrant labourers, Railways is ready to run 'Shramik Special' trains from any district in the country. District Collectors should prepare lists of stranded labourers and destination and apply to Railways through State nodal officer, says Railway Minister Piyush Goyal. 8:15 PM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi ontranche 4 of new economic reforms Important sectors such as coal, minerals, defence, aviation, space and atomic energy have been covered in the announcements by the FM today. The measures and reforms announced will create many business opportunities and contribute to economic transformation. - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2020 8:10 PM: India lifts ban on export of non-surgical masks The central government has lifted ban from the export of non-surgical and non-medical masks to the foreign countries. On March 19, the centre had banned exports of all types of masks to the foreign countries amid rising positive cases of coronavirus and crisis of masks in India. 7:55 PM: Delhi's Chandni Chowk likely to extend lockdown till May end Delhi's Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal has decided to extend the lockdown till May 31 in view of serious containment areas around Chandni Chowk district. 7:45 PM: ITC launches Savlon hand sanitiser sachets at half a rupee FMCG major ITC has launched its Savlon brand of hand sanitisers in a sachet format priced at half a rupee and meant for single use. As per the company, this price point and the format makes it the most economic hand sanitiser available globally. 7:40 PM: A strong, secure and empowered India is PM Modi's topmost priority: Amit Shah "A strong, secure and empowered India is PM Modi's topmost priority. Raising the FDI limit in defence manufacturing to 74% and banning import of selected weapons/platforms with year wise timelines will surely boost 'Make in India' and reduce our import burden," Home Minister Amit Shah. 7:30 PM: Italy to ease travel restrictions put in place since March The Italian government is easing travel restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic, allowing people to move freely inside the region where they live as of Monday, and between regions starting June 3. 7:20 PM: Govt not appealing to anybody to come back: Manipur on reports of return on health worker State government isn't appealing to anybody to come back. Those who've no urgency and have a job outside, should remain there, said J Suresh Babu, Manipur Chief Secretary. His comment came in wake of reports which suggested that Manipur and Tripura have asked their health workers working in different states to return to their native states amid COVID-19 lockdown. There's no such circular. It's only on request of people who want to come back that we issued permits to different people&vehicles. State govt isn't appealing to anybody to come back. Those who've no urgency&have a job outside,should remain there: J Suresh Babu,Manipur Chief Secy https://t.co/PZNJTv2QpN pic.twitter.com/SqAllqIZuN - ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2020 7:10 PM: Coronavirus in Punjab: Positive COVID-19 cases climb to 1,946 A total number of 1,946 people have tested positive for COVID-19 till date, including 1257 patients cured and 32 deaths: Department of Information & Public Relations, Government of Punjab. 7:00 PM: Department of Space to allow private players to carry out space activities: ISRO Soon after the Finance Minister announced policy reforms to rivate players to carry out space activities in the country, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said that it will follow the government guidelines. "Department of Space will follow the Government guidelines and enable private players to carry out space activities in the country," it said. 6:36 PM: Home Minister Amit Shah lauds govt's reform measures PM Modi's mantra of Reform, Perform & Transform is the key of India's phenomenal growth in the last 6 years. I thank PM @narendramodi & FM @nsitharaman for today's landmark decisions which will surely boost our economy & further our efforts towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. - Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 16, 2020 6:32 Pm: HRD Ministry postpones announcement of pending exam schedule for class X and XII HRD Ministry has postponed announcement of schedule for pending class X and XII board exams, saying that CBSE is still considering certain technical aspects before finalising datesheets. The ministry had earlier announced it would notify the schedule at 5 pm on Saturday. 6:30 PM: COVID-19 cases in Nepal rise to 278 The coronavirus cases in Nepal touched 278 with five more patients testing positive for the virus, the health ministry. The fresh cases include a 52-year-old man from Mahottari and a 26-year-old man from Kavre. 6:22 Pm: West Bengal govt gives nod for 105 special trains to bring back migrant from 16 states West Bengal government has given nod for 105 special trains to bring back migrant workers and others from 16 states. Railways Board has been informed in this regard, says Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay. State government will bear travel expenses of the people travelling by these trains, he said. "105 fresh cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the last 24 hours in West Bengal, taking the total number of cases to 2576 including 892 recoveries. Seven people succumbed to the infection in the last 24 hours," he added. 6:18 PM: Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh: 195 fresh cases, 3 deaths recorded in last 24 hours As many as 195 fresh cases of COVID-19 and 3 deaths reported in Uttar Pradesh in the last 24 hours, taking total number of cases to 4,140 and death toll to 95. There are 1,718 active cases in the state: Uttar Pradesh Health Department. 6:14 PM: IIT Kanpur-backed firm to launch AI-powered coronavirus disinfectant chamber Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur-backed start-up CuproHealthTech is in the final stage of launching an AI-powered coronavirus disinfectant chamber. 6:07 PM: Coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh: Total active cases of COVID-19 stand at 35 There are 35 active cases of COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh now. 35 have recovered while 3 have succumbed to the infection till date, says state health department. 6:00 PM: Suspension of Delhi High Court, subordinate courts extended till May 23 Delhi High Court extends the suspension of functioning of the High Court and subordinate courts till May 23. 5:52 PM: Coronavirus in Karnataka: 36 new COVID-19 positive cases reported today 36 fresh coronavirus positive cases reported in Karnataka today, taking the total number of cases in the state rises to 1,092 - including 496 discharged and 36 deaths: Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka. 5:45 PM: 5 CRPF jawan test positive for coronavirus in Delhi As many as five CRPF jawans tested positve for Covid-19 on Saturday. With this, the total number of Covid-19 cases among CRPF jawans has reached 285. 5:40 pm: FDI limit in defence manufacturing under automatic route raised to 74% Commenting on FM Sitharaman announcement to increase FDI limit in defence manufacturing under automatic route, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said this move will go a long way in unshackling economy in many ways. Corporatisation of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has been topmost priority of Govt. Corporatisation will improve efficiency of our Ordnance supplies and factories. 4.32 pm: Tamil Nadu lockdown news: Transported 54,473 migrant labourers to their home states in 43 states, says state govt Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi.K. Palaniswami said on Saturday that the state has sent back as many as 55,473 migrant workers to their home states in 43 trains between March 6 and March 15. He urged the migrant labourers to not leave on their own, assuring them that the state government will take care of all their travel expenditures. 4.26 pm: Coronavirus updates from Uttar Pradesh Congress seeks permission from UP government to run 1,000 buses to ferry migrants to their home states. Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wrote a letter to state CM Yogi Adityanath in this regard. 4.18 pm: Coronavirus global updates: Chinese company donates 1 million masks to India, other South Asian countries Chinese heavy equipment manufacturing company Sany Group has donated 1 million masks to India and other South Asian countries in order to help and support the nations in their fight against COVID-19 pandemic. 4.09 pm: Uttar Pradesh's coronavirus tally jumps to 4,140 The total count of COVID-19 positive cases in UP stand at 4,140 so far, while 95 people have died due to the virus, as of date, said Principal Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad. 3.59 pm: Himachal Pradesh coronavirus cases A 36-year-old man tested COVID-19 positive in the state on Saturday. With this the total count of coronavirus cases in Himachal Pradesh now stand at 77, said Nipun Jindal, Special Secretary (Health). 3.55 pm: BSF coronavirus update The Border Security Force (BSF) recorded 16 COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. It registered 98 coronavirus positive cases since Friday, including 42 from Jodhpur, 31 from Tripura, and 25 from Delhi. The total count of recoveries in the force stands at 135 as of date. 3.49 pm: Uttarakhand coronavirus cases 6 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported in Uttarakhand on Saturday, taking the state's tally to 88, while 51 coronavirus patients have recovered so far and 1 COVID-19 death has been reported in the state. 3.39 pm: Tamil Nadu lockdown latest updates A 'Shramik Special' train carrying 1,389 people including migrant workers and students departed Tuticorin Railway Station for Muzaffarpur in Bihar on Saturday. Tamil Nadu: A 'Shramik Special' train carrying 1389 people including migrant workers & students departs Tuticorin Railway Station for Muzaffarpur in Bihar. pic.twitter.com/b6atzfxFiz - ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2020 3.29 pm: West Bengal coronavirus lockdown updates West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter on Saturday to announce that her government will bear the entire cost of movement for migrant workers by special trains from other states to West Bengal. She added that no migrant will be charged anything for the same. Saluting the toil faced by our migrant breathen, I am pleased to announce the decision of GoWB to bear the entire cost of movement for our migrant workers by special trains from other states to West Bengal. No migrant will be charged. Letter to Rly Board attached. pic.twitter.com/6bdxn7fwB8 - Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 16, 2020 3.19 pm: Coronavirus outbreak: 1.4 million stranded people sent back to their home state so far, says Railways Ministry Railways Ministry said on Saturday that it transported back around 1.4 million stranded people to their home states till midnight of May 15. It added that it operated 1,074 Sharmik Special trains across India adding that during the last 3 days, over 2 lakh people have been transported per day. 3.10 pm: Lockdown 4.0 extension: Govt may allow select economic activities across states and UTs, guidelines likely soon The central government is expected to give further relaxation in lockdown curbs to facilitate economic activities but with stricter curbs in containment zones. According to sources, the government may give greater flexibility to states and Union Territories as India prepares to learn to live with coronavirus. The whole lockdown will not be completely withdrawn but will in phases. The source added that during lockdown 4.0, schools, colleges, malls and cinema halls will not be permitted to open anywhere in India, however, salons, spas, and barber shops could be allowed to operate even in red zones, except in areas identified as containment zones. Presently, they are permitted to operate in orange and green zones. 2.58 pm: Punjab lockdown latest updates A 'Shramik Special' train with over 1200 migrant workers on board departs Amritsar Railway Station for Basti in Uttar Pradesh. Punjab: A 'Shramik Special' train with over 1200 migrant workers on board departs Amritsar Railway Station for Basti in Uttar Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/gTM7XpbabH - ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2020 2.49 pm: Rajasthan coronavirus cases: 86 more infected in the state Rajasthan recorded 86 fresh COVID-19 cases till 2 pm. The total count of coronavirus positive cases in the state have jumped to 4,924 including 2,014 active cases, 2,480 discharged and 125 deaths, said the state health department. (ANI reports) 2.39 pm: PM Modi thanks Donald Trump Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter on Saturday to thank US President Donald Trump after he said that US is sending India more ventilators and is with India in this hour of need. Thank you @POTUS @realDonaldTrump. This pandemic is being fought collectively by all of us. In such times, it's always important for nations to work together and do as much as possible to make our world healthier and free from COVID-19. More power to ???? - ???? friendship! https://t.co/GRrgWFhYzR - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2020 2.27 pm: Delhi coronavirus cases: 438 more infected in 24 hours Delhi reported 438 fresh COVID-19 cases and 6 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total count to 9,333, including 5,278 active cases in the Union Territory, said Delhi health department. 2.17 pm: Coronavirus crisis: US job losses soar Job openings, hirings down over 12% in United States in the wake of coronavirus outbreak and lockdown restrictions in the country. 2.08 pm: Delhi lockdown extension updates: Metro services likely to resume from Monday The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) may resume its train services from Monday amid the easing of lockdown rules post May 17. "Concessions can be made and services can be rolled out as soon as lockdown 4 starts. Services of Delhi Metro can be restored in a limited manner on certain routes following social distancing guidelines," ANI quoted DMRC sources as saying. 1.56 pm: Odisha migrant labourer beaten to death by Surat cops A migrant labourer from Odisha's Ganjam was allegedly beaten to death by Sura Police in Gujarat on Thursday evening as he reportedly flouted social distancing rules amid COVID-19 induced lockdown. 1.42 pm: Guwahati coronavirus cases 2 more people have been tested COVID-19 positive in Guwahati on Saturday, taking the total count of coronavirus cases to 91 in Assam comprising 41 recoveries and 2 deaths, said state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He added that the active cases in the state now stand at 46. 1.35 pm: Coronavirus global updates Total COVID-19 cases worldwide stand at 4.6 million, with death toll over 3,08,000. US deaths near 88,000-mark. Coronavirus cases in Spain at 2,75,000. 1.28 pm: 79 fresh coronavirus cases in Maharashtra police force in 24 hours The total count of cops infected with COVID-19 in Maharashtra Police department stands at 1,140, including 120 officers and 1020 cops. 1.18 pm: Noida coronavirus latest news Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), Greater Noida said that a 65-year-old man who was also suffering from pneumonia, and testes COVID-19 positive, died at the facility on Friday. With this the total count of coronavirus deaths in Gautam Buddha Nagar district stand at 5 now. (ANI) 1.10 pm: Coronavirus India cases live: Check BusinessToday.In tracker to get state-wise tally of COVID-19 cases and deaths 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 graph. 12.59 pm: Karnataka coronavirus cases 23 fresh cases reported in the state on Saturday, taking the total count of coronavirus positive cases to 1,079, including 36 deaths and 494 discharges, said Karnataka health department adding that the active cases in the state stand at 548 now. (ANI report) 12.49 pm: Maharashtra coronavirus latest updates 1,140 cops infected with COVID-19 in the state so far, including 862 active cases, 268 recoveries, and 10 deaths, the Maharashtra Police said. 1,140 police personnel have been infected with #COVID19 across the state till now, including 862 active cases, 268 recovered, and 10 fatalities: Maharashtra Police pic.twitter.com/EKBt86TSAU - ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2020 12.38 pm: Coronavirus cases in armed forces 3 new COVID-19 cases have been reported among CISF personnel in the last 24 hours, taking the total count of coronavirus positive cases among the force, across the country at 118, said CISF. (Inputs from ANI) 12.27 pm: Uttar Pradesh coronavirus cases 159 new cases in 24 hours takes the state's tally to 4,057 including 95 deaths, according to Union Health Ministry. 12.19 pm: Rahul Gadhi begins press briefing on migrant workers Stimulus package should not be in form of loan..needy should get cash in hand, says Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. Govt should not act like money lender: Rahul Gandhi. Govt should reconsider its package, should include direct cash transfer, 200 days of MNREGA job, says Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. It is being said that if we increase deficit then rating agencies will degrade our economy. I want to tell PM Modi that it's the people who make this country. Don't bother about rating. Once these people start working, ratings will be up again: Rahul Gandhi. 12.13 pm: Dharavi coronavirus cases Dharavi which is Asia's largest slum and one of the worst-hit in Mumbai has recorded 1,145 cases and 53 deaths so far. 12.07 pm: Delhi coronavirus cases Delhi recorded 425 fresh COVID-19 cases and 8 deaths in the last 24 hours taking the total count of confirmed cases in the Union Territory to 8,895 including 123 deaths, according to Union Health Ministry. 11.58 am: Andhra Pradesh coronavirus cases Andhra Pradesh recorded 48 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total count of positive cases in the state to 2,205, including 803 active cases, 1,352 cured/discharged and 49 deaths, said Andhra Pradesh's COVID-19 control room. (ANI report) 11.45 am: Auraiya road accident: PM Modi mourns death of 24 migrant workers Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express his condolences over the tragic death of migrant workers in Auraiya truck mishap. According to a PTI report, as many as 24 migrant workers died and 15 injured when a trailer truck carrying them collided with another truck early morning on Saturday. ????? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ???? ???????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ????? ???? ????? ??? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ????? ??? ???? ?? ????? ?? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ??????? ????? ???? ???, ??? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ????? ???? ???? - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2020 11.30 am: Rajasthan coronavirus cases Rajasthan recorded 91 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday till 9 am, taking the total count to 4,838 in the state. Out of this 1,941 cases are active, while the death toll stands at 125 in the state, Rajasthan health department said. 91 fresh cases of #Coronavirus have been reported in Rajasthan today till 9 am, taking total number of cases to 4838 out of which 1941 cases are active. Number of fatalities due to the disease stands at 125: Rajasthan Health Department pic.twitter.com/8PUs7bQR5M - ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2020 11.15 am: Mumbai recording more coronavirus cases per day than New York now Mumbai which is the worst-hit city in India has been recording more new COVID-19 cases than New York since May 19. New York is the worst-affected city in the world with over 1.8 lakh cases. Mumbai recorded 800 new cases on Wednesday, higher than New York which recorded 571 new cases on the same day. 11.00 am: Uttar Pradesh coronavirus updates Work for National Population Register (NPR) 2021 postponed in Uttar Pradesh in view of COVID-19 pandemic. (ANI) 10.49 am: Coronavirus lockdown latest updates A special train carrying passengers from Mumbai arrived at New Delhi railway station on Saturday. All passengers were screened after they reached the railway station, as per guidelines by the government. A special train,carrying passengers from Mumbai arrived at New Delhi railway station today. All passengers were screened after they reached the railway station, as per guidelines by the government. pic.twitter.com/6e95ROBDOL - ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2020 10.35 am: Lockdown 4.0 extension: MHA likely to announce guidelines today The Union Home Ministry is likely to announce the guidelines for lockdown 4.0 as the country gets ready for a staggered exit in the wake of coronavirus induced curfew across the country. The states are likely to relax lockdown rules as they prepare for the phased exit from the countrywide lockdown which started during the third extension and will further be eased post May 17. 10.28 am: FM Nirmala Sitharaman's 4th press briefing today Finance Nirmala Sitharaman will address her fourth presser at 4 pm on Saturday at Delhi's National Media centre. She is likely to announce measures for the hospitality sector out of the Rs 20 lakh crore special economic stimulus package announced by PM Modi on Tuesday. 10.17 am: Delhi lockdown updates A special train with passengers from Patna arrived at New Delhi railway station on Saturday. All passengers were screened after they reached the railway station, as per guidelines by the government. A passenger says, "I am very happy. Train was properly sanitised and we maintained social distance" A special train,carrying passengers from Patna arrived at New Delhi railway station today.All passengers were screened after they reached the railway station, as per guidelines by govt. A passenger says,"I am very happy. Train was properly sanitized&we maintained social distance" pic.twitter.com/MerLAh1gOA - ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2020 10.04 am: Odisha coronavirus cases Odisha recorded 65 fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday, taking the total count of positive cases in the state to 737, till 9 am on Saturday, the state health department said adding that active cases in Odisha stand at 568, with 166 recoveries and 3 deaths. (Inputs from ANI) 9.55 am: Coronavirus cases in Maharashtra Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in India with 1,576 new cases and 49 deaths in the last 24 hours taking the total count of confirmed cases in the state to 29,100 along with 1,068 deaths, according to Union Health Ministry. 9.45 am: Uttar Pradesh coronavirus cases past 4,000 Uttar Pradesh reported 159 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours taking the state's total count of coronavirus cases to 4,057. 123 recoveries were registered on Friday. Agra recorded a maximum of 794 cases, followed by Kanpur with 312 cases, 295 in Meerut, 276 in Lucknow, 253 in Noida and 209 in Sharanpur, according to UP health department. 9.35 am: Hyderabad accident: 1 migrant dead, 20 injured in truck accident 1 person passed away and at least 20 were injured after a truck ferrying migrants form Hyderabad to UP's Gorakhpur met with an accident on NH-44. 9.25 am: Coronavirus cases in India in 24 hours India recorded 3,970 new cases, and 103 deaths in the last 24 hours taking the total count of confirmed coronavirus cases to 85,940 in the country. 9.15 am: India surpasses China's coronavirus tally with cases nearing 86,000 India's total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases jumped to 85,940 on Saturday, according to the lastest update by the Union Health Ministry. The tally includes 53,035 active cases, 30,152 recoveries, 1 migrated, and 2,752 deaths in the country. 9.00 am: UP road accident Mohit Agarwal, Inspector General (IG), Kanpur inspects the spot of accident in which 24 labourers were killed, after two trucks collided with each other. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed IG Kanpur to submit a report on the cause of the accident immediately. Auraiya: Mohit Agarwal, Inspector General (IG), Kanpur inspects the spot of accident in which 24 labourers were killed, after two trucks collided with each other. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed IG Kanpur to submit a report on the cause of the accident immediately. pic.twitter.com/Dl8apzzNdU - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 16, 2020 8.45 am: Coronavirus live updates The 2nd special passenger train from Bengaluru, Karnataka to Delhi arrived at New Delhi railway station today morning. Anil Thakur a passenger says, "I faced no problems during the journey. I thank the government for running special trains for us". The 2nd special passenger train from Bengaluru, Karnataka to Delhi arrived at New Delhi railway station today morning. Anil Thakur a passenger says, "I faced no problems during the journey. I thank the government for running special trains for us". pic.twitter.com/AzAzCWurMq - ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2020 8.30 am: Coronavirus India cases live: Check BusinessToday.In tracker to get state-wise tally of COVID-19 cases and deaths 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 graph. MOSCOW - Spring wildfires across Siberia have Russian authorities on alert for a potentially devastating summer season of blazes after an unusually warm and dry winter in one of the world's climate-change hot spots. Some of the April fires in eastern Russia have already dwarfed the infernos at this time last year, which ultimately roared through 7 million acres in total - more than the size of Maryland - and sent smoke drifting as far as the United States and Canada. Siberia also is among the areas of the world showing the greatest temperature spikes attributed to climate change. This year, the average temperatures since January are running at least 5.4 degrees (3 Celsius) above the long-term average, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month, Russian Natural Resources Minister Dmitry Kobylkin said "this year's summer [in Russia] may be one of the abnormally hottest in history, or if not the most abnormally" hot. Warming trends in Siberia are melting permafrost, which releases vast amounts of planet-warming greenhouse gases. The massive blazes in the summer also potentially accelerate global warming. Russia's emergency situations minister, Yevgeny Zinichev, described the recent fire situation in Siberia as "critical." In Krasnoyarsk, about 2,500 miles east of Moscow, recent fires were 10 times larger than this time last year, he said. Farther to the east, in the Transbaikal Territory, the fires were three times larger. Wildfires are an annual spring and summer occurrence in Russia - nearly half of the vast country is covered in forest. But last year, the burn zones grew so large that Russian military aircraft were dispatched to battle the blazes in August. This year, the coronavirus, which has infected more than 260,000 people in Russia and devastated the economy, could further complicate the country's response. "We expect that there could be catastrophic fires in Siberia," said Greenpeace's Alexey Yaroshenko, adding that the wildfire peak isn't expected until July or August. "It could be especially bad. We expect that this year will be a hot year, so we will have a lot." Sergei Anoprienko, head of the federal forest agency, said during an online news conference Friday that by mid-April "the number and area of forest fires exceeded the figures of the same period last year." At the moment, the fires have been stabilized, Anoprienko said. He pointed to the country's coronavirus lockdown as partly to blame, saying that some people who were supposed to be self-isolating "went out and violated fire safety rules in the forest and adjacent areas." This year's fires appeared right after the snow melted in parts of the Siberian Arctic. London School of Economics geographer Thomas Smith speculated in a Twitter thread that the fires might have been smoldering throughout the winter - what he referred to as "zombies." Although the fires were more widespread in April this year, the federal forest agency said that, through May 8, roughly 1.5 million acres across Russia have burned - less than the 1.9 million acres through the same date last year. The agency credited a faster response to the blazes. Alexander Deyev could smell the telltale burning late last month outside of his home in Irkutsk, a Siberian region along Lake Baikal and just north of the Mongolian border. He founded a local group to pick berries, mushrooms and herbs from the surrounding forest. He is worried the flames will keep him from collecting precious birch sap - a Russian delicacy - during the one week in the year it can be extracted. Andrey Borodin, a volunteer firefighter in nearby Buryatia, said the area experienced an increase in grass fires this spring - troubling because those spread faster, he said. The vast majority were caused by people. "It might be one of the indirect effects of coronavirus," Borodin said. "Because people are in self-isolation and don't go to work, they have more time to go out, especially people in the villages near forests and fields. And they can cause fires - maybe with a barbecue or something else." Many Russians flocked to their country homes, or dachas, during a six-week national "nonworking" period intended to stunt the coronavirus's spread. Another ripple effect of the pandemic: Borodin said volunteer firefighters who would typically go out in groups of seven or eight have been told to work in pairs or trios to follow social distancing guidelines. There are financial consequences, too. Alexander Osipov, the governor of the Transbaikal Territory, said that, unlike last year, there would be no compensation to uninsured victims of fires because "due to the coronavirus and the shock of oil prices, the budget revenue of both Russia and the Transbaikal region fell dramatically," according to Chita.ru. "This year the situation is very complicated, and we have absolutely no time to deal with fires in addition to the virus," Osipov said last month. - - - The Washington Post's Andrew Freedman in Washington and Natalia Abbakumova in Moscow contributed to this report. The company was never supposed to succeed. Even its founder gave it odds few gamblers would take - 1 in 10. But Elon Musk decided to go all in anyway, investing some $100 million of his own money, over the protests of his friends, family and the basic logic that said a private entrepreneur with no experience in spaceflight shouldn't start a rocket company. The result - Space Exploration Technologies - has become one of the most improbable stories in the history of American enterprise, a combination of disruption, failure and triumph that has transformed it from a spunky start-up to an industry powerhouse with some 7,000 employees. Now, SpaceX, as it's commonly known, faces the most significant test since it was founded in 2002. On May 27, the California-based company is scheduled to launch two veteran NASA astronauts, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, to the International Space Station from the same launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center that hoisted the crew of Apollo 11 to the moon. If all goes according to plan, the mission would herald a monumental moment in human space exploration: the first launch by a private company of people into orbit. The two astronauts will be lifted to the space station by a booster and spacecraft owned and operated by SpaceX, marking the end of the era where only government-owned spacecraft achieved such heights and adding another major step in the privatization of space. It also would become a victory for SpaceX over rival Boeing, the other company working to fly NASA's astronauts to the space station, which has stumbled badly along the way. If, however, SpaceX's mission fails, it would be a tragic setback that would derail NASA's plan to restore human spaceflight from American soil and fuel criticism that the space agency never should have outsourced such a sacred mission to the private sector. The flight - the first of NASA astronauts from the United States since the space shuttle was retired nearly a decade ago - is the culmination of years of work by SpaceX and NASA to end America's reliance on Russia to fly astronauts to the space station. Without a way to get astronauts to orbit, NASA has had to rely on the Russians to get to space - a fact that has embarrassed the agency but could soon come to an end if SpaceX is successful. To get to this point, SpaceX and NASA have formed an odd-couple pairing of a 62-year-old government bureaucracy and a scrappy company still in its teens that has embraced failure as a learning tool. It has, at times, been a strained relationship - especially since SpaceX has had two of its Falcon 9 rockets blow up, one during a mission in 2015 to take cargo to the space station, another a year later while it was fueling on the launchpad ahead of an engine test to launch a commercial satellite. Then, last year, the same Dragon spacecraft that would fly astronauts to the station exploded during a test of its abort engines. But now, as they prepare to launch astronauts together for the first time, both NASA and SpaceX say the past failures have been investigated and remedied. Last year, SpaceX successfully completed a test mission of its Dragon spacecraft without crews to the space station. Earlier this year, it performed what NASA said was a flawless test of the abort system in flight that would carry astronauts to safety in the event of an emergency - a feature the space shuttle did not have. Both SpaceX and NASA say that after years of hard work and testing, they are nearly ready to fly. The teams are proceeding with a "launch readiness review" on Thursday, an indication they feel confident with the date, though any number of problems - bad weather, last-minute mechanical glitches - could delay the launch. SpaceX and NASA "are diligently working on getting the vehicles ready," Kathy Lueders, the manager for NASA's commercial crew program, said during a recent news conference. She said the teams were "going through all the reviews and making sure that we are ready for this important mission to safely fly. . . . This is a humbling job. I think we're up to it." Even under ideal circumstances, launching astronauts is a dangerous and risky endeavor, but SpaceX and NASA now are doing it during the coronavirus pandemic, adding another degree of difficulty to a mission with no room for error. At least half of SpaceX's engineers are working from home, said Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX's president and chief operating officer. Those that do come to the factory are keeping their distance, she said. And NASA officials have urged all but essential personnel to stay home for the mission. For a rocket launch to go off successfully, "a million things have to go right," Shotwell likes to say. "And only one thing has to go wrong to have a particularly bad day." Everyone at SpaceX knows the stakes, she said during the recent news conference. "As far as my team goes, they don't need to be reminded about the criticality of the work that every person is doing for this mission," she said. As for herself, she held her hand up just under her chin and said: "My heart is sitting right here. And I think it's going to stay there until we get Bob and Doug back safely." A decade ago, it would have been unthinkable that NASA, chastened by the Challenger and Columbia space shuttle disasters that led to the deaths of 14 crew members, would entrust the lives of its astronauts to a private space company, especially one as green as SpaceX. The company nearly died in infancy, after three consecutive launches that failed to reach orbit drained Musk's bank account and put the company on a path to bankruptcy. It emerged triumphant after its fourth launch successfully delivered a dummy satellite to orbit in 2008 and was rescued by NASA, which awarded it a $1.6 billion contract to fly cargo and supplies to the space station a few months later. Musk, overcome, changed a log-in password to "ilovenasa." Then Musk took on Boeing and Lockheed Martin's decade-long monopoly on Pentagon launch contracts. It sued the Air Force - the very customer it was trying to court - and eventually reached a settlement that allowed it to compete for launches worth hundreds of millions of dollars. It eventually succeeded in its quest to build reusable rockets, long considered the holy grail of spaceflight that in many ways illustrates the company's struggle - a near-impossible goal, a string of failures and then an improbable success. SpaceX also benefited from good timing. In 2010, President Barack Obama canceled the Constellation program, NASA's plan to build a new fleet of rockets and spacecraft to fly astronauts to the space station and beyond. The program was way over budget and years behind schedule. The space shuttle program was near its end. And so NASA looked to the private sector to fly its astronauts - a decision that many found premature at best, reckless at worst. "One day it will be like commercial airline travel, just not yet," former NASA administrator Mike Griffin said at the time. "It's like 1920. Lindbergh hasn't flown the Atlantic, and they're trying to sell 747s to Pan Am." Former NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman went to work at SpaceX in the midst of that turmoil and found the perceptions of the company to be way off. "There was a popular perception that these were a bunch of people who didn't really know what they were doing," he recalled in a recent interview. "It wasn't just a bunch of surfer dudes in a garage living in their parents' basement and building rockets. It was a real impressive, large-scale operation." Since its founding, SpaceX has helped spark a renewed interest in space, and has led a growing commercial space industry that includes Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic. (Bezos owns The Washington Post.) In late 2018, Virgin Galactic sent a pair of test pilots to an altitude of just over 50 miles, past where the Federal Aviation Administration says space begins. It was a straight up-and-down trip that didn't reach orbit, but it was the first human space launch from U.S. soil since the end of the shuttle era. Having developed a company that hopes to routinely fly tourists to space and back, Branson knows how difficult such a venture is. To get to this point, Virgin Galactic had to overcome a failure during a test flight of its SpaceShipTwo spacecraft in 2014 that killed one of the pilots. "I have a huge amount of respect for what Elon and the SpaceX team have achieved in such a short period of time," he said in a recent statement to The Post. "My respect is magnified because I know something of the enormous challenges involved in reinventing human spaceflight for the 21st century, but also the unparalleled satisfaction that comes with each successful milestone. While the setbacks are plentiful and painful, the breakthroughs are already transforming our relationship with the cosmos." Mark Cuban, one of the hosts of "Shark Tank," the reality television show where start-up companies pitch a panel of investors, said in an email to The Post that he gives Musk "a ton of credit. It's easy to dream. It's hard to do. He did both." The relationship with NASA has, at times, been strained. In 2018, senior leaders at NASA were incensed when Musk took a hit of marijuana on a show streamed on the Internet, and ordered a safety review of the company. Boeing was also supposed to be subject to a similar review, but initially got a pass. (After the company's first flight of its Starliner spacecraft without crews went awry late last year, NASA said it would, in fact, conduct a full probe of the company's safety culture.) Last October, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine, a former Republican congressman from Oklahoma who was appointed to his job by President Trump in 2017, also was upset at Musk for focusing too much on his next-generation Starship spacecraft as it was preparing to fly NASA astronauts. Bridenstine chastised him on Twitter, writing that NASA "expects to see the same level of enthusiasm focused on the investments of the American taxpayer. It's time to deliver." Afterward, Musk gave Bridenstine a tour of SpaceX's headquarters and allayed his concerns. "I think probably a couple of weeks ago we were not on the same page," Bridenstine said at the time. "But now we are, 100 percent." SpaceX has always ruffled feathers, especially among traditionalists in the industry, who derided its public failures as signs that it was reckless. SpaceX, however, sees them as growing pains to be overcome. "If there's a test program and nothing happens in that test program, I would say it's insufficiently rigorous," Musk said last year. "If there hasn't been hardware that's blown up on a test stand, I don't think you've tested it hard enough. You've got to push the envelope." One of Musk's goals was to alter the economics of spaceflight by changing the way rockets operated. Traditionally, the first stages, or boosters, were ditched into the ocean after liftoff, never to be used again. That, Musk thought, was a waste that made spaceflight prohibitively expensive. How could an industry be sustainable if it kept throwing away the most expensive part of the rocket after a single use? So he started trying to fly his boosters back to Earth. The effort prompted SpaceX to invent entirely new rocket components and hardware - expanding not just technical capabilities but adding to the vocabulary of space as well. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets were outfitted with "grid fins," heat-resistant wings that helped steer the 230-foot-tall booster through the atmosphere. It had a quartet of landing legs that would unfurl just before touching down on an autonomous platform, 300 feet long by 170 feet wide, that the company called a "droneship." And when the rockets crashed, Musk dubbed the fireballs not explosions but "rapid unscheduled disassemblies." At first, there were a fair number of them, a parade of fireballs, one after the other. In 2014, a rocket hovered over the ocean, then tipped over and scattered debris across the water's surface. In early 2015, one slammed into the droneship - "close but no cigar" Musk tweeted at the time. A few months later, another crashed and burned. The company eventually released a blooper reel of its rockets blowing up, with a caption for one crash that read, "Well, technically, it did land ... just not in one piece." To some in the space industry, the embrace of failure was refreshing. When NASA veterans visited Reisman at SpaceX, he said they'd tell him "this place reminds me a lot of what NASA was like during Apollo. So it was kind of like it was almost like taking NASA back to its roots." Then, in December 2015, another Falcon 9 landed just as an ominous thunder cascaded over Cape Canaveral. Another explosion, Musk thought. But this time, when the smoke cleared, there was no fire. Just a rocket standing triumphantly on a landing pad on the Cape. The sound Musk heard was a sonic boom, not a detonation. "You have to learn those hard lessons," Shotwell said. "I think sometimes the aerospace industry shies away from failure in the development phase. It looks bad politically. It's tough. And the media certainly makes a lot of failures. But, candidly, that's the best way to learn - to push your systems to their limit, which includes your people systems and your processes, and learn where you're weak and make things better." By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 15, 2020 | 07:49 PM | FRANKFORT Mayfield will be hosting a COVID-19 testing site beginning next week.During his press conference on Friday, Governor Andy Beshear mentioned Mayfield along with three other cities where new testing sites will open. Richmond, Louisville and Hartford are the other locations, and all will benefit from a state partnership with Kroger. Information on how to register at more than 70 sites throughout the commonwealth can be found at kycovid19.ky.gov (see link below).As of Friday afternoon, Beshear said there were at least 7,444 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 252 of which were newly confirmed. Four new deaths were reported Friday, raising that total to 332.The deaths include a 66-year-old man and a 60-year-old man from Fayette County, an 80-year-old woman from Jefferson County and a 74-year-old man from Campbell County.At least 2,739 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus.As part of the Healthy at Work initiative, the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet will reopen tourism in an effort to generate revenue and boost the state's economy, offering Kentuckians opportunities to explore the commonwealth through in-state travel."The tourism industry has suffered significant loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic," Beshear said. "As the state focuses on rebuilding the economy, reopening tourism plays a significant role in generating revenue, opening business doors and helping more Kentuckians get back to work."Tourism is an $11 billion industry in Kentucky and provides employment to nearly 95,000 Kentuckians. The spread of the novel coronavirus has resulted in a loss of nearly $64 million in tourism tax revenue.Kentucky State resort parks, recreational parks, lodges and cabins will open for normal business hours beginning June 1. Park guests will be required to follow social distancing and public health guidelines. Natural Bridge and Cumberland Falls State Resort Parks will also reopen on June 1.Guests can begin making reservations beginning Tuesday, May 19 at parks.ky.gov.Some parks that were designated to provide temporary housing for low acuity patients will not reopen, yet. They include Lake Barkley State Resort Park and three others: Lake Cumberland State Resort Park, Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park, and Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park.The Kentucky Horse Park, Otter Creek and state park campgrounds will open on June 11 to self-contained campers and RVs in accordance with Beshear's new camping guidelines. Fishing tournaments may resume on June 1 with new guidelines.The Salato Wildlife Education Center will open with limited capacity beginning June 1. Interactive exhibits will remain closed until further notice.Beginning May 22, groups of 10 people or fewer may gather and the state's travel ban will expire. Announcements about other tourism attractions and venues will be made when appropriate.Beshear also announced that Kentucky will award $500,000 in CARES funding to 85 humanities organizations who have suffered program financial losses due to COVID-19. Kentucky Humanities will distribute the grants to museums, libraries and theaters, including the Marshall County Public Library, the River Discovery Center in Paducah, and the Hotel Metropolitan in Paducah.The Healthy at Work website (see link below) now includes guidance for massage therapy and nail salons. Information for cosmetology businesses, hair salons and barbershops, tanning salons, and tattoo parlors guidance is expected soon. Gov. Beshear said the state would also be expanding June 1 reopening guidance to include aquatic centers (which does not include public pools), fishing tournaments and auto/dirt track racing.Beshear announced there would news conferences would not be held on Saturday or Sunday. Instead, he will release a video with case information on Saturday, and Sunday's numbers will be included in Monday's new conference.Watch Beshear's complete update below: On the Net: Earlier this month, Facebook settled a lawsuit that required the company to give $52 million in a settlement to content moderators suffering from mental health issues. In that light, next time when you browse through your Facebook/Instagram feed, take a moment to realise what a miracle it is that the content there tends to be suitable for consumption. When social media platforms reached hundreds of millions of monthly active users (credit to Chamath Palihapitiya for coming up with the metric), they brought a lot of humanitys worst instincts online. Think child sexual abuse, cannibalism, animal cruelty, and violence towards infants. Thanks to easy access to the internet and the cheap affordances of smartphones, all of this is posted to platforms like 8chan, Facebook, and Instagram. There are two significant points of failure here. Firstly, the majority of this content is to be moderated by humans. This leads to a whole host of mental health issues, best documented by Casey Newton from the Verge. In a detailed report on the topic, Newton writes, It is an environment where workers cope by telling dark jokes about committing suicide, then smoke weed during breaks to numb their emotions. In addition, In hope for a dopamine rush amid the misery (people) ..have been found having sex inside stairwells. A significant number of moderators for most platforms are contracted through companies such as Cognizant, Genpact, and Accenture. As standard practice, they are asked to sign non-disclosure agreements asking them not to reveal details about their work to even their families. Moderators going through hundreds of content decisions a day tend to suffer from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They are often in need of a therapist which is not provided or insured. Secondly, it is hard to maintain standards of free speech when platforms operate in more than a hundred countries. Not all countries are democracies, and even in democracies, there are differences in what is acceptable under the free speech umbrella. As a platform, if you maintain American standards of expression, you may be blamed for not adapting well enough to your surroundings. Alternatively, it is hard to build capacity and conform to speech standards in over a hundred languages. As a result, standards of expression is a dynamic process, with guidelines for what is acceptable being constantly updated. On a side tangent, that is partly why a Facebook Supreme Court was constituted. In light of all of this, let us try to make sense of the $52 million settlement because there is a lot of fine print to cover. While the sum is the most significant acknowledgement by Facebook about how damaging content moderation can be for employees, it does not apply to moderators in all countries. Specifically, the lawsuit covers only people who have worked for Facebook through third-party vendors in the United States from 2015 until today, (estimated to be 11,250 people). While the sum itself is significant, I would argue that changes to how content moderation takes places are worth more. Learnings from this settlement should not be limited to the US, but instead, applied globally, starting with India. The reason I emphasise India, is because two forces make content moderation in India a significant pain point. Firstly, India is one of the global capitals for the BPO industry. The critical reasons for that are the massive user base as well as a population that speaks English as a second language. You may think that content moderators generally work from a dingy basement lit by computer screens. However, the reality is that they are based in big corporate buildings in Gurugram. Secondly, going to therapy is taboo in India, even among urban elites. So moderators facing mental health challenges may find it hard to talk about them, and their pleas might even fall on deaf ears at home and in the workplace. According to The Verge, the settlement makes meaningful changes to content moderation tools that may help in mitigating mental health issues caused by the job. And it is these changes Indias content moderation industry should be banking on. Some of these tools include changing videos to black and white and muting audio by default. In addition, the settlement includes increasing availability of mental health professionals to moderators. The latter includes not just counsellors (who are known to be more worried about getting employees back to work instead of caring about their mental health), but also individual and group therapy sessions. You could put a price tag on what it costs to keep platforms clean of harmful content. $52 million is a good starting point (and an underestimation). But the learnings that come out of this experience have the potential to be priceless. Not just in terms of how much money they can potentially save in counselling costs, but in terms of preventing the mental harm that content moderation causes people who undertake it. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Beijing Hands Scientists Top Award for Nuclear Missile It's Never Admitted to Building Sputnik News 20:07 GMT 15.05.2020 The engineers behind a new generation of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) will receive China's top science prize. However, the Ministry of National Defense has never directly admitted that the missile in question, the JL-3, even exists. The JL-3, or "Big Wave," is believed to have been designed for the People's Liberation Army Navy's new Type 096 nuclear submarine and first tested in 2018. The missile has a purported range of 7,450 miles, enabling it to hit the United States if fired from the Chinese coast - much further away than the missile's predecessor, the JL-2, which had a still-impressive 5,000-mile range. Now, the missile's designers have been tapped for the National Award for Excellence in Innovation, given to China's greatest scientific achievers, even though the missile's development is so shrouded in secrecy that Beijing has never actually said it exists, the South China Morning Post reported. However, as the Global Times noted, Beijing has never said the JL-3 doesn't exist, either, which observers have taken as implicit proof that it does. After all, what else could the series of tests observed and reported on, even by the ministry itself, involve? China's National Award for Excellence in Innovation was started up in 2017 and offered to the country's top scientists every three years. In all, some 300 other scientists and teams will receive the prize, including medical experts and scientists who led China's COVID-19 response effort, designers of a new type of space dock and the scientists behind the country's first hypersonic weapon. Nominations are evaluated by industry peers in the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) non-governmental organization, which announced the recipients on Monday. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Patna High court has directed the Patna District Magistrate to provide necessary facilities and services such as food and health care to the people living in orphanages, hostels and doss houses in the state capital. The HC also directed the Patna DM to send responsible officers to visit orphanages, hostels and doss houses to cater to the needs of the people. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice S Kumar passed the direction on Friday on a PIL filed by Parul Prasad, seeking direction for providing help to those living in orphanages, hostels and doss houses in view of the situation arising out of COVID-19 pandemic. The HC said that these orphanages need urgent attention, more so during COVID-19 pandemic. The bench said that We direct the District Magistrate, Patna to ensure that some responsible officer visits these organizations and caters to the requirement, if any, with regard to food and health. The court posted the matter for hearing on May 18 while asking the petitioner to file her supplementary affidavit indicating the manner in which civil society can be engaged in rendering their services in different areas and at different places within the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government and teaching unions have been told they must stop squabbling and agree on a plan to reopen schools. Anne Longfield, the childrens commissioner for England, has urged both parties to agree on a safe, phased return to school, accompanied by rigorous Covid-19 testing of teachers, children and families to ease safety fears among parents. Her comments came as she released data suggesting NHS nurseries that have remained open during the lockdown have not suffered from coronavirus outbreaks. Ms Longfield has urged the sector to aspire for all children to return to school in some form before the summer, and to use school buildings for summer schools and family support over the holidays. She said: We cannot afford to wait for a vaccine, which may never arrive, before children are back in school. Its time to stop squabbling and agree a staggered, safe return that is accompanied by rigorous testing of teachers, children and families. Teachers unions called for more answers from the government on Friday about whether children and staff will be safe if primary schools reopen in England from 1 June, following a meeting with chief scientific advisers. One union leader said the scientific evidence presented at the briefing with the governments chief medical officer and other experts was flimsy at best. Writing in the Daily Mail on Friday, education secretary Gavin Williamson said everyone in the sector had a duty to work together to get children back to school. Of course safety comes first, but we must also be aware of the potential damage to a childs education from not getting them back in the classroom, he wrote. Ms Longfield said: I am disappointed that the debate about when some primary school kids can return has descended into a squabble between government and the teaching unions. All sides need to show a greater will to work together in the interests of children. New research from the childrens commissioner has found that only three out of 57 nurseries attached to NHS hospitals in England have reported a confirmed case of Covid-19 among children. Ms Longfield has warned decisions about returning pupils to school cannot wait until a vaccine is available as school closures will worsen social mobility and damage the mental health of children. Patrick Roach, general secretary of the teaching union NASUWT, told the PA news agency: There has been no squabbling on behalf of the NASUWT. The issue is very clear. We want to see schools reopening as soon as practicable. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, added: We are merely asking the government questions about the scientific basis for its approach in order to ensure that everybody can have confidence that it is safe to return, while at the same time supporting our members in preparing to reopen schools for eligible children from the agreed date. A Department for Education spokesman said: Getting children back to school and nurseries is in their best interests and all those working in education have a duty to work together to do so. However, on Friday doctors warned against sticking to the 1 June target date. The British Medical Association (BMA) said teachers had been right to urge caution, The Guardian reported. In a letter to the National Education Union, the BMA wrote: We cannot risk a second spike or take actions which would increase the spread of this virus, particularly as we see sustained rates of infection across the UK. Additional reporting by Press Association. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Debates over the impact of shut-down orders on churches have produced dramatic flashpoints for religious freedom. Florida arrested megachurch Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne for continuing to hold services despite closure orders. The governor of Kentucky threatened to send state troopers to take down the license plate numbers of anyone who left their homes for an Easter service even if they stayed in their cars with their windows up. These kinds of cases reveal the need for a deeper understanding of religious liberty, that its full expression exists in two types, entailing seemingly contradictory ideas: Liberty is both the freedom from restraint as well as the freedom of restraint. It's become apparent that many churches seek to defend one type of liberty in the quarantine orders, when they really should be holding onto both types. The first type of liberty the one some churches reached for publicly is a legalistic, constitutional, and individualist liberty. Does the First Amendment guarantee the free exercise of religion, including public assembly? Indeed it does. Further, it protects religious bodies from being specifically singled out for limitations. This guarantee serves as an effective and necessary shield when executive orders specifically target churches. So, when the Governor of Kentucky specifically ordered an end to religious services even drive-in services it was appropriately struck down. Likewise, when the Mayor of New York threatened to close religious meetings permanently if they didnt comply, observers recognized such bluster was unconstitutional. Conceiving of liberty only in this legalistic manner, however, could lead churches astray. Some churches stayed open too long, becoming sites for disease spread. A few churches even flaunted their disobedience to general shut-down orders. The individualist approach emphasized the need to assemble, no matter the cost to congregants or the larger community. In so doing, these churches and pastors are partaking in a cultural mindset that emphasizes individual rights above all. This rights-based outlook provides important protections for individuals and groups, but it is insufficient for a holistic witness. Instead, that first view of liberty must be linked with a second positive and moral view of liberty, by which liberty gains robust meaning and becomes the mechanism to serve the common good. It turns out, there are plenty of resources for churches to nurture this second perspective. Indeed, such a viewpoint is rooted in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. The Mosaic Law not only protected individuals from abuse, but it was deeply concerned with the community impact of actions, as when steps had to be taken to stop the spread of leprosy. The Apostle Paul told the Galatians you were called to freedom, but he followed it up with instructions on how to apply that freedom: do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Galatians 5:13-14). And, immediately to the point, Christians can listen to Jesus articulation of the Golden Rule, whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them (Matthew 7:14). Such corporate concerns have featured in preaching through American history. Famously, John Winthrop, in his City on a Hill message, told the settlers to Massachusetts Bay that We must delight in each other; make others conditions our own; rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work, as members of the same body. Thus, the context for practicing liberty was in a corporate setting, working together and caring for others. Similarly, Timothy Dwight of Yale, advised about the Duties of Americans, at the Present Crisis, when America was threatened with war with France in 1798 even though it didnt materialize. Dwight emphasized the type of liberty his hearers should defend, and it was a corporate one that enabled them to fulfill their duties to one another. This care for neighbors has also been evident in other American epidemics. Previous disease periods produced their own church closures. When cholera swept the young republic in the 1830s and 1840s, churches closed to prevent disease spread until it was determined that that disease wasnt spread person-to-person. Again in 1918, in response to the Spanish flu, churches across the country closed their doors for multiple Sundays. All of these closures happened with no long-term detriment to religious liberty protections or public religious expression. In those same epidemics, it was again religious believers who stepped up to serve the immediately sick and the suffering in their communities. And, lets be sure to acknowledge the ways these corporate endeavors are under way today. This was evident when churches took the initiative and moved their services online of their own accord, before any governmental order went out. Pastors and congregations miss their life together and mourn the loss, but they are doing it for the good of all their neighbors especially those who may be most endangered by the disease. In my community, a church the Church of the Highlands organized one of the first COVID-19 testing sites. Many churches are hosting food banks themselves or donating significant amounts to local pantries. Some of the wisest churches are preparing for the long-term impact of this shut-down on bodies, minds, souls, families, and communities. With most of the country shut down due to Corona Virus, we can already see patterns in the way churches have responded to the crisis. The temptation has been to publicly hold to the first sense of religious liberty without emphasizing the second sufficiently. Going forward, churches need to champion and practice both senses of religious liberty. This will prepare them not only for our phased re-openings but for subsequent limited closures that will become necessary. "We are so happy to be able to support our healthcare workers and those in need during this time." -Donna Dedee, President and CEO of Special Touch Bakery Special Touch Bakery announced, in partnership with Pennant Ingredients Inc. and Frontier Food Brokerage, it has produced 6,200 pans of chocolate brownies to donate to both frontline workers and those in need in our communities. We are so happy to be able to support our healthcare workers and those in need during this time, said Donna Dedee, President and CEO of Special Touch Bakery. And we are beyond grateful to have such amazing vendors and partners, who without which we would not be able to accomplish our mission. Special Touch Bakerys team of bakers mixed and baked the brownies comprised of clean-labeled brownie mix donated by Pennant Ingredients, Inc. and eggs and oil donated by Frontier Food Brokerage. All three companies will take part in the distribution of the final baked goods throughout the next two weeks. Our three companies have been working together for a while, and we are excited to be able to use our collective resources to serve those who serve us, said Steve Lail, President of Frontier Food Brokerage. The 6,200 pans of 8 x 8 brownies will be donated to frontline workers at the following locations: Strong Memorial Hospital Rochester General Hospital Unity Hospital Transitional Care Center Edna Tina Nursing Home St. Marys Nursing Home Legacy at Maiden Park Retirement Community Greece Central Schools (given to families that Greece Central Schools is providing food to each day) During this crisis, so many medical professionals are giving their all, said Simon Peel, General Manager at Pennant Ingredients. This donation initiative not only allows us to show our gratitude for their hard work but also allows us to demonstrate the impact a partnership, like the one we have formed, can make in this heightened time of need. In addition to the donation of 6,200 pans of brownies, Chabaso Bakery in partnership with Champlain Valley Milling will be donating 7,000 loaves of Whole Wheat Ciabatta Bread to support the initiative. When the folks at Chabaso Bakery heard about what we were doing, they wanted to get involved, added Lail. Its really remarkable to see so many companies dedicating their time and resources to support those in need. About Special Touch Bakery Special Touch Bakery is a not-for-profit organization that provides skill-building opportunities and meaningful employment to people of all abilities. The bakery proudly provides a wide variety of craft-made, premium pies to wholesale and retail customers across the country. For more information on Special Touch Bakery and its mission, visit specialtouchbakery.org. About Pennant Ingredients Inc. Pennant Ingredients Inc. develops, produces, and distributes a unique range of bakery ingredients to foodservice chains, supermarkets, and industrial manufacturers nationally. About Frontier Food Brokerage Frontier Food Brokerage is the premier bakery sales and marketing organization in the Northeast and growing into the Southeast. They focus on the leading traditional retailers and are building capabilities to serve other fresh departments, including meat, seafood, deli and produce. About Chabaso Bakery Chabaso Bakery is a family-owned bakery located in New Haven, Connecticut, specializing in ciabattas and other better-for-you artisan breads. And then there were the rural settings that made the pollution and daily costs of the city seem absurd, even offensive. Yet all the other places seemed unreal. For better or worse, New York is my reality. Im not the only one. I had a friend who hadnt stepped off Manhattan Island in 30 years. You can have the rest of the world, hed say. If it even exists. Which is a strange thing to say, since historic buildings are torn down in the city at the drop of a developers checkbook. By the age of 30, most native New Yorkers have begun to realize that the city where they grew up doesnt exist anymore, except in their imaginations. But its right there in the individual imagination where the real New York resides. There are as many invisible networks geographical, empathetic, practical as there are people in the city. These networks take patience and cunning to construct, and in a real sense are the city dwellers major achievement, his way of carving out of the chaos a small, personal sense of order. Only with a network can one track down the best physiotherapist or computer repair-person, know where to get real Danish butter or a decent egg-cream. At first it was the anonymity of the city that drew me down from the Bronx, where I grew up, to Manhattan, where I could reinvent myself. I had my Bohemian Period, my Bourgeois Period, the Desert Island Phase, where almost everybody I knew left for the suburbs. But being away from New York for this long makes me aware that the web of human connections that took me decades to construct Rosa and Ivanka, the motherly waitresses at the coffee shop; Ivan the pharmacist, who fills my prescriptions without being asked; Diane, a homeless woman on 96th Street, whose witty stories of urban survival are testimonies to her resilience has kept me warm in what could sometimes be a cold setting. After I left in March, I pored over news accounts of exhausted health care workers and grilled my friends who had stayed behind to get a sense of how New York had changed. I envied the 7 p.m. orchestras of clappers and pot-bangers. I fantasized about taking hikes from one end of a becalmed Manhattan to the other the way I did on Sundays when I was a boy. But Ive also felt guilty. Not about finding a safe shelter as far as I can see, it was the wisest move for all concerned but about having to leave my friends and neighbors. GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALTA.I have spent the better part of the past eight years living in a kind of social isolation with my horses in the great outdoors. Having ridden more than 26,000 kilometres across North, Central and South America, there were stretches where I didnt see or speak to another human being for days. Sometimes over a week at a time. It was a lonely experience that made me miss my family and friends more than I could have ever imagined. Sometimes, with tears running down my sunburned cheeks as I crouched by a dancing fire atop a mountain peak, all I yearned for was a hug. I knew my goal. But some days were hard. These lonely stretches made me realize that life is meant to be shared because sometimes with each stride forward, I took a deeper journey into my mind. Fine for a while. Dangerous if you go too long. Too deep. But I also learned some of the most meaningful lessons of my life. Water is life. Nature is my religion. My horses are an extension of my body and a mirror to my soul. Long riding showed me some of the most beautiful places the Americas have to offer and the people who opened their homes. Farmers, bankers, politicians, drug lords, ranchers; I was welcomed into the homes of over a thousand people who lent me a helping hand without asking for anything back. My time in the saddle also brought me physical pain that some people will never experience in their lifetime. Freezing blizzards, unforgiving droughts, grizzly-infested forests, the war on drugs and devastating fires; I have crossed them all. Yet, I never imagined my biggest challenge would come on the home stretch. And that it would be invisible. The COVID-19 pandemic stopped the world like never before. Borders are closed. Economies are decimated. Tens of thousands of people have died. Everyone has had their plans for 2020 ruined or limited to some degree. And that includes me. Last year, after riding 2,600 kilometres from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Grande Prairie, Alta. (part one of my last Long Ride), I released my horses Mac and Smokey into a beautiful pasture and told them to have a great winter off. These majestic animals, lent to me by master horseman Aaron Stelkia from the Osoyoos Indian Band and Canadian Long Rider Jim McCrae, allowed me to travel a monthly average of 660 kilometres nearly double what I used to cover on my previous rides. Thank you for your hard work boys, Ill see you next year, I said before giving each of my wild horses from the Okanagan Valley a kiss. I returned to Canada. My plan was to start riding the final 800 kilometres I have left to cross in the Americas early this year and arrive in Calgary on July 3 just in time for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. Having ridden out of the Centennial Calgary Stampede Rodeo in 2012 on my first Long Ride, this was supposed to be my Disney ending. That was until April 23 when the rodeo, which has not missed a year since it became an annual event in 1923, was cancelled. As a not-for-profit, we knew that any decision was going to be a larger decision about the community, about everybody that would be affected economically through this process, and it was not a decision that we came by lightly, said Dana Peers, Calgary Stampede president and board chairman, But it is a decision that is the best interest of public health and safety. Peerss words hit me like a horse kick to the gut. Clara Davel, my girlfriend and support driver for this final leg of the journey, and I were in the Great White North, thousands of kilometres away from our homes. (Clara and I met in Patagonia during my second Long Ride from Brazil to Ushuaia, Argentina.) We were quarantining while getting Mac and Smokey back into shape after the long winter. With Canadas borders now closed, returning home was no longer an option. What are we going to do now? Clara asked me after we read the news that the Stampede had been cancelled. I didnt know what to say. I was at a loss for words. I just wanted to wake up from this nightmare. Unsure of what to do next, we continued to ride the horses every day, for exercise, as our departure date for Calgary kept getting pushed further and further into spring. Until finally, on April 30, Premier Jason Kenney announced that Wild Rose Country would begin to lift COVID-19 restrictions as of May 4. We can finally begin to shift our focus from the pain and anxiety of the past few weeks, said Kenney during a press conference to announce Stage One of the provinces reopening strategy. Kenneys announcement was the light we needed to see at the end of the tunnel. It finally allowed us to plan our ride out of Grande Prairie. On May 20, I will saddle up my steeds and begin riding the last stretch of land I have left in the Americas. Due to this virus, I will be following the less populated Highway 40 south to Calgary instead of my original plan to ride down the ranch-lined Highway 22, known as the Cowboy Trail. Thanks to our support vehicle, a 1990 Econoline motorhome lent to us by Rocky and Marie Aitken out of Claresholm, Alta., we are self-sufficient. We carry water, grain and hay for the horses, and food for us. With jerrycans strapped to the back of the motorhome, we can also carry enough gasoline to last us a few weeks or a month. After all, we only travel 30 kilometres a day. One of the first lessons you learn as a young cowboy is that if a horse, a bull or life throws you down into the dirt, you pick up your hat, brush the dust off of your Wranglers and get back on. Quitting is never an option. My ride has served as a beacon of hope for many facing difficult times during these past eight years. I named my bunny after you, Filipe your story gives me the strength I need to keep fighting, said Ellen Cristina, lying in a morphine induced-daze in the Barretos Childrens Cancer Hospital (the state-of-the-art Brazilian facility I raise funds for during my rides), when I visited her this winter. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus, the hospital that treats more than 1.3 million people every year, free of charge, is struggling financially. It runs thanks to the kindness of thousands of donors and since the beginning of the pandemic, donations have dropped by about $2.5 million (Canadian) a month. We need help badly, in order to keep operating and treating our patients with the excellence they deserve, Larissa Mello, a co-ordinator at the hospital, said earlier this month. Now more than ever, I need to finish this ride. I want to help patients like Cristina win this fight by raising much-needed funds for this extraordinary hospital. But most importantly I want to offer hope. Once upon a time, I had 26,800 kilometres to ride. Many called me crazy. Said I wouldnt make it. That I would die trying. That it was impossible. Now, only 800 kilometres separate me from finishing my lifes dream. Becoming only the third person in the world to cross the Americas on horseback. Maybe the biggest lesson I have learned from my time riding is that life is too short to wonder what if. This opportunity we have been granted to breathe and learn and grow can be taken away at the drop of a hat as we are seeing right now. I cant wait to jump into the saddle and live like a saddle tramp one last time. I will ride into Calgary in July, even if no ones waiting. Filipe Masetti Leite is a Brazilian journalist/cowboy/adventurer. His long rides raise funds for the Barretos Childrens Cancer Hospital. He is the best-selling author of Long Ride Home. Read more about: Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian insisted on Saturday that Armenia is not on the brink of a serious health crisis after the daily number of new coronavirus cases registered by authorities hit a new record high. The Ministry of Health said in the morning that 239 people tested positive for the virus in the past day, sharply up from 184 and 142 new infections reported by it on Friday and Thursday respectively. The total number of coronavirus cases thus reached 4,283. The ministry also reported three more fatalities, raising the official death toll from COVID-19 to 55. The number does not include the deaths of 22 other individuals infected with the respiratory disease. The ministry claims that they died primarily as a result of other, pre-existing conditions. Pashinian downplayed the official figures indicating that the spread of the virus in the country of about 3 million may be accelerating after the lifting of virtually all restrictions on peoples movements and business activity imposed by the Armenian government in March. He argued that more than 70 percent of the infected people are showing no symptoms and only a fraction of about 700 COVID-19 patients suffering from pneumonia are in a critical or serious condition. Even if the number of people diagnosed [with the disease] reaches, say, 10,000 but that of people suffering from severe pneumonia is below 1,400, the situation will still be manageable, Pashinian told a news conference. If the number of seriously ill people exceeds 1,400, it will be a problem, he said. But by and large, from the purely healthcare standpoint, I dont consider our existing situation a problem. Like I said at the last cabinet meeting, when we see that we can no longer hospitalize all people in need of treatment thats what will make this crisis more acute for us, added Pashinian. Other than that, the problem is not only and not so much the number of people testing positive [for the virus] as this uncertainty. We dont know how many of these 2,000 patients will see their condition seriously deteriorate. Health Minister Arsen Torosian made a similar point when he spoke to RFE/RLs Armenian service late on Friday. Parallel to the growing cases the number of [infected] citizens suffering from pneumonia is rising, but the number of citizens in a critical or serious condition is relatively stable, which is a good indicator, said Torosian. About 100 COVID-19 patients are currently in such a condition and only 11 of them are connected to lung ventilators, he said. Answering one of the questions sent by journalists online, Pashinian insisted that Armenias coronavirus-related mortality rate is very low by international standards. He also said: If I look at the countrys mortality rates I can see that more people died in April last year [than in April 2020.] Some health experts and critics of the government warn that the number of deaths caused by COVID-19 will rise sharply if the virus continues to spread rapidly in the coming weeks. They say that the governments recent decision to reopen cafes and restaurants and lift its temporary ban on public transport could further increase infection rates. The government also decided this week to make it mandatory for everyone to possess a face mask and glove when walking in the streets and to wear them inside buses and minibuses. Armenians have already been required for the past two weeks to put on masks and gloves before entering shops, banks and other offices. Many of them do not abide by this rule. Pashinian has repeatedly stated that containing the coronavirus epidemic is not only his governments but also ordinary citizens duty. He has urged them to practice physical distancing, not touch their faces with unwashed hands and use only clean tableware. The Armenian authorities issued stay-at-home orders and shut down most nonessential businesses in late March but began easing those restrictions already in mid-April. Critics say that they never properly enforced the lockdown and lifted it too soon. This is why, they claim, many Armenians still do not take the virus seriously. Pashinian warned on May 13 that the government may have to re-impose lockdown restrictions if the epidemic worsens. The prime minister did not mention such a possibility during his latest news conference that lasted for five hours. He declared instead that the government hopes to attract foreign tourists to Armenia already this summer. We hope that flights to Armenia will also resume soon and well see if tourists come here, he said. They may come. Maybe people will start viewing coronavirus like an ordinary flu. The RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Friday submitted a memorandum of demands on examination modes to the Delhi University vice-chancellor here. The DU had on Thursday said it might opt for open book exams in case the situation arising due to the coronavirus outbreak doesnt normalise. The ABVP expresses displeasure with the fact that very less time was given for discussion with stakeholders and only one alternative mode was suggested, the student outfit said in a statement. It recommended extensive dialogues with all stakeholders for a suitable solution. The body suggested that more and more options should be given to students in terms of course to be evaluated, mode of evaluation and questions to be answered. Many students have left the national capital in the mid-semester break without their study materials and so the university must make provision to provide them the resource material soon, it said. Students of final year should be evaluated with conventional methods, if possible, or with innovative feasible options and those of intermediate years should be promoted, the ABVP said. Students should be assessed for only that part of the syllabus which had been completed during classroom teaching, it added. The ABVP demanded that composite evaluation methods like assignments, viva voce, projects, MCQs etc., should be explored. Nicole Kidman appears to have injured herself while isolating at home in Nashville. The actress, 52, was pictured with a large walking cast over her right leg on Friday, after stepping out publicly for the first time in weeks with husband Keith Urban. Fans have since expressed their concern after the image, taken at Keith's drive-in concert for frontline healthcare workers in Tennessee, was shared to Instagram. Is everything okay? Nicole Kidman (left) was pictured by a fan with a large walking cast on her right leg on Friday ahead of husband Keith Urban's (centre) drive-in concert in Tennessee 'Hope you are not in pain. Get well Nicole,' commented one fan. 'What's happened to Nicole's foot?' questioned a second person. 'Nicole, did you hurt your foot dancing to the music? Heal quickly,' added a third admirer of the actress, as fan site Keith Urban Central shared the picture. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Nicole's management for comment. Hidden! Nicole shared her own picture from the gig to Instagram, but cropped out her foot. The actress has been self-isolating from COVID-19 at home with family in Nashville lately 'Hope you are not in pain': The picture caused concern on Instagram after it was first shared by the Stardust Drive-In movie theatre, and then re-posted by many worried fans Nicole shared her own picture from the gig to Instagram, but cropped out her foot. In a possible attempt not to highlight the injury and overshadow Keith's incredible act for frontline workers, she was captured from behind, above the knee. The star wrote: '@KeithUrban just had to play!! Isolating with live music at last nights first #UrbanUnderground drive-in gig for the incredible #frontline workers.' Keith, 52, invited around 200 people from Tennessee's Vanderbilt University Health to join him for a night of music at the Stardust Drive-In movie theatre on Friday. Mystery! Nicole didn't have the boot when she was last seen publicly on April 18, during Keith's home performance on the One World: Together At Home live-stream benefit concert He played on a flatbed truck in front of about 125 cars with two other musicians. 'It's like glorified karaoke,' he told The Associated Press of the set up, that included a band member playing pre-recorded tracks and another guitar and keyboard player. In the wake of the new coronavirus outbreak, Keith hadn't played a live show since February. He said it took him and his promoter Live Nation about a month to plan the surprise drive-in concert, as many more are planned throughout America. 'All the cars are tilted forward so they've all got a great view and you've got this freakin' killer video wall behind the stage,' said Keith. The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on New York City in more ways than one over 15,000 people confirmed dead, nearly 200,000 people testing positive, and an economy shut down for the foreseeable future. But perhaps the most nightmarish realization of that havoc is in the reports of refrigerated trucks parked outside hospitals and funeral homes to store bodies when morgues ran out of space. In one instance, dozens of bodies were left decomposing in trucks outside a Brooklyn funeral home and in another, a refrigerated trailer was used to store bodies outside a Manhattan nursing home where almost 100 residents have died since the pandemic began. Whats never explained in the news stories and viral videos is why, other than more deaths than usual, these bodies have accumulated. Most New Yorkers probably dont even know what happens to ones body after passing away at home or in a hospital. The pandemic has shed light on the existing processes for handling bodies of the deceased in New York City, and forced the city to come up with new measures to handle the surge in deaths over a short period of time. City & State looked into what happens to the bodies of the deceased under normal circumstances, and how that has changed because of the citys severe coronavirus outbreak. Before COVID-19, what happened to bodies of the deceased in New York City? Some of the processes for handling a dead body going from a hospital to morgue to burial, for example depend on the circumstances of a persons death and whether family or friends have made arrangements. When a person is declared dead in a hospital and the next-of-kin have already made arrangements with a funeral home, the body will be picked up directly from the hospital and brought to the funeral home, Michael Lanotte, executive director of the New York State Funeral Directors Association, told City & State. If for some reason that transfer cant happen immediately, or if arrangements arent already made, the body would be kept in the hospitals morgue if they have one, and the funeral director would retrieve the body later from the morgue once the family has hired a funeral home. The body is then brought to the funeral home, where the family or relations of the decedent can meet with the funeral director to make necessary preparations, including embalming, for example. Then, Lanotte said, the body would be brought to either the cemetary or crematory for final disposition meaning the burial, cremation or other disposition of a dead body. What happens when a person has died at home or some place other than a hospital? For the many cases in which someone dies not in a hospital, but at home or elsewhere, the citys emergency responders are usually the first on the scene. If a person does not die in a medical facility, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner the mortuary for New York City is always brought in to do an investigation to determine whether the person died of natural causes. Aja Worthy-Davis, a spokesperson for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, said that depending on the circumstances of death, that investigation might happen at the site of the death, or the body might be brought to a morgue if further investigation is required. The investigators in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner are all nurse practitioners, and they will then sign a death certificate which can happen on-site or later at a city morgue and the family of the deceased would begin making arrangements with a funeral director. If a persons family is not on the site of the death, it falls again to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to reach out to the family of the deceased. Though the office largely deals with criminal cases in which there might have been foul play, they are also the ones who respond when a person has died of natural causes at home or somewhere other than a medical facility. What happens when a decedent has no next-of-kin or a body is unidentified? For cases in which a deceased person has no next-of-kin or a body is unidentified, the remains will typically be put into the custody of the chief medical examiners office. If a next-of-kin cant be identified or the body remains unclaimed or identified, the deceased will be buried on Harts Island. A small island just off the Bronx, Harts Island houses New York Citys public cemetery, where over 1 million people have been buried. If a person is going to be buried on Harts Island, however, it is the city Department of Corrections that manages the burial. Those bodies are transferred via ferry to Harts Island, and bodies are buried in unmarked graves. In early April, images of New Yorkers unclaimed bodies in mass graves on Harts Island were widely distributed online and were considered disturbing by some. How have these processes changed because of the coronavirus crisis? The coronavirus pandemic upended many of the established processes and customs for handling the bodies of the deceased in New York City, largely because of the sheer number of people who have died from the coronavirus in a short span of time. As of May 15, the city reported 20,476 deaths, including 15,422 confirmed dead from the coronavirus, and 5,054 probable deaths. That unprecedented number of deaths over the course of a few months has led funeral homes to experience a backlog, which has, in turn, overwhelmed city and hospital morgues with bodies waiting to be picked up by funeral homes. The end result of that backlog is a desperate need for temporary storage for bodies of the deceased, including refrigerated trucks. In early April, FEMA sent refrigerated trucks to New York City to be delivered to overwhelmed hospitals. Since some of the first reports about the use of refrigerated trucks outside hospitals, when New York City was experiencing the peak of the crisis, more long-term solutions have been devised. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner announced earlier this month that the city has set up a disaster morgue at the 39th Street Pier in Brooklyn, where refrigerated trucks will be stationed permanently at least through the worst of this crisis as storage for dead bodies that funeral homes arent yet able to take in. Its one of four temporary facilities that the office has set up since the pandemic began. The city previously had a 15-day deadline for families to claim bodies of the deceased, but it was lifted because of the extra stresses on the system caused by the pandemic. The deadline existed before the coronavirus pandemic, but Worthy-Davis, the spokeswoman for the chief medical examiners office, told City & State that even before COVID-19, the office usually held on to bodies for longer than two weeks more typically for about a month before starting the process of burial at Harts Island. There are various reasons why it might take a family longer than a few days or weeks to claim the body of a loved one. A few Worthy-Davis mentioned include the need to reach relatives in other states or countries, a need to secure funds to pay for a funeral, or personal conflict within a family. In addition to providing relief to funeral homes, the extra morgue space at the 39th Street Pier will serve as storage for bodies that havent been claimed yet. John DArienzo, a funeral director and president of the Metropolitan Funeral Directors Association, told City & State that the office of the chief medical examiner has also set up a portal that allows funeral directors to know where a particular body is at one time. Meanwhile, the burial of indigent New Yorkers unidentified bodies or those with no next-of-kin who have claimed the bodies is still happening at Harts Island, but at five times the normal rate. For some in this business, the crisis has served as a reminder of just how much families need to have their deceased loved ones cared for with respect. We got swamped and weren't able to offer services at the time, DArienzo, the funeral director, said of the backlog funeral homes were experiencing. Families were so desperate, it just ignited a fire under me to make sure that we're always prepared. YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. More than 40 residents of the Nork nursing home of Yerevan, as well as several staffers have been infected with the novel coronavirus, Armenian healthcare ministers spokesperson Alina Nikoghosyan said. This is of course a very dangerous source for the spread of the disease given the age of the patients and the accompanying chronic diseases. Its already two days the doctors of the St. Gregory the Illuminator hospital are working on the spot to assess and monitor the health condition of the patients. Today their transportation to hospitals will be organized to ensure their further treatment, the spokesperson said. 239 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Armenia in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infected people to 4,283. 125 more patients have recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 1,791. At the moment, the number of active cases is 2,415. So far, 39,005 people have passed testing. 3 more patients, aged 71, 60 and 46, have died. The death toll has risen to 55. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan LATAM Airlines said Friday it would lay off 1,400 employees in South America, blaming a drastic slump in business due to the coronavirus pandemic. "Despite all the efforts we have made to take care of jobs, we are forced to make this difficult decision," said Roberto Alvo, executive director of the Chilean-Brazilian carrier. "The effects of COVID-19 are profound and makes reducing the size of the LATAM group inevitable to protect its sustainability in the medium term," Alvo said in a statement. The jobs will be cut from operations in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, the carrier said. A merger of Chile's LAN and Brazil's TAM, the airline announced last month it was scaling back its operations by 95 percent in response to the global health crisis. LATAM normally flew to 145 destinations in 26 countries, with around 1,400 flights a day. Friday's redundancy plan is in addition to the voluntary retirement program announced last week by the group, which provides for the departure of another 800 people in the six countries where it operates. The global aviation industry has suffered a severe blow from the pandemic, directly affected by border closures and population lockdowns. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has forecast a $15 billion loss in revenue for Latin American airlines this year. On Sunday, Latin America's second largest airline, Colombia's Avianca, filed for bankruptcy in the United States to reorganize its debt "due to the unpredictable impact" of the pandemic. Latin America saw its coronavirus cases pass 300,000 this week, with the death toll at more than 16,000. LATAM Airlines says it will cut 1,400 jobs from operations in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru The Immigration Patrol team in the early hours of April 15 foiled the attempt by a syndicated motor-riding smugglers trying to move the commodity across Ghana's border through unapproved route -'beat' eleven in the Ketu South Municipality. Assistant Inspector, Mr Felix Klu-Adjei, Volta Regional Public Relation Officer of GIS, told the Ghana News Agency that the patrol team encountered the smugglers at about 0100 hours and was suspicious of the movement of two motor riders, who were trying to recce the location for easy operation. He said four motor-riders then emerged from a nearby bush soon after the disappearance of the earlier two with the compressed parcels in an attempt to smuggle the consignment from the Ghana side of the border into Republic of Togo. Mr Klu-Adjei said the team stood their grounds to disallow the illegal movement of the contraband goods, which the smugglers fiercely resisted resulting in threats of death. He said when their resistance was neutralised by quick reinforcement of officers, the smugglers then recoiled, started persuading and eventually attempted to offer money, which was decisively declined. Assistant Inspector Klu-Adjei said the consignment was consequently seized but the smugglers managed to escape with their motorbikes. He said the consignment was in the custody of the Aflao Command for further investigation and subsequent handover to the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB). ---GNA The South East Greenway will take in the red bridge and tunnel near Mount Elliot The South East Greenway connecting New Ross with Waterford is 'on track' to be completed in late 2021; the project being one of only a handful not to have been impacted by the Covid-19 health crisis. A detailed update on the 24km project was provided at the New Ross Municipal District meeting on Thursday, where chartered engineer with consulting civil, structural, mechanical engineering company, Malachy Walsh & Partners, Sean Breen announced that Irish Rail has acceded to a request to abandon the rail line, meaning it will be leased for the coming years. Mr Breen said: 'The abandonment will occur in June. That is very welcome progress and marks a key milestone in the project.' The main trail head for the 14m Greenway will be at Rosbercon, where signage will direct hundreds of thousands of walkers and cyclists into New Ross across O'Hanrahan Bridge. Cyclists and walkers will be enjoying the stunning scenery along the disused railway corridor stretching from Mount Elliott to Ferrybank at Abbey Road in early 2022. Mr Breen said drawings have been completed outlining accommodation works, including agricultural crossings, culverts, while contact is being made with all landowners on the route. Sinead Casey of the council's special projects team said there have been several business queries made regarding opening everything from cafes to bike hire businesses once the greenway opens. She said a public information session, which was due to be held this summer, has been postponed. Virtual meetings have been taking place between Kilkenny Local Partnership, Wexford Local Development and other relevant business bodies. Ms Casey said Wexford Local Development has had several expressions of interest, which they are working on a one-to-one basis. 'We are stepping in, where required, with assistance, so there is some momentum happening.' Plans are at an advanced stage for signage along the route, including animation. To this end Wexford County Council have been linking in with a local partnership group and Kilkenny County Council to develop story ideas for the greenway. Ms Casey said: 'The current situation hasn't stalled us. We are still progressing with the works and with the contract so everything is going ahead at the moment.' She said the lifting of the Covid-19 restrictions, along with the abandonment of the railway line falls neatly into place for the council and a contractor to begin working on removing the railway tracks and sleepers. 'The contractor has been approved and has been recommended for the works. The contractor has previously done work for us on the flood protection works. Everything is progressing very well.' As Wexford County Council don't own the 650m Mount Elliott tunnel - which forms a key part of the Red Bridge route - it will have to be bought by the local authority. 'We are in negotiations to buy the tunnel. Conveyancing is ongoing,' Ms Casey said. Cllr Michael Whelan asked if the council will own the route once it is abandoned by Irish Rail. He also asked if anyone had been appointed to the role of Greenway business development officer, as planned. Cllr Michael Sheehan said he was delighted to see the progress and called for the Local Enterprise Office to row in and support entrepreneurs planning on seizing on the greenway's potential. Cllr Anthony Connick asked who will maintain the route adding that he was delighted to see the greenway project moving forward. Cllr Bridin Murphy asked if the growth of weeds along the route over recent months will delay the project. Ms Casey said: 'Once abandonment takes place it means no railway company can operate with a further statutory process down the line. Irish Rail or CIE will still own the land so we will have a long lease.' She said it was always envisaged that the removal of the railway tracks and sleepers would begin in June. 'It's still on track. We're expecting with the lifting of restrictions and with health guidelines, work can continue. It would be one of the optimum projects in this respect and is on schedule for the end of 2021, which is still the completion date.' She said all of the landowners have been communicated with and there are no significant issues. 'The tunnel is in private hands therefore it's not open to the public at the moment. The greenway will be maintained by the local authority. It hasn't been thrashed out how that will happen.' She said the greenway business development officer hasn't been appointed yet as all recruitment is delayed due to Covid-19, but is planned for June. Ms Casey said the public meeting would be economic development led. 'Wexford Local Development are involved because they have the funding that fits very well in for possible business expansion and development in the area. 'We've had expressions from everything from catering to water based activities, to bike hire and repairs. I can't divulge who [has expressed interest], but it's wide ranging.' She said anyone with a business idea connected with the greenway can still discuss it with the council. Ms Breen said any growth that has occurred over late Spring, early autumn will be pushed down by machine, adding that the removal of sleepers and tracks remains unaffected by Covid-19. 'There is no impact to the program of works. Work will start at the end of this month as from May 18 we have access to these sites so that has dovetailed nicely for us. If restrictions had been in place for a prolonged period it could have had an impact on us.' He said workers will be on site by the beginning of June. 'We don't know how this is going to play out and what further aspects we have to factor into this program but we don't envisage any issues with delay. Cathaoirleach Cllr John Fleming said: 'I think it's great that its on track, if you pardon the pun and that the greenway will gradually evolve.' The office of the prosecutor for an international tribunal in The Hague said in a statement that Kabuga, now 84, had been living under a false identity in Asnieres-sur-Seine north of Paris and had been hiding with the complicity of his children. He was arrested in a sophisticated, coordinated operation with simultaneous searches across a number of locations by French police. One of the most wanted fugitives in Rwanda's 1994 genocide has been arrested in Paris, authorities said Saturday. Felicien Kabuga, who had a USD 5 million bounty on his head, was arrested as a result of a joint investigation with the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals office of the prosecutor, French authorities said. The 84-year-old Kabuga had been wanted in the genocide that killed more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus who tried to protect them. French authorities said he had been living in Paris under an assumed name. The UN's International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda indicted Kabuga in 1997 on charges related to conspiracy to commit genocide, persecution and extermination. Rwandan prosecutors have said financial documents found in the capital, Kigali, after the genocide indicated that Kabuga used his companies to import vast quantities of machetes which were used slaughter people. The wealthy businessman also was accused of establishing the station Radio Television Mille Collines that broadcast vicious propaganda against the ethnic Tutsi, as well as training and equipping the Interahamwe militia that led the killing spree. Kabuga was close to former President Juvenal Habyarimana, whose death when his plane was shot down over Kigali sparked the 100-day genocide. Kabuga's daughter married Habyarimana's son. Kabuga is expected to be transferred to the custody of the U.N. mechanism, where he will stand trial. The arrest of Kabuga today is a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even 26 years after their crimes, the mechanism's chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz said in a statement. He thanked France's Central Office for Combating Crimes Against Humanity, Genocide and War Crimes and the Paris appeals court's prosecutor's office. Officials in Rwanda hailed the arrest and said the East African nation will continue to collaborate with the U.N. mechanism to ensure that justice is served. According to Rwandan prosecutors, other top fugitives still at large include Protais Mpiranya, the former commandant of the Presidential Guards, and former defense minister Augustin Bizimana. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two months into the coronavirus crisis, Michigan residents are stressed out. Anxious. Depressed. Scared. Some lost their jobs and are now struggling to literally put food on the table. Others are still working, but overwhelmed by trying to balance their jobs with homeschooling their children. There are owners of small businesses who have seen revenues evaporate. Senior citizens who live alone and feel cut off from family, friends, their entire social network. People grieving the loss of a family member to COVID-19, with no opportunity to say good-bye, no ability to hold a proper memorial service. Coronavirus isnt just a threat to physical health, experts say. The pandemic has led to a new epidemic involving mental health. The crisis is so new theres not much data on the mental-health implications. But nearly 45% of U.S. adults say their mental health has been negatively impacted by the pandemic, according to a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation. And a federal emergency hotline for people in emotional distress registered a more than 1,000% increase in calls in April 2020 compared to April 2019. Meanwhile, Michigan ranks first among states in recent tweets about depression and anxiety, according to an analysis released by healthtrends.com. Michigan is No. 1 state for tweets ab out depression, anxiety during coronavirus pandemic Im very concerned about the direct effects of the virus and the indirect effects of the shutdown," said Dr. Jeff Guina, chief medical officer at Easterseals Michigan, a behavioral health services provider. Clearly, there is a lot of fear and anxiety, especially related to the unknown about the virus, he said. But I also think that the effects of the shutdown have really led to a lot of isolation and loneliness. Weve seen increases in depression and anxiety. "Theres indications that that suicides and drug and alcohol overdoses are up, although the data on those things that CDC collects are behind. There are lots of reports of police calls related to suicides and overdoses being up, child abuse and domestic violence being up as people are kind of stuck together. And then theres concern about the financial effects," Guina said. "Tens of millions of people now unemployed and studies suggest that every percentage of increase in unemployment can result in thousands of increased suicides and overdoses. Not to mention how job loss contributes to lack of meaning and purpose in ones life, the stress related to not being able to provide for your familys needs and decreased self-esteem. To compound all those issues, he said, the shutdown has really kind of taken away a lot of peoples access to coping skills. If you went to the gym when you got stressed, thats not really an option right now. If you used to go see your friends, thats not an option right now. Going getting away and taking a break may not be as much of an option. Other factors make the current situation even more complicated, say mental-health providers. Many who lost their job also lost their health insurance. Plus, the stay-at-home order makes it much more difficult for people to access in-person mental health care such as seeing a therapist in person, participating in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous or obtaining school-based services. In addition, mental-health providers themselves are undergoing financial strain, the result of cancelled appointments and programs. The nations mental health system has long been under-resourced, and then along comes COVID-19," U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, said in a May 13 media conference call. Now there is a massive increased need for services because of the pandemic, but whats happened is that over 90% of behavoral-health centers across the country have been forced to reduce their operations." U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, who also pon the media call, recalled his experience with community trauma from the Sandy Hook mass shooting, and said he anticipated the same will be true of the coronavirus pandemic on a much larger scale. Were going to have a lot of work ahead of us to put lives and families back together after this crisis is over," particularly in cases where a family member died of COVID-19, he said. There will be ripples of grief that cannot be addressed without serious mental-health resources." All types of stress The COVID crisis has impacted virtually every household and, for many people, almost every aspect of life. What were seeing is themes of stress related to the unknown, said Scott Halstead, vice president of outpatient and recovery services at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services in Grand Rapids. People arent sure when theyre going back to work. Theyre not sure if theres going to be work to go back to, he said. Were seeing a lot of stress with families now home with kids. Thats not something they thought about six months ago, that theyre going to be trying to homeschool kids and try to work from home. Who knew that shared bandwidth during the day was going to be such a challenge for families? Its really, really complex kinds of things, Halstead said. Not to mention the anxiety of, am I going to get sick? Will my loved ones get sick? Increasingly, were see people impacted directly by the virus. Lyndsay Volpe-Bertram, a psychologist for Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, said many of her clients have adjusted to the stay-at-home order and are anxious about going back to work when the virus remains a threat. I have multiple patients who have started to express a lot of concern about what that is going to look like, she said. Theyre worried about getting sick and what their employer will do to keep them safe. Theyre worried about bringing (the virus) home to their family. But shes also seeing the negative impacts of the stay-at-home order, she said, especially among those who were already struggled with loneliness and social isolation before the coronavirus crisis. The isolation has definitely gotten worse, Volpe-Bertram said. The ways to stay connected now, its not just the same as face-to-face connection," and for people with low incomes and less access to technology and Internet, its even more problematic. Were really noticing this is making disparities even worse, she said. Am I going to tell my patient who doesnt have virtual resources that they should do a Zoom session? No. Likewise, she said, her standard advice of telling people to get outdoors and exercise doesnt work for some with physical disabilities. Unfortunately, this is making a lot of those disadvantages even more apparent, she said. The lockdown also is putting stress on marriages and family relationships, said Volpe-Bertram and others. Relationships have a cadence and part of that cadence is typically time apart when family members are at work or school, Volpe-Bertram said. Weve lost that cadence, and we can all get on each others nerves. Ill be curious that the rates for marital therapy will be when all this is said and done, she said. Its not just adults who are suffering, she added. Adolescents in particular are upset and depressed from the loss of their social life. Theres just a lot of loss right now because social connection is so much a teenagers world, Volpe-Bertram said. Just the grief in general is a big theme. Summer plans? Were not doing that anymore. The activities were going to do? Hard to say when well do it. We just dont know. So its kind of like grief without a good conclusion. Clinicians also are worried about spikes in substance abuse, domestic violence and suicides. Just last week, I was reading beer sales are way up in Michigan, Halstead said. Thats great if youre a brewery. Its not so great if youre an alcoholic. All the reasons that people drink are all the stressors we have with COVID: Theyre lonely, theyre anxious, theyre depressed. Guina said he really worries about domestic and child abuse. Some studies say one out of eight children in the United States are physically or sexually abused, and thats when people are out going to work and going to school, he said. Now that everyones stuck together, and theres increased stress and tension, I certainly worry about domestic violence or child abuse increasing. Because the crisis is only about two months old, data on suicides is not yet available, clinicians said. But most experts expect an increase. Hong Kong with the SARS epidemic had a similar experience where they shut things down and had economic problems after that, and they saw suicide rates just skyrocket for a couple years following that," Halstead said. So were really worried about that unless people take steps to prevent suicide. Shift to tele-med But at a time when people need mental-health services more than ever, the coronavirus crisis has made access more challenging. When the coronavirus crisis first struck in mid-March, many people didnt know where to turn for mental-health services and whether they could safety get services" in the midst of a stay-at-home order, said Dr. William Beecroft, medical director for behavioral health at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. What weve tried to do is try to remove the barriers and make it as easy as possible to be able to get services." The biggest shift has been the move to telemedicine, which involves services delivered via video over the Internet. Services such medication reviews, psychiatric evaluations and psychotherapy all can be provided through either audio, visual and or telephonic services," Beecroft said. Weve had a 70% increase in our utilization of telemedicine services. At Easterseals, which has about 300 clinicians in Michigan, we had to rapidly convert to doing almost entirely telehealth services and since being able to do that, weve actually seen a big increase" since the beginning of the crisis, Guina said. I think thats because of increased need but it also speaks to kind of convenience of telehealth. Halstead said that Pine Rest has had the same experience. There are some people who prefer it," particularly because of the convenience of getting therapy without having to leave the house, Halstead said. "But not everybody loves it and there certainly will be people who prefer not to do it, who really want to see somebody face to face. The clinicians who do it are generally finding that its a good tool, he said about telehealth But a number find that you have to work harder to stay engaged, you have to emote more. So even a number of the clinical staff are looking forward to getting back into the office to see people; there are folks who its just better to see in person. Still, Halstead and others say the emphasis on telemedicine likely will be a permanent change in delivery of mental-health services. Weve been doing telehealth for about three years. It was growing but very slowly, Halstead said. But the coronavirus crisis has significantly ramped that up, and I anticipate telehealth could wind up being a significant piece of our business going forward. Other initiatives There have been a number of other initiatives to improve access to care during the coronavirus crisis. Among them: Blue Cross Blue Shield has waived co-pays for behavioral-health services through the end of June, and has created virtual group therapy sessions that members can utilize for free. Spectrum Health is no longer requiring a referral from a primary-care physician to schedule an appointment with a therapist. The federal and state governments have improved reimbursement rates for telehealth services, and Stabenow is part of a coalition of Democratic senators pushing for more federal funding for mental health. The Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan has launched a podcast as a resource to support those struggling with isolation, anxiety, depression and financial uncertainty during the coronavirus crisis. In partnership with Infinity Podcast and the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan, the podcast segment is available on its website, www.benice.org and is available in eight languages. In mid-April, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services created a statewide warmline for residents struggling with mental-health issues. The warmline connects callers individuals with certified peer support specialists, and is operating seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. at 888-733-7753. The project was the brainchild of Pam Werner, a MDHHS employer in the behavior-health division. She was hearing from peer-support specialists who were getting laid off and were worried about their clientele. "A large concern was, We have people who need our help and we cant provide it,' " Werner said. Werner wrote up a proposal for creating the warmline, and got approval in less than a day, she said. The project has involves 22 peer-support specialists, with three to four working each shift. In its first five weeks, the project received more than 3,000 calls. The callers represent a wide range of the population -- from people who have lost family members to COVID, to mothers struggling to homeschool their children, to calls about domestic violence. While the counselors do connect callers with appropriate services and agencies, most people just need an empathetic ear. Fear, loneliness, anxiety, depression -- those are definitely what people mostly call for," Werner said. One caller was a doctors wife struggling because her husband had coronavirus while she handling three kids all on her own. She just needed to talk to someone," Werner said. I talked to a woman whose son was gaming all day, she said. Weve had people calling about trouble getting unemployment, and weve connected them with Michigan Works. We had someone who couldnt get their medication, and so we got her connected to an access center. We get calls where people who need food, and well look up food banks and pantries that people can connect with." A potential silver lining of the COVID crisis may be the spotlight its shining on the importance of mental health and mental-health services, said Werner and others. I think this has made depression and mental health more like a condition such as diabetes or heart disease, Werner said. With so many places stepping up mental health services and teletherapy, Im hoping one of the lasting effects will be that people will seek services and not be afraid." Halstead said that mental-health providers are working hard to publicize the message that help is available for those struggling with mental-health issues right now. It is really important for people to know they can reach out if theyre in a bad place, Halstead said. Its also a vital message going forward, he said, since its likely that the stress associated the coronavirus crisis wont go away anytime soon. There will be ongoing despair and trauma coming from this. That will be the COVID fourth wave, Halstead said . There will be consequences from this for awhile. Resources Below are resources for people needing help. The Headspace website , which provides free, evidence-based guided meditations. It includes at-home workouts that guide people through mindful exercise (a type of meditation in which participants focus on being intensely aware of what they are sensing and feeling in the moment), sleep assistance and childrens content to help address rising stress and anxiety. The resource is free and available to the public through the Stay Home, Stay Well initiative. The National Suicide Prevention hotline, which is available 24/7 at 800-273-8255. The American Red Cross Disaster Distress Helpline, a hotline for anyone in distress during the coronavirus pandemic, is available continuously at 800-985-5990. The statewide Warmline, a phone line for Michigan residents with persistent mental health conditions. It will connect callers with certified peer support specialists who have lived experiences of behavioral health issues, trauma or personal crises, and are trained to support and empower the callers. The warmline operates seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. at 888-PEER-753 (888-733-7753). The states health crisis text line. Texting RESTORE to 741741 will launch a confidential text conversation with a crisis counselor. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help residents coping with any mental health crisis, including anxiety, financial stress, suicidal thoughts and domestic violence. COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces. Read all of MLives coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. Related stories: Michigans mask mandate highlights political fault lines in coronavirus crisis Michigan food assistance payments increased by $68M in March Nearly 900K Michigan students to receive food stamp benefits to battle meal shortages amid coronavirus outbreak Iran's longtime OPEC governor, Hossein Kazempour Ardebili, has died from a brain hemorrhage two weeks after falling into a coma. The Iranian Oil Ministrys Shana news agency reported on May 16 that Ardebili died in a Tehran hospital. He was 68. Ardebili served as Irans governor to the OPEC oil cartel for nearly 20 years, conducting negotiations with other key oil players such as rival Saudi Arabia. Alongside his close ally, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, Ardebili was one of the countrys main strategists in conducting global oil policy. Ardebili had been Irans representative to OPEC since 2013, after previously holding the position from 1995 to 2008. In a career spanning the life of the Islamic Republic, Ardebili also held positions in the 1980s as minister of commerce, deputy foreign minister for the economy, and deputy oil minister for international affairs. From 1990 to 1995 he served as ambassador to Japan. Iran has the world's fourth-biggest oil reserves and second-largest natural-gas reserves. But its economy has been battered by sanctions imposed by the United States since President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018. Washington's imposition of a full line of sanctions in November 2018 targeted key Iranian economic spheres -- including the banking and oil sectors -- and denied the government its main source of revenue while making international trade increasingly difficult. Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (29) Wondering whether its safe to emerge from lockdown? Watching the daily coronavirus case trackers wont help much. A better indication might come from the length of the lines outside the doctors office. To strike the right balance between restarting the economy and guarding against new waves of the pandemic, countries must focus on more than daily infection numbers and death tolls, according to scientists. Thats because these are lagging indicators, showing the viruss trajectory days or even weeks ago. The actual danger level in real time is better seen in more direct indicators. In France, for instance, the country is monitoring increases in the number of calls to doctors hotlines and visits to general practitioners, alongside data like admissions to intensive care. In Germany, theres more focus on the viruss basic reproduction number, or R0, thought to be a leading indicator of sorts. In the U.K., the government has commissioned surveys of people selected at random to gauge more precisely how entrenched the virus might be. Countries need to build up a picture from a range of sources, and some of that is the death data, some of that is the infection data, and then some of that perhaps is survey data, said Graham Cooke, a professor of infectious diseases at Imperial College London, which is working on a government survey of 100,000 people this week. Looking at the number of infections diagnosed as such is quite difficult to interpret on its own. Reported cases are a lagging indicator of the impact of easing restrictions because it can take up to two weeks for symptoms to show. Then, when a patient seeks a test, it can take a few days or more for results to come back, if diagnostics are even available. Confirmed Cases As the U.S. and a number of European countries relax lockdown rules in an attempt to restart their economies, the big question is whether those steps will lead to an unmanageable second wave of Covid-19. The roughly 4.4 million confirmed cases globally -- almost certainly an undercount of actual infections -- suggest only a tiny fraction of the worlds population have so far contracted the disease. The slow rollout of reliable antibody tests, which show who has already had the virus and possibly developed immunity, further clouds the picture. With economies at risk, governments cant afford to wait the many months, or even years, it might take to get a vaccine before allowing more normal life to resume. Because testing is inconsistent and the new coronavirus causes mild symptoms in many people, data for new infections can be misleading, missing places where the virus can keep spreading undetected for weeks. Relying on deaths from Covid-19 is even more problematic since its a lagging indicator: by the time a patient dies, his contact with an infected person goes back several weeks. When it comes to studying mortality, a better option may be to look at excess deaths -- the total number of deaths from all causes and whether it exceeds those reported in prior years. The Independent SAGE group, a panel set up as an alternative to the U.K. governments official Covid-19 advisory group, said this week that the country should zero in on these weekly numbers. They may give a more a meaningful view of the pandemics impact by offering a reliable trend, while coronavirus death statistics can swing from changes in the underlying counting strategies, like the addition of nursing-home deaths in countries that previously didnt include them. Moving Averages Scientists also suggest focusing on multiday moving averages to avoid overreacting to tiny changes in daily tallies. In Germany, for instance, the so-called reproduction rate started creeping up over one again in recent days, just as the country eased its lockdown -- meaning that every infected person was statistically passing it to more than one other person. But scientists advising the German government said individual days couldnt be relied on because of the lag in data, and the rate has since fallen. We just need to look at the graph of daily figures to see the problems with only relying on that data, said Martin McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Moving averages can help smooth out the fluctuations. This is the only way to make sense of what we are seeing. The World Health Organization said Wednesday there are six indications of whether countries have got measures right when easing quarantines. They include the ability to detect, isolate and care for cases, as well as protective measures in workplaces. But even if all the criteria on its list are met, there are no guarantees of success. Its no time for celebration, but time for preparation, WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge said Thursday. We have seen that the strongest health systems can be overwhelmed in a couple of weeks. (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 By IANS NEW DELHI: As the recent lockdown may prove daunting on our physiological and psychological well-being, due to lack of social mingling, outdoor and office routine, many famous celebrities and normal people across the globe are sharing motivational posts on the social media platforms to help people remain positive and inspired during the pandemic. Recently, superstar Shah Rukh Khan had posted a song titled 'Sab Sahi Ho Jaayega' from his Twitter handle, sending out positivity and hope to everyone amid the lockdown. The song was sung by SRK himself. Speaking to IANS on psychological well-being, Samir Parikh, Director, Mental Health & Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Healthcare in New Delhi, said: "Amidst the ongoing global pandemic, there is likely to be an adverse impact on our mental as well as physical health, being cooped up indoors, coupled with the anxieties and uncertainties associated with what is going on, especially related to the future. And such concerns are inevitable, be it financial, professional, or interpersonal." "At such a time, it is indeed helpful if celebrity figures come forward to share their thoughts, and help encourage people to follow the guidelines, stay safe, and yet maintain positivity in their lives," Parikh said. A few days back, veteran Bollywood actor-filmmaker Satish Kaushik released a motivation video on Twitter, in which he was seen singing the song 'When life gives you banana' to motivate people and stay positive during the lockdown."There is despair, sadness, sense of loss everywhere. Should we succumb to this pressure? To answer the question here is a light-hearted, inspiring song, 'When Life Gives U A Banana', Kaushik wrote on the social media platform. Parikh also added that people need to understand this is would pass if we all stay connected and responsible. "They should be motivated by reading about the good deeds of altruism people are doing and contribute their own bit to it. We all need to together become a solution," he added. This lockdown period has led to increased anxiety and depression amongst people. And many people from all over the world uploading motivational videos, songs, poetries, etc., to help those who are facing anxiety and other psychological issues.For example, in a musical video uploaded by a Twitter user, in which a family man can be seen performing daily home tasks and singing "Each day is more like a creepy dream, from a movie scene. All-day at home with family, can't see anyone." From motivational movie dialogues, songs to reading and sharing inspirational quotes on social media, people are doing all possible things to spread positivity among people. "Mentally the toughest week I've had so far in lockdown, but I soon realised how blessed I am to still have all my loved one's here, who are safe and healthy! It was the motivation I needed to keep positive/going Rainbow We will get there in time Orange heart #StaySafeSaveLives," a user tweeted. Gorey couple Lasse and Martina Jensen have come together to create a debut song that honours front line workers during the Covid-19 crisis and both the song and music video have already received praise from thousands across the world. Found on streaming sites like Spotify and YouTube, the heartfelt lyrics to 'A War Against The World' were written by ICU Clinical Instructor Martina, with music and composition by her husband Lasse performed at his studio based at their home in Kilanerin. The vocals are performed by Ben Rodgers which add to the melodic metal sounds and this is the first release from the new project, aptly named Kilanerin, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of the lyrics include 'Stuck in our homes alone, just be strong' and 'Our freedom is taken, we're so close to breaking' focusing on the concept of a battle and contagion, with images in the video including doctors and nurses, people in face masks and other familiar sights. Martina explained that Kilanerin means a lot to them, and as Lasse is originally from Norway, he simply likes the word itself. 'Lasse in the process of setting up a studio at the side of our house, called Lazz music productions. He's a metal head but I love melodies. This is his big solo project and the song is the first he released in Ireland. He tours Norway with a different group, and he's fairly well known in Scandinavian countries. 'I'm always involved in whatever he's doing. I'd read over his lyrics and give my opinion on the music. I'd never have had much to do with music, only from school but he has encouraged me so I record little bits in the studio with him. Martina, who has been working at the Beacon Hospital in Dublin during the crisis, said that the song is very authentic. 'The lyrics meant a lot to me, it wasn't a superficial thing it was really authentic and I can hold my hand up and say that. Lasse came in with the melody and I really loved it instantly. He wanted me to help him write the lyrics and it just came very quickly. I had so much more words written, but we had to cut it down to fit in to the melody. 'A lot of people said the lyrics sounded genuine but they actually were cause I was stuck in myself at the time. At the same time, I was keeping up with all the other ICU nurses who were preparing for the surge capacity, staffing and reading all these articles about Covid-19 so I was overwhelmed with it all. I was seeing the news then about people hoarding toilet rolls and I just thought this was insane. 'Covid-19 has certainly been one of the biggest challenges I've faced so far in my career'. Martina said that the crisis is an important moment in history as well as healthcare. 'This is the first time in my career that I've seen such camaraderie and openness across the board. Even in regard to things like documentation and hospital policy, things that need a lot of leg work and time and resources, everyone is just pulling together and doing it for each other as we're sharing everything. 'Everyone is collaborating so really the best heads in the country are coming together and guiding practise which is something we've never really seen before, as everything is very open across different hospitals and universities. 'It's going to be a new era for healthcare in Ireland because of this level of collaboration, it's a fantastic new thing and long may it last. We have had our first surge, but I know there's another one coming and we're waiting and everyone is ready. 'This will be a historical moment, the same as they teach people about World War I and II, this is going to be pinnacle in peoples' lives'. Martina has had a number of different roles in her career to date but now that she is in a management role, there is an extra level of responsibility. 'Before this role I was a junior manager in the Beacon and I worked in the Mater public ICU before that. I've had different challenges along the way depending on my level of experience and where I was in my career, but certainly having a managerial role, it's tough. I'm only a manager a couple of years in ICU but people look up to you and they're waiting on you to make decisions and lead them and guide them, so it was a tremendous responsibility. 'The minute we got those Covid-19 patients in, even though we're not one of the big dedicated hospitals for Covid-19, we got our fair share. We had to move our ICU into another area for it so from day one, I was in with Covid-19 100% of the time. 'I was in to the knees up and it's very challenging. Not even just for the staff and us as managers, for the relatives. It's really heart breaking. 'It's absolutely so sad to see the patients and you're offering them the ipad all the time to call their son, daughter, whoever. We brought in packets of cards and tried playing cards with them in the room and we've been doing our best but they are very oxygen dependent, very fatigued. It's a really gruesome illness and I think it's something that people need to have great respect for. 'I'm in Gorey town this week on my day off and I see so many people walking around and they are ill-informed in a way. They might be listening to all the media but they really need to listen and take it in. They don't realise the gravity, unless you see someone who is struggling for breath beside you, you just don't realise'. Martina said that a lot of managing the crisis comes down to personal responsibility. 'This teaches us that it's my responsibility to protect you and your responsibility to protect the next person, I think people need to break it down to that rather than I just have to protect myself, because that's how we're going to get through it all. I really hope that people value their neighbour more than the material stuff out of this. 'I see people going around with gloves on them all the time and yeah they aren't getting anything on their hands, but they're spreading it on everything around them. I think everybody has to think for the next person as that's the only way we can help each other'. Collaborative couple Martina and Lasse are hoping for success with the release of the song, and are looking ahead to release an album as part of the musical project named Kilanerin. The aim of the project is to feature a variety of musicians from drums, bass, guitars and piano. To find out more about the project or listen to the song, search 'Kilanerin - A War Against the World' online. After a week's hiatus, saleof alcoholic beverages resumed in non-containment zones of Tamil Nadu on Saturday amid police security except in State capital Chennai and neighbouring Tiruvallur. As part of measures to avoid crowding and ensuresocial distancing, authorities implemented colour-codedtoken system that specified the date and time allotted for the buyers at a designated outlet. To prevent unmanageable crowds witnessed in several places when the shops reopened on May 7 after a 43-day dry spell, the authorities limited the number of tokens per day to 500 and 70 for an hour. The shops are open from 10 am to 5 pm. Adequate police personnel were deployed to regulate crowd and tokens were distributed at separate locations away from the liquor shops and only those who had the coloured slips were allowed to buy beverages at the outlets. Across the state, booze sale is on at a brisk pace as men sporting masks stood in serpentine queues maintaining individual distance in most places. The crowds were moderate as well in several locations in districts including Coimbatore. Several men could be seen standing with umbrellas in districts like Erode, Tirupur and at Madurantakam in Kancheepuram district. The liquor sale is open across the state in non- containment zones and except Chennai and nearby Tiruvallur district which saw huge number of people converging in several outlets when shops reopened on May 7. The shops functioned only for two days (barring Chennai and a string of neighbourhoods under city police control though they fell under Chengelpet, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts) and were shut since May 9 following Madras High Court directives which ordered closure of shops over flouting of guidelines likesocial distancing. At least 34 outlets in nearbyChengelpetdistrict including those in Mamallapuram, Tiruporur, Tirukazhukundram and Vadanemelli that sawhuge crowds on May7 and 8 were also closed today. Additional police personnel were deployed at the exit/entry points to Chennai to prevent people from venturing out of here to neighbouring Kancheepuram district to buy booze. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lawsuit seeks to delay enforcing Noem's new abortion pill ban Planned Parenthood and ACLU of South Dakota are suing Noem and the Department of Health in enforcing a new abortion pill ban. The Bombay High Court directed the Maharashtra government and civic authorities to ensure that food and basic necessities reach the tribal community across the state amid the COVID-19 lockdown. A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Amjad Sayed was hearing a petition filed by one Vivek Pandit highlighting the plight of tribals in the state during the lockdown, which was enforced to contain the spread of coronavirus. The petitioner sought a direction to the government and civic authorities to provide essentials to tribals in Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Nashik, Dhule, Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara, Gondia, Nagpur, Yavatmal and Amravati districts. Additional government pleader B V Samant told the court on Friday that several measures had been adopted by the government to supply food grains to the tribal community across the state. "A circular was also issued by the government on April 27, directing all collectors to provide benefits of the Public Distribution System to vulnerable households, especially migrant labourers and others," Samant told the court. He further submitted that the process of issuing ration cards to tribals was also underway. However, the petitioner's advocate Vaibhav Bhure argued that this process was delayed as authorities were asking for various documents, which tribals were unable to furnish. He urged the government to ensure that food grains and other essentials were provided to the community, keeping the process of issuance of ration cards in abeyance. Samant assured the court that all essential items were reaching each and every member of the tribal community across the state. "We have no doubt in our mind that the testing times notwithstanding, the government would leave no stone unturned to reach out to the members of the tribal community, who are marginalised people, and to ensure that not a single member is left without food and the basic necessities in these dark hours," the court said and disposed of the petition. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Frank Denman was at his home in Austin last January when he received a call from his son, Luke. A former Green Beret, Luke had been searching for his calling after leaving the service. On the phone that day, he suggested to his father that he had found it. He said I had something come up in Florida, Frank recalled. He said it was a confidential kind of thing. The elder Denman still remembers exactly what Luke said next: But I can tell you its the most meaningful thing Ive ever done in my life. Image: Luke Denman (Courtesy of Family) Luke had been working as a commercial diver on offshore oil rigs in Louisiana. His father thought that he may have been talking about a salvage operation involving a historic ship. But it was just a hunch. Frank didnt pry, and Luke didnt divulge any details. From Lukes days in the Special Forces, thats how their conversations often went. It wouldnt be until several months later, in early May, when Frank found out what his son had actually been talking about. Luke Denman, 34, was one of two ex-Green Berets arrested in a foiled plot to oust Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro. Hes now locked up in a Venezuelan jail, his fate in the hands of a leader the U.S. government considers a dictator responsible for tens of millions of his people going hungry. I get it now, Frank said, referring to his sons cryptic words about his new, meaningful opportunity. Everyone knows about the suffering of the Venezuelan people. And the motto of the Green Berets, he added, is free the oppressed. Two weeks on, much remains unknown about the ill-fated operation. According to the Venezuelan government, eight mercenary terrorists were killed and several captured, including Denman and fellow Army veteran Airan Berry, during an attempt to seize Maduro and topple his government. Image: Airan Berry (Courtesy of Family) A third ex-Green Beret, Jordan Goudreau, claimed responsibility for the plot. A decorated former U.S. commando, Goudreau operated a Florida-based private security company called Silvercorp USA. Story continues Before he went into hiding, Goudreau had said in multiple interviews the plan was initially coordinated with representatives of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is recognized as the countrys interim president by the U.S. and much of the international community. But the relationship soured and Goudreau moved forward with the operation anyway, according to accounts in the Associated Press and Washington Post. Guaido has denied having anything to do with the effort to oust Maduro, but two of his U.S.-based advisers resigned this week after they acknowledged signing an agreement with Goudreau for a mission to arrest Maduro. In interviews with NBC News, a half dozen family members and close friends of Denman and Berry said they believe the former Special Operations soldiers would have only participated in such an operation had the two men been convinced it was supported by the U.S. government. Some of the friends and relatives said they now believe the men fell under the sway of Goudreau, who led them in overseas deployments, and were ultimately misled. The only conclusion I can draw is he was intentionally deceived, said Daniel Dochen, a longtime friend of Denman. And Goudreau sent his former comrade-in-arms on a suicide mission in service of his ego. Dochen said Denman had told him sometime prior to the botched operation that he was involved in an effort sanctioned by the U.S. government. Thats really all I know about it, Dochen said. Image: Jordan Goudreau (Silvercorp) Berrys wife, Melanie, told NBC News that she, too, feels strongly that he was led to believe the U.S. backed the plan. Hes not the type of person who would do something that hasnt gone through the proper channels, she said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the U.S. had no direct involvement in the operation. President Donald Trump has also insisted the government had no part in the botched plot. This was a rogue group that went in there, Trump said last Friday. Goudreau, 43, did not respond to calls or text messages to his cell phone. The two captured Americans both grew up in Texas. Denman in Austin; Berry in Fort Worth. Their lives intersected in Stuttgart, Germany, the home base of one of the Armys most elite units, Charlie Company of the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group. According to a former member, the unit specialized in pursuing high-value targets in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was also called into action to conduct hostage-rescue operations, the former member said. Berry, an engineer sergeant, served from 1996 to 2013. Denman, a communications sergeant, spent five years in the Army until 2011. Drew White, a former Green Beret in the same unit, said Goudreau was a highly skilled team leader who earned his fellow soldiers respect. He was a force to be reckoned with, White said. An incredible soldier who never got rattled. All of us looked up to him. Berry met his now-wife Melanie, who is German, in Stuttgart in 1999. We were both shy, she said. I could tell he was kind, and I felt so at ease around him. They married the next year and went on to have two kids, who are now teenagers. After leaving the service, Berry remodeled homes and focused on his family. But this past January, he left Germany after telling his wife he accepted a job with Goudreaus company. He trusted Jordan, Melanie Berry said. He believed in Jordan. She said her husband wouldnt give details about his job or how long he expected to be gone. He said he couldnt share anything with me but that its for a good cause, Melanie Berry recalled. After Denman left the service, he bounced around the country and worked a handful of jobs first at a tree nursery in Austin, then in hotel security in Florida and finally as an underwater welder in Louisiana. Unlike many former Special Forces members, he seemed uninterested in pursuing contract work overseas, according to his family and friends. Sometime in 2017, Denman visited his old Special Forces buddy White during a cross-country motorcycle trip. When he was here, he was still Luke but it just seemed he was searching for something, White said. I thought he had found it with the welding stuff, but looking back on it, I think he just missed the camaraderie and having that sense of purpose. In late 2019, Denman was living with his girlfriend, Tatianna Saito, in Oregon. The pair had met in Austin and had been dating for five years. Saito said they had recently begun talking about starting a family together. Like Berry, Denman left in January and said little about what he was doing or where he was going. I didnt know the nature of the job or where it was, Saito said. I just knew that he seemed to think it was a great opportunity. Over the next few months, Denman stayed in sporadic touch. A text message here. A phone call there. He remained circumspect about his job. Id ask, Is everything okay? And hed say, I feel like this is my calling. I feel like this is something very meaningful, Saito recalled. In March, the Justice Department charged Maduro and several other current and former Venezuelan officials with carrying out a narco-terrorism scheme to flood the U.S. with cocaine. The Trump administration offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest. Saito said she last heard from Denman in mid-April. Image: VENEZUELA-US-CRISIS-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY-DEFENSE (Marcelo Garcia / Venezuelan Presidency/ AFP - Getty Images) The botched raid took place a couple of weeks later, in early May. Soon after Denmans arrest, an interrogation video was played on Venezuelan state TV. Speaking to an unseen questioner, Denman says he was expecting to be paid between $50,000 and $100,000 for his role in the operation. He said his job was to seize control of the airport in Caracas and bring in a plane to be used to fly Maduro to the U.S. I was helping Venezuelans take back control of their country, Denman says. Its unclear if Denman was pressured to make certain admissions, but one of the things that stood out to his former fellow ex-Green Beret Drew White was Denmans payday. Fifty to $100,000? Thats nothing in the contracting world, Denman said. If he was looking for money, he could have gone to a lot of other places and made a lot more than that. Looking back on it now, White said he understood how Denman could have gone along with a plan pitched by Goudreau despite having reservations about overseas contract work. We went to combat together. We saw action down range together, said White, who himself briefly partnered with Goudreau at Silvercorp. We share a bond. When a friend like that comes along and says, I have this thing going on and its the real deal, most guys wouldnt question it. Berrys wife said she doesnt spend much time thinking about who may have been involved in the operation or how it went so wrong. All that matters is to get them home, she said. They love their families. They love their country. Theyre good men. Luke Denmans parents have been in touch with officials at the U.S. embassy in Colombia and the video of their son gave them hope that he was being treated humanely. But Frank Denman said its been difficult to read some of the news accounts depicting his son as a money-motivated mercenary. What he believed about this operation had to be very different than what the facts on the ground were, he said. In an interview late Thursday, the elder Denman described the final time he heard his sons voice in January. But later in the interview, he said there was another phone call with Luke that was even clearer in his memory. It was around 2006, and Frank, who did high-rise work cleaning windows and putting up banners, was on the 27th story of the University of Texas clock tower. Luke called to tell him he was planning to join the Army. Not long before, Lukes brother, who had served in the Army, wrote the family a long and eloquent email describing how moved he was by the sight of Iraqis raising their purple fingers in the air after voting for the first time in free elections. Luke was inspired by it, said Frank Denman, who himself had served in the Army in the years after the Vietnam War. The phone call lasted well over 30 minutes. We talked about the risks and all that, but he was quite certain about it, the elder Denman said of Lukes desire to enlist. He just felt like it was the right thing to do. New Delhi: In a bid to regulate the exodus of migrants from cities, Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Disaster Management Authority have come up with a portal 'National Migrant Information system' to document the labourers and facilitate their transport. In a fresh letter to states, the Union Home Secretary has asked states to use the portal for better inter-state coordination on the migrant movement issue. "The system will help in speedy communication between states without creating additional work for field officers. It has additional advantage like contact tracing, which may be useful in Covid response work," he said. The portal seeks Aadhaar and mobile details to help migrants travel in Shramik trains and keep a track on them. The focus on migrants is likely to continue in the Ministry of Home affairs guideline for lockdown 4 too. The Railway Minister has tweeted that more Shramik trains will be offered to states. Officials told CNN-News18 that MHA guidelines could mention opening up of more Shramik trains to ferry migrants home with the onus on district collectors to ensure that adequate arrangements are made for migrants who want to move. "Under the Disaster Management Act, the collectors are empowered. They can tabulate the number of migrant labourers in their district and accordingly arrange for buses. States can use the district wise data to tabulate how many trains are needed. Centre is willing to lend a helping hand," a MHA official said. The guidelines could also open up auto and bus travel in non-containment zones with passenger restrictions. Air travel in green zones, especially for those who are stuck because of the lockdown is also being considered. Senior officers of MHA met the cabinet secretary on Saturday to finalise the guidelines after states sent their recommendations. States like Bengal and UTs like Delhi have demanded more say in deciding zones and officials said this is being considered. The fourth phase of lockdown could be for two weeks till May 30. The municipal areas where stringent restrictions continue could be Brihanmumbai, Pune, Aurangabad, Palghar, Solapur, Nashik and Thane in Maharashtra; Cuddalore, Chengalpattu, Ariyalur, Villupuram, Tiruvallur and Greater Chennai in Tamil Nadu; Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat in Gujarat; Delhi; Bhopal and Indore in Madhya Pradesh; Howrah and Kolkata in West Bengal; Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur in Rajasthan; Agra and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh; Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh and Greater Hyderabad in Telengana; Amritsar in Punjab and Berhampur in Odisha. These localities continue to show heavy viral load. The municipal authorities of these areas met Union health secretary to discuss measures to control the Covid spread. Marchal was released in March as part of an apparent prisoner swap agreed with the French government: in return, France released the Iranian engineer Jalal Ruhollahnejad, whom a French court had already authorized to be extradited to the United States, where he stood accused of smuggling American military technology into Iran, according to Iranian state media reports cited in Reuters at the time of his release. Ghana, a peaceful west African nation, is known for its welcoming people. It was the dream of the First President of the then Gold Coast to make Ghana, the Gateway to Africa. To achieve this there need to be pragmatic and bold policies that harness natural, human and technology to accelerate development. Successive governments from Kwame Nkrumah through to Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo-Addo made notable efforts to drive economic development by attracting foreign direct investment whilst at the same time stimulating indigenous production of goods and services through adoption of sound business practices that boost growth. Despite these efforts, certain challenges continue to present themselves in Ghana as fleas on a poor dogs skin. One of them is the galamsey menace which successive governments have unsuccessfully attempted to combat. This article attempts to examine the effect of galamsey on our quest to improve our energy mix through development of renewable energies. Renewable Energy Policy Space The world is in dire need of clean energy to drive economic growth. This need has engendered several efforts aimed at promoting renewable energy use across the globe. Ghana has also instituted a number of policy interventions to position the country as a nation capable of driving the clean energy agenda. In 2011 Ghana passed the Renewable Energy Act 823 to set the broad legal framework within which renewable energy interventions can be sustainably executed in line with its development dream. The purpose for developing the legislative instrument as stipulated in section 1 of the Act is to provide for the development, management and utilization of renewable energy sources for the production of heat and power in an efficient and environmentally sustainable manner. In the attempt to actualize the desire to improve the contribution of renewable energies like wind, solar, hydro and biomass in the energy generation mix of the country, Ghana with the support of development partners developed the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4LL) Action plan in 2011. The aim of the plan is of plan is to help Ghana to take result oriented actions to realize the SE4LL global goals including ensuring universals access to modern energy sources and doubling the share of the renewable energy in the energy mix. As far as renewable energy is concerned Ghana planned in 2010, to attain a 10% contribution of renewable energy sources to the total energy mix of the nation by 2020 but this target has been shifted to 2030 in line with SE4LL global goals. Additionally in Feb 2019 Ghana again developed the Renewable Energy Master Plan to push the renewable energy sector with the capacity to sustainably utilise resources and transform Ghana into a country with expertise in renewable energy research, production, and services. Also according to the National Energy Strategy of 2010 Ghana aims at achieving Universal Access to Electricity by the year 2020, but this timeline has been shifted to 2025 due to some challenges. Gradual gains are being made within the renewable energy space. The actual contribution of renewable energy to the total energy mix was 0.20%, 1.00% and 1.60% in 2013, 2015 and 2019 respectively. The implication is that more concerted efforts need to be activated both at the National and local government levels to achieve the goal. Renewable energy mini or Medium Hydro Potentials One source of renewable energy is mini and medium hydro. Feasibility studies have been conducted on our numerous water bodies to access their potential contribution to renewable energy of the country. Ghana is indeed abound with a lot of opportunities and we are not lacking in the ability to generate additional energy through the mini and medium hydro infrastructure. Nine regions from the north to south are identified to hold the potential for the development of electricity through mini/medium hydro facilities. Included are Western, Western North, Central, Bono, Volta and Ashanti Regions. Some of the rivers identified in these regions to hold the capacity to host medium or mini hydro dams include Pra, Ankobra, Enu, Offin, Tano and Tain. In terms of capacity, for example Oti, Tano and Pra rivers are estimate to support generation of 90MW, 118MW and 220MW of electricity respectively. In 2019 the first 45KW mini hydro (without dam) facility at Tsatsadu was commissioned by the Bui Power Authority in Volta Region to contribute to the generation of electricity. This is a testament that we hold the resources to attain sustainable electricity supply through hydro. The Challenge to Renewable energy (Hydro) In spite of the availability of the water bodies to support future development we are faced with real challenges. Apart from weak currency, inadequate technical knowledge and financing deficiency, the Renewable Energy Master Plan identified human and socio-cultural challenges as one of the impediments to developing mini hydro sites to improve renewable energy generation. At the core of the human and socio cultural challenge is the menace of illegal small scale mining otherwise known popularly in Ghana as galamsey. Galamsey is practiced notoriously in many communities, in the regions mentioned above, such as Asakragua, Prestea, Twifi Praso, Obuasi, Tain, Oda and some communities around Black Volta. Most the activities of the local illegal miners, with the connivance of foreign nationals from other African Countries and Asia, especially China, have rendered our water bodies heavily polluted posing dander to human lives, aquatic organisms and jeopardizing the capacity of the identified water bodies to support mini/medium electricity generation. Rivers such as Pra, Ofin, Birim, Tano and Ankobra are heavily polluted to the extent that one needs no scientific study to understand the extent of destruction because the mere natural coluour of the rivers is completely lost i.e. from colourless to distressing yellow or brownish. Do you need a well written theory to understand the galamsey business? Probably not. For those who live in the Western, Central, Eastern and Bono regions of Ghana, describing galamsey business is just a story one yearns for its quick end. Not only has it almost become a normal business but there are suspicions about the sincerity of authorities in taking the right actions to end the illegal activity. People who engage in galamsey are considered by authorities as engaging in illegal mining activities but only few people are arrested and dealt with the law. The pollution of the river with excessively high levels of mud and chemicals has significantly impeded the swift flow of the identified waterbodies hence limiting their hydro potentials. The current state of the river bodies is not an impetus for attracting investment and this can negatively affect our renewable energy dream in future. The destruction of forest along the waterbodies also goes to negatively affect rainfall patterns which in turn limits the volume of water that flows to our existing large hydro dams. Way Forward A bold and a non-political decision is needed to address this national problem. The issue is that its difficult for a political institution to make a non-political decision. A non-partisan task force whose leadership is not appointed by the government but nominated by relevant professional and other concerned stakeholders must be resourced to strictly enforce the law on galamsey. I strongly agree to the suggestion that there is the need to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to create buffer zones and undertake reforestation along river bodies, and prevent mining, farming and logging activities. The punitive regime for dealing with recalcitrant illegal miners must be very deterrent enough and political interference must be absent. At the institutional level there needs to be enhanced collaboration among the relevant institutions including Forestry Commission, Lands commission, Mistry of Food and Agriculture, Water Resources commission, The Police and Military, Traditional authorities, Ministry of Science and Technology, Local Government structures (Municipal and District Assemblies and the Media. The government must ensure taxes paid by the citizens are used well to among other things create alternative livelihoods, especially in Agriculture for youths in the affected communities. Educational Opportunities should be opened up for young people to pursue their academic dreams at affordable cost because enhancing relevant education among the youth increases knowledge which limits their engagement in illegal mining. Lets all support the effort to improve renewable energy solutions through enhanced environmental practices. Article By SAMSON ADDO, MSc Energy Economics, GIMPA. Contact: [email protected] The 3,000-Year-Old Assyrian Panels On May 4, the 10 Middlebury College students in Sarah Laursen's course on digital methodologies for art historians held their final class of the semester on Zoom. That wasn't unusual, because Middlebury, like other colleges around the state and country, had sent their students home to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. However, the guests Laursen invited to the Zoom call were notable: Sarah Graff, an associate curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City; and Sean Burrus, the Andrew W. Mellon postdoctoral curatorial fellow at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. While Seven Days listened in, Laursen's students presented to the two art historians their semester-long project: a website examining one of Middlebury College's first art acquisitions, which is a carved stone panel nearly 3,000 years old. The detailed relief, depicting a muscular, winged man with an impressive beard, is one of hundreds that once adorned the interior walls of the Northwest Palace, built by the Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II (who reigned from 883 to 859 BC), in Nimrud (near present-day Mosul, Iraq). Graff and Burrus' institutions have some of those panels, too. In fact, when the British archaeologist Sir Austen Henry Layard published the results of his excavations of the palace in the 1840s, collectors and institutions around the world clamored to acquire panels for themselves. The British Museum snagged enough to fill a couple of enormous rooms. Others were sold to excited Christian missionaries working nearby who believed they verified the Bible, which names Assyrian kings and places such as Nimrud (aka Nimrod). Middlebury got its panel from one of those missionaries: Alum Reverend Wilson Farnsworth, then preaching in Turkey, donated it to the college in about 1854. Similar stories account for the presence of Northwest Palace artifacts in some two dozen institutions in the northeastern U.S. -- including a panel very similar to Middlebury's at the University of Vermont's Fleming Museum of Art in Burlington. (Curator Andrea Rosen also participated in the Zoom call.) The Assyrian relief panel at the Middlebury College Museum of Art. ( Middlebury College Museum of Art) All these facts and many more are detailed on the visually appealing site the students made, which is titled NW x NE: The Assyrian Relief in the Middlebury College Museum of Art. Using ArcGIS StoryMaps, ThingLink, Sketchfab and other digital platforms, the site lays out a nonhierarchical grid of nine clickable panels dedicated to subjects such as Neo-Assyrian history, the palace's architecture, Assyrian iconography and conservation techniques. The goal was to make the website as accessible as possible, Laursen later noted during a phone call. "We wanted it to reach any museumgoer -- little kids, retired professors, everyone," she said. In that spirit, students condensed their extensive research into textual passages of 150 words or fewer -- similar to museum wall texts -- and composed them at an eighth-grade reading level. (For instance, apotropaic symbols are rephrased as "motifs to ward off evil.") They also assembled a glossary of terms that visitors might need to google and embedded each passage with a variety of videos, images, maps and visual backgrounds. Graff and Burrus interjected commentary and critique during the Zoom session. "I really appreciate how thoughtful you've been about thinking about your audience," said Graff, an Ancient Near East art specialist. Burrus, a scholar of the Ancient Mediterranean art and archaeology, asked why the students had used WordPress rather than Squarespace to create the site. Senior Tenzin Dorjee, the site's webmaster, explained that it was because the platform was free, adding that they also didn't have to buy the domain. Graff approved, commenting on "how important it is to use free and accessible technology on collaborative projects." NW x NE was inspired by an initiative by Graff and Burrus to gather representatives from the palace-relief-owning institutions of the Northeast. Because it's impractical to reunite the panels physically -- each weighs about a ton -- the two art historians led a workshop at Bowdoin last May to brainstorm other modes of collaboration. Representatives from more than 10 institutions attended, including Laursen, who is also curator of Asian art at the Middlebury College Museum of Art, and Fleming collections and exhibitions manager Margaret Tamulonis. Laursen, who is about to begin a new job as associate curator of Chinese art at the Harvard Art Museums, said that workshop attendees discussed creating a digital exhibition about the palace. The group has continued to meet occasionally over a Slack channel. Meanwhile, Laursen thought of making the project the experimental subject of her digital methodologies course. She added that many digital resources and reconstructions of the palace exist on the web already, including some "relics from the 2000s." Rather than reinvent the wheel, her students include one animated recreation of the king's private suite, produced by a private company called Learning Site, on their website. They also discuss reasons for the unreliability of any hypothetical reproduction of the palace. Among the students' original contributions are two highly useful, interactive maps. One is a floor plan that allows visitors to click on a room in the palace and find where in the Northeast its original panels now reside, as well as an image, title, accession number and link to the object's online record. The other is a map of the world pinpointing where all of the palace's panels and other artifacts are held. Graff called both "a really good step forward over the existing ways of mapping." The Met curator also approved of the students' decision to dedicate one of the website's nine subjects to the role religion played in their dispersal. "It's extremely puzzling and strange, this whole Biblical connection," she mused. "How sincere do you think this interest in the Bible was? Or was it about trophy hunting?" Samantha Horton, a senior and the project's text editor, replied, "Trophy hunting was definitely part of it. It was about the idea that Christianity triumphed over this [Assyrian] religion." Senior Allie Izzard, who compiled the glossary, added that the religious ramifications of the 19th-century dig mostly interested Americans. "British accounts were more about the swashbuckling aspects," she pointed out. Either way, said Tamulonis about the Fleming's panel, the pillaged reliefs are ideal for jumpstarting discussions about the often "tortured provenance" of museum holdings. The Middlelbury students' website also addresses the difficult issue of repatriation. But the idea of returning the panels to Iraq is complicated not just by their unwieldy weight but by recent events. In 2015, ISIS destroyed the remains of the palace with bulldozers and explosives and either broke the remaining treasures or sold them on the black market. (One important relief panel owned by a seminary in Virginia since 1860 garnered $30.1 million in an auction at Christie's in New York City on October 31, 2018, so the potential gains for the militants are significant if they can find buyers.) Eventually, visitors will once again be able to view Middlebury's Assyrian relief panel next to the museum's reception desk, or the Fleming's cemented into a wall in the Marble Court, and examine these expertly carved visions of supernatural beings in person. Until then, anyone anywhere can learn all about them at the NW x NE website. "Is Greta Thunberg a hypocrite? Google that phrase and you will get thousands of results. It just goes to show that, to a large extent, the "Q&A model is broken on the internet. Where once Yahoo Answers and Quora were considered the bright young things of Web 2.0s Read/Write Web, today there is only the chaos of myriad search results. Lets face it, many have tried to really crack Q&A (remember Mahalo?), but few ever got very far -- and most became zombie sites. But look again and you will notice something. A site called Parlia sits at No. 3 on that search result for "Is Greta Thunberg a hypocrite." But Parlia only launched (in stealth mode) in October last year. So how can this be? Well, this upstart in the Q&A space has now closed a pre-seed round of funding from Bloomberg Beta, Tiny VC and others (amount undisclosed). And as founder, and former journalist, Turi Munthe tells me, the idea here is Parlia will become an "encyclopedia of opinion." "We're a wiki: mapping out all the perspectives on both the breaking stories and controversies of the day, as well as the big evergreen questions: does God exist? Is Messi really better than Ronaldo? The way we're building is to also help fix today's polarisation, outrage and information silo-ing, he tells me. While most Q&A sites are geared around X versus Y, and focused on rational debate, Parlia is trying to map ALL the opinions out there: flat earthers' included. Its aiming to be descriptive not prescriptive, and is closer to a wiki, unlike Quora, where the authors are often selling "something" as well as themselves as experts. The site is already on a tear. And also highly appropriate for this era. Right now top subjects include "How to stay healthy during quarantine at home? or "What are the effects of spending long periods in coronavirus isolation? or "Will the coronavirus crisis bring society together? The list goes on. Users see the arguments calmly, dispassionately laid out, alongside counter-arguments and all the other arguments and positions. Story continues Says Munthe: "In 2016, I realized the age of political consensus was over. I watched as Britain spilt maybe a trillion words of argument in the build-up to the Brexit Referendum and thought: there are no more than a half-dozen reasons why people will vote either way. He realized that if there's a finite number of arguments around something as huge and divisive as Brexit, then this would be true for everything. Thus, you could theoretically map the arguments around gun control, abortion, responses to the coronavirus, the threat of AI and pretty much everything. So why would anyone want to do that? Its, of course, a good thing in itself and would help people understand what they think as well as help them understand how the rest of the world thinks. Luckily, there is also a business model. It will potentially carry ads, sponsorships, membership and user donations. Another is data. If they get it right, they will have surfaced foundational information about the very ways we think. Munthe thinks all the users will come through Search. "The media opportunity, we think, is 100 million-plus pageviews/month, he says. Munthes co-founder is J. Paul Neeley, former professor of the Royal College of Art, and a service designer who's worked with Unilever and the U.K.s Cabinet Office. Munthe himself has been exploring the systemic issues of the media ecosystem for some time. From founding a small magazine in Lebanon, reporting in Iraq in 2003, then starting and exiting Demotix, to launching North Base Media (a media-focused VC). The temptation, of course, is to allow bias to creep in return for commercial deals. But, says Menthe: "We will never work with political parties, and we will set up our own ethics advisory board. But that understanding should be of value to market researchers and institutions everywhere. So now you can find out how coronavirus will change the world. President Donald Trump is reportedly reconsidering the suspension of US funding of the World Health Organisation and could restore its annual contribution partially, but only to match Chinas $40 million, a tenth of its share of $400 million. Fox News reported Friday the president has either already signed off on the decision or is about to. Despite (its) shortcomings, I believe that the WHO still has tremendous potential, and want to see the WHO live up to this potential, particularly now during this global crisis, he is expected to say, according to a Fox anchor, who said he was quoting from a five-page draft the president is expected to sign. The president suspended funding for the global health agency last month as the United States investigated its response to the coronavirus outbreak. The US has accused the world body of botching the initial response and, then, of siding with China to help it conceal the exact extent of the virus outbreak. Subsequently, WHO officials had denied the claims by President and China has insisted it was transparent and open. At home in the US, the president has continued to encourage the reopening of the country, at odds with his own public health officials. He has publicly dismissed, for instance, calls for caution by Anthony Fauci, the top epidemiologist and member of the White House task force. On Friday, the chief government body for disease control and prevention has projected the death toll of Americans succumbing to Covid-19 could climb to 100,000 in two weeks, up by 13,000 from the toll on Friday. The projection of fatalities by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is based on 12 models, its director Robert Redfield, who is also member of the task force, wrote on twitter Friday. And it came as grim reminder of the need for continued surveillance and mitigation as that public health officials are urging as at least 48 states of the US are set to reopen to varying extent by early next week. CDC tracks 12 different forecasting models of possible #COVID19 deaths in the US. As of May 11, all forecast an increase in deaths in the coming weeks and a cumulative total exceeding 100,000 by June 1, he wrote. Covid-19 fatalities rose by 1,632 over the past 24 hours to 87,568 and the number of infections increased by 25,050 to 1.44 million. With nearly 13,000 more fatalities projected by the CDC the situation will get grimmer, specially with the removal of restrictions that it is feared to could take the toll to 147,000 by August. Late actor Rishi Kapoors daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahni has been sharing throwback pictures of her parents and family. Her latest are pictures of her parents, Rishi and Neetu Kapoor. Taking to Instagram stories, she shared three pictures - two of Rishi and Neetu together and one, a solo picture of her mother. She captioned two pictures of her parents together as love and classic. With her mothers solo picture from her youth, she wrote such a beauty. On Thursday, Riddhima had shared a picture and written, We are family. It featured her parents, her brother actor Ranbir Kapoor, daughter Samara and herself. On the 13th day of her fathers death, she had posted a picture of herself standing behind a portrait of her father and written: Love you always Papa Sharing another picture with her brother, she had written: Your legacy will live on forever... We love you. After Rishis death on April 30, Riddhima wasnt able to fly to Mumbai because of the lockdown. She had to drive down from Delhi instead. She was spotted with her brother, mother Neetu, Alia Bhatt and Ranbirs close pal Ayan Mukerji at Mumbais Banganga for the immersion of Rishis ashes. Also read: Shah Rukh Khans daughter Suhanas photo shoot with mom Gauri goes viral, Ananya Panday asks if she can borrow the top Rishi, who had been battling leukaemia, passed away last month in a Mumbai hospital. After this death, the family has issued a statement which read: He remained jovial and determined to live to the fullest right through two years of treatment across two continents. Family, friends, food and films remained his focus and everyone who met him during this time was amazed at how he did not let his illness get the better of him. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON CHEYENNE -- The Wyoming Senate on Friday approved a pair of amendments to a wide-ranging COVID-19 relief package that, if adopted, would give Gov. Mark Gordon broad authority to transfer millions of dollars in funding from the University of Wyoming and the states K-12 education system to help balance the budget. The amendments, both of which were passed by wide margins, do not necessarily guarantee that cuts will be coming to either public schools or the university. However, they would grant the governor a significant amount of leeway to reduce funding levels in two of the states most expensive systems at a time where state revenues are projected to decline by catastrophic levels over the coming year. In the University of Wyomings case, those reductions could be up to 25 percent of its budget, though the legislation does not mandate any cuts need to be taken. This is not a pleasant priority for us, said Sen. Dave Kinskey, R-Sheridan. But I believe voters expect us to do what needs to be done. The amendments coincide with a directive to agency heads from the governors office earlier this month to begin prepping for significant budget cuts in an attempt to respond to losses in revenue tied to COVID-19. While the amendments would likely be used to cut education funding, lawmakers also adopted language to allow schools across the state to increase the amount of money kept in their reserves with significant restrictions on what that funding could be used for: an effort lawmakers said could be used to prevent cuts to teachers as local revenues continue to languish. Wyoming Education Association President Kathy Vetter, however, criticized both amendments, writing in an email that both of these amendments would really hurt education in Wyoming. While the decision to open the door to budget cuts was met with plenty of reluctance, most members of the Senate said they recognized the states looming financial situation would likely have required major cuts to education down the line regardless. The sooner we start, the less painful the process is going to be, said Sen. Charlie Scott, R-Casper. The amendment is not the first attempt to give the state the ability to cut school budgets in the wake of COVID-19. Earlier this week, officials in the governors office said the state could pursue a waiver from the federal government to reduce the states education budget under the conditions of the CARES Act. Last week, the Natrona County School District said it was bracing for cuts ranging between $6 million and $23 million per year as a result of the COVID-19 economic fallout, the larger amount equivalent to more than 10 percent of the districts general fund budget. However dire the states revenue situation was, some lawmakers -- like Sen. Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne -- suggested that the last-minute decision to put education funding on the chopping block was a rushed one, and urged her fellow lawmakers to take on the subject at a time where more members of the public had an opportunity to comment. No one is under any illusion were in any other type of situation, she said. But can it be done better if we hold off until June and do it then? I think so. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In This Is the Night Our House Will Catch Fire, (Norton, Aug.), poet Flynn reflects on his dysfunctional family and its effects on his life. Another Bullshit Night in Suck City was an immediate success in 2004, and became a film. Was it always your plan to write a trilogy? Immediate success? Id say the surprising success of Suck City! It was never the plan to do a trilogy. My relationships with my parents were complicated. After the first book about my fathers homelessness, and then the second about my daughter, the third grew organically out of all the time I had spent writing about family and how interesting it was to see them projected onto the movie screen. At a certain point, it felt like the three memoirs were talking to each other. One might say that its all just writing one book. For this book, you took your daughter with you to visit the house that your mother tried to burn down when you were seven years old. What inspired you to take her along? Again, like writing the memoirs, I didnt have a plan. It just worked out that while I was teaching in Boston, my wife was out of town, and I decided to take my daughter on my road trips. The interesting thing to me was that when we started our trips, she was seven years old, and she was interested in knowing what I was doing at age seven. Every summer for the next three years we would travel to Scituate. It was like showing her a map of my childhood, showing that these things had happened to me. Did you rely on journals from your life during these trips with your daughter? Actually, I had nothing written about those times. In a way, I did the work of getting the material for this memoir by working collaboratively with my daughter, by her wanting me to tell her stories but also the way those stories would bring back memories of other stories. It wasnt until the third trip that we walked into the house that my mother had tried to burn down. Its still standing, and it felt odd. But I was lucky the house was standing, to be able to go in with my daughter and see it again. Is your approach to writing poetry different than writing memoirs? All writing is different. My approach to memoir writing demands a different schedule than other writing. It may be more organized. I take notes, I write in condensed bursts. I do that with poetry also, but the process is more alchemic. Its uncontainable. Its fluid, I can drift in another realm. I cant really do that in a memoir. The stuff in this book actually happened. It doesnt always put me in the best light, but its not my job to put myself in the best light. You are here: World Flash Afghan forces, in series of operations have killed at least 15 Taliban militants in the southern Zabul province over the past 24 hours, provincial government spokesman Gul Islam Sayal said Friday. According to the official, the ground forces, backed by fighting planes, struck Taliban hideouts in Shahjoy district over the 24 hours killing 15 fighters and wounding four others. A weapon cache of the insurgents has also been destroyed during the raids, the official said. No security personnel or civilian have been hurt, Sayal said, adding the operations would last until the area is cleared of the militants. The Taliban outfit has not made comments yet. The Ghana Revenue Authority has dismissed claim that it has been directed by the Ministry of Finance to reverse the 50% benchmark value on imports. According to the Authority, the benchmark value policy also known as the discount policy continues to be implemented as originally announced by the Vice President, Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia. It will be recalled that the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta had in early April 2019, directed the reduction of the benchmark value or delivery values of imports, by 50%, except for vehicles which were to be reduced by 30%. This was part of efforts to reduce the menace of smuggling and make the country's ports more competitive and attractive. However, a statement issued by the Ghana Revenue Authority states that, the attention of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has been drawn to a letter making the rounds in the media on the 'Benchmark' value reduction policy (the discount policy). The Ghana Revenue Authority wishes to state that, the said document with the list of items at both the heading and sub-heading levels of the HS code is an internal document analyzing the impact of the discount policy on our revenue collection with regards to those items as well as the impact on local industries, public health safety and the environment. It further notes that the internal analysis was not approved by the Central Government and is thus applicable. Find below the full statement: Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson E.K. Dafeamekpor, has asked the Ministry of Finance to seek parliamentary approval before directing the Ghana Revenue Authority, GRA, to reverse the 50% benchmark value reduction. He said the move would be an illegality if it is implemented, as it has not been sanctioned by Parliament. ---citinewsroom So yes, I'm talking about Chardonnay again. I know I focused on it fairly recently after sommelier Julie Dupouy hosted a very interesting tasting of Chardonnays from around the world. This time, I'm taking a closer look at Australian Chardonnay. Because World Chardonnay Day is next Thursday, and no matter what anyone says, it always seems to be the bottles from Oz that get the rap for being the big, oaky offenders. Which is simply not the case any more. I was so, so lucky to have had the opportunity to visit Australia last October, a memory that feels more poignant than ever. Among the regions I travelled to was Margaret River, a small cape on the west coast, which is about three hours south of Perth, one of the most isolated major cities in the world. It is as close to Jakarta as it is to Adelaide, its nearest Australian neighbour. Virginia Willcock, the winemaker at Vasse Felix, explained that the Margaret River region is ranked as one of the top 35 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Relaxed, with dramatic surf waves kissing the sands of practically deserted beaches, the unique climate and soil in the region has proved to be spectacularly well suited to growing premium-quality vines. The weather here is not typical of Australia. Over the last 100 years, it has shown no sign of being affected by global warming, and year after year, the harvests have been consistently good, 2019 included. With a Mediterranean climate and maritime influence from the cool south-westerly breezes that blow in from the sea in the evening, the grapes maintain their acidity and freshness, and a long ripening time ensures that the fruit is vibrant. This is what gives Chardonnay from Margaret River its distinctive character, along with one other key factor. Virginia calls it one of those beautiful accidents of nature. The Chardonnay vines here are quite different from the vines on the opposite coast of Australia. The cuttings, intended to act as a good virus detector, were air freighted to the region from University of California, Davis, in 1957. Low-yielding, with small bunches, and inconsistently sized berries, they were never intended to be used for commercial cultivation. But plantings on the Gingin block of Leeuwin Estate told a different story. The high skin-to-pulp ratio of the uneven-sized grapes brings a concentration of flavour and touch of phenolics to the wines, and the Gingin clone, as it had become known, was soon adopted as one of the top Chardonnay clones of the region. Unlike Chardonnay from other parts of Australia, Margaret River Chardonnay is closer in style to the whites of Burgundy. Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay, Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay, Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay and Voyager Estate Project 95 Chardonnay rank as the top Chardonnays of the region. Here I have a Vasse Felix Chardonnay as well as four quite different expressions of the grape. Wine of the week: Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay 2018 24.99, 13pc, from Whelehan's, Corkscrew, Baggot St Wines, Donnybrook Fair, Deveney's, La Touche, Greystones; and Number 21 Off Licences Expand Close Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay 2018 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay 2018 The grapes for this Margaret River wine are selected from a number of different vineyard parcels. This means that there are multiple clones of Chardonnay, which include the Gingin clone. Using wild fermentation, each parcel is fermented separately in oak. This adds a barely discernible toasty note to the finished wine as only 20pc of the barrels are new, the balance ranging in age from one to five years. It's then blended to produce an elegant style of wine that has finesse, with light fruit flavours of crunchy apple, citrus and a touch of pear. Shaw + Smith, `M3` Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2018 39.49, 13pc, from 64 Wine, Sweeney's D3, Redmond's, McHugh's, Blackrock Cellar, Corkscrew, stationtostationwine.ie, wineonline.ie, Donnybrook Fair Expand Close Shaw + Smith, `M3` Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2018 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Shaw + Smith, `M3` Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2018 Restrained, with some white blossom on the nose; poised and crisp, with fresh citrus flavours, rounded out with just ripened peach flesh and a touch of peach skin. Tuffeau 2017 Blancs de Blancs Brut Nature 20-23, 12pc, from Sweeney's D3, 64 Wine, greenmanwines.ie, First Draft, Blackrock Cellar, Jus De Vine, Deveney's, Ely Maynooth, Eleven Deli, Cass & Co, Dungarvan Expand Close Tuffeau 2017 Blancs de Blancs Brut Nature / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tuffeau 2017 Blancs de Blancs Brut Nature This semi-sparkling Chardonnay from the Loire has a crown cap closure and is deliciously refreshing with zesty flavours of crisp apple and a touch of citrus. Lidl Australian Chardonnay 2019 4.99, 13pc, from Lidl Expand Close Lidl Australian Chardonnay 2019 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lidl Australian Chardonnay 2019 A simple, easy-drinking Chardonnay at a budget-friendly price, you're not going to get complexity here, but the notes of tropical fruit would make this a good choice for a refreshing white wine soda if you want something lighter. Delheim Sur Lie Chardonnay 2017 26.45, 12.5pc, from O'Briens and obrienswine.ie Expand Close Delheim Sur Lie Chardonnay 2017 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Delheim Sur Lie Chardonnay 2017 From Stellenbosch in South Africa, this textured Chardonnay is fermented using wild yeast in oak and cement. With focused minerality, it broadens with flavours of lemon curd, nectarine and red apple. Grapevine Its well worth checking out the education resource on Wine Australias website, where all of the wine education programme materials are available for anyone to download, free of charge. Covering all levels from beginners to advanced, you can learn about grape varieties, wine regions and wine making, and print off a tasting mat to help you improve your skills. As an added bonus, you get a Certificate of Attendance. Wineaustralia.com Washington D.C. (USA) 15 May 2020 (SPS)- Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and Freedom Now urge the Government of Morocco to immediately release Mohamed Al-Bambary and all political prisoners in light of the growing threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, a press release published on R.F.Kennedy Foundation's website Today. A journalist and Sahrawi activist, Mr. Al-Bambary had reported on human rights abuses committed by the Moroccan government in Western Sahara before his arrest in 2015. He was tortured, denied fundamental fair trial rights, and sentenced to six years in prison in violation of international law. Despite a decision from the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in 2018 calling for his release, Mr. Al-Bambary continues to be arbitrarily detained in conditions that jeopardize his life and safety. The overcrowded and unsanitary conditions Mr. Al-Bambary faces in Ait Melloul prison present a dangerous risk for an outbreak of COVID-19. Currently, he is being held with approximately 45 other prisoners in a cell that is 8 meters by 6 meters, leaving each prisoner only one square meter of space. Under such conditions, physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is impossible. The prison itself is overcrowded at 113 percent of capacity. There is only one doctor available for the approximately 800 persons detained in the complex with him. The Government of Morocco recognizes the COVID-19 pandemic will likely have a devastating impact on persons in detention. On April 5, 2020, King Mohammed VI of Morocco pardoned 5,654 prisoners on the basis of age, frail health, time spent in prison and good conduct, in an effort to protect them from the COVID-19 outbreak. However, political prisoners and those detained on the basis of exercising their right to freedom of expression were not prioritized for release. Moreover, the limited steps that Ait Melloul prison has taken in response to the global pandemic are insufficient to protect Mr. Al-Bambary and the other prisoners from an anticipated outbreak. U.N. experts have called on all governments to release political prisoners and reduce prison populations in light of the anticipated deadly impact of the pandemic in overcrowded and unsanitary prisons. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and the U.N. Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Agnes Callamard have called on governments to take urgent action to reduce the numbers of persons detained, especially those detained without sufficient legal basis, such as those imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of expression. Dozens of U.N. Special Procedures have also called on all governments to provide appropriate support to persons in detention in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis and to take additional measures to protect those who are at most risk of being disproportionately affected by the crisis. Given these heightened risks to life and health posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Morocco must urgently act to release Mohamed Al-Bambary in line with the decision of the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and to free all political prisoners. 090/500/60 (SPS) Source: R.F.K Human Rights Foundation House Democrats passed a $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill on Friday despite trepidation from some moderate and progressive Democratic lawmakers about the effectiveness of the package. The massive relief package, dubbed the HEROES Act, passed the lower chamber in a 208 to 199 vote Friday evening. Fourteen Democrats bucked party leadership to vote against the bill, and only one Republican voted yes. Many members were allowed to vote remotely due to safety concerns about the spread of the virus. The House approved remote voting in a temporary change to House rules that Republicans opposed as detrimental to the transparency of the voting process. The relief bill, which follows four other coronavirus packages passed by Congress, includes $1 trillion for state and local governments to blunt the devastating economic effects of the pandemic, a second round of direct payments of $1,200 each for Americans, $75 billion for coronavirus testing and contact tracing, $200 billion in hazard pay for essential workers, and funding to extend the federal governments expanded unemployment benefits until January. The bill also provides more food assistance funding, $175 billion in rent and mortgage relief as well as support for election safety, Obamacare, the U.S. Postal Service, and more relief for small businesses. Not acting is the most expensive course House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said earlier this week. If you vote against this and all this funding for your state, then you have to go home and defend it. And if you can defend that no vote, then youre a better politician than me, Pelosi warned members of her party Thursday evening about opposing the more than 1,800-page bill. Republicans swiftly condemned the bill when it was introduced, arguing that it includes a Democratic wish list unrelated to the legitimate measures aimed at combating the coronavirus. GOP Representative Steve Scalise and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy both slammed the package as rife with liberal wish list items. Story continues Meanwhile, several House Democrats also expressed discomfort that the bill includes provisions that appear unrelated to the coronavirus, such as a requirement that federal banking regulators deliver regular reports on the availability of access to financial services for minority-owned and women-owned cannabis-related legitimate businesses. Representative Joe Cunningham, a South Carolina Democrat, said he would not vote for the bill, calling it Washington politics at its worst. Representative Abigail Spanberger, a Virginia Democrat, similarly said she opposes the bill and accused her party of using the package to make political statements. What I wanted to see in this package is sticking to the very specific emergency need that the country has, said Representative Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat from Michigan, adding that she was not sure yet whether the positives outweigh the negatives in the bill. All three Democratic critics represent typically Republican districts. There are some things that I dont feel like had to be in the bill, Slotkin said. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said this week that he would negotiate with Democrats if Republicans come to an agreement with the Trump administration on pursuing a next phase of relief. What youve seen in the House is not something designed to deal with reality, but designed to deal with aspirations, McConnell said of the House bill, which the Senate GOP has indicated is dead on arrival in the Senate. As of Friday afternoon, the U.S. has seen more than 1.4 million cases of the coronavirus, and more than 86,000 people have died after being infected. More than 36 million people across the country have filed for unemployment benefits over the last few weeks as businesses have been forced to shutter and lay off workers while states remain under stay at home orders. More from National Review Brazilian residents claim they have been experiencing discrimination within banks in the Mid-West. Employees of several different banks have reportedly rejected Brazilians who attempted to open bank accounts, often due to the language barrier. Nataly Merladett, who came to Limerick to study English, says she was faced with such discrimination in the AIB located on OConnell Street in the city centre. Even though Mrs Merladett speaks English at an intermediate level, the banker refused to open an account for her husband, who has limited English proficiency. His English was very basic at that moment but nothing that prevented communication. The woman who answered us said she wasn't understanding us and asked me to go with someone who spoke better in English. I tried to argue...I could understand everything she said. I showed [her] all the documents and she said everything was OK, but we'd [need to] come back another day, Mrs Merladett said. On their second visit, another banker told them that she would not open their accounts because she couldn't understand them when they spoke Portuguese to one another, which she saw to be suspicious. The banker they spoke to during their third visit said that they needed to be European citizens to open accounts, or bring an official translator from the language school. We felt really bad because they clearly didn't want to open it to us because we were from another country that did not belong to the European Union. Several Brazilians in our school have gone through the same situation. It was embarrassing and sad, she said. Mrs Merladett and her husband finally went to KBC bank instead, where they were able to open accounts without any issues. Similarly, Rafael Silva, the owner of a coffee shop franchise business, experienced the same type of discriminations. Mr Silva had already an AIB personal bank account for eight months. When he bought a new business in Roscommon he tried to open a new account with his AIB branch in Ennis, but he didnt succeed. Mr Silva said they asked him several questions such as: Why do you live in Clare? Why do you have a business in Roscommon? Do you commute there everyday? In the end, Mr Silva wasn't able to open a bank account: They said Im suspicious, and they decided to not open a business account for me. He decided to open an account with Bank of Ireland in Roscommon where he finally succeeded. I felt discriminated against by everyone, even by Revenue, said Mr Silva, Its sad but we prefer to stay and do better than them. Mr Silvas wife also had a hard time trying to open a bank account. She applied at the Bank of Ireland, where she was requested to provide a proof of address. However, even after providing her revenue letter, a valid resident permanent card and her rent agreement contract, the bank rejected her application. I think there is a discrimination, but not just with Brazilian people! said Mr Silva. He spoke about his Brazilian friend Eduardo, who works and lives in Ennis. Even though Eduardo held a valid Italian ID and got all the documents required, he wasnt able to open a bank account as he couldnt speak English. Mr Silva said he has at least seven Brazilian friends working for Uber Eats in Galway, Limerick and Dublin who couldn't open a bank account or faced difficulties in opening one. Without it they cannot get their salary. They dont speak English, but they work around 10 to 12 hours per day under the rain and strong wind to deliver hot food and cold drinks to the Irish community. We are here to learn, to help, to work, to bring new things and new ideas, but it takes us time to learn English. Before we learn to speak fluent English, we need to study and work, and wherever we go here theyll ask us our bank details, so we need a bank account, said Mr Silva. Cariene Oliveira, another English student who came to Limerick from Brazil, was initially turned away by the Limerick city branches of Ulster Bank, Bank of Ireland, Permanent, EBS, AIB and KBC. She was asked to supply an alternate proof of address, but was still turned away from most of the banks after returning with the correct documents. The Bank of Ireland accepted my initial documents, but the following week it asked for more documents. Six months of bank statement from my Brazilian account and three months of proof of income, said Ms Oliveira. She thought that the particular English school she attended might have been the problem. The second problem was my English level, and the third problem was the unwillingness to help [from] most bankers...they dont care about the number of customers or quality of services, she said. The only bank that accepted the documents she brought back was KBC, where Ms Oliveira was finally able to open an account. All banks contacted said that fluency in English was not a primary requirement to open an Irish bank account. A Bank of Ireland spokesman stated: Bank of Ireland does not refuse to open an account based on language or nationality, and we have tailored account opening documentation for different circumstances to enable the opening of accounts and to ensure that nobody is excluded. Bank of Ireland adheres to all regulatory and legislative requirements in the markets in which we operate. A spokeswoman for Permanent TSB said fluency in English is not a necessary requirement: When a customer requests to open a bank account and English is not their first language, our customer advisors will take extra time to ensure the customer understands our terms and conditions. This includes offering to have a trusted family member or friend present and provide the information in writing for the customer to take away. A spokesperson for AIB bank said that even though fluency in English is not a requirement, it is important for the person who wishes to open a bank account to fully understand the terms and conditions: While they dont necessarily need to be able to speak English fluently they would need to be able to read and understand the terms and conditions of the current account and confirm that they have understood them before entering into an agreement to open an account. Ulster Bank was also contacted for a comment but did not reply. Cristina Miceli and Karli Olson are MA Journalism students at the University of Limerick New Delhi: China on Friday began sharing with India hydrological data for the Brahmaputra river, an annual practice during the monsoon which is crucial for generating information on floods in northeast India, officials said. The data is being shared from three hydrological stations -- Nugesha, Yangcun and Nuxia -- lying on the mainstream of the Brahmaputra, known as Yarlung Zangbo in China, officials in the Jal Shakti Ministry said on Friday. For the Sutlej river, known as Langqen Zangbod in China, data is shared from a station at Tsada, the official said. The development comes amid the recent face-offs between the armies of the two countries at the eastern and northern borders of India. On May 5, around 250 Indian and Chinese army personnel clashed with iron rods, sticks, and even resorted to stone-pelting in Pangong Tso area in Eastern Ladakh. Four days later, there was a similar face-off near Naku La Pass in North Sikkim. In 2017, China had stopped sharing the data citing that the hydrological data gathering sites were washed away due to floods. It also coincided with the 73-day Doklam stand-off between the two neighbours that took place during the peak monsoon period. It resumed sharing data from 2018. India and China have signed an agreement under which Beijing shares hydrological data with New Delhi. Under the agreement, for the Brahmaputra river, the data is shared by China from May 15. In the case of the Sutlej river, the data is shared from June 1. The data is also shared twice daily until October. The Brahmaputra originates from Tibet and flows into Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and later drains into the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh. The sharing of data is very helpful in generating flood-related information for the northeastern states, officials. By PTI UNITED NATIONS: The meetings of the Intergovernmental Negotiations to discuss the long-stalled UNSC reforms have been postponed "until further notice" as in-person meetings at the UN headquarters remain suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter to the President of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, IGN co-chairs Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh and Polish Ambassador to the UN Joanna Wronecka said that they have decided to "postpone the scheduled meetings of the process until further notice. ALSO READ | UN explores options for General Assembly session, can't be 'business as usual' due to COVID-19: Official "This decision was taken in light of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and the recent medical guidance from the United Nations Medical Director regarding the ongoing measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and safeguard the health of colleagues," the letter stated. The co-chairs said they have invited Groups and Member States to remain engaged and continue to explore possible options for work continuity. IGN meetings were scheduled for March 26, 27 and April 27, 28. "However, since the restrictions on all in-person meetings remain in effect at the UN (and according to the UN Medical Director's recommendation have been extended to the end of June), we are forced to reassess the way forward for the IGN," the co-chairs wrote. They said that informal consultations held over the past weeks with groups and member states show an overwhelming preference for in-person meetings. "In light of this, and having considered the pros and cons of other options, we have decided to postpone our scheduled meetings until further notice. "At the same time, groups and Member States also expressed a wish to continue our discussions building on the two constructive meetings held earlier this year," the co-chairs said, adding that it will be important to remain engaged and continue to explore possible options for building on the IGN work. "This will be especially important given the uncertainty of when the UN will be able to open again," they said. UN chief Antonio Guterres extended the telecommuting arrangements at the world body's headquarters through June 30 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and said the situation will continue to be reviewed to decide on a phased reopening of the premises. India has been at the forefront of pushing for speeding up reforms of the 15-nation Security Council, asserting that an "obsolescent" global governance structure cannot be fit for the purpose to address the challenges of peace and security in the 21st century. India and the other G-4 nations of Brazil, Japan and Germany have said that procrastinating on reform of the Security Council has lasted decades and change is long overdue. India has been seeking a structured format of a single document that can be negotiated, one issue at a time. While there is support for India sitting in the Council as a permanent member from permanent Council members the US, France and the UK, a group Uniting for Consensus, of which Pakistan is a member, has opposed the G4 position of expansion in the permanent category. Former party chief and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday held a press conference and reacted to the Centres Rs 20 lakh crore economic package which was announced on Tuesday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi said that the Government of India must have faith in the small and medium businesses, the farmers, those walking on the streets - the migrant labourers. He said without them, the economy will never be able to start after bearing the brunt of the coronavirus crisis. Gandhi said he is not making a political statement but is speaking on behalf of the entire nation. He said he needs the government to reconsider the stimulus package Also read: Well suffer greater losses if demand is not generated, says Rahul Gandhi I have a serious reservation about the nature of the package and I would like the government to reconsider it, Gandhi said on Saturday. He said that he the government has taken a good step by introducing the stimulus package but it should focus more on putting the money in the pockets of the needy, the migrant labourers, the farmers. He emphasised on the immediate need to initiate direct transfers. It is important that we put money directly into the hands of our people, Gandhi stated. Also read: Lockdown not an on-off switch; must be lifted intelligently, carefully - Rahul Gandhi Gandhis comments on the Centres economic stimulus package comes on the sidelines of his interaction with members of the regional electronic media. He went on to take questions and suggestions from representatives from regional electronic media. I will be taking questions from the electronic regional news media at 12 noon today. You can watch the press conference LIVE right here on Twitter or on my YouTube channel, Gandhi posted on Twitter on Saturday morning. Prior to this, Gandhi had led online interactive sessions with intellectuals like former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan and Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee. Travelers flying into and out of Las Vegas who are in need of hand sanitiser or a face mask are in luck; the McCarran International Airport now has three personal protective equipment (PPE) vending machines. Located near the Terminal 1 ticket counters and the Terminal 3 TSA checkpoint, the new PPE vending machines sell masks, gloves, wipes and hand sanitiser for travellers in need. McCarran International Airport claims it was the first airport to have such machines. Speaking to USA Today, an airport spokesperson confirmed that a three pack of face masks are selling for $7.50, while a reusable cloth mask is demanding a steep $14.50. Ten packs of alcohol wipes will cost $5.25 and a 50mL bottle of hand sanitiser will cost $4.25. While McCarran International may be the first to have vending machines for PPE, it isn't the only one; the Tulsa International Airport has also started selling masks in its vending machines and many other airports are selling the items in terminal retail stores. Christine Crews, a spokeswoman for McCarran, said that the installation of the machines addressed a travel issue that is likely to become increasingly relevant. "With all the changes that have been happening rapidly ... it's not unthinkable that someone can show up at the airport and forget one of these items that are now almost essential for travel," she said. Under current Federal Aviation Administration policy, travellers are not mandated to wear masks. However, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations to wear face coverings while in public - including during travel - have remained unchanged. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 14: A personal protective equipment vending machine is set up in the Terminal 1 ticketing area at McCarran International Airport on May 14, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The airport used its social media platforms on Thursday to report that it was the first to install the machines that sell items such as masks, gloves and hand sanitizer. The nation's 10th busiest airport recorded a 53% decrease in arriving and departing passengers for March compared to the same month in 2019, a drop of more than 2.3 million travelers, as the COVID-19 pandemic impacts the travel industry. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) (Getty Images) Three of the country's biggest airlines - Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Airlines - will not force customers to fully comply with the CDC's guidelines on face coverings. According to Yahoo News, that decision hasn't sat well with the workers who have to fly alongside noncompliant customers on a daily basis; the Association of Flight Attendants CWA(AFA) union - which represents some 50,000 flight attendants - has called for stricter policies to protect its members. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 14: Alcohol disinfecting wipes, masks and bottles of hand sanitizer gel are displayed in a personal protective equipment vending machine in the Terminal 1 ticketing area at McCarran International Airport on May 14, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The airport used its social media platforms on Thursday to report that it was the first to install the machines that sell items such as masks, gloves and hand sanitizer. The nation's 10th busiest airport recorded a 53% decrease in arriving and departing passengers for March compared to the same month in 2019, a drop of more than 2.3 million travelers, as the COVID-19 pandemic impacts the travel industry. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) (Getty Images) "We need a federal plan of action to implement safety measures on masks, social distancing, cleaning and more," AFA President Sara Nelson said. "Safety, health and our entire economy is on the line. We need federal requirements that mitigate risk during this pandemic and put the safety of crew and the travelling public first." Seven flight attendants have died as a result of coronavirus, and at least 250 members of the AFA union have tested positive for the virus. Despite this, CBS News reported that at least one major US airline was considering removing its social distancing policies so it would no longer have to fly with unfilled seats. Travellers have taken to social media in some instances to express their frustration with airlines over their seemingly lax enforcement of social distancing strictures. Last weekend, a doctor travelling on a United flight took a photo showing a plane that they said was 85 per cent full, including occupied middle seats. "I guess @united is relaxing their social distancing policy these days," Dr Ethan Weiss, a cardiologist, tweeted. Mr Weiss was returning to his home in San Francisco after treating Covid-19 patients in New York. Since the photo went viral, United said that it will now call passengers once their flights are near 70 per cent capacity and allow them to change their travel arrangements if they wish. 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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 The Justice Department and top state attorneys general are likely to file antitrust lawsuits against Google in the coming months, according to two people familiar with the matter, as regulators prepare to take more aggressive aim at the tech giant's search-and-advertising empire. The federal case could come as soon as the summer, said the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss a law-enforcement proceeding that had not been finalised. It is not clear if the Justice Department plans to file at the same time as state officials who also are probing the company. Their case against Google could be ready by autumn, one of the sources said. The Justice Department declined to comment on Friday. Ken Paxton, attorney general of Texas, who is leading the state probe, said in a statement they had not been slowed down by the coronavirus pandemic. We hope to have the investigation wrapped up by [autumn], Mr Paxton added. If we determine that filing is merited we will go to court soon after that. In response, Google spokesperson Julie Tarallo McAlister said the company continues to engage with investigators. Our focus is firmly on providing services that help consumers, support thousands of businesses and enable increased choice and competition, she said in a statement. 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. An antitrust lawsuit against Google would mark a dramatic reversal of fortune for the tech giant, more than seven years after state and federal officials found the company largely had not violated the country's competition laws. European regulators, in contrast, repeatedly have levied billions of dollars in fines, accusing the Silicon Valley tech giant of harming rivals in the search, advertising and smartphone businesses. US investigators renewed their interest in Google last year as part of a wider-ranging inquiry into whether Silicon Valley businesses threatened competition and consumers. In September, the Justice Department made its first request for critical documents from Google in a probe that appeared to focus on Google's advertising business. Since then, Justice Department officials have expanded their inquiry to include Google's dominant search engine, according to multiple people familiar with the agency's efforts, though it is not clear what wrongdoing the government's case may allege. The probe at times has been acrimonious, with officials at one point privately signalling the US government could take Google to court if it is not quicker to produce critical evidence. Nearly every state attorney general in the US has signed on to the antitrust investigation led by Mr Paxton, who announced the probe on the steps of the US Supreme Court. He pledged in an interview that everything - including penalties that could lead to the breakup of the company - would be on the table. The Washington Post Following President Gotabhaya Rajapakse call for reopening the economy, most of Sri Lankas largest factories have now resumed production, in defiance of growing COVID-19 infections. Sri Lanka reported 10 new cases yesterday, raising the total number of people who have contracted COVID-19 to 935. The country, however, has only conducted 41,118 PCR tests between February 18 and May 14. The pandemic has hit Sri Lankas apparel sector, which stopped production during the national lockdown, and confronts reduced orders, particularly from retailers in Europe, the US and the UK. The industry contributes 6 percent to Sri Lankas GDP while accounting for 40 percent of the countrys total exports. Apparel manufacturers have responded to the crisis with a new wave of wage and job cuts, as well as the elimination of various allowances and the imposition of increased working hours and productivity targets. Workers employed by Sri Lankas giant Hirdaramani Group have been particularly targeted. Hirdaramanis Maharagama plant Hirdaramani, which mainly employs women and is notorious for its harsh conditions, has factories in Katunayake, Maharagama, Kirindiwela, Avissawella and Vavuniya. The company also has factories in Ethiopia, Vietnam and Bangladesh and a total workforce of 55,000. The World Socialist Web Site spoke to workers from the companys Katunayake and Maharagama plants about job cuts and their new working conditions. One employee said: All the workers are now only paid the basic salary. In the name of making up for lost time, they have to work an extra hour per day but with no additional pay. All allowances, including the attendance allowance, have been cut and the New Year bonus was not paid. This is severe exploitation. Im weary of this job but have to continue working here because its difficult to find another job. He explained that the companys so-called lost time referred to the national lockdown and that management claimed that this amounted to about 182 hours of production. He said that about 50 female workers, who had been employed for less than three months at Hirdaramanis Katunayake plant, and several from the Maharagama factory, had been laid off. The sacked workers were only given 60 percent of three months pay as compensation. Another worker said that although sanitisation, hand-washing and personal temperature measurements were occurring, working conditions at his plant meant that if one worker was infected with COVID-19, it could spread to hundreds of other employees. He warned that management could announce more job cuts and force the remaining workers to maintain production targets. A female worker, who had been at the plant for more than a year, said: We make jackets. If we previously sewed 100 per hour, management now want this increased to about 150. We are working under extreme stress and we fear losing our jobs during the pandemic. Thats why we continue to work. Workers entering Hirdaramanis Maharagama plant Referring to the companys wage and allowance cuts, she said: Because last months salary was remitted to the bank, we did not receive a salary slip. I only got the basic salary. After one years work, workers are granted one months salary as a bonus, but this also wasnt paid. If you speak out against this, youll be laid off. Several workers who complained about workers rights were sacked even before the virus hit. She also warned that management was preparing to reduce workers annual leave. The company previously had three facilities in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone (FTZ). Two of these were closed a few years ago, leaving the Hirdaramani Mercury plant still operating. Seeking even cheaper labour, the company opened two factories at Vavuniya in Sri Lankas war-ravaged north. It recently opened a new plant in Ethiopia where monthly salaries are only $US30. Hirdaramanis assault on its employees points to the vicious social attacks being prepared by the Rajapakse government and big business, in collaboration with the trade unions, on other garment workers and the rest of the Sri Lankan working class. Aspects of this regressive agenda were revealed in an April 25 letter from Kanishka Weerasinghe, director-general of the Ceylon Employers Federation, to Dinesh Gunawardena, the minister of labour relations and foreign affairs. Weerasinghes proposals included the elimination of 30 percent of Sri Lankas total garment sector workforce, the axing of overtime payments and an end to salary increments for up to six months. He also called for a 50-hour work week, instead of the current 45-hour week until December this year, the sharing of workers between companies, and the suspension of current collective agreements or the preparation of new agreements. Several companies, in fact, have already started implementing these measures. Sri Lankan operators of the Hong Kong-based Esquel, have started cutting allowances and imposing layoffs. Brandix, which employs 47,000 workers, has cut wages by between 5 and 30 percent, gutted welfare allowances and sacked temporary workers. National PVC, which is located in Kerawalapitiya, Wattala, sacked 60 casual workers when the lockdown began and, on reopening, increased the working day by four hours to 12 hours for permanent production workers. Management is discussing whether this increase will be imposed in other sections of the plant. Workers opposed these changes and walked out on strike. The company has 80 permanent employees. On May 13, Board of Investment head Sanjaya Mohottala told a television discussion entitled Reopening of Garment Factories that Sri Lankan garment exports had dropped by 30 percent and that if the COVID-19 crisis persisted in Europe and the US, the export decline would continue. Workers from Trincomalee and Kirindiwela telephoned during the program, pointing out that they had not been paid in the last months. Mohottala cynically told them to send written complaints to him or the labour department. Confronted with rapidly shrinking international orders, Asian garment exporters, including in Bangladesh, Vietnam, India and Sri Lanka, are ignoring the coronavirus threat and opening their plants in a desperate attempt to secure their markets. Sri Lankan trade unions, including the Free Trade Zone and General Workers Union, and the Inter Company Employees Union, which is controlled by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, participated in a May 11, National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) meeting with the labour minister and employers. The unions offered their advice on how to reopen the economy and prevent the eruption of strikes and working-class struggles against government and company demands. Following the NLAC meeting, the unions declared that all workers called back to work would be paid 14,500 rupees per month or the half their wage, whichever was higher. They absurdly claimed this pittance was a victory. Worker Struggles Centre, which is controlled by the pseudo-left Frontline Socialist Party, held a separate discussion with the minister. It falsely declared that the minister had agreed to solve workers problems. All these unions function as political tools of the government and the employers assisting them to implement the demands of the capitalist class against the working class. The streaming community is in chaos today as one of the new members of Amazon-owned Twitch's "Safety Advisory Council" suggested that multiplayer games remove their voice chats as it creates an "uneven playing field." Twitch Council Member Under Fire According to a report by Dexerto, the member that drew the ire of the Twitch streaming community is a popular streamer herself: FerociouslySteph. During a May 14 broadcast, the streamer said that "voice chat is unfair" and suggested that "the only way to have a level playing field for the highest level of play is not to have voice-chat... to not have people give up their linguistic profiles." As soon as the broadcast happened, the community quickly responded, with the majority of her fellow streamers disputing her claims. Read Also: France Has a New Law That Mandates Social Media Giants to Delete Extremist Contents or Pay a Fine Streaming Community Disagree Among them is World of Warcraft star Asmongold, who even suggested that Twitch might have "made a big mistake" by adding FerociouslySteph to the council judging by the clips and content he has seen. He even said that it would "only discredit the effort." Fellow video game streamer Panda supported his statement and even said that it did not have anything to do with gender nor race and was simply due to a "bad take on comms." Soon after, the council member in question responded to the criticisms and posted on her official Twitter account: "Yeah, whole [sic] lot of people with cis-white-male voices thinking voice chat is critical to competitive games being competitive." Oooo yeah whole lot of people with cis-white-male voices thinking voice chat is critical to competitive games being competitive. Tell me more about how we'll solve systemic misogyny and everything will be fine~ lol. FerociouslySteph (@FerociouslyS) May 14, 2020 This was not the first the streamer suggested to remove voice chats. In 2018, she also took to Twitter to suggest to modern game publishers the removal of voice chat as she believes adding the feature is promoting anti-inclusivity. Twitch is yet to comment on the issue. Read Also: Sony: PS5 Pushes Release Date at the End of 2020 Despite COVID-19; PS5 Tech Demo Revealed! Forming the Safety Advisory Council The Amazon-owned streaming website announced the formation of their Safety Advisory Council this Thursday, May 14, to help address the platform's various complicated issues, such as work-life balance, moderation, and ensuring the interests of marginalized communities, as noted by Kotaku. Twitch issued a press release to explain the council's formation and their duty, which include guidance on the following areas besides the ones mentioned above: Drafting new policies and policy updates Identifying emerging trends that could impact the Twitch experience Developing features and products that improve safety and moderation According to Engadget, the council is made up of eight people, with four of them as popular streamers in the platform, including, of course, FerociouslySteph alongside veteran and well-known streamers CohhCarnage, Zizaran, and CupAhNoodle. Meanwhile, the other members include T.L. Taylor, the author of the book Watch Me Play, which tackles video game streaming and Twitch. There are also heads of nonprofits, including Emma Llanso from the Center For Democracy and Technology's Free Expression Project; Alex Holmes, the CEO of The Diana Award; and Dr. Sameer Hinduja, the co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center. When Twitch created the council, they wanted to include experts who can provide an external perspective as well as Twitch streamers who know and understand the issues within the platform. As of now, there are over 1.2 million Twitch users around the world. Read Also: Fortnite Secret Challenge Guide: Where to Destroy Teddy Bears in Holly Hedges 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. MOSCOW The babies lie in cribs, sleeping, crying or smiling at nurses, swaddled in clean linens and apparently well cared for, but separated from their parents as an unintended consequence of coronavirus travel bans. Dozens of babies born into Ukraines booming surrogate motherhood business have become marooned in the country as their biological parents in the United States and other countries cannot travel to retrieve them after birth. For now, the agencies that arranged the surrogate births care for the babies. Authorities say that at least 100 babies are stranded already and that as many as 1,000 may be born before Ukraines travel ban for foreigners is lifted. We will do all we can to unite the children with their parents, Albert Tochilovsky, director of BioTexCom, the largest provider of surrogacy services in Ukraine, said in a telephone interview. He said he released a video showing dozens of stranded babies in cribs to call attention to the problem. " " The green stink bug (Chinavia hilaris) is a member of the order Heteroptera, meaning it's a "true bug." Clarence Holmes/Getty Images How often have you run inside on a warm summer evening, escaping an invasion of bugs? While it's true that flying or crawling creatures may have forced your retreat, don't be so quick to call them all "bugs." Technically speaking, a bug is always an insect, but not all insects are bugs. Bugs are part of the insect order Heteroptera commonly called "true bugs." Some better-known members of this order include stink bugs, squash bugs, water striders and bed bugs. Advertisement The term Heteroptera comes from Greek, meaning "different wings" and describing one of the characteristics of true bugs. In simple terms, the wings lay flat over the body of a bug when at rest, and consist partially or completely of membranes [source: Livermore]. Other characteristics of a true bug include an elongated mouthpiece called a labium, used for piercing and sucking; antennae made up of four or five segments; and a prominent scutellum, a part of the insect's body uniquely developed in Heteroptera [source: Livermore]. More than 42,000 species of bugs have been identified worldwide, with more than 3,500 found in North America in both water and land environments. There are many families within the Heteroptera classification, but the three largest are Miridae (plant bugs), Lygaeidae (seed bugs) and Pentatomidae (stink bugs) [source: Meyer]. These bugs live and feed mainly on leaves and stems of plants, and on the nutrients within seeds. Plant-feeding bugs sometimes receive blame for weakening plants because they suck out the sap or cause localized injury to the stems or leaves. In general, however, the harm they cause to plants is minimal [source: Meyer]. Other land bugs scavenge in the soil, in caves or even ant nests. Some are predators, such as the assassin bug, common in Britain and known to prey on other insects. Some bugs feed on human blood -- the notorious bedbug, for instance. Bedbugs are parasites, gaining sustenance from the bodies of birds or mammals, including humans [source: Amateur Entomologists' Society]. While bedbugs leave annoying bites, they are considered harmless and haven't been linked to the transmission of disease [source: EPA]. Another group of true bugs includes water bugs, which live their entire lives on or beneath the surface of fresh or salt water, or along a shoreline. Common examples include water scorpions (from the family Nepidae, a different species than a scorpion) or saucer bugs [source: Amateur Entomologists' Society]. Water bugs feed on plants and other aquatic organisms [source: Meyer]. Water bugs tend to be predators, and some are capable of inflicting a painful bite on humans. Whether they're flying around your head or crawling up your leg, next time they send you running, remember that only some of these critters can rightfully be called "bugs" -- even though they're all bugging the heck out of you. A mystery man's night at the museum has landed him in hot water with NSW Police. In the early hours of last Sunday morning, the man broke into the Australian Museum in Sydney's CBD and was captured on CCTV cameras wandering around the exhibits, police say. The man was captured on CCTV camera taking a selfie with his head inside a dinosaur skull. Credit:NSW Police He was filmed taking a selfie with his head inside a dinosaur skull. He put on a cowboy hat, which he found on a coat stand, and walked through the museum's darkened corridors. For 40 minutes the man "toured" the facility, taking photographs, rifling through drawers, and looking through storage spaces. Saudi Arabia records lowest temperature in 30 years Erdogan's visit to Ukraine scheduled for February 3 Russian peacekeeping contingent establishes order of passage through Lachin corridor French Senate votes to ban hijab at sporting events Armenian FM: All necessary conditions to be created for Demarcation Commission work Olaf Scholz: Borders in Europe cannot be changed by force Gareth Bale returns Real Madrid squad list Lavrov presents Armenian Ambassador to Russia, with the Order of Friendship Bill Gates warns of pandemics far more serious than COVID-19 Macron: EU countries must work together on agreement for stability and security How to stay in shape after losing weight? Turkey Central banks and UAE sign agreement worth almost $5 billion Djokovic buys 80% stake of COVID-19 treatment researching company Blinken: Western countries need unity to stop Russian aggression against Ukraine Iranian President performs evening namaz in Kremlin after talks with Putin Turkish police detain women protesting price hikes in hygiene products Delegation headed by Chief of the Cypriot National Guard General Staff has meetings in Armenia Merkel refuses job in UN structure Bichakhchyan scores spectacular goal against Zorya Yoga, Zumba and other beauty secrets: Cher tells how to look young at 75 Greece receives the first batch of French Rafale fighters NEWS.am daily digest: 19.01.22 Azerbaijan hopes Pope to mediate in relations with Armenia Actor Gaspard Ulliel dies after an incident Talks between presidents of Russia and Iran start in Kremlin Netflix shows teaser for Korean remake of Spanish Money Heist Armenian FM: This is not first time Baku makes nonconstructive statements Ombudsman: I urge not to give in to Azerbaijani manipulations, to visit Artsakh What to do at the first signs of Omicron ? Kamo Hovhannisyan moved to Astana Armenian FM: Armenia passes a package of proposals to Azerbaijan France names the main favorite of presidential election Garo Paylan concludes address in Turkey parliament in Armenian Tigran Barsegyan scores beautiful goal at Slovan's training session Russian Foreign Ministry believes there is no risk of large-scale war in Europe Dollar goes up in Armenia Sharmazanov: Armenia ex-President Sargsyan did not decide to hold press conference, he did not change his mind Blinken: Russia has plans to increase force on Ukraine borders : Azerbaijani military participate in Turkish drills Taliban say all conditions for recognizing legitimacy of government are met Azerbaijan MFA statement distorts events of Armenian massacres in Baku 32 years ago Luis Suarez wants to play with Steven Gerrard Karabakh ombudsmans office: Azerbaijans anti-Armenian, genocidal policy has clear chronology Netflix to not renew Paris Hilton's cooking show US official, Barzani are photographed against backdrop of Greater Armenia and Kurdistan map Armenia ex-defense minister, army General Staff chief, some others criminal case court hearing kicks off Dortmund CEO confirms there is no ultimatum for Erling Haaland FM: Most important direction continues to be international recognition of Artsakh Armenia revenue committee chief on opening of Turkey border: Shall we live with closed borders? In fear? US selects Los Angeles to host Summit of the Americas in summer 2022 Karabakh Foreign Minister: Return of refugees can only be like mirror Iranian president arrives on official visit to Moscow COVID-19 infected people show brain damage traces All CSTO peacekeepers leaves Kazakhstan Artsakh Foreign Minister: Unacceptable to bracket NKAO and NKR together Dani Alves says his primary goal is to participate in 2022 World Cup Karabakh FM: Format of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs' visits needs to be restored Media: Air communication between Turkey and Armenia will start on February 2 Nadal, 35, reveals secret to his fitness achievements Artsakh FM: Azerbaijan attack on Karabakh will mean attack on Russia Gold prices hardly change Former Vogue editor-in-chief Andre Leon Talley dies American professor angers Erdogan's son-in-law Hovhannes Khachatryan is elected Armenia Central Bank Deputy Governor 15 years pass since Hrant Dink assassination Barcelona football player undergoes surgery 563 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Guterres offers Merkel job at UN Grammy Awards date announced Armenian church revamped in Iran World oil prices going up Australian Open: Nadal advances to 3rd round Newspaper: ECHR rulings increase after Armenia revolution in 2018 Newspaper: Armenia ex-President Sargsyan to give interview instead of press conference Money Heist actor sends video message to Armenia comedian, actor, musician (VIDEO) White bread can be dangerous for brain Azerbaijan MFA falls into hysterical rage by France FM statement La Liga: Cadiz play draw, Armenias Haroyan was among their subs Coppa Italia: Juve reach quarterfinals DFB-Pokal: Borussia Dortmund are out Africa Cup of Nations: Gabon, Morocco are in Round of 16 The Pope to donate 100,000 to help migrants on border of Belarus and Poland What kind of illness does sleep disorder indicate? Fourth vaccine against COVID-19 is not enough for Omicron PSG and Zidane reach final agreement World is on verge of country defaults French Foreign Ministry considers unacceptable Azerbaijan statements about Pecresse US to return two valuable artifacts over 4,000 years old to Iraq Germany may consider halting Nord Stream 2 if Russia attacks Ukraine Israel successfully completes test of anti-ballistic missile system Plane landing in Sochi struck by lightning Dembele's agent: Barcelona only threaten Russia wants to host Euro-2032 Putin and Aliyev discuss Ukraine situation Greek PM Mitsotakis threatens Turkey with sanctions Handelsblatt: US and EU abandon idea of disconnecting Russia from SWIFT international payment system Federico Chiesa's surgery postponed due to health problems Artsakh President meets representatives of non-governmental organizations Avalanche kills person in Iran Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 00:01:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JUBA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's President Salva Kiir on Friday pledged to involve the military to revamp the agriculture sector and eradicate food and nutrition crisis in the country. "We must end for once the annual threat of famine and hunger in South Sudan and give the World Food Program (WFP) and organizations alike a break. We must begin to take responsibility for feeding our people from our land," Kiir said in a statement issued in Juba. He made the remarks ahead of the 37th anniversary when the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) launched war of resistance on March 16th, 1983. "We have no excuse to allow the world to feed our people indefinitely. The time has come now to end this and to use our military for peacetime purposes such as food production and road construction," said Kiir. Kiir said the ability of South Sudan to achieve food security depends on ending all forms of violence in the country. "Enough is enough, the peace we must pursue at all costs and to silence all the guns as this is the demand of our people, the order of the African Union and the world," said Kiir. Kiir appealed to civilian population to adhere to precautionary measures being observed worldwide on prevention of COVID-19, which had killed one person and infected 231 people in South Sudan. "While the threat of hunger looms large, what is more threatening now is the fast-spreading COVID-19 pandemic. As a government, we acted quickly to warn our people and impose travel restrictions both internally and externally to prevent coronavirus from entering South Sudan," said Kiir. "Unfortunately, despite all these efforts, the enemy is here, and it is spreading at an alarming rate, doubling nearly every five days. This disease is a dangerous killer, and we should not ignore it," he added. South Sudan's former warring parties formed the transitional unity government and are currently in discussion over sharing power in the states. Enditem TDT | Manama Bahrains efforts to battle the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak received the praise of British Parliament yesterday during a video lecture organised to discuss Bahrains efforts to confront the Corona Virus by the embassy of Bahrain in London. Deputy Speaker of the House, Nigel Evans, Rehman Chishti, Prime Ministers Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Shadow Minister (Defence Affairs) in the British Parliament, Khalid Mahmood, several politicians and parliamentarians were present. Participants praised Bahrains effort in combating the virus and efforts to help both the citizens and the residents here alike - morally, medically and financially. The meeting also praised Bahrains efforts to return UK nationals through Bahrain International airport. Sheikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Ambassador of Bahrain to the United Kingdom, said the large presence of British representatives for the event confirms the depth of cooperation between the two countries and joint interest to benefit from the experience of each other in battling the pandemic. The ambassador discussed a series of measures taken by the Kingdom, which attracted praises from the international organisations. For his part, Ambassador Roderick Drummond, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Bahrain stressed the deep-rooted cooperation between the two countries and thanked the assistance provided by the Kingdom to evacuate British nations from India and other countries through Bahrains airport. The ambassador appreciated the efforts of the Kingdom in providing full health care support to all citizens and residents as well as providing economic assistance for companies and individuals to tide over the pandemic. Ausamah bin Abdullah Al Absi, Chief Executive of the Labor Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) and Head of the National Anti-Human Trafficking Committee, reviewed the measures adopted by Bahrain, especially in examining and treating expatriate labourers during the outbreak. He said the isolation centres are fully paid by the government for those who do not have sufficient space in their homes to conduct preventive isolation. The government, he said, is also providing needly workers with meals daily. He also expressed his happiness in the increasing number of recoveries in the Kingdom, thanks to the contact tracing system and systematic checks which have increased to nearly 8,000 per day. Colonel Bob Stewart, President of the Parliamentary Friendship Group said the lecture allowed learning about the successful experience in fighting the pandemic, calling on all to benefit from the experience of Bahrain in battling the infection. Dr. Fred DiUlus, online university builder and one of the nation's early online education pioneers claims that COVID19 has created the newest OXYMORON - 'Traditional Education'. Dr. DiUlus states that two months ago a mad scramble to transform traditional classroom learning into online learning disemboweled existing education systems in America. Teachers were yanked from their classrooms while students from 1st grade through college were shifted without recourse, options and few exceptions to follow what their schools dictated - the strange new world of 100% online education. K-12 kids were dumped into the lap of parents and a cadre of teachers 90% or more of whom had no idea how to teach online spiraled into the transference from classrooms to online portals reluctantly to the bewilderment of overwhelmed parents and confused children. Teachers were expected to become online education experts in two weeks. When asked how well did that go? DiUlus said "It was chaotic, an absolute disaster." College kids attending classes were sent home-classes terminated until later. "Later" was not defined. The online classes that may have existed were not taught in most instances by the same ground based Profs. Confusion, indecision, tuition and dorm reimbursements along with fall admissions were all found floating in the air. On the other hand, frustrated K-12 teachers around the country DiUlus observed threw up their hands and many gave A's to their students and declared the school term over. Others marched valiantly on while talking to empty computers as students from grade school to high school skipped classes and avoided contact with their teachers to seek out fellow classmates as often as an opportunity to stray away from being online presented itself.. The nightmarish hell created by school officials at all levels DiUlus suggests was the end product of little or no experience by the "bosses" with online education methodology, how it should be undertaken and what worked well. The choices made by most except the most experienced colleges with online methodology and pedagogy was the worst possible substitute for effective and recognized, high standard quality online education K-12 administrators picked a conferencing software best suited for family and friends recently on Mother's Day, not effective and valuable online education. DiUlus exposed the deteriorating scenarios nationally as it was unfolding on his Twitter feed @BestWorstOnline and laid bare the fact there is no such thing as a "teach 'em online" quick-fix that can be scooped up and launched to make the online teaching transition, more effective. To be effective he says requires the online education presentation to be respected and proven. Without proper training and the acquisition of process knowledge, grade school teachers and college professors would have had to voluntarily learn how to be effective online educators before being thrown to the wolves by their administrators. Universal Competency Standards for online teaching at the K-12 level are nonexistent. Perhaps this crisis will bring home to all that one way to fix that image and the process PDQ is to set in place K-12 Competency Standards that are both universal and include requirements of emerging new technology that can be used effectively in and out of the classroom. The purpose is to keep kids in school, learning, at all times, and on schedule. College professors beat to a different drummer, most unwilling and knowledgeably inept on how to teach online so properly they demand compensation to clone their own courses and learn how to do it in order to offer and teach their exact same courses online. The field of primary education particularly has failed to keep up with the latest online learning technologies and the colleges that teach and certify our future K-12 educators are themselves stuck in a time warp, one dictated by out-of-touch bureaucrats and higher education leaders who grew up on tradition not Disney-like Imagineering. Education at the lower levels is a professional field stuck in the past, clinging to outdated classroom based pedagogy and otherwise being, bit by bit, destroyed and victimized by what DiUlus states is today's latest Oxymoron -"Traditional Education". The late Peter Drucker, a futurist guru and Father of modern management offered 30 years ago that within a generation education as we know it would be replaced by "cyber" education. "We've arrived" DiUlus says, "right on schedule." Along with everyone else in the world, President Trump wants a coronavirus vaccine now. Or, if not now, then prior to the end of the year, as he said at the White House on Friday, which Moncef Slaoui, the drug company executive the president tapped to head the effort, called a very credible timetable. By historical standards, it is an extraordinarily ambitious goal. Some vaccines have taken a decade or longer to develop, test and manufacture. The most optimistic time by which a coronavirus vaccine might be ready, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease specialist on the presidents coronavirus task force, is 12 to 18 months. Underscoring his sense of urgency, Trump has compared the vaccine effort to the Manhattan Project to develop an atom bomb during World War II, and dubbed it Operation Warp Speed. President Trump speaks in the Rose Garden on Friday. (Stefani Reynolds/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty images) Warp speed is an invented term for travel faster than light, which is possible only in the fictional universe of Star Trek. Whether it will work for the creating a vaccine for a lethal disease remains to be seen. But there are a few hundred, possibly thousands, of people now in their 60s who are living reminders of the unintended consequences of putting a drug into peoples bodies without adequate testing. Genetic engineering greatly speeds the process of developing a vaccine. But public health experts are still sorting through how to test it for safety and efficacy. The primary measure of safety, of course, is that a new vaccine doesnt make people sick, which is easy enough to verify, although it would need to be tried in a large and diverse population to catch possibly rare side effects. Efficacy is more complicated: Researchers can detect if people inoculated with the vaccine produce antibodies to the coronavirus, but how do they know if they are actually immune from future infection. One way, obviously, is to just watch them and see if they get sick (technically, if they get sick less often, or less severely, than an unvaccinated control group). But thats a slow process. The other way, which is gaining support among researchers, is a challenge trial, in which volunteers receive an inoculation and then are exposed to an infectious dose of the virus which clearly poses risks of its own. Challenge trials are usually done for diseases that are not as lethal as the coronavirus, or for which other therapies exist. Story continues Quoted in The Hill, Jeffrey Kahn, director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, said he did not see how an institutional review board that oversees research would approve a human challenge trial for the coronavirus. Children born with malformed limbs getting used to using prostheses, July 1962.(Stan Wayman/The Life Picture Collection via Getty Images) But Operation Warp Speed is proceeding along numerous tracks simultaneously: the genetic engineering of potential vaccines, testing in animals, trials in humans, and ramping up the production of the syringes, vials and other equipment necessary for mass inoculation. On Friday, Trump said were gearing up to begin manufacturing vaccines even before one (or more) is approved, so that there will be a stock on hand in advance. That means theyd better come up with a good vaccine, he said. Its risky, its expensive, but it could cut a year off the time that might otherwise be required to put a vaccine into distribution. Vaccines, of course, are suspect to a dismayingly large segment of the population, but for other reasons. Many Americans believe that they cause autism in children, an assertion that has been investigated and declared spurious by virtually the entire medical profession. Thats not what this is about. Trump has boasted frequently about his success in speeding up the approval process for drugs, a move long urged by pharmaceutical companies, which regard it as a costly obstacle to getting their products to market. And in the coronavirus emergency, epidemiologists and bioethics experts generally are going along with steps that could make a vaccine available sooner. After all, what could go wrong? The FDAs website itself holds a possible answer, in the form of a tribute to a now-forgotten hero of bureaucracy, a physician and pharmacologist named Frances Kelsey. In 1960, she joined the FDA, where her job was to review applications for drug approval. The first application she handled was for a sedative called thalidomide, which was used in the treatment of leprosy and was being marketed to prevent morning sickness, the nausea and vomiting that affects some women during pregnancy. The drug company presented data that it said proved its safety. It was already being sold over the counter in other countries. Kelsey was unconvinced and asked for more data. The company sent in more studies, but she was adamant. Among other red flags, the manufacturer hadnt proven that thalidomide was safe when taken by pregnant women. This was, of course, a period in American history when government regulations were more commonly referred to as life-saving than job-killing, and the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations appear not to have interjected themselves into the debate. President John F. Kennedy stands with Dr. Frances Kelsey, the medical officer who prevented the sale of the birth defect-causing drug thalidomide in the United States. (Bettmann Archive via Getty images) A year later, with FDA approval still pending, reports began to circulate of a peculiar, and devastating, syndrome of birth defects among the children of mothers who had taken thalidomide early in their pregnancies. The children, some of whom were miscarried or stillborn, had damage to various organs and, famously, malformed, missing or greatly shortened limbs, in the most severe cases with hands and feet that grew directly out of their torso. Some 10,000 babies were born that way in Germany, Britain and other countries. There were a few dozen cases in the United States, believed to have resulted from a loosely supervised trial, but nothing like the thousands that might otherwise have resulted. Kelsey later was honored by President John F. Kennedy with the Presidents Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service. Thalidomide was eventually approved, under restrictions, for use in treating some cancers. The episode led to the Kefauver Harris Amendment to the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, which was adopted in 1962 and greatly tightened regulation of the pharmaceutical industry. Of course, while COVID-19 is a lethal and highly contagious disease, morning sickness, though unpleasant and sometimes debilitating, is not fatal and goes away by itself. So the standards for approving a vaccine or treatment for the coronavirus should be set with that in mind. Still, it would be nice if Kelsey, who died in 2015, at age 101, was around to take a look at the paperwork. One can hope her successors will do as good a job. _____ 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: MIAMI (AP) Police in South Florida are trying to find New York Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar after multiple witnesses accused them of an armed robbery at a party, authorities said Thursday. Miramar police issued arrest warrants for both men Thursday on four counts each of armed robbery with a firearm. Baker faces an additional four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm. The residential community is located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Baker, 22, and Dunbar, 27, were attending a cookout at a Miramar home Wednesday night when a fight broke out, and Baker pulled out a handgun, the warrant said. Baker, Dunbar and two other men began robbing other people at the party of thousands of dollars in cash, watches and other valuables, witnesses told investigators. Police said the four men then fled the home in three vehicles: a Mercedes Benz, a Lamborghini and a BMW. Witnesses said the vehicles were parked in a way that would make it easy to leave quickly, leading detectives to believe the robbery was planned. No injuries were reported. Baker and Dunbar are both from Miami. Baker was one of three first-round draft picks the Giants had last season. He was the 30th pick overall out of Georgia. He played in all 16 games, starting 15. He had 61 tackles and no interceptions. He was the last of the three New York picks in that first round. We are aware of the situation. We have been in contact with DeAndre, the Giants said in a statement. We have no further comment at this time. Dunbar signed with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent out of Florida in 2015 and was traded to the Seahawks in March. He started 11 games last season, making 37 tackles and four interceptions. We are aware of the situation involving Quinton Dunbar and still gathering information, the Seahawks said in a statement. We will defer all further comment to league investigators and local authorities. Dunbar spent Thursday morning on a video conference with the Seattle media for the first time since being traded from Washington to the Seahawks in March. You just want to feel wanted at the end of the day. ... I just hope to repay them with the way I carry myself as a person, Dunbar said on the video conference. New Delhi, May 16 : The Delhi government has ordered its officials to ensure that migrant workers do not walk on roads or railway tracks. Such persons should be taken to the nearest shelter facilities, it said. Speaking to IANS, a government official said on Saturday that Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Dev has directed the officials to ensure that there is a proper cooperation with the railways in running more Shramik special trains so that migrant workers' travel is facilitated. In an order, Dev, in his capacity as the Chairperson, State Executive Committee, has told District Magistrates of Delhi and their counterpart District DCPs to ensure "that the migrant workers do not resort to walking on road and railway tracks". The Chief Secretary has also directed that in case the migrants were found in such a condition, "they should appropriately be counseled, taken to nearby shelters and provided food and water till such time they are facilitated to board the Shramik specials or buses to their native places." As per the official data, over 18,000 people are staying in about 340 shelters across the city. The government has also arranged 1,900 food centres catering to over a million beneficiaries daily twice. A number of migrants have been killed in various accidents across the country as they walked home after the sudden announcement of lockdown on March 25. Thousands of migrant workers have started returning to their native villages and hometowns on foot or in overcrowded vehicles, resulting in deaths and fatal accidents. At least 24 migrant workers died in a collision between two trucks in Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday morning. Again on Saturday, several migrant workers were killed in other road accidents in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao and Madhya Pradesh's Sagar districts. On May 8, 16 migrant labourers died after a goods train ran them over in Maharashtra's Aurangabad. Oregon cities and counties outside the Portland metro area can seek reimbursement for a collective $200 million of their public health-related spending during the coronavirus crisis, under a deal struck between Gov. Kate Brown and top Democrats in the Legislature to distribute federal relief funds. That relatively small pot of money compared to a $1.6 billion federal allocation, and the limitations on how it can be used, caused frustration for lawmakers from around the state, as voiced during a Friday meeting of the Legislative Emergency Board. The plan orchestrated by three of the states most powerful Democrats Brown, House Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate President Peter Courtney has also generated fierce pushback from city and county governments. On Friday, Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, said that prioritizing funding for public health over everything else could mean cities and counties with fewer coronavirus cases would receive less help, even if theyre struggling ferocious economic pain. Through the federal CARES Act, Oregon received roughly $1.6 billion in direct and potential pass-through money for local governments such as cities and counties. Of that, the most populous cities and counties received money directly: $114 million for the city of Portland, $28 million for Multnomah County and $104.8 million for Washington County. The U.S. Department of Treasury instructed states the money can only be used for expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency this year that were not already in government budgets. The governor, Courtney, D-Salem, and Kotek, D-Portland, opted to set aside $15 million for tribal governments and another $200 million for local governments to pay for personal protective equipment, contact tracing, testing capacity, vulnerable population quarantine, farmworker field sanitation restrictions, and other costs incurred by local governments during the response to COVID-19, according to a legislative document. They plan to hold onto the remaining $525 million for programs still under development, such as possible statewide rental assistance, and reserves in case the state faces an increase in infections later this year, Kotek said. Brown, Kotek and Courtney also decided to use $450 million for state expenses related to coronavirus such as increased public health spending, higher Food Bank funding, increased cleaning supplies and custodial staff, and temporary 10% hikes in Medicaid payments to nursing homes and facilities that care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Brown ordered those increases starting April 1, according to a spokesperson. Meanwhile, officials in Portland and Multnomah County have argued they should not be cut out of applying for the money just because they already received federal support. But legislative leaders resisted that call Friday. Kotek said Portland must blend its money with that of Multnomah County, which is leading the city and countys public health response, because if that response is not successful, they will not be able to achieve an economic recovery. Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury said this week that given the countys role as the local public health authority, its allocation is not nearly enough to put the area on track to reopen its economy. Rural Republicans and metro area Democratic lawmakers also raised concerns Friday. Sen. Lew Frederick, a Democrat from Portland, said the state needs to make sure minority business owners receive adequate support and that the health impacts on people of color are correctly tracked and addressed. Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod said his party was completely shut out of the three top Democrats decision and House Republican Leader Christine Drazan said the federal governments very generous funding should be distributed around the state simply on a per capita basis. Courtney responded that I gotta get as much help as I can out to the people as fast as I can get it and that demands a degree of action and a speed of action that sometimes bumps up against public input. Jim McCauley, legislative director for the League of Oregon Cities, said the Treasury guidance does not bar cities from using the money to cover spending in response to the economic fallout from the coronavirus. He wrote in an email that this would include reimbursement for a small business grant programs, which over 20 cities on (their) own have already provided and paid out, as well as rent assistance and other direct support to residents. Kotek acknowledged communities around the state have huge needs right now. She said the entire $1.39 billion allocated to Oregon for local government relief could be spent completely on economic supports for businesses who have suffered in the downturn. Alternatively, she noted, All of that money could be spent probably to help our healthcare system. The speaker noted Oregon leaders signed onto a letter with other western states this week calling for Congress to pass $1 trillion in funding for state and local governments. We are all hoping that there will be a fourth major (funding) package from the federal government, Kotek said. -- Hillary Borrud: hborrud@oregonian.com; @hborrud Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Saturdays have become more enjoyable and appetizing for a lot of senior citizens in Fairport Harbor Village. Thats because every Saturday is delivery day for the free, hot meals that are freshly prepared by a new community group called Harbor Hearts. For nearly two months, the organization has cooked and brought those meals to a list of elderly residents that has grown significantly. Harbor Hearts formed in late March after Chris Carlson, his wife Wendy Carlson, and their friend Brian Hites were talking about ways to help senior citizens in the village during the novel coronavirus pandemic. We just had a discussion, we were going to barbecue some rib dinners for the elderly in town just to give them a meal, Chris said. We got a list from the Fairport Harbor Senior Center of elderly people who were shut in, couldnt get out, didnt have family around. Kickoff dinner The three co-founders recruited five other friends and the newly established Harbor Hearts made plans to shop for food and supplies, and then prepare, package and deliver its inaugural dinner about a week later, on March 28. Although the group initially counted on providing rib dinners for about 15 senior citizens based on the list from the Fairport Harbor Senior Center, the project quickly expanded. As the eight members of Harbor Hearts looked at the list, it prompted them to think of other Fairport Harbor senior citizens with similar needs. Their names were added to the roster. It sort of spiraled from cooking 15 rib dinners to cooking almost 40, Chris said. After Harbor Hearts began sharing information and photos about the weekly dinners on its Facebook page, the group began to receive referrals for additional meal recipients. One woman who lives in Maryland recently reached out to Harbor Hearts, Chris said. She said, I dont live in Fairport Harbor, but my mother lives there. Shes in her 80s, and she has nobody around. Chris said. And so we went down, knocked on her door and told her who we were. We said, Were going to start bringing you a meal every week. And now she loves us. Recipe for success While Harbor Hearts has demonstrated its knack for creating delectable dinners featuring items ranging from cabbage rolls to chicken paprikash to spare ribs, the group also possesses key ingredients needed for organizational success. For example, the organization didnt take long to come up with a system to effectively carry out its weekly mission. First, they found the right location to prepare meals thanks to the generosity of the Hungarian Culture Club at 633 High St. in Fairport Harbor. Theyre allowing us to use their commercial kitchen, because without that, we probably wouldnt be able to do this, Hites said. All three co-founders emphasized that Harbor Hearts is an independent, nonprofit organization. However, theyve been able to use the Hungarian Culture Clubs kitchen because Wendy works there as a bartender and booking agent for the clubs banquet room. In addition, a few other Harbor Hearts members are Hungarian Culture Club officers. Harbor Hearts schedule for producing the weekly Saturday meal usually begins on Wednesday, Its at midweek when members will go to the club to begin thawing meat or other frozen foods. Friday is the day when Harbor Hearts will prepare side dishes or condiments, such as cole slaw and tartar sauce for the recent walleye dinner. Then we come up here early Saturday, cook through the day and deliver starting at 4 p.m., Hites said. Numbers worth noting The number of meals cooked and delivered by Harbor Hearts has grown steadily, to the point where the group is producing about 90 to 100 meals each Saturday. Even with its initial success, Harbor Hearts has been careful about controlling its growth. The groups membership has stayed at eight -six people performing food preparation and cooking, and two overseeing delivery. All of the members are Fairport Harbor residents. Were able to have our distance in the kitchen, Chris said, regarding the six members preparing food. We wear masks, we wear gloves, were as safe as we can be. He added that Harbor Hearts has turned away additional people who want to join the group, because of Ohios current mandate to limit most gatherings to 10 people or fewer. Fairport focus Hites added that Harbor Hearts remains steadfast in its mission to exclusively serve Fairport Harbors senior citizens. If we were getting families with six kids (in addition to elderly clients), because of the scope of it, we just wouldnt be able to do it, he said. The group also intends to keep its service area limited to Fairport Harbor. With Fairport being 1 square mile, that gives us the ability to deliver everything hot, Chris said. Our groups motto is Fairporters helping Fairporters. Securing support In the short time that Harbor Hearts has been operating, its succeeded in cultivating the communitys support. Chris recalled that group members used their own money to fund the cost of all meals during the first three weeks of the program. However, as Harbor Hearts becomes better known in Fairport Harbor, the group has been receiving more monetary contributions. Were using (those financial donations) to get our main supplies, Chris said. Harbor Hearts also has benefited from the generosity of businesses, civic groups and individuals in Fairport Harbor that either donated food or supplies, or have given the group discounts on those items. On one occasion, Fairport Harbor Creamery donated ice cream, while another time, two village residents bought homemade cookies from the creamery and donated them to Harbor Hearts, in both situations providing tasty desserts. Fairport Harbor Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7754 also donated corned beef and carrots to Harbor Hearts that it couldnt use for one of its on-site meals that was canceled because of COVID-19. Vaskos Bi-Rite grocery store also has given Harbor Hearts very reasonable prices on meat purchases. Meanwhile, on the Saturday preceding Mothers Day, Julie Drennen, owner of Flowers by Julie, provided Harbor Hearts with a discounted rate on flowers it bought to give all moms with their delivered meals. Besides supplying seniors with meals, Harbor Hearts also maintains a pantry, from which it will deliver donated nonperishable foods and other necessities to elderly residents upon request. What we do is take a picture of that stuff (from the pantry) and put on Facebook if anyone needs anything, let us know, Chris said. Group members also have run errands for senior citizens when theyve sought assistance. Future plans If and when the Ohio Department of Health declares that COVID-19 is under control and says all aspects of life can return to normal in the Buckeye State, Harbor Hearts doesnt plan to disband. The problem is, if it goes back to normal, 80 percent of our people still arent going out, Chris said. Theyre still stuck at home. So we do need to keep looking after them, and making sure theyre all right. Were definitely not going away. At this time, Harbor Hearts plans to keep delivering weekly meals on Saturday at least through the first week in June. Beyond that point, Hites said he hopes the group could still provide meals at least once a month, even if the threat of COVID-19 dissipates. Theres talk about (novel coronavirus) blowing back up in the fall, and if it does, we want to be able to roll right into it, and start doing (meal deliveries) every week if we have to, he said. Besides feeling a sense of obligation, members of Harbor Hearts are all enjoying their volunteer efforts too much to want to stop. (The senior citizens receiving meals) have grown on us and I think weve grown on them, Wendy said. Its almost like we extended our family. For more information on Harbor Hearts, visit its Facebook page or call 440-487-0263. Mumbai, May 16 : Television actor Aansh Arora has filed a complaint at Mumbai's Oshiwara Police Station against an imposter trying to dupe him in the name of Salman Khan Films (SKF). The complaint was lodged on Friday. On March 1, an impersonator, identified as Shruti, got in touch with Aansh pretending to represent Salman's production house. Shruti informed the actor that she is "heads the casting at Salman Khan Films" and that they were looking for a "TV actor to portray a main role" in a film titled "Ek Tha Tiger 3". "She told me that she's leading the casting of Salman Khan Films' production 'Ek Tha Tiger 3' and they wanted to audition me for the lead negative role. She briefed me (on) the character and story as well," Aansh told IANS. The actor further revealed that he was asked to visit their office for a meeting and audition with director Prabhu Deva on March 3. However, Shruti later cancelled the meeting saying that the director was busy, and also informed Aansh that he had been shortlisted for the negative role on the basis of his profile and videos. Asked about the specifics of the role he was offered, Aansh was informed that it is the role of the "main antagonist who is also the wrestler", reveal screenshots of a conversation lying with IANS. The hoax came to light on Thursday when Bollywood superstar Salman Khan took to Twitter to issue a statement where he categorically denied any such film was in the making right now. The actor also warned of taking legal action against impersonators. "This is to clarify that neither I nor Salman Khan Films are casting for any film currently. We have not hired any casting agents for any of our future films. Please do not trust any emails or messages received by you for this purpose. Legal action will be taken if any party is found falsely using SKF or my name in any unauthorised manner," Salman had said in his Twitter statement. The superstar's tweet acted as an eye-opener for Aansh. "Just when I saw Salman Khan's tweet on this (matter) -- that neither he nor Salman Khan Films production were casting for any film currently -- that I realised (the truth)," shared the TV actor, who is a resident of Lokhandwala. The actor filed a police complaint against the imposter at Oshiwara Police Station the very next day. Aansh Arora is not the only actor who has falled prey to the hoax. A few days ago, another television actor Vikkas Manaktala shared on Facebook how an impersonator pretending to be from SKF had approached him for a role in a film titled "Ek Tha Tiger 3". "Impersonator alert... Please be careful... The number doesn't belong to Dipti R Sharma and the email id is fake... Skf.com is not Salman Khan Films' domain... Please don't be fooled by such impersonators.. #fakecasting #impersonator #becareful," wrote Vikkas Manaktala on Facebook sharing a phone number and an email id. When IANS tried reaching Shruti on the number mentioned in Aansh's chat conversation as belonging to Shruti, nobody responded. Two Tennessee counties, home to large prisons, have become epicenters of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Trousdale County is currently number one in the county for COVID-19 cases based on population, according to Associated Press. The county has 1,363 confirmed infections because of the CoreCivic Trousdale Turner Correctional Center where almost 1,299 of 2,444 inmates and 50 workers have tested positive for the virus Only 13 cases to date in Trousdale County are not related to the prison. Elsewhere in the state, Bledsoe County is currently fifth in the nation due to the Bledsoe County Correctional Complex, which accounts for 586 confirmed cases out of 604 prisoners tested, according to a county report. The complex of three prisons houses 2,539 prisoners and is operated by the Tennessee Department of Corrections. There have been two prisoner deaths at the Trousdale facility and one at the Bledsoe County facility, according to news reports. Prison officials told the media that, remarkably, nearly all the Trousdale inmates completed 14 days of isolation without becoming ill. Many find such figures impossible to believe. In late March, when the Nashville Scene spoke to Susan who had a friend at the Trousdale facility, she correctly anticipated the pandemics impact at the prison even though there had not been a documented and reported case in the county. They cant even handle a common cold, let alone a pandemic, she said of prison officials. The Nashville Scene reported that many prisoners were reluctant to report any symptoms to prison officials and that the state was slow to begin testing prisoners and prison staff. There are approximately 30,000 people currently in the states prison system, all of whom are at high risk of infection. The mother of a man incarcerated at the Trousdale facility made a moving post on the Nashville Scene website, noting, the covid out break is gross negligence by Gov Bill Lee, TDOC and Core Civic. my son is at Trousdale and they have been on lock down and no visits from outside for more than 8 weeks. The perfect cover up by the sate [sic] to have us all believe 1200 plus inmates in one spot were asymptomatic. Core Civic is a private for profit prison, if 500 men die, the state will send them 500 more. A recent study by the ACLU predicts an additional 100,000 deaths in the US prison system alone if the countrys massive population is not significantly reduced. Trousdale County, in north-middle Tennessee, has a population of about 9,500 and is geographically the smallest county in the state, with about 117 square miles (303 square kilometers). The annual median household income is $53,000, and nearly 20 percent of the population live in poverty. The CoreCivic prison was built on the site of what was to be the Hartsville Nuclear Power Plant, begun with land acquisitions in 1964 of 1,900 acres (220 ha), and closed uncompleted in 1984. Bledsoe County, in southeast Tennessee, has a population of about 13,000 and a median household income of about $43,000, and 27 percent of residents scrape by below the poverty line. Poor, rural counties have often been Tennessees dumping grounds for everything from prisons to badly or unregulated landfills and hazardous waste businesses, often the only sources of full or auxiliary employment other than farming. In her essay, Building a Prison Economy in Rural America, public policy researcher Tracy Huling observed that there are more prisoners than farmers in some swaths of the United States. Huling also explained that starting in the 1990s, new prisons and jails appeared in rural areas at a rate of about one every 15 days. Wherever the for-profit prisons locate, corruption and misery follow like obedient dogs. The Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) was created in 1983 with the aid of investments from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Vanderbilt University and Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) founder Jack Massey. Now called CoreCivic and with revenues of almost $2 billion, the corporation operates some 65 state and federal correctional and detention facilities with a 90,000-prisoner capacity in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Growing into a multibillion-dollar corporation, it has left a wake of prisoner abuses, poor pay and benefits, scandals, deaths and riots. No abuse was too small to overlook or inflict on prisoners and staff alike. A good example took place in Tennessees capital. In July 2017, prisoners and employees at the Nashville/Davidson County Jail had to resort to federal lawsuits to expose that CoreCivic had failed to respond to a chronic scabies outbreak in the city jail. Scabies is an infestation of tiny mites that burrow into the skin and lay eggs, which leads to an angry rash and intense itching. The mites that cause highly contagious scabies can be killed with simple treatment, but CoreCivic preferred saving money to providing relief to inmates, jail workers, courthouse workers and their families. This all occurred one year after the CCA board of directorstired of carrying around the name CCA and its association with prisoner abuse for profitdecided in 2016 on rebranding its ugly but profitable business to the more palatable CoreCivic. In that same year, the Obama administration approved a no-bid $1 billion contract to the corporation to detain Central American asylum seekers. Dear Editor, As we struggle to survive in the present, lets not doom our future. Man-made pollution and the climate crisis are going to be with us far longer than the coronavirus crisis were in now. Congress needs to rescue the industries serving our future, not those dragging us back to the past. In particular, relief funding should be targeted to stimulate renewable energy resources, not to prop up the oil, gas and coal industries. For the first time, the U.S. is now producing more electricity from renewable sources than from coal. Congress should accelerate that trend with its pandemic relief money. Here in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is leading the nation with forward-looking climate policies. New York has banned fracking. The states last coal-fired power plant went offline last month. Our transformative new siting law for large-scale renewables will speed the development of wind and solar farms, to give us clean power while bringing economic benefits and good jobs to rural areas. New Yorks environmental regulations are working to thwart new fossil fuel infrastructure. But at the national level, we need Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Anthony Delgado to help break the grip of fossil fuels by denying them coronavirus relief funding. Our common future is at stake. Alison White Kingston, N.Y. Detailing the measures for easing economic hardships triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced structural reforms in eight sectors: Coal, Minerals, Defence Production, Airports, Airspace Management, Maintenance Repair and Overhaul, Power Distribution companies in UTs and Space Atomic Energy. Talking about reforms in airspace management, Sitharaman said that only 60 percent of Indian airspace was freely available. To ensure optimum utilisation of airspace, the government will ease restrictions on the utilisation of Indian airspace. "The move will benefit the aviation sector to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore per year," the FM said. Subsequently, it will also result in a reduction in fuel use and time. It will also have a positive impact on the environment, FM said. In addition to benefiting the aviation sector, efficient management of airspace is likely to reduce the cost of flying for passengers. Follow FM Nirmala Sitharaman's announcements here on our LIVE blog May 16 is the fourth day of the finance minister outlining a tranche of the contours of Indias Rs 20 lakh crore fiscal stimulus announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So far, the steps announced by the government have focussed on MSMEs, PSU banks, agriculture and welfare of the poor. On May 15, Sitharaman announced Rs 1 lakh crore for a farm infrastructure fund and a Rs 10,000 crore scheme for micro food enterprises. Moreover, she proposed amendments to the Essential Commodities Act to enable better pricing for farmers. The nationwide lockdown enforced on March 25 has brought most economic activities in the country to a standstill. An Evacuation Center at Brgy. 61-M and 61-A at Garita Elem. School, Cavite City. (Photo : Cavite City Police Station Facebook Page ) An estimated 140,000 were crammed into evacuation centers on Friday as powerful typhoon Ambo (International name: Vongfong) ravaged the Philippines. Typhoon Vongfong, made landfall in Eastern Samar last Thursday with winds of 155km (96 miles) an hour and gusts of up to 255kph (158 miles an hour), according to PAGASA, the country's weather agency. The typhoon was classified as a category 3 hurricane. It brought with it torrential rains, strong winds that ripped off roofs of flimsy homes near the shore. The storm hit as millions of Filipinos are mandated to stay at home to curb the spread of coronavirus. The powerful storm, however, caused at least 141,700 to flee from their home because of the powerful storm and take refuge at the evacuation center. Damage in Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar likened the typhoon to 'Yolanda Jr..' Supertyphoon Yolanda, the strongest typhoon to hit the land left more than 7,000 people dead and left Php 130 billion in damages in November 2013. According to Evardone, the devastation in his province is so "enormous and unimaginable" that he likened Ambo to Typhoon Yolanda Jr. in terms of damage to infrastructure. The typhoon is also a double whammy for them as the province is also faced with the COVID-19 crisis. READ: Sun on a 'Lockdown' Period: Is Freezing Weather, Famine Coming? The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported these damages as of May 16, 5:20 AM: Public structures were also damaged by the typhoon, including evacuation centers and classrooms, which were turned into COVID-19 isolation centers. High winds damaged the roof of a church in Arteche Town, Eastern Samar. Newly harvested rice, coconut, corn, and root crops were also damaged. No estimate on the cost of damage was given. Houses and gymnasiums in municipalities of Maslog and Oaras, Easter Samar, were also damaged. Several areas were impassable to floods. On Friday, power was restored in several parts of Eastern Samar. Evacuation in Bicol Region Thousand were also evacuated in Bicol Region as residents living near the slopes of Mayon Volcano were asked to leave the area before the typhoon to avoid landslides and flooding. Albay Governor Al Francis Bichara ordered the decampment of approximately 16,000 displaced families that are staying in evacuation centers, churches, and houses of relatives. Houses in Oas, Sorsogon, were submerged in waters. Mayor Das Maronilla of Libon reported that ten villages were flooded. In Guinobatan town, a landslide of heavy rocks and sand cascaded down to the foot of Mayon Volcano. In Bulan, Sorsogon, several hectares of rice, corn, and vegetables were damaged. Evacuation in Times of Coronavirus Local government officials are grappling for ways to ensure the safety and comfort of people in evacuation areas, and at the same time, implement social distancing measures to prevent the coronavirus spread. The provincial and city governments, now strapped for resources due to the coronavirus outbreak, were faced with a daunting logistical and space issue: at least 200,000 people had to be moved from their homes in coastal and mountainous areas to prevent damage in cases of landslides and flooding. With limited space for evacuation centers, implementing social distancing is a challenge. READ NEXT: Four Southwest Florida Counties Fight Off Brush Fires Aljazeera accounts for these challenges in evacuation areas: In Buhi, Camarines Sur, evacuees were given face masks before they were allowed in evacuation centers. According to Mark Anthony Nazara, the public officer at Buhi, more temporary shelters were opened to ensure social distancing among evacuees. In Northern Samar, the number of the school building for storm shelters was doubled to ensure that approximately 80,000 residents who were forced to evacuate from high-risk coastal communities are accommodated and are practicing social distancing. PAGASA, the government weather agency warned of "storm surges that may cause potentially life-threatening coastal inundation." More than 1,400 migrants from Bihar boarded the Shramik Special train from Kalyan railway station on Saturday evening at 3.50pm to Gaya district. The train was scheduled at 2.pm, but the journey was delayed because passengers had to be screened before boarding the train. Hence, the train departed at 3.50pm with total 1,463 passengers to Gaya railway station in Bihar, an official from Kalyan railway station said. Passengers who registered for this train came from Kalyan, Dombivli, Ulhasnagar, Ambernath, Badlapur and Karjat. The train has 24 compartments, in which passengers were accommodated ensuring social distancing norms, the official said. CHI Memorial and Parkridge Health System have relaxed their visitation policies to allow one visitor, with some exceptions. Officials with Erlanger Health System continue to re-evaluate its current visitation policies and are not planning to make any changes at this time. Officials said the three hospitals "continue to monitor the effect of COVID-19 in our community." It was noted that all three health systems "revised visitation policies at the beginning of the pandemic to help reduce the spread of the virus and keep our patients and staff safe." Visitation policies for each health system can be found online at: - Kyle Ayisi is a final year student at Pickerington Central High School in the United States - The Ghanaian teenager has been accepted to 14 different universities including five Ivy League Schools - Ayisi has decided to attend Princeton University to study cognitive science and neuroscience Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana A brilliant Ghanaian student identified as Kyle Ayisi has attained a remarkable feat after being accepted to 14 different universities in the United States including five Ivy League Schools. Some of the schools include Princeton, Columbia, Yale, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, Washington University, Johns Hopkins and Vanderbilt. Reflecting on his accomplishment, Kyle Ayisi, a final year student at Pickerington Central High School, told myfox28columbus.com that he was''raised to always work hard, and to work towards [his] goals.'' READ ALSO: Brilliant Black teen accepted into 23 universities receives over GHC2m in scholarships The genius Ghanaian student successfully combined his studies with extra school activities such as music, marching band, choir, student council, national honor society and others. ''Im in diversity club, German club, I used to run track, and now I play volleyball,'' Ayisi said as he finished listing his extracurriculars. With an extensive list of options, and many college visits later, Ayisi has decided to attend Princeton University in the fall. The teenager told myfox28columbus.com that he tries to focus on what makes him happiest. Ayisi credits his high ethical standards to his parents who moved to the United States years ago. The soon to be Princeton University freshman is excited about his next chapter and plans to study cognitive science and neuroscience. ''Im interested in how the brain works and how the brain functions,''Ayisi said. Just recently, YEN.com.gh reported that Divine Narkotey Aboagye, a Ghanaian student of the Graduate Faculty of Illinois State Universitys (ISU) School of Communication was adjudged Outstanding Graduate Student by the university. The graduate student award is given annually to acknowledge a student who has showed unmatched excellence in teaching, research and service. READ ALSO: Nana Akua Addo glows in expensive dress with matching bag as she flaunts fine legs (photos) Low-cost ventilators produced in Ghana by Prof. Fred McBagonluri | #Yencomgh Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 06:53:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close OTTAWA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Five members of the Canadian Armed Forces, who were serving in nursing homes in Quebec and Ontario, have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Canadian Defence Ministry on Friday. Out of the five members, four were serving in Quebec province and one in Ontario province. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed the five cases at his Friday press conference but did not provide details. Almost 1,700 military members are reportedly working in 25 nursing homes in Quebec and five in Ontario after many of the regular staff were infected by the COVID-19. They are reportedly responsible for cleaning, serving food and assisting with seniors' basic needs. The country's nursing homes have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Deaths in nursing homes account for more than 80 percent of the nation's coronavirus fatalities, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. As of Friday afternoon, there have been 74,750 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 5,553 deaths in the country. The ministry said it will provide updates to inform Canadians about the number of military members tested positive for COVID-19 every two weeks. Enditem With the reopening of restaurant dining rooms ongoing across America, there has been much discussion about the precautions that such moves entail. Equally important, however, is how customers react to on-site dining during a pandemic, with that response just as critical to future restaurant success as masks and gloves will be. The popularity of curbside, delivery, and takeout is an indication that not everyone has suddenly become an at-home Julia Child or Guy Fiera. There clearly remains a large part of the population that either can't, or just isn't motivated to, cook. Admittedly, a combination of cabin fever and curiosity is likely to at first fill restaurant seats as they once again become available. The great unknown is whether or not the market for dine-in will be sustained at close to pre-pandemic levels once those re-openings have occurred. Dataessential, a firm that does research in the food industry, is bullish on the viability of reopened dining rooms. In research the firm completed in late April, "dining in my favorite sit-down restaurant" was the number one activity survey respondents reported as that which they looked forward to once stay-at-home orders were lifted. However, the same research discovered considerable mistrust and caution in the mind of consumers, with 72% percent of those queried "not trusting others to act responsibly" once lockdowns were lifted. Embedded in this (and other) speculative consumer research is a troubling set of contradictions. Consumers are eager for life to return to "normal," and being able to go out for a meal is an important part of the normalcy they crave. Yet a return to pre-pandemic restaurant visit frequency faces some significant headwinds. For many, household finances have become problematic thanks to layoffs and loss of income, and future restaurant prices are likely to be significantly higher than pre-CO-VID. Recent research data additionally indicates that, for those who do anticipate visiting restaurants, drive-thru and curbside pickup are overwhelmingly believed to be the safest options available to them. The actual dining room experience post-lockdown is also unlikely to fully satisfy customer cravings for normalcy. Fever checks before being seated, limits on party sizes, servers in gloves and masks, and socially distanced seating may do little to instill in diners a sense that all is right with the world. Side dishes One of the options that Steaming Tender Restaurant in Palmer is making available as part of its recently introduced curbside pickup service is the operation's Signature Whiskey Bread Pudding. Offered in a "cook at home" version, the bread pudding comes in full-sized and half-sized editions, with the half pan serving eight and the full size described as enough for 12. Advance orders are required, and they can be made by calling Steaming Tender at (413) 283-2744. The Tavern Restaurant in downtown Westfield is offering nightly Family Dinner specials. Typical selections include Bourbon-brown sugar glazed grilled chicken, shrimp and scrod francaise, tenderloin tips Marsala, and chicken and sweet sausage cacciatore. Specials change nightly and are sized to accommodate from four to six, depending on the appetites involved. Desserts are available as well, with options ranging from lemon meringue and chocolate cream pies to tapioca pudding and baklava. Both pick-up service and local delivery are available; call (413) 562-0335 for more information. On sign of just how much the restaurant industry has changed over the past few weeks was described in an open letter from Jose Cil, the CEO of Restaurant Brands International, Inc (RBI). In preparation for fully relaunching the three concepts in RBI's portfolio, Cil revealed that the company is evaluating reusable mask designs that are AN integral part of the standard uniform at RBI outlets, which include Burger King restaurants. Burger King is also working to improve its drive-thru and curbside pick-up options as well as reconfiguring its dining room layouts. The other giant in the fast food burger world, McDonald's Corp., is trying to develop a menu strategy for going forward. When the pandemic-driven shutdown began, McDonald's switched its operations to a limited menu and discontinued all-day breakfast. Now, with at least partial reopening possible, the fast food giant is contemplating gradual, "staged" re-introduction of its pre-March bill of fare, with the actual menu lineup decisions made on an individual market area basis. Of particular concern to McDonald's management is rebuilding the chain's breakfast business, a daypart that has been disproportionately impacted by stay-at-home orders and the successful rollout of a breakfast menu by Wendy's. The Wendy's Company recently reported that its breakfast menu, which was launched in early March, now represents 8% of that chain's total sales, a level the brand had not expected to reach before the end of 2020. Though the establishment's waterside ambiance can't be enjoyed on a take home basis, Russo's Lakeside Seafood and Steakhouse in Palmer is putting up its regular menu for takeout. Russo's, which is located on Forest Lake, also prepares "Family Style Meals." Sized to serve up to five, the choices include the likes of a beef taco kit; a 15-piece fried chicken dinner that includes mashed potatoes, mac 'n' cheese, baked beans, and more; and a fish & chips family pack. Group-friendly dessert selections like apple or blueberry crisp, a Boston Cream cake, and cannoli are available as well. Russo's is currently opening nightly at 4 p.m. with daytime hours Thursday through Sunday. Orders can be called in to (413) 289-2360. GianniFig's Ristorante in South Deerfield has remained open during the "stay-at-home" order, offering takeout and local delivery service nightly, Tuesday through Sunday. On Wednesday evenings GianniFig's has been promoting a "Wine and Dine" for couples package. It includes a shared appetizer, salad or soup for two, any dinner on the menu for both, and a shared dessert. A selected bottle of wine is also factored into the $70 package price. The restaurant answers at (413) 350-5940. Preparing three family meal packages daily, Leone's Restaurant in Springfield also makes most of its regular menu available for curbside pickup or local delivery. The family meal options are chicken francaise, chicken parmesan, and eggplant parmesan, with each family meal designed to serve from four to six. Salad, bread, homemade dressing, and dipping oil are included, and the core "family meal" selections are typically supplemented by a daily special or two. Two homemade dessert options - currently tiramisu and berry peach crisp -- can be requested to enhance a family dinner drive-by. Leone's, which is located in the Tri-Town Plaza off Cooley Street, answers at (413) 783-4363. "Kits," to-go food packages with some assembly required, have proven to be an interesting variation on the take-out culture that's evolved over the past two months. Dunkin', the coffee shop giant, has introduced a DIY Donut Kit that features plain donuts along with frostings and sprinkles for home decorating. The kit is available from participating locations in four- and nine-donut versions. Taco Bell is promoting an "At Home Taco Bar," a "serves-six" pick-up package that includes flour tortillas, taco shells, nacho chips, seasoned beef, queso and condiments. DIY Sundae Kits are available at some Baskin-Robbins locations. In addition to two quarts of ice cream, the kits include a sauce such as butterscotch or hot fudge, sprinkle-on toppings, and an aerosol can of whipped cream. Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community Colleges hospitality and culinary arts program and has nearly 45 years of restaurant and educational experience. Robert can be reached on-line at OffTheMenuGuy@aol.com. The Justice Department and several state regulators are gearing up to file antitrust lawsuits alleging Google has abused its dominance of online search and advertising to stifle competition and and boost its profits. The Wall Street Journal on Friday cited unidentified people familiar with the probes in a report about the upcoming offensive by the U.S. Justice Department and the attorneys general from several states. The Justice Department may file its case as early as this summer while Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton may take action in the fall, along with his peers in other states, according to the Journal. Google could be hit with a slew of antitrust lawsuits later this year if Justice Department and state attorneys general move forward with their case U.S. Attorney General William Barr has previously said he hoped to decide whether to pursue an antitrust case against Google by the summer. Texas and other states announced they were looking into Google's business practices last September. Google acknowledged it has ongoing discussions with the Justice Department and Paxton without elaborating on the nature of the talks. 'Our focus is firmly on providing services that help consumers, support thousands of businesses, and enable increased choice and competition,' the company said in a statement. This isn't the first time Google has been thrust under the microscope of antitrust in the U.S. The Federal Trade Commission closed an extensive investigation into Google's alleged abuses in 2013 without taking any action because it concluded the Mountain View, California, company wasn't hurting consumers. U.S. Attorney General William Barr (left) previously said he hoped to decide whether to pursue an antitrust case against Google by the summer. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is leading states' investigation Since then, Google has grown even more powerful under the umbrella of the corporate parent, Alphabet, that it spawned in five years ago. When the FTC closed its case, Google was generating annual revenue of $50billion. Last year, Alphabet raked in $162billion in revenue. Most of the money comes from a digital ad market that Google dominates along with social networking rival Facebook - another potential target of antitrust regulators. There has been no word, though, whether Facebook might be sued. Google is the bigger of the two online ad giants, thanks mostly to a search engine that has become synonymous with looking things up. The company also owns the leading web browser in Chrome, the world's largest mobile operating system in Android, the top video site in YouTube and the most popular digital mapping system. Google consistently maintains that its services face ample competition from rivals, and have unleashed innovations that help people manage their lives. Most of the services are offered for free in exchange for personal information that helps Google sell its ads. Antitrust regulators in Europe have attempted to crack down on Google by imposing multi-billion dollar fines and ordering changes to its practices. But the company's critics say those penalties haven't been severe enough and contend more extreme measures will be required to for Google to change its ways. Those might include a government attempt to force Google to spin off its various services into separate businesses, an effort the company would be likely to fiercely oppose. Three days after arresting four men, including a suspected sharpshooter of a gang, for allegedly murdering a rival gangster in Naurangpur village near Kherki Daula, police on Saturday said they have seized a huge cache of firearms and ammunition apart from cars and a two-wheeler from the suspects possession. According to the police, a team of police personnel from crime branch Sector 17 recovered five pistols, two country-made guns, two revolvers, 97 live ammunition, nine shell casings, a Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza car, a Mahindra Scorpio SUV and a scooter. Preet Pal, assistant commissioner of police (ACP), crime, said, This is one of the biggest recoveries of weapons and ammunition in Gurugram in recent times. The men informed us about these possessions during the interrogation. On Wednesday, the police had said they arrested Dhiraj Yadav, the suspected sharpshooter, who is allegedly a part of Ashok Rathi gang. Dhiraj and the victim, identified as Manjeet Yadav, allegedly had an ongoing rivalry. The police had said Dhiraj and three associates hatched a conspiracy to kill Manjeet as he had control over the newspaper distribution and the supply of security guards and domestic helpers to condominiums in the Kherki Daula area. Although Dhiraj wanted to take over the reported business, Manjeet would purportedly not let anyone enter his business zone. Dhiraj had allegedly asked the other three suspects to murder Manjeet and provided them with weapons and vehicles, the police added. Dhiraj was also involved in another murder case which took place in Jhajjar over nine days ago. He was the one to provide weapons to the assailants, the ACP said. He said that the four suspects were sent to judicial custody on Saturday. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON "The state has been working round-the-clock to provide relief and succour to our guest workers as per the directions of the Chief Minister", Nodal Officer Vikas Pratap said, adding the task was being accomplished with the collaboration of Deputy Commissioners and the railway authorities of Ferozpur and Ambala divisions. Chandigarh, May 16 (IANS) By facilitating the return of more than 180,000 migrant workers to their home states through 150 special trains, the Punjab government on Saturday said it ensured those wishing to go back were united with their families without any hardship. "The state has been working round-the-clock to provide relief and succour to our guest workers as per the directions of the Chief Minister", Nodal Officer Vikas Pratap said, adding the task was being accomplished with the collaboration of Deputy Commissioners and the railway authorities of Ferozpur and Ambala divisions. The exercise has so far cost the exchequer Rs 10 crore. The state government planned to send over 200 trains in the next 10 days and the numbers would increase in the future at the maximum possible extent, Partap said. Out of total 150, maximum trains (57) have gone from Ludhiana with another 45 trains from Jalandhar have taken migrants to different parts of the country. Other places from where trains have departed include Amritsar, Patiala, Mohali, Bathinda, Ferozepur and Sirhind. The maximum trains are going to Uttar Pradesh followed by Bihar and Jharkhand. The state government is also sending trains to Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. In this Aug. 17, 2011, file photo, concertina wire and a guard tower are seen at Pelican Bay State Prison near Crescent City, Calif. Federal prosecutors say leaders of a notorious white supremacist gang have been charged with directing killings and drug smuggling from within California's most secure prisons. The charges unsealed Thursday, June 6, 2019, detail five slayings and accuse an attorney of helping smuggle drugs and cell phones. AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli California Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing that the state close two prisons, in part due to a decline in tax revenue amid the pandemic. Over 500 California prisoners currently have COVID-19. At least five have died. "As we have seen, jails and prisons have become petri dishes for this pandemic," state Rep. Sydney Kamlager, a Democrat from Los Angeles, told Business Insider. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Left-leaning activists for social justice do not, typically, have kind words for austerity, which brings to mind shuttered schools and trimmed welfare rolls. But when California Gov. Gavin Newsom outlined plans this week to slash the state's budget, citing a freefall in tax revenue due to the pandemic, there was qualified praise from some over his decision to cut funding for prisons. California currently has over 117,000 people in its prisons, more than any other state except for Texas. But the number of incarcerated persons has been falling by 8% just this year and that, the product of reduced sentences for drug crimes and efforts to address overcrowding, has meant the state is in a position to begin closing some of its prisons. In January, Newsom, a Democrat, wanted to close one detention center. Now he wants to close two and to do it fast. That will save money; according to the state's Legislative Analyst's Office, by more than $100 million per year. It could also save lives. "As we have seen, jails and prisons have become petri dishes for this pandemic," state Rep. Sydney Kamlager, a Democrat from Los Angeles, told Business Insider. "Closed quarters, lack of circulating air, and staff and vendors who are not regularly tested and walk in and out are recipes for public health disasters." At least five people have died from COVID-19 while incarcerated in a state prison, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; another 524 currently have caught the disease while behind bars. Story continues Last month, Kamlager, who chairs the state committee on incarcerated women, told Business Insider that she hoped that efforts to reduce the prison population, in an effort to arrest the spread of the coronavirus, would extend beyond the current crisis. Amber-Rose Howard, executive director of Californians United for a Responsible Budget, "is excited to see the commitment from the governor to close prisons." But her organization, a coalition of 70 activist groups that advocate cutting prison spending, says the governor's proposal is just a start. "We believe that California can close five prisons in the next five years," Howard told Business Insider. In part, that can be achieved by accelerating early release, as California has started to do in response to the coronavirus. "Over 20% of the prison population is over the age of 55," she noted. "We need to see the state pushing for elder parole modifications that would release a larger population of people, who statistically have the least risk of contact with law enforcement after release." Newsom's proposal, which will require approval by California's Democratic-controlled legislature, already gestures at that, proposing to cut the maximum length of parole and thus the chances one could be incarcerated over a parole violation from five years to 24 months. But with 34 prisons, and plans to close only two over the next three years, critics of mass incarceration see much room for improvement, from the governor granting clemency more often, to voters themselves overturning the state's notorious "three strikes" sentencing law. "I believe there is a better way," Rep. Kamlager commented. "The current system is not it." Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com Read the original article on Business Insider First spotted in the wild in South Florida in 2008, the lizards quickly expanded and found their way into the swamps of the Everglades, where they encountered a bountiful menu of native wildlife. The reptiles have been trapped and killed as nuisance animals in southern Miami-Dade and Hillsborough Counties. Because of their white and black markings and bands patterned like a decorative rug, they are sometimes mistaken for baby alligators, Mr. Jensen said. Mr. Jensen said that the lizard, which is native to Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina, has become established as an exotic invasive species in areas of South Florida and in Toombs and Tattnall Counties in Georgia. Since 2018, the departments wildlife resources division has been looking into reports of the tegu in eastern parts of Georgia. Department officials say it is most likely the lizards in the state originated with captive animals that either escaped or were released. Although Georgia permits the ownership of tegus as pets and they are popular in the animal trade, it is illegal to release nonnative species into the wild without a permit, according to the state. After the shutdown of the Philippine's largest broadcast company that criticized Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, the country's National Bureau of Investigation arrested two netizens who offered a bounty for the slaying of the president in social media and one who called the president 'crazy'. On May 11, Ronnel Mas a 25-year-old public school teacher was nabbed by NBI operatives from his home in the province of Zambales. The teacher was accused of threatening the life of the Duterte by offering a PHP50-million to whoever could kill the president. According to NBI-DADP chief Rizaldy Jaymalin, they received an order from NBI director Eric Distor to search for Mas, who resides in Barangay Poblacion North, Sta. Cruz Zambales. Amid the investigation, it was found that Mas has deactivated the social media account that posted the bounty. However, the bureau was able to trace him through his online interactions. The search for Mas became interprovincial as the authorities first looked into his mother's home in Pangasinan before he was able to be traced back to his residence in the nearby province of Zambales. It was noted that Mas did not immediately admit to posting about the money offered to kill Duterte and said that his identity was used by someone who made a fake account in his name. However, when the NBi asked for his phone, he presented a severely damaged device which prompted the investigators to think he was trying to conceal evidence. Afterwhich, Mas broke down and admitted to the accusations. The public school teacher will be charged with violation of Republic Act 6713, or ethical standards of public officials and inciting to sedition in relation to cybercrime. Read also: PH President Duterte Increases Reward Money for COVID-19 Vaccine Bounty doubled Meanwhile, only a day following Mas' arrest, a 40-year-old construction worker was also arrested after he posted that he will double the PHP50 million reward money and will give PHP100-million to whoever could kill President Duterte. Identified as Ronald Quiboyen, who resides at Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan, the suspect was allegedly angered by the imposed lockdown regulations due to the coronavirus crisis. According to the officer-in-charge of Crime Investigation and Detection Group in Western Visayas (CIDG-6),Lt. Col. Gervacio Balmaceda Jr., Quiboyen was immediately traced by the help of the Aklan Provincial Police Office, Malay Municipal Police Station, and CIDG's Anti-Cybercrime Group. The netizen will be facing charges violating Article 142 of the Revised Penal Code in Relation to Section 6 of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. Filipino Netizens Condemn Arrests Aside from Mas and Quiboyen, another netizen was arrested on Wednesday for calling the president "crazy" on Facebook. The arrests of netizens who have posted criticisms and have expressed opposition to the president have been condemned by Filipino netizens saying that those were violations of their freedom of expression. Netizens also called out to the NBI that they should have checked if the persons they arrested indeed had the capability to pay the bounties they offered. Moreover, they were frustrated by what they called as "selective justice" system, saying that only Duterte critics were being nabbed while Duterte himself has repeatedly threatened to kill people during his public appearances. Meanwhile, former Senator Antonio Trillanes, who has been very vocal on his opposition to the president released a statement condemning the arrests saying that those were clearly illegal and violations of the freedom of speech and expression. Related article: Biggest Philippine TV Network Forced Off Air: Filipinos Call for Press Freedom as Country Fights Coronavirus @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The number of people to recover from COVID-19 in Michigan now exceeds 28,000, which is about 56 percent of the states total virus cases. The state Department of Health and Human Services releases new data about recoveries every Saturday. A recovery is defined as someone who is alive 30 days past the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. The latest state data on cases shows 425 new cases on Saturday, May 16 and 55 new deaths. Michigan now has a total of 50,504 cases and 4,880 deaths. Browser does not support frames. As in other days, the state added a caveat to Saturdays 55 new deaths. Of those, 19 were added to the total after a review of death certificates that indicated COVID-19 was a contributing factor to death. Those deaths likely occurred in recent days. State officials encourage looking at weekly averages to determine trends in COVID-19 data. In the week from May 7-13 , Michigan has averaged 535 new confirmed cases and 51 new deaths per day. The week before, the seven-day averages were 507 cases and 72 deaths. Browser does not support frames. Of the states 83 counties, only four in the Upper Peninsula had no COVID-19 cases. The data shows 61 counties have at least one death. Michigan has been in a state of emergency since March 10 when the first presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 were reported in the state. Since then, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed executive orders to reduce the spread of the contagious virus, including stay-at-home orders that have been extended through May 28. Southeast Michigan remains the hardest-hit region, led by Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. The trio of Metro Detroit counties makes up 66 percent of the states confirmed cases and 79 percent of COVID-19 deaths. Browser does not support frames. The Michigan Department of Corrections has reported 2,216 confirmed cases and 56 deaths of individuals with COVID-19. The data also shows the average age of people who died from COVID-19 at 75.3 years, with the youngest at 5 and the oldest at 107. The overall case fatality rate is 10 percent. Heres a look at the Michigan counties with the most confirmed cases: 1. Wayne County: 19,016 cases (2,212 deaths) 2. Oakland County: 8,023 cases (910 deaths) 3. Macomb County: 6,304 cases (739 deaths) 4. Kent County: 2,766 cases (54 deaths) 5. Genesee County: 1,845 cases (230 deaths) 6. Washtenaw County: 1,241 cases (88 deaths) 7. Saginaw County: 903 cases (97 deaths) 8. Kalamazoo County: 708 cases (42 deaths) 9. Ingham County: 643 cases (21 deaths) 10. Ottawa County: 518 (24 deaths) For more statewide data, visit MLives coronavirus data page, here. COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. More MLive stories: Saturday, May 16: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Michigan Congressman Justin Amash drops consideration of presidential bid You are walking into a potentially fatal position, says nurse returning from working coronavirus unit in NY Its about the principle of everything, says Holland salon owner defying Whitmers coronavirus order closures Moviegoers pack Michigan drive-in theater, defying Whitmers stay-home order Kroger swaps $2 per hour Hero Pay raise for frontline workers for one-time bonus The Italian government intends to lift the ban on movement between regions, as well as on entry and exit from the country from June 3, RIA Novosti reported referring to the Council of Ministers. Italy significantly limited movement between and within the regions with the introduction of quarantine in mid-March. Only working trips became possible or trip for health reasons and in emergency situations. Since May 4, Italians have the opportunity to visit relatives within the same region. On Friday, the preliminary text of the government decree was at the disposal of local journalists, it was reported that the Italian authorities want to remove from June 3 restrictions on movement between regions as part of the overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic. From May 18, the movement of people within the regions will not be subject to any restrictions. At the same time, the state or regions may take or repeat restrictive measures to move within the region in relation to specific areas involved in a particular aggravation of the epidemiological situation. Until June 2, Italians still can't traveling on public and personal transport in another region, as well as traveling to and from abroad, with the exception of confirmed work needs, urgent need, or for health reasons. From June 3, movement between different regions can be limited only by state measures adopted in accordance with article 2 of the legislative decree of March 25 in relation to specific areas of the national territory, in accordance with the principles of adequacy and proportionality to the epidemiological risk actually present in these areas. These rules will also apply to travel to and from abroad, which may be limited only by state measures, also with respect to specific states and territories, in accordance with the principles of adequacy and proportionality to the epidemiological risk and in accordance with the restrictions arising from EU decrees and international obligations. Travel between the Vatican or San Marino and related regions will be permitted. The government confirmed the ban on the movement of quarantined persons with a COVID-19 or if they had contact with COVID-19 patients. Washington: Former President Barack Obama on Saturday criticised US leaders overseeing the nation's response to the coronavirus, telling college graduates in an online commencement address that the pandemic shows many officials "aren't even pretending to be in charge." Obama spoke on "Show Me Your Walk, HBCU Edition," a two-hour event for students graduating from historically black colleges and universities broadcast on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. His remarks were unexpectedly political, given the venue, and touched on current events beyond the virus and its social and economic impacts. Barack Obama has addressed students. Credit:AP "More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they're doing," Obama said. "A lot them aren't even pretending to be in charge." Later Saturday, during a second televised commencement address for high school seniors, Obama panned "so-called grown-ups, including some with fancy titles and important jobs" who do "what feels good, what's convenient, what's easy." By Trend The restrictions in connection with the Baku-Nakhchivan flight remain in force, Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers Ibrahim Mammadov said. Mammadov made the remark at a briefing of the Operational Headquarters under Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers, Trend reports on May 15. However, the issue of opening a flight may be considered at the next stage, the spokesman said. The transportation between the yellow and orange zones has been prohibited. As Nakhchivan Autonomus Republic and other regions of the country belong to the yellow zone, the transportation between them and Baku has been prohibited. People working in Baku are allowed to arrive in the capital; however, there is no such an opportunity as it is possible to com from Nakhchivan to Baku only by planes. It is impossible to arrive in Baku due to the ban on air transportation, Mammadov added. This issue is on the agenda. Perhaps, an appropriate decision will be made in this regard at the next stage." 'If we don't get any bus from here, we will start walking home.' 'What else can we do?' 'We don't want to die of hunger here.' Photographs and videos: Prasanna D Zore/ Rediff.com IMAGE: Rajkumar Rajbhar, who used to earn Rs 500 per day at a construction site in Mumbai, is willing to settle for even 'basic income' at his village, but won't come back to Mumbai after the lockdown is lifted. Thousands of migrant labourers are moving out of Mumbai. And they don't want to come back to the Maximum City. Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com spoke with some migrants who were heading back to their homes in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. They were waiting for buses to ferry them to their respective states at the junction of Ghodbunder Road in Thane, which connects the city to the busy Nashik-Agra and Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highways. Rajkumar Rajbhar, Ghazipur, UP 'I won't come back' We are five people in the family, including three children. We hail from Ghazipur, which is near Benaras in Uttar Pradesh. I will be boarding a truck from here to my hometown. One of the fellow from my village is a truck driver and he will come here to pick us up after he unloads his truck in Vasai. From there he will go to Bhayender and then come to pick us up here. He is charging us Rs 3,000 per adult, but nothing for the small kids. I worked in Mumbai in the construction sector. Whatever I had saved out of my earnings is over now and I have no option but to leave Mumbai. I too had filled the forms, but nothing happened after that. I have been trying since last 15 days to make my way out. I will not think about coming back to Mumbai. I won't think about it now. Even if I earn less in my village, I don't have a choice; even if I make some basic income I will stay back. I would earn Rs 500 per day here. My children went to school here, but now I will take their marksheet from here and admit them in a school back home. What do I have to tell the government? It gives us no facilities. Even when I was at the construction site, we did not get anything. What can I ask of this government? Those who are getting government aid are lucky; we are not getting any help. Dayanath Goswami, Sidhi district, MP 'We don't want to die of hunger here' I am going to Rewa district in Madhya Pradesh, but I am not getting any bus to go there. We are about 40 to 45 people from the state and we made our living in Mumbai by making sweets. We are all without work for about two months now due to COVID-19. We don't have anything to eat now and no place to stay. And today, we are stranded in the middle of nowhere. Somebody told us we will get buses from here, but there seems to be no buses plying from here. Some people told us we may get to board a truck or autorickshaw from here, so we came here. The truck drivers are asking us to pay Rs 8,000 to Rs 9,000 per person to ferry us back home. We don't earn that much; we are poor people; how can we afford that amount? I filled all the forms required to board a train to Madhya Pradesh, but nothing came out of it. I have the receipts with me since the last ten days, but there is no news about the trains. If we don't get any bus from here we will start walking home. What else can we do? We don't want to die of hunger here. Rajesh Mishra, Pratapgarh, UP 'I don't know if I will get a job' I left my home at 6 am from Badlapur (on May 11). We walked for about 12 km from home when we got into a truck that dropped us at some place for free. From there we walked six km again to reach here (at Ghodbunder Road). I am going to Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh. I worked as a cook at a call centre's canteen in Airoli's Mindspace. I won't come back to Mumbai after the lockdown is lifted. We are facing so many difficulties here. I earn Rs 9,000 per month. I don't know if I will get a job in Pratapgarh, but I will open a shop and earn my living. I may not earn more than Rs 50 to Rs 100 per day, but I better do that than come back to Mumbai. We heard from some people that there is a system to board trucks from here (Ghodbunder Road). But these people are asking for lot of charges here (to take us back home). Our group was wandering astray here when a few policemen saw us. They thought something was amiss so they stopped their vehicle and called us. They helped us in the best possible way; they directed us here and told us that the state government buses starting from this point would take us home for free. You won't be charged any money for the journey and you can spend your money for buying food and water. Those cops were like God for us! Let me tell you that after coming here, we got water to drink; the cops here are giving us food in boxes too; they were sitting here just a few hours ago, now they have left. They knew how difficult it would be for us to spend the night here. I felt so good; felt so glad. We won't be inconvenienced even if the buses will leave tomorrow morning and we will have to spend the night here. Ashok Dube, Jaunpur, UP 'We are dying of hunger' IMAGE: With his family in tow, Ashok Dube, a taxi driver from far-flung Badlapur wishes the UP government helps with transport facilities from Madhya Pradesh to his hometown in Jaunpur, UP. I am a taxi driver from Badlapur. I am going to Jaunpur in UP. The state government has arranged for a bus which will leave this place around 8.30 am tomorrow. We will be spending the night here with my children and family. We will use the jungle around for our morning ablutions. I haven't earned a penny for two months because of the lockdown. Whatever money I had saved is spent and now that we have none, I have no option but to go home. I would request UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to make arrangements for our travel from where this bus leaves us in Madhya Pradesh (on May 12). We are dying of hunger; I don't want to say anything else. SPRINGFIELD Like everyone else, Illinois census outreach coordinators have had to adapt to a new reality during the COVID-19 pandemic. As drastic as this change has been for everyone, its the same thing for us, said Marishonta Wilkerson, who was named co-director of newly-created state census office last September. Wilkerson and fellow co-director Oswaldo Alvarez are leading Illinois $29 million outreach effort through their office within the Illinois Department of Human Services. Their positions were created by Gov. J.B. Pritzkers June executive order aimed at maximizing participation in the decennial head count. The pair oversees a hub and spoke model in which funding passes through IDHS to 31 intermediary organizations that lead outreach efforts in 12 regions of the state. Those organizations partner with other community groups to target outreach at a hyperlocal level. Thus far, Illinois has hovered in the top 10 for state self-response rate since the census portal opened on April 1. While Wilkerson and Alvarez are pleased with the high ranking, they said there is room to grow the response rate which was 64.2% as of May 13, putting Illinois in eighth place of all states. While good against the national average of 59.1%, the numbers were well below the states 2010 final self-reporting tally of 70.5%. In 2000, the self-response rate in Illinois was 69%. Illinois outpaced the national average of 66.5% in 2010 and 67.4% in 2000. There is still plenty of time to push this years numbers upward, as the self-response period deadline has been extended to Oct. 31. But for organizers, one difficulty is maintaining momentum as the pandemic puts door-knocking efforts on hold and strict social distancing requirements cancel the planned pizza parties, booths at fairs and local library events while driving outreach online. Anita Banerji, director of the Democracy Initiative of the nonprofit organization Forefront, agreed that 2020 is presenting challenges both foreseen and unforeseen. Forefront is partnered with the city of Chicago for community-based census outreach as part of the program, and Banerji said they are noticing lagging numbers in minority communities that have not had points of contact with census organizers. She said one continued challenge is fear of a citizenship question appearing on the official questionnaire. While President Donald Trump advocated for such a question and received widespread media attention, it does not appear on the final form. And then everyone also thought that with us going online, that was going to be an issue, but now coupled with the pandemic, there are so many challenges to the 2020 census, she said. While respondents can still fill out their census by phone at 844-330-2020 or by mailing back the questionnaires that are delivered to ones household, the majority of responses this year nearly 53% in Illinois have been completed online at my2020census.gov. The process generally takes about 10 minutes and can also be completed on mobile devices. Hard-to-count communities Organizers agree that challenges are compounded in hard to count communities. Populations and geographies deemed "Hard to Count" by the U.S. Census Bureau are areas where the self-response rate in the 2010 census was 73% or less. Populations that have been historically undercounted include young children, immigrants, low-income households, people of color and rural residents. Alvarez said the Illinois model puts nonprofit and other community organizations at the center of outreach in these communities. Its important to have them become the trusted messengers, he said, noting that nonprofits are often already making day-to-day contact with some of the hardest-to-count communities. Education is key in the effort, organizers said, as residents need to know what they stand to lose in an undercount, what questions will or will not be on the form, and that their privacy is protected. But strict social distancing guidelines have made that process more difficult for many local organizers. Lynden Schuyler, director of southern Illinois census outreach through the Illinois Public Health Association, works in Illinois southernmost 20 counties. She said the pandemic has made hard-to-count communities even harder in her territory, where four counties have between 28% and 51% of households that lack internet access. There are pockets where thousands and thousands and thousands of people don't have access to internet services, she said, later adding, There's a lot of migrant population down there. I think every single one of the hard-to-count communities is there in an abundance. She said many people are waiting for hand-delivered census forms, especially in rural areas that have only PO boxes which do not receive the forms. The hand delivery effort has been postponed, however, and is tentatively scheduled to start again on June 13 in the region. You have a good majority that are still waiting on that folder, Schuyler said. And in Hardin County, for example, you're talking 98 percent of those people don't even have their census invitation yet. So they're going to explode when that finally gets to them. Hand delivery entails only slipping the census forms into ones mailbox or onto a door handle, meaning it is different than door-knocking efforts which require in-person contact and wont begin again until at least August, depending on the region. Banerji said the lack of touchpoints, or in-person contact, in minority communities in the Chicago area is creating problems as well. Our outreach efforts have been incredibly stymied by the pandemic, she said. And we need to make sure that people's priorities are health and safety first. Adapting outreach Unsurprisingly, social media has been important to getting the word out as organizations creatively adapt to new realities. Banerji said one organization she worked with had not used Twitter much, but realized its power when participating in a coordinated regional outreach thunderclap event where several organizations posted to several social media platform at a coordinated date and time to promote the census. So we've never utilized social media like this before, she said. And to know that it is helping people get counted while theyre home, has helped us with our outreach efforts while we're all staying at home. Organizations have also partnered with new entities to expand internet accessibility and hotspots, she said, and theyve launched promotion efforts through grocery stores and food banks among others. In Schuylers territory, efforts also include billboards, distributing signage in yards and at grocery stores and other creative efforts. One of her sub-groups launched a boredom busters drive-thru where organizers handed bags of coloring books, other activities and census literature to parents while maintaining social distancing. Groups also promoted social media dance parties and other shared virtual activities. We're encouraging parents to do videos about how they and the kids are doing the census and just post them on Facebook somewhere encouraging people to try to do things together without being together, she said. Alvarez said the census office is also partnering with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to engage the business community to promote the 2020 census. That includes marketing and media campaigns as well as working with essential businesses that are open during the pandemic, such as grocery stores in hard-to-count neighborhoods, to distribute posters and canvas tote bags and potentially launch advertising campaigns. DCEO is also looking at ways target materials to gig workers and work with chambers of commerce to designate a day for workers to take 10 minutes off to complete the census once pandemic restrictions are loosened. I would say this is where creativity is really taking flight amongst certain organizations, and encouraging other organizations to think about doing their work differently, Banerji said. And because we do have more months added to self-response, it's an opportunity to think about more of these concerted outreach efforts, but I will tell you that it's an incredible challenge. Undercount While the pandemic has changed nearly everything about census outreach efforts, one thing remains the same the consequences of an undercount. Those include a potential loss of local health resources, up to two seats in Congress and other federal funding. Wilkerson said about $1,500 per year in federal funding is lost for each person not counted in the census, and the numbers shape federal funding for the next 10 years. Alvarez characterized the census as the one way we really have to twist the governments arm to represent you and invest in you. We all win when were all counted, he said. Some of the hardest-to-count communities Schuylers organization serves have the most to lose in an undercount. Those communities are often reliant on local health departments, and a complete count is essential to ensuring they receive adequate funding. The census numbers are utilized by the US government to determine the government pass-through funds that go to health and well-being programs like health departments, Medicare, Medicaid, the Head Start programs, all kinds of education programs, Pell Grants, school lunches, senior programs like Meals on Wheels, and the various senior transportation systems, she said. An undercount could affect schools, roads, bridges and other public improvements that are at least partially funded by government pass-through funds, she added. The organizers also agreed the pandemic that has so drastically altered this years plans is further evidence that an accurate count is needed. Never before has it become more apparent to me that this kind of data is necessary to be collected for emergency crises, Banerji said. We need to know where people reside so that resources can be deployed. And without that accurate data, we're not going to be able to plan for our future, we're not going to be able to ensure that when our next pandemic hits that we've got the necessary information we need. Southern Illinois schools maintain graduation pomp in unusual circumstances RTHK: US Democrats launch watchdog sacking probe Democrats in Congress on Saturday launched an investigation into US President Donald Trump's firing of the State Department's internal watchdog, accusing the president of further escalating his fight against any oversight of his administration. Trump, in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi late on Friday, said he no longer had confidence in inspector general Steve Linick's ability to serve. The letter did not specify a reason for the latest in a string of government watchdogs to be removed in recent weeks under the Republican president. The Democratic-led House Foreign Relations Committee, along with colleagues in the Senate, in a statement questioned the timing and motivation of what they called an "unprecedented removal". "We unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing of inspectors general and the presidents gutting of these critical positions," wrote House panel chairman Eliot Engel and Senator Bob Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Republican-led Senate Foreign Relations panel. Engel and Menendez called on the Trump administration to turn over any related documents by May 22. The two Democrats said it was their understanding that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo personally recommended Linick's firing because the inspector general "had opened an investigation into wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself". Representatives for the White House and the department could not be immediately reached for comment on the probe. Linick, appointed to the role in 2013 under the Obama administration, is the fourth inspector general fired by Trump since early April following his February acquittal by the Republican-led Senate in his impeachment trial. Pelosi described the ousting as an acceleration of a "dangerous pattern of retaliation." (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. NEW YORK The coronavirus pandemic has pushed the storied but troubled department store chain J.C. Penney, which began in Kemmerer, into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It is the fourth major retailer to meet that fate. As part of its reorganization, the 118-year-old company said late Friday it will be shuttering some stores. It said the stores will close in phases throughout the Chapter 11 process and details of the first phase will be disclosed in the coming weeks. Penney joins luxury department store chain Neiman Marcus, J.Crew and Stage Stores in filing for bankruptcy reorganization. Plenty of other retailers are expected to follow. The coronavirus pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our families, our loved ones, our communities and our country, said Penneys CEO Jill Soltau in a statement. As a result, the American retail industry has experienced a profoundly different new reality, requiring J.C. Penney to make difficult decisions in running our business to protect the safety of our associates and customers and the future of our company. Penney said that it has $500 million in cash on hand and has received commitments of $900 million in financing to help it operate during the restructuring. It said that it will be looking at different options, including the sale of the company. The restructuring should reduce several billion dollars of its debt and provide more flexibility to navigate the financial fallout from the pandemic, Penney said. Like many department stores, Penney is struggling to remain relevant in an era when Americans are buying more online or from discounters. Sears has now been reduced to a couple hundred stores after being bought by hedge fund billionaire and its former chairman Eddie Lampert in bankruptcy in early 2019. Barneys New York closed its doors earlier this year and Bon-Ton Stores went out of business in 2018. The pandemic has put department stores further in peril as they see their sales evaporate with extended closures. Even as retailers like Penney start to reopen in states like Texas and Florida that have relaxed their lockdowns, theyre also facing Herculean challenges in making shoppers feel comfortable to be in public spaces. Like Sears, J.C. Penneys troubles were years in the making, marking a slow decline from its glory days during the 1960s through 1980s when it became a key shopping destination at malls for families. The companys roots began in 1902 when James Cash Penney started a dry good store in Kemmerer. The retailer had focused its stores in downtown areas but expanded into suburban shopping malls as they became more popular in the 1960s. With that expansion, Penney added appliances, hair salons and portrait studios. But since the late 1990s, Penney struggled with weak sales and heavier competition from discounters and specialty chains that were squeezing its business from both ends. Penneys began flirting with bankruptcy nearly a decade ago when a disastrous reinvention plan spearheaded by then-CEO Ron Johnson caused sales to go into free fall. Johnson drastically cut promotions and brought in hip brands that turned off loyal shoppers. As a result, sales dropped from $17. 3 billion during the fiscal year that ended in early 2012 to $13 billion a year later. Many longtime customers walked away and have not returned. Johnson was fired in April 2013 after just 17 months on the job. Since then, Penneys has undergone a series of management changes, each employing different strategies that failed to revive sales. The company based in Plano, Texas, has suffered five straight years of declining sales, which now hover around $11.2 billion. Its shares are trading at less than 20 cents, down from $1.26 a year ago, and from its all-time peak of $81 in 2006. Soltau has acted swiftly since joining the company in October 2018. She jettisoned from stores major appliances that were weighing down operating profits. That reversed the strategy of her predecessor, Marvin Ellison, who brought appliances to the showroom floor after a 30-year absence in an attempt to capitalize on the troubles of ailing Sears. Soltau turned the companys focus back to womens clothing and goods for the home like towels and bed sheets, which carry higher profit margins. Furniture is still available, but only online. Still, sales and profits have remained weak. For the fiscal fourth quarter ended Feb. 1, sales at stores opened at least a year dropped 4.7 adjusted for the exit of appliances. Profits were down 64 percent. Just look at the flare-ups in Singapore and South Korea, and even Germany is having issues, said Fyfe, the business leader. This is going to be a really challenging time. How quickly and how precisely we can respond to any flare-ups here is going to be critical. Sure, it might be warm Wednesday, but what about the rest of the week? India's tally of COVID-19 positive cases has reached 85,940, including 2,752 deaths, as per the Union Health Ministry's latest update. Of these, 53,035 are active cases while 30,152 have been cured or discharged. The data was updated at 8 am on May 16 on the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's website. India Update May 16 - MoH&FW With 29,100 COVID-19 cases, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state, followed by Tamil Nadu (10,108), Gujarat (9,931) and Delhi (8,895). 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 Updates on the coronavirus pandemic here Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the third tranche of the Rs 20 lakh crore economic packages details for agriculture and allied activities to help them tide over the COVID-19 pandemic. In preparation for Lockdown 4.0, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on May 15 held several meetings with his ministry's officials, including Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla ahead of the announcement of guidelines for the fourth-phase which begins from May 18, officials said. Details of Shah's meetings were not known immediately. S. No. Name of State / UT Total Confirmed cases* Cured/Discharged/Migrated Deaths** 1 Andaman and Nicobar Islands 33 33 0 2 Andhra Pradesh 2307 1252 48 3 Arunachal Pradesh 1 1 0 4 Assam 90 41 2 5 Bihar 1018 438 7 6 Chandigarh 191 37 3 7 Chhattisgarh 66 56 0 8 Dadar Nagar Haveli 1 0 0 9 Delhi 8895 3518 123 10 Goa 15 7 0 11 Gujarat 9931 4035 606 12 Haryana 818 439 11 13 Himachal Pradesh 76 39 3 14 Jammu and Kashmir 1013 513 11 15 Jharkhand 203 87 3 16 Karnataka 1056 480 36 17 Kerala 576 492 4 18 Ladakh 43 22 0 19 Madhya Pradesh 4595 2283 239 20 Maharashtra 29100 6564 1068 21 Manipur 3 2 0 22 Meghalaya 13 11 1 23 Mizoram 1 1 0 24 Odisha 672 166 3 25 Puducherry 13 9 1 26 Punjab 1935 305 32 27 Rajasthan 4727 2677 125 28 Tamil Nadu 10108 2599 71 29 Telengana 1454 959 34 30 Tripura 156 42 0 31 Uttarakhand 82 51 1 32 Uttar Pradesh 4057 2165 95 33 West Bengal 2461 829 225 Cases being reassigned to states 230 Total number of confirmed cases in India 85940# 30153 2752 *(Including foreign Nationals) **( more than 70% cases due to comorbidities ) #States wise distribution is subject to further verification and reconciliation #Our figures are being reconciled with ICMR On the global front, The United States is working with India on developing a vaccine for COVID-19, President Donald Trump said on May 15, praising Indian-Americans as great scientists and researchers. Trump said he is hopeful a COVID-19 vaccine would be available by the end of the year, and announced he was appointing a former pharmaceutical executive to spearhead the effort. There have been over 45.3 lakh confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally. At least 3.07 lakh people have died so far,, as per data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre. The United States, Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the UK are the most-affected countries. ONE of the three MDC Alliance officials, Cecilia Chimbiri, who was allegedly abducted on Wednesday, yesterday recounted the horrific sexual and physical abuse they endured at the hands of the kidnappers. Chimbiri was one of the three opposition official who went missing on Wednesday after staging a flash protest in Warren Park high-density suburb, alongside Harare West MP Joanah Mamombe and Netsai Marova. Badly assaulted, the three were later found at Muchapondwa Business Centre in Bindura South on Thursday night. They were taken to a private Harare clinic, where they narrated their ordeal to leader Nelson Chamisa and several other party officials. Chimbiri said the abductors took turns to suck her breasts while shoving the barrel of a gun up her anal passage. They were taking turns to suck my boobs. They forced a gun into my anal passage. They forced us to drink urine. They beat us under our feet, (and on) my back. They were also beating us with bare hands, said a visibly shaken Chimbiri. New Delhi, May 16 : Union Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has blamed the non-cooperative attitude of some states for the terrible condition of migrant labourers, despite the Centre having arranged adequate number of trains for them. In an exclusive interview with IANS, Naqvi says the Centre has been making arrangements for the migrants' return. "We are running Shramik specials...we want all our brothers and sisters to be back safely in their homes. But some states are not allowing these trains to pass through their territories. See, maximum such trains have been allowed by the Uttar Pradesh government - 386 trains have rescued such labourers. Similarly, Bihar has allowed 204 trains and Madhya Pradesh 66. But in several other states such trains are far less -- Odisha (46 trains), West Bengal and Chhattisgarh (seven each), Rajasthan (18) and Maharashtra only 11 trains - because of these states' limited permission. The Opposition-ruled states just don't want to take these labourers back," he said. But what would happen if all such workers and labourers return home, how would industries resume their work? The Minister said such a migration is driven by helplessness; whenever all facilities return to life, their work will resume and all of them would return. The Centre has announced a Rs 20 lakh-crore package which would help all - works/labourers, traders or big industries. "The Centre firmly believes that these brothers and sisters would be back to their work." On 'Self-reliant India' campaign spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Naqvi said this would strengthen 'swadeshi' and would result in all-embracing development. The Minister said India has begun its onward march to globalization by choosing the 'swadeshi' way to transform 'local into global'. "This would also encourage ease of doing business, encompassing development of agriculture and dairy sectors." How would there be an immediate relief to the poor and daily wagers? Naqvi said the government has transferred Rs 52,606 crore to the accounts of over 41 crore people, including the poor, labourers, women and the elderly. "We would have to convert this crisis into opportunity. We are transforming ourselves in the vision of self-reliant India, which would lead to solutions to various problems". The government's reform process is on a very large scale keeping in view the scale of the present crisis, he said. "You have observed that many states have amended the labour laws, which would enhance the pace of work. The government has also decided to amend the Essential Commodities Act 1955, which would enable farmers to keep the farm produce as per their need and sell their produce as per their choice so that they get remunerative prices. Praising the role of Prime Minister Modi during the Covid-19 crisis, Naqvi said he has led the country like a warrior. "His role has come out as a crisis-solver before the world. He has raised the morale of the people and has helped other countries." On the role of Tablighi Jamaat during the corona crisis, he said: "Undoubtedly these people have been recognized as corona carriers across the world. The virus spread because of them. Theirs was an instance of criminal negligence. The law is taking its course". But he sought to remind that some people have gone out to defend the act of the Jamaat to an extent which is surprising. "It would have been better had those associated with Tablighi Jamaat come forward to apologize. On the contrary, some people are justifying the Jamaat act, which is worrying". The Minister gave an instance of the Jain community in Madhya Pradesh. A large crowd had gathered in connection with a function of the community, but soon they realized their mistake and those people returned home. "Several Jain seers apologized for this incident. That's how a society should conduct itself," he said. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Once in the Green Zone, Keralas Wayanad has reported 19 active cases of coronavirus, the maximum in the state, with 15 primary and secondary contacts of a truck driver who returned from Chennais Koyambedu market testing positive. It was on May 2, when the driver tested positive, that Wayanad lost its green-zone status. His wife, mother, daughter, son-in-law, son and grandchildren have all been infected. R Renuka, district medical officer, Wayanad, said: He returned from Koyambedu market on April 26 evening. He was asked to be under home quarantine. His samples were collected on April 28 and he tested positive on May 2. We have done his contact tracing and brought all these people under the radar. There was a function related to fixing his son's marriage at his home. That is why so many people came in contact with him. The son-in-law of the truck driver who tested positive had a shop in Wayanad and the contact tracing of all those who came to the shop is also underway. The DMO added that the truck driver was asked to be under home quarantine but even before reaching home on April 26, he went to several places. Now we have made it stricter that truck drivers coming from other states will have to follow strict home quarantine. Two police personnel also tested positive after coming in contact from this cluster. "One police personnel was the gunman of a Deputy Superintendent of Police. The SP and DySP have gone into quarantine after the personnel tested positive. The DMO added that the number of cases are increasing because detection is high and though most of these are asymptomatic, they are being identified and tested through contact tracing. "We are going in for reverse quarantine in the tribal colonies. We are making sure that people from outside do not enter the colonies and people from the colonies don't come out. Our concentration is on three colonies where there are 374 people. The DMO added that the cases were bound to increase with people coming in from other states but asked them to be cautious and follow home quarantine guidelines strictly to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic. As of May 15, Kerala has about 576 coronavirus cases of which 80 are active. Among the cases, people who came from abroad are 311, eight are foreigners and 70 from other states. A total of 187 people have contracted the virus through contacts. Chapra, May 16 : While business activities are almost at a standstill due to the lockdown imposed by the government to prevent the spread of coronavirus, a dhaba owner is providing food and snacks to the returning migrant labourers at no cost. The 'Aditya Raj Dhaba', situated on the national highway in the Rilliganj police station area of Saran district on the border of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, is a relaxation point for migrant labourers coming from Uttar Pradesh. Dhaba owner Basant Singh has transformed his dhaba into a langar and is feeding around 500 people everyday. The owner of the dhaba in Majhanpura village near Manjhi has locked the cash counter for the people eating here after the lockdown. Singh told IANS: "I get self-satisfaction by doing this. After all this is humanity." He said, "After the lockdown started, a large number of labourers are coming daily to Bihar and Jharkhand through Uttar Pradesh. A batch of labourers arrived about 17 days ago and asked for food, they had no money. I felt very satisfied in feeding them and thus the process started." He said that people who come in the morning are given 'gur-chiwada' (jaggery and pressed rice), while from the afternoon a meal of rice, pulses and vegetables' is served which lasts till late night. This place is also being sanitized. "500 to 700 people are eating here every day. More people reached on Thursday so the vegetables have finished," he told IANS. Singh said: "Initially some problems were also faced, but now the villagers are also giving full support. The villagers are donating vegetables, rice and pulses. The cooks are also not taking any remuneration for the work terming it 'shramdaan' or social service." Mohan, a labourer from Chanpur in Palamu district of Jharkhand said that coming from Delhi, many people gave them puri, kachori, snacks etc but they got 'dal-chawal' only here. Returning to his village with 25 people, Mohan said, "Singh gave me a meal after which I was very satisfied because I got to eat such delicious food after a long time." Singh also gives some dry ration to the labourers for eating on the way. The government has ordered the opening of some dhabas (eateries) on the national highway. (Manoj Pathak can be reached at manoj.p@ians.in) A faint sliver of moon hung in the morning sky as I set out on the risky voyage in early May. I was aware of the risks of arrest by security operatives or even death for flouting the lockdown and border closure in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. But as a reporter, I wanted to see how the restriction of movement has affected travel by sea between Nigeria and its West African coastal neighbours. Across the globe, countries are in a race against time to curb the spread of the deadly virus and to rescue what they can of lives and the economy from its wreckage. Nigeria recorded its first case of COVID-19 on February 28. By the middle of May, the number of confirmed cases had exceeded 5,000 despite the countrys low testing capacity. To contain the contagion, the country since late March banned public gathering of more than 10 persons and travel across its land borders, and by air or sea. At the time Nigeria shut its international airports and land borders to human traffic on March 23, it had only 36 cases and one death from the disease. By the time President Muhammadu Buhari ordered total lockdown of Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States on March 30, there were 140 confirmed cases and two deaths. PREMIUM TIMES investigation, however, revealed that migrants have been defying the lockdown and border closure and moving between Nigeria and West African neighbour, Benin Republic, by sea. They do so with the support of corrupt security personnel who extort travellers and turn blind eyes. Treacherous journey To move across Lagos in spite of the lockdown of the city, all it takes is to wake up early and carry enough cash to bribe corrupt security agents. My first two attempts for the journey were abortive. In April, a boat operator agreed to give me a seat but changed his mind at the last minutes. I later found out how to make the journey to Benin Republic, and left my Ajah residence at 6 a.m. to CMS where we took off. Soon, the sun was shining brightly and the water looked beautiful. At the bank of the river, people picked their boats for the trip. With N20,000, one can rent a boat. For those who can afford the fare, the boat first takes them to Liverpool in Apapa where they join another to Gbaji, Badagry. This is, however, not the case for the poor for whom the journey is always longer. I joined this class and it took us three different boats to get to Benin Republic. After paying my fare of N500, I joined a 20-passengers wooden canoe from CMS to Sagbokoji in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area. We spent one hour on the sea in the vehicle without life jackets or any safety support. I asked why passengers were not provided life jackets. The boatman, who simply identified himself as Kareem, responded brusquely: You dey expect life jacket with N500? I expected the other passengers to join me in the protest, instead they all laughed and assured me there would not be any problem. It was still morning and the sea was quiet and the waves appeared to be at rest. We soon arrived at Sagbokoji. From Sagbokoji, the boatman who took us to Liverpool in Apapa collected N1,000 for a journey of just 15 minutes. Unlike my earlier experience, the new boat had an engine and the passengers were given life jackets. As we approached Liverpool, Shederach, the boat conductor from Sagbokoji asked us to pay our fares. Rowdy Liverpool At the jetty, I wondered if the people were aware that Liverpool is part of Lagos, the epicentre of coronavirus infection in Nigeria. Passengers were seen in their numbers, without obeying the social distance rule, ready to journey to Ikorodu, Ojo, Ebute-Metta and other parts of Lagos. There, buying and selling were going on as usual. The Lagos Infection Diseases Regulations 2020 (the Regulations) prescribes a jail term of one month or N100,000 fine or both for persons found guilty of flouting the social distance or lockdown order. Where there is a violation of a close down or stay at home order, security agencies shall have power to arrest without warrant and may detain any person who violates the close down or stay at home order for at least forty-eight (48) hours. Where the arrested person is found guilty, the person is liable to a fine of one Hundred Thousand Nara fine (N100,000.00) or one (1) month imprisonment or three (3) months Community service, the law reads in part. READ ALSO: I joined God Bless boat to kickstart the journey that lasted another three hours with 16 passengers on board. We were charged N2,000 each. Of the 16 passengers, at least five persons who spoke with me were going to Benin Republic. One of them, Iya Anu, was going on the journey with her daughter. She told me she moves between the two countries weekly, despite the movement restriction and border closure. Anu, a girl of about six years, was the only one among the passengers not given a life jacket. The boatman, Alaba, told me there was no life jacket for kids. Life on the sea After Alaba paid all the necessary dues expected of him at the Jetty, he came on board. Dont be scared, this is not a canoe but a flying boat, he told me. He started the engine and then ordered a rearrangement of the passengers to maintain balance. The vibration increased and the speed began. Fifteen minutes after the journey started, the sky became cloudy, wind blowing, and the sea grey and white, with long breaking waves. To others in the boat, it was normal as they were enjoying the wild scenery. I was worried for Anu the six year old girl in the boat without a life jacket but she was enthusiastic and was even touching the water. Soon, one of the two engines powering the boat stopped working and the speed fell. The boatman, without any hint of anxiety, merely declared to us that the journey might last longer than expected because he had to manage the only engine to our destination. All the passengers started calling to God for mercy as the wind grew stronger. We eventually got to our destination, Gbaji, 30 minutes later than the expected time. The passengers came down, all of them applauding Alaba the boatman for the job well done. N1,500 fee to cross the border After alighting at Gbaji in Badagry, the next assignment was to get to Owode and sneak into Seme in Benin Republic. For everyone travelling through this road, a motorcycle ride to Owode is the ritual, I learnt. Many of the bike riders rushed towards me asking: Where you dey go? Many of the riders were Benin Republic citizens and barely speak English. Soon, one with a better understanding of English, Friday, arrived. I asked him how to cross the border to Benin Republic without being apprehended. You will disguise like someone who is not new in the business. They may stop you if they like but since the outbreak of coronavirus, you can hardly find them at the border. But dont do like JJC ooo, he advised me. The motorcyclist said he would first take a sachet of dry gin. We then began the journey to Owode/Seme. I felt comfortable on the solid motorcycle even though the rider often disregarded speed limits. From Gbaji in Badagry to the border, I counted at least 28 checkpoints with police, custom, army and immigration officers. They all appeared to be only interested in taking bribe. None stopped us to ask where we were going. Aside from the security operatives at checkpoints, there were also different patrol vehicles of the police, custom, military and immigration but all they did was acknowledge greetings from my motorcycle driver who they were apparently familiar with. N200 fee to sneak into Benin Republic No dull yourself ooo, you fit follow people wey dey rush enter. If you are lucky, they wont stop you, my motorcyclist advised as he dropped me. I sighted Iya Anu again. After a brief conversation, she offered to assist me. She was carrying two empty 25-litre kegs from Lagos and she handed one to me. Advertisements Do you have anything illicit in your wallet? she asked. I said no. Bring your wallet for me to keep. She said it required just N200 to cross and not even in all cases. Dont talk when we get there, I will respond to their questions, she said. I was not sure whether to take her advice as I had been warned from Nigeria to be wary of persons who offer to help. Sometimes, they hand over travellers to custom officials, I had been told. But since we left Lagos together, I decided Iya Anu could not betray me. As we approached some men sitting in front of the Nigeria Custom office, she reminded me of the rule. Dont talk. Lo, we were stopped by these men playing draught. Where are you coming from? one of them asked. Are you saying you dont know me? Im going home with my brother, Iya Anu responded. She brought out N200 and asked me to do the same. After paying N400, we both passed. Those ones in mufti are custom officers, Iya Anu told me after we had left them. To my surprise, I had just crossed the border with N200 despite the coronavirus lockdown and border closure! Welcome to Benin Republic In Benin Republic, Iya Anu continued as my fixer. Immediately we crossed the border, we saw men and women changing Nigerian naira to West African Franc and we did the exchange. As of the time, Benin Republic had 90 active cases and two deaths from coronavirus. But unlike Nigeria, the country did not order a lockdown of activities, it only made the use of face masks mandatory to curb the spread of the disease. I observed that there was no social distancing in all the places I visited. Cars had four passengers at the back seat and two in front from Seme border to Ajase Topa. I also visited some clubs and relaxation centres at Wevian. Communication was difficult for me as most people around do not speak English or Yoruba. Back to Nigeria with smuggled rice, salt I woke up very early the next morning to return to Nigeria. This time, a motorcyclist offered to take me out of the country and again, we crossed the border without scrutiny. I again counted the checkpoints from Owode to Ghaji jetty they were 28. On the bank of the river were different kinds of loads wrapped in different polythene bags. Most were smuggled rice and salt. Unlike the journey in the opposite direction that I took in three different boats, I got a boat that offered to reach CMS in Lagos from Ghaji. Rice and other smuggled products were kept under the seats with passengers sitting on top. I was told that smuggling is common with people who travel by sea between countries. Everyone knows every boat in this axis smuggled rice and other things, a woman said when asked if the smuggled items could get us passengers in trouble. I later found she owned most of the smuggled items. The emerging trend of sea smuggling has not gone unnoticed by the authorities. Recently, a combined team of the Nigeria Immigration and Navy operatives arrested 12 persons attempting to cross over to Cameroon from Nigeria by sea in a boat through Ibaka in Akwa Ibom State. Despite such efforts, findings revealed that travelling from one country to another is still ongoing on sea even with support of security operatives, as Nigeria continues to record daily increase in coronavirus cases. Corrupt Custom, Naval and police officers on sea My return trip to Nigeria was more stressful on the sea due to various interception by security operatives which include naval, Customs and Marine Police officers. Surprisingly, none of the officers wore name plates on their uniforms. Our boat was intercepted three times by naval officers, Marine police officers four times and Customs officers once. They all let us go after collecting bribes totalling N22,000. Sections 98, 98A and 98B of the Criminal Code Schedule to the Criminal Code Act prohibit bribery involving public officers and section 494 prohibits corrupt acceptance of gifts by agents. Section 98 covers the demand side of the offence involving a public official. Section 98A covers the supply side where any person offers a bribe to a public official. Section 98B covers any person soliciting or demanding a bribe on account of any action of public officers. On one occasion, three military men blocked the boat and threatened to shoot the boatman if he failed to stop. In the middle of the sea, they questioned why he failed to stop but the boatman, Ezekiel, claimed he did not see them What are you carrying?, One of the naval officers asked as he jumped into our boat, touching all the goods under the seat. He raised his head afterwards, telling his boss that Oga, na contraband. Let him pay N20,000 and go, the oga barked back. Upon hearing this, the boatman started pleading. Soon, the owners of the smuggled goods joined in begging. After a short drama, the naval officers collected N5,000 and set the boat free. I was not surprised to again witness Marine police officers acting in the same manner with their colleagues on land. They were not harsh. They never raised their voices at the boatman at the different points where we encountered them. They asked passengers if the journey had not been stressful. Police officers way of taking bribe never changes: Wetin you bring for us? They did not bother to check the goods in the boat. In fact, at no instance did the boatman try running from them. He went to them to offer them their right as the officers and the boatman exchanged pleasantries on the sea. The most difficult were custom officials who delayed our boat for almost 30 minutes on the sea. Three different sets of Custom officers blocked the boat metres from the jetty at CMS. One of the officers ordered Ezekiel, the boatman, to hand over his key to him and join his boss in their own boat for negotiation. The negotiation took long and several pleading. Like it was carried out in the past by other operatives, the officers collected bribe to free the boat but that did not happen until they asked all passengers to stand with their hands up. They did a thorough search and it was at that point they found one of the recording gadgets on me. Who are you? a custom officer who was already in our boat asked upon seeing the gadget. Im a student of Obafemi Awolowo University, and I am on a project from school. It is to be submitted when school resumes, my heart was beating faster than expected wondering if the long journey and risk would end in tears. Suddenly, they noticed another speed boat from afar another business for the team. They immediately hurried off our boat without returning one of my gadgets. We finally arrived Lagos and everybody left for their respective destinations. Authorities react When contacted about our findings, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Navy, Suleiman Dahun, asked our correspondent to send multi-media evidence of the corrupt activities to him on WhatsApp. After our correspondent did this, Mr Dahun promised to look into the matter. Frank Mba, the spokesperson of the police, did not respond to calls put across to him on the matter. This newspaper sent a text message to his known telephone number but was not acknowledged. This newspaper encountered same with the spokesperson of the Custom service, Joseph Attah. In addition, PREMIUM TIMES sent emails containing our findings to the official electronic mail addresses of the security outfits, but got no responses. EDITORS NOTE: Upon his return from the journey, our reporter went on self-isolation as mandated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). In 2020 many memes pay homage to the high school and college seniors who were supposed to have a commencement and walk up in robes and square hats to receive diplomas. That is how civilized societies reward teenagers and young adults for wrapping up four years of general education. But the coronavirus changes everything, in the way money behaves in the Cyndi Lauper song Money Changes Everything. I wish I could be like the millions of people who can turn out a fulsome praise to make everyone feel warm and fuzzy. Instead, Id like to pay honor to the class of 2020 by giving them the precious gift of honesty. This crop of graduates has been lied to, probably more than any other. I should know, because for all the years theyve lived, I was inside the machine that manufactured the lies. This year I graduated at the age of forty-nine in my own way. After twenty years of teaching college students, I finally left my last academic job and moved on from academia. I watched twenty classes of students move through the system while these current graduates incubated. My departure was as unceremonious as their non-ceremonies are going to be. So heres some truth that needs to be told: Your teachers didnt know what they were talking about most of the time. I know you may have liked many of them, but thats a kind of Stockholm Syndrome you get from the deliberate mental work the institutions do on you. Youre in school and they are the ones to whom you are captive. Thats why they may have seemed so kind; they needed you to give them high teaching evaluations so they could be promoted. The people who taught you English were trained by unhinged Marxists who never made them read much classic literature before throwing them in the classroom to teach you. They rarely studied any foreign languages so had no grasp of world literature or classical literature. They were trained to disregard the Christian Bible so they lacked any meaningful connection to the thousands of years that the Bible and churches influenced artistic expression. The departments that hired them wanted chatty courtiers who could talk about glossy critical theories. Search committees didnt hire literature professors who had a broad background, largely because the people on the hiring committees lacked the range to understand what they were talking about in job interviews. So you got the teacher who showed up talking about feminist readings of Jane Austen novels, like a million other grad students. I know this because I sat through graduate school in the 1990s and went to conference after conference with English teachers. They did masters theses and doctoral dissertations on idiotic pet theories that fascinated their advisors. In order to fund their reckless forays into illustrated childrens literature, erotica, music videos and other esoteric tomfoolery, they held their noses and studied composition and rhetoric so they could get jobs teaching young people how to write papers. So you were the cash crop that funded their dilettantism. If they made Shakespeare, Milton, and Henry James feel accessible to you, thats likely because they were going off the Sparknotes just as you were. They made it accessible because they only knew as much as you did about the texts. Most of what they told you about how to write is awful advice. The rhetorical fallacies like the straw man, red herring, and post hoc ergo propter hoc, are actually effective forms of persuasion that have served great commentators well from Demosthenes to Malcolm X. Ad hominem attacks make the world go round, contrary to what youve heard; the Declaration of Independence, remember, was a long personal attack on King George III. The human mind doesnt react well to dry, dispassionate five-paragraph essays written by people who were forbidden from using I and discouraged from suggesting anything interesting or new. Once you graduate from college, nobody will ever ask you to write a 5-7 page paper with a topic sentence and formulaic presentations of evidence. Your teachers had to consume large amounts of alcohol to read those papers you hated writing. Some of your English teachers may have followed their own suffocating rules of composition. If they did, they joined the ranks of those who write 25-page articles that take four years to get into print at a peer-reviewed journal, to be read by three grad students who stumbled on it on J-STOR when they were looking for something else. Most of your English teachers, though, broke the rules if they wrote anything impactful. They rolled up their sleeves, jumped on social media, and started flinging irresponsible mud at people over topics they felt emotional about. In other words, they were like Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, Emile Zola, Jean-Paul Sartre, and George Orwell. Passionate people worth studying. But no matter how much you rave about the way your English teachers loved you and changed your life, the truth is they were horrible people. I worked alongside them for two decades. These are people who would strangle kittens for tenure. They pulled childish tricks to rig their student evaluations and nominated themselves for excellence in teaching awards. For all their prattle about sexual and racial equality, they zipped their mouths about colleagues abusing students. They did nothing when tenure review boards went after minority teachers. If it seemed like you had very few teachers of color and all the ones you had focused on ethnic studies, thats because all the classicists of color were driven out of the academy for being self-hating Uncle Toms. Trust me. I lived that ugly routine at four different colleges. You may think of yourself as liberal or conservative, but youre probably neither. If you were a true leftist, youd be staging protests against the abusive student debt and the hideous labor conditions of academia. Youd care about the adjuncts who teach 70% of your classes. When I was in college we built shanties to protest South African apartheid and some of us shouted at deans over campus governance, instead of working with deans of diversity to hold harmless parades about safe spaces for people of color and transgender track and field runners. The left you know is a phony game of distraction, designed to keep you unworried about the tuition theyve extorted from you. Most of what the left preaches, whether its green energy or MeToo, ends up being consumerism and celebrity culture, which is really the same thing. Buy a Taylor Swift CD to show solidarity because someone grabbed her at a concert in Colorado. Log onto Google with your smart phone to learn about windmills and solar. Lets pretend a Twitter mobbing against someone who said something homophobic in 1991 is left-wing activism not. I wrote Wackos, Thugs, and Perverts in 2017 to roll out the three basic flavors of educational progressives: wackos who are simply lunatics, thugs who will engage in all kinds of unethical behavior for a quick buck or power, and perverts who project their unhealthy obsessions onto their academic expertise. Thats the left youve seen. Youd be triggered in a nanosecond if you had to speak to an actual radical from the 1970s who wanted to push for social change. Youd probably accuse the person of mansplaining. Even if you think youre conservative, youre probably not that either. Maybe you read the Daily Wire and love hearing Ben Shapiro say facts dont care about your feelings. But if you were conservative, youd be courageous enough to stand up for traditional values. In educational settings the few self-identified conservatives tend to come in three flavors: creeps, cretins, and cowards. The creeps were the libertarian profiteers who saw money to be made in the aftermath of pseudo-liberal destruction in the academic world; they make a living by dressing-up pro-corporate propaganda in Christian platitudes so it can be sold as Reagans three-legged stool to people who have no memory of what that was. The cretins were conservatives who had no concept of wolves in sheeps clothing, and glommed onto numerous creeps (see prior sentence). The cowards were people who knew what traditional values were but didnt want to jeopardize their chance of going to Harvard Law School or something. All three of these conservative characters were completely useless. Thats why their movement got nowhere even as Ben Shapiro got invited to speak at campus after campus. Whether you thought of yourself as conservative or liberal, you were really pseudo-libertarian, which is the default setting of both the Millennials and Generation Z. You wanted the experience of low-cost piety and reckless self-righteous adventures that involved no risk to yourself. You wanted to be able to snitch on your teachers and get them fired but you also wanted a small and non-intrusive government that would allow your gay classmates to make out at the senior prom. This is not your fault. During the last twenty years the entire educational system was rigged to foster that behavior in you because it kept you self-absorbed and ultimately unwilling to question the status quo. Other generations, like mine, rebelled against our teachers to feel cool. Your generations aped and flattered your supposedly progressive teachers to feel rebellious, which wasnt necessarily cool, just the perpetually new normal. As you get ready to start the next phase of your life, you are blessed to have had coronavirus overshadow your graduation. You have had a wakeup call that I havent seen students receive in twenty years. When I tried to explain to previous classes that experts were not as knowledgeable and all-powerful as people assumed they were, they wouldnt believe me. The whole system told them that the APA, AMA, NEA, MLA, ALA, NEH, NIH, CDC, DOJ, and the rest were the gold standard. Now youve had your commencement canceled because these experts said everyone had to stay home for two months, since they couldnt think of anything else to do about a virus. You sat at home wasting day after day with nothing to do while the experts couldnt pull together a large-scale triage system, distribute reliable antibodies tests, or find treatment for people who got infected. After billions in science funding, this. If youre paying attention, youve realized theyre a clown show. What might feel scary to you could also become a sense of liberation. You hold a golden place of history. God gave you a graduation present: insight into the inner workings of a society that had spent at least sixty years convincing itself that their lies were real. In truth, human beings are still fragile organisms who cant be saved by experts, degrees, courses of study, diplomas, transcripts, papers, conferences, or grades. People who seemed all-powerful and unquestionable to classes that came before you now stand exposed for being less than a wizard behind a curtain. Theyre the bobblehead behind a telescreen (pace Orwell). Please forgive me for speaking so frankly to you. Youve been had. But you cant be had any longer, since everything is breaking down. You didnt ask for my advice but Ill give it to you. You should stand up and fight the system at this point, whether youre left or right. Past generations risked their safety to engage in real civil disobedience. Read Thoreau if it helps. When youre young and not set in your career, you have more freedom than you can imagine. I wish Id taken a stand for my beliefs at 19, so I didnt have to take the stand at 49 with two kids, a wife, and a mortgage to worry about. I dont regret my choices but my timing. If you dont avail yourself of your freedom now, chances are youll be part of the machine for the rest of your life. And the machine is broken. Robert Oscar Lopez can be followed at bobbylopez.me or on twitter @RLopezMission. With 477 fresh Covid-19 cases detected in Tamil Nadu on Saturday, the coronavirus positive cases in the state have now breached the 10,000-mark; taking the total tally to 10,585. At least three deaths were reported on Saturday with the death toll rising to 74 in the southern state. The fatalities include a 74-year-old man who had been suffering from the infectious disease, state health minister C Vijaya Baskar said. The number of active cases in Tamil Nadu is now at 6,970. After Maharashtra, which is the worst-hit state in the Covid-19 pandemic with a third of the countrys total number of cases, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Delhi are the states which have the highest concentration of coronavirus positive patients. Chennai continues to lead with a majority of Covid-19 positive cases among districts at 332, according to state health department data. The health minister said of the 477 newly infected patients, 93 were those who had arrived from other countries and states. According to the minister, 10,535 samples were tested on Saturday. Baskar said Tamil Nadu has been witnessing a decline in the number of coronavirus positive cases in the last few days, despite the state tally being above the 10,000-mark. Indias tally of confirmed Covid-19 cases crossed 85,000 on Friday with more people testing positive for the deadly virus infection from Kashmir to Kerala and from Karnataka to Bihar, even as indications emerged about greater relaxations in the fourth phase of the lockdown beginning Monday. The relaxations are a step towards containing the economic costs due to the pandemic. The numbers declared by different states and union territories also indicate that India has now surpassed Chinas official tally of 82,933 confirmed Covid-19 cases since the coronavirus was detected in Wuhan in December 2019. More than 50 migrants gathered at Assamese Bhavan in Chennai on Saturday hoping that they will be leaving for their hometowns but were told that they cannot leave the city for a few more days. "We vacated the house because we were told that a special train will leave for Assam today. But we are told to wait for a few more days for train travel. Now, we have nowhere to go," said Jonah who hails from Assam. " We registered with the state government portal for travel online. The Assamese Bhavan helped with the registration. We have been patiently waiting for a call on the journey but we learnt that a few others from Assam have managed to travel by train this week. There was some miscommunication as we were told that there is special train today and we can finally go back home. When we went to Assamese Bhavan, we came to know that were are not in the list," said Jonah. His sister Ikanelleh worked in a beauty parlour till March 22. That is also the last time she received her salary. With no work and no salary, she was not able to pay a rent of Rs 5000 for April and May. The free ration that the state government provided got over and now she says they don't have the essentials to cook. "I was earning 10,000 a month till March. As the lockdown began, I did not get my salary. The little savings we had was spent for rent for the month of April. We did not have money to pay this month's rent. We desperately want to go back to our family because each day we stay here, we don't know how to manage with food and stay," Ikanellah told News 18. For now, they are hoping for relief from the Tamil Nadu government. "Travelling by foot is impossible," they say and are hoping the government arranges a special train for them at the earliest. JOHANNESBURG, May 15 (WNM/BMJ) - Nearly a quarter of a billion people across Africa will catch coronavirus during the first year of the pandemic, and up to 190,000 of them will likely die, unless urgent action is taken to control the infection, reveals a predictive modelling study, accepted for publication in BMJ Global Health (https://gh.bmj.com/pages/wp-content/uploads/sites/58/2020/05/BMJGH-The_potential_effects_of_widespread_community_transmission_of_SARS-CoV-2_infection_in_the_WHO_African_Region_a_predictive_model-Copy.pdf). ... 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. 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. 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You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website. >>> Eight more patients recover from COVID-19 However, local health authorities have confirmed there is no likelihood of community transmission from the latest patients as they were all quarantined after the flight landed at Van Don International Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh. There have been no community transmissions of the virus for 29 days and no deaths. The new cases, aged between 24 and 47, include one woman and 23 men. One is being treated at the Field Hospital No. 2 of Quang Ninh and the rest are at Thai Binh Provincial General Hospital. The flight from Moscow landed on May 13 and was carrying mostly children under the age of 18, students, the elderly, sick people, tourists and people whose visas had expired but could not leave the country. The 345 repatriated citizens as well as the crew from the Vietnam Airline flight were all immediately quarantined. The countrys total recovered cases now stand at 260 after eight patients with COVID-19 were declared to have recovered on May 14 afternoon. Of the 52 active cases including 24 new cases, five patients have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once and other nine have tested negative for the virus more than twice. As many as 12,236 people are under quarantine, including 353 at hospitals, 8,492 at concentrated quarantine areas and 3,391 at home. They either returned from abroad or came into close contact with confirmed cases. US Senate Passes Bill Targeting Chinese Officials for Rights Violations By Yi-Hua Lee May 15, 2020 This week the U.S. Senate took aim at China's human rights record, passing a bill that could lead to sanctions for Chinese officials involved in the massive network of prisons and forced labor camps targeting ethnic Muslims in Xinjiang. The Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 recommends the U.S. take a harder approach to punishing China for human rights abuses. If passed by the House and signed into law by President Donald Trump, the White House would draw up a list of Chinese officials involved in abuses for possible sanctions. The bill, introduced by Senators Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and James Risch, R-Idaho, passed with unanimous support from lawmakers, reflecting support across parties for taking a harder line on Chinese human rights issues. Rubio, who serves on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said in a joint statement, "The Chinese government and Communist Party's systematic, ongoing efforts to wipe out the ethnic and cultural identities of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang is horrific and will be a stain on humanity should we refuse to act." Risch, chairman of the committee, said in the joint statement, "Today's Senate passage of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act is an important step in holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable for its severe human rights abuses in Xinjiang." He continued, "China's illegal detainment of at least a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in prison camps is reprehensible and inexcusable." Menendez, the committee's ranking member, said in the joint statement, "Enactment of this legislation to provide justice for the Uyghur people and others subject to China's gross violations of human rights and possible crimes against humanity is long overdue." The senators urged the House to quickly take up the legislation. The Senate passed the original version of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act in September. In December, the House passed its version, which included increased restrictions on exporting devices that the Chinese government could use to monitor or restrict movement of Uighurs and other Chinese citizens. This version was sent back to the Senate for consideration. The Senate, in the bill it passed Thursday, accepted most of the House version but removed the restrictions on exports. As a result, the House will need to approve the bill again before it can be sent to the president for his signature. Last week in his remarks on the Senate floor, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., expected that the passage of the Uighur rights bill "will bring more attention to the plight of this mistreated minority." The Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act urges the United States to hold Chinese Communist Party officials accountable and impose sanctions and revoke visas under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Because of the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S., many members of the House are not working in their Washington offices. It's not known when the Uighur legislation will come up for a vote. The bill's unanimous passage in the Senate is expected to spark another round of protests from Beijing. When the House passed its version of the bill late last year, Chinese officials called it a grave violation of international law and interference in China's internal affairs. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Teenage girls are more likely than boys to experience stress and anxiety and feel the loss of social connection during the COVID-19 pandemic. A study by UNICEF Australia has found the threat of the coronavirus and the associated lockdown is damaging the wellbeing of Australian teenagers, with less than half saying they are coping well. Student Emily Jones at home in Wahroonga. Credit:Christopher Pearce Emily Jones, 16, from Wahroonga on the upper north shore, said her anxiety and depression has flared up because of the enforced social isolation. "I'm normally very sociable and I enjoy hanging out with my friends a lot," Emily said. Pro-life activist David Daleiden sues Kamala Harris, Planned Parenthood for conspiracy Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Investigative journalist David Daleiden has filed a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., accusing them and others of violating his civil rights. Daleiden and his organization, the Center for Medical Progress, filed the suit in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Tuesday. The suit concerns the treatment that Daleiden and others at CMP said they experienced after they released undercover videos in 2015 that show Planned Parenthood abortionists and other providers discussing methods they use to procure fetal tissue and intact organs and limbs to sell to research labs. In addition to Harris and Planned Parenthood, the complaint also names California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, the National Abortion Federation, StemExpress and others as defendants. In the complaint, Daleiden and CMP accuse the defendants of a brazen, unprecedented, and ongoing conspiracy to selectively use Californias video recording laws as a political weapon to silence disfavored speech. Daleiden became the first journalist ever to be criminally prosecuted under Californias recording law because his investigation revealed and he published shock[ing] content that Californias Attorney General and the private party coconspirators wanted to cover up, the suit argues. Defendants seek their pound of flesh from Mr. Daleiden and to chill other journalists from investigating and reporting on that same content. Harris, who served as attorney general of California from 2011-2017 and recently ran as a Democratic candidate for president, was specifically accused of refusing to investigate their claims against Planned Parenthood due to her own ties to the organization. Instead, she announced that she planned to prosecute Daleiden. Soon after, Harris ordered the 2016 raid on Daleiden's apartment where his laptop, hard drives and yet-to-be released undercover videos were seized. That same year, Harris also used her Senate campaign website to encourage supporters to sign a petition in support of Planned Parenthood after Republican members of Congress warned they'd be investigating the abortion business following the release of CMP's series of undercover videos. Planned Parenthood and other abortion groups have donated tens of thousands of dollars to the political campaigns of AG Harris and AG Becerra and provided significant other political assistance, Daleiden's complaint adds. It was this special patronage relationship and the political interests and viewpoints it was built around ... that led Defendants Harris and Becerra to seek to punish the content of Plaintiffs speech. Harmeet K. Dhillon, lead counsel for the pro-life activists, said in a statement released Wednesday that federal civil rights statutes were enacted in the wake of the darkest periods in our nations history. They are well-suited for the current civil rights crisis we face, a time when powerful politicians allow their special interest patrons to custom-order prosecutions that violate fundamental constitutional rights, Dhillon said. Since 2015, Daleiden and other people connected to CMP and its undercover videos have found themselves facing several legal battles, including criminal charges for their undercover activism. In 2017, Becerra announced an arrest warrant for Daleiden that included 15 criminal charges, including unlawful use of forged identities to covertly record their discussions at public conferences and meetings. The right to privacy is a cornerstone of Californias Constitution, and a right that is foundational in a free democratic society, Becerra said at the time. We will not tolerate the criminal recording of confidential conversations. Last month, U.S. District Judge William Orrick of the Northern District of California released an order compelling Daleiden and CMP to pay more than $1.2 million in damages to Planned Parenthood. In addition to issuing an injunction banning those named from attending Planned Parenthood events, Orrick also found them liable for large sums of money, including $1,259,370 in damages related to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, plus other damages and attorneys fees. the illegal and fraudulent prongs of the UCL are satisfied given the jurys verdict that defendants engaged in numerous illegal and fraudulent acts in California and emanating from California, against California-based plaintiffs and others, committed in violation of California law, Federal law, and the laws of other jurisdictions, Orrick wrote. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16) President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the last-minute recommendation of the inter-agency task force to place the cities of Cebu and Mandaue in Cebu province under enhanced community quarantine until May 31, his spokesman said Saturday. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque also confirmed in a text message to CNN Philippines that the provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Zambales will be under a more relaxed modified ECQ until the end of May. Other areas under modified ECQ are Metro Manila and Laguna. Cebu City, which has a total of 1,544 COVID-19 cases, was earlier placed in the category prior to Saturday's announcement. The rest of the country is now under the more relaxed general community quarantine. READ: COVID-19 cases in PH rise to 12,305 Daily life under ECQ Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes thanked the inter-agency task force for considering their appeal to stay under ECQ. He made the request earlier this week, along with the city governments of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu. Cortes, however, told CNN Philippines that it was unfortunate Lapu-Lapu City was left behind. The city, which has 58 recorded COVID-19 cases, is separated from the main island of Cebu by the narrow Mactan Channel. Cortes said they are planning to enforce strict border controls to prevent infected people from entering the city, along with a 24-hour curfew where only essential workers will be allowed outside their homes. Under the ECQ, only those rendering vital services and buying essential goods are allowed to leave their homes. Mass transport is suspended. Mandaue has 100 COVID-19 cases, 84 of whom are inmates of the Mandaue City Jail. Metro Manila, 6 provinces under MECQ Modified quarantine guidelines allow select manufacturing and processing plants to reopen at half of their capacity, giving workers the opportunity to return to work after two months under lockdown. Malls and commercial centers can also reopen but only for non-leisure stores. LIST: Businesses allowed to reopen in Metro Manila, areas under modified ECQ by May 16 The task force also said that heightened presence of uniformed personnel "becomes less necessary." LIST: What daily life would be like in areas under modified ECQ, GCQ The task force said the decision was made after data on updated case number and health system capacity have been validated "in consideration of the appeals of the local governments." Public transport is still suspended in areas under modified ECQ though some cities, including Pasig and Marikina, have given tricycles the green light to resume operations, but subject to social distancing and other health protocols. A woman has been remanded in custody after human remains were discovered in two suitcases in the Forest of Dean. Gareeca Conita Gordon, 27, was charged with murder at Cheltenham Magistrates Court after a female victim has killed at some point between April 14 and May 12. Gordon, of Salisbury Road, Birchfield, Birmingham, spoke only to confirm her name, address, date of birth and Jamaican nationality. The defendant, who wore a grey sweatshirt, sat behind a table at the Gloucestershire Police custody suite at Compass House for the videolink hearing. The defendant only spoke to confirm her identity / Getty Images The clerk of the court told the defendant: You are here today in relation to one charge. It is said between April 14 and May 12 2020 at 20 Salisbury Road you murdered a person unknown. This is a matter that can only be dealt with at the crown court and your case will be sent initially to Gloucester Crown Court. Catherine Jones, prosecuting, told the court: Given the nature of the charge it will be proceeding to the crown court with no bail. Matthew Harbinson, representing Gordon, did not apply for bail. District Judge Joti Bopa-Rai remanded Gordon into custody and ordered her to appear before Gloucester Crown Court on May 19. This case can only be heard at the crown court. Initially it will go to Gloucester Crown Court and may go to Birmingham Crown Court but that is for the crown court to resolve, the judge told her. The next hearing will be on May 19. I cannot deal with bail and the first opportunity to apply for bail will be on May 19. For that period you will be remanded into custody. It is most likely that will be on the videolink. The charge relates to the discovery of human remains close to a quarry, near Coleford in the Forest of Dean, on Tuesday night. Police were alerted after a member of the public reported suspicions about a vehicle due to its erratic driving. The vehicle was located a short while later and two suitcases were discovered containing human remains. Gloucestershire Police said a post-mortem examination was found to be inconclusive and further examinations are ongoing to establish the cause of death. Police are awaiting results of DNA tests to establish the identity of the victim. Additional reporting by PA Media The UN General Assembly will cast ballots in-person for five new non-permanent Security Council seats, its president said Thursday, effectively ruling out electronic voting despite the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter to UN members obtained by AFP, President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande said that voting members would be "invited to visit the venue at the designated time slot communicated to them in advance" in order to cast their ballot. Mexico and India are guaranteed a spot on the Council as the only countries in the running to represent Latin America and Asia respectively. Ireland, Norway and Canada will compete among themselves for two more seats. Meanwhile Kenya and Djibouti will vie for the only spot reserved for Africa. The vote is planned for June 17, but the letter seen Thursday referenced only the month of June, meaning a change of date could be possible depending on circumstances. According to the letter, the 193 General Assembly members will vote "by secret ballot without a plenary meeting." Although no location was given, the vote is likely to be held at UN headquarters. In normal times, the annual vote to elect five of the body's 10 non-permanent members takes place like clockwork during a well-oiled ceremony, with states placing their secret vote into a ballot box in the General Assembly's main hall. In recent weeks, General Assembly members have expressed concern that their secret ballot might be revealed or that electronic fraud could take place, a diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity told AFP. With the stakes high, competing countries have gone to great lengths to win votes. In 2018, Ireland curried favor with invitations to a concert by Irish rockers U2. The Globe and Mail recently reported that Canada had hoped to similarly sway states with a March concert in Brooklyn by Celine Dion. S pecial Covid dogs that may be able to detect symptoms of coronavirus before they appear are to begin trials in the UK. Six dogs, which are already used to sniff out diseases such as cancer, malaria and Parkinsons disease, will be given intensive training to spot Covid-19. The trials will determine whether the mixture of labradors and cocker spaniels are able to detect coronavirus in humans from odour samples before the onset of symptoms. It is thought each animal could screen up to 250 people per hour once trained. The dogs will be trained using samples from people who are infected with coronavirus and those who are uninfected, as some respiratory diseases are known to change body odour. Minister for Innovation Lord Bethell said: Bio-detection dogs already detect specific cancers and we believe this innovation might provide speedy results as part of our wider testing strategy. Accuracy is essential so this trial will tell us whether Covid dogs can reliably detect the virus and stop it spreading. Asher is among the dogs to be trained / Department of Health and Social Care The trials will form part of research into potential non-invasive, early-warning methods of detecting the virus, and are being backed by 500,000 of government funding, The first phase will be conducted by researchers at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), in collaboration with the charity Medical Detection Dogs (MDD) and Durham University. Storm will also take part in the trials / Department of Health and Social Care Research gathered by MDD has shown that the dogs can be trained to detect the odour of disease at the equivalent dilution of one teaspoon of sugar in two Olympic-sized swimming pools of water. Professor James Logan, head of the department of disease control at the LSHTM, said he was hopeful of success. UK returns to work as Coronavirus restrictions are eased - In pictures 1 /38 UK returns to work as Coronavirus restrictions are eased - In pictures Londoners returning to work near London Bridge Jeremy Selwyn Emergency as Lockdown is slowly lifted at Victoria Station Nigel Howard Cyclists travel in central London AFP via Getty Images Emergency as Lockdown is slowly lifted at Victoria Station Nigel Howard Alan Price on his Penny Farthing this morning on Battersea Bridge Jeremy Selwyn Delivery men are seen outside a reopened McDonald's with take-out only deliveries in Dalston Reuters Jubilee Line tube commuters as lockdown eases Nigel Howard Worlds End Nurseries in Chelsea opens for business. Customer Nika Kucifer is shown flowers by Janson Lotery Nigel Howard Londoners going back to work at Waterloo Jeremy Selwyn People ride bicycles in a cycle lane in Chelsea PA Jubilee Line tube commuters as lockdown eases Nigel Howard Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall Jeremy Selwyn Jubilee Line tube commuters as lockdown eases Nigel Howard Jubilee Line tube commuters as lockdown eases. Nigel Howard Matt Writtle Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall Jeremy Selwyn Vehicles are seen on the M56 motorway near Manchester, Reuters Londoners going back to work at Waterloo Jeremy Selwyn Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall Jeremy Selwyn Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall Jeremy Selwyn Monty's first day back. West Highland Terrier Monty commutes to work on his bike on his first day back with owner Darragh McElroy. Monty, who's Instagram account is @monty_whitehall_westie, works at the Cabinet Office in Whitehall with his owner Darragh who is Deputy Director of Coronavirus Communications at the Cabinet Office Matt Writtle Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall Jeremy Selwyn A commuter wears a mask at Canning Town station Reuters Rush hour on the M6 at the junction for Birmingham/Walsall on the first morning of the eased Coronavirus lockdown PA Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall Jeremy Selwyn Commuters, some wearing masks are seen on a London Underground tube, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease Reuters Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall Jeremy Selwyn Commuters, some wearing masks are seen at Stratford station, Reuters Cyclists in Chelsea today. Nigel Howard Our previous work has shown that malaria has a distinctive odour, and with Medical Detection Dogs, we successfully trained dogs to accurately detect malaria, he said. This, combined with the knowledge that respiratory disease can change body odour, makes us hopeful that the dogs can also detect Covid-19. If successful, this approach could revolutionise how we detect the virus, with the potential to screen high numbers of people. Loading.... Dr Claire Guest, co-founder and chief executive of Medical Detection Dogs, said: We are delighted that the Government has given us the opportunity to demonstrate that dogs can play a role in the fight against Covid-19. They have the potential to help by quickly screening people, which could be vital in the future. We are sure our dogs will be able to find the odour of Covid-19 and we will then move into a second phase to test them in live situations, following which we hope to work with other agencies to train more dogs for deployment. We are incredibly proud that a dogs nose could once again save many lives. Additional reporting by PA Media Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Sudip Sharma's haunting crime thriller, Paatal Lok, has taken over social media and if you haven't watched it yet, you don't know what you're missing out on. The show, produced by Anushka Sharma, is a perfect blend of gore and suspense coupled with mythological allegories and socio-political commentary. News18's review of the nine episode series says that while other thriller shows on OTT platforms, like Sacred Games, relied on sudden chills, Paatal Lok really delves into the minds of the criminals and explores why they do what they do. But hey, if you haven't watched the show yet, we don't want to give away the plot. Rest assured, there aren't any spoilers here. On social media, the show has received raging reviews with everyone applauding the actors, the storyline and the execution. Nevertheless, is any new show or movie really complete without its share of memes? Since the show released on Amazon Prime, Twitter has been flooded with hilarious jokes and memes, take a look: My mom after telling me tulsi adrak as corona vaccine#PaatalLok pic.twitter.com/29VF8jRo7C Chirag Garg (@ninjaTechniq) May 15, 2020 When friends are fighting and take it to another level... #PaatalLok Me to best friend- pic.twitter.com/YaK6Vx7mdi with a double E (@meet_patel__) May 16, 2020 Me when I see your face.. #PaatalLok pic.twitter.com/TZuzg2sdk9 Gajodhar Singh Cool (@gajodharsingh69) May 15, 2020 A police constable was apprehended on charges of rape in Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur district on Saturday, an officer said. The action came after an FIR was registered against the constable on the complaint of a woman, said SSP Bilaspur Devakar Sharma. The complainant is a daily wage worker and has four children, he added. The woman alleged that on Friday the policeman, who was known to her, asked for her help in bringing some ration kept in his car, Sharma said. Later, she was forcefully taken to Ghumarwin in the car where the constable raped her, the officer said citing the complaint. The woman also alleged that there was another man with the constable who was driving the car, he said. The complainant has been sent for a medical examination and an investigation is underway, the senior superintendent of police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) U.S. State Department Inspector General Steve Linick departs the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Oct. 2, 2019. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Trump Fires State Department Inspector General Steve Linick President Donald Trump late Friday informed Congress that he intends to remove State Department Inspector General Steve Linick. It is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as Inspectors General. Trump said in a letter sent late Friday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. That is no longer the case with regard to this Inspector General. The dismissal is effective in 30 days. Trump did not mention Linick by name in the letter. Linick, an Obama appointee, had served in the role since 2013. Before that, he served as the first inspector general of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Prior to that, he supervised fraud cases at the Department of Justice. Linicks office investigated former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons use of a private email server in 2016. A May 2016 report (pdf) concluded that Clinton had violated federal rules but also noted that there existed systemic weaknesses, and made eight recommendations to the State Department at the time. A State Department spokesperson confirmed Linicks dismissal and said that Ambassador Stephen Akard will now lead Office of the Inspector General. Akard was confirmed by the Senate 90-2 on Sept. 11, 2019, to lead the State Departments Office of Foreign Missions, according to the spokesperson. Akard was previously a career foreign service officer with the Department of State, holding various positions, including serving as a special assistant to Secretary of State Colin Powell in the Executive Secretariat; as a political officer and general services officer at the U.S. Embassy in Brussels; and as a consular officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai. Immediately prior to his role as the director of the State Departments Office of Foreign Missions, he held various roles at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, and served as the senior foreign affairs adviser to Govs. Mitch Daniels, Mike Pence, and Eric Holcomb. In April, Trump notified Congress that he would fire Michael Atkinson, the inspector general for the Intelligence Community who handled the anonymous whistleblower complaint that triggered the House Democratic-led impeachment inquiry against Trump. The president also removed Glenn Fine as the acting inspector general for the Department of Defense, after Fine was appointed to lead a watchdog committee overseeing how the $2.2 trillion CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus relief package was being spent. In May, Trump announced that he would nominate Jason Weida to be the permanent inspector general to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to fill the duties of Christi Grimm, the HHSs principal deputy inspector general who had been running the office since January. Her office in early April released a report (pdf) that said there was a shortage of supplies and testing at hospitals. Trump later accused Grimms report as being a fake dossier in a statement on Twitter. He also called the findings of the report wrong during a White House briefing on the CCP virus. The border patrol team of the Aflao Command of the Ghana Immigration Service has busted 31 slabs of suspected cannabis from smugglers attempting to cross with the consignment into the Republic of Togo. The team in the early hours of April 15 foiled the attempt by a syndicated motor-riding smugglers trying to move the commodity across Ghana's border through unapproved route -'beat' eleven in the Ketu South Municipality. Assistant Inspector, Mr Felix Klu-Adjei, Volta Regional Public Relation Officer of GIS, told the Ghana News Agency that the patrol team encountered the smugglers at about 0100 hours and was suspicious of the movement of two motor riders, who were trying to recce the location for easy operation. He said four motor-riders then emerged from a nearby bush soon after the disappearance of the earlier two with the compressed parcels in an attempt to smuggle the consignment from the Ghana side of the border into Republic of Togo. Mr Klu-Adjei said the team stood their grounds to disallow the illegal movement of the contraband goods, which the smugglers fiercely resisted resulting in threats of death. He said when their resistance was neutralised by quick reinforcement of officers, the smugglers then recoiled, started persuading and eventually attempted to offer money, which was decisively declined. Assistant Inspector Klu-Adjei said the consignment was consequently seized but the smugglers managed to escape with their motorbikes. He said the consignment was in the custody of the Aflao Command for further investigation and subsequent handover to the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB). 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 Conroe Mayor Toby Powell has filed a class action lawsuit against several Montgomery County officials hoping to get some property tax relief for residents facing economic hardships amid the amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The suit names Montgomery County Chief Appraiser Tony Belinoski and Tax Assessor Collector Tammy McRae and was filed just hours before the deadline to protest property taxes. It asks the court to order the chief appraiser to either apply an across-the-board reduction to the value of all properties or re-assess each property individually. In the lawsuit filed Friday, Powell states the appraisal district has that discretion to do these things but has refused to exercise it. Alternatively, Powell, who filed the suit in his personal capacity, asks the court to order the appraisal district to extend the deadline to file individual protests until June 30. Property values for tax purposes are normally set as of January 1 of the tax year, and the values Montgomery County taxpayers received in the mail around April 15 were based on what their property was worth on January 1, Powell said in a press release. They do not reflect what has happened to our economy in the five months since that date. McRae and Belinoski had not been served and had not seen the lawsuit Friday, so both declined to comment. In March, Montgomery County health officials confirmed the countys first case of the new coronavirus. That announcement was followed by several local and state orders that ordered all non-essential businesses closed and residents to stay at home for more than a month. What we are asking for in this lawsuit is for the appraisal district to re-appraise all of the property in the county based on what has happened to our economy since that time, Powell stated. Unfortunately, many of the properties in the county show a large increase in value because demand for new homes and real estate was high toward the end of 2019. But that has dried up because thousands of our fellow citizens have lost their jobs or their businesses have been shut down. Powell said he made the decision to file the suit following dozens of phone calls from business owners and residents, many from the April Sound community, begging for help because they are unable to pay their property taxes. This has weighed heavily on my heart as I fully understand their plight, he said, noting Belinoski has the authority to grant relief to taxpayers. I do not see any other way to help our citizens except through a lawsuit. I was elected to serve and protect our citizens and thats what I fully intend to do. Rigby Owen III, the attorney representing the mayor in the suit, said the tax code normally requires properties to be valued as of January 1 of the tax year. Typically, appraisal districts across Texas mail out notices of those values to property owners by mid-April and the taxpayers then have 30 days in which to file a protest. However, Owen said filing protest online is not usually effective and the COVID-19 crisis has limited in person protests since the appraisal district offices was closed. We are asking that the deadline to file a protest be extended at least until June 30 to give the taxpayers more time to file individual protests, Owen said. It is our understanding that most government offices will be able to open back up to the public on June 1. It seems only fair that taxpayers be given an adequate amount of time to file their protests in person. The taxpayer has a right to a hearing before the Appraisal Review Board. But that has not been possible so far because the Appraisal District Office has been closed to the public because of the COVID-19 crisis. Powell said while the city has some say in the taxing process, the county goes far beyond what the city can do to relieve their burden. For a property owner in Conroe the city portion of their property tax bill is less than 20 percent of the total bill. The city has no control over how much in taxes is collected by the school districts, the county government or other special districts that are funded by property taxes. I feel very strongly about this issue, Powell said. The people of this city and county are hurting and many of them simply will not be able to pay their taxes when they come due unless we do something about it now. Ultimately, if they cannot pay, they may lose their property because of a situation beyond their control. cdominguez@hcnonline.com Happy State Bank has the approval of the Texas Department of Bank and FDIC for Happy Bancshares, Inc. to purchase Centennial Bank. According to the news release announcing the approval, the merger of the two banks is slated to finalize on July 1 and that the joint venture will total 58 locations in 41 Texas communities with combined assets of around $5 billion. Manipur assembly speaker Yumnam Khemchand Singh has urged the state government to provide Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to doctors and health workers deputed at the quarantine centres after a person tested positive for COVID-19 at such a facility. Speaking to reporters during the opening of a quarantine facility at the Manipur College premises in his Singjamei constituency on Friday, Singh appealed to the people to come forward to help the frontline warriors in this hour of crisis. Doctors and health workers at quarantine facilities have alleged that they are yet to receive PPE from the government. "It was like asking the army to fight against an enemy without providing him arms and ammunition," a doctor who did not want to be identified said. A person, whose mother died due to COVID-19 in Mumbai, tested positive on Thursday while being in isolation at a quarantine centre in Imphal East district after arriving here on May 5, the doctor said. Also read: Coronavirus: COVID-19 cases touch 85,940; check state-wise tally, deaths Also read: Coronavirus Live Updates: Lockdown 4.0! State brace for phased exit as India's COVID-19 cases top 85,000 Decades before the coronavirus claimed her, she lived the frontier life in Alaska As the Dauphin County Commissioners seek to go from red to yellow and emerge from the coronavirus lockdown, the local NAACP and other minority groups are asking them to consider black and brown voices as they chart the countys COVID-19 comeback. The groups formally asking for minority representatives on Dauphin Countys just-announced COVID-19 task force include the Martin Luther King Leadership Development Institute, the NAACP of Greater Harrisburg, and the Interdenominational Ministers Conference of Greater Harrisburg. Representatives of these groups co-authored a letter addressed to Commissioner Michael Pries on Wednesday. The letter highlights the disproportionate toll the coronavirus is exacting on people of color in demanding a strong presence of black and brown medical experts and public health officials on the Dauphin County reopening task force. The letter reads in part: It has been widely reported that this pandemic has had a disparate impact on the minority community nationally, as well as locally. Therefore, we seek to be a part of the collaborative that develops the Dauphin County Reopening Plan. Undoubtedly the collaborative would benefit from having a public health brain trust that includes black and Hispanic doctors, other health professionals, and minority business owners. In a PennLive interview on Saturday, Reginald A. Guy Jr., cofounder of the MLK Leadership Development Institute, expressed extreme doubts about getting the proper minority representation on the county task force and he targeted Commissioner Jeff Haste, a Republican, as the reason why. We have never been short on expertise, Guy said of the countys African-American community. We have professionals ready to share their knowledge and be part of planning process. I just dont think Haste sees us that way at all. This just smacks of racism, and I welcome the opportunity to be proven wrong. Requests for Haste to comment on this criticism, made through the countys spokeswoman, werent immediately returned. However, the spokeswoman responded with a written statement from the full board. It reads in part: Its imperative that this task force be as diverse as Dauphin County. We have invited the NAACP, the African American Chamber of Commerce, Hamilton Health Center and the Hispanic and Latino community to be a part of our collective recovery effort. We also want to hear from the small business owners, faith-based community, non-profits, schools and child care centers from across the county so that we can develop a broad-based plan that adequately addresses our needs at the local level... Weve never faced an enemy quite like COVID-19. Thats why we need input from the entire community. The NAACP is right to point out that we must work together to find answers and solutions. Gaps in data collection and reporting have made it even more challenging to better understand how this virus spreads and affects people differently based on demographics. Looking at factors like access to testing and quality healthcare will be a critical part of this process. (Additional task force info can be found online at www.dauphincounty.org/reopenandrestore) In his PennLive interview, Guy enumerated what he called past slights by Haste dating back 20 years to when African-American leaders were seeking representation in the countys decision to back the $120 million renovation of Harrisburgs trash incinerator. I cant think of any example of him being engaged and promoting our interests," Guy said in the phone interview. "He has never really embraced the African-American community as constituents, other than cosmetically. That is not going to wear well this time. Lives are at stake. Responding to the letter and Guys comments, Dauphin County spokeswoman Amy Richards said the full letter was read aloud during Wednesdays commissioners meeting held by teleconference, and the offer of input and task force membership was welcomed. She added the new panel, dubbed the Reopen and Restore Dauphin County Task Force, is still being formed. Commissioner George Hartwick, the lone Democrat on the three-member panel, all-but-guaranteed African-Americans and other minorities would have seats on the task force in his comments to a reporter Saturday. Hartwick vowed that protecting the health and safety of the vulnerable minority community health would be a paramount concern as the county reopens. Specifically, Hartwick mentioned his desire to have the Hamilton Health Center, a federally funded medical provider to many low-income minorities in the county, as a significant voice on the task force. I am only one commissioner, but I will assure you those (minority) seats at the table are the only way we are going to be successful, Hartwick said by phone on Saturday. Without them, we are setting up for failure. Weve got to hear from healthcare workers, and we have to hear from business leaders. It has to be driven by medical advice from the frontlines, and accurate data that we are all examining. Hartwick added he also envisions advocacy roles for the NAACP and the minority ministers. They, along with representatives from congregations across the county, would be counted on for guidance, information and feedback as religious organizations look to safely reopen. Dauphin County is a very diverse place, Hartwick said. We have a responsibility to represent very diverse interests racial, ethnic, cultural, as well as rural, suburban, urban. We would not being doing a service without ensuring they have a seat at the table. Hartwick said hes encouraged by Dauphin Countys track record of coming together despite its differences and diversity during past disasters. He expressed confidence the county will do so again. Its not time to talk about old wounds. Its time to talk about how to succeed post COVID-19, he said. Unfortunately, Dauphin County is still waiting for approval from Gov. Tom Wolf to go from red to yellow under the states phased reopening criteria. Haste attempted to buck the process last week, releasing a statement seeking to unilaterally reopen the county without gubernatorial approval. But he backed off after Wolf threatened the countys state funding, among other sanctions. This attempt to circumvent the COVID-19 reopening process prompted Guy to accuse Haste of trying to out-Trump Trump. Instead, Dauphin County will now watch as neighboring counties like Cumberland and York move to yellow next Friday, while it remains in red and on full lockdown. Both Haste and Pries reacted with frustration to Wolf again bypassing the county, with Haste calling it political payback. But Guy, who often repeats the expression, pray for the process, argued the delay now gives Dauphin County plenty of time to afford all groups, including minorities, a seat on the reopening task force. We have time to properly plan the opening, and the minority community can be substantially included in the planning process, he said. This is community building 101. If we are going to turn this corner, we need to be inclusive, not exclusive. 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 PARIS He was behind the radio station whose hate-filled invectives turned Rwandan against Rwandan, neighbor against neighbor, even spouse against spouse. He was the man, it was said, who imported the hundreds of thousands of machetes that allowed countless ordinary people to act upon that hatred in one of the last genocides of the past century. One of the most-wanted fugitives of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Felicien Kabuga, was arrested Saturday morning in a rented home just outside Paris, protected by his children, the French authorities said. The capture of Mr. Kabuga, 84, who was living under a false identity, was the culmination of a decades-long international hunt across many countries on at least two continents. His arrest considered the most important apprehension by an international tribunal in the past decade could help bring long-awaited justice for his actions more than a generation after the killing of at least 800,000 and perhaps as many as one million ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus in the small central African nation. His trial could also help unravel some of the enduring mysteries of the killings, particularly how much planning went into the genocide, which also led to a catastrophic war in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo and continues to destabilize much of central Africa today. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Youth wing through its Project Caravan has distributed face masks, hand sanitizers, as well as liquid soaps to communities in the Northern Region to help in the fight against the Coronavirus (Covid-19) disease. According to Comrade Ruth Dela Seddoh who is the Deputy National Youth Organizer for NDC, the move is in line with the Vision of flag bearer John Dramani Mahama for the party to contribute a great deal to the countrys fight against the global pandemic. The distribution of the protective items which was complement with a sensitization and awareness creation program on COVID-19 and Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) was carried out for 3 days in the past week. It started on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, and is ending today with a lot of communities in the Northern part of the country benefiting massively. The trip has been very successful as I touched base with various communities to interact with the people of Nyankpala Market and Township, Tolon, Wulensi, Hill Top, Yendi Township, Nayiri Palace and Saboba Township. We sensitized them on how to protect themselves and their families from getting infected. We also distributed thousands of Face Masks, Hand Sanitizers and liquid soaps to them, Ruth Dela Seddoh said at the end of the exercise. She further urged the thousands of people who are going to benefit from the face masks, sanitizers, and liquids soaps to ensure they put it to good use to protect themselves from contracting the deadly Coronavirus disease. We encouraged them to take the full responsibility of protecting themselves as Prez. Nana Addo and his government have displayed gross incompetence in handling this pandemic. Deputy National Youth Organizer for NDC concluded, I would like to say a big thank you to all National, Regional, Constituency, Branch Executives and Youth Activists who got involved in making this project a success. S ir James Dyson is the richest person in the UK for the first time, according to the Sunday Times Rich List, after his wealth grew by 3.6 billion in the last year. The Brexit-backing entrepreneur saw his wealth climb to 16.2 billion. In February, it was expected the number of billionaires would rise to nearly 160, but it fell by four to 147 as the coronavirus pandemic took hold, the Sunday Times said. A record 25 female billionaires make the list, which also shows the overall wealth of the 1,000 richest people in the UK is down by 29 billion on last year. Inventor Sir James Dyson at the Dyson HQ in Malmesbury, Wiltshire in 2016 / PA Sir James is best known for inventing the bagless vacuum cleaner, developing the G-Force cleaner in 1983. The top 10 richest people in the UK for 2020 are: Sir James Dyson and family, household goods and technology, 16.2 billion. Sri and Gopi Hinduja and family, industry and finance, 16 billion. David and Simon Reuben, property and internet, 16 billion. Sir Leonard Blavatnik, investment, music and media, 15.78 billion. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos chemical giant, 12.15 billion. Kirsten and Jorn Rausing, inheritance and investment, 12.1 billion. Alisher Usmanov, mining and investment, 11.68 billion. Guy, George and Galen Jr Weston and family, retail, 10.53 billion Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken and Michel de Carvalho, inheritance, brewing and banking, 10.3 billion. The Duke of Westminster and the Grosvenor family, property, 10.29 billion. The list reveals that Britains super-rich have lost more than 54 billion in the past two months amid the coronavirus pandemic. The combined wealth of the UKs 1,000 richest people has plummeted for the first time since the financial crash, with some billionaires counting losses of up to 6 billion since last year, it adds. List compiler Robert Watts said: Ever since the financial crisis of 2008-9, Britains wealthiest people have become richer and richer. Covid-19 has called time on their golden period. This years rich list paints a picture of Britain on the brink of calamity two months after lockdown and already billions of pounds have been wiped out. Inventor James Dyson / AP You may not like the super-rich, but it is hard to deny that our economy will need the jobs they create and the taxes they and their companies pay if we are to escape a prolonged recession that causes further misery to millions. The Sunday Times Rich List also reveals that Britains super-rich have lost more than 54 billion in the past two months amid the coronavirus pandemic. The combined wealth of the UKs 1,000 richest people has plummeted for the first time since the financial crash, with some billionaires counting losses of up to 6 billion since last year, it adds. The list says that a number of billionaires have also sought to use the Governments emergency furlough scheme, under which staff are paid 80 per cent of their salary by the state up to 2,500 a month. The full list covering the wealthiest 1,000 people in the UK will be published on Sunday in a 136-page edition of The Sunday Times Magazine. They are man's closest relatives but until now it has mainly been a mystery how they communicate. Now scientists believe they may have cracked the secret language of chimpanzees by decoding 80 distinctive gestures. In the body movements, raising an arm means 'Come here' and a quick scratch is the sign for 'Let's go'. Around 99 per cent of chimp DNA is the same as that of humans. UK primatologist Dr Cat Hobaiter, 39, has spent 13 years studying chimpanzees in Uganda and is thought to be the first person to fully understand the meaning of their gestures. Scientists now believe they have cracked the secret language of chimpanzees by decoding 80 distinctive gestures Dr Cat Hobaiter, 39, has spent 13 years studying chimpanzees in Uganda. She says the 'roll over' gesture' means 'let's play' In chimp language, a touch and kiss can mean 'Let's be friends' while rolling over indicates 'Let's play' and a raised rear foot signifies 'Climb on board'. Dr Hobaiter, who appears in the series Primates on BBC1, told the Mail: 'Gestures like words can have more than one meaning and can be combined with other gestures. The combination of two gestures for instance the arm raise [which means come closer/come here] and other gestures [arm scratches] mean 'Let's travel'. She added: 'In the programme we see a mum asking her son to come down a tree to travel and because her son is far away the mum is likely saying 'Come here, so we can travel'.' Dr Hobaiter, who lectures at St Andrews University for six months of the year, said the hardest gesture to decode was 'Stop'. She explained: 'Some of the gestures mean 'Stop that!'. Saying 'Stop' is a really hard one for us to decode because the signaller could be asking the recipient to stop doing all sorts of things. According to Dr Hobaiter, who is thought to be the first person to fully understand the meaning of their gestures, says this arm raise gesture meaning 'let's travel' Dr Hobaiter, who lectures at St Andrews University for six months of the year, says this arm raise means 'move closer/come here' 'There's so much variation there in the behaviour that it actually took us a while to work out what was going on. 'Chimps actually have quite a few different gestures which they all use to say 'stop'.' The expert said: 'Maybe you need to be a bit more polite about it if you're saying it to the alpha male than if you're saying it to your brother or sister. 'Basically we're looking for patterns we're looking for the same thing happening over and over. And if you have little bits of variation in there then that pattern just takes a lot longer to see.' Dr Hobaiter said she was going to look into different ape groups across Africa, including gorillas, to work out if there is any 'analogy to other accents or other dialects'. Primates continues on BBC1 on Sunday at 8.15pm. The truth is that if you invest for long enough, you're going to end up with some losing stocks. But the long term shareholders of IMAX China Holding, Inc. (HKG:1970) have had an unfortunate run in the last three years. Regrettably, they have had to cope with a 67% drop in the share price over that period. And the ride hasn't got any smoother in recent times over the last year, with the price 40% lower in that time. Furthermore, it's down 25% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders. See our latest analysis for IMAX China Holding While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time. Although the share price is down over three years, IMAX China Holding actually managed to grow EPS by 6.3% per year in that time. This is quite a puzzle, and suggests there might be something temporarily buoying the share price. Alternatively, growth expectations may have been unreasonable in the past. Since the change in EPS doesn't seem to correlate with the change in share price, it's worth taking a look at other metrics. The company has kept revenue pretty healthy over the last three years, so we doubt that explains the falling share price. We're not entirely sure why the share price is dropped, but it does seem likely investors have become less optimistic about the business. You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image). SEHK:1970 Income Statement May 16th 2020 IMAX China Holding is a well known stock, with plenty of analyst coverage, suggesting some visibility into future growth. You can see what analysts are predicting for IMAX China Holding in this interactive graph of future profit estimates. A Different Perspective The last twelve months weren't great for IMAX China Holding shares, which performed worse than the market, costing holders 39% , including dividends . Meanwhile, the broader market slid about 8.8%, likely weighing on the stock. Shareholders have lost 30% per year over the last three years, so the share price drop has become steeper, over the last year; a potential symptom of as yet unsolved challenges. Although Baron Rothschild famously said to "buy when there's blood in the streets, even if the blood is your own", he also focusses on high quality stocks with solid prospects. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand IMAX China Holding better, we need to consider many other factors. Even so, be aware that IMAX China Holding is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about... Story continues Of course IMAX China Holding may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks. 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. Wicklow native and fundraising coordinator for Mary's Meals Ireland, Jeannie Higgins, is delighted that the charity can offer a lifeline to those at risk of food shortages. 'While the lock-down is difficult for us all, we are very lucky that we live in a country of such plenty,' said Jeannie. 'I am thrilled that we have managed to fulfil our promise of a daily meal to over one million hungry children around the world during such difficult circumstances.' Jeannie is a native of Bray and currently lives in Roundwood. The international school feeding charity has plans in place to reach more than one million chronically hungry children with daily meals despite schools being closed globally as part of the Covid-19 response. A report published last week by the UN talks specifically about the need to find ways to reach children who rely on school feeding programmes for their nutrition. It warned that around 265 million people are forecast to be facing acute food insecurity by the end of this year, a doubling of the 130 million estimated to suffer severe food shortages in 2019. Of the ten nations predicted to be worst hit, Mary's Meals operates in four - Haiti, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and South Sudan. In light of the school closures, Mary's Meals has had to adapt quickly to ensure those who rely on their programmes can still eat. Plans are now in place to deliver food to more than a million children in Malawi and Zambia by inviting their parents to collect rations to cook at home - plans that will see staff and community volunteers distribute food to around 4,000 villages in Malawi alone. Similar distribution models are already proving successful in Kenya, Haiti and India as Mary's Meals staff and long-standing partners ensure vulnerable families can provide a daily meal for their children. 'Mary's Meals' long-standing experience working with some of the world's poorest communities and in challenging environments is helping to develop new plans and activities,' said Jeannie. 'The strong relationships of trust that have been built with the communities where Mary's Meals are served are crucial at this time because, as always, efforts are founded on locally-led solutions that often depend on community volunteers.' Volunteers also play a vital role fundraising for the charity, and supporters in Wicklow have continued to be extremely generous, even in these uncertain times. 'Of course, getting the food out to communities is just one part of this mission and it wouldn't be possible without generous support from people all over the world who agree that no child should face a day without a meal,' said Jeannie. 'We are amazed at the level of support that has continued from the people of Wicklow through these difficult times and are extremely grateful for their generosity and kindness.' Find the charity at marysmeals.ie. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the government must reconsider the Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package and think about direct cash transfers to people suffering amid the lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Rahul Gandhi said his message was not a political one and said that he was speaking on behalf of Indians. I dont want to make a political statement but I have a serious reservation about the nature of the package that the government has given. I would like the government to reconsider, he said. ALSO WATCH | Dont bother about ratings, think about people: Rahul Gandhi to Centre Its not a bad step but the most important thing right now is that we put money directly into the hands of our poor people, he said. The former Congress president gave an analogy about how parents treat a child facing a crisis. The mother or the father do not give him a bank loan, they do not give him credit. A mother is ready to give whatever food she has to her daughter or son and the government should follow that spirit, he said. When a mother gives money to her son there are two reasons. The biggest reason is love as parents love their children and the second that they are their future as well. The people who are suffering, walking on an empty stomach are Indias future. We have to support them, he said. The Congress leader said migrants workers, the farmers, small businesses and other such people dont need loans but money. With all respect, I would like to ask the Prime Minister to think about putting money directly into peoples bank accounts. He should consider direct bank transfer, MGNREGA for 200 days and money to farmers directly because these people are our future, the Congress leader said. These are the people who have built India. We must support them, he said. The government must stop thinking about ratings and start considering people who need money in their pockets to deal with the crisis of the coronavirus pandemic, Rahul Gandhi said. I have heard that the reason behind not giving money to such people is ratings. It is being said that if we increase our deficit today, the foreign agencies will downgrade our ratings, he said. Our rating is made by India, farmers, labourers, small and big businesses who need our support and money. Dont think about ratings and foreign countries. Now, it is the time think about India not others, the Congress leader said. Also read: Lockdown not an on-off switch; must be lifted intelligently, carefully: Rahul Gandhi Once they start working, Indias ratings will improve, he said. Before this, the former Congress president has held online interactive sessions with former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan and Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee. The dialogue with Rajan was first in the series that Gandhi plans to hold with public intellectuals. It included a detailed discussion on the state of the economy and how to revive it in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Gandhi also addressed a video press conference earlier this month and addressed questions on the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and the economic crisis. Persistent inequitable exposure to air pollution in Salt Lake County schools Salt Lake County, Utah's air pollution varies over the year, and at times it is the worst in the United States. The geography traps winter inversions and summertime smog throughout the Salt Lake Valley, but underserved neighborhoods--and their schools--experience the highest concentrations. Previous research has shown pollution disparities using annual averages of PM 2.5 levels, the tiny breathable particles that can damage lungs just hours after exposure. Children are especially at risk and experience more than just health effects; exposure to PM 2.5 affects school attendance and academic success. A new study utilized a community-university partnership of nearly 200 PM 2.5 sensors through the University of Utah's Air Quality and U (AQ&U) network. U researchers explored social disparities in air pollution in greater detail than ever before, and their findings reveal persistent social inequalities in Salt Lake County. The paper posted online ahead of publication in the journal Environmental Research. The researchers analyzed PM 2.5 levels at 174 public schools in Salt Lake County, Utah under three different scenarios: relatively clean, moderate inversion and major inversion days. Schools with predominately minority students were disproportionally exposed to worse air quality under all scenarios. Charter schools and schools serving students from low income households were disproportionally exposed when PM 2.5 was relatively good or moderate. The findings speak to the need for policies that protect school-aged children from environmental harm. "The persistence of these injustices -- from the pretty clean, but health-harming levels all the way up to the horrific air days--at schools serving racial/ethnic minority kids is unacceptable," said Sara Grineski, U professor of sociology and environmental studies and senior author of the paper. The authors expected social disparities on bad air days, but were surprised that they persisted on clean air days when PM 2.5 levels are still higher than recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "What makes this project so novel is the community-U partnership that gave us access to this larger network of sensors and helped provide the detailed study. If we had relied on Utah Department of Air Quality, we'd only have had two monitors and would have missed the nuanced variability," said Casey Mullen, a doctoral student at the U and lead author of the study. A higher-resolution snapshot The worst PM2.5 episodes occur during the winter, when cold air settles into the Salt Lake Valley and high pressure weather systems act as a lid that seals in particulate matter from vehicle exhaust, wood-burning fires and emission from industrial facilities. Locals refer to these periods as inversions, which can last from a few days to a few weeks. The lowest elevations experience high concentrations of PM 2.5 for the longest time, impacting the residential communities disproportionately. The study compared the PM 2.5 levels at 174 public schools in 10-minute increments over 2-day periods during each of three events: a major winter inversion (poor air quality), a moderate winter inversion (moderate air quality) and a relatively clean, fall day (good air quality). The extensive AQ&U network made up of 190 PM 2.5 sensors is extremely sensitive-- each sensor collects PM 2.5 concentrations every second, then uploads the 60-second to a database that the public can access through the U's AQ&U website: https:/ / aqandu. org . The researchers broke down 174 Salt Lake County public schools with respect to race/ethnicity, economic status, and student age. They also distinguished between school type; Title I Status (schools serving majority low-income households), charter school type, and alternative or special education school type. The average student body was 31% Hispanic, 15% non-Hispanic minority, and 54% white and about 45% of the schools were Title I eligible. Just over half of the schools were primary schools, about 16% were charter schools, and about 5% were alternative or special education schools. During relatively clean air days, racial/ethnic minority students were disproportionally exposed to high concentrations. At the school level, a 21% increase in the proportion of Hispanic Students was associated with a 12% increase in concentration of PM 2.5. Charter schools were exposed to 20% higher concentrations of PM 2.5 than non-charter schools. During a moderate air quality day, charter, Title I schools, and schools with greater proportions of minority students were exposed to higher concentrations of PM 2.5. During bad air quality days, exposure concentrations were higher for schools with larger proportions of minority students. "No one has yet looked at school type in terms of environmental justice. Charter schools are a new variable that intrigued us," said Mullen. "It's starting to build on some other story - why did we find these inequities in charter and Title I schools?" Looking forward This paper is one of many collaborations using the newly established AQ&U network. "This is the first publication from such a diverse cross-disciplinary partnership arising from AQ&U, although we anticipate this is the first of many," said Kerry Kelly, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and co-author of the study. "We are enthusiastic about ongoing partnerships--to understand the effect of pollution microclimates on asthma exacerbations; to predict the severity of wildfire smoke plumes; and to engage student researchers and community partners in understanding the effect of sound walls on air quality." In future studies, the researchers hope to fill in even more gaps in the sensors to get a better picture of the social inequalities in Salt Lake County, Utah and in other areas, especially with regards to school-aged children. "I see research like this continuing to build a wall of evidence that we have to do better in the way in which we regulate pollution exposure in the U.S. and worldwide," said Grineski. "Evidence on top of evidence points to us having to do a better job of protecting people, especially kids, from pollution." Co-authors of the study include: Timothy Collins of the U's Department of Geography; Wei Xing of the U's School of Computing; Ross Whitaker and Miriah Meyer of the U's School of Computing and the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute (SCI); Tofigh Sayahi of the U's Department of Chemical Engineering; Tom Becnel and Pierre-Emmanuel Gaillardon of the U's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Pascal Goffin of SCI. This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Two women standing in a queue to procure their chunk of ration were allegedly assaulted by a sub-inspector in Sector 19 of Noida on Saturday afternoon, prompting the authorities to initiate action against him and order his immediate suspension. Departmental proceedings have also been initiated against the policeman, according to the district police. Tanuja, 32, mother of four, works as a maid in a residential society of the area. She has the responsibility to feed her family as her husband Ashok, 40, an auto driver is sitting idle at home for the last three months due to lockdown. Tanuja had been standing in the queue since 8 in the morning waiting to get the slip from the shop to get her share of 5 kgs of ration rice and chana. Instead, she was hit by a cop using a baton for allegedly flouting the norms of the social distancing. FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE "What will I do, if my limbs get broken in this lockdown. I am waiting for my turn to come when a crowd from the other side rushed and the cops started cane charging, she narrates her plight with teary eyes. Same is the story of 50-year-old Gujhiya Devi of Bihar who is living in Noida for the last 30 years. She received police beating in her leg and was limping to the PDS shop to procure her share of ration. A video of the incident wherein the cop was beating up women standing in the ration queue surfaced on social media. The cop is shown beating the two women even as no female personnel could be seen at the spot. Responding to the video, the Gautam Buddh Nagar police tweeted, "Preliminary investigation has established the veracity of the incident. Sub-Inspector Saurabh Sharma was immediately suspended and departmental proceedings have been initiated." However, the plight of this section of society multiplies as the Residents Welfare Associations (RWA) also object to their queuing up and leading to crowding in front of societies fearing the coronavirus spread. They had allegedly written to NOIDA DM urging him to get the ration distributed somewhere near to their dwellings. However, the cops of the area claimed that they forget the norms of social distancing and start crowding at the shops. "So we have to use mild force to arrange them to ensure social distancing," said a constable on patrol duty. The government of India might have eased out the rules for ration distribution by facilitating national portability of ration cards during the COVID-19 driven lockdown but people are still facing challenges while procuring ration at public distribution shops. Long serpentine queues can be seen on the ration shops and people braving the sweltering heat of May often become victim of cops anger who use force to enforce social distancing without the consideration of gender and age. This is the touching moment a nurse who has dedicated more than 40 years to the NHS left hospital after overcoming coronavirus. Sue Snelson, from Scunthorpe, believed to be in her sixties, was applauded by her friends and colleagues as she left the intensive care unit she used to manage. Other NHS staff lined the corridors of Scunthorpe General Hospital as Sue was helped along, looking overwhelmed by the support. After spending ten days in the ICU suffering from Covid-19, Sue is now recovering well at home. The emotional video was posted by The Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust. Heartwarming footage has revealed the moment Sue Snelson, from Scunthorpe, believed to be in her sixties, was applauded by friends and colleagues as she left hospital after overcoming coronavirus Sue (pictured) first began working as a nursing auxillary in 1972, joined Scunthorpe hospital's newly opened Intensive Care Unit in 1984 and became its clinic nurse manager in 1987 Still wearing her face mask, Sue bravely walks the corridor out of the hospital. Sue first began working as a nursing auxillary in 1972. She joined Scunthorpe hospital's newly opened Intensive Care Unit in 1984 and became its clinic nurse manager in 1987. The trust tweeted: 'Here's the moment Nurse Sue Snelson was given a guard of honour by her colleagues and friends who've cared for her while in hospital with Coronavirus. 'For a long time, Sue was the manager of the ICU where she spent 10 days. We are so pleased Sue is now recovering at home.' After spending ten days in the ICU suffering from Covid-19, Sue (pictured leaving the hospital) is now recovering well at home In 2014, when Sue was marking more than 40 years of working with the NHS, she told the Scunthorpe Telegraph: 'I love my job, it has led me in so many directions over the years and has allowed me to broaden my knowledge.' Her career has also seen her become a founding member of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses, and contribute to a book for newly qualified nurses the care of seriously ill patients. It was revealed this week that more than twice as many Covid-19 patients have been discharged from hospital as have died in northern Lincolnshire. More than 200 patients have been discharged, and are continuing their recovery in the comfort of their own homes - 86 have sadly died in hospital and 12 in care homes. Dr Peter Reading, Chief Executive of the Trust, said: 'The number of Covid-19 patients in our hospitals has been steadily decreasing over the last week or so and we continue to see more and more patients able to be safely discharged from our care. 'We wish every single one of them the very best as they continue their recovery. 'A big thank you to all of our staff for the care, compassion and dedication they have shown in supporting these patients as well as the staff supporting the hundreds of other patients we are seeing in our hospitals and community settings.' Rivalry Among Iran's Conservatives Leaves Khamenei Relative Out In The Cold Radio Farda May 15, 2020 Less than two weeks before the inauguration of the new Iranian Parliament (Majles) on May 28, competition for the speakership has heated up among various conservative factions. Is the Supreme Leader backing any faction, or does it make any difference to him? Three of the main conservative factions have formed an alliance against another conservative faction to win the speakership of the Majles. Iranian media reports say the traditional conservatives, the hardliner Paydari Front and the ultraconservative pro-Ahmadinejad factions announced their alliance Wednesday night May 13 after holding several meetings in what they later called the Committee of Seven. The new alliance has still not said who is its final candidate for the posts of the Speaker of Majles and around 16 other posts at the Majles Presidium, but it is obvious that three factions will share the positions among their members. Previously, Mostafa Mirsalim of the Islamic Coalition Party was nominated as the candidate for traditional conservatives, Morteza Aqa-Tehrani was nominated by Paydari and Hamid Reza Hajibabaei as the pro-Ahmadinejad camp's candidate for the top seat at the Majles. The faction left out is the neoconservative group led by former Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf (Ghalibaf) whose members have sarcastically called the rival alliance as the "Anyone but Qalibaf Faction." Qalibaf is a relative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei but it seems the country's ruler is letting chips fall where they may. From another perspective, the competition over the top seat at the Majles is a race between two different parts of the Revolutionary Guard oligarchy. Former IRGC air force commander General Qalibaf is running against men lined up by former IRGC General Sadeq Mahsuli who has chosen to play the part of a kingmaker rather than a soldier on the ground. He was an interior minister in Ahmadinejad's first presidential term. Mahsuli is known to be a billionaire and Qalibaf's municipality has been implicated in financial corruption cases involving billions of dollars. The competition that has been going on since February is likely to be about financial gains rather than political power as the Majles is not an independent player. Its most important decisions and legislations have been handed over to the heads of the three branches of the government (annual budget, the rise in gas price), Expediency Council (the FATF bills) and the Guardian Council which can always overturn any decision the Majles makes. Two leading pro-Qalibaf members of the new Majles, Elias Naderan and Mohsen Dehnavi, have lashed out at the Committee of Seven, accusing them of "sowing discord among conservatives," and referring to the role of those who try to influence decisions from outside the Majles, possibly an allusion to Mahsuli, said "The Majles does not need a godfather." On the other hand, the Committee's members say that Qalibaf was invited to the meeting about the alliance but he did not show up. The reason could be the resolution by the Committee barring anyone with an intention to take part in the Presidential election in 2021 from running for the post of Majles Speaker. The resolution may have been particularly tailored to prevent Qalibaf's ambition to become Iran's next President. According to reformist newspaper Etemad, before the new alliance was formed Qalibaf, who has some 50 supporters in the new Majles, managed to garner the support of another 50 new MPs to have an edge over Paydari's 80 supporters. The new alliance has changed the situation in support of the anti-Qalibaf camp as around 20 to 30 traditional conservatives and around 70 pro-Ahmadinjad MPs put the alliance in the top position. So, if nothing changes during the next 13 days, Mirsalim or someone else nominated by the alliance will take the top seat at the Majles. Mahmoud Abbaszadeh Meshkini, a pro-Ahmadinejad MP, told Ebtekar newspaper in Tehran that this is an influential majority as the four conservative blocs have a total number of 200 to 230 MPs. The three blocs in the alliance have 170 to 180 MPs. Some political observers in Tehran have already referred to Qalibaf's lack of political experience, although it is not clear whether he could have influenced the Committee's decision had he taken part in their meetings. Although it does not look like that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is interested in intervening in the matter, some analysts believe that Qalibaf shunned the invitation by the Committee out of complacence because of his kinship link to Khamenei's household. However, as far as Khamenei is concerned, perhaps someone like Mirsalim who has proved his loyalty to the Islamic Republic and its traditional "values" during the past four decades as a member of the "old guard" would be a better choice to lead the Majles while some of Qalibaf's "modern" tendencies may not necessarily be consistent with traditional yardsticks. On the other hand, a seasoned politician like Mirsalim would need less steering by Khamenei to lead the Majles in the difficult situation marked by a worsening economic crisis and a failing foreign policy. Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/rivalry-among-iran-s -conservatives-leaves-khamenei-relative -out-in-the-cold/30614334.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 Montenegrin prosecutor has released from detention nine Serbian Orthodox Church clergy whose arrest triggered a diplomatic row with Serbia and clashes between police and protesters. The Serbian Orthodox Church clergy were detained on May 12 after they led thousands of people in a procession in the northern town of Niksic despite a ban on large gatherings because of the coronavirus. Their arrest has inflamed tensions between the government and the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro that were already strained over a religious law the church says would strip it of property in the country. To the jubilation of hundreds of people waiting in front of the court building in Niksic, the eight priests and Bishop Joanikije were released from detention after 72 hours pending their defense before a judge. Niksic, Pljevlja, and other towns have witnessed protests in recent days, leading to dozens of arrests and police officers injured in clashes. Earlier on May 15, the metropolitan of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, Amfilohije, asked state authorities to release the clergy "if they think about their future, Montenegro, the unity and harmony of the people." 'Stop The Fratricide' In an ominous message to people waiting in front of the courthouse, he suggested that by arresting the priests the government had set the stage for a civil war. Amfilohije also said that it was time to "stop the fratricide" and reiterated that he should have been imprisoned instead of Joanikije. "I am the main culprit here, if someone needs to be tried and sentenced, then there is no other in Montenegro but the metropolitan," he said. Belgrade strongly criticized the detention of the church officials, which opened fresh religious and political tensions between the two neighbors. Serbia's populist President Aleksandar Vucic said May 14 that Serbia cannot interfere in any way but "will remain by our people and the church as much as we can." The arrests highlighted ongoing tensions between Montenegro's pro-Western authorities and the Serbian Orthodox Church, which they see as a tool for meddling by Russia-backed Serbia. Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Irinej has said the detentions are "proof that the Montenegrin state is conducting a purge of the Serbian Orthodox Church." Earlier this year, the Serbian Orthodox Church led weeks of protests in Montenegro against a religious law that it says would strip the church of its property in the country. The law that came into force in January says religious communities must prove property ownership from before 1918, the year when Montenegro joined the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and its church was subsumed by the Serbian Orthodox Church, losing all of its property in the process. The Serbian Orthodox Church says the law is aimed at retaking its property. Montenegrin officials have repeatedly denied the allegations. Montenegro split from Serbia in a referendum in 2006 and further turned away from Belgrade and its Orthodox ally Russia, taking a pro-Western course and joining NATO in 2017. The country has also been negotiating steps toward getting an official invitation from the European Union for membership to the bloc. Serbian nationalists in both countries have never fully recognized Serbia's separation from Montenegro, which they claim is a historic Serbian territory. The Centre will use its powers under the Constitutions seventh schedule to free up inter-state and intra-state in agricultural commodities as it allows agricultural price marketing committees (APMCs) to continue. The government is looking at tweaking provisions of the Indian Contracts Act of 1872 to bring agreements between farmers and companies under its ambit, aiming to prevent exploitation of farm people. The seventh schedule allocates subjects to the Centre and the states. Some subjects are in the Concurrent list where both the Centre and the states can frame laws, but only the law framed by the union government prevails in the event of clash between the two laws. The Centre will use Entry 42 of the Union list along with the Entry 33 of the Concurrent List to frame a legislation that will free up the inter-state in all agricultural commodities and intra-state in specific farm produces. ALSO READ: Govt revives flexible use of airspace policy, move to help airlines The entry 42 empowers the Centre to frame laws for inter-state trade, while the entry 26 of the State list empowers states to frame rules and laws to regulate trade within their boundaries. But, the provisions of entry 26 are subject to the entry 33 of the Concurrent list which empowers both the Centre and states to frame rules and laws relating to production, distribution and supply of foodstuffs, including edible oil and oilseeds. As cited above, the union law has supremacy over the state legislation in the Concurrent list. The structure of the existing wont be changed or altered. Officials said the Centre planned to a sweeping legislation to enable free trade of agriculture produces, but outside the regulated market yards. Union, state and concurrent list Entry 42 (Union list) Inter-state trade and commerce Inter-state trade and commerce Enrty 26 (State list) Trade and commerce within the state subject to the provisions of entry 33 of the Concurrent list Trade and commerce within the state subject to the provisions of entry 33 of the Concurrent list Entry 33 (Concurrent list) Trade and commerce in, and the production, supply and distribution of the following: Trade and commerce in, and the production, supply and distribution of the following: The products of any industry where the control of such industry by the Union is declared by Parliament Foodstuffs, including edible oilseeds and oils Cattle fodder, including oilcakes and other concentrates Raw cotton, whether ginned or unginned, and cotton seed; and Raw jute The legislation will pave the way for an alternative selling mechanism for the farmers alongside the existing to ensure a sort of competition between and private direct trade. The new law will dismantle the entry barriers that exist between states and within states and will enable direct trade between the farmers and traders outside the APMCs across the country. This law will be passed in Parliament or could be even implemented through an ordinance, a senior official said. The new Act will enable direct purchase by any traders. ALSO READ: FM's privatision proposals against national interest, says RSS ally BMS For the second piece of legislation, officials said the union government is exploring the prevailing provisions of the Indian Contracts Act for making a legal framework to protect farmers in case of contract farming and also laying down rules for companies which enter into such agreement with farmers. The Act guides all existing contract arrangements, but farming is not under it. In other words, contract farming is not allowed.The provisions of this Act will be explored to include farming within its ambit. The proposed amendment to the to deregulate cereals, edible oils, oilseeds, pulses, onions and potato matches the two legislations, officials said. These moves will enable a big processor to purchase directly from farmers anywhere in India without worrying about the legal problems that he might encounter and also store much as he wants without worrying about stock holding limits. These will bring scale into farming operations, said the official. The coverage on this live blog has ended for up-to-the-minute coverage on the coronavirus, visit the live blog from CNBC's Asia-Pacific and Europe teams. Governments and officials around the world are easing lockdown measures allowing for some stores and restaurants to reopen, live sports to restart and cross-border travel to resume. Italy, once the nation hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, announced plans on Saturday for a phased reopening. In the U.S., any loosening of restrictions has been largely at the hands of governors and local leaders, leading to a patchwork of different policies. Health officials continue to issue dire warnings about the risk of moving too fast, but the economy's screeching halt comes at a steep price. Global cases: More than 4.6 million Global deaths: At least 310,180 U.S. cases: More than 1.45 million U.S. deaths: At least 88,230 The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Obama criticizes U.S. leadership in commencement address 5:28 pm ET Former President Barack Obama took a jab at the U.S. Covid-19 response in a commencement address given to the country's 78 historically black colleges and universities. "More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they're doing," Obama said in his speech. "A lot of them aren't even pretending to be in charge." Obama and President Donald Trump have traded barbs over how the pandemic has been handled in the past. On a private call with supporters last week, Obama referred to the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic as a "an absolute chaotic disaster." Trump previously blamed the Obama administration for the lack of coronavirus tests and also tried to pin the lack of a vaccine on his predecessor. Hannah Miller Italy rolls back lockdown measures A rider of delivery food Just Eat runs in Piazza Duomo on April 23, 2020 in Milan, Italy. Pier Marco Tacca 3:45 pm ET Italy, once the nation hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, will begin rolling back lockdown measures this week, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said according to a report from Reuters. "We're facing a calculated risk, knowing that the epidemiological curve could rise again," Conte said according to Reuters. Shops will reopen as early as Monday, and travel between countries within the European Union will be allowed for Italians starting June 3. People entering Italy will still be asked to quarantine upon arrival. Gyms, swimming pools and sports centers will reopen on May 25. Theaters will reopen on June 15, Reuters reports. Sara Salinas German soccer restarts with "ghost games" 2:30 pm ET Germany's Bundesliga soccer league resumed games in empty stadiums, what fans are calling "ghost games," according to the Associated Press. An 81,000-seat arena held just 213 players, coaches and officials for the first game after hiatus; players appeared to keep physical contact to a minimum; and police braced for unruly fans to gather outside, though none did, the AP reports. Bundesliga is among the first professional sports leagues to resume live play after a near-global shutdown. Sara Salinas The weekly grocery run may never be the same 1:12 pm ET The coronavirus pandemic is changing the way Americans go grocery shopping perhaps forever, say experts. Whether it's sneeze-shields and contactless payment at cashier stations or more online shopping and increased purchases of locally sourced goods, how we stock our refrigerators, freezers and pantries looks a lot different than it did just a few months ago. Food shopping stands ready to change even more, as grocers turn to ever more contact-free automation to get jobs done. Robots are restocking shelves and patrolling store aisles, for example, while newfangled "dark stores" are open only for pick-up of online orders. Some of the changes may fade as the coronavirus does, but others will remain. CNBC's Melissa Repko talks to those in the know. Kenneth Kiesnoski A grocery store worker wears a mask while working in the meat department of a grocery store as the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in the Brooklyn borough of New York U.S., May 5, 2020. Lucas Jackson | Reuters New York enters early stages of contact tracing 12:48 pm ET New York's contact tracing program is now underway with hundreds of tracers in the state's regions that have begun reopening. "Those five regions that reopened they had to have a certain number of tracers in proportion to their population," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a press briefing Saturday. Contact tracers are required to complete a multi-hour training from Johns Hopkins University. The Cuomo administration wants the contact tracing program to provide important information regarding how the virus is spread, especially regarding at-home transmission. Hannah Miller Kroger to provide "thank you" bonuses after ending hazard pay 12:30 pm ET Kroger said it will give $130 million in new "thank you" bonuses to store workers through mid-June, The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. The one-time payments will be provided in two installments on May 30 and June 18, according to the report. Eligible full-time workers will receive $400 in total, while part-time employees will receive $200. The grocery retailer's announcement comes days after it said it was ending hazard pay for employees, a decision that garnered criticism from Kroger's union. Hannah Miller NY reopening horse racing tracks 12: 25 pm ET New York is opening up horse racing tracks and the Watkins Glen International racetrack without spectators as of June 1, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday. The state will issue guidance in the upcoming weeks on how the tracks will open safely to avoid the spread of the virus. The reopening is the latest piece of guidance from the governor allowing economic activity to restart without public gatherings. "You want to increase economic activity as much as you can without spiking the infection rate," Cuomo said at a press conference. Emma Newburger Jury's still out on summer camps 12:20 pm ET The Centers for Disease Control said Thursday that summer camps for kids should not reopen without coronavirus screening and control protocols, but at least one health expert says some types of camps could help contain the spread of Covid-19. Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb says that he'd send his kids to a sleepaway camp because "have the potential to create a protective bubble that is easier to do than at day camps," where kids and workers come and go. Others disagree. Helene Drobenare, a social worker and the executive director of Camp Young Judaea Sprout Camps in New York, says "nowhere in the world could give that coverage" amid a pandemic. CNBC's Barbara Booth looks at what experts are saying and camp directors are doing as the summer camping season kicks off. Kenneth Kiesnoski Cases in Texas rise as state continues reopening progress 11:35 am ET Texas has seen an uptick in coronavirus cases as it continues its reopening efforts. Back in mid-April, cases rose by about 1,000 per day, but started to increase at a faster pace in May, reaching a new single-day high of about 1,450 on Thursday, CNBC's Jacob Pramuk and John W. Schoen report. Texas started lifting major restrictions on May 1 when it allowed stores and restaurants to reopen with capacity limitations. Hannah Miller Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Op-Ed: Amazon needs to come clean about its infection statistics 11: 15 am ET It's past time for Amazon to disclose the number of its employees who have been infected or killed by coronavirus, and declining to share that information disrespects the very workers who are putting their lives on the line to keep the retail giant's warehouses running, CNBC's Steve Kovach writes in a new op-ed. At least seven Amazon employees have died from Covid-19. Today, Amazon should make its workforce's infection and death data public and allow its employees to make informed decisions about their own risk. "Over the last few months, we've called these workers heroes. They're working in crowded buildings, behind checkout counters shielded with plexiglass and in hotspots like New York City where the virus continues to spread and kill hundreds of people per day. We're asking them to do it all without a clear picture of just how dangerous the work actually is." Elisabeth Butler Cordova A man wearing a face mask holds a box of the American electronic commerce company Amazon in Central district, Hong Kong. Miguel Candela | SOPA Images | Getty Images The trophy for worst quarantine goes to... 10:50 am ET Two climate scientists who set off in August to the Arctic Circle to study the impact of climate change are now stranded there indefinitely, because of the coronavirus lockdown, NBC News reports. Sunniva Sorby, 59, and Hilde Falulm Strm, 52, co-founders of the Hearts in the Ice polar education campaign, told NBC that their several decades of research experience is "reassuring" and allows them to "navigate the challenges of storms, aggressive polar bears and endless hours of darkness." The virus has postponed vital climate research and data collection worldwide, and scientists fear a long-term hit to their research budgets. The Arctic explorers, who have been collecting weather and wildlife data as well as motoring clouds and sea ice, said the silver lining of being stranded is that they can continue working even as other research is on hold. Emma Newburger Laid off thanks to Covid-19? How to get help with rent, utilities and more 10:40 am ET Unemployed thanks to Covid-19, whether you're sick or not? Worried about how you're going to make ends meet? You've probably already gotten a federal stimulus check, or soon will, but you should know that there are other types of economic help out there. CNBC's Jill Cornfield takes a look at the range of aid available, from two weeks of paid leave at full pay to help with utility bills and rent and some extra time to file your 2019 tax return. Kenneth Kiesnoski New downturn gives a one-two punch for older Americans 10:30 am ET Coronavirus has sparked a new recession that, like previous downturns, will probably hit older Americans hardest. The Great Recession had already made retirement more difficult, forcing many seniors to stay in the workforce long after they reached 65. Now that Granny's likely been laid off from her shift at the bookstore, what's she supposed to do? CNBC's Annie Nova spoke with labor economist Teresa Ghilarducci, who leads the Retirement Equity Lab at The New School in New York, about why older Americans are particularly vulnerable in the current recession. They also talk about how the pandemic has exposed the real risks inherent in our current retirement paradigm. Kenneth Kiesnoski Trump plans to restore a bit of WHO's funding 9:50 am ET President Donald Trump on Saturday said that the U.S. intends to restore 10% of its funding to the World Health Organization, though he noted that no official decision has been made. Trump suspended funding to the WHO on April 14 after criticizing the agency's response to the coronavirus outbreak and accusing it of promoting China's "disinformation" about the virus. WHO officials have denied those claims. Emma Newburger Didn't get that stimulus check yet? This could be why 9:38 am ET Still waiting for that stimulus check? While more and more Americans some 130 million, according to the latest IRS tally are finally getting federal relief aid promised under the CARES Act by direct deposit or in the mail, others haven't seen a dime, or have gotten a lot less than they expected. Sure, Uncle Sam might have made a mistake. But it's more likely there's a good reason you haven't been paid yet or were written a check for a lot less than you hoped. CNBC's Lorie Konish answers the most common questions readers have sent in about federal stimulus checks, from "Why didn't I get a payment?" to "Will there be another round of stimulus?" Kenneth Kiesnoski House passes historic relief package 8:42 am ET The U.S. House of Representatives passed a coronavirus relief package worth $3 trillion on Friday night as lawmakers struggle to find common ground about how to respond to the pandemic that's ravaged the American economy. The Republican-led Senate opposes the Democrat-led House's legislation, and the White House has pledged to veto it in any case. The historic spending proposal includes nearly $1 trillion for state and local governments; a second distribution of direct payments worth $1,200 per person and up to $6,000 per household; hazard pay of $200 billion for essential workers; and $75 billion in virus testing efforts, among other things. For more details, read Jacob Pramuk's CNBC article here. Elisabeth Butler Cordova U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, wears a protective mask during a news conference in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, April 29, 2020. Amanda Andrade-Rhoades | Bloomberg via Getty Images Germany said to prepare $62 billion aid package for virus-hit towns When Bert Boere moved to Brooklyn 64 years ago, it was entirely dirt roads and, at one end of the Melbourne western suburb's boundary, farmland. Today that farmland is the West Gate Freeway. Across the Princes Highway then the only road to Geelong were several large quarries. Today, those quarries are now half full of rubbish, in use as landfill dumps. Its changed from a small cluster of housing with mainly quarries across the other side of Geelong Road to this, says 74-year-old Mr Boere, sitting in Brooklyn Reserve, a small park in a suburb effectively landlocked by some of the city's dirtiest industries and Melbournes busiest transport routes. Bert Boere in the suburb's Brooklyn Reserve - paid for in part by EPA fines on a local meatworks for odour pollution. Credit:Jason South Brooklyn the Melbourne suburb, not the New York City borough has been in the news for the past fortnight because it is the site of Victorias biggest coronavirus outbreak. At least 98 people associated with the suburb's Cedar Meats abattoir have been diagnosed with the virus. NEW DELHIJust before the coronavirus arrived in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced serious challenges, perhaps the biggest of his tenure. Anti-government protests roiled the country. Hindu-Muslim riots exploded in the capital just as U.S. President Donald Trump was visiting. And Indias once-hot economy was slumping, shedding millions of jobs and casting a pall over the entire country. Since then, as the world has been walloped by the coronavirus pandemic, many of these problems in India, especially the economic ones, have only got worse. But once again, India has rallied around Modi. Recent opinion polls show that in the past few months Modis already high approval ratings have soared even higher, touching 80 per cent, even 90 per cent. Unlike two of the populist leaders to whom he is often compared, Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia, Modi is weathering this crisis quite well. The result, some analysts say, is that if India continues to ride out the coronavirus in decent form, he may emerge with an even stronger hand when he and his party press their Hindu-centric policies. Much as the brinkmanship with Pakistan last year helped strengthen his re-election campaign, the deadly pandemic is bringing many Indians to his side despite lingering concerns about his agenda. In times of national crisis, people tend to rally around the flag. Leaders across the world have enjoyed a coronavirus boost, although for many, its not expected to last. Modis success, analysts say, may be more durable. Hes widely seen as a mobilizer, not a despot, which may explain why his countrywide stay-at-home lockdown, which he dropped on the country with four hours notice, has been largely obeyed. Even the softer, feel-good exercises he has insisted on, like asking Indians to stand in their doorways and clap at a certain time, or to light candles at another, have been followed by millions. Still, it has not been a spotless performance. Modis government was caught off guard by the epic exodus of migrant workers pouring out of Indias cities, making desperate and sometimes fatal journeys hundreds of kilometres home. And many economists believe that the $260-billion (U.S.) relief package that he triumphantly announced this week, as he urged Indians to become more self-reliant, will hardly be enough. But he never downplayed the virus threat or said India had capabilities it didnt. And unlike in the United States, where partisan politics have gummed up the response and created great discord and even chaos, analysts say Modi has worked well with state-level officials across India, regardless of ideology. The result is that the political landscape Modi, 69, has shaped over the past six years, since a surge in Hindu nationalism brought him to the top job in the worlds largest democracy, has only been shored up. He and his Bharatiya Janata Party, known as the BJP, dominate the airwaves. They move unchecked when implementing policies. The political opposition is practically invisible. Modi is faring better than many peers because he acted decisively, pre-emptively and relatively early by going for the worlds most stringent lockdown when corona cases were few in India, said Sreeram Chaulia, dean of the Jindal School of International Affairs, outside New Delhi. His phrase Jaan Hain to Jahaan Hain, which means the world exists only if you are alive, struck a chord. Now comes the hard part. This coming week, after nearly two months of lockdown, Indias economy is expected to open up. The economic wreckage will emerge more clearly, with countless millions out of work and spilling into the streets. Food lines will grow. Businesses will struggle to reopen. Many people will run out of money. Virus infections will also likely surge: the slope of Indias graph has already risen as some lockdown rules have begun to ease. Mumbai, the commercial capital, is struggling to contain infections, and a few protests have broken out in other places. But for a country of 1.3 billion, the toll of 82,000 reported coronavirus infections and 2,700 deaths is much lower per capita than in many other countries, especially richer ones like the United States, Britain, Italy and Russia. Although the virus picture here is especially hazy, because India is so big and it has performed fewer tests than many other countries, most independent health experts dont believe that Modis government is hiding information. What is clear is that many Indians feel thankful to him. Had it not been for this man, hospitals and mortuaries in the country would have run out of space, said Vrushali Khadse Shet, a human resources manager for a shipbuilding company in Goa. His skill of delivering a message to the lowest strata of society worked, and we have been saved till now. Opinion polls indicate that much of India feels the same way. Morning Consult, an American firm that does online surveys in several countries, showed Modi outperforming other world leaders. His popularity is gauged at 80 per cent, far above Trump, Putin, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain and several others. Another poll, in the Times of India, a leading newspaper, showed that 93.5 per cent of those surveyed felt Modi was handling the virus crisis effectively. Of course, the Indians who have suffered the most under the lockdown like migrant labourers were probably not part of these surveys. Many migrants interviewed in the past few days have pleaded for him to end the lockdown and were not so enthusiastic about his decisions. For this next phase as the lockdown changes, Modi is relying more on the chief ministers of every state. That might seem consultative and more democratic, but analysts say its also a tactic to spread the risk. If things dont go so smoothly in the coming weeks as the economic pain really begins to bite, well, Modis argument will go, its not all my fault. Scholars expect him and the BJP to keep pushing divisive policies that cater to Hindu nationalists in Indias Hindu majority. Those moves have come at the expense of Indias minority Muslim community, which has already suffered enormous setbacks under Modi. The only constraints on him would have to come from abroad, said Sumit Ganguly, an Indian studies professor at Indiana University. The guardrails of most of Indias democratic institutions have been breached with the BJPs battering rams. Modi has seen his runaway popularity stalled before, over economic concerns. The country is lining up behind him right now, but the economic devastation from the coronavirus has yet to be reckoned with. For years, Modi has won crucial support from moderates and the middle class by projecting himself as Indias economic messiah, said Sumantra Bose, a political scientist at the London School of Economics. And if the economy cant pull itself out of a nose dive, Bose added, the messiah may be hoist with his own petard. Read more about: BRESLAU Take a drive south along Fountain Street North near the town of Breslau and youll eventually pass the Region of Waterloo International Airport. There youll see signs of how the global pandemic has hit the airline industry. About 250 private planes are securely tied to their moors, and the nearly 30 planes that make up the local flight school remain grounded. To top it off, more than half a dozen blue, white and orange Sunwing Boeing 737-800 jets are parked on the runway and tell the real story of an imperiled industry. As of early April, the International Air Transport Association which represents about 290 airlines and 82 per cent of global air traffic said the number of flights globally was down 80 per cent compared to 2019, largely due to strict travel restrictions imposed by countries trying to slow the spread of the virus. Some in the industry have called it the worst crisis in the history of aviation. Worse than the financial crisis of 2008. Worse than the SARS outbreak in 2003. Worse than the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Aside from two WestJet flights per week to Calgary on Thursdays and Sundays and the occasional private flight, the once-bustling regional airport feels like a ghost town. Region of Waterloo International Airport general manager Chris Wood said before the pandemic hit the airport could see 1,000 plane movements (takeoffs or landings) on a nice day, but lately theyve been lucky if they hit 100. Its been devastating for the industry worldwide, said Wood. We havent seen anything like this, and it happened so quickly. Up in the air No one really knows how this pandemic will play out or how the industry will weather the uncertainty. If you have a crystal ball, can I borrow it? joked Wood. Air Canada recently reported a $1-billion loss in the first quarter of 2020 compared to a $345-million profit in the same period last year, and chief executive Calin Rovinescu called it the darkest period ever in the history of aviation. The company is burning through $22 million every day paying rent, interest and other expenses. The company had about $6.5-billion in cash at the end of March, enough Rovinescu said for the company to emerge on the other side of the crisis. Long-term forecasting is fraught with uncertainty and there are a lot of variables to consider. Perhaps none are bigger than trying to predict the human response to this pandemic. Tens of millions of people around the world have spent weeks and months in strict lockdowns that have shuttered most non-essential businesses. But the highly infectious virus is still lurking, and there is no vaccine. Just how many people are ready and eager to jump on a plane under those conditions is anyones guess. Many people wont want to travel until they feel confident they can travel safely in a confined space, said William Morrison, an associate professor in business and economics at Wilfrid Laurier University and co-editor of the Journal of Air Transport Management. He is also a research fellow at the Centre for Transportation Studies at the University of British Columbia. Morrison predicts demand for air travel will remain muted until either a vaccine is available, or testing and monitoring is more widespread. This is especially true for the leisure or vacation market where spending is more discretionary and price sensitive. Ultimately its a matter of confidence the public has to feel confident that theyre not at risk, he said. Business travel may rebound more quickly, but even the fate of in-person business meetings could be up in the air after employees have spent the past few months proving to themselves and others that much of what they do can be done with a computer screen and a reliable internet connection. Its likely that many aspects of business travel may not rebound, Morrison said. Shaky economics Another major factor in how quickly people get back in the air is price. Could airlines be required to leave a certain proportion of every flight empty to help promote social distancing aboard their jets? Some carriers have already begun leaving middle seats empty, but the European Union has recently stated it will not be a requirement. Airlines use what is called the Break Even Load Factor to determine how many seats on every flight an airline needs to sell in order to break even or make a profit. A number of factors, including ticket price and fuel costs, can affect that percentage. Morrison said one major Canadian carrier breaks even when about 75 per cent of the 737-800 jets it flies are full, and prior to the pandemic it usually sold about 85 per cent of seats. But if they were to lose a third or half of their seats to help keep passengers apart in the air, ticket prices or baggage fees would likely have to go up. Maybe this is an opportunity for the industry to reflect on its huge growth in recent decades, Morrison conceded, and address some of the growing concerns around international air travel namely, its impact on the environment. He pulled up a graph showing the steady rise in worldwide passengers between 1970 (less than half a billion) to 2019 (just over four billion). He highlighted economic shocks that have impacted the industry in the past the Iran-Iraq War in 1980, the Gulf War a decade later, the Sept. 11 terror attacks and the 2008 global financial crisis. Each was a shock to the system at the time, but when viewed over five decades those jolts appear more as small patches of turbulence followed by years of relatively smooth (and increasingly rapid) growth. Is the pandemic just another blip on an otherwise smooth trajectory? Or will it become something more? Suzanne Kearns, an associate professor of geography and aviation at the University of Waterloo, is optimistic the industry will eventually recover from the COVID-19 pandemic as it has from other shocks, but what that recovery will look like is less clear. One possibility is a V-shaped recovery where travellers who have spent months in social isolation and are desperate to travel again flock back into airports and generate a quick recovery. The other is a U-shaped recovery where travellers whose spending may be hampered by higher prices and a possible global recession, and who also remain worried about the virus re-emerging are slower to return to the skies. The airline industry is a vital economic driver, she added, and each of the 2.7 million jobs in the industry around the world supports 24 more jobs in other areas of the economy. Like Morrison, however, Kearns said a lot relies on how safe travellers feel inside airport terminals and aboard planes. How do you make these spaces safe? I dont know if masks or gloves alone are enough, she said. The role of Waterloo Regions airport All of this uncertainty raises questions about how Waterloo Regions airport will be impacted. Three years ago, the regional government released a master plan that laid out possible expansion plans for the facility. It projected Pearson International Airport would reach its maximum capacity of 70 million annual passengers by the mid-2030s and smaller, regional airports like Waterloos would be key in absorbing the overflow. The $375-million expansion and modernization plan was written to guide the next two decades of growth at the local airport, including runway expansions. The first phase of the expansion wouldnt be triggered until the airport saw 250,000 passengers per year, or about four 737 passenger jets every day. In 2018, only about 80,000 passengers went through the airport. Regional councillor Sean Strickland said with the global uncertainty around the future of air travel it might be wise to review that plan. I think the numbers still make sense, but the time frame I think needs to be extended, said Strickland. He noted how even prior to the pandemic the local airport was struggling to attract business and relied on about $6 million from the region each year. Over the past decade, the region has also lost service from carriers such as American Airlines, Bearskin Airlines and Arctic charter Nolinor. Strickland said the region should consider selling or leasing the property to the private sector, a position he held even before the pandemic hit. That all hinges on the results of an ongoing service review at the region, he added. Tony LaMantia, president and CEO of the Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation, said the airport is critical for the success of the region. In 2015, the economic impact of the airport on the regional economy was an estimated $90 million. If you believe in growth for the region, you have to believe in YKF, he said, referring to the airports location indicator code. Waterloo Region will not be as vibrant or successful without the airport infrastructure. Yet even LaMantia noted it might be time to re-examine the master plan to ensure it makes sense post-pandemic. Youll have to dust off the master plan and look at the impact, he said. Woods said Torontos Pearson airport saw 50 million passengers last year but that could plummet by as much as 30 million this year. I dont think well get back to normal until the vast majority of us are immune, he said. How long that takes, well your guess is as good as mine. James Jackson is a Waterloo Region-based reporter focusing on business and technology for the Record. Reach him via email: jjackson@therecord.com Read more about: (TNS) Last week, the world got a preview of how Google and Apples contact tracing project might look and function. Some privacy and security experts have expressed cautious optimism that the effort could be a potentially useful tool to aid public health contact tracers while protecting privacy. The project modifies the iOS and Android systems to allow government health agencies to build apps that use a mobile phones Bluetooth communication capabilities. These apps would make it possible for a person who tests positive for the coronavirus to send out an exposure notification to the phones of other app users to alert them that their phones had been in the vicinity of the infected persons phone during a given period. People getting this information could decide to self-isolate or get tested. The app would not reveal anyones identity. To protect privacy, the system only uses Bluetooth, does not collect location data, hides a users identity, requires permission to collect proximity data or upload data from the phones of people who test positive for COVID-19, with all the data stored on a users phone unless the user decides to notify others. Additionally, the companies will require users to enter a unique code provided by health authorities to declare themselves as infected. But even the most privacy protective contact tracing apps have weak points. As many have pointed out, anonymous cellphone-based tracing can never be a substitute for the detailed work that trained human contact tracers have to do. Even putting critical questions of effectiveness aside, there are at least three concerns to keep in mind about relying on technology to mitigate the COVID-19 crisis. First, there are only so many things tech companies can control. Google and Apple are promising to serve as staunch gatekeepers of the system they are creating. They plan to allow only government health authorities to create the apps that can use the tracing capabilities. To protect civil liberties, the companies say they will not allow government agencies to mandate use of the app (presumably, by denying them system access). But, of course, that doesnt prevent others like employers and schools, who arent bound by the companies terms of use for app developers, from requiring app participation as a condition of employment or entrance. Its also unclear how well Apple and Google will be able to police the app operators to ensure that the apps comply with the rules. How can policymakers help guarantee system-wide fidelity when its so easy for things to fall through the cracks? Second, governments will want these tools for their own purposes. Google and Apple are creating a playbook for governments on how our phones can be repurposed for all kinds of surveillance. Apple and Google have been adamant about their intentions to restrict this system only to help mitigate the coronavirus pandemic, and I believe them. But even large and powerful companies are subject to political pressure. France is already asking Apple and Google to make changes in their system that some say would weaken privacy protections. The values and incentives of the tech industry and government will not always be aligned. Will Apple and Google and every other software developer be able to resist indefinitely governments attempts to change the design of these tools? Apple successfully beat back the FBIs request for a modified iOS that would allow them to bypass encryption protections, but can we always count on such resistance? Apple reportedly dropped its plan to allow users to encrypt their backups in the cloud after the FBI complained. This dam will not hold indefinitely. Whether safeguards can help keep government interventions aligned with human values like privacy should be part of this discussion. Finally, this technology, once deployed, will not be rolled back. We are repeatedly told that contact tracing apps and COVID-19-related surveillance are temporary measures for use until the pandemic passes. Thats likely to be a fantasy. Surveillance inertia is remarkably difficult to resist. Norms get set and practices and tools become entrenched. And who can say when this will wind down? Were still dealing with the supposedly temporary surveillance authorized almost 20 years ago in the aftermath of 9/11. Rollbacks are rare and highly unlikely because the tools we build today will create a path dependency that will shape our future data and surveillance practices. There are significant opportunity and switching costs to such a heavy investment in these contact tracing apps. What if a tech-first approach ends up less effective than hoped? Will industry and government have the resolve and humility to double back and try a different approach? Silicon Valley tries to make all tasks easier. Tech companies see the costs associated with searching, sharing and sorting as things to be eliminated. But in the wake of countless privacy lapses on social platforms and an unending wave of data breaches, its clear that making tasks easier, even important ones, can cause great collateral harm. Good privacy engineering is one piece of the puzzle for contact tracing apps. Perhaps even more difficult is weighing the long-term consequences of how these tools will be used after the pandemic ends. Woodrow Hartzog is a professor of law and computer science at Northeastern University. He wrote this for the Los Angeles Times. The former cop who is alleged to have shot Ahmaud Arbery dead was encouraged to be a vigilante by police months before the jogger was killed, shock text messages appear to show. Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis McMichael, 34, have been charged with murder after unarmed jogger Arbery was shot dead in Brunswick, Georgia on February 23. New pictures seem to show a text exchange between an officer from Glynn County Police Department and Larry English, the owner of a construction site where the gunmen claim Arbery was trespassing at before his death, according to TMZ In the message, 'Officer Rash' encourages English to contact ex-cop Gregory McMichael 'day or night' if motion-activated cameras show anyone on his property, rather than contacting the police. The text message Larry English received from a police officer in December 2019 telling him to contact neighbor Gregory McMichael if he needed help Gregory McMichael (left) and his son, Travis McMichael (right) are accused of killing unarmed jogger Ahmaud Arbery in February The McMichael men were caught on video chasing Arbery in a truck and then confronting him in the middle of the street before fatally shooting Arbery The text sent on December 20, 2019 - two months before Arbery, 25, was killed in broad daylight - stated: 'Greg is retired Law Enforcement and also a Retired Investigator from the DA's office. He said please call him day or night when you get action on your camera.' English's attorney, Elizabeth Graddy, confirmed the text message was real and that she'd gotten hold of it a few days prior, along with some emails. The father and son duo were charged with murder last week - more than two months after the slaying, which was caught on camera. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation stepped in to take over the case following a series of blunders by local law enforcement. On February 23, the day of Arbery's killing, a witness called a non-emergency number stating that a man had gone into English's home, which is under construction. Less than 10 minutes later, Gregory McMichael called 911 to report a 'black male running down the street.' During the call, Gregory was heard saying 'Goddamnit, c'mon Travis,' referring to his son. A surveillance video showed Arbery as he entered Larry English's construction site the day he was killed. The McMichaels men said they chased him because they though he was a burgler Leaked video of the incident went viral and led to the arrests of Gregory and Travis McMichael It's now been revealed the video was leaked to a radio station by Gregory McMichael himself They then grabbed guns and got into their pickup truck to chase down the unarmed Arbery, who had been jogging on the road through their neighborhood in Brunswick, Georgia. Leaked video of the fatal incident - filmed from another car, by a friend of the McMichael men - showed them chasing down Arbery in their truck. Upon catching up to him, Travis exited the car. Gregory claims that they told Arbery that they wanted to talk to him, but that the jogger attacked Travis. During the struggle, Travis fired his gun multiple times, killing Arbery. The autopsy later showed Arbery was hit by three shotgun blasts. The video quickly went viral after it was made public - just days before the McMichael men were arrested on May 7 and charged with murder and aggravated assault. Attorney Alan Tucker initially came forward and claimed to have leaked the video, supposedly because he though it would help clear his friends of the charges, because if he 'had just froze... he wouldn't have been shot.' But, on Friday, Tucker - who is not representing the McMichael men -told WSBTV that it was Gregory McMichael himself who leaked the video to a radio station. Tucker said that McMichael had come to him as a friend, not as a client, with the video and that he wanted help downloading it to send to a talk show host on a local radio station. 'That young man did not deserve to be shot,' Tucker told the news station, referring to Arbery. 'There was no reason in the world for Travis to pull a shotgun out of a damn truck. None,' Tucker added. The McMichael men's defense has been that they were making a citizen's arrest after suspecting Arbery of breaking into and robbing homes in their neighborhood. They said Travis then exercised his stand your ground right by shooting the unarmed jogger, claiming Arbery reached for his gun. The incident has been described as a 'modern day lynching' by Rev. James Woodall, state president of the Georgia NAACP. But Lindsay McMichael, 30 - Gregory's daughter and Travis' sister - has now come forward to say that she believes 'mistakes were made,' but that the Arbery being chased and killed 'wasn't a lynching.' She told The Sun that she was at home, in her pajamas watching a movie with her mother, when the incident occurred and that she went outside immediately after to see her relatives. She said she looked Travis in the eye shortly after Arbery was killed and decided: 'I will until the day that I die believe that he had no intention of malice like that.' 'I've seen my brother in his happiest moments - I was there when his child was born and I've seen him in distress and I know that look... it wasn't like some glory thing, like "I stalked and then got the kill that I was hoping for",' she added. 'It was absolute f***king panic...I really do believe that things just escalated so fast.' Lindsay also denied that her brother and father were racists, claiming that she hasn't dated someone white since she was 19 and that both men 'loved every person that I've ever dated like they were their own son or brother.' Lindsay also said that her relatives weren't vigilantes. 'They're not monsters. This wasn't a lynching. Do I think mistakes were made? Absolutely, but look back on your life how many mistakes have you made?' she said. 'Do I think that decisions were rash and people were jumping ahead? Yes. But do I think anybody thought "Today I'm going to kill someone." Absolutely not,' she added. The McMichaels have been jailed since last Thursday. Neither had lawyers at their first court appearances. With courts largely closed because of the coronavirus, a grand jury cannot be called to hear the case until mid-June. Police force that failed to charge Ahmaud Arbery's killers has a 'track record of corruption' and faced 17 lawsuits in the past decade ByRachel Sharp For Dailymail.com The police force that failed to charge Ahmaud Arbery's killers has a 'track record of corruption', with the department facing 17 lawsuits in the past decade and its drug force being dismantled last year after 'extensive misconduct' by its officers. Glynn County Police Department has been plagued by scandal going right to the top of the chain of command for years, with a local attorney describing so many cases of alleged misconduct that each would fill 'a separate Netflix episode'. The allegations of corruption run deep, with a damning report in 2019 unearthing what it described as an 'ongoing culture of cover-up' at the department. The force has come under scrutiny this last week over its handling of the killing of unarmed jogger Arbery, 25, who was shot dead by Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis McMichael, 34, in Brunswick, Georgia on February 23. The father and son duo were charged with murder last week - more than two months after the slaying - when the Georgia Bureau of Investigation stepped in to take over the case following a series of blunders by local law enforcement. Gregory McMichael was also a former Glynn County police officer. It has now emerged that the local police department has been at the center of several scandals involving corrupt officers, abuse of power and a track record of protecting its own going back years. Just three months before Arbery's death, in November 2019, a grand jury report painted a damning picture of the department. The report described 'an ongoing culture of cover-up, failure to supervise, abuse of power and lack of accountability within the administration of the Glynn County Police Department.' A 2019 investigation into the drug force also exposed extensive misconduct, including one incident where an officer had sex with a confidential informant. In another incident, evidence was allegedly suppressed in a fatal car chase involving narcotics officers. This led to the disbanding of the drug force last year. The alleged scandal even goes right to the top of the chain with Glynn County Police Chief John Powell - the man who was brought on board to clean up the department -being placed on administrative leave amid allegations of a cover-up. Glynn County Police Department has been plagued with multiple scandals with 17 lawsuits against the force in the last decade The alleged scandal even goes right to the top of the chain with Glynn County Police Chief John Powell - the man who was brought on board to clean up the department who has been indicted for perjury and witness tampering One of the most shocking lawsuits against the force accuses the police of failing to act when one of its own officers, Police Lieutenant Robert Sasser (left) showed 'erratic, violent' behavior toward his estranged wife and threatened her life on more than one occasion. Sasser went on to murder her and her friend and then killed himself. This came after Sasser went unpunished after the death of a woman Catherine Small (right) back in 2010 after he and his partner shot her eight times during a car chase Powell was indicted in March, just days after Arbery's death, for perjury and witness tampering for allegedly covering up misconduct in the narcotics task force. The police chief has been charged with four counts of violating his oath of office, two counts of influencing a witness and one count of attempting to commit perjury. Brian Scott, the Vidalia Police Chief and Powells former chief of staff, as well as former Glynn County officers David Haney and David Hassler have also been charged over the scandal. Claims of misconduct are not isolated instances, with at least 17 lawsuits filed against the police department over the last decade. 'There is not just one prior case,' Page Pate, a criminal defense attorney in Glynn County, told NPR. TIMELINE OF BOTCHED HANDLING OF AHMAUD ARBERY'S CASE February 23: Ahmaud Arbery is shot dead in the street in Brunswick, Georgia. Gregory and Travis McMichael had gone out in their car with guns to chase him because they mistook him for a burglar. When they caught up to him, Travis got out of the car. Jackie Johnson recused herself because McMichael used to work in her office Gregory says they told Arbery that they wanted to talk to him and that he attacked Travis. A struggle ensued and Travis fired his gun twice, killing Ahmaud, 25. Late February - First prosecutor recuses herself Jackie Johnson, the Brunswick District Attorney, stepped down from the case because Gregory used to work in her office as an investigator. Mid-April - Second prosecutor says he won't press charges, then recuses himself George Barnhill said Ahmaud initiated the fight George Barnhill was given the case. He at first said he did not think it merited charges because the McMichaels were acting lawfully by trying to carry out a citizen's arrest, which is legal in Georgia. He also said that the video 'shows' Arbery reaching for Travis' gun. Barnhill recused himself because his son, also called George Barnhill, works in the office where McMichael used to The first shot is fired however when the pair are out of frame. When the camera panned back to them, they were struggling again to the side of the vehicle. Barnhill said Travis was standing his ground by firing three shots which hit Arbery. He later had to recuse himself after it emerged that his son works in the Brunswick District Attorney's Office, where Gregory served. May 5 - Third prosecutor passes it on to grand jury Tom Durden is the third prosecutor to have the case come across his desk. He said that his office would approach it without prior prejudice. Joyette Holmes This week, he announced that he would not make a decision on whether or not to charge, and that he wants to convene a grand jury to take it on. May 7 - Georgia Bureau of Investigation files charges The GBI announced that it was bringing charges of murder and aggravated assault against the Gregory and Travis on May 7. May 11 - Department of Justice says it is weighing hate crime charges against the McMichaels Georgia's Attorney General Chris Carr orders the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to conduct a federal probe into why it took 74 days for the men to be arrested. The case is also given to Joyette Holmes, a black prosecutor. Advertisement 'There are many prior cases. And each one is a separate Netflix episode.' One of the most shocking lawsuits accuses the police of failing to act when one of its own officers, Police Lieutenant Robert Sasser, showed 'erratic, violent' behavior toward his estranged wife and threatened her life on more than one occasion. Sasser went on to murder his wife Katie Kettles Sasser and her friend before he killed himself. The lawsuit states that the killer's ex-wife had reported him to police on multiple occasions. On one occasion in May 2018, police were called to his ex-wife's home after Sasser tried to break in and threatened to kill her, the lawsuit states. When police were at the scene, they witnessed Sasser lunge again at the victim and were forced to drag him away, while he threatened her saying 'You know what is going to happen!', the suit says. The lawsuit also says Sasser used the police database to look up information about his ex-wife and people she knew and that he tracked her movements. 'The public trust has been violated and respect for the county police has diminished with the slow creep of incremental and deliberate corruption,' the lawsuit claims. 'The fact is that the Glynn County Police Department is in crisis, it has been for years and people are dying as a result.' This shocking case came after the same officer went unpunished after the death of a woman back in 2010. Sasser and his partner shot Caroline Small eight times in the head and face after a car chase and then boasted to a witness how they had seen her head explode, Fox News reported. A local resident told Fox News the police department is well-known in the area for looking after its own. 'They don't have a great reputation and it's just the good ol' boys mentality,' she said. 'They look out for themselves and everyone around here knows it.' In 2018, the police department also lost its state certification because it failed to meet basic policing standards. The tragic death of black jogger Arbery at the hands of two white men is also not the first time questions have been aimed at the department over its representation of minorities. The International Association of Police Chiefs found that just 12 percent of the police force is African American, when African Americans make up 26 percent of the county's population. Following the extent of allegations being levied against the force, the Georgia General Assembly is now considering whether to letting voters get rid of the police department for good. Georgia lawmakers will revisit a Senate Bill when they return to the Capitol next month. The Bill calls for a vote in November to decide if the Glynn County Police Department should be disbanded and resources merged under the county sheriffs office. DailyMail.com has reached out to the police department for comment. Glynn County PD has found its actions increasingly under the spotlight over the last week after the footage emerged online of the former police officer Gregory McMichael and his son Travis McMichael gunning down Arbery, sparking outrage over why law enforcement had not prosecuted the two men. It came to light last week that Gregory McMichael had also worked as a chief investigator in the District Attorney's office without proper certification or arrest powers. Personnel records obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press showed McMichael worked for Brunswick Circuit DA Jackie Johnson's office from November 1995 through May 2019. He consistently received good performance reviews. But in 2014, the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council notified the district attorney's office that in five years since 2005, Gregory McMichael had either failed to do enough training hours or failed to take mandatory firearms or use-of-deadly force classes, documents show. The result was that he had technically lacked arrest powers since January 1 2006. Documents in the file show he was then stripped of his law enforcement certification and power to arrest people again in 2019, just months before his retirement. This time it was for failure to complete mandatory training in 2018, records show, and meant he served out his final few months with the district attorney's office as a non-sworn liaison to law enforcement agencies in one of the counties in the judicial circuit. An officer with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is seen leading 34-year-old Travis McMichael out of the home in handcuff Exclusive photos show the moment Gregory McMichael (pictured) and his son Travis McMichael were arrested at their home in Brunswick, Georgia, on Thursday The Georgia prosecutors who first handled the fatal shooting of the Arbery, before charges were filed more than two months later, were placed under investigation Tuesday for their conduct in the case. The McMichaels were not charged with murder until last week, after the release of a video of the February 23 shooting. The shocking cellphone footage showed the two men chasing and gunning down the victim in the street. In the video, Arbery is seen running at a jogging pace on the left side of a road. A truck is parked in the road ahead of him. Gregory is inside the pickup's bed, while Travis is standing beside the open driver's side door. Arbery crosses the road to pass the pickup on the passenger side, then crosses back in front of the truck. A gunshot sounds, and the video shows Arbery grappling with Travis in the street over what appears to be a shotgun or rifle. A second shot can be heard, and Arbery can be seen punching Travis. A third shot is fired at point-blank range. Arbery staggers a few feet and falls face down. The McMichaels' defense has been that they were making a citizen's arrest after suspecting Ahmaud of breaking into and robbing homes in their neighborhood. They said Travis then exercised his stand your ground right by shooting Ahmaud, claiming the unarmed 25-year-old reached for his gun. The autopsy showed Arbery was hit by three shotgun blasts. All three shots can be heard on the video, which clearly shows the final shot hitting Arbery at point-blank range before he staggers and falls face down. ROCKVILLE, MD Montgomery County recorded 12 more coronavirus deaths and 299 new cases, bringing its death toll to 423 and the total number of cases to 7,988. There are now a total of 38 "probable deaths" in the county. That means those people likely had COVID-19, but died without ever being tested. COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 and has since infected more than 4,564,000 people and killed more than 308,000 around the world, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University. Since Maryland reported its first three coronavirus cases on March 5, there have been 37,968 positive infections and 1,842 confirmed deaths. State health officials are now reporting 115 "probable deaths." Here's how many cases each county has. Montgomery County is outlined in bright blue. Courtesy of the Maryland Department of Health As of Saturday, 152,207 people have tested negative for COVID-19 and 2,806 have been released from isolation. There are currently 1,500 hospitalized coronavirus patients. Of that, 598 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). According to state health officials, the number of coronavirus hospital patients over the past two days is the lowest it has been since April 26. Montgomery County has yet to release a breakdown of hospitalizations. The county continues to have the highest number of deaths in the state. It also has the second highest number of confirmed cases, after Prince George's County, which has 11,031. Health officials expect the numbers to increase as more testing becomes available. In order to get a test, an individual must meet the coronavirus testing criteria as determined by a licensed health care provider. During a virtual news briefing on Wednesday, Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles acknowledged it was more difficult for people without insurance or a primary care provider to get tested. "The reality is many people were still locked out of the system because they did not have access to a primary care provider," Gayles said. "We heard lots of stories where individuals who didn't have insurance or a primary care provider say, 'I showed up to an urgent care. The test was free, but I was being charged a couple hundreds dollar visit fee.'" Story continues To make testing more accessible, the county has set up a hotline for residents who want to get tested for the disease, but don't have a primary care provider. The number is 240-777-1755. Gayles said that when patients call the hotline, the county's disease control unit will take down their information and a health care provider will call them back at a specific time. The provider will then ask them a series of questions to see if they meet the coronavirus testing criteria. The patients who do meet the criteria will be able to schedule a time to get tested. Before the county can reopen, Gayles says the county needs to expand its testing capacity. Approximately 3 percent of county residents have been tested for COVID-19, Gayles said. The goal is to test 5 percent of the population on a monthly basis. Health officials have set up a number of testing sites across Montgomery County, including in Germantown, Wheaton, and White Oak. SEE ALSO: This article originally appeared on the Rockville Patch Some Corvallis residents will soon be able to get tested for COVID-19 in the comfort of their homes. Groceries, drug stores and retailers are trying a variety of methods to enforce face mask mandates and protect employees, following customer complaints and assaults across the U.S., The Wall Street Journal reports. Why it matters: State governments are implementing face covering orders, but have provided businesses with little guidance on how to enforce the rules when mask-less customers enter stores. Retailers are weighing "public-health requirements against the risk of putting their workers in harms way," the Journal writes. The state of play: Some retailers such as Target only require customers to wear face masks in stores if a local or statewide mandate is in place. Meanwhile, others like Costco are requiring masks regardless of government orders and customer backlash. A security guard in Flint, Michigan was fatally shot earlier this month after trying to implement Family Dollar's face mask policy. In California, a security guard at a Target store reportedly suffered a broken arm after confronting two men who weren't wearing masks, per the Journal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people wear face masks when in public, especially in places where social distancing is hard to implement, such as grocery stores. Go deeper: White House recommends Americans wear masks in public By Express News Service Just yesterday, producer Vijay Babu of Friday Film House said his new production Sufiyum Sujathayum has completed shooting and is moving to the post-production stage. This morning, he and actor Jayasurya revealed that their film will become the first to release directly on an OTT platform. The streaming rights have been bagged by Amazon Prime. A release date has not been announced yet. Sufiyum Sujathayum marks the return of Aditi Rao Hydari to Malayalam cinema after 13 years. Her last Malayalam film was Prajapathi (2006), starring Mammootty. Directed by Naranipuzha Shanavas, Sufiyum Sujathayum has been touted as a musical love story-cum-thriller. It is the latest entry in the list of Indian films lined up for direct digital release after the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the theatrical release plans of many filmmakers. Yesterday, the makers of Amitabh Bachchan-Ayushman Khurranas Gulabo Sitabo announced that theyre releasing the film directly on Amazon Prime. Its a huge move which many are expected to follow soon. Jyothikas Tamil release Ponmagal Vandhal, Keerthy Sureshs Penguin, and Vidya Balans Shakunthala Devi biopic are already set for their OTT releases. My teenage daughters are in Years 9 and 11. In normal circumstances, the younger of the two would be laying the foundations for her GCSE exams the backbone of any pupils plans for the future. My eldest, meanwhile, would be about to sit them. Yet neither of my daughters has stepped past the school gates in almost two months; nor will they do so until September. That is a tragedy. I have nothing but respect for the teachers in their school many of whom I hope are keen to get back into the classroom and have made a valiant effort to keep children learning online. But teachers know virtual learning is no substitute for the everyday rhythms and thrust of school life the conversations with friends, the interactions with teachers, the classroom dynamics that provide children with a sense of being part of a community. So lets not be fooled by the shrill voices of the teaching unions into thinking this situation is beneficial for teachers and their pupils (stock photo) So lets not be fooled by the shrill voices of the teaching unions into thinking this situation is beneficial for teachers and their pupils. The National Education Union argues that a return to school in June would be reckless. But what is really reckless is its willingness to consign tens of thousands of children to almost five months without formal schooling. Naturally, any return to classrooms should be monitored and precautions such as social distancing should be taken where necessary. But leaving our children without an education when countries such as Denmark have indicated that schools can be safely opened is simply not an option. For if our childrens mass expulsion from the classroom has taught us anything, its the crucial role played by schools in socialising our young people, and providing their lives with structure and meaning. Now all that has gone. Our children have been cut adrift from the norms and expectations that have framed their lives from the age of four. And they have also been cut off from each other. We should not underestimate how devastating this could be and how much we will struggle to return to school life in September. Pupils like my eldest daughter, working towards GCSEs and A-levels, were told these exams would determine the rest of their lives. All of a sudden, they dont matter. Younger children and their parents have been constantly reminded of the importance of attending school every day. Now, having five months off is absolutely fine. Yet such a chasmic break in a childs education is not acceptable for anybody. Its not acceptable for primary pupils, for whom school offers a first chance to learn about the world beyond their family. Nor is it acceptable for parents who now have to make the difficult decision between prioritising work or time with their children. And its certainly not acceptable for pupils from deprived backgrounds, who dont have a computer or a good Wi-Fi connection, or whose families arent able to pay for additional resources or tutors to help their kids catch up later. For many of these children, education is a ladder to opportunity one thats now been cruelly taken away. With children from less wealthy backgrounds evacuated from education for five months, I dread to think of the level of inequality we will see when they return (stock photo) As a sociologist, I am all too familiar with educational inequalities. Even in normal times, children from better-off backgrounds do better in school because their families can top up the resources offered by state education. With children from less wealthy backgrounds evacuated from education for five months, I dread to think of the level of inequality we will see when they return. Meanwhile, lets not forget that many teachers are already in schools, providing a skeleton service for those few children currently allowed to be there. Does the NEU think that they are being reckless too, for daring to do their jobs? Such a suggestion is an insult to those heroic teachers on the front line, as well as to their countless brave colleagues desperate to step in and support them. Of course, we mustnt ignore the concerns of those teachers who have health problems that put them more at risk. But many are young, healthy, and keen to get back. And from my experience, teachers are a brave bunch. After all, it takes guts and commitment to take on a class of feral five-year-olds or surly Year 10s. Ultimately, education is a moral project. It is about showing our responsibility, as adults, to the next generation helping them to understand the world and their place in it. This is particularly important in times of crisis. If we give up on the kids now, the consequences will be huge. Jennie Bristow is the author of Stop Mugging Grandma: The Generation Wars and Why Boomer Blaming Wont Solve Anything Rep. Justin Amash, I-Mich., is seen on the House steps of the Capitol before the House passed a $2 trillion coronavirus aid package by voice vote on Friday, March 27, 2020. Rep. Justin Amash announced Saturday that he will not be pursuing a third-party candidacy in this year's presidential election. The former Republican said that he had been watching the race unfold and concluded that "circumstances don't lend themselves to my success as a candidate." Tweet Amash cited multiple factors as playing a part in his decision not to run for the White House, including high levels of political polarization and an "idled economy" that poses fundraising challenges. He also said social-distancing requirements implemented amid the coronavirus pandemic make lesser-known candidates "more dependent on adequate media opportunities to reach people." Amash had been exploring a run for the Libertarian Party. The Republican turned independent turned Libertarian from Michigan has a conservative record on fiscal issues but is more liberal when it comes to issues involving civil liberties. The Michigan representative proved himself controversial in Congress when he supported President Donald Trump's impeachment and chose to leave the GOP, earning the ire of party officials. Since then, he's lobbed fiery criticism against Trump, including critiques of his response to the coronavirus pandemic. However, critics warned that a third-party bid from Amash could actually help Trump win the 2020 election by taking votes away from Democratic candidate Joe Biden. "I like Justin. I love democracy. But I do think a 3rd party run increases the chances of Trump's re-election," tweeted Andrew Yang, a former Democratic presidential primary candidate who has endorsed Biden. Amash said he believes the Libertarian Party is positioned to become a contender at the national level, but uncertainty over online voting due to the pandemic and the feasibility of getting on the ballot in all 50 states makes a third-party run particularly difficult this year. "I continue to believe that a candidate from outside the old parties, offering a vision of government grounded in liberty and equality, can break through in the right environment," Amash said. "But this environment presents extraordinary challenges." The Coronavirus outbreak has impacted the lives of many people. In India, the most affected are the daily wage earners who are suffering the most at this moment. There is a lot more that we can do than just feeling sorry for blaming others for what is happening around us right now. BCCL Recently, Andhra Pradeshs Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney came across a group of migrant workers who started walking from Chennai to go to their home in Bihar. She saw them walking on the highway and stopped her convoy to help them. She ordered them to stay in shelter camps and also made arrangements for them to go through the special trains to their hometowns. Nilam Sawhney was coming from Tadepalli after attending a meeting with Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at his camp. She interacted with the workers in their mother tongue and they explained their dire situation to her and arranged for them to go back home. Spotting migrant workers walking on the highway, Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary intervenes, sends them home through a special train to their state Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/U9RCcTEhh6 pic.twitter.com/LvKCUz8tcW ANI Digital (@ani_digital) May 16, 2020 She ordered the joint collector Guntur District and Collector Krishna District to arrange for accommodation and food for them. Many migrant workers across India are walking on foot due to lack of transport and are going back home as there is no work for them in the cities due to the lockdown. BCCL The group of migrants were walking from Chennai and were willing to go to their home town in Bihar on foot. Heres what people have to say about the effort done by Andhra Pradeshs Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney- True Deer aye durust aye Vijay Pujar (@VijayPujar1193) May 16, 2020 Indeed. Good job Balu (@Balu78870523) May 16, 2020 Still the effort counts.. Thats his duty to serve people. Indio (@bluspidor) May 16, 2020 We need more leaders like her! Need more people like him in the government. Keshav (@keshavcric) May 16, 2020 Exactly! Such a wonderful gesture. More states need to do this. Raul Gandhy (@raulgandhy) May 16, 2020 Yes.. Positive step Two7 (@SnilJha27) May 16, 2020 We need more and more people and leaders like her so that the migrant workers are rescued in these tough times. Also, the people on the internet are hailing the chief secretary for her kind gesture and we hope we take inspiration from her and help others. On Jan. 28, 1922, the roof collapsed at the Knickerbocker Theatre in Adams Morgan. (Library of Congress) On Jan. 28, a candlelight ceremony will remember the 98 people killed at the Knickerbocker Theatre. RIO DE JANEIRO - Police seeking a gang leader raided a cluster of poor neighbourhoods in northern Rio de Janeiro on Friday, and authorities said 10 people died during gunbattles that they said erupted when criminals attacked officers. The states military police said in a statement that the local drug kingpin sought in the raid was among those killed during the operation, which was led by an elite unit known in Brazil by its Portuguese acronym BOPE. The mans identity was not released, but officials said he had escaped prison in 2016 and was considered one of the leading drug traffickers in the Pavao-Pavaozinho and Cantagalo slums, which border Rios iconic Copacabana and Ipanema neighbourhoods. Authorities said officers in the operation were investigating the whereabouts of the gang leader in the Alemao favela complex and trying to confirm intelligence on a house thought to be used as a hideout for weapons when armed criminals opened fire and threw grenades in their direction. The statement said there were multiple clashes. The military police said officers seized eight rifles, 85 grenades and some narcotics. Five people were pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, while five other bodies were later carried by local residents to the entrance of the Alemao group of slums. The bodies were laid next to one another on the street and drew a small crowd of people, some of whom were not wearing any masks despite the coronavirus pandemic. Family members at the scene cried as they covered the bodies, already wrapped in fabrics, with cardboard boxes to shelter them from the rain. From January through March, police killed 429 people during operations in Rio de Janeiro state, down 1.6% from the same period a year earlier. Homicides have also gone down, declining 0.9% this year to 1,044 victims. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/5/2020 (613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Shared Health chief nursing officer Lanette Siragusa is seen during the provinces latest COVID-19 update Friday afternoon in the Manitoba Legislative building. (Winnipeg Free Press) A health-care worker in Prairie Mountain Health has tested positive for COVID-19, health officials said Friday. Shared Healths chief nursing officer, Lanette Siragusa, did not provide further information on what kind of health facility the worker is employed in, except to say the case is not related to the cluster identified in a Brandon truck maintenance shop. The worker is one of 452 health-care providers and first responders tested for COVID-19 in the last seven days, bringing the total number of workers who have tested positive so far to 26, Siragusa said during Fridays health briefing. All but one have since recovered. Since April 10, 3,584 health-care workers and first responders have been tested. No new cases of COVID-19 were reported as of Friday morning, the fourth day in a row that has seen no new cases. There have been 26 confirmed cases in Prairie Mountain Health since the pandemic began. Meanwhile, there may be hope on the horizon that people can return to gathering in groups of more than 10. "We definitely said that mid-May were going to look at our numbers and really consider that, and thats what were doing right now," said Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitobas chief public health officer. "Certainly, if things continue the way they are, then come in with Phase 2 June 1, then well certainly be increasing that group size," he said, adding they have been looking into the possibility of allowing larger group sizes before June. "Were looking at that. The issue right now is that were sort of mid-May; were just sort of one incubation period away into our reopening strategy, so its too early to put too much weight on these low numbers," Roussin said. "In the next week or so, were going to get a better idea on if there is any effect on our reopening strategy and then well continue to look at it." As families head out to campgrounds and cottages for the long weekend, Roussin reminded people to continue to follow public health rules regarding group sizes and to follow safe distancing practices. Above all, he said, dont go anywhere if you are feeling ill. Manitobans were reminded Friday that travel isnt permitted from southern Manitoba to areas, including campgrounds, north of the 53rd parallel, which is essentially anywhere north of the northern end of Lake Winnipeg. Asked why northern residents can travel south then return to their home communities potentially carrying the virus back home with them Roussin said, "We wanted to do what we could to limit non-essential travel up to the north. We wanted to reduce the chances of that (importing the virus), but then we also didnt want to, you know, limit the ability of people to return home." He added the province is still urging people in the north to stay near their home communities as much as possible. "But we didnt want to be in a situation where there are people who are living in the north who found themselves in Winnipeg or somewhere in the south that now could not be ... allowed to get back to their home." Three Manitobans are currently hospitalized, with one person in intensive care. The numbers continue to look positive, however, as there are 28 active cases in Manitoba, while 254 people have recovered from COVID-19. brobertson@brandonsun.com A circular about promoting the development of Taiwan-funded enterprises and projects in the mainland was jointly issued by 10 central departments on Friday, including the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office. The circular is intended to implement the decisions and arrangements made by the central leadership on coordinating prevention and control of COVID-19 outbreak and economic and social development. The document, consisting of 11 specific measures, aims at further promoting cross-Straits economic exchanges and deepening the integrated development of the two sides. The circular requires mainland authorities to ensure Taiwan-funded enterprises are equally entitled to various policies issued by the central and local governments so as to help them cope with the epidemic and resume work and production. The measures also include helping Taiwan-funded enterprises increase capital and production, encouraging them to participate in the construction of new and traditional infrastructures and giving them policy of tax reduction and financial support. Taiwan-funded enterprises will be encouraged to participate in the research and development of 5G, industrial internet, artificial intelligence and other new infrastructures on the mainland in various forms, according to the circular. Businesses that meet requirements may be exempted from collection of social insurance, or see their collections halved. A lack of a unified legal framework governing PPP is the main factor that Vietnams infrastructure sector growth potential is capped at 6.1% per year through 2029. There may be concern that an open and flexible public-private partnership (PPP) law may lead to policy abuses, but on the contrast, limited investor protection to a greater extent can be disincentive to good investors, according to Toru Aguin, chief representative of Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) in Vietnam. Overview of the online conference. Source: IPS. More flexibility in PPP law needed As the Covid-19 pandemic has led to growing global uncertainties, foreign investments are becoming risk-averse and may slowdown, Aguin said at an online conference discussing the prospect of Vietnams upcoming PPP law on May 13. Toru Aguin, Chief Representative in Vietnam of Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). Source: IPS. In this context, for Vietnam to develop quality PPP infrastructure, it is essential to develop a legal environment which more than ever responds to the expectations and concerns of foreign investors, Aguin suggested. Referring to recent estimation made by the Economic Commission of the Party's Central Committee that Vietnam would need US$15 billion annually for energy investments, Aguin said he has high hopes for the PPP, especially as national budget is limited and cannot afford such a huge amount. Aguin recommended the PPP law to provide appropriate support from the government, saying this is essential for foreign investors and lenders to see high predictability and stability of PPP business in the long run. This would include guarantees for contractual performance and foreign currency convertibility, as well as proper recognition of the Step-in Right of foreign lenders in case of emergency as a security holder. Moreover, every single PPP project is different. Therefore, the law should leave room for parties agreement on a project-by-project basis, he said. On this issue, Nguyen Thanh Hai, lawyer at Baker McKenzie, said investors expressed concern over risk sharing mechanism and projects financial feasibility. The law should allow greater flexibility for investors during the contract negotiation process. The government should have a long-term vision of 10 years or more, Hai said. Managing Director of KIND in Vietnam Park Jae Hyun. Source: IPS. Managing Director of Korea Overseas Infrastructure and Urban Development (KIND) in Vietnam Park Jae Hyun said while it is clear that the government should share risks with investors in public projects, the government should reconsider the risk sharing mechanism in terms of revenue. Park said the government should raise the threshold to trigger risk sharing mechanism when the actual revenue is equal to 90% of the financial plan, instead of 75% as in the current draft law. Efficient PPP law to boost economic growth Regarding suggestions from foreign businesses and investors, Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Vu Tien Loc said the government expects the PPP law to create breakthrough in Vietnams infrastructure development, otherwise, Vietnam would fail to attract high quality foreign capital inflows. As the country is further integrating in global economy, a well-developed legal environment would make an investment destination more attractive than the others, Loc stressed. Loc agreed with previous opinions there should be clear details in the law to ensure mutual benefits, as well as risk sharing between all parties involved. According to Loc, PPP mechanism should be expanded to other fields of energy and public services, and not only limited to transportation infrastructure, a move Loc said would help utilize experience and expertise of private investors. Loc noted as government agencies are still struggling to disburse the target amount of US$30 billion in public investment, partly due to complicated administrative procedures. It is essential for Vietnam to avoid a similar situation in drafting the PPP law, so that more resources are utilized in the most efficient way and lay the foundation for stronger economic growth, Loc urged. There is currently an absence of a unified legal framework governing PPP in Vietnam similar to that seen in some of its regional peers (e.g. the Philippines, Thailand). Instead, there are provisions covering PPP dispersed in other pieces of legislature, such as the Law on Investment, Law on Construction and the Law on Bidding, continues to government directives on PPPs alongside Decree 63. As such, in a bid to further improve the current PPP framework, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly had passed a resolution for the creation of a PPP law back in 2017. While certain types of government guarantees are provided for through various laws and decrees, the inadequacy of these guarantees and the lack of clarity of related articles and provisions have been a common stumbling block for foreign participation in Vietnamese PPPs. Furthermore, there is no guarantee for project revenues, considered a major financial risk for investors and a key issue which is currently being addressed by the implementation of the new PPP law. Fitch Solutions, a subsidiary of Fitch Group, said a lack of a unified PPP legal framework is the main factor that Vietnams infrastructure sector growth potential is capped at 6.1% per year through 2029, despite having one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Fitch forecast Vietnams economy to grow at an average of 6.4% year-on-year in real terms over the next decade through 2029, as it emerges as a choice for manufacturing hub and continues to attract foreign direct investments. A comprehensive PPP law is currently being crafted and discussed in Parliament. When passed, we believe the law will reduce project risk and be a boost to growth of Vietnams PPP market, stated Fitch. Hanoitimes Ngoc Thuy While a chill was in the air one January morning, four ragged children beset an open-air cafeteria. They would not talk, but they conveyed a mood of inexpressible longing for food, burdening customers at the cafeteria with a feeling of guilt and compassion, enough to sacrifice their meals for the childrens bowls. The evidence of the childrens hunger and desperation was their rush when a customer motioned to them to come for leftover food. This was at a side of the crossroad in the heart of Daura, Katsina State, the hometown of President Muhammadu Buhari, and the children are almajirai, the boys forced to beg for survival, while they are kept with Islamic teachers, or mallams, supposedly for Quranic education. They are mostly pre-teen. Every day, in Daura, the towns privileged, well-dressed residents, including public servants, see and pass by the poor children, as does Mr Buhari whenever he returns to his fortified country home in the town, near the countrys border with Niger Republic. The almajiri system (or almajirci) is the over a century-old practice of poor rural parents who send their children to live with mallams in pursuit of Islamic knowledge, which the children now receive under violent and torrid conditions. It is a sore, and there has rarely been an elite consensus to heal it across the north. Even with scores of tsangaya (almajiri) schools built by the previous Goodluck Jonathan administration to reform the system by inculcating some formal education curriculum and housing the children, the problem festers and the schools are now abandoned. Apart from Mr Buharis Daura, the practice is a common feature, deeply rooted in Nigerias north especially northwest and northeast, the countrys poorest regions with most urban centres there ubiquitously having these malnourished, ragged, and abused children begging for alms. They return parts of the alms, money or food, to their mallams. Almajirai in Daura, Katsina State. [PHOTO CREDIT: Taiwo Hassan Adebayo/PT] Where the children live is worrisome, the Kano State commissioner for education, Muhammed Sanusi-Kiru, said in April, The Guardian reported. No adequate conveniences, shelter and other hygiene facilities. Three thousand children live in a small apartment without proper care, hygiene and necessary needs. A bleaker picture The almajirai are not enrolled in any school for formal education, a breach of Nigerias child rights law and universal basic education law, which, respectively, prohibit any activity preventing children from education and make primary education compulsory for all children. Despite these pieces of legislation, Nigeria is the country furthest away from the Sustainable Development Goal of universal basic education coverage, with more than 10 million children out-of-school, according to UNICEF. In the north of the country, the picture is even bleaker, UNICEF says on its website, giving a within-country variation. In a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES last July, the UN body said eight million of Nigerias out-of-school children were in 10 northern states, namely Bauchi, Niger, Katsina, Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, and the FCT. There are no exact statistics on the almajiri systems contribution to the incidence of children out-of-school but UNICEFs data suggest a picture. According to the UN body, in the northwest and northeast, 35 per cent and 29 per cent of Muslim children, respectively, receive Quranic education which does not include basic skills such as literacy and numeracy, and the government considers children attending such school to be officially out-of-school. These numbers do not include other children, including Christians, forced to stop formal schooling due to the decade-long Boko Haram terrorism ravaging the northeast. No formal education, no adequate Quranic knowledge Apart from not receiving formal education, the daily toil they are forced by their parents and mallams to endure to feed themselves means they also do not have the concentration to acquire Islamic education. Random interviews with the children in Daura, Birni Kebbi, Argungu, and Illela, all in North-west Nigeria, showed many of them are not able to recite common Quranic chapters, like Qursiy. The interviews also suggested that many of them do not understand or cannot interpret the verses they had committed to memory. Aliyu, an almajiri in Illela, Sokoto State, was asked to interpret the Muslims oft-used Fatiha, the first chapter of the Quran, in the Hausa language. He failed and smiled before moving away with other almajirai. At another time, the children could labour on farms for their mallams as seen in Argungu, Kebbi State, where Mallam Kasibu had to employ the threat of a whip on the toiling children, who were, though, kept with him for knowledge. Mallam Kasibu in Argungu, Kebbi State, holding a whip used for the almajirai labouring on his farm.[PHOTO CREDIT: Taiwo Hassan Adebayo/PT] As they are roundly disadvantaged, lacking formal education and badly taught in the Quranic school, society is the worst-hit. In this term, the almajiri system, nurtures a vast sea of disadvantaged young people, without education and civic culture and proper knowledge of the Quran, thereby creating easy recruits for violence, whether Boko Haram in the northeast or the spiralling rural banditry in the northwest. I see a powerful connection between the almajiri and the violence in the northeast even though many try to deny it on sentimental religious grounds, said James Saliba, professor of history at the University of Maiduguri, Borno State, the birthplace and epicentre of Boko Haram. By the time you remove children from their parents, without social support, guidance, with hardship and they see other children well-fed and going to organised school, and they are exposed to extreme ideology by those who talk to them about injustice which they can experience in their own daily lives you are making an environment for easy recruits into violence. And we have evidence in what Mohammed Yusuf (late Boko Haram founder) used; he mounted a social welfare system, fed these children, preached to them about injustice which they can experience, the professor told PREMIUM TIMES. It has not worked for northern Nigeria Advertisements After a long history of its existence and associated implications for the human rights of the children, security and social order, and perpetuation of poverty and illiteracy, northern governors now say they want to end the almajiri system. The COVID-19, which rages across the north, as well as the south, may have triggered their vows, but questions remain about mustering the political will against the long-entrenched system. We are determined as the northern governors to end it (almajiri system), said Nasir El-Rufai, Kaduna State Governor in an interview with Channels Television in the past week. We didnt take this decision because of COVID-19 but COVID-19 provided us with the opportunity because COVID-19 enables us to know where the almajiris are and to get them at one go. Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai [PHOTO CREDIT: @BashirAhmaad] We have been looking for ways and means of ending this system because it hasnt worked for the children, it has not worked for northern Nigeria, it has not worked for Nigeria. It has to end and this is the time, Mr El-Rufai, known for his tough approach to reforms, added. For weeks, thousands of almajirai have been repatriated to their respective states of origin across the north for care amid COVID-19 threats following an understanding reached by the governors as a step believed to be towards ending the system. The almajirai are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, having little or no care, with zero chance of social distancing and awareness of personal responsibilities advised for prevention. Scores of them have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and are being managed in their home states. We have repatriated over 30,000 almajiris back to their states and we are happy to receive any almajiri from any state of the federation that is indigenous to Kaduna State, said Mr El-Rufai in the Channels interview. The governor pointed at the vulnerability of the almajirai as they are barely cared for by anybody. The situation in the north is that if the children were not brought to us they would simply have died in Kano. Some of them may survive the disease but the situation in Kano is overwhelming. I dont think anyone will remember to look out for almajiri, he said. Kano State started the repatriation, first early March when the state repatriated over 1,500 almajirai to Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, Borno and Yobe states following its policy banning street begging. Later in April, another 1000 children were transferred to their states of origin, most of them, this time, to Jigawa. Halima Jabiru, the commissioner for women affairs and social development, Nasarawa State, which has already transferred nearly 800 almajirai to various states, said the northcentral state had documented 63,358 child beggars and that thirty thousand of them were below age 10. Quoted by Leadership newspaper, Ms Jabiru said, those that are below the ages of ten years, we will take them back and reconnect them with their states of origin, while others would be allowed to remain in the state for formal and informal education. Very soon, we will have all our kids off the streets, we will follow it up in such a way that any Islamic or tsangaya schools that fail to obey, the government will deal with them decisively, she reportedly said. Similarly, Adamawa State has sent 132 boys, among 400 identified for removal, to Gombe State following what the state government secretary, Bashir Ahmad, described as the governors decision to take back those that are not their own and receive those that are theirs and also plan to integrate Quranic teaching into western education. However, the governors may need more than repatriations to prove genuine readiness for actions against the almajiri system. I think they look determined to end the almajirci this time, said Jibrin Ibrahim, a professor of political science and development expert. But I am concerned, why at this time? Calls have been going for 50 years but no governor has risen to the occasion. It is still difficult to see if this is not a symbolic gesture to be seen as doing something during this COVID-19 menace, said Mr Ibrahim. The commissioner for education in Bauchi State, Aliyu Tilde, told PREMIUM TIMES that returning the almajirai to their parents in their various states of origin amid COVID-19 threats was in pursuit of the policy to wipe out the menace of child begging through the almajiri system and a public health necessity. Mr Tilde suggested that a collective decision, not minding political risks, would be key to the success of the governors determination to wipe out the menace. What replaces the almajiri Mr Tilde said designing a whole new system of education for the returnee almajirai in each state would not yield success in the long run, fearing costs. He said: The answer lies in parents accessing Islamic religious education through conventional Quranic schools in their neighbourhood. This gives them the chance to enrol also in modern schools for secular education. This is the system that we all went through in the 1960s. Quranic schools are found in every nook and cranny of the almajiri-areas of northern Nigeria. The second option is to enrol the returnee Islamiyya schools which have a broader curriculum in Islamic studies, where they learn other sciences like jurisprudence, hadith, etc. These schools are abundant in all semi-urban towns under the old Borno and Sokoto Caliphates, usually holding on weekends. The beauty of the two options is that they accord them the chance to pursue secular education that will come handy to them as they grow and engage in the tough survival battle in Nigeria. Coming up with a system specifically for the almajiri, unless it is a short-gap measure of integration into conventional secular schools, means creating a parallel system side by side with the present primary and secondary schools. If we imagine the cost it will involve in terms of manpower and infrastructure, the thought is almost certain to remain a wish. Finding the political will to end the almajiri is certainly daunting. For some states, the removal of the almajirai from various states may just not be more than a public health option amid the pandemic, without the will to comprehensively and sustainably end the practice and ensure the children have formal education as Nigerias law prescribes, alongside Islamic knowledge. This is the fear Mr Jibrin, the political scientist, expressed in his interview with PREMIUM TIMES. In Kano State, the education commissioner, Mr Sanusi-Kiru, had in April said, Against the misconception of some people in the society that the government is planning to stop Quranic schools in the state, it was an effort to bring sanity to the system. It is also part of a comprehensive effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus. He was not clear about a formal education aspect. But Kaduna is categorical about its readiness to end the almajiri system. At least I can assure that in Kaduna State it is gone, Mr El-Rufai said in his Channels interview while hinting at a new piece of legislation to legally prohibit the practice. We are not just telling the parents of the children that they must go to school when the schools reopen, we have tracked each and every one of the parents and we are going to counsel them on parental responsibility, he said. It is a long process but the children will go to school. They must go to school. At least in Kaduna State, I can assure you of that. The Jonathan-era tsangaya almajiri schools are now being handed to the state governments, the minister for of state for education, Chukwuemake Nwajiuba, said on Thursday, adding that the federal government fully agrees with the northern states over moves against the almajiri system and that what they are doing is lawful in line with the universal basic education law. We fully agree with all the northern governors to take in and take back all the almajiris, Mr Nwajiuba said. We hope with what has now happened with regards to taking our children off the streets and finding a way to progress or mainstream them into a formal education system, we can then use most of those facilities, that is the tsangaya schools. This support from the federal government would be an ample boost for the northern states committed to ending the almajirci. Plagues and epidemics have ravaged humanity throughout its existence. Nothing has killed more human beings than vicious infectious diseases caused by bacteria, virus or parasite. Not natural disasters, not famines, not wars not even close. The Black Death caused up to 200 million deaths in the 14th century and more after that. The 1918 flu pandemic infected 500 million people and killed tens of millions. Smallpox killed 300 million in the 20th century alone until an effective vaccine was invented. Whenever there was a big epidemic, there were many heroes and heroines in fighting disease and saving lives. Unfortunately, every time there were also ugly blame games. Blaming something or someone seems to be the easiest way to relieve fear and helplessness, the most convenient explanation and a magical solution to an unknown disease. During the Black Death, Jewish people were attacked and killed throughout Europe because they were blamed for it. When a typhus epidemic broke out in Britain in 1847, Irish immigrants were targeted for transmitting the Irish Fever. However, those blame games did not provide any help, but only led to racial, religious or political discrimination, stigmatization and persecution. Now we are engaged in a great global battle against Covid-19 pandemic. Thanks to the advancement of science and technology, we are in a better position than our ancestors in fighting a pandemic. Scientists around the world are using modern scientific tools to rapidly sequence the genome of the virus, pass along new information, test as much of the population as possible and collaborate on finding countermeasures and identifying the origin of the virus. However, old blame game tricks have unfortunately come back again. When the global Covid-19 pandemic needs global leadership and cooperation, some populist politicians are using the pandemic as a political tool. They try to sideline the important work and guidance of medical experts and scientists, spread another kind of virus by targeting and blaming others, especially China. They cook up disinformation such as the Covid-19 virus originated from a Chinese lab, accuse China of spreading the virus to the world by delaying and covering-up, and clamor to hold China accountable and to compensate. Indeed, tracing the origin of Covid-19 virus is a question need to be answered. The answer to it will not only help us know more about the pandemic, improve countermeasures, accelerate research on vaccines, but also make us be better prepared for the next pandemic. But the focus of the work should not be anything other than the virus, and it should and could only be done by scientists based on facts and science, not by anyone else on misleading and ill-intentioned speculation with no evidence. Only with science can we find the truth. Political witch-hunting will do nothing good but hindering and suppressing the vital work of scientists. Blaming China for the pandemic is as blaming the first victims who were hit by the first wave of a flood. No country was caught more unprepared by this new virus than China. Last December, the currently first known cases of Covid-19 - when it could only be identified as pneumonia of unknown cause - were reported in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei Province. At that time, nobody in the world knew anything about the disease. In spite of the unprecedented challenge, China responded quickly and decisively. On December 27, Doctor Zhang Jixian in Wuhan reported three suspicious cases. In the following few days, local and central governments conducted investigations on the ground. On December 31, China informed the WHO China Country Office of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan. On January 3, China began sending regular, timely updates about the epidemic to WHO and the rest of the world. On January 12, China released the whole genome sequence of the virus and shared it with the WHO and many countries, which is critical for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease globally. On January 23, China locked down Wuhan, a city with a population of 10 million, and then actually the whole Hubei Province. This lockdown sent a very clear and strong warning message to the whole world about the severity of the epidemic. On January 30, the WHO declared the disease to be PHEIC (Public Health Emergency of International Concern). While fighting its own battle, China has spared no efforts to strengthen international cooperation against the pandemic. With openness, transparency and responsibility, the Chinese government and scientists have been cooperating with WHO and other countries on issues related with the pandemic, including tracing origin of the virus. We have been sharing all medical information, including updated diagnosis and treatment guidelines, with the world. We have been extending support to other countries, including donating PPE and medical equipment to countries in need, especially those with weaker health systems, and facilitating procurement demand from almost the whole world. By mobilizing the whole country, taking unprecedentedly strict and comprehensive measures, collaborating with the international community, we have effectively contained the pandemic in China. Outside of Wuhan and Hubei Province, the rest of Chinas numbers of Covid-19 cases and fatalities were successfully contained to low, even in all the neighboring provinces of Hubei. Chinas efforts and success in avoiding massive outbreaks not only saved lives at home, but also bought precious time for the world. Blaming China for the increasing numbers in countries far away from Wuhan and Hubei is politically motivated nonsense. If someone needs to be held accountable in this battle, it could not be China, but those who spread droplets with political viruses to shirk their own mistakes and responsibilities, and to take political gain from peoples suffering. Now the global battle against Covid-19 is far from over. This battle is not only between mankind and the virus, but also between truth and falsehood. Biological viruses recognize no borders, no races, no ideologies or political systems. There is no virus of yours, theirs or ours. An epidemic may emerge anytime, anywhere, and infect the rest of the world quickly. No country will be safe and can claim victory before the epidemic is defeated by every country. Failure of the international community to work together in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic would only help the virus continue to spread across the world. To overcome the pandemic, the world needs not only science, but also conscience. While we are testing the virus, the virus is testing us. While we are all working for a future of recovery, we should also prevent political viruses from distracting and delaying the necessary global response, otherwise we will be led to nowhere but the deep gutter. Blame game is a wrong remedy to Covid-19, and is as harmful as recommending that people shall inject disinfectant into their lungs. For more information on the Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China, check out the website or the official Twitter page. Sponsored by 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: 348,232 in New York state, including 28,049 deaths. 60,796 recovered. 1,378,717 total tested. 1,467,796 in U.S., including 88,754 deaths. 268,376 recovered. 11,077,179 total tested. 4,632,903 worldwide, including 311,739 deaths. 1,693,057 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: Saturday's latest updates: 6:55 p.m. UAlbany graduation goes virtual The UAlbany graduation for the class of 2020 is online as the university honors its newest graduates during the coronavirus pandemic. Watch here. 1:55 p.m.: Rensselaer County reports 28th death Rensselaer County officials said there was one new COVID-19 death, a 92-year-old woman who resided at the Diamond Hill adult care facility in Schaghticoke. This brings the county death toll to 28 including 19 involving nursing home residents. The county reported five new COVID-19 cases Saturday. The county has 463 confirmed cases. Eight residents are hospitalized, with none in ICU. The hospitalizations include four at Samaritan, one at Ellis, one at St. Peter's, one at Albany Medical Center and one at the Veteran's Administration hospitals. There are more than 650 residents in monitor quarantine. There have been 5,699 tests administered to county residents. The county announced seven cases as cleared for recovery, bringing the total cases cleared to 296. ___ 11:30 a.m.: Horse racing tracks, Watkins Glen can open June 1 without fans Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said horse racing tracks across the state and Watkins Glen International Racetrack will be allowed to open without fans as of June 1. The state will issue guidance on how they can open safely reopen in the coming week. Read more Cuomo also announced Westchester and Suffolk Counties are now eligible to resume elective surgeries and ambulatory care. ___ 7:30 a.m.: Comptroller: State sees drastic tax revenue declines State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said monthly tax income for April fell $7.9 billion from April 2019, a massive 68.4 percent drop as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the three-month extension of the state income tax filing deadline, which was also related to the outbreak. All governmental funds monthly tax receipts totaled just $3.7 billion, he said. See the monthly cash report released Friday. ___ Friday: Total COVID-19 cases and deaths reported in the Capital Region Albany County: 1,425 cases, 29 hospitalized, 936 recoveries, 67 deaths Columbia County: 339 cases, 16 hospitalized, 150 recoveries, 25 deaths Greene County: 238 cases, 4 hospitalized, 174 recoveries, 15 deaths Rensselaer County: 458 cases, 5 hospitalized, 289 recoveries, 27 deaths Saratoga County: 417 cases, 6 hospitalized, 328 recoveries, 14 deaths Schenectady County: 591 cases, 16 hospitalized, 520 recoveries, 28 deaths Warren County: 219 cases, 3 hospitalized, 136 recoveries, 28 deaths Washington County: 191 cases, 133 recoveries, 13 deaths ___ Friday: Many Canal locks should be open by July 4 A good deal of the 524-mile Canal system may be open for navigation through the locks by July 4, the State Canal Corp. said on Friday. Work on individual locks will resume when the surrounding region is declared safe for a pandemic re-opening. Some areas including Central New York and the Mohawk Valley are reopening while the Capital Region hasn't yet met all the criteria for a reopening. Mariners can go on the canal system between the locks, however, ___ Friday: Warren County report two more nursing home deaths Two more residents of a nursing facility in the southern part of the county have died after contracting the novel coronavirus, county officials reported Friday. That brings the countys known death toll from the virus to 28, with 26 of the deaths connected to a nursing home or assisted living facility. As of Friday, 219 residents across the county had tested positive for the virus, with more than half of those cases (123) involving residents of long-term care facilities. The county has two known outbreaks one at the Glens Falls Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Queensbury and another at the Pines at Glens Falls Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. At least 18 residents of the Glens Falls Center and six residents of the Pines have died after catching the virus, according to state data. The county also documented an additional two recoveries on Friday, including a man who was critically ill for over a month who received a transfusion of blood plasma from a COVID-19 survivor. "We couldn't be happier for this man, his family, and all those who took care of them," said Warren County Administrator Ryan Moore. ___ Friday: Rensselaer County reports another Diamond Hill death County officials said Friday that another resident of the Diamond Hill nursing home in Schaghticoke has died from the novel coronavirus, bringing the county's overall death toll to 27. The victim was a 76-year-old woman. The facility has lost at least 15 residents so far to COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. At least 58 residents and 13 staff at the facility have tested positive for the virus to date. Across the county, 458 people have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began, an increase of eight overnight. Twenty-seven of them have died, with 18 of the deaths connected to long-term care facilities. The new cases reported Friday included a number of young people, including two 4-year-old girls, a 9-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl, and a 26-year-old woman all from Troy. ___ Friday: Columbia County reports 25th death from virus County officials reported Friday that another resident who was infected with the novel coronavirus has died, bringing the county death toll to 25. Twenty of the 25 deaths are tied to nursing homes in the county: 11 were residents of the Pine Haven nursing home in Philmont and nine were residents of the Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Barnwell facility in Valatie. Barnwell has one of the Capital Regions largest outbreaks of the virus, with 121 residents whove tested positive for the virus to date and at least 28 staff. The state sent the facility test kits nearly two weeks ago to conduct universal testing of residents. Pine Haven, which was one of the first long-term care facilities in the region to suffer an outbreak, has since contained the virus, officials with the facility told the Times Union this week. To date, 36 residents and 15 staff have tested positive at the facility. ___ Read more updates from Friday UPDATE: Police at 10 a.m. said the child had been found safe. BATTLE CREEK, MI - Police are looking for a missing 5-day-old baby believed to be in the custody of his father. State police about 6:30 a.m. Saturday, May 16, issued a missing/endangered advisory for Jeffrey Michael Smith Jr., the infant. They said the baby is with the biological father, Jeffrey Michael Smith Sr. Police said they are concerned because of comments they allege he made about doing harm to the child. The baby does not have any food or additional clothing. The father is wanted on a warrant out of Emmet Township, near Battle Creek, although police did not specify the nature of the warrant. The father drives a 2003 Black Chevy Tahoe, with license plate DRE6838. The infant was wearing a gray onesie with small teddy bears on it. Anyone with information about the vehicle or the whereabouts of the child can call 911 or Emmett Township Department of Public Safety at 269-788-1736. More from MLIve Moviegoers pack Michigan drive-in theater, defying Whitmers stay-home order Its about the principle of everything, says Holland salon owner defying Whitmers coronavirus order closures Whitmer allows laboratory research to reopen as part of latest coronavirus order More snow on the way in Pennsylvania; here's how much to expect In an exclusive conversation with Republic TV, Freddy Svane, Ambassador of Denmark to India said that the two countries are sharing medical research to fight COVID-19 pandemic. The Ambassador emphasised on global cooperation and described business opportunities in India post-COVID as '''unprecedented''. He lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing a whopping Rs. 20 lakh crore economic package for India's battered economy. Recently, Prime Minister Modi talked to his Danish counterpart, PM Mette Frederiksen. Svane said the two leaders discussed the measures taken so far in fighting COVID-19 and both stressed on mutual cooperation and having experts from both the countries to remain in touch. READ | Space Sector Opened Up For Private Players, Start-ups To Enter Atomic Research: Sitharaman India took early action with lockdown India is soon to enter into phase four of the lockdown. While many countries have followed a similar suit, implementing it in a country like India is a huge challenge. However, the government has been able to manage it efficiently, said the diplomat. ''The Prime Minister of India took early action and changed it to a mission. Had he not taken the decision to go into a lock-down the damage would have been huge. He made it a mission and his team has been working towards handling the situation. A lock-down is one of the key steps towards curbing the virus spread. Other countries are doing the same'', said Freddy Svane, who is serving a second time in India. READ | Finance Minister Introduces Commercial Mining In Coal Sector; Rs 50,000 Cr To Be Invested Lauds economic package Describing the package announced by the Indian government ''a much needed and timely one'', the Ambassador hoped for a better economic condition for the country. ''This package was of course required to boost the economy. With the measures announced, I see an unprecedented business opportunity in India and both the countries will work together for a better and stable economic partnership'' said the Danish Ambassador. READ | 'Reforms Will Boost Farmers Income': PM Modi Welcomes Part 3 Of FM's Economic Package 'Green Strategic Partnership' India's Minister of Foreign Affairs S. Jaishankar too had a conversation with the Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod. ''During the meeting, the two Ministers agreed to work towards establishing a 'Green Strategic Partnership' between India and Denmark building on existing green and sustainable collaborations under the Joint Commission. The partnership will focus on areas such as climate change, energy, circular economy, water, sustainable food, and agriculture," Freddy Svane said. The Danish Ambassador has known PM Modi from his days as Gujarat Chief Minister. ''You see the Indian Prime Minister has a great experience in dealing with the crisis. Right from the earthquake in Gujarat to taking Indian to the future, he is working hard. I know him personally," Svane remarked. Speaking on the future of the European Union post-COVID-19, the Ambassador said that ''whole world is into an uncharted territory'' hence there would be some challenges in balancing self-interest and relations with other countries groups. However, a concerted effort would help in propelling the global economy, he added. READ | 'More Power To India-US Friendship': PM Modi Thanks Donald Trump For Donating Ventilators Two people accused of leading authorities on a chase before a carjacking and shootout left a 65-year-old man dead at a Charleston area rest stop waived their right to a bond hearing Saturday. Kayla Dyanni Rivera, 21, and Shikeem Wigfall, 25, each face charges of murder, failure to stop for blue lights and two counts of carjacking causing great bodily injury. Their hometowns weren't immediately available. Neither has a criminal history in South Carolina. Rivera was driving her Hyundai north on Interstate 95 when a state Highway Patrol trooper tried to pull her over for speeding just before 2 a.m. Friday, according to arrest warrant affidavits. She then turned east toward Charleston on Interstate 26. Berkeley County deputies joined the chase around 2:30 a.m., Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis said. Someone in the suspect's vehicle opened fire before pulling into a rest stop near Ladson and carjacking a Kia, according to the State Law Enforcement Division. The Kia's owner, Roy Ogden of Charleston, was shot and killed at the scene, according to the Charleston County coroner. It's unclear who fired the fatal round. Rivera and Wigfall fled in a vehicle believed to be the Kia, according to SLED. North Charleston police spotted them around 3 a.m. Shortly afterward, a woman said she'd been carjacked in the 6800 block of Dorchester Road, and that a man and woman drove off in her Chevrolet, according to North Charleston police. Police spotted the car and tried to pull it over, but Wigfall drove into a retaining pond near an apartment complex close to U.S. Highway 17A. Shots were fired from inside the vehicle, North Charleston police spokesman Scott Deckard said, and officers returned fire. Nobody was hit at that point, and Rivera and Wigfall exited the vehicle before it submerged. Rivera was arrested at the scene, while Wigfall was taken to a hospital, Deckard said. Both are now being held in the Charleston County jail. Troopers and two Berkeley deputies are on paid leave until SLED finishes investigating the shooting, as is standard in officer-involved shootings. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday his administration was considering numerous proposals about the World Health Organization, including one in which Washington would pay about 10% of its former level. In a posting on Twitter, Trump underscored that no final decision had been made and that U.S. funding for the global health agency remained frozen. Trump suspended U.S. contributions to the WHO on April 14, accusing it of promoting China's "disinformation" about the coronavirus outbreak and saying his administration would launch a review of the organization. WHO officials denied the claims and China has insisted it was transparent and open. Fox News, citing a draft letter, reported late on Friday that Trump was poised to restore partial funding to the WHO, matching China's assessed contribution. The United States was the WHO's biggest donor. If the United States matches China's contribution, as the Fox report indicated, its new funding level will be about one-tenth its previous funding amount of about $400 million per year. Responding to criticism about resuming payments, Trump said, "This is just one of numerous concepts being considered under which we would pay 10% of what we have been paying over many years, matching much lower China payments. Have not made final decision. All funds are frozen." (Reporting by Andrea Shalal in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis) Garment workers in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka took part in a protest on Saturday against unpaid wages amid the new coronavirus outbreak. Despite the lockdown announced by the Bangladeshi government, thousands of garment factories resumed production earlier this week, but some workers say they have not been paid their salaries. The country has confirmed more than 18,800 infections of the new virus, and more than 280 deaths, but the toll is thought to be higher due to a lack of adequate testing facilities in the South Asian nation of 160 million people. Cases have spiked after citizens of Dhaka, a city of more than 10 million people, saw large crowds began returning to the streets after the government eased some lockdown restrictions put in place to tackle the new virus. Hundreds of people have been shopping in preparation for one of the largest festivals in the Muslim calendar - Eid-al Fitr. Many in the Muslim-majority country are observing the month of fasting and preparing for the festival in the third week of May. The impact of the lockdowns economic contraction on South Africans mortality, or the years of life lost, could be 30-times worse than the reduction in mortality due to COVID-19. This is the stark warning from Pandemics Data & Analytics (PANDA), who were commenting on President Cyril Ramaphosas gradual opening of the economy. The proposed two-week timeline for this transition, from level 4 to level 3, is far too long considering the current economic risk, PANDA said. With every passing day, the consequences of the continued lockdown have become more extreme and threaten the very viability of South Africa and its increasingly fragile economy. PANDA provided Ramaphosa and members of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) with their analysis of the economic impact of the current national lockdown. The report shows that the lockdown has caused a sharp contraction in production and exchange in the economic system, some of which is likely to recover over years, rather than weeks or months. It is currently estimated that the South African GDP could shrink by between 10%-15% as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The temporary and permanent aspects of that contraction have an impact on the ability of millions of people to make a living. PANDA estimated that the large job and revenue losses would drive more people into poverty, and 3.3 million people out of employment. This reduction of income will, in turn, cause a material decrease in life expectancy across the South African population. Years of life lost Years of lost life is an analysis that calculates the number of years of life lost when someone dies due to an incident, compared with that persons remaining life expectancy at the point of death. This figure can be measured across a population to estimate the aggregate years of life lost (YLL). PANDA ran two sets of numbers. The first focuses on understanding what the reduction in life expectancy would be as a direct result of people contracting COVID-19. The outcome is compared to a second set of numbers which considers the reduction of life expectancy as a result of the economic damage and hardships caused by the lockdown. We estimate the lockdowns economic contraction on South Africans mortality, or the years of life lost, could be 30-times worse than the reduction in mortality due to actual contraction of the virus, said PANDA co-ordinator, Nick Hudson. We derive our 30-times multiple by taking the low point of the economic contraction effect and dividing by the high point of the hospital overburdening effect. Under a less conservative view, this multiple would be substantially higher, explained Hudson. Calls to end the lockdown There have been increasing calls from medical experts, economists, business people, and citizens to end the lockdown across South Africa. A group of academics have published an analysis which shows extending the lockdown is no longer required. The hard lockdown is not reducing transmission rates and has become unaffordable. South Africa needs to accept that it is not on a unique trajectory. The virus cannot be eliminated. The countrys strategy needs to move away from a hard lockdown, the article states. The academics suggested using a risk-assessed framework which permits all economic activity, except where there is a clear and material threat to public health. This view is shared by Dr Glenda Gray, a member of the Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) and chairperson of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). She told News24 the governments phased exit from the lockdown is nonsensical and unscientific. She said the month-to-month phasing-out of the lockdown has no basis in science and many lockdown regulations were thumb sucks. The impact of the extended lockdown is starting to emerge, and we are seeing children with malnutrition for the first time at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, she said. We have not seen malnutrition for decades, she added. She suggested the lockdown should be eradicated completely, and that non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as hand-washing, wearing masks, social distancing, and prohibitions on gatherings, should be put in place. BOSTON (AP) Five Central American asylum seekers ordered to remain in Mexico by federal authorities will be able to reunite with their families in Massachusetts until their immigration cases are decided, a federal judge in Boston ruled Thursday. The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts said the three women and two young children had been living in dangerous conditions in the Mexican border town of Matamoros. The organization said the five people four from Guatemala and one from El Salvador were exposed to violence and persecution in Mexico and their immigration hearings in the U.S. have been severely delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Emails seeking comment were left Friday for spokespersons for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which is named in the lawsuit. The ACLU previously reached a similar settlement on behalf of a Guatemalan family seeking asylum. Tens of thousands of asylum-seekers from certain Spanish-speaking nations, including Guatemala and El Salvador, are waiting out the U.S. immigration court process in Mexico as part of the Trump administration's Migrant Protection Protocols, which took effect January 2019. American authorities have said the Remain in Mexico policy has helped significantly reduce illegal border crossings. Civil rights groups complain it violates constitutional rights. Hong Kong: EDB explains exam question probe The Government today expressed serious concern over a history question in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) and will request to invalidate the question as part of its follow-up actions. Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung made the statement this afternoon in response to public concerns regarding the exam question on the history of China and Japan in the first half of the 20th Century. He added that the Education Bureau (EDB) will take certain steps in response to the incident that include a probe. Next Monday, the EDB will assign a team of colleagues who are familiar with the curriculum and quality assessment to visit the HKEAA (Hong Kong Examinations & Assessment Authority) to investigate the question setting, vetting and approval mechanism under the HKDSE and whether the mechanism has been strictly complied with during the preparation of the examination paper of the history examination. "We will request HKEAA to invalidate the examination question concerned and make appropriate adjustment to ensure the credibility and effectiveness of the history examination. "Although the HKEAA is empowered to plan and conduct the HKDSE, in view of the recent incident which has aroused public concerns, the EDB will review the existing mechanism and fulfil its role of monitoring the conduct of the HKDSE to ensure quality of the examination and the examination papers." This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The patrol of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission was shelled in the occupied territory of Donbas. OSCE press service reported this. It is reported that on 15 May, an SMM patrol comprising six members and two vehicles was positioned on the south-western edge of Berezivske (non-government-controlled, 53km north-west of Luhansk) to monitor adherence to a localized ceasefire to facilitate repairs of water infrastructure in the area, and to conduct an announced mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight to follow up on reports of damage in the settlement. At 13:36, while the SMM mini-UAV was in the process of landing (and at an altitude of 5m from the ground), four SMM patrol members outside the vehicles saw two incoming flaming projectiles explode in the air, and subsequently saw and heard two explosions and smoke at an altitude of about 80m-100m from the ground, and at an assessed distance of 20m north-north-west of the patrols position, the message says. It is noted that four SMM patrol members took cover in the vehicles. The remaining two SMM patrol members were inside the vehicles, but heard the explosions. After that, SMM patrol immediately relocated to a position about 3km west of the south-western edge of Berezivske, and continued monitoring the security situation. The patrol returned safely to its base in Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, non-government-controlled, 50km west of Luhansk). Earlier, Ukraine has turned to the ODIHR, asking to follow the human rights protection situation in the temporarily occupied territories in Donbas and Crimea. A journalist with the Imo State government, South-East Nigeria, has been suspended indefinitely from her job for taking to Facebook to request her three months unpaid salary and the wages of her co-workers. Officials said the Facebook post was an embarrassment to the Imo State government. The suspended journalist, Vivian Ottih, is a lawyer and a senior editor with the government-owned IBC Orient FM radio station. She is the chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), in Imo State. Mrs Ottih, on May 4, posted a message on Facebook, appealing to Governor Hope Uzodinmas media aide, Modestus Nwamkpa, to make a case to the governor on behalf of the workers in the government-owned radio and television stations who were yet to get their February, March, and April salaries. Mrs Ottih described Mr Uzodinma as a humble and performing governor, and said the governor may not have been aware of the travails of the workers. She said in the post that she was personally hard-hit by the situation because she just had a baby weeks earlier. The journalist, in her subsequent post on May 7, thanked the Commissioner for Information in the state, Declan Emelumba for intervening on behalf of the unpaid workers. God bless you, Sir, she wrote. On May 8, four days after, she was queried by the Imo Broadcasting Corporation. The query, signed by the acting director-general of the corporation, Osuchukwu S. O, said to Mrs Ottih, I am directed to let you know that this your attitude caused serious embarrassment to Imo State Government thereby ridiculing the government in the eyes of the public with the sole aim of sabotaging the government. Mrs Ottihs response to the query was deemed unsatisfactory by the Imo government which went ahead to suspend her indefinitely from her job. The state government queried the journalist again on May 15, accusing her of posting the previous query on social media. The information commissioner, Mr Emelumba, told PREMIUM TIMES the government was not responsible for the delay in payment of the salary. He said the management of the Imo Broadcasting Corporation refused to submit the workers BVN and bank account details as directed by the government. Mr Emelumba said the government wanted to pay workers salary centrally in order to eliminate ghost workers, instead of allowing the various establishments to collect money from the state government to pay their staff as was done in the past. A journalist in Imo told PREMIUM TIMES that Mrs Ottih made the appeal for the payment of the workers salary because she was under pressure from fellow journalists who were also being owed by the state government. Mr Emelumba said Mrs Ottih posted the Facebook message as an individual person, not as the NAWOJ chairperson. Even if she were to issue the statement on behalf of NAWOJ she would still be wrong because she could only speak for women journalists and not for all the workers of the IBC, the commissioner said. RATTAWU (the radio Television Theatre and Art Workers Union of Nigeria) has the statutory duty to do that, but they didnt do that because they were consulting (with government officials over the issue). The commissioner said the NAWOJ chairperson could have used other channels of communication instead of taking the issue to Facebook. PREMIUM TIMES asked Mr Emelumba why the government did not sanction the corporation for delaying to send the bank details of their workers as requested by the government. If we did it as you would expect, people would accuse the government of being insensitive, he responded. The commissioner said he sent out a statement last week giving the parastatals a deadline to comply with the government directive. IBC has complied anyway; I think they are about getting their salary if they have not gotten it. Advertisements NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLE D epicting 40,000 years of medicine in a little over 240 pages, internist and historian Philip Mackowiak offers an accessible and comprehensive survey of life, death, and doctoring in Patients as Art. Rather than presenting a weighty chronology of medicine marching indiscriminately over millennia, Mackowiak focuses on sources of illness to introduce readers comprehensively to practical, cultural, and historical elements of the medical world. Foundational topics in medicine are introduced, ranging from nutrition to genetics; medical activities such as diagnostics and therapeutics are covered; and still larger topics in medicine, such as military surgery and public health, are touched on. Over 160 reproductions of paintings, sculptures, and drawings illuminate these subjects with fresh insight, offering the non-clinical eye a sense of the doctors clinical gaze, limned by the artists perspective. Whether introducing the 30,000-year-old carved Venus of Willendorf to illustrate obesity and perceptions of body image or using watercolors of faceless South African townships to consider the social determinants of health, Patients as Art is remarkably inclusive, reaching well beyond the war-horses of the Western canon. With a nuanced sensitivity, Mackowiak unpacks pictorial representations freighted with ambiguity and does not shy away from grappling with shifting tastes and morals in the visual and medical arts. Taking note of a solitary tear crossing the cheek of an obese child in Juan Carreno de Mirandas La Monstrua (the monster), Mackowiak reflects upon how the artist saw fit to violate the angelic confidence of a small child without refuge . . . by portraying her more as an object of derision. He uses a hand-colored X-ray combining diagnostic technologies and artistic techniques to explore radiographys power to disclose secrets. For those approaching the visual arts with a medical background, there are occasional elements of armchair diagnosis that will delight, such as a 16th-century Toltec terra-cotta figurine bearing the characteristic facial features of Down syndrome. In another instance of medical hindsight, Mackowiak observes that in Georges Chicotots painting of his first attempt at X-ray therapy, neither patient nor physician shields himself from exposure to the deadly radiation. In other cases, however, the images are nothing more than sign posts that serve as passing mentions of a disease. Andy Warhols painting of Michael Jackson is used in reference to body dysmorphia, but there is no explication of the Warhol itself, or of the increased prevalence of body dysmorphia among those in the public eye. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a few could be spared to elaborate for a general audience. Story continues Some works of art have become canonical both in art and in medicine. Many of these are included in the book and are neatly contextualized, such as The First Operation under Ether, by Robert Cutler Hinckley, which depicts the ushering in of anesthesia, or The Gross Clinic, by Thomas Eakins, who, Mackowiak tells us, wiped his blade on his boot before operating, so great was his disdain for Listers doctrine of antisepsis. These works introduce figures legendary in the medical world but largely unknown to the public and puts their accomplishments and personalities into perspective. A separate section of the book, more like a coda, focuses entirely on artists and their own diseases, such as the clubbed fingers and distended veins in Dick Kets self-portrait suggesting heart disease, or Toulouse-Lautrecs physical deformities in a self-caricature indicating a possible diagnosis of pycnodysostosis. However, there is no transition from the subject of patients as art to artists as patients, making the work feel like two smaller books sutured together. Additionally, the paperback edition does not do justice to the art represented; a larger page and higher-resolution image would. And a natural extension of the authors theme of patients as art would have been the role that medicine and medical professionals depicted in art play in social controversies, but this is largely ignored. One could consider the aesthetic and gender norms enmeshed in Johns Hopkins Hospitals evolving relationship with Jamie Wyeths portrait of Helen Taussig, an aging female cardiologist who made her name in a mans world. The raw, unvarnished portrait for many years was regarded as a shocking embarrassment, and was kept hidden in the belly of Johns Hopkinss archives; now it is proudly displayed at the hospital. Unfortunately, the role clinicians and patients as art play in todays cultural conflicts is a canvas left blank by Mackowiak. Throughout the book, art is used as an intellectual tool to, in the authors words, fill in the gaps . . . [and] provide glimpses below the surface of patients physical ills into the psychology [and] sociology . . . of the human condition. In painting a picture of dynamic shifts in the history of medicine, Patients as Art portrays how painters and physicians not only inspect patients, but see them for who they are. More from National Review This is the terrifying moment three killer whales circled a pair of Russian kayakers who had paddled half a mile out to sea. Two kayakers immediately stop paddling in the calm waters as they spot the huge orcas swimming towards them. The nail-biting 40-second saga took place off Cape Mramorniy, on Sakhalin, an island that is almost as big as Scotland. The three killer whales can be seen approaching the kayakers, who have stopped paddling Suddenly one lurches forward toward the boat as the kayaker shrieks in fear 'It's looking at me', one of the shaken kayakers says as the whales swim ominously underneath, seemingly planning their attack. Suddenly one of the predators bursts its black head above water and lurches towards the man in the red kayak. 'F***! Oh wow f***'!' the men can be heard shouting. The orca darts back underneath the red kayak as its two companions follow 'Okay, so that's the end of our communication,' one of the relieved kayakers says as the orcas swim away The whales then swirl underneath for another few seconds before darting away, leaving the pair laughing nervously at their close encounter with the giant mammals. 'Okay, so that's the end of our communication,' one of the relieved kayakers says. Alexandr Yemchenko, one of the men in the video, turns the video on himself and his companion and says: 'Killer whales, friends, these were real killer whales.' 'They looked at the men, and the men looked at them,' one local media outlet reported. Alexandr Yemchenko, one of the men in the video, turns the video on himself and his companion and says: 'Killer whales, friends, these were real killer whales' Cape Mramorniy, on Sakhalin, is pictured above. The island is almost the size of Scotland and is located off Russia's pacific coastline, to the north of Japan Killer whales can grow up to eight metres in length and reach weights of nearly 5,500kg. There are around 50,000 killer whales globally, and they are most commonly found in the Pacific Northwest - where this incident took place - as well as along northern Norway's coast and on higher latitudes in the Southern Ocean. Despite their name, no fatal attacks on humans in the wild have ever been recorded - though there have been numerous such incidents in captivity. Most famous was Sea World's Tilikum, a male captive orca who spent the majority of his life performing at Sea World Orlando. The whale was the focus of CNN's Blackfish documentary, which claims that orcas kept in captivity can become unnaturally aggressive because of psychological damage. Tilikum was involved in the deaths of two trainers and one trespassing man. May 15, 2020 Release Readout of Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper's Phone Call With Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono On May 15, Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper spoke with Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono by phone to advance their ongoing discussions on the response to COVID-19, security issues in the Indo-Pacific region, and continued cooperation to implement U.S. forces realignment initiatives. https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2187965/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Three Springfield men were arrested Friday and charged with illegal possession of firearms, police said. Springfield Police Department spokesman Ryan Walsh said the departments Narcotics Unit received information that a man was outside a home on Massachusetts Avenue with a handgun. Investigators located 25-year-old David Beadle of Brandon Street in Springfield with Joseph Crapps, also 25 years old, outside a home in the 100 block of Massachusetts Avenue. No far from the men police found a loaded handgun. As they searched the pair, officers found a loaded magazine in Crapps possession. The magazine fits the model of handgun found. Police also found 26-year-old Haniel Perry of Marion Street sitting in a car parked in the driveway of the home. Police located a loaded large-capacity handgun in Perrys vehicle. The weapon was reported stolen from Georgia. Beadle was charged with possession of a firearm without a license, carrying a loaded firearm on a public way and possession of a firearm with 2 prior violent or drug-related convictions. Crapps, of Union Street, was booked on charges of carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a loaded firearm on a public way and possession of ammunition without an FID card. Perry was charged with carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a large capacity firearm on a public way and receiving stolen property valued less than $1,200. All three will be arraigned in Springfield District Court Monday. Corrections and clarifications: The article has been updated to clarify that Christi Grimm remains in charge of the inspector general's office for the Health and Human Services but that President Donald Trump has nominated someone else to run the office. WASHINGTON Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's decision Friday to fire his department's inspector general marks the fourth time within the last three months that an internal agency watchdog has been targeted for removal by the Trump administration. IGs are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Working within the agency they monitor, the inspector generals and their staffs are charged with reporting on government malfeasance and corruption. Here's a look at the inspector generals who have been ousted recently: State Department State Department IG Steve Linick was appointed in 2013 during the Obama administration after serving other senior roles in the U.S. government. A State Department official declined to say why Linick was fired, and the White House did not explain the move in a letter informing lawmakers. State Department Inspector General Steve Linick departs the U.S. Capitol. Linick reportedly met with congressional officials to brief them on information related to the impeachment inquiry centered around President Donald Trump But a Democratic aide, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said the IG was probing allegations that Pompeo used a political appointee at the State Department "to perform personal tasks for himself and Mrs. Pompeo." Linick also oversaw the contentious investigation of then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server and criticized her actions in a 2016 report. Health and Human Services On May 1, Trump announced he would nominate a new HHS inspector general to run the office now headed by top deputy IG Christi Grimm. The announcement came three weeks after the release of a report from her office that hospitals nationwide were struggling to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The April 3 report, based on a survey of more than 300 hospitals, described "severe shortages of testing supplies and extended waits for test results" as well as "widespread shortages of personal protective equipment (that) put staff and patients at risk" at a time when Trump was touting the federal response to the crisis. Story continues The day after he was asked about the report during a press briefing, Trump tweeted that the report was a "Fake Dossier" written by someone with political motivations. Grimm first joined the IG's office in 1999, serving in both Republican and Democratic administrations. She'll remain as the top deputy in the HHS inspector general's office when the Senate confirms a permanent IG. Why didnt the I.G., who spent 8 years with the Obama Administration (Did she Report on the failed H1N1 Swine Flu debacle where 17,000 people died?), want to talk to the Admirals, Generals, V.P. & others in charge, before doing her report. Another Fake Dossier! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 7, 2020 Department of Defense Trump replaced acting Defense Department Inspector General Glenn Fine on April 6, removing not only the Pentagon's top internal watchdog but also a key figure overseeing the trillions being spent by Washington to mitigate the economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Fine had been selected by fellow inspectors general to chair the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, created after Congress passed a roughly $2 trillion stimulus bill known as the CARES Act in late March to help large industries, small businesses and health care providers weather the crisis. The House Friday passed a bill that could add another $3 trillion to the effort. Glenn Fine, Department of Defense Inspector General, poses for his official portrait in the Army portrait studio at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, Jan. 14, 2016. Trump signaled his displeasure with the law's oversight provision when he issued a relatively rare signing statement. Trump said he would ignore portions of the law demanded by some Democrats to give Congress additional visibility into the stimulus spending, arguing that those requirements would infringe on the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution. Intelligence On April 3, President Donald Trump announced he had fired the intelligence committee watchdog who handled a whistleblower's complaint involving Trump's pressure campaign against the Ukranian president that triggered his impeachment. Michael Atkinson reviewed the complaint that alleged Trump used the power of his office to solicit foreign help in the 2020 election, determining in late August that the complaint appeared credible. Ousted Inspector General Michael Atkinson The then-acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, prevented him from passing along the complaint to Congress within seven days, as is typically required for national-security whistleblower complaints, after consulting with the White House and Justice Department Contributing: Deirdre Shesgreen, Kevin Johnson, Tom Vanden Brook This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pompeo's firing of State IG Linick is latest removal by Trump admin. On Saturday afternoon, two Red Sox players will put their video game abilities on display for charity. Reliever Matt Barnes and slugger J.D. Martinez will participate in a Call of Duty tournament dubbed Warzone Charity Royale. Barnes is co-hosting the event with Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin and Martinez is participating along with other big leaguers like Seattles Taijuan Walker, Washingtons Juan Soto, the Mets Pete Alonso. The tournament, which will be shown on Twitch, will run from noon to 3 p.m. ET. Players will be partnered with fans, who bid on the chance to play alongside the major leaguers, and the funds will go to seven different charities (No Kid Hungry, Pros for Heroes, The Florida Mental Health Coalition, Samaritans Purse, Louisville YMCA, Sufficient Grace and Homers for Heroes). Barnes and Martinez arent the first Red Sox players to dabble in video gaming since the MLB season was shut down in mid-March. Starter Eduardo Rodriguez represented the Red Sox in the MLB The Show Players League and first baseman Mitch Moreland has been playing the same game at home with his kids. Australian farmers are afraid tensions between China and Australia could start to impact other exports. China is threatening to slap a large tariff on its barley imports from Australia following an anti-dumping investigation, while it has blocked beef imports from four Australian abattoirs. National Farmer's Federation President Fiona Simpson told ABC News that China is an incredibly important market for Australia. Australian farmers are afraid tensions between China and Australia could start to impact other exports National Farmer's Federation President Fiona Simpson told ABC News China is an incredibly important market for Australia 'It's a big market, not just for beef and barley, but for a number of other commodities as well,' she said. 'Farmers are worried'. Commodities like wool, cotton and seafood all depend on the Chinese market. Ms Simpson said the investigation into barley dumping has been in place for 18 months, and concerns around the beef industry are based on a technicality around labelling, something that has been an issue in the past. Despite this, she said resolving trade tensions during a pandemic are tough because communication is limited. Australia's biggest trading partners 1. China: 25.2 per cent 2. Japan: 10.1 per cent 3. United States: 8.7 per cent 4. South Korea: 4.8 per cent 5. Singapore: 3.8 per cent 6. India: 3.6 per cent 7. New Zealand: 3.4 per cent 8. United Kingdom: 3.2 per cent 9. Thailand: 3.0 per cent 10. Malaysia: 2.8 per cent Source: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade data on market share for two-way trading partners as of 2018 Advertisement 'It is sometimes tricky to work through some of the differences and makes it harder when we can't just jump on a plane and talk to people face-to-face,' she said. 'So I think it's concerning if these sorts of shock waves and threats do actually start to come. 'And so we need to make sure that the government is continuing to invest, continuing to talk, continuing to work through these difficulties.' Trade tensions follow calls from Australian Prime Minister Scot Morrison for an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, sparking a furious response from China. Mr Morrison said the push for an independent inquiry into the COVID-19 crisis is 'completely unremarkable' and Australia will stand its ground. But China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has lashed out at foreign politicians for politicising the epidemic. Congressional Democrats on Saturday launched a probe into President Donald Trump's "politically-motivated" dismissal of a government watchdog believed to have been investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The announcement came after Trump told House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi late Friday that he planned to dismiss State Department Inspector General Steve Linick. It was Trump's third abrupt dismissal of an official tasked with monitoring governmental misconduct and abuse since April, and drew criticism even from members of his own party. "The firings of multiple Inspectors General is unprecedented; doing so without good cause chills the independence essential to their purpose," tweeted Republican Mitt Romney. "It is a threat to accountable democracy and a fissure in the constitutional balance of power," Romney continued. Two senior Democrats -- Senator Bob Menendez and congressman Eliot Engel -- said in a statement they "unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing". The lawmakers said Linick had apparently "opened an investigation into wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself," and said the firing was "transparently designed to protect Secretary Pompeo from personal accountability ... and may be an illegal act of retaliation." A Democratic congressional aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Linick was probing complaints that Pompeo inappropriately used a political appointee to perform personal tasks for himself and his wife Susan. CNN, citing a senior State Department official, reported that Pompeo himself had recommended the firing and hand-picked Stephen Akard, a former aide to Vice President Mike Pence, to succeed Linick. By law, the administration must give Congress 30 days' notice of its plans to terminate an inspector general, in theory giving lawmakers time to study the move -- and protest if warranted. "A general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress," warned Republican senator Chuck Grassley. But previous such firings have gone through unimpeded, and those dismissed have been replaced by political allies of the Republican president. Engel, who heads the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, requested that the White House and State Department turn over records related to Linick's dismissal. They also asked to see files for IG investigations "involving the Office of the Secretary that were open, pending, or incomplete at the time of Mr. Linick's firing." - Dog-sitting and takeout - Pompeo has raised eyebrows for frequently traveling the world on his government plane with his wife, who has no official role. CNN reported last year that a whistleblower had complained that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, which guards US missions overseas as well as the secretary of state, had been assigned questionable tasks for the Pompeos, such as picking up takeout food or tending to the family dog. The State Department confirmed Linick's firing but did not comment on the reason -- or on whether Pompeo was under investigation. A State Department spokesperson also confirmed that the new inspector general would be Akard, an attorney who served as a foreign affairs advisor to Pence when the latter was governor of Indiana. - Trusted presence for Trump - Pompeo is one of Trump's most trusted aides -- and a rare one never to come publicly into the crosshairs of the mercurial president. In recent months, Pompeo has moved US foreign policy forcefully to the right -- encouraging a drone strike that killed a top Iranian general and promoting a theory, discounted by mainstream scientists, that the COVID-19 pandemic originated in a Chinese laboratory. Linick, a longtime prosecutor, was appointed in 2013 by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama to oversee the $70 billion juggernaut of US diplomacy. He played a small role in Trump's impeachment saga last year, handing to Congress documents by Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani with unproven claims about Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and Marie Yovanovitch, whom Trump removed as the US ambassador to Ukraine. Trump repeated the charges to Ukraine's president and pressed him to dig up dirt, while freezing military aid to Kiev, which is battling Russian-backed separatists. Since his acquittal by the Senate, Trump has fumed against a "Deep State" he sees as out to get him. He has removed or demoted inspectors general for the Pentagon, the intelligence community and the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as a senior health official who questioned Trump's promotion of unproven drug therapies for COVID-19. Seen above is Hyundai Motor's concept 45 electric vehicle (EV) revealed at the International Motor Show in Germany in September, 2019. Hyundai Motor is developing a new crossover EV, codenamed NE, based on the 45 and its new EV-only platform, E-GMP. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor By Nam Hyun-woo The projected partnership between Samsung Group and Hyundai Motor Group is expected to have a ripple effect in the electric vehicle (EV) battery market. Multiple scenarios surfaced Thursday, a day after the leaders of the two industrial giants met to discuss solid-state EV batteries at Samsung SDI's plant in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. Though opinions are mixed on when Samsung SDI will benefit from a partnership, industry officials agreed that it would allow the company to expand its presence in the EV battery market. Samsung and Hyundai did not reveal details about the meeting, but said Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, the de facto head of Samsung Group, and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Euisun discussed updates in technologies related to solid-state rechargeable batteries. Given it was a meeting between the heads of the world-renowned conglomerates, anticipation is growing that the meeting was more than a casual one. Among scenarios, garnering the most attention is a partnership to develop solid-state batteries. "The topic of the meeting was mostly solid-state batteries, which are currently under development at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology," Korea Investment & Securities analyst Kim Jin-woo said. "Since solid-state batteries are at least five years away from commercialization, it is difficult to expect that Samsung SDI will supply secondary batteries to Hyundai Motor immediately. However, if they jointly develop next generation battery technologies with a long-term view, a partnership may begin with the supply of existing prismatic or cylindrical batteries." Hyundai Motor procures EV batteries from LG Chem, while its affiliate Kia Motors is supplied by SK Innovation. Since they are mostly using pouch-type batteries, Samsung SDI, whose main products are prismatic and cylindrical batteries is not a supplier. Hyundai Motor Group is currently developing a new EV platform, dubbed E-GMP (Electric-Global Modular Platform) and plans to roll out a series of cars based on it, starting with a new crossover EV, known as the NE, next year. Hyundai Motor Group selected SK Innovation as a first-tier supplier for E-GMP vehicles last year, and plans to buy batteries for 1.1 million EVs in three additional rounds of procurements. Given the timeframe, industry officials said the NE will likely be equipped with SK Innovation batteries, but Samsung SDI could get orders in the additional rounds. "With the commercial production of the NE scheduled for January next year, there were supposed to be talks among officials about a tie-up between Samsung SDI and Hyundai Motor," an automobile industry official said. "Thus any partnership between Hyundai and Samsung will likely be more future-oriented, potentially for the latter part of battery procurement for the E-GMP." Others think the partnership will be realized in the relatively near future, citing the timeframe of the meeting between Lee and Chung, and the development schedule for the new Hyundai EVs. "There is a high possibility of seeing Samsung SDI batteries in Genesis EVs," said Kim Phil-soo, a professor at the Daelim University Automotive Engineering Department. "Designing the E-GMP will begin this summer, thus it is time for Hyundai Motor to decide which type of batteries it will use. And the leaders of Samsung and Hyundai met at such a crucial time. This drops a huge hint on the Genesis being key to the two groups' partnership." Genesis is planning to roll out two EVs in 2021; the electrified version of the G80 and a new E-GMP based crossover vehicle, the JW EV. Kim said solid-state batteries were not be the only reason for the meeting, given the five-year timeframe before their commercialization. Samsung SDI's cylindrical cell battery / Courtesy of Samsung SDI Going cashless with new mobile money solutions A draft decision on implementing mobile money in Vietnam is slated to be submitted to the prime minister soon. Experts are optimistic about how mobile money may transform the landscape of financial inclusion, leapfrogging the provision of formal banking services. Tran Duy Hai, deputy director at Department of Telecommunications under the Ministry of Information and Communications, emphasised that mobile money will enable quicker money transfers, without even having to set foot in brick-and-mortar banks. Notably, two state-owned technology conglomerates VNPT and Viettel have been licensed by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to implement mobile money services. A national personal database has also been built for issuing personal identification numbers, as well as adopting e-KYC (electronic Know-Your-Customer). Viettel has prepared the groundwork for launching a pilot scheme thanks to its strong network nationwide: 60 million mobile subscribers, more than 2,600 stores, post offices, supermarkets, more than 270,000 points of sale (POS), and more than 30,000 employees ranging from every corner of the country. Mobile money will reach new heights if local authorities approve small-sized financial transactions for purchasing goods and services. In fact, the number of banks pale in comparison with that of mobile-related agencies across the country, said Pham Trung Kien, CEO of Viettel Digital. Meanwhile, MobiFone has followed suit by submitting its plan to deploy mobile money and now is waiting for approval from the SBV. The sooner SBV allows us to deliver this payment approach, the sooner substantial growth of m-payments in Vietnam will arrive, a MobiFone representative said. Nguyen Nam Thang, deputy director of Fintech Centre at VNPT revealed the group currently has more than 100,000 POS across the country, paving the way for adopting this kind of product seamlessly. VNPT has also signalled its intention to partner with e-commerce or logistic firms to build an efficient ecosystem. We believe mobile money will tap into the local rural market, as well as equip more clients who live in underdeveloped infrastructures, or those who are unbanked. It is also expected to be a boon for the agricultural value chain, said Thang. The new payment method would make it cheaper and faster to grant or repay loans, and widen access to financial services for those without formal credit history. There are now more than a billion registered accounts globally, with almost $2 billion being transacted a day on average, and for the first time digital transactions represented the majority of mobile money interactions. Market watchdogs also state that this service could facilitate transactions, enable savings, credit products, and even simplify taxation for governments all at scale and much faster than traditional financial networks. Experts at BIDV Training and Research Institute believe mobile money boasts immense potential thanks to a wide range of users. At the end of 2019, there were 129.5 million mobile subscribers nationwide, of which nearly half were 3G and 4G. The country also had 43.7 million smartphone users, or 45 per cent of the countrys population in 2019, together with 68.5 million internet users. In addition, the SBVs statistics showed about 63 per cent of citizens from the age of 15 or higher were unbanked they could become the target audiences. Market research firm Statista found that Vietnams total transaction value in the digital payments sector amounted to $8.52 billion in 2019. Total transaction value is expected to show a compound annual growth rate of 12.7 per cent between 2019 and 2023, resulting in a total value of $13.7 billion by 2023. All signs are pointing to Vietnams potential to implement this payment method. Meanwhile, financial services are to be fostered in rural and remote areas through the development of new and modern means of payment, which will further help Vietnam to achieve financial inclusion. As Vietnam heads towards a cashless economy, the adoption of mobile money and an adequate regulatory framework is getting extra support from the government. Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung has also encouraged financial inclusion, saying that the application of mobile money could generate economic growth of up to 0.5 per cent for the country. According to the 2019 State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association, digital transactions represented the majority of mobile money flow. For every 100,000 adults in todays world, there are 11 banks, 33 ATMs, and 228 mobile money agents and services available in 96 per cent of countries where less than a third of the population has an account at a formal financial institution. Taiwanese Chip Company to Build $12 Billion Arizona Plant By VOA News May 15, 2020 A Taiwan-based company is planning a $12 billion semiconductor factory in the U.S. state of Arizona. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is the world's largest contract manufacturer of computer chips. The firm said Friday the factory will create as many as 1,600 jobs. Thousands more jobs are expected to be created along the supply lines to support production of the 5-nanometer chips. The factory will be able to produce 20,000 of the wafers each month. They're used in an array of consumer electronics, including the iPhones and defense equipment. Construction of the facility is to begin next year, and the location in Arizona has not been determined. "This project," the company said, "is of critical, strategic importance to a vibrant and competitive U.S. semiconductor ecosystem that enables leading U.S. companies to fabricate their cutting-edge semiconductor products within the United States." The firm has another U.S. factory in Washington state. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross lauded the plan as showing the success of President Donald Trump's programs. The company's plan to set up the facility, he said, "is yet another indication that President Trump's policy agenda has led to a renaissance in American manufacturing and made the United States the most attractive place in the world to invest." Also praising the move was Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said the facility will "increase U.S. economic independence, bolster our safety and competitiveness, and strengthen our leadership in high-tech manufacturing." "This historic deal also strengthens our relationship with Taiwan, a vibrant democracy and force for good in the world," he said. TSMC's stock rose more than 1.5 percent Friday morning which outperformed the 0.8 percent gain in the main Taiwan stock market. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address This been a troubling week in our regions small battle in the big war against the coronavirus. First there are the raw casualties: Positive tests in Henry and Patrick counties and Martinsville for the first 16 days of May are more than the number for March and April. Thats right, more than a 100% increase. There was a similar spike in the number of hospitalizations. There was the first case to emerge from a nursing home. And then there was a second death in Henry County. That death was of a woman employed at the Young Williams Child Support Services call center in Martinsville, where an outbreak of at least six cases now has occurred and exposed a troubling sequence that should be instructive for every other employer, organization and well -- individual. We had learned earlier through the reporting of the Bulletins Kim Barto Meeks that another employee at Young Williams had tested positive on May 4 despite taking extraordinary care to follow recommendations for social distancing and protective gear. And now we learn that a complaint had been filed with OSHA against the company and an investigation was conducted in mid-April. OSHAs report cited deficiencies in cleanliness. Since that inspection, more employees have become ill, and one has passed away. We do not repeat this information to elevate the pain no doubt felt by workers and management at Young Williams, only to use it as viral example of how the novel coronavirus can infect a workplace nee all of our lives and spread quickly. Since this pandemic emerged, and businesses closed, and residents quarantined and worked at home, there have been constant reminders of those precautions that form the primary lines of defense against infecting each other and, possibly, killing each other. Young Williams management says all the right things about how it responded to the outbreak, but did it do enough before the outbreak? Were policies and guidelines dispersed with adequate seriousness to ensure employees would be protected? As Nancy Bell, spokesperson for the West Piedmont Health District, reiterated this week, thats solely an organizations responsibility. State epidemiologists arent law enforcement. Our role is to offer guidance to employers and employees on how to avoid spread of the disease, Bell said. We offer guidance to employers who have had an employee test positive as to next steps, and refer people to testing, as appropriate. On Friday we entered the first phase of reopening businesses and gatherings in Virginia. There are rules for some and guidelines for others, but all share the same goal: to protect employees and customers for transacting the virus. Henry County opened its administration building on Friday morning, and the Martinsville Municipal Building will open to the public on Monday. And we think the city has a pretty good idea of how we should be policing each other as we try to return sunrays of normalcy from between the layers of clouds cast by the coronavirus. If you go to the municipal building, your temperature will be taken. If you want to go to a city office, you will have to complete a health survey to earn an entry badge. Then you will be monitored for social distancing, separated by Plexiglas from employees and encouraged to wear a mask if you have one. These are appropriate measures we dont think county officials have been as thorough but there is one gap that needs to be closed: Neither the city nor the county is requiring visitors to wear masks. We think they should. We want our leaders to be bold in leading, to be adamant and focused. We want protection, and we want this reopening to work. Racing is returning to the Martinsville Speedway on June 10. That's wonderful news. But as the cars bump and roar around the track, no one will be there to watch. Another race is scheduled for November. We want spectators be able to attend in some manner. But we wont reach that goal if every business, every office, every government entity and every individual isnt using every layer of armor we have to fend off the further assault of this virus. As we have learned, not to do enough can be a deadly decision. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this editorial contained an incorrect reference to a chicken-fighting event in Patrick County. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! By Express News Service BENGALURU: Opposition leaders are crying foul over the Railways ferrying people from New Delhi to Bengaluru. Travellers coming to the state capital will have to shell out a fat sum to return to their hometowns, and remain quarantined in hotels, they say. Some of the leaders allege that those who wish to return are being charged Rajdhani fares, which works out to a minimum of Rs 2,500 per ticket. Add to this the hotel bill for quarantine, and it works out to nearly Rs 30,000 per person for two weeks. Former CM HD Kumaraswamy demanded that the government show concern for the passengers. I have spoken to the chief secretary about accomodating people for free in hostels and other accommodation. Who will pay five-star and three-star hotel rates? he asked. Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP BK Hariprasad said, The Railways can operate regular trains, where a person can buy a ticket for Rs 500. Now the minimum fare is Rs 2,500. The government has to make quarantine facilities economical, it now costs a traveller almost Rs 28,000 for 14 days. Travel expenses of migrants must be borne by the state. Workers who are suffering due to the lockdown may not be able to bear the cost of travel, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah said. Rly, govts sensitise passengers of compulsory quarantine Bengaluru: The Railways has joined hands with Karnataka and Delhi governments to sensitise passengers to go into quarantine once they arrive in Karnataka. A senior railway official said that the Delhi government distributed pamphlets to passengers before a special train left New Delhi on Friday night. The return leg of the first Bengaluru-New Delhi special train, NDLS-SBC (Train no. 02492), will reach KSR Railway station at 6.40 am on Saturday. Migrant pedals 1,800 km on stolen bicycle Kendrapara: A migrant worker reached Endalo village from Goaon Thursday after covering around 1800 km for 20 days on a stolen bicycle. Ravi(name changed) stole the bicycle after some miscreants robbed him of his own bike on way. Stranded without work for a week, Ravi was forcefully evicted from his makeshift home. Ravi has been put in quarantine at his village. Agartala, May 16 : After two days break, 11 people, including seven BSF jawans, were tested COVID-19 positive in Tripura on Saturday taking the state's total positive cases to 167, officials said. According to Tripura's health officials, of the 159 Border Security Force (BSF) personnel of two battalions (86th and 138th) and family members who tested positive so far, 40 including two kids have recovered and been discharged from the hospital. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb in a tweet said: "625 samples have been tested for COVID-19 and among them 11 persons found positive. (Of the 11) seven people from 86th battalion BSF and four civilians." According to Deb, who also holds the Health and Home Departments, of the four civilians, two are truck drivers of other states and two recently returned to the state from Guwahati. A three-member central team, which arrived in Tripura on Thursday to study the coronavirus infection among the BSF troopers and their kin, is now on a visit to the two BSF battalion (86th and 138th) headquarters in Ambassa, 82 km north of Agartala, and different parts of Dhalai district. The central team, led by G.K. Medhi, Professor and Head of the Department of Community Medicine of the Shillong-based North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), is studying the source and other aspects of the coronavirus infection among troopers, officials and their family members. The National Centre for Disease Control and the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) officials from Delhi are guiding the central team. BENGALURU Thai rice export prices fell this week as the drought-hit country saw fresh supplies entering the market while also facing stiff competition from cheaper Indian and Vietnamese offers. Thailands benchmark 5% broken rice RI-THBKN5-P1 prices were quoted at $480-$485 a metric ton, their lowest since March 26 and down from $515$546 last week. Were beginning to see new supply entering the market this month and forecasts for rain have eased concerns over supply generally, a Bangkok-based rice trader said. One of the worst droughts in decades put a strain on supplies, causing prices to soar to a seven-year high in April. Demand remains flat but there are hopes that buyers in places like the Philippines may be interested in Thai rice as prices dropped, although competition from Vietnam is very strong, another rice trader in Bangkok said. Prices for top-exporter Indias 5% broken parboiled variety RI-INBKN5-P1 edged to their highest since early August at $380-$385 per metric ton this week. Demand is better than last year as Indian rice is offered at a discount compared with exports from Thailand and Vietnam, said B.V. Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association. The availability of trucks and workers, which limited exports in April, has improved, Rao added. Exports are also getting support from a weaker rupee, raising exporters margin from overseas sales, exporters said. Meanwhile, low supplies pushed rates for 5% broken rice RI-VNBKN5-P1 from Vietnam to a near one-year high of $450-$460. Traders are rushing to fulfill contracts signed before the export ban [introduced in March], while the government is also buying rice from farmers for its national stockpiling program, a trader based in Vietnams Mekong Delta province of An Giang said. Supplies from the upcoming harvest will not increase sharply as the harvest will take place slowly, lasting more than two months. Vietnam fully resumed rice exports from May, after a ban in March to ensure adequate supplies during the coronavirus pandemic. Preliminary shipping data showed nearly 150,000 metric tons of rice is to be loaded at Ho Chi Minh City port between May 2 and May 17, with most of it heading to the Philippines. Elsewhere, Bangladesh will procure an additional 200,000 metric tons of paddy during the current harvest season to secure supplies for relief operations, a food ministry official said, amid the coronavirus pandemic which has infected 18,863 people and killed 283 in the country as of Thursday. Europe has marked the 75th anniversary of the surrender of Nazi Germany to Allied forces in low-key fashion because of coronavirus lockdown restrictions across the continent. The big celebrations planned were either cancelled or dramatically scaled back, and people across Europe were asked to mark the moment in private. There were no mass gatherings, no hugging or kissing, but the day of liberation was commemorated a Unlike the UK, Victory Day is a traditional public holiday in France but it was clearly far more sombre this year with the country under a strict coronavirus lockdown. Small ceremonies were allowed at local memorials as the government granted exceptions to restrictions following requests from mayors and veterans. President Emmanuel Macron led a small ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe. He laid a wreath and relit the flame of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, on a deserted Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris. Mr Macron was accompanied by former presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, each carefully observing social distancing. Mr Macron used a hand sanitiser after signing the official register. He also laid a wreath at the statue of one of his predecessors, Charles de Gaulle, the general revered for leading the French Resistance from London after France had fallen in 1940. He urged people to display flags on their balconies to honour the resistance fighters and the Free France forces. Although VE Day is a very different occasion in Germany, it is considered a day of liberation too. German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends a wreath-laying ceremony (Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters via AP) German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other top officials laid wreaths at the memorial to victims of war and violence in Berlin, standing in silence as a trumpet played on an empty Unter den Linden boulevard. The corona pandemic is forcing us to commemorate alone, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said. He recalled that, on May 8 1945, the Germans were really alone and morally ruined. We had made an enemy of the whole world, he said in a nationally televised address, adding that 75 years later we are not alone. Story continues Mr Steinmeier underlined Germans responsibility to think, feel and act as Europeans in this time of crisis and to confront intolerance whenever it emerges. We Germans can say today that the day of liberation is a day of gratitude, Mr Steinmeier said. Today, we must liberate ourselves from the temptation of a new nationalism; from fascination with the authoritarian; from distrust, isolation and enmity between nations; from hatred and agitation, from xenophobia and contempt for democracy. If we dont keep Europe together, in and after this pandemic, we will prove not to be worthy of May 8, he said. Ms Merkel spoke with Mr Macron, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone to mark the moment. Russia, which was then part of the Soviet Union, saw tens of millions of casualties during the war. It marks VE Day on Saturday. Today, the Journal announces endorsements in contested primary races for Bernalillo County offices. For information including candidate Q&As, district maps and news stories as they are published, go to ABQJournal.com/election2020. Treasurer Democratic primary, Nancy Marie Bearce Four years ago, the Journal endorsed Bearce for treasurer, and she has proven herself capable of handling the countys investments. In June 2016, after a disastrous showing by her predecessors, the countys investment portfolio stood at $236 million. At the end of 2019, it had grown to $392 million. Her investment strategy netted a $156 million increase and additional $24 million of annual interest to the general fund. While the principal job of the county treasurer is collecting and investing county tax dollars wisely, Bearce is also working to make her office more customer-accessible and friendly, negotiating with vendors to reduce credit card convenience fees on property tax payments and publicizing the payment plan for those who dont have their taxes rolled into their mortgage. While she faces some talented challengers like former state Sen. Bernadette Sanchez, Bearce has proven shes capable of handling a nine-digit investment portfolio and has earned a second term. The winner has no opposition in the general election. County Commission District 2 Democratic primary, Frank Baca A graduate of Rio Grande High, Yale University and UNM Law School, Baca told the Editorial Board he has time and energy for the job of county commissioner, a not-so-subtle reference to current Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada. Baca is a retired attorney and former general counsel and executive director of the state Gaming Control Board. A former crimes-against-children prosecutor, he understands crime and substance abuse are related and supports establishing a working group to address both. Hes also a fiscal watchdog, saying the $65 million-plus costs of the countys new headquarters is of great concern and some amenities, such as the rooftop park, should be delayed if not eliminated. District 2, which stretches from Central south to the county line and Interstate 25 to the Rio Puerco, deserves a leader who understands residents challenges and will protect their tax dollars. The winner has no opposition in the general election. District 3 Democratic primary, Marcos Gonzales Gonzales, who has worked for the county Economic Development Department since 2012, says owning a home is a fundamental right and he supports more public-private partnerships to create more affordable housing. He also says District 3 is facing an economic crisis of monumental proportions and Centrals corridor hasnt recovered from ART construction. The district includes central Albuquerque, including the Sunport, UNM, San Mateo corridor and much of Uptown. Gonzales told the Editorial Board he supports a body camera pilot program for the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office to determine real costs and concerns, something that could finally get Sheriff Manny Gonzales on board with best policing practices. The primary winner faces no opposition in the general election and will succeed Commissioner Jim Collie, who was appointed to replace Maggie Hart Stebbins after she took a state job and is not running. District 4 Republican primary, George Walt Benson Benson told the Editorial Board he is running because too many families are moving because of limited jobs and crime. Benson would bring much-needed job-creation experience to the commission. He owns a Baskin Robbins franchise, is a managing partner of New Mexico Waste Management and co-founded FootPrints Home Care, employing around 100. Unlike commissioners who recently approved a spending increase, Benson says spending may need to be deferred/frozen and contracts renegotiated based on economic realities. The primary winner will face Democrat Wende Schwingendorf in the general election to represent the northern part of the county, from the Sandia Mountains to the West Side. Incumbent Republican Lonnie Talbert, current chair and the commissions lone Republican, is term-limited out. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. By The Associated Press May. 15, 2020 | 06:30 AM | WASHINGTON The Democratic-controlled House is pressing ahead Friday with votes on another massive rescue bill that would pump almost $1 trillion to state and local governments, renew $1,200 cash payments for individuals, and extend a $600 weekly supplemental federal unemployment benefit. The first four coronavirus response bills were bipartisan measures that passed by sweeping votes, but Friday's measure with a $3 trillion-plus price tag that exceeds the prior bills combined promises to pass largely along party lines. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has loaded the 1,815-page measure with a slew of Democratic priorities, including funding to cover rent payments and utility bills, hazard pay" for essential workers, and grants to thousands of municipal governments grappling with sagging revenues. But it's earned a White House veto threat and a scathing assessment from top Republicans like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who called it a totally unserious effort." Few Republicans are expected to vote for the bill tomorrow despite popular provisions like help for the Postal Service and local schools, $1,200 payments to most Americans, and $175 billion to help homeowners and renters stay in their homes. The legislation comes as the country continues to struggle with the health and economic crisis caused by the highly contagious virus, which has claimed more than 85,000 lives in the U.S. and caused at least 36 million people to lose their jobs. Just Thursday, the government reported that almost 3 million people filed jobless claims last week. The response has been an unprecedented wave of deficit-financed federal aid aimed at propping up businesses, supporting household balance sheets, and pay for a massive health system response. On Wednesday, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell urged lawmakers to act further, warning that the economic shock is significantly worse than any downturn since the Great Depression. The governments budget was supposed to be $4.6 trillion even before the pandemic hit. The response so far has added almost $3 trillion to that, but hasn't arrested the economy's drop. That's made GOP defense hawks uneasy about the prospect of more aid. And polls show Republican voters think the government is generally doing enough. Republicans are now calling for a pause before considering more aid, reflecting disunity between conservatives who feel enough has been done and more pragmatic lawmakers who favor steps like rescuing the Postal Service from looming insolvency, while delivering cash to revenue-starved state and local governments. Underscoring the stakes, it's also becoming clear that the next coronavirus response bill will probably be the last. I think the bill we pass in June will likely be the last major bill," said Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. There may be some effort to pass a bill in September or October but it will get increasingly difficult." The House Democrat's bill ignores Trump's demand for a cut in the Social Security payroll tax, It also does not replenish the Payroll Protection Program that's been a favorite of Republicans and their business allies. The measure is likely to pass Friday along party lines, though Rep. Kendra Horn, D-Okla., announced her opposition on Thursday, while New York Republican Peter King says he will support it. The earlier bills, debated as the magnitude of the crisis was becoming clear, featured sweeping votes and debates notable for their bipartisanship and sense of common purpose. Now, disagreements about re-opening the economy, which appear to cleave along party lines, have crept into the debate. At a Capitol news conference, Pelosi, D-Calif., lambasted Republicans whove said they want to hold off for now on more relief spending. Its amazing to me how much patience and how much tolerance someone can have for the pain of others, she said. Pelosi told reporters she believed both parties and even down Pennsylvania Avenue a reference to the White House understand the hardships Americans are feeling. She called the Democratic proposal our offer and said while shes had no recent negotiations with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the administrations chief bargainer, Im sure that theyll come with something. White House officials quickly released a statement of their own. It said the legislation Pelosi unveiled Tuesday is more concerned with delivering on longstanding partisan and ideological wishlists than with enhancing the ability of our Nation to deal with the public health and economic challenges we face. McConnell said later Thursday on Fox News that there was a high likelihood Congress would do another bill and said it would include GOP-sought language limiting legal liability for companies reopening for business. But he added, its not going to be a $3 trillion left-wing wish. The online retailer had been locked in a battle with labour unions which said not enough was done to mitigate contagion risk for staff; file photo taken on November 28, 2019 AFP/Thomas SAMSON Amazon "is working on a progressive reopening from May 19" in France, it told AFP in a statement, after unions also said agreement had been reached on the conditions for resuming operations. The online retailer had been locked in a battle with labour unions which said not enough was done to mitigate contagion risk for staff. Employees had needed to process a flood of orders amid the almost two month nationwide lockdown that ended on Monday and saw traditional shops shuttered. The standoff had come under close international scrutiny, with Amazon closely watched worldwide over how it treats employees dealing with the surge of orders during virus lockdowns. But staff unions said in a joint union statement that they and the management had "agreed on the conditions for resuming the activity of the six warehouses located on French territory from May 19." "The resumption will be gradual and based on being voluntary," the statement added. The precise conditions are due to be worked out at a meeting on Monday. Last month, an appeals court upheld a ruling that sharply curtailed Amazon's operations and ordered management to review safety measures. The court said only digital products, office equipment, groceries, medical and personal care products could be delivered in the meantime. But Amazon said it was impossible to comply with the order, and completely shut down the six sites from mid-April, though it maintained full pay for employees. The CFDT union said that the outcome of the resulting negotiation with Amazon was "an important step in the adaptation of this company to the culture of our country, to its rules, and to the CFDT's requirements for a sustainable and dignified workplace." Thiruvananthapuram, May 16 : Eleven new cases of coronavirus were reported in Kerala, taking the number of active cases to 87. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan gave this information in a Facebook post on Saturday. "Of these, seven have come from abroad, and four from within the country," he added. As on date, 497 persons have been cured and discharged in the state. He said 56,362 people were under observation in homes and 619 in various hospitals at present in Kerala. With six more hot spots registered today, the number of such areas in Kerala has risen to 22. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text IIT-Kharagpur on Saturday said it arranged for the return of 35 students to their hometown in Kolkata amid the coronavirus lockdown, and plans to facilitate the journey back home for more students from next week. An institute spokesperson said at present, there are more than 5,000 students residing inside the campus and out of them, close to 700 have expressed their desire to go home. In the first installment, IIT-Kharagpur arranged for two buses to drop 35 students to Kolkata on Thursday and Friday. Students opting to go home have been advised to stay in self-isolation for two weeks, the spokesperson said. Talking about the initiative, Kinjal Bhattacharyya, a student at the Department of Chemistry said, "My decision to move to Kolkata was to support my parents in daily activities during this time of crisis. The institute was kind to make arrangements for medical checkups and travel in sanitied buses." Ankita Gupta, who recently reached her home at Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district, said, "... Being a first year MSc student and with my friends already away from the campus, I felt being at home would be happier though campus was safer."The majority of the students, however, have decided to stay back at the campus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NASA: US Hopes Russia Will Support Artemis Space Development Accords Sputnik News 00:04 GMT 16.05.2020 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US government still hopes that Russia will support the newly proposed bilateral Artemis Accords for the economic development of space between the Earth and the Moon, NASA Acting Associate Administrator Mike Gold told reporters. "I hope that when our colleagues in Russia see what we're trying to achieve, they will support what we're trying to accomplish - to achieve norms of behaviour for a peaceful and prosperous future", Gold said on Friday. "We hope for Russian support and look forward to engaging with Russia moving ahead". Gold said NASA officials remained hopeful that Russia will take a hard look at the Artemis Accords outlines that have now been unveiled - as opposed to media leaks - especially given that the Artemis Accords are grounded in the Outer Space Treaty. "In many respects, Russia already has joined the Accords as it is a signatory to the Outer Space Treaty. Russia is already talking to the US and NASA about participation in Gateway... A great deal of Russian cooperation on Artemis may center around Gateway", Gold said. Gateway is the planned US mini-space station to orbit the Moon. The Artemis Accords stipulate NASA will ask countries that seek to cooperate on the agency's Artemis lunar exploration program to follow a series of principles to support a "safe, prosperous and peaceful" future in space in bilateral agreements with the US space agency. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kathleen Owens stands at the front window of Bow Wow & Meows on North 24th Street on Friday. Philadelphia pet groomers are struggling to understand why they must be closed amid the coronavirus shutdown. Read more TL;DR: Pennsylvanias pet groomers are asking state officials why their businesses pose a safety risk when the coronavirus spreads primarily person-to-person. And as New Jerseys beaches open, many visitors are defying public heath recommendations and hitting the sand without face coverings. Allison Steele (@AESteele, health@inquirer.com) What you need to know: Families flocked to Jersey Shore beaches as they reopened, as captured in photos here. But uncertainty over the coronavirus has also upended the traditional rental season, and many are weighing whether to cancel long-planned vacations. SEPTA will resume most regular services on Sunday. In a virtual commencement address, Barack Obama took aim at government officials who "arent even pretending to be in charge of handling the coronavirus outbreak. Jury trials in Philadelphia are suspended through Labor Day, and residents summoned for jury duty for dates prior to Sept. 8 need not report. Months after colleges sent most students away, hundreds remain on local campuses because they cant go home. Local coronavirus cases The coronavirus has swept across the Philadelphia region and cases continue to mount. The Inquirer and Spotlight PA are compiling geographic data on tests conducted, cases confirmed, and deaths caused by the virus. Track the spread here. While grooming may be viewed as frivolous by non-pet owners, groomers say its essential for some breeds,and that dogs can suffer infections and require medical care unless their fur is properly maintained. Thats why groomers fear devastating consequences unless theyre allowed to reopen soon. If we stay closed longer than June, youre going to see more skin issues, major matting, groomer Gwendolyn Carry said. Vets are going to be overwhelmed." Hundreds of people headed down the Shore to New Jerseys newly reopened beaches many without a face mask. Scientists agree that chances of catching COVID-19 are lower outdoors, but the chances arent zero. And some experts think the risk may be higher if youre sitting in one place on a beach blanket for hours than if youre briefly passing a stranger on the street. Helpful resources You got this: Watch Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in Delco For the final installment of the Inquirers One Movie, One Philly series, watch Silver Linings Playbook this weekend, then join a livestream Monday at 5 p.m. to hear Jesse Rosenthal, the movies art director, talk about how he went about designing the movie, from Bradley Coopers trash bag jogging suit to all of the expertly curated Eagles paraphernalia. Union leader William C. Sproule wrote about how construction unions have led the way on safely reopening. How Adam Weiner of Phillys Low Cut Connie used his time in quarantine to become a livestreaming star. A Jefferson Health doctor was the randomly chosen winner for a role in a future Kevin Hart movie, his prize for donating to an organization that is feeding the hungry during the pandemic. 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 In rural Pennsylvania, some residents of places where case counts are low say the state isnt acting fast enough to reopen the economy. But in areas where COVID-19 cases have had dramatic spikes, the feeling is more cautious, reported Laura Benshoff of WHYY. Thirteen people shared the last normal photos they took pre-pandemic with the BBC. Philadelphia might be one of the cities that will struggle the most with post-pandemic recovery, according to Moodys Analytics and Forbes. 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. Federal officials said this week that there will be little scrutiny of churches that receive money through a $2 trillion stimulus package passed in response to COVID-19. Meanwhile, a federal judge has ruled that churches currently in bankruptcy proceedings should also be eligible for financial assistance through the CARES Act. Passed in March, the act was meant to be a lifeline to small businesses that have shuttered because of the spread of coronavirus. But unlike during previous stimulus packages, lawmakers in Washington took an unprecedented step in allowing churches and nonprofits with fewer than 500 employees to receive forgivable loans to cover payroll costs, rent and other operating expenses. The federal government is paying the payrolls of churches for the next two months, said William Vanderbloemen, founder of a Houston-based church consultancy group. Thats just kind of mindblowing. Still, there were plenty of churches who were skeptical of applying for the money, which they fear comes with strings attached and could allow for future government meddling in religious affairs. Others who have been approved for federal help have recently said they might return the money because they were uncertain how to calculate payroll or other expenses when applying for the loan. The Small Business Administration addressed that on Wednesday, saying it would treat all applications for loans of less than $2 million as being made in good faith and, therefore, unnecessary to scrutinize. It marked the second win for churches this month: A week prior, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge David Thuma ruled that the SBA could not deny a $900,000 loan to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Fe, N.M., simply because the diocese is in bankruptcy proceedings. The diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018 amid hundreds of sex abuse claims. Its unclear how much of the programs initial funding went to any of the nations roughly 350,000 churches, most of which have about 100 members and would likely be eligible. Last week, CBS News reported that most of the nations 17,000 or so Catholic churches applied for the program. A recent poll by LifeWay Research also found that 40 percent of Protestant pastors had applied for the program, and about half were accepted for loans. Paul Sanders, president of a Houston-based group that assists small churches, also said churches may have applied after the programs initial, $350 billion in funding dried out. Lawmakers are currently mulling another round of stimulus funding. The money went away so quickly, he said. It just disappeared. For Vanderbloemen, the legislation has resulted in massive upticks in business. He said he realized the historic nature of the bill almost immediately and, after realizing there was little information available to church leaders, effectively turned his 40-person firm into a one-stop shop for any churchs CARES Act questions. They started hosting Facebook live chats with federal lawmakers and retooling the business website with tip sheets on how to navigate the CARES Act. The videos have since been watched more than 50,000 times, and Vanderbloemens firm has been inundated with tens of thousands of questions or requests for help. Before coronavirus, they typically received about 250 in a week, he guessed We were all blown away, he said. Apparently there was a real gap in what people needed to know and what was provided to them. Grant or loan debate Meanwhile, religious leaders continue to debate the pros and cons of accepting federal help. To some, the idea is unpalatable because of its potential consequences on the separation of church and state. The funding of a church is as much a matter of worship as it is a matter of accounting, said Bart Barber, a Farmersville, Texas-based pastor. I worry that churches who are bailed out by the government may wind up confusing the government, the public and their own memberships about who meets the material needs of churches, potentially to the detriment of Gods glory and the advancement of the faith. The federal government has previously given grants to military chaplains, and the Supreme Court has ruled that faith-based organizations cant use federal grant money to fund inherently religious activities. Yet the court has also said the government cant discriminate in its grant or loan eligibility requirements. Benjamin Marcus, religious literacy specialist at the Freedom Forums Religious Freedom Center in Washington, D.C., said debates over the CARES Act have focused in part on one question: Is a forgiveable loan the same thing as a grant? What makes this really historic is that (the act includes) loans that could directly pay for clergy people, and not for the secular services they provide, he said. That argument was also cited in the Santa Fe diocese ruling: The loans are really grants, Judge Thuma wrote. Repayment is not a significant part of the program. Marcus said he is not too worried about the legal precedents set by the CARES Act because its very clearly only appropriate in the context of coronavirus. But, he continued, One thing that we, as a society need to balance is how much do we become flexible in times of crisis on bedrock principles, including constitutional principles. New levels Generally speaking, Americans support churches and nonprofits receiving federal funding. In a 2009 poll, Pew Research found that more than half of people supported giving help to synagogues, or to Protestant, Catholic or Evangelical churches. Roughly 44 percent said the same for Mormons, and only one-third supported federal money going to mosques. Those views, one expert said, views reflect trends in American law and governance dating back to President George W. Bush, whose administration made churches eligible for federal money if it was not used for religious purposes. Even so, the new legislation is unprecedented, said Garet Robinson, a Houston-area pastor who studies nonprofits at Harvard University. I dont know of any specific example of this happening before, he said. We had this happening up to 15 years ago, but its never been at this level. Over the same time, Robinson said, many American churches have also modernized everything from music to organizational structures. The result: A more pragmatic ministry that Robinson said removed a lot of ecclesiastical riverbanks and made more churches focus on how to be the most effective in carrying out their missions. Doing so, Robinson said, includes keeping churches financially solvent. A decade after one recession and with another looming closer each day that thinking has persisted, and likely influenced church leaders thoughts on receiving federal help. I think within 10 years youll see an even wider acceptance, he said. Vandebloemen, the Houston-based consultant leader, hopes that Robinson is right. Many churches, he said, are simply hoping to keep their doors open trying to see 5 feet ahead and the effects of COVID-19 will be felt for years, if not decades. Crisis is always an accelerator for change, and this is the biggest crisis Ive seen, he said. robert.downen@chron.com Chief Superintendent Eddie Wylie returned to Yorkshire from his rented flat in Glasgow during the coronavirus lockdown A senior British Transport Police (BTP) officer has come under fire after he travelled from Glasgow to his family home in Yorkshire during lockdown. BTP confirmed Chief Superintendent Eddie Wylie returned to his home in Holmfirth, Yorkshire from his rented flat in Glasgow on two occasions between March 21 and May 13, but said he did not breach Covid-19 regulations. It said that on both occasions he travelled home alone and by car to minimise any possible exposure to others. But Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said the journeys suggest Mr Wylie 'believes there is one rule for him, and one rule for the rest of us', and the officers has 'serious questions to answer'. In a statement, BTP said: 'British Transport Police is a national police force with its headquarters in London, and as such our officers are required to regularly travel across England, Scotland and Wales for essential meetings or as operationally required. In these instances, Chief Superintendent Wylie will stay at whichever address is the most convenient. 'Our officers can be posted anywhere in the UK, at any time. 'This means it is not unusual for them to have their family home in one part of the country and rent other accommodation nearer to where they are currently stationed. 'Crucially, the restrictions state that people should only leave the place they are living if they have a reasonable excuse. 'This includes travelling for the purposes of work where it is not reasonably possible for that person to work from the place they are living. BTP said Mr Wylie personally rents a single occupancy flat in Glasgow for the purposes of essential overnight stays. Pictured: The officer in a photo posted on his Facebook page Chief Superintendent Wylie twice travelled 480 miles between his Glasgow flat and his family home in Holmfirth, Yorkshire Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said the journeys suggest Mr Wylie 'believes there is one rule for him, and one rule for the rest of us', and the officers has 'serious questions to answer' 'It would not be reasonably possible for Chief Superintendent Wylie to perform his role solely from either the Glasgow address, or his home in Yorkshire.' The UK went into lockdown on March 23. BTP said Mr Wylie personally rents a single occupancy flat in Glasgow for the purposes of essential overnight stays. Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock said: 'We are satisfied that there has been no breach of the Covid-19 regulations in this case, and there will be no misconduct investigation into Chief Superintendent Wylie's travel or his leadership. 'Furthermore, Chief Superintendent Wylie is a highly respected officer and I have full confidence in both his integrity and his ability to perform his duties.' It comes after Scotland's former chief medical officer Dr Catherine Calderwood resigned after it emerged she had twice visited her second home in Fife contrary to her own warnings to avoid unnecessary travel. It comes after Scotland's former chief medical officer Dr Catherine Calderwood resigned after it emerged she had twice visited her second home in Fife contrary to her own warnings to avoid unnecessary travel Mr Leonard said: 'British Transport Police officers are currently playing a crucial role as guardians of the lockdown. Alongside the Scottish Government and Police Scotland, the BTP's message to the people of Scotland has rightly been to stay at home, and avoid any unnecessary travel. 'People across Scotland and the whole UK have made huge sacrifices during this time, including missing family funerals and spending precious time away from their loved ones. 'But it seems as if the BTP's top officer in Scotland has failed to learn the lessons of the Catherine Calderwood debacle, and believes there is one rule for him, and one rule for the rest of us. 'This could have serious consequences for the BTP's ability to police the lockdown, which could in turn endanger public safety in Scotland. Eddie Wylie has serious questions to answer.' Can Irish people live in a country on a knife-edge this summer? And do we have the staying power to prevent a second wave of the virus? We will get our first modest test from Monday when hardware shops, outdoor construction sites and some sports clubs will reopen. But a lot has not changed and we must still stay within 5km out our home. Probably one of the most taxing changes will be allowing a group of people from different households to meet up outdoors as long as they physically distance. There were already anecdotal reports yesterday that something of a post-lockdown mood has set in and it was observed in some parks with scenes of large picnics and even a baby shower. There will always be a minority who want to push the rules to the limit, but they may end up undoing the success of lockdown and the suppression of the virus. In the UK, a new term 'covidiots' has been coined to describe those who seem oblivious to risks of the virus spreading as a result of their behaviour. Prof Philip Nolan of Maynooth University, who has led the team tracking the virus here, said the R number, showing how many people a person who has the infection is likely to transmit it to, will be under sharp focus from next week. It is now well below one, between 0.4 and 0.6. But if it rises to two, one person with coronavirus would transmit it to two others, meaning Covid-19 would spread exponentially. Dr Nolan said: "If you have a large number of people with the virus in the community, it will spread quickly. If you have a small number, it will spread more slowly. "We will be monitoring the force of the infection and how quickly it is likely to travel, how quickly it is being forced into the population. "In the coming weeks we will be monitoring the R number and the expected decline in new cases per day." A lot is also out of the public's control, such as how efficient the testing, tracing and isolating regime will be. One encouraging development is that from next week people who are asymptomatic and feel well will also be tested if they have been in contact with someone who tests positive. Previously they needed to have symptoms to be tested. The way in which safeguards are enforced in shops and on construction sites will be crucial, as well as how hotspots such as community residential settings, nursing homes, meat plants and direct provision centres manage to contain the virus and not become sources for a spread into the community. The ESRI, which has been conducting behavioural research into how people are responding to the restrictions, found the announcement of a plan to begin a phased reopening of non-essential shops and workplaces beginning on May 18 was well ahead of public expectation. It suggests that given that it presents a more optimistic picture than the public expected, the announcement is likely to have altered expectations, presumably in the direction of a speedier return to economic activity. They also discovered that men anticipate a more rapid return to economic and social activity than women. "The result was substantial in magnitude - much larger than the more optimistic expectations of younger compared to older adults. "For most everyday outcomes, both men and women display unrealistic optimism - they hold expectations that are more positive than reality. "The effect is typically stronger among men in both economic and social domains." A return to 'normality' is not expected until at least 2021. The study also asked people to rank restrictions according to which ones they thought should be lifted first and which, if lifted, would be best for them personally. While people want to see the restriction on social contact beyond the household lifted first, they also think that necessities such as workplaces, services and transport should take priority over leisure activities. It showed that the clearest example relates to pubs and restaurants, which rank high for personal benefit, but low for when people think the restriction should be lifted. The worst scenario is that if the virus begins to increase in spread again that restrictions will have to be reintroduced. That would be economically very damaging and a severe blow to people's morale. If we cannot train ourselves to live with the virus and accept the limitations it involves, we will never get to the latter stages of the roadmap. Even countries that are ahead of us in easing lockdown have seen flare-ups. Germany's R number has increased and new clusters have been linked to slaughterhouses in particular. South Korea has reported new clusters of coronavirus cases linked to nightclubs in Seoul, after largely containing its outbreak. The personal toll from the virus has been devastating for families, with the deaths of more than 1,500 loved ones. As people queue for the hardware store in the coming weeks, hospital intensive care units will still have patients with the virus fighting for their lives. The overall conclusion of ESRI researchers is that in the face of the disease, the large majority of people have absorbed the need to proceed slowly and carefully. They are willing to make sacrifices now for a better outcome in the long run. The challenge will be keeping that spirit going as the country gets its first taste of new freedoms from Monday. Lawyers for an Irish man facing extradition proceedings over the lorry container deaths of 39 migrants have questioned whether the alleged offences took place in the UK. Ronan Hughes, from Silverstream, Tyholland in Co Monaghan, is challenging an attempt to extradite him to the UK to face manslaughter charges over the deaths of the Vietnamese nationals who were found dead in a refrigerated lorry container in Essex last year. He faces 39 charges of manslaughter and a charge of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration, in connection with the deaths of the 39 migrants. Lawyers for Hughes have said it is not clear where the alleged offences are said to have taken place. Ronan Kennedy SC, for the state, told the court it is "abundantly clear" the offence alleged to have been committed by Hughes occurred within the UK and it has jurisdiction. He told the hearing that the legal submission of "extraterritoriality" by Mr Hughes' lawyers was "a complete red herring" and the court should not engage in a "fanciful debate" as to whether other states had jurisdiction to try these offences. Hughes was arrested in Co Monaghan in April by police in the Republic of Ireland in response to a European Arrest Warrant. A bail hearing in Dublin heard last month that Hughes was "the ringleader and organiser" of the people-smuggling plot. The 39 Vietnamese nationals were found in a lorry container parked on an industrial estate in Grays on October 23 last year. Ten teenagers, including two 15-year-old boys, were among those found dead. It is alleged the migrants had been brought into the UK illegally by Hughes and his co-conspirators. UK authorities say they died on UK territory while being transported from Belgium and have therefore claimed they have jurisdiction to prosecute. Remy Farrell, senior counsel for Hughes, told the court it is not clear whether the alleged offences took place in the UK. Mr Farrell said the European Arrest Warrant itself contains a narrative of the offences which are alleged to have occurred in France, Belgium, the UK and Ireland. "The state seems to adopt the position that an offence is either extraterritorial or not, whereas a more nuanced approach is required," he said. "It is not a simple case of defining something as being extraterritorial or territorial, it is not an either/or scenario. When you look at the facts, it is clear that there is a transnational series of alleged crimes that occurred in different countries." Ronan Kennedy SC, for the state, told the court it is "abundantly clear" the offence alleged to have been committed by Hughes occurred within the UK and it has jurisdiction. Mr Kennedy said it was clear from the contents of the arrest warrant that all the offences occurred within the UK. Mr Kennedy said the arguments around "extraterritoriality" are a "red herring", and that Mr Farrell was engaging in "fanciful debate". "Mr Farrell's argument does not even get off the starting blocks," he added. "I would invite my friend to not go down rabbit holes as to whether the offences took place on the high seas or on land. "It is not for this court to engage in parsing and analysing in everything contained in the warrant or say something should be prosecuted in Belgium or in Ireland, especially when the UK authorities said these people died after the trailer entered the territory of the United Kingdom." Mr Kennedy said while Hughes' defence has put emphasis on the alleged offences having occurred in multiple places, it does not mean the offences could be considered extraterritorial. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alya Nurbaiti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, May 16, 2020 16:10 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8847ee 1 City COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-corona,virus-korona-indonesia,migrant-workers,kemayoran-athletes-village,Wisma-Atlet-Kemayoran,emergency-hospital,PCR-test Free Hundreds of Indonesian migrant workers recently returning to the country gathered in a crowd outside the Kemayoran Athletes Village makeshift hospital for COVID-19 on Thursday, forced to spend hours waiting for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing due to technical difficulties. One of the migrant workers was 33-year-old Tommy Gunawan, who had just flown from Barbados with 222 other Indonesian crewmen of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. They landed at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten at 7 a.m. and immediately underwent COVID-19 rapid testing. The test results came back negative at 11 a.m. Two hours later, military personnel transported the migrant workers to the Kemayoran Athletes Village makeshift hospital, so they could undergo PCR testing to make sure they had not contracted the coronavirus. However, they were not allowed to enter the building immediately. They were forced to wait by themselves in the yard of the Athletes Village for hours. Nobody gave us any explanation. We waited until around 9 p.m., when my group was finally informed that we would be quarantined and have swab samples taken at the Grand Mercure Hotel in Harmoni, Tommy told The Jakarta Post on Friday. Read also: Migrant workers in Malaysia to undergo coronavirus tests as curbs eased Joint Defense Area Command I commander Vice Adm. Yudo Margono, who oversees the makeshift hospital, said there was a power problem in Tower 9 of the Athletes Village, where authorities had initially planned to quarantine the migrant workers. Yudo went on to say the facility was not properly prepared as the decision to use the tower was just made on Thursday morning. We have solved the problem, he told the Post on Friday. We have also housed another 603 Indonesian crewmen of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship coming from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia in the Athletes Village. They are waiting for medical personnel to take their swab samples. As of Friday, there were 2,999 people receiving treatment both as confirmed and suspected patients at the COVID-19 emergency hospital in the Kemayoran Athletes Village 1,219 of whom have recovered from the disease. President Donald Trump and truckers have a long history. AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File For weeks, truck drivers across the US and in Washington, DC, have protested unusually low pay rates during the coronavirus pandemic. A group of protesting truck drivers loudly honking their horns interrupted President Donald Trump during a press conference on Friday. Trump, who was discussing efforts to produce a coronavirus vaccine, called the honking a "sign of love." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Protesting truck drivers interrupted a White House press conference on the coronavirus on Friday. President Donald Trump took a moment away from discussing efforts to produce a vaccine to praise the drivers, calling their protest a "sign of love." Related: Drugmakers Developing COVID019 Vaccines in Record Time "Do you hear that outside, that beautiful sound?" Trump said. "Those are truckers that are with us all the way. "They're protesting in favor of President Trump, as opposed to against him," he added. "Hundreds of trucks out there. And that's the sign of love, not the sign of your typical protest. So I want to thank our great truckers. They like me, and I like them. We're working on something together." Trump made similar comments on a Thursday interview with Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo as truck horns drowned out their conversation. Bartiromo clarified that the horns came from truck drivers who were protesting, and Trump pushed back. "Well, they're not protesters," Trump said. "They're supporters of me because we are getting things for the truckers, and all those great truckers that are all over the country. They're honking and they're really very thankful that I'm president frankly." Why truck drivers are protesting The truck drivers were, in fact, protesting rock-bottom rates, not celebrating Trump. Since mid-April, drivers in Texas, California, Arizona, and Washington, DC, have taken to the streets in their big rigs to demand government support. Story continues April rates for spot-market loads trucking jobs tendered in real time rather than through a prearranged contract were 54% lower than in April 2019, according to data from the load-board company DAT. Rates in April fell to five-year lows for refrigerated and flatbed loads. Meanwhile, the $2 trillion stimulus bill that Trump signed into law in late March did not provide any direct support for truck drivers. Several truck drivers who applied for a loan through the Small Business Administration told Business Insider that they were not able to get funding, putting their livelihoods at risk. For Joe Plummer, the pay to take a truckload of goods from his home base in North Carolina to Los Angeles had plummeted to $2,700 from $4,700 two months ago. "We don't need memes and news conferences saying 'We support truckers,'" Plummer previously told Business Insider. "We need fuel to stay low, rates to go up, and some type of financial assistance until we recover." There are nearly 2 million truck drivers in the US. About 350,000 to 400,000 of them own and operate their own trucks, while many work for small companies in need of financial assistance. Cass Information Systems said April freight volumes hit levels not seen since 2009, obliterating take-home pay for drivers. Trump has pledged to help truck drivers, but some say they are just a 'political toy' While Trump said truck drivers loved him, their relationship has been a bit rocky in recent years. Several blamed Trump in 2019 for destroying their livelihoods as his trade war lowered US manufacturing output. Trump has rallied behind truck drivers in recent weeks. He told "Fox & Friends" earlier this month that truck drivers were being "price gouged" by the brokers who match them with retailers and manufacturers, adding that he was "going to take care of them." Some drivers, however, have expressed their frustration that Trump is using them as "a political toy." "You're a political toy! Placated and being used," trucking activist Charles Claburn wrote on Facebook, as reported by Transportation Nation Nework. "You leave that street (and) it's over. We need more trucks. They see us, now they need to hear us! There needs to be a clear ultimatum sent by this industry they have 6 weeks to deliver the promises, if not in writing, then it's time to do it right." Until changes are made, truck drivers like Plummer don't know whether they'll keep working at all. "We are risking our health and lives to take rates that wouldn't pay for our business," he said. Are you a truck driver with an opinion on President Donald Trump? Email rpremack@businessinsider.com. Business Insider Attorney Chris Allen of the attorney generals office presents his case before, Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens in the case Michigan House of Representatives and Michigan Senate vs. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in Lansing, Mich., on May 15, 2020. (Carlos Osorio/Zoom via AP) Michigan Judge Hears Arguments Over Stay-Home Orders DETROITRepublicans who control the Michigan Legislature urged a judge Friday to strike down stay-home orders and other restrictions related to the CCP virus, saying Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer trampled their authority in determining statewide emergencies. The clash in Michigan is the latest between Democratic governors who have shut down businesses and ordered people to stay home in response to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, and conservatives who believe the steps are excessive. The Wisconsin Supreme Court this week ruled against Gov. Tony Evers administration, clearing the way for bars and restaurants to reopen. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in his Statehouse office in Madison, Wis., on Dec. 4, 2019. (Scott Bauer/AP Photo) The dispute in Michigan centers on two laws: a 1976 statute that gives the Legislature a role in emergency declarations after 28 days, and another from 1945 that grants broad authority to governors. The House and Senate, which are controlled by Republicans, did not extend Whitmers disaster emergency declaration in late April but she acted anyway. The 1945 law cited by the governor was aimed at local emergencies, not statewide virus outbreaks, said attorney Michael R. Williams, arguing on behalf of lawmakers. Whitmer suggested that the (emergency) conditions would not end until such time as a vaccination has been created. That would mean wed be talking 2021, 2022, perhaps later, Williams said. At other times, shes talked about the economic consequences of the disaster. We would be talking about the exercise of executive power with no legislative input for a period of years. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses the state during a speech in Lansing, Michigan, on April 13, 2020. (Michigan Office of the Governor via AP) Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens seemed to pick up that point. She challenged the governors lawyer by asking if Whitmer could declare an emergency for her entire term and keep the Legislature on the sideline. The governor cant just declare an emergency if she feels like it. The conditions have to exist, and that is undisputed, Chris Allen of the attorney generals office said. Later, he said theres no blank check. Public emergencies, whether its a pandemic or a flood or some kind of other local or statewide responsethey demand broad authority, not narrow nitpicking, Allen said. The orders issued pursuant to the governors declaration need only be reasonable and directed at being necessary to bringing the emergency under control, necessary to protecting life and property. Meanwhile, confirmed virus cases in Michigan passed 50,000 and deaths rose slightly to 4,825, the health department said Friday. Tens of thousands of people have recovered since March. The judge didnt immediately make a decision. Stephens predicted the case would eventually land at the Michigan Supreme Court. Whitmer, who has had a choppy relationship with Republicans during her nearly 17 months in office, has accused them of playing politics by suing her during the pandemic. She said the GOP also has inspired gun-toting protesters on the Capitol grounds. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer listens to Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in Clawson, Mich., on March 18, 2019. (Paul Sancya/AP) House and Senate leaders complain that Whitmers broad approach to reopening Michigan doesnt make sense, especially in regions that havent been hit as hard with the virus as the Detroit area, which has 66 percent of cases. In Wisconsin, Evers lost a court case over his anti-virus strategy. The state Supreme Court said the governors health director exceeded her authority by extending a stay-home order without working with Republicans in the Legislature to come up with an administrative rule. By Ed White Epoch Times staff contributed to this report. YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government distributed a total of 84,4 billion drams on the sidelines of its anti-crisis measures between 48,400 legal entities and nearly 1,1 million individuals, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a press conference today, presenting 100 facts about the new Armenia. The PM firstly reminded that the government has adopted a total of 18 anti-crisis measures to eliminate the socio-economic consequences of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Within the framework of the anti-crisis measures a total of 84,4 billion drams have been distributed as of today, which were used by 48,400 legal entities and nearly 1 million 100 thousand individuals. With the first anti-crisis measure the government subsidized the interests rates of loans worth 31,7 billion AMD received by 513 economic entities. The loan received for paying salaries and taxes has been subsidized completely, in other words, the loan is available at 0%, the expenditures for raw materials, equipment, utility bills and good were subsidized by 6-10%, this means that the loan is available at 2-6%, the PM said. According to the 2nd anti-crisis measure, the government subsidized the interests rates of agricultural loans worth 11,6 billion AMD of 8,195 economic entities and individuals completely, the loan is available at 0%. Pashinyan added that the government has also provided 6 billion drams to the banking system to provide agricultural loans. As we had a crisis situation, and the banks were seeing greater risks for providing agricultural loans, we have provided 6 billion drams from the budget to the banks so that they can provide loans to the rural people. Later the banks must return these sums to the government, Nikol Pashinyan said. With the 3rd anti-crisis measure the Armenian government subsidized the privileged loans worth 8,3 billion AMD of 744 economic entities which have a 24-500 million AMD annual turnover. The Armenian government on May 14 made a decision to extend the coronavirus-related state of emergency for another 30 days, until June 13. According to the latest data, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Armenia has reached 4,283. 1,791 patients have already recovered. 55 death cases have been registered. Reporting by Anna Grigoryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan By Sanjeev Miglani NEW DELHI, May 16 (Reuters) - India's total novel corornavirus cases rose to 85,940 on Saturday, taking it past China, where the pandemic originated last year, though a strict lockdown enforced since late March has reduced the rate of contagion. State leaders, businesses and working class Indians have called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reopen the battered economy, but the government is expected to extend the lockdown, which would otherwise expire on Sunday, though with fewer restrictions. So far the death rate in India appears far better, according to health ministry data, with 2,752 fatalities reported, compared with China's 4,600. The toll in the United States, United Kingdom and Italy is much higher. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan was also encouraged by the slowing rate of infection, as it now takes 11 days for the number of cases to double, whereas before the lockdown cases were doubling every 3 1/2 days. "Clearly the situation has improved due to lockdown. We have utilised this period of lockdown to accelerate public health measures such as case detection, contact tracing, isolation and management of cases," Vardhan said. Indian officials say the low death rate could be because a majority of people infected with the virus were either asymtomatic or had mild symptoms and that the vast shutdown imposed early on had helped avoid a major catastrophe. A third of the infections are from the western state of Maharashtra, with Mumbai the worst hit, followed by Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Delhi. These are also the most important economic centres of the country, complicating the government's task as it tries to re-open without triggering a big spurt in infections. "India is still in the growth phase, since total cases are still rising. Active cases are growing at 3.8% (daily) - and this needs to fall to 0% and decline subsequently for the country to recover overall," Shamika Ravi, a Brookings expert and former member of the Indian Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, said. One area of concern has been India's low testing in relation to its large population, public health officials say. The country has ramped up testing since the beginning of April to 100,000 this week, but with 1.3 billion people on a per capita basis it is trailing far behind other major countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Italy. (Reporting by Sanjeev Miglani, editing by Alasdair Pal & Simon Cameron-Moore) Axiom Space signed a full floor lease in the Hercules II building in the Clear Lake area for relocation of its headquarters in August. The Houston-based company was seeking a modern office with room for growth near NASAs Johnson Space Center. In January, the company was awarded a contract by NASA to attach a commercial module to the International Space Station as part of the agencys plan to open the station for commercial use. When the ISS is retired, the module with a research and manufacturing facility, a crew habitat and large-windowed Earth observatory, would be detached and operated as a commercial endeavor. Derrell Curry and Noah Kruger of Savills assisted Axiom in finding an office that could be developed and modified as the project evolves and the workforce expands. The office at 1290 Hercules Ave. will have a combination of open areas and enclosed offices, lab and shop spaces. MORE: Houstons Axiom Space signs contract with SpaceX to fly private astronauts Axiom has about 50 employees and aims to grow to 250 by the end of the year, according to Savills. The building owner, Capital Commercial Investments, was represented by Matthew Seliger, Doug Little and Louann Pereira of Transwestern Real Estate Services. The deal is the largest in the Clear Lake submarket to be completed since the COVID-19 stay-at-home order took effect, according to Transwestern. We are extremely pleased to have developed a creative solution with Axiom Space, especially during the current situation with COVID-19, said Seliger. Despite the challenges of working from home during a global pandemic, we stayed highly focused to ensure the execution of this complicated and fast-paced transaction. Occupancy in the Clear Lake submarket reached 83.9 percent in the first quarter, up from 81.9 percent in the first quarter of 2019, according to Transwestern. The 31,327-square-foot lease brings the two-story building to 52 percent leased. The space has been vacant since before CCI purchased the property in 2017. A renovation with new lobbies, elevator cabs and spec suites at the Hercules I and II buildings, helped seal the deal. The campus is less than a mile from the entry to Johnson Space Center. Our improved headquarters is ideal for our companys progress and growth, Axiom President and CEO Michael T. Suffredini said in an announcement. The optimal location and expansion arrangement will best enable us to successfully continue our project development and research for years to come. katherine.feser@chron.com twitter.com/kfeser Giorgio Chiellini's autobiography has already caused a stir after the Juventus and Italy defender said Mario Balotelli was worthy of "a slap" and now the veteran reducer has turned his attention to Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, suggesting he knew exactly what he was doing when he floored Liverpool forward Mo Salah during the 2018 Champions League final. Chiellini described Ramos as "the best defender in the world" and suggested that his tackle on Salah during the final in Kiev was not as innocent as Ramos would later claim. "What he did to Salah was a masterstroke," Chilleni wrote, adding that Ramos' penchant for a borderline red card tackle was part of his "devilish" style of play. Chiellini: Ramos is "more of a striker than a defender" "He, Sergio the master, has always said that it was unintentional but he was aware that falling in the way that he did, without loosening his grip on that hold, nine times out of 10 you can break your opponent's arm." The indcident in question took place in the first half of the match between Real Madrid and Liverpoool, when Ramos and Salah were involved in a tangle. The Egyptian went down awkwardly under Ramos' attentions and dislocated his shoulder, knocking Liverpool's game plan off-balance. Gareth Bale would later inspire Madrid to a 3-1 victory and complete Zinedine Zidane's famous European treble. Chiellini also spoke of Ramos' virtues as a defender. "You could say he's impulsive and not very tactically aware, that he is responsible for conceding eight or 10 goals a season and if I'm pulled up for two or three I'd be slaughtered. He's a very technical player, more of a striker than a defender, the complete opposite of me. Without him, Madrid turn into a team without a defence. Without him, Varane, Marcelo and Carvajal look like kids playing for the reserve team." The government's decision to raise the FDI limit in defence manufacturing to 74 per cent from 49 per cent under the automatic route will prove to be a "game changer" as it will help in realising India's true potential in production of weapons and military hardware, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday. His reaction came after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled a series of long-pending reforms for the defence sector which included making provisions for separate budgetary outlay to procure Indian-made military hardware, increasing the FDI limit and generating a year-wise negative list of weapons which can't be imported. Sitharaman, a former defence minister, also announced corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Board, a nearly 200-year-old organisation that operates 41 ammunition production facilities across the country. The decision is aimed at enhancing efficiency in functioning of the organisation. "The FDI limit in the defence manufacturing under automatic route has now been raised from 49 per cent to 74 per cent. This decision will unleash the true potential of Indian defence production capabilities through 'Make in India'. The announcements made today will prove to be a Game Changer," the defence minister tweeted. It is expected that increasing the FDI cap will encourage global defence majors like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Airbus and Dassault Aviation to set up manufacturing hubs in India and bring niche technology without hesitation as the firms will have majority stakes in their Indian subsidiaries. At present, up to 100 per cent FDI is allowed in the defence manufacturing on a case-to-case basis. In February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set a target of USD 5 billion worth of military exports in the next five years and invited global defence majors to set up manufacturing hubs in India. In another initiative, the government has also decided to encourage domestic production of spare parts of military systems procured from defence majors abroad. It has been a long-standing grievance of armed forces that supply of critical spares and equipment from several countries including Russia takes a long time affecting maintenance of military systems procured from those countries. The government has been taking a series of measures in the last four years to promote the domestic defence industry. In 2017, the government came up with an ambitious policy under which select private firms were to be roped in to build key military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with global defence majors. Singh said that Saturday's announcements for the defence sector will go a long way in "unshackling" the economy in many ways. He said corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Boards (OFB) has been the topmost priority of the government. "The corporatisation will improve the efficiency of our ordnance supplies and factories," he added. Sitharaman also said that a list of weapons and platforms will be notified which will not be allowed to be imported, adding the move is aimed at promoting Make in India in the defence sector. "In defence, we need to be self reliant where we can be. Of course, armed forces required best of equipment, they need some of the latest technology-driven equipment which can be imported," she said. In her announcement, Sitharaman also said the process for General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQRs) will be made realistic. In GSQRs, the armed forces define criteria to procure platforms and hardware. India was among the world's three top importers of military hardware in the last eight years. According to a latest report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a leading think-tank on military spending, India's defence expenditure stood at USD 71.1 billion in 2019, which is third highest after the US and China. Representative image The Engineering Exports Promotion Council (EEPC) on Saturday urged the government to come out with a package for exporters to tide over the crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. India's exports contracted by a record 60.28 percent to $10.36 billion in April amid the coronavirus lockdown, official data showed on Friday. Engineering exports declined by 65 percent. Coronavirus India LIVE News Updates "Although the government has announced a series a measures so far concerning some sectors of the economy, it should come out with a package for exporters in these challenging times," EEPC Exective Director Suranjan Gupta told PTI. He said exporters have already intimated the central government about cancellation of some contracts. 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 exporters are also facing pressure for giving discounts on future orders," Gupta said. "We also wish to bring to the attention of the government that China's industrial production has revived and there is a danger that China will flood the world markets," he said. The Centre should provide easy working capital and packing credit to exporters, the official said. Gupta also said the RBI should immediately notify about the Nirvik (Niryat Rin Vikas Yojana) scheme to provide enhanced insurance cover and reduce premiums for small exporters. Under the scheme, also called the Export Credit Insurance Scheme (ECIS), up to 90 per cent of the principal and interest is covered. Chairman of CII national committee on exports and imports, Sanjay Budhia, said the Union government has issued a circular on extension of the interest subvention scheme. Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here Photo: Jorge Silva/AFP via Getty Images Three years ago, American intelligence unanimously concluded that Russias interference in the 2016 election had been designed, in part, to damage Hillary Clinton. But Trump has never accepted this finding, as it is woven into the narrative of his corrupt (if not provably criminal) relationship with Moscow. In 2018, a report by Devin Nuness House Intelligence Committee ludicrously disputed the conclusion Russia even intervened on Trumps side at all. Now that Trump has installed political loyalist Rick Grenell as director of National Intelligence, they are trying to undo that finding. Last night, Fox News reporter Ed Henry excitedly reported to Tucker Carlson that Grenell has produced documents questioning the conclusion Russia opposed Clinton at all. Trump cites that report in a new interview with Foxs Maria Bartiromo. Now its all come out that actually they wanted Hillary Clinton you saw that one came out yesterday they wanted Hillary Clinton to win, Trump declared. Nobodys been tougher you can speak to Putin or anybody else nobody has been tougher on Russian than I have. They wanted Hillary Clinton to win. Trump is not clever enough to realize that Im the toughest president on Russia, just ask Putin is an obviously self-refuting defense. In any case, you dont need to rely on the conclusions of intelligence officials to see that Russia developed a strong anti-Clinton, pro-Trump preference in the 2016 election. You dont even need to consider any of the surrounding facts that make this preference obvious, like Trumps financial ties with Moscow, or the icy hostility that grew out of Clintons tenure as secretary of State. A handful of very well-known data points include: 1. Both Russias domestic and international-facing propaganda organs openly touted Trump and attacked Clinton throughout the campaign. 2. Russian hackers stole Democratic Party emails and attempted to steal Clintons immediately after Trump asked them to do so on national television. 3. A Russian agent held a meeting with top Trump campaign officials in 2016 to provide dirt on Hillary Clinton that was advertised in an email to Donald Trump Jr. as part of Russia and its governments support for Mr. Trump. Robert Muellers inability to pierce the protective shield around Trump and prove a criminal conspiracy between him and Russia gave Trumps defenders a fig leaf to insist that there was absolutely no collusion between the two. You might think that getting them to deny Russia even wanted Trump to win would be a bridge too far, given the insultingly obvious nature of Russias preference. But as Trump has gained more control over the governments intelligence and law-enforcement apparatus, he has successfully turned it into an organ to promote his twisted narrative. And he has brought nearly the entirety of his party along with him. There is almost no Trumpian lie too outrageous for the faithful to accept. Russia didnt even want Trump to win. They were trying to help Hillary! Thats why they hacked her emails they were trying to help her win. Just ask Putin! Good ol Vlad, hes a straight shooter, hell tell you. 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. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has requested competent authorities to have a roadmap for the safe repatriation of Vietnamese citizens stranded abroad due to the ongoing pandemic. The request was made while Phuc was addressing a meeting on novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) prevention and control in Hanoi on Friday morning. Vietnam has gone a month without a new community infection case of COVID-19. The countrys patient tally is at 314, with 260 recoveries and no deaths. There have been 44 new cases in Vietnam since April 16, all of which were imported, including 17 cases returning from the United Arab Emirates, 24 from Russia, two from Japan, and one from the UK. The last infection detected in the community was a 16-year-old Vietnamese girl from the northern province of Ha Giang, who had been quarantined since April 7 and was confirmed to be infected with the virus on April 16. According to PM Phuc, many more Vietnamese citizens are wishing to return home. Against that backdrop, Phuc urged for maintaining vigilance as the danger of importation of new cases remains as international flights are bound to resume. A roadmap is thus needed to ensure both safe repatriation of citizens and the countrys domestic conditions, he said. On the other hand, the PM advised overseas Vietnamese to remain in their host countries. In addition, he asked for the control of residents cross-border traveling on roads to be maintained and strengthened. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc presides over a meeting on COVID-19 prevention and control on May 15, 2020. Photo: VGP News Regarding economic revitalization, Phuc reaffirmed the governments determination to foster growth as evident in the deployment of a number of measures, including facilitating the entry of experts, skilled workers, business managers and investors. According to the government leader, Vietnam has gained initial success in realizing the dual targets of containing the disease and promoting production and business. Phuc also hailed the timely implementation of support packages to help the society and its people regain life balance post-COVID-19. The government chief also emphasized the importance of rebooting production, import and export, and tourism including both domestic tourism and welcoming international tourists from countries that have had effective responses to the pandemic. International cooperation on COVID-19 prevention should also be boosted. The Prime Minister urged for a new disease prevention strategy that is both effective in medical terms and economically sustainable for a long-run fight against COVID-19 in the absence of an effective vaccine. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A Virgin Australia flight attendant who was falsely accused of performing a sex act on a passenger says the claims have 'destroyed his life'. Seao Loli was sacked following the alleged incident in 2018, after fellow flight attendants claimed they heard 'strange slurping sounds' from the rear galley. He has since been awarded $20,000 for wrongful dismissal, after New Zealand's employment relations authority found there was not 'sufficient information' to support the allegation. Breaking his silence over the claims, Mr Loli revealed he plans to appeal the decision, saying the incident has ruined his reputation. Virgin Australia has destroyed my life and the Employment Relations Authority has in their decision, condoned that,' he told the New Zealand Herald. Seao Loli (pictured) claimed the allegations by his fellow Virgin Australia New Zealand staff had 'destroyed his life', after working for the company for ten years The incident took place while he was working for Virgin Australia New Zealand, and had done so since 2008. 'I keep asking where is the justice in this outcome? Where is the justice in the very small remedy which I have been awarded? 'Even now with the decision, it doesn't let me go back to the life I had before. 'Everything has changed.' He called the allegations 'horrific and baseless' and accused his former employer of being 'unscrupulous'. The authority found Loli had been 'unjustifiably' suspended. However, it did conclude that the attendant provided free beers to the passenger, even though he was not entitled to them. The authority said there remained unanswered questions about what happened during the flight. Flight attendants became suspicious after reportedly hearing the strange sounds, as well as claiming they caught Loli 'in the act', the employment authority said. 'Clearly Mr Loli was in a situation, behind curtains with a passenger for an extended period, which could raise questions but questions are not enough,' the judgement added. But Mr Loli insisted he was simply talking to a passenger about his acting work in Samoa, for which he is 'known', saying talking to customers was 'part of the job'. Mr Loli was also accused of preventing another flight attendant from coming into the galley to go about her duties. He was told about the allegations in June 2018 but strongly denied them, adding he was 'shocked and very distressed' to hear of them. The flight attendant was accused of performing a sex act on a passenger during a Virgin Australia flight (pictured, a check-in desk on April 21 in Brisbane) The attendant was then reportedly suspended for two weeks without being given a chance to respond. The employment authority found that VANZ did not meet its obligations before the suspension. VANZ are said to have investigated further and tried to meet with Loli and his legal representatives, but were unable to find a suitable time. The company then reportedly terminated his employment in September 2018 by email. Loli argued that there were inconsistencies between the statements of the two flight attendants who had accused him. In its conclusion, the employment authority supported Loli's case, finding that the sex act allegation was 'not substantiated'. They added that there were 'procedural inadequacies' in the airline's investigation. The airline was ordered to pay Loli 1,192 ($2,435) for lost wages during the suspension, 3,558 ($7,267) for wages lost during the dismissal, and 4,896 ($10,000) as compensation for non-economic loss. The case comes as Virgin Australia went into administration after suffering huge loses during the coronavirus pandemic. Research Roundup is a monthly feature that offers a sample of recent grants and publications for Emory faculty and staff. To suggest items for the June column, please email your submission to researchroundup@emory.edu by May 26. As an academic research institution, Emorys faculty and staff conduct studies across every discipline, from the sciences to the humanities. Heres a sample of recent grant awards and the work they will support, plus highlights from some published research findings. Grants highlighted: Publications highlighted: Grants Assessing a method to control Aedes-borne diseases Researchers from Emory College, the Emory School of Medicine and Rollins School of Public Health received a $6.5 million grant to quantify the epidemiological impacts of targeted indoor residual spraying (TIRS) on viral diseases spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitos, including dengue fever, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever. The award is from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The five-year project, set in Merida, Mexico, will begin in August. Emory will lead a consortium in a randomized control trial to test TIRS spraying where the mosquitos rest inside homes. Previous Emory research identified TIRS as a promising method to reduce disease transmission. Combining data from epidemiology and entomology with a randomized clinical trial will provide the highest level of evidence needed to determine the effectiveness of TIRS. The principal investigator for the project is Gonzalo Vazquez-Prokopec, an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences. Emory co-investigators include Matthew Collins, assistant professor in the School of Medicines Division of Infectious Diseases, and Lance Waller, professor of biostatics at Rollins. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation support of palliative care research Emory researchers received a three-year, $3.1 million grant from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to conduct a five-site, international clinical trial of specialty palliative care for adults with cystic fibrosis. The study is the first trial of specialty palliative care in CF, and could lead to important changes regarding the standard of care received by people with CF. Dio Kavalieratos, associate professor and director of research and quality in Emorys Division of Palliative Medicine, is the lead investigator of the first-of-its-kind trial, which hopes to enroll 264 adults with cystic fibrosis and their caregivers. COVID-19 contact tracing app development Researchers from Emory Colleges Department of Computer Science, the School of Medicine, Nell Hodgson School of Nursing and Rollins School of Public Health, along with two other institutions, received a $160,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a real-time contact tracing app. The proposed app will guard the privacy of individuals who choose to use it, while also allowing them to monitor their risk of exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19. The app will be designed to balance public health needs and privacy protection by allowing anonymous users to control and refine how frequently their data is captured and the amount of detail in the data. The research team is investigating additional protocols, such as differential privacy-based perturbation and encryption, for further privacy enhancement and will explore privacy-preserving mechanisms to share the collected data for research studies. The principal investigator for the one-year project is Li Xiong, professor in Emorys Department of Computer Sciences and the School of Medicines Department of Biomedical Informatics. Co-investigators at Emory are Vicki Hertzberg, professor in the School of Nursing, and Lance Waller, professor in Rollins School of Public Health. Additional collaborators are at the University of Southern California and the University of Texas Health Science Center. Improving global health campaigns Jim Lavery, Ph.D., Conrad N. Hilton Chair in Global Health Ethics and Professor in the Rollins School of Public Health and Center for Ethics at Emory University, has received a $100,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations Grand Challenges Explorations program to examine ways to improve global health campaigns. Lavery says the grant is a good example of how paying explicit attention to ethics in global health programs can also improve program performance. He says that the Research Fairness Initiative (RFI) framework, developed by his grant partners at the Council for Health Research for Development in Geneva, offers a unique conceptual architecture that could guide organizational learning to strengthen campaign partnerships in ways that make them more fair and more effective. Lavery says that such an advance would be very good for global health funders, high-income country researchers and for host country partners and health systems in low and middle-income countries. Ethics of artificial intelligence in field of radiology John Banja, medical ethicist at the Center for Ethics, recently was awarded a two-year grant at $50,000 per year from the Advanced Radiology Services Foundation. The grant will fund research, articles and podcasts in the field of radiology as it relates to the ethics of artificial intelligence. Co-investigators include Richard Duszak, vice chair for health policy and practice in Emorys Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, and Norman Beauchamp, executive vice president of health sciences at Michigan State University. Publications The non-existent reasonable person standard Among various kinds of disclosures typically required in research and clinical scenarios, providing risk information to patients and research participants figures prominently. When questions arise over which risks should be disclosed, law and ethics have long proposed that they be disclosed according to what a reasonable person would want to know. In his cover article of the current issue of the Hastings Center Report, John Banja, a medical ethicist at the Center for Ethics, argues that the reasonable person standard has never been up to the task and, in fact, has never been used. He argues that a reasonable person standard does not exist and that Western courts have been using an autonomous person standard to govern risk disclosure all along. Examining household air pollution The Rollins School of Public Health, in collaboration with schools of medicine at Johns Hopkins University and Colorado State University, is leading the Household Air Pollution Intervention Network study, a multi-country, randomized, controlled field trial to assess the impact of cleaner burning cooking stoves on household air pollution and health in four low- and medium-income countries. In a series of three papers published on April 29, 2020, in Environmental Health Perspectives, HAPIN investigators describe the rationale and overall design of the study and the key methods employed. Rollins authors on the papers include Thomas Clasen, Dana Boyd Barr, Kyle Steenland, Ajay Pillarisetti, Jiawen Liao, Jeremy Sarnat, Miles A. Kirby, Howard Chang, Lance Waller, Savannah Gupton and P. Barry Ryan. Pharmacies under-prescribing buprenorphine in rural Kentucky Hannah L. F. Cooper, Rollins Chair in Substance Use Disorders, is lead author on a paper published in the International Journal of Drug Policy that looks at buprenorphine dispensing behaviors in rural Kentucky. Buprenorphine is the first medication for treating opioid disorders (MOUD) that U.S. pharmacists have been charged with dispensing widely. This medication is vital to curbing overdoses, hepatitis C, HIV and other drug-related harms. Given concerns that harmful drug use may increase vulnerability to COVID-related morbidity and mortality, access to buprenorphine and other MOUD may help reduce community-level burdens of the current pandemic. However, emerging evidence suggests that pharmacists in rural areas are refusing to do so. To investigate this trend, the researchers conducted a qualitative analysis that examined the buprenorphine dispensing behaviors of pharmacists in 12 rural Kentucky counties that are at an epicenter of the U.S. opioid epidemic. Tunable frictional properties in hydrogels The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) published research by Emory physicists showing that hydrogels have unique, tunable frictional properties. The work was led by Emory alum Nicholas Cuccia while he was an undergraduate in the lab of Justin Burton, Emory associate professor of physics and senior author of the paper. Hydrogels are materials that live in between the liquid and solid worlds. They consist of a tangled web of long, chain-like molecules surrounded by water, and often are used as mimics of biological materials. The physicists investigated their frictional properties on smooth surfaces and found a rich spectrum of behaviors that can be directly linked to their microscopic properties. Knowing at the molecular level how to control friction gives the ability to change it, or tune it, for various applications. Their results may guide molecular design principles for hydrogel materials including soft contact lenses, artificial joints and soft robotic devices. Co-authors include Emory alums Suraj Pothineni and Brady Wu and Emory post-doctoral fellow Joshua Mendez-Harper. Adult visual cortex rapid reorganization Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) published a study on the visual cortex by Daniel Dilks, associate professor in Emorys Department of Psychology, and Emory graduate student Yaseen Jamal. It is well established that the developing brain has a remarkable capacity for change, but controversy continues about the extent to which such plasticity exists in the adult brain, especially in the adult primary visual cortex. The researchers devised a novel, simple experiment to investigate this question. They used fMRI and behavioral measures while they blocked part of the visual cortex in healthy adult humans simply by patching one eye. Strikingly, within just minutes of deprivation, the visual cortex began responding to visual stimuli that it does not respond to when one eye is not patched. The results provide the best evidence to date that, not only can the adult primary visual cortex change, it can do so within minutes. The findings may have implications for understanding and treating problems related to vision loss. Trends in outpatient procedural sedation from 20072018 Emory Department of Pediatrics faculty Pradip P. Kamat, Courtney E. McCracken, Harold K. Simon and other researchers looked into trends in outpatient procedural sedation from 2007 to 2018. Pediatric subspecialists routinely provide procedural sedation outside the operating room. The study aimed to identify significant trends in outpatient procedural sedation using the Pediatric Sedation Research Consortium. The researchers found an increase in pediatric hospitalists providing sedation and a significant decrease in the use of chloral hydrate and pentobarbital by providers. Further studies are required to see if sedation services decrease costs and optimize resource use. Ethical considerations facing cardiothoracic surgeons During a pandemic, the primary responsibility of community, government and health care systems is to isolate the disease and slow transmission. Stopping or slowing the spread of disease decreases the number of individuals exposed and mitigates the surge of critically ill patients into health care systems. Kathy Kinlaw, associate director of Emorys Center for Ethics and director of the center's program in health sciences and ethics, is the co-author of an article published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. She explores the ethical considerations facing cardiothoracic surgeons in pandemics because they possess a unique and highly relevant spectrum of skills that are frequently in short supply during a pandemic. Measles persistence prior to vaccines An international team of researchers recently published a study showing that before the introduction of a vaccine, measles could persist in large population centers and spread among sets of smaller towns. Max Lau, assistant professor at the Rollins School of Public Health, was first author of the article, published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. The model details measles dynamics over 40 years of data collected in England and Wales and provides data on the importance of spatial modeling for the long-term control of global epidemics. This could help inform the long-term public health response to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Encoding pitch changes in vocalizations The Journal of Neuroscience is publishing research from Emorys Department of Biology on how the brain encodes pitches in sound that can carry meaning. Robert Liu, a professor in Emorys Department of Biology and Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, is senior author of the paper and first author is Kelly Chong, a graduate student in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory. A whistles pitch can convey meaning, as in whistle pitch variations used to train dogs for specific commands. Some human languages, such as Mandarin, also use pitch trajectories to distinguish sound categories. How and where the brain records these pitch trajectories as their meaning is learned is not well understood, especially for short duration sounds. The researchers investigated this question in mice, since mice pups use ultrasonic whistles to communicate to adults. They found that off responses encoded by single neurons in the primary and secondary auditory cortex of the adult female mouse can be highly sensitive to fine pitch changes. However, it is in secondary, but not primary, regions of the auditory cortex where this sensitivity improves, specifically for pup whistles after maternal experience with pups. The findings contribute to the understanding of communication sound processing and plasticity within the auditory cortex. Graduate students Dakshitha Anandakumar (Emory and Georgia Tech) and Alex Dunlap (Georgia Tech) and Emory undergraduate Dorottya Kacsoh are co-authors. Artificial intelligence to detect optic nerve abnormalities New findings published by Nancy J. Newman, director of neuro-ophthalmology at Emory Eye Center, and fellow neuro-ophthalmologist Valerie Biousse, along with a group of researchers from the BONSAI group and Singapore National Eye Centre, showed that artificial intelligence can be used to accurately detect papilledema and other non-papilledema optic disc abnormalities from ocular fundus photographs. According to their findings, a deep-learning system can accurately differentiate between abnormal optic discs and normal optic discs 99 percent of the time, and between papilledema and normal optic discs 98 percent of the time. The full paper is available here along with commentary. A new inequality lottery theory Does a lottery have to always give everyone an equal chance of winning to be fair? Gerard Vong argues that it does not, in a ground-breaking paper that challenges the status quo and offers a new inequality theory about how certain scarce goods should be distributed fairly. Vong, an assistant professor and director of the master of arts in bioethics program, published his new theory in the journal Ethics. He argues it can be fair to allocate a scarce benefit, such as lifesaving medical intervention, via a lottery that gives people unequal chances of winning. Vong says inequality lottery theories are rarely defended, and his article seeks to upend this status quo by giving new and decisive arguments against all extant lottery theories of fairness while proposing and defending a new inequality theory of fairness. Indoor air pollution assessments in Tibet Environmental Pollution published research on indoor air pollution in Tibet led by Wenlu Ye, a graduate student in Rollins School of Public Health, and Eri Saikawa, associate professor in Emory Colleges Department of Environmental Sciences. Globally, 2.8 billion people depend on solid fuel for cooking and heating. The resulting household air pollution (HAP) results in more than 1.5 million deaths annually and is associated with low birth weight, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and ischemic heart disease. The researchers collected data from households in villages in the Eastern Tibetan Plateau that used diverse types of stoves and fuels. The results showed that HAP exposures were pervasively high. In addition to biomass burning, the study found that new sources of air pollution, from traffic and garbage burning, may be adding more to personal HAP exposure. Finally, the research showed that awareness of HAP exposure and associated health effects was low in the households sampled. The researchers recommend that health education programs should be implemented to strengthen motivation for positive changes. Co-authors include Alexander Avramov, an Emory staff scientist; and Seung-Hyun Cho and Ryan Chartier, researchers at RTI International. Edgard Ziebart left on a KLM flight to Amsterdam in the early hours of Tuesday morning - Boris Roessler/DPA A German fugitive who had been living in the transit area of New Delhis airport for 55 days has finally left on a Dutch relief flight. Edgard Ziebart, 40, departed on a KLM airplane to Amsterdam in the early hours of Tuesday morning after he passed a screening for coronavirus infection. To the amusement of airport officials, Mr. Ziebart mentioned Terminal Three and Indira Gandhi International Airport as his place of stay in India. His departure was sped up by the Indian authorities serving him with a Leave India Notice after the issue became public. A source within the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said Mr. Ziebart left on the KLM flight because it was the only airline currently taking passengers of other nationalities. Evoking scenes of the Hollywood blockbuster The Terminal, Mr. Ziebart was returning from a holiday in Vietnam on March 18 and transiting onwards to Istanbul - where he is said to have family - when the Indian Government suddenly cancelled all flights to Turkey. Mr. Ziebart refused to be repatriated to Germany as he has an arrest warrant pending there, officials from the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi told the Telegraph. He also refused initial suggestions that he could be flown onto a third country and said he was happy to wait in the airport until flights to Turkey recommenced. Officials said Mr. Ziebart refused to apply for a temporary visa to enter India while the German Embassy refused to help him because of his arrest warrant, as this would have made the issue a law enforcement matter. He spent the last 55 days reading magazines and newspapers and catching up with family and friends outside the terminal by calling them through the airport WiFi. Like Tom Hanks, Mr. Ziebart used the bathrooms to wash and relied on the generosity of airport staff for meals.' On May 11, President Donald Trump said Germany and the United States are the two best in deaths per 100,000 people, which, frankly, to me, thats perhaps the most important number there is. For a president who has reportedly told more than 16,000 lies in office, this one may be one of his biggest. The United States has around 86,000 deaths from the coronavirus. South Korea has around 260. It doesnt take a math genius to see the deceit in the presidents statement. An interesting comparison can be made between South Korea and Missouri. With less than half the area of Missouri, South Korea has more than eight times as many people. Yet our state has twice as many pandemic deaths. Heres another perspective: The U.S. has a little more than six times the population of South Korea, but more than 300 times as many coronavirus deaths. Its not hard to explain this discrepancy. Like several other nations, South Korea has practiced a healthy combination of extensive testing, contact tracing and quarantining. As a result, they have recently been able to safely open up restaurants and schools. But our president prefers to minimize extensive testing and spread ridiculous falsehoods. In years to come, historians will debate how many deaths came from the disease, and how many more should be attributed to the president. Maybe he should listen more to his medical experts and spend less time speculating about disinfectant injections. Nov. 3 cannot come soon enough. Joe Regenbogen St. Louis County 3 reactions to House Democrats $3T coronavirus relief bill Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The House of Representatives on Friday evening narrowly approved a $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill, the largest-ever in the history of the House, which Republican leaders say will be blocked in the Senate. Here are three mixed reactions to the bill by heads of Christian nonprofits and congressional leaders. The Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act, dubbed as HEROES Act, passed by a 208-199 vote amid a veto threat from the White House, with 14 Democrats voting no against the party line and one Republican, Rep. Pete King of New York, voting yes." Im thrilled, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said. Im so proud of my members. They just did something so monumental for the American people for their health, for their lives, for their livelihood, and for our democracy. We couldnt be more thrilled. It includes $915 billion in state and local aid to help prevent layoffs of public workers, a new $200 billion heroes fund for hazard pay for essential workers, $100 billion for K-12 and higher education, and $75 billion for coronavirus testing. The Democrats' plan would also allow for college students, non-child dependents, and immigrants who are in the country illegally to receive $1,200 each and $500 per child, which they were not eligible for in the previous CARES Act relief bill. Politico Playbook described the 1,815-page package drafted by Democrats alone as a "messaging bill," meaning it was never intended to become law, but rather to showcase issues House Democrats want to say they advocated for. Republicans described the bill as a liberal wish list that won't pass the Senate. Here are three reactions to the HEROES Act. 1. The bill has nothing to do with our current health and economic calamity Dr. James Dobson, psychologist and founder and president of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, condemned it, saying it is laced with special interest spending that has nothing to do with our current health and economic calamity. It is appalling the Democrats are willing to mortgage the future of our children and grandchildren, all to ram through a socialist agenda that runs counter to the wishes of most Americans, not to mention the Constitution of the United States! he said in a statement shared with The Christian Post. Our politicians serve the people of this great nation and the governing laws that support it. If they cant get with the program, its time for them to be reminded of whom they serve, added Dobson, the author of 71 books dedicated to the preservation of the family. 2. Republicans shocked by cannabis provisions; Democrat touts voting changes Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, responded to the proposed legislation on the Senate floor Thursday by noting that the word cannabis appears in the bill 68 times, and that's more times than the word job and four times as many as the word hire, according to The Washington Times. Democrats proposed coronavirus bill includes taxpayer-funded studies to measure diversity and inclusion among the people who profit off of marijuana, he said. He added: Maybe its best if House Democrats focus on cannabis studies and leave economics to the rest of us. House Democrats had a blank slate to write anything they wanted to define the modern Democratic Party, any vision for the society they wanted, and heres what they chose: tax hikes on small businesses, giveaways to blue state millionaires, government checks for illegal immigrants and sending diversity detectives to inspect the pot industry. Democrat Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren of California praised the bills passage, however, touting the inclusion of $3.6 million to expand voting by mail which doesn't require voter ID, as well as health and safety changes for in-person polling locations. [T]he Heroes Act includes important provisions which I have authored including expanding no-excuse absentee vote by mail for every voter who wishes it, and providing 15 consecutive days of early in-person voting In the event of an emergency declaration, and including the COVID-19 pandemic, the bill provides that every registered voter will be mailed an absentee ballot with prepaid return postage so that they may vote from the safety of their homes, Lofgren said in a statement. On Wednesday, Sen. James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, also said on the floor that the bill actually sets up a series of changes in our federal cannabis laws, which immediately I thought of, OK, how much information is in this bill about cannabis? He added, Cannabis is actually mentioned in this bill 68 times. Now, Im not sure why thats in a bill dealing with COVID-19, but it does dramatic changes in our federal cannabis laws. 3. It carries praiseworthy criminal justice reform provisions James Ackerman, president and CEO of Prison Fellowship, a Christian nonprofit serving prisoners and former prisoners as well as their families, praised the criminal justice reform provisions included in the bill. As the positive COVID-19 cases in prisons nationwide now surpasses 25,000 and the death toll climbs, we are grateful to see lawmakers including this vulnerable population in the House legislative agenda, he said in a statement. Heather Rice-Minus, vice president of Government Affairs and Church Mobilization for Prison Fellowship, added: Historically, criminal justice reform has required bipartisan support to get it to get to the finish line. Were pleased many of Prison Fellowships key priorities have been included in the HEROES Act, from allowing second chance business owners access to the Paycheck Protection Program to increasing re-entry funding. However, we are working hard to forge a bipartisan path that will ensure the final bill delivered to the Presidents desk remembers those in prison. At least 21 passengers sustained minor injuries when a bus, ferrying stranded passengers from Bengaluru to Goa, met with an accident after the driver lost control and the vehicle went off the road and fell on its side near Gadag in Karnataka on Friday early morning. The passengers had a harrowing time, as the 12-hour journey took over 36 hours after a relief bus -- organised by Goa government -- got them back home on Saturday early morning. The bus that met with an accident was initially sent to Chennai to pick up stranded people from Goa and then it made an onward journey to Bengaluru for the other passengers from the state. The bus picked up the passengers from Chennai on Thursday. However, it was held on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border for around eight hours, as the authorities were verifying the requisite approvals amid the lockdown restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak. Around 21 of us boarded the bus from Bengaluru. It met with an accident at around 4.30 am on Friday, and we found ourselves piled up on top of each other, said a passenger, requesting anonymity. Finally, one of the passengers managed to break the rear glass and we got out of the vehicle. Fortunately, all of us escaped with minor injuries except one girl, who suffered a gash on her forehead, he added. Though the state government arranged a relief bus, it arrived after 10 hours at 2 pm on Friday. The relief bus arrived at the Karnataka-Goa border at around 8 pm on Friday, but the passengers had to wait, as per the protocol, till a police escort vehicle could take them to a Covid-19 testing facility and a quarantine centre. They arrived at their destination at around 5 am on Saturday. Over 6,200 stranded people from Goa have registered on the state governments website, urging the authorities concerned to organise their return at the earliest. Different kinds of events make up traditional marriages in Nigeria, some totally hilarious and others interesting. Yemi Alade revealed... Different kinds of events make up traditional marriages in Nigeria, some totally hilarious and others interesting. Yemi Alade revealed one of her interesting encounters with a member of the Maasai ethnic group of Kenya. According to her, the man offered her 20 cows for her hand in marriage, but his friend said she was fat and couldnt build houses. Seven interesting activities in Nigerian traditional marriages Across Nigeria, youll find many marriage rites that are similar to Yemi Alades encounter with the Maasai man. Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and other Nigerian ethnic groups have one or two interesting things about their marriage rites. The lift test One of the interesting things during the Yoruba traditional marriage is the carrying of the bride by the groom. It doesnt matter how slim the groom looks or how weighty the bride is. This sight is always hilarious, especially when the woman ends up proving too much for the man to carry. The lift test is a way for the groom to show that he has the strength to carry the bride. Wine Carrying Wine carrying is a rite during an Igbo traditional marriage where the bride carries freshly tapped palm wine in a cup and looks for her husband in the crowd. When she finds him, she goes on her knees and presents the wine to him. On his part, he has to accept the drink because to reject it would be to reject his wife-to-be. After emptying the content of the cup, he puts some money in it. Catching of the bride Catching the bride is an interesting rite that takes place during a Hausa traditional wedding. It is organized so that the grooms family can come and catch their beautiful bride. The man and his family are not allowed to see the bride until they have paid the required token. This is the final moment between the bride and her friends, which can be heartbreaking and that is why they ensure that the bride doesnt go away too easily. During this time, the brides face is mostly veiled while her friends haggle with the groom and his family for a price to see the brides face. Hilarious Prayers The Alaga Iduro is a woman who is the master of ceremonies at Yoruba traditional weddings. Usually, friends and family shower the couple with prayers of prosperity, fertility, and good health. But with the Alaga Iduro, things take a funny twist. The Yoruba people believe that a womans buttocks sitting in her husbands house for long is a blessing. It isnt uncommon for you to find the Alaga Iduro telling the bride to hold her buttocks for this prayer. Raining money This is a longstanding tradition in the Nigerian traditional marriage scene. The bride and groom dance on stage while family and friends spray money on them. The interesting thing here is that the couple have foot soldiers whose job is to collect every last penny in bags or baskets while pretending to dance. Prostrating During the Yoruba traditional marriage, the groom and all his friends will come before the brides family and prostrate in the dust. It doesnt matter the colour of the agbada theyre wearing or how dirty the floor is, (though in most cases, mats are laid on the floor). When it comes to respect, no ethnic group in Nigeria comes close to the Yoruba people. Exchange of vows Hausa culture, it is the representatives from the groom and brides family who exchange vows and not the bride and groom. They do this in the presence of an Imam and some wedding guests. They then go on to make prayers for the newly wedded couple and the celebration continues. In theHausa culture, it is the representatives from the groom and brides family who exchange vows and not the bride and groom. They do this in the presence of an Imam and some wedding guests. They then go on to make prayers for the newly wedded couple and the celebration continues. Traditional marriages across Nigeria are quite interesting for many reasons. The food, the music, the outfits, and the rites all combine to make the day memorable. This article was first published on AfricaParent.com An attorney who once rented a room to Joe Biden accuser Tara Reade claimed she tried 'to plant a story' to strengthen her sexual assault allegations against former vice president . A number of people familiar with Reade, 56, shared a series of unflattering anecdotes in a Politico report titled 'Manipulative, deceitful, user: Tara Reade left a trail of aggrieved acquaintances.' The report cast a new wave of scrutiny over Reade's sexual assault claims leveled at the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. Kelly Klett, a California attorney who met Reade in 2018, described Reade as 'manipulative,' 'deceitful' and a 'user.' According to Kelly Klett, Tara Reade (left) spoke highly of Joe Biden (right) during conversations in 2018 'Looking back at it all now, that is exactly how I view her and how I feel about her ,' Klett said. The two women first met when Klett allowed Reade to rent a room inside her 30-acre equestrian home in Santa Cruz County. According to Klett, Reade said she was a victim of domestic abuse and was taking time to study for the bar exam. Reade, who graduated from Seattle University School of Law in 2004, name-dropped Biden and spoke highly of him, Klett claims. 'She spoke to me about Joe Biden and her experience with him,' said Klett, who added that Reade said she worked on the 1994 Violence Against Women Act. 'It was positive and in a bragging sense.' Reade (pictured) reportedly told Klett that she was a domestic abuse survivor and was studying for the bar exam at the time Reade (pictured) reportedly had financial struggles and had difficulty making rent payments each month Klett, a domestic violence victims' advocate, loaned additional law books to Reade and even lowered the rent rate to $200. But Reade reportedly had trouble making the reduced rent and repeatedly asked for more time or a pass. Klett eventually told Reade that she had leave. 'Im still waiting to get my law books back,' she said. Klett said the Reade continued to call her even after moving out, asking for money on several occasions. Now, Klett is shocked by Reade's allegations against Biden. Throughout months of conversation, Reade's support for Biden reportedly never strayed. 'In the time that she lived with me in close proximity, there was never one allegation against Joe Biden that was disparaging,' said Klett. In 2019, Reade called Klett after first publicly coming forward with her accusations that Biden inappropriately touched her during her time as his employee. Reade did not share details about an assault when she called Klett. 'I felt two things when she contacted me: that she was feeling me out to see if I would represent her pro bono,' said Klett. 'And there was a sense that she was trying to plant a story with me, so she could later say: "I told the story to this attorney I worked with".' Klett accused Reade of 'trying to plant a story' to help bolster he allegation against Biden Klett: 'I support women who have been assaulted. Unfortunately, I cannot support Tara Reade' (pictured) Klett revealed that after her interactions with Reade, she could not support her. 'I support women who have been assaulted. Unfortunately, I cannot support Tara Reade,' siad Klett. 'When she first contacted me regarding this issue, she could not provide enough credible information. And since that time the story has evolved in the media. I question her motives.' Reade's attorney Douglas Wigdor pushed back at the anecdotes in the report and dismissed Klett's characterization of his client. 'If the assertion is that someone who has lied to their landlord because they dont have the money to pay rent so then they lied about a sexual assault, I dont think that is fair journalism,' said Wigdor. Wigdor said Reade's alleged praise of Biden was similar to some victims of disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein who continued to have contact with him after abuse. Other reports from the Politco piece painted Reade as a woman who took advantage of others and had financial difficulties. 'She has a problem,' said Lynn Hummer, who owns a sanctuary where Reade volunteered at for two years. Hummer described Reade as 'very clever, manipulative. ... I do think shes a liar.' Joe Biden (pictured) has repeatedly denied all allegations of sexual assault from Reade Reade worked as as a staffer for Biden when he was the Democratic senator for Delaware. Reade filed an official criminal complaint against Biden on April 9, accusing him of shoving his hand under her skirt and penetrating her with his fingers while they stood in a senate corridor, an accusation he denied. Biden has continuously and vehemently denied all allegations from Reade. During a MSNBC town hall meeting on Thursday, Biden addressed voters who believe Reade's allegations against him. 'Well, I think they should vote their heart. If they believe Tara Reade, they probably shouldnt vote for me. I wouldnt vote for me if I believe Tara Reade,' he said. The fact is, look at Tara Reades story, her story changes considerably,' he added, once again pushing back at the claims. 'I dont want to question her motive. I dont want to question anything other than to say the truth matters. This is being vetted. Its been vetted. They went and people interviewed scores of my employees over my whole career. 'This is just totally thoroughly completely out of character. And the idea that in a public place, in a hallway, I would assault a woman? I mean, anyway, I promise you it never happened. It should be vetted. 'She should be thoroughly looked at and whether or not these happened, look at the story. Follow the storyline and determine if theres any truth to it. And there is no truth to it, I promise you. ' In the same interview, he added the he did not remember Reade from when she worked for him nearly three decades ago. 'Well, to be honest with you, I don't,' Biden said. 'But let me get something clear, when a woman makes a claim that she has been harassed or abused, and this claim has changed... she should be taken seriously. 'She should come forward, share her story, she should be taken seriously and it should be thoroughly vetted. And in every case, what matters is the truth. The truth is what matters. 'And the truth of the case is nothing like this ever, ever happened... I give you my word. It never, ever happened. I give you my word. It never, ever happened.' Tara Reade claims she was left traumatized by her alleged sexual assault by Joe Biden in 1993 and tells Megyn Kelly sometimes 'I wake up yelling stop!' Former Senate aide Tara Reade said that Joe Biden's alleged sexual assault traumatized her so much that she sometimes wakes up yelling 'stop' after having bad dreams about what she claims happened in 1993. In a newly-released interview with former Fox News and NBC News host Megyn Kelly, Reade, 56, said that the alleged attack 'shattered' her. Reade has alleged that when she was 29, the then 50-year-old Biden - who she worked for as a staff assistant at the time - sexually harassed and assaulted her. Biden and his spokespeople have denied the claims. Reade (left) told Kelly (right) about how she suffers from bad dreams about the alleged incident with Biden and that she wakes up yelling 'stop' 'I wanted to say "stop," and I thought it,' Reade told Kelly in the interview which was released in full on Friday. 'I dont know if I said it,' Reade said, 'But sometimes, when Ive had a couple bad dreams or a few bad dreams about it, I wake up yelling that and I wake up yelling "stop."' She told Kelly that one incident took place in the hallway of a Capitol Hill building in Spring 1993, following previous sexual harassment incidents. Reade said that she had been told to go and give Biden, now 77, a gym bag and that was when he allegedly kissed and then assaulted her. 'He said I want to f*** you,' Reade said. 'And he said it low. And I was pushing away and I remember my knee hurting because our knees, because he had opened my legs with his knee and our kneecaps clashed, so I felt this sharp pain.' Reade added that 'His fingers were inside of my private area, my vagina.' She said that afterwards, Biden told her she 'was nothing' before walking away. 'I think that's the hardest thing,' she told Kelly. 'Those words stayed with me my whole life.' 'I remember small things,' Reade continued. 'I remember trying to put my shoe back on because I came out of my shoe and I remember my knee hurting and I remember the smell.' During the interview, Reade said that she wanted Biden to end his presidential run and face the music. 'I want to say you and I were there, Joe Biden, please step forward and be held accountable, you should not be running on character for president of the United States,' Reade told Kelly, who had asked what her message was for Biden. Kelly followed up by asking Reade if she wanted Biden to withdraw from the presidential contest. 'I wish he would,' Reade answered. 'But he won't, but I wish he would, that's how I feel emotionally. She previously wrote on social media that Americans should support Bernie Sanders, Biden's former Democratic primary rival. She then told Kelly that an apology now wouldn't be sufficient. 'I think it's a little late,' Reade said. Reade revealed to Kelly that she had taken her complaint to both Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris' presidential campaigns when they were still active. Biden has denied Reade's claims, saying that the assault 'unequivocally' did not happen 'I tried to reach out to them,' Reade said. 'I didn't get a response.' She said she chose Harris because as a Californian, the ex-2020 candidate is her senator. Reade also told Kelly that she would testify under oath and be cross examined, but she'd only take a polygraph test if the former vice president took one first. 'I'm not a criminal,' Reade said. 'Joe Biden should take the polygraph. What kind of precedent does that set for survivors of violence? Does that mean we're presumed guilty? And we all have to take polygraphs.' 'So I will take one if Joe Biden takes one, but I am not a criminal,' Reade added. Reade's interview with Kelly comes a week after Biden 'unequivocally' denied the allegations during an on-air Morning Joe interview. 'Im saying it unequivocally: It never, never happened. And it didnt. It never happened,' Biden said. After clips from Kelly's interview with Reade began being released Thursday, Bidens spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield said, according to People: 'Women must receive the benefit of the doubt. They must be able to come forward and share their stories without fear of retribution or harm and we all have a responsibility to ensure that. 'At the same time, we can never sacrifice the truth. And the truth is that these allegations are false and that the material that has been presented to back them up, under scrutiny, keeps proving their falsity.' Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) on Saturday, May 16 hailed the reform measures announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in connection with investments in airports and tweaking MRO norms in the aviation sector and hoped the government would announce measures for stressed sectors also. CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee said that the organisation is hopeful that the finance ministry in its final announcements on Sunday will roll-out measures for the civil aviation sector as it did for the power sector. "Today, the government announced a slew of reform measures as we all heard and one very important area that was covered was investments in airports by auctioning new airports or tweaking norms of MROs. These are the long pending demands of the industry. CII has been talking about this and it will help the industries in the very long run," Chandrajit Banerjee said. READ | Six More Airports To Be Auctioned, Airspace To Be Rationalised: Sitharaman's Reform Push Stressed airline sector The CII DG further said that the airline industry is highly stressed and many airport terminals around the world have been temporarily shut down like the one in Singapore. "In India, plans of a second terminal like Bangalore, Delhi, or Mumbai may have to look at very different timelines. We are hopeful that government in its final announcements tomorrow will include something for stressed sectors like the package they announce for power sectors and we look forward same for the civil aviation sector." READ | NITI Aayog CEO, CII Chief Laud Proposed Reforms In Farm Sector By FM Sitharaman Opening of airspace will give a leg up to industry Chandrajit Banerjee further added that the civil aviation sector provides jobs to millions of people and airlines have lent support to deliver essential medical items during the pandemic. "Airline companies have continued transportation of cargo during the COVID times, bringing in much needed essential medical items in such challenging times. The FM's announcement to open the airspace aims at providing efficiency of the sector and will really help in reducing cost and optimize airline operations that run on very thin margins given the challenging situations in the industry," Banerjee said. He added, "This will give a leg up to industry. CII has been strongly advocating for tweaking norms to incentivise the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) operations in India which in the line of Make in India or Atambirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. The government wants to make India a hub for airplane MRO and that was really interesting." READ | Space Sector Opened Up For Private Players, Start-ups To Enter Atomic Research: Sitharaman READ | 'Will Follow Govt Guidelines & Enable Private Players To Carry Out Space Activities': ISRO FILE PHOTO: Saudi Aramco logo is pictured at the oil facility in Abqaiq By Shu Zhang SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil exporter, has cut the volume of crude it will supply to at least three buyers in Asia by 10%-30% for June, three sources with knowledge of the matter said on Thursday. The cuts were made against volumes that the buyers had nominated for June-loading supplies, the refining sources told Reuters. Saudi Aramco declined to comment. The move came after Saudi Arabia announced it would voluntarily deepen oil output cuts by additional 1 million barrels per day (bpd) from June to an output level of 7.492 million bpd, the lowest in almost two decades. The announcement followed a deal struck by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies including Russia to cut output by an unprecedented 9.7 million bpd in May and June to reduce excess supply and support prices. Market sentiment regarding the tightening of Aramco's crude supplies propped up Asia's spot market for Middle East sour crude on Thursday as some sellers doubled or even quadrupled their offers from the last trade levels. Several buyers were looking for Middle East crude cargoes, but sellers were either holding out or offering their cargoes at high premiums, trade sources said. Last month, the market had been flooded with cheap oil in deep discounts. "Market sentiment is different now," said one of the refinery sources. On Thursday, Exxon Mobil Corp hiked its offer price for Abu Dhabi's medium sour grade Upper Zakum crude, for July loading, to a spot premium $1.40 a barrel to the grade's official selling price (OSP), traders said. This was up from a premium of 30 cents a barrel to the OSP when Exxon sold a cargo to a Chinese buyer on Tuesday, they added. The oil major does not typically comment on commercial matters. There is a sense of "panic buying" among some refiners amid the supply tightness, said a fourth refinery source. But no trades have been done at high price levels, as refiners held back amid poor refining margins, the sources said. (Reporting By Shu Zhang; Additional reporting by Rania El Gamal; Editing by Florence Tan and Pravin Char) At least 1,413 migrants arrived to UK since January, compared to 1,850 in 2019 Border Force officers have intercepted six boats carrying 90 migrants, including three toddlers and a baby, in just one day. The boats arrived in Dover, Kent, this morning. In the first incident a Border Force coastal patrol vessel intercepted a boat which was carrying a group of 10 males who presented themselves as Sudanese and Libyan. A second boat was then picked up with 12 men on board who said they were Syrian and Iranian. Photographs show suspected migrants wearing face masks and life jackets being brought into Dover on a Border Force dinghy. Seven boats carrying migrants made it to the UK after leaving from Calais, France. Six boats made it into Dover (one pictured) and one other boat made it to Winchelsea Beach, East Sussex The number of migrants who have made it to the UK since the coronavirus lockdown began was last recorded to be at more than 850 Migrants including a baby and three toddlers arrive by dinghies to Dover, Kent today. The individuals were intercepted in the Channel by Border Force officials In the third incident a boat with 14 males who presented themselves as Syrian, Iranian, Senegalese, Iraqi and Yemeni was intercepted. A group of 11 males and four females claimed to be Algerian, Kuwaiti, Iraqi and Syrian. A fourth vessel carrying a group of 21 males and four females who presented themselves as Iraqi and Iranian. And lastly a Border Force coastal patrol vessel intercepted a boat which was carrying a group of 11 males and three females who presented themselves as Eritrean, Iranian and Afghan. The toddlers were seen being escorted from the dinghies, wearing blankets wrapped around their shoulders. A baby was also carried in a blanket from the Border Force dinghy by officials, who wore face masks and gloves. Border Force vessels Searcher and Hunter were involved. Officials carry a baby from the Border Force dinghy wearing face masks and gloves after boats were intercepted in the English Channel One boat broke down off the coast of Calais in the Channel and was turned back to France. Pictured: two toddlers arriving at Dover today This morning's interception comes after 14 migrants were intercepted in the English Channel on 13 May. Pictured, a baby is carried off a boat that made it into Dover, Kent this morning All individuals were brought to Dover and, in line with established processes, are being assessed to establish whether there are any medical requirements. The cases of all those found today will be dealt with in line with the immigration rules, including detention where appropriate. Another boat, thought to hold 17 migrants, including a baby and five children, broke down off the coast of Calais in the English Channel this morning. French authorities picked up the boat and returned it to Calais, the BBC said. South East BBC reporter Simon Jones said on Twitter: '17 migrants - including a baby and five children - were picked up by the French authorities and returned to France after their boat broke down in the Channel off Calais this morning. Several boats have succeeded in reaching the UK.' At least 1,413 migrants have made it to the UK since January - closing in on the 1,850 who arrived throughout the whole of 2019. A Home Office spokesman said: 'Border Force is currently dealing with a number of ongoing small boat incident off the Kent coast.' Migrants, including a baby and three toddlers, were intercepted in the Channel by Border Force Officials in dinghies in Dover today. Pictured, the toddlers being taken from dinghies Asylum seekers and illegal migrants will face an automatic two week quarantine on entering the UK as part of the government's plan to tackle coronavirus Minister for Immigration Compliance and the Courts Chris Philp said: 'We are all working night and day to dismantle and arrest the criminal gangs who trade in people smuggling. 'This week, the Home Secretary spoke to her French Counterpart Interior Minister, Christophe Castaner who reaffirmed the commitment to carry out more returns at sea to stop these illegal crossings. 'This illegal and criminal activity is already subject to heavy law enforcement activity by Border Force, the National Crime Agency, Immigration Enforcement and French law enforcement and we will continue to take whatever action is necessary to stop this criminal trade, including changes to the law. 'Already over 1,100 migrants were arrested in France in the first quarter of this year and in 2019 Immigration Enforcement made 418 arrests, leading to 203 convictions for a total of 437 years. 'But the recent increase in crossings is totally unacceptable which is why we are stepping up action to stop the crossings, going after the criminals perpetrating these heinous crimes and prosecuting them for their criminal activity.' More than 1,200 migrants are believed to have been intercepted while making the perilous crossing and brought to Dover since the start of the year A man wearing a blanket and a face mask is pictured leaning over as officials stand behind him wearing high-vis vests and rubber gloves Clare Moseley founder of migrant charity Care4Calais said: 'It's little wonder people living in France's refugee camps are desperate to make this dangerous crossing, given the awful conditions they face there. 'Coronavirus has made a bad situation life-threateningly worse. People are squeezed into tiny areas, they can't social distance, and the support they relied on for survival is drastically reduced. 'The French travel ban makes it impossible for them to leave, but still they face forced sometimes violent evictions almost every day. 'These people are fleeing terrifying situations in some of the most dangerous parts of the world. They aim for the UK because they want to be safe. Many have family or other connections, and others know our language and want to integrate and contribute. 'Now more than ever, we need to give them a safe and humane way to have their requests for asylum fairly heard, that's the way to end chaotic and dangerous channel crossings once and for all.' Asylum seekers and illegal migrants will face an automatic two week quarantine on entering the UK as part of the government's plan to tackle coronavirus Care4Calais has launched an emergency appeal to provide food aid to people living in France's refugee camps. Asylum seekers and illegal migrants will face an automatic two week quarantine on entering the UK as part of the government's plan to tackle coronavirus, the MailOnline revealed earlier this week. Home Office chiefs say Boris Johnson's fortnight quarantine rule for travellers entering Britain will extend to those caught trying to cross the country's borders illegally. Those suspected of being involved in criminal activity or ineligible for asylum will be isolated in special areas within detention centres, while legitimate asylum seekers will be isolated in specialised accommodation, the Home Office has confirmed. None of the migrants intercepted in the Channel and brought to Britain this year have been tested for coronavirus, the MailOnline previously revealed. At least 227 migrants made it to the UK over the Bank Holiday weekend, including a one day record of 145 migrants on VE Day. This included 51 people packed on board a single inflatable boat. Announcing tranche 4 of Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said that the government has plans to make India a global hub for Aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO). The FM said that the tax regime for the MRO ecosystem is being altered so that it favours setting up hub in India. Aircraft component repairs and airframe maintenance would increase from Rs 800 crores to Rs 2,000 crores in three years, she added. "Major engine manufacturers in the world would set up engine repair facilities in India in the coming year," FM Sitharaman said, adding that convergence between defence sector and the civil MROs would also be established to create economies of scale. #AatmaNirbharEconomy in Civil Aviation Sector:#India to become a global hub for Aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (#MRO) pic.twitter.com/QaZ5LtAofL - PIB India #StayHome #StaySafe (@PIB_India) May 16, 2020 As a result, maintenance cost for airlines will come down which will benefit India. "This is a major step that we want to make sure India benefits from. Not just civilians, but also defence aircrafts will benefit from this move," she said. Pitching for efficient airspace management, she said that over the decades, we have not been flying through shortest routes. As a result, the customer ends up paying more while pilots have to fly extra. "Optimum utilisation of routes is going to happen, we will be able to get to our destination in the shortest possible time," she said. The government will ease restrictions on the utilisation of Indian air space so that civilian flying becomes more efficient. This will bring a total benefit of Rs 1,000 crore per year for the aviation sector, says FM Sitharaman. She said that Airports Authority of India (AAI) has awarded 3 airports out of 6 for operation and maintenance on public-private partnership (PPP) basis. Besides, six more airports identified in second round bid to commence immediately, she said. Meanwhile, the private players are expected to make additional investment of around Rs 13,000 crore in 12 airports in first and second rounds, she added. Also Read: Govt to create land banks to boost industrial development: FM Also Read: FM Nirmala Sitharaman announces policy reforms to fast-track investment The Spanish Health Ministry reported on Wednesday a rise in the number of daily coronavirus-related deaths, with 217 victims recorded in the past 24 hours, compared to 184 on Wednesday. This is the first time in five days that the number of daily fatalities has exceeded 200. The figure was 176 on Tuesday, 123 on Monday, and 143 on Sunday. The total number of victims in Spain now stands at 27,321. Fernando Simon, the director of the Health Ministrys Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies, said on Thursday that some regions had reported coronavirus fatalities that did not occur within the last 24 hours. Although the health expert did not specify which region, Catalonia recorded 123 coronavirus deaths on Thursday, or 60% of the daily figure, compared to 66 and 71 reported on the previous two days. In the past 24 hours, 506 new coronavirus cases were detected, as confirmed by PCR tests, bringing the total to 229,540. This represents a rise of 0.22% from the day before, when there were 439 new infections. The total number of cases represents 0.4% of the Spanish population. But according to the preliminary results of an antibody study from the Carlos III Institute, which were announced on Wednesday, 5% of Spaniards have at some point contracted the coronavirus the equivalent of 2,350,000 people. Speaking at the governments daily conference on Thursday, Simon explained that the increase in [new] infections is proportional in all age groups, meaning that the decision to allow children outside for supervised walks does not appear to have had an effect on the evolution of the outbreak. According to the latest figures, the number of daily hospital admissions for coronavirus fell to 330, from 412 on Wednesday. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 143,374 coronavirus patients have been discharged from hospital after recovering from the disease 2,551 in the past 24 hours. This represents a rise of 0.27% of the day before. More than 50,000 health workers in Spain have contracted the disease since the beginning of the crisis. The regions of the Asturias and Cantabria reported no new cases on Thursday, while the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Extremadura, Murcia, Navarre and La Rioja reported fewer than 10. Since Wednesday, 29 coronavirus patients were admitted into intensive care, almost all of these cases (23) were recorded in the regions of Madrid and Catalonia. Problems with face masks in Madrid The face masks that the Madrid regional government has been distributing for free this week do not meet European Union regulations, according to the Business Association of Personal Protective Equipment (Asepal). In a press release on Sunday, Madrid premier Isabel Diaz Ayuso stated that the regional government had purchased 14 million FFP2 masks for 32 million, which met all European Union regulations. A pharmacist holds one of the face masks that have been distributed for free by the Madrid regional government. Eduardo Parra - Europa Press (Europa Press) According to this statement, the masks are reusable and can be used for up to 48 hours straight. But there is nothing to certify any of this information, not even that the masks belong to the FFP2 category. The packaging of the products has the CE sign, which indicates that the products comply with EU regulations regarding masks. But as the website Maldita.es revealed, this certification is false. The manufacturer of the masks, Wenzhou Haoshuo Home Textile, has deleted its official page from the site Alibaba, which is the largest e-commerce site in the world. The masks, which have been handed out for free at pharmacies to people with a Madrid health card, do not contain any cleaning or disinfecting instructions. Nor is there information about what levels of protection are appropriate for different risk groups, where they were manufactured, what type of protection they provide or even the R symbol to indicate that they are reusable. Whats more, the masks are not appropriate for children under the age of four. On Wednesday, pediatric primary healthcare coordinators asked pharmacies to immediately stop handing them out to infants. Scandal over Madrid premiers luxury apartment deepens More questions have been raised about the luxury apartment of Madrid premier Isabel Diaz Ayuso. In mid-March, the Popular Party (PP) politician moved into the upscale Be Mate Plaza de Espana hotel, which belongs to the Room Mate chain, allegedly to go into quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19. But a press release from Room Mate indicated on Tuesday that Diaz Ayuso had signed an agreement with the company before the state of alarm, which was declared before the premier tested positive for the virus. The door to the hotel in Madrid where Madrid Premier Isabel Diaz Ayuso has been staying since mid-March. Fernando Peinado It has now been revealed that the Madrid premier has in fact two luxury apartments in the hotel a Royal Suite and a second apartment on a lower floor. For these two rooms, Diaz Ayuso will be charged just 80 a night, or 2,400 a month, as part of package price, according to the owner of Room Mate Kike Sarasola. On Wednesday, Sarasola told Spanish television Antena 3 that such discounts were available to anyone who wished to stay at a Room Mate hotel. But while the premier enjoys a 60% discount for a long-term stay, other visitors do not benefit from these same favorable prices. With a 60% discount, a Deluxe Suite, for example, should cost 1,200 for 30 days, but the hotel webpage charges 3,568. Opposition parties have highlighted that top officials in the Madrid regional government are prohibited from accepting gifts or benefits that could condition their actions in office. Diaz Ayuso responded to the growing criticism on Thursday, arguing: Do you think I can resolve the issues of Madrilenos from the dining room where I eat every day? While I am working as the premier of Madrid, I will do so in a site with flags, in a dignified site with, for example, a photo of the King, she added, in reference of King Felipe VI of Spain. Protest against Spanish prime minister Dozens of people on Wednesday broke the coronavirus confinement measures to march in the street to demand the resignation of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. This was the fourth day in a row that residents have gathered in Madrids wealthy Salamanca neighborhood to demand the Socialist Party (PSOE) leader resign over his handling of the coronavirus crisis. The protest was sparked on Sunday when dozens of neighbors gathered outside an apartment that was playing loud music from the balcony. On that occasion, 12 people were fined for breaking the lockdown rules of the state of alarm. Protesters gather in the street to demand the resignation of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday. Rodrigo Jimenez (EFE) The protesters on Wednesday wore masks, but did not respect social distancing rules. Instead, they gathered in groups to block traffic from entering the street. Many carried Spanish flags, some of them from the eagle-emblazoned pre-constitutional Spanish flag. At 8.30pm, residents of the neighborhood which voted overwhelmingly for the Popular Party and the far-right Vox at last years national election, began to bang pots and pans and hit traffic lights and trash cans. With reporting by Isabel Valdes and Fernando Peinado. English version by Melissa Kitson. The task force set up by the Maharashtra government to assist it in managing the coronavirus situation, has asked the administration to gear up for non-COVID-19 diseases during the upcoming monsoon season. Talking to PTI, chairman of the task force, Sanjay Oak, said they have asked the government to gear up for mitigation of malaria and dengue during the rainy season. "Water-borne diarrhoea and jaundice may complicate the coronavirus situation," he said. Oak said the task force has also asked the government to continue care in field hospitals and four dedicated COVID- 19 hospitals till August. He said the state government has practically taken up all the suggestions made by it. "The COVID-19 facilities created by the government look adequate. But the virus graph hasn't seen a decline as yet. We want the doubling rate of coronavirus cases to come to 20 days," he said. He said that there was a need to learn from other countries in terms of the handling of coronavirus situation. The nine-member task force was set up last month to recommend steps to decrease the mortality rate and clinical management of critically-ill COVID-19 patients. The doubling rate in the state is now 11 days. The number of COVID-19 cases in the state till Friday night was 29,100, of them 1,068 have died. Of these, Mumbai accounts for 17,671 cases and 655 deaths. As many as 6,564 patients have recovered and discharged from hospitals. The other hotspots include Pune with 3,141 cases and 172 deaths, followed by Malegaon with 663 cases and 34 deaths, Solapur with 356 cases and 20 deaths, Aurangabad with 683 cases and 20 deaths. In Mumbai,process to augment the bed capacity in hospital beds is on. The capacity is also being enhanced in the larger Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), officials said. The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been categorised in three parts- Covid Care Centres (CCC), Dedicated Covid Health Centres (DCHC) and Dedicated Covid Hospitals (DCH). Threefacilities- one in MMRDA Ground at Bandra-Kurla Complex and seond in NESCO Complex in Goregaon and another one at Global Impact Hub in Thane- are expected to be commissioned in next few days, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Covid-19 to escalate hunger, malnutrition in Africa: WHO Geneva, Switzerland, May 15 (UNI) The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed its apprehensions that the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to severely impact food security in many African nations as agricultural activities have become a casualty of the pandemic. WHO's Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said on Thursday that the contagious disease could undermine efforts to tackle malnutrition and endemic hunger in the continent. Moeti said that hunger and undernourishment are likely to aggravate in the continent as the pandemic threatens livelihoods and household economies. She also lamented that hunger itself heightens vulnerability to diseases. WEST HAVEN A 34-year-old West Haven man faces criminal charges after he allegedly pulled out a rifle during an argument in a parking lot, according to police. Allan Brockenberry was charged with firearm in a motor vehicle, illegal possession of an assault rifle, criminal possession of a firearm, first-degree threatening and breach of peace. At a time when the issue of relaxing labour laws in favour of industries is being hotly debated, it appears that not everyone within the ruling BJP is happy with such a proposal. Senior BJP MLC Ayanur Manjunath has written to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa asking the government to drop the proposal of relaxing labour laws in the state. Manjunath is seen as a Yediyurappa loyalist. In his letter, Manjunath pointed out the relaxing laws at this point would put the job security of workers under peril and go against their rights. Moreover, such a move was not in sync with Yediyurappa's political legacy, Manjunath said. "Your personality and image cannot be compared with other chief ministers. You are known more as a crusader of the rights of the vulnerable than as a politician," he wrote, urging the government to protect the rights of workers in this time of crisis. An ordinance relaxing labour laws was expected to come up before the Cabinet earlier this week and it was widely believed that Karnataka will follow the footsteps of a few other BJP-ruled states. But the ordinance did not come up for approval, indicating that the government may have gone slow on this. The Karnataka Employers' Association (KEA) has sought relaxation of labour laws. "The COVID-19 situation has brought a sense of urgency in amending the labour laws to make it responsive to the emerging opportunities. Our existing labour laws being archaic are found to be woefully wanting," KEA president BC Prabhakar stated in a May 14 petition to the CM. "We're anxiously waiting," Prabhakar told DH. The KEA has sought amendments to the Industrial Disputes Act, Factories Act, Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, Sexual Harassment of Women At Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition And Redressal) Act and Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act. The amendments sought include doing away with the requirement for industrial establishments employing 100 or more workmen to seek permission of the government for layoffs, retrenchment or closing down. Also, the body has asked the government to permit 12-hour work in a day with four hours of overtime on a single wage, exclusion of the IT/ITeS/BPO knowledge-based industry from the purview of the Contract Labour Act and so on. Officials in the Labour department told DH that the issue was still under consideration by the government. Matt Hancock has been warned by a leader of Britains family doctors that the governments coronavirus testing strategy is undermining the confidence of medical professionals and patients in the process and its results. In a letter to the health secretary, the chair of the Royal College of GPs urged the government to shift away from arbitrary numbers and targets, such as the goal of 200,000 daily tests by the end of May set by Boris Johnson earlier this month, in favour of widening access to testing for health workers and the public. Prof Martin Marshall said GPs are concerned over arrangements which see tests being transported over long distances to pathology labs with lengthy waiting times for results and questions around their accuracy. And he warned of a crisis of the infection rate in care homes, calling out an absence of a clear testing strategy and delays in social care planning that has left patients in care homes vulnerable during the pandemic. The college is calling for a joined-up strategy across the health, social and community care systems with a focus on making sure that the right people are tested at the right time to protect vulnerable patients, key workers and the wider population. This would involve: - Testing kits being made readily available for all patients with symptoms. - Pathology labs updating GP records with test results to assist tracing of Covid-19 positive cases. - GPs being given clear guidance on how to assist patients with access to tests. Prof Marshall told the health secretary: GPs and their teams are doing their best to continue to give care, but it is essential that any forthcoming approach enables them to have access to testing to protect their patients. I am sure you will agree that now is the time to move beyond an arbitrary focus on numbers and targets and ensure that our loved ones in vulnerable settings are given particular protection. Whilst there have been clear strides to improve testing capacity, and whilst we recognise the work of government and a range of stakeholders, we do not believe that there is sufficient clarity on a joined-up comprehensive testing strategy to prevent a second wave of infections and to secure the overall health of the population. As we ease lockdown over the coming weeks and months it is essential that the profession and patients have full confidence in the approach to test, track and trace. Prof Marshall wrote: Any testing strategy should support the existing national effort to contain the virus, support key workers and prevent a second wave of infection, to keep the entire UK population safe and healthy. It therefore must continue to ensure that the right people are tested at the right time to protect key workers and vulnerable patients. It should help us understand the virus and its spread better through test, track and trace. It should deliver timely results that patients and healthcare professionals can have confidence in. It is crucial that healthcare professionals have adequate guidance and transparent communication from government about testing so that they can interpret and act upon results [and that] any testing strategy must commit to building confidence in the process, including a commitment to improving the sensitivity and specificity of the tests. The Jammu and Kashmir government has arranged 20 buses to evacuate 470 migrant workers of the Union Territory from 12 districts of Haryana amid the COVID-19 lockdown. The government has arranged the fleet of buses under its Haryana-Migrant Workers Evacuation Plan to get the UT's migrant labourers back home, an official spokesman said. Meanwhile, the Jammu district administration on Saturday received 3rd COVID-19 special train carrying 952 passengers from outside the UT. So far, three trains have reached Jammu with a total of 2,870 stranded passengers belonging to different districts of the UT, the spokesman said. Jammu Deputy Commissioner Sushma Chauhan, who is supervising the whole process of boarding and deboarding of migrants at Jammu Railway station, said 100 per cent sampling of returnees has been done at the kiosks at the station. Besides, an elaborate transport system has been put in place to take passengers to their native districts for administrative quarantine amid strict adherence to the guidelines, she said. Additionally, the government has evacuated about 3,178 stranded residents of J&K between May 15 and May 16 morning, taking the total figure to 52,396 migrants, who have returned to the UT through Lakhanpur besides bringing back home 9,243 persons through special trains at Jammu and Udhampur till Saturday. The spokesman said a train has been scheduled to run from Bengaluru to J&K on May 17 to bring back the J&K people stranded in Karnataka. A train from Nagpur reached Udhampur railway station with 1,027 passengers, while the 8th train from Bengaluru carrying about 655 stranded J-K natives is expected to reach Udhampur by tonight, the spokesman said. Udhampur Deputy Commissioner Piyush Singhla said elaborate arrangements are in place for reception and departure of these passengers to their homes in different districts of J&K. The spokesman said the daily truck arrival carrying industrial raw material and construction material crossed 2,100-mark on Saturday with total 61,651 trucks entering J&K since COVID-19 lockdown, in a clear indication of economic activities gaining impetus in J&K, the spokesman said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A massive fire broke out at a condominium complex on South Padre Island, located on the southern tip of Texas, Saturday morning. The fire, which sent a cloud of flames and thick black smoke into the air, may have been sparked by a lightning strike, according to initial National Weather Service reports. Storms were in the area at the time. No one was injured in the blaze at Gulf Point Condominiums, officials said at a news conference. The fire started just before 7:30 a.m. local time on the east side of the building before moving toward the center, a South Padre fire official said. The inferno was contained by 2 p.m. but the building was a total loss, the official said. "A piece of is island history is lost," Mayor Patrick McNulty said at the news conference. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Image: South Padre Island (Laguna Vista Volunteer Fire Department) Roy Garcia, 55, is visiting the island with his family and is staying at the Sapphire Condominiums near where the fire broke out. He told NBC News that they heard a loud boom followed by the sound of an alarm. When his daughter went to the window, she could see flames and clouds of smoke coming from the Gulf Point Condominiums. "There's several cars that were damaged," he said. "Some completely burned by the fire." Garcia, who is from the Brownsville, Texas area, said it took a while for firefighters to contain the blaze. Camila Crisp, 23, is staying at the Sapphire Condominiums and said she also heard a loud boom. "This morning we woke up to some thunderstorms and we just thought it was ordinary thunderstorms out here," she said. "For a minute I thought maybe there was some sort of a tornado or something just because it was a huge cloud of smoke," she added. Crisp, of San Antonio, said she could see the fire from her balcony. "I saw the entire building going up in flames," she said. Neighboring fire departments, including from the town of Laguna Vista, assisted with putting out the blaze. "Please keep all the first responders and everyone else there in your prayers," the Laguna Vista Police Department posted on Facebook earlier Saturday. Cordani We didnt think twice about partnering with TLK Fusion stated Ciccia. Now more than ever, customers are looking for that extra boost you get from a new pair of shoes. But we need to find innovative ways of reaching her, with the freshest collection of new styles." High-end comfort womens footwear leader Cordani has joined forces with globally renowned TLK Fusion to capitalize on the ever-changing landscape of the retail marketplace using traditional and non-traditional marketing methods. Consumer behavior is changing drastically as customers are now making a shift toward essential purchases and online shopping. The current state of the country has had a devastating effect on the retail world and has made it difficult for brands to navigate the challenging brick and mortar market amidst the various market restrictions and building consumer demand. Owners Michael and Allyson as long-time and seasoned veterans in the industry knew they would have to adapt their strategy in order to continue to reach their loyal consumer base and stand out from their competitors. After speaking with marketing industry leader, Ken Collis, Founder of TLK Fusion, both parties immediately knew the direction that was needed. We didnt think twice about partnering with TLK Fusion stated Ciccia. Now more than ever, customers are looking for that extra boost you get from a new pair of shoes. But we need to find innovative ways of reaching her, with the freshest collection of new styles. Things are changing so fast and we want to be part of the new retail landscape TLK Fusion will help us do that. The Cordani brand has become known as an industry leader in the high-end comfort market of womens footwear. Cordanis mission is to provide women with high quality, luxury footwear that offers extreme comfort without sacrificing style. They strive to empower women with comfortable footwear that allows them to stay on their feet all day long to work and play hard. They also pledge to support local artisans around the world who pour their heart in the trade while respecting the environment and honoring age-old shoe-making traditions. When the market goes left, we pivot right, states Ken Collis. The secret to succeeding in business is to follow your gut and not the rest of the pack. Overcoming challenges of the pandemic is right within the wheelhouse of marketing and not new to TLK Fusion, who has been immersed in the digital landscape for several years now. The goal is to utilize not only the traditional marketing methods that are available but to also think outside the box when consumer behavior is changing, restrictions are enforced, and the direction is clouded by rumor and obstacles. Ken further explained. TLK Fusion is a leading Los Angeles based pop culture marketing firm. As an established leader in the marketing sector and a decade of innovative business practices that specialize in raising brand awareness, TLK Fusion is sought after for their disruptive marketing methods. With an aggressive 360 degree approach that includes digital marketing, strategic public relations, powerful celebrity alignments, and a history of multi-million dollar introductions into retail, TLK Fusion has harnessed the power of structured marketing to drive growth with businesses of all levels. Founded in 2009 and led by successful entrepreneur, Ken Collis, TLK Fusion has continued to evolve in the ever-changing marketing sector to remain ahead and relevant in the industry. ABOUT CORDANI Cordani (https://www.cordani.com/) was started in 1998 by Boston-based husband and wife team Michael and Allyson Ciccia. Allyson, who had trouble finding comfortable shoes that were also fashionable decided to take matters in her own hands. So, the couple left their jobs in corporate America and went to Italy, the home country of Michaels family. They cobbled together a collection of shoes that was met with immediate success in the US. Buyers recognized the high quality and extreme comfort features of the shoes, combined with their savvy but sober styling. Over 22 years later, the brand name has become synonymous with luxury and comfort. Available at the highest-end shoe and clothing boutiques across the country as well as in department stores and online, the brand has a cultish following. The company has earned a stellar reputation in the footwear industry for supplying a top-notch line that consistently performs in sell-through and repeat purchases. To learn more about Cordani, visit https://www.cordani.com/ ABOUT TLK FUSION, INC. TLK Fusion (https://tlkfusion.com/) is an innovative, fast-paced, pop culture, Hollywood marketing firm based in Los Angeles, CA. Established in 2009 by successful entrepreneur, Ken Collis, TLK Fusion boasts not only an A-List roster of celebrity talent but also has an aggressive footprint in the Digital Marketing and Distribution into Retail markets. TLK Fusion's unique out-of-the-box thinking and 360-degree service mix has proven successful throughout the past decade. As the recipient of many accolades and awards that include multiple Best in Biz Awards, The Rolling Stone Magazine Impact Award, the notorious Golden Bridge Award, a coveted Stevie Award, and recently multiple Clutch Awards. TLK Fusion now has proudly accepted the 2019 Entrepreneur 360 Award for the second year in a row. To learn more about TLK Fusion, Inc, visit https://tlkfusion.com/ Press Inquiries Contact: Melissa Felix, TLK Fusion Inc, melissa@tlkfusion.com, (818) 208-4582 Manitoba has learned for the first time how COVID-19 has impacted First Nations citizens in the province. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Manitoba has learned for the first time how COVID-19 has impacted First Nations citizens in the province. For the first weeks of the declared pandemic even though many (including the federal government) knew First Nations would be disproportionately impacted the province did not collect data on Indigenous cases. COVID-19 more severe for First Nations people Click to Expand A nurse gets a swab ready at a temporary COVID-19 test clinic in Montreal, on Friday, May 15, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson Posted: 7:00 PM May. 15, 2020 COVID-19 is spreading faster among First Nations people in Winnipeg and making them more sick, according to the first release of data on Indigenous people in Manitoba. Read Full Story This changed after a late-March agreement with health officials from the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, as the province began to ask patients testing positive for the novel coronavirus to voluntarily self-identify as First Nations or not. Armed with data collected since April 3, Manitoba officials provided the information to AMC on Friday. The report, introduced by Dr. Marcia Anderson (a University of Manitoba professor and Anishinaabe-Cree) in an online presentation, is as good news as any in a pandemic. Out of 289 positive cases of COVID-19 in the province, 16 are First Nations individuals (14 are recovered and two are active cases). Thats about 5.5 per cent about half the proportion of First Nations people in Manitoba. None are on-reserve residents; all positive cases are off-reserve members, most of whom live in Winnipeg. The provincial self-disclosure request does not ask which community they come from, just if they are First Nations. The disclosure also doesnt request any proof of First Nations status. It is not known how many individuals disclose they are Metis or Inuit. The province has vowed to forge similar information sharing agreements with those groups in the future. This all leads to more questions then answers, but lets deal first with the facts. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Our communities have been successful, AMC Grand Chief Arlen Dumas said, but its just a matter of when. Some reflect Manitoba-wide data, such as the most common age of First Nations positive cases is between 20 and 29 years old, and most contracted the infection from other individuals (27 per cent came through travel). The "secondary attack rate" for First Nations cases (when an infected person infects others through contact) is double the rate of other Manitobans (around 30 per cent) an unsurprising fact considering First Nations homes often have more people and poverty than others. The hospitalization rate of infected First Nations individuals is also double the rate of other Manitobans, suggesting a similar trend as seen in the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, when the sickness impacted First Nations worse and led to more deaths than in other racial groups. An interesting statistic though is 13 of the 16 First Nations cases are females a significant difference to Manitoba, where the gender split is roughly half. This may mean First Nations women are risking their lives at the front lines of the sickness as caregivers, nurses, and advocates in infected areas (homes, hospitals, essential services) proportionately more than others. Perhaps the most interesting fact shared by Anderson was: "Since April 3, it does seem that the proportion of First Nation cases is getting higher" and health measures in First Nations have "delayed the onset of COVID-19 in our communities, not eliminated it." Since April 3, it does seem that the proportion of First Nation cases is getting higher. Dr. Marcia Anderson This means the first wave of COVID-19 hasnt even yet started in most Manitoba First Nations. "Our communities have been successful," AMC Grand Chief Arlen Dumas said, "but its just a matter of when." This means testing, information, and maintaining safety protocols on First Nations is more important than ever. While the report states there have been 1,488 tests for COVID-19 at First Nations sites, its unknown how many First Nations people have been tested off-reserve (the province doesnt record this). Setting aside the statistical and cultural issues with Manitobans self-disclosing Indigenous identity for a moment, the lack of accounting of Metis and Inuit cases and the inherent issues with governmental reporting suggests more tracking is needed, not less. This echoes a nation-wide malaise with tracking COVID-19 on First Nations. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. In a damning report this week by the Indigenous-led think tank Yellowhead Institute, researchers found statistics kept by Indigenous Services Canada of positive COVID-19 cases on First Nations are porous, faulty, and "dont provide the whole picture." While ISC has been reporting 175 cases in 634 reserve communities in Canada (leading to two deaths), Yellowhead researchers found the number is closer to 465 in just 42 communities (leading to seven deaths). This suggests governments across the country arent doing a capable job tracking the sickness. Hyper-vigilance is needed to stop the spread. In this vein, the province and AMC will now distribute First Nations statistics each Friday. Now is not the time to rest, but prepare for whats to come. The curve may be flattened in Manitoba, but for First Nations, its just beginning. niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca OXFORD, Miss. - A suspect in an Arkansas slaying was shot and killed by authorities Friday in Mississippi during a shootout in which a U.S. marshal was wounded, officials said. Hunter Carlstrom, 33, was fatally shot by authorities after he began firing at deputies attempting to pull him over in Oxford, Mississippi, news outlets reported. Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Capt. Johnny Poulos said marshals tried to stop Carlstrom on Friday morning, but he fled and later jumped out of the car and began shooting at authorities, hitting the marshal twice. Poulos said marshals returned fired and Carlstrom was later pronounced dead. The wounded marshal was expected to recover, authorities said. Carlstroms wife was with him during the confrontation and was taken into custody. It was not immediately clear whether she faces any charges. Authorities in Lawrence County, Arkansas, said Carlstrom was wanted for the killing of James Sarotelli, 61, who was found dead on May 7 in Smithville, about 150 miles (241 kilometres) northwest of Oxford. Details surrounding Sarotellis slaying and Carlstroms connection to the crime werent immediately released. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The city and state Health Departments continue to warn parents of whats been dubbed PMIS, or Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome, which has affected 110 children in New York. Three children, two boys aged 5 and 7 and an 18-year-old girl, have died statewide, one of which was in New York City. Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city has immediately started an ad campaign to make parents and caregivers aware of what symptoms are a cause for concern: A fever that does not break after three days, inability to eat or drink, difficulty breathing, abdominal pain and/or vomiting, presence of a rash and bloodshot eyes and dry lips. The symptoms mimic those of kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome, which are usually rare, and are appearing in children who were initially thought to be spared from COVID-19. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said its a parents worst nightmare. The state Health Department is investigating the 110 cases, Cuomo said, of which 60% tested positive for COVID-19 and 40% had positive antibody tests. De Blasio said there has been one fatality in New York City and 55 of the 100 cases detected citywide tested positive for antibodies or COVID-19. Both Cuomo and de Blasio said hospitals are required to report any cases to the Health Departments. Seven hundred frontline pediatric providers across the city and 23 frontline pediatric ICUs will begin weekly webinars to discuss PMIS instances and treatment plans. This is really troubling and I say this as a parent, de Blasio said. Now after we thought we understood a consistent pattern something new has been happening. Were going to throw everything weve got at it. Top pediatric doctors at both Staten Island hospitals said there is no need to panic, but cautioned that parents need to remain observant and know what to look for. STATEN ISLAND ACCOUNTS FOR 3% OF CASES CITYWIDE On Friday, de Blasio said Staten Island accounted for 3% of PMIS cases citywide -- the lowest of all of the boroughs. The Bronx had the highest percentage with 37%, followed by Queens, 33%; Brooklyn, 20%; and Manhattan 7%. According to the city Health Department, males are affected more often than females -- 57% of affected children were males. PMIS has largely affected children 4-years-old and under, according to the data: 0 to 4: 35% 5 to 9: 25% 10 to 14: 24% 15 to 21: 16% The data also shows that African American children have been stricken with the disease at a higher rate of those whose race is known: African American: 24% Hispanic: 14% Asian: 10% White: 9% Other: 5% Unknown: 38% RUMC, SIUH SAY THEYRE PREPARED BUT HAVENT SEEN SEVERE CASES Chair of Pediatrics at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC), Dr. Brian McMahon said PMIS is peculiar but pediatricians are well-versed and when identified early, theyre likely able to prevent long-term damage. RUMC has already seen cases of kawasaki-like symptoms in a 1-year-old and 1-month-old. Statewide, Cuomo said 71% of the cases required intensive care and intubation, McMahon said there have been no severe cases of PMIS at RUMC. McMahon said the hospital has been fortunate so far, but they are prepared for what could potentially walk through the door. Heres the main point -- most children do fine when theyre exposed to COVID-19, McMahon said. Theyre usually carriers and wont even know they have it unless you test. Parents should know that most kids will do OK, but we have to be on the lookout that there can be serious complications. KAWASAKI, PMIS IS NOT CONTAGIOUS LIKE COVID Dr. Pamela Feuer, director of pediatric critical care medicine at Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH), said one of the biggest challenges in treating children is theyre not always able to tell their parents, or doctors, what is bothering them. Were dependent on the parents to tell how theyre feeling. [Children] are also smaller and its harder to get blood work and IVs started, but otherwise the medication we use to treat them is no different than adults, Feuer said. Unlike COVID-19, Feuer said the Kawasaki and inflammatory symptoms are not contagious. These versions appear to be post-viral. By themselves they are not contagious, Feuer said. Many of these children are not currently presenting as COVID-positive by the [nasal swab] test but they may have antibodies indicating they had COVID two to four weeks prior and were contagious then, she said. Feuer said SIUH has seen cases in children and theyve done well, adding they also have not had any severe pediatric cases. There are viruses all year around and weve always seen fever this time of the year due to spring viruses, but parents should call their pediatrician if theyre concerned and ask questions; let somebody guide them for the next steps, she said. As always, Feuer said, parents should take their child to the emergency room if they are extremely concerned for their childs health and follow official information that will be put out by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and local Health Departments. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** FOLLOW KRISTIN F. DALTON ON TWITTER. A YOUTH who is accused threatening a French student with a meat cleaver after breaking into her bedroom has been refused bail. The 16-year-old, who is in the care of the State, is charged with aggravated burglary and criminal damage in relation to an incident which occurred on September 22, last. The Director of Public Prosecutions previously directed trial on indictment and the matter came before Limerick Circuit Court for the first time last week. Opposing bail, Garda Dave Barry said it will be alleged the defendant and another youth entered a house at Old Cratloe Road, Limerick by via an upstairs window at around 7.10am. He told John OSullivan BL, instructed by state solicitor Padraig Mawe, that the culprits were armed with a knife and a meat cleaver when they entered the house which was occupied. It is the State case that having entered the property the culprits threatened the student and demanded cash from her after they entered her bedroom. After another occupant of the house was alerted to the commotion and closed the bedroom door, the intruders fled by climbing out the window . While they had left from the house when gardai arrived, Garda Barry said it will alleged a key to the house was found on the defendant when he was apprehended a short time later. A quantity of cash. similar to what was taken from the student, was also recovered. A meat cleaver was located near the scene while clothing belonging to the teenager is alleged to match that seen on CCTV. He was virtually caught in the act, said Mr OSullivan. Garda Barry said he was objecting to bail as he had concerns the defendant would not attend court if released and would engage in criminality. Judge Pat Meghen was told the 16-year-old has been reported missing on more than 60 occasions in the recent past. He has been the subject of a large number of national missing persons appeals. Padraig Langson BL submitted there was no evidence to support the contention his client would engage in further criminality if granted bail and he said his client being missing was nothing to do with whether or not he should be granted bail. There is no obligation on him to be in any particular place, he said. Seeking bail on behalf of his client, Mr Langson questioned the strength of the evidence in the case and he submitted the court could impose strict bail conditions such as a curfew. Refusing bail, Judge Meghen said the gravity of the allegations were a concern and he said he was satisfied there is a strong case to answer. He noted the youth has addiction issues and he said the fact that he has been reported missing so many times was something he was entitled to consider. The defendant was remanded in continuing detention to Oberstown and the case was adjourned to June 10, next. Day four of the ongoing Rs 20-lakh crore announcements focused on medium to long term policy action in eight sectors. These sectors are not necessarily the worst affected ones by COVID-19. Some though not all the measures could be termed structural reforms. The common thread running through all these announcements is government ceding more space to the private sector in areas dominated by the State. It harks back to Prime Minister Narendra Modis promise of minimum government, maximum governance when he first came to New Delhi in 2014. Since the government juggles with multiple demands for investment, if the private sector shoulders a part of this responsibility, it will free up capital the government can employ elsewhere. As an aside, higher domestic content will also reduce the countrys import bill. And, if all this investment creates more jobs then thats another problem solved. While all of this seems neat and well thought out it does not do anything for the current crisis facing Indian industry. Also, private sector investments have been slowing down even before COVID-19 due to a weak economy and under-utilisation of existing capacity. Thats a hindrance for the success of this plan. In sectors such as defence where the government is the main buyer, a committed buying programme will be a prerequisite for making investments. Moreover, not all of them are new and have been stuck in limbo for some time. Perhaps, the best announcement today is raising the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in the defence manufacturing under automatic route from 49 percent to 74 percent. We clearly need to make more defence goods in India. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, India was the second largest arms importer in the world between 2015 and 2019. Raising the FDI limit to give clear ownership could see big multinational defence goods companies set up shop in India. This does qualify as a structural reform. But as with most of the announcements in this package, we need to see the fine print. Converting Ordnance Factory Boards into corporate entities is welcome but also an existing proposal. The idea of making them into companies and listing them is to push them to pay more attention to the financial viability of their operations. But getting employees on board for such measures has not proved easy in the past and thats a key aspect to the proposal succeeding. Freeing up the coal and minerals sector is also a welcome measure. These sectors have been a focus area for the government, as they tick several boxes of utilisation of Indias natural resources, creating employment and providing the basic fuel and raw material inputs for many industries. However, a lot of these measures are just a reiteration of those made earlier. Even amendments to law have been carried out as recently as January. The focus of industry will now turn to implementation. While reforms in this industry have been an ongoing process, there are a few problems. Demand appears to be one main issue. For instance, demand for thermal coal depends on thermal power generation, which is not in the pink of health. Similarly, demand for minerals also depends on investments being made in downstream sectors such as aluminium or zinc or steel. In a post-COVID world, companies have been talking about cutting back on capex. As with the rest of the package announced so far, measures to boost demand are missing. The risk is that companies bid for and secure mining contracts but dont do much work on the actual mining after that. Then, state governments need to be on board for taking forward these reforms. What could help is if the government boosts investment in downstream projects, or supports the downstream sectors in some form. Also, the investments in mining-related infrastructure of Rs 50000 crore is a good measure but only if the execution is swift. Finally, exports of these minerals are a controversial subject as the preference is for value addition within the country. However, if there isnt enough absorptive capacity for these minerals, then a more liberalised export policy too may be needed. The government also just seems to be winging it as far as the aviation sector is concerned. This sector has been one of the most vociferous in demanding cash support to pay salaries, tax waivers and cheaper credit lines. What is has got instead, at least for now, is a set of long term measures. Sure, opening up the airspace is good in principle (the details are lacking). There is no clarity also because last year the Airport Authority of India signed a pact with Boeing for developing an air traffic management roadmap which will improve airspace utilisation. Similarly, airport auctions have been ongoing for quite some time. The dream of making India a hub for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of aircraft was presented in the Union Budget as well. Similarly, a tariff policy for the power sector has been in the works for some time, so too is the privatisation of discoms. There are private discoms in some states already. The key thing here is that the Centre can push through such privatisation only in Union Territories (which is all that it has done). The government has been advocating setting up of or upgradation of healthcare facilities in districts through the PPP mode. On this front, it plans to increase its viability gap funding from 20 percent to 30 percent. COVID-19 has exposed the inadequacy of investments in public health. While this measure may go a small way in improving it, whats needed is a concerted investment in healthcare infrastructure by the states and Centre, a role that the private sector is ill-equipped to perform. Overall, the excitement over the Rs 20 lakh crore package is wearing thin. The government is in the danger of appearing tone deaf by announcing space travel reforms when millions of migrants are walking back home on the highways. Perhaps, the final episode of this long drawn out announcement will produce the big bang, but we are not betting on that. Kerala will observe a complete lockdown on Sunday, May 17, to strengthen its fight and surveillance against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday, after the southern state reported 16 new cases. With this, the states tally has gone up to 576 including four deaths. The CM said that the sudden increase in Covid cases in the state is a real concern and the government will take all steps to maintain a steady rate. Kerala, which reported the countrys first coronavirus case, declared last week that it had flattened the curve. But from only 20 active cases on May 10, the numbers rose to 80 on May 15, an increase of 60 positive cases in just five days, according to PTI. The spurt in the infections was seen after the return of expats from abroad and migrant workers from other parts of the country. Of the cases reported on Friday, seven are those who have returned from abroad, while four had come from Tamil Nadu and two from Mumbai, said Vijayan. Out of the total cases in the state, north Kerala district Wayanad, which was earlier a green zone, has reported maximum cases of 19 followed by Kasaragod, the chief minister said. The CM said a non-AC special train will be arranged from New Delhi next week to bring stranded students. A special help desk will be set up for this in Delhi. Similarly the railways agreed to run a daily train from Bangaluru to Thiruvananthapuram and special trains from five other states. Opposition parties had slammed the government for its delay in bringing back stranded alleging that it was more concerned on its graph than welfare of its people. The state had observed a complete shutdown on May 10 as well as a symbolic gesture to renew its fight against the pandemic. May 17 is the last day of the third phase of nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19. The dates of the fourth phase of lockdown are yet to be announced. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on May 11, had said that the lockdown 4.0 will have a completely different form, with new rules. (With inputs from PTI) An all-India organisation of priests has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reopen temples and pilgrimage centres to help combat the Covid-19 outbreak, saying the novel coronavirus is an asur (demon) and can only be killed by divine forces. If all temples, shrines and pilgrimage centres are reopened, the coronavirus cannot do any harm (kuch nahi bigad sakta hay), Akhil Bhartiya Tirth Purohit Mahasabha national president Mahesh Pathak said in a letter to the prime minister on Saturday. He said the closure of temples has also adversely impacted the economic condition of priests and demanded special financial package for them. In his letter to the Prime Minister, Pathak said the religious sites can be reopened with some restrictions under the present circumstances. The government has banned congregations and closed temples and other religious sites, besides schools, colleges, malls and factories, to check the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 85,000 people and killed over 2,750 in the country so far. Pathak said India is perhaps facing the wrath of deities as they have been treated at par with factories during the ongoing lockdown. Coronavirus is an asur (demon) and it can only be killed by divine forces. I am quite sure divinity would rescue devotees from the coronavirus after joint prayers, he told reporters here. He said the closure of temples and shrines has widened the distance between gods and devotees, and the separation cannot be erased through prayers at home. He said though the portals of Char Dham temples have been opened in Uttarakhand, entry of devotees has been banned. The deities provide solace to a disturbed mind, he said and demanded that devotees be allowed there. The opening of the temples under a guideline would also provide some financial support to priests who have been badly hit by the coronavirus-triggered lockdown. The organisation has requested the Prime Minister to bring priests and pandas (religious guides) under the umbrella of an economic package being provided by the government to different categories of people. A copy of the letter has been sent to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Pathak said. The lockdown was first announced by Prime Minister Modi on March 24 for 21 days in a bid to combat the coronavirus pandemic. It was first extended till May 3 and again till May 17. Four persons, including three women, tested positive for COVID-19 in Manipur, taking the total number of active cases in the state to five, officials said on Saturday. Of the fresh cases, two have returned from Mumbai, one from Chennai and one from Kolkata, they said. Two Mumbai returnees, a 75-year-old woman and a 48- year-old man, had reached Imphal on May 14 in a hired vehicle and were placed under quarantine at the RD Wing in Lamphel, which had been set up to quarantine patients returning from other states following treatment, they said. One of the two underwent treatment at the Tata Memorial Hospital there. A 22-year-old woman, who had recently returned from Chennai in a special train, also tested positive for the dreaded virus and was staying at a quarantine centre in Churachandpur district, another official said. "The woman was admitted to the isolation ward of the district hospital after she developed fever," he said. She was among the 1,140 stranded Manipuris who had reached Jiribam railway station in the state on May 13. A nursing professional, who was under quarantine, tested positive and was shifted to an isolation ward of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences here. The woman, who works in a Kolkata hospital, had returned to Manipur in a bus on May 7, the official said. The COVID-19 Consultative Committee under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N Biren Singh held a meeting on Saturday to review the situation after the new cases were reported in the state. The committee members took stock of the availability of quarantine centres and the testing capacity of the state as more people stranded outside Manipur are expected to come in the next few days, according to a statement issued by the home department. The influx of people will continue, and three special trains coming from Baroda, Bengaluru and Hyderabad will reach the state soon, the official said. The committee also suggested the testing of all the people who came from outside and asked the authorities to keep them in quarantine centres till the test results are received. It recommended the state government to extend the ongoing lockdown till May 31, the statement said. "Exemptions may be given to agriculture activities, MGNREGA, MSME sector with social distancing norms in rural areas," it said. Manipur was declared a zero positive COVID-19 state by the chief minister on April 19, after two coronavirus patients recovered. Following the detection of positive cases at two quarantine centres, the Imphal West district administration has taken up containment measures. Deputy Commissioner Imphal West N Praveen said the containment measures have been taken up "in view of the impending threat of COVID-19 pandemic in the areas". Meanwhile, the government has cancelled all curfew passes which have been issued previously by the district administrations. Chief Secretary J Suresh Babu, in an office memorandum, stated that "instances of misuse of these passes by pass holders" have come into the notice of the government. The Manipur Police on Satuday detained 1,030 people for violating the curfew and the lockdown orders and seized 696 vehicles in the state, a senior officer said. All the detained people were produced before courts and a total fine of Rs 1.11 lakh was imposed on them, a statement, issued by Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) L Kailun, said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) People going into hospital for planned surgery in England will have to isolate for two weeks before they arrive, under new NHS rules. Patients will either have to shut themselves in a room to keep away from their own family for a fortnight, or the entire household will need to isolate from the outside world together. A COVID-19 test will also be mandatory 72 hours before patients arrive, to prove they are free of the viral disease before going for procedures such as hip replacements or cataracts. The rule will apply to everyone regardless of whether they have COVID-19 symptoms, and will affect about 700,000 patients a month. The plan was unveiled by NHS England as part of new guidance to get elective care back up and running. People going into hospital for planned surgery in England will have to isolate for two weeks before they arrive, under new NHS rules. Just a fifth of routine operations have been going ahead during the coronavirus crisis, causing a huge backlog on waiting lists. Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England's national medical director, said: 'Now that we are confident that we have passed the first peak of coronavirus, it is important that we bring back those services where we can, but only where that can be done safely. The virus is still circulating and we don't want to put our patients, the public or our staff at greater risk.' April was the quietest EVER month in A&E as attendances HALVED in two months with 900,000 seeking urgent medical help, official figures show April was the quietest month ever for A&E departments across England, NHS statistics have revealed. Only 916,581 emergency department visits were recorded in the month that Britain's coronavirus crisis peaked - the first time on record the number has dipped below one million. The number of times people sought emergency help fell by more than half in just two months as COVID-19 gripped the nation. People have been avoiding hospitals out of fear of adding extra pressure to the NHS or catching the virus while they're in the hospital, doctors say. Medics warn the massive change in behaviour is a 'ticking time bomb' which may result in more people ending up seriously ill or dying in the near future because they avoided getting medical help when they needed it. There are also concerns that people with cancer will be delayed casualties of the crisis, with urgent referrals for treatment for the disease down eight per cent on last year. NHS England, which published the figures, said the falls were 'likely to be a result of the COVID-19 response' an indication that people have been staying away from A&E departments because of the coronavirus outbreak. The number of people being admitted to hospital beds through A&E also fell sharply last month, down 39 per cent from 535,226 in April 2019 to 326,581 in April 2020. This is the lowest number reported for any calendar month since current records began. Advertisement The new guidance also says people attending A&E will have to practise social distancing and stay 2 metres away from others. It comes after experts estimated more than eight million people will be stuck on NHS surgery waiting lists by autumn because of treatment delays caused by the crisis. Last August there were a record 4.41million patients in England on waiting lists for routine operations, a rise of 250,000 from the same month a year earlier. But that number is expected to more than double because of a backlog triggered by the outbreak, according to the chief executive of the Nuffield Trust think-tank. When officials realised the coronavirus was spreading out of control in the UK they urged hospitals to cancel as many operations as they could and turf out patients on their wards to make way for a surge in COVID-19 patients. The move was successful and hospitals were not overwhelmed by the effects of the virus but hundreds of thousands of patients have had treatment delayed as a result. Nigel Edwards, the Nuffield Trust CEO, said hospitals have only been able to carry out around '15 to 20 per cent' of elective procedures, meaning up to 1.3million patients are missing out every month. Even after the NHS gets back up and running after the crisis, social distancing measures, a lack of PPE and new cleaning regimes will slow down the health service further, Mr Edwards said. It makes it 'very likely we will have doubled the waiting list to over eight million by the late autumn', with one in eight people waiting for treatment. Speaking at a virtual House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee meeting, Mr Edwards said: 'Between 1.5 and 1.7million people a month start a new care pathway, or at least they did before March. We can already see in the March data, the number of patients starting new pathways or being referred has fallen very significantly. Of course thats going to be more the case in April and May. Various hospitals I've been speaking to say theyve been able to do 15, maybe 20 per cent of their elective work. So the maths of that is absolutely brutal. It means between 1.2 and 1.3million people each month, who youd expect to be starting a pathway, who have not been referred yet... it seems very likely we will have doubled the waiting list to over eight million by the late autumn. For the first time in US history, the House of Representatives will allow its members to vote remotely as Washington legislators struggle to follow legislative duties during the coronavirus pandemic. Members of Congress voted largely along party lines on Friday to allow proxy voting for all roll-call votes and to allow members to virtually participate in committee hearings. The history-making change follows weeks of debate among Republicans and Democrats over relief legislation. It also breaks from the bodys 231-year rules, requiring members be physically present to vote, with the Covid-19 public health crisis ultimately putting an end to the practise. According to the rules, no member shall vote on any questions in any case where he was not present when the question was put. A 217-189 vote, intended as a temporary solution through the duration of the emergency, could open the door for virtual voting. For now, members must identify people who will physically cast their votes. Nationwide, governments and court systems including the US Supreme Court have also began virtual hearings in the wake of the pandemic. From the floor on Friday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer assured that the rule change would not fundamentally alter the nature of the House or how it operates and dismissed the idea it set a dangerous precedent but creates a common-sense solution to an unprecedented crisis that demands our ingenuity and adaptability as an institution. House Republicans have demanded their colleagues to return to Congress, echoing Donald Trumps calls for lawmakers to resume business as usual. Minority Leader and staunch Trump ally Kevin McCarthy told reporters on Friday that the nations founders would be ashamed by the temporary rule change during the public health emergency, though many of the changes follow similar safety measures in place in the GOP-held Senate, including video conferencing. Warnings of a second wave of coronavirus infections as United Kingdom allows people to return to work. Many workers in the United Kingdom have been allowed to go back to their jobs and people can now spend more time outside. But there is concern that lifting lockdown restrictions too soon could lead to a second wave of coronavirus infections. The UK is one of the hardest-hit countries in the world, with nearly 34,000 deaths. Al Jazeeras Jonah Hull reports from London. Representative image Even as the second phase of Vande Bharat Mission begins on May 16, there are several disagreeing voices in the industry over the 'monopoly' Air India continues to have on these flights. By the time the first leg got over on May 15, the national airline completed 64 flights - each for outbound and inbound. In the second phase, the carrier will operate 149 flights. There is still no indication of private airlines getting a part of the pie. How big is the pie? Moneycontrol reached out to several aviation experts to understand how much Air India has been making on these flights. These are not 'evacuation' flights where a government usually takes the tab. The Indian government had made it clear that fliers will have to pay for the Vande Bharat Mission flights. In the first phase, Air India and its unit Air India Express, would be flying about 15,000 Indians back home. There are thousands more who have taken the onward flight out of India. The fares range from Rs 12,000 to Rs 1.3 lakh. 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's a mammoth exercise - to calculate Air India's revenues - that needs to factor in a lot of variables, including flying time, aircraft type, fuel consumption, taxes and many more. "It's a long, complicated task," said a senior executive. At the same time, it is possible to calculate how much Air India could have made from one flight. To do so, Moneycontrol along with an aviation expert who didn't want to be identified, took the Air India flight from Delhi to Dubai. Assuming that the A320 aircraft would seat 147 passengers, including eight in the business class; and also factoring in the fuel costs, Air India would be making a profit of anywhere between Rs 26 lakh to Rs 40 lakh. But this doesn't factor in airport charges (which were probably waived off, at least in Delhi, say industry executives), taxes and cost of crew and maintenance. "Catering would have cost about Rs 200 per passenger," said the aviation veteran who didn't want to be identified. Air India would stand to gain higher on longer flights, especially given the lower fuel cost at the moment. "They are definitely making a good margin well above the variable operating cost of the flight," said a senior executive from the industry. "Whether it is enough to cover overheads depends on their overheads and fixed cost structure. But either way it is at least contributing towards fixed costs especially now that they are selling both ways on the US and UK and Singapore flights, while fares were set on the assumption one leg would be empty," the executive added. Another official from a private airline adds: "This is nothing but a government sanctioned monopolistic operation which is highly profitable for Air India. They get additional waivers from airports and governments from most countries where they are operating these repatriation flights, which is a fancy word for charter flights." The Mission - there are more phases to come as 1.9 lakh Indians have registered to get back home - will surely help Air India meet some of its costs, especially it has been dependent on government largesse on meet expenses. For the government, it helps to keep the the national airline flying till it gets a buyer. The disinvestment process has been delayed. As for private airlines, they may have to wait and watch from the sidelines, for a while longer. Murthy is one of my oldest acquaintances. Ive known him for so long that I forget how and when we first met, but hes changed little over the years. He pops up without warning, always on his way someplace else. He spends a couple of hours with me, talking all the time. His answers to questions are long, for, as he once asked me, Why use ten words when you can use four thousand? He always takes his leave promising to get in touch next week. But next week comes only after a year or two or even more. No matter, though, because hes a great idea man, always worth listening to, and, besides, never lets events weigh him down. The lockdown has got him confined to his flat in Thiruvananthapuram, cramping his style a little. But he doesnt let that affect him. He spends his time on long phone calls with all his old friends. And he has a lot of old friends. He knows ministers and secretaries and industrialists and all kinds of influential people. And a few humble commoners, like me. He called me the other evening. Howre you doing? I asked when I recognised his voice. Fine, he said. Absolutely fine. Having fun! Fun? I asked, surprised. Its hard to think of someone of even his sanguine temperament having fun in the lockdown. How? From then on, he was in his element. He went on like a verbal steamroller. Oh, collecting conspiracy theories. Have you head the latest? It seems the patent on Remdesivir is with somebody called Unitaid, who happen to be a sort of branch of Gilead. And Unitaid get a lot of donations from Bill and Melinda Gates, George Soros, WHO, and the Peoples Republic of China. And youre not going to believe this, but Unitaid apparently have a lab somewhere near Wuhan... Unitaid and Gilead supported Hillary Clintons campaign, you know. And guess who authorised millions of dollars for the Wuhan Institute of Virologys research into coronaviruses? Anthony Fauci, thats who! The same guy who recommends Remdesivir and slapped down hydroxychoroquine! He paused for breath and I managed to slip in a question before he started talking again. And what do you believe of all this? I asked. He replied as if I were a slightly challenged five-year-old. I go by the evidence, he said. Like there are these other theories. Theres one that the US government unknowingly outsourced its research into coronaviruses to China. It seems theres some professor at Harvard, named Charles Leiber, who was arrested and let out on bail. The charge is that he got grants from the American National Institute of Health for some research. That grant required him to tell them about foreign sources of funds for his projects, but he didnt tell them hed been part of a Chinese strategic science program since 2012. Actually hed worked through the Wuhan University of Technology. Yes, Wuhan again. Im curious how he raised the million-dollar bail, by the way. Then there are these scientific or pseudo-scientific theories. Theres the 5G connection. There are people who say that radio frequency radiation that 5G generates is devastating. It causes all kinds of problems in living beings, ranging from mutations and genetic defects to oxidative stress, whatever that is. Theres this doctor, or ex-doctor, who claims that the last pandemic we had, the flu of 1918, came just after the electricity network grew to cover large parts of the earth. So theres some connection between electrical activity and radiation and epidemics. And you know what? The first city to go completely 5G was none other than Wuhan. So they want to stop the spread of 5G and we know that the Chinese wont like it because its their Huawei who are leaders in 5G technology. You know, there are all kinds of minds with nothing to do in the lockdown but think of coronavirus and some of them have tied it up to religion. You know, apocalypse and the pralaya and so on. There are these guys who found that the Indian government was investigating people from the US and China who were working on the possibility of bat viruses in some part of Nagaland where the local population have developed immunity to these viruses jumping to humans. So some guys began to say that this isnt a virus, its actually Kalki, whos going to destroy all the non-believers. So theyre praying to be saved from the deluge at the end of the world. And its not just Hindus. There are Christians and Muslims who believe that the virus is a weapon that their respective gods are using to rid the world of the ungodly. To these guys its easy to tell whos good and whos not. If youre alive at the end of the pandemic, youre good, and otherwise youre dead. He had to pause again for a breath and I managed to slip in another quick sentence. You never told me what you believe, after weighing the evidence and so on. No? he asked. Well, theres this 14-year-old boy astrologer who's been uploading lots of videos on YouTube. He predicted the beginning of the pandemic, and he says things are going to get better after the end of May. I think I believe him. I heard his doorbell ring in the background. Ive got a visitor from the government, he said. Theres a case of Covid-19 nearby and they check from time to time... Gotta go! He didnt get back to me after that. Ive tried calling him many times, but his phone is always busy, so Ive never been able to ask him about the evidence that that 14-year-old was right... Shashi Warrier has written fairy tales, thrillers, a semi-fictional biography, satires, and a love story. Besides writing, he teaches strategic communication at a business school. Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday ordered a cessation of movement between the country and neighbouring Tanzania and Somalia to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. He exempted cargo trucks but said drivers would have to be tested for the disease. Search Keywords: Short link: 3 1 of 3 Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 3 People incarcerated in Connecticut can directly appeal the recent dismissal of a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Connecticut urging the state to reduce the number of people in prisons and jails, the chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Friday. The lawsuit, filed by the ACLU of Connecticut on behalf of the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and six inmates, was intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by requiring proper sanitation and medical care and requesting the reduction of the number of people incarcerated. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, May 16, 2020 11:33 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd873757 4 City COVID-19,coronavirus,PSBB,school,study-from-home,virus-corona,virus-korona-indonesia,COVID-19-Jakarta,large-scale-social-restrictions,pembatasan-sosial-berskala-besar Free The Jakarta Education Agency plans to reopen schools in the capital on July 13 to coincide with the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, after schools have been required to implement study-from-home policies for several months in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorities have formulated three different schemes to allow students to return to school, said the agency's head, Nahdiana. "If the large-scale social restriction [PSBB] policy in the capital is lifted, then we will be ready to reopen the schools. We have prepared several scenarios for it," Nahdiana said in a video uploaded on the Jakarta administration's YouTube channel on Thursday, kompas.com reported. Read also: Home learning hindered by technology gap, Nadiem acknowledges The first option is to reopen a number of schools and allow all of their students to attend, while the second option to reopen several schools and only allow half of their students on the premises. Meanwhile, the third option is to reopen all schools while requiring some students to study from home, Nahdiana said without elaborating further. Nahdiana said the implementation of the plan would take into account the Jakarta administration and the central government's policies as well as the preparedness of each school's facilities to prevent COVID-19 transmission. Jakarta has implemented restrictions on mobility since April 10, with the restrictions having been extended for a second period until May 22. Students are required to study from home during the PSBB period, as schools and universities remain closed due to the pandemic. (vny) 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 We still don't know the origins of the virus that has infected more than four million people around the world and killed more than 300,000. What began as a whisper between doctors in Wuhan, China, has within five months decimated the global economy and paralysed health systems in Asia, Europe, North and South America. On Monday, Australia will lead calls for a global independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19 to be established at the World Health Assembly, the global forum of the World Health Organisation. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne have repeatedly described the inquiry as unremarkable, but that's a poor description for any inquiry that must examine allegations of cover-ups, incompetence and inaction that have shut down the global economy. When and where did it start? The generally accepted international intelligence and scientific evidence points to the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan, where wild animals were kept in close proximity to humans creating an environment for the virus to pass between the two species. The Wuhan Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, where the novel coronavirus is believed to have originated. Credit:AP Advertisement But the United States and the Trump administration in particular have been publicising a theory, without any scientific evidence, that it may have begun in a Wuhan laboratory. Australia has been frustrated by this approach, which undermines the campaign to end wildlife wet markets. The Chinese government has not said anything about its own investigations into the virus. So far it has only given support to the World Health Organisation conducting a review of the international response to the crisis once the pandemic has passed and has rejected attempts to place China on the dock. Former foreign minister Julie Bishop says China should be leading an inquiry or a lessons learned exercise into how this pandemic began, where it started and how it got into the human population. We need Chinas cooperation and support in order for there to be an international investigation, she says. The closest scientific approach to an investigation of the origins of the virus to date comes from scientists at the Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity at the University of Sydney working with the Emerging Infectious Diseases unit at the University of Shandong in China. The teams of scientists collected samples from 227 bats in Yunnan province between May and October 2019, just before the first cases of the virus were reported in Wuhan. An epidemiological survey of several coronavirus cases at an early stage of the outbreak revealed that most had visited the Huanan seafood market. Advertisement The analysis concluded a 97.2 per cent match with the coronavirus in one of the bat genes, the closest relative found to date. Although bats are regarded as the most likely natural hosts, the origins of the virus remain unclear, the researchers said. Notably, several closely related viruses have also been identified in Malayan pangolins illegally imported into southern China. The team posited that pangolins may have played an important role in the evolution of the virus, potentially allowing for the transmission to humans. Were early warnings ignored or undermined at a local, national or international level? There is no doubt the Chinese Communist Party suppressed initial concerns about the disease when doctors first raised it in December. At least eight doctors were detained for spreading rumours on private social media groups about a new SARS-like disease in Wuhan on January 3. Among them was 34-year-old doctor Li Wenliang, who died a month later after treating hundreds of patients for the disease. The period between the detention of Dr Li on January 3 and January 23, when 11 million people in Wuhan were put into lockdown, is the critical time period for the inquiry. This three-week period covers the lead-up to Chinese New Year, when millions of Chinese residents were travelling home and heading overseas. We know very little about these 20 days. Advertisement Doctor Li Wenliang, who died from COVID-19 and who had tried to raise the alarm, was initially reprimanded for "spreading rumours". Credit:AP Australian National University professor Peter Collignon suspects that during this time the virus had already jumped from China to the United States, where it would go on to infect 1.4 million people and cause 86,000 deaths - the highest number of cases and deaths in the world and 17 times the number recorded in China. Damien Wohlfahrt, a former public health administrator and hospital superintendent who has worked with the United Nations, says Chinas timeline largely fits a pattern of an epidemic response. Given the four-to-11 day incubation period, and that serious complications requiring hospital admission develop during the second week of illness, the first sporadic cases would have been admitted from early-to-mid November, a time in China when the influenza and respiratory infection seasons are ramping up. Given the confusion and conflicting information available at the time, any delays in reporting reek of expected stuff up rather than cover up Public health expert Damien Wohlfahrt It is therefore probable that for the first two to three weeks, each new case would have been seen by a different medical team. The first few admissions would not trigger suspicion that something new was developing. Wohlfahrt adds that only when an astute doctor had seen a few cases would they start to wonder whether something new was happening. The known circulating messages in mid-December is about the right timing, he says, and that would be about the same time that someone would think to report their suspicions to the local public health department. Advertisement Loading Given the confusion and conflicting information available at the time, any delays in reporting reek of expected stuff-up rather than cover-up." Zeng Yixin, vice-minister of China's National Health Commission, told reporters on Friday that it was only on January 19 that China realised how easily the virus could spread between humans and that it told the World Health Organisation the next day. Did other national governments including Italy, the United States and Britain, take the necessary steps to prepare for the virus? Italy took everyone by surprise. The virus is likely to have already been spreading undetected through its northern region in late January. By the beginning of March it had crippled emergency departments and forced the Italian College of Anaesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care to issue extraordinary directions for wartime triage, warning some patients with a lower chance of survival could be left to die. A nurse tends to a COVID-19 patient in the intensive care unit of the Pope John XXIII Hospital in Bergamo, Italy. Credit:Getty Images The experience and the need for immediate, sharp lockdowns should have served as a warning to the rest of Europe and the United States, which had until then largely believed the virus could be contained to Asia. In mid-March Italian doctors urged other nations to listen, prepare their intensive care units and keep people at home. Advertisement CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Two police officers were injured Friday in a stolen tow truck incident in the citys Hough neighborhood. The incident happened about 10 p.m. at East 79th Street and Hough Avenue, Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said. An unidentified person stole a United Towing Services truck with a vehicle on the back, police said. The person struck a Cleveland Clinic police car and hurt one police officer. The person then struck a Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority police car and injured another officer, Ciaccia said. Investigators later found the vehicle that was on the back of the tow truck flipped at East 110th Street and Hulda Avenue, Ciaccia said. Police found the tow truck at Mount Auburn Avenue near Manor Avenue. The person who stole the tow truck was not found and no arrests have been made, Ciaccia said. Read more crime stories on cleveland.com: Inmates sue Gov. DeWine over deadly coronavirus outbreaks in Ohio prisons, seek release of thousands prisoners Man high on ecstasy accused of attacking 96-year-old man, 81-year-old wife during Cleveland home invasion Ohio man accused of deadly shooting in argument over $10, reports say Former Cleveland Clinic researcher charged with fraud for failing to disclose China ties Cleveland serial killer Anthony Sowell loses latest attempt to overturn conviction, death sentence They currently have a depth of 40 metres, but this is not the final measurement as speleologists will keep on researching the formation. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Learn more about interesting places in Slovakia with our Slovakia travel guide. In the Kremnicke mountains speleologists discovered a cave that may belong among the deepest caves of non-karst origin in Slovakia. The cave was named Diera nad Pastorkom. Speleologists have measured a depth of 39.3 metres, but this will not be the final figure. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The lowest measured place is not final, said Peter Holubek, speleologist of Slovak Museum of Nature Protection and Speleology in Liptovsky Mikulas, as quoted by the SITA newswire. It would be possible to work there and continue but the place is very narrow. The fact that the cave continues is proved by the draught. Dr. Anthony Fauci (R), director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, looks on as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks about coronavirus vaccine development in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 15, 2020 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump said Saturday morning that he is considering restoring some funding to the World Health Organization, after the White House froze U.S. contributions to the international agency last month despite widespread criticism from global leaders and Democrats in Congress who view the move as dangerous. Trump wrote in a Twitter post the payments could be 10% of what the United States has historically paid to the international health agency, "matching much lower China payments." He said no final decision has been made yet and funds are currently still frozen. Tweet The U.S. cut funding to the WHO in April after Trump said the organization made errors that "caused so much death" amid the Covid-19 pandemic. He said a review of the WHO's actions would be conducted and that "one of the most dangerous and costly decisions from the WHO" was its opposition to the travel restrictions he placed on China and other countries at the onset of the outbreak. The WHO has asked other countries to fill in financing gaps left by the U.S.'s suspension of funds in order to help support its response to the pandemic. "The United States of America has been a long-standing and generous friend to the WHO and we hope it will continue to be so," WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference after Trump froze funding. "We regret the decision of the President of the United States to order a hold in funding to the World Health Organization." Trump's decision to withdraw funding to the WHO drew widespread criticism from global leaders. The United Nations' Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that it was "not the time" to cut funding as the world faces a pandemic. Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a Twitter post that "blaming does not help. The virus knows no borders" and that the WHO was already suffering from funding issues. The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he "deeply regretted" the U.S.'s decision to halt funding. In the U.S., House Democrats said Trump's funding cut would inhibit the global response to the coronavirus. They also challenged the legality of the decision, arguing that Trump cannot take away money already appropriated by Congress under its constitutional authority. Congress set aside $122 million for the WHO in fiscal year 2020. "This decision is dangerous, illegal and will be swiftly challenged," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement regarding Trump's decision to freeze funding. Salon Owner Who Reopened Despite Oregons Stay-at-Home Orders Fined $14,000 A salon owner who reopened her business in defiance of Oregons stay-at-home order has been fined $14,000. Lindsey Graham, who runs Glamour Salon in Salem reopened her business on May 5 and has continued to operate despite Gov. Kate Browns executive order that requires businesses such as salons to remain closed, CNN affiliate KPTV reported. Graham told KPTV last week that the move was necessary to pay her bills and provide for her family. At this point, Im deciding that its more important for me to feed my family and pay the bills that are going to keep our home and our family alive than take the risk to remain being shut down for an undisclosed amount of time, Graham said. A receptionist for Glamour Salon confirmed the $14,000 fine to CNN and directed further questions to Grahams email. CNN has sent an email to Graham, seeking additional comment. A spokeswoman for Oregons Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) confirmed the fine, and said the penalty reflects both the nature of the violation and the employers willful decision to violate the law. She is unquestionably operating in violation of the governors executive order, designed to protect workers and the public, she wrote in an email to CNN. A GoFundMe page was created as a support for Graham and her husband following the closure of six businesses with little to no government help, according to the page. OSHA has determined unlawfully that my independent contractors are employees and are fining me [$14,000] and demanding I close my doors, Graham wrote on the page. Some Oregon Counties Have Begun Reopening More than 30 counties in Oregon were approved to start reopening on May 15, the governors office said in a news release. Under phase 1 of Gov. Browns reopening plan, several categories of businesses that had previously been ordered to close can now open their doors, as long as they comply with health and safety guidance. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown reacts during a press conference in Roseburg, Ore., on Oct. 2, 2015. (Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) That includes dine-in service for restaurants and bars until 10 p.m., personal service businesses, retail establishments, gyms, and other fitness facilities. Local gatherings of up to 25 people will also be allowed. Marion County, where Glamour Salon is located, has not been approved to reopen. That means that Grahams decision to operate is still in violation of the governors executive order. Graham told KXL FM News 101 that she plans to fight the OSHA penalties. CNN Wire and Epoch Times staff contributed to this report. The North Central Office of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said it had begun investigation into the killing of Rinji Bala, a 300 level student of the University of Jos. Grace Pam, its Zonal Coordinator, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Jos, adding that the action had contravened the fundamental right to life as contained in the 1999 constitution as amended. The 20-year-old student, a resident of Hwolshe community in Jos South Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, was reportedly killed by a member of a security task force on May 12. Mr Bala was arrested that night alongside six others by the task force personnel who were on patrol, but was later released after interrogation, and having been found innocent. The deceased was shot a few metres away from the gate of the sector by one of the members of the task force, where he and others were reportedly interrogated. NAN reports that the task force, through its Media Officer, Ibrahim Shittu, admitted and confirmed the incident, adding that the personnel involved in the act had been arrested and detained. Mrs Pam promised that the commission would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the perpetrators were brought to book, in accordance with its mandate. The National Human Rights Commission has condemned in strong terms the torture and gruesome killing of Rinji Bala, a student of the University of Jos by security personnel. This is inhuman and a gross violation of his right to life as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution as amended and other international human rights instruments that Nigeria is signatory to. Consequently, the Commission has began investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killing of the young man and will leave no stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators to book. This is in line with the Commissions mandate of monitoring, investigating and enforcing human rights of all citizens, she said. Mrs Pam assured the family of the deceased and members of the public that the commission would not rest on its oars until all those involved in the destardly act were fished out and brought to Justice.(NAN) Hong Kong police action justified: report Global Times By Zhang Han and Wang Wenwen Source:Global Times Published: 2020/5/15 20:33:41 No need for an independent inquiry commission: Carrie Lam Hong Kong police resorted to force only on occasions of violence during last year's social unrest, while there were "areas for improvement" during officers' clashes with protesters, according to a report on public order events since June last year and the police response. The 16-chapter 1,000-plus-page report, released by the city's Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC), reviewed major incidents of public concern, including the July 21 attack in Yuen Long and the sealing-off at the Prince Edward station on August 31. More than 120 pages were dedicated to the July 21 incident, in which a white-clad mob attacked protesters and the police arrived late. The incident led to allegations that police colluded with the attackers and triggered strong social sentiment against the police. According to the report, the police did not process intelligence information or take action in a timely manner to restrain the white-clad individuals' behavior, but the investigation does not believe the police force colluded with them. In response to police actions in the Prince Edward station on August 31, in which Hong Kong police allegedly indiscriminately attacked passengers during their arrests of protesters, the watchdog regards the decision as a correct choice to stop rioters from escaping as many changed clothes to disguise as general passengers. It is necessary for police to take decisive action amid rioters' vandalism of metro stations, but communications with the firefighting department and life rescuers in a large operation likely to cause injuries were not smooth enough, according to the report. The police acted slowly on both occasions in refuting rumors emerging afterward, the IPCC said. IPCC also contended that violent protests were bringing Hong Kong to an era of terrorism. Lawrence Ma, a barrister and chairman of the Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation, believes that the report is one of the most professionally compiled one. "Rarely do you see a police watchdog report in the world this comprehensive, detailed, analytical, impartial, and professional," Ma told the Global Times. Ma had been an IPCC member from 2010 to 2016 and experienced the Occupy Central movement. He said many complaints against police emerged after that 79-day event and a similar report then was not that detailed and comprehensive. "This report has cleared Hong Kong Police of any alleged police brutality which was an international concern. Anyone now in the international community wanting to question the professional standards of the police should be satisfied that any such suspicion is groundless and they have to overcome the insurmountable task of discrediting this report first," Ma said. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam approved police actions at a press conference on Friday and reiterated that there is no need to set up an independent commission of inquiry to supervise police actions as demanded by protesters. "The stance of the Hong Kong government has not changed and an independent commission of inquiry is not needed. The nature of protests has evolved, and protesters were using violence to coerce the government and weaken the police," said Lam, adding that the police has no political role but is only tasked with enforcing the law. Lam noted that the release of the report did not mean an end to violent activities in Hong Kong. She called on people to say no to violence to safeguard Hongkongers' freedom and rights within the boundaries of law. On Friday, a 22-year-old lifeguard was sentenced to four years in prison after he admitted crimes on May 4. The man was arrested on June 12, 2019 for assaulting police at LegCo and casting objects. Some 8,000 to 10,000 people surrounded the LegCo that day and the supposed peaceful protest showed premeditated use of violence. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address More than 600 coronavirus infections have been reported at meat processing plants across Ireland. This week, the first worker employed at one of the plants to have died of COVID-19 was named. Lucianna Vivienne day Silva, aged 58, died at her home in Dungannon on May 3. Also known as Anoy Soriano, she was born in east Timor and worked for Irish conglomerate Moy Park. Substantial numbers employed in the industry are foreign nationals, including many from eastern Europe. In some plants up to 7090 percent of the workforce are migrants, many sharing the same cramped housingproviding opportunities for the disease to spread. As of yesterday, there were 23,956 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland and 1,518 deaths. The country has one of the highest death ratios globally, with 305 per million population. In Northern Ireland, 4,317 people have tested positive, with 469 deaths. Government figures reveal outbreaks at 12 meat processing plants in the Republic of Ireland, with 571 workers testing positive. According to the Siptu trade union, up to 15 workers in the Republic have been hospitalised by the illness. What is happening in Ireland is a global phenomenon. US slaughterhouses are hotspots of the pandemic, with more than 6,500 workers in large meatpacking companies already infected. At least 25 meatpacking workers in the US have died of COVID-19. Hundreds of infections have been reported in Germany. The Irish Republic and Northern Ireland are major centres of the industry. The agri-food sector is worth 12.3 billion and is the main domestic industry, employing more than 170,000 people. Meat products are exported to more than 180 countries. The Republic is Europes biggest beef exporter, selling 90 percent of its beef to the UK, France, Italy, Germany and other countries. One of Irelands largest firms, Dawn Meats, produces more than 400 million burgers a year for McDonalds outlets in the UK and Europe. Much of the industry is centred in the Norths Mid-Ulster region where Moy Park is located. This has one of the highest rates of infection in Northern Ireland. Moy Park has 12 processing and manufacturing units in Northern Ireland, England, France and the Netherlands. It is one of the UKs top 15 food companies, the largest private sector business in Northern Ireland and one of Europes leading poultry producers. The company supplies around a quarter of the total western European chicken parent market. It processes over 280 million birds per year and produces around 200,000 tons of prepared foods. In 2017, Moy Park was acquired by the US-based Pilgrims Pride Corporationowned by the JBS food processing giantfor 1.32 billion. Pilgrims is one of the largest chicken producers in the world, with over 40,000 employees and operations in the US, Mexico and Puerto Rico. It reported annual revenues of US$11.41 billion in 2019. How rife coronavirus infections are in the industry can be seen in the number of plantsemploying thousands of workers in close proximityhit by outbreaks: Earlier this month 120 confirmed cases were reported at Rosderras plant in Roscrea, County Tipperary. According to a Sinn Fein representative, of 350 workers at the plant, up to 140 had to take time off sick. Rosderra is the largest pork processing company in Ireland. This week it was revealed that 60 employees at Rosderra Meats Edenderry plant in County Offaly had tested positive for the virus. Dawn Meats was forced to temporarily close its plant in Kilbeggan, Westmeath at the beginning of the month after four workers tested positive for coronavirus. Kepak has 11 manufacturing plants across Ireland, employing 2,800 people and an annual turnover of about 950 million. It had cases confirmed at plants including Ballymahon, Athleague and Watergrasshill. The Watergrasshill plant is in Irelands second largest city, Cork, with 650 workers employed. Following what was described as a mass testing this week, sources told the local Echo newspaper there were a number of infections. The Unite union said it had knowledge of seven cases of COVID-19 at Linden Foods. The firm employs around 1,100 workers at two sites in Dungannon. Omagh Meats, owned by the Foyle Food Group Limited, employs 1,400 across the UK and Ireland. The Belfast Telegraph reported this week that the plant was subject to a Health and Safety Executive (HSENI) inspection. It appears that the authorities acted not as the result of the death of Anoy Soriano, but following a high volume of complaints from concerned workers about Covid-19 prevention policies at Omagh Meats. The company denied that 40 of its workforce had been laid low by the virus, but would not give a figure. This week, Independent parliamentarian Denis Naughten said there were clusters of coronavirus infections within populations around processing plants, under conditions where the levels of infection within the plants themselves is up on one third or, in some instances, half of the workforce. Throughout the pandemic, the meat processing conglomerates have only been concerned with shoring up their profits. Employees in the industry are considered key workers, but, like health workers and transport workers, have been left to work in deplorable and lethal conditions. The Irish Examiner reported yesterday, Meat workers told RTEs Today Show that sick workers had returned to factories, including those with temperatures, that no social distancing was practiced on production lines and that no protective equipment, such as masks, were made available until very recently. Fianna Fail opposition leader Micheal Martin told the Dail Thursday, The situation with meat plants is gravely serious and it is not obvious that these clusters are being dealt with comprehensively. Without calling for the shutting down of the sector, it seems very surprising that the blanket testing of a facility is followed by no interruption of work until the results are returned. In March, workers at several plants protested to demand safe working conditions, including social distancing. Within hours of each other, around 1,000 workers protested at Moy Parks Portadown facility and 80 employees at ABP Meats in Lurgan. One worker at Moy Parks Dungannon operationwhere Anoy Soriano workedposted a photo on Twitter showing staff crammed into a crowded canteen. At ABP, the workers demanded social distancing and the deep cleaning of workstations previously used by workers who tested positive for COVID-19. ABP is owned by Larry Goodman, worth an estimated 2.45 billion. As the pandemic took hold in Ireland, the Health and Safety Executive oversaw recommendations that plants supposedly must adhere to, in discussion with employers, trade unions and the Public Health Agency. Since then, the trade unions, in alliance with the political elite, have played a critical role in policing the working force, allowing unsafe plants to remain in operation. This week, Siptu deputy general secretary Gerry McCormack commented, What seems to have happened is that some employers really didnt take this seriously. Some of them did. Some employers completely ignored the recommendations from the HSE on how to do physical distancing and put in proper processes to protect workers. Despite this admission, the union opposes forcing unsafe plants to close, with its latest proposals only the urgent need for a taskforce involving all meat industry stakeholders to be set up by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Unite has called for Moy Parks Dungannon plant to close temporarily to allow the workforce to be tested. Sinn Fein agriculture spokesman Brian Stanley commented of the horrific situation at Rosderra Irish Meats. The worst scenario is in the case of the Roscrea [plant] where its had an outbreak of Covid. We want to keep the factories open. Weve been very, very clear about this. That factory, there are around 350 workers on the factory floor. There was up to 140 of those out sick throughout last week and 120 tested positive. In recognition at workers growing anger at the situation, Unite regional official Sean McKeever said this week, In the face of total and continued inaction by Stormont Ministers on this crisis in the meatpacking sector, workers will have to organise to defend themselves. It is necessary for workers to organise themselves, including strikes to force the closure of all plants deemed unsafe. But they must carry out this struggle independently of the trade union bureaucracy. Workers must establish rank-and-file factory and workplace committees to demand the closure of infected plants, full compensation for laid-off workers, and no return to work until these committees, working in conjunction with health care professionals, are satisfied that all workers have the necessary protective equipment, testing and environment to work safely. While numerous technology organizations are selling software to support financial institutions and their processing of SBA loan forgiveness requests, the partnership combines a ready-to-use PPP loan forgiveness software platform with the ability to engage Wolf & Companys professional staff to complete an independent PPP loan review. We are excited to extend our Lenders Cooperative SBA PPP Platform to Wolf & Company to support their review functions. By allowing Wolf & Company to augment their back-office, together we will provide a helping hand to organizations eager to get back to business, and a first-class review service for forgiveness requests, said Ben Wallace, CEO of STG. While our SBA PPP Platform provides an efficient tool for bankers to process SBA PPP loan forgiveness requests, we believe Wolfs services will be a welcome alternative to financial institutions looking at the prospect of manually reviewing thousands of loan files. We deeply appreciate Summits partnership and are excited to jointly help bankers nationwide. Using this technology, Wolf will work with lenders to navigate this complex process, providing peace of mind and assurance to the institution and their customers, said Dan Morrill, Principal at Wolf & Company. Its important that bankers deliver a clear and efficient mechanism to their borrowers to maximize the forgiveness on the SBA PPP loans. This platform, coupled with Wolfs advisory services, will streamline the process and help all parties prevent simple errors and expensive mistakes. The turnkey Lenders Cooperative forgiveness platform from STG and advisory services from Wolf & Company are separate and priced per loan, with no setup fee. This price includes all Docusign costs and assistance with importing SBA and Core data to the platform. Visit http://www.lenderscooperative.com to enroll or learn more. About Summit Technology Consulting Group http://www.thesummitgrp.com Summit was founded over 12 years ago with a mission to bring enterprise class IT services to the mid-tier and commercial banks. Summit has formed a unique partnership with industry leaders focused on helping financial institutions of all sizes modernize their technology and back-office operations including the adoption of cloud services. Summit is partially owned by the American Bankers Association. About Wolf & Company, P.C. http://www.wolfandco.com Wolf & Company is entering the second century of providing unparalleled guidance in audit, tax, risk management, and business consulting services to financial institutions. Our clients receive direct involvement of our principals, as well as the trusted and responsive service of our multi-disciplinary teams. Our collaborative service strategy and niche-focused structure results in a deep understanding of clients and their business needs, and enables us to help our clients maximize opportunities and navigate obstacles. WASHINGTON (AP) As businesses reopened Friday in more of the U.S., an overwhelming majority of states still fall short of the COVID-19 testing levels that public health experts say are necessary to safely ease lockdowns and avoid another deadly wave of outbreaks, according to an Associated Press analysis. Rapid, widespread testing is considered essential to tracking and containing the coronavirus. But 41 of the nation's 50 states fail to test widely enough to drive their infections below a key benchmark, according to an AP analysis of metrics developed by Harvards Global Health Institute. Among the states falling short are Texas and Georgia, which recently moved aggressively to reopen stores, malls, barbershops and other businesses. Also Friday, Democrats approved a massive $3 trillion coronavirus response bill in the House over Republican opposition. It aims aims to prop up a U.S. economy in free fall and a health care system overwhelmed by a pandemic. But the measure has no chance of passing the GOP-controlled Senate and has already drawn a White House veto threat. As health authorities expand testing to more people, the number of positive results should shrink compared with the total number of people tested. The World Health Organization and other health researchers have said a percentage above 10% indicates inadequate testing. South Korea, a country praised for its rapid response, quickly pushed its positive cases to below 3%. Most governors are moving ahead with unlocking their states, even in cases where they are not meeting broad guidelines recommended by the White House. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has set a goal of 30,000 tests per day as his state launched one of the nations most aggressive reopenings on May 1. He never set a firm date on when the state would hit the 30,000 mark, but for most of May, the daily testing numbers fell short of that. Local leaders say tests are still in short supply. El Paso officials have pleaded with the governor to postpone easing up any more business restrictions in light of the COVID-19 cases there surging 60% over the past two weeks. The first stage of Maryland's reopening began Friday evening, when some retail stores were allowed to reopen and a stay-at-home order was lifted. Some of the hardest-hit parts of the state, including the suburbs of Washington, D.C., extended restrictions for residents and businesses. Maryland averaged 4,265 tests per day this week, compared with about 4,900 the previous week. Nearly 22 percent of people tested positive in Maryland on average over the last seven days. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan made headlines last month when the state acquired 500,000 test kits from a South Korean company in a confidential deal, but Maryland has not had all the components needed for testing like swabs to meet demand. Hogan said Maryland just received swabs this week from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. We requested 350,000, Hogan said Wednesday. Theyve committed to 225,000, and I think we got 75,000 yesterday with another 125,000 that are supposedly days away, along with the tubes and the stuff that goes with them. So its not enough, but it helps us. Harvard University researchers have calculated that the U.S. needs to test at least 900,000 people daily to safely reopen the economy, based on the 10% positivity rate and other key metrics. That goal is nearly three times the countrys current daily testing tally of about 360,000, according to figures compiled by the COVID Tracking Project website. The fact that testing has become the Achilles heel that has made it hard for us to have a great national response to this pandemic is a tragedy, said Dr. Ashish Jha, director of Harvards Global Health Institute. President Donald Trump insisted again this week that his administration met the moment and prevailed on testing, even as he continued shifting responsibility for the effort to the governors. Administration officials said they will provide states with enough testing supplies to conduct about 400,000 tests per day in May and June. Thats less than half the total recommended by the Harvard team. Only nine states met the daily rate recommended by Jha and his colleagues, according to the AP analysis. Most of those states are large and rural, such as Montana, Alaska, North Dakota and Wyoming. Meanwhile, states with some of the biggest testing shortfalls, including New York and New Jersey, have signaled they will keep stay-at-home orders in place or only partially ease restrictions. I really do feel there are dangers here to opening up without enough tests, but I dont feel its a uniform danger everywhere in the country, Jha said. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo will allow many smaller cities and rural regions of upstate New York to gradually reopen first, industry by industry, in areas that have been spared the brunt of the coronavirus outbreak. The first wave of businesses includes retail though only for curbside or in-store pickup along with construction and manufacturing. Cuomo also announced beaches would be allowed to open in time for the Memorial Day weekend. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy will let individual shore towns decide whether to reopen beaches. His long-awaited guidance Thursday directed them to set occupancy limits, require 6 feet (2 meters) of space between beachgoers, except family members or couples, and prohibit groups of 10 or more from congregating on the beach. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state's testing reached 35,000 daily this week and that more than 1 million tests have been administered. The state remains on lockdown, though Southern California's beaches are open with restrictions. North Carolina also has made testing progress, reporting on an all-time high of more than 12,000 additional tests completed Friday compared to the previous day. But the states seven-day rolling average of just over 6,000 tests is still well below the 11,000 daily tests recommended by the Harvard team. The testing increases over the past few weeks contributed in part to Gov. Roy Cooper and state leaders feeling comfortable with easing his stay-at-home order May 8. Grand Canyon National Park reopened Friday to allow visitors in for day trips but not overnight. By 7:30 a.m., more than two dozen people were enjoying South Rim viewpoints. Signs reminded tourists to keep their distance from one another and stay in groups of less than 10. Volume of testing isnt the only concern. The Food and Drug Administration said late Thursday that it was investigating preliminary data suggesting a rapid COVID-19 test used daily to test Trump and key members of his staff can miss infections. Trump expressed confidence in the test from Abbott Laboratories. Worldwide, there have been more than 4.4 million coronavirus infections reported and 300,000 deaths, while nearly 1.6 million people have recovered, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. ___ Witte reported from Annapolis, Maryland. Forster reported from New York City. Associated Press writers Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina; Michael Kunzelman in Silver Spring, Maryland; Paul Weber in Austin, Texas; Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona; and Matt York at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, also contributed to this report. ___ This version corrects that Texas and Georgia recently moved to reopen businesses, not that both did so last month. ___ Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak. STORM LAKE, Iowa -- If recent history is any indicator, Iowa's next COVID-19 hot spot could be Buena Vista County. As recently as May 5, just 15 cases had been reported in the county with a population of nearly 20,000, but as testing for the novel coronavirus has increased there, the number of cases has begun to increase, climbing to 74 as of Thursday. Public officials expect to see an upcoming spike in cases after a Test Iowa drive-thru site opens Saturday in Storm Lake and Tyson tests more than 3,000 workers at its two Storm Lake meatpacking plants next week. As has been the case in other Iowa counties, when testing for the virus increases, especially at large employers such as meatpacking plants, the number of COVID-19 cases has risen dramatically. "As we've seen with increased testing in other areas, the more tests, the more positives you find," said Aimee Barritt, the Buena Vista County Emergency Management Agency coordinator who is working with the Iowa National Guard and school, city and state officials to set up the Test Iowa site in the Storm Lake High School parking lot. Barritt requested the test site from the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management on May 2 so Buena Vista County could get a better feel for the virus' presence. "We had relatively low numbers then, and we were seeing what was happening in Woodbury County and Crawford County. We wanted to take some mitigating measures and get more testing done," Barritt said. Test Iowa sites had been set up in Woodbury (Sioux City) and Crawford (Denison) counties earlier this month, greatly increasing the number of people who could be tested. At roughly the same time, Tyson tested some 4,300 workers, many of whom live in Woodbury County, at its beef plant across the river in Dakota City, Nebraska. Woodbury County's total of COVID-19 cases leaped by hundreds in the days after that testing and have since begun to slow. The county had 2,111 cases as of Friday. With hundreds of employees working in close confines, packing plants have been sites of COVID-19 outbreaks in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. A report released Thursday by the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit health and environmental organization, said that counties containing or within 15 miles of a meatpacking plant have had roughly double the cases than the U.S. average in other counties. A local health official declined to say how many Tyson workers in Storm Lake have tested positive. "We have had a good variety of people working at a variety of places that have tested positive," said Pam Bogue, administrator of Buena Vista County Public Health and Home Care. Tyson spokeswoman Liz Croston did not say how many of the 3,100 workers at its Storm Lake pork and turkey plants have previously tested positive for the virus. "We have had team members test positive for COVID-19 at our Storm Lake facility, and any employee who has tested positive will remain on sick leave until theyve satisfied official health requirements for return to work," Croston said. "If there is a confirmed case, as part of our protocol and in collaboration with health officials, we notify anyone who has been in close contact with the person." Croston said the Storm Lake plants would remain open while workers are tested by Matrix Medical, which has partnered with Tyson to send mobile medical units to test workers at some of its other plants. "The health and safety of our team members is our top priority, and we take this responsibility extremely seriously. Our operations have been scaled back to ensure process in control and safety of our team members," Croston said. In Crawford County, home to a Smithfield packing plant with 1,250 workers and a Quality Meats plant that employs a few hundred more, 103 COVID-19 cases had been reported by May 7. A Test Iowa site opened in Denison on May 9, and the county has been working with both meatpackers to get workers who qualify for testing screened, said Kim Fineran, director of Crawford County Home Health, Hospice and Public Health. Crawford County's case total grew to 300 by Thursday, but Fineran said residents are just now getting results from the Test Iowa screenings, so they have yet to contribute to the county's rise, which she attributed, in part, to a backlog of cases that was recently recorded with the state. As Test Iowa results start to return, Fineran believes Crawford County cases will jump. "It just increases the volume of tests that are being done, so I would expect to see more positives," Fineran said. To a lesser extent, Sioux County also saw a recent bump in coronavirus cases, increasing from 23 on May 5 to 111 through Thursday. A portion of that increase is likely due to testing done by Perdue Premium Meats, which had 425 workers voluntarily submit to testing on May 4-5 at its facilities in Sioux Center, where it employs approximately 240 people, and Sioux City. Fewer than 20 percent of the tests came back positive, a number that would translate to roughly 48 positive cases for Sioux County. "All cases appear to be asymptomatic. We have notified the employees, provided contact sourcing and communication to peers, and continued a reduced and staggered work schedule," said Gary Malenke, senior vice president at Perdue's Sioux Center pork facility. "Were thankful that all the 28 steps we took over the last two-plus months have helped. With the 20 percent of our team that did test positive and are not showing symptoms, we are following the CDC guidelines and other steps to make sure they are getting the care and rest they need." Malenke said workers who tested positive would be staying home for at least 10 days and asked to self-isolate. In addition to daily cleaning and sanitizing, the company will continue to check temperatures of workers and others who enter the facility, supply them with masks and separate and keep workers at a distance as much as possible. Similar steps have been taken at Tyson plants in Storm Lake, Croston said. With testing about to ramp up there in coming days, Buena Vista County health officials will learn how effective those steps have been. Bogue attributed Buena Vista County's recent rise in positive COVID-19 cases to increased testing done at Buena Vista Regional Medical Center and United Community Health Center in Storm Lake. Another 320 tests per day can be performed by Test Iowa, administered by a Utah-based company that was awarded a $26 million contract to expand coronavirus testing in Iowa. Barritt said she expects to see a large turnout of residents from Buena Vista County and surrounding counties. An increase in positive cases would help local health officials get people, especially those who may be asymptomatic, isolated and slow the spread of COVID-19. "We want to find those people so they isolate, can get through it and not share it with others in the community," Barritt said. "By doing extensive testing, we will be able to get a better picture of where the virus is." 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 housewife and her 4-year-old son in Odishas Kendrapara district succumbed to their burn injuries and another was battling for life after the woman set herself and her sons afire after quarreling with her husband Saturday morning. Police officials said Lovabati Swain (30) of Bhopal village under Tantiapal marine police station area of Kendrapara district locked herself and her two sons in a room at around 7.00 am after fighting with her husband Sachitra Swain. She poured kerosene on herself and her two sons - Ashwini (4) and Ayush (6) - and then set everyone afire, said inspector Jyotiranjan Swain of Tantiapal Marine police station. Hearing their screams, the neighbourers barged into their house and doused the flames. The woman who had suffered over 80 per cent burns was taken to SCB Medical College & Hospital in Cuttack along with her younger son Ashwini, who too suffered serious burns. Both of them succumbed to their burn injuries in the hospital. Her second son with 20% burn injuries is undergoing treatment at Rajanagar community health centre. When the COVID-19 epidemic was just beginning, I told my friends that I shouldn't get sick because the medical services in my part of Moscow Oblast (I live in Nakhabino, some 15 kilometers outside the Moscow city limits) wouldn't be able to handle it. We don't have any showcase hospitals like Kommunarka [which President Vladimir Putin toured in late March]. The doctors in our regional clinics don't understand what they are dealing with. And it is certain you will not be able to get a CT scan, which can determine the extent of a lung infection with nearly 100 percent accuracy. In Nakhabino, there are no CT scanners. With a population of nearly 50,000, there is only one clinic. In short, I didn't plan to get sick. I worked from home and only rarely went to the store -- always in a mask and gloves. Unfortunately, my husband had to continue going to work. His office did not shut down for the epidemic and, most likely, I got the infection from him. Luckily, neither he nor our daughter got sick or developed any symptoms of COVID-19. I first felt poorly on April 20. I had a fever and developed an annoying dry cough. I called for a doctor from our clinic, but a very young woman without a mask or gloves came to me. She said all the experienced doctors were on sick leave. She listened to my lungs and said that everything was fine. She diagnosed me with a respiratory infection and gave me a prescription for azithromycin (this is a cheaper analog of sumamed that, as I now understand, is prescribed to everyone). I am used to following the orders of a doctor -- even a very young one -- and took the medicine correctly. But I kept getting worse. Through The Roof My fever rose and rose. My cough got worse. I was nauseated and my entire body ached. I lost my sense of smell. I was flushed and my eyes hurt. I had nightmares all night. (It turns out that anxiety, depression, and poor sleep are also parts of this illness.) All during this time, having read the stories of people who had already been infected with the coronavirus, I tried to find somewhere I could get a CT scan. Everywhere that I called told me I'd have to wait at least three weeks. As might be expected, the prices had gone through the roof. But, as usual for me, I got lucky. One private clinic in Istra phoned me back and said there had been a cancelation. On April 27, I applied for a QR code [required by Moscow authorities for movement during the COVID-19 lockdown], called a taxi, and went for a CT scan of my lungs. The whole procedure took less than an hour. A young doctor handed me the report and told me to get to a hospital immediately. The scan showed bilateral interstitial pneumonia (double pneumonia) with a high probability of COVID-19. Some 10 to 15 percent of my lungs were affected. Later, after I was hospitalized, they did another CT scan and found 25 percent of each lung affected. Following the doctor's advice, I called my local clinic. They became frightened and told me there was nothing they could do to help me and that I should immediately call an ambulance. 'End Of The World' I had a fever of 38.5 degrees Celsius, a CT scan that almost certainly indicated COVID-19, and a diagnosis of pneumonia, but no ambulance came for me. Now, I perfectly well understand that I probably didn't have the worst case in the whole course of this epidemic, but they at least could have told me: "We can't send you an ambulance." But, no. They promised they would come. They called me back and told me to pack my things. They even told me which hospital they would take me to -- the main hospital in Kashira, some 115 kilometers from Moscow. Ok, I thought, if it is Kashira, so be it. I was willing to go to the end of the world because I didn't have much confidence that I'd be able to cure pneumonia and coronavirus myself at home. But no one came for me. At first, they said that there were too many calls and that they would come for me within 24 hours. After 20 hours, I got an SMS saying they weren't coming. I called the dispatcher, but no one answered the phone. I called various hotlines and emergency services -- I tried to understand why they cancelled my request and what I was to do next. No one could tell me anything. One young man -- an operator at the Moscow regional coronavirus hotline -- told me honestly: "I don't know what you should do, and no one else does either." All this time, I was in touch with my friends and posting on social media. Some wonderful doctors -- friends and friends of friends -- gave me advice on how to beat back the fever. But it rose from 38 degrees to nearly 40 and nothing would break it. Scared And Angry On April 28, a young woman from the local clinic came to me, this time in protective gear. She wrote me a prescription for amoksiklav and wrote out a hospitalization order. The antibiotics didn't help. I didn't feel any better. I'll admit that I was getting scared and angry too. Someone advised me to calm down and treat myself at home. But understandably I wasn't interested in adding to the statistics of people over 40 without chronic illnesses who up and died of coronavirus. In the end, I did make it to a hospital because I know how to achieve my ends. I won't go into details about how I managed it, but I will say that without good friends -- old and new -- I wouldn't have made it. On the evening of April 28, I was finally taken to the infectious-diseases ward of the regional hospital in Odintsovo. My doctor was named Aleksandr Litvinov, a genuine professional -- confident and competent, although downcast and tired. He promised that he would cure me. I spent almost 10 days in the hospital. All that time, I had an IV drip with antibiotics. I was given antimalarial drugs, antifungal medications, and anticoagulants. My fever dragged on for five days. I had a terrible headache. My stomach hurt, and my cough got worse. I kept having nightmares. On April 30, I was given a coronavirus test, which came back negative. The doctor immediately said the test doesn't matter since my clinical presentation and my CT scan confirmed COVID-19. The hospital itself wasn't that bad. They cleaned up regularly and fed us normally. The completely exhausted nurses found time to cheer and comfort me. I began to get better on the sixth day. They took some more analyses and promised that I'd be discharged soon. On May 8, I headed home. My diagnosis was COVID-19 although they never confirmed that I had the novel coronavirus. 'Not Broken Yet' When I was released, I still had moderate walking pneumonia. The doctor said I was still sick, but not infectious. Now I am much better. My cough is almost gone and only bothers me at night. For the first time in 20 days, my temperature is less than 37 degrees. My husband and daughter have been registered as people who have had contact with an infected person. They have also been tested, and the results were negative. I will continue treatment for a month, including more antibiotics, antifungals, anticoagulants, and medicine for my stomach and kidneys since during my time in the hospital I had to take too many pills. After that treatment is over, I will have to do another CT scan and find a pulmonary therapist who can help me revive my lungs after the pneumonia. You may ask: What is the moral of this story? There is no moral. Everyone does their best to survive. That's the way it has always been. The amazing thing is that our so-called "optimized" Russian medicine has not broken yet, despite the efforts of our bureaucrats. We still have qualified doctors, despite the low salaries and inhumane working conditions. Our nurses still joke and smile with their last bit of strength. How long that will last, I just don't know. Translated from Russian by Robert Coalson The Pentagon logo behind the podium in the briefing room at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., on Jan. 8, 2020. (Al Drago/Reuters) Pentagon Confirms Advanced Weapons Program After Trump Touts Super Duper Missile A Pentagon spokesman confirmed the U.S. development of various hypersonic weapons, after President Donald Trump announced the existence of a super duper missile that is faster than any that Americas geostrategic rivals have. The Department of Defense is working on developing a range of hypersonic missiles to counter our adversaries, Jonathan Hoffman, the Defense Department press secretary, said in a May 15 tweet. The Department of Defense is working on developing a range of hypersonic missiles to counter our adversaries. https://t.co/ATb1XLHFtl Jonathan Rath Hoffman (@ChiefPentSpox) May 15, 2020 Trump made the comment during a brief Oval Office event at which Defense Department officials presented him with the new Space Force flag. He claimed the super-duper missile could travel 17 times faster than what we have right now. Were building, right now, incredible military equipment at a level that nobody has ever seen before. We have no choice. We have to do it, with the adversaries we have out there, Trump said, singling out Russia and China. Youve heard Russia has five times, and China is working on five or six times, referring to missile speed. We have one 17 times, the president said. And its just gotten the go-ahead. Trump said at the meeting that the frontier of space would be the future, both in terms of defense and offense, before inviting Gen. John Raymond, chief of space operations, to talk about the new Space Force flag. The North Star signifies our core valueour guiding light, if you will, Raymond said. And the orbit around the globe signifies the space capabilities that fuel our American way of life and our American way of war. The dark blue and white flag also includes elements intended to evoke the vast recesses of outer space. This flag was produced by artists and craftspeople at the Defense Logistics Agency flag room in Philadelphia from a design finalized and documented by the Departments Institute of Heraldry at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The Space Force, which was officially established last December, is the first new military service since the U.S. Air Force was established in 1947. The 16,000 airmen and civilians that make up the Space Force technically remain part of the Air Force, which previously oversaw offensive operations in space. Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper called the presentation of the flag historic. The United States has been a space-faring nation for decades, he said during the short ceremony. The creation of the Space Force was necessary because adversaries have weaponized space, he said, adding that space has become a war-fighting domain. The United States is now doing what it needs to do to protect our assets in space and ensure that space remains the heavens by which we not only protect America, but we sustain our economy, we sustain our commercial capabilities, we sustain Americans way of life, Esper said. Fearing the spread of the Sars-Cov-2 virus, which causes the Covid-19 (coronavirus) infection, in the district, Kolhapur guardian minister Satej Patil, has asked people to take prior permission before returning. Patil said, I have written to the district collector appealing to him that only those, with no other options to stay in Pune and Mumbai areas which are red zones, must return with prior permission from the district administration. While those who do have homes in these cities or a place to stay, must stay back there. Many migrants have been returning home to their native towns since the lockdown after their income became a serious problem. Currently, Kolhapur district has about 28 positive patients and has reported one death due to Covid-19. Out of these, nine have been discharged and only 18 active cases are undergoing treatment. Patil said, I am not saying that they should not come, but if they have a place to stay back then they should only return if they have prior permission and only if they have medical emergencies or any unavoidable reason to come. We want to prevent the spread of the virus in the district which has comparatively less number of cases as compared to Mumbai and Pune which are prime red zones in the country, he said. Patil also said that about 86,000 people have come to Kolhapur before the lockdown was officially announced and about 20,000 had come after the lockdown by seeking permission. Only those who have permission must come so that we can arrange quarantine or isolation facilities for them accordingly, said Patil. By Trend The number of coronavirus tests per 1 million people of the total population exceeds 22,000 in Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Management Union of Medical Territorial Unit (TABIB) Ramin Bayramli said. Bayramli made the remark at a briefing of the Operational Headquarters under Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers, Trend reports on May 15. The higher the coronavirus infection rate among the population is, the greater the mutation is, the chairman said. The analyses give the reason to say that the number of the conducted tests is optimal for detecting the cases of infection; however, compliance with the rules within the quarantine regime by citizens is more important than the number of the conducted tests, the chairman said. Only the people having coronavirus symptoms, those who were in contact with them and those coming from abroad will undergo check-up from May 16, Bayramli said. For this purpose, up to 4,000 coronavirus tests are planned to be carried out daily. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz ISTANBUL -The Iranian cartoon shows two traditional healers, including a turbaned cleric, preparing to treat a coronavirus patient on all fours with beakers of camel urine and violet leaf oil, remedies hailed by some clergymen as surefire cures for covid-19. On the wall hangs a picture of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, donning a nurse's cap and putting a finger to his lips, signaling critics to remain silent. The sketch was posted last month on the Telegram channel of a mainstream news outlet, the Iranian Labor News Agency, before being swiftly taken down. Its appearance, however brief, represented a rare criticism of Iran's ruling religious establishment by the media and came amid a wider outcry among Iranians over the role played by the Shiite Muslim clergy during the pandemic. Since Iran's outbreak first erupted in the holy city of Qom, religious leaders have resisted calls for quarantines, protested orders to close shrines, cast the coronavirus as an American conspiracy, and promoted traditional or Islamic medicine as a panacea for covid-19, the disease it causes. Their actions have angered senior health officials and stoked long-existing doubts within the Iranian population about whether the clergy are fit to rule. In Iran, a Shiite theocracy, clerics preside over and participate in all matters of the state. But their botched response to the pandemic may be weakening the clergy's political stature, at a time when its influence was already under pressure, political analysts say. As the religious elite fumbled and deaths from the virus mounted - Iran has now reported more than 6,600 deaths and more than 106,000 infections - the country's powerful security services have stepped in to conduct disease surveillance, disinfect public spaces and even oversee victims' burials, a role long reserved for civilian authorities and Shiite clerics. The pandemic, Iranians inside the country and analysts say, has highlighted the clergy's dwindling relevance while granting the armed forces an opportunity to consolidate power. It's a dynamic with implications for Iran's political future, as the battle heats up to succeed Khamenei and a more modern middle class grows tired of theocratic government. "The clergy's apparent resistance to the state's virus control mandates will likely be marked as a point of no return for public mistrust of clerics and suspicion about their ability to serve as rational authorities in the political or social sphere," Mehdi Khalaji, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, wrote in a recent policy analysis. According to Khalaji, a former Qom-trained theologian, the clerics' "spectacular failure" to respond adequately to the outbreak "will make power players less interested in seeking ideological or political support from the clergy post-Khamenei." "I can tell that [the clergy] have lost more credibility" among the people as a result of the outbreak, said Mohammad, 70, a retired resident of the capital, Tehran. He spoke on the condition of using only his first name so he could freely criticize the religious establishment. "They could have repaired their image by helping people or giving emotional support" to victims, Mohammad said of the clerics. "But they ruined it further by weighing in on things they don't know about, such as medicine." The cartoon depicting the huckster healers appeared to hit a nerve with the clerical-run government. While the artist, Reza Aghili, lives in exile in Turkey beyond the reach of authorities, the news director of ILNA and the manager of its Telegram channel were arrested late last month for allegedly insulting "Islam's sacred principles" and religious leaders, according to the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, a press freedom watchdog group. "In my opinion," Aghili said in an interview, "not only the clergy's popularity but Islam's popularity in general is the lowest it has ever been." During the Islamic revolution in 1979, Iranian clerics helped overthrow the repressive regime of the Shah and then backed a new Shiite doctrine known as wilayat al-faqih, or "guardianship of the jurist," which now guides Iran. But the reputation of the clergy, once known for their fierce independence from the government, has been sullied over the decades because of their involvement in politics and - some Iranians say mismanagement of - everyday administrative affairs. Within the halls of power, political analysts say, the clerics' authority has been fading amid the dramatic rise of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a sprawling military and economic institution whose influence now extends from politics to media to Iran's nascent space program. The force was founded in the years following the revolution initially to protect the Islamic republic from internal threats. At the Supreme National Security Council, Iran's highest strategic decision-making body, Revolutionary Guard "commanders exert greater influence than civilian or clerical decision-makers," said Ali Alfoneh, author of "Iran Unveiled: How the Revolutionary Guards is Transforming Iran From a Theocracy to a Military Dictatorship." "Even the highest-ranking clergy, and founders of the Islamic republic, are sooner or later denounced as traitors, counterrevolutionary, foreign agents and led to prison by the IRGC," Alfoneh said. Amir, a former philosophy student in Qom, said in an interview that the measures taken by the security forces are gaining them public support. "I think that the Revolutionary Guard is winning the people's trust, while the clergy has been losing it," Amir, 30, said. He also spoke on the condition of using only his first name to comment freely about the security forces. "The older generation is angry at the clerics and will curse them," he said. "While the younger generation just makes jokes at their expense." Mahshid, a 33-year-old market researcher in Tehran who spoke on the condition that her full name would not be used so she could comment critically without fear of reprisal, had nothing good to say about the clerics. "I think that the clergy is entirely irrelevant to society in Iran today," she said. In responding to the coronavirus, Revolutionary Guard members and allied militias have even broached the realm of religion themselves, distributing a collection of prayers recommended by Khamenei as protection against the virus. "They put on a performance as if they were actually doing something to fight the virus," Mohsen Kadivar, a professor of Islamic studies at Duke University, said of the Revolutionary Guard. But, he added, "I think that the people know that this has been a show. In general, I think that both the clerical and military arms of the regime have lost their credibility." The epidemic of coronavirus infections has hit Iran's leaders hard, taking the lives of senior clerics, including the Islamic republic's first ambassador to the Vatican, Khamenei's representative in Langroud in northern Iran and a member of the Assembly of Experts tasked with choosing the next supreme leader. That assembly member, Hashem Bathaei Golpayegani, died in March several days after announcing he was cured of the virus by eating soil from the grave of Imam Hussein, a revered figure in Shiite Islam, in the holy Iraqi city of Karbala. And even as Iran continues to struggle with the largest outbreak in the Middle East, the head of Iran's Islamic Development Organization, a cultural and religious body linked to the supreme leader, said Monday that all mosques in Iran will reopen this month. Not all of Iran's clerics, however, have eschewed modern medicine or opposed the public health recommendations, and many have supported temporary bans on collective prayer and enacting mandatory hygiene at mosques. "When it comes to medicine and public health, there is a diversity of opinion within the Shiite clerical establishment," said Amir Afkhami, associate professor of global health at George Washington University. "The unwillingness of the religious strata of the country to place restrictions on pilgrimage and assemblies and on major Shiite shrines certainly worsened the crisis early on," he said. "But most clerics are open to modern medicine." The pandemic has also highlighted the long-standing division within the clerical ranks between those who support the clergy's role in running the country and more traditional religious factions that argue it is wiser for them to remain apart from the government. Grand Ayatollah Yusuf Saanei, a former member of Iran's powerful Guardian Council, is among those who reject the clergy's involvement in political affairs. In an interview via Telegram, Saanei, who is based in Qom, said those who have promoted alternative therapies and rejected public health guidance are part of "an inept group who try to cling to sharia" or Islamic law. "The learned and enlightened clergy have never sided against hygiene and medical guidance and they never will," Saanei said, drawing a line between himself and like-minded clerics and those affiliated with the ruling clergy. "The executive affairs of a society are not the responsibility of the clergy, but if they act according their religious obligations, including defending Islam and confronting oppression, then they will be trusted again by the people," he said. Police on Saturday filed a chargesheet against six people in a case related to an encounter in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir in which a Pakistani militant was killed last year, officials said. "The police submitted a chargesheet before the competent court against the six accused, including one Pakistani terrorist who was killed in the encounter at Kullan in 2019. The case was registered at PS Gund in 2019 under ULA(P) Act and pertains to terror crime activities," a police spokesperson said. He said the accused are Farooq Ahmad Sheikh, a resident of Kullan, Rayees Ahmad Lone, a resident of Gund, Nisar Ahmad alias 'Batchi', a resident of Hajin, Tariq Ahmad Ganai, a resident of Fraw Haknar, Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Kangan, and the Pakistani militant Zargam alias Talha who was killed during the encounter in November last year. The spokesman said that as per the police investigation, the accused were involved in actively supporting, assisting and harbouring active militants in the area, and providing logistic support besides transporting them from one place to another. As per the investigation, their involvement was established in unlawful activities, including terror crimes, he added. The spokesman said one of the accused, Nisar Ahmad alias 'Batchi', is an active militant affiliated with proscribed outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba. "Based on the evidence collected during the course of the investigation, they have been found to be involved in the terror crime case and accordingly while pursuing the investigations in a professional manner, on Saturday a chargesheet was presented before the Hon'ble court. All the five accused are lodged in judicial custody," the spokesman said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Saturday sought permission from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to run 1,000 buses for the migrant workers wanting to return home. In a letter to the chief minister, the Congress leader said the party will bear expenses of their homeward journey. A delegation led by UP Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu and legislature party leader Aradhana Mishra handed over the letter by Priyanka at the chief minister's office here, a Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesman said. The Congress leader pointed out that till now 65 workers have been killed in various accidents while returning home from parts of the country. They are nation builders, who cannot be left like this, she said, adding that lakhs of migrant labourers belonging to Uttar Pradesh are returning from different corners of the country. "Despite continued announcements by the government, no proper arrangement has been made for their safe return," Priyanka claimed. The Congress Party wants to run 500 buses each from the Gazipur (Ghaziabad) and Noida borders for them, she said, adding that the All-India Congress Committee will bear the entire expenses. "We are seeking your permission to run 1,000 buses to help the migrant labourers," she said. "The Congress Party is committed to help them. We hope that you will help us in this," Priyanka added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Up to 70 million pints of beer will have to be destroyed from pubs after they were forced to shut due to the Covid-19 crisis, new research suggests. Pubs closed on March 20 and will not reopen until July 4 at the earliest, according to the Government's recently published road map. That time period will mean that much of the beer left in storage in pubs will be spoiled by the time they reopen, said the British Beer & Pub Association. Pubs closed on March 20 and will not reopen until July 4 at the earliest, according to the Government's recently published road map The trade body said it was heart-breaking to see so much British beer poured away. Some unsaleable beer has been used as feed for anaerobic digesters to create organic fertiliser for farming, as well as reused as animal feed. Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: 'It's a great shame that so much great British beer that should have been enjoyed in community pubs up and down the country has gone to waste. 'People won't have a chance to drink it as it will go off before pubs can reopen. 'Whilst it is good news that some of the beer can be re-used to help out other sectors affected by Covid-19, such as farming, it is still sad that people are unable to enjoy this beer. 'The need to destroy so much beer really shows how much our brewing and pub sectors have been affected by this crisis. 'We believe that pubs should only open when safe to do so, but without additional support now particularly for those who won't be able to reopen sooner many more of our nation's pubs and the brewers that supply them with beer will struggle to survive closure and beyond. The Government needs to give our sector much more support.' Folks, I am a Christian. But in all honesty, I was so filled with rage that I was tempted to throw a brick through my beloved 60-inch TV. The source of my extreme anger was another Democrat governor threatening to put a small businessowner out of business permanently for opening his shop and daring to speak publicly against the governor's unconstitutional decrees. Across America, we are seeing tons of incidents of Democrat governors, mayors, and officials making absurd, unconstitutional restrictions on how citizens in their states must behave. Leftists strategically try to guilt-trip Christians into believing they should never become angry and should behave like milquetoast wimps who tolerate anything. The Bible says, "Be angry, but sin not." The Bible also speaks of "righteous anger." Seeing tyrants punish and destroy people's lives should make righteous men and women angry. Along with my seething anger is great frustration. Constitutional attorneys are all over media, saying these outrageous Democrat decrees are not laws, so we do not have to obey them. They say you do not have to stay home or close your business. You are not restricted in your travel. You are not banned from religious assembly. A law must be passed by your state legislator. This has not happened in any of the 50 states. All this is well and good. But in the meantime, pastors, business-owners, and citizens are being fined, arrested, silenced, and jailed. There is a huge hole in our system of government that allows one person in a state to dictate the fate of millions; applying severe punishment at will, and mandating who can and cannot earn a living. Steve Walker wept over being forced to permanently close his music store, his dream. Yes, I know people are filing lawsuits against out-of-control Democrat tyrants, but in the meantime, lives are being destroyed. Everyday Americans are super-stressed, depressed, losing everything, and committing suicide. In six weeks, without a single shot fired, Democrats have transformed several states into police states. Democrat tyrants say, "Surrender to our dictates or die economically" and in some cases physically. With furious anger, Democrat tyrants say, "I will cut off your water and power." Wait a minute. Weren't all of the Democrats' edicts supposedly about protecting us from a flu virus? Now they are, in essence, saying surrender to our irrational and unscientific demands, or we will kill you. Our wise Founding Fathers put the Second Amendment right to bear arms into the Constitution to protect us from out-of-control, unlawful government. It is interesting that Democrats and fake news media are relentless in their mission to overturn the Second Amendment. They brand law-abiding gun-owners as paranoid wackos. And yet, Democrats are using the coronavirus to do exactly what our Founding Fathers predicted might someday happen a total abandonment of the U.S. Constitution. No, I am not advocating for an armed revolt. I am saying Democrats' coronavirus-tyranny is a perfect example of why we must never allow Democrats to take our guns. Please remember that God is on our side. He gave us this great land, but we must fight to keep it. Democrats using coronavirus to transform America into their police state must not and will not be tolerated. We the People will push back with everything we've got. Folks, I simply had to get my anger and frustration of Democrats banning our freedoms off my chest. Here is my video rant. Lloyd Marcus, The Unhyphenated American Help Lloyd Spread the Truth https://www.trumptrainusa2020.com/ http://LloydMarcus.com JACKSON COUNTY, MI This week saw another round of community members helping each other in various ways amid the coronavirus pandemic. From recognizing nurses to repainting old murals and using Harry Potter to reach a community, here are some things that give us hope in and around Jackson County. If you have a hopeful story in the Jackson County area, please email janews@mlive.com Western High School senior repaints Pet Station mural The mural outside of Pet Station, 1617 E. Michigan Ave., displayed worn fragments of fish over a brick structure for years. Jackson residents hoped to see it updated, as the murals last layers of paint were applied in the 1980s. Then, Evan Struck, a Western High School senior, spruced things up. Using spray paint and latex exterior paint, Struck illustrated fish over a blue sea with the word vibrant onto the wall. I wanted to blend what the store offers and thats why I chose the fish, Struck said. I chose vibrant to correlate with the fish and bright colors. I generally add letters within my murals to go with my style. The mural had been planned since October, Struck said. He was inspired by Bright Walls art and typically does graffiti work. Our mural brightens the east side and brings positive attention to one of Jacksons long standing local business gems, Pet Station owners John and Dee Reszetar said in an email. Hopefully this project will inspire more local businesses to follow suit. County National Bank celebrates International Nurses Day County National Bank provided to 1,600 nurses total across five hospitals. Nurses are working around the clock amid the COVID-19 pandemic and County National Bank wanted to recognize their efforts. The bank presented 1,600 area hospital nurses with individually wrapped treats, a news release said. CNB is deeply appreciative of the steadfast and dedicated nurses who are working every day to serve our communities, the release said. We understand that nurses everywhere have been working very hard to meet the challenges of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Treats were delivered to nurses at Hillsdale Hospital, Henry Ford Allegiance Health, ProMedica Bixby, ProMedica Herrick, and Oaklawn Hospital. Homer teacher decorates porch as giving space for students, community Visitors have a wide selection of books to choose from on teacher Ashley Calhouns porch. Ashley Calhoun, a fourth-grade teacher in Homer Community Schools, was affected when schools were closed due to COVID-19. It just kind of struck something in me and I just knew I needed to get something around for our kids and our families that potentially wouldnt have access anymore to any of the school things, she said. The Lillian Fletcher Elementary School teacher has placed toiletries, school supplies, food and books on her front step for those who need them. Her community followed soon after, bringing more items to replace what had been taken. We have people who donate things every other day so someone takes 15 books, and theres 20 more that come the next day to replace them, Calhoun said in a news release. Those donating to the porch spot are asked to leave their donations on the ground in a bag. All books are for keeping and using hand sanitizer on the porch is required before grabbing anything, she said. As a Harry Potter nerd, Calhoun was eager to see that many of the donations received have been Harry Potter books. Her classroom is typically filled with Harry Potter decorations, so it helps to fill an empty space during this time. These kids have been through the wringer, and in every sense, their worlds have been turned upside down, Calhoun said. The fact that they've been able to just be resilient and stay positive and still work on their schoolwork, in a totally different way, has left me pretty amazed. American Legion collects cans and bottles to fundraiser Jacksons American Legion Post No. 29 is collecting cans and bottles to raise funds for future community efforts. The organization has hosted two can collecting events and has three more planned. The next drives are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 1 and June 6. Returnable cans and bottles can be dropped off at 3200 Lansing Ave. Pick-ups also can be requested by calling 517-977-6788 or 517-262-1324. Plans for what the money raised from the returnables will go toward have not been finalized yet and will be decided after stay-at-home orders are lifted, a news release states. Post 29 helps support veterans, veteran programs and youth programs. Knights of Columbus deliver food to Henry Ford Allegiance Health Five Jackson County Knights of Columbus councils donated meals to 212 health care providers at Henry Ford Allegiance Health this week. The $2,000 donation in food represents the parishes of Queen of the Miraculous Medal, St. John the Evangelist, St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. Joseph and St .Mary Star of the Sea parishes. All food came from Mats Cafe and Catering, 212 S Mechanic St. in downtown Jackson. The five councils want to show our gratitude for those medical workers who have given so much to serving the entire Jackson community, our parishes and our parishioners, Ben Dandrow, a district deputy for the five councils, said. They have risked their lives daily and we want to say thank you and God bless the work you do. The Powering Positivity campaign by MLive Media Group highlights how Michiganders are supporting one another during the coronavirus pandemic. It is sponsored by The MediLodge Group. Read more hopeful stories from Jackson County: Teen sends masks across country, world: More things that give us hope in Jackson County amid coronavirus crisis Grass Lake staffers create graduate tribute: Things that give us hope in Jackson County amid coronavirus pandemic Making face shields in the basement: 5 things that give us hope amid the COVID-19 crisis in Jackson County Three things that give us hope in Jackson amid coronavirus Jackson nurse gets early morning send-off from friends: Things that give us hope amid COVID-19 pandemic Popular public affairs commentator, Deji Adeyanju has taken to his social media page to call out former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his purported plans to run for president in 2023. Also Read: Gambari Is A Member Of Cabal Headed By Buhari Deji Adeyanju Alleges Deji Adeyanju expressed that the former Governors biggest mistake in life is the ambition to contest for the highest office in the country come 2023. Speaking further, Adeyanju expressed that Tinubu will not only be disgraced, but also lose control of Lagos State; a state that has been controlled by Tinubus party since the beginning of the 4th republic. Advertisement Widespread and increasingly brutal attacks by the police and soldiers on Tamil civilians have been reported from the war-torn north of Sri Lanka in recent weeks. President Gotabhaya Rajapakse did not take effective measures to prevent COVID-19s spread in Sri Lanka from the outset. After delaying for weeks, he suddenly imposed a countrywide lockdown on March 20 without taking adequate steps to supply essentials and medicines for workers and poor. Rajapakse also gave full powers to the armed forces and the police to arrest people for violating curfew. These forces are particularly brutal in the northern and eastern provinces which are still under military occupation and de-facto military administration. Among the numerous attacks reported in the north are: On May 10, plainclothes police from Manipay entered a house in Chandilipayi village near Jaffna, seeking a young man living there without giving any reason. When informed that he was not at home, police attacked the family members. Police retreated when several youth confronted them, but came back with more officers and severely attacked people, breaking fences and walls around houses. Police turned back ambulances called to take injured persons away, arresting five youth. On May 9, several army soldiers entered Nagar Kovil village, asking about a former member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militia. When people said there was no such person, police attacked young men and women in the vicinity. Angered by the unprovoked attack, villagers rushed to the scene, chasing soldiers away. One elderly woman injured in the assault was hospitalized. Several drunken policemen entered into a house at Mullivaikkal in Mullaithivu on May 6, inquiring about a person. They severely assaulted three youth. Officers at the police station refused to take the victims complaint. Police pressured the hospital authorities to discharge the injured before they recovered. A brutal police attack took place at Malikaithidal in the Kudaththanai area on May 1. The day before, police had come to the village and tried to seize a truck, saying it was used to illegally transport sand. Villagers denied the allegation and kept them from taking the truck. One person recorded video of police on his mobile phone. The next day, police returned with armed special task force officers, demanded the video and started attacking people. Police prevented three-wheel taxis from transporting the injured to hospital. One widely-viewed video shows a small girl holding her fainted mothers head in her lap, saying that police kicked her mothers belly and assaulted her sister with a pole. Another woman said police attacked her backside with bats and dragged her by her hair. Many did not go to hospital for fear of reprisals. About 90 families live in this village, where many people do manual work in farms or transporting sand to earn a meagre income. Many youth there have abandoned studies because of poverty. People from different areas in the north have made nine complaints to the Jaffna human rights commission office about police and military harassment on the flimsy ground that they broke curfew. But poor people are compelled to leave their homes to find food, medicine and water because no plan has been implemented to provide those essentials. Hundreds were arrested in the north using illegal curfew regulations and nearly 50,000 arrested on similar charges countrywide. The stepped-up repression in the north and east reflect growing nervousness in the government and among occupying military forces about growing unrest among workers and poor against the draconian living and social conditions under the lockdown. People living in the north and east are victims of the nearly 30-year bloody communal war against the separatist LTTE. This final phase of the warwhich ended in May 2009 with the murder of at least 40,000 civilianswas presided over by Mahinda Rajapakse, the brother of the current president, now serving as prime minister. Gotabhaya Rajapakse was defence secretary at the time. During the war, properties including houses were destroyed. Many still live in makeshift houses and dire living conditions. The global economic collapse caused by the pandemic is hitting the north and east of Sri Lanka hard. Ignoring the pandemic threat, President Rajapakse has reopened the economy, supporting big business and pushing workers back to work in unsafe conditions. Plants that are shut downwhich are very few in this region or in Sri Lankahave begun slashing jobs and wages and intensifying exploitation. The Vaanavil factory near Kilinochchi opened recently with around 500 workers where 3,000 were employed earlier. Many small businesses and industries have not yet opened, however, and many workers are in desperate conditions. Farmers cannot sell their produce, suffering heavy losses. Fishermen are left without income due to the suspension of exports and lack of access to deep-sea fishing. Government relief has reached few among the poor. Before the pandemic, class struggles were developing in Sri Lanka since 2018, across ethnic lines, as workers in the north and east united with their class brothers and sisters in other parts of the country. There were many protests in the north demanding information about missing persons who disappeared during the war. The Colombo government is nervous about growing social unrest and workers anger at being forced back to work in unsafe conditions, with job and wage cuts and increased working hours. The government has deployed thousands of soldiers, particularly to keep Colombo in a wartime-like situation, fearing mass struggles. Indicating a preparation for a coup, Rajapakse has recalled large number of forces to Colombo. They are now stationed in 16 schools. In the north, the military has been stationed in about 20 schools. An estimated 150,000 troops were in the occupied north in recent years. The bourgeois Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is silent on police-military repression on workers and poor. TNA leaders recently had a secret meeting with the Prime Minister and pledged their full support to the government. This strengthened the states determination to repress the masses in the north and east, paving the way for a presidential dictatorship. Other Tamil nationalist groups like former chief minister C.V. Wigneswarans Tamil Peoples National Alliance and Tamil National Peoples Front use the deployment of military in schools as another occasion to whip up rabid Tamil communalism. They blame the Colombo government for seeking to use the northern schools as quarantine centres for soldiers in the north. However, Rajapakse recently deployed forces in schools throughout Sri Lanka. All these parties, fearing developing struggles of Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala workers, are covering up the Presidents dictatorial policies and trying to divide the working class on ethnic lines. Similarly, Rajapakse and his Sinhala-chauvinist backers are launching anti-Tamil and anti-Muslim campaigns. A united struggle of the working class must be developed against Rajapakses moves towards a dictatorship. A key task in this struggle is the unconditional withdrawal of military from the north and east of Sri Lanka. In this fight, workers must build action committees across ethnic and religious lines in workplaces, calling for support from rural poor and youth and reaching out to the international working class. Workers can defend the jobs, wages and democratic rights of all only in a fight for socialism. On this basis the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) calls on the working class to fight for the program of a Sri Lanka-Eelam Socialist Republic as part of the struggles for socialism in South Asia and internationally. NEW DELHI: In a tragic incident, at least 24 labourers, who were heading home amid the coronavirus lockdown, were killed and several others injured after the truck they were traveling in collided with another truck in Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the tragic road mishap. , Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2020 News agency PTI quoted UP Police as saying at least 24 migrant labourers have been killed and 15 injured in Auraiya truck accident. The trailer truck, which was carrying around 50 migrant labourers, was coming from Rajasthan when it collided with a DCM van coming from Delhi, the police said. Police and district officials immediately reached the accident site after getting the information about it and started the rescue operation with the help of local residents, who had gathered in large numbers there. Those injured have been shifted to the hospital. They are migrant labourers from Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal and were headed to their homes from Rajasthan. Giving more details, Archana Srivastava, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Auraiya, said, ''24 people were brought dead, 22 have been admitted and 15 who were critically injured have been referred to Saifai PGI.'' Confirming the development, Auraiya District Magistrate Abhishek Singh earlier said, ''The incident took place at around 3:30 AM. 21 people have died and around 15-20 have suffered injuries. Most of them are from Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.'' ''State's Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken note of the unfortunate incident in Auraiya. He has expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the labourers who lost their lives,'' Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said. Awasthi also informed the Chief Minister has also directed that all the injured be provided medical care immediately and the Commissioner and IG Kanpur to visit the site and give the report on the cause of the accident immediately. The CM has also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakhs for families of deceased persons & Rs 50,000 for injured, he added. Acting on the orders of the Chief Minister, Mohit Agarwal, Inspector General (IG), Kanpur inspected the spot of the accident. He will submit a detailed report on the cause of the accident to the CMO soon. Meanwhile, the state government has suspended Fatehpur Sikri Agra, SHO and Kosi Kalan, Mathura SHO with immediate effect on directions of CM Yogi Adityanath. The tragic mishap took place days after several migrant workers were killed in two separate road mishaps in Madhya Pradesh's Guna and in Muzaffarnagar in UP. At least eight migrant workers were killed and 54 got seriously injured after the truck they were traveling in collided with a bus in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday (May 14) morning. The deceased belonged to Uttar Pradesh and were returning to their home state from Maharashtra amid the coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown when they met with the accident. In the second road mishap, at least six migrant workers were killed near Muzaffarnagar after being hit by a UPSRTC bus on Wednesday (May 13) night. The accident took place at Muzaffarnagar-Saharanpur state highway at around 11 PM. The victims were from Bihar's Gopalganj and they were walking back to their home state from Punjab where they used to work as daily wage labourers. Marine life off the West Coast, from Mexico up through Canada, inhabit the California Current. The cool, nutrient-rich water supports life from invisible phytoplankton to the economically important salmon, rockfish and Dungeness crab to the majestic orcas. A new study led by the University of Washington finds that the animals' ability to breathe in that water may be key to where and when they thrive. The study, published May 15 in Science Advances, uses recent understanding of water breathability and historical data to explain population cycles of the northern anchovy. The results for this key species could apply to other species in the current. "If you're worried about marine life off the west coast of North America, you're worried about anchovies and other forage fish in the California Current. Ultimately it's what underpins the food web," said lead author Evan Howard, a UW postdoctoral researcher in oceanography. The study shows that species respond to how breathable the water is -- a combination of the oxygen levels in the water and the species' oxygen needs, which are affected by water temperature. The anchovy historical data matches this pattern, and it suggests that the southern part of their range could be uninhabitable by 2100. "Climate change isn't just warming the oceans -- it is causing oxygen to decrease, which could force fish and other ocean animals to move away from their normal range to find higher-oxygen waters," Howard said. Anchovy populations are known to cycle through time, but the reasons have been mysterious. Other explanations -- that drew on food supplies, predator-prey interactions, competition with other species, and temperature preferences -- failed to fully explain the anchovy populations cycles from the1950s to today, which have been carefully recorded. advertisement Since the late 1940s, the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations, or CalCOFI, a partnership between California state and federal agencies, has monitored marine life and conditions offshore. It was established after the economically devastating crash of the sardine fishery in the 1940s with the goal of avoid another fisheries collapse and better understanding marine populations. "They weren't just measuring anchovies, they were measuring everything they could get their hands on," Howard said. Because the anchovies are numerous and their populations soared after the sardine collapse, these fish provide a good record over time and space for the past half-century. Previous research by the UW group showed that water "breathability," the combined effects of temperature and oxygen levels, are key for marine animals' survival. The 2015 research used models to combine the effects of warmer seawater that can hold less oxygen with marine animals' increased metabolic needs in a warmer environment. The new study also drew on a 2018 paper that analyzed the oxygen needs for various types of marine animals at different water temperatures. The two previous studies focused on the future, under climate change, and the distant past, for a major extinction event. Researchers combined observations with ocean models to fill gaps in the data and showed that the breathability index changes over time and corresponds with when anchovy populations rise and fall, and when they move deeper or closer to shore. "This study is the first one that demonstrates on a timescale of decades that a species is responding in really close alignment with this metabolic index -- how breathable the ocean in its habitat has become," said senior author Curtis Deutsch, a UW associate professor of oceanography. "It adds a new, independent line of verification that species in the ocean are arranged in accordance with how breathable their habitats are." The authors then looked at the extent of anchovy habitat in the future under climate change. Projected changes in the water conditions will likely make the southern part of the anchovies' range, off the coasts of Mexico and Southern California, uninhabitable by 2100. "We expect habitats to shift for all species that depend on oxygen for survival," Howard said. "If we understand how these animals are responding to their environment, we can better predict how these populations will be affected as the conditions change." Police officers near the Cuban Embassy in this file photo taken in Washington on April 30, 2020. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images) Policing During a Pandemic Commentary The classified ad might read: Looking for college-educated applicants who can handle serious on-the-job stress, constant public criticism, and loss of co-workers by suicide. Must be skilled in handling firearms, life-and-death conflicts, domestic abuse suspects, the mentally ill, and drug addicts. Training in murder, arson, cybercrime, and white-collar crime investigations a plus. Must feel comfortable in a bulletproof vest. Average salary: $56,300 a year. Think about all the hurdles a hopeful police recruit must overcome just to get into a training academy. Think of the potentially deadly challenges a police officer faces every day. Now imagine what its like for them during this pandemic. In normal times, todays COVID-19-inspired directive to stay six feet apart would be impossible for a street cop. Rosa Brooks, a former reserve officer in Washington, D.C., has eloquently written about the enormous amount of physical intimacy officers routinely encounter with members of the public. During my time on patrol, I put my hands into strangers pockets during searches; ran my fingers inside waistbands, bra bands and shoes; put handcuffs onto wrists and held those I was arresting by the arm as I escorted them to the patrol car, Brooks wrote in The Washington Post. And it wasnt just a matter of touching other peoples bodies. People coughed, sneezed, vomited and bled on me, Brooks said. Sometimes, they shoved me or spat at me. Other times, they hugged me or cried on my shoulder. A handcuffed, half-dressed woman once asked me to stuff her breasts back into her bodysuit; another time, a shoplifter begged me to help her rinse her feces-stained pants in a supermarket bathroom. In todays pandemic-stricken atmosphere, many law enforcement departments are functioning with vastly depleted forces as ever-increasing numbers of virus-infected officers call in sick. Those reporting for duty are under orders to approach the job much differently. Routine high-contact patrol practices like stops, searches, and arrests have slowed to protect both officers and the public. The arrests that must be made to ensure public safety are done by cops in protective masks and gloves. Patrol cars are sanitized after transporting suspects. On the street, patrol teams are instructed to try to verbally disperse people who have gathered in large groups, while at the same time keeping their distance. Dispatchers at 911 call centers are asking those seeking help to come outside to meet officers whenever possible. Citizens caught up in violent domestic abuse situations are given priority attention, with hotline numbers and free rides to shelters or hotels. Departments are also working remotely to connect charity groups with vulnerable citizens in need of food or medical services. It has become popular in some quarters to vilify those who wear a badge. But for countless needy people nationwide, it is their local cop shop they call when they become desperate. Police officers have valiantly responded, organizing donations to help people suddenly unemployed and delivering food to the elderly, some of which the officers have paid for themselves. In neighborhoods across the country, the local beat cop is a lifeline. They do their jobs stoically, realizing that every interaction with co-workers and community members exposes them to possible infection. Every contact increases the risk of carrying the virus home to their families. This is no idle worry. Thousands of law enforcement members have been sickened, and multiple dozens have died. The death toll rises daily. A survey by the Police Executive Research Forum conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic found a workforce crisis underway in law enforcement departments nationwide. The report describes how departments are losing members at an alarming rate. The triple threat to public safety comes with the exit of officers who want out after only a few years, those seeking early retirement, and administrators inability to attract new people. Seems the traditional sources of recruitsfamilies with a history of police work and former military membershave dried up. The bottom line: Now is the time to appreciate, applaud, and elevate our frequently maligned members of law enforcement. Its a front-line profession that was already in staffing jeopardy before the virus hit. We cannot continue to underpay and underappreciate what they do. Society cannot function without them. Diane Dimond is an author and investigative journalist. Her latest book is Thinking Outside the Crime and Justice Box. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The following editorial appeared in Saturday's Japan News-Yomiuri: - - - Companies are facing poor business performance overall amid the coronavirus pandemic. They are urged to implement reforms with an eye on a "new normal." For the business year ending in March, announcements of financial results have just peaked among companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Combined net income among companies listed in the First Section of the TSE, excluding those in the financial sector, is expected to fall short of the previous year's figure by about 20%. When looking at the January-March quarter alone, the combined net income will likely nose-dive about 70%, with Honda Motor Co. and ANA Holdings Inc. among the companies that have posted losses for the period. The situation has worsened further since April. It is essential for companies to secure a larger amount of cash reserves than usual based on the premise that the fight against the virus will be a long one, while at the same time responding promptly to changes in consumption behavior and customer needs. Companies must not have realized how fast the coronavirus would spread to all corners of the world - prompting governments to issue restrictions on going out or requests to stay home - thereby causing a prolonged stagnation of economic activities. Even if the spread of the coronavirus is contained once, a new outbreak could happen. There is no prospect of a V-shaped economic recovery as each country is still struggling over how to carry on with the virus. The way people live and work definitely has to change as well. Telecommuting is on the rise, while business negotiations and sales promotion activities, for which face-to-face communication was taken for granted, will possibly move online more than before. The need for online shopping and home delivery services will undoubtedly remain high in the future. The pandemic has also made us realize anew how fun it is to spend money on live performances and other firsthand experiences. These events may gain fresh popularity once safety is secured. It is time for executives to use their ingenuity in finding business opportunities and deciding where they should focus their investments. A move by Toyota Motor Corp. has drawn attention at a time when many companies have found it difficult to release their earnings forecasts. In what it described as "presenting a benchmark," the giant automaker dared to release its earnings forecast for the year ending March 2021, in which it expects a consolidated operating income of 500 billion, down by 79.5% compared to the previous year. President Akio Toyoda announced that his company will manage to stay in the black and will make desperate efforts to maintain a domestic production capacity of 3 million vehicles per year. As the automobile industry has a broad support base, his remarks will surely have the effect of reassuring Toyota's business partners. It is hoped that the manufacturer will help maintain employment. Companies must accelerate efforts to review supply chains that have depended greatly on China. This is also important from the viewpoint of economic security. Trade friction between the United States and China could intensify further as the two countries are stepping up their confrontation over issues surrounding the coronavirus. It is important for companies to take countermeasures as soon as possible. To prevent a situation in which companies cannot secure what they need when necessary, it must be effective to have a number of suppliers or to switch to in-house production of necessary parts. The government has also decided to provide subsidies to companies that have moved their production bases to Japan, among other steps. It is hoped that many companies will proactively take advantage of this scheme. The past decade or so has been full of telehealth demonstration projects, including video visits with specialists, for people living far from academic medical centers. Several dedicated telehealth companies have sprung up, often catering to people with no insurance or high deductibles. Each telehealth company has different offerings but a common visit such as checking symptoms for flu, generally costs under $100 per visit. The limiting factor, Kwang says, had been that most people have little or no health insurance coverage for video visits and doctors often have not been able to be reimbursed for telehealth services. (Newser) The media was waiting for this oneand Barack Obama didn't disappoint. The former president, who's been making headlines with his jabs at the Trump administration, rolled out new quotes Saturday in an online commencement speech to historically black colleges and universities, the New York Times reports. So let's get to them: story continues below Tearing back the curtain : "More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they're doing," Mr. Obama said in his address. "A lot of them aren't even pretending to be in charge." : "More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they're doing," Mr. Obama said in his address. "A lot of them aren't even pretending to be in charge." COVID-19 and jogging : "You're being asked to find your way in the world in the middle of a devastating pandemic and terrible recession. The timing is not ideal," said Obama, per the Washington Post. "And let's be honest. A disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country. We see it in the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our communities, just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog, and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him if he doesnt submit to their questioning." (That's a reference to the Ahmaud Arbery shooting.) : "You're being asked to find your way in the world in the middle of a devastating pandemic and terrible recession. The timing is not ideal," said Obama, per the Washington Post. "And let's be honest. A disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country. We see it in the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our communities, just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog, and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him if he doesnt submit to their questioning." (That's a reference to the Ahmaud Arbery shooting.) Waking up to the facts: "Injustice like this isn't new," he went on. "What is new is that so much of your generation has woken up to the fact that the status quo needs fixing; that the old ways of doing things dont work; that it doesn't matter how much money you make if everyone around you is hungry and sick; and that our society and democracy only works when we think not just about ourselves, but about each other." (Obama recently made waves with these thoughts , which triggered this criticism , and this backpedaling .) Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. The ravages of the coronavirus are well known and the numbers are grim. Nearly 10,000 people have died from the virus in New Jersey during a pandemic that has claimed 300,000 lives around the globe. Leroy New, a 74-year-old Burlington County man, was a bright spot this week for his family and the hospital that treated him, for the virus, Inspira Medical Center, in Mullica Hill, Gloucester County. New lifted his arm and wave goodbye to them as he was wheeled out after a 46-day battle with the virus that causes CODID-19. His care has been a great example of how Inspira is able to execute its mission statement with comprehensive and compassionate care, Dr. M. Scott Dawson, an Inspira cardiologist said of New. But Dawson was especially close to the patient before he was admitted. New is his stepfather. My mom, Leroys wife of over 40 years, and I are indebted to Inspira and all of its amazing staff members for saving his life," he said. New, of Cinnaminson, spent 34 days on a ventilator fighting the virus and bacterial pneumonia. Medical experts have said the outcome for patient who spend extensive time on ventilators is not good. But New has beat the odds, for now. He will continue recovering in a rehab facility, hospital officials said. Inspira Mullica Hill opened in December and replaced Inspira Medical Center, Woodbury, the former Underwood Memorial Hospital. Gov. Phil Murphy then asked Inspira officials to reopen the hospital in Woodbury at the outset of the pandemic, with a plan to use it if hospital capacities in the region were overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients. Last month, state officials said Woodbury could be used if needed, but the pandemic has been slowed and its reopening is no longer imminent. At least 9,946 residents have died of the virus in the state, and the number of confirmed cases rose to 142,704 on Thursday, Murphy said at his daily press briefing. The numbers include more than 244 new deaths and more than 1,216 new cases in the last 24 hours. The number of patients at New Jersey hospitals dropped by about half from the peak a month ago. The states 71 hospitals had 3,958 patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases as of Wednesday night, according to state data. Thats the lowest number since the state began publicly tracking hospitalizations on April 4 and follows four straight weekly declines averaging more than 1,000 patients. The state hit a peak height with 8,084 hospitalizations on April 14, according to the data. Murphy has referenced the hospital number repeatedly as the best real-time indicator of the status of the coronavirus outbreak in New Jersey because it is not subject to the same lags for getting test results. - Staff Writer Matt Arco contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. Pininfarina has built a new automotive simulator, and in this case, it will not be used for racing of any type. AutonoMIA, as it is called, will be used to envision and test trending features and future technologies, as the company searches for ways to innovate and push forward. The state of automobiles and how people use them is in flux right now. In addition to the idea of cars eventually becoming wholly autonomous, automobiles are integrating into people's lives through smart devices, smart homes, and other smart mobility vehicles. Pininfarina says the AutonoMIA will be used to immersively scout these ideas, as well as other tech such as artificial intelligence, 5G, digital displays, haptic feedback, and sensors inside and outside of the vehicle. "AutonoMIA shows how Pininfarina may combine experience design with creative technology, reinventing the on-board experience at a time when digitalization, connectivity, data, and artificial intelligence are substantially redefining mobility," Pininfarina CEO Silvio Pietro Angori said, according to a press release. AutonoMIA, which Pininfarina calls a "highly responsive, multi-sensorial on-board experience demonstrator," was made possible through multiple collaborations. The ART Group, a company that focuses on automotive infotainment, used the AutonoMIA to debut ARTIST8, a new platform that allows integration and interactivity between four interconnected displays within the cabin. ART provided Pininfarina with all the hardware and developed all of the middleware. Pininfarina also tapped Finnish company Siili_auto to build the "application layer." One of the key technologies Pininfarina will explore is holographic images. With partner WayRay, the AutonoMIA will test augmented reality with a holographic color head-up display that could be used in infotainment or within the cabin during autonomous driving. Pininfarina says the demonstrator is customizable and will evolve based on collected data, user experiences, and new technologies. Story continues Related Video: Click here to See Video >> I have known my ex for longer than Ive known my best friend, longer than Ive lived in my apartment, certainly longer than Ive had my current hairstyle. We dont talk all the time, but we follow each other on Instagram, and check in periodically, especially when one of us has divulged some big life change on the platform. We are, by all accounts, friends, though sometimes I overthink our bond and wonder why I keep in touch with him over any other exes. He was the person I thought about as I watched Normal People, the TV adaptation of Sally Rooneys novel of the same name, which debuted on Hulu April 29. I was late to watching it but I quickly found myself engrossed in the on-and-off-again relationship between Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal), who each navigate school and life with the other as a buoy. The Irish teens begin a furtive sex-thing in high school, but the more popular Connell, whose mom cleans Mariannes house, wants to keep their togetherness a secret (she is understandably crushed). As the series and their relationship progress, so does their power dynamic: Marianne blossoms in college, while Connell works two jobs and struggles to relate to their classmates. Their connection threads itself through other relationships, both romantic and platonic, and across vacations and study programs both at home and abroad. Hulu Normal People is as much about how they grow together as it is about how they grow up and navigate love in parallel. It is also, mostly, about how they just cant quit one another. Whether this connection is maintained through campus run-ins or long emails sent across country lines, they never escape the others orbit. In 2013, Maureen OConnor posited for The Cut that social media has made it easier to stay on-and-off with our exes, or at least keep the avenues of communication open in far more passive ways than ever before. Normal People examines that back-and-forth, and holds its focus on the way such circling can hurt both ourselves and the ones we love and help heal a few wounds, if were willing to do the work. Story continues As it turns out, keeping in touch with an ex is so common, according to psychotherapist Whitney Hawkins Goodman, who runs the therapy account @sitwithwhit on Instagram, even with people who are married or have been in long-term, healthy relationships. She says that often, reaching out to an ex is more reflective of our current emotional state than of how we left the relationship. There can be a number of reasons why someone might text a former partner, including loneliness, being reminded of that person, or wanting to recreate the feeling they experienced in the relationship. I also find that especially right now, people are feeling really nostalgic and wanting to go back to a time where they felt more secure. A 2016 study led by the University of New Hampshires Lindsey Rodriguez published in the Journal of the International Association for Relationship Research surveyed 260 undergraduate students who were currently in relationships; 40% of respondents said they kept in touch with their most recent ex, and 90% of those people said they talked at least once every few months. The more serious their current relationship was, the less likely they were to reach out. Only 32% of respondents who identified as being almost engaged to their current partner communicated with an ex, and with good reason: A second study by the same researchers found that being in touch with a former flame, whether to maintain a friendship or out of a desire to retain a backup option, often correlated with people feeling less satisfied in their current relationship. In Normal People, both Marianne and Connell establish other relationships, and their continued closeness creates understandable friction. Mariannes boyfriend, Jamie (Fionn O'Shea), feels threatened when Connell makes a pit stop at Mariannes Italian villa during a backpacking trip through Europe; his cruelty toward Marianne sends her right into Connells arms. And while Connell has a stable and loving relationship with a medical student named Helen (Aoife Hinds), his continued correspondence with Marianne slowly erodes the trust Helen has in him. This comes to a head in the book when Helen asks why hes so weird around Marianne. How I act with her is my normal personality, he responds. Maybe Im just a weird person. Hulu Like Marianne and Connell, I met my ex when I was in school. Because he knew the person I was over a decade ago, its easy for me to feel safe with him, especially when something else in my life is upside-down. Im not alone, either: I have one particular ex who is still a friend and I text them every time I feel like my world is changing, Anna*, who lives in Brooklyn, told me. We were together during a really tumultuous time: We both graduated from college and moved to New York together. So for both of us, I think, its nice to connect with someone who knows you deeply and knows what it means when certain things change. She has texted her ex during both good and bad moments, from layoffs to birthdays, and the ex recently sent her a care package to help her feel better in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. That people are reconnecting with past flames now may have something to do with diminished prospects, as Ashley Fetters pointed out at The Atlantic: Because health officials have advised people to not be within 6 feet of anyone, let alone a new Tinder date, those not in relationships or living with a partner might feel like connecting with an ex, even digitally, is one of the few options they have to fight loneliness. Its easy to understand why the relationship timeline Rooney captures in Normal People feels so familiar. And though Hulu did not mean to drop the adaptation in the middle of a pandemic, the fact that so many people were already feeling vulnerable when they tuned in likely made its emotional potency that much stronger. Whether the viewer remembers themselves as the nerdy outcast being kept a secret, the popular kid sneaking around, or just someone in love with a person from whom they cant disentangle, theres a messiness thats very relatable to the here and now. Its all but factory-standard in our digitally connected lifestyle. The Kinsey Institute is currently studying how the pandemic is affecting peoples sex lives. According to Dr. Justin Lehmiller, a research fellow, one in five respondents said they have reached out to an ex during quarantine, while one in four people said an ex had reached out to them. While he called those numbers surprising, he told me that was primarily because we didnt know what the baseline estimate would be. So its definitely worth exploring and trying to understand why people seem to be doing this at a higher rate right now. He posits that older people might reach out to navigate co-parenting or senior care, while young people might simply feel lonely according to a 2019 survey by YouGov, millennials said they experienced the emotion more often than any other generation. In Normal People, Marianne and Connells reunions almost always end up in sex, to varying degrees of fraught embarrassment. During our discussion, Lehmiller pointed to a study which found having sex with an ex isnt always the emotional disaster many people believe it will be. But he also noted the quarantine study found that most peoples motives behind reaching out now arent always sexual in nature: The single most common reason across [current] relationship status was, they just wanted to check in on their ex and make sure they were doing alright, that they were healthy and safe during this very unusual time. RELATED: Normal People Star Daisy Edgar-Jones Says Nothing Will Prepare You for Onscreen Nudity I also wonder if our generation thinks about reaching out so much simply because we can: Where older generations relied on writing letters and looking people up in phone books, we have email, and text messages, and Instagram DMs. We are also getting married later than previous generations, if at all, and the cultural attitude toward dating has mercifully shifted away from the idyllic but lofty notion that high school sweethearts will be together forever. Now, you often have more time to find The One if that is something you want, which means a number of could-have-beens may be left in the wake of your pursuits. Add the ways in which digital connection can create a foundation for these relationships, and it makes sense that many of us are constantly weighing the pros and cons of getting back in touch with an Almost or a Maybe. Both Lehmiller and Hawkins Goodman agree that social media can be a driving factor in why people reach out to their exes, given that pixelated feeds help us keep tabs on those people in passive ways. That digital proximity is replicated in Normal People when Marianne and Connell email each other between her study-abroad program in Sweden and his studies in Dublin. After an emotional meeting with a therapist, Connell Skypes Marianne as a comfort, and later falls asleep with his laptop monitor still on; he wakes up to find that she didnt sever the connection overnight. RELATED: Normal Peoples Marianne and Connell are the R-Rated Ross and Rachel of Our Generation Being able to check in on your exs whereabouts and perhaps finding out they are single, if becoming on-again is on your mind also has its drawbacks. Hawkins Goodman warned that its easy for people to read such developments as signs that they should have reached out all along. It can feel like you know more about them than you might, she said. And there are some topics that are more difficult to navigate, even if you and the ex both believe you are friends. Asking about a new relationship can feel like a proverbial third rail. For me and my ex, reminiscing about what we once had is the weird exercise, and usually ends in me apologizing for something I did years ago and him telling me he cant remember what Im even talking about. People often package moving on from somebody as a very neat thing, when getting over someone you cared about can be far from linear. Its not always that clean or neat, and its OK to want to have a certain type of relationship with someone, even after the more romantic relationship ends, Hawkins Goodman said. But if you can get out of your own head enough to reflect on how youve evolved since the relationship ended, and hold space for the possibility that your ex might not feel the same way about reconnecting as you do, chances are good youll figure out whether reaching out makes sense for your specific situation. Sometimes, its worth noting, the impetus is simply centering your own need for closure or a fun what if above their need for healthy boundaries and space. Try to sort that out in a different way, if possible. RELATED: The Only 4 Reasons to Get Back Together With an Ex If staying in touch with my ex has taught me anything, its that we work far better as friends than we ever did during the years we were dating, and on-again after that. That doesnt mean we failed on the relationship front. The way we support each other is different now, which makes sense: We are different people now than when we were together. We should be. The characters in Normal People get there eventually, too, but not before years of wading through insecurities and a ton of inner work, which makes them better both to each other and to themselves. I think they'll always remain in each other's lives but I love the fact that I don't know in what capacity, Edgar-Jones told InStyle about Marianne and Connell. They're still very much living and breathing, and that means I never have to say good bye to them. Kind of like being a text message away. Enniscorthy Greyhound track has been given a lifeline by the Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) in the wake of an independent report based around a strategic review of the Irish greyhound sector. The report by independent consultants Indecon made a number of key recommendations, resulting in the IGB deciding to give the Enniscorthy track a fixed period of time to address challenges and issues it faces. A spokesperson for the IGB said the new Indecon report confirmed the main conclusions and recommendations contained in the original report. The report follows on from an open consultation process conducted by the IGB in the wake of the initial Indecon report being published, during which 48 submissions were received. The IGB spokesperson said the Enniscorthy track management, along with those running the Youghal track, have been contacted with regard to engaging with the IGB. 'It' is intended that the matter will be further considered by the [IGB] at its July meeting,' said the spokesperson. There are currently 16 greyhound stadiums in Ireland, nine of which are run by the IGB with the other five being private entities - including Enniscorthy. In its report, Indecon said there were 'strong emotions' expressed which it said was inevitable 'in the context of a restructuring of a sector'. The consultant firm said it was 'very aware of the economic and social role played by stadia and the industry' adding that its analysis was 'designed to ensure that the footprint of the commercially focused sector supported by IGB has a sustainable future'. 'In our opinion, the key issue is to ensure that actions are taken to support a sustainable development of the sector and if there are alternative options identified which would achieve this, they should be carefully evaluated,' said Indecon in its report. The publication of the report was welcomed by Minister Paul Kehoe who said that 'huge public pressure from the town of Enniscorthy had provided the track with a lifeline'. However, Minister Kehoe also added that the track still has 'a fight on its hands' but the new report had presented it with a glimmer of hope. 'I am urging the IGB to accept the option to allow Enniscorthy the chance to address some of the issues highlighted,' said Minister Kehoe. His sentiments were echoed by Cllr Cathal Byrne who also said the publication of the report offered a bit of hope to the stadium. He said he greeted it with 'cautious optimism' but also conceded that those involved with running the track have 'a fight on their hands'. The Racing Manager in Enniscorthy, Jim Turner, praised the owners and trainers involved with the track and said they had done over and beyond their duty in terms of trying to help keep the track open. He also said that the onset of the current pandemic wasn't helping matters. 'In the current environment it's hard to know what is going to happen,' he said. Mr Turner said Covid-19 is another factor that is to be considered. 'Some of the owners and trainers are going beyond what they have to do and they have done a lot of work to try and keep it open,' said Mr Turner. He also emphasised the importance of the facility for local people and said: 'If you are not doing your best for the local people and not looking after them, you will be in trouble.' When this newspaper spoke to Mr Turner he hadn't yet seen the full Indecon report. He said he will talk in detail about the report when he is more familiar with its contents but he welcomed its publication and said that there are challenges ahead. In its submission to the IGB, Enniscorthy Greyhound Company (EGC) had questioned the need for restructuring and rationalisation of the industry but Indecon rejected any notion that restructuring is not required. Attendance figures were a controversial issue in the initial report and Indecon said it used official IGB attendance data which indicated that 13,515 attended Enniscorthy track in 2018. However, this was disputed by the Enniscorthy track, who argued that rounded figure was 19,000. Indecon alerted Enniscorthy to the difference in figures and the discrepancy was put down to an estimate from benefit nights as 'these would not be included in attendance figures returned to the IGB as they come in as ticket holders'. In the new report, Indecon said that 'post production' of the December report, Enniscorthy had suggested the anomaly in the figures was explained 'by an error made by a new member of staff'. Indecon said it accepted Enniscorthy's good faith on the issue and the new explanation that attendance levels officially submitted were wrong, and in its report said: 'We understand this can happen.' Indecon also accepted that despite there being no registered breeders in Wexford, with five or more active breeding bitches, there are breeders and litters in the county. Indecon concluded that, despite the challenges, there is potential to develop a viable greyhound industry in Ireland. It said a radical restructuring of the footprint of the sector is recommended and that rationalisation of the sector should be based on objective criteria. Significantly, it also recommended the cessation of funding for a number of stadia and that ongoing cost-efficiency measures are recommended. Indecon also rejected the EGC's assertion that poor facilities was a result of lack of investment from the IGB. A manhunt is on after a woman was smashed over the head with a bottle at a Woolworths supermarket checkout. The woman, 59, was waiting at the checkout counter of Woolworths in Miller, south-west Sydney, on Friday when a man stood close behind her and she asked him to step back. He then approached the woman from behind and hit her over the head with a bottle as she was purchasing her groceries. Pictured: NSW Police released an image of a man they hope to speak to and called for public assistance in identifying him The bottle did not break and the man proceeded to leave the store. Police were notified of the attack and officers from Liverpool Police Area Command attended the supermarket. The 59-year-old woman was treated by paramedics and later taken to Liverpool Hospital as a precaution. Officers conducted a thorough search of the surrounding area but did not find the man. Police released an image of a man they want to speak to and called for public assistance in identifying him. He was described as having a slim build, aged in his forties, around 175cm to 180cm tall, of Indian Sub-Continental appearance and with dark hair and a beard. The man was last seen wearing black pants and a grey hoodie. A secondary school student from Davidstown has begun a fundraising initiative to raise money for frontline staff in Wexford General Hospital. Barry Cunnea (18), who goes to St Mary's CBS in Enniscorthy, has set up a gofundme page and explained why he started it. 'I am raising money to the frontline workers in Wexford General Hospital for all their hard work,' he said. 'I will be singing new songs and posting them on my Facebook account and the money I raise will go to Wexford General Hospital,' he said. Barry is a huge country music fan and among his particular favourites are artists like Nathan Carter, Mike Denver, Clodagh Lawlor, Derek Ryan, Cliona Hagan, Michael English and Barry and Dominic Kirwan. He has met many of the aforementioned stars and has attended a lot of country music concerts. 'I love singing [and] I was supposed to be going to see Nathan Carter in Hotel Kilmore on April 12, with my granny, who is cocooned,' said Barry. 'Hopefully, I will get to see him and all the other country music artists soon,' he added. Anyone interested in donating to Barry's fundraiser can do through a link on Facebook page. 'Even a small donation could help reach the fundraising goal,' said Barry, who hopes that even if a person can't make a donation, they would spread the word about his campaign to their friends. London, May 16 : UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has denied reports that the government will be freezing public sector workers pay as part of a string of measures to foot the coronavirus bill. He reportedly told around 125 backbench Conservative MPs on a conference call on Friday that there would be no return to austerity to cover the 300 billion pound cost of the crisis, the Metro newspaper reported. Johnson promised to "double down" on transport projects in the north, amid concerns his election promises to level-up the economy would be ditched as the UK heads towards a recession. He said the government was looking at spending heavily on infrastructure as Britain exits the restrictions and believes the pandemic could be a "springboard for ambitions". A Treasury document leaked earlier this week said the UK's deficit could reach 337 billion pounds this year because of the pandemic, compared to the forecast 55 billion pounds in March's Budget, report the Metro newspaper. It said the assessment, dated May 5, warned that filling such a gap in the public finances through tax revenue rises would be "very challenging without breaking the tax lock". The leaked doscument said measures including income tax hikes, a two-year public sector pay freeze and the end of the triple lock on pensions may be required to fund the debt. The Treasury has not commented on the report. Five corruption cases have been launched against the former Pakistan PM since his ouster from the office by the Supreme Court in July 2017 Lahore: Pakistan's anti-graft body has approved the filing of two additional corruption cases against embattled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in London for medical treatment. Five corruption cases have been launched by the government of prime minister Imran Khan previously against the 70-year-old supremo of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz since his ouster from the office by the Supreme Court in July 2017 in the Panama Papers case. The National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) regional board, under the chairmanship of its Director General Shahzad Saleem, discussed the additional corruption cases against Nawaz, his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif, daughter Maryam Nawaz and 13 others in money laundering and possession of assets beyond known sources of income investigation. Similarly, the board has also approved filing another case against the three-time premier, Geo Media Group founder Mir Shakilur Rahman and two others in a 34-year-old 54-kanal (6.75 acres) land case. The NAB-Lahore has forwarded both cases to its chairman Justice retired Javed Iqbal for his final approval before filing it in the accountability court. The cases against the Sharif family members in the two cases will be filed in the accountability court, Lahore, next week after the approval of the NAB chairman, an official told reporters. In the money laundering and income beyond means corruption case, the Sharif family is accused of swindling 7 billion Pakistani Rupees. Nawaz, Shahbaz and Maryam have been declared prime suspects in this case," the official said, adding that the NAB will produce 100 prosecution witnesses against the suspects. In the other corruption case, the three-time prime minister is accused of misuse of authority in allotting land along the Lahore canal to Shakilur Rahman in violation of rules in 1986. Nawaz was the chief minister of Punjab at the time. Under the Lahore Development Authority exemption policy, not more than 15 plots measuring one kanal (0.125 acres) each could be exempted to Rahman. The NAB has made 16 prosecution witnesses part of this case. Since Nawaz did not respond to any of the NAB's summons, his arrest warrants have already been issued and the bureau has moved the accountability court to declare him a proclaimed offender. Rahman is in judicial remand since he was arrested on March 12. Presently, he is in hospital on medical grounds. The NAB Lahore on Friday also initiated another probe against Nawaz, Shehbaz and Maryam for acquiring thousands of kanals in violation of rules making it part of their Jati Umra Raiwind Lahore residence. Nawaz in November last had left for London after the Lahore High Court granted him a four-week permission allowing him to go abroad for his treatment. He had given an undertaking to the Lahore High Court to return to Pakistan citing his record to face the process of law and justice within four weeks or as soon as he is declared healthy and fit to travel by doctors. Nawaz was also given bail in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case in which he was serving seven-year imprisonment in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail. Nawaz, who was diagnosed with an immune system disorder, has been advised by the government's panel of doctors to go abroad for treatment. He had been diagnosed with coronary disease. In London, he underwent comprehensive cardiovascular evaluation and investigations at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital. Maryam recently said her father is a high-risk patient and therefore his cardiac catheterisation/coronary intervention has been postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Nawaz's personal physician Dr Adnan Khan said the former premier has been diagnosed with "complicated coronary artery/ischemic heart disease with significant disease burden." Russia's hybrid military forces mounted nine attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in the past 24 hours, with two Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action, the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) has reported. "The enemy fired on our positions using 120 mm and 82 mm mortars prohibited by the Minsk agreements, as well as grenade launchers of various systems, armament of infantry fighting vehicles, heavy machine guns and small arms... Amid enemy shelling, two Ukrainian soldiers were wounded," the JFO headquarters said in a morning on its Facebook page on Saturday. "The JFO units took comprehensive measures to cease enemy fire and gave an adequate response to enemy's shelling. After the active use of standard weapons by our units, the enemy refused further criminal actions," the headquarters said. According to Ukrainian intelligence, on May 15, at least one Russian mercenary was wounded. "Since the beginning of this day, the Russian occupation troops have not been active. For the current day, there have been no casualties among Ukrainian defenders," the JFO HQ said. In addition, the headquarters reported that there were no cases of COVID-19 coronavirus infection among JFO personnel. The Texas Supreme Court has again blocked mail-in voting requests for people worried about contracting COVID-19, overturning an appellate court order from earlier this week. The high court on late Friday did not provide an explanation for issuing the stay. Attorney General Ken Paxton applauded the decision and said his office would continue to prosecute voter fraud and issue guidance against allowing expanded voting by mail. Protecting the integrity of elections is one of my most important and sacred obligations, Paxton said in a statement. I am pleased that today the Texas Supreme Court confirmed that my office may continue to prosecute voter fraud and issue guidance on mail-in ballots while that appeal plays out. The Texas Democratic Party, which filed the suit, is arguing in the case that the risk of contracting the disease amounts to a disability under election law. Paxton has argued that is not sufficient enough an explanation to meet the definition of disability under the law. This is a dark day for our democracy. The Republican Texas Supreme Court is wrong to force the people of Texas to choose between their health and their right to vote. They would have Texans die, just so they can hold on to power," Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement. Voters should have the ability to vote-by-mail during a pandemic if they feel their health is in danger. Every single justice who ruled today should be ashamed of themselves. They are the new Republican death panel." A Travis County district court judge and Democrat last month issued a temporary injunction, allowing Texas voters to request mail-in ballots for that reason. Paxton had appealed, but on Thursday, a 2-1 panel of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals, with two Democratic judges in favor and one Republican dissenting, upheld the order during the appeal. Fridays decision marks another development in a case that is shaping up to be as head spinning as the states case over whether to allow abortions during an elective surgery ban meant to conserve personal protective equipment during the pandemic. Its unclear what this will mean for counties that have already begun collecting mail-in ballots. Harris County last month budgeted $12 million in anticipation of a higher quantity of requests. Peacefmonline.com can confirm that the country's Coronavirus case count has risen to 5,638 Unfortunately, four more deaths have been recorded putting the number of deceased as at May 15, 2020 to 28 This was affirmed by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) on its website a few minutes before midnight. The good news, however, is that, there have been 786 new recoveries in the last 24 hours. According to the GHS, there has been a significant increase in the number of recoveries from 674 to 1,460. Per the GHS statistics, only Savannah, Ahafo and Bono East remain the Regions without a confirmed case of Covid-19. Regional breakdown: Greater Accra 4,248 Ashanti Region 798 Central Region 210 Eastern Region 99 Western Region 87 Western North Region 57 Volta Region 34 Northern Region 31 Oti Region 26 Upper East Region 26 Upper West Region 21 Bono Region 1 Savannah Region 0 Ahafo Region 0 Bono East Region 0 Volta Region Records First COVID-19 Fatality In a related development, it is believed that one of the victims in the latest COVID-19 fatalities, was a 60-year-old woman who passed away at the Ho Teaching Hospital after returning from Accra two weeks ago. The victim had complained of difficulty in breathing, fever for three days and reduced level of consciousness. According to an earlier report by the Ghana News Agency (GNA), filed hours before the GHS updated its website with the current figures, the deceased, who happens to be the first COVID-19 death at the local Treatment Centre in Ho, gave up the ghost after five days on admission at the Regional COVID -19 Centre on May 14, 2020 at 1815 hours. Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister, in a statement, said the deceased was a known diabetic who had suffered a Cerebro-Vascular Accident (CVA) a few years ago. Dr. Letsa said, The patient was clinically managed in conformity with the established clinical protocols for the various disease conditions, psychosocial support given to the family of the confirmed case and all contacts and appropriate burial procedures currently underway. The Regional Minister said 39 staff including ten doctors, 28 nurses and an orderly were immediately quarantined as a precautionary measure after varying levels of exposure while contact identification, listing, tracing and testing was ongoing. He said the Emergency Unit of the Ho Teaching Hospital was evacuated and shut down for 24 hours for fumigation. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Engineering Exports Promotion Council (EEPC) on Saturday urged the government to come out with a package for exporters to tide over the crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. India's exports contracted by a record 60.28 per cent to USD 10.36 billion in April amid the coronavirus lockdown, official data showed on Friday. Engineering exports declined by 65 per cent. "Although the government has announced a series a measures so far concerning some sectors of the economy, it should come out with a package for exporters in these challenging times," EEPC Exective Director Suranjan Gupta told PTI. He said exporters have already intimated the central government about cancellation of some contracts. "The exporters are also facing pressure for giving discounts on future orders," Gupta said. "We also wish to bring to the attention of the government that China's industrial production has revived and there is a danger that China will flood the world markets," he said. The Centre should provide easy working capital and packing credit to exporters, the official said. Gupta also said the RBI should immediately notify about the Nirvik (Niryat Rin Vikas Yojana) scheme to provide enhanced insurance cover and reduce premiums for small exporters. Under the scheme, also called the Export Credit Insurance Scheme (ECIS), up to 90 per cent of the principal and interest is covered. Chairman of CII national committee on exports and imports, Sanjay Budhia, said the Union government has issued a circular on extension of the interest subvention scheme. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) When the country went into lockdown back in March one woman knew she was going to be busy. Mary Durcan who owns The Craft and Sewing Basket on Ballast Quay in Sligo was watching the news unfold and realised straight away that demand for scrubs and mask making material would be high. Mary decided she would start making scrubs and masks for local frontline workers and in no time was getting requests from clinician and staff at SUH who were facing a three to five week waiting time for deliveries from their regular scrubs suppliers - that's if they could order scrubs at all. Within days of starting her free voluntary service Mary was overwhelmed by the demand and enlisted the help of staff, friends and sewing enthusiasts in North Sligo, Anne Feehily who works in the community sector came on board to help with coordinating the volunteers. Local Councillor Marie Casserly volunteered to collect and drop off supplies while Orsi Strekovanyec and Paula O'Connor volunteered as pattern cutters and in a blink North West Sews was born. Within days, the voluntary community group had grown to 50 members, all sewing enthusiasts working from home and spread across counties Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and Roscommon. Local graphic design company Darragh Kerrigan Creative provided free logo design to the group and helped set up the groups social media presence. When the group ran out of fabric local businesses stepped in to donate much needed supplies. With the help of generous donation from Nice Price in Wine Street, Sligo, Plan 4 in Union Street, The Sligo Freemasons, Moffitt's of O Connell Street and Studio Donegal in Kilcarr the sewing volunteers were kept supplied and production continued. As the demand for scrubs and masks continued to rise the group set up a GoFundMe page to help with purchasing fabric from wholesalers in the UK and Ireland. To date almost 6,700 has been received in donations from people across the country. The fund has enabled the group to make 500 sets of professional standard scrubs consisting of tunic style top and elasticated trousers and 4,000 face masks and they are still busy sewing to meet demand. Feedback from people receiving the scrubs has been very positive with one nurse saying: "I am so happy with the quality and fit of your scrubs, thank you so much for the hard work. It's such a positive feeling knowing that your volunteers have our back during this emergency, thank you." North West Sews scrubs have been delivered to Sligo University Hospital, nursing homes in Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo Mayo and Roscommon, community frontline workers, carers, home help, health professionals, primary care staff, pharmacists and many others across the region. North West Sew's masks have also been a fantastic success with over 4,000 given out free of charge to vulnerable groups, nursing homes, the Red Cross, families, community groups, meals-on-wheels, essential workers and people who are cocooning. Gardai across the region have supported the group's efforts and have helped with logistics to provide deliveries of scrubs and masks when needed. The volunteers received national recognition when Deputy Marian Harkin commended the work of North West Sews in the Dail. The volunteers are making a real difference to the needs of their community across the North West in a time of crisis to produce a thousand pieces of medical grade clothing and 4,000 facemasks in just over a month is a credit to the power of grassroots effort, skill and determination. To donate please go to North West Sews Masks and Scrubs for frontline Workers on GoFundMe. Meanwhile, a second yearHome Economics and Biology Student at St Angela's College, Lauren Cawley has been making cotton facemasks for her aunt's hospital in America and is now also making facemasks for Higgins Pharmacy on Teeling Street, Sligo in aid of Northwest Hospice. Lauren's aunt is a nurse and asked her to make them. She investigated three different designs and then made a batch and sent them to her. She is one of the many St. Angela's staff and students now making these which are selling for 10 in aid of the hospice. Rebecca Sharibu, mother of Leah, the Christian schoolgirl abducted by Boko Haram has said that she is ready to have any member of the ... Rebecca Sharibu, mother of Leah, the Christian schoolgirl abducted by Boko Haram has said that she is ready to have any member of the Islamic terrorist group as a son-in-law if that will ensure the release of her daughter. Leah has remained in Boko Haram enclave on account of her refusal to renounce her faith even after her fellow 109 abductees were released to their families a month later. She was the only Christian among the 110 schoolgirls abducted by the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) from their school in Dapchi, Yobe State, on February 19, 2018. Leah Sharibu turned 17 last Thursday, May 14, and marked her third birthday in captivity. Rebecca further expressed disappointment with the President Muhammadu Buhari governments unending negotiation for her daughters freedom, which she described as a scam to satisfy themselves. Rebecca said that, All that matters now is the safe arrival of my precious Leah. She said she is now ready to take even an outlaw for in-law, rather than lose her daughter, adding, You may call him an outlaw, but to me, her husband will be my son. I will take and treat him as an in-law, as quoted by the Guardian. New Delhi, May 16 : Apparel Export Promotion Council's (AEPC) Chairman A Sakthivel on Saturday said that apparel manufacturers in the country will export non-surgical masks worth $1 billion in the next three months. In a statement, Sakthivel also thanked the Centre for allowing the export of all types of non-medical and non-surgical masks, saying the decision will further boost the production of masks in the country. "There is a huge opportunity for Indian apparel manufacturers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his opening remarks on May 12, while addressing the nation has laid emphasis on a self-reliant India and this is the time for our apparel exporting industry to prove him correct and make India proud by demonstrating that India is a global sourcing hub for the entire world" he said. He said there is a huge demand for the export of these products and the AEPC has already identified the international markets for these non-medical and non-surgical masks. "The council assures the government that it will ensure exports of these items to the tune of $1 billion within the next three months," Sakthivel added. The Chairman noted that AEPC has taken the lead in the matter to represent the cause of the industry and its demand and the government has responded with speed in bringing out the much-needed amendment. The Secret Service is investigating a vast fraud ring of suspected Nigerian hackers who allegedly used bogus unemployment claims to steal hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars intended to help jobless Americans. The crime ring is exploiting the coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis by flooding overwhelmed state unemployment offices with bogus claims in the names of Americans who are still working, according to a memo reported by Krebs on Security. The memo, sent to Secret Service field offices on Thursday, said that 'substantial amount of the fraudulent benefits' have used information stolen from 'first responders, government personnel and school employees.' Washington state, said to be a magnet for bogus claims, has already had to temporarily halt payment of benefits while it sorts through the surge of fraud, leaving jobless Americans in dire financial straits. State labor departments are being targeted by Nigerian scammers stealing millions in unemployment benefits, the Secret Service warns. A labor office in New York is seen above Washington's Employment Security Department suspended payments on Thursday to sort through what it calls 'impostor theft' by sophisticated criminals using stolen Social Security numbers and other personal data to access the state's unemployment insurance system. The state planned to resume benefits payments on Saturday. It comes as state unemployment offices have been overwhelmed by record-shattering numbers of claims, with more than 35 million people losing their jobs amid the lockdowns intended to slow the spread of coronavirus. The bogus claims only make it harder for overtaxed state offices to pay out legitimate claims, at a time when many who lost their jobs months ago have yet to see their legitimate claims filled. 'It is assumed the fraud ring behind this possesses a substantial [personal information] database to submit the volume of applications observed thus far,' the Secret Service warned in the memo. 'The primary state targeted so far is Washington, although there is also evidence of attacks in North Carolina, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, Wyoming and Florida,' the memo added. It comes as unemployment claims surge to record highs with millions out of work The Treasury Department says unemployment programs delivered $48 billion in payments in April alone (file photo) 'In the state of Washington, individuals residing out-of-state are receiving multiple ACH deposits from the State of Washington Unemployment Benefits Program, all in different individuals' names with no connection to the account holder,' the notice continues. The U.S. Attorney's office in Seattle said on Friday that it is working with state authorities to track down and prosecute criminals who are stealing unemployment benefits. U.S. Attorney Brian Moran is investigating unemployment fraud in Washington state 'Chasing these reprehensible criminals is just one part of the equation,' U.S. Attorney Brian Moran said in a statement. 'The other part is for the state to address and fix the vulnerabilities in their system, and I am advised that they are working to address that part of the problem.' The Secret Service memo suggests that the suspected Nigerian scammers utilize American 'mules' -- often victims of online romance scams -- to receive direct deposits from the fraudulent transactions and forward the money to the overseas scammers. The Secret Service was historically part of the Treasury Department, and in addition to protecting the president it is tasked with safeguarding the nation's financial and payment systems. Bankers in Oklahoma say that they have seen a surge in unemployment claims from Washington sent to suspected mules in their state. 'It's been unbelievable to see the huge number of bogus filings here, and in such large amounts,' Elaine Dodd, executive vice president of the fraud division at the Oklahoma Bankers Association, told Krebs. 'I'm proud of our bankers because they've managed to stop a lot of these transfers, but some are already gone. Most mules seem to have [been involved in] romance scams.' On Thursday, the federal government reported that nearly three million people filed unemployment claims last week, bringing the total over the last two months to more than 36 million. The Treasury Department says unemployment programs delivered $48 billion in payments in April alone. Cotonou, Benin (PANA) - The Beninese Minister of the Interior and Public Security, Saca Lafia, has ordered the closure of all Benin land borders as the people vote in Sunday's municipal elections across the territory A home health aide from New Jersey was charged this week with endangering the welfare of an 80-year-old woman she cared for after she defied orders to self-isolate over fears she may have contracted the coronavirus and continued to care for the woman, authorities said. The woman, a Camden resident, later tested positive for COVID-19, was hospitalized and died days later, according to a joint release from the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office and the New Jersey State Police. Josefina Brito-Hernandez, 49, also of Camden, was charged on Thursday with five counts of endangering the welfare of another, the office said. On April 16, Brito-Hernandez was not feeling well and went to a COVID-19 testing site in Camden, but did not tell the unidentified woman she was caring for or the womans family, police said. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage Once she was tested, Brito-Hernandez was told to self-isolate, even before her results came back, because she had been in contact with someone who was suspected to be positive for COVID-19, and ultimately tested positive for the virus, the office said. However, she did not self-isolate and went to work on April 17 and did not wear a face or any other protective equipment, even though her employer also mandated that it must be worn at all times, police said. She could be seen on in-home video caring for her patient by feeding her, giving her a sponge bath and taking her vital signs, authorities said. Brito Hernandez also cared for two developmentally disabled siblings in the household, also without wearing personal protective equipment, the office said. In addition to the 80-year-old woman contracting the virus, four other members of the home tested positive for COVID-19, but their current conditions were not disclosed in the release. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. Panaji, May 16 : More than 400 Indian seafarers, many of them Goa residents, have been tentatively cleared by the Ministry of Home Affairs to be flown from Italy to Goa on May 20. These seafarers are working for Italian company 'Costa Cruises'. "The MHA has no objection to carrying out immigration functions in respect of 414 Indian nationals coming to India (Dabolim airport) from Italy through three special chartered B-737 aircraft, tentatively on May 20, subject to production of no-objection certificate/permission from competent authority in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Director General of Civil Aviation," an office memorandum issued by the MHA said in response to a query from the Ministry of External Affairs. "The airline operator shall also strictly adhere to guidelines regarding Covid-19 issued by the Health Ministry, Ministry of External Affairs, and the DGCA," the MHA official said. More than 30,000 Goans seafarers are currently stranded in various ports-of-call across the globe and are waiting to return home. A hideout of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was busted and an overground worker arrested in a village in Jammu and Kashmirs Budgam district, sources in the state police said on Saturday. According to sources, Zahoor Wani, a close associate of LeTs Yusuf Qantroo, was arrested and arms and ammunition also recovered from his possession in Arizal village under Khansahib tehsil. The hideout was just 200 to 300 metres away from his house on his land, they said. They added that Wani was providing logistics, hideout and transportation to the LeT team of Qantroo, who mainly operates in Badgam and Baramulla area. More arrests and recoveries also expected. The rush of people onto the Isle of Palms was so heavy Saturday that the City Council called an hourlong emergency meeting Saturday night to discuss response measures after the mayor described beach crowding as the worst he'd ever seen. "We're overwhelmed," Mayor Jimmy Carroll told The Post and Courier. "Our police can't keep up with it, our residents are up in arms, there's nobody social distancing." The council didn't vote on any changes, but members agreed that ramped-up policing and more communication about roads and parking would be key in preparing for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. Traffic had been a nightmare during the day, according to Carroll, and the city was forced to reopen the parking spaces they'd closed in hopes of keeping the beaches below peak capacity. Police Chief Kevin Cornett said his 10 officers wrote 216 parking tickets Saturday, documented seven traffic violations and arrested a drunken driver. On Sunday, they'll have an additional officer working, as well as two Charleston County deputies to help. Fire Chief Anne Graham said her department performed a rescue, and will be borrowing ATVs from the county rescue squad because larger vehicles can't get through the crowds. "Coronavirus aside, (traffic) is a problem," County Chairman Elliott Summey said. "It's a problem that's not going away." Summey wants county residents to check cameras for beach crowding and traffic before deciding to head for the water. Local officials are joining forces for a messaging campaign to remind residents of social distancing restrictions and enforcement ahead of the holiday, Summey said. "(We're) saying, 'guys, abuse it and you're going to lose it,'" Summey said. South of the Isle of Palms on another tourist draw of Folly Beach, the oceanfront was also being overrun with traffic Saturday as drivers sat bumper-to-bumper as far inland as Battery Island Drive. While the roads were crowded, Folly Beach Mayor Tim Goodwin said beach-goers had generally been respectful of social distancing guidelines. Police there were busier writing tickets for the drivers who've left tires on the pavement and blocked bike lanes near the boat landing, he reported. "We're just doing the best we can do," Goodwin said. "It's good to know what to expect for (Memorial Day) weekend." The city, which briefly reopened earlier before a slew of visitors prompted Folly to close again a few hours after lifting restrictions, likely won't discuss another change until its June meeting, according to Goodwin. On Sullivan's Island, Mayor Patrick O'Neill said most visitors respected the town's ban on coolers, chairs and umbrellas. He hopes visitors planning their Memorial Day weekends take the crowding into account. "My concern is that everybody is going to try to make up for lost time on the beach," he said. "It'll still be there later though," and that "stuck in traffic is not the way to spend the holiday." All three beaches were open for the first time together in weeks to outsiders on a Saturday. Despite calls for a ceasefire in Donbas because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an escalation of hostilities, and human rights violations in Crimea annexed by Russia are only increasing, so there is no reason for Europeans to relax sanctions, the member of the European Parliament in 2004-2019, Rebecca Harms, has said. Europeans should be united, and EU leaders should be united in the decision to extend the sanctions, she said during an online discussion at the Kyiv Security Forum on Friday, May 15. She expressed the hope that this will be in this way in the future, because of COVID-19, there is a certain chance for Russia to gain more influence on these decisions in its interests. However, Russia has failed to do this. There were serious calls for a ceasefire because of COVID-19, but nothing happened, she said. On the contrary, there was an escalation of hostilities in Donbas. If one looks at Crimea, there will only be violation of human rights, therefore there is no reason to weaken the sanctions for Europeans, she said. Harms added that she does not expect a change in the sanctions policy against Russia, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel firmly defends this position, but does not advise Kyiv to "cast doubt on the Minsk accords." She also did not recommend fundamentally questioning the Minsk agreements. The former Ukrainian leadership signed these agreements, the EU was critical and skeptical of them from the very beginning, but if Ukraine wants the sanctions to remain, and Ukraine probably wants this, then the country should not question the very basis of the Minsk agreements, focus on a ceasefire, as certain Ukrainian politicians do. She said that this is the best way. At the same time, Harms said that Europeans should not allow Russia to get such an agreement that would allow it to have a military presence in the territory of Donbas. Also, the former member of the European Parliament drew attention to the fact that Ukraine needs to continue the initiated reforms. She expressed confidence that a lot needs to be done in this regard. There were certain mistakes and failures, as in any other country, she said. KENNETT SQUARE, Pa., May 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Genesis HealthCare (Genesis) (NYSE: GEN), one of the largest post-acute care providers in the United States, is announcing a change in the location of its 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. In light of the public health concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, including federal, state, and local restrictions on in-person gatherings, the Annual Meeting will be held solely by remote communication, in a virtual-only format. The previously announced date and time of the meeting, June 3, 2020, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time, has not changed. The meeting will be accessible to stockholders at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GEN2020 using the 16-digit control number that is located on their proxy card, voting instruction form, or Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials. As described in the proxy materials for the Annual Meeting, stockholders are entitled to attend and vote at the Annual Meeting if they held shares as of the close of business on April 6, 2020, the record date designated by the Board for the Annual Meeting, or if they hold a legal proxy for the meeting provided by their bank, broker, or nominee. To learn more about accessing and participating in the virtual meeting, please refer to Genesis Notice of Change of Location filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 15, 2020. About Genesis Healthcare, Inc. Genesis Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE: GEN) is a holding company with subsidiaries that, on a combined basis, comprise one of the nation's largest post-acute care companies providing services to nearly 400 skilled nursing facilities and assisted/senior living communities in 25 states nationwide. Genesis subsidiaries also supply rehabilitation therapy to approximately 1,200 healthcare providers in 44 states, the District of Columbia and China. References made in this release to Genesis, the Company, we, us and our refer to Genesis Healthcare, Inc. and each of its wholly-owned companies. Visit our website at www.genesishcc.com . michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today: President Trump has fired the inspector general for the Department of State, whose investigation posed a threat to his administration. Maggie Haberman on the pattern that that reveals. Its Tuesday, May 19. Maggie, where does the idea of an inspector general come from? maggie haberman So the idea of inspectors general, who are basically public watchdogs, emerged out of the Watergate era. archived recording (richard nixon) I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is abhorrent to every instinct in my body. maggie haberman Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace after abusing his office. archived recording (richard nixon) As president, I must put the interests of America first. maggie haberman Faith in government dipped substantially among the public. archived recording (richard nixon) By taking this action, I hope that I will have hastened the start of that process of healing, which is so desperately needed in America. [music] maggie haberman And this idea came about of permanent government oversight at each federal agency of the executive branch, and each one would have their own watchdog in place. And they are supposed to do audits of operations. Theyre investigating reports of waste or fraud or abuse. These oversight officers were essentially a bulwark against corruption, a bulwark against the type of abuses that took place during the Nixon era. michael barbaro So a kind of internal affairs department inside each agency of the executive branch? maggie haberman Thats exactly right. Inside each agency of the executive branch was somebody who people could report tips to. And the I.G. could then investigate those and decide whether those were substantiated or not substantiated. And if they decide that there is something real there, they would immediately notify Congress within a week, within seven days. And so there is supposed to be this chain of accountability that exists with the I.G.s. michael barbaro And the final chain is Congress, so an entirely different branch of government. maggie haberman Exactly. michael barbaro And how are these inspectors general regarded after this law is passed? maggie haberman They are very respected. What was originally 12 inspectors general expanded and became dozens and dozens across the executive branch. And over the years, they have launched investigations into archived recording Strippers, casinos, Las Vegas it sounds like a wild bachelor party, but instead, its Pentagon employees using their government-issued credit cards. maggie haberman Wasteful spending into fraud. archived recording A new report by the inspector general at the Department of Homeland Security finds the U.S. citizenship and immigration services, or CIS, improperly granted citizenship maggie haberman Into conflicts of interest, into abuse. archived recording The Justice Department released details of a 2004 CIA inspector generals report detailing chilling interrogation techniques, including waterboarding. maggie haberman And for the most part, presidents choose not to tangle with them. There are some notable exceptions. Ronald Reagan, for instance, replaced all of the inspectors general on day one. He said that he wanted a clean slate. michael barbaro Mm-hmm. maggie haberman George W. Bush raised some eyebrows with how he handled a NASA inspector general, for instance. And then we get to 2009. President Obama had been in office for only a handful of months. And at that point, he abruptly fires the inspector general, Gerald Walpin. archived recording Barack Obama fired Gerald Walpin. He is the inspector general of the Corporation and National Community Service. That is the federal agency responsible for distributing money to organizations like Americorps maggie haberman Who was overseeing investigations into Americorps and other national service programs and how money was being spent on them. archived recording He was investigating a close political pal of President Obamas, but maggie haberman And one of the people who Walpin was investigating was the Sacramento mayor and a former N.B.A. basketball star, Kevin Johnson. He was an Obama supporter, and the fact that there was a connection between the president and this person, who is connected to one of the groups that Walpin was looking at, raised a lot of eyebrows. archived recording (gerald walpin) Well, actually, I was fired, because I was doing my job and doing it well and supporting my staff, who are maggie haberman And President Obama alerted Congress that he had lost confidence in Walpin and was going to remove him from that position. michael barbaro Hmm. [music] And did he say why he lost confidence? maggie haberman He did not get into why he had lost confidence. He didnt really offer any full explanation. archived recording (chuck grassley) What we have here is a bigger problem with inspector generals that we got to watch this administration on. maggie haberman And at the time, Chuck Grassley, the Republican senator from Iowa, who has been very, very assiduous in his support for the I.G.s, was disturbed by what took place. archived recording (chuck grassley) And I use inspector generals tremendously in my oversight work, so Im going to fight hard to make sure they maintain their independence. maggie haberman He said at the time that he thought it looked as if Walpin had been doing a good job, that he had identified a lot of money in America funds that had not been used properly. michael barbaro Mm-hmm. maggie haberman The criticism of this move by Obama, it should be remembered, was not just Republicans. Claire McCaskill, senator from Missouri, who was an Obama supporter, was very critical of Walpins firing at the time. And this was the last time that Obama did this. michael barbaro Hmm, so lesson learned. Dont mess with inspector generals. maggie haberman Right, or lesson certainly appeared to have been learned. It was, it was a hot stove that he touched, and he never touched it again. michael barbaro Mm-hmm. maggie haberman But from there, we got to President Trump, who, throughout his term, has been extremely skeptical of inspectors general. michael barbaro Why? maggie haberman Hes a business guy, Michael. He has never been in government before. And the idea of having this in-house adversarial relationship, somebody who works for him but who is there to tell him that hes doing things wrong, is just a concept thats anathema to him. And so he has chafed at it and has found it uncomfortable, to put it mildly. And then when they had started to do things that upset him, he becomes very angry. And that is what has led us to this unprecedented moment of, in the last two months, the president waging open war on the inspectors general. [music] michael barbaro Well be right back. Maggie, tell us about this unprecedented war that President Trump is waging on these inspectors general. maggie haberman So there have been four inspectors general who he has targeted. And in each case, he has felt some level of threat from each of them it seems. Michael Atkinson was the first one, and whats important about Atkinson is he is the person who received a whistleblower complaint from an official in the intelligence community, who was detailed to the White House. And this complaint accused the president of an abuse of power related to foreign policy to force Ukraines government into announcing investigations related to Joe Biden and his son, that could have personal political benefit for the president. Atkinson found that complaint to be credible enough to have raised a, quote unquote, urgent concern. And it, under that label, had to be disclosed to Congress. And this report from Atkinson is what triggered the impeachment inquiry into the president. The president, last fall before there were actual hearings related to the impeachment, but while Congress was starting to look at this the president talked to his advisors about firing Michael Atkinson at the time. The presidents advisers told him this was a really bad idea. That if he did this, he was just throwing gasoline on an existing fire. So he waited, and the president was acquitted in the Senate impeachment trial on February 5. And he dismissed Atkinson a handful of weeks later. [music] michael barbaro And what does the president say when he fires Atkinson? Does he acknowledge that it appears to be an act of retribution for Atkinsons role in the impeachment? maggie haberman No, the president does not acknowledge that at all. archived recording (donald trump) I thought he did a terrible job, absolutely terrible. maggie haberman He says that he has lost confidence in Atkinson, and he says this in a letter to Congress. archived recording (donald trump) He took a whistleblower report, which turned out to be a fake report. It was fake. It was totally wrong. It was about my conversation with the president of Ukraine. He took a fake report, and he brought it to Congress. maggie haberman That was as much of a reason as Congress was getting. archived recording (donald trump) That man is a disgrace to I.G.s. All right, lets go. michael barbaro And I guess as much of a reason as the president needed to give Congress. maggie haberman All that he needed to say, and the way that he described it in his letter to Congress was, As is the case with regard to other positions where I, as president, have the power of appointment, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, it is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as inspectors general. That is no longer the case with regard to this inspector general. Thats as much as they got. michael barbaro And Maggie, what is the reaction in Congress, and I guess beyond Congress, to this firing of this inspector general? maggie haberman There was a large outcry. archived recording (adam schiff) course, were in the middle of a pandemic, and what is this president doing as thousands of people are dying? He is retaliating against people that are on his enemies list and doing it in the dead of night. archived recording Listen, he got fired for political reasons. He got fired because the president believes that a deep state exists, a group of civil servants that are out to get him. That is not true. maggie haberman Democrats and even some Republicans said they were enormously troubled by what appeared to be an act of political retribution. But there was no consequence for this president. Hes right. Its within his power of appointment as president. So he did it again a couple weeks later with another I.G. michael barbaro And who the second inspector general who was targeted by the president? maggie haberman Next up was Glenn Fine, who had been the acting inspector general for the Department of Defense since prior to President Trump took office. Now Michael, what was notable about Fine was that was about to become the chairman of a new committee that was going to do oversight on the spending in response to the coronavirus pandemic. This was going to be oversight of $2.2 trillion in coronavirus relief. michael barbaro So he was going to make sure that money was being properly spent. He was going to account for it. maggie haberman Thats right. Fine was going to be the watchdog for this massive amount of government spending. The president abruptly moved him out of his office, and therefore he couldnt be the chairman of that committee. It seemed as if the president wanted to move out somebody who didnt report directly to him or who was not promoted by him and not handpicked by him in the first place. That he wanted somebody who more fit that bill to sit on that committee that would be overseeing the spending of this $2.2 trillion. [music] Next on the list was the principal deputy inspector for the Department of Health and Human Services, Christi Grimm. She had done a report that was based on a number of interviews with hospitals all over the country, and those pinpointed massive shortages of supplies at various medical centers, efforts and struggles to obtain test kits, gear for hospital workers, ventilators that weve heard so much about since. archived recording Despite the nearly 1.8 million tests that you say the United States has done, the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services released a report today, a survey, of more than 300 maggie haberman The president was really unhappy about this report. What he said to reporters at the time was, its just wrong. archived recording (reporter) I mean a week or longer. archived recording (donald trump) Its just wrong. Did I hear the word inspector general? Really? Its wrong, and theyll talk to you about it. Its wrong. maggie haberman Many asked about who had written the report. archived recording (donald trump) Well, where did it come from? The inspector general. Whats his name? archived recording (reporter) It came from the inspector general report archived recording (donald trump) No, whats his name? Whats his name? archived recording (reporter) I dont know his name off the top of my head. archived recording (donald trump) Well, find me his name. Let me know, OK? If you find me his name, Id appreciate it. archived recording But sir michael barbaro Hes asking reporters for the name of the inspector general who has done something that has upset him. maggie haberman He was asking reporters to figure out for him and he was assuming it was a male, it was a woman who had written this report. Three weeks after Christi Grimm wrote this report, President Trump announced her replacement. michael barbaro OK, so that brings us, I believe, to inspector general number four. What is the story there? maggie haberman Inspector general number four, Steve Linick, had, according to Democratic congressional aides, opened up an inquiry into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife. And whether they were misusing a political appointee at the State Department to serve them, essentially to perform menial duties like walking their dog, making restaurant reservations, picking up dry cleaning. And at the same time, Linick had been looking into, and was close to finishing, an investigation into Pompeos decision to go around Congress with an emergency declaration to approve billions of dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia last year. There was an enormous outcry in Congress that this did not go through approval by congressional officials at the time. And Linick was looking into this. michael barbaro So the issue here is whether or not the State Department kind of created a false sense of urgency around approving an arms sale to the Saudi Arabian government. maggie haberman Thats exactly right. And that report, as I said, was close to completion. So these two investigations were going on, and we are told that Mike Pompeo told the president that he thought that Linick should be fired. So on Friday, thats exactly what happened. Another late Friday night ousting of an inspector general, Linick was announced as departed. michael barbaro What has been the reaction to this firing? maggie haberman Democrats are very upset about this. archived recording (robert menendez) We need to know why an inspector general all of a sudden gets sacked on a Friday night, added to the three other I.G.s that have been sacked. archived recording (nancy pelosi) The fact is if it looks like its in retaliation for something that the inspector general is doing, that could be unlawful. maggie haberman But given whats happening with coronavirus, given that the attention of the country is largely on either the deaths caused by the virus or the economic devastation caused by the response to dealing with the virus, this has not broken through in the way that it might in any other moment in time. michael barbaro Hmm, how are Republicans reacting to this ouster? maggie haberman With the exception of some concern from Chuck Grassley, whos been consistent about inspectors general, and Mitt Romney, who was very critical and who was the only Republican vote in favor of impeachment against President Trump, there has been radio silence from Republicans on this. michael barbaro It feels like the events of the past few months reveal a pretty central flaw in the original creation of the inspectors general, which is that it allows the president to fire these independent figures, right? I mean its interesting that it was created in the aftermath of Watergate as a check against bad actions in government. And yet, Watergate was all about a president being abusive, and here you have a law that allows a president to fire those internal watchdogs. maggie haberman Michael, I think youve identified the exact problem with this law, which is that its only as good as the honor system around it. Because if its just another piece of the presidents power, if the president isnt going to abide by what these inspectors general find and let them do their investigations, then its not worth very much. michael barbaro So the political consequences for the president are, at this point, uncertain for removing these inspector generals. But Im curious what you think the consequences are for the inspector generals who remain throughout the executive branch. I mean will this affect how they do their job? maggie haberman Michael, I think that were never going to know for certain most likely, but I could see scenarios where inspectors general feel like they cant open an investigation, because if they do, its just going to get shut down. Or they get pieces of information, and they want additional confirmation before theyll pursue something. It could absolutely have a chilling effect on how these folks do their jobs. [music] michael barbaro Have any of these fired or dismissed inspectors general spoken out since they lost their jobs? maggie haberman There was a really remarkable statement that Michael Atkinson, the dismissed intelligence community inspector general, put out. And he defined this as a message he was leaving for, quote, any government employee or contractor who believes they have learned of or observed unethical, wasteful or illegal behavior in the federal government. And he had a very dramatic line in it, talking about the significance of his office: The American people deserve an honest and effective government. They are counting on you to use authorized channels to bravely speak up. There is no disgrace in doing so. And then he goes on to talk about the importance of whistleblower programs and says, Please do not allow recent events to silence your voices. [music] michael barbaro Maggie, thank you very much. maggie haberman Michael, thank you. michael barbaro On Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo acknowledged in an interview that he had asked President Trump to fire the inspector general of the State Department, but said that it was not an act of retaliation. Democrats remain skeptical. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent President Trump a letter demanding a detailed explanation for the firing. In the letter, Pelosi called it, quote, part of a pattern of undermining the integrity of the inspectors general and therefore our government. Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. archived recording (alex azar) We must be frank about one of the primary reasons this outbreak spun out of control. There was a failure by this organization to obtain the information that the world needed, and that failure cost many lives. michael barbaro In a speech at the annual meeting of the World Health Organization, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, pointedly criticized the group, saying it had mishandled the original outbreak of the virus in China by promoting misinformation from the government there. archived recording (alex azar) The status quo is intolerable. W.H.O. must change, and it must become far more transparent and far more accountable. michael barbaro At the meeting, leaders of the World Health Organization said that they would review their response to the pandemic, something that several member countries, including the U.S. have demanded. And archived recording (donald trump) Yeah, Ive taken it for about a week and a half now, and Im still here. michael barbaro During a news conference on Monday, President Trump said that he has been taking doses of hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure against the virus, despite a lack of evidence that it works. archived recording Can you explain, sir, though, what is the evidence that it has a preventative effect? archived recording (donald trump) Here we go. You ready? Heres my evidence. I get a lot of positive calls about it. The only negative Ive heard was the study where they gave it was it the VA with, you know, people that arent big Trump fans gave it, and weve done a great michael barbaro The Times reports that the presidents disclosure has alarmed doctors, who fear it may encourage Americans to use the drug. The Food and Drug Administration has previously issued a safety warning about the medicine, saying that it can cause serious heart problems and should not be used outside of hospitals or clinical trials. [music] Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 16:00:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni has signed a royal decree to deliver a pardon to former ambassador to South Korea Suth Dina at the request of Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen. In the royal decree dated Tuesday and released to Xinhua on Saturday, the monarch granted amnesty to Dina, 49, who was convicted of abuse of power and embezzlement and sentenced to five years in prison in 2016. "Samdech Techo Hun Sen, prime minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, must take responsibility to implement this royal decree from the day of signature," the king wrote. Dina, who had served as the Cambodian ambassador to South Korea for 25 months, was arrested by the country's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) in April 2016 following a raft of complaints against the former envoy. At that time, the ACU announced that an investigation had found that Dina had 7.2 million U.S. dollars in cash, up from 4.2 million U.S. dollars when his ambassadorial appointment began in Feb. 2014. Also, the former ambassador owned 12.7 kilograms of gold worth about 500,000 U.S. dollars and several houses and pieces of land. The ACU said Dina had embezzled 116,995 U.S. dollars from selling visa stickers and withdrew more than 180,000 U.S. dollars from the embassy's administrative budget for informal salary expenses. In December 2016, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced him to five years in prison for abuse of power and embezzlement. Enditem The reasonable basis for allowing businesses to reopen before South Carolina has a sustained reduction in COVID-19 infections is that weve all retrained ourselves to keep a safe social distance from others and to protect ourselves with masks when we cant. And most of us probably have. But not all of us. Downtown Charleston bar accused of social distance violations now closed to address safety Trio owner Eric Gussin said the nightclub will not reopen until we can do so safely. Certainly not the 20 cheering patrons captured on an Instagram photo at a downtown Charleston bar, standing inches apart. Certainly not the two dozen unmasked 20-somethings packed in line, waiting to get into the outdoor seating area of a restaurant in Columbias Five Points bar district. Not the wait staff who expose their faces at freshly opened restaurants, or the shoppers who cruise the grocery store aisles, noses and mouths unobstructed. And unfortunately, not a lot of our legislators. Yes, several wore masks, kept their distance and wiped down the microphone after they took their turn at the lectern when the Legislature met on Tuesday; Rep. Eddie Tallon even wore a full face shield over his mask and hauled a chair out into the mostly deserted antechamber, only venturing into the chamber, gingerly, when he had to cast a vote. But many probably most House members were maskless and sat elbow-to-elbow in their duplex desks. Unlike the previous two times they were in session, no one retreated to the balcony for extra space during their six and a half hours in session. Over in the Senate, where the desks are larger but still adjacent, with less than 6 feet between senators, more wore masks, but only Dick Harpootlian participated from the balcony. Down on the floor, his colleagues complained intermittently about the governors serialized emergency orders. Just before adjourning, they voted 17-16 to declare that state law doesnt allow the governor to bypass the 15-day limit on states of emergency by simply signing a new one on Day 16. (Similar complaints emerged across the hall but fizzled out.) The legislation, which raises an important legal question that lawmakers ought to address at some point, was nonbinding; the main goal of S.1201, Sen. Dwight Loftis told the Senate, was to give voice to the many constituents who think the time has passed if it ever arrived for lockdowns. Gov. McMaster issues 5th state of emergency amid COVID-19 as senators debate its legality Gov. Henry McMaster issues a fifth emergency order the same day senators narrowly pass a measure recommending he ask their permission. That feeling is far from universal, but coming a day after Gov. Henry McMaster announced that even most close-contact businesses may reopen on Monday, the Senate vote should make it clear that the debate over whether to reopen South Carolina has ended. Fortunately, a lot of us probably can safely return to work and to much of our daily lives assuming we take precautions to protect ourselves from those people who cant be bothered with worrying about whether they infect others or become infected themselves and then infect others. Thatll be a challenge in some workplaces. Thats why one of the priorities for government must be ensuring worker safety; otherwise, trial lawyers will do that through litigation. One of Mr. McMasters biggest missed opportunities one I hope hell reconsider if a resurgence requires further restrictions was requesting rather than requiring reopening businesses to follow the guidelines established by a team of business and government officials (requiring masks, for instance, or spacing tables in restaurants at least 6 feet apart). Editorial: Help SC's good companies reopen and stay open despite COVID-19 Its become a partisan flashpoint in Congress: Companies that want to resume operations or continue to supply the critical services that allow But protecting ourselves outside the workplace is entirely doable if sometimes inconvenient or awkward. It starts with continuing to stay home as much as we can. When we have to venture out, we can avoid places that are crowded, especially if most people arent masked. We can order takeout as our favorite restaurants reopen and be smart and selective with in-person dining, since the people who cant be bothered with worrying about infecting us will be among the first flooding back in. We can keep our guard up even around friends. And wash our hands. And keep them off our faces. When I suggested this Monday in our weekly Opinion Newsletter , readers sent me a litany of modern-day Typhoid Mary stories. My favorite: a 70-year-old woman who got her hair done last week, went and got strawberries and bagged them up and delivered them to her friends around town, went out flower shopping and asked my wife today to ride with her 2-plus hours each way to NC just for company. His wife did the only thing a responsible person could do in the COVID-19 world: She declined. The woman said maybe shed invite another friend a woman in her 80s. Theyre easy to spot, these people who refuse to care that their activities might injure others. And were going to be spotting more of them every day. The only way we can protect ourselves and our loved ones, and deprive the coronavirus of the new hosts it needs to survive, is to keep our distance even when that means being less than social. Hotel market expected to recover next year, illustration photo The hotel market in Vietnam this year is expected to face a severe decline in room occupancy due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will not recover until next year, industry experts have said. Savills Vietnam said the COVID-19 crisis had seriously disrupted the economy, especially the tourism sector and hotel market. Many hotels have either suspended operations or temporarily closed to cut costs, and have retained only key personnel to prepare for reopening. These moves were done to offset the revenue decline in the short term, but many hotel owners are still uncertain about how long it will take for tourism demand to rise again. Savills said the global economic impact caused by the pandemic would make it more difficult for a full recovery of the hotel industry this year. Full recovery is likely to take place in 2021, Savills said. Domestic tourism demand, especially from young travellers, will play an important role in the recovery of the hotel industry, it said. A report from CBRE Vietnam said the hotel market in Hanoi has shown more positive signs than in HCM City. The four- and five-star hotel segment in Hanoi is expected to recover more quickly when international businesses resume normal operations, with hotels in ong a and Ba inh districts preferred by customers. Domestic guests and international visitors from Northeast Asia will also play a role in the recovery of the hotel market in Hanoi after the outbreak is under control. For the hotel market in Hanoi, if the epidemic is contained by June, the average room rate this year will decrease by 8-13 percent and the occupancy rate will drop by 46-51 percent compared to last year, according to CBRE Vietnam. If the epidemic is contained in September, the average room rate will decrease by 15-20 percent, while the room occupancy will fall by 50-55 percent compared to last year. For the hotel market in HCM City, CBRE Vietnam forecasts that if the pandemic is controlled in June, the average room rate this year will fall 10-15 percent, and the room occupancy will decrease by 40-45 percent compared to 2019. If the epidemic is controlled by September, the average room rate will decrease by 17-22 percent compared to 2019, the room occupancy is also expected to drop by 44-49 percent over the last year. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism expects a slow recovery post-COVID, and has created two scenarios for the tourism sector this year. In the first scenario, the number of international arrivals to the country is expected to decrease by 70 percent this year compared to 2019 if the outbreak is contained in June. In the worst-case scenario, the number of international visitors will fall by 75 percent if the pandemic is controlled by September. In any scenario, this year will see an unprecedented drop in terms of tourist volume, and consequently a plunge in occupancy levels at hotels. The possibility of a global recession due to the outbreak will also negatively impact the hotel market, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said. Mauro Gasparotti, director of Savills Hotels Asia Pacific, said: Vietnam hospitality has been affected and this will likely continue into the foreseeable future. However, the hospitality industry is likely to see the fastest and strongest turnout when compared to other sectors. The countrys high reliance on local travellers and the Chinese and Korean markets could turn out to be an advantage as these groups are expected to be some of the first who are able to travel again, Gasparotti said. Vietnam suspended flights from China at the end of January and from the Republic of Korea in early March. At the end of March, all international flights were suspended. With travel restrictions, social distancing measures and reluctance to travel due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Vietnam saw only 3.7 million international tourist arrivals in the first quarter, a year-on-year drop of 18.1 percent, while the number of domestic travel trips also saw a decrease of 18 percent year-on-year. The Vietnam National Administration on Tourism estimated a loss of 5.9-7.7 billion USD to the countrys tourism from February to April. Hotels, tour operators and travel agencies were severely impacted during this period. Many hotels had to reduce staff working hours and lay off staff, or temporarily close. With U.S. meatpacking plants shut down by the coronavirus, one food bank desperate for donations is mending the broken supply chain itself. Midwest Food Bank, a nonprofit in Normal, Illinois, is raising money to pay area processors to cut and package pork from hog farmers with no buyers. "We've had to go above and beyond to find sources of food," said Tara Ingham, the executive director. "Everybody's chipping in, between the donor, the hog donor, the hog processor, just to get this meat to good use so that people who are hungry have something to eat." The coronavirus pandemic is forcing food banks across the country to find new ways to feed people - from slaughtering animals to enlisting car dealerships and unemployed restaurant workers to serve homebound clients. With more than 36 million Americans thrown out of work since mid-March, agencies are experiencing a surge in demand not seen since the financial crisis more than a decade ago. In some ways, the pandemic is even more cruel, depriving them of legions of volunteers, and closing the restaurants they rely on for donations. It took nearly 10 years for America to recover from the food-security hole it fell into during the Great Recession. In 2018, 11.1% of U.S. households, or 14.3 million, had trouble accessing food at some point, a figure that has declined steadily since 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While there's no such data available for 2020, a survey of food banks across the country suggests those numbers are soaring at a staggering pace. The Feeding America network, which encompasses 200 banks, distributed an average of 112 million meals a week from April 6 to May 3, a 32% increase from the year-ago period, according to a survey of members. The number of people showing up for free food surged an average of 59%, and among all food seekers, 38% had never used the system before. All of this is happening as the virus has scared off a significant chunk of volunteers, many of whom are elderly and especially vulnerable to Covid-19. That has meant food banks have to improvise not just how to acquire food, but how they repackage and distribute it. The Arkansas Foodbank in Little Rock has turned to a program called Get Shift Done to replace - temporarily - volunteers staying home. The program, also running in Texas and the Washington area, uses charitable donations to hire laid-off restaurant employees. About 15 to 20 Get Shift Done workers staff each of the Arkansas Foodbank's two daily shifts, versus 30 to 50 volunteers in pre-pandemic times. Relying on the same workers day after day poses less risk than a larger, rotating cast of volunteers, said Rhonda Sanders, the food bank's chief executive officer."Any time you let someone in the building it's a risk, and we recognize that," said Sanders, who had one volunteer come down with the virus, triggering a quarantine of several staff members. The volunteer recovered. The Houston Food Bank, which covers 18 counties in southeast Texas and served roughly 800,000 people last year, has taken over an airport hangar to clean and package food. Because it can no longer pack 1,000 volunteers into its own warehouse due to social distancing, it's relying on idle baggage handlers from United Airlines to pour giant packages of rice into individual plastic bags. A ragtag group of volunteers assembled via Crowdsource Rescue, an app created amid the floods triggered by Hurricane Harvey, is delivering care packages for the homebound elderly. The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank has perhaps the most high-tech solution. Autonomous-car company Cruise is using its fleet of self-driving Chevrolet Bolts to deliver food as the cars make their daily testing runs. "They said, 'Hey, we have cars doing nothing but driving around - maybe they can deliver,'" said Paul Ash, the food bank's executive director. The startup, majority owned by General Motors Co., devised the idea. "I'd loved to have thought of that," Ash said, "but I didn't." In Florida, Feeding Tampa Bay has marshaled a coalition of delivery services, a caterer and a car dealership to bring cooked meals to the hungry. As the virus hit the region's tourism-dependent economy, Feeding Tampa Bay saw requests for food surge more than 400%, said Chief Executive Officer Thomas Mantz. And while many people want groceries that can be packaged and dropped in their car trunks, others need food brought to them. Restaurants prepare those meals, which are delivered by Uber Eats, Amazon and a caterer called Puff 'n Stuff. A car dealership has pitched in, deploying its loaner fleet of Volkswagen and Subaru SUVs. Feeding Tampa Bay, in turn, helps pay the restaurant workers, keeping them employed when their own industry is in turmoil. Together, they're cooking and moving more than 8,500 meals a day. "Everybody in food relief, food preparation, food delivery - their business has materially changed, and they're all trying to figure it out," Mantz said. "We're not sure, nor are our partners, what that future is going to look like." He fears many people now needing aid may require help for a year or more - longer than the recovery for the hurricanes that occasionally tear through the region. As food banks race to fill the breach, they often are kept afloat by federal money and large donations from food manufacturers that have seen demand from restaurants plummet. The USDA is starting to spend the $3 billion it allocated to buy fresh produce, meat and dairy from farmers and help distribute it to food banks, on top of loosening eligibility requirements for food assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Those steps have eased the anxiety over shortages that food banks experienced in the early days of the pandemic, but some still fret about how they'll manage over the long term once the economy has reopened. "A lot of food we're getting is made available because it's a federal emergency," said Celia Cole, chief executive officer of Feeding Texas, which helps its 21 member banks acquire food. "If the government decides on July 31, 'OK, end of crisis, the economy reopens,' we're very concerned people will lose access to critical resources and we'll lose access to food and funds we need, even though demand is going to continue to be high." Angel & Crown landlady Mel Keogh with barman Robert Brown. (Liva Puce) Were taking away the ancient, inalienable right of free-born people of the United Kingdom to go to the pub, said UK prime minister Boris Johnson last month. And I can understand how people feel about that. Tens of thousands of pubs shut up shop after the prime ministers announcement, and the owners of many pubs and their brewery suppliers fear for their survival. But the government did not force pubs to shut their doors entirely and a growing number are finding creative ways to keep them ajar. The rise of the takeaway pint You get people saying its so nice to be in a pub again, even if its not for long, said Mel Keogh, landlady of the Angel & Crown, near Bethnal Green in east London. The pubs chairs may be gathering dust, but it is now open to drinkers popping in for a pint as long as they take it away. Punters bring their own bottles and queue up two metres apart to take home fresh draught beer. Some even bring plastic milk bottles to stock up. Keogh expected to mainly draw in regulars for whom the pub on Roman Road is a second home. But she was surprised to see many new faces. Were getting lots of young people out shopping, on jobs or wandering further on their daily walk who havent visited before. READ MORE: UK alcohol sales in supermarkets jump during lockdown The pub even had to expand its craft beer range to meet demand, and has started home deliveries too. Czech lager at 2.60 ($3.20) a pint and Indian pale ale (IPA) on tap for under a fiver are proving popular with locals bored of lockdown life. The takeaway pint is clearly a wider phenomenon, with the collapse in trade forcing the industry to innovate to stay afloat. More than 2,000 pubs, breweries and cideries are now offering collection and delivery services, according to the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), which compiled its own list. Some pubs are even partnering with Deliveroo. For Keogh, the boom shows how ingrained pubs are in our culture. She said many customers were passionate about supporting their local. Some tell her theyre stocking up for birthday Zoom calls, and making friends envious by sipping draught beer on the couch. Story continues Absence makes the heart grow fonder Takeaway drinks are not the only way pubs are trying to stay trading, or at least stay at the forefront of regulars minds. Ben Wilkinson, national director of CAMRA, told Yahoo Finance UK one pub he knew was doing a roaring trade after reinventing itself as a fish-and-chip shop. Others are holding online events and quizzes. Virtual pub quizzes have soared in popularity under the lockdown, and some hope it will boost attendance at real ones in future. People who dont normally go to pub quizzes are doing them, noted Ben Wilkinson, national director of Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). It even caught the attention of the Washington Post, with the US newspaper running the headline: The pubs are closed, but Brits wont give up their quizzes. Wilkinson also hopes absence could make the heart grow fonder, boosting pub visits nationally after the lockdown. Camras been banging on for years about pubs closing now people are seeing what lifes like without them. They dont like it very much. Pubs and breweries on the brink Takeaway pints at the Angel & Crown. (Mel Keogh) Yet the short-term outlook for many pubs remains bleak. For some, takeaway and delivery services are not even an option. Many lack a licence to sell drinks for consumption off site. The government has resisted calls to waive the requirement, despite encouraging restaurants to become takeaways, relaxing other business rules and bowing to pressure to keep off-licences open. Such new initiatives also wont plug the gap on most pubs balance sheets. Clearly its a really difficult time if youve got no income but still have outgoings, said Wilkinson. The lockdown is particularly agonising for the Angel & Crowns landlady, who only opened the pub in mid-December. Keogh, 33, had spent her life savings transforming the pub and its past unsavoury reputation, after tiring of office work as a finance analyst. READ MORE: JD Wetherspoon plans June reopening Most staff have been furloughed as the pubs income has tumbled. Many of Keoghs elderly regulars are not even leaving their homes, and she has also slashed takeaway prices to keep them affordable for those who do. Even major pub chains are struggling. Wetherspoons financial statements make plain its sales have been zero since the governments order on 20 March, with its pubs in hibernation. The woes of pubs, restaurants, and bars are hurting breweries and other suppliers too. Beer industry leaders say higher supermarket and off-licence sales cannot compensate for pub revenue losses. The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has warned many members with no supermarket links may not survive, with their beer sales down 82%. Suppliers troubles can then hamper pubs in turn. Every day we face a new challenge, said Keogh, who is now struggling to get hold of cellar gas essential for beer and soft drinks. My supplier seems to have shut up shop, and others wont take on new accounts. Support not reaching all firms Wetherspoon sales are 'zero,' with pubs in 'hibernation.' (PA) The peacetime lockdown has come alongside unprecedented government support for firms, including pubs. But it is not reaching all of them, and not likely to compensate for all the damage. The Angel & Crown benefited from a grant scheme, but firms have to navigate application systems and wait for cash. Keogh faced several hurdles including a rejection of her initial application. She said it was accepted after she resubmitted it, unchanged. Around 10,000 pubs are not even eligible for the grant, and many others have not applied. British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) research found just a quarter of eligible pubs had received them in some parts of Britain. As for the governments more high-profile business loan scheme, only around half of hospitality firms have applied, with many fearful over debt burdens. 57% of those who have were rejected, according to a UKHospitality trade body survey. Meanwhile other calls for help have fallen on deaf ears. Empty pubs were expected to pay beer duty as normal in April. Many landlords expect full rent eventually, with many only delaying collection. Insurance schemes are providing little help either, with just 1% of UKHospitality members receiving payouts. Things arent going back to normal Job losses have mounted since the crisis began, but the governments job retention scheme may have prevented millions more redundancies, including at pubs. Almost 99% of JD Wetherspoon (JDW.L) staff are among those furloughed. Some 43,000 of its workers are on leave receiving 80% of their wages through the government, capped at 2,500 a month. The scheme means many pubs can retain staff for now. Wetherspoons hopes to reopen in June, but many firms fear there will be no swift return to business as usual and furlough support could be slashed too soon. READ MORE: $10bn hotel startup asks high earners to take pay cut as staff furloughed Things arent going back to normal for a long time even if pubs are allowed to open, said Wilkinson. Itll be phased, and lots of people will still be understandably nervous about getting coronavirus. The BBPAs chief executive Emma McClarkin warned last week opening pubs with social distancing restrictions would be extremely difficult for staff and customers alike. She warned trade could be half of pre-crisis levels, but staff wage costs will suddenly leap back to normal once the furlough scheme ends. UKHospitality fears a million job losses if the scheme is not extended, and also want the rules relaxed as furloughed staff currently cannot work. A report by think tank Reform this week argued firms should be allowed to reintroduce staff part-time as the lockdown eases while still topping up wages through the scheme, preventing a financial cliff edge. The Treasury says it will take into account the lockdown and recovery when deciding on how and when the scheme ends. Some drinkers may flock back to pubs, but others may also simply lose the habit as well as worry over the virus, according to Wilkinson. For the CAMRA director, such fears make many pubs recent reinvention as takeaway outlets even more vital. The ones that can do something different are the ones thatll survive. The takeaway pint could even outlive the crisis. Its better people get their home beer from a pub than Tesco. Itd almost be going back to the 60s and 70s, when pubs had off-sales windows and there were fewer off-licences and supermarkets, he noted. For now, Keogh remains positive: The pub is a labour of love, but I wanted to give something back to the community. This is even more motivation to keep it going now. Maharashtra on Saturday recorded its highest single-day jump in Covid-19 cases with 1,606 new infections, bringing the case count past 30,000 to 30,706. The states toll jumped by 67 deaths to 1,135. Only 22 of the 67 deaths occurred in the 24-hour period, while the remaining 45 -- deaths had occurred between April 14 and May 14 and were added to the total on Saturday, the state health department said. Of the 67 casualties, Mumbai recorded 41, taking its death toll to 696. Besides Mumbai, Thane and Pune recorded seven deaths each, five in Aurangabad, three in Jalgaon, two in Mira-Bhayander and one each in Nashik and Solapur. On Saturday, Mumbai recorded 884 new coronavirus infections, taking the tally to 18,555, the state health department said. Pune recorded 161 new Covid-19 cases, while Thane recorded 114, Navi Mumbai 105 and Aurangabad 93. The state has so far registered 15,181 cases in the third phase of the lockdown, which is higher than the total it recorded in the 19-day lockdown between April 15 and May 3. In the second phase of the lockdown, Maharashtra recorded 11,627 Covid-19 cases. State health minister Rajesh Tope said that the lockdown has helped restrict the spread of the disease in the state. He added that the doubling rate has also increased during the lockdown period in Mumbai and the overall state. The doubling rate the number of days it takes for Covid-19 cases to double has improved, he said. The states doubling rate is at 11.5 days, while Mumbais stands at 14 days. State health minister Rajesh Tope said, The doubling rate has increased to 14 days in Mumbai now. This is a big improvement from the earlier doubling rate of 7 to 8 days. Elsewhere in the state, too, we are trying to contain the spread in hotspots. We are working towards stricter enforcement of lockdown in such containment areas, so that cases reduce. The state health minister has already said that Maharashtra would see the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak by June-end. He said that they are preparing for a projection of over 50,000 cases in Mumbai in three weeks. There are various projects. Some mathematical projections havent been accurate, but we are preparing for the worst. Currently, Mumbai has about 17,500 cases. It could increase three times by around June 20; so it would go over 50,000. We are preparing accordingly, he said. As the fourth phase of the lockdown starts from May 18, it is expected to have even more relaxations for industries and businesses in districts that fall in the green and the orange zones. For the red zone, the state government is open to allowing further relaxations outside the containment area; a decision is expected next week. A senior bureaucrat said, We are awaiting Centres directives for lockdown protocol in the red zone. As the PM had indicated in his last address that the next phase would be different, we expect that more activities would be allowed outside containment areas. The sense among decision-makers is that we have to live with Covid-19. The Centre is yet to issue guidelines for the next phase, following which the Maharashtra government would issue its guidelines. State home minister Anil Deshmukh said that over 2.45 lakh migrant labourers have been sent back to their home states by 191 Shramik trains. He added that the first trains carrying migrant workers to Bihar and West Bengal, which had so far disallowed labourers to come back, departed from Maharashtra on Saturday. Around 2.45 lakh migrant workers have been sent to their respective home states by running 191 train services till now. We could not send trains to Bihar and West Bengal since these states did not allow it. But [NCP chief] Sharad Pawar and chief minister Thackeray personally spoke to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar over the phone. Today, the first trains carrying migrant workers to West Bengal and Bihar were sent, Deshmukh said in a video message. The trains are being run from parts of Maharashtra to Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh. Deshmukh also informed that 3,71,310 migrant workers have been kept in 3,884 shelters across the state and the state government has arranged for their food. Continuing the evacuation of migrants who are desperate to return to their homes, the Maharashtra State Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has, so far, ferried 1.42 lakh migrant workers in 11,380 buses to the states borders. Meanwhile, as cases in Kolhapur have started to climb up, the districts guardian minister Satej Patil has said that people from red zones such as Mumbai and Pune should not come to Kolhapur. He said that 22 of the 36 cases in the district are related to people coming from the red zone. Under the pretext of medical emergency, thousands of people are entering Kolhapur from red zones such as Mumbai and Pune. Most of the cases that are there in Kolhapur are from people coming from outside. Therefore, I appeal to people that those who have facilities to live in Mumbai and Pune should remain there. Only those with genuine need or emergency should come here. We need to see that the coronavirus cases do not spread in Kolhapur, he told new channels. He added that with over 20,000 people entering the district since movement was allowed with requisite permission, the influx has added burden on the state administration. The institutional quarantine facilities in the district are teeming with people and it is expected to run out of space, an official from the district collector office said. Swab tests are being done of people entering. Till results come, they have to be kept in quarantine facilities and it is adding to the burden. We have requested the state police to add that permission from Kolhapur collector is needed before allowing people into the district, Patil added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education is all set to release the result of HSC Science stream of class 12 at 8 am on Sunday, i.e. on May 17. The Gujarat 12th Science Result 2020 will de released by the board on the official website of GSEB, which is gseb.org. Students who appeared for the exams can keep a check on the website for the latest updates. Meanwhile, notification for GSEB 12th result for Arts and Commerce, and GSEB 10th Result 2020 is likely to be announced soon. Follow these steps to check your results: Visit the official site of GSEB at gseb.org. Click on SSC/HSC exam link available on the home page Go to the results section and enter your details. The result will appear in a PDF file format. Students are advised to download the file for future reference. Gujarat Board SSC and HSC exams were conducted between March 5 and March 21 this year. The results were delayed due to the nationwide lockdown imposed after March 24, 2020. The GSEB Board earlier said that it would notify the dates for distribution of mark sheets, certificates and revaluation and re-verification to the students later. The Gujarat Board had released the HSC Science answer key recently. Candidates can click on the links to check if they have not yet done so. U.S. Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) depart the ship to move to off-ship berthing April 10, 2020 U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chris Liaghat Five sailors who were cleared to return to the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt after contracting COVID-19 tested positive again and have been taken off the carrier, a defense official told Insider Thursday. Roughly 3,000 sailors who had been removed from the ship have returned, and for them to do so, they had to have two negative tests. In addition to the five sailors who were removed after testing positive, another 18 sailors were also taken off the ship because they had been in close contact. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Five US Navy sailors who were cleared to return to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt after two negative tests have tested positive for COVID-19, a defense official told Insider Thursday. All five of the sailors have been removed from the ship, as have 18 other sailors who were in close contact with them. The sailors, a defense official explained, had previously tested positive for the virus and were removed from the ship and placed in isolation on Guam. All five sailors completed the mandatory 14-day quarantine and tested negative twice before they were allowed to return to the ship. The outbreak aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt began in late March with only a few cases. As of April 30, there were 1,102 cases among sailors assigned to the ship. The virus upended the carrier's Pacific deployment, forcing it into port in Guam, where it has remained for over a month as the Navy works to get the situation under control. Over 80% of the carrier's crew of roughly 4,800 sailors were evacuated ashore and placed in isolation in hotels and other facilities. The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), front, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59), left, and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), transit in formation. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Anthony J. Rivera In recent weeks, sailors have begun returning to the ship, but only on the condition that they meet the health requirements. "You have to go through two different checks plus being COVID tested twice," Capt. Carlos Sardiello, commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, told CBS News earlier this month. "We sideline sailors for the slightest thing. Sniffles." Story continues But there are some challenges. The New York Times reported Thursday that one sailor hid a loss of smell, a key symptom of COVID-19, from medical examiners for days after returning to the ship. In response, a sailor in the medical department sent out a message begging crewmembers to be honest. "Please stress the importance of being truthful so we don't potentially have Covid+ aboard this ship," the email reportedly read. The latest development in the USS Theodore Roosevelt saga comes as roughly 3,000 sailors have returned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt and is an indication that the fight for a healthy ship is yet to be won. Read the original article on Business Insider T he Royal Air Force paid tribute to the NHS and key workers by creating a blue heart in the sky during their training session in Lincolnshire. The Red Arrows aerobatic team said they wanted to "show appreciation for the NHS and our key workers" with a blue heart in Scampton. RAF photographer Hannah Smoker captured the image. "The amazing blue heart, both during and after it was painted over the Scampton skies by the Red Arrows Synchro pair," wrote a RAF photography page on Twitter. "Recognition to the NHS and key-workers across the UK, working tirelessly throughout this pandemic." It came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds led the nation in its weekly tribute to the thousands of NHS staff and healthcare workers putting their lives at risk in the fight against coronavirus. Clap for Carers sees communities gather at windows, on balconies and pavements to give those on the Covid-19 frontline a round of applause. The Prime Minister's partner, who gave birth to their son Wilfred earlier this month, joined in with the event on Thursday outside 10 Downing Street. Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer also joined in with the applause He tweeted: "Another emotional moment as the country comes together to clap for our key workers, our carers and all those keeping our country going through this crisis." With earnings season in full swing, one notable phenomenon in the stock market these days is that many firms have withdrawn financial guidance a forward-looking statement to investors which includes revenue estimates and projected earnings for the remainder of the year. Based on an analysis by IR magazine, since mid-March, 779 companies have withdrawn annual guidance and 69 companies have withdrawn quarterly guidance. One of these companies is tech giant Apple, which withdrew quarterly guidance for the first time in more than a decade. Amazon.com, on the other hand, provided a very wide range for its operating income next quarter between a loss of $1.5 billion and a profit of $1.5 billion, and added a disclaimer that even this rough estimate is subject to substantial uncertainty. Clearly, the coronavirus crisis imposes an extreme level of uncertainty on firms, which makes it very challenging for them to provide earnings outlook. But its a good time to ask whether providing quarterly guidance is useful even in normal times. According to a survey by McKinsey and Company, the benefits executives attribute to the practice include higher stock valuations, lower share-price volatility, and improved liquidity. Moreover, some view it as a necessary channel of communication between the firm and financial-markets participants. But a 2017 study Moving Beyond Quarterly Guidance by the non-for-profit group FCLT Global (Focusing Capital on the Long Term) shows that no empirical evidence supports these attributions. On the contrary, the practice of providing quarterly guidance which gained popularity in the 1990s and reached its peak about a decade ago has been criticized by many as a practice that creates short-termism among executives, who come to focus mostly on short-term goals and on beating analysts expectations, as opposed to creating long-term value for shareholders and other stakeholders. Larry Fink, the CEO of BlackRock, the worlds largest asset manager, went as far as describing the practice as quarterly earnings hysteria in his 2016 annual letter to CEOs of S&P 500 firms. Fink argues that CEOs should focus more on demonstrating progress with long-term strategic plans than on a one-penny deviation from their earnings-per-share targets or analysts consensus estimates. In agreement, Business Roundtable, an association of nearly 200 CEOs from major U.S. companies, announced in 2018 its support for moving away from providing quarterly earnings guidance. It called for corporate strategies with the goal of producing sustainable value creation for long-term prosperity, not to meet the latest forecast. Despite that, many firms continue to provide financial guidance, and some executives believe that the practice has merit. A close friend of mine who holds a senior position at a Silicon Valley firm argues that quarterly guidance creates an effective mechanism to motivate and engage employees to meet specific goals every quarter. He adds that the reality is that we all need a bit of a push, and the process makes everyone work harder. But at same time he acknowledges that occasionally the practice results in inefficient actions taken to meet short-term goals. In this context, it is important to distinguish quarterly guidance from quarterly reporting. The latter remains key. While staying away from quarterly guidance, firms are obliged to and will continue to provide their annual and quarterly results which highlight current performance. This will let investors, analysts and other stakeholders assess the health of firms using the most recent data. There is no specific requirement in securities laws in Canada or in the U.S. to issue earnings guidance its all provided voluntarily by companies, and its at a firms discretion to decide whether or not to discontinue it. Eliminating the practice widely will cut off firms from the stigma associated with withdrawing guidance, which is often followed by a painful decline in the stock price. Many firms have recently suspended financial guidance due to extreme uncertainty around the COVID-19 crisis. This creates an opportunity to end the practice altogether, now that it is found to be mostly counterproductive. A better alternative would be to provide investors with a long-term path of a companys strategy over three to five years, combined with financial and operating metrics. Stakeholders will have the confidence and transparency they need, and the company will avoid short-term myopia and unneeded pressure to beat analysts expectations by a penny. Amir Barnea is an associate professor of finance at HEC Montreal and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. You can follow him on twitter: @abarnea1 Earlier this week, it was confirmed that the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (de Belastingdienst) have been guilty of ethnic profiling for years. These racist practices, targeting Dutch citizens on the basis of their nationality, have caused irreparable damage to thousands of families. BIJ1 demands those responsible for drafting and implementing the policy, be held accountable, and for radical action to be taken against institutional racism within the government as a whole. The Netherlands, while presenting itself as a guardian of international law, is the country where tax authorities selected more than 11,000 people for additional fraud checks on the basis of their (second) nationality. A practice that was in effect for a number of years. Having a second nationality was an official motive to flag an individual as having an increased risk of fraud. Due to this policy, thousands of people with a second nationality and/or migration background were subjected to extra screenings and groundlessly highlighted as fraudsters. People were ordered to refund their allowance for childcare, in some cases resulting in high debts and severe financial difficulties. One of the affected parents was even driven to suicide. Many families have fallen into the abyss due to the deliberate ethnic profiling by the Dutch Tax Authorities. We must hold the perpetrators of this evil accountable and take action to fully eradicate institutional racism. Sylvana Simons, party leader of BIJ1 Government in denial Employees started blowing the whistle on these practices as early as 2014. Asscher and Wiebes, respectively the responsible minister and state secretary at the time, must have been aware but ignored these sounds of alarm. Subsequently, the Council of State (Raad van State), the highest court of law that can rule on a dispute between citizens and the government, also contributed to the preservation of the racist policies. The lawsuits against the tax authorities by hundreds of victims were dismissed under the vice-chairmanship of Piet Hein Donner (former CDA Minister of Justice). Thus allowing these racist policies to continue for years, with devastating consequences for the families. This misconduct shows that as a citizen, one is powerless against powerful government institutions such as the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration. And the maladministration continues. Solutions for the people affected are still nowhere in sight: parents who requested their files months ago, still havent been able to review them. Nor has there been any progress regarding financial compensation. Ultimately, the only road toward real recovery is structural change for the tax authorities. Time for action! An immense evil and enormous injustice have been done to thousands of people. It proves that government officials can be expected to actively discriminate. Serious and adequate action is needed, immediately. 1. Compensate all families affected by these crimes of institutional racism. We mean serious compensations: after all, there is no amount of money that can sufficiently compensate the suffering of these people. The government must take responsibility and compensate as best as possible for the problems it has caused. 2. Conduct a parliamentary inquiry into institutional racism at the Tax Authorities and the parts ministers and civil servants play in it. 3. Hold the policymakers responsible. They must be tried for the drafting and implementation of discriminatory policies. They are to blame for the consequences this has had for thousands of families, the gagging and abuse of power, and the death of a person. 4. Fire employees who have knowingly contributed to this. Only then can we start working on the eradication of racism at the Tax Authorities. 5. Protect whistleblowers unconditionally, to ensure wrongdoings like this can be detected and addressed sooner. 6. Conduct wider research into institutional racism. Not only at the Tax Authorities, but also at other government agencies that have shown indications of structural racism and forms of discrimination, such as the UWV, CBR, and SVB. 7. Compel municipalities to investigate their own institutions and facilities for discrimination and institutional racism. In doing so, the government must not only provide funding but also facilitate concrete support to ensure that the investigations are run as transparent and unadulterated as possible. 8. Take all necessary steps to eradicate racism from institutions through the leadership and expertise of people of colour. 9. Establish a Constitutional Court that assesses policies, laws, and treaties against the Constitution. Remove Article 120 of the Constitution which makes this kind of discriminatory practice impossible. 10. End the use of ethnic registration and registration of nationality by the Tax Authorities immediately. Prohibit the use of such data for other government services if it cannot be guaranteed that it won't be damaging. Read more on our website: www.bij1.org/en/articles/racisme-belastingdienst 1. Compensate all families affected by these crimes of institutional racism. We mean serious compensations: after all, there is no amount of money that can sufficiently compensate the suffering of these people. The government must take responsibility and compensate as best as possible for the problems it has caused. 2. Conduct a parliamentary inquiry into institutional racism at the Tax Authorities and the parts ministers and civil servants play in it. 3. Hold the policymakers responsible. They must be tried for the drafting and implementation of discriminatory policies. They are to blame for the consequences this has had for thousands of families, the gagging and abuse of power, and the death of a person. 4. Fire employees who have knowingly contributed to this. Only then can we start working on the eradication of racism at the Tax Authorities. 5. Protect whistleblowers unconditionally, to ensure wrongdoings like this can be detected and addressed sooner. 6. Conduct wider research into institutional racism. Not only at the Tax Authorities, but also at other government agencies that have shown indications of structural racism and forms of discrimination, such as the UWV, CBR, and SVB. 7. Compel municipalities to investigate their own institutions and facilities for discrimination and institutional racism. In doing so, the government must not only provide funding but also facilitate concrete support to ensure that the investigations are run as transparent and unadulterated as possible. 8. Take all necessary steps to eradicate racism from institutions through the leadership and expertise of people of colour. 9. Establish a Constitutional Court that assesses policies, laws, and treaties against the Constitution. Remove Article 120 of the Constitution which makes this kind of discriminatory practice impossible. 10. End the use of ethnic registration and registration of nationality by the Tax Authorities immediately. Prohibit the use of such data for other government services if it cannot be guaranteed that it won't be damaging. Read more on our website: www.bij1.org/en/articles/racisme-belastingdienst Sylvana Simons PHILIPSBURG:--- The former Leader of the United Peoples Party and MP Theodore Heyliger was found guilty as charged in the Larimar case. Heyliger was sentenced to 5 years of prison time. The court found Heyliger guilty of accepting bribes from Ronald Maasdam who was a consultant on St. Maarten and became the state witness in the trial. Heyliger was also found guilty of accepting bribes from former Windward Roads Director Janhendrick Boekaar. The court found it proven that Heyliger laundered $4M thus he was sentenced to 5 years. The court denied the prosecutors request to send Heyliger to prison immediately. Co-suspects Ronald Maasdam received 36 months while Boekaar 12 months. George Pilgrim and Ronald Elferink were also found guilty and were sentenced to community service. In the meantime, the UP Board labeled the verdict a hearsay verdict just as they did during the trial. A press release from the board reads: UP Board: Hearsay trial produces a hearsay verdict. The board of the United People (UP) party on Friday said that the hearsay trial of party founder Theo Heyliger resulted in a hearsay verdict, and hopes Heyliger's legal team appeal the verdict forthwith. We are disappointed, but the fight is not over, the board said. The board in its response to the verdict in the Larimar Case maintained its position that despite years of creating negative and false impressions about Heyliger, the prosecutors office did not present any physical evidence of wrong-doing. Instead, the board said, what the prosecutor and now judge went with the "gospel word" of nefarious Dutch contractors and a middle man who was given a deal to testify against Heyliger as a crown witness. This crown witness who orchestrated everything, the board said, received just 36 months. "It's a joke and judicial tragedy," the board said. "The judge took the word of two men fighting for their lives and capable of saying anything, as gospel. No proof, nothing. This is what we have come to in St. Maarten," the board said Nevertheless, the board added, by law once an appeal is in you are innocent until proven guilty still. "Theo and his legal team, as well as his family, still have a fighting chance for things to be set right and for justice to prevail fairly. It remains an uphill battle but he and his family have shown resilience in the constant onslaught to destroy them. "They are fighters and the board of the UP will continue to support its founder throughout, believe in his innocence, and continue to anticipate his full acquittal. Click here to read the verdict of Theodore Heyliger. Two more persons tested positive for COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday, taking the total number of coronavirus cases to 79 in the state. Meanwhile, four persons recovered from the disease reducing the tally of active cases to 32, Special Secretary (Health) Nipun Jindal said. The cured persons include the mother of a youth from Mandi's Sarkaghat who had died of novel coronavirus in Shimla's IGMC on May 5. Earlier, one person each tested positive in Hamirpur and Kangra districts, the Special Secretary (Health) said. The 30-year-old man from Maned village came to Kangra from Gurgaon in Haryana on May 8. He had developed mild symptoms. With this, the total number of positive cases in Kangra has risen to 20. While one person died, four people have recovered and the other 15 are still under treatment. The second positive case of a 36-year-old man was reported from Hamirpur's Badsar area. He is asymptomatic and returned from Mumbai on May 13, Jindal said. With this, the total number of positive cases in Hamirpur climbed up to 8. While one person died, two persons have recovered while the rest of the patients are receiving treatment. Two persons from Chamba, one each from Mandi and Shimla recovered on Saturday, the senior official said. The cured patients include a driver and a cleaner from Chamba who came from Solan's Baddi, a youth from Mandi who returned from Drubal in Mandi's Jogindernagar and one from Shimla, the mother of the 21-year-old youth from Mandi's Sarkaghat who died of the virus on May 5. There are 32 active cases in the state now, while 43 people have recovered from the infection, he said. Four people have lost their lives due to the virus. Of the active cases, 15 are in Kangra, four in Chamba, five in Hamirpur, four in Bilaspur, two each in Una and Sirmaur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Right Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has been involved in barrage of corruption scandals over the years. The alleged circumstances of graft in the Lagos legislature appear endless. Legislative season seldom passes without uproar of corruption scandal in the Lagos State House of Assembly, symbolic of festival of kleptomania of the Obasa leadership tenure. The perennial corruption allegations hypothetically depict the speed of the flight of public funds for the development of Lagos State into individual pockets. Service to the state has now turned entrepreneurial venture for individual enrichment. Speaker Obasa may not be having pleasure time amidst the diverse corruption allegations, empirical dossiers of impropriety and scandals rocking the Lagos State House of Assembly in his leadership tenure. Speaker Obasa would be contending with the allegation of approving the sum of N258 million for printing of invitation cards used to assemble guests for the inauguration of the Lagos State House of Assembly two months after the inauguration of the state legislature was held. According to SaharaReporters, the document explicitly stated that the fund was processed on the orders of Obasa for the inauguration of the Ninth House of Assembly which had 34 returning lawmakers and six new members, which was held on June 7, 2019. It was indicated that the document for the approval and release of funds for the payment of the House of Assembly inauguration invitation cards printing contract was processed two months after the inauguration was held. SaharaReporters revealed that the document titled Celebrations and Ceremonies; was dated August 7, 2019; and partly read as follows: Being payment approved for the printing of invitation cards during the inauguration of the 9th Assembly as per Hon. Speakers approval vide LSHA/LM/C/276. It was noted that beside the N258 million scandal, the Lagos Assembly Speaker has allegedly continued to siphon public funds through different means. Speaker Obasa still has further allegation of using companies owned and linked to him to receive various sums of money from the Lagos State House of Assembly. It was revealed that on February 22, Lagos House of Assembly, through its expenditure account, transferred the sum of N17 million to Wema Bank account of Extremely Logistics and Cleaning Services Limited. According to SaharaReporters, a source in the State Legislature revealed that the fund was being transferred monthly to Extremely Logistics and Cleaning Services Limited following directives from Obasa. SaharaReporters highlighted that during checks with the Corporate Affairs Commission, Extremely Logistics and Cleaning Services Limited was registered the same year Obasa became Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly in 2015. It maintained: In documents, Obasa sent a letter he received from General Manager of Extremely Logistics and Cleaning Services Limited, Omoba Adeyinka Oyediran, charging him N25.5 million monthly for the maintenance and provision of other essentials at the Office of the Speaker, residence and guest house. The report cited the letter to read in part: Please refer to our discussion on the need for our company to take up the facility management and provision of other essentials at the office of the Hon. Speaker, residence and guest house. Following our in-depth study of what the jobs entail, please see the attached. I wish to inform you that to be able to offer satisfactory performance, the details of the financial requirements of the various jobs on monthly basis are as follows Consequent on the foregoing, kindly approve that the management of the House should henceforth release the above stated sums to the company on monthly basis to facilitate smooth and timely execution of the jobs. The report further indicated that Obasa collected N53 million from the state treasury for overseas travel with his mistress to the United States of America. Sources from the House also disclosed that Speaker Obasa rejected the official residence of the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly at G.R.A. Ikeja, insisting on living in his personal house for which the said monthly allowances are being paid to him. Moreover, the Assembly source added that Extremely Logistics and Cleaning Services Limited replaced the contractors who were handling the Assembly complex but were sacked when Obasa became Speaker of the House. The Lagos Speaker was also alleged to use his position in the State Assembly since 2015 to approve N47.5 million per quarter from the state treasury for social media influencers. According to SaharaReporters, documents for the transactions showed that the payment was made to a media company for publicity of the activities of the State Assembly. The Lagos Speaker also encountered the scandal of awarding contracts to himself, through front companies, and launder public funds. Further report indicated that ownership of some companies used to procure contracts from the Lagos Assembly were traced to Speaker Obasa. Documents released by SaharaReporters showed that the companies include: Adesav International Ventures, Quick Solution International Ventures, White Honey Enterprises, Cream on Ice Services, A.B DELCO Nigeria Company, and Fabric Splash Ventures. Others include Skye-Macosh Company, Swifthill International Ventures, Silver Section Global, Davedab Global Ventures and Jose Macosh Company. According to the report, Obasa was alleged to initially used De Kingrun Multipurpose Nigeria Limited for securing and executing contracts from the State Assembly and ministries. The documents were said to indicate that Speaker Obasa is a direct beneficiary at De Kingrun Multipurpose Nigeria Limited. To avoid it being directly linked to him, the Speaker did not use his name to register but used his father, wife and children as shareholders in the company, SaharaReporters had revealed. It was further declared: In the Company and Allied Matters Decree 1990 of De Kingrun Multipurpose Nigeria Ltd. with RC: A813/08/308 sighted by SaharaReporters, the names listed on the company are Obasas father, one of his wives and three of his children. As at the time of registration and listing of names, Obasas children were underage yet they were registered as businessmen by the Speaker. Obasa is the sole signatory to all the bank accounts of the company. It was alleged that an account domicile at the Zenith Bank Branch at Oke Ilewo, Abeokuta, Ogun State, has in it hundreds of millions of naira illegally acquired by the Speaker of Lagos House of Assembly. It was, however noted that the Public Procurement Act 2007 and Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 bars political office holders from issuing contracts to themselves or companies they directly benefit from but these laws are being constantly violated with impunity in the country. However, Speaker Obasa had at the House plenary using his company, Dekingrun Multipurpose Nigeria Limited, to secure contracts from the House, saying the reports are false. The Lagos Assembly Speaker, acknowledging the ownership of the company, Dekingrun Multipurpose Nigeria Limited, declared that his company has no link with contracts awarded in the State House of Assembly. He challenged SarahaReporters to establish the terms of the contractual agreement. Rt. Hon. Obasa had declared: Let me also join you to emphasise that what was published by Sahara Liar has nothing to do with me. I said it two weeks ago when the publication was out about the existence of the Dekingrun, where I made my position known on that. But the fact remains that Dekingrun has no relationship with the Lagos Assembly. And I am challenging SaharaLiars and Failures to publish if there is any. At least, they have alleged, and they must be able to prove by giving out the name of such contracts, the amount, the location, the date and the contractual agreement. So, with this, the public would be convinced that truly such allegation exists. The Speakers defense sounds more of self-indictment by default. SarahaReporters had exposed that documents of registration at the CAC reveals that the company was registered with the names one of his wives and three of his children as shareholders. The Speakers recognition of Dekingrun Multipurpose Nigeria Limited as his company reflects an act of hiding assets as a public officer; this still runs contrary to anti-corruption laws prosecuted by the ICPC or the EFCC. SaharaReporters may have successfully established the real ownership of the company, while the Speaker shifted to the secondary issue of link to the contracts awarded by the House, perhaps, to cover up a case of hidden asset. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is holding a press conference to announce the next lot of measures under the Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package with focus on structural reforms. Centre has announced a host of liquidity and fiscal measures so far in three such tranches since Wednesday for different sectors and segments of society have been announced. In the last tranche, FM had announced measures to help the agricultural sector. Among other measures, Essential Commodities Act has been amended to remove food grains, edible oil, oil seeds, pulses, onion and potato from its purview. A Rs 1 lakh crore fund has also been set up to develop agricultural infrastructure at farm-gate. Farmers will also been given the choice of selling their produce at attractive prices in a market of their choice by the way of a new law. ALSO READ: Nirmala Sitharaman press conference at 4 PM: Time, where, how to watch live streaming, telecast Follow BusinessToday.In for latest updates from FM Sitharaman's press conference: 5.18 PM: In GST Council meeting on March 14, GST on MRO has been brought down to 5 per cent with full input tax credit, informed Revenue Secretary. 5.13 PM: Demand-side concerns will be addressed by putting money in people's hands, says FM. 5.07 PM: Establishing facilities in PPP mode to use irradiation technology for food preservation, says FM. 5.07 PM: Research reactor in PPP mode will be developed for producing medical isotopes, says FM. 5.05 PM: Liberal geo-spatial data policy for tech entrepreneurs will be devised, says FM. 5.02 PM: To provide level playing field for private players in space, provisions will be made for them to avail facilities available with ISRO, says FM. 5.00 PM: Viability gap funding of Rs 8,100 crore for social infrastructure development, says FM. 4.56 PM: Power discoms in union territories to be privatised, says FM. 4.51 PM: Cost of maintenance for Indian airlines to come down significantly if India becomes a MRO hub, says FM. 4.50 PM: Not just civil, but defence aircraft will also benefit if India is made a MRO hub, says FM. 4.49 PM: 6 more airports put up for auction, says FM, adding that AAI will get Rs 2,300 crore down payment. 4.46 PM: Restriction on utilisation of Indian airspace will be eased so make civilian flying more efficient, says FM. This is an environment-friendly step with major implication on India's fuel import bill, she added. 4.41 PM: FDI limit in defence manufacturing under automatic route to be raised from 49 per cent to 74 per cent, says FM. 4.41 PM: Emphasis on realistic qualitiative requirements; oeverhauling of trial and testing procedures, says FM. 4.39 PM: Ordinance Factory Boards to be corporatised; this is not same as privatisation, says FM. 4.37 PM: Separate Budget provisions for domestic capital procurement in defence, says FM. 4.35 PM: We shall notify a list of weapons and platforms which shall not be imported and brought in India; each year, this list shall be increased, says FM. 4.35 PM: Make in India and self reliance have become partners, particularly in critical industries like defence, says FM. 4.31 PM: Stamp duty payable at the time of mining lease award being rationalised, says FM. 4.30 PM: Distinction between captive and non-captive mines removed, says FM. 4.30 PM: Joint auction of Bauxite and coal to enhance aluminium sector's competitveness, says FM. 4.29 PM: 500 mining blocks would be offered through an open and transparent auction process, says FM. 4.28 PM: Introduction of seamles exploration-cim-mining-cum-production regime in mineral mining, says FM. 4.24 PM: Rs 50,000 crore for coal evacuation infrastructure, says FM. 4.22 PM: In order to have coal converted into gas, we are providing incentives, says FM adding that coal bed methane extraction will happen through auctioning. 4.20 PM: We are bringing in commercial mining in coal sector on a revenue share basis; government monopoly being remvoed, says FM. 4.15 PM: Issues in coal, minerals, defence production, air space management, airport, MRO, power distribution companies in union territories, space and atomic energy sectors will be addressed in today's announcements, says FM. 4.15 PM: Attempts have already started for upgradation for industrial infrastructure: FM 4.11 PM: Efforts which are being taken clearly give us the confidence that Make in Indi which was launched three years back as an initiative to change the mindset of people to bring in new ways of doing business, to make sure India becomes attractive on its strength, are all being received very well, says FM. 4.09 PM: Structural reforms are the focus of today's announcements, says FM Sitharaman. 4.05 PM: "Many sectors need policy simplification. Once we decongest a sector, we can provide the necessary boost for growth and employment," say the FM. 4.04 PM: In stages we have annoucned relief, says FM Sitharaman, adding that PM had said that we should be ready for tough competition. 4.01 PM: FM Nirmala Sitharaman to announce fourth tranche of measures under Atma Nirbhar Bharat economic stimulus package shortly. 3.44 PM: Several sectors have been badly hit due to the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdowns. Few of the worst hit sectors are aviation, hospitality and travel. While each of these sectors have their specific demands, some common demands include direct tax and GST holiday, and government support for payment of salaries to employees. 3.43 PM: PM Modi praises announcements for farm sector I welcome todays measures announced by FM @nsitharaman. They will help the rural economy, our hardworking farmers, fishermen, the animal husbandry and dairy sectors. I specially welcome reform initiatives in agriculture, which will boost income of farmers. #AatmaNirbharDesh Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 15, 2020 3.42 PM: Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman announced 11 key measures in Tranche III, including a combination of schemes and changes in legal framework, to help country's agricultural sector amid the coronavirus lockdown. While bold, these moves are expected to take time before they become reality. 3.36 PM: The highlight of the third tranche of measures were the legal reforms meant to help the farmers. These refer to changes regarding Essential Commodities Act, Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee and Contract Farming, which have been hailed as bold and progressive. 3.32 PM: The three tranches of economic stimulus announced so far heavily focus on liquidity measures for street vendors, poor, migrant workers and farmers, but do not much fiscal outgo. The government is limiting fiscal spending over concerns that excess spending could trigger a sovereign rating downgrade, government officials told Reuters. 3.20 PM: The last tranche of measures focussed on agriculture sector, including Rs 1 lakh crore fund for agri infrastructure, amendments to Essential Commodities Act, and a new law to allow farmers to sell their produce at attractive prices in a market of their choice. Finance Minister @nsitharaman announces measures to strengthen Agriculture Infrastructure Logistics, Capacity Building, Governance and Administrative Reforms for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Processing Sectors#AatmaNirbharDesh Details: https://t.co/0QngSmgB96 pic.twitter.com/bU6vqnpdAz PIB in Chandigarh (@PIBChandigarh) May 15, 2020 3.19 PM: The press conferenc at 4 PM will be broadcasted live on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. FM Smt. @nsitharaman to address 4th press conference announcing Govt's roadmap towards #AatamnirbharBharat TODAY at 4 PM Watch LIVE here YouTube- https://t.co/C7d2aaf7VW Follow for LIVE updates Twitter - https://t.co/XaIRg3fn5f Facebook - https://t.co/06oEmkxGpI pic.twitter.com/rBa2usxr9b Ministry of Finance #StayHome #StaySafe (@FinMinIndia) May 16, 2020 3.17 PM: FM Nirmala Sitharaman will hold a press conference at 4 PM to announce the fourth tranche of measures under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat stimulus package. China's top legislature will adjust its arrangements for the upcoming annual legislative session to prevent the COVID-19 epidemic and safeguard public health, a senior member of the legislature said Friday. The third session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) is scheduled to open in Beijing on May 22, said Zhang Yesui, chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the NPC, in an interview with Xinhua. The duration of the session will be appropriately shortened, Zhang said, adding that the agenda and schedule will need to be approved at meetings before the session. Some of the Chinese and foreign journalists in Beijing will be invited to cover the session but journalists who are overseas will not be invited to come to Beijing for reporting, Zhang added. News conferences, briefings and other interview activities will be appropriately streamlined and conducted in innovative forms such as by video link, he said. Zhang said the session's news center has received applications from more than 3,000 Chinese and foreign reporters to cover the event, expressing his gratitude to their attention to China's economic and social development and the legislative session itself. He also said when the session holds plenary meetings, foreign envoys will be invited to observe the meetings. Some of the Chinese and foreign journalists in Beijing will be invited to cover the meetings in the Great Hall of the People. No open-day activities or other group interviews will be held by various delegations, Zhang said. But spokespersons will be appointed by delegations, press liaison officers will assist press interviews, and studios will be set up at the hotels the delegations stay to encourage deputies to be interviewed, he added. Information as well as main documents in Chinese and foreign languages will be posted on the website of the session's press center in a timely manner, Zhang said. The session is committed to being open and transparent to provide services to Chinese and foreign journalists for news reporting, he said. After doing the math, the Naperville woman and husband, Anthony, realized all three children would be graduating to the next level of their education in the same year: Ryan from high school to college, Matthew from Kennedy Junior High School to high school, and Carly from fifth grade at Ranchview Elementary School to junior high. For the past two decades, cousins Sergio Garcia Campos and Juan Martinez Garcia called New York City home. Hailing from Lomazoyatl, a town of fewer than 1,000 people deep in the mountains of the state of Guerrero, Mexico, they had come to the U.S. to earn money to send back to their families at home, with the hopes of eventually returning. Martinez Garcia, 42, worked as a bicycle delivery man for a Thai restaurant, and Garcia Campos, 44, worked at a florist shop. When COVID-19 started to spread like wildfire through NYC, Garcia Campos said to his cousin, "I think we need to stop working, because it is too high of a risk." His worries proved prescient. On April 6, staff at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, one of the city's busiest medical facilities, called Garcia Campos to tell him his cousin had died of COVID-19 complications. Human rights organizations who work with indigenous immigrants worry that language and cultural barriers make it harder for them to stay safe against the pandemic. Martinez Garcia is one of at least 28 indigenous immigrants from the mountain region of Guerrero who has died from the pandemic in New York City, according to the Mexican Human Rights organization, Tlachinollan. Marco Castillo, from the Transnational Villages Network, estimates there are about 200,000 New Yorkers who come from these indigenous areas. Language barriersand discrimination While Spanish is common in the city, the cousins' native language is Tu'un Savi, or Mixtec, part of a group of Mesoamerican languages whose origins go back 10,000 years. Garcia Campos said he didn't understand the documents he received from the hospital, which were in English. Garcia Campos told NBC News that the worst discrimination he and his cousin had faced was from fellow Mexicans who shut them out from advancing beyond poorly paid jobs such as restaurant dishwashers, mainly because of language barriers. "We don't grow up speaking Spanish and only speak Spanish that we learn on the street, which makes it hard to understand many things," Garcia Campos said. Story continues Odilia Romero, a Zapotec medical interpreter in Los Angeles and founder of the Binational Front of Indigenous Organizations, FIOB, says a majority of immigrants avoid medical care as they fear that services will be denied and that they will acquire debt they can't afford. Others worry that seeking help may expose them to immigration authorities; most are undocumented and worry about being deported. In addition, Romero said hospitals rarely have interpreters for the various native languages that indigenous migrants speak. FIOB normally helps advocates for these native speakers requesting in-person interpretation or via telephone, but this has been impossible during the COVID-19 crisis. Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak "Not allowing people to communicate in their native language is almost a death sentence," said Romero. Romero was hoping that the 2020 census would help indigenous people be counted, showing their growth and allowing them to advocate for more indigenous interpreters, but she's afraid the pandemic will thwart efforts to get an adequate count. FIOB, along with CIELO (Comunidades Indigenas en Liderazgo), produced a series of videos in indigenous languages that are spoken in the U.S., Mexico and Guatemala to help educate people about the threat of COVID-19 and how to prevent the virus' spread. The videos have circulated via social networks and person-to-person via Whatsapp. Metlatonoc, where the cousins hail from, is one of the poorest municipalities in all of Mexico. Many communities don't have high schools or phone service and few crops grow there, due to the high altitude. Families eke out a living growing corn and beans. Many travel for seasonal migrant work in the agricultural fields of northern Mexico. This region is also one of the principal poppy producing areas in the world, with farmers sapping the flowers for opium paste that is trafficked to the U.S. for heroin production. When fentanyl, produced largely in Wuhan, China, started replacing natural opium in heroin in 2018, prices plummeted for Guerrero's poppy farmers. Job losses in U.S. have ripple effects back home With few opportunities to acquire land and houses, young men from the mountains started to migrate to New York City in the 1980s. New York City's influence on the region is evident in banners hung from palm trees in rural communities with the list of local products that can be sent to New York as well as the omnipresence of New York-style pizza shops in the region. Paulino Rodriguez, the migrant advocate at Tlachinollan, said the majority of migrants send $300 to $500 a month or an estimated one third of their salary. Their families use this money for basic living costs, food, medicine, school uniforms and also to buy plots of land and build homes. When the pandemic hit, many of the immigrants in New York City lost their jobs in the service industry and stopped sending the remittances their families rely on home. Some families in Guerrero even started sending the money back to their loved ones in the U.S. Community police in the mountain region of Malinaltepec in Mexico's Guerrero state maintain a roadblock to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (Lenin Ruwa Mosso) As the pandemic's effects claim lives across Mexico, rural indigenous communities are blocking the passage of anyone from outside the region, a measure that helps detain the spread of the virus. The 400,000 people that live in these communities do not have access to health services, and a hospital with intensive care beds with ventilators is a more than 10-hour ride away. It has, however, severely affected their already fragile economy. Families of COVID-19 victims have turned to crowdfunding sites to help pay for the thousands of dollars in funeral and cremation costs. Garcia Campos has been navigating bureaucracy with the Mexican embassy and migrant services in Guerrero who have offered to help pay for his cousin's cremation and he is waiting to receive the ashes. He has also made the commitment to finance his niece's college education in Mexico, now that his cousin is not able to. Download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak The cultural activist organization Ti Toro Miko helped arrange a fundraiser for Claudio Ortega Maldonado, 22, a migrant from Metlatonoc who died in a Brooklyn hospital. On their Facebook site, the parents are requesting help in getting their son's ashes sent home. Ti Toro Miko used the materials from the ecological bags they sell to make protective face masks. (Ti Toro Miko) Sael Quizet Rivero, 28, who is also from Metlatonoc, was frustrated to see that his home community maintained the same level of poverty and marginalization as when he left. He founded Ti Toro Miko to help other immigrants overcome discrimination and be proud of their indigenous roots while supporting educational and development projects back home. Ti Toro Miko sells ecological bags and embroidered blouses from a communally run sewing shop in New York City, and it also sells crafts from Guerrero. "When the virus hit, everyone was scared and didn't want to meet," said Quizet Rivero in an interview with NBC News. They then decided to take action, using the materials used to create eco-friendly bags to make protective masks, which they sell to help members who have lost their jobs. The group has also donated over 1,500 masks to health care workers and senior citizens in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn. As the death toll still continues to rise in New York City, Quizet Rivero says they are all trying to take care of themselves as best as they can as "their greatest fear is to end up in a mass grave in New York City, far from home." Follow NBC Latino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 15:36:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The Chinese embassy in Tanzania on Friday handed over the first batch of anti-epidemic supplies donated by the Chinese government to help the east African nation fight COVID-19. The supplies include 2,000 N95 protective masks for medical use, 10,000 surgical masks, 10,000 surgical gloves, 10,000 medical isolation shoe covers, 2,000 pieces of protective clothing, 2,000 medical protective goggles and 500 infrared thermometers. The Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji has eliminated 27 bandits and destroyed some of their dwellings, along the Nahuta-Doumborou Corridor on the border between Katsina and Zamfara states. The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, John Enenche, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja. Mr Enenche, a major-general, said the operation was executed on Thursday, following credible intelligence reports that revealed that notorious bandits were harboured in a cluster of huts in the area. He added that the air component dispatched a Nigerian Air Force attack helicopter as well as a ground attack aircraft to engage the location. According to him, overhead the target area, several of the bandits were seen along with a large number of rustled cattle. The attack aircraft took turns in engaging the area, neutralising some of the bandits while few escaped with injuries. Human Intelligence (HUMINT) sources later confirmed that no fewer than 27 bandits were neutralised as a result of the attack. The armed forces of Nigeria wishes to thank all Nigerians for their support and encourages the general public to continue providing useful information that will facilitate its operations to restore peace and security to all affected parts of the country, he said. (NAN) Children cannot wait for a coronavirus vaccine to be produced before returning to school, warring teaching unions and ministers were warned today. Children's Commissioner for England Anne Longfield demanded an end to 'squabbling', saying children were being harmed by the continued closure and they would have to return at some point - even if no cure is found. Hartlepool in County Durham, joined Liverpool this morning in saying it would ignore the Government's plan to let some primary school pupils back to the school from June 1. But children's tzar Ms Longfield told Sky: 'We cannot afford to wait for a vaccine, which may never arrive, before children are back in school.' And speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning she added: 'I've looked on somewhat with despair in the last week and a half as the debate has become more and more polarised. It does seem to have descended into very entrenched views. 'My worry within all is that the needs of children and the best interests of children are disappearing from view. Anne Longfield (pictured), the Children's Commissioner for England, called on union leaders to work with ministers to get pupils back to the classroom as quickly as possible Shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon said: 'The language of ''squabbling'' isn't helpful because there are some very deep and legitimate concerns about whether it is safe to return or not' 'There are really strong reasons why children need to get back into school. Educationally, we know those that have most disadvantaged backgrounds just aren't getting access to the teaching online that others are; but also the social reasons, for those children living in very fragile environments at home. 'It's really imperative that we see the kind of can do willingness to work together that we've seen in other parts of society - around the NHS if you like, when the hospitals were built. 'It's only through bringing people together who are the experts with that real commitment to find that solution that I believe we can progress.' Education unions and ministers are at loggerheads over the safety of students and teachers, despite orders to reduce class sizes. The largest doctor's union backed the teachers representatives today, saying they are 'absolutely right' to argue it is unsafe for schools to open next month. And academy groups last night said they would restart lessons from next month. Reach 2, Harris, Oasis and GEP teach a quarter of the UK's children and are planning on following the Government guidance, The Times reported. That decision was in start contrast to the local authority in hartlepool, one of the most deprived areas of the North East. In a statement last night the council said: 'On Sunday, Boris Johnson outlined plans for the partial re-opening of schools for pupils in nursery, reception, Year 1 and Year 6. 'Given that Coronavirus cases locally continue to rise, Hartlepool Borough Council has been working with schools and we have agreed they will not reopen on Monday 1 June. Hartlepool in County Durham, joined Liverpool in saying it would ignore the plan to let some primary school pupils back to the school from June 1 'Whilst we recognise the importance of schools reopening, we want to be absolutely clear that we will be taking a measured and cautious approach to this. Four primary school chains will let children back into the classroom on June 1 Four of the UK's biggest primary school chains have decided to reopen on June 1, it has been revealed. Reach 2, Harris, Oasis and GEP teach a quarter of the UK's children and are planning on following the Government guidance, The Times reported. Sir Steve Lancashire, chief executive of Reach 2, the country's biggest primary multi-academy trust (MAT) with 50 schools, said: 'Our intention is to open all of our schools for the priority year groups, and will do so as long as the rigorous risk assessments we carry out for each school gives us the reassurance we need that we can keep our pupils and staff as safe as possible.' MAT schools work independently from local authorities and are able to set their own rules and regulations. They also cater to some of the country's most disadvantaged children. Steve Chalke, founder of the Oasis trust which has 35 primary schools, told the newspaper opposition to reopening was 'rather middle class' and unhelpful for disadvantaged children who were missing lessons. Advertisement 'We continue to work with schools to put in place appropriate measure to help keep children and staff safe when a phased reopening is possible.' Concerns have been echoed by The British Medical Association who warned the number of coronavirus cases was still too high to open schools safely. In a letter to National Education Union general secretary Kevin Courtney on Friday, the BMA council's chairman , Chaand Nagpau said: 'We cannot risk a second spike or take actions which would increase the spread of this virus, particularly as we see sustained rates of infection across the UK. He added: 'Until we have got case numbers much lower, we should not consider reopening schools.' The letter also said evidence from scientific research looking at the potential- outcomes of starting up schools was not concrete enough to say exactly what would happen. Mr Nagpau said there is because of the 'relatively small amount of research available and the uncharted territory we find ourselves in'. In contrast, the Children's Commissioner for England Anne Longfield asked 'unions to stop 'squabbling' because it would be 'extremely damaging' to keep children away from school. Ms Longfield has urged the sector to aspire for all children to return to school in some form before the summer, and to use school buildings for summer schools and family support over the holidays. She said: 'We cannot afford to wait for a vaccine, which may never arrive, before children are back in school. 'It's time to stop squabbling and agree a staggered, safe return that is accompanied by rigorous testing of teachers, children and families.' Her plans were in line with the government's with education secretary Gavin Williamson warning it is 'vital' children get back into classrooms as quickly as possible. The founder of one primary school trust, Steve Chalke, warned the criticism was a 'rather middle class' approach that wouldn't help disadvantaged children who needed the structure of the classroom. But opponents, including Liverpool city council which revealed it would not be opening its classrooms on June 1 regardless of nationwide guidelines, have demanded proof schools will be safe for children and teachers once they have been reopened. Shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon told Sky News: 'The language of ''squabbling'' isn't helpful because there are some very deep and legitimate concerns about whether it is safe to return or not. 'It requires a number of things, first of all the evidence base. We need to make sure the evidence supports any decision that is made. Secondly we need clear language and direction from Government that is absolutely supported by the evidence. Thirdly we need to make sure every school environment is properly audited to make sure it can be safe. 'Until the Government does that it isn't surprising that teaching unions that represent their workers are saying we are not convinced that teachers and teaching staff and other people who work in schools can be kept safe and equally parents want to know their children will be safe.' Appearing on the radio with Ms Longfield, Dr Patrick Roach, the NASUWT general secretary, said: 'We're not saying that it can't happen. What we're actually saying is exactly what the Children's Commissioner has just said (to you). There needs to be a can do willingness and there need to be strong controls in place. 'Once we have that clarity, clarity from government and also confirmation from employers that they are focusing on the health risks and managing those risks, mitigating those risks... then schools can be Covid-secure, and that's really all we're saying. 'A pragmatic approach is needed here, but there is a need for clarity and clear guidance from government to schools'. The President of the National Education Union, Amanda Martin, is planning on joining Jeremy Corbyn at a 'virtual rally' to tell activists how they can 'resist' the Government plans, the newspaper also reported. The moved sparked anger from critics including Richard Holden MP, a former special adviser to the Department of Education who accused Ms Martin of 'putting political activism at the heart of its response to coronavirus'. Former Labour education secretary Alan Johnson also criticised trade union intransigence, while a string of school leaders and academics spoke up to back the reopening of classrooms next month. Academy schools in particular asked teachers to defy the unions and prepare for a reopening. Meanwhile teaching unions have demanded the Government models how many black and Asian teachers could die as a result of lifting the lockdown, reported the Financial Times. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said getting children back to school was 'vital' for their educational development It comes as the R Rate, the number of people one infected patient can pass the virus on to, rose from between 0.5 and 0.7 to closer to 0.9. The Government measures aim to keep the rate below one in order to control the spread of the illness. Some 384 more deaths were announced yesterday taking the total number of people who have died from coronavirus in the UK to 33,998. There are 237,000 cases in the country, up 3,446 in one day. Hospital staff are treating just over 9,000 patients a day in England down from 19,000 a few weeks ago and admissions are now falling by around 2,000 a week, according to head of the NHS Simon Stevens. Yesterday, the Government's top medical and scientific advisers met union leaders to reassure them the Government's plans to reopen schools on June 1 were safe for children, staff and parents. But union chiefs dug their heels in and suggested they would continue to advise members to shun preparations for primary school children in England to begin a gradual return next month. They were backed last night by the British Medical Association, the union that represents doctors. Some 384 more deaths were announced yesterday taking the total number of people who have died from coronavirus in the UK to 33,998 It sets the scene for a major confrontation between the two sides in the next fortnight. Ministers have drawn up proposals for a phased return that could see children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 start to go back to schools in England on June 1. But unions believe schools cannot be reopened safely and won't engage with the plans. Mrs Longfield, who represents the rights of children, urged union leaders to 'face reality' and work with ministers to 'make this work' as she warned of the dangers of youngsters missing out on vital education. The Children's Commissioner, who is independent of government, said: 'I am disappointed that the debate about when some primary school kids can return has descended into a squabble between Government and the teaching unions. All sides need to show a greater will to work together in the interests of children. 'We know that the longer schools are closed the greater the impact will be on social mobility and that many children are really struggling without seeing their friends and the structure that school brings. 'We need to face the reality that, for a number of reasons, there are hundreds of thousands of children who can't access meaningful education at home.' Yesterday, the Government's top medical and scientific advisers met union leaders to reassure them the Government's plans to reopen schools on June 1 were safe for children, staff and parents (file image) Mrs Longfield added: 'It is now up to the Government and the teaching unions to work together, along with the many teachers who are not in unions, to find solutions in the best interests of children and make this work.' The National Education Union said its views were 'unchanged' after a briefing with the Government's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance. Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary, said: 'Very many questions that we asked were not addressed in the time available.' Mr Johnson added: 'Many of these children would be better off back at school. The early years are crucially important. 'I hope that having sought assurances, the unions will be able to see schools reopen on June 1.' Unity Howard, director of the New Schools Network, said: 'The actions of the unions are completely unconscionable now is the time for sensible grown-up debate.' Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: 'Getting children back to school is vital for their educational development and many schools are already taking steps to welcome back their pupils.' Deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries warned of the longer-term health risks to children who did not get a good education. It comes as Liverpool became the first English city to refuse to return children to school next month. The Merseyside port's council confirmed that from June 1 only the children of key workers and those deemed vulnerable would be allowed to attend - as they are now. The local authority rejected ministers plans to restart lessons for some primary age groups before the summer. Health Secretary Matt Hancock defended the Government's plans at the daily press conference, saying: 'I wouldn't support a proposal to start to reopen schools unless it was safe to do so - and it is safe to do so.' Union leaders met the Government's scientific advisers yesterday, but speaking afterwards Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said it left many of their questions unanswered. Earlier this week Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson branded the Government plan 'reckless' and yesterday Steve Reddy, the city's director of children and young people's services, said he was writing to all parents to tell them not to expect schools to reopen for everyone on June 1. In the letter Mr Reddy said: 'Our guiding principle is that schools can only reopen to other pupils when it is safe to do so and not a moment before. 'Only once we can be sure that schools are safe for both children and staff will they be able to open to more children. The safety of your child, and of our staff, is our top priority. Health Secretary Matt Hancock defended the Government's plans at the daily press conference, saying; 'I wouldn't support a proposal to start to reopen schools unless it was safe to do so - and it is safe to do so' Education Secretary Gavin Williamson (pictured yesterday) said getting children back to school is 'vital' for their educational development and he has welcomed the efforts by many schools in England to prepare for a wider reopening 'Some parents have asked me when schools may fully reopen. This will vary from school to school. Each headteacher has to rigorously assess the risks of fully reopening for their particular school. Downing Street rejects supplying teachers with coronavirus masks Teachers do not have to wear face coverings unless providing care for a child who has come into school with symptoms, Downing Street has said. The idea of teachers being supplied with masks as a way to calm coronavirus transmission fears was rejected this morning. The Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters: 'Our guidance on face coverings is clear, they are for enclosed public spaces where you come into contact with people you don't normally meet such as crowded shops or public transport. 'Schools do not fall into that category. 'It is rare for a teacher to have to wear PPE, they should only be worn if providing close-contact care for a child with symptoms,' he said. He added: 'Any child with symptoms shouldn't be going into school in the first place.' Advertisement 'The size and layout of the school building, and the availability of staff, will affect their assessments. It will be the case that the schools will do it differently. Your child's headteacher will be in touch with you in due course.' However at the press conference tonight NHS England's medical director of primary care said many vulnerable children would be better off at school. London GP Dr Nikki Kanani said that 'risk is relative', adding: 'Some of our children who are more vulnerable need more support, need to be back in school to get the benefit of both the social environment but also the physical space as well. 'It is very important that we carefully get our children back to school because actually that is what is going to be good for them in the long run.' This morning Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford told Good Morning Britain 'new cohorts' will not be brought into schools on June 1, although some children would return before the summer. Mr Drakeford said the Welsh Government would be speaking to parents and staff so they knew everything had been done to make the school environment safe and give them 'confidence to return'. 'We'd like to take a bit longer to do that, we think it will pay off in the end and that's the nature of the way that we would do things in Wales,' Mr Drakeford said. But academy schools were told to 'start planning to reopen' in June. Leora Cruddas, chief executive of the Confederation of School Trusts, which represents the semi-autonomous state schools stressed that they needed to 'rebuild parental confidence'. But she said that the June 1 date to restart some primary school classes was just the beginning and not an 'absolute deadline'. She told The Telegraph: 'My message to headteachers is that we should start planning to reopen. 'The planning needs to take a risk based approach, we need to make a full assessment of the risks which relate to site capacity and number of staff. 'We need to be building parental confidence as far as possible with families. Communication with staff, with parents and with communities is crucial.' Steve Chalke, founder of the Oasis Trust, which has 35 primary schools across the country, said the trust plans to admit more pupils to its schools from June 1, the date proposed by the Government, saying the closure was disproportionately harming poorer children. Mr Chalke, whose schools on average have 45 per cent of children eligible for free school meals (FSMs), said: 'The greatest risk to their health, for many of them, is their mental health. They're locked in.' Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said it was vital pupils were back in classrooms within weeks, both to allow key workers to keep working to save lives from coronavirus and to prevent youngsters missing out on vital learning. Ministers have drawn up plans for a 'phased' return after the summer half-term, with some junior classes potentially going back from June 1. 'My kids won't be going, not until it's safe' Militant parents are refusing to send their children back to school, saying the Government's plans are not safe. Despite getting letters from schools confirming plans to restart classes, they are planning to keep their youngsters at home. Mum-of-four Lois Smith, 33, from Widnes in Cheshire, told the Mirror Online: 'My kids won't be going, not until it's safe. They aren't going back when there are still hundreds of people dying each day. 'I just think it's ludicrous to even think about sending them back. It's a parent's job to protect their kids, I don't care if I get fined. 'I haven't heard one person say they are going to send their kids in.' Advertisement However, while most teachers have worked hard to help their pupils during the lockdown, education unions have told the Government to 'step back' from the plans and urged their members not to co-operate. Their main concern is over whether schools can safely enact social distancing, even with class sizes limited to 15 or fewer pupils. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis earlier insisted that social distancing can be done in schools. He said it was vital pupils were back in classrooms to allow key workers to keep working to save lives from coronavirus and to prevent youngsters missing out on vital learning. Mr Lewis told BBC Breakfast: 'Well I think one of the things teachers are able to do, both in the classroom and outside the classroom, and all of us as parents and people in society, is to continue to educate each other around social distance. 'So yes, even in a school environment I think it is important that we do what we can to encourage and explain and educate around social distancing.' Minister for Children and Families Vicky Ford this afternoon said the potential reopening of schools to some pupils on June 1 depends on the scientific advice at the time. In a question and answer session hosted on the parenting forum Mumsnet, she said: 'We will only do this provided that the five key tests set by Government justify the changes at the time, including that the rate of infection is decreasing. 'As a result, we are asking schools, colleges and childcare providers to plan on this basis, ahead of confirmation that these tests are met. 'The confirmation will depend on science advice at that time.' It came after Mr Williamson demanded unions do their 'duty' and stop their opposition. Writing for the Daily Mail, he said children need to start returning to classrooms 'in the interests of their welfare and education'. Children in France, which went into an even stricter lockdown that Britain, have been back at school for a week and those in Germany and Denmark for the better part of a month. Downing Street this morning also insisted that teachers would not require personal protective equipment to return to work. Private sector says: We could reopen in weeks Private schools have been working around 'around the clock' using online learning and are confident of successfully reopening on the Government's timetable. Despite taking a significant financial hit due to the pandemic, fee-paying schools have been leading the way in responding to the challenges, sector leaders said. Top schools including Eton College and the Perse School, Cambridge, have been posting free educational resources which are accessible to all young people. Professor Barnaby Lenon, chairman of the Independent Schools Council, said his 1,300 member schools were 'very pleased that there will be limited openings after June 1'. He added: 'They are enthusiastic about the idea that they can see pupils for things like university application discussions and to enable pupils to do those things that can't be done online, like coursework, science practicals and art.' Neil Roskilly, chief executive of the Independent Schools Association, which has more than 500 member schools, said: 'They have been working around the clock on online provision and plans to welcome back pupils to the classroom. 'The huge majority of teachers will be putting their interests first.' Advertisement The National Education Union (NEU), which has 450,000 members, has described the Government's plans as 'reckless' and advised teachers to 'not engage' with the move. The NASUWT, the UK's second largest teachers' union, last night threatened to sue school heads if teachers were 'expected to go into a school that is not safe'. Ministers are concerned that if the unions sabotage a return to school, many of the most disadvantaged youngsters will lose out on vital education. And there is an acceptance that many parents will be unable to return to work until schools are open again. Mr Williamson said extensive measures had been put in place for a secure return to school, adding: 'Safety comes first.' Union chiefs have been offered a briefing with the Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty this afternoon to reassure them the plans are safe for children, staff and parents. In his article for the Mail today, Mr Williamson paid tribute to the skills of teachers, saying: 'Parents are doing a fantastic job helping children learn at home, but nothing can take the place of a teacher.' But he urged unions to do their 'duty' and drop their blanket objections to a June 1 return, saying: 'All of us in education have a duty to work together to get children back to school.' Robert Halfon, chairman of the Commons education committee, said children from disadvantaged backgrounds faced a 'potential decade of educational disadvantage' unless schools went back soon. He added: 'The unions have got to engage on this.' In an extraordinary intervention, former Labour education secretary David Blunkett accused the unions of 'working against the interests of children' by continuing to frustrate teachers who are desperate to get back into the classroom. Lord Blunkett said he was 'deeply critical' of the NEU's approach, saying all sides had to 'work together to get over fear as well as dealing with the genuine risk'. He told BBC Radio Four's Today programme: 'It is about how can we work together to make it work as safely we can't 100 per cent as safely as possible. Anyone who works against that in my view is working against the interests of children.' Lord Blunkett said other workers, such as those in supermarkets, had accepted a level of risk in performing their jobs as he suggested teachers should do the same. And he said the most disadvantaged pupils were being penalised, adding: 'They will not have tutors to be able to recover, they will not have parents who had higher education, they will rely entirely on us getting back to normal as quickly as possible.' Boris Johnson ordered the closure of schools on March 18, just days before the wider lockdown. Many schools have remained open to look after vulnerable children and those of frontline 'key' workers. But in practice, most have only had tiny numbers attending. Under the Government's plans, children will be placed in small classes and rigorous procedures are being put in place to limit spread of the virus. Ministers hope to get all primary children back for a month before the summer holidays. Secondary pupils in Years 10 and 12, who have GCSE and A-level exams next year, will go back part time to allow for catch-up sessions with tutors. Education sources said Mr Williamson was happy for his 15-year-old daughter, who is in Year 10, to go back to school. Sir Anthony Seldon, former headmaster of Wellington College, said: 'Teachers want to and need to be back in schools. As long as the scientists say they can, it is utterly wrong for unions to try to block and discourage teachers.' But union leaders yesterday insisted they had grave concerns about an early return to school. Mary Bousted, joint general-secretary of the NEU, described the bid to reopen schools as 'nothing short of reckless'. And in a letter last night Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, said it was putting schools 'on notice' that they faced potential legal action for 'breach of duty of care and personal injury due to foreseeable risk' if they asked teachers to go back to work too soon. Will YOU send your child to school on June 1? Families reveal the tough decisions they'll make - including a mum keeping her kids home 'until there's a vaccine' and another who insists she can no longer juggle lessons and work By Carol Driver, for Mail Online As schools across England begin making plans to open their doors, many parents remain divided on whether to send their children back while the pandemic is still very much raging. Boris Johnson's announcement on Sunday that he planned to ask schools to be a phased reopening on June 1 - starting with three primary year groups - has led to schools surveying parents on whether they wish their offspring to return. School leaders and unions have already voiced their fears about plans to let Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 children re-start their education and much of the power remains with parents. With schools not planning to fine people whose children don't attend the remainder of the summer term, there is little to stop parents keeping children at home. Here, we speak to six families - with opposing views - on the decisions they'll make when the school bell rings once more. THE 'NO' CAMP Chelsey Gordon, 29, a full-time mother who lives with her husband Soloman, in Bedford, and their four children, Kyla, 12, Harvey, 9 , Leilah, 5, and Tilly, 1 Chelsey Gordon, 29, a full-time mother from Bedford admits that health will come before education for the four children she shares with husband Soloman She says while her children 'drive me crazy some days' she won't put them back into formal education until the pandemic has eased Chelsey says she fears another peak if parents try and return to normal before the virus is fully under control Daughter Leilah, five, would be in the year group expected to return to school in June I will be keeping all my children home if the schools return on the 1st June as I just think it's too soon after the pandemic. If there is a rush of people going straight back to some form of normality then there will end up another peak in the virus. As much as it is hard on me, homeschooling three different school years, and the children driving me crazy some days, I would rather them be safe and healthy. Im not willing to risk that to send them back for just six weeks, then its the school summer holiday. I think there will be a lot of parents making the same decision as me. The only consequence would be that they fall behind a little with school work. But so long as I keep up the homeschooling and show them the best I can, theyll be able to catch up once they go back to school. Yes they will be returning in September. It's hard being so out of routine but as long as my children are safe that's all that matters. Sadie-Marie Murray, 44, is a part-time accounting student, who lives with her husband Dean in Preston, Lancashire, with their children Samson, 9, Charlie, 7, and Elias, 4 School governer Sadie-Marie Murray says she won't be letting her boys Samson, 9, Charlie, 7, and Elias, 4 return to school until she had '100 per cent assurance that schools can maintain the social distancing measures required to keep my children safe' One of Sadie-Marie's sons, Elias, has Tuberous Sclerosis Complex - a rare genetic complex which means benign tumours grow in his body - and she says she cant risk sending his siblings back to school and getting Covid-19 as 'I dont know what the impact would be on my family' Im a school governor, and I will keep all three of my children at home until either a vaccine is realised that has been proven to combat Covid 19. Or until I can be given 100 per cent assurance that schools can maintain the social distancing measures required to keep my children safe. Im also not happy that school staff are also putting themselves at increased risk. Having taught in a primary school for 12 years, I know you can tell children about social distancing, but they are wonderfully spontaneous and excitement takes over... Mother-of-three, Sadie-Marie Murray Elias is on the extremely vulnerable list due to having Tuberous Sclerosis Complex - a rare genetic complex which means benign tumours grow in his body. Hes not due to start school until September, but I cant risk sending his siblings back to school and getting Covid-19 as I dont know what the impact would be on my family. I dont want to rush back to normality just for the sake of it. I know of many people who agree as they are shielding a spouse, or elderly parents or those who have lost a relative. People dont want to put themselves or their families at risk. Long term I worry about the impact on their education and physical abilities as we live in a terraced house which opens straight onto the street and the tiny yard doesnt allow much room for exercise. I also worry for the staff too. Having taught in a primary school for 12 years, I know you can tell children about social distancing, but they are wonderfully spontaneous and excitement takes over. Married Helen Hosick, 37, a fine art undergraduate student, who lives in Bolton, with her two children Emilee, 7, and Nate, 4 Bolton mum Helen Hosick says she's quite comfortable teaching her two children at home for the foreseeable future until the pandemic abates Emilee, 7, and Nate, 4, could put Helen, who's high-risk, into contact with the virus if they returned to education, she says Im one of the 1.5 million people who have been told by the government to shield in their homes due to being high-risk. 'I will not be taking a chance with sending either of my children to school, and risking bringing the coronavirus into the house and catching it. I've already heard of fatalities within my wider network. I wont be sending Emilee back before September... Helen Hosick So Boris Johnson announcing he hopes to reopen some primary school years as of June 1, with the rest to follow isn't a guideline I will be following. I wont be sending Emilee back before September. I am sure there will be other parents who also dont allow their kids to return to school until September - this is when Nate is due to start school officially. I am not worried about any consequences in regards to them missing out on aspects of education. The children are young and I can quite comfortably continue teaching them at home. I do hope the government doesn't say they have to return any sooner than September and I also hope to go into the second year of my degree too. However whatever happens we will prevail. THE 'YES' CAMP Jennifer Bailey, 42, CEO of Calla Shoes, who lives in Warrington, with her daughters, Emily, five and Charlotte, seven Jennifer Bailey, 42, who is CEO of Carla shoes, wants to keep her two daughters, who have five and seven, in education without disruption and is looking forward to the girls going back to school Jennifer revealed she fears she's doing 'everything at a mediocre level' while balancing her own business with childcare 'I'm a mother of two girls, aged Emily, 5, and Charlotte, 7, both in primary school. Normally my husband and I both work full-time, I have my own business selling my own brand of footwear online and my husband works for his father's family business. 'My husband has been going to work every day except for once a week when he worked from home because most of his staff were furloughed but now most of the staff are back in work so he's back to normal and he leaves at 6.30am and isn't home until 6.30pm.' 'We used to rely on school and grandparent support for childcare to help us do our jobs, but obviously both are out of the question for now. I feel like I'm doing everything at a mediocre level at the moment and I've told my husband that the pressures could break me! 'I have put many years and a lot of money in to starting up my business, as well as employing four members of staff and I'd be devastated if it were to fail now.' 'I am consciously trying to keep my children on top of the school work that their school have kindly been putting together each day to guide their learning but it's incredibly hard when I'm trying to also keep the business going. 'I feel like I'm doing everything at a mediocre level at the moment and I've told my husband that the pressures could break me. 'The week before lockdown I was quite ill, with all the symptoms of coronavirus, however I didn't need to hospitalised so was never tested. 'My daughters were a little bit ill (a sore throat and temperature) for about 24 hours each and my husband ended up being completely fine. 'I believe we have all had the illness and as a youngish healthy family am confident that they will not be spreading the illness to others and that even if they bring something home we will be able to cope.' Sarah Lloyd, is a PR manager, who lives in Farmborough, with her daughters, Lucy, six and Amy, four, Mother-of-two Sarah Llyod, said she was looking forward to sending her daughters back to school, where they could interact with their friends Sarah revealed how her daughters had settled into a routine at home, both Lucy, six, and Emily, four, miss their friends 'Im planning on sending both my girls in on 1 June if schools are open. My husband has been working from home throughout, and I run my own business so have been working round the children. 'We will probably send our girls in, for a few reasons, whilst its been great having the girls home and weve got into a routine, they are missing their friends. 'Our youngest is due to start reception in September (her pre school is opening), so I wanted to try and introduce a little bit of routine, she is very sociable and whilst she enjoys playing with big sister, she misses her friends. 'My eldest misses school. She loves learning, but has struggled with mummy and daddy teaching her. She is in year 1 and also misses her friends. The mother-of-two went on to say that the experience of lockdown had been overwhelming for her daughters, and the family are looking forward to returning to a form of normality 'I feel ok about them going back to school as they are in small classes, and before we went into lockdown I couldnt fault how the children and teachers where managing. 'It has been a gift having them home, weve done so many lovely things and have grown as a family. 'Even though they miss their friends, they refuse to talk to them on video, I think its been overwhelming for them, so I can see both girls having anxiety over going back so I hope that school takes that into account - perhaps a more staggered approach/ shorter days - less rigid in approach certainly between June and summer break could help with managing the virus and the kids mental health.' Faye Czajkowski-Davis, 40, Therapeutic Coach, from Gloucestershire, has three children, Ashtyn, 14, Fenton, 8, Jaycob, 7 Faye Czajkowski-Davis, 40, Therapeutic Coach, from Gloucestershire, has three children, Ashtyn, 14, Fenton, 8, Jaycob, 7 (pictured). She said she will be putting her faith in the scientists, and would follow their advice on when to return her children to school 'I am not a scientist so I choose to put my faith in those who are. That's all we can base any of our decisions on when we are not the experts ourselves so if it is recommended children go back to school then I am happy to go with that decision as I know it will have not been made without reason. 'Other than this, there are a multitude of reasons but primarily, for me is the effect on my childrens social development and education. 'We are lucky in the sense that they have each other to interact with at home. However, familial interaction is very different to social interaction. Being with other people outside of the family setting allows children to develop important aspects of social and emotional development. I am not a scientist so I choose to put my faith in those who are 'They learn how to respond to and control their own emotions as well as building an understanding of how others respond to them. The more people they are exposed to the greater this development is. With out this for any prolonged period of time I worry about the long lasting effects it could pose. 'Secondly is their education. I am not a teacher. I am not ashamed to say that I struggle with homeschooling three children of different ages and do have concerns about the more time they have away from skilled teaching. 'I realise and hope that the work we are being sent by the schools will be revisited once the children return to school, however, with so much emphasis on the impact of a child who misses one week of school for a family holiday, I do question the massive effect it will have on children after months of missed formal education. 'Even if they cover everything that would have been taught, children are still going to be 2/3/4 however many months behind the education experienced by the previous years. Other than making this time up in school holidays over several years I dont understand how this can ever be caught up?' Gavin Williamson: For sake of all pupils, unions must do duty By Gavin Williamson, Secretary of State for Education, for the Daily Mail Rarely do I find myself nodding along in agreement with past Labour ministers but when I heard former Labour education secretary David Blunkett on the radio this week saying why it's important to get the most disadvantaged children back into schools as soon as we can, I thought he was making very good sense. As Education Secretary, I pay attention when experts give me advice I'd get into hot water very quickly if I didn't. If, based on the latest scientific advice, we can get a limited number of children back to school, then I believe it's my duty to do all I can to get them back there because being in school with a teacher is the best way to learn. Of course safety comes first but we must also be aware of the potential damage to a child's education from not getting them back in the classroom. It is now over seven weeks since schools were restricted to all but a very small number of children and until the rate of infection from coronavirus starts to come down, we cannot bring more students back. Writing in the Daily Mail, Gavin Williamson called on unions to support moves to start a staged reopening of schools In that time I've been constantly talking to heads and teachers' unions about how best to open schools in a phased and careful way. Later today I have arranged for union leaders to meet the Chief Medical Officer and other experts so they can be briefed on the scientific advice underpinning our approach. The good news is that we are now past the peak of the virus. At the weekend the Prime Minister set out his roadmap for recovery and the second step of that plan is to start to get more children back into classrooms. Let me spell out why these proposals have put the interests of all our children first. The best place for youngsters to learn is in school and I have wanted to get more children back there as soon as possible. Parents are doing a fantastic job helping them to learn at home but nothing can take the place of a teacher. It is known that the first few years of a child's education are so important. It is during this time that young students begin to develop essential social skills and start to learn the basics that will have a huge bearing on how well they do later in life. That is why younger children are at the head of the queue to go back to school, along with pupils who will be moving up to secondary school and those older pupils who are going to be sitting their GCSEs and A Levels next year. Now I want to be clear, this is the first phase of a controlled and careful return to school. It's not happening overnight and it isn't going to happen without schools putting in place a range of protective measures to reduce transmission. The safety of children and their teachers is my No 1 priority. I know some teaching unions still have concerns, just as I know parents and teachers have some worries. I intend to carry on talking to all of them and working with them on any issues they may have. Schools in other nations have achieved started to open following the pandemic. Above are children queuing using traffic cones at a primary school in Strasbourg, France All of us in education have a duty to work together to get children back to school. Let me reassure families that we are giving schools all the guidance and support they will need to welcome pupils back. This includes keeping class sizes small, making sure children stay within small groups, and being rigorous about hygiene, cleaning and staggering break and mealtimes. We're also paying close attention to what they're doing in other countries, such as Denmark, where despite some initial concerns, children are back and adapting, as they always seem to do. Children thrive and grow in schools best when they're enjoying being with their friends and teachers. It is time to start bringing some of our children back in the interests of their welfare and education. But this will be done carefully so it's right for our children, right for your family and those who work in schools and right for our communities. If Europe can, why can't we? Denmark: Reopened primary schools and nurseries a month ago, and has seen infection rates continue to fall Children kept in small groups of ten to 12, with minimum contact Groups arrive at separate times, eat lunch separately, stay in their own playground zones and keep one teacher for all classes Children sit two metres apart at individual desks and do not share water bottles or stationery Germany: Reopened schools for older children earlier this month and plans to allow younger year groups back in summer term Students in final year were first back for exams, and told to disinfect their hands with sanitiser and sit at least two metres apart A pilot scheme sees teenagers are disease-tested every four days, and swab their own throats France: Nurseries and primary schools were allowed back from Monday, with secondary schools to gradually reopen next week Pictures at one school showed children sitting alone in 'isolation' chalk squares in their playground Pupils aged 11 to 15 expected to wear face masks made available for those who do not have them Class sizes kept to 15 and creches capped at a maximum of ten children per group Arrows placed on the floor to safely guide pupils at a primary school in Paris, France Greece: Expected to reopen next week, but row has broken out over plans to install cameras in classrooms Government wanted to allow live-streaming of lessons to allow smaller classes, with families deciding if their children attend school or learn from home But teaching unions and opposition parties have objected over privacy fears and said scheme poses a 'serious risk' to students Sweden: Kept schools open for children under 16 throughout the outbreak Pupils and teachers with any symptoms were urged to stay at home, and schools and colleges for older teenagers were closed School premises cleaned at least once a day. Staggered break times, limits on assemblies and spaced out desks and chairs Finland: Allowed children back to school yesterday with strict social distancing and hand-washing rules Arrival times staggered and unused spaces turned into classes to allow pupils to spread out Schools will switch between classroom and distance teaching if infections spikes again Norway: Nurseries and primary schools reopened in April amid some opposition, but health experts said there had been no rise in infection rates Children have been kept in small groups that have a minimum of physical interaction Other schools and colleges across the country were allowed to reopen this week Switzerland: Allowed primary schools to reopen from Monday Secondary schools and colleges will be allowed to open next month, provided authorities do not see a rise in infections A teacher wears a face mask with her pupils at a school in Chasne sur Illet, west France Netherlands: Primary schools partially reopened on Monday, along with nurseries, libraries, hairdressers and beauty salons OTHERS: Spain and Italy said schools will remain shut until September In Ireland schools will remain closed until at least September, but nurseries could reopen in June Advertisement Teachers' union threatens to SUE school chiefs if staff are put at risk by returning to classrooms too soon during coronavirus lockdown By Josh White, Education reporter for the Daily Mail Britain's second-largest teaching union last night threatened to sue school chiefs if teachers are 'put at risk' in the classroom. The NASUWT, which has 310,000 members, has written to heads, academy bosses and local authorities, outlining their stance. Along with the National Education Union, the NASUWT has been at the forefront of efforts to delay the reopening of schools until September, but their objections have been described by critics as 'political posturing' and 'scaremongering'. Darren Northcott, the union's national official for education, told 5Live on Wednesday: 'There's a real risk here that some schools will believe that they can safely open from June 1, when we are very clear that they can't.' Britain's second-largest education union, NASUWT, has written to schools threatening to torpedo plans for a June 1 reopening. It is headed up by Dr Patrick Roach, right. Its national official for education is Darren Northcott. The union says it has put the government 'on notice' The union last night ramped up its attempts to torpedo the plans by threatening court action against school bosses, trust chief executives, and local authorities who ignore 'serious health, safety and welfare issues' in the classroom.. It came as the NEU also increased its pressure on ministers. The union said last night: Teachers should keep online tuition 'to a minimum'; They should not do any online teaching that they feel uncomfortable about; Teachers are worried about the security of online teaching; And they should not be expected to carry out routine marking or grading of pupils'work The NASUWT letter says the union is 'left with no alternative but to put employers and the Government on notice, by reserving our members' legal rights in the context of a tortious claim for breach of duty of care and personal injury due to foreseeable risk, and any other legal recourse available'. Liverpools' Labour mayor may block return to class Pupils in Liverpool might not go back to school with the rest of England after its mayor warned he would not 'take risks with children's lives'. Joe Anderson vowed to 'resist' reopening after half term unless the city's infection rate had dropped. As of Monday, Liverpool had 1,515 confirmed cases, equivalent to 306 in every 100,000 people higher than the overall rate in England of 244 per 100,000. Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson, above Labour councillor Mr Anderson said: 'This is a life and death decision. If we lose one child or one teacher or one teaching assistant or one school cook, that's one too many. Our levels of Covid-19 infections are higher than everywhere else and I'm not about to take risks with children's or teaching staff's lives. Only when we are convinced it's safe for children to return will we allow it.' The ex-social worker, who is running Liverpool from home after he was forced to shield for health reasons, was attacked by some online critics. One tweeted: 'We need 'can doers' to guide us out of this crisis and save jobs and the economy. 'Can't doers' like him should admit they're out of their depth and let others take over.' But Steve Rotherham, the Metro Mayor responsible for the whole region, said: 'Mayor Anderson is right that the safeguarding of our children, teachers and school staff has to be the number one priority.' Advertisement 'The NASUWT is clear that no teacher should be expected to go into a school that is not safe, and until it can be demonstrated that it is safe to do so, we will be continuing to support and advise members on that basis.' Signed by union general secretary Dr Patrick Roach, the letter concludes: 'The NASUWT recognises that schools and employers have been placed in a situation where the wrong decision will result in people becoming seriously ill and dying, and will therefore appreciate that there can be no compromise on health and safety. 'If this means that schools are unable to open safely before September because they are unable to make arrangements to safeguard their staff and pupils, then that position must be accepted.' Despite undermining ministers' attempts to reopen the country's schools, the NEU says teachers should keep online tuition 'to a minimum' is necessary because face-to-face teaching 'cannot be easily replicated'. It also told members that 'no teacher should be expected to carry out any online teaching with which they feel uncomfortable or in the absence of agreed protocols'. It is understood some teachers have privacy concerns, and fear their lessons could be recorded or manipulated by pupils. But Professor Barnaby Lenon, chairman of the Independent Schools Council, said: 'There are appropriate safeguarding policies in place and it is all going pretty well. So those pupils who are not receiving online teaching, simply because their teachers think it is risky, have every reason to feel very disappointed.' The NEU adds that teachers 'should not be expected to carry out routine marking or grading', saying: 'To do so would be to disadvantage those who do not have the resources and support available at home to make that fair.' For secondary school pupils, many of whom will be facing exams next year, the swingeing union restrictions state that teachers 'should not be asked to personally contact their students daily', except those who are vulnerable. Neil Roskilly, of the Independent Schools Association, said the NEU's fears about online learning were 'theoretical'. He added: 'There's nothing unsurmountable for schools with good safeguarding policies. Schools are very used to dealing with safeguarding issues.' A teacher wears a face mask during lessons at a Parisian school. Nurseries and primary schools in the country were allowed back from Monday Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign For Real Education, said: 'Many teachers are being courageous and still working but a minority are enjoying it.' NEU joint general secretary Dr Mary Bousted said last night: 'The NEU is not against online working. Our members are using online learning to support their pupils. Our guidance is to help them do this safely for themselves and for their pupils. 'Arrangements for online learning must also protect teachers' and children's privacy and ensure children are kept safe while online. The NEU is supporting teachers and families to do the best they can with the resources available to them.' ANDREW PIERCE: The Corbynite lover of communist Cuba who says the first word she learned was 'strike' By Andrew Pierce for the Daily Mail Mary Bousted, head of the National Education Union, sent members to Cuba A clue as to the political philosophy of Dr Mary Bousted, the teachers' union leader trying to sabotage next month's return to school, can be found in her passion for communist Cuba. The hard-Left joint general secretary of the National Education Union has authorised spending thousands of pounds of union money to send members on fact-finding trips to the one-party state. The trips have understandably upset some members because of Cuba's disregard for human rights. A motion from teachers in Lewisham at last year's NEU annual conference demanded an end to their fees being spent on such jaunts. The motion said: 'Cuba is a police state with no free elections, free speech or free trade unions... The trade union movement is controlled by the state, and the leaders of the single union CTC are appointed by the state and the Communist Party. The right to strike is not legally recognized, and in practice it is denied' There was no embarrassing defeat of the motion because it wasn't called for debate in October another NEU delegation is going back for a week-long visit. It's no surprise, therefore, to find that Bousted backed the last Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn a man who hailed the Cuban dictator Fidel Castro on his death in 2016 as 'heroic'. A former president of the TUC, she became one of the most powerful female trade unionists when, in 2017, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers which she had led for more than a decade merged with the National Union of Teachers. The combined 450,000 membership makes it the biggest education union in Europe. Last year, under her joint leadership, the new union demanded the repeal of all legislation designed to curb the past excesses of the trade unions. It passed a motion arguing that flying pickets should be allowed to demonstrate outside school gates and that the closed shop should return, with teachers who refused to join unions dismissed. Ms Bousted is shown on the picket lines outside Richmond College, London, in June 2011 'The Conservative laws have made solidarity strikes illegal and prevent unions taking political strike action,' stated the motion. 'These laws prevent us striking to defend the NHS [and] the anti-union laws prevent effective picketing.' Bousted also backed the thousands of schoolchildren who skipped lessons several times last year to join the disruptive Extinction Rebellion environmental protests. 'We stand in full solidarity with all students striking or protesting against climate change [we] oppose any reprisals against students taking action to fight climate change, such as detentions, exclusions. The rights to strike and protest are fundamental democratic rights for students and workers alike,' she said. When it comes to industrial action, Bousted has form. In 2011 she led the ATL union, which was founded in 1978, into its first national strike as part of coordinated action by unions against the coalition government's plans to change public sector pensions. 'We expect to be taken seriously and to have the political and industrial clout to make sure our voice is heard,' she cried. It's hard not to hear her voice. During pension and pay negotiations, successive education secretaries held regular meetings with the bosses of the education unions. Perhaps thinking herself the smartest of them, Bousted seemingly did most of the talking whilst regularly picking fights with the minister. 'What I think I am doing is just telling it how it is,' she once said, revelling in her confrontational approach. 'People think I am strident because they don't like what I'm saying.' She has previously clashed with Michael Gove, who was education secretary in David Cameron's coalition government, over his wish to restore traditional subjects There was at least one stand-up row with Michael Gove, who was education secretary in David Cameron's coalition government. They clashed over Gove's wish to restore traditional subjects in the classrooms. An English teacher before she moved into teacher-training, Bousted said she objected to focusing too much on traditional subjects which require pupils to learn material by heart. 'It's outdated, and fails to equip children for life in the modern world,' she said. 'If a powerful knowledge curriculum means recreating the best that has been thought by dead, white men then I'm not very interested in it.' Bousted wanted less Shakespeare and more works from Caribbean, Indian and Chinese writers. Asked about her rocky relationship with Gove, she said: 'There was a lot of shouting and finger-pointing.' No fan of Tory education secretaries, she never had any time for Tony Blair's government either and opposed his drive towards academy schools. One senior Whitehall insider said that she picked fights for the sake of it. 'Mary Bousted regards the Conservatives as her professional, political, and philosophical foe. 'The latest posturing over the lockdown is entirely typical of her tactics.' The insider added: 'It's all about the union, to hell with the teachers who want to get back in to the classroom let alone the children. Bousted is typical of the breed of trade unionist who is a middle-class leftist. 'For her, it was school, university, and teacher training, and two decades running a union.' Bousted, 60, the second youngest of eight children, was brought up in Bolton in the 1960s. Her father was the headmaster of a local primary school; her mother, a die-hard Labour supporter, was also a teacher. She jokes that the word 'strike' was one of the first she learned as a child after climbing onto her father's knee she used to scan the headlines as he read The Manchester Guardian, his daily newspaper. Given Mary Bousted's determination to confront the Government, it is a word she will only too willingly put into action to try to get her way. - Both Rwanda and Uganda are establishing their own inland ports in Naivasha to reduce distance covered by roads - Rwanda is looking to cut down logistical expenses and counter challenges of delayed cargo clearance at Mombasa port - Kenya is building a standard gauge railway line from Mombasa to Kisumu via Naivasha to connect the East African community traders Rwanda will build its dry port in Naivasha to ease movement of goods to and from Mombasa seaport to Kigali. The landlocked nation secured a parcel of land courtesy of President Uhuru Kenyatta to put up a dry port in Kenya to enable it ferry goods via rail is cheaper mode of transport. READ ALSO: Ruai night demolitions: Uproar after gov't evicts people during curfew hours President Uhuru welcomes visiting colleague Kagame during paryer service for late president Daniel Moi at Nyayo stadium. Rwanda is building dry port in Naivasha. Photo: State House Kenya. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Meru: Police officer found dead after commotion with wife Rwanda's Foreign Affairs Minister Vincent Biruta told The New Times that the nation was looking to cut down logistical expenses and counter challenges of delayed cargo clearance occasioned by congestion and subsequent backlog. Already, a delegation from the Rwanda's high commissioner's office toured the Naivasha inland container depot to assess the ongoing work. READ ALSO: Ex-Supreme Court judge who ruled election petition in Uhuru's favour lands plum State job Museveni is received by his host President Uhuru at Moi International Airport, Mombasa in 2019. He revealed Uganda secured a land in Naivasha. Photo: Uhuru Kenyatta. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Jamaa aiba ng'ombe wa jirani, amchinja na kuficha nyama chumbani Kenya is building a standard gauge railway line from Mombasa to Kisumu via Naivasha, it is hoped the mega infrastructure will help connect the East African community traders. In this regard, President Paul Kagame started consultations with the private sector on how the country can use Lake Victoria to transport the goods up to Port Bell in Kampala. Rwanda and Uganda both are establishing their own inland ports in Naivasha to reduce distance covered by roads for imports and exports destined for Kigali. The revelation about Uganda came out during a joint public address by Museveni and Uhuru in Mombasa on March 27, 2019. The three countries are determined to ease movement of goods in a bid to bolster trade and enhance regional integration in East Africa. "According to the briefing, some work already have been done. As you (Uhuru) told me about Naivasha, the land where Uganda can build dry port because the railway is almost reaching Naivasha. When goods are transported by train , they shed off 60% of transport cost," he said. Mombasa governor Ali Hassan Joho had in 2017 lambasted government over what he claimed were intentions to transfer port services from Mombasa to Naivasha, a move which would kill the tourism sector and business at the Coast. According to the county chief, it never made economic sense to create a dry port when there was a seaport in Mombasa, further affirming his opposition to any attempt to take away such services. When I told you that the port services are being shifted, you made mockery out of it and you laughed at me. But you will not stop me from saying you are now implementing it, I am even contemplating going to court, Joho said then. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. My wife left me at my lowest, chose alcohol over our children - Kennedy Mwangi | My Story | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Zareen Khan says people still assume Salman Khan helps her find work: "I cannot be a monkey on his back" The coronavirus continues to affect all aspects of life around St. Louis. As St. Louis and St. Louis County start lifting shutdown orders, businesses are not uniformly jumping at the chance. The family and friends of Parkway South High School held a parade in honor of their seniors. The city of St. Louis is handing out thousands of masks. Here are the weekend's developments. Count of known COVID-19 cases Numbers updated at 2 p.m. May 17 Missouri: 594 deaths, 10,789 known cases. Local officials report 4,287 cases in St. Louis County and 1,631 in St. Louis. There were 695 reported cases in St. Charles County. Illinois: 4,129 deaths, 92,457 confirmed cases. Cases include 783 in St. Clair County, 481 in Madison County and 86 in Monroe County, according to the state health department. National: At least 1,478,241 people across the country have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University, 89,207 patients with the virus have died. Worldwide: There have been 4,534,731 cases worldwide, and 307,537 confirmed deaths, according to the World Health Organization. 3:30 p.m. ST. LOUIS The seven-day moving average of hospital admissions for the coronavirus plateaued at 25, the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force said Sunday, as St. Louis area businesses prepare to reopen from lockdown. Read more. 11 a.m. ST. LOUIS COUNTY Twenty-one parks, previously closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will reopen here Monday. Read more. From Saturday: 3 p.m. St. Louis County Thousands of area residents picked up food and other necessities handed out Saturday by The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. Read more 1 p.m. CLAYTON A group objecting to the easing of stay-at-home orders staged a protest Saturday with a parade of honking cars going through Clayton, Ladue and Frontenac. The group HealthB4Wealth says Mayor Lyda Krewson and County Executive Sam Page are putting thousands of lives at risk because, they say, there is not enough personal protective equipment even for essential workers let alone those who will be returning to work. They also say the city and county do not have enough testing and contact tracing in place to keep the coronavirus pandemic on its heels. Read more. 10 a.m. MAPLEWOOD A Maplewood woman who has lost 10 loved ones to COVID-19 is channeling her grief by helping others. On a recent afternoon, Shana Poole-Jones set up her tables full of food in her yard, like shes done almost every day for more than a month. Read more. 9 a.m. ST. LOUIS St. Louis and St. Louis County on Monday join counties across the region in lifting shutdowns, easing restrictions and allowing some businesses to reopen, after weeks of strict coronavirus precautions. Franklin County opened three weeks ago; Jefferson and St. Charles counties did so two weeks ago. But businesses across the region arent uniformly jumping at the opportunity. Some worry about employees, others about patrons and still others about unemployment benefits.home order. Read more. 6 a.m. ST. LOUIS City officials are handing out at least 75,000 masks as St. Louis and neighboring St. Louis County prepare to relax stay-at-home orders. Over the past two days, city officials say theyve handed out 42,000 masks to more than 30 senior living facilities, including nursing homes. Read more. OVERNIGHT MANCHESTER Members of Parkway South High School 2020 graduating class roll down Hanna Road during the Senior Salute caravan and parade in Manchester on Friday, May 15, 2020. The parade was organized by Parkway South parents to give family, friends, school staff and the community. See photos. 3:30 p.m. JEFFERSON CITY Some elected officials in Missouri and neighboring Illinois were at odds Friday as Congress debated additional aid to states because of the coronavirus. The divide mirrored a political split in Washington, where the Democratic-led U.S. House put forth a $3 trillion coronavirus relief package that the Republican-led Senate seemed sure to reject. Read more. 2 p.m. ST. LOUIS A second Metro Transit employee has died after contracting COVID-19, the agency said Friday. In a statement, Bi-State Development said that a total of 33 employees have tested positive. The agency declined to release any more details about the employee who died. Read more. 12 p.m. ST. LOUIS The Wizard World Comic Con, set to stop in St. Louis on June 5-7, has been postponed to March 12-14, 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more. 10:45 a.m. ST. LOUIS Three Catholic schools will close at the end of the school year Most Holy Trinity in north St. Louis, Christ, Light of the Nations in north St. Louis County and St. Joseph in Manchester because of financial losses from the coronavirus pandemic, the Archdiocese of St. Louis said Friday. Read more. 9 am. ST. LOUIS Maroon 5's tour coming to Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Aug. 29 will be rescheduled for 2021 in wake of the current pandemic. The band announced the news on its social media, and is asking fans to hold onto tickets as they will be honored at the new date. Read more. 8 a.m. ST. LOUIS Jobs were plentiful as those 2020 graduates began their final semester. Unemployment was at a record low and employers were flocking to on-campus job fairs.That changed suddenly in mid-March, when much of the economy shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hiring has really slowed across the board, said AnnElizabeth Konkel, an economist at Indeed Hiring Lab. It's a tough time to enter the labor market right now. Read more. 7:30 a.m. UNDATED U.S. retail sales tumbled by a record 16.4% from March to April as business shutdowns caused by the coronavirus kept shoppers away, threatened stores across the country and weighed down a sinking economy. The Commerce Department's report Friday on retail purchases showed a sector that has collapsed so quickly that sales over the past 12 months are down a crippling 21.6%. Read more. 7 a.m. ST. LOUIS Pick one: Your child or your job. About 45% of licensed day care providers closed their doors during the state stay-at-home orders in Missouri, according to Child Care Aware of Missouri. Its unknown how many of those child care providers will reopen as workers are asked to return to their jobs. Read more. OVERNIGHT ST. LOUIS With more and more people getting food brought to their door amid the coronavirus crisis, a St. Louis lawmaker wants to limit how much delivery apps can charge restaurants for that service. An alderwoman plans to introduce a bill limiting to 5% per item the delivery fee that an internet platform can charge a restaurant. Read more. How is the situation affecting you? If you have a story about trying to get tested, quarantine or the way the coronavirus is affecting your daily life or planned events, we want to hear from you. You can send a news tip to the Post-Dispatch here. A Vietnam Airlines flight carrying nearly 200 citizens from Europe landed at the Da Nang International Airport in central Vietnam Saturday. Passengers included students under the age of 18, seniors, tourists whose visas had expired, and workers who had lost their jobs. Amid travel restrictions to contain the spread of the Covid-19 crisis, European countries have restricted transportation. The Vietnam Airlines flight was arranged to land at Frankfurt International Airport in Germany and the Madrid Barajas International Airport in Spain to take on as many Vietnamese citizens as possible, Vietnams Foreign Ministry said in a statement. All passengers underwent medical checks before boarding and wore face masks throughout the flight. They submitted health declarations and were quarantined on arrival. Their samples have been taken for testing. Europe has so far recorded nearly 1.7 million infections and over 160,000 deaths, with Spain having the highest number of infections at nearly 275,000. Another 345 Vietnamese citizens are expected reach home Saturday night, flying from Washington D.C. in the U.S. The flight carrying them took off at 4:40 a.m. (local time) from the Dulles International Airport and is scheduled to land Saturday night at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi. This will be the second flight to repatriate citizens from the U.S., following one that brought back 340 citizens on May 8, making history as the first Vietnamese carrier to fly directly to and from the U.S. Over 2.1 million Vietnamese currently live in the U.S., mainly in California. Almost 1.4 million have been infected with the virus in the U.S., and nearly 88,000 have died. In the last few months, several special flights have repatriated thousands of Vietnamese from several countries and territories including Canada, France, Japan, Russia, the UAE and the U.S., and other Southeast Asian counries. Passengers paid their own fares. Civil aviation authorities have said around 4,300 more will be repatriated on 15 special flights by mid-June. Vietnam's infection tally rose to 318 after four new cases were confirmed Saturday evening, including one returning from Cambodia, another from the Philippines and two from Russia. Sydneysiders starved of time in cafes, bars and restaurants for the past few months have returned in socially distanced droves to their old favourites, as coronavirus restrictions start to ease and hospitality can begin again. Tess Robens, owner of The Rio in Summer Hill, said opening up the bars' doors on Friday night brought a sense of normality to what has been a difficult few months. Tess Robens (centre) says reopening the doors of The Rio has been a delight. Credit:Steven Siewert The bar, like many businesses, turned to takeaway and home deliveries, including door-to-door delivered cocktails, over the past two months. But now, the bar is abuzz with a small crowd of customers. New Delhi, May 16 : Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said that the Northeast has done a good job in containing the spread of Covid-19 in the region. Singh, the Minister of State for the Development of North Eastern Region, said this during a high-level meeting on Covid-19 with the chief secretaries and senior officials of the eight northeastern states. He appreciated the manner in which the states acted judiciously and intelligently in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. "The Northeast is being appreciated by all for the manner in which it has managed to contain the spread of coronavirus," said Singh. The meeting, held through video conferencing, included representatives from the governments of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. The representatives of the states shared their inputs on the movements of migrant labourers and the impact of Prime Minister's Rs 20 lakh crore economic package, along with the assessment about the relaxations to be given in the days to come. In response to a demand from certain states for the resumption of air services to Guwahati, Singh said the decision will be taken at an appropriate time by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. On resumption of trains, he said the matter has already been taken up with the Railway Ministry. Singh insisted that the priority is to resume the work of development projects which got held up due to Covid-19. "In this regard, he urged upon all the state governments to expedite submission of Utilisation Certificates and other relevant documents in order to enable the North Eastern Council and Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Ministry to make up for the time lost in the wake of the Covid pandemic and the lockdown," said a statement. Contrary to US claim, Afghanistan says Taliban carried out Kabul hospital raid Iran Press TV Friday, 15 May 2020 7:24 PM Afghan officials have dismissed US assertion that a deadly attack on a maternity hospital in the capital Kabul earlier this week was carried out by the Daesh terrorist group, blaming the Taliban for the carnage. "Neither the Taliban hands nor their stained consciousness can be washed of the blood of women, babies & other innocent in the latest senseless carnage," Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh said on Twitter on Friday. Saleh, a former intelligence chief, said earlier some people were "naive" for accepting Taliban lies and blaming the "fictional" Daesh faction in Afghanistan for the attack. Three gunmen attacked a maternity hospital that houses a unit run by the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on Tuesday, setting off an hours-long shootout with police. Afghanistan's Deputy Health Minister Waheed Majroh said on Wednesday that the attack left at least 24 people dead and 16 others injured. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack on the hospital, which lies in the neighborhood of Dashti Barchi, home to Shia Hazara community, but the Taliban, who struck a deal with the United States in February, has rejected any involvement. US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad said the attack was carried out by Daesh terrorists, adding they opposed any Taliban deal and sought to trigger an Iraq-style war in Afghanistan. Under the Taliban-US deal signed in the Qatari capital Doha on February 29, Washington is compelled 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 12,000 US troops and approximately 17,000 troops from NATO allies and partner countries remain stationed in Afghanistan years after the US-led invasion of the country that toppled a Taliban regime in 2001. A senior Afghan government official, who declined to be identified, said the patterns of recent attacks showed the involvement of the Taliban and the affiliated Haqqani network. The official questioned Khalilzad's assessment as "premature" and emphasized that all the evidence suggested it was not the Daesh Takfiri group that carried out the raid on the hospital. Daesh has been securing a foothold in Afghanistan ever since it was flushed out of its former Middle East bastions. The US has been largely blamed for relocating remnants of the terrorist group to the South Asian country following their defeat in Iraq and Syria. However, the Taliban condemned the Kabul attack and said the Afghan government had attempted to pin the blame on them "without any expert investigation." A spokesman for the group urged a "transparent and impartial investigation" to find the perpetrators. Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani has ordered the country's military to switch to offensive mode from a defensive one in the wake of the latest bout of bloodshed in the war-ravaged country. During an online news conference in Geneva on Wednesday, World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was "shocked and appalled" by the fatal attack, calling for a global ceasefire amid the coronavirus pandemic. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Description GIS 16 May, 2020 : The COVID-19 (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill and the Quarantine Bill were passed in the National Assembly, yesterday, after three days of debate. The COVID-19 (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill aims at empowering the economy to weather this storm, save enterprises and jobs, and build for a recovery overtime. The objectives of the Quarantine Bill are to prevent the resurgence of COVID-19 infection, and step up the preparedness and response of the country to any future pandemic. In his summing-up, the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, stated that the measures proposed in the Bills are vital for the survival of the country as a nation. He asserted that the efforts being asked of everyone, including employers and employees alike, at this critical juncture, will go towards building a solid economy and society for the future.COVID-19 has drastically changed the way of life, and old habits will have to make way for the new normal, he averred. Enhancing the level of preparedness The two Bills, said Mr Jugnauth, not only demonstrate the concerns, commitment and determination of Government to save lives and livelihoods in this existential threat posed by the COVID-19, but also to win the battle against the virus and its consequences, both on the sanitary and the economic fronts. According to him, the experiences gained in further improving the level of preparedness for a pandemic and staving off the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 in the country are embodied in the draft laws. Mr Jugnauth added that some of the preparedness measures will be included in the forthcoming Public Health Bill. The Prime Minister pointed out that theCOVID-19 (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill will contribute to the careful management of the transition process from the curfew by strengthening the surveillance control and health system preparedness. This will allow the progressive reopening of economic and other activities with strict sanitary rulesand addedmeasuresto avoid, at all cost and by all means, a resurgence of the disease. Moreover, the proposed legislation makes way for future actions that are to be prescribed by way of regulations to be made after the passing of the Bill. On that account, Mr Jugnauth said that a regulation under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 2005 is currently being finalised with a view to ensuring that sanitary, safety and health measures are implemented by employers for the prevention and management of COVID-19 at work places. In case of non-compliance, employers may be subject to prosecution. A realistic and pragmatic approach The Head of Government also elaborated on several amendments brought forward by the COVID-19 (Miscellaneous Provisions) Billwhich are based on a realistic and pragmatic approach and policy response while respecting the fundamental rights and freedom of all citizens. He reassured the population that changes to the Workers Rights Act neither penalise workers nor give a licence to terminate employment, as the Redundancy Board, set up under the same Act, is a safeguard against abusive termination of employment. In addition, Mr Jugnauth welcomed the strict action against spitting in public which is an extremely unhygienic habit and is harmful for public health. The need to afford some degree of protection to frontline personnel while they are carrying out their duties was highlighted as well. While paying tribute to these workers, the Prime Minister announced that the Flacq Hospital will be named in the memory of late Dr Bruno Cheong, who has shown his selflessness as a dedicated professional. The latter has passed away due to coronavirus. The Premier urged the population to remain on high alert as a resurgence is not theoretical nor far-fetched. Any relaxation in our vigilance will result in the loss of the gains we so painstakingly and laboriously achieved, thanks to the curfew and other powerful measures, he underlined. #ResOuLakaz #BeSafeMoris Government Information Service, Prime Ministers Office, Level 6, New Government Centre, Port Louis, Mauritius. Email: gis@govmu.org Website: http://gis.govmu.org Mobile App: Search Gov It took more than 30 hours, but Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker finally turned himself in to the Miramar Police in Florida on Saturday morning. Baker is being held without bond, pending a hearing. Heres his mugshot, via the Broward County sheriffs office. Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker turned himself into Florida police on Saturday.Broward County Sheriff's Office A warrant was issued for Bakers arrest on Thursday night by the Miramar Police Department, with charges of armed robbery with a firearm (four counts) and aggravated assault with a firearm/intent to commit a felony (four counts) stemming from an alleged incident at a party on Wednesday night. All eight counts are listed as pending trial on the Broward County sheriffs office website. I want to thank the Miramar Police Department for being professional in regards to surrendering and issues with the case, Bradford Cohen, Bakers attorney, wrote on Instagram. We understand the officers can only base warrants on what was told to them at the time. We have affidavits from several witnesses that also dispute the allegations and exculpate our client," he continued. "Our investigator has had them for some time. We would have rather presented them to the court at the proper time, rather than in the media, but in this day and age, people rush to judgment. Where some seek publicity, we seek justice. I look forward to moving this case forward to a proper conclusion, as we believe our client is innocent of all charges. According to the arrest warrant, Baker and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar are being sought for their role in allegedly robbing guests at a party in Miramar on Wednesday night, leaving with more than $12,000 in cash and several expensive watches, including an $18,000 Rolex and a $25,000 Hublot watch. According to the arrest warrant, Baker, Dunbar and a third person fled the scene in expensive cars, including a Lamborgini, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Baker also allegedly ordered a third assailant wearing a red mask to shoot an individual walking into the room he was in. He didnt shoot, per the warrant. According to the warrant, Baker and Dunbar were seen at a party two days earlier where they lost $70,000. Get Giants text messages from reporters: Cut through the clutter of social media and text directly with the Giants beat writers. Plus, exclusive news and analysis every day. Sign up now for a free trial. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Zack Rosenblatt may be reached at zrosenblatt@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. It appears that people who religiously guide their lives stand a better chance of surviving the Coronavirus pandemic. Deputy Health Minister and Member of Parliament (MP) for Ledzokuku, Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye disclosed on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' that churchgoers have a low risk of death from despair-related diseases. According to him, churchgoers who strictly abide by the right teachings abstain from activities that may put their health at risk. Dr. Okoe Boye added that the church also provides psychological therapy to people. People who attend church once a week, their risk of death from diseases of despair...there are three conditions; alcohol, drugs and suicide, they refer to it as despair-related deaths. Those who go to church, their risk from it is lowered by 68% in women and by 33% in men. It means even the church has a role to play when you have a situation where anxiety is rife, he said. listen to his submission 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 (Natural News) After being strongly condemned by the pro-liberty, pro-health freedom movement, President Trump appears to be backing away from positioning vaccines as the cure-all for the coronavirus. In comments made earlier today, Trump said, Vaccine or no vaccine, were back. This is the first time Trump has publicly acknowledged the likelihood that a vaccine may never be developed that can safely and effectively prevent the spread of the coronavirus. It doesnt mean Trump is opposed to vaccines, however. Its just that hes no longer praising vaccines as the miracle cure that will end the pandemic with certainty a fraudulent, intellectually dishonest position held by nearly every journalist and scientist in America. We think were going to have a vaccine in the pretty near future, and if we do were going to really be a big step ahead, Trump was quoted as saying in this CNBC article. And if we dont, were going to be like so many other cases where you had a problem come in, itll go away at some point, itll go away, he said. Then again, Trump said the coronavirus would go away when there were just 15 infections in America. Yet today, there are close to 1.5 million infections, a nearly 100,000 times increase since Trumps first claim that the virus would vanish. This new podcast summarizes the increasing feeling that Trump has betrayed his own supporters when it comes to vaccines: Fight through it The president also explained that many infectious diseases never end up getting resolved with a vaccine. And were starting the process. In many cases, they dont have vaccines and a virus or a flu comes and you fight through it. This is the first clear indication that Trump isnt betting everything on the corrupt, criminal vaccine industry that has harmed millions of children and adults around the world with faulty, risky products that contain dangerous or unethical ingredients like Thimerosal, squalene or aborted human fetal cells. Until now, Trump seemed more like a vaccine cheerleader than an informed political leader. Perhaps Trump has come to realize that he will lose his voter base if he tries to push an unsafe, risky vaccine on the American public. Such a move looks increasingly like the evil plot of Dr. Fauci and the CDC, not anything rooted in real science or public health. Why is Trump ignoring the crucial role of nutrition and immune support? To this day, Trump still has made no mention of vitamin C, vitamin D or zinc three nutrients that are backed by tremendous scientific knowledge in their ability to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. All three nutrients are affordable and widely available right now. No one has to wait a year to get them, yet Trump has neglected to mention nutrition at all, instead focusing on vaccines and Big Pharma as the only possible solution to the pandemic. His top advisor, Dr. Fauci, seems to think that the American people should stay locked down until an experimental vaccine is commercially available and administered to everyone. Essentially, he asserts that no one should be allowed to leave their homes until they are injected with Big Pharmas experimental cocktail that may or may not end up being safe. Raising numerous red flags about a possible military-pharma police state in America, yesterday, President Trump said he would mobilize the U.S. military to distribute and administer coronavirus vaccines, invoking questions about why armed military soldiers would be involved in administering vaccines on U.S. soil. Under President Trump, the U.S. Dept, of Defense recently awarded a contract for up to 500 million injection devices that can be equipped with RFID tags and GPS location data thats synced with a government cloud database. Its the perfect storm for a Big Pharma medical police state where the American people are vaccinated at gunpoint while the government tracks the vaccine status of every individual. If Trump continues down this road, hes going to lose most of his political support, as pro-liberty, pro-America individuals have no appetite for being lined up like cattle and injected at gunpoint with risky, unsafe vaccines that were fast-tracked through the system under Operation Warp Speed. Should Trump continue that effort, he will be pursuing his own Operation Warped Mind that will end in his defeat in November, likely followed by an armed uprising and civil war battle for the future of America. If Trump sends soldiers door to door, forcibly injecting people against their will, theyd better be prepared to start taking live fire Is Trump going to sacrifice the American people to serve as guinea pigs for Big Pharmas insane vaccine experiments? Well have to wait and see how that one turns out. But as someone who is very much connected to the vaccine skeptics movement, I can assure the President that any effort to force vaccine mandates on the American people will result in an explosion of armed resistance from both progressives and conservatives. From the progressive side of things, they wont trust the rushed vaccine because it will be seen as Trumps vaccine. For conservatives, they wont tolerate any violation of their body and their blood by a tyrannical regime of corrupt vaccine zealots. This is America. We dont line up like cattle to be injected with your experimental medicine. Forced vaccines are medical RAPE, and any form of violent assault against an individual will be resisted with lethal force. In other words, if Trump really thinks U.S. soldiers are going to go door to door, forcibly injecting people with vaccines and yanking them out of their homes if they refuse to comply, those soldiers had better be prepared to start taking live fire from the citizens who have, plainly stated, had quite enough of the lockdowns, the government lies, the techno-fascist censorship and the Big Brother surveillance society. We have reached the point where a large number of Americans would rather sacrifice their lives fighting for freedom than surrender to one more layer of tyranny from a corrupt, criminal system of junk science and treacherous vaccines led by criminals against humanity like Dr. Fauci (who belongs in prison for life, or perhaps even facing execution if found guilty of funding bioweapons development efforts in China). The Second Amendment wasnt particularly created to allow the citizens to resist vaccine tyranny, but it sure does work in that context, too. You attack us with a needle; we shoot back with AR-15s. Do the math. Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (25) Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday hit out at the government over the accident in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya in which 24 migrant labourers were killed, saying it has again raised the question as to why the government is not facilitating the migrant labourers' journey to their home. At least 24 migrant labourers lost their lives and 36 people sustained injuries when a trailer truck carrying them collided with another truck in the early hours of Saturday in Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh, police said. "Auraiya's heart-rending incident has once again raised the question that why is the government not making proper arrangements for the migrant labourers to go home? Why are buses not being run in the states to take labourers home?" Gandhi said in a tweet. Either the government is unable to see anything or it is seeing everything and is acting as if it does not know, the Congress general secretary in-charge of UP East said. Is the government's job only to make statements, she asked. "The dead bodies of all the deceased should be respectfully handed over to their family members. All the injured must get proper treatment," Gandhi said. All of them should be given financial support, she added. Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the migrant labourers killed in the accident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Express News Service HYDERABAD: After plummeting to a record low of Rs 40 per kg in March, chicken prices in the State have increased by up to 400-500 per cent. In the wake of the alleged fake news linking chicken consumption to Covid-19 infection in March, several retail chicken shop owners announced double dhamaka sales when chicken was sold at as low as Rs 40 per kg and live bird at Rs 15- Rs 18. But since the beginning of May, chicken prices have skyrocketed. As of now, the farm price of live birds is hovering at Rs 125- Rs 130 and boneless chicken at Rs 270- Rs 300 per kg. The city traders attribute the surge to the disruption in the chicken supply chain in the State. Speaking to Express, an owner of a chicken shop near Yashodha Hospital said, There is no availability of chicken in the market as there is a reduced arrival of birds from the neighbouring districts and States. Another owner said, Chicken is arriving in the market once in a few days while the demand is increasing owing to the festival season. The State consumes around three crore chickens and one crore eggs every day, of which around 60 per cent is met from within the State and the remaining from the neighbouring States, including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. KG Anand, general manager of Venkateshwara Hatcheries, said, Since February, there was a dip in the chicken sale, following which the poultry farmers could not feed their chicken, resulting in large-scale bird deaths. And soon after the lockdown was imposed, the transport movement got disrupted. He added that the current increase in the price is temporary. Anand opined that soon after the relaxation in the lockdown restrictions, prices of chicken would come down. He said even when the price was up, the farmers were unable to make profits. The farmers are still selling the chickens and eggs at a very low price despite the increased feed prices, he added. YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of emergency situations informs that on May 16, as of 08:45, the roads across Armenia are mainly passable. The ministry told Armenpress that only the road leading to the Amberd Fortress will be difficult to pass, and the road to Lake Kari will remain closed for uncertain time. The Georgian side reported that the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is open only for trucks. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan In a positive development, as many as 33 Covid-19 patients, including 25 Nanded returnees and four students who returned to Ludhiana from Kota, were discharged from the hospital on Saturday after they recovered. Besides, the city recorded only two new cases. The total count in the district is now 148 with 96 active cases. Among the new cases is a 19-year-old employee of a tyre manufacturing unit in Focal Point area, residing in Deep Colony in Kanganwal area. As many as 11 employees of Hindustan tyres have tested positive till date. The other patient is a resident of Basant Vihar on Noorwala road. The patient was undergoing treatment at Mohan Dai Oswal Cancer hospital when his samples were taken by the hospital. Deputy commissioner Pradeep Agrawal said that so far, 46 patients have been cured in the district. NEW POLICY FOR DISCHARGING SUSPECTED PATIENTS Agrawal informed that the Punjab government has formulated a new policy for discharging suspected patients from hospitals.Under this, if a suspected patient is asymptomatic and does not show any symptom for 72 hours and is healthy, then they can be discharged from the hospital. This new policy has been received and would be implemented as per the directions of the state government. Civil surgeon Dr Rajesh Bagga said that 94 rapid response teams conducted screening of 307 residents on Saturday, out of which, 211 have been quarantined. TWO PATIENTS FROM GURDASPUR DIE Dr Bagga said that two positive Gurdaspur residents admitted at Christian Medical College and Hospital lost the battle to the virus on Saturday. The two patients include Pyara Singh, 84, and Balwinder Singh, 82, of Gurdaspur. While Pyara Singh was admitted to the hospital on May 15, Balwinder was admitted on May 13. DISCHARGED PATIENTS GIVEN WARM SEND OFF Eleven patients, including 11 Nanded returnees and four Kota returned students, who were discharged from Vardhman Isolation centre on Saturday were given a warm send off by DC Agrawal, MLA Sanjay Talwar, health department officials and staff of the hospital. The authorities presented them roses and showered flower petals over them. The patients were asked to spread awareness among others and stay inside their homes as much as possible. Anusha Ravi By Express News Service BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday announced his government's third set of relief measures for those helping in the fight against COVID-19 or hit by the lockdown. In order to recognise and appreciate ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers -- who have been working 24/7 to conduct door-to-door fever surveys across the state -- the Karnataka government announced Rs 3000 incentive to each of them. Karnataka has witnessed more than three incidents of ASHA workers being attacked while carrying out their duties as COVID-19 warriors over the last two months. The government had earlier announced that ASHA workers along with policemen will be given insurance for their services as frontline workers in containing the spread of COVID-19. Some 42,500 ASHA workers are set to benefit from the incentive. Yediyurappa also announced a compensation of Rs 5000 to every maize farmer in the state who suffered losses due to the breakdown in the procurement process. "Rs 5000 will be given to each of the 10 lakh maize farmers in the state at a cost of Rs 500 crore," the Chief Minister said. Friday's announcements are the third set of economic relief measures conceived by the state. Last week, measures at a cost of Rs 1610 crore were announced. On Thursday, compensation to power loom workers and horticulture farmers was announced at a cost of Rs 162 crore. Yediyurappa also asserted that his government's move to allow private markets for farmers to sell their produce was a pro-farmer move. "The ordinance has been passed keeping in mind the farmer's right to sell their produce. The farmers can choose whether they want to sell their produce at the APMC yard or to private players at a price that farmers set," he said, adding that his government wanted to help farmers suffering huge losses due to the lockdown. South Korean stocks are expected to trade in a tight range next week due to the growing tension between the United States and China, coupled with a rise in new virus cases here, analysts said Saturday. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 1,927.28 points Friday, down 0.95 percent from a week earlier. On Monday, the stock market lost ground on growing concerns over new cluster infections of COVID-19 in the capital city. South Korea had added fewer than 15 cases of COVID-19 since mid-April, with the number of domestic infections even falling to zero on some days. However, the number of daily new cases has been between 20 and 30 for the past week after the country saw an unexpected spike in cases coming from nightlife facilities in Seoul's popular Itaewon district. The index further lost ground after U.S. President Donald Trump insisted that he was "not interested" in seeking new negotiations with China on the ongoing trade row. The world's top two economies are also major trade partners of South Korea. "The discord between Washington and Beijing will linger as a threat for the South Korean stock market," said Noh Dong-kil, a researcher at NH Investment & Securities Co. But the analyst hinted the stimulus moves from the U.S. may limit the decrease. Trump later warned that the U.S. is willing to cut off all ties with China, expressing discontent over Beijing's handling of the virus pandemic. Foreigners offloaded a net 1.8 trillion won ($1.25 billion) this week, while retail investors scooped up a net 2.3 trillion won. Institutions sold a net 564 billion won. Analysts said the market is expected to lose ground next week on the deepening tension between South Korea's top two trade partners. This week, tech and chemical shares mostly lost ground, while pharmaceutical firms moved up. (Yonhap) By Express News Service BHOPAL: A 55-year-old man travelling from Bandra (Mumbai) to Prayagraj (Allahabad) died on board the Shramik Special train in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday. Identified as Javed Ahmad Siddiqui, the middle aged man was returning to native Allahabad with wife, daughter and two nephews on the Bandra-Varanasi Shramik Special train. When the train reached near Itarsi in MP's Hoshangabad district, Siddiqui fell from his seat and became unconscious. He subsequently died on board the train. FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE "The train was stopped a few hours later at Jabalpur railway station and Siddiqui's body and family were detrained. The special COVID team of doctors was called in and the body was taken for autopsy and COVID sampling. His family, including wife, daughter and both nephews have been quarantined at the COVID care centre in Jabalpur," the Jabalpur GRP in charge Manjit Singh said. Importantly, while Siddiqui's wife and daughter claimed he died due to heart attack, both of them were suffering from fever when they disembarked from the train. Briefing With Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad Special Briefing Zalmay Khalilzad, Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Via Teleconference May 15, 2020 MS ORTAGUS: Thank you very much. Good morning, everybody. Thanks for joining us. This is an on-the-record briefing which is embargoed until the end of the call, please, with none other than our Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad. From early on, Secretary Pompeo has been clear about our goals in Afghanistan. After 19 years of war, we are committed to reducing the burden of conflict in Afghanistan on the American people while ensuring that Afghan soil is never again used to launch an attack on America or any other country. For almost two years now, Ambassador Khalilzad and his team have been diligently working to execute this mission and to bring Afghans to the table together to negotiate the end of the war and the future of their country. The road to peace is never a straight line, and Ambassador Khalilzad has made some tremendous successes and also faced some serious policy challenges along the way. The horrific attacks in Afghanistan this week are certainly an example of those challenges. We're grateful that Ambassador Khalilzad is here with us today to discuss these challenges and all the latest developments on the path towards reconciliation and peace. Per usual, Ambassador Khalilzad will offer some introductory remarks, then we'll go straight into Q&A. As a reminder, press 1 and then 0 to get into the queue and we'll get to as many questions as we can as time allows. Just a reminder again that while this call is on the record, the contents of this briefing are embargoed until the end of the call. Zal, go ahead. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Well, thank you very much, Morgan. Good morning, everyone. As Morgan mentioned the recent violence, I want to condemn the barbaric attacks that took place, particularly the attack on the maternity hospital. We sympathize and empathize with the people of Afghanistan. I know that they are tired of war, they want the war to end, and we stand with them. Although the recent violence has raised questions about the peace process, and the path to peace, as Morgan mentioned, is not straight and there are challenges and difficulties we have known this from the beginning but there is no alternative to pushing forward with peace. There is consensus, both in Afghanistan and internationally, that there is no military solution to the war in Afghanistan; that a political solution, a peace agreement among Afghans, is the only realistic option at the present time. We also, as Morgan mentioned, want a political settlement in order to reduce the burden on the United States and that is happening and also to make sure that Afghanistan never again becomes a platform to attack the United States or our allies. The United States-Taliban agreement opens a historic opportunity for moving forward on peace. Despite the challenges, we have been working hard to deal with them. We have urged all sides to reduce violence. We have urged Afghans to come together to take advantage of the historic opportunity and have pushed President Ghani and Dr. Abdullah to reach a political agreement to form an inclusive government. We have pushed to get both sides, the Afghan Government and the Taliban, to release prisoners. Already some 1,011 prisoners have been released by the government, Talib prisoners, and 253 Afghan Government prisoners have been released by the Taliban. We want to get to the intra-Afghan negotiations as soon as possible, and there has been a discussion of dates both in the agreement that date was missed and now a new date is under discussion. Intra-Afghan negotiations are the only path to an enduring peace among Afghans. We have also gone, continued to go after terrorists in Afghanistan ourselves, and also have urged the Taliban and the Afghan Government to do so. Indeed, that's the requirement of the agreement between us and the Taliban and the joint declaration between the United States and the Afghan Government. We have sought to build international consensus and support for peace, and we have pushed for the release of American hostage in Afghanistan. I want to conclude my opening statement by saying I recognize that there are challenges, but we believe there is no better alternative than peace and the peace process that has started with the agreement between the United States and the Taliban and the joint declaration, and we're determined to push forward. Thank you, and I look forward to your questions and comments. MS ORTAGUS: Great. Thanks so much. Again, 1 and 0 to get in the queue, and I know we have a pretty long list already. So first up in the queue is Matt Lee, AP. QUESTION: Hi there, thanks a lot. Ambassador, it's now been more than two months since the intra-Afghan talks were supposed to start, and they haven't. And you guys are continuing to say that this is the only way forward and also putting an emphasis on the reduction of the U.S. burden there. So I know that the withdrawal of U.S. troops is not contingent under the U.S. or the U.S.-Taliban deal on a peace deal actually being signed, but is it contingent on anything else? Does it does there have to be a reduction in violence short of a short of an actual peace deal for the troops to be withdrawn? Thank you. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Well, the key requirement for the United States is the delivery on the commitment by the Taliban on counterterrorism, number one. Number two, we believe the sooner the intra-Afghan negotiations begin, the sooner peace will come, and it will be best that this intra-Afghan negotiation happen when we have substantial forces in southern Afghanistan. Both the Talibs say they don't want an endless war and a Syria scenario, and the Afghan Government says that they want a political settlement and negotiations. And there are obstacles particularly on both violence and prisoners are the two obstacles at this point. And those are the ones that we're working on to overcome. And of course, there are forces such as ISIS that doesn't see peace in Afghanistan in its interests and are trying to increase violence, to undermine the prospect for peace. We're urging both sides not to fall into that trap, but indeed to cooperate against the terrorists, including ISIS. So we want this to happen as soon as possible when we're still there in a significant way. MS ORTAGUS: Okay. Thanks, Matt. Next up in the queue is Shaun Tandon. QUESTION: Thanks, Ambassador, for doing this. As I'm sure you know, Afghanistan's intelligence agency has said that there are links between ISIS-K and the Haqqani Network, notably regarding the attack on the Sikh gurdwara the other week. I wanted to see what your assessment of was of that. You mentioned yesterday that ISIS was found responsible for the attack on the maternity hospital. Do you believe that there's credibility to the claims that there are links between the Haqqani Network and ISIS, and therefore perhaps some link with the Taliban? Thanks. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: We believe that ISIS and the Taliban are mortal enemies, and in the war against ISIS, Taliban have played an important role. Of course, the government has as well, and we have played a vital role in that fight. And that fight is not finished, and we believe that our assessment currently is that the attacks that took place against the hospital and the attack in Nangarhar on a funeral procession was the work of ISIS, which, as I said before, is the enemy of the peace process. And that's why we urge Taliban and government not to play the ISIS game, but to cooperate against it. And the appropriate response is to accelerate the peace process, not to delay it because of what ISIS has done. MS ORTAGUS: Okay, thank you. Next up in the queue is Courtney McBride, Wall Street Journal. QUESTION: Thank you. Mr. Ambassador, given the recent violence, the car bomb yesterday that the Taliban has claimed and the Afghan Government's announcement that it plans to resume operations against the Taliban, what is the likelihood that these talks really are going to commence soon? AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: As I said and there are challenges, and the particularly two: prisoners and violence. On prisoners, there has been some progress. More needs to be done. The target is 5,000 Talibs should be released, and 1,000 government prisoners that the Talib hold that is the entirety of what the Talibs are holding. And although some progress 250, three have been released they need to that process needs to be accelerated. And indeed, the threat of the coronavirus makes it even more urgent that prisoners are released. We're working on that with the government and with the Taliban. Indeed, I have traveled twice in the last two and a half weeks to meet with the Talibs and to push on both on the prisoners and on the reduction of violence. And the second is violence. And yesterday's car bomb attack is very negative. We urge the Talibs who say that attack took place because of the government's declaration of going on offensive, and that there be de-escalation by all sides, and that there should be reduction of violence, not further escalation that would undermine, complicate the moves to intra-Afghan negotiations and the prisoners' release. MS ORTAGUS: Great, thank you. Next up is Lara Jakes, New York Times. QUESTION: Hi. Good morning. Nice to talk to you. Ambassador, as you know, the United States pushed for General Dostum to be tried when he raped his political rival as vice president, and now he is looking to be promoted to the highest military rank of marshal. And I'm wondering what prospects that raises of any idea of justice for victims in a deal with the Taliban if someone who was raped two years ago is getting promoted now. Thanks. Someone who raped, not who was raped, sorry. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: First, we support of course the Afghans coming together and forming an inclusive government, and the Secretary traveled to Kabul to urge that, and I have been doing the same. And we hear some positive reports that progress has been made, and we hope that an agreement is concluded as soon as possible. The decisions made to form an inclusive government are decisions that the Afghans are making and will make. I would not want to comment on it at this point, not knowing the details. But I generally am of the view that any process for peace requires a balance between requirements of justice and requirements of ending a war, and there are challenges and there are differences in different places on the right balance. So we will see what happens when intra-Afghan negotiations begin on this issue; we will be attentive to it. Thank you. That's an important question. MS ORTAGUS: Great. Thank you. Next up, Christina Ruffini, CBS News. QUESTION: Hi. Good morning. I was wondering, going back to the attacks this week, have you seen any kind of uptick in ISIS-K membership from disaffected members of the Taliban who might be skewing their moves towards less extreme views? And do you know if any do you have any idea if any former Taliban members might have been involved in any of the two of the attacks this week? Thank you. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: I don't have anything for you on the numbers of disaffected Talibs that might have joined ISIS. There have been speculations that the peace process might produce some Talibs who do not support peace that could join terrorist groups such as ISIS. We have been aware of that possibility, but I don't have any numbers at this point to share with you. MS ORTAGUS: Okay, thanks. Let's see. Next, we have Laurie Mylroie, Kurdistan 24. QUESTION: Thank you very much for doing this. A question: Could you help us please understand ISIS-K? What is its relationship to ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and how's it similar to or different from the Taliban? Thank you. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Well, ISIS-K is similar to the ISIS in the Levant, as Iraq and Syria, in that it seeks to perpetuate violence, doesn't believe in any peace, has global ambitions, and promotes sectarian conflict, and indeed in Afghanistan some of the targets that they have attacked most barbarically have been the Shiite Hazara targets. And in Afghanistan in recent days, some of the leaders of the movement have been detained, mostly in the leadership for one of the the key leader was detained. And also, according to the Afghans, they detained the leader of ISIS for South and Southeast Asia who was based in Afghanistan. So there are similarities and relationships, strong relationships between ISIS-K and ISIL, the ISIS for Levant. So that's my that's our assessment. Oh, and the and the difference between the Taliban and ISIS is that it's ideological, and the Taliban have issued a statement on that after the agreement we signed. And the two, as I said, have been at war one supports a peace process; the other opposes it, specifically with regard to the issue that we're talking about. MS ORTAGUS: Thanks, Laurie. Okay. Nick Schifrin, PBS. Nick? Do we have Nick Schifrin? Schifrin, going once, twice. Okay, let's go over to another Nick, Nick Wadhams, Bloomberg. QUESTION: Hi. Thanks very much. Ambassador Khalilzad, can you tell us how many U.S. troops are currently in Afghanistan, and whether the recent violence along with President Ghani's statement that he's ordering government forces to resume operations against the Taliban and also the Taliban statement that the peace deal is on the verge of collapse, will that affect the pace of U.S. troop withdrawals from Afghanistan? AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: You should ask the Defense Department with regard to the specific numbers, but I know that we are implementing we are in the phase of implementing the first phase of the agreement with regard to our condition-based withdrawal, which if you remember, gets us within 135 days of the signing of the agreement to 8,600. So we are well into that phase. As far as the statements by the Taliban and by the government, of course we have seen those, but we believe we need de-escalation and we need a reduction of violence, not escalation and increase in violence, and we are pressing on that. I will be traveling again soon to push for de-escalation, to push for reduction of violence, and to push for accelerating the release of prisoners. MS ORTAGUS: Okay. Thanks, Nick. Let's see. Now we're going over to Kylie Atwood, CNN. QUESTION: Hello. Thank you for doing this, Ambassador. I just wanted to put a finer point on what you've said about the intra-Afghan talks. Have the Taliban officials told you in recent days that they are still committed to intra-Afghan dialogue negotiations now that the Afghan Government has made this announcement about resuming their offensive operations against the Taliban? And then my second question is if you can provide us with any proof that ISIS-K was behind the hospital attack this week. Thanks. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Thank you. On the first question, I have not talked to the Taliban since the announcement of the offensive, but I was in Doha just before, and yes they were stating that they want to get to intra-Afghan negotiations as soon as possible and that they would be immediately after the prisoners' release that I have talked about in my answer to previous questions. But I'll be talking to them again in the coming days. On the your second question was on proof of I didn't understand. Proof for what? If you could repeat that. MS ORTAGUS: I don't know if they'll open up her line again, but she was asking about proof that ISIS was behind the attacks this week, I think. (Inaudible.) AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Oh, yes. Well, one is that the ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack in Nangarhar already, and based on the information we have and based on the patterns of ISIS attacks in the past, we believe this is our assessment that ISIS is responsible for the attack on the hospital as well. MS ORTAGUS: Okay, thanks. Now we're going to go over to Kim Dozier, TIME magazine. QUESTION: Thank you. Thanks, ambassador, for doing this. I wanted to ask: When you bring up the subject of U.S. Navy veteran Mark Frerichs and Paul Overby, both presumed hostages Frerichs to with the Haqqani Network with the Taliban, what's the Taliban tell you about their whereabouts? And also, I the Afghan Government has pretty strongly come out against the U.S. assessment of the attack that you blame on ISIS. What do you attribute that to? AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Well, we look forward to receiving if the government has information to the contrary in terms of the attack to receiving that. We, as I said before, understand the strong feeling among the Afghan people about this dastardly attack, but our assessment is that the it was ISIS that did it. On the hostage Mark, the Talibs are saying that they do not have him. And I have pressed in every stop for the last couple of months when I've been traveling his case, and I've made, that you have seen, some public statements also after those meetings. And we're waiting to for the response by the Talibs. I have asked them to look again and that to talk to their subcommanders and to that this is of the highest importance and it would be, if they did hold him, a violation of the commitments they have made to us. So we're pressing very hard on that and I will be pressing the issue further on my next trip. MS ORTAGUS: Okay, thanks. I know Nick Schifrin was trying to get back in the queue. Nick, do we have you? OPERATOR: He needs to re-press the 1 0. MS ORTAGUS: Okay. In the meantime, while you're doing that, Nick, we're going to go over to Cindy of VOA. QUESTION: Ambassador, could you please clarify if the Taliban have publicly condemned the attack on the maternity ward? Thank you. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Yes, they have. They have done it several times, including a statement they issued last night. MS ORTAGUS: Okay, thanks. Sorry, we're just going to try for poor Nick one more time. Nick Schifrin. QUESTION: Hey guys. (Inaudible) technical stuff today. Can you hear me? MS ORTAGUS: We've got you. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Yes, Nick. Hi. QUESTION: Okay, great. Hey, Zal. Thanks very much for doing this. Thanks, Morgan. Sorry about earlier. I think a lot of my colleagues have asked a version of this question at this point, but I wanted to ask pretty specifically: Given that the Afghan Government has said no, we do blame the Taliban for the maternity ward attack you suggested last night in your tweet for the Afghan Government not to fall into the "trap" is the word you used. Do you believe the government's fallen into the trap and do you believe the government at this point is the problem, is the problem impeding progress on the peace talks? Thanks. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Well, what I would like to say is that our assessment is, as I have said, that it was ISIS ISIS-K that did the attack; that ISIS-K is an enemy of the peace process, wants the peace process to fail; that the Talibs and the and ISIS-K are enemies. They have fought each other viciously, both sides, and it is very important to be taking all of this into account. And based on the information that's available, that's our judgment, and that they need to go towards not escalating all sides, government and the Talibs and to accelerate the peace process or at least, given the state of emotions for now, not to escalate but to de-escalate and to reduce violence. And that's what the circumstances call for in our view, and we have we of course are in touch with the government, but if they have information to the contrary, we would like to see it. MS ORTAGUS: Okay, we're out of time, but I want to try to get there's two more people in the queue and so we're just going to cut it off. Guys, I have to jump on a separate call, so I'm going to have Cale take over, so no more in the queue, we're just going to give it to the final two people that are in. First is Jennifer Hansler from CNN, and then the last question will be Jonathan Landay from Reuters. So Jennifer, you can go first. QUESTION: Hi, thanks so much for doing this, Ambassador. I was wondering, it sounds like you've spoken to Ghani since his announcement of resuming offensive operations, but can you confirm that you have spoken to him since that announcement? And then there's been some reporting that some in Afghanistan no longer have confidence in you and they are calling for you to no longer be part of this process. Do you feel you still have the confidence of the stakeholders in this process? Thank you. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: No, I have not talked to President Ghani in the last few days, but I have talked to others in his government. Two, I work on second question, I work for the U.S. Government. I represent the U.S. in pursuit of peace. I will do that as long as the President and the Secretary would like me to do that. Thank you. MR BROWN: Okay. QUESTION: Hi, Zal. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Hi. QUESTION: It's Jonathan Landay. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Hi, Jon. Hi. QUESTION: Hi. So you and other American officials have been saying that the Taliban, their escalation in violence has a violator is a violation of their undertaking in the agreement, and yet that agreement that you signed with them, at least the public version, does has absolutely no commitment in that to them not to attack Afghan targets, including civilians. So I'm wondering if you can talk about where it is in this agreement that binds the Taliban to de-escalate violence, seeing as that the reduction in violence was (inaudible) for seven days and they have been, by everybody's account, escalating their attacks, irrespective of the maternity hospital, against Afghan targets and killing civilians. AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Right. First, that the Taliban have implemented their agreement not to attack the coalition forces. Second, we're evaluating yesterday's attack, but that they had committed not to carry out attacks in 34 major cities, and they haven't done that to the based on our assessment. And you're right that the agreement does not specifically mention for them not to attack Afghan forces. That would constitute a ceasefire, and the Taliban have agreed that the ceasefire comprehensive, permanent ceasefire would be one of the first subjects when intra-Afghan negotiations begin. But they have committed themselves to us that there would be a reduction in the level of violence by all sides, including the Talibs after the agreement's signed. And we are saying that they are violating the spirit if not the letter given that commitment that all sides will try to reduce violence. As you may know, during the first quarter of the year, there was a significant reduction in the number of civilians killed and in the number of Afghan security forces that have been killed. And to the Talibs, the fact that the attacks on the cities are not taking place is a reduction of violence to in their argument, and the fact that they are not attacking big Afghan military formations corps-level, division-level centers is a reduction of violence. But we believe that they are in violation of the spirit given the numbers of attack and Afghans' casualties in those attacks, so therefore we are working to reach to de-escalate and to reduce the level of violence by all sides, and I'll be continuing to do that on the next trip. MR BROWN: Ambassador, do you have any closing remarks before we end the call? AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD: Well, I want to thank everyone for this, participating in this, and I want to repeat that yes, there are challenges, very important challenges that the peace process is facing, and the war however has been going on for a long time, especially for Afghans 40 years. And in the current circumstances, I don't see a better alternative that serves our interests counterterrorism, reduction of the burden of Afghanistan but at the same time ends the Afghan tragedy and makes sure that Afghanistan doesn't become a platform against us. For all those reasons, I still believe the peace process is the best option, with all its difficulties, and therefore we will persist. Well, thank you. I wish you all a good day. MR BROWN: Thank you, Ambassador, and thanks to everyone who joined the call. Since the call has ended, the contents of the call and the embargo on it is lifted. Everybody have a great day. Thanks again. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address There are working issues with Russia, they always are and will be, this is normal, said Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, referring to the statement of the Armenian FM Zohrab Mnatsakanyan on issues in the Armenian-Russian relations. PM's remarks came during his online-conference on Saturday. When asked why the Russian president did not contact the Armenian PM by phone on the occasion of Victory Day, Pashinyan noted: I was in Artsakh on May 9-10, I celebrate this holiday in Shushi for three years in a row. By the way, we contact each other when it is necessary, including by phone. As for the comments that other OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs countries agree with the statement of Russian FM Sergei Lavrov that a phased solution to the Karabakh conflict is being discussed at the negotiating table, the PM wanted to pay attention to the US State Department representative's remarks that he did not consider the statement by the Russian FM useful. The world is always ending somewhere, Akwaeke Emezi says over the phone from their home in New Orleans, where theyve been quarantined since March. It just depends on whether it falls in your line of vision or not. When the Covid-19 crisis started, the novelist reflected on their childhood in Nigeria in order to keep calm: You grew up in a military dictatorship, they told themself. You dealt with statewide curfew. You dealt with people being burned alive a block down from your house. In retrospect, Emezi says, the Nigeria of their childhood sets a low bar against which to compare 2020 New Orleans. But it did help me remember that the world is ending everywhere for someone or for a community. Those ends still matter even amidst all the noise of this one. The Death of Vivek Oji details the circumstances of one such end. Its Emezis second novel for adults after their highly praised 2018 debut, Freshwater, and Pet, a 2019 National Book Awardnominated young adult novel. Vivek Oji unravels the mystery of a young queer persons demise in Nigeria in the late 1990s. Freshwater and Pet contain fantastical yet emotionally true portrayals of young queer characters, but Vivek Oji is more grounded. Vivek is struggling the same way any young person whos coming of age struggles to figure things out, Emezi says, not in the narrative of, if youre queer youre repressed and that is therefore the source of all your angst, and once you come out your problems are magically solved. The source of Viveks struggle, Emezi says, isnt gender or sexual preference. They take issue with the Western idea that coming out as queer is a panacea. To me it was so clear that this was a spiritual thing. Other factors of identity play in, but correlation is not the same as causation. Vivek is much more than a character who just grapples with his queerness. Emezi is aware that the premise is problematic. I realized when I was writing it that killing off a queer character is a bad trope, they say. But understanding Viveks death requires the reader to also understand his life and the people in his community who loved him. The novels nonlinear plot structure provided Emezi with a challenge, they say. How can I write a book that keeps its own secrets until the end? How can I write things that I know but the reader cant know? The Death of Vivek Oji may reveal its protagonists death in its earlier chapters, but the surrounding circumstances are the great mystery. With Vivek, I wanted to write a story about someone whos queer and living in Nigeria but who is still loved and who still has a community, Emezi says. They thought particularly of Vivek in the early days of the pandemic, when a social media campaign aimed at stamping out homophobia in Nigeria surfaced in the wake of the murder of a gay man in the region of the country where Emezi grew up. When the hashtag happened, it hit me that the realities of all the queer babies out there dont change because of a pandemic, Emezi says. If anything it gets worse, because theres more isolation and more of that feeling that you cant talk about your own struggles. But at the end of the day a queer kid whos stuck with a homophobic family is still stuck. Becoming unstuck is Viveks ultimate triumph, even as we watch him inch closer and closer to his untimely end. Emezi wants readers to struggle with the idea that a book that features a death so prominently is actually one that, more than anything, celebrates life. In order for us to make a new world we have to be able to imagine it, they say. Thats step one. For me, Vivek is something like that: an imagining of a community that loves this boy as he is unconditionally. Emezi hopes that in witnessing the community that Viveks peers form around him, readers will see what acceptance might look like. They want people to read The Death of Vivek Oji and learn that such treatment is possible. You have to create that space first, they say. From there you can actually start building it. You know what you can say no to because theres something else to say yes to. The book, Emezi says, went through many drafts. It was important for me to give Vivek a voice, because earlier drafts didnt include his chapters, and I realized he cant be the protagonist if we dont get to hear from him. In learning about Vivek as they were writing him, Emezi discovered that he is the only character who is not worried about himself or his fate. Because Vivek is dead for much of the book and only narrates a smattering of chapters, it can be easy for readers to miss the fact that hes fairly coolheaded. Emezi puts the concerns of Viveks family and friends front and center, daring readers to tune out the noise and figure out what it is that Vivek wants. Are we forgetting to listen to him because hes not centered in the way we expected him to be? Emezi asks. Are we forgetting to listen to the actual people who are at the center of this? What do we miss by looking at things through everyone elses lens except Viveks own? Subverting the typical coming out narrative is also a question of writing for a specific audience, Emezi says, and not worrying so much about the rest. Im writing for black trans people. Im not trying to raise empathy by showing how bad it is out there and that people are dying. They chose not to amplify the hatred and the trauma it causes and has caused. We know very well whats out there, and we dont need to see it again. So instead I try to amplify the alternative. Emezi believes that oppressed people need to create spaces in which they feel safe. When most people create bubbles its not to hide from reality, they say. Its in order to survive. For people who are oppressed, creating bubbles doesnt stop you from seeing all of the horrible things that are happening, but it does give you a little space to not die in. Stories, Emezi notes, are fantastic vessels in which to start mapping out such bubblesespecially during the heightened isolation of the present. We have to make sure that the stories get to the people who need them. The supply chain of a story cannot be corrupted because of the pandemic. Because stories matter. If anything they matter more than they did before. Maris Kreizmans writing has appeared in Esquire, GQ, the L.A. Times, the New York Times, Vanity Fair, and elsewhere. Washington: The US House of Representatives on Friday narrowly approved a $US3 trillion bill crafted by Democrats to provide more aid for battling the coronavirus and stimulating a faltering economy. By a vote of 208 to 199 Democrats won passage of a bill that Republican leaders, who control the Senate, and President Donald Trump have vowed to block despite some Republican support for provisions aimed at helping state and local governments. But the measure could trigger a new round of negotiations with congressional Republicans and Trump, who have been talking about the need for new business liability protections in the age of coronavirus or additional tax cuts. Democrats oppose both of those ideas. DETROIT As the Detroit Three auto companies move to restart factory operations in North America on Monday, theyre monitoring closely new reports coming from Mexico about whether auto suppliers there will be crippled by the coronavirus. Industry analysts say what happens in the next two weeks will be crucial to Detroit. The U.S. car assembly plants have some inventory but not enough to last more than two weeks, said Patrick Penfield, a supply chain management professor who teaches at Syracuse University in New York. The biggest issue U.S. car assembly plants face in the next two weeks is that the coronavirus infection rate is starting to surge in Mexico, he said. If the Mexican government changes their decision on restarting manufacturing on June 1st and continues their factory closures, U.S. car assembly plants will also shut down due to a lack of components. Statements from government officials in Mexico have been inconsistent, suggesting as recently as late Thursday that the industry would be shuttered until June 1. Then President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador issued a directive Friday that seemed to green-light Detroit automakers plan to restart production Monday. It appears the Mexican Ministry of Health has clarified its guidance, and automotive manufacturing can begin again [there] before June 1 if they have approved process to meet health protocols, said Kristin Dziczek, vice president of Industry, Labor & Economics at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor. This is good news, but the uncertainty weighs heavily on the auto industry as Mexico is a critical part of the U.S. automotive supply chain, she said. On Friday, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said their plans to reopen auto production are unchanged. Ford declined to respond. Still, things may be unpredictable. The confusion we are reading about at the vehicle manufacturers level is magnified as it is cascaded down the supply chain, said Jeoff Burris, founder of Plymouth-based Advanced Purchasing Dynamics, a supply chain consultant to auto suppliers primarily in North America. Suppliers to the assembly plants and their suppliers are telling us that they are not getting good direction from electronic systems regarding parts that will be required and when they will be required. That the mass layoffs in the industry is making it almost impossible to connect to real people to sort out issues, he said. Auto companies are counting on a buffer created by inventory already in the supply chain when it shut down, and the slow ramp-up of the vehicle assembly plants. In Mexico, like in the U.S., safety protocols are essential to reopening. Companies or industries engaged in activities considered essential, must present sanitary security protocols in accordance with the general guidelines established by the Secretaries of Health, Economy and Labor and Social Welfare, said the Mexico government directive issued Friday. The presentation, application and approval of the protocols may take place at the same time that the preparation measures for the entry into operation of the companies are carried out. The memo, sent to industry officials in the U.S. early Friday, said, If the process is concluded and approved before June 1, 2020, the corresponding company or industry may begin its operations. GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler have worked with the UAW to implement safety strategies in response to the pandemic and in an attempt to slow its spread. The highly contagious virus led to a shutdown in the U.S. before Mexico, which has been strict in its shelter-in-place directive. Hopefully, between the parts inventory left over from before the shutdowns, and the slow rate of the initial production ramp-ups in the US in terms of low percentages of normal full production, the automakers will not run out of any Mexican parts before all suppliers in Mexico have replenished them, said market analyst Jon Gabrielsen, who advises auto industry clients throughout North America. A graduate of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor who was based in Atlanta for years, Gabrielsen now lives in Los Cabos, Mexico. He said he has witnessed police officers patrolling for shelter-in-place compliance. They sometimes travel in groups of five to nine police officers, armed with machine guns, in open pickup truck beds. As a whole, people down here complied on their own, Gabrielsen said. For those who did not take coronavirus seriously, and were out and about, these officers were very quick to remind them of the current restrictions and send people home. Ive never seen them arrest anyone but no one really argues, either. Phoebe Wall Howard of the Detroit Free Press wrote this story. 2020 Detroit Free Press Visit the Detroit Free Press at www.freep.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Representative image In a post COVID-19 world, the Indian restaurant industry not only intends to digitise systems and processes of dining in, but is also looking at ways to reduce dependence on food aggregator and delivery platforms like Zomato and Swiggy. National Restaurant Association of India, the industry body for restaurants across the country is encouraging its members to offer a digital dining experience to their customers. It has partnered with Dotpe for a technology platform which will allow walk in customers to use their smartphones to place orders and even pay for them. This would remove any physical contact for customers at restaurants. It announced this initiative through a Facebook live townhall attended by close to 500 viewers today. There would be no need for any separate mobile app, customers can just use their smartphone camera to scan the QR code which can be displayed on tables, select their dishes, place the order and even pay digitally, said Thomas Fenn, who runs Mahabelly, a popular restaurant in Delhi and is a member of NRAI. To address the concerns of the restaurant owners who are wary of tech partners after their experience with the aggregator platforms, NRAI reiterated that Dot will only a tech solution provider with no interest in customer data. The platform will allow restaurants to keep their own customer data and also help them interact with them directly via WhatsApp. The NRAI partnership will help member restaurants work with Dot at a flat fees level and no commissions for every order placed on the platform, said Fenn. The developments over the last few weeks have clearly shown that restaurants are looking at COVID-19 as an opportunity to move away from the duopoly of Zomato and Swiggy. While these players had managed to capture the food delivery segment away from restaurants, with contactless dining Zomato could eventually capture dining in as well, fear restaurant owners. Infact to begin the session Anurag Katriar, president of NRAI said that these measures are specifically aimed at protecting small businesses from ruins because of few large tech giants. Contactless dining cannot be a reality, digital ordering is the future, Katriar said. Laying down the road ahead for the future, Riyaz Amlani who runs restaurant chains like Social, Smoke House Deli and others said that eventually technology solutions like these will encourage consumers to move away from their ordering habits on Zomato and Swiggy. They can now directly interact with restaurants through their social media pages like Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp and place orders remotely and pay digitally. This would help restaurants retain their own customer data. Zomato and Swiggy does not show restaurants the identity of the customer who is placing the order through their platform, this takes business visibility away from the restaurants. This among many other points have been a bone of contention between restaurants and food delivery platforms. Through 2019, there had been multiple clashes between these two players. 2020 seems to be a point where restaurants are making a deliberate attempt to reduce their dependence on these platforms. However success depends on how many restaurants adopt these solutions. On April 18, Zomato launched contactless dining for its partner restaurants where even walk in customers can order via the Zomato app and pay online, thereby reducing physical contact in a dine-in set up. We are facing multiple problems like high commissions, increased dependence on the food aggregators and disrupted relationship with our customers, the NRAI initiatives are moves to rectify such problems, said Fenn. Dotpe was started by Shailaz Nag, Anurag Gupta and Gyanesh Sharma who were all part of digital payments major PayU India. Nag was the cofounder of PayU India, while Sharma headed engineering there till 2015 and Gupta was a vice president at PayU for six years. The Gurugram based startup has raised $8 million in its seed round from PayU, InfoEdge, Fosun International along with few angels. Bray boy Alfie Donnelly (9) is one of the many people to shave their heads to raise a grand total of more than 50,000 for the Gavin Glynn Foundation. Alfie is in third class and goes to St Cronan's National School in Bray. The foundation was formed by the family of the late Gavin Glynn (3) from Greystones who lost his battle with cancer in 2014. His parents John and Jayne now aim to help families who need to travel overseas for treatment. Gavin would now have been the same age as Alfie, who wanted to do something in his memory. With fundraising events cancelled, friend of the foundation Tony Salmon came up with the idea to do the lock-down shave. Men, women and children from all over Wicklow and Ireland went under the razor and collectively raised the huge sum. Inspired by the amazing work done by the Gavin Glynn Foundation, Alfie decided to take part in the lock-down shave fundraiser. The total sum raised since it launched in April was 52,408. 'This money will really help the families who will need our support,' said John Glynn. Alfie knew that the charity helps young people and their families, and is also aware that people suffering serious illness are more at risk than others at the moment when it comes to coronavirus. 'There was a boy my age, Gavin Glynn, and he died of cancer,' said Alfie, who is keen to help families in the same position as the Glynns had been. 'I just decided to do this because it was nice, and because of what's happening now.' He raised 2,500, a higher amount than he had thought to get to. 'I wasn't even expecting to get to the goal we had set up,' he said. The initial fundraising goal for Alfie was 500, so he far exceeded expectations. 'My teacher donated,' said Alfie. 'And a bunch of people I knew. So I was really happy.' Alfie misses school a lot, and is in now in touch with his class and teacher on Zoom each Monday. 'You never actually know how fun something is until it's gone,' said Alfie. 'At first I was like, "do I have to go to school mum? I want to skip it today. Now I want to get back to school right now.' He said he misses his friends. As for doing school at home, Alfie expressed the feelings of a nation. 'Sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's easy. Sometimes I'm in a good mood to do it, sometimes I'm absolutely wrecked.' Alfie received lots of messages of support about shaving his hair off. 'A lot of people said "be a hero, go to zero" so we started with blade two, then went down to blade zero for the rest of it.' His mum Ruth did the honours. 'It was outside my granny and grandad's house. My friend Conor was there, my mum's best friend and her family, and a bunch of people from Charnwood came around to see.' He was nervous at the start. 'But then it was just a bit of a laugh I guess,' said Alfie. He loves swimming and said that the short hair is great for that. 'I love going in the sea and it's good for the sea,' he said. 'You don't have to wash your hair after, which takes about 20 hours!' He will probably let it grow back. 'I like being bald, but I also like having hair, so either way is fine!' John Glynn said that the charity was not expecting to raise so much money. 'The sum is a lot bigger than I thought it would be,' he said. 'We got a lot of support from all over Ireland. People really rowed in behind the initiative.' He said that 50,000 will help five families travel overseas for treatment. While life may be at a standstill for some at the moment, for sick children and their families, vital treatments must still be accessed. Recently, the Gavin Glynn Foundation helped a boy called Noisiu from Tralee travel to Essen in Germany. 'We got the air corps to fly him there as commercial flights couldn't be booked,' said John, While in Germany for treatment, the family will need accommodation, supplies, transport, and will inevitably have other needs which the foundation will tackle as they arise. 'Another little boy had a liver transplant nearly nine and a half weeks ago in Birmingham and is still out there,' said John. The foundation will look after whatever is required so that the parents can focus on their child and his recovery. Little Georgia Heynes from Bray is back home and doing great, according to John. She was at Great Ormonde Street Hospital in London to have tumours removed from her kidneys. 'I want to thank everyone for coming on board,' said John. 'The people who took part, who donated, who did the hair cutting. Thank you all very much.' The Midland areas gamut of eateries has not been unaffected by the coronavirus pandemic, some have seen their customer base increase in the last week. Per the governors executive orders, all restaurants are operating under restrictions and cannot offer dine-in services as this time. Many have adapted to offer new services, such as delivery or no-contact pick-ups, while others are strengthening those services they already offered. However, even with new operations in place, planning for food inventory and trying to predict customer volumes during a pandemic has posed to be a challenge for some. And, with the initial shock of the governors orders a few weeks past, restaurant owners from the region are now beginning to look at safe ways to implement dine-in services once again to offer guests a safe dining experience once that ban is lifted. As many eateries adapt to survive and count down the days until they can open again, some Midland restaurants will be closed in a more permanent fashion. Ruby Tuesday, Logans Roadhouse shut down Ruby Tuesday, located inside the Midland Mall, has reportedly been closed permanently, and Logans Roadhouse has also shuttered its doors after its parent company filed for bankruptcy. Ruby Tuesday is closed, according to information online, and its phone number has been disconnected. Neither Midland Mall Manager Lori Snyder nor Ruby Tuesday could be reached for comment. The Midland-based Ruby Tuesday also no longer appears on the companys list of Michigan locations on its website. Logans Roadhouse is also closed until further notice, due to the pandemic, and after the parent company filed for bankruptcy in early March. CraftWorks Holdings, LLC, the parent company of Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom and Logans Roadhouse, temporarily closed all corporate-owned stores in the country and laid off nearly 18,000 employees without health benefits just weeks later, as reported by multiple other news outlets. There are about 260 restaurants that carry those brand names in the U.S. and Craftworks has stated that some may not reopen. Its stated online that Midlands Logan's Roadhouse, located at 7315 Eastman Avenue, is temporarily closed. However, Midlands Old Chicago, located at 6603 Eastman Avenue, is independently franchised by KJ Endeavors LLC. CEO Jeff Neely said the store was not part of the closings, and is still open every day for carry out, pick-up and delivery with DoorDash, just with reduced hours. He said Craftworks has been reopening many Old Chicago locations across the country, with the goal of having more than 100 corporate-owned locations open again in the next couple weeks. In the meantime, the Midland Old Chicago is preparing for when the governor allows dine-in services to resume. Neely said they will be implementing extra safety precautions, including enhanced sanitization procedures, temperature monitoring of all employees, social distancing and wearing of personal protection equipment. Weve always been very very (big) on sanitization, but now were taking it to the next level to ensure that guests are protected with the use of personal protection equipment, he said. Beaverton Tavern hopeful amidst changes Beaverton Tavern, located at 102 W. Brown St., has seen a lull in business since it closed its dining room. While the food industrys future isnt easily predictable, store manager Jamie Malicki is hopeful. As long as we continue to do the business were doing, well be fine until we reopen the dining room, she said. Malicki reported the restaurants famed burritos and nachos are the best sellers, followed by pizzas and sandwiches. Longtime customers have shown their support for Beaverton Tavern, but are frustrated about not being able to eat and socialize in the dining room. In the past couple of weeks, Malicki has seen a few new faces as individuals travel up north to cabins. In the last two weeks, weve seen a few people from out of town and out of state, Malicki said. Malicki is considering different ideas about how the Beaverton Tavern will operate once social distancing restrictions are lifted. While nothing is currently set, she doesnt plan on providing a salad bar or pizza buffet for a while yet. We thank everyone for their business and their support through this crazy time, Malicki stated. Basil Thai Bistro going strong, considering outdoor seating Basil Thai Bistro, located at 416 E. Ellsworth in downtown Midland, is still keeping busy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Manager Ken Scarmeas has even seen an uptick in customers in the past couple of weeks. I think theyre done cooking for themselves every day, he said. Both regular customers and newcomers eager to try new things have visited the restaurant, which offers Thai specialties for takeout. Scarmeas is appreciative of the support the community has shown and is confident that Basil Thai Bistro will continue to do well in the long haul. Looking ahead, management has revamped the restaurants dining room and has looked into the possibility of offering outdoor seating. Were careful about planning more than five days at a time, Scarmeas said. Villa D'Alessandro, 801 E. Wackerly St. Midland Villa D'Alessandro has at least one positive takeaway from the shutdown. It will keep takeout as an option. "Our takeout has been so successful that we will continue to offer that even after opening regular dining," said Melinda D'Alessandro. "We are also receiving calls for takeout for essential workers whose offices and businesses order for larger groups for those working in the line of fire." The Italian restaurant's regular customers order both of the quarantine specials (pizza and salad or calzones) as well as their favorites from the regular menu, D'Alessandro said. "Our loyal customers, as well as we, are looking forward to opening up our business for inside and outside dining," she said. The restaurant is making changes to accommodate 6 feet of social distancing between patrons by using its Tuscany Hall banquet hall to have plenty of space between tables as well as the regular Villa D'Alessandro dining room and outside dining. "Villa D'Alessandro is so grateful to our fellow Midland residents for their continued support of both our business and other small family owned businesses," she said. "We are all so blessed to live in this community and though it is not the same as it was, it is allowing us to keep our head above water." Laskos Restaurant, 1301 Washington St. Midland The Midland restaurant, known for its breakfast and lunches, has had a lot of support from its regular patrons as well as new customers, said owner Zoey Berisha. "Business has been a lot slower with takeout only," she said. "Sales have dropped so much since the pandemic began." She said she is praying for the best and hopes all of "her" Midland families are in good health. "Our regular customers cant wait until all this is over and things get back to normal," she said. Hubble's Boondocks Bar & Grill, 219 E. Railway St., Coleman Cindy Hubble said her loyal patrons are rallying behind her business. "We do have our regular customers getting takeout food trying to do their part in helping keep the two bars and one restaurant going during this time," she said. "I do believe we have had a few new customers. Since Coleman is such a small town, I really feel the people are trying to keep the businesses going in which we are very thankful for." But still, business is slow. "I think a lot of people are cooking at home." She said her customers are ready for Hubble's to get back to normal. "Its going to be a tough call because we all know rules will have to be in place (social distancing, face masks) and in the bar business, that is hard to do, so time will tell," she said. Gladwin Family Diner, 711 N. Silverleaf, Gladwin The Gladwin restaurant opened May 8, with dinner time being the busiest. "We had more people in for lunch and breakfast today," said restaurant manager Carrie Risch, "and (we) hope as people realize we are open with our full menu and daily specials, they will continue to come in for takeout." The shutdown has hurt the restaurant, especially missing out on dine-in customers during big holidays. "Our sales are down tremendously but I hope they will gradually improve as our customers realize we are open," Risch said. "Our restaurant has had a big hit. We lost a lot with not being open St Patrick's Day, Easter, Mother's Day and soon to be Memorial weekend. These are usually busy days for us. As our state reopens, we look forward to the return of our customers." Plans are being discussed on how the restaurant can reopen for dine-in customers. She said her customers want it back open. "We are strategizing on how we can reopen and keep our customers as safe as we can," she said. The Creek Grill, 1259 South Poseyville Road Michelle Rashott, a server at The Creek Grill, says business has been steady with many repeat customers during this time that sit-down dining is not allowed by the state. "We take everybody's phone number when they order, so we get to see their order history, and we have a lot of repeat customers," Rashott said. "A lot of people are ordering at least once a week all of our regulars." Loyal customers who have supported The Creek Grill for many years are continuing to do so by ordering takeout during the pandemic, Rashott said. "We have a lot of great customers that have been very patient as we've been working out the (takeout) system and getting it to run smoothly," she said. The restaurant is open for takeout orders every day of the week. "After 3:30, we tend to get a little busier with people calling and scheduling takeouts. After about 4, normally the phone does not stop ringing," Rashott said. To ensure everyone's safety, all orders are "zero-contact," Rashott explained. All payments are done over the phone, and customers are given a number to text when they arrive to pick up their meal. The staff then brings the order, with the customer's name written on the bag, outside to a table, where the customer can pick it up. "We've had some pretty good responses from people," Rashott said. "Everybody is really liking our zero-contact (procedures). People are thanking us for being open. We haven't had a lot of complaints. A popular item at The Creek Grill is family meals, which vary each week and are updated on the restaurant's Facebook page. "We normally run a Cajun special every week, jambalaya, gumbo, stuff like that," Rashott said. She said the business is holding its own during this challenging time. "We've been able to keep quite a few people on staff. All of our kitchen staff members have been working," Rashott said. And whenever sit-down dining is allowed to resume, The Creek Grill will be ready, she said. "We're already working on increasing our area outside for patio season to adhere to social distancing guidelines. We're working on a plan right now as far as what we're going to do (with seating) inside the restaurant. And we've been posting updates about that on our Facebook page, too," Rashott said. The Bombay high court on Friday struck down a government resolution issued by Maharashtra school education department that indirectly prevented Bachelor of Education (B Ed) degree holders from becoming primary teachers. A division bench of justice SV Gangapurwala and justice Shrikant Kulkarni, hearing a petition filed by Yogesh Maid from Ahmadnagar, struck down the GR issued on February 7, 2019, primarily on the ground that what it made mandatory was impossible to be fulfilled. The bench noted that rules framed by the National Council for Teachers Education (NCTE) allowed B Ed degree holders to be appointed as teachers for Class 1 to 5 on a condition that they should complete the six months bridge course within two years of their appointment. The GR, however, made it mandatory for the candidates to complete the bridge course before seeking appointment as primary teachers an Impossibility, as the bridge course is only for in-service candidates and no B Ed degree holder can undergo the course unless he is appointed as a primary teacher, the bench noted. It said the very eligibility criteria makes a person possessing B Ed ineligible to be appointed as a primary teacher. They cannot undergo six months bridge course unless they are in service and thus the condition of having completed the bridge course with B Ed is an onerous one, which in practice is impossible to be complied with, the bench added. The government responded to the petition stating that the pre-condition was imposed for B Ed candidates, as B Ed course is framed to prepare teachers to teach secondary students and hence bridge course at the time of appointment as a primary teacher is more desirable. Additional government pleader SB Yawalkar further pointed out that the pre-condition was also imposed in view of the availability in a large number of Diploma in Education (D Ed) candidates, who are specifically trained for primary education. He informed the bench that between 2013 and 2018, 32,226 D Ed candidates have cleared Teachers Eligibility Test and thus they have become eligible for appointment as primary teachers. The court, however, refused to accept the argument. It also found fault with the GR on the ground that prescribing such a condition was beyond the executive power of the state. The state under its executive power can lay down a policy, but it has to be in conformity with the statute, said the bench, adding, Executive instructions overriding statutory mandate cannot withstand and given effect to. A protest against lockdown restrictions is held at Ormeau Park in south Belfast on May 16th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) A protest against lockdown restrictions is held at Ormeau Park in south Belfast on May 16th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) A protest against lockdown restrictions is held at Ormeau Park in south Belfast on May 16th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) A protest against lockdown restrictions is held at Ormeau Park in south Belfast on May 16th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) A protest against lockdown restrictions is held at Ormeau Park in south Belfast on May 16th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) A protest against lockdown restrictions is held at Ormeau Park in south Belfast on May 16th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) A protest against lockdown restrictions is held at Ormeau Park in south Belfast on May 16th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) A handful of protesters gathered in Belfasts Ormeau Park on Saturday to demand an end to the coronavirus lockdown and social distancing rules. The so-called UK Freedom Movement circulated flyers on social media last week calling for people to gather en masse across the country to protest against what it called the unlawful lockdown. Despite the claims of a mass gathering, fewer than 20 people turned up to Ormeau Park. No one appeared to have turned up for a planned protest at Millennium Park in Clarawood in east Belfast. At Ormeau Park the group of around 15 people was well outnumbered by the assembled journalists, photographers, cameramen and police. After an hour of milling around and being shouted at by passers by to go home, people were asked to disperse by the PSNI. Several protesters refused to move along and remonstrated with police before eventually leaving the park. Although PSNI officers spoke to a number of the protesters and recorded footage of the incident, no arrests were made. Elsewhere around the UK, the protest was a flop in Leeds and Sheffield with nobody turning up. In London around three dozen people gathered in Hyde Park. Standing close together near Speakers Corner, several held placards and banners including slogans like freedom over fear as police, including some on horseback, looked on. Piers Corbyn, brother of ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, was led away in handcuffs after showing up with a megaphone and proclaiming 5G and the coronavirus pandemic were linked. He called it a pack of lies to brainwash you and keep you in order before being taken away after declining to leave when asked by a police officer and declining to give his details when asked. He also claimed vaccination is not necessary and that 5G towers will be installed everywhere, adding: 5G enhances anyone whos got illness from Covid, so they work together. There is no evidence to link 5G and Covid-19 and scientists fear that a rise in measles among children can be attributed in part to unfounded fears about vaccines. When the flyers advertising the UK Freedom Movement protest were circulated on social media last week there was intense speculation as to who was behind the event. Many initially thought former Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen may have been the organiser. However, she strenuously denied any association with the event. She said: I am highly suspicious of the individual who called these protests, a Mr Richard Inman, leader of the UK Freedom Movement, given that he did so knowing that participants could be fined and or jailed. I denounce the irresponsible actions of Mr Inman and his UK Freedom Movement. Mr Inman, a Tommy Robinson supporter, uploaded a video to YouTube in which he denied being behind the event. Several political leaders condoled the death of the 24 migrant workers in Uttar Pradeshs Auraiya district in a road accident, the latest involving workers travelling home during the Covid-19 lockdown, on Saturday morning. Police said the migrant labourers were killed when a speeding mini-truck rammed into and climbed over a stationary truck trolley in Auraiya early on Saturday. Thirty-six workers were also injured in the accident and the condition of 20 of them is said to be critical. The mini-truck was carrying 18 migrants and the truck trolley had around 42 others when the accident happened at around 3:15am. Heres what politicians said: Yogi Adityanath The death of migrant workers/workers in a road accident in Auraiya district is unfortunate and sad. My condolences to the bereaved families of the dead, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister tweeted. Instructions have also been given to provide all possible relief to the victims, to provide proper treatment to the injured and to promptly investigate the accident, he added. Mayawati Yesterday, the CM said officers will make arrangements for food, transit and shelter for labourers who come to UP or pass through the state. Its unfortunate that CMs directions are not being taken seriously by officers because of which a big accident occurred in Auraiya, the BSP chief was quoted as saying by ANI. I demand the chief minister to take action against the officers who didnt fulfil their responsibilities. Families of those who were killed or injured in this accident should be provided financial assistance. I express my condolences to the bereaved families, she added. Rajnath Singh I am very sad to know about the death of many workers in the road accident in Auraiya of Uttar Pradesh. I express my condolences to the families of those who died in this accident. I also wish the workers, who were injured in the accident, get well soon, the defence minister tweeted in Hindi. Rahul Gandhi I am hurt by the news of the death of 24 labourers and the injuries to many people in Auraiya of Uttar Pradesh. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wish that the injured get well soon, the Congress leader tweeted in Hindi. Arvind Kejriwal Extremely disturbed by the loss of lives in the accident in Auraiya. The tragedy of migrant labour keeps getting worse. Something needs to be done urgently, the Delhi chief minister tweeted. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Auraiyas heartbreaking incident has once again raised the question that why hasnt the government made proper arrangements for workers to go home? Why arent buses being run to ferry the labourers in the state? the Congress general secretary tweeted in Hindi. Either the government does not see anything or is oblivious to everything. Is making statements the governments only job? she asked. Japan will test around 10,000 people for coronavirus antibodies starting from next month, as part of efforts to better understand the deadly infection, health minister Katsunobu Kato said Friday. The tests, which look for specific proteins made by the immune system in response to the infection, will likely take in place in Tokyo and Osaka, among other prefectures, officials said. Potential areas include those that have reported a relatively high number of infections and those with fewer cases. Testing is expected to help authorities grasp the extent to which the virus has spread in those regions, how many people will need a vaccination when one becomes available, and the outlook for infection numbers should there be a second wave. It will also help determine whether Japan is on the way to herd immunity, achieved when a large portion of the population develops antibodies and protection from infection. The tests use a blood sample and take less time than the currently dominant polymerase chain reaction test, which uses a swab from a patient's nose and requires a minimum of several hours to produce a result. In the upcoming tests, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare plans to use several methods to find antibodies and figure out the amount of antibodies in specimens, the officials said. The tests come after the ministry last month conducted experimental screening for antibodies in donated blood in Tokyo and six prefectures in northeastern Japan, using test kits from five firms. It found 0.6 percent of 500 samples from Tokyo had antibodies for coronavirus and 0.4 percent in the same number of samples from Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Miyagi, Yamagata and Fukushima. But experts noted some of the test kits could have provided false results. In the screening, two samples of blood donated last year -- before coronavirus was confirmed in Japan -- tested positive for antibodies. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Centre on Friday said 30 municipal areas in the country have nearly 80 per cent of Indias total coronavirus cases and asked states to focus on reducing the fatality rates. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has also asked states to ensure timely detection of infection and carry out contact tracing exercise diligently. The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases now stands at 81,970 in the country, with 2,649 deaths and the fatality rate pegged at 3.23 per cent. So far, a total of 27,920 people have been cured of whom 1,685 patients have been declared as recovered in last 24 hours. In this period, 100 new deaths have been reported too. At a meeting of a group of ministers on the outbreak management in the country, it was discussed that the health ministry has already shared recommendations with the states on zone management about indicators, root causes of the infection spread and action required. The government, in letters written to states earlier this month had said that 20 districts are contributing 68 per cent of the total case loads and 72 per cent of total infection-related mortalities in the country. The ministry said as of now a total of 8,694 facilities comprising 919 dedicated Covid-19 hospitals, 2,036 Covid-19 health centres and 5,739 Covid-19 care centres with a total of 2,77,429 beds for severe and critical cases, 29,701 ICU beds and 5,15,250 isolation beds in care centres, are available. There are 18,855 ventilators available to provide critical care support to those who are severly sick due to the infection. The Centre also claimed it has provided 84.22 lakh N-95 masks and 47.98 lakh Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) to states and central institutions. A baby has died of the coronavirus-linked Kawasaki disease aged eight months, becoming Britain's youngest known victim of the rare childhood syndrome. Alexander Parsons, who had no underlying health conditions, passed away aged eight months after being admitted to Plymouth's Derriford Hospital on April 6 and suffering a ruptured aneurysm. He was diagnosed with Kawaski disease, which causes blood vessels throughout the body to swell, after developing a 'pinprick' rash, fever and swollen lymph nodes. Alexander Parsons, pictured, who had no underlying health conditions, passed away aged eight months after being admitted to Plymouth's Derriford Hospital on April 6 Alex pictured with his mother Kathryn Rowlands and father Jon. He was diagnosed with Kawaski disease after developing a 'pinprick' rash, fever and swollen lymph nodes What is Kawasaki disease and how is it usually treated? Kawasaki disease is a condition that mainly affects children under the age of five. The cause of it is unknown, but it is believed to be an autoimmune response to an infection. Around eight in every 100,000 children develop Kawasaki disease in the UK each year. It's characteristic symptoms include a rash, swollen glands, dry or cracked lips, red fingers or toes and red eyes. According to the NHS it is always treated in hospital and anyone who notices symptom in a child is told to speak to their GP or call 111 urgently. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), a solution of antibodies, and aspirin are the two main medicines used. Though children can make a full recovery within six to eight weeks, some complications can develop from the condition, including with the heart. If untreated, complications can be fatal in about 2 to 3 per cent of cases. Source: NHS England Advertisement The baby boy died in the arms of his mother, Kathryn Rowlands, 29, who said she will 'never be whole again'. She told the Mirror: 'I can't believe I carried him for longer than he was alive. I will never be whole again. 'He was my greatest achievement. He could have gone on to do whatever he wanted with his life. Now he'll only ever be eight months old.' Praising the medical staff who tried to save Alex, she added: 'The doctors and nurses who fought to save Alex were incredible but if they'd known more about the Covid-Kawasaki link, they possibly could have done more.' The illness, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), was found by scientists to be caused by coronavirus last month. The CDC previously said: 'Healthcare providers who have cared or are caring for patients younger than 21 years of age meeting MIS-C criteria should report suspected cases to their local, state, or territorial health department.' The condition had previously been referred to as Pediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (PMIS) by the state of New York in the United States where there have been more than a hundred reported cases, including at least three deaths. Alex, who is thought to be Britain's youngest victim of the disease, pictured. The illness was found by scientists to be caused by coronavirus last month Britain announced 468 coronavirus deaths today, taking the country's total fatalities to 34,466 Treatment involves injecting antibodies as well as administering steroids and aspirin in case patients experienced a sudden loss of blood pressure, called 'shock.' In other developments to the coronavirus crisis today: Britain announces 468 more coronavirus deaths on the first Saturday since lockdown was eased - taking the country's total fatalities to 34,466; Scuffles between police and anti-lockdown protestors have broken out in Hyde Park and across the UK; The row between ministers and teachers unions intensified after Children's Commissioner for England Anne Longfield said that schools had to be reopened as quickly as possible; Public Health England could face the axe after Boris Johnson told a meeting of 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs that he he was planning a review of 'a number of institutions' once coronavirus is beaten back; Experts from King's College London have suggested that one in three patients who fall severely ill with coronavirus develop deadly blood clots that trigger heart attacks, strokes and organ failure; NHS Chief Executive Simon Stevens said that medics are still treating around 9,000 coronavirus patients a day in England, down from 19,000 at the infection's peak in April; The University of Nottingham has suggested that coronavirus cases fell dramatically after the sunniest April on record, with strong UV light killing the virus and vitamin D strengthening the immune system. Sunil Sood, a pediatrician at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New York, said that cases mainly seemed to emerge four to six weeks after a child had been infected and had already developed antibodies. 'They had the virus, the body fought it off earlier. But now there's this delayed exaggerated immune response,' he said. Doctors should be on the lookout for the condition and report suspected cases to local or state health departments. It should be suspected in all deaths in children who had evidence of Covid-19 infection, the CDC said. Gavin Williamson promises it WILL be safe for children to go back to school on June 1 as pupils and their families will get free coronavirus track-and trace tests and be put into protective 'class bubbles' By David Wilcock, Whitehall Correspondent for MailOnline Schools will throw a 'protective bubble' around young pupils, Gavin Williamson vowed today as he attempted to outflank furious teaching unions and reopen classrooms next month. The Education Secretary attempted to pile pressure on opponents of his plans tonight as he warned of the dire 'consequences if children did not start returning to school. He made a blunt appeal to the emotions of parents tonight as he insisted planning can begin to reopen classrooms from in little more than a fortnight. The Education Secretary made a blunt appeal to the emotions of parents tonight as he insisted planning can begin to reopen classrooms from as early as next month Outlining his plans for reception, year 1 and 6 - as well as years 10 and 12 - to return from June 1, he insisted 'they stand to lose more by staying away from school'. He revealed that those who return, as well as their parents, will join teachers in being eligible for free coronavirus tests, as he outlined measures schools will take avoid a surge in the killer disease. They include small classes and keeping children in small socially-distanced groups, with Mr Williamson saying: 'We are creating a protective bubble around them, reducing the amount of mixing and making sure that these small groups stay together, almost like a family within a classroom.' Asked about testing and tracing, Mr Williamson added: 'School staff can already be tested for the virus, but from the first of June we'll extend that to cover children and their families if any of them develop symptoms. 'Together these measures will create an inherently safer system where the risk of transmission is substantially reduced for children, their teachers and also their families.' However, concerns have been raised over the track and trace regime amid fears there are not enough staff to run it alongside a smartphone app. It was the latest development in a boiling row between ministers, trade unions and local authorities over the safety of sending children back to school. Hartlepool in County Durham joined Liverpool this morning in saying it would ignore the Government's plan to let some primary school pupils back to the school from June 1. And the doctor's union added its weight to the opposition, saying teachers representatives are 'absolutely right' to argue it is unsafe for schools to open next month. But at a press conference, Mr Williamson said: 'There is a consequence to this, the longer that schools are closed the more that children miss out. 'Teachers know that there are children out there that have not spoken or played with another child their own age for the last two months. 'They know there are children from difficult or very unhappy homes for whom school is the happiest moment in their week, and it's also the safest place for them to be.' Young children will still be able to socially distance at school, the deputy chief medical officer has said. Speaking at Saturday's Downing Street briefing, deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries explained how social distancing can work in classrooms with young children. Dr Harries said plans include having small groups 'where you increase the level of interaction a small amount, but it is contained'. She said: 'Although it is recognised that small children will run around and interact, we expect them to, but you can still distance. I know this is the plan.' She also suggested that desks could be placed appropriate distances apart from one another to prevent long periods of close contact. Dr Harries added: 'A child rushing past another one in a normal area is probably not much of a risk. 'But if they were sitting directly opposite to each other in a very small space, close together for a long amount of time - that might be more of a risk. 'All of the interventions are designed to minimise those, while still allowing children to learn.' The Union health ministry on Saturday released coronavirus disease (Covid-19) preparedness and response guidelines for slum clusters and unauthorised colonies, a development that comes amid increasing infections in Mumbais Dharavi believed to be Asias largest slum which houses an estimated one million people. Experts have warned that cases could spiral up in slums and unauthorised colonies across the country as people live in close proximity in these areas, making social distancing tougher to follow and implement. The health ministrys guidelines focus on issues that need to be addressed by urban local bodies to prepare a response against the Covid-19 outbreak, which has infected at least 88,000 people in the country. At least 53 new cases were reported in Mumbais Dharavi on Saturday, taking the total number of cases in the area to 1,198. Informal settlements within cities have mushroomed due to migration from villages, and have inadequate housing and poor living conditions These localities are often overcrowded, with many people crammed into very small living spaces These areas are characterized by poor structural quality of housing, inadequate access to safe water, poor sanitation and insecure residential status In the context of COVID (or any other respiratory infectious disease for that matter) implementing strategic interventions such as surveillance, physical distancing, isolation, quarantine and communicating the risk to the dwellers could be challenging, the health ministry document said. The ministry has directed that a nodal officer (incident commander) of appropriate seniority be identified to prepare the response depending on the geographic extent of the settlements and its population. The person, who will directly report to the municipal commissioner, will identify its planning, operation, logistics and finance teams to implement the preparedness measures, the Centre said. According to the guidelines, the effort against Covid-19 has to be a coordinated among various departments, including representatives from health, women and child development, housing and urban affairs, public health engineering wing, Swachh Bharat Mission, elected representatives, prominent NGOs already serving the area and community leaders while being spearheaded by the nodal officer. These experts will have to draft other smaller details according to the local requirements of an area. The health ministrys guidelines directed the local bodies to put in place cluster containment strategies that will include active and passive surveillance. They also stress compliance with regard to social distancing, use of face cover, observing hand hygiene and cough etiquette, hospital preparedness and treatment, community engagement, risk management, capacity building locally, etc. Theres special emphasis on maintaining social distancing. While sleeping, the distancing can be achieved to an extent by sleeping in opposite direction in a manner that head end of one person faces the leg of the other. Social distancing should be practiced particularly in community water points, public toilets, ration distribution points, health centers, etc. Social distancing is to be promoted at all formal and informal gatherings, the guidelines said. A central government official, who asked not to be named, said: The onus lies on the local civic bodies to manage the challenges that these areas pose. We cannot not focus proactively on these areas as these are hotbeds for spread of any infectious diseases, and not just Covid-19. The guidelines have laid out dos and donts in detail that the local administration must follow to ensure the risk of infection spread is minimised if a case is reported there. It has to be a two-pronged preparedness strategy: prevention and control. According to the 2011 Census, there are 2,613 towns and cities with such settlements, with 65.4 million people residing in 13.9 million households. Experts say it is the need of the hour to draft separate containment strategy for such areas, keeping in mind the urban settings. No two urban settlements are the same; so there is a need to draft a micro plan for prevention and containment keeping in mind the local conditions of the area. In Delhi, if you see, there are several types of residential colonies and each would require a specific containment plan, especially those that are densely populated, said Dr Jugal Kishore, community medicine faculty, Safdarjung Hospital. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rhythma Kaul Rhythma Kaul works as an assistant editor at Hindustan Times. She covers health and related topics, including ministry of health and family welfare, government of India. ...view detail The flight crew for a Hainan Airlines flight walks through the Tom Bradley International Terminal of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which is requiring travelers to wear face coverings to help keep fellow passengers and crews safe by limiting the coronavirus spread. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) The images we see on a daily basis still seem difficult to comprehend. Seniors holding graduation ceremonies via Zoom in their living rooms, Dodger Stadium filled with cars not for a game but rather storage for rental car companies, and a flight crew walking through Los Angeles International Airport looking ready to tackle a hazmat situation. California is in the second phase of Gov. Gavin Newsom's four-phase plan to gradually reopen the state amid the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no official date for when the third and fourth phases will begin, but here are some images from around the state that now represent the "new normal." Manon Guijarro, 21, who just graduated from Pierce College, has her personal graduation photo taken by friend Paige Johnson, 21, within Chris Burden's outdoor sculpture "Urban Light" at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on May 18. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Mary Perez, a salesperson at High Class Jewels on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, helps a customer as he tries on a gold rope chain inside the store that reopened over the weekend. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) A woman, masked against COVID-19, walks past a building that features the image of Britney Spears at a shopping center in the Fairfax District in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) The Rosales family treks down the rocky banks of the Santa Fe Dam in Irwindale after spending an afternoon at the park after it reopened to limited use during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Maria Morales, center, a member of the USC Class of 2020, participates in a virtual graduation via Zoom with her brother Manny Morales, left, mother, Pilar Morales, and stepdad, Victor Ramos, from her home in Orange on Friday. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Professional dog walker Lindsay Rojas takes Gomez, left, and Nikki, brother and sister golden retrievers, for a stroll on Le Bourget Avenue in Culver City. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times) The Air Force Thunderbirds precision flying team banks over downtown Los Angeles in formation to salute healthcare and first responders May 15. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Surfers Memorial at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) A woman wearing a protective mask walks past a shuttered business in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) Thousands of rental cars are stored at Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times) Traveling nurse Gail Cunningham waves thanks as residents pay tribute to her and her medical personnel during a drive-by rally honoring frontline heroes at the emergency room entrance to Riverside University Health System in Moreno Valley. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) Ben, left, Julia, Luke and Ethan Brenier help their mom prepare to open the Wishing Well store in Whittier after being closed due to coronavirus restrictions. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times) Some beach-goers actively use the beach while others relax on the sand, despite Gov. Gavin Newsom's active-use-only order, in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) A security guard gets some exercise while keeping watch on the Apple Store on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. As coronavirus restrictions are loosened, retail shops are allowed to reopen if they provide curbside pickup and practice social distancing. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) The getting from Point A to Point B part hasn't changed. But everything else has. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The getting from Point A to Point B part hasn't changed. But everything else has. Air travel in the age of COVID-19 is an experience that is both familiar and very strange. The weirdness begins with the trip to the airport. Calling a cab in Winnipeg normally has to be done well in advance of the scheduled departure time, but theres no waiting now; a Unicity taxi arrives within five minutes. The driver tells me this is his first trip to the airport in days. He took fares to and from Richardson International almost exclusively before the pandemic. The drop-off area is deserted, save for one RCMP vehicle. SARAH LAWRYNUIK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Walking through the terminal, its like a ghost town. Nearly every shop is shuttered. Things are different inside the terminal in the departures area, too; theres no sense of excitement about a coming vacation or change of scenery. Flying has become completely functional. For me, the need arose in the form of a family emergency the frantic need to get back to loved ones before a death is still the same as it ever was, even if you have to keep your distance. Through the fog of emotions, lack of sleep and general anxiety thats accumulated over the past few weeks, Im late checking in, but theres still 40 minutes before takeoff, and its not like anyone is waiting in line. Self-serve kiosks arent working, so I get a friendly security guard to track down a WestJet agent. When she arrives I'm told it's too late to make my flight. She'll book me on another. I look around, dumbfounded. The terminal is virtually empty. "Did the flight leave early?" I ask. SARAH LAWRYNUIK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Passengers waiting for one departing flight linger awkwardly, trying to keep their distance from one another. "No but WestJet requires you be here 45 minutes before the flight departs," she responded flatly. "Youre far too late." Several more attempts are made to try to change her mind and print my boarding pass; pleading and tears fail to move her. At any other time this might not have been a huge inconvenience. Another flight would leave in several hours, at most. But demand has dwindled, and there is only one direct flight to Calgary, my destination today. A quick Google search shows any alternatives would take me through Toronto or Vancouver with hours-long waits. The situation means I've lost the chance to say goodbye to a loved one before they died, the chance to comfort my family as they grieved. It is a great personal loss, but ultimately one that barely registers in the grand scheme of horrific stories that have bombarded us all in the past weeks. And I can hardly fault the agent for following the rules as theyve been laid out to her. It feels these days like the rules are all that is holding the world together. Stay six feet apart. Dont touch your face. Wash your hands. Be at the airport more than 45 minutes in advance. Got it. SARAH LAWRYNUIK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Chairs are placed on tables at the usually-bustling Prairie Bistro restaurant inside the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport. The next morning, attempt No. 2. Mask on, no tears this time. And Im early. The regular luggage conveyor belts dont run anymore for the dozens, rather than thousands of bags that are being checked over the course of the day. A handful of people queue to have their bags scanned at the usual oversized-luggage drop-off. Heading to security, the ubiquitous floor markings remind you to stay six feet apart. The number of Canadian Border Security agents far out number the passengers waiting to be screened. Im randomly selected for additional screening, and undergo the most thorough bag check Ive ever seen, with every pocket opened, every flat surface swabbed. Everyone is masked. Keeping social distance in line and while processing is entirely possible because of how few travellers there are, but it seems as if this system will fall apart as soon as there is the additional strain of more people. A monitor with a clipboard stands both at the entrance and exit of security, ensuring the new protocols are being followed. The security agent asks you to scan your own boarding pass. Everyone is masked. Keeping social distance in line and while processing is entirely possible because of how few travellers there are, but it seems as if this system will fall apart as soon as there is the additional strain of more people. For now, its an unusually relaxed process since theres no impatient person behind you shooting daggers from their eyes if you move too slowly. SARAH LAWRYNUIK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The half-full departure board shows all flights leaving the airport that day. Walking through the terminal, its like a ghost town. Nearly every shop is shuttered, and chairs are placed on tables at the usually-bustling Prairie Bistro restaurant. Tim Hortons and Prairie News are your only options if youre looking for food or coffee. The news stand has brought in a Keurig machine for the time being. Theyve even plastic-wrapped the end of each stir stick. How bizarre that would have seemed a few months ago. The departures board shows every flight leaving today, and its not even half-full. Passengers for the one flight on its way out linger awkwardly trying to keep their distance from one another. Not everyone got the memo that masks were a requirement to fly now. One man uses his reflective work vest and fashions a face covering. Another man buys a kids T-shirt from the Prairie News kiosk and he ties it across his face. Ironically, the T-shirt, and his face now read, "Free bear hugs" with a picture of an animated polar bear looking for a show of affection that is prohibited. People squirm awkwardly as they accept that all the effort to maintain a distance of six feet to this point was for naught, as you sit and sanitize your seating area, youre now within an arms length of a handful of people, anyway. The desk attendant says the number of travellers has already begun to pick up theres nearly 50 people on the 737 flight. As the number of travellers is expected to continue rising, WestJet will begin taking temperatures of passengers starting next week. For now, she has abandoned use of the intercom system and speaks loudly, announcing boarding information. Youre asked a few questions about COVID-19 risk factors and asked to remove your face covering for the first time since entering the airport, to confirm your identity. As you board the plane, instead of a friendly welcome, a sanitizing wipe is thrust into your hand. "This is for your seat," the flight attendant says. SARAH LAWRYNUIK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS As you board the plane, instead of a friendly welcome, a sanitizing wipe is thrust into your hand. People squirm awkwardly as they accept that all the effort to maintain a distance of six feet to this point was for naught, as you sit and sanitize your seating area, youre now within an arms length of a handful of people, anyway. No one is seated in the middle seat in the rows of three anymore. The departure process is largely the same as always, except youre handed a bottle of water and package of cookies, and warned there will be no food or drink service on the flight. The flight attendant asks people to keep their face coverings on at all times, but reminds passengers to remove it should the cabin depressurize and oxygen masks are needed. The plane is quiet; no one talks or engages in the usual pleasantries with seat mates. Flying like many other activities seems much more clinical now. There is also a noticeable absence of children. No families, just adults getting where they have to go. To protect the safety of flight crew, one washroom is designated for them; passengers use the other at the back of the plane. A container of sanitizing wipes wait outside the door for you to wipe down any surface you have to touch. 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 kilometres still pass by the same as they always did. That part is unchanged. Landing in Calgary, we find much of the same as what was seen in Winnipegs airport but more stores are open and there are more people, since its a travel hub. The jostling for position to grab luggage from the carousel has ceased, replaced by awkward loitering that spreads into the hallway. A friend picks me up, but theres no hug. A smile from a friendly face and an awkward wave, but no physical show of support in a difficult time. Its all a jarring change emblematic of our new reality of living during the novel coronavirus pandemic. sarah.lawrynuik@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @SarahLawrynuik Heavy winds tore the roofs off two large apartment blocks in Holyoke as thunderstorms ripped through Western Mass. Friday night. More than 140 people were evacuated from their homes, fire officials said. The two blocks, both at the intersection of East Dwight and West streets had large portions of their roofs ripped off and dumped into the streets, crushing several cars. Piles of bricks from pediments along the roof lines also rained down into the streets. Holyoke Fire Department spokesperson, Capt. Kevin Cavagnag said 47 families were evacuated from the buildings, with many of those people ending up in the Kelly School, converted into a temporary shelter. The buildings at 147 and 151 West Street stood on opposite corners of the intersection. Between the two blocks, the occupants of 47 apartments were left homeless. The City of Holyoke and the American Red Cross are aiding the families and the property management company to place the displaced residents. Cavagnag said two people suffered minor injuries in the incident. They were transported by ambulance to the Holyoke Medical Center for treatment. A man who had run away from his home over 60 years ago, leaving behind his young wife and children, has found doors shut on him even before his likely return home as an octogenarian. The family members of 80-year-old Surat Singh Chauhan of Jestwadi village of Chinyalisaur area in Uttarkashi district have shut doors on him, saying the man has no business getting back home when he did not care for them all these years. Chauhan had left home at the age of 18 leaving behind his 16-year-old wife and two young children. Chauhan's wife Bugna Devi is now 78 and his two sons, Trepan Singh and Kalyan Singh, are now 63 and 61 respectively. Chauhan registered with Himachal Pradesh administration to get back home when migrants stranded in different states due to the COVID-led lockdown began returning to Uttarakhand, said local Revenue Officer Virendra Singh Rawat. His family was informed recently that the runaway man would be brought back from Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, he added. But his family members have approached the local administration, telling it that the octogenarian is not welcome back home. One of Chauhan's grandsons, who is the Jestwadi village chief (gram pradhan), has approached the local administration requesting it not to bring him back, the revenue officer said. It is no use bringing home someone who did not think of us all these years, said 78-year-old Bugna Devi. "I don't even remember his face now," she added. Twenty years after he left home, the family came to know that someone saw Chauhan at Solan in Himachal Pradesh. The family members subsequently traced Chauhan and pleaded with him to return home, but he did not heed to their pleas then, forcing them to return empty-handed. "Dharasu" (the block in which his village is located) and "Jestwadi" (his village) are the only two words that Chauhan keeps repeating, the revenue officer, who spoke to him on phone, said. Chauhan's grandson said he too had spoken to his grandfather on phone but he spoke only Himachali language and not Garhwali. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China has issued a statement calling on all United Nations member states to actively fulfil their financial obligations to the organisation. The statement released on May 15 stressed that Washington owes more than $2 billion to the organisation. It further said that including all the money owed in several past years, the US makes up to be the largest debtor, owing over 1.165 billion and 1.332 billion US dollars respectively. However, there has been no response to the Chinese claim from the US as of now. "As of May 14, the total unpaid assessments under the UN regular budget and peacekeeping budget amounted to 1.63 and 2.14 billion us dollars respectively, a Chinese statement read. The United States of America is the largest contributor to the UN budget paying 22 per cent of its total annual running cost and 25 per cent of its peacekeeping operations. The payment made by America has a direct impact on reimbursement UN pays to countries that send its troops in those missions. Officially Washington is meant to pay 27.89 per cent of Un mission's total budget but a decision made by Congress as President Donald Trump cut it to 25 per cent. Read: China Reports 21 New COVID-19 Cases, Wuhan Steps Up Mass Testing For Infections China, which is the second-largest contributor to the UN, contributes 12 per cent of the UNs running costs and 15 per cent of its peacekeeping missions. On May 15, 50 of the 193 members states including China paid their dues to the full. This comes as the United Nations has been struggling with a cash crunch. Recently, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that there might be significant delays towards middle of the year unless cash positions improve significantly. Read: Home Minister Amit Shah Praises NSG Commandos' Commitment Towards Peacekeeping Deployment of troops suspended Meanwhile, the Geneva-based body has announced the suspension of rotation and deployments of its uniformed personnel, including the individual officers, police, troops for peacekeeping units until June 30 due to COVID-19 pandemic. The international news agency quoted the spokesperson of UN Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric on April 7 that the peace-keeping bodys main priority remains to ensure COVID-19-free status of the uniformed personnel coming to remove the risk of infection. The most recent decision by the UN has been reportedly sent to all countries that contribute military and police to the places for the organisations operations of peacekeeping. Read: Israel Demands Major Changes In UN Peacekeeping In Lebanon Read: COVID-19: UN Suspends Deployment Of Troops, Police For Peacekeeping Until June 30 Embattled Matt Hancock failed to hold a single face-to-face meeting with care home bosses in the weeks leading up to the lockdown. Just two days ago, the Health Secretary insisted the Government sought to put a protective ring around the sector as soon as the extent of the coronavirus threat became apparent. But The Mail on Sunday can reveal that care industry executives had virtually no direct access to Mr Hancock during February and March when crucial decisions which may have ultimately led to the loss of thousands of lives were being made. The revelation will heap further pressure on Mr Hancock over his handling of both the broader Covid-19 problem and care homes in particular. Embattled Matt Hancock failed to hold a single face-to-face meeting with care home bosses in the weeks leading up to the lockdown. It comes as the official death toll from coronavirus in care homes rose to 9,039, although the actual total could be more than double this. In a series of damning criticisms, senior figures say Mr Hancock made a fateful error by devoting all his attention to the NHS at the expense of protecting those in residential care. They also claim their concerns and requests regarding the impending crisis were ignored and it was a mistake to put inexperienced Junior Minister Helen Whately in charge of the situation. It was, however, the lack of access to the Health Secretary himself, believe the care industry insiders, that led to critical and lethal mistakes. We can reveal that not even Care England chief executive Professor Martin Green, who represents thousands of care providers, got any face time with Mr Hancock during this time. Last night, Prof Green said: At the start of this pandemic there was only one focus and it was the NHS. As Mr Hancock put his energies into preparing the health service for the task of dealing with coronavirus, care providers were left dealing with Ms Whately, who many described as sympathetic but ineffective. One industry executive said: She made all the right noises, but we really needed Matt Hancock to be there. Care home bosses say they moved quickly to raise concerns about the risk of the infection, as well as the lack of testing and personal protective equipment (PPE), but in numerous conversations with this newspaper they said too often their fears fell on deaf ears. Social care consultant Melanie Henwood said: I just dont think they paid proper attention to the world outside of hospitals. Care industry insiders believe a lack of access to Health Secretary Matt Hancock led to critical and lethal mistakes. Instead care providers were left dealing with Ms Whately, who many described as sympathetic but ineffective Patients were discharged from hospital without being tested [for coronavirus] and sent into care homes. It was just inevitable that there would be a transfer of the [virus] risk from hospitals to the community. Its mind-boggling they didnt seem to connect these two worlds. The first key error, she said, was advice issued by Public Health England (PHE) on February 25 that it remained very unlikely people in care homes would become infected as there was currently no transmission of Covid-19 in the UK. Yet a fortnight earlier the UK Governments Scientific Pandemic Influenza Modelling committee had concluded: It is a realistic probability that there is already sustained transmission in the UK, or that it will become established in the coming weeks. Almost 5,000 miles away, Seattle, on the US West Coast, appeared, just like most of Britain, to be coronavirus-free. But by mid-February a resident at the Life Care Center home had been infected. On March 3 authorities revealed the awful truth that four had died of coronavirus. It was the start of the first big outbreak in the US. The very same day as the Seattle care home outbreak emerged, Boris Johnson set out his 28-page coronavirus battle plan. It made no mention of a protective ring being thrown around care homes but instead instructed care leaders to work together to support early discharge from hospital with no routine tests for those sent back into care homes. Numerous care home managers have since spoken of how they felt pressurised to take hospital patients. Another solution was possible, said Prof Green. Some of Care Englands larger members offered up new care homes as isolation units for those discharged from hospital, which would have kept regular care home residents safe. But he said: Nobody at NHS England responded to that. Absolutely nobody. On March 13, PHE advice for care homes changed asking no one to visit who has suspected Covid-19 or is generally unwell but visits were still allowed. Three days later, Mr Johnson said: Absolutely, we dont want to see people unnecessarily visiting care homes. Yet hospital discharges into care homes accelerated and tests for care residents and staff remained hard to come by. By early April the first care home fatalities started to emerge: 13 dead at Burlington Court in Glasgow, 15 at Castletroy in Luton. They were the harbingers of many more to come. Last night the Department of Health and Social Care said: We have been working tirelessly with Government colleagues as well as social care and public health experts to support adult social care. Ministers meet regularly with sector representatives to understand the issues facing providers and patients. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 22:24:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MADRID, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Saturday he will seek a fifth and final extension to the State of Alarm, which was imposed on March 15 to control the spread of the coronavirus. Speaking in a televised speech, Sanchez said the upcoming final State of Alarm, which will come into effect on May 24 if approved, will be "different" from others. "It is expected to be the last State of Alarm. We are going to request in the Congress of Deputies that it should last for a month," he said. All the previous four extensions have been 15 days. There has been increased opposition in Spain to the State of Alarm, which is the first of three emergency levels a Spanish government can apply under exceptional circumstances. It grants the government special powers to limit the movement of citizens, control the means of production, use private assets if needed, and also use the military to carry out essential logistical and supply jobs. Sanchez insisted the measures had worked. "The path that we are taking is the only one possible," he said. On Saturday, Spain's health authorities said 102 new deaths were confirmed in a 24-hour period, the smallest daily increase since the State of Alarm was put into effect. Sanchez also pointed to the preliminary results from a nationwide coronavirus antibody study, which helped the government gauge the extent of the epidemic. "Only 5 percent of Spaniards have been infected," he said, explaining that the study made clear that the "herd immunity" approach initially favored in Britain would not have worked. Enditem SACRAMENTO When Gov. Gavin Newsom laid out ground rules that would allow counties with few coronavirus cases to move faster than the state to reopen their economies, he credited Colorado and Oregon with the idea. They quite literally thats a proof point of the work they were doing in this space helped guide and advance our work that we are putting out, Newsom said during a May 4 news conference. The plan was the product of conversations between five Western states governors who formed one of several interstate pacts that are coordinating regional responses to the coronavirus pandemic. But since it was rolled out with fanfare a month ago, the collaboration between California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Colorado has been loose, advisory and largely symbolic. Each state is still crafting its own strategy to lift shutdown measures and following a different timeline to resume public life. California and Washington gave permission for curbside pickup for retailers and some outdoor activities to resume last week, while Nevada jumped ahead to allow stores and restaurants to operate at half capacity. In Oregon, the first counties reopened only Friday. But restaurants, bars, gyms and salons in those counties can operate with social distancing protocols, and gatherings of up to 25 people are allowed. Thats far more leeway than Newsom has given to the mostly rural counties in California that were granted permission last week to reopen faster than the state. And Colorado had already announced the first phase of its reopening when it joined the pact at the end of April, when other member states were still nearly entirely shut down. Retailers, office spaces, barbershops, tattoo parlors, pet groomers and massage therapists have been opening for weeks in Colorado, although dining at restaurants and working out at gyms remain largely forbidden. David McCuan, a professor of political science at Sonoma State University, said the pact was primarily an arrangement of political convenience. It gave the Western states a stamp of authority to direct their coronavirus response, while also providing their Democratic governors a boost in national profile by contrasting their approach with that of the Trump administration. As the next phase of the crisis turns inward governors are facing down decimated budgets and regions of their states are in rebellion against stay-at-home orders the coordination could help them maintain the balance of power and provide cover for difficult or unpopular decisions. Its a political necessity to keep the focus on themselves and to keep it there for as long as possible, McCuan said. What youre going to see is some protection in numbers or protection with like-mindedness. Ethan Miller / Getty Images The Western States Pact was announced in mid-April, with Newsom, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee promising to work together on a shared approach for reopening our economies. Nevada Gov. Brian Sisolak and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis joined two weeks later. At the time, states were facing growing pressure from President Trump to end the stay-at-home orders that many had enacted to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Trump told reporters that it would be up to him when to restart the country because his authority as president was total. As with similar agreements in the Northeast and the Midwest, the unity among the West Coast states initially created a counterbalance to Trumps demands. Newsom said California, Oregon and Washington would be using science to guide our decision-making, not political pressure. Mike Faulk, a spokesman for Inslee, said the greatest benefit of the pact was acknowledging we are in this together as a region and signaling to the federal government the states needs on testing, personal protective equipment and economic recovery. The leaders of these states have acknowledged some of the help provided by the federal government, but it has not been enough and in some cases the president and the Senates messaging have had very troubling implications for the future, Faulk said in an email. He pointed to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells recent comments that states facing budget problems should be allowed to declare bankruptcy rather than expecting a federal bailout. Its also difficult for states to plan on what to expect from the federal government when the presidents comments change day-to-day or conflict with what his subordinates are telling state officials, Faulk said. Newsom, who frequently played foil to the president before the coronavirus pandemic, has repeatedly denied that the pact was formed with any political intent. He said he has been in conversations with Brown and Inslee since he took office last year about strategies to expand their economies and reduce poverty, a relationship that was formalized through the pact. It was a spirit of collaboration that was alive and well and made visible, Newsom said. Chiefs of staff for the five governors hold weekly phone calls and keep each other updated by email about whats developing in each of their states. They have swapped strategies on dealing with the federal government, testing practices and safety guidelines for businesses. But partnerships have been limited. On Monday, the governors and legislative leaders for all five states jointly sent a letter to Congress calling for $1 trillion in direct aid to states and local governments nationwide. Dana Williamson, who served as Cabinet secretary for Gov. Jerry Brown, said public expectations when the pact was announced were overblown. Sharing information and resources as Western states have done for years during wildfire season and on policy issues like climate change is what they needed most during this crisis, she said, because the Trump administration refused to play that role. Instead of maybe making a big mistake, you all know from each others mistakes, she said. The federal government has done such a bad job ... that the governors have had to step up. Pacts in other regions of the country are similarly informal. Leaders in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, and in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., have said they are working together, but they never created official frameworks for reopening. The most concrete action came last week when Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island said they would form a regional supply chain to buy personal protective equipment. Newsom said the Western states have not considered a similar arrangement, and he has forged ahead alone on controversial deals like a $1 billion contract for medical masks produced by Chinese manufacturer BYD. And when it comes to the biggest decision of the coronavirus pandemic when they will ease restrictions on public life each state is operating on its own timeline. Daniel Tierney, a spokesman for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, said that even as states develop their own plans to reopen, its absolutely crucial that we do coordinate, because some of their biggest cities are near borders with other states. The Republican governor formed an agreement in April with his counterparts in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Tierney said DeWine has been talking frequently with Indiana and Kentucky, which are right next to Cincinnati. Last month, he required counties in eastern Ohio to limit liquor sales to state residents, in an attempt to discourage visitors from across the border in Pennsylvania, which closed all its liquor stores. Not coordinating with other states can create situations where if any one is an outlier, youre creating a massive shift, Tierney said. Counties in the Lake Tahoe region, which share tight economic ties across the California and Nevada border, faced some of those challenges early in the outbreak. Kate Thomas, the assistant county manager for Washoe County in Nevada, said its residents struggled with an influx of Californians to second homes and vacation rentals because Newsom issued a stay-at-home order before Nevada. When in-restaurant dining, barbershops and salons were allowed to reopen last weekend, Washoe County required them to take reservations, Thomas said, in part to keep people from rushing our area from California, where those services are not yet available. Its really being done very cautiously, she said. Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @akoseff 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. The Armenian armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns and sniper rifles. 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 surroundingrregions. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz She said the process has achieved 95 percent accuracy for determining positives and a 99.7 percent accuracy rate for determining negatives. More than 4,300 Iowans have been screened for COVID-19 at drive-through Test Iowa sites, she noted. Roughly 4,000 have received their results but about 300 are still waiting, and problems have developed with some samples were damaged in processing or inconclusive. For those Iowans who have reached out to tell us that weve fallen short of meeting their expectations, we hear you, she said. Now that the lab has completed the validation process, we expect more tests will be processed more quickly and your results will be delivered on a timely basis. A Test Iowa call center will be established soon to assist Iowans, Reynolds said. Were focused on process improvement, the governor said. As we continue to ramp up, were working on optimizing our operations and improving the overall Test Iowa experience. A Democratic lawmaker asked Thursday that the Legislatures House Government Oversight Committee be convened to look into the scope and metrics of the $26 million Test Iowa contract. Infighting flares up among Turkish-backed militants over stolen objects in northern Syria: Report Iran Press TV Friday, 15 May 2020 9:42 AM Infighting has erupted among Turkish-backed Takfiri militants in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province following dispute over distribution of stolen objects, a report says. The clashes broke out among the Turkish-backed al-Rahman Corps, the Sultan Murad Division, and Mu'tasim Division in several villages near the towns of Tal Tamr and Ras al-Ain, north of Hasakah province, sources have told the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The infighting flared up after dispute over distribution of stolen objects, which the terrorists looted from houses in the area. They also had disagreements over taking over the houses. Members of the Sultan Murad Division also set numerous houses in Bu'ayrir village in rural Ras al-Ain on fire after looting them, the SOHR reported. The arson attack came as in mid-April another Turkish-backed militant group had burned residential buildings in Hasakah. The acts of arson took place in the town of Tel Arqam, which lies 10 kilometers west of the city of Ras al-Ain near Syria's border with Turkey, where militants from the so-called Badr Martyrs' Battalion attacked the area. There has also been a surge in abductions in the areas where the Turkish-backed Takfiri militants are present, particularly in Ras al-Ain. The Ankara-backed militants were deployed to northeastern Syria last October after Turkish military forces launched a long-threatened cross-border invasion in a declared attempt to push militants of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) away from border areas. Turkey views the US-backed YPG as a terrorist organization tied to the homegrown Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been seeking an autonomous Kurdish region in Turkey since 1984. Late last month, the Turkish army brought additional military reinforcements to Syria's Hasakah province as part of Ankara's unauthorized cross-border offensive into the Arab country. The Syrian government has time and again firmly rejected the Turkish-led operations as a blatant violation of its sovereignty and has vowed to liberate the whole country from the foreign-led occupation. Syria's Hasakah province has also witnessed the deployment of US military convoys during the past months as Washington has long been supplying the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militant group with arms and training, calling the group a key partner in Washington's purported fight against the Daesh. The YPG is considered as the backbone of the SDF. Many observers see the support in the context of Washington's scheme to carve out a foothold in Syria. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address J. Crew and Neiman Marcus were each facing a host of issues before the coronavirus pandemic forced them to close their stores and eventually file for bankruptcy, including trouble adjusting to the rise of e-commerce and a lack of connection with a new generation of shoppers. But they also shared one increasingly common problem for retailers in dire straits: an enormous debt burden roughly $1.7 billion for J. Crew; almost $5 billion for Neiman Marcus from leveraged buyouts led by private equity firms. Like many other retailers, J. Crew and Neiman during the past decade paid hundreds of millions of dollars in interest and fees to their new owners, when they needed to spend money to adapt to a shifting retail environment. And when the pandemic wiped out much of their sales, neither had anywhere to go for relief except court. Much of the difficulty that the retail sector is experiencing has been aggravated by private equity involvement, said Elisabeth de Fontenay, a professor at the Duke University School of Law who specializes in corporate finance. To keep up with everybodys switch to online purchasing, there really needed to be some big capital investments and changes made, and because these companies were so debt-strapped when acquired by private equity firms, they didnt have capital to make these big shifts. The filings by J. Crew and Neiman Marcus followed a wave of retail bankruptcies in the past few years, and came as numerous chains, including J.C. Penney, teetered on the brink because of the pandemic. Last July, a report from the Center for Popular Democracy, a progressive advocacy group based in Brooklyn, said that 10 of the 14 largest retail chain bankruptcies since 2012 involved companies that had been acquired by private equity firms. Barneys New York went into liquidation in November and Zac Posen, owned by Yucaipa Cos., closed the same month. In March 2019, the North American operation of the Italian brand Roberto Cavalli declared bankruptcy when its private equity owner, Clessidra, failed to sell its stake. In early April, the British department store chain Debenhams filed for protection for the second time in less than a year. You need so much money to keep the stores open, so much money to keep the inventory flowing an average department store will have 2,500 brands you need to invest in building, you need to invest in staffing, and most P.E. firms dont want to make investment before they start seeing the return, said Marigay McKee, founder of MM Luxe Consulting and a former president of Saks Fifth Avenue. Private equity firms have been involved with retailers for decades. But the collapse of Toys R Us in 2017 put a spotlight on how major buyouts by the firms could go sideways. The chain had been burdened with $5 billion in debt from a 2005 leveraged buyout by the private equity firms Bain Capital, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and the real estate firm Vornado Realty Trust, and it did not have sufficient funds to invest in its stores and e-commerce business during a crucial period of growth for Amazon and Walmart. It was eventually liquidated and more than 30,000 workers were laid off. The workers were not paid severance even as creditors, bankruptcy lawyers and consultants received payments until they lobbied pension funds, which invest heavily in funds managed by private equity firms. The situation galvanized politicians and union activists and spurred public outrage. J. Crew, which owns Madewell, and Neiman Marcus, which owns Bergdorf Goodman, have vowed to stay in business, but bankruptcies inevitably raise questions about what the future holds for employees, stores and vendors. The bankruptcies have also shown how running retail companies requires a specific skill set, particularly when it comes to fashion. Clothing is an almost entirely discretionary purchase, dependent not just on cycles within the economy, but on consumer taste and the images of the brands themselves. Private equity funds often find themselves seduced a little by the hypified names, said Sandeep Dahiya, an associate professor of finance at Georgetown University. Private equity has been flirting with fashion retail since at least 1987, when the Bahrain-based Investcorp began buying shares in the beleaguered family-run Italian brand Gucci, turning the loss-making company around. It cashed out in an IPO in 1996, setting a model for the industry and paving the way for such deals as TPGs 1999 purchase of Bally, Permiras 2007 acquisition of Valentino Fashion Group, and the triple flip of Jimmy Choo from Equinox to Lion Capital to Towerbrook. Carlyle acquired 48% of the Italian fashion brand Moncler in 2008, right as its puffer jackets exploded in popularity. It exited in 2014, the year after Moncler went public. Other private equity deals had mixed results, but Carlyles success combined with a booming luxury sector, especially in Asia, and the lure of real estate embodied by store networks enticed private equity investors. They saw retail as a cash-generating business, with management often composed of founders or families that could be shaken up and streamlined. Retail used to be kind of a golden goose for private equity firms, because in order for an LBO to work, the company has to be fairly mature with fairly regular cash flows, de Fontenay said. Under normal conditions, thats kind of the definition of retail. It works out just fine as long as the economy and sector youre invested in continues to grow, she added. If the sector is shrinking, it has been bad news. Neiman Marcus was first taken off the market for about $5.1 billion in a 2005 leveraged buyout by TPG and Warburg Pincus. The company was then sold in 2013 to a group led by the private equity firm Ares Management and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in a $6 billion deal. Steve Dennis, founder of SageBerry Consulting and a Neiman Marcus strategy executive from 2004 to 2008, said he knew at least one firm that backed away from the price tag of the second sale based on the significant amount of growth to justify it. Anything that would take more than a trivial amount of capital and have a longer payout time doesnt generally fit with a private equity model, Dennis said. Neiman Marcus filed to go public in 2015 but an IPO never materialized. The company, which said in court filings that it employed about 13,200 people including 9,500 full-time staff, has spent much of the last two years trying to restructure its roughly $5 billion in debt, on which it has paid hundreds of millions of dollars in interest. Its revenue was $4.9 billion in its last public annual report, which was for the year ended July 2018. Moodys said last May that Neiman Marcus debt levels had reached unsustainable levels. One of Neiman Marcus most valuable assets the luxury e-commerce retailer MyTheresa was not part of the bankruptcy filing. A group of bondholders has been arguing since 2018 that MyTheresas assets were improperly transferred to the companys owners, leaving little to protect holders of the companys unsecured debt. Marble Ridge Capital, a hedge fund that holds some of Neimans bonds, wrote in a public letter to the owners last month that you have left a carcass of a company for the remaining stakeholders and have put both Neimans storied franchise and thousands of jobs at risk. Alex Yankus, a representative for Ares, declined to comment. Darryl Konynenbelt, a representative for the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, declined to comment. Amber Seikaly, a spokeswoman for Neiman Marcus, said that since 2014, the company has invested over $1 billion of capital into our business, including in new and existing stores, technology and its digital presence. J. Crew has also faced a rocky road after its $3 billion leveraged buyout by TPG Partners and Leonard Green & Partners in 2011. It weathered fashion missteps, management changes, quality complaints and a general identity crisis. But its debt and related expenses also ate up cash that hurt the companys ability to reinvest in its products, supply chain and e-commerce platforms. Americans for Financial Reform, a consumer advocacy group, estimated that J. Crew paid more than $760 million in dividends and fees to its ownership group since 2011. Those distributions are shared with investors in funds managed by the private equity firms. Before it began furloughs during the pandemic, J. Crew had 13,000 employees worldwide, with 4,000 full-time workers, according to court documents. Luke Barrett, a representative for TPG said that the bankruptcy was a significant disappointment for everyone and that the investment ultimately created loss for both TPG and our investors. When COVID-19 forced the closure of the companys entire store operations, we worked quickly to modify the capital structure and create a new ownership structure that will serve the long-term interests of J. Crew, its employees and its customers, he said. A representative for Leonard Green declined to comment. One of the defenses of private equity right now is, theyre saying these are structurally declining businesses already, and look, that is a part of it, said Andrew Park, a senior policy analyst at Americans for Financial Reform, a consumer advocacy group. But again, having to service that debt makes these businesses hard, and when you see these companies blatantly taking money away, thats the element that has really led to criticism. Dahiya, the Georgetown professor, said he expected more bankruptcies from retailers backed by private equity firms given the current environment and that he thought it could potentially become a political issue. If there is a big retail bankruptcy or liquidation with a lot of job losses and P.E. is involved, he said, that would be like catnip to politicians, because retail is something that touches you and me, unlike, say, chemicals. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Williamson Memorial Hospital staff huddle in the nurses station for a ceremonial last call from the emergency dispatcher. (Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times) The red "Emergency" sign glowed above the empty ER waiting room as Loretta Simon walked to the front door and posted a notice that Williamson Memorial Hospital was shutting down. It was just after 1:15 a.m. The emergency room beds were vacant. The last staff on duty were clocking out. Soon she would switch off the heart monitor in the nurses station and watch its screen fade to black. As the 48-year-old chief nursing officer stepped outside to block the ER entrance with yellow caution tape, she thought of all the people she had treated in her 25 years at the hospital: elderly patients who had suffered strokes, coal miners injured underground or laboring to breathe with black lung disease, patients of all ages who had overdosed on opioids and methamphetamines. Loretta Simon, chief nursing officer, puts up caution tape outside the ER after her last shift at the now-defunct Williamson Memorial Hospital in Williamson, W.Va. (Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times) She wasnt sure when, or even if, the emergency room would open again. While big hospitals in places such as New York City, Detroit and New Orleans have been overwhelmed with a massive surge of COVID-19 cases, Williamson Memorial is one of hundreds of rural hospitals across the nation that have suffered from an altogether different crisis: a massive drop in patients. The struggling 76-bed hospital in this rugged Appalachian coal country town of 2,800 residents was forced to close down last month after the global coronavirus pandemic hit just as administrators were trying to climb out of bankruptcy and work out a deal for another hospital to take over. The only hospital in Mingo County, a remote pocket of West Virginia, Williamson Memorial did not treat any patients with COVID-19 so far, the county of 23,400 residents has confirmed just three cases and one death. But the hospital's net revenue was slashed in half as administrators halted nonessential procedures and visits to the emergency room plummeted from about 800 to 300 a month. And so this former mining town, nestled in a narrow valley surrounded by hills of poplar and oak, has lost the hospital that served its people for more than a century. Story continues Its heartbreaking, Simon said. Its hard not to feel a little defeated that we have all these people in our hospital who have all this skill, who know how to take care of patients. But yet when the need is going to hit, we're not going to be here. Williamson Memorial, the only hospital in Mingo County, W.Va., served the remote area for over a century. (Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times) Its a pattern that is likely to play out across the nation as COVID-19 unsettles the precarious finances of hundreds of small rural hospitals. Already, more than 170 have closed in the last 15 years, according to the University of North Carolinas Rural Health Research Program. Last year, 18 shut their doors the most since 2000 and 12 have shuttered in the first four months of this year. It's hard to envision a scenario in which we do not see a lot more hospitals closing, said Alan Morgan, chief executive of the National Rural Health Assn., noting that in February, the nonprofit group identified more than 400 hospitals at risk for closure. Things have only gotten significantly worse. According to a recent report by the American Hospital Assn., hospitals and health systems across the nation face unprecedented financial challenges in the coming months, with an estimated loss of more than $200 billion from COVID-19 expenses from March to June. After cancelling all outpatient and elective procedures, which account for 70% to 80% of revenue, Morgan said, many hospitals are furloughing and laying off staff. In April, the healthcare sector lost 1.4 million jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , with nearly 135,000 hospital workers laid off across the country. :: For many Williamson residents, the closure of their hometown hospital raises the unwanted prospect of traveling two miles across the Tug Fork River to the 148-bed Tug Valley ARH Regional Medical Center in Kentucky. Some West Virginians are wary of making that trip; they say their insurance companies do not cover out-of-state visits and they worry they might incur higher bills. Also, they point out, they cannot easily get to the hospital when the river floods. Five years ago, the West Virginia Health Care Authority blocked ARH from purchasing Williamson Memorial, arguing that transferring services to a Kentucky facility could cause Mingo County residents serious problems in obtaining care. The nearest in-state hospital is a 35-minute drive away. Some residents here hope that Williamson Memorial, after going through a succession for-profit owners, can be resurrected. Already, a local physician and entrepreneur, Dr. Donovan Dino Beckett, who trained at the Williamson hospital as a medical student and worked for the hospital for more than 15 years, has swooped in to purchase the hospitals assets. But Beckett, the owner of a federally qualified health and wellness center, is not sure he will be able to reopen the facility as a full-service hospital with an emergency room. His plans rest on how soon the U.S. can curb the spread of the virus. The ER at Williamson Memorial Hospital went from serving about 800 patients a month to 300 before it had to close down completely. (Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times) It just depends on how quickly the United States gets back to normalcy, he said. That's what creates a little anxiety for me. The uncertainty of what's going on in the world right now creates a lot of angst that maybe its too difficult to pull off. The closure of Williamson Memorial has left many in this shrinking town wondering about its future. Just last month, Norfolk Southern eliminated 35 jobs at the citys rail yard, built in 1901 to service the regions coal mines. I've always said if you lose your community hospital, tumbleweeds are next, said Mayor Charles Hatfield, who served as the hospital CEO until it declared bankruptcy. With 100 full-time staff, the hospital served as an economic engine for the city. It was the main employer, Hatfield said, contributing more than $100,000 a year in property taxes and about a third of the city's business and occupation tax revenue. The railroads left the area, the mines are shutting down, said Cathy Hardin, a 66-year-old pharmacy technician at Hurley Drug Co., as she strolled down the citys deserted main street wearing a face mask and blue latex gloves. Its just something else to feel sad about. Our town has no future. Cathy Hardin, a pharmacy technician, says she was already disheartened by the loss of the area's railroads and mines. (Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times) Closing the hospital not only puts stress on local restaurants and stores, but also makes it harder for Williamson to attract tourism and diversify its economy. What you are doing is setting up the future of a county to die, because companies dont come to places where you dont have a healthy workforce and a good medical infrastructure, said Debrin Jenkins, executive director of the West Virginia Rural Health Assn. It sets up this kind of Mobius loop of people getting sicker, young people moving away, and older people staying here that are sicker and poor. Like many rural hospitals facing financial collapse, Williamson Memorials problems began long before COVID-19. Perched high up on a wooded hill overlooking this proud town that touts itself as the heart of the billion-dollar coalfields, Williamson Memorial has struggled in recent decades as the coal industry has become more mechanized and faced stiffer competition from natural gas and renewable energies. In its peak in the 1930s, Williamson was a bustling hub of 9,400 residents with a thriving downtown that boasted a grand five-story Neoclassical-style hotel, theater and department store. While the hotel is still there, some stores are boarded up and many have been replaced by lawyers' offices and pawn shops. As well-paying jobs dried up and the towns population dwindled, the hospital found itself treating a higher ratio of patients without health insurance or relying on government programs, such as Medicaid or Medicare, that do not fully reimburse treatment costs. Working at the hospital, Loretta Simon witnessed the shifts in the community firsthand. A decade after joining the hospital as a nurse in the childbirth unit, she had to switch to case management in the mid 2000s as fewer babies were born and the hospital shut down its obstetrics department. Then the opioid crisis came. Between 2006 and 2016, two downtown pharmacies in Williamson dispensed more than 20 million opioid pills, thrusting the city into newfound fame as the opioid capital of America. Overdoses became a weekly, sometimes daily, routine in the ER. A year after taking over the hospital in 2018, Williamson-based Mingo Health Partners filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, attributing its financial struggles to low reimbursement rates and general difficulties of delivering healthcare in Mingo County. According to Gene Preston, who took over as CEO in October, the company worked over the last six months to overhaul a flawed billing system, streamline by cutting services like cardiology and oncology, and obtain interim financing to carry the hospital through early summer, when another hospital system could take over. But the coronavirus derailed his plans not just by causing revenue to plummet, but by burdening other health systems that were interested in acquiring or partnering with the hospital and forcing them to postpone any agreement. We had no choice, Preston said of the closure. :: Chasity Scott and Jessica Wolford, clinical laboratory scientists, take part in a candlelight vigil outside Williamson Memorial Hospital. (Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times) While West Virginia was the last state in the nation to report a confirmed case of COVID-19 and is now, after more than 1,400 cases and over 60 deaths, seeing a decline in cases, it is particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Mingo County, in particular, has an older, poorer and sicker population than that of most counties in the state, with high rates of heart disease, obesity, hypertension and diabetes. Many former coal miners have chronic lung disease. Any one of these risk factors would be a problem, but when a closure hits these rural communities that have a disproportionate share of multiple chronic health issues, its just horrific, Morgan said. It's a tinderbox. In Williamson, Karen Reynolds, 65, a retired Mingo County teacher who lives a stone's throw from the facility, said it was discomforting to look out at night and see darkness where it stands. Suffering from limited lung capacity as well as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, she feared traveling to a bigger hospital. Its scary to think something like that is happening and we cant go up the hill to the hospital, Reynolds said. We trust the people on the hill. Her husband, Jeffrey, 55, a former principal of Williamson High School, said he worried the facility would not reopen as a full-service hospital. Its one thing to lose a grocery store. Its one thing to lose a car dealership, he said. But when youve lost a hospital, you dont just lose jobs and economic capacity. You lose the capacity to care for your citizens. Thats a big deal for us. Already, the closure of a hospital on the other end of the state has faced strong criticism from locals who say it is putting residents at risk. Two weeks after Fairmont Regional Medical Center in northwest West Virginia closed in March, emergency responders decided to try to revive a 54-year-old Fairmont man with COVID-19 symptoms after he went into cardiac arrest rather than transport him to the nearest hospital half an hour away. The man died. I wonder if the hospital was open, could the outcome have been different? said Michael Angelucci, who leads the Marion County Rescue Squad and is a Democratic member of West Virginias House of Delegates. Could we have given this man a saving chance? Angelucci has urged West Virginias Republican governor, Jim Justice, to issue an executive order requiring Alecto Healthcare, the California-based for-profit chain that owns the hospital, to keep the facility open. We have a 100-bedroom hospital that is sitting empty while we have patients getting sick, Angelucci said. Not having a hospital in a time of a pandemic is unthinkable. For many Williamson Memorial workers, the medical threats posed by the virus feel less real than their new reality of unemployment. As scores of nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists and physicians assistants filed into the ER to say goodbye before it closed, few wore protective masks. Many wiped away tears as they huddled in the nurses station ignoring a sign urging them to stay six feet apart to receive a ceremonial last call from the emergency dispatcher. After leaning in to hug a nurse, Loretta Simon giggled. Im not really practicing social distancing, she said. Jessica Browning clocks out after her final shift at Williamson Memorial Hospital. (Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times) Waiting for her last shift to end in a hospital without patients, Jessica Browning, a 29-year-old physicians assistant, said she had no clue how long she would be able to keep up with her monthly $1,100 mortgage and $1,200 car payments. Her next-door neighbor had already been laid off from the nearby hospital in Kentucky, so there was no chance of working for it. The hospital 35 minutes away was not hiring. While Browning had heard of temporary assignments helping COVID-19 patients in Louisiana, she said, the assignments lasted 21 days, followed by a two-week quarantine, and she couldnt imagine spending that much time away from her 3-year-old, Maeleigh. I think this really shows the problem with hospitals in general, Browning said. That we're in a pandemic and so many healthcare professionals are being laid off. Simon nodded. Waiting for coronavirus cases to spread, while closing down the hospital, just felt wrong. It almost feels like the barrier is just the financial situation, Simon said. Were what I would call a rich country, compared to most, and our healthcare should be a priority. This phase too will pass. In a few weeks or months, schools will open again. What will it be like when schools open? What should be the first set of priorities to focus on? How should schools proceed? Looking through the fog of uncertainty and disruption brought on by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) crisis, I see opportunity. A chance to do things in a new way. When schools open this year, it will be the most anticipated school opening of all time. Children, parents and teachers are all waiting for that moment. Schools were among the first institutions to shut in India. They shut even before the lockdown. The reopening of schools, therefore, will be a clear announcement that normal routines can restart and the daily schedules of life can resume. Schools can restart in several different ways. It can be business-as-usual. Worse, the system can go into an accelerated mode, trying to cram in all the things that did not happen since March. But what is needed is a time for welcome and a period for settling down. This is not just any back-to-school moment. This school opening should be treated as the start of a brand, new chapter. Children need to reconnect with friends. Schools and students need to get reacquainted. Teachers need time to understand the impact of the long unplanned school closure on where children currently are socially, emotionally, and academically. Helping them to settle in and catch up will go a long way towards rebuilding foundations and strengthening basic skills. While urban educated families have been able to support their childrens learning activities through the lockdown period, this has been difficult for many households in slum communities and vast parts of rural India. For primary school children, especially in government schools or in low-cost private schools, school closures may have weakened their ability to read or to do basic arithmetic. For older children, boosting reading and comprehension skills, sharpening communication, and the capability to apply language and math skills to actual texts and problems may be needed. In both cases, putting aside the usual age-grade curriculum and focussing on relevant foundational skills, for a few hours in each school day for the first few months, will be an excellent way to start the school year for 2020. The severe economic blow to many families is already visible and is likely to worsen. In such times of hardship, the already vulnerable and weak become even more disadvantaged. We must closely watch and reach out to children who are at-risk. Ensuring continuous and steady attendance in school is a must for a real return to normalcy. Girls in upper primary grades may be especially prone to being pulled out. As adult women seek work in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or hunt for other local livelihood options, the pressure on teenage girls to help with household chores is likely to intensify. Years of work to ensure universal elementary education cannot be undone by the Covid-19 crisis. Specifically, I worry about girls who have reached class 7 and 8 but whose academic standing is not strong. Rather than demanding stronger and longer remedies in education, poor parents may be tempted to withdraw such girls from school. We certainly n eed beti padhao, but more than that we need beti padhey and padhtey rahe. Parents have played a very central role in the lockdown period. Schools must recognize their contribution and support. While the national media has been preoccupied in discussing the pros and cons of on-line education, in the last six weeks, we, in Pratham, have embarked on an interesting adventure. In about 11,000 rural and urban communities across India, we have been sending phone messages to parents with a few activities that children can do that day. We started with WhatsApp messages, but it became clear very quickly that many children do not have access to smartphones. Hence, an entirely new wave of SMS messages was quickly developed and are being delivered daily. Thanks to ongoing relationships in these communities, we are also able to call and talk to parents and children at least once a week. Families send back videos and photos of their childrens handiwork; boys and girls phone us frequently to share their experiences. This two-way communication provides excellent feedback for understanding what children and parents can do together even with simple, sparse instructions. We have learned that parents participate in activities that they can engage with, and that continuous discussion and follow up results in energetic and enthusiastic involvement, even from parents who are not highly educated themselves. Parents play a critical role in their childrens lives; we have seen how the lockdown has led to their active support in childrens learning. Now it will be important to keep parental participation high even after schools open. The year 2020 is not a year for ambitious learning targets; nor is it a year for moving rapidly through what is already recognized as an overambitious curriculum. The new 2020 school year should be spent in reconnecting, settling down, catching up, rebuilding foundations and in enjoying school. We must do this to ensure that our children emerge strong and ready for tackling the 2021-22 school year. Rukmini Banerji is with Pratham Education Foundation The views expressed are personal WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - In a blog post Friday, Facebook said that it acquired Giphy, a popular website for creating animated graphics interchange format, or GIFs. Pricing terms of the deal were not disclosed. Citing people familiar with the matter, Axios said the deal is valued around $400 million. Facebook said that about 50% of Giphy's traffic comes from Facebook's family of apps, half of that from Instagram alone. Facebook has used Giphy's application program interface throughout its main Facebook app, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp. The company plans to further integrate their GIF library into Instagram and other apps so that people can find just the right way to express themselves. Giphy will become part of Instagram, the photo-sharing site owned by Facebook, and will continue to operate its library, Facebook said. 'People will still be able to upload GIFs; developers and API partners will continue to have the same access to GIPHY's APIs; and GIPHY's creative community will still be able to create great content,' said Vishal Shah, Instagram's vice president of product, in the blog post. 'We will continue to make GIPHY openly available to the wider ecosystem,' Giphy said in a post on blogging website Medium. 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. (Photo : REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/) A 3D printed Facebook logo is placed between small toy people figures in front of a keyboard in this illustration taken April 12, 2020. (Photo : China Daily via REUTERS ) People wearing face masks following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak are seen at an Apple store as the new iPhone SE goes on sale, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China April 24, 2020. As Facebook announced its purchase of Giphy for $400 million, users quickly aired their disappointment and vowed to drop the app. Here are some of the best alternatives to Giphy for iPhone users, and the steps you need to do to delete the iMessage Giphy app. It's a good thing that Apple has its own Bing-powered GIF search app in iMessage for the iPhone and iPad which 9to5Mac reported to have been found by one Filipe Esposito. Bing can still source GIFs through Giphy via Apple's native iMessage search, but it is no longer powered by Giphy. While Facebook confirmed to Bloomberg's Sarah Frier that it will know which apps Giphy GIFs are being used, it will not get user-identifiable data. Apple could choose to filter out Giphy results in the future or use Signal GIF searches that use a privacy-protecting proxy. Whatever the tech giant's decision may be, here are some alternatives for Giphy. Following is also a simple guide on how to remove the Giphy iMessage app from the iPhone and iPad. Removing the iMessage GIF app After Facebook purchased Giphy, users threatened to delete it from their iPhones and iPads. Here is how to do it. Open the iMessage app. Open the iMessage app drawer and swipe to the far right. Tap the three-dot icon to see more options. Look for the Giphy iMessage app. Swipe from right to left, then click on Delete. Best Giphy alternatives To get GIFs from other sources, here are some alternatives to Giphy. Apple's iMessage GIF app Apple has a built-in GIF search app in iMessage which is powered by Bing. It is called "#images" and is symbolized by a red icon with a magnifying glass. To see it in the iMessage app: From the iMessage app, swipe to the far right Click on the three-dot icon Tap "Edit" in the top right corner Swipe down to find #images Tap the green + icon Click Done Tenor Tenor has the largest community and is owned by Google. As it claims to be top GIF app, Tenor can be accessed from any device through its website and the iOS and iMessage apps, as well as in Android. GIFWrapped GIFWrapped uses iCloud or Dropbox to store and save GIFs across multiple devices, including iMessage. While it is free to download from the App Store, users may opt to remove ads for $2. Reddit Reddit provides a slightly different experience, but it offers loads of great GIFs. Users may sort GIFs by hot, new, and top. Google Search The traditional search with Google can still provide good results. Duck Duck Go Search DuckDuck Go provides good privacy-focused options for Gif searches. Users may refine their search using the "Image" result filter.According to 9to5Mac, Google is likely to produce more GIFs from Giphy than DuckDuck Go, although it is easier to check the source with web searches. $400 million deal with Facebook Giphy has been one of the most popular GIF platforms over the last decade. With today's news about Facebook buying the company, it immediately raised privacy and security concerns and many will likely look for a new source of GIFs. On Friday, Facebook announced in a blog post that it purchased the popular gif search engine as part of Instagram. The deal is said to be worth $400 million, as reported by Axios. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad says a new date for intra-Afghan peace talks is under discussion and it would be best if the discussions began while a significant number of American troops were still in Afghanistan. Speaking to reporters on a conference call on May 15, Khalilzad also said that he will travel soon to push for a de-escalation in violence and for the release of prisoners. He added that the United States has heard positive things about the formation of an inclusive Afghan government. Disagreements over the composition of the government and the pace of prisoner releases have delayed talks between Kabul and the Taliban to end more than 18 years of war. The talks were to begin on March 10 under a landmark deal signed in February between the United States and the militant group. The Taliban has ramped up attacks in recent weeks despite a pledge to reduce violence, a tactic that may be employed to strengthen its negotiating position. Meanwhile, Islamic State (IS) militants also continue to conduct deadly attacks on Afghan security forces and civilians. Khalilzad acknowledged that the U.S.-Taliban agreement does not specifically bar attacks on Afghan government forces. The Western-backed government in Kabul was not a party to the deal. Khalilzads comments came three days after attacks on a maternity hospital in Kabul and a funeral ceremony in Nangarhar Province that killed at least 56 people. No group has claimed responsibility for the hospital attack, which killed 24 people, including two babies, and the Taliban have denied it was behind the incident. Extremist IS militants claimed credit for the other attack. Khalilzad reiterated that the current U.S. view is that IS militants carried out the attacks, but Afghan officials say they see it differently. Though he did not mention Khalilzad by name, Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh said some people were naive for accepting Taliban lies and blaming the "fictional" IS faction in Afghanistan for the hospital attack. Neither the Taliban hands nor their stained consciousness can be washed of the blood of women, babies & other innocent in the latest senseless carnage, Saleh, a former intelligence chief, said on Twitter. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani ordered the military to go on the offensive against the Taliban and other militant groups following the two attacks on May 12. He accused all militant groups of ignoring repeated calls to reduce violence. Khalilzad said earlier on Twitter that IS opposes peace between the Afghan government and the Taliban and seeks to encourage sectarian war as in Iraq and Syria. Rather than falling into the [Islamic State's] trap and delay peace or create obstacles, Afghans must come together to crush this menace and pursue a historic peace opportunity, the U.S. envoy said. It was unclear whether the U.S. position would help revive peace efforts or alter Ghanis calculation to start an offensive. The Taliban, which has denied involvement in either attack, reacted to Ghani's statement on May 13 by saying it was "fully prepared" to repel any military offensive. In the first attack, three gunmen stormed a maternity hospital in Kabuls mostly Shi'ite neighborhood of Dasht-e Barchi before security forces killed them. At least 24 people, including babies, women, and nurses, were killed. The area where the clinic, run by the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), is located has been frequently targeted by IS militants. "What I saw in the maternity hospital demonstrates it was a systematic shooting of the mothers," said Frederic Bonnot, MSFs head in Afghanistan, who visited the facility after the attack. "They went through the rooms in the maternity [ward], shooting women in their beds. It was methodical, he added. The same day, a suicide bomber targeted a funeral for a police commander in the eastern province of Nangarhar, killing at least 32 people. The core peace plan is for U.S. and foreign troops to withdraw from Afghanistan following an intra-Afghan deal in exchange for guarantees from the Taliban not to allow the country to become a haven for transnational terrorist groups such as Islamic State and Al-Qaeda aiming to strike abroad. The United States is continuing its drawdown of troops from Afghanistan, and the Pentagon expects to meet a timeline agreed with the Taliban, a Pentagon spokesman said on May 15. "That is still going forward," Jonathan Hoffman said during a press briefing. With reporting by Reuters (Natural News) It certainly took no time all for leftist politicians to turn the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic into yet another soapbox for pushing their political correctness doctrines. One of the latest examples comes out of San Antonio, Texas, where the City Council voted unanimously to dub certain references linking the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) to China as racist. At one point, the mainstream media was claiming that wearing a mask is also racist. Calling it the Chinese Virus or the Kung Fu Virus is now considered to be hate speech in San Antonio, which is openly condemning such language and urging area locals to stop using this type of verbiage. This coronavirus has held no regard for race, religion, creed, or political boundary, wrote Mayor Ron Nirenberg in a petition to the City Council before its vote. As such, our efforts must meet the indiscriminate nature of COVID-19 with empathy and compassion for all our neighbors. Nirenberg went on to ask that the City Council consider adopting the attached resolution which declares that our COVID-19 response efforts will be free of hate and discrimination at the next Council A-Session. In Nirembergs view, calling it the KungFlu and any other similar such name only encourages hate crimes, particularly against Asian communities. He also claims that the Jewish community is being targeted with blame for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). Mainstream media trying to paint Trump as a racist for linking coronavirus to China As you may recall, the leftist media has similarly accused President Donald Trump of engaging in hate speech by calling it the Chinese Virus, which is an accurate descriptor since it came from Wuhan, China. Trump actually had to end a recent press conference early after being badgered about his claim that the United States is doing better than any other country when it comes to testing for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). Why does that matter? asked Weija Jiang, a Chinese immigrant who has lived in West Virginia since she was two years old. Why is this a global competition to you if every day Americans are still losing their lives and we are still seeing more cases every day? Well, they are losing their lives everywhere in the world, Trump responded. Maybe that is a question you should ask China. Dont ask me. Ask China that question. When you ask China that question you may get a very unusual answer. There was nothing particularly odd about this response, but Jiang had to interject as the next reporter was about to ask her own question with, Sir, why are you saying that to me, specifically? inferring that Trump referenced China to Jiang simply because she is Chinese. I am not saying it specifically to anybody, Trump quickly retorted. I am saying it to anybody who would ask a nasty question like that. Jiang proceeded to argue with the president, attempting to twist his words into something other than what was actually said, prompting him to end the press conference early. Since the left is obviously losing the narrative concerning the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the only thing it knows to do in response is to play the race card. But this, too, is failing, and is only making the left look like ignorant fools for trying to turn descriptors and references about the virus coming from China into hate speech. Jiang, as you may recall, is the same reporter who claimed back in March that an unidentified White House official referred to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) as the kung flu. At that time, Trump and other White House officials were routinely referring to it as the Chinese Virus, or China Virus. For more related news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), be sure to check out Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: FoxSanAntonio.com NaturalNews.com Deadline.com A group of 56 pregnant nurses stranded abroad approached Delhi High Court on Saturday seeking directions to the ministries and authorities concerned for facilitation of their return claiming they are in serious distress and need medical and psycho-socio support. The petition was moved by an organization called United Nurses Association on behalf of the pregnant nurses stranded abroad through advocate Subhash Chandran KR. The plea, which is slated to come for hearing on May 18, said that these 56 stranded pregnant nurses are healthcare workers and as such are exposed to hazards that put them at risk of COVID-19 infection. It said that 55 members of the petitioner organization, stranded in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and another member in Kuwait, need immediate medical and psycho-socio support as all of them are healthcare workers and therefore are exposed to hazards that put them at risk of infection. The listed 56 pregnant nurses are having serious medical issues as most of them are in the third trimester of pregnancy, the plea said. It said that these pregnant women did not get priority for repatriation in the first phase of 'Vande Bharat Mission' as announced by the Union of India. The plea also said that as per the airline policy, a pregnant woman cannot travel after 36 weeks of pregnancy and all of these nurses are staying alone in Saudi Arabia as the country did not provide family status visa to the staff nurses. It sought directions to authorities concerned to schedule special chartered flight from Saudi Arabia for bringing back pregnant women including the listed 56 healthcare workers who are stranded outside the country with highest priority. It is humbly submitted that on May 12, 2020, the Embassy of India, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia announced second phase of 'Vande Bharat Mission' whereby six flights will be operating in between May 19 and May 23, the plea said. Therefore, the petitioner prayed for the strict implementation of the Standard Operating Protocol for movement of Indian nationals stranded outside the country issued by MHA and also to bring back listed 56 pregnant healthcare workers with highest priority. (ANI) Also Read: Coronavirus Lockdown: Delhi Metro likely to resume services in lockdown 4 Gujarat Board Result 2020 LIVE Updates: The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board State Education Board (GSHSEB or GSEB) has announced the Class 12 Science examination results today. The overall pass percentage is 71.34 percent with a total of 1.40 lakh students have appeared for the examination. This year, the boys have fared better than the girls in the GSEB HSC science exams. Auto refresh feeds The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board State Education Board (GSHSEB or GSEB) has announced the Class 12 Science examination results around 6 am today. Step 6: Download or take a print out for future reference Step 2: Click on the result tab at the bottom Step 1: Go to the official website gseb.org Students can check the GSEB HSC Result 2019 by following these steps: To qualify in a subject, a student must obtain a minimum of grade D. Meanwhile, to be eligible for a higher Secondary Certificate, a student must obtain a minimum of grade D in all subjects. Those candidates who have obtained grade E1 or E2 in the subjects of External Examination shall have to improve their performance through subsequent attempts and qualify The evaluation process for the Gujarat Board exams was resumed in April-mid after being canceled once due to the coronavirus lockdown. The state board had announced to release the result for both class 10 and class 12 exams by May-end, reports Indian Express. The Class 12 Science stream results of the Gujarat state board were released on Sunday at 6 am at gseb.org. The Gujarat Board, however, said it would release the pass percentage, topper percentage, and toppers' name at 8 am today. This year, over 16 lakh candidates appeared for Gujarat board exams, out of which, around 6 lakh appeared for GSEB HSC class 12 board exams, reports News18. In 2019, approximately 4 lakh students had taken the Gujarat Board class 12 examination and the state had recorded a passing percentage of 71% (Science), and 73.27% (Commerce and Arts) with girls outperforming the boys yet again The overall pass percentage is 71.34 percent with a total of 1.40 lakh students have appeared for the examination. Meanwhile, the girls passing percentage is 70.85 percent with the boys passing percentage at 71.69%. Dhrol in Jamnagar district registered the highest percentage of passed results. In 2019, the district saw a pass percentage of 91.60 percent. This year, Dhrol registered 91.42% of students who passed the exam, which is the highest in the state. This year the number of students who registered for the exams was 1,16,643, while the number of students who actually appeared for the examination was 1,16,494. The merit list of the Class 12 Science stream will be released shortly. The toppers list will be released on the official website: gseb.org English-medium students once again fared better than their Gujarati counterparts posting at 74.02% pass out percentage. The same for the Gujarati medium was 70.77%. Of the total 139 centres where the examination was conducted, the result of Dhrol in Jamnagar recorded the highest at 91.42% while that of Limkheda centre had the lowest at 23.02 percent, according to a press release by the state board. A total of 36 schools recorded 100 percent results this year, down from 42 in 2018 and 117 such schools in 2017, reports Times of India. Meanwhile 68 schools have achieved less than 10 percent results. According to a press release by the Gujarat state board, students in A group with mathematics posted 76.62 percent results while the result of B group students with biology was at 68.21 percent. In 2018 and 2019 also, it was the same Rajkot which had led the district while Chhota Udepur was at the bottom, reports Times of India. Among districts, Rajkot secured the highest pass percentage at 84.69 percent while tribal-dominated Chhota Udepur district recorded the lowest at 32.64 percent. The GSEB Answer Key 2020 was declared in both English and Gujarati mediums for Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology papers in all sets T, Q, P from 1 to 20. The GSEB HSC Science Result 2020 answer keys were released on 28 April, 2020 which paved the way for a quick declaration of the Gujarat Board 12th Science result. Dhrol in Jamnagar district registered the highest percentage of passed results. In 2019, the district saw a pass percentage of 91.60 percent. This year, Dhrol registered 91.42% of students who passed the exam, which is the highest in the state. This year the number of students who registered for the exams was 1,16,643, while the number of students who actually appeared for the examination was 1,16,494. The merit list of the Class 12 Science stream will be released shortly. The toppers list will be released on the official website: gseb.org Gujarat education department in March had decided to promote all students of all schools across boards from Class 1 to 8. The order also applies to all government, grant in aid and self-financed schools affiliated to Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) that will promote students of Class 9 and 11 English-medium students once again fared better than their Gujarati counterparts posting at 74.02% pass out percentage. The same for the Gujarati medium was 70.77%. Of the total 139 centres where the examination was conducted, the result of Dhrol in Jamnagar recorded the highest at 91.42% while that of Limkheda centre had the lowest at 23.02 percent, according to a press release by the state board. A total of 36 schools recorded 100 percent results this year, down from 42 in 2018 and 117 such schools in 2017, reports Times of India. Meanwhile 68 schools have achieved less than 10 percent results. According to a press release by the Gujarat state board, students in A group with mathematics posted 76.62 percent results while the result of B group students with biology was at 68.21 percent. In 2018 and 2019 also, it was the same Rajkot which had led the district while Chhota Udepur was at the bottom, reports Times of India. Among districts, Rajkot secured the highest pass percentage at 84.69 percent while tribal-dominated Chhota Udepur district recorded the lowest at 32.64 percent. The GSEB Answer Key 2020 was declared in both English and Gujarati mediums for Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology papers in all sets T, Q, P from 1 to 20. The GSEB HSC Science Result 2020 answer keys were released on 28 April, 2020 which paved the way for a quick declaration of the Gujarat Board 12th Science result. Gujarat Board Result 2020 Latest Updates: The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board State Education Board (GSHSEB or GSEB) has announced the Class 12 Science examination results today. The overall pass percentage is 71.34 percent with a total of 1.40 lakh students have appeared for the examination. This year, the boys have fared better than the girls in the GSEB HSC science exams. The GSHSEB said in a release that students who appeared for the class 12 board exam held in March could access their results on the official website. The Board would notify the dates for distribution of mark sheets, certificates, and revaluation and re-verification to the students later, it said. Students can check the GSEB HSC Result 2019 by following these steps: Step 1: Go to the official website gseb.org Step 2: Click on the result tab at the bottom Step 3: Click on HSC result 2019 Step 4: Login using required details Step 5: Click on the Submit button Step 6: Download or take a print out for future reference The examinations were conducted between 5 and 21 March, but announcement of results has been delayed due to the nationwide coronavirus-induced lockdown imposed after 24 March. With inputs from PTI YouTube bans John Pipers audiobook, Coronavirus and Christ Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment YouTube has censored the audiobook version of Reformed theologian John Pipers new book, Coronavirus and Christ, claiming it violated community standards. The book offers six biblical answers to the question: What is God doing through the coronavirus? This video has been removed for violating YouTubes Community Guidelines, reads a message on the now blocked video by Piper, the chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minnesota and the founder of DesiringGod.org. The video got over 187,000 views within roughly five weeks that it remained on the platform, according to Disrn. It was released on April 8 and blocked last Friday. An archived version of the audiobook is still available here and on the Crossway Podcast here. The censorship came amid a call by 22 military chaplains to discipline and possibly court-martial a senior army chaplain for sending nearly three-dozen other chaplains an email containing a copy of the e-book, Coronavirus and Christ. The 22 military chaplains, some of whom are from the LGBT community, had a problem with the book because it says that some people will be infected with the coronavirus as a specific judgment from God because of their sinful attitudes and actions. Representing the 22, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, which advocates for a strict separation of church and state within the U.S. military, urged Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to punish Senior Chaplain Col. Moon H. Kim, the command chaplain of U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in South Korea, the largest U.S. military installation outside of the United States. The complainants, MRFF said, do not subscribe to the ultra-conservative/Reformed/evangelical Christian theology of John Piper. In a section titled, Examples of Specific Judgements on Specific Sins, Piper wrote that one example is the sin of homosexual intercourse, citing Romans 1:27 in which the Apostle Paul states that men committing shameless acts with men received in themselves the due penalty for their error. That due penalty is the painful effect in themselves of their sin, Piper wrote. This due penalty is just one example of the judgment of God that we see in Romans 1:18, where it says, The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. Therefore, while not all suffering is a specific judgment for specific sins, some is. A copy of Kims email that contained the PDF sent to the chaplains was reviewed by The Christian Post. In the body of the email, Kim wrote to fellow chaplains that he wanted to share the short booklet with them. This book has helped me refocus my sacred calling to my savior Jesus Christ to finish strong, Kim wrote. Hopefully this small booklet would help you and your Soldiers, their Families and others who you serve. MRFF contends that the book was clearly meant as a full-fledged endorsement and validation of what the book espouses and proclaims. Led by Reps. Doug Collins, R-Ga., and Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., they and 18 other Republican House members signed a joint letter asking the Pentagon to protect the religious liberty of service members from the demands of an anti-religion group. Piper also responded to the issue in a 17-minute audio interview posted online. I think it would be fair to say that some of my views about what the Bible teaches, even rightly understood, the author of that letter hates. He hates what I think, Piper said, referring to MRFF founder Mikey Weinstein. They are, he says, incendiary, bigoted, vulgar not just because he misunderstands, but, in part, because he does understand, and thats how he thinks and feels about some of what the Bible teaches. I consider all of those views to be true because they are what the Bible teaches, and therefore, theyre very valuable to know, Piper stressed. So I think its not just that he misunderstands, but that he gets some things right in those quotes, and he just doesnt like them. Piper said there are three areas where Weinstein seems to misrepresent his stance in either the letter to Esper or an earlier interview with The Christian Post. For example, when I say that some people will be infected with the coronavirus as a specific judgment from God because of their sinful attitudes and actions, he assumes that I know who those people are, or at least what kind of people they are, Piper said. But heres what I write on page 72. ... The coronavirus is ... never a clear and simple punishment on any person. The most loving, spirit-filled Christian, whose sins are forgiven through Christ, may die of the coronavirus disease. But it is fitting that every one of us search our own heart to discern if our suffering is Gods judgment on the way we live. (Newser) A mom, a virus mask, and New York City copsit was enough to ignite trouble Wednesday and send another viral video into the world. Police say officers were handing out masks in the Atlantic Avenue/Barclays Center subway station when they encountered Kaleemah Rozier, 22, and told her to wear the mask that was around her neck, WABC reports. Rozier allegedly ripped into them, threatening to "cough on all of you," and was escorted out twice with a young child before reentering by another staircase. When police engaged her a third time, she's heard on video saying "Don't touch me, don't touch me," and seen slapping an officer's hand away when he tries to grab her. story continues below Three officers were on her in a heartbeat, per the New York Post. "C'mon, she got a kid with her, she got a baby with herthat's too much, man," a witness is heard saying. But officers soon had her face-down on the ground amid general shouting and cursing in the station. Police say she was later charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct and harassment. Cops insist her own behavior led to her arrest, but Mayor Bill de Blasio seemed to see the other side: "To say the least, whatever else was going on in that video, whatever else was happening in that moment, we should never have a situation where a mom with her child ends up under arrest for that kind of offense," he said. "It's just not right." (Read more NYPD stories.) Eighty-five thousand dollars in jewelry. A 2019 Rolls-Royce Wraith luxury coupe. Forty-thousand dollars in child support payments. Maurice "Mo" Fayne, a trucking company owner who appears regularly on the reality show "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta," has been charged with using more than $1.5 million in Small Business Administration stimulus funds to enrich himself rather than for paying workers and small business expenses as the program requires. 'LUNATIC': Robert De Niro reignites his feud with Trump According to the U.S. attorney's office in the Northern District of Georgia, Fayne is the sole owner of a Georgia corporation called Flame Trucking that received a $2 million bank loan through the SBA's relief package for small businesses, the Paycheck Protection Program. On May 13 Fayne was arrested and then charged with bank fraud. Prosecutors alleged he used more than $1.5 million on unauthorized purchases including the car, jewelry and child support. "The defendant allegedly took advantage of the emergency lending provisions of the Paycheck Protection Program that were intended to assist employees and small businesses battered by the Coronavirus," said U.S. Attorney Byung J. "BJay" Pak. "We will investigate and charge anyone who inappropriately diverts these critical funds for their own personal gain." Fayne appeared in federal court on the day of his arrest in front of magistrate judge Justin S. Anand of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Fayne's lawyer, Atlanta attorney Tanya Miller, says he will fight the charges. She issued a statement to The Washington Post saying that she would not try the case through the media and that the government needed to clear up confusion about the stimulus program's rules. "We will provide the appropriate response in the proper forum once all the information has been provided to us," said Miller in the statement. "There has been considerable confusion among small business owners about PPP guidelines - particularly around the question of whether and how business owners are permitted to pay themselves a salary or owner's draw. This ambiguity and confusion for business owners needs to be addressed immediately as the PPP program is still in its infancy." Although some PPP applicants have had difficulty navigating the program's rules and some larger employers have decided to return funds, Fayne is charged with using the money for much different purposes than he allegedly stated on his application. According to the U.S. Attorney's office, Fayne, 37, stated on a loan application to United Community Bank that his trucking company had 107 employees and a monthly payroll of $1.5 million. He allegedly certified that the loan proceeds would be used to "retain workers and maintain payroll or make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments, as specified under the Paycheck Protection Program Rule." COVID-19 OUTBREAKS : Texas releases nursing home coronavirus case totals The FBI assisted with the investigation, along with the SBA's Office of Inspector General. Agents searched Fayne's home in Dacula, outside Atlanta, on May 11 and seized "approximately $80,000 in cash, including $9,400 that Fayne had in his pockets." They also used seizure warrants to take control of approximately $503,000 of remaining PPP funds from three of Fayne's bank accounts, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. "The defendant allegedly egregiously sought personal gain from a program intended to assist hard-working Americans in this challenging time," said Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kupperbusch of the SBA's Office of Inspector General. Fayne, known as "Arkansas Mo" on the show, is one of the only people to be charged with a crime for misuse of funds from the SBA program. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza have heralded PPP as a success, as more than 4.2 million businesses and nonprofit organizations have received a total of more than $531 billion in funding for the program through May, according to recent data. The SBA has so far refused to release the names of companies that have received PPP loans. The Washington Post and several other news organizations have filed a lawsuit against the SBA for access to these records. SBA officials say they rely on the good faith of applicants to self-certify that they are in need of the funds because of uncertainty created by the coronavirus, though officials plan to audit loans of more than $2 million. Loans will be forgiven so long as they are used appropriately. The ninth season of "Love & Hip Hop" premiered in March. Spokespersons at VH1, which produces the show, did not return a request for comment. Montenegro released a Serbian Orthodox bishop and seven priests on Saturday days after they were held for violating coronavirus lockdown measures by organising a procession. Their detention on Wednesday sparked protests throughout the tiny Balkan nation, ending in clashes in two towns with more than 50 protesters arrested and 26 police officers slightly injured. Police in Nikisc fired tear gas to disperse a crowd that was throwing stones and bottles. "Your support is the continuation of our fight for our sacred things," Niksic bishop Joanikije told the crowd waiting for his release in front of the local police station. The crowd chanted "We don't give up our sacred things!" and "We don't give up on you Bishop!" Several thousand people took part in the procession held on Tuesday evening in Niksic, after which the eight priests were detained. They are accused of having violated a ban on public gatherings aimed at halting the spread of the novel virus. If found guilty they face up to 12 years in jail. Montenegro this week eased lockdown measures allowing churches to hold mass again. But believers must adhere to social distancing rules and wear face masks at the services. All other large public gatherings like the one held in Niksic are still not permitted. The country of 620,000 people has 324 recorded coronavirus infections and nine deaths. The Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC), whose seat is in Belgrade, is Montenegro's main religious body although the country split from Serbia in 2006 after nearly 90 years. Ties between the SPC and the Montenegrin authorities became strained after the adoption of a controversial religious freedom law in December. The law could see a large number of monasteries held by the SPC become state property. The SPC accuses Podgorica of using the legislation to boost the fortunes of the independent Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which still lacks global recognition. Search Keywords: Short link: MANILA, Philippines A group of nurses contradicted the claim of the Department of Health (DOH) that most healthcare workers got infected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from outside their workplaces. As of DOHs latest report on Monday (April 27), a total of 1,120 healthcare workers have tested positive for COVID-19. The Filipino Nurses United said it is the inadequacy of PPEs and long hours of duty without breaks that compromise the safety, health, and lives of nurses. We have received reports that nurses do not eat, drink nor take comfort room breaks so as not to soil or discard the PPEs, the group said in a statement. Furthermore, long duty hours of more than eight hours per shift or over 40 hours a week due to severe understaffing make them much more vulnerable to COVID-19 and other diseases due to weakened immune systems, it added. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III last week alleged medical workers of bad habits in handling their PPEs. Paglabas, tatanggalin nila ang PPEs nila pero ang scrub suits underneath, hindi nila tinatanggal. Lalabas sila kapag ganoon ang nangyari, talagang you will expect a contamination to happen [When they go out, they remove their PPEs but not the scrub suit underneath. They go out, and if thats the case, you will expect contamination to happen], Duque claimed in one of his press briefings. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire shared the same reasoning. When they go home and when they go back to work and they get infections outside of their workplaces, she said in a separate interview. But the group argued that wearing PPEs for 12 hours of duty for seven days or 14 days straight duty causes nurses to suffer from suffocation, exhaustion, and dehydration because of extreme heat from the coveralls which compromise their breathing. Such conditions in workplaces, the group said, have already caused nurses to suffer vertigo, hypertension, fluid, and electrolyte imbalance such as hypokalemia or low potassium levels due to severe perspiration. Story continues Thus, the nurses group has asked the national government for support such as an adequate supply of PPEs and the augmentation of manpower in hospitals. The World Health Organization (WHO) already expressed concern over the high rate of COVID-19 infection among healthcare workers in the Philippines, one of the highest in the Western Pacific Region. The international health body recommends hospitals to reduce the hours of nurses and doctors duty as well as other medical personnel. MNP (with reports from Aiko Miguel) The post Nurses group rebuts DOH statement on high COVID-19 infection rate among PH healthcare workers appeared first on UNTV News. By ANI NEW DELHI: The 'central public health teams' are assisting local authorities in conducting door-to-door surveillance as a measure to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The Union Health Ministry had deployed these central public health teams to at least 20 districts reporting the maximum number of COVID-19 cases in the country. These teams are reporting to Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/Secretary of Health of the respective State and assist the State's Health Departments in the implementation of containment measures for COVID-19 affected areas within these districts and cities. "These districts were reporting a higher number of cases, that is, 65 per cent total of the caseload. The central team is assisting the State government in the implementation of a containment plan. One major focus of the Central team is to implement door to door surveillance to fight the COVID-19 infection," said the government official. CLICK HERE FOR COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES "Apart from contact tracing, the Central teams have to direct the local authorities in communicating with the households, enquiring about Reproductive Child Health (RCH), elderly's health, pregnant mothers, people in the family with pre-existing diseases," added the official. He added that the state government has also to sensitise households on preventive measures related to the coronavirus. ALSO READ | FM announces third tranche of COVID-19 relief package, amends Essential Commodity Act The teams are deployed in 20 districts which include Mumbai, Thane, Pune in Maharashtra; Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodra in Gujarat; South East and Central District in Delhi; Bhopal, Indore in Madhya Pradesh; Chennai in Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad in Telangana; Jaipur, Jodhpur in Rajasthan; Agra, Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh; Kolkata in West Bengal and Kurnool, Guntur, Krishna in Andhra Pradesh. The experts from All India Institute of Medical Sciences ( AIIMS) Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, JIPMER, National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health (AIIPH) among others are part of the team. India has so far reported 85,940 cases of coronavirus out of which 30,153 are recovered/migrated cases. 2,752 people have lost their lives due to the virus so far. A 57-year-old police official died of COVID-19 in Mumbai on Friday, an official release said. The official, attached to the Motor Transport Department, had been sent on leave for the last 15 days in view of the raging pandemic as he was considered to be in the high-risk age group. So far, the coronavirus pandemic has claimed lives of 10 police personnel in Maharashtra -- seven in Mumbai and one each in Nashik, Pune and Solapur. Over 150 police personnel tested positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra since Thursday evening, taking the number of coronavirus cases in the police force to 1,153, officials had said earlier in the day. It included 127 officers and 1,026 constables. 174 police personnel have recovered from infection. Also read: Coronavirus Live Updates: India tops China tally with COVID-19 cases past 85,000; death toll nears 3,000 Also read: Coronavirus: Two COVID-19 coordination panels formed in Maharashtra Patients may come in with pulmonary issues, spend a week or two in the ICU, they recover and they have difficulty speaking, difficulty following commands or they cant communicate hardly at all, Gruss said. Its almost as if they were in a coma the entire time. Its scary because people in hospitals are generally older and sicker. When they get COVID, it really, really affects them. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. South Dakota health officials are planning to test everyone in nursing homes and assisted living facilities over the next month, Gov. Kristi Noem announced Thursday. The Department of Health will be working with facilities that care for the elderly to test over 26,000 people in the coming weeks. Nursing homes have been most susceptible to deaths from COVID-19, with one Sioux Falls facility recording 20 deaths, according to the Argus Leader. It's a foundation for us and our response moving forward, said Secretary of Health Kim Malsam-Rysdon. The state has acquired more supplies needed for tests, allowing them to hold mass testing events. Health officials also plan to conduct random testing among vulnerable people to try to catch infections before they spread. Malsam-Rysdon said the state is also planning to hold mass testing events in Native American tribal communities, starting with a mass testing event with the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate next week. Noem has feuded with two tribes over coronavirus checkpoints they set up on federal and state highways last month to keep unnecessary visitors off the reservations. Last Friday, she threatened to sue the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribe if they did not remove highway stops within 48 hours. The governor backed away from that plan this week, offering to negotiate on the issue if they would take them off of U.S. and state highways. Noem said both tribes responded to letters she sent, saying they would consider the plan. But they have not taken down the checkpoints. Still, Noem said it was encouraging they didn't reject the plans outright. She said she hoped the conflict could be settled out of court. We are working through our process, Noem said. Im hopeful that we can come to a resolution. But the Rosebud Sioux Tribe announced on Wednesday it will be setting up highway checkpoints to enforce a lockdown on the reservation after 14 people tested positive for the coronavirus. Meanwhile, health officials recorded four more COVID-19 deaths and 60 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Thursday. The new figures bring the state's death toll to 43 and its confirmed case count to 3,792. State officials said the count does not reflect the total number of infections because many people may not display symptoms or have not sought testing if their symptoms are mild. All of the deaths reported Thursday were in Minnehaha County, the state's most populated area. About 80 percent of cases in the state have come from the county. The economic fallout from the global pandemic has also continued to cause layoffs in the state, according to the Department of Labor and Regulation. State officials reported that 5,131 people made new claims for unemployment last week. A total of 23,791 people are receiving unemployment benefits, according to the latest available count. About eight weeks ago, it was like a light switch was flipped, said Labor Secretary Marcia Hultman. Claims instantly and to a degree never-before-seen began to hit our system. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Eighty-five thousand dollars in jewelry. A 2019 Rolls-Royce Wraith luxury coupe. Forty-thousand dollars in child support payments. Maurice "Mo" Fayne, a trucking company owner who appears regularly on the reality show "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta," has been charged with using more than $1.5 million in Small Business Administration stimulus funds to enrich himself rather than for paying workers and small business expenses as the program requires. According to the U.S. attorney's office in the Northern District of Georgia, Fayne is the sole owner of a Georgia corporation called Flame Trucking that received a $2 million bank loan through the SBA's relief package for small businesses, the Paycheck Protection Program. On May 13 Fayne was arrested and then charged with bank fraud. Prosecutors alleged he used more than $1.5 million on unauthorized purchases including the car, jewelry and child support. "The defendant allegedly took advantage of the emergency lending provisions of the Paycheck Protection Program that were intended to assist employees and small businesses battered by the Coronavirus," said U.S. Attorney Byung J. "BJay" Pak. "We will investigate and charge anyone who inappropriately diverts these critical funds for their own personal gain." Fayne appeared in federal court on the day of his arrest in front of magistrate judge Justin S. Anand of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Fayne's lawyer, Atlanta attorney Tanya Miller, says he will fight the charges. She issued a statement to The Washington Post saying that she would not try the case through the media and that the government needed to clear up confusion about the stimulus program's rules. "We will provide the appropriate response in the proper forum once all the information has been provided to us," said Miller in the statement. "There has been considerable confusion among small business owners about PPP guidelines - particularly around the question of whether and how business owners are permitted to pay themselves a salary or owner's draw. This ambiguity and confusion for business owners needs to be addressed immediately as the PPP program is still in its infancy." Although some PPP applicants have had difficulty navigating the program's rules and some larger employers have decided to return funds, Fayne is charged with using the money for much different purposes than he allegedly stated on his application. According to the U.S. Attorney's office, Fayne, 37, stated on a loan application to United Community Bank that his trucking company had 107 employees and a monthly payroll of $1.5 million. He allegedly certified that the loan proceeds would be used to "retain workers and maintain payroll or make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments, as specified under the Paycheck Protection Program Rule." The FBI assisted with the investigation, along with the SBA's Office of Inspector General. Agents searched Fayne's home in Dacula, outside Atlanta, on May 11 and seized "approximately $80,000 in cash, including $9,400 that Fayne had in his pockets." They also used seizure warrants to take control of approximately $503,000 of remaining PPP funds from three of Fayne's bank accounts, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. "The defendant allegedly egregiously sought personal gain from a program intended to assist hard-working Americans in this challenging time," said Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kupperbusch of the SBA's Office of Inspector General. Fayne, known as "Arkansas Mo" on the show, is one of the only people to be charged with a crime for misuse of funds from the SBA program. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza have heralded PPP as a success, as more than 4.2 million businesses and nonprofit organizations have received a total of more than $531 billion in funding for the program through May, according to recent data. The SBA has so far refused to release the names of companies that have received PPP loans. The Washington Post and several other news organizations have filed a lawsuit against the SBA for access to these records. SBA officials say they rely on the good faith of applicants to self-certify that they are in need of the funds because of uncertainty created by the coronavirus, though officials plan to audit loans of more than $2 million. Loans will be forgiven so long as they are used appropriately. The ninth season of "Love & Hip Hop" premiered in March. Spokespersons at VH1, which produces the show, did not return a request for comment. West Bengal registered 10 more Covid-19 fatalities in the last 24 hours, raising the death toll in the state to 153, a health bulletin said on Friday. Of them five were from the city, three from North 24 Parganas district and two from Howrah, it said. Click here for full Covid-19 coverage The deaths were directly due to the novel coronavirus, the bulletin issued by the West Bengal health department said. A total of 153 people have died directly due to Covid-19 in the state so far and 72 others succumbed because of other comorbidity conditions where the presence of coronavirus was incidental. It said at least 84 new cases of Covid-19 infection were reported in the last 24 hours taking the total number of active cases in the state to 1,407. In Kolkata there were 43 new cases reported during the last 24 hours while 27 were from Howrah, four each from North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts, the bulletin said. Two new cases each from Purba Medinipore and Purba Burdwan districts were also reported, and one each from Hooghly and Uttar Dinajpur, it said. The total number of Covid-19 cases in the state is 2,461. During the last 24 hours 61 people were discharged taking the total number of people recovered to 829, the bulletin said. The number of samples tested on Friday was 6,706 and a total of 69,543 samples have been examined so far, it mentioned. Meanwhile, the district administration in Malda started swab tests of those who returned from Ajmer and Odisha and set up a quarantine centre there. At least eight health workers at the BMRC Hospital in Barracpore tested positive for the Covid-19 following which the hospital authorities stopped admission of new patients. By Trend There is no shortage of medical masks and disinfectants in Azerbaijan, Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers Ibrahim Mammadov said at a briefing of the Operational Headquarters under Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers, Trend reports on May 15. The information that pharmacies cannot sell medical masks due to the low demand is false, Mammadov added. "The daily potential of the production of medical masks by the country's enterprises is 500,000, the spokesman said. However, due to the lack of great need, the enterprises do not work at full capacity." The spokesman said that the prices of medical masks may be discussed at the next stage. "The cost of the imported masks is higher than the price of domestically produced masks in local pharmacies, Mammadov added. The Azerbaijani government compensates for part of these funds so that the masks in pharmacies not to be sold at the price higher than 30 qepik [17 cents]." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The Max Awards for the Performing Arts are due to take place at the Cervantes Theatre on 7 September, and Malaga actor Antonio Banderas is hoping A Chorus Line, which he produced and co-directed and in which he played the lead role at his Teatro del Soho Caixabank project, will win the Best Musical award. His show is one of the three finalists for that category. The awards ceremony, which is now in its 23rd year, was originally scheduled for 29 June but had to be rescheduled due to the coronavirus crisis. A total of 386 shows had been hoping for success, but this has now been narrowed down to 35 finalists in the 19 categories. This ceremony will be a joint celebration in a way, as 2020 is the 150th anniversary of the Cervantes Theatre. The finalists were recently announced by the Sociedad General de Autores de Espana, and A Chorus Line, which has one nomination, is the only finalist from Malaga. Antonio Banderas Shock (El Condor y el Puma), by Andres Lima and produced by the Centro Dramatico, has the highest number of nominations (four), followed by Com els Grecs, by Josep Maria Mestres, with three. These two shows are competing for the Best Theatre Show award alongside Miguel del Arco's 'Jauria', based on the trial of the gang known as 'La Manada'. Unusally, the theatre company La Maquine from Granada, formed by Joaquin Casanova and Elisa Ramos, will not only be presenting the Max Awards ceremony but is also hoping for three of the awards for its show Acrobata y Arlequin. Photographs of some of those who died, at an exhibition at the Kigali Genocide Memorial centre (Ben Curtis/AP) One of the most wanted fugitives in Rwandas 1994 genocide has been arrested outside Paris, authorities said Saturday. Felicien Kabuga, who had a 4 million bounty on his head, had been accused of equipping militias in the genocide that killed more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus who tried to protect them. Kabuga, 84, was arrested as a result of a joint investigation with the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals office of the prosecutor, French authorities said. #IRMCT fugitive Felicien Kabuga was arrested today in Paris, France. For further information about the arrest, including Prosecutor Brammertz' statement: https://t.co/dg3fgz84CG pic.twitter.com/I09J6uUQ52 UNIRMCT (@unirmct) May 16, 2020 He had been living in a town north of Paris, Asnieres-sur-Seine, under an assumed name, the appeals courts prosecutors office said. The UNs International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda indicted Kabuga in 1997 on charges related to conspiracy to commit genocide, persecution and extermination. Rwandan prosecutors have said financial documents found in the capital, Kigali, after the genocide, indicated that Kabuga used his companies to import vast quantities of machetes that were used to slaughter people. The wealthy businessman was also accused of establishing the station Radio Television Mille Collines, that broadcast vicious propaganda against the ethnic Tutsi, as well as training and equipping the Interahamwe militia that led to the killing spree. An important step towards justice for hundreds of thousands of genocide victims, Mausi Segun, Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said of his arrest. Expand Close Rwandans hold a candlelit vigil during a genocide memorial service held at Amahoro stadium in the capital Kigali (Ben Curtis/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Rwandans hold a candlelit vigil during a genocide memorial service held at Amahoro stadium in the capital Kigali (Ben Curtis/AP) Kabuga was close to former president Juvenal Habyarimana, whose death when his plane was shot down over Kigali sparked the 100-day genocide. Kabugas daughter married Habyarimanas son. Kabuga is expected to be transferred to the custody of the UN mechanism, where he will stand trial. The arrest of Kabuga today is a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even 26 years after their crimes, the mechanisms chief prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, said in a statement. Officials in Rwanda said the East African nation will continue to collaborate with the UN mechanism to ensure that justice is served. According to Rwandan prosecutors, other top fugitives still at large include Protais Mpiranya, the former commandant of the Presidential Guards, and former defence minister Augustin Bizimana. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 12:18:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KIGALI, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Uganda is set to release 170 Rwandans who have been under its detention, Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta said at a press conference on Friday. It is "an important step" towards the implementation of the Luanda Agreements, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed last year for normalizing bilateral relations, said the minister. The COVID-19 epidemic has affected the ongoing talks between Rwanda and Uganda, leading to the delay of planned meetings, but the two countries continued to hold talks virtually in order to reach common understanding, Biruta said. Biruta also said that the ad hoc committee composed of foreign ministers and security officers from both countries has been planning to meet virtually to review progress in the implementation of the Luanda Agreements. Rwanda closed its border in February last year, accusing Uganda of incarcerating its citizens. Uganda denied the allegation and accused Rwanda of infiltrating its security circle. The leaders of Rwanda, Uganda, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo attended the 4th quadripartite summit in February and recommended a timetable for normalizing bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries. Enditem Egypt received on Saturday 30 tons of medical supplies from China Egypts health ministry said in a statement. This is the third and largest batch Egypt has received from China , health ministry spokesman Khaled Megaged said in the statement. The batch includes: one million medical masks; 150,000 N95 masks; 70,000 sets of protective medical gowns; 70,000 medical gloves; 70,000 coronavirus test kits; and 1,000 thermometers. These supplies will be distributed nationwide among isolation, fever, and pulmonology hospitals, the statement added. Chinese Ambassador in Cairo Liao Liqiang said the timing of the third batch coincides with the 64th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and China, which falls on 30 May. Liao said that in addition to the aid supplies, a number of organisations have given Egypt preventive medical supplies. He added that the countries produce half a million medical mask between them through the five production lines of the medical masks factory in Egypt. Liao asserted that so far six meetings were held between health experts in Egypt and China through video conference to exchange experiences in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Egypt received on Sunday a second batch of medical aid from China which consisted of 10,000 N95 masks, 10,000 protective gowns and 70,000 coronavirus testing kits, which weighed an estimated 4.7 tonnes. In April, Egypt received the first batch of aid from China which included 20,000 N95 masks, 10,000 protective gowns and 10,000 coronavirus testing kits. In March, Egypts health minister Hala Zayed travelled to China upon the directive of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, to show solidarity with the Chinese people, and to hand out china a batch of medical aid. In February, Egypt sent China 10 tons of preventive medical supplies to help deal with the coronavirus outbreak. Search Keywords: Short link: Actor Fred Willard at his home in Encino in 2012. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Fred Willard the improv comedy master whose star shone brightest in the satire of writer-director Christopher Guest, playing a goofball so straight it wasnt always clear he was in on the joke died Friday evening in Los Angeles of natural causes, his agent Mike Eisenstadt said. The actor was 86. His daughter, Hope Willard, said on Twitter that the comedian died "peacefully," adding, "He kept moving, working and making us happy until the very end." In Waiting for Guffman, the 1996 film that launched him into the mainstream, Willard was a small-town amateur actor opposite Catherine OHara. With utter sincerity, the duo auditioned in matching tracksuits with a Tasters Choice commercial performed to the 1973 hit song Midnight at the Oasis. It killed. The film became an instant comedy classic and earned Willard an American Comedy Award nomination and a Screen Actors Guild award nomination. Fred has the patent on characters who are comfortable in their stupidity, Guest once noted. Tributes to Willard poured out across social media on Saturday from fans and collaborators in Hollywood, including Guest's wife, actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who wrote, "How lucky that we all got to enjoy Fred Willards gifts. He is with his missed Mary now." Willard's wife of 50 years Mary died in 2018. Willard had most recently been seen in a series of recurring comedic sketches on the late-night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live," work that leveraged his goofy, amiable Everyman charm and helped lift his spirits in the wake of his wife's death. I didnt see it as helping him out as much as it was just that hes one of the funniest people in the world, Kimmel told The Times a year ago. Hes got that twinkle in his eye, and people love him right off the bat. Hes this unique combination of approachable Midwestern guy and someone weird. Behind that very friendly face, theres a slightly off-kilter brain. Story continues Born in 1933, Willard cultivated his wisecracking straight man persona as the son of a stern father who worked in a bank. He was raised middle class in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and fell in love with sketch comedy after seeing the 1950s vaudeville silliness of bandleader Spike Jones and the City Slickers. Though Willard spent his formative years in military school, earning a graduate degree in English from Virginia Military Institute, his heart was always in show business. After he spent his stint in the U.S. Army stationed in Germany, he moved to New York in the early 1960s to train as an actor. In no time, he and a classmate were appearing as a comedy duo on The Ed Sullivan Show. Around 1965, Willard moved to Chicago to spend a year training with the groundbreaking improv group The Second City. Then he returned to New York and co-founded his own troupe, the Ace Trucking Co., which spent years performing on high-profile TV variety shows, opening for Tom Jones in Las Vegas and eventually releasing a comedy album. Along the way, Willard co-starred in an off-Broadway black comedy with a 20-year-old Guest, a connection that would later change the course of his career. I knew something was off when Fred started doing lines that werent actually in the play to me, Guest said in a TV interview in 2007. I didnt know what to make of it. I said to myself, Youre different. By 1977, Willard was appearing with Martin Mull as host of a short-lived parody talk show, Fernwood 2 Night, created by Norman Lear. That led to another brief hosting gig for the NBC reality series Real People. But it was Willards mastery of the mockumentary, starting with the 1984 film This Is Spinal Tap, that first earned him widespread notice. In that film, he played an Air Force officer trying to prove his hipster cred with a series of cringe-worthy jokes. And though it was years before the film reached cult status, Willard had discovered his place. He spent the 1980s and 90s bouncing around TV with a few notable recurring parts, including as Mulls gay partner in Roseanne. That same year, he appeared in the Oscar-winning comedic short film Rays Male Heterosexual Dance Hall. In Guests 2000 comedy Best in Show, Willard earned enduring success as an over-the-top dog show host. Willards bone-headed and improvised interstitial remarks to his prim, British co-host became one of the highlights of the film. He won an American Comedy Award for the performance. After that, Willard appeared in higher-profile films, including the 2004 Will Ferrell comedy Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and its 2013 sequel. He also played the CEO of the Buy n Large Corp. in the 2008 Oscar winning animated film WALL-E. He spent three seasons on the hit CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond as the conservative middle-school vice principal Hank MacDougall, earning three Emmy Award nominations for the role. And in 2009, Willard became an occasional guest star on the ABC series Modern Family, playing Ty Burrells father Frank and earning an Emmy nomination in 2010 for the role. Willard would go on to appear in three more of Guests mockumentaries, A Mighty Wind in 2003, For Your Consideration in 2006 and the Netflix film Mascots in 2016. In 2012, he was arrested for suspicion of engaging in lewd act at an adult theater in Hollywood. But rather than hide behind a publicist, Willard tweeted a review of the X-rated film he was caught watching: Lousy film, but theater would make a terrific racquetball court. Then he went on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and cracked jokes about it. He was later exonerated of any wrongdoing. In 2016, he formed a sketch group in a little theater in North Hollywood called the MoHos that performs regularly around Los Angeles. Thats always been my favorite thing: sketches, he told L.A. Weekly in 2016. Because if the audience doesnt like something, its over in four or five minutes and you go on to something new. Willard will be seen later this month in a recurring role in the Steve Carell Netflix series "Space Force," in which he'll play the father of Carell's character. On Saturday, Carell wrote on Twitter that Willard was "the funniest person that I've ever worked with." He is survived by his daughter Hope Willard. It has already been revealed in great detail what happened on March 1 and after that, said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during his big press conference on Saturday. On March 1 and 2, 2008 the then authorities of Armenia used force against the opposition members who were rallying in downtown Yerevan, and against the results of the presidential election on February 19, 2008. Eight demonstrators, as well as two servicemen of the internal troops, were killed in the clashes. Second President Robert Kocharyan is charged with overthrowing the constitutional order in Armenia in connection with the aforesaid events and taking a particularly large bribe. "Imagine that the head of the investigation team considering the case changed the spent cartridges. This means that there are no real cartridges. Today we have no way to identify these cartridges and try to find these weapons. And now this same head of the investigation team is on the wanted list. And why? Let him come and tell you about what he did with these cartridges? Maybe he knows the names of the authors of these killings? The investigation should be continued. We must make every effort to return this person to Armenia and detain him," he added. "By and large, it is clear who organized the killings? Part of the criminal cases has already been sent to the court so that it is given the opportunity to conduct a trial. I think the public will receive answers to many questions, said the PM. However, he did not exclude that in this case there may be facts that are lost forever. Can you imagine what it will mean if it suddenly turns out that these collected, real cartridges were cast in some foundry? Pashinyan concluded. Italy is set to open businesses from bars to hairdressers on Monday, while Prime Minister Giuseppe Contes government decided to unblock the countrys national borders and allow citizens to move freely within the country starting June 3. Italians will be allowed full free movement, according to a government decree published in the early hours of Saturday morning. The statement confirmed that some businesses will reopen May 18, while it stopped short of allowing social gatherings. Portugal, Spain and Greece also eased some of their measures earlier, signaling optimism that southern Europes scarred economies can start to recover from the Covid-19 crisis. Contes announcement came hours after Italy said its daily virus-linked deaths fell to 242 on Friday from 262 a day earlier, and the number of confirmed new cases was the lowest in four days. Though responsibility was handed to Italys regions, the government can reimpose restrictions, including local lockdowns, to control any new outbreaks. Conte, who shut down most of the economy in early March to combat the spread of the coronavirus, allowed manufacturers and construction companies to return to full operations early this month, while also giving Italians slightly more liberty, allowing activities like walking, jogging and visits with family and loved ones. The administration approved a second stimulus package worth 55 billion euros ($59.5 billion) on Wednesday in a bid to reduce the economic impact of the pandemic. The plan focuses on liquidity for businesses and aid to families hurt by the lockdown. A 25 billion-euro package was passed in March. The European Commission forecasts that Italys economy will shrink 9.5% this year while Bloomberg Economics sees a 13% contraction. With tax revenue collapsing and a desperate need for stimulus, the countrys mammoth debt will rise to well over 150% of gross domestic product, the commission said. European Easing The Lombardy region around Milan, the area hardest hit by the pandemic, adopted rules the guarantee the reopening of restaurants, bars, hairdressers and other activities, regional governor Attilio Fontana said in statement on Saturday. Portugal, which depends on tourism for about 15% of its economy, plans to reopen beaches on June 6, with distancing rules and limits on crowd sizes, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said Friday in Lisbon. Greece will relax restrictions on domestic travel next week, though ferries will be able to sail only half-full. Spain decided to move about 70% of the population into the second phase of lockdown easing. Tighter curbs remain in force for Madrid and Barcelona, though shops in the two big cities will no longer be required to give out appointments to customers, Health Minister Salvador Illa said. In the U.K., Boris Johnsons government is locked in an argument with Englands unions over whether to allow primary schools to reopen on June 1. Unions want to prioritize testing before allowing teachers into the classroom, a stance backed by the doctors union, which says schools should remain closed until the number of coronavirus cases is lower. There are more than 238,000 confirmed cases in the U.K., the third-highest in the world after the U.S. and Russia. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2020 Bloomberg L.P. New Mexico ventures onto a tightrope this weekend. As we edge into the first phase of reopening, we must balance our economic and health needs while inching across the canyon that spans from now to full vaccination for the novel coronavirus, likely in mid-to-late 2021. The only way we can make it across this chasm is for every New Mexican to adopt additional COVID-19 safe practices (CSPs). Every New Mexican. The virus has no political ideology and doesnt respect city limits, county lines, state or national borders. Its only goal is survival, and its strategy for that survival is to infect as many people as possible worldwide. Our only recourse is united action uninfluenced by political loyalties. Left unopposed by careful social distancing, each COVID-19 infected person will infect, on average, three others. That means a single person begins a chain that infects over 1.7 million people after 66 days. New Mexicans have done a great job complying with stay-at-home orders, and that has driven our spread rate down to 1.15. That means one COVID-positive person would infect only six people in 66 days a huge difference that means our hospital systems have not been overwhelmed. As we start to reopen, though, COVID-19 spread is predicted to increase, which will increase the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths. We need to continue the safety drill most of us know by now: Stay home, wash hands, cough into a tissue (or elbow), keep surfaces clean, and when sick, avoid others and get tested. But with reopening, that will not be enough. We all need to wear face coverings to protect each other masks protect others from you, not you from them. We need to stay strictly 6 feet or more apart. There will be more testing as well. Much more. We need to fight this virus much harder now as we venture back into society. There is much more individual responsibility during this reopening phase than there was when we all just stayed home. A political divide has emerged between those whose top priority is reopening the economy and those whose top priority is saving lives. The good news is that adopting COVID-19 safe practices supports the goals of both: 1. If reopening the economy is your top priority, and you want to keep it open, you can achieve that goal with the CSPs youre doing now, plus wearing a mask in public and keeping a 6 foot distance from others. 2. If protecting the health and safety of your family and all of New Mexico is job No. 1, you can achieve that goal with the CSPs youre doing now, plus wearing a mask in public and keeping that 6 foot distance from others. I support both groups fully. But lets go slowly and deliberately, thoughtfully reviewing the data from one step before we move to the next. And lets remember that because this deadly virus has no politics, we should resist the temptation to think that our methods for fighting it should have politics. Wearing a face covering and keeping our distance are two new evidence-based ways we fight this virus together and express our concern for both our economy and each others health and safety. Hanesbrands Inc. confirmed Friday that at least one employee has tested positive for COVID-19 virus at its Rural Hall distribution center. Spokesman Matt Hall said theres another preliminary positive case at the 531 Northridge facility, which has been closed for cleaning and sanitizing slated to begin Saturday. The distribution center serves the companys online business. We have about 600 total employees at the center who work in shifts, Hall said. The maximum number at any given time is about 240. At this point, it is unclear if the transmission happened in the workplace. We are following our rigorous safety protocols to mitigate the situation and protect all employees. Hall said employees are required to undergo a daily home self-assessment to evaluate temperature/fever, travel history and other factors before reporting for work. The employee with a confirmed positive test last worked Tuesday. The employee diagnosed having a fever Wednesday. Once a fever is detected, the employee must have a doctors permission to return to work, Hall said. Eleven people, including five children, died and a Philadelphia neighborhood burned down in the airstrike against a black liberation group. Now an effort at reconciliation is under way Ed Pilkington The Guardian May 10, 2020 Frank Powell, a Philadelphia police officer who in 1985 was chief of the citys bomb disposal squad, remembers vividly the moment he was given his instructions. Wow, he recalls thinking. You want me to do that? On 13 May 1985 Powell was handed an army-style green satchel containing a bomb made of C-4 plastic explosives of the sort widely deployed in Vietnam. He boarded a state police helicopter, and took up his position balanced precariously on the skids of the aircraft. I cant remember being scared, he told the Guardian, though I must have been. At 5.27pm as the helicopter rose into a crystal-clear blue sky he carried out his orders. Flying over a largely African American residential neighborhood of west Philadelphia, he lined up his sights, lit the 45-second fuse with a military igniter and followed his orders. I reached out and I dropped it. Perfect. It was going right where it was supposed to go. It was to lead to one of the great, largely forgotten, outrages of modern America His target was the roof of 6221 Osage Avenue, a row house which at the time had 13 American citizens inside. They were all members of Move, a group which combined the black liberation struggle with back-to-nature environmentalism. Each Move member took the last name Africa to signal their commitment to race equality as well as to each other as a family. For years they had been in a running battle with the Philadelphia authorities culminating that May in arrest warrants, for a range of offenses including terroristic threats, riot and disorderly conduct, being served and a standoff ensuing that ended with the dropping of Powells bomb on to their house. It led to one of the great, largely forgotten, outrages of modern America. After the bomb struck, a fire took hold and began to spread. The police commissioner, Gregore Sambor, critically and fatally decided to let the fire burn. By the following morning 61 homes had been razed to ashes, leaving 250 Philadelphians destitute and homeless. Only two of the 13 residents of the Move house got out alive. The remaining 11, including five children aged seven to 13, were similarly reduced to ashes. As the 35th anniversary of the bombing approaches, efforts are under way to increase public awareness of the atrocity. It was one of the rare times in US history that American civilians were attacked on domestic soil by aerial bombing, another being the dropping of dynamite on to African American homes in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the bloody race riots of 1921. Pressure is also mounting ahead of the anniversary for an apology to be issued by Philadelphia. Wilson Goode, the first black mayor of the city, who approved the 1985 attack though he claims to have been ignorant of key aspects of it, has said sorry on several occasions. But there has never been a formal apology from the city. No one involved in conceiving and carrying out the assault has ever been prosecuted. In an opinion article in the Guardian, Goode argues that it is now time for Philadelphia to follow his example and issue an official apology. Repeating his deep and sincere regrets, he calls on other former and current officials to join him in saying sorry for indefensible acts that led to a horrific outcome. After 35 years it would be helpful for the healing of all involved, especially the victims of this terrible event, if there was a formal apology by the city of Philadelphia. Many in the city still feel the pain of that day I know I will always feel the pain. Goodes Guardian article is part of a wider two-year effort to bring opposing parties in the Osage Avenue bombing together in a process of reconciliation. The discussions, reported here for the first time, began in September 2018 and are ongoing. The negotiations involve both Move members and city dignitaries. On the city side, they include Goode and Ed Rendell, who was Philadelphias district attorney in 1985 and who served the arrest warrants that led to the bombing (he later went on to become governor of Pennsylvania). Rendell did not respond to Guardian requests for comment. But he has approved a draft resolution of a city apology for the decisions leading to the devastation that occurred on May 13th, 1985. On the Move side, discussions have been led by Mike Africa Jr. He holds a special place in the Move family because he was born in a prison cell his mother Debbie gave birth to him soon after she was arrested along with his father Mike Africa Sr in a previous police raid on a Move house in 1978. His parents both served 40 years in prison for the shooting death of a police officer, James Ramp, during the raid, although they along with all of their fellow incarcerated Move members always protested their innocence. Mike Africa Jr said that his many face-to-face meetings with Goode during the secret talks were the hardest thing Ive ever had to do. His great uncle John Africa, the founder of Move, and his cousin Frank Africa both died in the 1985 fire. Wilson Goode for me has always been the boogeyman, Mike Africa Jr said. After some meetings with him I came out literally vomiting. Hes the face of the bomb that killed my family, the man who said after the bomb was dropped that if he had to, he would do it again. So to sit in a room with him, even decades later, was gut-wrenching. Mike Africa Jr said he disliked the phrase reconciliation, preferring restorative justice. The initial demand from Move was to have all the remaining seven members of the Move 9 who had been incarcerated after the 1978 siege released an ambition fulfilled in February. Now Mike Africa wants to see the release of an associate of Move, the former Black Panther member Mumia Abu-Jamal who has been incarcerated since 1981 for the murder of a Philadelphia police officer. Africa also wants to see some form of reprimand for those who ordered and participated in the 1985 bombing. Other Move members are skeptical about the value of the talks. One of the doubters is Ramona Africa, who was the only adult to escape the Move house in May 1985 after Powell dropped the bomb. She told the Guardian how she and 12 others cowered in the basement of Osage Avenue as the house came under blistering attack. Water cannons were unleashed, teargas pumped in, the front of the house blown off with explosives. Then more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition were fired from police submachine guns. And that was before the bomb was even dropped. We were deluged with water and gas, Ramona Africa told the Guardian. When that didnt work to bring us out of the house, they dropped the bomb. The whole house shook. Ramona was able to flee through a basement exit along with just one child, Birdie Africa. The other 11 adults and children tried to follow them out but were forced back under a hail of police gunfire, she said, though that account has been disputed over the years by Philadelphia police. Ramona was badly burned in the fire. For her pains, she was arrested, charged with riot and conspiracy, and spent the next seven years behind bars the only person ever to be convicted of crimes arising from the attack. Given her devastating experiences, she is dubious about the prospects of reconciliation. We dont want no apology, she said. They cant make up for what they did, they cant bring our people back who they murdered. Janine Africa, one of the Move 9 imprisoned after the 1978 siege, lost her 12-year-old son Little Phil in the bombing. She described the boy to the Guardian as a very outgoing kid, very adventurous, a little comic. Janine bitterly remembers how she learned that her child had diedwhile she was being held in solitary confinement (she was released almost exactly a year ago after 41 years in prison). She recalled: The guard opened my cell door and said: Your son is dead, then shut the door. That was it. No explanation. Nothing. Janine Africa is also unconvinced by the push for an apology. Its really insulting to say youre sorry now, after all these years, she said. Despite such reservations, Ulysses Slaughter, a reconciliation strategist who has mediated the talks, is certain the process is needed to heal the wounds that are still open for so many Philadelphians. The events of 1985 continue to silently traumatize people, he said. Five kids died, and the neighbors lost everything. We failed, and it bothers me. Nobody ever seemed to care. People need to ask themselves, what have we become as human beings when we allow our neighborhoods to become war zones. Several of the more than 500 police officers who took part on the siege on 13 May 1985, as well as firefighters, have also been involved in the reconciliation talks. Jim Berghaier was on police duty in Osage Avenue that day and helped Birdie Africa escape the conflagration. He told the Guardian that he is haunted by the image of the boy walking through a wall of fire. Five kids died, and the neighbors lost everything. We failed, and it bothers me. Nobody ever seemed to care. Berghaier said he only found out later that children had been present in the house. Even to this day I carry a lot of guilt because of those five kids. I was only a wall away from them. People say to me, But you didnt know, but you cant help thinking about it. They died a horrible death. Linn Washington, who reported the events for the Philadelphia Daily News, believes it is long overdue for a formal recognition by the city of the grievous wrong done that day. You cant effectively move on until you find that kind of reconciliation. They killed five kids. The police commissioner called them combatants they were kids! Jamie Gauthier, the city council member who represents the area of Osage Avenue today, is one of several current elected officials backing an apology. She told the Guardian: To this day this represents one of the most heinous acts done by a city government against its own people not just in Philadelphia, but in the entire country. Paradoxically, the only person who the Guardian talked to who said they have not had to wrestle with trauma over the past 35 years is the man who dropped the bomb. Frank Powell is convinced the fire that killed 11 people and devastated the area was not caused by the explosives in his satchel, but by the Move residents who, in his narrative, set fire to their own home in a deluded desire for suicidal martyrdom. What we did that day has never bothered me, he said. I went up in that helicopter with the truest intentions of getting those people out unharmed. It didnt happen that way, but it wasnt our fault. I can live with that. This article was amended on 11 May 2020. An earlier version mistakenly said the Move atrocity was only the second time in US history that American civilians had been attacked on domestic soil by aerial bombing. John Nichol with Ron Needle who was the the rear gun turret at the back end of a Lancaster Bomber at 19-years-of-age. Ron died in August 2019 The leaden skies spread from horizon to horizon. Ground crews have been working the snow ploughs all day to keep the runways clear. Now at last, the moment has come. Dusk is falling on Sunday, January 7, 1945, as seven young airmen drive to their huge and majestic Lancaster bomber, awaiting them on the runway. Aged 19, Ron Needle is a down-to-earth apprentice butcher from Birmingham, and the baby of the tight-knit crew. He holds the loneliest position, far from the others in the rear gun turret at the back end of the aircraft. This is to be the crews 11th life-or-death sortie. Each one, for them, is like going over the top for the troops in the trenches of the First World War. They survived their tenth a skirmish with anti-aircraft fire over Bordeaux 48 hours previously. But they do not take life for granted. Never far from their minds whenever they take off is the thought that death is the eighth passenger. Their destination now is Munich a long run: four hours from their Lincolnshire base, and another four back. This will be the last major aerial assault of the war on a city already pulverised by more than 70 raids. It was a totally normal day, Ron tells me when we meet to talk about those momentous events. Wed had breakfast. We had such good food as aircrew: bacon, real eggs not the powdered variety tea, toast and jam. We really were well looked after. Then wed just wait to see what the day would hold. It was just another day in Bomber Command. During the afternoon, as they awaited the start of their night-time mission, the friends would just hang around and chat, says Ron. But you never really talked about what we were going to do, he adds. Even if you felt it, you could never admit to being afraid. Ron said: We really were well looked after. Then wed just wait to see what the day would hold. It was just another day in Bomber Command. Pictured: A Royal Air Force Avro Lancaster Bomber in flight Once aboard the Lancaster, Ron turns left all the others turn right and clambers through the narrowing fuselage. Squeezing himself into the Perspex turret protruding from the tail, he will face outwards. It is the loneliest spot on earth. Perched on a padded leather seat, knees bunched, in an area about the size of an oil drum, Ron is exposed on all sides in his glassy bubble. Gloved fingers never far from the triggers of his four 0.303-inch Browning machine guns, his job is to scan the night sky ceaselessly for signs of enemy activity. The Lancaster isnt built for comfort. Temperatures at 20,000ft can be as low as -40C. Rons heated flying suit keeps the worst of the chill at bay if it works. As the four Merlin engines burst into life, Ron can see around 20 well-wishers who have gathered to wave them off. I always drew comfort from seeing them, he recalls. They knew what we were facing. Theyd seen so many eager young crews set out on an op and fail to return. The Lancaster lifts into the night sky, soaring with a lightness that belies its vast size. RAF Metheringham in Lincolnshire grows tiny beneath them as they set course to join the rest of the 50-mile-long bomber stream bound for the Bavarian capital. Time passes both too slowly and too fast; suddenly it is only 45 minutes to target. Ron keeps his eyes even more strictly peeled for Messerschmitt 110s and Junkers 88s, whose cannon are more powerful and have a longer range than his machine guns. The Beetham crew in 1943. (From left) Fred Ball, gunner; Les Bartlett, bomb aimer; Michael Beetham, pilot; Frank Swinyard, nav; Reg Payne, Wop; Don Moore, flight engineer; Jock Higgins, gunner. Don and Fred were killed after their Lancaster caught fire during a training sortie To his relief, none come. If they had, the Lancasters wonderful and legendary manoeuvrability might just have kept them out of trouble. But Ron is relieved it doesnt have to be put to the test. The black skies are crowded and dangerous as 645 Lancaster bombers converge. Wireless operator Harry Stunell, then just 21, would later recall that tension was at concert pitch. Young lads who had not long ago feared our strict headmasters were now flying into the Third Reich, which was presided over by one of the biggest bullies of all time. Munich is now ablaze. Their Lancaster is approaching the target. Bomb aimer Bob Dunlops voice, striving to be calm, talking to pilot Jim Scott, crackles in Rons intercom. Steady ... steady ... right a bit ... steady ... correct left a tad ... steady . . . A moments silence, then: Bombs gone! The Lancasters load, a massive 4,000lb bomb escorted by 954 four-pound incendiaries, hurtles towards the beleaguered city. And then disaster strikes. Out of the corner of his eye, Jim Scott catches sight of something: a huge dark shape heading straight for them through the flame-reddened sky. Another Lancaster. Jim wrenches on the controls to take avoiding action, as does the pilot of other plane. But it is too late. The wings have clipped. Engines screaming, Rons Lancaster plummets towards the burning city they have just bombed. Prepare to abandon aircraft! shouts Jim. The Lancaster lay dying before my eyes I thanked her for my survival Fighting down panic, Ron manages to get hold of his parachute there is no room to wear it inside his turret, so he has to recover it from outside the sliding doors that enclose him and clip it on to his chest as the Lancaster plunges out of the sky. The speed of its near-vertical descent has created a gravitational force that prevents Ron from turning his gun turret 90 degrees to the fuselage and baling out backwards, reversing into the relative safety of the night sky. But suddenly Jim regains some control. He rescinds the bale-out order. For the moment the Lancaster seems to be bearing up. Navigator Ken Darke plots a revised course home, heading north and east for Juvincourt in France, about 20 miles north of Reims. Liberated by the Americans four months earlier, it has emergency landing facilities. And now, miraculously, they are in France Allied territory. As they descend, Ron hears the anxious voice of Jim asking if anyone can see the ground through the blizzard now pelting the aircrafts shell. I can, Skipper! shouts 19-year-old gunner Jack Elson. Its right below. I can see some trees. Cant be! comes the taut reply. Altimeters at 4,000 feet, safety height. Everyones stomach tightens. Seconds later, they hit the treetops. The Lancaster bucks and jolts, ripping itself apart as it plummets through the forest. Fuel bursts from its shattered tanks and the engines leap into flames as they career onwards and downwards, 30 tons of mortally wounded dragon cutting its way through the forest until the irresistible force of the trees brings it to a gradual halt. The Lancaster Bomber was designed in the early 1940s by engineer Roy Chadwick to replace the less successful twin-engined Avro Manchester Alone at the back of the aircraft, Ron Needle hears no noise, feels no sensation of a crash. He is thrown violently forward and passes out. When he comes to, he is hanging upright from his parachute harness, hooked on to the fuselage. Without that piece of jutting metal, he would have been hurled into the inferno. The flames ahead of him look as if they are losing their force. But they could draw fresh energy at any moment from a hitherto untouched puddle of fuel, the smell of which is everywhere, coupled with the acrid smell of burning Perspex and now, he realises, of burning flesh. Ron presses his harness release button, drops to the floor and winces as he feels a stabbing pain in his lower leg. His chest burns when he breathes. But he has to get out. It doesnt look as if anyone else has. Ron can see Jack Elsons legs, shattered and burned, hanging from his hammock seat, still suspended in his upper gun turret. He was a terrible mess and I knew immediately he was dead, Ron tells me. To see my dear friend hanging lifelessly like that was horrendous, but survival now became paramount. All he wants to do is lie down and sleep. Instead, he forces himself on, dragging his way to the main door on the starboard side. With a superhuman effort he manipulates the lever that opens it not the easiest of tasks at the best of times, as every Lancaster flyer knows. At last it swings open. With 137 ops under her belt, S-Sugar is one of only 20 Lancasters to have completed more than 100 wartime missions. Pictured: Lancaster bombers in the Battle of Britain I simply fell out of the door and pain shot through my body, remembers Ron. I was surrounded by towering trees. I crawled towards them through the freezing snow and found myself in the blackness of the forest. There is no other sign of life. As far as Ron knows, the crash has claimed all his other crewmates. Only much later will he discover that his mate Harry survived, too. From where he lies, Ron can see the silhouette of the ruined Lancaster. It was no longer a beautiful machine; it was dying before my eyes, blackened and charred; it was a wreck in the forest, he says. I felt a personal loss as I gazed at her, but I thanked her for my survival. If it hadnt been for the strength and determination of this Lanc, I had no doubt I would not be alive. She saved my life. I spoke to Ron more than 73 years later as he relaxes in his sheltered accommodation in Birmingham. He tells me he is the luckiest man alive, grateful for every day of his long life. Ron is surrounded by memorabilia from his time in the RAF. Books about Bomber Command and his beloved Lancaster crowd the shelves. Many memories, though by now decades old, are still raw and distressing. Later, Ron and I visit the RAF Museum in Hendon, North London, to see one of the few surviving Lancaster bombers. I show him the Tornado I spent much of my RAF career flying; he gasps when I tell him it was capable of around 600mph. Finally, there she is, in a cavernous hangar. S-Sugar towers above us, by far the biggest beast in Hendons jungle. She is the worlds oldest surviving Lancaster bomber, having flown her first operation into the heart of Nazi Germany in the summer of 1942. Her final mission, in May 1945, was collecting liberated prisoners of war from Germany. Bomber Command took the fight to the enemy when no one else could, and the statistics are as impressive as the aircraft herself. Of 7,377 Lancasters built during the war, over half were lost to enemy action and in training accidents. Pictured: Lancaster being prepared for a raid in the snow Designed in the early 1940s by engineer Roy Chadwick to replace the less successful twin-engined Avro Manchester, she is a British legend. The four mighty Merlin engines mounted along the 102ft wingspan gave her a top speed of around 280mph and a range of 2,500 miles. With a 69ft-long fuselage, the aircraft was essentially built around a 33ft bomb bay designed to carry a 14,500lb payload. At the height of the Second World War, over a million men and women were employed producing the aircraft and its 55,000 separate parts at hundreds of factories. More service personnel were involved in flying and maintaining the Lancaster than any other British aircraft in history. Sir Arthur Harris, the no-nonsense and controversial chief of Bomber Command, called it his shining sword and the greatest single factor in winning the war against Germany. The average age of the seven-man crew was a mere 22. Of 7,377 Lancasters built during the war, over half were lost to enemy action and in training accidents. Ron Needle and S-Sugar are among the lucky survivors. With 137 ops under her belt, S-Sugar is one of only 20 Lancasters to have completed more than 100 wartime missions. John Nichol has written the book Lancaster (Simon and Schuster) A picture of falling bombs depicting her incredible tally is painted on the fuselage under the cockpit. Beneath the bombs is inscribed Germanys Reichsmarschall Hermann Goerings arrogant boast: No enemy plane will fly over the Reich territory. He had been very wrong. The statistics revealing the human cost of the Lancasters operations are breathtaking. Of the 125,000 men who served in Bomber Command, just under half were killed flying missions. In simple, brutal terms, if you flew in Bomber Command, you had less than a 50:50 chance of surviving the war. The mental toll was largely unrecorded and unrecognised. A group of visiting schoolchildren gathers beneath the Lancaster a few yards from where we are sitting. The five- and six-year-olds listen to one of the museum staff explaining what the aircraft did and who flew it. Ron listens quietly, too. When the guide points out where the rear gunner sat and how it must have been a lonely job, I gently interrupt to tell them that the old man in the wheelchair is one such veteran. The children and their teachers stare at Ron in amazement. The guide asks him if he might say a few words. Levering himself out of his wheelchair and leaning heavily on his walking stick, Ron looks into the eager faces and is suddenly overcome with emotion. Eyes glistening, he finds it impossible to speak so I step forward to tell children what it was like to sit in the rear turret, how cold it was, how dangerous it could be. Eventually, a teacher steps forward to take his hand. Turning to her class, she says: Children, what do we say to this gentleman and his friends for what they did for all of us during the war? Thank you! they yell in unison. I look over to Ron. Tears are running down his face. Seeing the Lanc up close again brings back so many memories, he tells me later. She took me to war and looked after me in the worst of times. You can see how strong and powerful she looks. Her strength undoubtedly saved my life. The Lanc is the reason I have a family my own children and grandchildren. He pauses. You know, I really miss my old crewmates even after all these years. I still say a prayer and raise a glass of whisky to them every night. Every single night, without fail. Sadly, Ron Needle died last year, finally reunited with his crew. Riddhima Kapoor has been sharing memories of her late father Rishi Kapoor on Instagram and has now shared a family picture with Alia Bhatt, too, a part of it. The picture is from their time in New York and shows Rishi, wife Neetu, son Ranbir Kapoor and his girlfriend Alia all dressed up in black for an outing. Riddhima also recalled how Rishi would loved to play Scrabble in his free time. She shared a picture of his Scrabble board on her Instagram stories and captioned it, My dad loved his scrabble. He bought this in New York. Riddhima Kapoor has shared two unseen pictures on her Instagram stories. Even Amitabh Bachchan had talked about Rishis love for board games which he used to carry along even to film sets. He had written in his blog post Rishis death, When there was a time lapse as the shot got readied during a shoot , he would bring out his playing cards , or at times pull out his rather complicated Bagatelle board and invite others to play .. a competition .. not just for fun .. a serious competition. The actor had also said that Rishi not just liked playing all these games but also had a playful attitude. He wrote, His playful attitude on set was infectious .. even in the most grave sequences he would discover that comedic spark and we would all just crack up .. !! Not just on set .. if you were with him at any formal event , he would find that little distractive light hearted gem to expand on and lighten the situation. Also read: Official Bhootiyagiri review: Sumeet Vyas shines in this engaging horror-comedy Rishi had returned from New York last year after a year-long treatment for leukaemia. He was admitted to a Mumbai hospital for breathing problems on April 29 where he died in the presence of his close family members. However, Riddhima couldnt travel back to Mumbai from Delhi in time for his funeral and could join her family only two days later due to the coronavirus lockdown. Rishi was shooting for his upcoming film titled Sharmaji Namkeen until mid-February. Producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani have now assured that they will complete the film with the use of advance VFX technology. It stars Juhi Chawla as the female lead. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON By Silvia Aloisi and Sophie Yu MILAN/BEIJING, May 14 (Reuters) - Top luxury brands from Chanel to Louis Vuitton have increased prices of some of their most coveted products as they seek to make up for sales lost during weeks of coronavirus lockdowns. High-end houses have all reported brisk business in South Korea and the key Chinese market, where shops began to reopen in March, partly offsetting a slump in Europe and the United States - where restrictions are only just starting to be lifted. But with consultancy Bain estimating sales for the $300 billion sector to fall by up to 35% this year, bringing to a crushing halt a decade of spectacular growth, luxury groups are moving quickly to protect margins. Chanel said on Wednesday it was increasing prices on its iconic handbags and some small leather goods by between 5% and 17% around the world as the pandemic had pushed up the cost of certain raw materials. "These adjustments are made while ensuring that we avoid excessive price differentials between countries," it said. Industry powerhouse LVMH's star fashion label Louis Vuitton - which the company said last month was enjoying sales growth in excess of 50% in China in early April - has also been hiking prices of handbags in the United States and Europe. As an example, its Neverfull MM Monogram bag, which costs $1,500 on its website, was priced at $1,430 at the beginning of May and at $1,320 at the end of October, for an overall increase of nearly 14%. The data were collected by Reuters using the Internet Archive, a repository of past web pages. Louis Vuitton declined to comment. In China and South Korea, people were queuing outside Chanel stores as soon as rumours of imminent price increases began to spread on social media. Xie Lan, a documentary maker in Beijing, said she had managed to buy a handbag for nearly 30,000 yuan ($4,225) before the price hike. "Work is busy and stressful, I wanted to give myself a treat," she said by phone. Story continues U.S. jeweller Tiffany, which is being bought by LVMH, increased prices of some of its products in South Korea by 10% on May 6, a Seoul store manager told Reuters. "Tiffany regularly reviews its pricing strategy including within each of the markets in which we do business to reflect among other things, currency fluctuations and business input costs," a spokesman for the company said in response to a Reuters query, declining to elaborate further. Analysts said that the strongest brands like Louis Vuitton could be tempted to push prices up given the hit to sales from the virus crisis, which has caused a freeze on international travel and a recession in Europe and the United States. "It's a strategy to defend margins," said Luca Solca, luxury goods analyst at Bernstein, adding however that not all labels will follow that route because it could trigger a backlash from consumers. Tod's said on Wednesday it was not planning any significant change to the group's pricing policy for now. Brands are also grappling with a large amount of unsold stock which they will be reluctant to sell at a big discount in stores, outlets or online out of fear of denting full-price sales and the aura of exclusivity of their goods. Raising prices also carries risk. In Beijing, Luna Xin, a finance broker, said she was giving up for now on her dream of buying the mid-sized Chanel Classic Flap, whose price had gone up on Thursday by 14.5% to 48,900 yuan, she said. "Last September, it was only 39,000 yuan, and now, only a bit more than half a year later, it costs 10,000 more," Xin said. Chinese shoppers are key for luxury brands as they accounted for 35% of global luxury spending in 2019. Bain expects their influence on the sector to grow even further in the next few years - making up nearly half of all luxury sales in 2025. With global travel not expected to return to normal levels for up to two years, Chinese consumers who used to make two-thirds of their luxury purchases abroad will largely be shopping at home, accelerating a trend that was already under way. That means that luxury brands are under pressure to further align prices in mainland China - which have traditionally been higher than in other parts of the world - to encourage Chinese consumers to buy in their own country. Prices in China have gradually come down in recent years, as the government cut import duties and other taxes that had kept them higher. Brands had also spent massively on marketing and rents when they first began trying to crack the market there. "We believe it is essential not to penalize our clients on the basis of geographic considerations," Chanel said. ($1 = 7.0999 Chinese yuan renminbi) ($1 = 0.9264 euros) (Additional reporting by Sarah White in Paris, Hyunjoo Jin in Seoul, Melissa Fares in New York, Claudia Cristoferi in Milan Editing by Susan Fenton) Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-18 19:46:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TASHKENT, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has ordered the government to purchase 2,300 ventilators and other medical equipment worth 30 million U.S. dollars to fight COVID-19, the presidential press service said Saturday. The Ministry of Health has been instructed to buy the medical equipment using loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank, according to the press service. In addition, the Uzbek government will seek additional funding from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the World Bank to develop the country's healthcare system and the social sphere as a whole, it said. Uzbekistan is expected to receive 2.7 billion U.S. dollars this year from international financial institutions to overcome the crisis, most of which will come from the ADB, the World Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the press service said. A Chinese medical team arrived in Tashkent on Friday to assist Uzbekistan's ongoing efforts to fight COVID-19. Uzbekistan has registered 1,450 confirmed cases and locked down all major cities, including its capital city of Tashkent. Enditem Take a look back at some of the social distancing parades, birthday greetings and other socially distanced events that have happened in the Ca By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 05/15/2020 ADVERTISEMENT 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. star Yolanda Leak has revealed she was hospitalized several months ago with an apparent early case of coronavirus that left her in a coma for a month and on a ventilator for three weeks.Yolanda, a 51-year-old from Las Vegas, NV who currently stars on Season 4 of : Before the 90 Days, opened up about her health crisis in footage that has leaked out online from the show's Tell-All reunion, which filmed during the first weekend in May.: Before the 90 Days' Season 4 cast Tell-All reunion had reportedly been set to film at a studio in New York City in March similar to past seasons, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, those plans ended up being postponed.Instead, the show ended up filming a reunion remotely, with everyone participating via video conference -- and nearly ten hours of the footage leaked out online recently."I contracted the flu, but then it went away and it came back a few days later a lot stronger, and it knocked me into a coma. It turned into full-fledged pneumonia," Yolanda revealed in the leaked footage."I was in the hospital for, I guess, six weeks... I was in a coma for a month, yes. I was in a coma for a month on a ventilator and it was really bad."The reunion's host, Shaun Robinson , asked Yolanda if she had been tested for COVID-19."No, because it happened December 2. So it wasn't prevalent; it wasn't out. You know, [coronavirus], the big scare, it wasn't out, which my doctor now believes that's what I had," Yolanda said.On whether she has any plans to get an antibodies test, Yolanda replied, "No, not yet. They just want to keep watching me, because it was just so bad. It was bad, really bad. It took over my lungs, so that's why they [now think] it was coronavirus. But no one knew about it [then]. And then was on December 2, 2019."Yolanda elaborated on why she was in the hospital so long."I was in a coma because my lungs were failing, my kidneys were failing, everything -- all of my major organs were failing," Yolanda shared.Yolanda admitted "it was a mess" for her frightened children."They stayed by my side the whole time, and my family came up to be with them. So it was a big scare, it really was. And now I see how the big thing with [coronavirus] is just taking people out, I was like, right there, on my way out! So it's a blessing that I'm here," Yolanda said.Yolanda, however, insisted, "I'm doing a lot better, thank God. I'm doing a lot better."Raw footage also leaked of Yolanda chatting with her : Before the 90 Days co-stars Lisa Hamme Usman Umar and David Murphey during a subsequent break in filming."I think I already had [coronavirus]," Yolanda shared with the group. "I think I had corona. I had it because I was in a coma for a month and I was on a ventilator for three weeks... Yeah, I was in a coma for a month and I was on a ventilator for three weeks.""My lungs had failed and my kidneys had failed and my liver failed. Everything failed from this virus, but they wasn't calling it corona."Lisa, a hospice caregiver, said she believes Yolanda definitely had coronavirus because "regular pneumonia does not cause that much damage.""Exactly," Yolanda noted. "Exactly. I was in the hospital for six weeks. But I'm strong and I'm back!"Lisa advised Yolanda to live every day to the fullest, and Yolanda replied, "Definitely."Yolanda got into even more details of how her sickness began by telling the group she pretty much gets the flu every year, like a bad cold that's coupled with body aches."I was so happy. I only had it for three days. It went away. But then I think, like, two days later, I had a fever. And I'm like, 'Wait a minute, I thought the flu was gone,'" Yolanda said.Yolanda then recalled the terrifying details that led up to her hospital admittance."So the fever went to 107 and I was in bed taking medication, and my daughter said I slid down the steps. She said she was sitting in the dining room and I just slid down the steps, and that's when she knew something was wrong," Yolanda explained to her castmates."She said when I slid down the steps I walked over to -- I don't remember any of this -- I walked over to the couch and I just laid there and she couldn't get me to talk or anything. So that's when she called 911 and that's when the coma started."Yolanda therefore confirmed she went into a coma while still in her home."So I was rushed to the hospital and the emergency room was shocked because they said I was the youngest one in ICU but doctors couldn't figure out why I was the sickest one. I was the sickest one they had seen in a long time to come into the hospital," Yolanda said.As shown on : Before the 90 Days' fourth season, Yolanda thought she found true love with a man named Williams, a 40-year-old from England.Yolanda intended to travel to England and meet Williams for the first time in person after getting to know each other online and over the phone, but the situation became sketchy when she tried to make concrete plans.Williams couldn't tell Yolanda which airport to fly into, and he became harder to reach the more Yolanda needed information from him.Yolanda's children Karra and Damante believed Yolanda was being scammed, especially when they did some research for her.Not only did Williams' Instagram profile mysteriously disappear -- with Williams telling Yolanda it had been hacked -- but Yolanda's kids discovered stock photos on the Internet of the muscular man claiming to be Williams.The photos Karra and Damante found by doing a reverse-image search on the Internet were the same ones Williams had privately sent Yolanda during their intimate chats.viewers are therefore being led to believe Williams may not even exist and there is someone who is scamming Yolanda, potentially a man from Nigeria based on Karra's online findings.Yolanda revealed to Shaun during the reunion that Williams has no idea she was so sick for so long.At the time Yolanda filmed the Tell-All, she told Shaun that she had hired a private investigator to track Williams down and find out information for her."No, I didn't tell him because we had a brief conversation a couple of months ago when I got home from the hospital, but it was so brief, I didn't even get a chance to tell him that I was that sick," Yolanda claimed."He was just telling me where he's been and what he's up to. He just lost his aunt as well, so he was telling me he was grieving... so I didn't want to bring up my sickness to him because he was already in a bad place."Yolanda said Williams reached out to her at that point following a long period of no contact. Yolanda explained Williams initially stopped calling her because he was offended when she had asked whether he's Nigerian.: Before the 90 Days currently airs on Sunday nights at 8PM ET/PT on TLC.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage! The Acting Country Representative for the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Ghana, Dr. Neema Kimambo has commended Ghana for bolstering its medicine regulatory system and guaranteeing product quality. She has however challenged the Foods and Drugs Authority (FDA) to work hard to sustain the gains and to reach the ultimate which is Maturity Level 4. She said Ghana has strengthened its medicines regulatory system to ensure safety, quality and effectiveness of medical products manufactured, imported or distributed within the country. Dr. Kimambo said this when she handed over the official letter from WHO communicating the achievement of Regulatory Systems Maturity Level 3 by the FDA to the Ministry of Health. She explained that there are four levels of regulatory systems classification starting from Level 1, where only some elements of regulation exist, and up to Level 4 corresponding to the advanced regulatory system. Level 3 indicates that the system is well-functioning and integrates all required elements to guarantee its stable performance. She says Ghana's achievement reaffirms the collaboration between WHO and government towards realizing the targets of universal health coverage and sustainable development goals. Ghana and Tanzania are the only two of WHO African Region's 47 countries to have attained a Level 3 ranking. Tanzania achieved the classification in November 2018. WHO is working with countries in the region to improve the performance of their national regulatory systems and facilitate comprehensive oversight of medical products. She added. Dr. Kimambo said that WHO was proud of Ghana's achievements and will continue to support medicine regulation by developing internationally recognized norms, standards and guidelines, and by providing technical assistance and training to enable countries to implement global guidelines to meet their specific health needs. The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Foods and Drugs Authority, Delese Mimi Darko, said that the benchmarking process has been very stringent and long. The Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, said the Government over the year has invested in strengthening regulatory systems in Ghana and is happy that the FDA has given value that transcends the whole of Africa. The President and the Government of Ghana is proud of this achievement. Ghanaians must continue to have confidence in the FDA because their only agenda is to keep Ghanaians safe and that would be pursued without fear or favour, he added. Mr Agyeman-Manu also made a passionate appeal to other regulatory agencies to strategically partner the FDA to learn and adapt best practices. Present at the brief handing over ceremony were Director for Technical Coordination at the Ministry of Health, Dr Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt, Directors of the Ministry of Health, WHO staff, FDA staff and Board of Directors as well as a cross-section of the Media. ---Daily Guide Four men who smuggled hundreds of kilos of cocaine into the UK hidden inside packages of frozen chicken have been jailed. Ringleader Thomas Lordan, 38, set up a company called Independent Meat Ltd as a front for the illicit imports in May last year. But police and National Crime Agency (NCA) spotted accomplices Francis Sullivan and Emanuel Jella exchanging a holdall packed with 11kg of cocaine in the Kent village of Shadoxhurst the following month. Jella was arrested but Sullivan managed to flee, and an investigation revealed they were part of a wider criminal network. Co-conspirator Mehmet Ali was found transporting 55kg of cocaine on an industrial estate in Lympne, Kent, in August. A few hours after he was arrested, Lordan bought a one way flight to Turkey and fled the country. Sullivan was arrested on 24 September at his home, where officers also seized 32,000 cash, scales, and cocaine. Lordan was eventually apprehended on a European Arrest Warrant by Dutch police at Amsterdam airport on 14 January. He was later extradited to the UK. NCA operations manager Matt McMillan said: This seizure of a significant amount of cocaine means it hasnt ended up on the streets, fuelling violence and exploitation. We have dismantled a well-established drug supply route. Lordan provided the logistics with Sullivan and Ali acting as trusted lieutenants. They used a front company in an effort to disguise their criminality, thinking they could evade capture. But, as this case shows, if you engage in drug trafficking you will be caught. Det Ch Insp Tony OSullivan, of the Metropolitan Police, said the joint operation had massively disrupted a major drugs network operating in London and Kent. Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick on violent crime during coronavirus lockdown It is important to remember the strong link between drugs and violence and by removing this amount of cocaine from the market we have undoubtedly prevented incidents of serious violence and potentially saved lives, he added. Even during these challenging times, we will continue to target those involved in organised crime and the supply of illegal drugs and we will take robust action against them. All five members of the country admitted conspiracy to supply class A drugs and were jailed for a combined total of 50 years. Appearing at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday, Lordan, of Hurst Road in Sidcup, was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment, Ali, 62, of Ministry Way in Eltham to 15-and-a-half years and Sullivan, 22, of Clayhill Crescent in Mottingham to 10 years. Jella, 20, of Chatham Road in Kingston, was previously jailed to six years and seven months for the same offence at Southwark Crown Court. Police and the Border Force have seized huge amounts of cocaine and other drugs during the coronavirus lockdown, which has made importing and transporting illicit goods more difficult. There are concerns that supply issues and rising prices could make violent competition between dealers more severe, although violent crime has fallen significantly since restrictions came into force. 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 Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick is among the officers voicing hope that gains made against gangs can be maintained. Speaking at a press conference last week, she warned that the demand for drugs had not gone away but said: We are absolutely determined to bear down on violence and prevent an escalation anywhere near back to previous levels. Officials previously revealed that drug dealers were faking NHS badges and disguising themselves as key workers to avoid police. A webinar on the impact of coronavirus held by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think-tank last week heard that drug markets had been affected around the world. Senior research fellow Keith Ditcham said crime syndicates were facing an existential crisis in Latin America after the US closed its border with Mexico and required chemicals stopped arriving from China. It has led to turf wars by rival groups fighting over the scant criminal opportunities, he added. Mr Ditcham said that aviation and shipping restrictions meant gangs had been forced to send larger quantities of cocaine in single loads that were more at risk of being seized before reaching their target markets in Europe. Groups representing victims and survivors from Muslim, Sikh and south Asian groups told the Inquiry that religious authorities exhibit a wilfull lack of understanding regarding abuse. An industry of exorcisms has been identified within the UK, a government-ordered inquiry has heard. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) is continuing to hear evidence regarding allegations of abuse in religious organisations and settings. Groups representing victims and survivors from Muslim, Sikh and south Asian groups told the Inquiry that religious authorities exhibit a wilfull lack of understanding regarding abuse. Giving evidence to the Inquiry, which is being chaired by Professor Alexis Jay OBE, one activist representing victims said that she was aware of a growing number of exorcisms in the UK. Sadia Hameed, Director of Gloucestershire Sisters, which specialises in harmful traditional practices including: honour-based violence, forced marriage and FGM, said that folk traditions, including exorcisms are becoming more prevalent. When I was younger, it almost didnt even exist, she told the hearing, which is taking place remotely via Zoom. You might have had someone that would pray and blow on you or pray on some water and give you that water to drink, but now, were seeing this industry of exorcisms happening in the UK. And they might be happening in a mosque setting, or they might happen in somebodys home where somebody is invited to perform an exorcism, but theyve certainly grown in prevalence in recent times, I would say in the last decade. Pragna Patel, director of Southall Black Sisters (SBS), also told the Inquiry on Friday that the ritualised healing that takes places is often a pretext for sexual abuse. Sexual abuse in Muslim community not a 'rampant issue' Earlier in the week the IICSA heard evidence from Moin Azmi, vice chair of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB), said that sexual abuse is not a rampant issue within the Muslim community. Story continues He told the Inquiry: The sentencing within Islam is so, so severe that it gives shudders down somebody who even thinks about sexual abuse, and if thats the foundation of how Muslims think then the majority - Im not saying that there arent sexual abuses - Im saying the majority have a particular view of this issue. In November, The Telegraph reported that witchcraft child abuse cases had risen by a third in two years, as experts blame cultural sensitivity and political correctness as barriers to protecting children. Abuse of children based on faith or belief which includes witchcraft, spirit possession and black magic increased from 1,460 to 1,950 cases between 2016/17 and 2018/19, according to figures released by the Local Government Association (LGA). The statistics came just months a trial at the Old Bailey which saw a mother of a then three-year-old girl become the first person to be convicted of FGM in the UK, following a failed bid to "shut up" her accusers with witchcraft. The Ugandan woman, 37, and her Ghanaian partner, 43, both from Walthamstow, east London, were accused of cutting their daughter over the 2017 summer bank holiday. Forty limes and other fruit were found with pieces of paper with names written on them stuffed inside, including those of police officers and a social worker involved in the investigation. The spells and curses intended to deter police and social workers from investigating were found at the Ugandan woman's home, the trial heard. The hearings continue. Wherever you turn, the numbers are shocking. The economy shrank by nearly 6 per cent in March alone, the worst fall since monthly records began in 1997. The Bank of England expects an economic slump of 25 per cent in this quarter and 2020 is set to suffer from the deepest recession since 1706. Even worse perhaps, economists say that we will not see a full recovery until 2022 at the earliest. The figures and forecasts are deeply depressing for thousands of firms. When one door closes: Insolvency firm FRP Advisory is at its most profitable when other firms are collapsing But they are likely to spell good news for one corner of the economy insolvency practices. These firms thrive in hard times, and one example is FRP Advisory, which specialises in selling off companies that are beyond repair, as well as helping businesses back on their feet if they have fallen into only temporary financial distress. FRP was listed on the stock market on March 6, one of the few successful flotations of recent months. Priced at just 80p, FRP shares have since shot up to 1.24, but they have long-term potential, too. The firm was floated when stock markets were tumbling, the UK had yet to enter lockdown and few could predict the full economic impact of coronavirus. Since then, conditions have changed dramatically. FRP is far smaller than the big accountancy firms such as PwC and Deloitte, but manages to punch well above its weight. In the past few weeks alone, the group has been appointed to sort out Debenhams and the restaurant chain Carluccio's. Laura Ashley may well be on the list, too, while other high profile cases include BHS, Patisserie Valerie and Aquascutum. FRP was founded by Geoff Rowley and Jeremy French, both with decades of experience in the corporate restructuring field. The duo worked together at Vantis, an accountancy firm that grew too fast and itself came to an untimely end in 2010. Rowley and French's part of the group was in good shape, however, so they bought it from the administrators and set up their own shop, taking 170 people with them. Learning from Vantis's mistakes, they have run FRP with extreme caution, and the business has gone from strength to strength, now employing 360 staff. Turnover rose from 17.4 million in the year to April 2011 to 54.3 million in the year to April 2019, while profits soared even faster. Last week, Rowley revealed that turnover would rise more than 16 per cent to 63.2 million for the year to April 30, 2020, comfortably ahead of expectations. Profits of just over 14 million are expected, rising to at least 16.2 million in the 12 months to April 2021. A dividend of 0.7p is forecast for the year just ended, rising to 3.9p for the current year. FRP intends to be generous on the dividend front, making half-yearly payments this year but moving to quarterly distributions in 2021. As a business that generates most of its money from companies in trouble, FRP is well positioned for the coming months. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has stepped in to help firms and their employees, but that support will not last indefinitely. Once it is withdrawn, thousands of firms face an uncertain future. Payments for FRP's assignments range in value from a few thousand pounds to several million. The group tackles about 1,500 cases a year and that number should rise as the company expands and the economy droops. Rowley and French have built a strong culture across the group, centred on fairness and a desire to help struggling businesses wherever possible. The group has other strings to its bow, including a forensic services division, which delves into fraud and bribery allegations. After ten years as a privately-owned business, Rowley and French floated FRP primarily to fund growth and promote the business. They also made some money for themselves, raising 57million from the flotation that was shared among 50 partners. The partners remain heavily invested in FRP, however, collectively owning just over 50 per cent of the company. They were also keen to reward employees, so every staff member has been granted shares - a move that should encourage team spirit and a group-wide commitment to success. Midas verdict: Insolvency firms are widely feared and often loathed, accused of profiteering from companies in trouble. FRP tries to be more sympathetic and prides itself on talking straight and acting fair. The approach has worked so far and should continue to hold good, especially as our economy tilts downwards. At 1.24, the shares should prove rewarding and the dividend is an extra perk. Traded on: AIM Ticker: FRP Contact: frpadvisory.com or 020 3005 4000 The Arunachal Pradesh Police on Saturday escorted 761 migrant labourers who were stranded in the state capital due to nationwide lockdown, and handed them over to Assam administration at Banderdewa check gate near here, a senior officer said. All the labourers who hail from Assam, were stranded at Naharlagun near here, Capital SP Tumme Amo said. A total of 11,776 migrant labourers were sent to Assam by the Capital police in the past 14 days through Banderdewa and Hollongi check gates, the SP said. Of the total stranded labourers sent to Assam, 11,247 were from Naharlagun while 529 were from Itanagar. The SP has requested all the migrant labourers and their employers in the state capital to contact or report to the nearest police stations if they are willing to move out of the state to Assam. "Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPO) of Itanagar and Naharlagun will coordinate the movement of the stranded labourers in the state capital," the SP said. Amo added that those people from other states excluding Assam, who are still stranded in the state capital and want to return to their home states, should fill in their details for the destination states for proper planning of their movement in the website http://covid19.itanagarsmartcity.in/scr/register/strandedinaru nachal.php immediately. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hollywood star Jessica Alba is set to play the lead role in Netflix's upcoming action-thriller Trigger Warning. According to Variety, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts helmer Mouly Surya is directing the movie from a script penned by Josh Olson and John Brancato. Production company Thunder Road's Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee are producing the project. Alba is also serving as executive producer. In the film, Alba will play a troubled veteran who inherits her grandfather's bar, and is faced with a moral dilemma after discovering the truth behind his untimely death. As per the publication, the streaming giant is planning to start franchise with the film. Alba can currently be seen in action-packed series LA's Finest, alongside Gabrielle Union. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 04:12:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ROME, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Italy registered 242 new coronavirus fatalities on Friday, bringing the country's death toll to 31,610, out of total infection cases of 223,885, according to the latest data provided by the country's Civil Protection Department. The number of recoveries rose to 120,205, with an increase of 4,917 compared to Thursday. Nationwide, the number of active infections fell by 4,370 to 72,070, according to the Civil Protection Department. Of those who tested positive for the coronavirus, 808 are being treated in intensive care, down by 47 compared to Thursday, and 10,792 are hospitalized with symptoms, a decrease of 661 patients over the past 24 hours. The remaining 60,470 people -- or about 84 percent of those who have tested positive -- are isolated at home without symptoms or with only mild symptoms. Northwest Lombardy and Piedmont regions remained the hardest hit with 27,746 and 11,113 active cases, respectively, followed by central Emilia Romagna with 6,001, and by northeast Veneto with 4,439. PLAN TO REOPEN INTER-REGIONAL MOVEMENT In related news, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte's cabinet is mulling easing of the restrictions on people's movement between regions starting from June 3, local media reported. The topic was included in a draft decree submitted to a cabinet meeting on Friday. Under the plan being discussed, moving between regions would be allowed again but would be subject to regional authorities, which could limit it, if they have specific reasons -- linked to the local epidemiological pandemic trend, according to Il Sole 24 ore business daily. No official announcement came in the day, however, as the cabinet was still trying to harmonize different calls from the various regional governments, some of which (especially in the north) pressed for reopening sooner than June, while others (mostly in the south) remained against it. All movements between regions have stopped in the country since March 10, when the lockdown entered into force, but for strict necessities such as the need to provide care to non-self-sufficient parents. According to the same draft, restrictions on people's movements within the region they live in would be lifted starting from May 18. REQUESTS FOR STATE-BACKED LOANS GROW Also on Friday, Italy's Banking Association (ABI) said the number of requests from businesses for accessing loans backed by the state's Guarantee Fund was "strongly on the rise." "As of May 14, applications to the Guarantee Fund have grown to 212,000, exceeding 10 billion euros (10.8 billion U.S. dollars) in terms of requested loans," ABI stated on Friday. "Among these, requests for loans up to 25,000 euros were 184,000, worth some 3.87 billion euros overall." The measure to ensure liquidity and favorable bank loans to firms hit by the coronavirus emergency was contained in a government decree approved in April. On May 13, the cabinet passed another decree containing new stimulus measures worth 55 billion euros (59.4 billion U.S. dollars) overall, including more than 15 billion in various provisions aimed at enterprises. Enditem Some employees will return to work next Monday as the first phase of the Government's roadmap for exiting the Covid-19 lockdown commences. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection said in a statement that it wishes to advise workers who may be returning to work on Monday, May 18, to close their claim for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) on that day, Monday, May 18, to make sure that they will not lose out in getting their payment for this week. This payment is due on Tuesday next. Also read: SIPTU calls for meat industry task force to tackle Covid-19 A worker who is returning to work any day the week commencing Monday, May 18, is still entitled to receive a PUP payment for the previous week in which they were unemployed. Similarly, workers who will be returning to work any time after Monday, May 18, are asked to close their claim for the PUP payment on the actual date that they start back at work. The easiest way to close a claim for the pandemic unemployment payment is online via www.mywelfare.ie Should any worker have an enquiry about closing their claim, they can contact the Departments dedicated income support helpline at 1890 800 024 (Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm). At least 23,000 people escaping violence in north-western Nigeria have fled to neighbouring Niger in recent weeks, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has said. The refugees were mainly desperate women and children, who had been allowed to seek protection in Niger despite border closures as a result of coronavirus pandemic, the UN agency said on Tuesday. The UNHCR said that an additional 19,000 Niger nationals in the southern Maradi region had become displaced inside their own country fearing and fleeing the same insecurity in the border areas. Those fleeing speak of extreme violence unleashed against civilians, murders, kidnappings for ransom and pillaging and looting of villages, the statement said. The numbers fleeing have almost tripled from last year when the agency reported the first influx of 20,000 people following an insurgency and banditry in northern Nigeria that killed hundreds and displaced thousands. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Whether or not we should have been more prepared for its unprecedented events in hindsight, it is clear that the global health crisis has blindsided the global economy in the last 100 days. As we strode confidently into 2020, global stock markets where on highs of course, around that same time, the World Health Organization became aware of a string of pneumonia-like illnesses in Wuhan. The rest, entrepreneurs are fully, painfully, up to date on. The global economy is in paralysis, necessitating huge interventions by government and leading to significant job losses. Even the mighty Google is reportedly looking at ways to find efficiencies, cutting marketing budgets as well as initiating hiring freezes. Startups are also increasingly sharply in focus, with many that were previously flying high now in a fight for survival. Related: Why Progressive Leaders Focus On Playing the Long-Game According to Crunchbase, 280 startups laid off 21,609 employees from March 11 to April 21. Eventbrite, the global ticketing and experience platform has announced a $100 million annualized expense reduction plan, reducing its global workforce by 45 percent together with other cost-saving measures. Coming only a short time after Amazon's potential investment in online delivery business Deliveroo being provisionally approved by the UK competition watchdog, reports emerged that Deliveroo is set to cut hundreds of employees, struggling with lower demand during the lockdown. Another eye-catching story was StockX laying off 12 percent of its workforce. This should serves as a warning on how fast things can change; StockX was valued at $1 billion as of July 2019, and as recently as an March 27, the CEO of the "stock market for things" mentioned it had benefited from the events over the last few months. However, in a statement to Business Insider, StockX said it was now shifting from a "growth-focused mentality to one rooted in operational efficiency." Clearly it is a time for all businesses to face into our new reality things are changing quickly. What is operational efficiency? Lets be honest, the concept of operational efficiency probably didnt come up too often in your management team meetings pre-crisis. Operational efficiency measures the efficiency of profit earned as a function of operating costs; the greater the operational efficiency, the more profitable a company is, generating greater income or returns for the same, or lower costs. One example is lean manufacturing. Adapted from the Toyota Production System, it also refers to the concept of "continuous improvement," a process that seeks to reduce and eventually eliminate inefficiency and waste. Related: 5 Tips for Recognizing a Meaningful Business Opportunity When You See One One of its key frameworks, 5S, is named after five activities derived from the Japanese words seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu and shitsuke to sort, straighten (or set in order), shine, standardize and sustain. Interestingly some later adaptions of the model also call for a sixth S for safety but hopefully thats a given right now. When adapted, these principles can prove to be a useful starting point for startups to consider. Operational efficiency does not just need to be focused on reducing headcount there are many practical areas to address declining revenues and profits and positives to derive as well. 1. Review your core business functions In 5S, the first step of "sort" typically refers to the need to remove all unneeded items, only retaining what is needed for efficient production. This reduces distraction and the time required to look for something, increasing the amount of available, useful space. Take this time to review your business activities end-to-end. Do you have areas that are not (yet) core to your business survival? Can they be paused for now? 2. Realign resources to your core business Connected to the above, this is also an opportunity to realign and focus your team on the areas of greatest return for your business. 3. Are you returning to the same scale of business? Consider your own "space" when things return to normal. Most of us reading this have been working with a distributed team for some time now, so do you still need all of your office space? Perhaps this new way of working can enable you to reduce your costs. 4. Review your workflows "Set in order" in 5S refers to making workflow smoother through establishing specific locations, quantities and order of parts needed for efficient operation. Look at your internal process for completing different types of task with an efficiency focus. How they might be improved? 5. Partner review Do you have multiple companies offering similar services to you or point solutions in different parts of your business? Single or integrated solution might enable you to reduce cost. Equally, consider if you still need enterprise scale solutions you selected for growth. 6. Identify hidden areas of waste It may be a while since youve audited your business supply and procurement. Now is the time to look to reduce waste in your business (e.g. SaaS services you are subscribed too that you can do without or can reduce to the free for now). 7. Finish off those projects In 5S, shine or shining represents inspecting your workplace and tools on a regular basis in order to improve efficiency, safety and prevent errors and defects. Consider if this is a time to finally get onto refining things that youve never finished as you intended, such as long overdue software enhancements or addressing that backlog of technical debt. This will also improve the robustness of your core product. 8. Standardize processes and KPIs Seiketsu refers to implementing visual displays and controls to standardize processes to making them part of daily routine. Do you agree, manage and monitor your key principles of working currently? Are your team clear on their responsibilities? Use this time to establish stronger KPIs and targets for creating efficiencies in your company. 9. Bring the team into the process Shitsuke also translates to "do without being told," and focuses on maintaining operational efficiency through continued training and total employee involvement. As a startup, you might already be working in an agile, self-organized manner, but take this as an opportunity to bring your team into the review process, explaining why this is important for survival. 10. Training and skills improvement As you reorganize, seek input from your team to identify improvements ideally incentivize them for offering suggestions. Ask them how they would suggest you reduce costs and innovate without impacting customer experience. Tempering your growth ambitions and implementing an authentic-feeling culture of continuous improvement is not going to happen overnight, but hopefully some of the ideas covered here will spark ideas to help you becoming a leaner business as we all recover from this period. Gaining improvements in productivity, customer value, team morale and employee engagement, as well appropriate cost reduction will ultimately improve your business agility and operating model and lead to greater profitability. Be transparent and seek input you just might find some game-changing improvements. Related: 5 Steps to Help Your Business Emerge Stronger From the Health Crisis Related: 5 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Rebound After a Crisis Free Webinar | June 16: Find Customers and Grow Sales For Your Disruptive Brand 10 Ways Startups Can Pivot From Growth to Operational Efficiency During a Crisis Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved In a photo taken on February 16, 2017 a boy uses a smartphone featuring an image of Winnie-the-Pooh at Mansudae hill in central Pyongyang. Authorities in North Korea have begun a crackdown on teenage culture, targeting teens who store underground pop music and illegal videos on their mobile phones, in an attempt to prevent South Korean trends from gaining more traction, local sources say. Those caught in the crackdown, which started in late April, will not be simply given detention their parents and teachers will also face severe punishment, they told RFA. Though smartphone use is allowed in North Korea, the countrys smartphones all have an application called Red Flag running in the background that keeps a log of webpages visited by users and randomly takes screenshots. These can be viewed, but not deleted with another app called Trace Viewer. The screenshots can be checked by authorities at any time, but generally the police only check the phones of people of interest, or make random checks to solicit bribes. But now under the direction of the Korean Workers Partys Central Committee, the police are targeting teens and ruining their smart phone fun. Nowadays it is becoming a trend for teens to carry around North Korean songs made in the South Korean [K-pop] style, videos and books from unknown sources, restricted photos and texts written using South Korean [spelling, vocabulary and slang], on their mobile phones and other devices, a source in North Pyongan province, who requested anonymity for legal reasons, told RFAs Korean Service Wednesday. On the Central Committees order, authorities have begun to censor mobile phones, the source said. According to the source, the crackdown started when random checks on college and high school students revealed the contraband data on many of their smartphones. The teenagers behavior has been reported to the Central Committee and theyve ordered nation-wide mobile phone censorship for students, the source said. They think that the kids desire to be culturally like South Koreans poses a threat to the system, the source said. But the youngsters were given warning. The Local Kimilsungist-Kimjongilist Youth League organized emergency meetings to prevent young students from spreading the South Korean-like culture using electronic devices, including mobile phones, the source said, referring to North Koreas main youth league, modeled after the Soviet Komsomol. Many students are anxious because they warned of strong legal punishment for those who are found guilty, the source added. The source also said that not only the teens would be punished, but also officials of their schools and leaders of their youth league meetings. They must jointly take responsibility. The [teens] are also nervous as they will be subject to punishment during weekly self-criticism sessions, the source added. Self-criticism, or saenghwal chonghwa, is a regular act by which the citizens report to the authorities on any shortcoming they might have in loyalty to the state. The youth league leaders and the authorities have organized inspection groups to regularly check the teens devices, according to another source, a resident who requested anonymity to speak freely. Students are busy erasing [all the contraband files] from their mobile phones and electronic storage devices, the second source told RFA Wednesday. Young students in Ryanggang province and other areas adjacent to the border [with China] often store illegal data on their mobile phones, because they can easily get South Korean music and dramas from China, the second source said. So now the students are staying up all night trying to erase all the illegal data, because if they are caught from the crackdown, not only they, but also their parents and school officials will be punished. Reported by Myungchul Lee for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. McGurk wanted to take kids to see Mickey Mouse A father-of-five smuggled nearly 60,000 worth of drugs because he wanted to take his children to Disneyland, a court has heard. Anthony McGurk (29) had a panic attack in Dublin Airport last November after his suitcase was X-rayed by customs officials. A large bag of MDMA crystal powder was found wrapped in his clothes, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard yesterday. He had just got off a flight from Amsterdam. McGurk, a Belfast man of no fixed abode, initially denied owning the drugs and said they must have been planted in his bag. When arrested by gardai, he confessed to buying the drugs in Amsterdam with a view to selling them in Belfast. He pleaded guilty to one count of possessing drugs for sale or supply at Dublin Airport last November 25. He had no previous convictions. Jailing him for two-and-a-half years, Judge Martin Nolan said McGurk had engaged in a "singularly misjudged scheme" in the hope of making some money. He noted that McGurk had no ties to the criminal world in Ireland or the North and had worked for several years as a chef. Judge Nolan accepted he was struggling with mental health difficulties at the time. Garda Michael Byrne told Pieter Le Vert BL, prosecuting, that after being treated for a panic attack at Dublin Airport, McGurk was taken to Ballymun Garda Station where he admitted owning the drugs. He said he had been struggling with mental health and job difficulties in the past couple of years and had an acrimonious relationship with his ex-partner. Desperate His friends clubbed together to take him to festivals in Prague and then Amsterdam, where he bought the drugs. "He said he was desperate to make money to bring his kids to Disneyland and for Christmas," Mr Le Vert said. McGurk went on to tell gardai: "I've made the biggest mistake of my life." The drugs had a street value of 58,926, the court heard. Gda Byrne said he and his colleagues were concerned for McGurk's mental health during his time at the station and "kept a close eye on him". He had been in custody since his arrest and is working in the prison kitchen. Michael Bowman SC, defending, said his client was the father of five young children - two aged four and six from his first relationship, and one-year-old twins and a seven-month-old baby with his current partner. He said McGurk was a chef before working in child support and in a call centre, but had stopped working due to mental health issues. He and his current partner were given homeless accommodation in Belfast, but the family has now lost this due to McGurk's arrest, Mr Bowman told the court. McGurk had an acrimonious relationship with his ex-partner and felt inadequate in terms of providing for his five children when he carried out the offence, the court heard. "He has rendered himself and his family homeless," Mr Bowman said. "He has destroyed everything he wanted to hold dear as a result of his catastrophic actions." Where Did The Phrase What Would Jesus Do Come From? What Would Jesus Do grew out of the Biblical concept of the "Imitatio Christi," or the "Imitation of Christ," one of the teachings stressed in The Roman Catholic Church. Thomas a Kempis wrote a book with the title Imitation of Christ in the 1400s. John Wesley later built on the foundation of this theme, adding a social welfare component. Inspired by Kempis' book, the preacher Charles Spurgeon peppered one of his sermons with the phrase "What Would Jesus Do?" in 1881 in London. The Reverend A.B. Simpson composed a hymn that year using that phrase as the name. But Reverend Charles Sheldon was the one who introduced it to a wider audience. In 1890, Reverend Sheldon was leading the Central Congregational Church of Topeka, Kansas. He had been growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of attendance at the Sunday night services there, and decided to try a new approach to his messages. Sheldon acknowledged the challenges of imitating Christ while living in modern society. So, he came upon the idea of composing a string of what he called "sermon stories" to address this point in his late Sunday meetings. Each week, he presented an episode that depicted a moral dilemma someone might face. The messages all ended with a cliffhanger, and the question, "What would Jesus do?" Attendance at Central Congregational quickly surged. Encouraged by the response, Reverend Sheldon wrote a book in 1896 titled, In His Steps, which continued on this theme of making choices in daily life that reflect the values of Jesus. Because of a defective copyright, 70 different publishers in America and beyond ended up publishing the book. A bestseller, it was eventually translated into a number of foreign languages as well. One of the stories, about how a newspaper editor applied the question, "What Would Jesus Do," inspired the Topeka Daily Capital editor to invite Sheldon to take over his paper for a week. In March of 1900, readers saw, instead of the usual stories, reports about social reforms, missionaries, and fundraising efforts for India. Ads that the Reverend found offensive were taken out or re-worded. The experiment was a great success - many people around the world subscribed for the week. Garrett W. Sheldon, Reverend Sheldon's great-grandson, published an updated version of the book and called it What Would Jesus Do?: A Contemporary Retelling of Charles M. Sheldon's Classic In His Steps. Photo credit: Unsplash/Ben White In light of Judge Sullivans bizarre orders in the Flynn prosecution, there is talk about the possibility of filing a petition with the court of appeals seeking to have it pull the plug on the Flynn proceedings. However, I dont think the D.C. Circuit would grant such a petition, and I question whether, at this stage, it should. The problem is that Sullivan hasnt ruled one way or the other on the governments motion to dismiss the case against Gen. Flynn. Technically, all he has done is ask for briefing from outside parties on the question of whether he should grant the motion. Sullivan shouldnt have asked for outside help. He should have done his own research, if necessary, and granted the motion without further ado. However, I doubt that this is the kind of error a court of appeals would, or should, correct on a petition. If Sullivan denies the governments motion and/or launches a prosecution of Flynn for perjury, then a petition to the court of appeals will be in order. It would be unconscionable to make Flynn wait until he has endured additional substantive criminal proceedings before finally being able to appeal. U.S. v. Fokker Services, decided by the D.C. Circuit in 2016, is an example of a successful petition for mandamus against a district court judge who exceeds his authority in a criminal case the parties want to halt. There, the district court refused to enter a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) reached by the government and the defendant because the judge felt the defendant was getting off lightly. Finding that the judge had gone beyond his proper role, the D.C. Circuit pulled the plug. However, this was after the district court denied the parties DPA motion. In the Flynn case, Sullivan has yet to rule. Only after he does might an appeals court be receptive to intervening . With the outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria, Lagos has taken the lead as the epicentre of the virus in the country. Of... With the outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria, Lagos has taken the lead as the epicentre of the virus in the country. Of the 4,787 confirmed Coronavirus cases in Nigeria, Lagos ramps up 1,990 cases, having discharged 502 survivors of the pandemic and recorded 34 deaths. Of the 20 Local Governments in the State, there are 10 councils that are more affected. Anyone going to transact businesses or going to these areas must be extra careful to avoid contracting the virus. Below are the areas mostly affected as at May 7, 2020. As at May 7, 2020, Lagos Mainland is the epicentre of Coronavirus pandemic in Lagos with 541 cases. This area include Yaba, Oyingbo, Iddo and others. Lagos Mainland is now a danger zone and those going there must take precautionary measures. 2. Eti-Osa Eti-Osa, as at this date has recorded 200 Coronavirus cases, making it the second worst hit area in Lagos. At the onset of the virus, Eti-Osa was leading. Eti-Osa is home to Victoria Island, Lekki Phase I and II, Ajah and others. 3. Mushin Mushin is recording serious community transmission of Coronavirus. 138 people have been infected with the virus. At the onset, Mushin was not mentioned in the scheme of things. 4. Ikeja Ikeja is another hot spot for the transmission of Coronavirus. 73 people have been infected with the virus. Ikeja is home to major business players and the seat of the Lagos State Government, as well as the popular Computer Village. Nigerians transacting businesses in this area must be cautious. 5. Alimosho Alimosho is an emerging hot spot for the transmission of Coronavirus, recording 69 confirmed cases in a very short time. The area is the most populous in Lagos, with over six million inhabitant. It is a hotbed for community transmission. 6. Kosofe Kosofe has so far recorded 59 cases of Coronavirus. Kosofe is a large area in Lagos East and has a population of over one million. 7. Apapa Apapa is a major business area hosting the sea ports. With Coronavirus infections of 55, the area is a potential hotbed for the virus. While the airport and land border have been on lockdown, the seaports are still operating and opened for vessels to enter. 8. Somolu Somolu has recorded 40 cases of Coronavirus as at May 7, 2020. The area, with large population is prone to serious community transmission, Those visiting Somolu must be very careful. 9. Amuwo-Odofin Amuwo-Odofin has recorded 35 cases of Coronavirus. The area plays host to FESTAC, Mile 2 and the rest. It is also a business area, where many Igbo traders live. 10. Oshodi/Isolo Oshodi/Isolo is home to popular street urchins, Area Boy and the biggest auto spare part market in Nigeria, Ladipo Market. With Coronavirus infections rate of 34, the area is prone to serious community transmission. A board displays the Brazilian Real-U.S. dollar and other exchange rates, following the spread of the coronavirus, in Sao Paulo By Carolina Mandl and Marcela Ayres SAO PAULO/BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil is running short of hard currency needed to pay funds aimed at helping people impoverished by the coronavirus crisis, according to two sources and a document reviewed by Reuters, the latest blow to the country's troubled stimulus programme. Cash is vital in Brazil, where almost a third of the population is unbanked, lacking access to credit and debit cards. The country's state-controlled mint on Monday asked workers to ramp up production of paper money starting this month, putting in for overtime as needed, according to a document reviewed by Reuters. The letter added that the additional banknotes are needed for the aid, which some 60 million people are expected to seek. The programme to pay 600 reais ($102.90) a month to those lacking regular work contracts has already had a troubled rollout as crowds seeking the funds have formed at many branches of state bank Caixa Economica Federal, risking contagion amid the pandemic. Some people who lack bank accounts have even camped out overnight at branches to get their hands on the cash. The stumbles in the programme passed by the Brazilian congress come amid rising criticism that the far-right government of President Jair Bolsonaro has failed to take dramatic enough action to stimulate an economy which according to some forecasts could shrink by double digits this year. About 30% of Brazil's population is unbanked, a greater percentage than in China and even India, according to the World Bank. The government started to pay an initial installment under the programme at the beginning of April, but delayed the second, scheduled for the end of last month. A new schedule is likely to be released in coming days. One of the sources directly blamed the hard currency shortage for the delay in the second installment, while another said it could not yet be paid because the first was still in progress, while confirming that there was a currency shortage. Story continues 'SAFE INVENTORY' Economic Policy Secretary Adolfo Sachsida said there was a "technical issue with the payment sources" for the funds but denied there was any issue around currency shortages. "If, by any chance there's a lack of cash, a lack of physical notes, we'll find a way to correct that," he said. Brazil's central bank, which oversees money supply, confirmed it has been in talks with the mint to raise output, moving a bigger chunk of its annual banknote production into the coming weeks, according to a statement sent to Reuters. The amount of hard currency in circulation has already spiked 23% year-on-year to 291.2 billion reais, but much of the additional paper money is being hoarded by individuals and businesses because of worries about the crisis and because with much of the economy shuttered there are fewer places to spend cash, the regulator said. "The inquiries aim at building a safe inventory and offseting potential outcomes of money hoarding," the central bank said. The talks are aimed at increasing the mint's weekly money production by 40%, according to union leader Aluizio da Silva Junior, adding that the union has yet to sign off on the request. The central bank said it was unaware of any delays in aid payments. The Social Assistance Ministry, responsible for the emergency funds, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Caixa Economica Federal, the bank in charge of payments, declined to comment on the matter. The number of people seeking the emergency fund has surprised government's officials, who were expecting to pay 98 billion reais to 54 million Brazilians. Recent calculations, though, updated the number to 124 billion reais and 60 million people - equivalent to Italy's population. Caixa Economica estimates that nearly 30 million digital accounts will be opened by unbanked people as a consequence of the emergency payment, a legacy expected to help people when the pandemic is over. (Reporting by Carolina Mandl, in Sao Paulo, and Marcela Ayres, in Brasilia, Additional reporting by Jamie McGeever in Brasilia; Editing by Christian Plumb and David Gregorio) Click here to read the full article. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic fallout, the businesses of young, emerging and independent designers are likely to be the most vulnerable. In a Supporting Independents, FN will spotlight these creatives to learn how they are adjusting to a new way of working and living. Despite industry uncertainty, fashion is still forging ahead when it comes to supporting its rising talent. Just look at Andrea Wazen. More from Footwear News Last year, FN put a spotlight on the Beirut-based designer as an emerging talent to watch, and nearly a year later she has been honored with the Fashion Trust Arabia Award, naming her Accessories Designer of the Year. Officially having launched in 2013 with a boutique in Beirut followed by her e-commerce debut in December 2017, Wazen quickly garnered a celebrity following from the likes of Ciara, Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber and Jennifer Lopez, who can all be credited for the giving the brand a boom. While her colorful shoes have connected with customers, what really sets Wazen apart from competitors is her story and commitment to producing footwear in Lebanon, which is something that caught the eye of Christian Louboutin and Diane von Furstenberg, who were part of the FTA judging committee. Story continues Andrea Wazen Franca Heel To Buy: Andrea Wazen Franca Sling Heel, $465. As part of the prize, each winner, which was announced this week, will receive financial support of up to $200,000, as well as industry mentorship and the opportunity to sell their spring 2021 collection through FTA partner Matchesfashion.com. I did not expect to win. Im so happy, Wazen told FN. When you apply, they ask you why and what you want from the fund and the mentorship program. For me, this was about how to take a my brand international, how to establish my brand online further and how to grow my team. Despite growing traction in 2019, Wazen is now faced with fashions changing landscape due to the coronavirus. I thought 2020 would be my big year, everything was on track and then the coronavirus comes and theres the shift, she said. We dont know whats going to happen. The market is changing so much. Two years ago I dont think I would survive. Though her brick-and-mortar store in Beirut remains closed, Wazen is focused on e-commerce where she is still selling well, she said. Plus, being small and nimble has proved beneficial. Andrea Wazen Denver heel To Buy: Andrea Wazen Denver Heel, $475. Im at this stage where Im not a brand that depends on retailers, she explained. We have under 10 retailers so Im still able to produce my shoes [in time] and theres still no team so I move spontaneously. Looking ahead, Wazen said she plans to continue with spring 21, but will adjust her designs to include more casual options to reflect the worlds position due to COVID-19 as well her signature flamboyant heels but with neutral color options. The dream aspect of the shoe and that experience still needs to be there but at this point, the collection needs to be about the identity, she said. And the further I get into that, I will forge a better collection. I have more confidence and I have a direction, despite everything. Unlike many designers, Wazen is focused on only created two season per year. She was recently tempted to possibly produce pre-collections, but given the impacts of the coronavirus, she will stick with only fall and spring. People are waking up, Wazen continued. We are all struggling. Weve come much closer as a community of designers, supporting in any way we can. And slow fashion [is key]. I think fashion is going to change. Consumers want a sense of value in their products as well as integrity. Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE What had been a rather civil Democratic Party primary campaign for the 3rd Congressional District flared up on Thursday when two candidates released statements criticizing another candidate, Teresa Leger Fernandez, for the support shes receiving from so-called dark money groups. The statements were released after the taping of a candidate forum co-sponsored by the Albuquerque Journal that will air on KOAT-TV at 4 p.m. Sunday. In a news release late Thursday afternoon, John Blair said that during the taping of the forum, Leger Fernandez refused to denounce the dark money groups that are supporting her campaign. He called for Leger Fernandez to demand the removal of ads from multiple dark money groups supporting her campaign. Teresa has failed a simple test of our partys values, Blair said. Its clear that Teresa is unwilling to reject the help of secret special interests and rich donors, and thats exactly what makes people hate politics. Two hours later, Marco Serna released a statement saying, I am deeply disappointed to hear that Ms. Leger Fernandez has turned a blind eye to the influence of dark money in her campaign, especially when she has claimed to be a candidate for the people of New Mexico. Leger Fernandezs campaign manager, Emma Caccamo, responded to the criticism from Blair and Serna with a statement to the Journal saying that the campaign was New Mexico powered and that it hadnt received any corporate PAC money. We dont know anything about any other groups and saw their ads when everybody else did, she said. Earlier Thursday, a brief included in Politicos Morning Score reported that two seemingly related dark money groups, Perise Practical Inc. and Avacy Initiatives Inc., have spent more than $300,000 on positive bio spots that promote Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez and highlights her background and connection to the community. Leger Fernandez, a Santa Fe attorney originally from Las Vegas, New Mexico, has been running her own television ads with frequency on local stations, especially during news broadcasts. Blair, a native Santa Fean with governmental experience at the state and federal level, and Serna, the 1st Judicial District Attorney, are also running TV ads. Leger Fernandezs campaign itself had raised more than $1 million through the first quarter of 2020, according to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission. She trailed only former CIA operative Valerie Plame, who had raised nearly $1.7 million and is also running TV ads, in fundraising up to that point. But both candidates had similar amounts of money each with more than $600,000 left in their respective war chests as of March 31. The 3rd Congressional Districts Democratic primary has seven names on the ballot. Besides Leger Fernandez, Plame, Blair and Serna, Sandoval County Treasurer Laura M. Montoya, state Rep. Joseph L. Sanchez of Alcalde and environmental attorney Kyle J. Tisdel of Taos are running for the seat that is being vacated by Ben Ray Lujan, who is running for U.S. Senate. Those who anticipated that there would be a potential verbal 'war' between Fetish Priestess Nana Agradaa and popular politician Kennedy Agyapong should be revising their notes. The reason is that Nana Agradaa, who does not hesitate in attacking people who condemn her activities as fetish priestess, appears to have thrown in the towel early to halt a tango with the firebrand New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (PM) for Assin Central. Agradaa, whose real name is Patricia Asiedua, is noted for 'fighting' pastors she claims to be fake and in recent times, she has had spats with controversial men of God, such as Reverend Obofour and Bishop Daniel Obinim. Ken's Fire The MP recently served notice that he was going to divulge the 'dirty' deals of Agradaa after he had finished dealing with Bishop Obinim. According to Kennedy, he does not have any issue with Nana Agradaa but said he was getting information that the fetish priestess was making unnecessary noise to provoke him, adding that Agradaa would soon regret her decision of engaging him. Human Sacrifice The MP said he has information about people that Agradaa had killed for sacrifices and added that if the fetish priestess was 'fooled' to open her mouth against him, then he would be compelled to expose her big time, saying I am saying it again, Nana Agradaa, the fake fetish priestess at Sowutuom, should keep her mouth shut, else I will publicly name the people she has killed for sacrifices for all to see. The MP also said people that troop to Nana Agradaa's shrine, especially for powers to become rich overnight, are not wise so they deserve to be duped, adding, How can any sensible person visit the shrine of Nana Agradaa for powers to become rich overnight. Agradaa is also fake! Agradaa Retreats Nana Agradaa is known for being very outspoken and so naturally she was being expected to also fire back a series of verbal 'missiles' at Kennedy but uncharacteristic of her, the fetish priestess has rather come out in an apologetic manner, which clearly gives an indication that she has either 'surrendered' to Kennedy or she was not in the mood for any verbal tussle with the MP. Nana Agradaa, in a video recording on her own Thunder TV popular programme, 'Talking Point', strangely heaped tons of praises and positive accolades on Kennedy. In a rare move, the fetish priestess retreated when she said that there was no animosity between her and Kennedy. Nana Agradaa, who referred to Kennedy as an 'honourable person' and also 'father', rather accused some faceless bloggers whom she claimed were trying to create animosity between her and the MP. She, however, stated emphatically that she was wise enough to know the traps that the so-called bloggers had set to destroy the cordial relationship between her and Kennedy, so she would not fall for it. Positive Words My special greetings to our father, Honourable Kennedy Agyapong. Wherever he is right now, Papa I greet you, Agradaa, surprisingly, said in reply to Kennedy's verbal assault. Besides, she said she was impressed with the explosive manner in which Kennedy had been exposing 'bad' people, especially pastors, that are doing 'evil' to society, stressing that she is fully in support of Kennedy's good works. Since the start of my programme, 'Talking Point', on television, we have used our programme to support the good works of Kennedy Agyapong, who is exposing the ills and bad works in society, she said, adding, We believe Kennedy Agyapong is an honourable person, for which reason we accord him the same respect we have for the President of the land, she said in a soft tone. Secret Admirers Agradaa stated that she was one of the secret admirers and supporters of Kennedy so the politician should not allow bloggers, who were clearly on a diabolical mission, to create enmity between them. She said she had never said anything bad about Kennedy as some bloggers were trying to falsely portray, indicating that her respect for the Assin Central lawmaker was still intact. Don't listen to people, don't listen to our enemies, she pleaded with Kennedy, saying someone called me on phone and provoked me by saying that Kennedy Agyapong had mentioned my name on television. According to her, the so-called blogger strategically and wickedly cut and joined Kennedy Agyapong's voices to mean that he (Kennedy) was accusing Agradaa of killing people for sacrifices. But Kennedy never said that, adding meanwhile, Kennedy Agyapong was rather talking about someone that had committed that heinous crime at Adeiso and not me. But the bloggers cleverly attached my picture to Kennedy's voice to defame me. This is what the person told me on phone and we engaged in a conversation. It is a shameful act on the part of the blogger. You don't record a conversation and edit it to mean something I never said about Kennedy, she said. Still jabbing the faceless bloggers, Agradaa asserted a blogger recorded our conversation and also doctored it to mean that I have spoken ill about Kennedy Agyapong, which in actual fact was not the case. In an apologetic manner, which is unusual of her, Nana Agradaa appealed passionately to Kennedy not to pay attention to bloggers and rather concentrate on his positive works for the good of society. According to her, it is difficult for people to know their real loved ones and enemies in life, but she was making it emphatic that she (Agradaa) loves and cherishes the good works of Kennedy for mother Ghana. ---Daily Guide (Photo : Screenshot from The White House/YouTube) US Space Force finally unveiled its flag, and the US President Donald Trump couldn't be happier. The agency was created in response to protecting the air space from threats beyond or within the galaxy. Read More: New US Space Force Flag Will Be Unveiled Symbolizing The Expanded Missions of the US Military Service The unveiling happened in the Oval Office The White House channel on YouTube streamed the flag unveiling. According to President Trump, the new military branch was formed "[for the[ first time after 72 years plus." There are over 16,000 personnel in the new branch and it will continuously grow as the need demands. Along with Space Force personnel, Chief Master Sgt Roger Towberman did the honors of unveiling the flag. The flag of the US Space Force looks similar to the fictional universe in Star Trek with their fictional army the Starfleet Command. General John Raymond, chief of Space Operations, explained the flag saying, "the delta in the middle is the symbol of the space community's use for years and years and years, the north start signifies our core values or guiding light if you will. And the orbit around the globe signifies the space capabilities that fuel our American way of life and the American way of war." Trump said, "We should have started this a long time ago, but we've made up for it in space. We have developed some of the most incredible weapons anyone's ever seen, and it's moving along rapidly, and we have tremendous people in charge." Read More: NASA and SpaceX to Make History in Two Weeks with First Space Mission Since 2011 Another interesting news shared by the US president President Trump also mentioned military equipment that was being developed by the US military as a means of deterrence against aggression. He was proud to talk about it, which he dubbed the "super-duper missile." President Trump was also proud that the super-duper missile which is 17 times faster will be used as a deterrent to other countries that were said to be developing their own missiles that were five or six times faster, leaving the United States confident in leading the arms race against the rest of the world. The flag unveiling coincided with the presidential proclamation in which May 16 would be dubbed as Armed Forces Day. The flag will be displayed in the Oval Office alongside other branches of the military. Space Force was officially established in 2019 but only now has its flag been launched. Read More: [VIDEO] NASA'S James Webb Space Telescope Folds Like Origami to Fit Inside Rocket 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. An all-out global race to develop a safe vaccine against coronavirus is underway. The stakes couldn't be higher: an effective vaccine or treatment against the virus that causes COVID-19 is necessary to fully restart economies and resume civic life. As the pace accelerates, USA TODAY is rounding up some of the week's most notable vaccine developments. Here's what we know about Oxford University's most promising vaccine candidate, which many consider to be ahead in the race, international funding for a Maryland vaccine possibility and how people opposed to vaccines could keep COVID-19 circulating. Oxford vaccine may protect monkeys A single dose of a vaccine being developed by Oxford University in England caused six rhesus macaque monkeys to develop antibodies to coronavirus within 28 days. The vaccine, called ChAdOx1, also appears to have prevented pneumonia and lung inflammatory disease when the animals were exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The Oxford vaccine is based on a vaccine platform researchers at the universitys Jenner Institute adapted for SARS-CoV-2. White House hopes for COVID-19 vaccine for all Americans by January The tests on the macaques were conducted at the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana. The infected monkeys were compared with three control monkeys that did not receive the vaccine. Two out of three control monkeys developed pneumonia after being exposed to the virus. The findings were in a preprint paper posted Thursday on the preprint server bioRxiv. Preprints are studies that have not undergone the normal peer-review process required for publication in medical or scientific journals. However, during the coronavirus emergency many researchers are releasing their results as soon as they are available. Britain: Vaccine could never come Despite the Oxford news, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledges its possible a vaccine for COVID-19 may never come. The statement came as the United Kingdoms government published a detailed 50-page three-stage COVID-19 recovery plan that launched on Wednesday with a partial relaxation of the nations lockdown restrictions. Story continues Johnson said the only feasible long-term solution was in a vaccine or a treatment, but while the nation hoped for a breakthrough, hope is not a plan. A mass vaccine or treatment may be more than a year away. Indeed, in a worst-case scenario, we may never find a vaccine. So our plan must countenance a situation where we are in this, together, for the long haul, even while doing all we can to avoid that outcome, he said. Vaccines: Trump announces 'Operation Warp Speed,' says US could have coronavirus vaccine by January International group funds Maryland vaccine effort Maryland-based vaccine company Novavax will receive up to $388 million from the International Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI) to continue development and manufacturing of NVX-CoV2373, Novavax' COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The company said the possible vaccine has shown success in animal models. It hopes to begin Phase 1 human clinical trials in May in Australia. CEPI, based in Norway, is a partnership between public, private, philanthropic, and civil society organizations. It was launched in 2017 to develop vaccines to stop future epidemics and to insure access to those vaccines in low- and middle-income countries. It has so far begun nine partnerships to develop vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. WHO vaccine candidate tracker The World Health Organizations list of vaccine candidates for COVID-19 stayed steady at eight possible products in early-stage human trials. Funding sources and support spans nations but in general, they include four from China, two from the United States, one from the United Kingdom and one from Europe. The list also includes possible vaccines that are in pre-clinical evaluation, meaning theyre still being tested in the lab either in cell cultures or in animals. This week the number increased by eight, going up from 102 possible candidates on May 11 to 110 on May 15. When the list was first published, on April 20, it contained five candidates in early human trials and 71 still in the lab. Anti-vaxers could vex herd immunity Most Americans are eager for a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. But among the minority who distrust vaccine safety, many say they would not. A poll by Yahoo News/YouGov found that 19% of Americans said they wouldnt get immunized against SARS-CoV-2. Another 26% said they werent sure. A poll conducted by Morning Consult found that 64% of Americans said they would get vaccinated while 14% wouldnt. The rest were undecided. This could block efforts to lower the spread of the disease in the country, especially if a second wave comes in the fall. Infections rates alone are nowhere near high enough to bring about herd immunity, where enough people in the population are immune that the virus can no longer spread freely. In France, an estimated 4.4% of the population is believed to have been infected with the disease as of May 11, according to a paper in the journal Science. A national infection rate for COVID-19 in the United States has not yet been determined. The scientists' models estimate that 65% of the population would need to be immune to establish herd immunity and stop the spread of the disease. The researchers' concluded, "Population immunity appears insufficient to avoid a second wave if all control measures are released at the end of the lockdown." To submit a development for the weekly roundup, or share other vaccine news, please email Elizabeth Weise at eweise@usatoday.com More on the coronavirus from USA TODAY To find a vaccine, can we ethically infect people with a disease with no cure? Editorial: Let's say a vaccine proves safe and effective. Then what? Fact check: China doesn't own patent for coronavirus treatment remdesivir This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus vaccine update: Oxford COVID, monkeys; opposition Your browser does not support the video tag. To the editor: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is taking credit for "saving lives" during the present COVID-19 pandemic. My question for today is simply, is she saving "enough" lives? Our governor is saving lives by taking "livelihoods." People that have lost everything are supposed to appreciate her, because, at least she "saved their lives!" What else could be taken away from people that could even save more lives? Why is she still permitting people to drive? So many more lives could be saved if she would just end this deadly practice. Perhaps she could have government workers driving padded cars delivering food and other necessities to people. She has said people must stay in their homes to "stay safe." But why stop there? Could she not order everyone to their rooms? And even to their beds? People die as they walk about, tripping and falling all of the time. Does she care? She seems to have no stomach for stopping the sale of marijuana and alcohol. These things team up to kill very many people. Yet, she remains silent. Finally, she has declared abortion to be an "essential service." Just think of the lives that could be "saved" if she would put that to an end. So, the question remains, has our governor saved enough lives? There are so many easy, though restrictive, ways to save more! My hope is that we can, as a society, come to see the folly of the "saving lives" routine. Decisions need to be made on more than just "saving lives" alone. Some common sense policies from our governor, that do not also destroy the livelihoods of Michigan residents, would be appreciated. NEIL WIGGINS Hope Pakistan on Saturday resumed domestic flight operations in a phased manner as the government eased the nationwide-lockdown imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus that has claimed the lives of over 830 people in the country. The resumption of the domestic flight services from five major airports on Saturday came as the Pakistan government last week said that it would begin a phased lifting of the lockdown due to its effect on the economy and the workforce, the Geo News reported. The first Pakistan International Airline (PIA) flight carrying 84 passengers departed from Karachi for Lahore at 1pm along with flights for Lahore and Islamabad via private airlines, the report said. The five major airports allowed to restart operations include Karachis Jinnah International Airport, Lahores Allama Iqbal International Airport, Islamabad International Airport (IIAP), Quetta International Airport and Peshawars Bacha Khan International Airport. A spokesperson for the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCCA) said domestic flights will be operated by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and one private company for now. The ban on international flight operations, meanwhile, has been extended until May 31. However, the PCCA is keeping a close monitor of the passengers before they board the flight to ensure there is no further rise in Covid-19 cases. Passengers will be required to fill health declaration forms before boarding the airplane and subjected to thermal scanning on entry and exit into and from a city. All luggage will be disinfected and no meet and greet will be allowed at the airports, the report said. Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan earlier said that social distancing will be followed based on available seats and flights will only be allowed to fill 50 per cent of their full capacity, the report said. Pakistan on Saturday said it has reported 1,581 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking the total infections in the country to 38,799 with 834 deaths. PTI RUP AKJ RUP STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Aggregate smartphone data shows about 5% of New Yorkers have left the five boroughs during the coronavirus shutdown, according to a report from the New York Times. The number equates to about 420,000 people who had left the city between March 1 and May 1. Data showed the most significant population declines in some of the citys wealthiest neighborhoods like the Upper East Side, West Villagen and Brooklyn Heights. On Staten Island, the area of Grymes Hill-Clifton-Fox Hills, which is home to St. Johns and Wagner College, saw the steepest decline, according to the report, which also noted that many of the areas seeing dwindling populations are home to colleges and universities. The analyzed smartphone data -- an aggregate from studies conducted by Descartes Labs, research scientists at New York University, and Teralytics -- found city residents fleeing to more suburban counties around the city, and far-away places like Palm Beach, Florida. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK*** The report notes the imperfections of using smartphone data for such studies. It doesnt count people without smartphones, relies on location-tracking apps, and requires guessing to separate residents from visitors and commuters. Other reports have shown similar population trends, including The Citys analysis of waste weight collected by the Department of Sanitation that found less being collected in Manhattan while collections rose in the other four boroughs. YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has thoroughly discussed with Russian President Vladimir Putin the issue of legal processes taking place around the Russian companies operating in Armenia. As for the situations over the companies operating with a Russian capital, I have discussed in detail this issue with the President of Russia, and we reached very concrete agreements in this regard. We just need to implement these agreements which will take into account the interests of relations between our countries, he said during an online press conference today. Pashinyan said there is a very rich agenda in the relations of Armenia and Russia. And we are moving forward by solving the issues of the agenda of these relations. One issue will be solved with the best possible option, the next via a compromise. There should compromise, friendly, allied compromise and mutual understanding in all cases. This is the most important, and I believe it will take place, the Armenian PM said. Criminal case has been launched over Russian companies operating in Armenia Gazprom Armenia, South Caucasian Railway CJSC, Orsis Arms. Investigation is underway. Hearst Tower, the world headquarters of the Hearst Corporation, in New York City. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images When the editorial staff of Hearst Magazines decided to form a union with the Writers Guild of America, East, they expected some resistance from their powerful employer. But Hearst made it clear, early, that it would go to particularly aggressive lengths to try to prevent a union. In meetings, company leaders and attorneys told workers spanning a wide range of job descriptions that they were all supervisors, and would break the law if they signed a union card. They told me, verbatim, that if I didnt trust them, I didnt have to work there, one employee told Intelligencer last November. In December, the WGAE filed an unfair labor practice charge against the company. On Friday, Hearsts anti-union campaign received a major blow. The National Labor Relations Board ruled against each objection it raised to the bargaining unit proposed by the WGAE and ordered a union election. Its a total loss for Hearst, made doubly resonant by the fact that conservatives currently control the NLRB the company couldnt have designed a version of the NLRB more likely to rule in its favor, and it still lost. Hearst had advanced three major arguments against the WGAEs bargaining unit. Of the three, one is a fairly common site of conflict between employers and unions. Hearst wanted to classify six employees as management, which would exclude them from the bargaining unit; the WGA disagreed. For Hearst, this was an easy way to try to shrink the unit, which would save the company some money and weaken the units overall power. The companys other two arguments are a bit more unusual. Hearst had asked to split its workforce into six separate bargaining units based loosely on geographic location and editorial focus. It argued further that the presence of a mysterious Hearst International Employees Association prevented employees from organizing a new union with the WGA. None of these arguments impressed the NLRB. The board concluded that the six alleged managers were not managers at all, and that Hearst had misrepresented certain key facts about its brands. In order for Hearsts octopus-limbed bargaining units to make legal sense, the media properties in its portfolio would have to operate in distinct silos. Magazines in the Health & Lifestyle category would have little or nothing to do with magazines in the Home & Family category. In fact, Hearst brands collaborate with each other often, and in some cases even share employees, the NLRB found. Hearsts proposed editorial categories Home & Family and Health & Lifestyle, among others are also recent inventions, created in response to the union effort, and dont reflect long-standing company practices. And then theres the matter of the Hearst International Employees Association, or HIEA. The entity, which is registered to the same address as Hearst Communications, filed a motion to intervene in the WGAEs organizing effort on the basis that it was a union already open to Hearst employees. As Bloomberg Law noted last December, the HIEA could have been a real problem for the WGAE: If Hearst employees are already covered by one union contract, they might have to first decertify the HIEA before organizing a new union with the WGAE. Since no one had heard of the HIEA or paid it any dues, it possessed the hallmarks of an illegal company union, created by management to throw up a roadblock to authentic labor organizing. But the collective bargaining agreement Hearst produced as proof of its contract with the HIEA didnt describe the unit it allegedly represents, or explain how it classifies the employees its meant to cover, which is more than a little unusual for a labor contract. The HIEA also didnt respond to a letter from the NLRB which explained the steps it would have to take in order to properly intervene in the union election, and it didnt show up to any hearings. This is again very strange, because unions usually object to losing members. Hearsts Hail Mary pass may have hurt its overall case. The company told the NLRB that the HIEA collectively represented workers that its attorneys now wanted to separate into different bargaining units. The fact that the Employer has collectively bargained with the HIEA for eight decades regarding a unit spanning both the Employers proposed Health & Lifestyle and Home & Family units strongly weighs against finding that the Employers proposed separate units are appropriate, the NLRB wrote. Outside the legal world, this is known most commonly as a self-own. Theres no good reason for Hearst to get its six bargaining units if employees already functioned as one. Hearst employees will now vote in a union election, either in person or by mail. In a statement to Intelligencer, the Hearst organizing committee said it was pleased that the NLRB has directed an election for us to vote as one union, which will include our colleagues from 28 publications, rather than the six separate units proposed by Hearst. This has been a long road and, obviously, these are unprecedented times. We appreciate Hearsts flexibility and communication during this pandemic to ensure our safety, and we hope management will agree with us that a timely mail-ballot election is the only way to conduct a safe and secure vote. We have already organized our union and look forward to finally formalizing it through an NLRB vote, they added. While we acknowledge the work Hearst management has done to keep our colleagues safe and healthy through these extraordinary circumstances, now, more than ever, it is clear that we need to have a seat at the table. We look forward to having a say in the issues that first brought us together. We are grateful for all the support weve received from our siblings in the Writers Guild of America, East, our allies across the media industry, and the larger labor movement through this effort. Members of Hearsts public-relations department did not respond to emailed requests for comment by press time. A second report, issued last November, found that a civil service employee relieved of her job as an expert on Iran and the Persian Gulf in the office of policy planning had been targeted in part because she was of Iranian descent, as well as for her work during the Obama administration including on the Iran nuclear deal and rumors that she had shed tears at Trumps election. The coronavirus pandemic threw a spotlight on health care coverage and the future of Texas beleaguered oil industry ahead of what is shaping up to be the closest presidential election in the state in decades. Just a few months ago, President Donald Trump and the Republican Party were leading with a booming American economy and grim warnings about socialism as they anticipated a race against Bernie Sanders. Instead, its former Vice President Joe Biden who has all-but sealed the Democratic nomination, and Texans are now grappling with record unemployment and related loss of health insurance. The early jabs show just how important both camps see those issues as they make their case to voters here. The Trump campaigns message is that the president is a champion to the states reeling oil and gas industry and Biden is a threat. Biden hasnt signed onto or even endorsed the Green New Deal, but he did call it a crucial framework and thats enough for team Trump. We cannot afford to have Joe Biden and the Democrats enact these Green New Deal policies that would just destroy the Texas economy, put tens of thousands of people out of work and just re-engineer our country to fit some coastal dream that would be more fit in a state like California, Trump Victory Director of Regional Communications Rick Gorka told reporters in a conference call on Tuesday. TEXAS GOVERNOR GOES TO DC: Gov. Greg Abbotts White House whirlwind: praise for Trump, jeers for foes and COVID germs? For Bidens camp, the very health and safety of Americans hangs in the balance as Trump continues to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, threatening the health coverage of millions of Americans including over 1.6 million Texans who have already lost jobs and, as a result, their employer-based health coverage, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. In a moment where health care has never been more important, the Trump administration is moving forward with its cynical, partisan push to take away access for millions of Americans, said U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, a Dallas Democrat who endorsed Biden back in January and has been a featured surrogate for Biden in Texas. But for all the policy differences, a Texas political analyst says the race could come down to one simple question that has been central when a president seeks re-election: Are you better off now than you were four years ago? Most Americans were in a good position to answer yes when the nation had historically low unemployment and a booming economy. That advantage has waned with the growing toll of the pandemic and related job losses, said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox While he wont be ratified as the Democratic nominee until August, Bidens team points to polling numbers that show a tighter race since the coronavirus outbreak. I think the battleground state map has gotten broader I think theres more opportunity for Joe Biden than there was 60 days ago, said David Plouffe, the 2008 campaign manager for Barack Obama, who attended a May 1 fundraising event for Biden. Both candidates are having to adjust to a new world of campaigning because of the pandemic. Trump has lost the raucous rallies that had become have been a voter outreach bonanza, while Biden has been stuck at home trying to raise the money and enthusiasm that is essential for any challenger to unseat a sitting U.S. president just three incumbent presidents have lost re-election since World War II. Trump is itching to get back to holding rallies, Trump 2020 Campaign Senior Adviser Lara Trump told reporters on Tuesday, adding that it wouldnt feel like a real campaign season without them. On the other hand, just because we have switched everything to virtual, does not mean we have slowed down at all, she said. About that Texas battleground hype Dont count Texas on that battleground list yet. But Democrats see an opportunity they havent had in decades. In the 1990s, Bill Clinton came within 5 percentage points of winning Texas in both 1992 and 1996, but both those races had eccentric Texas tycoon H. Ross Perot taking voters from the Republican nominees. Minus those races, Hillary Clinton coming within 9 percentage points of beating Trump in 2016 is the closest a Democrat has come to winning Texas since Jimmy Carter won the state in his first election in 1976. The chairman of the Texas Republican Party James Dickey has been warning the party faithful that Democrats are energized and are going to put a lot more money into Texas to try to flip it and Republicans need to be prepared. Hes been touring the state since last year outlining how the party is more aggressively fundraising, hiring field staff and registering voters than in past cycles. While he dismisses the state being a blue state, he has been emphatic that Texas is on Red Alert for 2020. But while Republicans scoff at the idea of Texas turning blue, Trump has already spent more time and money in Texas than many past Republican presidential contenders. Before the pandemic had even hit, Trump had made 14 trips to Texas since he was inaugurated. That is more than three times as many visits as President Barack Obama made during his first term in office. And with a big financial advantage over the Democrats, Trump has been able to do more to shore up Texas, rather than just focusing on traditional battle grounds in Pennsylvania, Florida and Wisconsin. It is not hard to imagine a race that is decided by 5 percentage points or less in Texas, said Jillson, the SMU political science professor. But Jillson said if Trump struggles to hold Texas, it would be a sign of a bigger problem nationwide. If Texas is in play, it probably means Joe Biden has won 40 other states, Jillson said. The states increasing diversification, its growing voter registration rolls and the election results in 2016 and 2018 have Democrats convinced they have a shot at shocking the nation with Trump at the top of the ballot. Just two years ago, Democrat Beto ORourke lost by just 2.6 percentage points to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. Kyle Rivas, HO / TNS Two recent public polls in Texas have shown Trump and Biden in a virtual dead heat in Texas. A Dallas Morning News-University of Texas at Tyler poll of 1,183 registered voters released on May 2 found Trump and Biden were both the choice of 43 percent. Another poll released by Public Policy Polling showed 47 percent of 1,083 responding registered voters said they would choose Biden and 46 percent would pick Trump. Seven percent said they were not sure. Just in late February, some Republicans in Texas were relishing the idea of having U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders then considered the front runner by many battling Trump in a good economy. Texas State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, said he could hardly believe the partys good fortune. Sanders was in San Antonio on Feb. 22 having just won Nevada and promising to move the nation off of oil and gas and touting Medicare for All. Then, just like that, our midsummer nights dream was gone, Bettencourt said. When Biden won South Carolina and carried Texas days later on Super Tuesday, it made the battle in Texas very different, not just in the presidential race, but down-ticket as well. Bettencourt said particularly in Houston, every Democrat would have had been tied to socialized medicine and the Green New Deal. While that can still happen, Bettencourt said the mission will definitely require more work than if Sanders were at the top of the Democratic ticket. Texas economy To be sure, Biden has supported climate change initiatives that reduce the nations reliance on fossil fuel, but his plan for a 100 percent clean energy economy by 2050 is far from that of Sanders, who had pledged to decarbonize transportation and power generation, the two largest sources of emissions, by 2030. And Sanders had also called for a ban on fracking that included blocking the federal government from approving new pipelines, new natural gas and oil export terminals, and other oil and gas infrastructure. Biden has supported limiting and regulating fracking but not banning it. Still, on his website hes called the Green New Deal a crucial framework for meeting the climate challenges we face. That is enough of an opening for the Trump campaign to equate Biden with the plan as they warn it could devastate the economies of Texas and Houston. Were going to make him own it, Trump spokesman Gorka said. Biden, who has deep roots in labor unions, has countered with assurances that he will look out for energy workers. He has emphasized that he has a trillion-dollar infrastructure program that gets former fossil fuel workers into $50-an hour plus benefits jobs as the nation transitions to more clean energy sources. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Were not going to leave any workers or communities behind, Biden says on his website. For Biden, Trumps handling of the coronavirus and the Affordable Care Act are central to arguing that there needs to be change in the White House. Trump has decided hed rather destroy President Obamas legacy than protect the health care of millions upon millions of Americans, Biden said, adding that if he were in office now, he would have re-opened the enrollment period for people to get on ACA plans as layoffs compound. Trump has not wavered on the ACA. "Obamacare is a disaster, but we've run it very well, and we've made it barely acceptable," Trump said earlier this month. "It was a disaster under President Obama, and it's very bad health care. What we want to do is terminate it and give health care. We'll have great health care, including preexisting conditions. It all sets up what Democrats say is their best chance in over 40 years to win the state in a presidential contest. Texas is the biggest battleground state in the country, Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said. If Donald Trump loses Texas, he cannot win the election. COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - A new work by Chinese dissident artist Badiucao in support of Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters shows the image of a lone man standing in the path of a tank taken on Tiananmen Square in 1989. But in Badiucao's version of the photograph, which came to be one of the most recognisable images of the 20th century, the tank is carrying a huge particle of the new coronavirus. The work was unveiled on Friday in front of the Danish parliament in Copenhagen, three days before start of the trial in Hong Kong of 15 pro-democracy activists, including veteran politicians and a publishing tycoon, on charges of "organising and taking part in unlawful assembly". Badiucao said his work, "A New Tank", is a protest against the Chinese government which he believes is utilising the diversion created by the global pandemic to crack down on Hong Kong pro-democracy movement. "Because of the pandemic situation and as countries are busy controlling it, the Hong Kong government will do more to crack down on the protests and the leaders and activists of the movement, and they will see it as an opportunity to do it quietly," Badiucao told Reuters in a video conference from Australia, where he lives. The Chinese embassy in Denmark was not immediately reachable for a comment when contacted by phone and email by Reuters. China has previously denied meddling in Hong Kong and blames the West for stirring up trouble. The artwork will be displayed on boards and banners by an eight-metre high copper sculpture called "Pillar of Shame" made by Danish sculptor Jens Galschiot, that was unveiled in Copenhagen in January. The sculpture is one of four, one which stands in Hong Kong. (Reporting by Andreas Mortensen; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) Wayland Baptist University will begin the process of re-opening its campuses for employees and to the public beginning May 18. Precautions have been outlined and sent to employees and students via the Wayland email system. The process for opening includes safety precautions for employees, students and individuals visiting the campuses. All staff, faculty and adjunct faculty are required to complete a health screening survey prior to returning to campus. Students taking classes in May or during summer sessions, are required to complete the health survey prior to entering campus. The health screening survey can be found at wbu.edu/notification.htm. Clear reduction in urban CO2 emissions as a result of COVID-19 lockdown The Covid-19 related restrictions have forced many of us to stay at home. This has strongly reduced road traffic and economic activities particularly in cities and urban areas where majority of the people live. Consequently, this has also cut down human-induced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to the atmosphere. Although this reduction is not strong enough to be globally visible in the atmosphere, at local scale the changes in emissions can be observed. Carbon dioxide emissions reduced even by 75 percent The study, which is currently being prepared for peer-review, shows that lockdown has so far reduced carbon dioxide emissions at all cities participating the study. "The reductions range from 8% in a highly vegetated urban area of Berlin, Germany, to 75% in the city centre of Heraklion in Greece," says Professor Dario Papale, Director of the ICOS Ecosystem Thematic Centre and Scientific Responsible for the ICOS activities at Fondazione CMCC - Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, where he is involved within the research activities of the division dedicated to the study of climate change impacts on agriculture, forests and ecosystem services. The European cities included in the study are Basel in Switzerland, Berlin in Germany, Florence and Pesaro in Italy, Helsinki in Finland, Heraklion in Greece and London in the UK. The size of reduction varied due to the characteristics of the sampled areas and the stringency of the lockdown restrictions in place. In all cities, there was a clear temporal connection with the restrictions and the emission reduction. For the local observations, the scientists globally use a technique called eddy covariance, in which the exchange of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and a particular ecosystem is being measured by equipment installed in towers topping over the area and its vegetation. This allows to see the changes in nearly real-time. Traffic, vegetation as well as economic and domestic activities affect the reduction The tower in Heraklion observed the largest reduction, since it is in an area characterized by dense commercial activities and intense road traffic, both of which were completely stopped during the lockdown. In Pesaro, the almost full stop of all traffic reduced the CO2 emissions up to one third of the normal amount. In other cities, such as in Florence, in Basel and in Helsinki, the emissions are a combination of reduced traffic and economic activities, while increased domestic heating and human metabolism partly counterbalance the reduction. In the Basel-B location, however, the traffic is twofold in respect to the Basel-K and for this reason the reduction is larger. Traffic and the commercial sector cause also a large part of London's emissions - but London differs from Helsinki and Florence due to is residential contribution: normally, the weekday population in daytime central London can increase 10-fold due to the influx of commuters. This was decreased strongly with lockdown. In Berlin, the moderate reduction in traffic has been counterbalanced by domestic emissions and the presence of vegetation, leading to relatively small fluxes. Clear connection to restriction orders visible The connection of lockdown-measures to the emissions and the connected timing can be clearly seen from the figure. "In some cases (Florence, London and Heraklion) emissions began decreasing even some time before the official lockdown was implemented, when people responded to recommendations to reduce travel and work from home as much as possible," Dario Papale points out. Dario Papale says that "This is a great example of collaboration among scientists in different countries, which is supported by local authorities who allow us to collect these important measurements. Flux measurements will be very important for monitoring the emission patterns in the coming weeks and months, when private cars will possibly be preferred to public transports to avoid crowds. This might cause a fast growth of emissions that may even exceed those of the pre-lockdown period." The scientists aim to make further studies based on the data generated from these city towers. While this early analysis paves the way for more in-depth studies, it already shows the importance of having observation towers also in the urban areas. This significance of cities will also grow in the future: already today, some 55% of world's population live in cities, and according to United Nations, the percentage will grow considerably over the coming decades. The study "Clear evidence of reduction in urban CO2 emissions as a result of COVID-19 lockdown across Europe" was initiated and promoted by the ICOS Ecosystem Thematic Centre (ETC), which is coordinated by the CMCC Foundation and the University of Tuscia. The ICOS ETC is responsible for data collection, quality control and processing in the context of the ICOS Ecosystem Network that is constituted by more than 80 stations in Europe. ### For more information, read the full article: Clear evidence of reduction in urban CO2 emissions as a result of COVID-19 lockdown across Europe, written by: Dario Papale, Gabriele Antoniella and Giacomo Nicolini, ICOS Ecosystem Thematic Centre, University of Tuscia and CMCC; Beniamino Gioli and Alessandro Zaldei, Italian National Research Council CNR; Roland Vogt and Christian Feigenwinter, University of Basel; Stavros Stagakis and Nektarios Chrysoulakis, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas FORTH; Leena Jarvi, University of Helsinki; Eiko Nemitz and Carole Helfter, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; Janet Barlow, University of Reading; Fred Meier, Technische Universitat Berlin; Erik Velasco, Independent researcher; Andreas Christen, University of Freiburg, Germany; Valery Masson, Meteo-France Source of the news: ICOS - Integrated Carbon Observation System This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. But the political insider describes the leader as "a show pony, who cares most about headlines. He has the common man's touch, no doubt, but people will work him out at some stage. He is only in this for himself". Meanwhile, the Deputy Premier has also spent much of this term eyeing off a tilt at federal politics. When Barilaro's friend, the Labor MP for Eden-Monaro Mike Kelly announced he would retire due to ill health, Barilaro was quick to declare that he would "seriously consider" running. Another senior Nationals member says Barilaro has been talking about contesting the federal seat for months "despite never expressing any interest in a single federal issue". "Ultimately, he wanted to be deputy prime minister, that was behind it," the source says. NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance and NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro. Credit:AAP He had a deal with NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance that he would not run against him in Eden-Monaro, meaning one of the pair would lose out. In the end, both did. Barilaro bowed out when it became apparent that Constance's polling in the seat was stronger than his, only for Constance to do a spectacular about-face just a day after announcing he would run. Constance accused his friend of "white-anting" him after Barilaro was reported as calling him a "c..." in a text message to several colleagues. More text dramas unfolded when a message from Barilaro to federal Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack emerged. Barilaro fired off to McCormack: "You failed your team and failed as a leader." And he accused McCormack of refusing to show support for Barilaro's Eden-Monaro hopes. Former NSW Nationals leader Andrew Stoner says the bickering over the past few weeks has "not been good for the Nats, the Libs or the government". 'Eye off the ball' "People don't want their representatives taking their eye off the ball," Stoner says. Barilaro's actions also prompted party stalwart Leslie Williams to write an extraordinary letter to the party's NSW chairman Andrew Fraser, copying in Barilaro and many MPs. Williams, a former minister who is now deputy speaker, accused Barilaro of embarrassing the party and insisted he stand aside or outline his plans to hand over the top job. Barilaro has repeatedly said he would not contest the 2023 election and will relinquish the leadership before the election to see out his political career on the backbench. For many in the Nationals, the Port Macquarie MP broke a cardinal rule. The party, unlike their Liberal colleagues or Labor, is a closed shop. 'Dirty laundry' Fraser says: "All I will say on the matter is that we are a body that airs our dirty laundry behind doors and the usual place to do that is the party room or executive or central council." But some in the party are supportive of Williams' determination to speak out. One member says: "Leslie is hugely respected in the party room and more broadly in the party. She cares deeply about the Nats, and was personally affronted by John's language and actions.'' Barilaro faced his party room without fanfare this week. Without an obvious successor, few believe there will be any appetite to push the leadership issue. Fear of Shooters But Barilaro will not be around forever and many in the party increasingly fear the Shooters. Stoner says voters lost some faith in the Nationals when former leader Troy Grant tried to ban greyhounds. "That is when the rot set in," Stoner says. "They know they made some mistakes along the way but I think with some humility and listening, they can win [back] those five seats they have lost since 2015. "I hope John [Barilaro] continues in his role because I think he has been doing a good job and his relationship with (Premier) Gladys (Berejiklian) is very strong." A Nationals insider says: "John is still trying to claw his way back from the greyhound ban, which wasn't even his decision. "He wears his heart on his sleeve, be it calling for Malcolm Turnbull to resign, or his text messages to [Michael] McCormack but he's not responsible for long-term challenges setting in and is fighting to keep the party conservative and focused on its core strengths." But for all his effectiveness in highlighting regional issues and securing significant funding for the bush, many believe Barilaro "will never be a true Nat". Midland County recorded one new coronavirus case Saturday, according to the afternoon state report, bringing the area's total to 70 cases and eight deaths. Michigan saw a daily increase of 425 new cases on Friday, and recorded 55 new deaths. Bay County on Friday added six new cases and one death, bringing its total to 228 cases and 15 deaths. Isabella County added no new cases or deaths, and Saginaw County added 26 cases and two deaths; their totals are 62 cases and seven deaths and 903 cases and 97 deaths, respectively. Gladwin County remains at 17 cases and one death. On Thursday, the Midland County Health Department reported an additional 32 probable cases, which includes individuals who have symptoms of COVID-19 but have not been tested, meet the COVID-19 case definition and have had close contact with a lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 case. These are often household members of positive cases. The health department is reporting 49 recovered cases, which include individuals who have a lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 result and have completed their isolation and are symptom-free. This differs from the state definition of individuals who are 30 days from symptom onset. MidMichigan Health which covers a 23-county region and has medical centers at seven sites, including Midland was listed as having 17 COVID-19 patients on the state page, defined by the state as confirmed positive patients, including those in ICU and patients who are currently pending and under investigation. The health system reported 7 COVID-19 patients in ICU and 43% bed occupancy, the percentage of staffed inpatient beds occupied by any patient regardless of COVID-19 status. This data, according to the website, reflects the status in health systems and hospitals 48 hours prior to the time that it was posted to the state page, which was May 14. The state is reporting no COVID-19 positive residents at four of Midland Countys long-term care facilities, Brittany Manor, Medilodge of Midland, Midland Kings Daughters Home and Stratford Pines as of May 14. Gladwin Nursing & Rehab Community and Gladwin Pines Nursing Homes also are reporting no COVID-19 positive residents. Overall, Michigan is at 50,504 cases and 4,880 deaths. 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. We cannot stress enough how important it is for our community to be diligent in their community mitigation efforts," said Fred Yanoski, Midland County Public Health director/health officer. "We know that COVID-19 is in our community, and our residents can make a huge impact on slowing the spread of disease by following the recommended precautions." 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. This week, in lieu of its weekly COVID-19 frequently asked questions, the Kenosha County Joint Information Center is presenting a statement in the wake of the sunset of the Safer-at-Home order. The statement, delivered by Kenosha Police Lt. Joe Nosalik on behalf of the Joint Information Center, follows: Normally, weve been coming to you with the most frequently asked questions from the week. However, this weeks a little bit different. A lot has been going on over the last several days, and its lead us to the most frequently asked question shared by all of us. And thats: Where do we go from here? Several months ago, the United States was introduced to a virus called COVID-19. That led Wisconsin to a Safer-at-Home order. And, regardless of your opinion of that order, it did work. It slowed the spread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin and, specifically, in Kenosha County. So here we are today. What now? Are we back to normal? No were not. COVID-19 will not stop doing what it does, to whomever it chooses to infect. So what can Kenosha County do? We want to let you know that your Division of Health, Emergency Management, and your Joint Information Center will still be here. And our city and county governments are working together, and they have a plan on how to Kickstart Kenosha. The aim is to afford businesses and residents guidelines on how to operate successfully and safely. We all want to get back to some form of normal. Although everything appears to have shifted back to what it was, we need to make sure that the sacrifice of so many people is not in vain. Please to continue to put into good practice the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. We all need to depend on each other to move forward. Please send your questions for future FAQ segments to COVID19@kenoshacounty.org. Videos of these FAQ sessions are available on YouTube at http://bit.ly/KCCOVIDplaylist and on the Kenosha County Government Facebook page, at www.facebook.com/kenoshacountygovt. Kazelain on Finisklin Road which closed in 2009 was used to house those recently released from prison They are the forgotten people of Sligo during the Covid-19 crisis - the homeless and those battling to overcome addiction. According to Aubrey Melville of charity, Social Groundforce crucial services are closed such as rehabilitation services and night shelters, leading to many people struggling with addiction being left on the street. The CEO of the charity working in suicide prevention and addiction recovery told The Sligo Champion: "Nobody is taking anybody in, they can't get a night in a hostel, everybody's doors are closed and these people are cast onto the street, they're left to die." Mr Melville said currently he is aware of five to six people homeless in the Sligo area and though seeking accommodation for people is not within Social Groundforce's remit, the charity is helping people secure some sort of a home. "That's the problem with Covid, people are being cast aside." Mr Melville said he helped a man who was in court in Sligo recently who had nowhere to stay as hostels could not take him in due to the pandemic. "He couldn't get into a shelter. Where do these people go? They go into court and they have to be sent out onto the street again. They're in a squirrel cage. Judge Kevin Kilrane is not happy with the current situation," said Mr Melville, who managed to source a tent for the man. It is hoped accommodation for him will be sponsored by a local businessman in the coming days. "It's unbelievably bad out here...We're working with a man and got him a tent, took him out of Sligo to keep him away from trouble. He's now in his seventh day sober, it does work, if you get the right accommodation, hopefully we'll have something for him." Mr Melville said at the recent court sitting such was the judge's concern about the man's current situation and lack of help, the judge commented that the man was 'dying' and there was nowhere to place him. "He's not dying now, he's trying his best." Mr Melville said statistics show that 65% of suicides are linked to alcohol, meaning 7 in 10 people were dealing with addiction. "If that's the case we need to go to the root of the problem, that's where we're very succcesful, times where we do assist people." Mr Melville said when people are left on the street they come to the attention of gardai and end up in the courts, only to be back on the street again because there is no place for them. He says there are currently nine counties in Ireland which do not have adequate addiction services, including Sligo, and at the moment Social Groundforce is doing what it can with limited means. "You can't get people detoxed without proper services, you need a service that is accessible 24/7, 365 days a year." The charity founder referred to a building at Finisklin which he believes could be beneficial to the work of Social Groundforce.He believes a part of Kazalean House could be used as bricks and mortar for the charity to work with addiction sufferers and says now more than ever that is needed. "They're the forgotten people of Ireland," he reiterates. "Kazalaen house on Finisklin Road has been let rot. The back end could be used for what we do. These people are dying and politicians are talking about who owns it. We're run off our feet and we don't have any money and nowehere to operate from. "No effort is going into addiction problems. Imagine if the same effort was being made to tackle addiction as is being done now for Covid," Mr Melville asked. Working with up to six homeless people at the moment, he says Social Grounforce also works with up to 20 people who are dealing with addiction, and their family members. Not only does Social Groundforce work with individuals in Sligo, but also in Donegal, Leitrim and Mayo. There are a lot suffering in many different ways during Covid 19, there's going to be a heavy price to pay at a later stage. There's a nightmare coming behind this." He added, "Politicians and leaders talk of the invisible enemy being Covid 19, but addiction is the invisible enemy." Mr Melville stresses that Social Groundforce cannot be the go to for sourcing accommodation for people as it is out of the charity's remit, but said people can be helped with their addiction to help keep them off the streets. He said people suffering with addictions need proper access to help to understand their addiction. "There has to be a door that's open all the time." A title holder in the Adamawa emirate has died of suspected COVID-19, causing anxiety within the palace in Yola and the rest of Adamaw... A title holder in the Adamawa emirate has died of suspected COVID-19, causing anxiety within the palace in Yola and the rest of Adamawa State. Sources at the FMC disclosed that considering the symptoms he was manifesting, the hospital took his samples for COVID-19 testing and was placed under surveillance. The sources said even family members were prevented from having contact with him. The hospital was said to have monitored and ensured that safety rules were observed in the course of the funeral prayer conducted for him at the hospital premises. People were asked to stay far away from the ambulance carrying the corpse and the medical personnel who prepared the corpse all wore protective gears. The Information Officer of the FMC Yola, Mohammed Dodo, played down the COVID-19 speculation but admitted that the deceaseds blood sample had been taken for testing and the result was being awaited. If the tests come out positive, many contacts of the deceased may be quarantined. It was gathered Saturday morning that Maaji Adamawa, Rufai Ahmad Duwa, died on Friday at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yola, after battling symptoms believed to be those of COVID-19, and was buried Friday evening in Yola town, Yola South LGA. Loading The New Zealand Sinologist Anne-Marie Brady says that this is precisely the correct approach for countries like Australia and NZ. "I call it the sound of one person arguing," Brady says. "In fact, it's a family secret in my home you let the person let rip, but you don't respond." Governments need to remain calm and resolute in the face of Chinese bluster, she says. Brady makes the point that China isn't actually angry at Australia. "It's putting on a show of anger," for effect. To respond in any way other than calm resolution is simply to allow Beijing to achieve the effect it seeks. So Morrison wasn't just putting on a bit of bravado on Friday when he told a press conference: "What the Australian government is doing is completely unremarkable. We are standing our ground on our values and the things that we know are always important," he said. "And those things are not to be traded. Ever." But what about the chorus of complaints about the government's position? Some business leaders and state governments have demanded that Australia solve the problem through diplomacy, use some "pragmatism", to protect the trading relationship. "That stuff just emboldens Morrison," says a key participant. "He's in the trenches on this." Illustration: Jim Pavlidis Credit: And, of course, when a business person calls for "pragmatism", the word used this week by Elders chief executive Mark Allison, he is calling for the abandonment of principle. A senior cabinet minister says that when an Australian chief executive tries to tell him that the federal government needs to back down in the face of Beijing's threats, "I tell them to go back to their offices and get their cybersecurity experts to check their computers and see what China is doing to them." This week it's barley exports to China, which were worth $916 million last year, and beef exports to China, valued at $2.6 billion. What if Beijing goes further, cutting other Australian exports as well? The ambassador's threat to Australia listed four sectors in particular beef, wine, tourism and higher education. The Morrison government is braced for it. In fact, companies and industries which ask Trade Minister Simon Birmingham for help get this reply: "Triple-check your export certifications and your labelling so you don't give them an excuse." Loading In public, the government is careful to play along with China's pretence its trade complaints against Australia are based purely on trade technicalities. But every member of the government knows full well that this is not about trade. This is about the Chinese Communist Party trying to bully Australia into submission. "Remember that Morrison is also seeing all the other things that China has been doing to us, most of which aren't visible to the public," says an adviser. "The economic coercion just comes on top of all that." Recall that Australia's former national security adviser Duncan Lewis said last year that China was seeking to "take over" Australia's political system covertly. And that in 2017, when Malcolm Turnbull introduced laws against foreign interference in Australia, he said "we will not tolerate covert, coercive or corrupting behaviour in our country". That is the bigger game. We have yet to see the actual enforcement of these laws, but informed sources say that Australia is getting closer to making arrests and deportations under these laws. Morrison is able to draw strength from three other vital sources. One is the Labor opposition. Anthony Albanese and his leadership group support the government position. Some dishonest media efforts in the past few days have tried to portray Albanese as somehow "soft on China". To get to this position, they've had to conduct some strange contortions. Albanese's position, as he told the ABC's Leigh Sales on Thursday: "Australia is quite right to say that, just as if we have a death in this country that is unexplained we have a coronial inquiry, here we have 300,000 deaths. There is nothing remarkable about saying, Well, we need to know what the cause of that is. Not as an academic exercise but so that we can ensure it never happens again." This is exactly the government position. Australia's Agriculture Minister, David Littleproud, says that "everyone seems to be on the same page. In terms of the structural policy, Labor is in lockstep with us. Their criticism is about messaging." So long as the opposition stands with the government, other criticism is irrelevant and the Chinese Communist Party cannot play one side against the other. The call for an inquiry is a national position, not just a government one. Loading The second vital source of support for Morrison is also a key factor for Labor. The Australian public overwhelmingly is in favour. Indeed, the people have been years ahead of the elites in their concern about Beijing's efforts to dominate Australia. As the Lowy Institute's Michael Fullilove explains: "Australian opinion has been moving this way for a while. Last year's Lowy poll showed people's trust in China dropped by 20 percentage points in a single year, from 52 per cent to 32. "China's behaviour has hardened and Australian policy and Australian public opinion has hardened in response." A new Lowy poll this week was further evidence. Sixty-eight per cent of people said they felt "less favourable towards Chinas system of government" when thinking about its handling of the epidemic. And 93 per cent said Australia had handled it well. Many Australian politicians have been taken aback at the people's levels of fear, worry, distrust and even anger at China. "The political class is catching up with the community, 100 per cent," said a government MP this week. "Even just last year, it was considered impolite to criticise China in political circles." Why? "It's been an elite consensus, and elite consensus is a powerful thing." Loading Another government MP says that his public criticism of China in recent weeks "gets by far the biggest public response of anything I have ever talked about. It's off the charts." The third vital source of strength is the fact that Australia is not alone. There's a Chinese proverb that you "strangle the chicken to frighten the monkey". This has been Beijing's longstanding practice of picking off one country at a time, hoping to frighten others into submission as it does so. Ukrainian authorities to take steps to punish those responsible in UIA plane crash in Iran MFA Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Yevhen Enin, Deputy Justice Minister for European Integration Valeria Kolomiets and Deputy Prosecutor General Gyunduz Mamedov held a video meeting with relatives of citizens of Ukraine killed in UIA Flight PS752 crash in Iran. "We grieve with you, for us this tragedy is very personal. I want to assure you that we will all together take steps to establish the truth, justice and bring those guilty to justice, receive proper reparation and compensation," the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Ukraine reported on Friday, citing Enin. During the meeting, relatives of the victims were provided with information on the course of technical and criminal investigations, cooperation with other affected states, including the analysis of black boxes with the participation of international experts. "We hope that Iran will move from declarations to practical steps and will immediately ensure compliance with international law, including the decryption of black boxes," Enin said. As reported, a Boeing 737-800 of Ukraine International Airlines crashed in the vicinity of Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport soon after takeoff on January 8. None of the 167 passengers and nine crewmembers survived the crash. There were eleven citizens of Ukraine, 82 citizens of Iran, 73 of Canada, ten of Sweden, four of Afghanistan, three of Germany, and three of the United Kingdom on board the plane. Iranian authorities acknowledged on January 11, that the Boeing was downed by the Iranian military by mistake. Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Aerospace Forces Amir Ali Hajizadeh assumed full responsibility for the crash of the Ukrainian plane. The coronavirus patient, a 75-year-old man, was dying. No family member was allowed in the room with him, only a young nurse. In full protective gear, she dimmed the lights and put on quiet music. She freshened his pillows, dabbed his lips with moistened swabs, held his hand, spoke softly to him. He wasnt even her patient, but everyone else was slammed. Finally, she held an iPad close to him, so he could see the face and hear the voice of a grief-stricken relative Skyping from the hospital corridor. After the man died, the nurse found a secluded hallway, and wept. A few days later, she shared her anguish in a private Facebook message to Dr. Heather Farley, who directs a comprehensive staff-support program at Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del. Im not the kind of nurse that can act like Im fine and that something sad didnt just happen, she wrote. India announced Saturday that global companies can now invest up to 74% in the country's defense manufacturing units, up from 49%, without requiring any government approval. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman expressed hope that the new policy will attract foreign companies with high-end technologies to set up their manufacturing bases in India in collaboration with Indian companies. Sitharaman's announcement came as part of reforms Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is implementing to revive India's economy, which has been shattered by the coronavirus pandemic. She also told reporters that India will stop importing weapons that can be made in the country. ``We will notify a list of weapons and platforms for ban on their imports and fix deadlines to do it,'' she said, adding that this will improve self-reliance on defense manufacturing. India introduced up to 49% foreign direct investment in defense production in 2016 to attract modern technology in the country. That attracted over 18.34 billion rupees ($244 million) until December last year, according to a government statement. India issues defense industrial licenses for making tanks, military aircraft, spacecraft and their parts, unmanned aerial vehicles, missiles for military purposes and warships. India, a major buyer of military equipment, depended largely on the former Soviet Union during the Cold War. But it has been diversifying its purchases by opting for U.S. equipment as well. During President Donald Trump's visit to India in February, the two countries signed a deal for India to buy from the U.S. more than $3 billion in advanced military equipment, including helicopters. Search Keywords: Short link: BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend The caviar worth $630,000 was exported from Gilan province in northern Iran in the last Iranian year (from March 21, 2019 to March 20, 2020), Azim Modabberi, director of the Fisheries Department for Gilan province said, Trend reports citing Tasnim news agency. According to Modabberi, last year, 900 kilograms of caviar grown and produced at fishing facilities were exported and sold for $700 per kilogram. Modabberi added that the caviar was mainly exported to France, Azerbaijan and Russia. The official said that 55 of 140 sturgeon farms in Iran are located in Gilan province, which makes up 40 percent of sturgeon farms in the country. "On average, about 3,700 kilograms of caviar are received annually in Gilan province. Last year, 3,600 kilograms of caviar were received, and this figure is about 41 percent higher than the preceding year [from March 21, 2018 to March 21, 2019]," he said. Modabberi said that it is planned to supply 500 kilograms of caviar in Gilan province in this year (began from March 20, 2020). The official said that currently, most caviar is supplied by the Talesh county of Gilan province, where 2,500 kilograms of caviar is produced annually. Modabberi said that according to the decision of the commission on the protection of the Caspian Sea's wildlife, commercial sturgeon fishing in the Caspian Sea has been banned since 2012. As much as 10.7 tons of sturgeon was raised in Iran last Iranian year. Beijing has appealed to Washington to bring an end to the suppression of Chinese firms after the US announced plans on Friday to further restrict technology giant Huaweis ability to develop semiconductors using American technologies. Describing the move as the destruction of global manufacturing, supply and value chains, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Saturday that Beijing would firmly uphold Chinese firms legitimate and legal rights and interests. We urge the US side to immediately stop its unreasonable suppression of Huawei and Chinese enterprises. The US commerce department said on Friday that the new restrictions would narrowly and strategically target Huaweis acquisition of semiconductors manufactured overseas but using American software and technology so as to prevent it bypassing US export controls. The restrictions will cut off Huaweis access to one of its major suppliers, Taiwanese chip maker TSMC. Photo: EPA-EFE US officials have repeatedly accused Huawei of stealing American trade secrets and aiding Chinas espionage efforts, ramping up tensions as the two sides continue to fight a trade war. As a result, the company has increasingly relied on domestically manufactured technologies, but the latest rules will also ban foreign firms that use US technology from shipping semiconductors to Huawei without US permission. The new restrictions will cut off Huaweis access to one of its major suppliers, Taiwanese chip maker TSMC, which also manufactures chips for Apple and other tech firms. Chinese state-run tabloid Global Times said Beijing was ready to target Apple, Qualcomm, Cisco and Boeing in retaliation for the restrictions on Huawei, citing a source close to the government. The countermeasures could include adding the companies to Chinas unreliable entity list, launching investigations into them and suspending aircraft purchases from Boeing, it said. However, Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University and adviser to Chinas State Council, said that given the US had only just announced the restrictions and that any countermeasures would have to be approved by Chinese President Xi Jinping, it was very unlikely that Beijing had already decided how to respond. Story continues I personally think that China should retaliate, but not in a tit-for-tat way against US companies in China, he said. Even if China puts them on its entity list, the psychological impact on US companies would be huge, especially at this critical moment when China is trying hard to attract foreign investment, especially from the US. As the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted global supply chains, so the US, Japan and the European Union have sought to lure companies away from China in a bid to reduce their dependency on the worlds second-largest economy. Victor Gao, vice-president of the Centre for China and Globalisation, a Beijing-based think tank, said there were many ways in which China could retaliate for the new restrictions on Huawei, including selling its US treasury bonds or halting any future purchases, and tightening its controls on Apple products. For example, if Beijing declared that all Apple products made in China had to be inspected, which would delay their shipment, in three months, Apple would be dead, he said. Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse 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 hits back at Americas unreasonable suppression of Huawei first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle plot Megxit from the very start? Prince Harry and Meghan stunned the royal family with their decision to step back as senior members of the royal family early this 2020. They have since started their new lives with their one-year-old son Archie at Los Angeles. The are also expected to go back to zero through their new non-profit venture Archewell. While it seemed like Megxit was an abrupt move since they wanted to have some privacy, a royal expert has claimed that the royal couple planned about their departure since the beginning of their royal lives. Royal commentator Katie Nicholl revealed to Australian news site 9Honey that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex desire to gain international fame as soon as possible. "The speed at which the Sussexes have turned their lives around, has surprised everybody," Nicholl divulged. "I don't think it's a huge surprise they moved overseas, that was inevitable. I think the speed at which it's happened has surprised people." Despite the sudden decision, Prince Harry and Meghan indicated numerous times that they have plans on stepping outside the monarchy. According to Nicholl, the Sussexes want to be international royals, and they would only be able to do that by leaving the shackles of The Firm. The royal expert then narrated how the royal couple's vision to make a difference on the world stage pushed them to dream of establishing their own international empire. "I was told from a very early stage in their courtship, they had told a friend of Harry's that Meghan met quite early on that they wanted to be international roving royals and that was going to be their focus," the royal commentator continued. Because of this, it did not surprise Nicholl when she heard about Prince Harry and Meghan quitting. Instead, she was more surprised by the fact that they did it sooner than expected. To recall, even the royal couple's relationship progressed too quickly. Just over a year after they started to see each other, they got engaged in November 2017 and held their luxurious royal wedding at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018. After they welcomed Archie on May 6 last year, the Sussexes started to dream of having a more private life for their family of three -- most especially after the duchess became the target of criticisms of U.K. tabloids. Prince Harry, Meghan's Hints Months before they announced Megxit, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex showed signs that they were planning to leave their royal lives as soon as possible. Last year, in the ITV documentary "Harry & Meghan: An African Journey," Prince Harry fueled speculations of them leaving the U.K. and the royal family. Meanwhile, Meghan also gave a heartbreaking statement about how she was struggling due to the demands of being a royal. "I have said for a long time to H-that's what I call him-It's not enough to just survive something, right? That's not the point of life. You've got to thrive, you've got to feel happy. I really tried to adopt this British sensibility of a stiff upper lip. I really tried," Meghan tearfully said before Prince Harry attacked the media. The couple took a six-week break from their royal duties and spent the holidays away from the royal family. When they came back, they unrolled their decision to quit as senior members of the royal family. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has signed a decree about letting off 1,192 Turkmen prisoners and 210 prisoners of foreign citizenship, Trend reports with reference to Zolotoy Vek (Golden Age) newspaper. The decree signed during a working meeting, which was held by the countrys president, was sent to deputy prime minister via electronic document flow with instructions for implementation. The prisoners will be pardoned on May 19. The president also ordered to implement the necessary measures for the rapid release of prisoners and their speedy return home. Municipal organizations, districts and regions were instructed to take care of the employment of pardoned citizens. The pardoning decree covers those prisoners who expressed a sincere regret about what they did. Such amnesty decrees are issued in the country every year. Approximately at the same period of last year, 764 prisoners, who also expressed a regret over their acts. were pardoned in Turkmenistan. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said the Railways is ready to run Shramik Special trains from any district in the country, and asked district collectors to prepare a list of migrant workers stranded in their regions due to the coronavirus lockdown. The district collectors have to coordinate with state nodal officers as well as nodal officers designated by the Railways, he said. To provide relief to migrant labour, Indian Railways is ready to run Shramik Special trains from any District in the Country. District Collectors should prepare lists of stranded labour & destination and apply to Railways through the State nodal officer, the Railways minister tweeted. Along with this, the District Collectors should give a list and destination to the State Nodal Officer of Railways, he said. Over the last few days, Goyal has been appealing to state governments to approve more trains to ferry migrants to their home states. The appeal has gone out specially to states like Jharkhand, Rajasthan and West Bengal. However, it is not clear how the steps prescribed by the minister on Saturday are different from the present protocol where lists of such workers are prepared at the district level as well. In a press release issued later in the day, the ministry indicated that the Railways hopes this process will ensure maximum utilisation of rakes. Once the information about migrants wishing to go back to their home states is made available from each district, the Indian Railways can take further action to help operationalise the trains. Railways is presently running less than half of its capacity. It can transport many more migrants safely and quickly, it said. The national carrier has the capacity to run almost 300 Shramik Special trains a day, it said. Full capacity operationalisation of the railways rakes would provide significant relief to the migrants across the country who are seeking to go to their home states. The Indian Railways is ready to augment the running of Shramik Special trains as per the actual needs of the districts, it said. As on Saturday, more than 15 lakh migrants have already been transported by the Railways to their home states and almost 1,150 Shramik Special trains operationalised. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON By Express News Service BENGALURU: A cancer patient had to overcome many hurdles to return home from Ireland during lockdown. Kanya (name changed), a 25-year-old techie employed with an MNC in Europe who suffered from breathlessness, went for a Covid-19 checkup in Ireland near her work spot and was diagnosed with an aggressive form of blood cancer. And doctors who broke the news to her, gave her a second shock that she had only a weeks window to move back to her home in Bengaluru. Shocked, she checked for the quickest airline to ferry her back to Bengaluru and realised that there was no direct air connect to India. To go to the United Kingdom, she needed a visa and that would take time, booking an air ticket would also take time and returning to her home country under lockdown were among the many hurdles. The worried parents sought help from Minister S Suresh Kumar, who got in touch with Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda. After dozens of calls and messages and mails, Kanya is now in a private hospital in Bengaluru. Suresh Kumar said, It was a virtual battle with different systems to ensure the safe return of this fragile patient. Minister Sadananda Gowda personally rushed in to help. The family recalls the ordeal to bring her back. Her troubles didnt seem to end even after landing. The authorities insisted on compulsory quarantine and tried to whisk her away to Marathahalli. Again it was minister Suresh Kumar who came to the rescue, said Kumar, her grateful brother. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16 By Tamilla Mammadova Trend: Georgia received $409.316 million kWh of electricity from Azerbaijan from January through April 2020, Trend reports with reference to Georgian Electricity System Commercial Operator of Georgia (ESCO). This figure is 130.13 million kWh or 24.1 percent less compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, during the first four months of last year, Georgia received $539.446 million kWh of electricity from Azerbaijan. From January through April, Georgia's total electricity imports amounted to 780.4 million kWh, of which 52.4 percent accounted for Azerbaijan and 47.5 percent to Russia. During the reporting period, the volume of electricity transmitted by Azerbaijan to Turkey via Georgia amounted to 51.09 million kWh. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356 Former Executive Director of Standard Chartered Bank, Mr Alex Mould says the decision to use National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) to disburse the GHS600 million soft loan stimulus package for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will breed partisanship and favouritism. The soft loan which is under the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) is intended to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on the operations SMEs. The government this week, announced that NBSSI will have access to the fund this month and begin with the disbursement to SMEs in the country. But the Energy and Finance professional, Mr Mould believes NBSSI is not qualified to disburse the loans. According to him, unlike financial institutions that are regulated, have credit underwriting standards and credit approval procedures, the NBSSI is a bureaucratic institution controlled by politicians. Financial institutions should be the channel for disbursing the GHS600 million earmarked for the SMEs under the CAP, or it could become a political slush fund, the immediate past Chief Executive of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation stressed. Read Alex Moulds full statement below NBSSI NOT QUALIFIED TO DISBURSE SMEs FUND UNDER CAP Government should be crystal clear on the terms of GHS600m loan fund allocated to SMEs under Coronavirus Alleviation Programme. The National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) will, from this month, have access to government's GHS 600 million soft loan stimulus package for SMEs. The loan, which comes with a one-year moratorium and a two-year repayment period is intended to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on the operations of micro, small and medium-sized businesses. I want to highlight some of the potential challenges with this model. Firstly, I can emphatically state the NBSSI is not qualified to disburse loans. Unlike Financial institutions that are regulated, have credit underwriting standards and credit approval procedures, the NBSSI is a bureaucratic institution controlled by politicians. What safeguards has the NBSSI put in place to ensure that the funds disbursed are used for the approved purpose? Other questions that require immediate clarity are: 1. What exactly is the qualifying criteria the NBSSI will outline for funds eligibility; in addition to the basic guidelines outlined by the Ministry of Finance? 2. What precisely can these funds be used for?: for example, are these eligible: workers salaries and statutory expenses interest repayments on loans to banks rent payments utility payments other working capital needs Financial institutions should be the channel for disbursing the GHS600m earmarked for the SMEs under CAP, or it could become a political slush fund otherwise. Clear risk-sharing allocation protocols must be agreed between Government and Financial institutions. Additionally, stakeholder engagement e.g. trade associations, Association of small scale industries (ASSI) etc is necessary to help determine the needs of SMEs amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We should all remember this is NOT free money and approval criteria need to be obvious and transparent. LONDON The coronavirus crosses borders without regard for national boundaries or identities. But the response to it, and the hunt for a vaccine, has been caught up in a tide of nationalism that was already sweeping the world before the virus hit, and may end up delaying distribution of a vaccine to billions of people. This competitive vision outlined in the United States and other vaccine-producing powerhouses such as China and India threatens to undermine the efforts of dozens of countries, which are raising billions of dollars in an attempt to find an effective immunizing shot that they say should be available equally around the world. Some experts and former officials fear that leaders such as President Donald Trump may be pursuing the doctrine of "vaccine nationalism." This is the idea that any government whose scientists win this vaccine "race" as it's often described might try to hoard the shots for domestic use. "Do you believe that Trump's base will be content with a vaccine strategy that does not 'make America great again'?" asked David Salisbury, a former director of immunization for the British Department of Health who is now an associate fellow at the London think tank Chatham House. "If your country develops the vaccine before anyone else, immediately exporting it to another country is not a vote-winner." This tension between nationalism and internationalism was illustrated at a virtual summit hosted by the European Union last week. Dozens of countries, including Canada, Japan, Israel and Saudi Arabia, teamed up with organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in pledging $8 billion toward a global fund for vaccines, treatments and testing. "This will be a unique global public good of the 21st century," the leaders said in a joint statement, committing to making any vaccine "available, accessible and affordable to all." Story continues After a pandemic that has fragmented global supply chains, torpedoed world travel and sparked international arguments over exports of medical equipment, it was a rare moment of cross-border cooperation. Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak But one glaring absentee was Trump, who not only declined an invitation but failed to send any American representative at all. It was far from the first time Trump has demonstrated his lack of interest in multilateralism. He has openly criticized the founding principles of NATO, branded the E.U. a competitor and slapped its goods with billions of dollars in tariffs, and once told the United Nations General Assembly that "we reject the ideology of globalism." This year he moved to withdraw funding from the World Health Organization, a U.N. agency, after accusing it of helping China cover up the virus in its early stages, an allegation Beijing denies. 'China cannot afford to lose' China did attend the E.U.-hosted summit, even though Premier Li Keqiang, the country's second-most powerful official, pulled out at the last minute and sent his ambassador to the E.U., Zhang Ming, instead. Some observers perceived this as a snub. Despite being the world's second-largest economy, China pledged around $49 million, a fraction of what was promised by many of its European counterparts such as Norway, at $1 billion. The most promising trial in China is funded by the government. And a far more nationalistic approach was set out in an op-ed article published by the Global Times, the country's hawkish state-run newspaper, which according to its editor publishes what Communist Party officials privately think but don't say publicly. "We must be aware that the development of a vaccine is a battle that China cannot afford to lose," it said. "There is no way for China to rely on Europe or the U.S. in vaccine development. China has to be by itself in this crucial field," it added, calling the race "a life-and-death battle." Another absentee at the summit was India, which is home to the world's largest vaccine producer by volume, the Serum Institute of India. Its owner, the billionaire Cyrus Poonawalla, has openly said that "a majority of the vaccine, at least initially, would have to go to our countrymen before it goes abroad." Image: Inselspital Universitaetsspital Bern university (Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters file) Even for those countries that did attend, it is not clear whether they would have the power to enforce their egalitarian vision in the face of nationalistic or market forces. French President Emmanuel Macron said that any vaccine "won't belong to anybody," and that those who discover it "will be fairly paid, but access will be given to people across the globe." This dream was given a reality check Wednesday after Sanofi, the French pharmaceutical giant and one of the leading players in the coronavirus vaccine race, told Bloomberg News that the U.S. was likely to get access before the rest of the world because it had invested more money. Likewise in the U.K. which pledged more than $480 million at the teleconference the pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca said it "will prioritize the U.K." if its promising trial yields results. "This debate builds on a long-standing question about nationalism versus global responsibility," said Nancy Kass, a professor and the deputy director for public health at Johns Hopkins University's Berman Institute of Bioethics. "And we happen to be in an extraordinarily nationalistic period right now in the United States." Like many bioethicists, Kass said it's understandable for citizens to expect first access to drugs developed and manufactured on their soil, particularly at a time of chronic anxiety. "I don't think it will either be constructive or even necessarily an appropriate framing to think of this in terms of good guys and bad guys," she said. "What I do think is essential is that people use this time before we have a vaccine to have this conversation." 'Incalculable' value There's no guarantee an effective vaccine will ever be found, and even then it could take a year or more to develop, test and distribute. Worldwide, about a dozen vaccine candidates are in the first stages of testing or poised to begin, small safety studies in people, according to the Associated Press. "The social value of a safe and effective vaccine is almost incalculable we are talking about trillions of dollars," said Frank Lichtenberg, a Columbia Business School professor who has spent much of his career estimating how much new medicines are worth. "Drugs are usually valuable because they decrease mortality," he said, "not because they have the power to stop the unemployment rate hitting 20 percent, like this one might." Trump has labeled his vaccine effort "Operation Warp Speed," spending hundreds of millions of dollars co-funding efforts by companies such as the Boston-based Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, based in New Jersey. Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky has said his company is committed to coming up with a not-for-profit vaccine that is "available and affordable globally as quickly as possible." Image: Cobra Biologics (Carl Recine / Reuters file) And even Trump himself said in March that "I don't care" when asked if he worried about another country beating the U.S. in the inoculation race. "I just want to get a vaccine that works. If its another country, Ill take my hat off to them," he said, "Were working with other countries, we're working with Australia, were working with the U.K." But the Department of Health and Human Services was clear in a statement March 30 that domestic use would take priority, and that the initial goal was to make a "COVID-19 vaccine available for emergency use in the United States in early 2021." The vaccine world has been here before. During the 2009 swine flu pandemic, wealthy countries put in advanced orders for the H1N1 flu vaccine, essentially crowding out poorer countries who had to wait longer to get access to the shots. Download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak However, in this unprecedented situation, where a vaccine could prevent a country's economic collapse, governments might resort to more desperate measures. One tactic might be to ignore patents covering the drugs and manufacture them without consent, according to Sren Holm, a professor of bioethics at the University of Manchester, in England. That's what South Africa did with HIV/AIDS medicine in the 1990s, ultimately forcing drug companies into a humiliating climbdown in which they licensed the medication at a lower price. "It showed that these types of threats tend to work," Holm said. Ultimately, whoever wins the race, the U.S. is unlikely to find itself shut out. "If the vaccine is discovered somewhere else, then I'm sure that the U.S. will tell that pharmaceutical firm that they have to sell to them as well," Holm added. "The U.S. is by far the most important market for any large pharmaceutical firm, so it would be commercial suicide for any firm to tell America they have to wait." UCI and County of Orange partner on large-scale COVID-19 infection survey Irvine, Calif., May 15, 2020 -- It's almost certain that COVID-19 cases across the nation have been vastly undercounted, since people with few to no symptoms - who may be infected but have immunity - are rarely tested. The University of California, Irvine is partnering with the Orange County Health Care Agency to participate in a rigorous, large-scale, population-based study that will generate a more accurate estimate of the true prevalence of the pandemic in Orange County - which, with 3.2 million people, is the sixth-largest county in the U.S. The survey will involve serological testing of a representative sample of 5,000 Orange County residents to determine if they have COVID-19 antibodies. It will help guide local health officials as they ease social distancing requirements and gradually reopen the economy - while also allowing them to better identify at-risk populations and understand how long immunity to the virus lasts. "Testing that is scientifically and statistically sound is absolutely critical to getting people all over Orange County back to work and back to their lives in a safe way," said Bernadette Boden-Albala, director of UCI's Program in Public Health and founding dean of the campus's proposed School of Population Health. "What we've seen so far is that low-income and minority communities are experiencing the most severe symptoms and death rates. It's tragic, and we have to know why this is happening and what we can do to prevent it. By partnering across Orange County, from Irvine and Newport Beach to Santa Ana and Anaheim, we can do this." "We are pleased to partner with a respected academic and research institution like the University of California, Irvine in support of scientific serology studies that may help us understand how much of the population has been infected and who may be eligible to donate plasma to help COVID-19 patients on the path to wellness," said Dr. Clayton Chau, director of the Orange County Health Care Agency. The 5,000 Orange County residents selected for the study will be asked to visit one of eight to 10 drive-thru testing sites, where medical personnel will use a simple pinprick to collect blood samples that will be taken to UCI and analyzed for COVID-19 antibodies. The results will be compared to those of a subset of 200 people who report a positive COVID-19 diagnosis or who test positive. This smaller cohort will be tested every two weeks for four months so that researchers can see how immune response changes over time and what groups are most at risk. The true rate of COVID-19 is unknown because it's impossible to determine the actual number of infections without widespread testing of a representative sample. Recent surveys in other metropolitan regions of the U.S. suggest that infection rates are much higher - and death rates lower - than previously thought and that rates vary significantly from place to place. Testing has found antibody levels ranging from 2.8 percent in Santa Clara County to 21.6 percent in New York City to 4.1 percent in Los Angeles County. This suggests that the fatality rate could be 28 to 80 times less than currently estimated. It's important to note that it's not yet clear what level of antibodies is enough to confer near- or long-term immunity on those who have had COVID-19. Additional research will be necessary for that determination. Study participants will be recruited soon, and testing is expected to take place in June. An initial report will be issued this summer, with another report released in early fall. "COVID-19 is very much a local affair. Different populations are affected differently. Why did Orange County not see the type of spike in cases that afflicted New York?" Boden-Albala said. "Given the data that has come out of Santa Clara and Los Angeles, and even New York, we need to understand how many people in Orange County have immunity. And that means knowing how many people have been exposed. It would be a hugely different picture if 50 percent of a population were immune compared to 5 percent. The public health response would vary in so many ways." In a separate, smaller study, UCI scientists are using a $60,000 grant from a quickly assembled COVID-19-related university research fund to examine 1,500 blood samples that will be collected at 10 clinics around Orange County. Researchers chose sites that will allow for an accurate, diverse representation of the local population, though the sample will be inherently limited to people who visit clinics. This survey will provide officials a quick read on COVID-19 exposure rates, but the results won't be as precise as those from the larger study. ### About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 222 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit http://www. uci. edu . Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists. This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. I was sleeping and don't know what happened, said a dazed Vandana, a survivor of the accident in which 25 migrants workers were killed and 40 other were injured here on Saturday. Rescue workers and locals were toiling to remove the sacks of lime powder using JCB machines and pull out the people buried underneath after a trailer rammed into a stationary truck near an eatery and both the vehicles overturned at around 3 AM on the Auraiya-Kanpur Dehat stretch of National Highway 19. Vandana was among the 22 occupants of the truck which had stopped at the eatery as they wanted to have tea. "I got up with a jerk and fell down from the truck," she said before becoming unconscious. Rucksacks and packets of food lay strewn at the site, telling the grim story of how, like lakhs of other migrant workers across the country, these people had hitched rides on the two vehicles in their desperation to reach home during the coronavirus lockdown. The trailer was carrying sacks of lime powder on which the around 40 workers were sleeping when it crashed into the stationary truck, officials said. The truck was carrying around 22 people, including five women and seven children, officials said. The highway has agriculture fields on both side. Hearing the impact of the collision, villagers rushed to site and helped the police and district administration officials in the rescue work. Both the vehicles overturned after the crash. "Five of those brought here are in a very serious condition and one of them has been put on ventilator. Two of them have head injury," Vice-Chancellor of Saifai Medical University Dr Raj Kumar said Among those admitted are a couple and their three children, he said. "Since the victims were coming from Delhi, all have been kept in a separate wing of the COVID hospital and the doctors incharge there are monitoring them," he said. Circle Officer of Auraiya Surendranath Yadav said it was not clear if the drivers had survived. "We spoke to some of the survivors of the accident. They are unable to recall how the accident took place. At this point of time, it is not clear whether the drivers of both the trucks are among the deceased or not," he told PTI. While many of the workers were from Jharkhand and West Bengal, some were from Kushinagar in eastern Uttar Pradesh, they said. The truck was going from Delhi to Madhya Pradesh, while the trailer was coming from Rajasthan. After the incident, state police said they were taking steps to ensure that such accidents don't recur. But eyewitnesses said many trucks with migrants were still running on the highway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have spiked across the country as states and territories begin winding back restrictions, prompting calls from ministers for people to beware of the virus bubbling under the surface. Residents in NSW from midnight Thursday were permitted to drink and dine out, much like those in the NT from noon on Friday, and in Queensland from Saturday. But as people took advantage of their long-awaited freedoms, Australia recorded its highest number of cases in nearly a month. The number of cases breached 7000 on Friday, but the death toll from the pandemic remains at 98, which still is extremely low by international standards. Victoria has recorded another 11 new cases, including a further two infections connected to the west Melbourne abattoir cluster, which now stands at 98. Friends shown celebrating in a picnic in Brisbane on Saturday as restrictions were eased. Source: AAP Elsewhere, a McDonald's restaurant in the north Melbourne suburb of Fawkner has recorded an additional case, with the outlet's cluster growing to 11. There was just one new case in Queensland. NSW reported eight new cases of coronavirus from 12,200 tests on Friday, and on Saturday there were three new cases, the states health minister Brad Hazzard said. He pleaded with residents to continue adhering to social distancing requirements while enjoying their new freedoms, claiming he had witnessed several people behaving COVID dangerous this morning. In reminding people the virus is still amongst us, Mr Hazzard asked that residents behave as though they have COVID-19. If you do that, we will all be safe and our freedoms, of course, will grow, he said. Unless there is a vaccine or a good treatment, and effective, fast treatment, we know that this very dangerous virus is still quite capable of moving among us and effectively doing its evil best. Joggers shown exercising together in Melbourne as Victoria eases social distancing rules. Source: AAP NSW director of health protection Jeremy McAnulty said the three new cases were all linked to overseas travellers, with him warning people to be mindful the virus was still present in the community. Story continues While there are three cases, which is a small number, we do know that the virus is bubbling underneath the surface, and the really important message is that people get tested if they have any symptoms at all, he told reporters. His message echoed that of Australian Medical Association president Tony Bartone, who urged people to remain vigilant because the virus was still very much posing a threat. If we do the wrong things, we risk undoing all the gains that we've made so far, Dr Batone told the ABC on Saturday. So, the message is, yes, appreciate all the efforts, appreciate the opportunity to release some of those measures, but let's not have a party, let's not go to town. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard warned people the virus was still in the community despite an easing of restrictions. Source: AAP He said people must still maintain social distance, cough etiquette, washing hands regularly and staying away from others if they are unwell. Those messages are really the backbone as we progressively lift those restrictions, he said. The national cabinet met on Friday and endorsed a $48.1 million mental health response plan that is set to roll out in coming months, including research and support services. It comes as the economic impact of the pandemic was plain to see in new figures this week with almost 600,000 people recorded as losing their job in April, the largest one-month employment fall on record. The jobless rate also jumped to a five-year high of 6.2 per cent and the Australian Treasury expects this get worse, peaking at 10 per cent in the coming months. Customers dining at a bar in Sydney on Friday. Source: AAP If you've never lost your job, there's no real way to understand the anxiety or the emptiness in the pit of people's stomachs, the things they're going through right now, Labor frontbencher Jason Clare told the ABC. It affects the mental health of so many Australians. We can all agree there's a hell of a lot more that we need to do. And there's more pain on the way. Liberal backbencher Jason Falinski said the best way to help people is to get them back to work. The best way to create jobs is to get the economy open, he told the ABC. It's going to be a long journey out, but a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. And the sooner we take that step, the sooner the journey is over. With AAP Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. New Delhi, May 16 : India has achieved a major milestone in its fight against Covid-19 as two large companies Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Johnson & Johnson collaborated as part of a social contract with National Institute of Virology and Textiles Ministry to get a Made in India testing swab in 10 days at 10 per cent cost of what was being imported from China. This is the story of how the government and private sector have worked on a war footing for a breakthrough in a crucial testing input of nasal and throat swabs at affordable pricing which were being imported from China until just 10 days back. This is seen as a major achievement for the Vocal for Local campaign announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Textiles Minister Smriti Irani said in a tweet, "Government efforts & our industry's prowess have proved that our Nation has capacity & ability to tide over every obstacle. India's success in the production of PPE & Testing Swabs has already put our Nation on the path of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' as enunciated by PM @narendramodiJi". Varun Jhaveri, Officer on Special Duty, Ayushman Bharat said in a tweet, "We used to import collection swabs at Rs 17 from China. Govt contacted the largest Indian polyester manufacturer to locally design swab. Got the design & material approved from NIV & gave manufacturing orders to MSMEs. Today, India manufactures these at Rs 2! Vocal for Local!". The ball was set rolling 10 days back for the indigenous project for nasal and throat swabs when Ravi Kapoor, Secretary, Textiles contacted J&J and RIL to check whether India can manufacture swab required for testing purpose. The video conference was held between Ravi Kapoor and his team, J&J and their team and RIL officials. A question was raised whether in shortest time period whether such swab can be manufactured in India in required quantity. Since ear buds are manufactured by J&J, the issue raised was whether such swab can be manufactured, which are suitable for carrying out corona testing. It was also stated that Chinese swabs were costing Rs 17 and difficult to get hence this swabs can be manufactured with the help of J&J and RIL? It was also stated whether the cotton used on surface can be replaced with polyester so that the tissues taken out on swab can be sent to testing labs. RIL agreed to this requirement swiftly and sent polyester staple fibre to National Institute of Virology in Pune for testing. This was tested by NIV and the material was approved. However, more demanding requirements were on the anvil in this short journey. The J&J unit at Vasai which was manufacturing ear buds needed sliver made out of PSF to feed to their automatic machines to manufacture these swabs. These slivers were made from PSF of 38mm usual cut length. This was done in the RIL RTG Patalganga having prototype machine to produce sliver. This sliver was sent to MSME at Vasai to try out on their automatic machines. Since machines to produce ear bud could accommodate cut length up to 25mm (cotton) this sliver supplied of 38mm fiber could not meet their requirement. Thereafter, RIL was asked to supply sliver to meet machine requirement. "Our scientist worked overnight on right type of PSF of cut length 22mm with change of certain characteristic to produce sliver to meet requirement of automatic machines. This was done within 12 hours from the intimation received," officials from RIL said. These slivser were approved and were suitable for this machine and sample was prepared to be sent to NIV for their final approval by J&J team and this was approved by NIV within 12 hours of time. It was also a challenge to move the cartons to Vasai plant in view of lockdown conditions. Special passes and other arrangements were made to move the material from PG to Vasai. The target of the exercise was to manufacture this swab at the lowest cost. The present cost of making swab based on material supplied by RIL is in the range of Rs 1.70 to 1.75/swab, as against imported cost of Rs 17/pc. Officials said this cost can be further brought down once the Vasai unit get their new machine to accommodate longer stick rather than using adaptor which required manual intervention. Officials said this does not make commercial sense to make the swab but it is doing it in national interest. "This swab requires .03 grams of PSF/swab hence commercially does not make sense for RIL to get involved for such a small quantity. However, our commitment to India for providing swab was the ultimate goal because without swab no test could be carried out," RIL officials said. "We in RIL spent day and night to provide sliver required for manufacturing swabs at Vasai with the help of J&J in shortest time period of 8 days, which normally would have taken a few months to complete the project. We at Reliance take pride to work for Nation's need rather than looking into commercial aspects," they added. "This is one of the targets for Make in India project rather than made for India project. This also eliminates some of the over dependence on China for such critical item required for national interest. Our target will be to manufacture super speciality fibres required for defence and other critical end uses which are being imported and India is vulnerable for such imports and dictation from the supplier," they added. President Donald Trump makes his way to board Marine One before departing from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on May 15, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Trump: US Considering Giving WHO No More Than China Does The United States could restore some funding to the World Health Organization under a plan that would cap contributions at whatever amount China gives, President Donald Trump said Saturday. Trump responded to a social media post that included a story claiming the Trump administration is close to restoring partial funding for the organization, also known as the WHO. Funding is still frozen for now, the president clarified. This is just one of numerous concepts being considered under which we would pay 10 percent of what we have been paying over many years, matching much lower China payments. Have not made final decision, Trump said. World Health Organization Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the WHO headquarters in Geneva on April 6, 2020. (AFP via Getty Images) Fox News, citing a draft letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the United States is prepared to pay up to what China pays in assessed contributions to the health organization. U.S. contributions to the WHO last year exceeded $400 million, according to the State Department. According to the WHO, the United States provides nearly 15 percent of its funding. China gave about $40 million last year. Trump ordered a halt to U.S. funds to the group last month after he and top officials increasingly vocalized displeasure with the United Nations body. Trump has said the WHO is too China-centric and noted the WHO opposed travel bans early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Ghebreyesus and Dr. Michael Ryan, another official, repeatedly praised the Chinese Communist Partys response to the CCP virus outbreak despite evidence showing the party manipulated numbers, hid details of the virus, and turned to conspiracy theories about its origins. WHO officials have rejected assertions theyre too close with the Chinese regime and said cuts in funding put their work combating the virus in jeopardy. Phlebotomist Herbert Collins draws blood from Victoria Reese during an American Red Cross blood drive held at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Ill., on May 11, 2020. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Administration officials have floated directing money that would go to the WHO to other groups. U.S. lawmakers have pushed to oust Ghebreyesus and to include Taiwan in the WHO. Reform calls have garnered support from the likes of Australia and Canada. During the funding pause, American officials were reviewing whether the WHO was being run well. The review is going to be all encompassing, get into all manners of management operation questions, John Barsa, acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, told reporters at the State Department. Theres numerous questions in terms of the management of the WHO; how they have been operating holding member states accountable in their actions. Trumps decision to pause funding garnered opposition among some in Congress. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) launched a probe into the decision, saying the WHO has made mistakes but cutting funding is not the answer. Haiti - FLASH : 7 individuals linked to the group Phantom 509 arrested The Central Direction of the Judicial Police (DCPJ) presented 7 individuals arrested on May 11 near the Inspectorate General of the National Police of Haiti (IGPNH) during a demonstration by a group of individuals claiming to be of the armed extremist group "Phantom 509". These individuals threw stones at Swatt agents stationed near the building housing the IGPNH. Commissioner Michel-Ange Louis Jeune, Spokesperson for the PNH said that among those arrested was Pierre Yvon, a former police officer, dismissed from the institution for abandoning his post, sentenced in May 2004 for homicide and then escaped from the national penitentiary in February 2005... The Departmental Section of the Western Judicial Police (SDPJ/West) informs that it has already identified several other people belonging to the 'Phantom 509' Group, informed Michel-Ange Louis Jeune "[...] These are mostly active police officers, police in the process of dismissal or quite simply dismissed police officers" stressing that a wanted notice had been launched against the former dismissed police officer Jules James Josue, active member o "Phantom 509" wanted for armed robbery, assassination, arson and conspiracy against the internal security of the State. The spokesperson of the PNH, specified that the Director General ai of the PNH, Rameau Normil, has already instructed all the central and departmental directors of the PNH in order to take all the measures in order to put out of harm's way everything individual participating in acts of vandalism at the level of public institutions in the country. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30777-haiti-justice-a-police-officer-incarcerated-in-the-penitentiary-the-phantom-group-issues-an-ultimatum.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30755-haiti-security-the-group-phantom-509-soon-reported-as-an-terrorist-group-to-international.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30644-haiti-politic-the-group-phantom-509-target-of-the-justice.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30641-haiti-flash-violent-demonstration-of-police-officers-of-the-group-phantom-509.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30755-haiti-security-the-group-phantom-509-soon-reported-as-an-terrorist-group-to-international.html HL/ HaitiLibre FILE PHOTO: READERS LOOK AT A PICTURE OF A RWANDAN WANTED FOR ALLEGED ROLE IN RWANDA'S 1994 GENOCIDE. By Dominique Vidalon and Elias Biryabarema PARIS/KAMPALA (Reuters) - Rwandan genocide suspect Felicien Kabuga, who is accused of funding militias that massacred about 800,000 people, was arrested on Saturday near Paris after 26 years on the run, the French justice ministry said. The 84-year-old, who is Rwanda's most-wanted man and had a $5 million U.S. bounty on his head, was living under a false identity in a flat in Asnieres-Sur-Seine, according to the ministry. French gendarmes arrested him at 0530 GMT on Saturday, the ministry said. Kabuga was indicted in 1997 on seven criminal counts including genocide, complicity in genocide and incitement to commit genocide, all in relation to the 1994 Rwanda genocide, according to the UN-established International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT). Rwanda's two main ethnic groups are the Hutus and Tutsis, who have historically had an antagonistic relationship and fought a civil war in the early 1990s. A Hutu businessman, Kabuga is accused of funding the militias that massacred some 800,000 Tutsis and their moderate Hutu allies over a span of 100 days in 1994. "Since 1994, Felicien Kabuga, known to have been the financier of Rwanda genocide, had with impunity stayed in Germany, Belgium, Congo-Kinshasa, Kenya, or Switzerland," the French ministry statement said. His arrest paves the way for the fugitive to come before the Paris Appeal Court and later be transferred to the custody of the international court, which is based in the Hague, Netherlands and Arusha, Tanzania. He would then be brought before UN judges, an IRMCT spokesman said. Two other Rwandan genocide suspects, Augustin Bizimana and Protais Mpiranya, are still being pursued by international justice. "The arrest of Felicien Kabuga today is a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even twenty-six years after their crimes," the IRMCT's Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz said in a statement. Story continues He added the arrest was the result of cooperation between law enforcement agencies in France and other countries including the United States, Rwanda, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and others. Rwanda's justice minister, Johnston Busingye, told Reuters that a statement on the arrest would be issued but did not specify when. Kabuga, who controlled many of Rwanda's tea and coffee plantations and factories, was part-owner of Radio Television Milles Collines which ran a radio station that fanned ethnic hatred against Rwanda's Tutsis, told Hutus where Tutsis were to be found and offered advice on how to kill them. He is accused of being a main financier of the genocide, paying for the militias that carried out the massacres. His arrest "is an important step towards justice for hundreds of thousands of genocide victims...survivors can hope to see justice and suspects cannot expect to escape accountability," Mausi Segun, Africa director at Human Rights Watch, told Reuters. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Additional reporting by Katharine Houreld and George Obulutsa in Nairobi and Toby Sterling in Amsterdam; Editing by Frances Kerry and Ros Russell) Manipur assembly speaker Yumnam Khemchand Singh has urged the state government to provide Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to doctors and health workers deputed at the quarantine centres after a person tested positive for COVID-19 at such a facility. Speaking to reporters during the opening of a quarantine facility at the Manipur College premises in his Singjamei constituency on Friday, Singh appealed to the people to come forward to help the frontline warriors in this hour of crisis. Doctors and health workers at quarantine facilities have alleged that they are yet to receive PPE from the government. "It was like asking the army to fight against an enemy without providing him arms and ammunition," a doctor who did not want to be identified said. A person, whose mother died due to COVID-19 in Mumbai, tested positive on Thursday while being in isolation at a quarantine centre in Imphal East district after arriving here on May 5, the doctor said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Express News Service BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has written a letter on Saturday to CMs of seven states for providing timely information about the inter-state movement of migrants passing through the state. In the letter written to CMs of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Telangana, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, Chouhan has mentioned that the practical difficulty in movement of labourers is that Madhya Pradesh doesnt get timely information on how many labourers from other states are coming to the MP border and at what time. He further wrote in the letter that free arrangements for food, vehicles and medicines, etc. are made by the Madhya Pradesh government. Due to lack of prior information, many times the system gets disturbed when a large number of labourers come and create law and order situation. Owing to subsequent panic, the labourers too have to face difficulties. FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE The move comes after recent violence by UP and Bihar bound migrant on Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh border and road mishaps which killed 27 migrants workers in the last six days, Chouhan requested seven CMs to inform the MP government in advance about the number of labourers migrating from their states, the number of vehicles and the time of the labourers reaching the MP border. He also mentioned that as MP is located in the heart of the country, the labourers going to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and many other states cross Madhya Pradesh. The MP government is dropping labourers safely at the borders of respective states. Buses have been arranged in border districts for this task and transit camps have been set up on the routes. Around 1000 buses have been deployed to take the labourers of other states from the border of Madhya Pradesh to the border of other states. The MP government has ensured that no labourer has to walk with kin in the state. Rwanda's most-wanted genocide suspect has been arrested in France. Felicien Kabuga, 84, who was living under a false identity in a flat in Asnieres-Sur-Seine, near Paris, had been pursued by international justice for 25 years, the French Justice Ministry said in a statement on Saturday morning. French gendarmes arrested him at 0530 GMT on Saturday, the ministry said. The United States had placed a $5 million bounty on his head over crimes allegedly committed during the 1994 genocide. The businessman is accused of funding the militias that massacred some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus over a span of 100 days in 1994. His son-in-law was arrested in Germany in 2007. Serge Brammertz, chief prosecutor of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals in The Hague, welcomed the arrest. "The arrest of Felicien Kabuga today is a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even 26 years after their crimes," he said. For international justice, Kabugas arrest demonstrates that we can succeed when we have the international communitys support. This result is a tribute to the unwavering commitment of the United Nations Security Council, which established the Mechanism to continue the accountability process in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, Brammertz added. Kabuga was indicted by the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 1997 on seven counts of genocide, complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, attempt to commit genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, persecution, and extermination, all in relation to crimes committed during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Kabuga is expected to stand trial in front of the Paris Appeal Court and later to the International Court in The Hague. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A man accused of killing a Melbourne mum is withdrawing from potent drugs including Xanax, a court has heard. Ricardo Barbaro has been charged with once count of murder over the death of Melbourne mum Ellie Price. Dressed in a grey jumper and with a cut near his left eye Barbaro was mostly silent during the hearing in front of magistrate John Lesser on Saturday. Ricardo Barbaro being escorted to a prison van at Burwood Court in Sydney on Thursday. Source: AAP The 33-year-old only spoke when questioned on whether he was withdrawing from any drugs, by Mr Lesser. He nodded yes before he said: "Valiums and Xanax". Barbaro, from Southport in Queensland, was asked whether he needed a nurse. "Yeah I'm seeing a doctor," he told the magistrate. The young mum was found dead in her South Melbourne home on May 4. It's alleged the murder happened between April 29 and May 4, court documents show. Ricardo Barbaro (left) has been charged over the death of Ellie Price (right) who was found dead in Melbourne. Source: Victoria Police/ Facebook The 26-year-old woman's body was in her apartment for days before it was discovered. Barbaro was extradited from NSW after he was charged with Ms Price's murder on May 14. He was arrested at a Sydney apartment. Barbaro's lawyer Campbell MacCallum dialled into the hearing from Queensland. There was no application for bail made. Barbaro's next court date is in September. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. A team of 20 medical workers from Chongqing and the Macao Special Administrative Region await their departure to Algeria on Thursday morning. [Photo by Tan Yingzi/China Daily] A team of 20 medical professionals from Chongqing and the Macao Special Administrative Region boarded a plane in Chongqing on Thursday morning and departed for Algeria to help the African country contain the COVID-19 pandemic. At the invitation of the Algerian government, the Chinese experts will share information about epidemic control and prevention, treatment and testing. The team includes 15 medical workers from Chongqing and five from the Macao SAR, covering the fields of respiratory and infectious diseases, intensive care, cardiology, traditional Chinese medicine, laboratory work, epidemiology and nursing. A team of 20 medical workers from Chongqing and the Macao Special Administrative Region await their departure to Algeria on Thursday morning. [Photo by Tan Yingzi/China Daily] All of them have fought on the front lines against the virus in China. "All the team members have rich experience in COVID-19 treatment," said team leader Zhou Lin, deputy director of the Chongqing Health Commission. "We have set up four technical groups in medical treatment, epidemic prevention and control, testing and nursing." The team is also bringing medical supplies to Algeria that were donated by the Chongqing municipal government. The supplies include protective clothing, face masks and goggles. BHUMIKA POPLI By Express News Service While COVID-19 has put many things around us on a standstill, art continues to foster. In this extended lockdown, Kochi Muziris Biennale (KMB) asked artists to share artworks they created in their homes/studios. Through these artworks, as displayed on the KMBs social media platforms, one can engage in a number of impressions expressed by the artists. "The series was based on a simple question what are artists creating during the lockdown? We approached artist friends to send us images on what they are doing, not necessarily finished works, but sketches, proposals, photos, idea-maps, etc. The idea is to share with our online community how artists continue to work during this situation," says Bose Krishnamachari, co-founder, KMB. For instance, Delhi-based artist Gagan Singh has layered his drawings with wordplay, while Tanya Goels video and paintings portray her depiction of the fear engulfing us all. Goel, in a conversation with The Morning Standard, reveals that she converted a new project, which was supposed to be a site-specific installation, into a virtual and interactive experience, given the need of the hour. She further talks about a video project, The Virus in the Air, is Abstract, which she made during this period. 'Since my larger practice is about abstraction, it was interesting for me to look at this virus as also a form of abstraction.The video features overgrown weeds embedded with ambient sounds. If we zoom into these overgrown weeds, they somewhat appear like the virus, and the ambient sounds capture the anxiety of a situation." Browsing through many artworks by fellow artists during this period, says Goel, has both mirrored and healed her anxieties about the art scene. "If one did not have films, literature, music or images to look at, a life lived without these things would be simply difficult. And looking at a number of artworks has simply been cathartic." New Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir Police busted a terror module linked to proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba and arrested five terrorist associates in Budgam on Saturday (May 16). Acting on a credible input, the Budgam Police along with 53 RR and 153 Bn CRPF arrested a terrorist associate identified as Zahoor Wani from village Arizal Khansaib in Badhane in Budgam district in the jurisdiction of Khansahab police station. On his disclosure, the police busted a terrorist hideout and recovered incriminating materials and a large cache of arms and ammunition. The man arrested by the security forces is a close associate of LeT terrorist Yusuf Qantroo. The hideout was found some 200 to 300 m away from his house at his own land. During the course of the investigation, four more terrorist associates, identified as Younis Mir, Aslam Sheikh, Parvaiz Sheikh and Rehman Lone, all residents of Khansahib, were also arrested. As per the police records, all the five associates were involved in providing logistic support and shelter to the active Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists operating in the area. A case under relevant sections has been registered at Khansahib police station and further investigation is in progress. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 05:06:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A man rides along a cycle lane in Manchester, Britain, on May 14, 2020.(Photo by Jon Super/Xinhua) -- UK COVID-19 deaths hit nearly 34,000; -- Coronavirus-linked rare disease kills 9-year-old in France, 135 cases identified in total; -- Italy's active COVID-19 infections continue downward trend, as gov't mulls reopening inter-region movement; -- Over half of Germans support fully opening borders to EU countries soon. BRUSSELS, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in European countries. LONDON -- Another 348 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain as of Thursday afternoon, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 33,998, the Department of Health and Social Care said Friday. The figures include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community. As of Friday morning, 236,711 have tested positive for the virus, said the department. A worker disinfects a hair salon which is about to resume operations in Rome, Italy, May 14, 2020. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua) ROME -- Italy registered 242 new coronavirus fatalities on Friday, bringing the country's death toll to 31,610, out of total infection cases of 223,885, according to the latest data provided by the country's Civil Protection Department. The number of recoveries rose to 120,205, with an increase of 4,917 compared to Thursday. Nationwide, the number of active infections fell by 4,370 to 72,070, according to the Civil Protection Department. Of those who tested positive for the coronavirus, 808 are being treated in intensive care, down by 47 compared to Thursday, and 10,792 are hospitalized with symptoms, a decrease of 661 patients over the past 24 hours. A security man wearing mask is seen at a store at the Champs Elysees Avenue in Paris, France, May 15, 2020. (Xinhua/Gao Jing) PARIS -- A nine-year-old boy died in Marseille last Friday from Kawasaki-like disease and tests have shown that he was infected with coronavirus, his doctors told French media on Friday. A medical team from La Timone University Hospital in Marseille in southern France said he was the first victim of the disease in France and the second in Europe after the death of a boy in the United Kingdom. "The child presented symptoms that resembled Kawasaki disease and his serology indicated that he had been in contact with the coronavirus without developing symptoms in the previous weeks," said Professor Fabrice Michel, head of the hospital's pediatric resuscitation service. A customer in face mask leaves a clothing shop in Berlin, Germany, May 9, 2020. (Photo by Binh Truong/Xinhua) BERLIN -- Fifty-five percent of Germans wanted borders between countries of the European Union (EU) to be fully open again, according to a Politbarometer survey published by the German public broadcaster ZDF on Friday. At the same time, 41 percent of German citizens were against opening the EU borders completely again soon and only four percent were undecided about this matter, according to the survey among more than 1,200 German voters. The Ministry of the Interior announced on Wednesday that controls at the border with Luxembourg would end on Friday. Starting Saturday, controls at German borders with three neighboring countries -- France, Switzerland and Austria -- will be relaxed, but not yet fully discontinued. Here's the lowdown on how to subscribe to Allure's print edition for more beauty routines, recommendations, and features. As businesses start to open back up in select states this week, Ulta Beauty has reopened 180 of its brick-and-mortar retail locations, some of which are offering hair services. Allure reached out to Ulta Beauty to confirm the news and was directed to an online statement. According to the retailer, stores in Arkansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah are open as of May 11. These stores will not operate the same way they did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. "We want you to feel safe and comfortable when you're shopping," the statement reads. "Our teams have worked with government and health officials and other retail leaders to bring the best shopping experiences to our stores." Part of this new shopping experience will include practices that every store must follow. According to the statement, those practices are as follows: All store associates must wear masks at all times and will encourage customers to do the same. Employees will receive daily health screenings before entering their stores. Storewide cleaning will occur more frequently. Stores will have limited occupancy to allow for social distancing. No product testers will be available to try from brand displays. Hand sanitizer will be provided by Ulta Beauty in multiple locations in every store. Hair services will only be provided on an appointment basis. You can check to see if the Ulta Beauty store nearest you is offering in-store shopping or hair salon services by checking the retailer's store locator. If you don't live in a state where reopenings are happening yet, you might be able to use Ulta Beauty's curbside pick-up service or you can shop online at ulta.com. As more stores open across the country, Allure will keep you updated. More updates on COVID-19: Story continues Need a pick-me-up? Watch three makeup artists do their own takes on unicorn makeup: Don't forget to follow Allure on Instagram and Twitter. Originally Appeared on Allure Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to reporters at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on March 10. (Associated Press) President Trump isn't very popular among our letter writers, but have you heard what many of our readers are saying about Joe Biden? Neither have I, and it's my job to read everything, even the unpublished letters. Trump's poorly received performance during the coronavirus pandemic hasn't exactly translated into overwhelming support by our readers for his presumptive Democratic opponent in the November election. Instead, what we've received this week about the former vice president has been a smattering of letters on the Tara Reade sexual assault allegation, a few criticisms of his quiet campaign and some quick takes on Trump's "Obamagate" obsession. This isn't to say the letters are indicative of a campaign that is going unwatched by voters, but having edited the letters page during the 2012 and 2016 elections, I can say that such a dimmed focus by our readers on a major political party's likely nominee is, shall I say, unusual. Jeffrey Whitefield of Santa Ana, who writes frequently from a right-of-center viewpoint, doesn't understand Biden's appeal: I have watched Biden the last few months. Does he inspire others through his leadership? The answer obviously is no. So why will he almost certainly be nominated for president by the Democratic Party? He's not at the top of his game, he's prone to making verbal mistakes, and he does not have a coherent message. I can't imagine him leading our country. Jonathan Lewis of Wrightwood, Calif., doesn't like the former vice president's way of selecting his No. 2: The "veepstakes" have hit a new low, with Biden holding what appear to be public auditions with the various women candidates that have thrown their hats into the ring. He's using these highly qualified and accomplished public servants as if they were contestants on "The Bachelor," showing the audience that he is the catch they should compete for, vying to accompany him to the White House. Story continues His appointment of Chris Dodd to the selection committee, a former senator from Connecticut with a reputation of questionable behavior toward women, serves only to highlight Biden's cluelessness and hubris. This V.P. choice may very well become the first woman president of this country. Treat her with the respect she deserves now and not just as a colorful lure to catch as many votes as possible. Please leave the reality show circus to Trump. Roger Carasso of Santa Fe, N.M., weighs in on "Obamagate": Let me get this right: Trump is accusing Joe Biden, when he was vice president, of helping to nail a confessed criminal, former national security advisor Michael Flynn. Trump called Biden a "big unmasker." If true, Biden should be complimented. But instead, pleading guilty to lying to the FBI makes Flynn, in Trump's eyes, a maligned hero. Trump's henchman, Atty. Gen. William Barr, wants Flynn to go free and unpunished. What else can be expected from an administration headed by someone who has lied 18,000 times since he took office? , We're sorry, this article is not currently available South Africa: Beware of scammers, the New Development Bank cautions The New Development Bank (NDB) has issued a statement warning against scammers who swindle the public out of their hard-earned cash by posing as bank employees. According to the NDB, formerly known as the BRICS Bank, the fraudsters invite individuals and companies to register for training at the NDBs Sandton offices before releasing assured funds in foreign currencies. The recipient of the e-mail or message is then asked to pay an administration or other upfront fee to a different local personal account in order to qualify, the NDB said. The offer is often for a limited period to try and pressure people into responding, the NDB added. In other instances, the scammers send an e-mail or other communication that appears to come from the bank, a ministry in government or any other potentially trustworthy source requesting personal information such as identity documents, drivers licences, passports, addresses, contact details and registration or activation fees. The organisation explained the bank, established by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS), only finances infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging economies and developing countries. NDB is not a commercial bank and does not open accounts for individuals, provide them with loans or any form of financing and will never ask for payments or any other favours from potential recipients of funding. The organisation has since called on people and companies to be cautious about responding to unsolicited messages and be suspicious of e-mails or messages that contain spelling or grammatical errors or other inconsistencies such as Gmail addresses, rather than a company domain e-mail. The New Development Bank does not send unsolicited e-mails or any other communication asking the public to open a personal bank account, transfer money, or provide personal information, NDB Africa Regional Centre Director General, Monale Ratsoma said. "Be wary of requests for upfront payments or payment for goods or services you have not or do not remember ordering." SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. >>> ASEAN senior defence officials discuss cooperation in online meeting He made the proposal while chairing the teleconferenced ASEAN Defence Senior Officials Meeting (ADSOM), during which participants discussed the blocs cooperation in COVID-19 prevention and control, shared the experience of ASEAN militaries in the task, devised cooperative measures for dealing with future epidemics, exchanged viewpoints on the global and regional situation amid the coronavirus outbreak and in the post-COVID-19 period, and spoke about directions for ASEAN defence cooperation in the time ahead. Vinh told the teleconference that he highly values the rapid and timely response from the ASEAN Centre of Military Medicine (ACMM), as it organised an online table-top exercise (TTX) on COVID-19 response that met all member states needs and also attracted attention from partner countries. It is necessary to encourage ASEAN connectivity with ASEAN+ nations and other partners in the time to come, increase the sharing of military medicine experience in responding to epidemics, and consider upgrading the ACMM website to a common portal where member nations can exchange experience and good practice, he noted. He also proposed that Brunei and Australia, which are co-chairing the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) Plus Experts Working Group on Military Medicine between 2020 and 2023, turn the TTX into an annual activity carried out by the working group and the ACMM. Vietnam is ready to host the first TTX to connect joint efforts by the two co-chairing countries and the ACMM, Vinh stated. Officials at the meeting shared a view that the online ADSOM was a suitable occasion for member countries to share the experience of defence ministries in contributing to their respective governments actions against the COVID-19 pandemic. Vinh said that when the coronavirus first broke out, Vietnams Ministry of National Defence actively joined Government efforts to prevent and control the disease, such as using military bases as quarantine facilities, disinfecting COVID-19 clusters, developing test kits, and monitoring border areas. The Ministry has also been actively boosting bilateral cooperation with Laos, Cambodia, China, Russia, Myanmar, and Cuba to exchange experience and assist each other in this regard, he explained. On Friday, May 15, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal took part in a special virtual meeting of the Heads of Government of the Central European Initiative (CEI) Member States. The participants of the video conference focused on the issues of fighting the pandemic, overcoming the economic consequences, coordinating efforts to open borders, and restoring the tourism industry, the Government portal reported. Shmyhal briefed the participants of the meeting about the current epidemic situation in Ukraine and the measures taken by the Ukrainian Government to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease. Separately, he raised the issue of supporting the population and business, which suffered the most from the pandemic. "The Government of Ukraine pays special attention to economic stability, preserving jobs and attracting investment in the country. We understand that small and medium-sized businesses, the backbone of our economy, are affected the most. The President, the Government and the Parliament of Ukraine are working in synergy to ensure the development of programs to support domestic entrepreneurs," the prime minister stressed. Apart from that, Shmyhal thanked international partners for their financial and humanitarian assistance in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and for their help in returning home Ukrainian citizens who stayed abroad due to the outbreak of the infection and border closures. According to him, the financial support provided by the EU will help guarantee the macroeconomic stability of Ukraine, as well as allow the state to release additional resources to protect the public and mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic. Shmyhal also noted that our country, as a responsible member of the international community, provides assistance to those in need. Following the online meeting, the Heads of Government of the Central European Initiative adopted a joint statement recognizing the unprecedented challenge for the region of Central and South-Eastern Europe due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants of the meeting thus confirmed the importance of joining efforts and carrying out coordinated actions in the fight against the pandemic, reducing its negative socio-economic consequences in the CEI region. ish WASHINGTON - House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy refused to endorse Rep. Steve King in his primary election and shot down the Iowa Republican's claim this week that he'd get back his committee assignments. King, who is facing a tough primary challenge in June, said during a candidate forum Monday that he and McCarthy, R-Calif., had reached an agreement that the party leader would advocate for King to regain his seniority and committee seats, which he lost after making remarks widely seen as sympathetic to white nationalists. "Congressman King's comments cannot be exonerated and I never said that," McCarthy said Friday, echoing a response his office gave the day before. McCarthy added that King will have the opportunity to make his case to the steering committee that decides committee assignments, but that he thought King "would get the same answer he got before." The House GOP Steering Committee voted unanimously to strip King of his posts in early 2019 after the controversial congressman was quoted by the New York Times questioning how the terms "white nationalist, white supremacist" became "offensive." The move followed years of mainstream Republicans distancing themselves from King over his inflammatory comments about race and immigration. King's primary opponents have highlighted his absence on committees as evidence that King has become powerless and ineffective in Washington. His main opponent, state Sen. Randy Feenstra, has received support from groups such as the Chamber of Commerce as well as from local, state and federal elected Republicans. Typically, party leadership backs their incumbents, but King isn't getting any support from on high. McCarthy, when pressed about whether he would support King's reelection or support his challenger, said he was staying neutral and would leave it up to voters in Iowa to decide. One of the big announcements made by Union finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman during her first press conference to explain the details of Rs20 lakh crore Covid-19 economic package was the Rs 3 lakh crore collateral-free loan scheme for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Unsurprisingly, the announcement cheered small firms. According to this scheme, the government will offer full credit guarantee for the loan amount to banks in the event of these loans turning bad. The scheme is big considering that the MSME sector is struggling for funds in the wake of COVID-19 crisis. This sector contributes over 28 percent of GDP and more than 40 percent of country's exports, while creating employment for about 11 crore people. In other words, MSMEs are one of the major employers in the Indian economy. But will this Rs 3 lakh crore loan scheme really help MSMEs? What will be the implications in the banking system? There are five critical questions here: 1. Already risky segment 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 Banks already have very high exposure to this segment. According to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, as at end March, 2020, banks have a total loan outstanding of Rs 29 lakh crore to MSMEs. Around 9-10 percent of non-performing assets (NPAs) of banks are from this segment. Banks have significantly cut down their exposure to MSMEs due to high stress. In fact, in the 12 months period ending March, 2020, banks havent really lent to this category. The year-on-year growth rate has remained nearly flat, at 0.7 percent. Rs 3 lakh crore additional exposure will be significant (around 10 percent of the current outstanding). Even with collateral guarantee, banks are finding it extremely difficult to recover money from MSMEs because of sharp deterioration in the economic conditions. PSU banks, which are already struggling for capital, would be taking up significant additional stress by lending to these firms at a time when economy is on a downward course. Why would PSU banks, which are the mercy of government for survival capital, do that? 2. Fundamentally a demand problem These are ultimately loans that needs to be paid back by small companies. Remember, these firms are already in bad financial condition. MSMEs are companies which are engaged in supply of goods or machinery parts to big companies. Typically, they dont have large cash flows or promoters with deep-pockets. In the current economic scenario (the economy was slowing even before Covid-19 onslaught in the economy), unless demand situation improves, MSMEs are unlikely to make enough revenue to pay back these loans to lenders. So far, there has been no significant attempt on the part of the government to stimulate demand in the economy by directly putting cash in the hands of people. How will MSMEs pay back the debt in another few years if the business doesnt pick up? Even with government guarantee, banks will have to show the defaulted loans as NPAs (non-performing assets) on their books and accordingly make provisions (money set aside to cover problematic loans). The point is instead of forcing these companies borrow more loans, government should have given them cash stimulus to deal with present crisis. Unless you generate demand on the ground, how will companies generate cash flows to run their operations and repay banks, asked an NBFC industry official. 3. Enforcing credit guarantee The comfort for banks, in this case, is 100 percent government guarantee on these loans. But, again, enforcing this guarantees may not be as easy as it sounds. Although there have been certain credit guarantee schemes in the past, there is no precedent for government giving full guarantee for something like Rs 3 lakh crore loan scheme. According to bankers, in the event of default, banks will have a tedious process to get their money. Also, the government will have to verify the cases and compensate banks which will take time. The money may not come in time from a fiscally constrained government. It is not going to be easy. There is no way banks are getting money that easy from the government if these loans turn bad, said a former chairman of a state-run bank. Banks will be wary to give away these loans because of this reason. 4. High probability of misuse Like any government scheme, PSU banks will be under pressure to meet the short targets set by the government to make the MSME loan scheme a success. This will increase the chances of bankers overlooking the creditworthiness of the borrower to meet the heavy targets. There is also a possibility of bankers facing political pressure at local level to give loans to unworthy, politically connected borrowers. Actually, immediately after the announcement of the scheme, banks have already started getting calls from companies seeking availability of this scheme. How will government ensure these loans are indeed reaching the needy and not smart promoters who want to cash in on the opportunity? In a way, this scheme is likely to end up as loan mela. Bankers will be forced to push credit to meet the targets given by the government. The recovery of money, even with government guarantee, will not be easy. Certainly not healthy to banking system, said another banker, who too spoke on condition of anonymity. 5. No solution to immediate cash woes The cash requirement is urgent. Loan processing will take time. Many MSMEs, especially smaller ones, have already run out of money to pay staff salaries, rents and other expenses on account of an already slowing economy and prolonged lockdown. These firms need funds to meet immediate payment obligations. Majority of these companies already have loans with different financial institutions. Asking these entities to take more loans at a time when there is no improvement in their ground operations on account of low demand is no solution, but will only create a bunch of over-indebted companies and huge bad loans after 3-4 years. The last of the four largest UAE-based banks - First Abu Dhabi Bank, Emirates NBD, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and Dubai Islamic Bank - recently published results for first-quarter, reporting an aggregate net profit of $1.6 billion, down 32% from $2.3 billion last year, a credit negative, according to ratings agency Moody's. Together these banks - (FAB -Aa3/Aa3 stable), (ENBD, A3/A3 stable), (ADCB, A1/A1 stable) and (DIB, A3/A3 stable) - accounted for 74% of banking assets as of March, it stated. According to Moody's, the banks' material decline in profitability primarily reflects the early effects of the coronavirus outbreak and anticipation of higher credit losses, which prompted them to increase provisioning 222% versus first-quarter 2019. Their combined cost of risk, computed as total impairment charge for the period divided by gross loans, rose to 202 basis points (bp) in the first-quarter from 83 bp in 2019, the top ratings agency said in the report. The banks' combined return on assets was 1% in the first-quarter, compared to 1.7% in 2019. DIB's first-quarter return on assets was 1.6%, followed by ENBD at 1.2% and FAB at 1.1%. ADCB's return on assets was 0.2%. In its review, Moody's cautioned that the UAE's coronavirus pandemic-related containment actions, the broader global economic shock, significant drop in oil prices and a pre-existing cyclical and structural slowdown in the non-oil economy would materially weaken banks' asset quality and profitability. Sectors likely to be most affected by the pandemic account for more than half of the UAE's GDP: the hydrocarbon sector (26% nominal GDP in 2018), wholesale and retail trade (11%), construction (8%), real estate (6%), transportation and storage (6%), and accommodation and food service (2%), it stated. Borrowers in those sectors are apt to be the most affected, with SMEs particularly vulnerable to the economic shocks, it added. As of March, credit to the wholesale trade sector and retail trade sector together accounted for 9% of systemwide lending; credit to the transport, storage and communication sectors was 5%; and credit to the construction and real estate sectors (including hospitality) was 19%. DIBs cost of risk was 316 bp in the first quarter (126 bp adjusted cost of risk), up from 112 bp in the year 2019, reflecting the provisioning increase ahead of anticipated pandemic-related credit losses as well as one-off items, said Moody's in the report. DIB's adjusted cost of risk was 126 bp in the first quarter, when excluding one-off items such as the conservative reserve build from allocating negative goodwill from the Noor Bank acquisition (gain on bargain purchase) to the loss reserves, as well as the management overlay to the expected credit loss, it stated. ADCBs cost of risk rose to 295 bp in the first quarter (234 bp adjusted cost of risk), from 91 bp in the year 2019, primarily reflecting a large provision against distressed borrowers NMC Health Group, Finablr and related companies (127 bp excluding it), the report stated. However, ADCBs adjusted cost of risk was 234 bp in the first quarter, when including both loans and other credit assets in the denominator, in line with the impairment charge in the numerator, it added. ENBDs cost of risk also rose to 215 bp in first-quarter 2020 from 103 bp in the year 2019, reflecting anticipated deterioration in credit quality and the continued alignment of coverage at recently acquired Turkey-based Denizbank. According to Moody's, FABs cost of risk increased to 74 bp in first-quarter from 44 bp in 2019, reflecting the more challenging environment. The banks coverage ratios, computed as loan loss reserves divided by problem loans, varied. ENBDs coverage increased to 121% at 31 March, from 112% at year-end 2019. FABs coverage ratio was 83% at 31 March, little changed from 82% at year-end 2019, it added.-TradeArabia News Service BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: The International Finance Corporation (IFC) expands cooperation with Ipak Yuli bank of Uzbekistan, Trend reports citing UzDaily Agency. The International Finance Corporation and Ipak Yuli Joint Stock Innovation Commercial Bank signed an agreement allowing the bank to better manage currency risks and increase local currency financing for small and medium-sized enterprises, which play a key role in the economic development of Uzbekistan. Under the agreement, IFC and Ipak Yuli will carry out currency swap operations in accordance with the general agreement of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA), which is the standard document for the regulation of over-the-counter derivatives transactions. This will enable the bank to insure its resources in foreign currency and better balance its assets and liabilities. IFC is the only international financial institution that provides local banks in Uzbekistan with such a risk management tool, the message said. The corporation has been cooperating with Ipak Yuli - one of the largest private banks in Uzbekistan - since 2018 and has provided $15 million in Uzbek soum since then. The International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global institution dedicated to supporting the private sector in emerging markets. The corporation works with more than two thousand private enterprises around the world. In 2019, the company provided more than $19 billion in long-term funding to developing countries. In doing so, the corporation has attracted the strong potential of the private sector to eradicate extreme poverty and improve global prosperity. Ipak Yuli Joint Stock Innovation Commercial Bank, founded in 1990, is one of the first private banks in Uzbekistan. It provides a wide range of banking services to retail and corporate clients through a well-developed network consisting of 16 branches and 36 express centers in eight regions of Uzbekistan. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini DENVER A parolee suspected of killing a woman in Denver had been released from prison three weeks before the slaying because of concerns over the coronavirus. Cornelius Haney, 40, was released April 15 under powers granted to the Colorado Department of Corrections by Gov. Jared Polis, The Denver Post reported Friday. The governors order aims to speed up certain releases from the prison system to lower the population amid the pandemic. Several state prisons have reported outbreaks. Police arrested Haney on Monday in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Heather Perry in an alley in east Denver on May 9. He had been eligible for parole since March 2017 and had a mandatory release date of Aug. 22. Nobody should be released simply because of COVID-19, Polis said during a news conference Friday. Of course the parole board is making the individual evaluations, and thats a tough job that they do. They couldnt have held that person much longer than they did. Annie Skinner, a spokeswoman for the corrections department, said Haney was released under special needs parole criteria. Corrections staff review inmates medical histories, information about their crimes and their behavior in prison when deciding whether to recommend someone to the parole board for consideration, Skinner said. Haney pleaded guilty in 2016 to robbery and was sentenced to seven years in prison, according to court records. He is being held without bond on charges of felony murder, second-degree murder, theft, drug possession, second-degree kidnapping and possession of a gun by a previous offender. According to online jail records, Haney is being represented by deputy public defender Victoria Eidsmo. A telephone message to the state public defenders office in Denver after business hours on Friday wasnt immediately returned. By policy, state public defenders do not comment on cases. Polis signed an executive order March 25 giving the Department of Corrections more flexibility to manage the number of people incarcerated. Under the order, the department can grant early release to inmates through three methods: placing those who are at higher risk of dying from the virus on special needs parole, immediately paroling those close to their eligibility date and increasing earned time so inmates can reach release dates sooner. The department did not say what condition led to Haneys consideration for special needs parole. Dean Williams, executive director of the Department of Corrections, previously told The Denver Post that hundreds of inmates are eligible for parole under Polis order. Williams said he hoped to release at least 500 people and that temporarily halting intake from county jails would also help lower the population. The vacancy rate in Colorados prison system has grown to 11% as of Thursday, up from 1% in early April, according to department statistics. 1K Shares Share Life may never be the same after COVID-19. With tens of thousands of Americans having succumbed to the coronavirus in the United States, some of us are considering our own mortality. Life insurance companies have plenty of new customers. Estate planning attorneys are busier than ever. Many of us are thinking about how our loved ones will be taken care of in the event of our own death. Death is always on my mind. Ive worked as a physician assistant in a large hospital system in Dallas, TX for the past five years. Patients dying is normal part of my practice. Most patients are older and have multiple medical problems, but I do see many middle-aged and young adults dying of trauma, metabolic syndrome, AIDS, alcohol abuse, overdoses, cancer, etc. This is a tough time in all our lives. Many of us have recently become unemployed, are working from our homes, cant go out to eat in restaurants, are becoming our childrens primary teacher, are changing our shopping habits, and are much more conscious of our monthly expenditures. We are starting to also consider how our children will afford life if we leave this planet prematurely. Who will take care of them? What burdens will I leave my spouse? Does my family understand my wishes in the event I cant speak or take care of myself? Two years ago, my father, Richard Quinn, lost his life suddenly to a ruptured brain aneurysm. He was awake one minute and having a seizure-like episode another minute. He was intubated by EMS and brought to the local hospital. After speaking with the neurosurgeon on the phone, I knew how severe his condition was. I jumped on the next flight, and when I arrived, I knew my father was already brain dead. By midnight that night, with his wife, his children, and his nephews by his side, we withdraw life support, and he died a few minutes later. It was a hard decision, but one that we easily made. My father made his wishes known that he wouldnt want to be on life support. My experience and knowledge of working in the ICU helped me to understand that there was nothing modern medicine could do to change my fathers condition. If we hadnt made a decision, a brain death test would have confirmed his diagnosis, and his physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists would have taken him off life support, even if it was against our wishes. When you are declared brain dead, you are dead, and you have no rights. Often times, while working in the ICU, we would give family 1 to 2 days to say their goodbyes, but it wouldnt have changed the outcome. Many patients in the ICU get better, recover from their condition, and walk out of the hospital. Many become brain dead like my father. Then there is a large gray area in the middle that is difficult for families to know what to do. This is where a living will helps the medical power of attorney, usually the spouse or an adult child, make the decision for what the patient would want. Does the patient want CPR? Do they want a tracheostomy (a plastic tube surgically placed in the airway)? Do they want dialysis? Would they want to live if they couldnt talk, or walk, or eat? What happens to these people in the gray area? Families sometimes decide to withdraw care, or they go to an LTAC (long term acute care) facility where they slowly attempt to get weaned off the ventilator and maybe do lots of physical, occupational, and speech therapy. For every day you are lying in a bed, it takes three days of physical therapy to recover. For example, if you are bedbound with no other problems for one month, it takes another 90 days to potentially recover. The problem with being bedbound is your increased risk for ventilator-associated pneumonia, pressure ulcers, UTIs, an ileus (where your GI system shuts down), etc. Most people that need an LTAC and have been on a ventilator, may make a partial recovery, but often dont recover 100 percent. I ask you to educate yourself and consider your wishes if you cant speak for yourself. Most physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and respiratory therapists that work around the ICU will tell you that they wouldnt want most of what we do to our patients, to be done to them if they were in that situation. Many patients will want an initial effort, but if things dont go well quickly, they want their power of attorney to pull the cord. We need to learn to accept death in the United States. Sometimes the best thing I can do for my patients is to make their family feel OK with letting them go. James A. Quinn is a physician assistant. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-15 22:58:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Palestinian artist Fayez al-Hassani, founder of first digital arts festival in Gaza, draws a painting at Rawasi Palestine Center in Gaza City, on May 11, 2020. The first digital arts festival has kicked off on Friday in Gaza to mark the Palestinian Nakba Day, or Day of Catastrophe. Around 300 Arab and Palestinian artists joined the digital arts festival, which is called "On the Way to Jerusalem," according to the organizers of the digital activity. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) by Saud Abu Ramadan GAZA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The first digital arts festival has kicked off on Friday in Gaza to mark the Palestinian Nakba Day, or Day of Catastrophe. Around 300 Arab and Palestinian artists joined the digital arts festival, which is called "On the Way to Jerusalem," according to the organizers of the digital activity. Every year on May 15, the Palestinians demonstrate to commemorate the anniversary by holding rallies and several activities, which often lead to violent confrontations with the Israeli army forces. However, this year, the Palestinians were unable to organize mass rallies, protests, and demonstrations in Palestinian territories because of the precautionary measures over the COVID-19 concerns. The digital arts festival is an initiative by a group of Gaza's artists in coordination with Arab artists to present their artistic works on the demonstration's page on Facebook. Fayez al-Hassani, founder of the digital festival, told Xinhua that the digital activities to mark Nakba Day will go on for one week. "Resorting to this activity, which is a digital demonstration, was the alternative to a field demonstration because of the precautionary measures, which were taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the Gaza Strip," he said. Al-Hassani stressed that the aim of the digital festival "is to send a message to the world, including Arab states, that the Palestinian question is the major compass for resolving the conflict in the Middle East." He also clarified that "fine and graphic arts" can interpret the hard feelings of the Palestinian people through portraits that send a clear and easy message to the viewers. Some of the Arab artists participated in the festival with portraits showing Israeli army's roadblocks that prevent the Palestinians from reaching Jerusalem. Nasim Al-Zenati, one of the festival organizers from Gaza, told Xinhua that "this anniversary won't be comprehensive without the participation of our Arab colleagues, mainly fine and plastic artists who get huge respect in their societies." "Politics built borders, but Arab artists disregarded and ignored them. We felt this when so many Arab artists asked to participate in this huge festival," he said. Al-Zenati explained that the artists, who joined the festival, will be honored through a documentary film that reviews their work, in addition to launching the first digital book that records the biographies of the Arab artists and their most important achievements in their artistic resume. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- While the restoration of full around-the-clock half-hourly service on the Staten Island Ferry can wait, the morning rush hour needs more boats now, according to the boroughs top elected official. On Thursday, Borough President James Oddo spoke with Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Polly Trottenberg to discuss the status of the Staten Island Ferry, requesting additional service during the morning rush hour to accommodate ridership that is slowly starting to return. In the near term, my concerns are the growing usage, the growing number of ferry riders in the a.m. peak, Oddo said. I said to Commissioner Trottenberg, Im looking at your data. Im looking at the data you have given me, trip-by-trip, and Im seeing what you already know, the usage relative to 2019 is still significantly down, but we are seeing it creep up over the last few weeks and individual trips, in particular, are growing'." Since late March, the Staten Island Ferry has been running on a reduced service schedule due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, providing hourly trips to essential workers. During that time, passengers have struggled to maintain safe social distance, particularly during the boarding and unboarding process, an issue that has only gotten worse as ridership starts to ramp back up. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** HARDER TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE It means there are more people in the terminal and its harder to socially distance and its harder to find sufficient space on the boats, Oddo said. While the borough president said he understands that the DOT can not ramp back up to full service just yet, he believes that the agency should begin targeted service increases during the busiest hours, starting with morning rush hour. My goal, which I will not let go of, is a return to 24/7/365 half-hour service, and I will be reasonable in that goal. I dont need it now. I dont need it tomorrow. Im not fighting for it tomorrow. But I think that between common sense, experience and listening to my constituents, I will know when the time is right -- and I fully expect DOT and Mayor de Blasio to work with me and honor that, Oddo said. So that is in the distance, the near-term ask is that you have to help me address the a.m. peak, he added. The DOT did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication of this report. Oddo and the boroughs other elected officials have said they will not rest until full service has been restored, while understanding that it wont happen in the immediate future. I will be forceful. I will be persistent. I will be relentless on 24/7/365, but I will be reasonable as to the timing, said Oddo, who authored the the bill that mandated around-the clock half-hourly service on the Staten Island Ferry back in 2013. VARIABLES TRENDING IN RIGHT DIRECTION The DOT has yet to disclose an official timeline or specific criteria that must be met to reinstate half-hourly service on the Staten Island Ferry, though Oddo says that many of the variables required to do so are trending in the right direction. The workforce is healthier. Their process of sanitizing the boats, theyve gotten a good process in place and theyre comfortable in their ability to do that. The Ferry employees have PPE, which was originally an issue. Employees have temperatures being taken. There seems to be a good dialogue between management and labor, and obviously, its been an ongoing challenge, but passengers are wearing the masks, which needs to continue to happen, Oddo said. These are all variables that needed to happen to grow service. You needed to have these things in place, he added. ADVISORY COUNCILS The borough president went on to discuss how the advisory councils being formed throughout the city will likely impact the decision to restore service, potentially delaying the process as councils wait to see how the business community reacts in the coming months. Soon theres going to be a Transportation Council that the mayor puts in place, and the work of this group, indirectly, impacts Ferry service. Clearly, were going to have phased openings, but as these industries open up, theres still an outstanding question of whether employers will embrace staggered schedules or telecommuting. I think the general assumption is, we are not going to return to 9-5 work days anytime soon, Oddo said. All of that impacts ridership and, although the DOT commissioner didnt say this, you dont have to be a genius to realize that they cant afford to run empty boats. So they are watching all these things to see, as New York City opens up, what are the employer rules and that leads to how many riders and what their ridership will be, the borough president continued. Oddo also said he plans to use his position in the regions recently-formed reopening control room as a chance to lobby the state on the importance of the Staten Island Ferry. Im going to leverage my new audience ... to help have the governor send a message about the significance of Staten Island Ferry service, he said. Parliament will hold meetings on Sunday and Monday to discuss a new batch of economic and financial laws Egypt's House of Representatives will meet on Sunday to continue discussions on a 294-article law regulating the performance of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) and the banking sector. The law, which was being prepared since 2017, was approved in principle on 4 May when MPs also discussed and approved 51 of its articles. The law is expected to be up for a final vote on Sunday or Monday. According to a report prepared by parliaments Economic Affairs Committee, the law aims to reinforce the supervisory powers of the CBE in terms of raising its capital to EGP 20 billion to help it exercise its financial obligations. The law also tackles the CBEs roles in licensing foreign banks and representation offices in Egypt. It stipulates that banks operating in Egypt should have capital of at least EGP 5 billion and branches should have capital of at least $150 million. The law creates a new system for settling the conditions for defaulting banks, with the objective of maintaining the stability of the banking sector and protecting the interests and money of depositors, the report said. CBE Governor Tarek Amer told MPs on 4 May that the long-awaited law is intended to catch up with the latest developments in the banking sector and operations and services such as e-payments, fintech businesses, and cryptocurrencies. The introduction of these new services has become necessary to be able to effectively cover all areas of credit, finance, and money transfers, Amer said, indicating that there was a complete section in the new law about e-payments. Amer also said the law comes to boost the role of banks in national development projects. Though the volume of banking deposits and savings in Egypt has soared to EGP 4 trillion in recent years, most of this financial liquidity has not been fully tapped in setting up development projects, Amer added. Article 48 states that a coordinating council will be formed by the president to take charge of coordinating the CBEs monetary policies and the governments financial policies. The council will comprise experienced representatives from the government and the CBE and will meet at least once every three months and submit an annual report on its activities to the president, it added. Amer indicated that in the area of reinforcing control and oversight over the banking sector in Egypt, the law makes it clear that the CBE will be allowed to intervene to make sure that deposits in the banks under its control are mainly invested in development projects. The draft law is divided into seven sections covering all areas of banking operations in Egypt. Parliament's Economic Affairs Committee also introduced a new article stating that a Banking Sector Support Fund and a Defaulting Banks Bailout Fund would also be set up. While the first fund aims to boost the financial resources of the banks, the second seeks to settle the conditions of defaulting banks, the committee report said, indicating that financial contributions to the two funds would come from banks operating in Egypt over 10 years. The banks will have to set aside 0.5 per cent of their deposits over a 10-year period to finance the two funds, the report said, adding that each bank would also contribute one per cent of its net annual profits to them. Meanwhile, parliament will begin this week discussing new government-drafted amendments to the public enterprise law (203/1991). The draft law, which was approved by the economic committee on 12 May, includes amendments to 29 articles. Minister of Public Enterprise Hisham Tawfik told MPs that the public enterprise sector in Egypt includes eight government-owned holding companies with 121 affiliated subsidiaries operating in all kinds of businesses and employing close to 250,000 workers. "According to the new law, no new companies, not even a new production line, will be set up unless approved first by an investment committee in charge of reviewing the economic feasibility of new companies and projects," said Tawfik, indicating that public enterprise companies incurred enormous losses over the past 40 years and that this has to come to a halt. "In the fiscal year 2017/18, for example, 48 companies affiliated with the public enterprise sector incurred EGP 16 billion in losses as well as EGP 44 billion in debts," said Tawfik, adding that "the law aims to liquidate the loss-making companies which are still haemorrhaging the states treasury." Article 38 of the law states that if the losses of a company exceed the value of the financial rights of shareholders, the general assembly will have to meet to raise its capital to cover losses or merge it with another company or liquidate it. "Under this law, not a single loss-making company will be allowed to operate," said Tawfik. Tawfik said Article 6 states that the concerned holding company will set up a number of principles and criterion on the creation of new companies. "Topping the list of these criteria, which have to be ratified by the concerned minister, is that the new company should be economically feasible and represent an added value to the national economy," said Tawfik. The amendments to the public enterprise law, however, faced objections from workers and their representatives in parliament. Gibali Al-Maraghi, chairperson of parliaments Labour Committee, said the amendments introduced by Tawfik would negatively affect the interests of workers and trade unions and pave the way for privatisation. After much discussion of the amendments by the committee, all members agreed that they were not in the interest of workers and companies in all industrial sectors in Egypt, Al-Maraghi said. Committee member and General Egyptian Federation of Trade Unions Secretary-General Mohamed Wahba said the amendments open the way for privatising most public sector companies in a way detrimental to the interests of thousands of workers. Article 38 of the newly amended law states that a company incurring losses that exceed half of its capital shall be liquidated, said Wahba, adding that this would push 40 per cent of companies into liquidation and would do a lot of harm to workers. Wahba said workers and trade union activists had expected that the amendments would reflect a new government policy aimed at upgrading industrial companies. But we were surprised that the amendments opted for the easy way out which is liquidating and selling companies rather than streamlining their performance, Wahba said. Also on the agenda of parliamentary debates this week is a discussion of new government-drafted amendments to three laws on taxes. A report by the House's Budget and Plan Committee said amendment of three articles of the law regulating taxes on agricultural land (113/1939) will extend exemptions granted to the agricultural sector to enhance its role in the coming period. "Those who work in the agricultural sector, be they farmers or companies, will be relieved of the burden of agricultural land taxes for three years as an incentive to boost agricultural production," said the report. Parliament will also discuss amendments to nine articles rin the stamps law (11/1980). The committee's report indicates that the law imposes a stamp tax of 1.25 percent on non-resident sellers of financial securities, 1.25 percent on non-resident buyers, 0.5 percent on resident sellers, and 0.5 percent on resident buyers. The agenda also includes discussion of amendments to three articles of the income tax law (91/2005). These aim to regulate capital profits resulting from the transfer of the ownership of lands affiliated with public enterprise companies and other companies in which the state owns more than 51 per cent of shares to banks as part of settling their banking debts. Parliament is also expected to take a final vote on a newly amended law regulating health precautions related to the prevention of epidemic and infectious diseases. The law, drafted by head of the House's Health Affairs Committee Mohamed Al-Amary, aims to help the state in its war against the coronavirus. The law grants the minister of health the power to make face masks obligatory and take the necessary measures related to burying the victims of the coronavirus. Search Keywords: Short link: Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE The Chama Village Council held an emergency virtual meeting Thursday night to discuss the plan to restart the villages failing water plant, nearly a month after residents were told to boil their water. Nicole Mangin, whose company MEC Tech Services has taken over operational control of the Chama Water System, told councilors they are currently waiting on parts from manufacturers but expect repairs to be made in the next two and half weeks. Once they receive parts and supplies, the village will begin rehabbing the two filter pods in the plant, both of which arent working properly due to mechanical failures. The rehabbing process is expected to last two to four days and residents will receive mailers of the exact date, Mangin said. Mangin said the plant will not produce any water while it is being repaired. During that time of rehab, its going to be imperative that village residents conserve as much water as possible, she said. Councilor Scott Flury asked if residents were already succeeding in conserving water, to which Mangin responded that in some cases residents were using more water than average. Mangin said the National Guard will most likely have to haul additional water from nearby communities to ensure the system has enough supply. There is a danger of us losing fire protection and pressures in the distribution system, she said. The National Guard has been delivering thousands of gallons of clean water from water systems in Tierra Amarilla and Dulce since the boil water advisory was first issued. This, in large part, is to provide the Chama Water System with a consistent supply, since the plants production of water is down 64%. Along with rehabbing the entire system, the village will also need to reconcile multiple past violations before the boil water advisory is lifted. The New Mexico Environment Department confirmed Tuesday that Chama never reconciled eight violations from 2017 and 2018, all for failing to notify the public of separate water violations. Mangin estimated that rehabbing the plant and correcting these violations will take multiple weeks, and that the boil water advisory will not be lifted until the second week of June. She said the village is fortunate it wont take longer. Its almost a miracle, she said, adding this kind of project usually takes several months. Were going to get this done in the next two to two and a half weeks. Chama Mayor Billy Elbrock previously said in the past the village had little oversight of the water plant, which was found to have major malfunctions, missing supplies and a lack of documentation from previous operators. Councilors agreed that needed to change. From here on out, theres gotta be oversight, Councilor Matthew Gallegos said. We just cant go through this again. Belynda Wicks and her husband, Roger, felt a not-too-gentle nudge that Sunday morning in church. Just before the tithes and offerings, the Wickses looked up to see a video encouraging the congregation to help feed those in need. We were like, Oh, gosh, God is telling us something, Belynda Wicks remembers. As they had done for the previous few months, the Wickses left the service at Fort Payne First United Methodist Church and went to another church in DeKalb County that afternoon to help their friend, Marcus Gipson, distribute boxes of food to needy families in their little corner of northeast Alabama. But it would be the last Sunday that church would host their friends food ministry, and the Wickses left there that day wondering what would happen to all those families who needed food to put on their tables. We leave there, and we are both very quiet, Wicks says. My husband looks over and says, Penny for your thoughts. And I said, Seems like were just going to have to do this. And he said, Yep, I agree. It just seemed like God was nudging us toward it and was not going to let us off the hook. So, we said, All right, well do it. About two and a half months later, in October 2019, the Wickses teamed up with their friend Gipson and his wife, Jennifer, and to launch their nonprofit DeKalb Food Ministry in a vacant building across the street from the Wickses auto parts business, Bama Exhaust, in the DeKalb County town of Sylvania. (Belynda Wicks daughter, Detha Wofford, and her fiance, Jon Scott, are also involved in the food ministry.) We do make a difference That first Sunday, they distributed enough food to take care of 152 families. We wanted to feed everybody that needed food, Wicks says. We wanted to not discriminate against anyone. Thats why we named it DeKalb Food Ministry, so we wouldnt give the impression that we were just being local and that you had to either be in Sylvania or Rainsville. We wanted it to be (for all of) DeKalb County. In the seven months since that first Sunday in October, their food ministry has grown to currently serve 564 families. You have no idea how many people have said, I had to choose between purchasing my medicine or buying food, Wicks says. Those are the stories that you hear that make it all worthwhile -- when you feel like youve really made a difference, and we do make a difference. Were not giving them five cans of beans and a slap on the back and saying, Well pray for you, she adds. Thats not what were doing. Theyre probably taking out 40 to 50 pounds of food per box. We are helping them, not just scratching the surface. The DeKalb Food Ministry distributes food to about half of those 564 families on the first Sunday of each month and to the other half on the third Sunday of the month. We cannot take on that many people twice a month and feed them, Wicks says. They can only come to the food bank one time each month, and I hate that. I wish that we were able to help them more than that because we know thats not enough, but financially and physically, we cant hardly take on any more than what were doing. The DeKalb Food Ministry goes through the Food Bank of North Alabama in Huntsville to procure the canned foods, dry goods, frozen meats and fresh fruits and vegetables to stock its pantry. The Food Back of North Alabama and what theyre doing have been remarkable, Wicks says. They have helped us far beyond any expectation we would have had of them. Like all food pantries, the DeKalb Food Ministry relies heavily on donations to meet its needs, Wicks says. No donation is too small. All of the donations have been from people that have been moved and who see whats going on, and go, Hey, Ive got 20 bucks, or, Ive got a hundred bucks, or, Ive got five dollars, Wicks says. By somebody giving us a $20 donation, we can buy so much more food with that $20 than they can buy if they go to the grocery store, she adds. Thats why we try to encourage them, please, just give us a donation. We can make it go so much further by us buying the food from (the Food Bank of North Alabama). We had to completely redo it With more workers in Alabama filing for unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, food pantries such as the DeKalb Food Ministry have been in increased demand these past couple months. We have had quite a few newer (applications) that have come in from the COVID (outbreak), Wicks says. This has struck people that didnt normally need to come to the food bank that have just lost their job, so we have seen an increase in that, for sure. The coronavirus outbreak has also affected how the DeKalb Food Ministry distributes food to the families on its list. We had to completely redo it, Wicks says. We could no longer allow people to come into the building and sign their forms and all of that. We have kept everybody in their cars. We set up tents on the outside. . . . Then they just drive up, we ask them their name, (and) if they are on our list, our volunteers, our firemen or our policemen open the back door or the hatch of their vehicle, set the box inside, and then they just drive off. So, there is no contact with anybody outside of them rolling their window down telling us their name. Typically on one of those first and third Sundays, the food ministry has about 20 volunteers to help distribute the food, Wicks says, but due to stay-at-home guidelines, the number of volunteers is down to about three who have just insisted that they continue to come, she says. Its strictly just volunteers, (through) the goodness of your heart, she says. Nobody in this gets paid, including me and my husband. The Town of Sylvania has stepped in to help with money and manpower, she adds. The Sylvania city council has provided some financial support during the coronavirus outbreak, Wicks says, and members of the Sylvania police and fire departments have volunteered their time on those distribution Sundays. Our police chief (Eric Tidmore) has been a lifesaver, Wicks says. When the corona(virus) hit, he stepped up and has taken a massive interest in this and has been there every Sunday since. What we are supposed to be doing The first and third Thursdays of each month are always long, taxing days for Roger and Belynda Wicks. They hitch a gooseneck trailer to the back of their pick-up truck and make the hour-and-15-minute drive each way from Sylvania to the Food Bank of North Alabama in Huntsville to stock up on groceries for their twice-a-month Sunday serve days. After they get back to Sylvania, the Wickses, with the help of some of their employees at their auto parts business, spend the afternoon unloading pallets of food and packing it into boxes and storing it in the walk-in cooler and freezer. By the end of the day, theyre usually whipped. Its one of those things that, during the week, when youre doing what were doing, and youre going to have a full day of this and youre going to be going home with your back aching and your shoulders killing you because youve lifted so much stuff and moved so much stuff, you just go home grumbling, Wicks says. Its a lot of work, she adds. Now you know why we were fighting God over it. Those Sundays make it all worth it, though. You see the people and you see the smiles and you see the thankfulness that they have, and them being so grateful, and the stories that they tell you thats the reward, Wicks says. It makes the financial burden of it disappear. It makes the physical labor of it disappear. Its like, Yeah, this is what we are supposed to be doing. To help our state fight hunger during the coronavirus pandemic, This is Alabama is offering a limited-edition Alabama Gives T-shirt for $20 each, with all proceeds benefiting the Alabama Food Bank Association. To order a shirt, go here. To find a local food pantry, go to alfba.org. Lets help feed Alabama during this crisis. Our vintage navy Alabama Gives shirt is available to purchase for $20 and... Posted by This is Alabama on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 READ MORE: Alabama BBQ restaurant owner steps up to feed schoolkids For Alabama chef Frank Stitt, a different kind of normal This Alabama tradition lives on, despite COVID-19 At Nikis West, 'a drive-thru without a drive-thru window The story behind Mentones Wildflower Cafe and the woman who keeps it funky Accusing the Mamata Banerjee government of "abject failure" in handling the COVID-19 situation and the migrant workers crisis, BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Saturday said the TMC should be ready to "pay a heavy price" for it in the next assembly election in West Bengal and any "PR agency" or poll strategist Prashant Kishor won't be able to save the party. He also dismissed the Congress' criticism that the coronavirus lockdown was "poorly planned", alleging the party was "politically bankrupt" and looking up to "corrupt regional parties like the TMC" to run its show. On the issue of tweaking of labour laws in the BJP-ruled states like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, Vijayvargiy told PTI in an interview that the changes "keeping in mind the interest of the labourers were necessary if India aims to become a manufacturing giant like China". Demanding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's resignation for her "failure" to effectively handle the coronavirus crisis, the BJP's West Bengal minder refuted allegations that the saffron party was targeting her government for political reasons, and instead accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of doing politics on the issue. He said the confrontational approach of the TMC government towards the Centre at the time of crisis "has not served any purpose except the TMC's objective to politicise a medical crisis ahead of the next year's poll". "We don't believe in doing politics at the time of crisis. But what Mamata Banerjee has been doing in Bengal in the name of handling the crisis is condemnable. "They are more interested in hiding the figures, rather than treating patients. Now, when the lies stand exposed, she is removing bureaucrats. She should resign from the posts of the chief minister and the health minister," Vijavargya said. Accusing the TMC government of blocking central aid to West Bengal, he said, Banerjee is doing "cheap politics" with an eye on the next year's Assembly polls. "She fears that if Modi government succeeds in containing the damage, the saffron party would be in an advantageous position in 2021 Assembly polls. "But let me tell her that her antics and the Centre bashing won't be able to save her ship from sinking next year. She can hire Prashant Kishor or any other PR agency, but they won't be able to protect her government. "The TMC will pay a heavy price in the 2021 Assembly polls for mishandling COVID-19 and migrant labour crises," he said. After a close fight in the 2019 general election in which the BJP won 18 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, only four short of TMC's 22, the Trinamool Congress hired Kishor to boost its chance in the 2021 Bengal polls. Referring to allegations of fudging of COVID-19 figures in the state, the BJP leader alleged that had the central team not visited West Bengal, the state administration would have continued to hide the actual situation of infection. "But we still doubt whether the state government is revealing the actual figures (of coronavirus cases)," he said. On the charge of irregularities in the PDS system, he alleged that the state government "prefers to starve" the poor people of the state by blocking central aid to meet its own "political interests". Asked about criticism that the lockdown was poorly planned and had caused hardships to migrant labourers, he stressed that the decision was taken at the right time to check the pandemic, and even a window of two or three days after the announcement of the lockdown would not have been enough to send lakhs of migrant workers to their respective states. "The international community has lauded India's effort in controlling the pandemic, and one of the reasons behind this is the early announcement of the lockdown. "For the sake of argument, even if there was a two or three-day window, would it be possible to send lakhs of migrant workers to their home states. The answer is no," he said. States like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have run hundreds of trains to bring back their stranded migrant labourers. It is only West Bengal that has not done enough in this regard and is blaming declaration of lockdown for the problem, the BJP leader said. His comments come in the backdrop of the issue of facilitating the return of migrant labourers snowballing into a major political row after the West Bengal government was last week rapped by the Centre for not allowing trains to ferry migrants stranded in other parts of the country. The TMC government has denied the charge and announced running of 105 trains to bring back its stranded residents. On the economic impact of the crisis, the BJP leader said there will be a flight of capital from China in the post-COVID-19 period and India will emerge as an attractive investment destination for global giants shifting businesses from the neighbouring country. When pointed out that the Congress too has called the lockdown "poorly implemented", the BJP leader said, "The Congress after losing all its political credibility and strongholds is now dependent on regional parties to run its shop". "Congress has become politically bankrupt and is now looking up to corrupt regional parties like the TMC to run its party and fix its agenda. It is now shedding crocodile tears for the migrant labourers," he said. The nationwide lockdown imposed to curb the spread of novel coronavirus was the "best possible decision" taken at an "appropriate time" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, adding that the Centre took everybody along in this battle against the contagion. On the recent communal violence in West Bengal's Hooghly district, he said riots not only reflect the "lawless situation in Bengal" but also "minority appeasement of the state government even at the time of crisis". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 15 By Yusif Aghayev - Trend: The Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) has announced a list of breakeven types of insurance, that is, types, for which in 1Q2020 the local insurance companies collected insurance premiums, but did not pay insurance claims, Trend reports referring to the CBA's report. The types of insurance indicating the amount of premiums collected for 1Q2020 are: Types of insurance: Insurance premium Disability insurance 156,800 manat ($92,240) Incurable disease insurance 123,100 manat ($72,400) Insurance of water transport means 2.034 million manat ($1.2 million) Employee fraud insurance 138,000 manat ($81,180) Professional liability insurance 489,000 manat ($287,600) Liability insurance of water transport owners 75,000 manat ($44,120) Credit insurance 11,000 manat ($6,470) Mandatory insurance of passengers 41,600 manat ($24,470) Total: 3.06 million manat ($1.8 million) Insurance claims for the above types of insurance also hadnt been paid in the first quarter of 2019, except professional liability insurance, for which payments in the amount of 14,500 manat ($8,500). In 1Q2020, Azerbaijani insurance companies collected insurance premiums in the amount of 240.7 million manat ($141.6 million), which is 39.5 million manat ($23.2 million), or 20 percent more compared to 1Q2019. During the reporting period of this year, Azerbaijani insurance companies paid 77.06 million manat ($45.3 million) of insurance claims, which is 30.8 million manat or $18.1 million (a growth of 66.6 percent) more than in the same period of 2019. Today, 22 insurance companies and one reinsurance company operate in Azerbaijan. On a rainy evening in St. Peters Square, Pope Francis delivered a special blessing, asking God for help against the coronavirus. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/5/2020 (613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Head of video production Fawzi Yahya shoots still photos during an online broadcast from the Valley Ranch Islamic Center mosque in Irving, Texas, Wednesday, May 13, 2020. (AP Photo/LM Otero) On a rainy evening in St. Peters Square, Pope Francis delivered a special blessing, asking God for help against the coronavirus. The square in Vatican City would normally be packed with onlookers, but no one was standing on the glistening cobblestones in March as he implored God to "not leave us at the mercy of the storm. Millions were watching on TV and online, however. From the Vatican, to the village church, to mosques and temples, shuttered places of worship are streaming religious services for a global audience seeking spiritual help and connections with others during the pandemic. Vaishno Devi, one of Indias most revered Hindu shrines, is livestreaming prayers. We are missing the pilgrims, their hustle and bustle. Their slogan shouting used to infuse new energy into us," said Amir Chand, a priest at the temple. But ... in the present scenario, it is better to stay home, and therefore, we also advise the devotees to stay home and enjoy prayers. At Jerusalems Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, prayers went online as throngs of worshippers disappeared. The three daily Jewish prayers were broadcast on several platforms, garnering millions of views from around the world, according to Yohanna Bisraor, a spokeswoman for the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, which administers the site. Most synagogues in Israel are Orthodox, which typically do not allow livestreaming on the Jewish Sabbath, when turning on electronic devices is forbidden. More liberal congregations, though, have embraced online prayer. Jerusalems Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, has been streaming prayers throughout the Ramadan holy month, which runs through next week. In normal times, you see hundreds and thousands of people praying behind you and you can feel it when they say Amen, said Sheikh Youssef Abu Sneineh, the mosque's imam. In Nara, Japan, priests at Todaiji Buddhist temple prayed and chanted to drive out the coronavirus in a livestreamed event. Onoterusaki Shrine in Tokyo is offering an online shrine where people submit prayers, each printed on a wooden tablet and offered to the gods of Shinto by the priest. Imam Omar Suleiman speaks during an online broadcast from the Valley Ranch Islamic Center mosque in Irving, Texas, Wednesday, May 13, 2020. People in general, I think, are looking for more meaning and spirituality in the midst of all this, Suleiman says. "So I think theres just a general increase in religiosity and consumption of religious content. (AP Photo/LM Otero) I thought about how people can pray and have a peace of mind at a time everyone is feeling uneasy about all the news (of the pandemic) and going through major changes to life, but still cannot go out to pray, head priest Ryoki Ono said. Omar Suleiman, an Islamic leader in Irving, Texas, said YouTube videos uploaded by his Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research had 30 million views for all of 2019 and have received 20 million in just the last six weeks. People in general, I think, are looking for more meaning and spirituality in the midst of all this, Suleiman said. "So I think theres just a general increase in religiosity and consumption of religious content. Online viewership of Francis has grown significantly, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told The Associated Press by email. Francis' television audience also has increased, including his celebration of Mass every morning to empty pews. The numbers indicate that even people who would not have participated in religious services on a daily basis in the past are attending a Mass every morning and listening to the popes daily reflection on the gospel, Bruni said. Also reaching more people is a tiny church with just a few dozen parishioners in the small Oregon community of Yoder, 25 miles (40 kilometres) south of Portland. Tom Daniels, who grew up in Yoder and has retired in Oakland, California, edits video of the pastor of Smyrna United Church of Christ giving a sermon from her home, of the organist playing in the empty church and other clips. He uploads it to YouTube and has seen a bump in traffic. For Karen Peterson, who grew up in Yoder and lives in Souderton, Pennsylvania, her Oregon community is just a click away. My family still lives there and goes there it was a connection," Peterson said. "I like how they do their format. Its nicely done and it gives me solace. Religious leaders are getting used to the changes. Its really hard to talk to the camera for a long period of time, especially to give something thats meant to stir emotionally and intellectually and spiritually, said Suleiman, the Islamic leader in Texas, who records on an iPhone perched on a stand. "I think Im getting better at it because Im getting more used to it. The pope, of course, has a more sophisticated setup, with Vatican staffers most working from home producing his homilies live, online and in a downloadable booklet in five languages, Bruni said. Speaking to a camera "is a challenge, of course, but nothing the papacy is unprepared for, Bruni said. The priests of Notre Dame had a jump on preparations, even before the Paris cathedral was heavily damaged by fire last year. They started streaming evening prayers, or vespers, years ago. After the fire, the priests began streaming vespers last September from Saint-Germain lAuxerrois church near the Louvre Museum. During the pandemic, they started streaming the lengthier and more elaborate Mass starting in March. For them, its really complicated because they are happy when they have some people in front of them," said Andre Finot, Notre Dame's spokesman. With countries starting to relax restrictions, the pope will celebrate his last livestreamed Mass on Monday. Some conservative Catholics have blasted the suspension of Masses and inability to receive the Eucharist. After some normalcy returns, places of worship will need to decide how far to dial back their online presence. Suleiman, the Islamic leader, expects the pandemic will change things forever," giving rise to better quality online programming. 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. Peterson, who tunes in to her hometown church's online service, wants to see that endure. We certainly would like to worship at our church," she said. "But theres a lot of boundaries that I think weve broken down and a lot of ways that we can be together that we didnt think of and werent doing before. ___ Selsky reported from Salem, Oregon. Associated Press journalists Nicole Winfield in Rome; Biswajeet Banerjee in Lucknow, India; Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo; and Josef Federman and Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem contributed to this report. ___ Follow Selsky on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andrewselsky. You can tell a government has lost its focus when it announces a $4-billion pandemic relief benefit but can't identify who will receive it. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. You can tell a government has lost its focus when it announces a $4-billion pandemic relief benefit but can't identify who will receive it. On May 6, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed the details of a promise he made in April to help top up wages for essential workers. Under the terms outlined in early May, Ottawa would provide $3 billion to augment the wages of front-line workers who have had to risk their health to provide services throughout the pandemic. The federal money would ultimately be augmented by $1 billion in provincial funding. For a government that has generally received positive reviews from Canadians for its pandemic response, this was yet another potential political win. Yet, there was an omission from this program that raised red flags: Trudeau could not say which groups would receive the money. It's highly unusual for any government to dish out this kind of money without a clear idea of who would get it. Rather than setting guidelines for eligibility, Trudeau said every province that agrees to participate would be allowed to decide which of its citizens receive the salary top-up. In passing the buck to the provinces on eligibility, Trudeau is attempting to maximize the political benefits for his government while freeing himself from the prickly issue of determining who gets the money. Given what's at stake for the government and citizens, that is a massive cop-out. Ottawa said it would provide $3 billion to augment the wages of front-line workers with $1 billion in provincial funding, but didn't say which groups would receive the money. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files) Bonuses for people who have continued to work throughout the pandemic is sound policy, in theory. British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan already pay bonuses to hospital support staff, long-term care aides, home care aides, those working in emergency shelters, group homes and correctional institutions. The private sector has also dug deeper to pay bonuses of $2 per hour. Big retailers such as Walmart and Home Depot are paying their workers more, along with major grocery store chains including Loblaws (Shoppers Drug Mart, Superstore, No Frills) and Empire (Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland). Why would Ottawa step in with a salary top-up when many provinces and private-sector employers already pay premiums? A number of theories come into play. Trudeau could be trying to help those workers who cannot be topped up by employers still struggling to stay in business. The federal program could also be an attempt to help employers keep or lure back workers who may prefer to stay at home and collect government benefits. Whatever the rationale, the execution is poor. It is wrong to unleash this kind of stimulus spending without eligibility criteria, particularly when there are some employers who have thrived in the pandemic. Many private businesses that were permitted to stay open food production facilities, toilet paper and PPE manufacturers, home improvement stores, big-box grocers and retailers, liquor stores, pharmacies, restaurants that offer delivery or take-out have had a net increase in business. We know this because many of them are hiring thousands of additional workers to meet demand. Some private-sector businesses have started paying bonuses of $2 per hour. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files) Trudeau could have introduced guidelines to direct this money into the pockets of people who have little or no chance of getting a wage premium from their employers. That's exactly what he did with the wage subsidy program. To get a 75 per cent wage subsidy, business owners must establish that revenue has fallen by at least 30 per cent in March, April and May. That ensured the subsidy went to businesses and employees that need it the most. Dan Lett | Not for Attribution A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world that is sent every Tuesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. In stark contrast, eligibility for the top-up program will likely be determined by provinces like Manitoba, which has indicated its willingness to participate, based on income levels of individuals, with no consideration of the capacity of employers to provide premium pay. That's certainly what's happening in Prince Edward Island, the first province to take advantage of the top-up program: a $1,000 bonus to any worker deemed "essential" who earns less than $3,000 a month. P.E.I. has a very broad definition of essential that includes almost everyone in a low-wage job, regardless of whether their employer is thriving or surviving in the pandemic economy. In the rush to do as much for as many people, the Trudeau government has had more hits than misses. However, in this instance, Trudeau seems to have lost sight of the fact that we have no idea when normal economic conditions will return. Current employment insurance and emergency benefits are scheduled to run out in August. If there are no jobs to return to, will we look back on the salary top-up and wonder if it was money well-spent. At some point, Ottawa needs to draw a line between Canadians who have been profoundly hurt by the pandemic those who have lost their jobs and their businesses and those who may have only been mildly affected. For those of us who fall into the latter category, being able to continue working throughout the crisis is, in many ways, it's own reward. Using tax dollars to compensate people who are only mildy affected, or who are being paid a premium already, may turn out to be a tragic mistake when Ottawa's fiscal capacity runs out. dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca U2 front-man Bono has praised Donoughmore businessman Liam Casey for the key role he played in bringing vital PPE from China to Ireland - likening him to the fictional film adventurer Indian Jones. Speaking to Ryan Turbridy on RTE Radio One last Friday, Bono paid tribute to Mr Casey, for his efforts in helping Bono and band source PPE from Chinese suppliers. The founder and CEO of global custom design and manufacturing giant PCH International, which has offices in San Francisco and the Chinese city of Shenzhen, Mr Casey has been dubbed 'Mr China' for his vast knowledge of the world's second largest economy. Bono explained how he and the band wanted to do something to show their solidarity with the Irish frontline workers, turning to Mr Casey who used his vast connections in China to help source PPE. Describing the difficulties faced in getting PPE, Bono said , "it's an extraordinary market out there (for PPE). People and countries are being pushed out of the way by a whole manor of vendors." Bono said that "everyone was calling everyone" and using their contacts to source PPE for Ireland to "make sure we would not be stuck without these masks and gowns." "I thought this is what we can do. I know this guy called Liam Casey," said Bono, who likened the Donoughmore entrepreneur to Scotty of the Starship Enterprise for his 'can do' attitude. He went on to further liken Mr Casey to Indiana Jones saying his efforts to source the vital equipment was "something like Raiders of the Lost PPE." "It was really difficult, but with the help of Liam Casey the band managed to secure 20 million masks, 100,000 goggles and 30,000 gowns. In truth, its a small contribution," said Bono. Some of the PPE fronted by U2 has already been flown into Dublin on specially charted flights, with more deliveries to come over the coming weeks. Bono said it was the frontline workers that the band "went to work for". "Not just about the health care workers. Its the taxi drivers who take them to work and the people who stack shelves in supermarkets," he said. "Its a different level of courage and when we surface from this (COVID-19) the whole world will have changed. I hope that one of the things that has changed is the view of who are the most important people in our workforce." Bengaluru: In what could be an indication of more relaxations in Karnataka during Lockdown 4.0, the state government on Friday ordered all Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) employees to report to work in full strength. The government has also issued a circular specifying guidelines for schools to deal with the post-pandemic normal. However, the date for commencement of the new academic year has not been mentioned. The state government has also issued guidelines for the resumption of public transport services, schools and malls. Public Transport So far, BMTC has been providing buses to essential services providers and is ferrying migrant workers to train stations. The government has also informed private companies that they can hire buses from the corporation to allow 33% workforce to commute to work. Earlier this week, the corporation also asked all its employees, who had travelled to their native places, to be present for medical tests conducted at the depot level. Schools Even though it is unlikely that schools and educational institutions will open up post May 17, the department of public instruction has been deliberating over a standard operating procedure (SOP) to be followed in the event that the Centre permits the same. According to the guidelines suggested, schools should ensure social distancing norms are practised and that no more than three students sit on a bench. If they face a shortage of classrooms, they should use other spaces like libraries, sporting area or computer rooms to accommodate the students. Schools could alternatively use government building, community halls or anganwadi building in the afternoon if need be. If schools cannot follow social distancing after complying with the above guidelines, then the school can have rotational shifts the first shift from 7:50 am to 12:20 pm and second from 12:10 pm to 5 pm. The guidelines also prescribe conducting only 36 classes per week by reducing extracurricular activities. Malls Meanwhile, members of the Shopping Centres Association in India also made a representation to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa stating that shopping malls were ready to re-open in a phased manner. They submitted an SOP, and said it ensures 100% safe, hygienic environment and the malls would take complete accountability of enforcement of social distancing norms. While the Karnataka government said it was considering opening up of gyms and fitness centres as part of the easing measure of Lockdown 4.0, shopping malls haven't found much support. SOPs suggested by the association to the state government include distance markers installations at entry/exit points, cash counters and help desks. Restricted mall timings and use of only 50% of parking capacity. They've also proposed screening of all visitors and staff as well as the deployment of only 50% staff strength in Phase 1. Courts The Karnataka High Court has said that courts will continue to remain shut till June 6. Earlier, through a notification, district judiciary, family courts, labour court and industrial tribunals in the state were asked to remain shut till May 16. However, this period has now been extended through a notification from the registrar general. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16) The Marikina City government has lifted the liquor ban on Saturday as the capital region embarks on its first day of modified enhanced community quarantine. "Mayor Marcy (Teodoro) signed today Ordinance No. 64 Series of 2020 modifying the Liquor Ban in the City of Marikina which allowed the sale of liquors and other alcoholic drinks," posted the city's public information office (PIO) in its official Facebook page. The ordinance also covers online delivery services for the said beverages. Marikina PIO added that drinking in public places, restaurants, and bars is still prohibited. However, residents may consume alcoholic beverages in their homes while observing social distancing and other health and safety protocols. Two other Metro Manila local governments have already eased their liquor bans before the modified ECQ took place. On May 14, the Pasay City government declared the lifting of its ban on the sale and consumption of liquor and other alcoholic drinks, with restrictions similar to Marikina City's. Quezon City followed suit a day after. Aside from only allowing drinking within residences, the QC government has also placed restrictions such as a window period for buying alcoholic beverages. Residents may also buy these drinks in volumes but only for personal consumption. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said earlier that it is up to local governments to lift or impose a liquor ban. Metro Manila, along with the entire Region III except Aurora and Tarlac, and Laguna are under modified ECQ until the end of May. Meanwhile, Cebu City and Mandaue City have been placed under ECQ as of May 16. The rest of the country is under general community quarantine. An international team of researchers led by Dr. Eleanor Fish, emerita scientist at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, and professor in the University of Toronto's Department of Immunology, has shown for the first time that an antiviral drug can help speed up the recovery of COVID-19 patients. According to the new study, published today in Frontiers in Immunology, treatment with interferon(IFN)- 2b may significantly accelerate virus clearance and reduce levels of inflammatory proteins in COVID-19 patients. The research team found that treatment with this drug, which has been used clinically for many years, significantly reduced the duration of detectable virus in the upper respiratory tract, on average by about 7 days. It also reduced blood levels of interleukin(IL)-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP), two inflammatory proteins found in COVID-19 patients. Dr. Fish says that the research team considered IFN- therapy for COVID-19 after they demonstrated interferon provided therapeutic benefit during the SARS outbreak of 2002 and 2003. Rather than developing a virus-specific antiviral for each new virus outbreak, I would argue that we should consider interferons as the 'first responders' in terms of treatment. Interferons have been approved for clinical use for many years, so the strategy would be to 'repurpose' them for severe acute virus infections." Dr. Eleanor Fish, emerita scientist at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, and professor in the University of Toronto's Department of Immunology Boosting a natural defense mechanism Interferons are a group of signaling proteins released by the human body in response to all viruses. As Dr. Fish explains, they are a "first line of defense." They target different stages of a virus's life cycle, inhibiting them from multiplying. They also boost an immune response by activating different immune cells to clear an infection. Some viruses, however, can block this natural defense mechanism. "But it is possible to override this block. If a virus blocks interferon production, then treating with interferon can offset this." Study details The researchers conducted this exploratory study on a group of 77 patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. These patients were admitted to Union Hospital, Tongii Medical College, between January 16 and February 20, 2020. They represented moderate cases of the disease as none of the patients required intensive care or prolonged oxygen supplementation or intubation. Despite the study's limitations of a small, non-randomized group of patients, the work provides several important and novel insights into COVID-19 disease, notably that treatment with IFN-2b can accelerate viral clearance from the upper respiratory tract and also reduce circulating levels of inflammatory factors that are associated with severe COVID-19. Dr. Fish says a randomized clinical trial is a crucial next step. According to her, a clinical trial with a larger group of infected patients who are randomized to treatment or placebo would further this research. In the meantime, the findings from this study are the first to suggest therapeutic efficacy of IFN-2b as an available antiviral intervention for COVID-19, which may also benefit public health measures by shortening the duration of viral clearance and therefore slowing the tide of the pandemic. Conspiracy theories have been around for a long time, and there have been a few theories that have become quite sensational, including the one that said the moon landing was fake or the biggest conspiracy theory of all: Area 51 is filled with aliens. For everyone who loves some juicy conspiracy theories, TIME has compiled some of the most well-known ones. The Dangers of Conspiracy Theories But while some theories are quite interesting, theories nowadays tend to be filled with misinformation that could be dangerous, especially in today's coronavirus-pandemic-ridden world. Conspiracy theories like 5G towers causing coronavirus or vaccines causing autism in children could be dangerous, especially as believers have been endangering themselves and others. For example, anti-vaxxers or those who are against vaccines don't allow their young children to get vaccinated, which endangers them and puts them at risk of getting infected with diseases that would otherwise be treated and avoided. In addition, UK citizens who believe the theory that 5G is causing COVID-19 burned down several 5G towers and have been threatening employees of service providers. Read Also: Hulu 'Intentionally' Slows Down PC Streaming For App to Increase Downloads--Users Accuse How to Spot a Conspiracy Theory Conspiracy theories could cause widespread disinformation, which would then lead to dangerous situations that can be avoided, so is there any way people can spot conspiracy theories? According to Lifehacker, there is a Conspiracy Theory Handbook that can help people spot the red flags of any information they come across, especially with those circulating on social media. To help people remember these signs, remember the mnemonic CONSPIR. Contradictory ideas: Conspiracy theories often have contradicting ideas absorbed into it. Even if one of the ideas might be true, the other is always false. Conspiracy theories often have contradicting ideas absorbed into it. Even if one of the ideas might be true, the other is always false. Overriding suspicion: People who believe any conspiracy theory will often discount official sources out of hand no matter what their content might be. People who believe any conspiracy theory will often discount official sources out of hand no matter what their content might be. Nefarious intent: The people behind these conspiracy theories never have benign or boring motivation as to why they made and spread the theory. The people behind these conspiracy theories never have benign or boring motivation as to why they made and spread the theory. "Something must be wrong": Believers feel that "something must be wrong," which is why they would continue believing the theory despite pieces of it being disproved with facts. Believers feel that "something must be wrong," which is why they would continue believing the theory despite pieces of it being disproved with facts. Persecuted victim: People who are held up as heroes also tend to be framed as the victims. If the supposed whistleblower turns out to be a fraud, that's just because the conspiracy is trying to discredit them. People who are held up as heroes also tend to be framed as the victims. If the supposed whistleblower turns out to be a fraud, that's just because the conspiracy is trying to discredit them. Immune to evidence: Any evidence that contradicts the theory's information will be seen as a lie and that people in power are only trying to discredit the theory, thus making them believe that the theory is true. Any evidence that contradicts the theory's information will be seen as a lie and that people in power are only trying to discredit the theory, thus making them believe that the theory is true. Reinterpreting randomness: Happenings and events that have nothing to do with the substance of the theory will be interpreted and connected to it as if they are somehow related. These signs can help guide anyone to spot conspiracy theories, especially with ones connected to the coronavirus pandemic and COVID-19 cases threatening the world's safety and health. It won't be easy to spot them, but once you actually begin looking for them, you'll likely see them popping around on the internet and social media platforms. Read Also: France Has a New Law That Mandates Social Media Giants to Delete Extremist Contents or Pay a Fine 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. I have neglected nothing, said Nicolas Poussin, the 17th-century French classical painter. Everything in Poussins paintings is there for a reason, and reason is the rationale behind each and every painting by his hand. For Poussin, his paintings were no place for frivolity or sensuous pleasures. He believed that painting must deal with the most noble and earnest of human endeavors in a rational manner best suited to the situation. Self-portrait, 1650, by Nicolas Poussin. Oil on canvas; 30.7 inches by 37 inches. The Louvre Museum. (Public Domain) For him formal order, even indeed some pedantry of design, is almost invariably a way of expressing with absolute clarity and economy experiences of the profoundest intellectual, imaginative and visual reality. His paintings find perhaps their closest counterpart in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, art historian Basil Taylor wrote in French Painting. Put simply, Poussins art is a marriage of poetry and reason, sensibility and intellect, a balance of two aspects of one character, states Mary Sprinson de Jesus, of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts department of European paintings, on The Mets website. Poussins artistic rationale didnt develop by chance. Hard work and an avid curiosity about the best artists before himthe greats of the Italian Renaissance such as Raphael, Michelangelo, and Titian, and the art of the ancient Greeks and Romansalong with years of contemplation, made Poussin an internationally renowned and revered artist in his time and beyond. Poussins impact on French art is far-reaching. His art is for ever, after his time, in the germ-cells of French painting, art critic Geoffrey Grigson states in the introductory note to French Painting. Rome-Bound Poussin began to paint after Quentin Varin, an itinerant painter, came to work in Les Andelys in Normandy, France, Poussins birthplace and hometown. Varin so inspired Poussin that the budding artist followed him to Paris in 1612, much to Poussins parents disapproval. In Paris, Poussin became familiar with the classical world via the paintings and engravings of Roman statues and reliefs in the royal collection, mainly made by followers of Raphael. Mythology met him in Paris, too, by way of Ovids Metamorphoses, which the Italian poet Giambattista Marino commissioned him to illustrate. Studies of details from Trajans Column, circa 1635, by Nicolas Poussin. Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, over traces of black chalk; 12 inches by 8 7/8 inches. Anonymous gift, 2006. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) Rome was where Poussin spent most of his life. He tried twice to reach Rome, eventually arriving in the city in 1624. There, he trained in the studio of Domenico Zampieri, commonly known as Domenichino, of the Bologna School of painting. And he gained a powerful patron, Cassiano dal Pozzo, the secretary of Cardinal Francesco Barberini, whose encouragement and influence helped shape Poussins art and fame in Rome. One of Poussins commissions from Dal Pozzo was to illustrate Leonardo da Vincis Treatise on Painting, based on manuscripts from Cardinal Francesco Barberinis library, for publication. As an impassioned antiquarian Dal Pozzo was the first to systematically measure, commission drawings, annotate, and collate the art of the ancient world in his collection he called the Museo Cartaceo (Paper Museum.) Dal Pozzo invited Poussin to use his vast library and encouraged him to thoroughly research his subjects prior to painting. Poussin was known to research his subjects with immense enthusiasm, reading all relevant texts and then immediately and vigorously sketching compositions. The Sorcerer Atlante Abducting Pinabellos Lady (Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, canto II, 38), circa 163538, by Nicolas Poussin. Pen and brown ink; black chalk on verso; 7 5/8 inches by 4 7/16 inches. Bequest of Walter C. Baker, 1971. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) Study of a mountain landscape (on the reverse of the sheet is a study of a palm tree), circa 16351640, by Nicolas Poussin. Pen and brown ink, over traces of black chalk; 8 1/16 inches by 10 3/16 inches. Purchase, Guy Wildenstein gift and Van Day Truex and Harry G. Sperling Funds, 2002. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) Between 1629 and 1630, Poussin became seriously ill. This coincided with an outbreak of the plague that ravaged Italy. When he recovered, he married and took his painting in a different direction: He moved away from the Baroque and concentrated on mythology and the ancient, classical world. From 16401642, Poussin reluctantly worked for French King Louis XIII, decorating the Grand Gallery of the Louvre Palace. So reluctant was Poussin to leave Rome, that Cardinal Richelieu sent someone to escort him back to France. In Rome, Poussin worked alone; he never had a workshop full of assistants. Yet in Paris, he had a whole army of artists to command, and he had to work on painted altarpieces and designed frontispieces for the royal press. The work, style, and working environment were not to Poussins taste; it was a new and somewhat uncomfortable experience for him. Yet Poussins time in Paris was fruitful in that it connected him to new intellectual patronsfollowers of the dramatist Pierre Corneille and philosopher Rene Descarteswho served as his patrons until he died. Painting the Past: The Highest Genre of Art Poussin championed history painting, the highest genre of painting according to Renaissance polymath Leon Battista Alberti, and a fact that echoed in 17th-century France. The genius of history painting is that its both a storyboard and a moving picture all in one. When the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture was founded in Paris in 1648, its aim was to elevate art to the same status as epic poetry and ancient rhetoric. The academy formalized what Poussin was already practicing: An artist, in order to elevate his art, needed to move on from the representation of a single figure to that of a group; to deal with historical and legendary subjects and to represent the great actions recounted by historians or the pleasing subjects treated by poets. And, in order to scale even greater heights, an artist must know how to conceal the virtues of great men and the most elevated mysteries beneath the veil of legendary tales and allegorical compositions. A great painter is successful in ventures of this kind. Herein lie the force, nobility and greatness of his art, wrote art historian and critic Andre Felibien des Avaux in the preface of the 1669 publication for the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture conference. Saints Peter and John Healing the Lame Man, 1655, by Nicolas Poussin. Oil on canvas; 49 1/2 inches by 65 inches. Marquand Fund, 1924. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) Poussin painted ancient Roman scenes, biblical subjects from the Old Testament, mythological ones from Ovids Metamorphoses, and scenes from poems, such as Jerusalem Delivered by Torquato Tasso. The Companions of Rinaldo, circa 1633, by Nicolas Poussin illustrates Torquato Tassos heroic crusader poem Jerusalem Delivered (1580). Oil on canvas; 46 1/2 inches by 40 1/4 inches. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1977. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) Raphaels Influence on Poussin Poussins contemporary Roland Freart de Chambray, in his discourse on ancient and modern architecture, deemed Poussin the Raphael of our century. Just like Raphael, Poussin strove for balance and harmony in his work along with ideal beauty and human nature. The Holy Family on the Steps, 1648, by Nicolas Poussin. Oil on canvas; 28 7/8 inches by 41 5/8 inches. Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, Cleveland Museum of Art. (Public Domain) Raphaels influence can be seen explicitly in the Holy Family on the Steps, for example, where Poussin appears to have almost mirrored the three central figures of the Christ child, Mary, and St. John the Baptist from the composition in Raphaels Madonna of the Meadow, although Poussins Madonna holds the Christ child higher. Like Raphael, Poussin placed multiple figures in a composition with care and expertise. In addition to preparatory drawings, Poussin even made wax models whereby he would set a stage of his composition in a box to study how the light, forms, and shapes interacted. His fastidious care for each and every component of his art gave his paintings a depth that can be hard or even impossible to fathom as its so multifaceted. Et in Arcadia Ego, 16371638, by Nicolas Poussin. Oil on canvas; 34.2 inches by 47.2 inches. The Louvre Museum. (Public Domain) Poussins painting Et in Arcadia Ego, is a classic example of this depth. In the painting, pastoral shepherds point or gesticulate toward a tomb. The lady on the right is thought to be inspired by the ancient Greek statue Cesi Juno (although the original statue was thought to have had clothed arms as Poussin has depicted in his painting). All the figures gather to ponder the Latin phrase that translates as Even in Arcadia, I am. Arcadia is the most idyllic of pastoral lands, and even in the happiest of places, death is still present. Poussin emulated ancient art in his paintings. The Greek marble statue Cesi Juno, made in the second century B.C., in Pergamon, Greece, mirrors the ladys posture in Poussins painting: Et in Arcadia Ego. (Sailko/CC-BY-3.0) Just like Raphael, Poussin embodied Aristotles definition of art: to represent not the outward appearance of things but their inward significance. There is so much to see below the surface of Poussins paintings that each one invites repeated observation. Its not surprising that he was known as the painter-philosopher. With the Telangana government having decided to promote 'regulatory farming' for the benefit of farmers in the state, agriculture experts have suggested to the state government and farmers that paddy should be cultivated in only 60 to 65 lakh acres per yearduring monsoon and Rabi cropsso that they can get better price. The experts, who attended a meeting with Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, made it clear that cultivation of maize in the rainy season is not at all profitable. Instead, cotton, which is in high demand in the market, should be cultivated, an official release said on Friday night. "Agriculture experts suggested to the state government and farmers that in order to get a support price for the crops, in the state for Monsoon and Rabi crops, paddy should be cultivated in 60 to 65 Lakhs acres per year only," it said. The experts also suggested that Redgram should be cultivated in 10 to 15 lakh acres during the rainy season. In the meeting with Rao, the agriculture experts made several suggestions and presented their views after studying Telanganas cultivable lands, cultivation methods and markets, both within the country and internationally, therelease said. The suggestions made by them include farmers cultivating crops that have demand in the market. They pointed out that, though the "state government has procured all the crops" in view of the prevailing coronavirus pandemic, it is not possible for the government to procure all the crops every year. The experts opined that there is a chance of farmers incurring losses if they produce paddy in large quantities. "If we take into account the needs of the people in the state, demand in the markets, for two crops in a year, paddy should be cultivated in 60 to 65 Lakh acres. If the extent of paddy cultivation is more than this, farmers will not get the right price," the release said. They suggested that, compared to paddy, cotton cultivation is profitable. Observing that cotton used to be cultivated in the state in the past on the basis of rainfall, they felt that yield would be more and quality would also be better if cotton is cultivated with canal water as irrigation water facility is now available in the state. Cotton would get a better profit compared to paddy, they said. They also suggested that it is better not to go in for the cultivation of Maize during the rainy season. "The state government will discuss these suggestions for two days. It will also finalise the regulatory farming policy. Later, the CM will interact with the field level officials, Rythu Bandhu Samithis (farmers coordination committees formed by the state govt) on the Comprehensive Agriculture Policy through videoconference," it said. Rao has said a decision to have regulatory agriculture cultivation in the state has been taken with the sole aim of benefitting the farmers. He wanted farmers to cultivate the crops as suggested by the government. He also said regulatory cultivation of paddy would begin from the coming monsoon season. The decision to have regulatory agriculture cultivation was taken in the interest of farmers as there are no buyers for crops which have no demand in the market. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gunn Memorial Library in Washington will offer two virtual programs with authors in the coming days. Connecticut state historian and author Walter Woodward will present a presentation and discussion May 26 and Connecticut author and literary enthusiast Ann Hodgman will offer a book talk May 28. Woodward will lead Creating Connecticut: Critical Moments that Shaped a Great State via Zoom May 26 at 6:30 p.m. He will discuss how people and events in Connecticuts past played crucial roles in forming the culture and character of Connecticut today. Woodward is the state historian of Connecticut and an associate professor of history at the University of Connecticut. He is also the narrator and, with CT Humanities, the producer of Today in Connecticut History, heard weekdays on Connecticut Public Radio and seen online at TodayinCTHistory.com. He is the producer of Grating the Nutmeg: The Podcast of Connecticut History. He is also the author of the From the State Historian column in Connecticut Explored magazine, Prosperos America: John Winthrop, Jr., Alchemy and the Creation of New England Culture, which won the Homer C. Babbidge Prize for Outstanding Book of the Year from the Association for the Study of Connecticut History in 2011, and was named an Outstanding Book of 2011 by Choice. Hodgman will facilitate a book discussion about New York Times best-selling author Ann Patchetts latest publication The Dutch House May 28 at 6:30 p.m. The story explores the indelible bond between two siblings, the house of their childhood, and a past that will not let them go. Digital copies of the book can be found through the Libby App. For more information and RSVP, visit www.gunnlibrary.org. - Felicien Kabuga, a Rwandan businessman, was accused of bankrolling and participating in the Rwandan genocide that claimed lives of at least 800,000 innocent people in 1994 - The fugitive was arrested on Saturday, May 16, in Paris by French paramilitary officers and over 20 years on the run - Serge Brammertz, the chief prosecutor of the mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals in The Hague welcomed his arrest Police in France have arrested Felicien Kabuga, the suspect who was accused on bankrolling the Rwandan genocide that claimed at least 800,000 lives in 1994. The 84-year-old who had evaded arrest for 25 years was living at an apartment in Paris under a false identity. READ ALSO: Form political alliance with KANU at your own peril - Analyst Edward Kisiangani There were reports Kabuga was allegedly hiding in Kenya under protection of some senior officials in government. Photo: Alchetron. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Uhuru allocates land to Rwanda to construct dry port in Naivasha According to reports by BBC and other international news outlets, the fugitive was arrested on Saturday, May 16, by French paramilitary officers. Serge Brammertz, the chief prosecutor of the mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals in The Hague welcomed his arrest. READ ALSO: Ole Sankok atangaza urafiki mpya na Maina Kamanda "The arrest of Felicien Kabuga today is a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even 26 years after their crimes," said Brammertz. "For international justice, Kabugas arrest demonstrates that we can succeed when we have the international communitys support. This result is a tribute to the unwavering commitment of the United Nations Security Council, which established the mechanism to continue the accountability process in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia," he added. The United States (US) had offered KSh 500 million to anyone who would give information of his whereabouts. There were reports the fugitive was hiding in Kenya under alleged protection of senior officials in government. Here was how the world reacted to his arrest: Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. My wife pushed me to marry another woman - Pastor Habil Were | Tuko Talks | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke FILE - In this Sunday, March 15, 2020 file photo, a closed restaurant in Lausanne, Switzerland. The Swiss government has backed down from plans that were to start Monday May 11, 2020, requiring restaurants and bars to take the names and phone numbers of their patrons as a way to fight the coronavirus, after the plan fell foul of privacy concerns. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP, File) GENEVA (AP) The Swiss government on Friday backed down from plans to require restaurants and bars to take the names and phone numbers of their patrons as a way to fight the coronavirus, after the plan fell foul of privacy concerns. As Switzerland gingerly emerges from COVID-19 closures, restaurateurs across the country had been facing the requirement, starting Monday, to take down the names and numbers of their patrons as part of efforts to track contacts of coronavirus victims. But after privacy advocates, restaurant owners and legal experts all cried foul, government officials backed down on their plans, acknowledging that a legal basis didn't exist for such a requirement. They are now saying leaving the information is optional but recommended. The flip-flop in a country known for respecting privacy epitomizes the challenges faced by many governments about how to strike the right balance among public health, privacy and livelihoods as they adjust to the new normal presented by the pandemic and gradually reopen businesses. In neighboring Austria, Tourism Minister Elisabeth Koestinger said restaurant-goers won't be required to register. They will be asked to reserve in advance, though, so restaurant owners can plan better. Swiss Home and Health Minister Alain Berset sought to clear up the Swiss conundrum at a news conference Friday, saying a protection plan called for operators of restaurants or bars to seek the details of at least one contact person per table in case a coronavirus case turned up there. Customers will be invited to participate, give their names, but it will remain voluntary, optional, with regard to data protection, he said. Swiss restaurant and bar owners who are eager to reopen had dreaded another requirement as they already faced headaches like staffing uncertainties, doubts about whether customers will show, the need to make disinfectant available and a requirement to increase spacing between tables. Story continues In an interview published Friday in Le Temps newspaper, hours before the government reversed course, Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner Adrian Lobsiger said there was no legal basis to require restaurateurs to obtain personal data from diners. He reluctantly admitted the government could still create such a legal basis, by using emergency powers. Its not ideal, Ill admit, he said. Creating such an obligation, even with a solid legal basis, is not good insofar as theres naturally the risk that people will provide false information. The government is seeking the information as part of contact tracing keeping track of who goes where, when, so that the outbreak can be monitored. Those measures weren't feasible when case counts were spiking in Switzerland, with hundreds of cases being confirmed each day. But at 8 a.m. Friday, Switzerland counted just 81 more confirmed cases from a day earlier, raising its total in the outbreak to 30,207 confirmed and 1,526 deaths. Restaurants have been forced to close for weeks, but Monday marks the reopening for them and also for most schools and businesses. Even though it can't be enforced, the government urged Swiss diners to leave their details anyway. The optional provision of personal details is important to allow for contact tracing, in case an employee gets sick, a government information released Friday said. Customers thus have every interest to provide their details. Restaurants still face other new rules. Groups, with the exception of families, will be limited to no more than four people; tables must be at least two meters (more than six feet) apart, unless a divider separates them; patrons will need access to disinfectant or soap and water upon entry, among other things. Berset said he had no plans to go to a restaurant himself, for the moment. ___ Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak Washington DC: NASA has unveiled a legal framework that would govern the behaviour of countries and companies in space and on the moon, including the creation of "safety zones" around sites where mining and exploration would take place on the lunar surface. The United States has long held that nations and companies should be allowed to mine the moon. The new legal framework, known as the Artemis Accords, comes as the US space agency works to return people to the lunar surface by 2024. A NASA illustration depicts Artemis astronauts on the moon. Credit:NASA/AP NASA would make signing the accords a requirement for allied countries to participate in its lunar exploration program. The proposal would "in no way change the 1967 Outer Space Treaty," which prohibits nations from laying claim to the moon and other celestial bodies, said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine. Rather, the series of principles would follow the tenets of the treaty and "promote peaceful purposes" that would allow nations "to participate safely in outer space", Bridenstine said in an interview. At least 24 migrant workers were killed and 15 critically injured after a truck they were travelling in collided with another lorry in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya district on Saturday. "24 people have been brought dead, 22 have been admitted to hospital and 15 labourers have been referred to Safai PGI," Archana Srivastava, chief medical officer, Auraiya told ANI. The incident took place at around 3 am on early Saturday morning. The truck was coming from Rajasthan. All the labourers were mostly from Bihar, Rajasthan and West Bengal. Also read: Coronavirus Live Updates: India, US working on COVID-19 vaccine development, says Trump; India's tally-81,970 Srivastava added that the migrant labourers were going to Bihar and Jharkhand from Rajasthan. Meanwhile, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the commissioner and Inspector General of Kanpur to visit the accident site and submit a report on it. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi told the news agency that CM Adityanath has given directions that all injured be provided medical care. " The CM has asked the Commission and IG Kanpur to visit the site and give a report on the cause of accident immediately," Awasthi added. CM Adityanath also paid condolences to the migrant workers. He wrote on Twitter saying, "The death of migrant workers in a road accident in Auraiya district is unfortunate and sad, my condolences to the bereaved families of the dead." The CM also wrote, "Instructions have also been given to provide all possible relief to the victims and to get a quick investigation of the accident". Also read: Oxford's coronavirus vaccine shows promise in animal trials Patients given the malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump as a potential treatment for COVID-19 did not improve significantly over those who did not, according to two new studies published in the medical journal BMJ on Thursday. Neither trial was placebo controlled, generally considered the gold standard for clinical data. In a randomized, controlled trial of 150 patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 in China, researchers found that patients on hydroxychloroquine did not get better significantly faster than those not treated with the drug. Adverse events were also higher in patients receiving the malaria drug. An observational study of patients in France found that the drug did not significantly reduce admission to intensive care or death in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia who required oxygen. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Demand for hydroxychloroquine surged after Trump touted it in early April, and U.S. regulators have since authorized its emergency use for coronavirus patients. But the drug has not been proven effective against the disease. Moreover, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned against the use of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients outside of the hospital or clinical trials due to the risk of serious heart rhythm problems. The drug is still being widely studied in the United States and abroad as a potential COVID-19 treatment. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Thursday it began a study to evaluate the combination of antibiotic azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine, which Trump described as a potential game changer for the pandemic. The mid-stage study, for which Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd will be donating medicines, will assess whether the combination can prevent hospitalization and death from COVID-19. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the NIH, is sponsoring the trial, which is being conducted by the NIAID-funded AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG). Although there is anecdotal evidence that hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin may benefit people with COVID-19, we need solid data from a large randomized, controlled clinical trial to determine whether this experimental treatment is safe and can improve clinical outcomes, NIAID Director Anthony Fauci said on Thursday. The NIHs latest study will enroll about 2,000 adults at clinical sites across the country, with many of those expected to be 60 years of age or older or have another condition or chronic disease associated with developing serious complications from COVID-19, such as a cardiovascular disease or diabetes. (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 Lockdown orders put in place throughout Latin America to restrict the spread of COVID-19 pandemic have suppressed civil freedoms, not to mention, violated human rights. This was what Amnesty International, a rights group claimed on Friday. According to Amnesty, it has verified almost 60 cases in the region for the past several weeks showing the Latin American governments that use arbitrary, brutal, and castigatory strategies to implement quarantine directives. The footage verified, according to Americas director at Amnesty International, Erika Guevara-Rosas, "From across the Americas since late March" leads to disturbing specifications that governments are regressing to the "kinds of repression" the group was able to document last year and even earlier. This time, Guevara-Rosas added, to implement a "pandemic-related public health measures." The states of Emergency Declared as Early as March Since March, several Latin American countries have declared states of emergencies, implemented curfews and executed lockdown directives in an initiative to stem the spread of COVID Starting in March, many countries in Latin America declared states of emergency, imposed curfews, and implemented lockdown measures in an effort to prevent COVID-19 from spreading. In addition, while restrictions differ, some nations resorted to pressure to impose restrictions which include the detaining people. Specifically in Venezuela, even prior to the Pandemic, the United Nations considered the country a location of "one of the world's worst humanitarian crises last year," noting that more than nine million of the 30-million population experience inadequate food quantities. Though the figures of reported COVID-19 cases and deaths seem modest, Venezuelans still suffer from the shutdown of businesses, as well as the delays in the so-called "state food distribution programme" also called CLAP. Incidentally, last month, about 150 protests flared up across the nation to demand food. On top of these, more than 450 demanded access to basic services such as water, gas, and electricity. Excessive Use of Force The rights group also said that there have been specifications of extreme and "unnecessary use of force" to dissolve demonstrations. Such a move, Amnesty added, is constant with the prevalent rule of suppression used to silence opposition or rebellion since, at least in the year, 2017. Meanwhile, particularly in Argentina, Amnesty confirmed a video wherein the authorities were beating a homeless individual for seemingly being in the street amid the lockdown. The right group also points to the Dominican Republic, which imprisoned more than 25,000 people from April 8 to May 7, based on police reports which the Amnesty cited for allegedly not complying with the imposed evening curfew. Similarly, El Salvador detained thousands of individuals too, for allegedly violating the home quarantine orders in "government containment centers" lacking safety and hygiene requirements. Furthermore, the group added, it has also verified videos from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Puerto Rico in which law enforcers seemingly stopped or detained people who were on their way to get supplies or food. In Honduras, ACI Participa, a local non-governmental organization was cited by Amnesty for having documented more than 100 peaceful demonstrations of individuals demanding water, food, and medicine from both the national and local authorities. Check these out! Russian-led forces opened fire from proscribed 120mm and 82mm mortars, grenade launchers of various types, weapons installed on infantry fighting vehicles, heavy machine guns, and small arms. Russia's hybrid military forces on May 15 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 formations violated the ceasefire nine times in the past day," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation Headquarters said on Facebook in an update as of 07:00 Kyiv time on May 16. "As a result, two Ukrainian servicemen were wounded in enemy shelling." Read alsoUkraine reports 11 enemy attacks in Donbas on May 14 Russian-led forces opened fire from proscribed 120mm and 82mm mortars, grenade launchers of various types, weapons installed on infantry fighting vehicles, heavy machine guns, and small arms. Under attack were Ukrainian positions near the town of Maryinka, and the villages of Shyrokyne, Starohnativka, Vodiane, Kamianka, Slavne, and Orikhove. The Joint Forces returned fire in response to each enemy attack. According to intelligence data, at least one member of Russia-led forces was wounded on May 15. The enemy did not attack Ukrainian positions from 00:00 to 07:00 Kyiv time on May 16. No casualties were reported among Ukrainian troops on Saturday. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16 Trend: Digital solutions provider and the leading mobile operator of the country Azercell Telecom is pleased to launch a new beneficial campaign for Apples fans. Thus, by purchasing new iPhone SE smartphones with an updated design, powerful processor, and camera customers will get 50 GB of monthly internet for the next 6 months in Azercell Exclusive stores. The campaign is available for both new and existing, prepaid, and postpaid customers. Exclusive telecom partner of Apple Inc. in the country, Azercell Telecom LLC provides its customers with a unique opportunity to benefit from the latest technologies when buying new iPhone SE. You just need to visit Azercell Exclusive stores, choose a new iPhone SE of different colors and memory sizes, and get an excellent bonus on the Internet. For more information, please contact [email protected] The leader of the mobile communication industry, the largest taxpayer and the biggest investor of the non-oil sector of Azerbaijan Azercell Telecom LLC was founded in 1996. Currently, 4.8 million subscribers choose Azercell services. Mobile operator controls 49% of market share; while its geographical coverage constitutes 99.2% (excluding the occupied territories); and population coverage 99.8%. Azercell was the pioneering mobile operator to introduce a number of innovations in Azerbaijan, including GSM technology, advance payment system, mobile internet services, 24/7 call center service (*1111), 7/7 Front Office service, Azercell Express offices, M2M services, 4G technology and pilot version of 5G, mobile, online customer care services and customer services through social media, mobile e-signature service ASAN Imza etc. Rapidly increasing 4G network of Azercell covers nearly 60 regions of the country, including Baku and Absheron peninsula. According to the results of mobile network quality and wireless coverage mapping surveys by international systems, Azercells 4G network demonstrated the best results among the mobile From vintage posters to Roman ruins and even grand palazzos, Neil Simpson reveals how you can still explore the world from your own home during the lockdown. This could be the year we fall back in love with classic British holiday resorts, from Clacton to Whitley Bay and with the colourful images that celebrate them. The golden age of travel is revived through a series of vintage posters at kingandmcgaw.com, promoting everywhere from Skegness to St Moritz. And these classic designs can even be printed to order for you. Vintage class: A poster promoting Butlins at Clacton Another poster dating to 1939 promotes rail trips to Whitley Bay Travel posters old and new are also on offer during lockdown from the London Transport Museum at ltmuseumshop.co.uk. If youre dreaming of further afield, try travelposter.co for posters designed by British artist Henry Rivers. They include the Washington Monument and the capitals pink cherry blossom, with the collection revealing Rivers modern, minimalist take on dozens of world cities. Art of every variety was the great passion of flamboyant American heiress Peggy Guggenheim, who settled in a grand palazzo in Venice after the Second World War. Her former home, now a museum, has gone online amid the coronavirus closure. In Peggy Guggenheim Comes To You, at guggenheim-venice.it, you can click on short videos of past and (hopefully) future exhibitions. The videos feel like private guided tours, with none of the citys former crowds obscuring the art. Children rarely rush to traditional galleries when we travel, but a dash of Australian inventiveness could get them through the virtual doors of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney. Head to mca.com.au for the curators Making zines in quarantine video. It shows how to make mini-magazines full of news for grandparents or others. Still dreaming of a family holiday in the future? Get ideas from family-run tour firm stubbornmuletravel.com. Its Around The World In Six School Holidays suggests the best destinations by season, from Morocco in February half-term to Christmas in Costa Rica. Toddlers and teenagers can all be catered for with tailor-made trip ideas that focus on individual interests, from Roman ruins and wild animals to zip-line rides and volcano hikes. A country cottage in the heart of a Californian vineyard is one of the stars of the show on Stay Here, a travel special on Netflix. The series shows design experts helping to turn unlikely buildings, such as a houseboat in Seattle and an old fire station in Washington DC, into picture-perfect holiday rentals. Take a virtual tour of Peggy Guggenheim's former home, now a museum, in Venice If eating out is one of your great joys of travel, you can relive the experience and find inspiration for new adventures with one of Lonely Planets lavishly illustrated specialist guides. In Food Trails: 52 Perfect Weekends In The Worlds Tastiest Destinations, there are stunning photos of patisseries in Paris, tiny tapas bars in Spain, waterside diners serving clam chowder in Maine and more. Each chapter has the inside track on local food trends and suggests stylish places to stay. Inspired by that idea but thirsty instead? Lonely Planets companion book, Wine Trails, is another coffee-table favourite. 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. The United States is struggling to salvage a peace process in Afghanistan after shocking attacks, with its leverage narrowing as it moves full speed ahead with plans to end its longest war. A February 29 agreement between President Donald Trump's administration and the Taliban laid out a total troop pullout by mid-2021, nearly two decades after a US invasion ousted the Islamist guerrillas' hardline regime following the September 11 attacks. But planned talks between the Taliban and Kabul government never began, and President Ashraf Ghani announced after this week's violence that he was resuming offensive operations against the insurgents. In a stunning act of brutality, gunmen on Tuesday rampaged through a maternity ward in Kabul, killing 24 people including newborns who had yet to see the outside world. The United States said it believes the attack in a Shiite Muslim neighborhood was carried out not by the Taliban but by the Islamic State group -- Sunni extremists who fomented bloody, sectarian conflicts in Iraq and Syria. "I think US policy is tone-deaf right now," said Michael Kugelman, a South Asia expert at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. "It's not taking into account the public anger, and the Afghan government's anger, about this rash of attacks which have been particularly horrific even by the horrific standards of Afghanistan," he said. "The Trump administration has essentially called on Kabul to double down on a peace process that has not formally begun at a moment when the Afghan government has said it is off the table, at least for now." - 'No alternative' to seeking peace - Zalmay Khalilzad, a veteran US diplomat who spent a year brokering the accord with the Taliban in Qatari hotels, said the insurgents were fulfilling their end of the bargain. He condemned a deadly truck bombing claimed by the Taliban against an army base on Thursday but said the militants never promised to stop striking Afghan forces. While saying the Taliban violated the "spirit" of the deal, Khalilzad said the rebels had not attacked coalition forces or targets inside major cities -- and stressed that the main US priority was ensuring the Taliban counter IS and Al-Qaeda. He warned that the IS group was seeking to disrupt peace efforts. "Although the recent violence has raised questions about the peace process and the path to peace," Khalilzad told reporters Friday, "we've known this from the beginning," "There is no alternative to pushing forward with peace," he said. A political settlement would "reduce the burden on the United States" and also "make sure that Afghanistan never again becomes a platform to attack the United States or our allies," he said. Even in a deeply polarized Washington, there is broad support for Trump's efforts to stop "endless wars" and finish the unpopular Afghanistan mission. Joe Biden, Trump's presumptive Democratic rival in the November election, was among the most critical voices of the Afghanistan war in Barack Obama's administration and has pledged to push forward with a withdrawal as president. Criticism has come chiefly from conservative Republicans including Representative Liz Cheney, the daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney, who has charged that the deal offers concessions to extremists without verification that the Taliban will live up to their promises. - Questionable US leverage - Both Ghani and the Taliban had only reluctantly agreed to peace talks, which Norway had offered to convene in March. Laurel Miller, who served as special representative on Afghanistan and Pakistan under both Obama and Trump, said the United States could still use financial leverage to press Kabul. Ghani and his bitter election rival, Abdullah Abdullah, have appeared to be reaching a compromise after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slashed $1 billion in aid to the cash-strapped nation out of anger over their bickering. But the United States has lost ways to pressure the Taliban into talks, said Miller, the Asia director at the International Crisis Group, which studies peaceful resolutions to conflicts. "The current US administration has made it perfectly clear that it wants to pull US forces out of Afghanistan. So how credible is, really, a threat to just stay?" she said. "At the end of the day, the US cannot make the peace process happen. "It can help create conditions for a peace process, it can push and prod the parties toward a peace process, it can try to catalyze the peace process and supporters internationally for it -- but it cannot literally make it happen." HARWICH Selectmen are awaiting legislation making its way through Beacon Hill that includes provisions on how municipalities in Massachusetts can address town meetings and funding a budget moving into FY21. Interim Town Administrator Joseph Powers said legislation has been approved in the Senate that will allow town meeting actions just on financial issues. But there has been no clear definition on what financial means, he said. The legislation may allow communities to reduce their quorums to 10 percent, and there are questions about whether zoning and bylaws would be allowed to be acted upon with such a low threshold of participation. There were questions about whether the town will be in a position to hold an annual town meeting on June 22 given social distancing provisions and the reluctance of voters to attend such a session. Powers informed the board the town has until June 8 to post the warrant for the meeting. Powers said provisions in the general law allow the moderator to postpone a town meeting for 30-days at a time, but once the warrant is posted, the moderator is limited to pushing back the town meeting only one time for 30 days. We cant get into restaurants, I dont see how you are going to get into town meeting, Selectman MacAskill said. Selectmen previously looked at warrant article reductions and agreed to take a hard look at budgets given anticipated revenue reductions caused by the pandemic. Gov. Charlie Baker will address re-opening the state May 18 and board members said they hoped for promulgation of the legislation impacting town meetings by then. Board of Selectmen Larry Ballantine said June 8 is the drop dead point for decisions on budgets and articles. Budget articles will remain in the warrant, board members said previously, including the towns operating budget, the school budgets, water department budgets wastewater /sewer budget and the selectmens salaries. Regarding the wastewater/sewer budget, Finance Director Carol Coppola said according the inter-municipal agreement the town has with Chatham, sewer flow to the Chatham treatment plant is scheduled to begin in FY21. She pointed out funding for that budget would be available through appropriation and free cash, but free cash is not likely to be certified until September. Coppola said she has talked with Water and Sewer Superintendent Daniel Pelletier, who said the budget could be reduced by $50,000. Ballantine said the article will remain with a reduced funding request. MacAskill said the capital plan is not critical and should be removed. Ballantine had suggested pulling out the facilities maintenance and repair funds. He also said he has talked with fire department staff and the proposed purchase of the quint fire truck could be removed, but the need for a new ambulance is critical. Powers said he talked with departments heads last week and asked them to prioritize their needs. Powers said he is still collating those responses and will present that information to selectmen before decisions are made on pulling funding for capital items. We can go for low hanging fruit, Selectman Donald Howell said of cutting less essential expenditures. Howell said the DHY Clean Water Partnership article could be removed. The board previously agreed to wait until a special town meeting in the fall to address the issue and a number of other articles that would be removed from the annual warrant. DPW Director Lincoln Hooper said he has clearly stated all his articles can be pulled for the session, but he cautioned selectmen about the road maintenance program, which seeks $700,000, which is based on a five-year plan his department presents each year. Hooper reminded the board voters rejected the funding on a debt exclusion ballot question last year. We have no place to go and there could be consequences from it, Hooper said The board agreed to pull two zoning articles seeking a change in the boundary line for the western end of the Industrial Light District along Queen Anne Road and an amendment to eliminate the term essential services because it conflicts with municipal use in the zoning bylaw. Selectmen continued to wrestle with how to handle petitioned articles and agreed to seek legal counsels opinion. The board agreed to pull several other articles, including the cemetery commissions rules and regulations update; changes to the towns wetlands protection bylaw; a procedure relating to disposition of unclaimed property; and the charter change of the name of the board of selectmen to select board. COLUMBUS, Ohio Eight residents at the Ohio Department of Veterans Services nursing home in Sandusky have tested positive for coronavirus, the state confirmed Saturday afternoon. The residents all have been moved to an enhanced care unit separate from other occupants of the Ohio Veterans Home. All eight are in stable condition, the Veterans Services Department said. Like so many in America, we are now faced with COVID-19 in our homes, Veterans Services Director Deborah Ashenhurst said in a news release. Fortunately, our administrative staff, nurses, doctors, and other professionals have prepared for this for more than three months. Our homes have cared for our veterans for more than 100 years. In the face of this new challenge, we are resolved to continue this mission. The Sandusky home was notified Thursday that four residents had tested positive for the coronavirus. All residents in that area, 78 in total, were subsequently tested, including one who was showing symptoms at that time, the department said. On Friday the home learned of the four other cases. Through Friday, 85 residents had been tested. The home, one of two the that the state operates for veterans, still is awaiting test results for 76 residents. In addition to the eight positive cases, one person tested negative. Eighteen residents were moved into the enhanced care unit. Another 113 residents are in quarantine. The Sandusky home is a 427-bed nursing home facility. The home dates from the 1880s when it was opened to care for veterans of the Civil War. Prior to confirmation of these eight cases, the state-run facilities had only encountered one case of the coronavirus a staff worker at the Sandusky home who was then hospitalized and now is in self quarantine. No cases of the coronavirus have been found in the states other home for veterans, located in Georgetown in southwest Ohio. It has a capacity of 126 beds. New York, May 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Data Center Infrastructure Management Market By Component By End User By Region, Industry Analysis and Forecast, 2020 - 2026" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05893249/?utm_source=GNW DCIM is controlled by power usage, heat densities, virtualization and data center consolidation, cloud computing and raising IT system dependency. With growing demand for data center virtualization, business migration into private clouds, and operating cost efficiency, the Data center network management market has emerged as the main market for IT and facility management vendors. Data center infrastructure management market (DCIM) is driven mainly by a massive rise in the number of data centres. In addition, the increasing influence of data center regulatory standards, green data center popularity, cloud data traffic and DCIMs rising position in big data analytics are the factors that foster market growth. Nevertheless, high initial investment in management of the data center infrastructure is expected to have an adverse effect on business growth. However, technological innovation is expected to open up new prospects for growth in the immediate future. Based on Component, the market is segmented into Solution and Services. Solutions market is further segmented into Asset Management, Power & temperature Management, Network Management, Cooling Management and Others. Services market is further bifurcated across Professional Services and Managed Services. Based on End User, the market is segmented into Telecom, IT & Colocation, BFSI, Energy & Manufacturing, Government, Healthcare and Others. Based on Regions, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, Middle East & Africa. The major strategies followed by the market participants are Partnerships and Product Launches. Based on the Analysis presented in the Cardinal matrix, IBM Corporation, Siemens AG, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., and Cisco Systems, Inc. are the forerunners in the Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) Market. Companies such as Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, Schneider Electric SE, Eaton Corporation PLC, ABB Group, Delta Electronics, Inc., and Dell Technologies, Inc. are some of the key innovators in the market. The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include ABB Group, Cisco Systems, Inc., Dell Technologies, Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, Delta Electronics, Inc., Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.), Schneider Electric SE, Siemens AG, IBM Corporation, Eaton Corporation PLC. Recent strategies deployed in Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) Market Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements: Mar-2020: Schneider Electric extended its distribution agreement with Ingram Micro in Australia. Schneider would deliver its EcoStruxure IT Expert data center infrastructure management (DCIM) product to local resellers. Jan-2020: Cisco collaborated with Schneider Electric, the leader of digital transformation in energy management and automation. Together, the companies announced the launch of a new edge computing solution, integrating Ciscos HyperFlex Edge, hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) within Schneider Electrics industry-first 6U Wall Mount EcoStruxure Micro Data Center. With this solution, the companies aim to bring resilient, secure, and localized computing capabilities closer to where the data is created, processed, and stored. Nov-2019: Schneider Electric announced partnership with Scale Computing for delivering the Scale Computing HC3 Edge for the retail solution in Schneider Electrics EcoStruxure Micro Data Centers. This would help retailers in optimizing all in-store functions and enhancing the customer experience. Oct-2019: ABB teamed up with GIGA Data Centers following which, the former company aimed to provide complete power solutions. The latter company would make modular data center technology available to every company. Aug-2019: Eaton announced partnership with KPIT, a global technology company. The partnership was aimed to support the development of next-generation electrified mobility technologies for its eMobility business unit. Jun-2019: Delta signed a partnership agreement with Ingram Micro, a leading distributor of ICT products. Delta signed this partnership to set up a sales channel, distribution, and project support for IT resellers. Under this partnership, the latter company distributes Deltas uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and Datacenter Infrastructure Solutions in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). Mar-2019: ABB came into partnership with Rittal, a company engaged in manufacturing electrical enclosures. The partnership was signed on data center solutions. Together, both the companies aimed to expand their solutions approach for modular, secured, and high-availability data center infrastructure in North and South America, Asia and Europe. Feb-2019: Huawei collaborated with Etisalat, a telecommunications provider. The collaboration was aimed at developing pre-fabricated modular data centers in the UAE. Together, the companies plan, design, and supply next-generation pre-fabricated modular data centers in UAE for addressing points of the long delivery period, low O&M efficiency, and high energy consumption of traditional data centers. Jun-2018: Cisco announced collaboration with NetApp, a leader in hybrid cloud data services. Together, the companies launched new FlexPod solutions. FlexPod integrates Cisco UCS Integrated Infrastructure with NetApp data services for helping the organizations boost up application delivery and transition to a hybrid cloud with a trusted platform for innovation. Jun-2018: IBM came into partnership with Rittal, a company that manufactures electronic enclosures. Under the partnership, the companies aimed to offer complete IT infrastructure solutions from banking to mining to government. May-2018: IBM teamed up with Nlyte, a leading provider of data center infrastructure management and IT Asset Management solutions. The latter company has combined IBMs Watson machine learning into its data center infrastructure management (DCIM) product and announced the new Nlyte Machine Learning solution. This is a cognitive DCIM platform that can predict upcoming issues and help move server workloads before problems arise. Acquisition and Mergers: Feb-2020: Eaton acquired Power Distribution, Inc. (PDI), a leading supplier of mission-critical power distribution, static switching, and power monitoring equipment and services for data centers and industrial and commercial customers. The acquisition complements Eatons portfolio and enables it to better serve data center customers. Jul-2019: IBM completed the acquisition of Red Hat, a software company. After the acquisition, Red Hat operates under IBMs Hybrid Cloud division. The acquisition enabled the company to become the largest hybrid cloud provider. Nov-2018: Hewlett Packard Enterprise signed a definitive agreement to acquire BlueData, a leading provider of software that transforms how enterprises deploy artificial intelligence and big data analytics. The acquisition would strengthen the offerings of HPE in rapidly growing markets. May-2018: HPE announced an agreement to acquire Plexxi, a leading provider of software-defined data fabric networking technology. HPE would provide a true cloud-like experience in the data center with the help of Plexxis technology. Product Launches and Product Expansions: Mar-2020: Huawei launched FusionDC 2.0, which is integrated with AI-Fusion, Building-Fusion, Component-Fusion, and Digital-Fusion to build next-generation data center facilities. The technology takes prefabricated modular technology to standardize and accelerate the deployment of data centers. It further provides the future-focused and versatile architecture to help the data center respond to power density evolution. Mar-2020: Schneider Electric unveiled Uniflair, the rack-mounted data center cooling solution. The solution has been designed for helping businesses with their edge computing developments and initiatives. Jan-2020: Cisco made upgradation to its software for addressing serious multiple authentication vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities affect all versions of DCNM, a management system for Ciscos Unified Fabric. It provides a dashboard for data center operators to provision, monitor, and troubleshoot network infrastructure. The updated software would fix three vulnerabilities that carry a 9.8 rating on the 10-point Common Vulnerability Scoring System scale. Nov-2019: Dell Technologies launched Dell EMC PowerOne, an autonomous infrastructure solution. The solution aims to automate the management and maintenance of Dell EMC hardware in data centers. Oct-2019: Schneider Electric introduced EcoStruxure Data Center Solutions. The solution provides one-stop solutions for power, cooling, racks, and management for supporting the deployment of distributed IT networks in all environments ranging from small edge applications to hyper-scale cloud data centers. Apr-2019: Huawei Intelligent Computing Business introduced the FusionServer Pro series of intelligent servers. These next-generation x86 servers boost up the intelligent transformation of data centers with the help of its intelligent acceleration engine, intelligent management engine, and intelligent data center solutions for diverse scenarios. Apr-2019: Schneider Electric released EcoStruxure IT Advisor. The solution provides a simplified way of deploying data center management, which is accessible anywhere and at any-time. Feb-2019: Huawei launched FusionStorage 8.0, the next-generation data center-level converged distributed storage. The solution uses mature enterprise-grade storage and public cloud capabilities for helping the industry customers such as carriers and financial institutions in easily addressing the cloud migration challenges. Scope of the Study Market Segmentation: By Component Solution o Asset Management o Power & temperature Management o Network Management o Cooling Management o Others Services o Professional Services o Managed Services By End User Telecom, IT & Colocation BFSI Energy & Manufacturing Government Healthcare Others By Geography North America o US o Canada o Mexico o Rest of North America Europe o Germany o UK o France o Russia o Spain o Italy o Rest of Europe Asia Pacific o China o Japan o India o South Korea o Singapore o Australia o Rest of Asia Pacific LAMEA o Brazil o Argentina o UAE o Saudi Arabia o South Africa o Nigeria o Rest of LAMEA Companies Profiled ABB Group Cisco Systems, Inc. Dell Technologies, Inc. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company Delta Electronics, Inc. Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.) Schneider Electric SE Siemens AG IBM Corporation Eaton Corporation PLC Unique Offerings Exhaustive coverage Highest number of market tables and figures Subscription based model available Guaranteed best price Assured post sales research support with 10% customization free Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05893249/?utm_source=GNW 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. __________________________ Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Singapore Sat, May 16, 2020 11:34 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8740b6 2 SE Asia Singapore,coronavirus,COVID-19,swabbers,health Free Singapore is offering generous salaries for people to perform nasal swabs at places like quarantined migrant dormitories as the city-state ramps up its testing regime to bring down one of the highest COVID-19 caseloads in Asia. The job advert posted by e2i, an employment initiative under the National Trades Union Congress, said applicants had to be medically fit with no history of chronic disease, and proficient in English. Medical experience was not required. "Currently hiring swabbers," said the job advert, explaining successful applicants would be trained to conduct nasopharyngeal swabs - a method of gaining samples from the back of the nose and throat by inserting swabs into the nostril. Island nation Singapore has nearly 27,000 cases, the highest per capita infection rate in Asia, largely due to mass outbreaks in cramped bunk-bed accommodation housing foreign laborers. The government, which has ordered a nationwide lockdown due to run until June 1, said it aims to test all 323,000 foreign workers living in dormitories in the coming weeks as it looks to get people back to work. To do so, it aims to ramp up its daily testing capacity to 40,000 from around 8,000 currently. The job advert received some backlash over the offered salary, which at S$3,800 a month is higher than that of entry-level nurses whose salaries start at S$3,300 a month. Read also: Swabbers wanted: Singapore recruits virus testers as cases climb Facebook user Willie Kan said the authorities should consider raising the minimum pay for other healthcare workers such as nurses and paramedics to S$3,800 per month during the pandemic. "It's only right and proper," Kan wrote on the Facebook page of Singapore's parliament speaker who had shared the job ad. Singapore's health ministry in a statement sought to explain the pay discrepancy by saying that unlike other full-time healthcare workers, the swabbers - hired under an initial six-month contract - are not offered career progression or additional allowances or bonuses. Others said that the salaries for the six-day-a-week job were warranted given the dangers of working in quarantine zones such as migrant dorms, facilities for recovering COVID-19 patients and nursing homes. The salary was removed from the job postings on e2i's website on Friday afternoon. The Transportation Security Administration is preparing to begin checking passengers' temperatures at a dozen US airports as soon as next week. Air travel has all but shuttered over fears of the coronavirus, but officials are reportedly taking new steps to ensure passenger and staff safety. Details surrounding potential temperature checks are still subject to change and it's unclear which airports will kick off the new procedure, the Wall Street Journal reports. The initial plan will cost less than $20million and passengers will not be charged an additional fee for any temperature checks, a senior Trump official said. The Transportation Security Administration will begin testing air travelers temperatures as soon as next week, Wall Street Journal reports The scanners used to conduct temperature checks may include a hand held thermal scanner or tripods that can scan several people at once. Travelers with a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher will be flagged by staff. TSA officials said those who do have a fever will be put in contact with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials have not determined if temperature screenings will take place at the beginning of airport security procedures or near the end. Sources told WSJ that TSA has been wary of shouldering the responsibility for temperature checks. They reportedly believe such tasks don't fall under their administration's mission. Passengers who record a temperature of 100.4 degress Fahrenheit or higher will be flagged by airport staff 'At this time, no decision has been made regarding specific health screening measures at airports, ' TSA said in a statement Friday. So far, more than 500 TSA employees have tested positive for the coronavirus and six have died. Democrats in Congress have also wondered if TSA even has the authority to orchestrate a widespread safety measure of that caliber. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi said that TSA should not further endanger staffers by forcing them to conduct temperature checks. 'I cannot find any law that gives TSA the authority to perform temperature checks as reported,' he said in a statement. 'The Administration should not put these front-line workers in further danger in order to provide passengers a potential false sense of safety.' But White House and senior Homeland Security officials have reportedly supported thermal temperature scanning to boost confidence in air travel and the economy. Airlines in the United States have previously pushed for TSA to implement passenger temperature checks to keep sick people off planes and help travelers feel less anxious. 'Were urging the TSA to begin temperature scans as part of the screening process at the checkpoints,' Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest Airlines, told CBS News. The Airports Council International-North America said health screenings should be 'performed by federal government officials, and minimize the impact on airport operations,' USA Today reports. Travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders have caused the demand for air travel to plummet more than 90 per cent. Some airports have already begum taking passengers' temperatures, including Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia, which started such procedures in April. Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia (pictured) begun taking passengers' temperatures in April Some TSA officials have pushed back against the temperature checks, saying that a person's temperature is a weak measure of COVID-19. The temperature scanners won't pick up on asymptomatic air travelers and may inadvertently block people with other illnesses. 'Thermal scanning as proposed is a poorly designed control and detection strategy, as we have learned very clearly,' said Dr. Martin Cetron in a letter to Department of Homeland Security. 'We should be concentrating our CDC resources where there is impact and a probability of mission success.' Cost was also a concern, as officials reportedly consider the price of purchasing a bulk of scanner and the quality of devices on the market. Frontier Airlines said it will being taking passenger temperatures on June 11 before they board any aircrafts. The airline said those will a 100.4 degrees temperature or higher will be given time to rest before being checked again. If the passenger still has a high temperature, they won't be allowed to fly and Frontier will try to rebook the flight. Paine Field Passenger Terminal, a privately owned airport in Washington, recently installed a thermal camera that screens passengers for fevers. 'If they have a fever, it becomes an airline decision. Were not blocking people from entering,' said Brett Smith, chief executive of Propeller Airports LLC. TSA reveals ALL employees must wear face masks at screening checkpoints and officials may require anyone who enters airports to do the same All US airport staffers will be required to wear face masks at screening checkpoints, according to the officials with the Transportation Security Administration. At the same time, officials and industry workers have begun considering placing the same public health guidelines on passengers entering the airport. TSA announced the move Thursday and said the agency will begin implementing the new measure in the upcoming days. 'TSA is making this change to protect our employees and travelers as social distancing cannot always be maintained in the screening process,' said TSA Administrator David Pekoske in a press release. The Transportation Security Administration announced that employees will be required to wear 'face coverings' during their shifts TSA revealed 534 screeners have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and six died. 285 of those staffers have recovered from the virus. Facial protections had been voluntary for staffers, but recent pushback from a union representing TSA officers changed the course on health guidelines. Now, TSA has provided employees with eye protection, N95 respirators and installed plexiglass at the document checking counter. A change for passengers may well be underway as officials discuss making face masks mandatory for all, two sources told Bloomberg. Some officials are discussing if passengers in the US should also be required to wear face masks TSA said 534 screeners have tested positive for coronavirus, 285 have recovered and six died. Pictured: Travelers check in at the American Airline ticket counter at Greater Pittsburgh International Airport on Thursday Multiple airports have already required travelers and staffers to wear face masks, and all major US airlines have done the same. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said starting Monday all travelers at Los Angeles International Airport 'will be required to wear face coverings to help us save lives and slow the spread of COVID-19,' Reuters reported. The federal government has not mandated face masks for air travelers yet, but TSA has encouraged passengers to don a face protector. 'Passengers are encouraged to wear facial protection and individuals may be asked to momentarily lower their facial covering for identity verification purposes, or if screening equipment alarms on it,' the press release said. TSA added that it is 'considering further changes to its screening system to further minimize the risk and to limit physical interactions in the security checkpoint,' but no formal moves have been made. The Federal Aviation Administration, TSA and other air travel trade groups will be looking at new potential requirements. One consideration was that airport screeners may perform temperature checks on passengers before they board airplanes. An official decision on that has not been made. New Delhi, May 16 : The Congress on Saturday targeted the Centre after 24 migrant workers were killed in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya, saying that the government can't be a bystander on the migrant crisis and if needed the Army should be brought in to help migrants reach their homes safely. Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said, "The migrant crisis is now as big as the corona pandemic itself. Government cannot be a bystander in such a situation where migrants either go hungry or are losing their lives in accidents." He said: "Speeches are not a solution. Rs 1000 cr of PM CARE funds must reach their hands." Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also condoled the death of the migrant workers. In a series of tweets, she said, "The heart wrenching accident of Auraiya has once again brought the question to the fore, why the government is not making proper arrangements for the safe return of the migrant workers? Why the buses are not being arranged in the state to transport the migrant workers?" "Either the government is not seeing anything or even after seeing everything they are just ignoring it. Is rhetoric the only job left with the government?" she said in another tweet. BOISE, Idaho Idaho State Police say two people and more than a dozen dogs died when a box truck transporting animals for a rescue group crashed in eastern Idaho. They say the truck was the only vehicle involved in the accident reported early Friday on Interstate 15 near Shelley. The driver and a passenger, both from Phoenix, died of their injuries, along with 14 dogs. Investigators say the truck was taking 48 dogs of mixed breeds and different sizes to Calgary in Alberta, Canada, for adoption. All the dogs were in kennels for the trip, but several escaped. So far, 18 of those animals have been found and 16 remained unaccounted for, police said. Investigators say the crash occurred when the truck left the roadway and hit an embankment. The driver, 40-year-old Christopher Kracht, was flown to a hospital where he died of his injuries, authorities said. His passenger, Ann Watson, 38, was pronounced dead at the scene. Local animal shelters are helping care for the surviving dogs until representatives from the animal rescue network can take them to Canada, where shelters are waiting to place the dogs in homes. The name of the animal rescue network was not released. PR-Inside.com: 2020-05-16 18:29:55 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 937 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 16, 2020 / Mota Ventures Corp. (CSE:MOTA)(FSE:1WZ:GR)(OTC PINK:PEMTF) (the "Company") announces that it has entered into a binding term sheet (the Term Sheet"), dated May 14, 2020, with Verrian Ontario Limited ("Verrian"), pursuant to which it proposes to acquire all of the outstanding share capital of Verrian (the "Transaction"). The Term Sheet replaces the previous preliminary letter of intent entered into with Verrian on May 11, 2020. Verrian is an arms'-length privately-held company that is focused on delivering and developing products related to addiction reduction, with a focus on alcohol and opiates.ESTABLISHED EUROPEAN PSYCHEDELIC MEDICINE COMPANYVerrian owns and operates an EU-GMP, ISO 14001 compliant 110,000 square foot pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Radebeul, Germany. Verrian purchased the facility from a major global pharmaceutical manufacturer in 2019. Both the facility and equipment are independently appraised at Cdn$10,600,000, including an analytical laboratory, and full pharmaceutical manufacturing suite.Verrian will operate three distinct business segments:Pharmaceutical Manufacturing - A portfolio of medical & wellness productsPhyto API - API creation from medical plantsAnalytical Testing - European Medicine Agency StandardsPRODUCTS FOCUSED ON OPIATE ADDICTION REDUCTIONVerrian's singular focus is rewiring the mind to overcome addiction through natural medicine. Specifically, the micro dosing of psilocybin demonstrates potential to remove the dopamine reward of addictive substances, potentially diminishing the desire for addictive substances, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for the addictive substance.To date Verrian has developed two psilocybin products: PSI GEN and PSI GEN+. These Psilocybin products are focused on opiate addiction reduction. As natural psilocybin extracts, from organically cultivated mushrooms, combined with metabolism enhancing natural herbs, they are ideal for individuals commencing micro-dosing and capable of being combined with additional anti-addiction therapies.All of Verrian's compounds are derived from organic, glyphosate free naturally occurring plants, grown specifically for its own purposes.GOALS AND VISIONIn addition to the the facility and equipment outlined above, Verrian has invested approximately Cdn$2,400,000 in clinical trial design and development of proprietary formulations for its psilocybin trademarked PSI-GEN products, and cannabis products, including trademarked CBDaily and CBNight.Verrian's world renowned addiction medicine experts are moving ahead to develop new potential treatments for therapy, with rigorous clinical research. Once EU GMP and narcotics handling recertification are secured, capabilities will extend to: specialty pharmaceutical formulations; and psilocybin refinement and production for micro dosing."Signing this binding term sheet is an important step towards Mota's goal of becoming a leader in the natural health space. Verrian's significant investment into its licensing, research, equipment and facilities have made it one of the top psychedelic medicine companies. Mota is poised to capitalize on an emerging industry and will continue to expand its North American and European operations to ensure a strong distribution network is in place once this line of product is approved to go to market," stated Ryan Hoggan, CEO of the Company.The binding Term Sheet contemplates that the Company would acquire all of the outstanding share capital of Verrian in consideration for Cdn$20,000,000, which will be satisfied through the issuance of common shares (the "Consideration Shares") to the existing shareholders of Verrian. The Consideration Shares will be issued at a deemed price of equivalent to the volume-weighted average closing price of the common shares of the Company in the ten trading days immediately prior to the entering into of definitive documentation in respect of the Transaction.The Consideration Shares will be subject to terms of a thirty-six month time release pooling arrangement, during which time they may not be transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise traded. The Consideration Shares will be released from the pooling arrangement in tranches, of which ten-percent will be released after four months, fifteen percent after six months, and the balance in five equal tranches every six months thereafter. In addition to the Consideration Shares, upon closing of the Transaction, the Company will arrange for repayment of existing shareholder loans of Verrian totaling approximately Cdn$1,100,000.The Company is at arms-length from Verrian, and each of its shareholders. The Transaction does not constitute a fundamental change for the Company, nor is it expected to result in a change of control of the Company, within the meaning of applicable securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange. Upon completion of the Transaction, an administrative fee of $422,000, payable in common shares of the Company, will be owing to a consultant who assisted with the Transaction.The Transaction remains subject to a number of conditions, including completion of due diligence, receipt of any required regulatory approval and the negotiation of definitive documentation, which is expected to include warranties, representations, covenants, terms and conditions which are customary and consistent with industry standards for a transaction of this nature, as a well as a mutual break fee in the event of termination. The Transaction cannot be completed until these conditions have been satisfied.We encourage shareholders and prospective investors to visit the Company's AGORACOM Discussion Forum, a moderated social media platform that enables civilized discussion and Q&A between Management and Shareholders.About Mota Ventures Corp.Mota Ventures is an established eCommerce, direct to consumer provider of a wide range of CBD products in the United States and Europe. In the United States, the company sells a CBD hemp-oil formulation derived from hemp grown and formulated in the US through its Nature's Exclusive brand. Within Europe, its Satavida brand of award winning 100% organic CBD oils and cosmetics are sold throughout Spain, Portugal, Austria, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Mota Ventures is also seeking to acquire additional revenue producing CBD brands and operations in both No one country or actor can do this alone. There is a need for 'concertedness' and congruence of actions underpropped by the willingness to share resources and expertise if COVID-19 is to be defeated, Dr Ibn Chambas said at recent meeting with the Rotary Club of Accra-Airport. At this time, we must not only come together, we must stay together to beat this pandemic. Speaking on the topic: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on West Africa and Sahel, Dr Ibn Chambas said, the relevance of Rotary Club 12 -An effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic must be underpinned by solidarity at both the national and international level. So, with the Rotary Club's 35,000 plus member clubs worldwide and your 1.2 million individual Rotarians in Ghana, you constitute a group with the kind of mandate, leverage and potential through which the call for solidarity can be actualized, he said. I know a lot of visibility is being given to the need for international solidarity in view of the globalized nature of the pandemic, but we must not underestimate the relevance of national and local solidarity especially in our context where community transmission is on the rise. He said Rotarians in Ghana have a central role to play to cushion the impact of this pandemic on communities from Walewale in the North to Prampram in the South and from Krachi in the East to Asankrangwa in the West. He said the private-public partnership which was one of the hallmarks of the work of the Rotary Club in normal times should be the platform for an impactful, sustained and effective engagement in times of crises such as this. Dr Chambas said Ghanaians should be able to rely on Rotary Club's experience in delivering lifesaving assistance to the needy and populations in distress in complement to the efforts undertaken by Government. He said Rotary Club's reach and proximity to the community could provide valuable insights on a more inclusive approach to addressing the pandemic; declaring that furthermore, moments of crises have a way of bringing out the best in humanity. The Rotary Club has been exemplary in this regard. Your generosity is unrivaled. I have no doubt when I say this, because I speak for millions who have been beneficiaries of your unending largesse and benevolence, Dr Chambas said. Your work continues to give new meaning to the African proverb which says, 'charity is the matter of the heart and not the pocket'. In this regard, I entreat you to plan for the long term as the impact of this pandemic will be incisive, lasting, dire and beyond the capacity of any single government in our region to handle alone. Dr Chambas said similarly, from a regional perspective, as they seek to unite the political will, promote coherence and sharing of resources and expertise, this should also extend to the humanitarian and philanthropic domain. He said Rotary Club's extensive network and membership in the region should facilitate resource sharing in order to support the efforts of states and communities that might be in greater need for financial and material support. Adding that the concentric partnerships being formed to prevent and address conflicts could also be formed to further philanthropic acts. GNA AUSTIN, Texas Two weeks into the reopening of Texas, coronavirus cases are climbing. New outbreaks still crop up. And at Guero's Taco Bar in Austin, which offers the occasional celebrity sighting, a log of every diner and where they sat is begrudgingly in the works. "It seems like a huge invasion of privacy," said owner Cathy Lipincott, who is nonetheless trying to comply with Austin's local public health guidelines by asking, but not requiring, customers to give their information. Few states are rebooting quicker than Texas, where stay-at-home orders expired May 1. With cases still rising, including single-day highs of 1,458 new cases and 58 deaths Thursday, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has defended the pace by emphasizing steadying hospitalization rates and pointing out that Texas' 1,200 deaths are still behind similarly big states, including California and Florida. But on the cusp of even more restrictions ending Monday, including gyms cleared to reopen, a political confrontation is growing over attempts by big cities to keep some guardrails. The dispute underscores the gulf between Democrats who run city halls and GOP leaders who call the shots in the capital in Texas, where unlike in other states, the governor's orders supersede all local mandates during the pandemic. The renewed tensions comes at a moment when Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, warned Congress this week of "needless suffering and death" if the U.S. moves too quickly. Nevertheless, Wisconsin's courts tossed out the state's stay-at-home orders, throwing communities into chaos as some bars opened immediately while strict local restrictions are kept elsewhere. In Georgia, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has also expressed unease with the speed that Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has reopened the state. Oklahoma lawmakers, irritated by local officials who imposed stricter measures during this health crisis, passed a House bill Thursday that would weaken the power of cities during the next one. And in Texas, Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton this week lashed out at the cities of Dallas, Austin and San Antonio over what he called "unlawful" local orders that are tougher than restrictions prescribed by Abbott, and threatened lawsuits if the cities don't back off. The warning came one day after El Paso pleaded to postpone easing up on any more lockdown measures in light of the number of COVID-19 cases there surging 60 percent over the past two weeks. "Unfortunately, a few Texas counties and cities seem to have confused recommendations with requirements and have grossly exceeded state law to impose their own will on private citizens and businesses," Paxton said. City leaders said their local orders, which include more stringent emphasis on face coverings in public and restaurant protocols that aren't strictly enforced, don't conflict. El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said he made his case to the governor in a phone call, asking for a few more weeks to assess data and reduce cases before more restrictions are lifted, but believes he won't get an answer until Abbott's public announcement Monday. "I'm not fighting his plan, I'm fighting his timing," Samaniego said. "It looks like it would work for us months from now." The spat is a reversal from the early days of the outbreak in Texas, when Abbott gave cities and counties wide latitude to issue restrictions as they saw fit. But Abbott has since taken the reins over how quickly Texas will reboot, which last week included moving up the reopening of hair salons following complaints from conservatives. Testing for most of May has fallen well short of Abbott's stated goal of 30,000 per day, although testing numbers have surged in recent days, according to state health officials. Amanda St. Amand 314-340-8201 @mandystlpd on Twitter astamand@post-dispatch.com The U.S. government imposed new restrictions on Chinese tech giant Huawei on Friday, severely limiting its ability to use American technology to design and manufacture semiconductors produced for it abroad. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Friday that the move aims to prevent Huawei from making a run around existing U.S. sanctions. There has been a very highly technical loophole through which Huawei has been able to in effect use U.S. technology, Ross told Fox Business. We never intended that loophole to be there. Adam Segal, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the move looks like a victory for the people who really want to drive the nail, or what they think will be the nail, in Huaweis coffin, said The new restrictions elicited an angry response from China, which threatened retaliation against U.S. companies. Chip design and manufacturing equipment used in the worlds semiconductor plants is mostly U.S. made, so the new rule aims to impact multiple foreign producers that sell to Huawei and affiliates including HiSilicon, which makes chips used in supercomputers with scientific and military uses. The Commerce Department said foreign foundries would be granted a 120-day grace period. Under the new rules, foreign semiconductor makers must obtain a license from U.S. officials in order to ship to Huawei-designed semiconductors to the Chinese company that were produced using U.S. technology. Last year, the Trump administration barred U.S. firms from using Huawei technology or providing technology to the Chinese firm without government approval, deeming it a national security risk. The Commerce Department exempted a narrow list of products and services and has continuously extended that limited waiver, largely to lessen the impact on U.S. wireless carriers that use Huawei technology in their networks. This week, it added another 90 days. The new restrictions are separate from those exemptions, but loopholes have allowed U.S. companies to continue to supply Huawei with chips made outside the U.S. The Commerce Department said in a statement Friday that the new restrictions would narrowly and strategically target Huaweis acquisition of semiconductors that it designs built in overseas foundries that use U.S. software and technology. Kevin Wolf, an attorney at Akin Gump who oversaw export administration at the Commerce Department during the Obama administration, noted the narrow scope of the rules. If a foreign foundry makes a chip based on a Huawei design and U.S. equipment is used to make a chip then its controlled, but if a chip is not made from a Huawei design then it is not controlled, he said. Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But Chinas official Global Times newspaper threatened countermeasures on Friday. It said Beijing that could include restrictions on U.S. companies including Qualcomm, Cisco and Apple. It also threatened to suspend purchases of Boeing aircraft. Global Times noted that the new Commerce rules would block companies such as TSMC, a Taiwainese chip maker, from providing semiconductors to Huawei. TSMC announced plans this week to build a chip plant in Arizona. It did not immediately respond to an Associated Press query on whether the new rules might alter those plans. It seems the U.S. is ratcheting up efforts to pinch Chinas high-tech companies, the editorial read, calling it more than just an element of President Donald Trumps re-election strategy. U.S. suppression has become the No. 1 challenge to Chinas development. BRUNSWICK, GA.Two months before Ahmaud Arbery was fatally shot in Glynn County, Ga., a police officer there sent a text to a property owner who was worried about recurring trespassing incidents, a lawyer for the homeowner said Friday. The officer provided the phone number of a nearby resident, telling the owner to call it the next time his motion-sensing security cameras whirred into action. That resident, Gregory McMichael, a retired investigator in the local district attorneys office, never received a call from the owner asking for help. But this month, McMichael and his son were arrested on murder charges after they chased and then confronted Arbery, who was Black, on the streets of their Southeast Georgia neighbourhood Feb. 23. The McMichaels are white, and the killing has unleashed a firestorm of protests countrywide. Charlie Bailey, a former senior assistant district attorney in Fulton County, Ga., said it was highly irregular for a police agency to recommend that a person who was not active in law enforcement to respond to a potential crime. Ive never heard, in my time as a prosecutor, of police enlisting a civilian to do something that the police are sworn to do, said Bailey, a former Democratic candidate for state attorney general. Youre not supposed to have civilians acting as police. Moments before the McMichaels chased Arbery, he had been seen on camera inside the property owners house, which was under construction. McMichael, 64, later told the police that he chased Arbery, 25, because he thought Arbery was the suspect in a string of break-ins in the area. After taking down their account of the shooting death, officers released McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, 34. They were arrested more than two months later after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case. The new detail of the text message from a police officer, first reported Friday by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, was confirmed by J. Elizabeth Graddy, the lawyer for the property owner, Larry English. Graddy provided a screenshot of a text message sent to her client Dec. 20, three days after one of a flurry of trespassing incidents on Englishs property in the Glynn County neighbourhood of Satilla Shores. The text message she provided was sent to English by an Officer Rash and identified Gregory McMichael, who was a Glynn County police officer in the 1980s, as retired law enforcement. He included McMichaels phone number, explaining that McMichael said please call him day or night when you get action on your camera. Graddy identified the person who sent the text as an officer in the Glynn County police force, but said she did not know his first name. Neither McMichael, who is being held without bond, nor a spokesperson for the department could be reached for comment Friday night. The revelation is certain to bring more scrutiny upon the local police force, which appears to have bungled the shooting investigation and has a record of past troubles, including claims of coverups and other misconduct. The state attorney general has asked the Justice Department to initiate a sweeping investigation into the case. On Friday night, S. Lee Merritt, a lawyer for Arberys family, called for the officer who sent the text and all participating parties to be arrested. We believe this communication deputized a group of untrained men in the Satilla Shores community to hunt down suspected trespassers, causing the events of Feb. 23, 2020, he said, referring to the killing. Englishs video cameras recorded people walking onto his property over several months. Several of the videos appear to show the same young African-American man. Lawyers for Arbery did not confirm that he was the man in any of the recordings, with the exception of a surveillance video taken in the moments before he was killed. Graddy noted that no property was taken in any of the incidents captured on video. She said that English, who has been battling a serious illness, did not notice that the officer had sent him the December message until Friday. Donald Trump said he is looking at making a coronavirus vaccine free, after claiming his administration is moving at warp speed to develop a treatment by the end of the year. Asked whether vaccines should be free, the president told reporters that were looking at that actually as he departed the White House for Camp David. But were making a lot of progress on vaccines, he added. But well be speaking to you very soon and I think were going to have a very good couple of meetings at Camp David. Earlier on Friday, the president claimed that vaccine or no vaccine, were back as nearly every state in the US began easing quarantine efforts and reopening businesses as the nations death toll climbed above 85,000. He said: When a vaccine is ready, the US government will deploy every plane, truck and soldier required to help distribute it to the American people as quickly as possible. But health officials have said the presidents optimistic timeline is unlikely. Dr Rick Bright, the ousted federal whistleblower whose agency oversees vaccine development, testified to congress that a vaccine can be developed and available to the public within 12 to 18 months if everything goes perfectly. Weve never seen everything go perfectly, he said I still think 12 to 18 months is an aggressive schedule, and I think its going to take longer than that to do so. Dr Anthony Fauci, the top health official leading the Trump administrations response to the outbreak, testified to the US Senate this week that vaccine development will probably take up to 18 months. He told a Senate panel that he is concerned that US schools could reopen before a vaccine is available, potentially turning parts of the US into flashpoints that could spawn little outbreaks that officials might not be able to control. The president, who has pushed for schools to reopen amid the public health crisis, criticised Dr Faucis remarks. Dozens of world leaders have called for future Covid-19 vaccines to be freely available and free of patents, according to an open letter to be published in the World Health Assembly, the World Health Organisations policy-setting body. The letter argues for vaccine research to be shared with the world as it becomes available. Recommended Trump says coronavirus vaccine could be ready by end of year The letter follows claims from the head of a French drug manufacturer that the US government has the right to the largest pre-order because its invested in taking the risk Bloomberg reported that Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson as saying. Last month, the Trump administration said that there will be no US official participation in a WHO programme joining world leaders to speed the development of a vaccine and share resources in the fight against the virus, following the presidents suspension of millions of dollars for the international health organisation amid his accusations that WHO was covering up Chinas role in the outbreak. An administration official said: We look forward to learning more about this initiative in support of international cooperation to develop a vaccine for Covid-19 as soon as possible. But closer to home, progressive lawmakers and healthcare advocacy groups have pressed officials to commit to providing free vaccines when theyre made available. During Senate hearing this week, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders grilled Food and Drug Administration commissioner Stephen Hahn and Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, about the potential for a free vaccine, though both men said the decision wasnt up to them. New Delhi, May 16 : RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh on Saturday "strongly opposed" the announcements on privatisation in eight sectors of the Indian economy made earlier in the day by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The trade union said it was a "sad day" for the country that the announcements on privatisation in eight sectors showcased a dearth of ideas in the Central government. The BMS said privatisation was against national interests and the Indian economy was not going to bounce back on the basis of "failed ideas". Expressing "dismay" over what it called lack of appropriate ideas to strengthen the sagging economy, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated body said the Centre's stand that there was no other option to privatisation in coal, minerals, defence production, airports and airport management, power distribution, space, and nuclear energy indicated lack of ideas with the Central government. Pointing out that workers were affected the most by any change, privatisation would mean job losses on a large scale and a dearth of quality jobs. It would lead to profiteering and exploitation of the workforce, the BMS claimed and said that the government was bringing about a change without any social dialogue which was the essence of democracy. The BMS said the Central government was shying away from holding discussions and consultations with trade unions. "It is our recent observation that private players and markets flopped in the recent crisis situation and only the public sector of India had played an important role," the trade union said. The BMS said that setting aside Rs 50,000 crore for the privatisation of coal sector was "objectionable", adding that auction of 500 mining blocks, including those of bauxite and coal, was against national interests. It also flayed the proposals to increase in Foreign Direct Investment in defence production from 49 to 74 per cent as well as privatisation of Ordnance Factory Board. The trade union said auction of six airports for Rs 13,000 crore and privatisation of discoms in metro cities was also against the long-term interests of India. It also cautioned that privatisation of the space sector could be detrimental to national security, adding that start-ups were not capable of meeting the challenges faced in the sector. The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has required Egypt to rediscover its technological infrastructure after many people have been asked to work from home, the government has launched online learning for school and university students, and some government services have gone online as precautionary measures to ensure social-distancing and help to halt the spread of the new coronavirus. Chair of the Egyptian African Businessmen Association Yosri Al-Sharqawi said the coronavirus outbreak had led to more people working remotely at a time when Egypts digital infrastructure was not always ready to embrace this practice. Working remotely is appropriate for some clerical and oversight jobs, he said, though other jobs require people to be at their regular workplace. He also said it required a high-speed Internet connection, appropriate software including online conferencing and employee-monitoring software, and a quiet work space at home. Egypts workforce is composed of some 30 million employees, Al-Sharqawi said, and working from home could save 20 to 25 per cent of the cost of transportation, as well as other costs of working in offices. But Egypt is only 30 per cent prepared to work from home, he said, adding that while online sales have spiked since the outbreak began, other purchases have dropped since people have focused on buying basic necessities such as food and medicine rather than non-essential items. People may also be worried about going to the shops, supermarkets, and malls in order to avoid crowds and possible contamination. Online government services have helped many, including by issuing subsidised ration cards and driving licenses online. However, Al-Sharqawi said he wanted to see more services go online, including legal services. The speed and capacity of the Internet to efficiently provide such services was also an issue, he said. For Walid Mohamed Eid, a member of the Division of the Digital Economy and Technology at the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, the pandemic is an opportunity for anyone working in computing, since many employers have asked their staff to work from home, and the Ministry of Higher Education has also instructed university students to complete their academic year remotely. Eid said that software companies have grown because the government and employers are encouraging working from home, and this has been a perk for software developers that offer educational platforms, video-conferencing, or remote-working applications. The cost of these programmes can range from $5 to $100 depending on the nature of the work, the subscription, and the number of employees. An individuals subscription within an organisation could vary between $10 and $15, Eid said, with costs for private-sector companies being different from government firms. He said that software companies were likely to grow even more in September at the start of the new academic year in the light of calls to continue online education. Various online platforms have different functions depending on company needs. The education sector is most in need of remote-learning software since there are more than 22 million students in Egypt, with the most popular platforms being Zoom, Blackboard, and Moodle. There is a need for strong infrastructure since nearly all institutions are now working remotely. Programmers are working on launching new software compatible with the state education system, including a version of the popular Edmodo software. Eid said that although many sectors have welcomed working remotely, it was more difficult to rely on this in sectors such as manufacturing and transportation. For Mohamed Reda, an education technology specialist and CEO of a creative education company, the pandemic has forced global companies, including the technology giants Google and Microsoft, to provide some social platforms for free. The Ministry of Education has signed an agreement with one digital platform to connect students and teachers online, and some Egyptian software companies are offering free services to the education sector, such as videos to educate parents about digital learning, e-books, online schoolwork, and ways to stay connected with school. Websites such as Udemy, Coursera, and MaharaTech, the first free Arabic IT platform that now has some 500,000 students, are offering online services for free. A website called e3melbusiness is helping business administration students. Reda said that online learning had grown by 45 per cent after the virus outbreak, with the services provided by online learning software companies being divided into three parts. There were companies that already had educational content but could not market it before because of low demand that now have opportunities to sell it to the education sector, he said. There were companies that had educational websites, games, or videos that are now giving discounts to encourage more traffic, and there were companies pushing out content such as educational games and online lessons, he said. Some software companies were selling education management systems starting at LE50,000 and going up to LE250,000, Reda said, with the cost of online training sessions varying between LE500 and LE3,000. The sales of remote-learning platforms and companies had jumped by 20 to 30 per cent. Reda said that over the weeks and months to come companies working in education and training would need to invest more in online learning by increasing the number of platforms and promoting remote-learning because it could save time and cost and encourage participation. He also anticipated more focus on the digital infrastructure in use in schools and universities and using new educational platforms. DIGITAL BASE: Economist Sherif Delawar said the technological revolution had impacted many sectors including education, consumption, and production. The notion of working from home and remote learning was there well before the Covid-19 outbreak, he said, but people are paying more attention to it now in order to maintain social-distancing in schools, workplaces, and other areas.He said Egypt needed a strong digital base, effective software for remote-learning and working, and the spread of high-speed Internet connections for this to take place. He urged greater digital transformation in the industry as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution since Egypt had the human resources to stay abreast of industrial developments around the world.Fadi Ramzi, a professor of digital media at the American University in Cairo, said students in his classes had welcomed switching to online lessons. They could watch recorded lectures at any time, learn without leaving their homes which saved time and money, and take part in 90-minute live meetings between students and teachers, he said.The pandemic had also promoted self-learning as local and global educational platforms were providing free training for two to three months to encourage people to improve their practical and technical skills. Some companies in Egypt had already allowed working from home for a couple of a days a week, especially larger companies, to save time and costs for employees, he said, but now working from home had become common practice across all sectors due to the virus outbreak. Many companies and government offices have reduced the number of their staff by half in some cases to ensure social-distancing.Companies now hold virtual meetings using platforms such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft Teams, Ramzi said. Zoom was the most popular meeting platform, with growing users every day because it is user-friendly and provides a variety of tools and options, he added, whereas Microsoft Teams provides a comprehensive system to manage the work team.One of the biggest challenges to working at home, Ramzi said, could be the presence of other family members. Nonetheless, this had resulted in more flexibility and understanding from employers when there were domestic interruptions, he added.He expected more online sales even after the outbreak ends, especially since online sellers such as Souq.com and Jumia have made special offers to boost sales. He said the sector that would likely change the most after the crisis was education, since remote-learning had been very successful. Schools and universities will revise how they present their curricula to students, Ramzi said. I expect a portion of the curriculum will be online learning. He also expected large companies to encourage their employees to work more from home since this could save time and money.Mahmoud Al-Hefnawi, the CEO of a software company, said online learning software had become very popular since many institutions were choosing education from home. Private and international schools and universities in Egypt were the top users of the software, he said, and the most-used applications were those connecting students, teachers, and parents. Software that allows teachers to upload files and presentations for students and receive assignments was also popular, he said, with subscription costs being around LE100 per student. He said that a key feature of remote-learning was the ability to record lessons and watch them at any time, though it could be difficult for teachers to manage tests.Al-Hefnawi said many private and international schools in Egypt preferred buying software and platforms that enabled them to remotely manage their finances, at a cost of LE40,000 to LE50,000 annually. The purchase of learning apps had risen by 50 per cent and would continue to grow as many international universities were pivoting towards online learning, he said. He added that one potential problem was a lack of recognition of online certification, though this would change. Even though the communications infrastructure has improved in Egypt, it had been challenged by the high demand for remote communication, he said.Minister of Education Tareq Shawqi announced at the start of the coronavirus outbreak that the ministry would use educational channels on television to help key grades, and a website has been created to help students to study from home from primary to prep school. Content for final preparatory and secondary schools has been uploaded online via the Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB), and remote learners have been sent instructions on exams.The ministry is using its own digital content on EKB, as well as content from companies such as the Encyclopaedia Britannica, the Discovery Foundation, the York Press, Designmate, Wolfram, and Nahdet Misr. *A version of this article appears in print in the 14 May, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Los Angeles, May 16 : Hollywood star Bruce Willis is ready to "save the world" in his "Armageddon" spacesuit. The 65-year-old actor pulled out his iconic orange spacesuit from the 1998 film "Armageddon" that, according to his daughter Rumer Willis, he calls his "saving the (world) outfit", amid the COVID-19 pandemic, reports usatoday.com. Rumer shared an Instagram picture of her father donning the complete costume. She said his spacesuit is the "actual one from Armageddon", and after 22 years, the orange costume still fits him well. Willis has been quarantining since March in Iowa with ex-wife Demi Moore and the couple's three children: Rumer, Scout and Tallulah, 26. He also shares daughters Evelyn Penn, and Mabel Ray, with his current wife, Emma Heming Willis. Not all children in a class will be able to attend school together when they reopen due to physical distancing, and a school must remain closed if it cannot provide a safe environment for students and staff. Distance learning also looks like it will remain a feature of teaching for the time being, according to the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO). "Given the current guidance of physical distancing, it will be necessary in almost all schools to reduce the number of children attending at one time." In a submission to the Department of Education, the teachers' union says its priority in reopening primary schools will be given to the safety and health of staff, pupils and parents. We seek firm assurances that schools are not reopened prematurely and then might face a second period of enforced closure, which would only compound an already difficult situation. Schools must also be given enough notice to carry out suitable safety assessments. Teachers in special schools have also raised very specific health concerns, both for themselves and their pupils. "Guidance and support will be urgently required by schools in these cases." INTO members are also very concerned about the effects of lockdown on young students. When schools reopen additional resources will be required to address social, emotional and behavioural needs that might have been exacerbated since the schools closed. The INTO also raised concerns around teachers with childcare responsibilities should creches fail to reopen in advance of schools, teachers who are at risk, teachers who are pregnant, and teaching principals. Additional funding will also be required to cover the costs of deep cleaning schools, and for improved hygiene practices like access to warm water, soap, hand gel and disposable paper towels. There is "clear acknowledgement" that it is not possible to observe physical distancing in a school as it is elsewhere, the submission added. "This is a matter which is of huge concern to our members." Appropriate measures must be put in place to help children with this including smaller class groups, floor markings, removal of furniture, arrangements for assembly, dismissing and playing, one-way access systems, and toilet access. "This will pose huge organisational challenges for schools and clear communication with parents will be necessary." Formal consultation on reopening schools has now begun with the Department of Education. Talks are expected to continue throughout the summer. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 11:13:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- At least 24 people died and more than 35 were injured when two trucks collided with each other in northern India early on Saturday, local officials confirmed to Xinhua over phone. The accident occurred in the Auraiya district of northern state of Uttar Pradesh, at around 3:30 a.m. local time, added the officials. According to media reports, all the deceased and victims were migrant labourers who were riding one of the trucks and going to their respective homes in eastern states of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, amid the ongoing lockdown imposed to contain COVID-19 pandemic. They had boarded the ill-fated truck from western state of Rajasthan, as all regular transport like buses and trains have been suspended during the current Lockdown. A senior district administration official told Xinhua over phone that "24 dead bodies have been recovered from the spot, and more than 35 injured have been admitted in various hospitals." Confirming the mishap, a senior police official said that rescue work was still going on, and all senior administration and police officials had rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. Enditem Burundi is pushing ahead with an election on Wednesday that will end the president's divisive and bloody 15-year rule. When President Pierre Nkurunziza hands over power, it could be the first truly peaceful transfer of authority in the East African nation since independence in 1962. But the coronavirus poses a threat to the May 20 vote. Burundi has kicked out World Health Organization workers after concerns were raised. The WHO Africa director messaged the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief about political rallies the day that Burundi's campaigning launched and images of crowds circulated online. Authorities have been accused by critics of downplaying the pandemic and citing divine protection. But the government appears to be using virus measures to limit election observers, warning the East African regional bloc on May 8 that arriving foreigners face a 14-day quarantine. More than the virus, however, it's the fear of violence that weighs on many of the more than 5 million people eligible to vote. Government agents have been accused of harassing the main opposition party, the CNL, whose leader Agathon Rwasa is believed to be in a close race with Nkurunziza's chosen successor in the ruling CNDD-FDD, Evariste Ndayishimiye. More than 145 CNL members have been arrested since campaigning began on April 27, according to SOS Medias Burundi, a group of independent journalists. Police spokesman Pierre Nkurikiye has accused Rwasa of making incendiary and defamatory remarks and inciting revolt. Rwasa, the deputy parliament speaker, has drawn large crowds despite the risks of openly supporting him, according to an online group of activists known as i-Burundi. The group worries that a rigged election could spark the kind of street demonstrations that marked the previous vote in 2015. The ruling party was hoping to use this post-Nkurunziza election to gain a semblance of legitimacy, but given what's happening we might end up with more violence, i-Burundi said in an interview. People want change. ... But the ruling party has the incumbent advantage and controls the electoral process. Rwasa told The Associated Press he feels it's important not to boycott the election even if the outcome is not expected to be fair. Everything has its right time," he said. Right now, it is not the time to give up and abandon our people." Ndayishimiye, a retired general, would be a weak president because he will be a front for Nkurunziza and other powerful ruling party members, said David Gakunzi, a Burundian political analyst: He consults but he will fear to take independent decisions. Ndayishimiye fought alongside Nkurunziza as a rebel in the civil war from 1993 to 2005 that killed about 300,000 people. Nkurunziza was chosen by lawmakers to be president during the peace process known as the Arusha Accords, which specified that a president's term can be renewed only once. But Nkurunziza, who won a second term in 2010, said he was eligible for a third term in 2015 because he had not been chosen the first time by universal suffrage. The deadly turmoil that followed badly damaged ties with the international community, and Burundi became the first country to leave the International Criminal Court after it started investigating allegations of abuses. The UN human rights office reported more than 300 extrajudicial killings and was kicked out of the country. Nkurunziza survived a coup attempt shortly after the 2015 vote while traveling in Tanzania and has left Burundi only once since then. Meanwhile international donors have cut support, leaving the government struggling. It has ordered citizens to pay for the upcoming vote. Many Burundians were surprised when the president announced in 2018 that he was serving his last term. Skepticism persists. The government has approved legislation that bestows upon Nkurunziza the title of paramount leader after he steps down. It's hard to know what's going to happen ... Nkurunziza has a track record of being quite unpredictable," said researcher Lane Hartill of the Burundi Human Rights Initiative. "Both the ruling party and the main opposition party, the CNL, are convinced their candidates are going to win the presidential election. It's telling, though, that government officials continue to arrest large numbers of CNL members. Even some senior members of the ruling party are tired of rights violations and the cratering economy but are afraid to speak out for fear of losing their jobs or being killed, Hartill said. Burundi's government has denied allegations it targets its people, calling them malicious propaganda by dissidents. Memories of the 2015 violence are still raw. Jean Baptiste Bakunzi said he remains traumatized by his brother's death at the hands of the police and the Imbonerakure, a militarized youth group associated with the ruling party. His brother, accused of participating in anti-government activities, knelt down and begged them to save his life," Bakunzi said. "Instead, one policeman pulled the trigger and shot him dead, he said. Whoever opposes the ruling party becomes an enemy even today. The violence has dimmed hopes for those outside Burundi who will not be able to vote. Over 330,000 refugees are sheltering in Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Congo, according to U.N. figures. These elections will not bring hope for us because we have lost so much," said Solange Teta, a refugee in Rwanda. The ruling party candidate cannot alleviate our suffering." Sporadic violence persists. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TEHRAN, Iran, May 16 Trend: Iran has exported two batches of antibody kits to Turkey and Germany, said Hassan Safouri, director general for medical equipment in Iran's Health Ministry. However, PCR kits are still needed in the country, so they will not be exported for now, he said, Trend reports citing IRNA. "I am not aware of the precise volume of exports, but there were two batches. The domestic producer of antibody kits has requested for export of 9,000 kits from the Health Ministry," he said. Safouri went on to add that there are currently three knowledge-based companies that are producing testing kits in Iran and they are expected to provide 1.5 million kits to the Health Ministry in the next one and a half months. There is one Serologic testing kits producer that can both export its products and meet the domestic demand, he said. "The production of N95 and three layered masks, shield and other items have been developed. The production of three layered masks has increased four times now to 2.5 million per day, while N95 mask production is 150,000 masks per day that can be used in health care centers and exported," he said. Safouri noted that Iran imported testing kits from China and Europe at the early stages of Coronavirus spread. "Importing medical equipment has been slowed down due to the problem in obtaining assigned official foreign currency rate. Hopefully. the Central Bank of Iran will resolve the issue," he added. Public health officials around the world have agreed that testing and contact tracing are vital to containing the coronavirus pandemic. But for many people, coming forward to get tested -- let alone revealing the personal information of friends, family and close associates -- is more terrifying than getting covid-19. In South Korea, where gay marriage is illegal and homophobia is common, officials are struggling to reach thousands of people who may have been exposed to the virus at gay nightclubs in Seoul. In Malaysia, undocumented immigrants and foreign workers say they fear detention or deportation. In India, real and suspected virus patients say they've become targets of on- and offline harassment. Governments around the world have released unprecedented amounts of information about actual and potential covid-19 cases -- ages, neighborhoods, travel patterns -- all in the name of public health. But it's also emboldened a new kind of vigilantism and threatened personal privacy, and experts worry harassment and prejudice could undermine the goals of all the disclosure in the first place: containing community spread. "It's all become too scary," said Deepak Saxena, a professor at the Indian Institute of Public Health in Gujarat. Health authorities across India say patients have fled hospitals ahead of their test results, fearing the physical abuse and social ostracism that might accompany a positive result. "No one wants to be tested. People will do anything not to be on one of those lists that are circulating," Saxena said. Even prior to the outbreak connected to Seoul's nightlife scene, a positive coronavirus diagnosis carried deep stigma in South Korea. In a survey conducted by Seoul National University's School of Public Health, 62% of people reported they were more afraid of the social consequences of getting the virus than they were of the potential health risks. "The virus outbreak is bringing up many social issues that have been unresolved in South Korea for a long time," said Ki Moran, an epidemiologist at the National Cancer Center. "Homosexuality is one of them, and public disapproval is now testing the nation's ability to get those who fear that stigma to be tested." People have lots of reasons for wanting to remain anonymous. The Malaysian government has detained hundreds of undocumented immigrants and imposed stricter restrictions in areas that are home to mostly foreigners. The crackdown has also affected the 180,000 people recognized as refugees by the United Nations, though not by Malaysia, which isn't a party to international refugee agreements. The news of mass arrests in early May was "counter-productive and clearly a step backward in the ongoing public health response to the pandemic," the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia said in a May 3 statement. "As a consequence, one can expect these vulnerable people will be less willing to come forward for any tests or medical treatment, regardless of the argument or persuasion for them to do so." Others fear vicious personal attacks. Varun Vig found himself a target within hours of landing in New Delhi on March 22. After the New York-based graphic designer arrived at the empty suburban apartment he'd chosen for his mandatory home quarantine, neighborhood chat groups began reporting the surreptitious arrival of a coronavirus-positive "patient." That was the first thing the nosy Parkers got wrong -- Vig didn't have the virus -- but it wasn't the last. They said he'd escaped from virus-ridden Rome with his infected Italian girlfriend. He'd reportedly evicted his grandparents to take refuge in their home. Maintenance staff soon refused to clear his "contaminated" trash, and police came knocking. "I want to spend these 14 days in peace, not being harassed by cops, not being harassed by security guards and by other building residents," the 23-year-old pleaded in an Instagram video post. Still others have more pedestrian reasons for wanting to maintain their privacy. In the central Japan city of Gifu, at least 30 infections were eventually traced to one of the city's hostess clubs. While such clubs, where female employees flirt with and entertain the mostly male clientele, are entirely legal, discretion is part of their business model. Customers -- and employees -- may not be known by their real names. "World over, an unfortunate consequence of an event of this magnitude is that privacy is sacrificed in the name of public health," said Nikhil Narendran, a partner in the telecommunications, media and technology practice at the Indian firm Trilegal. "It's going to be very difficult to regain lost ground." A man who allegedly murdered his blonde girlfriend told a court that he was withdrawing from Xanax and Valium on Saturday. Ricardo 'Rick' Barbaro, 33, made the admission while being questioned by magistrate John Lesser at the Melbourne Magistrates Court. He is accused of murdering is on-off girlfriend Ellie Price, 26, who was found dead in their south Melbourne townhouse on May 4. Barbaro was arrested in a Sydney unit on Thursday and faced the Melbourne Magistrates Court this weekend. He faced court dressed in a grey jumper with a cut near his left eye, was mostly silent during the hearing in front of Mr Lesser. Ricardo 'Rick' Barbaro (left), 33, is accused of murdering is on-off girlfriend Ellie Price (right), 26, who was found dead in their south Melbourne townhouse on May 4 Mr Lesser asked Barbaro whether he was withdrawing from drugs. 'Valiums and Xanax,' the 33-year-old replied while nodding his head. Xanax and Valium are prescription drugs from the benzodiazepine family, which are commonly used to treat anxiety. Barbaro, from Southport in Queensland, was asked whether he needed a nurse. 'Yeah I'm seeing a doctor,' he told the magistrate. Barbaro's lawyer Campbell MacCallum dialled into the hearing from Queensland but no application for bail made. His next court date is in September. It is alleged that Barbaro murdered Ms Price between April 29 and May 4, court documents show. Ms Price's body was in her apartment for days before it was discovered on May 4. After a 10-day interstate manhunt, Barbaro was arrested in a Sydney apartment that belonged to a glamorous blonde woman named Crystal Shihada, 27, on May 14. Shortly after his arrest, Barbaro was charged with Ms Price's murder and extradited from NSW to Victoria to face court. Barbaro's admission to taking drugs comes after Ms Shihada was questioned by police about why the Barbaro was found in her Wentworth Park unit just after midnight on Thursday. Ms Shihada spoke to police on Friday and police said that 'inquiries remain ongoing', according to The Daily Telegraph. The blonde woman bears a striking resemblance to Barbaro's ex Ms Price who was found dead in her south Melbourne townhouse on May 4. It is not known how, or if, Barbaro knows her. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest Ms Shihada is involved in any wrongdoing. Crystal Shihada (left), 27, was questioned by police on Friday after accused fugitive killer Ricardo 'Rick' Barbaro was arrested over the alleged murder of Ellie Price (right) Ms Price's four-year-old son only just learned about his mother's death for the first time on Friday. Ms Price's mother Tracey Gangell has revealed that she was forced to finally tell her grandson, Mostafa, that his mum was in heaven and never coming home. 'He walked up to her photo on the fridge and kissed it and said "I love you mum",' she told the Herald Sun. Ms Gangell is looking after Mostafa at her home in Tasmania but says she will travel to Melbourne to see that 'justice is served'. Following Barbaro's arrest on Thursday she said: 'I am relieved. The police have done an amazing job. 'I hope justice prevails.' During a brief court hearing at Parramatta on Thursday morning, Barbaro had Gold Coast solicitor Campbell MacCallum in his corner, representing him over the phone. Ms Gangell said she told Mostafa a few days ago that his mum was in 'heaven' and never coming home Ricardo Barbaro (pictured) is led from the cells at Burwood Local Court on Thursday afternoon. He will be taken to a nearby jail to spend the night, before returning to Melbourne on Friday Sporting a cut to his head and wearing bright red runners, Barbaro was led away in handcuffs ahead of a return to Melbourne to face charges of murdering his girlfriend Veteran Gold Coast criminal defence lawyer Campbell MacCallum in a light-hearted pandemic isolation photo last month The colourful legal heavyweight is himself draped in tattoos and is known for his 'gangsta' fashion sense, and the high-profile names he regularly represents. MacCallum told Daily Mail Australia he has only had the opportunity to speak with Barbaro on the phone on Thursday. Mr MacCallum confirmed Barbaro suffered 'lacerations and some bruising' in a standoff with officers on Thursday night. Photo Auraiya (UP): At least 24 migrant labourers were killed and 36 people sustained injuries when a trailer truck carrying them collided with another truck in the early hours of Saturday in Uttar Pradesh, police said. Both the trucks were carrying the labourers. The accident took place between 3 am and 3.30 am, they said. Advertisement Accident"The accident took place in Mihauli in which 24 people died, and around 36 were injured. A trailer truck carrying around 50 migrant labourers was coming from Rajasthan and it collided with another truck. The accident took place on Saturday between 3.00 am and 3.30 am," Circle Officer, Auraiya, Surendranath Yadav said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Advertisement Yogi Adityanath Elaborating on the incident, Yadav said, "The trailer truck hit the other vehicle, which was coming from Delhi and heading towards Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh. Both the vehicles turned upside down after losing control." Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said, "Going by the information received till now, there were a couple of migrant labourers from Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar district. Most of the deceased labourers were from West Bengal and Jharkhand." When asked whether any financial assistance will be provided to the families of the deceased, he said information in this regard will be given soon. Related New Zealand opens markets for Egyptian orange exports for first time since 2017 Egypt has ranked first in the world in frozen strawberry exports according to recent reports issued by the International Trade Center, the Egyptian cabinet said in a statement on Saturday. Egypt ranks first in the world in frozen strawberry exports in terms of exported quantities, which amounted to 140,000 tons, representing 20 percent of the global export quantities, at a value of $165 million, representing 14.3 percent of the world's total exports for 2019, the statement said. According to the statement, Egypt has achieved a growth rate amounting to 40 percent in value and 39 percent in quantities in its frozen strawberry exports during the period from 2015 to 2019. Minister of Agriculture El-Sayed El-Quseir stressed that his ministry has paid a lot of attention to the strawberry crop for its economic value and its significance as an export and manufacturing crop, the cabinets statement said. To support the strawberry crop, the Egyptian Agricultural Bank has previously increased the amount of funding granted to strawberry farmers from EGP 15,000 to EGP 60,000 per acre, for lands dedicated to export-oriented production, El-Quseir said. The state also increased the credit category per acre to EGP 90,000 at a reduced interest subsidised by the state. Strawberry is mainly planted in Qalyubia, Beheira, Ismailia, and Sharqiya governorates, in addition to the El-Nubaria region. El-Quseir added that aside from frozen strawberries, Egypt exports around 20,000 tons of fresh strawberries at high prices, as Egyptian strawberries enjoy a good reputation in the global markets. In addition to that, around 4 million strawberry seedlings are exported annually, the minister added, noting that their export season begins in February of each year after the end of fresh strawberry export season in December. Search Keywords: Short link: By the end of the coming decade we will be on one of two paths. One is the path of surrender, where we have sleepwalked past the point of no return, jeopardizing the health and safety of everyone on this planet, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP25 told his audience last December. Do we really want to be remembered as the generation that buried its head in the sand, that fiddled while the planet burned? The other option is the path of hope. The global economy has already been on a trajectory toward greening its energy sources and (very) slow and steady decarbonization. But for all the progress being made, the global energy industry has not been changing nearly fast enough to meet the benchmarks set by the Paris agreement, and, by the assessments of many experts, will not be enough to avoid the negative consequences of climate change. The worlds premier authority in the matter, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has compiled a damning report which shows that in order to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius above average pre-industrial temperatures, the world would have to cut carbon emissions down to zero by the middle of the century - a feat that seems all but impossible in any scenario even close to business as usual. This is exactly why the novel coronavirus pandemic, a global tragedy that is both a health and economic disaster of historic proportions, is being seen by some as a harbinger, not of doom, but of positive change. The COVID-19 pandemic has made business as usual an impossibility as the global economy has ground to a halt and markets have gone haywire, with oil even plunging into negative pricing, with the Brent Crude Intermediate benchmark reaching nearly -$40 per barrel last month. Related: Has Demand For Oil Already Peaked? The World Economic Forum has questioned whether this disruption could bring a new energy order and a Forbes headline proclaimed that In A Post-Pandemic World, Renewable Energy Is The Only Way Forward. And, while the huge decline in energy demand due to the novel coronavirus pandemic has caused oil and gas prices to plummet, there have been some benefits for the renewable energy sector. As shutdowns aimed at stemming the viral spread have caused global energy demand to plummet, says Yale, renewable sources have accounted for an increased share of power generation. That is in part because of the low cost of solar and wind power means they are often dispatched to grids before other sources such as coal and nuclear power. Despite this silver lining, however, the green energy revolution has been slow to spark. Now, the virus-induced economic shock is likely to slow the expansion of wind, solar, and other clean power sources, at least temporarily, experts say, writes Yale Environment 360, citing a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). But while lockdowns, social distancing requirements, and financial uncertainties have put some new projects on ice, the underlying strengths of renewables remain strong, and analysts expect their economic advantage over volatile fossil fuels will only increase in the long term. But that all depends on how policymakers and world leaders choose to go forward. Which means 2020 is shaping up to be a pivotal moment for renewables and the worlds hopes of checking warming. Related: FBI Probes More Firms Over Venezuelan Oil Deal But for now, the renewable energy sector is plagued with many of the supply chain failures that have plagued so many other industries during the pandemic, meaning that the growth of renewable energy capacity has slowed just when we need it to be increasing exponentially on the eve of climate change tipping point. We were expecting a boom year in 2020, IEA senior renewables analyst Heymi Bahar told Yale. So this becomes very bad timing. Adding to the difficult future prospects of the clean energy revolution, COVID-19 could bump climate change down the list of leaders priorities. But if these leaders do take the chance to invest in a cleaner tomorrow, Yale has a number of recommendations of how it could be done. Since solar and wind have become competitive and have outgrown direct subsidies, they would benefit from upgrades that make power grids smarter and more flexible, and therefore better able to utilize renewables. Spending to expand electric vehicle charging networks is essential, too. The list of recommendations also includes improved access to credit for the renewables industry, which lacks the capital of fossil fuels, policy changes including national, long-term carbon-cutting commitments and green stimulus initiatives to create clean energy jobs to address the current unemployment crisis. As countries begin to reopen, will leaders take advantage of this rare pause in the international economic momentum? Do we aspire to return to the status quo that was leading us to what the IPCC says is surely environmental and climate devastation? Or do we seize the opportunity to course-correct? By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com: TDT | Manama Bahrains health ministry yesterday announced detecting 384 new active Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, with the majority of them being expatriate workers. Out of the 384 new cases, 288 are expatriate workers, while 84 are direct contacts of active cases. Twelve of the cases are travel-related, the ministry said on its twitter handle. The new cases also bring the total number of COVID-19 cases in the Kingdom to 6,582, which forms 2.91 per cent of the total COVID-19 tests conducted here. The ministry also reported that 287 patients have fully recovered from the virus symptoms increasing the total number of recoveries to 2,640, which is around 40.10pc of the total infections confirmed by the authorities. Going forward, the Health Ministry assured it would continue to enhance its testing capacity. To ensure the safety of all, the Ministry of Health continues to increase its testing capacity, carrying out 9685 #COVID19 tests within the past 24 hours, the statement added. As of yesterday, according to the ministrys official webpage, the government tested 222,542 people in the Kingdom for COVID-19 symptoms. There are now 3,932 active COVID-19 infection cases in the Kingdom, of which 3,928 patients are stable. Four people are in critical condition. Despite the rising number of cases, the Kingdoms death toll has remained relatively low. A total of 10 people died fighting the infection. The rising number of cases in the Kingdom is mostly due to the higher number of tests conducted. The number of cases, however, is less compared to most of the GCC member states. Bahrain shuttered non-essential shops and businesses in late March and barred entry of foreign visitors, but did not impose a curfew, unlike some other Gulf states. Abdulla bin Faisal bin Jabur Al Doseri, the Foreign Affairs Assistant Minister, has said that the country is taking care not to impose any unnecessary and disproportionate restrictions in the Kingdom and is motivating citizens and residents to stay at their homes. However, Health Ministry officials have made clear that employees and customers must wear face masks and practice physical distancing while in the Kingdom. Google mobility trend for places like restaurants, cafes, shopping centres, theme parks, museums, libraries, and movie theatres in the Kingdom shows a 38pc decline compared to the baseline. The baseline value is the median value for the corresponding day of the week, during the 5 weeks from Jan 3 to Feb 6, 2020. The latest data released is on May 9, 2020. Mobility trends for places like grocery markets, food warehouses, farmers markets, speciality food shops, drug stores, and pharmacies showed a 16pc decline. Mobility trends for places of workplaces and residential areas report a 16pc decline. Bahrain has also opened a 152-bed COVID-19 field hospital intensive care unit on an empty piece of land in Sitra, as part of a plan to create 500 additional ICU beds for critical cases. The total count in the six Gulf Arab states exceeds 124,335 with 641 deaths. Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia recorded its first COVID-19 infection on March 2, several weeks after the initial outbreak in Asia. The number of new infections in the kingdom continues to hover around 2000 per day. Saudi Arabia has recorded 49,176 cases in total with 292 deaths so far. However, the kingdoms death toll has remained relatively low and has increased by 9 yesterday to 292. UAE In UAE, another +747 people tested positive yesterday to the virus bringing the total cases to 21,831. The country also confirmed two more death, increasing the total death toll to 210. The total number of recovered patients stands at 7,328. Kuwait Kuwait reported a big jump of 885 new cases yesterday, raising the total number of infected people in the country to 12,869. With eight new deaths yesterday, Kuwaits total toll rose to 96. There are 190 patients in intensive care units, including 100 in critical condition. Kuwait so far has conducted over 236,000 coronavirus tests. Oman Oman yesterday reported 284 new cases, bringing total cases there to 4,625 which is also the lowest among member states in the GCC. The Sultanate confirmed one more death yesterday, taking the countrys death toll to 19. A total of 1,350 people have recovered from coronavirus in the country BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend As many as 1,757 people have been infected with 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 the ministry. According to Jahanpur, 35 people have been died from the coronavirus over the past day. Jahanpur added that the condition of 2,716 people is serious and critical. So far, more than 672,000 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 118,300 people have been infected and 6,937 persons have already died. Meanwhile, over 93,100 patients 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. Kevin McKay felt the shock of defeat when he discovered the coronavirus had infiltrated the Southeast Portland nursing home he has owned and managed for over two decades. He had started planning for an outbreak in January, stockpiling enough protective equipment to last him two years just in case the disease made its way to Oregon. As the virus spread in the state, he was strict with screening all staff for coronavirus symptoms, he said. He kept close watch over how his workers used masks, gloves and gowns and made sure they had ample supplies of sanitizer. And yet the coronavirus made it into Cornerstone Care Option. Two residents developed severe symptoms, he said. McKay then pushed for testing and was able to screen about half of the nursing homes residents, most of them without symptoms. He found that 12 had the coronavirus and isolated them. McKay said his experience shows the value of broader testing of residents and staff at all senior care homes something President Trump called for this week and that multiple states are considering and, in some cases, doing. So far, Oregon isnt on the same path mostly, it appears, because the state simply doesnt have enough testing capacity to make it happen. But state officials acknowledge the need, especially as Oregon starts opening up its economy. Some counties and long-term care companies have been picking up the states slack to address the deadly crisis. Nearly six in 10 coronavirus deaths in Oregon are tied to the states nursing homes, assisted living centers and retirement communities even though the senior homes represent just 14 percent of all the states cases. At least 30 of the homes now account for 480 coronavirus cases. New outbreaks continue to pop up, with a major outbreak in West Salem growing to 41 cases since the end of April. McKay worked with Multnomah County health officials to get access to the state lab for testing, he said. It took a lot of calls, he said, because state guidelines at the time allowed no more than five people without symptoms in care homes to get tested, provided someone at the home was sick enough to be hospitalized. McKay worked with Multnomah County health officials to get access to the state lab for testing, he said. It took a lot of calls, he said, because at the time the state was recommending that only people with symptoms get tested. I wasnt taking no for an answer, McKay said. Finding out about the other sick residents helped Cornerstone contain the virus, McKay said, primarily because it allowed him to put the sick residents near each other. The outbreak in his 40-bed nursing home is essentially over none of the residents or workers have died, state data show, and two people who were hospitalized have returned, he said. Cornerstone Care Option, a nursing home in outer Southeast Portland. May 14, 2020 Beth Nakamura/Staff McKay is looking forward to being able eventually to invite visitors back into the nursing home. He believes twice-weekly testing is absolutely vital to reopening homes. Oregons long-term care ombudsman Fred Steele said staff and residents must be tested regularly for the state to open up. Ideally, theyre catching that infection before it spreads to 10 or 15 individuals, Steele said. *** Neither the Oregon Health Authority nor most of the counties with senior care homes hit by the novel coronavirus have any concrete plans to secure tests and check broad swaths of asymptomatic people in senior care. Jonathan Modie, a spokesman for the health authority, said the agency wants to expand testing in high-risk settings, such as nursing homes, to prevent outbreaks and they remain a priority. But each congregate setting is different and needs to be assessed for its unique needs, Modie said in an email. Modie didnt provide the number of residents and staff without symptoms that the state has tested or the number of senior care homes that have had all residents and staff tested. As of April 20, state guidelines say that people without symptoms in senior care homes can be considered for testing, depending on testing availability. But ahead of them in the testing line, according to the state, are all the people who have symptoms with a priority for symptomatic healthcare workers, first responders and people associated with group settings. The hierarchy appears to reflect the ongoing competition for testing supplies and lab capacity. The states goal right now is for 15,000 people to get tested statewide, every week. That would allow contact tracers to identify the spread of the disease and prevent further infections, identify hot spots and curb outbreaks in group settings such as nursing homes, according to the states May 1 strategic plan. About 57,000 people live and work in nursing and assisted living homes in Oregon. Thousands more live and work in adult foster homes and retirement centers. Testing all of them with the current tests available would likely take months. Numerous other congregate settings also are susceptible to outbreaks. Two food processing plants and at least one homeless shelter have had outbreaks, as have four prisons. And yet other states have already started across-the-board testing in senior care homes, particularly those that already have at least one case. In Vermont, the state offers to test all residents and staff in group settings with at least one case. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered senior care homes to test all staff, twice a week. Marylands governor on April 29 ordered that all nursing home staff and residents get tested for the coronavirus whether or not they show symptoms. The order came after the state bought 500,000 coronavirus tests from South Korea, according to a news release from the governors office. New Jersey has required that all staff and residents at nursing homes get tested by May 26. The state is working through a four-phase plan, starting with the senior homes with the fewest cases. Of the 4,000 staff and residents who had been tested at 16 New Jersey long-term care facilities, about one in four residents tested positive, most who were asymptomatic, said the states health commissioner, Judith Persichilli. I want you to reflect on that, Persichilli said at a news conference in early May. Asymptomatic positive individuals are among us. Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington also has told his health officials to test all staff and residents in nursing homes, the states deputy chief medical officer said this week. The Trump administration has also weighed in, urging the countrys governors to test everyone at every nursing home, though the administration stopped short of mandating testing. *** For the most part, Oregon counties point to the states guidelines for their approach to testing nursing homes: support when possible but no holistic testing. In response to questions from The Oregonian/OregonLive, six of nine counties with coronavirus outbreaks at senior homes havent committed to across-the-board testing: Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Marion, Polk and Wasco. While Multnomah County health officials havent made a definitive decision on expansive testing, they have supported and will support facilities that want to do more comprehensive testing, said county spokeswoman Kate Willson. Washington County has no plans for wider testing, though some homes in the county area have found their own tests, a spokeswoman said. Regency Park Assisted Living and Memory Care got tests from a private East Coast lab for more than 150 residents and staff after an outbreak in March. Dave Killen Clackamas County has tested people in senior care homes with at least one confirmed case but hasnt said if any home has had all residents and staff tested. Marion County, one of the hardest-hit counties in the state overall, is prioritizing people in senior care homes who show symptoms. Getting tests for people without symptoms has been challenging, said county spokeswoman Jenna Wyatt. We are working diligently to acquire more supplies for testing kits to share with areas in need throughout the county, Wyatt said in an email. Yamhill and Linn counties, in contrast, are offering to test all staff and residents at senior care homes. Yamhill County will do so as test supplies are available. At least one home in the county already has had all residents and workers tested, said Lindsey Manfrin, director of Yamhill Countys health department. The department recommends that everyone at a senior community with at least one case get tested, and the county is able to provide that testing, Manfrin said. We do this to contain the spread in the facility to the best of our ability and identify any new cases where contact tracing may be needed, Manfrin said in an email. She declined to say how the county was getting the tests. Benton County signed an emergency contract with a Corvallis-based lab and tested all residents and all permanent staff at Corvallis Manor, the one home in the county hit by the coronavirus, said spokeswoman Lilia Neville. That testing wrapped up earlier this month. The Edward C. Allworth Veterans Home in Lebanon, Oregon, was the first senior care home in Oregon to face a coronavirus outbreak. Since then, seven people have died and nearly 40 have fallen ill. March 18, 2020. Beth Nakamura/Staff The county is now drafting a long-term contract to test all staff and residents at two other senior care homes that have asked the health department for testing help. In Linn County, a batch of test kits arrived this week from the same lab Benton County contracted with. The county has started to test residents with symptoms in care homes. If they are positive, testing will expand to include all staff and residents at the affected home, said health director Todd Noble. For now, Linn County health officials also plan to test all staff at all homes once a month, Noble said. The county is the site of the first senior care home outbreak in Oregon the state veterans home in Lebanon. Nearly 40 people associated with the home have fallen ill and seven have died, according to state data. *** One Oregon company has gone out of its way to get testing done. Avamere Family of Companies, a chain of senior care homes with about three dozen facilities in Oregon, has contracted with multiple testing labs to proactively test residents and staff without symptoms. It completed the testing at two communities and is in the process of finishing at a Keizer care home. One of the first two homes, Salem Transitional Care, has 26 confirmed cases and three deaths, according to state data, though Avamere has said only 22 residents and workers have tested positive. Avamere paid to test about 250 workers and residents there, with 15 testing positive, said Elizabeth Burns, Avameres chief medical officer. None of those who turned out to have infections had symptoms at the time, she said. Its the asymptomatic cases that are the Achilles heel of this pandemic, Burns said. The vast majority of residents and staff at the Southeast Portland nursing home Laurelhurst Village got tested for the coronavirus, said Elizabeth Burns, chief medical officer for Avamere Family of Companies, which operates the home. April 23, 2020 Beth Nakamura/Staff Discovering those cases allowed Avamere to isolate residents while containing potential spread from infected workers who didnt have symptoms. Deschutes County has helped Avamere test residents and staff at a home in Bend, Burns said. But that has been the exception, not the rule, she said. We often find that the local health department is not able to provide support in communities with large outbreaks due to lack of staffing, resources, or the ability to come in a timely manner, she said. The company has also started to test a random sample of staff and residents at its senior care homes. Avamere has paid about $250,000 to test people in its Oregon facilities, Burns said. *** Instead of broad testing, state and county health officials have tried to keep the coronavirus at bay through inspections of homes and, if necessary, helping them get protective gear for their caregivers. The agency that regulates senior care homes, the Oregon Department of Human Services, sends someone weekly to every home with at least one coronavirus case to check on their practices for controlling infections. That includes looking at whether the home has enough staff and masks, gloves, gowns and face shields and is isolating sick residents. On Wednesday, department officials visited Cornerstone in Portland, interviewing staff and watching them work, Mckay said. He appreciates the extra pair of eyes, McKay said, but he wont feel fully comfortable opening the nursing home up to visitors until staff and residents can get tested regularly. Thats the way through this crisis, he said. That would allow us to open our doors. Kevin McKay, who owns and operates the Southeast Portland nursing home Cornerstone Care Option, says regular testing is critical to opening up senior care homes' doors. May 14, 2020 Beth Nakamura/Staff Now, hes preparing for the next time Cornerstone gets hit, which he said is more likely than not to happen. In some ways, hes better positioned for a future outbreak. Nurses, nursing assistants and doctors have a more complete list of symptoms to watch out for, he said, because federal health officials now know more of them than they did in mid-April. He also has the monthlong experience of battling an outbreak. Yet he remains uneasy. We had a really strong system in place, McKay said. And it got in. -- Fedor Zarkhin fzarkhin@oregonian.com desk: 503-294-7674|cell: 971-373-2905|@fedorzarkhin Mr. Amash, a 40-year-old conservative of Syrian-American descent, stirred anxiety across the political spectrum last month when he declared that he was formally joining the Libertarian Party to consider a campaign for its 2020 presidential nomination. Republicans feared that he could peel away votes from Mr. Trump on the right, while Democrats worried that he would attract disillusioned Republican voters who might otherwise embrace Mr. Biden as the only available alternative to Mr. Trump. It has been decades since a candidate who is neither a Republican nor a Democrat has become a major competitor for the presidency, but minor candidates have repeatedly peeled away support from the two traditional parties in disruptive ways. Mr. Amash could well have played that kind of role, especially in his home state Michigan, a state Mr. Trump carried in 2016 but where he is currently trailing Mr. Biden in the polls. A poll taken this month by Monmouth University suggested Mr. Amash could have started a presidential candidacy that made a small but not insignificant imprint on the campaign. In a two-way race between Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden, the poll showed Mr. Biden ahead by 9 percentage points. With Mr. Amash included, Mr. Biden led by a slightly smaller margin of 7 percentage points. In the poll, about four in five voters said they had no opinion of Mr. Amash. On Saturday, Mr. Amash acknowledged that polarization is near an all-time high, leaving even less room than usual for options outside the traditional party system. Mr. Amash said he would remain supportive of the Libertarian Party, though his exit from the presidential contest left the group without any White House contenders of even modest political stature. The small-government group welcomed Mr. Amash with open arms in April, when he became the only member of Congress to have ever been a member of the party. Church sues Zoom over shocking porn interruption during Bible study Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A church in California has filed a class action complaint against Zoom Video Communications for failing to protect their Bible study from being zoom-bombed with pornography. A known offender hijacked the video conference by disabling other accounts and then posted disturbing pornographic videos during a May 6 Bible study. Saint Paulus Lutheran Church of San Francisco filed the suit against Zoom on Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Heddi Cundle, a church administrator, and Saint Paulus Lutheran Church argue in the complaint that Zoom failed to secure the conference and gave their personal information to third parties. Zoom uses data-mining tools to collect users personal information and shares it with third parties without users consent. Zoom allows these third parties to use such personal information to target users with advertisements, states the complaint. Zoom also fails to implement proper security measures to protect users privacy and secure their videoconferences. As a result, Zoombombing by uninvited participants has become frequent. The complaint argues that Zoom has violated, among other things, the California Consumer Privacy Act, the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, and the Unfair Competition Law. At this turbulent time of a pandemic, the importance of the sanctity of Saint Paulus cannot be overstated, added the suit. But Zoom a multibillion-dollar tech giant experiencing exponential growth as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic violated this sanctity. In an emailed response to The Christian Post about the complaint, a representative from Zoom said: "We were deeply upset to hear about this incident, and our hearts go out to those impacted by this horrific event. Words cannot express how strongly we condemn such behavior. On the same day we learned of this incident, we identified the offender, took action to block their access to the platform and reported them to relevant authorities. We encourage users to report any incidents of this kind either to Zoom so we can take appropriate action or directly to law enforcement authorities. We also encourage all meeting hosts to take advantage of Zoom's recently updated security features and follow other best practices, including making sure not to broadly share meeting IDs and passwords online, as appeared to be the case here." Large numbers of churches have started using Zoom for worship and Bible studies in response to having to cancel all in-person gatherings over coronavirus concerns. As a result of the increase in groups using Zoom, there has been an uptick in the practice of zoom-bombing, in which a person or group of people hijack an online meeting and post offensive material. For example, Tabernacle Congregational Church of Salem, Massachusetts, was the subject of a zoom-bombing on April 19 during a live-streamed worship service. A group of people entered the service and posted footage of a Ku Klux Klan meeting with cross burning, and also made several racist remarks over the audio system. Tabernacle Pastor Joe Amico told The Christian Post in an interview last month that they immediately alerted police. The church has since made adjustments to their online service. We have removed links for our services from social media and only give the links to our email list. We feel badly because we had been having visitors join our worship. Now folks have to contact us for the link and be vetted by how they know us, he said at the time. Zoom announced Wednesday that it has made improvements to its security, which includes acquiring the company Keybase to improve encryption for paid accounts. With a recent influx of first-time users, we are focusing on providing security settings that are easy to use for both first-time users and existing enterprise customers to give everyone an experience that is both frictionless and highly secure, the company said. In addition to working on our end-to-end encryption plans, we will focus on enhancements to the Waiting Room feature, passwords, and more ways to leverage these two features together. Were also exploring additional screen share controls for meeting hosts. This is an opinion column. Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Corrections dont want you to know what theyre buying until the moneys already spent. Your money. For private prisons. Maybe youre wondering how much these prisons will cost. Or what kind of prisons were going to get. Or whos going to build them. Are there conflicts of interest or campaign money from special interests shading this deal? Is this whole thing just a ploy to privatize Alabama prisons? Im wondering all those things, too. And we can keep wondering. Because Gov. Ivey has decided taxpayers and the public arent to be involved. You and I and everybody else will have to wait for those answers until after its too late to object. On Friday, the Department of Corrections opened proposals from developers seeking to build private prisons that they will then lease to Alabama. From the outset, the state told these developers their proposals would not be public documents unless the state agreed to a plan and entered a contract. In other words, Dont worry, yall. Nobodys going to know what were doing until its too late to stop us. This week, the governors office again refused a public information request from my colleague Mike Cason to see the proposals when theyre opened. Everything within these proposals are subject to change, which is common during the negotiation stage, Iveys press secretary Gina Maiola told Cason. To make public any specifics of their proposal will only open the process to improper, outside influence. Maiola didnt cite a statutory exemption for keeping the records secret. Alabamas Open Records Act is a toothless law that doesnt give an appeals process for refusals such as this one except for lengthy, expensive court cases. A bill to rewrite Alabamas records law and make it enforceable died again this year in an Alabama Senate committee. Were probably not going to see those records until the governor is good and ready to give them to us. But one thing I know from experience is that, when someone is trying to hide something this badly, theres usually something rotten going on. Secrecy has never protected the process from improper influence. Secrecy only protects improper influence from the process. And the public. But this time, some state lawmakers are objecting to this secrecy, even if they have their own motives. Last week, Ivey lashed out at lawmakers for trying to take control of federal coronavirus relief dollars. In a press release, she demanded those lawmakers be transparent in how they spent that money and she released a wish list lawmakers had sent her which included $200 million for a new Alabama State House. It is both fiscally responsible and absolutely essential that the Legislature be transparent on the way they intend to spend this money," Ivey said then. Speaking to Cason, Alabama Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh all but called the governor a hypocrite. If the governor wants transparency for coronavirus spending, she should want it for prison spending, too. Hes right about her. And shes right about him. In Montgomery, transparency is always for somebody else. Weve been through a lot in this state. Weve seen governors forced from office. Weve had lawmakers sent to prison. A powerful House speaker ran out all his appeals to keep him on this side of those bars, too. Our experience has taught us a painful lesson: We cant trust our government to make commitments with our tax dollars in secret, and we shouldnt trust any public official who asks us to. Nor would a public official worth trusting ask us to. But here we are again. And here we go again. So whatever kind of prisons Alabamas going to lease and however much they cost, I hope theyre good ones and I hope theyre big enough this time. Because, if our experience with state secrets has taught us anything, its that were going to need them. 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 And now we play American Roulette Its not the Alabama State House that needs replacing The immutable weirdness of Troy King Alabama Legislature, same as it ever was Alabama AG needs something to do As cases there lead state, Mobile mayor wants to reopen Hey, Georgia! Our governor is better than your governor. 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 The Rajasthan government has increased the annual income limit of parents from Rs one lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh under for their children to get free education under the Right to Education Act. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has approved the proposal to this effect, an official said on Friday. The spirit of the Right to Education Act will be strengthened by this approval, he added. By increasing the income limit, more children from weaker and disadvantaged groups will get free admission in non-government schools, Gehlot said in a statement. With this decision of the government, a large number of children of this category will also be able to get free education in big and well-known private schools, which are deprived of studying in such school after the previous BJP government reduced the annual income limit of parents from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs one lakh, the statement said. BGR Our Sun isnt quite as old as other stars out there. However, scientists are already trying to pinpoint exactly when the Sun will die. Of course, it isnt as simple as throwing out a date. After all, were working with a massive ball of energy that weve still barely managed to scratch the surface of The post Scientists think they figured out when the Sun will explode and kill us all appeared first on BGR. Executive Producer Jerry Bruckheimer (CSI, Lucifer, Without a Trace, Cold Case) has a new crime drama, this time set in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Hightown nods to the partying and addictions associated with this coastal resort town. The action kicks off with murder during a drug drop, which is witnessed by Krista (Crystal Lake Evans) who is suddenly in fear for her life. The body washes up on the beach where it is found by National Marine Fisheries Service agent Jackie Quinones (Monica Raymund). Jackie is also a gay party girl who has plenty of one night stand with tourists in this gay Shangri-la. Shes strong enough to hold her own with the middle aged white dudes, who want to know, Do you ever get tired of all that f***in p***y? (answer: no). But Jackie also drinks too much and finds herself heading to rehab. At the same time theres also Detective Ray (James Badge Dale) who is convinced the murder is the work of imprisoned drug lord Frankie (Amaury Nolasco), who still wields power on the outside. He starts getting close to Frankies girlfriend Renee (Riley Voelkel) which will doubtless rain down on him later in the tale. Between the murder, sex and recovery, Hightown takes a glum, blue-collar approach to its mystery, with queer characters bringing added colour. Monica Raymund is sexy and confident as the promiscuous fish cop who stumbles onto a murder, while James Badge Dale as Detective Ray could hold his own in any number of TV procedurals, if without much we havent seen before. Director Rachel Morrison gives Rebecca Cutters adult script an indie-feel, with plenty of hand-held cameras and location work. Produced for Starz in the US its definitely less-network than previous Bruckheimer outings. The coastal setting with its Cape Cod homes and stripper bars adds to the backdrop. But ultimately this is a slow burn without establishing enough empathy. The lesbian perspective is its most unique contribution, and Jackie is a flawed enough heroine to carry this off. But in a crowded genre Hightown needs more in the tank to cut through. Hightown begins today on Stan. Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Board Of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education will be releasing the HSC and SSC results 2020 by June 10. The results will be declared on the official website of the board, mahresults.nic.in. Here's how you can check Maharashtra SSC, HSC Results 2020 Visit the official website of Maharashtra Board, which is mahresults.nic.in Go to the link in the latest section that reads Maharashtra 10, 12 board results Click on the link to be redirected to a new page Enter your details to see your result. Download your result, which will appear in a PDF format for your future reference. This year around 15 lakh students appeared for Class 10 and 12 examinations in the state. The candidates are advised to keep a check on the official website for regular updates. Earlier in April, the Maharashtra government had decided to cancel two pending papers of SSC Examination for Maharashtra Board Students looking at the situation of coronavirus pandemic. Maharashtra School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad had announced state governments decision to cancel the pending Geography and Work Experience papers of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE). For these two subjects, students are to be assessed on the basis of on the respective rules for these subjects. New Delhi: The Delhi government today partially revoked its ban on the retrofitting of CNG kits in cars in the national capital. In June this year, the Transport department had banned the retrofitting of CNG kits in "in-use" cars in the view of some CNG kit manufactures supplying "unapproved and uncertified" CNG fuel kits. As per the circular issued by Transport department today, retro-fitment of CNG kits in new cars will be allowed only after vehicle manufacturers certify that original kits have been installed in the vehicle. A senior official said that government will soon lift a ban on the retrofitment of CNG kits in "in-use" cars as the Transport department is currently working on a software under which kits manufactures and distributors will be required to upload details of sold kits on the software. "There are several car companies which retrofit CNG fuel kits in petrol-run cars in Delhi and then sell them to people. After the June order, they were now allowed for the same. "Now, government has allowed these companies to install such kits in new cars, but they will have to certify that original kits have been installed and there after, Transport department will register sold cars," the official said. Official further said that for "in-use" cars, government will soon launch a software which is being developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC). "Manufacturers and distributors of CNG fuel kits will have to upload details of sold kits on new software. Transport Department will be able to detect cases of unapproved or uncertified kits through the new system if applicant applies for endorsement of such fake CNG kits in registration certificates," official added. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Unlike the border between Luxembourg and Germany, police checks on the Belgian border have not been as severe and systematic. When it comes to the Belgian-Luxembourgish border, the official date for a reopening remains 8 June. However, Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean Asselborn stated upon enquiry that it was "very likely" that Luxembourgish residents would be allowed to go shopping in Belgium again as of next week. This includes all forms of shopping, such as groceries. Since Belgians are still restricted from moving freely around their country (to prevent trips to the beach, for example) this will obviously also remain prohibited for Luxembourgers. Meeting with Heiko Maas on the "Moselbrucke" Border controls on the border between Germany and Luxembourg have been lifted since midnight on Saturday. Crossing the border without any restrictions is possible again, however the sanitary rules in the virus context should still be respected. After considerable backlash from Luxembourgish politicians and the general public, the German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heiko Maas, and his Luxembourgish counterpart, Jean Asselborn, met on the bridge between Perl and Schengen - called "Moselbrucke" - in order to celebrate the reopening. Press Release 16 May 2020 Posadas' portfolio of 180 hotels includes La Coleccion Resorts, a collection of 16 properties spread across most popular destinations in both Mexico and the Dominican Republic Collaboration with the American British Cowdray Medical Center & 3M assures top-grade products to properly sanitize properties New Travel with Confidence Protocols already in place at 16 hotels currently being used by doctors in key cities Advertisements Following weeks of halted operations that permitted time for extensive planning, Posadas, Mexico's largest and most internationally known hotelier, is pleased to announce elevated safety and sanitization protocols, Travel with Confidence, currently being applied to all its 180 hotels and resorts in preparation for summer travel. Posadas, which includes La Coleccion Resorts with 16 resorts spanning across Mexico and the Dominican Republic, is committed to providing travelers and employees peace of mind by implementing and enforcing thorough health and safety protocols using 3M products that are necessary today for the prevention of the contagion and spread of COVID-19. The company is already practicing these protocols at 16 hotels to house doctors treating patients in nearby hospitals. "We understand that travelers will be more cautious than ever once they begin to travel again, and so will we at all our hotels in the Posadas portfolio. That is why we want to be proactive and transparent with all the measures being implemented to keep our guest and employees assured that every facet of our properties and operations have been addressed from guest services and amenities to operational procedures," explains COO of Posadas, Enrique Calderon. "As we enter a new reality, we will be more than prepared to welcome guests in confidence." The following are the key areas that have been addressed at the hotels and resorts with new measures: Cleaning standards have been greatly enhanced for every facet of the hotels and resorts. Posadas is collaborating with 3M for the use of its products, which are approved against SARS-CoV-2 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in public spaces, restaurants, amenities, guestrooms, reception areas and others. Cleaning frequency will increase with most areas to be disinfected every three hours, and high-touch surfaces and high-frequented areas even more. All items entering the resorts will be disinfected, including guest suitcases and other deliveries. Antibacterial gel stations will be available in all public spaces and on each floor, and will be given to each guest upon check-in as part of their Health Kit, which also includes face masks, disinfecting wipes and an informational card on the virus. Housekeeping procedures have also been elevated, with extensive training currently taking place. Among the new procedures include no servicing while guests are in their rooms, and guests will now have the option to forgo services during their stay and alternatively receive items to maintain their room including additional trash bags, towels and sheet. Upon check-out, all rooms will be disinfected by a maintenance staff member using a fogging technique to kill all bacteria, followed by detailed housekeeping service. Once complete, the room will be visibly sealed with a sticker to certify the procedure took place using 3M products. When permitted, the hotel will wait 48 hours before allowing the next guest to use the guestroom. Distancing measures are also being implemented. For example, plastic barriers at reception areas are currently being installed at all properties and signage will be placed throughout the resorts and on the floor as reminders of adequate distances between individuals. There will also be smaller limits for people allowed in certain areas, including at the restaurants, in elevators and fitness centers. Other measures underway include new furniture layouts for restaurants, pool and beach areas, lobbies and lounges that allow for six feet of distance between groups. The Food & Beverage offering across all hotels and resorts will be adjusted with changes including reduced capacities to 50 percent; replacement of menus for disposable ones; and the suspension of buffet-style layouts, which will be substituted with grab-and-go options. The process for room-service will also be adjusted whereas menus will only be available on the television, waiters will no longer enter the rooms for set-up and guests will be required to leave the table outside their room when finished. All delivery items will be protected as always, and all room-service equipment will be properly sanitized before and after each use. Ice machines for guests will be disabled; guests may make a request for ice delivery at any time. All these new precautionary measures will also be applied in the preparation and handling of food in resort kitchens. Safety and sanitation protocols are also being applied in maintenance and operational areas, with the use of upgraded cleaning products and increased frequency. Vendors and suppliers will also be held to the same standards and new procedures will be implemented such as contactless delivery, among others. Additional measures include eliminating all unnecessary materials and decor throughout the resort and in guestrooms that may promote the transmission of COVID-19 such as magazines and newspapers, small decorative items, notebooks, pens, etc. Other preventative measures include the continued closures of spas until further notice. Employees will use additional personal protective gear such as N95 face mask and disposable latex gloves, in addition to being required to wear pants, long sleeves and closed shoes at all times. Regular training on best practices are currently ongoing and elaborate signage will be placed throughout as reminders for activities such as proper handwashing, sneezing etiquette, and proper disposal of protective gear. Employees will also be required to increase frequency of handwashing to up to every half hour, maintain distance with co-workers, refrain close greetings, among other actions to avoid illness. Staff temperatures will be continuously checked and those who have any symptoms of illness must remain home. "We are pleased to report that these new cleanliness procedures are already successfully taking place at 16 hotels in key cities throughout Mexico where we are housing doctors so that they can attend patients at nearby hospitals," added Calderon. "We've contributed 15,000 room nights to healthcare workers and are committed to assuring best practices are in place for them. As always, the health and wellbeing of our employees and visitors is always our top priority," he added All of Posadas' properties are continuously evaluated by either the Distinctive H norms, given by the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Health of Mexico, and/or the Cristal International Standards norms, which reviews the quality and handling of food and beverage. Additionally, all hotels and resorts have access to a primary health doctor who can immediately assist for minor medical needs, while proper procedures and management for any potential COVID-19 cases with guests are also well-defined. For the planning of these new safety and sanitation measures, the company consulted with both local and international resources such as the World Tourism Organization and is currently working with the American British Cowdray Medical Center for upcoming inspections. Posadas also served as a resource for the development of the World Travel & Tourism Council's new guidelines "Leading Global Protocols for the New Normal". The detailed outline of measures taking place at the Posadas' properties can be found at www.posadas.com. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 21:20:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WUHAN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Wuhan-based Zall Foundation in central China's Hubei Province that was hard hit by COVID-19 has donated a batch of medical supplies to France to aid the country's fight against the epidemic. The donation, worth about 3.1 million yuan (about 436,500 U.S. dollars), included 500,000 disposable medical masks and 10,000 medical protective suits. The supplies are expected to arrive in France next week. Medical supplies including masks and protective clothing are still in urgent need in France although the epidemic situation there has improved, according to Olivier Guyonvarch, consul general of France in Wuhan, who said the donation was a symbol of the deep friendship between Hubei and France. Enditem UP assembly polls will be about '80 per cent vs 20 per cent'; BJP will win: Yogi Adityanath Uttar Pradesh Congress demands CM Adityanath's resignation over migrants death in road accident India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Lucknow, May 16: Uttar Pradesh Congress on Saturday accused the BJP government of being insensitive towards the plight of migrants and demanded Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's resignation over the death of 24 migrant workers in a road accident in Auraiya. 24 migrant workers were killed and 36 injured when a trailer rammed into a stationary truck, both carrying passengers, on a highway near Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh in the early hours of Saturday. More than 20 migrant workers killed in road accident in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya State Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu said, "The Chief Minister should resign. This government is insensitive towards the migrant labourers. Where have all the buses gone, which the UP Government claims have been pressed into service to send the migrant labourers home? The entire country is seeing this." "The accident is very unfortunate and saddening. I express condolence for the loss of lives, and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured persons," Lallu was quoted as saying. After Auraiya 5 more migrant workers killed in road mishap in MP According to the police, some of the workers coming from Delhi had stopped for tea when the accident took place between 3 am and 3:30 am on the Auraiya-Kanpur Dehat stretch of National Highway 19. The impact of the collision, the latest in a series of road tragedies involving migrant workers returning to their villages, was so huge that both vehicles overturned and fell into a ditch. "Yesterday the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister had said that buses have been pressed into service so that migrant workers can reach their homes. He has been saying this for some time, but then who is responsible for this accident. The chief minister is responsible for the accident," Lallu said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 16:53:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENTIANE, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Lao government continues to implement preventive measures and monitor people entering Laos to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19, even as the country recorded no new confirmed cases for 34 consecutive days. Director General of the Department of Communicable Disease Control under Lao Ministry of Health, Rattanaxay Phetsavanh, told a press conference on Saturday that people entering Laos especially returning workers will be sent to quarantine centers for 14 days to prevent people from bringing the virus to the country. On Friday, a total of 2,324 people entered Laos through international border checkpoints. Of these, 1,507 people crossed the border with Thailand, 46 of them were Lao returning workers, and others were truck drivers bringing freight into Laos. At all border crossings, the temperature of each person entering Laos was checked and no one showed signs of fever. All Lao workers returning to their homes were sent to a quarantine center in the provinces for 14 days, according to the report. The National Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Saturday announced it was monitoring 2,371 people at 66 accommodation centers across the country. As of Saturday, Laos has tested 4,424 suspected cases with 19 cases tested positive, and 14 patients have recovered. The other five infected cases are treated in the designated hospital -- Mittaphab Hospital (Hospital 150) in Lao capital Vientiane. Laos announced its first two COVID-19 confirmed cases on March 24. Enditem AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Two weeks into the reopening of Texas, coronavirus cases are climbing. New outbreaks still crop up. And at Guero's Taco Bar in Austin, which offers the occasional celebrity sighting, a log of every diner and where they sat is begrudgingly in the works. It seems like a huge invasion of privacy," said owner Cathy Lipincott, who is nonetheless trying to comply with Austin's local public health guidelines by asking, but not requiring, customers to give their information. RETAILERS REOPEN: Which Houston-area stores have reopened and what to expect when you go Few states are rebooting quicker than Texas, where stay-at-home orders expired May 1. With cases still rising, including single-day highs of 1,458 new cases and 58 deaths Thursday, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has defended the pace by emphasizing that hospitalization and infection rates are steady, and pointing out that Texas 1,200 deaths still lag similarly big states, including California and Florida. But on the cusp of even more restrictions ending Monday, including gyms being cleared to reopen, a political confrontation is growing over attempts by big cities to keep some guardrails in place. The dispute underscores the gulf between Democrats who run city halls and GOP leaders who call the shots in the capital in Texas, one of a number of states where local officials and governors have clashed over restrictions during the pandemic. The renewed tensions come at a moment when Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, warned Congress this week of needless suffering and death if the U.S. moves too quickly. Nevertheless, Wisconsin's courts tossed out the state's stay-at-home orders, throwing communities into chaos as some bars opened immediately while strict local restrictions were kept elsewhere. TEXAS DEATH TOLL CLIMBS: Texas reports 58 coronavirus deaths in one day, a record In Georgia, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has also expressed unease at the speed that Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has reopened the state. Oklahoma lawmakers, irritated by local officials who imposed stricter measures during this health crisis, passed a House bill Thursday that would weaken the power of cities during the next one. And in Texas, Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton this week lashed out at the cities of Dallas, Austin and San Antonio over what he called unlawful" local orders that are tougher than restrictions prescribed by Abbott, and threatened lawsuits if the cities don't back off. The warning came one day after El Paso pleaded to postpone easing up on any more lockdown measures in light of the number of COVID-19 cases there surging 60% over the past two weeks. Unfortunately, a few Texas counties and cities seem to have confused recommendations with requirements and have grossly exceeded state law to impose their own will on private citizens and businesses," Paxton said. City leaders said their local orders, which include more stringent emphasis on face coverings in public and restaurant protocols that aren't strictly enforced, don't conflict. El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego, the county's top elected official, said he made his case to the governor during a phone call and asked for a few more weeks to assess data and reduce cases before more restrictions are lifted. But he doesn't think he'll get an answer before Abbott's public announcement Monday. Im not fighting his plan, Im fighting his timing, Samaniego said. It looks like it would work for us months from now. The spat is a reversal from the early days of the outbreak in Texas, when Abbott gave cities and counties wide latitude to issue restrictions as they saw fit. But Abbott has since taken the reins over how quickly Texas will reboot, which last week included moving up the reopening of hair salons following complaints from conservatives. Testing for most of May has fallen well short of Abbotts stated goal of 30,000 per day, although testing numbers have surged in recent days, according to state health officials. Overflow hospitals set up in Dallas and Houston were dismantled without ever being used, and the rate of new cases in Texas has dropped since April even as testing has expanded, down to a seven-day average of 5.3% as of Thursday, according to data from Abbott's office. But experts still worry. They see the decline going in and they pat themselves on the back and say, Look at the good work we've done, now we can let this happen and open up things,' said Dennis Perrotta, a retired state epidemiologist in Texas. And then we get slammed with a second peak." In Austin, restaurants have grumbled over recommendations to log dine-in customers for the purposes of contact tracing, coupled with a warning that health officials otherwise might have to publicly out eateries if outbreaks spread. Some restaurateurs saw that as a threat, but at The Peached Tortilla, owner Eric Silverstein says his industry has to do what it takes to reopen. We have no choice," he said. You kind of have to going back to doing some form of business." A few blocks away at Brentwood Social House, a neighborhood coffee shop, owner Suzanne Daniels isn't so sure. Though her competitors have reopened, her indoor seating remains closed, and she doesn't know when she'll feel safe to follow them. It feels early," Daniels said. In my gut, it doesnt feel right or good. ___ Associated Press writers Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City and Cedar Attanasio in El Paso contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16) - Seventeen more police personnel contract COVID-19, bringing the total number of infected cops to 231. Philippine National Police Health Service Director Police Brigadier General Herminio Tadeo Jr. said Saturday that the seventeen new cases are all police personnel assigned in Metro Manila. The youngest is a 25-year-old policewoman from Manila while the oldest is a 54-year-old policeman from Rizal. Tadeo added that one more cop has recovered from the coronavirus disease, bringing the total number of recoveries to 67, while fatalities in the police force remain at four. Among these coronavirus cases, 116 patients are in quarantine facilities, seven are admitted in hospitals, and 35 are undergoing home quarantine, the PNP said. The PNP Health Service also identified 687 police personnel who were categorized as probable cases, while 536 were recommended as suspected cases. A total of 1,728 police personnel, including 841 probable cases, 871 suspected cases and 16 confirmed cases, have completed quarantine in their homes, the PNP said. The Philippines now has 12,091 cases of the coronavirus disease, with 2,460 recoveries and 806 deaths. A criminal hacker group that breached a major entertainment law firm says it will release documents on President Donald Trump if it doesn't receive $42 million in ransom. The hackers are identified as a known criminal gang. They did not offer proof that they have damaging information about Trump. But they released a large set of stolen files from the law firm, Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks, which are reported to be legitimate by NBC News. The law firm said that Trump is not a client and has never been. A spokesperson for the firm said it wasn't clear which of its clients have been compromised. The group uses ransomware a type of malicious software to break into a victim's networks and encrypt them, demanding a fee to unlock them. If the victim doesn't pay up, the group slowly leaks out unencrypted versions of files stolen from those networks to prompt payment. The criminal group posted on its blog a threat to publish files related to Trump. "The next person we'll be publishing is Donald Trump. There's an election race going on, and we found a ton of dirty laundry on time," the group wrote, giving a one-week deadline. "And to you voters, we can let you know that after such a publication, you certainly don't want to see him as president." Read More: Criminal group that hacked law firm threatens to release Trump documents [NBC News] SEATTLE (AP) Two people in Washington state who recall being sick in December have since had blood tests showing they developed antibodies for the coronavirus, but health officials arent counting them in their official case counts. The positive serology tests cant determine whether the people had the coronavirus in December, weeks before the disease was officially detected in the United States. They may have been exposed after the first recorded case. One of the people had lunch with a hospital nurse in Kirkland, for example, site of a large outbreak in a nursing home. They are being considered probable, Heather Thomas, a Snohomish Health District spokeswoman, told The Seattle Times. However, they are not captured in our case counts from Jan. 20 forward." The two people are residents of Snohomish County, north of Seattle, which has the second-highest number of confirmed cases in the state with more than 2,700. On Jan. 20, a man in Snohomish County became the first person to test positive for COVID-19 in the U.S. The man had been traveling in Wuhan, China, where the outbreak appears to have originated. He returned to the Seattle area on Jan. 15 and days later began showing symptoms. If any Washington cases predated the first known case, there were probably very few that didnt multiply, Dr. Jared Roach, a senior research scientist at the Institute for Systems Biology, a Seattle-based biomedical research firm, told the newspaper. Chris Spitters, health officer for the Snohomish Health District, said Friday its possible and frankly, I think more likely that the two patients with positive blood tests didnt have COVID-19 in December, but later picked up a mild or asymptomatic case of it. But we cant say that with 100 percent certainty, he said. I think thats just the more likely scenario." Spitters did say it was likely that COVID-19 was introduced in the area before Jan. 20. And its reasonable to assume, given reports like the ones that weve had and others around the country, that introduction may have occurred prior to January, as we initially suspected," he said. -- The Associated Press Adam Sandler has revealed that he was so much impressed by fellow actor Jim Carrey's performance in "Sonic the Hedgehog" that he called him during the screening of the film. The film, which released in February to overwhelming response from the fans, is an adaptation of Sega's classic video game. It features a hedgehog named Sonic (Ben Schwartz) on a quest to defeat Doctor Robotnik (Carrey), a scientist who has imprisoned animals in robots and stolen magical Chaos Emeralds. During an interview on "Jimmy Kimmel Live", Sandler said "Sonic" was the last film he saw in theatres before they were ordered to shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. "I saw Jim Carrey's movie, the 'Sonic'. I noticed that people were spread out, there were only a few of us in the theatres and I was laughing very loud. The people behind us were laughing, too. So I think our last big night out: 'Sonic'. "I called Carrey from the theatre. I was telling him how funny he was while it was going on. I didn't know it was going to be the last movie I ever saw at a movie theatre," the actor said. "Sonic the Hedgehog", which also starred James Marsden, had raked in USD 306 million in worldwide gross. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UK has become the biggest user of powder cocaine in Europe, an investigator with the National Crime Agency said. Estimates on the amount of the Class A substance being trafficked into the country has risen three-fold since 2011 to 117 tonnes, Lawrence Gibbons of the National Crime Agency told the Times. The head of drugs threat at the agency added that the 'middle class' stereotype of cocaine no longer rings true. Estimates on the amount of cocaine being trafficked into the country has risen three-fold since 2011 to 117 tonnes. (Pictured: A huge haul discovered in a lorry entering Dover) He told the paper: 'A lot of the consignments we see coming into Europe - through Spain, Belgium or the Netherlands mainly - a significant proportion is destined for the UK. 'The UK is the biggest user of powder cocaine in Europe.' Mr Gibbons added that more stringent policing would not solve the problem of demand for the drug, saying users should be aware of the 'reality of a trade that is run by criminal gangs who use guns, violence, trafficking and debt bondage'. Police seized 9,645kg (9.6 tonnes) of cocaine in 2018/19 - the largest amount since records began in 1973, according to the Home Office. Recently UK Border Force officials found 31lb (14kg) of cocaine stashed among two consignments of face masks entering the country to help fight coronavirus Police stopped a Polish van driver near Calais and were able to seize the drugs before arrival The amount of the class A drug seized by police in 2018/19 was up 12% or 6,307kg on the previous period when 3,338kg was confiscated. More recently, UK Border Force officials found 31lb (14kg) of cocaine stashed among two consignments of face masks after stopping a Polish van driver near Calais. Three men were arrested after cocaine with a potential street value of 3 million was found in a 'purpose-built hide' in a lorry which arrived at Dover on a ferry from France on April 23. And two men were charged earlier in May with allegedly breaking into the London Container Terminal in Tilbury to retrieve packages of drugs with a potential street value of 1 million from a refrigerated container which had arrived from Belize. US President Donald Trump has said that he does not want to talk to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping right now, indicating his displeasure at the Chinese leadership's handling of the coronavirus outbreak which has now spread across the world, killing over 4.5 million people. "Just don't want to talk to him right now. We will see what happens over the next little while," Trump told reporters at the White House, when asked why he did not want to not speak to Xi. China, as per the trade deal inked earlier this year, is buying a lot more of American goods than last year. They are spending a lot on the trade deal, but the trade deal I don't know somehow I lost a little flavour for it, you can understand, Trump said. Earlier in the day, Trump said he did not want to talk about the trade deal. "I don't want to talk about it. I can say China is buying a lot of our products. But the trade deal -- the ink was barely dry -- when this (coronavirus) came in from China. So, it's not like we're thrilled, he said. This should have never happened. This came from China. It should have been stopped in China before it got out to the world. One-eighty-six countries are affected. Each country that's affected is the same thing. Russia now is badly affected. France is badly affected. You look at each country and you can say "affected" or you can say "infected," either way you want to put it," he said. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters that President Trump is frustrated with China. "I will leave it to the president as to when he resumes speaking with the Chinese leader. But look, China slow walked this. I've shared with you guys before on human-to-human transmission. It was really important that the world knew of that aspect of the disease, but that information was slow walked through to the WHO, she said. "The genetic sequencing, likewise, was not given until a professor in Shanghai did so on his own. The president has repeatedly noted that why are they letting flights out of China but not into China? These decisions put American lives at risk. Not just American lives, the lives around the globe," she said. "We know that this disease came from China, and why that information was not shared, some of the information I just suggested is really unacceptable. So he's frustrated at this point, and I'll leave it to him," McEnany said. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Trump administration will not tolerate efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to undermine the privacy of US citizens or the integrity of next-generation networks worldwide. (Chinese technology company) Huawei is an untrustworthy vendor and a tool of the Chinese Communist Party, beholden to its orders. The Department of Justice has indicted Huawei for stealing US technology and helping Iran evade sanctions, and the Department of Commerce has placed Huawei on the Entity List in 2019. The Department of State has engaged for more than a year to share what we know about Huawei and other untrustworthy vendors with allies and partners around the world," he said. On Friday, the Department of Justice expanded rules to prevent Huawei from undermining US export controls, closing a loophole that has allowed the company to exploit US technology and threaten national security. "It also imposes US export control restrictions on countries that use US technology or software to design and produce semiconductors for Huawei. Companies wishing to sell certain items to Huawei produced with US technology must now obtain a license from the United States," he said. The US will continue to restrict most American exports to Huawei and its affiliates on the Entity List for activities that threaten US national security and international stability, Pompeo said. Also read: Coronavirus Live Updates: India tops China tally with COVID-19 cases past 85,000; death toll nears 3,000 Also read: Coronavirus crisis: Will donate ventilators to India, stand with PM Modi, says Trump A police officer checks papers of a truck driver on Hanoi-Hai Phong Expressway, May 15, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Ba Do. Thousands of traffic police officers are swarming the streets of Vietnam for a one-month random checking campaign. Early on Friday Nguyen Duy Truong was driving a pickup truck when he was stopped by officers near a Hanoi - Hai Phong Expressway toll booth. He had been driving in the correct lane and within speed limits. As they pulled him over, they did not just check his papers but also tested for alcohol in his breath and for drugs from a urine sample. Truong passed all the tests and was eventually allowed to go. "Checking randomly like this could help reduce traffic accidents, but it is quite inconvenient because I was in a hurry to carry out some business," he said. For a month from Friday officers will patrol streets across the country 24/7 to check papers and drivers for driving under the influence. Normally, the police can only stop a vehicle if the driver has flouted some regulation, but in this campaign they are pulling over vehicles randomly for checking. Lieutenant General Vu Do Anh Dung, head of the Department of Traffic Police, said after the government eased social distancing requirements on April 23, traffic violations have increased, especially drunk drinking, resisting officers and illegal road racing. "We have put our forces on the streets to bring back order." Major Ngo Xuan Tung of the traffic police department said it takes 10-15 minutes to check the papers and the driver. Tung led the team that checked Truong on the Hanoi-Hai Phong Expressway. On Friday morning a truck driver recorded 0.783 mg/liter on a breathalyzer. The highest level of fine is VND400,000-600,000 ($17-26) for of 0.4 mg/liter or more. Also on Friday morning, a motorcyclist was fined VND250,000 ($11) for not wearing a helmet of proper quality in Thanh Xuan District in the capital. Captain Nguyen Minh Duc said his team has made a list of areas where traffic accidents usually occur in Hanoi, mostly congested places with many pubs and beer clubs. In the first three months of this year the country recorded more than 3,400 traffic accidents in which more than 1,600 people were killed and 2,500 others injured. The number of accidents and fatalities were both 14 percent down year-on-year, according to the National Traffic Safety Committee. Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan noted that he is ready to discuss the Karabakh issue with Artsakh ex-presidents if necessary. His remarks came during his big press conference on May 16. There is such a circumstance that institutional information on the talks that were conducted earlier is available in the public administration system. At least the information I needed, said Pashinyan. Speaking about the negotiation format, he added: We have repeatedly expressed our opinion that we consider the participation of the elected representatives of Artsakh to be essential and important in the talks since we cannot imagine a solution to this issue without their participation," he noted adding: "Our view is as follows: we cannot solve the Karabakh issue without elected representatives of Artsakh. We cannot make decisions instead of them." According to him, there was always the idea of peacekeeping forces in previous documents and public statements. The Minister of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) have confirmed that the Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Testing (CVRT) network will reopen from 18 May 2020 for vehicles with a test due date prior to 28 March 2020 (before the 3-month extension to commercial vehicle certificates of roadworthiness came into effect). The resumption of testing for vehicles with a test due date on or after 28 March 2020 is expected to follow over the coming weeks. The recommencement of CVRT services will be subject to detailed measures being put in place by each individual CVRT test centre operator to mitigate against the spread of COVID19. Commenting on the possible re-opening of other RSA services the Minister said, In April I extended the period of validity of roadworthiness certificates, licences and other certificates that were due expire from 28 March 2020 and couldnt be renewed because of the suspension of many RSA services. While most customers of these services will not need to avail of them in the short term, because of these extensions, I do however want to see the phased reopening of the RSAs services so we can contribute to the process of reopening Irelands economy and society. Therefore I have asked officials in my Department and in the RSA to continue to engage with a view to producing a road map for the phased resumption of other RSA services, including the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS), Driver Theory Test (DTT), National Car Test (NCT) and the Driving Test. This must be done in line with the Governments road map for easing of Covid19 restrictions, published on 1 May, and in compliance with the National Return to Work Safely Protocol agreed by employer and worker representatives. Minister Ross said, On 28 March I took the necessary step of advising the suspension of many of the services provided by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) in order to comply with the restrictions, announced by Government, to stop the spread of Covid19. Today I am announcing the partial resumption of the Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Testing system. This move reflects the importance of testing for the safe provision of the transport of goods and people by road. The resumption of CVRT testing is subject to robust protocols being put in place by each testing centre that meet public and occupational health requirements in order to protect staff and customers. The Health and Safety Authority has new powers that allow it to close workplaces where there is very poor management of health and safety, but this will only be applied as a final resort The Road Safety Authority will be communicating with each of the 150 CVRT centres from today concerning the resumption of services. If a CVRT testing centre cannot put the required measures in place, they should not resume services until they are assured that they can protect their staff and customers who come to the testing centre. Batavia, NY (14020) Today A few snow showers scattered about the area this evening, otherwise a good deal of clouds. Low around 10F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 30%.. Tonight A few snow showers scattered about the area this evening, otherwise a good deal of clouds. Low around 10F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 30%. Upon arrival at Keflavik International Airport, visitors will be tested for the coronavirus at no cost during a two-week trial period. The ministry said the planning group has not yet determined the cost to travelers beyond the initial period. After the test, the visitors can enter the country and start their vacation, but they must provide a contact number in the event of a positive result. Results can be expected in as little as a few hours. Visitors can also use the tracing app as a point of contact. Children of Atule'er Village climb on the vine ladder on a cliff on their way home in Zhaojue county in southwest China's Sichuan province on May 14, 2016 in Zhaojue, China. Barcroft Media via Getty Images The Chinese government resettled 84 households from the remote, clifftop village of Atule'er, where residents had to trek more than 2,600 feet each way. Harrowing photos published in 2016 showed the journey schoolchildren had to make each week to get to class, climbing down handmade ladders and scaling narrow paths. The state-run broadcaster CGTN reported that the villagers have since been given apartments in Zhaojue County, where they can more easily access schools, medical care, and other basic services. Not every villager opted to leave 30 households will reportedly stay, in part because the village has become a tourist site and people have lived there for 200 years. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. The Chinese government has resettled 84 households who once lived in a remote village at the top of a 2,624-foot cliff. The village made international headlines in 2016, after harrowing photos showed young children climbing down the cliff to go to school, descending rickety ladders made of vines and scaling narrow paths without any guardrails or safety devices. The villagers have since been moved into apartment buildings near the town center of Zhaojue County in the province of Sichuan, according to the state-run broadcaster CGTN. Children of Atule'er Village climb a cliff on their way home in Zhaojue county in southwest China's Sichuan province on May 14, 2016 in Zhaojue, China. Barcroft Media via Getty Images The broadcaster quoted one villager who said Atule'er residents drew lots for their new homes he said he was allowed a 1,076-square-foot dwelling because there are five people in his family, and that he was looking forward to accessing services in the new area that were previously unavailable to him. "After moving to the county, life will be very convenient for my family, and my children will go to school easily and hospital services will become convenient too," Mose Laluo told CGTN. Video footage of the new housing development showed sets of newly constructed, modern-looking apartment buildings. Story continues Children had to make the dangerous trek down the cliff every week to go to school Children of Atule'er Village climb on the vine ladder on a cliff on their way home in Zhaojue county in southwest China's Sichuan province on May 14, 2016 in Zhaojue, China. Barcroft Media via Getty Images The resettlement of the Atule'er villagers is reportedly part of a broader campaign to house impoverished families in remote villages. The Zhaojue County site is expected to soon house more than 18,000 residents from 4,057 households, according to CGTN. Despite the efforts, not all Atule'er villagers were willing to leave their homes. CNN reported that 30 households intended to stay in their clifftop homes, partly due to a newfound tourist economy. Roughly 100,000 people visited Atule'er in 2019, creating some $140,000 in revenue for the village. An NPR journalist who made the trek up the cliff in 2016 reported that the villagers there fed themselves by raising livestock and planting crops such as corn and potatoes, but were unable to get most of their produce down the cliff so were unable to earn much money by selling it. Children of Atule'er Village climb the vine ladder on a cliff on their way home in Zhaojue county in southwest China's Sichuan province on May 14, 2016 in Zhaojue, China. Barcroft Media via Getty Images NPR reported that it took roughly two to four hours each way to scale the cliff. It's a trip that schoolchildren had to make each week to attend classes, staying in dorms until the weekends. Since the village captured so much attention in recent years, local officials felt pressure to make life less dangerous for the residents, especially since people have died by falling down the cliff, according to NPR. The village is estimated to be 200 years old, and villagers have said their ancestors chose the isolated location in an effort to avoid wars or tribal conflicts, according to the state-owned newspaper China Daily. Read the original article on Insider Picture Midtown Village a year ago, maybe around happy hour: It would have been teeming with people going to El Vez, Barbuzzo, Sampan, Tiki, and another of the 15 or so bars and restaurants clustered along South 13th Street. The same could be said of several stretches of Walnut Street and Germantown Avenue, of East Passyunk Avenue and South Street, Lancaster Avenue in Ardmore, Haddon Avenue in Collingswood, State Street in Media, and Gay Street in West Chester. Now imagine those same streets in a post-pandemic world, with less than half the restaurants that have helped define them. The sentiment among restaurant operators is that only 20% of us are going to survive, said Philly chef Tyler Akin, citing a James Beard Foundation survey of 1,500 restaurateurs, of which 80% indicated they were uncertain if delivery and takeout would sustain them. In places where restaurants were forced to close, nearly 75% thought they would be unable to reopen after 2 months. Akin owns Res Ipsa Cafe and Stock Restaurant in Fishtown and Rittenhouse, and is chef-partner at the Hotel Du Ponts forthcoming new restaurant, Le Cavalier. But for the past two months, he has been preoccupied working on the leadership committee for the Independent Restaurant Coalition, an advocacy group that formed shortly after restaurants were shuttered by the pandemic. We asked Akin about the IRCs work including the multibillion-dollar stabilization fund theyre proposing to legislators as well as the impact of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and when we might learn which restaurants will survive and which will close. This transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity. Lets start by talking about the Independent Restaurant Coalition. For decades now, the NRA the other NRA [National Restaurant Association] has kind of been the main channel for lobbying advocacy on behalf of the restaurant industry. Theyre well-entrenched and they have full-time lobbyists and deep relationships on the Hill. [But] there was a sense as this crisis began to unfold that there would need to be a counterpoint protecting the interests of all these kindred places around the country that dont have the lobbying muscle that the McDonalds and the Applebees of the world do. There was a group of people Jose Andres, Tom Colicchio, Kevin Boehm in Chicago, Andrew Zimmern, Naomi Pomeroy who came together to form the IRC, and basically started inviting people in to be part of what they call the leadership committee, so thats a group of people who are on a Zoom call thats at least an hour every day. In the past couple weeks, the organization has begun to be more formalized. Committees are forming and legal status and fund-raising efforts are being addressed. We were underwritten by American Express and Resy, which gave us the ability to retain lobbyists and hire a communications firm that specializes in the political space. Day by day, its becoming more of a buttoned-up organization that stands to survive this pandemic. What kind of restaurants are represented in the IRC? Were literally in the process of defining this. Really its just an incredibly diverse coalition of people from around the country people from different ethnic backgrounds and a variety of ages. There are single-unit operators with half a million dollars in sales, and there are people with 10 or 15 restaurants with anywhere between $50 to $100 million in revenue. But I think what we share is an ethos of treating food with care, treating our employees with care, and being part of the community in a way that I think a lot of national restaurants arent always. What conversations did you have when this started, and what are you talking about now? The early conversations were about how can we try to shape the PPP as it relates to the restaurant industry, and then once PPP was passed, how do we interpret that program and disseminate an understanding of how to use it. And as it continues to be revised, how can we help the Small Business Administration and the Department of Treasury understand that while its a great program for a lot of industries and we appreciate the underlying support of small business that prompted PPP it really just does not work for us at all in the restaurant industry. Why doesnt it work for you? The PPP gives some light support to help restaurants reopen, but really its like an eight-week Band-Aid on what we see is a 12- or 18-month problem. One of the provisions of PPP is that you have to reestablish your full-time [employee] headcount from before the pandemic by June 30. Were looking at 20 or 30% of revenue under this regime where we can only do delivery and curbside. And even if were in a position by the end of the summer where we can see 25% of our seats, I dont think that gets us anywhere close to necessitating 100% of our old workforce. For businesses like ours that require socialization and guests coming into the restaurant, its kind of an unworkable plan. So were hoping to extend that eight-week [deadline to use the funds past June 30] and allow more than 25% of the funds to be used for rent and utilities. What would see you through 12 to 18 months of this? What we proposed was a $120 billion independent restaurant stabilization fund that would be only accessible to nonpublic companies with 20 or fewer locations. That money essentially replaces a percentage of our 2019 revenue. The intention is to account for the fact that were not going to be anywhere near our historical sales anytime soon, yet we still have to make the same rent payments, the same utility payments. And if were not able to do that, were facing eviction and bankruptcy, and we wont be able to provide jobs. Whats happening with this proposal now? We sent a letter to congressional leadership on this topic about a week and a half ago. And really its been a grassroots effort since then to put chefs in front of their local legislators and tell them our stories: Tell them about the day in March when they had to lay off 90% or 100% of their staff; tell them about how the PPP is not working; how drastically our sales have declined, even when we are operating curbside and delivery operations. And remind them that we have, I think, the weakest safety net because we operate on such slim margins, we dont have access to capital in the public markets, and in a lot of cases we dont really even have borrowing relationships with our banks because that is the posture financial institutions have taken with respect to restaurants for a long time, that we are not always worthy recipients of loans. I think its a cause that appeals to both Democrats and Republicans because it saves jobs. We disproportionately contribute to sales tax revenue in our local jurisdictions. We are in a lot of ways like a primary driver of the national economy. Even though as individual units were small, when you put us all together were 4% of the GDP. There was an article in the New York Times last week about the outsize effects that restaurants can have on neighborhoods in terms of revitalizing them and bringing people into them. Yeah, one point that isnt being discussed a lot is the systemic nature of how we fit into the commercial real estate market. When you drive around Center City Philadelphia, for instance, you can see just how much restaurants have filled the void of retail moving online. We are the primary tenants for commercial landlords. If we all are in a position of closing, I think that it becomes a much more systemic issue that is going to be a lot more expensive to fix than spending on this restructuring that were proposing. The other thing I wanted to mention is how devastating this has been for all of our suppliers, whether its wine purveyors or whether its farmers who arent able to sell their stuff in Acme and Whole Foods. I think youre going to see a massive number of bankruptcies among fisheries and farms around the country, which is just really unfortunate. You own Stock and Res Ipsa. Are you open for takeout? We are going to relaunch Stock and Res Ipsa in the next five or 10 days. We thought it was in the best interests of our guests and our staffs safety to keep the lights off until things started to slow down a bit, and weve seen that slowing down a bit. Does it feel 100% right? No. But is it 100% necessary to avoid closing outright? Yeah, it is. People have heard that a lot of restaurants will close, and at the same time, were hearing about many restaurants reopening for takeout and delivery. When do you think well know who will close for good? I think that barring the passage of a stabilization fund that is targeted to us, or some more generalized funds for small businesses that we have access to, youre going to see a lot of really unfortunate announcements this summer, when the eight-week PPP lifeline expires for people. We were already a low-margin business, and were in a position now of having to generate revenues through delivery partnerships where we lose this huge piece of that money coming in. The only reason its working right now is because labor is subsidized through this PPP money. As soon as that money expires or is spent, I think that baseline of revenue at 30%, 40% or less, [takeout and delivery-only] becomes completely impracticable. There are several restaurants around the country that just decided to pull the plug instead of playing this game at all. And I dont blame them. What Im bracing for is just a really long and sad summer if we dont get this thing passed. If readers want to support this effort, what should they do? Id recommend they go to saverestaurants.com and sign up for our email list. We also have some really easy ways to generate support letters for our efforts that target the legislators in your own jurisdiction. If people can find the generosity to contribute a little bit of money to IRC, it would be greatly appreciated. But really the best thing to do right now is just in any way possible remind legislators, how much we mean to you. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yuniyanti Chuzaifah (The Jakarta Post) Depok, West Java Sat, May 16, 2020 09:21 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd86e8b0 3 Opinion feminism,COVID-19,women-empowerment,civil-society,pandemic Free As COVID-19 continues to spread across the archipelago lets take a while to record a few of the many initiatives undertaken to help curb the virus and to help fellow citizens survive. Particularly among women, personal initiatives are as valuable as collective ones, in responding to womens specific vulnerabilities. Their actions remind us of May 1998, 22 years ago, the terrifying period of violence ahead of Soehartos downfall, when women were on the frontline among volunteers to save lives, pushing state responsibility for scores of deaths, gang rapes and destruction, and collaborating on a massive scale across all society segments, only on the basis of solidarity. The following are some of the important initiatives of the womens movement since the pandemic spread to Indonesia: 1. Encouraging state responsibility. Among other measures, women have urged the availability of segregated data in the figures of confirmed cases. Women have also urged inclusion of gender sensitivity and analysis in policies and involvement of womens institutions from national down to village level. The national COVID-19 task force includes around 160 members from government and women civil society organizations (CSOs) that help gender mainstreaming of measures and policies on the pandemic. Women groups have also reminded the state to prioritize vulnerable groups, such as inmates in overcrowded prisons, migrants, domestic workers, people with disabilities and HIV. They have also urged for more effective and inclusive services for victims of gender-based violence, and to ensure accessible information for vulnerable groups including those living in shelters as a result of disasters and the disabled, as city-centric modes of information and mere posters are not enough. 2. Strengthening knowledge and working based on data. Various womens organizations are collecting data on problems faced by women, including through webinars about COVID- 19, sharing information to prevent infection, channeling economic opportunities, seeking out and disseminating scientific information through simple and informative visuals, to counter various hoaxes related to the virus, including to communities with limited access to verified information. 3. Fundraising efforts have been unique and creative. Online auctions included that by Ienas Tsuroiya, which featured valuable objects of religious leaders and family items. Famous television host Najwa Shihab raised Rp 10 billion (US$672,945) through an online charity concert. Other organizations such as PERUATI (Alliance of Theology Educated Women) and several faith-based organizations have also mobilized fundraising for affected communities. Libu Perempuan Palu in Central Sulawesi supports displaced people from disasters in the province. A women-led philanthropic institution of the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN Jakarta) has generated significant funds to support students whose parents suddenly could no longer send them money. 4. Life saving and caring measures. Women have donated their cloth collections, whether weaving, batik and patches for the masks for all movement, to be distributed to relatively neglected people such as inmates, people on remote islands, border areas and for fundraising to support health workers. This initiative includes the Empu group in collaboration with individuals and organizations from Jember in East Java, Maluku, Aceh, North Sumatra, East Nusa Tenggara, etc. Such groups have also organized jamu (herbal medicine) sellers, who are mostly women, to spread information among them on maintaining strict protocol to avoid infection by the coronavirus, by maintaining hygiene and keeping a safe distance while selling their drinks, currently in high demand to boost immunity against the virus. Other initiatives are free distribution of hand sanitizer, vitamins, juices and herbs for the poor and other vulnerable groups, as these items have become scarce and costly. 5. Strengthening food sovereignty and eco-sustainability. Women have been quick to call out excessive panic buying as an effort to ensure food supplies for all since the virus outbreak. Women are also actively spreading information and encouragement on urban farming in peoples plots, however small. These include Anis Hidayah of Migrant Care and Nyai Nissa Wargadipura, leader of an Islamic boarding school or pesantren which emphasizes preserving the ecology in Garut, West Java, and which has shared seeds in a bid for food sustainability to several areas. Women have also initiated tutorials on organic plants, to help ensure availability of vegetables, and as part of efforts to help nature recover as they believe the earth is taking a breather during the lockdown. Free or low cost food is also being provided to ensure nutrition to balance out food aid, which largely includes unhealthy instant noodles and canned food. 6. Support for COVID-19 positive persons. Uproar followed the government announcement of the two initial confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, thereby violating the privacy of the women patients, their families and communities. Women activists spoke out to stop stigmatization, restore the patients dignity, stimulate empathy, while condemning media victimization and trampling of privacy. Amid many cases of health workers being rejected, including nurses and people suspected of being infected, or those who must self-isolate after testing positive for the virus, women have provided food for such individuals and families, apart from arranging for the care of young children when their parents are in isolation or medical treatment. 7. Spirituality and care for well-being. Among the roles of faith-based groups, women ulema such as those from Alimat, the Congress of Indonesian Women Ulema (KUPI) and young ulema of the womens wings of Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama, the nations biggest Islamic organizations, have delivered informative and inspiring religious lectures. For example about building healthy relationships and preventing domestic violence, about reproductive health and devotion to parents by not returning home even for the Idul Fitri family gatherings to prevent transmission of the virus, etc. Through wellness programs women are also sharing activities of art or relaxation to survive a lockdown atmosphere. Sharing recipes aims to conserve traditional recipes and reduce dependency on instant ingredients while spreading the message that both men and women can cook. Organizations such as the Pulih Foundation also deal with psychiatric disorders in crisis situations like this. 8. Neighborhood care. Individual gestures and small-scale collective actions have included placing vegetables and even cooked food in front of ones house for passers-by in need, deliberately shopping from local vendors to help them survive, caring for neighbors with disabilities, the elderly and transgender people, many of whom are poor. Many other initiatives need to be documented to capture the unique contributions across the archipelago during this unprecedented crisis. It is this inclusiveness of the womens movement, based only on solidarity, that helps save Indonesia from all threats of friction. After all no one, from whatever group, is safe from COVID-19. ______ Human rights activist, former member of the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Much of the nation these past few months has focused on New York state since it became the hotspot for the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. Many have also complimented Governor Andrew Cuomos response in fighting the pandemic, even to the point of suggesting he should substitute for presidential hopeful Joe Biden as the Democratic Party nominee to face Donald Trump in the November election. On Tuesday, Cuomo proposed a new law that aims to prevent corporations from receiving stimulus funds as a result of COVID-19. While he presents himself as a governor who will tackle all forms of injustice, especially in light of his continual hands-on approach during this crisis, Cuomo is anything but the knight in shining armor he is being portrayed as. Disregard for the Disabled and Elderly Cuomo ordered nursing homes for the elderly and infirm to accept patients with COVID-19. As reported by Pamela Geller: Weeks before [Cuomo] prohibited these homes from turning someone away for having COVID, there were numerous reports that nursing homes, assisted living and congregate care centers were the most vulnerable to Coronavirus. [This was because] the biggest drag on New York state is Medicaid what better way to rid the state of the old, sick, and disabled? Syracuse University Professor Scott Landes explained that because the home population in general, [have] swallowing problems or disorders, or choking disorders, or just more susceptibility to lung infections [and] seem to develop pneumonia at a higher rate than those in the general population. He added that COVID-19 is even more challenging for those living in congregate residential settings. Towards the end of April, the CEO of a hard-hit Brooklyn nursing home, where 55 patients had died from the coronavirus, warned New York Health Department officials for weeks that he had staffing and equipment issues yet he received little help. In what was a self-contradiction, Cuomo who himself has described nursing homes as a feeding frenzyfor the deadly coronavirus said that the facilities cannot challenge his regulation forcing the homes to admit patients with the contagion. And although he argued that they can transfer patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus to a different facility, this too has been misleading. On a personal note, the godmother of one of my sisters, who is nearly ninety years old, was forced to stay at a nursing home despite being infected with the COVID-19 she miraculously recovered despite not having had the required medical attention at the home that she should have received. Manipulating Facts and Shunning Responsibility In March, Cuomo began to gripe against President Trump, demanding up to 40,000 ventilators to tackle the coronavirus. Media outlets, such as The Washington Post sided with Cuomo, stating: Trump questions New Yorks plea for critical equipment yet this came after the president said: I don't believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. As it turned out, New York, according to updated models from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, had already reached its peak projected ventilator usage on April 8, with a projected need of 5,008. The actual use may have been lower. In any case, as I had previously written, had the New York governor needed so many ventilators, in 2015, after learning that the states stockpile of medical equipment had 16,000 fewer ventilators than New Yorkers would need in a severe pandemic, Cuomo chose not to buy more of them. Instead, he asked his health commissioner Howard Zucker to assemble a task force and draft rules for rationing the ventilators they already had. Cuomo also recognized, but failed to do anything about, a shortage of masks and other protective gear. On March 6, as reported by CNBC, weeks before Trump raised the issue, Cuomo stated that people were stealing the equipment out of hospitals in New York. Not just people taking a couple or three, I mean just actual thefts of those products. Ive asked the state police to do an investigation, look at places that are selling masks, medical equipment, protective wear. There is, however, no evidence that he or the police ever followed up, directly resulting in a shortage today. As reported by New York City freelance reporter Danielle Tcholakian, Cuomo, on Feb. 4, announced his Medicaid redesign team, the latest a long line of cumbersome task forces he likes to convene and then hamstring (see, for example, the Moreland Commission, and the task force created to get HIV below epidemic levels, and whose report he delayed and whose funding recommendations he reneged on). While one would think amidst the pandemic any elected official would seek more funding for health care, Cuomo pursued a $2.5 billion cut in Medicaid to New Yorks hospitals alongside limiting their expansion to save more money. This is not to deny the problems of federal funding, however, Cuomo had avoided for years tackling substantively the problem of Medicaid in ways that were not opportunistic, such as conceding large sums of money to entities connected to political donors. He could have spent the necessary $576 million at disposal on the ventilators to prepare for the worst-case scenario, but instead he opted to spend $750 million on on a boondoggle Buffalo Billion solar panel factory. Abortion In 2019, Cuomo, on the day before the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, signed into law the Reproductive Health Act (RHA), which legislates a womans ability to have an abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy when abortion is never medically necessary and when children born prematurely are routinely able to survive outside the womb with careful tending. It also permits non-doctors to perform abortions up to the moment of birth. He marked the moment with public celebrations, which given the context, appeared ghoulish. Prior to signing the RHA, Cuomos dedication to reproductive rights allowed for the extermination of more than 82,000 unborn lives in his state in 2016 alone approximately 2,000 of those unborn children were killed after 20 weeks of pregnancy, the threshold where advanced neonatal intensive care is just beginning to enable survival; nearly 6,000 of those unborn children were killed in dilation and evacuation abortions. Cuomo, a professed Catholic, stated on Fox News: The Catholic Church doesnt believe in a womans right to choose. Yes, I understand their religious view. But Im not here to legislate religion equally to blame is the Cardinal Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolan for giving Cuomo a get out of jail card on the matter. This was nothing more than a doubling-down by Cuomo since religion has nothing to do with that has been proven by science - that human life is human life. The legislation, as President Trump said during his State of the Union address last year, allow[s] a baby to be ripped from a mothers womb while Cuomos law classifies a person as a human being who has been born and is alive meaning unborn babies are not persons. Trump has gone so far as to define life beginning at the moment of conception. Cuomo has made it clear that he has no plans, if the situation were to present itself, to take Sleepy Joes place as the Democrat candidate for president this year. That does not mean he does not aspire to the White House Tcholakian revealed that already there have been $280 Cuomo for President cashmere sweaters are flying off the shelves. Whether it is this year or in 2024 when Andrew Cuomo potentially presents himself as a presidential candidate, he would do so based on a myth that he was the knight in shining armor, when in fact he has been just the opposite. Caricature by DonkeyHotey, via Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0 The Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany Andriy Melnyk welcomed the decision of the German authorities not to exempt the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from the requirements of the EU gas directive. This was stated by the diplomat in a commentary to Radio Liberty. In essence, we are talking about preserving the domestic gas transportation system as the main transit for energy carriers to the EU market. Todays verdict of the independent regulator of Germany on refusing to exclude the NS-2 gas pipeline from European legislation has become a sensitive blow to Russia and all its lobbyists in Germany, before all to Mr. Schroeder," he said.Melnyk added that "it is too early to say that the current victory around Nord Stream 2 is final." By PTI KOLKATA: Seven people succumbed to COVID-19 in West Bengal taking the total number of deaths directly due to the disease to 160, state home secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said on Saturday. At least 115 new cases of coronavirus were reported during the same period taking the total number of confirmed cases to 2,576, he said, adding that there are at the moment 1,452 active cases in the state. Of the seven deaths, three each were reported from the city and neighbouring Howrah and one from South 24 Parganas district, bulletin of the state health department released later stated. It also elaborated that 65 people from the metropolis tested positive for the COVID-19. At least 17 people from Howrah, 15 from North 24 Parganas and 10 and 6 from Hooghly and Malda districts respectively tested positive for the disease, the bulletin added. There were 7,745 samples tested on Friday and the total number of such tests is 77,288, he added. Bandyopadhyay said that the positivity rate in the state is at 3.33 per cent, better than the national figure. Since Friday evening, 63 people have been discharged from different hospitals after they recovered from the disease taking the total number of such people to 892. There were 72 more deaths due to comorbidities where coronavirus were incidental, he added. Meanwhile, three women patients at the Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital on Saturday tested positive after giving birth, hospital sources said. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday reached out to migrant workers returning to the state during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown and announced that her government will bear the entire cost of their journey by special trains. She also pledged a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of three people from the state who were among the 24 killed in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh. The opposition BJP and CPI(M) dubbed the announcement as the TMC government's "crisis management" with an eye on the next year's state polls as it had failed to act on time. The issue of bringing back migrant labourers and stranded people to West Bengal had snowballed into a political one with the BJP and the Centre rapping the state for not taking adequate measures to ferry them home. The TMC in its turn had blamed the Centre's "botched up lockdown" and "arrogant" approach for the suffering of lakhs of migrant workers across the country. As per the present policy formulated by the Centre, 85 per cent of the cost of transportation of the migrants is borne by the railways and the rest by the state governments, respectively. Banerjee on Saturday announced that the West Bengal government would bear the entire cost of movement of migrant labourers from the state who are stranded in various parts of the country and are returning home by special trains. "Saluting the toil faced by our migrant breathen, I am pleased to announce the decision of GoWB to bear the entire cost of movement for our migrant workers by special trains from other states to West Bengal. No migrant will be charged," Banerjee tweeted. Communication in this regard was sent to Railway Board chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav by state Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, she said. Later in the day, state home secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay said detailed analytics had been done in this regard and those boarding the trains will not have to buy tickets. He said that the government had created a database of 17 lakh people who are stranded in various states due to the lockdown. "We have told all the concerned states to help them (migrant labourers). Many people have also sought help through various portals and social media for which nodal officers have been appointed," he said. So far, 24,349 entry passes to West Bengal have been approved based on which at least 1,14,992 people have entered the state. At least 2,15,915 have left the state for their homes, Bandyopadhyay said. The chief minister had on Thursday said that her government has made arrangements for 105 more trains to bring back people stuck in different parts of the country amid claims by opposition parties that the state was not eager to ferry home stranded labourers and pilgrims. Of these 105 trains, three will commence their journey from New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore Urban on Saturday. The state government's exercise to ferry home people stranded during the lockdown in trains will continue till June 14. Earlier, the government had given its nod for 10 trains to facilitate the return of people stranded in other states during the lockdown and three of them have reached the state so far. The West Bengal government on Saturday announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of three people from the state who were killed in a road accident in Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh while returning home. "There are confirmed reports that three people from Purulia district died in the road accident in Uttar Pradesh. A compensation of Rs 2 lakh each will be sent to their immediate kin," the senior state government official told PTI. Banerjee has also expressed grief over the incident. At least 24 migrant workers were killed and 36 injured when a trailer rammed into a stationary truck, both carrying passengers, on a highway near Auraiya in the early hours of Saturday. West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh termed the state government's decision for compensation and free travel as "a cover-up measure to hide its failures to act on time". "Had the state government acted on time like the other states, the three labourers from West Bengal who died would have been alive. But it did nothing for the last 15 days and was sitting idle. After so many people died it announced free travel and compensation," Ghosh said. The TMC countered the BJP leader's claim by blaming the Centre's 'messed up lockdown' for the death of the migrant workers. TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee tweeted, "The painful loss of lives of #MigrantWorkers forced to take desperate measures to return to their native places is a result of a botched up lockdown led by an arrogant and insensitive government that fails even to take cognisance of the existence & suffering of millions." Rendered jobless due to the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown, which began on March 25 and desperate to get home, migrant workers across the country are undertaking long and arduous journeys to their native places on foot, bicycles or packed into trucks. Over the past few days, many migrant workers have been killed in accidents in different parts of the country. 16.05.2020 LISTEN The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has appealed to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to intervene so that the 2020 presidential elections will be free and fair. The General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, making the appeal, recounted the significant roles Otumfuo had played to ensure free, fair and incident-free elections in the country previously. According to him, the NDC is confident and hopeful that the Asantehene will replicate his patriotic and shining example once again, so that the upcoming presidential and parliamentary polls will be fair and peaceful. I'm appealing to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to once again play leading roles as he has always done during electioneering periods, so that the 2020 polls will be free, fair and very peaceful, he said on 'Opemsuo FM' in Kumasi. Asiedu Nketia, who was congratulating the Asantehene on attaining 70 years and 21 years on the revered Golden Stool of Asanteman, described him as a unique asset to Ghana and the entire world. He particularly recounted how the Asantehene always rose up to the occasion by initiating positive measures to help save Ghana from a possible political turmoil, adding that Ghanaians appreciate Otumfuo's works. Prior to the 2012 elections, the electoral temperature was very high, as there was tension all over, but the Asantehene quickly intervened by inviting the political parties to the KNUST to sign a peace treaty, the NDC scribe recounted. According to him, that 'divine' intervention of the Asantehene was key in ensuring peaceful elections that year, retreating his plea to Otumfuo to once again bring his deep wisdom to bear and make the 2020 polls peaceful. Otumfuo lives for Asanteman and Ghana. He has godly wisdom, as his reign has brought about total peace and transformation to Asanteman and to a large extent the entire country, he pointed out. Asiedu Nketia, who was thrilled about Otumfuo's significant contributions to Ghana's forward march, noted that politicians in the country always rush to Otumfuo for wise counsel in times of need. He said the Asantehene is a father-figure for the country, for which reason he was confident that Otumfuo would make sure that the authorities concerned would do the right thing to make the upcoming polls free and fair. During his 21 years on the throne, Otumfuo has brought stability to the country, the NDC scribe applauded the Asantehene, adding that the citizenry are looking up to Otumfuo to rise up to the occasion once again. ----Daily Guide The first trains carrying migrant workers to Bihar and West Bengal, which had so far disallowed labourers to come back, departed on Saturday from Maharashtra after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar spoke to respective CMs, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has said. He said the Maharashtra government so far transported about 2.45 lakh migrant workers to their respective home states (excluding WB and Bihar) in special trains amidst the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Deshmukh said the state government was bearing the expenses of tickets of the migrant workers wishing to travel back to their native states. "Around 2.45 lakh migrant workers have been sent to their respective home states by running 191 train services till now," Deshmukh said in a video message. The trains are being run from parts of Maharashtra to Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh. "We could not send trains to Bihar and West Bengal since these states did not allow it. But Sharad Pawar and Chief Minister Thackeray personally spoke to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over phone. "Today, the first trains carrying migrant workers to West Bengal and Bihar were sent," said Deshmukh. The NCP leader also expressed the need to operate at least 10 trains daily each to West Bengal and Bihar. Notably, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had on Thursday hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for not allowing migrants to return and appealed to all the states to give railways approval to run more trains. "The chief minister (Thackeray) has sanctioned Rs 55 crore from the chief minister's relief fund for sending these workers. Ticket fare is not being sought from any worker," Deshmukh added. He informed that 3,71,310 migrant workers have camped in 3,884 shelters in Maharashtra and the state government has arranged for their food. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday resumed domestic flight operations in a phased manner as the government eased the nationwide-lockdown imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus that has claimed the lives of over 830 people in the country. The resumption of the domestic flight services from five major airports on Saturday came as the Pakistan government last week said that it would begin a phased lifting of the lockdown due to its effect on the economy and the workforce, the Geo News reported. "The first Pakistan International Airline (PIA) flight carrying 84 passengers departed from Karachi for Lahore at 1pm along with flights for Lahore and Islamabad via private airlines," the report said. The five major airports allowed to restart operations include Karachi's Jinnah International Airport, Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport, Islamabad International Airport (IIAP), Quetta International Airport and Peshawar's Bacha Khan International Airport. A spokesperson for the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCCA) said domestic flights will be operated by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and one private company for now. The ban on international flight operations, meanwhile, has been extended until May 31. However, the PCCA is keeping a close monitor of the passengers before they board the flight to ensure there is no further rise in COVID-19 cases. ALSO READ | Pakistan's coronavirus cases touches 38,799 with 834 deaths: Health Ministry "Passengers will be required to fill health declaration forms before boarding the airplane and subjected to thermal scanning on entry and exit into and from a city. All luggage will be disinfected and no meet and greet will be allowed at the airports," the report said. Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan earlier said that social distancing will be followed based on available seats and flights will only be allowed to fill 50 per cent of their full capacity, the report said. Pakistan on Saturday said it has reported 1,581 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking the total infections in the country to 38,799 with 834 deaths. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 22:17:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUSAKA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government said on Saturday that it will continue to collaborate with neighbouring countries to ensure that cases of COVID-19 do not escalate. Zambia has seen an increase in cases from truck drivers coming from countries in the region, a move that has forced authorities to temporarily close a key border entry, Nakonde in the northern part of the country. Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya said the collaboration with neighbouring countries is vital if the country is to win the fight against the pandemic. The Zambian minister further expressed satisfaction over the level of cooperation by the countries in the region, saying it will go a long way in stemming further rise in cases. According to him, the government will continue with surveillance measures in all border entries and that currently a massive cleanup of Nakonde, a key gateway is underway. Stringent measures, he said, need to be applied at all borders to curb the spread. Zambia has reported 11 new cases from tests conducted in the last 24 hours. The country has reported a total of 679 cases, 183 recoveries and seven deaths. Enditem Coronavirus India Latest Updates, Lockdown 4.0 new guidelines, and rules, Lockdown Extension News today, Narendra Modi, coronavirus cases in India: Take a look at the wishlist of Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Gujarat, and Srinagar. Coronavirus India Latest Updates, Lockdown 4.0 new guidelines, and rules, Lockdown Extension News today, Narendra Modi, coronavirus cases in India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced lockdown 4.0 and said that this lockdown 4.o will be completely different from all Coronavirus India lockdown so far. PM also requested all the chief ministers to submit their strategies including their expectations and demands with the Centre by May 15. Though some states have requested an extension of lockdown, many have also asked about relaxations and have also demanded autonomy in deciding the containment zones which was so far determined by the Centre. The third phase of lockdown, which was imposed to fight coronavirus pandemic and to keep a check on the increasing number of cases, is due to end on May 17. Also Read: Coronavirus lockdown: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal writes to PM Modi, requests resuming metro services for people providing essential services and having e-pass India Lockdown 4.0 Extension: Take a look at the wishlist of Delhi, Maharashtra, and Gujarat The Delhi government in the proposal of Lockdown 4.0 has suggested resuming Delhi metro services, operation of buses and opening of markets. The government has also suggested construction activities in the capital. Maharashtra, which has recorded maximum cases of COVID-19, wants to continue with the lockdown till May 31. Maharashtra government also demanded a complete stop on inter-district and inter-state transport. Gujarat, which has the second-highest number of COVID-19 cases, wants the resumption of economic activities in urban areas. Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said if people are kept away from their jobs and work, the states economic condition will deteriorate. He added that economic activities are now important. Haryana Dushyant Chautala, Haryana deputy chief minister said he wants the lockdown should be extended with some relaxations. He further added that the states should be given liberty to decide the activities to be conducted. Chautala also said that though strict measures should be continued in red zones, states should have liberty in taking decisions in green and orange zones. Bihar, Odisha and Jharkhand The Bihar government has suggested the Centre to extend the lockdown till March 31 by suspending all the services in view of the situation that the cases might increase due to the return of migrants to Bihar from other states. Not just this, there has been a sudden increase in the cases in Bihar due to Shramik Special trains as well. Out of 2.5 lakh returnees, 358 are tested COVID-19 positive. Further, the government of Jharkhand and Odisha also demanded an extension of lockdown. West Bengal West Bengal government also urged the Centre to continue with the lockdown but also demanded liberty in deciding on relaxations in their areas. Further, the government also demanded clarity on the services of air and rail. The state also wants the Centre to release the legitimate dues which are necessary to fight the pandemic. Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadus government clearly states that it is against opening air and train services till May 31 as the total cases in Tamil Nadu inches near 10,000. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said in his statement that though he supports the extension of lockdown, he also said that now it is also important to restart the commercial activities with complete precautions to bring the economy back on track. He also said that he is against the opening of inter-state borders at this time. Kerala Kerala government suggested that all the industrial, commercial activities should be allowed in rural and urban areas except in containment zones. The state government wants to open of domestic air services, passenger trains, and metro services. It also urged the Centre for opening the hospitality sector with strict rules and regulations. Mizoram Mizoram government has extended the lockdown till May 31 on Friday and the new guidelines will be soon released by the state. It has also established a task group to carry out some research work. The decision of lockdown was taken in a meeting attended by political parties, NGOs, churches, doctors, and various organizations who supported the extension. Karnataka Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said that according to him, the Centre will relax everything except the five-star hotels. Srinagar Srinagar government has come up with an idea of training all service providers like vendors, drivers, barbers, bakers to make them know about their personal safety in producing and distribution items. Reports reveal that the lockdown will be extended but with certain relaxations. The administration has planned to train 10,000 service providers to keep focus on health aspects during the pandemic. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has also urged to extend the lockdown for two more weeks and review situations during this time. Get Coronavirus India Latest Updates, Lockdown Extension News, Lockdown 4.0 new guidelines and rules on NewsX.com For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Five migrant workers going to Uttar Pradesh from Maharashtra were killed and 19 others injured when a truck carrying them overturned on Sagar-Kanpur Road, about 70-kms from the district headquarters, on Saturday morning, police said. The incident occurred around 10 am near Semra on NH-86 under Chhanbila Police Station limits, said Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Praveen Bhuria. "Five migrant labourers were killed and 19 others injured, who were rushed to a government hospital in Banda," he said. Bhuria said that the deceased, including three women, were going to Basti district in Uttar Pradesh from Maharashtra along with others. The truck was carrying bundles of clothes, on which these migrants were sitting, he said. Further investigation is underway, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sydney, April 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of Paul Budde Communications focus report on Romania outlines the major developments and key aspects in the telecoms markets. Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Romania-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses Publication Overview This report provides a comprehensive overview of trends and developments in Romanias telecommunications market. The report analyses the fixed-line, mobile and broadband sectors. Subjects include: Market and industry analyses, trends and developments; Facts, figures and statistics; Industry and regulatory issues; Infrastructure developments; Major Players, Revenues, Subscribers, ARPU, MoU; Mobile Voice and Data Markets; Broadband (FttP, DSL, cable, wireless); Mobile subscribers and ARPU; Broadband market forecasts; Government policies affecting the telecoms industry; Market liberalisation and industry issues; Telecoms operators privatisation, IPOs, acquisitions, new licences; Mobile technologies (GSM; 3G, HSPA, LTE, 5G). Researcher:- Henry Lancaster Current publication date:- November 2019 (17th Edition) Executive Summary Romania prepares for multi-band auction to support 5G launches Romanias telecoms market continues to evolve under the dynamics of competition and technological change. Alternative operators have launched competing services in the fixed-line voice market, with the provision of bundled services being a key driver. The acquisition of Liberty Globals local unit UPC Romania by Vodafone Group in July 2019 has allowed Vodafone Romania to compete more effectively with the service offerings from Orange Romania and Telekom Romania. All operators are investing in network capacity upgrades in response to the shift towards offering IP-delivered content. The mobile market is served by four network operators, three of which are the local subsidiaries of the major regional players Vodafone Group, Orange Group and Deutsche Telekom. Mobile broadband growth has been strong following network investments which have extended the reach of LTE services and prepared the ground for the launch of services based on 5G. Growth is expected to continue solidly during the next few years, supported by the release of additional spectrum in 2020. Romanias broadband market benefits from effective infrastructure-based competition. The countrys fibre sector has become one of the strongest in Europe in recent years, with a rapidly growing share of the fixed-line broadband market by subscriber lines. As a result, the country has one of the highest FttP penetration rates in the region, with almost 70% of connections offering data above 100Mb/s by early 2019. Operators including Orange Romania are building their own fibre infrastructure to gain independence from Telekom Romanias wholesale access service. This report provides an overview of Romanias fast-developing telecommunications market, covering regulatory developments, major players and fixed-line infrastructure, and offering a variety of operational and financial statistics as well as a range of subscriber forecasts to 2024. The report also covers the mobile voice and data markets, including profiles of the major operators, updates on spectrum auctions and regulatory developments. In addition, the report provides insights into the growing broadband market, covering technologies, the major players and market developments. BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus in 2020 is having a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries. On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth. Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report. The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions. Key developments: Orange Romania begins building its own fibre network; Digi Mobil and Vodafone Romania launch 5G services; Cost of 5G licences reduced; Government scraps SIM card registration scheme over privacy concerns; Vodafone Romania trials NB-IoT, completes acquisition of UPC Romania; Orange Romania invests 500 million in its networks; Lycamobile launches services as an MVNO; Five of seven RoNet project stages completed by October 2019; Majority of fixed broadband connections accessing 100Mb/s or above; NetCity to increase Bucharest open access fibre network to 2,100km by 2020; Deutsche Telekom secures approval for sale of stake in Telekom Romania; Telekom Romania begins dismantling parts of its legacy copper network; Report update includes the regulator's market data to December 2018, State Statistics data for 2018, telcos' operating and financial data to Q3 2019, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, assessment of the global impact of COVID-19 on the telecoms sector, recent market developments Companies mentioned in this report: UPC Romania, RCS&RDS, Telekom Romania, Vodafone Romania, Orange Romania, Digi Mobil Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Romania-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses Australian model Kendal Lee Schuler flaunted her enviable figure for a photoshoot in Sydney on Saturday. Stripping down to a nude bra and ripped blue jeans, the 29-year-old ex of Leonardo DiCaprio looked simply sensational as she posed in front of an ocean backdrop. The brunette bombshell allowed her tousled tresses to frame her face, and added a touch of bling in the form of chunky silver and gold necklaces. No wonder she got his attention! Leonardo DiCaprio's model ex-girlfriend Kendal Lee Schuler, 29, (pictured) flaunted her enviable figure for a photoshoot in Sydney on Saturday Her makeup included a flawless application of foundation, contoured cheekbones and a glossy pink colour on her pout. Mixing things up for the shoot, Kendal also donned a black T-shirt, distressed Daisy Dukes that revealed her trim pins, and a studded Chanel belt. She draped a beige faux-fur cardigan around her petite upper frame, and added a simple yet chic tan cap. Legs eleven out of ten: After posing in a nude bra and ripped blue jeans, the Cairns-born beauty changed into a black T-shirt and distressed Daisy Dukes that revealed her trim pins Kendal smouldered for the camera, looking completely in her element. The stunner first made headlines back in 2011, when it was revealed she was dating the 45-year-old Oscar-winning actor following his split from Blake Lively. According to a 2011 report in The Courier Mail, the Cairns-born beauty first met Leo in Los Angeles, but they only struck up a romance following a night out in Sydney's Kings Cross. Picture-perfect: Showing off her penchant for style, Kendal added a studded Chanel belt and a simple yet chic tan cap to the look Her pride and joy: The Australian stunner is a proud mother to two-year-old son Ryker Lee (pictured), shared with ex-boyfriend Jacob Pedrana But on Saturday, Kendal was happy to leave her Hollywood connections in the past, as she focused on her burgeoning modelling career Down Under. Kendal is a proud mother to adorable two-year-old son Ryker Lee, shared with ex-boyfriend Jacob Pedrana. She is now dating copywriter and creative Zander Williment. India on Thursday opposed a move by Pakistan and China to build a major hydropower plant in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, saying it has shared its concerns regarding such projects with both countries. The Pakistan government on Wednesday signed a Rs 442-billion contract with a joint venture formed by China Power and the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), a commercial arm of the Pakistani military, for constructing the Diamer-Bhasha dam. The state-run Chinese firm has a 70% stake in the joint venture and FWO 30%. The eight million acre feet reservoir with a height of 272 metres is set to be the worlds tallest roller compact concrete (RCC) dam. Construction work on the dam is expected to begin in a couple of weeks, the Pakistani media reported. Responding to the development, external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the Gilgit-Baltistan region is part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir that was illegally occupied by Pakistan. Our position is consistent and clear that the entire territory of the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been, are, and will continue to be an integral and inalienable part of India, Srivastava said. We have consistently conveyed our protest and shared concerns with both China and Pakistan on all such projects in the Indian territories under Pakistans illegal occupation, he said. In the past too, India has opposed projects jointly taken up by Pakistan and China in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect that New Jersey has also denied permits for the proposed pipeline. A heavily debated plan to lay a natural gas pipeline on the sea floor from New Jersey to New York may have been dealt a death blow. In separate decisions on Friday evening, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation both denied crucial permits for the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) project, a proposed 23-mile-long natural gas pipeline on the bottom of Raritan Bay. The pipeline would connect Middlesex County to an existing pipeline in the water off Breezy Point in Queens. The NESE project is a $1 billion effort by the Oklahoma-based energy company Williams to expand its natural gas infrastructure throughout New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Besides the Raritan Bay pipeline, the project also calls for three miles of new pipeline in Middlesex County and a new compressor station in Somerset County. The NESE project is meant to boost the amount of natural gas available to New York City and Long Island. But new options for meeting future demand in those places were recently identified in a report released by National Grid, the natural gas utility serving those areas, last week. Those new options made NESE unnecessary, according to the New York DEC. The Empire State struck first, issuing denial on Friday evening with an 18-page letter to Williams. New York explained the rejection stemmed from water quality concerns and the potential threat to shellfish and other natural resources. The agency also cited a potential increase in greenhouse gas emissions which drive climate change as a reason for rejecting the pipeline. New York is not prepared to sacrifice the States water quality for a project that is not only environmentally harmful but also unnecessary to meet New Yorks energy needs, New Yorks DEC wrote in a statement. New Jerseys decision, which followed New Yorks in the form of a 10-page letter, rejected all aspects of the NESE project in the Garden State. The DEP explained that it denied the permits primarily because Williams could not prove that the project was needed to meet demand in New York. This month, new reporting from New York indicated that the energy needs proposed to be served by this project could be met through existing infrastructure, energy efficiency, and other means, the DEP said in a statement on Saturday morning. With no compelling public need demonstrated, and a denial issued by New York, DEP denied approvals for the project on May 15, 2020. Williams expressed disappointment following New Yorks denial. The company did not comment on New Jerseys decision. "We continue to believe that the fundamentals of our project align with New Yorks clean energy goals because it would have improved local air quality and, at the same time, supported economic development and led to lower heating bills, Williams said in a statement on Friday. Williams did not say what the next steps for the project are, but the company has the option to appeal the New Jersey and New York denials. Last summer, the DEP rejected a previous permit application by Williams for the NESE project, citing concerns that construction of the pipeline could stir up toxic materials like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs,) mercury and arsenic that lay at the bottom of Raritan Bay thanks to historic pollution. That denial was made without prejudice, which allowed Williams to submit a new application in January. Williams does have a green light from the federal government on the project, having received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last year. Environmental groups who have long opposed the NESE project praised the two states for their denials. In a sweeping victory for the environment, New Jersey doubled down on its commitment to a clean energy future by denying crucial permits for NESE, said Peter Blair, a policy attorney for Clean Ocean Action. If approved, the project would have resulted in drastic environmental damage and locked the region into decades of continued reliance on climate-altering fracked gas. This denial is a tremendous win, future-proofing our environment for generations to come. " The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, which represents the natural gas pipeline industry, blasted the denials and called on the federal government to change the rules in the Clean Water Act that provided the basis for the states decisions. Every blocked natural gas pipeline means higher energy bills for working families in New York and New Jersey," a spokesman for the lobbying group said in a statement. "This decision was not about science or water quality. It was about politics. Read more of NJ.coms coverage of New Jersey water issues here. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. A white woman whose brother and father have been charged with murdering black jogger Ahmaud Arbery insists the pair are not racist and says the killing 'was not a lynching'. Lindsay McMichael, 30, was inside in her pajamas when her father Gregory, 64, and brother Travis, 34, shot and killed Arbery, 25, down the road from their Brunswick, Georgia home on February 23. Lindsay told The Sun on Saturday that she does not believe Arbery's slaying was racially motivated, claiming that her father and brother have 'loved' all her non-white boyfriends. 'I have never dated anyone of the same race since I was 19 years old and my father and my brother have loved every person that I've ever dated like they were their own son or brother. 'These are people that I have brought home, that my sweet mama has cooked for and given everything to'. Lindsay continued: 'They're not monsters. This wasn't a lynching. Do I think mistakes were made? Absolutely, but look back on your life how many mistakes have you made?' Lindsay McMichael is speaking out for the first time after her father, Gregory, and brother, Travis, were charged with murder over the February 23 shooting of black jogger Ahmaud Arbery Gregory McMichael (left) and Travis McMichael are pictured. Lindsay McMichael insists the pair are not racist, and says the February 23 shooting of Arbery was not a 'lynching' Arbery, 25, was killed while jogging in Brunswick, Georgia. Travis and Gregory McMichael trailed him in their pick-up truck, allegedly believing he was responsible for a spate of robberies in the neighborhood Gregory and Travis trailed Ahmaud Arbery in their white pick-up truck on February 23, before shooting him. The pair allege they thought Arbery was responsible for robberies in their neighborhood. Lindsay says she rushed outside when she heard gunshots down the street, and recalled the harrowing scene in her interview with The Sun. 'I ran out to see what was going on...I had no idea. There was a firefighter I knew so I made a beeline to him and asked, 'Are my father and brother okay?' and he said yes.' Linday says she saw Travis' clothes splattered with Arbery's blood, and saw terror in his face. 'I've seen my brother in his happiest moments - I was there when his child was born and I've seen him in distress and I know that look... it wasn't like some glory thing, like 'I stalked and then got the kill that I was hoping for'. 'It was absolute f***king panic... I really do believe that things just escalated so fast.' 'I don't think it was vigilante justice. Travis had a weapon stolen. My mom's car had been rifled through. I think they just thought 'Let's apprehend this guy'.' Video footage which showed Gregory and Travis embroiled in a scuffle with Arbery before they fatally shot him sparked national outrage after it was published on social media earlier this month A map showing the February 23 encounter between Arbery and the McMichaels. Lindsay McMichael ran down the street to the scene of the fatal shooting just after it occurred Video footage which showed Gregory and Travis embroiled in a scuffle with Arbery before they fatally shot him sparked national outrage after it was published on social media earlier this month. Racial tensions in Georgia are running high in the aftermath of murder charges which were filed against Gregory and Travis last week. Lindsay called for calm in her interview with The Sun, stating: 'Here in the country of the United States, it is innocent until proven guilty'. 'I get it that people are angry. But let it all [the complete evidence] come out, please, for the love of God and then we'll figure things out after that. 'If things were done that were nefarious or wrong, fine, but let it come out first.' Linday says that both she and her 61-year-old mom have been subject to violent threats. Anonymous people have allegedly threatened to 'murder and rape' the pair. 'We're not not the ones on trial here - my dad and my brother are,' she stated. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gregory McMichael 'orchestrated release of video showing fatal shooting Ahmaud Arbery' The ex-cop who appeared on video with his son where one of them shot dead Ahmaud Arbery leaked the video of the 25-year-old jogger's last moments because 'he thought it would exonerate him'. Brunswick attorney Alan Tucker - who made headlines when he revealed himself to be the one who released the video of the February 23 killing - claimed Greg McMichael wanted to use the video to clear up rumors circulating in the community after the shooting. Tucker, who said his parents live in the Satilla Shores area in Georgia where the shooting occurred, also hoped the video would ease racial tension in the community. 'I didn't want the neighborhood to become a Ferguson,' Tucker explained to WSB-TV. Tucker said that Greg McMichael had brought the video, along with others, to his office beacause he wanted help to get them to a talk show host at a local Brunswick radio station. The older McMichael went to the lawyer as a friend and not as a potential client, the attorney said. Tucker told the local station that the 'young man (Arbery) did not deserve to be shot' but would not comment on the charges brought against his friend or Travis McMichael. Brunswick attorney Alan Tucker said that he helped release the video because he 'didn't want the neighborhood to become a Ferguson' Exclusive photos show the moment Gregory McMichael (pictured) and his son Travis McMichael were arrested at their home in Brunswick, Georgia, on Thursday An officer with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is seen leading 34-year-old Travis McMichael out of the home in handcuff Tucker told the local station that the 'young man (Arbery) did not deserve to be shot' but would not comment on the charges brought up against his friend or Travis McMichael. 'There was no reason in the world for Travis to pull a shotgun out of a damn truck. None,' Tucker added. But in an interview with Inside Edition, earlier in the month, Tucker was singing a different tune. 'I really thought releasing the video would put the truth out to the public,' Tucker stated. 'If he [Arbery] had just froze and hadn't done anything, then he wouldn't have been shot.' The elder McMichael told police he suspected Arbery was responsible for recent break-ins in the neighborhood. Local police have said there have been no break-ins in the area for the last couple of months. The video fueled a national outcry not just over the killing but also that more than two months passed before arrests were made. L. Chris Stewart, an attorney representing Arbery's family, derided the older McMichael for having possession of the video. 'He had that tape by himself. He delivered it. We have questions about the length of it,' the lawyer said. He later added: 'I have no doubt that Mr. McMichael and his son believe what he did was OK. It just wasn't. Travis never should have gotten that shotgun. That is significant.' The Ralph Uwazuruike-led Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, has described the leader of the In... The Ralph Uwazuruike-led Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, has described the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu as a coward, challenging him to come back to Nigeria. The war of words between the leaders of the two frontline secessionist groups, Kanu and Uwazuruike, was rekindled earlier in the week. It started when the IPOB leader blasted his MASSOB counterpart for allegedly taking the issue of Biafra to the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) in The Hague, Netherlands. Kanu had described the move as belittling being that several Igbo groups had already taken Biafras matter to United Nations, UN, which was a far more recognized body. Responding to this in a statement, the National Director of Information of MASSOB, Sunny Okoroafor, on Friday, blasted Kanu, saying that the IPOB leader was not qualified to speak about the Biafran struggle. Where was Nnamdi Kanu when Chief Ralph Uwazuruike started the struggle for Biafra? One thing is clear; Uwazuruike was the first man in this new struggle to hoist Biafran flag in the international arena, the statement said. The statement further reminded Kanu that Uwazuruike founded MASSOB, which he (Kanu) was a member and set out stages for the struggle for a Biafran state. If the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu is talking about the struggle for Biafra, he should first of all come back home and not to stay outside to make noise. He should not be afraid of imprisonment; after all, Nelson Mandela was in prison in South Africa for 27 years. He did not run away and did not abandon his people. Nnamdi Kanu should come down home and fight for the freedom of his people. The MASSOBs statement said it was the height of irresponsibility for anybody to accuse its leader of giving bribe to allow Biafra membership of UNPO. We are not corrupt in MASSOB, therefore, will not be accused of giving bribe to anybody or group so that Biafra could be a member of UNPO, it said. If Kanu thinks we should be at loggerheads with our neighbours because we are fighting for Biafra, he should be joking. MASSOB has come a long way with the Biafra struggle, and we will not allow anybody to distract us, Okoroafor said. Almost every country on Earth is on lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. And some say that the Sun is also having a lockdown of its own called 'solar minimum.' But what effect does this have on the environment? The Sun has recently been observed to be in a period of "solar minimum," which means that solar activity has dropped significantly. This year, the Sun has no recorded activity 76 percent of the time. Last year, the Sun was blank 77 percent of the time, a rate that had been unprecedented in the Space Age. These two consecutive periods of record-setting spotlessness adds up to a deeper solar minimum. As Astronomer Dr. Tony Philipps puts it, "Solar Minimum is underway, and it is a deep one." Phillips further explained the changes in sunspot count over the past century. Should we be alarmed? In previous claims, it was theorized that low solar activity could lead to extremely cold weather, crop loss, famine, and volcanic eruptions. However, experts disagree with the said theory. According to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute senior scientist, Rasmus Benestad, the original release only discussed "space weather," which pertains to the effect of solar conditions on the upper atmosphere and not mainly on the Earth's weather. In a report from NASA, it is stated that "the current scientific consensus is that long and short-term variations in solar activity play only a very small role in Earth's climate. Warming from increased levels of human-produced greenhouse gases is actually many times stronger than any effects due to recent variations in solar activity." Previous claims stated that low solar activity has also been related to famine, crop loss, and powerful volcanic eruptions. This was thought to be associated with a big volcanic eruption in Indonesia that happened in 1815. And while it is true that during that year, there was an observed drop in temperature and noticeable poor crop yield, it is completely unrelated to solar activity. In another report, the USGS explained that there is no relationship between solar minimums and the occurrence of earthquakes. They clarified that the Sun does have a variable cycle, but this has nothing to do with earthquakes, adding that earthquakes are a result of activities in the Earth's interior: "It has never been demonstrated that there is a causal relationship between space weather and earthquakes. Indeed, over the course of the Sun's 11-year variable cycle, the occurrence of flares and magnetic storms waxes and wanes, but earthquakes occur without any such 11-year variability. Since earthquakes are driven by processes in the Earth's interior, they would occur even if solar flares and magnetic storms were to somehow cease occurring." DISCLAIMER: In a previous version of this article, claims stated that the occurrence of a solar minimum may be linked to extremely cold weather, crop loss, famine, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. However, field experts have disagreed with and clarified these claims. This article has been amended for clarification. Mumbai: Amid the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown as multiplexes remain shut, the streaming platform Amazon Prime Video is going all out in a bid to revolutionise the way we might watch films in the future. After confirming the Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer "Gulabo Sitabo" for a digital release recently, the OTT platform now announces six more highly-anticipated Indian films, including "Shakuntala Devi" starring Vidya Balan, for digital premieres over the next months. All these films will directly go to Amazon Prime bypassing traditional theatrical release. Across five Indian languages, apart from the above-mentioned Hindi releases, the direct-to-home menu features the Tamil legal drama "Ponmagal Vandhal" starring Jyotika, the Keerthy Suresh starrer "Penguin" (Tamil and Telugu), "Sufiyum Sujatayum" (Malayalam) starring Aditi Rao Hydari, "Law" (Kannada) starring Ragini Chandran and Siri Prahlad, and Danish Sait`s next film "French Biryani" (Kannada). The movies will premiere on the streaming platform over the next three months and will be available in 200 countries and territories worldwide. "Ponmagal Vandhal" (Tamil) will release on May 29. The legal drama is written and directed by JJ Fredrick, and produced by Jyotika`s husband, Tamil superstar Suriya, along with Rajsekar Karpoorasundarapandian. In fact, as reported earlier by IANS, the Tamil Nadu Theatre And Multiplex Owners Association threatened to ban all releases featuring Suriya, or produced by his banner 2D films, in the wake of this decision to release "Pon Magal Vandhal" directly on the popular OTT platform. However, that does not seem to deter others. "Penguin" (Tamil and Telugu) will go live on June 19. The film is written and directed by Eshavar Karthic. The film is produced by Stone Bench Films and Karthik Subbaraj. While "Law" (Kannada) is slated for June 26, "French Biryani" (Kannada) will release on July 24. Shoojit Sircar`s "Gulabo Sitabo" will release on June 12. The release dates of "Shakuntala Devi" and "Sufiyum Sujatayum" are yet to be announced. "We`re taking this one step further, with seven of India`s most-anticipated films premiering exclusively on Prime Video, bringing the cinematic experience to their doorstep," said Vijay Subramaniam, Director and Head, Content, Amazon Prime Video, India. "Indian audiences have been eagerly awaiting the release of these seven films, and we are delighted that we will now be premiering these movies for our customers -- who can enjoy watching these from the safety and comfort of their homes and on a screen of their choice," said Gaurav Gandhi, Director and Country General Manager, Amazon Prime Video India. Meanwhile, exhibitors are naturally not pleased with Amazon Prime`s unprecedented move. As part of a long press statement issued on Thursday evening, and without naming any film or production house in particular, the multiplex chain INOX stated: "The decision of production house to deviate from the globally prevalent content windowing practice is alarming and disconcerting. Cinemas and content creators have always been into mutually beneficial partnerships, where one`s action provided a fillip to another`s revenues." Police seeking a gang leader has raided a cluster of poor neighbourhoods in Brazils Rio de Janeiro, clashing with residents and killing at least 10 people. In a statement on Friday, police said multiple clashes erupted when an elite unit investigating the whereabouts of a local drug kingpin entered the quarantined Complexo do Alemao neighbourhood. The mans identity was not released, but officials said he had escaped prison in 2016 and was considered one of the leading drug traffickers in the Pavao-Pavaozinho and Cantagalo slums, which border Rios iconic Copacabana and Ipanema neighbourhoods. He was among those killed in the operation, according to the statement. Police said they came under grenade and gunfire attack in the Alemao complex and recovered dozens of high-powered weapons, including rifles and grenades. Residents carry a dead body after a police operation against drug gangs at the Alemao slums complex in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 15, 2020 [Ricardo Moraes/ Reuters] Five people were pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, while residents carried five other bodies to the entrance of the group of slums. The bodies were laid next to one another on the street and drew a small crowd of people, some of whom were not wearing any masks despite the threat of the coronavirus pandemic. Family members at the scene cried as they covered the bodies, already wrapped in fabrics, with cardboard boxes to shelter them from the rain. Social distancing? For who? asked Fabio Felix, a left-wing legislator, on Twitter. Its incredible that the lives of the poor arent worth anything, even during a pandemic! Police said in a statement the incident would be reviewed by homicide detectives, following standard practice. Several residents complained that the government was offering little aid to contain the new coronavirus, but was still engaging in violent police operations that risked spreading the virus through low-income communities. Within and outside the context of a pandemic, we demand that public security authorities respect human rights while policing, the Brazilian office of Amnesty International said on Twitter. The city of Rio had registered 1,509 deaths from the coronavirus and 11,264 confirmed cases by Thursday evening, according to municipal authorities, who say those figures are likely undercounting the outbreak due to a lack of testing. Police violence has been rising rapidly in Brazil, where authorities, including President Jair Bolsonaro, have encouraged police to kill more. From January through March, police killed 429 people during operations in Rio de Janeiro state, down 1.6 percent from the same period a year earlier. Homicides have also gone down, declining 0.9 percent this year to 1,044 victims. In 2019, police in Rio killed 1,810 people, the highest number since record-keeping began in 1998. Michael Neel, funeral director of of All Veterans Funeral and Cremation, wearing full PPE, looks at the U.S. flag on the casket of George Trefren, a 90 year old Korean War veteran who died of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in a nursing home, in Denver, Colorado, April 23, 2020. Rick Wilking/Reuters The coronavirus pandemic has exposed severe limitations in collecting data during a crisis. In many countries, limited testing capacity and the difficulty of finding and identifying asymptomatic cases has likely caused many patients to go undiagnosed. COVID-19 tests can also produce false negatives if they aren't administered properly or if a patient isn't shedding enough virus to be detected in a sample. Some public-health experts have suggested that the actual case totals in Italy and the US could be at least 10 times higher than the current figures. Death counts are likely to be inaccurately low as well. "There are a lot of deaths that we probably will never know if they were coronavirus deaths or not," Elizabeth Halloran, a biostatistician at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington, told Business Insider. "There could be a lot more people infected than we thought." Data from the Italian research group Istituto Cattaneo now suggests that the number of coronavirus deaths in Italy was almost double the total reported by the Italian Department of Civil Protection as of April 1. Data from the US is less complete, but many states have reported spikes in excess deaths that have yet to be attributed to the virus, suggesting that the actual number of coronavirus deaths could be around 30% higher. In some states, total fatalities could be twice the current count. Italian provinces substantially underreported their outbreaks To quantify the true number of fatalities in Italy, the Istituto Cattaneo compared the number of reported deaths from February 21 to March 21 to the average number of deaths during that same time period from 2015 to 2019. Story continues According to data from the Italian Department of Civil Protection, Italy saw around 4,800 coronavirus deaths across more than 1,000 municipalities from February to March. But in total, these municipalities recorded 8,700 deaths outside the normal average meaning thousands of excess deaths have yet to be explained. In Lombardy, the northern region where Italy's first case was reported, the number of recorded deaths was more than double the average from the past five years. A case study from the Institute of Public Health Berlin and the Italian healthcare network Centro Medico Santagostino corroborates that finding. The research found that only half the deaths reported in Nembro a municipality in Lombardy from February 21 to April 11 were categorized as COVID-19 deaths. Yet in March, the municipality saw more deaths than in any single year since 2012; the death count that month was 15 times higher than the monthly average between January 2012 and February 2020. "Reporting of confirmed COVID-19 specific deaths represents, at least for some Italian regions, a substantial underestimation of the actual number of deaths from the disease," the researchers wrote. Other northern regions, like Emilia-Romagna, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Piedmont, saw their death counts rise by more than 50%, the Istituto Cattaneo found. A worker sanitizes the Piazza dei Miracoli near the Tower of Pisa in Pisa, Italy, on March 17 2020. Laura Lezza/Getty Images Even southern regions outside the epicenter of Italy's crisis saw higher-than-average death counts from February to March. The researchers said one explanation for this could be that many coronavirus deaths occurred in people's homes, and therefore weren't included in the official case counts. "The impact of coronavirus has spread widely across the Italian population," they wrote. "Substantial increases in mortality are also visible in areas other than those traditionally indicated as coronavirus hotspots." The study ultimately concluded that Italy's true coronavirus death toll is nearly double the reported one. Officially, more than 31,000 people have died of COVID-19 in Italy. US states reported an excess of unexplained deaths this spring Though it's possible for some flu deaths to be mistakenly identified as the coronavirus, researchers at Harvard and Emory Universities found that the coronavirus has been far deadlier than the flu in terms of reported cases so far. In a new study, they compared the weekly death count for the coronavirus to weekly death counts for seasonal influenza in the US. "Although officials may say that SARS-CoV-2 is 'just another flu,' this is not true," the researchers wrote. "The demand on hospital resources during the COVID-19 crisis has not occurred before in the US, even during the worst of influenza seasons." A hearse car backs into a refrigerated truck to pick up deceased bodies outside of the Brooklyn Hospital on April 1, 2020 in New York City. ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images During the week ending April 21, the study found, the number of reported coronavirus deaths was 20 times higher than influenza deaths reported during the deadliest week of flu season (over a seven-year average). Based on this analysis, the researchers concluded that the current number of COVID-19 deaths might "substantially understate" the actual number of fatalities. "As the CDC continues to revise its COVID-19 counts to account for delays in reporting, the ratio of counted COVID-19 deaths to influenza deaths is likely to increase," they wrote. Across many states, the number of reported coronavirus deaths from mid-March through mid-April exceeded the number of typically recorded deaths from all causes during that time frame, a New York Times analysis recently found. Data from 25 states suggests only 40,000 of 55,000 excess deaths have been attributed to the coronavirus so far. In New Jersey, only half of the excess deaths have been attributed to the coronavirus, suggesting that actual COVID-19 fatalities could be twice as high. The same goes for Colorado, Michigan, and Virginia. Halloran said some of those unexplained deaths may never factor into the official count. Read the original article on Business Insider United States federal and state antitrust enforcers are preparing a lawsuit against Google, international media reported. The lawsuit, which is expected to be filed later this year, accuses the tech giant of dominating online advertising. According to the media report, the case may also address how Google actively uses its search business to stifle completion. This has also opened ways for authorities to investigate other companies like Facebook. Read: Google Reveals Recent Search Trends Among Indian Users During Coronavirus Lockdown In 2019, US Justice department and 50 attorneys reportedly said that they were looking into whether Google abused its power in the online ecosystem at expense of its rivals or consumers. By doing so, the justice department officials revived an antitrust probe that was close years ago by Washington. Last year, a Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was coordinating the states efforts said that an investigation was underway to determine facts. On the other hand, Google asserted that it was continuing discussions with authorities. 'Focus on providing services' Read: COVID-19: Google, Facebook Tell Their Employees To Work From Home Until 2021 "We continue to engage with the ongoing investigations led by the Department of Justice and Attorney General Paxton, and we don't have any updates or comments on speculation. Our focus is firmly on providing services that help consumers, support thousands of businesses, and enable increased choice and competition, " Google said in an email. Read: 'Password Checkup': Google Suggests Idea To Create Strong Password That Users Can Remember Read: Mother's Day 2020: Google Doodle Celebrates By Creating Interactive Digital Card-maker Image credits: unsplash/ dadaben The wartime President of the United States, Franklin D Roosevelt, once proclaimed that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. And at this critical moment, nothing could be more true not least when it comes to the inflammatory debate about whether or not some primary-aged children should return to the classroom from June 1. Let me make it clear, Im not an apologist for this Government. I would have done things very differently over recent weeks were I still Education Secretary or a member of the Cabinet. Yet the Government is completely right to ask primary schools to resume their vital work next month, while the continued opposition of the teaching unions to the move is both destructive and wrong. Preventing children from getting an education will not only undermine dedicated teachers and the economy, it will punish some of the most vulnerable children in the country. DAVID BLUNKETT: Franklin D Roosevelt, once proclaimed that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself I have my own experience of the unions. In the course of my four years as Education Secretary in the first Blair Government from 1997 to 2001, I endured many clashes, some of which, looking back, were so trivial as to be laughable. At a union conference in the build-up to the 1997 Election, for example, I was literally barricaded inside a room by hecklers. It was the sort of off-the-wall behaviour which gave the profession a bad name. Much has changed since then in education, and for the better which is why I believe this stand-off between Government and the union leadership is a tragedy for children, their parents and, yes, for teachers themselves. The great majority are dedicated to the best interests of the children in their care. It is hard-working, professional teachers who have agreed to keep schools open for children of key workers and youngsters genuinely at risk. Likewise, tens of thousands of staff have stepped forward to offer some semblance of a curriculum via the internet. They should be applauded. But I know from my own experience as a trained teacher that online learning is no substitute for the classroom. And that shutting down our education system undermines the seven million or so children across the country who should be at school. Anne Longfield (pictured), the Children's Commissioner for England, has called on union leaders to work with ministers to get pupils back to the classroom as quickly as possible Many of those pupils from disadvantaged homes have no access to a quiet place in which they can learn, let alone a suitable computer. Only one in seven of the vulnerable children currently entitled to a temporary classroom place has taken up the offer. It is strange indeed, then, that the leadership of the teaching unions should be so vehemently against the gradual, limited and careful return to the classroom of those who stand to lose most from being stuck at home. Every teacher knows that for some children school is a safe haven a place free from the tensions, the poverty and, at times, the troubled adult relationships they find at home. The Governments entirely reasonable proposal is that four, five and six-year-olds, and those who will go to secondary school in September, should return to something resembling full-time learning. Surely the unions should consider the damage that will ensue if we dont take these limited steps to educate future generations. I accept that the decision is not completely straightforward. Many parents, including hundreds of thousands who have signed an online petition against being required to send their children back to school, are frightened. For eight weeks, weve had daily press conferences with alarming charts and dire warnings. Our own Prime Minister has been in intensive care. Polling across the world has shown that the UK has the most fearful population of all when it comes to Covid-19. But we cannot simply lie down and accept the current situation just because there is no 100 per cent guarantee of safety. Life involves some element of risk whichever way we turn. Boris Johnson, pictured outside Downing Street on Thursday, ordered the closure of schools on March 18, just days before the national lockdown was introduced SCHOOLS are already reopening in countries such as Denmark, France and Germany, and the broadest scientific advice suggests that children are at little risk. A recent paper in the British Medical Journal from two experts at University College Southampton cites evidence from Iceland and South Korea two countries with widespread testing regimes that not only are children less likely to catch Covid-19, they are also less likely to spread it. Yes, reopening schools is a judgment call but if the evidence tells you that children are at no more risk of catching and passing on this virus than a case of mild flu, then it is surely clear where our priorities must lie. It will not be the well-off, well-educated families who will lose out if we fail to act. Their children are often in well-funded schools offering something close to a full-time curriculum online. Such families often know how to support children at home or have the financial means to employ tutors in future to help them catch up. It is a tragic fact that, if schools dont go back until September, many thousands of children will not have had any meaningful education for more than 20 weeks. Dont get me wrong, I believe we must move with care. All reasonable steps should be taken to protect both staff and pupils. Cleaning and testing are crucial. But while I agree that the very youngest children cannot be kept 6ft away from each other, I also believe we must accept minimal risk based on the best possible evidence. None of us can be kept apart forever and human contact, particularly for little children, is an important step in getting back to normality. We must use old-fashioned common sense to gradually unlock our nation, our social life and our economy. When teaching staff have thanked those on the till at the local shop or supermarket, or have applauded social care workers, they did so in good faith. They know that those individuals were taking a risk on our behalf. We, in turn, should applaud teachers for taking risks on behalf of our children, our grandchildren and our nations future. This is not just in terms of their personal well-being and contribution to success, but also to reducing the inequality which will undoubtedly accelerate if we dont appreciate and act on the enormous damage currently taking place. Back in the 1990s, I used to tell the leaders of the trade unions and those on the Left wing of the Labour Party that I faced a range of competing voices. There were those who spoke on behalf of the teaching staff (or said they did). There were some well-organised parent groups who spoke for themselves and for their children. Shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon said: 'The language of ''squabbling'' isn't helpful because there are some very deep and legitimate concerns about whether it is safe to return' But it was down to me as the Secretary of State for Education to speak for those who didnt have a voice. So my call today is very simple: we must abandon fear and embrace co-operation and common sense. We must not capitulate to those actively opposed to moving forwards, those who are anti-government for the sake of it. Or those who believe it is possible to sustain full furloughed salaries into the distant future. We should, in other words, have a can-do rather than wont do attitude and we should applaud those who are prepared to take on the challenge. Fine words from Left-wing activists about disadvantage cut no ice when, in the next breath, they seek to do everything possible to block measures that might, just might, help to avoid calamitous inequality in years to come. Whatever their employment contract states, the real contract that teachers have, as so many of them know, is their heartfelt contract with the children. It is now time to reassure parents. It is time to change the tone of the daily press conferences so that they become measured, realistic and informed messages of hope. It is time to change these charts and graphs to reflect the success of the nations combined efforts and the bravery of those who have been on the front line for all these weeks and months. It is time to say that teachers must be and are a vital part of that endeavour. A main street wears a deserted look in Kigali, capital city of Rwanda, on April 3, 2020. Rwandan genocide suspect Felicien Kabuga, who is accused of funding militias that massacred about 800,000 people, was arrested on Saturday near Paris after 25 years on the run, the French justice ministry said. The 84-year-old, who is Rwanda's most-wanted man and had a $5 million U.S. bounty on his head, was living under a false identity in a flat in Asnieres-Sur-Seine, according to the ministry. French gendarmes arrested him at 0530 GMT on Saturday, the ministry said. A Hutu businessman, he is accused of funding the militias that massacred some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus over a span of 100 days in 1994. "Since 1994, Felicien Kabuga, known to have been the financier of Rwanda genocide, had with impunity stayed in Germany, Belgium, Congo-Kinshasa, Kenya, or Switzerland," the statement said. The arrest paves the way for bringing the fugitive in front of the Paris Appeal Court and later to the international court in The Hague, it added. Kabuga was indicted on genocide charges by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Two other Rwandan genocide suspects, Augustin Bizimana and Protais Mpiranya, are still being pursued by international justice. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Over 20 killed in spate of new Fulani massacres on Nigerian Christians Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment At least 23 people were killed in a spate of attacks carried about by suspected Fulani herdsmen in the Kajuru local government area of Nigerias Kaduna this week, sources told The Christian Post. In a press statement released on Tuesday, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union confirmed that at least 17 people were killed and six injured when Fulani militia laid siege to the Gonan Rogo village in the late hours of Monday night into Tuesday morning. The village, inhabited by the Adara people, lies along the Kaduna-Kachia road. According to the union, the militia struck around 11:30 p.m. on Monday. During the attack, an entire household was wiped out and members of several others were killed. They broke into the home of Jonathan Yakubu, 40 and slaughtered him, SOKPU National Public Relations Officer Luka Binniyat said in a press statement. They also killed his wife, Sheba Yakubu 32, and hacked to death their only three children. Their three children are 13-year-old Patience, 6-year-old Revelation and 4-year-old Rejoice. From this compound trails of blood led to another gory scene of where Kauna Magaji was killed along with her daughter, Faith Magaji, who died of grisly cutlasses cut to their heads, Binniyat added. According to SOKPU, the attackers then struck another compound in the village where they killed a 25-year-old mother named Saraunia Lucky. Her 3-month-old child was able to survive a bullet to the head but a 6-year-old was hacked to death. The baby and his aunt are now being cared for by the Albarka Baptist Church, according to SOKPU. Others killed in the attack on the home also include 32-year-old Asanalo Magaji and 13-year-old Yayo Magaji. In another home, a Christian couple in their 20s were butchered. And in another residence, 60-year-old Mailafia Dalhatu was killed as he tried to escape. Dalhatus younger brother, Yaro, was killed at another house along with his wife, Saratu, and 14-year-old granddaughter, Blessing. Separately, a 17-year-old boy named Popular Teacher was killed. In total, no fewer than 17 persons were murdered in cold blood for no apparent reason by persons who the villagers identified as Fulani, Binniyat said. [Six] people are now receiving treatments in various hospitals. A total of seven cows were rustled. The compound of Liberty Yari was razed but was lucky to escape with his household. According to SOKPU, the Fulani neighbors who have lived around the community for over 40 years left the night before the attack. A mass burial was held for the victims on Tuesday. Kajuru resident Alheri Magaji, who leads the nonprofit Resilient Aid and Dialogue Initiative, shared details with CP about the incident in Gonan Rogo. Yesterday morning, while people slept in their houses, the Fulani people came in and slaughtered people, she said. There is a 6-month old baby that was killed as well. We have pictures of how they used machetes to cut open heads of people and kill a lot of people. Magaji added that two more attacks occurred on Wednesday within a 15-minutes distance of Gonan Rogo village in the Kajuru area. After the mass burial yesterday, two more attacks happened, she said, adding that a handful of people were killed in one attack, and one person was killed in the other. It is the same area, just in different villages. A May 12 attack on residents of the Idanu-Doka village occurred around 4 p.m., according to information provided by Magaji. Bomboi Abinfada, a 53-year-old father of seven, has been identified as the man killed in that attack, while Maigobiri Sarkin Noma was said to have been injured. An attack on Makyali village occurred Wednesday, killing 80-year-old Luka Paymaster, 40-year-old Yaki Luka, 37-year-old Francis Daniel, 45-year-old Akilu Aruwa and 70-year-old Laraba Danmori. According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a nongovernmental organization that monitors Christian persecution in over 20 countries, five recent attacks in Kaduna have left 25 people dead. CSW notes that the most recent attacks are the latest in a series of coordinated attacks on Christian communities in southern Kaduna. The rights group has documented 11 attacks by Fulani militia across five local government areas since the nation's COVID-19 lockdown went into effect on March 25. Magaji, who traveled to Washington, D.C., in 2019 to speak about the plight of the Adara people, warned that the Fulani attacks have continued despite the ongoing pandemic. We came to the United States last year to talk about how these attacks are happening. And they havent really stopped, she said. The intervals were long before the lockdown. But since the COVID-19 lockdown on March 25, these Fulani herdsmen have killed 38 Southern Kaduna people, as of yesterday. Thats more than the coronavirus. She stressed that no Fulani person has been arrested for the killings. The governor, until now, has said nothing, she said. The governor has not made any statement, the commissioner for security has not said anything. It went viral yesterday on Twitter and the presidency made a statement. But their statement is calling it revenge attacks. We are asking, Revenge, from what? They always make it look like the Adara went to attack Fulani people and Fulani [then] come to attack. They have not been able to say what attack the Adara people did on the Fulanis that caused the Fulanis to attack. Fulani violence is not just a problem for the people of Kaduna. Fulani radicals across Nigerias Middle Belt states of Plateau, Benue, Taraba and Kaduna have launched several attacks against predominantly Christian farming communities in the last half-decade. Such attacks have led to the displacement of tens of thousands of people from their homes and farms, leaving many in much need of humanitarian aid. According to Magaji, at least 13,000 people were living displaced in the Kajuru area alone in 2019. She expects that number has likely increased in 2020 due to the rise of attacks during the pandemic. The more attacks, the more displaced people we have, she said. Right now, we have lost count and we dont honestly even know how many there are. Magaji decried the fact that the government and some in the international media refer to the violence in the Middle Belt as simple farmer-herder clashes. If it is not that serious, then why are there over 13,000 Adara people alone in camps? Magaji asked. However, Magaji said that some of the camps have been shut. The people were left to go with no food, no shelter, nothing, she said. Some of them have to sleep literally under the trees. The Anambra-based nongovernmental organization International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law estimated in March that about 11,500 Christians were killed in Nigeria by Boko Haram splinter groups and Fulani radicals since June 2015. Over the past year, international advocacy groups havewarned that the suffering of Christians in Nigeria has reached the standard for genocide. I am perplexed at the state of humanity when children as young as 6 months are routinely hacked to death in Nigeria simply for being Christian, and the world ignores their plight, Dede Laugeson, executive director for the nonprofit Save the Persecuted Christians, told CP in a statement. This must stop. The international community must intervene. If the Trump administration steps up and appoints a U.S. Special Envoy to Nigeria, it would help shed light on this ongoing genocide and motivate other countries to also make ending the violence a priority in their dealings with the Buhari regime. The U.S. State Department lists Nigeria on its special watch list of countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom. Private legal practitioner and Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Obiri Boahen recounting May 15 in the political history of the country has stated that Rawlings May 15 uprising and June 4 coup detat were necessary evil events in the country. He explained that the emergence of Jerry Rawlings in the political scene in the country through the May 15 uprising and June 4 coup cooled off tempers and a lot of things as there was high tension in the country at that time. Speaking on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, Nana Obiri Boahen insisted the happenings in Africa at that time made Rawlingss June 4 coup a timely intervention as it stopped Arab Spring experience from happening in the country even though the country was preparing for an election. He added that the June coup detat made university students agreed in principle to leave school and stay home to assist in the development of the country; hence, he begged to differ from those who condemned and still condemning Rawlings for the May 15 uprising and the June 4 coup detat. If I hear people condemn Rawlings on what happened, personally I will disagree; I beg to differ because the emergence of Rawlings in the political scene, June 4 cooled off tempers and it cooled off a lot of things in the country. If it had not happened at that time, something bad would have happened. The June 4 coup made University students agreed in principle to leave school and stay home to help the country, he opined. Inasmuch as the Deputy General Secretary of the NPP acknowledged the excesses in the uprising and the subsequent coup, he maintained his disagreement with those who faulted Jerry John Rawlings on what he did on May 15 and June 4. I have made my position clear, in all honesty, I may be wrong or I may be right; for me when I see that some people are faulting Jerry Rawlings on what he did on 15th May and June 4, I disagree with them. I may be right, I may be wrong. For me, I have been saying that even though there were excesses of May uprising, there were excesses of June 4, I still believe that May 15 uprising and June 4 coup even if it was evil, it was a necessary evil. That is my opinion about the events, he professed. He stressed that before the advent of the June 4 coup detat, there was an incident at the Makola market where out of the bad name carved for the military, some women in the market poured urine on some soldiers; hence, the need to purge the Army to weed out the bad ones. Rawlings is a human being and not an angel and those who followed him were human beings and not angels too; there were excesses and some of the excesses even happened at the blind side because if you read some of these cases as a lawyer, how they were tried in court was nasty, but for me, as for June 4, if they say that we are throwing it away . . . we are wrong, he said. Setting the record straight about Major Osahene Boakye Gyan's (rtd) involvement in June 4 incident, Nana Obiri Boahen intimated that the retired Major was not part of June 4 uprising. When they were going to rescue Jerry Rawlings from the guardroom, Boakye Gyan was not part of the soldiers. He was not part of the coup detat; it was later that he was made the spokesperson, he said. 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 Archaeological sites on the far southern shores of South Africa hold the world's richest records for the behavioral and cultural origins of our species. At this location, scientists have discovered the earliest evidence for symbolic behavior, complex pyrotechnology, projectile weapons and the first use of foods from the sea. The Arizona State University Institute of Human Origins (IHO) field study site of Pinnacle Point sits at the center of this record, both geographically and scientifically, having contributed much of the evidence for these milestones on the evolutionary road to being a modern human. The scientists working on these sites, led by IHO Associate Director Curtis Marean, have always faced a dilemma in understanding the context of these evolutionary milestones -- much of the landscape used by these ancient people is now submerged undersea and thus poorly known to us. Marean is a Foundation Professor with the ASU School of Human Evolution and Social Change and Honorary Professor with Nelson Mandela University in South Africa. The archaeological records come from caves and rockshelters that now look out on to the sea, and in fact, walking to many of the sites today involves dodging high tides and waves. However, through most of the last 200,000 years, lowered sea levels during glacial phases, when the ice sucks up the water, exposed a vast plain. The coast was sometimes as much as 90 km distant! Our archaeological data shows that this was the prime foraging habitat for these early modern humans, and until recently, we knew nothing about. That has now changed with the publication of 22 articles in a special issue of Quaternary Science Reviews titled "The Palaeo-Agulhas Plain: A lost world and extinct ecosystem." About ten years ago, Marean began building a transdisciplinary international team to tackle the problem of building an ecology of this ancient landscape. ASU, Nelson Mandela University, the University of Cape Town, and the University of California, Riverside anchored the research team. Funded primarily by a $1 million National Science Foundation grant to Marean, with significant funding and resources from the Hyde Family Foundations, the John Templeton Foundation, ASU, IHO, and XSEDE, they developed an entirely new way to reconstruct "paleoecologies" or ancient ecosystems. This began with using the high-resolution South African regional climate model -- running on U.S. and South African supercomputers -- to simulate glacial climate conditions. The researchers used this climate output to drive a new vegetation model developed by project scientists to recreate the vegetation on this paleoscape. They then used a wide variety of studies such as marine geophysics, deep-water diving for sample collection, isotopic studies of stalagmites and many other transdisciplinary avenues of research to validate and adjust this model output. They also created a human "agent-based model" through modern studies of human foraging of plants, animals, and seafoods, simulating how ancient people lived on this now extinct paleoscape. "Pulling the threads of all this research into one special issue illustrates all of this science," said Curtis Marean. "It represents a unique example of a truly transdisciplinary paleoscience effort, and a new model for going forward with our search to recreate the nature of past ecosystems. Importantly, our results help us understand why the archaeological records from these South African sites consistently reveal early and complex levels of human behavior and culture. The Palaeo-Agulhas Plain, when exposed, was a 'Serengeti of the South"' positioned next to some of the richest coastlines in the world. This unique confluence of food from the land and sea cultivated the complex cultures revealed by the archaeology and provided safe harbor for humans during the glacial cycles that revealed that plain and made much of the rest of the world unwelcoming to human life." ### Access to the special issue can be found here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/quaternary-science-reviews/vol/235/suppl/C Derbyshire police have been mocked by social media users after launching an appeal to find a lorry driver - for kissing a pensioner on the cheek. While the force said it was treating the incident as sexual assault it has faced a huge backlash online. A woman in her 70s had helped guide an HGV after it became stuck under a low bridge in Matlock earlier this week. After the lorry had cleared the bridge one of the men jumped out of the vehicle, thanked the woman and kissed her on the cheek. The force said in its appeal: 'We want to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time and may be able to help our enquiries into the incident. Twitter users compared the appeal to George Orwell's novel 1984 'Of particular interest are any drivers who were in the area at the time and may have captured the lorry on dashcam'. Derbyshire Police also posted a tweet that said: 'It would be classed as a sexual assault as the woman did not [ask] the man to kiss her on the cheek.' It triggered a huge backlash from social media users who branded the police 'a joke', and was later deleted. The appeal was also removed from the force's website. Social media users could not believe that the appeal was legitimate One Twitter user said: 'Love how the Derbyshire Police are going after people who kiss each other', adding 'Where is George Orwell when you need him!?' Another simply said: 'Surely this is not real', while Stephen Lawrence responded: 'They'll be policing how we dress next'. Other disbelieving users said: 'has to be a wind up'. One twitter user said that although kissing a stranger was 'inappropriate', the incident 'doesn't sound like a matter for the police'. The appeal triggered a huge backlash from social media users and was later deleted. The appeal was also removed from the force's website Twitter users mocked Derbyshire Police's response to the incident One said that the reputation of the police is 'deserved' Other astonished Twitter users couldn't believe the appeal was real A statement issued by Derbyshire Police, reported by The Telegraph, said: 'We issued an appeal for information this morning after a woman was kissed on the cheek in an unwanted gesture from a man she did not know. 'The incident left the woman, who is in her 70s, very distressed, especially at a time when close contact with strangers is to be avoided. 'She reported it to us and in law it falls under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The appeal, which one user said 'surely' could not be 'real' came after a man jumped out a lorry and kissed a pensioner on the cheek 'We take all allegations and reports of this nature extremely seriously and it is our duty to investigate the circumstances, with the victims welfare at the heart of it. 'The social media post drew a significant number of comments that were counterproductive to the nature of the appeal and as a result, the decision was made to remove it. 'It is important to note that people with information related to the incident can still get in touch with us if they can help.' Men receive haircuts as social distancing guidelines to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are relaxed at Dougs Barber Shop in Houston, Texas, May 8, 2020. Callaghan O'Hare | Reuters Coronavirus cases are rising in Texas as the state plans more steps to restart its devastated economy during the pandemic. After new reported cases rose by about 1,000 per day in mid-April, they started to climb in May, reaching a new single-day high of about 1,450 on Thursday. While Texans moved more freely around the state after it allowed stores and restaurants to reopen on May 1 with capacity restrictions, the figures could reflect improving testing capacity. Cases are "definitely increasing but it's not to the point where it's overwhelming our health care system," said Dr. Brian Reed, professor and chair of the department of clinical sciences at the University of Houston College of Medicine. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards When Texas partially rebooted its economy at the start of the month, it became the most populous state to do so up to that point. Along with the other largely Republican-led states that lifted restrictions designed to slow the pandemic in late April and early May, Texas looked to buoy a state economy wrecked after most businesses closed their doors. Texas will next allow businesses such as gyms to open on Monday with capacity limits. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards The decision comes with immense risk. Experts say more freedom of movement leads to expectations of increased infections though people's decisions to continue distancing and wear face coverings in public could limit the spread. This week, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Congress that states could see "little spikes that might turn into outbreaks" if they restart their economies too soon. In Texas, roughly 1.8 million people have filed for jobless benefits in the last seven weeks. That comes out to 9.2% of workers covered by the state's unemployment program. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards A combination of issues hit the Texas economy in the spring, said Robert Dye, senior vice president and chief economist at Comerica Bank. While the pandemic takes its toll, U.S. benchmark WTI crude oil futures have fallen more than 50% this year a blow to the American energy capital of Texas. The state also houses the headquarters of American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, two companies damaged by travel reductions, and has seen cross-border commerce with Mexico drop. Dye expects a "significant decline" in Texas GDP in the second quarter. He also said that if coronavirus cases spike later this year, he would expect a "major pullback in the economy" immediately. Dye added that the effects could manifest long-term in businesses reluctant to bring on staff as they worry about repeated shutdowns leading to a cycle of hiring and firing. It could take until next month to know how reopening affects the number of new cases in Texas. It can also take 10 days for hospitalization numbers to catch up with infection figures, and three-to-four weeks for data on deaths to do so, according to Lauren Ancel Meyers, director of the University of Texas at Austin Covid-19 modeling consortium. She said tracking data show movement to places such as grocery stores has increased in recent weeks, though it is difficult to predict how much people are taking steps such as distancing and wearing face coverings. "Right now it's hard to know the extent to which people are going out and taking those kinds of precautions," Meyers said. While total cases in Texas are highest in cities, rural Texas has taken a bigger hit on a per-capita basis, particularly in the northern and eastern parts of the state. Reported cases in Texas now exceed 43,000. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Jakarta Sat, May 16, 2020 10:29 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd87185b 2 News travel,tourism,Indonesia,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free Indonesia's tropical holiday island of Bali could reopen to tourists in October, thanks to its success in controlling the coronavirus outbreak, the government said on Friday. As of Friday, Bali had reported 343 coronavirus cases and four deaths, a much lower fatality rate compared with 16,496 cases and 1,076 deaths in the whole archipelago. If the infection curve continued to improve, the tourism ministry is looking to revitalize destinations and do promotional work for some parts of the country, including Bali, between June and October, Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani, secretary of the ministry, said in the statement. Read also: Bali relies on local customs in facing COVID-19 outbreak: Governor Partial reopening of those areas, which also include the city of Yogyakarta and Riau islands province, may begin in October, she said. Bali's economy depends largely on visitors. Its gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 1.14 percent on-year in January-March, compared with a 2.97 percent GDP expansion nationally. Foreign tourist arrivals into Indonesia plunged more than 60 percent in March, compared to the year-earlier month, with Chinese arrivals sliding more than 97 percent A murder suspects bragging about a January 2019 homicide torpedoed his chances of evading police, authorities say. After Dalton Dukes fatally shot Joseph Hellman and sunk his body and SUV in the Missouri River, law enforcement officials said, Dukes apparently couldnt keep his mouth shut about his involvement. Six people were present for either the slaying or the cover-up, officials said, but Dukes also blabbed to another man, a fellow inmate and the guy who had given him what police think was the weapon used to kill Hellman. Those witness statements were vital to prosecutors in a murder case without a body. Hellman, 37, has not been seen or heard from since Jan. 29, 2019. Douglas County Judge Sheryl Lohaus ruled Friday that Dukes, 30, of Council Bluffs, will stand trial on a first-degree murder charge and two weapons charges. Hellman was killed after he sold Dukes and his girlfriend counterfeit methamphetamine, Omaha Police Detective Michael Oliver testified Friday. The couple had given Hellman about $800 along with iPads and a Michael Kors watch in exchange for what they thought was a pound of meth. They soon figured out the meth was fake. On Jan. 29, 2019, Dukes went to a home near 39th and Fort Streets with his girlfriend and a few other people. Witnesses later told police he wanted to confront Hellman, pistol-whip him and rob him. A woman who was at the home saw Dukes and another person enter through the back door. She ran downstairs, heard a scuffle, and one gunshot went off, Oliver said. Dukes then told another man who was in the home and the person he entered with that if they wanted to save his life, they should call 911 and make up a story that Hellman shot himself, according to a Pottawattamie County inmate who Dukes later told about the shooting, Oliver said. But no one called 911. Dukes and another man carried Hellman into the back of his own Ford Explorer, Oliver said, quoting witnesses. Hellman was gasping for breath and making a gurgling sound, and he seemed unconscious, witnesses said. Dukes and his girlfriend got into Hellmans SUV and drove it a private campground near Pacific Junction, Iowa, while another car followed them, witnesses said. Dukes put a rock on the accelerator and the Explorer lurched forward, eventually submerging in the Missouri River along with Hellmans body, witnesses told police. A woman who had been at the campsite took detectives there March 13, 2019. In the next few days, historic floods inundated the area. FBI divers have said they think an object that is about the size and shape of a car is near the boat ramp, but its not safe to retrieve it because the river is flowing too fast, Oliver said. Jose Pascual, a critical care doctor at the University of Pennsylvania Health System, recalled those first, mad days treating the sick when he had little to offer beyond hunches and Hail Marys. Each new day brought bizarre new complications of the coronavirus that defied textbook treatments. "We were flying blind," he said. "There is nothing more disturbing for me as a doctor." Now, for the first time since a wave of patients flooded their emergency rooms in March, Pascual and others on the front lines are expressing a feeling they say they haven't felt in a long time - glimmers of hope. They say they have devised a toolbox, albeit a limited and imperfect one, of drugs and therapies many believe give today's patients a better shot at survival than those who came only a few weeks before. To be clear, these are not therapies proved to kill or stop the virus. They range from protocols to diagnose and treat dangerous, but sometimes invisible, breathing problems that can be an early warning of covid-19 in some people, to efforts to reduce the illness's severity or length. At this stage, they are still experimental approaches by doctors desperate to find ways to help gravely ill people and throwing everything they can think of at the problem. The menu of treatment options, tried singly and increasingly in combination, includes the blood plasma of covid-19 survivors, a rich source of antibodies that may help neutralize the virus; drugs to suppress the body's own immune response, which some believe goes into hyperdrive as it tries to fight an invader; anticoagulants, which decrease the risk of deadly clots, and finally, antivirals, such as remdesivir, the Gilead Sciences drug that recently won approval for emergency use from the Food and Drug Administration. Randomized clinical trials are necessary to confirm early anecdotal data, with the results probably months away. But doctors say they believe they are seeing some positive results from these and other things they have learned through trial and error these past 10 weeks. "Things changed almost completely, from knowing nothing at all and going on hearsay from Milan, Seoul and Wuhan - to saying, 'Well, this is something we know we can do,'" Pascual said. The World Health Organization also sounded a note of optimism on Tuesday, saying it sees "potentially positive data" in four or five coronavirus treatments and planned additional studies to be able to make recommendations. "We do have some treatments that seem to be in very early studies limiting the severity or the length of the illness," spokeswoman Margaret Harris said. While doctors are still a long way from having a full picture of the virus and its effects, "it is a different world today," said David Reich, a cardiac anesthesiologist and president of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. --- Medicine as a field evolves slowly. But during the pandemic, months have been compressed into days, decades into weeks. The knowledge accumulated during the past couple of months was due not to a single eureka moment but rather a steady stream of small discoveries. Yogen Kanthi, an assistant professor of cardiology at the University of Michigan, said the medical community has "a much better idea of what are the major contributors to death and are moving into the next phase of trying some more targeted treatments." As doctors have begun thinking of covid-19 as an illness that causes both clotting and inflammation problems, he said, the research has pivoted in new directions. "Is there one medication that is going to do all that? My gut tells me it's more a combination of things," he said. Kanthi and his rheumatology colleagues who focus on immune issues are launching a study that will look at various combinations of anti-inflammatory drugs and blood thinners to find out whether they work better together, as well as their optimal timing, dosage and mix. One medication that has shown promise is a heartburn drug that contains the active ingredient in Pepcid. A study of 1,536 patients found those who took it were more likely to survive, but researchers cautioned it could have been just a coincidence. A study published last week in the Lancet found a combination of three antiviral drugs - separately used to treat HIV, hepatitis C and multiple sclerosis - appeared to hasten recovery in some patients. While the status of certain drugs has been elevated, numerous others - including those with toxic effects that could have been hurting patients - have been largely ruled out. This includes the use of hydroxychloroquine - the anti-malarial drug touted by President Donald Trump and given to coronavirus patients at many medical centers, even by doctors skeptical of the evidence but who had nothing else to offer. --- Warnings in February about covid-19 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention described a "pneumonia-like" illness making its way around the world. The health agency highlighted three symptoms: fever, coughing and shortness of breath. These first communications, used as part of the criteria for testing and as the basis for hospital preparations, reflected what was known at the time but sent the whole medical response awry. Pascual recalled that as the five Penn Medicine hospitals readied themselves for a surge, they focused on the lungs. Ventilators were lined up in neat rows. Extra staff was called in to train on emergency treatment of breathing complications. But as the ICUs filled with covid-19 patients, surprised doctors began to see dysfunction in other organs: Kidneys. Liver. Intestines. Skin. Even the brain. Pascual called them "curveballs," and there were a lot of them. It was the same at medical centers in other parts of the United States. In New York, Reich was doing rounds at the hospital just as its patient load was accelerating, and a critical care doctor grabbed him in the hallway talking about how strange it was the tubes in kidney machines were clogging. A few days later, he heard from a lung specialist who was seeing an unusual pattern of high carbon dioxide levels in patients, even after giving them large amounts of oxygen. Then, a neurosurgeon called in about unusual clots in patients in their 30s and 40s. About 200 miles north at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mandeep Mehra, medical director of the heart center, and his colleagues discussed what he called "an interesting dichotomy with this infection." The vast majority, an estimated 80% to 85%, of people appear to fight it off without hospitalization while 15% to 20% become very ill. "The main question is who are these people and how can we predict them," Mehra said. "Very clearly, a few facts began to emerge, which is this disease is not just a disease of the virus. Something else peculiar happens to the human body where it creates a dis-regulated response." --- Some of the ways doctors may be saving more lives involve simple changes to protocols that have been blown up and reinvented to reflect the idiosyncrasies of a new disease. One of the most important involves diagnosing dangerous but often hidden lung problems. Many doctors, nurses and EMTs have described being unsettled by patients showing up deathly sick yet without obvious signs of breathing trouble. Patients with "silent hypoxia" may have alarmingly low oxygen levels but show no shortness of breath. The problem results in pneumonia when the lungs are not getting enough oxygen but carbon dioxide is still being expelled. In the beginning, many of these patients were dismissed by primary care doctors as having mild cases - until their bodies became so starved of oxygen they lost consciousness and died. Now doctors are advising anyone suspected of having covid-19 to use oximeters that clip onto the fingers to assess the saturation of oxygen in their blood, and staff at some nursing homes are using them regularly to monitor their residents. Physicians also have improvised new approaches to boost breathing support, including how ventilators are used. One key finding is that a simple procedure of flipping patients on their sides or stomachs in a process known as "proning" - which relieves weight or pressure on the lungs - could return some people's oxygen levels to normal. Doctors have said they believe this allowed a number of patients to avoid being put on ventilators. Once people are put on the breathing machines, complications can ensue, and it requires many more medications and staff to keep them alive. Many hospitals also have overhauled the timing, concentration and flow of oxygen they use on patients, and some swear moving the timing of when they put patients on ventilators - whether earlier or later than they might have in the past - has made a difference. Physicians also said they realized some patients were experiencing respiratory distress because their throats were inflamed and causing problems with ventilator tubes. This was easily fixed with steroids that reduce swelling. A paper published by Mehra in the New England Journal of Medicine showed ACE inhibitors, a drug used by millions of Americans to control blood pressure but which was stopped on many hospitalized patients due to worries it could exacerbate their illness, appeared to be safe when used on those patients, at least. Other discoveries have been grimmer. A number of centers began to see dangerous heart rhythm readings in patients who were on hydroxychloroquine and who subsequently died. Many of these patients were critically ill with multiple organs affected, so the exact cause of death was unclear. But doctors were concerned enough that they backed off use of the drug weeks before a Veteran's Administration study showed a higher risk of death, and the Food and Drug Administration warned against its use on Apr. 30. Meanwhile, the results of tests of various drugs have come in quick succession: An HIV drug by AbbVie showed no improvement in a 199-patient clinical trial. An arthritis drug by Regeneron and Sanofi produced similarly disappointing results. Some theorize early failures of some drugs that target a hyperactive inflammatory response may be because those drugs tend to suppress just one in a broad category of cytokines, or proteins important in cell signaling. "It was like playing whack a mole," explained the University of Michigan's Kanthi. "You block one cytokine and then another one pops up." One challenge to therapies for covid-19, Pascual said, is that the havoc caused by the virus seems to last a long time - in some patients two, three or even six weeks. Critically ill patients may need many different treatments in that period to stay alive - blood pressure medications for the heart, dialysis for their kidneys, ventilators for breathing. If they can be kept stable for that length of time until doctors can remove the support of machines, he said, more patients just might have a chance. "The reassuring thing is this virus, like others, eventually burns out," Pascual said. "In the end, it's a waiting game." Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. FIANNA Fail has accused Fine Gael of bad faith, selfishness and putting party before country after it emerged that logistical planning to hold elections and referendums during the Covid-19 crisis is underway. Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has confirmed that his Department officials have begun preparing for referendums, possible by-elections and a possible general election that may need to happen while public health restrictions are in place. It comes amid ongoing efforts by Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens to form a government with talks underway since last week. Independent.ie has learned that Tanaiste and Fine Gael deputy leader Simon Coveney and Fianna Fail deputy leader Dara Calleary spoke on Saturday morning in a bid to de-escalate the row. Fine Gael has insisted it is committed to forming a government. Expand Close Housing minister Eoghan Murphy (PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Housing minister Eoghan Murphy (PA) However, senior Fianna Fail TD Barry Cowen, who is a member of the party's negotiating team, said that the emergence of the plan smacks of bad faith, selfishness and putting party before country. No doubt they will say they had to have an alternative plan, whether that is credible or not is another thing altogether, Mr Cowen said, adding that officials time was being wasted given any changes in how elections or referendums are run would require new laws. The proposal seems completely non-feasible without legislation as it would involve a Garda and presiding officer calling to 650,000 cocooners one-by-one to get their vote under current special voting arrangements. The application process for the supplementary register to be included for special voting or postal voting would be a logistical nightmare involving producing medical certs etcetera and take months. Separately spreading the poll out over several days also requires legislation. For example Tipperary [where a candidate died during the election] was not allowed to hold a separate poll in February as all votes had to be cast on the same day rather than days. Mr Cowen pointed out that Poland had cancelled its planned presidential election this week and was attempting to build cross-party consensus on how to hold a poll in the future. Expand Close Barry Cowen. Photo: Tom Burke / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Barry Cowen. Photo: Tom Burke I didn't need to waste the time of officials to tell me any of [this], he said. Mr Murphy said that his Department must prepare for every scenario and insisted the plans were separate to the government formation process. He said: Covid19 is potentially here until 2021 or longer and it is our duty to be prepared for referendums, possible by elections and even a general election. This is completely separate to the government formation process underway which we are absolutely committed to. If we dont prepare we risk far greater damage to our electoral process. Initial reports of the plan in the Irish Times, which detailed proposals to spread voting over a number of days, give cocooners a postal vote and allow polling in nursing homes, prompted an angry reaction from Fianna Fail TDs. The partys education spokesman Thomas Byrne branded the suggestion of polling in nursing homes being prioritised while the State is grappling with the Covid-19 crisis in homes as utterly sick on Twitter. Mr Cowen said it was time for parties to get on with forming a government. Joint Press Statement by Central Trade Unions released on 15th May 2020 The joint platform of Central Trade Unions in their meeting held on 14th May 2020 took note of the critical situation for the working people in the country during the Lock down period and decided to enhance united actions to meet the challenge. Taking shelter under the umbrella of COVID-19 Pandemic, every day the Govt. is taking one or other decisions to attack the working class and common people of the country who are already in deep distress and miseries in the midst of lockdown in the country. The Trade Unions independently and unitedly have made several representations to the Prime Minister and Labour Minister in this regard as well as about the rampant violations of the governmentas own directives/advisories in regard to payment of full wages to workers during lock down and non-termination of employment but in vain. Similarly all the announcements made by the government in regard to ration distribution, even meager cash transfer to women and senior citizens, etc have failed at the ground level and did not reach the majority of the beneficiaries. As the mass of the working people have been subjected to inhuman sufferings owing to loss of jobs, loss of wages, eviction from residences etc. reducing them to hungry non-entities in the process of 48 days lockdown, the Govt. of the day at the centre is aggressively moving to push the working people into virtual slavery. In desperation the migrant workers have been walking for several hundreds of miles on roads, on railway tracks, through fields and jungles to reach their homes with several precious lives having been lost on the way due to hunger, exhaustion and accidents. But even after three spells of lockdown, all announcements of Govt. including the latest one on 14th May 2020 did nothing for relieving the common people and workers from the miseries they are suffering except making tall claims and statements far away from truth, displaying cruel insensitivity to the miseries and distress of majority of the populace. Now the Government at the centre, in a most dubious manner, taking advantage of prolonged lockdown period, has been targeting the rights of the workers and the trade unions towards abrogation of labour rights. It has taken the strategy of letting loose their pliant state governments to take such anti-worker and anti-people autocratic measures and many other state governments are being made to follow the same path to the detriment of the rights and livelihood of workers. The advisories to this effect are being sent to the state Governments from the Ministry of Labour and Employment Government of India.. UP government has brought a draconian ordinance titled aUttar Pradesh Temporary Exemption for certain labour laws ordinance 2020a under the guise of facilitating economic activities. With one stroke 38 laws are made defunct for 1000 days (almost three years) and the remaining are only section 5 of Payment of Wages Act 1934, Construction Workers Act 1996, Compensation Act 1993 and Bonded Labour Act 1976 which remain functional. Those laws made defunct include Trade Union Act, Industrial Disputes Act, Act on Occupational Safety and Health, Contract Labour Act, Interstate Migrant Labour Act, Equal Remuneration Act, Maternity Benefit Act etc. Madhya Pradesh Government has brought drastic changes in Factories Act, Contract Act and Industrial Dispute Act in a manner where the employers will be empowered to hire and fire the labour at their will; right to dispute raising and grievance redressal will be put on ban ; the contractors will not be required to obtain license for supplying labour upto 49 persons and hence will function without any regulation and control; inspection will be virtually withdrawn and the entire enforcement machinery is put under freeze amaking whatever law is in vogue and basic rights of the workers on wages, compensation, safety etc absolutely meaningless. Not only that, the employers were also exempted from payment of Rs 80/- per labourer to Madhya Pradesh Labour Welfare Board. The Shop and Establishment Act is amended to let the shops function from 6 am to 12 at night that means 18 hours at a go by MP government. Gujarat government has also taken this illegal decision of increasing working hours from 8 to 12 hrs and also desires to go the UP government way to suspend several laws for 1200 days. The Govts of Assam and Tripura and several others have been actively preparing to take the same route. This retrograde anti-worker move came in the second stage after 8 state governments(Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bihar and Punjab) have enhanced the daily working hours from eight hours to 12 hours through executive order in violation of the Factories Act, taking advantage of the lockdown situation. These draconian measures are not only to facilitate more brutal and cruel exploitation of workers without their rights for collective bargaining , dispute over proper wages, safety at work place and guarantee of social security etc, but also to throw them in to conditions of slavery, in the interests of more profiteering despite continuing economic slowdown. Women and vulnerable sections will be more exploited in terms of forced labour. All this means that the workers are to be used as bonded labour without any rights for sheer exploitation in the interest of capital without any guarantee of wages, safety and healthcare, social security and above all human dignity only to benefit those who maximize their profits on the blood and sweat of workers. This is against the basic tenets of human rights. Indian working class is sought to be pushed back into British Era. The trade union movement cannot accept such nefarious design lying down and resolves to fight back unitedly with all their might with determination to defeat the anti worker anti people policies, of which these are a part. We have to mount resistance against such design of imposing slavery through countrywide struggle in the days to come. The CTUs note with satisfaction that already protests have been organized jointly by the workers and trade unions against such brutal and draconian anti-people and anti-worker measures in numerous states and industries, reflecting the fighting mood of the working people. In this background, to begin with, the joint platform of Central Trade Unions has decided to observe nationwide protest day against the anti worker and anti people onslaughts of the government on 22nd May 2020. The national level leaders of the trade unions would organize day long hunger strike at Gandhi Samadhi, Rajghat, Delhi. Simultaneous protest actions would be jointly organized in all the states. There will be lakhs of petitions from the unions and members to the Govt. then onwards.The demands include, immediate relief to stranded workers for safe reaching to their homes, food to be made available to all, universal coverage of Ration distribution, ensure wages to all of the lock down period, cash transfer to all unorganized labour force(registered or unregistered or self employed), withdraw DA freeze to central government employees & CPSEs and DR freeze to pensioners, stop surrendering of live sanctioned posts. In the meanwhile the state wise and sector wise issue based ongoing actions have to be intensified and with the determination and perspective of heightening the united struggle to halt the retrograde policies of trampling the hard won labour rights by the Govt through nationwide strike action in the days to come. The CTUs have also decided to send joint representation to ILO in regard to the violations being committed by Govt of India in regard to all the international commitments on labour standards and human rights. The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Federations calls upon to make the programme of Nationwide Protest day a massive success throughout the country while maintaining the norms of physical distancing and also upholding social solidarity. INTUC AITUC HMS CITU AIUTUC TUCC SEWA AICCTU LPF UTUC And the Federations and Associations of various sectors SIGNED ORIGINAL PDF HERE: 1. Yes. Too many kids are staying home. They need a virtual learning option to keep up. 2. Yes. Teachers are out sick and subs cant handle the load. Online learning is needed. 3. No. Its too late in the school year to make a wholesale switch in teaching platforms. 4.No. Many parents arent in a position to stay home while their kids learn virtually. 5. Unsure. It may seem like a good idea from a health standpoint, but it has shortcomings. Vote View Results 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 Former Arsenal manager, Unai Emery, has revealed the player he expected Arsenal to buy instead of Nicolas Pepe. He noted that he wanted the club to sign Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace. Recall tha the North London side signed Pepe in a 72million record breaking move from Lille last summer. The Ivorian winger has, however failed to match up to his expectation has he scored just one goal from the penalty spot in his first 12 Premier League appearances, with the last of those coming in Emerys final game against Southampton. He, however, improved when Mikel Arteta took over from Emery and has scored three goals since the Spaniard took charge. Emery says he was always worried the 24-year-old would take time to adapt. We signed Pepe. Hes a good player but we didnt know his character and he needs time, patience, Emery told The Guardian. I favoured someone who knew the league and wouldnt need to adapt. Zaha won games on his own: Tottenham, Manchester City, us. Incredible performances. I told them this is the player I know and want. I met Zaha and he wanted to come. The club decided Pepe was one for the future. I said: Yes, but we need to win now and this lad wins games. He beat us on his own. Share this post with your Friends on The Regime has said that the wearing of face mask is a law signed by Nigerian Ruler, Muhammadu Buhari and which must be enforced as the nation battles the COVID-19 pandemic. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman, Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, said this on Thursday in Abuja at the 31st joint national briefing of the taskforce. He also said that contrary to reports, Nigeria did not order for the Madagascar herbal solutions for COVID-19, but that it was an offer by the Madagascan President. There is a question that has to do with usage of facemasks, whether it was optional or not, no. The fact that we are persuasive does not mean that there is an option to it. It was part of the declaration that was signed by Mr. President. All the protocols that was predicted by the authority vested on Mr. President by the Quarantine Act. And once he attested his signature to that, it has the force of law. Our appeal is that this is a collective effort that each and every Nigerian to be responsible to himself and other Nigerians to wear a mask, not necessarily a medical mask. That is why we said mask or cloth covering, so that our people would not be going to pick things from the dust bin and be hanging on their faces, Mustapha said. According to him, even a handkerchief can serve the purpose, thus, it is not in any way an optional but a must. He added, And we are appealing to the security agencies and the state governments and sub national entities who have the power of enforcement to do that. It is very important that we inculcate the culture of doing things to the overall benefits of all. Also Speaking on the Madagascar herbal solutions, the SGF said it was an offer which Nigeria accept in the spirit of African brotherhood. He said, Nigeria did not asked for the Madagascar solution, the Madagascar government decided to airlift quantities meant for African countries. That of West Africa was taken to Guinea Bissau so all the members of ECOWAS have their commodities offloaded in Guinea Bissau and that was the one I referred to that we were making arrangements to evacuate. But the impression out there is as if we abandoned homegrown solution and we were looking for Madagascar solution. We didnt ask for it, but it was taken in the spirit of African brotherly love to Guinea Bissau and weve asked our ambassador there to establish the location, the quantity and he has done that. We have to make arrangements for its freighting out of Guinea Bissau, but there are no flights. So there so many things we have to consider. If we are freighting it through air cargo, that has its process. So can you please help us explain it to Nigerians that Nigeria did not ask for it. It was brought for West African countries, similarly for other parts of Africa, Mustapha said. He said that the consignment meant for West Africa was dropped in Guinea Bissau and every ECOWAS member nation has been asked to go to Guinea Bissau and pick their portions. He declared that that was not the government priority for now, as the nation is more concerned about contain the spread of the virus in the country. We will do that, but that does not in any way downplay what we have asked our researchers and scientists to do. In the last one or more week, I have consistently made this appeal, and for those that are in the field of development in medicine and different inventions, they know the protocol. I can tell you that I get letters on a daily basis, telling me that I have this invention. That is not the protocol, the protocol is to submit these things to the appropriate organisation that has the responsibility, that is established by government through an Act of Parliament, for it to go through the processes of validation. It is not the responsibility of the task force to validate these things. So, my appeal to out scientists and our researchers; dont bother sending them to the task force, send them to the institutions that have been set up by government to do their job and we know the institutions. NAFDAC is there, it is a body recognised and acknowledged all over the world. Not only for homegrown cures, anything you want to bring into this country; be it food or drugs, you must subject it to the validation process of NAFDAC and that is why all items carry NAFDAC number, Mustapha said. Former governor of Sokoto State and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Aliyu Wamakko has disclosed plans to establish ... Former governor of Sokoto State and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Aliyu Wamakko has disclosed plans to establish a University in Sokoto State. In a statement issued on Saturday by his media aide, Bashir Rabe Mani in Abuja, Wamako said, all requirements have been met to establish the ivory tower. The statement noted that the proposed Northwest University would be established through his foundation. It said: The Aliyu Magatakarda Foundation has met all the extant requirements for the establishment of a Premier pioneer private University in Sokoto, Northwest University. The Leader of the Foundation, who also doubles as the Senator representing Sokoto North Senatorial District, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, had submitted all documents to the National Universities Commission (NUC). The documents were received by the Commissions Executive Secretary, Professor Abubakar Rasheed. The documents included among others, evidence of payment of the Processing Fees, Academic Briefs, Master Plan, Environmental Impact Assessment, Subsoil Investigations Report and the Draft University Law. Former Executive Director of Standard Chartered Bank, Mr Alex Mould is urging the government to discontinue the decision to use the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) to disbursed the GHS600million soft Loan stimulus package for Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The soft loans which are under the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP) are intended to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on the operations SMEs. The government this week, announced NBSSI will have access to the fund this month and begin with the disbursement to SMEs in the country. But the Energy and Finance Expert, Mr Mould believes NBSSI is not qualified to disburse the loans. According to him, unlike financial institutions that are regulated, have credit underwriting standards and credit approval procedures, "the NBSSI is a bureaucratic institution controlled by politicians. "Financial institutions should be the channel for disbursing the GHS600m earmarked for the SMEs under the CAP, or it could become a political slush fund otherwise," the immediate past Chief Executive of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation stressed. Read the full statement below NBSSI NOT QUALIFIED TO DISBURSE SMEs FUND UNDER CAP The government should be crystal clear on the terms of GHS600m loan fund allocated to SMEs under the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme. The National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) will, from this month, have access to governments GHS 600 million soft loan stimulus package for SMEs. The loan, which comes with a one-year moratorium and a two-year repayment period is intended to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on the operations of micro, small and medium-sized businesses. I want to highlight some of the potential challenges with this model. Firstly, I can emphatically state the NBSSI is not qualified to disburse loans. Unlike Financial institutions that are regulated, have credit underwriting standards and credit approval procedures, the NBSSI is a bureaucratic institution controlled by politicians. What safeguards has the NBSSI put in place to ensure that the funds disbursed are used for the approved purpose? Other questions that require immediate clarity are: 1. What exactly is the qualifying criteria the NBSSI will outline for funds eligibility; in addition to the basic guidelines outlined by the Ministry of Finance? 2. What precisely can these funds be used for?: for example, are these eligible: - workers salaries and statutory expenses - interest repayments on loans to banks - rent payments - utility payments - other working capital needs Financial institutions should be the channel for disbursing the GHS600m earmarked for the SMEs under CAP, or it could become a political slush fund otherwise. Clear risk-sharing allocation protocols must be agreed between Government and Financial institutions. Additionally, stakeholder engagement e.g. trade associations, Association of small scale industries (ASSI) etc is necessary to help determine the needs of SMEs amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We should all remember this is NOT free money and approval criteria need to be obvious and transparent. Signed Alex Mould 15/05/2020 Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/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 Mater has issued a statement saying it has reported all cases of Covid-19 positive results to the relevant authorities "on a daily basis". The hospital was reacting to reports linking it to a large number of cases which were only reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre yesterday. "At all times the Mater Hospital provided the information that the HSE required and met all legal requirements to report infectious diseases," the statement said. "All of this information is correct and up to date. "We are working with the HSE to understand why the provided data may not have been accurately captured. "The Mater Hospital has also carried out comprehensive contact tracing on every single member of staff who tested positive for Covid-19 through our occupational health department in line with best practice. "In excess of 300 staff at the Mater have tested positive for Covid-19 and a further 1,500 have self-isolated following contact tracing to protect patients, fellow staff and the public - despite the enormous impact this has had on our operations." This morning, the Health Minister said the bulk reporting of Covid-19 cases by one hospital needs to be checked to see if it is a criminal matter. Hospitals have a legal obligation to report cases of infectious diseases as soon as they are aware of them. Simon Harris said it is "extremely disappointing" that this happened and he is awaiting a full report. Last night, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, said that there is an expectation and an obligation in the legislation for people to make those notifications. We want to encourage appropriate reporting and timely reporting and comprehensive reporting, a high standard of collection of all the key information in respect of all the cases and to have that reported to us in as timely a way as possible. He said he could not be certain the required contact tracing had been carried out for the cases who had tested positive in the hospital, but he expressed hope it would have been done. I would like to think the contact tracing necessary in the hospital environment by the occupational health teams might have been carried out but I dont know that as a fact, he said. Paul Moynagh, Professor of Immunology at NUI Maynooth, says it would be very concerning if contact tracing hasn't been carried out. A historic Brighton home at the centre of a demolition dispute has been severely damaged by a fire being treated as suspicious by authorities. The Metropolitan Fire Brigade was called to the 131-year-old Spurling House on Black Street just after 2am on Saturday and crews brought the blaze under control within an hour. Firefighters in breathing apparatus searched the double storey building and confirmed no one was inside. Spurling House in Brighton was uninhabitable before Saturday morning's fire Credit:Eddie Jim The heritage listed home was built in 1889 for Phillis Spurling by the Canadian architect John Horbury Hunt, one of the first important North American architects to practise in Australia. Spurling House is his only known work in Victoria. KMT chairman urges Beijing to end threat of taking Taiwan by force ROC Central News Agency 05/15/2020 10:18 PM Taipei, May 15 (CNA) Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Chiang Chi-chen () on Friday called on China to stop threatening Taiwan with force and President Tsai Ing-wen () to better manage relations with Beijing. Chiang, a three-term legislator who became chairman of the opposition KMT on March 9, made the appeals at a press briefing in Taipei to discuss the challenges facing Taiwan, ahead of Tsai's second term that begins on May 20. While the KMT is still shaping its cross-Taiwan Strait policy through a reform committee set up in mid-March, Chiang said a few themes in the KMT's future stance are already clear. Under the KMT administration between 2008 and 2016, Chiang said the party made progress in expanding negotiations between Taiwan and China on the basis of the so-called "1992 consensus," under which the KMT accepts that the two sides are part of one China, with each side free to interpret what "one China" means. Chiang urged Beijing to remain calm and face the fact of the existence of the Republic of China government in Taiwan, while warning Beijing that there is no market here for Beijing's "one country, two systems" idea. Beijing should also stop threatening Taiwan with military force, he said. The KMT will insist on values, including the ROC's existence, freedom, democracy, peace and safety, as well as putting Taiwan first, so that nobody can deride the party as representing Beijing's interests, he said. Citing the ongoing COVID-19 conoravirus pandemic, the tensions between China and the United States, the pandemic's impact on globalization, and governments' rising debt levels in response to COVID-19, Chiang asked if the incoming government under Tsai has mid- to long-term plans to deal with those challenges. The KMT leader questioned the Tsai administration's foreign policy of leaning heavily on the U.S., arguing that it has led to greater suppression from China. Tsai should not underestimate the possibility of Taiwan being dragged into military confrontation and should deal with cross-Strait relations based on the Constitution, he said. Citing a survey the KMT conducted through the TVBS poll center, Chiang suggested that Tsai pay attention to issues related to economic development, low wages, youth development and labor protections, as a new wave of graduates prepares to enter the workforce in June. (By Yu Hsiang and Kay Liu) enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The defendant was jailed at a sitting of Sligo District Court at Sligo Courthouse A 36-year-old man before Sligo District Court on a number of charges told Judge Kevin Kilrane that he was going to accept his fate. Dean Mahon, of McNeill Drive, Cranmore apologised at last Thursday's sitting for being "such a nuisance over the last few years" and said his addiction had got out of control. "I am going to accept my fate, I know that I will be getting a prison sentence and I want to use my time to get my head right for my children." The judge said that it was 'all fine and dandy' but said to Mahon that he had spent years in prison and Mahon replied that he had spent nine years in prison, both in the UK and Ireland. Judge Kilrane asked what his plan was for when he is released from prison and the 36-year-old replied he wants to try to stay sober and stop taking cannabis saying the drug was the problem. "I've been living in my own denial," he added. Defending solicitor Mr Tom MacSharry said his client's family all say that he is fine when he is clean and sober but when he takes drink and drugs a monster comes out. He praised his ex-partner, who was in court, for sticking with him. A number of intoxication charges were taken into consideration. On a charge of threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour on May 19th 2019 at Racecourse View, Cranmore, Mahon was sentenced to two months imprisonment. On a charge of damaging a window to the reception hatch in Ballymote Garda Station on December 29th 2019, Mahon was convicted and the charge was taken into consideration. A further charge of possession of cannabis herb at Ballymote Garda Station on October 25th 2018 was also taken into consideration. Judge Kilrane told the defendant that he was being sentenced to two months in prison. "Whatever you do after that, the only advice I can give you is to try and arrange accommodation." Mr MacSharry indicated he should contact Aubrey Melville of charity, Social Groundforce and said he was with him before and had done well. The judge said: "He's spent nine years in prison, I don't want to add to that. "I hope it's the last imprisonment he gets from me or anyone," he added. ALBANY, N.Y. The New York State Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) and the Department of Public Service are alerting consumers of a phone scam in which scammers are threatening to suspend electricity services unless they receive payment for past due balances. Payment has been requested by means of untraceable services such as money transfer apps, including Cash App. Scammers may also attempt to steal personal information from unsuspecting victims. In these cases, the caller spoofs the official phone number of the Department of Public Service and calls individuals seeking payment for outstanding utility bills to avoid disconnection of service. Pursuant to Gov. Andrew Cuomos March 13 directive, the Department of Public Service worked with the States utility companies to ensure no New Yorkers would have their utilities cut off for nonpayment during the PAUSE. Similar action was taken during Super Storm Sandy, the 2014 Polar Vortex, and the 2008 financial crisis. Unfortunately, these types of scams appear from time to time targeting unsuspecting New Yorkers with nefarious tactics, including spoofing official government agencies and utility companies, New York State Secretary of State Rossana Rosado said in a news release. Be alert and follow some safety tips when you are called or approached by scammers in order to avoid falling victims of tricks to get your hard-earned money, Rosado noted. It is indeed unfortunate and flat-out wrong that scammers try to take advantage of consumers, and its especially true during these uncertain times. Consumers struggling to pay their utility bills should call their utility to understand their rights as consumers and to learn about the shutoff moratorium that is now in place as a result of Governor Cuomos swift action to protect consumers, Department of Public Service CEO John B. Rhodes added. In addition, calls have also been reported to be coming from scammers purporting to be from New York electric and gas utilities. The callers ask for consumer information, including utility account numbers, social security numbers, and dates of birth, and request payment for alleged past-due bills. Similar to a Social Security scam detailed in June of 2019, in these cases, the caller spoofs official phone numbers of state agencies or utility companies call individuals seeking information that could be used to steal identities. Spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to a caller ID display to disguise their identity, according to the Federal Communications Commission. In actuality, the call could be coming from anywhere in the world. To avoid falling victim to these scams, consumers should follow the tips below: Consumers should never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mothers maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if they are at all suspicious. Consumers should not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with Yes or No. Consumers should exercise caution if they are being pressured for information immediately. Government agencies and utility companies do not ask for payments via gift cards or cash transfer apps. Gift cards allow scammers to get money without a trace. Real utility companies issue several disconnection warnings before shutting off utilities and they never demand money over the phone or specify a method of payment. Use call-blocking tools from your phone provider and check into apps that block calls. The FCC allows phone companies to block robocalls by default based on reasonable analytics (see fcc.gov/robocalls). Do not rely on the number that comes up on your phone. Callers can spoof the number to look like a government agency or local utility company. If someone has contacted an individual and they are suspicious, they should hang up and go directly to the official website for the agency or utility company or call the number on their utility bill to confirm whether there is a problem with their account. If you receive this or any other scam calls, you are encouraged to file a complaint with the Division of Consumer Protection. The New York State Division of Consumer Protection investigates Do Not Call violations and provides voluntary mediation between a consumer and a business when a consumer has been unsuccessful at reaching a resolution on their own. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1-800-697-1220 is available Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding State Holidays, and consumer complaints can be filed at any time at www.dos.ny.gov/consumerprotection. The Division can also be reached via Twitter at @NYSConsumer or Facebook at www.facebook.com/nysconsumer. Thousands marched in Bosnia on Saturday to protest against a Mass being held to honour Croatia's Nazi collaborators and civilians killed after World War II. The annual service, usually held in Austria at the site of the Croatian regime's last stand, was moved to Sarajevo because of coronavirus restrictions in Austria. Croatian groups gather each year for the commemorations, co-organised by the Catholic Church in Bosnia and Croatia, often brandishing Nazi memorabilia. The Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Center urged the Bosnian government to ban the Mass, labelling it a 'travesty of memory and justice'. The service provoked outrage from most political parties, Jewish leaders, the Serbian Orthodox Church and anti-fascist NGOs, who held a march during the Mass in central Sarajevo. People attend an anti-Nazi protest outside the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Sarajevo, Bosnia on May 16. Protesters gathered despite the nation's ban on mass gatherings to show their anger A sign in Croatin reads 'I'm an anti-fascist too' as Bosnian protesters demonstrate against a memorial service held for Croatia's Nazi collaborators 'In Sarajevo, a multi-ethnic and anti-fascist city, there is no room for fascism,' local Jewish leader Boris Kozemjakin, who took part in the march, told AFP. Sarajevo Archbishop Vinko Puljic, who held the Mass in the Bosnian capital's cathedral, earlier rejected the accusations and said praying for victims' souls did not mean approval of their acts. 'No one has the right to neglect the victims for whom we pray today,' Puljic said during the Mass. 'We want that double standards in respecting the victims of hatred and massacre be stopped.' Meanwhile, the marchers, who rallied despite a ban on public gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic, sang songs linked to the anti-Nazi struggle. 'Death to Fascism, Freedom to People!' they chanted. Above a monument with names of 55 people from Sarajevo killed by the Croatian fascist regime known as Ustasha, the organisers of the march placed a large photo showing the hanged victims. Also large banners reading 'I'm an anti-fascist too' were placed at the main Titova street. According to the cathedral's archdiocese, only 20 people were likely to attend the service, but protesters turned up in their thousands to rally against it being held Police sealed all roads leading to the cathedral to prevent the protesters from reaching it The service was held under tight security and police sealed all roads leading to the cathedral with metal fences. What is the Ustasha annual Mass? The Ustasha were a Croatian fascist, ultra-nationalist and terrorist organisation, active between 1929 and 1945. Its members murdered hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Jews and Roma, as well as Yugoslavian dissidents during World War II, and became infamous for their particularly brutal methods of execution. In what is seen as the final battle of World War II on European soil, many of the Croatian Nazi-allied soldiers and civilians were killed in the battled of Poljana, a town in Slovenia, near the Austrian border. The battle ran from May 14 to May 15 in 1945, before the Ustasha were defeated. Many of the survivors surrendered and or were captured in Bleiburg, Austria. Others disappeared, going underground and fleeing to other countries, notably Argentina, with the help of the Roman Catholic church. To this day, a large annual event, sponsored by the Croatian parliament, is usually held in Bleiburg to commemorate tho Ustasha who died, 75 years ago. Every year, thousands travel to Bleiburg for the Mass, which has been described as the largest neo-Nazi congregation in Europe. Catholic officials in Croatia and Austria are reportedly split over the event. This year, due to the coronavirus, Austria could not host the Mass, so it was moved to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, resulting in the protests. Advertisement Only about 20 people attended the service which, like the march, ended without incident. The Mass, originally announced as the service for those killed at Bleiburg, was eventually presented as the one for 'all war and post-war victims'. The Ustasha persecuted and killed hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Jews and anti-fascist Croatians. At the time, the so-called Independent State of Croatia (NDH) included Bosnia and parts of Serbia. More than 10,000 Sarajevo residents - mostly Jews but also Serbs and Roma - were killed by the Ustasha regime during WWII. Near the end of the war, the Ustasha, accompanied by civilians and Slovenian and Serbian collaborators, started to flee towards Austria hoping to surrender to British forces. But the British refused their surrender. The Ustasha were caught and executed by Josip Broz Tito's partisans in the border region between Austria and Slovenia. Croatian conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said earlier that 75 years on 'we remember a difficult chapter of Croatia's history and we remember all the victims'. The number of those killed in the Bleiburg area - where the commemorations are usually held - is still debated but independent historians put it at tens of thousands. Short memorial ceremonies for the victims were also held in Croatia. By Laurie Goering LONDON, May 15 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Around the world, countries and individuals are isolating themselves to try to stem the spread of COVID-19. But to find a solution to the crisis - particularly a vaccine - global cooperation will be crucial, say a growing number of leaders. "We will not be able to get out of this health crisis by simply boarding ourselves in," former U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres told an online event this week. Creating, distributing and administering an affordable, accessible vaccine will take a coordinated international effort - similar to that needed to tackle climate change, she said. "As long as there is one person carrying the virus, everyone is under threat," she warned. On Thursday, about 140 public figures, including the leaders of three African nations and Pakistan, called on governments and their international partners to guarantee that, when a COVID-19 vaccine is developed, it is produced rapidly at scale and made available for all people, in all countries, free of charge. Figueres, one of the signatories of the open letter for a "people's vaccine", said working together to find a solution to the pandemic was an opportunity "to exercise the muscle of international cooperation which is critical for climate change". As trillions of dollars in stimulus spending begin pouring into national economies flattened by the coronavirus crisis - and as people rethink old habits - the world faces a rare opportunity to swiftly ramp up climate action, Figueres said. About $20 trillion in global stimulus spending is likely to be deployed, the Costa Rican diplomat said - in the same decade scientists say is crucial to pushing rapid change to avoid the worst consequences of global warming. Decisions about how that money is spent will likely determine whether the world succeeds - or fails - at stopping runaway climate change, said Chris Stark, chief executive of the UK Committee on Climate Change, which advises the government. Story continues "Do we turn away conclusively now from fossil fuels and lock in a genuinely low-carbon future? Or do we repeat the mistakes of the last recession?" he asked in a separate online event on Thursday. If money again goes to prop up fossil-fuel-based industries, "the goals of the Paris Agreement are going to be very difficult" to meet, he said. LOWER EMISSIONS? Global emissions of climate-changing gases are expected to drop 8% this year, according to the International Energy Agency. That is a touch more than the 7.6% drop scientists say is needed each year this decade to meet the Paris accord goal of holding global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times. "But the drop this year should not be a matter for celebration," Figueres noted. "We havent decarbonised the economy, weve only paralysed the economy. As soon as we get the wheels going again, those emissions will go up." Raffaele Mauro Petriccione, climate action director-general for the European Commission, said he agreed that "all focus will be on repairing our economy and restarting it and trying to avoid economic damage" once the virus threat lifts. Meanwhile, rising climate pressures "will not go away when we have found a solution to this (virus) crisis. And if we have lost time (in dealing with them)... that is not time we can make up," he said. Still, some climate-friendly changes seen during the pandemic may stick, Figueres said, from a reduction in air travel, particularly for business, to continued working from home, which cuts emissions from commuting. "So many people are realising we can be just as effective, or almost as effective, from home. You don't have to put up with the lengthy commute - and corporations will realise they can also save money on office space," Figueres said. To hold onto and encourage such shifts, governments will have to put in place the right policies, such as investing in broadband instead of more roads, Stark said. Putting money into retrofitting old homes - a big contributor to emissions - also could make sense, along with quickly phasing out combustion engines, said Nigel Topping, a UK champion for the now-delayed COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. Sam Greene, a climate change researcher with the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development, said broad new recognition of how vulnerable people and systems are to unexpected threats could help drive appetite for change. "There's an opportunity here not to talk about what we have to have less of (to deal with climate change) but how we can create a more just and resilient future," he said. (Reporting by Laurie Goering @lauriegoering; editing by Megan Rowling. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters. Visit http://news.trust.org/climate) Jaipur, May 16 : Extending help to migrant workers returning to their home towns/villages by foot or cycle amid the lockdown, RSS members can be seen manning help centres set up on highways to distribute food, water and other necessary items to them. As per the directions of Kshetra Seva Pramukh Shivlehri, drinking water, food, and place to rest is being provided to all those who are walking along highways or railway tracks to reach neighbouring states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Gujarat Around 2000-3000 migrants moving to Agra and Mathura from Bharatpur were given food and drinking water while aound 400 workers going from Ahmedabad via Jaipur to Jhansi and Gorakhpur were provided meals daily. From Sanganer in Jaipur to the Kota National Highway, 500 labourers are helped daily with food packets and drinking water bottles. Similarly, help is being given to the migrants travelling to Shoypur, Satna, Shivpuri and etc. in Madhya Pradesh via Sawai Madhopur. Around 14,000 food packets have been given till Friday night, said RSS workers. A group of 40 migrants going from Chaksu in Jaipur to Madhya Pradesh were given food. They were working in an iron shop in Jaipur. After getting to know about a few people hailing from Bihar but staying in Pawta region (in Jaipur) not getting help/food, 6-7 RSS volunteers provided them food packets and flour for their journey. The volunteers had arranged food for labourers travelling on the National Highway-8. Food packets containing biscuits, bananas, puffed rice etc were also distributed by Tejaji Shakha, Mahesh Nagar, to labourers travelling through Gopalpura Bypass in Jaipur. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend The gas production will begin to decline after five years at the Iran-Qatar joint South Pars gas field (this field is called North Dome in Qatar), said Managing Director of Iran's Pars Oil & Gas Company (POGC) Iran Mohammad Meshkinfam said, Trend reports citing official POGC website. Currently, the decline in gas production is not noticeable, added the managing director. Meshkinfam noted that however, with the full commissioning of phases of 11th, 13th, 14th, 22th and 24th, the production will not decline significantly in the first years following 2025, but afterwards, a substantial decrease will be observed. The official said that platform A of the 12th phase produces 820 million cubic feet (23.2 million cubic meters) of gas per day, and platform C produces 230 million cubic feet (6.5 million cubic meters) of gas per day. The gas pressure in these two fields is decreasing. After excavations related to the D platform of the 12th phase, it was determined that the pressure in this part of the phase is very low and it is not profitable to build this platform, he said. Meshkinfam said that the gas pressure is high and production is at a maximum level in other phases of the field. According to the director, given the declining production of the South Pars gas field in the near future, work must be done to increase production at this gas field to meet 75 percent of Iran's gas needs over the next 25 years. "In addition to the South Pars gas field, the Iranian Pars Oil and Gas Company is developing the North Pars, Farzad A, Farzad B, Golshan, Ferdowsi, Kish and Belal fields," he said. The South Pars gas field is a joint gas field of Iran and Qatar. The proven reserves of the South Pars Gas Field are estimated at 51 trillion cubic meters of gas, of which 36 trillion are extractable. At present, Iran's daily gas production from the South Pars gas field is more than 700 million cubic meters. Iran has so far spent $33 billion on projects related to the South Pars gas field. Gone are the days of leisurely browsing the aisles of grocery stores. Instead, customers are getting used to new grocery store fixtures: Mask-wearing employees, plexiglass barriers at cash registers, one-way aisles and antibacterial wipe dispensers. Some of those will become the norm. Others will fade away as coronavirus cases decline. But many analysts predict the pandemic will change how customers stock their fridges and pantries and shape their expectations in the months or years ahead. Here's a round-up of five changes sparked by the pandemic: No touching, please Getty Images Customers are more squeamish about germs and that could linger. Grocers and other retailers have touted new and expanded contactless approaches to shop or check out. Walmart, for example, added a new feature to its smartphone app that allows customers to scan a QR code instead of touching a screen at the cash register. Other apps, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, also allow customers to skip the credit card reader. With curbside pickup, customers can pop the trunk instead of going into stores. Some retailers have waived the need for a signature when people pick up groceries or get a delivery to their home. Some customers are opting for prepackaged goods, as they skip the deli counter and other parts of the store with additional food handling, said Jill Standish, Accenture's global head of retail. She said the grab-and-go items also shorten shoppers' time in stores, another common preference. Those approaches may stick because of their convenience, along with heightened safety. 'Go local' trend on steroids Produce at an Arkansas farmer's market dlewis33 | iStock | Getty Images Long before the pandemic, customers bought fruits and vegetables at farmers markets and supported local businesses, such as cheese shops. The pandemic is accelerating that trend, said Scott McKenzie, Nielsen's head of global intelligence. Now, he said, people gravitate even more to products grown or made closer to home. They're thinking about the long distances that produce, meat and other foods may travel and the borders they may cross before arriving to their kitchen table and the many people who may touch them along the way. That's driving more interest in subscriptions to farm boxes and items with "a shorter supply chain," McKenzie said. "I call this the phenomenon of buying milk from cows you can see," he said. Shift to online shopping accelerates Getty Images Grocery shoppers have downloaded new grocery apps and tried new online services. Those discoveries have shaken up habits and could lead to a meaningful shift in an industry that's been slow to go digital. Customers have used third-party delivery services, such as Instacart, FreshDirect and Target-owned Shipt, to get groceries. They've also ordered online and used curbside or in-store pickup at Walmart and Target. Only about 3% or 4% of grocery spending in the U.S. was online before the coronavirus outbreak, according to research by consulting firm Bain & Company. That could increase to between 5% and 10% after it, said Steve Caine, a retail expert and partner for the firm. A personal touch by 'pickers' Instacart employee Monica Ortega checks her cellphone for orders while picking up groceries from a supermarket for delivery on March 19, 2020 in North Hollywood, California. Frederic J. Brown | AFP via Getty Images Grocers will look for creative ways to strengthen relationships with customers and entice them to add more to their virtual baskets, as more customers shop online in addition to in-store. Employees who fulfill and bag online orders at stores often called pickers or shoppers will become increasingly important and could become a competitive advantage for retailers, said Eiko Kawano, a group experience director for digital consulting firm, Publicis Sapient. Grocers may use the employees as brand ambassadors and suggestive sellers, she said. Stores could ask pickers to upload a photo or a brief profile and allow customers to rate the pickers like Uber and Lyft drivers. Through a combination of personal relationships and algorithms, the shopper or picker could personalize customers' orders by recommending an item. And they could nudge customers towards higher margin items and discretionary purchases, too. The rise of the robot Humanoid robot "Prepper" stands on April 2, 2020 at the cash desk of a supermarket of the Edeka retail chain in Lindlar, Germany, to explain protective measures and to promote solidarity with each other, amid the novel coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic. Ina Fassbender | AFP | Getty Images Stanford professor Ronald A Howard suggests forming companies which infects volunteers with COVID-19, quarantines them, and once cured, certifies them scientifically as infection-free to develop herd immunity The emergence of a new cluster in South Korea has shown the world that just when one is thinking that the curve has flattened and people are getting on top of things, even one COVID-19 patient can turn the tables on all efforts and get an entire country back to square one. Society is stuck between the frying pan and the fire, where on the one hand, locking everyone down will devastate the world economy, and on the other, getting people out of lockdown will be irresponsible. In this context, I reached out to Professor Emeritus of Decision Analysis at Stanford University, Professor Ronald A Howard, on what decision analysis thinking can offer. Professor Howard was my PhD advisor at Stanford, and I have known him to think quite differently from the crowd. He suggested an idea that breaks the logjam and addresses prudential, legal and ethical concerns. His idea is the first to consider an entrepreneurial approach to a Controlled Voluntary Infection (CVI) strategy. It involves formation of special companies which offer, for a fee, the service of providing a COVID-19 infection in a certifiable manner, quarantining the individual and then certifying that they are now infection negative, and to whatever degree science can support, immune and non-lethal. Early tests are showing that the number of people who are asymptomatic despite having contracted the virus is much larger than initially thought. That means one can hope that most people taking such a service will largely be spared of the severe symptoms. It is far safer to have COVID-19 alums around us than those who are asymptomatic and unknowingly infectious. The customers for this companys service will be those people who have weighed the tradeoffs and are willing to take the chance of adverse outcomes based on the data available, over losing their livelihood. For such a programme to be ethical, the company would have to make full disclosure that going through a COVID-19 exposure will have the risk of severe infection and death, even if the individual going through it is young and is seemingly in good health. The service would include screening tests to rule out individuals with pre-existing conditions. Those who go through this and come out certified can then participate in the society, both for their own economic benefit and the benefit of others. This would especially benefit those who are more vulnerable as they can now have certified, to the extent possible, non-lethal caretakers. Those without the funds to be customers can be sponsored by prospective employers such as elders with money who need caretakers and find it much safer to employ certified individuals than asymptomatic carriers. In this way, we can start to build herd immunity in a decentralised and scalable fashion. When enough herd immunity has come in, vulnerable people will be safer and will eventually be able to come out of the lockdown as well. The beauty of this idea is that it greatly reduces the pressure on the government. There is an economic benefit for all parties concerned, be it the company offering the service, or the individuals going through it. But is it ethical for doctors who are presumably working for such companies to be exposing individuals to the virus? We note that ethics is about lying, stealing or harming others without their permission. Companies offering this service will need detailed disclaimers, just like any modern hospital would do before a procedure, explaining what their best data is so far and requiring the individual to acknowledge that they understand what they are getting into. Therefore, there is no lying or stealing. As for harm, since the doctor is acting as an educator and allowing the customer to make their own decision, there is no ethical violation. This approach can be likened to an approximate social vaccine, which is what herd immunity provides us. An objection may be raised that we do not have enough data yet, and it would be unethical for policymakers to act on incomplete information. There are two branches of statistics that are dueling about this. They are the Frequentists and Bayesians. Frequentists believe that probability can be derived only from frequencies found in data, and we cant make decisions without data. Unfortunately, that insistence implies we have to wait for more people to die, and can only move science forward by counting more deaths. There is hardly anything more unethical than this. The Bayesian school on the other hand recognises that probability is a state of information in our mind, and we can make rigorous decisions based on our best information in the absence of data. The Indian government has already displayed courageous leadership in the absence of data by acting decisively to impose the lockdown and saving many precious lives. By quickly working out the parameters for the legal operation of such companies, along with probabilistic certification by the medical community, the Indian government will be able to align economic incentive with the well-being of the population and create a roadmap for moving from lockdown to reopening. The author holds a PhD in Decision Analysis from Stanford University. The original interview may be accessed here. By Dawa Gyelmo 32-year old Tshewang Gyem from Hatey village in Haa district of northern Bhutan recently switched from gas to an electric stove after finding out she could save hundreds of ngultrums (the local currency) each month. Hers is one of the many rural households in Haa to have bought an electric stove. I decided to switch as we are already provided with cheap and subsidised electricity, said Sangay, another resident of Haa valley. I can also use this stove during the times of crisis such as today. Bhutan has made substantial progress in household electrification in recent years, according to the Department of Renewable Energy. In 2018 over 99.97 percent of households had access to electricity, up from just 30 percent in 2003. The department is encouraging people to replace fossil fuels with clean and efficient energy sources for heating and cooking, as part of wider efforts to reduce the countrys reliance on expensive and dirty fossil fuel imports. Bhutans perilous reliance on imports has been thrown into sharp relief by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to the closure of borders with India and challenges getting goods into the country. The almost universal access to electricity is making electric stoves more attractive in Bhutan. Image via The Third Pole/ Dawa Gyelmo The large fossil fuel bill not only puts economic pressure on Bhutan, but also threatens its pledge to remain carbon negative under the 2015 Paris agreement, said one of the senior adminsitrators from the Druk Green Power Corporation, speaking on condition of anonymity. The corporation is in charge of Bhutans hydropower plants, which supply almost all of the countrys energy needs. Moreover the imports are also tied to a subsidy for liquified petroleum gas (LPG) from India. This was abruptly cut during the 2013 Bhutanese elections only to be resumed later, raising fears of external interference. Greening cook stoves and household heating is now possible because of the availability of cheap electricity from hydropower, according to the Department of Renewable Energy. Most rural households are paying an electricity bill below BTN 150 [USD 2] per month. While access to electricity has helped people switch to electric rice cookers, boilers and water heaters, many people continue to use LPG and other fuels for cooking and heating. Clean export versus dirty import The World Bank considers Bhutans development a success story, and its economic growth is credited to the development of hydropower for export. However, the cost of importing dirty fossil fuels almost negates the revenue earned from the export of hydropower. Government statistics show that the country exported BTN 10.5 billion [USD 140 million] worth of hydropower but imported close to BTN 10.2 billion worth of fossil fuels in 2018. In this image: A woman making arra (local rice wine) on an LPG stove in Bumthang Valley. Image via The Third Pole/ Alamy Bhutans demand for fossil fuels continues to grow, driven by the rapid growth of vehicle use and other development activities. The Road Safety and Transport Authority of Bhutan recorded that there are 107,876 vehicles in the country, an increase from 90,000 vehicles in November 2017. This has led to deterioration in air quality, according to the National Environment Commission. In 2018 the commission found that the air quality between 6-9 a.m. and from 4-10 p.m. was poor. Two types of particulate matter, PM10 and PM 2.5, were found to be a common air pollutants in Bhutan. Household cooking and heating add to the problem. A study by the Department of Renewable Energy found that the import of LPG, used for cooking and heating, has increased at an alarming rate from 6,719 metric tonnes (MT) in 2013 to 8,079 MT in 2017. Emissions from current levels of LPG produce an estimated at 24,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. That is equivalent to almost a quarter of Bhutans total carbon emissions in 2014. LPG imports are predicted to continue to rise further. As per the draft report on cook stoves by the Department of Renewable Energy, the cost of importing LPG cylinders was an estimated BTN 981 million [USD 13 million] per year. Reducing fossil fuel Bhutans leaders have been struggling to reduce use of fossil fuels. Encouraging alternative sources of energy has been one way out. Reducing dependence on the import of fossil fuels was also at the centre of election pledges of the current ruling party Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa in 2018. The party promised to encourage the use of alternative energy sources and reduce local fossil fuel consumption. Minister for Economic Affairs Loknath Sharma said the import of fossil fuels did not completely negate the export of clean energy, especially since the commissioning of Mangdechhu hydropower project in 2019. He said, However our concern is that if we continue in the same mode, whatever hydropower we export, we might be consuming equal amounts of fossil fuels. His government is also exploring wind, solar, increasing electrification and expansion of biogas plants, he said. Electric cars key Electrifying the countrys growing vehicle fleet will be an even bigger challenge. Bhutan had around 118 electric vehicles as of February 2020, and the Ministry of Information and Communication, as part of a GEF/UNDP project, plans to roll out 300 electric taxis as part of the subsidy scheme for 2019-2021, said Dawa Zangmo, chief engineer with the Research and Development Division under the Department of Renewable Energy. The government has ambitious plans to transition to electric transport, Sharma said, but only 15-20 years down the line as the technology improves. To encourage electric vehicles, the Government is providing tax cuts and exemptions or low interest loans for them. There are also plans to establish quick charging stations along the highways, according to the Economic Affairs Minister. We are already transitioning to electric mode slowly. For example, the government has already procured a few hybrid cars used by the ministers in the place of luxury Toyota Prado that consume a lot of fuel, said Sharma. Cook stoves a green business opportunity But there are some more immediate opportunities to reduce fossil fuel use in household cooking. A study by the Department of Renewable Energy found that electric stoves or induction cookers are faster and cheaper and consume less energy compared to LPG stoves. Tshering Penjor, a Thimphu based businessman, sells imported electric stoves, or induction cookers. He started in 2018 and has already sold around 11,000 electric stoves. Penjors sales have taken off during the lockdown. Image via The Third Pole/ Dawa Gyelmo He is one of the few business people selling electric stoves in the country. He has branded his product Yoe Gi Thab (the brand we trust). Penjor said that initially he faced immense challenges because people assumed that the stoves consumed more energy and also due to the free availability of LPG. Despite several advertising campaigns and various marketing strategies, it took him quite some time to convince people about the quality and low energy consumption of his product. It was only by going village-to-village and district-to-district to demonstrate his product that sales started to increase. Recently, the fear of COVID-19 and the lockdown in India, which has affected imports, has led to a spike in the sales of his electric stoves, he said. For about a week, he was selling around 20 stoves a day from his store alone. Our target is to reach out to 300,000 households in Bhutan, he said. I started this business after learning about the changes it could bring in terms of the environment and trade. Way forward Dawa Zangmo said there are already 5,003 biogas plants in villages across the country, installed in collaboration with the Department of Livestock. Sharma said the government is also trying to roll out biogas for cooking on a commercial scale. We have sent people to Nepal to see similar commercial biogas [projects] we can copy and which are successful. If we have at least one such biogas plant for commercial purposes, this can help provide [us] with clean and renewable energy, and can also replace LPG gas. We also have plans to install one solar plant. *** Banner image: Bhutanese families, like this one photographed in 2015, have moved from wood based cooking stoves to LPG ones, and are now transitioning to electric stoves. Image via The Third Pole/ Alamy The Third Pole is a multilingual platform dedicated to promoting information and discussion about the Himalayan watershed and the rivers that originate there. This report was originally published on thethirdpole.net and has been reproduced here with permission. Bust out the sunblock! We're going to dive into a home with the most epic pool we've ever seena Texas lake house with a million-dollar pool. The home with its own private water park splashed its way to the top of the most popular homes this week on realtor.com. And it's a sight to behold: The lazy river features islands, a pair of hammocks swinging in the breeze, and a waterfall at the center of it all. All of the aquatic elements blend together to create an elaborate water park unlike any we've ever seen. Who doesn't need an oasis these days? And it wasn't the only jaw-dropping house on this week's list. There's a brand-new, custom-built masterpiece in Virginia inspired by an art gallery, a contemporary oceanfront estate in Rhode Island, and a recently completed Beverly Hills, CA, mansion with an underground gallery for displaying your multimillion-dollar car collection. These properties are a departure from the historic homes that usually comprise the lion's share of the top 10. We applaud your determination in finding click-worthy properties from every era. In the meantime, we'll dream of floating on a raft while soaking up some rays. We'll even hold your drink while you scroll on. That's what friends are for! Price: $410,000 Why it's here: Well-maintained and filled with the perfect mix of throwback details and modern upgrades, this brick Tudor from 1927 truly delivers. Refinished hardwood floors run throughout the five-bedroom home, and the newly remodeled kitchen is a chef's dream. The bathrooms feature vintage tile, and the home is filled with other period details, including arched doorways and wrought-iron detailing. Other highlights include a sun porch and a cedar closet in the attic. Drexel Hill, PA realtor.com Price: $165,000 Why it's here: The red bricks have turned blue! Built in 1937, this blue-hued beauty called the Lion's Den is adorned with custom wood shutters. The three-bedroom home was recently given a chic, top-to-bottom remodel with a sleek new kitchen, new bathrooms, and flooring. Sitting just a few feet from the water, the home offers plenty of room for outdoor entertaining. Jacksonville, FL realtor.com Price: $173,000 Why it's here: Built in 1922, this adorable three-bedroom bungalow has charm to spare. The home is move-in ready with hardwood floors and a lovely office space off the living room. Outside, there's a patio for relaxing and a large side yard with room for the kids to play. Cloquet, MN realtor.com Price: $19,950,000 Why it's here: Perched on a corner lot in a guard-gated community, this brand-new home is outfitted with the finest finishes. Measuring 12,000 square feet, the mansion comes with its own fitness studio, theater, bar, and underground car gallery with parking for six vehicles. Outside, there's a pool, spa, entertaining and lounging areas, and a pool house with kitchenette. Beverly Hills, CA realtor.com Price: $144,900 Why it's here: Built in 2010 and sitting on more than 4 acres, this three-bedroom "barndominium" has been recently remodeled. Whip up something delicious in the home's gorgeous, well-appointed kitchen or just sit back on the front porch and take in all the fresh country air. There's even a small shop you can use for work or play. Harrison, AR realtor.com Price: $209,900 Why it's here: Picture-perfect from the street and just blocks from the historic downtown, this home was built in 1940. The three-bedroom abode has been lovingly maintained as well as updated in all the right places. A new kitchen, bathrooms, hardwood floors, built-in shelves, and a screened porch combine to make this a truly special gem. Harrisonville, MO realtor.com Price: $935,000 Why it's here: Custom-built in the gated community of Wendy Acres, this five-bedroom modern farmhouse was completed in 2018. It's loaded with luxe amenities, including a gunite pool with fountain and waterfall, backyard playground, and outdoor kitchen. The five-bedroom home boasts walls of windows and an open floor plan. The 5-acre property includes a 1,000-square-foot apartment and a 1,000-square-foot workshop. Longview, TX realtor.com Price: $1,095,000 Why it's here: Virginia is for mod lovers! This ultramodern take on an English manor was completed this year and sits in one of Richmond's historic neighborhoods. Inspired by the clean lines of a museum, this unique home has an elegant, minimalist kitchen; a "floating bridge" mezzanine office; polished concrete flooring; and even a hidden passage to the master suite. Guests will stop in their tracks when they see the glass entry vestibule, floating staircase, and Malm wood-burning fireplace. Richmond, VA realtor.com Price: $16,750,000 Why it's here: Built in 2016 on 2 oceanfront acres, this contemporary mansion named Sea Grace features 180-degree views of the Atlantic and New England coast. The five-bedroom, 12,000-square-foot residence was inspired by French manors and packs in all sorts of upscale upgrades. You can sit out on the terrace or by the infinity pool and soak in the spectacular ocean views, or retreat inside for elegant living on the grandest scale. Narragansett, RI realtor.com Price: $2,390,000 Why it's here: Built in 2009, this lakefront home outside Houston features a far-out surprise: an elaborate water park estimated to have cost about $1 million to build. The highlight is the 225-foot-long lazy river, designed for maximum floating fun. Framed by palm trees, the 180,000-gallon saltwater pool is fully decked out with rock bridges, slides, and a beach-entry lagoon. There are also two islands, an oversize hot tub, waterfalls, and a fire pit. Built by noted pool builder Brad Stephens, the finished product was featured on HGTV's "Cool Pools." Away from the water park, there's also a boathouse and a warehouse with living quarters. The three-bedroom main house measures 4,500 square feet, making it an ideal space for gathering friends and family to soak up the summer sun. Livingston, TX realtor.com The post Texas Mansion With $1M Lazy River Floats to Top of This Week's Most Popular Homes appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. (May 15, 2020, 9:50 s.m.) -- LBPD learned of the ugly attack on and robbery of a bicyclist along the San Gabriel River bike path near ELB's College Park neighborhood in February, and assisted by a boastful video seemingly shot by someone among a group of individuals involved, pursued the case and quietly made arrests last week (May 6). This morning (May 15), LBPD announced that the L.A. County District Attorney's office has filed charges of Robbery and Assault With A Deadly Weapon Likely To Inflict Great Bodily Injury against each of four juveniles allegedly involved. And there's more: LBPD says its Detectives are seeking the public's assistance in identifying and locating additional subjects who were present during the assault. [We're constrained in showing video of juveniles, but we believe a number of ELB residents know what happened. If you do, you should do the right thing and tell LBPD what you know. LBPD Robbery Detective Fermin Gonzalez would like to hear from you: (562) 570-7068. Further on anonymous tips below,] [LBPD release text] On May 6, 2020, Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) officers arrested four juvenile subjects in connection to a strong-arm robbery that occurred on February 10, 2020, on the San Gabriel River Trail near College Park. The subjects are between the ages of 14 and 15 and reside in the City of Long Beach. They were transported and booked in the Central Juvenile Hall, in the City of Los Angeles. On February 10, 2020, a male adult victim was riding his bike along the San Gabriel River Trail when he was assaulted and robbed by a group of juveniles. During the incident, several juvenile subjects punched and kicked the victim, knocking him to the ground. Once the victim laid injured, some of the juveniles went through his pockets and stole his wallet and cellphone. After robbing the victim, several of the juveniles threw the victim's bicycle onto the rocks along the riverbed embankment, causing damage to the bicycle. The victim received medical attention at a local hospital after sustaining bruising and lacerations to his upper torso that were inflicted during the assault. [Scroll down for further.] The above ad space donated by LBREPORT.com In addition to health and education, the other structural policy that might have contributed to a major reduction of social inequality in India is of course redistribution of property, especially farmland. Unfortunately, no agrarian reform was attempted or even considered at the federal level. Broadly speaking, both the Constitution of 1950 and the principal political leaders of independent India took a relatively conservative approach to issues of property. This was true not only of the leaders of the Congress Party but also of Dalit leaders like Ambedkar, whose battle for the ... Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 00:09:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities on Friday held a videoconference to expound on the 11 measures introduced by 10 departments to support the development of Taiwan-funded enterprises on the mainland amid the coronavirus epidemic. Policies for Taiwan-funded enterprises to participate in new infrastructure construction were also elaborated on during the videoconference. The 11 measures are aimed at helping Taiwan businesspeople and enterprises overcome difficulties they face at the moment and achieve greater development, said Liu Jieyi, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at the videoconference, urging solid implementation of the policies. Nearly 500 people, including Taiwan businesspeople and government officials, attended the videoconference from Beijing, Shanghai and seven other cities. The videoconference was jointly held by the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Ministry of Commerce. Enditem The power of imagination can be a powerful thing, as Lazzara has found by making Ashlyn part of the action in the chalk art she draws on her driveway. By staging the works to include her daughter, the drawings look like illustrations. House Democrats on Friday passed a $3 trillion coronavirus relief package, unprecedented spending Senate Republicans have pledged to block as the major parties struggle to find a path forward on the pandemic response. The chamber also approved voting by proxy and remote committee work. The rules changes, major moves for a tradition-bound institution, aim to make it easier for representatives to conduct business from outside of Washington during the crisis. The House passed the rescue legislation in a close 208-199 vote, as Democrats saw defections from both the left and right flanks of the party. Fourteen Democrats voted against the bill and one Republican supported it. The bill includes: Nearly $1 trillion for cash-strapped state and local governments A second round of $1,200 direct payments to individuals, with up to $6,000 per household $200 billion for hazard pay for essential workers $75 billion for Covid-19 testing efforts An extension of the $600 per week federal unemployment insurance benefit through January (it is currently set to go through July) $175 billion in rent, mortgage and utility assistance A 15% increase in the maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit Repeal of the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions for two years, which would help certain states' budget crunch but benefit higher-income taxpayers most Expanded mail-in ballot access, which Republicans oppose Relief funds for the U.S. Postal Service $10 billion in emergency small business disaster assistance grants Subsidies and a special Affordable Care Act enrollment period for people who lose employer-sponsored health coverage Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has made it clear he has no interest in taking up the proposal. On Thursday, he said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "published an 1,800-page seasonal catalog of left-wing oddities and called it a coronavirus relief bill." The White House threatened to veto the legislation before the House voted. Pelosi, a California Democrat, has characterized her party's bill as an opening offer in what she hopes will become negotiations with Republicans on another round of fiscal relief. On Friday, she criticized Republicans who said they want to wait to pass more aid. "Do you think this virus is taking a pause?" she asked. "Do you think that the rent takes a pause? Do you think that putting food on the table or the hunger that comes if you can't takes a pause?" While the president opposed the Democratic plan, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany indicated this week that he would back another relief bill. Two administration officials told CNBC that the White House would likely support another round of direct payments a popular piece of the unprecedented emergency spending law passed in March. McConnell has called for liability protections for doctors and businesses as part of any future legislation the Senate passes. Democrats have generally criticized such a provision. After Democrats passed the bill Friday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's office told members not to expect votes next week. The House is set to be in session on May 27 and 28. The pandemic continues to ravage the country. The U.S. now has more than 1.4 million cases, and the disease has killed more than 86,000 Americans, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. More than 36 million people have filed jobless claims since the crisis started. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Drivers can save hundreds of dollars per year on car insurance if they know how to compare car insurance quotes correctly. 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I call it the most valuable real estate in the West Village and not because of the demand, which is high, but because its the ultimate vantage point. Nestled between Gay Street and an exit for the West 4th subway stop, its the best people-watching in Manhattan. And not just for tourists (they love that we have a street named Gay) or celebrities (Anderson Cooper often trots by; the nearest streetlamp featured a missing poster for Charlotte Gainsbourgs cat) but for locals, the Greenwich Villagers. These are my people: the writers, editors, designers, professors, actors, and artists (and their dealers) who for centuries have given the neighborhood its texture. Sometimes its just a nod or not even, and sometimes its 30 minutes of laughs and dish and deep discussion, over a cappuccino, over the railing, on my bench at Joe. Photo: Daniel Arnold / Vogue.com Everyone in New York Cityeveryone, everywherehas a bench. For some its a restaurant, a walk, a karaoke crew, something essential or dear to them from their former life that they cannot wait to return to once the coronavirus lockdown lessens and a vaccine is foundand even then, life might not return to normal. But as Europe begins to thaw and some states (smartly or not) begin to lessen restrictions, we asked a group of prominent New Yorkersfrom legends of stage and screen to your favorite yogiwhat theyre most looking forward to when the lockdown finally ends. (These interviews have been edited for clarity and space.) Story continues Daniel Desus Nice Baker, talk-show cohost and podcaster: Three months ago, I probably would have said someplace trite such as Soho House, Sarabeths, or a Juice Press store. (I love all these places; please dont ban me.) But the thing I want to do more than anything is to see my family. Growing up in the Bronx, anytime theres a special occasion (graduation, birthday, new Jordans dropping, etc.) we celebrate at the French Riviera of the Bronx, a.k.a. City Island. So my wish would be to rent out the room in the back of Lobster Box Restaurant on City Island for all my family and get bloated on crab legs, garlic bread, and colorful drinks with way too much alcohol in them. I want to see my nephew be picky with french fries. I want my siblings to call me Hollywood in a half-mocking, half-proud way. And I want them to all stare at their phones when the bill comes, which I will happily pay. Melissa Villasenor, comedian and Saturday Night Live cast member: I am looking forward to sitting in a diner and having breakfast. I really like the Waverly Diner, the scrambled eggs and hash browns. It comes in a pan. I always get a side of pancakes, at least one or two, and a cup of coffee. It makes me feel happy and creative and comfy. Im not a bar person or a nighttime person. I just feel like myself in a diner, especially if I have a funny comedian friend. And you can talk to all the waiters and make some jokes. Often I go by myself; I eat alone a lot. I dont mind it. I have my journal or a book. Photo: Daniel Arnold / Vogue.com Ben Schwartz, actor and comedian: Im looking forward to just seeing people. Friends. Family. Coworkers. Recently, I bartered with a friend that lives nearby, where they left some fun homemade drink in a jar outside of their home for me and I replaced it with a sweatshirt and an action figure as a thank-you. Krissy Jones, co-owner of Sky Ting Yoga: I cannot wait to put on an uptown look to see something at the Metropolitan Opera or New York City Ballet. Thinking about this whole experience makes my heart melt. I love dressing up, meeting my friends by the fountain at Lincoln Center in the mist, waiting in line to pick up our tickets at will call, hearing the sounds of the orchestra warming up, flipping through the program book, drinking pink Champagne during intermission as quickly as possible before the bell rings, and being moved to tears by live art. And then after the show, having oysters and steak frites at Cafe Luxembourg. Im even looking forward to getting in a cab going downtown, cutting through Central Park on 66th Street at night, and going home tired and happy. Heaven! Photo: Daniel Arnold / Vogue.com Rachel Sennott, comedian: When I think about what I want to do once the quarantine lifts, my first thoughts are just like anyone elses: I want to do poppers and fall down a flight of stairs at my birthday party, have sex in the bathrooms at the Metrograph, and drive around in a limo with all the girls in the world (drinks are free)! But even though I want to (and will) do those things, what Im looking forward to most is a lot more simple. I want to go to the store for one item. Just one. Theres nothing I miss more than breezing out of my apartment in a sheer nightgown and Uggs to pick up one singular thing. The more random and unnecessary the item, the better! Sometimes I didnt even know what the item was before I got to the store! Im going to wander around slowly, possibly for like 40 minutes, and then decide to buy a candle or a packet of vegan cheese or olives. Then later that night, Im going to do the limo and the sex stuff. Angie Mar, executive chef and owner of the Beatrice Inn: Sunday Supper is, and has always been, an important tradition for my family. Its a time of the week when our lives are put on hold: We cook the foods we love, drink the wines we covet, and catch up with each other. I have still been doing virtual Sunday Suppers with my loved ones, but its never the same. When we are able, I cannot wait to do a proper one in the back room of the Beatrice. My brothers would fly out from the West Coast, and all my best friends would be in attendance. We are of course all hardcore carnivores, so well cook all of our favorites: roast duck flambe, rack of lamb, and, of course, dry-aged beef. Photo: Daniel Arnold / Vogue.com Tschabalala Self, artist: I really miss going to my favorite take-out spot in Harlem, Famous Fish Market. Its always pretty busy, and everyone crams into the basement storefront to give their orders and wait for their food. It is so popular sometimes that the wait can be a bit long, but what used to feel like an inconvenience now seems like a luxury: the opportunity to stand around on St. Nicholas in the fresh air, making small talk in small quarters with strangers, neighbors, and friends. My most distinct memory is loud music coming from the parked cars right outside of the storesummertime vibes, nice brightly colored coupes, red cups, and tracksuits. Photo: Daniel Arnold / Vogue.com Julio Torres, comedian and writer: I miss seeing my friends mouths less than six feet apart. I also miss not doing laundry in my kitchen sink. Look, its fine. Im only wearing like three things, but I cant wait for a machine to take care of it. You see, I have a nice apartment, Im proud of it, but it doesnt come with laundry. In fact, that was a selling point for me, because I feel like people who live in small N.Y. apartments with washing machines become obsessed with laundry. Their lives become laundry: folded clothes everywhere, the detergent out. Oh, if I want to wash a T-shirt, I can run it with just that! Thats not me. But washing my shorts over the sink also doesnt feel right. And as I do, Ive started to think about how entire families elsewhere in their own small N.Y. apartment are probably doing a variation of the same thing, but times four or five, maybe six. Families that arent just one niche, single, little comedian who likes things to be a little difficult. Im eager to get to walk five blocks with a heavy and shapeless bag of clothes. So, fine, next apartment will maybe have a washing machine. Hopefully we all come out of this learning a little something. Alison Roman, chef and author, Dining In and Nothing Fancy: Im looking forward to going back to the Russian baths (the mean man who gives me a scrub, the pork pelmeni, and the half-orange, half-lemon juice sipped between vodkas), having a martini at Cervos, and sex with a human. Not necessarily in that order. But not not in that order. Sander Lak, creative director, Sies Marjan: Just being able to commute on the subway. I actually hate cars. I get nauseous, so I take the subway everywhere. Whenever we need to go to a meeting out of the office, I run to the subway before anyone can call a car. Its the little things that I miss. Another thing I cannot wait to do again is get a foot massage. After being on my feet all day and walking everywhere in the city, its the best thing ever. Near our office, there is this amazing family-run place, Shun Fa Relaxing Center, where I always go. I miss seeing them. Photo: Daniel Arnold / Vogue.com Maryam Nassir Zadeh, designer: Driving my car out of the city with family. My husband bought me a 1982 Mercedes-Benz 300D Turbo Diesel back in 2010 for my 32nd birthday. One of my favorite experiences living in New York is driving that car to Long Island and spending days beside the ocean with my favorite people. Joel The Kid Mero Martinez, talk-show cohost and podcaster: When this is over and its clear to go back out in public, I am going to get a professional haircut, get space-age smacked, and pull up at my beloved Locksmith and request a table be put outside (even if its snowing). Eating outside with the caveat that its not my backyard will probably feel like when the cargo ship rescued Tom Hanks from his island of balls. Sir Patrick Stewart, OBE, actor: I want to embrace and hold tightly family, friends, and colleagues. Look into their eyes and hear their words. And these moments, I shall carry with me always. Photo: Daniel Arnold / Vogue.com Originally Appeared on Vogue Department store chain J.C. Penney filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday and said it would permanently close some of its 850 locations, making it the latest major retailer felled by the coronavirus pandemic. The 118-year-old retailer was struggling long before the public health crisis forced it to temporarily shutter all of its stores and furlough the majority of its 90,000 employees. It has nearly $4 billion in debt and hasn't turned a profit since 2010. Sales have fallen for four straight years as it struggled to win back the longtime loyalists who have gravitated to big box chains like Target and Costco to outfit their families. The filing came the same day Commerce Department data showed the industry's devastating decline. Retail sales fell 16.4 percent in April, by far the steepest drop on record, with sales at clothing stores - down 89 percent from a year ago - taking the biggest hit. J.C. Penney is the fourth major retailer - and the largest - to file for Chapter 11 protection this month, after J. Crew, Neiman Marcus and Stage Stores. All four have a heavy presence in shopping malls. In its bankruptcy filing, J.C. Penney said it has both assets and liabilities between $1 billion and $10 billion, and that it owes money to more than 100,000 creditors. The company, which has about $500 million in cash, said it had secured $900 million to fund bankruptcy proceedings. It also said it would close some stores, but did not provide details on where or when. "Until this pandemic struck, we had made significant progress rebuilding our company," Jill Soltau, the company's chief executive officer, said in a statement. The bankruptcy filing, she said, "is the best path to ensure that JC Penney will build on its over 100-year history to serve our customers for decades to come." The filing comes days after the company announced it had awarded $7.5 million in bonuses to its top four executives, saying it was "taking necessary steps" to retain its management team. The Plano, Texas-based chain, which has cycled through four chief executives in seven years, has tried repeatedly to turn its business around. It has invested in hair salons, built up its baby department and even begun selling used clothing through a partnership with the consignment site ThredUp. But analysts say the efforts have alienated the company's most loyal shoppers and failed to win over new ones. The company's stock price has fallen 80 percent in the past year to less than 24 cents a share. "The customer experience is forgettable," Bob Phibbs, chief executive of Retail Doctor, a New York-based consulting firm, told The Washington Post last year. "Nobody is going into a J.C. Penney and saying, 'You've got to see this place. It's great.' " The retail chain is also losing out to rivals like Walmart, Target and Amazon, which have doubled down on clothing and home goods and spent billions building up their online operations. It also faces growing competition from off-price retailers like T.J. Maxx and Burlington Coat Factory, which have thrived since the Great Recession. (Jeff Bezos, the founder and chief executive of Amazon, owns The Washington Post.) Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. As a result, analysts say, the gap will widen between the country's most successful retailers and the rest. The industry has been particularly hard-hit by the pandemic, which has led to the closure of hundreds of thousands of stores and malls. And though some - including a few dozen J.C. Penney locations - have begun reopening, analysts say it could be years before shoppers feel comfortable spending freely again. A record 20 million Americans lost their jobs in April, which sent the unemployment rate soaring to 14.7 percent, a level not seen since the Great Depression. "The bifurcation that was already happening in retail is just going to accelerate during the pandemic," said Mickey Chadha, a senior credit officer at the rating agency Moody's. "The retailers that were already weak - J.C. Penney, J. Crew, Neiman Marcus - are going to come out even weaker." Analysts say J.C. Penney, which was founded in Kemmerer, Wyoming, in 1902, has repeatedly tried - and failed - to transform its stores in an era of online shopping. In 2011, the company brought on Ron Johnson, the former head of Apple's retail operations, to revamp its business. He did away with coupons and tried to build "stores within a store" with brands such as Levi's and I Jeans by Buffalo. But it didn't work: Sales fell about 30 percent and longtime shoppers swore off the brand. He was fired 17 months later, in 2013. The company went through two more CEOs before Soltau, formerly of Jo-Ann fabric and crafts, took the helm in October 2018. She has gradually closed stores, remodeled fitting rooms and replaced furniture and appliances with more clothing. Those efforts improved sales in some stores, analysts said, but not enough to head off a bankruptcy filing that was years in the making. "They had a new CEO and some creative ideas but they ran out of time," said Camilla Yanushevsky, an analyst for CFRA Research in New York. "The company was a ticking time bomb." 'Hot and messy' entanglement of 15 trillion atoms Quantum entanglement is a process by which microscopic objects like electrons or atoms lose their individuality to become better coordinated with each other. Entanglement is at the heart of quantum technologies that promise large advances in computing, communications and sensing, for example detecting gravitational waves. Entangled states are famously fragile: in most cases even a tiny disturbance will undo the entanglement. For this reason, current quantum technologies take great pains to isolate the microscopic systems they work with, and typically operate at temperatures close to absolute zero. The ICFO team, in contrast, heated a collection of atoms to 450 Kelvin, millions of times hotter than most atoms used for quantum technology. Moreover, the individual atoms were anything but isolated; they collided with each other every few microseconds, and each collision set their electrons spinning in random directions. The researchers used a laser to monitor the magnetization of this hot, chaotic gas. The magnetization is caused by the spinning electrons in the atoms, and provides a way to study the effect of the collisions and to detect entanglement. What the researchers observed was an enormous number of entangled atoms - about 100 times more than ever before observed. They also saw that the entanglement is non-local - it involves atoms that are not close to each other. Between any two entangled atoms there are thousands of other atoms, many of which are entangled with still other atoms, in a giant, hot and messy entangled state. What they also saw, as Jia Kong, first author of the study, recalls, "is that if we stop the measurement, the entanglement remains for about 1 millisecond, which means that 1000 times per second a new batch of 15 trillion atoms is being entangled. And you must think that 1 ms is a very long time for the atoms, long enough for about fifty random collisions to occur. This clearly shows that the entanglement is not destroyed by these random events. This is maybe the most surprising result of the work". The observation of this hot and messy entangled state paves the way for ultra-sensitive magnetic field detection. For example, in magnetoencephalography (magnetic brain imaging), a new generation of sensors uses these same hot, high-density atomic gases to detect the magnetic fields produced by brain activity. The new results show that entanglement can improve the sensitivity of this technique, which has applications in fundamental brain science and neurosurgery. As ICREA Prof. at ICFO Morgan Mitchell states, "this result is surprising, a real departure from what everyone expects of entanglement." He adds "we hope that this kind of giant entangled state will lead to better sensor performance in applications ranging from brain imaging to self-driving cars to searches for dark matter." A Spin Singlet and QND A spin singlet is one form of entanglement where the multiple particles' spins--their intrinsic angular momentum--add up to 0, meaning the system has zero total angular momentum. In this study, the researchers applied quantum non-demolition (QND) measurement to extract the information of the spin of trillions of atoms. The technique passes laser photons with a specific energy through the gas of atoms. These photons with this precise energy do not excite the atoms but they themselves are affected by the encounter. The atoms' spins act as magnets to rotate the polarization of the light. By measuring how much the photons' polarization has changed after passing through the cloud, the researchers are able to determine the total spin of the gas of atoms. The SERF regime Current magnetometers operate in a regime that is called SERF, far away from the near absolute zero temperatures that researchers typically employ to study entangled atoms. In this regime, any atom experiences many random collisions with other neighbouring atoms, making collisions the most important effect on the state of the atom. In addition, because they are in a hot medium rather than an ultracold one, the collisions rapidly randomize the spin of the electrons in any given atom. The experiment shows, surprisingly, that this kind of disturbance does not break the entangled states, it merely passes the entanglement from one atom to another. ### Reference: 10.1038/s41467-020-15899-1 ABOUT ICFO ICFO was founded by the Government of Catalonia and the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC), both of which are members of its board of trustees along with the Cellex and Mir-Puig Foundations, philanthropic entities that have played a critical role in the advancement of the institute. Located in the Mediterranean Technology Park in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, the institute currently hosts 400 people, organized in 25 research groups in 60 state-of-the-art research laboratories. Research lines encompass diverse areas in which photonics plays a decisive role, with an emphasis on basic and applied themes relevant to medicine and biology, advanced imaging techniques, information technologies, a range of environmental sensors, tunable and ultra-fast lasers, quantum science, photovoltaics and the properties and applications of nano-materials such as graphene, among others. In addition to two state awarded Severo Ochoa accreditations of excellence, ICFOnians have secured 15 ICREA Professorships and 37 European Research Council grants. ICFO is proactive in fostering entrepreneurial activities, spin-off creation, and creating collaborations and links between industry and ICFO researchers. To date, ICFO has helped create 7 start-up companies. About HDU Hangzhou Dianzi University is located in Hangzhou, one of the most dynamic cities in the Yang-tse River Delta area and the capital city of Zhejiang Province, one of the most prosperous provinces in China with strong economic growth, vitality and potential. Hangzhou Dianzi University (HDU) was founded in 1956. It is a comprehensive university and one of the best top 5 universities with its own distinctive features in the field of electronic science and technology, engineering and information technology as well as management and accounting,etc. HDU has over 25000 students and more than 2300 staff members. It has 21 schools and research institutes which offers 59 undergraduate programs, 93 postgraduate programs and 6 PhD programs in science, engineering, management, economics, literature, law, education and art, along with multiple interactive disciplines and specialties. HDU has successfully established partner relationships and developed many kinds of international cooperative programs with more than 90 universities and institutes all over the world, including USA, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Belarus, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Australia, Japan, etc. This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. 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 Shiv Sena on Saturday accused the state BJP of trying to block Uddhav Thackeray's election to Legislative Council, but credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah with avoiding political instability in Maharashtra. The Sena-NCP-Congress government in the state was "Atmanirbhar" (self-reliant), said the Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' in its editorial. "Despite attempts to create hurdles in the functioning of the state government in the last six months, (chief minister) Uddhav Thackeray has been elected unopposed to the Legislative Council," the editorial said. In a veiled attack on Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis, the editorial said attempts were made to put the government in a fix by blocking Thackeray's nomination to the Council through the governor's quota. "Some people thought Thackeray (who had to get elected before the end of May) will have to resign, there would be President's rule and they could return by having an early morning swearing-in," it said. After the Assembly election results last year, Fadnvavis was sworn in as chief minister for a second time with NCP's Ajit Pawar as his deputy at an early morning ceremony, but the BJP leader had to resign for lack of numbers. The editorial, interestingly, gave credit to the top BJP leadership for avoiding a political crisis in the state. "Modi and (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah did not allow instability in the state. Not allowing the CM to get elected is good as political strategy. But to think of such when the state is fighting coronavirus is not good," it said. "Modi and Shah had to inject vaccine to tackle this virus and the governor had to recommend holding of Council elections," it said. Biennial elections to the Council -- postponed due to coronavirus -- were announced after Thackeray spoke to Modi over phone. The Sena chief and eight others were elected unopposed. The coalition government in Maharashtra had had some anxious moments earlier as governor took no decision on the state cabinet's recommendation to nominate Thackeray to the upper house through the governor's quota. The editorial also took a swipe at state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil for predicting a "political earthquake" in the state unit of the Congress, a ruling coalition partner. "When the state is fighting coronavirus, Patil can do whatever it takes to bring down the government. Earlier they took Ajit Pawar (with them) but now Pawar is giving strength to the government. If the opposition is also 'Atmanirbhar' like the MVA (the ruling coalition), the fight against coronavirus will be stronger," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) EM100/EO100 Ukraine special event Look for EO100A, EM100ALK and EM100LK from Sumy, Ukraine, special memorial stations to celebrate the 100th birthday anniversary of "Marshal Kozhedub". A Marshal of Aviation, Ivan Nykytovych Kozhedub was a Soviet military aviator and a WWII fighter ace. He is credited with 62 individual air victories! Activity will be on various HF bands. Listen for the QSL route. A special diploma is available. See QRZ.com for details. New Delhi: India observes Nation Dengue Day on May 16 as suggested by the Union Health Ministry to create awareness about the disease. Measures to prevent and preparing to control the spread of dengue are among a few things that are discussed and shared on this day. Dengue fever starts with sudden onset of fever, followed by severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and rash. Though there are no specific antiviral medicines for dengue, early clinical diagnosis by physician puts the fatality rate from this disease below 1%. Use of analgesics (pain reliever) with paracetamol, promoting patient to drink plenty of fluids and rest are important. Use of acetylsalicylic acid (e.g. aspirin) and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. Ibuprofen) is not recommended. Dengue facts * Dengue is transmitted by bite of Aedes aegypti mosquito infected with any one of the four dengue viruses. * Person develops symptoms 3-14 days after the infective bite. * Patients who are already infected with the dengue virus can transmit the infection to other via Aedes mosquitoes during 4-5 days of onset of symptoms. Prevention and control 1) Water from coolers and other small containers (plastic containers, buckets, used automobile tyres, water coolers, pet watering containers and flower vases) should be removed at least once in a week. 2) Appropriate larvicides should be used to water storage containers that cannot be emptied. 3) Water storages containers should be kept covered with lid. 4) Aerosol can be used during day time to prevent the bites of mosquitoes. 5) During transmission season (rainy season) all persons can wear clothes that cover arms and legs. 6) Mosquito nets or mosquito repellents can be used while sleeping during day time. 7) Personal protective measures such as window screens, insecticide treated bednets, coils and vaporizers can be used to prevent mosquito bites. 8) Dengue patient should be prevented from mosquito bites. This will prevent further spread of dengue to other persons. Dengue is prevalent throughout the country whichis why the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has made notification of dengue cases essential. All government health institutions and private hospitals and clinics are required to inform office of the district health authority of concerned district to notify suspected dengue cases reported at their health institution every week or daily during transmission season. Help India! TCN News Allahabad: In a move that is bound to raise controversy, the Allahabad High Court on Friday banned the use of loudspeakers for Azaan from the mosques. The court said that azaan was part of Islam but using loudspeakers were not a part of the religion, and only human voice can be allowed. Support TwoCircles The Uttar Pradesh state government had told the court that even the recitation of Azaan by human voice was violative of the law. However, the court shot down the state governments contention. The bench comprising Justice Shashikant Gupta and Justice Ajit Kumar gave this ruling on separate petitions filed by BSP MP Afzal Ansari and Syed Mohd Faizal of Farrukhabad. Afzal Ansari, MP from Bahujan Samaj Partys Ghazipur constituency had filed a petition seeking legal intervention for the prohibition of Azaan in UPs masjids in April. He wrote that masjids in Ghazipur and Farrukhabad districts in UP had been receiving disregard from local police and other communities for azaan during the month of Ramadan. The petition noted that as a part of the Ramadan ritual of dawn prayers and evening prayers, azaan is an essential practice and in no way violates the guidelines in place for the safety of all during the Coronavirus lockdown. In the PIL, Ansari added that he had contacted local magistrates in response to the prevention of the use of loudspeakers in masjids and subsequent police intimidation of Muslims but to no avail. Before any hearing could take place, a counter affidavit was filed in the first week of May by the State with a completely contradictory position claiming that azaan had been prohibited for the entire lockdown keeping with the directive that all religious places should be closed starting March 24. However, it must be noted that only congregational prayers during Ramadan were strictly prohibited and azaan was allowed as it required only the muezzin who resides in the masjid premise. The State claimed that azaan through mics count as noise pollution and affect people sleeping at pre-dawn hours. The State petition against Ansaris also referred to the rights of an individuals sleep as basic freedom of living to support the ban on loudspeakers. Many other suggestions followed where questions like religious freedom and freedom of living were debated until the Allahabad High Court arranged a video conference hearing on Friday for final settlement of the matter. The court said that using loudspeakers for azaan was an infringement on the rights of others since it disturbed their sleep. The rights of one person must not infringe on the rights of others, the court observed. We are of the opinion that azaan may be an essential and integral part of Islam but its recitation through loudspeakers or other sound-amplifying devices cannot be said to be an integral part of the religion warranting protection of the fundamental right enshrined under Article 25, which is even otherwise subject to public order, morality or health and to other provisions in part III of the Constitution, the bench ruled. It cannot be said that a citizen should be coerced to hear anything which he does not like or which he does not require since it amounts to taking away the fundamental right of other persons, the bench added. The court allowed the muezzin of the mosques to hold azaan without loudspeakers. The government has not been able to explain as to how the recitation of azaan merely through human voice can be violative of any provision of law or any guidelines issued in view of Covid-19 pandemic, it said. Watch the interview with Maulana Syed Athar Dehalavi on Allahabad High Court decision on Azan without loudspeaker interviewed by Yousuf Ansari: Iraqs new prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, ordered the release of demonstrators last week to ease tensions with protesters. According to the Human Rights Commission, at least 98 protesters have been detained in Iraqs state prisons and dozens more are missing. But courts have so far not acted and this is being seen as the first test of al-Kadhimis power to carry out reforms. Al Jazeeras Simona Foltyn reports from Baghdad. RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh on Saturday "strongly opposed" the announcements on privatisation in eight sectors of the Indian economy made earlier in the day by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The trade union said it was a "sad day" for the country that the announcements on privatisation in eight sectors showcased a dearth of ideas in the Central government. The BMS said privatisation was against national interests and the Indian economy was not going to bounce back on the basis of "failed ideas". Expressing "dismay" over what it called lack of appropriate ideas to strengthen the sagging economy, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated body said the Centre's stand that there was no other option to privatisation in coal, minerals, defence production, airports and airport management, power distribution, space, and nuclear energy indicated lack of ideas with the Central government. Pointing out that workers were affected the most by any change, privatisation would mean job losses on a large scale and a dearth of quality jobs. It would lead to profiteering and exploitation of the workforce, the BMS claimed and said that the government was bringing about a change without any social dialogue which was the essence of democracy. The BMS said the Central government was shying away from holding discussions and consultations with trade unions. "It is our recent observation that private players and markets flopped in the recent crisis situation and only the public sector of India had played an important role," the trade union said. The BMS said that setting aside Rs 50,000 crore for the privatisation of coal sector was "objectionable", adding that auction of 500 mining blocks, including those of bauxite and coal, was against national interests. It also flayed the proposals to increase in Foreign Direct Investment in defence production from 49 to 74 per cent as well as privatisation of Ordnance Factory Board. The trade union said auction of six airports for Rs 13,000 crore and privatisation of discoms in metro cities was also against the long-term interests of India. It also cautioned that privatisation of the space sector could be detrimental to national security, adding that start-ups were not capable of meeting the challenges faced in the sector. The Bono Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, has begun a four-day inspection tour of the various Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the region to assess the progress of work on the various infrastructural projects being undertaken by government as part of the Free SHS policy. Most of the projects visited were being funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) under the governments Emergency Projects for various senior high schools as a result of the implementation of the Free SHS policy. Accompanied by the Regional Co-ordinator of Free SHS and some Regional Executives of the NPP including the Regional Secretary, Kofi Ofosu Boateng and the Regional Director of Communications, Asare Bediako Seth; Mr. Kwame Baffoe, who is popularly called Abronye D.C commenced his tour at the Dormaa Senior High School, one of the oldest secondary schools in the country. He inspected progress of work on the various projects being undertaken in the school, including an ultra-modern Assembly Hall Complex which was started in 2008 by the then NPP government but was abandoned by the erstwhile NDC administration. At the Dormaa Vocational Training Institute, Chairman Abronye D.C and his entourage inspected work on three projects being undertaking by the Akufo-Addo led government to scale-up Technical/Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The projects are two 75-bed capacity dormitories for both boys and girls and a classroom block with an I.C.T laboratory. Frank Boadi, the Site Engineer for the projects told the media that construction works on the three facilities would be completed and handed-over to the school on schedule without any delay. The Dormaa Municipal Chief Executive, Drissa Ouattara, said the institute was established by some German philanthropists and handed-over to the Government of Ghana in the late eighties after managing it for some time. He said the three projects being constructed at the institute are the only infrastructural projects by the Government of Ghana since school was handed-over to the country about thirty years ago. Mr. Ouattara commended the Regional Chairman of the NPP for embarking on such visits to obtain first-hand information on projects being executed in the various schools and encouraged other regional chairmen to emulate his example. Other senior high schools visited were the Salvation Army SHS at Aboabo, Manse SHS at Wamfie in the Dormaa East district, Berekum SHS (BESS), Berekum PRESEC and the Methodist Senior High/Technical School at Biadan near Berekum as well as the Sacred Heart SHS (SAHESS) at Nsoatre in the Sunyani West District. At SAHESS, Chairman Abronye and his entourage were joined by the Sunyani West Municipal Chief Executive, Martin Obeng, to inspect a newly constructed classroom block, started last year and completed this year. The project, which was funded by the GETFund, is a storey building put up to create more access to the ever-increasing number of students as a result of the implementation of the Free SHS policy. GETfund has already made available 600 tables and chairs for use by the school. Chairman Abronye, who was highly impressed about the progress of work at the various schools visited, said the numerous projects being carried out are a testimony that they are not ghost projects but real projects for everyone to see, adding that our projects can be seen physically and not in books. He explained that it is erroneous for people to suggest that the NPP government has not done anything by way of infrastructural projects and as we go round you can all testify that a lot of projects are going on. Most of the projects visited today are part of the governments Emergency Projects under the Free SHS policy to ease congestion and improve quality education at the senior high school level, Chairman Abronye further said. CBC Falls Into Communist Chinas Trap in Portraying Epoch Times as Racist for Virus Coverage Instead of producing poor journalism, public broadcaster should be investigating the source of the pandemic, say Chinese-Canadian community leaders In CBCs recent reports accusing an Epoch Times special edition of racism for reporting on communist Chinas coverup of the virus outbreak, the public broadcaster failed to grasp whats important for readers to know and instead fell into the regimes trap of playing the racism card, say two leaders from the Chinese and Hong Kong support communities in Canada. In the face of what could be said to be the biggest disaster in a century, Canadas public media is not devoting more resources to investigating the origin of the disaster and the truth about the virus, but is instead using resources to attack a private media thats tracking down the truth, said Toronto-based author and democracy activist Sheng Xue. The Epoch Times eight-page special edition, titled How the Chinese Communist Party Endangered the World, was recently distributed in various parts of Canada. It provided coverage on different topics related to the virus outbreak in China, including the regimes efforts to cover up the outbreak and its use of propaganda to shift the blame for the pandemic. According to Epoch Times Canada publisher Cindy Gu, the distribution was done because the paper considers that information to be important to Canadians and also as part of efforts to gain new subscribers and raise brand awareness. In response, CBC News produced multiple programs and articles on its TV, radio, and website platforms broadly reporting on a single readers view that The Epoch Times was racist and inflammatory for pointing to the Chinese regimes role and responsibility in the global crisis caused by the CCP virus, commonly called the novel coronavirus. Racism can be said to be a political weapon thats been used in major Western democracies for decades. Many people use this weapon, said Sheng, vice-president of the Federation for a Democratic China, a global organization founded in Paris, France, in 1989 following the Tiananmen Square massacre. Sheng noted that many of those who work for The Epoch Times, from its founders to its journalists, are Chinese and include those who have suffered persecution under the CCP. So which race is CBC referring to? she said. Its ridiculous and very naive for CBC to use such a weapon as racism [to attack The Epoch Times]. Sheng Xue speaks at a forum on China in Vancouver in a file photo. (Helena Zhu/The Epoch Times) CCP and China Are Not One and the Same Gloria Fung, president of Toronto-based Canada-Hong Kong Link, agreed. The CCP has launched a global disinformation campaign to evade responsibility for the pandemic, including playing the racism card in claiming criticism of the Party to be a spread of hatred against Chinese people, she said. Its the CCPs own propaganda that tries to make the world think that the Communist Party and the country and the Chinese people are one and the same, and that criticism of the Chinese Communist Party is anti-China or anti-Chinese, said Fung. The CBC reporter fell into this trap and apparently failed to distinguish between criticism of a political party and racist attitudes toward a people. Many pundits and people from the Chinese Canadian community would have been happy to speak about that, but the reporter apparently did not outreach to them. Fung called the CBC reports poor journalism and very biased and so one-sided they are almost hatchet jobs. She said the national broadcaster should have mentioned the fact that many governments and commentators worldwide are calling Beijing to account for its actions on the pandemic. This would have provided much-needed context to the story, she said. Considering the global outcry, this would be a good time for our federal government to support the demand for an independent investigation into how China suppressed and continues to suppress pandemic information and hold its government accountable for the global spread of the virus. Gloria Fung, director of Canada-Hong Kong Link, speaks at a press conference on Parliament Hill on Aug. 30, 2016. (Jonathan Ren/NTD Television) Canada Caught in Beijings Poisonous Spider Web In the wide-ranging interviews with Fung and Sheng, the two community leaders also shared their views and warnings about the CCPs far-reaching influence in other countries and at the World Health Organization (WHO). Its very obvious that China withheld information about the pandemic. It appears it has undue influence over the WHO at the top levels, Fung said. In particular, the CCPs United Front network is a state organization that operates worldwide, penetrating every aspect of society to promote CCP interests, including in the political, business, academic, media, and cultural sectors in other countries. Sheng described it as a poisonous spider weaving an enormous web thats totally under the CCPs direct control. Its agents are spread out over a large number and variety of institutions, social groups, NGOs, and community associations that have established themselves in Canada over a long period of time and taken in many local Chinese people, she said. Fung noted that she was told by mainland Chinese members of her group that United Front organizations were mobilized in January to vacuum up most of the worlds PPE [personal protective equipment] at low prices and ship them back to China. This let the CCP sell its surplus of PPE inventories to other countries at a steep profit, she said. Sheng said the Party has also provided these supplies to some targeted countries, to let these places begin to be grateful to the Chinese communist regime. In addition, Huawei has been accused of donating masks to certain countries to influence them to make a favourable decision on the companys participation in their 5G network development, said Fung. CCPs Influence and Control of Media in Canada Fung added that nearly all Chinese-language media in Canada are under the direct control of communist China and will exercise self-censorship under undue influence or advertising pressure from the pro-Beijing camp here. Sheng said that within the Chinese-Canadian community, those with independent opinions, especially those who do not buy into the CCPs politics and narrative, are isolated, discriminated against, cracked down [on], and attacked etc. She gave The Epoch Times as an example of an independent newspaper that has not been intimidated and has become increasingly influential in Canada and around the world. The Epoch Times is a very active media thats been investigating and digging up information that cannot be reported on in China, and daring to report information that those overseas media influenced and controlled by the CCP dare not report, Sheng said. I believe the CCP should be very afraid of The Epoch Times exerting an even greater influence during this time [of the severe global crisis], when of course the most important thing is to expose the CCPs conduct behind the scenes. That could be cause for the CCP to try to step up in finding ways to interfere and obstruct The Epoch Times from doing its work, she noted. CCP Infiltration Threatens Canadas National Security This kind of infiltration and influence, along with a certain degree of control, is a very serious issue facing Canadas national security, Sheng said. Those Chinese people whove lived in democratic countries for many years not only are defending the tyrannical regime but are also, at this severe moment, coming out to damage the interests of these countries, ignoring the safety of the people of those countries while helping the CCPs tyranny. Fung said its of utmost importance for democratic countries to revisit their strategy toward communist China after the pandemic subsides. The previous silent diplomacy has failed and given communist China the opportunity to emerge as an invasive power, posing a direct threat to our democracies, she said, noting that we need to work with democratic allies to retake control of international institutions, including but not limited to the WHO, WTO, and the U.N. This time its not only the virus thats damaging our health, but also the CCP itself is a very contagious virus, which has been planting its poisonous roots in the majority of the countries and regions around the world for a very long time, Sheng said. We must pull out the black hand behind the virus and make a very long-term plan to avoid it in the future. Click here to read the full article. A tale of alien abduction, Proxmity serves as an in-and-out impressive calling card for debuting feature writer and director Eric Demeusy. His training in animation and visual effects helped Demeusy create the Emmy-winning title sequences for Stranger Things and Game of Thrones. So its a given that this L.A.-based filmmaker knows how to get things started. Proximity kicks off with a flashback set in 1979, which isnt a coincidence that was the decade of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the Steven Spielberg sci-fi classic that informs Proximity every step of the way. What we see is Carl Miesner (Don Scribner), on a secret mission in Alaska, being sucked up by a UFO. Hes been missing ever since. Remember Carl. Hell figure prominently later. Flash-forward to the present in California, where geeky young scientist Isaac Cypress (Ryan Masson) reports to his junior-level job at NASAs Pasadena branch, and receives a mysterious signal from an office satellite. E.T. phone home, he jokes (another Spielberg shout-out!). Things get stranger when Isaac, on a hike in the hills, watches a meteor sweep across the sky. With a camera he keeps for a daily video diary, Isaac records the meteor crash and the appearance of an extra-terrestrial as ectomorphic and wide-eyed as he is. Three days after Isaacs abduction, he is back on the ground with no memory of his experience except for whats on his camera. The video quickly goes viral. Finding true believers is the hard part. More from Rolling Stone And the resistance to accepting the unknown is really whats at the heart of Demeusys sincere but calamitously naive film. For a low-budget indie, Proximity is shot, designed, and edited with a style and sophistication any Hollywood epic would envy. Where the film drops the ball is in its screenplay, a grab bag of Spielberg, X-Files, and Men in Black that never finds a personality of its own. Its fine that Isaac gravitates to other abductees like himself, notably Sara, played with uncutesy sweetness by Highdee Kuan. To gin up suspense, Sara and Isaac are kidnapped by the International Space Research Program, a shadowy government agency affiliated with the United Nations (huh?) and run by a rogue agent named Graves, acted to the hilt and beyond by Shaw Jones. Graves and his I.S.R.P. men in black leave the violent stuff to an army of cyborgs who look like Star Wars stormtroopers, or possibly refugees from a Daft Punk video. Demeusy hits his stride during these interrogations, set in blindingly white rooms that recall 1971s THX 1138, an early effort from George Lucas. Story continues Isaac and Sara basically become Luke and Leia when they link up with the films Han a smartass hacker named Zed (Christian Prentice). Their mission? To seek out the missing Carl (Obi Wan?) in British Columbia by way of Costa Rica (dont ask), and find a way for the peaceful E.T.s to land on Earth without being zapped by rogue government droids. The clumsy outcome somehow involves Jesus and various philosophies about human and alien connection. Itll be something when Demeusy finds a way to match his superior visual skills with a script that deserves them. Sadly, that day has not yet come. See where your favorite artists and songs rank on the Rolling Stone Charts. Sign up for Rolling Stones Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. In the midst of the coronavirus lockdown, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal are preparing to face a possible cyclone, called Amphan. Well-marked low-pressure over the Bay of Bengal is all set to intensify into a depression and a cyclonic storm, according to private weather forecasting agency Skymet weather. As per Skymet, depression is most likely to turn into a cyclonic storm today. It would reach Chennai at a safe distance of approximately 600 km. The storm thereafter would move initially north and then northeast and strengthen further to a severe cyclonic storm. Extreme northern parts of coastal Odisha and West Bengal would run the risk of a direct impact around May 19. The extremely severe cyclone would have wind spread between 166 and 221 km/hr. It may bring heavy rainfall to the coastal regions of Odisha and West Bengal. In view of the impending situation, the Odisha government has put on alert 12 coastal districts, particularly the northern districts of Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore. Odisha's Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Jena said, "At present there is no clear indication about the path of the cyclonic storm, but as per IMD's alert state government has taken all necessary steps to deal with the cyclonic situation. He added, "Fishermen are advised not to venture into deep sea from Friday." Odisha's housing and urban development and panchayati raj departments have been told to ensure the supply of drinking water. The energy department has been asked to be prepared for resuming power supply quickly if there is any damage due to the possible cyclone. Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and Odisha Fire Service have also been asked to remain prepared. Deployment will be decided after an indication about the clear path of the cyclonic storm. Also read: Auraiya road accident: PM Modi mourns death of 24 migrant workers Also read: Facebook to acquire GIF website Giphy; integrate with Instagram Also read: Oxford's coronavirus vaccine shows promise in animal trials The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Friday held a meeting to discuss the draft government work report, which will be submitted by the State Council to the third annual session of the 13th National People's Congress for deliberation and approval. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting. Despite multiple challenges China faced in its development last year, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has rallied and led Chinese people of all ethnic groups to achieve the major annual targets and lay a decisive foundation for completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, the meeting said. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the CPC Central Committee has been regarding epidemic prevention and control as the top priority, the meeting said. Putting people's lives and health on the top of the priority list, General Secretary Xi Jinping has led the whole Party, army and people of all ethnic groups to fight a war against the epidemic, through personal command and deployment. Through arduous efforts, decisive results have been achieved in the fight against COVID-19 to protect the hard-hit Hubei Province and its capital city Wuhan, the meeting said, adding that major strategic achievements have been made in curbing the spread of the virus, with positive results in coordinating the epidemic control and economic and social development. China is facing unprecedented challenges as the global pandemic and economic situations remain grim and complex, the meeting said. The meeting stressed resolutely expanding domestic consumption, safeguarding economic development and social stability, ensuring the full completion of poverty alleviation targets as well as building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Going forward, attendees at the meeting called for unremitting efforts in implementing regular epidemic prevention and control measures this year, while striving to deliver a good performance in all areas of economic and social development. The proactive fiscal policy should be more positive, the prudent monetary policy should be more flexible and appropriate, and the employment priority policy should be further strengthened, according to the meeting. The country should roll out stronger macro policies to stabilize enterprises' development and ensure employment, and should rely on reforms to stimulate market entities' vitality and foster new growth drivers. China will advance opening-up to a higher level and stabilize the foreign trade and investment, and strive to achieve this year's economic and social development goals, the meeting said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Budi Sutrisno (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, May 16, 2020 10:55 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8718af 1 City COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-corona,virus-korona-indonesia,mudik,Greater-Jakarta,Jabodetabek,PSBB,large-scale-social-restrictions,pembatasan-sosial-berskala-besar,anies-baswedan Free Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has issued a decree on Friday banning all Jakarta residents from leaving Greater Jakarta, with the exception of travel serving essential needs, in an effort to curb interregional transmission of COVID-19. The provincial administration, however, does allow residents to go on the traditional mudik (exodus) to visit family members within the Greater Jakarta area following recent public confusion caused by conflicting statements from various agencies on the matter. According to Gubernatorial Regulation No. 47/2020 on travel limitations out of and into Greater Jakarta, people wishing to leave the metropolitan area are required to obtain a Jakarta Exit and Entry Permit (SIKM). Jakarta residents are not permitted to travel outside Greater Jakarta, and their [mobility] is restricted, so that we can keep COVID-19 under control, Anies said in a statement on Friday. He added that the limitation did not apply to people travelling within Greater Jakarta for work in essential sectors. Read also: House urges govt to evaluate travel relaxation as crowds throng airport However, Anies stopped short of allowing a local mudik during the upcoming Idul Fitri holidays. Jakarta Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) head Arifin separately said Greater Jakarta residents would be allowed to visit their relatives living in the capital and its satellite cities. Greater Jakarta is an inseparable, interconnected region. It will be difficult to limit peoples movement within this area, as many people living in satellite cities often go to the capital to work and do other activities, said Arifin. He added that such a provision would only apply to Jakarta ID holders. Others would not be allowed to leave the Greater Jakarta area even if they had lived around the capital for a long time, Arifin went on to say. Arifin echoed an earlier statement by National Police traffic corps operational head Sr. Comr. Benyamin, who said a local mudik within Greater Jakarta area would be allowed as long as residents complied with the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB). Read also: Jokowi calls for caution in easing of PSBB after mudik ban relaxation Anies said the travel ban would not apply to workers in essential sectors, including state officials, members of international organizations, security personnel and medical workers. Those exempted from the ban must apply for a Jakarta SIKM before embarking on trips, which they can do through the corona.jakarta.go.id website, where they may fill in an application form detailing their travel plans. There are two types of SIKM: one for recurring trips for people living in the capital but having business or work in Greater Jakarta, and the other for one-time visits for people from outside the metropolitan area who have urgent needs in Jakarta. Successful applicants receive a QR code to be scanned by officers manning checkpoints on the capitals borders. Despite the exemptions, Anies urged Jakarta residents to continue to stay at home and adhere to the PSBB, as Jakarta was currently in a very defining moment. Despite Wednesdays blockbuster news about the dozens of Obama-administration officials who unmasked then-incoming Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn, there remains a gaping hole in the story: Where is the record showing who unmasked Flynn in connection with his fateful conversation with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak? There isnt one. There is no such evidence in the unmasking list that acting national intelligence director Richard Grenell provided to Senators Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) and Ron Johnson (R., Wis.). I suspect thats because General Flynns identity was not masked in the first place. Instead, his December 29 call with Kislyak was likely intercepted under an intelligence program not subject to the masking rules, probably by the CIA or a friendly foreign spy service acting in a nod-and-wink arrangement with our intelligence community. Intelligence Collection Under FISA Unmasking is a term of art for revealing in classified reports the names of Americans who have been incidentally monitored by our intelligence agencies. Presumptively, the names of Americans should be concealed in these reports, which reflect the surveillance of foreign targets, primarily under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Broadly speaking, FISA governs two kinds of intelligence collection. The first is traditional FISA the targeted monitoring of a suspected clandestine operative of a foreign power. If the FBI shows the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) probable cause that a person inside the United States is acting as a foreign powers agent, it may obtain a warrant to surveil that person. If the foreign powers suspected agent communicates with Americans, the latter are incidentally intercepted even though they are not the targets of the surveillance. The second kind of FISA collection occurs under Section 702 of the statute. It brings under FISC jurisdiction various intelligence-collection programs that target categories of non-Americans outside the United States. These foreigners also communicate with Americans, so the latter are incidentally intercepted. Story continues Under federal law, both kinds of FISA collection are subject to so-called minimization procedures. These aim to safeguard the privacy of Americans who have been incidentally monitored. When raw intelligence is refined into intelligence reports (including transcripts of recorded conversations) that are disseminated to U.S. officials, the identities of these Americans do not appear. Rather, a designation such as U.S. Person is substituted the mask, as it were. If, upon reviewing intel reports, an official with national-security or foreign-relations responsibilities believes that the reporting is critical, and that the identity of the U.S. person must be known in order for our government to reap the full benefit of the intelligence, then that official may request unmasking. Decisions on such requests are made by specialists assigned to the agency that reported the intelligence in question usually the FBI or the NSA for intelligence collected, respectively, inside or outside the United States. Our intelligence agencies, led by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), keep records of these requests. This underscores that unmasking because of its privacy implications, because foreign intelligence must never be a pretext for government spying on Americans is a big deal that should be done only rarely and carefully. The FlynnKislyak Narrative With that as background, lets get back to Flynn. For three years, weve been led to believe that Flynns December 29 conversation with Kislyak was intercepted because the latter was routinely monitored. (Kislyak was replaced as ambassador in 2017.) That is, Kislyak was an overt agent of Russia, stationed at its embassy in Washington, so the FBI kept tabs on him. Indeed, the routine-surveillance story line was repeated by the New York Times just this week. The implication is that Kislyak was probably subjected to traditional FISA surveillance by the FBI; or, since he lived in Russia and traveled to other places when not in America, perhaps he was also a FISA Section 702 target. In either event (or both), Kislyak was interacting with Americans, who were thus incidentally intercepted. That, the story goes, is what must have happened to Flynn. Trumps designated national security advisor was unmasked because, once intelligence agents intercepted the December 29 phone call, they decided it was essential to identify the person with whom the Russian ambassador was discussing sanctions that President Obama had just imposed against Moscow. I no longer buy this story. If it were true, there would be a record of Flynns unmasking. DNI Grenell has represented that the list he provided to Senators Grassley and Johnson includes all requested unmaskings of Flynn from November 8, 2016 (when Donald Trump was elected president) through the end of January 2017 (when the Trump administration had transitioned into power). Yet, it appears that not a single listed unmasking pertains to the December 29 Kislyak call. The Chronology Grenells list notes an unmasking request for Flynn on December 28, 2016 weirdly, by the U.S. ambassador to Turkey. There are no unmasking requests on December 29, the date of the Kislyak call. Nor is there one during the week after that. In fact, the next listed unmasking occurred on January 5, 2017. That one is attributed to President Obamas chief of staff, Denis McDonough. This highlights how central that day is to the anatomy of the Democrat-crafted collusion narrative. It was on the morning of January 5 when Obama, Vice President Biden, and National Security Advisor Susan Rice discussed Flynn and the TrumpRussia investigation with FBI director James Comey and acting attorney general Sally Yates. Yet we know that participants in that meeting already knew about Flynns identity as Kislyaks interlocutor. The exhibits attached to the Justice Departments motion to dismiss the Flynn case relate that Comeys deputy, Andrew McCabe, knew about it no later than January 3, the day he briefed Mary McCord, who ran the Justice Departments National Security Division. Plus, Yates recalled being surprised that Obama already knew about the FlynnKislyak call (and, in fact, is the one who told Yates about it). Clearly, the news had been percolating at the highest levels of the Obama administration for at least a couple of days, although it may not yet have made its way down to Joe Pientka, the FBI case agent on TrumpRussia, who on January 4 signed off on a memo closing the FBIs Flynn counterintelligence investigation (Crossfire Razor). To summarize, the list provided by Grenell indicates no unmasking of Flynn between December 28 (the day before the call) and January 5, even though news of Flynns identification was already circulating on January 3 (when McCabe briefed McCord about it). Beware the Incorrect Narrative There is another significant fact that has long been highlighted by the blogger known as Sundance at the Conservative Treehouse site. It comes from the infamous StrzokPage text messages. On May 8, 2017, Strzok texted Page while watching Senate testimony by former acting AG Yates and former DNI James Clapper. As Senator Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) questioned the two former Obama officials, Strzok wrote to Page (my italics): F*CK! Clapper and Yates through Graham questions are all playing into the there should be an unmasking request/record for incidental collection incorrect narrative. If we review the transcript of that Senate testimony, we find that Strzoks observation related specifically to the December 29 FlynnKislyak call: GRAHAM: So there should be a record somewhere in our system whether or not an unmasking request was made for the conversation between Mr. Flynn and the Russian ambassador. We should be able to determine if it did if it was made, who made it. Then we can ask, what did they do with the information? Is that a fair statement, Mr. Clapper? CLAPPER: Yes. Now, to put it mildly, General Clapper is not a notoriously reliable witness. To be fair, though, he was responding here to a line of questioning about what generally should happen in an unmasking situation. He was not claiming specific knowledge that there existed a record of Flynns unmasking in connection with the December 29 Kislyak conversation. Agent Strzok, by contrast, was deeply involved in the nuts and bolts of the Flynn investigation and was speaking to Page, the FBI lawyer Page then serving as counsel to the bureaus deputy director, McCabe. As weve seen, McCabe was deeply involved in the Flynn investigation and knowledgeable about how the FlynnKislyak call came to the bureaus attention. Though Strzok, who was fired for misconduct, has significant credibility issues, there is no reason to believe he was misstating facts to Page. When he described Clappers claim that there should be an unmasking record as an incorrect narrative, we must assume that Strzok was right especially since Grenells list contains no such record. That has to mean Flynn was not unmasked in connection with the crucial December 29 call. Why not? The CIA and Non-FISA Intel Ops Well, the possibility that first leaps to mind is: Maybe Flynn was a FISA surveillance target. That is, his interception was not incidental. Rather, the FBI was monitoring him under FISA because he was a suspected agent of a foreign power the theory based on which the bureau opened their counterintelligence investigation of Flynn in August 2016. But that cant be right. After an exhaustive investigation of the FBIs abuse of FISA, Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz concluded that there is no evidence the FBI requested or seriously considered FISA surveillance of . . . Flynn. (IG Reports Executive Summary, p. vi.) It is more likely, then, that the FlynnKislyak call was captured by intelligence operations that are not governed by FISA. The CIA collects intelligence not under FISA but under Executive Order 12,333. The CIA is not governed by FISA because its intelligence operations are conducted outside the United States; the FBI is under FISA because its foreign counterintelligence mission is principally domestic. Interesting thing about that: Flynn was not in the United States on December 29, 2016. He was taking a short vacation in the Dominican Republic. Where was Kislyak when they spoke? I dont know. There is plenty of media reporting about Flynn being overseas, and about Flynn speaking with Kislyak. But if there is Western media reporting about Kislyaks whereabouts, I havent found it. Obviously, though, this was the holiday week between Christmas and New Years Day if the Russian ambassador was in the U.S. capital, he was the only pol or diplomat who hadnt skipped town for a respite after the heated 2016 election. Moreover, New Years is an important holiday in Russia, where most of those who observe Christmas do so on January 7, in the tradition of the Orthodox Church. It is reasonable to suppose that the ambassador may have been home in Russia, or otherwise outside the United States, in late December. I do not know that for a fact, but Id be surprised if it werent true. Readers of my book Ball of Collusion know I have argued that the Obama administrations TrumpRussia probe/political-narrative long predated the FBIs July 2016 opening of Crossfire Hurricane. I believe there were several strands of the TrumpRussia probe, and that they trace back to 2015, around the time of Donald Trumps entry into the race for the Republican presidential nomination. The CIA played a central role. The agency collaborated Im tempted to say colluded! with a variety of friendly foreign intelligence services, especially NATO countries that Trump made a habit of bashing on the campaign trail. Dont take my word for it. Heres what former CIA director John Brennan told the House Intelligence Committee: I was aware of intelligence and information about contacts between Russian officials and U.S. persons that raised concerns in my mind about whether or not those individuals were cooperating with the Russians, either in a witting or unwitting fashion, and it served as the basis for the FBI investigation to determine whether such collusion cooperation occurred. Brennan elaborated that, with respect to leads that involved U.S. persons that came to the CIAs attention, he made sure that anything that was involving U.S. persons, including anything involving the individuals involved in the Trump campaign, was shared with the bureau. I hypothesize, then, that Flynn was not unmasked in connection with the December 29 Kislyak call. Either the CIA monitored the call directly or a friendly foreign intelligence service whether subtly tasked by U.S. intelligence or knowing that U.S. intelligence would be very interested intercepted the call and passed it along, probably to the CIA. At the time, Kislyak was likely outside the United States, where the CIA would not have needed FISA authorization to monitor him. And while Flynn is an American citizen, he was not only outside the country, he was already regarded by the Obama-era intelligence community as a clandestine agent of Russia i.e., not an innocent American citizen whose surveillance was merely incidental. Dont get me wrong. This weeks revelations about unmasking are important and intriguing. They should be thoroughly examined. In fact, they are only a snapshot of the unmasking issue involving just one U.S. person (Flynn) over a period of less than three months. It is highly irregular for government officials on the political side of the national-security realm to seek the unmasking of Americans. It is eye-opening to learn that Vice President Biden and President Obamas chief-of-staff (McDonough) unmasked the incoming Trump administrations national security advisor. It is downright scandalous that Samantha Power, Obamas ambassador to the United Nations, who had little reason to seek unmasking, reportedly requested 260 unmaskings . . . and then told Congress that she did not make the vast majority of requests attributed to her though it remains unclear, years later, who did make them. But lets not miss the forest for the trees. This is not just about unmasking. It is about how pervasively the Obama administration was monitoring the Trump campaign. More from National Review Local retailers in FMCG should rethink their channel strategy as Covid-19 impacted the way Vietnamese consumers shopping. All channels in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) have been achieving double-digit growth, which has never seen over the past seven years in Vietnam. It implies that the omni-channel shopping trend in Vietnam is further strengthened during the pandemic, according to a latest Kantar Worldpanel survey, released on May 14. Local consumers are shopping at supermarket. Photo: VOV.vn The analysis focused on the Covid-impacted period of the first eight weeks ending March 22 (February and March) before the national social distancing order became effective on April 1 as pre-lockdown period. With concerns of exposure battling against potential shortages of essential goods at home, Kantars research has seen an impact on the way Vietnamese people shop and thus, leading to changes in channel choices. Different channels serve different consumer needs, reflecting different shopping behaviors. For stock-up purpose, Vietnamese consumers go shopping at hypermarket, supermarket and emerging channels such as online and mini market more frequently while making larger trips in traditional channels like street shops and wet markets, according to the survey. Through reaching extra transactions, big modern formats including hypermarket, supermarket and even cash & carry and emerging formats outpace traditional trade during this uncertain time. The big retail formats have key advantages of a wide variety of categories, brands and pack sizes including fresh foods an important commodity for quarantine times that helped them increase revenue growth in the context of Covid-19. The survey shows that Vietnamese consumers visit hypermarkets and supermarkets more often than ever before, with a purchase on average made every 10 days over the last four weeks ending March 22. Source: Kantar Kantars survey found that Covid-19 pushes Vietnamese people to have new experiences. There is a significant number of consumers who havent shopped FMCG products online or at mini markets before, now starting to make their first transactions. Both online shopping and minimart format reached a peak in terms of shopper base versus any historical four-week period. Though these channels had already shown good progress in Vietnam recent years, it presents a chance for them to further expand if new shoppers enjoyed their experience. Understanding this and working to remove other existing barriers will be key for the continued development of these emerging channels after the crisis, the survey wrote. Kantar witnessed that shopping behaviors are changing with various retailers benefiting from this. Big C, Bach Hoa Xanh and Mega Market are physical retailers managing to achieve an impressive surge during pre-lockdown. In terms of online shopping, incremental FMCG transactions came from both social commerce and e-commerce. Facebook - the most popular social media platform remains the most chosen platform for online FMCG purchases, followed by Shopee - the pure e-commerce player. Both of them recorded triple-digit growth. While some of these changes and winners may be short-term, there will be many hoping to extend this opportunity into the long term, pointing to how the FMCG players may behave in the next phases of Covid-19. The implications for FMCG players will be to re-think and develop growth strategies and partnerships with the key retailers in order to win the new normal, the survey concluded. Hanoitimes Nhat Minh How COVID-19 affects Vietnamese consumers FMCG spend and purchase behaviours The COVID-19 outbreak has hit fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) businesses but not all categories and retailers will suffer negative impacts,... By Michael Erman and Manojna Maddipatla (Reuters) - Patients given the malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump as a potential treatment for COVID-19 did not improve significantly over those who did not, according to two new studies published in the medical journal BMJ on Thursday. Neither trial was placebo controlled, generally considered the gold standard for clinical data. In a randomized, controlled trial of 150 patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 in China, researchers found that patients on hydroxychloroquine did not get better significantly faster than those not treated with the drug. Adverse events were also higher in patients receiving the malaria drug. An observational study of patients in France found that the drug did not significantly reduce admission to intensive care or death in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia who required oxygen. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Demand for hydroxychloroquine surged after Trump touted it in early April, and U.S. regulators have since authorized its emergency use for coronavirus patients. But the drug has not been proven effective against the disease. Moreover, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned against the use of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients outside of the hospital or clinical trials due to the risk of serious heart rhythm problems. The drug is still being widely studied in the United States and abroad as a potential COVID-19 treatment. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) said on Thursday it began a study to evaluate the combination of antibiotic azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine, which Trump described as a potential "game changer" for the pandemic. The mid-stage study, for which Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd will be donating medicines, will assess whether the combination can prevent hospitalization and death from COVID-19. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the NIH, is sponsoring the trial, which is being conducted by the NIAID-funded AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG). Story continues "Although there is anecdotal evidence that hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin may benefit people with COVID-19, we need solid data from a large randomized, controlled clinical trial to determine whether this experimental treatment is safe and can improve clinical outcomes," NIAID Director Anthony Fauci said on Thursday. The NIH's latest study will enroll about 2,000 adults at clinical sites across the country, with many of those expected to be 60 years of age or older or have another condition or chronic disease associated with developing serious complications from COVID-19, such as a cardiovascular disease or diabetes. (Reporting by Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri and Cynthia Osterman) Days after a 28-year-old inmate of Rohini jail tested positive for coronavirus, 15 others who shared a barrack with him and one head warden have also tested positive for the infection, officials said. The Delhi Prison Department had tested for coronavirus 19 inmates from the barrack of the prisoner whose reports came back positive for the infection on Wednesday, they said. All inmates and the staffer are asymptomatic so far. "We had conducted COVID-19 tests for 19 inmates of Rohini jail who were sharing the barrack with one inmate Kuldeep who had tested positive earlier at DDU Hospital where he had gone for (treatment of) some other ailment," Director General (Prisons) Sandeep Goel said. Their test results have come and 15 out of these 19 inmates have tested positive. Five staff members were also tested. Among them, one head warden has tested positive for COVID-19, he said. So far, Goel said, all these people are asymptomatic. The inmates who have tested positive have been separated from others. They have been kept in isolation in quarantine barrack. The head warden has been sent to home quarantine. Some other staff members have also been sent to home quarantine, he added. "Regular medical screening of all inmates is already being done and it will continue. The sanitisation process is also being carried out and all necessary action as per medical protocol is being taken," the DG said. The 28-year-old inmate's case was the first coronavirus infection to be reported from a Delhi prison. He underwent intestine surgery at Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital on Sunday. Doctors took his samples for a COVID-19 test the next day. The inmate did not show any coronavirus symptoms. He was later admitted to Lok Nayak Hospital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani has reacted to reports that Nigerians returning home due to coronavirus pandemic are told to cover their expenses. Recall that on Friday, the Nigerian government in a revised guideline asked returnees to pay for their two weeks stay at isolation centers. Also Read: Shehu Sani Advises People Donating Their Building As Isolation Centre Before Friday, the returnees were only required to pay for their flight back home while the government took care of them for two weeks in their various isolation centres. Advertisement Reacting to this development, Sani took to his Twitter page, condemning the move by the federal government. According to him, the government should not expect patriotism from Nigerians outside the country if they have to pay to be evacuated. See his post below: Public health official Anthony Fauci warned on Tuesday about the dangers to children if U.S. schools are reopened and California's state university system, the largest in the United States, canceled classes for the fall semester. As the U.S. debates when to bring children back into classrooms, phased-in reopenings have begun in numerous countries around the world. Here's how schools around the world are trying to protect children as they reopen: SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES Denmark eased its coronavirus lockdown in mid-April by reopening schools and day care centres, although concerns they might become breeding grounds for a second wave of cases convinced thousands of parents to keep their children at home. Teaching staff there are under instruction to keep social distancing in place between children and, with many school buildings staying closed, some teachers are taking pupils outside and writing with chalk on the playground instead of a blackboard. In Switzerland, children at Geneva's La Tour School had to adapt to new rituals, with parents dropping them off at a distance. Classrooms were half full to reduce crowding and desks spaced two metres (6.5 feet) apart. Under a courtyard shelter in heavy rain, children laughed while others played hopscotch and one girl helped a smaller child put on disposable gloves. PLASTIC SHIELDS AND HAND SANITISER In the Netherlands, the Springplank school in the city of Den Bosch installed plastic shields around students' desks and disinfectant gel dispensers at the doorways. "Our teachers are not worried," said Rascha van der Sluijs, the school's technical coordinator. "We have flexible screens that we bought so we can protect our teachers if students are coughing." The Canadian province of Quebec reopened some of its schools on Monday, as some parents and teachers expressed uncertainty over the move's safety. The Ecole St-Gerard, in a Montreal suburb, opened with staff wearing visors and using hand sanitizer. STAGGERED SCHOOL SHIFTS Schools in Australia's biggest state, New South Wales, reopened on Monday but only allowing students to attend one day a week on a staggered basis. Australia's second-most populous state, Victoria, will resume face-to-face teaching from May 27, weeks earlier than expected. The state including the city of Melbourne will allow teenagers in classrooms first, followed by younger pupils from June 9, Andrew said. Israel reopened some schools this month but the move was boycotted by several municipalities and many parents who cited poor government preparation. Kitted with masks and hand-cleaners, the first three grades of elementary school and the last two grades of high school were allowed back, redistributed in classes capped at 15 pupils to enforce social distancing. Across France, primary school pupils on Tuesday sat at least a metre apart in small classes and listened to teachers in masks on their first day back after two months of home-schooling during the coronavirus lockdown. TESTING AND TEMPERATURE CHECKS In Cyprus, health workers wearing personal protective equipment tested students for COVID-19 at a school in Nicosia after high schoolers were allowed to return beginning May 11. In Shanghai, students and staff alike were required to enter the school building via a thermal scanner when school reopened last week after three months of lockdown. The walls are papered with posters on measures to tackle the coronavirus and in the spotlessly clean school canteen, glass walls divide the tables, so only two students can eat together. It may be more like going to a hospital than a school, but the Shanghai students returning to class after three months of lockdown are thrilled to be there. "I feel so excited coming back to school. Usually we look forward to the holidays but suddenly our holidays became so long, 17-year-old Zhang Jiayi told Reuters. "This time, we longed to go back to school, where we can see our friends and teachers." Also read: Lockdown 4.0 may see gradual reopening of markets, transport; what to expect Also read: Coronavirus Live Updates: Lockdown 4.0! Home Ministry may announce guidelines today; India's cases-85,940 What Greg Taylor saw in person covering Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign and the TV news coverage of those same campaign events was much different, Taylor says. Like two different stories, night and day, says Taylor, a Los Angeles based cinematographer. It was huge crowds and massive numbers and then you see this dismal coverage of no one showing up kind of stuff. And youd think to yourself, Wow this is really strange, how its all portrayed. That disconnect informed Bernie Blackout, a new Vice TV documentary Taylor made with director Pat McGee. Featuring interviews with campaign staff, journalists and pundits, the doc examines Sanders popularity among young voters and media coverage of his campaign. The 88-minute documentary premiered May 13. You can watch it online at vicetv.com. And just why would mainstream media have incentive to underplay the Sanders campaigns energy? A voiceover during the trailer for Bernie Blackout says, The mainstream media isnt owned by the people. Its owned by rich people, a reference to Sanders economic policies, which some have labeled as socialist. Sanders is a U.S. senator from Vermont and ran as a Democratic presidential candidate in 2020 and 2016. "Bernie Blackout" is the second installment of Vice TV's "Vice Versa" series of indie docs. The debut, "Meghan Markle Escaping The Crown," premiered in March. Taylor, a former Tuscaloosa resident and Northridge High graduate, and McGee collaborated previously on the Vice TV series Dopesick Nation. For Bernie Blackout, they began shooting in January, wrapping about five weeks later after Sanders Cleveland rally was canceled by Ohios governor due to coronavirus concerns. On a recent afternoon, Taylor checked in for a phone interview from his home in L.A.'s Eagle Rock neighborhood. Below are edited excerpts. Greg, what was most challenging about making a documentary about a polarizing subject like Bernie Sanders? I think in a lot of ways to go make a documentary about Bernie Sanders wasn't difficult, in part because his message had already been out there from the previous election cycle. The director, Pat McGee, a longtime collaborator of mine, called me up a few days before the first primary happened and said, "Hey I've got this crazy idea. I'm going to go follow Bernie Sanders and I want to go see what it's like on the ground there." And it just seemed like a great opportunity to experience politics firsthand and I didn't really skip a beat. Immediately, I was like, "Let's do it." We didn't have distribution. We didn't have anything except this desire to go see what that looked like, see what the environment was and to see what it looked like firsthand compared to how the media was portraying Bernie Sanders. Los Angeles cinematographer and former Tuscaloosa resident Greg Taylor. (Courtesy Greg Taylor) Is it fair to say coronavirus is essentially a character in this film? Or at least has a cameo? Yeah, it was an amazing thing. I remember we were prepping camera in Cleveland and we were heading downstairs when we got the email that said the events canceled. It was a scramble to go, OK weve got to keep shooting weve got to keep getting things done. But when the rallies were canceled in Cleveland, that was really the signifier that this coronavirus like arriving. And when the rallies were shut down, originally the plan was to shoot all these interviews for the film in D.C. and along with West Coast. But corona just completely nixed all that. So, in post (production) we ended up having to do a lot of like We had interviews with journalists and pundits and we ended having to do all that online using Skype and Zoom recorded sessions. At first as a cinematographer I was a little worried about that, because it's hard to give up some of that creative control of being in person. And I found that once we thought it through and ways to do it, it ended up giving the film a lot if texture and it gave it a contemporary feel it just wouldn't have had without this crazy pandemic happening. In the end it really added to the urgency and overall timeliness of the film, in a strange way. What kind of access to Sanders did you all have? We were really surprised at the access. We were able to get in pretty well with the campaign. We met people, talked to more people and I think the campaign saw that we weren't there out to get anybody, and like we just wanted to tell a story and capture the feeling and energy of the crowd. It was wild. There were times when I had the New York Times and Associated Press taking photos to my right and CNN on my left and everyone scrambling for riser space and that really wasn't the story we were telling. We wanted to go and talk to people and feel the event, behind the scenes kind of thing so we were able to roam around a little more and capture that energy. We weren't so interested in the stump speeches and sitting on a podium and coverage of that. Everyone's doing that. We really wanted to take a different angle and have a different feel to it. There's a Showtime show called "The Circus" and I think they're in some ways a similar feel. The energy there at those events it was so surreal. You could hear the crowd booming as results would stream in and just being there where the flame burns hardest at the core and you're in that environment was really amazing. Were you able to get a sit-down interview with Sanders? We didnt get a sit-down with Sanders himself. Unfortunately, that access just wasnt able to materialize. Hes a busy man. I thought it was amazing we could move so fast through those spaces; we would be with busy and sometimes we would be at four or five locations in a day and Sanders would be there giving speeches at every one of those places too. And he would show up and give a speech and then seconds later be back on a bus. The bus would drive to the next location, he would walk in, give a speech, run back onto the bus, drive to the next location. We were just trying to catch up to him half the time because they moved so fast and for the bigger events we would set up ahead of time and be ready. It was just fascinating to see the breakneck pace that campaign worked at. I assume most politicians have to have a schedule like that, but that was something that really impressed me about the whole campaign is how fast they moved and how much ground he covered just on a day to day basis. Anything you noticed from being around Sanders in person at these events so often you found interesting? Something maybe you hadn't noticed from afar, watching him on TV or whatever? One thing I noticed is Sanders never put on a show. Every speech was pretty much the same thing. He didnt stray from it. Sometimes he would address the audience specifically, sometimes he would talk about local things, but he really said the same message every time. And he wasnt wearing flashy clothes or expensive suits. He was just wearing something your grandpa would have. He was very relatable in the way. And his demeanor was always kind of nice and assured. For you, what's a key moment or key scene from the doc? The rally that happened out here in L.A. was at the height of the Sanders campaign and you had tens of thousands of people showing up and it was massive and Sarah Silverman spoke and it was huge. And being there and part of that was really something. I guess too, I think Austin was the most impactful for me. We were in Austin, Texas, this place that you think of as traditionally very conservative in its demographic voting populace and I saw so many people. It was so full. And the environment was downtown on the river with this beautiful backdrop of the downtown skyline behind you, For a cinematographer it was just eye candy. And then this giant American flag and a huge crowd and I met (Sanders wife) Jane Sanders that evening during the speech and had a chat with her, and it was so lovely and that whole experience was something I dont think Ill forget. Another documentary subject you'd like to tackle in the future? Right now, I'm in post for a feature film that I shot in Bali, Indonesia. it's basically a film about the most sustainable restaurant in Asia, and their struggle with the imported ingredient industry. Growing up in Tuscaloosa, what theater did you see most of your movies at? What made you want to get involved with filmmaking? In high school I worked at Bama Six theater and used to always go over to the mall and see films. We had an agreement there which was great. I could go see as many movies as I wanted to. And eventually the Cobb came around and I started going to see films there, and between those three theaters who knows how many movies I watched. Another big influence was the Sidewalk Film Festival. Having Sidewalk in Birmingham every August was always a great opportunity to go see documentaries, short films, to go talk to filmmakers and go to master classes and discuss film theory and camera workplace practices. I think that really helped prepare me for doing documentary films. MORE ON CULTURE After Slash, Alice Cooper gigs Alabama musician returns Muscle Shoals guitarist on being in Little Richards band for 18 years How songwriting helped an Alabama vets PTSD Muscle Shoals song in HBOs J.J. Abrams series trailer 10 classic rock-songs powered by drum machines Seasoned journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has slammed the Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service, Dr Badu Sarkodie over his claims that Ghana is at its peak of the coronavirus crisis. So to answer directly to the question, we are at the peak of the curve, Dr Badu Sarkodie, during a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, said in response to a question on where Ghana lies on the pandemic curve. Kwesi Pratt, who was utterly alarmed by the GHS Director's statement, questioned the basis for the claims and also wondered what really caused him to jump into such a conclusion. ''Our leader who told us that the case is at its peak, what was he trying to achieve? He knows the statistics but the moment he came to tell us that we have peaked, what did he really mean? We have peaked and so what should we do?'' he quizzed. Mr Pratt further expressed worry over the spate of COVID-19 cases in Ghana which currently stands at 5,638 with 1,460 recoveries and 28 deaths and called on the government to stop praising themselves and concentrate on finding ways to successfully fight the pandemic. ''We should find a way to stop the spread of the disease. We should adopt measures to ensure the disease doesn't claim lives. Let's find a way to curb the disease so that businesses in Ghana will not cripple. Let's find a way to curtail the disease for us to lead normal lives," he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo'. Meanwhile, in a related development, the World Health Organization (WHO) says it will probe Ghanas COVID-19 data to prove whether the country has peaked or not. Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, is quoted to have said ''we would need to look with the Ghanaian authorities and their data and see the conditions, the trends, the basis on which they say they have peakedWhat I do know is Ghana is one of the countries that have very significantly expanded testing. So they have gone out there looking for cases. Some of the increase in numbers that we are seeing in Ghana may be related to the fact that the case definition has changed slightly. In the beginning, they were probably testing people who presented ill at a health facility. We will look with the Ghanaian government. We know that they put in place strong measures for prevention and they are also testing very aggressively which we think is a good combination," the WHO Regional Director for Africa said in an interview. Listen to Kwesi Pratt 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 Forty-six more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Bihar, taking the total number of cases in the state to 1,079, a senior health department official said here on Saturday. Principal Secretary (Health) Sanjay Kumar said these 46 samples tested positive for the virus on Friday. Among the fresh cases, five have been reported from Patna district where the tally has gone up to 105. While one is a 14-year-old girl from the rural Bakhtiyarpur area, the remaining four are male personnel of the Bihar Military Police's 14th battalion, he said. The number of BMP-14 personnel, stationed at Khajpura locality in the city, who have been found infected till date has now reached 25. The chain of infection in the area began with a 32-year-old woman from Bijli Gali by-lane testing positive last month upon being admitted to AIIMS, Patna with breathing trouble. Within a few days, nearly 20 residents of the by-lane fell prey to the contagion which also spread to nearby localities like Raja Bazar and a slum located close to the Bihar Public Service Commission office on Bailey Road. At least five barracks of BMP-14, besides Bijli Gali, the slum close to BPSC and Machhli Gali by-lane in Raja Bazar have been declared as containment zones, Patna District Magistrate Kumar Ravi said, adding that the lockdown is being enforced in the strictest form in these localities. Seven more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Jamui district, which reported its first case on May 12 and now has altogether 10 patients, the principal secretary said. Eighteen more cases were reported from Banka district while 10 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Sheikhpura, three in Katihar and two in Aurangabad. A two-year-old boy tested positive for COVID-19 in Munger district which accounts for the maximum number of 123 confirmed cases. All the 38 districts in the state have been affected by the pandemic and those with a high incidence also include Rohtas (77), Kaimur (66) and Buxar (59). The number of cases in Bihar has risen sharply since the beginning of the month, mainly because of migrants returning to their native places in large numbers by special trains in addition to other modes of transport. According to the state health department, 427 migrants arriving since May 4 have tested positive for COVID-9. Most of them had come from Delhi (112), Gujarat (106) and Maharashtra (97). Close to three lakh migrants have returned to the state from other parts of the country in 'Shramik Special' trains while the total number, including those coming by buses, trucks, bicycles and on foot, is estimated to be in excess of a million. Till date, 44,398 samples have been tested in the state and efforts were on to enhance the testing capacity drastically to contain the infection. At present, testing of samples is held at four places in Patna and one each in Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga and Bhagalpur. The rate of testing was adversely affected because the testing facility at Bhagalpur ran short of cartridges on Friday, though the principal secretary said replenishment will be ensured at the earliest. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 21:11:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addresses a media conference on economic package in New Delhi, India, on May 17, 2020. (Photo by Partha Sarkar/Xinhua) by Peerzada Arshad Hamid NEW DELHI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- India's federal finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday evening unveiled the federal government's fourth tranche of the 267 billion U.S. dollars economic package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week. The fourth phase focused on structural reforms in several sectors including coal, minerals, defense production, airspace managements, airports, power distribution companies, space and atomic energy. The finance minister said many sectors need policy simplification to make it simpler for people to understand what that sector can give, how it can participate in activities and bring transparency. "Once we decongest sectors, we can boost the sector for growth and jobs," she said. The finance minister said government monopoly is being removed on coal and 6.58 billion U.S. dollars (INR 50,000 crore) will be spent in this sector. "India has the third largest valued coal availability in its untapped mines, and yet we still import coal and emerging sectors suffer because raw material is not available. Regulations are required when there is a shortage. But this country has abundant coal. Coal bed methane will also be auctioned. Rs 50,000 crore for evacuation infrastructure is being provided," Sitharaman said. "The sectoral reform we want to bring in here to give boost to the sector is to now have a seamless composite exploration-cum-mining-cum-production regime. 500 mining blocks will be offered through an open and transparent auction process." The minister said distinction between captive and non-captive mines will be removed to allow the transfer of mining leases and sale of surplus unused minerals, leading to better efficiency in mining and production. Sitharaman said restrictions on Indian air space will be eased to make civilian flying more efficient. She also announced that six more airports would be auctioned to private players. The move, she said, will bring in a total benefit of about 132 million U.S. dollars (INR 1,000 crore) per year for the aviation sector. "As of today, only 50 percent of India's airspace is free for use. This needs to be increased and optimised. This will not only save cost of fuel, but also save time. This is being done to give civil aviation a boost. This is a sector which has tremendous potential in India." The finance Minister said maintenance, repairs and overhaul (MRO) of aircraft are currently done abroad but more encouragement will be given for this to be done locally. "Once a hub is set up, India can even be an attractive market for foreign airlines to get MRO done here. This will be done both for military and civilian aircraft. This will save at least 105 -158 million U.S. dollars (INR 800-1,200 crore every two years," she said. Sitharaman said future projects for planetary exploration, outer space travel etc will be opened for private sector. "Since private players are coming in with innovative technology and space technology, the centre will allow private players to benefit from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) assets and give them a level-playing field to boost India's space sector," she said. "Level-playing field for private companies in satellites, launches and space-based services." During her fourth press briefing, Sitharaman said companies abroad will be able to invest up to a maximum 79 percent in defence manufacturing in India, up from 49 percent. "FDI limit in defence manufacturing under automatic route is being raised from 49 percent to 74 percent," she said The finance minister said India will also stop importing weapons that can be made at home. "We will notify a list of weapons and platforms for ban on their imports and fix deadlines to do it," she said. "Even the spares of these weapons have to be manufactured locally. This will help reduce a huge defence import bill." A nationwide lockdown imposed on March 25 is underway in India to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. It was likely to end on May 17. However, on Tuesday Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a televised address announced India would enter into the fourth phase of lockdown with a new set of rules to fight the COVID-19, with effect from May 18. Lockdown has badly hit the Indian economy and resulted in the loss of jobs. To bring the economy back on rails, Modi announced 267 billion U.S. dollars package to tackle the impact of COVID-19 outbreak and weeks of lockdown on the economy. The new package is equivalent to 10 percent of India's GDP. Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases in India have gone up to 85,940 including 2,752 deaths, according to the data published on the federal health ministry on Saturday. Enditem Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment On Easter Sunday, armed Chinese officers raided the homes of Christians attending an online church service held by Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China. Six people were forcibly removed from their homes and detained by Public Service Bureau authorities, while others in attendance were threatened with the same fate. The organization I lead, Open Doors USA, monitors religious persecution around the world. Each year, it releases a ranking of the countries where it is most dangerous to be Christian. Our 2020 World Watch List revealed that China is persecuting more Christians than any other country, with nearly 100 million under scrutiny. Up to another million Uighur Muslims are also systematically targeted by Chinese regime. Until now, Chinas efforts have been focused on tracking and penalizing public displays of religion, such as church gatherings and proselytizing. The Easter Sunday raid, however, signals the states desire to penalize religious minorities who dare even to engage in private online activity. This bold and unprecedented move by the Chinese government is merely one more data point indicating that the communist country is quietly unleashing a pandemic of persecution while the world works to stifle the spread of the coronavirus. Days before COVID-19 emerged from Chinas Wuhan province, I was in the country on a fact-finding trip. While there, I witnessed firsthand how the Chinese government is using mass surveillance and data modeling to monitor and punish citizens who choose to attend church or share religious material. Seen as a threat to the communist state, Christian activity is considered a betrayal of loyalty to the regime. These violations, when recorded and linked together by sophisticated surveillance technology, diminish a social score that determines where people of faith can work, travel, or even educate their children. The result: a blueprint of religious oppression updated for the technological age. The forced closure of thousands of churches and the removal of crosses from buildings are now-commonplace tactics by the Chinese government in order to limit, if not extinguish, Christian practice. Even charitable coronavirus relief provided by people of faith is strongly discouraged by the regime. Chinas totalitarian ambition to build a god-as-government state is motivating the steady eradication of religious practice, at any cost. History suggests, however, that strong-armed tactics only drive the church underground, where it continues to spread: at a higher human cost. Amid global dependence on Chinas economy, the country persists in providing a technological model for regulating the religious market. The surveillance state that, until recently, was made visible to Christians primarily by cameras in church sanctuaries is now lurking behind laptop webcams and invading living rooms, too. These kinds of measures are being quickly and quietly implemented by the Chinese government while attentions are completely consumed with public health matters. Christians in China realize this is no mere coincidence. I recently spoke with a pastor in the Wuhan province, who said he fears the Chinese Communist Party is taking advantage of coronavirus containment measures to permanently suppress church activity altogether. Continued penalization of online churches will prove his warning correct. The parishioners of Early Rain Covenant Church arent strangers to the risks undertaken by the public practice of faith. Fifty of them have previously been arrested, others are suffering harassment by the police. Their pastor, Wang Yi, was recently sentenced to nine years in prison for inciting subversion of state power simply for pastoring a church and advocating for religious freedom. Even law-abiding Christians in China now live in fear of following Yis fate. Where Christians previously had only to count the cost of the public expression of faith, now they must also weigh the risks of privately practicing their God-given right to believe. Those who value the freedom of religion cannot be silent: we must join our voices together and demand that the Chinese government put an end to this pandemic of religious persecution. The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has spoken against the N13.4 billion earmarked to feed school children at home, saying it would be better to use such fund to build infrastructure in tertiary institutions. NANS made this known in a statement through its president, Danielson Akpan, threatening to mobilise its members nationwide in a mother of all protest should the federal government proceed with its decision to feed school children at home. According to Akpan, feeding children while at home with their parents with such amount was a misplaced priority. It is a misplaced priority for the government to commit such an amount of feeding children at a time the schools are shut down to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Advertisement This money can be used to fund infrastructural projects in our tertiary institutions, Akpan said The National body of NANS, led by my able self, Comrade Danielson Akpan after a deliberate and robust discussion on the federal governments decision to commence the school feeding programme during a virtual meeting held earlier this morning vehemently reject and condemned in totality the said decision. It is quite unfortunate and disturbing that our government at this time is giving priority to a programme that would further encourage wastage of hard-earned resources. We condemn in totality the plan to feed school children at home. The continuation of the school feeding programme at this period that schools are closed is not acceptable. Read Also: Xenophobia: NANS Issue Ultimatum For South Africans To Leave Nigeria It is unrealistic, unimaginable, and unachievable. There is no justification for it and it must be stopped. If the Federal Government goes ahead to implement the programme, we will have no choice than to mobilise our members across the federation for a mother of all protest. We, however, called on the Federal government to use the money meant for the execution of this programme for more productive things. The Federal government should channel the money for the school feeding programme for reviving the almost collapsed education system. Accident in Uttar Pradesh latest to highlight extreme risks faced by poor under measures to stop coronavirus spread. At least 23 migrant workers travelling in a truck on their way home have been killed in a collision in northern India, the latest tragedy amid a humanitarian crisis caused by a nationwide lockdown imposed to try and slow the spread of coronavirus. Another 35 were injured when the vehicle crashed into a parked truck on a highway near a roadside eatery in the Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh state, Abhishek Singh Meena, the top district official, said on Saturday. The workers mainly hailed from the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Local villagers were the first to reach the site and help the victims. The injured have been rushed to hospital where condition of several people is said to be critical, Singh was quoted as saying by the Reuters News Agency. Tens of thousands of labourers have been walking home from Indias key cities after losing their jobs in recent weeks because of the lockdown. India locked down its 1.3 billion citizens almost seven weeks ago in an attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, sparking a crisis for the hundreds of millions of Indians that rely on daily wages to survive. With no work and little public transport many urban migrants attempting to return to their home villages have set out on gruelling journeys on foot, or hitching rides in the back of trucks. W alking all night Dozens of migrant workers have fallen ill or died on their way home, either from fatigue or in accidents, underscoring the extreme risks the poor have been exposed to under measures to stop the spread of the illness. The latest incident came days after six migrants workers walking to their homes in Bihar were crushed to death by a speeding truck in Muzaffarnagar, also in Uttar Pradesh. Three others sustained serious injuries. The driver was arrested. Last week, 16 migrant workers, who had fallen asleep on a railway track due to exhaustion from walking for an extended period of time, were crushed by a train in Maharashtra. They had been walking all night, they were exhausted and fell asleep on the tracks, a police officer said at the time. On Friday, Uttar Pradeshs Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered bureaucrats and police officers across the state to arrange buses and taxi cabs to ferry migrants back to their hometowns. No one should walk, cycle or travel by trucks, he said. In the face of public pressure, the government has also organised special trains and buses to transport migrant labourers home. On Thursday, it said more than a million people had reached their home states by train. Coronavirus infections in India crossed 85,000 on Saturday, surpassing China, though officials credited the lockdown for slowing the contagion. Meanwhile, Indian state and federal governments have provided additional funds to feed and house migrants. It's a frustrating limitation of 3D printing: Printed objects must be smaller than the machine making them. Huge machines are impractical for printing large parts because they take up too much space and require excessive time to print. Now, a new material reported in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces can be used to 3D print small objects that expand upon heating. The foam could find applications in architecture, aerospace and biomedicine. Watch a video here. One type of 3D printing, stereolithography, creates objects by exposing sequential layers of light-sensitive resins to patterns of light, which cure the polymer into the desired shape. Large objects can be created with specialized stereolithography machines, but they are usually made by fastening smaller 3D-printed components together. David Wirth, Jonathan Pokorski and colleagues at the University of California, San Diego wanted to develop an expandable resin that could be used to print large objects with an inexpensive, commercially available 3D printer. The researchers tested many different resin formulations to find one that allowed them to print an object that, when exposed to heat, expanded to a larger size. They used the formulation to 3D print a hollow, latticed sphere. Heating the sphere in an oven caused a volatile component of the resin to bubble out as a gas. This created a porous, polystyrene foam-like material that was up to 40 times larger in volume than the original printed object. With this method, the team also 3D printed many other shapes, including a boat, which could carry about 20 times more weight at its expanded size, and a wind turbine that could produce a small amount of electricity at its larger size. Although the new material isn't as strong as polystyrene foam, it could someday be used for cushioning, airfoils, buoyancy aids or even expandable habitats for astronauts, the researchers say. An indigenously built COVID WISK (Walk-in Swab Collection Kiosk) for safe collection of samples of symptomatic people has become part of the Indian Navy. The kiosk provides physical and psychological support for the health staff during swab collection and more importantly saves PPE consumption. Inspired by South Korea's innovative way of testing for COVID-19 symptoms, a Government Medical College Hospital here had last month set up low cost kiosks at its premises for safe collection of samples of symptomatic people. The Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), here reshaped it in line with Navy's suggestion to make them portable for compatibility in ambulance and helicopters. "The cost-effective design, using low cost materials, configures the product as "knock-down kits", which are easy to transport as multiple units, requiring lower transit space envelopes," a Defence spokesman said here on Saturday. The product is easy to assemble at site, has better internal air circulation and can be installed outdoors also. It is also designed keeping Indian anthropometric parameters in mind, thereby enhancing the ergonomics, he said. The kiosks were handed over to Surgeon Commodore Arti Sarin, Command Medical Officer (CMO), Southern Naval Command by Sameer Abdul Azeez and his team from NPOL on Friday, the Defence spokesman said. A demonstration of the WISK was conducted at INS Garuda airfield by dismantling and loading of WISK in a helicopter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (26) Even the detailed guidelines adopted by certain states failed to satisfy some epidemiologists. Isaac Weisfuse, a Cornell University epidemiologist who was a deputy health commissioner in New York City during the H1N1 swine flu outbreak in 2009, said New York should expand its criteria to include earlier indicators, such as outpatient medical records for people who report complaining of the signs and symptoms of covid-19 before they get seriously ill. He also suggested behavioral surveillance, in which officials track whether the public complies with relaxed measures designed to allow people more access to life outside their homes while still keeping the virus in check. A logo is pictured on a Huawei NetEngine 8000 Intelligent Metro Router during a 5G event in London, on February 20, 2020. China's foreign ministry said on Saturday the United States needed to stop the "unreasonable suppression" of Chinese companies like Huawei. The Trump administration on Friday moved to block global chip supplies to blacklisted telecoms equipment giant Huawei Technologies, spurring fears of Chinese retaliation and hammering shares of U.S. producers of chipmaking equipment. China will firmly defend its companies' legal rights, the foreign ministry said in a statement in response to Reuters' questions on whether Beijing would take retaliatory measures against the United States. The Centre has launched an online dashboard to monitor and facilitate the smooth movement of migrant workers and their contact-tracing during lockdown across the country. In a communication to all states and union territories, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said the central government has already allowed the movement of migrant workers by buses and Shramik Special trains to enable them to travel to their native places. He said to capture the information regarding movement of migrants and facilitate the smooth movement of stranded persons across the states, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has developed an online dashboard namely, National Migrant Information System (NMIS), on the existing NDMA-GIS portal. Bhalla said the portal will maintain a central repository and help the sending as well as receiving state and district to ask for and give their acceptance in an online format seamlessly. "This system will help in speedy communication between states without creating additional work at the level of the field officers. "It has additional advantages like contact tracing, which may be useful in overall COVID response work," he said. The states can upload batch file of individual data on the portal. As many states have already collected migrant data, this can be integrated through Application Programming Interface (API). The key data pertaining to the persons migrating has been standardised for uploading such as name, age, mobile no, originating and destination district, date of travel etc which states are already collecting. The letter said the states will be able to visualise how many people are going out from where and how many are reaching destination states. The mobile numbers of people can be used for contact tracing and movement monitoring during COVID- 19. A unique ID is generated for each migrant, which can be used for all transactions. The government of India nodal ministries can also monitor the movement of migrants though this portal. "I urge upon you to use the online portal NMIS for capturing the information on movement of migrants and for better inter-state co-ordination," Bhalla said. Movement of migrant workers during lockdown has become a humanitarian crisis with thousands of them were seen walking on roads and railways tracks ignoring government pleas to stay back at the place where they are. At least 16 such people were mowed down by a goods train in Maharashtra while at least 25 others were killed in road accidents in different parts of the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday handed over a property forfeited by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke to the Lagos State government for use as an isolation centre for COVID-19 patients. The property consisting six flats of three bedrooms and a boys quarter was forfeited by Mrs Allison-Madueke following an order of Lagos State Federal High in 2017. Speaking during the handover ceremony, the Lagos Zonal Head of the EFCC, Mohammed Rabo stated that the gesture was part of the Commissions social responsibility efforts towards the fight against the spread of Corona virus. In addition to our mandate to fight economic and financial crimes, the Commission is committed and ready to render essential services that may be required of it in the fight against covid-19. Therefore, Lagos State should not hesitate to call on the Commission anytime the need for such essential service arises, he said. In his remarks, the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, thanked the Commission for the gesture, noting that it was a welcome collaboration between the Federal and Lagos State Government. by Vladimir Rozanskij Ceremony marks the end of the construction of the Church of the Russian Armed Forces, dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ. Its inauguration has been postponed until after the COVID-19 pandemic. Stalin's face has been replaced by an inscription praising victory. An icon stands in lieu of Putins face. For one observer, the church is an example of monumental paganism. Moscow (AsiaNews) On Wednesday, the day of the "Half of Pentecost" (25 days after Easter), a thanksgiving moleben was held in the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, i.e. the Great Cathedral of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to mark the end of its construction. The church was supposed to be inaugurated at this time of the year, which coincides with the end of World War Two, but the event was postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak. Bishop Stephan (Privalov) of Klinsky led the service. He heads the Synodal Department for the pastoral care of the Armed Forces and public security agencies, and is pastor of the patriarchal cathedral. Deputy Defence Ministers General Andrey Kartapolov and General Timur Ivanov took part in the liturgy. At the end of the ceremony, Bishop Stephan thanked army workers, donors and church decorators for their work. Contrary to expectations, the mosaics representing Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Putin were nowhere to be seen. Evidently, the controversy sparked by their possible inclusion led to their removal. Stalins face was no longer in the mosaic dedicated to the victory in the Great Patriotic War (World War Two), on top of a victory banner carried by a crowd. It was replaced by the inscription Raising the Banner of Victory over Berlin, made in 1945 by artist Viktor Ivanov. The images of Putin, Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu, Crimea Governor Sergey Aksyonov and other top officials also disappeared from the image of Crimeas 2014 annexation. President Putins place is now occupied by an icon, and priests are depicted instead of his subordinates. Krym nash! (Crimea is ours!), Putin's shout of exultation on 18 March 2014, the day of the Crimean referendum supervised by the Russian military, which had been included in the image, was replaced by a more neutral My vmeste! (We are together!). Despite the removals, the head of the Experts Council for Church Art, Architecture and Restoration of the Russian Orthodox Church, Protoiyerey (Archpriest) Leonid Kalinin, insisted that the images of Stalin and Putin should have been kept in the church. It seems to me that notwithstanding the wave of criticism, we see a huge and beautiful church that celebrates the memory of heroes, in honour of the great Victory. This is worth much more than those small fragments of mosaic (compared to the entire volume of the church) that raised so much noise. For his part, General Kartapolov stressed that "Stalin restored religion in Russia. Construction costs have also been a source of controversy. According to Russias Defence Ministry, the building cost around six billion rubles (US million), half of which came from Russian donors; the other half from the City and Oblast (Province) of Moscow. Father Leonid said that metal, wood, glass and talent were offered practically free, for a few kopecks. People worked, worked hard for the glory of God. Christ and the sword It is likely that even if the faces of Stalin and Putin have been removed, the decorations will still spark a lot of criticism for the ambiguous mixing of military operations and devotion. In his blog, Deacon Andrey Kuraev refers to the church as monumental paganism. In particular, he has a bone to pick with the fresco called "Help of the icon", in which the sacred image of the Mother of God arrives escorted by angels to support the efforts of anti-aircraft artillery. Another image, called Conquerors of Berlin, shows a protective angel on the banner of Victory. Saint Michael the Archangel with spear, head of the celestial and terrestrial hosts, is accompanied by Saint Nicholas with the Gospel and Saint Seraphim with the cross. Some of the depicted saints draw a sword; even a Christ wields one. No less disturbing are other images involving Calvary, the saints and Our Lady in the wars and triumphs of Russia-Soviet Union. The Mother of God, in full pagan identification with Mother Earth, keeps the fire of heroes in her womb. On the outside, the church looks like a nuclear missile. Its measurements mark important dates in Russian history. The domes diameter is 19.45 metres (reference to the year of victory over Nazism), the bell tower is 75 meters high (like the years since the victory), the lower dome is 14.18 to commemorate 1,418 days of war. For the Soviet Union, which signed a non-aggression pact with Hitler in 1939, the war lasted from 1941 to 1945. Pieces of weapons from the Wehrmacht will be placed on the entrance steps as proposed by Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu. After construction was completed, videos of a "virtual visit" to the church were released, from which we took pictures for this article. A Zimbabwean man has appeared in a court in the capital, Harare, for allegedly disclosing the status of a Covid-19 patient on a WhatsApp group, state-owned newspaper The Herald reports. Jimmy Mhlanga, who is a civil servant, appeared in court on Saturday but the newspaper only reported about it on Thursday. He was charged with "disclosing information relating to ones health status, treatment or stay in health establishment." He is out on bail. The prosecutor is reported to have told the court that the suspect revealed the status and identity of the patient, as well as the identity of the police officers who contacted her. Members of the WhatsApp group have been listed as state witnesses, the newspaper reports. The southern African nation has so far confirmed 37 coronavirus cases and four deaths. 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 Diamond Princess cruise ship is traveling to Malaysia after being docked in Yokohama, Japan for three months, Japanese broadcaster NHK reports. Why it matters: The Diamond Princess carried one of the first coronavirus outbreaks on a cruise ship, affecting 700 passengers from various countries, including the U.S., Japan, Australia and Canada in February. Several people died as a result. Flashback: Repatriated American citizens who were on the cruise were among the first confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. What's happening: The ship has been disinfected and mattresses, linens and room ornaments have been replenished, the New York Times reports. Princess Cruises owned by Carnival canceled trips through the end of the summer season, the company announced earlier this month. Go deeper: Princess Cruises to pause operations for 2 months due to coronavirus West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday reached out to migrant workers returning to the state during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown and announced that her government will bear the entire cost of their journey by special trains. She also pledged a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of three people from the state who were among the 24 killed in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh. The opposition BJP and CPI(M) dubbed the announcement as the TMC government's "crisis management" with an eye on the next year's state polls as it had failed to act on time. The issue of bringing back migrant labourers and stranded people to West Bengal had snowballed into a political one with the BJP and the Centre rapping the state for not taking adequate measures to ferry them home. The TMC in its turn had blamed the Centre's "botched up lockdown" and "arrogant" approach for the suffering of lakhs of migrant workers across the country. As per the present policy formulated by the Centre, 85 per cent of the cost of transportation of the migrants is borne by the railways and the rest by the state governments, respectively. Banerjee on Saturday announced that the West Bengal government would bear the entire cost of movement of migrant labourers from the state who are stranded in various parts of the country and are returning home by special trains. "Saluting the toil faced by our migrant breathen, I am pleased to announce the decision of GoWB to bear the entire cost of movement for our migrant workers by special trains from other states to West Bengal. No migrant will be charged," Banerjee tweeted. Communication in this regard was sent to Railway Board chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav by state Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, she said. Later in the day, state home secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay said detailed analytics had been done in this regard and those boarding the trains will not have to buy tickets. He said that the government had created a database of 17 lakh people who are stranded in various states due to the lockdown. "We have told all the concerned states to help them (migrant labourers). Many people have also sought help through various portals and social media for which nodal officers have been appointed," he said. So far, 24,349 entry passes to West Bengal have been approved based on which at least 1,14,992 people have entered the state. At least 2,15,915 have left the state for their homes, Bandyopadhyay said. The chief minister had on Thursday said that her government has made arrangements for 105 more trains to bring back people stuck in different parts of the country amid claims by opposition parties that the state was not eager to ferry home stranded labourers and pilgrims. Of these 105 trains, three will commence their journey from New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore Urban on Saturday. The state government's exercise to ferry home people stranded during the lockdown in trains will continue till June 14. Earlier, the government had given its nod for 10 trains to facilitate the return of people stranded in other states during the lockdown and three of them have reached the state so far. The West Bengal government on Saturday announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of three people from the state who were killed in a road accident in Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh while returning home. "There are confirmed reports that three people from Purulia district died in the road accident in Uttar Pradesh. A compensation of Rs 2 lakh each will be sent to their immediate kin," the senior state government official told PTI. Banerjee has also expressed grief over the incident. At least 24 migrant workers were killed and 36 injured when a trailer rammed into a stationary truck, both carrying passengers, on a highway near Auraiya in the early hours of Saturday. West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh termed the state government's decision for compensation and free travel as "a cover-up measure to hide its failures to act on time". "Had the state government acted on time like the other states, the three labourers from West Bengal who died would have been alive. But it did nothing for the last 15 days and was sitting idle. After so many people died it announced free travel and compensation," Ghosh said. The TMC countered the BJP leader's claim by blaming the Centre's 'messed up lockdown' for the death of the migrant workers. TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee tweeted, "The painful loss of lives of #MigrantWorkers forced to take desperate measures to return to their native places is a result of a botched up lockdown led by an arrogant and insensitive government that fails even to take cognisance of the existence & suffering of millions." Rendered jobless due to the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown, which began on March 25 and desperate to get home, migrant workers across the country are undertaking long and arduous journeys to their native places on foot, bicycles or packed into trucks. Over the past few days, many migrant workers have been killed in accidents in different parts of the country. (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 Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar Sat, May 16, 2020 13:37 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd87c993 1 National Bali-Police,crime,COVID-19,health-check,document-forgery,passenger,mudik-ban,mudik,exodus Free Bali Police have arrested seven people of two alleged syndicates selling fake health certificates to people wishing to travel during the COVID-19 outbreak, in violation of the mudik (exodus) travel ban. The suspects include four ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers, two travel agency employees and a man who runs a printing business. They were reportedly nabbed red-handed while selling such documents to travelers at Gilimanuk Port, which connects Bali to Java, in two separate arrests on Thursday. Read also: COVID-19-free hospital letters offered on e-commerce platforms The groups allegedly offered the letters to people who wanted to travel amid the imposed mudik ban, Bali Police spokesman Sr. Cmr. Syamsi said. Travelers planning to travel by ferry to Java are required to present a health document that includes the letterhead and signature of a general practitioner and the community health center (Puskesmas). The suspects have taken advantage of the mudik ban by offering fake health certificates and selling them to ferry passengers at Gilimanuk Port, Syamsi said in a statement on Friday. He further said that the seven suspects were from two different groups. The first group comprised of three suspects who were arrested at 00:30 a.m. on Thursday: minibus driver Ferdinand Marianus Nahak, travel agent employee Putu Bagus Setya Pratama and printing business owner Surya Hadi Wira Pratama. Syamsi said Ferdinand had been arrested while distributing the fake certificates to his passengers. He allegedly received the documents from Putu, and it was later found that they had been created by Surya. The suspects accounts reportedly revealed that Putu brought the form to Surya for editing. Surya then allegedly offered another letter that he had created, made several copies and handed it over to Ferdinand to be sold at Rp 25,000 (US$1.68) per piece, in which Surya allegedly claimed Rp 1,000 for each letter sold. Ferdinand had put his signature on the fake health documents, Syamsi said. Read also: New regulation allows businesspeople, officials to travel despite mudik ban Besides selling the certificates to minibus passengers, the group also allegedly sold them to motorists for Rp 100,000 apiece. Police said they had confiscated five fake and signed certificates from the suspects, Rp 200,000 in cash, six letter forms that had not been signed, two mobile phones, one computer and one printing machine. Syamsi added that the second group was arrested at 2 p.m. of the same day near the seaport. Investigators arrested four ojek drivers identified as Widodo, Ivan Aditya, Roni Firmansyah and Putu Endra Ariawan. The group had allegedly sold fake health letters to ferry passengers at Gilimanuk Port at prices ranging from Rp 25,000 to Rp 100,000. Syamsi said all suspects had been charged under articles 263 and 268 of the Criminal Code on document forgery and medical letter forgery, violations of which are punishable by up to six years of imprisonment. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16 By Eldar Janashvili - Trend: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) expects economic growth in Azerbaijan as early as in 2021, Trend reports referring to a published macroeconomic forecast of the EBRD. Azerbaijans economy will recover in 2021 with a 3-percent GDP growth after a short-term reduction of the same amount in 2020 due to the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and low oil prices, said the forecast. According to the latest edition of the EBRD Regional Economic Prospects, large assets of State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), which is approximately 90 percent of GDP, will continue cushioning the economy against the external shock. The exchange rate has remained stable to date, while a long period of low oil prices and low global demand can lead to a serious imbalance in the economy. Robust crisis response package put in place to protect jobs and disposable income will support the speed of recovery after a return to normality during the second half of 2020. EBRD Chief Economist Beata Javorcik said that as the world emerges from the crisis, it is crucial to look towards a future of cooperation and greater economic resilience. The crisis has been a massive hit and coming out of it will be just as challenging. This is not the time to engage in economic nationalism and protectionism, but a time to shape a better future through international commitment to free trade, climate change mitigation and economic cooperation, she said. The report assumes a modest impact of the crisis on the longterm trajectory of economic output, with growth resuming towards the end of the third quarter, but potentially significant longer-term economic, political and social effects. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @eldarjanashvili Voluntary collective isolation is best response to COVID-19 for indigenous populations Orange, Calif. - A team of anthropologists, physicians, tribal leaders and local government authorities developed and implemented a multi-phase COVID-19 prevention and containment plan among the Tsimane, an indigenous group of forager-horticulturists in the Bolivian Amazon. The collaborative effort is led by Hillard Kaplan, Ph.D., professor of health economics and anthropology and a member of the Economic Science Institute at Chapman University. The study, published in The Lancet, proposes that indigenous populations worldwide share characteristics that make them especially vulnerable to COVID-19, including higher rates of extreme poverty, poor healthcare access and infrastructure, and widespread respiratory infections. As of May 7, Bolivia had 2,081 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 102 deaths, largely confined to the Santa Cruz and La Paz provinces. As of now, there are no confirmed cases in the towns closest to the Tsimane communities. The Tsimane Health and Life History Project has been working with Tsimane communities since 2002, studying health and ageing while providing primary health care and biomedical surveillance. Kaplan, co-director of the project, and his team paused research activity in mid-March to redirect their efforts towards reducing the effects of COVID-19 on the tribal populations with whom they work with. "The disease is spreading rapidly in Bolivia as is the case in many places throughout the developing world but has not yet reached the tribal territories where we work," said Kaplan, the principal investigator of this study. "It is clear from the painful lessons we have learned in this country and in Europe, advance planning is the key to mitigating the devastating effects of the disease." "After a teenage Yanomami boy died of COVID-19, there was, understandably, a lot of panic about the potential plight of indigenous populations around the world in light of this new, unpredictable threat," said Michael Gurven, Ph.D., professor of anthropology at UC Santa Barbara and co-director of the Tsimane Project with Kaplan. "Since our team had already been working with the Tsimane to try and work out a reasonable plan, we thought it would be a great opportunity to move the conversation toward a concrete blueprint that could, hopefully, be adapted to work in similar areas." The researchers believe that their approach with the Tsimane can be adapted more generally to tribal and aboriginal populations throughout the world to prevent widespread mortality, and will continue to adjust their plans according to the local circumstances and future COVID-19 discoveries. Dr. Kaplan and his team developed their COVID-19 strategy based on two guidelines. The first is that preventative measures before mass infection can greatly reduce the burden of morbidity and mortality. The second is that any effective plan must be collaborative among all stakeholders and should involve the indigenous populations in the decision process. These tribal communities have unique sources of resilience that can be used to prevent the potentially serious effects of COVID-19. The most pertinent is the group's cultural tradition of collective decision- making, where lively two-way discussions are held during village meetings to allow community members to speak up and contribute to a collective decision. The consensus among the Tsimane is that collective isolation is the most viable strategy for minimizing COVID-19 exposure until vaccines or treatments become available. Researchers utilized these community meetings to communicate best practices in collective isolation with the villages. The research team has a two-phase plan. Phase I -- focused on education, outreach and preparation -- occurred while the novel coronavirus was spreading quickly in Bolivia but before there were confirmed cases in the Beni region where the Tsimane live. The research team traveled to around 60 villages to hold community meetings. The researchers sent native speakers of the Tsimane language to these meetings to inform the population about the risks of COVID-19 and promote a collective decision-making process on how best to respond to the epidemic. These meetings lead to unanimous agreement by the Tsimanes to collectively isolate the tribal territory and its constituent communities to prevent interaction with the outside world. The researchers also worked to translate and adapt U.S. Centers for Disease Control informational posters into the Tsimane language for dissemination. "While some Tsimane people had heard about the existence of coronavirus, most were unaware of its imminent threat, how it is transmitted, who is most vulnerable or whether there was a cure for the disease," said Kaplan. The research team is currently in Phase II: containment, patient management and quarantine strategies. This is being accomplished through ongoing radio communications about the current rates and areas of infection, coordination of rapid testing and contact-tracing and the provisioning of personal protective equipment for local health care workers. Phase II began in mid-April when COVID- 19 was diagnosed and confirmed in the Beni region. "Our plan is adapted to a low-tech environment of inadequate hospital facilities and to lower population density where isolation is possible for whole communities and for families and individuals within communities," said Gregory Thomas, MD, a medical director of the Long Beach MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute and collaborator of the study. "The plan places greater emphasis on testing with contact-tracing and whole-family approaches to isolation. For the management and treatment of COVID-19 cases, it emphasizes patient monitoring, especially blood oxygen, and portable oxygen support for those who need it," added David Michalik, MD, pediatric infectious disease specialist at MemorialCare Miller Women's and Children's Hospital Long Beach. ### In addition to Kaplan, the paper's senior co-authors include Michael Gurven of UC Santa Barbara; Benjamin Trumble of Arizona State University; Jonathan Stieglitz of the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, France; Gregory Thomas and David Michalik of MemorialCare. About Chapman University Founded in 1861, Chapman University is a nationally-ranked private university located in Southern California. Chapman is categorized by the Carnegie Classification as an R2 "high research activity" institution and offers personalized education to more than 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The campus has produced a Rhodes Scholar, been named a top producer of Fulbright Scholars and hosts a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most prestigious honor society. Based in the City of Orange, Chapman also includes the Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus in Irvine. In 2019, the university opened its 11th college, Fowler School of Engineering, in its newest facility, Keck Center for Science and Engineering. Learn more about Chapman University: http://www. chapman. edu . This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Curbside gelato. Its one way to get through a pandemic. And something that Kaya Ogruce has definitely keyed into. A Turkish dreamboat who is also Torontos reigning chemical-engineer-turned-professional-chef-turned-full-time-scoop-artist, he has been making buzz with his far-out gelato on the radar for a while now with both socialites in the know and downtown hipsterati but even hes been startled by demand of late. Rather than scaling back during this time, I decided to scale up, he said when I caught up the other day, following a weekend which had him doing 80 deliveries, and during a time that has seen a near doubling of his company Death in Venices wholesale business. People eating their feelings? Perhaps. A way, moreover, to leverage a more accessible indulgence in a time of stuck-at-home-ness? You betcha. Ogruce, who achieved some notoriety when he won Chopped Canada in 2015 using his winnings to purchase his first Carpigiani gelato-maker has also cleverly leveraged social media. His Instagram feed churns out pics of the artisanal swirl sourced from local dairy and fruit cue, for instance, the photo of a peach-champagne-and-mint number that he dubbed Call Me By Your Name. As he explained to me, I decided to create more content during this time, and every week create new flavours to start excitement. Yeah, something to look at this during these dark times: canvasses of gelato that look like a cross between Jackson Pollock drips and the wowza of a Holi celebration in India. (All available for free delivery, at a minimum five pints!) I reached Ogruce just after Mothers Day, when he had been pushing a coconut-lemon-cream-pie dazzler from his west-end gelateria. On the to-do-list that week for the mad scientist albeit one who rides a motorcycle was a vegan nutella gelato (once you take the milk out, it is hard to get that creaminess ... but I came up with a new way of processing the hazelnut). Also taking up brain cells: a baba ghanouj version that he has been deliberating on for ages not too radical for a guy who came up with a pad-thai gelato last year! Known for many such aha dairy moments a hay gelato, for instance, that combines honey with hay from Perth County which he roasts and then soaks in milk he also, the other week, touted a superb-looking pistachio-baklava flavour, made from the famous green gold of Sicily. Those pistachios formed from the volcanic soil of Mount Etna are super hard to land, but he managed to source two cases recently. He is hoarding as much as he can! A dash of nostalgia comes scooped with that particular flavour because it summons the whole origin story of his journey into gelato (the denser, milkier Italian cousin of ice cream): he was on a motorcycle trip in Sicily when he stopped into a shop in a tiny town, selling just two flavours. One of which, naturally, was pistachio. He remembers leaning back on his bike, having that scoop, and thinking: maybe I could do this. Worth dying for? When veering to a discussion about the name of his business, he confirmed that it had nothing to do with Venezia, per se, but the Thomas Mann novella by the same name that he read during his second year in university. So, so poetic, he trailed off. A passion that ruins you, I added, giving my literary two cents. The classic which swirls around the themes of innocence and obsession was made into a 1971 film by Luchino Visconti, which easily ranks as one of the more beautiful movies ever made. Being also smitten with the movie which features a famous adagietto from Mahler, with whom the gelato generator is also obsessed Ogruce decided years ago that, if he ever opened a company, he would call it Death in Venice. Given his engineering background, though, I thought it would be Death in Venice Construction, or, like, Death in Venice Plumbing. Thankfully, both of those propositions were avoided in favour of gelato. Ogruce tells me he actually collects old editions of the novella, and currently keeps six of them in his space. As for where he gets inspiration for all his many au courant flavours, he gave a little audible shrug through the phone, telling me, It is like that old quote inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us go to work. No, he doesnt get gelato inspo in the shower. Yes, things evolve through trial and error, though he does concede that sometimes ideas occur to him while running. His exercise of choice, which hes done for the last 15 years, is a chance to really be in his head. Raspberry ginger tandoori, perchance? Or how about some white truffle and sage? Then there is Mexican chocolate mole, which he loves but has described as a pain in the butt (the process involves multiple infusions, and just one batch takes four days). Wondering what his family all of whom are still back in Turkey made of his decision to pivot careers, he made a startling confession (although one perhaps not too surprising in the immigrant context): he did not tell his parents for a long time that he had left engineering for cooking. Though they were quite supportive when he first came to Toronto as an international student, upon which he nabbed a good job in engineering and started making lots of money right out of the gate, he kept mum when he first shifted to culinary school. He did not want his mother to know he was washing dishes, essentially, and so essentially told a white lie: that his job required an immersion in the food sciences, and to get that he needed to get some cooking experience. I wanted to wait to tell her once I was on the right path, he said. Then came a job here at Scaramouche. Later: various stages overseas at well-rated spots in Holland and San Francisco. When employed at Le Grenouillere, a marquee restaurant in France, his parents came to see him and it was a turning point. Even later, he broke the news that he was shifting his focus away from cooking to doing gelato, period. His family remains bemused. Asked, finally, about the role that his engineering background still plays in what he does today all that left brain/right brain stuff Ogruce told me: My job is all math. And gelato is a bit of science. No matter what kind of engineer you are, its all problem solving at the end of the day. And so is gelato. An leading business broker with China has warned the bilateral free-trade agreement with Beijing could be scrapped. Businessman Warwick Smith warned the relationship with Beijing must be managed with 'patience, no quick judgments, and no emotionalism' after China's investment in Australia was cut by 'well over 50 per cent', The Australian reported. Diplomatic relations between Australia and China rapidly deteriorated after Prime Minister Scott Morrison began pushing for a global inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak. This week China suspended imports from four Australian abattoirs in an escalation of trade tensions between the two nations. The suspension came days after China announced plans to slap an 80 per cent tariff on Australian barley. China is Australia's number one market for beef, with exports worth more than $3 billion a year. Mr Smith, a Howard government minister and chairman of the Business Council of Australia China Leadership Group, said it was a 'reasonable proposition' the the trade clash would get worse. Businessman Warwick Smith warned the relationship with Beijing must be managed with 'patience, no quick judgments, and no emotionalism' 'We had a free-trade agreement in 2014 but that was 10 years in the making,' Mr Smith said. 'Whether that continues to be a real support for us is yet to be tested. 'We now rely very much on education and tourism, which are discretionary spends by China, along with the long-term contracts in our merchandise trade.' His comments come several weeks after his resignation from the government's National Foundation for Australia-China Relations. On Thursday, Mr Morrison acknowledged it was a difficult time for beef and barley exporters. 'We will just work through all the normal channels,' he said. 'We've always been available to make it very clear that Australia will always do the right thing when it comes to respecting other country's laws. 'The great thing about sovereignty is we always respect the sovereignty of other nations and we simply expect the same in return. And I think that's a pretty fair deal.' This week China suspended imports from four Australian abattoirs in an escalation of trade tensions between the two nations. Pictured: Australian beef is seen at a supermarket in Beijing Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton declared Australia will continue pushing for the coronavirus inquiry. Mr Dutton said families of coronavirus victims have legitimate questions that need to be answered in a transparent way. 'Australia's done nothing more than stand up for our values and we will consistently do that,' he said. Labor supports the government's calls for a coronavirus inquiry but has criticised its messaging on China-Australia relations. Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong says the prime minister should lead the debate and be more clear and consistent. "I think it is regrettable that much of this debate is being framed and led by conservative backbenchers, trying to outdo each other as to who can be more strident on China," she told ABC radio. "I don't think that serves the national interest." Senator Wong believes the inflammatory comments have been squarely aimed at a domestic audience. "We need to think less about domestic political interest from the prime minister down. We need to be focusing on the national interest." The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to consider suggestions made by some petitioners for ensuring treatment to non-COVID-19 patients. A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and A A Sayed on Friday said the authorities would accept such suggestions only if they were "realistic" and "within medical protocols". The court was hearing petitions filed by a lawyer and few social activists, which stated that people suffering from several chronic or serious ailments were being turned away from clinics and hospitals. The petitioners also highlighted issues such as lack of adequate facilities and medical infrastructure in state, civic-run, and private hospitals amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In the previous hearings, senior advocate Gayatri Singh, the counsel for one of the petitioners, had said that the state and municipal authorities did not have a detailed action plan for patients suffering from ailments other than COVID-19. Singh and other petitioners had suggested that the authorities must come up with a helpline for non-COVID-19 patients to assist them with ambulance, mobile medical aid, list of hospitals and clinics providing treatment. The petitioners also said mobile clinics and paramedical services can be provided at different locations to help patients who did not require hospitalisation, but were in need of preliminary check-ups, dialysis etc. Opposing these petitions, BMC counsel Anil Sakhre on Friday said the civic and state authorities had made adequate arrangements for the treatment of non-COVID-19 patients. The bench, however, said some of the suggestions made by the petitioners were of value and since "every possible option needed to be explored" to counter the problems arising out of the pandemic, the authorities must consider implementing these suggestions. The court has now directed the petitioners to consult experts and private institutions and submit a list of realistic suggestions for the authorities. The state and the BMC can consider these suggestions and inform the court of the same on May 22, the bench said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [May 16, 2020] Buy Wild-Caught Gulf Shrimp Now: New Orleans-Based Paul Piazza & Son Seafood Launches Online Store NEW ORLEANS, May 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Paul Piazza & Son, Inc., one of the largest processors of wild-caught Gulf of Mexico shrimp in the country, has launched a direct-to-consumer buying portal today in response to increased requests from consumers to buy its wild-caught shrimp products. The company is offering its most popular sizes and product forms with free shipping with minimum order direct from Louisiana. "We began to see a particularly high number of requests on our website coming from areas in which we aren't already selling through retailers," said Andy Neely, vice-president of sales. "The Paul Piazza brands can be found in many areas of the U.S. through our valued retail partners, but there are places where people can't buy our shrimp in a store or want a broader product selection." Shrimp are the most popular seafood item in America, and the demand for healthy, sustainable, wild-caught shrimp has also increased as shortages of beef, pork and poultry have surfaced due to plant shutdowns and higher consumer demand. The launch is taking place just in time for the 2020 Gulf shrimp season. Shrimp processors like Piazza, which has "excellent" SQF (Safe Quality Food) ratings for food safety, have avoided such problems and have an ample supply of wild-caught Gulf shrimp ready to be shipped to consumers, restaurants and retailers anywhere inthe U.S. The company also believes demand has increased because consumers are making a more conscious effort to buy American. "Imported, pond-raised, typically less flavorful shrimp are much easier to obtain in a store. They are a different variety and are generally cheaper," says Garet Hutchinson, regional manager and corporate chef. "But there's nothing like knowing that your shrimp came from our American waters and from hardworking American shrimpers." Paul Piazza & Son Seafood, Inc. has been in business for more than 125 years, and the family business has adapted to crises and changes in the market before. In 2005, the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina led to Paul Piazza & Son's largest and most strategic expansion to date. Those who wish to order direct online as well as restaurants and grocery stores looking to source premium, wild-caught Gulf shrimp can contact Paul Piazza & Son Seafood by visiting PaulPiazza.com. The site also features more about the company's background, history and operations, shrimp sustainability, the health benefits of wild-caught shrimp and its most popular page -- recipes. "The quality and rich taste of premium, wild-caught Gulf shrimp make them a real delicacy," adds Neely. "And now anyone can get them sent straight to their door." About Paul Piazza & Son Seafood, Inc.: Paul Piazza & Son Seafood, Inc. based in New Orleans, Louisiana, is the leader in processing sustainably-sourced shrimp from the coasts of Louisiana and Texas. As one of the largest, vertically integrated shrimp suppliers in the U.S., the company processes more than 30 million pounds annually. The company is deeply involved in sustainability initiatives, working closely with wildlife officials and state and federal regulators, following sustainable and socially responsible practices. More information is available at http://www.paulpiazza.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/buy-wild-caught-gulf-shrimp-now-new-orleans-based-paul-piazza--son-seafood-launches-online-store-301060452.html SOURCE Paul Piazza & Son Seafood, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A new drug that rebuilds crumbling bones could spare thousands of elderly people from debilitating fractures. More than three million people in the UK have osteoporosis, which causes the bones to become fragile. While the condition is four times as common in women, men are affected too and are likely to suffer more complications. Bone cells are constantly dying and being renewed, but in patients with osteoporosis not enough new bone forms. This means they become more porous, weaker and more prone to fracturing. The condition often goes undetected and can cause no symptoms until bones break. Bone cells are constantly dying and being renewed, but in patients with osteoporosis not enough new bone forms. This means they become more porous, weaker and more prone to fracturing. The condition often goes undetected and can cause no symptoms until bones break Every year, about 500,000 people in the UK with osteoporosis will receive hospital treatment for fractures as a result of very slight falls and knocks. Broken hips, wrists and spinal vertebrae are common in people with the condition Every year, about 500,000 people in the UK with osteoporosis will receive hospital treatment for fractures as a result of very slight falls and knocks. Broken hips, wrists and spinal vertebrae are common in people with the condition. Professor David Reid, a private consultant rheumatologist and senior medical adviser to the Royal Osteoporosis Society Bone Research Academy, said: Spinal fractures can be disabling and extremely painful. The problem is that you cant just put someone with one in plaster or a brace. It can be really uncomfortable to move about and takes about three months to heal. Over time, some people who suffer spinal fractures may also develop a stooped posture, as the spine struggles to support the weight of their body, and this can lead to breathing difficulties. Patients with osteoporosis are currently offered two main types of drug treatment. The first slows the rate of bone loss, while the second encourages new bone to form. For almost a decade, no new drugs have been deemed effective or safe enough to be given to patients. But at the end of last year, the European Medicines Agency approved romosozumab, a new type of bone-forming treatment, for some post-menopausal women with severe osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is more common in women than men particularly after the menopause because of falling levels of the female sex hormone oestrogen, which is vital for healthy bone formation. The new treatment, which has the brand name Evenity, works by blocking sclerostin, a substance that stops new bone cells forming. A study found that post-menopausal women with osteoporosis who were given the new drug had a 73 per cent lower chance of developing a new spinal fracture after a year, compared with women who received a placebo. The treatment has also been shown to increase the density of the thigh bone, hip and vertebrae. The advantage of this drug compared with other existing bone-building drugs, is that it seems to build bone in the spine more quickly, Prof Reid says, but it also builds bone at the hip, which the other bone-forming drugs dont. The assumption is that, based on the change in bone density, the risk of other fractures would also be significantly reduced. However, it is not suitable for everyone. Osteoporosis patients at a high risk of a heart attack or stroke should not be given the drug, as one study found it could increase the chances of either happening. Romosozumab is self-injected by patients once a month for 12 months. The medication must be administered in two separate injections in two different areas. Most patients choose to inject one dose in each thigh. After a year, patients are moved on to treatments that slow the breakdown of the newly thickened bones. Romosozumab is now being used to treat UK patients in private practice but is not yet available on the NHS. Its appraisal has been delayed by spending watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, as a result of Covid-19. At the moment it is deemed suitable only for patients with severe osteoporosis who have recently had a fracture and are likely to suffer another. But Prof Reid hopes that in the future, bone-forming drugs could be used in people with a less severe form of the condition. I believe in five to ten years time we will be treating a lot more people who have had a fracture and who have low bone density with bone-forming drugs, he says. I think that it will become the first-line treatment. A spokeswoman for the Royal Osteoporosis Society, adds: Its taken 15 years of research to get to this point, and its been nine years since the last osteoporosis drug was approved. This really is a positive step and provides improved patient choice. Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates both recommend reading the same book about meditation for handling stress and uncertainty: "21 Lessons for the 21st Century" by historian and philosopher, Yuval Noah Harari. The book contains essays about the "future of humankind," and how society is challenged and impacted by technology and information. Harari's suggestion is to use meditation to address the many worries or anxieties that we may have about the future, including topics like climate change, terrorism, artificial intelligence and privacy. "The trick for putting an end to our anxieties, [Harari] suggests, is not to stop worrying," Gates wrote in a 2018 blog post. "It's to know which things to worry about, and how much to worry about them." For example, you should focus on the day's challenges and think about what problems truly require our attention. "Of course, he isn't suggesting that the world's problems will vanish if enough of us start sitting in the lotus position and chanting om," Gates, who meditates two or three times a week for about 10 minutes each session, wrote in the blog. "But he does insist that life in the 21st century demands mindfulnessgetting to know ourselves better and seeing how we contribute to suffering in our own lives." To people who've never meditated before, this strategy might sound a little far-fetched. In a recent episode of "The Artificial Intelligence Podcast with Lex Fridman," which aired on April 26, Dorsey explained how this philosophy can be applied to some of the issues that people encounter with using technology in daily life. For example, Harari posits that young kids who grow up using Google might be learning to "off-load self-awareness" to computer programs and algorithms that can do the thinking and decision-making for them, Dorsey said on the podcast. "His concern is that we lose that self-awareness because the self-awareness is now outside of us and it's doing such a better job at helping us direct our decisions," Dorsey said about Harari. So how does meditation fit in here? "He sees meditation as a tool to build the self-awareness and to bring the focus back on, 'Why do I make these decisions? Why do I react in this way? Why did I have this thought? Where did that come from?'" Dorsey said. Both Harari and Dorsey practice vipassana meditation, or "insight meditation," a technique that focuses on observing and understanding thought patterns. "I do two hours every day of meditation," Harari told GQ in 2018. "I go to a lot of retreats, up to 60 days every year, and it works for me. I won't say that it will work the same for everybody. Different techniques work for different for people." Dorsey also meditates for two hours daily, and has been on 10-day silent meditation retreats. Check out: The best credit cards of 2021 could earn you over $1,000 in 5 years Don't miss: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday responded to US President Donald Trump's announcement on donating ventilators to India. Taking to Twitter, he said, "More power to India-US friendship." PM Modi in his tweet wrote, "In such times, it's always important for nations to work together and do as much as possible to make our world healthier and free from COVID-19". Thank you @POTUS@realDonaldTrump. This pandemic is being fought collectively by all of us. In such times, it's always important for nations to work together and do as much as possible to make our world healthier and free from COVID-19. More power to YY - YY friendship! https://t.co/GRrgWFhYzR - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2020 US President Donald Trump had announced on Twitter that his country will donate ventilators to "our friend" India to treat the COVID-19 patients. Trump also said, "Together we will beat the invisible enemy!". Also read: Coronavirus crisis: Will donate ventilators to India, stand with PM Modi, says Trump "We are sending a lot of ventilators to India. I spoke to Prime Minister Modi. We have a tremendous supply of ventilators," Trump told reporters on Friday. "India has been so great, and as you know your prime minister has been a very good friend of mine. I just got back a short while ago and we are very much together," Trump added, referring to his visit to India in February. Trump further stated that Indian-Americans were "great" scientists and researchers, who were contributing to the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. In April, India exported millions of hydroxychloroquine tablets to the US for treating COVID-19 patients. At the time, the US President extolled Modi for his "strong leadership." Also read: Nirmala Sitharaman Press Conference at 4 PM Live Updates: Economic package Tranche IV to be announced soon Trump on Friday announced that "Operation Warp Speed" was underway to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. He said that Operation Warp Speed was evaluating 14 vaccine candidates. A total of $10 billion has been allocated for the vaccine making operation, the US President affirmed. Venice geared up to receive tourists, Milan's pizzerias prepared to open and Australians headed out to eat for the first time in weeks Saturday, but the reopening of restaurants, pubs and cafes came with a warning: Don't overdo it. Public health experts are urging caution as governments ease restrictions on eateries, shops and parks in many countries and roll out measures to restart dormant factories. The coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 300,000 people, has slowed in many places but could pick up again if precautions aren't taken or officials move too quickly to get people back to work. The message is, yes, appreciate all the efforts, appreciate the opportunity to release some of those measures, but let's not have a party, let's not go to town, said Tony Bartone, president of the Australian Medical Association. Most restaurants are limited to 10 customers at a time, and Bartone said people must maintain social distance, follow coughing etiquette, wash their hands regularly and stay away from others if they are ill. In New Zealand, even Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her fiance, Clarke Gayford, were initially turned away for Saturday brunch by a restaurant in the capital city, Wellington, because it was too full under coronavirus guidelines. Gayford took responsibility, saying he hadn't made reservations. There was a happy ending, as a spot freed up and staff chased down the street to call the couple back. "A+ service, Gayford tweeted. Italy's tourism industry is focused firmly on June 3, when both regional and international borders reopen, allowing the first prospect of tourists since Europe's first lockdown went into place in early March. In tourist-reliant Venice, occupancy of the city's 50,000 hotel beds has hovered around zero ever since. Venice lives on tourism, period,'' said Claudio Scarpa, head of the city's hotel association. ''All the economic structures that operate in the city, including the port, are tied to tourism. While Venice hopes for some kind of restart, it may have to wait a while yet. Germany its border about a four-hour drive from Venice is instructing citizens not to travel abroad for tourism until at least June 15. France was also being cautious, calling for a coordinated European effort on opening. At the same time, it could make decisions that protect the French regarding countries where the virus is still active, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said Saturday. In Milan, Italy's financial capital, 3,400 restaurants plan to open Monday, along with 4,800 bars, 2,900 hairdressers, 2,200 clothing stores and 700 shoe shops. "After a long period at home, we will all want to go out and have a good coffee in a bar, eat a pizza in a pizzeria, buy a pair of jeans, or go to the hairdressers," Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said in a Facebook video Saturday. Many restaurant owners, however, complained that the new rules for reopening were unclear and that the entire sector including suppliers and food producers was suffering. Dozens protested Saturday outside Milan's main train station in front of signs reading: I won't open today to close tomorrow, and calling for an abolition of taxes and more concrete help. In Britain, officials and tourism boards were discouraging people from visiting popular tourist spots like beaches or country parks on the first weekend since lockdown rules were eased in England. Rules remain stricter in other parts of the UK and English daytrippers have been warned against crossing into Scotland or Wales. In the United States, an Associated Press analysis found that 41 of the nation's 50 states fall short of the COVID-19 testing levels that experts say are necessary to avoid another wave of outbreaks, even as some of those states move aggressively to allow businesses to reopen. Rapid, widespread testing is considered essential to tracking and containing the coronavirus. The AP analysis is based on metrics developed by Harvard University's Global Health Institute. Harvard researchers have calculated that the US needs to test at least 900,000 people daily to reopen the economy safely, nearly three times the current tally of about 360,000, according to figures compiled by the COVID Tracking Project website. Among the states falling short are Texas and Georgia, which have reopened shopping malls, barbershops and other businesses, although New York state is moving more cautiously. I really do feel there are dangers here to opening up without enough tests, but I don't feel it's a uniform danger everywhere in the country, said Dr. Ashish Jha, director of Harvard's Global Health Institute. In South Korea, which has one of the highest levels of testing, a Health Ministry spokesman said Saturday that the country may have dodged a major outbreak after finding 162 cases linked to clubgoers in Seoul, the densely populated capital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CAIRO Dr. Dina Abdel-Salam watched in terror last month as scores of strangers gathered under the balcony of her aunts empty apartment in the Egyptian city of Ismailia, where shed temporarily sheltered after leaving her elderly parents at home to protect them from exposure to the coronavirus. The crowd called out her name, hurling threats until she dialed the police for help. You have moved here to make us sick, someone shouted. Abdel-Salams ordeal is just one of many in a wave of assaults on doctors, illustrating how public fear and rage can turn against the very people risking their lives to save patients in the pandemic. While many cities across the world erupt at sundown with collective cheers to thank front-line workers treating COVID-19 patients, in Egypt, India, the Philippines, Mexico and elsewhere, some doctors and nurses have come under attack, intimidated and treated like pariahs because of their work. The pandemic, especially in places with limited healthcare infrastructure, has already subjected doctors to hardships. But medical workers, seen as possible sources of contagion, face another staggering challenge in these countries: the stigma associated with the illness. Now more than ever, we need to recognize the importance of investing in our health workforce and take concrete actions that guarantee their well-being and safety, Ahmed al-Mandhari, the World Health Organizations regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said in a virtual news conference earlier this week. But in many places, thats a difficult task as mistrust, fear and misinformation can have devastating effects. Decades of poor education and scant government services in some places have created deep misgivings about the medical profession. In central India, a group of five health workers, dressed in full protective suits, entered a neighborhood to quarantine contacts of a confirmed COVID-19 patient when a mob descended, slinging stones and screaming insults. Some people felt that the doctors and nurses will come and take their blood, said Laxmi Narayan Sharma, the health union president in Madhya Pradesh, in central India. In the southern Indian city of Chennai, another stone-throwing mob broke up a funeral for Simon Hercules, a neurologist who died from COVID-19, pelting the ambulance carrying his remains and forcing his family and friends to run for their lives. In Afghanistan, conspiracy theories undermine the credibility of medical professionals. Nearly 19 years after the U.S.-led coalition defeated the Taliban, many blame Western nations for the countrys deterioration. One commonly shared conspiracy theory is that the virus was allegedly manufactured by the U.S. and China to reduce the world population, said Sayed Massi Noori, a doctor at one of two Kabul hospitals testing for coronavirus. Last week, several physicians at the emergency unit of the Afghan Japan Hospital, where Noori works, were mobbed by 15 family members of a patient who died of the virus. The doctors had their noses bloodied. The relatives believe it is the doctors who killed their family members, Noori said. The coronavirus hotline in Ouagadougou, the capital of war-torn Burkina Faso, fields calls about persistent coughs and headaches. But it has also gotten death threats. They call and say that after theyre finished killing the soldiers in the north, theyre going to come and kill everyone here, said Red Cross volunteer Emmanual Drabo. Health workers across the Philippines have been attacked and targeted more than 100 times since mid-March, resulting in 39 arrests, police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar told The Associated Press. In one attack, five men stopped a nurse heading to work in the Sultan Kudarat province in late March, throwing liquid bleach into his face and burning his eyes. Tough-talking President Rodrigo Duterte, long censured for his violent approach to curbing crime, responded: I told the police, maybe its illegal but Ill answer for it. Pour it back on the attackers of doctors and nurses. In Guadalajara, Mexicos second-largest city, doctors and nurses say just venturing out in scrubs invites danger. One city hospital instructed its workers to shed their uniforms when they clock out, and the government has assigned National Guard troops to public hospitals. Similar fears have sparked arrests in Sudan. In Omdurman, across the Nile River from the capital, Khartoum, a riot erupted at a hospital when rumor spread it would take COVID-19 patients. Police arrested several people who tried to attack the building, said hospital director Babaker Youssef. In Egypt, even hospital administrators have faced public anger. Ahmed Abbas, the vice president of a government hospital in Egypts Nile Delta city of Zagazig, was wearing scrubs when he was jostled and cursed while waiting in line at an ATM. The head of Egypts Doctors Union, Ihab el-Taher, says such incidents are limited but still disheartening. On top of a global shortage of respirators, virus testing, and protective equipment, increased public hostility has deprived some medical professionals of basic needs such as housing and transportation. In Indias capital, New Delhi, doctors and first responders reported being evicted by their landlords. A nurse in Ethiopia said taxis refuse to pick up workers coming out of the nations main hospital dedicated to coronavirus patients. As the wave of attacks spurs government efforts to better support medical personnel and dispel rumors, many doctors draw optimism from growing public awareness. After police dispersed the mob beneath her balcony in Ismailia, some people came back to apologize, Abdel-Salam said. In India, two of the doctors pelted with stones in Madhya Pradesh were cheered when they returned with gifts of saplings a day later, after health officials had explained the purpose of their visit. Yet painful memories linger. After the aborted burial of Dr. Hercules in southern India, one of his colleagues had to pick shards of glass off his shrouded body. Another colleague, Pradeep Kumar, gathered two hospital workers and returned under the cover of night to cover the dug-out grave with dirt. We had to literally use our hands, Kumar said. This man deserved something better than that. ___ Schmall reported from New Delhi. Associated Press writers Chonchui Ngashangva in New Delhi; Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines; Tameem Akhgar in Kabul, Afghanistan; Sam Mednick in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and Elias Meseret in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, contributed. The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu, says Parliament has put in place adequate measures to safeguard parliamentarians from COVID-19. Ranking Member on Parliaments Health Committee, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh in an interview on Thursday called for the House to sit in batches or convene intermittently only when there are critical issues in the House to protect Members of Parliament (MP). He also kicked against the recall of the House without the necessary nuances to protect members against the virus. But speaking to Citi News, Mr. Osei Owusu who is also the MP for Bekwai said Parliament has the situation under the control. So far we have taken steps to ensure that, it is impracticable for one to infect the other. Parliament has provided face masks for every member and staff. We have provided hand sanitizers and other hand washing equipment at all entrances of Parliament. Even all members are not in the chamber at the same time. It doesnt even happen. Some are at committee meetings, others are doing parliamentary works elsewhere out of the chamber. So the kind of congestion is totally not present. Parliament is scheduled to resume sittings for the second meeting for this session on May 19, 2020, in spite of a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases recorded in the country. The House adjourned sittings on May 1, 2020, after a series of emergency meetings necessitated by the pandemic. As of Friday, [15th April 2020] Ghana's novel coronavirus cases have risen to 5,638 with recoveries also rising to 1,460 . ---citinewsroom President Muhammadu Buhari has unexpectedly chosen an exceptional new Chief of Staff (COS), Professor Ibrahim Gambari, (his friends call him Prof), to replace the recently deceased Malam Abba Kyari. Over these many years, through meetings formal and informal at the United Nations, Washington DC, Abuja, and Darfur, I have come to respect Prof. Gambari as an honorable and thoughtful Nigerian leader. During our many discussions, his depth and breadth of strategic thinking was evident and contributed to my knowledge of Nigeria, Africa, and the United States. President Buhari and Prof Gambari know each other well. Prof Gambari served as the Minister for External (Foreign) Affairs between 1984 and 1985 under General Buharis military regime before it was overthrown in a coup. It should be remembered that during that time period, when the government of Gen. Buhari resisted the Washington Consensus and the Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs), the Naira was worth $1.34 dollars. Following the regime change of the Buhari-Gambari partnership, the Naira was immediately devalued to 25 to $1. As it is said, the rest is history. Not a career politician or member of the foreign service, Prof Gambari as ambassador headed the Nigerian Mission to the United Nations from 1990-1999 and had the distinction of serving under five heads of state during his tenure. Recognizing his experience and diplomatic skills, Prof Gambari upon leaving the Nigerian Mission was appointed Special Adviser on Africa to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan from 1999 to 2005. He was the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Political Affairs from 2005 to 2007 under Secretary-Generals Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-Moon. Recognizing his experience and diplomatic skills Prof Gambari was appointed head of the Joint African Union-United Nations mission in Darfur (UNAMID) from 2010-2012. As head of the 26,000 man UNAMID force, Prof Gambari navigated a difficult peace keeping operation between the government of Sudan and those international forces who were intent on a Khartoum regime change. Nigeria in Difficult Times Nigeria is experiencing multiple tribulations. Its economy is suffering with 40% of its 200 million population living in extreme poverty and the majority of Nigerias tens of millions youth are unemployed. Infrastructure is inadequate, especially the lack of daily accessibility to electrical power for consumers and commercial enterprises. Furthermore, the murderous Boko Haram is still operating in the northeastern section of the country. Worsening the condition in Nigeria is the COVID-19 pandemic, which could potentially explode given the insufficient healthcare needed to contain and combat the effects of the coronavirus. The collapse of the price of oil now fluctuating below $30 per barrel has caused significant shortfalls in Nigerias revenue and its ability to accumulate foreign exchange. Nigerias national budget has been thrown into turmoil because it was predicated on a minimum price of $50 per barrel. Essential priorities for Nigeria, which I have discussed with government leaders: A national economic growth plan that benefits all geographical sections of the nation Massive building of physical infrastructure including an urgent mobilization to upgrade and expand healthcare Reverse the shrinking Lake Chad and transform the Lake Chad Basin by implementing Transaqua, an inter-basin water project supported by President Buhari. Stark weaknesses of globalization have vividly surfaced due to the spread of COVID-19, which has caused devastation, and will likely continue throughout 2020. As a result, the world is crying out for a New International Economic Order to replace the currently defective international financial system. A new paradigm for development that values human life above debt service, prioritizes economic growth, and the elimination of poverty. Nigeria and its people, whose potential has been recognized since the liberation of the continent from colonialism, should play a leading role in this economic transformation of Africa. To begin the process of accomplishing these goals, President Buhari, in the remaining years of his second term, will need the support of a trusted group of counsellors. It is my hope that my friend, Prof Gambari, a first-class strategic thinker, and a patriot who cares deeply for Nigeria, will galvanize this effort. Below I provide excerpts from an article I wrote about Prof Gambari in March 2002, because of their relevancy today. Professor Gambari discussed the effects of debt over-hang on Africas development. The heavy debt burden of many countries is robbing them of their sovereignty, and impeding their pursuit of economic and social policies. The sad part is that debt overhang is hitting generations that had little or nothing [to do] with its contraction. As the UNDP poverty report observes, the truth of the matter is that demands debt servicing are no longer a matter of money, but a source of the excruciating impoverishment of peoples lives. While not attacking globalization directly, Gambari diplomatically discussed the consequences for African economiesthe unequal benefits from the globalization process. Globalization, driven by market and capital expansion, often pays little attention to governance of these markets and their repercussions on people, and does not guarantee equity and human development. The results of globalization are that Africas share of world trade has declined from 40% (1980s) to less than 2% at present. Lawrence Freeman is a Political-Economic Analyst for Africa, who has been involved in the economic development policy of Africa for 30 years. He is the creator of the blog: lawrencefreemanafricaandtheworld.com Tennessee American Water and the American Water Charitable Foundation have announced that the Foundation is providing $15,000 in grants to four Tennessee organizations for their COVID-19 relief efforts. Tennessee American Water, with funds from the American Water Charitable Foundation, is donating to the YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga, the Marion County Food Bank, La Paz Chattanooga and the Sequatchie County Food Bank, to assist with meals and social support services during this health emergency. There has never been a more critical time in our country to support one another or lend a charitable hand to our communities and neighbors in need, said Tennessee American Water President Darlene Williams. We know our customers, employees, and neighbors have all been personally impacted by this public health emergency. While Tennessee American Water continues diligently working to provide essential water services, we are grateful to these organizations for the incredible work they are doing to care for people. Information about the organizations is as follows: Marion County Food Bank is an emergency food source for Marion County. During the COVID-19 health emergency the food bank is experiencing an increase in demand for food brought about by an increase in the number of families (approximately 60%) for whom the wage earner(s) are now unemployed. The grant will enable the food bank to provide food for these families in addition to their regular client families. YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga is serving an average of 1,500 to 2,000 meals each day, along with providing educational materials to promote early and school-age learning during childcare and school closures in both English and Spanish. This is an immediate response to meet the need of nutrition while schools/child-care centers are closed. Sequatchie County Fellowship of Churches serves through its food bank over 400 families in rural Sequatchie County with an all-volunteer staff. La Paz Chattanooga is a social service organization working to provide COVID-19 health emergency relief funds to individuals and families, food and supplies as well as health and wellness support. La Paz served over 500 people in March and almost 60 families so far with supportive funding. "In March, Tennessee American Water was one of the first water utilities to suspend shut-offs for nonpayment and restored previously discontinued residential customer service. Tennessee American Water has also suspended late fees until further notice and is working with customers who are experiencing hardships, including offering the option to apply for payment programs and its Project Water Help payment assistance program," officials said. Reopening the US - despite the continuing upward march of coronavirus cases and deaths - signals that the country has given up on trying to stop the disease entirely, and is shifting focus to trying to reduce harm from it, one ER doctor told CNN. 'We had a strategy before. That strategy was we would reduce the number of infections and at the same time build up our capabilities to do testing, tracing, isolation,' Dr Leana Wen, an ER physician and former health commissioner of Baltimore, told CNN during a Thursday night global town hall. 'We know that that's what's going to be effective, but we are reopening before those capabilities are in place. 'So in essence, we're saying it's too hard. We're not going to be able to get there. And so we're switching to a new phase.' In public health terminology, it's a change from mitigation - trying to stop coronavirus's spread in its tracks - to mitigation, which aims to minimize the pandemic's damage, but admits that it will continue to infect and kill people. It was perhaps inevitable, as top US officials including Dr Anthony Fauci and Dr Robert Redfield warned that coronavirus may well be with us for the long-haul, but Dr Wen worries that the nation and its healthcare system are not prepared for the new stage. Baltimore's former health commissioner Dr Leana Wen said she worries that the US is opening before states could get necessary measures for keeping coronavirus infections from turning into outbreaks, ike contact tracing, up and running Technically, the US switched from prevention to mitigation strategies months ago. Travel restrictions, beginning with barring entry for people coming from China, were implemented by the Trump administration on January 31 - 10 days after the first US case of coronavirus was confirmed. At that point it seemed possible to isolate and contain individual cases and prevent a full-blown outbreak of the infection in the US. It wasn't. To-date, more than 1.45 million Americans have been infected by coronavirus and nearly 87,00 have died. Still, the Trump administration's March 16 guidelines urging Americans to stay home if at all possible, and state stay-at-home orders were intended to do more than cope with the virus as if it were endemic. They were intended to slow the spread while scientists searched for a cure or vaccine to prevent coronavirus. Dr Mark Poznansky, an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General, said that the increase in infections as restrictions are lifted is inevitable, but that hospitals and society at large simply must be nimble amid the ever-changing pandemic. Pictured: Doctors tend to a coronavirus patient in Stamford, Connecticut (file) But Trump's guidelines expire Friday, and most US states have begun to lift their social distancing measures. Phase 1 reopening guidelines require states to show two-week declines infections and that they have adequate hospital and testing capacity for frontline workers. According to an NPR analysis, only about 10 states are at or near their testing targets. 'Every case that's out there could be the spark that starts another outbreak in your community that gets out of control,' former CDC acting director As for infection rates, it simply may not be possible to wait long enough for treatments and vaccines to prevent or stem them, or for herd immunity to build. Dr Mark Poznansky, an infectious disease expert at Massachusetts General Hospital told DailyMail.com that about 10 percent of the Boston area is estimated to have had coronavirus. As states reopen, an increase in infections will be inevitable, but more testing and tracing will help protect the most vulnerable people, like the elderly. Dr Wen worries that the US is throwing its hands up before these systems are solidly in place (file) f That's far short of the 60 or 70 percent he says will be necessary for any kind of herd immunity to take hold. He expects that infections will increase up to some 20 percent as things begin to eopen. 'Hospitals will have to be nimble and adapt to the changing environment,' he said. 'By all rights, [increases in cases] will continue to happen and the government is being appropriately cautious.' But that, he says, is an inevitability of the pandemic. 'There's no standing still position,' other than keeping the whole country locked down. Among the flexible responses that states can and should put into place are contact tracers. 'It makes a great deal of sense to do contact tracing to contain outbreaks, it's a well-proven way of containing outbreaks,' said Dr Poznansky. Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Dr Thomas Frieden echoed his sentiments. 'The risk of [reopening] without contact tracing is that you're going to have cases spread it, and you can't stop it,' he told DailyMail.com. Contact tracing, he said, 'can help a lot in reducing the risk that cases become clusters and cluster become an outbreak and an outbreak becomes an epidemic.' Political analysts in Nepal on Saturday favoured a diplomatic solution to the Lipulekh and Kalapani border dispute with India even as they sharply reacted to Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane's recent remarks on the issue. The Lipulekh pass is a far western point near Kalapani, a disputed border area between Nepal and India. Both India and Nepal claim Kalapani as an integral part of their territory - India as part of Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district and Nepal as part of Dharchula district. Gen Naravane on Friday said there were reasons to believe that Nepal objected to India's newly-inaugurated road linking Lipulekh Pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand at the behest of "someone else", in an apparent reference to a possible role by China on the matter. "It is easy to deflect attention and shift the blame to another country, whereas the truth is that the road crosses the Mahakali River and enters Nepal's territory," Nepal's former foreign secretary Madhuraman Acharya said. Senior journalist Kanakmani Dikshit advised the Nepal government to use track I or II diplomacy to resolve the border issue with India. "As Nepal-India relations spiral, there's a need for furious back-channel diplomacy, does not matter whether it is Track One, Two or Ten," he tweeted. "Amidst the certitude in New Delhi and chaos in Kathmandu, however, I wonder if anyone has time/wants to think of this." "Nepalese people are suspecting China's complicit role in allowing India to open up the Lupulekh Pass bypassing Nepal," he claimed. Political analyst Geja Sharma Wagley termed Gen Naravane's remarks as deplorable. "The deplorable and undiplomatic remarks of Gen Naravane, who is the honorary General of the Nepal Army, reflect the very character & mindset of the Indian Government, & India's haugnty approach about ongoing border dispute!" Addressing Parliament on Friday, Nepal's President Bidhya Bhandari reiterated that "Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani fall within Nepal's territory. "Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh belong to us and appropriate diplomatic measures will be adopted to resolve existing issues, she said, adding that a new political map will be issued incorporating all these territories. The issue became viral in Nepalese social media, where most of the people drew the attention of the government to take urgent measures to protect the country's border and resolve the issue as soon as possible. Nepal on Monday summoned the Indian Ambassador and handed over a diplomatic note to him to protest against the construction of the key road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand. The 80-Km new road inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on last Friday is expected to help pilgrims visiting Kailash-Mansarovar in Tibet in China as it is around 90 kms from the Lipulekh pass. "The recently inaugurated road section in Pithoragarh district in the state of Uttarakhand lies completely within the territory of India. The road follows the pre-existing route used by the pilgrims of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra," spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Anurag Srivastava said in New Delhi last week. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Portland officials should combine their $114 million in federal coronavirus relief funds with Multnomah Countys $28 million to together fund recovery efforts for Oregons largest county, State House Speaker Tina Kotek said Friday. During a legislative Emergency Board meeting, Kotek urged Portland to share its allocation of CARES Act relief funds with the county, which is the primary public health provider for both jurisdictions. She suggested a countywide approach to spending the money, similar to the city-county Joint Office of Homeless Services, to ensure the county can fund a proper public health response in areas such as Gresham and Troutdale. It was a rare admonishment from Kotek, a North Portland Democrat who has long held power in Salem, to direct elected Portland-area officials what to do. A top aide to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said Friday the Portland City Council, in consultation with county leaders, will decide priorities for how to apportion the citys federal aid later this month. Multnomah County is one of the states largest economic engines, Kotek said, and if it doesnt have enough funds to address the crisis they will not get to recovering in a way that will help individuals with the economic support they need. Oregon received about $2.45 billion in aid from the federal coronavirus relief package. The U.S. Treasury Department allowed the state to pass $1.6 billion to local jurisdictions. The money cant be used to make up lost revenue, according to the U.S. Department of Treasury. It can only be used to cover unbudgeted expenses due to COVID-19 that occur between March 1 and Dec. 30. Counties and cities with populations of more than 500,000 were eligible for direct funding. In Oregon, that was Portland, Multnomah County and Washington County, which received $105 million. Koteks statement was in part a response to a letter the Portland City Council sent to her, Senate President Peter Courtney and Gov. Kate Brown earlier on Friday urging them not to disqualify the Portland area from additional funding. The greater Portland Metropolitan region is the largest, densest and most diverse corner of (the) state, the letter said. Preemptively closing the door (to) state funds to our region is short-sighted and we encourage the governor and Legislature to reconsider this posture. Sonia Schmanski, deputy chief of staff to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, said city leaders are working with Multnomah County, particularly on the response to homelessness amid the pandemic. She said both jurisdictions have agreed to a 50/50 split on costs such as additional shelters and providing hotel rooms for sick people without homes who need to recover. Schmanski said the City Council will discuss its priorities for the citys CARES Act dollars later this month. Whether to combine funds would ultimately be up to the Portland City Council and Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, she said. The virus doesnt respect geographical borders nor does it respect jurisdictional boundaries, Schmanski said. Weve all been in this together since day one. County Board Chair Deborah Kafoury didnt immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. She said Thursday that the county wasnt ready to embark under the governors Phase 1 reopening and that the county could incur around $75 million in increased costs because of the coronavirus. She told The Oregonian/OregonLive last month that state, county and city officials would be in talks about the federal money to make sure were all in agreement on how the money can best be spent. Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter -- Everton Bailey Jr; ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 | @EvertonBailey Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. 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 A total of 449 trains have so far brought over 5.64 lakh migrants back to Uttar Pradesh, the highest in the country, Additional Chief Secretary Awanish Awasthi on Saturday said. Seventy-three trains are scheduled to arrive on Saturday while permission for 286 trains has been given for Sunday. In this way, about 9.50 lakh migrant labourers and workers have either returned or arrangements for their return have been made, Awasthi said. More than 15 lakh workers have returned to Uttar Pradesh by trains, buses and other modes of transport till now, the additional chief secretary added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Having been transplanted from London to Chicago with the 2000 John Cusack film, then to Broadway for the 2006 musical, its not a stretch to reimagine the characters of Nick Hornbys 1995 comic breakup novel angsting in Brooklyn. Lonely heart record-shop owner, Rob, however, as a woman, was a risky move. Zoe Kravitz (Big Little Lies) is believable as the cynical singleton, but her gender does shift the narrative towards Bridget Jones territory. The Dog House Credit: THE DOG HOUSE 7pm, Ten This warm and fuzzy British observational series filmed at a dog rescue centre in the country feels a lot like The Supervet, both in tone and in the fact that the focus of the stories is on (potential) pet owners, rather than pets. Instead of operations, delicate match making is performed by the sensitive staff. Here, they find a home for a pair of terrier pupperinos, and a furry friend for an octogenarian. A man is dead after being hit by a large truck while he was loading a vehicle onto a trailer south of Brisbane. Police said it was about 10.50am on Saturday when the Isuzu truck travelling on Sunrise Street at Beenleigh hit the rear right-hand side of the ute, which was attached to the trailer. The 30-year-old Boronia Heights man suffered critical injuries and died at the scene. Forensic crash unit investigations continue. By Delana Isles THE CARIBBEAN has attained coronavirus containment with many countries flattening the curve - but caution should still be taken about reopening borders for these tourism dependent destinations. This is the view of Dr Clive Landis, pro-vice-chancellor for undergraduate studies and research, and professor of cardiovascular research at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill campus in Barbados. Dr Landis is also the chairman of the UWI Covid-19 task force - whose aim is to leverage the universitys knowledge and experts to assist the Caribbean in its readiness and response to the virus outbreak, mindful that the regions best defence is a coordinated and collaborative approach. He led the research into the progress of the virus in the 15-member Caribbean Community (Caricom), as well as the British overseas territories. At the time of this disclosure, Dr Landis was a guest on this weeks Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) podcast, Covid-19: The unwelcome visitor. He cautioned that containment does not mean that the region is out of danger. "The bottom line for the whole Caribbean is that the Caribbean has avoided the kind of outbreak, the kind of epidemic that weve seen in many European countriesand north America. Weve avoided that. Significantly, countries have either already flattened the curve or are well on their way to doing so, Dr Landis said. "When you look at the growth trajectories, they are basically flat [in virtually all the countries]. Those countries are Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad, St Vincent, Bermuda and all of the British overseas territories - Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Monserrat, British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands. Guyana and Haiti, which the professor said they were worried about, are now both beginning to report better numbers and it looks like they are flattening the line as well. However, the UWI researcher insists that containment does not mean the virus has been wiped out in the region, adding that the Caribbean will have to learn to live with its threat for another year. "I want to stress that when you have achieved containmentyou are looking to find cases in clusters and having a cluster, theres nothing wrong with that. That actually shows you are doing your surveillance. "We map how each Caribbean country has done from the first case and we can say quite confidently that these countries have achieved containment. He also advises that before opening their borders to international travel, every Caribbean destination should have public health nurses who are trained in detecting acute respiratory illnesses in every hotel and all areas of potential risk. Landis also addressed a range of subjects including what countries must look for in order to determine whether or not theyve reached their peak, the projections for the region and the future of travel, which he said will likely include immunity passports and health certificates. Balancing the economy and health The UWI researchers warnings are ones being heeded by the Turks and Caicos Islands in particular. Appearing on a Caribbean broadcast The Week That Was on YouTube on Monday (May 11), Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson insisted that the economy will not come before the health of the country. She was referring to the opening of the Islands borders to accommodate incoming tourists, which the TCIs economy depends on to a large extent. "The economy will not come first, health will come first, we are a very small country - even first world countries are challenged in their health capacity and being able to deliver all - so we are not going to take unnecessary chances without mitigating the risk. She noted that while the TCIs numbers are still low, the Government is aware that the virus is not dead, and that the territory and the world at large will have to learn to coexist with the virus. The premier once again explained that June 1, is just a positional date and does not necessarily nor definitively mean that airports will reopen at that time. According to the premier, a lot more work is still to be done to prepare the territory for reopening - work involving hotels, airlines, the villa sector, transportation sector and several other sectors. "But looking first at our airports and how we can receive guests we are victims of a really good tourism industry, and achieving social distancing even in our airports is going to be a challenge. "So we are stepping up our screening protocols there at the airport to make sure that [it] is not a breeding ground for persons arriving or working there. Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) The Nigerian Armed Forces on Saturday said that Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets on Friday conducted massive air strikes against Boko Haram terrorists in the Sambisa forest general area of Borno State, killing many terrorists and destroying their logistics facilities President Trump's private club has been shuttered for nearly two months, but will now be able to reopen under Florida's "phase one" approval for Palm Beach County. AP Photo/ Evan Vucci President Donald Trump's private club in Florida will be able to partially reopen after 57 days of shuttering. The Mar-a-Lago Club will be able to begin a partial reopening on Saturday now that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gave Palm Beach County the go-ahead for "phase one" of the Sunshine State's reopening plan. In an email to members obtained by the Washington Post, "social distancing will be enforced on both the pool deck and in the pool/Jacuzzi." The club is also ordering members to bring their own towels, and pool noodles will be banned. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida will be able to partially reopen on Saturday, but with some peculiar protocols. In an email obtained by the Washington Post, members were informed "social distancing will be enforced on both the pool deck and in the pool/Jacuzzi." Members will also have to bring their own towels, and pool noodles will be banned, according to The Post. "Do not congregate," members were warned in the club's email. With Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis adding Palm Beach County to the Sunshine State's "phase one" reopening plan, Mar-a-Lago will be able to open its doors for the first time in 57 days. Under the governor's order, only the club's pool areas will be able to reopen. How, exactly, the Jacuzzi social distancing measures will be enforced remains unclear, The Post's David Fahrenthold noted. Read the original article on Business Insider Italy will throw open its borders next month, effectively ending Europes longest and strictest coronavirus lockdown, just as the summer tourism season gets under way. Both regional and international borders will open on June 3, with the government eliminating a 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving from abroad, it was announced on Saturday. A resort worker cleans the beach in Sperlonga (Andrew Medichini/AP) Such an opening is exactly what tourism operators have been waiting for, even if European neighbours so far appeared to be wary of the unilateral Italian announcement. We hope to work with the neighbouring countries, those who can travel by car, said Gianni Serandrei, the owner of the four-star Hotel Saturnia near St Marks Square in Venice. The hotels last guest, a determined couple of honeymooners from Argentina, checked out around March 11, days after Italys lockdown. And when phones have rung in recent months, it has been with cancellations, with only a few reservations for 2021 trickling in. (PA Graphics) With no clear indication of when more regular air traffic will resume, he is looking forward to further signals before committing to a June 3 opening. The caution may be merited. Germany, whose border is about a four-hour drive from Venice through Austria, is instructing citizens not to travel abroad for tourism until at least June 15. Officials in France made clear that they had sought a co-ordinated European effort on border openings, indicating Italy had jumped the gun. During a visit to a Normandy beach, interior minister Christophe Castaner said on Saturday that European countries should work together in solidarity and held out the possibility of France acting to protect its citizens. A deserted St Marks Square in Venice (Antonio Calanni/AP) Another half a million jobs are at risk if the summer season does not take off, according to the association. Judged by last years turnover, the virus lockdown and suspension of tourism activities cost the country 10 billion euros (8.9 billion), the amount spent by foreigners in Italy from March to May 2019, according to a study by the national statistics agency ISTAT. To illustrate the importance of arrivals from nearby countries, Eurostat figures show that French overnight stays in Italy hit 14 million last year, while those from Germany came in at 13.6 million, edging Italians themselves at 13.5 million. Spaniards were the top with 14.6 million. Italy is hoping also to encourage domestic tourism, offering vouchers to lower income families to spend in Italian hotels, campsites and other establishments before the end of the year. Not everyone is satisfied with the guidelines set out overnight by the government, which foresees the opening on Monday of bars, restaurants, shops, hairdressers and beauticians. Restaurant owners in Milan protested in front of the main train station Saturday, saying that the rules remain unclear and that the entire sector needs more concrete help, including an abolition of taxes. JACKSON COUNTY, MO (KCTV/KSMO ) Two Kansas City police officers have been indicted in connection with an excessive force case that stemmed from the arrest of a transgender person on May 24, 2019. Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said a grand jury returned indictments for both officers after reviewing the evidence this month. Officers Matthew G. Brummett, 37, and Charles Prichard, 47, have each been charged with fourth-degree assault for recklessly causing physical pain to Breona Hill, also known as Briya or Bryan Hill, by slamming her face against the concrete sidewalk, kneeing her in the face, torso and ribs, and forcing her arms over her head while cuffed. Fourth-degree assault is a misdemeanor. Prosecutor Baker stated that her office had to put case before the grand jury after the KCPD declined to give the prosecutors office a probable cause statement, the affidavit normally submitted by a detective at the end of an investigation. This case is particularly disappointing that my office was prevented from filing the charge independent of a Grand Jury, Baker said in a press release. Several years ago, my office shifted our policy so we only engaged the grand jury on cases where a credibility determination must be made. This policy change was in the interest of greater transparency because state law shrouds grand jury proceedings in secrecy. I am grateful for the Grand Jurors close attention to this matter, Baker said. She also said she was grateful that a bystander captured the incident on video. The officers have been summoned to appear before a judge in August. On Friday night, KCTV5 News received a statement from the law firm representing Officers Brummett and Prichard. It said, in part, "They vehemently dispute the basis of these charges and believe they will be ultimately exonerated in Court." You can read that full statement by clicking here. KCPD Police Chief Rick Smith released the following statement on Friday night: "I was informed today that two officers from the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department were indicted by a Jackson County grand jury. As Chief of Police, its my job to hold officers accountable when the facts call for it, and I believe my record as Chief shows how seriously I take that obligation. In the current matter, involving misdemeanor charges against two officers, Ive placed the officers on administrative assignment until the outcome of the proceedings. Investigators determined that there was no probable cause to conclude the officers broke the law. That is why our department did not submit a probable cause affidavit to the prosecutor. However, we did submit the entire file to federal prosecutors, the FBI, and the county prosecutor. We do that in every matter where someone could possibly allege a civil rights violation. All of us want justice. I ask everyone to keep an open mind and let the fact-finding process go forward." The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 99 also sent KCTV5 News a statement. It said, in part, "This is yet another example of a politically motivated prosecution that is unfortunately becoming all too common place across our country." Click here to read the full statement from the FOP. Hill, the victim in the case, was fatally shot in Oct. 2019 in a residence on Hardesty in Kansas City. A defendant has been already charged in connection with that case. The foreman of the grand jury signed an affidavit detailing the evidence the grand jurors considered in their investigation of the arrest. The press release from Bakers office continued at length and said that, according to that affidavit: On May 24, 2019, at approximately 12:37 p.m., Officers Brummett and Prichard arrived at the Beauty Essence, Barber and Beauty Supply Store, located at 1319 Brush Creek Boulevard in Kansas City. Prior to the officers arrival, Ms. Hill was involved in some form of dispute with an unknown and unidentified 3rd party, which caused her to dial 911 for assistance. At some point, Ms. Hill also requested that the store owner call 911. In doing so, Ms. Hill used slurs and insulted the store owner, who then called 911 to request that Ms. Hill be removed from his store. Officers decided to arrest Ms. Hill, according to the affidavit, but they stated she resisted arrest and was taken to the ground outside the store. Ms. Hill was taken to KCPDs East Patrol station and she was issued citations or municipal tickets for trespass, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and possession of drug paraphernalia. According to the affidavit, a man passing by in his vehicle during the arrest said he saw a police officer strike a woman with a closed fist. The woman ends up on the ground and the man used a cell phone to make a video of the incident. The phone video shows Ms. Hill on her stomach with Brummett and Prichard kneeling on top of her torso, ribs, and upper back. In contrast to the officers statements, Brummett slams Ms. Hills face two times on the concrete and then he drops his knee and a portion of his body weight on her neck/right shoulder area. The officers then complete the handcuffing. Prichard is then heard saying, [w]e tried to be easy and [y]ou made it this way. Ms. Hill can be heard moaning or crying in pain and asking for help immediately after this. Moments later, according to the affidavit, someone approaches and is waived away by Brummett. While Ms. Hill is still laying on the sidewalk, Brummett steps on Ms. Hills right hip. Prichard picks up her handcuffed hands and pulls/presses them upward until they are in line with Ms. Hills head as she is prone on her stomach. The cell phone video footage shows no apparent movement from Ms. Hill prior to her arms being maneuvered in this way. Just before this, Prichard can be heard saying, [y]ou wanna push more. In response, Ms. Hill says, I didnt push nobody. Prichard responds by saying, [s]top it, Im tired of messin with you. In addition, Prichard, while pulling/pressing her arms upwards, says, [y]oure doing it now. Again, Ms. Hill can be heard moaning and crying in pain until she goes silent. In addition, the affidavit stated, a witness took pictures of Ms. Hills injuries after she was transported to Truman Medical Center. Those pictures show a cut above her right eye and bruising/burns on multiple areas of her face and specifically on the left side of her face on her nose. 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... Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 13:58:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia has reported 37 new cases of COVID-19, taking its total to 135, the country's National Center for Communicable Disease (NCCD) said Saturday. All the confirmed new cases are Mongolian nationals who returned home from Russia on Thursday, Dulmaa Nyamkhuu, head of the NCCD, said at a daily press conference. All the 135 cases are imported, including four non-nationals, two of whom are pregnant women and one is a cancer patient, Nyamkhuu said, adding that no local transmissions or deaths have been reported in Mongolia so far. Among the patients being treated at the NCCD, 17 are in critical condition, said the official. A French national who tested positive for the coronavirus on March 10 was the first case in Mongolia. Enditem Morocco has started to repatriate hundreds of its nationals who were stuck in the Spanish-occupied enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. The Moroccan citizens will be quarantined in the resort of Saidia to make sure they are coronavirus-free, Moroccan media reported. The move is seen as the beginning of the repatriation of over 27,000 Moroccans stranded abroad after Morocco closed its borders to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Foreign minister Nasser Bourita said recently that his department is ready to start bringing them back and that it was waiting for the green light of the health ministry. Morocco halted all passenger flights since early March and has imposed a confinement to control contagion. As of Saturday, Morocco had 6652 cases including 3400 recoveries. Deaths stood at 190 mostly people with underlying health conditions. MEDIA unions from Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Hong Kong have protested the closure of broadcast network ASB-CBN and called on the Duterte administration to act swiftly to ensure that Congress renews the networks license and restore ABS-CBN to the air. In their letters, addressed to the Philippine ambassadors and consul generals in their respective countries, the unions noted that no satisfactory evidence has been presented for why the Congress has moved slowly to renew the ABS-CBN franchise. They also said President Rodrigo Duterte has not only influenced the delays in the renewal process but has repeatedly threatened and censored the independent media network over the years. These efforts to undermine the independent media and due process present a clear danger to media freedom and the publics right to know, they added. The letters were from the Federation of Media Employees Trade Unions and Free Media Movement in Sri Lanka, the National Union of Journalists (India), Hong Kong Journalists Association, and Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, all affiliates of the International Federation of Journalists. The IFJ is the largest federation of media unions in the world, representing more than 600,000 media workers from 187 organizations in 146 countries IFJ has sent word that these are just the first letters to Philippine ambassadors by its affiliates. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines is an IFJ affiliate. U.S. Senators Express Concern Over The Expulsion of American Businesses From Georgia - GeorgianJournal The home A three-bedroom apartment in the Beverley Hills complex in Melbournes inner east. Designed and built by Howard Lawson in 1935, the Spanish mission-style buildings feature decorative motifs, wide porticos and a communal pool. We knew the building because friends had lived here in the 90s, says Heather. When we saw this apartment up for sale, it was a no-brainer we had to buy it. Credit:Armelle Habib Who lives here Sunday Lifes Melbourne homes editor, Heather Nette King, with husband Jeremy King, general manager of Traffic branding agency, their daughters Annebelle, 22, and Alexandra, 20, plus Sugar the cat and Dougal the dog. The Akwa Ibom governor, Udom Emmanuel, has explained why his administration is yet to allow churches in the state to hold public gathering despite easing the lockdown and reopening the local economy. The problem is not the church, the problem is after church (service) what happens? Mr Emmanuel said on May 9 in a phone-in radio interview in Uyo. People come into the church, they come in individually, so thats not a problem you use hand sanitisers, you use face mask. But when once they share the grace after the church service, somebody you have not seen in one week that is when people begin to hug, that is when people begin to share fellowship, brotherhood, sisterhood, and so on, that is where we are scared of, he said. At that point the pastor wouldnt be able to control the crowd, wouldnt be able to control how those people interact after church service. Apart from religious gathering, the state government is yet to lift or ease the ban on social gatherings and funerals. Markets in the state are opened only three times a week Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. It is now mandatory for residents of the state to wear face mask whenever they are in public. Mr Emmanuel said those who try to organise wedding and burial at this time would be arrested and prosecuted. Please, dont push us to that point, obey simple instruction, he said. Hold on to this lets try and drive the curve downward and then we will open up everywhere. The governor said he meets every evening, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., with the state COVID-19 team which is headed by the Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Emmanuel Ekuwem. There are 16 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Akwa Ibom state as of May 15. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said on Friday that they erroneously published that the number of infection in Akwa Ibom was 17, instead of 16. The one case that was published as a new infection in the state on May 14 was actually a repeat case, the centre said. Two months ago, Paul Basaldua knew nothing about plasma donation. These days, hes an ardent crusader for its medical benefits. COVID-19 has a way of changing your outlook on things and shifting your priorities. Basaldua, 41, is one of the lucky ones, and he knows it. A land developer who grew up on the West Side, graduated from St. Marys University and just launched his own company last December, Basaldua woke up on a Tuesday morning in mid-March feeling achy, feverish and fatigued. Two days later, he learned that he had contracted the coronavirus. My symptoms were pretty mild, Basaldua said. I was pretty much done with it after six or seven days. Then it just took getting enough energy to go be active outside, my normal self. While Basaldua quarantined at home, his wife, Kelly, a pediatrician, suggested that he start thinking about donating blood plasma so his antibodies could be used to treat patients battling COVID-19 and help them fight off the virus. Around the same time, he received a call from a friend whose uncle was in deep physical distress with the virus. She wondered if Basaldua would be willing to donate plasma to help her uncle. He was on a ventilator and 85 percent oxygen assistance, Basaldua said. My friend said, Hey, have you heard about this plasma stuff? Thats where Basalduas crash course in the powers of convalescent plasma began. Basaldua contacted BioBridge, the strategic partner of the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center. At the time, the Food and Drug Administration required that plasma donors be at least 28 days removed from any symptoms or 14 days if they had a negative lab test in hand. (The FDA has since loosened that standard to 14 days without symptoms and no negative test required.) By the time Basaldua was eligible to donate, his friends uncle already had received plasma from someone else. But Basalduas commitment to plasma donation was already locked in. One thing is giving it to somebody you know or whose family you know, he said. Thats rewarding, obviously. But another is just giving it to somebody in your community who will hopefully recover from the virus. Basaldua has made three donations so far (with another one planned for next week). Over those three visits, he has donated a total of 12 bags of plasma, which translates to treatment for 15 patients. Its not blood, where you feel really, really weak afterward, he said. They take the blood out of your body, they pull the plasma out of it, then your blood goes back into another bag so that the blood can clot. Then they put it back in your body. Basalduas friend Mayor Ron Nirenberg touted the land developers first donation with an Instagram post that featured Basaldua holding all the 200-milligram bags of plasma he had filled that day. Nirenberg thanked Basaldua for his generosity and encouraged San Antonians who have recovered from COVID-19 to follow that example. Your plasma, Nirenberg wrote, may be able to be used to help others fight off the disease. At this point, with no COVID-19 vaccine or clinically proven medication to treat the virus, convalescent plasma therapy looks like the best available hope for critically ill patients. While health professionals are still in the process of learning how COVID-19 patients respond to plasma transfusions, Basaldua believes that the anecdotal evidence is promising. If you hear the anecdotes from the doctors at the plasma donation center, theyre telling me, The first three people that got it were at deaths door, they got it and all of them were out of the hospital within two weeks, he said. Its amazing. In recent weeks, Basaldua has made it his mission to spread the word to those, like himself, who have recovered from COVID-19. He sees the growing political rancor between those who preach caution when it comes to reopening the country and those who are anxious to return to their pre-COVID lives. He sees plasma donation as an issue that cuts across partisan lines, a piece of what will prove to be a complicated and difficult strategy to transition our way back into something approaching normalcy. Basalduas argument is that if we can build a formidable plasma bank for COVID-19 patients, it can at least reduce the sense of fear and helplessness that so many people are feeling. I think at this point its time to start talking about hope, because hope wins, he said. And I think plasma provides that hope. Gilbert Garcia is a columnist covering the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Gilbert, become a subscriber. ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470 The roads leading to the New Delhi railway station have been among the busiest in the city, with migrants from across Delhi and neighbouring states visiting the station in the hope of boarding a train home. Police and Railways officials on the ground say that in the last few days, hundreds of migrant labourers have been visiting the station to book tickets at the counters, despite the Railways accepting only e-tickets and the counters being shut. On May 12, the Railways had started 15 pairs of special passenger trains on 30 routes, to and from New Delhi, for which bookings can only be done online. The numbers have been increasing since Tuesday, after the government started passenger train services, in a step towards resuming rail services in a graded manner. A large section of the migrant workers, who are unable to get e-tickets, have been walking to the stations to try their luck at the ticket counters. Many others have left the governments shelter homes and are walking to their villages in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, said officials. The sudden increase of visitors to the railway station has prompted the police and government authorities to reach out to them outside the station, get their Covid-19 tests conducted and help them register for the special Shramik trains. For Shramik trains, migrant workers have to register with the government and need not pay a ticket fee. Interstate bus services continue to remain shut. The government authorities on Saturday reached out to around 150 such migrant workers sitting on the pavements near the station entrances. A kiosk, with two police personnel and a district administration official, has been set up to answer queries and guide migrants on the procedure to register for train journeys. By late afternoon, at least 70 of them were ferried from the station to a screening facility in the district, after which they will be registered for Shramik Special trains and sent back home, said officials. District officials said that on Friday evening, they had shifted over 65 migrants to a thermal screening facility and then to shelter homes, to get them registered for the Shramik trains. At least 7,000 migrants have left for their home towns in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh in five Shramik trains a special arrangement by the state governments under guidelines issued by the Union home ministry on April 29. While four trains left for Bihar, one for MP, another one left for Tamil Nadu on Saturday noon, which also included around 200 Tablighi Jamaat participants, who were recently discharged from quarantine facilities. Subhash Kumar, his wife Geeta (goes only by her first name) and his brother-in-law started from their rented accommodation in west Delhis Uttam Nagar at 6am, on foot, hoping to book tickets at the station. They were able to get an autorickshaw midway, at Kirti Nagar, and were dropped at the station for Rs 200 at around 9am. Till 1.30pm, the trio was waiting to regroup with three other family members, who have been stranded in different places across the city. We have been trying to make online reservations for four days, but have failed to do so. Last night, we decided to pack up and leave for the station, and enquire about the procedure or catch a private bus from here, said Kumar, 28, of Sultanpur in Uttar Pradeshs Lucknow. It was only later in the day that they got to know that buses they had spotted were ferrying migrants to screening centres. In the hot afternoon, pavements outside the station were dotted with groups of people, seated with their luggage, waiting for the buses. Volunteers of a political party distributed food packets and cold drinks to the crowd. Ravi Tandon, a construction labourer, who was accompanied by his wife and two children, was sitting with his head in his hands. He said that the family had been staying at a camp near Shivaji Stadium, but have run out of money and food. We dont have a ticket or any money. We just walked to the station to check if we could get a train; if not, we would start our journey to Chhattisgarh on foot. Here, a policeman told us they will ferry us in buses and make arrangements for train travel, said Tandon, who plans to tend to a small patch of family land in his home town. He said that his father is unwell and mother is not stable, healthwise. The crowd also included a group of 23 tourists from Jharkhand, who had been stuck at a hotel since March 22 and had run out of money. We have been surviving on food distributed by the NGOs. We had taken rooms for Rs 1,000 a day. Today (Saturday), they handed us a bill of Rs 1.5 lakh, which was not even due. The NGO people helped us settle the matter. We hope to get on the buses being arranged here, said Savita Das, one of the tourists. The deputy commissioner of police, Railways, Harendra Singh, said that migrants reaching the station are being taken to shelters for screening. We have been doing this, but people continue to pour into the station. Arrangements have been made with the district authorities to register them for Shramik specials, said Singh. Meanwhile, the Delhi government on Saturday also directed officials to ensure migrants do not walk on roads and railway tracks. Those doing so would be taken to the closest shelter facility, provided food and water till their travel arrangements to their home towns in special trains and buses, is arranged, as per the directive. It also asked officials to coordinate with the Railways to speed up the process of sending them to their home states. Delhis chief secretary Vijay Dev, in a letter on Friday, had asked nodal officer, PK Gupta, to coordinate with the Railways for running more Shramik trains, so that travel of stranded migrant workers can be expedited. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vatsala Shrangi Vatsala Shrangi joined HT Editorial team on July 2, 2018 as Principal Correspondent. She covers Environment, Civic bodies and the Social Sector. ...view detail Firefighters rushed to contain a massive fire engulfing Gulf Point Condominiums building Saturday morning on South Padre Island, a Facebook video shows. Ben Hill streamed video of the flames engulfing the condominiums around 8 a.m. Saturday, describing the firefighters who scrambled to put out the blaze. "This is a crazy day," Hill said. "We have a lot of damage to our building. A lot of odor. Thank God the storm blew through and it's helping the firefighters get control of the structure...This has been the craziest morning....You never know what's gonna happen in Texas." Some of those in the Facebook post comments said that they could see smoke all the way from Port Isabel. Hill mentioned in the video that the Island had been struck by storms earlier in the morning. Another witness, Tommy Saenz, also captured video of the massive fire. "We've been hearing cars explode on the ground. The biggest fire I've ever seen on this island...This is horrible," Saenz said. This is a developing story. After a week's hiatus, sale of alcoholic beverages resumed in non-containment zones of Tamil Nadu on Saturday amid police security, except in the state capital Chennai and neighbouring Tiruvallur. In stark contrast to the chaotic scenes witnessed in front of many liquor shops days ago, a number of outlets in the state were deserted today with little or no people to buy booze and social media users posted pictures of such shops. The crowds were moderate as well in several locations in districts, including Coimbatore. Serpentine queues were seen in most shops. Anticipating an extended waiting time, many men had brought lunch boxes and water bottles. Use of masks and norms like social distancing were followedin a vast majority of places and and even hand sanitisers werekept for use in many shops. Confusion, meanwhile, prevailed for a while at Cuddalore when it was suspected that some men had photocopied original tokens to illegally buy liquor. As part of measures to avoid crowding and ensure social distancing, authorities implemented colour-coded token system (in seven colours including blue, green, orange, navy blue, and violet)that specified the date and time allotted for the buyers at a designated outlet. To prevent unmanageable crowds witnessed in several places when the shops reopened on May 7 after a 43-day dry spell, the authorities limited the number of tokens per day to 500 and 70 for an hour. The shops functioned from 10 am to 5 pm. Adequate police personnel were deployed to regulate crowds and tokens were distributed at separate locations away from the liquor shops and only those who had the coloured slips were allowed to buy beverages at the outlets. Across the state, booze sale went on at a brisk pace as men sporting masks stood in serpentine queues maintaining individual distance in most places. In Cuddalore, when over a dozen men lined up before an outlet with tokens, authorities were puzzled since the maximum number of 500 had already been issued. It was initially thought that the tokens were colour photocopies of original tokens. On further scrutiny, it was revealed that the 'blue' slips were original. "When we questioned these men, one of them said he bought the token for Rs 200. Previously, it was thought that the tokens werecolour photocopies. But TASMAC authorities say that they are genuine," a Cuddalorepolice officer told PTI. Two other officers confirmed that the tokens were original. On how these tokens made their way when the upper ceiling was already reached, the police officers said, "these may be extra tokens or there is a possibility that some could have taken the originals and illegally sold them." Several men were seen standing with umbrellas in districts like Erode, Tirupur and at Madurantakam in Kancheepuram district. The liquor sale is open across the state in non- containment zones and except Chennai and nearby Tiruvallur district, which saw a huge number of people converging in several outlets when shops reopened on May 7. The shops functioned only for two days (barring Chennai and a string of neighbourhoods under city police control though they fell under Chengelpet, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts) and were shut since May 9 following the Madras High Court directive, which ordered closure of shops over flouting of guidelines like social distancing. At least 34 outlets in nearby Chengelpet district, including those in Mamallapuram, Tiruporur, Tirukazhukundram and Vadanemelli that saw huge crowds on May 7 and 8 were also closed today. Additional police personnel were deployed at exit/entry points to Chennai to prevent people from venturing out of here to neighbouring Kancheepuram district to buy booze. On May 9, the Tamil Nadu government had moved the Supreme Court, challenging the Madras HighCourt order closing the shops. The apex court on Friday stayed the order and paved the way for resumption of liquor salein Tamil Nadu through TASMAC. (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 Saturday directed suspension SHOs of two police stations and that stern warning be issued to the circle officers concerned after 24 migrant workers were killed in a road accident near Auraiya. According to a statement issued here, the state government has decided to give Rs 2 lakh to the kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured in the accident. The chief minister has also condoled the death of the migrant labourers. "Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday directed that SHOs of two police stations located in state's border area be suspended and stern warning be issued to the circle officers concerned. One of the border districts is Agra," UP Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi was quoted as saying in a statement. Orders have also been issued to register a case under relevant sections of the IPC against both the truck owners and the vehicles be seized, he said. Besides this, clarification has been sought from the Senior Superintendents of Police and Additional Superintendents of Police of Mathura and Agra. Also, clarification has been sought from ADG and IG of Agra. "The chief minister has said that directions have been given to all the border areas to ensure that no person travels by unsafe means such as trucks. Directions have already been issued to keep 200 buses under the disposal of district magistrates in every district of border areas. Funds have also been approved to send the labourers by buses. The district magistrates must strictly comply with these orders," the statement said. At least 24 migrant workers were killed and 36 injured when a trailer rammed into a stationary truck, both carrying passengers, on a highway near Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh in the early hours of Saturday. Some of the workers coming from Delhi had stopped for tea when the accident occurred between 3 am and 3.30 am on the Auraiya-Kanpur Dehat stretch of National Highway 19, police said. The impact of the collision, the latest in a series of road tragedies involving migrant workers returning to their villages, was so huge that both vehicles overturned and fell into a ditch. Most of those killed were from Jharkhand and West Bengal, and some from Kushinagar in eastern Uttar Pradesh, officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (CNN Philippines, May 16) A facility in Bicol temporarily halted testing coronavirus samples after a typhoon damaged its laboratory equipment, a regional health official said Friday. Ernie Vera, Department of Health-Bicol director, said in a statement that the Bicol Regional Diagnostic and Reference Laboratory will not accept samples at this time until further notice. Vera said the exhaust duct of the biosafety cabinet, which is a vital machine for COVID-19 testing, was destroyed in the aftermath of tropical storm Ambo. Samples cannot be processed until the exhaust duct is fixed, he added. He said 146 specimens will be sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City. This is to ensure that all samples are tested within the allowable life span of the specimen, Vera added. The official said they are finding measures to fix the problem as soon as possible. Stringer Rosas Olarte contributed to this report Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Overview: Paper bottlesare an eco-friendly product designed to meet both consumer demand without harming the environment these are eco-friendly packaging bottles. The Paper Water Bottle which are manufactured with pulp material is made from mixtures of plant-based fibers to make it user-friendly, operationally efficient, and easy to biodegradable. Global Paper bottles market size was estimated USD XXmillion in 2018 andit is expected that the market will grow with CAGR of XX% from 2018-2025. In 2025the market is expected to reach at USD XX million. Market Dynamics: The paper bottle market is growing rapidly as government regulationsare playing vital role. In countries such as India and China government has banned the plastic materials due to which it has huge demand for these bottles. Also, severalmarket trends comprise growing population and recent technological developments in biodegradable packaging. These factors are the major reasons for the rise in paper bottles market. Request For Report sample @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/3180 Market Players: Paper water bottle, Lyspackaging, Anhui Idea Technology Ltd., Biopac Co., Ch2oose, Taizhou merry port Plastic Products Co. Ltd., Vegan bottle, Mitsubishi Plastics, Raepack Ltd.and others are some of the prominent players in the Paper bottles market.The players are majorly focusing on the development of progressivepaper bottlesto promote the paper bottles globally. Market Segmentation: Paper bottles market can be divided on the basis of materials used and capacity. On the basis of material, the paper bottle market is segmented into organic material and biodegradable plastic. Further, on the basis oforganic material the market is segmented intosugarcane pulp. paper, algae (agar powder) and bamboo and on the basis of biodegradable plastic the market is segmented intoPHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates), plant-based PLA (poly-lactic acid), Cellulose-based plastics, Poly-butylene succinate and PET (polyethylene terephthalate). Moreover, the paper bottles can also be segmented on the basis of capacity 5ml-100ml, 100ml-500ml, 500ml-1000ml and other paper bottles. The demand for a different capacity of paper bottles varies depending on its application. Based on region the market is segmented into North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America and Middles east and Africa. It is expected that North America will dominate the paper bottles market. Request for Report Discount: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/discount/3180 Market segmented on the basis of material: - Organic material Paper Sugarcane pulp Bamboo Algae (Agar powder) - Biodegradable plastic Plant-based PET (polyethylene terephthalate) PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates) PLA (poly-lactic acid) Cellulose-based plastics Poly-butylene succinate Market segmented on the basis of capacity: - 5 ml 100 ml (small) - 100ml - 500ml (medium) - 500ml -1000 ml (large) - Others Market segmented on the basis of region: - North America US Canada Mexico - Europe UK Germany France Rest of Europe - Asia-Pacific China Japan India Australia Rest of Asia-Pacific - Latin America Brazil Rest of Latin America - Middle East and Africa (MEA) South Africa Saudi Arabia Rest of MEA More Info of Impact Covid19 @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/covid-19-analysis/3180 Each May for the past 16 years, after months of cold winter weather, nearly one-thousand cyclists of every skill level gather for one of New Jerseys largest recreational bicycle rides - the annual Tour de Elizabeth. The States 4th largest city is filled with history, recreation, food, outdoor spaces, and is in the final stages of connecting Elizabeth to NY State via a new bicycle and pedestrian walkway joining the Elizabeth River Trail with a path built on the Goethals Bridge. Due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, the annual May event for 2020 will offer riders a safe virtual approach to the annual tour. A video highlighting the Tour route and points of interest along the route is due to launch on May 17th on the Tour de Elizabeth Facebook page promptly at 9:00 am, its original ride time, at https://www.facebook.com/TourdeElizabeth. The theme for this years ride is Superheros for a Supercity, featuring Elizabeths hometown heros as they celebrate the frontline workers for all they are doing to help keep our city safe. There is a great deal of community support for this new platform for the Tour, starting with Chris Bollwage, the Citys Mayor. The weather is warmer, and the trees are blossoming, which means its that time of year that we come together for one of our most anticipated events, the Tour de Elizabeth, said Mayor J. Christian Bollwage. This year, however, is quite different due to the unprecedented times we are in but our residents and visitors health is our top priority. So, we are happy to present to you our first time ever, Virtual Tour de Elizabeth. Being the fourth largest city in New Jersey, we have a lot to show you - so join us on this Tour, check out the sites and amenities we have to offer, and come and visit us when the pandemic is over. Until then stay safe and stay healthy. To learn more about the Tour and to see photos of past rides, click https://www.facebook.com/TourdeElizabeth/, http://www.groundworkelizabeth.org, http://www.elizabethnj.org, or http://www.goelizabethnj.com/bike. Contact Jonathan Phillips at Groundwork Elizabeth, 908-289-0262 ext 203, elizabethnj@groundworkus.org or Kelly Martins, Public Information, City of Elizabeth, 908-820-4124, kmartins@elizabethnj.org. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has urged the Assam government to ban "cruel" methods of killing male chicks by poultry hatcheries and instead use nitrogen and inert gases. A release by the animal rights body on Friday said, the "cruel" practices such as grinding, crushing, burning, drowning and feeding male chicks alive to fish violate the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Indian Penal Code. "The gruesome killing of countless male chicks simply because they can't lay eggs is cruel and can be stopped," the release quoted PETA India CEO and veterinarian Dr Manilal Valliyate as saying. The NGO asked the Assam government to implement the use of nitrogen and inert gases as recommended by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), the Law Commission of India (LCI) and the World Organisation for Animal Health. It also urged the state government to replace these methods with in ovo sex-determination technology to prevent the birth of male chicks once it is commercially available. The sex-determination technology, which has been developed abroad and will be commercially available soon, will allow eggs with male embryos to be destroyed at an early stage of development and spare live chicks a horrific death, Valliyate said. Following humane moves by the governments of France, Switzerland and Germany to phase out the grinding of unwanted male chicks to death, PETA India has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ask the Indian egg industry to follow suit, the release said. Recently at PETA India's request, the animal husbandry departments of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra issued orders for a complete prohibition on illegal and cruel practices to kill chicks in hatcheries and further directed that the methods recommended by the AWBI and LCI be adopted, it added. "The government is already taking steps towards using sex-sorted semen to prevent the birth of male calves which are considered worthless by the dairy industry, typically abandoned, left to starve or slaughtered for beef," Valliyate said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Texas health officials have awarded up to $295 million to a private technology company to quickly grow and manage a large fleet of contact tracers as the state braces for up to two years without a coronavirus vaccine. The 27-month contract, signed late this week with MTX Group, comes as more businesses begin to open and the number of new daily COVID-19 cases in much of Texas continues to grow. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has said new outbreaks may be inevitable as restrictions loosen, and has vowed to bring on at least 4,000 tracers by the end of this month to help contain them. There were about 2,000 tracers active across the state this week. Tracers track down close contacts of those infected, monitor them for symptoms and provide them with instructions on testing and quarantine or isolation. FOR THE LATEST: Interactive maps, charts show spread of coronavirus in Texas Texas is now one of more than a dozen states to rely on contact tracing technology from MTX, an Albany-based firm that recently set up a second headquarters in Frisco. But it will be among the first if not the first states for whom the company will also hire, train and manage thousands of tracers, according to Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the Department of State Health Services. Van Deusen said the agency plans for MTX to hire up to 1,000 tracers, in addition to the 2,000 state and local tracers already operating. Several hundred state health employees have volunteered to do tracing in lieu of their regular jobs. Cities and counties are also in the process of hiring hundreds of tracers. MTX's primary role will be building and overseeing a virtual call center. "The overall strength of their bid and their experience with call tracing in various states are what led us to choose them," Van Deusen said in an email. Bidding documents obtained by Hearst Newspapers say the contractor would oversee and provide support for a corps of epidemiologists, case investigators, and contact tracers. The deal appears to have been put together within just a few days. On Wednesday, MTX hired Austin-based lobbyists Andrea and Dean McWilliams for up to $50,000 each, according to public disclosure documents. Others who submitted bids include contracting giants Accenture and Maximus, representatives of the companies said. IN-DEPTH: Texas pushes to double its force of health detectives This appears to be MTX's first contract with the state. The company declined to comment on the deal. CEO Das Nobel has said it specializes in messaging applications and artificial intelligence to help government and agencies respond to emergencies. Vanguard Law Magazine called MTX Group a $10 million company that has been self-funded to this point in a story published last September. The firm grew from three employees in 2015 to 200. Vanguard also reported the company was poised to go after a billion dollars in revenue by 2025. The company reportedly first rolled out a disease monitoring and control application in early March in New York. Van Deusen said it is also managing contact tracers there, and that MTXs experience was a major draw for Texas. Van Deusen said MTX also has expertise in Salesforce, the cloud-based software that powers the states online tracing application called Texas Healthy Trace. The state also set up a call center late last month, but was using the community health hotline 211, which quickly became inundated. MTX will be in charge of building a more longterm solution. The agency aims to have the new call center up by next week. It will be staffed 12 hours per day, seven days per week, according to a copy of the bid that was obtained by Hearst Newspapers. The contract is being paid for with federal emergency relief dollars. Gertrude Horowitz Shavin, 99, passed away in her home in Leesburg, Va., on Friday, May 15, 2020. Born in Manhattan, NY, on April 16, 1921, her life was marked by strength of character and an unflappable determination to stay true to her values. She was the first of her family to graduate from college. She attended Hunter College and then got an advanced degree from Columbia University. She was fond of telling the story that her advisor was not pleased with her Masters thesis that showed how teacher perceptions, based on race, influenced student test outcomes. This commitment to social justice and activism remained true throughout her life. In 1948 she married her soulmate, Seamour, and moved to Chattanooga. The young couple sought out Frank Lloyd Wright to design a house that became a reflection of their love and life together. There they raised three children and hosted the grandchildren during school breaks. The importance of family was clear in all that they did. In addition to being a mother and wife, Gerte supported Seamour in his business and participated with him in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Together they were involved with Dr. Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks at Highlander Center in 1957. Bomb threats against her home and family failed to shake her determination. A President of the League of Women Voters, the head of Chattanoogas Presidential campaigns for Eugene McCarthy and for George McGovern, she stood as an Elector for LaRouche in every one of his Presidential campaigns, from 1976 to 2004. They enjoyed close, long-term friendships and frequently hosted gatherings with friends at the house, characterized by good food, lively conversation, and fun. After their children became adults, they took the time to travel abroad. Over the years they traveled to Mexico, Israel, Italy, France, India and Egypt. Despite significant illnesses, Gerte did not waiver from her passions. Some years after Seamours death she moved to Leesberg, VA to live with her son, David, where she remained active. She was a daily presence in the LaRouche PAC where she would listen in on the activity of young people working to make the world a better place. She loved sharing her lived stories, which brought history to life for the volunteers at the office. Her modesty, her grace, her passionate love of the human race, and her stubborn optimism radiated amongst all the volunteers, up until two months ago when only a pandemic could chase her out of the office. Gerte lived a long life, holding steadfast to her principles. She often quoted the last two lines of Keats Ode on a Grecian Urn: Beauty is truth, truth beauty,that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. Gerte survived her five sisters and beloved husband. She is survived by her three children and their spouses, Karen Shavin and Jeff Crabtree, David and Nancy Shavin, and Eliot Shavin and Lori Senasac, as well as her granddaughters Lauren Crabtree, Anna Shavin, and Hanna Senasac Shavin, grandsons Seth Crabtree and Zachary Crabtree, great-granddaughters Ruth and Sarah Case, great grandsons Isaac and Asher Martinson. She will be buried alongside her husband, in the Shaari Zion Cemetery/Workmens Circle Cemetery . A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, you can memorialize her life by living a life of truth and beauty. TORONTO, May 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Discovery Metals Corp. (TSX-V: DSV, OTCQX: DSVMF) (Discovery or the Company) announces that Mr. Jose Vizquerra has resigned as a director of the Company, effective immediately, so that he can focus his efforts on other professional commitments. Murray John, Chairman of the Company, commented: On behalf of everyone at Discovery we would like to thank Jose for his contributions towards our growth. Mr. Vizquerra has been a valued director since the inception of the Company. About Discovery Discovery Metals Corp. (TSX-V: DSV, OTCQX: DSVMF) is a Canadian exploration and development company headquartered in Toronto, Canada, and focused on historic mining districts in Mexico. Discoverys flagship is its 100%-owned Cordero silver project in Chihuahua State, Mexico. The 35,000-hectare property covers a large district that hosts the announced resource as well as numerous exploration targets for bulk tonnage diatreme-hosted, porphyry-style, and carbonate replacement deposits. In addition, Discovery is also exploring multiple high-grade carbonate replacement-style silver-zinc-lead showings in a land package of approximately 150,000 hectares in Coahuila State, Mexico. The land holdings contain numerous historical direct-ship ore workings and significant underground development, but no drill-testing has ever been carried out on them. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, Taj Singh, M.Eng, P.Eng, CPA, President, CEO, and Director For further information contact: Forbes Gemmell, CFA VP Corporate Development & Investor Relations forbes.gemmell@dsvmetals.com 416-613-9414 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. This news release is not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements within this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although Discovery believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements include fluctuations in market prices, including metal prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. There can be no assurance that the Private Placement will close on the announced terms. Discovery does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable laws. The latest novel coronavirus news from Canada and around the world Saturday (this file is no longer updating. Click here to read the latest). Web links to longer stories if available. 9 p.m.: Former president Barack Obama criticized U.S. leaders overseeing the nations response to the coronavirus, telling college graduates in an online commencement address that the pandemic shows many officials arent even pretending to be in charge. Obama spoke during two-hour event for students graduating from historically Black colleges and universities broadcast on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. His remarks were unexpectedly political, given the venue. More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what theyre doing, Obama said. A lot them arent even pretending to be in charge. Later, during a second televised commencement address for high school seniors, Obama panned so-called grown-ups, including some with fancy titles and important jobs who do what feels good, whats convenient, whats easy. Which is why things are so screwed up, he said. 8 p.m.: For the second time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency clearance for a coronavirus testing kit that will enable individuals to take a nasal sample at home and send it to a lab for diagnostic testing. Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, director of the agencys Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a statement that the new test not only provides increased patient access to tests but also protects others from potential exposure. Health-care workers can risk infection when they administer tests. The kit, made by Everlywell, contains a swab for individuals to use to take a sample from inside the nostrils, and a tube filled with a saline solution to put it in for sending to one of two private lab companies: Fulgent Therapeutics or Assurance Scientific Laboratories. The company plans to partner with additional laboratories. 6:30 p.m.: The association representing most long-term-care homes in Ontario came out in support of a public inquiry into the sector, but said more must be done in the interim. The Ontario Long Term Care Association said a review could solve long-standing issues with the provincial model for care homes, but the unprecedented threat of COVID-19 means action on personal protective equipment and staffing levels is required immediately. Public inquiries are important, but they take years, Donna Duncan, CEO of the OLTCA, said in a press release. Read the full story here 6:25 p.m.: Eight more sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive again for the coronavirus, raising to 13 the number who appear to have become infected a second time while serving aboard the sidelined aircraft carrier. All the sailors had previously tested positive for the virus and had gone through at least two weeks of isolation. Before they were allowed to go back to the ship, all had to test negative twice in a row, with the tests separated by at least a day or two. 6 p.m.: Ontarios regional health units are reporting another 381 COVID-19 cases and 34 new deaths since Friday evening, according to the Stars latest count. As of 5:30 p.m. Saturday, the health units have reported a total of 23,783 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19, including 1,960 deaths. In recent days, the trend in new cases has been relatively flat, with an average of about 360 new cases reported per day over the last seven days. Still, as a whole, the daily growth in new COVID-19 infections across Ontario has fallen steadily since peaking at more than 700 cases a day in late April. Meanwhile, the total of 34 deaths reported in the province since Friday morning was well below the recent average, a sign the rate of new fatal cases has turned a corner about two weeks after the peak in the provinces daily case totals. Because many health units publish tallies to their websites before reporting to Public Health Ontario, the Stars count is more current than the data the province puts out each morning. Earlier Saturday, the province reported 975 patients are now hospitalized with COVID-19, including 180 in intensive care, of whom 135 are on a ventilator numbers that have fluctuated up and down but remained largely flat in recent weeks. The province also says more than 17,000 patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus have now recovered from the disease nearly three-quarters of the total infected. The province says its data is accurate to 4 p.m. the previous day. The province also cautions its latest count of total deaths 1,858 may be incomplete or out of date due to delays in the reporting system, saying that in the event of a discrepancy, data reported by (the health units) should be considered the most up to date. The Stars count includes some patients reported as probable COVID-19 cases, meaning they have symptoms and contacts or travel history that indicate they very likely have the disease, but have not yet received a positive lab test. 4:45 p.m.: The latest numbers of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 4:34 p.m. ET on May 16, 2020. (Note: Ontario numbers are CPs. The Star does its own count.) There are 75,792 confirmed and presumptive cases in Canada. Quebec: 42,183 confirmed (including 3,483 deaths, 11,458 resolved) Ontario: 22,313 confirmed (including 1,858 deaths, 17,020 resolved) Alberta: 6,515 confirmed (including 125 deaths, 5,317 resolved) British Columbia: 2,428 confirmed (including 141 deaths, 1,932 resolved) Nova Scotia: 1,037 confirmed (including 55 deaths, 930 resolved) Saskatchewan: 591 confirmed (including 6 deaths, 433 resolved) Manitoba: 278 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 257 resolved), 11 presumptive Newfoundland and Labrador: 260 confirmed (including 3 deaths, 249 resolved) New Brunswick: 120 confirmed (including 120 resolved) Prince Edward Island: 27 confirmed (including 27 resolved) Repatriated Canadians: 13 confirmed (including 13 resolved) Yukon: 11 confirmed (including 11 resolved) Northwest Territories: 5 confirmed (including 5 resolved) Nunavut: No confirmed cases 4:15 p.m.: The Saskatchewan Health Authority announced the end of an outbreak declaration for the facility at the La Loche Health Centre, which had been in effect since April 17. The standard 28-day period passed without a new positive case. The health authority says extensive door-to-door testing, mobile testing, and aggressive contact tracing will continue. 2:55 p.m.: In another step toward reopening its economy, New York state will allow horse racing tracks and the Watkins Glen auto racing course to reopen with the coronavirus outbreak easing, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday, adding: No crowds. No fans. At his daily briefing, Cuomo said he could even envision a return of Major League Baseball in New York, also without fans: If it works economically, that would be great. Cuomo also announced that residents of suburban Westchester and Suffolk counties two of the nations early hot spots will again be eligible for elective surgeries and ambulatory care. 2 p.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will work closely with Air Canada to see if any more help can be offered after the airline announced mass layoffs. We know that airlines are incredibly hard hit by this pandemic and we will be there to work with them to see how best we can help, he said Saturday. Air Canada announced Friday that it will lay off more than half of its 38,000 employees effective June 7 as it grapples with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story here 1:51 p.m. Demonstrations took place Saturday in several European cities against restrictions aimed at controlling the spread of the coronavirus, with tear gas used on protesters in Poland and arrests made at a gathering in Londons Hyde Park. Police in several German cities enforced distancing rules as thousands of people gathered to express a mix of frustrations at restrictions battering the economy and a perceived loss of civic freedom. In some places, people also voiced conspiracy theories and anti-vaccine views. Police in Stuttgart said that the permitted number of 5,000 demonstrators was exceeded and directed arriving participants to another open space. The permitted number of 1,000 protesters was reached in Munich on the Theresienwiese event grounds, site of the now-cancelled Oktoberfest beer festival. Several dozen people protested anti-virus rules to loud music in Berlin in a taped-off demonstration area on the central Alexanderplatz square, overseen by 1,000 police who enforced a 1.5 metre distancing requirement and a ban on more than 50 people in one place, the dpa news agency reported. Dozens of people, including a senator, were detained during a protest by business owners in the Polish capital against coronavirus restrictions, while police used tear gas against protesters. The city of Warsaw said the gathering was illegal because it had not been previously approved. In Britain, anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine protesters held a gathering in Hyde Park in central London and were met by a heavy police presence. The protesters chanted Freedom and held handmade placards. Some sat on the grass and had picnics while observing social distancing guidelines while others ignored the rules and gathered in groups. 1:21 p.m. Nova Scotia is reporting three new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,037. No new deaths are reported, keeping the provinces total at 55. Health officials say eight people are currently in hospital, with four in intensive care. Nova Scotia has 35,703 negative test results, while 930 people have now recovered and their cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved. 1:12 p.m. Toronto is asking for increased funding and testing from the provincial government for its homeless shelters, as the province reported another 391 cases and 33 deaths across Ontario. The Toronto Board of Health says the city has spent $200 million to open new shelter facilities and move homeless people into hotels, and is asking the province to foot part of the bill. The board said two shelter clients have died this week after contracting COVID-19. The province needs to ramp up proactive testing in all congregate living sites to protect clients and staff, including shelters, respites and drop-ins, said Coun. Joe Cressy. We also know that we need to invest in supportive and affordable housing solutions in order to truly tackle chronic homelessness. 12:50 p.m. Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 for the ninth consecutive day. The total number of confirmed cases in the province remains at 260, while three people have died as a result of the virus. Three people are currently in hospital, with one in intensive care. Health officials say 249 people have recovered after contracting COVID-19. 12:25 p.m. Amazon says it will be ending its pandemic-related pay incentives for workers in its Canadian warehouses at the end of the month. Company spokesperson Kelly Cheeseman confirmed Saturday the online retail giant will stop paying employees the extra $2 per hour and double overtime incentives they had been receiving since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Amazons pay incentives were initially supposed to end at the end of April but the company extended the program in the U.S. and Canada through May 30. The company has been criticized by employees in the U.S. and Canada for allegedly not doing enough to protect workers from COVID-19 and for not offering adequate support to employees who fall sick from the virus. 11:53 a.m. Public Health officials in New Brunswick say there are no longer any active cases of COVID-19 in the province. They say while the number of confirmed cases remains at 120, the number of active cases is zero and all of those who had contracted the virus have recovered. The province has conducted a total of 20,032 tests to date. New Brunswick is currently in phase 2 of its COVID-19 recovery plan, which is aimed at the reopening of businesses and activities while working to prevent a resurgence of transmission. 11:43 a.m. Health Canada has approved the first clinical trials for a COVID-19 vaccine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Saturday morning. During his daily briefing, Trudeau said the trials will take place at the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology at Dalhousie University. If the trials are successful, the National Research Council of Canada will work with manufacturers so the vaccine can be distributed domestically. Research and development take time and must be done right, he said. But this is encouraging news. 11:30 a.m. Ontarios regional health units are reporting another 383 COVID-19 cases and 27 new deaths since Friday morning, according to the Stars latest count. As of 11 a.m. Saturday, the health units have reported a total of 23,440 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19, including 1,932 deaths. In recent days, the trend in new cases has been relatively flat, with an average of about 350 new cases reported per day over the last seven days. More broadly, the daily growth in new COVID-19 infections across Ontario has fallen steadily since peaking at more than 700 cases a day in late April. Meanwhile, the total of 27 deaths reported in the province since Friday morning was well below the recent average, a sign the rate of new fatal cases has turned a corner about two weeks after the peak in the provinces daily case totals. Because many health units publish tallies to their websites before reporting to Public Health Ontario, the Stars count is more current than the data the province puts out each morning. Earlier Saturday, the province reported 975 patients are now hospitalized with COVID-19, including 180 in intensive care, of whom 135 are on ventilators numbers that have fluctuated but remained largely flat in recent weeks. The province also says more than 17,000 patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus nearly three-quarters of the total infected have now recovered from the disease. The province says its data is accurate to 4 p.m. the previous day. The province also cautions its latest count of total deaths 1,858 may be incomplete or out of date due to delays in the reporting system, saying that in the event of a discrepancy, data reported by (the health units) should be considered the most up to date. The Stars count includes some patients reported as probable COVID-19 cases, meaning they have symptoms and contacts or travel history that indicate they very likely have the disease, but have not yet received a positive lab test. 10:27 a.m. Germanys Bundesliga soccer season resumed Saturday after a two-month break caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Ruhr derby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke kicked off in an empty stadium as all games began amid strict hygiene measures. Calls and shouts from coaching staff and players, and the thud of the ball being kicked, reverberated around the mainly deserted stands. Team staff, and players who didnt start, wore masks. Substitutes took their positions in the stands, rather than beside the fields as customary, while balls and seats were disinfected. Pre-game television interviews were conducted with long poles holding microphones and participants keeping their distance. Its quite surreal, Dortmund chief executive Hans Joachim Watzke told Sky TV. Ive received messages from all over the world in the last couple of hours that everybody is watching and then you go through the city and theres nothing going on. The Ruhr derby was one of five games that were the first to be played in the league since March 11. 10:13 a.m. The Italian government announced Saturday that it will throw open its borders next month, effectively ending Europes longest and strictest coronavirus lockdown just as the summer tourism season gets under way. Both regional and international borders will open June 3, with the government eliminating a 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving from abroad. Many hope the move will revive a decimated tourist industry, which is worth 13 per cent of Italys gross domestic product. Such an opening is exactly what tourism operators have been waiting for, even if European neighbours so far appeared be wary of the unilateral Italian announcement. Germany whose border is about a four-hour drive from Venice through Austria is instructing citizens not to travel abroad for tourism until at least June 15. And officials in neighbouring France made clear that they had sought a co-ordinated European effort on border openings, indicating Italy had jumped the gun. 8:58 a.m. For months, the COVID-19 lockdown has removed choice from personal equations: We couldnt go out, couldnt travel, couldnt eat at restaurants, couldnt spend time with friends. But slowly, provinces have begun to ease COVID-19 restrictions. This week, Alberta began allowing stores, restaurants and hairdressers to reopen, while Ontario gave the green light for stores to reopen on May 19. B.C. will begin the process after the long weekend. Simply put, the ball has landed back in our court. Now that you might be able to go out for an evening, will you? The Stars Alex Boyd and Douglas Quan asked five Canadians whether theyre eager to get out in the world or holding back to see how things play out. 8:36 a.m. Three of the largest for-profit nursing home operators in Ontario, which have had disproportionately high numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths, have together paid out more than $1.5 billion in dividends to shareholders over the last decade, the Star has found. This massive sum does not include $138 million paid in executive compensation and $20 million in stock buybacks (a technique that can boost share prices), according to the financial reports of the provinces three biggest publicly traded long-term-care home companies, Extendicare, Sienna Senior Living and Chartwell Retirement Residences. Thats a total of more than $1.7 billion taken out of their businesses. Read the full story from the Stars Marco Chown Oved, Kenyon Wallace and Brendan Kennedy. 8:22 a.m. In a world where the masses arent travelling, what to do with the jumbo jet that defined the era of mass air travel? Like most other passenger jets, the venerable Boeing 747 the Queen of the Skies and its newer superjumbo competitor, the Airbus A380, are parked at airports and desert storage yards, sitting out the travel freeze brought on by the pandemic. But how many of these famous jets will return to the skies? In the post-pandemic era, demand for travel is not expected to bounce back fast, meaning the economics of these jumbo jets make less sense, at least for hauling passengers. Bracing for that business reality, airlines are announcing that some of the jets sitting idle will remain permanently parked, the 747 and A380 among them, in favour of smaller, newer and more efficient twin-engine aircraft. Read the full story from the Stars Bruce Campion-Smith 8:10 a.m. Since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city has seen a dramatic increase in homeless encampments across the city as inhabitants find themselves without shelter space and apprehensive of facilities that have become vectors for the deadly virus. Early in March, the city imposed a moratorium on clearing homeless encampments, given the challenges of ensuring physical distancing in shelters. But the city has since resumed the removals of the encampments as they implement new, temporary housing measures for the homeless. On Friday, standoffs unfolded between Torontos homeless and city officials at several downtown encampments as police officers and city workers cleared tents. Read the full story from the Stars Jacob Lorinc. Saturday, 7:59 a.m. Indias confirmed coronavirus cases have surpassed Chinas, with the Health Ministry on Saturday reporting a spike to 85,940 infections and 2,752 deaths. China has reported 82,941 confirmed case and 4,633 deaths since the virus was first detected late last year in the central city of Wuhan. The worst-hit Indian states are Maharashtra with 29,100 cases, Tamil Nadu with 10,108, Gujarat with 9,931 and New Delhi with 8,895. In the last 24 hours, India had confirmed 3,970 new cases and 103 fatalities. Prime Minister Narendra Modis government is due to announce a decision this weekend on whether to extend the 54-day-old lockdown. Early this month, the government started gradually easing the restrictions to resume economic activity by allowing neighbourhood shops to reopen and manufacturing and farming to resume. It also has resumed limited train services across the country to help stranded migrant workers, students and tourists. Friday 6:52 p.m. Air Canada plans to lay off at least 20,000 employees as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the airline industry, The Canadian Press reports. Effective June 7, the layoffs will impact more than half of the companys 38,000 employees, the airline said. The move comes amid border shutdowns and confinement measures that have tanked travel demand, prompting Air Canada to ground some 225 airplanes and slash flight capacity by 95 per cent. At a minimum, layoffs will reach 19,000 half of the current payroll and could go as high as 22,800. The blow echoes Air Canadas announcement in March to let go of nearly half of its workforce under a cost-reduction scheme. The carrier proceeded to rehire some 16,500 laid-off flight attendants, mechanics and customer service agents in April under the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, but has not committed to maintain the program past June 6. Friday 5 p.m. Ontario health units report 23,402 cases of COVID-19, up 394 or 1.7 per cent, according to the Star. The number of people who have died is 1,926, up 24. Read more of Fridays coverage here. Read more about: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly had plans to visit Queen Elizabeth at Balmoral Castle this summer. The visit would have been the couples first big trip to the United Kingdom since their exit from the royal family became official on March 31. But given how the entire world is still dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, the Sussexes may have to cancel their royal plans altogether. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson Pool/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth invites Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Balmoral Castle Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are now living in Los Angeles. The couple moved to the area after spending several months at a rented home on Vancouver Island. Prince Harry and Meghan flew out of Canada right before the borders closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have kept a low profile in recent weeks, though they have done work helping people affected by the current crisis. This includes dropping off food packages to families in need. Members of the royal family, meanwhile, have been living in isolation in the UK. Prince William and Kate Middleton are at their country estate, Anmer Hall, while Queen Elizabeth is staying at Windsor Castle with her husband, Prince Philip. RELATED: Prince Harry Admits Life Has Changed Dramatically Sources say that Her Majesty invited Harry and Meghan to spend the summer with her at Balmoral Castle earlier this year. Queen Elizabeth spends every summer at her Scottish estate, where other members of the royal family typically join her. Last year, for example, she invited Prince Harry and Meghan to Balmoral with the newest addition to their family, Archie Harrison. The couple declined the invitation because Harry was set to appear at the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final. Harry and Meghan might cancel their summer plans In March, Queen Elizabeth reportedly sent Prince Harry and Meghan an invitation to see her at Balmoral. This, of course, was before the coronavirus pandemic put the entire world in a lockdown. According to Hello Magazine, royal expert Danielle Stacey believes that the Sussexes will likely cancel their summer plans due to the pandemic. Even Queen Elizabeth might be forced to stay at Windsor Castle for several more months. It seems unlikely that the Sussexes or any member of the royal family will be traveling this summer. The Queen is expected to remain at Windsor Castle for the foreseeable future and it could mean that her traditional summer break in Balmoral might not even take place this year, Stacey shared. RELATED: Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys Sussex Royal Still Up and Running, Despite Queen Elizabeths Ban Stacey added that Queen Elizabeth is following the advice of medical professionals, especially when it comes to future royal engagements. Her Majesty has canceled most of her upcoming events, including Trooping the Colour. To stay in contact with other members of the royal family, Queen Elizabeth has been using video and phone calls. She is also reportedly fulfilling her royal duties and will continue to do so until the crisis is over. The royals have not commented on the reports surrounding Harry and Meghans summer plans. Some experts believe that Queen Elizabeth might stay at Windsor Castle as late as October. Has Prince Harry been staying in touch with his family? While Queen Elizabeth has been in contact with most members of the royal family, fans have been wondering if Harry and Prince William are back on speaking terms. The brothers have been the subjects of a slew of feud rumors over the past few years, and it sounds like things may have finally smoothed over. According to ET Online, royal expert Katie Nicholl claims that Prince Harry and Prince William are back in touch. The brothers apparently reached out after Prince Charles tested positive for the coronavirus. Although certain issues remain, Nicholl revealed that they have been in contact in recent weeks. RELATED: Prince Harry and Prince William Have Spoken Since Megxit Believes Royal Expert Melanie Bromley They Love Each Other [Exclusive] There have been clearly some quite major rifts in that relationship, but things have got better and I know that William and Harry are in touch on the phone, she stated. They have done video calls together, they have done a lot of family birthdays and I think with Prince Charles not being well, that really forced the brothers to pick up the phone and get back in touch. Nicholl noted that Harry and William started working on their fractured relationship a few months back. And now that Harry is feeling a little homesick, the timing was perfect for them to reconnect. The royal expert believes that the Sussexes enjoyed a video call with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in celebration of Archies first birthday. Queen Elizabeth also reportedly took part in a Zoom meeting with Prince Harry and Meghan on Archies big day. The Tennessee Legislature Reconvenes June 1 Now that Governor Lee's Stay at Home Order has expired and most businesses reopening in 91 of our state's 95 counties, thousands of Tennesseans have begun returning to work. We legislatures are no different. We will return to Nashville on May 26 to assess both April and May's tax revenue and work toward passing another emergency budget. Chattanooga Housing Authority COVID-19 Testing Over the passed week, there has been a lot of confusion on whether or not the Chattanooga Housing Authority, in conjunction with the Tennessee National Guard, would conduct testing events for residents of public housing. I would like to definitely state that the testing events are not canceled and is tentatively scheduled for Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. These times and dates are not confirmed and are subject to change. The location of the testing events will be held at Mary Walker Tower, Emma Wheeler Homes, College Hill Court, East Lake Courts, and Greenwood terrace. Many local leaders, including myself, have raised the concern to the governor that testing handled by National Guard members in fatigues could detract large numbers of citizens from getting tested. Thankfully, the governor's office has listened to our concerns and assured that the National Guard will be there in alternative uniforms. The Chattanooga Housing Authority is currently working together with the UTC School of Nursing, CHI Memorial, the Hamilton County Health Department, to offer free testing to senior residents at Boynton Terrace Apartments, Gateway Tower, and Dogwood Manor. Testing will take place Friday, May 15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The city of Chattanooga and Hamilton County will not share test results with the sheriff's office or local law enforcement. The need for a community-focused approach rather than a militarized approach to testing is of great importance. We need to take great care to make sure that residents feel safe when getting tested and not endanger their right to privacy. In addition to the Chattanooga Housing Authority, several local organization have made great strides in expanding testing in our community. The Hamilton County Health Department conducts free drive-thru testing on weekday mornings from 9-10:30 a.m. at 7460 Bonnyshire Dr. No appointment is needed. Call 209-8383 for more information. Clinica Medicos offers free COVID-19 testing seven days per week at their location. You will need an appointment, so please call 760-4000 for more information and to schedule your test. Cempa Community Care, in partnership with Alleo Health System, and Life Spring Pediatrics will offer free walk-up or drive-through testing at their mobile clinic. The clinic will be parked at the Bethlehem Center on Wednesday, May 13, the Avondale YFD Center on Wednesday, May 20, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and New Hope Baptist Church on Wednesday, May 27, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information, please call 207-5831 or email info@cempa.org Tips on How to Wear a Mask To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the CDC recommends wearing a cloth face mask. To properly wear a face mask, the mask should fully cover the nose and mouth. Wearing a cloth face mask over the nose and mouth prevents a person who may not be aware that they have COVID-19 from spreading the virus. Masks should not be placed on kids younger than age 2, or on people who have a hard time breathing or can not remove the mask themselves. Caution should be taken if you choose to wear a mask during any physical activity. Department of Labor: Unemployment If a Tennessee business closes to help slow down the spread of the COVID-19 and has to lay off employees temporarily, those workers can collect unemployment benefits, if they meet other eligibility requirements. If you are recommended by a doctor to be quarantined, an executive order from Governor Bill Lee will allow you to receive unemployment benefits, if all other eligibility requirements are met. If you applied for unemployment benefits. you must complete a weekly certification in order to receive those benefits. You are required to certify online each Sunday to notify the state you are still not working. If your place of employment is temporarily closed due to COVID-19, please indicate a return to work date. If you are unsure of the return to work date, use the date 16 weeks from the day of filing. For more detailed information on unemployment, please copy and paste the link provided. https://www.tn.gov/workforce TEHRAN, Iran, May 16 Trend: The Iran's Deputy Minister of Health announced 50-percent increase in the salaries of nurses. Maryam Hazrati stated that during the coronavirus outbreak, 4,500 nurses were serving in the country's hospitals, adding that the related licenses for hiring 5,284 more nurses is obtained waiting for funding from Planning and Budged Organization (PBO), Trend reports citing ISNA. According to a group of Iranian doctors, a total of 126 medical staff members have died since the virus was first reported, mostly in the provinces of Gilan and Tehran, while over 2,070 contracted the virus. The deaths of 100 medical staffers were verified by piecing together scattered news reports in local media outlets, statements from health institutions and social media messages of condolences, the report said. Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour announced the death toll of COVID-19 of the medical personnel to be 107 people, adding that 470 persons tested positive for the virus. Meanwhile, he reminded that the country is under sanctions and despite the crisis, Iran's own industries made enough protective material to fight the virus. A Co Antrim coronavirus survivor given just hours to live four weeks ago got to see his newborn grandson for the first time as he returned home yesterday. But for Geoffrey McKillop (56) the joy at arriving back in Bushmills was tempered by learning that a good friend had lost her life in a road crash this week. Now being looked after by his mother Lily, Geoffrey's home sits opposite that of the Dobbin family, who were left devastated by the death of daughter Clare Smyth (35) and her child Bethany (3) in Tuesday's tragic accident in Ballycastle. Dad Ryan remains at the hospital bedside of his other daughter Hannah (5), who was injured in the quad bike crash and is now showing signs of recovery. Geoffrey's sister Anne McClelland said that emotions were very mixed. "We know we're sitting here now having come out on the right side of this, but Geoffrey is now looking out of his window at the house across the road and he's devastated to have learned what has happened," she explained. "Geoffrey knew Clare and her sister Michelle from when they were little girls. "This is a day when we find ourselves in a happy place, and it was lovely to see so many out in Bushmills to welcome Geoffrey home when we drove through the village, but all our sympathies go to the Dobbin and Smyth families. "What happened has devastated the whole community here. "We might be on cloud nine having seen Geoffrey make it safely home, but we're heartbroken over what has happened these past couple of days." Geoffrey was cheered as he left Causeway Hospital around lunchtime on Friday. The doctors and nurses who had cared for him gathered to wave him off. Mr McKillop paid tribute to the hospital staff who cared for him. "We shouldn't lose sight of that - these people saved me," he said. "It'll be nice to be home." Later he got a hero's welcome in the village. And among those lining the street to welcome him was his new grandson, born just two days after the family had been told doctors had done everything they could to save Geoffrey and he had just hours to live. Alexander Geoffrey Aaron McKillop was born last month in Antrim Area Hospital to Geoffrey's son Mark and his girlfriend Emma. And Geoffrey got his first look at the four-week-old, who was among those gathered outside his Cods Way restaurant in Bushmills yesterday. The businessman, who also owns the Hip Chip restaurant in the village, will now be treated to some home comforts, as his mum will be looking after him as he recovers. "He's landed on his feet, and our mum will be in her element," said Anne. "No matter what you do in life, your son's always your son! "We've had a bedroom made ready for Geoffrey. "He has his TV and will be delighted to be able to see something other than the sky out of the window. "But we've already had to scold him. "He wanted us to take him for a run to Portstewart and Portrush and come through Portballintrae on the way home. "But we're not going to let him run before he can walk. We'll have to be firm with him." Anne, who works as a staff nurse at Causeway Hospital, said all he wants now is a good old fry-up. "We've been to town, got the sausages, bacon, eggs and soda. He's trying to build his strength up with some of our mum's home cooking," she added. "The pair of them were so emotional when he landed at the front door. She's as chuffed as he is. "He has a good bit of catching up to do after being in hospital for 40 days and spending two weeks on a ventilator. "But we're there for him and the whole village is there for him. "Now we know he will get the chance to meet his new grandson properly, and he's really looking forward to his first trip back to the promenade in Portstewart when his strength returns and he gets through the next few weeks of isolation." The businessman had been admitted to hospital on April 5 after suffering symptoms at home for 10 days. He was quickly put on a ventilator, which he remained on for more than two weeks, until April 25. His recovery is long overdue good news for the family, who have endured several tragedies in the past. Geoffrey's daughter Heather passed away on April 22 last year. The family had a brother, Nigel, die from silent pneumonia at just three years old. And two sisters, Carol and Heather McKillop, lost their lives in a car crash in 1980. "We know how hard the doctors and nurses in Causeway fought for Geoffrey," said Anne. "They were with him every step of the way, and for that we will be forever grateful." - Police constable Michael Siwalo succumbed to gunshot wound after alleged fight with his wife - The deceased had been allocated an AK 47 with 30 bullets on Friday, May 15, for curfew enforcement - The officer decided to pass by his rental house where a domestic dispute ensued between him and his wife - It was alleged the officer shot the wife before turning the gun on himself - The body moved to Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital Mortuary for autopsy A junior police officer who had been allocated a gun for curfew enforcement allegedly shot self dead after a botched attempt to kill his wife. Sources privy to the tragic incident said Constable Michael Siwalo attached to Timau police station shot wife before pulling the trigger on his chest after a commotion ensued at home on Friday, May 15. READ ALSO: Russia confirms staggering 10,598 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours Meru: Police officer shoots wife, kills self Source: UGC READ ALSO: Tuju sasa amtambua DP Ruto, asema Jubilee haitavunjika According to a police report filed at Timau police station, the officer had been allocated an AK 47 loaded with 30 bullets as he had been assigned to enforce the ongoing dusk to dawn curfew. The cop, however, decided to pass by his house located within Timau township where a commotion ensued between him and his 25-year-old wife Silvia Ramat Lenei. "It was reported to the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) through phone that there were gunshot sounds from the rented house of Police Constable Michael Siwalo around Panama area of Timau township," police said in a statement. The police officer had been given an AK47 rifle to enforce the ongoing dusk to dawn curfew. Photo: NPS. Source: UGC Timau OCS Anthony Karrisa together with his team rushed to the scene of the event where they found the officer lying dead with what appeared to be a gunshot wound on his chest while his wife was still bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound in her stomach. It was not immediately established who shot the other but according to one of the police officer, the deceased might have shot his wife before turning the trigger to himself. Two spent cartridges were recovered and would be used in Investigations by crime officers. The injured was rushed to Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital and is in critical condition. Body of the deceased moved to Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital Mortuary awaiting for a postmortem. Story by Enock Ndayala, TUKO correspondent 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. I would rather die trying - Benson Kangentu | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke By Express News Service CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday appealed to migrant workers not to leave for their home states on their own either by walk or by vehicles since the Tamil Nadu government has been taking steps to send at least 10,000 migrant workers home every day. So far, 55,473 migrant workers have been sent through 43 special trains to Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and the northeastern states. "The Tamil Nadu government is bearing all travel expenses including the railway fare of the migrant workers who are willing to go their native states. As such, I appeal to them not to leave for their home states on their own either by walk or vehicles," he said in a statement here. "The state government has planned to send around 10,000 migrant workers per day after getting the consent of the concerned states. So, I request the migrant workers to stay in the relief camps until arrangements are made," the Chief Minister added. A team of engineers in Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has unveiled a locally invented ventilator to enhance the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria. Muhammad-Sani Sallau, Director Equipment Maintenance and Development Centre, ABU, said this at the unveiling of the equipment at the university in Zaria on Friday. Mr Sallau, who is also the team leader and Acting Dean, Faculty of Physical Sciences, told journalists that the university has made a breakthrough and was working toward safeguarding the innovation of the product. We are currently processing the patenting as well as trademarking to further safeguard the product. We are receiving maximum cooperation from government agencies in this regard, Mr Sallau said. He added that the university was in the process of getting the needed equipment to produce more ventilators as part of its academic research and contribution in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. The team leader also said they had received all the necessary support from the appropriate authorities. As a research centre, we only invent but look for companies and organisations to sponsor the project for mass production, he said According to him, universities are research centres and their mandate is to develop the technology for manufacturers to buy into their research development. Mr Sallau urged government to fund the innovation to help boost mass production of the home made ventilator. He said such development would also assist to reduce import of vetilators as well as save foreign exchange. According to him, Raw Materials Research and Development Centre (RMRDC) have acknowledged that ventilor produced by ABU engineers was the best among those produced with local materials they came across. He said RMRDC has also promised to link up the university with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to endorse the project for sponsorship. The engineers have dedicated themselves particularly at this period of lockdown to invent the ventilator for the nations development, he said. One of the team members, Kaisan Usman of Mechanical Engineering Department, ABU, said the project was to complement government efforts in the fight against the spread the Coronavirus in Nigeria. He called on government to develop the universitys capacity to produce the machine in large quantity and also to fund research and innovation in Nigerian universities. (NAN) WASHINGTON Congressional lawmakers soon could be voting from their couches. Many of them anyway. The Democratic-led House passed an unprecedented and controversial measure Friday that temporarily allows members unable to come to Capitol Hill due to the coronanvirus pandemic to designate another member as their "proxy" to cast floor votes on their behalf. The heated debate on the resolution, which passed 217-189, fell along the partisan lines that have defined the nation's divided response to the COVID-19 crisis. Democrats said the change enables the chamber to respond nimbly to evolving issues, including the unfolding pandemic, without putting lawmakers, their staffs and hundreds of Capitol Hill workers at risk by requiring them to meet together. "The status quo has become dangerous and unacceptable," House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said on the House floor, speaking through a protective mask. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Md. takes his mask off to speak before the signing ceremony for the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, H.R. 266, after it passed the House on Capitol Hill, Thursday, April 23, 2020, in Washington. The almost $500 billion package will head to President Donald Trump for his signature. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) ORG XMIT: DCAH157 But Republicans, fearful that the move will fundamentally alter the nature of the chamber, said the House instead should emulate the Senate and bring back the House to Capitol Hill on a permanent basis. Today is a dark day in the history of our country," countered GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, who spoke with no face covering. "States have started reopening businesses, schools, and local economies. Congress should be following suit." More: House expected to approve $3 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill as White House, McConnell push back The plan allows members over the next 45 days to designate another member as their proxy with strict written instructions on each vote they would cast for the absent lawmaker. A list of designated proxies will be posted on the House Clerks website and a list of members voting remotely will be printed in the Congressional Record following each vote, moves Democrats said would ensure transparency. In addition, members votes will be read aloud during the vote. Story continues Members could serve as a designated proxy for up to 10 other members. The measure also allows House committee meetings and votes to be conducted online. It would have no bearing on the Senate which crafts its own rules. Mea culpa: Mitch McConnell says he was 'wrong' to say Obama left behind no pandemic plan The resolution is an unprecedented step taken during a unique crisis that Congress has been adjusting to over the past few weeks. The vote took about an hour to conduct as members, arriving at the chamber based during pre-assigned time slots to avoid large gatherings, came to the floor individually to cast their vote. Proxy voting on the floor has never occurred before, though House committees used the practice as recently as 1995. Proxy voting also has been used for committee votes in the Senate. Some Republicans argue that authorizing a small group of lawmakers to cast votes for most of their colleagues is unconstitutional and will disenfranchise millions of Americans. "This bill would allow one member to have 10 proxies in their back pocket. Think about that," said Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, during floor debate. "Twenty-two members ...could do the business of 330 million people in this great country." If 22 members each carried the votes of 10 members, that would add up to 242 votes (10 for each proxy plus the member's own vote) enough for a majority in the 435-seat House if they all voted the same way. But Democrats repeatedly tried to assure Republicans this was not "a power grab," as GOP House Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., called it, since it would not diminish or increase the power of any one side. And a Rules Committee report on March 23 outlining options for voting during the pandemic said proxy voting would probably stand up in court if challenged. "Many scholars argue that the House has the right to determine its own rules, and that the courts would be unlikely to question the process the House used to pass a bill," it said. House members returned to Washington to vote on the rules change and a $3 trillion stimulus bill to help the U.S. economy battered by the social distancing steps taken to mitigate the spread of the pandemic. Proxy voting will start after the stimulus bill vote later today. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: House changes rules to allow members to vote remotely Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 16:54:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Two security members were killed and three others wounded Saturday in an attack by Islamic State (IS) militants in Salahudin province in northern Iraq, a provincial police source said. The extremist IS militants opened fire from their assault rifles on a joint police and army checkpoint on a main road in south of the provincial capital Tikrit, located about 170 km north of Baghdad, Mohammed al-Bazi told Xinhua. The attack resulted in the killing of a soldier and a policeman and the wounding of three security members, al-Bazi said, adding that the attackers fled the scene to nearby orchards. The security situation in Iraq has been improving since Iraqi security forces fully defeated the IS militants across the country late in 2017. However, IS militants are still able to hide in deserts, rugged areas as well as in Himreen mountain range which extends in the provinces of Diyala, Salahudin and Kirkuk, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians despite repeated operations to hunt them down. Enditem A Helena teenager charged with raping a woman withdrew his guilty plea in court Friday after the district judge threatened to hand down a sentence that went beyond the state's plea agreement. Kyle Jakob Redstar will now face a jury trial on Oct. 19 at 9 a.m. "I'm not going to pull any punches here. I'm going to reject it," District Court Judge Michael McMahon said from the bench, referring to the plea agreement between Redstar and the county attorney's office. "I need you to understand, sir, that you may choose to not withdraw your guilty plea, and you may consent to proceed with sentencing. However, the disposition will be less favorable than was contemplated by the plea agreement." McMahon is not obligated to adhere to sentencing recommendations within a plea agreement. McMahon allowed Redstar and his counsel to privately discuss Redstar's options, and after only a couple of minutes of discussion, Redstar withdrew his guilty plea. A jury draw has been scheduled for Oct. 5. Redstar is charged with sexual intercourse without consent, a felony. In June 2019, a Helena police detective responded to a report from a woman who said Redstar had raped her. The woman said that on June 23, she had gone to Redstar's apartment and wanted to take a nap. She said Redstar followed her into the bedroom and sexually assaulted her, according to court documents. The woman said she was afraid of Redstar during the incident. Redstar told a detective he knew the victim did not want to engage in sexual intercourse with him, but he did so anyway. He also claimed he was addicted to sex. Love 2 Funny 2 Wow 3 Sad 1 Angry 19 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. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size When the Federal Court last week dismissed an attempt to stop Parks Victoria from culling feral horses in the Alpine National Park, it put the spotlight back on a long and bitter fight in the high country between brumby lovers and environmental scientists. The fight is far from over. The biggest herds of wild horses are across the border in NSWs Kosciuszko National Park. And thanks to NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro, wild horses enjoy heritage protection in the state. But the horses in the Australian Alps - an astonishing 25,000 of them at last count - respect no border and continually drift into Victoria. Shortly before bushfires swept the mountain country over summer, photographer Joe Armao and I visited the high border country to try to understand the dispute. Helicopter pilot Col de Pagter (right) and Acacia Rose before takeoff to inspect Kosciuszko National Park in November. Credit:Joe Armao We went in search of the source of Australias only great river, the Murray, at the best of times no more than a soak on a plain in the wilderness of the Australian Alps. This day, however, at the intersection of spring and summer, it was elusive. Advertisement Ive been flying here for 17 years and this is the first time Ive seen the source to be dry, announced our helicopter pilot, Col de Pagter, chief pilot and director of HeliSurveys, whod spent the previous day water-bombing bushfires. The ruined roof of Australia We land upon a wide green plain, Cowombat Flat - called by indigenous people Quambat, thought to mean camping place by water - a few hundred metres downstream of the dry soak. The grass is clipped to the texture of baize on a billiard table. We walk onto dried piles of horse dung and it is clear what had been doing the mowing. We are 50 metres into Victoria. I go in search of the stream that denotes the NSW-Victorian border, the genesis of the Murray River. It is trashed. There is a little water to be found in a depression in the shade of trees, but it is not even trickling. It lies in a muddied bog. 'We're in a horse paddock': Acacia Rose at the source of the Murray River. Credit:Joe Armao Advertisement Our guide, Acacia Rose, who has lived much of her life in the mountains, surveys the remnants of moss trampled and pugged by horses hooves, the edges fouled by manure. This is how we celebrate the very start of Australias greatest river, she says. Were in a horse paddock. Within a few weeks of our visit, the results of an aerial survey by the Australian Alps National Parks Co-operative Management Program, peer-reviewed by world-leading experts, puts the number of feral horses roaming the national parks at 25,000. Horse dung near the source of the Murray River. Credit:Joe Armao The local state MP, outspoken NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro, who has championed brumbies in the mountains to the point of giving them legislative protection, declared in an interview only a few weeks before that he thought 3000 was the correct figure. Days later, still opposed to any form of shooting program but clearly taken aback by the dramatic growth in horse numbers - doubling in five years - he suggested sterilising the herds. Such a task, snorted critics, would make the Man From Snowy Rivers pursuit of a runaway colt look like a pony club picnic. A fight with water at its heart Advertisement A battle is raging in the fastness of the roof of Australia. It is a fierce argument between scientists concerned about ecological destruction by herds of hard-hoofed ferals and those, like Barilaro, who invest brumbies with heritage value. It is also an argument about the way Australias national parks should be run. On this driest of continents, water lies at the heart of the debate. Around 30 per cent of all the water in the Murray River system comes from the Australian Alps, which cover only 1 per cent of the systems catchment. In a dry year, the proportion is greater. Riverbanks show the damage done by hooves trampling the soil. Credit:Joe Armao The mountains have evolved over many millions of years as giant sponges, slowly and reliably filtering their water catchments right through the year. The peatlands, bogs and fens absorb the meltwaters of winter snow and the bounty of rainstorms, sleet and hail. Sphagnum moss plants growing within these systems each hold water amounting to around 20 times their dry weight. Advertisement Their sponge-like quality allows reliable trickles of water to become slow-moving streams until eventually they form rivers. But scientists have spent decades proving that hard-hoofed animals like horses can destroy the moss ability to hold water, and thus deny dependable, high-quality supplies to the Murray and the lowlands it serves. Snowgrass and other native plants in the Alps have to be fenced off to survive the trampling of thousands of feral horses. Credit:Joe Armao The Murray - up here called the Indi - springs from the south-west of the mountains; the Murrumbidgee from the north. Eventually, way out in the Riverina, the Murrumbidgee flows into the Murray. The soak at the source of the Indi/Murray ought to be healthy, even in last years drought. The mountains through the winter and spring of 2019 had their longest snow season anyone can remember. Soil is a living organism, says Acacia Rose. She learned this at the feet of her father, acclaimed soil conservationist Dr Alec Costin. Costins scientific work in the Australian Alps in the 1940s and '50s led to the decision to remove cattle that had been grazed on the Snowy Mountains for generations. The cattle, he discovered, were degrading the high country and, among other things, disturbing the amount and quality of water flowing to the lowlands. Snowy Hydro engineers - who needed high-quality, unsilted water for their turbines - listened to him, as did those in favour of pristine national parks. Advertisement Good Morning America On the eve of the one-year anniversary of his inauguration, President Joe Biden held a formal news conference at the White House Wednesday, answering reporter questions on his handling of the pandemic, the economy and legislative agenda, characterizing the country as unified -- but not as much as it could be -- and raised eyebrows by saying Russia was likely to invade Ukraine. "It's been a year of challenges, but it's also many years of enormous progress," Biden said to begin, ticking through his administration's successes before fielding questions from reporters. With Biden facing the limits of what he can accomplish with an evenly-divided Senate, unable to get either his signature social spending package or major voting rights reform through Congress in recent weeks, and with the pandemic still raging well into its second, his approval rating in polls has hit an all-time low. Alameda County sheriffs deputies shot and killed a murder suspect who fired a handgun at them after an hours-long standoff Friday afternoon at a motel, officials said. The 42-year-old man wanted for an Oakland homicide emerged from a room at the Valley Inn around 4:30 p.m. holding a semiautomatic pistol with two hands and fired at least one round at deputies, said Sgt. Ray Kelly, spokesman for the Alameda County Sheriffs Office. Several deputies returned fire, striking the suspect multiple times, Kelly said. Deputies attempted to render aid but the man was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. No deputies were injured. Its very unfortunate that this suspect took this course of action but unfortunately he left the officers there with very little choice, Kelly said. They had to use deadly force in order to protect their own lives. The shooting was captured on multiple body-worn cameras. The office will review and release the videos to the public. The man, who was not identified, was one of two suspects wanted in connection with an Oakland homicide earlier this year. Police had an active warrant for his arrest. Roughly three weeks ago, police located the two suspects at an illegal gambling event at a residential property in San Lorenzo, Kelly said. One suspect barricaded himself inside a garage at an adjacent property but was ultimately taken into custody without incident. The other man fled. After investigating for weeks, police discovered the escaped suspect was at the motel. Police and sheriffs deputies set up a perimeter and secured the area around 11:30 a.m. They made contact with the suspect and spoke with him via phone, Kelly said. The man put a mattress against the window and moved furniture to barricade himself inside the room. 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. For several hours, deputies asked him to surrender, Kelly said. At one point, the man attempted to escape by breaking through his wall into an adjacent room, but he was unsuccessful. Roughly five hours after authorities arrived, the suspect came out of the room and the shooting occurred. The deputies involved have been placed on paid administrative leave. The Sheriffs Office homicide unit and the Alameda County District Attorney are conducting investigations into the officer-involved shooting. Anna Bauman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: anna.bauman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @abauman2 VANCOUVERIf one thing is certain about the reopening of schools in British Columbia the first Canadian jurisdiction poised to do so provincewide after Quebec backtracked on its plans for Montreal its that they wont look anything like the normal picture of schools in June. Rambunctious games of tag and sugar-fuelled gossip sessions will make way for traffic-monitored hallways, one student on each school bus seat and orderly outdoor games that guarantee participants can keep two metres apart from one another. At least, thats the plan. Much else is yet to be determined for the reopening slated for June 1 including, crucially, how many students will show up under a system of voluntary attendance, and how teachers will juggle in-class duties with continued online learning for those staying home. B.C. officials have been watching what has been done in other jurisdictions around the world, such as Denmark, where schools have been open under strict distancing rules for a month. Quebec schools outside of Montreal opened last week, while those in the provinces biggest city will stay closed until September. Saskatchewan, Alberta and Nova Scotia are among the provinces that have committed to keeping all schools closed until next September. Ontario is expected to announce a decision on the question early next week. Carolyn Howe, a kindergarten and elementary music teacher in Victoria on Friday found herself reimagining all of her lesson plans for the second time in as many months. With the little ones, she plans to go outside as much as possible, keeping them engaged with drawing and games to reduce the chance that they wander too close to one another. With the music students, she wondered whether singing would be off-limits due to the droplet-spreading potential. Its a complete classroom overhaul, and its coming in two weeks. I use singing so much in all of my classroom management, Howe said. I sing to them; they sing back to me. Im really wondering about that, and it makes me sad. Despite the strict health and safety restrictions and altered learning plans, B.C. leaders hope the reopening of all schools will give students the relief of seeing their friends in a safe environment while easing them back into the classroom learning that they have missed for the past two months due to COVID-19. With a new guidance in place, public health officials believe it can be done safely. This transition is voluntary, but I believe it will be net positive for the kids of B.C., Premier John Horgan said in a news conference Friday, adding it wouldnt be happening if the government and public health officials thought it involved undue risk to students or staff. This plan is based on science and safety standards, he said. The key feature of B.C.s June back-to-school plan, aside from the swath of classroom and logistical adjustments that will need to be made at school levels to guarantee physical distancing and twice-daily cleaning is that students will return on a part-time basis, dramatically reducing the number of students in class at any particular time. For kids from kindergarten to Grade 5, that means going to school about 50 per cent of the time, while students in grades six and above will only attend class in-person once a week. Changes will also be made to how school buses operate, with one student per seat, and Plexiglas barriers put up to protect drivers. Education Minister Rob Fleming said the lower class numbers will allow school administrators to make decisions such as spacing out desks and holding outdoor lessons where possible, to keep kids the requisite distance from one another. The aim, Fleming said, is to keep students learning with their own teachers and in the same class configurations as before the pandemic began. But exceptions will be made for teachers with underlying health conditions that put them at greater risk for COVID-19 to continue teaching online only. Students, teachers and staff will all be expected to stay home if they experience even the most minor of symptoms. Class capacities are likely to be even lower than 50 per cent of pre-pandemic times, as many parents express apprehension or even incredulity at the idea of sending their kids back to class so late in the year, against the backdrop of a global pandemic. Coquitlam mother of two Shari ONeill is one of the parents who will be keeping her kids at home. Her son, Grade 7, and her daughter, Grade 11, both have individualized education plans intended to help students with specific or heightened learning needs. Learning from home has been a big challenge. I sure wish school was just flying along as usual, she said. But, with only a month left in the regular school year, ONeill says the risks of the pandemic outweigh the rewards of sending her kids back to school one day a week. Theres no guarantees, she said. And Im not willing to put my kids at risk for that. Teachers, meanwhile, are confronting their own challenges. Some are worried about putting students, themselves and their families at risk by gathering daily in classrooms. Our teachers do have worries about health and safety, said Howe, who is a vice-president of her local teachers union on top of teaching. They know that theyre going back in uncertain times with a disease thats being managed but we know is not being eradicated. A key concern is how surfaces will get and stay clean for all the students. Howe said the days of having kindergarteners play in a group with Play-Doh are over for now and teachers may need access to more easily sanitized supplies, such as clip boards that can be used for drawing outside. School boards will also have to consider cleaning desks And workload is another major concern. Having transitioned to teaching online just two months ago, they are now being asked to adapt again and produce lesson plans that work for both online and in-class learning. It would have been a far better plan to end school early so that teachers didnt have to plan on the fly for the next stage, Howe said. We changed the whole form of education in two weeks. And now, in two more weeks, were changing it again. Read more about: Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As someone who is African American," I was actually reluctant to write about this tragic story. In the words of Fannie Lou Hamer, "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired" of people being so easily baited and manipulated by the blamestream media. It amazes me the select injustices that go through the news magnification process. Blamestream media, always quick and intentional about colorizing narratives (only when it suits their agenda, of course), have made sure everyone knows about the horrific killing of Ahmaud Arbery. But his death serves a bigger purpose for some who are hellbent on painting America as a (still) deeply racist country. It's not 1962 when racism was State-enforced and codified into every aspect of our nations life. We are a much better America today on so many levels. When will we act like it? Yet, this injustice will be exploited to promote a destructively false narrative. You know, like this pathetic tweet from LeBron James claiming: We're [black people] literally hunted EVERYDAY/EVERYTIME we step foot outside the comfort of our homes!" #LieOfTheCentury. (The only hunting down King James experiences is by a mob of fans.) And for those out there repeating this garbage, what's your hope here? You can't fight (alleged or actual) racism with more...racism. You can't denounce prejudice and the violence that accompanies it with more...prejudice. Enough already. For those readers who are Christians, stop letting the world misshape your worldview. You should mourn for those who mourn (Romans 12:15), especially for the family and loved ones who've had a precious life taken away from them. But you're not called to distort for those who distort. In fact the very next verse (Romans 12:16) says: Live in harmony with one another. But you can't live in harmony in the present when you allow yourselves to be defined by the discord of the past. Earlier in that same chapter we are admonished: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." The world has a pattern. And we see the same response to it over and over again: grieving, blaming, regressing, repeat. The Godly pattern is very different: mourning, loving, transforming, repeat. I'd like to know how many people decrying the horrific killing of this young man also equally decried the recent horrific killing of Paul and Lidia Marino, an elderly white Italian couple in their mid-80s by a young black man named Sheldon Francis. He shot them while they were visiting their deceased sons grave in a veteran's cemetery! Where are the protests? Where are the #StandingWithMarinos hashtags? Are you mourning for gang victims? Are you mourning for the store owners assaulted by a mob of teens? Are you mourning for the elderly Asian man attacked by 20 year-old African-American DeWayne Grayson? Are you mourning for the 2,362 defenseless lives killed today in the name of reproductive justice? I'm sick and tired of the practice of using a tragedy to bludgeon entire people groups. I'm even more frustrated with Christians who have been forgiven of their own past refusing to forgive others especially of a past for which the accused (and Im not referring to the McMichaels here) are not even responsible. Racial reconciliation cannot happen if we continue to see everything in life through the broken prism of race. Race is a human constructa made-up thing. True reconciliation and redemption are Godly things. I cant help but remember the racism-fueled attack on churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina back in 2015. Dylan Roof, a mentally ill man, slaughtered nine precious lives while they were in a prayer meeting. He was quickly convicted by a jury of nine white and three black jurors. The extraordinary actions of the families, violently stripped of some of their loved ones, shocked the nation. Family members told Roof that they forgave him. The sister of one of the slain said: We have no room for hating. We have to forgive. What the McMichaels did was evil. They could've simply called the police if they thought there was criminal activity. (Evidence shows there was none except maybe trespassing onto a construction site. And now the family that owns that house under construction, who had nothing to do with the murder, are even receiving death threats!) Justice is often slow in coming, but I believe I hope it will rain down on this situation. But the same heart of darkness that led those men to carry out such a heinous act the same heart that will so quickly destroy those made in the image of God is evident in every town, every city, and among every hue of skin. It is a SIN problem, not merely a SKIN problem. You can change all of the "systemic structures" all you want. If the soul of a person doesn't have the right framework, that brokenness will manifest itself into the destructive behaviors and unjust acts that can mark all of us white, black and every hue in between. By Express News Service CHENNAI: I started with a hope to survive this, but if I have to die on the way, then so be it, says visibly tired Ram Nivas at the TN-Andhra border in Tiruvallur district. A resident of Himachal Pradesh, he is among the 2,000 plus migrant labourers who are on a perilous long walk from Chennai and its suburbs to their faraway homes in North India.The old saying the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step has turned literally true for these workers as they started walking on the Chennai-Kolkata national highway. Unmindful of dehydration and hunger, many among them even reached as far as Vijayawada, a good 500 kilometre from Chennai. However, unkind destiny was awaiting them there in the attire of Andhra Pradesh police who, despite the pleas from the tired workers, packed them into buses and sent them all the way back to Tamil Nadu border. Good Samaritans at border The only hope for these workers, now stranded at the interstate border, is a group of volunteers. As many as 70 good Samaritans at Kavarapettai, Elavur, Gummidipoondi and Redhills have been providing food and water to them. We have set up a network of volunteers from Tiruvallur all the way to Indore in Madhya Pradesh, to provide food for those who are walking home. While many of them had reached Ongole, Vijayawada and Nellore two days back, the Andhra Pradesh police stopped them and transported them back to the border in buses and trucks, says Himathinan, a volunteer. The volunteers who hail from various parts of the State say they have been trying to hold talks with officials of Andhra and Tamil Nadu, but in vain. We also contacted Atulya Misra, the nodal officer appointed to oversee the return of migrants. We have requested him to arrange trains to ferry these people. The official said works in this regard are underway, says Himathinan. New check posts Incidently, the Tamil Nadu police have set up new checking points at a few kilometres before the Andhra border to prevent migrant workers from entering the neighbouring State. The move came apparently after the Andhra officials pressurised their TN counterparts to not allow the workers cross the border. Meanwhile, the stranded workers stare at an uncertain future with no sight of home. People who left the city three day before us are also stuck here with no food and money. The police are asking us to go back to where we started. What do they think why we left in the first place, laments Rakesh Khanna from Odisha. The labourers say many of them were forced to vacate their rooms because they couldnt pay the rent and some were even chased away from construction sites or factories after the lockdown took effect. Officials and volunteers are trying to convince us to stay back saying the journey is dangerous and there is no hope of finding jobs back home. But we dont have anywhere else to go. I have two little children who need milk and food, says Ram Nivas adding that many of his friends and relatives working at other States are experiencing the same fate. 6th Shramik special train leaves Vellore Vellore: The sixth Shramik special train operated from Katpadi railway junction in Vellore departed for Tatanagar in Jharkhand with 1,464 stranded labourers and patients from five districts on Friday. The special train with 1,464 passengers from five districts departed from Katpadi to Tatanagar in Jharkhand today afternoon, a senior official said. The passengers included stranded migrant labourers and patients visiting CMC Hospital from, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Tirupathur, Ranipet and Villupuram, he added. This is the sixth train in a series of special trains operated from Katpadi. ENS Maharashtra workers stage demonstration at Gunnur Theni: Urging the government to send them home, over 84 workers from Maharashtra staged a demonstration at Gunnur main road on Friday. According to sources, a private sugar mill located near Theni had engaged 84 migrant workers hailing from Maharashtra to work in the mill in February. Due to the lockdown, the workers camped in the sugarcane fields as the mill stopped functioning. The district administration and mill authorities provided essential commodities to them. Live auctions might be on hold while restrictions on gatherings are in place, but the major auction houses are reporting better-than-expected results from clients raising their virtual paddles online. The closure of bricks and mortar stores has also meant a wave of new clients and first-time buyers have started dipping their toes in the auction world. Madeleine Norton straightens the Gary Shead painting "Bettanys Book" at the Leonard Joel auction house in Sydney. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Merryn Schriever, director of the country's only internationally owned auction house Bonhams Australia, said there had been "a surge in registrations from Generation X and younger cohorts". "They are very tech-savvy and confident in the space with a reasonable disposable income," Ms Schriever said. (TNS) Illinois Facebook users could soon learn if theyre eligible for up to $300 as part of a class-action settlement alleging the social media giant violated state privacy law with its facial tagging feature.Attorneys representing users filed court documents last week showing class members are estimated to receive between $150 and $300 as part of a massive $550 million settlement reached in January. There is no timeline set on notification or payout, and a federal judge in San Francisco must approve the details.The class is defined as Facebook users in Illinois whose images the company used to create a stored face template after June 7, 2011, the date Facebook said its tag suggestion feature was available in most countries. Users must have also lived in the state for at least six months.Records from the Menlo Park, California-based company will be used to determine who is eligible for the payout.Class members will be notified via email and on Facebook, according to plans detailed in court documents. A notice will appear in eligible users profiles, and a notification will pop up in their Facebook news feeds.It could be weeks before eligible users receive notifications. The next court hearing is scheduled for June 4, but the coronavirus pandemic has been pushing many hearings back. Once the judge approves the plans, Facebook has up to 35 days to send out notifications, according to court documents.Total payments will depend on how many people make a claim. To get the money, class members must submit a timely and properly completed claim.Users will be provided with a link where they can submit a claim, and a website where they can download a form to mail in, if they prefer. There will be a deadline for submitting claims, which has not been set.Facebook also agreed as part of the settlement to turn off its facial recognition feature for class members, and delete existing face templates unless users say otherwise. The facial recognition feature was set to off by default for new users in September 2019.The settlement stems from a federal lawsuit filed in Illinois five years ago alleging Facebook violated a state law protecting residents biometric information, which includes data from facial, fingerprint and iris scans. The lawsuit was later moved to California.As we explained in January, we decided to pursue a settlement as it was in the best interest of our community and our shareholders to move past this matter, Facebook spokeswoman Dina El-Kassaby said in a statement. ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI -- A man already charged in a Virginia cold case slaying is now also charged with the death of his teen daughter who went missing in 1989. Allegan County prosecutors announced Friday, May 15 that Dennis Lee Bowman, 71, is being charged with open murder, felony murder, first-degree child abuse and mutilation of a body. Bowman, of Hamilton, was arrested in November for the 1980 death of Kathleen OBrien Doyle. She was found dead in her Norfolk, Va. home and was the daughter of a naval officer and wife of a U.S. Navy pilot who was deployed at the time. Police in February developed new leads that led them to a shallow grave on Bowmans property, in the 3200 block of 136th Avenue in Monterey Township. There, they found skeletal remains that now have been identified as those of 14-year-old Aundria Michelle Bowman. Related: Police find remains, possible connection to 1980s cold case Allegan County sheriffs deputies said medical and DNA testing by forensic pathologists with the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine and forensic biologists with Michigan State University led to a positive identification of the remains. Bowmans adopted daughter went missing in March 1989 and Bowmans biological mother sometime later began to suspect Bowman. Allegan County Prosecutor Myrene Koch thanked law enforcement who worked on the case over the years. I also want to assure Aundrias family and friends that even though this has been a very long road, this is the first step in seeking justice for her, she said in a written statement. More from MLive West Michigan sheriff to speak at protest against Whitmers stay-home order Families flock to Michigan animal park despite Gov. Whitmers stay-at-home order DANBURY Emergency personnel were called to East Pembroke Road late Friday morning after a car collided with a utility pole. A crash happened around 11 a.m. in the area of 70 East Pembroke Road. The utility pole broke and was leaning towards the roadway, according to dispatch reports. Traffic was blocked off from the area at the intersections of Jeanette Road and Hayestown Heights. Eversource was called to the scene, and EMS responded for a male patient with a hand injury, according to dispatch reports. About an hour before the East Pembroke Road crash, a similar accident occurred in Brookfield. BIG RAPIDS, MI Ferris State University announced this week plans for students to safely return to campus this fall for face-to-face classes. President David Eisler made the announcement during a virtual town hall Tuesday. The university is among several Michigan institutions, including Grand Valley State University, moving forward with plans for in-person re-engagement amid the novel coronavirus. Like other universities, Ferris has faced financial challenges with closing its campus and shifting to instruction online to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. As of April 10, 280 employees were placed on temporary leave - 230 full-time and 50 part-time staff, according Michelle Rasmussen, communications officer for Eisler. Related: Michigans universities and colleges bleeding revenue amid coronavirus closures These are employees who, by the nature of their assignment, could not work remotely, she said This enabled these employees to receive both state unemployment and federal pandemic unemployment, while the university continued to pay benefits, including healthcare. Rasmussen said the greatest number of employees work in the physical plant, dining services and housing, all of which are closed. She said some of the employees will be recalled as the Gov. Gretchen Whitmers Stay Home, Stay Safe executive order is lifted. Western Michigan University has laid off 240 employees, lost $45 million in revenue, and is preparing to cut 20% of general fund spending in each university division. Grand Valley State University has lost an estimated $13 million in revenue during the current budget year but has not issued furloughs, layoffs or pay cuts, officials say. Rasmussen said Ferris has not instituted any pay cuts or layoffs. As for revenue lost due to the pandemic, she said a pro-rated housing and dining refund to students equated to $5 million. She didnt have information about financial losses specifically from parking or canceled events prior to publication. The Ferris town hall was focused on preparing to reopen. Fall classes are slated to begin Monday, Aug. 31. The university has around 13,000 students on the Big Rapids campus. Our students were able to finish the semester strong because of the dedication of our faculty and staff,'' Eisler said. "As we look toward the fall, we know there will be challenges ahead, but our intent is to be open and to provide our students with a safe and engaging learning and living experience. In mid-March, Ferris completely transformed to teaching, learning and working remotely, A committee led by Vice President for Student Affairs Jeanine Ward-Roof, has been charged with preparing the university for its return to in-person teaching and learning this fall. The committee is reviewing a number of factors to be implemented to ensure a safe welcome back to campus for students, said Ward-Roof, in a press release recapping the town hall. This includes reviewing classroom utilization, strengthening cleaning protocols, implementing social distancing measures and sharing COVID-19 related education throughout the university community. Ferris closed in-person classes in March along with other universities and community colleges and shifted to remote learning. During the town hall, Eisler spoke about the likelihood of uncertainty in the months ahead and how providing flexible teaching and learning approaches is an important part of planning for the next academic year. He said Ferris has developed plans to move back to remote delivery should conditions require it. We are also developing online learning opportunities for students who may desire them and remote instructional accommodations for faculty who may be in high risk categories,'' Eisler said. During the town hall, Eisler also spoke about its newly created Student Hardship Fund as it relates to federal and university-sponsored financial assistance available to students. He said hundreds of supporters have raised more than $100,000 to help students in need. Related: Ferris States $300 gifts helping students struggling during coronavirus crisis The impact of COVID-19 on our university and our students has been unlike anything we have ever seen, said Eisler. ' Students, parents, faculty and staff are encouraged to stay informed of the universitys plans for fall by visiting ferris.edu. More on MLive: Saturday, May 16: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Michigans coronavirus crisis creates epidemic of mental-health issues Kroger swaps $2 per hour Hero Pay raise for frontline workers for one-time bonus Uncertainty lingers as Grand Valley prepares for in-person classes this fall Evelyn Namulondo A 35-year-old food vendor from Jinja Central market in Uganda, who was allegedly shot by a police officer on patrol vehicle for defying an all-night curfew has succumbed to the gunshot wounds. Evelyn Namulondo died on Friday morning, May 15, at Jinja regional referral hospital where she was admitted in the emergence ward on Wednesday morning. A doctor at Jinja hospital said on condition of anonymity that Namulondo died because of multiple organ failure. We did our best and cleaned her intestines but discovered that the bullet was stuck in the liver, leaving it shattered which endangered other essential body organs, he said. A night curfew imposed by President Yoweri Museveni to curb the spread of coronavirus runs from 7 pm to 6.30 am. Namulondo was heading to Amber Court market from her home in Budhumbuli Ward at around 5 am to purchase fruits on Wednesday morning when she was shot in the abdomen. Narrating what had happened before she died, Namulondo said that she was travelling with another passenger on a motorcycle when police intercepted them along Kyabazinga Way, but the motorist declined to stop, prompting the officers to open fire. We begged the bodaboda man to stop but he refused, which I think angered the policemen to shoot at us. I fell after sustaining injuries. The motorist sped off with the other passenger and all I recall is that the police officers dumped me here [hospital], she said. The deceaseds sister, Agatha Musekwa, says her sister didnt get the required medical attention after being shot, and this led to her death. Kiira Region police spokesperson, Abby Ngako, says detectives are yet to ascertain the deceaseds true shooters as their preliminary investigations have confirmed that none of their own was responsible for the shooting. He, however, declined to divulge further details, saying they are liaising with other sister agencies to find the deceaseds killers. The deceased will be laid to rest in Kasaitaka village in Bugiri district. Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa fans can now rejoice as STR aka Simbu is very much in for the second instalment of the project. Earlier, there were rumours that R Madhavan will be stepping into Simbu's shoes in the sequel to Gautham Vasudev Menon's celebrated 2010 film. It was rumoured that there were issues between Simbu and the director during the shoot of Achcham Yenbathu Madamaiyada mainly due to the pending remuneration of the actor. Well, looks like the duo has buried the hatchet and teamed up again for the eagerly awaiting fans. The movie tentatively titled Karthik Dial Seytha Yenn, will have STR and Trisha Krishna flaunting remarkable chemistry on-screen yet again. Sources close to the actor have revealed that STR was emotionally moved reading the first few dialogues of the short film penned by the director, and has requested him to write a script for a longer version. He has also promised the ace filmmaker that he is ready to give dates for the sequel at any time he wants. Sources also said that the director had sent necessary equipment to shoot at the actors' residences and the duo has finished shooting their respective scenes. On a related note, Oscar award-winning music director AR Rahman has been roped in to compose music for the film. Trisha took to her social media handle to announce the same. She wrote, "Isaipuyal @arrahman to score music for GVM's #KarthikDialSeythaYenn. #STR @trishtrashers." Recently, the makers of the film released the teaser which went viral on social media. In the teaser, Trisha as Jessie can be seen motivating Karthik to write for his upcoming film. The makers are yet to announce the release date of the much-awaited short film. Well, we can't keep calm with the major follow-up on the sequel. How excited are you? Tell us in the comment section below! Trisha Krishnan Returns As Jessie With Gautham Menon's Karthik Dial Seytha Yenn: Reveals The Teaser! STR Ready To Shoot For Venkat Prabhu's Maanaadu Amid COVID-19 Lockdown? Simbu Cooks Chicken Curry For Family Amid COVID-19 Lockdown; Video Goes Viral Fairytale-Like Footage of This Blue-Eyed, Handsome Horse Will Take Your Breath Away Face masks are going to be a hot commodity for a long time because of the coronavirus crisis. Greg Cuca of Westfield figured he hit a gold mine when he and his wife purchased a 50-count box of surgical masks the paper, single-use kind without any respirator for $49.99 from Kings Food Market in Garwood in late April. The box had a seal from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). When he got the box home, he took a closer look. They look okay, neatly packaged and even a little inspection note. I tried to figure out where they come from, but the side panel on the box does not have a company name or location, Cuca said. There's a sticker with the FDA logo and I can't find anything on the FDA website that matches the listing number or owner number and of course, there's at least one misspelling on the carton. He wanted to know if the masks were legal, non-toxic and safe to use. Its a question being asked all over the country as states start some version of reopening. Many places, like New Jersey, require face coverings for most public outings. But as we go about our days and run errands, we need some form of security that our face coverings are getting the job done. HOW ARE FACE MASKS REGULATED? We reached out to Kings to learn more about the manufacturer. It didnt respond immediately, so we went to the state Department of Health. It directed us to the states COVID-19 website, which explains how to wear masks and recommends using a cloth face covering, but not a surgical- or medical-grade N-95 mask, which it said should be reserved for medical professionals. But it doesnt address how you can tell whether a mask is of sufficient quality or how masks are regulated. Or when an FDA or other government stamp is valid. So we showed Cucas box of masks to a team of experts from Rutgers University to get answers to these important questions. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage Donald Schaffner, a Rutgers professor and director of its graduate food science program, examined photos of the box and like Cuca, was unable to find the numbers next to the logo on the FDA website. Elsewhere on the package appears the phrase `microbial index control. Googling this phrase shows a number of links to Chinese websites, Schaffner said. As far as I know this is not a term that we use in the United States, which would be consistent with the mask being made in China and simply putting the FDA logo as a way to improve marketability. The FDA website explains that it regulates some masks but not all. The FDA website also says: All advertising and promotional descriptive printed matter relating to the use of the product shall clearly and conspicuously state that the product has not been FDA cleared or approved. This would be further evidence that the FDA logo on the package in question is not appropriate, he said. Suzanne Willard, an associate dean of global health and nursing professor at Rutgers, said several agencies work together when it comes to masks. She said the CDCs National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has databases to search for approved N-95 masks and non-N-95 masks. Then Kings came back to us with lots of information about the manufacturer, provided to the company from its distributor, including showing how to find details on the FDA website. It was also very specific and transparent about where the masks came from. We had three different style boxes for sale, two of which from Acme Paper & Supply Co. had the same UPC, said Kim Yorio, a Kings spokeswoman. The other came from WBM, which was the box originally in question that was purchased in Garwood. Of the vendor that sold Kings the Garwood masks, Yorio said the vendor sent us two certificates on Saturday, the second he shared with us appears to be the owner/operator number that matches the listing on the box. There was indeed a match on the FDA website, but we found the certificate interesting. This certificate was provided to a vendor that sold masks to Kings. It has accurate information but appears to be issued by the FDA. It is not issued by the FDA. The certificate has FDA logo and an eagle wrapped in the American flag, but we dont know if it was created by the manufacturer. The certificate looks totally bogus, said Schaffner, the Rutgers graduate food science program director. ""With the American eagle and the FDA logo at the bottom? Its weird. The information on it might be factual but it definitely sends one weird vibes. This is not an official FDA form. This is a company that is trying to look official and FDA-ish." Kings said it was the companys understanding that the FDA provides assets along a registration number once they certify a manufacturer; and then the manufacturer uses those assets to create the certificates. But wow. Thats a lot of work for a consumer to consider when buying a mask. WHAT KIND OF MASK SHOULD I USE? With so many masks on the market, its hard to know if what youre buying will be sufficient. For starters, leave the surgical masks and N-95 respirator masks for the health professionals, experts say. When youre shopping, select a mask that covers your nose and mouth with fabric that has a tight weave, similar to denim or cotton dinner napkins, said Mitchel Rosen, an associate professor of Rutgers Department of Urban and Global Public Health. The mask should be made from two layers. Some people add a pocket between the layers so that an additional filtering material can be put there, Rosen said. Wear the mask to make sure it is comfortable so that you feel confident wearing it when you are out of your home. Rosen said cloth masks can be reused and laundered regularly, depending on the amount of time you wear it. Of a masks longevity, you can wear them for as long as they are able to hold their shape and the elastic holds them in place, he said. But masks arent everything. Even though we are looking to return to work and re-open businesses, it is very important to remain diligent in the ways we need to act keep social distancing and wear your mask when you are out of your house, Rosen said. Schaffner said you shouldnt have a false sense of security when wearing a cloth face covering because they are designed to protect others and not to protect the person wearing the mask. He said social distancing is the most important thing to do now to control the pandemic. And, he said, scams related to the coronavirus including masks are expected to rise. There are a lot of people out there seeking to make a profit during these pandemic times, and everyone needs to be vigilant. Something that looks too good to be true probably is, Schaffner said. He also said surgical masks are meant for one-time use and will break down if reused over time. Its not the kind of product you want to leave in your car, he said. The other question is price. Cuca bought the box of 50 masks for $49.99. A quick Amazon search found similar 50-count boxes masks for as little as $14. Others cost more than what Kings offered. As a smaller chain of community grocers, Kings does not have the purchasing power of large national retailers, said Yorio, the Kings spokeswoman. Kings pays $0.70 per mask plus the cross dock fee which brings them to $.75. They sell them for $1 per mask. Thirty percent is the standard grocery margin. Cuca was satisfied with that explanation. Kings has been a trusted high-quality market with excellent meat and produce items and service, he said. "And their flower shop is also well-managed and creates beautiful arrangements. 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. With marts operating under COVID-19 restrictions and more activity on private farm-to-farm sales as well as increased live exports, IFA National Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden said farmers selling cattle should ensure that their payment is secure. "It's IFA policy to insist on payment on the day, or ensure that you are selling through an outlet where payment is guaranteed or secure," he said. While the marts are not operating as normal, they are providing a valuable service to farmers in most parts of the country. "The sooner we can the marts fully re-opened the better. There is an increased level of direct selling going on and farmers need to be extra vigilant regarding security of payment," he said. The IFA livestock leader said farmers should be extremely carefully about payment arrangements before parting with their stock. "Sell through a local licensed mart where you know your payment is secure, or insist on payment upfront on the day is the best approach." Brendan Golden said there are too many cases over the years where farmers have been promised payment, but it never materialised or they had to wait a very long time to get their money. A 15-year-old has been charged with attempted murder after a man was stabbed in the street while trying to stop thieves from stealing his son's bike. A 32-year-old man was stabbed three times at 9.18pm on May 14 in Whingate, Leeds. He was taken to hospital to be treated for serious injuries where he remains in a stable condition. A 15-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder after a 32-year-old man was stabbed in the street three times in Whingate, Leeds, trying to stop thieves stealing his son's bike Police were called to Whingate, Leeds, on May 14 and the 15-year-old was arrested alongside a 16-year-old boy and an 11-year-old boy. The two other boys have been released on bail Police arrested the 15-year-old alongside two other boys ages 16 and 11 following the attack in Leeds, West Yorkshire, on Thursday night. Detective Inspector James Entwistle, of Leeds District CID, said: 'There remains an enhanced policing footprint in the Armley area and this will be in place over the weekend. 'We still want to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident or who has any information that could assist the investigation. The victim was taken to hospital where he was treated for serious injuries and he remains there in a stable condition Detective Inspector James Entwistle, of Leeds District CID, said that an enhanced police presence will stay in place in the Armley area over the weekend 'We believe there were several people in the vicinity at the time who may be able to help in our enquiries, however, we have not been able to identify them as yet.' The teen appeared before Leeds Magistrates' Court this morning and was charged with trying to kill the 32-year-old victim. The boy, who cannot be identified because of his age, has been remanded in custody until June 12. The 16 and 11-year-olds have been released on bail pending further enquiries. West Yorkshire Police ask that anyone with information about the attack contact them on 101 quoting the crime reference 1320241646 or online via www.westyorkshire.police.uk/101livechat. Information can also be given anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. West Yorkshire Police ask that anyone with information about the attack contact them on 101 quoting the crime reference 1320241646 (PHOTO: Spark Systems) By Ruth Carson and Chanyaporn Chanjaroen (Bloomberg) -- A Singapore foreign-exchange platform has won financial backing from HSBC Holdings Plc and Citigroup Inc. just as its trading volume more than doubled on coronavirus-driven volatility. HSBC and Citi join Goldman Sachs Group Inc. as investors in Spark Systems after participating in series B funding thats raised US$16.5 million over two rounds, according to Chief Executive Officer Wong Joo Seng. Citi and HSBC representatives confirmed their companies have invested in Spark. OSK Ventures International Bhd., a Kuala Lumpur-based investment firm, also joined the current round, which brought the firms valuation to US$70.5 million, Wong said. Wong said the amount raised will be sufficient for the next three and a half years, though more investors will participate in the current round later this year. The timing for the fund-raising has been propitious. Currency trading skyrocketed across the globe earlier this year when panic selling in the coronavirus-induced market meltdown triggered a stampede for dollars and fueled demand for lightning-fast pricing. Trading started to surge into late February just as the contagion spread, said Wong. Singapore, already Asias biggest currency-trading hub, is wooing the worlds top banks to set up electronic-pricing engines in the city state to win a bigger slice of the US$6.6 trillion-a-day foreign-exchange market. The island nation posted an average daily trading volume of $640 billion in April 2019, and ranked third globally behind the U.K. and U.S, data from the Bank for International Settlements show. Spark currently provides clients with prices from banks such as JPMorgan Chase & Co. and UBS Group AG that have pricing systems set up in Singapore, according to Wong. We are executing in Singapore on a one to two millisecond time basis, he said, noting that executions in London or New York could take on the order of 380 milliseconds, so the time savings from the regional operation is substantial. Story continues Sparks platform helps boost Singapores position as a low latency financial hub, said Alaa Saeed, global head of electronic platforms and distribution of CitiFX and Gavin Powell, HSBC Singapores head of global markets. The start-up, which is backed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, recorded an average US$5.5 billion-a-day trading volume during the first quarter, up from US$2.5 billion during the same period in 2019. But the slowing global economy is now starting to dampen activity in the second quarter, Wong said, with average trading volume sliding to US$4.5 billion to US$5 billion a day. If you have GDP shrinking, if you have numerous companies that are badly affected, it will affect the level of economic activity and the amount of forex being traded, he said. The vast majority of the firms trades currently involve Group-of-Ten assets, but Wong sees opportunities for the firm to boost its capabilities in emerging-market currencies such as the Korean won, Chinese yuan, Malaysian ringgit and Indonesian rupiah. We see Singapore as a very natural hub for corporate treasury and for emerging market currencies price discovery, he said. Wed like to be the centre where that is being traded. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. FILE PHOTO: Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam speaks during a news conference amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Addis Ababa By Giulia Paravicini ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopian Airlines expects a settlement with planemaker Boeing by end of June over compensation related to the 737 MAX grounding in March 2019 following two fatal crashes, CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told Reuters on Friday. Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 bound for Kenya crashed six minutes after take-off from Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, killing all 157 passengers and crew. It was the second deadly crash of a 737 MAX in less than six months and led to the worldwide grounding of Boeing's top-selling aircraft and a halt in deliveries that airlines have said caused a loss in revenues. "We have invited Boeing to discuss compensation. It's compensation for the grounded MAX ... there is also compensation for delayed delivery of the MAX that was supposed to come and loss of revenue," Tewolde said in an interview, adding that it expects compensation by the end of June when its fiscal year closes. Boeing said in a statement that it does not comment on its arrangements with particular customers but will continue to work closely with Ethiopian Airlines and others "to reach a fair and reasonable outcome." Ethiopian, Africa's largest airline, has decided not to pursue a lawsuit against Boeing over the 737 MAX crash as it remains a "partner" and Ethiopian uses many of its planes, he said, adding the settlement could be in form of cash or supplies of plane parts. He did not say how much compensation the airline, with four MAX planes in its fleet, was seeking or how many planes it has on order. The global aviation industry is at a virtual standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic, forcing airlines that were once eager for new jet deliveries to grow their networks to scale back their flying schedules and park planes. To help it overcome a drastic downturn in passenger revenues, Tewolde said his airline has converted 22 passengers planes to cargo aircraft, stripping out all seats. Story continues "Normally cargo would make 15% of our revenue, but at this time when the passengers revenue is almost gone we are only surviving on cargo," he said. Demand for cargo has grown mainly to transport personal protective equipment and medical supplies to tackle the virus. So far Ethiopian had not cancelled any jet purchases despite the collapse in air travel, though several orders, including some from Boeing and Airbus , had been delayed, he said. Ethiopian made a loss of $550 million between January and April, but Tewolde ruled out seeking a bailout from the Ethiopian government. (Reporting by Giulia Paravicini; Additonal reporting by Tracy Rucinski, writing by Elias Biryabarema; editing by Jason Neely, Mark Potter and David Gregorio) Editorial: Yesterdays announcement that Victoria's restaurants, cafes and pubs can begin reopening for dine-in patrons from June 1 has created hope that things are getting back to normal. But in some areas we may be better off if our lives did not simply revert to how they were before COVID-19. Some changes by governments, companies and individuals over the past two months of lockdown have been positive and contain lessons for how we could do things better in future. Many parents have come to enjoy the system of free childcare which the federal government introduced a month ago to help those in essential services continue working and to keep childcare centres afloat. While Canberra says it wants to scrap the COVID-19 program and return to partial, means-tested childcare subsidies, it might be worthwhile to make a revised version of the scheme permanent. Women have been disproportionately affected by job losses caused by the lockdown, and more help with childcare would encourage them to return to work and help repair the economic damage. Numerous studies have long shown that better access to childcare improves womens workforce participation and productivity. While retaining completely free childcare would be too expensive, this might be a good opportunity for a thorough rethink of the complicated rules. Read the full editorial here. A woman and her unborn child have died and her boyfriend is fighting for life after their car was torn in half in a horror crash. Maddie Morgan, 21, and Jack Bryant, 23, were planning on spending their lives together and were preparing to welcome their baby early next month. But they were tragically killed when their Nissan Skyline was T-boned by a Ford Falcon sedan in Mahogany Creek in Perth about 7.45pm on Friday. Mr Bryant was turning off the Great Eastern Highway when the Ford, which was coming down the hill, smashed into them. Scroll down for video The couple (pictured) were excited to meet their unborn child early next month Miss Morgan and her unborn child died on Friday night after a car they were in collided into them (pictured with boyfriend Mr Bryant) Their Nissan Skyline (pictured) split in half after it was t-boned by a Ford Falcon on Friday The horrific crash killed Miss Morgan and her unborn baby An off-duty nurse who was travelling behind them witnessed the crash and helped the couple before paramedics arrived. First responder John Walker said: 'My heart goes out the to the family, it really does. 'It didn't need to happen. It's a waste.' He also told 9News that the sound of the crash was like 'a bomb going off'. Miss Morgan, who was the front seat passenger was taken to Midland Hospital but died a short time later. Mr Bryant was taken to Royal Perth Hospital where he is recovering from serious head and neck injuries. It is understood he woke from a coma last night but it is not known if he was told about his girlfriend's death, the Western Australian reported. The couple's Skyline was found split in two with wreckage from the car strewn around the crash scene. The 23-year-old Ford driver and his 19-year-old passenger were also rushed to hospital with serious injuries. A third female teenage passenger was miraculously unharmed in the accident. The driver has since been discharged from hospital and will be questioned by police, Nine News reported. Maddie Morgan, 21, was eight-months pregnant and travelling with boyfriend Jack Bryant, 23, (both pictured) when their their Nissan Skyline was T-boned by a Ford Falcon sedan Friends of Miss Morgan and Mr Bryant visited the crash scene on Saturday and lay flowers for them. 'He was happy to be a dad and happy to be starting this new stage in his life,' one friend told 7News. 'To just take it away like that, it's not even fair.' Tributes poured in on Facebook last night. Kala Kinley said: Rest in Peace Maddie...you will be missed you beautiful girl. I'm so sorry this happened to you. First responder John Walker said the crash sounded like a bomb had gone off. He said: 'My heart goes out the to the family, it really does' Mirelle Veenhoven-van Gemeren said: 'So horrible, rest in peace Maddie, was shocked when your son told us about it, both close mates of him. Condolences to the family and all friends.' Petrina Tennent said: 'So very sad such a tragedy! RIP. Young life cut so very short. Condolences to all family and friends.' Anyone with dashcam footage or witnessed the crash is urged to come forward. Security forces on Saturday busted a militant hideout and arrested five militant associates in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. A militant hideout in Arizal area of the central Kashmir district was busted by the security personnel, a police official said. He said five militant associates identified as Zahoor Wani, Younis Mir, Aslam Sheikh, Parvaiz Sheikh and Rehman Lone were arrested. Incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from the hideout, the official said, adding a case has been registered. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TXS now offers flexible mobile warehousing at over 130+ new secure and monitored locations throughout the US and Canada. Trailers and containers of large cargo inventories can be securely stored for one month to one year blocked stored or with daily access 24/7, eliminating the high cost of traditional warehousing. TXS MAP OF MOBILE WAREHOUSING LOCATIONS https://terminalexchangeservices.com/txs-mobile-warehousing.html Mobile warehousing eliminates the costs, time, and labor of warehousing contracts, unloading, taking inventory, reloading, and redistribution. 75 new TXS secure mobile warehousing yards are near major airports and distribution centers, facilitating seamless last mile shipping. Multiple locations allow flexibility on where your goods are stored. With secure parking available for up-to 1500 loaded marine, rail, or 53 trailers, cargo is stored in fully fenced, lighted, paved, and CCTV monitored facilities, keeping the cargo safe, intact, and ready for distribution. Premium sites offer onsite refueling, 24-hour monitoring, and fast-track staging for temperature-controlled storage for sensitive cargo. All sites allow 24/7 access to accommodate time sensitive deliveries. Current events have caused a nationwide industry crisis. TXS provides a solution. A perfect storm of global events and national policy have thrown the consumer goods manufacturing sector into chaos, caused crowding and competition for warehouse space, and heightened demand for short-term storage of consumer goods. Uncertainty associated with the trade war between the US and our Asian suppliers, has prompted importers to stockpile goods up to a year in advance of distribution adding to the shortage of warehouse space. Many companies, as a hedge against possible new tariffs of 25% or more on their goods have been purchasing in advance their inventory and stockpiling goods to sell to their consumer market later. Says JP Harwood, President/CEO of TXS Inc. The eruption of the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated demand, acutely demonstrated by cargo bottlenecks created by the arrival of scores of container ships, and tens-of-thousands TEUs behind cargo that cannot be distributed and delivered by the strictly limited supply chain. With many States closing major distribution centers, and warehouses allowing for only essential goods to be shipped and distributed, the system is strained under a glut of cargo. TXS created this model to alleviate that pressure, and to meet demand from logistic, truckload, warehouse, and shippers customers. With over 1100+ full-service yards, TXS, INC. is the first organization in the country committed to providing secure 24/7 trailer parking & drop yard staging services on a national scale. TXS provides a national network of facilities which offer logistics companies, intermodal servers, and over-the-road/for hire carriers, a dependable, safe, and driver friendly operation that is dedicated to supporting and servicing their fleets anywhere in North America and Canada. Our emphasis is on assisting in the prevention of cargo theft through the design of our facilities and operational protocols. Our premium full-service yards have been fully vetted by TXS Inc. Our reviews require confirmation that the facility has 24/7 access. Either gate guard staffed entry, residential security personnel or coded keypad entry. The yard must be fully fenced, CCTV with a 30-90 day recorded loop, trash disposal, lighting, restrooms (fixed or portable) assigned-dedicated parking for fleets, a commercial surface material or concrete/asphalt, dust control, and snow removal ( 3 inches or more). Visit our website http://www.terminalexchangeservices.com for more information and full list of services. Contact: JonPaul (JP) Harwood President/CEO Terminal Exchange Services, Inc. 323-725-1994 office 310-866-9485 mobile 808-731-6924 Direct The world is in a path of uncertainty during this global COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has brought health and financial instability that affects everyone. However, like anything in life, any challenge brings opportunities for people and organizations. The fact is that with or without our consent, this unexpected change is altering the way we live, demanding an imperative to adapt to the new normal under the umbrella of ongoing transformation. Community colleges in Pennsylvania and across the nation have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, making contributions to enhance capabilities of emergency responders and health care professionals. Two-year public colleges have the unique capability to re-skill the workforce as the state and the nation prepare to return to productivity once the pandemic subsides. Pennsylvania community colleges, working together under the umbrella of the Pennsylvania Commission on Community Colleges, have had their own initiatives and challenges during this pandemic challenge. For instance, Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) created a COVID-19 task force to engage in discussions with stakeholders to ensure health and safety precautions. Other college leaders are discussing delivery platforms for summer and fall as well as best practices in applying remote and online learning. HACC President Dr. John Sygielski believes one of the lessons learned is the clear distinction between remote distance, virtual/digital, and online learning. The transition to online, hybrid or remote delivery of instruction has been embraced by most community college constituent groups. These modalities have benefits and challenges for the community. They have offered faculty, students, and administrators new perspectives in absorbing, adjusting, and adapting to new learning opportunities. Examples include online professors helping other professors to get acclimated to remote teaching, nursing students tutoring their peers, and employees learning and sharing methods to connect remotely with others. Community college responses to COVID-19 to date have been remarkable. Pennsylvania community colleges are providing much needed medical equipment to hospitals. Supplies are being made available from simulated healthcare settings, where students train for medical careers. The equipment is the same, top-quality supply used in hospitals and healthcare facilities across the state. There are many other ways that community colleges, students and alumni are also giving back in these times of need. For instance, Annette Patchell, owner of Supreme Safety and an alumna of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program at the Community College of Philadelphia, donated N-95 masks to Philadelphia area emergency responders. Across the nation, community college contributions include: Donating personal protective equipment (PPE) to COVID-19 responders. Accelerating nursing and allied health course completion to meet workforce needs. Training medical equipment repair technicians. Offering campus facilities for siting temporary hospitals and equipment. The two principal national associations for community colleges the American Association of Community Colleges and the Association of Community College Trustees have made COVID-19 a top priority. They worked to secure critical funding to meet basic needs of at-risk students and to ensure the nations community colleges have resources to continue teaching and learning as much as possible remotely while confronting the many impacts of COVID-19 on faculty, staff and students. They are providing guidance to help colleges safely provide critical in-person, experiential instruction that cannot be done at home for future welders and nurses, among others. Community college graduates in Pennsylvania and across the country are todays essential workers nurses, emergency medical technicians, respiratory therapists, truck drivers, law enforcement, among many others. Community colleges have always welcomed students who are older, have families, attend part-time, and are in need of re-skilling. In this era of a global pandemic and high unemployment, they also offer traditional-aged college students the opportunity to earn college credits close to home at a very affordable price. Prior to COVID-19, the U.S. Congress authorized new community college workforce programs. The following are among the sectors where community colleges are essential: Advanced manufacturing Congress directed the Department of Defense to prioritize Manufacturing and Engineering Education Program funding for community college training and education. Agribusiness Congress prioritized Department of Agriculture appropriations for community college agribusiness programs. Apprenticeship Community colleges are funded by the Department of Labor to work with employers to establish apprenticeship programs that meet critical workforce needs in healthcare, information technology, manufacturing and cybersecurity. Automation and unmanned systems Community colleges are establishing new programs in robotics, unmanned systems, and other emerging areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Recognizing these capabilities, Congress authorized a new Federal Aviation Administration program, Community and Technical College Centers of Excellence in Small Unmanned Aircraft System Technology Training. Energy Congress has prioritized appropriations for the Department of Energy to support community college energy-sector workforce training. There is a strong connection between education and workforce demands, which certainly has a direct impact on employment and the economy. It is why upskilling/reskilling the workforce is a societal responsibility (Medros, 2019). The fact is that these challenges bring opportunities, and community colleges are adapting to ensure theoretical, technical, and experiential skills bring students success, enhance employability, and satisfy ongoing market demands. Community colleges in Pennsylvania and across the country will be essential to Americas post-pandemic economic recovery. Hector R. Ortiz is a member of the Board of Trustees at Harrisburg Area Community College, President of the Latino Association of Community College Trustees, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Community College Trustees. Dawn Erlandson is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Association of Community College Trustees. Tom Downs is a Washington, D.C. consultant and founder of the Community and Technical College Consortium. Newsreader Fiona Bruce deals with the lead item taking her Irish terrier Molly for a walk. The Question Time host dressed down in trainers and sportswear for her stroll near her North London home on a well-earned day off last week. But ever the professional, the BBC News presenter who is fluent in French and Italian stopped to scour the foreign language newspapers for the latest headlines. The 56-year-old mother-of-two has previously spoken of how she needs to keep fit with jogging and squats, lunges and sit-ups because of her gruelling workload, which also includes Antiques Roadshow and Fake Or Fortune? The newsreader was seen out walking her dog after sparking fury for describing bus drivers, care workers and security guards as 'low-skilled' Ms Bruce, who is married to advertising executive Nigel Sharrocks, said recently that she feels grateful for her 31 years in the media I regard exercise as a necessary evil to keep the weight off, she said. As I get older I want to stay reasonably fit and settled so that I can do the things I want to do. Ms Bruce, who is married to advertising executive Nigel Sharrocks, said recently that she feels grateful for her 31 years in the media. 'At some point, the BBC will decide it doesnt want me to carry on. Theres nothing I can do to change that. I just enjoy it while it lasts. Last week the BBC apologised after Ms Bruce used the term lower-skilled jobs in a report about people most at risk from the coronavirus. Stephanie Browitt, 23, suffered third degree burns to 70 per cent of her body The mother of a survivor of the White Island volcano disaster has revealed her joy at having her daughter home from hospital for the day. Stephanie Browitt, 23, from Melbourne, was with her father Paul and sister Krystal, 21, off the coast of Whakatane in New Zealand when the volcano erupted on December 9. After spending six months in hospital being treated for her third degree burns, Ms Browitt finally had her day leave approved. Her mother, Marie, said her daughter's visit 'brought life back into the home'. 'Stephanie's visit was amazing and brought life back into the home, the blinds went up for the first time and I cried when the patient transport had to take her away, back to hospital,' Mrs Browitt told the Herald Sun. 'For a few hours, there was the noise of family in a home again. It's torture without a baby girl and her father and I can't wait for the day that Stephanie can return [permanently] home.' Mrs Browitt said her daughter has a long road to recovery ahead after suffering burns to 70 per cent of her body. The 23-year-old also shared a heartwarming message about reuniting with the dog she and her sister shared as she returned home for the day. 'So after nearly six months in hospital and definitely over six months since I've seen my fur baby, I finally got approval for day leave,' she wrote on Instagram. 'On my beautiful baby's 1st birthday!!! And to say I got the best welcome back hug and cuddles from my dog is honestly an understatement! Ms Browitt's mother, Marie, said her daughter's visit 'brought life back into the home' Mrs Browitt said it is torture without her other daughter Krystal (pictured together) and her husband Paul After spending six months in hospital being treated for her third degree burns, Ms Browitt finally had her day leave approved. Pictured with her dog Arlo 'Mum had to try and stop him from jumping on me so I wouldn't get clawed (she failed miserably and I honestly didn't care lol). 'But today couldn't have been any better and it felt amazing to be back in my home even if it was just for a day.' The family-of-four were a group of 38 people on board the Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas cruise ship who went to tour the Bay of Plenty region, however Mrs Browitt stayed on the ship. The body of Ms Browitt's sister Krystal (pictured left) hasn't been found after the eruption It was 2pm when Ms Browitt and her father noticed some ash being spluttered into the sky on their way back to the boat. Her father encouraged Krystal to take a photo and that's when the group heard their tour guide Hayden yell out 'run', Ms Browitt told Four Corners. Before Ms Browitt could put her gas mask on she was hit by the blinding acidic ash cloud. On her day leave, Ms Browitt went back home in time for her pet dog's first birthday Krystal Browitt (left) and her sister Stephanie (right) are pictured together. Krystal did not survive the eruption on White Island '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,' she said. '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 was eventually able to make her way towards the water with a group of others who had been hit by the earthshaking 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 recalled. The White Island volcano eruption is pictured from above as a cloud of ash shoots into the sky A tour helicopter which had its rotors destroyed during White Island volcano eruption in New Zealand on December 9 The group of injured people were waiting over an hour for help to arrive and Ms Browitt would hear her father call out her name every 15 minutes to ensure she was alive. 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. Ms Browitt's father told the rescuers to take his daughter first. He stayed behind and eventually died four weeks later in hospital. To this day, Ms Browitt and her mother still don't know what happened to Krystal who's body has not yet been found. A White Island tour operator rescuing people from the island minutes after it erupted The families on board the cruise ship said they were not warned of any risks before travelling to the volcano site. They claim they were just given the tour book which had two lines about their visit to White Island. 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.' 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 Ms Browitt said she's grateful to be alive despite her horrific injuries. '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.' 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.' By PTI NEW YORK: Five regions in New York State can begin a phased reopening when the shutdown orders end on Friday, allowing construction, manufacturing and curbside retail businesses to start operations after remaining closed for nearly two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew Cuomo has said. New York State, the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, has 343,051 confirmed virus cases. The 'New York Pause' is in effect till May 15 under which all non-essential workers are required to work from home and all people in New York to wear masks or face coverings in public, including when taking public or private transportation or riding in for-hire vehicles. Governor Cuomo said on thursday that Central New York, the North Country, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley Regions have met all seven metrics required to begin phase one of the state's regional phased reopening plan when 'NYS on PAUSE' orders expire on May 15. "Phased opening does not mean the problem has gone away. It means we have controlled the problem because of what we did and because of our individual responsibility and individual actions and that has to be maintained and I would urge local governments to be diligent about the business compliance and about individual compliance. "Then if you see a change in those numbers react immediately. React immediately. If you allow this virus to get ahead of us we will have a problem. So we'll have of the data. React immediately," he said. These five regions can begin opening businesses for phase one, which includes construction; manufacturing and wholesale supply chain; retail for curbside pickup and drop-off or in-store pickup; and agriculture, forestry and fishing. Reopening refers to non-essential businesses and business activities. ALSO READ | New York Governor extends shutdown orders for part of state till May 28 Essential businesses and business activities that are open will remain open. The seven metrics that will define whether a region can re-open businesses are decline in total hospitalisations, decline in deaths measured by the three-day rolling average of daily new hospital deaths not exceeding 5, fewer than two new hospitalisations per 100,000 residents, hospital bed capacity regions must have at least 30 per cent of their total hospital beds available before a phased re-opening, availability of 30 per cent of ICU beds in a region, diagnostic testing capacity and contact tracing capacity. "All the arrows are pointed in the right direction and now the question becomes focused on reopening - people have to get back to work and the state needs an economy - but we have to make sure we don't reopen too soon," Cuomo said. "We are doing this in a calibrated way and monitoring the data, facts and metrics every single day and using the lessons we've learned from others who have already gone through this. And right now, based on our criteria, we have five regions that are poised to reopen beginning Friday," he said. As they start to reopen certain businesses, the administration will continue to monitor the level of activity and make sure it does not create a second wave of this virus, Cuomo said. Other regions in the state, including New York City, have not yet achieved the seven health-related criteria established by Cuomo to begin reopening. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city was making progress in combating the virus infections. "Today is a very good day and you deserve the credit because it's because of your hard work that I get to tell you this good news. Every time you stay home, every time you socially distance, every time you use hand sanitiser even, every time you put on a face covering, you're helping to drive these numbers down and get us closer to a better place," he said. The number of people admitted to hospitals daily for suspected COVID-19 is down from 78 to 59. Daily number of people in ICUs is also markedly down from 561 to 517. "So that's a big movement there.That's a big jump in the right direction, bigger than we've seen most days, even when things go in the right direction so that is really important, and that means you're talking about fewer and fewer people fighting for their lives," he said. Further, the percentage of people tested who are positive is down from 13 per cent to 11 per cent, he said. The city has 186,293 confirmed virus cases and 15,349 confirmed deaths, people who had a positive COVID-19 laboratory test. The city's probable deaths - people who did not have a positive COVID-19 laboratory test, but their death certificate lists as the cause of death "COVID-19" or an equivalent - is 5,057 as of May 14. Business at Jeanna Palumbos clothing boutiques in Hoboken is almost entirely conducted the old-fashioned way through in-person browsing and purchases. About 90% of those sales have vanished since she closed her five stores throughout North Jersey two months ago, but the other 10% havent simply been online orders. Palumbo hand delivers packages to customers doorsteps or invites them to pick up purchases in front of the store, and she offers customers FaceTime shopping sessions. Gov. Phil Murphy is continuing early-stage societal reopenings next week with curbside pickups for purchases at non-essential stores and unrestricted construction site operations. Many businesses like Palumbos had already been executing minimal curbside pickups, but the governors announcement has people like her thinking about what comes next. Hudson County municipalities are also putting plans into motion to welcome back city workers and help support local businesses with new legislation, including a proposed ordinance in Hoboken that will expand outdoor capacity for businesses. And Palumbo says she hopes she can soon welcome customers back into her Alba and A x D stores, one or two at a time. I think that slowly starting to let people back in with all the appropriate safety precautions would really be beneficial to everybody, she said. Though some stores had been offering occasional curbside pickup, Kerry Lynn had been operating her Jersey City-based jewelry business Love Locked exclusively through deliveries. Over the last two months, the sales have allowed her to almost cover her rent, she said. Now, shes taking Murphys announcement as a signal that a new stage of operations can begin. She will begin limited curbside pickups Monday, she said. My customers are mainly from Jersey City, Northern New Jersey and New York, Lynn said. Ninety-five percent of my business was brick and mortar prior to (COVID-19). Local city halls have been nearly empty during the pandemic and have not allowed visitors. Jersey City will begin welcoming some staff back next week. Beginning Monday, all city offices will return to 25% staffing capacity where appropriate as the administration works to safely reopen the city, said city spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione. Upon entry, everyones temperature will be scanned and bathrooms will be limited to one person at a time, Wallace-Scalcione said. The Archdiocese of Newark, meanwhile, will reopen churches starting Sunday for private prayer, only. Social distancing will be required, holy water fonts will remain empty and hand sanitizer will available inside the churchs. Hoboken has been closing streets to allow pedestrians more space. Once businesses can reopen, proposed legislation may allow them to display merchandise on the sidewalk or on streets that have been closed off to traffic. The Hoboken Business Alliance is thrilled to see the city offering options to businesses across Hoboken and we want to continue to support these and other efforts to see businesses open as soon as possible, but safely, said Greg DellAquila, President of the Hoboken Business Alliance. Palumbo said the pandemic hit during what is typically her busiest season. She found herself furloughing women she had employed for years and welcoming loyal customers into her stores virtually rather than in person. Im in my store by myself every single day just FaceTiming my racks with my clients as if they were in front of me, Palumbo said. Iris Records in Jersey City is a smaller store with a niche clientele. Owner Stephen Gritzan said hes unsure if he can envision reopening before July or even September. For now, hes splitting his time between learning French and organizing his stores collection. Hes not in a rush to reopen, but he knows that day will eventually come. I want to be ready for when we get back, Gritzan said. Were going to have a blast when we get back. Investors in Nigerias Free Zones sector have proffered ways to strengthen the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) and the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) for better performance. Apart from the ongoing reforms initiated by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, which has culminated in the governments amendment of foundation laws for the two agencies, they demanded other fundamental regulatory changes in the sector. Also, they called for a technical audit of the country free zones as part of the ongoing reform, to determine their viability and relevance to the continued development and growth of the Nigerian economy. Besides, they urged the government to sustain the policy actions already taken by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo, and the Minister of State in the Ministry, Mariam Katagum, to sanitise the sector and create a level playing field for all operators. The investors include Eko Support Services Free Zone, Lagos; Brawal Oil Services Limited; Marine Club of Nigeria; the Institute of Export Operations and Management, Onne; and Notore Power and Infrastructure Limited, Onne, Rivers State. The president of the Marine Club of Nigeria, Chinedu Jideofo-Ogbuagu, and a director in the Institute of Export Operations and Management, Paul Akande, said they fully endorsed the ongoing reform initiatives by the ministry to make the sector more viable. Consolidate gains of reforms Messrs Jideofo-Ogbuagu and Akande urged the ministers to consolidate the gains of the reforms by instituting a technical audit of the operations of the free zones in the country to determine their viability and relevance to the Nigerian economy. The new dawn in the nations free zones industry should enjoy the support of all operators who despaired over the confusion and unnecessary bickering of the past, Mr Jideofo-Ogbuagu said. READ ALSO: The chief executive of Eko Support Services Free Zone, Seni Edu, said the various actions needed to reposition the sector were long overdue and urged players in the sector to cooperate with the ministry to achieve the right outcome. The managing director of Brawal Oil Limited, a free zone developer in Onne, Rivers State, Charles Etugbo, described the reform initiatives by the ministry as a bold and welcome step that must be sustained. For Femi Solebo, chief executive of Notore Power and Infrastructure Limited, part of the consortium that owns Notore Industrial City, a free zone developer in Onne, the ongoing reforms initiated by the ministry promise exciting period of policy clarity to investors. He said he expects the ongoing reform programme to strengthen investor confidence in the nations free zones industry. Outdated laws The extant Acts establishing both NEPZA and OGFZA have not been reviewed for more than two decades. The clamour for the review survived successive administrations, with operators describing the exercise as long overdue so as to make them relevant to the modern-day industry. The operators said the various amendments would have addressed the ambiguity question, particularly in the OGFZA law, which has been the source of inter-agency conflicts with NEPZA for many years. Following the appointment of the current minister, the process to amend the principal laws that established both NEPZA and OGFZA was launched, to bring them in line with current realities in the industry, and strengthen the two agencies for better performance. The process kicked off with two strategic stakeholders engagements to mobilise ideas that were incorporated into the draft bill to the National Assembly for the amendment of the OGFZA Act of No. 8 of 1996. A similar forum to tap stakeholders inputs for the amendment of the NEPZA Act of 1992 was put on hold by the federal government following the suspension of all official activities involving its agencies in the wake of the outbreak of the current global COVID-19 pandemic. Our Divisions Copyright 2021-22 DB Corp ltd., All Rights Reserved This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. Italy will reopen to European tourists from June 3 and scrap a 14-day mandatory quarantine period, the government said on Saturday, as it accelerated its exit from the coronavirus lockdown. The move will also apply to countries in the Schengen Area, and comes as the Italian government announced plans to also lift some travel restrictions on people within the country. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte enforced an economically crippling shutdown in early March to counter a pandemic that has so far killed more than 31,500 people in Italy. The Prime Minister has resisted calls from some regions to open sooner, and has instead lifted measures gradually fearing a second wave of the virus. From the same date, regions will be allowed to reopen all sectors of the economy, providing strict safety and social distancing measures are observed. This includes restaurants so long as customers are kept one meter apart, with staff wearing mandatory face masks. Customers will also be required to wear face masks if they are not sitting at tables. Italians return to the streets, all wearing face masks, as the country enters phase 2 of its pandemic response. Pictured: Viale Papiniano market, Milan, May 16 Italy will reopen to tourists from June 3, by which point regions will also have been allowed to reopen all sectors of their economy, providing strict safety measures are followed. Pictured: Thermal cameras are use to monitor body temperature at Fiumicino airport, near Rome, May 15 Shops in Italy are set to reopen on May 18, and people will be allowed to move freely within individual regions, allowing people to visit their friends. Italy is holding off lifting travel restrictions further until after its June 2 Republic Day in an attempt to limit any mass travel over the long holiday weekend. The shutdown halted all holidaymaking in a country heavily dependent on the tourism industry. Although Italy never formally closed its borders and has allowed people to cross back and forth for work or health reasons, it banned movement for tourism and imposed a two-week isolation period for new arrivals. A man wearing a protective face mask has his temperature taken on the street in Milan, May 16 Italy is holding off lifting travel restrictions further until after its June 2 Republic Day in an attempt to limit any mass travel over the long holiday weekend In March, the European Union banned foreign nationals from entering its Schengen zone, an open border zone comprising 22 of 27 member states, with exceptions for medical workers and essential travel. But on Wednesday, the EU set out plans for a phased restart of summer travel, urging member states to reopen its internal borders, while recommending that external borders remain shut for most travel until at least the middle of June. In a press release, Italy's government did not explicitly state which foreign nationals would be allowed to enter, but said its new measures respected the 'legal order of the European Union'. A barber in Catania, Italy tests the new safety measures with a visor and gloves, ready for the reopening of barbers on May 18 across the country Bars and restaurants will be allowed to open by June 3. In restaurants, customers must be kept one meter apart, with staff wearing mandatory face masks, and customers wearing face masks when not sitting at a table. Pictured: A worker in a hazmat suit disinfects a Rome bar, May 16 Beginning on June 3, visitors within the Schengen zone will be allowed to enter Italy with no obligation to self-isolate. Italians will also be able to move between regions, though local authorities can limit travel if infections spike. Movements to and from abroad can be limited by regional decree 'in relation to specific states and territories, in accordance with the principles of adequacy and proportionality to the epidemiological risk', the government said. The latest decree is also a boon to Italy's agricultural sector, which relies on roughly 350,000 seasonal workers from abroad. Farming lobby group Coldiretti said farms were already preparing to organise some 150,000 workers from places including Romania, Poland and Bulgaria. Pictured: A nun wearing a face masks walks through St. Matk's Square in Venice, Italy, as the country prepares for the return of tourists, set for June 3 Church services will also begin again, but attendees will be required to follow social distancing rules. Holy water fonts will be empty. Pictured: Men wearing protective overalls and mask clean the floor and surfaces of the churchyard of the Basilica of Saint Paul in Rome, May 16 Elsewhere, in France, hundreds of beaches reopened today as residents flocked to seasides for a swim. There is a strict ban on sunbathing, among other restrictions, as the country eases its lockdown measures after the government gave them the green light to do so. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner, visiting a beach in Normandy, warned 'we won't hesitate' to close beaches if rules aren't respected. Beachgoers can take a dip but cannot lay in the sun or picnic in the sand. Social distancing rules must be maintained and groups must be limited to no more than 10 people. Some regions, like the Pas de Calais and Le Nord, gave the go-ahead for boats, with restrictions, while those living in Marseille must wait until the start of June to enjoy the 21 beaches in the area. Beaches in Italy also opened on Saturday, but gatherings of large groups are still banned across the nation. The peak of Italy's contagion passed at the end of March but with experts warning a second wave cannot be ruled out, Conte had been reluctant to lift the lockdown quickly. His approach frustrated many of Italy's regions, with some already allowing businesses to reopen before the restrictions were lifted. Restaurants, bars and hairdressers are being allowed to reopen on Monday, two weeks earlier than initially planned. Shops will also open and Italians will finally be able to see friends, as long as they live within their same region. Church services will begin again but the faithful will have to follow social distancing rules and holy water fonts will be empty. Mosques will also reopen. As of May 16, Italy had recorded 224,760 cases of coronavirus, with 31,763 related deaths. The number of deaths recorded over the past 24 hours was just 153. The last time the death count was that low was March 9, the day after the nationwide lockdown was announced. Women react as they stand in the sea during the re-opening of some Mediterranean beaches along the French Riviera city of Nice, southern France Beach-goers bathe in the sea at Port-Vieux beach near the Rocher de la Vierge rock in Biarritz, south-western France The staff and faculty of Cal State San Marcos celebrated the Class of 2020 with a parade on Friday in San Marcos. In Los Angeles County, public health officials have warned against gatherings, even when people remain in their cars. (Jarrod Valliere/The San Diego Union-Tribune) As students graduate in Los Angeles County, public health officials are warning against marking the milestone with drive-in celebrations. I think its unfortunate that this is happening during a pandemic because we are asking that all graduations be virtual only, Barbara Ferrer, the county public health director, said Saturday during a Facebook Live chat with Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. Our health officer order prohibits, as does the states, any events from happening and even those car drive-in graduations that folks would like to have are considered events. So right now, there can be nothing but a virtual graduation. She said that officials hope that delayed graduations might be possible in some form later in the summer. In addition, they are working with superintendents on a plan for resuming classroom education in the fall. Options include a hybrid model incorporating both distance and classroom learning, as well as cohorting plans that would see a group of students learn together as a unit but not mingle with other units within the same school, Ferrer said. As researchers embark on another round of serology testing to detect antibodies to the coronavirus infection, she said, they also will be testing children to learn more about their role in spreading the virus. If children are going to be these asymptomatic vectors of the virus, then we have to make sure that the [classroom] environments are very safe and that we protect each other in those environments, she said. They were forced to postpone their wedding plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And Sarah Hyland has now joked that she might just elope with Wells Adams in a local court house. The 29-year-old beauty took to social media on Saturday to wish her man a happy 35th birthday and accompanied it with a slew of sweet photos. Mr and Mrs Adams! Sarah Hyland teased a courthouse wedding to Wells Adams on Saturday amid the COVID-19 crisis 'Happy Birthday to my future husband. 2020 has not gone the way we thought it would but my love for you is at least one thing that will never change,' she began. 'Thank you for your laugh, your jokes, your sunshine. Im so grateful to have spent another year around the sun with you. Youre a dream come true and my true north.' Sarah continued: 'Who knows? Maybe well get married at city hall and use this picture as our announcement, she added using a silly tongue out emoji. Confused: Wells took to the comments to question Sarah's remarks about their marriage She ended with: I love you more than words can say. To Pluto and Back Baby. Happy Birthday.' Wells took to the comments to question Sarah's remarks about their marriage. 'Wait, are we married? Your use of the emoji makes me think that you got me drunk and took me to the courthouse and I just have zero recollection of said events,' he penned. She responded: '@wellsadams I meannnnnnnn....' Love: Sarah also took to her Instagram Stories to share more photos with her man Going strong: Sarah and Wells have been dating since October 2017 Sarah's sweet birthday tribute comes after the pair were forced to cancel their wedding plans due to COVID-19. 'There are no wedding plans. The thought was that we'd start thinking about that around this time, but now this is happening. What's the point of even trying to get something solidified with everything being so up in the air?' he told Access Hollywood last week. Attempting to see the bright side of quarantine, Wells admitted that it has allowed him and Sarah to 'spend a lot of quality time together.' Change of plans: Sarah's sweet birthday tribute comes after the pair were forced to cancel their wedding plans due to COVID-19 Access then asked Adams if he and Sarah would ever consider having a 'Zoom wedding.' 'No. I would not do that. If [the pandemic] lasts really, really long then I think we might do like a really small backyard thing, but that's probably not going to happen.' Sarah and Wells announced their engagement on social media in July 2019 during their trip to Fiji. The pair began dating in October 2017. According to head of National Bank, this can happen back in May or in first week of June Yakiv Smoliy, Head of the National Bank of Ukraine NBU The first tranche from the IMF may arrive in Ukraine in May or in the first week of June. The head of the National Bank, Yakiv Smoliy announced this in an interview with BBC Ukraine. According to him, the Verkhovna Rada has now registered several resolutions that block the signing of the law on banks, "there are several days, after which the deputies must decide and vote, as it seems to me, to cancel these decisions." Smoliy noted that the possible cancellation of the decisions will allow the speaker to sign the law and send it to the president for signature. And this could happen next week. "Accordingly, after the law is signed by the president, a meeting of the IMF Board of Directors will be announced. The mission that worked in Ukraine has all the documents ready, they will pass them on to the board meeting. The Board will make a decision. After the decision is made, it can take one to two days to transfer the first tranche. That is, if we expand all the time frames, then in May we can get the first tranche. Or the first week of June. I always take a little reserve so that my assumptions are justified," the head of the National Bank emphasized. As we reported before, Mikheil Saakashvili, chairman of the National Reform Council, explained his position on Ukraine's cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), noting that his previous statement was misunderstood Cautioning states against diluting labour laws, Azim Premji, founder of Indian software services provider Wipro Ltd, has said the nationwide lockdown imposed to arrest the spread of coronavirus was particularly harsh on the economically vulnerable and they must be protected from further adversity. In an article in Economic Times, Premji said it was shocking to hear that various state governments, encouraged by businesses, are considering suspending or have already suspended many of the labor laws that protect workers. He added that the migrants who were fending for themselves have almost no social security and too little not too much worker protection. Several states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat have called for easing labour laws to push an ailing economy worsened by coronavirus. Migrant workers have been the worst hit due to the lockdown imposed by the government to control the spread of coronavirus, which has infected nearly 86,000 people in the country so far. Migrants have been walking several kilometres in the scorching sun along with their families to get back home as the lockdown has snatched their source of income. Reports of many of them dying due to exhaustion or road accidents have also become an everyday affair. On Saturday, 24 labourers were killed and over 35 injured when two trucks collided in UP. In another incident, five workers were killed when the truck they were travelling in from Maharashtra to UP overturned in MP. The labor laws being considered for suspension relate to settling industrial disputes, occupational safety, health and working conditions of workers, and those related to minimum wages, trade unions, contract workers, and migrant laborers, Premji wrote. It will only exacerbate the conditions of low wage workers and the way we do business and industry, he said, adding that the need of the hour was to scale up the existing rural employment guarantee program and introduce an urban employment guarantee plan. Not just Premji, industry titan Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto Ltd., has criticised the way India handled the lockdown, calling the extension piecemeal, arbitrary and erratic.. Eritrea has officially declared itself virus-free after all 39 patients successfully recovered from COVID-19. A Ministry of Health statement said the 39th patient had been discharged from hospital as of Friday, May 15. The country's Information Minister, Yemane Meskel also confirmed the news in a tweet saying: 'Announcement from Ministry of Health. 'Last patient has recovered fully after tests at National Laboratory & was released from hospital today; *This important milestone means all 39 confirmed cases in the country to-date have recovered fully.' #Eritrea: Announcement from Ministry of Health *Last patient has recovered fully after tests at National Laboratory & was released from hospital today; *This important milestone means all 39 confirmed cases in the country to-date have recovered fully;https://t.co/zDmnw6QD42 Yemane G. Meskel (@hawelti) May 15, 2020 Last week Friday, there were only two active cases, one of which was discharged on the 11th before the last patient recovered on Friday, and has also been discharged too. Eritrea now joins Mauritius as the only two African countries that have recorded full recoveries. Eritea is among other African countries including Madagascar, Central Africa Republic, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Lesotho, Rwanda and Uganda that have not recorded deaths as of May 15, 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 Harbin Bank Co., Ltd. (HKG:6138) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 days. You can purchase shares before the 20th of May in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 15th of July. Harbin Bank's upcoming dividend is HK$0.10 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of HK$0.10 per share to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Harbin Bank has a trailing yield of approximately 8.6% on its current stock price of HK$1.27. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. So we need to investigate whether Harbin Bank can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow. Check out our latest analysis for Harbin Bank If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. That's why it's good to see Harbin Bank paying out a modest 31% of its earnings. When a company paid out less in dividends than it earned in profit, this generally suggests its dividend is affordable. The lower the % of its profit that it pays out, the greater the margin of safety for the dividend if the business enters a downturn. Click here to see how much of its profit Harbin Bank paid out over the last 12 months. SEHK:6138 Historical Dividend Yield May 15th 2020 Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Companies with falling earnings are riskier for dividend shareholders. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. That's why it's not ideal to see Harbin Bank's earnings per share have been shrinking at 2.6% a year over the previous five years. Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Harbin Bank has seen its dividend decline 0.6% per annum on average over the past five years, which is not great to see. Story continues The Bottom Line Is Harbin Bank an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Harbin Bank's earnings per share are down over the past five years, although it has the cushion of a low payout ratio, which would suggest a cut to the dividend is relatively unlikely. In sum this is a middling combination, and we find it hard to get excited about the company from a dividend perspective. If you want to look further into Harbin Bank, it's worth knowing the risks this business faces. To help with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Harbin Bank (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that you ought to be aware of before buying the shares. If you're in the market for dividend stocks, we recommend checking our list of top dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend. 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 Delhi University (DU) professors have written to President Ram Nath Kovind against the varsity's arbitrary decision to hold exams through open-book mode online if the COVID-19 situation doesn't normalise. In the letter, the professors said open book examinations will push students belonging to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes, economically weaker section, and those with disabilities on the wrong side of the digital divide. The four professors are include Kaushal Panwar, Premchand, D R Anil Kumar and Deepankar. The open-book examination mode would allow students to refer to books, notes and other study material to answer questions. Students will download question papers for their respective course from the web portal sitting at home and upload the answers within two hours. "Our appeal to your good office has acquired urgency as the university administration unilaterally decided and wrote a letter on 13th May 2020 to all the Head of the Departments for preparing three sets of question papers for the open book examination, the letter said. This move to organise remote open book examination will push the higher towards privatisation," it added. Open book and close book systems are completely different things. The requirements of question papers are also different for these two systems, they said. Claiming that open book examination "will promote a type of discrimination among the students at different levels", the professors said only students who have resources can benefit. They also said that the provision of consulting matters with the academic and executive councils was flouted by the varsity administration as they urged the president to "stop this social discriminatory examination method in the university". Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)-led Delhi University Students' Union organised a general body meeting (GBM) of DU Student Representatives, eight DUSU executive council members and 41 elected college union representatives of the respective colleges. The DUSU also held a meeting with the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) to discuss the present situation on academics and exams. The purpose of the GBM was to discuss and deliberate upon the present situation of academics and examinations, a statement said. A comprehensive and integral discussion was held in the meeting to come up with the best solution centric approach for academics as well as examinations keeping in mind the interests of the students, it said. Several options for holding examinations including carry forward scheme, in-house examination scheme and provision of resource material for students were thoroughly discussed in a bid to arrive on a conclusion and to give a memorandum regarding the same to the university administration and Vice Chancellor in coming days, it said. The students' representatives gave the suggestions, opinions as well as views to hold the examinations in a manner that it benefits all students, it said. "We have to look for multiple options to conduct the examinations rather than emphasising on only a single one so that the drawbacks of the single option are overcome by the alternative one, DUSU president Akshit Dahiya said. The options for the mode of examination should be such that not even a single student is left out in the process, he added. DUSU will compile and integrate the suggestions and views which will then be submitted in the form of a memorandum to the DU Vice Chancellor and other senior university officials. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The financial prosecutors order marks the first arrest of an official at the central bank during Lebanons crisis. Beirut, Lebanon Lebanons financial prosecutor has ordered the arrest of the head of monetary operations at the central bank amid a widening probe into manipulation of the countrys volatile currency. The arrest of Mazen Hamdan late on Thursday marked the first such move against an official at the increasingly embattled institution since Lebanons currency crisis began last summer. The Lebanese pound, long set at 1,500 to $1, is now trading for roughly 4,200 to the greenback on the black market amid an acute dollar shortage linked to dried-up remittances, corruption and unsustainable fiscal policies. Its demise is just one part of a full-blown financial crisis that has pushed the small, economically crippled nation to seek $20bn in foreign aid, of which $10bn is supposed to come from an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. The crisis has seen tens of thousands of people lose jobs and poverty soar to almost 50 percent, according to finance ministry data. Last month, Social Affairs Minister Ramzi Moucharafieh said some 70-75 percent of the population required aid after the economic crisis was exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, while the IMF forecast the economy would shrink by 12 percent this year one of the worst recessions in the world. Economic nonsense The countrys currency had been on a steady downwards trajectory against the US dollar since August. That slide turned into a freefall in late April, with a roughly 12 percent drop in a single day, leading to nationwide street protests and riots. Prime Minister Hassan Diabs government blamed the central bank for failing to inject dollars into the market to stabilise the currency. Diab also alleged the central bank governor, Riad Salameh, may be aiming to intentionally hurt the currency, noting suspicious ambiguity in decisions. Salameh denied these charges as part of a campaign against him and said he has worked to keep the currency stable for decades through successive political crises and conflict. The central bank subsequently ordered all currency exchange dealers to trade dollars at a rate of 3,200 its third attempt to implement an exchange rate cap since the crisis began. At the same time, security forces launched a crackdown against any traders who went above this rate, leading all exchange dealers to go on a strike now heading into its fourth week. Unrelenting, financial prosecutor Ali Ibrahim has ordered the arrest of several dozen exchange dealers in recent weeks, including the head of the currency exchange dealers syndicate, Mahmoud Mrad. On Thursday, he also ordered the arrest of Hamdan, who remains in custody. Keep dropping While there have been some instances of currency manipulation, which is not unexpected when the currency peg falls apart after 22 years, the lira [Lebanese pound] is dropping primarily because there isnt sufficient dollars being pumped by the central bank or coming from overseas to lift it, Dan Azzi, an economic analyst and former CEO of Standard Charterer Bank Lebanon, told Al Jazeera. It will keep dropping until an equilibrium point is reached, when dollar remittances are equal to dollars flowing out to buy imports. In a statement, the central bank said it was cooperating with investigations and had lifted secrecy on its transactions with currency exchange dealers. In the period between April 8 and May 5, the central bank said it had sold $12.7m to currency exchange dealers and had bought $11.3m. These amounts, the statement said, could not account for the magnitude of currency depreciation during that period, in which the rate dropped from 2,900 Lebanese pounds to $1 to more than 4,000. It is self-evident, after looking at the amounts mentioned, that, contrary to what was rumoured, there was no manipulation in the money exchange market as a result of the Central Banks operations, the statement said. Some analysts view the attempts to control the currency via a crackdown on exchange dealers or the central bank as futile. Accusing money changers for the vertiginous depreciation of Lebanese Pound is politically expedient but is economic nonsense, Nasser Saidi, a former economy minister and central bank vice-governor, said in a Twitter post. Depreciation results [from the central bank] financing budget deficit by printing money, unsustainable fiscal and debt policies, deep recession and nothing to anchor Lebanese Pound expectations. J.C. Penney filed for bankruptcy protection Friday. It's the latest retail giant to see its downfall hastened by the coronavirus crisis. The pandemic was the final blow to a 118-year-old company struggling to overcome a decade of bad decisions, executive instability and damaging market trends. As part of its reorganization, the company said late Friday it will be closing some of its stores and will disclose details and timing in the coming weeks. "Until this pandemic struck, we had made significant progress rebuilding our company under our Plan for Renewal strategy and our efforts had already begun to pay off," CEO Jill Soltau said. "Implementing this financial restructuring plan through a court-supervised process is the best path to ensure that J.C. Penney will build on its over 100-year history to serve our customers for decades to come." It operates 850 stores and it has nearly 90,000 workers. It said that it received $900 million in financing to help it operate during the restructuring. This is a long, sad story, said Ken Perkins, president of Retail Metrics, a retail research firm. Penney offers no reason to shop there compared to its competitors, whether its Macys or T.J. Maxx or Walmart. How are they going to survive? Like many department stores, Penney is struggling to remain relevant in an era when Americans are buying more online or from discounters. Sears has now been reduced to a couple hundred stores after being bought by hedge fund billionaire and its former chairman Eddie Lampert in bankruptcy in early 2019. Barneys New York closed its doors earlier this year and Bon-Ton Stores went out of business in 2018. The pandemic has just put department stores further in peril as they see their sales evaporate with extended closures. Even as retailers like Penney start to reopen in states like Texas and Florida that have relaxed their lock downs, theyre also facing Herculean challenges in making shoppers feel comfortable to be in public spaces. Video: Fed chairman discusses economy Like Sears, J.C. Penneys troubles were years in the making, marking a slow decline from its glory days during the 1960s through 1980s when it became a key shopping destination at malls for families. The companys roots began in 1902 when James Cash Penney started a dry good store in Kemmerer, Wyoming. The retailer had focused its stores in downtown areas but expanded into suburban shopping malls as they became more popular starting in the 1960s. With that expansion, Penney added appliances, hair salons and portrait studios. But since the late 1990s, Penney struggled with weak sales and heavier competition from discounters and specialty chains that were squeezing its business from both ends. Penneys began flirting with bankruptcy nearly a decade ago when a disastrous reinvention plan spearheaded by then CEO Ron Johnson caused sales to go into free fall. Johnson drastically cut promotions and brought in hip brands that turned off loyal shoppers. As a result, sales dropped from $17. 3 billion during the fiscal year that ended in early 2012 to $13 billion a year later. Many longtime customers walked away and have not returned. Johnson was fired in April 2013 after just 17 months on the job. Since then, Penneys has undergone a series of management changes, each employing different strategies that failed to revive sales. The company based in Plano, Texas, has suffered five straight years of declining sales, which now hover around $11.2 billion. Its shares are trading at less than 20 cents, down from $1.26 a year ago, and from its all-time peak of $81 in 2006. The current CEO, Soltau, has acted swiftly since joining the company in October 2018. She jettisoned from stores major appliances that were weighing down operating profits. That reversed the strategy of her predecessor, Marvin Ellison, who brought appliances to the showroom floor after a 30-year absence in an attempt to capitalize on the troubles of ailing Sears. Soltau turned the companys focus back to womens clothing and goods for the home like towels and bed sheets, which carry higher profit margins. Furniture is still available, but only online. The West Bengal government on Saturday informed the Calcutta High Court that an order of suspension of internet services in parts of Hooghly district will be lifted on Sunday. Hearing three petitions challenging the suspension of internet services in the area, a division bench comprising Chief Justice T B N Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee directed the state to file two affidavits on the next date of hearing. While one will pertain to jurisdiction of the district magistrate to pass the suspension order, the other will be related to the justifiability of the suspension order. The petitions will be heard again on May 22. The three writ petitions challenged an order issued by the Hooghly district magistrate on May 12, suspending internet service in certain parts of the district, including Chandannagar to stop the proliferation of fake videos and other such content. Lawyers for the petitioners assailed the suspension order on various grounds, including lack of jurisdiction and that there was no justification for issuing such an order and that it was disproportional to the situation prevailing in the area concerned. Appearing for the state, Advocate General Kishore Dutta submitted that the order suspending internet services in parts of the district will be lifted on Sunday. He also challenged the maintainability of the writ petitions claiming lack of locus standi on the part of the petitioners. Dutta referred to provisions of The Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (due to Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017 and said that the suspension order has been passed after complying with the relevant rules. The Advocate General further submitted that such suspension order can also be passed by the appropriate authority in exercise of power under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Clashes had erupted in the Telinipara area of the district on May 10 after members of a community were allegedly taunted and addressed as "corona" by a handful of people belonging to another group. Bombs were hurled and shops ransacked in Telinipara and its adjoining Chandannagar and Sreerampore areas, following which police lathicharged the trouble-mongers to bring the situation under control. At least 129 people have been arrested in connection with the incident. The administration imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC and suspended internet service in several areas of the district on May 12. On Friday, the prohibitory orders imposed in the clash-hit areas of Telinipara, Chandannagar and Sreerampore were withdrawn after the situation improved there. Internet services have also been restored in some parts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The number of patients on waiting lists for day case treatment has increased by 19,000 in the first two months of the Covid-19 crisis. Thats according to new figures published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) on Friday. Before the public health emergency took hold, waiting list data collated by the NTPF showed that 67,000 patients were waiting for day case elective treatment at the end of February. The latest figures show this number has increased to 86,000 patients by the end of April, as hospitals focused on dealing with the Covid-19 emergency, cancelling many elective procedures and treatments. The number of patients waiting for an endoscopy has also increased, from 23,000 at the end of February to 34,000 at the end of April, the NTPF data shows. The fund was established by the Minister for Health to deal with waiting lists and treat patients faster by outsourcing treatment and using private hospitals. The figures come as HSE chief executive Paul Reid confirmed this week that private hospitals will be used to help clear NTPF waiting lists. Mr Reid told RTE's News at One on Thursday that the NTPF mechanism could be used for procedures for the duration of an agreement to take over private hospitals during the Covid-19 outbreak. Under the deal the HSE temporarily took over 19 private hospitals to boost capacity of the health service at a cost of 115 m/ month. The deal has come under scrutiny as figures emerged this week suggesting that the private hospitals were operating at around one third of their capacity. On Thursday Fianna Fail spokesperson on health Deputy Stephen Donnelly questioned Health Minister Simon Harris on the private hospital deal in the Dail. Deputy Donnelly questioned the value of treating 5,000 patients currently on NTPF waiting lists under the existing private hospital deal and pointed out that the NTPF procured 21,000 procedures for just 50 million in 2018. Meanwhile the Irish Hospital Consultants Association has sought an urgent review of the private hospital deal, which it says represents poor value for money for patients and taxpayers. DETROIT - Tesla has picked Austin, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, as finalists for its new U.S. assembly plant, a person briefed on the matter said Friday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this April 15, 2018 file photo, the sun shines off the rear deck of a roadster on a Tesla dealer's lot in the south Denver suburb of Littleton, Colo. Tesla has picked Austin, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, as finalists for its new U.S. assembly plant, a person briefed on the matter said Friday, May 15, 2020. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) DETROIT - Tesla has picked Austin, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, as finalists for its new U.S. assembly plant, a person briefed on the matter said Friday. The person says company officials visited Tulsa in the past week and were shown two sites. It wasnt clear if there were any other finalists in the mix. The person, who didn't want to be identified because the site selection process is secret, said no final decision has been made. The new factory will be Tesla's biggest so far. The electric car maker has said it wants the factory to be in the centre of the country and closer to East Coast markets. The stakes are high for state and local governments, which covet auto factories because they have a lot of workers and normally pay well, generating income and property taxes. Tesla's current U.S. vehicle assembly factory is in Fremont, California, which employs 10,000 workers. The company has a second U.S. factory in Reno, where it builds batteries for its vehicles and employs about 6,500 people. It also has a factory in Shanghai and another one under construction in Germany. Companies typically use proposals from finalists to bargain for the best package of tax breaks, site investments and other incentives. The new factory would build Tesla's upcoming Cybertruck as well as be a second site to build the Model Y small SUV. 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. On the company's earnings conference call in April, Musk said the site of the company's third U.S. factory could be announced within a month. Musk calls his plants Gigafactories. The respective mayors, Steve Adler of Austin and G.T. Bynum of Tulsa, as well as Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, all declined comment on whether their cities are finalists for the plant. However, all reasserted their respective locales would be best suited for the plant site. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Earlier this week, Musk threatened to move manufacturing and Teslas headquarters out of California in a fight with San Francisco Bay Area health officials over whether the Fremont plant could reopen after being closed to stop the spread of coronavirus. He defied an order to stay closed and the plant was running for two days before the Alameda County Public Health Department announced a settlement. The department said the plant could run above minimum basic operations this week and start producing vehicles this coming Monday, as long as it delivered on promised safety precautions for workers. It would be difficult for Musk to move out of Fremont, though, because Tesla would have to take its only U.S. assembly plant offline for months while it moved heavy equipment to another location. It also would be hard to move the headquarters in Silicon Valley to another state because software engineers and other technical workers likely wouldnt want to relocate and could find work elsewhere in the area. ____ Associated Press reporter Terry Wallace in Dallas contributed to this report. Westfield shopping centres have increased security to make sure shoppers are adhering to social distancing measures. More security guards and police officers have been spotted at two Westfield shopping centres in Melbourne. Victorian Police also conducted a social distancing operation at Chadstone Shopping Centre, approaching shoppers who were not complying or sitting down to eat instead of having a takeaway meal. Meanwhile, NSW Police held a a social distancing operation at Westfield Miranda in Sydney's Sutherland Shire. Police interrogate a shopper at Westfield Miranda. Security guards and police have been increasingly present at shopping centres in both Victoria and NSW in recent days In Westfield Fountain Gate, impatient shoppers have been ignoring signs and entering stores through exit points instead of lining up. Parent company Scentre Group did not say if security had been beefed up but did say that retailers were expected to erect signs showing how many customers were allowed in store. Westfield Fountain Gate was previously dubbed the 'most unsafe' shopping centre in Victoria last year following a string of robberies and a stabbing at a nearby park. Meanwhile in Chadstone, some shoppers have been ignoring social distancing laws and sitting down to eat rather than having their meals to takeaway. Security, police and protective service officers (PSOs) have been spotted at Westfield Fountain Gate (pictured) in Melbourne's south eastern suburbs in recent days Victoria Police approached shoppers who were not complying and told them to move on during an operation last weekend. A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed police and PSOs have been deployed at Westfield Fountain Gate and Chadstone Shopping Centre. 'These patrols are part of our business-as-usual approach to ensuring community safety with a key focus on crime prevention and high visibility policing in high-risk locations,' she said. 'Whilst the primary purpose of these patrols are to ensure community safety, police can issue infringements to anyone that breaches directions given by the Chief Health Officer.' In Chadstone (pictured), some shoppers have been ignoring social distancing laws and sitting down to eat rather than having their meals to takeaway. Police approached shoppers who were not complying during an operation last weekend Last month, NSW Police conducted a social distancing compliance sweep through a Westfield Miranda in Sydney's south, demanding shoppers justify why they were out. A NSW police spokesman confirmed officers were patrolling the centre, but wouldn't say if anyone was fined during the operation. NSW Police officers are patrolling all shopping centres across the state to enforce social distancing measures. In addition to security, Westfield shopping centres also have hand sanitiser available at concierge desks and other locations. On Westfield's website, the company said it applied the 'highest standard of cleanliness and hygiene across our Westfield centres'. 'We have increased the routine cleaning of frequently-touched hard surfaces, including in car parks. We expect our retail partners to apply the same principles to their cleanliness and hygiene.' By Express News Service RANCHI: The CRPF deployed at Ranchis Hindpiri resorted to lathi-charge and rubber pallets to disperse the crowd after a clash with the locals living in the area late in the evening on Saturday. Notably, CRPF has been deployed at Hindpiri, largest containment zone in Jharkhand, to implement the lockdown strictly. People reportedly were pelting stones on CRPF personnel from the dark after switching off the lights in their houses. The clash was triggered after a dispute of local people with CRPF on some trivial issue following which they started pelting stones on security personnel deployed in the area. In between, the former ward counselor of the area was allegedly thrashed by CRPF which further escalated the furor and hundreds of people came out on the streets shouting slogans against them. Police sources said that senior officials of district administration rushed in and tried to control the situation during which rubber pallets were also fired to disperse the crowd. FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE Hundreds of people gathered from all sides and started pelting stones on CRPF personnel following which they were compelled to apply force and fire rubber pallets to disperse the crowd, it said. Police officials, however, claimed that the situation is under control. "As of now the situation is completely under control and there are no reports of any injury to anybody. We are trying to ascertain what and how exactly it happened," said IG Naveen Kumar Singh. Meanwhile, an official release issued by district administration stated that additional forces have been roped in to maintain law and order in the area. The situation is personally being monitored by the senior officials. "People have been asked to remain indoors or strict action will be taken under various sections of pandemic act will be taken against them. An investigation has been initiated to look into the matter," stated the official release. Social media is also being monitored closed to check rumours spread by anti-social elements, it added. More than 20 migrant labourers were killed and dozens were injured after the truck they were travelling in collided with another vehicle in Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh early on Saturday, reports said. The trailer truck, carrying around 50 migrant labourers, was coming from Rajasthan when it collided with a van coming from Delhi in Auraiya districts Mihauli area, reports said. The incident took place at around 3:30am Most of them are from Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, Abhishek Singh, Auraiyas district magistrate, was quoted as saying by ANI. WATCH | At least 24 migrants killed in accident in UPs Auraiya, CM Yogi orders probe Twenty-four people were brought dead, 22 have been admitted and 15 who were critically injured have been referred to Saifai PGI, Archana Srivastava, Auraiyas Chief Medical Officer (CMO), said, according to ANI. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has taken note of the accident in Auraiya and expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the labourers who lost their lives, Awanish Awasthi, the additional chief secretary (home), said. The chief minister has also directed that all the injured must be provided with medical care immediately and the commissioner and inspector general of police (Kanpur) to visit the site and give a report on the cause of the accident immediately, Awasthi said. Tens of thousands of people have been walking home from big cities after being laid off because of the lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) since late March. Millions of workers were left without work across cities and towns in India when the lockdown was announced on March 24, resulting in the first wave of workers going back to their villages. Every phase of the extension has seen a new wavethe lockdown was extended twice, from April 14 to May 3 and then May 3 to May 17. Before this, 15 migrant workers on their way back home were killed in three accidents, one each in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar earlier this week. On May 8, 16 workers sleeping on tracks were run over by a goods train in Maharashtras Aurangabad district. On May 9, five workers were killed in Madhya Pradeshs Narsinghpur district when the truck in which they were travelling hit the central verge of the road. Police have said close to 100 were also injured in road accidents across states on Thursday, as migrant workers continue to seek rides on trucks, cycle, or just walk on the countrys highways in a struggle to return home. The government, starting May 1, announced special trains for migrant workers, but there are still far too few of them and far too many workers wanting to return home. Some of the workers do not have the documentation required to travel; others have not registered for the trains or buses being run. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday interacted with the media during which he spoke about the situation of the migrants and the economic package announced by the Centre to help those affected by the Covid-19 outbreak and revive the economy. I will be taking questions from the electronic regional news media at 12 noon today. You can watch the press conference LIVE right here on Twitter or on my YouTube channel, Gandhi had posted on Twitter on Saturday morning. Speaking with members of the press, the Wayanad MP asked the Modi government to rethink its 20 lakh crore economic package. He said the Centre should put the money directly in the hands of the people by transferring it to their bank accounts instead of offering it as credit. The former Congress chief had addressed a video press conference earlier this month on May 8 and took questions on Covid-19 and the economic crisis. Here are the highlights of the his press interaction: - Rahul Gandhi thanks media for the role it has played in highlighting the issues related to Covid-19 outbreak. - On PMs local about vocal slogan, Rahul Gandhi said that a person can be vocal only if they arent hungry, again reiterating the demand to put money in the bank accounts of those affected. - Centre is not giving the money to the states that is due to them...all CMs saying this, even the BJP chief ministers - The Railways ministers allegation of Congress-ruled states not giving NOCs to let trains go to their states, Rahul Gandhi says it is a wrong allegation since it was Congress which made the suggestion in the first place. He again reiterates that migrants should be sent back to their states safely and their needs taken care of. - The governments economic package is a credit package under which the money is not reaching those affected directly. Which is what we are saying today. -States should get support from the Centre because only the states can lead and implement the fight against Covid-19 while the role of the central government is to manage. There are complaints that the Centre is not giving states their share of money. - States where we are in alliance, there is a conversation. But we are certainly putting pressure on these governments and aggressively pursuing this in Congress-ruled states to help migrant workers walking backing home. - Asked about how to strengthen MNREGA, Rahul Gandhi said - those in villages should be covered under MNREGA and in cities, should be covered under NYAY. We are asking government to implement a programme like NYAY scheme for those working in cities, give them money for a few months and then stop it after that. - I am sure the government will consider my suggestions. I have spoken to a lot of people who have said the same things about putting money in peoples hands. I want PM Modi to seriously think about these suggestions. - There is no choice between livelihood and peoples health. We need to lift lockdown....we have to revive our economy and take care of those at risk . That is what the planning all about. - In the short term, fire demand, protect small and medium businesses. In the medium term, these businesses should be given financial support. There should be a clear-cut policy for job creation. - I want to warn the government that the country is staring at economic storm and I am trying to put pressure on them. That is the work of the opposition - It is the duty of the government, Opposition and all of us to help the migrants and put money directly into their pockets. - Asked about who is responsible for the condition of migrants, Rahul Gandhi said, this isnt the time to point fingers. He said the problem of migrants is very challenging.; all of us need to help those walking on the highways. --We have to open the lockdown but it should be lifted carefully and intelligently, protecting the vulnerable people like aged, heart patients etc at the same time. - The government should rethink its economic package. There is need to put money in the hands of the people, directly in their bank accounts because if we do not support our small businesses and farmers and others, our economy wont start. - India is in a crisis , small business, labourers and every one is in a crisis; heartbreaking to see migrants walking on highways. With coronavirus cases continuing to rise, top health ministry officials on Saturday held a meeting with senior officers and district magistrates from 30 municipal areas which are contributing almost 80 per cent of the country's COVID-19 cases during which monitoring of old city areas, urban slums, migrant labourer camps and other high density pockets was emphasised. Timely tracing of patients to improve recovery percentage and influenza like illness (ILI)/severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) surveillance was also stressed during the meeting. Health Secretary Preeti Sudan and Rajesh Bhushan, OSD, health ministry, along with other senior officers held the high-level review meeting with the Principal Health Secretaries, Municipal Commissioners, DMs and other officials from the 30 municipal areas. These 30 municipal areas are from the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Odisha. The measures taken by the officials and the staff of the municipal corporations for the management of COVID-19 cases were reviewed during the meeting which was also informed that fresh guidelines on management of COVID-19 in urban settlements are being shared, a health ministry statement said. A total of 30,150 people have been cured till now across the country and in the last 24 hours, 2,233 patients have recovered -- the highest number of recoveries in a day. This takes the total recovery rate to 35.09 per cent, the health ministry said. The total number of confirmed cases stands at 85,940, registering an increase of 3,970 in the last 24 hours. During the meeting, a presentation was made on the present status of COVID-19 infections in the districts while highlighting the high risk factors, indices such as confirmation rate, fatality rate, doubling rate, tests per million etc. The municipal officials were briefed about the factors to be considered while mapping the containment and buffer zones, the activities mandated in containment zone like perimeter control, active search for cases through house to house surveillance, contact tracing, testing protocol, clinical management of the active cases, surveillance activities in the buffer zone like monitoring of SARI/ILI cases, ensuring social distancing and promoting hand hygiene etc. It was highlighted that in general the geographic area of containment zones to be defined based on factors like mapping of cases and contacts, geographical dispersion of cases and contacts, area with well demarcated perimeter and enforceability, the statement said. Municipal Corporations, residential colony/mohallas/municipal wards or police-station area/municipal zones/towns etc., can be designated as containment zones, as appropriate, it said. The officials were advised that the area should be appropriately defined by the district administration or local urban body with technical inputs from local level, the statement said. Along with the containment zones, buffer zone around the containment zone also must be demarcated to break the chain of transmission, it said. "Maintaining high vigilance and monitoring in areas of old cities, urban slums and other high density pockets along with the camps for migrant workers are important steps in COVID-19 management in the urban areas," the statement said. Regarding management of indicators like high doubling rate, high case fatality rate and high confirmation percentages seen in the containment zones, the officials were informed about the possible root causes and recommendations were offered on possible actions that could be taken. During the meeting, it was also highlighted that especially in the densely populated urban areas further challenges need to be considered like poor socio-economic conditions, limited health infrastructure, lack of social distancing, issues faced by women, among other factors. The Health Secretary emphasized that along with the containment and management of COVID-19 cases, the issue of continuing all essential non-COVID health services in the urban localities like RMNCHA+N care, cancer treatment, TB surveillance, immunization efforts, vector control measures in view of the ensuing monsoon, etc., need to be ensured, the statement said. The municipal areas were asked to focus on effective risk communication in order to build trust and confidence. The officials were requested to engage with community leaders and local opinion leaders who could accompany the local surveillance teams to encourage cooperation from the local communities. At the meeting, Mumbai shared its experience of Containment leaders, who were local community elders and leaders working with the Ward Officers to support the government efforts in encouraging the people particularly in the slum clusters. The role of community leadership was highlighted in finding local solutions, building trust, and for a positive influence on the health workers. It was also emphasized that added attention needs to be accorded to timely tracing of patients to improve recovery percentage, SARI/ILI Surveillance, and more effective human resource management, the statement said. It was advised that all health service providers need to be provided with adequate protective gear and communication must focus against the stigmatization of these frontline health workers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Soon after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced policy reforms to fast-track investments in efforts toward ensuring Atma Nirbhar Bharat, Home Minister Amit Shah lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Finance Minister for these decisions. In a series of tweets soon after the FM's press briefing, Amit Shah said, "PM Modi's mantra of Reform, Perform and Transform is the key of India's phenomenal growth in the last 6 years. I thank PM @narendramodi & FM @nsitharaman for today's landmark decisions which will surely boost our economy and further our efforts towards Atmanirbhar Bharat." Addressing her fourth press briefing today, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced measures to ease restrictions on utilisation of Indian airspace, make India a global hub for Aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), hike FDI limits for defence equipment from 49 per cent to 74 per cent, auction of 6 airports, and many more. Also Read: Coronavirus Live Updates: Lockdown 4.0! Home Ministry may issue new guidelines today; India's cases-85,940 Amit Shah said that a strong, secure and empowered India is PM Modi's top most priority. "Raising the FDI limit in defence manufacturing to 74% and banning import of selected weapons/platforms with year wise timelines will surely boost 'Make in India' and reduce our import burden," he said. On reforms in coal sector, the Home Minister said that Rs 50,000 crore for infrastructure development in coal industry and introduction of commercial mining is a welcome policy reform which will bring more competition and transparency. "I congratulate PM Modi for this unprecedented step to make India self-reliant in coal production." Also Read: Big beneficiaries of Tranche IV stimulus: Adani, Vedanta, Tata Power, Anil Ambani's Reliance On decisions to push aviation sector, he said that the industry will be benefited by about Rs 1,000 crore per year by easing out restrictions on utilisation of air space. Tax regime for MRO has been rationalised to make India a global hub for Aircraft MRO. "I also applaud PM Modi ji for today's decisions like providing Rs 8,100 crore revamped Viability Gap Funding to boost private sector investment in social Infrastructure and encouraging private participation in Space activities so that they can become a co-traveller in India's space journey," Shah said. By Chitranjan Kumar Each year, backyard birdwatchers in the southeastern United States are thrilled by the arrival of a stunning, dazzling species of songbird that shows up during breeding season. The painted bunting, a bird native to the southern regions of North and Central America, has been capturing the attention of bird enthusiasts for years due to the distinct, brilliant plumage that mature males display. While young males and all females are more of an overall green colorwhich is pretty enough on its ownmale painted buntings over the age of 2 boast feather patterns made up of bright jewel tones that make them both hard to miss and easy to be delighted by. With heads that often feature bright-blue feathers and wings and backs made up of oranges, yellows, and greens, the male painted bunting looks exactly like its name suggests; its plumage is reminiscent of a beautifully saturated watercolor painting. Painted buntings have been catching eyes for centuries, with a history of illegal trade sending them back to Europe dating all the way back to the 1800s. And although modern-day conservation efforts have curbed the practice in North America, there are still regions in Central and South Americawhere the bird migrates to in the winterthat havent quite been able to curb the trade as much as conservationists would hope. Its not just conservationists and bird-watching enthusiasts who are in pursuit of knowledge about this particular bird, though. The breeding patterns of the painted bunting have been well documented in the southeastern United States over the years, yet their migration patterns still mystify scientists even today. Theres knowledge that the birds head to south Florida in the winter, though less is known about where they head after that; from Mexico to the Bahamas and Cuba, the data on where the birds destination is is still muddled, which makes it hard to truly understand why their numbers are currently declining. (Bonnie Taylor Barry/Shutterstock) (Bonnie Taylor Barry/Shutterstock) These gorgeous fowls havent hit endangered status, and scientists hope they never will. So, if you see one of these flying friends out and about and notice a tiny tracker on them, dont be alarmed; these birds are being equipped with geolocators to help scientists figure out a little bit more about where they head when the temperatures drop. This way, if theres a region that sees poor survival numbers, well knowand hopefully, scientists will be able to find a way to keep those numbers from continuing to dip in the areas where theres the most concern. For now, just appreciate these stunning feathered friends if youre lucky enough to spot them. After all, even scientists think theyre absolutely extraordinary. They are just so fabulous, said biologist Scott Sillett while talking about the migrating population. Its probably the most spectacularly beautiful migratory songbird that breeds in North America. By Trend The spread of the coronavirus pandemic was prevented to some extent in Azerbaijans Ganja city thanks to the conducted anti-epidemic measures, but these measures must be continued, Chairman of the Management Union of Medical Territorial Unit (TABIB) Ramin Bayramli said. Bayramli made the remark at a briefing of the Operational Headquarters under Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers, Trend reports on May 15. Based on a daily analysis, a decision is made to mitigate or tighten the measures of the quarantine regime, the chairman said. Bayramli stressed that the first stage of the fight against a pandemic in the country was launched after the detection of the first fact of infection. We are currently at the second stage of the fight against the pandemic, Bayramli said. A number of measures on mitigating the quarantine regime have been taken since April 27. Unfortunately, people are irresponsible in some regions. Coronavirus tests of 64 residents of Yevlakh district were positive. It is necessary to conduct thorough epidemiological measures in Yevlakh district. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak has said that Ukrainian authorities plan to confidently move on the way of reforms, and to enhance the process Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently appointed ex-president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili Head of the Executive Committee of Ukraine's National Reforms Council. The press service of the Office of the President said on Saturday that he gave this information at a meeting with G7 ambassadors and the head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine. Saakashvili, who was also present at the meeting, told G7 ambassadors and the head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine about the plans of the National Reforms Council. "In particular, the head of state set the task of improving tax legislation, continuing deregulation and completing customs reform. In addition, coordination of cooperation with international institutions is among the tasks," the press service said. Saakashvili said that consultations with leading business associations of Ukraine will be held soon and a program of the National Reforms Council will be developed, which will be submitted for approval to President Zelensky. EU tourists will be able to travel to Italy without a mandatory 14-day quarantine from 3 June as part of measures to lift the countrys strict coronavirus lockdown. The move, which will also apply to countries in the Schengen Area, came as the Italian government announced plans to ease travel restrictions to allow people to move freely inside the country from the same day. In a bid to slow its epidemic, Italy was the first European country to impose strict nationwide restrictions in March and only allowed a slight relaxation of the rules on 4 May, when it allowed factories and parks to reopen. Some regions had called for a swifter rollback of restrictions but Giuseppe Conte, Italys prime minister, has insisted on a gradual return to normal due to fears of a second wave of infections. However, on Saturday he outlined a further loosening of restrictions including a plan to open borders to travellers from Europe next month. With shops as well as bars and restaurants due to reopen from Monday, the government also announced that people will no longer have to justify travel within their own region and will be able to meet friends as well as family. People will be able to go wherever they want to a shop, to the mountains, to a lake or the seaside, Mr Conte said. The announcements came as daily coronavirus deaths in Italy, which has the third-highest number of fatalities in the world, fell to 153 on Saturday, the lowest since 9 March. More than 31,600 Italians have died from Covid-19 since February, putting Italys death toll behind only the US and the UK. Shops are due to reopen and movement within individual regions will be allowed from 18 May, meaning people will be able to visit their friends. While large public gatherings will still be banned, church and other religious services can resume and museums and galleries will also be able to open. Gyms, swimming pools and sports centres will reopen on 25 May, while theatres and cinemas can reopen from 15 June. The further lifting of travel restrictions will not come into effect until after Italys 2 June Republic Day to prevent any mass travel over the long holiday weekend. From 3 June, travel will only be restricted if an area is considered to be at high risk for coronavirus infections, a move which offers some hope ahead to the countrys vital tourism sector ahead of summer. Regions will also be allowed to reactivate all sectors of the economy, so long as strict safety protocols and social distancing measures are followed. Restaurants will be able to reopen so long as customers are kept at a distance of one metre from each other, with mandatory face masks for both staff and customers when they are not sitting at tables. Mr Conte said the decision to lift curbs was a calculated risk, but added: Were facing this risk and we have to accept it because otherwise we will never get started again. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Scenario Global Semiconductor Silicon Intellectual Property Market was valued US$ 3.44 Bn in 2017 and is estimated to reach US$ 9.1 Bn by 2026 at a CAGR of 11.76%. Global Semiconductor Silicon Intellectual Property Market Global Semiconductor Silicon Intellectual Property Market is segmented into by IP source, design, application, and region. 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Request For Report Discounts @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/discount/10996 The Scope of Global Semiconductor Silicon Intellectual Property Market: Semiconductor Silicon Intellectual Property Market By IP Source: Licensing Royalty Semiconductor Silicon Intellectual Property Market By Design: Processor IP Memory IP Interface IP Semiconductor Silicon Intellectual Property Market By Application: Telecom Industries Consumer electronics Automotive Commercial Others Semiconductor Silicon Intellectual Property Market By Region: North America Europe Asia-Pacific Middle East& Africa Latin America Key players in Global Semiconductor Silicon Intellectual Property Market : Arm Limited Synopsys Cadence Imagination Technologies Ceva Lattice Semiconductor Vivante Kilopass Technology Atmel Intel Rambus Mentor Graphics Renesas Electronics Ememory Technology Silab Tech Open-Silicon Dream Chip Technologies TansPacket Achronix Semiconductor Sonics Xilinx CORTUS Digital Blocks Dolphin Integration Altera Cadence Design System CAST CEVA EnSilica More Info of Impact Covid19 @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/checkout/10996/Single With 846 stores and 85,000 employees, J.C. Penney could be the largest symbol of what COVID-19 may mean for retailers already struggling for survival. The department store chain filed for bankruptcy Friday and is asking a federal judge to authorize the rejection of 20 leases in the opening salvo of the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company said it plans to "accelerate" permanent store closings as part of its bankruptcy but declined to provide details on which locations it plans to shutter. The move sets in motion the process of beginning permanent store closings as the retailer aims to stabilize its finances and avoid outright liquidation a fate that chains such as Papyrus, Modells Sporting Goods and Art Van Furniture haven't been able to avoid. J.C. Penney proposed a restructuring plan that would shed billions of dollars in debt and allow the company to emerge from bankruptcy as a financially sustainable company. But U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David Jones told J.C. Penney attorneys in a rare Saturday hearing that he has "concerns" that the company is not moving "fast enough." "I do think there is a genuine hope that the turnaround efforts will proceed, but it is kind of hard when people are prohibited from coming into your store and you cant turn the lights on," Jones said. Chapter 11 bankruptcy: J.C. Penney files for bankruptcy protection, plans some permanent store closings Can these 13 retailers survive?: Permanent store closings, bankruptcies coming amid coronavirus chaos He indicated, however, that he would like to help mitigate the effects of the bankruptcy on the company's workers. "Theres a special place in my heart for employees, more so in the current state of affairs in our country," Jones said. Later, he added, "I want to keep everybodys eyes focused on saving the business. This is middle America, at least in my view." Although the coronavirus came suddenly, J.C. Penney's troubles are far from new. And the company is not alone as shoppers' habits and tastes have changed and more consumers turn to online commerce. Fashion chain J. Crew Group and luxury department store retailer Neiman Marcus Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this month as they faced mounting losses with their stores temporarily closed. Story continues U.S. retailers have announced more than 2,000 permanent closures this year, most of which were made public before the pandemic began, according to retail analytics firm Coresight Research, a global advisory and research firm. J.C. Penney might have been able to stave off bankruptcy by closing more stores sooner, Deborah Weinswig, CEO and founder of Coresight Research, told USA TODAY. If they had shed real estate and been more draconian, this moment might not have happened, but they would have been a shell of their former selves, she said. Perhaps this teaches us that Macys has been right all along with shuttering stores and trying to get to a more manageable online/offline formula with a right-sized store base. While J.C. Penney hopes to survive bankruptcy by separating into a real estate investment trust and an operating company, analysts say the retailer is facing a serious risk of outright liquidation. "We believe this process will give us the financial strength to weather the pandemic and evolve our business while also reducing our debt and increasing our flexibility to better position JCPenney for the future," CEO Jill Soltau said in a letter to customers. "This will allow us to better serve you, our valued customer." J.C. Penney filed a motion late Friday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas Corpus Christi Division requesting permission to shed leases for 14 department stores, three home furnishings locations, two auto centers and one stockroom. The company said in a court filing that it had "already vacated the premises associated with all but one" of the leases it proposed to reject. J.C. Penney spokesperson Brooke Buchanan declined to provide further details. Sucharita Kodali, a retail analyst at Forrester, believes COVID-19 has accelerated the inevitable for J.C. Penney and the other retailers who have recently filed for bankruptcy. I think these are weak retailers that have been challenged for a long time and were going to see many more bankruptcies, she said, adding some retailers might have been able to hang on another year or two before filing if not for the pandemic. Some other chains facing challenges going into the pandemic, according to analysts, are fashion retailers Forever 21; Ascena Retail Group, the owner of Lane Bryant, Justice and Ann Taylor; home furnishings chain Pier 1; bridal and formalwear seller David's Bridal; and vitamin and supplement retailer GNC Holdings. The retailer had 846 stores as of Friday, including 387 that it owns, Chief Financial Officer Bill Wafford said in a court filing. Of those, 110 are operating on ground leases. Most of the company's locations have been temporarily closed since late March amid the coronavirus pandemic. But with some states gradually reopening after several weeks of shutdowns, J.C. Penney has fully reopened 41 stores and is offering curbside-only service at another seven. A shopper carries a bag at a J.C. Penney store in the North Riverside Park Mall in North Riverside, Illinois on Feb. 1, 2012. With nearly 85,000 employees, most of whom are furloughed, and a supply chain of almost 3,000 vendors, J.C. Penney remains a significant operation despite its struggles. The company has gone from a small dry-goods store in Kemmerer, Wyoming, to a fixture in the shopping experience of the American middle class to the latest victim of the digital revolution. Founded in Wyoming in 1902 by James Cash Penney with $500 in personal savings and a $1,500 promissory note from his local bank, J.C. Penney was first known by the name Golden Rule. The company grew quickly. It had 175 stores by 1917, 500 by 1924 and 1,000 by 1929, according to a court filing. J.C. Penney went public in 1929 less than a week before the stock market crashed, marking the beginning of the Great Depression. "To weather the downturn at this inflection point in the Companys history, JCPenney proactively pared-back inventory, focused its merchandise on everyday goods, and identified lower-price suppliers, allowing for lower consumer prices and higher margins," Wofford said in a court filing. In a way, that strategy mirrors what J.C. Penney has been trying to do in recent years. After taking over in late 2018, Soltau earned praise from analysts for refocusing the company on its core merchandise namely, women's apparel and accessories while ditching losing items like appliances and furniture. But her strategy, they say, came too late for the company after it racked up nearly $5 billion in debt and failed to reinvent itself to take advantage of the digital age. To be sure, the decline of the department store sector was virtually inescapable. Like archrival Sears, which filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2018, and luxury chain Neiman Marcus, which filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this month, J.C. Penney has faced declining foot traffic to malls and the rise of nimbler physical competitors like T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. Still, the company had a "substantial liquidity cushion" before the pandemic and "was improving its operations," Wofford said. "Unfortunately, that progress was wiped out with the onset of COVID-19," he said. In April, total sales fell by 88% compared with a year earlier. That included "nearly zero" sales in physical stores. The company hopes to survive the restructuring process by shedding billions of dollars in debt and emerging as a more sustainable entity. Greg Portell, lead partner in the global consumer practice of Kearney, a strategy and management consulting firm, said bankruptcy could help the company live on, but it must be determined not to return to business as usual. Bankruptcy protection offers a fresh start. If companies use the time to commit to bold reinvention, the market is ripe for a success story, Portell said. Forrester's Kodali said many of the 36 million Americans who are unemployed because of the pandemic overlap with J.C. Penneys shopper demographic. I think that they would not be buying as much now in the best of circumstances, she said, noting there are other stores that sell similar merchandise. "It's a store that if it goes away I don't know that people would miss it tremendously. She added, I don't think there's really salvaging J.C. Penney at this point." Follow USA TODAY reporters Nathan Bomey and Kelly Tyko on Twitter @NathanBomey and @KellyTyko. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: J.C. Penney store closings 2020: Bankruptcy raises liquidation risk Nana Akosua Frimpomaa-Sarpong, Election 2012 Vice Presidential Candidate of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), on Saturday tagged Election 2020 as a test for Ghanas democratic credentials. She said Ghanas electoral system has gone through turbulent times since 1992, but in all cases the nation sailed through and survived. The current political activities of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) could create electoral violence and antagonism if not checked, she said. The CPP former Vice Presidential Candidate reiterated the need for governance bodies including the Electoral Commission to create a level playing field for all political actors. She said the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) must also upscale its commitment to ensure that there is peace in the country. Nana Frimpomaa-Sarpong, who is also an aspiring CPP Chairman, said deepening constitutional affairs and democracy in particular calls for effective and responsible citizen participation. She also appealed to the media to also create an active platform for all political parties to propagate their messages to the electorate. Nana Frimpomaa-Sarpong noted: "Ghanaians still need to develop the culture of democracy, the courage to resist violation of their human rights". The Former CPP Vice Presidential Candidate said the nation needs all actors to adhere to their constitutional mandate, as the Constitution is the only testament to the tenacity of Ghanaians to abide by the rule of law. On the CPPs internal politicking, she said, that the party is not for sale to the highest bidder and issued a stern warning to persons who are seeking CPP executive position for their selfish interests to desist from it. She said the objectives for running for the slot is to work efficiently with executives at all levels to achieve the goals and targets for the CPP. Financing remains one of the biggest challenges facing the CPP but that would be a thing of the past as frequent fund raising events would be held to raise the needed funds to drive the CPP back to its past glory, Nana Frimpomaa-Sarpong said. The CPP Former Vice Presidential Candidate, who is also an entrepreneur, said the human resources of the party would be harness broadly and reinvigorated to be able to whip up support for the fund raising drive. She assured party members that, if elected as the partys leader and chairperson, she will set up a mechanism to mend all cracks in the party and forge a united front in order to brighten the CPPs chances in 2020. 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 Operating out of a nondescript clinic tucked away in the heart of the Capitol, Dr. Monahan and a small staff have been exceedingly busy since the pandemic took hold, consulting with lawmakers who have contracted Covid-19 or exposed to someone infected with it, doling out health recommendations in detailed memos ahead of votes, and producing a series of videos released on an internal website to educate lawmakers and their staff on how to protect themselves. Dr. Monahan has filmed and produced the videos by himself in his office, often seated next to an elaborate bouquet of white flowers and a tiny plastic model of a pangolin, the scaly mammal that may have been an intermediary carrier of the virus. In the videos, he typically walks through the most recent recommendations offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and demonstrates medical equipment, such as a thermometer and a variety of masks (including one made by his wife, using a black shopping bag and a sewing machine). He has a big job two houses of Congress, two parties to deal with but hes not political in any way, Ms. Pelosi said. He treats us all with respect, and we respect his judgment in return. Dr. Monahan in 2009 became the seventh man to serve as attending physician, taking up a position that has always been held by a Navy doctor. The House first approved a Navy officer to work out of the Democratic cloakroom in 1928 after one lawmaker died and two collapsed, with several hours passing before a doctor could arrive in each case. Two years later, the Senate extended that doctors jurisdiction to include its own members, leading to the establishment of the Office of the Attending Physician. The office provides care to lawmakers for a fee, as well as offering some services and emergency care to staff and tourists. The first physician, Dr. George W. Calver, who began his work just before the start of the Great Depression, displayed placards in cloakrooms and elevators across the Capitol with his nine Commandments of Health, including Accept Inevitables (dont worry) and Relax Completely. #PeruEstaEnNuestrasManos El presidente @MartinVizcarraC se encuentra en Tacna para hacer la entrega de 15 ventiladores mecanicos, material medico y pruebas de diagnostico para COVID-19. Del mismo modo, sostendra una reunion de trabajo con el Comando COVID-19 regional. pic.twitter.com/p53Hi7hmkp Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 19:29:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Iranian authorities announced here on Saturday that the Muslim Eid al-Fitr prayers, a ceremony marking the end of the Ramadan, will be held across the country, Tasnim news agency reported. All mosques across the country can open for the prayer in compliance with the health protocols, Iran's National Headquarters to Fight the Coronavirus, chaired by President Hassan Rouhani, announced. Moreover, the Quds Day rallies in the capital Tehran will be held on May 22 in a symbolic way with motorists driving in convoy, the headquarters said. The rallies in other cities categorized as risk-free will be held in conformity with the health protocols, and demonstrators can gather in the Friday prayer venues, it said. All the country's schools reopened on Saturday after almost three months of closure in the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak. The religious ceremonies and educational centers in Iran have been closed since late February following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country. On Saturday, Iran announced a total of 118,392 confirmed cases, of whom 6,937 have died. Enditem Officials said that they found the two bodies of missing teenagers from Utah after eight days of searching, according to a recently published article. Two Teenagers Went Missing in Utah while Tubing on Lake 18 year old Priscilla Bienkowski, from Saratoga Springs, Utah, and 17 year old Sophia Hernandez, , from Eagle Mountain went missing last Wednesday while they were on Utah Lake which is located south of Salt Lake City, according to a previously published article. The two teenagers may have been caught up by an intense storm that swept them in in the Lake. Since the report was received, the Utah County Sheriff's office started searching or the two missing teenagers. The Sheriff's office said that the teens probabaly went missing on the West Side of Utah Lake. Meanwhile, at that time a fisherman found one of the mobile phones of the teenagers ringing and their personal belongings while police officers found the car used by the teenagers nearby. Officials Believed that the Bodies of Two Missing Girls Are Now Found The search came to an end eight days since the search for the missing girls began. According to Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith, the bodies of two missing teenagers were already found on Thursday. Smith said in a report: "On behalf of the sheriff's office and all the volunteers who have helped do this, is express our sincere condolences to the families of these girls." He also added: "This has been hard for everybody involved. I want to thank the families for their patience with us. It's been stressful on our crews; it's been hard to locate these young ladies and I want to thank them for their patience on that. ... I can't imagine, and never want to imagine, what they're going through." It was reported that the first body was found by a fisherman on a shore near the jetties by the Lincoln Beach Marina at around 1:30 in the afternoon and three hours after, the second body was found by a pilot with the sheriff's office. Smith said in a report: "Over the past eight days, there's been well over 1,000 hours of time put into this search. More than 10 boats, 12 wave runners, several helicopters, and airplanes." The deputies have difficulties in searching for the bodies of the teenagers because of the bad weather. The winds picked up to 20-25 mph and has increased to 50 mph overnight. The water temperature of the lake at that also was 57 degrees. According to an article a deputy said: "It makes no sense. I'm going to have to digest this and figure out how I would handle a search in the future if one ever happens like this. But we were working the right areas for where our experience said they should have been, and here we end up 6 miles east." The rescue teams who searched for the two teenagers are Utah State Parks, Wasatch County, Washington County and, Utah Highway Patrol. Despite the efforts made by these groups, it was the weather that made it difficult for them to search the bodies. Read related articles: How should Christians witness to Jews? Messianic Jewish leader responds Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A leader in the Messianic Jewish movement laid out important steps on how Christians should witness to the Jewish community. David Brickner, author and executive director of Jews for Jesus, spoke with Mikel Del Rosario on an episode of the Dallas Theological Seminary podcast The Table where he said that an important first step is a personal relationship, noting that you can then begin to explore matters of faith. Youll find very quickly that most Jewish people dont really know what they believe. And if theyre curious enough to hear your story its not wrong for you to share, even though you may not be Jewish, the story of how God became real to you and how Hes part of your daily life, Brickner said. Many times one of the first things that will happen with a Jewish person who encounters a lively Christian is theyre going to want to go and start reading their own Bible. And they wont understand it but thats a good step. Brickner went on to say that he considered the Orthodox Jewish community to be the most unreached people group in the world because they are isolated, dubbing them like a Jewish form of Amish. They really stick to themselves. Theyre very much caught up in a very kind of strict form, almost syncretistic form of religious Judaism, he continued. Because they are such an insular group their whole livelihood, their families, theyre all tied together. So for a religious Jew to even contemplate reading the New Testament they could find themselves out penniless, losing their families and nowhere to go. Brickner also told Del Rosario that it's important for Christians to recognize their Judaic heritage, believing that it further enforced the significance of their beliefs. Passover and other Jewish festivals are really of interest to Christians. Well, what does this mean? Since Jesus celebrated the Passover when He instituted communion, how do we understand? And how does that enrich our faith? Brickner said. I think that the more evangelical Christians understand the Jewish roots of their faith, the more welcoming the Christian can be to their Jewish friends and neighbors and the more effective they can be in sharing the love of Jesus with them. Messianic Jews are a controversial group in the United States, as many non-Christian Jews do not consider them to legitimately Jewish. In October 2018, Vice President Mike Pence garnered criticism for sharing a stage with Messianic Jewish leader Loren Jacobs who prayed in Jesus name at an event held in memory of 11 people murdered at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Earlier this month, the international Christian television network GOD TV told supporters that Israeli authorities were trying to shut down their new Hebrew-language Christian channel over concerns that they will proselytize Jews. Since we have started to broadcast, it has created quite a stir in Israel, explained GOD TV CEO Ward Simpson in a video, noting that they were pursuing legal action to defend their right to broadcast in the nation. We have faith in the Israeli government and we have faith in their judicial system. We thank God that Israel is a nation that practices religion and freedom of worship. The fact that they gave us a license to broadcast Christian content in Hebrew is a testament to that truth. The premier's plan to write a thank-you letter to Manitoba seniors to accompany their $200 COVID-19 cheques is being panned as a shallow political ploy rather than an appreciative gesture. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The premier's plan to write a thank-you letter to Manitoba seniors to accompany their $200 COVID-19 cheques is being panned as a shallow political ploy rather than an appreciative gesture. Premier Brian Pallister announced May 5 that $200 cheques would be mailed out to an estimated 225,000 Manitobans age 65 and older, regardless of income. With just 14 per cent of Manitoba seniors living below the poverty line, critics questioned whether the $45-million Seniors Economic Recovery Credit was meant to curry favour with voters rather than its stated intent, to help seniors facing increased costs during the pandemic. The Free Press asked Pallister's communications staff at the time if the premier would put his name on a letter or note accompanying the cheques and did not receive a reply. On Friday, he told the Canadian Press that's his plan. "Im going to send a letter with (the cheques) to thank and congratulate our seniors, and Ill probably sign that, darn right," Pallister said. "Six months into a newly elected government with a strong mandate, were making a decision to try to show support, affection quite frankly and respect for our seniors." The issue isn't whether seniors are appreciated, said Todd MacKay, Prairie director of the Canadian Taxpayers Association "If youre helping people, you need to make sure that the right help is going to the right people. And firing cheques everywhere is pretty lazy policy." An advocate for low- and fixed-income adults and seniors suffering financially due to COVID-19 said it's a missed opportunity to really help those in need. "Manitoba could have provided income-tested benefits through Employment and Income Assistance, Rent Assist, the 55-plus program or enhancements to pharmacare," said Molly McCracken, Manitoba director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. "Instead the province is providing $200 per senior, regardless of need," McCracken said. "The inclusion of a letter from the premier with this cheque shows this government is choosing to play politics with this misallocated benefit, which should be income tested." MacKay said Manitobans have to ask who benefits from the signed letter: taxpayers or the premier. "Youve got to apply the sniff test in a situation like this, and I think you kind of detect a little bit of an odour there," he said. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Premier Brian Pallister announced May 5 that $200 cheques would be mailed out to an estimated 225,000 Manitobans age 65 and older, regardless of income. "This money is coming from taxpayers; its not coming from the premier," said MacKay. The Opposition took aim at the premier for taking credit for handing out goodies but not for layoff notices to public-sector workers. "If Mr. Pallister is going to send out this letter and sign it, I think he should also sign all the layoff notices that hes sending out to Hydro workers and educational assistants and people across Manitoba," NDP Leader Wab Kinew said. "Anyone looking at this from a mile away can tell that it is political," he said of the premier's gesture. "Mr. Pallister wants to take responsibility for one thing, yet he refuses to take responsibility for all the people hes putting out of work. He should sign the layoff notices too, if he wants to sign this letter." 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. Not only is Pallister going to send himself a $200 cheque, he is going to use public money to send a letter thanking himself." Dougald Lamont The premier, who is 65, will be sending a thank-you letter to himself, Manitoba's Liberal leader noted. "Not only is Pallister going to send himself a $200 cheque, he is going to use public money to send a letter thanking himself," Dougald Lamont said Friday. "If he wants to send personal letters on the public dime, Pallister can start by writing a personal letter of apology to the thousands of Manitobans who are losing their jobs and businesses because he is more interested in promoting himself than lifting a finger to help." carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca Carol Sanders Legislature reporter After 20 years of reporting on the growing diversity of people calling Manitoba home, Carol moved to the legislature bureau in early 2020. Read full biography Flashes of temper and frustration. Hours spent struggling to get to sleep at night. Anxious thoughts, lethargy and dreams riddled with catastrophe. All are common side effects of stress. But as we approach the third month of coronavirus restrictions which have changed our daily lives beyond recognition, all have become increasingly common symptoms of the UKs Covid-19 crisis as we struggle to cope. The latest data from the Office of National Statistics is startling revealing that four in five Britons are worried about the effect coronavirus is having on their lives. And the rolling YouGov mood tracker survey, which collates thousands of responses every week, also shows people reporting far more negative emotions than usual. Professor Lucy Yardley, an expert in experimental psychology at the University of Bristol, has certainly noticed the drift. She said: In normal times, over the past three years, the dominant thing people have said is that they feel happy. Spending too long in bed could lead to worse quality sleep, experts have warned as people have been feeling bored, scared, frustrated, low and angry Since lockdown, more people have been saying they feel bored, scared, frustrated, low and angry all sorts of negative emotions. Partly, its due to fear about the virus itself and catching it, anxiety about loved ones becoming seriously ill and the impact of people losing their financial security or worrying that this might happen. We know from studies that quarantine is hard to deal with in the long term and that social isolation is bad for mental health. But no one has been quarantined on this large a scale and for so long. Its no coincidence, either, that the hashtag #cantsleep has been trending on Twitter as the continuing uncertainty begins to affect our ability to switch off and relax. And there are concerns that the number of people seeking mental health support during the crisis has plummeted by up to 40 per cent, potentially storing up more complex problems for later. Now, as the Government begins its first tentative relaxation of lockdown rules, we face a new problem: how do we come out of a state of quarantine with our mental health intact? Two distinct groups are emerging those planning to abandon the restrictions to plough on with their lives, and those who remain highly anxious about any transition back to normal. Thankfully, experts say it is possible to find a middle ground between panic and reckless abandon. There are simple, everyday techniques that we can use to help us sleep better, reduce stress and promote calm all of which will benefit our overall health as we move into the next stage of managing the pandemic. The body arms itself while you slumber Professor Lucy Yardley of the University of Bristol said the lockdown is having an impact on the nation's mental health with some people feeling anxious from being quarantined for so long Sleep is the canary in the mine for our mental health, according to experts so if were struggling to drop off, or waking up during the night, its a sign that the stresses and anxieties caused by coronavirus are taking their toll. And yet, getting a decent amount of sleep is now more important than ever. Sleep expert Dr Guy Meadows, founder of The Sleep School, said: Research has shown getting seven to eight hours each night helps enhance the function of T-cells, a type of white blood cell that attacks and kills viruses. And sleep plays a role in producing cytokines, proteins required for our immune systems to quickly communicate with our cells to ensure our bodys timely response to harmful invaders. So how to solve our growing national sleep debt? A big part of the problem is were not in our usual routines. Our days are more stressful as many home-educate children while working. Others are sleeping later in the mornings in the absence of a commute, according to Prof Yardley, and this in turn pushes back the time we fall asleep. She recommends trying to stick to pre-pandemic routines and setting your alarm for the time youd normally get up so that youre tired by bedtime. Once youre awake, go for a walk in the sunlight a US study found that it reinforces the bodys internal clock, or circadian rhythm, and not only helps promote better sleep at night but reduces stress and depression. We all know drinking alcohol and caffeine has a negative impact on health. And there are other pitfalls: avoid using a phone or tablet for an hour before bedtime studies show the blue wavelengths of light they emit suppresses release of the sleep hormone melatonin which makes it harder to wind down. Its also a question of what youre doing online, adds Prof Yardley. If youre interacting on Facebook or Twitter, or catching up with the latest coronavirus updates, thats not very calming. A surprising method for those who find themselves waking in the middle of the night is sleep restriction therapy which, counter-intuitively, involves spending less time in bed than normal. The idea is that excessive time in bed can perpetuate sleep problems. To start, you need to find out the average time you sleep (rather than go to or get out of bed) the easiest way to do this is with a sleep tracking app on your smartphone, or with a fitness tracker that measures sleep. Then, limit your time in bed to the amount of time you sleep. The easiest way to do this is to push your bedtime back. So, if you naturally sleep for about six hours in total, and normally get up at 7am, then go to bed at 1am. Do not go below four and a half hours in bed, though, as this can lead to extreme tiredness and be counterproductive. If this method works for you, youll begin to sleep more soundly almost straight away. Each week pull your bedtime forward by 15 to 20 minutes, without moving your waking time. If you find you start sleeping less well, push the bedtime back again by the same amount. Continue this for eight weeks it helps to keep a sleep diary throughout. There are numerous resources online for more detail. If you naturally sleep for about six hours, then you should wait until 1am to go to bed if you set your alarm for 7am Those with high risk jobs such as drivers, construction workers or those working with heavy machinery are not advised to do this without medical supervision. Another option, if you cant sleep or wake up for long periods during the night is to get up. Prof Yardley says: Dont stay in bed. Do something boring, like the ironing. You might be more tired the next day, but youll make up for it the following night. One of the few things we can now do more is exercise which has an effect similar to sleeping pills, according to sleep experts at the respected Johns Hopkins medical unit in the United States. There are new opportunities and challenges at this point in the pandemic, Prof Yardley says. For people feeling the pain of lockdown, they might feel frustrated and disappointed that exercise is all were able to do. But it can help more than you might think. It helps get rid of frustration, will send you to sleep more quickly and improve the quality of your sleep. How to worry... just enough Stress is normal right now but two extremes of mindsets seem to be emerging, which experts say may not be entirely healthy. On one hand, there are those who are angry and frustrated at the rules which continue to be imposed on our freedoms and feel no true risk from the virus. Others are anxious about the end of the restrictions, with no plans to end their isolation any time soon. Neither are entirely rooted in the reality of our predicament and both, as opposing as they are, have a similar root cause: fear. Studies show heightened anxiety disrupts the part of the brain responsible for decision-making and problem-solving. Its this which leads to panic-buying, fixations with cooking and tidying and overzealously following rules, to the point sufferers become furious if anyone else is perceived to be breaking them. And, according to Catherine Sanderson, professor of psychology at Amherst College in Massachusetts, others assert control over their situation by underplaying the risks, and wilfully ignoring or defying the rules. To conform to social distancing would mean facing up to fears, Prof Sanderson says. We see the same thing with those who are very worried about the risk of developing breast cancer, refusing to attend screening appointments. There are ways both groups can alleviate their stress without resorting to either breaking the rules or locking themselves away. Catherine Sanderson, professor of psychology at Amherst College in Massachusetts said some people who refuse to confirm to social distancing rules are similar to those who refuse to attend a breast screening appointment because they are worried about getting cancer The most significant benefit of relaxing the lockdown rules is that we can now meet single individuals from outside our households provided that we do so outdoors and stay 6ft apart. And that, in itself, will help keep us calm, and provide a dose of reality. Meeting face-to-face will have huge effects on your mental wellbeing, and theirs, Prof Yardley says. Non-verbal communication body language, small gestures, tone of voice which we dont get on video calls or text messages, is incredibly important. Take advantage, too, of being able to exercise as much as you want. Stress causes cortisol to get pumped into our muscles and it doesnt wash away, psychotherapist Noel McDermott says. It builds up. You have to physically do something to get rid of it. But being by yourself can also be beneficial, whether youre sitting quietly listening to music or going for a walk to the park. Studies have shown that just being outside can have a positive impact on stress levels. For people struggling with the idea of leaving their homes, its even more important to do so to reassure yourself that its safe. Studies have shown that just being outside can have a positive impact on stress levels Prof Yardley says: Very gently and carefully start resuming the things that youre scared of. Step by step youll discover its safe. Challenging unhelpful thoughts, such as fears about the virus, is also crucial, according to McDermott. You may feel like the outside is a terrifying place but change anything central to our lives and it will be stressful. Were all experiencing change now but not changes weve chosen. So, first of all, challenge your fears are they real or is it just the change thats scary? Then find elements of this experience that you can have control over. What positives could come from it? What are you grateful for? Decide to start jogging, to have a walk twice a day or meet a friend in the park. For those tempted to flout the rules, seek out accurate information about the risk beware the tendency to rely on facts that support our beliefs, says psychologist Jivan Dempsey. It will also make you feel more in control. Try also to keep busy to stave off boredom, which could tempt you to break the rules. For both camps, a website called Germ Defence, developed by Prof Yardley and her team with Government Covid-19 funding, gives advice on protecting against infection. What Id say to people who are anxious about the risk of infection or who arent and who should be is that the website gives very concise information about reducing risk and planning how to do that in a range of scenarios. Even if you cant prevent exposure, you can control how much of the virus youre exposed to. This could stop you becoming really ill. By Michaelle Bond | The Philadelphia Inquirer In-person home showings will continue to be banned in Philadelphia and its collar counties, as Gov. Tom Wolf plans to veto legislation Pennsylvania lawmakers passed Thursday to reopen the real estate industry statewide, according to a Wolf spokesperson. The governor had denied business shutdown waiver requests from the real estate industry, which argues that providing shelter is essential and the inability to conduct business in person is an unnecessary roadblock. Pennsylvania is the only state to continue to call real estate activity nonessential during the coronavirus pandemic and restrict in-person transactions for a majority of residents. Only real estate agents in counties in the yellow phase of reopening can resume certain in-person activity for new transactions. More than half of Pennsylvanias counties are now in the yellow phase, with more to follow. But the Philadelphia region is not close to moving out of the red phase. Real estate professionals have been relying on virtual tours of properties and workarounds to close sales, which have dropped during the pandemic. The bill requires the state to issue a waiver to its business closure order for real estate activity that can adhere to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. State Rep. Todd Polinchock (R., Bucks) introduced the legislation, which headed to the governors desk after the House passed it Thursday. I cannot thank the members of the House and Senate enough for responding to this issue with urgency and recognizing it as the true crisis it is, Polinchock said in a statement following the bills passage. It is well past time we give the people of our commonwealth back the access to housing, which never should have been taken away in the first place. The Pennsylvania Association of Realtors has been lobbying on behalf of its 35,000 members to change the industrys status, saying shelter is always essential. Were seeing many Pennsylvanians who are facing tremendous difficulties and financial hardships due to this shutdown, Bill Festa, the associations president, said. Its outrageous that a majority of Pennsylvanians continue to be unnecessarily restricted from purchasing or selling a home. Michael Romeo was enjoying a family holiday in Italy, 18 months ago feeling healthy and planning out a future with his wife and young daughter. The 35-year-old did suffer some discomfort on the holiday, which he dismissed as 'mild indigestion'. He decided to get the symptoms checked out when he returned home and received devastating news - he had stage two oesophageal cancer. 'When I was overseas I could feel something was different and I had some mild indigestion but no other symptoms - I thought nothing was wrong,' Michael told FEMAIL. He described the feeling of being diagnosed as 'surreal' and 'horrible', and his 'biggest concern' of leaving his family behind in financial debt remains. At the age of 35, Michael Romeo's life radically changed after being diagnosed with stage two oesophageal cancer on January 23, 2019 Within a week of being diagnosed, Michael started his first round of chemotherapy which lasted for eight weeks and was told he had a 50 per cent chance of surviving. 'I developed a block clot in my arm from the needle line of the chemotherapy towards the end, then a few months later I had my first surgery on May 1 (2019) to remove half of my oesophagus and half of my stomach,' he said. But despite the treatment, Michael received a devastating update from his doctor a month later - the cancer had spread to his liver, stomach and neck and he had between six and 12 months to live. 'Since the cancer had spread there was nothing doctors could do and they wouldn't operate,' he explained. Now he is nearing the end of that 12-month prognosis, Michael has reflected on how things could have worked out differently. 'My biggest regret is not prioritising my health sooner which added a burden to the whole situation it really hits home and is concerning for my family.' From the beginning Michael and his wife spoke about the 'worst case scenario' and discussed what needed to be done if he were to lose his life. 'While I wasn't happy with what doctors told me, I had to make sense of the situation and enjoy the rest of the time I have left with my family however long that may be,' he said. Michael, from Queensland, Australia, lived a healthy lifestyle with his wife and four-year-old daughter, but said he 'never imagined' this would ever happen to him and felt 'arrogant' for not prioritising his health sooner Within a week of being diagnosed, Michael started his first round of chemotherapy which lasted for eight weeks and was told he had a 50 per cent chance of surviving. But despite the treatment the cancer became terminal and spread to his stomach, liver and neck Michael is still alive, taking a variety of medications and is doing his 'own research to educate himself' as conventional treatments ceased to be effective in combating the cancers. 'The best thing I can do at this stage is research what I can do to prevent the cancers from growing or spreading anywhere else,' he said. If there is a silver lining for Michael, it is that he knew his time was short so he placed great importance on appreciating the precious 'now moments' in life particularly the time spent with his daughter. 'Before the cancer I was always a planner, I was always thinking ahead, planning for the next holiday or what my wife and I were going to do in ten years time,' he said. 'This situation has been a real eye-opener and has taught me to live in the present moment and not in the future.' Michael is scheduled to have another body scan on June 10 close to a year on from when the cancer was deemed terminal - to see how the cancer had spread, and get an update on how much time he has left. Michael has also been very open about the cancer with his four-year-old daughter and said being upfront has made it easier for her to process. Without the diagnosis Michael also wouldn't have made any changes to his lifestyle and wouldn't have changed his attitude towards finances, which he now realises is significant. The diagnosis has also changed Michael's perception towards money, allowing him to realise how he can spend it wisely to ease financial stress. Michael is still alive, is on a variety of medication and is doing his 'own research to educate himself' as conventional treatments ceased to combat against the cancers 'A crucial part of this journey has been acceptance because if you fight against it, it means you're only fighting yourself and not helping the situation.' Michael passed on his hard-won wisdom to others receiving a terminal prognosis: appreciate the 'now', focus on what you can control and avoid asking questions such as 'why is this happening to me?' or 'what have I done to deserve this?' Michael said the diagnosis has made him stop and appreciate the precious 'now moments' in life particularly the time spent with his young daughter Michael's six key takeaways from his book Terminal Velocity Prioritise your health as your health is your most valuable asset Get wealth protection and understand your levels of insurances Know and understand your finances and the tools available and how best to use them Change your attitude towards your money and get your money working for you and minimise your working hours to spend more time with loved ones Unnecessary Consumption, knowing the difference between good and bad debt. Buying things we don't really need fuels the need to work harder and longer, and for bad or unnecessary debt Live more in the moment and not always planning for the future which may never come Advertisement He has passed on the advice in a book titled Terminal Velocity, intended to help others change their attitudes towards health, finances and life. After everything he has learnt and experienced, Michael has written a new book titled Terminal Velocity The book started as an autobiography for his wife and daughter, but turned into something more when Michael successfully implemented a banking strategy known as 'Velocity Banking' to pay off his mortgage repayments faster. 'By making changes to our attitude towards money, we will see that there are ways to make our money work for us - and by doing so we are able to work less hours, have more time with the family, be grateful with what we have and make better lifestyle choices,' he said. 'Death is the only certainty in life! I don't want people to wait until they are diagnosed with a terminal illness before they make positive changes to their lives. 'If this book can help motivate others in some aspect of their lives this will all be worthwhile.' Michael hopes Terminal Velocity will not only change the lives of those who read it, but most importantly, become something for his family to remember him by, and to assist his wife and daughter financially. Terminal Velocity is available to purchase through leading retailers including The Book Depository, Booktopia, Amazon and selected book stores nationally. New Delhi: At least five migrant workers were killed and 19 others injured on Saturday (May 16, 2020) after the truck they were travelling in overturned near Banda in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh. The workers were returning to their native place in Uttar Pradesh from Maharashtra when the fatal accident occured. Sagar ASP Praveen Bhuria confirmed the incident. "They were going from Maharashtra to Uttar Pradesh," he said, adding that rescue operations are underway. Earlier, at least 24 labourers were killed and several others injured after the truck they were traveling in collided with another truck in Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh. The trailer truck, which was carrying around 50 migrant labourers, was coming from Rajasthan when it collided with a DCM van coming from Delhi, the police said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragic road mishap. While CM Yogi Adityanath announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakhs for families of deceased persons and Rs 50,000 for injured, he has also directed that all the injured be provided medical care immediately. Thousands of migrant workers have started walking home from big cities after being laid off because of the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown since March 25. Many of them have died in unfortunate road mishaps in the recent past, forcing the Centre to direct states to ensure the safety of migrants and arrange for their safe return to their home. SILVER SPRING, Md., May 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized an at-home sample collection kit that can then be sent to specified laboratories for COVID-19 diagnostic testing. Specifically, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Everlywell, Inc. for the Everlywell COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit. Everlywell's kit is authorized to be used by individuals at home who have been screened using an online questionnaire that is reviewed by a health care provider. This allows an individual to self-collect a nasal sample at home using Everlywell's authorized kit. The FDA has also authorized two COVID-19 diagnostic tests, performed at specific laboratories, for use with samples collected using the Everlywell COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit. These tests have been authorized under separate, individual EUAs. Additional tests may be authorized for use with the Everlywell at-home collection kit in the future, provided data are submitted in an EUA request that demonstrate the accuracy of each test when used with the Everlywell at-home collection kit. "The authorization of a COVID-19 at-home collection kit that can be used with multiple tests at multiple labs not only provides increased patient access to tests, but also protects others from potential exposure," said Jeffrey Shuren, M.D., J.D., director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "Today's action is also another great example of public-private partnerships in which data from a privately funded study was used by industry to support an EUA request, saving precious time as we continue our fight against this pandemic." Today's EUA for the Everlywell COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit permits testing of a sample collected from inside the patient's nose using the authorized self-collection kit that contains nasal swabs to collect a sample and a tube filled with saline to transport the sample back to a specified lab. Once patients self-swab to collect their nasal sample, they will ship the sample overnight to a specific CLIA-certified lab that is running one of the in vitro diagnostic molecular tests authorized under a separate EUA for use with the Everlywell at-home sample collection kit. The labs authorized to test specimens collected using the Everlywell at-home collection kit are Fulgent Therapeutics and Assurance Scientific Laboratories. Results will be returned to the patient through Everlywell's independent physician network and their online portal. This announcement follows two recent EUAs for diagnostic tests that also use at-home specimen collection: one that uses a sample collected from the patient's nose with a nasal swab and transported in saline and another that permits testing of a saliva sample collected by the patient at home. Everlywell's EUA request leveraged data from studies supported by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and UnitedHealth Group to demonstrate stability of specimens during shipping. The data from these studies are freely available to support other EUA requests, alleviating each test developer of the burden of recreating the same study. The Everlywell home-collection kit is currently the only authorized COVID-19 at-home sample collection kit for use with multiple authorized COVID-19 diagnostic tests. The kit and associated tests are available by prescription only. Today's authorization is limited to the Everlywell COVID-19 test for at-home collection of nasal swab specimens for analysis by COVID-19 diagnostic tests specifically authorized under separate EUAs for use with specimens collected with the Everlywell at-home collection kit. It is important to note that this is not a general authorization for at-home collection of patient samples using other collection kits, swabs, media, or tests, or for tests fully conducted at home. Additional Resources: Media Contact: Emma Spaulding, 240-753-3903 Nikki Mueller, 240-620-8173 Consumer Inquiries: Email, 888-INFO-FDA The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products. SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The sequence of events is familiar. As the coronavirus spreads across an economy, livelihoods are lost and futures are imperiled. Looking for someone to blame, populists and opportunistic politicians turn to migrants and refugees. Soon, the local social media fills with xenophobia and hate, along with demands that the foreigners "go back to where they came from."For weeks, this pattern has played out with particular vehemence in Malaysia. The targeted foreigners are the Rohingya, a largely Muslim ethnic group that has faced decades of persecution in nearby Myanmar. In recent days, the situation has become so extreme that 83 human-rights groups demanded that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin intercede. He should pay attention: Calming these tensions will ultimately protect the public health and livelihoods of all Malaysians and quite possibly provide an example for other countries grappling with the same poisonous problem.Southeast Asia's economic development has long coincided with vast inequalities. As fast-growing Malaysia developed, low-income rural workers from neighboring countries flocked to work at palm-oil plantations, factories and the homes of the rich. Today, Malaysia has as many as 5.5 million migrant workers, the majority of whom are illegal and undocumented, out of a total population of 32.7 million. Although theyre critical to the economy, these migrants are denied basic public benefits and prohibited from formal employment. One result is that shadow-economy employers often take advantage of them.For the Rohingya, the situation is especially bleak. They make up about 56% of the 179,000 people in the country who are recognized as refugees and asylum seekers by the United Nations. Because Malaysia isnt a party to international refugee agreements, however, they have no official recognition locally and little help from the government. Allegations that Rohingya are a drain on public resources have nevertheless persisted for years, and have only worsened amid the countrys worst economic crisis in decades.The xenophobia started boiling over in mid-March, after a Facebook post claimed that activists were demanding citizenship for Malaysia's Rohingya. Within days, racist and threatening comments were spreading across social media. At least five petitions demanding the deportation of the Rohingya were posted to Change.org, where they garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures (they've since been removed). The government only made matters worse by rounding up undocumented migrants for fear that theyd spread coronavirus, and placing them into camps (where coronavirus will spread). Fears of violence are now pervasive, but the government appears to have little interest in tamping down the hostility.Its hard to think of a more shortsighted response. Whether the populists like it or not, Malaysia's millions of undocumented migrants aren't going anywhere amid a health crisis that has shut borders worldwide. And the governments efforts to control the virus internally will by necessity require testing and treating the populations it has long refused to recognize. So long as refugees are demonized, theyll be discouraged from seeking out help or agreeing to critical measures like contact tracing.Meanwhile, Malaysias reeling economy can ill afford to simply jettison so much of its essential workforce. Last year, the countrys rubber-glove industry the world's largest had to cut output after the government cracked down on undocumented labor, leaving a shortage of 25,000 workers. Once the pandemic took hold, and recruiting foreigners became untenable, locals turned out to be less than enthusiastic about working with hot rubber all day. At Top Glove Corp., the world's largest maker of medical gloves, the lead time required to fill an order has climbed from 30 days to as long as 150.In the short-term, Muhyiddin should call off raids and other actions against the undocumented, while calling for a cessation of the heated rhetoric on social media. Over the long term, Malaysia should finally sign onto international agreements that protect such migrants, including the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, while finally cracking down on widespread discrimination. Doing so would not only help the economy and public health, but bolster a fragile multi-racial democracy that can't afford additional division. Malaysia might even show the world how to rise above the hatred. Story continues This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Adam Minter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is the author of Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade and "Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale." 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. Proms have been cancelled. While high schoolers will miss the big party, fancy dresses and tuxedos, for some students, the real party takes place after the prom with a weekend-long house rental or stay in a hotel with a big group of friends. That was the plan for students from Lacey Township High School and Toms River North High School before the coronavirus shutdown. Dozens of students from Lacey made reservations at the Twilight Motel in Wildwood for the weekend of June 5. Nearly 100 students from Toms River North made a similar reservation for the weekend of May 29, according to parents from the two schools. But when the pandemic canceled the proms, many of the kids and their parents wanted a refund from the motel. From Lacey, 68 students made reservations for $150 each, said Robert Lawrence, the father of one of the students. The confirmed total was $10,200, he said, noting he was still surveying other parents. Michelle Rosenthal, the mom of one of the Toms River students, put the cost at $14,550 for her schools 97 students. Both parents said the motels owner, Kathleen Mangini, refused to give refunds but instead offered the students a new but unspecific date in the future. Mangini says she has been accommodating and the virus isnt her fault. I gave them prime season. Do you know how many dollars I have lost? she asked. The point is Im making the ultimate sacrifice here. The parents disagree, and now its a dispute that crosses town and county lines and has the two sides telling conflicting stories. MAKING THE RESERVATIONS Lawrence, the Lacey Township parent, said students started making reservations in January. The Twilight Motel owner started taking cash only deposits for the full amount of the stay a definite red flag for any adult, Lawrence said, noting the students, not parents, handled the payments. Most of the students were 16 or 17 years old at the time the reservations were made, he said. Most students received small pieces of paper for their deposits with no dates of stay, just an amount collected and a room number, he said, adding that none of the parents or students he spoke to signed a contract. No parent signed off on this procedure with a signature to my knowledge. He noted online listings for the motel say guests under age 21 can only check in with a parent or official guardian. When Gov. Phil Murphy shut down the state, the students took a wait-and-see approach, he said. But when the governor announced school would stay closed for the rest of the academic year, students started to ask for refunds. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage She refused, saying she spent all the money on her Mercedes payments yes, she actually typed this as a response to a parent refurbishments and a new hotel office, among other things, and stated there is no money left for refunds, Lawrence said. He shared with NJ Advance Media text messages that support his claims. Lawrence said when he contacted Mangini on May 8, she accused me of being selfish and heartless. Later that day, Lawrence said, Mangini told him she was working on a plan to split the students into two groups to come down on future dates, depending on the governors guidelines. A few days later, Lawrence said, Mangini left him a voicemail saying she had offered the kids a June 29 date while others received a July 1 assignment. The only problem is she hadn't contacted most or all of the kids, Lawrence said. Most of the kids and parents just want a refund now. Lawrence said during a May 11 phone call that he recorded, Mangini said a refund wasnt part of the contract, although Lawrence says there was no contract. The students and parents from Toms River North shared a similar story. Michelle Rosenthal, a Toms River parent, said their first contact about a refund was on April 26. The owner denied a refund stating that `she spent the money already, she said, noting they also sent a refund request in writing. She said none of the parents and students she spoke to said they have a contract. A number of the receipts have 17-year-olds as the recipient, she said. How is it legally possible for them to enter into a contract if they are minors? How did she allow this if her motel policy is that a parent/guardian must be there to check in if the person is under 21? No parents were going. Rosenthal said she realizes the motel is in a bad situation because of the virus and its no ones fault that this is happening, but she believes the students are due a refund. She said the future is too unknown to book another date. WHAT THE LAW SAYS Businesses across the country are suffering, trying to figure how they can open under modified shutdown rules. Thats clear on the Jersey Shore as much as anywhere. Most Shore businesses motels, restaurants, amusement parks and more make most of their annual income during the summer. While Gov. Murphy is allowing a modified opening for beaches on May 22, exactly how people can socially distance is still in question. Any delay in opening could be devastating to Shore businesses. That includes prom weekend outings attended by seniors, many of whom are still minors. Some establishment require a parent to cosign or otherwise take responsibility for the students. The age of majority in New Jersey is 18, said Andrew Berns, chair of the commercial litigation and employment department at Einhorn, Barbarito, Frost & Botwinick in Denville. He said there are some exceptions to minors entering into a contract, such as for medical care, food and housing. But other contracts with minors, he said, would usually be unenforceable, he said. A minor can also repudiate a contract he or she entered into before turning 18, he said. It is nice to offer the kids other weekends but if it is not workable for the group or even if it is acceptable for some of the kids and parents, if someone cannot or does not want to participate, they should be offered a refund, even if they have to wait for the payment, Berns said. NJ Advance Media showed Berns the receipts the students received when they made the reservations, and Berns said they are unlikely to be construed as contracts. A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE When reached about the dispute, Twilight Motel owner Kathleen Mangini she was offering alternative dates to the groups but she also cited a contract that she refused to provide. The parents told NJ Advance Media the students only had receipts, not contracts. Mangini later said in a text: I actually dont have a contract with them Mostly with them its a verbal contract that is in line with the written contracts Ive had with other groups. Mangini said her business, and others in the town, are in grave financial need. This is Wildwood. Here we dont get stimulus packages. We are seasonal. We dont qualify for stimulus or bailouts or nothing, she said. She confirmed the money she collected from the students was already spent on winter bills. Mangini said her cash flow is hurting because spring is the time when she usually takes reservations for the summer and fall, but the phone stopped ringing after the coronavirus outbreak. She said shes trying to make it right and that families are trashing her business on social media and on sites like Yelp! and Trip Advisor. An examination of those sites found reviews dating before the pandemic in which some consumers complained Mangini would yell at customers and more. Theyre actually coming. They have a date, she said. Of the Lacey students, Out of 81 kids I have 69 kids coming and there are three other rooms that told me 99% they are coming, she said. "I was told to give Toms River a few days," she said, noting she will contact them on Monday. The parents disputed that, reporting that Mangini had previously been unclear about dates but an hour after Mangini talked to a reporter, parents started getting texts with assigned dates. They also disputed the numbers. Lawrence, of the Lacey group, said he tallied the responses of the Lacey students and parents: 12 said they would take a new date but not one dictated by the owner; 12 said they were undecided; 12 hadnt responded yet; 32 said they wanted a refund and none said they had given the motel a firm yes. He said rooms for the June 29 replacement date normally go for $99 online, so the owner would still be making out by charging my group $300 a night for the same room. Of the Toms River North group, Rosenthal said some students reported Twilight set a new date for June 13 without asking if the students were available. I have not had any parents saying their seniors are going, Rosenthal said. Parents I have spoken with do not want their seniors going during this time with the COVID-19 restrictions in place and kids not being able to hang together. So what happens next? Its a scene we will see all across the Jersey shore. How many residents and their children will be ready to hit the boardwalks and beaches? Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Karin Price Mueller may be reached at bamboozled@njadvancemedia.com. The state government on Saturday said that around 3.86 lakh migrant workers had returned to their home states from Maharashtra through 191 trains and around 12,000 buses. The state also informed that the Bihar and West Bengal governments were earlier not willing to take back the workers who hailed from the two states. However, after talks with the respective state leaderships, Bihar and West Bengal agreed for the migrants return, following which the first Shramik Special train for West Bengal left from Mumbai on Saturday morning. Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh said that the state government has sent 2.45 lakh migrant workers to their respective states through 191 trains so far. Only two states, West Bengal and Bihar, were not ready to take back their workers. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP [Nationalist Congress Party] chief Sharad Pawar personally spoke to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, after which the issue was resolved, Deshmukh said. The home minister added that the crowd of stranded migrant workers can be controlled if around 10 trains leave for Bihar and West Bengal everyday. Deshmukh also said that the state government is bearing the cost of the train tickets to ferry the migrants home, as Thackeray had approved funds worth 54.40 crore from the Chief Ministers Relief Fund. Meanwhile, the chief ministers office, in a press release, said that the state has sent 1.41 lakh migrant workers to Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka on 11,798 state transport (ST) buses. Twenty-five trains operate from Maharashtra everyday to take back migrant workers to their home states. Most number of trains (117) had departed from various stations across the state for Uttar Pradesh, followed by Bihar (26), Madhya Pradesh (21), Rajasthan (9), Odisha (7), Jharkhand (5), Karnataka (3), Jammu (2) and Andhra Pradesh (1). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Centre has given approval to a modified detailed project report (DPR) of the Ujh Multipurpose Project (MPP) in Jammu and Kashmir at an estimated cost of Rs 9,167 crore, an official spokesman said on Saturday. The Central Advisory Committee for consideration of techno-economic viability of major and medium irrigation, flood control and multipurpose project proposals accepted the project proposal subject to certain conditions, keeping in view its strategic importance from Indus Waters Treaty angle for utilisation and regulation of waters flowing across the border, the spokesman said. The modified Ujh MPP is located on river Ujh, one of the main tributaries of river Ravi, in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. A 116.00 m high dam is proposed at the river with full reservoir level (FRL) at 608 m. The proposed dam site is Barbari village about 1.6 km downstream of Panchtirthi. The powerhouse site is approximately 9.5 km downstream of the dam site near Deoli village. The spokesman said the advisory committee of Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD&GR) accorded approval to the modified DPR of the MPP project at a meeting chaired by Union Secretary U P Singh recently. The DPR of Ujh project, which was declared as a national project in 2008, was initially prepared by Indus Basin Organisation of the Central Water Commission in 2013. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) FCA Italy working on activation of credit facility, as provided under the recent Italian Liquidity Decree, to further support automotive sector in Italy FCA Italy has initiated a process with the Italian Government to obtain a guarantee from SACE in support of a credit facility designed to help the automotive chain Italy, comprised of approximately 10,000 small and medium size businesses. A dialogue in that respect is ongoing with the first banking group in Italy, Intesa Sanpaolo. In relation to recent press speculation, FCA Italy S.p.A. ("FCA" or "the Company") confirms that it is in talks with the Italian Government (the Ministry of Economy and Finance - MEF, and the Ministry of Economic Development - MISE) to obtain a guarantee from SACE, Italys Export Credit Agency (part of the Italian States Cassa Depositi e Prestiti S.p.A. group), under the recently enacted Liquidity Decree (Decreto Liquidita). Discussions have been initiated with Intesa Sanpaolo, Italys largest banking group, in relation to a 3-year credit facility dedicated exclusively to financing FCAs activities in Italy and intended to provide further support to some 10,000 small and medium enterprises in the automotive supply chain in Italy following the reopening of the Companys Italian plants beginning at the end of April. Under an innovative mechanism, initially applicable to the automotive supply chain, all disbursements from the credit facility will be managed through dedicated accounts established with Intesa Sanpaolo for the sole purpose of providing operational support for payments to Italian suppliers to support their liquidity and, at the same, supporting the restart of production and investment at Italian plants. Under the Italian governments Liquidity Decree, the total amount of the credit facility may be equivalent to 25% of the consolidated turnover of FCAs industrial entities in Italy, or up to 6.3 billion. This innovative agreement reaffirms the Italian automotive sectors role in the restart of Italian industry, in relation to which FCA - together with its suppliers and partners are pivotal. This position will be further strengthened in coming years through the extensive investment plan, already presented and confirmed, as demonstrated by the recent production launches of the new Fiat 500 electric in Turin and the Jeep Renegade and Jeep Compass plug-in hybrids in Melfi. Overall, the automotive sector is a key part of the Italian industry: and it is both in terms of relevance and structure. On its own it equates to about 6.2% of the Italian GDP and in terms of employment to about 7% of the entire manufacturing sector. The Italian automotive ecosystem represents one of the country's recognized strengths worldwide, as well as being one of the largest areas of specialized industrial and commercial know-how in Europe. This sector determines the largest investments in research and innovation in the country, a fundamental basis for guaranteeing future economic competitiveness in an era characterized by rapid technological changes. The new credit facility forms part of FCAs broader plan for the safe restart of its Italian operations. This follows an unprecedented period in which rapid measures were taken to protect employees, families and communities during the Covid-19 emergency, and which resulted in a complete suspension of FCAs industrial and commercial activities in Italy, with the inevitably dramatic short- and medium-term impact on the entire automotive ecosystem. FCA is Italys largest industrial group, directly employing 55,000 people at its 16 plants and 26 dedicated R&D sites. In addition, over 200,000 further jobs at 5,500 highly-specialized Italian suppliers are directly linked to the successful continuity of the Companys operations. A further 120,000 jobs at 12,000 enterprises of all sizes in the distribution and services sectors also support the Italian automotive industry. In addition, 40% of the 50 billion in annual revenues generated by the Italian automotive components sector is driven by supply to FCA. The number one priority in FCAs plan is the health and safety of its employees. With the support of its union partners and experts, the Company has established protocols for its operations that have set a benchmark for a return to the workplace in Italy. Nevertheless, the reopening of FCAs plants and of the sector as a whole will inevitably be gradual. The objective of the current discussions is to strengthen the financial resilience of the Italian automotive system as a whole, during an inevitably long and challenging period of recovery. Turin, 16 May 2020 For further information: tel.: +39 (011) 00 63088 Email: mediarelations@fcagroup.com www.fcagroup.com Attachment New Delhi, May 16 : Amid the Covid-19 lockdown, the majority of youth and people below 45 years of age said they spent more time with their parents or the elderly in the family, according to the latest IANS-CVoter Covid tracker survey. According to the survey, a whopping 71.5 per cent of respondents below 25 years of age said they spent more time with their parents or the elderly in the family. The survey also pointed out that 61.7 per cent of respondents between 25 and 45 years of age did the same, followed by 52.5 per cent in the middle age group. Gender wise, male (57.1 per cent) and female (60.1 per cent) participants were close when it came to spending time with parents or the elderly in the family. In the education group category, 53.7 per cent respondents from the lower education group said they spent time with their parents, whereas the numbers were 67.2 per cent for the middle education group and 68.8 per cent for the higher education group. In the social group category, 80 per cent Sikh respondents said they spent more time with their parents or the elderly in the family, the highest in the category, followed by 78.7 per cent Christian participants. Income group wise, 64.2 per cent respondents from the middle income group said they spent more time with their parents. Region wise, 67.5 per cent respondents from the eastern region said they spent more time with their parents or the elderly in the family, followed by 66.1 per cent in the western region, 54.9 per cent in northern region and 43.2 per cent in the southern region. In the location category, 66.1 per cent respondents in the rural settings spent more time with their parents, followed by those in semi-urban settings at 61.5 per cent and those in the urban settings at 56.2 per cent. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 11:22:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HANOI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam on Saturday morning confirmed a new case of COVID-19 infection, bringing the total in the country to 314 with no deaths reported. The new case is a Vietnamese woman aged 62 who returned to the country from Russia on Wednesday, Vietnam News Agency cited the country's National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control as reporting. Vietnam has recorded no local transmission for 30 straight days, the news agency reported. It has over 12,000 being monitored and quarantined while 260 have totally recovered from COVID-19 as of Saturday, according to the report. Enditem MUMBAI: Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has claimed yet another life of a policeman in Mumbai. The deceased has been identified as ASI Madhukar Mane who was posted in Mumbai. DGP and all ranks of Maharashtra Police have offered their condolences to the bereaved family of the deceased policeman. Coronavirus has claimed lives of 11 policemen in Maharashtra and eight in Mumbai alone and one each in Solapur, Nashik and Pune. In last weeks, 4 policemen have died battling COVID-19, including police officers Kulkarni and Mane. Two other policeman - ASI Murlidhar Waghmare attached to Mumbai's Sewri police station and Naik Bhagwan Parte of Shivaji Nagar police station - had died due to COVID-19. So far, 1154 policemen have tested positive for Coronavirus, which includes 128 officers and 1026 police constables. While 174 police personnel have successfully recovered from COVID-19. A large number of policemen have also been put in self-quarantine, which has left a staggering shortage of personnel in the police department. To match present requirements of police personnel, the Maharashtra government has sought Centre's help and asked to send around 2000 additional policemen from the Central Armed Police Forces to provide some respite to its own fatigued officers. Giving lockdown statistics, a Mumbai Police official said there were 229 incidents of policemen being attacked, and 803 people had been arrested in this connection. "So far, we have registered 1,07,256 offences under section 188 of IPC for violating prohibitory orders and arrested 20,237 accused persons. We have also recovered Rs 4.10 crore as fines during this period," he added. A total of 3.56,232 emergency passes were issued for travel, he added. There is a nationwide lockdown since March 25 to contain the coronavirus outbreak, and the third phase ends on May 17. Lesothos embattled prime minister has denied in an interview with AFP any role in the murder of his estranged wife, a drama that has gripped the tiny kingdom for months. The octogenarian Thomas Thabane has been under pressure even from his own party to resign over the accusations, and he has agreed to go but only on the grounds of his old age. In a telephone interview with AFP, Thabane vehemently denied he was involved in the 2017 killing of his 58-year-old wife Lipolelo, who he was in the process of divorcing. Police have questioned but not charged Thabane in the case, which has triggered a protracted political crisis in the mountainous southern African nation, although his current wife has been indicted. For me it is not the best subject to deal with because a woman who was my wife and who I loved was killed and I dont kill people and I wouldnt kill my wife. No, no! he said. The couple had been locked in a bitter divorce at the time and her death sent shockwaves through a country with a history of political instability. Thabane admitted that they had a bit of a disagreement just before she was killed two days before his inauguration. This matter is not only a matter of great pain to me and it came out as a huge embarrassment. And its painful, very painful, he said. His political rivals say he has been seeking immunity from prosecution as part of a dignified exit from office that has been mediated by South Africa. Sounding relaxed and contemplative in the interview, the two-time prime minister said he did not want to serve out his term which is due to end in 2022. I have served enough in this and other capacities and the time has come for me to retire, said Thabane, who turns 81 in two weeks time. All I look forward to is for me to be left alone, he said. All the other things that are being said are just nonsense. I dont want to worry my heart about that and I also dont want to spoil my happiness by delving into things that just make me feel very sad. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates The Left parties on Saturday hit out at the government over its latest economic package, accusing it of using the COVID-19 pandemic to impose the agenda of the rich and trying to privatise the country's public assets. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced various economic stimulus for eight sectors of coal, minerals, defence production, air space management, airports, MRO, distribution companies in UTs, space sector and atomic energy. Using this Pandemic lockdown to unilaterally impose the agenda of the rich, Foreign & Domestic Capital for more super-profits is inhuman. Looting national assets destroys Self Reliance, said CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury in a tweet. The central govt must clearly state how it has used the lockdown (which at least cost India 140 million jobs and so many lives) to bolster public health. The Centre had projected zero deaths for today!, he added in his tweet. He also said more than 30 migrants were killed on roads on Saturday due to the gross mismanagement by Modi government. Its ministers didn't have the basic decency and humanity to remember those unfortunate ones, while going on to dish out their daily litany of old jumlas, he said. CPI general secretary D Raja said the announcement by the finance minister was nothing but a push for privatisation and corporatisation. Having failed to address the coronavirus crisis, this government is trying to push through its agenda of neo-liberal economic structure. It is meant to encourage and strengthen privatisation and corporatisation. It is very deceitful. It is ironical that on one side, they speak of aatmanirbhar bharat', but they are handing over the entire economy to the private sector, he said. The CPI has also announced a nationwide protest on May 19, demanding measures to address grievances of the migrant workers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Its a good week on the Indigenous channel for James Brown fans. In this freaky, time-jumping biopic, serial impersonator Chadwick Boseman (Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall) is a dead ringer for the funkster. Also featuring Dan Aykroyd and Octavia Spencer, this is a psychedelic trip down to soul town, where the changing times are inseparable from the music. The documentary, Mr Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown, follows on Saturday at 8.35pm. Law & Order: SVU Credit: LAW & ORDER: SVU 8.30pm, Ten Dick Wolfs stalwart procedural takes the construct of the murder mystery, removes the melodrama, heightens the emotional impact, and gives no assurance that the villain will be taken down in the end. Such is the hard reality of dealing with, not only crime in New York City, but also the loopholes of the law. New recruit, Kat (Jamie Gray Hyder), continues to establish herself as a worthy member of this tight team, when a rape in the projects hits home. TORONTO - The union that represents half of the employees at Vice Canada's office in Toronto says it's disappointed by reports that its U.S. parent plans about 155 layoffs worldwide. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Vice logo is seen at a joint venture announcement between Vice Media and Roger Communications in Toronto on Oct. 30, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette TORONTO - The union that represents half of the employees at Vice Canada's office in Toronto says it's disappointed by reports that its U.S. parent plans about 155 layoffs worldwide. Canadian Media Guild president Carmel Smyth says the union hasn't been informed how many CMG members will be affected but the union has asked to meet with management. The CMG represents about 40 of the 80 employees at Vice's office in Toronto. A memo to Vice staff said that 55 people in the United States would be cut Friday and about 100 others outside the country would be cut in coming weeks. 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. Vice didn't respond to emails to its Toronto and New York offices. Smyth says CMG is hoping to help Vice find solutions that avoid layoffs despite an environment that makes it difficult for content producers to make money. "We remain hopeful that the company will honour our agreement and meet us to ensure the future success of Vice's Canadian operations. But she added there needs to be a level playing field between Canadian news companies that produce content and juggernauts like Facebook and Google that distribute it. Vice originated as an edgy Canadian publication but diversified into many formats including television and expanded internationally with its headquarters in New York City. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2020. Mumbai, May 16 : Actor Abhishek Bachchan says he still looks up to his father Amitabh Bachchan and actor Jackie Shroff. Abhishek shared a throwback black-and-white photograph of Big B with Jackie from their younger days. In the image, Jackie is seen talking to Bachchan senior, while Abhishek stands next to his father. "Still look up to both of them. @amitabhbachchan @apnabhidu," Abhishek wrote as caption. Jackie and his wife Ayesha Shroff replied to Abhishek's post on the comment section with heart emojis. On the work front, Abhishek will next be seen in Ajay Devgn's production "The Big Bull", a film reportedly based on India's biggest securities scam of 1992. "The Big Bull" is slated to hit theatres on October 23. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed At least 24 migrant labourers were killed and 36 others injured when a speeding mini-truck climbed over a stationary truck trolley in Uttar Pradeshs Auraiya district early on Saturday, police officials said, in the latest accident involving stranded workers. The mini-truck was carrying 18 migrants and the truck trolley had around 42 others when the accident happened. Police officials said 20 of the injured migrant workers have been rushed to PGI Saifai in critical condition while 16 others are undergoing treatment at the district hospital in Auraiya. As chief minister Yogi Adityanath condoled the deaths of the migrant workers, he directed officials to provide the best possible medical facility to the injured and ordered a detailed enquiry into the accident. The death of migrant workers/workers in a road accident in Auraiya district is unfortunate and sad. My condolences to the bereaved families of the dead, Adityanath tweeted. / , , Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) May 16, 2020 Instructions have also been given to provide all possible relief to the victims, to provide proper treatment to the injured and to promptly investigate the accident, he added. Jai Narain Singh, additional director general (ADG) of police (Kanpur Zone), confirmed that the accident took place when the truck trolley stopped at a roadside eatery around 3.15am. Singh said the truck trolley was carrying migrant labourers from Jaipur and Bharatpur districts of Rajasthan and most of them from UPs Kushinagar, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The senior police official said the mini-truck was ferrying the labourers from Delhi and was heading towards Sagar in Madhya Pradesh while crossing over borders through Auraiya district. He said the mini trucks driver apparently fell asleep and failed to spot the truck trolley. The truck collided with the trolley from behind and climbed over it as the speed was high. All the 42 labourers sitting on the trolley were injured and 24 of them died before reaching the hospital, Singh said while speaking over the phone. He said he along with other officials have reached Auraiya and arranging all possible relief for the injured people. Bodies of the labourers have been sent for post-mortem examination and efforts are on to contact their family members. Tens of thousands of people have been walking home from big cities after being laid off because of the lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) since late March. Millions of workers were left without work across cities and towns in India when the lockdown was announced on March 24, resulting in the first wave of workers going back to their villages. Every phase of the extension has seen a new wavethe lockdown was extended twice, from April 14 to May 3 and then May 3 to May 17. Not friends in need Over 100 members of Parliament were stuck in Delhi after the first coronavirus pandemic-related lockdown was announced. A majority of parliamentarians were initially happy to be sequestered far away from their constituencies to avoid the pressures of constituents. But when a bunch of ruling party MPs from Bihar returned home by road using special passes, they reportedly received a hostile reception from party supporters and the local media. The Bihar Assembly poll is scheduled later this year. Koshyari protests There may not be a whiff of a scandal but chatterati from Mumbai to Dehradun got super-excited over the news of a glitzy model allegedly given passage by the Mumbai Raj Bhavan to her hometown in Uttarakhand. Raj Bhavan sources, however, insist that no such recommendation was made. When the denial did not stop a whisper campaign, the Raj Bhavan lodged a complaint with the cybercell of the Mumbai Police under sections 500 and 501 of the IPC for defamation. Chavans golden plan Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavans suggestion that the Narendra Modi government should appropriate gold worth one trillion USD from all temple trusts for the emergency economic situation created by the Covid-19 spread has drawn flak from many trusts. Several godmen such as Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, Uttaradhikari, Mani Ram Das Chavni and Swami Paramhans, Tapaswi Chhawni questioned Chavan why didnt he ask for money from churches and mosques. Chavan, however, dug in his heels claiming that the gold lying with religious trusts in the country was worth Rs 76 lakh crore or one trillion dollars. He also insisted that the proposal was first mooted by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999. According to Chavan, in 2015, Modi Govt renamed it the Gold Monetisation Scheme and some temples pledged their gold. In keeping with Mumbais file complaints, the otherwise sober and media-friendly Chavan has threatened some bhakt TV newschannels with legal action if they continue to communalise his remarks. Mallya humiliated Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya has run out of legal options, so he is making a renewed bid to repay his loans. There are no takers despite some financial experts within the Narendra Modi government finding Mallyas offer worth considering. Apparently, the Narendra Modi government is wary of an Opposition reaction to any attempt to bail Mallya out. Himself a former parliamentarian, Mallya has friends cutting across party lines but his political past is said to be blocking any possibility of a settlement. Sin of omission Amit Shah is no longer BJP party chief but almost every party functionary dutifully follows the Union home ministers Twitter handle and retweets the senior party leaders pronouncements. So when Amit Shah sought to clear air about his health, BJP leaders obediently circulated it across all social media platforms. However, there was a notable omission. A media-savvy BJP leader hailing from Uttarkhand reportedly remained indifferent. The buzz in BJP circles is that the person has been noticed and marked. Revenge of the regime It is being described as Badlapur Part II. The Shivraj Singh Chouhan regime in Madhya Pradesh has not only started overturning predecessor Kamal Nath governments decisions but filing complaints against many alleged acts of omission and commission. The functioning of the Makhanlal Chaturvedi Journalism University is coming under scrutiny. Nath had viewed Makhanlal University as a hotbed of RSS activities and filed several cases against its Vice-Chancellor and dismissed some faculty members. Now the Chouhan government wants to get even and much more. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 07:14:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VILNIUS/BRUSSELS, May 15 (Xinhua) -- After some two months of border controls due to the coronavirus outbreak, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania reopened their shared borders on Friday, as more countries in Europe are easing up movement restrictions to salvage their battered economies. The three Baltic states have agreed to reopen their internal borders for free movement of their peoples. Under the new rules, citizens and people legally residing in the three countries are allowed to travel through their borders without having to undergo the 14-day self-quarantine. HOPE AND REASSURANCE On Friday, foreign ministers of the three countries met and signed a memorandum of understanding reopening the Baltic states for travel by air, sea, road and rail, and outlining a plan for cooperation in combating the pandemic crisis. "The meeting is not just a celebration. It is the beginning of hard work. I believe that the public has to receive hope and reassurance of an exit from the COVID-19 crisis. Such signals are really needed now," said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius, adding this was very important for the countries' economies, tourism services and also to the broad public. However, only people who have not been to any other country outside the Baltics in the past 14 days and are not in mandatory self-insolation or quarantine will be allowed to travel across the borders. The European Commission on Wednesday offered a tourism and transport package aiming to provide guidance for the European Union (EU) member states to gradually lift the internal travel restriction and reopen tourism, two months after strict measures were introduced to contain COVID-19. The package included an overall strategy towards future recovery, a common approach to restoring free movement within the EU, a framework to support the gradual reestablishment of safe transport, a recommendation aiming to help protect consumers' rights concerning canceled trips due to the pandemic, and criteria for restoring tourism activities while ensuring health safety. BATTERED ECONOMIES According to WHO Europe, as of Thursday, there have been 1.78 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and 160,000 deaths in the Region. Aside form human tolls, economies in Europe are also devastated. The German Ministry of Finance announced on Thursday that Europe's largest economy would have 81.5 billion euros (88 billion U.S. dollars) less tax revenues in 2020 than last year. Meanwhile, the operating profit (EBIT) of Germany's large companies shrank by 23.5 percent to a total of around 20.3 billion euros (21.9 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter (Q1) of 2020 compared to the same quarter last year, according to a study published by consulting firm Ernst & Young on Thursday. Germany's largest carmaker Volkswagen announced on Friday that its global sales plummeted by 45.4 percent in April year-on-year to a total of 437,500 vehicles. The National Statistics Institute (INE) of Portugal reported on Friday that the country's gross domestic product (GDP) dropped 2.4 percent in Q1 of 2020 compared to the same period of 2019. This was the biggest quarterly drop since Q1 of 2009. The Dutch economy contracted by 1.7 percent in Q1 from the previous quarter. This was the biggest quarter-on-quarter drop since 2009 when the country's GDP fell 3.6 percent. Enditem Even teleprompter could not take so many lies: Rahul's dig at PM Modis Davos speech Lift the lockdown: Key highlights of Rahul Gandhi's conference India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, May 16: Former Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi on Saturday held an interaction with the media where he answered to the questions from representatives from the electronic regional media. Earlier, Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter and said, "I will be taking questions from the electronic regional news media at 12 noon today. You can watch the press conference LIVE right here on Twitter or on my YouTube channel." Coronavirus outbreak: COVID-19 tally nears 86,000-mark; Death toll at 2,752 Here are the key highlights of Rahul Gandhi's interaction with media: * India is in a crisis and every one is in a crisis. Heartbreaking to see migrants walking on highways. * We have to open the lockdown but it should be lifted carefully. We should protect the vulnerable people like aged and heart patients at the same time. Coronavirus crisis: Rajasthan farmers to get loan at 3 per cent by pledging their produce * I want to warn the government that the country is staring at the economic storm and I am trying to put pressure on them. That is the Opposition do. * There is no choice between livelihood and people's health. We need to lift the lockdown. We have to revive our economy and take care of those at risk. * I have spoken to a lot of people who have said the same things about putting money in people's hands. I want PM Modi to seriously think about these suggestions. * Those in villages should be covered under MNREGA and in cities, should be covered under NYAY. We are asking the government to implement the NYAY scheme for those working in cities. Give them money for a few months and then stop it after that. * The government's economic package is a credit package under which the money is not reaching those affected directly. A care home that was forced to close after 15 residents died of coronavirus has claimed that staff were 'pressured' to take untested patients to 'free up hospital beds'. Temple Court in Kettering, Northants, was believed to be Covid-free before the NHS admissions but it has been forced to shut after staff fell ill. A source said the facility took in 15 NHS patients in March from the town's hospital who were not existing residents at the home. The insider told The Sunday People: 'It's a massive scandal. The hospitals pressured care homes into taking patients despite not having a clue if they had coronavirus or not.' Between March 28 and May 1, 15 people died, five with Covid-19, seven suspected of having it, and three of unknown causes. Ten of those who died were NHS patients. Temple Court (pictured) in Kettering, Northants, was believed to be Covid-free before the NHS admissions but it has been forced to shut after staff fell ill Until April 16, Government guidelines said patients should be released into care homes even if they had tested positive for covid-19, or without any test at all, a move MPs said 'beggars belief'. Some 12,526 residents have died from coronavirus according to official figures more than a third of the total death toll but the true figure could be higher than 22,000. It is understood a 16th resident, a woman aged 87, was admitted to intensive care after testing positive for the virus. It is thought the home's 12 staff were all signed off with coronavirus symptoms after the NHS patients arrived. Nine tested positive for coronavirus and agency workers had to be called in to run the home. Some 12,526 residents have died from coronavirus according to official figures more than a third of the total death toll but the true figure could be higher than 22,000 (file image) Remaining residents were moved to new facilities on Friday because of care concerns. The source added: 'Temple Court went from virus-free on March 19 to 15 dead by May 1. Nobody had been tested, the hospital just wanted them out. That was the guidance from the top. 'Every other morning another staff member went down. Soon enough they were running without a manager, or an assistant, and then no staff at all. They had to bring in agency workers in, and the residents weren't getting the care they needed.' Nadra Ahmed, executive chairman of the National Care Association, said the fact that the care provider felt compelled to take untested discharges into the service highlighted the perilous position the sector was put under. Minster Care, which runs Temple Court, declined to comment on the whistleblower claims but said it was left in an 'extremely challenging position'. A spokesperson said that a large number of staff, including the manager, were absent and they were disproportionately reliant on agency staff. They added that the management team has now largely returned and they hope to be in a position to once again provide the highest standard of care. It comes as: Britain announces 468 more coronavirus deaths on the first Saturday since lockdown was eased - taking the country's total fatalities to 34,466; Scuffles between police and anti-lockdown protestors have broken out in Hyde Park and across the UK; The row between ministers and teachers unions intensified after Children's Commissioner for England Anne Longfield said that schools had to be reopened as quickly as possible; Public Health England could face the axe after Boris Johnson told a meeting of 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs that he he was planning a review of 'a number of institutions' once coronavirus is beaten back; Experts from King's College London have suggested that one in three patients who fall severely ill with coronavirus develop deadly blood clots that trigger heart attacks, strokes and organ failure; NHS Chief Executive Simon Stevens said that medics are still treating around 9,000 coronavirus patients a day in England, down from 19,000 at the infection's peak in April; The University of Nottingham has suggested that coronavirus cases fell dramatically after the sunniest April on record, with strong UV light killing the virus and vitamin D strengthening the immune system. Britain recorded another 468 coronavirus deaths today, taking the UK's official total of fatalities to 34,466 Yesterday grieving relatives told of their 'agony and anger' at losing elderly loved ones because of the care home strategy, which they say 'abandoned an entire generation.' Even when carers tried to isolate recently discharged infected residents it still triggered outbreaks that tore through homes, claiming the lives of many more residents. Despite this, the latest Government policy still allows for some patients who have tested positive for covid-19 in hospitals to be released to care homes, and: Outbreaks caused by this strategy meant some residents were forced to die alone and in agony because overwhelmed homes did not have enough staff to be with every victim as they passed away. In an appalling indignity, the surge in fatalities it created meant a death had to be confirmed by care staff 'FaceTiming' overstretched GPs who inspected a dead resident using their phone camera. One man said his mother was used as a 'sacrificial lamb' to free hospital beds after she was sent back to her care home despite having coronavirus. The equalities watchdog is considering whether human rights laws were breached by hospitals discharging older patients into care homes. At St Nicholas Care Home in Bootle, Liverpool, 12 residents died after Aintree Hospital discharged two patients to it without testing them for coronavirus. One or two died almost every day over two weeks after the virus ripped through the home. It had decided to lock down two weeks before official Government guidance to protect its 150 residents. The policy kept it free of the virus until the hospital asked to discharge two untested patients into its empty beds between March 30 and April 4. The home's operations manager, Adrienne Gresty, said Aintree Hospital 'wanted the bed it was almost as if they weren't bothered about the impact that would have'. Government guidelines published on April 2 encouraged care homes to accept discharged patients whether they were showing symptoms or not. Negative tests were not required prior to transfers or admissions from hospitals into care homes. The policy was designed to free up beds in hospitals. The Department of Health changed this strategy on April 16 to give more protection. But the revised policy still states that some patients who have tested positive can continue to be sent to care homes. The Equality and Human Rights Commission said this week it was considering investigating the legality of discharging possibly infected patients from hospitals into care homes. Britain announces 468 more coronavirus deaths on the first Saturday since lockdown was eased - 30% fewer than the same day last week - taking the country's total fatalities to 34,466 By Connor Boyd for MailOnline Britain today recorded another 468 coronavirus deaths on the first Saturday since the draconian lockdown was eased, taking the UK's official fatality toll to 34,466. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson revealed the figures, which are down by 30 per cent from last Saturday's 346, at tonight's Downing Street press briefing, where he defended the Government's controversial decision to reopen schools in England next month. Ministers have faced fierce backlash from teaching unions and anxious parents who fear the outbreak will spiral out of control again if staff are not given sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) and schools are not able to enforce social distancing. Mr Williamson said it was crucial that pupils returned to education so that the poorest children in society do not fall further behind, adding: 'They will be the ones who will miss out on the opportunities. There are children from difficult or very unhappy homes for whom school is the happiest moment in their week and it's also the safest place for them to be.' The education secretary promised it would be a 'cautious, phased return', with smaller class sizes of no more than 15 and stringent cleaning protocols in place. The plan is for children in nursery and pre-school, Reception and Years 1 and 6 to go back on June 1. Pupils in Years 10 and 12 will be allowed to return on a limited basis, he said. The Government does not provide a breakdown of how many deaths occurred in different settings, such as hospitals or care homes, but at least 181 of today's fatalities definitely occurred in hospitals because NHS England reveals new deaths recorded by trusts every afternoon. Scotland (41), Wales (18) and Northern Ireland (four) do add care home deaths to their daily updates - but the nations do not provide a clear breakdown of how many fatalities occurred in each setting. It comes amid reports Public Health England could be axed after widespread criticism of its testing strategy, which has lagged behind the majority of countries in Europe. More than 240,500 people have been officially diagnosed with the viral disease but the true scale of Britain's outbreak is considerably larger because of a controversial decision to abandon a widespread swabbing regime early on in the crisis. Government officials suggesting up to 6.6million are likely to have caught it in England alone. Prime Minister Boris Johnson informed a meeting of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservatives that he was planning a review of 'a number of institutions' once coronavirus is beaten back. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16) The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has released the rules to be followed during the different levels of community quarantine implemented around the country. The IATF said the guidelines were necessary to make sure these were applicable to the revisions made to community quarantine classifications all over the country. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the announcement at a televised briefing Saturday, adding the guidelines were released on May 15. READ: Task force endorses ECQ for Cebu, Mandaue cities, modified ECQ for six provinces For areas under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), authorities will allow the reopening of select manufacturing and processing plants, and there would be limited transportation serviced would be available in these areas. Depending on the establishment, services may be allowed at 50 percent or full operational capacity. Work-from-home and other flexible arrangements may also be employed. Roque said "home religious services" are now allowed in these areas, provided health protocols such as the wearing of masks and physical distancing are met. He added firearms and ammunition trading establishments in areas under MECQ are allowed to operate, subject to the strict regulation of the Firearms and Explosives Office. Meanwhile, recruitment and placement agencies for overseas Filipino workers have also been cleared to open in MCQ areas but only under 50 percent operational capacity. Roque previously described the MECQ as a "transition phase" to a relaxed general community quarantine, with the hope the COVID-19 risk in these areas will improve. Another new classification is the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), which Roque said was the transition phase between GCQ and the so-called "new normal." Under this category, Roque said, "Ang mga pansamantalang hakbang tulad ng limiting movement and transportation, regulation of operating industries at presence of uniformed personnel ay mare-relax na." [Translation: Temporary arrangements such as the limiting of movement and transportation, as well as the regulating of operating industries and the presence of uniformed personnel, will be relaxed.] Roque said the MGCQ was the most recent addition to the classifications, but did not expand on it, saying it would give a more detailed discussion of it during his regular press briefing on Monday, May 18. The Supreme Court "lost its way" while cancelling all allocations of coal blocks, 2G spectrum licences and iron ore mining in Karnataka and Goa and its zeal to protect the environment dealt a serious blow to the country's economy, former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said on Saturday. Referring to the taking over of the power to appoint judges in higher judiciary by the CJI-led collegium, he also said the Supreme Court should "graciously give up its right to be the sole body to appoint the judges". Rohatgi, who was appointed the Attorney General for India by the NDA government on June 19, 2014 and remained so till June 18, 2017, made the remarks while delivering the Prof N R Madhava Menon memorial lecture on the subject of 'Journey of the Supreme Court from 1950 till now'. The judgements on coal block and 2G spectrum allocations and cancellation of iron or mining licences in Karnataka and Goa were delivered during the previous UPA regime and had played a big role in anti-corruption movements in the country against the then government. Speaking on the current practice of holding hearings via video conferencing during the health crisis caused by coronavirus, Rohatgi said that there are some issues with the technical aspect of the system but it can be improved and built on and can help build the Bar also. He expressed happiness over the apex court's decision to ensure that more benches will hear cases in the coming days. While talking about the major judgments delivered by the apex court since independence, Rohatgi said, "In its zeal to uphold the environment, in its zeal to correct government orders and inactions, the Supreme Court dealt a serious blow to the economy of the nation. One such example is cancelling all allocations of the coal mines across the country. "Lakhs and crores of foreign investments, lakhs and crores of equipment, infrastructure and lakhs of jobs were thrown overboard when the court set aside and cancelled all the allocations of coal blocks and coal mines, because the government did not follow the law correctly. It should have seen the economic impact." He added that the "same thing happened in the 2G case. There was a great loss to the country. Cancelling iron ore mines in Goa and Karnataka is yet another case of such kind. The court should have seen the economic impact before rendering such judgments. The Supreme Court lost its way". Expressing his displeasure over the way judges in the Supreme Court as well as high courts are appointed, he said under the Constitution, they have to be appointed by the President of India, "which means government of the day since the President is guided by the will of the government". "But unfortunately, by a judgement delivered recently (NJAC judgment), the court has not gone on with this principle that the government will appoint the judges and that it will consult the Chief Justice. "Unfortunately the consultation has rendered to be the concurrence of the Chief Justice which was not meant to be and now the role rests only in the Chief Justice to appoint the judges," Rohatgi said. He further added, "The Supreme Court should graciously give up its right to be the sole body to appoint the judges. In no country, judges solely appoint themselves. There should be fresh blood, fresh insight, fresh views so as to find out who are the good judges." According to him, the appointments in the Supreme Court should be on merit where seniority might play a part but not that their seniority will outweigh merits. "In the last 20 years mostly only chief justices of the high courts are appointed to the Supreme Court only because of the seniority and very few judges go according to merit and merit alone," he said. He further said that to reduce pendency of the cases, the Supreme Court must have time management. It must not allow the arguments to go on for days as is the current system. Lawyers also must understand this as they are primarily guilty. "Artificial intelligence must also be used to club all kinds of cases together so one case can decide the fate of thousand others," he added. While talking about the journey of the Supreme Court since independence, Rohatgi said that the decade of 70s was the "stormiest and most turbulent decade for the country and also for the Constitution and the Supreme Court". He mentioned about various important cases passed since independence, including the ADM Jabalpur case, Kesavananda Bharati case and Goloknath case. Referring to the imposition of emergency, Rohatgi said that senior judges were superseded and junior ones were made CJIs. The event was organised by Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad, a lawyers organisation related to the RSS. Dubbed as the father of modern Indian legal education, Menon passed away in May 2019 at the age of 84.He was credited for revolutionising the field of legal education by establishing national law schools. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Newser) In the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, another twistthat one of the accused had told police he could watch for intruders at a nearby construction site, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Greg McMichael, a former Glynn County law officer, was even recommended by a local cop to the site's owner: "Greg is retired Law Enforcement and also a Retired Investigator from the DA's office," Officer Robert Rash texted the property owner, Larry English, on Dec. 20, along with McMichael's phone number. "He said please call him day or night when you get action on your camera." That's because English had been calling police about people going on his property. English, who was away, received text-and-video alerts whenever there was an intruder and often sent them to law officers. story continues below A man resembling Arbery entered the site and spent several minutes there before the Feb. 23 shooting. That apparently prompted McMichael, 64, and his son, 34-year-old Travis McMichael, to pursue the jogger in a truck, confront him with shotguns, and shoot him dead when he resisted. The latest development is raising more questionslike whether there's a policy allowing police to delegate their responsibilities. "I'm not aware of any accepted policy for referring someone," says LaGrange Police Chief Lou Dekmar. In another twist, WSB-TV reports that Greg McMichael leaked the original shooting video in an apparent attempt to make himself look better. But the video sparked protests and a slew of media coverage over the McMichaels, who are white, killing an unarmed black man. (Now Oprah's getting involved.) US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has said there is no alternative to intra-Afghan negotiations for peace in the war-torn country, even as he asserted that the withdrawal of American troops was going on track. In a conference call, Khalilzad told reporters that there is no military solution to the war in Afghanistan. "There is consensus, both in Afghanistan and internationally, that there is no military solution to the war. A political solution, a peace agreement among Afghans is the only realistic option at present," the diplomat said. "We also want a political settlement in order to reduce the burden on the United States -- and that is happening -- and also to make sure that Afghanistan never again becomes a platform to attack the United States or our allies," he said, adding that the United States-Taliban agreement opens a historic opportunity for moving forward on peace. Khalilzad said the sooner the intra-Afghan negotiations begin, the sooner peace will return. He said it would be best if the intra-Afghan negotiations happen when there is substantial force in southern Afghanistan. He noted the key requirement for the US was that the Taliban deliver on its commitment on counterterrorism. The Taliban and the Afghanistan government do not want endless war and a Syria-like scenario, Khalilzad said. "And there are obstacles particularly both violence and prisoners are the two obstacles at this point. Those are the ones that we're working on to overcome. Of course, there are forces such as ISIS that do not see peace in Afghanistan in its interests and are trying to increase violence, to undermine the prospect of peace, he said. The top diplomat said the US was urging both sides not to fall for the ISIS plans, and instead cooperate against the terrorists, including ISIS. Responding to a question, Khalilzad said the ISIS and the Taliban are mortal enemies and the Taliban has played a key role in the war against the ISIS. "Of course, the government has as well, and we have played a vital role in that fight. And that fight is not finished, and we believe that our assessment currently is that the attacks that took place against the hospital and the attack in Nangarhar on a funeral procession were the works of the ISIS, which, as I said before, is the enemy of the peace process," he said. The appropriate response is to accelerate the peace process, not to delay it because of what ISIS has done, he asserted. The United States, he said, has urged all sides to reduce violence. "We have urged Afghans to come together to take advantage of the historic opportunity and have pushed President (Ashraf) Ghani and Dr (Abdullah) Abdullah to reach a political agreement to form an inclusive government. We have pushed to get both sides, the Afghan Government and the Taliban to release prisoners, he said. While the government has released over 1,000 prisoners, the Taliban has released over 250 captives. We want to get to the intra-Afghan negotiations as soon as possible, and there has been a discussion of dates both in the agreement -- that date was missed and now a new date is under discussion, he said. Intra-Afghan negotiations are the only path to an enduring peace among Afghans, Khalilzad said. "We have also gone, and continue to go after terrorists in Afghanistan ourselves, and also have urged the Taliban and the Afghan Government to do so. Indeed, that's the requirement of the agreement between us and the Taliban and the joint declaration between the United States and the Afghan Government. We have sought to build international consensus and support for peace, and we have pushed for the release of American hostages in Afghanistan," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 250 global artists and writers including rocker Peter Gabriel, director Ken Loach and actor Viggo Mortensen have appealed to Israel to stop the "siege" of Gaza. The coronavirus epidemic could have a devastating effect in "the world's largest open air prison", the artists said in an online letter. "Long before the global outbreak of COVID-19 threatened to overwhelm the already devastated healthcare system in Gaza, the UN had predicted that the blockaded coastal strip would be unliveable by 2020," the letter said. "With the pandemic, Gaza's almost two million inhabitants, predominantly refugees, face a mortal threat in the world's largest open-air prison," it added. Other signatories included poet Taha Adnan, Canadian writer Naomi Klein and British group Massive Attack. The Gaza Strip has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007 when the Islamist movement Hamas took control of the enclave. Israel argues the measures are necessary to isolate Hamas, considered a terrorist organisation by most Western countries. It says that restrictions on some imports to the coastal strip are designed to deny Hamas materials that could be used to enhance its fighting capabilities. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since the group took control of the enclave, but reached a tentative truce in late 2018 that was renewed after successive flare-ups last year. "Well before the ongoing crisis, Gaza's hospitals were already stretched to breaking point through lack of essential resources denied by Israel's siege. Its healthcare system could not cope with the thousands of gunshot wounds, leading to many amputations," the artists said. "Reports of the first cases of coronavirus in densely-populated Gaza are therefore deeply disturbing," they said. "We back Amnesty International's call on all world governments to impose a military embargo on Israel until it fully complies with its obligations under international law." Search Keywords: Short link: (Natural News) Around three billion years ago, an asteroid crashed into Mars, forming a 75-mile wide crater known as the Lomonosov Crater. Researchers believe that the asteroid impact that made this crater also created a mega tsunami. This cataclysmic natural disaster would have created a wall of water a thousand feet high hurtling through the planet which, at this time, would have looked a lot more blue than it is today. This wall of water, according to the researchers, who published their findings in the Journal of Geophysical Research, would have slammed into Martian land, creating strange landforms on the planet. Researcher Francois Costard, a scientist working for the French National Center for Scientific Research, has been advocating this theory as a way to explain the formation of certain geographic features on the Martian surface. In 2016, a separate study conducted by a separate group of astronomers suggested that two mega tsunamis, caused by an asteroid impact, devastated the Martian landscape. This theory, much like Costards, is based on an in-depth analysis of Mars surface features. Formations on Martian surface may have been caused by mega tsunami This study was led by a team of researchers from the French National Center for Scientific Research. They investigated 10 different impact craters north of a Martian region known as Arabia Terra. (Related: NASAs Mars orbiter takes a breathtaking photo of a 50-foot crater; impact could have occurred between 2016 to 2019, say experts.) Scientists believe that a tsunami played a crucial role in shaping the landscape of Arabia Terra. The landscape of this region is filled with unusual deposits that form a geological phenomenon known as thumbprint terrain, so named because of how it resembles the lines on a human thumbprint. Costard and the other researchers traced the orientation of the thumbprint terrain to try and figure out which direction the mega tsunami would have originated. The team examined craters based on their diameter, location and geomorphic characteristics. This helped them pick 10 impact craters on Arabia Terra. Costard and his colleagues studied these 10 craters and, from their investigations, they were able to zero in on the Lomonosov Crater as the most likely source of the mega tsunami. The Lomonosov Crater is around 75 miles wide and has a broad, shallow rim. According to Costard, this may be the result of an impact into a shallow ocean as well as its subsequent erosion from the collapsing transient water cavity. This suggests that the area was underwater at the time of the asteroid impact. The likely marine formation of the Lomonosov crater, the team continues in their study, and the apparent agreement in its age with that of the Thumbprint Terrain unit (~3 Ga), strongly suggests that it was the source crater of the tsunami. These results have implications for the stability of a late northern ocean on Mars. The scientific consensus believes that the water on Mars disappeared around 3.7 billion years ago, not long after the planets core cooled down and solidified and its magnetic field disappeared. This event withered away the planets atmosphere, and without an atmosphere, Mars was not able to retain its surface water. However, more and more evidence has popped up suggesting that Mars was able to cling onto huge amounts of water long after its magnetic field collapsed. Some suggest that it may have even been able to hold onto its water for a billion years afterward. While scientists arent sure how this is possible, the evidence from the thumbprint terrain and the Lomonosov crater demonstrated that Mars still had a whole ocean about three billion years ago. This study adds another piece to the puzzle of what scientists know about how Mars went from being a water world, similar to Earth, to the red planet it is known as today. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk Astronomy.com NTRS.NASA.gov AGUPubs.OnlineLibrary.Wiley.com CLEVELAND, Ohio A federal judge, late Thursday, ordered the release of 11 more U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees at the Morrow County Jail because of the coronavirus pandemic and the jails inability to provide care. U.S. District Judge Sarah Morrison in Columbus wrote in a 59-page decision that detainees underlying medical issues including gunshot wounds, obesity and asthma make them increasingly at-risk if their coronavirus symptoms worsened. Morrison also wrote that the Morrow County Jail is ill-prepared to help detainees if their conditions worsened. All individuals infected with COVID-19, especially those with comorbidities, must be constantly monitored to assess the worsening of symptoms and the potential need for the escalation of care, Morrison wrote. This is particularly so because symptoms can quickly take a turn for the worse and require care within as little as thirty minutes. Morrow has shown that it is not up to this task. The 11 released detainees join three others previously released as part of a federal lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. Ten other detainees who are part of the lawsuit remain in jail. Two detainees were released without a judges intervention. Those released from the jail must quarantine at a friends or relatives home until theyre symptom-free for 14 days or until they test negative for the virus. After that, theyll remain on home detention. The 23 detainees were held on civil immigration charges, not criminal charges. All had underlying health conditions, according to the lawsuit. In late April and early May, coronavirus cases at the Morrow County Jail ballooned from zero to 50 in the matter of days, according to statistics from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. ACLU attorney Elizabeth Bonham said another detainee, not part of the lawsuit, died from coronavirus after being released from the jail. The judges order comes after a Monday hearing in which three inmates testified about the conditions in the jail. The judge found that Morrow County relies on corrections officers, not nurses, to monitor the detainees symptoms and to take their temperatures. The officers took temperatures less often than the required three times per day, and their thermometers are expired and gave incorrect readings, according to the ruling. Detainees had limited access to nurses during the day, and nurses did not work nights and weekends. None of the detainees ever saw or had access to a doctor, the order says. Detainees also testified that they acted as interpreters for other detainees because no officers speak anything other than English. Some testified they were unsure if they correctly translated their fellow detainees' issues. Its just not a place where you can get any kind of care, Bonham said. Were really relieved that they were released to safety. Read more from cleveland.com: ICE detainee with coronavirus in Ohio jail: I cant believe Im in America ACLU sues ICE to release detainees from Morrow, Butler county jails due to coronavirus Ninth inmate dies of coronavirus at Elkton federal prison in Ohio New Delhi: A Jammu and Kashmir policeman was killed in a terror attack in Kulgam district of south Kashmir on Saturday (May 16). According to details, the head constable of Jammu and Kashmir police was killed after terrorists fired indiscriminately upon a joint Naka party of Police deployed at Main chowk at Frisal area of Yaripora area of Kulgam. In the firing, a police personnel, identified as head constable Mohammad Amin Bagat, sustained grievous gunshots and succumbed to his injuries. The police has registered a case under relevant sections in this regard and an investigation has been launched into the matter. The area has been cordoned off and a search operation has been started to nab the terrorists. A series of photos capturing monkeys in the central city of Da Nang with injuries purportedly caused by humans are drawing public attention in Vietnam. The photos, taken by Nguyen Cong Hung, shows monkeys living near Linh Ung Pagoda in Son Tra Peninsula with damaged limbs and bloodied wounds, causing them difficulties in moving and climbing up trees. The photographer, who spent two months observing and taking photos of the primates, said the monkeys wounds were probably inflicted by humans. Son Tra District's rangers believed the monkeys had been injured in accidents with tour buses transporting visitors to and from the pagoda every day. As the pagoda has become a famous attraction in Da Nang over the years, monkeys populating the area are less and less shy around people. Frequent contact with tourists, who often feed them, has affected the animals feeding instincts and made them increasingly dependent on foods from visitors. Many tourists feed the animals for photos despite local authorities advice against doing so. This has resulted in incidents of monkeys attacking tourists in search of food. Oftentimes, the blame goes to the animals instead of the people who invade their natural habitat. Earlier, a local photographer was met with public anger after a video capturing him using a slingshot to attack monkeys at Linh Ung Pagoda had been spread over social media. A photographer is seen using a slingshot to attack monkeys at Linh Ung Pagoda in Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang, Vietnam. Photo: Ngoc Truc According to the photographer, he only wanted to threaten the animals so that they would not bother tourists visiting the place, and was not aiming directly at the monkeys. Local authorities later summoned L. for his action but imposed no penalty on him considering he had not injured any monkey. L. was also required to commit himself to not repeating his action. Son Tra was formerly dubbed Monkey Mountain as it is home to large populations of monkeys and langurs as well as a variety of other native animals. Along with the citys tourism boom and human encroachment upon the peninsula, local wildlife has faced increasing threats to their survival. Below are some photos by Nguyen Cong Hung capturing monkeys in Son Tra with injuries. (Warning: Some viewers may find the following images disturbing.) A monkey that has lost two of its limbs struggles to walk with its remaining limbs in Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Cong Hung / Tuoi Tre A monkey that has lost its left arm suffers from another wound on its neck allegedly from being shot in Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Cong Hung / Tuoi Tre A monkey looks at an open wound on its belly in Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Cong Hung / Tuoi Tre A monkey comforts a friend that suffers from an injury allegedly from being shot in Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Cong Hung / Tuoi Tre A monkey that has lost three of its limbs is seen scratching its head by its only hand left on a rock near Linh Ung Pagoda in Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Cong Hung / Tuoi Tre A monkey that has lost its left foot is pictured hugging the injured limb in Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Cong Hung / Tuoi Tre A monkey that has lost its left arm cares for its young in Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Cong Hung / Tuoi Tre A monkey that has lost a large swath of hair on its back is pictured in Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Cong Hung / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Antonio, Parrinello, Stephen Jewkes and Giulio Piovaccari (Reuters) Taormina/Bologna/Milan Sat, May 16, 2020 08:02 614 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd869f8c 2 News Italy,tourism,travel,App,coronavirus,COVID-19,summer-vacation Free Visitors to Italy's famous beaches could be in for a surprise this summer. Umbrellas will be spaced far apart, hand gel will be readily available and even electronic tagging and booking systems have been proposed. These are just some of the changes resorts are considering to be able to reopen in time for the peak season, as the country slowly emerges from a strict lockdown imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the challenges, Claudio Ambrogetti, who has run Taormina's Il Delfino beach for the past 15 years, remains upbeat. "This has been a difficult period for our city, but the beach establishments are ready to reopen as soon as we have the guidelines," he said. Like many "bagnini", or beach managers, along Sicily's sun-drenched shores, he is hoping health protocols and distancing rules - which still need to be signed off before shutters can be lifted - will allow trade to start in June, even if it is likely to be local. For small family beach businesses, many already cramped for space, proposals including a minimum 5 metres between umbrellas, one-way tourist-flow systems, hand gel dispensers and regular sanitization of restrooms could prove costly. A view taken on May 12, 2020 shows a man demonstrating the use of a bracelet for customers to enter sanitized bathrooms at a private beach in Jesolo, near Venice, northeastern Italy, as part of hygiene and safety mesures against the spread of COVID-19 for the upcoming summer season, during the country's lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the novel coronavirus. (AFP/Vincenzo Pinto) Italy, one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic, began easing restrictions, but Italians are still not allowed to travel outside their regions and foreign travel has ground to a halt. "We are ready to reopen, but if tourists do not come back, if borders are not reopened, and if hotels do not fill up, the costs of running a restaurant will be unsustainable," said Salvatore Parisi, owner of Baronessa, one of Taormina's top restaurants. Read also: Tourist hotspot Italy turns into virus no-go zone Tourism vital to Italy Brussels is pushing to reopen borders for summer tourism, but governments are likely to have to do so at different speeds. Italy is heavily dependent on tourism, which accounts for 13 percent of GDP and employs around 13 percent of the workforce. It has been hit hard by the pandemic, which forced borders to close, restaurants and hotels to shut and airlines to ground flights. Italy's National Tourism Agency Enit said it would take three years for the industry to recover to 2019 levels. According to think-tank Nomisma, around 500,000 summer jobs could be at risk this year due to fallout from the virus, while 100 billion euros could be lost as holiday-makers stay away. Italy's roughly 8,000 km-long coastline, home to around 11,000 beach businesses, accounts for 37% of tourist revenue. That share is much higher in islands like Sicily and Sardegna and the less wealthy south. To date the south has escaped the level of damage suffered by regions in the north, where the virus first struck. In the Isole Eolie area around Sicily there have been only a handful of cases and authorities there have called for the creation of a Safe Zone to help get tourists back. Christian Del Bono, chairman of the area's hotel association Federalberghi, said town mayors had sent a letter to Rome to ask to set up tests and health protocols to screen flows. "No one's thinking of making money, our aim at this stage is simply not to go bankrupt," he said. Read also: 'Europe needs a break': EU plots to restart travel and tourism despite COVID-19 No more hugging The rich northern region of Emilia Romagna earns some 13 billion euros from its closely-packed Riviera beaches near Rimini, around 70 percent of its tourist revenue. Beach owners there are fretting over their livelihoods. "This business is all about shaking hands and hugging people. Now we'll have to make do with a little wave and a smile of the eyes over a mask," Danilo Piraccini told Reuters. He has been running the Bagno Milano beach in Milano Marittima with his sister Silvana for years. Piraccini is hoping to start by June. With foreign tourists virtually out of the picture and distancing rules set to eat into business, he expects some 60 percent less fare than last year. Prices may have to rise but costs will go up too since he'll need more people to sanitize outbuildings, steward the beach and stop small children getting too close. Insurance costs could also rise if COVID-related risks are to be properly covered. "But anyway we have to open even if it means losing money. We have no choice. The alternative is we lose clients," he said. Tourism, like other industries, is looking for help. The Italian government last month approved an emergency scheme to offer over 400 billion euros worth of liquidity and bank loans to firms hit by the coronavirus crisis. On Wednesday Rome approved a further decree scrapping some tax payments scheduled for June. But the beach business has traditionally been based on debt and cash flows, and some are concerned delays in processing state-backed loans from banks could create a shortfall. To manage flows, bagnini are being urged to consider solutions including booking systems and apps to assign time slots and electronic bracelets to count and control beachgoers. To improve protection, one company has even offered to build plexiglass booths for beach owners to create safe spaces. "We'll be coming up with a few innovative measures of our own but the plexiglass idea is out," said Piraccini. "You may not get coronavirus, but you'll get everything else from sunburn to exhaustion." Department of Correction reported to a state legislator that as of Thursday it had tested 639 inmates for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. Almost 83 percent tested positive for the virus, it said. As you know, due to severe shortage of test kits, DOC was only able to test symptomatic inmates - not a random sample or universal one of inmates either system-wide or at an individual facility, David McCluskey, DOC legislative liaison, wrote Thursday in an email to Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, co-chair of the Judiciary Committee. The number of tested inmates reported to Winfield represents about 6 percent of the systems total inmate population, which has declined significantly since March 1, the date DOC Commissioner Rollin Cook has identified as the onset of COVID-19. There were 12,411 people behind bars on March 1. On May 13, the last day for which data was available, there were 10,563. The figures do not include the mass testing currently being conducted at Osborn Correctional Institution. Officials say they plan on testing all inmates and front line corrections staff by the end of June. The testing of all staff, as well as offenders, is essential for the public health and safety of us all, Cook said in a memo sent to all staff on May 12. I know that I can count on all of you to do your part - whether it is getting tested or helping others to get tested to continue to help this Agency contain the spread of the coronavirus. Large-scale testing is likely to reveal a widespread outbreak. Authorities at correctional facilities in Ohio and Pennsylvania found that many more inmates were infected than previously thought after they tested their prison populations en masse. The asymptomatic population is critical to getting a hold on this, Winfield said, describing the virus presence in correctional facilities as an emergency, though he has not heard it described in that way during the governors daily news briefings. Were not hearing, Listen we need more resources. Listen, this is imperative,' Winfield said. We need to know you understand the imperative nature of doing this. Inmates not disclosing illness The department could be under-testing symptomatic inmates because the inmates themselves are hiding that theyre sick. The DOC began transferring COVID-positive inmates to Northern Correctional Institution on April 7. Chad Petitpas, a 40-year-old man in custody at the Brooklyn Correctional Institution, said many of the men in his housing unit are ill but refuse to tell medical staff. Theyre afraid theyll be quarantined, unable to talk to their families or receive mail. Theyre wary of being transferred from the medium-security Brooklyn Correctional to Northern, the states most secure and isolating prison. Youre basically gonna be put in an isolation cell with nothing, Petitpas said over a phone call from the prison. No TV, no radio, no mail. Many correction staff continue to not wear masks, Petitpas complained, despite directives from Cook that DOC employees must wear protective face-masks while on duty whenever social distancing is not possible. Petitpas lives in a dormitory-style housing unit. He shares a living space with about 114 other men. Each dorm is split into 19 cubes a room with no roof or front wall with three bunks in each cube. When youre on your bunk, youre probably about three feet away from the people in the bunk above or below you, and the bunks adjacent to you, he said in a sworn statement filed in the ACLU of Connecticuts federal lawsuit. No one at the prison has told us to socially distance or keep six to eight feet away from each other. I have seen those recommendations on TV, but I know that those safety guidelines are not for us. That is because socially distancing is impossible here. Petitpas said he doesnt feel sick, but he estimates about a third of the men hes housed with do. One guy fainted in the shower last weekend. Others are coughing and popping Advil, trying to get rid of headaches theyve had for a week, he said. One man is so sick hes purple. That inmate is coughing a lot, but he refuses to don a mask. He knows hes sicker than hes ever been in his life, and he doesnt [care] about the people around him, Petitpas said. Even if he wanted to, prison isnt a place to tell on your peers, Petitpas said. Nobody wants to be a rat. Around the time Petitpas was speaking on the phone about conditions inside the prison, a correctional employee began walking around the dorm, waking people up to tell them, inaccurately, Chad says youre sick. Are you sick? An officers identification of a potential informant by name has to discourage the vulnerable populations from wanting to come forward and report someone they are concerned about, Petitpas said. In a statement, a DOC spokesperson denied that there were a large number of infected inmates in a particular housing unit. The allegations made about Brooklyn Correctional Center turned out to be inaccurate, said Karen Martucci, the DOCs director of external affairs. After receiving public concern that there were sick offenders in a particular housing unit, wellness checks were conducted with each Individual offender by the health services unit which did not identify any COVID-19 symptoms amongst the population. As he talked into the phone, Petitpas said he could see several men laying in their beds, their blankets pulled up to their eyes. Theres a reason people are sitting in their bunks at 12 in the afternoon, Petitpas said. Theyre sick as dogs. Myanmar hands over 22 insurgents: How Ajit Doval packed a punch India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, May 16: Following an operation monitored by National Security Advisor (NSA), Ajit Doval, Myanmar has handed over 22 insurgents from the northeast including self-styled home secretary of the NDFB, Rajen Daimary. They were brought to India on a special aircraft and handed over to the police forces in Manipur and Assam, where they are wanted. The operation is an unprecedented success, which was led by Ajit Doval. The NSA carried out the deliberations with the Myanmar military, which resulted in the first such handover of insurgents by the eastern neighbour, officials said. This also signals, the deepening military and diplomatic ties between the two countries. When police fails, democracy fails: Ajit Doval 12 of the 22 insurgents are liked to the UNLF, PREPAK (pro), KYKL and PLA, while the rest are from the NDFB (S) and KLO. The deepening ties between India and Myanmar were visible when the Myanmar army carried out operations n February last year based on intelligence provided by the Indian agencies. These operations had built a lot of pressure on the insurgent groups. The operations were extremely intense and the Myanmar army managed to decimate terror camps at Taga. The Arkan, Haukyat and Nilgiri camps too were taken down during the operation. Officials tell OneIndia that the entire operation was overseen by the NSA. This operation would be a clear deterrent to these insurgents who have been detrimental to peace. These groups have been fighting Indian security forces for years. They took advantage of the tough terrain along the border. These areas were ideal for terror camps to operate as the terrain was difficult to navigate. However, this operation led by Doval comes as a blow to these groups as the cooperation in nabbing these persons would continue owing to the heightened cooperation by the two countries. Close to 800,000 Americans across the country may wind up homeless by the summer as the coronavirus pandemic forces unemployment figures to resemble numbers not seen since the Great Depression. An analysis conducted by Dr Brendan O'Flaherty, a professor of economics at Columbia University, shows that homelessness population in the U.S. is expected to increase some 40 to 45 per cent this year over January 2019. This increase will see an addition of nearly 250,000 people out on American streets, according to the study, published by nonprofit Community Solutions. An analysis conducted by Dr Brendan O'Flaherty shows that homelessness population in the U.S. is expected to increase some 40 to 45 per cent this year over January 2019 This increase will see an addition of nearly 250,000 people out on American streets 'This is unprecedented,' Dr. O'Flaherty said. 'No one living has seen an increase of 10% of unemployment in a month.' With COVID-19 crippling the United States economy, unemployment is at a staggering 14.7 per cent - a figure not seen since the height of the Great Depression in 1933. 'This is unprecedented,' Dr. O'Flaherty said. 'No one living has seen an increase of 10% of unemployment in a month' 'If the projections of unemployment being made now turn out to be accurate, and the relationship between unemployment and homelessness follows the historical pattern, and no other major changes occur, that's what we can expect to happen,' Dr. O'Flaherty declared. Unemployment is expected to reach even higher numbers as the summer continues, reaching figures of upwards of 16 per cent. The projections are based on a model that used unemployment projections and data on current homelessness to show the correlation between the increase in unemployment and the increase in homelessness. That information was attained using a standard regression developed by Dr. Kevin Corinth in 'The impact of permanent supportive housing on homeless populations,' published in the Journal of Housing Economics in 2017. With COVID-19 crippling the United States economy, unemployment is at a staggering 14.7 per cent - a figure not seen since the height of the Great Depression in 1933 (1931 Philadelphia pictured) Homeless camps in Old Town Portland Oregon on May 14 Members of the New York Police Department rouse passengers sleeping on a train as Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers clean subway cars in the Bronx on May 6 Using data on homelessness and unemployment from 2007 to 2009, the model found that for every one per cent increase in the unemployment rate, homelessness per 10,000 people increased by 0.65. A report also published by Community Solutions found that 40 per cent of those experiencing homelessness could contract the virus. An estimated $11.5 billion would be needed to secure an additional 400,000 beds for homeless people across the country. 'The COVID-19 pandemic is creating a severe and emergent health crisis for the homeless population across the United States, a crisis that our shelter and health systems are simply not adequately prepared to meet,' the report states. People sleep on a subway train in New York City on May 15 Pedestrians walk to the edge of the sidewalk to avoid stepping on people in tents and sleeping bags in the Tenderloin area of San Francisco Homeless are seen in downtown Brownsville, Texas, on May 15 U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter issued a preliminary injunction requiring relocation of an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 people camping near freeway ramps and under overpasses and bridges in Los Angeles County. He gave officials one week - until May 22 - to come up with a plan for providing 'humane' housing. 'Without adequate access to shelter, hygiene products, and sanitation facilities, individuals experiencing homelessness face a greater risk of contracting the novel coronavirus, and an outbreak in the homeless community would threaten the general public as well,' Carter wrote. He said those living near freeways are exposed to pollution, including lead, that can shorten their life expectancy by decades. Carter also said the location means the homeless face a greater danger of being struck by a car or injured during an accident or earthquake. The injunction was issued in a lawsuit filed by the LA Alliance for Human Rights, which accused officials in greater Los Angeles of failing to comprehensively address the homelessness crisis. U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter issued a preliminary injunction requiring relocation of an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 people camping near freeway ramps and under overpasses and bridges in Los Angeles County. The injunction was issued in a lawsuit filed by the LA Alliance for Human Rights, which accused officials in greater Los Angeles of failing to comprehensively address the homelessness crisis 'It seems like this order was meant to galvanize action and really compel all parties to start thinking these challenges in a new and innovative way,' said Daniel Conway, policy adviser for the alliance. 'The judge has, frankly, issued a challenge: Lets make this work and lets start saving lives.' Another 2.98 million laid-off workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department said on Thursday. It adds to the 33 million who have sought aid in the two months since the coronavirus first forced millions of businesses to close their doors and shrink their workforces. The number of first-time applications, however, has now declined for six straight weeks, suggesting that a dwindling number of companies are reducing their payrolls. By historical standards, though, the latest tally shows that the number of weekly jobless claims remains enormous, reflecting an economy that is sinking into a severe downturn. Last week's pace of new applications for aid is still four times the record high that prevailed before the coronavirus struck hard in March. Jobless workers in some states are still reporting difficulty applying for or receiving benefits. These include freelance, gig and self-employed workers, who became newly eligible for jobless aid this year. Another 2.98 million laid-off workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department said on Thursday, adding to the 33 million who sought aid in the previous seven weeks In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, universities and colleges throughout the US are grappling with the new economic and social reality as uncertainty mounts over reopening campuses in the fall. In March, K-12 schools, colleges and universities closed across the country, making frantic efforts to push educators to move all instruction online. Campuses are debating between continuing online learning in the fall or reopening the campuses with social distancing and other measures. The California State University (CSU) system, the largest four-year university system in the US with over 480,000 students across 23 campuses, announced this week that classes will almost exclusively remain online, and campuses will remain closed in the fall except for exceptional cases, potentially until the end of the coming academic year. CSU is the first prominent public university system to declare that campuses will remain closed in the fall. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that of the dozens of schools that have shared their plans for the fall so far, nearly 65 percent have indicated that they plan for campus reopenings with in-person instruction, including the University of Arizona (44,000 students), New York University (51,000 students), and University of Michigan (45,000 students), among others. However, the majority of the 4,000 two-year and four-year public and private colleges and universities across the country have yet to announce definite plans. University of California, San Diego, which plans to reopen in the fall, is the first to begin a systemwide voluntary testing and tracing program for the 5,000 students who have remained on campus. If the plan is successful in testing over 60 percent of the campus population each month, it will continue with testing and in-person instruction in the fall. This would mean regularly testing the entire 68,000 student and staff population. The university has been able to implement the $10 million per year program due to its extensive healthcare facilities, which are bolstered by billions of dollars in research funding, but this is not the case across most university campuses or the country as a whole. The lockdowns imposed due to the pandemic have upended academic life for the roughly 20 million students at colleges and universities throughout the US, and the nearly 200 million across the world. Students in the graduating class of 2020 were forced to either complete their degrees without a graduation ceremony or attend one online, with their academic or career plans changed completely or hanging in the balance. The rapid and haphazard move to online classes in March forced both students and teachers to adapt to a new learning platform. Classes in the arts and sciences that require lab or in-person work have been suspended. Virtual learning itself comes with its own challenges for students with learning disabilities, those who have less access to technology or reliable internet, and an overall lower quality education experience compounded by the inability to meet with teachers or classmates in person. With campuses closed, so too are cultural and social aspects of college life including sports, theater, and the arts, as well as guest speaker and career fair opportunities. The situation for international students is even more precarious as many are barred from returning to their home countries and families, while campus dormitories remain shut down. Homeless students and those who live in their cars face a similar challenge. Online petitions have sprung up at several large universities with students demanding a partial reinstatement of tuition payments for the spring and a lowering of tuition in the fall due to the reduction of available resources on campus if classes remain virtual. Reflecting the immense burden of student loan debt which stands at over $1.5 trillion, and already overpriced degrees and rising tuition, students are weighing the cost benefit of attending classes online, taking the year off, or even considering transferring to less expensive schools. This is especially true for international or out-of-state students, who usually pay much higher tuition rates. The pandemic is unfolding at the peak of the admissions process where graduating high school students are just now choosing which college they want to attend and may now be making second choices for the same reasons. University administrators are also considering fluctuating enrollment in the fall with revenue repercussions, by extending admissions deadlines into the summer and extending offers to wait-listed students in an effort to fill freshman classes. According to Inside Higher Ed, there will be a predicted 15 percent drop in enrollment nationwide for the 2020-21 school year, amounting to a $23 billion revenue loss. Meanwhile, high school juniors applying for colleges have foregone the routine SAT and ACT testing as test dates have been cancelled, as well as Advanced Placement (AP) subject tests. In response, the SAT and ACT announced plans for digital versions of the tests, with some colleges removing the requirement altogether, such as the University of California system. Prior to the pandemic, students and youth had been facing increasingly uncertain conditions with higher unemployment and fewer job prospects than previous generations, compounded by astronomical debt as a result of higher tuition. High costs of living in wealthier areas of the country have seen a simultaneous increase in homelessness among students, with many forced to live in their cars while studying. While students and universities are struggling to make ends meet during the crisis, the ruling class is exploiting it for its own selfish interests. Following the bailout of Wall Street and major corporations to the tune of trillions of dollars, both Democrats and Republicans are moving to end lockdown measures and force millions to return to work under unsafe conditions without proper protective measures in place. In the face of towering unemployment levels and dwindling state resources, states are declaring budget cuts in education, healthcare and other social services, prompting governors to request further federal assistance, which the Trump administration has so far denied. These budget cuts are leading to the furlough of thousands of teachers and staff as campuses remain closed. As is the case nationwide, there is still inadequate testing and contact tracing available to safely reopen workplaces and schools. At a Senate committee hearing on May 12, leading coronavirus expert Dr. Anthony Fauci explicitly warned against the rapid reopening of schools and businesses without sufficient testing. He made clear that no vaccine or medical treatment will exist for COVID-19 by August to reopen schools and universities. Reflecting the consensus of epidemiologists and public health experts, without testing and proper measures in place, a disastrous resurgence of the disease would lead to unnecessary suffering and death. Despite the warnings within his own administration, Trump remains insistent on reopening the US economy with a particular focus on schools. I dont consider our country coming back if the schools are closed, he told reporters on Wednesday. The coronavirus pandemic has further exposed the criminal character of the ruling class in its insatiable drive for profits at the expense of public safety. The money exists to fund education and to implement policies which would protect students and workers. However, it remains trapped in the private fortunes of the financial aristocracy. The wealth accumulated by Jeff Bezos, the richest person in the world, soared over $25 billion in the first four months of this year alone. The solution to the pandemic requires the reallocation of societys resources to meet human need and not private profit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is convinced that the "Ukraine is Europe" slogan should not be formal, which Ukrainians recall once a year, it should be part of their consciousness. "I have always said that Europe is, first of all, a way of thinking. Europe begins with each of us, with each citizen, with the observance of laws, payment of taxes, protection of democratic values and civil society, free expression of will, freedom of speech, thought and religion, equality and respect, with the "allergy" to taking or giving bribes, with a properly parked car and a cigarette butt thrown into the garbage bin. Let's make Europe Day every day," he wrote on his page in the Facebook social network on the occasion of Europe Day. Zelensky recalled that the European friends of Ukraine in 2020 marked the 70th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, with which the European Union actually began its countdown. "The words of Robert Schuman are still relevant today: "Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan." The building of a united, prosperous and successful Europe continues. It is obvious to me that this process cannot be considered completed without Ukraine. We believe that this day will definitely come, and our state will be a full part of the European family!" the President of Ukraine said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16) PNP Calabarzon has started its probe on the alleged mauling incident in General Trias, Cavite involving policemen. PNP Spokesperson Brigadier General Bernard Banac said the investigation aims to determine the truth and look for possible culpability of the involved policemen. "...the PNP adheres to standard police operational procedures, upholds rule of law and respects human rights and does not tolerate any wrongdoing of its personnel. We are confident the truth will be told," Banac told CNN Philippines. Ronald Campo, a factory worker was allegedly beaten black and blue by police officers in General Trias, Cavite. He was arrested for violating quarantine policies in Tropical Village, Barangay San Francisco on May 12. Defense wounds In a viral Facebook post, Campo's brother posted photos of the victim showing the wounds and bruises all over his body. Forensic pathology expert Dr. Raquel Fortun told CNN Philippines that based on the injuries Campo sustained, he may have experienced multiple blows to the head. And the gushes and wounds on his forearm could be defense injuries. "And forearm abrasions/contusions. Mukhang defense injuries," Fortun said. Cavite police have earlier denied that Campo was mauled by their personnel. The Buhari Youths Organization(BYO) has lauded the appointment of Erudite Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari as Chief of Staff to Mr President,describing the choice as apt and clearly a square peg in a square hole. BYO in a co-signed statement made available by its President Hon. Jibril Shehu mustapha (CNA) and Engr. Garba Nguru the National Secretary cites Professor Gambari as an experienced hand with wide exposure and unique features Professor Gambari is well equipped to effectively manage every challenge associated to the office of Chief of Staff, also as a seasoned Ambassador, he is already equipped to act decisively in accordance with rules, regulations and laws in fairness to everyone. The personality of Professor Gambari is such that enjoys the respect of almost every Nigerian. These, and many more reasons are the basis for us to join every well-meaning Nigerians to welcome him on board. Knowing well, that this could be the most challenging assignment for him, but then, we are convinced that he is well equipped to surmount all the challenges. Let us at this point remind the Chief of Staff that much is expected of him as he joins President Muhamadu Buhari to pilot the affairs of this Nation to greatness and we promise our unalloyed support and commitment to his success that of the President, while calling on all other Nigerians to continue to contribute their best for the overall good of our Nation, Nigeria. We hereby use this opportunity to pray for the continuous protection of Mr President and the Chief of Staff, and specifically pray for wisdom from above for the Chief of Staff so that he can serve this Nation outstandingly. Said BYO. As the coronavirus pandemic enters a new and challenging phase, there is one question still haunting every country trying to exit lockdown: just how infectious are children? Depending on which country you look to, the answer varies. Last month, public health officials in Switzerland said it was safe for children under 10 to hug their grandparents. This came after Swiss scientists concluded that grandparents were not at risk of catching Covid-19 from their young grandchildren, as children don't have the 'receptors' targeted by the virus. But a study published in Germany last week found that infected children carried the same amount of the virus as adults. Other studies, including two from China, suggest children may be less contagious than adults, possibly because they often do not have the symptoms that help spread it, like a cough. Read More In Ireland, the message has been mixed. When the virus first took hold here, schools and creches were the first to close. Children came under the umbrella label of 'superspreaders' or 'vectors' and some were even banned from entering shops. Taking them anywhere near a grandparent was a major no-no. This week, however, parents took some comfort from a Hiqa report that found children are not substantially contributing to the spread of Covid-19 in their households or in schools. Its findings in analysis of latest global research are likely to inform the position on reopening schools, particularly at primary level. However, in the same week, a study in the UK suggests children are as likely as adults to be infected with Covid-19. The prospect that schoolchildren, well-documented spreaders of the common flu, might also become super spreaders of the coronavirus, is the central dilemma for countries looking to reopen while avoiding a second wave of deadly infections. Although there were fears during the early stage of the pandemic that children were vectors in transmitting the disease, Hiqa deputy chief executive Dr Mairin Ryan said there was nothing to indicate children transmit the virus at a substantially higher level. Hiqa also concluded there is lack of clear evidence as to whether long-term immunity is possible with Covid-19. On the issue of young people, Dr Ryan said: "While the evidence is limited, it appears that children are not substantially contributing to the spread of Covid-19 in their household or in schools." While there is high transmission of Covid-19 among adults aged 25 years or older, she pointed out one study which showed transmission is lower in younger people, particularly those under 14 years of age. However, the review of the evidence by Hiqa came heavily caveated. The report stated: "Reliable, large scale data on spread from symptomatic children is lacking." The conclusion added: "There is currently limited information on the contribution of children to the transmission of SARS-CoV-2." Hiqa's findings have added some weight to the belief that children do not pass on the virus, which has resulted in calls for schools to reopen before September. Meanwhile in the UK, a survey for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) of 10,000 people found "no evidence" of differences between age groups in the proportions of those testing positive. The results reflect those of other studies. Research from Wuhan in China, published in 'The Lancet', concluded children were "at a similar risk of infection to the general population, although less likely to have severe symptoms". That study tracked 391 cases of Covid-19 and their contacts. There are reports that some children suffer a rare inflammatory syndrome weeks after coronavirus infection. In a tiny number of children it can cause serious complications, with some needing intensive care. Up to 100 children in the UK have been affected, and studies suggest the same reaction is being seen in children elsewhere in Europe. It is likely to be caused by a delayed immune response to the virus which looks like Kawasaki disease - a rare condition that mainly affects children under the age of five. As with so much research into coronavirus, there is much that is still not yet known. For now, the jury is still out on the prospect of grandparents here following the Swiss and getting a long-overdue hug from the little people in their lives. At least one tanker carrying fuel loaded at an Iranian port has set sail for Venezuela amid US threats. An Iranian news agency close to the elite Revolutionary Guard said on Saturday that there would be repercussions if the United States acted just like pirates against an Iranian fuel shipment to Venezuela. A senior official in President Donald Trumps administration told Reuters News Agency last week the US was considering measures it could take in response to Irans shipment of fuel to crisis-stricken Venezuela. The oil sectors of Iran and Venezuela, members of OPEC, are both under US sanctions. The Trump administration official declined to specify the measures being weighed, but said options would be presented to Trump. If the United States, just like pirates, intends to create insecurity on international waterways, it would be taking a dangerous risk, and that will certainly not go without repercussion, Irans Nour news agency said. At least one tanker carrying fuel loaded at an Iranian port has set sail for Venezuela, according to vessel-tracking data from Refinitiv Eikon, which could help ease an acute scarcity of petrol in the South American country. Venezuela and Iran are both independent states that have had and will continue to have trade relations with each other, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei was quoted as saying by the YJC news website, linked to Irans state broadcaster. We sell goods and buy goods in return. This trade has nothing to do with anyone else. We have to sell our oil, and we have ways to do it, Rabiei said, adding he had no information about the Venezuela-bound vessel. British tanker experience Separately, an Iranian analyst suggested Tehran may retaliate against US vessels in the Gulf if the US takes action against the Iranian tanker. The US Navy and its allies in the Persian Gulf are hostages to any kind of violation against Irans legal international shipping, Mahdi Mohammadi said on Twitter. Before coming to any decision, Trump should ask his friend [British Prime Minister] Boris Johnson about the details of the British tanker experience, he said. Iran seized a British-flagged tanker in the Gulf last year after British forces detained an Iranian tanker off the territory of Gibraltar. Both vessels were released after a months-long standoff. The Iran-flagged medium tanker Clavel passed the Suez Canal on Wednesday after loading fuel at the end of March at Irans Bandar Abbas port, according to the data. News received from informed sources indicate that the US Navy has sent four warships and a Boeing P-8 Poseidon from the VP-26 squadron to the Caribbean region, Nour said. Venezuela is in desperate need of petrol and other refined fuel products to keep the country functioning amid an economic collapse under socialist President Nicolas Maduro. Venezuela produces crude oil, but its infrastructure has been crippled during the economic crisis. A Venezuelan official said last month that Venezuela had received refining materials via plane from Iran to help it start a unit at the 310,000 barrel-per-day Cardon refinery, which is necessary to produce petrol. Judging from her Instagram alone, the quarantine has not slowed this supermodel and media mogul down in the slightest. On Saturday morning, catwalker and TV host extraordinaire Heidi Klum posted an eye-popping series of sun-kissed photos to her Instagram, simply because 'it's the weekend' as she captioned them with a heart emoji. The German beauty, 46, included photos of herself topless and serving up serious underboob, while in other shots she's seen kissing her beloved German rocker husband Tom Kaulitz, who is 16 years her junior. Underboob alert: On Saturday, Heidi Klum posted an eye-popping series of sun-kissed and topless photos to her Instagram, simply because 'it's the weekend' In the clearest snap, the Project Runway star is seen makeup-free and smiling widely, her hair up messily, as she crossed her arms over her bare chest to cover up. A stringy thong bikini bottom peeked out on Heidi's hip, and she wore a yellow and black beach towel around her svelte waist as the family dog lingered in the foreground. And in the next snap Klum turned the other way, pressed against her Tokio Hotel guitarist husband, who stood in board shorts holding a watering can while the pair embraced. In another snap: Klum turned the other way, pressed against her Tokio Hotel guitarist husband, who stood in board shorts holding a watering can while the pair embraced Sunny kisses: Other shots reveal sunbursts as the couple kissed passionately They are only seen from the neck down in the flirty image. Other shots revealed sunbursts as the couple kissed passionately, with Kaulitz, who Klum married last year, also planting a peck on her cheek in one sweet image. Yet another cheeky image in the gallery showed a pair of exotic cactus holders in a window, with Heidi's pert bottom in the bikini subtly visible in the reflection. Romance: Kaulitz, who Klum married last year, also planted a peck on her cheek in one sweet image Spot the cheekiness: Yet another cheeky image in the gallery showed a pair of exotic cactus holders in a window, with Heidi's pert bottom in the bikini subtly visible in the reflection Between America's Got Talent: The Show Must Go Online edition, Germany's Next Top Model which she hosts exclusively, and recently wrapping the first season of her hit new Amazon fashion competition series Making The Cut, Klum's hosting schedule still seems jam-packed in spite of the ongoing pandemic in the world. It therefore makes perfect sense that the mother-of-four, who shares her children with ex-husband Seal, looks like she's enjoying every bit of downtime over the weekend with her beloved newlywed husband. In fact, Heidi and Tom celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary on February 22nd of this year, but they have another anniversary coming up as the pair held a lavish second wedding in Capri, Italy last summer. It's perfectly clear: Heidi looks like she's enjoying every bit of downtime over the weekend with her beloved newlywed husband Sweet moments: Heidi and Tom celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary on February 22nd of this year; seen here last month on Instagram Two Months Later, Czech Probe Into Reports Of Russian Ricin Plot Faces Hurdles By Tony Wesolowsky May 15, 2020 PRAGUE -- On March 14, Andrei Konchakov arrived at Vaclav Havel International Airport on a flight from Moscow. The 34-year-old Russian had lived in the Czech capital for years, and was recently appointed director of two state-run Russian institutions in Prague, giving him diplomatic status. That much is known. Czech media, however, have reported more explosive charges. In early April, the investigative weekly Respekt quoted a Czech security official as saying the individual not named at the time -- had a suitcase containing the toxic poison ricin. Furthermore, Respekt reported that it had uncovered a Kremlin poisoning plot targeting up to three Prague municipal officials who had recently backed or approved actions that angered Moscow. Police authorized round-the-clock protection for the trio: The mayor of Prague, Zdenek Hrib, and the mayors of two Prague districts, Ondrej Kolar and Pavel Novotny. Hrib had approved the renaming of the square in front of the Russian Embassy in Prague after slain Russian politician Boris Nemtsov, a vocal foe of President Vladimir Putin. Kolar had approved the removal in his district of a statue of Ivan Konev, a Soviet marshal who led forces that fought in Czechoslovakia in World War II. Novotny had a monument built in his district to the Vlasov Army, Soviet Army defectors who fought alongside the Nazis before turning against them in the final days of the war. Western security analysts said that if true, it was one of Russia's most brazen actions in a NATO and European Union country since Putin came to power 20 years ago. Russia, accused of carrying out numerous attacks on perceived enemies abroad -- most recently the nerve-agent poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter -- has dismissed the reports and asserted that Moscow is the target of an ongoing smear campaign. Two months since he arrived in Prague with what he says was a case containing "disinfectant and candies," Konchakov apparently remains at the Russian Embassy, and Czech officials have not moved to expel him. Russia has requested police protection for him, claiming he has faced unspecified threats. Czech officials have said police are investigating the information contained in the initial Respekt article and subsequent reports after the counterintelligence agency, BIS, filed a formal request. Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek has said any action against Russian diplomats would only be taken based on the findings of that police probe. However, as the probe continues, analysts say it may face hurdles due to a number of potential factors, including difficulties stemming from diplomatic immunity, differences of opinion among Czech officials, sensitivities about Russian ties -- even as they are severely strained -- and what at least publicly amounts to little clear evidence. Czech President Milos Zeman, one of the EU's most Kremlin-friendly leaders, has seemed to cast doubt on the reports, at one point calling ricin a "laxative" rather than a poison. Meanwhile, some security analysts say it's possible that rather than an actual plot in which ricin was carried through the airport, it could have been a Kremlin ruse to intimidate the Czechs. "This has the elements of a psychological campaign against the Czech Republic to show Russia's disapproval of Prague's recent actions," says Ben West, a senior security analyst at the intelligence firm Stratfor. Diplomatic Immunity Konchakov is listed as head of the Prague branch of Rossotrudnichestvo, a state-run agency tasked with overseeing the well-being of Russians living abroad, and as director of the Russian Center for Science and Culture, another Russian state-financed institution based in the Czech capital, in the leafy neighborhood near the embassy. Czech media have reported that Konchakov acquired diplomatic status in 2019. Russia has some 140 diplomatic staff at its embassy in Prague, making it by far the largest diplomatic mission in the Czech Republic. The Czech counterintelligence agency has long warned that the embassy in Prague was a nerve center for Russian espionage, not only in the Czech Republic but elsewhere in Europe. "A long-term security problem remains the oversized Russian diplomatic mission in the Czech Republic, which raises the threat of Czech citizens coming into contact with the intelligence service of a foreign power," the BIS said in its latest annual report, issued in November 2019. Diplomats largely enjoy immunity from local law, as enshrined in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Among other privileges, they can work largely unhindered by law and carry a diplomatic pouch that cannot be searched or seized. That includes checked luggage, meaning that Konchakov could have slipped the ricin past Czech customs officials. "The Kremlin used a similar technique in the 2006 assassination of Aleksandr Litvinenko and the 2018 attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal," says William Courtney, a senior fellow at the RAND Corporation think tank and a former U.S. diplomat with years of service linked to Russia and the former Soviet bloc. "In both cases, an official from Moscow sneaked an exotic poison into the country where the targets were located and after carrying out the plot, both were publicly exposed." As long as Konchakov has diplomatic status, the Czech authorities cannot arrest him, Cortney says, but they could take the step of declaring him persona non grata and expelling him. Stratfor's West says that Konchakov's diplomatic status could be a barrier to the police investigation as well. "Diplomatic immunity likely makes the investigation more technically complicated since police cannot simply search embassy property or personnel without creating a larger diplomatic incident," he says. Police And Politics? Zeman, who has criticized EU sanctions imposed on Russia over its actions in Ukraine and called in the past for referendums on Czech membership in both NATO and the EU, made clear he was not taking the allegations very seriously, saying Czech intelligence had not outed any Russian agent. The president, who holds less power than the prime minister, also told Czech public radio on May 5 that ricin was not a poison but a "laxative." And he has wondered aloud whether the three Prague officials hadn't requested police protection to create a bit of self-promotional buzz. "When a politician is average he tries to gain attention in other ways, such as a sexual scandal, stealing money, or even this way," said Zeman, 75, who has been president since 2013. Hrib, who is from the anti-establishment Pirate party and is part of a new wave of younger politicians, fired back. "The Czech president should stand behind his citizens, and not defend the interest of foreign powers," he said. The firebrand Novotny, an outspoken former investigative journalist, called Zeman a "senile old man." Meanwhile, a top aide to Zeman told local media that he knew Konchakov and described him as a "good guy." The aide, Zbytek Zdenek, a Czechoslovak military officer in the communist era, is described by Czech media as a gray eminence who has Zeman's ear and high-level contacts in the Kremlin. He has rented offices in the building where the Russian cultural center is located. Against the backdrop of diplomatic hurdles and political differences, the need for clear and concrete information about what happened may be paramount, analysts suggest. "Czech intelligence probably has enough evidence indicating which Russian diplomats are engaged in espionage" but will need strong evidence now amid the current ricin allegations to take action, says a Czech security analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the matter. The analyst points to Czech party politics as another possible hurdle to the probe and potential action by the authorities. He says that the government of Prime Minister Andrej Babis may be wary of upsetting Zeman and risking potentially losing the support of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM), which it relies upon for political power. A Russian Ruse? Christo Grozev, a journalist with the British-based open-source investigative group Bellingcat, says he has "not found enough evidence to conclude that the ricin story is factually correct." He says the information about a Russian carrying ricin may have come from an intelligence source whom "the Czech authorities did not trust completely -- as if they had, they would have acted more aggressively -- they could have interrogated him on arrival, asked him to voluntarily show the contents of the bag, etc.," Grozev told RFE/RL in an e-mail. Some security experts say it was possible that Russia was behind the ricin allegation from the start, seeking to frighten the Czech authorities. West says that there is no doubt of Russia's and the Soviet Union's record of alleged assassinations abroad, including using ricin in the 1978 umbrella-pricking poisoning of the Bulgarian dissident writer Georgi Markov in London, but questioned whether the Kremlin would turn to the toxin now. "While ricin is lethal if administered directly, and has a history of use in previous Soviet-linked assassinations...there are many more effective ways to kill someone," West says. The alleged involvement of ricin "suggests that this was intimidation theater" orchestrated by the Kremlin to send a message to the Czech authorities. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/two-months-later-czech -probe-into-reports-of-russian-ricin-plot -faces-hurdles/30614579.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 Like her parents, Ms. Shelton attended Oberlin College before returning to the Pacific Northwest to attend the University of Washington School of Drama. She then moved to New York, studying photography and related media at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. She was already interested in filmmaking, she told The Times in 2009, but I just did not have the confidence to do it. In 2003, she attended a Q&A with the French filmmaker Claire Denis and found herself inspired not only by Ms. Deniss talent, but also by her tenacity. I thought: Oh, my God. She was 40 when she made her first film. I thought it was too late for me, so in my head I was, Oh, I still have three more years. Ms. Shelton had to find a backdoor way in, she said. I couldnt even go to film school, she added, I had to start making my little movies and learning about editing. A number of like-minded filmmakers, including her future collaborators Greta Gerwig, the Duplass brothers and Joe Swanberg, were doing the same thing crafting microbudget, dialogue-driven, semi-improvised features on digital video. Ms. Shelton directed her first, We Go Way Back, in 2006; its follow-up, My Effortless Brilliance, won her the Someone to Watch Award at the 2009 Film Independent Spirit Awards. But it was Humpday that put her on the indie map: It won a Special Jury Prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, was screened as part of the Directors Fortnight program at Cannes and won the John Cassavetes Award (for films costing less than $500,000) at the 2010 Indie Spirits. Stephen Holden of The Times wrote, The movies unblinking observation of a friendship put to the test is amused, queasy making, kindhearted and unfailingly truthful. A laboratory physician at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, prepares to perform nucleic acid testing on a novel coronavirus specimen in Chongqing, China, on May 3, 2020 Costfoto/Barcroft Media via Getty Images China acknowledged that it instructed unauthorized laboratories to destroy samples of the novel coronavirus but for "biosafety reasons." An official with the Chinese National Health Commission said on Friday that the samples were destroyed in line with public health laws and to "prevent the risk to laboratory biological safety." But he insisted that it was not done to cover up or hide samples from other countries an accusation that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had previously made. Pompeo has repeatedly attacked the Chinese Communist Party for attempting to cover up the extent of the outbreak, which has so far killed more than 88,000 people in the US alone. The news comes as tensions between the US and China appear to be deteriorating, with the president and his administration blaming the country for having started the virus deliberately. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. China has confirmed that it had ordered unauthorized laboratories to destroy samples of the new coronavirus but insisted that it was due to "biosafety reasons." The announcement comes after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has repeatedly said that China refused to give virus samples taken from patients infected with COVID-19 in late December last year and that officials had destroyed early samples, according to South China Morning Post. Related Video: How Viruses Like the Coronavirus Mutate Liu Dengfeng, an official with the Chinese National Health Commission's science and education department, said in a Beijing briefing on Friday that the samples were destroyed to "prevent the risk to laboratory biological safety and prevent secondary disasters caused by unidentified pathogens." He insisted that this was not done to cover-up or hide samples from other countries, but was done strictly for biosafety reasons."The remarks made by some US officials were taken out of context and intended to confuse," Liu said. Story continues Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at a news conference at the State Department in Washington on April 29, 2020. Associated Press Liu said that when the pneumonia-like disease was first reported in Wuhan, "national-level professional institutes" were working to identify the pathogen that was causing it. "Based on comprehensive research and expert opinion, we decided to temporarily manage the pathogen causing the pneumonia as Class II highly pathogenic and imposed biosafety requirements on sample collection, transport, and experimental activities, as well as destroying the samples," he said. The official said that this was standard practice in China for the handling any highly pathogenic samples. Chinese public health laws specify that laboratories not meeting the requirements must either transfer them to a qualified depositary for safekeeping or destroy them. Liu Dengfeng did not mention the Trump administration's claims that the virus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China. Pompeo has previously attacked the Chinese Communist Party for attempting to cover up the extent of the outbreak. He has accused the country of not reporting accurate numbers and of censoring research regarding the coronavirus. "The Chinese Communist Party tried to suppress information about this virus, about where it began, about how it started, about how it was being transmitted from human to human, indeed employed the World Health Organization to further that storyline," Pompeo told Christian radio program Focus on the Family, earlier this week, Newsweek reported. The news comes as tensions between the US and China appear to be escalating. While Trump initially praised President Xi Jinping's response to the outbreak in January, the president and his administration have since blamed it for deliberately starting the virus. Trump added to White House speculation in April when he said that he had evidence showing that the coronavirus originated from a lab in Wuhan, China, but that he would not reveal what it is. Earlier this month, Trump suggested that China's handling of the novel coronavirus is proof that Beijing "will do anything they can" to ensure he isn't reelected in November. At the time of writing, the US has seen more than 1.4 million confirmed cases and 88,507 deaths, according to Worldometer. Business Insider Which part of United States v. Michael Flynn does Judge Emmet Sullivan not understand? There is no third party in the case title -- only the names of the accuser and the accused. There is no understudy prosecutor to be employed when one party says hes innocent and the other admits they have no case. Game over. The defendant is a free man unless you are in Judge Sullivans court where the signpost up ahead says The Twilight Zone. On our planet, when there is no prosecutor to prosecute, there is no prosecution. Case is dismissed. Not on Judge Sullivans planet. For Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn it must have seen like a ruling from a parallel universe when, in an Alice-In-Wonderland meets Groundhog Day moment, for Judge Sullivans appointed former Judge John Gleeson to argue against AG Barr and defendant Flynn, and even invent a new charge of perjury for withdrawing his guilty plea entered under severe coercion and duress. Judge Gleeson resigned from the bench in 2016 to return to private practice. A judicial activist, he was appointed to serve in the Eastern District of New York by President Bill Clinton in 1994. Presumably, the chance to screw President Trump and his former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was too much to pass up. As the Daily Caller notes: Gleeson has already argued against dismissal in Flynns case, saying in a Monday editorial for the Washington Post that accepting Barrs recommendation would damage the justice system. Prosecutors deserve a presumption of regularity -- the benefit of the doubt that they are acting honestly and following the rules. But when the facts suggest they have abused their power, that presumption fades. If prosecutors attempt to dismiss a well-founded prosecution for impermissible or corrupt reasons, the people would be ill-served if a court blindly approved their dismissal request, Gleeson wrote. The independence of the court protects us all when executive-branch decisions smack of impropriety; it also protects the judiciary itself from becoming a party to corruption. Prosecutors dropping a case in the face of overwhelming exculpatory evidence does not damage the justice system -- hiding exculpatory evidence pointing to a defendants innocence does, as does one administration conspiring to entrap and frame a defendant chosen to work in a subsequent incoming administration. This may be the first time youve heard of the presumption of regularity for prosecutors. Its the first time I have. Im more familiar with the presumption of innocence for the defendant and the right to a fair trial. Flynn was denied a fair trial by hiding exculpatory evidence as well as evidence of a conspiracy to entrap. Then he had to stand before a pompous and bloviating judge who suggested that this man who served his country honorably for more than three decades just might be guilty of treason if the prosecutors had thought of it -- a capital offense. Harvard law Professor Adam Dershowitz suggests it is Sullivan and sorcerers apprentice Gleeson who are guilty of impropriety. Judges Are Umpires, Not Ringmasters; Sullivan invites outsiders to weigh in on the Flynn case -- an unconstitutional judicial power grab, law professor Dershowitz writes in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. Dershowitz notes: The Constitution limits the jurisdiction of federal judges to actual cases and controversies. They may not offer advisory opinions or intrude on executive or legislative powers, except when the other branches have exercised them in an unconstitutional manner. Federal judges are umpires deciding matters about which litigants disagree. If the litigants come to an agreement, there is no controversy. The case is over By inviting the irrelevant opinions of outsiders, Judge Sullivan is unconstitutionally encroaching on executive power. Only the executive has the authority to prosecute or not. SCOTUS is bound to crack down on this if it gets that far. Sullivan's abuse of amicus curiae (friend of the court) is both contrary to his own precedent, and in violation of a recent SCOTUS ruling. They actually ruled against this a few days ago in a 9-0 decision authored by RBG herself. The judiciary is simply not allowed to come up with new charges, new evidence, or new opinions on the fly. On the website of the National Law Journal, it is detailed how Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, writing the majority opinion, read the riot act to an appellate court that distorted amicus curiae beyond all reasonable meaning: Violation of the party presentation principle -- central to Thursdays ruling -- is not often the basis for deciding a high court case. The principle refers to the long-standing feature of the court system that the parties involved in litigation, and not judges, are responsible for raising the legal issues a court must resolve. That principle rarely appears in a Supreme Court decision, and the ruling was all the more remarkable that its author Ginsburg -- rebuked a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in accusatory terms that said the courts transformation of a case went well beyond the pale. Ginsburgs opinion was in the case United States v. Sineneng-Smith. Evelyn Sineneng-Smith, who operated an immigration consulting firm in San Jose, California, was convicted of violating a federal law making it a felony to encourage or induce an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law. Instead of adjudicating the case presented by the parties, the appeals court named three amici and invited them to brief and argue issues framed by the panel, including a question Sineneng-Smith herself never raised earlier: Whether the statute of conviction is overbroad under the First Amendment, Ginsburg wrote Although a court is not hide-bound by a partys counsels precise arguments, Ginsburg said the Ninth Circuits radical transformation of this case goes well beyond the pale. The Ninth Circuits judgment was vacated and the case remanded for reconsideration shorn of the overbreadth inquiry interjected by the appellate panel and bearing a fair resemblance to the case shaped by the parties. The case against Michael Flynn should also be vacated and dismissed. Cases should be decided on the merits of the cases presented by the two sides, not third parties with only an ideological agenda to contribute. Judge Sullivan had already dismissed some two dozen pro-Flynn briefs. Now hes invited an anti-Flynn third party not only to submit a new brief but to actually prosecute a new case with new charges. Double jeopardy, anyone? A case in Judge Sullivans past shows just how wrong he is now, As Margot Cleveland writes in the Federalist: the government had criminally charged Fokker Services with violations of export control laws. The government and defendant entered a deferred prosecution agreement, under which the government would dismiss the charges in exchange for Fokker Services agreeing to several compliance provisions. But when the parties went before a federal district court judge to formalize the arrangement and a waiver of the Speedy Trial Act, the presiding judge refused to accept the waiver -- which in essence doomed the agreement -- because he believed the agreement was too lenient on the business owners. The government filed a writ of mandamus with the D.C. Circuit Court. A writ of mandamus is a procedural machination that allows a party to seek to force a lower court to act as required by law. The original agreement between the two parties was allowed to stand, unencumbered by third-party busybodies and an activist judge. Something like that might happen and should happen in the Flynn case. What Judge Sullivan has done is unconscionable and unconstitutional: The Fokker decision was a 2016 decision from the D.C. Circuit Court and, as such, establishes mandatory precedent, i.e., precedent that must be followed, by all D.C. district court judges -- including Judge Sullivan. Thus, Judge Sullivans directive that Judge Gleeson, as amicus curiae, should present arguments in opposition to the governments Motion to Dismiss, cannot stand: It conflicts with controlling circuit court precedent, and more significantly with the U.S. Constitution. Justice delayed is justice denied, Judge Sullivan. The Constitution was not written on an Etch-a-Sketch. And there is nothing in it that excuses or justifies your judicial tyranny. Daniel John Sobieski is a former editorial writer for Investors Business Daily and freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Human Events, Reason Magazine, and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications. In brief: The US Department of Justice and several state attorneys general are expected to file antitrust suits against Alphabets Google later this year. The Journal said states investigations have thus far focused on Googles online advertising business. The DOJ is also looking at Googles ad tech but is additionally said to be focusing on claims that the Mountain View-based company uses its search business to stifle competition. Sources familiar with the matter tell The Wall Street Journal that the Justice Department could levy charges against Google as early as this summer. Additional lawsuits from state attorneys general including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could follow in the fall, others said. It is unclear if states will file their own complains or simply join in on a federal case. A spokesperson for Google told the Journal that they will continue to engage with the ongoing investigations led by the Justice Department and Attorney General Paxton and dont have any updates or comments on speculation. Our focus is firmly on providing services that help consumers, support thousands of businesses and enable increased choice and competition, the spokesperson added. Although all signs point to a case materializing, no final decisions have been made yet, sources said. Should a federal case come to fruition, however, it could be among the most significant in US history, right up there with the governments antitrust case against Microsoft in the late 90s. As Google has grown the size and scope of its operations, critics have increasingly called for the company to be broken up. Just last year, for example, Senator Elizabeth Warren said during her presidential campaign that tech giants like Amazon, Facebook and Google should be broken up because they have too much power over the economy, society and democracy. The US Federal Trade Commission looked into Googles practices nearly a decade ago but ultimately didnt bring charges against the search giant. Masthead credit: Benny Marty, Vitalii Vodolazskyi A team of anthropologists, physicians, tribal leaders and local government authorities developed and implemented a multi-phase COVID-19 prevention and containment plan among the Tsimane, an indigenous group of forager-horticulturists in the Bolivian Amazon. The collaborative effort is led by Hillard Kaplan, Ph.D., professor of health economics and anthropology and a member of the Economic Science Institute at Chapman University. The study, published in The Lancet, proposes that indigenous populations worldwide share characteristics that make them especially vulnerable to COVID-19, including higher rates of extreme poverty, poor healthcare access and infrastructure, and widespread respiratory infections. As of May 7, Bolivia had 2,081 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 102 deaths, largely confined to the Santa Cruz and La Paz provinces. As of now, there are no confirmed cases in the towns closest to the Tsimane communities. The Tsimane Health and Life History Project has been working with Tsimane communities since 2002, studying health and ageing while providing primary health care and biomedical surveillance. Kaplan, co-director of the project, and his team paused research activity in mid-March to redirect their efforts towards reducing the effects of COVID-19 on the tribal populations with whom they work with. The disease is spreading rapidly in Bolivia as is the case in many places throughout the developing world but has not yet reached the tribal territories where we work. It is clear from the painful lessons we have learned in this country and in Europe, advance planning is the key to mitigating the devastating effects of the disease." Hillard Kaplan, Ph.D., principal investigator of this study "After a teenage Yanomami boy died of COVID-19, there was, understandably, a lot of panic about the potential plight of indigenous populations around the world in light of this new, unpredictable threat," said Michael Gurven, Ph.D., professor of anthropology at UC Santa Barbara and co-director of the Tsimane Project with Kaplan. "Since our team had already been working with the Tsimane to try and work out a reasonable plan, we thought it would be a great opportunity to move the conversation toward a concrete blueprint that could, hopefully, be adapted to work in similar areas." The researchers believe that their approach with the Tsimane can be adapted more generally to tribal and aboriginal populations throughout the world to prevent widespread mortality, and will continue to adjust their plans according to the local circumstances and future COVID-19 discoveries. Dr. Kaplan and his team developed their COVID-19 strategy based on two guidelines. The first is that preventative measures before mass infection can greatly reduce the burden of morbidity and mortality. The second is that any effective plan must be collaborative among all stakeholders and should involve the indigenous populations in the decision process. These tribal communities have unique sources of resilience that can be used to prevent the potentially serious effects of COVID-19. The most pertinent is the group's cultural tradition of collective decision- making, where lively two-way discussions are held during village meetings to allow community members to speak up and contribute to a collective decision. The consensus among the Tsimane is that collective isolation is the most viable strategy for minimizing COVID-19 exposure until vaccines or treatments become available. Researchers utilized these community meetings to communicate best practices in collective isolation with the villages. The research team has a two-phase plan. Phase I -- focused on education, outreach and preparation -- occurred while the novel coronavirus was spreading quickly in Bolivia but before there were confirmed cases in the Beni region where the Tsimane live. The research team traveled to around 60 villages to hold community meetings. The researchers sent native speakers of the Tsimane language to these meetings to inform the population about the risks of COVID-19 and promote a collective decision-making process on how best to respond to the epidemic. These meetings lead to unanimous agreement by the Tsimanes to collectively isolate the tribal territory and its constituent communities to prevent interaction with the outside world. The researchers also worked to translate and adapt U.S. Centers for Disease Control informational posters into the Tsimane language for dissemination. "While some Tsimane people had heard about the existence of coronavirus, most were unaware of its imminent threat, how it is transmitted, who is most vulnerable or whether there was a cure for the disease," said Kaplan. The research team is currently in Phase II: containment, patient management and quarantine strategies. This is being accomplished through ongoing radio communications about the current rates and areas of infection, coordination of rapid testing and contact-tracing and the provisioning of personal protective equipment for local health care workers. Phase II began in mid-April when COVID- 19 was diagnosed and confirmed in the Beni region. "Our plan is adapted to a low-tech environment of inadequate hospital facilities and to lower population density where isolation is possible for whole communities and for families and individuals within communities," said Gregory Thomas, MD, a medical director of the Long Beach MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute and collaborator of the study. "The plan places greater emphasis on testing with contact-tracing and whole-family approaches to isolation. For the management and treatment of COVID-19 cases, it emphasizes patient monitoring, especially blood oxygen, and portable oxygen support for those who need it," added David Michalik, MD, pediatric infectious disease specialist at MemorialCare Miller Women's and Children's Hospital Long Beach. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone in ways we never could have imagined. With schools closed, domestic and international travel halted, and millions now on lockdown, people are trying different ways to cope with what is considered to be the "new normal". In order to protect others and yourself, face masks have been labeled as the new daily necessity especially when stepping out of the house. Art has always been an effective way to convey our desires and emotions and as humans we have this desire to showcase our personality and individualism. A designer from San Diego County has decided that the basic blue three-ply disposable mask just won't do. Representing the Latino community Sadly, the Latino community is one of the demographics with the highest infection rates in the US. The CDC has recommended the use of homemade protective masks to prevent the spread of the virus and Ashley Nell Tipton and her team have turned to designing face masks to boost the morale and send a positive image amongst the Hispanic community. At just 24 years old, Tipton won Project Runway's 14th season by creating a clothing line for plus sized women. Her studio in Hillcrest is now producing hundreds of face masks with more and more new orders coming in every day. All of her designs are available on her website that include bandana masks, Loteria and french bulldog designs, as well as her Frida Kahlo masks which have sold out several times. Several companies such as Trader Joe's and the Bumble dating app company have both ordered reusable masks from Tipton for their employees. Marisol Catchings, a designer from the Bay Area has also started to produce masks promoting her Afro Latin heritage. Before COVID-19 hit, Catchings used to visit Mexico every year to purchase fabric for her business Azteca Negra. She made earrings, necklaces, pins, and colorful hair accessories all available through her website. As the demand for the masks grew in the Bay Area, she started to make masks for some of her friends that worked in the hospitals and shortly after began mass producing them for the public. Both Tipton and Catching have produced and donated thousands of their masks to healthcare workers and first responders and will continue to do so. Check these out! The pandemic's trendiest fashion accessory Who would have thought that a basic mask could be a fashion accessory? Masks are going to be around for much longer until COVID-19 is no longer seen as a threat so might as well enjoy wearing it. Some people believe that face masks could even be part of our daily clothing ensemble long after COVID-19 fades away and can easily be a way to express one's personality. The coronavirus has caused depression and a sense of sorrow in communities across the US, but designers like Tipton and Catchings believe that having these colorful masks can help ease the burden caused by the coronavirus by helping people feel secure, showcase their cultural identity, and promote love and happiness by simply wearing their colorful creations. Health official: 'We want to ramp up access to testing' A man caught with almost 30 grams of methamphetamine after fleeing from police has been sentenced to two years of time served. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/5/2020 (613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us A man caught with almost 30 grams of methamphetamine after fleeing from police has been sentenced to two years of time served. Jesse Chambers, 23, pleaded guilty in Brandon provincial court on Thursday to possession for the purpose of trafficking methamphetamine on July 26, 2018. "This court is well aware of the pernicious consequences of that drug in the community," Crown attorney Jeremy Akerstream told the court. "Its a highly addictive drug that has caused a tremendous amount of social and physical damage to individuals in this community and continues to plague this great city." Chambers came to police attention while riding his bike with another individual in the 200 block of 10th Street, Akerstream said. Chambers appeared nervous when officers stopped them, Akerstream said, getting off his bike and providing his name to police before suddenly turning and running away. Officers pursued him on foot as he darted down a lane and through the unlocked front door of a residence, Akerstream said, ending up on the roof of the house. While running, Chambers was also seen ditching his backpack through the open window of a residence. Police ultimately arrested Chambers and found a baggie of methamphetamine weighing a total of 27.44 grams, as well as a digital scale and several packaging baggies. Akerstream described Chambers as a "street-level dealer" with an unenviable and lengthy criminal record, but gave him credit for taking responsibility for his actions and pleading guilty instead of continuing with a scheduled trial. Defence lawyer Bob Harrison told the court Chambers got involved with crystal meth and it escalated quickly, but has been sober while in custody and participating in available programming. "This has been a wake-up call he has looked at his situation and wants to move forward," Harrison said. Both the Crown and defence recommended a sentence of two years time served, which Judge Donovan Dvorak agreed was a "fair and reasonable" recommendation. "As the Crown has indicated, crystal meth has had devastating impacts on our community," Dvorak said. "Its starting for me to see what people are prepared to do under the influence of crystal meth and what people are prepared to do in order to obtain crystal meth, and you as a person who is supplying it feeds both of that." Chambers will remain in custody while he waits to deal with other matters. edebooy@brandonsun.com Twitter: @erindebooy Some Covid-19 Restrictions To be Lifted In Georgia From May 18 - GeorgianJournal Springfield Primary School, in Derby, has been closed for 14 days (Picture: Google) A primary school for vulnerable children has been shut for deep cleaning after two coronavirus cases were identified. Springfield Primary School, in Derby, was closed for 14 days and those who came in contact with the infected people were told to self-isolate, the Mirror reported. The school, which is operated by the Odyssey Collaborative Trust, had stayed open for children who were vulnerable and those belonging to key workers after others had shut in March. Odyssey Collaborative Trust chief executive David Blackwell said: The diagnosis was reported to us on Thursday and so the school will close now for 14 days because all of those who were attending are now in self-isolation and there is no need for us to be open. He added: We will be deep cleaning the school and carrying out additional cleaning. But we are happy that the cases do not affect any other school in the trust and is confined to Springfield Primary. Read more: Boris Johnson says Britons' 'common sense is shining through' General secretary of the NASUWT union Patrick Roach (Picture: Getty) Meanwhile, teaching unions have insisted they are willing to work with the government to begin re-opening schools in England provided it can be done safely without risking a renewed coronavirus outbreak. 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 Pressure on the unions has increased after Childrens Commissioner for England Anne Longfield called on the two sides to stop squabbling and agree on a plan for a phased re-opening of primary schools from June 1. She said she was in despair at the increasingly entrenched positions being taken by the two sides, in which the interests of children were being ignored. However, Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT union, said members supported schools re-opening provided they could be made COVID secure and it would not put public health at risk. Story continues Read more: Unions threaten to stop trains if services become too busy The teaching unions held talks on Friday with government scientific advisers amid concerns Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moving too quickly to ease the lockdown restrictions in England. The meeting, however, was inconclusive with unions complaining it raised more questions than answers. Roach said teachers needed unequivocal guidance from the government there would be strong controls in place which would satisfy both teachers and parents it was safe to return. We are continuing to say to government, but also to schools and employers, that we are here, we want to work with those employers to put plans in place to see whether schools can be ready for re-opening from June 1, he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. Coronavirus: what happened today? Click here to sign up to the latest news, advice and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter Nikol Pashinyan isnt even trying to do anything. Hes just filling his pockets. This is what ex-Ambassador of Armenia to the Vatican Mikayel Minasyan said in his video End of Lies-4 posted on his Facebook page, News.am reported. Dear people, Im sure you know that there have been attempts to reach an agreement with me and everyone, and this was 100% true because there are such people, and those people are much more in number than those who didnt reach an agreement and went from being hated oligarchs to constructive and large owners. Understanding that he has been humiliated, Nikol Pashinyan has instructed prosecutors and investigators to frame a case of false delation against me, he said, stating that a criminal case has been instituted in relation to his first video, but not the second video which concerned the contraband plane. According to Minasyan, it turns out that Armenia can send a contraband plane and even a criminal case isnt instituted in relation to this. Minasyan also stated that Nikol Pashinyan has entangled Armenia in the international mafia system and is making money. It is based on the following scheme: Armenia imports diamonds from India through smuggling and takes them to two or three factories where those diamonds become diamonds made in Armenia. Here is the evidence: According to official statistics, in the first quarter of 2020, Armenia had more than 20,000,000,000 in diamonds, but to have that 20,000,000,000, the country needed to have 1,400 workers, but there are only 400 registered specialists. Therefore, this was impossible to do with 400 workers, and this is why Armenia needed to have big factories, which it doesnt. There is only one figure-20,000,000,000 in diamonds and gold. This system was created and is managed by Nikol Pashinyan and his family, who have organized an international mafia system of import and export at the expense of Armenias international reputation, he said. At the end of the video, Mikayel Minasyan asks Nikol Pashinyan to try to do his dark and loathsome family businesses at least within the borders of Armenia. Zhang Jun (C), China's permanent representative to the UN and the UN Security Council's president this month, speaks during a briefing at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States, March 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Muzi) A Chinese envoy on Friday called for unity and mutual trust among members of the United Nations Security Council, while stressing that international community needs multilateralism more than ever before. "We should strengthen unity and mutual trust and engage in constructive cooperation," Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, told the Council's open video teleconferencing (VTC) meeting on its working methods. "This year marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. More than ever, we need multilateralism, a strong United Nations, a robust Security Council, and solidarity and cooperation among member states," he said. "Council members should take the lead in upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, the international system with the UN at its core, and the international order underpinned by international law," the envoy added. "Strengthening communication and cooperation among Council members is the basis for the Council to promote political settlement of hotspot issues. It is fundamental to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Council's work," said Zhang. The ambassador said that "China calls on all Council members to take a responsible and constructive attitude, commit to equal-footed consultation, increase mutual trust, dispel misgivings, and seek common ground and resolve differences. On major issues concerning international peace and security, Council members should build broad consensuses, accommodate the concerns of all parties, prevent politicization, and make sure the Council plays a crucial role at critical moments." Speaking about the Council's responsibilities, Zhang said that "we should focus on the responsibilities of the Council to address prominent and pressing issues that threaten international peace and security." "The world today faces many problems that are related to peace and security in one way or another. The Council should be focused on its priorities, results-oriented, keep to the right direction, and not become a grocery store that tries to offer everything," he said. The envoy noted that the Council should concentrate on regional and international hotspot issues, promote political settlement of disputes and continue to keep Africa as its priority. "We must be committed to addressing root-causes of conflict together with other bodies, ensuring development through peace and promoting peace through development," Zhang added. "Regarding thematic issues that go beyond the mandate of the Council, the Council should work in close coordination with other UN bodies like General Assembly and ECOSOC (the UN Economic and Social Council). At present, it is imperative to conduct international cooperation against COVID-19, support the secretary-general's appeal for a global ceasefire and immediately lift unilateral sanctions," said the ambassador. "Bearing in mind the expectation of the international community, the Council should adopt a responsible and constructive approach, prevent politicization and take actions in addressing the negative impact on maintaining the international peace and security," he said. Talking about the specific working methods of the Council, Zhang said that "we should adhere to impartiality and transparency, and enhance communication and coordination with relevant parties and bodies." "The Security Council belongs to all UN member states, and discharges its mandate on their behalf. We should heed the views and recommendations of member states, especially the countries concerned, and increase their engagement," he added. "We should strengthen coordination and communication with other UN bodies, in particular the General Assembly and ECOSOC and other specialized agencies, so as to create synergy in our cooperation. We should work closely with the Secretariat, counting on its professional support and meanwhile providing necessary political guidance," said the ambassador. As for the role of the Council's rotating presidency, Zhang said that "president of the Council plays a leading role in this regard." "During Council presidency in March, China reached out to countries concerned and regional organizations for their views before the Council meetings on relevant issues. China maintained close coordination with president of the General Assembly, president of ECOSOC and the secretary-general. Such practices proved conducive to the Council's work, and would be helpful if continued," he said. "We encourage the presidencies for different months to better coordinate with each other, so as to enhance integrity and synergy, and avoid duplication," said Zhang. As for the capacity building, the ambassador said that "we should strengthen capacity building to be better prepared in handling emergencies." "The Council's work is crucial to peace and security of the world. All actions of the Council must be based on rules and have solid legal basis. Meanwhile, China supports the Council in improving itself on the basis of observing the UN Charter and its provisional rules of procedure to better address new circumstances and challenges in discharging its mandate," he said. Referring to the challenge caused by COVID-19, the envoy said that COVID-19 is posing a formidable challenge to the work of the Council. "The good thing is the Council keeps working and never stops." "In March, with joint efforts of all Council members and China, we devised new working modalities for emergencies. For the first time, the Council held video conferences and adopted resolutions through written procedures. These practices have enriched the Council's working methods and improved its working mechanism, enabling the Council to deliver tangible results at a difficult time," said Zhang. "We need to further explore ways to strengthen capacity building of the Council and increase its preparedness for emergencies in the future. Further efforts should be made to provide stable technical support and sufficient conference service," he added. A man has been charged in connection with a robbery in Dublin yesterday afternoon. It happened at a shop on Highfield Road in Rathgar at around 4.20pm. The man in his 30s was armed with a knife and metal bar and stole a number of items before fleeing. He was arrested a short time later and has since been charged. He is due before the Criminal Courts of Justice this morning. Fortuna Silver Mines (NYSE:FSM) Q1 2020 Earnings Call , 12:00 p.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Ladies and gentlemen, good day, and thank you all for joining us for this Fortuna Silver Mines' first-quarter 2020 financial call and operational results. [Operator instructions] And today's session is being recorded. To get us started with opening remarks and introductions I am pleased to yield the floor to Mr. Carlos Baca with investor relations manager. Please go ahead, sir. Carlos Baca -- Investor Relations Manager Thank you very much. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to welcome you to Fortuna Silver Mines and to our financial and operations results call for the first quarter of 2020. Today, we will be using a webcast presentation, which will be controlled by us. To download the presentation, please go to our website at www.fortunasilver.com, click on the investors tab, then click on the financials sub tab and under Q1 2020, click on the earnings call webcast link. Jorge Alberto Ganoza, president, CEO and director; and Luis Dario Ganoza, CFO, will be hosting the call from their home offices in Lima, Peru. Before I turn over the call to Jorge, I would like to indicate that this earnings call contains forward-looking information that is based on the company's current expectations, estimates and beliefs. This forward-looking information is subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors. Actual results could differ materially from a conclusion, forecast or projection in the forward-looking information. Certain material factors or assumptions were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection as reflected in the forward-looking information. Additional information about the material factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the conclusion, forecast or projection in the forward-looking information and the material factors or assumptions that were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection as reflected in the forward-looking information is contained in the company's annual information form and MD&A, which are publicly available on SEDAR. The company assumes no obligation to update such forward-looking information in the future, except as required by law. In addition, as Fortuna is in the midst of a public offering of its securities, management will not be taking any questions during or after the call today. I would now like to turn the call over to Jorge Alberto Ganoza, president, CEO and co-founder of Fortuna. Jorge Ganoza -- Chief Executive Officer Thank you, Carlos, and good morning to all. I'll be presenting an introduction to our first-quarter results and discuss actions taken during these months of unprecedented uncertainty we're living in and then turn the call over to Luis, who will take you through the financial statements. On Slide 6 of the presentation, we will give it a second, so we can move there. On Slide 6 of the presentation. In the quarter, we reported strong free cash flow of $14 million and EBITDA margin of 34%, below our targeted 40% margin. Overall, our results were negatively impacted by lower gold and silver production and sales against the comparable period and year budget. This is a result of mining from lower grade zones at the San Jose Mine and lower silver and by-product metal prices. We will provide more detail on this during the presentation. The company has taken actions to maintain an adequate level of liquidity considering this uncertain times and the capital demands of our project pipeline. As of the end of March, we reported 88.5 million in cash, announced a 60 million equity financing, planned for 23 million in 2020 capex and opex reductions and propose amendments to financial covenants in our credit facility. As of March 19, the date of demobilization due to mandatory isolation period in Argentina, our Lindero project is 94% complete. Remaining funding to commercial operations is 75 to 80 million. Our construction and operations crews are mobilizing back to site during the second half of May. We expect to be up and running at full speed under a new construction and commissioning plan by the end of the month. Considering all the COVID-related delays and limitations, we're now planning to begin commercial operations in Q1 2020. Over the past month, the COVID pandemic have put our generation to an unprecedented test. During these times of extreme uncertainty, our actions at Fortuna are being guided by three principles. Support of local government actions, safety of our personnel and neighboring communities and business continuing. We have withdrawn our 2020 production guidance. Our Caylloma mine has managed to operate all this time, but our Lindero project and San Jose Mine were halted on March 19 and April 2, respectively. During this second half of May, we're mobilizing and preparing to resume activities at both units. In early May, we published our 2019 sustainability report. This report is a more comprehensive and significant improvement over the previous year publication. We're listening to our stakeholders and working to address the demands placed in our industry by a rapidly changing world. I invite you to read the document and provide comments to the company. Moving on to Slide 7. In Slide 7, we shared with you our key safety performance indicators. We present the KPIs as a 12-month rolling average to better represent trends. And as you can appreciate, we are delivering solid and consistent improvement year over year. We still have a lot to improve on and are continuously learning from our mistakes, but a cultural change has been set in motion in our organization and it shows with the results. Slide 8. In Slide 8, our Q1 production for both gold and silver was negatively impacted by lower grade and slight lower tonnage throughput at our San Jose Mine in Mexico. San Jose production in the quarter deviated from the annual plan to accommodate two initiatives, pillar recoveries and a pilot test for long haul stoping. These changes to the plant temporarily forced mining into higher risk areas from the perspective of great predictability and mining dilution, leading to lower grades in the quarter. This issue has been addressed and corrected in late Q1. And now that we have withdrawn 2020 guidance, we plan for grades to be in line with the base assumptions of our 2020 guidance for the remainder of the year. For the second quarter of this year, we expect a significant drop in silver and gold production as a result of the Mexican COVID response plan which mandated an industrywide stoppage, which at the San Jose Mine came into effect on April 2. Based on the recently published government guidelines, mining has been included in the list of potential industry and is expected to resume operations either on May 18 or June 1. The date for each operation will depend on a government regional assessment of the virus contagion. At this moment, the government has not provided any further guidance. Slide 9. Under Slide 9, silver accounted for 52% of sales and gold for 29% for a combined 81% precious metals contribution. Silver price was a lower cost during the quarter. We realized an average price of $16.30 per ounce for silver, but priced at the end of Q1 closed at slightly below $14 or $13.90. Silver spot price today covers back around $16.5. Coal continues to show a steadfast performance with prices today trying to build a solid base above 1,700 compared to 1,570 for the quarter. Slide 10. We'll give it a minute for the presentation to update to the new slide. On the Slide 10. Compared to a year ago, sales dropped by 11.5 million, negatively impacted by the previously described lower metal production, lower by-product base metal prices and commercial terms for our concentrates. Our EBITDA was hit primarily by the lower sales. The adjusted net loss was deepened by negative 2.6 million in our income tax provision as a result of the devaluation of the Mexican peso, and a 1.2 million dividend withholding tax. Slide 11. San Jose all-in sustaining cost was driven higher by lower metal production. But on a cost per-tonne basis, we were in line with our budget at $71 per tonne. Caylloma, all-in sustaining cost was driven higher by lower zinc and lead prices, which were down 20% and 8%, respectively. Cost on a per-tonne basis were in line with our budgets at approximately $80. Here, we're still waiting for the slide to upload. Here we're still waiting for the slide to upload, I don't know if everybody is seeing the same slide in the presentation. I move onto Slide 12. Moving on to Slide 12. In the quarter, we reported consolidated capital expenditures of 26.6 million. The bulk of this, of course, related to our Lindero project construction and commissioning activities accounting for 21.4 million. On Slide 13 of the presentation. We share our project pipeline here. I can highlight once again the relevance of our Lindero project to our low cost coal production growth. On Slide 14 of the presentation. On May 8, we disseminated a comprehensive news release updating the market on our plans to resume construction activities at Lindero. We also provided guidance on our revised construction and commissioning time lines, which take into consideration COVID-related restrictions and limitations. The construction workforce is mobilizing back to site in the second half of May. We plan to initiate ore stacking in the leach pad in July, with the aim of producing first gold as part of the commissioning and ramp-up phase starting in September and going until December. During this period, gold related production is estimated in the range of 25,000 to 28,000 ounces. On Slide 15, the project completion stands at 94% as of March 19, the date project demobilization took place. We are working to have our full construction workforce operational on site by early June. For the start of commissioning and initial ramp-up, we plan to bypass the tertiary HPGR crushing circuit with an agglomeration. This means we will be placing secondary crush ore on the leach pad until November when the tertiary crushing circuit is scheduled to come online. The objective of this bypass plan is to remove the risk to initial production of commission in the HPGR under a tight time line without on-site vendor support. This plan will also allow to reduce parallel activities, allowing a better concentration of resources on completion and commissioning of solution handling ADR and SART plant. Our remaining project funding requirements for capex, preproduction, working capital and VAT stand at 75 to 80 million. Following, we have a series of recent pictures from our construction. In my computer here, the presentation has frozen on one of the early slides. So, I don't know if that's the case for everybody, but I would apologize if that is the case. But I will now turn the presentation to Luis who can provide further details on our financial results. Luis Dario Ganoza -- Chief Financial and Compliance Officer Thank you, Jorge. I'll make reference to Slide 20 of the webcast. As Jorge has described, sales were impacted mainly by lower production at San Jose, a sharp drop in base metal prices, treatment and refining charges and quarter end silver price adjustments. Compared to the first quarter of 2019, sales fell 11.5 million. The net loss of $4.5 million and the adjusted net loss of $2.2 million are the result of a decrease in sales combined with an unusually high income tax provision for the period. Free cash flow from ongoing operations for the quarter was $14.2 million, a strong increase over the same quarter in 2019. The increase was due primarily to positive changes in working capital of $9.5 million compared to negative changes in the first quarter of 2019, as well as lower capital expenditures in 2020. On the next slide, Slide 21. As mentioned before, the main component of the drop in sales was lower precious metal production, in particular, the effect of gold at San Jose. The negative sales adjustments of $2.8 million correspond to the drop in silver, zinc and lead prices at the end of March, which, when combined with a positive price effect of $1 million, results in a negative impact on metal prices of $1.8 million. The negative impact of treatment and refining charges reflects a deterioration of commercial terms for zinc and lead concentrate in 2020. On to next slide, Slide 22. Our adjusted operating income was $5.5 million. The effect from lower sales was mitigated by lower G&A of $2.9 million and a foreign exchange gain on an adjusted basis of $1.9 million. This is after adjusting for a $3.2 million loss related to the devaluation of the Argentine peso. The detail of these adjustments are shown on the appendix section on Slide 29 of the webcast. As a separate note, we also recorded in the quarter $1.1 million of Argentine peso-denominated investment gains, which partially offset the negative impact that the devaluation of the peso continues to have on our VAT receivables at the Lindero project. Cash costs, both San Jose and Caylloma were mostly within similar levels as in 2019 and the falling EBITDA both operations was mainly a result of lower sales. This effect was more pronounced at Caylloma, which recorded a sharper drop in EBITDA associated with a larger fall in sales when compared to 2019. On to Slide 23. Total G&A was $3.6 million, which was $2.9 million below 2019. G&A for corporate and subsidiaries taken together was $0.3 million lower than Q1 2019, while the main reduction came from a credit in share-based payments of $1.4 million, as shown in the table, compared to a charge of $1.3 million in 2019. Our effective tax rate in the quarter reflects the impact, as Jorge mentioned, of the devaluation of the Mexican peso. To a large extent, this impact is on the deferred component of the income tax provision. As we know, under IFRS, the calculation of the income tax is subject to the volatility of foreign exchange. And we estimate this effect at around $2.6 million. Additionally, there was a onetime charge in the quarter related to $1.25 million of withholding taxes. On to next slide, Slide 24. Here also, as mentioned by Jorge, we have taken measures to strengthen our balance sheet, preserve liquidity and address the impact of the suspension of operations at San Jose on our financial covenants. We expect that these budget reductions of $12 million in capex and brownfield exploration and $11 million in operating and corporate expenses will be constantly reassessed over the coming months as the overall situation related to the pandemic and commodity prices evolve. Our cash liquidity position at the end of the quarter was $88.5 million. Thank you, and back to you, Carlos. Carlos Baca -- Investor Relations Manager Thank you, Luis. As noted at the beginning of the call, Fortuna is in the midst of a public offering of its securities. Accordingly, management will not be taking any questions today. I would like to thank everyone for listening to today's earnings call, and we look forward to you joining us next quarter. Duration: 25 minutes Call participants: Carlos Baca -- Investor Relations Manager Jorge Ganoza -- Chief Executive Officer Luis Dario Ganoza -- Chief Financial and Compliance Officer More FSM analysis All earnings call transcripts 16.05.2020 LISTEN As the entire world makes effort to observe the 2020 International Day of Families amid the deadly Coronavirus, the Henry Djaba Foundation is calling on Government to make special allocation in the National COVID-19 Trust Fund to support Persons with Disability (PWDs) who have lost their income as a result of the pandemic. The Foundation is also requesting the Government to consider the PWDs in the disbursement of the Six Hundred Million (GH600 million) stimulus package to enable them start-up or expand their Small and Medium Enterprises. According to the Executive Director of the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation, Dr. Otiko Afisah Djaba in a statement issued in Accra, the COVID-19 pandemic had sharply revealed the need for Ghana to invest heavily in social policies to protect the most vulnerable groups and families. The Former Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection hinted of the devastating effects of COVID-19 on most PWDs- majority of whom are jobless, parents with children and are without any sources of income. She urged the Government to pay special attention to, and support parents of children with disabilities who experience a whole set of added challenges in ensuring their children's welfare. She said that most of the PWDs who are parents could not help but to bear the brunt of the COVID-19 crisis by feeding, sheltering and caring for their children/families, yet there is no clear-cut sustainable support from the Government to those vulnerable groups. Dr. Otiko Djaba specially acknowledged one Baba Imoro, a PWD at Santa Maria, who in spite of his disability had assumed the responsibility of caring for his four (4) children after his wife abandoned the marriage. The Executive Director of the Henry Djaba Memorial Foundation, on the other hand, raised serious concern about how most families had neglected the responsibility of caring and supporting their own members who have physical disabilities. She observed that families are supposed to be the main backbone or support system for people not excluding the PWDs. She consequently charged all families with persons with disability to show love, care and support at all times. Dr. Otiko Djaba also paid special tribute to all families that give protection, love and care to persons with disability despite the stigmatisation. Meanwhile, this years International Day of Families is under the theme: Families in Development: Copenhagen & Beijing+25. The Day was set aside by the United Nations General Assembly in 1994, to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase knowledge of the social and economic issues that affect families worldwide. Dr. Otiko Djaba said, Families in Ghana and across the world are the foundation of society. Most of the formative years of our lives are spent growing up with our families. Family is not always blood relations alone. It is also about people who have impacted your life, or the ones who accept you for who you are. Family is about the one you love and the one who loves you no matter what. Family indeed is considered as bedrock of all social life and when it comes to old age, sickness and any form of disability, family serves as social security both financially and emotionally. Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (28) The government says it prioritizes the accommodation of staff of the Ghana Armed Forces as part of the overall welfare package for them. According to the government, several infrastructural projects are at various stages of completion to ease the accommodation challenges of personnel. Deputy Minister for Defence, Major Derrick Oduro (Rtd) said conscious efforts have been made by the government to reduce the number of personnel who commute to the barracks daily for official duties. He was speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a Transit Quarters for Other Ranks by the Southern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces. The provision of decent accommodation for troops is necessary for effective administration in the Ghana Armed Forces. Government through the Military High Command has taken several steps towards improving the state of accommodation of the Armed Forces. These steps have gone a long way in solving the problem of accommodation deficits and reliving troops from the stress of commuting from outside the barracks to work. Government through my Ministry will continue to make troop accommodation a priority as parts of efforts at improving the general welfare of personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces, he said. ---citinewsroom Two top Democrats launched an investigation Saturday into a claim that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for the dismissal of a State Department Inspector General who had opened a probe into his conduct. Rep. Eliot L. Engel and Sen. Robert Menendez have told the Trump administration to preserve all records related to the Friday-night dismissal of Steve Linick in an open letter announcing the investigation. 'Reports indicated that Secretary Pompeo personally made the recommendation to fire Mr. Linick, and it is our understanding that he did so because the Inspector General had opened an investigation into the wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself,' the letter said. 'Such an action, transparently designed to protect Secretary Pompeo from personal accountability, would undermine the foundation of our democratic institutions and may be an illegal act of retaliation.' President Donald Trump fired Linick, an Obama administration appointee, late on Friday night but gave no reason for his ouster. Rep. Eliot L. Engel and Sen. Robert Menendez say President Trump may have engaged in an 'illegal act of retaliation' when he fired State Department Inspector General Steve Linick. They claim that the IG was fired at the recommendation of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, after a probe was launched by the state department about Pompeo's own conduct Rep. Eliot L. Engel (left) and Sen. Robert Menendez (right) told the administration Saturday that they were launching an investigation into the firing of the state department inspector general In a letter to Congress, Trump said Linick, who had held the job since 2013, no longer had his full confidence and that his removal would take effect in 30 days. Trump did not mention Linick by name in his letter. It is the latest in a series of moves against independent executive branch watchdogs who have found fault with the Trump administration. The move was met with immediate backlash as Democrats in Congress cried foul,. Engel, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was the first to suggest that Linick was fired in part in retaliation for opening an unspecified investigation into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. 'This firing is the outrageous act of a president trying to protect one of his most loyal supporters, the secretary of state, from accountability,' Engel said in a statement. 'I have learned that the Office of the Inspector General had opened an investigation into Secretary Pompeo. Mr. Linick's firing amid such a probe strongly suggests that this is an unlawful act of retaliation.' Engel offered no details of the investigation, although two congressional aides said it involved allegations that Pompeo may have improperly treated staff. According to a Democratic aide, Linick's office was looking into Pompeo's 'misuse of a political appointee' at the State Department to perform personal tasks for himself and his wife, New York Times reporter Edward Wong said. The New York Congressman announced his investigation into the firing with Menendez, a ranking member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, calling on administration officials to preserve all records related to the firing and to turn information over to the committees by Friday, May 22. 'President Trump's unprecedented removal of Inspector General Linick is only his latest sacking of an inspector general, our government's key independent watchdogs, from a federal agency,' the pair wrote. 'We unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing of inspector generals and the President's gutting of these critical positions.' The Democrats launched an investigation Saturday claim that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for the dismissal of State Department Inspector General Steve Linick who had opened a probe into his conduct. They say it was a move by Trump to protect Pompeo, pictured State Department Inspector General Steve Linick was dismissed late on Friday night. In a letter to Congress, Trump gave no reason for the dismissal but said he had lost confidence in the IG 'Shameful. Another late Friday night attack on independence, accountability, and career officials,' Menendez added in a tweet. 'At this point, the President's paralyzing fear of any oversight is undeniable.' Linick's office has issued several reports critical of the departments handling of personnel matters during the Trump administration, including accusing some political appointees of retaliating against career officials. 'If Inspector General Linick was fired because he was conducting an investigation of conduct by Secretary Pompeo, the Senate cannot let this stand,' said Democratic Senator Chris Murphy. 'The Senate Foreign Relations Committee must get to bottom of what happened here.' Rep. Eliot L. Engel and Sen. Robert Menendez published the letter above Saturday in which they said that Linick's firing 'would undermine the foundation of our democratic institutions and may be an illegal act of retaliation' if it was found to be a move to protect Pompeo Senator Menendez was among the first to slam the dismissal on social media House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also condemned Linick's ouster, saying he had been 'punished for honorably performing his duty to protect the Constitution and our national security.' 'The president must cease his pattern of reprisal and retaliation against the public servants who are working to keep Americans safe, particularly during this time of global emergency,' she added. Under Linick, the State Department's inspector general office was also critical of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's hiring freeze and attempts to streamline the agency by slashing its funding and personnel. Rep. Engel announced the launch pf the investigation on Twitter Engel added that it was an 'unprecented removal' and was only the 'latest sacking' Senator Menendez also shared the letter about the investigation on social media Linick, whose office took issue with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she served as America's top diplomat, played a minor role in the Ukraine impeachment investigation into Trump. In October, Linick turned over documents to House investigators that he had received from State Department Counselor T. Ulrich Brechbuhl, a close Pompeo associate, which contained information from debunked conspiracy theories about Ukraines role in the 2016 election. Linick will replaced by Stephen Akard, a former career foreign service officer who has close ties to Vice President Mike Pence, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Akard currently runs the department's Office of Foreign Missions. He had been nominated to be the director general of the foreign service but withdrew after objections he wasn't experienced enough. Trump has been taking aim lately at inspectors general. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and wife Susan Pompeo are seen at a state dinner in September. Linick was reportedly investigating whether they used an appointee to run errands Trump submitted this notice to Congress as required by law, and technically Linick's removal will not come into effect for 30 days. Democrats are now investigating the dismissal In April, he fired Michael Atkinson, the inspector general for the intelligence community, for his role in the whistleblower complaint that led to Trumps impeachment. Then Trump removed Glenn Fine as acting inspector general at the Defense Department. The move stripped him of his post as chairman of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, which is among those overseeing the vast economic relief law pass in response to the coronavirus. During a White House briefing on COVID-19, Trump questioned the independence of an inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services over a report that said there was a shortage of supplies and testing at hospitals. Trump has since moved to replace the HHS official, Christi A. Grimm. She is a career person who has held the position in an acting capacity, but now Trump has nominated a permanent replacement. By law, the administration must give Congress 30 days' notice of its plans to formally terminate an inspector general, in theory giving lawmakers time to study and potentially protest the move. But previous such firings have gone through unimpeded, and inspectors general previously dismissed have been replaced by political allies of the president. Pompeo, Washington's top diplomat, has raised eyebrows for frequently traveling the world on his government plane with his wife, who has no official role. CNN reported last year that a whistle blower had complained that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, which guards US missions overseas as well as the secretary of state, had been assigned questionable tasks for the Pompeos, such as picking up takeout food or tending to the family dog. The State Department confirmed Linick's firing but did not comment on the reason or on whether Pompeo was under investigation. Shimla: Heavy rains claimed one more life in Himachal Pradeshs Kangra district, taking the toll to 25 even as a 44-year-old bridge was washed away by raging floodwaters. Kandrori bridge, the 160-metre bridge built in 1972, connected Nurpur area in the district with Punjab. Eight pillars of the bridge were completely washed away yesterday. However, no was was injured in the incident, police said. Traffic was diverted via Kathgarh and Malot link roads. A road leading to Mallot bridge was also damaged by rains, SDM, Nurpur, Rakesh Prajapati said. A school girl was yesterday swept away in a flooded nallah in the district even as another girl was rescued from a drain in Chamba, police said. A man trapped in a ravine was rescued by a joint team of police and the district administration after 10 hours. So far, 25 people have been killed in rain-related incidents in the state, officials said. Heavy rains hit Kangra, Hamirpur and Bilaspur districts, inundating the low-lying areas and disrupting water and power supply. The districts gauged 42 to 217 mm of rains. With this, the rain deficit for the period between June 1 to August 12 has been reduced to 13 per cent. Six districts in the state have had excess precipitation. The weatherman has warned of more rains in the state tomorrow. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Just before the coronavirus arrived in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced serious challenges, perhaps the biggest of his tenure. Antigovernment protests roiled the country. Hindu-Muslim riots exploded in the capital just as President Trump was visiting. And Indias once-hot economy was slumping, shedding millions of jobs and casting a pall over the entire country. Since then, as the world has been walloped by the coronavirus pandemic, many of these problems in India, especially the economic ones, have gotten worse. But once again, India has rallied around Mr. Modi, with recent opinion polls showing his already high approval ratings touching 80, even 90, percent. Analysts say that Mr. Modis success may be durable. His nationwide lockdown, which he dropped on the country with four hours notice, has been largely obeyed. He never played down the virus threat or said India had capabilities it did not. And unlike in the United States, where partisan politics has gummed up the response, analysts say Mr. Modi has worked well with state-level officials across India. It has not been a spotless performance. Mr. Modis government was caught off guard by an exodus of migrant workers from Indias cities, making desperate and sometimes fatal journeys hundreds of miles home. (On Saturday, more than 20 migrants were killed in a truck crash as they traveled home.) Many economists believe that an $260 billion relief package that he announced this week will hardly be enough. Bolsonaro had earlier fired Teich's predecessor, Mandetta, on April 16, after disagreements over efforts to contain the new coronavirus Brazil's outgoing Health Minister Nelson Teich gives a thumbs up before a news conference at the Health Ministry headquarters in Brasilia. (AP) Sao Paulo: Brazil's health minister resigned Friday after less than a month on the job in a sign of continuing upheaval over how the nation should battle the coronavirus pandemic, quitting a day after president Jair Bolsonaro stepped up pressure on him to expand use of the antimalarial drug chloroquine in treating patients. Dr Nelson Teich, an oncologist and health care consultant, took the job on April 17, and was faced with the task of aligning the ministry's actions with the president's view that Brazil's economy must not be destroyed by restrictions to control spread of the virus. Teich's predecessor, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, also had rejected the use of chloroquine, which also had been touted by U.S. president Donald Trump as a treatment. Officials say more than 13,000 people have died in Brazil from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, though some experts say the figure is significantly higher due to insufficient testing. The peak of the crisis has yet to hit Latin America's largest nation, experts say. Gen. Eduardo Pazuello, who had no health experience until he became the Health Ministry's No. 2 official in April, will be the interim minister until Bolsonaro chooses a replacement. Brazilian media have said that Teich's ability to do his job had been weakened by the appointment of dozens of military personnel to jobs in the ministry. "Life is made up of choices and today I decided to leave," Teich told journalists in capital Brasilia. He did not explain why he left the job and refused to answer questions. Teich's resignation came one day after Bolsonaro told business leaders in a video conference he would ease rules for use of chloroquine to treat people infected with the coronavirus. Teich has frequently called use of the drug an uncertainty, and this week warned of its side effects. The Health Ministry previously allowed chloroquine to be used in coronavirus cases only for patients hospitalized in serious condition. At Bolsonaro's urging, the country's Army Chemical and Pharmaceutical Laboratory boosted chloroquine production in late March. Researchers last month reported no benefit in a large analysis of the drug or a related substance, hydroxychloroquine, in U.S. hospitals for veterans. Last month, scientists in Brazil stopped part of a study of chloroquine after heart rhythm problems developed in one quarter of people given the higher of two doses being tested. Governors who have recommended quarantine measures and refrained from touting the drug's unproven potential said Teich's resignation reflects Bolsonaro's failure to manage the pandemic. Rio de Janeiro Gov. Wilson Witzel, a former ally of Bolsonaro, said no one can do serious work with interference in ministries." "That is why governors and mayors need to lead the pandemic crisis, and not you, Mr. President," Witzel said on Twitter. The governor of Ceara, one of Brazil's most hard-hit states, said Teich's exit brings enormous insecurity and concern. "It is unacceptable that in the face of this serious health crisis, the focus of the government is still on political and ideological discussions. That is an affront to the nation," Camilo Santana said. Bolsonaro fired Teich's predecessor, Mandetta, on April 16 after disagreements over efforts to contain the new coronavirus. The president opposed governors' quarantine recommendations and restrictions on businesses, was eager to resume economic activity and warned failure to do so would cause Brazil to descend into chaos. Mandetta had sided with the governors and became the embodiment of challenges to Bolsonaro's position. Teich took office pledging to balance health care concerns and the president's economic worries. He did not openly challenge the president's views, but did defend stay-at-home measures. Miguel Lago, executive director of Brazil's non-profit Institute for Health Policy Studies, which advises public health officials, said Teich wasn't able to build his own team, didn't have Mandetta's political strength and wasn't willing to violate the scientific recommendations. He clearly had limitations, Lago said. He would not challenge what has been consensus among the scientific community. He would never accept the chloroquine thing that Bolsonaro wanted him to do, to recommend publicly that chloroquine was a remedy to be used in the public health system. Risk consultancy Eurasia Group noted that while governors play a key role in responding to the virus, the Ministry of Health coordinates between states and ensures that medical equipment is distributed to states with more need. The capacity of an effective coordinating role looks to have dropped with Mandetta's exit, analyst Filipe Gruppelli Carvalho said. Ultimately, Teich's dismissal reinforces our view of increasing risks from the government's poor response to the pandemic, which could contribute to a weaker presidency and decline in support for Bolsonaro in the post-pandemic phase, he said. After Teich's resignation was announced, pot-banging protests were heard in different regions of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Brooke Shields has been enduring her home quarantine with her husband Chris Henchy and their two teenage daughters in New York City. And on Friday, the actress, 54, stepped out for a brief reprieve from sequester and got a welcome visit from a female friend who stopped by to give her a bag of candy as she sat on her front stoop. Feeling the love during these uncertain times, Shields graciously thanked her and then crossed her fingers in the good luck sign. Good luck charm: Brooke Shields, 54, crossed her fingers in a good luck sign after a female friend stopped by to give her a bag of candy while she sat on her front stoop in New York City With the temperatures finally rising in Manhattan, the former child star was enjoying some fresh air when the woman dropped by with her sweet delivery. The mother of two shunned the quarantine go-to fashion of sweatpants, and instead opted for casual-cool in dark blue jeans and a brown-patterned sweater. On this day she wore her dark brown tresses long, straight and flowing with a part on the slight right. Quarantine breather: Shields embraced her bags of sweets after graciously thanking her gal pal for the gift Friday was also a day of celebration and remembrance in the Shields-Hency household. The Suddenly Susan star took to Instagram in the afternoon and posted one of her classic cover-photos from the 1980s in honor of late photographer Richard Avedon's birthday. '@SelfMagazine, October 1988. Photographed by #RichardAvedon,' she wrote in the caption before adding, 'remembering the legendary photographer today on his birthday.' Avedon, a New York City native, died October 1, 2004 at the age of 81. An obituary published in The New York Times gushed over his life's work and said 'his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century.' The actress-model posted a throwback snap of her Self magazine cover-photo in honor of late photographer Richard Avedon's birthday Iconic: Richard Avedon, a New York City native, died October 1, 2004 at the age of 81; he is pictured in Manhattan 11 months before his passing A few hours later, the Pretty Baby star shared a couple of throwback photos of her oldest daughter Rowan for her 17th birthday. The first two images showed the doting mom playing with her daughter during bath-time when she was a toddler. 'Look how grown up my baby has become,' she began in the caption. 'Happy Birthday to my Smart, Beautiful, Kind, Generous, Discerning, Strong, Funny, Cheeky, Loyal, Versatile, Courageous, Unstoppable, No BS daughter. You truly inspire me. Love, Mama.' She also shared a recent photo of Rowan as a grown woman, with the mother and daughter both decked out in beautiful dresses. Shields and her husband also has a 14-year-old daughter named Grier. Happy birthday: The Pretty Baby star also shared a couple of throwback photos of her oldest daughter Rowan for her 17th birthday Throwback: Two of the photos were of Rowan when she was a toddler Bengaluru, May 17 : Ten special trains ferried 12,681 migrant workers to their respective home states amid the nationwide lockdown from Karnataka, an official said on Saturday. "Saturday's first Shramik special train from South Western Railway (SWR) zone overall second from Mysuru division and 55th from SWR has left Kabakaputtur at 2 p.m. with 1,520 passengers for Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh," said a SWR zone official. Saturday's second train with 1,520 migrants departed at 3.08 p.m. for Ashokapuram in Mysuru to Gorkahpur in UP. The third special train departed Malur station for Darbhanga in Bihar at 4.50 p.m. with 1,457 migrants. The fourth train left Chikka Bannavara station for Nargundi in Odisha at 4.30 p.m. with 1,518 passengers. The fifth train from Chikka Bannavara left for Lucknow at 6 p.m. with 1,515 migrants. The sixth special train left at 7.15 p.m. from Malur to Purnia in Bihar with 1,299 migrants. Saturday's seventh special train left Chikka Bannavara station to Malda Town in West Bengal at 8 p.m. with 985 passengers. The eighth special train from Hubli division left Ballari station for Saharsa in Bihar at 9.25 p.m. with 1,395 passengers. Ninth train departed Chikka Bannavara station for Nergundi in Odisha at 10.05 p.m. with 1,278 passengers. Saturday's tenth train and last train left Malur for Dhanbad in Jhakhand with 1,472 passengers at 9.05 p.m. "Total 10 trains from SWR on Saturday. Overall count 64 now," said an official. The SWR zone has operated 64 special trains so far to transport migrants back home. The special trains are being run following the Union Ministry of Home Affairs permission for the movement of stranded migrant labourers, workers, students, tourists and others. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order Friday, May 15 to allow laboratory research to resume. The reopening of laboratory research in Michigan marks another step toward reopening our economy and getting Michiganders back to work, Whitmer said in a written statement. Related: Michigan surpasses 50k confirmed cases of coronavirus The order allows labs to reopen but with precautionary measures in place. They must adhere to the following safeguards: Assigning dedicated entry point(s) and/or times into lab buildings. Conducting a daily entry screening protocol for workers, contractors, suppliers, and any other individuals entering a worksite, including a questionnaire covering symptoms and suspected or confirmed exposure to people with possible COVID-19 infections, together with, if possible, a temperature screening. Creating protocols and/or checklists to conform to the facilitys COVID-19 preparedness and response plan and training workers to adhere to the plan. Suspending all non-essential in-person visitors, including visiting scholars and undergraduate students, until further notice. Training workers on the proper use of lab protection and personal protective equipment. Establishing and implementing a plan for distributing face coverings. Creating capacity limits for labs. Closing open workspaces, cafeterias and conference rooms. Including tape on the floor to mark workspaces for 6-foot distances in labs and create one-way traffic flow where possible. Requiring all office and dry lab work to be conducted remotely. Minimizing the use of shared lab equipment and shared lab tools and creating protocols for disinfecting lab equipment and lab tools. Providing disinfecting wipes and requiring workers to wipe down their workstations at least twice daily. Implementing an audit and compliance procedure to ensure cleaning criteria are followed. Establishing a clear reporting process for any symptomatic individual or any individual with a confirmed case of COVID-19, including the notification of lab leaders and the maintenance of a central log. Cleaning and disinfecting the work site when a worker is sent home with symptoms or with a confirmed case of COVID-19. Sending any potentially exposed co-workers home if there is a positive case in the facility. This partial and incremental reopening will allow my public health team to evaluate the effects of allowing these activities to resume, assess the capacity of the health care system to respond adequately to any increases in infections, and prepare for any increases in patients,'' Whitmer said. On Friday, Michigan health officials reported 50,079 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 4,825 deaths. COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. Related stories: Coronavirus prompts projected $3.2B drop in Michigan tax revenue, more losses expected 92 percent of Michigans unemployed workers receiving share of $5.6B in benefits Michigans unemployment system is better than most states, but thats cold comfort for those it failed Friday, May 15: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex have been on the move quite a bit lately. In the time span of just a few short years, the couple has moved from their cozy cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace in London to Windsor, England, before spending some time in Canada. Finally, they made the big move across the pond to Los Angeles, California following their unexpected exit from the royal family. Meghan and Prince Harry are a famously private couple, known for keeping important details of their lives under wraps and expressing their desire to have their young son, Archie Harrison, grow up to experience a normal life out of the spotlight of the royal family. As they settle into their new life in California, speculation has been at an all-time high as to how things will pan out for the duke and duchess. They have been said to have been looking at and considering different houses in various neighborhoods, and are reportedly eyeing a very posh area. Here is how Prince Harry and Meghans potential move to Malibu could protect Baby Archie. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry move around a lot Although Meghan herself is a California native, Prince Harry has called the United Kingdom home since the day he was born. When the two of them entered into a serious relationship, Meghan, who was living in Toronto at the time, packed her bags and moved to London to be with Prince Harry. They lived at Nottingham Cottage for a while, and after getting married, they moved to the countryside town of Windsor. After announcing their plans to step down from royal duties, Meghan and Prince Harry, along with Baby Archie, decided to go to Canada for a few months, and many fans actually thought that the move there would be permanent. According to the LA Times, they instead decided to head to Meghans home town of Los Angeles, leaving England and Canada behind in favor of a warm, sunny new environment where they could finally have the life that they have wanted and deserved for such a long time. Meghan and Prince Harry get a fresh start Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Karwai Tang/WireImage There is no doubt that Meghan is excited to be back in California, the place where she was born and raised. Her mother, Doria Ragland, is nearby, and she is surely excited to show Prince Harry around town. So, where are they now? According to AJC, the couple is staying at a home in Beverly Hills, although not too many details are known. They are looking at some different places to live permanently, with hopes of staying out of the limelight and far away from photographers as they embark on the newest chapter of their lives. Prince Harry and Meghans move to Malibu could protect Baby Archie Most people can only dream of living in Malibu, but for Meghan and Prince Harry, this could soon be a reality. Marie Claire reports that they are considering purchasing a Malibu home, which would be amazing for so many reasons. Most of all, the move could protect baby Archie, which is a huge priority for the duke and duchess. How is this? Malibu has strict rules when it comes to paparazzi, so chances are, Meghan and Prince Harry wont be hounded as much if that is where they decide to move. Even more, there are laws regarding taking pictures of children under 16, which is perfect for the Sussex family. They want to shield Archie from the chaos that they were experiencing in England, and it looks as though they are weighing all of their options to make sure that they make the right decision. Meghan, Prince Harry, Archie, and any children that they may have in the future can live the peaceful life that they are after without having to constantly worry about the relentless paparazzi that they are trying to get away from. WATERVLIET City school officials expected to know Friday night if they would have to deal with a catastrophic cut in state aid cuts caused by revenue losses from the coronavirus pandemic, but like every other school district in New York officials here ended the day with no word on how much money is coming. District officials believe they could lose between 10 and 20 percent of their state aid and expected to have a definitive number from the state in time for a planned meeting Friday where the district expected to discuss the budget residents will vote on on June 9. "Weve held off presenting a proposed budget as long as we could in hopes of receiving final state aid numbers from the Department of the Budget. Unfortunately, that hasnt happened, Superintendent Lori Caplan said during Friday nights special budget workshop held by the city Board of Education. The Watervliet City School District relies on state aid to pay for 70 percent of its budget. It relies more heavily on state support than many neighboring urban districts where state aid accounts for 50 percent to 55 percent of revenues. District officials reviewed a budget of about $28.1 million for the upcoming 2020-21 school year. It included a 1.9 percent increase to the tax levy, which would pay for 25 percent of the budget while remaining under the state tax cap. But the district had to trim $1.01 million in expenses by not filling the equivalent of five full-time positions and a part-time position as well as by moving two jobs into federal funded program. Other trims were made too. Were doing all that we can to preserve programs for children, trying to avoid layoffs for teachers and staff while remaining fiscally responsible to our taxpayers in the city, Caplan said. Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage A loss of 20 percent in state aid would translate into a cut of about $3.9 million in the district's basic state aid. It will be devastating, Caplan said. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Now, district officials are pondering their next steps given they dont have all the fiscal facts. We cannot create a budget without knowing how much we have to spend, said Keith Heid, the district's business manager. Again, I reiterate, 70 percent of our budget is dependent upon state aid. If we dont have that final number theres no way I can tell the board, Dr. Caplan or the public how much we need to cut, Heid said. School districts had been waiting for the state to report on aid reductions and need it in time to adopt budgets next week. Watervliet district officials will work on a final budget proposal to present the school board on Tuesday for approval. What happens will depend in part on what they hear from the state. The son of a man who died from complications with the coronavirus at a beleaguered nursing home has filed a class action lawsuit against the facility, alleging rampant negligence caused the mans death, along with at least 80 other residents so far. Bernard Maglioli, son of Joseph Maglioli, filed the individual and class action lawsuit April 28 in Sussex County Superior Court, alleging widespread malpractice and negligence on the part of Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II, the homes management and its owners Chaim Mutty Scheinbaum and Louis Schwartz. Mr. Magliolis death and that of the other residents/patients were a direct result of defendants failures to take measures to protect them at the facilities from the deadly Covid-19 virus, and/or medical malpractice, the lawsuit says. Joseph Magliolis cause of death was confirmed as infection from COVID-19, according to the suit. The lawsuit claims that nursing home management should have been aware of the coronavirus as far back as January and of nursing home residents particular susceptibility to the virus, citing reports of some of the nations first deaths coming from nursing homes in Seattle, Washington. But, the lawsuit alleges, the centers management did not prepare. Despite these facts, defendants failed to take the proper steps to protect the residents and/or patients at their facilities from the Covid-19 virus, the suit said. In a statement, Scheinbaum reiterated claims that the facility had taken steps like social distancing and separating sick patients to mitigate the crisis, but acknowledged the difficulties of containing a spread within a nursing home. He did not comment on the lawsuit. Despite all our efforts, the virus made its way into our facility, as it did in the majority of long-term care facilities across the state, Scheinbaum said. No matter how vigilant a nursing facility is or how well it prepares, the reality is that nursing homes are not physically designed to manage pandemics, and their populations are by definition particularly susceptible to COVID-19. Once the virus enters a nursing home, it can have devastating effects. The lawsuit also claims that the centers management initially provided masks only to registered nurses, ignoring other staff who interacted with residents, including nursing assistants, housekeepers and therapists. In previous interviews with NJ Advance Media, a former and current nurse at the homes larger building, Andover II, both claimed that when the Sussex County Sheriffs Office dropped off a shipment of personal protective equipment, it was all kept under lock and key. Scheinbaums statement did not address these allegations. We do not comment on pending litigation, former state Attorney General Christopher Porrino, Scheinbaums attorney, said in a statement. As part of the class action claim, the suit also asks whether the center allegedly permitting visitors and employees to come to work without temperature checks or without requiring them to wear protective masks or gear exacerbated the outbreak. The nursing home, one of the lower-rated in the nation by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, consists of Andover I on one side of Mulford Road, and Andover II the epicenter of the homes coronavirus outbreak on the other. Andover II, the larger building, has 543 beds and houses dementia and Alzheimers disease patients and residents with mental health issues. The sprawling facility was cast into the national spotlight when a makeshift morgue crammed with 17 bodies was discovered the day after Easter Sunday. Since the discovery, the nursing home has remained one of the hardest hit of a long list of long term care facilities and nursing homes ravaged by the virus. As of May 13, there have been 241 cases of the coronavirus and 74 deaths linked to the coronavirus at Andover, according to state department of health data. Although not commenting directly on the lawsuit, the homes administrator Cynthia Bradford wrote in a column for NJ Advance Media on Tuesday that she took issue with media coverage of the centers response to the coronavirus outbreak, saying that many reports had unfairly suggested that there had been mismanagement. The truth is, Andover consists of a first-rate team of employees who risk their own health and well-being to serve our most vulnerable, Bradford wrote. According to Bradford, the home took proactive steps in the early days of the pandemic to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, including forming a COVID-19 committee to address staffing and supplies of PPE. But along with claims that PPE was kept from staff, former and current nurses also told NJ Advance Media that they had been working with a skeleton crew as recently as early April. Last week, Governor Phil Murphy announced that 22 National Guardsmen would be deployed to help Andover with non-medical needs, including basic staffing and cleaning. The class action suit includes 83 unnamed plaintiffs, but says there may be more forthcoming. The family of a woman who died at the facility after contracting the coronavirus has retained an attorney who said he plans to file a lawsuit against the facility alleging wrongful death, professional malpractice and mishandling of a corpse. 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. Follow him on Twitter @rodrigotorrejon. Brandin Cooks joined a new team in April. Hell have a new addition to his family after announcing he and his wife, Briannon, are expecting their first child. Cooks, who was traded to the Houston Texans after spending the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, posted an emotional tribute to his wife. Cooks praised his wife after she underwent in vitro fertilization, which included multiple injections. Cooks posted a tribute to Briannon on his Instagram account, saying in part, I watched you take 200+ shots in a 5-month span! and placing the needles in a circle. Inside the circle was an ultrasound image of the baby and a onesie with the words Worth every shot. Cooks added his wife is a warrior in so many ways" and said Briannon has carried the family in so many ways you will never understand. -- Geoffrey C. Arnold | @geoffreyCarnold Donald Trump has vowed to "remedy" what he called the "command and control" of social media and web giants Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google by what he called the "Radical Left". Commenting on a video showing part of a speech by Michelle Malkin, who has been criticised for backing white nationalist activists, the president said the websites were involved in an "illegal situation", although he declined to say what that was. He wrote: "The Radical Left is in total command & control of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google. The Administration is working to remedy this illegal situation. Stay tuned, and send names & events. Thank you Michelle!" Ms Malkin was dropped by the Young America's Foundation, a conservative youth group, following her defence of Nick Fuentes, who has been accused of being a Holocaust denier and white nationalist. Mr Trump made his comments on Saturday morning as part of a string of attacks on the media, his predecessor Barack Obama and other political opponents. Meanwhile the death toll from the coronavirus in the US stood at more than 88,000, with 1.4 million cases. This is not the first time that the president has threatened social media and technology firms. In June 2019 he said the US government should sue them after complaining that they unfairly suppress his message. Those comments were made on the same day that Congress heard from Facebook, Google and Twitter about misinformation end extremist content spread online. Speaking on Fox Business, the president said: "Twitter is just terrible, what they do. They dont let you get the word out. Ill tell you what, they should be sued because of whats happening with the bias." Mr Trump currently has just under 80 million followers on Twitter and posts prolifically. In the past he has accused Twitter of deliberately limiting his number of followers. Montgomery County is hurrying to set up a system to disburse the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funds for residents facing eviction due to loss of income stemming from the pandemic. In what is the first of possibly multiple rounds in financial relief, a little more than $1.6 million is expected for those with back-due rent or utilities through the countys Community Development Block Grant-CoronaVirus. COVID-19 CHANGES: Montgomery County gyms pump up for reopening This is gonna be a good bit of money, said Montgomery County Community Development Director Joanne Ducharme. This will benefit those who can prove they lost their jobs or were furloughed during the virus-related disaster declarations, Ducharme said. About another $775,000 in relief for the homeless has also been received in allocated funding as part of the Emergency Solution Grant-CV, she added. Distributing help This relief package comes as residents have been reaching out to Ducharmes staff worried about letters their landlords have sent them notifying them they will start eviction proceedings when courts reopen dockets on June 1 by order of the Supreme Court of Texas. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Texas reports massive jump in COVID-19 cases in single day Weve already started getting a gajillion calls from people, she said. My case managers are anecdotally sending me emails and texts going, Oh my God, these numbers are just going crazy. Ducharmes department ran a survey on 255 nonprofits, confirming the two biggest community needs are rent and utilities. Her staff on Friday began the process of determining how to distribute the money to landlords through nonprofits, preferably as soon as next month. If thats optimistic, it actually could be July. We are shooting for June, by the end of June, because we know that the landlords are moving quickly, Ducharme said. ABBOTT: Bars, day cares and sports can return under phase 2 of reopening Texas Her team is looking at six nonprofits, selecting those with rent and utility assistance built in and the capacity to handle distribution efficiently and expediently countywide or in specific areas. Process to evict The need for rent relief is made all the more urgent by state law. Hearings on evictions filed during the disaster declaration will resume. Property owners have been able to file for eviction all the time the justice of the peace courts were closed to the public beginning the week after the states declared disaster, though court dates were not set. The eviction process is restarting Monday for those who were delinquent on rent before any disaster declaration was issued. MORNING REPORT: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox Were just gonna be slammed with so many of them, is our feeling, said Montgomery County Precinct 2 Constables Deputy Tom Wolff. Evictions will be served beginning May 25 on tenants a judge ruled against before any disaster declaration. Constables deputies like Wolff will notify tenants they need to vacate the property. However, Montgomery County Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Judge Wayne Mack, who presides over such cases, said the current timeline on court settings may change based on how the COVID-19 outbreak develops. This is a very fluid thing. They can say, open courts June 1, and then if we have a spike in cases and (Gov. Greg Abbott) takes some kind of action, then go back to where were currently at, Mack said. Better turnout Mack is advising tenants having trouble paying their rent to explain their situation to their landlords. Everybody needs to communicate with their landlords. Landlords need to know and (tenants) need to be making arrangements with their landlords, Mack said. Meanwhile, Ducharme said she understands many residents are frustrated at what she described as a slow pace of movement on hurricane and flood recovery money, but she wants to assure those in need that the CARES Act funding will turn out better. This moneys coming down in a different way from the feds. It is going to come out much, much faster, Ducharme said. Dont lose hope. jose.gonzalez@chron.com twitter.com/jrgzztx The accords seek to establish safety zones that would surround future moon bases to prevent what the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration called harmful interference from rival countries or companies operating in close proximity. They would also permit companies to own the lunar resources they mine, a crucial element in allowing NASA contractors to convert the moons water ice for rocket fuel or mine lunar minerals to construct landing pads. The accords are a key part of NASAs effort to court allies around its plan to build a long-term presence on the lunar surface under its Artemis moon programme. What were doing is we are implementing the Outer Space Treaty with the Artemis Accords, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine told Reuters, referring to a 1967 international pact that emphasizes that space should be used for peaceful rather than military uses. The framework will be used as an incentive for nations to adhere to U.S. norms of behaviour in space, he added. It applies to low Earth orbit, it applies to the moon as well, Bridenstine said. The accords also require countries to adopt standards of the United Nations Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines which govern the prevention of hazardous space debris and the Registration Convention, which would require countries to provide orbital details of their space objects. The U.S. Congress passed a law in 2015 allowing companies to own the resources they mine in outer space, but no such laws exist in the international community. The Artemis Accords, consistent with the Trump administrations space policy, appear to clear the way for companies to mine the moon under international law and urge countries to enact similar national laws that would bind their private sectors space operations. Why would private companies take the risk of going to mine resources if the legal situation was they could be kept from owning them? Lori Garver, former deputy administrator of NASA, said to Reuters. So anything this does to clear any of that up could really help advance progress in space development. OTTAWALess than 24 hours after Canadas largest airline announced plans for a massive downsizing of its workforce due to COVID-19, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said hes willing to see what can be done to help the ailing company but remained mum on details. Speaking to reporters outside his Rideau Cottage home Saturday, Trudeau acknowledged the difficult situation facing airlines and the travel industry during the COVID-19 crisis. But even as he offered reassurances that Ottawa would continue to work with companies and industries hardest hit by the crisis, exactly what help Air Canada can expect to receive from government remains unclear. We will have conversations with Air Canada as we will with airlines across the sector to try and see how the best way to get through this particular pandemic is, Trudeau said. We know that airlines are incredibly hard hit by this pandemic and we will be there to work with them to see how best we can help. Trudeau sidestepped questions about whether aid could come in the form of a bailout, a federal stake in the companys equity or whether Ottawa would be willing to help with the companys pension and health benefit obligations. He committed only to talking to the company to try to determine what aid could be possible. Air Canada will lay off more than half of its 38,000 employees next month as it grapples with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline estimates about 20,000 of its employees will be affected. The layoffs, which will take place June 7, will affect a minimum of 19,000 staff and could go as high as 22,800. The countrys largest airline along with its competitors has seen demand for air travel evaporate amid ongoing border shutdowns and confinement measures, prompting Air Canada to ground some 225 airplanes and slash flight capacity by 95 per cent. Air Canadas move was announced after Trudeau extended the $73-billion Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy through the end of August earlier on Friday. The airline did take advantage of the federal wage subsidy program to rehire over 16,000 employees initially laid off in March due to the pandemic. But now the company says workers who are laid off will no longer fall under this program and will have to apply instead for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, which pays $2,000 a month to workers who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19. Trudeau noted airlines and other big employers struggling through the pandemic can also access a bridge financing program being made available to companies with at least $300 million in revenues so they can stay open, keep employees on their payrolls and avoid bankruptcies. He made a point to note this is not a bailout but rather a fund that offers loans to companies to help them get through the crisis. We are still working with companies to see who is taking that up and how the format of it will be worked out, he said. The federal government will continue to work with Air Canada to try to determine the best way to get through the crisis, Trudeau said. I think we all know this pandemic has hit extremely hard on travel industries and on the airlines particularly, thats why were going to continue working with airlines, including Air Canada, to see how we can help even more than we have with the wage subsidy. Meanwhile, Trudeau said Health Canada has authorized the first clinical trial for a potential COVID-19 vaccine at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. The National Research Council of Canada will work with the manufacturers so that if these vaccine trials are successful, Canada can produce and distribute it within the country. Dr. Scott Halperin, director of the Canadian Center for Vaccinology at Dalhousie University, said the approval for the phase one clinical trial was exciting news. Halperin said its expected the first study using less than 100 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55 would likely get underway within the next three weeks. In those studies the main purpose is look at the safety of the vaccine and how well its tolerated by the people who get it, said Halperin. He said the volunteers would be followed over the next six months and if they show a safe immune response to the vaccine, researchers will quickly transition into an expanded phase two study before the first phase is even completed. That will help speed things along because otherwise it could take years to go through the process, Halperin said. On Tuesday, the National Research Council of Canada announced that it would work with a Chinese company to try to develop its potential vaccine for COVID-19 more quickly. CanSino Biologics, is already conducting human clinical trials for the vaccine that will be tested by the Halifax lab. Trudeau also announced money for the Red Cross on Saturday, pledging $100 million to help deal with COVID-19 relief, as well as work they do every year helping jurisdictions affected by floods and wildfires. Dozens of customers at a popular bakery have been diagnosed with salmonella poisoning. Lincoln Bakery Cafe in Carlton, in Melbourne's inner north, has been closed since May 8 after a diner became sick. There have now been 36 cases of salmonella connected to the eatery. Health Minister Jenny Mikakos told reporters on Saturday investigations into the matter continue. 'The Department is working very closely with the City of Melbourne to determine the source of the infection,' she said. Lincoln Bakery Cafe in Carlton, in Melbourne's inner north, has been linked to 36 cases of salmonella poisoning 'There is an investigation including testing food samples and examining food handling practices at the bakery.' Interviews are being conducted with those who have fallen ill to determine if there are common links. One woman wrote a Facebook post warning others not to eat there after she, her son, and a colleague fell ill after eating a chicken roll the day before the bakery closed. Other disgruntled customers left reviews on the cafe's online business pages. One woman said she was 22 weeks pregnant and had to be hospitalised after contracting salmonella from a pork roll. 'I just had to have a week of work due [and] I know of 18 people from our construction site and neighbouring sites who ate here from Monday to Thursday last week we were all violently ill,' she wrote on Zomato. 'They were serving the same contaminated food all week until being closed on Friday. I and another were hospitalised, never been so sick in my life.' Another wrote: 'Do not eat here. Husband got food poisoning and spent two days in hospital. Was violently ill as were his work colleagues. Disgusting!' Salmonella poisoning results from ingesting the salmonella bacteria, which is carried in the faeces of infect animals. It is most commonly transmitted through eating undercooked foods or poor hygiene practices, and can cause stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, chills, throwing up and an upset stomach. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 20:19:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close AUCKLAND, New Zealand, May 16 (Xinhua) -- An online charity concert was held on Saturday by global youth to encourage people around the world who are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The online concert, aimed to inspire people who are fighting the COVID-19 with songs and music, and to pay respect to the essential workers who are fighting in the front line, was participated by more than 20 youth performers from across the world with more to join in. Its organizer, a New Zealand based cultural exchange organisation, the Culture Bridge, said that they were putting together more online sessions as the concert turned to be very popular among both audiences and performers. "The idea of online concert came up two weeks ago when New Zealand and many other countries were in lockdown to contain the virus. We talked to several local Chinese young people who were very keen to participate. We ended up having more than 100 youth performers from across the world putting their hands up. There are still people who want to join," said Jie Min, director of the Culture Bridge. Young performers in the online concert came from New Zealand, China, the United States, Australia, Malaysia, Brazil, Germany, Canada and Britain. While most of the performers were oversea Chinese, there were also local fellows who wanted to show their support. "Although music cannot cure the virus, it can inspire people's hearts and bring great spiritual comfort and strength. This online charity concert will bring together people's hearts and emotion. It will also convey the most sincere care and friendship," said Jie Min. Given a short period of time, the online charity concert was put together by mobile phones to record and synchronize audio-visual. Despite the obstacles, the concert was accomplished successfully. "Although there was no fancy stage, we overcame the obstacles of space and time. I believe the singing and music by the young people are the most heartfelt," said Jie Min. Enditem By Trend The Iran's Deputy Minister of Health announced 50-percent increase in the salaries of nurses. Maryam Hazrati stated that during the coronavirus outbreak, 4,500 nurses were serving in the country's hospitals, adding that the related licenses for hiring 5,284 more nurses is obtained waiting for funding from Planning and Budged Organization (PBO), Trend reports citing ISNA. According to a group of Iranian doctors, a total of 126 medical staff members have died since the virus was first reported, mostly in the provinces of Gilan and Tehran, while over 2,070 contracted the virus. The deaths of 100 medical staffers were verified by piecing together scattered news reports in local media outlets, statements from health institutions and social media messages of condolences, the report said. Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour announced the death toll of COVID-19 of the medical personnel to be 107 people, adding that 470 persons tested positive for the virus. Meanwhile, he reminded that the country is under sanctions and despite the crisis, Iran's own industries made enough protective material to fight the virus. ---- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Full disclosure; while this column will mostly focus on streaming's best offerings, I also feel obligated to highlight things that don't quite live up to the hype... The trailer for White Lines is rife with zippy editing, slick stunts, plus a cracking premise. Then, you watch two episodes and wonder what happened. Laura Haddock is Zoe, a librarian mum who heads to Almeria to see if recently discovered remains are that of sibling, Axl, who moved to Ibiza in 1996. Zoe's suffered abandonment issues since DJ Axl's mate, Marcus (Daniel Mays; you know him), said her beloved brother legged it to India. In actuality, Axl's been buried on his girlfriend's family's land for 20 years. Embarking on an impromptu killer quest, Zoe says bye to her hubby (our very own Barry Ward) in the Spanish desert and hitches a lift to Ibiza with a random Gypsy Kings enthusiast. As someone who spent the 1990s bouncing between The Ormonde and The Temple, I yearned so bad for this to be good. Sadly, nostalgia can't stop it from falling between all the stools. In the absence of space to bemoan its flaws fully (the Calafat Family casting for starters), I'll simply say the production values - in essence - are superb. Shame the end result is more El Dorado than Narcos, more Human Traffic than Trainspotting... If the emphasis was put on 1990s Manchester/Ibiza and less on Angela Griffin's orgies, and needless narratives involving the local priest, this could've been a riotous romp through rave culture. Also Streaming The Eddy Netflix, streaming now With a winning combination of jazz, Paris, peril, plus more jazz, there's a lot to love about this new Netflix series. Add some burly debt collectors, and a daughter who clearly isn't happy with her current set-up, and it's DRAMA central. Playing overtures to 2010's Treme, this eight-part series - while not quite as gritty - is peppered with the expected jazz solos, backstreet brawls, and one Andre Holland (Moonlight) as an NYC pianist simply trying to fulfil his dream of running a Parisian jazz club. Damien Chazelle (La La Land) is among the many, many directors. Little Fires Everywhere Amazon Prime, May 22 Based on Celeste Ng's best seller, and co-produced by Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington and ABC, this follows the twin fates of the (seemingly) flawless Richardson family, and a mysterious mother and daughter. The story centres around endless secrets, the struggles of being a mum, estate agents - and, ultimately, on the notion that "presumption is the mother of all f**k-ups". Witherspoon and Washington star alongside Joshua 'Pacey' Jackson. Homecoming, Season 2 Amazon Prime, May 22 Janelle Monae - she of Prince protege fame - returns as the elusive 'Jackie'. Obviously, season 1 ended on a cliffhanger; season 2 opens with Jackie jolting awake in a drifting boat, with zero recollection of she is. Her ensuing identity search leads her into the heart of the Geist Group - the 'wellness company' behind the Homecoming Initiative. Prop Culture Disney+, streaming now Mary Poppins, Tron, Pirates of The Caribbean, Nightmare Before Christmas... some of the movies getting their props fondled by host/professional collector Dan Lanigan. As well as ferreting around Disney's Burbank archive warehouse, Dan also enjoys global jaunts in a bid to track down elusive movie memorabilia. Expect delightful levels of schmaltz. Gangs of London NOW TV, streaming now Sick of sorts banging on about Sky Atlantic's latest starring Colm Meaney? NOW TV was devised for those who can't commit - 14-day free trial, yo! BY court REPORTER TWENTY-FIVE Malawian illegal immigrants are languishing at Chipinge Prison awaiting a Chewa interpreter after they were arrested on Thursday night when a bus which was smuggling them to South Africa was intercepted at a police roadblock in Middle Sabi. The immigrants, all of Muzimba village, were not asked to plead to contravening section 29(1)(a) of the Immigration Act (Alien shall not enter, be in or remain in Zimbabwe without presenting himself to immigration, or not being in possession of a permit) when they appeared before Chipinge provincial magistrate Poterai Gwezhira. There was a separation of trial between them and a colleague, Jim Rukere, who understood English, who was convicted on his own plea of guilty. He was sentenced to six months in prison wholly suspended for five years on condition he does not, within that period, enter Zimbabwe illegally. - Advertisement - In mitigation, Rukere told the court that he committed the offence because he wanted to skip the border into South Africa for greener pastures. I appeal for leniency when arriving on your sentence, Your worship. I committed the offence in desperation as I wanted to go to South Africa to look for better opportunities as I was suffering back home in the village, he said. However, his co-accused were remanded in custody to November 14 waiting for the State to provide a Chewa interpreter as they all indicated that they did not understand English. Prosecutor Sesedzai Mayera told the court that on Thursday around 11pm, the illegal immigrants were aboard a Malawi-registered bus travelling along the Tanganda-Ngundu Highway. They were stopped by police officers at the 255km peg at a roadblock in Middle Sabi. Police discovered that the 25 had not gone through immigration processes on entering the country and did not have valid permits to be in Zimbabwe, leading to their arrest. Like this: Like Loading... New Delhi, May 16 : Amid a growing number of road accidents involving migrant workers returning to their native places, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Saturday wrote to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to seek permission to hire and run 1,000 buses in the state to safely transport the returnees. Priyanka Gandhi, who is also in charge of party affairs in eastern Uttar Pradesh, said that the Congress will bear the cost of these chartered buses at a time when the migrants are finding it tough to return homes safely. "Lakhs of workers are trying to get back to their homes while walking from various parts of the country and there are not enough arrangements made for them. We wish to operate 500 buses each from Ghazipur and Noida borders," Priyanka Gandhi said in the letter to Yogi Adityanath. She asserted that the "nation-builders cannot be left to fend for themselves in such times". The letter was handed over to the Chief Minister's Office by a delegation led by Uttar Pradesh Congress unit chief Ajay Kumar Lallu. In her letter, she said: "At least 65 migrant workers have lost lives in different road accidents in Uttar Pradesh, which is more than the number of people dying due to novel coronavirus in the state." On Friday, the Congress General Secretary had urged the Chief Minister to deploy state-run buses for transporting the migrants. Her remarks came after 24 migrant workers were killed and 15 others injured in a collision between two trucks in Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday morning. Hours later, several migrant workers were killed in another road accidents in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao and Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district. Amid the nationwide lockdown since March 25, thousands of migrant workers have started returning to their native villages and hometowns on foot. Some returnees have been involved in fatal accidents on their way back home. Whether or not Gov. Gretchen Whitmer acted beyond her legal authority when she extended the coronavirus state of emergency on April 30 will be left up to Michigan Court of Claims Judge Diane Stephens. Judge Stephens heard arguments from attorneys representing Whitmer and the Republican Legislature during a virtual hearing Friday, May 15. She didnt specify when she would issue a written ruling. The Republican-led House of Representatives and Senate sued Whitmer on May 6 after she extended the state of emergency without their authorization. Whitmer called the Republican lawsuit a power grab that if successful, could endanger the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. At least six written arguments by non-parties to the lawsuit have been filed in the case of Michigan House of Representatives and Michigan Senate v. Gretchen Whitmer. That includes one from The Michigan Nurses Association, which has come out in support of Whitmer, and one from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, which is siding with the Legislature. Below is a look at more of the most recent developments in the COVID-19 crisis in Michigan: Michigan surpasses 50k confirmed cases of coronavirus With 497 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported Friday, May 15, the state of Michigan surpassed the 50,000 case mark. Health officials also announced 38 new deaths of individuals who have been infected by the respiratory virus. With Fridays additions, the states totals increased to 50,079 confirmed cases and 4,825 deaths associated with the virus. Fridays update from the Department of Health and Human Services included a significant increase in testing, with 23,647 tests processed Wednesday, May 13. Of those, 10.7 percent came back positive. Browser does not support frames. New council to plan for reopening Michigan schools under latest Whitmer order Gov. Whitmer announced Friday an executive order that creates a council tasked with creating the road map for how schools in Michigan can safely return to classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Im asking this group of state leaders, work together to develop a roadmap and framework for helping us decide when it is safe to return and what that return looks like. Theyll be incorporating all of the public health data we have and all that we have learned and continue to learn about this virus," Whitmer said at a press conference Friday. Michigans unemployment system is better than most states, but thats cold comfort for those it failed Most Michiganders seeking unemployment have finally received benefits, but the flood of applications during the coronavirus pandemic has stretched the limits of the system and exposed serious flaws. More than 90% of the 1.65 million Michigan residents who filed a legitimate claim since COVID-19 was found in Michigan have received benefits, according to the states labor department. That rate is better than most states, but provides little solace for thousands who spent weeks in the dark and for others who are still waiting. The states Unemployment Insurance Agency paid out $5.6 billion in unemployment benefits between March 15 and May 13, though most of that was federal dollars secured through the CARES Act. Michigans trust fund is holding up so far. Detroit man arrested, accused of threatening to kill Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, AG Nessel A Detroit man was arrested after threatening to kill Gov. Whitmer and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel in messages sent using social media, the Wayne County Prosecutors Office says. Robert S. Tesh, 32, sent credible threats to kill the governor and attorney general to an acquaintance using a social media messenger on Thursday, April 14, the Wayne County Prosecutors Office said in a charging statement issued Friday. Tesh, whos since been arraigned and released on bond with a GPS tracking tether, is charged with making a threat of terrorism, punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Coronavirus prompts projected $3.2B drop in Michigan tax revenue, more losses expected Michigan is down about $3.2 billion in tax revenue this fiscal year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to projections agreed to by the states top economists Friday. At the states semi-annual Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference - where the state treasurer, budget director and legislative analysts agree to revenue projections that inform the state budget process - officials concluded the state has billions of dollars less than anticipated in previous estimates. The losses wont stop in the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30 - another $3 billion decrease in tax revenue was projected for fiscal year 2021. Whitmer signs 3 more orders, including new ones impacting tax appeals and telehealth access Gov. Whitmer signed another three executive orders Thursday night. One order encourages the use of telehealth options for patients and doctors across the state. Doctors will be allowed to prescribe medications to patients without doing an in-person examination, including narcotics with the exception of methadone. A second order relaxes deadlines for the tax appeals process at the local level. The final order protects renters from being evicted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some high-income families are getting EBT cards during the pandemic. Heres why. To ensure families in need would still receive assistance with meals during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state began issuing Electronic Benefit Transfer cards to all families whose children are eligible for free- or reduced-lunch at school. But in 273 of Michigans districts, families are getting cash-loaded EBT cards regardless of how much money they make. We have gotten a lot of questions, said Kelly Grygiel, marketing and communications manager at Northwest Community Schools, which is near Jackson. There was a lot of confusion at the beginning. Grand Rapids mom battling coronavirus taken off ventilator, awaits reunion with 8-year-old daughter Lola Penniman may soon be reunited with her mother. The 8-year-old celebrated her birthday last month with a parade, set up by family and friends, while her mother Ana Penniman laid in the hospital hooked up to a ventilator battling COVID-19, known as coronavirus disease 2019. Last week, Penniman was removed from that ventilator and transferred out of the intensive care unit, according to her aunt, Darlene Neidlinger. She said although a long recovery awaits her, the worst is now behind her. West Michigan sheriff to speak at protest against Whitmers stay-home order Two more protests of Gov. Whitmers executive orders are slated for the coming days in Michigan. Protesters are expected to rally Monday evening, May 18, at Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids. The event, titled American Patriot Rally-Sheriffs speak out, is scheduled to run from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and will feature remarks from at least one law enforcement official, Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf. Then on Wednesday, May 20, The Michigan Conservative Coalition announced there will be a protest from noon to 3 p.m. that will feature barbers giving away free haircuts outside the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing. Families flock to Michigan animal park despite Gov. Whitmers stay-at-home order Up to 400 visitors from West Michigan communities visited Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park on Friday in Kent County, despite the governors stay-home order restricting the business from opening before May 28. Its nice to get out of the house, said Keisha Lamont, who brought her children and mother to the park. I have five kids and having them in the house all the time has just been chaos. Getting them all out today its like a breath of fresh air, I guess. 15% of Grand Rapids businesses cant last another month under stay-at-home order, survey finds About 15 percent of businesses recently polled by the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce say they wouldnt be able to weather another month of Michigans stay-at-home order. Another 31 percent of businesses that responded said they werent sure if they would be able to survive another month of it, and the final 54 percent of businesses said they would be able to, according to Rick Baker, president and CEO of the chamber. Business, not as usual: Washtenaw County plans for a reopened and retooled economy Ypsilanti salon owner Aisha Gatlin is preparing for the day Gov. Whitmers stay-home order and mandated business closures lift. She and her stylists are eager to return to the Beautiful Luxe Hair Company, but Gatlins goal is to avoid putting anyone in danger. We will take one client at a time when we open, making sure nobody is serviced without a mask and making sure were keeping everything sanitized and wiped down on a regular basis, Gatlin said, adding her clients are already asking about a waitlist for services. Whitmer during Biden roundtable: Better testing supplies needed to avoid second wave of coronavirus outbreak During a roundtable of governors hosted by Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden on Thursday, May 14, Gov. Whitmer said more widespread testing supplies are needed from the federal government. Theres a real threat of what could be a second wave that would dwarf the experience weve had so far, Whitmer said. More Michigan coronavirus coverage here PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. A woman wearing traditional attire of Madrid and a face mask listens to a woman singing from her balcony during the CCP virus lockdown in Madrid, Spain on May 15, 2020. (Susana Vera/Reuters) Spain Plans Last Extension of Emergency Decree as COVID-19 Deaths Slow Spains government will seek to extend its CCP virus state of emergency for the last time until late June, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday as the countrys daily death toll reached a near eight-week low. The path that we are taking is the only one possible, Sanchez told a news conference, saying he would ask parliament for an extension of about a month until the end of June when most of the hard-hit nation should be returning to normality. Spain first introduced a state of emergency decree on March 14. Officials say that while the outbreak has been brought largely under control, restrictions must stay in place a bit longer as the lockdown is gradually phased out. The countrys COVID-19 death toll rose by 102 to 27,563 on Saturday, the lowest 24-hour increase since March 18. Confirmed COVID-19 cases climbed to 230,698 from 230,183, the health ministry said. Women stand on a balcony during a protest against the Spanish governments handling of the CCP virus (COVID-19) crisis, in Madrid, Spain, on May 15, 2020. (Susana Vera/Reuters) After pushing four previous extensions through parliament, support for Sanchezs left-wing coalition is waning among lawmakers and voters. Some small protests against the governments handling of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus crisis and its economic fallout sprang up around Madrid this week, with demonstrators gathering to bang pots and pans and call for the government to resign. At the largest such demonstration, in the wealthy neighborhood of Salamanca, several hundred people gathered, despite the efforts of police to enforce social-distancing. It doesnt matter what the demonstrations are about. The important thing is to maintain social distancing, Sanchez said. Epoch Times staff contributed to this report. MEPs and U.S Senators Welcome the Pardon of Opposition Politicians - GeorgianJournal The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says only one indigenous product has been presented to treat... The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says only one indigenous product has been presented to treat COVID-19. Some researchers in Nigeria have suggested herbal solutions for the treatment of the disease. Although the World Health Health Organisation (WHO) said no vaccines yet to cure the virus, the global body later said investigations are ongoing on some of the herbal remedies. Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general of NAFDAC in a statement, said there have been treatment claims for COVID-19 in Nigeria but the agency has only seen one submission. The rush to mitigate the mortality and morbidly resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in acceleration of product development, repurposing of formulations, off label use of therapeutics and the search for a vaccine to prevent COVID 19, she said. Because no vaccine yet exists to prevent further spread of the virus, the huge burden of developing a cure or at best, a treatment for this deadly virus rests squarely on the shoulders of the medical world, of which Nigeria is no exception. In a bid to discover a cure, therefore, the public has witnessed quite a number of claims from different quotas complementary and alternative medicines practitioners, traditional healers, and the academia. It is pertinent to note, however, that these claims are domiciled in either the conventional news media or the social media. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as at the time of this press release has only received application from one company for a product the company is presenting (for approval) to the Agency for the treatment of the symptoms of COVID-19, and not for the cure of COVID-19 as a disease. A claim of a cure must be subjected to clinical evaluation through well controlled, randomized clinical trials following an approved clinical trial protocol. According to her, Africa as a continent blessed with diverse plants and herbs that constitute a source of food and medicine is incontrovertible. The drugs of todays modern society, she said, are products of research and development by major pharmaceutical companies. She said among the most important raw materials researched and developed are naturally occurring materials obtained especially from plants. She said part of the efforts to advance herbal products development informed the setting up of the Nigerian herbal medicine product committee (HMPC) by her office. The platform, she said, brings together manufacturers, academia, researchers and relevant stakeholders by bridging the gap often created between traditional medicine practitioners and drug manufacturers, whose responsibility it would be to formulate the products. Arriving in San Antonio this year as the new director of the Metropolitan Health District, Dawn Emerick was only about a week ahead of the novel coronavirus. Emerick hadnt unpacked all of her boxes in early February when dozens of evacuees from Wuhan, China, landed in a chartered plane at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland to be quarantined. Four days later, officials confirmed that one of the evacuees was infected with the virus: the states first case. By the time the highly contagious virus had engulfed the United States, turning face-to-face interactions anywhere into a life-threatening activity, Emerick hadnt even met most of her 500 employees. As soon as she arrived, she had to be field general, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. So there wasnt a whole lot of time for the niceties normally when somebodys new to staff. Josie Norris /Staff Photographer Emerick, 52, put it more bluntly. I dont know what San Antonio was like before this, she said. I dont have a contrast. All I know is who I work with and who I answer to and how the community is set right now, all based on COVID-19 response. I dont know what it was like prior to that. I dont know what people are like. The city recruited Emerick from her position as the top health official in Benton County, Ore. Divorced over the summer, she sold most of her belongings, fit everything else into the back of a Suburban and drove more than 2,000 miles to her new home in South Texas. The virus showed up before she could settle in. Everybody is in this response mode, she said. Everything is critical. No room for mistakes. Lots of pressure. So I dont know what normal is. For the field general of a never-ending war against a new disease, heres what normal is. Every morning, seven days a week, Emerick wakes up around 4:30 a.m., before her alarm goes off. She flips open a laptop to pull the latest data on infections and deaths, knowing that 12 hours later, at 4:30 p.m., she will meet with the regions top leaders Nirenberg, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and City Manager Erik Walsh, among others and attempt to explain what the daily numbers mean for the communitys health and safety. Its the translation of the data, Emerick said. Ive got really smart people, but thats what they do. Theyre the scientists. Sometimes the scientists dont know how to tell the story. Theyre brilliant minds. They know the numbers, they know the EPI curve. They know that. But boy, when I need to translate that to the mayor and to the judge Josie Norris /Staff Photographer Last week, the story was unfolding in ways that Emerick knew could be misleading. Laptop open, she sat with other responders in the vast central command space of the Emergency Operations Center at Brooks. Overhead, a massive screen displayed the latest COVID-19 data for the county and the state. Emerick wore a mask decorated with flower-laden skeletons, a recent birthday gift that she would slip often from her nose and mouth out of sheer discomfort. Sleep-deprived, overwhelmed by a cascade of conflicts, Emerick was nonetheless poised, at times even buoyant and quick to laugh, as she cycled through meetings with other officials. Im a freakin robot, she said, adding later, Im a little bit of a hot mess. Daily infections were ticking up, sometimes by large numbers. But the vast majority of new cases were from congregate settings such as nursing homes, where Emerick had instituted universal testing for the virus weeks before Gov. Greg Abbott ordered it. Confirmed new cases of community spread actually were dwindling, even as Metro Health has opened free testing to anyone regardless of their symptoms. Some of Emericks own staff interpreted the decline as a gradual return to normal. But even this was misleading. As the state continues to reopen, Emerick knows that an uptick in community spread is inevitable. The virus is still here, she said. Its here. Its probably in this room somewhere. Its community spread. Its here. She added, I literally had to tell my team the other day, the language that youre using about we want to go back to normal There is no normal. What you did, how we functioned pre-COVID, is no longer. Big-vision girl Emericks childhood was not normal by any stretch. Her mother was 19 when she gave birth to Dawn in California and handed her off to her own parents, who raised the girl in poverty in the small town of Edmonston, Md. Josie Norris /Staff Photographer I probably should have been a statistic myself, she said. Emericks grandfather was a plumber. She never knew her own father or her five siblings or her mother, for that matter. Only when I was little, she said. I seem to remember her being at my 9th or 10th birthday, but thats it. So I really did not have a relationship with her. Shes still alive. Raised in a large Catholic family, Emerick came to call her aunts and uncles her sisters and brothers. After she put herself through college with the help of a Pell grant and a work-study program she was first in her family to go those same sisters and brothers were not impressed, she said. I remember that poverty mindset of family turning against you. Youre uppity. Who do you think you are? Oh, youre college educated. Oh, youre too good for us? There was a lot of that from my own family, Emerick said. She had wanted to be a nurse. But after an education in chronic disease and a job at a health department in Jacksonville, Fla., Emerick shifted her focus. I was too entrepreneurial, she said. I was like big-vision girl. I wanted to shake (expletive) up. That wasnt really happening in the public sector in the South. So Emerick earned a doctorate in educational leadership, landing a job as CEO of the Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida on the same day that she walked the stage. She would make mistakes in that job, she said, but it molded her. I clearly learned then that I was a leader, Emerick said. I loved organizational development. I loved culture. I loved morale. I loved organizational change. Communication. All that stuff that comes with leaders, thats what I knew I did well and what I wanted to be. I didnt need to be a subject matter expert. Josie Norris /Staff Photographer Eventually, Emerick ended up as a public health director in Clackamas County, Ore., where her boss, Richard Swift, took note of her ability to lead. I think shes courageous, said Swift, director of health, housing and human services there. Shell step into hard spaces and do the work. Shes innovative. I think shes charismatic. Shes charming. That helps a lot. And shes quite effective at getting staff to buy into her vision. That vision was shaped by her youth and its difficult circumstances. I think that makes me appreciate being in public health so much, Emerick said. I was a recipient of that. I was on Medicaid with my grandparents. That safety net saved me. And then as a single mom I married my high school sweetheart, we ended up divorcing, we had two children together I was a single mom and wasnt getting any support from him. And so I had WIC, they had Medicaid, and I had child care subsidy because I wanted to work. Nirenberg was not aware of the economic challenges that Emerick has faced. Even so, the mayor has noticed her focus on the citys low-income residents as she responds to the epidemic. Before any of the country was talking about race equity teams and going out and targeting neighborhoods that didnt have healthcare access, she had already deployed health intervention teams to really understand what was happening in some of our more impoverished communities, Nirenberg said. That was the underpinning of the health transition teams focus on where to place testing sites, the mayor continued. So she intuitively or otherwise knew about that dynamic before we even got the health transition recommendations. Emerick has faced criticism from the City Council over barriers to testing for the virus. Why are you not in brown and black communities? Emerick said she was asked. Thats why we eliminated all the barriers. We were like, screw it, eliminate barriers. Eliminate symptomatic whatever, eliminate ID, eliminate addresses, just get the tests in the community. Lets pop a tent, she said. Get a tent and we will just swab people. The push, the pulls At the Emergency Operations Center, Fire Chief Charles Hood motioned for Emerick to step out of a meeting of the testing task force and into the central command space. There was a problem with a walk-up testing site selected by Metro Health. Photos by Josie Norris /Staff Photographer We talked to (Councilwoman) Jada (Andrews-Sullivan), Hood said, and went to Claude Black (Community Center) instead, instead of The Barbara Jordan? OK, Emerick said, referring to another center. I think there was a heat issue? The heat, and it needs to be cleaned, Hood said. Just so you know. I talked to Jada this morning. I talked to Erik. So were going with Claude Black instead of Barbara Jordan. Back at the meeting, Emerick lauded Metro Health for getting ahead of the governors order to test all residents of the states 12,000 nursing homes. Metro Health already had conducted universal testing at 15 of the citys 65 nursing homes. So its wonderful to know that we have set the pace for the state and have just been doing some pretty innovative things already, Emerick told the task force. The one thing that I think is primed to actually help us lean in even more, to help us be even more super bad-ass, is to look at our existing testing task force and really elevate that up into a more formal but flexible structure. About an hour later, Emerick had just settled into a data visualization meeting on her laptop she was getting a first look at an online tool for teams she had deployed across the city to monitor virus hot spots when a flurry of texts came over her cell phone. My phone is blowing up and I just need to see if its an emergency, she told her colleagues. Hold on just a second? OK, thanks. Relative to the ongoing public health catastrophe, it was not an emergency, but rather one more conflict arising from that catastrophe. The Barbara Jordan Community Center was not pleased with the decision to move the testing site to a different location. Theyre very upset with us, Emerick explained later. People that are there are not happy that were changing it. In the time of COVID-19, conflicts of this sort were constant. Oh, every day, Emerick said. Every day. Im serious. All the time. Its just all the time. Sometimes, this can cause the new director of Metro Health to feel overwhelmed. Her outlet is usually photography, but theres no time for that now. I do partake in some wine, she said. Probably more often than I should. Its not probably a good thing. Josie Norris, The San Antonio Express-News / Staff Photographer A couple of weeks ago, before a staff meeting, she sketched something out to show how she feels. I was at that point where if I tell people that Im overwhelmed, I cant explain it, so the best way I could do it is to draw it, Emerick said. It was a moment where I took how I felt and put it down on paper. This is pretty much how I feel every day the push, the pulls. In the center of a whiteboard, Emerick had drawn a circle around the words me and us and filled it with squiggly lines the pressure, she said. Around the circle, multiple entities were bearing down. This is me, Emerick said. This is the city managers office, theyre pushing. Ive got the state pushing. Ive got this equity task force pushing. Ive got budgets, transition back to normal City Council. Commissioners Court. Pressure. Expectations. Directives. Despite the sprawling network of influences bearing down on the local pandemic response, Emerick knows that Metro Health is the face of it. At the end of all of this, Im the one that gets in front of City Council, she said, unexpectedly choking up. Its Metro Health thats in front of City Council. Its tough. Youre going to make me cry. Its tough sometimes. She added, When things go really well, theres a lot of people that take credit. And when things are sideways, its Metro Health. More than anything else, even more than catching the killer virus, Emerick worries about burnout, she said. I do worry about that, she said. Im worried about my workforce. If we go down and I dont have a bench, whos going to do this? Cool under pressure The numbers, at first blush, were not good. Another death. Sixty-five new cases. Josie Norris /Staff Photographer As usual, translation was required. It was 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, and Emerick was in a spacious gallery at Plaza de Armas flanked by the mayor and the county judge. Walsh, the city manager, sat directly across from her. So 65 is a big jump from what weve had in the last few days, said Nirenberg, who would have to report the daily numbers in a televised press briefing in less than two hours. Do you attribute that to the congregate setting testing? 100 percent, Emerick said. Yes, absolutely. And then I saw on the website were now at a 5-point-something percent positive rate? Thats great, the mayor said. Also, we have a lot of negatives, Emerick said. So when youre testing big volumes like were doing, youre getting a ton of negatives. So the more you test, then that positivity rate will go down. Wolff asked about the nursing homes, where Metro Health was testing all residents and staff. I think the real key message is that youre going to see positives, Emerick said. Youre going to see them. But you also have to keep in mind that this is a good thing. Youre going to see a sprinkle of one, twos, threes, but if we didnt get them now early on, then youre going to see 13, right? After the meeting, Nirenberg sat in the studio where he would soon deliver news of the days toll. Im looking forward to getting to know Dawn, the mayor said. She is very cool under pressure. Shes been through a lot. She hasnt unpacked her boxes yet. Shes been working 24/7 since she got here. And she doesnt let people see her sweat. bchasnoff@express-news.net Drop a penny in a vase of water to keep tulips from wilting. Clean from left to right. (Im sure my father taught me that, but Id forgotten until I read it recently.) And thanks to the Tribune reader who wrote to tell me that if you dont have a bread box, you can keep bread fresh longer by putting it in a Dutch oven. As part of the fourth tranche of announcements meant to provide economic relief, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday opened the coal mining sector for private participation. "Commercial mining in coal sector to be brought in and government monopoly will be removed. The government will introduce competition, transparency, and private sector participation in the coal sector through revenue sharing mechanism instead of the regime of fixed rupee/tonne. Fifty new coal blocks for commercial mining will be offered immediately," said Sitharaman aas part of her media briefing on Saturday. An amount of Rs 50,000 crore will be spent by the Centre for evacuation of mined coal. The is part of the Coal India Limited (CIL)'s target of 1 billion tons of coal production by 2023-24, in addition with those coming from private blocks. Seamless composite exploration-cum-mining-cum-production regime will be introduced in mineral sector and 500 blocks will be auctioned, the FM said. "Five hundred mining blocks would be offered through an open and transparent auction process, a joint auction of bauxite and coal mineral blocks will be introduced to enhance the aluminum industry's competitiveness," said Sitharaman. The FM also announced rationalisation of stamp duty payable at the time of awarding mining leases. So far, as part of the economic package, Sitharaman on Friday had announced Agri Infrastructure Fund worth Rs 1 lakh crore for farm gate infrastructure and a Rs-10,000 crore scheme for the formalisation of Micro Food Enterprises (MFEs) under the 20 lakh crore stimulus package. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said we should prepare for tough competition. When we speak of "self-reliant India", we are not looking inwards, it is not an isolationist policy, it is making India rely on its strengths, ready to face global challenges," said Sitharaman. She said the government has identified sectors that need reforms and these are coal, minerals, defence production, airspace management, airports, MRO, power distribution companies in union territories, space, and atomic energy. "Many sectors need policy simplification, to make it simpler for people to understand what the sector can give, participate in activities and bring transparency. Once we decongest sectors, we can boost the sector, for growth and jobs," Sitharaman said. Also, the government will introduce joint auction of bauxite and coal mineral blocks to enhance aluminium industry's competitiveness that will help the aluminium industry reduce electricity costs. Further, the distinction between captive and non-captive mines will be removed to allow the transfer of mining leases and sale of surplus unused minerals, leading to better efficiency in mining and production. This means that mines whose rights have been purchased by one miner for captive purposes can be transferred to another party that wants to take over for a non-captive reason. A captive mine is one in which the miner has to necessarily use the mineral for their own purposes. The Ministry of Mines is in the process of developing a Mineral Index for different minerals. I will come right out and say that I think Quibi is a confusing name. But that isnt necessarily a bad thing. Let me explain. Good names are usually only good in the rearview mirror. At the time they are created, they seem risky and sometimes dumb. Are Google and Apple inherently good names, or do they have the benefit of a rosy rear view? Probably the latter. Terrible timing has certainly contributed to a difficult start for the Jeffrey Katzenberg-founded mobile-video platform, which launched earlier this spring. Still, maybe it isnt just the timing. Maybe they made bad decisions. Maybe the product doesnt fit. A name should be judged based on how well it matches the companys criteria, not on public perception. Because, as mentioned, success shades how we perceive the company, not the strength of the name. Phil Rosenzweig calls this tendency to be biased by success The Halo Effect. Related: Brad Flowerss The Naming Book is available now from Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound. A company that raises nearly $2 billion should plan for success. They certainly planned a naming strategy with that in mind. The criteria assumed rapid adoption in the U.S. and quick adoption abroad. Quibi is purpose-built for travel. It feels familiar in the UK with its close tie to the slangy quid. You can imagine the French embracing it as "Kee-bee," similar to Quebec. It is at home in Arabic and Hindi. The alternating consonant/vowel, consonant/vowel construction is reminiscent of one of the most well-traveled brands, Coca-Cola. However, those positives arent positive in the current light. If the naming strategy assumes rapid usage in the U.S. and that doesnt happen, the international flair puts up barriers to a skeptical stateside audience with more time on their hands than usual. The primary obstacle is unclear pronunciation. We have all been in a bar and become interested in an exotic beer, only to order the IPA because we didnt know how to pronounce the other one. Same with a dish in a restaurant or an author in a bookstore. People, in general, dont like to look stupid, and few things make you feel as stupid as saying something incorrectly. There are a couple of ambiguous points in Quibi. I mispronounced it before I heard someone say it. Rhyme is one of the factors that improve memorability in a word; maybe I was trying to force it into the name. Also, the decision to end the name in "-i" rather than "-y" makes the word look more French. I found myself saying "Kee-bee" as I was reading to myself. It feels more snappy, more energetic and in-line with quick snippets of content. The second hangup is with the tagline. Currently, it reads: Quick bites. Big stories. That leads you to think the name is a blend of the words quick and bite. But, as the reader, you quickly reconsider this because pronouncing it "Kwi-bye" doesnt seem right. It doesnt feel or look right, and you are left a little confused. If you combine quick and big, you get closer to the right pronunciation, but quick and big arent as meaningful as quick and bite. I will admit to Googling the name to figure out its pronunciation. There were several videos, which probably isnt a good sign. The name is intended to be pronounced like "Quimby" without the -m, which is the last point of confusion. With this pronunciation, you would expect the more standard English spelling of Quiby. Related: Elon Musk's Boring Company Completes Excavation of Las Vegas Tunnels All is not lost, though. Defying expectations can be a good thing. The result is memorability. The more you have to think about the name, the more likely you will be to recall it. If Quibi can overcome launching in a pandemic by providing users with great content, and assuming it can move quickly abroad, then I think we will all be looking back in 10 years thinking: Damn, Quibi is a really great name. If not, I am afraid it will end up with the Nova in the dustbin of misunderstood and misremembered names that we dont like because the product didnt live up to our expectations. Related: A Top Cop Who Fired Cops For Using Pot Uses Pot How to Watch the Latest Debate Between Trump and Biden in Spanish Health Secretary Alex Azar Says All Americans Who Want a Vaccine Could Get One By Spring 2021 Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Denpasar: An hour north of Denpasar, far from Bali's now-shuttered tourists spots, Bali Kids is struggling to care for 15 sick children. The youngest three at the centre are an 18 month-old boy and a boy and a girl who are each six months old. A six month-old baby boy whose mother has HIV Aids, currently being cared for at Bali Kids. Credit:Amilia Rosa The 18 month-old, who we can't name, has tested negative twice to HIV/AIDS, the disease that killed his mother. His father is gone, too, and for all intents and purposes he is orphan. The six month-olds both still have mothers, though they can't visit at the moment because of the coronavirus. It's not yet clear if the babies have HIV. Both mothers turned to Bali Kids because they couldn't afford to pay for medical care. President Donald Trump fired the State Departments inspector general on Friday night and replaced him with a staunch ally, a move Democrats immediately decried as the latest example of the White House getting rid of watchdogs who have been critical of the administration. Trump gave no real explanation for the ouster of Steve Linick, who had been appointed during the Obama administration, only saying that he no longer had his fullest confidence and he would be removed in 30 days. Congress is required to be notified 30 days in advance of any removal of an inspector general. Linicks successor will be Stephen Akard, a former career foreign service officer who has close ties to Vice President Mike Pence from his home state of Indiana. Advertisement Linick had been critical of the State Departments leadership during the Trump presidency for alleged retribution toward staff members. But beyond that, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said the firing took place after Linick opened an unspecified investigation into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. This firing is the outrageous act of a president trying to protect one of his most loyal supporters, the secretary of state, from accountability, Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., said in a statement. I have learned that the Office of the Inspector General had opened an investigation into Secretary Pompeo. Mr. Linicks firing amid such a probe strongly suggests that this is an unlawful act of retaliation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Engel didnt go into details about what the alleged investigation entailed but a congressional aide said it had to do with claims of Pompeos misuse of a political appointee at the Department to perform personal tasks for himself and Mrs. Pompeo. Linick has criticized several times the way the State Department has been handling personnel issues. And in 2019, a State Department whistleblower allegedly claimed Pompeo used his security detail for personal chores, like picking up his familys dog. It allegedly led agents to complain that they were serving as UberEats with guns. Advertisement Advertisement Linick also played a minor role in the impeachment investigation as he requested a meeting with lawmakers to turn over documents his office had obtained. Those documents which amounted to some 40 pages ended up being largely inconsequential, as the New York Times notes. The Friday-night ouster was not an isolated incident and marked the the latest in a string of watchdogs who have been fired by the president in recent months. It came weeks after Trump got rid of Christi Grimm, who was principal deputy inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services. Earlier, he had gotten rid of Michael Atkinson, the intelligence community inspector general. Trump also fired Glenn Fine from his role as acting inspector general at the Defense Department, which also meant he would no longer be the head of the panel Congress created to oversee the coronavirus stimulus package. Advertisement Advertisement House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that Trumps late-night, weekend firing of the State Department inspector general meant that the president has accelerated his dangerous pattern of retaliation against the patriotic public servants charged with conducting oversight on behalf of the American people. Sen. Robert Menendez said that the firing showed that the Presidents paralyzing fear of any oversight is undeniable. Sen. Chris Murphy also pointed to the presidents pattern of behavior to note that inspectors general are inconvenient, pesky brutes if your goal is turn the government into a cash cow for your friends, cronies and family. Rajesh Abraham By Express News Service KOCHI: The Covid-induced lockdown is giving Ajay Kumar, a native of Kottayam district, a sense of deja vu. Ajay was among nearly 1.7 lakh Indian expatriates who were stranded (and later evacuated by the Indian government) in Kuwait following the invasion of Iraq in 1990. Now, nearly three decades later, Ajay is stranded again. This time at his home in Changanassery for over a month after India barred all international commercial passenger flights from March 22 following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. "I came to Kerala on March 2 to see my ailing mother-in-law. She passed away on March 5. My tickets were for March 22, but the sudden stoppage of international flights has left me stranded here," Ajay, who works as a financial controller in a food supplier firm in the hospitality sector in Bahrain, told TNIE. Though the national carriers Air India and Air India Express have announced an evacuation plan (the second phase from Saturday will see return flights to West Asia), Ajay said he would wait till Gulf Air begins operations. "I had some important works to complete and now I am doing them from here in Kerala," he said. Back in August 1990, Ajay had booked tickets to Kerala for his marriage, scheduled for August 16 at Mavelikkara Sri Krishna Swamy temple. "The Iraqi invasion happened suddenly and Kuwait International Hotel (Hilton) where I was working was converted into a military office," he said. The Iraq Bank governor, military general and other top officers were based at the hotel post the invasion, he said. "We were completely in the dark on when and where our evacuation to India will happen," Ajay said. That was when Kuwait resident and Keralite Toyota Sunny (Mathunny Mathews) offered to help in the evacuation process. "We were taken to the Iraq-Kuwait border. A sea of people had gathered at the no mans land between Iraq and Jordan. We got into a vehicle to the base camp some 10-15 km away by paying something like 4,000 dinars," he reminisced. From there, they were shifted to the next camp at Jordan, where Indians were asked to form groups of 42 persons each. "Back home, my family had no information if we were alive or not. There was no information about us, whatsoever," he said. To cut a long story short, Ajay finally got into the evacuation flight long after the marriage date of August 16. "Though the marriage was postponed, I married the same girl later in December the same year," he said. The couple has two daughters - one married and doing her higher studies in Germany, while the younger one has completed her medicine. As Ajay gets ready to fly off to Bahrain when the international commercial passenger flights' services begin, is he worried about the reported fast spread of coronavirus in West Asia? "I dont have any worries about the COVID spread in the Gulf. I think, we have to learn to live with the virus," he said. A man whose life was ruined after he was falsely accused of rape by his opioid-addicted wife has settled his $1million claim against police outside of court. Identified only as 'DC' in court, the man suffered 'severe mental anguish' from being thrown in prison for a month, after his estranged wife - a doctor - claimed he raped her. The allegation came three weeks after they split in May 2015, after DC discovered his wife was having an affair, according to a statement of claim lodged in the NSW Supreme Court. She is a medical specialist with a 'serious opioid addiction', according to The Australian. Her estranged husband believes she made the allegations fearing he would tell her medical colleagues about her addiction to Tramadol. Police and prosecutors had pursued the charges despite being shown CCTV footage from the home showing the sex was consensual, his lawyer claimed in court. A medical professional who was having an affair falsely accused her husband of rape when they spit up DC later lodged the damages clean against NSW police and prosecutors, but it has now been settled out of court days before a hearing was due to start. He claims that the pair had consensual sex at their matrimoial home on June 15 2015 after they briefly reconciled. The court heard they had been exchanging romantic messages afterwards, but the communication soon soured and stopped. But two months later, the man was arrested at Sydney airport when he returned from a work trip to Europe - and was put in jail for a month. His lawyer, Greg Walsh, told The Weekend Australian that trying to clear his name had taken 'a very heavy toll on him', saying he 'should never have been arrested and charged in the first place'. Mr Walsh said it was a 'stark example of a pattern of ideological bias' in sexual assault cases by prosecutors. 'There seems to be a trend that anybody accused of sexual assault must be guilty, which completely overrides the presumption of innocence, Mr Walsh said. The man's laywer told New South Wales' Supreme Court (pictured) that police had ignored critical evidence that his wife was lying 'These are ideologically driven prosecutions even in the absence of hard evidence and it is a considerable concern.' He told the Supreme Court that the police and prosecutors ignored critical evidence and failed to test his estranged wife's allegations. This includes stark CCTV footage showing the couple having consensual sex, the court heard. Despite this video evidence, he claimed prosecutors then laid even more charges at DC, including attempted anal and vaginal rape. The prosecutor later denied every seeing the CCTV video. After a ten-day trial in 2017, all the charges against DC were thrown out after Judge Mark Williams issued a rare Prasad direction - which tells the jury there is not enough evidence to convict. Judge Williams called the man's wife's evidence 'demonstrably false'. Representative image Indians stranded in various countries due to COVID-19-related restrictions are being brought back in special flights under the Centre's Vande Bharat Mission. The government launched the mission on May 7 to evacuate Indians stranded in various countries due to coronavirus-related restrictions. Under the phase one of the mission, the government has evacuated a total of 12,000 Indians from the Gulf region as well as countries like the US, the UK, Philipines, Bangladesh, Malaysia and the Maldives. Coronavirus LIVE updates In phase two of the government's mega evacuation mission, over 32,000 stranded Indians will be brought back home from 21 countries from May 16 to 22, news agency PTI has reported citing official sources. 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 Schedule of flights on May 16: > IX 0434: Dubai (13.00) to Kochi (18.25) > IX 0538: Abu Dhabi (17:00) to Thiruvananthapuram (22.40) > *IX 0348: Abu Dhabi (18:00) Kozhikode (23:30) *Subject to slot approvals Follow our full coverage on COVID-19 here Face coverings will be mandatory on TriMet buses and light rail trains starting next week, according to new rules released Friday afternoon by the Oregon Health Authority. TriMet confirmed it would require riders to wear masks and is installing dispensers onboard all 700 of the transit agencys buses to provide disposable coverings to riders who dont have them. The tri-county transit agency is also installing two hand sanitizing dispensers aboard its bus fleet, the nations 11th largest. TriMets MAX vehicles, all 145 of them, will be equipped with two face covering dispensers and one hand sanitizing station. The state guidance stopped short of requiring hand sanitizing stations, but state health officials recommended they be installed. Those changes are some of several notable ones announced Friday in conjunction with Gov. Kate Browns direction to transit operators statewide. They come despite TriMet operating in the three counties Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington which have not applied to reopen under the states framework first discussed last week. The changes are an abrupt acceleration for the agency, which came under fire during the initial month of the pandemic from operators and their union for failing to provide face coverings for staff and leaving drivers to bring their own cleaning and sanitizing supplies into work. One operator, who installed a shower curtain on his bus, was told to remove it. Roberta Altstadt, a TriMet spokeswoman, said the policy changes are essentially in preparation for the metro areas reopening, which is at least three weeks away. The actions were taking now and those that will take some time to implement aim to help keep riders and operators safe as we all work together, Altstadt said. The individually wrapped disposable masks are intended for passengers who dont already have one, she stressed. We have well over a million disposable face coverings on hand, Altstadt said in an email, as we have been working with the governors office and thought this directive might be coming. TriMet doesnt have an estimate for how many face coverings will be used on a monthly basis, but Altstadt said TriMet would monitor and order as needed. We suspect many people will use their own face coverings to reduce the touchpoints of using the dispenser, she said. Supply chains have become more reliable so we suspect that restocking wont be an issue. Public transit officials are also distributing face coverings at the agencys Pioneer Courthouse Square ticket office and by handing them out to community organizations. Altstadt said TriMet is also planning to hand out coverings at key spots throughout the system to help get face coverings into the hands of those who need them. The state guidelines also revise social distancing rules, saying three feet of separation is acceptable for riders, whereas passengers must maintain six feet from bus or rail operators. As a result, TriMet will shift its seating limits to reflect those distancing requirements. The transit agency will raise its ridership caps. Previously it set a maximum of 15 people per bus. New guidelines raise the capacity limits to 19 riders or up to 24 including people traveling as a household group. MAX seating will now be limited to 22 to 26, depending on the model of vehicle. Face coverings will be required to board TriMet buses and trains starting Wednesday, Altstadt said. TriMet employees were required to wear masks as of this week, but the agency started providing operators with coverings last month. The rules dont apply to children under 2 years of age or those with health issues that prevent them from wearing masks or covering their nose and mouth. Over the last two months, TriMet has elevated our cleaning protocols, provided riders direction to stay healthy and changed procedures to increase the wellbeing of our bus operators and other front-line staff, TriMet General Manager Doug Kelsey said in a statement. Now, as we look forward to the TriMet of tomorrow, we will step up even more. It is paramount that our customers feel safe with the transit service we provide. Gov. Browns order helps build on everything weve done to date. The new directives come as ridership has crept up for the past two weeks, with the number of systemwide trips rising 8% last week. According to a news release published late Friday, TriMet said it will attempt to clean every bus and train every four hours during the day. Workers also clean the main touchpoints on rail stations and transit centers at least once a day, Altstadt said in a statement. The transit service also said it expects to meet its previously stated goal of equipping all buses with the protective safety panels it had installed on a handful of vehicles in the past year in response to driver assaults. The agency expects to have those installed as planned by the end of April. -- Andrew Theen; atheen@oregonian.com; 503-294-4026; @andrewtheen Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.-- Andrew Theen; atheen@oregonian.com; 503-294-4026; @andrewtheen Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Scientists break the link between a quantum material's spin and orbital states In designing electronic devices, scientists look for ways to manipulate and control three basic properties of electrons: their charge; their spin states, which give rise to magnetism; and the shapes of the fuzzy clouds they form around the nuclei of atoms, which are known as orbitals. Until now, electron spins and orbitals were thought to go hand in hand in a class of materials that's the cornerstone of modern information technology; you couldn't quickly change one without changing the other. But a study at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory shows that a pulse of laser light can dramatically change the spin state of one important class of materials while leaving its orbital state intact. The results suggest a new path for making a future generation of logic and memory devices based on "orbitronics," said Lingjia Shen, a SLAC research associate and one of the lead researchers for the study. "What we're seeing in this system is the complete opposite of what people have seen in the past," Shen said. "It raises the possibility that we could control a material's spin and orbital states separately, and use variations in the shapes of orbitals as the 0s and 1s needed to make computations and store information in computer memories." The international research team, led by Joshua Turner, a SLAC staff scientist and investigator with the Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Science (SIMES), reported their results this week in Physical Review B Rapid Communications. An intriguing, complex material The material the team studied was a manganese oxide-based quantum material known as NSMO, which comes in extremely thin crystalline layers. It's been around for three decades and is used in devices where information is stored by using a magnetic field to switch from one electron spin state to another, a method known as spintronics. NSMO is also considered a promising candidate for making future computers and memory storage devices based on skyrmions, tiny particle-like vortexes created by the magnetic fields of spinning electrons. But this material is also very complex, said Yoshinori Tokura, director of the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science in Japan, who was also involved in the study. "Unlike semiconductors and other familiar materials, NSMO is a quantum material whose electrons behave in a cooperative, or correlated, manner, rather than independently as they usually do," he said. "This makes it hard to control one aspect of the electrons' behavior without affecting all the others." One common way to investigate this type of material is to hit it with laser light to see how its electronic states respond to an injection of energy. That's what the research team did here. They observed the material's response with X-ray laser pulses from SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). One melts, the other doesn't What they expected to see was that orderly patterns of electron spins and orbitals in the material would be thrown into total disarray, or "melted," as they absorbed pulses of near-infrared laser light. But to their surprise, only the spin patterns melted, while the orbital patterns stayed intact, Turner said. The normal coupling between the spin and orbital states had been completely broken, he said, which is a challenging thing to do in this type of correlated material and had not been observed before. Tokura said, "Usually only a tiny application of photoexcitation destroys everything. Here, they were able to keep the electron state that is most important for future devices - the orbital state - undamaged. This is a nice new addition to the science of orbitronics and correlated electrons." Much as electron spin states are switched in spintronics, electron orbital states could be switched to provide a similar function. These orbitronic devices could, in theory, operate 10,000 faster than spintronic devices, Shen said. Switching between two orbital states could be made possible by using short bursts of terahertz radiation, rather than the magnetic fields used today, he said: "Combining the two could achieve much better device performance for future applications." The team is working on ways to do that. ### Shen is now a postdoctoral researcher at Lund University in Sweden with a joint position with SIMES at SLAC. Scientists from the Advanced Light Source at DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; the Swiss Light Source at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Sweden; the University of Tokyo and University of Tsukuba in Japan; and the University of Chicago also contributed to this research. Both LCLS and the Advanced Light Source are DOE Office of Science user facilities, and major support for the study came from the DOE Office of Science. Turner's research was supported through the DOE Office of Science Early Career Research Program. Citation: Lingjia Shen et al., Physical Review B Rapid Communications 101, 201103(R), 12 May 2020 This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. OTTAWA - Provinces looking to reopen their economies will need to scale up and co-ordinate testing and contact-tracing to contain future outbreaks of COVID-19, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a daily briefing on COVID-19 outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Thursday, May 14, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - Provinces looking to reopen their economies will need to scale up and co-ordinate testing and contact-tracing to contain future outbreaks of COVID-19, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. During a call among Trudeau and provincial premiers Thursday evening, the premiers stressed the need for tracing that reaches beyond provincial boundaries as COVID-19 restrictions begin to be eased and people begin to travel more. This will require collaboration among the provinces on how this work is done efforts that Trudeau said Friday the federal government is prepared to help with. "There will be more travel because of a reopened economy and we need to make sure we have coherence in our approach across the country on both testing and contact tracing, which is something we talked about a lot last night," Trudeau said of the Thursday discussion. But he said a national approach will require the provinces to be willing to work with Ottawa on a collective effort. Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said in a news conference of her own that contact tracing is "one of the absolute cornerstones" of Canada's public health strategy in managing the spread of the virus. While this work is done at the local level, she said the federal government has offered support. She also noted there have been increasing discussions about technological applications that could help. "There are some jurisdictions that have begun to try some of this and are sharing some of the lessons," she said. South Korea has begun aggressively testing and tracing thousands of people who went to bars and nightclubs in Seoul after a cluster of new coronavirus cases emerged in its capital. Some of this tracing has involved contacting telecom companies to gain location information of people who were in those clubs to determine who might have been infected. While Canada is looking to work with provinces and different organizations on a national approach to contact tracing, Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said protecting Canadians' privacy will be central. "The architecture around privacy principles will be a key feature of any tool that we work with and move forward on," he said. "As we look at other jurisdictions, we want to be driven by a Canadian solution based on Canadian values and privacy will be front and centre." Earlier this month, Ontario Premier Doug Ford called for a national plan for contact tracing, noting that each province has been approaching this work differently. "The federal government is offering to work very closely with the provinces on expanding massively both our testing and our contact-tracing and we certainly hope that the provinces will work with us on that because everywhere across the country, as we reopen, we need to be hypervigilant to possible resurgences of COVID-19," Trudeau said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2020. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 288 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infection in the country to 5,445. The NCDC made this known on its Twitter page on Friday night, where it it disclosed that 179 of the new cases were recorded in Lagos, the countrys hotspot. Twenty new cases were recorded in Kaduna, 15 each in both Katsina and Jigawa, 13 in Borno, 11 in Ogun, eight in Kano, seven in the FCT, four each in Niger and Ekiti, three each in Oyo, Delta and Bauchi, two in Kwara and one in Edo. The number of recoveries increased from 1,180 to 1,320, while four fatalities were recorded, bringing the total number of deaths to 171. Below, is a breakdown of cases by state: On the 14th of May, 4 cases reported from Plateau & 1 case from Akwa Ibom, were repeat cases Therefore Plateau has a total of 21 cases and Akwa Ibom has a total of 16 cases We apologise to this State Governments for this error & remain committed to ensuring accurate reporting pic.twitter.com/6ZnkPUPPst NCDC (@NCDCgov) May 15, 2020 Hundreds of people in Aden, southern Yemen's main city, have died in the past week with symptoms of what appears to be the coronavirus, local health officials said in interviews with The Associated Press. The officials fear the situation is only going to get worse: Yemen has little capacity to test those suspected of having the virus and a 5-year-long civil war has left the health system in shambles. One gravedigger in Aden told AP he'd never seen such a constant flow of dead even in a city that has seen multiple bouts of bloody street battles during the civil war. Officially, the number of coronavirus virus cases in Yemen is low 106 infections in the southern region, with 15 deaths. Authorities in the Houthi rebel-controlled north announced their first case on May 5 and say there has been only two infection, one of whom died, a Somali migrant. But doctors say the Houthis are covering up an increasing number of cases to protect their economy and troops. And the surge in deaths in Aden more than 500 in just the past week, according to the city registrar has raised the nightmare scenario that the virus is spreading swiftly in a country with almost no capacity to resist it. The upswing in suspected COVID-19 cases in Yemen is sounding alarms throughout the global health community, which fears the virus will spread like wildfire throughout the world's most vulnerable populations such as refugees or those impacted by war. If you have a full-blown community transmission in Yemen, because of the fragility, because of the vulnerability, because of the susceptibility, it will be disastrous, said Altaf Musani, the World Health Organization chief in Yemen. WHO says its models suggest that, under some scenarios, half of Yemen's population of 30 million could be infected and more than 40,000 could die. Half of Yemen's health facilities are dysfunctional, and 18 per cent of the country's 333 districts have no doctors. Water and sanitation systems have collapsed. Many families can barely afford one meal a day. Yemen has no more than 500 ventilators and 700 ICU beds nationwide. There is one oxygen cylinder per month for every 2.5 million people. WHO provided some 6,700 test kits to Yemen, split between north and south, and says another 32,000 are coming. The health agency says it is trying to procure more protective equipment and supplies to fight the virus. But WHO said efforts have been hampered because of travel restrictions and competition with other countries. The ongoing civil war pits the Houthis, who occupy the north, against a U.S. and Saudi-backed coalition that formed an internationally recognized government in the south. Now that coalition in the South has fragmented: separatists backed by the United Arab Emirates rose up and expelled the government from southern capital Aden last summer and declared self-rule last month. The two factions are fighting in Abyan, a province adjacent to Aden. The war has already killed more than 100,000 and displaced millions. The two warring sides in Yemen's civil war have taken vastly different approaches to dealing with the pandemic, each in its own way fueling the possible spread of the virus. The south is a picture of utter collapse: Rival factions within the U.S. backed coalition are battling for control. No one appears to be in charge as an already wrecked health system seems to have completely shut down. Health personnel, with little protective equipment, are terrified of treating anyone suspected of having the coronavirus. Many medical facilities in Aden have closed as staffers flee or simply turn patients away. No one is answering a hotline set up by U.N.-trained Rapid Response Teams to test suspected cases at home. If you are suspected of having corona and you are in Aden, most probably you will wait at home for your death, said Mohammed Roubaid, deputy head of the Aden's health office. From May 7 until Thursday, the city's civil registrar recorded 527 deaths, the head of the office Sanad Gamel told AP. The causes of death weren't listed, but the rate was many times higher than the usual average death rate of around 10 people a day, city health official said. Multiple doctors said they were convinced the deaths are COVID-19 related. In a statement Thursday, Save the Children put the toll of people with COVID-19 symptoms in Aden the past week at 385. In the north, meanwhile, the Houthi rebels in power there are waging a campaign to aggressively suppress any information about the scale of the outbreak, even as doctors told the AP of increasing infections and deaths. The Houthis have refused to release positive test results and intimidated medical staff, journalists and families who try to speak out about cases, doctors and other officials say. Doctors and local health officials said they believed many people are dying of COVID-19 in their homes, undocumented. Doctors in three northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, told the AP they have seen increasing numbers of suspected coronavirus cases and deaths. All spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals from the rebels. Houthi militiamen have shut down several markets in Sanaa and locked down streets in 10 neighborhoods, barring families from leaving their homes, after suspected cases arose. Medical staffers said they are under surveillance and can't speak about what they see inside health centers. Both local health ministry and international aid officials have been warned not to discuss cases or of possible local transmission of the virus, since the rebels insist the north's few cases came from abroad, according to two officials with knowledge of the discussions. In the first week of May, a surge of patients entered the Kuwait Hospital, the sole fully operating COVID-19 treatment center in the capital, said four officials. One official said 50 of them were likely infected with the coronavirus and 15 died later died. Staffers say they believe the patients were infected because Houthi authorities never revealed the results of their tests. When it's negative, they give the results to us, the official said. An internal document with test results at the hospital on May 4 showed three positive cases. On one page was scribbled the name of a woman who died. The AP obtained a copy of the document, which also circulated on social media. Two officials confirmed its authenticity. Families of those who died of suspected coronavirus infection say they are left in the dark. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UPDATE: Currency strategists at Danske Bank warn investors of near-term Pound Sterling losses in the GBP/EUR and GBP/USD outlook. "We expect GBP to weaken from here driven by further Brexit tensions, especially ahead of the decisions on a possible extension of the transition period, financial services and fishing before 1 July. 2021. We probably need to get rather close to the year-end deadline before a trade deal is landed." UK/EU trade talks remained deadlocked, Pound Sterling hit by another wave of selling, Euro-Sterling trades at 6-week best exchange rate above 0.8900 With underlying fears over the UK coronavirus strategy already undermining sentiment, stalemate in the latest round of UK/EU trade talks was the catalyst for another Sterling sell-off with increased speculation over further losses. Following the latest round of talks, UK Chief negotiator Frost stated that there was a "good understanding" between the negotiators but that little or no progress had been on the most "significant outstanding issues". "The UK will continue to work hard to find an agreement, for as long as there is a constructive process in being, and continues to believe that this is possible." The main sticking point was the area of a level playing field which aims to ensure that the UK does not secure an unfair advantage outside the EU area. According to Frost, the EU was insisting upon a "set of novel and unbalanced proposals" in relation to competition issues that went well beyond other comparable trade agreements struck with other major economies. The UK, he said, would not agree to "a so-called level playing field which would bind this country to EU law or standards, or determine our domestic legal regimes". On fishing, Frost added that the EU was seeking continued access to UK fishing waters after the transition period "in a way that is incompatible with our future status as an independent coastal state". "It is hard to understand why the EU insists on an ideological approach which makes it more difficult to reach a mutually beneficial agreement," he said. "We very much need a change in EU approach for the next round beginning on 1 June. EU Chief negotiator Barnier repeated that he was not optimistic that a deal could be reached by the end of 2020 A "new dynamism" would be needed in the next round of talks to deliver "tangible progress". Barnier added; "We are not going to bargain away our European values to the benefit of the British economy. Economic and trade fair play is not for sale. It is not a 'nice to have', it is a 'must have'." There was further disagreement over any mention of the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice or the European Convention om Human Rights -- a demand rejected by the UK government. One official commented, "There isn't a halfway house, you can't split the difference between where we control our own laws and where we don't." Pound Sterling under renewed pressure The British Pound exchange rates lost further ground following the comments from Frost and Barnier as sentiment remained extremely negative. The Pound-to-Dollar exchange rate was volatile in the wake of US retail sales data, but hit fresh 6-week lows near 1.2130 in New York. The Euro to Pound exchange rate also broke above 0.8900 for the first time since March 31st and hit a peak around 0.8930. Image: EUR to GBP exchange rate chart Goldman Sachs said it still expected a minimalistic trade deal to be sealed this year with the potential for a new and more limited implementation phase meaning some EU rules would continue applying to Britain beyond the end of this year. According to TD Securities, the UK government may decide that with the economy already in severe recession, there would be little to lose politically by adopting a tough stance and the June round of talks will be crucial. If a hard-line stance prevails, it expects Sterling to weaken further Our positioning framework shows the market is short but on a relative basis that makes GBP look neutral. From here we expect another break below 1.20, as this theme gathers momentum. Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at Swissquote Bank commented; The increased pricing in of a no-deal Brexit should further weigh on the pound and encourage a further retreat toward the $1.20 level, and possibly below. Danske Bank expects further near-term gains for Euro/Sterling; We expect GBP to weaken, driven by further Brexit tensions, especially ahead of the decisions on a possible extension of the transition period, financial services and fishing before 1 July 2020. We see EUR/GBP at 0.90 in 1M, 0.90 in 3M and 6M (unchanged) followed by a move towards 0.86 on a trade deal in 12M (unchanged). Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak has said that next phase of weakening lockdown in the country is scheduled for late May if the epidemic situation is stable. The press service of the Office of the President reported on Saturday that at a meeting with G7 ambassadors and the head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Yermak informed the diplomats on the situation with the spread of COVID-19 in Ukraine. "He [Yermak] said that now, the COVID-19 prevalence rate in the country is moderate, on May 11 phase one of easing lockdown took place. The next phase is planned for late May if the epidemic situation remains stable," the press service said. The university at the heart of Britains fight against coronavirus will this week announce a multi-million-pound sponsorship agreement from controversial Chinese tech giant Huawei, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Imperial College London has cut a deal worth 5 million with the firm at the centre of a row over Chinas influence in Britain to finance a new tech hub on their West London campus. The Government has relied on Imperial Colleges research to form policy on fighting Covid-19. More than a dozen scientists at the university have contributed to the Governments Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies Whitehalls pandemic response unit. Huawei will provide a superfast 5G internet network for the university, as well as pay for research and facilities over five years. Imperial College London has cut a deal worth 5 million with the firm at the centre of a row over Chinas influence in Britain to finance a new tech hub on their West London campus But the revelation last night sparked fury and reignited the fierce debate about whether the firm should be allowed to build Britains next generation of high-speed internet, amid espionage fears and concerns over Chinas role in the Covid-19 outbreak. There is a growing Tory revolt over Boris Johnsons decision to allow the firm to build 35 per cent of Britains future 5G network and wider calls for a total overhaul of British relations with China due the virus. Last night, Iain Duncan Smith, a leading critic of Britains policy toward China, branded the deal ironic and dangerous. The former Tory leader blasted: This is a perfect example of how the Chinese strategy is to use their money to insert their influence in the worlds intellectual thought process. How ironic it is Imperial that is dealing with the fallout of Covid-19. This is a deeply worrying and dangerous relationship. And there was anger in the Government at the timing of the announcement, with Ministers admitting they are powerless to stop the deal going ahead. Last night, Iain Duncan Smith, a leading critic of Britains policy toward China, branded the deal ironic and dangerous It is understood the investment in the Colleges White City campus in West London has been screened by the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure. The Government announced a new National Security and Investment Bill last December, set to tighten oversight of foreign money and influence in Britain. However, last night Government sources accused the Business Department of dragging their feet over the legislation and trying to water it down. One Minister has suggested the Huawei Imperial deal is precisely why the new bill was needed. But a source close to Business Secretary Alok Sharma's thinking said: Huawei are not allowed near our critical national infrastructure which is why their role in 5G is limited. 'But if companies want to invest in parts of the UK not critical to national security that is a different matter. This will save taxpayers money. Imperial College London said: Like other UK universities, we have received support from Huawei for high-quality and open research for several years. Such funding is subject to our robust Relationship Review policies. A Huawei spokesman said: We are pleased to be working with Imperial to explore how new technologies can bring economic and social value through collaboration. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the Centre should stop acting like a 'sahukar' (money lender) for its children, and demanded that cash assistance be given to the poor and vulnerable sections, who are in dire need of money now, than credit. Interacting with journalists of regional media via video conferencing, Gandhi also warned of an impending economic crisis, and asked the Modi government to at least temporarily, if not permanently, implement Congress-proposed NYAY, minimum income scheme, to give money directly to the marginalised section of society. "When a child is hurt, his parents do not give him credit, they see his wound...I urge the government, do give loans to people, but not act like a 'sahukar' to her children. Mother India should give money directly to her children as they need money now," he told reporters. Gandhi said a 'storm' was brewing on the economic front that will cause damage and hurt many, and urged the prime minister to reconsider the economic package announced by him and give money directly to the poor and needy like migrants walking on roads, failing which the country will suffer a bigger loss economically than from the novel coronavirus. Stating that the biggest migration since independence is underway, "triggered by policies divorced from India's ground realities and ignoring the needs of our most vulnerable" brothers and sisters, who have been left to fend for themselves, he asserted that "yet, till today, the government has not been able to tell us what it plans to do for this huge mass of people, whose livelihoods have been cut off, as a result of the nationwide lockdown". He also said it is important to lift the lockdown intelligently without sacrificing the old and vulnerable population to the disease. "We will have to open the lockdown and we will have to make a transition. It is very important that we open the lockdown intelligently and carefully without sacrificing the vulnerable people. We cannot sacrifice our old people," he said, adding that protecting them is the primary duty of everybody. Asserting that India is in a crisis, he said it is heart breaking to see millions of our people walking on the highways with no food, no water. "I don't want to make a political statement, but, I have a serious reservation about the nature of the package that the government has given and I would like the government to reconsider. It is good that they have taken this step. It is not a bad step, but, the most important thing right now, is that we put money directly into the hands of our poor people," he said. He also said the government should not worry about what the foreign agencies are going to say, but should have faith in our small and medium businesses and in our people, farmers, workers who are walking on the streets and immediately give them money in their pockets, without a single thought. "If we do not support our small businesses now, our farmers and our migrants now, our economy will not start. If our economy does not start, the question of ratings does not arise. So, I would like to ask the government and, with all respect, I would like to ask the prime minister to think about putting money directly into the bank accounts of our people," he said. Gandhi urged the prime minister to at least temporarily, if not permanently, implement an idea like the Nyuntam Aay Yojya (minimum income scheme) by giving money directly in the hands of the poor and vulnerable. "Because if we do not, we will have a catastrophic result. What is going to come, if we do not do that, it is going to be much worse than what we have seen. It is going to overshadow the disease of COVID," he said. He said 52 days have passed since India was put under lockdown, but while the nation is fighting COVID-19, our farmers, migrant labourers, shopkeepers, salaried classes and small and medium industries are facing an unprecedented economic crisis. Emphasizing on the need for an exhaustive economic package for all sections of society, he said though the prime minister belatedly announced a stimulus package on May 12, 2020, its details are not yet clear to the public and are rather opaque. The Finance Minister's daily press conferences on the issue are only adding to the confusion, making India increasingly sceptical and restless, he said. Gandhi said while farmers are suffering, the government's apathy can also be seen in how country's MSMEs that create over 11 crore jobs, are being treated. Instead of concrete financial relief, the government has offered them loans, driving them into a debt trap from which many will never exit, he said, adding that small traders, shopkeepers, salaried middle class, government employees and pensioners are waiting for concrete steps from the government to help them tide over these difficult times. The former Congress chief said the party after a consultative process has made some recommendations for the stimulus package and it is still not too late for it to seriously consider them. These include income support to 13 crore poorest households by transferring Rs 7,500 preferably to each household, besides doubling the days under MGNREGA from the current 100 days of guaranteed wage employment to 200 days, ensuring food security for even the 11 crore people currently outside PDS by providing them with free ration for six months and Rs 10,000 as urgent income support to each of the 8.22 crore PM Kisan Yojana accounts, he said. He also sought Rs one lakh crore wage protection and multi-crore credit guarantee scheme for 6.25 crore MSMEs apart from giving them interest subsidy on loans for six months. The government is duty bound to ensure the safe return of all our migrant brothers and sisters to their homes, free of cost and steps must be taken for their protection and well being and to ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect, he also said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police have described the burning of a cat in west Belfast as a barbaric act. The animal was killed and set on fire in Falls Park, officers said. The remains of the white cat were found by a woman walking in the park at around 10.30am on Saturday. Sergeant David McKinley said: At this time it appears as though the animal has been killed and then set alight. This was a barbaric act and I am appealing to local people to assist us in identifying those involved. He urged anyone with information to call 101, quoting reference number 540 of May 16. The UK government is preparing to offer a 'big concession package' to the US which includes a plan to cuts tariffs on agri imports, reports say. International trade secretary Liz Truss is offering incentives to help finalise a trade deal with the United States, according to the Financial Times. Officials told the paper that the Department for International Trade had proposed a reduction on the cost of some agricultural imports. They stressed, however, that the government was not looking at changing British food and farming standards to align with the US. It comes as UK farming groups recently reiterated the need to protect environmental and welfare standards as trade talks between the two countries got underway last week. The first round of delayed video-conference negotiations involved hundreds of officials and is expected to last two weeks with future talks every six weeks. But Ms Truss, who is leading the trade talks, is reportedly facing internal opposition from Defra Secretary George Eustice, who is concerned over the impact lower standard food imports would have on British farming. NFU international trade director Nick von Westenholz told the paper that farmers would be 'very concerned' about the proposals. Any concessions UK negotiators give on market access such as lower or zero tariffs on agricultural goods must be accompanied by clear conditions on how those goods have been produced, he said. Anything else would represent a clear breach of the governments own explicit red lines in trade negotiations. Labour's shadow international trade secretary Emily Thornberry echoed this, saying that the UK needs a government that would 'stand up for farmers and consumers' in trade negotiations. "A trade deal designed to benefit the big American agri corporations may help Trumps chances of re-election, but it can only be delivered at the expense of food standards in Britain and the competitiveness of our domestic farming sector." A Department for International Trade official said, however, that the proposal to slash tariffs had not been finalised. "The US-UK negotiations only started last week it is far too early to talk about any tariff changes," the official explained. "Weve been clear that we will get a deal that works for the whole UK, including our farmers. Any trade deals must be reciprocal too. It comes as MPs rejected an amendment to protect farmers from lower-standard food imports as the Agriculture Bill reached the Report Stage and Third Reading on Wednesday (13 May). Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Chair Neil Parish, who tabled the amendment, said it was 'disappointing' and that there are now 'grave concerns' over the future direction of the Bill. Napa Valley supports The Drinks Trust via online course Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) is supporting members of the UK wine trade affected by the Covid-19 crisis by donating 25 for every member of the trade who completes the free Napa Valley Rocks online course. The class explores the unique soils, climate, history and wines of Napa Valley. The money will be donated to The Drinks Trust (formerly The Benevolent), which is receiving unprecedented demand during these times. The Drinks Trust has been supporting members of the drinks industry since 1886, offering support and services to help its community thrive, to upskill, to broaden their knowledge, to network and learn from one another. It is also there to support them in challenging times, with wellbeing and financial assistance. Rosemary Cakebread, proprietor of Gallica and chair of NVVs international marketing committee, said: "London and the United Kingdom have long been a centre of great importance for wine producers, and a valued and supportive market for Napa Valley wines. "In this challenging moment, its only right that Napa Valley chips in and supports our friends in the UK hospitality trade." NVV will donate up to 12,500. To help reach the goal, 500 members of the UK and Irish wine trade are needed to complete this activity. NVV will also send a bottle of Napa Valley wine to each trade person who completes the course to enjoy. Those who receive bottles at home are encouraged to post on social media using #itsfromNapa, #NapaCares and #TheDrinksTrust. Learn more at www.napavintners.com Related articles: Though restaurants in the city have opened following lockdown relaxations, its owners are not happy with the timings set by the administration for home deliveries. Stating that they receive most of their orders in the evening hours, restaurateurs say the administration must allow home delivery during evening hours. Currently, home deliveries are allowed between 7am to 7pm. As per the eatery owners, most residents are already apprehensive about ordering from outside due to fear of infection. We get very few orders during the day as most residents are wary of the virus spread. Besides, the timings set by the administrations arent conducive. The few orders that we get are around lunch time, says Parampal Singh, owner of Kays Lovely Food, Jamalpur. Bhupinder Singh, the owner of Ice Cream Parlour, Basant restaurant, and The Table restaurant, said, These days due to the rising temperature, most residents dont eat fast food during the day. Besides, they prefer having ice-cream post dinner, which is why the time slot of 7am to 7pm, does not work for us. He added that due to the time restriction, they are not able to accept most of the orders. The administration must allow home deliveries from 1pm to 11pm, Bhupinder said, stating that in the past one week, sale of food and ice-cream in his eatery has been 15% of the normal. SHORTAGE OF DELIVERY BOYS With large-scale migrant exodus, most restaurants are also facing shortage of manpower. Bhupinder says, The online home delivery service company has reduced the salary of delivery boys due to which the number most of them are unwilling to continue. Due to this, there is a shortage of delivery boys and now delivery takes around an hour as compared to earlier when it took just about 20 minutes. Manjit Singh, president of the Ludhiana hotel and restaurant association, said that not all restaurants in city have opened as some of them dont provide home delivery service and dining-in is not allowed yet. Further, those who have started functioning are also not able to serve food during evening hours when the demand is more, he said. All entry points to Muzaffarnagar district here have been sealed with extra police personnel posted to halt incoming migrant workers travelling on foot following a series of accidents that led to many deaths, an official said on Saturday. Strict vigil is in place with extra police force deputed led by one officer in each border checkpoint of the district. District Magistrate Selva Kumari J told reporters here that eight officers have been deputed to each entry point into the district to prevent the migrant workers from moving further. She said the borders along the neighbouring districts of Meerut, Bijnor, Saharanpur and Shamli were sealed. The officials are responsible for providing shelter and food till arrangements are made to send them to their respective homes, she said. In the early hours of Satruday, at least 24 migrant workers were killed and 36 injured when a trailer rammed into a stationary truck, both carrying migrant workers, on a highway near Auraiya in the state in the early hours of Saturday. In neighbouring Shamli district, District Magistrate Jasjit Kaur and Superintendent of Police Vineet Jaiswal visited the banks of Yamuna river running throughout the district along the Haryana border to keep a check on the situation. They have taken necessary measures after a recent incident of several migrant workers crossing the river into UP from Haryana in the night. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With an aim to boost growth and create jobs, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's fourth tranche of economic stimulus package on Saturday focused on structural reforms. In her fourth press conference in as many days, she announced that the focus of the fourth stimulus would be coal, minerals, defence production, civil aviation sector, power distribution companies in Union Territories, space sector and atomic energy sector. Sitharaman announced major reforms in the mining of minerals through a seamless composite exploration-cum-production regime. She said 500 blocks of minerals will be auctioned in a composite exploration-cum-mining-cum-production regime. Also, a joint auction of bauxite and coal blocks would be done to enhance the aluminium industry's competitiveness. This, she said, will help the aluminium industry reduce electricity costs. She said the distinction between captive and non-captive mines will be removed to allow the transfer of mining leases and sale of surplus unused minerals, leading to better efficiency and production. The minister said that the government will notify a list of weapons/platforms that would be banned for imports, and that such items can only be purchased from India. Moreover, the FDI limit in defence manufacturing under automatic route will now be raised from 49 per cent to 74 per cent, she said. She said steps taken during the recent past include fast track investment clearance through an empowered group of secretaries. Project development cell has been set up in each ministry to prepare investable projects and coordinate with investors and central/state government. States are being ranked on investment attractiveness to compete for new investments, she said adding incentive schemes for the promotion of new champion sectors will be launched in sectors such as solar PV manufacturing and advanced cell battery storage. As many as 3,376 industrial parts/estates/SEZs in 5 lakh hectares have been mapped on Industrial Information System (IIS). All industrial parks will be ranked in 2020-21, she said. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a cumulative package of Rs 20 lakh crore, nearly 10 per cent of GDP, to provide relief to various segments of the economy battered by the nationwide lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. While this included March 27 announcement of Rs 1.7 lakh crore package of free foodgrain and cash to poor for three months and RBI's Rs 5.6 lakh crore worth of monetary policy since March, the government in three tranches over the last three days announced a cumulative package of Rs 10.73 lakh crore. The measures announced have largely been about liquidity with negligible extra budget spending. The three tranches provided for a variety of steps for small businesses, street vendors, farmers and poor migrants as well as shadow banks and electricity distributors, but they have largely been either credit guarantee schemes or new fund creations to be shouldered by banks and financial institutions. The government cash outgo is limited to a maximum of Rs 18,500 crore on free foodgrain and affordable housing to migrant workers as well as limited tax relief and marginal dole to some companies on employee retiral benefits. Beginning March 25, India imposed a three-week-long nationwide lockdown, the most far-reaching measure undertaken by any government to curb the spread of the pandemic. The lockdown, which brought most of the economic activities to a standstill as factories and businesses were shut while rendering thousands temporarily unemployed, has since been extended twice through May 17, with some relaxations to allow resumption of economic activities. According to estimates, the lockdown may have led to 12.2 crore people losing jobs in April and consumer demand evaporating. BAL HARBOUR, Fla., May 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With carefully considered planning, following CDC guidelines and in alignment with state and local officials, Bal Harbour Shops will open and implement increased safety precautions to protect customers, retailers and employees. We have consulted with emergency preparedness experts actively engaged in the COVID-19 pandemic and have researched best practices from the National Retail Federation, Florida Retail Federation, CDC, FDA and OSHA and Florida Department of Health. In keeping with Miami Dade County and Bal Harbour Village ordinance's, retail stores and indoor restaurant seating occupancy will be limited to 50% and salons will limit occupancy to 25%. Bal Harbour Shops will be open MondaySaturday from 11:00am10:00pm and Sunday, 12:00pm-6:00pm, though individual store hours may vary. "For over 55 years, Bal Harbour Shops has maintained an emotional connection with our customer and our community by enhancing the shopping experience. Making our open-air and unenclosed shopping center as safe, convenient and contactless as possible is our number one priority at Bal Harbour Shops," said Matthew Whitman Lazenby, CEO of Whitman Family Development. For optimum convenience, we will provide Retail To-Go curbside pick-up for all retail purchases, and provide curbside Restaurant Take-Out, for all of our Bal Harbour Shops restaurants in our premium parking lot. As an open-air tropical setting, Bal Harbour Shops has a unique advantage during this unprecedented time. We will expand outdoor dining seating utilizing our courtyards in compliance with social distancing standards. Bal Harbour Shops Increased Safety Precautions What we are doing to protect our customers, retailers and employees: Face masks and daily temperature checks are required for all employees Outdoor areas are required to practice social distancing. Face masks are required when social distancing is not possible and will be provided by Bal Harbour Shops as needed. Prior to opening each day our maintenance team deep cleans, sanitizes, and pressure washes all the public areas Our housekeeping staff frequently cleans and disinfects all surfaces and high-frequency touchpoints in the common areas Hand sanitizer dispensers are readily available throughout the open-air shopping center Encourage six feet social distancing practices, including the use of distancing markers and extra space between seating Signage reminding shoppers and employees of safety precautions recommended by the CDC Automatic touchless elevators traveling from Levels 1 through 3 inside of Bal Harbour Shops Healthy Habits to Keep You and Our Community Safe Thoroughly wash your hands on a frequent basis with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes with unwashed hands Wear protective masks and use sanitizer dispensers to keep your hands clean Maintain a distance of six feet from others If you cough or sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue, discard it immediately and wash or sanitize your hands Customer self-screening - we encourage you to perform self-health temperature checks prior to visiting Bal Harbour Shops For the latest updates from Bal Harbour Shops, please visit https://www.balharbourshops.com/ ABOUT BAL HARBOUR SHOPS Opened in 1965 by retail visionary Stanley Whitman and still operated by his descendants today, the third generation family-owned Bal Harbour Shops was the first all-luxury fashion center in America featuring high-end retailers in a tropical, open-air setting. The first to make lush landscaping a key part of the design, Bal Harbour Shops features tropical plants and orchids, waterfall features and koi ponds and a variety of palm trees for shade. Bal Harbour Shops is uniquely positioned across from the Atlantic Ocean offering a serene visual aesthetic like no other luxury shopping destination. The historic Bal Harbour Shops, known for its curated retail as well as the emotional connection to its tenants and customers is the global leader in luxury shopping destinations. SOURCE Bal Harbour Shops TORONTO - City officials, police officers and heavy machinery moved in on Friday to dismantle encampments under a downtown Toronto highway where homeless people live. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Jason reacts as city workers move to clear an encampment on Bay Street where he lived, in Toronto, Friday, May 15, 2020. The city is clearing homeless camps in the downtown area as part of their COVID-19 strategy. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young TORONTO - City officials, police officers and heavy machinery moved in on Friday to dismantle encampments under a downtown Toronto highway where homeless people live. That led to a standoff between officials and the homeless and their advocates who lined up in front of the growing number of tents in the area. The city said it was clearing out the camps after offering various types of housing to the people living there. Those who refused the city's offer of inside housing would have their tents removed, said Mary-Anne Bedard, Toronto's general manager of shelter, support and housing administration. "We have made a commitment not to clear a site without offering everyone a placement, but we're not always able to offer everyone a placement of their choice," Bedard said. A person experiencing homelessness sits by an encampment as Police officers move in to help city workers clear an encampment on Bay Street where he lived, in Toronto, Friday, May 15, 2020. The city is clearing homeless camps in the downtown area as part of their COVID-19 strategy. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young Jason Phillips, who lives in one of the tents under the Gardiner Expressway, said he was given an eviction notice by the city several days ago with an offer to move into a shelter. Phillips said he preferred to live outside due to worries about contracting COVID-19. Several dozen people who live on the streets have told The Canadian Press during the pandemic they preferred to live outside instead of a shelter. As of Thursday, 341 people had tested positive for COVID-19 in the city's shelter system, with 299 active cases and two deaths across nine shelters. "Seems every time I get set up in a camp where I can stay, they come and evict me," Phillips said. "I have a decent environment. I have friends here that help me. I don't want that taken away." As a backhoe slowly rolled towards Phillips' tent, Anna Jessup, an elementary school teacher who came down to fight the evictions, stood in front of it. Jason reacts as city workers prepare to clear an encampment on Toronto's Bay Street where he was living on Friday, May 15, 2020. The city is clearing homeless camps in downtown Toronto as part of their COVID-19 strategy. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young "This is not right what the city is doing," she said. Jessup's protest led to a peaceful standoff between those in tents and city workers, who then offered Phillips and several others their own rooms in a hotel. Phillips accepted the offer, but said he was being pressured to pack up his belongings in a hurry so the city could continue cleaning up the area. "It's very stressful and this is hard on my mental health," said Phillips, noting he lives with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress. "I just want to make sure I have all my stuff, like pictures of my wife and daughter, before they tear down my home," he said. Encampments have popped up throughout the city during the pandemic as more shelter users take to the streets. The city had instituted a moratorium on clearing out encampments during the pandemic, but began clearing them out a few weeks ago. Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg said there are major hazards at some of these encampments. "On Wednesday of this week, we cleared the hazards from another encampment ... where we removed more than 100 litres of gasoline and 17 propane tanks," Pegg said. He said they have responded to 55 fires at encampments this year, including 15 in the last two weeks. One man died at a fire at his encampment two weeks ago. The city is also in the midst of a massive program to move as many people as it can out of congregate living situations such as shelters into hotel rooms and apartments. It has recently bought or leased numerous hotels to give people their own room in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. More than 2,500 people have been moved out of shelters and into 27 different temporary sites, Bedard said. The city also recently signed an agreement with a developer to rent out 125 furnished rooms for those living in encampments, and has moved 97 people from tents into the apartment buildings in midtown Toronto, Bedard said. Advocates have criticized the city's actions on the homeless front, accusing it of moving too slowly and leaving those inside shelters vulnerable to COVID-19. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2020. The European Union is united in opposing Israels plan, but divided in what to do about it. The European Union will make a diplomatic push to try to stop Israel from going ahead with a plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, the blocs foreign policy chief said on Friday. Josep Borrell said the EU would use all our diplomatic capacities to try to dissuade Israels incoming government from going ahead with the move, which also includes the annexation of illegal settlements, approved under United States President Donald Trumps so-called Middle East plan. Palestinians in the area, whose land has been under an Israeli military occupation since 1967, are outraged as they want the West Bank as part of a future state. They deem Israeli settlements there illegal, as do most world powers. While member states of the EU Israels largest trading partner are alarmed at the prospect of annexations, which they say would violate international law and harm the chances of peace, they are divided about what action to take against Israel. What everybody agreed is we have to increase our efforts and our reach out to all relevant actors in the Middle East, Borrell said after the talks. We are ready to do that and we will do that in the next days using all our diplomatic capacities in order to prevent any kind of unilateral action. The push will involve talking to Washington and Arab countries as well as Israel and the Palestinians, Borrell said. Israels long-awaited unity government will be sworn in on Sunday after three inconclusive elections in less than a year and a power-sharing agreement between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former rival Benny Gantz. Some EU countries have pushed for the bloc to take a hard line against Israel, with Luxembourgs veteran foreign minister Jean Asselborn in particular calling for the recognition of a Palestinian state. But others have urged caution and dialogue with Israel, which is seen as an important EU partner in the Middle East. We are in a dialogue with the responsible parties, including in Israel, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said. We have always made it clear that we are committed to the goal of a negotiated two-state solution, and that we believe that annexations are not compatible with international law. Earlier this week, the United Kingdom also reiterated its long-standing policy that it would not support annexations. Justin Amash will not run for president as a third-party candidate in the 2020 election. The former Republican, now independent, congressman announced on Twitter that he will no longer seek to be the Libertarian Partys nominee. After much reflection, Ive concluded that circumstances dont lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year, and therefore I will not be a candidate, he wrote. This was a difficult decision for me, especially having seen grassroots supporters put so much effort into this campaign. Its been humbling and awesome, he added. I continue to believe that a candidate from outside the old parties, offering a vision of government grounded in liberty and equality, can break through in the right environment, said Mr Amash. But this environment presents extraordinary challenges. The congressman, who represents Michigans third district, left his party last summer over his disdain for the hyper-partisan politics that he said had turned Congress into little more than a formality. In a Washington Post column announcing his move, he wrote: Preserving liberty means telling the Republican Party and the Democratic Party that well no longer let them play their partisan game at our expense. On hearing the news of Mr Amashs departure from the party, Donald Trump called him one of the dumbest & most disloyal men in Congress and a total loser! After leaving the Republican Party in 2019, Mr Amash voted to impeach the president. The Democratic Party fretted that Mr Amash's entry into the race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden could tip the scales in favour of Mr Trump, a popular argument among some political pundits who want to prevent a second term for the president this November. Political commentators speculated that Mr Amash could attract enough independent voters, or disaffected Republican voters, in swing states such as Michigan and Wisconsin who would otherwise have been inclined to support Mr Biden over Mr Trump. Democrats are still haunted by the memory of the 2000 election in which enough voters in Florida went for third-party candidate Ralph Nader over vice president Al Gore, handing George W Bush the election by just 537 votes. Mr Nader had more than 97,000 votes in Florida, the majority of whom would have voted for Mr Gore over Mr Bush, exit polling revealed. US Space Force Unveils Flag WASHINGTONThe U.S. Space Force, the newest branch of the armed services, now has its own flag. Defense Department officials presented President Donald Trump with the Space Force flag during a short Oval Office event on Friday. The dark blue and white flag includes elements intended to evoke the vast recesses of outer space. The Space Force, which was officially established in December 2019, is the first new military service since the U.S. Air Force was established in 1947. The 16,000 airmen and civilians that make up the Space Force technically remain part of the Air Force, which previously oversaw offensive operations in space. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said there are adversaries who are turning space into a hostile environment. As such, the Space Force and Space Command are meant to protect U.S. assets and interests in space. Trump has also made clear he sees the newest service as critical to the future of American defense. The president said during Fridays ceremony that the United States is building a super-duper missile that can travel 17 times faster than what we have right now. President Donald Trump stands as Chief of Space Operations at U.S. Space Force Gen. John Raymond, second from left, and Chief Master Sgt. Roger Towberman, second from right, hold the United States Space Force flag as it is presented in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 15, 2020, in Washington. Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett stands far left. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) The flag includes a Delta Winglong a symbol in the Air Forcemeant to signify change and innovation. Dark and light shades of gray within the delta were incorporated in a nod to the 24/7 nature of the Space Forces work. The flag also features a globe, for the Space Force fighters home turf, and an elliptical orbit around the globe was incorporated to signify the forces mission to defend and protect from adversaries and threats emanating in space. This flag was produced by artists and crafts people at the Defense Logistics Agency flag room in Philadelphia from a design finalized and documented by the Departments Institute of Heraldry at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. It appeared at sunset, like a mirage a food truck on a quiet street in Montrose, peddling the kind of confection that might appear in the daydream of a child, or a bleary-eyed adult. The delight is a DoughCone, a handmade cone of donut batter, crusted with cinnamon and sugar, lined with Nutella, filled with ice cream and topped with whatever you might like gummy bears or rainbow sprinkles, almonds or coconut, crushed Oreos or Reeses pieces, or all of the above. The Houstonians who queued up along Colquitt Street were indulging themselves. But they were doing so responsibly, in a sense. Most wore cloth masks, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and ordered by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, though Texans are under no obligation to do so under Gov. Greg Abbotts ambivalent statewide order. Everyone was spontaneously social distancing, arranging themselves along the easement in approximately six-foot intervals. And, whether these evening snackers realized it or not, they had something to celebrate: in Houston, at least, public health experts are seeing glimmers of hope. Its been a dreary and difficult spring, thanks to the novel coronavirus. The United States has seen more than 86,000 deaths due to COVID-19, with over 1,200 of them in Texas, where the virus continues to spread maybe more swiftly as a result of Abbotts decision to being reopening the state on May 1. The state reported 58 deaths on Thursday, a single-day record, and then the same number on Friday. The virus has also taken a severe toll on the state economy. Nearly 2 million people have filed for unemployment benefits in the past two months, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. A new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation says some 1.6 million Texans lost their employer-sponsored health insurance over the same period. Houston, the center of the nations oil and gas industry, has been particularly battered by turmoil in world markets. Yet Houston has emerged as something of a bright spot, in these bleak circumstances. Were flattening the curve in Harris County, according to medical experts, as the rest of the state is struggling to do just that. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Houston a bright spot amid spiking Texas COVID-19 numbers According to a Houston Chronicle analysis of case data, Harris County has been averaging 100 to 200 new cases per day since the end of April, even as the case count in the states other large counties continues to rise. Were simmering, not boiling, said Dr. Paul Klotman, president of Baylor College of Medicine. Simmering, that is, not subsiding: it would be premature to assume that the crisis has passed. And the data in Harris County has to come with an asterisk, given that Texas continues to badly lag in testing per capita. Still, were seeing evidence that all the sacrifices Houstonians have made over the past two months are making a meaningful difference as we await the development of a treatment or vaccine. As a region were doing pretty well, said state Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston, on Friday afternoon. Walle, who also serves as Harris Countys recovery czar, quickly emphasized that the comment needs to be understood in context: Theres a pandemic. People are dying. But when you compare us to other large population centers, relatively speaking, were doing well. Thats surprising, perhaps. There are to paraphrase former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld plenty of known unknowns with this coronavirus, to say nothing of the unknown unknowns. But the Houston area has a number of risk factors that make it relatively vulnerable to a pandemic. Houston is among the largest cities in the country, with some 7 million residents living in the nine-county metro area. It has a poverty rate, according to the Census bureau, of 20.6 percent, and a long-running problem with air pollution that contributes to a high rate of conditions such as asthma, which can make people more vulnerable to the coronavirus. Although its not nearly as densely populated as New York City, the epicenter of the epidemic, Houston is crowded enough, under normal circumstances, and gregarious, for lack of a better word. As the virus began spreading in our communities this spring, Houstonians were enjoying cookouts, crawfish boils, political rallies, patios, sporting events and the rodeo, which was canceled March 12. Houston is, beyond that, a major hub for domestic and international travel. The first presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 identified in the state, in March, were among a group of people from the area who had recently returned from a cruise along the Nile River, in Egypt, even though that country was at the time reporting no cases of the novel coronavirus. In addition to everything else, a Houston Methodist Hospital analysis of the genetic makeup of the first infections treated here, in March, found that 70 percent of the specimens examined had a mutation that appears to make the virus more contagious. Thats a pretty stacked deck, in other words. And since were all sick of the coronavirus, if not sick with it, its worth taking a moment to feel good about the effects our efforts thus far. Houstons public health professionals and first responders deserve tremendous gratitude for their tireless work this spring, and local leaders such as Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner should be commended for their bold actions and steadiness. And the behavior of individuals has a tremendous impact on the spread of this virus, so those of us wearing masks, and spacing ourselves apart, have also helped. Frankly speaking, the publics been very good!, said Walle. Folks have been compliant! Theyre listening. Theyre using their own common sense. Thats something to raise a toast to this weekend or a Doughcone, perhaps. erica.grieder@chron.com The cost of some items has doubled, and prices are expected to stay high after the Muslim fasting month ends. Nigerians are complaining about rising food prices during Ramadan. The cost of some items has doubled, and prices are expected to stay high after the Muslim fasting month ends. Al Jazeeras Ahmed Idris has been speaking with buyers and sellers in markets in the capital, Abuja. The Mail on Sunday's groundbreaking advertising giveaway for small firms has been deluged, receiving more than 5,000 applications in just four days. Our boost for struggling local firms, launched last week with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), was set up with 3 million of funding to help 1,000 firms bounce back from the lockdown. But it has proved so popular that the owner of The Mail of Sunday, Daily Mail, MailOnline and This is Money DMGT is pumping another 2 million into the scheme, taking the total to 5 million to help 500 more businesses get back on their feet. Fired up: Frances Bishop at her childrenswear store, urges shoppers to support their local small businesses To avoid disappointment, we are giving small firms the rest of today to apply, with the scheme closing to applications at 10pm. Businesses qualify if they have no more than 150 staff and a turnover of 6 million a year or less. All applications that meet the criteria (see below for more details) will be shortlisted, with firms then selected at random to receive advertising funds worth over 3,000 each. Our advertising arm Mail Metro Media will help each successful firm design tailored adverts to run in The Mail on Sunday, Daily Mail, Metro, the i newspaper and online at our hugely popular MailOnline, This is Money and Metro.co.uk websites. The adverts will appear from next Sunday. Business owners can ask for their adverts to appear later if they wish, as long as it's before September 30. For example, a delay can be requested if the company would rather wait until lockdown rules are loosened enough to return to full operations. This will really help, says Apprentice star Former BBC Apprentice star Frances Bishop has said that many small firms are only just 'holding it together' and urges people to use local firms where possible in the coming weeks. The independent retailer, who has had to temporarily close her four Pud Store childrenswear shops and furlough 12 of her 14 staff, said being a director of a small firm was 'lonely', but said firms should look for outside aid where available. She praised The Mail on Sunday's 5 million advertising boost for small firms, saying: 'Something like this is a real help. I think it's amazing. Being a small company director feels like you are on your own little raft and can be lonely. It sounds dramatic, but there have been times I've sat in my car and cried. 'As a director of a small business, everybody is looking to you for an answer: staff are upset; you are home-schooling; the bank is asking for a six-month forecast; you are negotiating with landlords or building a website to sell online; customers are asking why orders haven't arrived and I'm explaining the problems Royal Mail is having. 'There are people across the country holding it together because they have no other option. I'm rolling my sleeves up and battling on.' The 29-year-old was inspired by wartime analogies, saying: 'I read that Cadbury's carried on marketing during the Second World War. 'After the war its business boomed because it was familiar from the time of crisis. I do a video every day for my customers, telling them what is going on, how many orders we're dealing with. People are now starting to recognise what value local businesses can bring in a time of crisis.' Bishop said her online sales at thepudstore.com had 'exploded' fivefold and she had hired a new warehouse space to fulfil orders more efficiently rather than picking from her four closed stores. The giveaway is us doing our bit to help the millions of small firms struggling to cope in the coronavirus crisis. Many of them are family-run businesses that play a vital role in local communities. Small firms employ about 17 million people in Britain. DMGT's giveaway has drawn praise from Ministers, including Rishi Sunak. The Chancellor last week thanked the newspaper group for assisting firms that 'are the backbone of our economy' and said they would 'be vital in helping us recover from the outbreak'. A study by the FSB revealed the importance of aid packages. It found that one in three small firms that have temporarily shut during the lockdown may never reopen. Its survey of 5,000 companies found seven in ten have furloughed staff, and one in three are considering or have made redundancies. Mike Cherry, FSB national chairman, said: 'The economy will not go from zero to a hundred overnight once we're in the recovery phase. 'So it's vital small firms receive as much help as possible. That's why The Mail on Sunday's offer is a fantastic opportunity for our members as they get back on their feet. This move is set to have a big impact.' The U.S. Attorneys Office in Seattle says its working with Washington state to track down and prosecute criminals stealing unemployment benefits. But its also urging the state to address and fix the vulnerabilities in their system that, according to a report by other federal investigators, may have helped Washington become the top target in a national scam. Fridays statement from U.S. Attorney Brian Moran comes a day after the state Employment Security Department temporarily halted benefits payments while it dealt with a surge of bogus claims for unemployment insurance that were filed using the identities of unsuspecting workers. The Employment Security Department, which plans to restart benefits payments on Saturday, blames much of what it calls impostor theft on sophisticated criminals using stolen Social Security numbers and other personal data to access the states unemployment insurance system. ESD officials have said that other states are seeing similar problems as thieves, drawn by the large new pool of emergency federal benefits, break into unemployment insurance systems using personal data stolen during earlier data breaches. They also note that Washington was among the first states to start paying benefits from the federal program, which likely made the state an early fraud target. But Moran highlighted an additional concern: that security measures at the Employment Security Department as well as at the states centralized authentication system, SecureAccess Washington, may not have been adequate to withstand attacks by identity thieves. Chasing these reprehensible criminals is just one part of the equation, Moran said in his statement. The other part is for the state to address and fix the vulnerabilities in their system, and I am advised that they are working to address that part of the problem. Those vulnerabilities have reportedly helped Washington become the top target of a widespread scheme by identity thieves who are targeting unemployment insurance programs, according to two government officials who have read a recent report on the scam from the U.S. Secret Service but who declined to be named Friday because they werent authorized to speak about the report. The report indicated that Washington state was the primary target [of the thieves] but that other states may also have seen some activity and other states could be targeted down the line, said one government official who had read the Secret Service report. A second government official who has also seen the report confirmed that it indicated that the scams were most prevalent in Washington but that it also lists other states and said most states will be vulnerable. The New York Times reported Saturday that the Secret Service report suggests a well-organized Nigerian fraud ring is behind the surge in phony claims, and could result in potential losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars. While Washington has emerged as the primary target so far, there also was evidence of attacks in Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Wyoming, the NYT reported. Both ESD and WATech, the state agency that runs SecureAccess Washington, did not respond to requests for comment about Morans statement, and the U.S. Attorneys Office offered no additional comment. ESD officials acknowledged this week that Washington had paid out $1.6 million on fraudulent claims in April and has seen a significant surge in reported fraud cases since then. That surge, corroborated by dozens of victims who contacted The Seattle Times, led ESD Commissioner Suzi LeVine to temporarily halt all benefits payments on Thursday so the department can validate claims as authentic. In recent weeks, school districts, universities, municipal governments and private employers have identified hundreds of suspect claims filed on behalf of employees who are still working. In some cases, workers said they learned of the fraud after receiving a notification about a claim in their name from the Employment Security Department. In other cases, the fraud was discovered when victims tried to file their own legitimate applications for benefits through the ESD website. Several victims shared screenshots with The Seattle Times showing that the state had already transferred money to impostor bank accounts. On Friday, Nick Demerice, an ESD spokesperson, declined to specify the fraud-control measures taken by the department since Thursday to avoid alerting prospective thieves. Carlisle Mayor Tim Scott is cautiously optimistic about Cumberland County's impending move to "yellow" status as one of 12 additional counties that will see pandemic restrictions ease. "I'm optimistic because this proves that the sacrifices our residents and business owners have made through complying with the governor's orders were not in vain," he said. At the same time, he's cautious "because folks need to understand that 'yellow' doesn't mean free for all." Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday that Adams, Beaver, Carbon, Columbia, Cumberland, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Wayne and York will be the next batch of counties moving to the yellow phase of his reopening plan, effective May 22. They are primarily in the south-central and northeast regions of the state. Several key restrictions remain in place to ensure that our residents continue implementing safeguards so we have a reopening that can last, and have a sustained success for the community, said commissioner Gary Eichelberger in a news release issued Friday. Cumberland County commissioners said in the release that the transition to the yellow phase will allow businesses, except those specifically excluded in the Governors Plan to Reopen Pennsylvania, to conduct in-person operations, so long as they strictly adhere to guidance from the state. "No 150-person house parties can occur under the yellow phase. There are still a number of precautions our residents will have to take in order to make this work," Scott said. Cumberland County commissioners, who sent a letter to Gov. Wolf on Monday expressing their support for a move to yellow status, said Claremont Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center and the Cumberland County Prison will both remain closed to visitors and will continue to follow U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We will be outlining our action plans for the reopening of our courthouse and all county government facilities with modifications, within the next week, Eichelberger said. Cumberland and the other 11 counties will join residents of 13 lightly impacted counties including the cities of Pittsburgh, Johnstown and Altoona where Wolf lifted his stay-at-home orders on Friday and gave permission for retailers and other types of businesses to reopen. Twenty-four counties across a vast swath of primarily rural northern Pennsylvania were the first to see a partial reopening last week. All told, by the end of next week, more than 40% of Pennsylvania's population of 12.8 million will have seen an easing of pandemic restrictions that were intended to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed with very ill COVID-19 patients. The state's efforts to contain a virus outbreak that has sickened over 60,000 and killed more than 4,300 statewide have cratered the Pennsylvania economy, and Wolf is under pressure from Republican and some Democratic county officeholders to reopen more quickly. Some GOP-controlled counties have vowed to lift restrictions on their own without Wolf's blessing bringing threats of retaliation from the Democratic governor. The GOP-controlled Lebanon County Board of Commissioners voted 2-1 Friday to lift restrictions on their own without Wolfs blessing. Wolf has threatened to block coronavirus funding to counties that defy him, but didnt say Friday whether he would follow through. The unfortunate thing about a decision like that is why anybody would think they could make it, going to yellow in the face of a virus thats sitting there saying, I dont think youre really ready.' It could put the lives of folks in that county at risk," he said at a video news conference. Some GOP-controlled counties, including Huntingdon and Dauphin, have not officially declared an end to some of Wolf's pandemic restrictions as Lebanon did Friday but say they won't enforce his business shutdown. People are "voting with their feet and going to work, said Josh Parsons, chairman of the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners. In the counties where Wolf has lifted restrictions, people are now permitted to gather in groups of up to 25, although larger crowds remain prohibited. A wide range of retailers, offices and industrial sites can resume operating while observing state and federal health guidelines intended to prevent viral transmission. However, gyms, barber shops, nail salons, casinos, theaters and other such venues are required to remain closed and other restrictions will remain in place, including a ban on youth sports. And bars and restaurants may still offer only delivery or takeout service. Pennsylvania, which borders hard-hit New York and New Jersey, has about the 10th highest rate of coronavirus infection nationally, according to federal statistics. Critics of Wolf's shutdown orders, primarily Republicans, contend that they are inflicting undue suffering and are no longer warranted. They say he has met his original objective of ensuring that hospitals did not become overwhelmed. Local officials have cited the opinions of doctors at their area health systems who say the state's economy can safely reopen and co-exist with the virus. Small business owners in particular have chafed against Wolf's closure of non-life-sustaining businesses, saying it threatens to drive them out of business. A handful of gyms, barbers, hair salons and restaurants have opened in defiance of the governor, saying they can operate without putting their employees' or customers' health at risk. Wolf has said they are jeopardizing their business licenses and other governmental approvals to operate. About 2 million Pennsylvania residents have lost their jobs since mid-March. Food and milk giveaways draw long lines. Some people have gone two months without money because of the states problem-plagued online unemployment benefits portal. Photos: Protesters rally in Harrisburg against Gov. Wolf's business closures Email Tammie at tgitt@cumberlink.com. Follow her on Twitter @TammieGitt. In 1982, after he sold his stake in a company he had set up in the US for a substantial sum, Prabhu Goel, a gold medalist from IIT-Kanpur and a Carnegie Mellon alumnus found he and his wife had a bank balance they could never exhaust with their Indian middle-class values, upbringing and simple needs. Thats when the duo came up with the idea of giving back, well before philanthropy became the fad it is today. Many around them couldnt quite fathom their motives but they sounded noble so support was aplenty. Goel himself was acutely aware of the fact that his ... Mayank Singh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Army Chief General MM Naravane on Friday said Lipulekh Pass was not a dispute between India and Nepal and hinted at Chinas hand behind Kathmandus protests over the issue. Nepal has objected to India recently opening the 80-km-long Lipulekh-Dharchula road in Uttarakhand saying the unilateral act was against the understanding reached between the two countries on resolving border issues. Calling Nepals reaction surprising, General Naravane said, There is reason to believe that they might have raised this issue at the behest of someone else and that is very much a possibility. Elaborating on the issues, he said, In fact, the Nepalese ambassador had mentioned that east of Kali river belongs to them and there is no dispute in that. The road which we have constructed is on the west side of the river. So I dont know what exactly they are agitating about. As we go ahead, there are little issues as to where the (India-Nepal-China) tri-junction should be. There have never been any problems on this score in the past. The Army chief was replying to a query after delivering a talk on Covid and Indian Army: Responses and Beyond, organised by the think-tank, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. Strategists agree with the possibility of the Chinese angle. Nihar R. Nayak, an expert on Nepal matters, said the Army chief was factually correct. Initially, Nepal mentioned Kalapani and Susta as disputed. Now, they have recently increased it to four by adding Lipulekh and Lympiadhura. RTHK: Brazil's health minister quits as virus deaths soar Brazilian Health Minister Nelson Teich resigned Friday after less than a month on the job over what an official said was "incompatibility" with President Jair Bolsonaro's approach to fighting the country's spiralling coronavirus crisis. Teich, a 62-year-old oncologist, joined the far-right president's cabinet on April 17, the day after Bolsonaro sacked his predecessor, Luiz Henrique Mandetta. Mandetta had also clashed with the president, a vocal critic of the stay-at-home measures the then-minister recommended to contain the new coronavirus. Teich took over the post promising "total alignment" with the president, but rifts soon emerged. Teich and Bolsonaro "were incompatible on certain courses of action," a ministry source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Teich was taken by surprise last week when Bolsonaro issued a decree without consulting him that declared beauty salons and gyms "essential services" exempt from business closures. The final straw for Teich was reportedly a disagreement with Bolsonaro over using chloroquine to treat the virus. Like US President Donald Trump, to whom he is often compared, Bolsonaro touts the drug as a promising treatment. He wants it cleared for widespread use in patients, despite studies casting doubt on its effectiveness and raising concerns about its safety. The health ministry announced Teich's resignation in a brief statement, saying he would hold a press conference later. The news drew anti-Bolsonaro protests in various cities. Residents banged pots and pans out their windows, shouting "Get out, Bolsonaro!" (AFP) This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A Wallingford nursing home resident who was found dead outside the facility in January after wandering away died of hypothermia, according to the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Ronald Reynolds, 89, of Meriden, died Jan. 26 after he left Skyview Rehab and Nursing in Wallingford wearing only a shirt and one sock, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Reynolds, who was missing for more than an hour, was found dead 50 feet from the nursing home. The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled that Reynolds died of hypothermia due to environmental exposure. Hypothermia, which is considered a medical emergency, occurs when the body gets cold and loses heat faster than the body can make it. The temperature in Wallingford at the time Reynolds went missing was in the mid-30s. The medical examiner also found Complicating Alzheimer's Dementia and contributing conditions of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The cause of death was listed as an accident. The nursing home was fined $10,000 as a result of the incident, the Connecticut Investigative I-Team reported. Officials with Skyview Rehab and Nursing were not available for comment Friday. CHIT reported that, per the state DPH citation, staff noticed the man was missing at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 26, and he was found at 8:46 a.m. The resident was found wearing only a shirt and one sock, with bloody knees and muddy feet, according to the citation. An investigation found the resident was last seen by a roommate on Jan. 25 between 9:30 and 10 p.m., and that staff hadnt performed required regular two-hour visual check-ins with residents. A review of the facilitys staffing sheet showed there were only three nurse aides on duty, not the required four aides for the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift, according to DPH, CHIT reported. One of Reynolds daughters, Stephanie Savejs, declined comment about her fathers death and referred all questions to Roger Calistro, a New Haven attorney. Calistro said no lawsuit has been filed yet. We are taking with the law firm that represents the insurance company for the nursing home, he said. Reynolds was born in Shoreditch, England, in April 1930, according to his obituary from the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home in Meriden. He was married to Anina Napolitano Reynolds, who died in October 2018. Reynolds is survived by his daughter Stephanie and her husband, Karl Savejs, of Meriden as well as his granddaughter Chelsea Savejs. He also leaves behind two daughters, Gaye and Georgina, and their families in England; and a brother, Harry. luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday (May 16) claimed that some migrant labourers were taken into preventive custody soon after they interacted with party lead Rahul Gandhi in Delhi today. The party claimed that the police told them that they had directions to do so. Gandhi interacted with migrant labourers near the Sukhdev Vihar flyover in the national capital today and asked them about their problems as they walked home amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Gandhi sat on the pavement and gave the migrant workers a patient hearing and assured them of help in reaching their homes, Congress leaders claimed. Dressed in black pants and white kurta, he talked to the workers and heard their grievances. Sources close to Gandhi said he had an impromptu hour-long meeting with a group of 20 migrants, including women and children, walking from their worksite near Ambala to their village near Jhansi. The meeting took place as they sat on the footpath on Mathura road in the national capital. Mahesh Kumar, a migrant worker from Madhya Pradesh who along with 14 of his family members was sitting at the footpath, was one of the labourers who interacted with the Congress leader. He later told reporters, "It was nice talking to him. At least someone heard us and our problems." Sources close to Rahul Gandhi said while adhering strictly to the law, at the request of Gandhi, volunteers from the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee have stepped up to help the group get back to their village. Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra later tweeted thanking Rahul Gandhi and saying that someone has to talk to these migrant labourers and hear their ordeal. "These are our own people. We will have to sit and talk with them. Their suffering has to be shared. They are nation builders. We cannot leave them alone in this time of crisis. Thank you, my leader, Rahul Gandhi," she said in a tweet in Hindi. A Delhi Congress leader said that Gandhi was passing from Sukhdev Vihar when he spotted the migrant workers stopped by the police. He intervened and talked to the migrant workers and assured them help. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Friday that New Mexico would proceed with a gradual, data-driven approach to reopening the states battered economy, even as Republican Party leaders vowed to file a lawsuit against the governor for her handling of the pandemic. With many retailers and churches set to partially reopen this weekend after being closed for two months, Lujan Grisham urged New Mexicans to keep following social distancing guidelines so that her administration does not have to reverse course and reimpose closures. If you dont help us as we ease restrictions we will see cases rise, the governor said during a news conference Friday at the state Capitol that was broadcast online. A revised public health order issued Friday that takes effect today and runs through May 31 will allow churches and other houses of worship to operate at 25% capacity offering more flexibility than the governor had initially announced this week. Lujan Grisham had first planned to allow only up to 10% capacity at churches this weekend, but she said Friday that she and other health officials wanted to simplify the order. As of today, retailers and big box stores can also operate at 25% of their maximum occupancy, rather than having separate standards for each category. The new rules apply to most of the state. Just three counties in the northwestern part of the state are exempt from the loosened restrictions. The order issued Friday also requires that residents wear face coverings when in public spaces, including those casting in-person ballots for the June 2 primary election. Expanded early in-person voting starts today. Meanwhile, the governor said Friday that 11 more New Mexicans had died in the states COVID-19 health crisis, pushing the states death toll to 253. In fact, there were 55 deaths across the state related to the coronavirus during a four-day period that ended Friday making it the deadliest four-day stretch since New Mexicos first confirmed case of the virus on March 11. But even with deaths increasing, Human Services Secretary David Scrase said Friday that New Mexico had hit its targeted level of disease transmission 1.15 for mid-May. That means each person whos infected will spread the disease to an average of 1.15 other people. The transmission rate has been falling throughout most of the state as residents embrace social distancing and stay home. However, Scrase said some medical resources are reaching capacity. The New Mexico hospitals that are designated as hubs for COVID-19 patients now have full intensive care beds, he said, though they are working to expand capacity. This is tricky managing this virus, Scrase said. GOP plans lawsuit Lujan Grishams aggressive response to the coronavirus outbreak has drawn national headlines, but many New Mexico Republicans have been increasingly critical of the Democratic governor. State GOP leaders announced shortly before Lujan Grishams news conference on Friday that they were preparing a lawsuit against her actions, though they did not provide details about the litigation. The governors tactics to impose sanctions on small businesses continue to show her refusal to be equitable in her public health orders, Republican Party Chairman Steve Pearce said in a statement, adding that state-ordered closures are destroying businesses around the state. In response, Lujan Grisham said Friday she was disappointed that Republicans had tried to politicize the pandemic but said they had the right to ask the courts to evaluate her actions. That right exists and I respect that right, but I believe we will prevail, the governor said in response to a question about the threatened lawsuit. Several lawsuits have already been filed, challenging the Lujan Grisham administrations restrictions on church services, gun shops and more. But judges have, for the most part, upheld the governors actions so far, which Lujan Grisham alluded to Friday, saying, So far, we have found were on very sound legal footing. Lujan Grisham also said her administrations reopening plan calls for moving in phases, spaced at least two or more weeks apart to evaluate the impact on disease transmission. For now, dine-in restaurants, gyms, salons and movie theaters will remain closed, as the governor said its not yet safe for them to reopen. She said she understands restaurants, in particular, are eager to allow in person dining. That might be possible in early June, Lujan Grisham said. She also said she would work with lawmakers to try to craft a financial relief package for restaurants and tourism-based business. Please wear mask One of the most controversial parts of the revised public health order that takes effect today is the requirement that New Mexicans must wear face coverings when in public unless they are eating, drinking or exercising. Some county sheriffs have already suggested they will flout the mandate, but Lujan Grisham insisted Friday it is not a political statement. I know its not popular in a way I wish it was, the governor said, comparing the resistance to face mask orders to similar sentiments against mandatory car seats, air bags and seatbelts. Lujan Grisham has acknowledged enforcing the face covering order will be challenging, and said the state will rely on positive peer pressure to enforce it. She said Friday she does not expect law enforcement officers will issue citations to non-mask wearers, though they could under the revised public health order that carries the force of law. I am not going to try to go out and find individuals and cite them I dont think that wins the day, Lujan Grisham said Friday. Lujan Grisham and top state health officials say face coverings will not stop COVID-19 from spreading, but say it could slow the disease. Already, roughly 8,000 people have requested face masks from a state website and those masks should be delivered soon, Lujan Grisham said. Please wear a mask or any face covering, she added. Its compassionate. It protects others. The state Supreme Court also issued an order Friday that anyone entering into New Mexico courthouses or judicial buildings will also be required to wear a face covering, though judges are allowed to remove their face masks during hearings to ensure theyre understood. Under the new order, courts will provide masks to individuals who do not have them upon entrance. State health officials have made it abundantly clear that if each of us wears a mask in public we can help slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives, Chief Justice Judith Nakamura said in a statement. New Mexicans casting their ballots in person at polling places for the June 2 primary election will also be required to a wear mask, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said Friday. Her office has urged eligible voters to vote by mail via absentee ballot and said nearly 130,000 New Mexicans had already submitted absentee ballot applications. We want as few people to go to the polls as possible, Toulouse Oliver said. New church rules Governor changes order, allows 25% capacity for houses of worship, all retailers. 11 new deaths New numbers show virus death toll in New Mexico at 253. Masks required Face coverings will be required for in-person voting, which starts today. Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. Three out of seven Vasco residents, who returned from Kolkata, have tested positive for COVID-19, taking the case count in Goa to 11, a state minister said on Saturday. At least three out of seven men, who had travelled to Gangapur in Kolkata to deliver barges and arrived in Goa on Friday, have contracted the infection, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said. "Swab samples of the three patients have been sent for a confirmatory test at Goa Medical College and Hospital, while the remaining four are under institutional quarantine," he said. With the detection of fresh cases, Goa's COVID-19 count has risen to 11, he added. A group of seven locals from Vasco city in South Goa had travelled to Kolkata on April 21 to deliver barges at Gangapur, which is a green zone, Rane said. "The group arrived in Goa on Friday morning via Mollem check post (South Goa) and were immediately taken for testing, following which three of them were found positive," he said. Goa, which was earlier declared a green zone, has reported 11 positive cases since May 13. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A DO not consume notice remains in place this Wednesday for all on the Carrigmore water supply scheme due to elevated levels of nitrate. It applies to around 180 customers situated between Doon and Oola. The cause of the nitrates exceedance is still under investigation. The notice was issued on Saturday. Bottled water was delivered to affected home owners. In the meantime, a water tanker will be in place at the old creamery yard at Toher to provide an alternative water supply to customers. An Irish Water spokesperson said they are working with their partners in Limerick City and County Council to resolve this situation as quickly as possible. This includes works to optimise the nitrate treatment system at Carrigmore to cope with the elevated level of nitrates in the raw water. It is especially important that mains drinking water is not given to bottle fed infants. Water can continue to be used for handwashing and personal hygiene. Customers on this water supply scheme should continue to follow public health advice on handwashing, said the spokesperson. One Doon resident told the Leader when they woke up on Friday morning they had no water. There has been a lot of confusion. Maybe they had to turn it off in a hurry but the could have told us. A small bit of communication goes a long away. If we knew it was going off we would have filled a few bottles and a few buckets to flush the toilet. It was a shock having no water and especially at the moment when they are telling us to wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands. Elderly people couldnt leave the house, they said. The local said it didnt return until 10pm on Friday night. At 10am on Friday, Irish Water tweeted an interruption in the reservoir at Carrigmore may cause supply disruptions there, plus in Doon, Oola and other surrounding areas. They said it was anticipated repair work would be complete by 6pm on Friday evening with the supply expected to take up to three hours to return to impacted properties. The do not consume notice to around 180 customers supplied by the Carrigmore scheme was then issued on Saturday. Elevated levels of nitrates were detected on the Carrigmore water supply scheme. The Carrigmore scheme was deactivated and customers were instead supplied from the water supply scheme in nearby Oola. However, due to the current dry weather spell, the Oola scheme has now come under increasing pressure and water levels are no longer sufficient to continue to supply customers on the Carrigmore scheme, said an Irish Water spokesperson on Saturday. Ian OMahony, Irish Water said: We acknowledge the impact of this notice on the local community in Carrigmore. We would ask vulnerable customers who have concerns to contact our customer care team on 1850 278 278. Water can continue to be used for handwashing and personal hygiene. We are working closely with our colleagues in Limerick City and County Council to lift the notice as quickly as it is safe to do so and safeguard the water supply for the future. 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 India Bathroom Air freshner 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 Bathroom Air Freshner 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, Zipper, Candle Etc ), By Sales Channel ( General Retail, Multi-Brand Retail, Online ), By Company, By Brand ( Odonil, Air wick, Ambi Pur etc. ), By Application ( Residential, Car, Commercial Buildings ),By Region, By Tier, Overview, 2020-2025 gives an all-round examination of the Indian bathroom air freshener market. Earlier, bathroom fresheners were dominated by blocks and Odonil was leading in this segment. The attractiveness of the market has allowed other organized players to foray into this segment. Bathroom Air Fresheners are now available in different formats namely blocks, aerosol/sprays, gels, 1 touch air, electric diffusers, candle, etc. These are widely available in various fragrances and forms in the market. Awareness about keeping the bathroom clean and pleasant smelling have developed in consumer whether it is home or it is an institution. 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 Bathroom Air freshner Market Report http://www.marketreportsonindia.com/marketreports/sample/reports/2051674 Air fresheners used in bathrooms have been growing with vast consumer demand and largely derived from the retail segment of the market. The overall bathroom segment has grown historically at a CAGR of over 9%. This growth has highly supported by the mass market of the block air freshener in the residential space and commercially electric/automatic diffusers that have liquid in it are growing. The retail segment of bathroom air fresheners has the major residential consumer base who purchases their air freshener from general retail stores or multi-brand retail stores. A few years ago, Consumers were using their room Aerosol inside the bathrooms and bathroom air freshener was not a part of Indian consumers routine purchase. However, in the recent past, it became a part of their routine purchase as the purchasing power of the consumer increased and consumers can easily find it in their nearby stores without any hassle. The sale through general trade has been increasing year on year as stores in these categories are prevalent in vast size in tier 2 and 3 cities. Commercially, it was used in Hotels, hospitals, corporate offices but in the last decade Mall culture has evolved in the country which has allowed the segment to grow further as they want to give pleasant smelly washrooms to employees/visitors/customers. This growth is due to the continuous increase in the urbanization so as the purchasing of premium products. In Commercial space, they use Air diffusers, 1 touch Air in addition to routine products like Blocks and Gels. Major Companies: Companies have been evolving in this segment with its innovative products and engaging the consumers. Odonil brand of dabur being the pick of the products, Godrej with its brand also making the mark, Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited, Reckitt Benckiser (India) Private Limited, SC Johnson Products Pvt. Ltd these companies are providing tough competition 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 bathroom Air freshener market To provide the market size and the forecast of India Bathroom Air Freshener market To provide key details on retail and business to business segment of the market Markets share of the Bathroom air freshener market Profile of leading players in Indian Bathroom 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 Bathroom Air Freshener Market Size By Value And Forecast India Retail Bathroom Air Car Air Freshener Market Size By Value And Forecast India Business To Business Bathroom Air Care Market Car Air Freshener Market Size By Value And Forecast India Bathroom Air Freshener Market Share By Product Type India Bathroom Air Freshener Market Share By Sales Channel India Bathroom Air Freshener Market Share By Tier India Bathroom Air Freshener Market Share By Company India 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 bathroom 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: 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,S.C Jhonson, Reckitt Benckiser. Browse our full report with Table of Content : http://www.marketreportsonindia.com/marketreports/india-bathroom-by-value-by-segment-by-product-type-by-sales-channel-by-company-by-brand-by-application-by-region-/2051674 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 When Kevin Vesey, a reporter with News 12 Long Island, posted a video of what he experienced at an anti-lockdown protest in Commack, New York, earlier this week, he likely would have never imagined that none other than the president of the United States would tweet it approvingly. And not just once, but twice, pretty much endorsing the way his supporters all too often harass reporters at protests. If you havent seen it yet, Veseys video is shocking in its rawness. The reporter films as demonstrators, many of whom are wearing Trump paraphernalia, take part in the small protest and repeatedly heckle him and outright insult him as he walks among them. At one point, a maskless protester gets close to Vesey. I think you need to back away, Vesey can be heard saying in the video. No, Ive got hydroxychloroquine, the protester says as he continues to approach Vesey. Im fine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The level of anger directed at the media from these protestors was alarming. As always, I will tell a fair and unbiased story today. pic.twitter.com/5jCR0YY9VH Kevin Vesey (@KevinVesey) May 14, 2020 The video, which was posted on Thursday, immediately spread like wildfire on social media. Ill probably never forget what happened today, Vesey later wrote. I was insulted. I was berated. I was practically chased by people who refused to wear masks in the middle of a pandemic. All the while, I was there to tell THEIR story. He also posted the edited story that ended up airing. Advertisement Advertisement This was my story that aired on TV today -- a recap of yesterday's events, and what's happened since. pic.twitter.com/cfGrBYiLGJ Kevin Vesey (@KevinVesey) May 15, 2020 Advertisement While many of those who shared the video were sympathetic to the reporter, others cheered the protesters on. Even as some cheered them on, the pro-Trump group that organized the protest, the Setauket Patriots, later apologized to Vesey and distanced itself from the harassers. We can tell you that the few who decided to Harass you and try to prevent you from doing your job are not members or affialiated with the Setauket patriots group in any way, shape or form, the group wrote on Facebook. We were looking foward to you giving us fair coverage with what you documented when we first arrived. But as with all mass rally events you will always get a few idiots to disrupt an otherwise peaceful, pleasant demonstration and they should have been removed by Police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday night, though, the countrys most powerful man joined those praising the protesters who had made it difficult for Vesey to do his job. FAKE NEWS IS NOT ESSENTIAL! Trump tweeted as he shared the video. On Saturday, the president again shared the video, which includes a protester giving the reporter the finger, while he praised the demonstrators as great people! People cant get enough of this. Great people! https://t.co/b4HM0C298h Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 16, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vesey first responded to the president retweeting his video with one word: Unreal. On Saturday, Vesey pointed out he was retweeted twice by the president. This video has really struck a chord, he wrote. The tweets marked the latest instance of the president expressing support for the anti-lockdown protesters even as the rhetoric in the demonstrations appears to be growing increasingly more violent. Pompeo Says U.S. Begins Shipping Oil To Belarus As Ties With Minsk Improve May 15, 2020 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the first shipment of U.S. crude oil to Belarus will depart this week. It is the latest step in warming relations and expanding trade ties between the two countries and comes as negotiations between Belarus and Russia over the price and supply of oil became contentious. Pompeo said on May 15 that the deal strengthens Belarusian sovereignty and independence and "demonstrates that the United States is ready to deliver trade opportunities for American companies interested in entering the Belarusian market." It also fulfills a commitment the United States made to Belarus when Pompeo visited Minsk in February -- the first visit to the country by a sitting U.S. secretary of state since 1994. Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei confirmed the shipment, saying he did so "with satisfaction." A spokesman for the Belarusian state petrochemicals concern Belneftekhim told reporters the tanker will leave Beaumont, Texas, on May 17 and is expected to reach the port of Klaipeda in Lithuania in early June. Pompeo's statement said the United States stands ready to meet the needs of countries that, like Belarus, "want to benefit from enhanced energy security based on supply diversification and trade rooted in the U.S. commercial values of free enterprise, the rule of law, and transparent deals free of corruption." The United States also urged Belarus to build on the progress it has made to increase the access of U.S. businesses to its market and undertake reforms necessary to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), he added. The oil shipment is part of a competitive deal by United Energy Trading with assistance from U.S. firm Getka and their Polish partner UNIMOT, Pompeo said. With reporting by Interfax Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pompeo-says-u-s -begins-shipping-oil-to-belarus-as-ties-with- minsk-improve/30614429.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 Rights watchdog expresses concern after Israeli authorities set a court hearing for one of its staff. Amnesty International reiterated a call for Israel to lift a baseless travel ban on one of its staff in the occupied Palestinian territories. Laith Abu Zeyad, who works as Amnestys campaigner on Israel and the occupied territories, was stopped by Israeli authorities at the King Hussein/Allenby border crossing on October 26 while on his way to attend a relatives funeral in Jordan. After being held for four hours, he was told he was banned from travelling abroad for what Israels internal security service, the Shin Bet, called serious security considerations. The rights watchdog regretted that, after initially accepting the groups petition to lift the travel ban, Israeli authorities have set a hearing on the matter at the Jerusalem District Court on May 31. 191102181730987 The decision by the Israeli authorities to impose the travel ban is baseless. He is a human rights defender who should be protected and not punished. Any suggestion that Laith poses a security threat is simply absurd, said Saleh Higazi, Amnestys deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa. We are asking the court to lift the travel ban on our colleague Laith Abu Zeyad, but the authorities can decide to withdraw the ban before we get to the hearing, and they should certainly do so immediately. In September, Abu Zeyad was also denied an Israeli military-issued permit to enter occupied East Jerusalem to accompany his mother for medical treatment. In December last year, Laith was banned from visiting his mother who was suffering from cancer, and as a result, did not get the chance to see her before her death. Oregon wineries were recently given the green light by Governor Kate Brown to pour wines on-premise for the first time in nearly two months, due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Phase 1 openings began on Friday, with 31 counties leading the way. Oregon winery tasting rooms have been closed for on-premise tasting and consumption since March 23 to comply with Browns Stay Home, Save Lives Executive Order designed to slow the spread of COVID-19. Wineries located in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties continued to operate under the governors stay-home order. Winery tasting rooms that open their doors to the public will need to adhere to the same social distancing guidelines as restaurants. These will include determining maximum occupancy to maintain physical distancing requirements, spacing tables at least six feet apart, and limiting parties to 10 people or fewer. Visitors will be encouraged to wear masks. Wineries also will end all on-site consumption of food and drinks, including alcoholic beverages by 10 p.m. A task force comprised of wineries throughout the state developed recommended guidelines for tasting room staff training and visitor safety that, according to an Oregon Wine Board press release, go above and beyond the governors re-opening requirements. Some wineries are more eager than others to clear their tasting room cobwebs and entertain customers. Were excited, says Dai Crisp, owner of Lumos Wine Co. in Philomath. We depend a lot on direct-to-consumer sales at the winery and selling wholesale to restaurants in Corvallis. Needless to say, our sales went off a cliff when the coronavirus shut everything down. When Lumos Wine Co. reopens after Memorial Day for tastings, Crisp says he plans to utilize the decks and picnic tables outside his tasting room to organize outdoor tasting areas like restaurant sections. The lowest risk of coronavirus transmission possible is outdoors, so we plan to be out there as much as possible, Crisp said in a telephone interview. Clare Carver at Big Table Farm in Gaston has a different perspective. They are asking us to wear masks, gloves and become like frontline workers. Were not anxious to jump back in at the moment, Carver says. Before the shutdown, Carver and her winemaker husband Brian Marcy hosted appointment only wine tastings at her art studio in Carlton. Were fortunate because we are small, with few employees to worry about. Theres less pressure on us to start hosting tastings at the moment, Carver says, noting that they have been getting by on wine sales generated by their website. We have been doing a lot of shipping. If someone calls next week to set up a tasting appointment, Id probably tell them no, were not ready yet. Brianne Day of Day Wines in Dundee is like many winery owners in that she plans to re-open with seated wine tastings where tables set up six feet apart. Like Crisp, she is headed outdoors. Our indoor tasting room is just too small to guarantee safe spacing between customers, and we want to avoid face-to-face tastings at our wine bar, Day says. This means Day will have to wait until the weather is more cooperative. We plan to set up all our outdoor tables and lounge chairs to open on May 30, when hopefully it is sunnier and warmer, Day said. Simple Machine in Talent also plans on heading outdoors, but with a twist: they will not be pouring wine just yet. Owners Brian Denner and Clea Arthur will be setting up shop outside their Rogue Valley winery and tasting room on May 20 to sell wine by the bottle. Denner and Arthur will sell their wines from an outdoor table equipped with a plexiglass shield to separate them from their customers. They will be wearing masks while encouraging customers to do the same. Customers will also be asked to remain six feet apart while waiting in line. Credit card machines, pens and all surfaces will be sanitized between sales. At some point Denner and Arthur will resume wine tastings inside their facility, but only by appointment for groups of six or less. Whatever their individual game-plan, there is one thing all winery owners agree on: customers should call a winery for further information and details before visiting. -- Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive. He can be reached at malberty0@gmail.com. To read more of his coverage, go to oregonlive.com/wine. Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Former state Democratic Party chairman Richard Ellenberg of Santa Fe says any one of the so-called Magnificent Seven mostly progressive Democrats running for New Mexicos 3rd Congressional District seat are capable of picking up the mantle of Ben Ray Lujan, who is giving up his seat to run for the U.S. Senate in place of the retiring Tom Udall. Ellenberg said all of them are committed, intelligent, hard-working people who would do a good job of representing the Land of Enchantment in Congress. I think it is an extremely strong field, he said. There are a couple Id prefer they not choose to run, but any one of them would be a strong representative and work well with members of Congress. The early front-runner in the race was former CIA operative Valerie Plame, who made a splash early on with an 80-second online movie-trailer style advertisement that had her driving a Camaro backwards down a dirt road at high speed a metaphor for where the country is headed that pre-dated COVID-19 in going viral. In it, she vows to work for New Mexicans as she settles an old score. My CIA career was cut short by partisan politics. I know what its like to be betrayed by your government, says Plame, whose cover was blown when her name was leaked to the press by a Bush administration official. The Trump administration has betrayed us, and Ill never stop fighting to build a fairer and more equitable America in Congress. A more recent ad has her running an obstacle course. Plame has capitalized on her national name recognition, raising nearly $1.7 million for her campaign through the first quarter of 2020, much of it coming from out-of-state donors. But beyond the glitz and glamour, Plame has shown herself to be equally polished when speaking on issues impacting residents of northern New Mexico and remains a leading contender. Santa Fe attorney Teresa Leger Fernandezs campaign has gained a lot of traction, though, and while there has been no external polling in the race she has emerged as the new favorite. It was not surprising, then, that she was called out by two opponents last week when it came to light that Leger Fernandez was benefiting from a pair of so-called dark money groups that paid for $300,000 worth of TV ads on her behalf. John Blair and Marco Serna both sent out news releases calling out Leger Fernandez for failing to denounce the support shes been getting from Perise Practical Inc. and Avacy Initiatives Inc. Her spokeswoman responded to the criticism by saying the campaign had nothing to do with the ads and didnt see them until everyone else did. In her own commercials airing with frequency on local stations, especially during the news hour she highlights traditional northern New Mexico culture and values, clearing the acequia in the spring, making tamales and spending time with family. Community, family, tradition, she says in one ad hailing her support for protecting Social Security and Medicare and reducing health care costs. An Obama appointee who advised the president and Congress on cultural and historic preservation policy and a native of Las Vegas, New Mexico, Leger Fernandez cemented herself as a top contender by winning the state partys pre-primary convention by a wide margin in March. Her campaign surpassed the $1 million mark in fundraising, according to campaign finance reports through the end of that month. Shes also garnered a slew of endorsements, including Emilys List, Planned Parenthood and U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland of the 1st Congressional District. The aforementioned Blair and Serna are also in the mix, with TV spots in the rotation. Serna, the 1st Judicial District Attorney, has transitioned from a campaign video mocking Plames Camaro commercial, featuring him riding a horse, to ads showing him straight-talking into the camera, telling voters he will provide strong leadership, take a tough stand on issues and that hell work for comprehensive health care reform. However, both of the candidates seeking to replace him as DA, including one of his assistant DAs, told the Journal last week that the office suffered from a lack of leadership. Serna touts the fact that he is the only candidate in the election who has written comprehensive position papers on issues, like education, immigration and economic policy. Defeating opioid addiction has been a central issue in his campaign. As 1st Judicial District Attorney, I have worked tirelessly to treat nonviolent drug offenders with a treatment-oriented approach to our deeply entrenched drug problems, he said. Serna was third in the fundraising race at last count, having raised more than $640,000. John Blair, whose campaign raised $340,000 through the first quarter, is also airing commercials. The Santa Fe natives message emphasizes that he is the only candidate in the race who has worked on Capitol Hill. He previously worked as director of Intergovernmental and External Affairs in the Department of Interior and also has extensive governmental experience, having worked for Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, Attorney General Hector Balderas and U.S. Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Martin Heinrich. Blair gives out his cellphone number, Because as your member in Congress, Ill be on call, he says. Blair, who is gay, gets that message across in his ads with his husband. The other three candidates in the race have fewer resources. Joseph Sanchez, a state representative from Alcalde, has raised about $120,000. He is a moderate Democrat and the only Democrat in the race who opposes taxpayer funded abortions. In response to the Journals questionnaire, which can be found in the 2020 election guide on the Journals website, he says he fully supports the Second Amendment. The focus should be on more mental health resources and education for responsible gun ownership. We also need to pay closer attention to societal factors such as bullying, shaming and other behaviors that contribute to violence, he says. Laura Montoya, Sandoval County treasurer, said she does not support a federal ban on military style semi-automatic rifles. No, all you will do is create a black market. I think people are trying to resolve one problem by going after the consequence and effect instead of the root of mass shootings, she said, adding that she does support universal background checks and taking away guns after convictions of domestic violence or any felony. Montoya, who had the lowest fundraising total of the group at $37,000, was runner-up at the pre-primary convention, collecting 20% of the delegate vote, just enough to get her name on the ballot without having to collect additional signatures. Taos attorney Kyle Tisdels campaign centers around environmental issues. We need members of Congress with the courage and vision to meet the climate crisis and transition away from fossil fuels, to preserve a livable planet for our children and to fight for justice and equity, he said in response to a question asking why he wanted to run for Congress. A public interest environmental attorney, Tisdel notes that he is the lead attorney in federal litigation to protect Chaco Canyon archaeological sites from oil, gas and mineral development. Tisdels campaign had raised about $65,000 through March of this year. Ellenberg, the former state party chair, said the field in the Democratic primary is so strong that its possible someone could win with only about 25% of the vote. It very easily could, he said. I think thats a reflection of the energy that has been percolating in the Democratic Party, producing candidates that, as a group, are far superior to what were used to seeing. There are many advantages to sending your child to a summer coding camp if they have the flair for it. Not only will they learn to program but they'll also gain essential teamwork skills. Even if they don't take to coding completely, their new skills will help them if they pursue careers in STEM-related fields. However, finding the right summer coding camp for your kids can be challenging. There are multiple factors to consider and many coding camps to choose from. Here are a few tips that can help you pick the right one: #1 They Offer Online Learning Depending on your location, it may be difficult for your kid to go into a classroom nowadays. That's why you should find a reliable and reputable coding camp that has coding courses for kids online to allow for remote learning. With online learning, your child can learn essential programming skills from the safety and comfort of home. Be wary of online coding course companies that don't take online learning seriously. Only use a source that's invested in a learning management system and screen sharing software for the most seamless classroom experience for your child. #2 The Instructors are Exceptional We've all been in classrooms with teachers who were well-informed but lacked teaching skills. Find a summer camp where the teachers have qualifications in Science, Engineering or Game Design programs and are passionate about teaching. Moreover, it's important that the instructors can develop a rapport with their students. The right summer camp will find a way to make programming seem exciting. Usually, good summer coding camps channel the interest of young students through video games. Safety is a pressing concern for many parents when they send their kids to summer camps. Only sign your child up with a camp where instructors have submitted a vulnerable sector police record. #3 They Offer a Free Trial Class Even if a summer camp ticks all the right boxes, it's important to try them out before making a commitment. This way, you can gauge their quality and whether their environment is right for you and your child. #4 They Have Year-Round Classes If you're a busy parent with an equally busy child, then it may be hard for you to schedule classes. Look for a camp that offers weekly classes so that you can book sessions any time with ease and don't miss out. With weekly classes, the learning can continue if your child is thriving. #5 They Don't Pack Classrooms It's easy for students to feel lost when they're in a classroom with a dozen other kids. Summer coding camps that are more concerned about their bottom line rather than customer satisfaction will pack as many kids into a class as possible. On the other hand, the right summer coding camp will offer personalized care and attention in a class with no more than four students. In a more intimate setting, students are more likely to absorb and retain the skills that they've been taught. By finding a summer coding camp that's passionate about teaching kids and employs great instructors, you can help put your child on a path that cements their future. Update May 16, 4.35pm: Karl Boylan has been located safe and well. Gardai have thanked the public for their assistance. Friday May 15:Gardai and family 'very concerned' for missing Dublin man Gardai in Dun Laoighaire have issued an appeal for help to find a missing Dublin man. 38-year-old Karl Boylan went missing from the Monkstown Farm area of Dublin today. He is described as being 6ft tall with a medium build and short blonde hair. When last seen Karl was wearing a navy hoodie, khaki green Under Armour Pants and a white Under Armour baseball cap. Gardai and Karls family are very concerned for his welfare. Anyone with any information or who can help to find Karl are asked to contact Gardai in Dun Laoighaire on 016 665 000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station. Jingyang "Alex" Ji (left) and Keisha Johnson (right) pose outside Lions Gate residence hall at Penn State Abington May 13. Not all students left college campuses when they largely closed in March. Some students, mostly international like Ji, continued to live on the campuses. Johnson, director of residence life and community standards, moved into the residence hall to look out for students. Read more Before the pandemic, the 400-student residence hall at Penn State Abington was abuzz with activity: movie nights, friends visiting each others rooms, free events, and food in the lobby. Now, only 20 students remain, and they can go days without seeing others. Sometimes I feel like I get lonely, said Krish Kabi, 18, a biomedical engineering major from Indonesia, who occasionally ventures out for food or walks. Throughout the region, dozens in some cases, hundreds of students still live on college campuses, months after most were forced to leave as schools moved instruction online. Numbers have ranged from about 100 at Haverford College to 140 at Bryn Mawr College, 200 at Temple University, and 250 at Rowan University and 160 at Stockton University, both in New Jersey. Many, like Kabi, are international students who couldnt fly home. Others grew up in foster care or have other extenuating circumstances. Most colleges allowed those students to stay, providing meal pickup or delivery and other support. Cleaning and security staff still work to maintain buildings. Students pay for their housing; earlier this year, universities began refunding or crediting millions in room and board to students who left. Some students, still unable to get home, likely will remain into the summer. Pennsylvania State University expects about 120 students at its main campus this summer and about 113 at four of its commonwealth campuses: Abington, Berks, Harrisburg and Behrend, said Lisa Powers, a university spokesperson. In some cases, students are concerned they wont be able to return in the fall if they leave the United States, she said. READ MORE: More colleges move to, plan for online classes as coronavirus spreads Other schools have made provisions, too. At Haverford, students who have not graduated can stay until Aug 1, possibly through the summer, by petitioning the dean. Keisha Johnson, director of residence life and community standards at Penn State Abington, was on an alternative spring break trip with students in South Dakota in March when the country began to shut down. She returned and saw that undergraduate student staff in the residence hall were leaving for home. Thats when Johnson, after self-isolating for a period in her East Mount Airy home, moved into the dorm to support about 130 students still living there. FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered. The campus nurse took over the conference room to make sure students got supplies, including travel kits of masks, gloves, and sanitizer. Another staffer helped students who couldnt afford flights or didnt know what to do with their belongings. Staff connected students with a storage company. Students rooms are equipped with kitchens. But the residence hall put out supplies from its food pantry and offered gift cards, Johnson said. If there are any supplies Im lacking, they are always there to provide them, Kabi said. He has received Lysol spray and hand sanitizer. The other day, Johnson got a mask for a student who wanted to go out for supplies. I dont know whats happening to me, said Johnson, who has worked in higher education for 20 years. To give a student a mask is exciting. Its an indicator that they are really listening. READ MORE: Colleges holding on-campus classes in the fall? Maybe Johnson conducts welfare checks, especially if the university notices a student hasnt emerged from his or her room for a while. We try to be as visible as possible, she said. Most students have been able to get home or move in with friends, Johnson said. Im looking forward to going home, Johnson said. I miss my bed terribly. But this is not forever. This is just for now, and for now, this is what our students need. Kabi wanted to go home in March, but had to get his passport renewed. Then he couldnt leave, he said. Hes been in touch with the Indonesian embassy. In the meantime, hes taking an online course and applying for jobs and internships. READ MORE: Let the virtual graduations commence: Coronavirus has pushed ceremonies online Zelin Wan, 19, a finance major from China, has had three flights canceled in the last week. Hell try to book more, he said. (He didnt go home earlier because he didnt want to take his online classes in the wee hours, given the time difference with China.) But hes comforted to know, he said, that he could stay at the residence hall this summer if needed. Sometimes he wanders outside and sits in a grassy area behind the residence hall, a five-story complex that opened in 2017 along Old York Road, or goes to a store selling groceries or pharmacy items. Theres are a Trader Joes, Target, and CVS within walking distance. Mostly, he stays in his room. And hes become quite the cook because of it. Pork and peppers is one of his favorites. Before I didnt know how to cook, he said. Jingyang Alex Ji, 19, a fisheries and wildlife science major from China, spends lots of time on his hobby, building ancient European armor models. But hes looking forward to going home and has a flight booked for July, he said. He misses going to restaurants, though he appreciates the vending machines and other food offered by the residence hall. It may not be very delicious," he said, "but it is enough that we can stay here. File image Accusing the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh of being insensitive towards the plight of migrants, the state unit of the Congress on Saturday demanded Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's resignation over the death of 24 labourers in a road accident in Auraiya. At least 24 migrant workers were killed and 36 injured when a trailer rammed into a stationary truck, both carrying passengers, on a highway near Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh in the early hours of Saturday. Coronavirus India LIVE News Updates UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu said, "The chief minister should resign. This government is insensitive towards the (plight of) migrant labourers. Where have all the buses gone, which the UP Government claims have been pressed into service to send the migrant labourers home? The entire country is seeing this." "The accident is very unfortunate and saddening. I express condolence for the loss of lives, and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured persons," he told PTI. 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 of the workers coming from Delhi had stopped for tea when the accident occurred between 3 am and 3.30 am on the Auraiya-Kanpur Dehat stretch of National Highway 19, police said. The impact of the collision, the latest in a series of road tragedies involving migrant workers returning to their villages, was so huge that both vehicles overturned and fell into a ditch. Most of those killed were from Jharkhand and West Bengal, and some from Kushinagar in eastern Uttar Pradesh, officials said. Lallu also said, "Yesterday the UP chief minister had said that buses have been pressed into service so that migrant labourers can reach their homes. He has been saying this for some time, but then who is responsible for this accident. The chief minister is responsible for the accident." The UP government meted out inhuman treatment to the migrant labourers by compelling them to walk home, he said and demanded Rs 20 lakh ex gratia for the kin of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh to the injured. Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here On a day 24 migrant labourers died in a collision between two trucks in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya, BSP president Mayawati asked Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday to ensure that his directives on the safety of stranded labourers returning home were being implemented by the officials. She asked parties in power at the Centre and different states to rise above petty politics in this hour of crisis and ensure the safety of the migrants trying to make their way home amid the coronavirus-forced lockdown. "It was only yesterday that I saw the Uttar Pradesh chief minister announcing on TV that all necessary arrangements for migrants are being made. But it seems that officials are not implementing those at ground level which led to a major accident in the state and this is most unfortunate," Mayawati said in a statement. The collision of the truck, both carrying migrant labourers, occurred in Auraiya early in the morning. While one of the truck was coming from Rajasthan, the other was from Delhi. When some of the labourers halted on the Auraiya-Kanpur Dehat Road to have tea at a local shop, the trailer truck hit the stationary vehicle. "Had the officials made arrangements for their food and other things they would not have got down at a tea stall in Auraiya," she said demanding strict action against the officials who have failed to fulfil their responsibility. The BSP supremo also asked the Central and state governments and the Railways to be serious over the issue of sending migrants home safely. "The BJP and Congress are levelling charges against each other. Politics in the name of migrant labourers is not right. Congress governments in states should take care of this issue in their states. Labourers of Punjab and Haryana crossing the river in Saharanpur to reach home. Be it the Congress or BJP government they should send migrants home safely. But they are not paying attention to it," Mayawati said. She also appealed to migrant labourers not to try to reach home on foot, instead wait for buses and trains. "Instead of walking home, they should go to the nearest railway station. Then the government will be forced to make arrangements for them," she said. The BSP chief asked the government to make proper arrangement for the injured and financial assistance for the victims. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday said it has reported 1,581 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking the total infections in the country to 38,799 with 834 deaths, the health ministry said. In its latest update, the Ministry of National Health Services said that overall 14,201 cases have so far been detected in Punjab, 14,916 in Sindh, 5,678 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 2,457 in Balochistan, 518 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 921 in Islamabad and 108 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. "A total of 10,880 patients have so far recovered from the coronavirus while the death toll stands at 834 with 31 new deaths reported during the last 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement. ALSO READ | COVID-19: Pakistan to resume domestic flights from May 16 even as cases near 39,000 The total tests conducted so far were 359,264, including 14,878 test done in the last 24 hours. While the infections were spreading in the country, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that addressing the financial problems of the poor were as important as containing the virus. Khan has been pushing the provinces to further relax the restrictions. Earlier this week, Pakistan said it was gearing up to resume train services and allow public transport vehicles to operate under strict procedures to prevent any further increase in the coronavirus infections in the country. ALSO READ | Pakistan's anti-graft body approves filing of two more corruption cases against ex-PM Nawaz Sharif Meanwhile, a report by a team of public health specialists associated with the Institute of Public Health at Jinnah Sindh Medical University pointed out that Pakistan missed two critical opportunities that could have placed the country at a better position in its fight against coronavirus. Titled "Easing Lockdown in Pakistan: Inevitable but Potentially Catastrophic", the report looks into the country's response to COVID-19 and its implications in coming weeks and compares it with what has happened in other countries, particularly those which have successfully dealt with the situation, the Dawn newspaper reported. It pointed out that official indecisiveness led to a delayed and ineffective lockdown with constant increase in cases and the government failed to utilise the period of two-month lockdown for building a policy framework on how to return to normalcy. Sumi Sukanaya Dutta By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Centre on Saturday asked states to conduct active surveillance for identifying COVID-19 cases in all urban slums by recording influenza-like symptoms and checking temperature, blood oxygen levels on nearly 7 crore individuals. The development comes as the total coronavirus cases in the country reached 85,940 with 2,752 deaths. A guideline on "Preparedness and response to COVID-19 in Urban Settlements" issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that as per 2011 Census there are 2613 towns or cities with such settlements with 6.54 crore population residing in 1.39 crore households, representing 17.4 per cent of all urban population. This would have increased in number further since last few years, said the 9-page document that detailed measures such as identifying COVID-19 care centres, health centres and hospitals in the close vicinity of the slums. The government has also made it clear that now when pre-symptomatic or those COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms are being allowed to stay at home under certain conditions. The infected patients or suspects in urban slums will have to be quarantined institutionally. FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE "This direction has been given, provided the dense population of these settlements and the practical issues residents face," a senior health ministry official said. "We do not want what is happening in Dharavi to be replicated in other urban slums. A significant percentage of population might have migrated to villages already but people who are still there should be thoroughly examined and guided." The guideline also said that quarantine facilities should be set up in school, stadium, etc in nearby areas where a large number of high risk contacts can be accommodated. "Shifting of high risk contacts (elderly and those with co-morbid conditions) is a crucial intervention to minimize the spread of disease in such persons, thereby limiting morbidity and mortality among them," it said. "A contingency plan will also be in place to move high risk population to alternate or temporary sites." The guidelines come soon after Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan held a meeting with state health secretaries, district magistrates and municipal heads of 30 municipal areas across 12 states, with highest COVID-19 caseloads. These 30 areas from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Odisha have nearly 80 per cent of total COVID-19 cases in India as of now. In the meeting, Sudan underlined factors to be considered while mapping the containment and buffer zones. The activities mandated in containment zone like perimeter control, active search for cases through house to house surveillance, contact tracing and testing protocol, clinical management of the active case. The Centre also stressed on the surveillance activities in the buffer zone like monitoring of Severe Acute Respiratory Illnesses and ILI cases, ensuring social distancing and promoting hand hygiene. Another three persons, who returned to Goa by road on Friday morning from West Bengal, tested coronavirus disease (Covid-19) positive, taking the overall tally to 11 in the state, health minister Vishwajit Rane said. The three are among seven people, who had travelled to West Bengal via sea in April to deliver river barges to a company in Kolkata and returned to Goa by road on Friday morning. Seven people had gone from Goa to deliver river barges to a company in Kolkata. They reached Goa on Friday morning, Rane told media persons. Three of the seven tested Covid-19 positive at Mollem border check-post on Friday. However, fresh tests will be conducted for all the three patients within 72 hours after one of the swab samples proved negative at the Goa Medical College and Hospital. The other four returnees have been put under institutional quarantine, the minister said. Prior to the second wave of Covid-19 positive cases, Goa had successfully brought down its count from seven to zero, and the last patient was discharged on April 17. The state did not report a single Covid-19 positive case between April 3 and May 14. The Tema metropolis and its environs from Wednesday had interruptions in their water supply as the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) embarked on an unannounced emergency maintenance work schedule. The residents speaking to the Ghana News Agency, said the water shortage made it difficult for them to fully comply with the COVID-19 protocols, especially the handwashing under running water. They explained that due to the unavailability of water, some residents were resorting to collecting water from any available source for domestic use, a situation which could lead to spread of communicable diseases. According to them, they had exhausted the little water stored before the unannounced interruptions in water supply, indicating that they were now resorting to only the use of hand sanitizers which does not give full protection like hand washing. Mr Shadrach Tetteh, a resident of Tema Community Four, told the GNA that he did not have water to even bathe before going to work adding that if the taps were not opened by the close of day, it meant he would not be able to do proper bathing when he returned home, fearing that he could be exposing his family to any bacteria and possibly COVID-19 virus he might have had contact with. Mr Tetteh said how do they expect us to practice the hand washing when they have closed the taps for the past four days without making provision for water tankers to provide water to us since they did not give us advance notice to enable us store enough water. He added that the water shortage was so bad that he saw some residents of Tema Community One, drawing water from drains. Mr Lawer Turson Coffie, a septuagenarian resident of Tema Community Eight, told the Ghana News Agency that he did not have water at home, describing the situation as "frustrating" as he had to beg for water from neighbours. Mr Coffie appealed to the GWCL to urgently restore the flow of water or send tankers around as they embark on the maintenance works. Ms Rebeca Afari, a hairdresser and resident of Community One, Site One, said she could not fill her veronica bucket for hand washing, revealing that she had to buy three bags of water sachets daily for the family to bathe and cook with. Ms Afari said it was inappropriate for GWCL to embark on such an exercise without notice or provision of water for residents. Mr Sampson Ampah, Tema Regional Communication Manager of GWCL, apologized to residents for not giving them ample notice before the shutdown, explaining that it was due to the emergency nature of the works. Mr Ampah however indicated that the maintenance work had been completed but engineers of the company were undertaking an integrity test after which water supply would be fully restored. ---GNA Several immigrant rights groups are irate by a new option the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is showing the migrant parents-it tells them to either separate from their child or indefinitely stay together in imprisonment. Beginning Thursday, the organizations claim, ICE started to distribute a form in all of its family detention centers allowing parents to apply for the release of their minor sons or daughters. The form, as indicated in the copy which NBC News was able to obtain, that, "it is in compliance with the Flores court agreement," prohibiting ICE detaining minors for over 20 days. The released children are then placed with sponsors, members of their family, or placed under the Department of Health and Human Services' custody. Incidentally, as reported in the same news report, the US Government faced strong criticism for a "Zero Tolerance policy in 2018" in which undocumented minors were separated from their parents who had unlawfully crossed order. The policy was officially instigated in May 2018 although it was reversed following an outcry in June, the same year. "Voluntary Concept" The present so-called "voluntary concept" was formerly called "binary choice," although it has never been completely executed. To date, lawyers who represent clients in ICE family detention claim, parents may be convinced to separate from their children if they are worried about them being exposed to COVID-19 while they are detained. The timing, Dilley Pro Bono Project director Shayln Fluharty said, "Is no coincidence." The Dilly Pro Bono Project offers legal services for detained families in Dilley, Texas. Recently, a federal judge told ICE it did not comply with the Flores agreement. More so, the forms, Fluharty added, "are a way for ICE to show that these parents" have opted to "keep their minor kids in detention." A spokesperson for ICE said, the agency is exploring all options to respond to the most recent order of Judge Gee specifying that ICE release children under its custody safely, who do not posture a flight risk or public safety, to sponsors within the United States. ICE keeps on working to execute the requirements of the directive and has not instigated what has been known as the "binary choice" at present. Great Source for COVID-19 Infections Ice detention centers, holding immigrants in huge open-floor cells that have numerous detainees who share the same living area, toilet, and sink, are turning to be a great source for infections of COVID-19. In a report New York Times released, 85 COVID-19 cases in ICE detention in New Jersey and New York have been recorded and reported. In addition, on May 7, ICE confirmed the first death from COVID-19 of a detained migrant. The said migrant was at the only adult detention facility located in Otay Mesa, California. A group advocating for the reunion of separated migrant families, Family Together, tweeted late this week saying ICE just gave families a choice that day: that they'd let their children go if they opt to give them up. The advocacy group though, finds the said choice, "horrific," considering that the entire world is currently experiencing amid the pandemic. Check these out! Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 19:06:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DUBLIN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Ireland's exports of goods hit a record high of 16.2 billion euros (about 17.5 billion U.S. dollars) in March, according to the latest figures released by the country's Central Statistics Office. The value of the goods exported by Ireland in March represented a 39-percent increase over a year ago. In March, Ireland imported a total of 6.95 billion euros worth of goods, down 9.45 percent when compared with the same month last year. The country's trade surplus for March stood at about 9.3 billion euros, up nearly 133 percent year-on-year. In the first quarter of this year, the total goods exported by Ireland were valued at about 42.35 billion euros, up by almost 13 percent year-on-year whereas its total imported goods were valued at about 21.83 billion euros, down less than 0.1 percent year-on-year. The country's trade surplus for the first quarter of this year increased by more than 30 percent to 20.5 billion euros when compared with the corresponding period of last year. (1 euro = 1.082 U.S. dollars) Enditem BRUNSWICK, Ga. - Justice for Ahmaud Arbery, a black man killed during a pursuit by a white man and his son in Georgia, isnt just prison time for his killers its changes in a local justice system that never charged them with a crime, rallygoers said Saturday. Hundreds of people came to the Glynn County courthouse demanding accountability for a case in which charges werent filed until state officials stepped in after a leaked video sparked national outrage. Arbery, 25, was killed Feb. 23 just outside the port city of Brunswick. Gregory McMichael, 64, told police he and his son, Travis McMichael, 34, pursued Arbery because they believed he was responsible for recent break-ins in the neighbourhood. The McMichaels werent arrested and charged with murder until May 7, after a video of the shooting was publicly released to a local radio station and less than 48 hours after state agents took over the case. Justice for Ahmaud is more than just the arrests of his killers, said John Perry, president of the Brunswick NAACP chapter at the Saturday rally. Justice is saying that weve got to clean up the house of Glynn County. Speakers at the rally demanded the resignation of Jackie Johnson, the district attorney for the Brunswick Judicial Circuit who recused herself from the investigation, and George Barnhill, the Waycross circuit district attorney who took over the case and declined to press charges. Gregory McMichael was an investigator in Johnsons office before retiring last May. Both Johnson and Barnhill have denied wrongdoing. Organizers of the rally said around 250 vehicles drove more than four hours from Atlanta for the rally, bringing historically black fraternities and sororities, civil rights organizations and black-led gun rights groups, who said if Arbery had armed himself, he might be alive today. Attorney Mawuli Davis came from his suburban Atlanta home because he wanted to make it clear how many people are not satisfied with how the Arbery case has been handled. Georgians are just not safe when you allow an injustice like this to take place, said Davis, who is an organizer with the Black Man Lab in Decatur, Georgia. The case has brought reminders of several other black people killed in confrontations with white police officers or others and the names of Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland and others were mentioned during the rally. Were going to keep on marching. Were going to stand in solidarity. Were going to keep on protesting. Were going to keep on raising our voices because Ahmaud Arbery will get justice, said Triana Arnold James, president of the Georgia chapter of the National Organization for Women. Organizers asked the crowd to wear masks and stay a safe distance apart because of COVID-19. There were plenty of masks some with Arberys picture but many in the crowd were shoulder to shoulder for the rally and marched with arms locked after it was over. Arbery family attorneys have said hes the person recorded inside a house under construction right before he was killed. Gregory McMichael told police he suspected Arbery was responsible for recent break-ins and he also said Arbery attacked his son before he was shot. Arberys mother has said she believes her son was merely out jogging. The video of the confrontation shows the McMichaels truck in front of Arbery as he runs toward it. The attorney of the owner of the house under construction said she thinks Arbery was getting water. A man in similar clothes appeared in videos from the home at least twice, lawyer J. Elizabeth Graddy said. The homeowner, Larry English, lives hours away and set up motion-activated security cameras that send him a text when they start filming. English called the Glynn County Police after one notification Dec. 17. No one was arrested, but a detective sent English a text message three days later giving him Gregory McMichaels phone number and identifying him as a retired law enforcement officer, adding he said please call him day or night when you get action on your camera, according to the Dec. 20 text shared by Graddy. English never read the text until Graddys firm started reviewing his phone days ago. He never called Gregory McMichael. He never took him up on that offer, Graddy said. The text message was first reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Arberys family ended Saturdays rally thanking the crowd for their support and saying we are all running for Ahmaud. The crowd then marched away from the courthouse, taking a knee in silence and blocking traffic for more than 60 seconds to symbolize the days it took for arrests in the case. Then they chanted: When black lives are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back. ___ Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report. Morrison is a member of The Associated Press Race and Ethnicity team. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/aaronlmorrison. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram New York, May 1, 2020 The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed alarm at a new report alleging that Colombian military intelligence officials carried out an extensive monitoring operation targeting more than 130 individuals including more than 30 national and international journalists, and called on authorities to immediately undertake a transparent investigation into the network and ensure those responsible face justice. The operation was exposed in a report published today by Colombian newsweekly Semana, titled The Secret Files (Las carpetas secretas). The revelation follows an earlier Semana investigation, published in January, that revealed the same military group had surveilled and attempted to intimidate the magazines reporters, including investigative team head Ricardo Calderon. Todays report revealed that the group targeted journalists at local outlets such as Caracol Radio and Rutas del Conflicto, as well as international outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and National Geographic. Earlier today, Colombian Defense Minister Carlos Trujillo announced the firing of 11 officers for irregularities in military intelligence work, according to news reports. The new investigation on this operation adds deeply alarming details on how the program by the Colombian military put both local and international reporters and their sources at risk, said CPJ Central and South America Program Coordinator Natalie Southwick. The government of President Ivan Duque must take swift action to identify those responsible and ensure they face appropriate consequences. One of the international journalists profiled is CPJ Andes Correspondent John Otis, who also contributes to The Wall Street Journal and NPR. Over the last two decades, CPJ has documented how the Colombian military has repeatedly engaged in surveillance of journalists and human rights defenders. Eight migrants including four women were killed in three separate road accidents in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, police said. At least 29 others were injured in these accidents which took place in Sagar, Guna and Barwani districts, police said. Six persons -- four women and two men -- were killed in an accident near Sagar, said Superintendent of Police (SP) Amit Sanghi. They were heading for Uttar Pradesh from Maharashtra when the truck carrying them overturned on Sagar-Kanpur Road, 70 km from Sagar district headquarters, at around 10 am, Additional SP Praveen Bhuria had informed earlier. Five of them were killed on the spot and 19 others injured. They were rushed to a government hospital at Banda, where one victim died later. The truck was carrying bundles of clothes on top of which migrant travelers were sitting, police said. A woman who was among survivors said they were three families returning from Nalasopara near Mumbai to UP. In another tragedy in Guna district, a person was killed when the tempo in which he was traveling overturned near Bhadora. Sub Divisional Magistrate Shivani Garg said that a family from Dharavi in Mumbai was returning from Pratapgarh in UP, where they had been stuck due to lockdown, when the tempo overturned while trying to avoid hitting a bike. Sharafat Ali (45), a Mumbai resident, died while 11 others were injured, two of them seriously, she said. In Barwani district, Aniket Thakur (22), resident of Azamgarh (UP), was killed when another vehicle rammed into the truck in which he was traveling from behind near Gavghati on Agra-Mumbai Road in the afternoon. Nagalwadi Police Station in-charge Majhar Khan said the truck was carrying 45 migrant labourers from Mumbai to Azamgarh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Washington homicide suspect was arraigned Friday on several other criminal charges in Multnomah County after leading police on a high-speed chase and gunfire exchange on Interstate 84 Thursday morning. Grayson D.W. Morris, 26, was being sought in connection with the murder of his father in the small eastern Washington city of Ritzville, according to the Adams County Sheriffs Office. The police pursuit shut down part of I-84 for much of Thursday and led to several additional charges against Morris in Multnomah County. He faces one count each of first-degree robbery with a firearm, unlawful use of a vehicle with a firearm, felony attempting to elude a police officer, reckless driving and recklessly endangering another. He was booked into jail Thursday on four additional charges of attempted aggravated murder, but the Multnomah County District Attorneys office said it had referred those charges to Hood River County law enforcement, because he allegedly fired shots at police officers in that county. Morris bail is set at nearly $1.3 million. According to his release motion, Morris said used cocaine daily and said he was on bench probation stemming from a 2018 domestic violence case. Troopers first tried to stop Morris in Hood River County after they found out he was a murder suspect. But he fled west on I-84 toward Multnomah County, at times driving more than 100 miles per hour, according to the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office. A court document says that while still in Hood River County, Morris exchanged gunfire with troopers several times, according to the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office. As he entered Multnomah County, Morris car ran out of gas, the court filing says. At that point, he reportedly carjacked a vehicle from someone, according to the court document. The driver later told detectives that he had pulled over to let police pass, but while he was stopped, he saw a person, later identified as Morris, approach him with a rifle in his hand, who then forced him from the car and stole it. About 8 miles west of there, Oregon State Police troopers tried to stop Morris using spike strips and a tactical pursuit maneuver, the court document says. The spike strips worked, and officers arrested Morris after his car came to rest in a field. He had been injured in the gunfire and was initially taken to a hospital, according to the Oregon State Police. All officers are OK, the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office said. I-84 westbound was closed for at least 10 hours so officers and detectives could investigate multiple crime scenes. Jim Ryan of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report. --Jayati Ramakrishnan; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com. 503-221-4320; @JRamakrishnanOR Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the lat Burundi plans to hold a presidential election Wednesday that will turn the page on the tumultuous tenure of Pierre Nkurunziza, in power since 2005. Nkurunziza's controversial decision to seek a third term in 2015 plunged Burundi into crisis, and the associated unrest killed 1,200 people and saw 400,000 flee the country. Several of these exiles, speaking on condition of anonymity for safety reasons, told AFP they have little hope Wednesday's vote will bring real change. Even though Nkurunziza is stepping down, they expect him to be replaced by General Evariste Ndayishimiye, an army general hand-picked by the ruling CNDD-FDD party as their candidate. Richard, 38, in Kigali Though life in exile is difficult, Richard manages to smile as he describes why he fled -- and why he has little hope of returning anytime soon. "I was among the young people who were strongly opposed to a third term for President Nkurunziza. We organised protests. But we weren't prepared for the level of violence that has befallen us. "The police and the army tracked us down. They killed many people. They were looking for me too. "I planned my escape for Rwanda and left everything behind. I've been living in Rwanda since June 2015. "In Burundi, I was project manager for a water company. Here in Rwanda I work as a waiter in a restaurant to make ends meet. "Life is hard but we persevere. I left many relatives behind in Burundi and I pray they'll be fine. Here I fell in love with my wife, who is also a refugee. We have four children now. "Returning to Burundi is my ultimate dream but I know it's impossible. The circumstances that forced me to become a refugee are still in place, people are still afraid... because the ruling party controls everything." Jeanette, 35, in Rotterdam A former banker, and politically active mother-of-five, Jeanette had to adapt fast to a new life abroad after a narrow escape from Burundi. "It was May 26 (2015) and our protest had just been broken up by the police. Suddenly, Godefroid Bizimana's (number two in the police force) car pulled up and he ordered two officers to arrest me. "They were arguing about where to take me... the officer closest asked me if I wanted to live. He said, 'Run, madame'. Jeanette went to ground, hiding a few days before fleeing to Rwanda, and then onward to the Netherlands. "It wasn't easy. I had two children with me and was pregnant when I arrived in the Netherlands on July 1, 2015. "I was welcomed by a Burundian family in Rotterdam, then I applied for political asylum, which was approved because my case was straightforward to verify. "Refugees are treated well in the Netherlands. I was given a house, and a small grant to support us. But the first years were very difficult because we were thrust unwillingly into another world, another life. "I spent two years studying Dutch... and eventually my husband and another child, who had stayed together in Burundi, joined us. "I have no reason to hope that I might return home soon. There's nothing to reassure me of that: not the level of violence surrounding these elections, nor the way they've been organised. Nothing." Fabien, 37, in Nairobi Fabien speaks softly and carefully. He sees no reason to be optimistic. "I arrived in Nairobi in January 2016. Before, I was a history teacher at a high school. "I lived in a contested neighbourhood of Bujumbura. I wasn't in favour of Nkurunziza's candidacy but I wasn't motivated to join the protest movement either: I thought it was badly organised. "I was tired of the situation, especially the economic situation. I left to find a better life elsewhere. "My wife and my two children are still in Burundi. It's very difficult but we don't have much choice. "I work for a voice-dubbing company but there isn't a lot of work at the moment. "Because I left, I am now considered a fugitive, belonging to the opposition. I've made two quick trips back to Burundi since then, undercover. There, I stay in a neighbourhood where people don't know me. "I am pretty sure that the CNDD-FDD will win, especially with the current electoral commission. "In the next five to 10 years, I don't really see any change. My goal is more to bring my family here, than return to Burundi." Francis, 37, in Kigali Francis is tall, a little shy and still struck by how his life has changed. "I fled in December 2015 because the Imbonerakure (the ruling party's youth league) were looking for me to eliminate me. I left Burundi by myself and arrived in Rwanda with absolutely nothing. "I was studying IT at the University of Burundi and only had a year to go. I looked for work (in that field) here but in vain, so I found this job as a taxi driver. "Sometimes I wonder how I ended up living a life so different to the one I envisioned as a student. It's crazy. "Life in Rwanda isn't easy, because we're not from here. We're foreigners, not citizens. "My goal is to finish school and get a solid job that will guarantee me a stable income. "Of course I hope to return to Burundi one day. But with the elections, and the risk of violence, it's not even worth thinking about. "I've cut all ties to my family in Burundi, because I don't want to get them in trouble." strs-fal/rcb/np/ach The Delhi government has ordered officials to ensure that migrant workers do not walk on roads and railway tracks as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called for urgent steps to mitigate the hardships faced by them during the lockdown. If migrant workers are found walking on roads or railway tracks, they should to be taken to the nearest shelter facilities and provided food and water till the time their travel home in special trains and buses is arranged, an order said. The death toll due to coronavirus in Delhi has mounted to 129, even as the total number of COVID-19 cases reported in the national capital climbed to 9,333 on Saturday, a health bulletin said. Fifteen inmates and one head warden of Rohini jail have tested positive. They were sharing the barrack with a 28-year-old inmate who had earlier tested positive. In a fresh wave of exodus, thousands of migrant labourers from Delhi-NCR have been walking back to their residences in different states, mostly Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. On migrant labourers, the order issued by Chief Secretary Vijay Dev also asked its officials to coordinate with the railways to speed up their movement to their homes. Dev asked nodal officer P K Gupta and other senior officers on Friday to ensure "migrant workers do not resort to walking on road and on railway tracks". He also asked them to take the migrants found walking on roads or railway tracks to shelter facilities, provide food and water till the time they are sent home in special trains and buses. "There should be proper cooperation with the railways in running more number of Shramik Special trains so that travel of stranded migrant workers is facilitated at a faster rate," he said in an order issued on Friday. All Shramik trains should be received without any hindrance, the order added. Since last week, there have been instances of migrant workers heading back home meeting with fatal accidents. At least 24 migrant labourers lost their lives and 36 people suffered injuries when a trailer-truck carrying them collided with another truck early Saturday in Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh. Chief Minister Kejriwal called for urgent steps to mitigate the hardships faced by migrants during the lockdown, saying he was deeply disturbed by the deaths of labourers in an accident in Auraiya district. His deputy Manish Sisodia said courage should be shown in reopening the cities that were turning into "graves" of hardworking labourers. "Extremely disturbed by the loss of lives in the accident in Auraiya. The tragedy of migrant labour keeps getting worse. Something needs to be done urgently," Kejriwal said in a tweet. On Friday, three migrants were killed and 71 injured in two separate road accidents in Uttar Pradesh. A day before, eight migrant workers were killed in Madhya Pradesh and six in Uttar Pradesh. On May 8, 16 migrant workers were run over by a goods train in Maharashtra. In a separate action, the Delhi Police has registered nine cases against landlords for allegedly forcing students to pay rent during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown. All the nine FIRs were registered at north Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar police station, they said. KAMPALA As the world is going to celebrate the World Hypertension Day in October, AstraZeneca and the Ministry of Health (MoH) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will pave the way for implementation of the Healthy Heart Africa (HHA) programme. This makes Uganda the fifth country of implementation after Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Ghana. The partnership aims at strengthening the provision of services for managing and preventing hypertension, including raising awareness of lifestyle risk factors for CVD, using MoH guidelines to standardise care and upskilling health workers through training and education. Commenting on the milestone, Dr Diana Atwine Kanzira, the Permanent Secretary of MoH said that at a time when the country is tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, they also have an opportunity to highlight the common determination to provide quality healthcare to all Ugandans. To achieve this, the Ministry of Health, under the leadership of His Excellency President Yoweri Museveni, shall continue to spearhead programmes that equip our healthcare system with the tools, resources, knowledge and trained personnel required to tackle both communicable and non-communicable diseases, she said. She added that, We are therefore excited to unveil this partnership with AstraZeneca to implement the Healthy Heart Africa programme, which will contribute to our governments objective of reversing the high prevalence of hypertension in our country. Ashling Mulvaney, Head of Access to Healthcare, Global Sustainability, AstraZeneca noted that they are delighted to partner with the Ugandan Ministry of Health to support the governments goal of tackling non-communicable diseases, which are a growing public health issue for the country. Through Healthy Heart Africa, we will be able to identify barriers that hinder access to hypertension care and work together to strengthen the healthcare system by addressing the prevention, awareness and diagnosis of hypertension, as well as the education and training of health workers, she said. Mulvaney said their experience since the first HHA programme was implemented has given them insight and learnings that will help them to implement a successful programme in Uganda together. According to the national STEPwise survey conducted in Uganda in 2014, 24.3 percent of Ugandans had elevated blood pressure, while the pre-hypertension rate was at 37 percent. The study also showed that over 70 percent of the respondents had never had their blood pressure measured and that 76.1 percent of those with raised blood pressure were untreated. Only 7.7 percent of participants with hypertension were aware of their high blood pressure, suggesting a high burden of undiagnosed and uncontrolled hypertension in the region. Related Click here to read the full article. People often say that my characters carry a quiet strength about them, and I get that in life, too, from people, says Hong Chau with a laugh. Like, before I was an actor, they would say, Oh, youre quiet, but I can tell that youre tough. That cool tenacity is a hallmark of Hong Chau roles. In the 2017 film Downsizing, her crippled ex-dissident Ngoc Lan has been forced out of her native Vietnam and into the bottom rung of society in America, yet she galvanizes everyone around her and never feels sorry for herself. In last falls Watchmen, the HBO adaptation of the dystopian 1980s comic, her mad genius Lady Trieu methodically and serenely plots world domination. In the Amazon series Homecoming, entering its second season later this month, her innocuous-seeming receptionist Audrey Temple pulls the rug of power out from under the sleazy head honcho of a nefarious pharmaceutical company. And in the new movie Driveways, released last week on demand, her single mom Kathy is a bulletproof emotional shield around her young son, even as she wrestles with the death of her own sister. More from Rolling Stone Chaus ferocious intelligence infuses them all. Though she chose to work in Hollywood, where there is no shortage of bullshitters and wildly successful dimwits, she has a finely honed ear for all manner of idiocy, and she knows how to evade it, circumvent it, or just stare it down till it disintegrates. In the wordless early minutes of Driveways, we meet mother and son as they road-trip to the deceased sisters home to handle her affairs. Kathy is cautious but no-nonsense, a chronic smoker in scuffed boots who eyes eight-year-old Cody with a mixture of infinite love, deep concern, and puzzlement. From gas stations to roadside diners, her guard is up way up and its clear she intends to never let it down. When, shortly after their arrival, Cody reveals hes had a chat with the next-door neighbor, Kathy marches to the property border and confronts the old man: Is my son bothering you? she barks. She gets a flat no in response, but persists with a warning before walking away: Well. Hes not supposed to talk to strangers. Story continues Over the course of the film an intimate, elegant portrait of this insular family unit trying to navigate a sometimes cold world Kathy gradually begins to trust the neighbor, Del (Brian Dennehy, in one of his final roles), dismantling her walls and eventually building a new tiny community around herself and her son. Its a challenging process for Kathy, whos been hardened by experiences that are never fully detailed, but which Chau wears on her face and in her body. In real life, its no simple task for Chau either. Just speaking for myself, as you grow up and accumulate experiences, you start to feel like, if youre a smart person, then youre really on your own, Chau says by phone from Los Angeles, where she lives. And you have to be able to take care of yourself and not set yourself up to be disappointed by other people. You really train yourself to think that way, because thats an intelligent way to go about things. While Chau isnt totally willing to chalk up this fierce self-reliance to biography, a review of some basic facts suggests its not crazy to draw a line from her life to her art. Born in Thailand to Vietnamese refugees the so-called boat people who fled by the hundreds of thousands following the end of the Vietnam War she moved with her family to New Orleans as a child. Her parents journey was harrowing (her father was shot as they were escaping and nearly bled to death), and things were hardly easy once they arrived in the States. Chau and her two older brothers spoke only Vietnamese at home. The family lived in government housing and took advantage of subsidized lunch programs. But in the Chau household, hardship was a simple fact of life, hard work was a virtue, and self-pity was not in the vocabulary. My parents didnt baby me, even though I was their only daughter, Chau says. If anything, my mom encouraged me to be really strong and not rely on other people. She was like, You always have to figure it out for yourself, and not allow yourself to be stepped on or bossed around by somebody. You have to be really smart. I think thats why she always wanted me to do really well in school, not because it would allow me to become some fancy-pants person, but just [so] that I wouldnt be duped or taken advantage of by a man. With the help of Pell Grants, Chau attended Boston University intending to become a documentarian. But she was encouraged by friends to pursue acting after appearing in a few student films. Given that her just her second recurring TV role was in David Simons Treme, and her first film role was in P.T. Andersons Inherent Vice, it would seem as though she found swift success. (Her resume also includes HBOs star-packed ice-queen drama Big Little Lies, Netflixs gorgeously melancholic animated comedy BoJack Horseman, and a stunning standalone episode of Amazons dark romantic comedy Forever.) In her telling, however, the road was much bumpier. When I was starting out, I wouldve taken anything, I wouldve auditioned for anything, she says. And what I found when I was auditioning for really silly, dumb things was that I wouldnt get them, because I knew that they were stupid. It was like I was physically unable to perform the lines, because I just thought they were so stupid, and you could tell I thought it was bad. But I would think, Oh man, if I couldnt even book that stupid thing, Im never gonna make it. Still, even the good parts didnt immediately beget other good parts. She thought after landing Treme in 2011 that shed get to do classier things, but no casting agents beat down her door. She got her hopes up again a couple years later, after Inherent Vice a movie that also starred Joaquin Phoenix, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Maya Rudloph, and Michael Kenneth Williams, among others but it proved another false start. I thought, OK! I am in a Paul Thomas Anderson movie! Things are gonna happen for me! Chau says, laughing. Instead, a two-year drought followed. She found herself back in auditions for the dumb stuff. But it was exactly one of those god-awful auditions that marked a turning point. It was for a sitcom. Chau would be playing the wife whos just there and doesnt have an opinion about anything just, Oh, honey, youre so silly! That kind of thing. She went begrudgingly, because it was a rare pilot audition, but she hated the material and performed terribly. It pained me to say the lines, she says. Afterward, she fled to her car, practically in tears, silently berating herself for showing up in the first place. Thats when the phone rang. On the other end of the line: one of Broadways top casting agencies, asking if shed have any interest in doing a play. Theyd gotten her number directly off of IMDb Pro, since she didnt have representation at the time. Chaus first and so far only theater role, as an unfaithful girlfriend in John, written by the Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Baker and directed by Tony winner Sam Gold, was a wake-up call. For three-and-a-half hours a day, seven times a week (sometimes eight), she shared a stage with just three other people, including the esteemed actresses Georgia Engel and Lois Smith. It was a proving ground that gave her the confidence shed been lacking. It changed how I saw myself, Chau says. Because even after Inherent Vice, I still didnt know if I was a good actor? I was pretty surprised they even thought of me at all. It was the strangest thing. I thought, There are so many Asian actors whove done theater in New York, why are they calling me? But, it happened, and that whole experience really just changed my life, because it was just such a large, meaty role, and it was so difficult. If I could do this, I could do anything. Five years later, a prestige-packed list of parts under her belt, Chau is waiting and ready, with the rest of Hollywood, for productions to pick up again. Before the pandemic struck, shed been feeling a little anxious about not having her next role lined up. But these days, shes happy to hunker down at home with Kobe, her 12-year-old Rottweiler-Aussie shepherd mix, catching up on classic movies. (She recently enjoyed the 1972 screwball comedy Whats Up Doc?, on the recommendation of her Homecoming co-star Joan Cusack, with whom she feels she has unfinished business. Note to producers everywhere: I want to be in a comedy with her. Somebody make that happen, please.) The global crisis has put her career in even greater perspective. It has actually mellowed me out, and Im feeling very calm and grateful, despite watching the news and feeling enraged, she says. Im fortunate where I dont have to go out to work. I dont have any children, other than my dog, to support or home school or anything like that. My parents are safe and well. Work-wise, I wont really care when were gonna start back up; I know we will. I know it wont be for a while, and thats going to be tough, but we will get through this. She has two projects completed that will give audiences their Hong Chau fix in the meantime. Artemis Fowl, the Disney movie based on the series of fantasy novels by Irish author Eoin Colfter, originally set to premiere this month, is awaiting a new release date. Season Two of Homecoming premieres on Amazon May 22nd. Of the latter, she cant say much, only that her character, Audrey Temple, takes on a much bigger role at the pharmaceutical company once run by Bobby Cannavales bumbling bad guy Colin Belfast. It may be a somewhat surprising twist to fans of the series, but its one Chau knew about from the beginning. When I signed up for the first season they said, Youre just going to be this sort of background character in the first season, and then in the end, shes gonna make this big move. And in the second season, youre going to be taking control of things. So I signed on for that reason. If they were like, OK, youre going to be playing a receptionist, and Bobby Cannavales just going to be dismissive of you the entire time I mean, I love Bobby Cannavale, but I would not have signed on for that. See where your favorite artists and songs rank on the Rolling Stone Charts. Sign up for Rolling Stones Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Expressing displeasure over the condition of hospitals in Prayagraj, the Allahabad high court on Friday made some suggestions to the state government to check the spread of COVID-19 in the state and to provide necessary facilities to migrants entering into the state. The bench suggested that the state government must ensure that every migrant in the state is properly quarantined for at least 15 days and in the quarantine premises proper sanitization should be there along with food and medical facilities. On May 7, the high court had taken cognizance of a letter written by Gaurav Kumar Gaur an advocate, addressed to Chief Justice, raising the issue of death of Virendra Singh of Prayagraj who was corona positive and allegedly died due to laxity in treatment. The letter was treated as Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and the court had asked the state government to brief it about the condition of hospitals in the city. During the course of hearing, the bench comprising chief justice Govind Mathur and justice Siddhartha Varma asked the state government to rev up functioning of government hospitals and primary health centres in the city which are about 105 in number as such that they must be ready to treat from minor flu and cold to heart attacks. This would minimize the requirement of private hospitals and would also ensure that public at large would get good treatment and at reasonable rates, observed the bench. The bench questioned the conditions of quarantine centres and said, What is the reason that despite various orders and directions of the state government to keep the Covid-19 virus hospitals clean and sanitized, they are neither cleaned nor sanitized. The court has also suggested that list of migrant workers who are entering in state after lockdown must be maintained. Further, responsibility of government officers must be fixed to keep track of their health, availability of foods and other basic necessities to such migrants. The court further suggested that the state government must publicize contact numbers on which any resident of the state may inform, if he sees any person unknown to him/her is residing in their neighbourhood but not being tracked by the government. The court has fixed May 18 as next date of hearing and asked the state government counsel to apprise it with steps taken with regards to suggestions made. It's a favourite tipple with drinkers in the UK and around the world. But one in 10 Britons questioned in a survey was unable to identify Scotch whisky as being from Scotland. The same number believed bourbon a US whisky was Scottish. And 22 per cent identified American rye whisky as Japanese. More than 2,000 people were surveyed ahead of World Whisky Day tomorrow. The survey found a third of drinkers prefer single malt whisky with ice, a further third take it on its own, 21 per cent with a mixer, and 10 per cent as a shot. The research for Old Pulteney distillery in Wick in the Highlands found 10 per cent believe the age of a whisky refers to the barrel rather than the youngest whisky in the bottle. The poll found 90 per cent can correctly identify the heritage of Scotland's national drink, but one in 10 also believe bourbon - an American whiskey - is Scottish Distillery manager Malcolm Waring said of Scotch whisky: 'It's a product our whole country should be proud of.' He added: 'While many still advocate drinking it neat, whisky is made to be enjoyed and I find it refreshing to see the change in attitudes towards mixing with malts. 'Cocktails encourage you to consider the unique flavours and aromas of your whisky as you match them with other ingredients. 'Whisky making is such an intricate process and this stat underlines why it's important for those in the industry to share our knowledge and encourage people to learn more about malts. 'There's so much expertise and skill that goes to making it, and it's a huge employer across the UK. I want to see as many people as possible enjoying it.' He issued advice to those who feel 'intimidated' by whisky and said drinkers should take their time because 'there is a whisky out there for everyone, waiting to be discovered'. Mentioned: Moderna Inc (MRNA), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc (REGN), Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Pfizer Inc (PFE), Sanofi SA (SNY), Roche Holding AG (RHHBY), AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) Editors note: This is the first of two updates to Morningstar's COVID-19 forecast. We also explore the outlook for a potential vaccine. Read the latest on how the coronavirus is rattling the markets and what investors can do to navigate it. COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus), has spread across the globe, and as we enter May, several countries and U.S. states are testing ways to relax lockdowns and begin paving the way for economic recovery. While we dont think U.S. states will follow federal guidelines for reopening, we expect the transition to be gradual and that they will quickly reverse any moves that lead to a spike in new cases. Diagnostic testing has improved more rapidly than we anticipated, to around 250,000 a day, and we think a combination of continued social distancing (masks and six-foot rule), steady improvement to 800,000 tests per day by the end of the year (which facilitates contact tracing and surveillance), broader availability of Gileads remdesivir, and potential targeted antibodies and vaccines by the end of the year in high-risk populations should allow visits to nonessential businesses like restaurants, salons, and retailers to recover to 30% below prepandemic levels by year-end, from a trough at around 65% below in March. Our new base-case scenario assumes that less than 10% of the U.S. population is infected by the end of 2020, with a 0.7% death rate, as improving levels of testing help control the spread of the disease. The recent emergency use authorization for Gileads (GILD) remdesivir in severely ill COVID-19 patients is a turning point, but efficacy to date does not look strong enough on its own to justify relaxing lockdowns. That said, we project $2 billion in peak sales in 2021, assuming an eventual U.S. price (after donated supplies) of around $500 per treatment. Vaccine progress has accelerated from an already rapid pace: Moderna (MRNA), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Pfizer (PFE), and AstraZeneca (AZN) could all receive emergency use authorizations by the end of the year. Assuming that at least two succeed, potential broad availability (billions of doses) would allow near-normal distancing measures by mid-2021. U.S. daily diagnoses have generally flattened between 20,000 and 30,000 per day since March 30, but we think this is primarily due to increases in testing availability and that actual new cases are probably trending down. We assume that there could be some intermittent reclosures in certain parts of the country if the effective reproduction number Rt (transmission rate) climbs above 1, which is why we assume a step-up in cases in June (after the initial relaxing is taken too far) and September (as children return to school). Story continues Predictions for the End of 2020 Morningstars Coronavirus Analysis: Narrowing Our Three Scenarios With new cases declining in New York and several states seeing continuing small (if sometimes increasing) numbers of infections, many states are entering May in a position to begin considering how to relax their lockdowns and overcome the economic shutdown. Federal guidelines on social distancing that were put in place in mid-March faded at the end of April, so each state is likely to become a slightly different experiment in how to emerge from lockdown, with varying results depending on strategy, speed of reopening, and buy-in (or lockdown fatigue) from residents. Resurgences in several countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, and Germany serve as cautionary tales on moving too quickly. There are also many factors that could sway outcomes that are largely beyond a states control, at least in the near term, such as population density, climate, demographics, and quality of healthcare facilities. Weve combined our understanding of tools to fight transmission and lethality of the virus--from simple interventions, like wearing masks, to the most complex, such as developing vaccines--to update our scenario analysis for the emergence of the United States from lockdown. While we think strategies will vary by state, we keep most of our analysis at the overall country level for simplicity. Our first report in early March focused on understanding the lethality and spread of the new virus and its potential economic impact in the context of past pandemics. Once it became clear that the U.S. was willing to move to more severe stay-at-home measures and lock down part of the economy to mitigate the disease following disasters in countries like Italy, which were only slightly ahead of our timeline, our second report dived deeper into the potential waves of transmission depending on the month-by-month extent of social distancing, nonessential-business closures, and pharmaceutical progress, and how this could hit GDP on an industry-by-industry basis. As we enter May, were faced with the challenge of estimating when nonessential businesses will be allowed to reopen and to what extent this will translate to reality--some business owners could opt to stay closed longer. It also remains unclear what demand will be like, as shoppers may continue to distance despite reopenings (roughly 70% of respondents in a recent national poll opposed such reopenings) or, conversely, travel from other states to shop because of continuing lockdown in their home state. If businesses reopen and shoppers return, theres also uncertainty around whether reopening is sustainable and will actually speed the economic recovery; a COVID-19 resurgence could require reopenings to be reversed by the fall. With reopening, diagnostics are becoming more critical than ever, as wider availability will allow us to isolate infected patients earlier, perform effective contact tracing, and perform heavier testing in areas with larger outbreaks. We have a variety of tools that we can combine to limit transmission as we reopen, but we think finding the right balance will take time as well as trial and error. Were also at a critical point in drug and vaccine development, as drug data has left us with limited options in the near term but high potential in the long run, and vaccine progress has been impressive. Preliminary data offers a mixed view on whether we will have access to drugs or vaccines later this year that could begin to make a dent in transmission and allow for wider, more sustainable reopening. Based on recent data, Gileads remdesivir looks useful in severely ill hospitalized patients, and as an antiviral it is likely to be useful in earlier-stage patients as well (further data is expected later in May); IL-6 inhibitors like Roches (RHHBY) Actemra and Regeneron (REGN)/Sanofis (SNY) Kevzara are more likely to work in patients who are already in critical condition (on ventilators), if they work at all (recent data on Kevzara was discouraging); and the use of malaria drugs chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine will be sharply limited by efficacy concerns and cardiac side effects. While we have yet to see data on vaccines, continuation of phase 1 Moderna studies at higher doses is a good sign for safety; trials would have halted if there were safety issues so far. Were encouraged by the announcement at several vaccine developers of recent collaborations, funding arrangements, rapid acceleration in manufacturing, and parallel mid- to late-stage trials. We also think its increasingly likely that the Food and Drug Administration will be receptive to a smaller data set before vaccine approval in high-risk patients if we are still facing the pandemic as we approach the end of the year--as we expect we will be. Were Wary of Assuming Asias Successful Containment Can Translate to U.S. Uncertainty surrounding key assumptions and some improbable simplifying assumptions can make models of the spread of COVID-19 quite variable. Until early May, the frequently cited model from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation assumed perfect compliance with social distancing measures until it is safe to relax restrictions (until contained) and did not attempt to predict a second wave; it only showed projections through July. As of April 29, IHME projected that roughly 72,000 Americans would die from COVID-19 through July, well below our base-case assumption of 187,000. These IHME projections were based on the shape of case curves in other countries, not epidemiological analysis of what is happening with transmission of the virus in the U.S. We saw this as too optimistic, based on Chinas rapid action and South Koreas massive testing rollout. As of May 4, IHME has significantly changed its method of modeling the outbreak, however, and now uses a hybrid model that incorporates a more traditional method of epidemiological modeling known as a SEIR (susceptible, exposed, infected, resistant) model. This new model also incorporates assumptions of a second wave based on metrics like mobility, temperature, testing rates, and population density. The new analysis assumes a total of more than 134,000 deaths in the U.S. this year, much more in line with our new base-case estimates. While SEIR models are the gold standard, the uncertainty around key variables in the middle of an outbreak can lead to dramatically different predictions, even with seemingly small changes in assumptions. One SEIR model, developed for The New York Times, results in a range of outcomes even with many concrete inputs. For example, an economic shutdown from mid-March through the end of April, with some standard assumptions on death rate (1%), hospitalization rates (10%), and contagiousness (reproduction number, or R0, equal to 2.5), can result in U.S. deaths ranging from roughly 40,000 to 1.3 million this year, depending on where our assumptions fall on the spectrum included within the moderate portion of intervention level and medium impact of warmer weather on the transmission of the virus. The Center for American Progress used this model to show that we need to use aggressive distancing for 45 days (through mid-May) to keep deaths around 140,000 for the year and 60 days (through end of May) if we want to completely suppress the virus through November. However, it pointed out that the distancing we have used has not been uniform across states, so our actions cant be compared to Chinas lockdown. Several factors lead us to believe that even though we can suppress the virus and prevent the spread from rising above a dangerous threshold, the U.S. and many Western European countries wont be able to contain it like a handful of other countries, including South Korea and China, have. First, we didnt see national orders, as we are more decentralized than Asian countries, and states generally waited until cases started to rise to issue lockdowns. The U.S. also did not appear as agile in assisting affected cities, as other Chinese cities assisted Wuhan. Lax standards likely mean a longer epidemic in the U.S. than other countries and more infections. The U.S. also doesnt have the isolation rooms that China built during the outbreak or that Singapore prepared after SARS in 2002-03 (necessary for containing the virus among hospitalized patients). Wuhan was hit hard and not only locked down, but it also built makeshift hospitals and quarantine centers and enforced strict quarantines for everyone who was sick and even those who were exposed, involving family separation that seems unlikely for Western society. The U.S. is also more exposed demographically than China, with a higher percentage of the population over the age of 65 and leading rates of diabetes and obesity that might boost the percentage of cases that are high-risk and require hospitalization. The ability of Americans to follow orders may not be as high as in Asia, and impatience with the economic shutdown in the face of ballooning unemployment (and likely warmer weather) has led to some opposition to stay-at-home orders and protests in state capitals and other cities. Our Base Case Assumes Some Trial and Error With Reopening, as States Remain Nimble Our base case assumes that cases at least level off before most states begin to relax social distancing measures. We assume that we may struggle with additional waves of the illness going into summer and fall, but rapid reimplementation of a higher level of restrictions will prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed. Overall, our new analysis predicts a faster ramp in diagnostics based on the faster-than-anticipated ramp in April. There were also slightly fewer diagnosed cases in April than we had anticipated, but based on the recent relatively flat diagnoses, were not assuming as steep of a drop-off as we head into summer, particularly given that quarantine fatigue is leading to more relaxed social distancing even in states that still have stay-at-home orders. We assume that there will be a second wave in the fall due to the resumption of school, cooler weather, or both. However, this will be muted by improved diagnostics capacity (allowing better testing of workers and contact tracing and more rapid isolation of infected), treatments like remdesivir (reducing deaths in hospitalized patients), and vaccines that could be available for the highest-risk populations (starting with healthcare workers). Even if diagnostic and contact tracing capabilities are not where experts say they should be, we think there will be enough other tools in place that prospects for a massive surge in cases are much less likely. Nonessential-Business Visits to Remain Depressed Throughout 2020 While essential businesses have stayed open during the pandemic, many nonessential businesses have closed with state lockdowns, and economic recovery will depend on how quickly these businesses can return to normal. Nonessential businesses that have been most affected by the pandemic (uniformly nonexempted by states) have a relatively high ratio of social interactions per unit of GDP and include businesses such as restaurants, hotels, offices, retailers, gyms, and salons. A key question going forward is, What change in nonessential visits could allow for sustained control of the virus? Research for the University of California, Berkeley and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, based on Google Mobility reports as well as growth rates for the virus before the lockdown, estimate that mobility could rise to 30% below the prior baseline in a best case in San Francisco, rather than current levels 60% below baseline, without triggering a resurgence. This would require continued surveillance for changes in prevalence and the agility to reverse relaxed distancing measures quickly if prevalence begins to rise, but mobility levels could rise even higher if diagnostics capacity and contact tracing are implemented on a wide scale, as we expect they will be. We think widespread availability of a vaccine or curative treatment regimen will probably be necessary to completely remove our social distancing measures. Regardless of state policies on relaxing restrictions on businesses, we assume that consumer behavior changes should result in a 30% reduction in nonessential visits from baseline by the end of the year. Mobility data from Unacast indicates that nonessential visits declined dramatically in late March in the U.S., falling as low as 65% below the prior baseline before beginning to increase in mid-April. We assume that there could be some intermittent reclosures in certain parts of the country, which is why we assume falling visits again in June (after the initial relaxing is taken too far) and September (as children return to school). Beyond September, treatment and vaccine availability will improve, but we could also be entering flu season, which could strain our healthcare system and make extra capacity for COVID-19 patients more scarce, although social distancing should help reduce the spread of the flu as well. We dont assume anything as severe as the initial lockdown and still assume a trend line toward more normal nonessential visit patterns. Epidemiologists use reproduction numbers to measure the contagiousness of a virus. The natural (unimpeded) reproduction number for SARS-CoV-2 is probably higher than 2, but societies can change the R number with interventions, yielding a lower effective reproduction number, or Rt. If this number falls below 1, then each infected person goes on to infect fewer than one other person, meaning that the outbreak will fade. Rt is below 1 in most states at this point. We expect that Rt could rise above 1 again in the U.S. as many states reopen in the name of starting the economic recovery, but that states will react rapidly to bring the virus back under control. By 2021, we think a vaccine will be available, which should dramatically reduce Rt to a level that would allow more normal nonessential visits. How Nonessential Visits Could Vary with Hypothetical Reproduction Numbers Base-Case Fatality Rate of 0.7% to Stay Relatively Steady Throughout 2020 Our assumed fatality rates for the rest of the year are slightly higher on average than our prior analysis. In the near term, fatality rates are assumed to be lower than our prior estimates, based on fatality levels we saw in April. In the long term, however, we dont assume the same steep drop as in our prior analysis, based on several treatment updates since our last report. This includes the consensus on safety issues with chloroquine, discouraging initial data from a study of Regeneron/Sanofis Kevzara, and incremental (but apparently real) impact of remdesivir on duration of COVID-19. Remdesivirs efficacy so far is impressive and looks likely to reduce mortality rates from COVID-19. However, these improvements fall short of what we considered necessary for our former base-case scenario, which assumed that efficacy would be strong enough on its own to allow wider relaxing of lockdown measures. Our projections through the end of 2020 have testing rates increasing to 800,000 per day, in line with many proposed guidelines but also within the realm of feasibility. We think that roughly 8% of the population will have been infected by the end of the year and that 0.7% of infected patients will die, resulting in 187,000 deaths in the U.S. this year from COVID-19. While nonessential visits hit a trough at 65% below prepandemic levels at the end of March, according to data from Unacast, this had recovered to only a 45% decline at the end of April. We expect levels could vary as states reopen and potentially add back restrictions if new cases increase, but we do expect the trend to increase closer to normal throughout the year, reaching a 30% reduction from prepandemic levels by the end of 2020. Treatment Progress and Diagnostics Ramp Help Control Outbreak, Allow Some Relaxing; 50% Probability (per month, in thousands) Treatment Progress and Diagnostics Ramp Help Control Outbreak, Allow Some Relaxing; 50% Probability (per month, in thousands) While reported cases and deaths give a roughly 5% fatality rate (known as a case fatality rate), the infection fatality rate (based on the number infected) is probably much lower. Our 0.7% assumption is in line with New York Citys 0.8% rate, which was based on a combination of confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths in the city (numerator) and positive antibody tests on samples of the population to estimate the potential number infected (denominator). But both numerator and denominator are uncertain here, as we are clearly not diagnosing all cases of the disease, seroprevalence studies are prone to error, and we are probably not properly attributing excess deaths to the virus. For example, the death toll in 14 European countries from coronavirus was recently estimated to be 60% higher than reported, based on higher-than-normal death rates during this time of year. Also, a widely criticized seroprevalence (antibody testing) survey in Santa Clara County, California, predicted a less than 0.2% infection fatality rate. Bull and Bear Cases Cover a Broader Spectrum of Prudence and Impatience In our base- and bull-case scenarios, we assume that gradually relaxing measures will allow us to find a level that will keep cases steady and prevent spikes. Our bullish scenario assumes that cases fall for 14 days, in accordance with federal guidelines, before significant levels of reopening, allowing each state to gradually reduce restrictions without seeing additional waves. In the bull case, our improvements in diagnostics and contact tracing, as well as increased access to treatments and vaccines, are all stretched over a smaller infected population, making it easier to suppress the virus. The key assumption here is that states are patient enough to wait to relax restrictions and dont relax them too quickly. In a worst-case scenario, eager governors allow significant reopening and return to work before diagnosed cases begin to decline and positive rates on diagnostic tests fall below 10%, which we think would put states at risk for overwhelming healthcare systems this summer or fall, leading to a potential lockdown/reopening roller coaster that makes it difficult for businesses to regain footing. In this scenario, Americans would also be willing to return to former habits as the lockdown ends. We also assume slightly slower progress with improving diagnostics capacity throughout the year, making it harder to trace new cases as we see a resurgence in the fall. States Have Responsibility to Guide Reopening, but Many Unlikely to Follow White House Criteria The White House issued guidelines to help states determine when to reopen, and to what extent, including a decline in flu- or COVID-like illnesses for 14 days; a decline in diagnosed cases for 14 days; a decline in positive tests as a percentage of total tests for 14 days (with a flat or increasing testing rate); all hospitals operating without crisis care; and at-risk healthcare worker diagnostic and antibody testing. Additionally, the government suggests that upon reopening, people should practice good hygiene (including masks in public), and employers should implement best practices (like social distancing and temperature checks). States should have the ability to diagnose, contact trace, handle a surge in the need for personal protective equipment for healthcare providers, and implement plans to protect people from exposure and mitigate outbreaks by moving to an earlier phase. However, several issues with the White House guidelines could make it more difficult for states to reopen successfully. There is no benchmark for the diagnostic testing capacity needed to show an accurate measure of decline. Importantly, there is no guidance on what to do if there is a resurgence in cases. Ideally, we would wait until there were only minimal cases outstanding in each state (IHMEs very conservative guidance is roughly one total case per 1 million residents) before reopening, as this would ensure that current diagnostics supply is sufficient to test those who are infected and that we have enough public health workers to trace contacts of anyone who becomes infected. But with some states starting to reopen because of economic problems even as cases continue to increase, a conservative scenario is unlikely to be the first choice, making containment much more difficult. The key will be trying to find the right balance of restrictions that will prevent us from overwhelming hospitals with severe cases of COVID-19 but also breathe some life back into struggling businesses. First, looking at the U.S. position overall, new daily diagnoses have been volatile recently but are generally indicating a stable trend. However, this is during a time of strong expansion in diagnostic testing. If there were an equal number of actual new cases of COVID-19 each day, then expanding testing should lead to a proportional increase in diagnosed cases. Therefore, it appears that actual new cases are probably trending down. This can also be assessed using the positive rate (percentage of tests that come back positive), which has been trending down since mid-April. This signifies that we are improving the bandwidth of our testing. At the state level, many states are in the processing of reopening or have released plans to reopen later in May. Many states that acted quickly prevented larger outbreaks and are able to begin reopening faster than others. For example, Ohio canceled a fitness expo in Columbus on March 4, before there were any cases in the state, and has kept its cases below those in neighboring states. In mid-April, director Robert Redfield of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that up to 20 states have seen limited impact from the virus and could reopen May 1, and several have begun reopening in a meaningful way. That said, we think some states could be reopening prematurely, with red flags including increasing cases, cumulative positive rates above 10% (not testing enough people), a trend to increasing positive rates (either increasing cases, or testing fewer people, either of which is concerning), and reopening dates that look aggressive based on the combination of these measures. Several states in the Midwest (Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, and Michigan) and the South (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Virginia) have concerning trends, as do Arizona and smaller states in the Northeast, like Delaware and Vermont. Were less concerned about states that are seeing increases in cases if they are also increasing testing and either maintaining or shrinking their positive rate, although stable situations can quickly turn into accelerating spread if restrictions are lifted too rapidly. What it means to reopen varies widely by state, and it remains unclear what combination of changes is key to maintaining control of the virus. Some researchers are using cellphone data to track how concentrated shoppers are in certain stores and how long they spend in them; shops with many customers and long stay times would have higher rates of transmission. Others are attempting to balance these risks with the benefits of each type of location to be reopened. However, we expect reopening to be a process of trial and error. Regardless of population density, we think states have reason to be concerned and need to carefully reduce restrictions. For example, rural states are particularly vulnerable because many have older and sicker populations, and more than half of the counties in the U.S. have no intensive care beds, although lower population density and warmer, humid air arriving in parts of the country appear to have slowed transmission, in combination with social distancing, so far. Rural areas may see more of a benefit from warmer weather, but according to PolicyLab, weather alone has not been sufficient to stop resurgences in bigger cities. In Cook County (Chicago), PolicyLab predicts that we need to maintain at least 50% social distancing (relative to prepandemic levels) if we want to reopen by May 15 and at least 33% social distancing if we reopen June 1. While crowded cities do see higher risk of spreading the disease, they also see increased risk of severe illness, as people are more likely to be exposed to higher levels of the virus initially, from multiple sources (this has been tied to the severity of illness during the Spanish flu in 1918-19 as well). Relaxing the Lockdown: Tools and Proposed Plans Largely Combine Diagnostics, Contact Tracing, and Flexible Social Distancing In the absence of a curative treatment or vaccine, our efforts are focused on nonpharmaceutical interventions. Most of these methods have benefits and drawbacks, and the key will be finding the right combination that keeps the virus from spreading but also allows the fastest path to beginning an economic recovery. At the start of the pandemic, there were a handful of analyses on how we could try to prevent a catastrophic wave of infections from overwhelming our healthcare systems. A March 2020 analysis by Imperial College discussed how basic mitigation policies--like isolating infected people and using social distancing to protect high-risk individuals--would be insufficient to prevent what most countries would consider a catastrophic scenario and instead presented an idea that adds school closures and a 75% reduction in contact rates for the entire population to suppress the virus. This method could be applied intermittently based on hospital statistics, like ICU admissions or death rates, and could be adjusted based on local outbreaks. Since then, several independent proposals have been published that seek to combine the tools we have at our disposal and to build the tools that are lacking, to find the right way to reopen our society. We think that the most extreme call for millions of tests per day is unrealistic and that we are much more likely to see success by combining multiple methods, such as diagnostics, surveillance of high-risk populations, manual and technology-enabled contact tracing, and continued social distancing on some level, with the option of reverting to stricter social distancing if infections or hospitalizations rise. Europes Relaxation Challenges Offer Preview of U.S. Summer In our last report, we highlighted that Chinas aggressive containment policies and South Koreas rapid testing and contact tracing technologies allowed them to stop the outbreaks in their countries while cases were still rising rapidly in the West. However, the picture today is slightly different, with Western Europe appearing to have more success in slowing the spread of COVID-19 while the U.S. continues to grow, as declines in New York City are more than countered by increases in the rest of the country. Europe is starting to relax restrictions in small ways, and were just beginning to see some information from countries like Denmark and Germany that relaxing (limited) measures is leading to higher rates of spread. Denmark opened primary schools April 15 but then saw the reproduction number (measuring contagiousness of the virus) edge closer to 1, from 0.6 to 0.9, meaning that the country may be more limited in relaxing other measures if it wants to keep the virus under control and prevent transmission from widening. Germany reopened small businesses on April 20 and schools on May 4, although bars and restaurants will stay closed and large gatherings are still banned through August. Masks are strongly recommended, and social distancing and bans on gatherings of more than two people from different households will remain in effect for the foreseeable future. Germany was similar in its lockdown to the U.S., as neither implemented full economic shutdowns (factories remained operational in both countries, unlike in France, Spain, and Italy). Germans were also warned to stay home as much as possible on April 28, as the reproduction rate had increased from 0.7 to 1 with recent relaxation measures. Other European countries are still phasing in their reopening or remain under lockdown. Spain began to ease restrictions on April 13, although only those who cannot work from home are returning to the workplace. Schools, bars, restaurants, and hotels in Spain are still closed, and outdoor exercise is still banned. Italy allowed certain small shops to open in April, with rolling openings like manufacturing and construction, more freedom of movement in parks (May 4), and opening of more shops and museums (May 18), restaurants and bars (June 1), and schools (September). France is on lockdown until mid-May. Some smaller countries that saw smaller initial hits are also removing some restrictions as long as cases stay stable; Austria opened small shops April 14 and larger stores and malls May 1, but masks are required in enclosed public spaces. This article was written by Karen Anderson, CFA and Healthcare Strategist at Morningstar, a research partner for Yahoo Finance Premium. Karen and Preston Caldwell, Equity Analyst at Morningstar, discussed the long-term economic impact of the global shutdown in a special Yahoo Finance Premium webinar on Tuesday, May 19 at 12pm ET. Watch the recording here. Karen Andersen does not own shares in any of the securities mentioned above. Find out about Morningstars editorial policies. Additional Morningstar research is available in Yahoo Finance Premium. Start your free trial today.* Sen Feinstein Proposes 'Coronavirus Peace Plan' Between US And Iran Radio Farda May 15, 2020 U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) has proposed a "coronavirus peace plan" between the United States and Iran to prevent instability during the global pandemic. In an opinion article published by Bloomberg on May 14 the senior Democratic Senator proposes two approaches to reduce tensions between Washington and Tehran. First, meetings between the foreign and defense ministers of the two countries to reduce tensions and "avoid war". Feinstein wrote, "Face-to-face meetings would reduce the chance of missteps that could accidentally lead to war, a situation possible today with Iranian boats recklessly engaging U.S. ships in the Persian Gulf." The United States and President Donald Trump personally have on many occasions offered talks with Iran "without pre-conditions", but Iran has rejected these offers. While its presidential administration has demanded an end to sanctions before any negotiations could take place, the country's ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has banned any talks with the United States. The second approach recommended by Sen. Feinstein prescribes a temporary and partial lifting of U.S. sanctions on Iran, including Washington's support for a $5 billion loan request by Iran from the International Monetary Fund, "with oversight mechanisms within or similar to the Swiss Humanitarian Trade Arrangement, to facilitate the flow of much-needed goods to the Iranian people while safeguarding against the regime's diversion of funds for malign purposes". Sen. Feinstein adds that these discussions could lead "to a more comprehensive framework of discussions on Iran's nuclear program, ballistic missiles and regional aggression". Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/sen-feinstein -proposes-coronavirus-peace-plan -between-us-and-iran/30613400.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 Jerzy Glowczewski, a Polish-born fighter pilot who flew World War II missions with Britain's Royal Air Force after Nazi Germany invaded his country, has died of the coronavirus in New York City. He was 97. He is believed to have been the last surviving member of a group of Polish exiles who joined the Royal Air Force to fight the Nazis. Glowczewski died April 13 in a nursing home of complications from COVID-19, his daughter Klara Glowczewska told The New York Times. Born in Warsaw in November 1922, Jerzy Eligiusz Glowczewski fled Poland with his stepfather at the age of 16 when Nazi Germany invaded in 1939. Polish WWII fighter pilot Jerzy Glowczewski (pictured) died of complications from COVID-19 in April Glowczewski was nearly killed in a strafing run by a German plane as he tried to find what remained of the Polish Army. As refugees, Glowczewski and his stepfather lived in Bucharest, Romania, before moving to Tel Aviv, Israel. He served with the Allied Forces in the Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade in Egypt and in Libya before he traveled to Britain to become a pilot. He joined the Polish army in exile in 1941, where he served in the No. 308 'City of Krakow' Polish fighter squad. With this squadron, Glowczewski completed 100 mission and was awarded the Polish Cross of Valor three times for his efforts. Glowczewski was also instrumental in halting the final major attack on the Western front by the German Luftwaffe. Glowczewski (pictured) completed 100 missions with No. 308 'City of Krakow' Polish fighter squad For his wartime efforts, Glowczewski (pictured) was awarded the Polish Cross of Valor three times Glowczewski (pictured): 'It was probably one of the last classic dogfights in which survival depended on the acrobatic skill and lightning reflexes of the pilot' On New Year's Day in 1945, Glowczewski shot down a Focke-Wulf 190, a German fighter aircraft, over Belgium from his Spitefire fighter plane. 'As I looked over my shoulder, the Focke-Wulf was a crumbling crucifix against the bright, morning sky. Another explosion, it tumbled down,' he wrote in his memoirs. 'It was probably one of the last classic dogfights in which survival depended on the acrobatic skill and lightning reflexes of the pilot.' After World War II, he returned to a savaged Poland following the German's surrender in May 1945. Glowczewski decided to pursue a career in architecture and attended that Warsaw University of Technology. He graduated in 1952. At one point Glowczewski (center) was forced to flee Egypt with his family and pet dachshund after war broke out with Israel Glowczewski (pictured) later became an architect and helped rebuild parts of Poland after it was savaged during World War II His work as an architecture helped rebuild Poland's ruined old town and designed many projects around the country. He married Irena 'Lenta' Glowczewska and had his daughter, Klara. Glowczewski career eventually took him to the United States, where in 1961 he visited in 1961 on a Ford Foundation grant. He taught architecture at North Carolina State University, before spending two years in Egypt directing the redevelopment of the city of Aswan in 1965. Wartime in Israel led Glowczewski to flee Egypt with his family, including their dachshund named Romulus, two years later. In later years, Glowczewski taught architecture at the Pratt Institute in New York and wrote memoirs recounting his life experiences. The Accidental Immigrant' was a single volume memoir released in English in 2007. Glowczewski is survived by his daughter Klara and two grandchildren. The re-opening of our local beleaguered restaurants is a good thing. First of all, it gets needed money flowing again and puts people back to work who support families. For most families the puny stimulus check sent out by the government was gone before it arrived. Secondly, we, as a nation, can begin looking forward to putting this terrible scourge behind us. Lastly, for me, I wont have to suffer down a Cup of Noodles soup anymore for lunch as Ive been doing every single day since March when I bought online a box of 100 beef cup soups from Amazon. But I learned a lot about noodle soups. I found off the bat that you cant shove the container in the microwave and walk away, it will boil and overflow the Styrofoam cup, making a mess on the spinning oven plate that you have to clean up. If you fill it too low, the noodles wont get cooked enough and you have a crunchy meal much like eating dried Scotch thistles. It takes a great deal of practice to be a good Ramen noodle cup chef and the schooling I received prompted me to take a closer look at their history. Wikipedia says that ramen originally was a Japanese dish and the word translates roughly to pulled noodles which makes good sense. Many Japanese restaurants, such as those in Japan Town, San Francisco, proudly display bowls of ramen noodles as their base with meat or fish broth, in color menu pictures hanging on their windows, having toppings of all kinds from pork to sea cucumber (whatever that is). According to the Yokohama Ramen Museum, the delicacy first originated in China and made its way over to Japan in 1859, usually consisting of wheat noodles in a broth topped with Chinese-style roast pork. Perhaps it wasnt popular at first because it took until 1910 for the first ramen shop to open in Tokyo, where they say the Japanese owner employed 12 Cantonese cooks originally from Yokohama to manufacture the noodles. In 1945 Japan recorded its worst rice harvest in 42 years, causing widespread food shortages compounded by the fact that most infrastructure had been destroyed as a result of WWII. The governments decision to drastically reduced rice production during the war in favor of military goods was not a good one either. To help out, the United States flooded the market in Japan with cheap wheat flour in an attempt to deal with the food shortages. At the same time millions of Japanese troops returned home from China and other places, where the wheat noodle dish was very popular. This led to the rise of thousands of street vendors selling ramen. Americans in Japan aggressively advertised the nutritional benefits of wheat flour as well. In a country built primarily on a rice-based culture, ramen gradually became associated with city life and noodle selling pushcarts becoming as popular as New York hot dog wagons. In 1958, instant noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando, the Taiwanese-Japanese founder and chairman of Nissin Foods. Named the greatest Japanese invention of the 20th century in a poll there, instant ramen allowed anyone to make an approximation of the dish simply by adding boiling water and throwing some toppings on for good measure. In 1971 ramen noodles were exported from Japan by Nissin Foods under the name Oodles of Noodles. Most ramen noodles are made from four basic ingredients: wheat flour, salt, water and kansui. This last ingredient is a type of alkaline mineral water, containing sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate, as well as a small amount of phosphoric acid. My cups of soup show exactly the same compounds in there listing of ingredients. It seems that kansui is the distinguishing component in ramen noodles, and originated from Inner Mongolia, where some lakes contained large amounts of those minerals and whose water it was said was perfect for cooking noodles. The yellow hue you see on the dried noodles come from kansui. Another popular manufacturer, the maker of Instant Ramen Lunch, began in 1953 with another determined Japanese young man named Kazuo Mori who operated a frozen fish distributorship in Tokyo. His company, Toyo Suisan had a taste for expansion and branched out into the instant ramen noodle business in 1961. Today they sell under the name Maruchan and operate a vast plant in Irvine, California. Maruchan produces over 3.6 billion packages of ramen noodle soup a year. Next time you are at the supermarket, take a look at the box of Maruchan products. Their name is a Japanese word composed of two parts, maru and chan. Maru means round, as in the shape of a happy childs face, and the word chan is an honorific suffix, used affectionately for a term of endearment. Naturally their logo is a happy kids face. Gary Hanington is Professor Emeritus of physical science at Great Basin College and chief scientist at AHV. He can be reached at garyh@ahv.com or gary.hanington@gbcnv.edu. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 During this lockdown, India had a rare visit from the US Special Representative for Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad last week. He was on a three nation tour which took him to Doha, Delhi and Islamabad, where he sought support "for an immediate reduction in violence, accelerated time line for the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, and cooperation among all sides in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic in Afghanistan." Even as the coronavirus pandemic ravages Afghanistan, the problems with the so called Afghan peace process are out in the open and violence continues unabated. This week's horrific attack on a Kabul hospital which led to the deaths of 24 people, including 16 women and two newborns, has ratcheted up tensions with President Ashraf Ghani ordering the military to switch to offensive mode and the Afghan National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib tweeting "There seems little point in continuing to engage Taliban in 'peace talks'." The US-Taliban agreement, signed with much fanfare in April remains in limbo as differences persist between the Taliban and the Afghan government over the release of prisoners. The deadline of March 10 for intra-Afghan dialogue to begin is long gone amidst all these conflicting claims and counterclaims. Attempts at peace During his India visit Khalilzad called on External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, arguing that "New Delhi needs to be part of the process if we need to contribute effectively to the (Afghan) peace process." New Delhi, for its part, reiterated its "continued support for strengthening peace, security, unity, democratic and inclusive polity" and "protection of rights of all sections of the Afghan society, including Afghan Hindus and Sikhs" even as it raised the issue of terror emanating from Pakistan. For the United States, it is imperative to revive the dying peace process in Afghanistan, especially as November's Presidential elections come closer and President Donald Trump's poll numbers take a dip due to the health and economic situation. Khalilzad's Doha trip saw him meeting Taliban chief negotiator Mullah Baradar to push for the "speedy release of prisoners and intra-Afghan talks," so that the United States-Taliban pact can be operationalised. The big picture India has been cautious in its approach even though it had welcomed the initial pact. It has put its weight behind the Ghani government and would want the Taliban to recognise democratic structures in Afghanistan before any engagement with the Taliban can be envisioned. The Taliban today is also different and there is a diversity of views within the apparently monolithic looking structure. Their spokesperson has indicated that they do see the value in having stable ties with neighbours including India and has welcomed India's "contribution and cooperation in the reconstruction of future Afghanistan." Last year after India's decision to revoke Article 370, the Taliban had underlined the India-Pakistan dispute over Kashmir should not be linked with the situation in Afghanistan, distancing itself from the Pakistani criticism of the Indian move. As the Taliban comes closer to power, they, like other Afghan stakeholders, have recognised the need to engage with New Delhi. At the same time, Pakistan has its own agenda vis-a-vis Afghanistan but the Taliban, while being used by Pakistan, have become independent agents in their own right. India's substantive role in Afghanistan as an economic player and as a builder of key capacities will be essential for whoever might be in power, especially after the United States departs from the nation. For all its bravado and so called 'success' in upstaging the United States in Afghanistan, Pakistan is on the verge of failing and can hardly sustain itself, let alone another nation. Even during the pandemic, India has been supplying food and medical aid to Afghanistan on a regular basis, following its longstanding policy of helping ordinary Afghans. It is true India is less than enthused with the trajectory of the 'peace process' as concerns abound about the continuing violence and the Taliban's refusal to recognise the Afghan government. The political system in Kabul remains bitterly divided, making it difficult for India, which wants to emphasise the importance of institutions for Afghanistan's future. The Taliban is yet to distance itself from terror groups such as Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, which target India. New Delhi recognises that as American troops depart from Afghanistan, Indian projects broader interests which might become soft targets for Pakistan and its proxies. Time to act decisively It is for these reasons that India will have to find a modus vivendi with the Taliban. Much will depend on how the intra-Afghan dialogue proceeds but it seems clear that the Taliban will be part of the Afghan political structure in some way. Even as they recognise that New Delhi cannot be sidelined in Afghanistan because Pakistan says so, India too will have to accept that despite its history with the Taliban and continuing concerns, it will need a proactive engagement policy if its considerable equities in Afghanistan and the wider region are to be preserved. (Courtesy of Mail Today) Also read: DailyOh! What Shakuntala Devi thought of homosexuals, to Bengaluru dons Bollywood 'links' Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday directed police to crack down on liquor smuggling in a bid to prevent revenue loss to the cash-strapped state. The chief minister also ordered immediate action against the DSPs and SHOs under whose jurisdictions liquor smuggling or illegal distillation takes place, said a government release. Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta issued necessary directives to all commissioners of police and district police chiefs in the state to identify liquor smugglers by May 23. The officers have been asked to take all possible legal action against such persons, including under relevant provisions of the Disaster Management and the Epidemic Diseases Act, the release said. The DGP said the CM has made it clear that in the wake of an acute economic and financial stress due to the coronavirus lockdown, the state government needs to mobilise all possible revenue. Thus, it cannot afford any loss of revenue on account of smuggling of liquor from outside the state or due to illicit distillation, he said. The commissioners of police and district police chiefs have been asked to put the SHOs of all police stations on notice and direct them to stop the smuggling of liquor. The DGP warned that in case of failure to do so, the SHO concerned will be shifted and necessary departmental action will be initiated. On May 14, police along with officials of the excise department had raided an illegal distillery-cum-liquor bottling plant at Ghanaur in Patiala. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Channel Seven's upcoming Big Brother reboot has revealed its hottest housemates yet. On Saturday, the series announced former gymnast and grid girl Sophie Budack, 25, and male model Chad Hurst, 27. According to the Daily Telegraph, 'love could blossom' between the genetically-blessed pair in the house. Make way! Big Brother has revealed two new housemates, including former grid girl and gymnast Sophie Budack TV Blackbox is also fueling romance rumours, claiming that 'the pair had chemistry from the moment they both entered the house'. In her official Big Brother profile, Sophie says that her plan is to 'fly under the radar' in the house before taking out the victory in the end. Chad's approach is different, with the tradie and part time model saying that he just wants to 'meet some new people' in the house and 'have a good time'. Handsome: International male model Chad Hurst, 27, will also enter the Big Brother house The pair will join former AFL player Daniel Gorringe, electrician Mat Garrick, 'Mummy blogger' Zoe George, events manager Angela and aerobics icon Marissa Rancan, with more housemates yet to be announced. Many of the housemates this year have a media background, including Zoe and Mat. Big Brother host Sonia Kruger recently revealed this year's housemates range in age from 19 to 61 - with the average being in their 30s. Love? According to reports, 'love could blossom' between the genetically-blessed duo Currently, the show is shaping up to have more diversity than rival reality shows like Channel Nine's Married At First Sight. The show, which was completely pre-recorded, will give one lucky winner a cash prize of $250,000. The Big Brother reboot will premiere on Channel Seven in June. By Express News Service JAIPUR: As many as 125 prisoners and the jail Superintendent of Jaipur District Jail have tested coronavirus positive. The health department of the state said in a report that 116 new cases had come to light in the district jail. About 4 days ago, there was panic in the Jaipur District Jail after a prisoner was found to be coronavirus positive. Since then, new cases are being reported continuously. According to the information, all the infected people caught the virus from the prisoner. N R K Reddy, D G Jails, Rajasthan, explained: A person from Jamwa Ramgarh was sent to jail in an illegal liquor case on April 13 after which he was kept in isolation in prison for 21 days. He was then shifted to the main ward where other prisoners stayed. He remained with them from May 3 to May 9. "Recently, he started coughing and developed diarrhoea with low BP. He was then tested for coronavirus and found to be infected" "This prisoner has spread the virus in the jail in the last 10 days. After taking 21 days of precaution if someone is reported positive than we can't help it", said Reddy. Now, the jail administration is taking special precautions. "All the healthy people have been separated from the infected ones. We are examining these 125 cases. Those, who are above 55, are being shifted to hospital. For the rest, we are converting three wards into a hospital in jail premises where they are being treated by the health workers," added Reddy. With this huge spike, the Pink city has once again become the most-infected district in the state with 564 active Corona cases displacing Jodhpur which was at the top for the past two weeks. Meanwhile in Udaipur, 13 security personnel and nine prisoners have to be quarantined after an inmate of the Udaipur Central Jail tested corona positive on Friday. Police had arrested him the day before. He has been kept in a separate barrack. On Friday, when his report came positive, there was a stir in the jail and police administration. The jail administration sent samples of security personnel to MB Hospital for testing. The four cops of Surajpol police station who had arrested him are also being investigated. Thousands demonstrate against a mass in Sarajevo for Croatias Nazi-allied soldiers, civilians after World War II ended. Thousands of Bosnians, many wearing masks, demonstrated on Saturday against a mass in Sarajevo for Croatias Nazi-allied soldiers and civilians killed by partisan forces at the end of World War II. The mass was a replacement for a controversial annual gathering usually held in Bleiburg, Austria, which was cancelled due to restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. Another small replacement event took place Saturday at a cemetery in Zagreb, Croatia. The decision to hold the mass in Sarajevo provoked a strong backlash in a country where the memory of ethnic war in the 1990s is still fresh. It was condemned by Bosnias Serbian Orthodox Church, the Jewish and Muslim communities and several anti-fascist organisations. Protesters, many wearing masks, walked through the city singing anti-fascists songs and holding up photos of resistance members who were tortured and killed by Nazi-allied Croatian forces during their rule over Sarajevo during World War II. My two grandfathers, their brothers and my grandmother were all killed by these fascists who have been honoured today, said retired electro-technician Cedomir Jaksic, 63. It is not normal that a city such as Sarajevo, which was terrorised so much in both World War II and the last war (in the 1990s), allows something like this to happen, he added. Zvonimir Nikolic, a 57-year-old economist, called the mass a disaster for Sarajevo. Sarajevo is among a few cities in the world where this mass should never be held because the regime it commemorates committed monstrous crimes in Sarajevo, said Nikolic, who is Catholic. For Croatian nationalists, the annual event symbolises their suffering under communism in the former Yugoslavia. However, in recent years, Croatia has increasingly been criticised for historical revisionism. The annual mass in Bleiburg, as well as the one in Sarajevo on Saturday, was held with the support of Croatian parliamentarians. Protected mass Police sealed off the area around Sarajevos Catholic Cathedral, where Bosnian Archbishop Cardinal Vinko Puljic said mass to a congregation of few dozen Croat dignitaries and priests. In his sermon, Puljic asked for more information on how the people had died and where they were buried, as well as for respect and forgiveness for all victims of World War II. Smaller memorials were also held in Zagreb and Bleiburg. As we have just marked the Day of Victory over Fascism, we all must focus on the true values of democracy, reconciliation, and interreligious dialogue. US Embassy Sarajevo (@USEmbassySJJ) May 11, 2020 The members of the Bosnian tripartite presidency condemned the mass, as did the US and Israeli embassies in Bosnia. The speaker of the Croatian parliament, Gordan Jandrokovic, said during a brief commemoration in Zagreb that they aimed to commemorate innocent victims and did not plan to rehabilitate the Ustasa. Dunja Mijatovic, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, said the mass risks becoming a glorification of those who supported the Nazi-allied fascist Ustasa regime, complicit in the death of hundreds of thousands of human beings. New Delhi, May 16 : A 3-member inquiry committee of the Vishva Hindu Parishad has demanded replacing the entire police apparatus in some areas of Haryana's Mewat, bringing paramilitary forces if required and making the Station House Officers (SHOs) accountable. The VHP committee made specific allegations, including 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed channeling his money through an operative in the area and rising religious persecution of the minority Hindus. The inquiry committee, including a former Army officer, an advocate and a religious leader, claimed in their report that the three police station areas of Mewat that were found to be the focal points of alleged atrocities are Punhana, Bichhor and Nagina. Alleging religious persecution of Hindus who are a minori ty in the area, the committee in a statement said, "Unfortunately, no necessary action is being taken by the police. The access to and entry of Hindus into their temples has also become difficult. Mosques are being constructed by illegal occupation." The VHP's inquiry committee report says the area is staring at a forced exodus of Hindus and blames non-implementation of law of the land and alleged bias of the police force in the area. "No police report is written, and even if an FIR is recorded, a case under minor sections is filed and some token action taken. In that too, pressure is built on the victim Hindus to enter into a compromise and settle the case. There is so much pressure on Hindu families that the community is thinking of migration," it said. The report summary says, "A very serious matter has been reported from the Nai Gaon near Punhana. A Hindu youth was converted to Islam and now his mother is also being persecuted to adopt Islam. It was also revealed that a large mosque was built in village Utavad with the money given by the notorious global terrorist Hafiz Saeed through a person named Salman. At present, Salman is under NIA custody in some other case." In a 5-point recommendation by the committee, which also has Major Gen (Red) G.D. Bakshi, it recommended that the entire police apparatus in the affected areas should be "replaced by a new set of upright, hard-working police personnel". They also demanded that the SHOs should be held personally responsible where acts of such alleged religious persecution takes place. It also demanded that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe the hawala route of the money flow in the area besides deployment of paramilitary forces. VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal told IANS that the matter would be vigorously taken up with the Haryana government. Insurgents on Saturday opened fire on security forces using civilians as human shields in Longding district of Arunachal Pradesh. A few villagers were hurt and one villager killed when they were caught in a crossfire. The Indian Army has been receiving intelligence inputs since the last few days regarding the movement and activities of NSCN (IM) cadres in the district. On Saturday, based on the specific input regarding the presence of insurgents in Pumao village, the troops of the Indian Army launched a search operation. There was a gathering of villagers which started protesting against security forces and resorted to stone-pelting. Many soldiers were also injured due to stone pelting by supporters of the NSCN (IM). The troops identified suspicious movement and started moving towards a house which drew two to three bursts of fire on the Indian Army team. The civilians were told to disperse and to safeguard lives and property. A controlled retaliation was resorted by firing eight single shots. In all this melee, insurgents managed to escape. The Indian Army offered its condolences to the family of the deceased villager. "Indian Army remains firm on its ideal of service before self," read an official statement. Over 11,300 Indians stranded abroad have been flown back to the country till Friday, in the first phase of the governments Vande Bharat mission. Repatriation flights by the national, carrier Air India (AI) and its subsidiary, Air India Express operated as many as 58 inbound and 61 outbound flights till May 15, transporting over 14,800 stranded passengers to and from the country. One flight each operated on Friday which marked the completion of phase-I of the Vande Bharat mission. Until Thursday, 11,204 Indians were brought back on 57 flights, and 60 flights had flown stranded passengers to their countries, an aviation ministry official said. While Air India brought back 7,959 stranded Indians on 39 flights, 3,385 passengers were flown back on 19 flights by Air India Express. The Airports Authority of India (AAI), which is coordinating with various authorities on the mission, appreciated the efforts of the airport managements, doctors and paramedics of Airport Health Organisation (APHO) and local civic and transport department of the states for successfully completing the first phase of the mission. The second phase began on Saturday. A total of 149 flights, including feeder flights, will be operated to bring back the stranded Indians from 40 countries, unlike the first phase that had covered only 12 countries. Of these 149 flights, 13 will come from the United States (US), 11 from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), 10 from Canada, nine each from Saudi Arabia and the UK, eight each from Malaysia and Oman, and seven each from Kazakhstan and Australia. The return of migrants has caused an abrupt rise in the number COVID-19 cases in Uttarakhand with 17 people testing positive for the disease since the process started 10 days ago. All those who tested positive for the disease since the migrants began returning to the hill state are those returning from either Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana or Delhi, a health department official here said. Over the last 10 days, 17 new positive cases have been reported in Uttarakhand, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 82. "All the new cases are of people who have returned to the state from outside," state health department spokesman J C Pandey said. The increased threat of coronavirus caused by the influx of migrants from different parts of the country, including highly-infected zones, is posing a new challenge to the state government. "Ever since the migrants began to return to the state, COVID-19 cases have shot up. In the last 10 days, 17new coronavirus positive cases have surfaced," DG (law and order) Ashok Kumar said. "In view of the increased threat caused by the migrants returning from worst-hit states like Maharashtra and Gujarat, people need to be extra careful during the next fortnight and strictly follow the guidelines to protect themselves from the deadly disease," he said. According to an official data, 82,834 out of more than 2 lakh migrants, have returned from outside so far and the process is going to continue for the next 10-15 days. "People cannot afford to lower their guard as the real threat begins now with the influx of migrants from highly infected states to the rural areas. The influx is going to continue for at least a fortnight," Pandey said. Asking people to be careful, he urged them to avoid going out unless very necessary and wear masks and maintain social distancing. Those returning from outside are being mandatorily quarantined for 14 days either at home or a facility, and have been warned of action under the Epidemic Act and Disaster Management Act if they violate quarantine rules and run away to mingle with locals, the DG Law and Order said. All this is being done for the safety of people by keeping the increased threat at bay, he said. Random sampling of migrants is being carried out under four different categories, including those above 65 years of age, those returning from hospitals outside the state and those who have returned during the third phase of the lockdown, Health Secretary Nitesh Jha said. The random sampling of migrants returning by road is being carried out on the border checkposts set up in Udhamsingh Nagar, Pauri , Nainital, Haridwar and Dehradun districts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Cyril Ramaphosa was having such a good pandemic. Only a month ago, South Africas president was among a tiny group of world leaders winning plaudits, at home and abroad, for their handling of the coronavirus crisis. His decision to impose a comprehensive lockdown seemed to be paying off: The curve appeared to be flattening. Ramaphosa was widely praised for his calm, effective communication. His health minister, Zweli Mkhize, received even more enthusiastic applause. Although South Africa leads the continent in cases and fatalities (more than 12,000 and 220, respectively), the consensus was that the numbers could have been much worse. Now, as the government begins gingerly to reopen Africas largest economy, the bouquets have morphed into brickbats. Most of them are being directed at the president. Ramaphosas televised address to the nation this week came off as vague and indecisive, offering no clear roadmap for the reopening. His government would continue to proceed cautiously, informed by the best available evidence, he said. If that seems unexceptionable, it did little to reassure business leaders, who fear the economyhardly in good health before the pandemicis being grievously wounded by the lockdown, and want a speedy return to normal commerce. Ordinary South Africans are hurting, too. The unemployment rate, nearly 30% at the start of the year, is likely to soar. Business for South Africa, a group of business organizations, has warned four million jobs are at risk and that the economy could shrink 16% if the reopening is delayed. Even by the central banks more conservative reckoning, the economy will contract by 6.1% this year. Just as he set the bar for African leaders in his response to the crisis, Ramaphosas handling of the reopening will be closely watched. Mkhizes performance will also remain criticalthe health minister must guard against new outbreaks. And the president will be joined in the spotlight by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni. Story continues It falls on Mboweni, a former central bank governor, to figure out how to pay for a $26 billion plan to mitigate the pandemics effectsand then find more money to goose an economy in recession for the past two years, and the longest downward cycle in living memory. The minister has indicated he will seek help from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, as well as the New Development Bank. But first he must overcome powerful opposition within the ruling African National Congress to assistance from multilateral lenders. The party and its allies have long been set implacably against the kinds of economic reforms that bailouts typically bring with them. They are already suspicious of Mboweni, who has pledged to cut government expenditure and encourage private sector competition in the infrastructure sector. Selling them on austerity programs, and belt-tightening in general, will be especially hard if unemployment worsens dramatically. Ramaphosa, who has a reputation for delaying decisions until every faction has signed off on them, will struggle to achieve a consensus for much-needed reforms. Outside the ANC, opposition groups like the Economic Freedom Fighters, who favor nationalization of land, banks and mines, can be counted upon to fight any policies that empower the private sector. But somethings got to give. The budget Mboweni announced in February, despite cuts in planned spending, projected a widening deficit. Those projections may already be moot, thanks to a steep, pandemic-induced fall in government revenues. Mboweni will need all the political capital his boss can muster to persuade South Africans that government rolls need trimming, and that large state-owned enterprisesthe moribund national airline, for examplemust be allowed to die. For Ramaphosa, the adulation of the past few weeks will soon be a distant memory. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Bobby Ghosh is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He writes on foreign affairs, with a special focus on the Middle East and the wider Islamic world. 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. Kroger, which owns Fred Meyer, announced on Friday it will be giving front-line workers a one-time thank you pay bonus. The payment will go to hourly grocery, supply chain, manufacturing, pharmacy and call center associates. Full-time associates will receive $400 and part-time associates will get $200. It will be paid out in two installments on May 30 and June 18. The move comes after the company decided to end its hero bonus for front-line workers. The additional $2 hourly bonus has been paid since late March in response to the added health-risk workers take on during the coronavirus pandemic. The last of the hero bonuses will be paid by May 23, the company said. Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter Earlier this week, the president of the UFCW local 555, which represents grocery store workers in the Portland metro area, said the union was asking Fred Meyer and Kroger to extend the bonus pay until Oregon Gov. Kate Brown ends the states emergency order. "I'd like them to tie the hazard pay to the emergency order. Once that's over, if they cut the hazard pay, I'd still like my members to get it, but at least that makes sense, whereas their current position doesn't," said Dan Clay. When the hero bonus was announced on March 31, Kroger, the largest grocery chain in the country, lauded its employees. The true heroes in this story are our associates, and we want to provide them with additional resources and support to help them continue their remarkable effort, said Rodney McMullen, the chairman and CEO of Kroger. In a statement emailed to KGW on Wednesday, Kroger justified its decision to end the bonus pay: "Our temporary Hero Bonus is scheduled to end in mid-May. In the coming months, we know that our associates' needs will continue to evolve and change as our country recovers," the statement read. "Our commitment is that we will continue to listen and be responsive, empowering us to make decisions that advance the needs of our associates, customers, communities and business. We continuously evaluate employee compensation and benefits packages." The new thank you pay bonus isnt the first time Kroger has offered its employees a one-time payment during the pandemic. In early April, the company paid a one-time bonus of $300 to every full-time worker and $150 to every part-time worker. Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. WASHINGTON (May 16, 2020)The U.S. Department of Defense recently announced the following contract awards that pertain to local Navy activities., is awarded amodification (P00001) to previously awarded, fixed-price, incentive-firm-target contract N00019-19-C-0011. This modification procures the necessary hardware, systems engineering, technical support, analysis and studies to integrate the Department of Navy Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures system onto aircraft for the Navy, Army, Air Force and the governments of Norway and New Zealand. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Illinois (34%); Goleta, California (30%); Longmont, Colorado (11%); Blacksburg, Virginia (6%); Lewisburg, Tennessee (3%); Boulder, Colorado (3%); Carlsbad, California (2%); Apopka, Florida (1%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (10%). Weapon replaceable assemblies hardware procurements are as follows: 418 Advanced Threat Warning (ATW) sensors, 272 High Capacity Cards (HCCs), 160 Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) cards, 64 Guardian Laser Transmitter Assemblies (GLTAs), 64 GLTA shipping containers, 53 -2103 signal, 48 Control Indicator Unit Replaceable (CIURs), 14 Smart Connector Assemblies (SCAs) and six Multi-Role Electro-Optical End-to-End Test Sets (MEONs) for the Navy; 156 HCCs, 138 ATW sensors, 23 CIURs and 23 -2103 signal for the Army; 64 PCMCIA cards and 45 ATW sensors for the Air Force; six GLTAs, six GLTA shipping containers, six SCAs and four HCCs for the government of Norway; and 30 Infrared Missile Warning Sensors, five GLTAs, five GLTA shipping containers, five SCAs, three HCCs, two CIURs and two MEONs for the government of New Zealand. Work is expected to be complete by July 2022. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $76,228,341; fiscal 2020 procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $2,926,699; fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds (Navy) in the amount of $2,802,286; fiscal 2019 procurement (defense-wide) funds in the amount of $3,418,527; fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $410,223; fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $25,262,278; fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement funds (Navy) in the amount of $3,184,415; and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $9,293,955 will be obligated will be obligated at time of award, $3,184,415 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the Navy ($82,625,265; 67%); Army ($25,262,278; 20%); Air Force (6,345,226; 5%); the government of New Zealand ($6,338,009; 5%); and the government of Norway ($2,955,946; 2%). The, is the contracting activity.No applicable data., is awarded amodification (P00029) to a previously awarded, fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-17-C-0015). This modification provides for additional repairs in support of the V-22 Common Configuration Readiness and Modernization program. Additionally, this modification provides non-recurring engineering for a drive tube engineering change proposal in support of V-22 (Osprey multirole combat aircraft) production. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (30%); Ridley Park, Pennsylvania (15%); Amarillo, Texas (13%); Red Oak, Texas (3%); East Aurora, New York (3%); Park City, Utah (2%); McKinney, Texas (1%); Endicott, New York (1%); various locations within the continental U.S. (28%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (4%). Work is expected to be complete by September 2022. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,804,019; fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,119,758; fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $240,500; and fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,108 will be obligated at time of award, $5,044,519 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded amodification (P00172) to previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract N00019-14-C-0067 for the production and delivery of 10 P-8A A-kits, 10 turret deployment units and eight mechanism units in support of Lot 10 P-8A production aircraft. Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington (91%); and Mesa, Arizona (9%), and is expected to be complete by January 2024. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $29,059,944 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded acost-plus-fixed-fee order (N00019-20-F-0647) against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-16-G-0001. This order procures non-recurring engineering for the design, fabrication and correction of deficiencies required for the delivery and installation of retrofit kits for Navy P-8A aircraft with Increment 3 Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) 6 capabilities. Work will be performed in Puget Sound, Washington. The P-8A ECP 6 provides a significant modification to the baseline aircraft, installing new airframe racks, radomes, antennas, sensors and wiring, while incorporating a new combat system suite with an improved computer processing and security architecture capability at the higher than secret level, a wide band satellite communication system, an anti-submarine warfare signal intelligence capability, a minotaur track management system and additional communications and acoustics systems to enhance search, detection and targeting capabilities. Work is expected to be complete by May 2021. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,039,596 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity.No applicable data.No applicable data.No applicable data., is awarded amodification (P00023) to previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00019-15-D-0026. This modification extends the period of performance for contractor-owned and operated Type III high subsonic and Type IV supersonic aircraft. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia (44%); Point Mugu, California (37%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (19%). Work will provide airborne threat simulation capabilities and updates to the government furnished property list in support of the Contracted Air Services Program. Work is expected to be complete by November 2020. Funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded amodification (P00039) to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, fixed-price-incentive-firm-target and firm-fixed-price contract N00019-16-C-0048. This modification provides for rate tooling, physical configuration audits, associated systems engineering and program management in support of CH-53K aircraft production. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut (28.7%); Salt Lake City, Utah (21.88%); Macomb, Michigan (11.01%); Wichita, Kansas (6.04%); Redmond, Washington (5.89%); Rome, New York (5.16%); North Haven, Connecticut (4.42%); Quebec, Connecticut (3.4%); Shelby Township, Michigan (3.36%); Newington, Connecticut (2.07%); Fort Plain, New York (1.44%); Minden, Nebraska (1.2%); Lenexa, Kansas (1.1%); various locations within the continental U.S. (3.71%); and various location outside the continental U.S. (0.62%). Work is expected to be complete by December 2023. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds for $29,940,372 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded amodification (P00022) to previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm contract N00019-17-C-0020. This modification procures one low rate initial production Lot 11 afloat spares package kit for the Marine Corps in support of the F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft program. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut (20%); Indianapolis, Indiana (17%); Windsor Lock, Connecticut (16%); North Berwick, Maine (14%); Midland, Georgia (7%); Middleton, Connecticut (7%); Rockford, Illinois (7%); Phoenix, Arizona (6%); Bristol, United Kingdom (5%); and Santa Isabel, Israel (1%). Work is expected to be complete by September 2021. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds for $10,648,976 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded afirm-fixed-price contract to provide non-recurring engineering associated with the Stand-off Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM ER) obsolescence redesign effort as well as the production and delivery of 650 SLAM ER missiles in support of the government of Saudi Arabia. Work will be performed at St. Louis, Missouri (47%); Indianapolis, Indiana (37%); Pontiac, Michigan (9%); Melbourne, Florida (3%); Middletown, Connecticut (2%); and Black Mountain, North Carolina (2%). Work is expected to be complete by December 2028. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $1,971,754,089 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-4. The, is the contracting activity (N00019-20-C-0003)., is awarded amodification (P00014) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-19-C-0016). This modification procures and delivers 467 Harpoon full rate production Lot 91 Block II missiles and support equipment for various Foreign Military Sales customers. Work will be performed at St. Louis, Missouri (30%); McKinney, Texas (28%); Toledo, Ohio (6%); Grove, Oklahoma (5%); Pontiac, Michigan (4%); Putnam, Connecticut (2%); Galena, Kansas (2%); Burnley, United Kingdom (2%); Lititz, Pennsylvania (1%); Minneapolis, Minnesota (1%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (19%). This modification procures four Block II missiles and support equipment for the government of Brazil, eight Block II missiles and support equipment for the government of Thailand, 53 Block II missiles and support equipment for the government of Qatar, 402 Block II missiles and support equipment for the government of Saudi Arabia, and support equipment for the governments of Japan, the Netherlands, India and Korea. Work is expected to be complete by December 2026. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $656,981,421 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded afirm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract acquires the High Endurance Electronic Warfare Jet (HEEWJ) capability. Work will be performed in Cherry Point, North Carolina (5%); and various locations within and outside the continental U.S. (95%) to be determined on individual orders. The HEEWJ capability is an offensive air support for training that provides regionally based, geographically distributed aviation with a variety of airborne threat simulation capabilities to train shipboard and aircraft weapon systems operators and aircrew to counter enemy electronic warfare and electronic attack operations in today's electronic combat environment in support of Department of the Navy, other Department of Defense (DOD) agencies, non-DOD government agencies and Foreign Military Sales customers. Work is expected to be completed in May 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal, and two offers were received. The, is the contracting activity (N00421-20-D-0108)., is awarded amodification (P00010) to previously awarded, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00019-17-D-0006. This modification adds the requirement to procure 46 AN/UPX-41(C) digital interrogators and 10 Mode 5 change kits for the Navy, Coast Guard, the government of Japan and various countries under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Greenlawn, New York (80%); Austin, Texas (10%); and Manassas, Virginia (10%), and is expected to be complete by May 2023. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded anmodification (P00091) to previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract N00019-14-C-0050. This modification provides support for the integration and transition of Windows 10 and Server 16 into various VH-92A training devices. Work will be performed in Quantico, Virginia, and is expected to be complete by October 2022. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,667,720 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded amodification (P00011) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N00019-19-C-0013. This modification provides for the production and delivery of three MH-60R Seahawk maritime aircraft for the Navy and 21 MH-60Rs for the government of India. Work will be performed at Owego, New York (52%); Stratford, Connecticut (40%); and Troy, Alabama (8%), and is expected to be complete by September 2024. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $113,100,000 and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $791,700,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded acost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and provides administrative, business and financial services such as data entry accounting processes, interface error research and analysis, process management, deficiency identification, testing of system changes, professional and analytical support, liaison support, funds management, financial tracking, internal and external data calls, document and records management, specialized analytical support in meeting financial systems requirements, assessing financial systems relative to data integrity, corporate and user reporting requirements as well as centralized support of travel related processes to include help desk support for the entire Naval Air Systems Command. Work is expected to be complete by June 2025. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured as a small business set-aside via an electronic request for proposal; five offers were received. The, is the contracting activity (N00421-20-D-0073)., is awarded amodification (P00002) to cost-plus-fixed-fee order N00019-19-F-0280 against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-15-G-0026. This modification provides systems engineering and program management support for the development, integration, test and delivery of two radar altimeters and two integrated avionics units in support of the BQM-34S Firebee High Performance Aerial Target System, BQM-74E target drones and the Aerial Targets Program Office. Work will be performed in Endicott, New York (62%); San Diego, California (37%); and Clearwater, Florida (1%). Work is expected to be complete by January 2022. Fiscal 2018 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,472,396 and fiscal 2019 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,690,451 will be obligated at time of award, $4,472,396 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity.No applicable data. Italy cancels Siena Palio for first time since world war two. The Palio di Siena, Italy's historic horse race, has been cancelled due to the coronavirus, reports Italian news agency ANSA. The bareback race, which takes place in the heart of the Tuscan city of Siena, was called off to avoid the large crowds that gather to see the colourful spectacle each summer. The Palio dates back to the 17th century and is traditionally held on two dates, 2 July and 16 August, attracting tens of thousands of spectators. Palio di Siena. Photo: Migel / Shutterstock.com The event sees riders and horses race three laps around Piazza del Campo, Sienas central mediaeval square, in a fiercely-contested competition between the city's rival contrade or neighbourhoods. However this year the city council has voted to cancel the 2020 edition - for the first time since world war two - due to the health risk associated with large numbers of people gathering in the era of covid-19 and social distancing. Read also: Siena mayor Luigi De Mossi said the city had originally hoped to postpone the races until later this year before coming to the "painful but unanimous decision" to cancel the popular event entirely. Reuters reports that the race has only rarely been cancelled down through the centuries, including in 1855 because of a deadly outbreak of cholera. In recent years the Palio has been the subject of protest from animal rights activists who claim that horses suffer greatly during the event. Photo credit: M. Rohana / Shutterstock.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 00:45:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Kevin Yeung, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government's Secretary for Education, attends a press conference in Hong Kong, south China, May 15, 2020. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai) HONG KONG, May 15 (Xinhua)-- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government is gravely concerned about a question of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) history examination concerning Japan's invasion to China which hurts the national feelings, the HKSAR government's Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung said on Friday. In this year's history test of the HKDSE, the college entrance examination in Hong Kong, a question asked students: "Do you agree the statement that during 1900-1945, Japan brings more benefits than harm to China?" based on the materials listed on the test papers. The test question may guide students to reach a biased conclusion and deviate from a comprehensive and objective historical fact, Yeung said, adding that it does not fit the purpose of the curriculum and evaluation guidelines, and also seriously hurt the feelings and dignity of the Chinese people who suffered greatly during the Japanese invasion of China. In order to maintain the fairness, impartiality and credibility of the exam, the Education Bureau will assign a team of colleagues who are familiar with the curriculum and quality assessment to visit the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) to investigate the question setting, vetting and approval mechanism under the HKDSE and whether the mechanism has been strictly complied with during the preparation of the examination paper of the history examination, Yeung said. "We will request the HKEAA to invalidate the examination question concerned and make appropriate adjustments to ensure the credibility and effectiveness of the history examination," he said. "Although the HKEAA is empowered to plan and conduct the HKDSE, in view of the recent incident, which has aroused public concerns, the Education Bureau will review the existing mechanism and fulfill its role of monitoring the conduct of the HKDSE to ensure the quality of the examination and the examination papers," he added. Single people in the Netherlands are being encouraged to find a "seksbuddy" (Getty Images) The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on how people around the world are finding love - with a natural rise in virtual dating. However, Dutch singles are being advised to arrange a sex buddy to fulfil basic needs during the remainder of the pandemic. Official guidance from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in the Netherlands is now encouraging men and women without permanent partners to choose a likeminded individual they can get intimate with in a mutually-beneficial arrangement. However, they warn that those organising a seksbuddy need to be aware of the risks of spreading the virus. Read more: Yahoo UKs lockdown dating show explores virtual relationships The RIVM recommend: Discuss how best to do this together. For example, meet with the same person to have physical or sexual contact (for example, a cuddle buddy or sex buddy), provided you are free of illness. Make good arrangements with this person about how many other people you both see. The more people you see, the greater the chance of (spreading) the coronavirus. Additionally, they advise against having sex with someone isolated because of suspected infection. Read more: What is 'zumping' the new dating trend coronavirus lockdown has spawned? As a substitute, they suggest: Sex with yourself or with others at a distance is possible (think of telling erotic stories, masturbating together). On March 23rd, the Netherlands - who have seen far fewer cases than the UK - entered what it described as an intelligent lockdown, where up to three visitors are allowed into other peoples homes as long as they maintained a 1.5m distance at all times. The RIVMs rules effectively made it impossible for those not in the same household to engage in sexual intercourse - something described by critics as a basic need. Writing for Dutch newspaper Het Parool, journalist Linda Duits - who specialises in gender issues - argued that: Proximity and physical contact are not a luxury, they are basic needs. Story continues Read more: Why singletons should keep dating (virtually) during coronavirus lockdown If we have learned anything from the Aids epidemic, it is that not having sex is not an option. The new recommendation comes in contrast to the UK who have continued to forbid people - single or otherwise - to have visitors to their homes. Last week, the government announced that individuals could meet up with one other person from outside their household outdoors, as long as they kept a 2m distance. At the start of lockdown, deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries suggested that couples who are dating, but currently living apart, should test the strength of their relationship and decide whether one wishes to be permanently resident in another household. Alleged cult mom Lori Vallow was previously sued by her ex husband for hiding her daughter - more than a decade before her recent charges over the disappearance of her two children. Joseph Ryan filed a motion against Vallow in 2006 claiming he had been denied all visitation rights with his daughter Tylee during the August of that year. It ended up leading to a dispute between Ryan and his one-time brother-in-law Alex Cox during which Ryan was assaulted with a stun gun. The custody battle lasted until 2018 when Ryan died of a reported heart attack. The FBI announced this month that they are investigating his death in the wake of the children's disappearance, and a string of unexplained deaths linked to Vallow. Her fourth husband, her brother and new husband Chad Daybell's previous wife have all died under mysterious circumstances in the past year Joseph Ryan (above with Lori Vallow on their wedding day) fought for custody until he passed away in 2018 Alex Cox, 51, was said to have threatened Ryan with a stun gun in an Austin parking lot. He was jailed for three month. Cox died after being found unresponsive at a home in Gilbert, Arizona, on December 12, 2019 Lori, 46, is currently behind bars and being held on $1 million bail on charges of child neglect and desertion in connection with the disappearance of her daughter, 17-year-old Tylee Ryan, and her son, seven-year-old son Joshua 'JJ' Vallow, who have not been seen or heard from since September 2019. She has refused to cooperate with police over their disappearance. Tylee and JJ vanished eight months ago in September, shortly after they moved to Rexburg, Idaho from Arizona. Investigators say Tylee was last seen hiking in Yellowstone National Park with her family on September 8. Meanwhile, all traces of JJ vanished on September 23 but Lori's mother, Janice Cox claims to have spoken to the missing seven-year-old by phone on October 1. Vallow has repeatedly refused to produce the children in court although some family members have claimed that the kids are safe and sounds. Janice Cox and sister Summer Shiflet broke their silence for the first time to defend her in an interview with CBS News airing in full on Saturday. In a clip from the interview, reporter Jonathan Vigliotti asked the women: 'Do you think they're in a bunker somewhere?' 'I think that's possible,' Cox said, but she did not elaborate on where she believed the children were. Tylee and JJ disappeared in September but were never reported missing by their mother Lori Vallow's mother Janice Cox said 'it's possible' the 'cult' mom's missing children are hiding in a bunker somewhere during an interview with CBS News airing in full on Saturday She and Shiflet also failed to explain why Lori has so far refused to cooperate with investigators trying to find out what happened to her children. When asked about the matter, they replied in unison: 'Well, that's a great question,' laughing towards one another as they spoke. But the women insisted that Lori would never hurt either of her kids. 'She's invested her whole life in those children,' Cox said. 'So we know there's another whole side to this. We don't know what it is. But we know her.' Lori, 46, faces charges of child neglect and desertion in connection to the disappearance of her daughter, 17-year-old Tylee Ryan, and her seven-year-old son, Joshua 'JJ' Vallow Lori Vallow appears in court in Idaho in May after she requested her bond be reduced In the 2006 court filing by Ryan, seen by The Sun, her ex husband detailed the custody agreement and outlined the terms which had already been approved by a court a year earlier. The agreement stipulated Ryan must live within 100 miles of Vallow. Ryan ended up taking legal action after Vallow did not keep up her end of the agreement which would have seen him spending times with Tylee on several occasions including part of the summer school break during August and a number of other weekends during that month. Investigators say Tylee was last seen hiking in Yellowstone National Park with her family on September 8. Meanwhile, all traces of JJ vanished on September 23 but Cox claims to have spoken to the missing 7-year-old by phone on October 1 Ryan and Vallow had a years-long custody battle over daughter Tylee (above with her dad) The FBI is reportedly looking into the death of Lori Vallow's third husband Joseph Ryan (pictured). Joseph died of an apparent heart attack in 2018, 14 years after he and Lori divorced The filing asked the court to fine Vallow, hold her in contempt and send her to jail for 18 months for ignoring the custody order. '[Joseph] believes that based on the conduct of [Vallow], that [Vallow] will continue to fail to comply with the order,' reads the motion. The case dragged on for 12 years. Four months after filing the motion, Vallow's brother, Alex Cox threatened Ryan with a stun gun during a custody exchange in a parking lot in Austin. He fired at him twice and threatened to kill him. Ryan had to be treated by paramedics after the attack. Cox pled guilty to aggravated assault and was jailed for three months. During the same autumn the two children disappeared, Vallow married for the fifth time to Chad Daybell (right). Daybell's wife of 29 years, Tammy, had died just weeks before Ten years later, Cox attacked another of Vallow's ex-husband's in a custody handover, killing Charles Vallow. Cox, 51, never ended up serving any jail time on that occasion after claiming the attack was self defense. He died a few months later, reportedly of natural causes. Vallow and her fifth husband Chad Daybell fled Idaho for Hawaii in late November, one day after police began asking questions about JJ and Tylee's whereabouts. Vallow has so far refused to cooperate with investigators as to where her children are or what happened to them Authorities later tracked them down in the Kauai town of Princeville on January 25 and served the mother with a court order requiring her to physically produce the children to authorities in Idaho within five days. After she failed to do so, Vallow was arrested on charges of child abandonment and desertion on February 20, and then brought back to Idaho where she is being held. The case of missing JJ and Tylee captured nationwide attention when revelations that police are were also investigating three mysterious deaths linked to Lori and Chad surfaced, as well as family members' claims that the couple are members of a dangerous doomsday cult. The first death linked to the case was Tammy Daybell. Her death was initially listed as natural causes when he then husband Chad, who is now married to Vallow, declined an autopsy. Many friends of Tammy have insisted that the 49-year-old was in great shape, casting doubt on the initial ruling. Authorities exhumed Tammy's body in December after determining that her death could be linked to the disappearance of JJ and Tylee. The results of the autopsy and toxicology tests have not yet been released. Despite the couple fleeing to Hawaii seemingly without JJ and Tylee, Cox insisted that Vallow 'never' expressed any resentment towards her children or blamed them for the failure of her previous four marriages The second death was that of Charles Vallow, Lori's husband of more than a decade who filed for divorce from her five months before he was shot and killed by her brother Alex Cox on July 11, 2019. Charles and Lori had gotten into an argument when he came to pick up JJ, their adoptive son, at her home in Chandler, Arizona. Cox intervened and fired two fatal shots into Charles' chest. Police initially determined that Cox acted in self defense - but the case was reopened with the search for JJ and Tylee, who had moved to Idaho, where Chad lived, with their mother in August. An email from Phoenix police that was leaked earlier this month revealed that investigators were close to charging Lori in connection with Charles' death. Court documents from early December indicated that Charles' death was being investigated as 'conspiracy murder'. Less than two weeks later, Alex was found dead in Gilbert, Arizona, on December 12, the day after Tammy's body was exhumed. His death, at aged 51, is now under investigation as police wait for an autopsy to determine the cause. An additional untimely death close to Lori was unearthed this week: her older sister Stacey Lynne Cox Cope. Stacey died aged 31 in 1998. The cause is unclear and there is no suggestion Vallow was involved in her death. Chad Daybell and his 'cult' mom wife Lori Vallow are being investigated for the murder of his previous wife Tammy, new documents show. Tammy (pictured with Chad) was found dead under suspicious circumstances at their home in Idaho in October Four people with links to Lori Vallow have suffered untimely deaths(top in court on March 6). Those deaths are: Lori's brother Alex Cox (left), her new husband Chad Daybell's previous wife Tammy Daybell (second left), her fourth husband Charles Vallow (center), her third husband Joseph Ryan (second right). Her sister Stacey Cox Cope (right) died in 1998. It's not clear what the cause of Cope's death was Timeline of JJ and Tylee's disappearance July 11: Lori Vallow's husband, Charles Vallow, is killed by her brother, Alex Cox, in Arizona August: Lori moves children JJ and Tylee to Rexburg, Idaho September 23: The last time JJ was seen at his school in Idaho October 19: Chad Daybell's wife Tammy dies at their Idaho home October 25: A friend of Tylee receives a text from her phone November 5: Lori and Chad marry November 26: Out-of-state relatives ask Idaho police to perform a welfare check on JJ. Lori and Chad claim he is in Arizona with relatives. Police also learn Tylee has not been seen since September, either November 27: Police execute a search warrant at Lori and Chad's home, discovering the couple have fled Idaho December 11: Tammy Daybell's body is exhumed from the Utah cemetery December 12: Lori's brother, Alex Cox, believed to have died in Arizona December 21: Police issue a press release about JJ and Tylee, revealing they believe their disappearance is linked to Tammy's death December 24: Lori and Chad issue a statement through an attorney saying they love their son and daughter and look forward to addressing 'allegations once they have moved beyond speculation and rumor' December 30: Police accuse Lori and Chad of lying to investigators and say they believe the couple know where the kids are or what happened to them January 26: Lori and Chad are seen for the first time in months as police serve two search warrants in Kaua'i January 30 Lori misses court deadline to produce the children to authorities February 20: Lori is arrested in Kauai Advertisement Vallow's request to have her bond lowered from $1million to between $100,000 and $250,000 was denied by an Idaho judge earlier this month. Prosecutors said ahead of the proceeding that a reduction should only be considered by the judge if Vallow could produce the children. Vallow, who was wearing a face mask along with her jail uniform, had appeared in the mostly empty Idaho courtroom Friday while her lawyer argued for the lowered bond. As part of his argument, Vallow's defense attorney, Mark Means, asked the judge to consider a more 'reasonable' bond amount than the current $1million, given the coronavirus-induced economic situation, according to East Idaho News. Means had filed a motion seeking a bond reduction last month, claiming that he did not have adequate opportunity to confidentially communicate in jail with his client. Means' bond reduction request hinged on his claim that officials at the Madison County Detention Center had on multiple occasions secretly recorded his confidential phone conversations with Vallow, after assuring him that the recording device was off. After the more than two hours of arguments offered by Means and the prosecutor, Magistrate Judge Michelle Mallard denied the lowered bond request by stating there wasn't enough evidence to support Means' motion. 'I cannot find any good cause to reduce the bond further than it already has,' Mallard said according to the newspaper. 'I would advise Mr. Means consult with local defense attorneys who I'm sure have come up with alternatives during this time about ways to surmount any virus problems at the jail in regards to communicating with clients.' KITCHENER Julie Sawatzkys garage has turned into a pantry of sorts. Shelving in the garage is stocked with canned goods, laundry detergent, paper towels and baby wipes. Sawatzky, a wedding photographer pre-COVID-19, is like many, out of work. The mother of three decided she wanted to be useful and shake off feelings of sadness while living in a pandemic. I didnt want to sit around and do nothing, said the 36-year-old Kitchener woman. She created a Facebook page and soon had 1,700 members and donations of non-perishable food items coming in. Cash donations were also sent to her. She also used her own money to buy items for the hampers. With the donations of food and money, Sawatzky has assembled about 70 hampers and made more than 30 home-cooked meals, and with the help of her husband has delivered the hampers and meals to people in the region. It really has helped me to get through this, she said. It doesnt take a lot to be generous. It takes effort. For Sawatzky, helping others comes easy. Her father lived in the Old Order Mennonite community and the family was raised with Mennonite values and beliefs. Sawatzky spent more than six years as a child living in Papua New Guinea when her parents were missionaries. With some of the cash donations, she bought a 40-pound turkey and roasted it and then made two large pots of turkey vegetable soup. When she was unable to deliver the soup to a local homeless shelter, she put out a request on her Facebook page and soon she was delivering soup to peoples homes. I know there are more people who think like me, said Sawatzky, referring to the people she has connected to on Facebook. This is a great way to find your tribe and hopefully after this we can remain friends, she said. Sawatzky said she hopes she can inspire others to help. We are blessed. We are riding this through and doing what we can as long as we can, she said. If you can help or want to reach out, contact Sawatzky at julienicolephotographykw@gmail.com Read more about: Here's hoping the Hiqa update on kids and the virus might bring some common-sense clarity to reopening schools. New research by the health watchdog found children were not significant contributors to the spread of Covid, at home or at school. It chimes with some earlier international evidence that kids are mostly - mercifully - being spared from this disease. Yet they have missed months of education already. This news is a significant factor in the drive for a return to classes as soon as possible. As recently as last week, bureaucrats in the Department of Education were saying schools may not be able to reopen in September, due to challenges around public health regulations. By the sounds of it, we'd need to put them in Croke Park to learn in absolute safety. Why not just wrap them up in cotton wool? It's not necessary to frantically install prefabs or keep pupils at strict two-metre distances at all times. We don't need to treat children like adults on this. The one saving grace of this horrendous virus is that it seems not be targeting kids. Figures show infection rates of those in primary school at the tiniest percentage. Thank God for that: if so, I'd be writing this from an underground bunker. They get it less often, with less severity, and global studies show there are no cases, of any sort, of a child transmitting coronavirus to an adult. Swiss scientists go further, saying children generally do not have the receptors to catch or transmit it. This exceptionalism should be the key to unlocking their lives, which have been cruelly put on hold. Otherwise, we're looking a gift horse in the mouth. The science on this dictates schooling should come back, and in the most normal a manner as is responsible. The risk/benefit ratio is firmly weighted on the side of schools reopening: the risk is minimal and the potential benefit is immense. Not to do so would take safetyism to the point of harm. Most parents, teachers and children want to get back to the classroom. It's a community and is of vital importance to child welfare. Education is not a privilege, it's a human right: fundamental to individuals' social, educational and economic development. Ensuring a return to education requires thinking outside the box, not putting procedural correctness in front of needs. We don't have to obsess over the two-metre rule. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said recently this may reduce to 1.5 metres or one metre soon. In this case, individual desks - like we all had in the '80s - would suffice. In France, where schools have reopened, desks are one metre apart. Children's hygiene habits and cough etiquette have been revolutionised and new taboos are in place on coming to school unwell. Kids are naturally spacing out from others already. You can't beat a pandemic - you can find ways to live with it. As deadly serious as coronavirus is, it is not in fact the bubonic plague. Our children are currently being deprived of learning because of extreme measures needed in an emergency event. That is only justifiable in the short term. Education has rightly been a priority of many countries such as Australia and Israel, who have put schools at the top of their reopening list, along with France, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark, have reopened schools. The UK and the US have plans in place to do so. Yet in Ireland, we're casting doubts about the start of the school year 2020/21. Education Minister Joe McHugh said last week it is "too early to say" how schools will reopen, but Nphet advice is they should. Failure to restart classes in a timely manner is a breach of duty. As a parent of a school-age child, a prolonged, unnecessary delay is enough to make you consider leaving the country. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday the government should not become a sahukar or money lender in his first structured response to the Rs 20 lakh crore financial package offered by the Centre to reboot the economy battered by the coronavirus pandemic. He argued in favour of cash assistance instead of loans that are being announced and warned of an impending economic crisis, asking the government to consider rolling out Congress NYAY scheme temporarily in urban areas. Gandhi insisted that the government must come up with a national strategy for income. When a child is hurt, the mother doesnt offer a loan. As a citizen, my disappointment is the (Rs 20 lakh crore) package should not be of loans but for giving money in their hands. The government should not be a sahukar, Gandhi said during an interaction with reporters of regional electronic media as finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has been announcing the details of the schemes. Gandhi repeatedly pointed out to pet scheme NYAYthe cash-for-poor scheme that was pitched as the key plank in the 2019 election but didnt find many takers. He clarified that the scheme should be implemented, albeit temporarily in urban areas while MGNREGSa hallmark innovation of the UPA-eramust be strengthened in the rural areas. He, however, refused to indulge in a political blame game with the Modi government and said that his party will apply pressure pyar se on the government to accept their proposals. I have heard the reason not to give money is to retain ratings. Our ratings are made by our farmers, our workers and businessmen. When people will start working, Indias ratings will improve, he said as he warned the government of an economic storm which is impending. According to Gandhi, the most important thing now is to fire demand and supply and while infrastructure is certainly key, the government must give money in the hand of poor, echoing what many economists had been advocating. If you want to start an engine you have put fuel in the carburettor. The fuel is cash. We must have a national strategy for income. We cant sacrifice our economy as well as our elder generation, Gandhi said suggesting that in the short time, small and medium business, farmers, migrant labourers and people in the high-risk category need to be protected. He refused to compare the current economic crisis with that of 1991 when the Congress government ushered in economic reforms. And while he narrated the steps taken by the Congress-ruled states to help the poor and migrant workers, he didnt hesitate to draw the line of difference between the Congress and its coalition governments. When asked about the lack of services offered by Maharashtra for migrant workers, Gandhi said, There is a difference between Congress and the alliance government. if you look at Congress states like Chhattisgarh, you will see a very aggressive strategy. But in an alliance, we try to put pressure through conversations. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Audio clip regarding grace marks for accountancy paper fake says CBSE CBSE class 10th and 12th exam datesheets to be released at 5 PM today: HRD Ministry India oi-Briti Roy Barman New Delhi, May 16: Datesheets for CBSE Board examinations for Class 10th and 12th will be released at 5 PM on today, Minister of Human Resource Development, Ramesh Pokhriyal informed today. Pokhriyal posted a tweet earlier today informing about the datesheets. The tweet read, "Attention Students! Releasing the date sheet for #CBSE Board Examinations for Class 10th and 12th today at 5.00 pm. Stay tuned for more details...". Also, a fake news claiming to be the date sheet for class 10th and 12th has been circulated. It is advisable not to pay attention to the circulated date sheet as HRD ministry will be releasing the date sheet at 5 pm today. The decision to open up India's aerospace industry and increase Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit through automatic route from 49 per cent to 74 per cent in defence sector will not only help leading manufacturers like L&T, Tata Power, Adani Defence & Aerospace, Bharat Forge, Godrej and Mahindra, but also will help growth and creation of a large hi-tech industrial ecosystem and supply chain for these two crucial sectors. Union Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik on March 4 had informed the Lok Sabha that data from 79 companies operating in defence and aerospace sector showed FDI inflows were over Rs 1,834 crore under both government and automatic route, till December, 2019. "Raising the FDI limit in defence manufacturing, ban on the import of certain defence equipment and a separate budget for defence procurement will boost Indian companies in providing indigenously designed and manufactured solutions and bring in new investments," said Dr Vishwakumara Kayargadde, Co-Founder and COO, Saankhya Labs, a defence and satellite communications specialist. He said the move will help high-tech companies such as Saankhya Labs an opportunity to develop next-gen indigenously designed, developed and manufactured (IDDM) communications solutions for the armed forces. Additionally, the move to promote indigenisation of imported spares will help to see new technology-driven start-ups emerge in the defence sector. India had opened up the defence sector in May 2001, allowing up to 100 per cent for Indian private sector participation, with Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) up to 26 per cent subject to licensing. Further, in 2016, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade had allowed FDI in defence under automatic route upto 49 per cent and above 49 per cent through government route, wherever it was likely to result in access to modern technology. Awais Ahmed, Founder and CEO, Pixxel, an Indian space startup based in Bengaluru, said opening up of space sector for private industry is a first step and in the right direction and now needs to be seen how the government goes about in implementing its will to create a level playing field. "The announcement on future projects for planetary exploration is very important towards building India's very own Maxars, SpaceXs and Rocket Labs," he said. Utilising ISRO's world class infrastructure (testing and manufacturing facilities) for private sector will save unnecessary costs and making the industry more competitive. More domestic space firms will emerge to manufacture a lot of space grade material manufacturing processes that are not in the country right now, such as multilayer thermal insulations, solar panels and batteries that were majorly procured from abroad, he said. Sources said though the defence sector was opened up years ago, major foreign investors were reluctant to invest in Indian firms as exports of defence equipment was highly regulated and interested foreign companies were demanding assured business from the sole Indian procurer, the Indian Government. Companies like L&T and HAL had tried partnerships with global majors in the field like the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) and Boeing a decade ago to tap defence opportunities in India, but those had not blossomed to major partnerships. Similarly, corporates like Ajay Piramal-led Piramal Enterprises was planning a foray into the sector with an experienced partner, but had backtracked due to unfavourable policy and business enviornment. The Government had notified a policy for indigenisation of components and spares used in defence platforms in March, last year to create an indigeneous industry ecosystem. Plans are to establish two defence industrial corridors spanning Chennai, Hosur, Coimbatore, Salem and Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu and spanning across Aligarh, Agra, Jhansi, Kanpur, Chitrakoot and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. A defence Investor Cell has also been created to provide information on investment opportunities, procedures and regulatory requirements. ALSO READ:Economic stimulus Tranche IV: Old wine in new bottle ALSO READ:Economic stimulus: Rs 1,000 crore indirect relief for airlines not enough; bidding for airports ill-timed ALSO READ:Coal mining reform: Effects in medium term, no relief from COVID-19, says CARE Ratings Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Made Anthony Iswara (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, May 16 2020 COVID-19 is not the only threat Indonesia is facing as cyberattacks are also on the rise, with hackers seeking to exploit the vulnerabilities of Indonesias digital security during the outbreak. The pandemic has created the perfect opportunity for hackers to force their way into computer networks as companies and office workers shift to online platforms while working remotely and new users dive into Indonesias cyberspace, warned Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) deputy director Wahyudi Djafar. The potential impacts of cyberattacks is massive as they can cause both economic losses and disrupt important infrastructure used for communication, he said on Monday. 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 The giant pumps on the Darling Farms are running hard, pushing some of the 3 gigalitres of water recently drawn from the nearby Barwon-Darling River into canals that will irrigate the first crop in more than three years. Workers lay rubber pipes to siphon water into rows, wetting soil for wheat. By October, it will be time to sow cotton, a crop brought to this region around Bourke in north-west NSW by an American Jack Buster 55 years ago. Ian Cole, a former owner of Darling Farms and now a member of irrigator groups, stands on a platform over one of the farm's storages near the NSW town of Bourke. Credit:Nick Moir "When it's wet, people say 'we'll never see these dams dry again', and then there's a drought, and they say 'we'll never see the dams fill again'," Ian Cole, Mr Buster's son-in-law, said as he drove beside a huge dam serving 4000 hectares of irrigated land and large enough for small waves to form in the light wind. When the Sun-Herald visited Darling Farms sixteen months ago, the farm was a dust bowl, too dry even for weeds and with only a skeleton crew on hand. Vivine Uwizeye, also known as "Miss Vivy", is the only coronavirus patient to have been publicly identified in Rwanda. It happened when a photo of the beauty queen on a hospital bed in critical condition went viral on social media last month. The model and mother-of-two, who was voted Miss Rwanda Plus-Size in a 2011 pageant, says she still holds the crown because no contests have been held since. Speaking to the BBC, Ms Uwizeye is open about her four-week stint in a treatment centre for coronavirus. "After days of symptoms I started struggling to breathe, on 16 April I was taken to a hospital emergency ward, the next day I was hit with the bad news." Two days after her diagnosis she was taken to a specialist Covid-19 ward in the outskirts of the capital, Kigali. "I was the only one in critical condition at the centre, everyday doctors did their best treating me," she says, adding that staff also offered mental health support because "every patient was scared". She also had to contend with hurtful and false rumours spreading online that she had died of the virus. Some people had wrongly assumed that, being plus-size, she must have underlying health conditions. Earlier this month, she sent a text saying "God has done it, I've tested negative" to a BBC journalist. But she wasn't allowed to leave the hospital until a fortnight later, after four more tests to check she was definitely free of the virus. "It was two weeks of happiness after two weeks of despair, as every test was coming negative," she says. For now, she is happy to be at home with her teenage daughter who has also recovered from Covid-19. They hope others in their household who tested positive will eventually join them safely too. Out of 287 reported cases in Rwanda, 168 have recovered according to the health ministry. 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 Help India! Dr Farrukh Khan and Somya Mishra During this entire period of back-to-back 3 lockdowns and 4th version coming soon, if there is someone who has suffered the most, they are the migrant labourers. When the lockdown was announced at very short notice and all transportation was immediately halted, these inter-State migrant workers became victims of this pandemic differently when they had to walk long distances just to reach their home. Recently around 16 migrant workers were found dead on the railway tracks. It is very unfortunate that the Centre conveniently asked the States and the Union Territories to take care of the fact that the migrant labourers do not have to walk on the tracks or the roads. Undoubtedly, the role of the State and Governments, both Union and of respective states, is no less than of a sentinel in qui vive however, the abdication of duties by the governments has raised some important constitutional questions. Are these people from marginalised sections of our society children of a lesser god? Dont they have similar fundamental rights as enjoyed by the urban elite class? The collective failure of the governments which could be termed as an awry-centric approach has raised pertinent questions of governance which could not have any hindsight of the looming crisis. Support TwoCircles Adding serious insult to injury to which labourers and workers have been inflicted for no fault of theirs, some state governments, for the want of foreign investments, proceeded to suspend labour laws. When the Industrial Relations Code is itself pending before the Parliament of India, such moves by some state governments tantamount to contempt of democracy. Before trying to become judgmental about reality, let us take a look at the available legal provisions regarding migrant labourers. The existing legal provisions: According to the Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy of the Indian Constitution, it is the responsibility of the State to grant the citizens, both men and women, right to adequate means of livelihood, equal pay for equal work, protection against abuse and exploitation of workers, economic necessity, protection of their health and strength, to secure for children opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and conditions of freedom and dignity and protect children and youth against exploitation and moral and material abandonment. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) provides for a tripartite arrangement between employers, workers and state to legislate and execute the international labour standards in the member countries. The international labour standards lay down protection for workers in several sectors which are inclusive of freedom of association, equal pay for equal work, safe working conditions, the abolition of forced labour and sex-based discrimination, employment protection, provision of social security, protection of migrant workers, elimination of sexual harassment of women workers and others. Labour laws in India comprise of various statutes such as Trade Union Act 1926, The Minimum Wages Act 1948, Employees State Insurance Act 1948, Industrial Disputes Act 1949, Industrial Disputes Decision Act 1955, Payment of Bonus Act 1955, Personal Injuries, (compensation insurance ) Act 1963, Maternity Benefits Act 1967, Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition ) Act 1970, Bonded labour Systems (Abolition )Act 1976, Equal Remuneration Act 1976, Interstate Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment) Conditions of Service Act 1979, The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 etc. However, these labour laws and policies apply to workers in the organized sector only. What could have been done? As per the requirements of the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979, all the inter-State migrant workers are required to be registered with the Government. According to Section 23 of the Act, the principal employer and the contractors owe the responsibility of maintaining registers with details of the workers. The full and proper implementation of this law would have meant that state governments had complete details of inter-state migrant workmen coming through contractors within their states. This wouldve been helpful to a great extent for the State to make adequate preparations accordingly. On the contrary, a huge failure is seen with regards to such implementation of the Act and this seems to have disturbed a lot of calculations which had the probability of putting things in place as this completely defies the entire object of the Act. According to Item No.81 of the Union List, Inter-State migration falls within the purview of the Union. Hence, it can be correctly stated that it was the responsibility of the Union government to ensure proper condition for the migrated workers and then announce a lockdown. Considering the fact that a lockdown was necessary, such chaos was precedent for as it is a dark reality that a lot of employers and contractors would have avoided registration of the labourers to escape from the liabilities imposed upon them. A Glance at the Reality The initial phase of lockdown resulted in a huge loss of economy and the migrant workers, having no source of income, were compelled to get back to their villages due to sustenance issues. Millions of migrant labourers have had to walk unimaginable distances and spend all their money on mobile recharges so that they can remain connected with their family members. It should also be taken into consideration that they are not that educated to understand the severity of COVID-19. They are people who struggle with all sorts of ailments just to earn their daily wages. The understandable angry outbursts of millions of migrant labourers stranded in these economic centres have created volcanic situations that can create a serious law and order problem in the country. Recently, the Government, although much late, showed a positive inclination towards resuming the sale of essential goods and sale of liquor was included. At the same time, trains and buses from various places were started to bring the stranded migrant workers back to their villages. All this created so much havoc that it completely defeated the whole purpose of social nay physical distancing behind the lockdown. Amidst all these problems, a massive flaw is visible that in all the labour laws that we have, there is not a single provision which talks about such a situation. It is understood that this is a novel incident and might not have been foreseeable. However, now that the problem has arisen and it has existed for the past two months, the Government should have taken some initiative to have their legal rights protected. A bill named Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2019 was introduced in the Parliament last year which aimed at consolidating certain labour laws and scrapping a few legislations to avoid repetition. This above-mentioned Bill has not yet been passed and hence the laws remain as archaic as they were and thus, fail to answer all the problems being faced by the migrant labourers at this point of time. We have to understand that the right to life as enshrined under Article 21 of our constitution doesnt discriminate between have and have nots. Direct loss of migrants earnings for their bare survival has taken a severe hit due to the lockdown, while lockdown itself is a policy decision which is meant for the larger good, however, who would take responsibility for snatching the means of survival from these poor people. Can they be just left on their fate? Are they not entitled, within the meaning of Article 21 of our constitution, for a life with dignity? While we also appreciate the move of the Union government for bringing stranded Indians to India through the Vande Bharat project, however, we are at loss to understand why such a project was not launched for these people- who need it the most. Just because they have no voice? Just because they are poor? Just because they are destined for their fate? The gargantuan failure of State in protecting our own fellow Indians would have no parallels in history. The Supreme Court which is the guarantor of our constitution and which must act as a sentinel on qui vive for zealously and aggressively protecting the rights of the citizens has also disappointed many Indians. The apex court opted to adopt almost all versions as put by the counsels representing the union of India and proceeded to abdicate its responsibility to the executive. Given the situation, when the only executive seems to be working as parliament is not in session and justice has been put in ICU, we dont know how and when these repeated sufferings would stop. The supreme court is the only institution which has the true potential of reinforcing our trust in an egalitarian society and democracy, however, the moot question that needs to be answered is will the supreme court intervene before it is too late? Dr Farrukh Khan is an Advocate and Managing Partner of Law Firm- Diwan Advocates and Somya Mishra is an Advocate, working with Diwan Advocates. I just sent a formal request that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Investigations immediately open an independent investigation into whether the PA Department of Healths guidance to nursing facilities contributed to an increase in COVID-19 infections and deaths in Pennsylvania nursing homes. I will not continue to standby while Governor Wolf continues to endorse and demand policies that harm peoples health and well-being. Thats not the oath I took. When the congressional delegation and the leadership of the state legislature inquired to Gov. Tom Wolf about the inordinate amount of COVID-19 fatalities in elder care, assisted living and nursing facilities, we received a familiar response: silence. Nearly 70 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in Pennsylvania have occurred in nursing and long-term care facilities. Gov. Wolf has failed to protect our most vulnerable populations, and hes shown little desire to modify his decisions that continue to have devastating effects on our most at-risk population. When the pandemic came to Pennsylvania, we didnt have many answers, but we knew it was an emergency. We trusted our governor to make decisions to safeguard our lives and our livelihoods. He used his emergency powers, and we trusted his judgement and were happy to do our part to protect our neighbors. We also trusted that going forward our governor would work with federal, state and local officials as well as stakeholders in our communities to ensure that all voices were heard and considered. In the two months since the COVID-19 outbreak began, weve learned a lot more. We now see Gov. Wolfs mismanagement compared to other similarly situated states. We also see that he intends to unilaterally continue to use those same emergency powers to obscure his failures and to relegate our citizens to a dependence upon the state. Its time to move our commonwealth forward. We have the resources and knowledge to allow our communities and businesses to reopen following common-sense social distancing and personal hygiene guidelines. We have CDC parameters, after all. The mere definition of parameters gives us gates within which to function, as long as recommended health guidance is followed. Lets have some common sense here. Since the start of the outbreak, the federal government responded to the needs of Pennsylvania and answered Gov. Wolfs calls for assistance: President Trump sent 2.6 million N-95 masks; 18 million surgical and procedural masks; 470 million medical gloves; $301 million in testing assistance; and over $21.4 billion in loans to 150,000 small businesses in Pennsylvania. On top of this assistance, Congress authorized nearly $3 trillion in a matter of weeks on COVID-19 assistance to include $5 billion directly for Pennsylvania with the intention that these funds be used to sustain state and local governments. Instead, our governor is holding those billions hostage from our counties, with the threat that they continue to implement the governors failed lockdown policies or they get nothing. When the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation formally asked the governor for a plan regarding how the billions in federal tax dollars would be allocated to our Counties, we received not so much as an acknowledgement. The governors lack of communication and responsiveness to our local leaders and Pennsylvania Citizens during this crisis has been reprehensible at best. Gov. Wolf continues to devastate and threaten our businesses and their employees under his arbitrary and inconsistent closure policies. The governor has relegated us only to exist; while we watch our lifes work and dreams wither away as his inconsistent policies allow others in the same neighborhood to prosper and profit from the pandemic. I can barely keep up with the calls coming into my office some from businesses that were granted waivers to operate two months ago, invested hundreds of thousands in inventory so they could continue to do just that, and received a late-night email (strategically) late last week basically saying that the Governors Administration reviewed its initial waiver to you, but now its revoked, so you must shut down immediately. And when challenged, the governor has the audacity to call fellow Pennsylvanians cowards who surrendered to the virus? Hardly. Battles are not fought unilaterally; they have flanks. Make no mistake, this pandemic is a battle. In this case, on one flank, yes, we must protect and secure our citizens; on the other flank, we must secure our livelihoods and ensure that after this pandemic is over, we have lives and livelihoods to return to and ways to support ourselves, our families and our communities. We have hardly surrendered, governor; and that statement in itself is reprehensible for more reasons than I have space to give here. As a congressman who took an Oath to support and defend our Nation and its People - I stand with those who are desperate, panicked, and hurting under ludicrous policies that clearly have undergone no thoughtful decision-making process whatsoever. Its time to move forward. Enough is enough, governor. Were free American citizens, and we can no longer bear being disregarded, ignored, insulted, and having our questions and concerns treated like theyre too bothersome to answer. We can no longer watch our elderly loved ones and neighbors suffer and die due to your failed policies. We also wont stand idly by as our hard-earned fortunes are squandered so we can become wards of the state. And well certainly not be called cowards for the simple acts of trying to survive and provide for our families and communities." Scott Gordon Perry is the U.S Representative for Pennsylvanias 10th congressional district, serving in Congress since 2013. Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma has threatened to lockdown the State over violation of orders to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. He expressed his displeasure over the non-compliance of the citizens with the governments directives on the prevention of the spread of coronavirus in the state. Also Read: Governor Hope Uzodinma Tests Negative For COVID-19 The Governor noted that despite strict orders for the closure of the boundaries, people still infiltrate the state from outside. Advertisement He regretted that the infected person came in from Lagos and went to his village where he, in turn, infested three of his family members. This, he said, portends danger to those living in the villages and should be avoided because of the fear of community spread. While reiterating that he will stop at nothing to protect the life of Imo citizens from the dreaded virus, Governor Uzodinma warned that he will be left with no option than to order for a total lockdown if citizens of the state continue to violate the directives and measures put in place by government to contain the spread of the virus. The government's halting response to the coronavirus pandemic represents the culmination of chronic structural weaknesses, years of underinvestment and political rhetoric that has undermined the public trust - conditions compounded by President Donald Trump's open hostility to a federal bureaucracy that has been called upon to manage the crisis. Federal government leaders, beginning with the president, appeared caught unaware by the swiftness with which the coronavirus was spreading through the country - though this was not the first time that an administration seemed ill-prepared for an unexpected shock. But even after the machinery of government clanked into motion, missteps, endemic obstacles and lack of clear communication have plagued the efforts to meet the needs of the nation. "A fundamental role of government is the safety and security of its people," said Janet Napolitano, the former secretary of homeland security. "To me that means you have to maintain a certain base level so that, when an event like a pandemic manifests itself, you can quickly activate what you have and you have already in place a system and plan for what the federal government is going to do and what the states are going to do." That has not been the case this spring. The nation is reaping the effects of decades of denigration of government and also from a steady squeeze on the resources needed to shore up the domestic parts of the executive branch. This hollowing out has been going on for years as a gridlocked Congress preferred continuing resolutions and budgetary caps to hardheaded decisions about vulnerable governmental infrastructure and leaders did little to address structural weaknesses. The problems have grown worse in the past three years. Trump was elected having never served in government or the military. That was one reason he appealed to many of those who backed him. He came to Washington deeply suspicious of what he branded the "deep state." Promising to drain the swamp, he has vilified career civil servants and the institutions of government now called upon to perform at the highest levels. His transition was messy and since then his administration has been slow to populate the thousands of political slots atop federal agencies, and the president has seemed to prefer acting agency heads to those who can win confirmation from the Senate and the authority that imprimatur conveys. He has targeted career officials and sought retribution for those who differed with him, particularly those whose job it is to find and expose problems. "One thing to keep in mind is that government takes on hard problems," said David E. Lewis, a political science professor at Vanderbilt University. "They're often problems that can't be solved by the market and there aren't private entities to solve them." He added: "We're seeing a government that is suffering now from a long period of neglect that began well before this administration. And that neglect has accelerated during this administration." The question is whether the weaknesses and vulnerabilities exposed by the current crisis will generate a newfound interest among the nation's elected officials - and the public - in repairing the infrastructure of government and a sense of urgency on the part of the public to encourage them to do so. Or will partisanship and public indifference lead to a continuation of the status quo? - - - Public trust in government has declined sharply for the past half century. In the early 1960s, more than 7 in 10 Americans said they trusted government to do the right thing all or most of the time. A year ago, a Pew Research survey found that just 17 percent of Americans expressed that view. Attitudes began to turn more negative during Vietnam and Watergate. Over the next decades, there were occasional increases in public trust, but the trendline continued downward. There was also a spike upward after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Since then, there has been a steady decline amid deepening political divisions and intensifying anti-government rhetoric. Over these years, there have been a series of major government breakdowns that helped shake confidence in government's competence. Some are relatively recent: the 2003 invasion of Iraq; the response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005; the Deepwater Horizon oil well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010; the crashing website for the Affordable Care Act in 2013. Other breakdowns happened longer ago or are less remembered but nonetheless highlight ongoing weaknesses, whether the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle in 1986 or a flu vaccine that sickened many recipients in 1976. The pandemic has forced another critical look at government's competence. For months, the Trump administration has been running behind to bring testing capacity to the levels needed. That was true as the virus was taking hold and when more tests might have helped contain the spread. It is the case now as businesses look to reopen but cannot assure safety for workers or their communities without the widespread availability of tests, which so far does not exist. Stockpiles of needed equipment were never adequate for the scale of the pandemic either, and the government was slow to ramp up production. The government's economic intervention, while massive in dollars and well-meaning in intent, also has run into problems. In contrast to many European nations, where the strategy has been to keep payrolls afloat, the U.S. program has relied on direct payments to individuals, unemployment insurance for furloughed workers, loans to small businesses (in some cases forgivable) and aid to some major industries, such as airlines. Speed took precedence over precision in the design of the program. Delays were common. Areas of the country hardest hit by the virus in March and early April were sometimes shortchanged as money flowed to areas less affected. Payments through the Small Business Administration ended up in the hands of big firms like Ruth's Chris steakhouses or entities like the Los Angeles Lakers. Treasury Department officials had to move swiftly to get those payments returned. Flaws in the nation's unemployment insurance program, a patchwork system run through the states, highlighted inequities, as benefits vary from state to state, as do eligibility requirements and length of assistance. Florida's has drawn the most criticism. That state's program was redesigned when now-Sen. Rick Scott, a Republican, was governor to make it more difficult to qualify for assistance. Recently it has been plagued by computer problems. A recent headline on the Miami Herald website said, "Florida's jobless benefits program finding new ways to confound, infuriate the unemployed." Congress authorized an additional $600-a-week payment through July for those unemployed, on top of what they would receive from their state program, which has resulted in some people receiving more money while being unemployed than when they were working. Ricardo Reis, an economist at the London School of Economics, said that the U.S. program is one of the largest in the industrialized world but not necessarily the most efficient. "To get the same bang you've got to spend a lot more bucks because you're sending a check to everyone, right?" he said "A lot of people don't need a check." "Much of the response at the federal level has been predicated on the idea that we're just going to take a holiday for a few months and then go back to where we were," said a skeptical Steven Davis, a professor of international business and economics at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned last week of "significant downside risks" to the future of the economy." The jury is still out as to whether what the government has done is either adequate or efficient. "My impression from the outside is that we have significantly mal-designed the economic assistance and adjustment system," said Philip Zelikow, a professor at the University of Virginia who served in five administrations and was executive director of the 9/11 Commission. "The counter to that is we just needed to get the trillions out the door," he added. "Maybe after analysis, that argument could have merit [but] I suspect this still could have been done better under the time constraints." Meanwhile, lawmakers are now locked in age-old ideological battles at a time when fresh thinking will be needed to help workers who could face long periods of unemployment and businesses threatened by closure by a pandemic that appears certain to create a new normal whenever the economy does reopen. "I think this event is revealing of what governance wonks have been warning about for a long time, namely that we haven't been very focused on the basic governing systems we need to execute policy successfully," said William Galston of the Brookings Institution. "The competency of government to serve as an instrument of policy delivery has been weakened substantially. One of our long-term tasks is to rebuild that capacity." - - - Gene Dodaro, the comptroller general, leads the Government Accountability Office, the agency that is tasked with being a watchdog for government performance. He sees structural weaknesses that constantly impede performance. "The hardest part of my job is getting people to focus on things before they become a crisis," he said. The GAO regularly produces a list of areas of high risk in government performance. The most recent, issued in 2019, began with this assessment: "The ratings for more than half of the 35 areas on the 2019 High Risk List remain largely unchanged. Since GAO's last update in 2017, seven areas improved, three regressed, and two showed mixed progress." "Fundamentally we have a legacy government that hasn't kept up with the world around it," said Max Stier, president and chief executive of the Partnership for Public Service. "We create government and capacity around the problems of the day and there's not much refreshed. . . . It does not lie with a single administration. It is endemic through modern times and not just the executive [branch] but in Congress." To take just one example, government has allowed its technology infrastructure to age in place. According to Dodaro, Washington spends about $90 billion a year on its IT systems - about three quarters of the money going to supporting operations and maintenance of existing systems, starving investment in new technology. A call for technology upgrades is not a new problem. In 1995, Dodaro said he recommended that every agency create a position of chief information officer. Congress followed suit the next year, he said, but resistance in the agencies hampered the progress. In 2014, Congress enacted a second piece of legislation to spur what had been started nearly two decades earlier. The Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs have been working to make medical records easily transferrable when personnel leave the military and become eligible for VA benefits. Billions have been spent but the problem hasn't been solved. Among those with the most antiquated computer systems are two agencies tasked with delivering economic assistance to workers this spring, the Small Business Administration and the Internal Revenue Service. "SBA was asked to do the impossible on top of antiquated technologies," said Paul Light, a professor of public service at New York University. Some unemployment insurance systems run on mainframe computers that are 40 years old. In April, several states put out a call for people familiar with programming language for COBOL, introduced half a century ago, to help keep their systems running. More than the computer systems are aging; so too is the workforce assigned to work on them. Stier estimates that there are five times as many federal employees over age 60 working on IT issues as there are employees under age 30. "The talent pool in government has to be refreshed," he said. Aging technology highlights the weaknesses of the government's infrastructure, but that is only one of the obstacles that hinders more effective performance. Over the years, the federal government has created a complex system for the delivery of services. Much of the work done by government is now carried out by nongovernmental employees - private contractors, consulting firms, nonprofits and others not technically on the federal payroll. Tina Nabatchi, a professor of public administration at Syracuse University's Maxwell School, estimates that as much as 70 percent of the work of government is done by these outside entities. "We've taken out the middle levels of bureaucracies," she said. One reason is the desire of some leaders to run government like a business, though the two are not alike. Another is to mask the true scope of government. John DiIulio, a political science professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said that earlier in its existence, the Department of Homeland Security had more full-time-equivalent contractors than full-time-equivalent employees. "We want a lot from government," he said. "We don't want a lot of government." Donald Kettl, a professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, said most Americans, including many lawmakers, view government services through a vending machine model: Money goes in at the top, a lever is pulled and services come out at the bottom. Inside, however, is a complicated and often cumbersome contraption. Kettl described the U.S. health care system as "much more complex than anywhere else in the world," a labyrinth of government, private insurers, public and private hospitals, physicians, nurses and other health care workers, all involved in the delivery and billing of services. "The strategy of competence means managing these really complex partnerships," he said. Another area where the United States is unique is in the number of political appointees atop agencies in the executive branch. The system is supposed to allow a president to gain control of the bureaucracy but vacancies and constant turnover in those jobs mean that, when in their posts, officials are often afflicted with short-termitis - focusing on matters of the moment and ignoring underlying structural weaknesses that can become crippling problems in a crisis. Leadership is a critical ingredient in the functioning of government. A president can set priorities and focus his administration on making systems work more efficiently. But there is one more reason the work of making government better rarely attracts the attention of senior government officials. It often requires becoming mired in mind-numbing detail. In other words, however important the work might be, it's just plain boring. - - - The last serious attempt at government reform was more than 20 years ago, when then-president Bill Clinton asked his vice president, Al Gore, to head up what became known as the "reinventing government" initiative. Clinton believed that people needed to trust that their money was being spent wisely before they would trust the government itself. "If you convinced America you were being really, really careful about their tax dollars, then a lot of this animosity toward government would decrease," said Elaine Kamarck of the Brookings Institution, who directed the project for several years. The program may best be remembered for Gore's appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman," where he donned protective glasses and broke a government-issued ashtray with a hammer to ridicule the cost and complexity of government procurement regulations. The reinventing government initiative achieved some success and was aided by the fact that the timing coincided with a broader transition from the old industrial economy to the new information-age economy. "We could take advantage of a lot of the technology and that helped us cut," Kamarck said. Whatever progress was made is now long in the past. "Even if it had been wildly successful it would have been out of date four or five years after it was done," Stier said. Before that effort, the last president to address government reform in a serious way was Jimmy Carter. He created the Department of Energy and broke up what then was known as the Department of Health, Education and Welfare by creating a separate Department of Education. Carter liked to look under the hood of government; few of his successors have had the same desire. "In terms of basic reorganization, you've got to go back to the 1950s and Herbert Hoover to find the last reorganization movement," Light said, referring to a commission the former president headed after he left office. Today, there is debate about whether government should or even can be reformed in those ways. The creation of DHS in the aftermath of 9/11 is a case in point. The hastily created department became a hash of many different entities pulled from across the government. The departmental structure has made setting clear priorities far more difficult, as it serves multiple masters. "If you look at DHS, they have to report to more than 100 different congressional oversight committees," said Mark Harvey, former senior director for resilience policy at the National Security Council. Some students of government say a more pressing priority than fundamental reorganization should be finding ways to improve how agencies collaborate when confronted with the kind of crisis now facing the country. Today's problems, they say, no longer fit without the boundaries of a legacy government structure. - - - Marc Hetherington, a professor at the University of North Carolina, said the public conversation about government began to shift with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. Before that, anti-government rhetoric focused more on what government ought and ought not to do, themes highlighted by Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, a Republican, during his 1964 presidential campaign. "What changed with Reagan and the decades since is that the conversation moves away from what government ought to do to government is incompetent to do things," he said. "That's a big change, with a fundamentally different message." Throughout the conservative movement since, that message has been a staple, with the often explicit goal of shrinking the federal government, cutting resources to starve the beast. "Sometimes poor performance is trying to do government on the cheap," Lewis said. "There is a penny-wise, pound-foolish idea of how we manage government agencies." Hetherington said he has noticed one thing from his research about trust in government. Whenever the focus is on the military or national security, trust increases. When the focus shifts away to other programs, particularly those safety net programs such as welfare or food stamps, which serve disadvantaged populations, trust decreases. But if Republicans have made this kind of rhetoric a staple of their message, Democratic politicians have engaged in some of the same kind of thing. "Every candidate has campaigned on a bureaucracy-bashing theme," Nabatchi said. "That message has gotten through to affect people's confidence in government." The president's disdain is on display constantly, far more so than for past presidents. Hetherington said that in this area, Trump is "off the charts. Whereas a lot of Republican attacks on the government left certain things implicit, the Trump people have made them explicit." There is much that works well in the federal government, particularly everyday activities that citizens take for granted. Career civil servants on the whole are dedicated and skilled. But when the challenges shift from ordinary to extraordinary, cracks within the system are exposed, demands on leadership rise and the government's competence is rightly called into question. This has been such a time. It is an open question whether the more intense focus on the federal government will result in more calls to deal with the underlying weakness or whether criticism of the administration's response - and the political divisions surrounding it - will further degrade people's trust in the institutions they have turned to at this moment. "We don't want to invest in the capacity of government to get the job done," Kettl said. "But we are happy to complain immediately when there's sand in the gear that causes the system to seize up." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, May 16 2020 As COVID-19 batters the global economy and forces nations to reassess their foreign policy priorities, the government has recommended 31 ambassadorial candidates to fill a number of key diplomatic posts around the world. Amid pressures to keep the number of political appointees among envoys to a minimum, President Joko Jokowi Widodo presented lawmakers in the House of Representatives with a list of candidates comprising mostly career diplomats, with the exception of nine people, most of whom supported him in his 2019 reelection bid. However, three of the six most prestigious vacant posts in the next wave of appointments might still go to political appointees. 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 As Manitoba gets set to mark its 150th anniversary in 2020, the Free Press turns back the clock and takes an in-depth look at the dramatic story of how a small community living on the banks of the Red and Assiniboine rivers stood up to the federal government and demanded a say in the terms of joining Canada. The Red River Resistance of 1869-70 is a story of courage and determination by a group of Manitoba Metis who challenged a colonial mindset in Ottawa and took up arms to protect their democratic, cultural and legal rights. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. As Manitoba gets set to mark its 150th anniversary in 2020, the Free Press turns back the clock and takes an in-depth look at the dramatic story of how a small community living on the banks of the Red and Assiniboine rivers stood up to the federal government and demanded a say in the terms of joining Canada. The Red River Resistance of 1869-70 is a story of courage and determination by a group of Manitoba Metis who challenged a colonial mindset in Ottawa and took up arms to protect their democratic, cultural and legal rights. It begins in October 1869 and culminates in the passage of the Manitoba Act by Parliament in May 1870 a constitutional amendment that still serves today as the legal framework for Manitobas place in Canada. The following is the final instalment of a three-part series that follows the timeline of what unfolded in the Red River Settlement 150 years ago, and the events that led to Manitobas entry into Confederation. E.J. HUTCHINS / COURTESY OF THE WINNIPEG ART GALLERY Upper Fort Garry, Winnipeg 1871 NOEL Joseph Ritchot had the most important job in the Red River settlement in the spring of 1870. The St. Norbert parish priest was about to go toe-to-toe with the most powerful politicians in Ottawa John A. Macdonald, Canadas prime minister, and his right-hand man, George Etienne Cartier, the federal minister of militia and defence. Ritchot, a French-Canadian who moved to Red River in 1862, was one of three delegates chosen by the provisional government at Upper Fort Garry to negotiate the terms of Manitobas entry into Confederation. He spoke no English and had no real experience in politics, much less a background in constitutional law. But the man with the long black beard, at age 45, found himself as the principal negotiator for the Red River settlement, more out of necessity than personal desire. Whether he knew it or not at the time, the fate of the settlement now rested on his shoulders. It had been five months since Metis leader Louis Riel and his supporters took a stand against Canada. Ottawa attempted a unilateral annexation of the settlement after striking a deal to purchase Ruperts Land from the Hudsons Bay Company in 1869. Federal officials ran into a roadblock when the tiny community of some 12,000 traders, buffalo hunters, farmers, retailers, craftsmen and others (in what was then called the District of Assiniboia) demanded the protection of their democratic, linguistic and land rights before joining the fledgling dominion. The West wanted in, but not at any cost. Ritchot played a key role in the early stages of the resistance, lending his moral support and guidance to the French Metis many of whom were his parishioners. His influence helped legitimize the movement. He was an obvious choice as the delegate for the francophone Metis. Judge John Black, the head of the General Quarterly Court of Assiniboia, was chosen as the anglophone representative. Alfred Scott a bartender and a store clerk in the village of Winnipeg was the third delegate, selected to look out for the interests of the small group of Americans living in the community. Ritchot was the clear leader among the delegates. The parish priest was chosen for his persistence, intellectual capacity and his loyalty to the Metis cause. He had no experience bartering with high-powered politicians. But his dogged determination (and a natural political skill set he probably didnt know he had) made him a formidable opponent at the negotiating table. LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA Father Noel Joseph Ritchot Ritchot left for Ottawa March 23, 1870, in the company of Colonel Charles de Salaberry, one of the early emissaries sent to Red River by the federal government. The same week, the Globe newspaper in Toronto carried a front-page story of the March 4 killing of Thomas Scott, the Canadian "loyalist" twice jailed by Riel and the Metis and executed by firing squad outside the walls of Upper Fort Garry. It was an early sign of the political hornets nest the Red River negotiating team was about to enter. After meeting up with his fellow delegates in St. Cloud, Minn., Ritchot began the journey to Ottawa by train. John Black travelled through Detroit to Toronto, then on to Ottawa. Ritchot and Alfred Scott, wary of the political troubles awaiting them in Toronto after being tipped off, took a more clandestine route. They headed to Buffalo and met up with Gilbert McMicken of the Dominion Police at Ogdensburg, N.Y., who escorted them safely to Ottawa April 11. The federal government, aware of a growing Riel backlash in Ontario, not only sought the safe passage of the delegates to Ottawa, they made every effort to keep talks as low-key as possible. Almost immediately upon arrival in Ottawa, Scott and later Ritchot were arrested by local police. Any diplomatic immunity they thought they enjoyed as official delegates from Red River was dashed. Warrants for their arrest were sworn out by members of Canada First, a small but influential group of anti-French and anti-Catholic populists in Ontario. John Christian Schultz, who had been jailed by Riel in Red River after leading a counter-resistance against the Metis, was a member of the group. He and others travelled to Ontario prior to the arrival of the delegates. They spent days whipping up anti-Riel sentiment, organizing large public rallies in and around Toronto and calling for the immediate cancellation of talks between Ottawa and the "murderers" of Red River. They demanded justice for the death of Thomas Scott. Ritchot and Alfred Scott were twice arrested on charges of complicity for Scotts killing. But their legal troubles didnt last long. After a few days of house arrest, the courts declared the warrants invalid and the delegates were free to resume their diplomatic responsibilities. Meanwhile, the third delegate, John Black, arrived in Ottawa unmolested. This wasnt the kind of welcome Ritchot and his colleagues had expected. Fort Garry in 1870. John A. Macdonald had some choppy political waters to navigate in April 1870. Canada First and its supporters proved to be a thorn in his side. Macdonald didnt want to appear overly sympathetic to Riel and the Metis. He wanted to avoid alienating Ontario voters. But he also had Quebec supporters, including the francophone wing of his caucus who were more supportive of the Metis cause to placate. The resistance had been widely reported in Ontario and Quebec newspapers over the winter and divisions were forming along linguistic and religious lines. Underlying that was a demand by the British government that Ottawa negotiate a fair settlement with the Red River delegation. When Ritchot and Scott were arrested, the British government immediately cabled federal officials and asked if they had approved the warrants; they had not. (The federal government, in fact, provided the delegates with legal resources). Key players LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA Col. Garnet Joseph Wolseley Col. Garnet Wolseley: Field commander of the military expedition sent to Red River in 1870. Wolseley led the British 60th Rifles and two volunteer Canadian militias on a three-month trek through the wilderness from Lake Superior to Upper Fort Garry. Wolseleys troops arrived in Winnipeg by boat via Lake Winnipeg and the Red River. Despite a pledge the expedition would be a peaceful one, Wolseley would later write of disappointment troops faced no armed resistance from Red River residents (and of having lost the opportunity to hang Metis leader Louis Riel). Some of the soldiers under his command were openly hostile towards Metis residents. click to read more Col. Garnet Wolseley: Field commander of the military expedition sent to Red River in 1870. Wolseley led the British 60th Rifles and two volunteer Canadian militias on a three-month trek through the wilderness from Lake Superior to Upper Fort Garry. Wolseleys troops arrived in Winnipeg by boat via Lake Winnipeg and the Red River. Despite a pledge the expedition would be a peaceful one, Wolseley would later write of disappointment troops faced no armed resistance from Red River residents (and of having lost the opportunity to hang Metis leader Louis Riel). Some of the soldiers under his command were openly hostile towards Metis residents. Noel Joseph Ritchot: The St. Norbert parish priest helped the French Metis organize the resistance in the fall of 1869. He was among three appointed delegates from Red River that travelled to Ottawa in April 1870 to negotiate the terms of the Manitoba Act with the federal government. Ritchot was the principal negotiator and succeeded in securing land rights for the children of Metis families. Judge John Black: Recorder and president of the General Quarterly Court of Assiniboine (Red Rivers top court until 1870), Black was one of three delegates sent to Ottawa. He was a member of the Council of Assiniboia and an English representative on the Convention of Forty (formed in January 1869 to set out the terms of Red Rivers entry into Canada). Black spoke against initial provincial status for Manitoba during Convention of Forty talks, but didnt oppose it as a delegate in Ottawa. Alfred Scott: A bartender and store clerk in Red River, Scott was the third delegate appointed to attend negotiations in Ottawa. He represented the small contingent of Americans in the settlement. John A. Macdonald: Canadas prime minister in 1870. He introduced the Manitoba Act in the House of Commons and spoke in favour of it. Macdonald was directly involved in negotiations with the delegates from Red River, although he was not present for much of it due to illness and incapacitation. He initially sought territorial status for Manitoba with an appointed council, but eventually agreed to provincial status and a democratically elected government. Macdonald began organizing a military expedition to Red River prior to negotiations with delegates. George Etienne Cartier: A senior member of federal cabinet and principal negotiator with Red River delegates. Cartier, an influential French-Canadian representative of government and a Father of Confederation, was Macdonalds right-hand man. He was sympathetic to the French Metis cause. However, his verbal commitments of immunity against prosecution for those involved in the resistance never materialized. Close Macdonald had a problem on his hands. He had, for months, been secretly organizing a military expedition to Red River and needed British support. No matter the outcome of negotiations, Ottawa planned to send troops to Red River to assert Canadas authority in the West. But the prime minster wanted a British battalion to lead the campaign as Canada didnt have regular troops in 1870. London would agree only if the federal government concluded successful negotiations with the delegates. The British government didnt want Canada to assume control of the northwest through military force. It was a quid pro quo Ritchot wasnt aware of at the time. Had he known, it would have given him greater leverage at the bargaining table. Nevertheless, with the British government breathing down his neck, Macdonald was motivated to conclude a deal. It took two weeks after the arrival of the delegation for talks to begin, a delay Ritchot wasnt pleased with. While both Macdonald and his lieutenant George Etienne Cartier did the bargaining for Canada, it was Cartier who emerged as governments chief negotiator. Macdonald was twice absent from talks, once because he was "indisposed" (one of his many bouts with the bottle) and again when he became seriously ill. Ritchot found an ally in Cartier. The Quebec-born politician himself involved in a resistance earlier in his life during the rebellion of 1837, where he fought for responsible government was sympathetic to the Metis cause. Negotiations took place in Cartiers Ottawa home, away from the prying eyes of newspaper reporters and others. It was there Ritchot and Cartier developed a friendly relationship. Both men spoke French and shared similar cultural backgrounds. Ritchot was often invited for dinner at Cartiers home. UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA LIBRARIES MAP Map of settlement in Manitoba in 1870. Still, the two sides were far apart in the early stages of negotiations. Macdonald and Cartier immediately tested the will of their rookie counterparts. They initially refused to even recognize the delegates as official representatives of Red River, proposing instead to hold informal discussions. It wasnt until Ritchot threatened to return to Red River that Macdonald and Cartier agreed to acknowledge them in writing as formal representatives of the Northwest. Negotiations began in earnest April 25 and both sides bargained hard. Macdonald wanted the settlement to enter Canada as a territory governed by a lieutenant-governor and an appointed council. He argued it would be a temporary measure followed by representative government and provincial status sometime in the future. The motivation was obvious: wait until the settlement is flooded with easterners before allowing people to vote and run for office. The delegates insisted on immediate provincial status a key demand of Riel and an elected legislative assembly. Macdonald proposed a hybrid; half elected, half appointed. The delegates would have none of it, a position they stuck to and won. The settlement would enter Canada with full provincial status, governed by an elected legislative assembly and a senate. The delegates won Round 1. LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA George Etienne Cartier The new province would also get representation in Parliament four seats in the House of Commons and two in the Senate. Ritchot demanded, and won, the use of French and English in the provincial legislature and the courts. Denominational schools would be enshrined in law. And on Riels recommendation (after writing Ritchot in April and proposing the names "Manitoba" or "North-West"), the new province would be called Manitoba. There were plenty of compromises the delegates had to accept. Ottawa insisted on maintaining control of Crown lands, not only within the province, but outside of it, too. The boundaries of the province would be severely limited. Ottawa wasnt about to hand over the entire land mass of the Northwest territories (which was bigger than either Ontario or Quebec at the time) to 12,000 people living in a small, isolated community. The federal government had bigger plans in store, including the construction of a Pacific railway as part of its vision to settle the West. They needed access to Crown lands to accomplish that. Manitoba got provincial status, but its geographical size would be small; not much bigger than what was then known as the District of Assiniboia, a 50-mile radius around Upper Fort Garry. The "postage stamp" province would span about 11,000 square miles. (Manitobas boundaries grew to its current size in 1912). There were many battles over land rights during negotiations, including how land holdings would be recognized. Some of the provisions agreed to were later changed unilaterally by federal officials during the legislative process, throwing Ritchot into a fit of anger. Of most concern to him, though, was ensuring Metis land rights were protected. Ottawa initially balked at the notion of recognizing Indigenous land rights while granting "civilized government" to the Metis. They argued the Metis couldnt have it both ways a 19th century colonial mentality that coloured much of the talks. Eventually, a middle ground was found. The federal government offered the Metis 100,000 acres, an amount Ritchot was able to increase to 1.4-million acres, to be granted to the children of Metis families. 1870 Timeline HBC ARCHIVES Painting depicts commissioner Donald Smith and Metis leader Louis Riel addressing the crowd at Upper Fort Garry on Jan. 19, 1870. April 11: Red River delegates Noel Joseph Ritchot and Alfred Scott arrive in Ottawa for negotiations with the federal government April 12: Alfred Scott and, later, Ritchot, are arrested on a Toronto warrant for complicity in the murder of Thomas Scott. After release and a second arrest, warrants are dismissed by an Ontario court for both delegates. Third delegate Judge John Black later arrives in Ottawa without incident. click to read more April 11: Red River delegates Noel Joseph Ritchot and Alfred Scott arrive in Ottawa for negotiations with the federal government April 12: Alfred Scott and, later, Ritchot, are arrested on a Toronto warrant for complicity in the murder of Thomas Scott. After release and a second arrest, warrants are dismissed by an Ontario court for both delegates. Third delegate Judge John Black later arrives in Ottawa without incident. April 25: First meeting between the delegates and prime minister John A. Macdonald and George Etienne Cartier at the latters home. Negotiations last four days. May 2: John A. Macdonald introduces the Manitoba Act in the House of Commons for first reading. Explains the name Manitoba has been chosen for the new province. May 9: Manitoba Act passes third reading 120-11 May 12: Manitoba Act receives royal assent. May 14: Ritchot telegraphs Red River, reports negotiations concluded satisfactorily. May 21 Col. Garnett Wolseley, field commander for the military expedition to Red River, leaves Collingwood, Ont. Troops including British soldiers and two Canadian volunteer militia follow in subsequent days for the three-month trek to Manitoba. May 27: Text of Manitoba Act published in Red River newspaper the New Nation June 17: Ritchot, travelling through the United States, arrives back in Red River on the steamboat the International to a 21-gun salute June 24: Legislative assembly in Red River approves Manitoba Act unanimously. July 15: Manitoba Act proclaimed into law by federal government. July 31: Wolseley arrives in Fort Frances. Aug. 20: Battle-ready British troops arrive at Fort Alexander. Canadian militia follows several days behind. Aug. 22: Troops arrive at the mouth of the Red River. Aug. 24: Metis leader Louis Riel, realizing he was deceived by Ottawa that Wolseley's expedition would be a peaceful one, bolts from Upper Fort Garry, crosses Red River to St. Boniface. Troops enter Fort Garry, ransack parts of it. Sept. 2: Manitobas first lieutenant-governor Adams Archibald arrives in Red River. Sept 10: Wolseley departs Red River; leaves behind Canadian militia to police the settlement. Close How that land would be distributed became the subject of great debate and years of controversy after 1870. Ottawa promised the land grants would be administered through a local committee. But like many of their verbal promises, federal officials reneged on that. (The land distribution issue was the subject of a landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision 143 years later). Negotiations were intense. They lasted four days and concluded on April 28. A draft bill of the Manitoba Act was given to Ritchot, who pored over it line by line, marking it up with proposed changes and question marks. It was brought back to the negotiating table for further revision. Macdonald introduced the bill in the House of Commons on May 2 (although it wasnt distributed to MPs until two days later). He announced that to honour the original inhabitants of the land "it is considered proper that the province which is to be organized shall be called Manitoba." The name, he explained, was a "euphonious" Indigenous word meaning "The God who speaks the speaking of God." It was a historic moment, one Ritchot surely savoured as he witnessed the introduction of the bill from the public gallery. But the fiery, sometimes ugly, Commons debate that followed was also sobering for Ritchot, who, along with others from Red River, became the subject of personal attacks from some MPs. Not all MPs were in agreement with the bill. Some had reservations about the Riel-led resistance and the legitimacy of the delegates sent from Red River. During debate, MP William McDougall, the former lieutenant-governor designate who was refused entry into Red River six months earlier, called those who participated in the resistance "the most disreputable inhabitants of the country" who were "collected together by a bar room loafer." NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF CANADA John A. Macdonald was absent from the talks twice. Its unclear if he was referring to Riel (odd, since the Metis leader was neither a drinker nor a frequenter of saloons). But it triggered a lengthy and nasty sparring match between McDougall and Nova Scotia MP Joseph Howe, the governments secretary of state for the provinces. Opposition leader Alexander Mackenzie ridiculed the new provinces puny size. He said it "seemed ludicrous" to grant a "little municipality" like Red River provincial status and quipped that it reminded him of the story of Gullivers Travels. Opposition members proposed a number of changes to the bill (including an attempt to remove the land grant provision for Metis families). But most were defeated. There were some constructive developments during debate. Portage la Prairie, not part of Manitoba in the original bill, was added to the boundaries at second reading after concerns were raised about its exclusion. Portage, located just west of Winnipeg, was made up largely of English-speaking Canadians at the time. After 10 days of heated debate, the bill a constitutional amendment was approved and given royal assent on May 12, a date now celebrated as Manitoba Day. The bill was proclaimed into law July 15. The amnesty issue became a legal quagmire that dragged on for years. It was a major part of a House of Commons select committee inquiry held in 1874 into the "causes and difficulties in the NorthWest Territories in 186970." Ritchot wired Riel to inform him of the good news. Negotiations were completed "satisfactorily" and the Manitoba Act had passed, he wrote. The Red River community got its first look at the legislation May 27, when it was published in the local newspaper the New Nation. There was still one outstanding issue, though. When negotiations began, Ritchot insisted (on instructions from Riel and the provisional government) that a general amnesty be granted as a condition of any settlement. They wanted an assurance in writing they wouldnt be prosecuted for actions taken during the fall and winter of 1869-70, including the execution of Scott. However, federal officials argued they had no authority to issue an amnesty. Canada had no jurisdiction over Red River during the resistance. The granting of immunity would have to come from Britain, they said. ARCHIVES OF MANITOBA Metis Ambroise Lepine, 1885. Lepine, the adjutant-general in the provisional government who presided over the court martial of Thomas Scott, was tried for his death in 1873. His sentence was later commuted The amnesty issue became a legal quagmire that dragged on for years. It was a major part of a House of Commons select committee inquiry held in 1874 into the "causes and difficulties in the North-West Territories in 1869-70." It was never satisfactorily resolved. Metis Ambroise Lepine, the adjutant-general in the provisional government who presided over the court martial of Thomas Scott, was tried for his death in 1873. Lepine was found guilty and sentenced to death, although his sentence was later commuted. Riel was never tried for Scotts execution because he remained largely in exile after Manitoba joined Canada. Alfred Scott and John Black left Ottawa after the passage of the Manitoba Act. Ritchot stayed and continued to lobby Cartier for an amnesty agreement. The best he could get was a verbal assurance that one would eventually come from England. It never did. 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. His job complete, Ritchot returned to Red River and arrived home via the steamboat the International on June 17. He was welcomed in Winnipeg with a 21-gun salute and greeted personally by Riel. All were anxious for a full briefing of what transpired over the previous two months. Louis Riel and his provisional government didnt get everything they wanted from Ottawa in their struggle for self-determination. On June 24, eight months after Riel and others prevented federal agents from surveying lands around Red River, the Manitoba Act was formally presented to the legislative assembly and approved unanimously. Local historian Alexander Begg marked the day in his journal as "the turning point in the affairs of the settlement," celebrated that night with drink and merriment by members of the legislative assembly. Riel and his provisional government didnt get everything they wanted from Ottawa in their struggle for self-determination. The question of amnesty still hung in the balance. Years of delay and bureaucratic bungling by the federal government on land distribution proved damaging to the Metis community. Canadians flooded the new province almost immediately after Manitoba entered Confederation and snapped up valuable land. Many Metis families moved west. Nevertheless, the decision to take up arms to protect their democratic, linguistic and land rights resulted in some level of legal protection for the people of Red River. To a large degree, their actions were vindicated. No matter how one interprets the events of 1869-70, they shaped Manitoba as we know it today. tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca During a call with business leaders from across the state and northern Arizona, Governor Doug Ducey said he is counting on businesses to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19 as the state opens up. Over the course of the last week, gyms, movie theaters, casinos, pools, salons and in-person dining at restaurants have all been allowed to reopen. At the same time, the state has pushed to drastically increase the amount of testing for COVID-19 in Arizona. I said on our last call, I think you have a patriotic duty to open up safely and successfully, and Im also asking for your help inside your industry to hold yourselves accountable and your customers accountable as well as your peers in the industry, Ducey told business leaders during a call on Thursday. Part of the idea around social and physical distancing is that we dont increase the spread of this virus and Im asking for your help in doing this. You are going to determine the success of this economy and Im counting on you. As the state continues to reopen, Ducey said he expects tourism to pick back up in the coming weeks. On Friday, Grand Canyon National Park partially reopened, with a more comprehensive opening coming later in the month. And all that means its even more important that businesses follow the guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he said. I think there's going to be a lot of people that are soon going to be fleeing California and Illinois and they're all welcome at your properties and the properties at the other folks who are on the line, Ducey said. Please make sure again that there's good behavior, that people are safe and that theres good optics so that we dont give the media the story theyre looking for. Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans said this past weekend, the city had already started seeing an influx of visitors and in-state tourists. That's good for the mom-and-pop shops that are so important to Flagstaffs economy, Evans said, but concerns over whether the state has done enough to keep the virus from spreading remain. And she said she worries that the proper measures are not in place. For example, Evans said she would like to see the governor mandate masks be worn in public, as has been done in New Mexico, and for clear guidelines enforced for open businesses. If we had stronger messaging with stricter guidelines -- I mean, right now in northern Arizona the COVID numbers are increasing. You add to that in-state tourism, you add to that international tourism, Evans said, adding she worries where doing the opposite may lead. It would be horrible for our state to be the next New York City, Evans said. How horrible would it be for our tourism and how horrible would it be for our economy to open a newspaper or turn on the news and see that Arizona, because we did not open in a way that was clear about safety of citizens and visitors, that we're now a hot spot. If were going to do something, we should do it right. During the call, Ducey told business leaders that come September and October, the virus may see a resurgence, but said that is just one more reason it is so important to instill the proper practices and habits now and carry those through the summer and into the fall. Coconino County Epidemiologist Matt Maurer said so far, as testing increases, the percentage of positives they are finding drops both within Coconino County and statewide. But while about 6% of tests come back positive statewide, in Coconino County that number is closer to 15%. As of Friday, there were 789 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Coconino County, up 24 from Thursday, and 62 deaths. However, the county also added 307 negative test results on Friday, bringing the total to 4,367. Considering the two- to 14-day incubation period of the virus, Maurer said it could be a few weeks before we see the effects of businesses reopening. At that time, the county will be able to view trends in numbers of new cases, just as it did following the initial business closures. Were starting to relax these interventions and closures and open back up, but it does not mean we dont have any transmission of this illness happening, Maurer said. Not packing people into a small area is still super important. Liz Archuleta, who chairs the Coconino County Board of Supervisors, said because the percentage of cases returning positive results is still so high, the county is encouraging residents to continue taking precautions through educational campaigns. Evans said the City of Flagstaff plans to do the same. I know people are really anxious to get out and really enjoy the beautiful weather we're having and just begin to go out to some of their favorite places; however, we want people to know that it's still important to [be cautious], Archuleta said. Our public health department is recommending strongly to continue to wear the masks, wash your hands often, wear gloves and to do social distancing. Were not clear of the COVID-19. It's still a major public health crisis in our county, she added. 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| 2020-05-16 18:40:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Thai authorities arrested a village man and two of his accomplices on Saturday in Thailand's northeastern province of Mukdahan with allegations of marijuana trafficking. Police said the 480 kg of compressed marijuana with a street value of at least 10 million baht (311,866 U.S. dollars) was seized at the bank of the Mekong River at Mukdahan Province. Pol Col Sippanan Sornkhunkaew, commander of the Border Patrol Police Company 235, said the three suspects were about to transport the drugs that were smuggled from Laos via the Mekong River to a storage place in Thailand. Sippanan said the suspects had links with a drug trafficking network in Laos. He also said investigation would expand in Thailand to include others involved in this drug trafficking case. Enditem More than 24 hours after being charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault with a firearm, Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker has yet to surrender to Miramar, Fla. Police, and his attorney released a statement Friday evening proclaiming his clients innocence. I want to thank the Miramar Police Department for being professional in regards to surrendering and issues with the case, Bakers attorney, Bradford Cohen said in a statement posted to Instagram. "We understand the officers can only base warrants on what was told to them at the time. We have affidavits from several witnesses that also dispute the allegations and exculpate our client. Our investigator has had them for some time. We would have rather presented them to the court at the proper time, rather than in the media, but in this day and age, people rush to judgment. Where some seek publicity, we seek justice. I look forward to moving this case forward to a proper conclusion, as we believe our client is innocent of all charges. Introducing Giants Extra: Sign up for a free trial now. Get exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text directly with reporters Cohens claim that they have been in possession of witness affidavits for some time raises eyebrows as the incident took place less than 48 hours prior to the statement being released late Friday. The statement released by Cohen comes hours after Dunbars representatives claimed five witnesses signed written affidavits that, per Dunbars lawyer and via the Miami Herald, would exonerate him of any involvement in the alleged robbery. Baker allegedly flipped a table following an argument while playing cards, brandished a semi-automatic firearm and pointed it at a party guest. Baker allegedly ordered a third assailant -- wearing a red mask -- to shoot an individual just walking in the door. The Miramar Police Dept. issued an arrest warrant Thursday for Baker, 22, and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar, stemming from an incident Wednesday evening into early Thursday where Baker and Dunbar are alleged to have stole upwards of $12,800 dollars along with an $18,000 Rolex, $25,000 Hubolt, and a $17,500 Audemars Piguet watch during a party in Miramar Fla, that stretched from Wednesday evening into early Thursday. Baker allegedly flipped a table following an argument while playing cards, brandished a semi-automatic firearm and pointed it at a party guest. Baker allegedly ordered a third assailant -- wearing a red mask -- to shoot an individual just walking in the door. According to the warrant, Baker and Dunbar were seen two days earlier where they lost $70,000 playing poker at a party in Miami. Miramar public information officer Tania Rues told NJ Advance Media earlier on Friday that they had been in touch with Bakers attorney, though they had made no progress yet and were in the process of negotiations. The moment he turns himself in or an arrest is made," she said, well put it out there. Rues added that the arresting officer attempted to reach Baker by phone following the incident to obtain a statement, but Baker immediately hung up the phone. If convicted of his charges, Baker could be facing a minimum prison sentence of 10-15 years, as detailed in this NJ Advance Media story from earlier on Friday. The sooner you turn yourself in the better, Florida-based attorney Kendall Coffey told NJ Advance Media. It could raise questions because the entire world knows theres an arrest warrant. Get Giants text messages from reporters: Cut through the clutter of social media and text directly with the Giants beat writers. Plus, exclusive news and analysis every day. Sign up now for a free trial. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Follow Matt Lombardo on Twitter at @MattLombardoNFL. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 16:43:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on March 24, 2020 shows Chinese workers maintaining equipment at lower Stung Russei Chrum hydropower station in Koh Kong province, southwestern Cambodia. Located in the jungles in Koh Kong province, southwestern Cambodia, the Chinese-built lower Stung Russei Chrum hydropower station has kept normal running since the outbreak of COVID-19, powering this Southeast Asian nation to brave uncertainties brought by the pandemic. (China Huadian Lower Stung Russei Chrum Hydroelectric Project (Cambodia) Company Limited/Handout via Xinhua) by Mao Pengfei PHNOM PENH, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Located in the jungles in Koh Kong province, southwestern Cambodia, the Chinese-built lower Stung Russei Chrum hydropower station has kept normal running since the outbreak of COVID-19, powering this Southeast Asian nation to brave uncertainties brought by the pandemic. With a total installed capacity of 338 megawatts and a designed annual output of 1.2 billion kilowatt-hours, the hydroelectric station, built by giant power company China Huadian Corporation LTD, has generated more than 6.2 billion kilowatt-hours since 2013. "We have applied effective measures to prevent COVID-19 and mobilized much needed resources to ensure the operation," You Yuansheng, deputy general manager of China Huadian Lower Stung Russei Chrum Hydroelectric Project (Cambodia) Company Limited, told Xinhua in a recent interview. "The safety of our staff is the precondition of normal operation. Strict measures have been adopted in our company, including thorough sanitation of vehicles, offices, and dormitories, frequent temperature tests, and mask-wearing requirements, among others," he said. "All people who returned from China after vacation should be quarantined for 14 days." The epidemic-prevention work also won support from local workers. Some Cambodian staff work together with their Chinese colleagues in shooting and posting videos on social media like Facebook and tik-tok to promote public awareness of COVID-19. Although COVID-19 has caused problems such as a shortage of hands and delayed supplies, the operation and maintenance of the power station have been running well. During the first four months of 2020, it provided 75 million kilowatt-hours. Fifty-year-old Luo Jianhua, deputy director of the production technology department at the station, has been working here for over eight months after a vacation back in China in September 2019. The lower Stung Russei Chrum hydroelectric station comprises two dams, with the upper having a height of 125 meters and the lower 59 meters. "I'm responsible for safety production and equipment maintenance here," said Luo. "Rainy season is the best time for hydropower station to generate electricity. We must keep our equipment in good condition and prepare for it." During the past months, Luo and his colleagues finished examination and maintenance of key equipment like power units, generator transformers and flood discharging facilities to prepare the station for the coming rainy season. "We only have 94 Chinese colleagues on site right now. The shortage of hands is a big challenge; therefore, we must unite and cooperate more closely to fulfill our duties at this special time," You said. "In the rainy season, flood prevention and generating electricity are our priorities," he said. "We have made a detailed plan to make sure that our station will run safely at full capacity to provide reliable power for the socio-economic development of Cambodia." Enditem Gunmen who stormed a hospital in the Afghan capital this week had come to "kill the mothers," a medical charity said, as survivors expressed shock and horror at the gruesome attack. At least 24 people were killed -- including newborns, mothers and nurses -- when three armed men rampaged through the maternity ward of the Barchi National Hospital in Kabul on Tuesday, in an attack that sparked international outrage. The United States later said the deadly assault was carried out by the Islamic State group. "What I saw in the maternity hospital demonstrates it was a systematic shooting of the mothers," said Frederic Bonnot on Thursday, the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) head in Afghanistan, who visited the facility a day after the attack. "They went through the rooms in the maternity, shooting women in their beds. It was methodical. "Walls sprayed with bullets, blood on the floors in the rooms, vehicles burnt out and windows shot through," he said in a statement. MSF, which runs the maternity ward at the hospital, said at the time of the attack 26 mothers were being cared for at the Barchi National Hospital in west Kabul. Eleven were killed, including three in the delivery room with their newborn babies while five others were wounded. Ten others found shelter in "safe rooms", which are common in Afghanistan and are often armoured to protect the occupants from gunfire or rockets. - Wrapped baby in scarves - One pregnant woman who hid in a safe room gave birth to a baby as gunmen went from room to room killing those who came in their way, a survivor of the attack told AFP on condition of anonymity. "We helped her with our bare hands, we had nothing else in the room except some toilet papers and our scarves," said a midwife who helped deliver the baby. "When the baby was born, we cut the umbilical cord using our hands. We used our headscarves to wrap the baby and the mother." The assailants who entered the facility through the main gate moved straight to the maternity ward, MSF said. When the attack began, shooting and explosions could be heard from the safe room where several had taken refuge, said Bonnot. "They came to kill the mothers," he added. "This country is sadly used to seeing horrific events. But what happened Tuesday is beyond words." Officials said there were three attackers who were eventually killed in a lengthy clearance operation. Heavily armed security forces were seen carrying infants -- at least one wrapped in a blood-soaked blanket. IS has not claimed the attack but US Special Representative to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, said it was carried out by the Islamic State in Khorasan, the Afghan branch of IS. The Islamic State group "opposes a peace agreement between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban, and seeks to encourage sectarian war as in Iraq and Syria," Khalilzad wrote on Twitter. The Taliban has denied any involvement in the onslaught. In another attack on Tuesday in the country's east, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a funeral, killing at least 32 mourners, with IS later claiming responsibility. President Ashraf Ghani has blamed the Taliban for Tuesday's attacks, and ordered security forces to switch to an "offensive" footing against the militants. The Taliban, in response, vowed to fight back. FORT EDWARD Hazard pay ends at midnight Monday for Washington Countys hourly employees who are still reporting to their offices to work. The Washington County Board of Supervisors voted Friday to rescind the hazard pay provision that gives time-and-a-half to hourly employees still reporting to their workstations during the coronavirus pandemic emergency closure. County Treasurer Al Nolette told supervisors that the county has spent $612,487 on hazard pay so far. Were bleeding to death on this hazard pay, said Hartford Supervisor Dana Haff, who tried to amend the resolution to end hazard pay at noon during the meeting Friday. That amendment did not pass. Chairman of the Board Samuel Hall, the Fort Ann supervisor, made a plea to allow employees in the Department of Public Health to still receive hazard pay for their work during the pandemic. Public Health nurses have been working seven days a week doing daily visits to quarantined residents, Hall said. Calls are now in excess of 150 per day during the pandemic. It is a truly unprecedented public health crisis, said Hall, who said the nurses have risen to the occasion. Hall said the Public Health Departments employees have gone above and beyond, putting their own health and their families health in jeopardy, and they should be compensated for it. This shouldnt be about money, he said. If I have to put a life ahead of paving a road, it would be the life, he said. The supervisors shot down a subsequent amendment to continue to give hazard pay to public health nurses and county dispatchers. Hall was the only supervisor to vote in favor. We have to be fair as much as we can to the people paying the taxes and the people that are working for us, said Hebron Supervisor Brian Campbell. The county originally thought the hazard pay would be reimbursed by FEMA because the county passed its emergency resolution two days before the federal disaster declaration. But officials found out on May 8 that the money would not be reimbursed. Gretta Hochsprung writes hometown news and covers Washington County. You can reach her at ghochsprung@poststar.com or 518-742-3206. Follow her on Twitter @GrettaHoch or at her blog on www.poststar.com. Love 1 Funny 3 Wow 7 Sad 0 Angry 9 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. Possibility of entry into country will be provided for European Union, as well as Schengen area, including Switzerland and Monaco. Italy has opened borders since June 3, self-isolation after entering the country will not be mandatory, as La Republicca reports. According to the decree of the government, it is possible to enter Italy from the countries of the European Union, the Schengen zone, including Switzerland and Monaco. Self-isolation after entering the country within 14 days will no longer be mandatory. All external European borders, that is, with the rest of the world, will remain closed until at least June 15th. As we reported before, Ukraine will launch regular international air travel to countries that will agree and be ready to receive Ukrainians During this week, we met with all carriers, including national ones, held communications on the opening of international and domestic flights. The situation may differ by region - depending on the epidemiological situation in the regions and on how other countries will open for Ukrainian citizens, Krikliy noted. A US Navy destroyer was spotted sailing through the Yellow Sea off the coast of Shanghai on Friday morning, in a move one observer described as the United States playing with fire. The USS Rafael Peralta, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, was seen 116 nautical miles off Chinas east coast at about 8am, according to a picture released by the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, a think tank based at Peking University, which cited the vessels AIS (automatic identification system) signal. The ship, which is the second US destroyer to be seen in the Yellow Sea in less than a month, entered the waterway from the East China Sea and had been in waters close to China since May 3, the image showed. The US Navy destroyer was seen about 116 nautical miles off Chinas east coast. Photo: SCSPI The US Pacific Fleet confirmed the ships movements in a Twitter post on Friday, saying the Rafael Peralta, which is capable of carrying out anti-aircraft and strike operations, had sailed in the East China Sea this week. One of the images accompanying the post showed members of the crew standing in formation to create the number 115 to show how many days they had been deployed. The appearance of the US destroyer came as China on Thursday began an extended military exercise in the Yellow Sea involving two of its aircraft carriers. The 11-week drill will run until July 31, as the PLA Navy seeks to catch up on training missed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The sighting also coincides with the latest peak in hostilities between China and the US, as the two sides remain locked in an increasingly bitter confrontation on multiple fronts, including trade and the military. On Thursday, US President Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox Business News that he was disappointed with Chinas failure to contain Covid-19 and that the US might cut off its whole relationship with the worlds second-largest economy as recompense. As of Friday morning, the US had reported more than 1.4 million coronavirus infections and close to 86,000 deaths. Story continues Members of the Rafael Peraltas crew create the number 115 to show how many days they have been deployed. Photo: Twitter The sighting of the Rafael Peralta came after the USS McCampbell was spotted 42 nautical miles off the coast of Weihai in east Chinas Shandong province on April 17. The US has stepped up its military activity around China in recent months, with its warplanes conducting at least 39 flights over the South China Sea, East China Sea, Yellow Sea and the Taiwan Strait including two that passed close to Hong Kong since the start of the year. Beijing-based military expert Zhou Chenming said the US was playing with fire by sending warships so close to China at such a sensitive time. This kind of act can do no good and will only make Beijing question Washingtons strategic aims, he said. Are they coming to spy on Chinas drill in the Bohai region? Are they gathering intelligence to destroy Chinas developed industrial regions along the east coast in the future? Are they showing their support for Taiwans separatist forces? Or are they preparing to fight a war with China? The USS McCampbell was spotted 42 nautical miles off the coast of Weihai in east Chinas Shandong province on April 17. Photo: Twitter Collin Koh, a research fellow with the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapores Nanyang Technological University, said that while the US regarded the destroyers movements as a freedom of navigation exercise, Beijing would not see it that way. Besides the legal aspect, the political implication is that in the current, tense circumstances, such transits might not be viewed as normal, he said [The passage is] sensitive when seen from a strategic military perspective. 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 US destroyer spotted off coast of Shanghai as PLA Navy begins 11-week exercise in Yellow Sea first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. The ongoing pandemic is posing a difficult time for companies like aluminum maker Tri Dat JSC, which has to maintain its furnaces for different partners while hurrying to build a new workshop all amid successful albeit challenging social distancing efforts led by the government. How to fluently carry out all the work and ensure the safety of workers, and particularly how to follow instructions of social distancing, made us think a lot. During these times, digitalisation seems to be a key solution for us, Nguyen Dinh Chi, deputy director of Tri Dat, told VIR. According to Chi, although ideas of a digital transformation within the company are not new, they mean a big jump in how it operates. We use software to manage our employees and their working time and progress. We also discuss and exchange works of different departments through this, Chi said. Besides this, we also started to deploy a robot to reduce the number of workers in the workshop at the same time. Necessary transformation Along with Tri Dat JSC, many other enterprises have found digitalisation to be a necessity, especially at the moment. Being unable to promote their latest products to foreign customers at promotional events due to the pandemic, Nha Xinh AKA Furniture Group and other enterprises who are members of the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of Ho Chi Minh City (HAWA) have thought about shifting towards e-commerce models combined virtual showrooms to reach out to potential customers. This application allows buyers to view all the products on the computer and smartphone. With this virtual 3D showroom, they can even interact directly with the products that they care about. Despite not being able to present products directly to customers, we can still introduce, promote, and export products online, said Nguyen Quoc Khanh, chairman of HAWA at a recent online conference. According to Khanh, the wood and furniture processing industry needs large space to display and introduce its products, serving customers habit of touching and seeing products before eventually deciding to purchase them. Virtual technology can help customers to visit showrooms and factories visually from afar. The around-the-clock operating digital platforms helps firms quickly reach customers and eliminate geographical distance while customers can reach manufacturers with shortened order times, Khanh said. Promoting and exporting goods through e-commerce platforms are a solution being promoted by wood furniture businesses in the complicated context of the global health crisis to compensate for the paralysis of the offline market. Therefore, besides HAWA, Binh Duong Furniture Association and Dong Nai Wood and Handicraft Association have also embraced digital transformation among their member companies to optimise operations, save costs, and improve the sectors competitiveness. Statistics from Amazon in Vietnam shows that in just the last month, the number of wood enterprises selling goods on this platform has grown five-fold. In the Vietnamese market, among other big e-commerce names, Tiki has been the fastest seller with a record speed of 4,000 orders per minute. Meanwhile, Saigon Co.op has been witnessing growth with geometric progression, and Grab immediately launched a new platform called GrabMart to serve customers online shopping demand for groceries. Vo Thi Phuong Mai, head of retail services at CBRE Vietnam, said that the health crisis has negatively impacted traditional shopping channels while creating chances for positive growth for small- and medium-sized models of convenient stores, drug stores, and particularly e-commerce. E-commerce represents the silver lining for the traditional retail market amid the pandemic, she said. Mutual bloc efforts In order to cater to the growing bandwidth demand and mobile adoption rate, countries in Southeast Asia are intensifying investments in ICT, bringing about greater worldwide connectivity. This encourages firms in the ICT space to rethink business strategies, build new capabilities, and develop competitive advantage by tapping on advancements in network connectivity, cloud computing, and information security. For example, the infocomm industry in Singapore is expected to employ more than 210,000 workers and create more than 13,000 professional jobs by 2020. Last year in Singapore, the Infocomm Media Development Authority and Enterprise Singapore launched Start Digital, an initiative of the SMEs Go Digital programme. Start Digital will enable new small- and medium-sized enterprises to get a head start with two foundational digital solutions with costs waived for a minimum of six months to accelerate growth and scalability. At the end of last year, Vietnamese Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung said that 2020 would be the year of digital transformation, premising to a digital Vietnam. This is a profound and comprehensive change in way of working, he said. Digital technology will be the best tool to carry out this huge transformation in Vietnam. Along with enterprises from Vietnam and Singapore, businesses from other ASEAN member states have also been pushing digital transformation. As a partner of Microsoft Dynamics in the ASEAN region, Votiva Vietnam has been the provider of digital services for many conglomerates in the region, particularly in Thailand, with big names like Central Group, SCG, ThaiBev, and Singha. Thai enterprises have been accelerating their digital transformation for five years. During the pandemic, we also received orders from many other enterprises for digitalisation in this market, Nguyen Chi Duc, regional director of business development at Votiva Vietnam, told VIR. According to Duc, digital adoption can benefit companies, offering new strategies and better financial performance. Thats why in the Southeast Asian region, the leading groups, convenient stores, and supermarket chains are still strongly digitalising. Meanwhile, a study by enterprise technology provider Workday has found that Malaysian companies are leading the ASEAN in quantifying the return from their digital transformation initiatives. Namely, 58 percent of C-level executives in Malaysia responded to the study saying that their digital transformation initiatives are seeing measurable returns, while this number in Singapore was at 47 per cent. In the 2020 Computer Weekly IT Priorities survey by TechTarget, 44 per cent of nearly 200 respondents in ASEAN answered that digital transformation was their top priority. 16.05.2020 LISTEN Gospel musician Patience Nyarko has said on Onua FM in an interview with Christian Agyei Frimpong that Joe Mettle doesnt deserve the big accolades hes being given, and that most of his songs are old Pentecost and Methodist music. During a discussion on how to project the gospel music industry, she noted that even though Joe Mettle has been touted as the most sought-after gospel act in Ghana, she believes he has not yet gotten to that level. Joe Mettle has not gotten to where hes being placed by the public. The way people are lifting him up there, hes not gotten there yet, she said. According to her, Joe Mettle does not even write most of his songs; and that a lot of his songs are sampled from old Pentecost and Methodist music. Joe Mettle How many English songs does Joe Mettle have? Is it not Pentecost and Methodist songs that he sings? If these churches decide to stop people from singing their songs, what would be the fate of Joe Mettle?, she asked. This came up when the issue of language barrier came up in the discussion as a contributing factor to the low visibility of Ghanain gospel musicians on the international music market. Alordia, an event and music promoter had earlier said in an interview on the same show that what makes Joe Mettle more marketable on the international market is the use of English in his songs and the solid brand he has built for himself. Responding to this, Patience intimated that Joe does not even have a lot of English songs and that most of his songs are sampled from old songs which are in the local languages. She said it is not true that Joe is the only artiste in Ghana who has international appeal. Listen to the audio of what she said below: Ghanaweekend.com Oil-to-telecom conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd on Saturday said its mega Rs 53,125 crore rights issue will open for subscription of shareholders on May 20 and close on June 3. Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's firm had on April 30 announced fund raising of Rs 53,125 crore by way of a 1:15 rights issue -- India's biggest and the first such issue by the firm in nearly three decades. Reliance had earlier fixed May 14 as the record date for determining shareholders' eligible to apply for the issue. In a regulatory filing, the company said the rights issue committee of the board of directors at its meet on May 15 approved issue opening on May 20 and closing date of June 3. "Abridged letter of offer, application form of rights issue, and rights entitlement letter, to be sent to the eligible equity shareholders of the company," it said. One share will be offered for every 15 shares held at Rs 1,257, a 14 per cent discount to the closing price for April 30. Reliance share price has since risen to Rs 1,458.90 (Friday's closing price) but rights issue price remains the same. The proposed rights issuance will be the first by Reliance in three decades. 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. But for Reliance, it is not about raising funds as it has significant liquidity with USD 23.4 billion of cash and equivalent. It is being seen as an attempt to reward the shareholders, cut debt at the group and underscore promoters' faith in the Reliance growth story. Promoter Ambani family has under-written the entire rights issue, pledging to buy shares that are unsubscribed. The last time Reliance 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. 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 March quarter, RIL had an outstanding debt of Rs 3,36,294 crore. It also had cash in hand of Rs 1,75,259 crore, bringing the net debt position to Rs 1,61,035 crore. As part of its balance sheet deleveraging plans, Reliance has sold minority stake in its digital unit Jio Platforms to likes of Facebook. It is also 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. Together, proceeds from these transactions will result in reduction in RIL's net debt. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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. In a heartening gesture, a 82 year-old widow of a soldier who lost her husband during the 1965 War, donated Rs 2 lack to PM CARES Fund in fight against coronavirus. ANI Darshani Devi, whose husband was a havaldar in Indian Army and laid his life for the nation during the 1965 War, did her bit in aiding her country's battle against the disease by donating her savings. According to ANI, she made the donation through local authorities in her village in Uttarakhand's remote village that she resides in. Moved by the gesture, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat urged everyone to follow her example and chip in with contributions towards the PM CARES. ANI ANI quoted Rawat saying, "This the army that was of yesteryears and this will be the army we will proud of in the future with the change we are striving to achieve." "We are proud of Shrimati Darshani Devi. Many of us need to follow the fine example she has set." he said, adding "If we cannot contribute let us at least pay our taxes and not find means to avoid them", he added. Meanwhile, India's COVID-19 count raced past 85,000 on Saturday, with the states reporting 3,970 new cases. The total number of coronavirus patients in India increased to 85,940. While Maharashtra continued to add over 1,000 new cases, Tamil Nadu registered 434 new cases in last 24 hours. Coronavirus claimed 2,752 lives in India. At least 103 people succumbed to death in last 24 hours. Maharashtra recorded 49 fatalities on Friday, biggest spike in single-day COVID-19 fatalities. Felicien Kabuga, who faces seven indictments of genocide for his alleged role in the deaths of more than 800,000 people in Rwanda in 1994, was arrested on Saturday by French authorities, a prosecutor with the United Nations' International Criminal Tribunal said. The big picture: Kabuga is accused of financing a paramilitary group that purchased hundreds of thousands of machetes to massacre people predominately Tutsis in Rwanda's genocide. What they're saying: "The arrest of Felicien Kabuga today is a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even twenty-six years after their crimes," Mechanism Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz said in a statement. Actor Vijay Deverakonda, who recently turned producer with last years Telugu comedy Meeku Maathrame Cheptha, is all set to produce content for streaming platforms. As per report by Telugu 360, Vijay has plans to bankroll a few digital shows for leading streaming platforms. Hes said to have already given his nod for a show which will be directed by KVR Mahendra, who launched Vijays brother Anand in Dorasaani. Apparently, Vijay is mighty impressed with Mahendras script. The casting process will take a few months. If everything works out as planned, this show will be made for Aha, the new streaming platform from Geetha Arts. Vijay also has plans to produce a few more shows over the course of next couple of years. On the career front, Vijay will be next seen on screen in Puri Jagannadhs multilingual action-thriller Fighter, which also stars Ananya Panday. In Fighter, Vijay plays a fighter with a stutter. He underwent mixed martial arts classes in Thailand in preparation for his character. Karan Johar has come on board to release the film in Hindi. The film will be shot simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi, and will be dubbed into other regional languages as well. Besides Telugu, I am planning to dub my lines in Hindi as well, Vijay had said. Also read: Shah Rukh Khans daughter Suhanas photo shoot with mom Gauri goes viral, Ananya Panday asks if she can borrow the top Vijay is expected to sport six-pack abs for this project, which is eyeing summer 2020 release. Karan Johar and Apoorva Mehta will distribute the film in Hindi. Apparently, the script of Fighter was originally pitched to Jr. NTR a few years. For reasons unknown, the project never took off and both of them got busy with their respective commitments. Vijay also has a yet-untitled Telugu project with filmmaker Indraganti Mohan Krishna in the pipeline. The film, which will take off after the release of Fighter, will be produced by Dil Raju. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan Adam Berry/Getty Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan donated $800,000 to eight of their favorite restaurants in the Bay Area. The donations are helping business owners stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic but also highlight major wealth disparities in the US. When you do the math, the couple's donation is about the same as the median US family donating $1.02. They have signed The Giving Pledge, promising to donate 99% of their Facebook shares over the course of their lives. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Eight restaurants in the Bay Area received a windfall after Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, donated $100,000 dollars to each of their favorite spots, according to a report by SFGate. It's undoubtedly a nice gesture. The $800,000 donation will likely help keep the restaurants afloat during the pandemic and is a solid cash boost for each of the owners. To their credit, the couple have never been stingy with their wealth they've pledged to donate 99% of their Facebook shares before they die as part of The Giving Pledge. But whenever a large donation like this is announced, it can be helpful to examine what a comparable donation would like from a nonbillionaire family. In this case, comparing the scale of Zuckerberg's wealth with the wealth of the average US household shows just how deep economic divides run between billionaires and everyday Americans. Zuckerberg's net worth of $76.3 billion means each donation of $100,000 dollars is equivalent to about 0.000131% of his total wealth. For a typical US family with a net worth of $97,300, as of 2016, an equivalent share of total wealth works out to $0.13. The total donation of $800,000 to the eight Bay Area restaurants is comparable to the median US family giving about $1.02. But, as a family spokesperson told Business Insider, "Mark and Priscilla provided 8 restaurants in the Bay Area with $100,000 each to help keep them operating during the crisis and to produce large batch for orders for health care workers and first responders." Story continues "As the world faces the unprecedented health care and economic crisis due to COVID-19, Mark and Priscilla have made a number of targeted donations in areas where they could make a meaningful impact," the spokesperson said, adding that "Facebook has also dedicated several hundred million dollars worth of investment in COVID response, from $100 million in grants for small businesses, to $100 million in grants supporting the news industry, to $20 million in matching contributions to the WHO and CDC Foundation, as well as millions in ad credits for health organizations and ministries of health." Other billionaires such as Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey have made similar contributions in the past. Bezos was criticized after donating only $690,000 to the Australian wildlife recovery because it was less than he made every five minutes in 2018. Dorsey recently announced he was donating $1 billion toward a coronavirus relief fund, which, according to him, was about 28% of his net worth. Read the original article on Business Insider Radhakishan S Damani family, the promoters of retail chain D-Mart, has increased shareholding in India Cements Ltd by 15.16 per cent as of March 2020. Radhakishan S Damani and his brother Gopikishan S Damani now together hold 19.89 per cent in India Cements, the Chennai-based company headed by N Srinivasan, according to a regulatory filing. Radhakishan S Damani held 4.73 per cent in India Cements as of December 2019. He now holds 3,18,86,777 share of India Cements, which is 10.29 per cent, while his brother Gopikishan Shivkishan Damani owns 8.26 per cent, which is 2,56,01,589 shares of the company as on March 31, 2020. While Radhakishan S Damani & Gopikishan S Damani together hold 1.34 per cent, which is 41,45,103 shares of India Cements. According to a filing on BSE under the Substantial Acquisition of Share and Takeover Regulation on February 26, Damanis had acquired 7.27 per cent share of the company. The purchase was made from the open market between February 25 and 26, increasing their stake from 4.71 per cent to 11.98 per cent. Then from February 27 to March 16, another 4.2 per cent shares were acquired in several tranches from the open market, increasing Damanis' stake to 16 per cent and more stocks were also purchased from March 17 to March 25. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tests show the death of 16-year-old actor Logan Williams was the result of a fentanyl overdose, his mother told The New York Post in a story published Friday. Williams died April 2, a week before his 17th birthday. He ascended to fame portraying a young Barry Allen on the popular CW show The Flash. Marlyse Williams told The New York Post her son struggled with drug addiction for three years before his death. When the budding actor was 13, Marlyse Williams discovered he was using marijuana, and he then moved onto other drugs, according to The Post. In the wake of her sons death, Marlyse Williams told the paper she wanted to raise awareness of the opioid epidemic and the effect of drug use on young people. His death is not going to be in vain, she said. Hes going to help a lot of people down the road. Marlyse Williams told the Post she last saw Logan on March 30, when the two shared dinner, and her son expressed an intention to stop using drugs. He said to me, Mom, Im gonna get clean. Im going to get better. And I want my new life to start, Marlyse Williams said. I just know the last thing we said to each other was, I love you. 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. Thousands of protesters gathered in Stuttgart, and across Germany, on Saturday, May 16, to call on Chancellor Angela Merkel to ease conronavirus lockdown restrictions. Duetche Welle reported that some 56 percent of Germans would prefer to extend the lockdown. Nonetheless, hundreds of thousands were expected to attend the rallies. German states were slowly easing restrictions. On May 15, bars and restaurants reopened in five states, but many protesters were calling for swifter action as the country entered a recession. This video shows demonstrators in Stuttgart, where authorities limited the size of the protest to 5,000 people. People can be seen keeping their distance from each other, respecting guidlines on social distancing. Germany had more than 175,000 confirmed cases and almost 8,000 deaths by May 16, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Credit: Andreas Patzwahl via Storyful New Delhi: The National Board of Examination (NBE) on Friday (May 15, 2020) informed that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Superspecialty (NEET - SS) is unlikely to be conducted in July and August 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in the country. The exit examinations of MD, MS, and DNB Broad Specialty candidates across the country have been deferred as well. Therefore, their final examinations results are also unlikely to be declared by July 15, 2020, which is the cut-off date as per existing regulations to qualify MD/MS/DNB Broad Specialty exit exam for being eligible to appear in NEET SS of the respective admission year. The schedule for the conduct of NEET-SS 2020 shall be published in due course on NBE's official website. The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test - Superspecialty (NEET - SS) is conducted by the National Board of Examinations (NBE) as per the schedule of admissions notified in Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER), 2000. Hundreds of workers have taken strike action at six fruit packing companies in Yakima County, Washington, demanding that the companies provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), hazard pay, and safe working conditions to reduce the risk of contracting the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Striking workers in Yakima, Washington [Credit: Familias Unidas por La Justicia Facebook page] Last Friday, the first group of workers walked out at Allan Brothers Fruit Company, after 12 workers tested positive for the virus. Management reportedly concealed the positive cases and even required one sick employee to return to work. The workers action at Allan Brothers triggered a successive string of walkouts at nearby facilities: Matson Fruit, Jack Frost Fruit, Monson Fruit, and most recently, Columbia Reach and Madden Fruit. Yakima agricultural workers join walkouts by meatpackers in Crete, Nebraska, garment workers at an American Apparel factor in Selma, Alabama, workers at a trash hauling company in New Orleans, Louisiana, maquiladora workers in Mexico, call center workers in Brazil, and numerous struggles erupting around the world against the dangerous conditions imposed by corporations and governments during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the walkouts erupted spontaneously from workers outrage, the workers are represented by Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ), which entered into negotiations with Jack Frost yesterday. FUJ is a local farmworker union representing about 500 workers, which was launched in 2013 and affiliated with the Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO in 2015. [Credit: Familias Unidas por La Justicia Facebook page] Workers tried to express their concerns with management but were ignored. Rosalina Gonzalez, who has worked for Columbia Reach Pack warehouse for 19 years, told the Yakima Herald-Republic, There are a lot of people who have tested positive here. I feel like Im in danger, but I have to work. I have no choice. Many people dont know what we have to go through at this work, Maria Valdivinos, another striking worker, explained to the local press. We feel we dont have support from nobody. On socially distanced picket lines and caravan protests, workers have carried signs in both Spanish and English declaring Workers before profits, Farmworkers are essential, not disposable, We are human, No more slavery, and We need protections. In addition to the basic demand of masks, sanitary supplies, and social distancing measures while on the job, the striking workers are demanding a temporary hazard pay increase from $13.85 per hour to $15.85 per hour. The company has not agreed to these demands, claiming that they have done the best they can to protect workers and will not consider a wage increase. Hansen Fruit owner and president Eric Hansen stated, If this is about money, then I am greatly disappointed the strike is misleading the public. [Credit: Familias Unidas por La Justicia Facebook page] Through the exploitation of these workers and thousands of others, Yakima County is the top county in Washington for crop and livestock production, as determined by researchers at Washington State University, generating roughly $1.65 billion in agricultural products annually. Located 150 miles south of Seattle, Yakima Valley has the highest number of COVID-19 cases relative to its population out of any county in Washington State, with one case per 123 people. The most recent statistics confirm 1,916 cases and 65 deaths, numbers which are likely gross underestimations due to the lack of mass testing throughout the United States. The high rate of infection is correlated with the concentration of migrant agricultural workers in the region, who live and work under retrograde conditions that leave them especially vulnerable to the novel coronavirus. Just under half of the Yakima County population is Hispanic or Latino, with many of those being temporary seasonal farmworkers from Mexico and Central America. Immigrant workers are denied drivers licenses, proper housing, job security, and welfare benefits, including those passed in the emergency CARES Act. For many years prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, Yakima workers reported wage theft, sexual harassment, assault, appallingly long workdays and low wages. The poverty rate in Yakima County is 18 percent, nearly twice the national rate. There are people who come without [legal] papers and have to sleep on the floor, in cars and in more deplorable situations, a local field worker named Diego told the World Socialist Web Site: There are thousands of civilians who lost their jobs, and many are working on ranches only 4 or 8 hours a week and are not eligible for US government aid programs. Many Yakima agricultural workers express fear of losing their jobs, and thus the income they use to support their families, by taking isolated action. If we do speak up, we do not know where to go or not, who will hear us, and if there will be support from fellow workers, worried Saul, an agricultural worker at nearby Borton Fruit whose wife works at one of the locations on strike. However, he added, I support the strikes. Their demands for being essential workers are very fair and necessary. The workers must not fear, for theyve already done the hardest part, speaking up. The actions by Yakima workers reflect the growth of opposition in the working class to the insistence of the ruling class that workers must either risk their lives by working in unsafe conditions or lose their jobs. Workers deemed essential fear every day that they will catch the deadly virus at work and transmit it to their loved ones at home. Rather than mobilizing the resources of the richest country on the planet to produce mass testing capabilities along with contact tracing and quarantine measures which are necessary to effectively combat the virus, the Trump administration is advancing the reopening of the economy to get all workers back on the job so that the profit-making of the corporations and Wall Street can continue. In order to carry forward their struggle for safe workplace conditions that keep them and their families safe from COVID-19, Yakima agricultural workers must develop their own rank-and-file safety committees at their workplaces to assert that their health and safety is nonnegotiable. These committees must develop independent of the unions and the Democratic Party, which have worked to prevent working-class opposition from breaking into the open. The AFL-CIO, with which FUJ is affiliated, has not lifted a finger while essential workers have died from COVID-19 and nonessential workers have been laid off and driven into poverty. Even with a small pay raise and face masks, workers will not be protected. There must be no return to work until every worker can be tested and guaranteed adequate PPE and paid sick leave under the supervision of the workers safety committee. In addition, workers must fight for permanent improvements to their work and living conditions, including pay raises, benefits, and housing. These urgent and necessary demands cannot be won by appealing to management, whose sole focus is the generation of profit through the exploitation of workers. Instead, Yakima workers must appeal to other sections of the working class in the farms, meatpacking plants, factories, grocery stores, and warehouses to take action. United across racial, ethnic, and national divisions, workers can wage a common struggle against the private corporations, major political parties, and the entire capitalist system that subordinates the lives of millions of people to the demands of the ultrawealthy elite. Chennai, May 16 : The opening up of the Indian space sector for private players as announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was termed as forward looking and will give a big boost for the industry, said industry officials and experts. In the same breath, they also said opening up should be done carefully with a proper legal and regulatory framework. "Space commerce is expected to grow quickly once Covid-19-related lockdowns are relaxed. These reforms will help spur the growth of Indian private space companies and increase India's share in the global space market. It will be a real opportunity for Indian private sector considering the way defence-space is also growing now," S. Rakesh, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Antrix Corporation Ltd, told IANS. "The announcements are forward-looking, natural and logical structural reforms of the growing Indian space sector," K. Radhakrishnan, former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) told IANS. The space sector can be broadly divided into rocket launch, satellite manufacturing and satellite services. "Of the present global space economy of $360 billion, 1.7 per cent revenue comes from the launch segment, 5.3 per cent from satellite manufacturing, 35 per cent from satellite services or payloads and another 34.7 per cent from ground services," Tapan Misra, Senior Advisor, ISRO told IANS. Welcoming Sitharaman's proposal to revamp the space/data policy Misra said: "If we target even five per cent of the global space economy, we are looking at a business potential of more than Rs 125,000 crore while ISRO's budget is hovering around Rs 10,000 crore. We have a huge potential in the space industry which we could not harness in a commercial sense." On Saturday, Sitharaman told the media in Delhi that Indian private sector will be a co-traveller in India's space sector journey and a level-playing field will be provided for them in satellites, launches and space-based services. She also said a predictable policy and regulatory environment will be provided to private players. According to her, the private sector will be allowed to use the facilities of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and other relevant assets to improve their capacities. Sitharaman said future projects for planetary exploration, outer space travel and others are to be opened up for the private sector, adding there will be a liberal geo-spatial data policy for providing remote-sensing data to tech-entrepreneurs subject to various checks. While welcoming the private participation in the Indian space research activities former Chairman of ISRO Madhavan Nair told IANS: "However we have to carefully consider some of the policy matters. First of all, there has to be our national space law which will define responsibilities and liabilities." Nair said there has to be a proper control mechanism to ensure that the sensitive and critical technologies do not fall into the wrong hands. "In spite of not having a viable aerospace industry in the country, ISRO has taken up initiative to ensure industrial participation in its programmes," Nair said. According to him, space doesn't bring large revenues or profits and that how many would take up this challenge is a question. "Space exploration is still more complex because returns are negative and it is only a long-term investment. The implementation has to done taking into account sensitivity to international regulations like MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime) and international space laws," Nair said. On the other hand Narayan Prasad, Chief Operating Officer, satsearch is of the view that Sitharaman's announcement is vague. "The best is to establish an independent regulator -- Space Regulatory Authority of India (SRAI) -- which will create a level-playing field for many of the emerging players," Prasad told IANS. "Establishing an independent regulator can allow a systematic review and reforms on a continuous basis rather than one-off announcements," Prasad added. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday held several meetings with his ministry's officials ahead of the announcement of guidelines for the fourth-phase of the coronavirus-induced lockdown that begins from Monday, officials said. Shah, who was in his North Block office for nearly five hours on Friday, held meetings with top officials of the ministry, including Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla. Senior officials have been busy in finalising the guidelines for the fourth-phase of the lockdown, a home ministry official said. However, details of Shah's meetings were not known immediately. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on Tuesday, had said that the lockdown 4.0 will have a "completely different form", with new rules. Modi had also said the guidelines will come before May 18. 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 Officials said greater relaxations and flexibility will be seen in the lockdown-4, which will begin on Monday, with gradual reopening of railways and domestic airlines while powers will the given to states and union territories to define COVID-19 hotspots. The final guidelines will be issued by the home ministry only after going through suggestions of state governments. State governments and union territories administrations were supposed to submit their recommendations by Friday. Brazils health minister, Nelson Teich, has quit Jair Bolsonaros government less than a month after his predecessor was fired after a row with the president over the countrys response to the coronavirus pandemic. Teich, 62, resigned on Friday over what a health ministry official said was incompatibility with Bolsonaro's approach to stemming the death toll in the country which has reached nearly 14,000. It is understood there were also clashes over Bolsonaro championing the use of chloroquine to treat the coronavirus despite studies casting doubt on its effectiveness and safety. An oncologist by training, Teich was drafted in as health minister after Luiz Henrique Mandetta left on 16 April. He had argued with Bolsonaros insistence on playing down the dangers of the virus and criticism of provincial governors attempts to keep residents at home. Lula raises concerns Teichs departure came hours after the former president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said he feared a genocide in the country because of Bolsonaros attitude towards the coronavirus and his desire to keep Brazilians in the workplace. "The administration is turning anyone who's worried about coronavirus into an enemy, and that's not the right path, Lula said in an interview on Friday with the news agency AFP. I'm Catholic, so I've been praying for the Brazilian people to escape this genocide Bolsonaro is causing." Lula, a former union leader who fought Brazil's 21-year military dictatorship, served as president between 2003 to 2010. After his term, he was was jailed on corruption charges. He says they were trumped up to keep him from the presidential race which Bolsonaro won in October 2018. Presidential actions The 74-year-old emerged from prison last November and has maintained his political profile. He said he had changed his mind as to whether Bolsonaro should be impeached. "I said before that we shouldn't try to impeach a president who had just been elected. The person has to have committed high crimes. Story continues Now, in my opinion, Bolsonaro has done that. He has attacked democracy, democratic institutions and the Brazilian people. He doesn't even respect those who are dying of Covid-19. But I think the movement for impeachment should come from somewhere other than a political party, to avoid any ideological connotation." The news of Teichs resignation drew anti-Bolsonaro protests. In Rio de Janeiro, residents banged pots and pans out their windows, shouting "Get out, Bolsonaro!" And it will increase the pressure on the leader. On 24 April, the justice minister Sergio Moro left after Bolsonaro fired Mauricio Valeixo, the head of the federal police. In his final press conference, Moro accused Bolsonaro of political interference. POTUS Donald Trump will restore partial funding to the World Health Organization, according to a recently published article. Pres. Trump Halt funding for the World Health Organization Pres. Donald Trump halts the country's funding for the World Health Organization in the wake of the global pandemic last month. The decision was made following reports that the organization is keeping the blame of COVID-19 away from China. It can also be remembered that there was an online petition calling for the immediate resignation of Tedros, the Director-General of WHO, for covering up the origin of the new coronavirus and on how he handled the pandemic. Before Pres. Trump announced that he will stop the funding for WHO, White House Economic Adviser Peter Navarro already warned that the Pres. is very serious about it and he also described Tedros as one of the proxies of the Chinese Government. Moreover, the United States is the largest single donor of WHO. The U.S. has contributed $400 to $500 million every year compared to the $40 million contributed by China. In fact, the U.S. supposedly plans to allocate nearly $900 million in the current two year period. Pres. Trump To Restore Funding for the World Health Organization Trump's administration is now planning to restore its funding to the WHO after nearly a month of suspension while the government investigated the organization's response to the global pandemic, according to a recently published article. In a draft obtained by a news outlet, it says that the U.S. government agrees to contribute the same amount as what China contributes. This means that if China will contribute $40 million, the same amount will be given by the U.S. and no longer the $400 to $500 million anymore. The draft letter reads "Despite [its] shortcomings, I believe that the WHO still has tremendous potential, and want to see the WHO live up to this potential, particularly now during this global crisis." He also added: "That is why I've decided the United States will continue to partner and work with the WHO. China owes a massive debt to the entire world, and it can start with paying its fair share to the WHO." However in another statement, it was also stipulated in the draft letter that WHO and Tedros must be "insulated from political pressure in relation to public health decisions and participation in WHO meetings and calls for a fully independent assessment of the origin of this virus and the WHO COVID-19 response." Early Warnings About the Virus The disappointment of the U.S. government is also due to the dishonesty of the WHO and China for not reporting immediately as early as December last year the presence of the new coronavirus. It was found out that Taiwan told the WHO of the human-to-human transmission of the disease. However, instead of conducting an investigation, they chose to rely on the investigation from China on which the organization posted on their official account in January that the Chinese government did not found the said transmission existed at that time. Read related articles: Two colleagues working on new global financial strategy plan using tablet and laptop. Defensive stocks are the safest place to invest your money when stock markets are volatile. In times like these, it is important to take a hard look at your portfolio and make sure you own the most resilient companies. Frankly, the world is changing. Previously considered defensive stocks are no longer performing defensively. Stocks previously considered offensive, like technology stocks, have actually actually performed the best in this volatile environment. Simply compare the performance of the S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index (REITs are generally considered very defensive) and the S&P/TSX Capped Information Technology Index. Year to date, the Technology Index is up 25% versus the REIT Index, which is down -22%. Buy the new defensive stocks The point is, society is shifting. Technology continues to play a greater role in society, business, and the economy. Therefore, one of the best ways to manage risks is to own a diversified portfolio. Still own some traditional defensive, income-focused stocks (REITs, utilities, and healthcare), but make sure to also have exposure to defensive, technology stocks that have operational strength and capacity to grow. Get defensive: Buy this technology stock If I had $2,000 to invest today, one defensive stock I would be thinking about is Enghouse Systems (TSX:ENG). It is one TSX stock that provides defence in an economic downturn and offence when the economy recovers. Enghouse is an enterprise software company that provides customer interaction services, network software, and transportation/logistics solutions. Enghouse has a diversified business platform This stock is attractive for a few reasons. First, it has a diversified and consistent business model. Its services are operationally essential for its clients. These clients are highly diverse and include the likes of telecoms, banks, utilities, healthcare, logistics, and public services and infrastructure. Its businesses are also geographically diverse, spanning evenly across the U.S., Europe, the U.K., and Scandinavia. 58% of revenues are derived from hosting or maintenance services, so a large portion of revenue is very consistent and stable. Story continues This defensive stock has a cash-rich balance sheet Second, Enghouse has a very strong balance sheet. The company has no debt and is sitting on $116 million of cash. The cash provides safety, flexibility, and capacity to grow in and through crises. In the past, Enghouse has demonstrated prudent patience in acquiring SaaS businesses at value prices, and I think it will do the same in 2020. Enghouse has a history of solid performance Third, the company is just an all-around, strong, consistent performer. It had a strong 2020 first quarter, where it grew revenues, adjusted EBITDA, and earnings per share year over year by 29%, 34%, and 7.4%, respectively. It also increased its dividend by 22.7%. In fact, Enghouse has increased its dividend by +10% every year for the past 12 years! For the past five years, Enghouse has grown revenue and profits by a CAGR of 7% and 10%, respectively. All this demonstrates the consistency of Enghouses business and its ability to accrete long-term growth. The Foolish bottom line This defensive stock has performed well in 2020. Year to date, it is up 9% versus the TSX Index, which is down -13%. The stock has a trailing P/E of 42 and an EV/EBITDA of 23. While that is not cheap, it is cheaper than its Canadian enterprise software peers. Constellation Software has a trailing P/E of 52 and an EV/EBITDA of 33. Descartes Systems has a trailing P/E of 95 and an EV/EBITDA of 31. I would perhaps wait for the stock to pull back before deploying an entire position, but I think it is very good long-term buy. Put $2,000 into Enghouse stock, and you get a defensive, growing business, a strong cash position, and history and future of strong shareholder returns. That sounds pretty good to me! The post The Best Defensive Stock to Buy if You Have $2,000 appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Robin Brown owns shares of DESCARTES SYS. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Constellation Software. The Motley Fool recommends Enghouse Systems Ltd. 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 A plan to demolish the Ryde Civic Centre and replace it with a new $110 million facility has split the City of Ryde council amid claims the project is designed to boost the political ambitions of Labor mayor Jerome Laxale. Labor councillor Peter Kim and five other councillors have called for an extraordinary meeting to discuss the immediate deferral of the development and cutbacks to major capital works until the "COVID-19 economic crisis is under control". A controversial plan to demolish the Ryde Civic Centre and replace it with a new $110 million facility has split the City of Ryde council. Credit:Ben Rushton "I am of the view that the Ryde Central redevelopment is a political agenda of Mayor Laxale to raise his personal profile to feed his ambition of a place in the state government," Cr Kim said. "I don't believe it is a Labor position." Cr Kim joined five other councillors to oppose the project, resulting in a tied vote that was broken when Cr Laxale used his casting vote to approve the award of a tender to Taylor Construction Group to build a new seven-storey commercial and local government administration building. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 01:06:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HELSINKI, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Finland may decide to further ease cross-border travel within two weeks, the country's Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo said on Friday. The current border restrictions are expected to remain in force until the middle of June. Following video conferences with the interior ministers of neighboring Nordic countries and certain European Union (EU) member states on Friday, Ohisalo said that for now Finland will not join the so-called "Baltic Bubble," but the government continues to monitor the situation. The "Baltic Bubble" is a zone created by neighboring Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on Friday that allows their citizens to travel freely between the three countries under certain conditions. Asked about a comparable Nordic solution, Ohisalo said that the eventual reopening of Finland's border with Sweden may not coincide with a similar decision regarding the border with Estonia. She recalled the European Commission's recommendation issued on Wednesday that the EU member states could reopen their borders if the neighbors have similar coronavirus situations. In Scandinavia, Norway, Denmark and Iceland have reported stable coronavirus situations, while in Sweden the number of cases has been higher. In Finland, the spread of the virus has slowed down significantly, the health authorities said. Ohisalo stressed that this was not the time to name "winners and losers" and that the nation-specific solutions can only be assessed much later. Ohisalo did not exclude the possibility of establishing "travel corridors" with other EU countries on a bilateral basis. On Thursday, Finland eased travel restrictions for those who commute for work or family reasons. Ohisalo said that on the first day there were 9,000 border crossings as opposed to a daily average of one thousand previously. Also on Friday, the Finnish Defense Forces said that preparations are being made for training volunteer reservists to be called up if the COVID-19 crisis worsens. The aim is to "ensure preparedness" in all circumstances. The defense forces did not specify the number of persons to be called up. The training will last one day per person. To reduce the risk of infection, the reservists will not be in contact with the currently serving conscripts. As of Friday, Finland had reported 6,228 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 293 deaths. Enditem SINGAPORE (EDGEPROP) - Property agencies and consultancies, both big and small, have seen their transaction-related businesses adversely affected by Covid-19 and the two-month circuit breaker in Singapore, which has been extended to June 1. But the wider market corrections and economic recession stemming from the Covid-19 outbreak are of greater concern. This phase represents the most difficult and challenging times we are ever likely to have faced, says Moray Armstrong, managing director of CBRE Singapore, in his email responses to EdgeProp Singapore. My fear is that it will likely get worse before light re-emerges at the end of the tunnel. CBRE's Armstrong: I am a subscriber to a V-shaped market cycle and, as history will attest, Singapore tends to rebound far quicker and stronger than expected (Photo: The Edge Singapore) Having moved to Singapore in 1998, Armstrong rode out three economic crises: the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997/98; the bursting of the dotcom bubble in 2001, followed by SARS in 2003; and the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) in 2008. Out of these awful times, as in other periods of adversity such as the GFC, SARS or even further back to the Asian Financial Crisis, a whole raft of opportunities will rapidly develop, says the 32-year, crisis-hardened, real estate veteran. I am a subscriber to a V-shaped market cycle and, as history will attest, Singapore tends to rebound far quicker and stronger than expected. Armstrong believes Singapore will be the first port of call for investors and multinational companies seeking safe havens and talent. Appointed managing director of CBRE Singapore in February last year, Armstrong is responsible for the overall growth and strategic direction of the Singapore business. Prior to that, he was managing director of CBREs advisory and transactions business where he managed the largest team of transaction professionals in Singapore across the office, retail and industrial business lines. He joined CBRE in 1992, when he was posted in Hong Kong before coming to Singapore. Story continues Rethinking the role of office A spin-off from the stay at home policies to contain the virus is the global adoption of telecommuting. With companies testing the balance between working from the office and other remote working locations, this has led to a rethinking of the role the office plays in enabling work, says Armstrong. With companies testing the balance between working from the office and other remote working locations, this has led to a rethinking of the role the office plays in enabling work (Photo: Albert Chua/EdgeProp Singapore) The focus will be on setting up the right technology, culture, and expectations to ensure employees can maintain productivity and engagement no matter where they are, he continues. We anticipate that when employees come into the office, it will be largely driven by their need to meet and connect with others. Organisations will continue the trend of looking to occupy less, yet higher-quality and better-equipped space, adds Armstrong. The savings from the reduced footprint will be re-directed toward investments in technology and factors that enable occupant health, he continues. By providing employees with a portfolio of technology-enabled solutions and locations to work [from], our future workspaces will be more fluid than ever. There will be a bigger demand for buildings with sustainability and wellness features as companies strengthen their commitment to employee health and wellness. And this could potentially increase the development of more quality-certified buildings, he reckons. Two themes emerging, in opposing directions Organisations will continue the trend of looking to occupy less, yet higher-quality and better-equipped space (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore) Armstrong sees two themes emerging in the office market, but in opposing directions. At one end, there is much discussion around greater acceptance and higher levels of remote working, which will clearly be dilutive to demand for conventional leased space, he says. At the opposing end, we expect to see more de-densification, de-concentration, business continuity planning and increased health safety and welfare requirements. In theory, this would suggest that occupiers may require additional office space. However, he does not expect net quantum demand for conventional office space to be impacted immediately. As companies resume business and staff return to office over the coming quarters, they will be reviewing the optimum balance between conventional office leases, more flexible or co-working options and remote working, he says. Demand for flexible and co-working space is likely to grow in the medium to long term, with occupiers using it as an alternative to expansion/contraction options, and a means for reducing capital or fit-out cost to cater to a more fluid workforce (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore) Major landlords in Singapore are already seeing this shift and are catering to the need for agility by either their own flex offerings, or by partnering with or leasing to third-party operators, adds Armstrong. Turbulence in the co-working space is expected in the short term as operators find a balance between the right product mix, pricing and deal structures. However, demand for flexible and co-working space is likely to grow in the medium to long term, with occupiers using it as an alternative to expansion/contraction options, and a means for reducing capital or fit-out cost to cater to a more fluid workforce. As at 1Q2020, the total office stock in Singapore amounts to 62 million sq ft. The agile space co-working or serviced offices occupies some 2.7 million sq ft, reflecting a modest 4.3% of total office stock, according to CBRE Research. Demand for agile space is expected to grow, with large occupiers expected to place between 5% and 15% of their footprint here either via units provided by landlords or third-party operators. By 2030, CBRE expects at least three out of five buildings to have some sort of flexible office component. Take-up in new builds to remain resilient CBREs forecast is that Grade-A (Core CBD) rents are likely to decline by 13% in 2020 to $10.05 psf per month (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore) About 1.17 million sq ft of new office space is expected to enter the market next year. Projects in the pipeline include CapitaSpring on Market Street, a joint development by CapitaLand Commercial Trust and Mitsubishi Estate Co; Rochester Commons, a business park and commercial project in Buona Vista by CapitaLand; Hub Synergy Point redevelopment on Anson Road by its owners; and the office component of Surbana Jurong Campus. With only two Grade-A office buildings in the pipeline for 2020/2021, Armstrong expects the take-up of quality new builds to remain resilient. At 79 Robinson Road, pre-leasing activity has progressed well, he notes, with the building already 71% pre-committed. The only Grade-A building expected to be completed in 2021 is CapitaSpring. With the current circuit breaker in Singapore, we expect that some developments will need to compress construction programmes to meet original completion dates, reckons Armstrong. Source: CBRE Singapore Research There have been no withdrawals of commitments in new buildings to date, he notes. Armstrong is of the opinion that there is relatively low risk of that happening. The short-term environment is weak, but Singapores position as a major regional hub will be accentuated in the long term and we expect many MNCs will pivot towards Singapore as they re-evaluate strategies for Asia, he argues. CBREs forecast is that Grade-A (Core CBD) rents are likely to decline by 13% in 2020 to $10.05 psf per month. Depending on the duration of the Covid-19 outbreak, a potential rental recovery of 4.5% could be expected in 2021. This is supported by a rebound in the economy and limited new supply, reasons Armstrong. Capital values are likely to be more resilient due to the limited stock of Grade-A offices and the dearth of transactions. Industrial rents more suppressed Following the Covid-19 outbreak, supply chains have been disrupted, and sentiment in the manufacturing sector has declined sharply. In light of the weak business confidence, most of the leasing activity will be centred on renewals (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore) Following the Covid-19 outbreak, supply chains have been disrupted, and sentiment in the manufacturing sector has declined sharply. In light of the weak business confidence, most of the leasing activity will be centred on renewals. In the industrial market, there was an increasing number of occupier requests for more flexible rental negotiations, explains Armstrong. Some landlords have begun offering rental abatements, with the state taking the lead in offering a one-month rent waiver to all industrial tenants of government agencies. Armstrong sees the business park segment better insulated against downturns relative to the commercial office sector. The prime business parks are operating off high occupancy levels with limited new speculative developments, he says. The sector looks resilient. Source: CBRE Singapore Research Amid market uncertainties due to the Covid-19 outbreak, overall industrial rents are likely to be suppressed further. Factory rents could exhibit a steeper decline worsened by supply chain disruptions, whereas the fall in warehouse rents may be partially cushioned by a limited supply pipeline and short-term demand for storage space, observes Armstrong. Retail rents projected to fall 9% y-o-y CBRE Researchs forecast is that rents are likely to see a 9.0% y-o-y drop for 2020 (Photo: Albert Chua/EdgeProp Singapore) A steep fall in tourism arrivals and tourism receipts as a result of travel restrictions and border closings, has led to a slump in retail sales. As retail sales are highly correlated with prime retail rents, CBRE Research expects rental decline to accelerate from 2Q2020. Landlords are expected to face increasing pressure to strike a balance between occupancy and rents. The cutback in retail supply for the next few years remains the saving grace for the retail sector, notes Armstrong. In addition, prime space remains very limited, and this will help to cushion some extent of rental and price declines. CBRE Researchs forecast is that rents are likely to see a 9.0% y-o-y drop for 2020. Assuming that there is some recovery by end-2020, rents are projected to improve by 1.3% y-o-y in 2021. Source: CBRE Singapore Research Size matters Listed on the New York Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of US$13.68 billion ($19.35 billion), the Los Angeles-headquartered CBRE Group is considered the worlds biggest commercial real estate services and investment firm. CBRE has a very diverse and mature business in Singapore that spans beyond just transaction-based service lines (Photo: Albert Chua/EdgeProp Singapore) Compared with the Global Financial Crisis, we have a stronger market position across business lines, a more diversified and contractual revenue base, a significantly stronger balance sheet with more than US$3 billion of liquidity and a leadership team that is far better equipped to manage our cost structure, said CBRE Group president and CEO Bob Sulentic in a press statement on the firms 1Q2020 financial results on May 7. CBRE has always been at the forefront of technology in the real estate space, says Armstrong. We have also invested heavily in technology solutions and services that can help our clients manage functions and facilities through periods of disruption, he adds. Our digital and technology team, and workplace strategy team, are incredibly busy at present, extending support and advice to a multitude of customers to ensure these organisations remain as productive and connected as possible. In addition, CBRE has a very diverse and mature business in Singapore that spans beyond just transaction-based service lines. They include property management and facilities management, as well as valuation and occupier consulting services. At times like this, it is important to be able to draw upon lines of business with more stable, annuity-based revenue streams, says Armstrong. Read also: See Also: New York, May 16 : As it races against time to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, the US is working "very closely" with India on the project, President Donald Trump has said. Unveiling 'Operation Warp Speed' to ready a vaccine by the end of the year, Trump said on Friday that "many of the great scientists, researchers" from the US Indian community were working on the project. Underlining the close cooperation between the two countries in fighting "the common enemy", he had tweeted earlier that the US was donating ventilators used to treat COVID-19 patients to India. India, for its part, had lifted a ban on the export of hydroxychloroquine at the personal request of Trump and sent 3.5 million tablets and nine tonnes of ingredients to manufacture it last month. Trump made a pledge to make the vaccine available to the rest of the world at an affordable cost. "The last thing anybody is looking for is profit," he said. "People are looking to come up with the answer." Trump said that the US was ready to work with other countries in developing the vaccine and "we have no ego when it comes to this". "We'll be very happy if they are able to do it. We'll help them with delivery. We'll help them with - in every way we can." "We're working very much with India too," Trump said in reply to a reporter's question and repeated: "We're working very closely also with India. Correct" "We have a tremendous Indian population in the United States. And many of the people that you're talking about are working on the vaccine too. Great scientists and researchers." Setting a possible year-end deadline, Trump said that the vaccine would be available to all who wanted it in the US and the military, the other arms of the government and the private sector would be fully mobilised to get them out. He appointed Moncef Slaoui, who is the former head of GlaxoSmithKline vaccines division, to head Operation Warp Speed with General Gustave Perna looking after the logistics. Slaoui said that he was confident the project will "deliver a few hundred million doses of vaccine by the end of 2020". Trump likened Operation Warp Speed to the Manhattan Project during the World War II when scientists and government officials worked round-the-clock to develop the atom bomb in four years in the belief it would end the war. Outlining Operation Warp Speed's strategy, Trump said that experts had looked at 100 vaccine projects, narrowed the list down to 14 and were now trying to winnow it further. The government will provide resources to the developers and when they are at the final trial stage, "Operation Warp Speed will be simultaneously accelerating its manufacturing" so that it is available when there is a go-ahead. "It's risky, it's expensive, but we'll be saving massive amounts of time. We'll be saving years if we do this properly." Researchers at Oxford University have one of the most advanced COVID-19 vaccine projects and the Serum Institute of India is partnering with them to produce millions of its does in anticipation of the trials succeeding. The university's Jenner Institute vaccine is reported to have shown good results in monkeys and human trials are scheduled to start this month. The US government is funding the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi's COVID-19 vaccine. project and the company reportedly plans to start human trials in September. Having a vaccine ready - or almost ready - by the November election could help Trump. Vaccine development, which could speed up the re-opening of the US economy, has played into the polarised political ecology of the US. A former official told a Democrat-dominated House of Representatives panel on Wednesday that it was unlikely a vaccine could be developed in even 18 months as some Trump administration experts had earlier said. Robert Bright, who had been ousted from his post overseeing vaccine development, said that it "normally, it takes up to 10 years to make a vaccine" and warned about the risks of a speeded-up process. "If we rush too quickly and consider cutting out critical steps, we may not have a full assessment of the safety of that vaccine," he said Reflecting the political cynicism within the US media critical of Trump, a reporter asked him, "What happens if China is the country that develops the vaccine? What happens if it's China? Will the US still have access to that vaccine?" He replied that the US would get access to it. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Wednesday accused hackers linked to the Chinese government of trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine research in the US. (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed T wo officers from West Midlands Police have been suspended in less than three weeks over allegations regarding the use of force in separate incidents. An officer from the force was suspended from duty following an incident in Digbeth, Birmingham, on Thursday, where a man sustained a fractured ankle during his arrest. The man, in his 30s, was arrested following reports of a theft at a shop in Allison Street shortly before 1.30pm. Having reviewed the use of force, West Midlands Police (WMP) suspended the officer and referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for investigation. An IOPC spokesman confirmed they were aware of the matter and are awaiting the referral. The police watchdog will then make an assessment on whether an independent investigation is required. A second officer from the force, who was suspended earlier this month after allegedly assaulting two people, including a 15-year-old boy, is being investigated over a third complaint. It has emerged the officer was recorded on phone video Tasering a man in the Handsworth area, after a pursuit on February 27, the force said. The man was arrested and released with a conditional caution, which could be reviewed after the officer is investigated, it added. The unnamed officer was suspended by the force as the IOPC launched an investigation into two alleged assaults and the Tasering. One incident involved a complaint the officer kicked and hit a boy aged 15 on April 21. The IOPC said CCTV footage of the incident in Newtown, Birmingham, had been shared on social media and caused significant public concern. WMP said the teenager was seen acting suspiciously and was told he would be searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act, before he refused to co-operate and allegedly elbowed the officer in the face. The IOPC is also investigating another incident involving the same officer, which took place the day before. West Midlands Police said two officers stopped a man in Aston, Birmingham, who they suspected was on a stolen bicycle. The man was detained and it is alleged the officer assaulted the man before he was released with no further action, the force said. It comes as the IOPC launched an investigation into a Metropolitan Police officer who caused a man life-changing injuries after shooting him with a Taser in Haringey, north London. The officer will be subject to a criminal investigation after deploying the device on the man, in his 20s, as he jumped over a wall on May 4. The IOPC said the man fell and suffered serious injuries and was arrested for drug-related offences. The officer will be asked by IOPC investigators to give a written account under caution for the alleged offence of causing grievous bodily harm. By PTI KOCHI: Nearly 590 Indian nationals stranded in the Maldives due to COVID-19-induced international travel restrictions were evacuated on Saturday from the island nation on an Indian Navy warship. In its Phase 2 of Operation Samudra Setu, INS Jalashwa left Male for Kochi with 588 Indian citizens including 70 women, 21 children and 497 on board on Saturday morning, a Defence source said here. The ship is expected to arrive here on Sunday morning, he said. A source said the inclement weather prevailing in the area had delayed the process of embarkation of people and departure of the ship. On May 12, the vessel had successfully brought home 698 Indian nationals from Maldives to Kochi. Another Navy Ship INS Magar under "Operation Samudra Setu" had evacuated 202 Indian citizens from Maldives to Kochi on Tuesday. In a tweet, the High Commission of India in Maldives has expressed its gratitude to the government of the island nation for ensuring safe repatriation of stranded Indian citizens. "We are extremely grateful to the Govt.of #Maldives and all concerned agencies in ensuring safe and secure repatriation of nearly 1500 Indian nationals from the Maldives under Op.#SamudraSetu," the Indian High Commission tweeted. The Indian nationals were screened medically, allotted IDs and their baggage sanitised before boarding the ship. - Edward Kisiangani said KANU was synonymous with poor governance and repression of freedom and rights of the citizens - He said any politician lusting for the presidency should think beyond KANU for a realistic chance - Jubilee Party and KANU recently formalised a pre-election agreement they signed in 2017 in what looked like 2022 preparations Political analyst Edward Kisiangani has told politicians seeking high offices to look far beyond KANU party. Kisiangani said even though political alliances were likely to characterise Kenya's 2022 General Election, he noted any formation that will bring KANU to picture was bound to fail. READ ALSO: Uhuru allocates land to Rwanda to construct dry port in Naivasha Edward Kisiangani claimed KANU was not the right party to look for political alliance. Photo: Edward Kisiangani. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Felicien Kabuga: Most wanted suspect in 1994 Rwanda genocide arrested "My free advice to competing political groups in our country is this. Form as many alliances as you can. But avoid anything which involves KANU. KANU has not sanitised enough to win a seat at the glorious high table of our national leadership. KANU has never denounced its past," he said. The analyst further stated there was little to show for KANU in terms of achievement in its 39 years at the helm of Kenya's leadership save for detention without trial among other ills. READ ALSO: Ruto's man Ole Sankok tiptoes to Uhuru's camp after meeting Maina Kamanda President Uhuru (left) and Moi joined hands to work together in what looked like a pre-election agreement. Photo: State House Kenya. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Meru: Afisa wa polisi apatikana ameaga dunia baada ya kukorofishana na mkewe "Among the achievements Kanu could boast about for its 39-year rule in Kenya are, detention without trial, repression of media freedom, violence against citizens, mutilation of the independence constitution, dictatorship and general intolerance of alternative ideas. Still KANU?" he posed. His sentiments came barely a week after Jubilee Party leader President Uhuru Kenyatta and KANU's Gideon Moi formalised a pre-election agreement they signed in 2017. According to Jubilee secretary general Raphael Tuju, although there existed an agreement between the two, it had not been deposited with the Registrar of Political Parties. "To avoid any challenge of ambiguity, the two parties have chosen the path of a post-election agreement to formalise the relationship they already have," the SG said. To strengthen the working relationship, Jubilee removed its Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen and immediately replaced him with KANU's Samuel Poghisio. On May 12, Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka gave nod to removal of Murkomen and his colleague Susan Kihika from House leadership roles despite their protests. Lusaka said the changes followed the Senate's standing orders 19 (1) (2) (3), 40 (5) and (7) and met the threshold under standing order 19 (5) there having been a majority of the votes. Both politicians moved to sough legal redress in the High Court of Nairobi, the case will be heard on Thursday, May 14. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. My wife left me at my lowest, chose alcohol over our children - Kennedy Mwangi | My Story | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke The Fianna Fail Leader is extending his sympathies to the family of former minister Gerard Brady who passed away today. Micheal Martin says Mr Brady was first elected to Dail Eireann in 1977 and had a long and distinguished career in national politics. Mr Martin said: "I would like to extend my sympathies and those of the Fianna Fail Party to the family and friends of Gerard Brady following his passing today. Gerard was a dedicated public servant and true gentleman. He was first elected to Dail Eireann in 1977 and had a long and distinguished career in national politics. He served as Minister for Education and as a Minister for State in the Department of Environment. Gerard put environmental issues to the fore. He was ahead of his time in this regard. As an optician by trade he would dedicate a month of his year traveling to Africa for humanitarian work. Over his lifetime he gave over many months volunteering in Sierra Leone, Uganda, and many other African countries using his skills as an optician to help those less fortunate. On my own personal behalf and on behalf of the Fianna Fail organisation I want to extend my deepest condolences to Gerards wife Antoinette, children Natalie, Cormac, Kieran, and Brian. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam. At least 25 migrant workers were killed and 40 others were injured when a trailer and a stationary truck on which they had hitched rides collided on a highway near here in the early hours of Saturday, the latest in a string of accidents involving migrants returning to their states amid the coronavirus lockdown. Most of the victims were sitting on sacks of wheat flour loaded on the trailer, and were crushed when the vehicles overturned and fell into a ditch following the crash near an eatery between 3 AM and 3.30 AM on the Auraiya-Kanpur Dehat stretch of National Highway 19, police said. While many of the workers were from Jharkhand and West Bengal, some were from Kushinagar in eastern Uttar Pradesh, they said. "The trailer hit the stationary truck near a dhaba (roadside eatery). The trailer was carrying bags of wheat flour, and most of the labourers were seated on these bags. "In the accident, most of the labourers were crushed under these bags, and died. Some of them succumbed to injuries on the way to hospital," District Magistrate Abhishek Singh said, adding all the deceased were men. The truck, which was going from Delhi to Madhya Pradesh, had stopped at the eatery as some workers wanted to have tea. It was carrying around 22 people, including five women and seven children, officials said. The trailer with 43 migrants was coming from Rajasthan, they said Both were ferrying people who found themselves without jobs, money or food during the lockdown and were desperate to get back home. While 25 people have died, 15 seriously injured have been admitted to a hospital in Saifai in Etawah district. The rest have been hospitalised in Auraiya, about 400 km from New Delhi and 200 km from the state capital, officials said. President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed deep sadness over the loss of lives and said the administration was making all efforts to provide relief to the affected. The opposition Congress and the Samajwadi Party hit out at the BJP government, saying it was not an accident but a "murder", and asked why it was not making adequate arrangements for the migrant labourers. The state government announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of each deceased, and Rs 50,000 to the seriously injured. It also directed the district magistrates in border districts to strictly comply with the order on providing buses to migrants. "The chief minister has reiterated that directions have been given to all the border areas to ensure that no person travels by unsafe means like trucks. "Directions have already been issued to keep 200 buses under the disposal of district magistrates in every district of border areas. Funds have been approved to send the labourers by buses. Hence, the district magistrates must strictly comply with these orders," a statement from the government said. The SHOs of two police stations have been suspended, and a stern warning has been issued to the circle officers, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said. Director General of Police H C Awasthy said steps are being taken to ensure that people pass through the state in a safe manner, and such unfortunate incidents do not take place in future. "Directions have already been issued to run more trains from point to point, and trains are running in large numbers. However, the number of people who are moving is huge," he said. "Around 10,000 buses too have been pressed into service. Every possible effort is being made, but how this unfortunate incident took place is being probed," he said. The top cop also clarified that movement by two-wheelers, three-wheelers and private vehicles has been completely stopped. The DGP also mentioned that it was a "challenging situation" at the UP border due to the large number of people entering the state. "We are making efforts to help them reach their homes safely, but the number of people entering the state is huge," he said. BJP president J P Nadda, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also expressed grief over the incident. In a tweet, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed sorrow over the deaths and slammed the UP government. "Let's see for how long those heartless people and their supporters would justify this negligence despite knowing everything. These are not deaths but murders," he said. Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati asked Chief Minister Adityanath to ensure that his directives on the safety of stranded labourers returning home are implemented. She asked the parties in power at the Centre and in different states "to rise above petty politics in this hour of crisis and ensure the safety of the migrants trying to make their way home amid the coronavirus-forced lockdown". "Politics in the name of migrant labourers is not right," she said. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the accident has again raised the question as to why the government is not facilitating the migrant labourers' journey to their home. "Auraiya's heart-rending incident has once again raised the question that why is the government not making proper arrangements for the migrant labourers to go home? Why are buses not being run in the states to take labourers home?" Gandhi said in a tweet. Either the government is unable to see anything or it is seeing everything and is acting as if it does not know, the Congress general secretary in-charge of UP East said. Is the government's job only to make statements, she asked. UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar 'Lallu' said that it was "not an accident, but murder." "The chief minister should resign. This government is insensitive towards the (plight of) migrant labourers," he said. The chief minister, according to a statement released by the state government, directed the divisional commissioner and IG Kanpur to visit the site and give a report on the cause of the accident immediately. Local villagers assisted the police and the administration in the rescue operation. Prof Raj Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, UP University of Medical Sciences Saifai said, "The injured have been kept at a COVID-19 hospital (in the university) and specialist doctors are monitoring them." The opposition has been critical of the Centre's handling of the situation, accusing it of not doing enough to ease the hardships of the migrant workers, many of whom have lost their jobs during the lockdown which started on March 25. These people have been desperate to reach their native places, but with public transport suspended and movement restricted, many have resorted to walking or using whatever private vehicles are available, facing immense hardships and even risking their lives. Though special trains and buses are being run, a large number of people have not been able to avail the facilities and accidents involving migrants on the move are being reported daily from various states. Five migrant workers going to Uttar Pradesh from Maharashtra were killed and 19 others injured when a truck carrying them overturned on Sagar-Kanpur Road in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday morning. On May 8, sixteen workers, who were walking back home to MP, were mowed down by a goods train in Aurangabad after they fell asleep on railway tracks, prompting the Maharashtra government to announce free bus service till borders of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh for the migrants. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WASHINGTONEducation Secretary Betsy DeVos is using the $2 trillion (U.S.) coronavirus stabilization law to throw a lifeline to education sectors she has long championed, directing millions of federal dollars intended primarily for public schools and colleges to private and religious schools. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, signed in late March, included $30 billion for education institutions turned upside down by the pandemic shutdowns, about $14 billion for higher education, $13.5 billion to elementary and secondary schools, and the rest for state governments. DeVos has used $180 million of that money to encourage states to create microgrants that parents of elementary and secondary school students can use to pay for educational services, including private school tuition. She has directed school districts to share millions of dollars designated for low-income students with wealthy private schools. And she has nearly depleted the 2.5 per cent of higher education funding, about $350 million, set aside for struggling colleges, to bolster small colleges many of them private, religious or on the margins of higher education regardless of need. The Wright Graduate University for the Realization of Human Potential, a private college in Wisconsin that has a website debunking claims that it is a cult, was allocated about $495,000. All of the colleges could apply for the funds or reject them, and Wright officials said the school did not claim the funds. Bergin University of Canine Studies in California said its $472,850 allocation was a godsend. I think we are one of the most important educational institutions out there right now, said its founder, Bonnie Bergin, who is credited with inventing the service dog. On the Senate floor this week, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the minority leader, accused DeVos of exploiting congressional relief efforts. He said she had been using a portion of that funding not to help states or localities cope with the crisis, but to augment her push for voucherlike programs, a prior initiative that has nothing to do with COVID-19. House Democrats included language in a stimulus bill set for a vote Friday that would limit DeVos ability to use about $58 billion in additional education relief for K-12 school districts for private schools. Congress has largely rejected DeVos proposals to create programs that resemble private school vouchers, and public education groups say DeVos is abusing discretion granted to her under the emergency legislation to achieve a long-held agenda. And it only took a pandemic, said Sasha Pudelski, the advocacy director at the AASA, the School Superintendents Association. The Education Department called the accusation absurd. But in a statement, the department said that every student and teacher had been affected by the pandemic. The current disruption to our education system has reaffirmed what Secretary DeVos has been saying for years: We need to rethink education for all students, of every age, no matter the type of school setting, it said. DeVos has long held that taxpayer funds should be available for private school tuition, giving parents the chance to escape failing public schools and public education competition to drive improvement. A spokesman for Republican members of the House Education Committee defended DeVos actions: While there are likely multiple ways the secretary could have interpreted this broadly written law, the language the appropriators wrote gave her the flexibility to implement it as she has done. The most contentious move is guidance that directs school districts to increase the share of dollars they spend on students in private schools. Under federal education law, school districts are required to use funding they receive for their poorest students to provide equitable services, such as tutoring and transportation for low-income students attending private schools in their districts. But the department said districts should use their emergency funding, which was doled out based on student poverty rates, to support all students attending private schools in their districts, regardless of income. Her guidance comes as elementary and secondary education groups lobby Congress for billions of additional dollars to lift students out of the educational crisis caused by the pandemic. In big cities, which serve the most vulnerable students, district leaders are projecting budget shortfalls of up to 25% because of collapsing tax revenues, said the Council of the Great City Schools, which represents 76 of the nations large urban districts. Its member districts said they could be forced to lay off 275,000 teachers. In New York City, Chancellor Richard Carranza told City Council members Tuesday that the school district was facing the most horrific budget it had ever seen. The federal Education Department said if school districts were to count only poor students, they would be placing nonpublic school students and teachers at a disadvantage that Congress did not intend. Its sad, but unsurprising, that some would put their own financial interests ahead of the needs of all students and teachers, the department said. Educators are pleading with the department to revise or rescind the guidance. In Montana, school officials estimate that compliance would shift more than $1.5 million to private and home schools, up from about $206,469 that the schools are due under current law. In Louisiana, private schools would receive at least 267 per cent more funding, and at least 77 per cent of the relief allocation for Orleans Parish would be redirected, according to a letter state that education chiefs sent to DeVos. The Newark Public Schools in New Jersey would lose $800,000 in federal relief funds to private schools, David Sciarra, the executive director of the Education Law Center, said in a letter to the governor of New Jersey asking him to reject the guidance. Pennsylvanias education secretary, Pedro Rivera, protested to the department that under the guidance, 53 per cent more money would flow from most disadvantaged to more advantaged students in urban districts like Philadelphia, while rural districts like Northeast Bradford would see a 932 per cent increase. School districts can and should ignore this guidance, which flouts what Congress intended to do with the CARES Act: support students who need it the most, said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, and Daniel A. Domenech, executive director of AASA. Indiana has announced it would not enforce the guidance. In a memo, its superintendent of public instruction, Jennifer McCormick, a Republican, said the state ensures that the funds are distributed according to congressional intent and a plain reading of the law. I will not play political agenda games with COVID relief funds, she said on Twitter. Private school educators say that they have always been included in emergency relief funding, including for Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, and this situation should be no different. Sister Dale McDonald, director of public policy and educational research at the National Catholic Educational Association, said that many of its schools would need to be cleaned and that their staffing would need to be shored up. At least 100 member schools are at risk for not reopening at all. In an emergency, kids shouldnt have to prove theyre poor to get what they need to continue their education, McDonald said. A competition announced by DeVos in which states can vie for tens of millions of dollars either to create statewide virtual schools or offer microgrants is drawing fire for mirroring voucher programs that help parents pay for services outside the public school system. The program also stands to benefit virtual education companies that DeVos has personally invested in. Rep. Robert Scott, D-Va., chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, said the competitions point system was weighted in favour of rural areas and voucher-friendly states rather than those most affected by the coronavirus. This program design is indistinguishable from a standard voucher scheme and is the latest attempt by this department to promote privatization initiatives against both the wishes of the American people, and the intent of Congress, he wrote to DeVos. The microgrant program has been cheered by champions of school choice. They are smart to take advantage of the lag and lack of disciplined delivery of education, said Jeanne Allen, the chief executive of the Center for Education Reform. We dont have any choice but to make parents and families the unit of education right now. Trish Stevens, who has a special-needs daughter, said a program in Arizona that was much like the microgrant proposal had been life changing for her child, who is supposed to have $150-an-hour speech therapy and $250-an-hour tutors. Its like the Wild West of education right now, she said, and were all just trying to figure it out. DeVos is also under fire from college educators for disbursing millions of dollars to hundreds of small colleges that may not need it. The coronavirus relief law set aside about $350 million for schools that demonstrated significant unmet needs related to expenses associated with coronavirus. The department was supposed to prioritize schools that did not receive at least $500,000 from other categories of higher education funding. Instead, DeVos used the money to ensure that small schools received $500,000 each. That meant outsize per-pupil allocations at several private schools and religious institutions with as few as 50 students while some public community colleges received as little as $500 a student. Ben Miller, vice-president for post-secondary education at the liberal Center for American Progress, said the allocations came as large public colleges were rationing and community colleges starve. Aaron Profitt, the vice president for academic affairs at Gods Bible School and College in Ohio, said the school did not plan to claim its allocation because it was getting by on small donations. DeVos had criticized elite colleges that received stimulus funding they did not apply for and had urged schools to reject money they did not need. Of course, when you get a letter from the Department of Education giving you money, you start thinking about all the good things you can do, Profitt said. But when I read the CARES Act, the intention was not to do all the good things you could do but try to meet needs. We are trying to co-operate with the law as written. Howell Michigan Podiatrist & Foot Doctor Tomasz Biernacki discusses the need for bunion surgery and when it is needed! It is estimated that the people who develop flat feet and bunion formation can have further knee pain, hip pain and lower back pain. This can lead to permanent arthritis and difficulty wearing shoes or walking. Dr. Tomasz Biernacki states that If bunion and flat foot formation can be caught relatively early, this will prevent permanent arthritis from developing. This can keep the foot from being unable to fit into good supportive shoes in the future. Dr. Biernacki further states It is estimated that the people who develop flat feet and bunion formation can have further knee pain, hip pain and lower back pain. This can lead to permanent arthritis and difficulty wearing shoes or walking. The podiatrists and foot doctors at Advanced Foot and Ankle Specialists of Howell Michigan have developed a treatment algorithm for diagnosing and treating bunion pain with both surgery and without surgery. A bunion is actual the dislocation of a joint called your first metatarsal phalangeal joint. Dr. Tomasz Biernacki is a practicing podiatric foot and ankle surgeon at Advanced Foot and Ankle specialists of Howell Michigan and Brighton Michigan. Advanced foot and ankle specialists of Howell Michigan and Brighton Michigan pride themselves on providing comprehensive the care and working as a multispecialty team. The four doctors at this practice are on staff at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Livingston, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Brighton, and St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Ann Arbor. Working as part of this large multidisciplined team, they can work with internal medicine doctors, primary care doctors, endocrinologists and vascular surgery specialist to provide comprehensive care. Advanced foot and ankle specialists have four different doctors within their practice: Dr. Tom Biernacki, Dr. John Stevelinck, Dr. Marc Bonanni and Dr. Danielle Meyka-Blanchard. All podiatrists foot doctors are on staff at St. Joseph Mercy hospitals in Ann Arbor, Howell and Brighton Michigan. They pride themselves on serving Livingston County and Washtenaw County. Essential activities like economic, social, and educational events now include mining and construction, according to the health committee. About 80% of Mexico exports are sent to markets in the U.S., which became its biggest trade partner in 2019. Most of the industries in Mexico that accounted for the commerce worth over $600 billion were involved in automotive parts. Lopez Obrador said the industries and the organizations must be "gradual, orderly, and cautious" with the reopening as they must still comply with health measures. Automotive businesses to back up new normality "[The economy] is not going to return to normal because there have been changes," the president said at a news briefing. Part of the plan involves a coding system that informs Mexicans which businesses are reopening, which Lopez Obrador called the "traffic light" scheme, where red is meant for establishments with strict measures and green for regular operations. Based on studies by officials in the Mexican government, mechanized industries can help the country control the pandemic. Specifically, the Tecnologico de Monterrey University published research that proved states with automotive operations like Guanajuato and San Luis Potosi reported fewer cases than the country's average. As of yet, authorities are coordinating with the United States to regain economic leverage. The anonymous official said, "We want to reopen with the United States." Federal authorities report that automotive factories are now able to reopen as soon as May 18 because the production of the parts is now considered an essential activity. Analysts now predict that the gross domestic product may contract as much as 10% this year, as opposed to the estimated 6% the month prior. Coronavirus hotspots in the country are expected to reopen businesses and resume activities at a later date, as easing restrictions may result in a second wave. Check these out! Government's growing concerns Many experts say that the government efforts are more pooled into the economy rather than the healthcare systems. As Tony Payan might put it, Lopez Obrador's priority is "to protect Mexico's economic performance." The director of the Center for the United States and Mexico added local authorities decided to take matters into their own hands. This resulted in uncoordinated mitigation measures that were not financially supported by the federal government, and thus data for these communities remained insufficient. Other analysts expect that Mexico may be experiencing a public health crisis on top of an economic crisis during the pandemic. Lopez Obrador's solution, which is to reboot the economy by relying on manufacturing and trade industries, may not be enough. "Mexico is integrated in the global economy," member of the Wilson Center Eric Olson said in an interview. He said it was unlikely that the country would immediately bounce back to regular operations after the pandemic, even with the government planning to reopen businesses with the new normality. Olson added that Lopez Obrador might not be convinced that Mexico was as vulnerable to the pandemic as much as other countries like the U.S., China, and Italy were. This could explain the uncoordinated responses of local authorities to alleviate the spread in their respective cities and communities. Uttar Pradeshs Gautam Budh Nagar (GBN) district, which shares a border with Delhi, recorded its fifth coronavirus disease (Covid-19) death on late Friday night. A 65-year-old Covid-19 male patient from Sector 8 in Noida died at Greater Noida-based Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), where he admitted on May 12. His test results showed him Covid-19 positive at around 8 pm on Friday and he died at 10.36 pm of cardio-respiratory failure, the hospital authorities said. The patient came to know that he tested Covid-19 positive, when were shifting him to the isolation ward. His initial reaction was one of shock, as he stopped reacting. He was suffering from pneumonia and both his lungs were affected, said Dr. Rakesh Gupta, director GIMS. In Noida, the JJ colony clusters of Sector 8, 9, 5, and 10 have been proving to be a major challenge for the health department authorities to contain the spread of the pandemic. At least 54 people have tested Covid-19 positive from sectors 8, 9, and 10 so far, and another seven from Sector 5. An employee of a fire safety company in Sector 135 appears to have infected seven others in Sector 7, the officials said. Plans are afoot to hold four more health camps in and around slums in Sector 8 to screen the slum-dwellers. Weve come across many symptomatic cases at these camps. However, fortunately, most of these patients were under institutional quarantine, said a senior health official. On Thursday night, a 71-year-old man, a resident of Sector 150 in Noida, who was suffering from cancer, died of multiple organ failure at Delhis Lok Nayak Hospital. He had tested Covid-19 positive. Martinsville has been slow to jump on board with the governors loosening of lockdown restrictions. People arent going out in droves to shop or eat but they are getting their hair done. Hair stylists say people have been going crazy over the limited appointments that are available, and restaurateurs are saying they hope people will start taking advantage of the relatively new ability to go back out to eat. On May 9, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed Executive Order 61, which allowed Phase One of the lifting of public health restrictions throughout the commonwealth, except for hard-hit Northern Virginia, that were imposed to stem the deadly spread of the novel coronavirus. Phase One allows retail establishments to open at 50% capacity -- based on the facility's occupational license -- restaurants to have outdoor dining at 50% capacity, personal grooming with one patron per service provider, fitness centers to have outdoor exercise services and campgrounds to take reservations for short-term stays. Churches can have services inside at 50% capacity. In all cases, recommendations continue for social distancing, wearing face coverings and working from home if possible. Kim Williams, the general manager and a hairdresser at Reflections, wouldnt let anyone in the door Friday unless it was his or her time for an appointment, but she came outdoors wearing a mask to talk about reopening day. Were doing good, she said. Clients wait in their cars for their appointments. Were only taking one client at a time, and were leaving time in between, so we can sanitize, she said. People have been calling for weeks to get appointments, she said laughing. The phones have been nonstop since 8 oclock this morning, and we already had 15 messages before 8 a.m. Next door, Brandon Eggleston arrived at Gym 24 for an appointment to have a workout. The gym opened back up today, and Im glad to be back, he said. At Browns Anointed Touch Barber & Beauty Salon, owner Stacey Brown said, We were kind of prepared before this even happened, by already having dividers around stations and working by appointment only. For the most part everythings been running smooth the phone has been blowing up for two or three weeks now, with people asking when restrictions would be lifted, Brown said. A drive around town showed several other salons and beauty shops still closed on Friday, with no signs of cars outside nor people inside. At restaurants Samantha Martin and her husband, George Hobbs, havent gotten around yet to moving the picnic tables to outside the front of MeeMaws in Figsboro, but they should do it soon, she said that group of guys from the motorsports garage would appreciate a place to sit down. That group of guys, ranging between three to 10 a day, have been loyal and supportive customers throughout the lockdown, she said. They order every day and eat in their trucks. Soon, theyll be able to sit at the picnic tables. Although restaurant owners in the city were twiddling their thumbs waiting on people to take the outside tables, many said that the take-out business in recent weeks has been good and has brought numbers of new customers to their establishments. When it all started, there was a lot of reduction in customers, but its gradually opened up more and more, said Danny Heiss of Daily Grind. In an odd way the pandemic has helped us as in people are becoming more knowledgeable. Weve had a whole slew of new customers weve never had before, and I think theyre going to stay, he said. We believe its opened up Wild Magnolia and Shindig to a whole new audience weve never had before, primarily through delivery and curbside pickup, said Shindig owner Tammy Pearson, who is married to Wild Magnolia owner Will Pearson. Weve went out as far as Bassett, all the way to Philpott Dam. We went down to Ridgeway, almost to Eden. Weve had people who come for curbside pickup say they havent been to uptown Martinsville in years, and now theyre coming back, and hopefully theyre going to continue to revisit us when this is over, she said. Shindig just set up a roped-off area with picnic tables so customers could eat outside. Tammy Pearson said she pored carefully through the directives to be sure she set it up right. Ron Gower came straight to have a burger and fries on the patio at Wild Magnolias right before his long-anticipated appointment for a haircut by Shelia Vipperman (where City Council member Danny Turner, who was eating at Shindig, had been for a haircut already). I think its great, especially for the small businesses, Gower said. Hes careful with safety measures, he said, such as wearing a mask, washing his hands often and always carrying hand sanitizer with him. At Wild Magnolia, Will Pearson added an additional three large picnic tables to the area left of the restaurants entrance, plus a tiki bar for serving drinks. Thats in addition to the metal tables and chair that always had been on the patio to the right of the entrance. Jerry and Marcelene Baker of Kings Grant said theyve been enjoying having takeout from Daily Grind. Friday they had lunch on the patio. Regarding the reopening, I think its great. We didnt even know about until Heiss told them about it when they came to order, Marcelene Baker said. Both the Pearsons said Turner has been a tremendous support to local businesses throughout the lockdown. She showed a bag of cloth masks made at Mollies Originals that Turner had given them. All their employees have their own masks already, she said, but these offered a change. He was instrumental in getting her small business loan moving through as well, she said, and he has been a good customer during the lockdown. Shopping Women were wearing masks as they strolled far apart from each other through the clothing racks at Ariels -- yet they managed to keep up a friendly chatter. Other clothing stores in the area were empty, and some did not appear to be open. Ben Rippe of Rippes Apparel, Furs, Shoes said the reopening was very nice. It was just lovely to have customers. They come in two at a time every 30 minutes or every 15 minutes, a nice variety of people. The staff began marking everything in the store down in price about two weeks ago, he said, because we wanted to be sure that customers came in and bought. He had expected a slow start, he said, but ended up with more customers than he had expected. Rippes had been open by appointment only for the previous eight days, he said. It will continue to open by appointment only before and after its 11 a.m.-to-5 p.m. general hours for people who would feel more comfortable shopping alone. The store requires customers to wear masks and announces that it will sell a pretty one or give a plain one for free. Staff sanitize and clean often -- hand sanitizer is readily available throughout the store -- and staff inconspicuously keep track of clothes and shoes that have been tried on and steam-clean them afterward, he said. Holly Kozelsky is a writer for the Martinsville Bulletin; contact her at 276-638-8801 ext. 243. 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 new, and very long report from investigative journalism website ProPublica compares the early response to the coronavirus pandemic in San Francisco to the early response in New York City, and contains a number of interesting morsels of information. ProPublica interviewed San Francisco Mayor London Breed as well as several health officials in both cities, and the report further paints a picture that has become more clear in recent days: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's handling of the crisis was subpar, and Governor Andrew Cuomo has likely received far too much praise from the national media. Here are a few of the highlights from the report: San Francisco was making preparations for an outbreak as early as January Breed told ProPublica that over the course of January and February, she grew increasingly worried about the possibility of an outbreak in her city after receiving daily briefings from city director of public health, Dr. Grant Colfax. He informed officials of what was going on in Wuhan and highlighted the fact that San Francisco had one of the highest Chinese American populations in the country. President Donald Trump did not suspend travel to and from China until Jan. 31. As early as Jan. 27, Breed launched an Emergency Operations Center that paired physicians with emergency responders to identify and respond to the citys needs for protective personal equipment and possible makeshift hospitals. "Just imagine people showing up to the hospital, like if my grandmother, who is not alive today, but lets say if she were and I took her to San Francisco General because she had the virus and she couldnt hardly breathe," Breed told ProPublica. "And she was turned away because they didnt have a bed for her." New York a much more populous and dense city made no such preparations at this time. In early March, Breed wrestled with "arbitrary" guidelines while de Blasio clashed with his city's health department Breed declared a state of emergency in her city on Feb. 25, even though San Francisco did not have any confirmed cases until March 5. ProPublica reported that she did so at the urging of Colfax, since both saw a growing swell of cases reported in nearby Santa Clara County. On March 6, Breed issued an order that recommended people ages 60 and older stay home as much as possible, and employers should eliminate nonessential travel. Five days later, gatherings of 1,000 people or more were banned, and two days after that, the maximum gathering size was reduced to 100. It got to a point where Im like, this is ridiculous, she said of her orders. Theres no data that helps to make that decision. Im not going to keep announcing these arbitrary numbers of the events that we have in the city. That it needs to be reduced to 50 or five or what have you. Meanwhile in New York, de Blasio downplayed the threat at a press conference on February 26, and one city health official told ProPublica "he said all the wrong things" to people regarding the public health threat. The official called it an "awful press conference." Health officials told ProPublica de Blasio repeatedly ignored advice from the public health experts who wanted to shut down large gatherings and encourage teleworking. One official stated, "I dont know what else to say. Every message that we want to get to the public needs to go through him, and they end up getting nixed. City Hall continues to sideline and neuter the countrys premier public health department. New York City confirmed its first case on March 1, but as late as March 11, de Blasio was making appearances on "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" and joking about elbow-bumps while telling residents to mostly go on with their lives with a few lifestyle changes. He declared a state of emergency a day later when the city had 95 confirmed cases, and was then spotted at a gym at March 16. When San Francisco became the first major city to shelter-in-place, Cuomo reportedly dismissed it Colfax, Breed and other San Francisco officials coordinated with health officials across the Bay Area to issue the nation's first shelter-in-place order on March 17, with Santa Clara County public health officer Dr. Sara Cody reportedly serving as the driving force behind the order. ProPublica reported that Breed sent the text of the order to de Blasio immediately afterwards, thinking it could help. When de Blasio reportedly passed the order on to Cuomo, he was said to have reacted to the idea "with derision." ProPublica reported that Cuomo said that "shelter-in-place" sounded "like it was a response to a nuclear apocalypse." In addition, Cuomo reportedly questioned de Blasio's authority to issue such an order. No city in the state can quarantine itself without state approval, Cuomo was reported as saying. I have no plan whatsoever to quarantine any city. On March 22, Cuomo finally issued a lockdown of the entire state. The ProPublica article also highlights New York's policy of forcing nursing homes to take in COVID-19 patients that are deemed "medically stable" to ease the burden on hospitals. This policy has been widely linked to increasing spread of the virus in nursing homes, and New York finally reversed this policy last week. ProPublica does not mention the fact that California has an identical policy in place that has yet to be lifted. About 40 percent of the death toll in California can be attributed to nursing homes. San Francisco now gets to move faster than New York City on reopening New York City is 10 times larger than San Francisco, but has seen 555 times the number of deaths. At least 20,000 people have died in New York City to this point, but that figure is widely expected to be an undercount. San Francisco has seen a total of 36 COVID-19 deaths. On Wednesday, San Francisco became one of the first Bay Area counties to break off from the six-county regional order and join the rest of the state in Stage 2 of California Governor Gavin Newsom's reopening plan on Monday. When Newsom first announced the move to the early phases Stage 2 which only allows for the return of retail and manufacturing Breed said city officials were already working on a plan for restaurants and gyms two "high-risk" businesses that are not permitted to return until the end of Stage 2 and the beginning of Stage 3, respectively. The ProPublica report highlighted that de Blasio and Cuomo have been very cautious on reopening given the severity of the outbreak in the city. You can read the full report here. 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 Israeli army injures dozens of Palestinian protesters during two demonstrations in northern occupied West Bank. Israeli forces have fired tear gas at Palestinians protesting against the expansion of Israeli settlements, considered illegal under international law, in northern occupied West Bank, injuring dozens of them, according to local media reports. Fridays two demonstrations in al-Sawiya and Kafr Qaddum coincided with the 72nd anniversary of the Nakba, or the day of catastrophe, in which Israel was officially declared a state following the forced removal of more than 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and the destruction of some 500 villages and towns. Later on Friday, at least three Palestinians were shot by Israeli soldiers after they allegedly attempted to attack a military post in Abu Dis, a village near occupied East Jerusalem. An attack was thwarted moments ago when IDF [Israeli army] troops spotted 3 Palestinians hurling explosives & lighting Molotov cocktails, preparing to attack an IDF post, the Israeli military said in a statement on its Twitter page. Our troops responded with fire and thwarted the attack, the statement added. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the three men were shot with live ammunition and were transferred to hospital for treatment. Following a brief lull of confrontations during the coronavirus pandemic, tensions have risen in recent days leading up to the expected swearing-in of Israels new coalition government whose agenda includes a possible declaration of sovereignty over Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank a de facto annexation. The Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future state and deem Israeli settlements there illegal, as do most world powers, but Israel and the United States dispute that view. As many as 50,000 Palestinians living in the Jordan Valley own about 12,355 acres (5,000 hectares) of agricultural land, which constitutes half of the total agricultural land providing food security to Palestinians in the West Bank. Palestinian officials have threatened to abolish bilateral agreements with Israel if it goes ahead with the plan to annex parts of the West Bank as early as July 1. On Friday, Jordans King Abdulla II warned Israel of a massive conflict if it went ahead with the plan. Leaders who advocate a one-state solution do not understand what that would mean, he said in an interview published by Germanys Der Spiegel. What would happen if the Palestinian National Authority collapsed? There would be more chaos and extremism in the region. If Israel really annexed the West Bank in July, it would lead to a massive conflict with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, he said. Meanwhile, the European Union pledged to launch diplomatic efforts in an attempt to stop the annexation from taking place. The potential Israeli move is in line with US President Donald Trumps so-called Middle East proposal, which was unveiled in January. Trumps plan, which was categorically rejected by the Palestinians as utterly biased in favour of Israel, gives Israel the green light to annex settlements and strategic areas of the West Bank. For much of the international community, such a move by Israel would amount to a grave violation of international law and crush hopes of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It could also further inflame regional tensions. FJELLHAMAR, Norway Her last phone call was at 9:14 a.m., around the time that her husband, one of the richest men in Norway, passed under the security cameras at the gates of his energy and property investment company. Not much later that morning more than 18 months ago, Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen, 68, vanished from her house in suburban Oslo. When the police in Norway investigated, they found only a plastic strip, a shoe print and some blood stains, as well as Ms. Hagens cellphone. The couples new puppy was locked in the bathroom, and on their bed lay a poorly written, but highly detailed, ransom note asking for $9.5 million, to be paid in an obscure cryptocurrency called Monero. At first, the police treated the matter as a straightforward kidnapping and ransom case, and they asked the Norwegian news media to remain silent. After a few months, however, the police became increasingly convinced that the clues they found in the house had been planted to mislead them and hide the fact that Ms. Hagen was actually murdered. Image Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen, 68, vanished from her home in October 2018. Credit... Norwegian Police That growing conviction led the police in January 2019 to let the public in on the secret, in the hope that someone, somewhere could shed light on what had happened. Dramatic footage caught the moment that one of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds was forced to take evasive action during a flypast across Southern California. Video shot from a news helicopter shows the formation heading towards Newport Beach. But as the tight formation of jets banked left, Thunderbird 6 on the far right of the formation was suddenly seen breaking away. U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds were conducting a flypast of LA and San Diego In an instant, one of the aircraft made a sudden move to the right It forced two other planes to also move over and another left the formation The group lost formation for a short time but they planes quickly managed to regroup As the formation was making a turn, the leader of the group in Thunderbird 1 makes a slight correction turn. But that caused the pilot in Thunderbird 3 to also make a further adjustment. The effect appeared to be magnified with Thunderbird 6 completely pulling away from the formation to avoid a potential collision. The group's precise delta formation is lost for a brief period of time but the group find themselves back together a short time later as they regrouped. The momentary breakup was noticed in a report by The Drive. Moments later, the aircraft were back in formation once against for the flypast The US Air Force Thunderbirds flypast was dedicated to the brave men and women on the front lines battling COVID The aircraft are part of ;America Strong' - a flypast to be held in various U.S. cities It's not clear what caused the initial disturbance, however from cockpit videos released by the display team it is clear that there is no room for error with the aircraft often flying just mere feet from one another. The Thunderbirds display team were formed almost 70 years ago, and were in Southern California flying over Los Angeles County and San Diego on Friday as a tribute to healthcare and frontline workers dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. The US Air Force Thunderbirds soar over Westwood in a salute to healthcare workers, first responders and other essential workers on the front lines during the coronavirus pandemic Chanthel Kokoy, left, a doctor at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center, and her husband Eduardo Frias salute the United States Air Force Thunderbirds who fly over downtown LA The Thunderbirds prepare to takeoff for an America Strong flyover over California at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada Obfuscation, weasel words and a lot of unanswered questions. That sums up a Senate hearing into Alinta Energy over the reckless treatment of the personal information of its 1.1 million customers. Within minutes of the opening, Alinta was forced after a series of blunt questions - to admit that more than three years after its Chinese owner won approval to buy the energy giant, subject to a set of Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) conditions, they still hadnt been met. Alinta Energy admits it still hasn't met all the conditions of sale three years on. Credit: Chow Tai Fook was given the green light by then treasurer Scott Morrison and FIRB to buy Alinta for $4 billion in April 2017 on the proviso it would satisfy a series of conditions. "So to be clear, you have not completed all of the compliance with all of the conditions? Labor Senator Deborah ONeill said. "You are in a process that is still not achieved as of the 15th of May, 2020. Is that correct?" Alexander Dreymon plays the unforgettable Uhtred in the hit Netflix series The Last Kingdom. In the new season, Uhtred encounters a Dane unlike any hes met before. Sigtryggr (Eysteinn Sigurdarson) is smart and makes moves that other Danes are afraid to make. Dreymon discusses Sigtryggr and how he is someone who Uhtred can respect. Who is Sigtryggr? Sigtryggr is a Dane that leaves Ireland and ends up rescuing Brida (Emily Cox) from the Welsh. She convinces him to go after Wessex, specifically Winchester while its left undefended. Its here that Uhtred meets Sigtryggr. Uhtreds own daughter Stiorra (Ruby Hartley) actually ends up leaving with Sigtryggr in the end, one of the stipulations in the Danes abandoning Winchester. Alexander Dreymon talks about Sigtryggr in season 4 Alexander Dreymon | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Dreymon spoke with Variety before the all-new season premiered. He was asked about Sigtryggr and how Uhtred really feels about him. Uhtreds opinion about Sigtryggr changes when he gets to know him more. Well, the first time Uhtred hears about him he just thinks of him as a boy, Dreymon explained. Hes not to be taken seriously. And I love that dynamic especially because of what happens between Uhtreds daughter and Sigtryggr afterwards. Why did Uhtred let his daughter go off with Sigtryggr? Although the Danes and the Saxons do physically fight over Winchester, eventually the fighting stops and negotiations can be made. Sigtryggr gets what he wants in the end, including Uhtreds daughter Stiorra, who chooses to go off with him. But why did Uhtred let Stiorra leave with Sigtryggr? Hes somebody whom Uhtred can respect, Dreymon continued. Theres another scene where Sigtryggr fights against the Welsh army and he really outsmarts them, when he sets the fire and looses the arrows on them. So you think, Wow, this is not an enemy who you can just defeat through battle. You really have to outsmart him. I think Uhtred sees himself in Sigtryggr and thats why hes able to let his daughter go with him. RELATED: The Last Kingdom: Will There Be a Season 5? Could we see Stiorra and Sigtryggr again? If The Last Kingdom gets a much-needed renewal for a fifth season, fans will most likely get to see Stiorra and Sigtryggr again. Uhtred wont be able to stay away from his daughter for long since she is so much like him. Thats part of the problem it seems. Stiorra is a free spirit and she longs to be wild and roam the world living her life without babysitting the younger children around her. Uhtreds story is far from over. Hopefully hell cross paths with Sigtryggr and his daughter again very soon. Its sad to think that Uhtred is separated from both Stiorra and his son, Young Uhtred (Finn Elliot), who chooses to go back to his church. Uhtred is most likely feeling pretty empty after the conclusion of season 4. Fans enjoy watching the dynamic between Uhtred and Sigtryggr. Hopefully there will be more of it to come in the future. A summer swimming trip can quickly become a nightmare if someone needs help and there's no Savior here. In the past year are drowned, according to Figures of the Deutsche Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft (DLRG) 417 people in Germany. This includes people who were rescued later, however, the consequences of the accident died is yet to come. Even if there are for this summer, still no Figures, feared the DLRG, that after the Lockdown, significantly more people flock to the seaside resorts than usual and the number of Drowned will rise in consequence. Madeleine Bruhl volunteer. F. A. Z. Twitter "the task of The police is to make the free time of people on and in the water," says the President of the company, Achim Haag. "The fulfillment of this task is more difficult in terms of the current conditions certainly, but not become impossible." At the weekend there had been several Although in Germany. In baden-wurttemberg, Obermarchtal drowned a 30-year-old man at a bachelor party in the river Danube. In Hanover, a five-year-old girl in the Marchensee died in a lake in North Rhine-Westphalia, Huckelhoven came an eleven-year-old lost his life. In recent years, the number of Drowned in Germany varied between 400 and 540. According to a spokesman for the DLRG, the number is greatly on the weather in the summer months, depending on: "A beautiful summer is a bad summer. This means a lot of work and, unfortunately, many drowning deaths. Most of the accidents happen according to the DLRG in unguarded inland waters. Last year was a result of about 87 percent of all drowning accidents or death. In contrast, drowned at the German coast 23 people areas. One reason for the relatively low number of the constant presence of lifeguards that supervise during the day, the bathing places on the coasts of is. In 950 cases, the lifeguards of DLRG in time to save the Person from Drowning. With concern, you look at the DLRG, the development of swimming skills in the population. During 2005 could not yet swim, two out of three children under the age of ten years, there are now only 41 percent. It will become increasingly difficult, swimming lessons, because every fourth primary school have no access to a swimming pool. The DLRG is with 1.8 million members is the largest voluntary water rescue organization in the world. In this season of 47,000 volunteer lifeguards waters to 1200 Free and in 1350 swimming pools in use. Updated Date: 06 July 2020, 13:20 BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend The Export Development Bank of Iran has planned to issue loans worth of 2 trillion rials (about $47.6 million) primarily for the export of agricultural products, Trend reports citing the banks website. According to the bank, a corresponding agreement was signed between the Export Development Bank and the National Development Fund of Iran for a period of two years. The purpose is to support the development of Iran's non-oil exports, the report said. The maximum working capital for individuals is 50 billion rials (about $1.19 million), and for legal entities - 400 billion rials (about $9.5 million). "The interest rate on the loan under the agreement will be 11 percent," the statement said. The loans can be issued to Iranian citizens who have obtained necessary permits from relevant bodies, registered cooperative enterprises, and economic enterprises affiliated with non-governmental organizations, the bank said. Since 2012, the Export Development Bank of Iran, together with the National Development Fund of Iran, has been taking steps to provide loans in local and foreign currency to support the development of Iran's non-oil exports and provide low-interest loans to exporters since 2012. Earlier, the bank signed a similar agreement with the National Development Bank of Iran to provide a loan of 2 trillion rials (about $47.6 million) to support the export of industrial products. By Associated Press VENICE: In Venice, a city famous for being visited by too many and home to too few, childrens play now fills neighborhood squares, fishermen sell their catch to home cooks, and water buses convey masked and gloved commuters to businesses preparing to reopen. At the same time, the famed lacquered black gondolas remain moored to the quay; hotel rooms are empty, museum doors sealed; and St. Marks Square normally teeming in any season is traversed at any given moment by just a handful of souls after tourists abandoned the city in late February. For years, Venice has faced an almost existential crisis, as the unbridled success of its tourism industry threatened to ruin the things that have drawn visitors for centuries. Now the coronavirus pandemic has dammed off the tide of tourists and hobbled the citys economy. Residents hope the crisis has also provided an opportunity to reimagine one of the worlds most fragile cities, creating a more sustainable tourism industry and attracting more full-time residents. The pandemic following on the heels of a series of exceptional floods in November that dealt a first economic blow ground to a halt Italys most-visited city, stanching the flow of 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) in annual tourism-related revenue, the vast majority of the city's intake. Promised government assistance has been predictably slow to arrive. The city that has inspired painters like Canaletto and Turner is now a blank canvas. ALSO READ | COVID-19 lockdown: Italy to lift travel restrictions from June 3 This allows us to rethink life in the historic center, said Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, speaking in the empty piazza in front of St. Marks Basilica this week. The population of the historic center has shrunk to some 53,000, down by one-third from a generation ago. To help repopulate the center, Brugnaro favors a proposal from the citys Ca Foscari university to rent to students apartments that had been removed from housing stock as tourist rentals. The mayor imagines a dynamic he witnessed in Boston, where those who come to study fall in love with the city and stay. Brugnaro also wants to create a center to study climate change, given the city's vulnerability to flooding, that could attract scientists who would become residents. He imagines triggering a sort of Renaissance that would bring other foreign residents creatives who for centuries were the city's lifeblood. He would like to resize the hit-and-run mass tourism on which the economy depends. Venice is a slow city, Brugnaro said. The slowness of Venice is the beauty of Venice. Visions for Venices future include calls to offer tax breaks to bring traditional manufacturing back to the historic center. Civic groups have suggested incentives to restore traditional ways of Venetian life, like the standing rowboats used for centuries by residents but that struggle to compete with motorized boats. There is hope that tourist trap shops that disappeared after the shutdown will be replaced with more sustainable businesses. Bevilacqua the maker of luxury textiles used by fashion houses such as Dior, Valentino and Dolce&Gabbana is the only manufacturer in operation on the Grand Canal. To relaunch, Venice must return to its past, said Rodolfo Bevilacqua. You cannot, and I will use a heavy term, profane it daily. That is, people who dont clean up after themselves. While the pandemic has offered a glimpse at a cleaner, slower Venice, already there are signs of how hard it will be to maintain that, let alone implement grander plans. Jane da Mosto, executive director of the NGO We Are Here Venice, notes that bars that have begun to reopen are serving with disposable plates and cutlery not more sustainable alternatives. Debates over how to manage tourism have always been heated in Venice and are especially fraught now. Venice's controversial plan to impose a tax on day-trippers has been put aside and many object that any such system would give the city even more of a theme park air. The mayor and tourism officials estimate it will be at least a year until tourists who have numbered 30 million a year return in any significant numbers. While many are reveling in the drop in noise pollution and improved air quality, a year without tourists also means many jobs will be wiped out. It will be a fight for survival, said Claudio Scarpa, the head of the Venetian hotel association. The docking of cruise ships is halted for this year. Gondoliers arent being permitted to glide through the canals until June 1, and many are struggling, having received just one payment of 600 euros from the government. Their future even after that date remains uncertain. The gondolier's position at the rear of the boat allows enough distance to spare them the mask requirement. But Andrea Balbi, the head of the association representing the citys 433 gondoliers, said that the rules so far wont permit them to help tourists on and off the rocky boats. The extended hand is not just a courtesy, Balbi said, but a condition of insurance coverage. Arrigo Cipriani, the owner of Harrys Bar, said he is not even thinking about opening the wood-paneled, canal-side bar made famous by Ernest Hemingway until health restrictions are relaxed. His bar offers some of the best people-watching in Venice over peachy Bellini cocktails but it is just 9 meters by 4 meters (30 feet by 13 feet), which under current rules would allow only a fraction of the usual clientele. Hospitality means freedom. It means an absence of imposition, Cipriani said and doesn't happen over a mask. Nearby, the Hotel Saturnia is spacing out its bar tables to reopen next Monday. We want to send a positive message, said owner Gianni Serandrei. Brugnaro, the mayor, is hoping to send a signal of recovery by staging the popular Redeemers festival in July. The annual event celebrates the end of the plague in 1577 one of the most disastrous episodes in Venetian history with a regatta and a spectacular fireworks display. It will be something out of this world to see," he said, "watching from a boat in St. Marks Basin. You are the owner of this article. Looking toward the heavens last week, it became clear our fundamental differences might get in the way of our getting past the time of the coronavirus. Clearly, we are not in this together. On Monday, someone flew a plane pulling a banner that read SAYCHINESEVIRUS.com, presumably in protest of the San Antonio City Councils resolution against anti-Semitic and anti-Asian hate speech stemming from COVID-19 fears. The plane, according to reports, spread its message of rebellion over the city. And while flying a plane with a banner is more showboaty than holding a picket sign made with poster board and a Sharpie, its a legitimate way to advertise an opinion: Nobodys going to tell ME what not to say. Even if that sentiment is volatile, offensive or provocative especially if its any of those. The idea, of course, is to protect Americans right to free speech at a time when fear looms from every door handle. If we believe the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, then we should be grateful that someone stepped up to take the coronavirus shift. But a plane with a banner to defend someones right to say kung flu seems a bit much a month after the San Antonio Food Bank announced it was running low on food. Remember that aerial photo that went viral? The one with thousands of cars waiting for food? A lot of us do. The next day, a tornado warning set off phone alerts in the north central part of the city. Take shelter now, the alert urged. Considering that San Antonio has been taking shelter since mid-March, it seemed a bit much. But many of those whove seen what tornadoes can do sat in windowless rooms or bathtubs anyway, because if the National Weather Service makes the effort to rouse everybody, they know somethings coming. A woman at a farmers market later said, while self-consciously tugging at a face mask, that she felt stupid doing so until she heard that others did the same thing. The National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention arent just sniffing the ground, either; calling for social distancing and face masks arent just random suggestions. Yet there are those who protest those messages, too. For some, being asked to follow a few rules to keep flattening the curve is akin to governmental oppression. And across the country, the maskless are getting rowdy when asked to cover up as a courtesy to employees and other shoppers, because nobody is going to tell THEM what to do. Finally, on Wednesday, the Air Forces Thunderbirds flew over San Antonio in a military salute to health care workers who have been on the front lines of the battle against the virus. Some have complained it is an expensive, empty show of gratitude, but, for the most part, the locals looked up and gave the F-16s a thumbs-up. Military City, USA, understands putting pilots in the air isnt just a show; its a way to send an America Strong message. Wearing a simple cloth mask knowing it doesnt provide enough protection to prevent the wearer from getting sick but does prevent asymptomatic carriers from spreading the virus sends a message, too. That little plane was also selling a message. We keep hearing these are unprecedented times, but weve seen what plagues can do. More important, we know what fear and feeling stupid can cause people to do. And it doesnt matter whether we write USA! USA! USA! or Surrender, Dr. Fauci! across the sky, because the coronavirus cant read. We, on the other hand, can read the messages; were just too busy saying those we dont agree with are stupid. Compromise would help us all right now. But a birds-eye view of the coronavirus battlefield shows we arent there. We arent in this together. mariaanglinwrites@gmail.com Washington, May 16 : US President Donald Trump on Saturday once again attacked tech giants like Google, Facebook and Twitter for being controlled by 'radical left, adding that the US administration is working to address the alleged political bias against the conservatives on social media platforms. Trump said in the tweet: "The Radical Left is in total command & control of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google." "The Administration is working to remedy this illegal situation. Stay tuned, and send names & events," he added. Trump has regularly slammed tech giants for allowing political bias against conservatives on their platforms. He has called on the Congress to pass a legislation that would clamp down on the tech firms, specifically saying that Twitter should be fined for engaging in 'possible illegal' activity. Trump's tweet came after reports surfaced that federal and state regulators are preparing to file an anti-trust lawsuit against Google. Trump and fellow Republicans have time and again accused tech giants, including Google, of bias against conservative viewpoints. Trump last year lashed out at Google for manipulating millions of votes in the 2016 presidential elections in favour of then Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. "Wow, Report Just Out! Google manipulated from 2.6 million to 16 million votes for Hillary Clinton in 2016 Election! This was put out by a Clinton supporter, not a Trump Supporter! Google should be sued. My victory was even bigger than thought," Trump had tweeted. In a statement, Google said: "This researcher's inaccurate claim has been debunked since it was made in 2016. As we stated then, we have never re-ranked or altered search results to manipulate political sentiment." Trump has also criticised Google CEO Sundar Pichai for alleged ties to election tampering and China's military. Lucknow, May 16 : Lashing out at the Uddhav Thackeray government of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh Labour Minister Swami Prasad Maurya said that Maharashtra is responsible for this migrant crisis. He said the Uddhav Thackeray government is deliberately sending migrant workers to UP in trucks. This may lead to increased infection in the state, he said. In an exclusive interview with IANS, UP labour minister said that the Congress-ruled states have failed to tackle the migrant crisis as the workers have to face a lot of hardship there. Since the Maharashtra government could not provide food and shelter to migrants, it is now sending them back to UP, Maurya alleged. "The Maharashtra government is sending migrants in trucks. That is why there is chaos all around." "The same mistake was committed by Delhi earlier. Each state should help the migrants at this hour of crisis keeping in mind the humanitarian values of the migrants. The migrants should not be forced to flee. Their needs should have been taken care of there. Sending them in overloaded trucks will not help anyone," Maurya said. Appealing to workers, Maurya said, "Keep patience. We will bring you back. If there is a problem of not having enough food, then call nodal officers. Their phone numbers have been issued. We are continously on our toes to bring back migrant labourers. Buses and trains are being arranged. Lakhs of them have already been brought back. The rest will also be brought back. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have stepped up efforts in this direction. They should not risk their lives by hitchhiking in trucks." The labour minister said, "The government is bringing all migrants in buses and and trains. They should not hide for fear of being quarantined. This will definitely spread the virus." On the question of salary cuts in private companies and retrenchment of workers, Maurya said, "The government is keeping an eye on this. I have written to all private offices and companies not to retrench people in such trying times. If they still do, we will conduct surveys to find out how many of them have retrenched workers. Will take action once the lockdown is lifted." On the labour reforms initiated by the UP government, Maurya said, "The labour reforms have been brought in to provide work to migrant workers who are coming in large number from other states. The chief minister has resolved to provide jobs to skilled and unskilled workers both. Factories, manufacturing units closed due to the lockdown are being restarted. We will not compromise with the interests of the workers at any cost. Those who are raising questions on labour reforms don't know that this is all to bring in investment which will ultimately help the workers." Taking a dig at the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, Maurya said, "They must read the ordinance on labour reforms carefully before criticising the government. They have no other issues. The previous SP government only distributed cycles to appease the workers." He said, "The rights of the workers will not be violated at any cost due to the labour reforms. The working hours will also not be extended as reported in the media. Nobody should fear anything. Reforms have been brought in to attract investment." House Passes $3 Trillion Virus Relief Bill, Senate Signals Opposition The bill also faces a White House veto threat The House of Representatives passed the Democrat-proposed $3 trillion HEROES Act on Friday, potentially setting up the possibility for more stimulus checks to be sent out to Americans amid the CCP virus pandemic, but the White House has threatened to veto the legislation, and Republicans in the Senate said it would not pass in the upper chamber. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democrats have rallied behind the measure. Passed in a 208-199 vote in the House, the measure seeks to provide $1,200 deposits and checks for those who are eligible, but also give $1,200 for children, instead of $500 in the CARES Act, which was signed into law in March. Up to $6,000 can be provided under the new legislation. Today, the House will consider The Heroes Act to honor those on the frontlinesour health care, first responders, teachers, transit, food, and other essential workers, Pelosi wrote in a statement on Friday. Many of them risked their lives to save lives and now they may lose their jobs. The HEROES Act, which also hands out more funding to state and local governments, would make a tremendous difference not only in the budgets of the states but in the lives of the American people: their public health, the education of our children, the sanitation so important to defeating the virus, with the support of so many essential workers, she added. It would provide $200 billion for essential workers who have been employed during the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. An extension of the Paycheck Protection Program is included in the $3 trillion bill, as well as COVID-19 emergency grants. The legislation, if signed into law, would also extend a $600-per-week boost in unemployment insurance that was established under the CARES Act, expiring in January 2021, in an attempt to help more than 30 million Americans who lost their jobs amid the pandemic. Meanwhile, the current student loan payment plans established in the CARES Act would be extended, and the new bill would provide up to $10,000 in debt relief for a private student loan. President Donald Trumps name is seen on a stimulus check issued by the IRS to help combat the adverse economic effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, in San Antonio on April 23, 2020. (Eric Gay/AP Photo) The second-round payment also would not be garnished by creditors or debt collectors, which is in contrast to the CARES Act, which does not offer such protections. The IRS, in the first round stimulus payment, could use some of that money to pay back past-due child support, which would not be the case under the current iteration of the HEROES Act. The White House, however, said it will veto the measure, saying Democrats are more concerned with delivering on long-standing partisan and ideological wish lists than with enhancing the ability of our nation to deal with the public health and economic challenges we face. according to The Associated Press. The Trump administrations statement noted that Democrats, in the measure, want certain illegal immigrants to be eligible for the second round of $1,200 payments, a bailout of the U.S. Postal Service, and perhaps most significantly, funding vote-by-mail and same-day voter registration. In the HEROES Act, a Social Security number would not be required to get a payment if the measure is signed into lawone would only need a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) to receive the funds, essentially allowing some people who arent U.S. citizens and who cannot get a Social Security number to get the payment. Senate Majority Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told Fox News that the bill wont pass in the Senate. The House proposal is a liberal wish list, a parade of absurdities that can hardly be taken seriously, and unsalvageable, he said. Theres a high likelihood well do another bill, McConnell stressed. A gas transit deal between Russia and Poland that expires later this month will not be renewed, Russias Gazprom said, as Warsaw aligns its energy regulations with European Union rules and curbs its decades-old dependence on Russian fuel, Reuters reports. Warsaw has repeatedly said it will not buy any Russian gas after 2022, when another long-term supply deal will end. Instead, it will take pipeline deliveries from Norway and buy sea-borne cargoes of liquefied natural gas, including from the United States. Effectively, the current gas deal is over, Gazproms spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov told Reuters. He said gas would still transit through Poland, but did not go into detail about whether transit fees might rise. Poland has long complained the fees are too low. As we watch the COVID-19 curve begin to flatten and re-openings slowly begin, many are beginning to wonder what workplaces will look like post-pandemic. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. As we watch the COVID-19 curve begin to flatten and re-openings slowly begin, many are beginning to wonder what workplaces will look like post-pandemic. Canadian staffing service Robert Half surveyed professionals, the majority working from home, on what theyd learned from at-home work and what theyd do in the future. No such thing as business as usual anymore... (CNW Group/Robert Half Canada) What they found was a majority hope remote work becomes a reality of the future 74 per cent said they would like to work remotely more often than before the virus, something Winnipeg Robert Half branch manager Brent Rein said was unsurprising to him, especially considering his own interactions with staff. "I do see that companies are going to have to pivot because peoples perceptions, coming out post-pandemic, will have changed, in what they want in a workplace," he said. "You cant turn on the TV or read the newspaper without seeing that work is doable from home. So employees are going to want that more, and employers are going to have to offer that." Should workers return to the office, the survey implies office culture will have fundamentally changed 72 per cent of those surveyed say they will rethink handshakes, 73 per cent think their company needs to take more extensive cleaning measures, and 73 per cent will plan fewer in-person meetings. Partner with recruitment company Legacy Bowes Group and human resources expert Barbara Bowes said she felt work-life balance was the key to creating a productive post-pandemic professional future. While 55 per cent of parents surveyed were 20 per cent more likely to say their work-life balance had improved, Bowes said she had seen otherwise. She said her company holds weekly Zoom calls with 75 to 100 people about how they are handling the life-work balance through the pandemic, and she had seen instances of parenting and homeschooling affecting that balance, including a recent instance where a staff member had to leave a meeting to attend a Zoom meeting with her childs teacher. "Youre busy talking to the teacher, youre getting assignments by email and helping the kids do assignments and at the same time your employer is expecting the same level of productivity, which isnt really fair," she said. Not all of the surveyed responses were entirely in support of a future working at home 59 per cent worry more remote work will negatively affect their ability to build relationships with their co-workers, something Bowes said she had seen reflected in concerns from people she had worked with. "I do know some people who are really struggling, and it has nothing to do with kids," she said. "Its just darn lonely." The future, Bowes said, would have to focus on employers being lenient and accommodating to the needs of staff the 60 per cent of those surveyed who said they realized their job was doable from home in the past several weeks may become more permanent at-home workers. "Its been quite a shock to many of the clients we know that say hey, this is working, this could work," she said. "So I do think that work at home will become more operable from the employers side for sure." She said this possibility comes with a possible end to the standard work day rather than standard structured hours, you are asked to attend brief meetings and instead agree to provide a set amount of hours throughout the day with flexibility. "Leaders and managers have to learn to do better project management, better supervision, where theyre focusing more on that productivity output, the project output, the outcome, rather than focusing on the nine-to-five or the work hours," she said. "Basically, I dont care when you do the work, but I want this project done." Its a different management style, but one she said should have been utilized more pre-pandemic. "What I see changing in the future, too, is when were recruiting new managers, were going to be looking for different characteristics," she said. "Much more strong on technology, much stronger on remote supervision." What do we lose when we consider a future where the rat race takes place in the home? Possibly productivity, founder and CEO of "on-demand office" co-working space Launch, Jason Abbott suggested. "There are many distractions that limit productivity kids being home, pets, your refrigerators always there, your kitchens always there, you can clean or do laundry theres always distractions," he said. The membership-based meeting space allows people working remotely to work in a professional setting and host meetings. The concept has seen success in Winnipeg Launch recently opened a second location and had plans for a third that have been put on hold and Abbott said he believes workers will end up incurring additional costs as most homes arent set up as a normal workspace, listing Wi-Fi usage and office supplies as examples. 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. "You are starting to see people who are becoming fatigued as a result of improper ergonomics, because their screen is in the wrong place, or because theyre doing work from their couch, or whatever the case may be," he said. He said he believes co-working spaces will not only survive but see a spike in demand when long-term social-distancing guidelines are placed in offices, as people will still want work-specific spaces. "Current headquarters in Winnipeg or in Manitoba, they were built to a specific density. And that density no longer complies with health and safety requirements," he said. malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: malakabas_ The entire world is struggling as the coronavirus struts around like a manic pigeon, threatening to send the world into recession and depression. Struggling to contain the rogue virus, we are like novice boxers taking blows and punches as we stagger around dazed and uncertain. Sooner or later this had to happen. Pull back and you will see fault-lines strewn across the world. Most of our leaders across the world are struggling. Policies are floundering. Religions, societies, education, industry and ideologies are standing around helplessly looking for guidance and support. At the core is a very deep and fundamental imbalance. Suddenly the world is back to the starting block. Almost. The crisis reflects a malaise that has evolved with our active participation. Mankind has been in a mental lockdown for years now, ever since we stopped thinking about how we were exploiting our future. We continued to apply technology without applying our minds. The pace of change was so rapid that we just kept adjusting and reshaping to catch up with the neighbours. The destruction of habitats, the disregard for family systems, disruption of community bonds, the ruthless disregard for the small, cottage and village industries has been enough to bring the world to its knees. The economic lockdown is our creation. The coronavirus only took advantage just as all viruses feed on a weak and compromised immune system. It is time to reset and recalibrate. This is the time to get back to the basics and look at our options without bias or prejudice. Every economy will have its own peculiar symptoms and they will need to be put in perspective. In India, the tragedy and reaction of the migrant labour to head back en masse to their villages during the economic crisis must galvanise us to think again. Their exodus and desperation to move back to the villages must alert us to the insecurity and insensitivity that exists, perhaps not only for them but for most people, except the ultra rich. There is insecurity and concern all around. Economic revival needs manpower and it needs the assurance of demand for businesses to take the financial risk to get back on their feet. The problem is that both manpower and demand are disappearing, a bit like elephants headed for their final resting ground. There is emerging concern that the contours of demand may already have changed dramatically. It may not be just a weakening of the demand quantum. Demand may no more be a simple replication of the consumer preferences that existed just a few months ago. We do not know if consumers will remain the same. Maybe they will trade down on quality or perhaps emerge with a completely new mindset. There is little doubt that as income generation slows down or stops in weakening and locked down economies, not only for migrant workers but also for the educated professional and youth, there will be serious disruption in buying behaviour and spending patterns. As younger generations experience the hardships of the post independence generations, the settled classifications of consumer behaviour that marketing models have silently relied on could undergo dramatic changes. Consumers might move from conspicuous spending to a saving lockdown or they may become just a bit more risk averse. Will they aggressively look for more value addition, or will they simply demand more value for money. Business and marketing experts are wondering how the values, priorities, lifestyles could change. Maybe, enhanced sensitivity to waste and environmental degradation will focus preferences for sustainability and long-term value. Perhaps this will be a turning point that marks a reversal of the trend towards nuclear families and starts a slide back to the joint family concept of social existence. There could be many other possibilities and none of these can be ruled out. The future is going to be challenging for psychologists and other experts in behaviour and consumer insights, as they try to demystify the consumer of the new world. What will this brave new world look like. Much depends, of course, on the path that policy makers set us on as we begin to recalibrate the economic models, at least in India. It is like standing at the starting block, trying to anticipate the marker's pistol shot, waiting for the race to begin. There are some indicators that India is considering a model of self-reliance. If that is so, perhaps we could find some clues in the thinking and experiences of Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi who have explored similar economics. Swami Vivekananda believed that the greatest sin is in the neglect of the masses and they need to be well educated, well fed and well cared for. He said that we need people who have courage, vigour and fearlessness which is possible only if we have faith in ourselves. There can be little argument with that. The problem today is whether we have that faith in ourselves, to find an economic solution when we do not have the resources. Gandhi's economic views were humanitarian. He advocated cottage industries including handloom, handicraft and sericulture to help combat joblessness, containment of wants and the integration of society. He was wary of technology-induced unemployment and stressed khadi and the charkha effectively to make his point. He emphasised plain living and cutting down on wants. However, given the fundamental human instincts, this was perhaps too idealistic and untenable as a sustainable model, and was in conflict with the generally accepted economic models of consumer behaviour. These models have understood that the consumer behaviour cannot be static or limited. He inherently gravitates towards multiplication of wants and keeps moving to the next higher level of consumption and satisfaction. Dr. J.D. Singh, international marketing consultant and former Professor at IIM Bangalore believes that while consumer behaviour is complex, there are some basics that are not likely to change. He said: "On a macro level, individuals are hardwired to feel and be seen better than others. The demonstration effect is well established and is a fundamental concept in socio economic modelling. It refers to the tendency of people to imitate the consumption patterns of neighbours better off than them even if they do not have the purchasing power themselves." An ardent advocate of responsible marketing, Dr. J.D. Singh believes: "Marketing is more about establishing trust to generate demand rather than pushing demand. Therefore, we cannot take the consumer for granted. A human being has the power to think and is like a black box. You can keep him locked down for sometime but sooner or later he will break out and explore new grounds with curiosity and anticipation." That is really what progress is all about. Modern management and economic culture are not much different in essence. Business builds on an understanding of human behaviour and continuously makes efforts to understand how the consumers' expectation, needs and ambition are likely to be interacting within the black box of the human mind and creating demand. If an economy has to grow, it needs the demand to be strong and predictable. If we want to progress as a society, we will need to encourage innovation and curiosity for the unknown. This cannot happen if we remove the competitive triggers and motivators that are essential for people to set their targets and to stretch their capabilities. The difference and the solution to this problem will depend on the route that we take to become self reliant. The time has come, perhaps, to consider the CSV model more closely as the underlying business philosophy for the industry. Creating Shared Value or CSV is not to be confused with CSR that is an artificial add-on and is often an unconnected responsibility that can become a liability for the business. The concept of Creating Shared Value was developed some years ago by Michael Porter and Mark Kramer at Harvard University as a pragmatic business philosophy. It was accepted and adopted by Nestle S.A and the then Chairman Peter Brabeck had stressed CSV as the company's approach to business worldwide. The strength of this concept is that it underpins business strategy to create value for its shareholders while at the same time creating value for society, particularly for the community in which the company operates. The concept demands focus on environmental sustainability and is required to be embedded in each stage of the value chain. When strategy is guided by the identified objective of creating shared value, the business plans will be structured accordingly to allow it to leverage its expertise and resources effectively. Identifying what is most significant for the communities where it operates and matching it with its own expertise will enable businesses to create shared value. This is perhaps the middle path that we need to champion with an open mind, courage and conviction, to enable businesses to prosper while contributing to social solutions. As businesses and communities join hands to work together, they can create value efficiently in almost every area including improved quality, safety, reduction of wastage, conservation of resources, embed sustainability and efficiency in the supply chain and above all enhance loyalty and trust. Reconstruction of the Indian economy will not be an easy matter. It will require knowledge, understanding of economics, expertise, planning, administrative acumen and the ability to implement effectively. CSV may well be the bridge that we require between economic policy and business confidence. It can leverage business resources and experience very efficiently to accelerate the happiness index in society. It may stabilise the imbalance that currently haunts the core of industry and the economy. (Himanshu Manglik is founder and president, WALNUTCAP Consulting LLP) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The man and woman A Nigerian man in Rochdale, England has been jailed for 15 years for a string of child abuse and sexual assault counts after appearing at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court today (Friday 15 May), whilst a woman living at the same address has been jailed for four years for her role in the crimes. In July 2018, police were made aware that a young girl had reported being abused by Shola Ogundare, 49, and Olwafunmilayo Emmanuel, 35. An investigation was launched and officers established that the girl had been physically and sexually abused by Ogundare and physically abused by Emmanuel. Enquiries also established that a young boy had been physically abused by Ogundare and Emmanuel. Ogundare and Emmanuel were arrested and taken into police custody for questioning. They were subsequently charged and pleaded not guilty. Following a one-week trial, a jury found Ogundare guilty of attempted rape of a child, sexual assault by penetration of a child, sexual assault by touching of a child, causing a child to watch a sexual act, cruelty to a person under 16 and four counts of assault. Emmanuel was found guilty of four counts of cruelty to a person under 16, and sentenced to four years in prison. Detective Constable Russell Clarke, of GMPs Rochdale district, said: First and foremost I would like to commend the victims for their strength in seeking help and disclosing what had happened to them. Both children have demonstrated incredible courage throughout our investigation and this trial, especially considering their age. Abuse of this kind often has a long-lasting impact on victims but I sincerely hope that they can move forward with their lives free from the fear of being abused. Ogundare subjected these children to a prolonged campaign of abuse. Under the pretence of punishment, he sexually abused one of the victims to satisfy his most repulsive desires. Throughout this investigation, he has shown no remorse and the things he has said to try to evade justice have been beyond comprehension. Emmanuel also subjected the children to physical abuse and has also shown no remorse. She has repeatedly defended Ogundare and tried to discredit the victims. I hope todays result sends a clear message to members of the public and offenders alike that police officers will do everything in their power to see justice done. Greater Manchester is nationally recognised as a model of good practice in terms of support services available to victims. *** Source: Rochdale Online The hunt is on for a man who police say spent the night exploring a Sydney museum. NSW police have released CCTV of the man they claim broke into the Australian Museum in the citys CBD just after 1am on Sunday. At one point, footage appears to show him posing for a selfie with his head inside the mouth of a dinosaurs skull. Footage appears to show him posing for a selfie with his head inside the mouth of a dinosaurs skull. Source: NSW police Police say the man walked through multiple exhibits and at one stage put on a brown Indiana Jones style hat that is believed to belong to a staff member. While roaming around the museum for 40 minutes, the man accepted a phone call and tried to gain access to several different rooms and storage facilities, officers claim. NSW police have asked anyone with information about the incident to come forward. The man is described as being caucasian in appearance, with dark hair and aged in his early 20s. He was last seen wearing a denim button up shirt, denim pants and black shoes. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a report online. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. A nother local authority has defied the Government by telling children to stay home from school on June 1 as coronavirus lockdown eases. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said last week that the Government wanted primary schools to begin partially reopening from the start of next month. Teachers' unions hit out at the "flimsy" plans, with strong support from doctors' union the British Medical Association. And Hartlepool Council in north-east England has said it will not reopen schools on June 1. Schools have been closed to most children since March 18 / Unsplash The council said in a statement: Given that coronavirus cases locally continue to rise, Hartlepool Borough Council has been working with schools and we have agreed they will not re-open on Monday 1st June. Whilst we recognise the importance of schools re-opening, we want to be absolutely clear that we will be taking a measured and cautious approach to this. We continue to work with schools to put in place appropriate measures to help keep children and staff safe when a phased re-opening is possible. Hartlepool's statement comes after Liverpool Council said that the city's schools will only be open for vulnerable children and the children of key workers on June 1. Steve Reddy, director of young people's services for the council, said in a letter to parents: Some parents have asked me when schools may fully re-open. This will vary from school to school. Each headteacher has to rigorously assess the risks of fully re-opening for their particular school. Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson / PA Meanwhile the Labour leader of Gateshead council, also in the north-east, criticised the attempts to ease lockdown restrictions. Martin Gannon told the BBC: The national advice telling us the lockdown is over is frankly madness to Gateshead. The devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have also broken with Westminster's plans to reopen schools. Scotland has not confirmed a date for reopening schools, but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that any return before summer will be "very limited". Wales has said that schools will not reopen before June 1, but that it will try to get some children, particularly year 6 students, back in classes before the summer holidays. Northern Ireland has said that schools will likely remain closed until the autumn. The UK Government has said reopening schools safely is important for children's development and wellbeing. Some teachers are concerned that schools haven't been given clear guidance on how they should reopen during the lockdown / PA It comes as England children's commissioner Anne Longfield urged teachers' unions and Government ministers to "stop squabbling" and agree a plan for reopening schools safely. She said: "All sides need to show a greater will to work together in the interests of children." "We cannot afford to wait for a vaccine, which may never arrive, before children are back in school." "It's time to stop squabbling and agree a staggered, safe return that is accompanied by rigorous testing of teachers, children and families." Anne Longfield, Childrens Commissioner for England (REX/Shutterstock) / Rex Features Teachers' unions have insisted they want to work with the Government to reopen schools, but said that talks on Friday left "many unanswered questions". Patrick Roach, head of the NASUWT, one of the biggest teachers' unions, told the BBC: We are continuing to say to Government, but also to schools and employers, that we are here, we want to work with those employers to put plans in place to see whether schools can be ready for re-opening from June 1. We want schools to be re-opened, we want children to be safe and we want staff to be safe. It is not a zero sum game here. It is about ensuring that we get back to a place where we can return to some form of normality. Loading.... The news comes after the heads of four primary school chains - Oasis, Reach 2, Harris and GEP - said on Friday that they were supporting the Government's plan. Sir Steve Lancashire, chief executive of Reach 2, told the Times: "Our intention is to open all of our schools for the priority year groups, and will do so as long as the rigorous risk assessments we carry out for each school gives us the reassurance we need that we can keep our pupils and staff as safe as possible." Steve Chalke, founder of the Oasis trust, added that people opposing reopening were "rather middle class" and didn't understand the harm caused to disadvantaged children from missing school. Schools have been closed since March 18 for all students apart from the children of key workers and vulnerable children. Denmark and Germany are among the countries that have reopened primary schools while trying to maintain strict social distancing rules. Evidence so far shows that most healthy children experience mild or no symptoms if they catch coronavirus, although it remains unclear if children without symptoms are likely to pass it on. The Government has said that parents will not face penalties for keeping their children out of schools that reopen in June. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16 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. The Armenian armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns and sniper rifles. 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. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Vatican City, Holy See Sat, May 16, 2020 12:07 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8755d6 2 News Saint-Peter-Basilica,Vatican,travel,destination,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free Saint Peter's Basilica will fully reopen to all visitors on Monday after a two-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Holy See said Friday. The largest Catholic church in the world has been disinfected ahead of the opening, with a team of suited and masked cleaners on Friday spraying every surface of the 23,000-square meters site. Pope Francis is not yet expected to lead any public religious ceremonies either in the basilica, which can accommodate 60,000 people, or in Saint Peter's Square, as the Vatican seeks to avoid crowds. The Vatican State, an independent enclave in the heart of Rome, has applied the same anti-virus measures as Italy, where the official death toll from the virus stands at over 31,000. The basilica has been closed for all religious ceremonies since March 10, when the Italian government imposed a nationwide lockdown, but individual worshipers were allowed access for private prayer. Workers on Friday cleaned the sumptuous marble floors in the 16th century building, wielding spray canisters on the giant doors to Bernini's famous bronze Baldachin. Vatican health official Andrea Arcangeli said the spray used was "a solution based on dilute chlorine, dosed to avoid damaging precious surfaces and works of art". The basilica, as well as three other papal basilicas, is expected to follow a recommendation from Italy's interior ministry limiting attendance at religious celebrations in enclosed places of worship to 200 people. Beginning Monday, the Vatican's Swiss guard will limit access to the basilica, with the help of volunteers from the Order of Malta. The use of thermal scanners to measure the temperature of visitors is under study, but only for major religious festivals, the Vatican said. Pope Francis will celebrate a private mass on Monday, broadcast by video, in front of the tomb of John Paul II, on the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Polish-born pontiff. Beyond the Vatican, Catholics on Monday will be able to attend masses, baptisms, weddings and funerals in Italian churches, provided they abide by a series of measures, including wearing masks and sitting or standing well spaced apart. Each virus has its unique pattern of spread, and scientists are starting get a handle on how the novel coronavirus behaves. This understanding is making it possible to rank the risks of different activities from high to low to trivial. The most informative studies show how the disease is spreading in the real world - a big advance over the various simulations and models that, early on, showed only hypothetical scenarios. The two drivers of the spread of the disease are close contact and crowding in closed spaces, said Muge Cevik, a virologist at the University of St. Andrews in the U.K. It spread through homeless shelters and nursing and care homes, where people were crowded with many others. It spread through people's households, and through meat packing plants. COVID-19 TESTING: Texas falls short of recommended COVID-19 testing Cevik has been collecting and reviewing papers from around the world on disease transmission. "There are some trends emerging," she says. "Spending time dining together, being in public transport," might risk spreading the disease, but "going to a market briefly, for five minutes or a transient encounter while you walk or run past someone, those are low risks." The studies come from China, Singapore, Taiwan, and to a lesser extent the U.S. They were all done through contact tracing, which may turn out to be humanity's greatest strategy for fighting the covid-19 pandemic. Contact tracing can stop chains of transmission, even after a disease is widespread, as physician and former World Bank president Jim Yong Kim explained in The New Yorker. Another major benefit is that it offers clues as to how the disease spreads. Each virus has its unique pattern. The U.S. has done almost no contact tracing yet. A survey of people coming to hospitals in New York City in May revealed that most of them had been home, and were not working or taking public transport. But why isn't everyone admitted to the hospital being asked about this? Why aren't we finding out who they live with, or who visited them, and tracking down where they've been? The lost opportunities are staggering. Cevik said people often ask her how the disease could be so transmissible if it takes closed environments or close contact to spread. The first part of the answer is that after much speculation of extreme transmissibility, the data show something intermediate, with each infected individual transmitting the virus to between two and three others on average. But the important point, which is often missed, is that this is just an average. In the real world, most people transmit the disease to nobody, or one person, and a minority infect many others in so-called super-spreading events. It's those we must learn how to avoid. The data show that 9 percent of infected people are responsible for 80% of the transmissions, she says. Why? For one thing, the disease is apparently very infectious but only for a short window, and perhaps only in some cases. Contact tracing studies show people are most infectious right around the onset of symptoms, as well as a couple of days before and after. If someone in that stage goes to a party, or church service, or to work in a meat-packing plant or nursing home, many other people will probably get sick. One study in China showed how the virus spread at a business meeting and a restaurant. A contact tracing effort in Singapore revealed big clusters of cases stemmed from a business meeting, a church, and a visit to a shop. Another study, one of the few from the U.S., showed how one infected person in Chicago spread the disease to multiple people at a funeral and later at a birthday party, and one of those infected at the party then spread the disease to others at a church service that lasted more than two hours. Other studies connected outbreaks to crowded offices. COVID-19 OUTBREAKS : Texas releases nursing home coronavirus case totals People who eventually developed severe symptoms were more likely to transmit the disease to others than were those who had mild symptoms, Cevik says. While it's clear the disease can be spread by people before they have symptoms, it's still an open question how many people have no symptoms and whether they are driving much of the spread. Much of the material in these studies comes as a surprise to people, says Erin Bromage, a biology professor at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, who recently got 11 million views to a blog post he wrote on how the disease is transmitted. People think if you get exposed, you automatically get sick or become infectious, he explains. But even people exposed to sick family members in their homes don't always get sick. Sharing a home or office does make transmission more likely, since length of exposure matters as much as distance from other people. People passing by you in a supermarket are unlikely to infect you. Outdoor environments appear much safer as well. In one study, which followed hundreds of cases, all but one transmission occurred indoors. "I'd like people to stop wasting mental energy on the wrong things," Bromage says. "To stop worrying about outdoors and bike riders since it's such a low risk." Bromage doesn't think strict lockdowns have to remain until we get herd immunity or a vaccine. But he would like to see businesses use the data available to start up without fueling major outbreaks. He sees hope for restaurants and hair salons in the new normal, and is advising such businesses in his community on how to minimize exposure. As Harvard population medicine professor Julia Marcus recalled in a recent piece in The Atlantic, 20th century doctors eventually relented on advice for unpaired people to remain celibate until there was a cure for AIDS. They started talking about safer sex. Now it's time to do the same with life under the coronavirus. - - - This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Flam is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She has written for the Economist, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Psychology Today, Science and other publications. She has a degree in geophysics from the California Institute of Technology. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 22:45:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHANGSHA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Central China's Hunan Province saw its foreign trade rise 20.2 percent year on year to 131.51 billion yuan (about 18.52 billion U.S. dollars) in the first four months of this year, local authorities said Saturday. Exports rose 15.1 percent year on year to 86.38 billion yuan while imports gained 31.4 percent to 45.13 billion yuan, according to the customs of Changsha, the provincial capital. The ASEAN became Hunan's largest trade partner during the period, with imports and exports totaling 20.83 billion yuan, up 38.9 percent year on year. From January to April, Hunan saw its private enterprises play a major role in its foreign trade growth. Among the exports, Hunan reported remarkable growth in mechanical and electrical products as well as labor-intensive products during this period. Meanwhile, the province reported an increase in iron ore, grain and coal imports. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 21:59:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ROME, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Italy this week became the first European Union (EU) member state to approve a plan to temporarily allow undocumented workers from outside the bloc to work legally in the agricultural sector or as domestic helpers, a move analysts said would help Italian farmers save foreign workers from labor abuses while also widening the country's tax base. The initiative, which aims to temporarily regularize undocumented workers to fill key jobs needed in the country in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, has long been championed by Minister of Agriculture Teresa Bellanova, who became so emotional upon signing the measure into law that she broke down into tears. "I cried because I worked hard," the minister said Thursday, the day after the measure was finalized. "I fought for something I believed in and in the end I wept. I fought a battle for something I have believed in for a long time." Analysts said the measure puts Italy on the front lines of an often controversial issue in Europe. "This was an extraordinary measure that will have many impacts," Jean-Rene Bilongo, national secretary of the CGIL-Federation of Agro-Industry Workers, a leading trade union, told Xinhua. "Italians don't realize how much they depend on people who are left on the margins of society. This is an important step toward changing that." Bilongo said Italy is the first European country to take such a step on such a wide scale. The plan, which was opposed by the main opposition political party, the right-wing anti-migrant League, could have a long-term impact on as many as 600,000 undocumented foreign workers. An estimate released Friday by the office of Minister of the Interior Luciana Lamorgese indicated that around 200,000 workers in the agricultural sector, as well as domestic employees, would be immediately eligible for the permits. For those who are eligible, the measure will result in temporary residence permits -- for up to six months at a time -- giving them proof of employment that would allow them to open bank accounts, rent apartments, and apply for credit. It also means the workers would appear on tax rolls and if they put in enough years of service, they could qualify for pensions. Bellanova has championed this kind of reform for years, arguing that many undocumented workers were often underpaid and forced to work and live under harsh conditions. But it was the global coronavirus outbreak that helped make the idea more mainstream. Coldiretti, Italy's main agricultural union, said in recent weeks that coronavirus lockdown restrictions mean that many agricultural products risked not being picked, processed, or sent to markets because there were not enough workers available to do the work involved. Rocchina Staiano, a professor of social security law at the University of Teramo, applauded the reform but said it was too early to know how effective it will be. "A measure that takes workers out of the black market and brings them into the economy is positive," Staiano said in an interview. "But this is a complicated area, and we don't know how things will play out. I think we will know a lot more by July." Emiliano Reyneri, a professor emeritus at the University of Milano-Bicocca specializing in labor sociology, also saw the reform as a positive step, but he said it should have covered more foreign workers, especially considering the country is in the midst of a health crisis tied to the coronavirus. "They could have also included non-European healthcare workers," Reyneri told Xinhua. "There are many fields where undocumented foreign workers are employed and I understand not all of them can be addressed. But we're in a health emergency and including health care workers would have had merit." Enditem The last COVID-19 patient, a 36-year-old woman from Banteay Meanchey, has been discharged from a hospital in Phnom Penh. Cambodias last patient who was being treated for the new coronavirus has been discharged from hospital, in a recovery that left the country with zero active cases, according to the health ministry. The 36-year-old woman from Cambodias northwest Banteay Meanchey province was on Saturday released from the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital in the capital, Phnom Penh, and was presented to the media in a live stream on Saturday. The ministry, however, urged continued vigilance against COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus. No easing of restrictions, including school closures and border entry checks and quarantines, were included in the ministrys statement on Saturday. Cambodia has reported 122 coronavirus and no deaths from COVID-19 since it emerged in China and started spreading around the world, infecting more than 4.5 million and killing about 300,000 people since January. Remain vigilant Cambodias last reported new case was on April 12. A total of 14,684 tests have been done since January, the ministry said. Health Minister Mam Bunheng urged people to remain vigilant and take precautions such as not gathering in large groups. We think that most of the cases, generally, are imported, so we must be careful with all checkpoints at the border, at airports, at ports, at land checkpoints, Mam Bunheng told reporters. People who travel from abroad must have a certificate confirming that they dont have COVID-19. Only then would we allow them in, and once they are in, they will be quarantined for another 14 days, he said. COLDWATER, MI Cars were lined up for an estimated quarter mile or more to get into the Capri Drive-in Theater Friday, May 15, when it opened in defiance of Gov. Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home order. Battle Creek resident Ashley Rathbun was among those that ventured out to catch a movie. Weve been cooped up in the house for the last couple months, she said. We heard the drive in was going to be opening and we said thats a nice way to get out and spend some family time. Related: Michigan drive-in theater plans to open for season despite stay-home order While Tom Magocs, who co-owns the theater with his wife, Susan, was getting ready for the first movie screenings of the year, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was answering a question about the Coldwater-area business and others defying her executive orders to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. I think the vast majority of people in our state get it and theyre doing the right things, Whitmer said during her COVID-19 press conference in Lansing. For those who arent, you know, we take this serious. This is not a suggestion. These are not thoughts about how you can protect yourself. This is the force of law. And we expect to people to follow the law. The family drive-in theater is in a category of businesses that the governors office says is temporarily prohibited as part of an executive order. Whitmers order to shelter in place and all non-essential businesses be shuttered isnt set to expire until May 28. But the Capri opened for the first time Friday, several hours after Whitmers remarks. Smokey and the Bandit" and Trolls" appeared on the theaters screens soon after dusk, with other films like Jurassic Park to follow. Magocs, 61, said he knows opening comes with risk, including being shut down, but staying closed presents a different, financial risk. The drive-in is his familys only source of income, but it brought in no profit this year until Friday night. A $7,500 Paycheck Protection Program loan is the only government support the Magocs have received, and they will spend that on bills, he said. Its our livelihood, he said about the Capri, located at 119 W Chicago Rd. Its the way we make our living. Shutdown with no income coming in, Magocs said their coffers are down to the bottom. Friday saw a good turnout, including Kalamazoo resident Lindsey Krogel, who heard about the opening on social media. We saw it shared on Facebook and I was like that would be a good idea to go out, she said. Magocs said the business is open with modifications amid the pandemic, such as putting more space between cars, and allowing people to bring food from home for a fee. The snack bar will be open for delivery only, and employees will carry items to customers cars while wearing protective gear. People cannot sit outside in lawn chairs and kids cannot play in the play area, he said. He acknowledges the theater isnt allowed to be open. But he said he doesnt agree with the governments response to COVID-19 and doesnt understand why his business should be closed when others such as drive-in restaurants can operate with restrictions. Its all a double standard, Magocs said. Tiffany Brown, spokesperson for the governors office, declined to respond to the criticism from Magocs when asked about it, and referred questions about a drive-in theater planning to open to a frequently asked questions page that addresses the question: "Q: Does this Executive Order prohibit drive-in movie theatres from being open?'' A: The Executive Order prohibits all theatres from being open, including drive-in movie theatres. The Capri is just one of the latest businesses to defy orders to keep their doors close amid the coronavirus outbreak. For example, earlier on Friday, hundreds of families showed up for the opening of Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park in Kent County, and the Ardor + Grit Salon & Lounge in Holland saw steady business. The Capri could get a ticket, be shut down or face a law enforcement investigation for showing movies, Magocs said. Before the event, Branch County Prosecuting Attorney Valerie White said all the police agencies with jurisdiction were aware of Capris plans to open. She said the business reported it to the prosecutor. The business has been educated and warned about the possible consequences of operating, Branch County Undersheriff Keith Eichler said on May 15. Police would only respond if they receive a complaint, he said on Friday before the theater opened. Businesses could face a variety of enforcement actions from police or state agencies including facing a misdemeanor charge for violating the governors order, and a civil charge with a fine of $1,000. Magocs said he would fight a ticket in court if he received one. A Michigan State Police vehicle showed up shortly before 9 p.m., before the movies began, to speak with someone at the site. A MSP spokesperson did not immediately reply to a request for information about the police response. Chris Boger spoke with the responding officer at the location Friday. She said she called the state, the sheriff and the city and messaged the Michigan Attorney Generals office to complain about the business. They decided that they were going to open again and that they needed money more than the concern for the health of our community. We have two deaths, keep doing these type events then we go to 100 deaths, then where are we at because you wanted money," Boger said. MSP Spokesperson Shanon Banner said earlier in the day on Friday, We remain committed to working in cooperation with the Attorney Generals Office to enforce the executive orders as appropriate." The agency never comments before an enforcement action, she said. The Capri Drive-in opened for business Friday, May 15. Pictured is a file photo of Tom Magocs, who co-owns the theater near Coldwater with his wife, Susan, displaying movies to be featured. (MLive File Photo) Magocs parents built the theater in 1964. He and his wife took over and have been running it since 1980, he said. The theater has two screens, and usually plays two movies on each screen each night. The theater often draws people from outside the county. He said the Capri was originally scheduled to open nearly two months earlier on March 20. Opening night is usually a happy time for the staff and theater patrons, he said. Whitmer said during her May 15 news conference that she is slowly re-engaging the economy to try to avoid allowing COVID-19 to come roaring back. The state will get to a point where the different sectors can be re-engaged, she said. See her full response in the video below. Governor Whitmer Provides Update on State's Response to COVID-19 The live stream will begin at 2:55 p.m. and the press conference will start at 3 p.m. Posted by Michigan State Police on Friday, May 15, 2020 MLive multimedia specialist Mikayla Carter contributed to this report. Read more: Families flock to Michigan animal park despite Gov. Whitmers stay-at-home order Its about the principle of everything, says Holland salon owner defying Whitmers coronavirus order closures Another Michigan barbershop reopens, defying governors order State agency suspends license of Owosso barber who defied coronavirus order closing non-essential businesses This week, those who live on Navajo Nation land in New Mexico, primarily in McKinley and San Juan counties, but also on tribal lands in other counties, have been receiving some relief in the form of major food donations. Roadrunner Food Bank spokeswoman, Sonya Warwick, said the food bank was helping to coordinate two tractor trailer loads of food from United Natural Foods Inc., one of North Americas largest food wholesalers. The trailers of food, delivered to Roadrunners Albuquerque warehouse earlier in the week, were sorted into 2,000 food boxes containing a variety of items for families. The boxes were then delivered to sister food banks, Community Pantry in Gallup, Echo Food Bank in Farmington, and other partners, for distribution. Each of the trailers can hold 30,000 to 40,000 pounds of food, Warwick said. Among the donated items are nonperishable and shelf-stable items, such as black beans, pinto beans, cans of tuna, oatmeal, steel cut oats, pancake mix and syrup, cereal, marinara sauce, canned mandarin oranges, powdered milk, pastas and soup. The estimated value of the two trailer loads of donated food is between $260,000 and $300,000, Warwick said. We welcome suggestions for the daily Bright Spot. Send to newsroom@abqjournal.com. A Vietnamese woman who was quarantined upon arrival from Russia this week has been diagnosed with novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control said on Saturday morning. She was brought home on a Vietnam Airlines flight from Moscow that landed at Van Don International Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh on Wednesday, May 13. The 62-year-old woman was sent to a centralized quarantine facility in neighboring Hai Duong Province and sampled for COVID-19 testing on the same day. Her test results came back positive on Friday. She is now quarantined and monitored at Hai Duong Province Hospital for Tropical Diseases. The new imported case brought the total number of COVID-19 cases in Vietnam to 314, with 260 recoveries and no deaths. Twenty-four other passengers on the same flight had been confirmed infected by the coronavirus on Friday morning. They were all quarantined after landing, posing no risk of spreading the disease among the community. The country has gone 30 days without any community transmission. The last case of infection within the community was announced on the morning of April 16 and had been quarantined since April 7. Among 54 patients still receiving treatment, 13 have tested negative for the novel coronavirus at least once, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control said. A total of 12,236 people are under quarantine or health monitoring for COVID-19 in Vietnam. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced that Centre will privatize electricity distribution companies (discoms) in all its eight union territories. The announcement was made as part of the fourth tranche of the Rs 20 trillion stimulus package to fight the economic adversity due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will lead to better services to consumers and improvement in operational and financial efficiency in distribution," Sitharaman said. Unlike discoms in states governed by the respective governments, those in Union territories are directly administered by the central government. The move comes in the backdrop of the government on Wednesday announcing a reform-linked Rs 90,000 crore bailout package for fund-starved discoms, along with concessional tariffs. Odisha was the first state to privatize its power distribution sector into four discoms in 1999. This was followed by Delhi, which privatised three of its discoms in July 2002: BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL), BSES Yamuna Power Ltd (BYPL) and Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd. Sitharaman said along side the government is working on the new tariff policy. The proposed national tariff policy; includes penalty on unjustified power cuts, not allowing losses of more than 20 per cent as a pass-through in tariff, and limiting cross-subsidies. The policy will help reduce the cost of power and has been cleared by the empowered group of ministers and will be taken to the next meeting of the Union cabinet. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has readied a raft of power sector reforms, including implementing the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme in the electricity sector for better targeting of subsidies and instilling financial discipline at discoms. Indias electricity distribution reforms scheme tentatively named Atal Distribution System Improvement Yojana, aims to cut electricity losses below 12%. Indias average aggregate technical and commercial loss are currently at 21.4%. The scheme aims to ensure continuous supply of power, by privatizing state-run discoms and negating tariff gaps. Prepaid smart meters will be made mandatory across the power distribution chain, including 250 million households. The memes, which have shown up on Twitter and Reddit, have struck both a humorous and spiritual tone during the coronavirus pandemic The government has awarded state contracts worth more than 1billion to deal with the coronavirus pandemic to private firms without public tenders, using emergency powers to fast-track agreements. Companies including Randox Laboratories and US-run Brake Bros are among the companies to have been handed contracts. The Government has fast-tracked the rules on awarding state contracts so that they don't have to allow a time period for other companies to bid for the work. The contracts include a voucher scheme for children for free school meals, providing food boxes for vulnerable people and coronavirus testing services. Over 1billion in state contracts have been awarded to private companies without public tender as the Government looks to fast-track deals in response to the coronavirus pandemic An investigation by The Guardian showed that Randox Laboratories, which donated 160,800 to the Conservative and Unionist Party between September 19, 2011 and September 10, 2018, received a contract worth 133million for the provision of covid-19 testing services. Top ten state contracts awarded without tender Edenred - 234million for free school meal vouchers - 234million for free school meal vouchers BFS Group and Brake Bros - 208million for food boxes - 208million for food boxes Hologic Ltd - 151million for testing services - 151million for testing services Randox Laboratories Ltd - 133million for testing services - 133million for testing services Computacenter (UK) Ltd - 60million to supply computers to teachers and disadvantaged children - 60million to supply computers to teachers and disadvantaged children Hospital Services Ltd - 35million to purchase IIR face masks - 35million to purchase IIR face masks Bloc Blinds - 26million to buy face shields - 26million to buy face shields Oxford Nanopore - 23million to provide test kits, training materials and support - 23million to provide test kits, training materials and support Bloc Blinds - 22million as a second contract for face shields - 22million as a second contract for face shields Techniclean Supply - 20million to purchase IIR face masks Advertisement Randox has employed Conservative MP Owen Paterson as a 100,000-a-year paid consultant since 2015, the register of MPs financial interests shows. The company declined to say whether Mr Paterson, a former environment secretary and MP for North Shropshire, had any contribution in securing the contract. At least 177 contracts have been handed to companies by the government to deal with the pandemic. 115 of those contracts were awarded under the fast-track route. Gus Tugendhat, founder of research organisation Tussell and a cousin of Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, said: 'Since the start of the Covid crisis we've seen a spike in non-competed direct awards as public bodies rush to purchase the products and services they urgently need.' Guidelines say that the Government must release details of contracts awarded using emergency powers within 30 days but a full list is yet to be issued. The largest contract awarded was worth 234million and went to French company Edenred, which specialises in corporate services. The contract secured meal vouchers so that more than 1million school pupils could have a free lunch. Edenred said its voucher scheme had started well despite being given only ten days to set it up. It also said that they are accountable for every penny spent and that suggestions the contract was lucrative were false. Daniel Bruce, the chief executive of anti-corruption campaigners Transparency International UK, said the government should not use the pandemic as a way of loosening controls over accountability. He said: 'The alarming number of contracts seemingly awarded without any competition risks setting a dangerous precedent which may harm the public interest and reduce confidence. 'When lucrative deals are awarded with no competitive tender and away from public scrutiny, taxpayer money could easily be wasted on overpriced equipment or substandard services.' A further 208million has been given to the US-run Brake Brothers and South African-run BFS Group to provide food boxes for vulnerable people. Randox Laboratories Ltd received a contract worth 133million for the provision of covid-19 testing services. They employ Conservative MP Owen Paterson (pictured) as a 100,000-a-year paid consultant Bloc Blinds in Northern Ireland also broke into the top ten of highest valued contracts awarded. They received two contracts for the purchase of face shields worth 26million and the 22million. Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers, both in Northern Ireland, also received work without competition to create an operations room in the Executive Office in response to the pandemic. US retail giant Amazon were also awarded an 8million contract to deliver home testing kits but they refused the fee, saying they would cover the costs of the work themselves. A spokesman for the Department of Health said the contracts were in line with regulations in unusual circumstances. One contract the government is yet to publish the details of is with the chemists Boots who say that the fee they received was to cover costs and was not commercial He also said that all contracts were awarded on the basis that the companies provided value for money. The contracts extended beyond products though. Cruise ship company Noble Caledonia received 1.5million to bring 118 people home from Antarctica. Contracts that are yet to be publicly published were also awarded to Deloitte, the outsourcing firms G4S, Sodexo, Serco, Mitie and Boots the chemists. Boots said that its contract only covered operational costs and was not a commercial transaction. Sodexo said its contract was signed in March. Deloitte declined to comment. Small businesses are hitting out at Google for not doing enough to help them during the coronavirus crisis. Many businesses, especially those in the hard-hit travel sector, spend a substantial part of their outgoings with Google as it is vital they rank highly in online searches. Google, which has an annual turnover of $160 billion (131.5 billion), announced at the end of March that it would give $340 million (280 million) in ad credits to small and medium-sized firms. Soul searching: Google has already come under fire from travel operators for refusing to refund or defer payments for ads linked to cancelled bookings But a month later, it admitted it would only roll out the ad credits from the end of May and they had to be used by the end of 2020. Dan Yates, founder of travel company Pitchup.com, says: 'We spend more than 1 million with Google every year, more than all our other suppliers put together yet they have done nothing to help so far. And if you have lost your peak season already, then there's little point in getting ad credits which you have to use by the end of this year.' Many travel companies are also asking Google to increase its support for small and medium enterprises with greater flexibility on payments and more time to use the credits when they arrive. Google has already come under fire from travel operators for refusing to refund or defer payments for ads linked to cancelled bookings, meaning companies must pay commission to Google for bookings which are later refunded. Google said: 'Small and medium-sized companies are facing unprecedented challenges and our teams are working day and night to help our partners protect their business and stay in touch with customers.' Isolation is all the rage nowadays. Life on a private island just might be the antidote. For $13 million, you could buy not one but two islands just off New Rochelle, NY, in Long Island Sound. One of the islands comes complete with a house with a fascinating backstory. Measuring in at 2 acres, Columbia Island is the smaller of the two islands, and its neighbor, Pea Island, is about 5 acres. The two-story brick home sits on Columbia Island and has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sleek kitchen, and a huge amount of living space. It is 5,625 square feet, with views of the New York City skyline from the roof. There are giant windows in the living room, kitchen, and dining areas," says the listing agent, Patti Anderson. "Every bedroom has a door to the outside, and everywhere you look, from whatever side of the house, there are water views." Exterior Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty Interior Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty Al Sutton, a human rights activist, retired physician, and charter member of the African Freedom Coalition, is the current owner. Hes in his mid-80s and bought the island in 2007. He resuscitated the structure and turned it into a showpiece. When he bought it, the seawall was crumbling and the building was in disrepair. Before Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty The owner lives in Manhattan, and this has become just a labor of love for him, Anderson says. He feels like he's done a lot of work, and he's put in a lot of money, probably over $9 million. He has created this amazing, spectacular property, but he just feels like it's time for someone else to take over. The home is completely self-sustaining, with two independent solar panels to provide power and batteries to store it, diesel generators, as well as a reverse osmosis desalination system to turn water from the Sound into potable water. The island is close enough to the coast to receive Wi-Fi and cellular signals. Boat dock Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty The boat ride between the island and New Rochelle takes only about seven minutes, and from there, it's just a few minutes to the train station, then only about another 30 minutes into Manhattan. [Sutton] was seeking sort of a Zen utopia away from the chaos of Manhattan, but he wanted to maintain that ability to get right back to work and get right back into the city, Anderson explains. So the location and the nature of the unique and isolated private island really appealed to him. Watch: Round House in Upstate NY Is a 'Rare Architectural Delight' Columbia Island was once known as Little Pea Island, but was renamed in 1941 when the Columbia Broadcasting Studios, aka CBS, bought it as a location for a radio tower for CBS and ABC. The networks moved their radio tower off the island in 1963. After they vacated the premises, Mary Healy and her husband, Peter Lind Hayes, a Vaudeville duo who often performed together, bought the island, converted the structure into a private home, and broadcast their weekly radio show from there. In 1966, they donated the island to the College of New Rochelle, and it eventually came into Sutton's possession. Sutton purchased neighboring Pea Island from the Huguenot Yacht Club. It has not been developed, and has many indigenous plants and birds, as well as sandy beaches. Pea Island Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty Map Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty It's almost like Pea Island is Columbia Island's backyard, Anderson says. There's about 0.2 nautical miles between the islands, so you could paddleboard or take a little skiff or inflatable boat, or a kayak. It's really easy to get back and forth. The islands have been on and off the market for almost a year. And although the main house is made of brick and concrete, it doesnt feel sterile, Anderson explains. It's got radiant heat with concrete floors, so the concrete retains the heat," he says. That means that even in the dead of winter, "it's really cozy out there and quite comfortable. Lower level Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty The islands are a private oasis that is nevertheless close to the action of NYC. That could prove to be perfect for several kinds of buyers. Anderson told us that he believes the profile of the ideal buyer for the property would be a mogul in search of a one-of-a-kind property. Or, as he puts it: Anybody who's seeking privacy, who loves the water, and who wants bragging rights to say they own their own island off the coast of Westchester County, NY, 30 minutes from Manhattan. Aerial view Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty Bedroom Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty Kitchen Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty Bathroom Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty Pea Island beach Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty Exterior Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty Aerial view Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty The post Private Island Paradise Listed for $13M Sits Just 30 Minutes From Manhattan appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. Some of us may remember what happened to poor little Dodger, Chris Evanss cute dog, when Captain America tried to give him a haircut. In case you dont, well just say this: it didnt go as planned. But now, the star of Defending Jacob is telling late-night talk show host Jimmy Fallon how it went so wrong, so fast. This just over a-minute-long clip was posted to The Tonight Shows official Twitter account on May 15 with the hashtag #FallonAtHome. The video was shared with a caption that reads, Chris Evans tells Jimmy what he learned from his dog haircut gone wrong. The actor starts by telling Fallon that he had given Dodger a shave before, right when quarantine began. That experiment had ended successfully for both the pet and the pet parent. Thus, Evans got more confident and decided to use a shorter attachment and as they say, rest is history. As the recording progresses, Jimmy discloses that he wants to give his doggo a trim as well and be part of the DIY-community. So Evans gives him a rundown about what he has learned. Check out the video below for dog-grooming tips from Captain America himself. .@ChrisEvans tells Jimmy what he learned from his dog haircut gone wrong https://t.co/7GArOyp5Hu #FallonAtHome pic.twitter.com/DnXFBAashQ The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) May 15, 2020 Since being shared, the post has over 1,700 likes and more than 1,600 retweets. Here is how tweeple reacted to the share. One person said, Dodger gets to cut Chriss hair now. Fair is fair. Um, we agree. Though wed hate to see that luscious beard botched-up. Here are some other hilarious responses: I understand, my poor guy doesnt know he looks like a mess pic.twitter.com/j5aWlQoQy5 Corazon (@eternal_corazon) May 15, 2020 Its all good, Chris. I am in the same boat and begging my groomer to take Nelson back ASAP. I tried to groom, but at 13, hes not having it pic.twitter.com/FQFoJJ3wso Erin (@erin_linn) May 15, 2020 Lol I think Dodger needs to understand the Bostonian accent even more. But Dodger forgave him, loves him too much to be angry, plus he's going to grow again. pic.twitter.com/Krzx8p98MS Estefani Gonzales (@Stef_Art1) May 15, 2020 What are your thoughts on this cute yet unfortunate event? Also Read | Doggo doing pushup challenge is the best version of the trend on the Internet. Watch Biden says Putin will pay 'dear price' if he invades Ukraine Virginia Buckingham was the CEO of Massachusetts Port Authority when terrorists hijacked two planes that had departed from Logan International Airport and flew into the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001 The former head of Logan International Airport - from where 9/11 terrorists boarded two planes they hijacked - has compared the finger pointing in the coronavirus response to the barage of blame that led to her resignation. Virginia Buckingham was forced to resign by then acting Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift after the terrorists slipped through security in Boston and hijacked the planes while she was CEO of Massachusetts Port Authority. She has compared the desire to find a person to blame on the current coronavirus pandemic. 'Blame for the origin, preparation and response to the COVID-19 outbreak is spreading almost as fast as the virus itself,' she told the New York Post. 'I know firsthand from my experience that pointing the finger at convenient scapegoats won't do a thing to address the real issues confronting us.' 'Solve and support, don't blame,' should be every citizen's and leader's mantra during this crisis,' she added. Buckingham has now released a memoir named 'On My Watch' about her experience in which she reveals that she was 'nearly broken' by the blame placed on her for the September 11 attacks. She was the first woman to act as CEO of Massachusetts Port Authority and in the aftermath of 9/11, found herself being blamed for the terrorists' ability to board the planes from Logan after it was revealed she received a memo months before about safety concerns. The memo had highlighted the airport's potential terrorism vulnerabilities but in her new memoir, she claims that the note had not been actionable, and the blame did not lie with her. Massport Director Virginia Buckingham, pictured here left, was forced to resign six weeks after the 9/11 attack by acting Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift, pictured right. They are both see here with President George W. Bush before the September 11 attacks She says that the memo from March 2001 used as 'evidence of my guilt' was as 'similarly vague and unactionable' as a presidential daily brief entitled 'Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US' that was delivered to President George W. Bush just a month before the attack. 'The intimation was that 9/11 could have been stopped,' she writes in the book. 'I, for too many long painful years, held on to this possibility as well. Could I have stopped it? 'No. It was not my fault. It never was.' 'On My Watch' is a new memoir from Virgina Buckingham (cover pictured right) who was the head of Logan airport on September 11, 2001, when two places that departed from the airport were hijacked by terrorists for the attack on the Twin Towers (pictured left) Now-vice president at Pfizer, Buckingham's memoir delves into the aftermath of the attack and the finger pointing that led to her resignation. She reveals that the first news story calling for her to quit came on September 13 just two days after the hijacking. Buckingham would resign six weeks later after facing immense pressure to do so and she became one of two individuals' named in a decade-long litigation for wrongful death filed by a 9/11 family. 'For many years, I feared that the blame was deserved,' she writes. 'I was broken by being blamed for the hijackings. Not instantly, but over time.' Buckingham claims that she has since come to learn that the need to place blame is a 'human impulse'. Virginia Buckingham, who was then the Massport Executive Director, is pictured on September 12, 2001. She has written a memoir in which she speaks about the blame placed on her following the 9/11 terrorist attacks and how the finger pointing left her 'nearly broken' Virginia Buckingham, former CEO of Logan International Airport, is pictured with former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton in 2018. She is now the VP of Activation for Pfizer 'Life is fragile, yet we unconsciously deny its fragility,' she says. 'Our culture, political and societal, turns to blame to help appease our fear and anger, allowing us to avoid wrestling with the harder questions.' She also compares the blame placed on her to one directed at a victim of violent crime, as it comes from a discovery that people aren't as safe as they believed themselves to be. 'I came to understand that I was blamed because the attacks of 9/11 shifted something fundamental in Americans' sense of safety, and our belief that complete safety for us and our loved ones is achievable,' she writes. 'The blame leveled at me in the immediate aftermath was later leveled at federal officials, including the president and intelligence agencies, for missing or ignoring signs of the attack. 'I realized this was not much different than a propensity to blame the victims of violent crime. If "she wasn't wearing that," or "hadn't accepted that ride," or "hadn't been walking alone in that dark place at night," she wouldn't have been raped. 'Therefore, we're safe because we don't do those things. She adds that the 9/11 Commission also found that Logan was not targeted by the hijackers and there was no different there to the screening at any other airport in the country at the time. 'We rely on blame,' Buckingham says, 'by others and of ourselves to avoid the truth that our lives and those of our loved ones are fragile. 'What if, after we came together to address, to the extent humanly possible, our vulnerability to terrorism, we acknowledged our mortality, the fragility of our lives? Would we live differently? How would it change us and our choices, and our leaders' choices?' Moet Hennessy UK appoints Alexei Rosin as UK managing director Moet Hennessy UK has appointed Alexei Rosin as the new managing director for UK and Ireland. Rosin, who has more than 25 years of experience in the industry, will manage the Moet Hennessy portfolio in charge of iconic brands including Dom Perignon, Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Hennessy. Since joining Moet Hennessy in 1999, Alexei has worked in operational and strategic roles across the US and key European markets, most recently as managing director of Central & Eastern Europe. Prior to this he worked as commercial director for Europe, senior vice president national on-premise USA and sales director on-premise in the UK. In his position Rosin will report to Jo Thornton, president & managing director for Moet Hennessy Europe. Alexei Rosin has taken over from Bertrand Steip who has been appointed as President for Moet Hennessy Estates & Wines, based in Paris. Related articles: Steven P. St. Laurent, 67, of East Syracuse, died Sunday due to complications from Covid-19. According to his obituary, he was born in Syracuse and graduated from East Syracuse-Minoa High School. He was a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War. He worked at the Syracuse Veterans Administration Hospital before moving on to New Process Gear. After retiring from NPG, he rejoined the workforce as an HVAC specialist for Carrier Corp. He was a proud and active member of Alcoholics Anonymous where he celebrated 15 years of sobriety and acted as a mentor and friend for many in the community. He was a licensed ham radio operator. If you have a suggestion for a feature obituary, please email the link and any other information youd like to share to bduncan@syracuse.com MORE FEATURED OBITUARIES He was a fire department and Clear Path For Veterans volunteer She was co-proprietor of Solvay market She was co-owner, cook at Jerk Hut Jamaican Restaurant He worked as an ornamental welder Contact Brenda Duncan anytime: 315-470-2265 | Email | Twitter Rwandan genocide suspect Felicien Kabuga, who is accused of funding militias that massacred about 800,000 people, was arrested on Saturday near Paris after 26 years on the run, the French justice ministry said. The 84-year-old, who is Rwanda's most-wanted man and had a $5 million U.S. bounty on his head, was living under a false identity in a flat in Asnieres-Sur-Seine, according to the ministry. French gendarmes arrested him at 0530 GMT on Saturday, the ministry said. Kabuga was indicted in 1997 on seven criminal counts including genocide, complicity in genocide and incitement to commit genocide, all in relation to the 1994 Rwanda genocide, according to the UN-established International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT). Rwanda's two main ethnic groups are the Hutus and Tutsis, who have historically had an antagonistic relationship and fought a civil war in the early 1990s. A Hutu businessman, Kabuga is accused of funding the militias that massacred some 800,000 Tutsis and their moderate Hutu allies over a span of 100 days in 1994. "Since 1994, Felicien Kabuga, known to have been the financier of Rwanda genocide, had with impunity stayed in Germany, Belgium, Congo-Kinshasa, Kenya, or Switzerland," the French ministry statement said. His arrest paves the way for the fugitive to come before the Paris Appeal Court and later be transferred to the custody of the international court, which is based in the Hague, Netherlands and Arusha, Tanzania. He would then be brought before UN judges, an IRMCT spokesman said. Two other Rwandan genocide suspects, Augustin Bizimana and Protais Mpiranya, are still being pursued by international justice. "The arrest of Felicien Kabuga today is a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even twenty-six years after their crimes," the IRMCT's Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz said in a statement. He added the arrest was the result of cooperation between law enforcement agencies in France and other countries including the United States, Rwanda, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and others. Rwanda's justice minister, Johnston Busingye, told Reuters that a statement on the arrest would be issued but did not specify when. Kabuga, who controlled many of Rwanda's tea and coffee plantations and factories, was part-owner of Radio Television Milles Collines which ran a radio station that fanned ethnic hatred against Rwanda's Tutsis, told Hutus where Tutsis were to be found and offered advice on how to kill them. He is accused of being a main financier of the genocide, paying for the militias that carried out the massacres. His arrest "is an important step towards justice for hundreds of thousands of genocide victims...survivors can hope to see justice and suspects cannot expect to escape accountability," Mausi Segun, Africa director at Human Rights Watch, told Reuters. The Capitals iconic Chandni Chowk market will stay shut till May 31, the traders union said on Saturday. The move comes at a time when the Delhi government is exploring ways to reopen markets in the city that have been shuttered since the national lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19 was imposed on March 25. Sanjay Bhargava, president Chandni Chowk Sarva Vyapar Mandal, said the decision was taken for the greater good. Chandni Chowk is one of the busiest markets of the city. Social distancing is almost impossible because of the paucity of space. So, we have decided to extend lockdown in the market till May 31 in view of high number of cases being reported in Delhi. It is for the security and safety of traders, their staff and general public. By the end of May, the graph of Covid-19 is also expected to go down a bit, Bhargava said. Delhi had recorded 9,333 cases of the virus till Saturday, with 129 deaths, according to the Delhi government. The Mughal-era market is one of the biggest textile and cloth markets in the city. As per the traders association estimates, around a lakh people visited the market every day between October 2019 and March 2020. The third phase of the national lockdown will come to an end on May 17 and is expected to continue with more relaxations as far as the movement of people and vehicles and opening of businesses are concerned. Though an official order to open markets in the city is yet to be issued, the Delhi government asked the Centre that markets in the Capital be allowed to open on an odd-even basis from May 18 onwards. Chandni Chowk falls in the central Delhi district, and is close to many containment zones such as Chandni Mahal, Nabi Karim, Sadar Bazar, and Ballimaran. The district has reported at least over 100 positive cases so far. Ram Mehrotra, a local businessman,said the market has become more crowded ever since the Chandni Chowk redevelopment project began in December 2018. Work was to be completed in June 2019 but was extended to March 2020. The main road between Red Fort and Fatehpuri Masjid has been dug up under the redevelopment project, which aims to decongest the market and make it pedestrian-friendly. The situation got worse over the last festival season, with over one lakh people visiting the market a day. If the market is opened again, social distancing norms will be hard to follow. So its better if we keep it closed for 15 more days and open it when a concrete plan is in place, Mehrotra said. The market association has also requested the Central as well as the Delhi government to release SOPs (standard operating procedure) for all the markets across the city at least 10 days before lifting the lockdown. The government should very clearly tell us about the dos and dont before opening of the markets. The ways to maintain social distancing and minimise crowding should also be specifically mentioned, Bhargava said. Meanwhile, market associations across the city have started drafting their own SOPs in the hope the government will allow markets to open from May 18. Devraj Baweja, member Sadar Bazar Market Association, said, We are yet to get any directive on reopening of markets but we are mulling how to ensure social distancing. Not more than two people will be allowed in a shop at a time, thermal screening will be mandatory and we will make circles outside shops, at distances of at least one metre, he said. Ashwani Marwah, general secretary Traders Association Lajpat Nagar (TALN) said the market association would ensure all visitors follow social distancing norms and that customers are screened before entering shops. Dr Jugal Kishore, head of the department of community medicine at Safdarjung Hospital, welcomed the decision and called it an example of community participation in combating a crisis. Opening of markets is necessary but maintaining social distancing and ensuring that virus does not spread is a responsibility to be shouldered by the government and the community. Chandni Chowk is more crowded than any other market in the city so its fine to wait for some time before opening it up, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The speaker of the lower house of parliament in Tajikistan has been released from hospital after being treated, according to the Health Ministry, for pneumonia amid earlier denials by several deputies that he had contracted coronavirus. In a short statement issued on May 15, the Tajik Health Ministry said Mahmadtoir Zokirzoda had been discharged the same day from hospital in the capital, Dushanbe, after successfully being treated for pneumonia. However, an earlier statement from the ministry -- that was briefly removed -- said Zokirzoda had been admitted to hospital back on May 5 for pneumonia. That sparked rumors he had become infected with the coronavirus, although several deputies denied this. The 63-strong Majlisi Namoyandagon is dominated by President Emomali Rahmons Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Tajikistan has confirmed more than 1,100 cases of coronavirus, and 33 deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Tajikistan did not officially register a coronavirus case until April 30, just ahead of a mission by the World Health Organization to the country. Still, many in the country doubt the data and believe the government has been underreporting the situation. - S. Korea reports 19 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 11,037 - 2 additional virus death, death toll now at 262 - 30 more people released after full recovery from coronavirus, bringing total to 9,851 South Korea reported 19 more cases of the new coronavirus Saturday, the fewest in a week, as cluster infections linked to Seoul's nightlife district of Itaewon somewhat slowed down, according to health authorities. Of the new COVID-19 cases detected Friday, nine were local infections, raising the total number in the country to 11,037, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). It marked the first time that the number of daily new infections fell below 20 since May 9 when the corresponding figure hit 18. Itaewon has emerged as a hotbed for cluster infections, with the number of cases tied to bars and clubs in the multicultural district reaching at least 153 as of late Friday, according to the KCDC and the Seoul city government. Health authorities viewed this weekend as a critical juncture for the country's battle against the coronavirus since a virus case tied to Itaewon was first reported early this month. The country added 10 more imported cases, previously the biggest threat for South Korea's quarantine operations. South Korea reported two more deaths, bringing the death toll to 262, according to the KCDC. The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 9,851, up 30 from the previous day. South Korea has flattened the infection curve with its massive testing and contact tracing since its first case on Jan. 20. The number of daily new infections, which once peaked at 909, fell to a single digit figure in the first week of May. But the government is struggling to stem a potential second wave of infections as the country saw a sharp rise in Itaewon-linked cases reported following the latest holidays. Following 45 days of stricter social distancing, South Korea switched an "everyday life quarantine" scheme on May 6 to enable citizens to carry out social and economic activities under quarantine rules. The country planned to gradually reopen schools starting Wednesday, but decided to postpone the plan by a week amid a spike in virus cases traced to Itaewon. (Yonhap) Welcome to summer in the great indoors! Parents across the United States are learning childrens summer camps will be canceled, delayed or moved online because of the coronavirus health crisis. Public safety measures will affect how boys and girls spend their summer vacation. From New Hampshire to California, families and the camps themselves are struggling. Online campfires and virtual fun and games in the living room are becoming more likely. It is a sharp blow for children and their parents who have spent weeks at home during school closures. Many had hoped attending summer camp would be a prize following weeks of homeschooling and social distancing. The move is also a sharp blow to nonprofit groups that depend on the money they earn from camps. Young people who were looking forward to working at summer camp jobs have also been affected. When we finally found out that schools were going to be closed for the rest of the year, I was like, Well, theres always summer camp. I was really holding out for that, said Rasha Habiby of California. She had planned to send her 10-year-old daughter to her first sleep-away camp. But that is not possible anymore. Habiby and her husband have demanding jobs. But they chose to keep their children away from her parents to avoid possibly spreading the virus. Now, she said the couple may be forced to ask her parents to watch the children during work hours. Summer camps as big business An estimated 20 million American children attend one or more summer camps each year. Their camp fees fuel an $18-billion industry that employs over a million seasonal workers. That information comes from the American Camp Association, which represents more than 3,100 camps. The association has asked independent health experts to make suggestions for camps. Many camps still hope to open, said Tom Rosenberg, the groups president. Camps are awaiting guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as state and local health officials, he added. Most camps are not asking if theyre going to open but how theyre going to open, Rosenberg said. Camp Walt Whitman offers a seven-week overnight camp in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Camp officials sent parents a letter with three proposals: canceling all activities, postponing them or going forward with social distancing and other safety measures. Officials will decide after May 20, director Jed Dorfman said. For smaller camps, cancelations could lead to financial ruin. Many nonprofits use the money that camps raise for their budgets and to pay for service contracts. Organizers of some canceled camps have urged parents to donate all or part of this years camp fees or put the money toward next years camp. That led to problems for Galileo Learning, a camp near San Francisco, California. It canceled its camp this summer and credited families for next year. That angered some parents. The company then asked parents whether they would like all or part of their money returned or whether they would like a credit for future use. In a statement, Galileo said it had stopped paying or dismissed more than 80 percent of its year-round workers. Other camps are racing to move online. Interlochen Arts Camp usually has 2,800 young people from 50 countries attend its summer program in Michigan. But this year the camp will move to virtual programs. The camp will be shorter than usual, president Trey Devey said. The changes are proving difficult for many Americans, including young people. Delia Graham was looking forward to spending six weeks at Willowbrook Arts Camp, where she has been going since age 5. Now, 10 years later, she is old enough to work as a half-day counselor at the camp near Portland, Oregon. Graham and her five camp friends have talked in a FaceTime group meeting about what might happen before getting the bad news, she said. I didnt think it would get so bad, that it would last this long, she said of the coronavirus pandemic. I really miss my friends. I'm Pete Musto. Gillian Flaccus wrote this story for The Associated Press. George Grow adapted the report for VOA learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story virtual adj. not physically existing, but made by software programs to appear to do so fee n. a payment made to someone with expertise in exchange for advice or services hold out phrasal verb contract n. a business agreement outcry n. a shout or cry counselor n. someone who supervises children at a camp; a person who provides guidance pandemic n. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. "The global COVID 19 vaccines market is projected to grow at a CAGR of -14. 9% during the forecast period. ". The global COVID-19 vaccines market is projected to reach USD 1,401 million by 2025 from USD 2,273 million in 2022, at a CAGR of -14. New York, May 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "COVID-19 Impact on Vaccines & Drugs Market - Global Forecast to 2025" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05893179/?utm_source=GNW 9% during the forecast period. The growth of the global COVID-19 vaccines market is majorly attributed to the increasing number of people infected with COVID-19 and growing funding for vaccine development. "The global COVID 19 drugs market is projected to grow at a CAGR of -57.8% during the forecast period." The global COVID-19 drugs market is projected to reach USD 2 million by 2025 from USD 165 million in 2020, at a CAGR of -57.8% during the forecast period. The growth of COVID-19 drugs market is attributed primarily to use of repurposed drugs for compassionate use and the emergence of alternative therapies such as convalescent plasma therapy which were used earlier for treating epidemic diseases such as SARS, MERS, and H1N1. Furthermore, collaborations between global organizations and governments of various nations to promote the supply of essential drugs and medical supplies will fuel market growth. However, factors such as herd immunity, and uncertainty over the efficacy of vaccines and drugs are expected to hinder the market growth. Currently, the R&D landscape for COVID-19 vaccines includes 115 vaccine candidates. The most advanced candidates that have recently moved into clinical development are: mRNA-1273 from Moderna Ad5-nCoV from CanSino Biologics INO-4800 from Inovio LV-SMENP-DC and pathogen-specific aAPC from Shenzhen Geno-Immune Medical Institute Funding from global governments and foundations is promoting the growth of the market Incentives are needed to engage manufacturers for the large-scale capacity to guarantee sufficient production of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.In line with this, various global organizations have come forward to expedite the process, such as Gavi, CEPI, and WHO. However, considering the pandemic scenario of COVID-19, much stronger initiatives are required. In April 2020, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation plans to help fund factories for seven promising vaccines, even before seeing conclusive data. The foundation aims to help scale up manufacturing during testing, rather than after the vaccines have passed the trials. Besides the most promising Moderna program, several other big pharma companies are involved in COVID-19 vaccine work.Johnson & Johnson has pledged a manufacturing scale-up to 1 billion doses for its federally partnered program. Meanwhile, Sanofi has two partnerships underwayone with the federal government and another with Translate Bio. Vaccine manufacturing ramp-up to drive the growth further While global drug makers are pouring massive resources into developing targeted therapies and vaccines, contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) are finding ways to ramp up the production of vaccines. In line with this, a new CDMO from Belgiums Univercells is offering its expertise to help drug makers scale up their manufacturing. Pfizer and BioNTech have laid out plans for manufacturing their candidates for trials and producing millions of doses if trials succeed.The companies expect to have millions of doses of a COVID-19 vaccine ready to go by year-end if the companies begin human testing as planned by late April. Pfizer and BioNTech are hoping to advance multiple mRNA vaccine candidates. Currently, around 155 molecules are under clinical investigation, and approximately 45 molecules are under preclinical development to be targeted against COVID-19. In this list, four promising drugs have been repurposed for use against COVID-19. Remdesivir Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine Lopinavir and ritonavir (and that same combination plus interferon-beta) An immune system messenger that can help stop the multiplication of viruses. Researchers and physicians in several countries are focusing on various other existing drugs to examine their potential to treat COVID-19.Chinese authorities, which have been dealing with the virus longer, are recommending Arbidol (umifenovir), which has not been approved in Western countries, as well as old antivirals ribavirin and interferon-alpha. Similarly, Avigan (favipiravir) by Fujifilm has shown promise in the treatment of COVID-19. As the maximum number of molecules are repurposed drugs that are already approved for other infections and inflammatory diseases, higher stages of development (namely phase 2 trials) hold the largest share.China, along with other Asian countries, holds the largest share of the number of clinical trials being conducted, followed by Europe and the US. Small molecules hold the largest share, followed by monoclonal antibodies and plasma and cell therapy. AI-powered technologies are making the drug discovery process more efficient and substantially improve success rates at the early stages of drug development.Artificial intelligence algorithms ingest and analyze a vast amount of information and can identify potential drug candidates in lesser time. Such factors will expedite the drug development process. A breakdown of the primary participants referred to for this report is provided below: By Company Type (Supply-side): Tier 1: 29%, Tier 2: 37%, and Tier 3: 34% By Category (Demand-side): Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies: 55%, Hospital & Reference Laboratories: 35%, and Academic & Research Institutes: 10% By Designation: C-level: 35%, Director-level: 25%, and Others: 40% By Region: North America: 35%, Europe: 32%, Asia: 22%, and the RoW: 11% Some of the major players in the COVID-19 vaccines market include Pfizer Inc. (US), Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc (US), GlaxoSmithKline plc. (UK), Sanofi (France) Serum Institute of India (India), among others. Major players in the COVID-19 drugs market include Gilead Sciences, Inc. (US), Sanofi (France), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd (Switzerland), Merck KGaA (Germany), and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Belgium), among others. Research Coverage: This report describes and studies the global COVID-19 vaccines and drugs market, current pipeline of vaccines and drugs by phase by companies, competitive landscape, a view point on COVID-19 pipeline, the impact of COVID-19 on other vaccines and drugs in the portfolio/other under development vaccines and drugs, macroeconomic indicators (drivers, restraints, new opportunities), post-COVID-19 approval scenario, challenges in approval/production/supply, strategies to overcome challenges, historical examples (SARS, MERS, Ebola, H1N1), new strategies, strategies to ramp up production at pandemic level, historical examples, and new strategies. Reasons to Buy the Report The report can help established firms as well as new entrants/smaller firms to gauge the pulse of the market, which, in turn, would help them garner a greater share. Firms purchasing the report could use one, or a combination of the below mentioned five strategies. This report provides insights into the following pointers: Market Penetration: Comprehensive information on the developmental pipeline of the top players in the COVID-19 vaccines and drugs market. The report analyzes the current pipeline of vaccines and drugs by phase by companies, competitive landscape, a view point on COVID-19 pipeline, the impact of COVID-19 on other vaccines, and drugs in the portfolio/other under development vaccines and drugs and regional analysis. Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on upcoming vaccines and drugs based on innovative technologies, research and development activities, and product launches in the COVID-19 vaccines and drugs market. Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative markets. The report analyzes the markets for vaccines and drugs across regions. Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about developmental products, recent developments, and investments in the COVID-19 vaccines and drugs market. Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of strategies, products, distribution networks, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players in the COVID-19 vaccines and drugs market. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05893179/?utm_source=GNW 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: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 Digvijaya Singh on BJP MLA's call to break legs of Congressmen: I'll go to his house to recite Ramdhun Bhopal Police arrest over 60 Tablighi Jamaat members for holding religious programmes India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Bhopal, May 16: A senior officer on Saturday said that more than 60 foreign nationals, who are members of Tablighi Jamaat, have been arrested by police here for participating in various religious programmes of the organisation in violation of Foreigners Act and under the Indian Penal Code. Earlier, seven cases were registered against them under visa norms at various police stations in Bhopal. 1,640 foreign Tablighi Jamaat members were in India, only 66 contracted COVID-19: Jamiat Tablighi Jamaat had grabbed the headlines earlier over a religious congregation held at Nizamuddin, Delhi in March this year amidst coronavirus pandemic. Several COVID-19 cases were reported when some Tablighis travelled back to their respective home states. However, it is not yet clear whether these foreigners had attended the Delhi event. Release 3,300 Tablighi members from quarantine centres says plea in HC "Cases were registered against the foreigner Jamaatis for the violation of visa conditions under the Foreigners Act. They had arrived in India on tourist visas under which they cannot participate in religious activities," Bhopal Police Range Inspector General (IG) Upendra Jain said. Jain said the police arrested the Jamaatis on Friday after their bail application was rejected by a local court. They hailed from countries like Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, Tanzania, South Africa, Myanmar and others. Another official said a total of 64 foreigners were arrested under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and provisions of the Disaster Management Act and Foreigners' Act. He said some of the arrested persons had earlier tested positive for coronavirus and all of them were placed under quarantine. Q: Why are people allowed to have their cleaner come to the house now, but I cant have my parents round? It seems ridiculous. A: Official advice, as part of the easing of lockdown, is that cleaners are once again permitted to come to the house so long as you remain at least two metres apart. And the fact they can, but your own parents cant, isnt quite as strange as it sounds, according to Keith Neal, Professor of Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases at the University of Nottingham. Keith Neil, professor of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Nottingham said it is easier to socially distance from your cleaner rather than your parents He says: It is much easier to socially distance with a cleaner you can sit in a separate room and each wear masks, for example. And having two extra people inside the home, such as parents, doubles the risk of infection, compared to just one. Cleaners are considered important as thousands of vulnerable and disabled Britons rely on them to ensure their home is safe. They sanitise surfaces, eliminating the virus, adds Prof Neal. Q: Some people say we should wear a mask even when running in the park. Im rarely close to anyone, and besides, I cant breathe. Surely its not really necessary? A: The Government has instructed us to wear non-medical masks in places where social distancing is not possible. This is not to protect you, but others around you, as studies suggest that up to 80 per cent of people could carry the virus without knowing it. However, the guidance states that masks do not need to be worn outdoors while exercising, or if you have breathing problems while wearing one. So if youre running, be extra cautious about keeping your distance some research suggests that the virus could spread further by deep breathing during exercise. The government has advised people to wear non-surgical face coverings while out in public Q: The R number has increased, apparently. Does this mean the number of people getting infected is rising again and is the easing of lockdown to blame? A: The R0 number is the Basic Reproduction Number an epidemiological metric used to describe how contagious an infection is. Broadly, it refers to how many people, on average, will be infected by every one person who has the disease. At the start of the pandemic, the R0 may have been as high as three, going by how rapidly it spread. This figure is not constant, and is influenced by a wide variety of factors including behaviour. On Friday, official statistics revealed that this number had marginally increased from the week previously from between 0.5 and 0.9, to between 0.7 and one. Its crucial that the R stays below one which means every person who has the infection passes it to fewer than one more in order to stall the growth of the pandemic. However, this slight rise is not an indication that things are getting worse. Fluctuations week to week are to be expected due to regional changes which may skew the overall average. It is also possible the overall R has been pushed up by cases in care homes which is not a true representation of spread within the community. Q: Ive been told I have to go to work. Is public transport safe? What about taxis? A: The Government has recommended travelling to work by bicycle or walking, to avoid crowds on public transport. However for many, this simply wont be possible. A few simple measures can reduce the risk of infection on public transport. The Government recommends wearing a mask, says Prof Neal. People should try and use public transport off-peak in order to reduce the risk of catching Covid-19 And, if possible, try to travel at off-peak times when there are fewer crowds. Dont bother wearing gloves natural anti-bacterial oils in our hands provide greater protection against the virus and theres a high risk of contamination when removing gloves. Just make sure you wash your hands. You may be less likely to become infected travelling by taxi but only certain types. Black taxis have a plastic partition between the driver and passenger, says Prof Neal. But in private hire cars, youre close to the driver, and statistics show cab drivers and chauffeurs have extremely high rates of infection. In both cases, wearing a face covering, staying as far away from others as you can and washing hands thoroughly, will keep you as safe as possible. A married Nevada state representative admitted on Friday to having an extensive affair with a former intern for State Senator Harry Reid. Nevada Rep. Steven Horsford (D-4th District) acknowledged the affair after Gabriela Linder - using the name 'Love Jones' - came forward with details of the affair in her podcast 'Mistress for Congress' and Twitter account. 'It is true that I had a previous relationship outside of my marriage, over the course of several years,' Horsford said in a statement, the Las Vegas Journal-Review reports. 'I'm deeply sorry to all of those who have been impacted by this very poor decision, most importantly my wife and family. Out of concern for my family during this challenging time, I ask that our privacy is respected.' Scroll down for video Nevada Rep. Steven Horsford acknowledged the affair after Gabriela Linder - using the name 'Love Jones' - came forward with details Linder claimed that the affair began in 2009 while she was interning for former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's Nevada office. At the time, Horsford was the majority leader of the Nevada state Senate Horsford has been married to his wife - an associate professor at Columbia University - since 2000. The couple share three children. Linder claimed that the affair began in 2009 while she was interning for former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's Nevada office. At the time, Horsford was the majority leader of the Nevada state Senate. The the then-21 year old claimed that she met Horsford at an event and later arranged to meet him through a friend. Horsford was 36 when they met. Horsford has been married to his wife - an associate professor at Columbia University - since 2000. The couple share three children Linder has been sharing details of the relationship on Twitter and on her podcast 'Mistress of Congress' She said that the two had a sexual relationship off and on again until September 2019. But the two have been in communication up until April, when Linder reached out to Horsford personal number so that he could appear on an episode of a show her young son presents on Facebook. The representative appeared on the show on April 1. Linder has stated on her podcast that her son was a result of another relationship she had while attending law school at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She said that the two had a sexual relationship off and on again until September 2019. But the two have been up in communication up until April, when Linder reached out to Horsford personal number so that he could appear on an episode of her son's show Their sexual relationship took place between 2009-2010 and 2017-2019, she claimed. The two maintained regular contact throughout the decade, however. Linder asserted that she saw her podcast as 'an empowering journey' as she moves on from the relationship, which she claims she ended after Horsford refused to leave his wife in the 2020 election year. 'I decided I can't wait, deserved more and didn't want to be that person anymore,' she said. 'And I realized someone who could lie that way is not someone who would be honorable to me.' But the mother has gone on the defensive in tweets, even sharing screenshots of conversations she claims were held between her and the representative. The exchange involves a Black Panther costume Linder said she purchased for Horsford. The representative appeared on the show on April 1 Besides the podcast, Linder plans on writing a book on her experience. On the third episode of 'Mistress of Congress,' Linder stated that Horsford 'looked out for her over the years, from anything from a job recommendation to financial support.' Linder never worked directly under the politician but would not elaborate on exactly Horsford would help her. An aide for Horsford said Linder 'never received any compensation from the congressman of from the campaign over the course of their private relationship.' The mother has gone on the defensive in tweets, even sharing screenshots of conversations she claims were held between her and the representative. The exchange involves a Black Panther costume Linder said she purchased for Horsford 'This was a private relationship of the congressman's and this was in no way related to his public office,' the aide added. Linder did assert that to her knowledge, the representative did not use campaign funds or money from the state to purchase her anything. The mother, who was a senior at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, when she met Horsford, said that now realizes the politician used his status and power to manipulate the situation. She claims he never told her not to tell anyone of the affair. The mother, who was a senior at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, when she met Horsford, said that now realizes the politician used his status and power to manipulate the situation. She claims he never told her not to tell anyone of the affair (Pictured in 2007) 'He knew how in love with him I was, and he knew what he could do and get away with,' she said. 'He knows I would support him. He never told me to keep quiet. He didn't have to. He knew I was loyal to a fault.' Linder said she reached to Horsford through her publicist to have him on the show, receiving an email that directed her to an attorney in Washington D.C., Howard Schiffman. According to the former intern, Horsford suggested that the issue would be damaging to everyone since they couldn't solve the situation amicably. Linder plans to release a new podcast on Sunday but stated that she was not seeking to damage Horsford during an election year. She does, however, want the politician to end his bid for re-election. 'If this was a story in 2018 (when Horsford successfully recaptured the seat after having lost it in 2014), he wouldn't have run,' Linder said. 'He obtained this position under false pretenses that he was a family man and man of God. He should take a step back, atone, and if people are satisfied, then he can come back into politics.' Horsford, the only black member of Nevada's congressional delegation, made national headlines in February when he endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for president. Engaged couple Melanie Croce and Jeshua Taucher live together in Courtown but they come from opposite sides of the world - Melanie is from Richmond, Virginia in the USA and Jeshua is from Auckland, New Zealand. Both are grateful to be together during this challenging time, counting themselves lucky to be safe in isolation in north Wexford but they are acutely aware of what's happening back home where their families remain. The pair are particularly interested in how the political leaders in their homelands are handling the crisis in such contrasting ways, reflected in the number of deaths and cases recorded. The number of Covid-19 cases in the US accounts for one third of the world's cases with the death toll rising daily, while New Zealand has recorded less than 25 deaths in total after months of strict lockdown measures closing businesses and schools as well as implementing travel restrictions. As both countries begin to lift restrictions, Melanie and Jeshua say they are thinking a lot about their families. 'I've been living in Ireland for the last three years,' said Melanie. 'I'm from Richmond, Virginia, which is one of the cities where there have been public protests against lockdown measures. There have been over 20,000 confirmed cases in Virginia and that number is climbing by almost 1,000 per day. 'I worry for my family there, about their health and welfare every day. I call them frequently to make sure they're staying at home,' said Melanie. Meanwhile, things are somewhat different for Jeshua, who left New Zealand in 2015 to travel the world. 'Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand and an objectively beautiful, albeit busy city. The greater Auckland area has had around 500 cases of Covid-19, with only a very small number of Covid-19 related deaths. 'I've got family spread across the whole country, Mum and Dad are up in Auckland, my brothers are still living in the South Island at university and grandparents in the Wairarapa at the southern end of the North Island. We're all pretty healthy so I'm not too concerned, and I'm happy my grandparents have been taking precautions to ensure they stay fit, healthy and safe. There have been less than 20 cases in their wider area, and I hope it stays that way,' said Jeshua. Melanie and Jeshua met through travelling - something they both enjoy doing - when their paths crossed in Bodrum, Turkey. Going their separate ways, they kept in touch but didn't see each other for almost two years. After both spending time back in New Zealand and the US together, the pair finally settled in north Wexford late last year. 'I feel extremely grateful to be exactly where I am. There was a little anxiety at first being so far from New Zealand, but Melanie and I made the best decision and decided to stay put, lock down and focus on developing our vision,' said Jeshua. 'I'm also very grateful we live in a less densely populated area, with a beautiful woodland area and the coast on our doorstep. I'm sure there would be significantly more anxiety if we lived in a dense urban area, with no access to nature. However, I think on the whole the Irish government has worked swiftly and efficiently, calling on the best available science to make informed decisions. 'This pandemic has tested every country's leadership body, and some have performed far better or worse than others. The prowess of the Irish government thus far has certainly made me feel as safe here in Ireland as I could hope to be given the circumstances'. Melanie said she feels lucky to be in Ireland now. 'I genuinely feel very safe and lucky to be here. The Irish government was right in putting safety measures in place early to prevent the spread from getting out of control and has been very proactive in providing financial support and helpful, consistent information for the people here. I also feel that the people of Ireland have really shown solidarity and cooperation during this time, and it is so inspiring to see people looking out for one another. 'In my opinion, Ireland is doing a profoundly superior job in managing this crisis than the United States' current leadership. In Ireland, the government has prioritised human health and safety, and has put supports readily in place to help families get through this crisis. They are also taking a cautious approach to easing lockdown, by testing the waters in phases. 'The US Federal Government was very slow to react, and failed to take measures to contain the spread of the virus for over a month after they should have. They failed to flatten the curve'. Melanie said that she feels the background of this goes back to 2018, when the US Federal Government disbanded the National Security Council Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense - an office specifically designed to prepare against and manage a pandemic. 'They are now leading the world in coronavirus deaths, and are already easing lockdown restrictions in the name of saving the economy. What I find troubling is that the very people who are putting their lives at risk by fighting to go back to work are doing so because they don't have government supports in place in the first place, like living wages and affordable healthcare. 'In Virginia, minimum wage is $7.25 (or 6.63) per hour which is almost half that of Ireland's minimum wage. Additionally, healthcare costs are outrageous across the US, and Americans literally risk losing their homes if they get sick. Instead of questioning the system that keeps hard working people in poverty, lacking the supports that most other developed countries enjoy, they are putting their lives at risk to return to that broken system. 'The only financial relief they have available for individual Americans since Covid-19 is a one-time payment of $1,200, that many Americans have still not received. 'In addition, the US government funding they put in place to rescue small businesses during this time was handed over to profit driven banks to distribute. With so many small businesses at risk of going under due to the continued favouritism towards the wealthy, and low income individuals desperate to put food on the table because they aren't getting sufficient aid, explains why many people are panicking and desperate to go back to work despite the continued threat of the pandemic. 'From the outside, protesting for the right to expose yourself to a deadly virus seems crazy. But when you take into consideration the system that Americans have become conditioned to expect, where they can't trust their own government to support them and fairly distribute their abundance of resources, it starts to make sense that people feel they need to take matters into their own hands. The US government is not only escaping the blame for this ongoing wealth inequality, but has actually used this pandemic to further fuel division and confusion through mis-information'. Jeshua said that he believes the greatest disparity between the two countries responses to pandemic comes down to the underlying trust in governments. 'On the surface, our cultures are very similar and I felt quite at home when visiting Melanie's friends and family in Virginia. However, it's difficult to ignore the massive difference in ideology between our current governing body and theirs. If I can quote Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern here to represent this disparity: "I refuse to believe that you cannot be both compassionate and strong." Compassion is something the American capitalist complex has completely undervalued. My mother is a clinical psychologist and I have been brought up with compassion being a central driver in all decisions we make. 'I'm certainly very proud to be a Kiwi and although New Zealand has its issues, the current leadership has guided the country to shine on the world stage. In New Zealand, we are taught from a young age that Kiwis are bold and creative leaders, hungry to take our place in the world. Jacinda Ardern has embodied this societal construct, with phenomenal responses to all the challenges she comes up against. I believe New Zealanders trust in our current leadership and their response to this pandemic, has been essential in the country taking control of the spread of Covid-19. I'm sure the easily accessible social welfare support, lockdown measures, rigorous testing and contact tracing, and constant formal and informal updates have all been essential elements of Kiwis getting through this trying time. It will be interesting to see how New Zealand's transition out of lockdown will impact socio-economic and environmental dynamics. I hope that New Zealand society learns from this pandemic and takes this valuable opportunity to recalibrate our values'. Melanie said that she does not hold the same strong feelings of pride that Jeshua holds about his own country. 'This administration of the US Government has not listened to science based evidence or expertise in the past and certainly hasn't started now. Trump's briefings demonstrate a profound lack of understanding, and intentionally spreads dangerous mis-information. It's disheartening to see that he has chosen to take this as an opportunity to further divide Americans, instead of unifying. What's even more surprising, is he is encouraging people to protest state government safety measures that have been put in place for their own safety, and risking destabilising those areas during a crisis by doing so. The number of new Covid-19 cases in the US continues to exponentially rise, yet they are re-opening non-essential businesses prematurely. This will undoubtedly lead to an explosion of new cases and a great deal of preventable deaths. 'I hope that someday I might feel proud to be American again, when there is new leadership in place, but I don't see myself going back any time soon. I have also worked very hard to be in Ireland, and am very proud and happy to live and work here. The US under Trump's leadership has become a hateful, divided place which prioritises corporate greed over human health and the health of the environment'. Both Melanie Croce and Jeshua Traucher work at Seal Rescue Ireland based in Courtown and have been involved in a number of community environmental projects. They would like to point out that the opinions expressed in this article are their own and do not reflect the charity Seal Rescue Ireland. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit from the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, which argued that the authorities were illegally mistreating the roughly 60,000 homeless people who live in the region. As with many issues involving individuals experiencing homelessness, no party appears to be addressing this problem with any urgency, Judge Carter wrote, noting that both sides in the lawsuit agreed that the living situation was dangerous. [Sign up for California Today, our daily newsletter about the Golden State.] Judge Carter said that in addition to the obvious danger of passing cars, vehicle pollutants could shorten the lives of people who live near freeways by decades. He added that an earthquake could cause the roads to collapse, with catastrophic results. The homeless people who live near these freeways must be moved to shelters that allow for appropriate social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic, Judge Carter wrote. He said that adequate showers and sinks were also necessary, as well as nurses who could test for communicable diseases such as Covid-19. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As New York State begins to reopen, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that what happens next will depend on how individuals act, and he expressed significant concerns over the need for federal aid to help the states $61 billion budget shortfall. Even as we reopen, this is a new phase. This is an unknown phase. Nobody can tell you exactly what happens because nobody has been here before, Cuomo said during his briefing on Saturday. What happens depends on what we do -- this is why this has been such a unique situation. He also warned that the only other big question mark on where we go longer term is what the federal government does." We have a significant economic problem in the state. It is the collective of all individuals economic problems, and when you add up the collective its $61 billion to the the State of New York, Cuomo said, warning of the potential for cuts. **CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ** The state budget is very relevant to you because we fund schools, we fund hospitals and we fund local government. Local governments fund police, fire, all the heroes we talk about, he added. Cuomo called on the U.S. Senate to pass the coronavirus relief bill that was passed by the House Friday night. The bill includes: $500 billion for states and $375 billion for local government; Medicaid funding for the most vulnerable; increased SNAP food assistance; 100 percent FEMA federal assistance; funding for testing; and repeals of SALT to help states most affected by COVID-19. It finally provides funding for state and local governments. They funded businesses, they funded corporations, the funded millionaires. Who did they forget? They forgot the police, the firefighters, the working Americans. What a shock, right? Cuomo said of the bill. Overall, 157 people died from complications due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) in New York State Friday, a number the governor called stubborn. Warning the public not to underestimate this virus, he said that if people are smart as the state reopens, there will be some increase in coronavirus numbers, but not a spike. Brussels, May 16 : Some 42 million European Union (EU) workers have been affected by temporary layoffs due to the coronavirus pandemic. The sudden paralysis economies have been plunged into as a result of containment measures to halt the spread of COVID-19 has pushed EU member states to resort to temporary layoffs, furloughs and wage cuts with governments footing the bill in a bid to save economiesm reports Efe news. By early May, 26 per cent of the EU's 160 million workers had been enlisted for short-time work or similar forms of temporary wage subsidies, setting a record not even reached during the 2008 financial crisis, according to the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI). France is the country where the schemes are most widespread with 48 per cent of the workforce affected (11 million workers), followed by Italy with 47 per cent (8 million), Germany with 27 per cent ( 10 million), Spain with 24 per cent (4 million) and the Netherlands with 23 per cent (1.7 million). In Portugal, the Czech Republic, Finland, Bulgaria, Poland and Slovakia, temporary layoffs have been issued to under 5 per cent of the workforce, according to the report. ETUI said the employment schemes have been an effective measure to prevent layoffs in the short term and a sudden spike in unemployment rates as has happened in the US where the pandemic has left 33 million people out of work. General Secretary Luca Visentini said that compared to the 42 million workers with short term work or temporary wage subsidies, there are between 10 and 15 million people who are at risk of losing their jobs due to a lack of access to these schemes. The schemes are not foolproof either, and Visenti warned there were vacuums in their implementation and payment delays. "In many countries aid has not yet reached the people. In Italy, there are supposed to be 12 million people with a temporary layoff, but half of them have had no wages for two months," he told Efe on Saturday. In many countries, the self-employed, temporary and migrant workers are not covered by these programs and for those who are receiving wage subsidies, the aid does not even cover 80 percent of normal salaries, which ETUI suggest should be the minimum payment. State wage subsidies range from covering 100 percent of salaries in the Netherlands and Denmark to 50 per cent in Poland. Most governments are covering the cost of between 70 per cent of wages (Spain, France and Belgium) to 80 per cent (Italy, Germany and the UK). To the myriad domestic problems member states face, the delay of the implementation of a new instrument for temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) poses further risks to economies. The mechanism will deploy financial assistance up to 100 billion euros as loans so EU member states can cover the costs of temporary employment schemes during the pandemic. SURE still needs to be given the final go-ahead, and unions fear the funds won't become available until fall. Coronavirus dogs trained to 'sniff' out symptoms of coronavirus before they appear in humans will begin trials in the UK. The landmark trials are being backed by 500,000 of government money, funding vital research into early methods of detecting the killer bug. If successful, the dogs could be used to sniff out up to 250 people an hour in a bid to ramp up testing in what will 'revolutionise' virus detection procedures. The dogs, a mixture of labradors and cocker spaniels, can already identify deadly diseases including cancer, malaria and Parkinson's disease. They will now undergo intensive training to spot Covid-19 before symptoms appear. Florin is one of the Medical Detection Dogs undergoing training to see if man's best friend could play a role in sniffing out the virus They will be trained using samples of people infected with coronavirus and those who are uninfected, as some respiratory diseases are known to change body odour. Research has revealed the dogs are able to detect the odour of disease at the equivalent dilution of one teaspoon of sugar in an astonishing two Olympic-sized swimming pools of water. The first phase of the trials will be conducted by researchers at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), in collaboration with the charity Medical Detection Dogs (MDD) and Durham University. Professor James Logan, head of the department of disease control at the LSHTM, said he was 'hopeful' of success. 'Our previous work has shown that malaria has a distinctive odour, and with Medical Detection Dogs, we successfully trained dogs to accurately detect malaria,' he said. 'This, combined with the knowledge that respiratory disease can change body odour, makes us hopeful that the dogs can also detect Covid-19. 'If successful, this approach could revolutionise how we detect the virus, with the potential to screen high numbers of people.' The dogs, a mixture of labradors and cocker spaniels (pictured), can already identify deadly diseases including cancer, malaria and Parkinson's disease (file photo) Minister for Innovation Lord Bethell said: 'Bio-detection dogs already detect specific cancers and we believe this innovation might provide speedy results as part of our wider testing strategy. 'Accuracy is essential so this trial will tell us whether 'Covid dogs' can reliably detect the virus and stop it spreading.' Claire Guest, co-founder and chief executive of Medical Detection Dogs, said: 'We are delighted that the Government has given us the opportunity to demonstrate that dogs can play a role in the fight against Covid-19. 'They have the potential to help by quickly screening people, which could be vital in the future. 'We are sure our dogs will be able to find the odour of Covid-19 and we will then move into a second phase to test them in live situations, following which we hope to work with other agencies to train more dogs for deployment. 'We are incredibly proud that a dog's nose could once again save many lives.' By Parker Lewis For the first few months of 2020, many Americans watched Chinas COVID-19 crisis with a false sense of security. Some believed the virus was merely a bad strain of the flu, while others viewed it as a threat localized in Asia. I unfortunately did not have that luxury as an expat living and working in Shanghai during the initial outbreak. My improbable journey to China started nearly a decade ago from an accidental enrollment in a Mandarin language class Lawrence High School. Intimidated by the complexity of the language, I unsuccessfully tried to switch to a different foreign language class. However, I soon began studying with enthusiasm after realizing the tremendous opportunity learning Mandarin would give me to connect with a different culture of over a billion people. After working a few years in New York City, I made one of the bigger decisions of my young life to pursue a job in Shanghai. Chinas most populated city is sophisticated, modern, international, and fast-paced. I truly enjoyed living there. Life in Shanghai changed suddenly on Jan. 22 when the Chinese government began publicizing the threat of the virus and instituted an immediate lockdown in the outbreak epicenter of Wuhan. Suddenly, everyone you saw in public was wearing a mask. Shanghais notoriously packed subway was eerily empty during rush hour. Unable to get my hands on a mask for a few days, I was terrified riding the subway to work and exposing myself to the virus. Most of my Chinese and longterm ex-pat colleagues had memories of the SARS epidemic fresh in their minds. Everyone was universally concerned about the infection rates and death counts, was it 20% worse, 200% worse, or 2,000% worse than being reported nobody really knew. Fortunately, I had planned to travel to Japan during the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday. Traveling to the Shanghai airport was tense. Flights were being canceled and travel restrictions were immediately being put in place. I was anxious I would get stuck in Shanghai. My temperature was checked multiple times throughout the airport. A few hours later, I boarded my flight and did not dare take my mask off even for a sip of water until I arrived in Japan. While in Japan, I was alerted that the U.S. State Department set a Do Not Travel warning on China. At that point, I felt like I had no option, but to return to the United States. After landing at JFK Airport, I was greeted by officials from the CDC and shuffled into a special room to have my temperature taken. After that, I was packed into a room with others who had recently been in China so we could be given instructions on self-quarantining. I thought to myself if I did not have it before, I surely have it now. Returning to my parents home in central New Jersey was a bizarre experience. Despite not seeing me for more than six months, I could not go near my family. I self-quarantined myself in my childhood bedroom until I was 14 days out of China, which was the policy at the time. While in self-quarantine, I received a phone call from a Lawrence Township health official reinforcing the directions I was given by the CDC to self-quarantine and to regularly record my body temperatures. With the situation continuing to deteriorate in China throughout the month of February, I decided to quit my job and stay in the U.S. for good. I was not even able to clear out my belongings in my Shanghai apartment or say goodbye to my friends, but I was grateful to be safe and healthy. Just as I received a job offer to work in New York City in early March, virus cases skyrocketed throughout the U.S. Feeling stuck in deja vu, my life resumed to the panic and anxiety I had just fled from. My job offer was delayed, consistent with many hiring freezes across corporate America. Life in Shanghai has returned to near normalcy with schools opening in early May. Yet, I still have friends and former colleagues reaching out worried about my health and asking if they can send me masks. Unfortunately, pandemics cannot be outrun. Without question, quarantining for the last two months in New Jersey has been much more comfortable than in China. Casual walks outside and trips to essential businesses are permitted. For the same reason, it also may prove to be much less effective. Parker Lewis graduated from the Hun School of Princeton. He worked in finance in the New York City area before moving to China and worked in foreign direct investment consulting (helping companies enter the Chinese market) in Shanghai. Hes currently living in Lawrenceville. 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. The coronavirus pandemic leaves millions of older Americans wondering when they can live whats left of their lives. Reopening efforts and rules vary across the country and it remains uncertain how safe it is to resume regular activities. Among many variables, many local health departments across the U.S. are falling short of the number of people needed to track down the contacts of people who test positive for coronavirus, which puts reopening efforts at more risk. Meanwhile, Europe moved to restore some normalcy this weekend. Hundreds of beaches in France and Greece reopened, many with restrictions including no sunbathing. The Italian government said it would ease travel restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic, allowing people to move freely inside the region where they live as of Monday, and between regions starting June 3. Among other developments early this weekend: People vote at a polling site at a public school in New York City on Nov. 8, 2016. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Appeals Judges Seem Apt to Let New York Presidential Primary Proceed NEW YORKFederal appeals court judges seemed inclined during oral arguments Friday to let New Yorks Democratic presidential primary proceed next month despite state claims that it could threaten the safety of voters during a pandemic. The three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard 90 minutes of arguments after a judge last week ordered the primary to take place despite an April decision by Democratic members of the states Board of Elections to cancel it. Even without the presidential primary, elections were scheduled in all but two of the states 62 races for other elections, including congressional and state races. The judges did not immediately rule, but they leaned forcefully against the state. Some of them seized on the claim by Judith Vale, an attorney for the state, that Bernie Sanders and Andrew Yang could have remained on the ballot by withdrawing their announcements that they were suspending their presidential campaigns. Instead, lawyers sued to keep them on the ballot. Democratic presidential candidates (L-R) Andrew Yang, Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Sen. Kamala Harris, during the second night of the first Democratic presidential debate in Miami, Fla., on June 27, 2019. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Circuit Judge Amalya L. Kearse asked what a candidate would have to do to reinstate a suspended campaign. Vale said they would have to send a letter to the Board of Elections or otherwise make clear they were un-suspending their campaign. How does that differ functionally from what Senator Sanders did, which was to simply ask not to be taken off the ballot? Kearse asked. Vale said Sanders failed to announce he was lifting the suspension of his campaign. Judge Dennis Jacobs noted that one way a candidate might decide to re-enter the race was if they did quite well in the presidential primary in New York. So the question becomes whether this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, Jacobs said. If you suspend, you cant appear on the ballot. If you cant appear on the ballot, you cant get the public support that brings in the money. If you cant bring in the money, you cant resuscitate your campaign. Judge Jose A. Cabranes cited the constitutional right to vote and the First Amendment and questioned whether state or national leaders of the Democratic party had a say in the decision to cancel the primary. He also said delegates play an important role in the Democratic convention and have made the difference in the selection of vice presidential candidates in the past. Doesnt it seem odd to you that somehow these other political contests will go on and the only one thats eliminated is the presidential primary? Doesnt it suggest that theres some particular objective here thats perhaps not obvious to any of us? Cabranes asked. No, no, Vale responded. This is all in the context of the pandemic. Has any other state cancelled its presidential primary? Cabranes asked. No, Vale said. So thats quite unusual, obviously, by definition, Cabranes said. Andrew Yang speaks during a Democratic presidential primary debate at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. on Feb. 7, 2020. (Elise Amendola/AP Photo) Lawyers for Sanders and Yang noted that the state never spelled out when it changed the rules that candidates needed to lift the suspensions of their campaigns to remain on the ballot. Attorney Jeffrey Kurzon, who sued on behalf of Yang and several would-be delegates, told the judges it was appalling that the election was canceled. He called it a middle-of-the-game change that was properly overturned by the lower court. By Larry Neumeister By Davide Barbuscia, Saeed Azhar and Pamela Barbaglia DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) - The governments of Abu Dhabi and Dubai are discussing ways to prop up Dubai's economy by linking up assets in the two emirates, with Abu Dhabi's state fund Mubadala likely to play a key role in any deal, three sources familiar with the matter said. Some economic sectors have come to a near standstill in Dubai during the coronavirus outbreak, and it faces its most severe downturn since a 2009 debt crisis By Davide Barbuscia, Saeed Azhar and Pamela Barbaglia DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) - The governments of Abu Dhabi and Dubai are discussing ways to prop up Dubai's economy by linking up assets in the two emirates, with Abu Dhabi's state fund Mubadala likely to play a key role in any deal, three sources familiar with the matter said. Some economic sectors have come to a near standstill in Dubai during the coronavirus outbreak, and it faces its most severe downturn since a 2009 debt crisis. It lacks the oil wealth of Abu Dhabi to cushion the blow. Abu Dhabi bailed out Dubai after the 2009 crisis with a $10 billion government loan, which was subsequently rolled over, and $10 billion in bonds that Dubai issued to the central bank. One of the sources said any support from Abu Dhabi agreed now would be "orchestrated through mergers of assets where Abu Dhabi and Dubai compete directly or where they have joint ownerships". "The most likely deal to happen in the near term is a merger of the local stock markets," the source said, adding that bank mergers were also possible. A second source confirmed the talks and said Mubadala, which manages around $230 billion in assets, would make "a big move into Dubai", but gave no details. Mubadala declined comment. Abu Dhabi did not respond to requests for comment on the talks. The Dubai media office said on its official Twitter account late on Friday that Dubai denied being in talks with Abu Dhabi for support from Mubadala. The two emirates have a quiet rivalry. Dubai has developed quickly to become the Middle East's tourism, trade and business hub, while Abu Dhabi is the UAE's political capital because of its size and immense oil wealth. The consolidation of political power in Abu Dhabi began with the 2009 bailout. The first source said talks were happening in an "elegant way," without the appearance of a direct bailout. The UAE said on Wednesday it would review the structure and size of its government to make it "more agile and flexible". "We may merge ministries and alter bodies. We will make changes," UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who is also ruler of Dubai, said following three days of virtual meetings on the country's post-coronavirus strategy. A third source said Mubadala was likely to be involved "at some stage" because the state fund was always involved whenever there was consolidation between the two emirates in the past. STRATEGIC ASSETS Mergers took place after Abu Dhabi bailed out Dubai following the 2009 crisis, during which Dubai's property market crashed, almost forcing some state-linked firms to default on billions of dollars of debt. The UAE merged Dubai and Abu Dhabi aluminium firms to create Emirates Global Aluminium, held jointly by Mubadala and the Investment Corporation of Dubai. "You have already seen a pattern of mergers and this will now accelerate," the first source said. "Essentially these bailouts will be engineered by having Abu Dhabi taking stakes in strategic assets owned by Dubai. It will happen over time." London-based Capital Economics has said Dubai is the most vulnerable of the economies in the Middle East and North Africa to the economic damage caused by measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus, and it has said Dubai's economy could contract by at least 5-6% this year if the measures last into the summer. Economic growth in Dubai was sluggish before the pandemic and hopes of benefiting from hosting the Expo world fair in October collapsed when the event was postponed to 2021. Dubai has in recent weeks been in discussions with banks for several fundraising options including loans and privately placed bonds, sources familiar with the discussions have said. It has also considered raising funds backed by road toll revenue, sources have said. (Reporting by Davide Barbuscia, Saeed Azhar, Pamela Barbaglia; Additional reporting by Hesham Abdul Khalek; Editing by Timothy Heritage) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. FILE PHOTO: The sun sets behind a crude oil pump jack on a drill pad in the Permian Basin in Loving County By Jessica Resnick-Ault NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. crude prices jumped 7% on Friday to their highest since March, on strengthening fuel demand as countries around the world eased travel restrictions they had imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus. U.S. crude gained 19.7% in the week and Brent crude rose 5.2% after a week of bullish news. Both contracts gained for the third consecutive week. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil settled up $1.87, or 6.8% at $29.43 a barrel, just off the session peak of $29.92, its highest since mid-March. WTI soared 9% in the previous session. Brent crude settled up $1.37, or 4.4% a barrel at $32.50. Brent rose nearly 7% on Thursday. The second-month contract for U.S. crude traded at a discount to the first month for the first time since late February, implying market tightness, said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho in New York. "It is no accident the spread switched after EIA crude oil storage, and storage at the NYMEX delivery site at Cushing, both posted up their first storage draws in weeks in Wednesdays storage report," he said. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other major producers have cut supplies to reduce a glut, and now there also are signs of improving demand. Data showed China's daily crude oil use rebounded in April as refineries ramped up operations. Still, the market remained cautious with the coronavirus pandemic far from over and new clusters of infection emerging in some countries where lockdowns have eased. "Oil prices have been up significantly since yesterday thanks to a better assessment of the situation by the International Energy Agency (IEA)," Commerzbank said in a note. The IEA expects global crude inventories to fall by about 5.5 million barrels per day (bpd) in the second half. It also expects oil demand this year to fall by 8.6 million bpd, smaller by 690,000 bpd than the decline it forecast last month. It expects non-OPEC supply to fall by 3.2 million bpd. Story continues Barclays raised its forecasts for Brent and WTI by $5-$6 a barrel for 2020 and by $16 a barrel for 2021. It now sees Brent prices averaging $37 a barrel and WTI at $33 this year. For 2021, the bank expects Brent to average $53 a barrel while WTI averages $50. "The sheer size and speed of the disruption and associated inventory overhang will take time to get fully absorbed, in our view," Barclays analyst Amarpreet Singh said in a note. On Wednesday, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said the country's crude inventories fell unexpectedly. [EIA/S] This reduced the risk that prices will plummet ahead of the front-month contract expiring next week. "With the drawdown, it shouldn't be as perilous as it was last time," said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital Management in New York. Ahead of last month's contract expiration, fear of storage shortages pushed the contract into negative territory for the first time on record. Still, market participants remain skittish about the upcoming expiration date, Kilduff said. Graphic: Weekly changes in petroleum stocks in the U.S., https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/editorcharts/bdwvkrmkxpm/eikon.png Record production cuts of nearly 10 million bpd by OPEC and associated producers - collectively known as OPEC+ - have kicked in for May and June, with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE pledging to cut beyond their commitments. Oman said on Friday that it is considering cutting output further in June as well. (Additional reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar in London and Aaron Sheldrick in Tokyo; Editing by David Gregorio, Louise Heavens and Steve Orlofssky) Ryan Stewart, an employee of SEPTA, has the job of disinfecting the insides of buses at Olney Transportation Center in Philadelphia on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, a way to control the spread of COVID-19. Read more In April, a pork plant worker and a labor group filed a lawsuit against the workers employer, Smithfield Foods, for failing to keep workers, and the Missouri town where the plant was based, safe. The complaint alleged Smithfield was a public nuisance and asked not for money, but for safer working conditions. Although the lawsuit was eventually thrown out, it got results: Smithfield put up barriers between workers and allowed workers more opportunities to wash their hands. A new report from Harvard Law School and the National Employment Law Project suggests that cities and states could use this tactic, and others, to pressure employers to keep workers safe on the job a pressing need as the economy slowly reopens despite the still-present threat of infection. Many workers deemed essential during the pandemic are at a loss: They say their employers arent keeping them safe on the job, but workers dont know where to turn for protection. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the federal agency in charge of protecting workers, has largely left workplace safety up to employers. Meanwhile, despite instituting workplace safety guidelines of his own, Gov. Tom Wolf has thrown up his hands, saying, We can only do so much with oversight. Mayor Jim Kenney, too, has said that the city cant be picking up the slack for the federal government. But the report, written by workplace legal experts, explains that there are measures that cities and states can take to protect workers in the absence of a proactive, fully staffed OSHA. This is a moment for government to use whatever powers they can to protect working people, said Terri Gerstein, a lawyer who runs a project on local enforcement at the Harvard Law School Labor and Worklife Program and one of the authors of the report. 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. If business and government leaders are worried about the economic impact, the most important thing to do is make sure workers are healthy and safe, she said, as continued outbreaks will just prolong the current economic standstill. READ MORE: Phillys essential workers are risking their lives for low pay: I cant not go to work The report comes at a time when unions and labor groups have called for Kenney to institute local protections for essential workers. Kenney has made progressive labor laws a hallmark of his administration. And worker safety during the pandemic is an issue thats especially urgent in Philadelphia, the poorest big city in the United States, where black people are dying from the virus at a higher rate than white people, according to city data. Most essential workers earn low wages, and black and Hispanic workers are less likely to be able to work from home. Cities and states, the report says, can legally enforce guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as workplace safety law a best practice, according to former OSHA officials without fear of preemption concerns because, so far, OSHA has not issued any workplace standards about the coronavirus. Preemption refers to the legal idea that laws passed by lower authorities cant interfere with those passed by higher ones. Its the reason Philadelphia cant raise its minimum wage because it would come up against a state law barring it from doing so. Some other measures Philadelphia and Pennsylvania could take to protect workers, as per the report, include: Being public about any enforcement action taken against employers not following CDC guidelines. A 2018 Duke University report found that when OSHA published news releases about employers found to have violated the law, there were fewer violations at similar employers in a five-kilometer radius. Philadelphia has already done this with employers that break city labor laws. Developing a policy that protects workers from being retaliated against if they speak up about unsafe working conditions. Investigating workplace complaints through the attorney general or district attorneys office, in tandem with local health departments, as the Illinois Attorney Generals Office has done. As of the end of April, the Illinois attorney general had not brought any lawsuits against employers but said the threat of a lawsuit was enough to change working conditions. As of April 21, OSHA had received 2,400 coronavirus-related complaints and had not issued a single citation. A Labor Department spokesperson said the agency had six months to complete an investigation. In April, Wolf issued an order requiring essential businesses to keep their workers safe by requiring masks and instituting social distancing, but enforcement has been light. The Pennsylvania State Police have issued 25 warnings and no citations, which carry a maximum $300 fine. Philadelphia has issued its own set of safety guidelines for essential businesses and said it was doing complaint-based enforcement, taking complaints through the citys 311 nonemergency line. The city has not issued any fines to businesses violating the guidelines. Also, mayoral spokesperson Lauren Cox said, The city has not ruled out additional protocols being put in place as part of the reopening, but that plan has not yet been finalized. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Cops seized guns and ammunition when they raided an Annadale home Thursday morning, said a criminal complaint. Steven Gallo, 25, was arrested during the 6 a.m. search-warrant operation on Crown Place, police said. Cops recovered an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and a fully assembled semiautomatic pistol from the defendants bedroom, said the complaint. The handgun had no serial number or brand markings, the complaint said. Officers also found three high-capacity magazines, which can hold over 10 rounds and are designed for use with a rifle, the complaint said. A document check revealed Gallo does not have a permit to possess a rifle, said the complaint. The defendant was charged with felony counts of criminal weapon possession and criminal firearm possession. Hes also accused of misdemeanor counts of ammunition possession. Gallo was arraigned Friday in Criminal Court and was released on bond, show online state court records. His lawyer did not immediately return an email on Saturday seeking comment. Uzbekistan Airways, upon the decision of the country's special commission for the preparation of a program of measures to prevent the penetration and spread of coronavirus, will gradually resume flights in the regions of the country, Trend reports with reference to Uzbekistan Airways. Tickets can be purchased online, at airline ticket offices and airports with strict compliance with all quarantine requirements, the message said. From May 18, the airline will start operating flights on the following routes: Tashkent-Urgench-Tashkent (Monday, Thursday), Tashkent-Nukus-Tashkent (Tuesday, Friday), Tashkent-Termez-Tashkent (Wednesday, Saturday). According to the new procedure, only those passengers who passed the coronavirus infection test at the Center for Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance no more than 120 hours before departure and have a certificate of negative result of the test will be admitted to the flights of the airline. "Compliance with quarantine measures is mandatory including wearing of protective masks and gloves, observance of social distance at the check-in desk and on board the aircraft. Seating in the cabin will be arranged strictly according to boarding passes, and movement without necessity in the cabin is prohibited," the message said. The first Pakistani COVID-19 patient who was treated at a hospital with blood donated from a man who survived the disease has fully recovered. The patient was treated at a hospital in the country's southern Sindh province. Several COVID-19 patients are currently undergoing the plasma therapy after authorities allowed 350 patients to undergo such a clinical trial across the country. A Pakistani doctor who treated the patient has urged those who defeated coronavirus to donate blood for the treatment that uses plasma from people who have recovered to help seriously ill patients. The development comes as Pakistan reported 31 more deaths from coronavirus, raising virus-related fatalities to 834. Pakistan has 38,799 confirmed cases and the increase in infections also coincides with a growing number of daily tests being carried out in this country of 220 million. Search Keywords: Short link: As Mexico moves toward a gradual reactivation of its economy Monday, the number of new coronavirus infections grows higher every day, raising fears of a new wave of infections that other countries have seen after loosening restrictions. President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador is straddling the issue, telling the public that the fight against the virus depends on continued social distancing in many places while describing how other areas will begin to return to work Monday. We're at the point where we begin to have fewer cases, Lpez Obrador said Friday. But in these days we have to be more careful, not relax the discipline, don't trust ourselves. The comments came on the same day the government clarified guidelines for the construction, mining and automotive industries to return to work Monday. The next two weeks will serve as a period to formalize their protocols to keep workers safe, but if they do so and get approval they can open any time before June 1. There were 2,409 new COVID-19 test confirmations Thursday, the first time that number has exceeded 2,000 in one day. We are at the moment of the fastest growth in new cases, said Assistant Health Secretary Hugo Lpez-Gatell. This is the most difficult moment. Health officials have said the real number of infections is far higher. Mexico has a lower rate of testing for the virus than any of the world's largest economies, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development The country's lockdown which began in March will remain in place, but those particular industries will be allowed to resume because Mexico's top advisory body on the pandemic, the General Health Council, said Tuesday it had decided to classify them as essential activities. There were signs that hospital capacity was nearing its limit Mexico City, the hardest-hit area. The Health Department reported that 73 percent of the city's general care hospital beds were full; the percentage was lower for intensive-care beds, but that was partly because of the expansion of improvised ICU units at hospitals and other venues. On Friday, about 2,000 ventilators purchased by private companies and donated to Mexican hospitals arrived aboard a flight from Chicago, Illinois. The machines are made by Royal Philips, a Dutch company with plants in the U.S., and were acquired by major Mexican companies. There is concern in the medical community that talk of relaxing social distancing measures is coming too soon and could lead to a devastating second wave of infections as resources dwindle and medical personnel are running on fumes. Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei announced Thursday night that he was putting the country back on lockdown after a surge of new infections in the first week after he allowed shopping centers to reopen. Guatemalans will be under a 24-hour per day stay-at-home order through the weekend. The restriction will loosen Monday to a 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew for the week. Without health, life isn't possible, nor the economy, Giammattei said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A few days after non-essential businesses shut down in the nations capital in March, Busboys and Poets a popular Washington, D.C. restaurant and cultural hub experienced a break in at its location in the neighborhood of Anacostia, prompting the establishment to board up. Early on in the pandemic, we had a break in and somebody threw a brick through one of our windows in our Anacostia location. And of course, we had to call somebody put a plywood in the meantime while we ordered the glass to be replaced. When the plywood went on, it looked like a scar, Busboys and Poets owner Andy Shallal told ABC News. PHOTO: Busboys and Poets owner Andy Shallal paints the Busboys and Poets store front at the Anacostia location in Washington, D.C. (Busboys and Poets) Shallal, who is an artist himself, decided to transform the dreary image by painting an uplifting message on the board in bright colors and the words, Busboys 'hearts' Anacostia. The D.C. entrepreneur said that the "outpouring of support" he received from the community inspired him to start a movement to bring uplifting art to the city. It also provided much needed gigs for artists, who are struggling after losing work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As I walk around the city and see a lot of the stores that used to be really busy, shuttered - it looked kind of depressing, frankly. And we decided, let's put some paintings on these walls of inspiration, paintings that give people a sense of hope, a sense of possibility, a sense of the future, because this is not going to be forever, Shallal said. We'll get through this, we'll get on the other side. But in the meantime, we need something to keep us uplifted. The business, which has five locations in the District of Columbia and a couple in Maryland and Virginia, is a popular bar, cafe and cultural events venue in the area known locally as the DMV" and has been rooted in supporting activism and the arts. It was named after acclaimed American poet and activist Langston Hughes, who was a central figure during the Harlem Renaissance, and worked as a busboy at the Wardman Park Hotel in D.C. in the 1920s, before he gained notoriety as a poet. Story continues Shallal, an Iraqi-American entrepreneur who also ran for D.C. mayor, is an activist himself, so when he opened the first Busboys and Poets location at 14th and V Streets, NW, in 2005, it was embraced by a progressive community and became a gathering place for those opposed to the Iraq War. It has been frequented by notable civil rights activists, including Alice Walker, Angela Davis, Danny Glover, Harry Belafonte and progressive lawmakers -- most recently members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Mark Pocan and Pramila Jayapal. Over its 15-year history, Busboys has established relationships with independent artists, whose art decorates the walls of the venue, providing them with an opportunity to gain exposure and sell their work. For his latest project, Shallal tapped into that community and hired artists who were eager to join the community effort. D.C.-based artist Shawn Perkins has worked with Busboys and Poets in the past, live painting and making art for several events, but as the pandemic shut down businesses all around the country, Perkins said he lost work opportunities in DC and beyond. "I was booked to be at South by Southwest in Austin in March and that, of course, got canceled a week out," he told ABC News. "It was heartbreaking to hear that it was going to be canceled, and it being such a big event, I knew a lot of other things were kind of going to be [part of] the domino effect after that," he added. So when he got a call from Busboys and Poets to make art around the city, he was eager to get to work and has painted 11 store fronts so far. Artists have been wearing masks as they work and practicing social distancing. Luther Wright, a full-time artist in D.C. also received a call from Busboys and Poets and his brightly-colored murals have been popping up on businesses all around the city. PHOTO: Artist Luther Wright paints the store front of Washington, D.C. restaurant Cork & Fork. (Busboys and Poets) A lot of us had also lost gigs and lost a lot of events due to the virus, Wright said, adding that the opportunity to #PaintTheStoreFronts -- as the movement is known on social media -- has been helping artists financially. Ever since then we've just been going around the city, the DMV, basically just painting uplifting messages on businesses that may have been affected by COVID-19 or that had to close due to the virus, he said. Streets in the typically bustling nations capital had been eerily empty since March, but as signs of spring brought bursts of color to a city in lockdown, store fronts also started to bloom as artists gave businesses from cafes, restaurants and bars to salons, yoga studios and pet service shops unique and vibrant makeovers. Messages like "spread love not fear," and "tough times don't last, tough people do," splashed across windows across the city and as residents took notice, Shallal began receiving calls from business owners who wanted to participate. Molly Ryan, the owner of Aveda Salon and Spa on 14th street, reached out to Busboys after a bar nearby was adorned with a new mural and once she found out about the effort she decided to bring art to her salon as well. PHOTO: Owner Andy Shallal joins artist James Terrell as he paints the store front of the Busboys and Poets 14th Street location in Washington. D.C. (Busboys and Poets) Artistic expressions like the murals outside I think really help everybody as they're walking their dogs are getting some exercise during quarantine see positive messages that leads to inspiration and something positive at the end of this journey, she told ABC News. From restaurants owned by celebrity chef Jose Andres, to businesses in Maryland and Virginia, the movement is growing. Busboys and Poets has been paying the artists but some business owners also donated their own funds to the effort, Shallal said. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the number of known coronavirus cases in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia topped 66,300 on Tuesday, with nearly 3,000 deaths in the "DMV" due to COVID-19. Restaurants are particularly a bit hard because restaurants are a very intense cash flow industry. You pay yesterday's bills with today's revenues. And if you don't have today's revenues, the bills pile up really, really quick, Shallal said, adding that Busboys and Poets did receive some Paycheck Protection Program loans and hopes that they will soon be able to bring back some employees who were laid off as the business partially opens up for pick up services. In the meantime, some Busboys events have resumed virtually, including a Zoom dinner with prominent activist Angela Davis on Friday. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced on Wednesday that she is extending D.C.s shelter-in-place order until June 8. ABC News MaryAlice Parks and Becky Perlow contributed to this report. 'Spread love not fear': Art movement uplifts as DC businesses struggle amid coronavirus shutdown originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com Circuit used data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to rank the metropolitan areas with the most delivery drivers. This was deter NSW Labor has joined calls for public libraries to reopen immediately after they were left out of the state government's relaxation of restrictions. Opposition Leader Jodi McKay said libraries served an important social purpose and she did not understand why they were not allowed to reopen alongside cafes, restaurants, playgrounds and outdoor pools. "Public libraries are an important part of the learning environment, particularly when many schools do not have adequate library facilities," Ms McKay said. Lyn Longfoot from Roseville is a lifelong library user and keen for libraries to reopen. Credit:Wolter Peeters "With appropriate health measures in place there is no reason they shouldn't be reopening especially given national cabinet provisions already allow for that and every other state and territory is reopening libraries." Minister Anh shared the difficulties and losses suffered by Romania during the COVID-19 pandemic, and expressed his hope that Romania and other nations in the EU will soon contain the spread of the disease for the early resumption of economic, trade and investment activities. The Romanian minister congratulated Vietnam for its success in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and thanked the country for facilitating the supply and transport of medical supplies as well as for presenting face masks to Romania. The ministers noted that recent bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation has produced positive outcomes with good growth, which, however, remains modest compared to both sides potential and aspiration. With the signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) during Romanias tenure as presidency of the Council of the EU, Romania and Vietnam continue to lead in promoting the implementation of the deals, thus bringing practical benefits to their business communities. The ministers expressed their hope that after the pandemic, the two sides will make further efforts with specific plans of actions to promote bilateral cooperation, especially in fields of their strength. They said the EVFTA, once taking effect, is certain to open up big opportunities to develop trade and investment ties between Vietnam and the EU in general and Romania in particular. Mentioning bilateral collaboration in coping with the COVID-19, Minister Virgil-Daniel Popescu asked Vietnam to continue supplying medical masks to Romania. Minister Anh pledged to work with the Health Ministries and relevant enterprises to maintain a stable supply of masks and medical supplies to Romania. Statistics of the General Department of Vietnam Customs showed two-way trade between Vietnam and Romania totalled US$261.3 million in 2019, up 19.7% from 2018, of which US$193.8 million came from Vietnams exports, up 32%. Two-way trade in the first quarter of this year increased 9.7% year-on-year to over US$73 million. Alanis Morissettes planned summer tour is the latest concert trek to succumb to the vagaries of COVID-19. The 1990s rocker has postponed the tour, which was to have made a few New England stops. Morissette was scheduled for shows in Hartford (Xfinity Theatre, June 27), New Hampshire (Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, July 6), and the Boston area (Xfinity Centre, July 9). My North American tour scheduled to begin in a few weeks is being rescheduled to summer 2021 out of an abundance of caution, Morissette wrote on her website. Please hold on to your tickets as they will be honored for the new dates which we hope to announce very soon. Morissette also put a hold on the release of her new recording Such Pretty Forks in the Road, which was scheduled to be released on May 1. Shop for concert tickets here: StubHub, SeatGeek, Ticketmaster. State and territory governments are rushing to roll out an $80 million infection control training initiative to 80,000 workers in customer-facing businesses, as coronavirus lockdown restrictions are relaxed across the country. Federal Employment and Skills Minister Michaelia Cash said the "urgent" initiative would inspire confidence as customers return to bars and restaurants and pave the way for a strong and rapid economic recovery. State governments will work with registered training organisations to provide infection control training to workers in customer facing businesses. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer. Nationally recognised skills certification will be available to employees in retail and food handling, as well as transport and logistics. A spokesperson for the minister said the funding will enable 80,000 workers to complete the training for no, or a very low fee and the course can also be completed on a fee for service basis. Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), has called for concerted efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. No one country or actor can do this alone. There is a need for concertedness and congruence of actions underpropped by the willingness to share resources and expertise if COVID-19 is to be defeated, Dr Ibn Chambas said in a presentation at recent meeting with the Rotary Club of Accra-Airport. At this time, we must not only come together, we must stay together to beat this pandemic. Speaking on the topic: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on West Africa and Sahel, Dr Ibn Chambas said, the relevance of Rotary Club 12 -An effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic must be underpinned by solidarity at both the national and international level. So, with the Rotary Clubs 35,000 plus member clubs worldwide and your 1.2 million individual Rotarians in Ghana, you constitute a group with the kind of mandate, leverage and potential through which the call for solidarity can be actualized, he said. I know a lot of visibility is being given to the need for international solidarity in view of the globalized nature of the pandemic, but we must not underestimate the relevance of national and local solidarity especially in our context where community transmission is on the rise. He said Rotarians in Ghana have a central role to play to cushion the impact of this pandemic on communities from Walewale in the North to Prampram in the South and from Krachi in the East to Asankrangwa in the West. He said the private-public partnership which was one of the hallmarks of the work of the Rotary Club in normal times should be the platform for an impactful, sustained and effective engagement in times of crises such as this. Dr Chambas said Ghanaians should be able to rely on Rotary Clubs experience in delivering lifesaving assistance to the needy and populations in distress in complement to the efforts undertaken by Government. He said Rotary Clubs reach and proximity to the community could provide valuable insights on a more inclusive approach to addressing the pandemic; declaring that furthermore, moments of crises have a way of bringing out the best in humanity. The Rotary Club has been exemplary in this regard. Your generosity is unrivaled. I have no doubt when I say this, because I speak for millions who have been beneficiaries of your unending largesse and benevolence, Dr Chambas said. Your work continues to give new meaning to the African proverb which says, charity is the matter of the heart and not the pocket. In this regard, I entreat you to plan for the long term as the impact of this pandemic will be incisive, lasting, dire and beyond the capacity of any single government in our region to handle alone. Dr Chambas said similarly, from a regional perspective, as they seek to unite the political will, promote coherence and sharing of resources and expertise, this should also extend to the humanitarian and philanthropic domain. He said Rotary Clubs extensive network and membership in the region should facilitate resource sharing in order to support the efforts of states and communities that might be in greater need for financial and material support. Adding that the concentric partnerships being formed to prevent and address conflicts could also be formed to further philanthropic acts. 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 GREENWICH The race must go on. Competing in the Jim Fixx 5-mile Run in Greenwich has been a Memorial Day tradition for decades for the hundreds of participants that turn out for the popular event each year. Though it will have a much different look and feel than in past, the Jim Fixx race will continue its long-standing tradition. The Greenwich Department of Parks & Recreation, in cooperation with Threads and Treads, is organizing a Jim Fixx Virtual Run that will benefit the Greenwich Emergency Medical Service. Because of the restrictions placed on public gatherings and sporting events due to the coronavirus crisis, organizers made significant changes rather than cancel the popular Memorial Day event this year. Race organizers Don Mohr, Mickey Yardis and James Gerweck came up with the plan. This is our 56th year, and its a tradition we dont want to let go easily, said Yardis, owner of Threads & Treads in Greenwich. In terms of longevity and the event honoring Jim Fixx he was one of the main guys around we knew we had to keep the event going. The race is named for Jim Fixx, author of the best-selling The Complete Book of Running who is credited with helping to popularize the sport of running. Yardis said he, Mohr and Gerweck discussed the idea of virtual events. And after talking to John Fixx, son of the late Jim Fixx, and they were inspired to keep the holiday run alive. Maybe this could be a great way to kick off the summer, Yardis said. I would like to invite the whole town to participate. Every year, runners from many towns and even other states compete in the Jim Fixx race and anyone can run in any location in this years virtual event. Registration is underway and participants can begin competing now through Memorial Day May 25. Registration closes on 11:59 p.m. on Memorial Day. To register, visit threadsandtreads.com and click on the Registration is NOW OPEN! icon to register. Participants can compete in a virtual 5-mile run ($20 to participate) or a virtual family health walk ($20). Two virtual kids half-mile runs an 8-year-old-and-under run and a 9-and-over run are also offered for a fee of $10. The funds generated through race fees will be donated to GEMS, which is working on the front lines of the public health crisis. There are a ton of people walking right now, people can sign at their leisure to compete, right up through to Memorial Day, Yardis said. The more people who come out and run, or walk, the more money we can give to Greenwich Emergency Medical Service. Its a way for everyone to tip their hat to GEMS. After taking part in the 5-mile run, 3-mile walk, or half-mile kids run, participants can submit their time to be posted on the the websites RunSignUp race page. Jim Fixx Virtual Memorial Day Run T-shirts will be mailed at the conclusion of the event, which is part of the Hospital for Special Surgerys Greenwich Cup Series presented by William Raveis. It could be fun for everyone to get their family and friends in there, Yardis said. It could be a good weeklong community event. dfierro@greenwichtime.com File image The Centre has amended modified global tender enquiry rules to promote Make in India and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). According to the notice issued by the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure, the government will not float global tenders below Rs 200 crore. Only in cases of exceptional circumstances can a global tender below Rs 200 crore be floated, for which written permission will have to be sought. Follow our LIVE Updates on the coronavirus pandemic here "Where the Ministry or Department feels that the goods of the required quality, specifications etc., may not be available in the country and it is necessary to also look for suitable competitive offers from abroad, the Ministry or Department may send copies of the tender notice to the Indian Embassies abroad as well as to the Foreign Embassies in India. The selection of the embassies will depend on the possibility of availability of the required goods in such countries. In such cases e-procurement as per Rule 160 may not be insisted," it 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 Adding: "No Global Tender Enquiry (GTE), however shall be invited for tenders up to Rs 200 crore or such limit as may be prescribed by the Department of Expenditure from time to time. Provided that for tenders below such limit, in exceptional cases, where the Ministry of Department feels that there are special reasons for GTE, it may record its detailed justification and seek prior approval for relaxation to the above rule from the Competent Authority specified by the Department of Expenditure." Instructions regarding Competent Authority mentioned in Rule 161 (v) (b) will be issued separately. The amendments are to the General Financial Rules (GFR). Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had indicated the move was in the works during her press conference outlining Tranche 1 of the stimulus package. On May 13, Sitharaman had announced that global tenders in government procurement will be disallowed for up to Rs 200 crore or less. This will allow MSMEs a chance to supply for these big projects and allow small units can be part of government purchases, so "Self-reliant India can Make in India". She added that Indian MSMEs and other companies have often faced unfair competition from foreign companies. "This step is being taken because a majority of MSMEs were unable to supply to their mother units, who they were serving as ancillaries all this while and conditions became more difficult due to COVID-19," she said. Not only will this help MSMEs in increasing their business, but also will be a step towards a self reliant India or Aatmanirbhar Bharat, while also supporting the 'Make In India' initiative. This is in persuance to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address on May 12, where he announced the Rs 20 lakh crore package and stressed on an Atmanirbhar Bharat or Self-reliant India. DEAL OF THE WEEK S&S Re-signs Its Mane Man In a world rights agreement, Simon & Schusters Stuart Roberts bought The Gucci Mane Guide to Greatness. The book is a follow-up to Gucci Manes bestselling 2017 memoir, The Autobiography of Gucci Mane (also published by S&S). The platinum-selling rapper was represented by Robert Guinsler at Sterling Lord Literistic. Describing the book, which is slated for October 13, S&S said it is Gucci Manes playbook for living your best life, offering an unprecedented look at his secrets to success, health, wealth, and self-improvement. FROM THE U.S. Koppelman Has Moment at Hachette Brian Koppelman, cocreator of Showtimes Billions, sold a nonfiction book titled The Moment to Mary Ann Naples at Hachette. The book is an extension of Koppelmans podcast of the same name, Hachette said, and it uses Koppelmans personal experiences, along with those of his creative heroes and friends, to encourage the reader to take the same kinds of risks and leaps that they did. Naples brokered the North American rights agreement with David Gernert at the Gernert Company, and Hachette executive editor Lauren Marino will edit the title. Heltzels Mother Joins Nightfire For Tom Doherty Associates new horror imprint, Nightfire, Kelly OConnor Lonesome won North American rights, at auction, to Anne Heltzels Just Like Mother in a two-book deal. Heltzel, a YA author, ghostwriter, and editor at Abrams Books, was represented by Elisabeth Weed at the Book Group. The novel (which marks the authors adult debut under her own name) follows a woman whose life in New York City is turned upside down when her long-lost cousinmissing since their childhoodsuddenly reappears. Lonesome elaborated that the novel is a claustrophobic haunted house story, a chilling account of insidious gaslighting, and a suspenseful examination of toxic female friendships. Mother is set for January 2022. Kadakia Tackles Life at Chronicle At Chronicle Prism, Cara Bedick bought Lifepass by Payal Kadakia, founder of ClassPass, a fitness class app. Bedick brokered the North American rights agreement for the book with Mollie Glick at CAA. Explaining the title, Chronicle Prism said it shares the mental strategies and unique goal-setting process Kadakia has developed to help readers home in on their feelings, screen out unnecessary distractions, and be the boss of their life based on their deepest desires. Kadakia is writing the book with Jodi Lipper (coauthor of the lauded 2018 book The Myth of the Nice Girl). Politician, and Son, Sell Addiction and Recovery Memoir A memoir by Pennsylvania congresswoman Madeleine Dean and her son Harry Cunnane, Under Our Roof, was acquired by Derek Reed at Random Houses Convergent imprint. CAA oversaw the auction, at which Reed won North American rights. The book, Convergent said, is an uplifting account of Dean and Cunnanes relationship and his battle with opioid addiction. The book is the story of a national crisis suffered in the intimacy of so many homes, told with incredible candor through the dual perspectives of a mother rising in politics and a son living a double life, afraid of what will happen if his secret gets exposed. Under Our Roof is set for spring 2021. Putnam Gets Saved by Landau Alexis Landau sold her novel Those Who Are Saved to Tara Singh Carlson at Putnam. Landau (The Empire of the Senses) was represented by Alice Tasman at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency in the world rights deal. Describing the WWII-set book, Putnam said it follows one mothers impossible choice, and her search for her daughter against the odds. Those Who Are Saved is set for spring 2021. Gaydoss Pig Years Tracked by Knopf Pig Years by Ellyn McCormack Gaydos was acquired, in an exclusive submission, by Tim OConnell at Knopf. Peter Steinberg at Foundry Literary + Media represented Gaydos in the North American rights deal. Steinberg said that the nonfiction book charts the authors hardscrabble farmhand life in Vermont and eastern New York raising pigs. Gaydos won the 2018 Richard J. Margolis Award in journalism while in the nonfiction MFA program at Columbia University. (She completed the degree, Steinberg noted, while maintaining her farm.) The book, Steinberg added, is a record of economic hardships facing farmers in 2020from unexpected bad seasons, to suicide, to drugs. Its also about Ellyns perseverance, finding camaraderie and love and an unexpected desire to bring her own child into the world. Cook Goes Viral at Putnam Bestselling author Robin Cooks medical thriller Viral was acquired by Margo Lipschultz at Putnam. The book was sold by Erica Spellman Silverman at Trident Media Group in a six-figure, North American rights, deal. Trident said the book is about an unknown mosquito-borne disease with a lethal escalation due to climate change, and an investigation of the callous health-care system by the husband and father of two victims. Stewart, Sattin Role Play at Imprint Imprints Weslie Turner won world rights at auction to Samuel Sattin and Christina Steenz Stewarts Side Quest: A Visual History of Role Playing Games. Anjali Singh at Ayesha Panda Literary represented Stewart, who is a cartoonist, while Dara Hyde at Hill Nadell Literary Agency represented Sattin, who writes graphic novels. The book, Hyde said, is a graphic history of role-playing games that traces their origins from ancient China and India, to Europe, all the way to the modern versions played today. Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the title of Anne Heltzel's novel; it's called Just Like Mother, not Just Like a Mother. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 01:00:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi health ministry on Friday confirmed 50 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 3,193 in the country. The new cases were recorded after 2,921 testings were carried out during the past 24 hours across the country, and a total of 143,494 testings since the outbreak of the disease, the ministry said in a statement. Most of the new cases were recorded in Iraq's capital Baghdad with 31 cases, while the remaining ones were 13 in Basra, five in Sulaimaniyah and one in Maysan, according to the statement. So far, up to 117 people have died from the disease, while 2,089 have recovered, the statement said. Meanwhile, Iraqi Health Minister Hassan Mohammed al-Tamimi warned that the hospitals will soon not be able to receive more COVID-19 and suspected patients if people continue not to abide by the preventive health restrictions. "The numbers are increasing ... Most of the quarantine centers have reached 100 percent of capacity," al-Tamimi said. Iraq has been taking measures to contain the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, including a nationwide curfew. On May 10, the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety, headed by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, decided to partially lift the curfew, while full curfew will continue for Friday and Saturday in addition to the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr in late May. Eid al-Fitr is the festival of breaking the fasting after the holy month of Ramadan. On April 26, a Chinese team of medical experts left Iraq after a 50-day stay to support Iraq in fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. China has also donated batches of medical supplies to Iraq to help combat the coronavirus. Enditem TANZANIA, Tanzania - China is going after the United States over more than $1 billion that the Trump administration owes the United Nations in unpaid dues for its regular operating budget and arrears for the separate budget for the U.N.s far-flung peacekeeping operations. The unusual singling out of the U.S. non-payment by Chinas U.N. mission comes as President Donald Trump continues to accuse Beijing of not being open about the coronavirus when cases were initially reported in December and early January. A U.S. Mission spokesperson said China is eager to distract attention from its coverup and mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis, and this is yet another example. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in early April that the United Nations faced a cash crisis because of non-payment of dues by member states, which has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. He said in a letter to the U.N.s 193 member nations that unpredictable cash inflows, exacerbated by the global crisis posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, seriously threaten the U.N.s ability to do its work. He announced a temporary hiring freeze and urged all countries to pay their past and present dues. Chinas U.N. Mission said its acting deputy ambassador, Yao Shaojun, spoke at a U.N. General Assemblys budget committee meeting Thursday titled Improving the Financial Situation of the United Nations, and stressed the importance of all U.N. member nations fulfilling their financial obligations, citing the U.S. arrears. Facing tremendous economic and fiscal pressure from the COVID-19 outbreak, China, the second largest contributor to the UN regular budget and peacekeeping budget, has managed to pay all assessed contributions in full, the mission quoted Yao as saying. It shows Chinas concrete support to the cause of the U.N. and the work of the secretary-general. The United States funds 25% of the regular U.N. budget, while China pays 12%. Of the 193 member nations, 91 had paid their dues in full as of May 13. China paid $336.78 million for the regular budget on May 1. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Friday there is still $1.62 billion unpaid for the U.N.s 2020 regular budget and $2.12 billion outstanding for the peacekeeping budget. He did not give the U.S. arrears. Chinas Yao called the United States the largest debtor, saying it owed about $1.16 billion to the regular budget and $1.3 billion to the peacekeeping budget. The U.S. Mission spokesperson, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said the United States recently made a payment of $726 million toward its peacekeeping assessment and per practice will pay the bulk of its assessment at the end of the calendar year. Because the U.S. fiscal year runs from October to September, not January to December, it has always paid U.N. dues late in the year. The U.S.-China dispute has been escalating over the pandemic, which has circled the globe causing over 300,000 deaths. Trump suspended U.S. funding to the World Health Organization in early April, accusing the U.N. health agency of failing to stop the virus from spreading when it first surfaced in China. He said the agency must be held accountable, accusing the WHO of parroting Beijing. The U.S.-China dispute over the WHO has blocked the U.N. Security Council, the global organizationss most powerful body, from adopting any resolution on the pandemic. China strongly supports the WHO and has insisted the agencys role in tackling the pandemic be included in any resolution. The U.S. insists on making no mention of the WHO and including a reference to transparency on the coronavirus outbreak, which China opposes. Chinas U.N. Mission said Beijing has decided to donate $30 million more to the WHO in addition to the $20 million it already gave the agency to support its work on COVID-19. US President Donald Trump, late yesterday, fired Steve Linick, the State Department Inspector General. The said ousting has led to strong criticism, according to news reports, "from senior Democratic lawmakers which include Nancy Pelosi, the House of Representatives Speaker. In his letter to Pelosi, President Trump said he does not have confidence anymore, in the ability of the inspector general to serve, although no reason was indicated for the government leader's loss of confidence. The president wrote, he "is exercising my power as President," to remove the State Department's Inspector General from office. The ousting takes effect, the president said, 30 days from when the letter was dated. The letter did not specify who would be Linick's replacement. Relatively, the fired Inspector General was appointed to the position in 2013, under the administration of former President Barrack Obama. He is also considered as the latest in a string of the so-called "government watchdogs" to be ousted in the past few weeks. Nevertheless, according to the US State Department said, the Office of Foreign Missions director, Stephen Akard, would replace Linick. It was in September 2019 when the Senate confirmed Ambassador Akard, as the head of the department, and, according to the State Department, they are looking forward to him, heading the Office of the Inspector General. Series of Previous Removals from Positions Democratic lawmakers reportedly condemned the removal of Linick with the Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, Eliot Engel suggesting that the ousting was in connection to an investigation the ex-inspector general had opened to Mike Pompeo, the State Secretary. In a statement, Engle said he found out that the Office of the Inspector General had opened a probe into Pompeo. More so, the House Speaker described the ousting of Linick as a speeding up of a risky pattern of revenge from the president. Meanwhile, there is no immediate response from the State Department to a comment request. In April, President Trump removed Glenn Fine, who was considered a top COVID-19 watchdog and tasked to administer the COVID-19 financial relief aid of the government. A day before Fine's removal, Trump had reportedly affirmed without any evidence, saying, an inspector general reported warning of shortages of testing for COVID-19 "in hospitals was just wrong," not to mention, twisted by political partiality. Then, earlier this month, the president removed Christi Grimm, who was known to have "led the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General" after she was accused of producing a "fake dossier" on US hospitals that suffered shortages on the frontliners of the COVID-19 outbreak. Also in April, President alerted Congress he was removing Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the US intelligence community, who got involved in activating an impeachment investigation of him last year. The president defended his decision by complaining that Atkinson never spoke to him regarding the complaint that led to the impeachment probe, even though it was the latter's job to give the White House's oversight independent. Check these out! CHATHAMPORT The United States is today the only country in the world carrying on direct commercial communication by wireless with five other countries. Your corporation is the only company in the country operating high power radio stations communicating with other countries. This service has all been developed within the year. The year was 1920, and these words greeted stockholders of the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) in its first annual report. The rapid growth of this new American corporation was certainly boast-worthy. To the citizens of rural Chatham, there was something even more intriguing. The wireless communication that engaged with two of those countries, Norway and Germany, was close to home. The heart of that business was a modest brick building situated in Chathamport on the shores of Ryders Cove, which began its broadcasting activities 100 years ago this weekend. During World War I, long-distance wireless communication clearly had become reliable. Intercontinental business communication, long the province of various undersea cables of foreign ownership, was revealed to be a vulnerable technology at risk of foreign manipulation which made imperative the rapid development of wireless. Early in the 20th century, radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi had envisioned a rival system of long-distance communication using wireless space telegraphy, or radio. In the United States, The principal aim and purpose of the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America, during all the period of its existence, has been the establishment and maintenance of transoceanic communication. To that end, Marconi ventures around the industrialized world were pursuing a similar vision and by 1912, American Marconi was planning transoceanic plants in California to engage with the far east via Hawaii, and in New Jersey to engage with industrial Great Britain. A subsequent station embracing Chatham (receiving) and Marion (transmitting), was to engage directly with continental Europe via Norway. Marconi had pioneered and patented a basic method for producing radio waves using electrical sparks. Other inventors later refined and advanced the radio art and devised improved methods and apparatus. New methods won acceptance, achieving superior efficiency and higher degrees of perfection. In 1914, in the midst of the Marconi expansion, the Great War (World War I) broke out in England. By that time, Marconis technology was facing obsolescence even as it was being manufactured and installed. The New Jersey station was nearly ready for commercial transatlantic service, but its English counterpart was seized by the government. The Massachusetts station was left half-built and stranded because necessary equipment was being manufactured in England. Marconis company declared that further developments would have to await the end of the war, but by 1918 the state-of-the-art in long-distance radio communication belonged to the General Electric Company (GE), the American industrial giant. A GE publication editorialized that a new apparatus known as the Alexanderson alternator would be fraught with great consequences for the future of wireless telegraphy and telephony. Clearly, the future of long-distance wireless communication lay with technology developed not by Marconi, but by numerous American companies. Faced with technological obsolescence, Marconis British company sought to purchase the GEs apparatus to compete in the field of worldwide wireless communication. The U.S. Navy intervened to block the sale, concerned that American technology should not fall into the hands of foreigners. In a series of complex negotiations, General Electric bought out the foreign Marconi interests and created the Radio Corporation of America an American company owned by Americans to exploit American technology in the field of radio communication. RCAs first day of business was Dec. 1, 1919. For a span of 15 months after the armistice, the government had maintained control of all U.S. radio stations, pending the deal that brought RCA into being. On Feb. 13, 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued executive order 3228, declaring that the radio stations commandeered during wartime would be returned to private ownership as of midnight Feb. 29. But for Chatham and Marion, more time would pass before they would go on the air as major players in international commerce. In a 1921 Congressional hearing, Owen Young, chairman of the board of RCA, cited instead May 17 as the opening day, because of the additional time needed to install GEs Alexanderson alternators. Service to Germany from Chatham followed on Aug. 1, and by years end RCA had filled out its five high-power overseas circuits. Page 48 of the Chatham stations superintendents diary of May 17, 1920, the first day of operations, reads, in part, 7:30 am Commenced receiving tfc [traffic] from LCM [Stavanger, Norway]. Conditions good Long-distance intercontinental wireless communication continued to evolve and in time Chathams initial business was moved elsewhere. However, Chatham would go on to greater glory as a world-famous ship-to-shore radio station. By mid-century, Chatham Radio/WCC was the largest U.S. coast station, serving seafarers around the globe from that same historic building on the shores of Ryders Cove. A narrated slide presentation, Chatham on the Air, will be featured at Chatham Marconi Maritime Centers virtual annual meeting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 16. Information on joining the meeting is at ChathamMarconi.org. This story was adapted from a monograph by E. C. Moxon, Ph.D., a board director of the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center. T hanks to a cast including stars from hits such as Ashes to Ashes and The Inbetweeners Movie, Netflix's latest drama White Lines will have you thinking "Where have I seen them before...?" on plenty of occasions. Set in Ibiza, the 10-part series follows Zoe Walker (Laura Haddock) as she investigates the murder of her DJ brother Axel, who disappeared 20 years beforehand. As soon as she steps foot on the White Isle, however, she's tempted by new experiences and starts to question the foundations of her own life. Over the course of the show (which includes seriously incredible scenery and unexpected twists), she meets an eclectic cohort of faces, played by established British actors and exciting new talent. Take a look at the cast in more detail... Who's in the White Lines cast? Tom Rhys Harries as Axel Collins Netflix Music-lover Axel has dreams of becoming a huge DJ. He begins his career hosting illegal raves in Manchester, but his father's career for the Greater Manchester Police becomes an issue, so he travels to Ibiza to focus on his making it big there instead. As his success peaks, he suddenly goes missing. Twenty years later, his body is discovered. Actor Tom Rhys Harries, known for his roles in Guy Ritchies movie The Gangster and ITV drama Unforgotten, plays the character. Speaking to the Evening Standard, he described Axel as "the human embodiment of ecstasy", adding: "He has drive and ambition to be a superstar, but hes also a really damaged human being. "His sister has this almost godlike, unrealistic memory of him. Its as if theres a crack down the middle of him, metaphorically." Zoe Walker - Laura Haddock Netflix Axels younger sister Zoe was just 15 when he went missing and his disappearance led to serious mental health issues for her. She works as a librarian, but flies to Ibiza after finding out his body has been found. Viewers may recognise Laura Haddock from the Guardians of the Galaxy films and BBC One Thriller The Capture. Young Zoe - India Fowler White Lines marks India Fowler's second Netflix role, as she previously appeared in their adaptation of Harlan Coben's thriller novel, Safe. Marcus - Daniel Mays Netflix Marcus is one of Axels best friends, who moved to Ibiza with him in the nineties. Hes now a father going through a messy divorce with some old - and unwelcome - acquaintances on his back. Actor Daniel Mays is a familiar face to many; you might recognise him from his roles in Line of Duty or the late noughties hit Ashes to Ashes. He also played Ronnie Biggs opposite Sheridan Smith in the hit ITV mini-series Mrs Biggs and has popped up on the big screen, with roles in the Oscar-winning 1917 and Brit hit Swimming With Men. Young Marcus - Cel Spellman Teenage Marcus is played by young actor Cel, who is best known for playing Matthew Williams in the ITV drama Cold Feet. Anna - Angela Griffin Netflix Anna is the third friend in the trio of herself, Marcus and Axel. She was in Ibiza during the DJ days, and went on to marry Marcus - the two are getting a divorce now. Angela Griggin is best known for her roles in Coronation Street and Waterloo Road. In 2019, she appeared in the period drama series, Harlots. Young Anna - Cassius Nelson Actress Cassius Nelson - best known for playing Jade Allbright in Hollyoaks - portrays young Anna in the gangs Ibiza days. David - Laurence Fox Netflix David was another friend of Axels from Manchester who joined him in Ibiza. While in recent months, Laurence Fox has frequently hit headlines for controversial opinions on race-related issues, he was previously best-known for having the lead role in ITV's Lewis for almost 10 years. In 2016, he branched out into music and released his debut album, Holding Patterns. Young David - Jonny Green Actor Jonny has previously made an appearance on BBC One medical drama Doctors. Oriol - Juan Diego Botto Netflix Oriol is the son of Andreu Calafat, who owns a large number of nightclubs on Ibiza. The businessmen also benefit from the islands drug trade and Oriol was briefly friends with Axel - whose body was found on the familys land. Juan Diego Botto, an Argentine-Spanish actor, has starred in countless Spanish films since his career began in the mid-eighties. Next year, he'll appear in the hotly-anticipated Suicide Squad sequel. Kika - Marta Milans Netflix Oriols sister once dated Axel and helps Zoe with her search into clues about his disappearance. Marta Milans has worked with White Lines creator Pina before, appearing in his Spanish TV series The Pier. She's also popped up in the DC Comics superhero movie Shazam!. Boxer - Nuno Lopes Netflix As head of security for the Calafat family, Boxer is loyal - but he also wants to help Zoe with her investigation. Nuno Lopes is a well-known star in his native Portugal, winning Best Actor at the Globo de Ouro (the Portuguese equivalent of the Golden Globes) an impressive five times. White Lines is available to stream on Netflix now Five surfers drowned in the Netherlands this week after thick foam in the ocean hindered attempts to rescue them. The group was caught in a "man-sized foam layer at sea and on the beach" off the coast of The Hague, a city on the western side of the Netherlands, on Monday evening, according to a translation from the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Organization (KNRM). Only one member of the original group was saved in the rescue operation, which was disrupted by "strong winds and high waves" that "made it very difficult to provide relief from the harbor pier," KNRM said. According to CNN, police, firefighters, members of the coastguard, and other emergency workers were involved in the rescue. A helicopter was also brought in to increase visibility by breaking up the foam. "Ambulances and trauma helicopters were ready to take care of the victims on Monday evening," a translated statement from the KNRM said. "But they too could not prevent two surfers from [drowning] that evening." The bodies of two other surfers were spotted the next morning, while another was seen but not recovered. "On Tuesday morning two more surfers were taken lifeless from the sea," the group's translated statement continued. "A fifth victim was seen, but disappeared from sight underwater and has not yet been found. The search has now ended." RELATED: 26-Year-Old Surfer Killed in Shark Attack at Northern California Beach Robin Utrecht / Echoes Wire/Barcroft Media via Getty The victims' ages range from 22 to 38, and they have not been publicly named. Johan Remkes, mayor of The Hague, called the incident a "terrible tragedy" in a post on the city's website. The surfers were "young, physically fit, sporty people, who know the sea like the back of their hand, [and] somehow got into trouble," Remkes said. "People here understand better than anybody else that 'The sea gives and the sea takes,' but the way in which so many young lives ended abruptly and so many families and groups of friends have been affected is incredibly brutal," he continued. Story continues RELATED: Surfer Sunny Garcia Has 'Said a Few Words' Months After Being Hospitalized Amid Depression Battle Remkes said he witnessed the rescue operation himself and the efforts to save the surfers left him "deeply impressed." "It is still too early to definitively conclude what happened exactly and what combination of circumstances led to this fatal outcome," he explained. "We, of course, will try to get to the bottom of this." SEM VAN DER WAL/ANP/AFP via Getty "How is it possible that such experienced surfers were completely taken by surprise at a spot they knew so well?" Remkes asked. "But also: how is it possible that a drama unfolded at one harbor inlet while at the other harbor inlet, not even 100 meters away, people were still surfing until late in the evening?" In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the Holland Surfing Association posted a picture of a makeshift memorial that showed a black and white painting of five sharks, representing the victims. "We express our sympathy to the relatives and everyone involved," the group wrote. "In the surf community in Scheveningen and far beyond there is great defeat, we are in deep mourning for this loss." The US Navy had hard to explain encounters while on the waters for months. This includes seeing various sea creatures and sometimes, even unidentified submerged objects (USO). In 2004, off the coast of San Diego, California, navy Hornets chased after objects that move with uncanny maneuverability, leaving the Navy jets burning afterburners but not getting close. While the jets were busy in the sky, another mystery was happening below the waves. This was almost unnoticed as the water under the waves rumble. It is a fact since the Second World War that the military forces all over the world have met these uncanny sighting. Most notable is the US forces that have been aware of this activity even launching Project Blue Book [MS1] to find out what gives and the recent declassification has made these odd objects in the sky more noticed. One of the most common conclusions of the uncanny sightings is the spotting of these objects around water, or underwater. Overall, the physics of these phenomena defies understanding, but conservation choose to reserve any judgement till later. One of the most intriguing mysteries is the Nimitz Incident, both an unaccountable object spotted in the water. Common to these is how the object behaved unlike any submarine or plane, or even as combination of the two. The Nimitz Incident On November 14, 2004 at 9.30 PST, the USS Princeton contacted several navy craft that were loitering around the USS Nimitz. These planes were U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet and two U.S. Navy Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets at the time. Also read: UFO Sighting: Witnesses Share Videos of Bright Flying Objects Over Missouri, Lake Okanagan The Princeton radioed the planes to intersect a contact that detected the signal, but tried to get an E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW), but it was too far. These planes went after the coordinates to check the radar contacts. What happened next is one of the oddest incidents in their careers. According to the operator, the weather was excellent with good visibility, blue skies and not cloudy with a calm ocean. The aircraft neared the location where the Princeton sent them to. Colonel Kurth saw this before he left the coordinates. A circular section of rough water that was 50-100 meters diameter emerged turning back to Nimitz with no radar contact. What happens next is unthinkable Looking at the sea, there was an oval-shaped object where the water was churning with foams and waves. The unknown object was as big as Boeing 737 with a smooth seemingly metallic surface. It seems that the wave were breaking under the object. Soon, another object hovered at 50 feet up with dimensions at 30 to 46 feet long and no exterior surface or any jets. Fravor and Slaight (in the F-18) started to go lower to check the unknown vehicle, but the object went up and copies his flight path in circles. He altered the angle of attack to aim under the object but it sped at fantastic speed in two second only. Next the navy Hornets were in combat air patrol (CAP) rendezvous point to chase it, but the unknown vehicle was 97 Km away in less time. It is faster than the Hornet's top afterburner speed, an impossible feat. After the Nimitz incident, a group came and got the records soon after. The US Navy declassified a report, but the unidentified submerged object (USO) is a mystery to decipher. Related article: Pentagon Declassifies Several Videos Capturing 'Unidentified Aerial Phenomena' @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Megan Santiago, middle, and Liberty Kocis, left, both health educators with the Cape May County Department of Health, hand out a face covering while working on the Cape May Promenade for the Six Feet Saves campaign, Friday, May 15, 2020. The Six Feet Saves campaign is an educational campaign to remind individuals to keep their distance to help slow the spread of COVID-19. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Liberty Kocis pulled a red wagon as she walked the Cape May Promenade, passing walkers and joggers out enjoying a near-perfect Friday morning at the Shore. Walking next to her was Megan Santiago, who thanked passersby for wearing face masks. Both are health educators for Cape May County and were two of four "Social Distance Ambassadors" who were out on the first day of the "Six Feet Saves" campaign. "Six Feet Saves is a positive reinforcement, health education campaign, where we're just asking people to keep their distance," Santiago said. "We're not policing." "We literally are just going to be using positive reinforcement, thanking everyone for being here, thanking them for keeping their distance and just thanking them to continue to take precautions," she added. The Cape May County Department of Health campaign is meant to monitor high-volume areas such as boardwalks and will visit different county Shore towns every Friday and Saturday. Don't Edit Liberty Kocis, a health educator with the Cape May County Department of Health, hands a bag to Suzanne Krebs, of Highland Park, while working on the Cape May Promenade for the Six Feet Saves campaign, Friday, May 15, 2020. The Six Feet Saves campaign is an educational campaign to remind individuals to keep their distance to help slow the spread of COVID-19. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) During the two-hour session, volunteers from the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) and staff from the county health department will hand out face masks and educational material on how to prevent being exposed to COVID-19. "The volunteers could be medical professionals and non-medical professionals," said Kocis. "They vary from doctors, nurses, EMTs to teachers and contractors, all different types of backgrounds." Volunteers Bill Green and Penny Kraus were first up to pull the wagon filled with face masks and blue reusable shopping bags that included the educational brochures and packets of hand sanitizer. "Thank you for doing what you're doing," a man sitting on a bench said to them as they passed by on their way back to a table set up in front of Convention Hall. At the table, Santiago and Kocis happily answered questions and handed out material to anyone who stopped by. Don't Edit Social Distance Ambassadors Bill Green and Penny Kraus walk the Cape May Promenade as part of the Six Feet Saves campaign, Friday, May 15, 2020. The Six Feet Saves campaign is an educational campaign to remind individuals to keep their distance to help slow the spread of COVID-19. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) "I totally support wearing masks," said Suzanne Krebs, of Highland Park, who stopped to see what they were doing. "I support all the information about health care." "I think what they are doing is great," said Robin Petrongolo of Runnemede, after receiving a few bags and face masks from Santiago. With Memorial Day weekend coming up and the expected surge of crowds, Santiago said it's important to positively reinforce the 6-foot rule. And if you can't social distance, then wear a mask. Kocis said the program is scheduled to run through the July 4 weekend and will be re-evaluated from there. "One of the things I've learned over the years, you can't force people to do things, can't force people to change behaviors," said Green, who is a retired professor. "What you can do is provide them with the skills and support needed in order for them to make good educated decisions on how they want to address things." Don't Edit Social Distance Ambassadors walk the Cape May Promenade as part of the Six Feet Saves campaign, Friday, May 15, 2020. The Six Feet Saves campaign is an educational campaign to remind individuals to keep their distance to help slow the spread of COVID-19. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Megan Santiago, a health educator with the Cape May County Department of Health, talks to two gentlemen while working on the Cape May Promenade for the Six Feet Saves campaign, Friday, May 15, 2020. The Six Feet Saves campaign is an educational campaign to remind individuals to keep their distance to help slow the spread of COVID-19. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Don't Edit Megan Santiago, left, and Liberty Kocis, both health educators with the Cape May County Department of Health, walk on the Cape May Promenade for the Six Feet Saves campaign, Friday, May 15, 2020. The Six Feet Saves campaign is an educational campaign to remind individuals to keep their distance to help slow the spread of COVID-19. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Megan Santiago, left, and Liberty Kocis, both health educators with the Cape May County Department of Health, apply hand sanitizer while working on the Cape May Promenade for the Six Feet Saves campaign, Friday, May 15, 2020. The Six Feet Saves campaign is an educational campaign to remind individuals to keep their distance to help slow the spread of COVID-19. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Megan Santiago, left, and Liberty Kocis, both health educators with the Cape May County Department of Health, walk on the Cape May Promenade for the Six Feet Saves campaign, Friday, May 15, 2020. The Six Feet Saves campaign is an educational campaign to remind individuals to keep their distance to help slow the spread of COVID-19. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Megan Santiago, left, a health educator with the Cape May County Department of Health, hands a bag to Robin Petrongolo, of Runnemede, while working on the Cape May Promenade for the Six Feet Saves campaign, Friday, May 15, 2020. The Six Feet Saves campaign is an educational campaign to remind individuals to keep their distance to help slow the spread of COVID-19. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Megan Santiago, right, and Liberty Kocis, both health educators with the Cape May County Department of Health, hand out bags while working on the Cape May Promenade for the Six Feet Saves campaign, Friday, May 15, 2020. The Six Feet Saves campaign is an educational campaign to remind individuals to keep their distance to help slow the spread of COVID-19. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Tim Hawk may be reached at thawk@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. Don't Edit WATERBURY Four teens have been arrested and charged in connection with a recent drive-by shooting that wounded one person and killed another, according to police. Three Waterbury adults ages 18 and 19 and one juvenile age 17 were charged by Waterbury police this week after an investigation into what started off as reports of gunfire late Thursday night. Police responded to the area of Willow Street and Woodlawn Terrace at 10:01 p.m. Thursday to investigate several calls about gunfire in the area. Arriving officers found no gunshot wound victims but soon learned two victims were transported to local hospitals with injuries from the shooting. A 23-year-old woman was taken to Waterbury Hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg and a 26-year-old man was taken to Saint Marys Hospital with a gunshot wound to the torso, according to Lt. David Silverio. Detectives from the major crimes unit, detectives from the VICE squad, officers from the Street Crimes Unit, officers from the Auto Theft Task Force and the Crime Scene Unit of the Forensic Division responded to the area to help investigate, while downtown beat officers went to Saint Marys Hospital and found the vehicle that brought the man to the emergency room. Silverio said three occupants of the vehicle that took the man to the hospital were found and detained as the investigation continued. The man was pronounced dead at the hospital at 10:25 p.m. Silverio said the homicide victim was identified as 26-year-old Isaiah Colon, of Waterbury. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said his cause of death was a gunshot wound to the torso. The woman who was shot was released from Waterbury Hospital after she was treated for an injury that was non-life-threatening, Silverio said. Shortly after arriving on scene, the police determined that gunshots were fired from a dark colored SUV towards a crowd of people standing outside in the area of Woodlawn Terrace and Willow Street, Silverio said. This SUV fled the scene at a high rate of speed after the shooting. A citywide search quickly began for this suspect vehicle. At 1:40 a.m. Friday, officers assigned to a VICE unit saw a black SUV on Hamilton Avenue and identified it as the possible suspect vehicle from the shooting, Silverio said. He said an officer confirmed the vehicle had been reported stolen from Groton. The officer activated lights and sirens to get the driver to pull over. Instead, Silverio said, the driver fled and officers pursued the vehicle. During this pursuit, the suspect vehicle crashed head-on into a second police vehicle operated by detectives responding to assist, Silverio said. He said the crash disabled the police vehicle and the suspect vehicle. The three occupants of the SUV identified by police as 19-year-old Jan Santiago of Ridgewood Street, 18-year-old Byron E. Cruz of Warner Street and a 17-year-old juvenile were taken into custody. Santiago was charged with conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, weapons in a motor vehicle, first-degree larceny, four counts of assault on a police officers, second-degree criminal trover, interfering with police officers, reckless driving, driving a vehicle without a license and engaging police in a pursuit. He was held on a $1.5 million bond. Cruz was charged with conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, weapons in a motor vehicle, first-degree larceny and interfering with police officers. He was held on a $1.5 million bond. The juvenile was also charged with conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, weapons in a motor vehicle, first-degree larceny and interfering with police officers. He was released to juvenile detention pending arraignment. Investigators learned there had been a fourth person in the SUV on the night of the shooting, identified by police as 18-year-old Evel Pacheco, of Warner Place. Silverio said Pacheco shot at the people in the street during this drive-by shooting. It was unclear if the suspects specifically targeted the victims. Around 4:30 p.m. Friday, detectives doing surveillance found Pacheco and took him into custody during a motor vehicle stop. During the stop, Silverio said, detectives found two handguns in the vehicle. Pacheco was a passenger in the vehicle with two others. Pacheco was charged with murder, first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, illegal transfer or sale of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, possession of a large capacity magazine, unlawful discharged of a firearm, first-degree reckless endangerment, weapons in a motor vehicle, criminal use of a firearm and possession of marijuana. He was held on a $1.5 million bond. Despite the arrests, Silverio said, the homicide investigation remains active. Anyone with information is asked to call Waterbury detectives at 203-574-6941 or crime stoppers at 203-755-1234. The driver and front-seat passenger in the vehicle with Pacheco when he was arrested were also taken into custody and charged, but not in connection with the deadly shooting. Harry Isaac, 30, of Warner Place in Waterbury, was charged with weapons in a motor vehicle. He was held on a $150,000 bond. Camille Cruz, 39, of Walnut Street in Waterbury, was charged with weapons in a motor vehicle, possession of a pistol without a permit and two counts of possession of a high capacity magazine. Cruz was held on a $500,000 bond. A Tyson Foods plant in Waterloo, Iowa. The coronavirus has spread among the nations meatpacking workers. One Wisconsin judge made a distinction between such workers and "regular folks." (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) Read more Earlier this week, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin overturned Gov. Tony Evers order for state residents to stay at home to contain the coronavirus. During the course of arguments, Chief Justice Patience Roggensack was commenting on a spike in COVID-19 cases at a meatpacking plant when she observed, "These were due to the meatpacking, though. Thats where Brown County got the flare. It wasnt just the regular folks in Brown County. That regular folks remark has reverberated across the country, with critics seeing it as a class-based othering a case of a privileged person looking down at members of the working class. There are regular people and there are these others, said Sherry Linkon, a scholar of working-class studies at Georgetown University. "Theres no question its classism not recognizing other human beings as the same way we are. Its defining some people as having lives that are not worth protecting. Donna Scarboro, retired business agent for Service Employees International Local 668 in Philadelphia, condemned Roggensacks statement as disgraceful. She added, Its the same way people talk about sanitation workers. Its another way to divide people. But everybodys job deserves dignity. The history of blaming others The judge felt license to say what she did, critics charge, because bad times coax bad behavior. Ideas and opinions normally hidden emerge during times of stress and calamity. I think people get panicky about outsiders who could make them sick, said Chris Martin, a professor of digital journalism at the University of Northern Iowa who writes about class and labor. The history of pandemics is the history of blaming others." Along with classism, scholars say, theres racism coiled in Roggensacks remark, because many meatpackers are people of color. Theres xenophobia, as well, because a good portion of those who cut steaks and chicken wings from animals are immigrants, Martin said. He noted that it was the president of the United States, after all, who initially called COVID-19 the Chinese virus, although science proved many of Americas infections originated in Europe. People stay in their own worlds That Americans from upper classes harbor animus toward those in lower ones isnt surprising, said Annette Lareau, a sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania who studies family life. Many of us live in neighborhoods so isolated that we rarely interact, making mutual understanding difficult, she said. There are few spaces where people of different classes encounter each other, Lareau said. IKEA, the zoo, July Fourth parades. But increasingly, people stay within their own worlds. Ironically, as some working-class people are scorned, others are being lauded as essential workers because their jobs grocery checkout clerks, delivery people, hospital janitors place them on the front lines of the pandemic. Ive never seen so many professional people thanking working people, said Jessi Streib, a Duke University sociologist who studies inequality. But lionizing bus drivers and supermarket clerks as heroes is disingenuous and unhelpful, noted Patrick Dixon, a research analyst at Georgetowns Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor, and an expert in poultry processing and work-safety issues. Its a cute thing to say, but these workers need political support to do their jobs safely, not rhetorical support and plaudits. Otherwise, saying hero is kind of empty. Who is doing the work Dixon said the Wisconsin judges remark denigrating meatpackers betrayed an ignorance of whos doing that job. In recent years, plants have hired workers from African and Middle Eastern war zones, many of whom have professional degrees but lack the language skills to move up in America, Dixon said. The work is dangerous. In March, an Alabama poultry-plant worker was decapitated, Dixon said, an event that garnered little notice. If a stockbroker or physician lost his head on the job, we would have heard a lot more about it, he added. Martin said meatpackers dont need applause; they could use shields between workers, and overall slow-downs of meat processing lines to prevent workers from cutting too quickly and hurting themselves. But slower lines mean fewer profits, he said. On top of that, COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing among workers who stand shoulder-to-shoulder in such plants, which refuse to close, Martin added. In the JBS Packerland meatpacking plant that Roggensack had referenced, the number of workers testing positive increased from 60 to 800 in a two-week period. Unfortunately, workers may expect little true respect for their labors, said Dermot Delude-Dix, research analyst for Unite Here Local 274 of the hospitality workers union in Philadelphia. The judges suggestion that those who fell ill are less than human is appalling, he said. "But its reflective of the disdain some feel. We depend on low-wage workers, often immigrants and people of color, to do the work that is literally essential for our survival. Dealership or indie mechanic? The eternal question. Matt Cardy/Stringer/Getty Images Dealerships can be expensive, but you shouldn't always avoid them. The longer you own your car, the more sense it makes to find your own mechanic. DIY-ers will also want to look to indie mechanics. In the age of the coronavirus pandemic, both dealership service centers and mechanics are defined as essential, so you can continue to choose between each for your needs. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Owning a car (or leasing one) means getting your ride serviced and sometimes repaired. Even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to shut down businesses. Thus, the eternal question: dealership or independent mechanic? Both are considered essential, as people must have operational vehicles. Each has its pluses and minuses. Dealerships get a bad name for being expensive and pushing needless service to make money but the service department of a dealership tends to be up-to-date on your car and in that sense can argue that you get what you pay for. Indies are often what the real "car guys" endorse, but because they work on a broad range of vehicles, indies can sometimes be digging around to figure out an unfamiliar fix that a dealership could handle more easily. It's a personal decision. But there are still some tips that can help you choose. Is your new or lightly used car still under warranty? DEALERSHIP. car dealership Justin Sullivan/Getty The whole reasons for getting a warranty, which typically covers most but not all things that can go wrong with your car, is so the dealership, through the manufacturer, will have to fix your new ride. Automakers and their dealers offer different levels of warranty coverage. Hyundai offers 10 years/100,000 miles on the powertrain (engine and transmission) of its cars to create confidence in its burgeoning brand in the US. Other car makers only do 3 years/30,000 (whichever comes first). Beyond the manufacturer's warranty, you can buy more coverage (an "extended" warranty). Warranties are standard on new and certified pre-owned vehicles, the top of the used-car heap. So if you have one, you might as well use it and have your car worked on at the dealership for any problems. Story continues Additionally, if you lease your cars, it makes the most sense to use the dealership; you're only driving the car for two years, not enough time to worry about something going wrong. As for basic service, such as oil changes, you can decide for yourself whether to go to the dealership or drive over to Jiffy Lube. Are you a total cheapskate? INDIE MECHANIC. Nepalese mechanics inspect a 1939 Daimler-Benz Gopal Chitrakar/Reuters For years in Los Angeles, I kept an old Saab 900S as my "beater" car. Stuff was constantly breaking on it, but I wanted to fix only what was absolutely necessary. If it started and the transmission could shift gears, I was good. The sunroof didn't work, a sun visor fell off, as did most of the heater and A/C knobs, the seat heaters and the air conditioning system failed, the power antenna conked out, and the car would stall at idle. It also fired off an endless stream of warning lights. Because my Saab-specialist indie mechanic had seen it all, he could advise me on what to repair and what to ignore. I wanted to ignore everything, and he wasn't obsessed with making money off me, so we only fixed was was absolutely necessary: battery, brakes, fuel lines, and so on. The best thing an automotive cheapskate with an old car can do is find an honest independent mechanic. Plus, indie mechanics are almost always cheaper than the dealership (although if they don't know what they're doing, obviously they can be more expensive because you'll have to re-fix whatever they screwed up). Are you obsessed with regular service intervals? DEALERSHIP. An oil change makes the engine run smoother. Robert Couse-Baker/Flickr If you want to keep careful track of every service you get for your car, from oil changes right on through to timing belts, engine builds, and bodywork, the dealership is your best bet. The dealer's service department will keep track of when you need recommended service, contact you when the time rolls around, and provide you with documentation in the event that you want to provide this in a private transaction should you decide to sell your car yourself. Can you work on your car yourself? INDIE MECHANIC. Assistant Anatoly Lyamtsev replaces the wheels of a car with mechanisms that were designed and produced by Sergei Kasianov, before a test drive on the bank of the frozen Yenisei River during snowfall outside the Russian Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, February 27, 2015. Ilya Naymushin/Reuters One cool thing about working with an indie mechanic is that you often learn a lot about your car. With the dealership, your car disappears for a few hours and is returned to you later, washed and vacuumed. With an indie, you're more likely to get a breakdown of what's wrong. If it isn't life-threatening, you can always take this diagnostic knowledge (which some indies charge a small amount to amass) and go the do-it-yourself route. For example, you're having your oil changed and the mechanic notices that you need new brake pads. You could buy the correct pads, watch a YouTube video, obtain the correct tools, and do this job yourself, saving several hundred bucks. Do you want to avoid sitting in a waiting room and drink coffee from a vending machine for five hours? DEALERSHIP. vending machine Getty Images/Bethany Clarke Dealers can service your car in a day, but you need to be prepared to give that entire day over to the process. Service departments can get busy. I had some basic service done on a Mazda I once owned and it took something like eight hours. But with the coronavirus pandemic causing major changes, dealerships have begun to space out service appointments and have adapted to social-distancing guidelines by offering touchless dropoff and pickup protocols. I had my Toyota serviced recently by dropping it off and picking it up about three hours later. You can still wait at the dealership, too. But you'll have to wear a protective mask in many states and observe proper social-distancing behavior. Indie mechanics generally don't have those things. But they, too, can offer touchless dropoffs and pickups. Want to avoid traveling to a dealership? INDIE MECHANIC. mechanic Matthew DeBord/Business Insider Dealerships have the advantages, but they aren't usually conveniently located in town. So if you don't want to take an Uber, Lyft, or taxi back home, or don't like the idea of waiting at the dealership, then going local might be a good plan. I have four options for such service within walking distance of my house, so I can drop my car off, stroll back home, then meander back to fetch it when the work is done. Are you devoted to a particular brand of car? INDIE MECHANIC. DeBord Saab Slob Screenshot via KPCC.org True, if you love Cadillacs or Mustangs, you can stick with your dealer through thick and thin. And it will be fine. But the indies just seem to get down into that special thing that makes people passionate about their cars. And for better or worse, a car dealer wants to sell you a new Caddy or 'Stang, not talk to you about how great your 10-year-old model is. So if you want to bond with your mechanic over a shared affection for vintage Buicks, indie is the way to go. I actively looked forward to hanging out with my Saab mechanic, because I felt like I was going to a sort of Saab clubhouse. Another plus is that you do get to meet lots of other owners who share your affection for a particular brand. This is the kind of thing that makes getting your car worked on fun, rather than a chore. Ready for a trade-in? DEALERSHIP. car towed Flickr / Becky Snyder And there comes a time when you're sick of getting your old car fixed. For you, that means a visit to somebody who can sell you a car and take your old set of wheels as a trade-in. Head for a dealership, Want to get big discounts on basic service? DEALERSHIP. Oil Change Duane Prokop/Getty Images Oil changes are often on sale at dealerships. They're one of the ways that dealers entice customers to come back to the store, so that those folks are more likely to use the dealership for service in the future. Don't want to fix every little thing that goes wrong? INDIE MECHANIC. Mechanic sturti/Getty Images My independent mechanic for a number of years often talked me out of fixing stuff. Typically, nonvital features that didn't matter much to the safe operation of my old vehicle. Dealers are disinclined to do this, but they also have to worry about it less, and they're usually servicing new or gently used cars. Read the original article on Business Insider Questions about why the province is squeezing Manitoba Hydro to make deeper spending cuts amid potential service concerns remain unanswered. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Questions about why the province is squeezing Manitoba Hydro to make deeper spending cuts amid potential service concerns remain unanswered. Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton wouldn't say Friday why the publicly owned power utility which has cut 872 positions in recent years and found $72 million in cost savings in recent days is being directed by the province to reduce wage costs by a further $11 million. "We're not the employer, Manitoba Hydro is the employer," Wharton said during a teleconference announcing plans to expand internet connectivity in underserved remote and northern areas of the province. Hydro president and chief executive officer Jay Grewal sent a message to employees Monday, saying the Crown corporation had no choice other than to issue temporary layoff notices to approximately 700 employees. The layoffs would have some impact on service levels, such as longer wait times for locating lines and service extensions, reduced customer communications and "potentially, more frequent outages of longer duration due to reduced staff," Hydro spokesman Bruce Owen said Monday. Grewal has said she wants to avoid layoffs, and her preferred option is a temporary eight per cent pay cut for all employees, including her. The employee unions, meanwhile, say they need more information from Hydro about layoffs and what's on the table, but have been told it's confidential, and "cabinet privilege," one labour rep said Thursday. "We don't know if we're negotiating with the government or Hydro right now," International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2034 business manager Mike Espenell said. Wharton wouldn't say Friday if he, as minister of Crown services, or the provincial cabinet was preventing Hydro from dealing transparently with its unions or had put a gag order on the corporation. "This is an issue between the employer and the unions," he said. When asked if information about the province pushing Hydro to reduce wage costs was confidential or if the utility is being muzzled by government, Owen said in an email Friday "our cost reduction target is not confidential." Manitoba Hydro president and CEO Jay Grewal sent a message to employees Monday, saying the Crown corporation had no choice other than to issue temporary layoff notices to about 700 employees. (Tim Smith / The Brandon Sun files) Wharton referred to Premier Brian Pallister's reasoning that government needs to reduce spending in non-essential areas to deal with the cost of the COVID-19 pandemic. "The premier was very clear... this is all hands on deck," he said. "We're asking the public sector and, in particular, Manitoba Hydro to participate." Wharton said these are challenging times, and Hydro and labour will work it out. "The bottom line is, we're excited they're at the table and working in collaboration." Talks with bargaining units are continuing "on several ways we can meet the savings targets to minimize the impact on our employees and the service we provide our customers," Owen said but declined to comment further. Meanwhile, the Opposition wants the Public Utilities Board to make the provincial government explain why it's putting the squeeze on Hydro workers and how that may impact service to Manitobans. NDP Leader Wab Kinew sent a letter to PUB chairman Robert Gabor asking him to call an "extraordinary" hearing, and to issue a temporary order to stop the job cuts until the matter is heard and questions are answered. 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 board doesn't have the authority to call such a hearing or put a halt to job cuts, its executive director said. "The PUB can't order the minister to do anything," said Darren Christle. Manitoba Hydro can apply to the PUB for a hearing or cabinet can order the PUB to hold a hearing, he said. The Opposition, the public and Hydro's board can demand answers from the utility and the government, but not through the PUB. Hydro board chairwoman Marina James did not respond to a request for comment Friday. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca The Indian Railways has operated 1,074 Shramik Special trains since May 1, ferrying more than 14 lakh workers, it said Saturday. IMAGE: Migrants board the special train as they leave for the native place during the nationwide lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, in Jabalpur. Photograph: ANI Photo On Friday, the Railways said it had received more than 1,000 approvals from states in the last 15 days to ferry migrants home, with most workers being received by Uttar Pradesh, followed by Bihar. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal hailed the active participation of UP and Bihar in processing trains for their migrants, saying 80 per cent of the labour trains are terminating in these two states. During the last three days, more than 2 lakh persons have been transported per day. In days to come, it is expected to be scaled up to 3 lakh passengers per day, the Railways said. Out of the trains which have terminated so far, the maximum has been in Uttar Pradesh (387). Uttar Pradesh has given approval for 526 trains, followed by Bihar for 269 trains, and Madhya Pradesh for 81 trains. The number stands at 50 for Jharkhand, 52 for Odisha, 23 for Rajasthan and 9 for West Bengal, the data showed. The operation of these trains has, however, led to a political mudslinging with the Opposition accusing the Centre of charging fare from migrants. The Centre has clarified that the fare is being shared on a 85-15 ratio by the Railways and the state governments. It has said it has the capacity to run 300 Shramik Specials per day. Goyal had appealed to states like West Bengal, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand to approve more trains. A Shramik Special train carries around 1,700 passengers, instead of the earlier 1,200, to ferry as many workers home as possible. Initially these trains had no scheduled stoppages during the journey, but the Railways now allows up to three stoppages in the destination states. While railways is yet to announce the cost incurred on these special services, officials indicated that the national transporter is spending around Rs 80 lakh per service. Since the Shramik Special service started, Gujarat has remained the top originating state, followed by Kerala. Earlier, the Railways drew a flak from opposition parties for charging for these services. In its guidelines, the national transporter has said the trains will ply only if they have 90 per cent occupancy. In a much-needed departure from the constant discussions about the coronavirus, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeos visit to Israel this week finally provided fodder for this columnist that doesnt relate to viruses, vaccines or reopening. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/5/2020 (613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. CP Palestinians burn a cutout of the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a protest against his visit to Israel and U.S. President Donald Trump's Mideast initiative, in the West Bank city of Nablus, Thursday. (The Associated Press) In a much-needed departure from the constant discussions about the coronavirus, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeos visit to Israel this week finally provided fodder for this columnist that doesnt relate to viruses, vaccines or reopening. To bring readers up-to-date, Israel finally has formed a government after three elections in one year. The prime minister is Benjamin Netanyahu and the "alternate" prime minister in the coalition government is Benny Gantz, a former Defence Chief of State and leader of a party he and two others essentially created out of whole cloth, Blue and White. The two men were the central opponents in the elections, with Netanyahu representing a coalition of his own Likud Party and a number of smaller right-wing parties. Gantz, by comparison, is a moderate/liberal yet not too left. After three elections with no clear winner, the two got together and formed a national unity government that gave each leader an opportunity to serve in various roles, including prime minister. Sound confusing? It is. We dont have tons of experience with coalition governments here in Canada, but in Israel this type of political horse trading is par for the course. This is background, of course, to bring us to where we are today. Annexation was among the most divisive issues in this most recent election cycle. It links other key issues, including peace and order as well as the growing divisions between right-wing religious Israelis and moderate secular Israelis. In order to buoy up support among his base, Netanyahu made a promise to annex roughly 30 per cent of the West Bank, an area that Palestinians viewed as part of their future state. The annexed lands would be occupied as Jewish settlements. Some of this land is already occupied in this manner. For many right-wing supporters, there is a strong belief that God gave them these lands and, as such, they are fulfilling a biblical promise by settling them. Of course, it makes sense that the Palestinians would push back against these plans. Sadly, as we have all come to expect, "push back" in the Middle East most often means violence. Netanyahu has traditionally enjoyed a strong relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, who endorsed the annexation plans some time ago, only to now appear to be tempering his enthusiasm somewhat. The Middle East is an incredibly complicated place with all manner of changing alliances, so we shouldnt be surprised to find out that, quite possibly, Trump received feedback from other leaders in the area recommending the process slow down. With oil prices at decades-low prices, it could be that several of the oil-rich neighbours are seeking calm. Annexation is not a strategy that will encourage calm. While it may play well with Netanyahus base, it has not played well beyond that. Earlier this week, an Israeli soldier was killed in the West Bank city of Jenin while a Palestinian youth was shot in another clash. According to reports, his funeral was attended by thousands of Palestinians, further underscoring the tense nature of the times. Longtime readers of mine will know of my love for the region and hopes for peace. I have been in the West Bank, Israel and Jordan and found the people welcoming, friendly, and equally hopeful for peace. Their animosities are often grounded in decades and even centuries of history. As a result of this, rash decisions by any politician should be discouraged to the benefit of more disciplined, thoughtful dialogue. My hope is that leaders in the region will all calm the waters before we witness another Intifada or worse. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 02:29:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENNA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy has called on the international community to work together with a common response to minimize the impact of "politicizing factors" in the fight against the novel coronavirus. Wang Qun, Chinese envoy to the United Nations (UN) and other International Organizations in Vienna, made the call here on Thursday at an online meeting with officials from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies led by Russia, known as OPEC+. The global economic recovery and energy re-balancing process is not just subject to the pandemic per se but also subject to "mounting man-made politicizing factors," said Wang. As he saw, these factors include policies against globalization, attempts of stigmatization, and the stepped-up unilateral sanctions against Russia, Iran and Venezuela. These acts have provoked trade frictions and disputes, led to greater fluctuations on the global oil market, and disrupted and undermined international efforts and cooperation against the pandemic, he added, urging to do away with the politicizing factors detrimental to the global energy security. The envoy called on the international community to uphold multilateralism with a more intensified cooperation, especially by opposing "decoupling" and stigmatization, supporting the World Health Organization and upholding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal. Enditem The World Health Organisation (WHO) has alerted the world over the possible emergence of a rare inflammatory disease in children that may be linked to the coronavirus. This was disclosed during a news conference at the agencys headquarters, Geneva, on Friday. The Head of WHOs emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, Maria Kerkhove, said, World health officials are increasingly hearing about cases of an inflammatory disease similar to Kawasaki disease in a few countries, including the United States and Italy. The WHO official said initial reports hypothesised that this syndrome, which can cause high fever and swelling in blood vessels, may be related to COVID-19. We need more information collected in a systematic way because with the initial reports, were getting a description of what this looks like, which is not always the same, Ms Kerkhove said. And in some children, they tested positive for COVID-19 and other children have not. So we do not know if this is associated with COVID-19. Ms Kerkhove said officials raised the alert among the WHOs global clinical network, which is a group of clinicians across the world dealing with COVID-19 patients. Kawasaki disease is explained as an illness that causes blood vessels to become inflamed, almost always in young children. Its one of the leading causes of heart disease in kids. But doctors can treat it if they find it early and most children recover without any problems. Some of its symptoms are said to include a rash and fever, high fever and peeling skin. In late stages, there may be inflammation of medium-sized blood vessels (vasculitis). It also affects lymph nodes, skin and mucous membranes, such as inside the mouth. READ ALSO: Meanwhile, in his remarks, WHO director-general, Tedros Ghebreyes, said working with its global clinical network, the WHO has developed a preliminary case definition and a case report form for Pediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (PMIS). I call on all clinicians worldwide to work with your national authorities and WHO to be on the alert and better understand this syndrome in children, he said. According to CNBC news, early in the outbreak, researchers and infectious disease experts said the virus appeared to be sparing children while hitting the elderly and those with underlying health conditions particularly hard. Since then, researchers have learned much more about the virus, including that children do get it and can die from it, even without underlying conditions that tend to worsen symptoms. Most kids report mild respiratory symptoms, namely fever, dry cough and fatigue. However, some children can become seriously ill, CNBC news said. It said in New York, local health officials are investigating 110 cases of the disease they are calling pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome, adding that 16 other states across the U.S. and six European countries are also investigating the disease. However, the WHO officials last month, said they were investigating whether the coronavirus causes Kawasaki disease in children after several cases cropped up in Europe. Former British High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin, has made jokes of the alleged sickness and arrest of Angel Daniel Obinim. The Angel is said to have been hospitalized after police stormed his church to invite him for interrogation for being complicit in an issue before the police. The man of God who was conducting a counseling session according to reports upon seeing the officers, suddenly fell sick and couldnt walk again. He was rushed to the hospital with police escort. Reacting to the dramatic development on his Twitter page, Jon Benjamin said there was no cause for alarm since Obinims trusted angels, Nimokafui and Ayantafri were on their way to fight for him. He posted; #Obinim has been arrested??? I understand hes being visited by his legal representatives, Messrs Nimokafui and Ayantafri. Or maybe he can turn into a snake and slither out of the police station? Find his post below: #Obinim has been arrested??? I understand hes being visited by his legal representatives, Messrs Nimokafui and Ayantafri. Or maybe he can turn into a snake and slither out of the police station? pic.twitter.com/5mQw12EPDD (((Jon Benjamin))) (@JonBenjamin19) May 14, 2020 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 Doctors told Danna Fleener her 81-year-old mother probably wouldnt survive. That was on Mary Davis fourth day in the intensive care unit at Salem Hospital after testing positive for the novel coronavirus. Fleener, 59, spoke to her mother for what she thought would be the last time. The nurse put her on the phone for her to tell me goodbye, Fleener recalls. Instead, I told her (the virus) needed to be beaten ... If she wanted to live, she could make it happen. If she wanted to go, she could go. Three weeks later, Davis was out of the hospital and in the isolation wing at the Oaks at Sherwood Park nursing home in Keizer. Her friends there call her Honey. Her daughter says doctors at Salem Hospital call her a miracle patient. Mother and daughter are able to visit through a cracked-open window of Davis' bedroom. Fleener stands outside and occasionally presses her ear against the glass to hear her mother speak from her bed. A sign on her window reads: Survivor coronavirus 2020. 'Belle of the ball' Davis grew up in Chicago and worked as an ICU nurse for about 30 years before she retired. The mother of three daughters and two sons moved to the Salem area to be closer to family about 20 years ago. She worked at the Oregon State Hospital when she first arrived. Davis has been a resident at the Oaks for nearly five years. Shes the belle of the ball, her daughter said. "A lot of times, when they have activities, she'll dress up," she said. On Halloween, Davis dressed as a witch. "She's just friendly and outgoing. She'll talk to everybody." Davis and her friends would ride their electric wheelchairs from the nursing home to the thrift store and occasionally enjoy food from Thai and Mexican restaurants at a nearby strip mall, Fleener said. The Oaks confined its residents to their rooms as a safety precaution in late February. Fleener was able to see Davis so long as she passed a screening. Then, they shut the doors as a further safety precaution for residents and staff. Fleener saw her mother in person for the last time on March 8. In late March, she noticed while talking on the phone that her mother had a cough. Fleener said she wasn't really alarmed because Davis is often congested. She has asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which obstructs airflow from the lungs and uses oxygen and an inhaler. Over time, though, the cough became thick, her voice hoarse and her complexion grey. On March 27, Davis was rushed to Salem Hospital emergency room with a fever. She was told to assume she had the virus and returned to the nursing home in an isolation wing. Fleener said a few days after her mother was tested the next week for COVID-19 the results came back positive. During window visits and phone calls that week, Davis told her daughter she was scared that she couldnt breathe. "She told me, 'I can't take another night, Danna'," Fleener recalls. Uncertainty in the ICU On April 3, Fleener got a call from the nursing home that her mother had been admitted to the ICU. I called around every four to six hours for the first three days, Fleener said. During that time, they told me dont expect her to live." She said medical staff began administering prone positions, a technique to increase airflow to the lungs by flipping a patient on their stomach for 16 hours at a time and then laying on their back for the remaining eight. When she was on her stomach, her kidneys didnt like it, and they went into failure, Fleener said. "It was this orchestrated dance. Her lungs would go out and then her heart went out. Davis was on a ventilator the first 11 days in intensive care. Doctors also discovered a hard-to-treat staph infection known as MRSA, E. coli, a urinary tract infection and three additional bacterial infections in her lungs. Knowing that she wasnt comforted or surrounded by her family, that was the hardest thing, Fleener said. "And that was one thing I was fearful of was her dying and never touching or seeing her again. And that was so hard for all of us." Davis was unresponsive most of that time she was in the ICU. but several days later, Fleener received a FaceTime call from her mother and the staff. She opened her eyes for me, she said. The nurse was surprised. She heard me. Davis continued to recover and nurses removed the ventilator on her 11th day in intensive care. Two days later, Fleener said she got a call from her mother's nurse practitioner. She said, Your mother is sitting up and watching TV and doodling. I said, My mother? Are you sure thats Mary Davis? Going home Fleener said her first full conversation with her mother was difficult and she worried she wouldn't fully recover. "It was just garbled speech and she had a hard time comprehending. So, I was very fearful still that she wouldnt be all there. Davis said she doesnt remember much of her time in the ICU. "I didn't know what was going on," Davis said. "People saw me with masks on and you couldn't even see their face and I was frightened. I thought they were aliens or something." Still, she said the doctors, nurses and staff were excellent. Every little thing that hurt me they would take care of it, she said. I couldn't eat, they put a thing down my nose to eat and I couldn't stand that, so I started eating popsicles and I guess that was enough for them. Davis said she was shocked when the doctor told her she could go home on April 28. We were crying and when the doctor came in she was just so happy. She said, I cant wait until youre better ... Im quite the popular one. They say Im their queen. Fleener, a radiology technician at the Oregon State Correctional Institution, said she left work early and rushed to the nursing home when she found out her mother was being discharged. "When someone dies, you wish you could see them one last time and talk to them one more time," she said. "I got my wish to see my mom. Fleener said she called the nursing home to let Davis friends and former roommate know that she was alive. Three weeks went by and they had no idea if she was dead or alive, Fleener said. "I said, Well, you have my permission to let them know. Theyre a little family." Recovery in isolation Davis said she has to stay in the isolation wing at the nursing home for 30 days. But the countdown clock restarts every time someone moves into the wing or if anything changes within the unit. She keeps busy watching the news, coloring and working puzzles, and listening to Coast to Coast AM, a radio talk show. She also listens to Blues music on Alexa. "She's just discovered all she can do with Alexa," Fleener said, laughing. "She'll say, 'Alexa, tell me a story' or 'tell me a joke'. It's been keeping her entertained." Davis is nervous about her symptoms returning. If I have a fever, I have to start (days in isolation) all over again. I dont want symptoms. Fleener said she's been acting as a "spokesperson," relaying information about her mother to the rest of her family. "I think hard times unite families. And it's been nice because weve been texting a lot." She visits her mother through her bedroom window at least every other day and said she appears better with time. She was proud of herself that she sat on the side of the bed a couple of days ago. And she held up a list of things she wanted from the grocery store: V8 or Tomato and Tropicana. Shes kind of a picky eater," Fleener said. "Just watching her eat, talking to her, knowing she has a voice now, that she can carry a conversation ... thats just joy. Fleener said she's counting down the days she can embrace her mother, "then help her braid her hair," she said. "She always has her hair to the side and she's bothered by her hair being messy." Davis said she hopes to soon reunite with her children, 11 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. Like many stuck at home during the pandemic, she wants to go back to thrift store shopping and eat out at restaurants with friends. Life is sweet when you get older, except dont catch this virus. This article was originally published by the Statesman Journal in Salem, one of more than a dozen news organizations throughout the state sharing their coverage of the novel coronavirus outbreak to help inform Oregonians about this evolving health issue. Labours Mayor Sadiq Khan has accepted a 1.1 billion grant and a 500 million loan for Transport for London (TfL), which is dependent on successfully implementing the Johnson governments back-to-work agenda and imposing savage attacks on Tube, rail and bus workers. TfL, which runs the London Underground network and the capitals buses and rail services, was on the point of breaching statutory minimum cash balances it is required to hold. Its de facto bankruptcy would have gravely undermined the governments efforts to stampede people back to work and restore corporate profits. TfL lost 90 percent of its income from fares as millions of Londoners worked at home, eating through more than 1 billion of its reserves and facing a 4 billion black hole in its 202021 budget. This was despite furloughing 7,000 staff25 percent of its workforceto cut costs. Khan had told LBC radio, Well have to start reducing services. The only way to balance the books is to cut services. Welcoming the emergency funding, Londons Transport Commissioner Mike Brown, said that TfL would continue to do everything in our power to help deliver a successful recovery for our great city. While the incidence of COVID-19 in the capital, which has seen around 22 percent of the total number of UK deaths, is falling thanks to the lockdown, the return to work in the densely packed London Underground and buses threatens a vast increase in the number of deaths among both passengers, transport staff and their families. The government has arrogantly urged people to walk, cycle or drive to work wherever possible, but these exhortations ignore the reality that millions and millions rely on public transport to get to work. To date, 33 London bus drivers have already lost their lives as well as 10 London Underground workers under the reduced travel during the lockdownthanks to TfLs contempt for workers safety and failure to provide even the most basic personal protective equipment (PPE). The TfLs response to the deaths of its workers has been criminal indifference, not even bothering to compile and publish the figures. Transport officials have warned that the Tube can only run at about 15 percent capacity if it is to adhere strictly to the 2-metre social-distancing guidance, while a double decker bus could only carry 15 passengers and a single decker 5 to 7 passengers. But neither TfL, nor the government has any intention of abiding by such strictures. Under these conditions, the governments return to work order is nothing short of pre-meditated murder. It will eliminate anything positive achieved by the lockdown. All the hardships and sacrifices that working people have endured, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable, are to be thrown aside to enable big business to make a profit. The Tories are seeking to implement their policy on the cheap while at the same time launching a frontal assault on TfLs workforce. The grant is just half of what TfL asked for and comes several years after the government terminated its already limited fundingleaving London the only capital city in western Europe without subsidy. The grant comes with onerous strings, none of which were attached to the far more generous rescue packages for the privatised passenger rail franchises that ensured them against any losses. The government is to put two people on TfLs board to increase its oversight and review TfLs finances. It has demanded a sharp increase in fares, under conditions where transport costs are already the highest in Europe, and for the cost of the bailout to be borne by Londonersboth of which will penalise the working class. In return, TfL will have to guarantee the return of all transport services back to pre-pandemic levels. This is higher than the 75 percent level London mayor Khan was aiming for next week. It will also have to post adverts telling people to Stay Alertthe governments new and controversial slogan that replaces its previous Stay at Home campaign. None of these measures will address TfLs financial black hole and its dependence on exorbitant fares for 47 percent of its income and 12 percent from Londons Congestion Charge, the new Ultra Low Emission Zone and commercial activities, as well as grants for Crossrail from central government and the Greater London Assembly. With passenger numbers unlikely to reach previous levels due to the plummeting economy, the drop in tourism and travel and the inevitable re-eruption of the pandemic, massive cuts and austerity measures are on the agenda. TfLs workforce will face a relentless assault on their wages, speed-ups and the threat of job losses. Immediately there will be a clampdown on anyone forced to self-isolate, or who exercises their legal right not to work under unsafe conditions. A special demand was inserted stipulating that absences of staff from work have to be reported to the government, which will prove to be a charter for victimisation. Going forward, the governments power to vet TfLs finances will provide the whip for cut after cut and constant speed-ups. There is no doubt that eliminating the role of conductor and bringing in driver-only trains on London routes will be one of the first cost-cutting measures insisted upon. Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the TSSA transport union, welcomed the cash injection for preventing services coming to a halt. Mick Whelan, general secretary of the train drivers union Aslef, said, It would have been a disaster for the capital, and the country, if the Tube networkand London buseshad stopped running. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) struck a left pose, issuing a statement warning of possible strike action in the event of any attacks on pay, jobs and conditions arising from this imposed settlement We will not accept one penny of austerity cuts imposed by Whitehall or passed on by City Hall as part of this funding package and our resistance will include strike action if necessary, wrote General Secretary Mick Cash. The RMT was seeking an urgent meeting with both the Mayor and Secretary of State for Transport, warning that our resistance will include strike action if necessary. The RMT are past masters of such verbal posturing, as has been proved in the isolation and betrayal of numerous strikes across the rail network last year against Driver Only Operation (DOO) trains. But their left-rhetoric is in recognition of the anger among transport workers at the kick-in-the teeth delivered by the Tories and agreed by Khan, after so many weeks of working under dangerous conditions. The worst mistake rail and bus workers can make is to place any confidence in the RMT and other transport unions to act in their defence. Drivers, conductors, station, garage and maintenance staff must act independently in defence of their safety and in opposing the onslaught being prepared on their livelihoods by Johnson, Khan and TfL management. This cannot be left to the individual protest of withdrawing labour in unsafe conditions, as championed by the trade unions as an excuse for their own inaction. Rank and file organisations of class struggle must be formed, to unify the entire transport sector workforce and appeal for solidarity action from the working class throughout London, the UK and from transport workers throughout Europe facing the same threat to their lives and livelihoods. T'Way Air Co. will become South Korea's first low-cost carrier (LCC) to operate flights to Croatia after it received a license from Seoul's transport ministry on Friday. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport distributed licenses for 25 international routes to nine local airlines, and T'Way was given a nod to operate flights to Croatia four times a week. The LCC also earned a license to fly its passenger jets to Tajikistan twice a week. Jin Air Co., an affiliate of the country's top air carrier Korean Air Lines Co., received a route license for the first time in 22 months after the ministry's sanction on the budget carrier was lifted in March. It secured a license to send flights to Zhengzhou, China, three times a week. In the latest distribution of route licenses, Jeju Air, the country's largest LCC, was granted a permit to operate flights to Russia four times a week. Among local LCCs that newly earned air operator's certificates, Fly Gangwon Co. was given a license to operate flights to Beijing and Changchun, China, from South Korea's east coastal city of Yangyang. Korean Air's licenses included permits for Incheon-Fuzhou and Busan-Shanghai routes. The country's other full-service carrier, Asiana Airlines Inc., received a license to fly to Poland. The transport ministry said air carriers can use their new route licenses after South Korea and foreign aviation authorities reach an agreement on aviation security regarding the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Yonhap) The government's halting response to the coronavirus pandemic represents the culmination of chronic structural weaknesses, years of underinvestment and political rhetoric that has undermined the public trust - conditions compounded by President Donald Trump's open hostility to a federal bureaucracy that has been called upon to manage the crisis. Federal government leaders, beginning with the president, appeared caught unaware by the swiftness with which the coronavirus was spreading through the country - though this was not the first time that an administration seemed ill-prepared for an unexpected shock. But even after the machinery of government clanked into motion, missteps, endemic obstacles and lack of clear communication have plagued the efforts to meet the needs of the nation. READ ALSO: Reality star charged with fraud for misusing $1.5M PPP pandemic loan "A fundamental role of government is the safety and security of its people," said Janet Napolitano, the former secretary of homeland security. "To me that means you have to maintain a certain base level so that, when an event like a pandemic manifests itself, you can quickly activate what you have and you have already in place a system and plan for what the federal government is going to do and what the states are going to do." That has not been the case this spring. The nation is reaping the effects of decades of denigration of government and also from a steady squeeze on the resources needed to shore up the domestic parts of the executive branch. This hollowing out has been going on for years as a gridlocked Congress preferred continuing resolutions and budgetary caps to hardheaded decisions about vulnerable governmental infrastructure and leaders did little to address structural weaknesses. The problems have grown worse in the past three years. Trump was elected having never served in government or the military. That was one reason he appealed to many of those who backed him. He came to Washington deeply suspicious of what he branded the "deep state." Promising to drain the swamp, he has vilified career civil servants and the institutions of government now called upon to perform at the highest levels. His transition was messy and since then his administration has been slow to populate the thousands of political slots atop federal agencies, and the president has seemed to prefer acting agency heads to those who can win confirmation from the Senate and the authority that imprimatur conveys. He has targeted career officials and sought retribution for those who differed with him, particularly those whose job it is to find and expose problems. "One thing to keep in mind is that government takes on hard problems," said David E. Lewis, a political science professor at Vanderbilt University. "They're often problems that can't be solved by the market and there aren't private entities to solve them." He added: "We're seeing a government that is suffering now from a long period of neglect that began well before this administration. And that neglect has accelerated during this administration." The question is whether the weaknesses and vulnerabilities exposed by the current crisis will generate a newfound interest among the nation's elected officials - and the public - in repairing the infrastructure of government and a sense of urgency on the part of the public to encourage them to do so. Or will partisanship and public indifference lead to a continuation of the status quo? - - - Public trust in government has declined sharply for the past half century. In the early 1960s, more than 7 in 10 Americans said they trusted government to do the right thing all or most of the time. A year ago, a Pew Research survey found that just 17 percent of Americans expressed that view. Attitudes began to turn more negative during Vietnam and Watergate. Over the next decades, there were occasional increases in public trust, but the trendline continued downward. There was also a spike upward after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Since then, there has been a steady decline amid deepening political divisions and intensifying anti-government rhetoric. Over these years, there have been a series of major government breakdowns that helped shake confidence in government's competence. Some are relatively recent: the 2003 invasion of Iraq; the response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005; the Deepwater Horizon oil well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010; the crashing website for the Affordable Care Act in 2013. Other breakdowns happened longer ago or are less remembered but nonetheless highlight ongoing weaknesses, whether the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle in 1986 or a flu vaccine that sickened many recipients in 1976. COVID-19 OUTBREAKS : Texas releases nursing home coronavirus case totals The pandemic has forced another critical look at government's competence. For months, the Trump administration has been running behind to bring testing capacity to the levels needed. That was true as the virus was taking hold and when more tests might have helped contain the spread. It is the case now as businesses look to reopen but cannot assure safety for workers or their communities without the widespread availability of tests, which so far does not exist. Stockpiles of needed equipment were never adequate for the scale of the pandemic either, and the government was slow to ramp up production. The government's economic intervention, while massive in dollars and well-meaning in intent, also has run into problems. In contrast to many European nations, where the strategy has been to keep payrolls afloat, the U.S. program has relied on direct payments to individuals, unemployment insurance for furloughed workers, loans to small businesses (in some cases forgivable) and aid to some major industries, such as airlines. Speed took precedence over precision in the design of the program. Delays were common. Areas of the country hardest hit by the virus in March and early April were sometimes shortchanged as money flowed to areas less affected. Payments through the Small Business Administration ended up in the hands of big firms like Ruth's Chris steakhouses or entities like the Los Angeles Lakers. Treasury Department officials had to move swiftly to get those payments returned. Flaws in the nation's unemployment insurance program, a patchwork system run through the states, highlighted inequities, as benefits vary from state to state, as do eligibility requirements and length of assistance. Florida's has drawn the most criticism. That state's program was redesigned when now-Sen. Rick Scott, a Republican, was governor to make it more difficult to qualify for assistance. Recently it has been plagued by computer problems. A recent headline on the Miami Herald website said, "Florida's jobless benefits program finding new ways to confound, infuriate the unemployed." Congress authorized an additional $600-a-week payment through July for those unemployed, on top of what they would receive from their state program, which has resulted in some people receiving more money while being unemployed than when they were working. Ricardo Reis, an economist at the London School of Economics, said that the U.S. program is one of the largest in the industrialized world but not necessarily the most efficient. "To get the same bang you've got to spend a lot more bucks because you're sending a check to everyone, right?" he said "A lot of people don't need a check." "Much of the response at the federal level has been predicated on the idea that we're just going to take a holiday for a few months and then go back to where we were," said a skeptical Steven Davis, a professor of international business and economics at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned last week of "significant downside risks" to the future of the economy." The jury is still out as to whether what the government has done is either adequate or efficient. "My impression from the outside is that we have significantly mal-designed the economic assistance and adjustment system," said Philip Zelikow, a professor at the University of Virginia who served in five administrations and was executive director of the 9/11 Commission. "The counter to that is we just needed to get the trillions out the door," he added. "Maybe after analysis, that argument could have merit [but] I suspect this still could have been done better under the time constraints." Meanwhile, lawmakers are now locked in age-old ideological battles at a time when fresh thinking will be needed to help workers who could face long periods of unemployment and businesses threatened by closure by a pandemic that appears certain to create a new normal whenever the economy does reopen. "I think this event is revealing of what governance wonks have been warning about for a long time, namely that we haven't been very focused on the basic governing systems we need to execute policy successfully," said William Galston of the Brookings Institution. "The competency of government to serve as an instrument of policy delivery has been weakened substantially. One of our long-term tasks is to rebuild that capacity." - - - Gene Dodaro, the comptroller general, leads the Government Accountability Office, the agency that is tasked with being a watchdog for government performance. He sees structural weaknesses that constantly impede performance. "The hardest part of my job is getting people to focus on things before they become a crisis," he said. The GAO regularly produces a list of areas of high risk in government performance. The most recent, issued in 2019, began with this assessment: "The ratings for more than half of the 35 areas on the 2019 High Risk List remain largely unchanged. Since GAO's last update in 2017, seven areas improved, three regressed, and two showed mixed progress." "Fundamentally we have a legacy government that hasn't kept up with the world around it," said Max Stier, president and chief executive of the Partnership for Public Service. "We create government and capacity around the problems of the day and there's not much refreshed. . . . It does not lie with a single administration. It is endemic through modern times and not just the executive [branch] but in Congress." To take just one example, government has allowed its technology infrastructure to age in place. According to Dodaro, Washington spends about $90 billion a year on its IT systems - about three quarters of the money going to supporting operations and maintenance of existing systems, starving investment in new technology. A call for technology upgrades is not a new problem. In 1995, Dodaro said he recommended that every agency create a position of chief information officer. Congress followed suit the next year, he said, but resistance in the agencies hampered the progress. In 2014, Congress enacted a second piece of legislation to spur what had been started nearly two decades earlier. The Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs have been working to make medical records easily transferrable when personnel leave the military and become eligible for VA benefits. Billions have been spent but the problem hasn't been solved. Among those with the most antiquated computer systems are two agencies tasked with delivering economic assistance to workers this spring, the Small Business Administration and the Internal Revenue Service. "SBA was asked to do the impossible on top of antiquated technologies," said Paul Light, a professor of public service at New York University. Some unemployment insurance systems run on mainframe computers that are 40 years old. In April, several states put out a call for people familiar with programming language for COBOL, introduced half a century ago, to help keep their systems running. More than the computer systems are aging; so too is the workforce assigned to work on them. Stier estimates that there are five times as many federal employees over age 60 working on IT issues as there are employees under age 30. "The talent pool in government has to be refreshed," he said. Aging technology highlights the weaknesses of the government's infrastructure, but that is only one of the obstacles that hinders more effective performance. Over the years, the federal government has created a complex system for the delivery of services. Much of the work done by government is now carried out by nongovernmental employees - private contractors, consulting firms, nonprofits and others not technically on the federal payroll. Tina Nabatchi, a professor of public administration at Syracuse University's Maxwell School, estimates that as much as 70 percent of the work of government is done by these outside entities. "We've taken out the middle levels of bureaucracies," she said. One reason is the desire of some leaders to run government like a business, though the two are not alike. Another is to mask the true scope of government. John DiIulio, a political science professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said that earlier in its existence, the Department of Homeland Security had more full-time-equivalent contractors than full-time-equivalent employees. "We want a lot from government," he said. "We don't want a lot of government." Donald Kettl, a professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, said most Americans, including many lawmakers, view government services through a vending machine model: Money goes in at the top, a lever is pulled and services come out at the bottom. Inside, however, is a complicated and often cumbersome contraption. Kettl described the U.S. health care system as "much more complex than anywhere else in the world," a labyrinth of government, private insurers, public and private hospitals, physicians, nurses and other health care workers, all involved in the delivery and billing of services. "The strategy of competence means managing these really complex partnerships," he said. Another area where the United States is unique is in the number of political appointees atop agencies in the executive branch. The system is supposed to allow a president to gain control of the bureaucracy but vacancies and constant turnover in those jobs mean that, when in their posts, officials are often afflicted with short-termitis - focusing on matters of the moment and ignoring underlying structural weaknesses that can become crippling problems in a crisis. Leadership is a critical ingredient in the functioning of government. A president can set priorities and focus his administration on making systems work more efficiently. But there is one more reason the work of making government better rarely attracts the attention of senior government officials. It often requires becoming mired in mind-numbing detail. In other words, however important the work might be, it's just plain boring. - - - The last serious attempt at government reform was more than 20 years ago, when then-president Bill Clinton asked his vice president, Al Gore, to head up what became known as the "reinventing government" initiative. Clinton believed that people needed to trust that their money was being spent wisely before they would trust the government itself. "If you convinced America you were being really, really careful about their tax dollars, then a lot of this animosity toward government would decrease," said Elaine Kamarck of the Brookings Institution, who directed the project for several years. The program may best be remembered for Gore's appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman," where he donned protective glasses and broke a government-issued ashtray with a hammer to ridicule the cost and complexity of government procurement regulations. The reinventing government initiative achieved some success and was aided by the fact that the timing coincided with a broader transition from the old industrial economy to the new information-age economy. "We could take advantage of a lot of the technology and that helped us cut," Kamarck said. Whatever progress was made is now long in the past. "Even if it had been wildly successful it would have been out of date four or five years after it was done," Stier said. Before that effort, the last president to address government reform in a serious way was Jimmy Carter. He created the Department of Energy and broke up what then was known as the Department of Health, Education and Welfare by creating a separate Department of Education. Carter liked to look under the hood of government; few of his successors have had the same desire. "In terms of basic reorganization, you've got to go back to the 1950s and Herbert Hoover to find the last reorganization movement," Light said, referring to a commission the former president headed after he left office. Today, there is debate about whether government should or even can be reformed in those ways. The creation of DHS in the aftermath of 9/11 is a case in point. The hastily created department became a hash of many different entities pulled from across the government. The departmental structure has made setting clear priorities far more difficult, as it serves multiple masters. "If you look at DHS, they have to report to more than 100 different congressional oversight committees," said Mark Harvey, former senior director for resilience policy at the National Security Council. Some students of government say a more pressing priority than fundamental reorganization should be finding ways to improve how agencies collaborate when confronted with the kind of crisis now facing the country. Today's problems, they say, no longer fit without the boundaries of a legacy government structure. - - - Marc Hetherington, a professor at the University of North Carolina, said the public conversation about government began to shift with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. Before that, anti-government rhetoric focused more on what government ought and ought not to do, themes highlighted by Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, a Republican, during his 1964 presidential campaign. "What changed with Reagan and the decades since is that the conversation moves away from what government ought to do to government is incompetent to do things," he said. "That's a big change, with a fundamentally different message." Throughout the conservative movement since, that message has been a staple, with the often explicit goal of shrinking the federal government, cutting resources to starve the beast. "Sometimes poor performance is trying to do government on the cheap," Lewis said. "There is a penny-wise, pound-foolish idea of how we manage government agencies." Hetherington said he has noticed one thing from his research about trust in government. Whenever the focus is on the military or national security, trust increases. When the focus shifts away to other programs, particularly those safety net programs such as welfare or food stamps, which serve disadvantaged populations, trust decreases. But if Republicans have made this kind of rhetoric a staple of their message, Democratic politicians have engaged in some of the same kind of thing. "Every candidate has campaigned on a bureaucracy-bashing theme," Nabatchi said. "That message has gotten through to affect people's confidence in government." The president's disdain is on display constantly, far more so than for past presidents. Hetherington said that in this area, Trump is "off the charts. Whereas a lot of Republican attacks on the government left certain things implicit, the Trump people have made them explicit." There is much that works well in the federal government, particularly everyday activities that citizens take for granted. Career civil servants on the whole are dedicated and skilled. But when the challenges shift from ordinary to extraordinary, cracks within the system are exposed, demands on leadership rise and the government's competence is rightly called into question. This has been such a time. It is an open question whether the more intense focus on the federal government will result in more calls to deal with the underlying weakness or whether criticism of the administration's response - and the political divisions surrounding it - will further degrade people's trust in the institutions they have turned to at this moment. "We don't want to invest in the capacity of government to get the job done," Kettl said. "But we are happy to complain immediately when there's sand in the gear that causes the system to seize up." Hrithik Roshan is using new means to stay healthy and stay fit during the lockdown period. On Friday, the actor shared a new look selfie on Instagram and looks more fit and fine than ever. He also shared how he managed to pull off the tedious fitness regime. Hrithik, along with a selfie, also shared a screenshot of an app that helps him monitor his fast, he captioned the post as, "23hour fast. #healthyliving #resilience #disciplineequalsfreedom," The selfie shows Hrithik winking for the camera while the hair on his temple appears to be turning grey. He is often seen trying out new fitness regimes and this one has the actor fasting all day. We are unsure if it also includes any specific workout routines but the actor looks fit and muscular in the picture, indicating that he is still working out at home amid the lockdown. Earlier, he also advised his fans in an IG post, to get some sun every day, "Get your shot of Sun. Every day. 10 mins. Find a way." Hrithik's fans have commented on the posts praising his new raw look. One fan wrote, "Beautiful pic sir," and another said, "Looking handsome," Hrithik is currently living with his sons Hrehaan and Hridhaan and his ex-wife Sussanne Khan. Sussanne spoke about living with Hrithik again and said, "When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic and the news was out that a lockdown would be imperative, Hrithik and I decided that staying together in the same home would be the more intelligent and soulful decision for our sons, and for us. We realised early on that the days ahead would require us to regroup our energies towards creating serenity for one another. With that thought in mind, and a heap full of love, we started on our lockdown adventure." The actor has also been doing his best to contribute in India's fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. Hrithik recently facilitated the delivery of hand sanitisers to Mumbai Police personnel on duty, to help safeguard the frontline warriors. When Michael Jackson Showed Up At Hrithik Roshan's Makeup Room & Introduced Himself To The Actor Vaani Kapoor Reveals Dancing With Hrithik Roshan In War's 'Ghungroo' Gave Her Anxiety Worldliness is a proposal of life that enters everywhere, even in the Church. The Pope called for prayers for those whose acts of mercy puts them at risk of contagion when they bury the dead. Vatican City (AsiaNews) Pope Francis celebrated Mass at the Casa Santa Marta this morning. During the service, he called for prayers for those who risk getting infected when they bury the dead, "one of the works of mercy," one that is not a pleasant to do. In his homily, the pontiff spoke about the Gospel passage (Jn 15:18-21) in which Jesus says to the disciples, If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. What is the spirit of the world? asks Francis. What is this worldliness that can hate, destroy Jesus and his disciples, more than corrupt them and the Church? Worldliness is a proposal of life, [. . .] it is a culture; it is a culture of the ephemeral, a culture of appearance, of make believe, a culture of 'today yes, tomorrow no; tomorrow yes, today no'. It has superficial values. [It is] A culture that knows no loyalty, because it changes according to the circumstances, [and] negotiates everything. This is a worldly culture, the culture of worldliness. Jesus prayed for the Father to defend us from this culture of worldliness. It is a throwaway culture, according to what is convenient. It is a culture without faithfulness; it is "a way of life for many who call themselves Christians. They are Christians; yet they are worldly. For the Pope, worldliness has "deep roots;" it is "chameleon-like, it changes [. . .] according to circumstances, but the substance is the same: a proposal of life that enters everywhere, even in the Church. Worldliness, worldly hermeneutics, make believe; everything is made up to be like this. Let us ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to discern what is worldliness and what is Gospel, the grace not to be deceived, because the world hates us, the world hated Jesus and Jesus prayed for the Father to defend us from the spirit of the world. Medical personnel check temperatures of patients visiting Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe in late April. - AFP Nearly a quarter of a billion people across Africa will catch coronavirus during the first year of the pandemic, the World Health Organization has said in a new study. The study, published in the British Medical Journal, also warns that 190,000 Africans could die of COVID-19 in the first 12 months of the pandemic unless urgent action is taken. The total number of predicted infections equals about one-quarter of the one billion people in the 47 countries which make up the WHO's Africa region, or 250 million people, and does not include some north African countries like Libya, Egypt and Sudan. Between 4.6m to 5.5m Africans will need to be hospitalised, according to the modelling. These hospitalisations mean the continent's fragile health care systems will quickly be overwhelmed as the virus spreads. Researchers warn that the outbreak will divert precious funds away from major health issues which already kill hundreds of thousands of Africans every year, like AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and malnutrition. So far Africa has been spared the worst of the pandemic. The region has about 0.77 per cent of worldwide cases and 0.43 per cent of deaths, even though it represents 13.7 per cent of the global population. According to the latest figures from the WHO, Africa has around 47,000 cases of Covid-19 and 1,488 deaths. Many have attributed the low death rate in Africa, to the continents young population. The median age in Africa is 19.4 compared to 45.4 in Italy. However, experts say that the low number of tests in Africa is almost certainly hiding the true scale of the crisis. South Africa, the continents most industrialised nation, is currently carrying out some 16,000 tests a day. This is many times more than any other African nation. However, this high figure is still a fraction of what many developed countries are conducting. Sorry! This content is not available in your region The Trinamool Congress on Saturday slammed the Centre over the death of 24 migrant workers and blamed its "botched up lockdown" and "arrogant" approach for the suffering of lakhs of them across the country. The migrant workers were killed and 36 injured when a trailer rammed into a stationary truck, both carrying passengers, on a highway near Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya district early this morning, police said. The impact of the collision, the latest in a series of road tragedies involving migrant workers returning to their villages, was so huge that both vehicles overturned and fell into a ditch. The Centre should have ensured that the migrant workers return home safely but instead, it is busy blaming the state governments, TMC MP Sougata Roy said. The Centre's sudden decision to announce the lockdown has led to such a mess and every day there are reports of migrants getting killed in accidents or committing suicide, Roy said. The TMC-led West Bengal dispensation, which has been under fire from the Centre for not doing enough to bring back its migrant workers, blamed the central government's "lack of farsightedness" for the migrant crisis in the country. Senior party leader and MP Abhishek Banerjee said in a tweet, "The painful loss of lives of #MigrantWorkers forced to take desperate measures to return to their native places is a result of a botched up lockdown led by an arrogant and insensitive Govt that fails even to take cognisance of the existence & suffering of millions." Rendered jobless due to the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown, which began on March 25, and desperate to get home, migrant workers across the country are undertaking long and arduous journeys to their native places on foot, on bicycles or packed into trucks. Over the past few days, many have been killed in accidents in different parts of the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russia has asked Google to block a news article which repeats allegations the Kremlin may be underreporting its coronavirus death toll. The article, by online news outlet MBKh Media, refers to a Financial Times report claiming Russia could have 70 per cent more Covid-19 deaths than it reports. MBKh Media said on Thursday it had been told by Google in a letter the request was made after a decision by the prosecutor-general's office. The prosecutor-general claimed the article "contained calls for riots, extremist activities, [and] participation in mass public events held in violation of the established order, according to MBKh Media. I believe the demand to remove the news about this article is pure political censorship, the outlet's editor Veronika Kutsillo said of the request, which was made by the Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor. She told the website Open Media she would not delete the story. A Google spokesperson said: We consider all valid legal requests from government authorities in the countries we operate in. We regularly disclose this kind of data. It came as Russia's foreign ministry criticised the Financial Times report, as well as a similar New York Times story. Both were based on a spike in total mortality rates reported by officials in Moscow, who said the capital registered about 1,800 deaths more in April 2020 than the monthly average. The New York Times reported that total is far higher than the official Covid-19 death count of 642, which the newspaper said was an indication of significant underreporting by the authorities. It quoted Tatiana Mikhailova, a senior researcher at the Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration in Moscow, as saying that the number who died from the virus is possibly almost three times higher than the official toll. The Financial Times pointed to a similar surge in deaths reported by authorities in St Petersburg. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova complained about what she called disinformation by the two newspapers and said letters demanding a retraction would be passed on to both. Danielle Ha, vice-president for communications for The New York Times, told Russian news agencies the report was accurate because it was based on data released by an official state agency. On Saturday, the Financial Times published a letter from Andrey Kelin, Russias ambassador to the UK, who refuted the newspapers coverage of Russias outbreak. Russia has reported over 250,000 coronavirus cases on Thursday and 2,305 deaths. The comparatively low death toll raised questions in the West, with some critics suggesting it could be much higher. Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Show all 23 1 /23 Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy holds hands with Nichollette and Ryan as she experiences contractions in a birthing tub Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy Pedroza, 27, who is pregnant, sits next to Ryan Morgan, 30, her partner and father to their unborn child, as they relax at Pedrozas parents house in Forth Worth, Texas, where they currently live, during the coronavirus outbreak Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy Pedroza attends an appointment with her licensed midwives Susan Taylor, 40, who checks her stomach, and Amanda Prouty, 39, in Taylors home office at her house Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy takes a brisk walk to try and speed up her contractions with Ryan and her midwives near Taylors home where Pedroza plans to give birth Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy receives support from Nichollette Jones, her doula Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy experiences contractions Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy is supported by Ryan and Nichollette as she experiences contractions while labouring at the home of Pedrozas licensed midwife, Susan Taylor Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy lies on a bed in front of Ryan as he helps to pump her breastmilk to try and speed up her contractions Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy experiences contractions as Susan lies on a bed Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy embraces Ryan Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy is supported by Ryan as she experiences contractions in a birthing tub Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy experiences contractions Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy in a birthing tub Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy is placed onto an ambulance stretcher to be taken to hospital by paramedics, after her unborn childs heartbeat dropped from 130 beats per minute to 30 Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy is carried on an ambulance stretcher to be taken to hospital by paramedics Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy is carried into an ambulance on a stretcher Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy holds her one-day old newborn son, Kai Rohan Morgan Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy breastfeeds her newborn son at the house of her parents, where they are currently living Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Susan Taylor positions Kai for a photograph at his newborn screening Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Amanda Prouty and Susan Taylor conduct a newborn screening for Kai at Kais maternal grandparents house Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Susan takes two-day old Kais temperature while checking if he has tongue tie, an oral condition that can potentially cause issues with feeding Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Nancy and Ryan clip the fingernails of their two-day old son Reuters Giving birth during the coronavirus outbreak Kai, who is two days old and is experiencing jaundice, is positioned in the sunlight by his mother Nancy Reuters The New York Times reported that Russia's mortality rate of only about 13 deaths per million was far below the world average of 36. Russian health officials insisted that the relatively low coronavirus death toll is due to its instituting a quick ban on travel from neighbouring China earlier this year, an early introduction of restrictions and tracing of the infected contacts. Donald Trump has cited a similar travel ban for his efforts to combat the virus. Russian officials also have said the scope of testing has been significantly increased in recent weeks, allowing for officials to spot the infections quickly and prevent patients from developing life-threatening complications. Following the foreign ministry statement, MP Vasily Piskaryov demanded that reporters from the newspapers be stripped of their accreditation, effectively banning them from working in the country. Ms Zakharova said measures against the media organisations will depend on whether they run the retraction. Last month, Russian lawmakers approved fines of up to 20,650 and prison terms of up to five years for anyone who spreads what is deemed to be false information during the outbreak. Under the measure, media outlets could be fined up to 105,000 for disseminating disinformation about the virus. On Wednesday, Moscow's health department rejected the allegations of undercounting coronavirus deaths. Officials said autopsies are being conducted in all suspected coronavirus deaths. That's why post-mortem diagnoses in Moscow and causes of death, in the end, are exceedingly accurate, and the mortality data absolutely transparent, the statement said. More than 60 per cent of deaths of people with coronavirus in Moscow were ascribed to other causes, such as cardiovascular ailments, cancer, diseases involving organ failures and other illnesses, according to the statement. Guidelines on reporting coronavirus deaths, issued by the World Health Organisation in mid-April, state that deaths due to Covid-19 should be considered as such unless there is a clear alternative cause of death that cannot be related to Covid disease. Additional reporting by AP You can now watch our TV Series 'The Autoblog Show' online. The Autoblog Show returns for its second episode, featuring our sub-compact crossover comparison test in picturesque northern Michigan. We drive four of the most popular, the Kia Soul, Jeep Renegade, Honda HR-V, and Hyundai Kona, on the twisty roads and dusty trails outside Traverse City to decide which deserves the crown. Join editors Joel Stocksdale, Jeremy Korzeniewski, John Snyder and Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore as they spend a week behind the wheel to decide which hatchback deserves the crown. Afterwards, West Coast Editor James Riswick travels to the snow-covered mountains of Utah to test the Toyota Camry. This isnt your mothers Camry, this sedan now features all-wheel drive. Check out episode two of "The Autoblog Show" above. It originally aired on Verizon Fios TV, the Yahoo! Finance Channel on the Roku TV app and SamsungTV+. New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday (May 16) interrogated a close aide of Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad Kandhalvi. According to reports, Mursaleen used to stay in close contact with foreign Tablighi Jamaat members and had taken several frequent trips to foreign countries for the Jamaat work The investigative agency believes that Mursaleen used to handle the donations and held a key position at the Markaz. He is also believed to have handled several accounts related to the Markaz. According to reports, Mursaleen maintained all his data and records in Urdu. The account-related documents, confiscated by the Crime Branch team of Delhi Police from Markaz, were mostly written by Mursaleen. The documents were later handed over to the Enforcement Directorate. It is to be noted that Maulana Saad continues to be at large. On May 11, a petition was filed in the Delhi High Court seeking direction for forthwith transfer of the Tablighi Jamaat case from Delhi Police to NIA claiming that the police failed to arrest the Jamaat chief Maulana Saad despite lapse of considerable time. "It is a matter of record that local police, that is, Crime Branch is found to have miserably failed in tracing out/apprehending/arresting Maulana Saad, despite lapse of considerable time and his photograph being published in electronic media. It is virtually impossible for Maulana Saad to hide himself for such a long time and that too in the capital of the country. Performance of the Delhi Police has been pathetic from the very inception and outset. Failure of the Delhi police is explicit from the fact that despite there being lockdown and curfew-like situation, Maulana Saad was able to arrange a gathering of thousands of people belonging to Tablighi Jamaat in the capital of India," the petition filed through advocate Yash Chaturvedi said. It said people of Tablighi Jamaat have been spreading the deadly virus all over the country not only by defying the national lockdown, also by assaulting corona warriors who have been treating the patients. Delhi Police's Crime Branch had on March 31 lodged an FIR against seven persons, including cleric Maulana Saad, on a complaint by Station House Officer of Nizamuddin police station in Delhi for holding a congregation of Tablighi Jamaat followers in alleged violation of the orders against large gatherings to contain the spread of coronavirus. The Enforcement Directorate has also filed a money laundering case against Saad, trusts links to the Jamaat and others. The death of a Passaic firefighter from complications with the coronavirus was formally declared an in the line of duty death by the state pension board, opening up lifetime benefits for his widow and their two children. More than a month after 33-year-old Israel Izzy Tolentino Jr. died from complications with the coronavirus, the state pension board ruled his death was in the "line of duty, which entitles his widow Maria Vazquez and their daughter Ailani, 10, and son Israel III, 8, to pension and health benefits, said Passaic Fire Chief Patrick Trentacost. The decision by the state pension board will allow for Vazquez to receive more than 60 percent of Tolentinos most recent salary, said Passaic Mayor Hector Lora. It will also provide health insurance to both of Tolentinos children until they turn 26 and health insurance for life for Vazquez, said Vazquez and Trentacost. The decision, rendered May 11 at a board meeting, is a small consolation for Vazquez, who is thankful that her husbands work will help protect and care for the family they started for years to come, even in his death. Thats what he worked hard for when he was alive, Vazquez said. Everything he thought of was for the family to be taken care of. I am happy that everything he worked for was not in vain. The family of fallen 33-year-old firefighter Israel Tolentino watches from their porch as Passaic Emergency Medical Service personnel hold a candlelight vigil on April 1, 2020 in the city of Passaic.Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media The process of securing benefits for Tolentinos family took time and investigative work from the Passaic Fire Department, said Trentacost. Although Trentacost declared Tolentinos death line of duty in a press conference just hours after Tolentino died, the department needed to prove it to the pension board. When a tragedy hits like this, as chief and as a department, we have to do the best for the family, Trentacost said. But we have to make sure its accurate and we can back up our proof. The investigation started immediately. Proving Tolentinos death was in the line of duty had investigators following his final days responding to calls as a Passaic firefighter, a lifelong dream of his. Earlier in the pandemic, the investigation and fire department calls was stymied by a lack of information, Trentacost said. The HIPAA law, until the state Attorney General allowed fire chiefs the information, we had no clue what addresses were in question, Trentacost said. Initially, firefighters were responding to houses unaware if a resident had tested positive for COVID-19. And aside from the turnout gear that firefighters wore to calls, firefighters were not taking additional precautions into mid-March, the chief noted. Working with the health department and information later made available to fire chiefs, investigators were able to trace Tolentinos likely exposure to COVID-19 to a March 14 call on a gas rupture and gas leak at a house on Broadway, Trentacost said. Tolentino, along with other Passaic firefighters, flitted in and out of different buildings to help evacuate residents and check for gas levels. Occupants of several of the apartments that Tolentino entered ended up testing suspected positive for COVID-19, Trentacost said. Along with working as a firefighter, Tolentino was an EMT and volunteered at the citys office of emergency management, his widow said. When he wasnt doing any of that, he would volunteer to help the homeless. Tolentinos round-the-clock sense of duty had Mayor Lora wondering when he wasnt on duty and prompted him to advocate for the line of duty death designation. On top of everything that the family would be dealing with, his wife and two children, the idea that they would not be taken care of was unacceptable, Lora said. Theyre going through enough, the mayor added. And we shouldnt have left it on their shoulders to try to fight the system. Because navigating the red tape and all of the bureaucracy thats involved in things like this is hard enough for those of us who are privy to the information, let alone for family members of lay-individuals. Passaic Mayor Hector Lora (left) is briefed by Fire Chief Patrick Trentacost before the funeral procession for 33-year-old firefighter Israel Tolentino, who died from the COVID-19 virus.Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media The pension boards decision comes as more and more front-liners contract the coronavirus and succumb to its effects. Hundreds of New Jersey police officers, firefighters, EMTs and other first-responders have contracted the virus since the outbreak. Unlike many essential workers, first responders are often required to come in close contact with people potentially infected with the virus. Several law enforcement officers told NJ Advance Media they are being forced to report to police headquarters, even those who are pregnant. On Monday, Glen Ridge Police Officer Charles Rob Roberts, deemed the unofficial mayor of the borough, succumbed to COVID-19. We often say that our first responders are heroes, said Lora. Sometimes our heroes need heroes. And we needed to advocate on their behalf. Several lawmakers have taken up the task of pushing legislation to provide for families of first responders who died from COVID-19. Last month, Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-9th Dist, introduced the Public Safety Officer Pandemic Response Act (H.R. 6509), which would provide death and disability presumption for public safety officers who contract COVID-19. That bill will be included in the HEROES Act, unveiled Tuesday by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, Pascrell said in a statement. The HEROES Act would provide money to help pay the salaries of police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, schoolteachers and other state and municipal employees. On Thursday, the U.S. Senate passed the Safeguarding Americas First Responders Act of 2020 (S3607), introduced by U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, and U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-IA, which would also extend public safety officer death benefits to first responders whose death is caused by COVID19. Our firefighters, police officers, EMTs and other emergency services personnel risk their lives to keep us safe, and face significantly increased hazards during this pandemic, Booker said in a statement. A staggering number of public safety officers have already lost their lives to COVID-19, and we must make sure that their families are supported when they face unimaginable loss and thats exactly what this bill does." The April 2 funeral procession for 33-year-old firefighter Israel Tolentino, who died from the COVID-19 virus.Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media For Vazquez, the help that has arrived and the help that may be coming is welcome and serves to live up to Tolentinos desire to always provide for his family. But, as the days distance the family from the moment Tolentino succumbed to the illness, she does not want him to be remembered for how he died. She wants the husband she met in church years ago to be remembered for the man he was. I dont want him to be remembered for coronavirus, Vazquez said. I want him to be remembered by the good that he was. How selfless he was. How he served others, even without a uniform. 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. DUBAI/BENGALURU: Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund has bought minority stakes in major American companies including Boeing, Facebook and Citigroup, a regulatory filing showed, giving it a portfolio of nearly $10 billion in US-listed stocks. The $300 billion Public Investment Fund (PIF) has been buying minority stakes in companies across the world, taking advantage of market weakness in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The PIF disclosed stakes worth $713.7 million in Boeing, about $522 million in Citigroup, $522 million in Facebook, $495.8 million in Disney and $487.6 million in Bank of America, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing on Friday showed. The PIF has a nearly $514 million stake in Marriott and a small holding in Berkshire Hathaway, according to the filing. The PIF also disclosed an $827.7 million stake in oil company BP, which has American Depository Receipts (ADRs) listed in the United States. "The Saudi sovereign fund went shopping in Q1," tweeted Ali Al-Salim, co-founder of Dubai-based consulting firm Arkan Partners, adding that it now held about $10 billion in U.S.-listed equities, up from $2 billion at the start of the year. PIF's strategy is two-pronged; building an international portfolio of investments and investing locally in projects that will help reduce Saudi Arabia's reliance on oil. "PIF is a patient investor with a long-term horizon. As such, we actively seek strategic opportunities both in Saudi Arabia and globally that have strong potential to generate significant long-term returns while further benefiting the people of Saudi Arabia and driving the country's economic growth," the sovereign wealth fund said in a statement. "These opportunities include sectors and companies that are well positioned to drive economies and lead sectors moving forward." ENERGY GIANTS The PIF has separately funded almost half of Japanese investor SoftBank's $100 billion Vision Fund, which has been hit by losses on technology bets. Last month the PFI's head, Yasir al-Rumayyan, said it was looking into investment opportunities in areas such as aviation, oil and gas, and entertainment, adding that there would be a lot of potential for investment opportunities once the coronavirus crisis passes. The PIF disclosed an 8.2% stake in coronavirus-hit Carnival Corp in April, sending the cruise operator's shares nearly 30% higher. The Saudi fund bought stakes in Royal Dutch Shell, Total, Eni and Equinor earlier this year , a source familiar with the transactions told Reuters on April 9. The SEC filing on Friday showed it had a $483.6 million stake in Shell, a $222.3 million holding in Total and a $481 million stake in Suncor Energy. An earlier filing in Norway had shown the PIF had a 0.3% stake in oil and gas firm Equinor. PIF already has a $2 billion stake in Uber Technologies and electric car company Lucid Motors. It used to own a small stake in electric carmaker Tesla, but the latest filing did not show any exposure. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Each virus has its unique pattern of spread, and scientists are starting to get a handle on how the novel coronavirus behaves. This understanding is making it possible to rank the risks of different activities from high to low to trivial. The most informative studies show how the disease is spreading in the real world a big advance over the various simulations and models that, early on, showed only hypothetical scenarios. The two drivers of the spread of the disease are close contact and crowding in closed spaces, said Muge Cevik, a virologist at the University of St. Andrews in the U.K. It spread through homeless shelters and nursing and care homes, where people were crowded with many others. It spread through peoples households, and through meat packing plants. Cevik has been collecting and reviewing papers from around the world on disease transmission. There are some trends emerging, she says. Spending time dining together, being in public transport, might risk spreading the disease, but going to a market briefly, for five minutes or a transient encounter while you walk or run past someone, those are low risks. The studies come from China, Singapore, Taiwan, and to a lesser extent the U.S. They were all done through contact tracing, which may turn out to be humanitys greatest strategy for fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. Contact tracing can stop chains of transmission, even after a disease is widespread, as physician and former World Bank president Jim Yong Kim explained in The New Yorker. Another major benefit is that it offers clues as to how the disease spreads. Each virus has its unique pattern. The U.S. has done almost no contact tracing yet. A survey of people coming to hospitals in New York City in May revealed that most of them had been home, and were not working or taking public transport. But why isnt everyone admitted to the hospital being asked about this? Why arent we finding out who they live with, or who visited them, and tracking down where theyve been? The lost opportunities are staggering. Story continues Cevik said people often ask her how the disease could be so transmissible if it takes closed environments or close contact to spread. The first part of the answer is that after much speculation of extreme transmissibility, the data show something intermediate, with each infected individual transmitting the virus to between two and three others on average. But the important point, which is often missed, is that this is just an average. In the real world, most people transmit the disease to nobody, or one person, and a minority infect many others in so-called super-spreading events. It's those we must learn how to avoid. The data show that nine percent of infected people are responsible for 80% of the transmissions, she says. Why? For one thing, the disease is apparently very infectious but only for a short window, and perhaps only in some cases. Contact tracing studies show people are most infectious right around the onset of symptoms, as well as a couple of days before and after. If someone in that stage goes to a party, or church service, or to work in a meat packing plant or nursing home, many other people will probably get sick. One study in China showed how the virus spread at a business meeting and a restaurant. A contact tracing effort in Singapore revealed big clusters of cases stemmed from a business meeting, a church, and a visit to a shop. Another study, one of the few from the U.S., showed how one infected person in Chicago spread the disease to multiple people at a funeral and later at a birthday party, and one of those infected at the party then spread the disease to others at a church service that lasted more than two hours. Other studies connected outbreaks to crowded offices. People who eventually developed severe symptoms were more likely to transmit the disease to others than were those who had mild symptoms, Cevik says. While its clear the disease can be spread by people before they have symptoms, its still an open question how many people have no symptoms and whether they are driving much of the spread. Much of the material in these studies comes as a surprise to people, says Erin Bromage, a biology professor at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, who recently got 11 million views to a blog post he wrote on how the disease is transmitted. People think if you get exposed, you automatically get sick or become infectious, he explains. But even people exposed to sick family members in their homes dont always get sick. Sharing a home or office does make transmission more likely, since length of exposure matters as much as distance from other people. People passing by you in a supermarket are unlikely to infect you. Outdoor environments appear much safer as well. In one study, which followed hundreds of cases, all but one transmission occurred indoors. Id like people to stop wasting mental energy on the wrong things, Bromage says. To stop worrying about outdoors and bike riders since its such a low risk. Bromage doesnt think strict lockdowns have to remain until we get herd immunity or a vaccine. But he would like to see businesses use the data available to start up without fueling major outbreaks. He sees hope for restaurants and hair salons in the new normal, and is advising such businesses in his community on how to minimize exposure. As Harvard population medicine professor Julia Marcus recalled in a recent piece in The Atlantic, 20th century doctors eventually relented on advice for unpaired people to remain celibate until there was a cure for AIDS. They started talking about safer sex. Now its time to do the same with life under the coronavirus. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Faye Flam is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She has written for the Economist, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Psychology Today, Science and other publications. She has a degree in geophysics from the California Institute of Technology. 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. Mumbai, May 16 : Vikramaditya Motwanes "Udaan" had premiered at Cannes Film Festival in May 2010 and went on to garner universal acclaim. Actor Rajat Barmecha, who shot to fame with his portrayal of a 17-year-old boy Rohan in the film, has come a long way since then. Over the past decade since the film's release, Rajat has explored himself professionally as an actor and also spiritually as a person. " 'Udaan' is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Any actor in this world would love to get a debut like that, and I was fortunate enough to get one. It's been an amazing journey since then," said Rajat. " 'Udaan' made me the actor I am today. The root of all that I know about filmmaking and my craft as an actor comes from 'Udaan' and my director Vikramaditya Motwane. He taught me a lot about cinema and filmmaking in general," he added. On the personal front, life has been beautiful, he says. "I learnt and explored so many things about myself since 'Udaan', especially in the past five years. I have been backpacking solo. Travelling and spirituality have made me grow as an actor and more importantly as a human being. There is nothing in this world that can teach you what travelling does," said the actor, who was seen in the 2016 series "Girl In The City" starring Mithila Palkar. "'Today at 31 when I look back at myself when 'Udaan' happened, I realise how much I have grown. At 21, I was naive. I wanted to do too much. I gave all my energies to money and a career, but today I give more importance to quality of life. I am still very raw and honest with myself as I was at 21, and that's one thing I love about myself and don't want to change ever. But at the same time I have matured as a soul," he said. "Today, I am doing projects that interest me. Acting is something I love and will continue forever but today by living I mean actually living my life to the fullest. That is my top priority and that's the reason every single day of my life, I do exactly what I want to do. I am living my best life," he said. GST on textiles will not be increased from 5 to 12 per cent: FM Sitharaman It is not BJP money: Nirmala Sitharaman on IT raids on 'Samajwadi perfume' trader Budget Session 2022 to commence on January 31; Union Budget to be tabled on February 1 FM Nirmala Sitharaman to address press conference at 4:30 pm, likely to clear air on Antrix Devas issue FM Sitharaman on Devas-Antrix issue: Cong has no moral right to speak about crony capitalism Finance Minister releases fourth tranche of economic package, hails PM Modi as great reformer India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, May 16: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday held a press conference where she announced the fourth tranche of the Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus that was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Finance Minister said that the fourth tranche on the Centre's Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package focuses primarily on structural reforms. Highlights of Nirmala Sitharamans briefing on economic stimulus package Addressing the press conference, Nirmala Sitharaman hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "great reformer" who has had a strong track record of "taking up deep, systemic reforms". "Many sectors need policy simplification. Once we de-congest sectors, we can also provide the necessary boost," the Finance Minister said. Coronavirus outbreak: COVID-19 tally nears 86,000-mark; Death toll at 2,752 "As all of you know that PM Modi has a strong track record where reforms are concerned," she also said. "In the last couple of months, an empowered group of secretaries were formed to look into project development. Ranking of states on investment attractiveness to compete for new reforms," Sitharaman said. The Finance Minister further said that schemes would be implemented in states through challenge mode for industrial cluster upgradation of common infrastructure facilities and connectivity. "3,376 industrial parks/estates/SEZs in 5 lakh hectares mapped on industrial information system. All industrial parks will be ranked in 2020-12," she added. Coronavirus crisis: Rajasthan farmers to get loan at 3 per cent by pledging their produce Earlier, in the first tranche of the economic stimulus, the Finance Minister focused on the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and the middle class. The second tranche took care of migrant workers and small shopkeepers. The third tranche saw the Finance Minister focusing on agriculture and its allied activities. Over 1.41 lakh migrant workers have been taken upto Maharashtra's borders by the buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), it said in a statement on Saturday. Migrant workers who are hitting the road to return to north India amid lockdown for coronavirus are being transported by MSRTC buses upto Maharashtra's border with Madhya Pradesh and other states. As many as 1,41,798 workers from Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Karnatakahave been ferried by MSRTC buses, MSRTC said. It has deployed a fleet of 11,379 buses for this purpose, it added. MSRTC buses are also bringing back labourers from Maharashtra who are stranded in other states. As many as 2,45,060 migrant workers in the state have taken Shramik specialtrains to return to their home states. "Rs 54.75 crore from the Chief Minister's relief fund were utilized to buy train tickets for these workers," a statement from the chief minister's office said. Every day 25 special trains are departing from different stations in Maharashtra, it added. Shahid Kapoor's wife Mira Rajput has shared the pictures of their classic office space. Designed by Mira's sister Noor, the space was created three years ago. Mira shared the post on her Instagram stories, giving away details of how she executed the plan on ground while her the interior designer gave instructions from overseas. Noor's post gives and elaborate detail of how the design was planned. The post reads, "Three years ago, over a couple of FaceTime sessions with my younger sister, we designed this rental office-meeting-vanity pod-call-it-what-you-want space. I shared a few ideas and some super rough sketches from across the globe and she executed on the ground in Mumbai. I never really shared it coz I kept waiting to make a trip back to India to style and photograph it certain way. That trip didnt happen and the iPhone pictures faded back into the cameraroll. I waited for that trip back, for that perfect time, the perfect picture, that perfect light, and while I waited, the moment passed. Of course in the grand scheme of things, with everything going on in the world right now, the pictures are quite insignificant. The fact that I cant just hop on a plane back to India, that I dont know when next I may be able to give a hug to my parents and sisters, and the realization that we just never know what tomorrow holds, to seize the moment- that, couldnt be clearer, the caption further explained. Shahid and Mira have been staying in their home in Beas, Punjab amid the lockdown. The actor had been shooting for his upcoming next, Jersey, until the production was stalled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Follow @News18Movies for more In a case involving the diversion of forest land to expand a highway near Goas Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary, there is no EIA nor a study examining possible alternatives. A group of local residents from Canacona have filed a public interest litigation (PIL) to oppose this diversion. While the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MOEF&CC) has released a new draft to dilute the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification of 2006, efforts continue to dodge its existing provisions, which poses a threat in places, to endangered protected areas and wildlife habitats. The latest draft EIA Notification 2020 reiterates doing away with individual environment clearances in industrial parks or estates and no public consultations in all linear projects like highways, expressways or elevated roads, pipelines in border states. Significantly, it also proposes dropping environment clearances for mining the earth for construction: Extraction or sourcing or borrowing of ordinary earth for the linear projects such as roads, pipelines, etc. That will come as welcome news, if passed, for the legions of those engaged in illegal mining of the earth. Already, in a case involving the diversion of forest land to expand a highway near Goas Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary, there is no EIA nor a study examining possible alternatives. A group of local residents from Canacona have filed a public interest litigation (PIL) to oppose this diversion. The proposed highway expansion project with a total length of 137.55 km in the state of Goa is a Category A project under the EIA Notification, 2006 which mandates an EIA study and a prior environmental clearance from the MOEF&CC. However, the PIL contends that by fragmenting the project into five components, the Goa Public Works Department (PWD) is trying to circumvent the EIA Notification, 2006. Moreover, rule 7(4)(e)(iii) of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 handbook mandates that for all projects requiring forest land for non-forest purposes, the state government must first certify that all other alternatives have been considered and found not feasible, and the required area is the minimum space needed for the purpose. The forest land is to be diverted for a proposed expansion of a two-lane (eight- metre) highway passing through the forested Western Ghats in the ecologically sensitive Karmal Ghat, to a six-lane (45 metre) road. It involves the diversion of 29.8 hectares of forest and felling 13,471 trees. Sreeja Chakraborty, advocate for Goenkar, the local group of residents at Canacona, said breaking down the original length of proposed roads was not unprecedented in Goa and elsewhere, to avoid the EIA specifications The need to preserve this region and the Netravali sanctuary from changes in land use, stems from the fact that it is part of a protected area network which has a small tiger population in the Western Ghats, according to an investigation by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on tiger deaths in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in January, 2020. The report written by Rajendra Garawad, assistant inspector general of forests, NTCA regional office, Bengaluru, states, In view of the significant gains contributed by tiger reserves, it is probably the right time for the State of Goa to take forward the State Board for Wildlife decision and submit proposals for declaration of not just for Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary but also Bhagwan Mahavir National Park, Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary and Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary as Tiger Reserves. This move will not only secure the habitat for mega carnivores and the associated floral and faunal diversity at the state level but also contribute towards conservation of Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot and a 'World Heritage Site'. The NTCA report also cites a study (conducted by Verma et al, 2017), which found that the annual flow of benefits derived from tiger reserves range from 128 million to 271 million USD. On 30 April, the Bombay High court at Goa, in Panjim, heard the public interest litigation (PIL) via video conferencing and has issued notices to the concerned departments, asking for a reply within two weeks in its order of 5 May. The PIL said the area was frequented by wild animals from the Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary which runs parallel to the current highway alignment at a distance of 15 km. It also points out that the site inspection report of the forest departments said critically endangered species such as leopards, mouse deer, spotted deer and bison are frequently seen along the highway. This proposal to divert 29.8 ha falls in the south forest division to expand the National Highway-17 (now NH-66) from Patradevi to Pollem (475 km to 611 km). It is pending with the Regional Office of the MoEF &CC since 18 April 2020. Initially, a 1.45 km long tunnel running parallel to the existing Konkan Railway was suggested as an alternative which would avoid the diversion of 15.375 hectares of forest land. Even the draft feasibility report prepared by the Goa PWD, finds the tunnel option more feasible but for reasons best known to the government, it was dropped. Chakraborty said the proposed expansion through the existing alignment of Karmal Ghat will severely damage the ecology and environment, fragment the wildlife, cause loss of livelihood and services to the tribals who depend on the forests, apart from increased wildlife roadkills. In 2016, work began on widening NH-17 from the Maharashtra-Goa border in the north to the Goa-Karnataka border in the south without an EIA. The PIL said it is absolutely inconceivable that such a monumental alteration of a region known to be ecologically sensitive can be allowed to go ahead without an EIA, a law meant specifically to understand the environmental impact of projects. Changes in land use can have disastrous consequences unless they are understood in advance and steps are taken to reduce impacts. Kerala is a case in point, a state which wilfully ignored the recommendations of the Madhav Gadgil report on the Western Ghats. It is not only the fact that this region is a potential breeding and contiguous habitat for tigers, but also that it is part of a highly fragile ecosystem. This needs to be kept in mind while expanding highways near protected areas and that it is done without an EIA, or even exploring alternatives, exposes the lack of a conscience and foresight in those who govern and seek more dilutions in existing laws, which are being flouted brazenly anyway. New Jerseys High Virus Toll Correlates With Ties to the Chinese Regime Commentary When COVID-19 broke out in the United States, New Jersey was soon hit severely, and now ranks second across the country just after New York for the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths. As of May 15, New Jersey had 143,905 confirmed cases and 10,138 deaths. Around the world, areas with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have been severely harmed by the virus. Also, the CCP covered up the outbreak in China for weeks, which cost the whole world tremendously. Thus, an appropriate name has been given to the virus: the CCP virus. The first case of the CCP virus was discovered in New Jersey on March 4. Increasingly, more confirmed cases followed. On March 9, Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency and a public health emergency for New Jersey. Through April 18, he followed up with 30 administrative orders for schools, libraries, and businesses to close, for people to stay at home, and a curfew. Yet the measures were not effective: 3,000 to 4,000 more cases were confirmed every day afterward. The Why and the How People started to wonder why is New Jersey, in particular, so severely hit in the pandemic? How can we solve this problem? In the editorial Where Ties With Communist China Are Close, the Coronavirus Follows, The Epoch Times points out that the virus tends to follow and extend in countries, cities, organizations and individuals with close ties to the CCP. If the CCPs pernicious influence were removed, would the current pandemic be contained and future casualties prevented? Dancing With the CCP New Jersey has a history of closeness to the CCP economically, technologically, and in business. Could this be a deeper reason that New Jersey has been so severely hit in this pandemic? New Jersey hosts many high-tech businesses, and is the headquarters of 20 Fortune 500 companies. Among the large, medium, and small-sized companies, many have close business contacts with the CCP. I believe that the nation of China is good, and the Chinese people are good. But the CCP regime has ruled China through corruption, lies, and violence. It has fed itself with bloodmoney and technologyfrom U.S. companies and has grown strong enough to insinuate its values into American society. Honeywells Big Capital Infusion Darius Adamczyk, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Honeywell International, said to Chinese state-run media Xinhua in 2017, The strategy of the east serving the world and Chinas One Belt, One Road are very well matched. To me, the One Belt, One Road is an important measure for China to open to the outside and to further merge into the world. To Honeywell, we will apply the results of R&D, design, and production in China to other regions in the world, said Adamczyk. One Belt, One Road is Chinas flagship foreign policy project, a bid to gain geopolitical power through financing infrastructure projects around the world. Honeywell was ranked 77 among the Fortune 500 companies in 2018. Its annual revenues were $41.8 billion. Its headquarters had been in NJ since 1958 and moved to North Carolina in 2019, but it has kept several R&D facilities in New Jersey. Honeywells products range from masks, air conditioner thermostats, air purifiers, and water purifiers, to petrochemicals, and automotive materials, among others. Honeywell is also the worlds leading integrator of avionics systems. Presently, the CCP has been bragging of its independently developed COMAC C919 civil aviation aircraft. But without Honeywells parts, that aircraft could not have made it off the ground. Honeywell provides the C919 with fly-by-wire flight control systems, wheel and brake systems, auxiliary power units, and other equipment. Honeywell could not supply the products directly, but became a supplier of C919 through four joint ventures with Chinese firms. The joint venture is a common tactic used by the CCP to force technology transfer. In light of this, how long can Honeywell maintain its advantage in the field of automatic controls and aerospace technology? Honeywell was one of the first American companies to enter China. After President Richard Nixons visit to China in 1972, UOP, a subsidiary of Honeywell, entered China and installed Chinas first conversion unit in the Gansu Yumen Oilfield, opening a new era for Chinas oil refining industry. The last two decades saw explosive investment and expansion from the West into China. Likewise, Honeywell moved the Asia-Pacific headquarters of all business units to China. In 2016, Honeywell invested $100 million in Zhangjiang Hi-Tech park in Shanghai to expand its Asia-Pacific head office and its China R&D Center. Its total investments in China has exceeded $10 billion and it owns more that 50 enterprises, either joint ventures or wholly-owned, including more than 20 factories. Honeywell has established R&D centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, and Xian. However, in the eyes of the CCP, Honeywell is nothing but a pawn that can easily be sacrificed in its political games. In 2019, the United States approved the sale of weapons and equipment worth about $2.2 billion to Taiwan. The CCPs Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on July 12 that China will impose sanctions on U.S. companies involved in the arms sales to Taiwan. An article from Peoples Daily, the CCPs mouthpiece newspaper, on July 14 named Honeywell directlybecause on the list of arms sales to Taiwan, Honeywell provided key components, including gas turbines, for 108 M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks. Pro-China Stance From New Jerseys Pharmaceutical Sector New Jersey is known as the heart of the pharmaceutical industry in the United States and the world. Twelve of the countrys top 20 pharmaceutical companies have headquarters or regional headquarters in New Jersey, including Merck (known as Merck East outside the United States and Canada), Johnson & Johnson, and Celgene. During the financial crisis of 2008, pharmaceutical companies were in dire straits. In order to maintain market share and stock prices, improve efficiency, and reduce R&D costs, international pharmaceutical giants started to transfer their R&D centers to low-cost areas, or adopted the CRO (contract research organizations) model, outsourcing to other countries. Among the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) advocated by American leftist newspapers at that time, China had low environmental protection requirements. It became a major outsourcing destination for large pharmaceutical companies. Countless multinational companies poured investments into China, bringing advanced drug research and development technology and talent to the CCP. 2009 to 2019 is known as the golden decade of rapid growth in Chinas pharmaceutical industry. Mercks Contribution to Chinese Society Kept Under Wraps Merck had revenues of $42.3 billion in 2018. In terms of revenues, Merck is the fourth-largest pharmaceutical company in the world. Merck entered the China market shortly after the Tiananmen Square Massacre on June 4, 1989. In September 1989, under its president Roy Vagelos at the time, Merck decided to transfer the latest genetically engineered hepatitis B vaccine technology to China for only $7 million. That price was not enough to cover the cost of dispatching employees to assist China to install equipment and train local employees, which cost far more than $7 million. In 1993, China successfully produced the first batch of genetically engineered hepatitis B vaccines. Data from 1994 to 2015 show that Mercks hepatitis B vaccine helped nearly 200 million Chinese children avoid the threat of hepatitis B. However, Mercks generosity and role were deliberately concealed by the CCP. The average Chinese person knows nothing about it. After the financial crisis in 2008, Merck increased its investments in China. In 2011, Merck East invested $1.5 billion to establish a China R&D center in Beijing. In April 2013, its 75,000-square-meter Merck East Hangzhou plant (with $120 million invested) was officially put into production. It is one of the most advanced and largest pharmaceutical manufacturing and packaging plants in China and the Asia-Pacific region. Johnson & Johnsons Huge Investments into China Johnson & Johnson, a manufacturer of health care products, medical equipment, and medicine, is also the largest company based in New Jersey. Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, entered China in 1979 and established a chemical and pharmaceutical workshop in China that meets international GMP (good manufacturing practices) standards. The workshop at Hanjiang Pharmaceutical Factory in Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, produces mebendazole. In 1985, a joint venture pharmaceutical company, Xian Janssen, was established in Xian, which became a model for Chinas modern pharmaceutical factories. Johnson & Johnson (China) Co. was incorporated in the Shanghai Minhang Economic and Technological Development Zone in January 1992, with a registered capital of more than $100 million. Over the past decade or so, Johnson & Johnson has become known for large acquisitions and investments in China. For example, in 2008, Beijing Dabao Cosmetics Co was acquired for 2.3 billion yuan. In May 2012, Johnson & Johnson acquired Guangzhou Beixiu Biotechnology Co. for 360 million yuan. In January 2013, ShanghaiJohnson & Johnson acquired a 100 percent stake in Shanghai Aoya Maternal and Baby Products International Trade Co. for 650 million yuan. In 2019, Johnson & Johnson announced that its pharmaceutical subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, would invest $397 million to build a new large-scale production base for an innovative supply chain in Xian. Also, Johnson & Johnson Medical would invest $180 million to build a new factory in Suzhou Industrial Park. Celgene Put in Huge Sums but Got No Market Share in China Celgene Pharmaceuticals in New Jersey, founded in 1986, kept pace with China investments too. In 2017, Celgene invested $1.393 billion for the authorization of the PD-1 inhibitor BGB-A317, which was still in clinical trials at Chinese biopharmaceutical company BeiGene. During this transaction at that time, in order to obtain the global authorization, excluding Asia, of BeiGene BGB-A317an antibody that can be used to treat tumorsCelgene paid $263 million down payment in cash, $150 million in equity investment at a 35 percent premium, and $980 million for research and development expenses and sales royalties for future sales of BGB-A317. But in 2019, Celgene Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Because Bristol-Myers Squibb already had a PD-1 inhibitor Opdivo, Celgene Pharmaceutical once again paid $150 million to cancel the global cooperation with BeiGene. So far, Celgene Pharmaceutical has thrown away hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars, all to the CCPs foreign exchange reserves. Celgene Pharmaceutical has lost a fortune but could not prevent a disaster. On March 25, 2020, Chinas State Food and Drug Administration issued Circular No. 44, stating that due to problems such as inadequate sterility control measures in the production process, a temporary suspension is in place for the import, sales, and use of Celgenes Paclitaxel. This same medicine has not raised any questions with the U.S. FDA or European regulators. Celgene can only watch the Chinese market be divided among domestic pharmaceutical companies like Hengrui, Luye, Qilu, and CSPC. China as a Chemical Plant for the World While Chinese enterprises received money and technology from multinational companies, the Chinese regime also supported the development of its pharma sector. China became the worlds chemical plant with small gram-scale laboratories and large-scale chemical projects that can mass-produce polyethylene, polyester, polypropylene, and PX Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API). Chinese pharmaceutical companies rely on dumping goods at low prices in overseas markets, with the government supporting them with export subsidies. About 80 percent of U.S. APIs are imported from foreign countries, especially from China and India. Many raw chemical materials in India are also purchased from China. China is the worlds largest supplier of APIs and of basic chemical materials needed to produce many prescription and non-prescription drugs and vitamins. At a hearing held by the U.S.-China Commission for Economic and Security Review (USCC) in the Senate on July 31, 2019, Rosemary Gibson, senior consultant at Hastings Research Center, said, The dependence of several thousands of pharmaceutical ingredients and APIs poses a threat to U.S. health and national security. New Jersey Has Close Business Ties With China Beyond the companies mentioned above, New Jersey has a close business and economic relationship with China. The value of goods imported into New Jersey from China in 2017 was about $18.17 billion, and in 2016 it was nearly $17.7 billion. The most-imported products from China include petroleum, fossil fuels, pharmaceuticals, and auto parts. According to data from the International Trade Administration, as of 2016, about 131,900 jobs in New Jersey depended on trade with foreign partners, of which 15 percent (about 19,000 jobs) originated from trade with China. During the pandemic, the CCP virus has severely damaged companies that rely heavily on China. According to a report released by the U.S.-China Business Council in 2018, China was New Jerseys fourth-largest trading partner in 2017, with exports reaching $1.6 billion, a 62 percent increase from 2008. Goods exported from New Jersey include: basic chemicals ($159 million), computer equipment ($144 million), non-ferrous metal products ($122 million), waste items ($138 million), and soaps, detergents, and toiletries ($93 million). China was also the fifth-largest export service partner of New Jersey in 2016, with an export service value of $1.4 billion, an increase of 179 percent over 2007. Export services include: travel ($352 million), education ($252 million), passenger fares ($120 million), industrial process concessions and user fees ($165 million), and air and port services ($59 million). New Jersey Is One of the Bridgeheads for Chinese Companies In the past 20 years, due to its convenient transportation, similar climate to Shanghai, excellent school districts, and cheaper housing prices than Manhattan, New Jersey has become a bridgehead for Chinese companies to enter the United States. China UnionPay US is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. For the first time in 2015, China UnionPay card surpassed Visa, Inc. in transaction volume and card issue volume, becoming the worlds largest bank card clearing organization. China UnionPay announced on April 9, 2020 that UnionPay International and Huawei launched Huawei Payments in Hong Kong and Macau. As early as 2011, Huawei established its northeast U.S. headquarters in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Huawei has been heavily scrutinized for its close ties to the Chinese military. Its unethical business practices such as stealing trade secrets have been prosecuted by U.S. authorities. China Construction America, a subsidiary of China Construction Corporation (China Construction), was established in 1985. In 2013, China Construction America spent more than $70 million to acquire an office building in Morris Township, New Jersey. In 2016, it renovated two buildings on the waterfront of Jersey City to become its headquarters office. In addition, New Jersey established a sister state relationship with Zhejiang Province as early as 1981. In 2008, it reiterated its sister relationship with Zhejiang Province. That same year, New Jersey established a sister relationship with Shandong Province. There are currently two Confucius Institutes in New Jersey, one at Rutgers University and the other at City University of New Jersey. Confucius Institutes are funded by the Chinese regime with the stated purpose of promoting Chinese language and culture, but they have come under fire in the United States for a lack of transparency, violation of academic freedom, and suspicions of spying. When Xi Jinpingnow the Chinese leadervisited as Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Communist Party Committee in 2006, Kean University in New Jersey and Wenzhou University signed an agreement to co-found Wenzhou Kean University. However, since its launch in 2012, there has been continued negative news about Wenzhou Kean University. For example, enrollment giving priority to Communist Party members was clearly stated in advertisements. Students also complained about the schools purchase of a high-priced conference table from Shanghai for $219,000. Conclusion History and lessons drawn from past experience tell us that the epidemic is not accidental. Where there are close ties with the CCP or where capital infusion is given to the CCP, the area is severely hit by the virus. Perhaps the pandemic serves as a warning to stay away from the CCP. It is worth a sober look. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. As many as 23 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Karnataka on Saturday, taking the number of affected in the state to 1,079, the health department said. The total cases include 494 discharges, 548 active cases, 36 coronavirus deaths and that of a coronavirus patient due to non-COVID cause, the department said in its daily bulletin. Of the fresh cases, 14 were from Bengaluru urban district alone, followed by three in Hassan and one each in Mandya, Udupi, Dharwad, Davangere, Ballari and Davangere. The 23 cases include two women and a one-year-old baby girl from Udupi. The biggest contributor of Saturday's tally was Bengaluru, where 14 people tested positive for the disease. They were secondary contacts of a house keeper in a hotel in the capital city, the health department sources said. The three positive cases from Haasan and one from Dharwad had travel history to Mumbai, whereas the Udupi girl had an international travel history. She had returned from Dubai. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gurugram: In a bid to restart the flow of revenue, cash-strapped medical tourism (or medical value travel) companies in Gurugram and the National Capital Region (NCR) have turned their attention to telemedicine services, with some having already begun telephonic consultations with patients in west Asia, Uzbekistan and Myanmar. Telemedicine refers to the delivery and facilitation of health and health-related services including medical care, provider and patient education, health information services and self-care, via telecom and digital communication technologies, a practice that has gained significance globally over the past few years with advances in technology. On March 25, India issued the first central guidelines on telemedicine, which were gazette notified on May 16. While these guidelines are intended for telemedicine being practised within India, medical tourism companies are now using telemedicine services to retain patients living overseas, who are no longer able to travel to India to seek treatment. Gurugram, according to MVT [medical value travel] company owners, is Indias largest medical tourism hub, where close to 50% of NCRs medical tourists seek treatment. With business dependent on international travel, and with no new patients expected to arrive in the country anytime soon, industry owners say telemedicine is their next best option to keep business afloat. Vinay Aggarwal, proprietor of Shinon Collaborative Consultancy, an MVT firm operating in Gurugram, said, MVT companies that have offices overseas have already started interacting with governments in other countries, seeking permission to start telemedicine services. So far we have been able to roll out these services to our clients in Myanmar and Uzbekistan, after getting our doctors accredited with Myanmar Medical Council and the Uzbeki health ministry. Amit Sharma, founder and CEO of eEXpedise Healthcare, another MVT company operating in Gurugram, said they have initiated such services in Dubai, with doctors who are accredited by the Dubai Health Authority. But it has been a slow process. Speaking to departments in other countries, getting their permissions in order, it all takes time. But we see a huge demand for telehealth services in west Asian and African countries, which is where our focus is now shifting, Sharma said. FISCAL STIMULUS TO PROVIDE MUCH-NEEDED LIQUIDITY In the days immediately after the lockdown, MVT proprietors were sceptical of reviving the industry without a dedicated bailout package. However, a few positive developments have happened since then, according to Sharma. Sharma explained that under the fiscal stimulus package announced by the Centre, MVT companies will be able to avail of the same benefits as other micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), such as those involved in manufacturing. The service sector, which medical tourism is a part of, will also be allowed to avail of distress and non-collateral loans. This will be a major liquidity lifeline for us while we adapt our businesses to the constraints of Covid-19, he said. A senior director at the Federation of Indian Chambers of and Industry (Ficci), who is directly overseeing the Indian MVT sector (which is valued at between US$5 and 6 billion), said, We are making a representation on Monday to the ministries of finance and ministry of commerce and industry to recognise MVT as an independent MSME industry. Companies are still straddled with the cost of wages, office space and so on. Until newer revenue models are established, MVT should be allowed the same benefits as the manufacturing sector, seeing as it brings in a substantial amount of foreign exchange in the country. The Ficci official, seeking anonymity, also concurred that telemedicine could be a viable business model for MVT companies during the Covid-19 pandemic. Preliminary consultations and even post-operative care, to an extent, can be carried out over the phone for overseas patients. It is necessary to assist these enterprises in making the shift to telehealth services, he said. Senior cabin crew could have their salaries slashed at BA. Photo: Getty British Airways cabin staff face a potential whopping 55% cut to their salaries as coronavirus brings the airline industry to its knees. A letter received by staff yesterday outlines plans to slash cabin crew salaries to 24,000 ($29,048.88), while senior crew would have to downgrade to basic level pay. Most senior crew customer service managers are currently on around 35,000, while some crew leaders customer service directors can earn up to 80,000 per year. Unions are said to have threatened legal action and staff are planning on striking. Unite's assistant general secretary Howard Beckett said: British Airways are cynically and opportunistically using the coronavirus pandemic to make swathes of workers redundant while simultaneously slashing the terms and conditions of the staff who remain. The cuts in pay are between 55% and 75% for thousands of crew. We believe that this is not only potentially unlawful, but a complete abuse of the government job retention scheme which was put in place to protect employees. This is a complete betrayal of workers who have dedicated their lives to making the company the success it is today, who have helped build the huge cash reserves that enable BA to weather the current aviation crisis caused by COVID-19. Under the terms of the new offer, workers will receive commission from inflight sales and performance levels. They will also get a 5% flew allowance and benefits including dental, private health care, and up to 11% of company pension contributions. READ MORE: Italy unlocks its economy with travel and shop opening plan British Airline Pilots Association general secretary Brian Strutton added: Pilots in UK airlines have already taken pay cuts of up to 70% while planes have been grounded, and have now been slammed with job losses and opportunistic grabs at their terms and conditions. UK aviation is in a death spiral and while other countries are helping out their airlines the UK government is actually making things worse. Story continues British Airways recently confirmed 12,000 job cuts despite the government extending its furlough scheme until the end of October. At the same time 50,000 British Airways customers are still owed refunds as the airline suspended most flights in March. There is growing anger that the Government has not intervened when lenders and travel firms are illegally withholding cash that should be paid within a week for flights and 14 days for package deals. The Labour party has urged the government to bail out the aviation industry but insists that companies must have a clear plan for tackling climate change if they wish to receive help. Professional and public organizations of Ecuador have announced plans to hold a sit-down strike on Monday to protest possible appropriation of funds from the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute, responsible for providing mandatory universal insurance, by the government to alleviate the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 epidemic QUITO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th May, 2020) Professional and public organizations of Ecuador have announced plans to hold a sit-down strike on Monday to protest possible appropriation of funds from the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute, responsible for providing mandatory universal insurance, by the government to alleviate the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 epidemic. The measures affecting the autonomy of the social security system have been outlined by the state budget bill sponsored by President Lenin Moreno, which is due to be considered by the parliament on Saturday. "The United Workers' Front and the Popular Front are calling for protecting the autonomy of the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute and defending the resources of its affiliates . .. by calling a sit-down strike on May 18, starting at 10:00 a.m. [15:00 GMT] in parks and on the streets," Rosana Palacios, a secretary of the United Workers' Front, said during a virtual press conference on Friday. The initiative is supported by peasant associations, retired armed forces members, and the national teachers union. The Ecuadorean government has been implementing austerity policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing collapse of oil prices that has undermined the country's economy. GST on textiles will not be increased from 5 to 12 per cent: FM Sitharaman It is not BJP money: Nirmala Sitharaman on IT raids on 'Samajwadi perfume' trader Budget Session 2022 to commence on January 31; Union Budget to be tabled on February 1 FM Nirmala Sitharaman to address press conference at 4:30 pm, likely to clear air on Antrix Devas issue FM Sitharaman on Devas-Antrix issue: Cong has no moral right to speak about crony capitalism Policy reforms in coal sector: Govt to allow private sector participation India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, May 16: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said that the government would allow commercial mining of coal on revenue sharing basis to remove govt monopoly. This means, now, any party can bid for a coal block and sell in the open market. The finance minister made the announcement as she continued to give the finer details of the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. "Government monopoly in coal mining being removed. This will be done based on a revenue-sharing mechanism instead of regime of fixed rupee per tonne. Any party can bid for a coal block and sell in the open market," said Sitharaman. "India has the third largest valued coal availability in its untapped mines, and yet we still import coal and emerging sectors suffer because raw material is not available. Regulations are required when there is a shortage. But this country has abundant coal. Coal bed methane will also be auctioned," she said. "Coal beds will also be auctioned. Coal bed extraction will also happen through auctioning. Rs 50,000 crore will be spent by the government for creating evacuation infrastructure, to evacuate mined coal," the minister said. "The investment of Rs. 50,000 crores is for the evacuation of enhanced CIL's (Coal India Limited) target of 1 billion tons of coal production by 2023-24 plus coal production from private blocks," the finance minister added. Highlights of the announcements made by Nirmala Sitharaman "Government will introduce competition, transparency, and private sector participation in the Coal Sector through revenue sharing mechanism instead of the regime of fixed rupee, tonne," she further said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, May 16, 2020, 16:44 [IST] As a reporter, Karen Stiller has always followed the journalistic dictum of keeping herself out of the story. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/5/2020 (613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. As a reporter, Karen Stiller has always followed the journalistic dictum of keeping herself out of the story. But in 2016 the senior editor at Faith Today, the publication of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, decided to take a master of fine arts degree in creative nonfiction. One of the requirements to graduate from the program was to write a book-length manuscript. She considered writing about a topic that had interested her as a journalist. Then Stiller realized she had never written about the one thing she knew most about: being a ministers wife. "I realized I had never done a deep soul dive," Stiller, 53, said. "I thought it was time to write about myself, what I knew. I had never done a lot of that, like most journalists." The result is The Ministers Wife: A Memoir of Faith, Doubt, Friendship, Loneliness, Forgiveness and More. Published by Tyndale Press, the book was launched May 5. "Being a ministers wife is deeply connected to my identity," she said of how she settled on that topic. In the book Stiller, a mother of three adult children, covers topics such as marriage, parenting, doubt, friends, family, envy, disappointment and faith. "I just followed my heart, writing about the things that deeply formed me," she said, noting the book isnt chronological. "Its not about memories, but about meaning," she said. Through the book she wanted to dispel some misconceptions people may have about ministers spouses, male and female. "People assume you are more together than you really are," she said, adding jokingly she wanted to be open and honest in the book "without wrecking my husbands career." She thinks many people still assume ministers spouses have it all together that they are theologically astute, perfect parents, have perfect children, excellent devotional lives, read the Bible all the time, hold strong beliefs, have no doubts, and are examples to be followed. "People are surprised to discover we have doubts, too," she said, "that we are as broken as anyone else." She recalled a time at a womens Bible study when the group encountered a hard-to-understand passage. "They turned to me for answers, but I said I found it confusing, too," she said, noting that set the group at ease if the ministers wife could be honest and say she didnt understand the passage, then they could honest about their challenges with it, too. By "not being afraid to be myself," she gave them permission to be themselves, Stiller said. In the various chapters, Stiller writes about such experiences that gave her joy, but also about her shortcomings and things that caused pain. She also is honest about her doubts and questions. "Belief and doubt exist together for every believer, if they are honest," she said. As for friendship, she notes how it is different for ministers and their families, and how hard it can be to have genuine friendships. Forming strong relationships with others can "be a challenge for clergy and their families," she said because they can move often her husband, Brent, is currently serving at his fifth church, St. Peter and St. Pauls Anglican in Ottawa. "There is a loneliness to this life," she added. And yet, she also considers it to be a privilege to be a ministers wife. "We are invited into peoples best and worst moments," she said. "Ive definitely learned everyone has their own stuff, and that those we think have it all together probably dont." The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. She acknowledged being a clergy spouse today is different than in past, when all clergy were male and all spouses were female and ministers wives were expected to do unpaid work alongside their husband along with hosting dinners, making cookies, playing the piano and teaching Sunday school. While she is not in the two-for-one ministers wife camp, "I like to help because I love my husband and want to support him," she said. Through writing the book she not only discovered something about herself, but about the church, too. "I discovered the deep value of the church and community and other people in my life," she said, adding "my biggest discovery was how much I loved and appreciated the church as a bunch of misfit, broken, complicated and struggling people moving in the same direction." The Ministers Wife is available from Tyndale Press at www.tyndale.com. faith@freepress.mb.ca Authorities are searching for the driver of a small truck that hit and killed a motorcyclist in the community of Vado in Dona Ana County on Thursday. New Mexico State Police said the crash that killed 54-year-old Guy Hanslin of Mesquite happened around 2:10 p.m. Based on the initial investigation provided in a State Police news release, Hanslin was riding his Harley-Davidson bike north on Las Alturas Street when the driver of a Chevrolet S-10 headed in the opposite direction turned left in front of Hanslin, hitting the motorcycle head on. The driver of the truck fled, police said, and the truck was found abandoned at a home in Mesquite. Hanslin died at the scene. The truck involved in the crash is described as a tan 1998 Chevrolet S-10. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call State Police at (575) 382-2500, option 1. Officer Nick Ferara checks the address for his next food donation drop with other officers April 29 at LAPD Harbor Station in San Pedro. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) The Los Angeles Police Department wants to give a rapid-result test to everyone its officers arrest to check for the coronavirus and is pushing city officials to secure the equipment to do so. Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore told the Police Department's civilian oversight body that he has asked City Hall to secure a rapid-result testing system capable of determining within 15 minutes whether people are infected with the coronavirus. Such systems exist, though their accuracy has been questioned. Right now, jails are testing all new arrivals, but results take days to come back, Moore said. The delayed results give the department a "backwards look" at exposure, but rapid-result testing would provide real-time data that could help the department isolate sick detainees, keep others incarcerated in local jails safe and quickly alert officers to any potential exposure, Moore said. The need for such equipment in Los Angeles, and particularly for those coming into contact with the criminal justice system, is not in question. Already, more than 350 inmates in L.A. County jails have tested positive for the coronavirus, and more than 100 LAPD officers and staff have tested positive. As of Tuesday, the Police Department had 125 personnel at home, either because they are symptomatic or had close contact with an infected person. Still, it's unclear whether such rapid-result test machines are coming, or if their test results could even be trusted. Though Moore told the Police Commission on Tuesday that "the effort of the city is to acquire four" of the rapid-result test machines, and then place them at detainee intake locations around the city, the purchase of such machines remains in doubt. After days of questioning about the status of such testing, Alex Comisar, a spokesman for Mayor Eric Garcetti, said only that Garcetti "is committed to expanding testing in any way we can, especially among vulnerable populations," and that his administration "will continue looking into this and other testing options as we continue our fight against the spread of COVID-19." Story continues There is neither a chosen vendor nor a contract for the equipment. Moore told the Police Commission that the national supply of rapid-result testing machines is being controlled by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is doling them out under a process that prioritizes hospitals over police departments. "We're what you would consider Tier 2," Moore told the commission. However, FEMA denied controlling supplies, saying it "does not control the purchase of testing machines." The agency said that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the White House's coronavirus task force have helped coordinate the delivery of supplies to states in the past, but now "there is a growing capacity to purchase different types of testing equipment from reputable commercial vendors in the U.S. domestic market." "The process for purchase follows conventional commercial supply procedures where vendors seek to sell available commodities and project future production to meet demand," the agency said. "FEMA does not collect commercial orders nor do we track requirements for testing machines." Local agencies, including police departments, that want help fighting the coronavirus should direct their requests through their states first, FEMA said. "Any needs that cannot be met by the state or tribe should then be sent to the respective FEMA regional office," it said. A police spokesman referred questions about Moore's comments back to Garcetti's office. If Los Angeles were to obtain rapid-test machines, the results could be viewed with some skepticism. Recent studies have raised doubts about the accuracy of rapid-result tests for the coronavirus, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday issuing an alert about one major manufacturer's test potentially returning false negatives. The agency said it had received 15 "adverse event reports" suggesting users of the Abbott ID Now test were receiving inaccurate negative results. It said it is working to determine why, and whether certain types of equipment used in conjunction with the tests, such as swabs, are causing the errors. Dr. Tim Stenzel, director of the FDA's Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health, said that the tests can still be used to identify "many positive cases in minutes" but that negative results "may need to be confirmed" with additional, highly sensitive follow-up testing. Abbott, in its own statement, said that "no test is perfect" but that ID Now "has been delivering reliable results when and where they're needed" and remains an "important tool" in the nation's testing arsenal. "The availability and ease-of-access of ID Now, which delivers results in minutes rather than a day or more, is helping to reduce the risk of infection in society by detecting more positive results than would otherwise be found," the company said. Testing capacity has been a problem in the United States since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, caused in part by a failed first attempt by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to produce and distribute working tests. Private manufacturers have since stepped into the fold to provide tests, including to state and local governments, but the national dearth of testing capacity has made the market for the associated processing equipment hyper-competitive. City officials did not have estimates for the cost of a rapid testing system for the city, though machines run into the thousands of dollars each. A Houston police officer on Saturday shot and killed a knife-wielding suspect who had just allegedly stabbed and killed an elderly woman outside a Walgreens in Braeburn, Chief Art Acevedo said. The stabbing and subsequent shooting happened around 10 a.m. Saturday near 8600 South Braeswood, police said. It is at least the fifth shooting involving a Houston police officer since April 21. Mayor Sylvester Turner said he will personally review footage from the case, as he did for the most recent two. I will tell you in both of those cases, the police officers did what they were supposed to do, Turner said. Acevedo said the officer in this case did so as well, shooting a suspect who didnt follow his instructions and approached him with a knife. The chief said he reviewed footage from the officers body camera in this encounter and surveillance tapes from Walgreens that he said captured the entire event. He determined the officer was justified in the shooting, though he will be placed on administrative leave amid a more thorough investigation. This is tragic, but the tragedy here is that a woman has died, from a guy who attacked her, for no reason other than to steal from her and attempt to car-jack her, Acevedo said. The tragedy is that these young people, the employees at Walgreens had to witness this. Those employees told police the elderly woman purchased something inside the store and then went to her car. Some employees saw the suspect outside, according to the chief. Employees felt he had a negative energy or something suspicious about him, Acevedo said. In the hour or so before that, police had received calls about a man matching his description asking customers at a Fiesta Mart across the street for money and scaring them with a knife. Acevedo said they werent able to locate him at the time. Before the concerned Wagreen employees could call police, the man allegedly stabbed the woman with a 6-inch blade outside her car and started rifling through her stuff, Acevedo said. Another woman, in her 30s, went to check on the victim, who she described as a little old lady. The Samaritan was applying pressure to the womans chest when she realized the suspect was now inside the victims car, trying to start the ignition. What kind of makes me angry is that this suspect didnt just stab an 80-year-old woman, he then goes down and starts rifling through her stuff, and then tries to steal her car, Acevedo said. Around that time, the officer pulled into the Walgreens parking lot, Acevedo said. He was planning to use the restroom, but witnesses flagged him down and told him a stabbing suspect was inside the car. The officer, a nine-year veteran of the force, drew his weapon and ordered the man to get out of the car, according to the chief. The suspect did not comply for about 15 seconds, and then the video shows he starts going towards the officer with the knife, Acevedo said. The officer fired two rounds at the suspect, who was later pronounced dead at the scene. He was in his 30s. Acevedo said the woman was brought to Memorial Hermann Hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries. Neither the victim nor the suspect have been identified. You just cant make sense of this, Acevedo. A woman has lost her life because some guy decided he wanted whatever she had on her, and to think a guy stabbed a little old lady. I cant tell you the emotions Im feeling right now. At least eight officer-involved shootings have occurred in the Houston area since mid-April, with six of those resulting in deaths. On April 21, Nicolas Chavez was killed after a 14-minute encounter with police in Denver Harbor. Acevedo held a news conference Friday to dispute allegations about another case on Scott Street. On Saturday, he gave an impassioned defense of officers actions generally and cited troubling statistics about a rise in murders in Houston. He said the elderly woman marked the 125th victim of the year, a nearly 50 percent increase over last year, according to the chief. So wheres the outrage for that? the chief said. Our men and women dont get to choose what they go to. The officer was shaken up, but the chief said hes thankful no one else was injured. Our officers, when they see something like this, it hurts them, Acevedo said. We believe we know who this person is. Thats because an officer who works this beat knows who it is. Thats the spirit of community policing. Were not an occupying army. We are homegrown, from the community. A previous version of this article misstated the area where the stabbing and shooting occurred. It was on South Braeswood near Gessner, in Braeburn. Centre vs State: Why the battle for Delhi could be far from over Lockdown 4.0: Amid spike in COVID-19 cases, Centre plans tougher curbs for 30 zones India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, May 16: Over 30 municipal areas have been identified in 12 states where maximum restrictions are likely to be imposed as India enters phase four of coronavirus lockdown. The development comes a day after the country surpassed China's rally with over 85,000 cases. Health ministry held a meeting with senior officers and district magistrates from 30 municipal areas which are contributing almost 80 per cent of the country's COVID-19 cases during which monitoring of old city areas, urban slums, migrant labourer camps and other high density pockets was emphasised. Timely tracing of patients to improve recovery percentage and influenza like illness (ILI)/severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) surveillance was also stressed during the meeting. Health Secretary Preeti Sudan and Rajesh Bhushan, OSD, health ministry, along with other senior officers held the high-level review meeting with the Principal Health Secretaries, Municipal Commissioners, DMs and other officials from the 30 municipal areas. These 30 municipal areas are from the states of Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Odisha. The measures taken by the officials and the staff of the municipal corporations for the management of COVID-19 cases were reviewed during the meeting which was also informed that fresh guidelines on management of COVID-19 in urban settlements are being shared, a health ministry statement said. Coronavirus outbreak: COVID-19 tally nears 86,000-mark; Death toll at 2,752 A total of 30,150 people have been cured till now across the country and in the last 24 hours, 2,233 patients have recovered -- the highest number of recoveries in a day. This takes the total recovery rate to 35.09 per cent, the health ministry said. The total number of confirmed cases stands at 85,940, registering an increase of 3,970 in the last 24 hours. During the meeting, a presentation was made on the present status of COVID-19 infections in the districts while highlighting the high risk factors, indices such as confirmation rate, fatality rate, doubling rate, tests per million etc. The municipal officials were briefed about the factors to be considered while mapping the containment and buffer zones, the activities mandated in containment zone like perimeter control, active search for cases through house to house surveillance, contact tracing, testing protocol, clinical management of the active cases, surveillance activities in the buffer zone like monitoring of SARI/ILI cases, ensuring social distancing and promoting hand hygiene etc. It was highlighted that in general the geographic area of containment zones to be defined based on factors like mapping of cases and contacts, geographical dispersion of cases and contacts, area with well demarcated perimeter and enforceability, the statement said. Municipal Corporations, residential colony/mohallas/municipal wards or police-station area/municipal zones/towns etc., can be designated as containment zones, as appropriate, it said. The officials were advised that the area should be appropriately defined by the district administration or local urban body with technical inputs from local level, the statement said. Along with the containment zones, buffer zone around the containment zone also must be demarcated to break the chain of transmission, it said. "Maintaining high vigilance and monitoring in areas of old cities, urban slums and other high density pockets along with the camps for migrant workers are important steps in COVID-19 management in the urban areas," the statement said. Regarding management of indicators like high doubling rate, high case fatality rate and high confirmation percentages seen in the containment zones, the officials were informed about the possible root causes and recommendations were offered on possible actions that could be taken. During the meeting, it was also highlighted that especially in the densely populated urban areas further challenges need to be considered like poor socio-economic conditions, limited health infrastructure, lack of social distancing, issues faced by women, among other factors. The Health Secretary emphasized that along with the containment and management of COVID-19 cases, the issue of continuing all essential non-COVID health services in the urban localities like RMNCHA+N care, cancer treatment, TB surveillance, immunization efforts, vector control measures in view of the ensuing monsoon, etc., need to be ensured, the statement said. The municipal areas were asked to focus on effective risk communication in order to build trust and confidence. The officials were requested to engage with community leaders and local opinion leaders who could accompany the local surveillance teams to encourage cooperation from the local communities. At the meeting, Mumbai shared its experience of "Containment leaders", who were local community elders and leaders working with the Ward Officers to support the government efforts in encouraging the people particularly in the slum clusters. The role of community leadership was highlighted in finding local solutions, building trust, and for a positive influence on the health workers. It was also emphasized that added attention needs to be accorded to timely tracing of patients to improve recovery percentage, SARI/ILI Surveillance, and more effective human resource management, the statement said. It was advised that all health service providers need to be provided with adequate protective gear and communication must focus against the stigmatization of these frontline health workers. OneIndia News (with PTI inputs) HEADING into the long weekend with nice weather in the forecast to boot the provinces chief public health officer is warning Manitobans to be COVID-careful. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. HEADING into the long weekend with nice weather in the forecast to boot the provinces chief public health officer is warning Manitobans to be "COVID-careful." Dr. Brent Roussin said Manitobans should not relax precautions whether they are at campgrounds, going to the cottage or enjoying a meal on a restaurant patio. While theres no law that prohibits people from more than one household from sitting together at a restaurant table (as long as the group isnt greater than 10 people), his advice is that households still shouldnt mingle. "That table should be people from your household. Thats not enforceable. This is public health advice," he said. Roussin urged people heading to cottages and campsites to take adequate supplies so they dont make unnecessary stops. He reiterated advice that anyone who feels under the weather should stay home. "We cant have people heading to campsites or to the cottage when youre ill," he said. No new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Manitoba on Friday. The total number of lab-confirmed and probable positive cases is 289. Three people are in hospital with the virus, one of whom is in intensive care. The number of active cases has dropped to 28. Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer, urges people to maintain social distancing guidelines this long weekend. Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press The provincial government announced Friday it has extended a provincewide state of emergency for 30 days, effective Sunday at 4 p.m., till mid-June. The state of emergency gives cabinet special power during the pandemic, and is different than Public Health Act orders that limit the size of public groups, close or limit non-essential businesses, restrict travel, etc. Lanette Siragusa, chief nursing officer with Shared Health, said many community testing sites for the coronavirus will remain open on Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, the Sargent Tommy Prince Place testing site and assessment clinic in Winnipeg will be open, as will the Bison Drive drive-thru site. Beginning Tuesday, a new test site will open at Thunderbird House on Main Street. 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. Up-to-date information on the hours of test sites can be found at: www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/locations.html. Siragusa said since April 10, 3,584 COVID-19 tests have been performed on health care workers and first responders. In the past seven days, 462 tests were completed on these workers, with one health worker in the Prairie Mountain Health region testing positive, she said. She said the positive test was not connected to a cluster of cases in Brandon. Siragusa said 26 health care providers in Manitoba had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday, and all but the latest case have recovered. Asked by a reporter for an update on the total dollar figure of pandemic-related costs incurred by Shared Health so far, Siragusa said she did not have that information. larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca SPRINGFIELD Illinois businesses that Gov. J.B. Pritzker has deemed nonessential but open outside of his revised and extended stay-at-home orders could face a Class A misdemeanor charge, according to sources familiar with an emergency rule they say was filed late Friday. If such rules are finalized, local law enforcement would have to enforce them. State law says, All local boards of health, health authorities and officers, police officers, sheriffs and all other officers and employees of the state or any locality shall enforce the rules and regulations so adopted and orders issued by the department pursuant to this section. Late Friday, multiple sources confirmed awareness of a proposed emergency rule from the Pritzker administration they said would give law enforcement the authority to enforce his orders during the declared emergencies, including filing a misdemeanor charge against a business that defies the orders. Neither the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Secretary of States office, nor a contact with the Joint Commission on Administrative Rules immediately returned requests for copies of the emergency rules filed Friday. Saying the stay-at-home orders are meant to curb the spread of COVID-19, public health officials at the governors direction put Illinois residents under virtual lockdown two months ago. Restaurants havent had dine-in guests since March 16. Pritzker then issued an executive order March 21 closing all businesses to the public that he considered nonessential. The order has been twice extended, now running through the end of May. As of Friday, there have been more than 4,000 COVID-19 related fatalities in Illinois. Independent analysis of the data shows more than half were in congregate facilities such as senior living centers. More than 1 million state residents have filed for unemployment since the beginning of March. Pritzkers orders have been challenged in court from multiple individuals and groups. On Tuesday, the Madison County Board of Health approved its own reopening plan in defiance of Pritzkers five-phase, four-region Restore Illinois plan that currently lists the entire state as in Stage 2. Pritzker on Thursday said the state could possibly withhold federal funds to local governments that refuse to enforce his executive orders. He also said local police who do not enforce his order were putting people at risk and making communities unsafe. On Friday, the Illinois Sheriffs Association pushed back with its president Jim Kaitschuk calling Pritzkers comments insulting. Illinois sheriffs have been elected by their local citizens to keep their communities safe, a trust that every sheriff and sworn law enforcement officer holds dear, he said in a released statement. It is outrageous that the governor is threatening retaliation against these leaders and the men and women of their offices. As of Saturday, at least 10 county sheriffs in Illinois had announced they would not use their deputies to enforce Pritzkers stay-at-home orders. A Saginaw Valley State University students passion for law and helping others will intersect this summer when she serves as an intern for a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit that influences policy to advance African-American communities. Arianna Jones was selected as one of 57 interns out of 700 applicants nationally to serve the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation for eight weeks, beginning June 1. She is one of two college students in the state to earn the internship this summer. With this amazing opportunity, I will have a chance to learn more about the inner workings of our government, and how laws are made and change is brought about, said the Midland resident. The nonprofit's leadership includes members of the U.S. House of Representatives such as Cedric Richmond, Sheila Jackson Lee and Joyce Beatty as well as other prominent national figures including Henry Louis Gates Jr. of Harvard University. The foundations board includes industry leaders with companies such as Coca-Cola, Ford Motor Company, Microsoft and NBC Universal. The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation promotes public policies focused on health and financial empowerment while developing strategic policy-supporting research and resources for the public. The internship program was established in 1986. A prospective Civil Rights attorney, Jones said the internship will provide her with a platform to learn about how public policies are created and implemented. This opportunity will give me the resources to network and meet my role models, said Jones, a professional and technical writing major at SVSU. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jones will be performing her internship duties remotely from home rather than from the foundations Washington, D.C. headquarters. Jones is an accomplished student at SVSU. She was selected as one of 10 students to participate in the 2019-20 class of the Roberts Fellowship Program, a year-long leadership development initiative. She also participates in SVSUs moot court program, which is ranked No. 17 in the nation; as well as the campus chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. Jones serves as SVSU's chapter president of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first historically African-American Greek-lettered sorority for college-educated women. Processed by Victoria Ritter, vritter@mdn.net Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal The Santa Fe Governing Body on Wednesday night unanimously approved a 70-room hotel on the corner of West San Francisco and Sandoval streets despite concerns from the public and members of the city council. The hotel, which is a project of Legacy Hospitality & Management LLC and which will mirror the architecture of the historic Lensic Performing Arts Center, will be located on the site of a parking lot across from the Eldorado Hotel & Spa. The plan drew concern because of its proximity to the site of the former Santa Fe County Courthouse, which was designed by legendary architect John Gaw Meem, and because of the tight quarters behind the hotel as Sandoval circles past Grant Street into West Palace Avenue. There is a potential for a traffic nightmare, said councilor Michael Garcia. Other issues raised were whether there is ample space to accommodate both the hotels valet parking attendants and the tour buses that stack up behind the Lensic during concerts, as well as the removal of waste overnight. Parking in the hotel will be valet-only and vehicles will be stored in a two-story underground parking garage with 180 parking spots. Legacy currently operates the Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt hotels in downtown Santa Fe. Jeff Seres of Seres Architecture tried to reassure councilors about traffic flow, noting that valet parking attendants will be able to turn only right entering and exiting the garage on Sandoval. Stefanie Beninato, a city resident, asked for the project to be scaled back to three floors so that it doesnt overshadow the historic courthouse. Councilor Renee Villareal expressed concerns about parking and traffic flow, particularly during peak check-in times. The proposal calls for oversized vehicles to be taken by parking attendants to the Cathedral Parking Facility. The site was previously slated for mixed use development, but those plans fell through during the Great Recession. They were really expeditious and efficient, said Robert Hockett, a Cornell Law School professor and a veteran of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. There was no leakage the sort of ridiculous fee-charging that tends to happen when you do it through larger banking entities. He added later that because BND is a public institution, it isnt really designed to maximize revenue lines by finding as many places to assess fees or brokerage charges as possible. BND was founded in 1919 after the Nonpartisan League, started by A.C. Townley after he failed to win office as a socialist, swept into control of state government. Public banks once served many states, especially before the Civil War, but today BND is the last of its kind. (American Samoa launched its own public bank, under a different model, in 2018.) Public banks are typically owned by state and local governments, which deposit their revenue there. The public banks use those deposits to help local businesses with loans and other services. But BND offers few retail services or direct loans, with the notable exception of student loans. Instead it partners with local banks, multiplying their lending power and guiding them through the ever-evolving global financial system. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-17 04:04:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Saturday said that the Iraqi forces will launch a major offensive to eradicate Islamic State (IS) militants, and that the paramilitary Hashd Shaabi fighters will be at the forefront of the security forces in the upcoming offensive. A statement by his office said that al-Kadhimi made his comment during a visit to the headquarters of the Hashd Shaabi Command, in which he said "we are about to conduct a final offensive to root out IS organization, which is trying to reorganize its remnants." "The Hashd Shaabi fighters are at the forefront of implementing this offensive alongside their brothers in the army and the other security forces," al-Kadhimi said. Al-Kadhimi's comment came as the extremist IS militants intensified their attacks on the security forces, including Hashd Shaabi forces, and civilians in the Sunni provinces which once were under the control of IS militants, since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, resulting in the killing and wounding of dozens of people. The security situation in Iraq has been improving since Iraqi security forces fully defeated the IS militants across the country late in 2017. However, IS remnants have since melted in urban areas or resorted to deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. Enditem New York, May 16 : The US state of New York partially reopened on Friday, while the "PAUSE" order will be extended to May 28 for remaining regions including New York City (NYC), said Governor Andrew Cuomo. Five out of ten regions in the state - Central New York, North Country, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley regions which have seen mitigation of the COVID-19 pandemic - entered the phase one of reopening on 12.01 a.m. (0401 GMT) on Friday, according to an executive order signed by Cuomo on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported. "They are the regions that meet the criteria. There's no politics to this judgment, it's all based on the numbers," said Cuomo at Friday's briefing. Businesses in various sectors including construction, manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, curbside retail, in-store pickup or drop-off are now qualified to restart reopening in these regions, as told in the state's phased reopening strategy. People are still required to wear a mask while working in construction sites and retail stores, and stores are limited to a 50 per cent capacity. Social distancing mandate still applies, Cuomo said. Two weeks will be needed to monitor the COVID-19 infection rate before a region enters the second phase, according to the strategy. The governor also said that those remaining five regions could reopen as soon as they meet all seven metrics, which focused on the decline in hospitalization, hospital capacity and testing capacity, and don't have to wait till May 28. "What happens next is up to each of us. This virus is powerful and every time we think we understand it we learn we don't. Government alone can't keep you safe. It's up to you," he tweeted on Friday. In another thread of tweets, Cuomo said state beaches will reopen on May 22 for the Memorial Day weekend at 50 percent capacity and masks will be required when social distance not possible. "City, town and county beaches may open as well on Friday of Memorial Day weekend, as long as they fully enforce the minimum rules," he added. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Friday that the city is not ready yet to open its beaches or allow activities such as barbecue and concerts in parks. In order to keep people cool in the summer, the city will invest US $55 million to buy some 74,000 air conditioners for lower-income seniors. Some community cooling centers may also open with strict health guidelines, but "the beaches and the pools are not in the cards right now," he said at his daily briefing. "This summer will require us to think differently and watch out for each other. If the results of the last few weeks are any indication, we'll make adjustments to help each other out and move forward together," the mayor tweeted later on Friday. As of Friday afternoon, the state has reported more than 345,000 COVID-19 cases and over 27,000 deaths, both atop the country, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. THE infamous Roman emperor Caligula used to post his new laws high up on a column so the Roman citizens could not study them. Something similar happens today when governments post regulations, statutory instruments and orders in obscure locations. These rules are called delegated legislation, because the legislature transfers its lawmaking authority to ministers and to officials in various types of public bodies. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/5/2020 (613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion THE infamous Roman emperor Caligula used to post his new laws high up on a column so the Roman citizens could not study them. Something similar happens today when governments post regulations, statutory instruments and orders in obscure locations. These rules are called delegated legislation, because the legislature transfers its lawmaking authority to ministers and to officials in various types of public bodies. These "little laws" are no less binding than the statutes that authorize their use to achieve various public-policy objectives. Little laws, however, are not debated in the legislature, and most people are unaware of their existence until they have an impact on their business or their personal life. Most of the rules in force within society and the economy consist of secondary laws, not the primary legislation that gives rise to them. One study found "little laws" are made at a rate of nearly five times that of "big laws." During emergencies, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, governments make even greater use of regulations to mitigate the impacts and to promote recovery. Governing today could not happen without the use of delegated legislative authority. Complex, interdependent and turbulent societies create the need for flexibility and expertise in policy-making. Legislatures lack the time, knowledge and political commitment to craft detailed legislation, so they pass "skeleton" laws and leave it to others to put flesh on the bone. Recent decades have featured lots of talk and some action on what is called "regulatory reform." The phrase has two meanings. The most popular meaning is to reduce the burden of regulation on the overall economy and to remove unnecessary constraints on the freedom of businesses and individuals to pursue economic success. Premier Brian Pallister is a well-known fan of deregulation. In 2016, he created a Task Force on Red Tape; beginning in 2017, it was required by law that any new regulation had to identify an existing regulation that will be eliminated. By 2021, the requirement will be two regulations removed for every new one imposed. For three years in a row, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, known for its limited-government approach, granted the Pallister government an "A" grade for red-tape reduction, compared to the failing grade granted to the former NDP government. It makes sense to eliminate regulations that are poorly designed, duplicative, unduly complex or outdated. But we must also recognize that regulation supports economic activity and advances important environmental, health and safety, and consumer-protection objectives. The second form of regulatory reform seeks to protect the role of the legislature as the primary lawmaking body, and to ensure there is sufficient transparency and accountability within the regulatory process. In theory, the legislature remains central to the regulatory process. Under the Statutes and Regulations Act, all regulations must be tabled in the legislature, they stand permanently referred to a Standing Committee on Statutory Regulations and Orders (SCSRO), and at any time the legislature can pass a resolution to repeal a regulation. 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 SCSRO is supposed to check whether regulations exceed the authority granted to the executive and whether there have been abuses in the application of regulations. The committee has not met in decades, mainly because governments have never encouraged it and MLAs see little publicity value in doing the hard work of reviewing regulations. My advice: ideally, give the committee a lawyer to help review regulations and enlist some MLAs who recognize the importance of the task; otherwise, abolish it. To its credit, the Pallister government required, as of Oct. 1, 2019, that all proposed regulations be published on the new Manitoba Regulatory Consultation Portal for a 45-day consultation period; such notices must include a regulatory accountability impact analysis. The portal may contribute marginally to transparency, consultation and accountability, but realistically few Manitobans, beyond organizations directly affected, will ever be aware of the portal, so it is not a substitute for the democratic, representative and accountable processes that are meant to take place through the legislature. In response to the current health emergency, it was necessary to implement physical distancing and closures of various locations through a series of public-health orders. In the interest of speed, it was reasonable that those orders were made exempt from the requirements of the Statutes and Regulations Act. When the crisis lifts, the legislature should review the exercise of the delegated authority granted to public officials. That might also be the time to strengthen the legislatures scrutiny of the little laws with the big impacts. Paul G. Thomas is professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Manitoba. Tactical Change Or Withdrawal? Iran's Syria Strategy Analyzed Amid Reports Of Force Reductions By Golnaz Esfandiari May 15, 2020 Some nine years after Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) deployed military advisers and fighters to Syria to prop up the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, Israeli and U.S. officials have said Tehran is reducing its presence in Syria. Analysts told RFE/RL that amid the reports of a movement of forces, there are no indications Iran is changing its regional strategy, which is driven by political, ideological, and security interests. Israeli military officials said recently that Tehran has pulled some of its forces from Syria and evacuated military bases near the border with Israel due to an increase in Israeli air strikes on Iranian targets. Israel does not discuss its military operations but officials have vowed to maintain pressure on Iran with Defense Minister Naftali Bennett saying on May 5 that "Iran has nothing to do in Syria[and] we won't stop before they leave Syria." Speaking earlier this week at a virtual event, U.S. special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey said Tehran has been scaling back its presence in Syria, which he linked to tough U.S. sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy. Lack Of Cash The coronavirus pandemic has also hit the Islamic republic hard -- officially infecting more than 116,000 people and killed nearly 7,000 -- and record-low oil prices have added to Iran's economic challenges. On the military front, the January 3 assassination by the U.S. military of top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani -- who led the regional activities of the powerful IRGC -- has dealt a heavy blow to the Islamic republic. "We do see some withdrawal of Iranian-commanded forces. Some of that is tactical because they are not fighting right now, but it also is a lack of money," said Jeffrey at a May 12 panel hosted by the Washington-based Hudson Institute. But analysts say there are no signs Iran is quitting Syria, the only Arab country that sided with the Islamic republic during the 1980-1988 war with Iraq. Tehran has been key in providing Syria with financial and military assistance in the country's nine-year-long civil war while using Syrian territory to push forward its regional goals. Raz Zimmt, an Iran analyst at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv, told RFE/RL that comments by Israeli officials about an Iranian withdrawal from Syria "are very much exaggerated, partly due to political considerations." "In fact, the number of cargo flights between Iran and Syria seem to [have] increased since April 2020," he said. "It is, therefore, a tactical withdrawal or redeployment at most, rather than an Iranian withdrawal from Syria." Zimmt said that since the beginning of its involvement in Syria, the IRGC has adapted its modus operandi to the circumstances at hand. "For example, we have seen in the past that when Israel increased its air operations against Iranian targets in Syria, Iran shifted some of its activity to the northern parts of Syria and the Syria-Iraq border to protect its targets from Israeli attacks. There is no doubt that in the last two years Iran has been reducing the IRGC presence in Syria, which is much less required than before," he added. Local Hires Zimmt said that while the number of IRGC forces has decreased from a few thousand to a few hundred, Tehran has continued to recruit Syrians and Shi'a fighters to hold the Iranian forces' places. "Iran has always favored using local proxies over direct military involvement," he said. "It is less risky for Iranian fighters and cheaper." He said U.S. sanctions have to some extent restricted Tehran's ability to assist its allies in the region. But that does not mean a change of course. "Our experience with Iran has shown that economic considerations have never been the main engine in its regional policy," he said. "Iran has continued to assist its allies and intervene in the region even under severe economic constraints, because it considers its regional involvement and influence a vital national interest." Ali Alfoneh, a senior fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington who has closely monitored IRGC activity in Syria, said he is not aware of credible reports about an Iranian military withdrawal from Syria. "What I see is troop movements within Syria: from Deir al-Zor to a larger headquarters in Palmyra, along with some other tactical moves in the wake of the latest round of Israeli air strikes," he said. Speaking earlier this week, former Israeli military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin questioned reports about a full Iranian pullout from Syria. "The Iranians are not leaving -- I am not buying this argument," Yadlin was quoted by The Jerusalem Post as saying, adding that Tehran could be relying increasingly on Shi'ite militia in Syria. Haaretz strategic blogger Shemuel Meir, a former analyst with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and a Tel Aviv University researcher, says IDF briefings about Iran have reported "a decrease in organized Iranian military forces and the evacuation of military forces from Syria," which is separate from the Shi'ite fighters the IRGC has recruited. He said Iran could be adapting its policies to a changing reality on the ground. "It is still too early to definitely determine, but it is possible that this is an indication of what the future will bring: the possibility of a dramatic reduction in the Iranian presence in Syria but without relinquishing Lebanon, which is the core of Iran's interests," Meir said. Speaking on May 8, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker suggested that Israeli attacks on Iranian assets are making Iran's presence in Syria "increasingly costly." "Iran has been persistent in its efforts to establish this beachhead basically on Israel's border and to bring in advanced weaponry and assets targeting Israel and moving equipment, of course, through Syria to Hizballah [in Lebanon] with this sort of land bridge," he said. "And we see repeatedly, often times with no claims of responsibility, that these assets are being hit with great regularity, just pounded, and it would make sense at a certain point that Iran would want to cut its losses and downsize its presence there just because it's increasingly costly to them in terms of life and property," he added. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/tactical-change- or-withdrawal-iran-s-syria-strategy -analyzed-amid-reports-of-force -reductions/30614695.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 P lanning can begin to bring children back to school from as early as the start of next month, Gavin Williamson has said, despite a growing row over the safety of teachers and students. Speaking at the daily Downing Street coronavirus briefing, the Education Secretary said children "stand to lose more from staying away". Mr Williamson added that the Government wants children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 - as well as Year 10 and 12 - to go back to school from the start of June. He said that schools would follow strict social distancing measures, such as reducing class sizes and rigorous cleaning, to help reduce the risk of coronavirus infection. Teaching unions have warned it is not safe to reopen schools in June / PA His comments came after teachers' unions hit out at "flimsy" Government measures and some local councils said they would be keeping schools shut despite the plans. But Mr Williamson said children were missing out on vital developmental experiences from not being at school. He said: Teachers know that there are children out there that have not spoken or played with another child their own age for the last two months. They know there are children from difficult or very unhappy homes for whom school is the happiest moment in their week, and its also the safest place for them to be. Schools will have to enforce strict social distancing rules when they reopen / PA Mr Williamson also expressed sympathy for children who have lost time at school. "At this time of year, GCSE and A-Level students would have been making final preparations for their exams while other students would have been enjoying their summer term," he said. If youre one of them, as Ive said before, I can only say how sorry I am that this has all happened to you this year. The sacrifices that you have had to make [are] through no choice of your own. But the impact that this coronavirus has had on your life has made things so incredibly tough for all of you. The Oasis Trust plans to reopen all of its 35 schools from June 1 / PA The Education Secretary also thanked teachers for "going above and beyond the call of duty". "You have simply been outstanding and we are so grateful for what youve done," he added. Mr Williamson added that several other European countries have begun reopening schools after lockdown. His comments at the press conference come after days of discussions between teachers' unions and the Government about schools reopening. Teachers' unions have insisted they want to work with the Government to reopen schools, but said that talks on Friday left "many unanswered questions". Patrick Roach, head of the NASUWT, one of the biggest teachers' unions, told the BBC: We are continuing to say to Government, but also to schools and employers, that we are here, we want to work with those employers to put plans in place to see whether schools can be ready for re-opening from June 1. We want schools to be re-opened, we want children to be safe and we want staff to be safe. It is not a zero sum game here. It is about ensuring that we get back to a place where we can return to some form of normality. Anne Longfield, Children's Commissioner for England / PA But England children's commissioner Anne Longfield urged teachers' unions and Government ministers to "stop squabbling" and agree a plan for reopening schools safely. She said: "All sides need to show a greater will to work together in the interests of children." "We cannot afford to wait for a vaccine, which may never arrive, before children are back in school." "It's time to stop squabbling and agree a staggered, safe return that is accompanied by rigorous testing of teachers, children and families." The Government and teachers' unions are in discussions about schools reopening / Unsplash Meanwhile the headteachers of four primary school chains - Oasis, Reach 2, Harris and GEP - said on Friday that they were supporting the Government's plan. Sir Steve Lancashire, chief executive of Reach 2, told the Times: "Our intention is to open all of our schools for the priority year groups, and will do so as long as the rigorous risk assessments we carry out for each school gives us the reassurance we need that we can keep our pupils and staff as safe as possible." Steve Chalke, founder of the Oasis trust, added that people opposing reopening were "rather middle class" and didn't understand the harm caused to disadvantaged children from missing school. The devolved governments and some councils in England have said they will not open schools on June 1. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon / POOL/AFP via Getty Images Scotland has not confirmed a date for reopening schools, but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that any return before summer will be "very limited". Wales has said that schools will not reopen before June 1, but that it will try to get some children, particularly year 6 students, back in classes before the summer holidays. Northern Ireland has said that schools will likely remain closed until the autumn. Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said he would use his powers to block schools from reopening / PA Hartlepool and Liverpool councils have both said that schools in their areas will not be reopening in June. Schools have been closed since March 18 for all students apart from the children of key workers and vulnerable children. Denmark and Germany are among the countries that have reopened primary schools while trying to maintain strict social distancing rules. Evidence so far shows that most healthy children experience mild or no symptoms if they catch coronavirus, although it remains unclear if children without symptoms are likely to pass it on. The Government has said that parents will not face penalties for keeping their children out of schools that reopen in June. National Police Week concludes today with National Peace Officers Memorial Day, a day in which law enforcement agencies across the country pay tribute to officers who have fallen in the line of duty. This week has also marked the official addition of Trooper Jerry Smiths name to both the Nebraska and National Law Enforcement Memorials. This is a tough week for our entire NSP family, but its been made especially difficult because remembrance ceremonies have been cancelled due to COVID-19 circumstances, said Colonel John Bolduc, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. While we cant gather together today to remember Jerry, we are united in appreciation for his life of service. We ask all Nebraskans to keep his family in your thoughts today. Today, on National Peace Officers Memorial Day, Troopers Smiths name was to be officially enshrined on the Nebraska Law Enforcement Memorial during a ceremony in Grand Island. Trooper Smiths family, several colleagues, and NSP Honor Guard members were also supposed to attend the national remembrance ceremonies on Wednesday, as Trooper Smiths name was added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington D.C. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A judge has ordered a psychiatric exam for a New Brighton man accused of mugging two senior citizens in separate incidents seven months ago. The test will determine whether Anthony Charles, 19, of Kingsley Place, understands the charges against him and can aid in his defense. Defense lawyer Mark Geisser requested the exam at a remote proceeding on Monday in state Supreme Court, St. George. He declined comment on the case. According to an indictment and a law enforcement source, Charles acted alone on Oct. 28, when he assaulted a 78-year-old man in Clifton around 10:30 p.m. Charles followed the victim and attacked him from behind as the man walked up his front steps on Cliffside Avenue, said the source. The defendant punched the victim several times, then threw him down the stairs, said the complaint. The man was knocked unconscious. He was taken to the hospital emergency room for treatment, the complaint said. Charles made off with the mans cell phone, said the indictment. The defendant was indicted on charges of first- and second-degree robbery. Hes also accused of grand larceny and felony and misdemeanor counts of assault. The other episode occurred two weeks earlier on Oct. 14, said a separate criminal complaint. Charles and a co-defendant, Daijore Williams, 20, of Jersey Street in New Brighton, set upon a 68-year-old victim in Tompkinsville, according to the complaint and the source. The mugging happened around 10:10 p.m. on Corson Avenue, the complaint said. The defendants approached the victim and said, We want this to be easy, said the complaint. Charles and Williams grabbed the man, threw him to the ground and held him there while they stole his cell phone, wallet and passport, the source said. The victim suffered foot injuries, the complaint said. The pair was charged with felony counts of robbery, assault and grand larceny. Theyre also accused of misdemeanor counts of petit larceny and assault. Just over a week later on Oct. 22, Williams robbed another victim, said the complaint. At around 10:10 p.m. Williams and two accomplices surrounded a 19-year-old on the 200 block of Daniel Low Terrace in Tompkinsville, the complaint and source said. Give us your money. Give us your cell phone, they complaint quotes them as demanding. The trio then beat the victim and snatched a bag of groceries from him, said the complaint. The victim suffered lip and hand lacerations. Williams accomplices remain at large. Williams was charged with robbery and petit larceny. Both Charles and Williams have denied the various allegations against them and are scheduled to return to court on June 9. Charles is being held without bail pending his psychiatric exam; Williams is being detained in lieu of $75,000 bond or cash bail. With masks helping to contain the spread of Covid-19, the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) has developed a wash-resistant antiviral and antibacterial coating for textiles. IIT-B has filed two patents regarding this technology. Known as the Duraprot technology, the coating crosslinks antibacterial and antiviral components on to the textiles fibres through a simple dipping process. The coating is retained after several wash cycles and has been tested for 20 wash cycles a prerequisite as per textile guidelines at the IIT-B laboratory. There has been an urgent need for personal protective equipment including two- and three-ply masks, N95 masks and gowns for healthcare workers. One approach is to enhance the functionality of two and three-ply masks with antibacterial and antiviral properties, said Rinti Banerjee, the Madhuri Sinha chair professor at IIT-Bs department of biosciences and bioengineering. The coating materials are low cost and the idea is develop and scale up masks with antiviral activities at an affordable cost, Banerjee said. Originally, Banerjee and her team had developed the antibacterial coating for medical textiles such as hospital gowns, bedsheets and consumer products (like socks and underclothes). The efficacy of the coating has been tested against samples of the Sars-Cov-2 virus in the laboratory. When we tested the Duraprot coating against coronavirus samples from Kasturba hospital, there was a breakdown of the envelope inactivating the coronavirus, said Banerjee. At present Duraprot technology is licensed to Meemansa, a Mumbai-based textile and garment manufacturing company. We have sent the fabric with coating for validation to an external testing agency. We are expecting the results mid-next week after which we will begin the process of coating the masks that we have already manufactured, said Priyanka Bapna, founder of Meemansa. The process of coating masks takes two days followed by drying them naturally right now since our factories are closed. Once the lockdown lifts, we will dip the entire fabric in the mixture before manufacturing the products, she said. Banerjee said talks are also on with two to three other textile manufacturers. We are maintaining non-exclusive licensing due to the scale of the epidemic and will transfer our technology to multiple textile manufacturers. We will teach them how to prepare the coating mixture, and walk them through the process, said Banerjee. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Over 300 migrant works on Saturday took out a protest march from Bhawanigarh to a private factory in Ghabdan village, demanding their last months salaries and payment for overtime. This has come days after the protest by Malerkotla mill workers against salary cuts. During their protest outside Indian Acrylics Limited, the migrants raised slogans against the management. Hours later, the factory assured them payment of overtime, while district administration officials said the decision of April salary was still pending with the Supreme Court. Mukesh Malaudh, state chief of Zameen Prapti Sangharsh Committee (ZPSC), said the migrant workers were staying in miserable conditions and wanted to work in the factory instead of leaving for their homes. Despite repeated attempts, Indian Acrylics Limited officials could not be contacted. However, deputy superintendent of police (Rural) Satpal Sharma said the factory has started depositing payment of overtime done by the migrants in March and May. The matter has been resolved. The decision of April months salary is still pending with the Supreme Court, but rest of the payment is being deposited in the workers accounts. However, those who wish to go home have been asked to submit their resignations or leave applications. The factory will be functional with 30% staff, added DSP Sharma. Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak has said that in coming weeks he jointly with Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba will make a visit to Berlin, where the consultations on the ways to enhance the effectiveness of the Normandy and Minsk negotiation processes will be continued. The press service of the Office of the President reported on Saturday that Yermak gave this information at a meeting with G7 ambassadors and the head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine. 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 In the beginning, we had only the human body and its inherent ability to fight disease. Then at some point after we emerged from the primeval swamp, developed an opposable thumb, and picked our first therapeutic herb we had medicine. And now we have a world in which diseases are found and fought in laboratories a thousand miles from any suffering human frame. On the spectrum between primordial murk and Petri dish, vaccines occupy all points on the scale. They lie at the very forefront of medical science they are our most sophisticated hope for a solution to the pandemic of COVID-19 and yet they rely fundamentally on the most basic resource of the human body: its ability to recover from, and thereafter resist, disease. Amid all the extraordinary battles raging against the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 around the world at this moment, none is more important than that being fought by scientists. Its a battle on two fronts: to find treatments to cure or mitigate the disease affecting millions of people; and to develop a vaccine that will potentially protect billions. Currently, there are more than 100 possible vaccines in development globally, many under the aegis of the World Health Organisation and CEPI (the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, an international body founded in 2016 to finance vaccine development against emerging infectious diseases). Australias place in this maelstrom is both small, yet potentially significant, which is a familiar position for Australian science to occupy. Despite our small population, Australian scientists consistently "punch above their weight", says Anna-Maria Arabia, the CEO of the Australian Academy of Science, "both in terms of the quality of our research and publication rates per capita". This expertise is particularly notable in the fields of immunology and vaccine development. Two of our most famous Australians, Peter Doherty and Ian Frazer, are both still working in vaccine technology. "It very well could be Australians who beat this thing," says Frazer, a Brisbane-based immunologist who co-created the HPV vaccine, which since 2006 has protected some 300 million women against cervical cancer. "We have very talented people. We have the immunologists, the virologists, the protein chemists and cell biologists." "Weve got really good science here," agrees Doherty, who won the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on human T-cell immunity. "Bang for buck, compared with the US, where I worked for a long time, we do extremely well. Weve got some really good people. In fact, I dont think Ive really appreciated how good they are until now." Advertisement In January, Australian scientists (at the Doherty Institute in Melbourne, named after the great man himself) were the first outside China to sequence the COVID-19 genome, grow the virus, and share it internationally. Renowned Australian scientist, HPV vaccine co-creator Ian Frazer. Credit:Paul Harris Multiple labs and hospitals around the country are investigating drugs like remdesivir (an Ebola antiviral), tocilizumab (an immunosuppressive used mainly for rheumatoid arthritis), the HIV drug Kaletra and malaria treatment hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19. At the same time, REMAP-CAP, an ongoing Australian-based multifactorial trial at more than 100 sites around the world that usually looks into treatments for severe pneumonia, has pivoted to testing drugs on COVID-19 patients, with the ability to alter their medication on the basis of ongoing analysis. "Weve got a lot of drugs that were trying to repurpose," explains Frazer. "And maybe some of them will work but at the moment it would be fair to say the trials are empiric. In other words, were guessing." Weve got a lot of drugs that were trying to repurpose. And maybe some of them will work but at the moment it would be fair to say the trials are empiric. In other words, were guessing. Immunologist Ian Frazer. "Drugs are good," says Doherty. "But unlike a vaccine, no drug can give you immunity. Even convalescent serums [antibodies extracted from recovered patients blood and given therapeutically] and monoclonal antibodies [lab-grown versions of antibodies] are only temporary. You have to keep taking them, just like a drug, because their protection gradually disappears." Even vaccines are not without problems. In the past, work on vaccines for other coronaviruses (such as MERS and SARS) has raised questions regarding the strength and longevity of vaccine-produced immunity; and about the negative impacts of a vaccine on the immune system. There has even been debate about whether a vaccine is possible for COVID-19, given no human coronavirus vaccine has ever been produced. Advertisement Australian scientist and Nobel Prize winner Peter Doherty. Credit:Simon Schluter "Theres one for chickens!" says Doherty, betraying his veterinary origins. "My wife and I both worked on it about 50 years ago!" He laughs. "But no, seriously, you hear this thing about no vaccines for coronavirus, but in fact they were making a lot of progress with both MERS and SARS vaccines. The reason they didnt go anywhere was basically because SARS burnt out, and although MERS still grumbles away, it only infects about 200 people a year. Theres just no big impetus with that level of infection." He laughs. "Im a very simplistic thinker. But the fact is, all the drug treatments are stopgaps. What we want for COVID-19 is a vaccine. And I think well get one, and that it will work fine." Fittingly, the oldest records of inoculation come from the source of the worlds newest pandemic China. The first disease ever contained by vaccination was smallpox. Devastating, incurable, with a 20 to 60 per cent death toll and survivors often left blind and horribly scarred, smallpox was unfashionable as it is to point out a far more dangerous pathogen than coronavirus. But by the 1500s (and possibly far earlier), Chinese doctors had realised that if sufferers could only survive the first onslaught of smallpox, they never caught it again. After the first attack, something in survivors own bodies permanently protected them. Working backwards from this conclusion, doctors took the scabs from healing smallpox pustules and ground them into powder. Then they blew the powder up healthy patients noses. There was also a second technique, which may have originated in India, in which pus from smallpox sores was scratched into incisions in the skin of healthy people with a needle. (Nobody said medicine was pretty.) In both cases, those treated contracted a milder form in theory at least of the disease, from which they could more easily recover. These strategies, particularly the needle technique, known as variolation, worked in a surprising number of cases: by the 18th century, only one or two patients in every hundred were dying from deliberately induced smallpox. These odds though horrifying to the modern mind were so much better than risking the unmediated disease that variolation spread from China throughout the Arab world. Eventually, in the 1700s, it reached England, the US and Australia. Variolation was practised on princesses and kings, but perhaps its most important application was to the arm of a Gloucestershire schoolboy. Edward Jenner, now recognised as the father of immunology, was variolated during his childhood, and thus rather against 18th-century odds did not contract smallpox. Instead, he grew up to develop the worlds first vaccine. Advertisement Jenner realised that using the pus from lesions of cowpox, a much less serious illness that nonetheless provided effective immunity against smallpox, was a far safer treatment than traditional variolation. By the time of his death in 1823, hundreds of thousands of people had undergone "vaccination" (the word comes from the Latin vaccinus meaning "from a cow"), and a direct line can be drawn from his work to the final eradication of smallpox from the earth in 1980: the greatest triumph of vaccination, and the single most successful medical intervention, in terms of lives saved, in human history. Illustration by Tim Beor. Credit: Weve come a long way since Jenner built a "Temple to Vaccinia" in his English backyard, but to experts in pandemic diseases, it must often seem as if weve made no progress at all. Professor Trevor Drew, the director of the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (CDP) at the CSIRO in Melbourne, has spent years dealing with the fact that, pre-COVID-19, the man on the street simply couldnt believe that a global pandemic would ever, really and truly, happen. "To most of the world it has come as a terrible shock," he says, managing to sound only slightly rueful. "But we in infectious diseases have known for years that it was a question not of if, but when. We didnt know what it would be, or where it would come from, but we knew it was coming." Nonetheless, it was only in January this year that the CDP signed a contract with CEPI to run animal trials on potential COVID-19 vaccines. This was before virtually anything was known about the virus, including its lethality and the CDP is one of only a handful of labs in the world designated as BSL-4 (biosafety level 4), authorised to deal with the most dangerous pathogens on earth the likes of Ebola, Marburg and hantaviruses. "Its been an extremely big challenge," admits Drew, with a scientists feel for understatement. "Weve had to be extremely agile, and its a huge tribute to my team that weve been able to get organised so fast." COVID-19 social distancing measures have created many headaches in staffing labs and organising teams Drew is talking from his spare bedroom, no doubt a typical site of breakthroughs in all fields of human endeavour these days but nobody on his team has flinched. "Im so proud of them. They all just got on with it." The CDP is a world leader in the use of animal testing in vaccine development. Its scientists were first in the world to confirm, for instance, that ferrets were susceptible to COVID-19, thanks to the fact that they have a similar lung cell receptor, ACE 2, to that of humans. Its this receptor that the now-famous "spike protein" of COVID-19 plugs into to infect cells. So ferrets, like us, can catch coronavirus (though, unlike us, their worst symptom is a mild cough). Advertisement The CSIRO is now running animal trials using ferrets for two vaccines one from American biotech company Inovio Pharmaceuticals, and one from Oxford University. Both were sent there because they looked particularly promising. "Our job is to assess the data and send it back to CEPI and WHO," explains Drew. "Then theyll decide if theyre worth taking to the next stage." Animal trials are always crucial in establishing whether candidate vaccines are safe and efficacious. But in the case of COVID-19, Drew and his team may help to solve two other problems. One is temporary immunity, which means more than one vaccine dose may be necessary (a big deal if youre potentially dealing with billions of people); the other is that some COVID-19 deaths appear to be caused not by the virus but by the bodys response to it: a wild immune overstimulation known as a cytokine storm. "For both those problems, our trials are looking at different routes of administering the vaccine orally, intramuscularly to see if that might affect those outcomes," explains Drew. "Vaccine route might prompt a different level of immunity. It might also be important in avoiding immune mediated disease." Scientists are always collaborative, but these levels of co-operation this global response are really unprecedented. But then, these are unprecedented times. Our competition is against the virus, not against each other. Professor Trevor Drew, director of the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness. Things so far look promising: the ferrets have had no adverse effects to either vaccine, and theyll have been exposed to the virus before this article goes to press. And so, by the time you read this story, as many as 6000 people in the UK may have been given the vaccine in a safety trial. Should it happen, this human trial will be able to proceed, in part, thanks to the animal testing carried out by the CSIRO. "Its a real global effort," concludes Drew. "Scientists are always collaborative, but these levels of cooperation this global response are really unprecedented." He pauses. "But then, these are unprecedented times. Our competition is against the virus, not against each other." Advertisement Pakistan on Saturday said it has reported 1,581 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking the total infections in the country to 38,799 with 834 deaths, the health ministry said. In its latest update, the Ministry of National Health Services said that overall 14,201 cases have so far been detected in Punjab, 14,916 in Sindh, 5,678 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 2,457 in Balochistan, 518 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 921 in Islamabad and 108 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. "A total of 10,880 patients have so far recovered from the coronavirus while the death toll stands at 834 with 31 new deaths reported during the last 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement. The total tests conducted so far were 359,264, including 14,878 test done in the last 24 hours. While the infections were spreading in the country, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that addressing the financial problems of the poor were as important as containing the virus. Khan has been pushing the provinces to further relax the restrictions. Earlier this week, Pakistan said it was gearing up to resume train services and allow public transport vehicles to operate under strict procedures to prevent any further increase in the coronavirus infections in the country. Meanwhile, a report by a team of public health specialists associated with the Institute of Public Health at Jinnah Sindh Medical University pointed out that Pakistan missed two critical opportunities that could have placed the country at a better position in its fight against coronavirus. Titled Easing Lockdown in Pakistan: Inevitable but Potentially Catastrophic , the report looks into the country's response to COVID-19 and its implications in coming weeks and compares it with what has happened in other countries, particularly those which have successfully dealt with the situation, the Dawn newspaper reported. It pointed out that official indecisiveness led to a delayed and ineffective lockdown with constant increase in cases and the government failed to utilise the period of two-month lockdown for building a policy framework on how to return to normalcy. Also read: Coronavirus Live Updates: Lockdown 4.0! State brace for phased exit as India's COVID-19 cases top 85,000 Also read: Coronavirus vaccine update: PM-CARES funds India's efforts; Oxford sees some positive results People no longer join long lines to get a table at Don Julio, a well-known steakhouse in Buenos Aires. Since Argentinas government ordered people to stay at home on March 20, the restaurant has had to change. Don Julio has become a high-end butcher, with plans to sell street food. Pablo Rivero, the owner of Don Julio, said the goal was to keep alive the feeling of a corner grill, or parrilla. That idea, of a local eatery, is central to Argentine culture much like a cafe in Paris or a pub in London. We are not going to lose it, Rivero said, so it is a question of finding a way of getting through this. Argentines have been told to stay at home unless they are considered a key worker or are buying food or essential goods. The stay-at-home order has meant restaurants and cafes are closed, while small bakeries, grocery stores and butchers remain open. The idea of the butcher shop is to give people a shade of Don Julio, said Rivero. He said they would not deliver cooked meat because it was hard to keep up the quality. He added that his business is making plans to sell street food. This way we can engage people in something that can represent an income until activity restarts, he said. Rivero said his 100 employees were still working during the nationwide lockdown - either in the butcher shop or helping to remodel the restaurant. Gaston Riveira is the head of La Cabrera, another of the citys top parrillas. He said the restaurant was experiencing difficulties during the lockdown, which has been extended to at least May 24. We are in a difficult moment because there is no tourism and Argentines are not going out because of the quarantine, Riveira told the Reuters news agency. He added the restaurant had transformed into a food factory doing deliveries on a reduced menu. The coronavirus crisis has hit international demand for Argentine beef, with many restaurants closed, from Asia to Europe. That information comes from Mario Ravettino, president of Argentinas meat exporters group. Francisco Palazzo lives with his girlfriend in Buenos Aires. He said it was important for people to be able to get a taste of normality. Before the lockdown, the 28-year-old usually ate an asado mixed grill three times a week. Recently, Palazzo said he bought cooked meat, sausage and black pudding from a parrilla that was now doing take-out. It was late, and it made us want to eat an asado [barbecue] and continue with our old habits, he said. Im John Russell. Juan Bustamante, Maximilian Heath reported on this story for the Reuters news agency. John Russell adapted the story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story steakhouse n. a restaurant that serves mostly steaks butcher - n. someone who cuts and sells meat in a shop; a store that sells meat key adj. central, major or important shade n. comparative darkness and coolness; the darker part of a picture deliver v. to carry or transport something income n. money received; wages or pay lockdown n. a security measure to prevent people from entering or leaving an area tourism n. the operation of vacations and visits to places of interest menu n. a list of food available at a restaurant habit n. the usual way of behaving As the World Health Organization prepares to host its main annual meeting next week, fears abound that US-China tensions could hamper the strong action needed to address the COVID-19 crisis. The UN health agency, which for months has been consumed by the towering task of trying to coordinate a global response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, will for the first time invite health ministers and other dignitaries to participate virtually in its annual meet. The World Health Assembly, which has been trimmed from the usual three weeks to just two days, on Monday and Tuesday, is expected to focus almost solely on COVID-19, which in a matter of months has killed more than 300,000 globally, and infected nearly 4.5 million. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday the event would be "one of the most important (WHAs) since we were founded in 1948". But the chance of reaching agreement on global measures to address the crisis could be threatened by steadily deteriorating relations between the world's two largest economies over the pandemic. - 'Politicisation' - "Of course I am concerned at the politicisation of the WHA and the risk of its failure," Gian Luca Burci, an adjunct professor at the Geneva Graduate Institute's Global Health Centre, told AFP. US President Donald Trump this week threatened to cut ties with China, where the outbreak began late last year, over its role in the spread of COVID-19, and has repeatedly made unproven allegations that the virus originated in a Chinese lab. He has also suspended funding to the WHO over allegations it initially downplayed the seriousness of the outbreak, and was kowtowing to Beijing. Despite the tensions, countries hope to adopt by consensus a resolution urging a joint response to the pandemic. Consultations around the resolution, tabled by the European Union, concluded this week after "tough" negotiations, according to Nora Kronig, who heads the international affairs division of Switzerland's public health office. "One challenge was that it is almost impossible to negotiate in a virtual fashion. That makes it more complicated to build consensus in small groups," she told AFP. But after several days, a tentative agreement was reached to approve the resolution, which among other things calls for more equitable access for tests, medical equipment, potential treatments and a possible future vaccine. - 'Ambitious' - An EU source hailed the draft as "ambitious", and pointed out that if it does indeed pass by consensus as expected, it would mark the first time a global forum achieves unanimous support for a text on the COVID-19 response. The source said countries had not shied away from thorny topics, including a call for more WHO reform after determining that its capacities "have proven insufficient to prevent a crisis of this magnitude." While diplomats have agreed in principle on the draft resolution, observers voiced concerns that in the current politicised atmosphere, some countries might still choose to break the consensus next week. "My hope is that we will be able to join consensus," US Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva Andrew Bremberg said Friday. The United States and Europe are at loggerheads over future vaccine access, while Washington has also accused China of trying to steal US immunisation research. And Washington is also leading a number of countries in demanding that the WHO end its exclusion of Taiwan -- considered by Beijing to be part of its territory -- and allow it to access next week's assembly as an observer. - Taiwan participation a 'minimum' - "While this has been an ongoing concern for several years, this has taken on a heightened attention this year in response to the global pandemic," Bremberg said. "Allowing for some sort of meaningful participation would seem to be the minimum that the WHO could do." The UN health agency has, however, insisted that such a move would require a resolution by member states, who in 1972 decided Beijing was China's sole legitimate representative. It has also suggested it can only issue an invite with Beijing's blessing. Taiwan was invited to attend the WHA for a number of years as an observer, but that stopped in 2016, with the entrance of a new Taiwanese president, Tsai Ing-wen, who refuses to recognise the concept that Taiwan is part of "one China". The United States, which will be represented during the assembly by Health Secretary Alex Azar, is meanwhile not among a group of more than a dozen countries who have called for a vote on allowing Taiwan to participate. Several diplomatic sources cautioned that putting this issue to a vote even under normal conditions would be a drawn-out process, and that doing so during a short, virtual meeting would be an unsurmountable logistical challenge. It would "torpedo" the entire assembly, one diplomatic source warned. Mohito, appletini or a simple glass of fizz they may take the edge off a busy day, but if you find yourself bingeing on more than a few, you could be putting your physical and mental health at risk according new research at the University of South Australia. Examining the drinking patterns of 479 female Australian university students aged 1824 years, the world-first empirical study explored the underlying belief patterns than can contribute to Drunkorexia a damaging and dangerous behavior where disordered patterns of eating are used to offset negative effects of consuming excess alcohol, such as gaining weight. Concerningly, researchers found that a staggering 82.7 per cent of female university students surveyed had engaged in Drunkorexic behaviors over the past three months. And, more than 28 per cent were regularly and purposely skipping meals, consuming low-calorie or sugar-free alcoholic beverages, purging or exercising after drinking to help reduce ingested calories from alcohol, at least 25 per cent of the time. Clinical psychologist and lead UniSA researcher Alycia Powell-Jones says the prevalence of Drunkorexic behaviors among Australian female university students is concerning. Due to their age and stage of development, young adults are more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors, which can include drinking excess alcohol. Excess alcohol consumption combined with restrictive and disordered eating patterns is extremely dangerous and can dramatically increase the risk of developing serious physical and psychological consequences, including hypoglycaemia, liver cirrhosis, nutritional deficits, brain and heart damage, memory lapses, blackouts, depression and cognitive deficits. Certainly, many of us have drunk too much alcohol at some point in time, and we know just by how we feel the next day, that this is not good for us, but when nearly a third of young female uni students are intentionally cutting back on food purely to offset alcohol calories; its a serious health concern. Alycia Powell-Jones, Clinical psychologist and lead UniSA researcher The harmful use of alcohol is a global issue, with excess consumption causing millions of deaths, including many thousands of young lives. In Australia, one in six people consume alcohol at dangerous levels, placing them at lifetime risk of an alcohol-related disease or injury. The combination of excessive alcohol intake with restrictive eating behaviors to offset calories can result in a highly toxic cocktail for this population. The study was undertaken in two stages. The first measured the prevalence of self-reported, compensative and restrictive activities in relation to their alcohol consumption. The second stage identified participants Early Maladaptive Schemes (EMS) or thought patterns finding that that the subset of schemas most predictive of Drunkorexia were insufficient self-control, emotional deprivation and social isolation. Powell-Jones says identifying the early maladaptive schemas linked to Drunkorexia is key to understanding the harmful condition. These are deeply held and pervasive themes regarding oneself and ones relationship with others, that can develop in childhood and then can influence all areas of life, often in dysfunctional ways. Early maladaptive schemas can also be influenced by cultural and social norms. Drunkorexic behavior appears to be motivated by two key social norms for young adults consuming alcohol and thinness. This study has provided preliminary insight into better understanding why young female adults make these decisions to engage in Drunkorexic behaviors. Not only may it be a coping strategy to manage social anxieties through becoming accepted and fitting in with peer group or cultural expectations, but it also shows a reliance on avoidant coping strategies. It is important that clinicians, educators, parents and friends are aware of the factors that motivate young women to engage in this harmful and dangerous behavior, including cultural norms, beliefs that drive self-worth, a sense of belonging, and interpersonal connectedness. By being connected, researchers and clinicians can develop appropriate clinical interventions and support for vulnerable young people within the youth mental health sector. Alycia Powell-Jones The government's announcements for civil aviation sector breathe some life into the coronavirus pandemic-hit sector and will provide overall positive sentiment, experts said on Saturday, even as some of them emphasised the need for support for airlines. On Saturday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced plans for managing airspace efficiently, making the country a MRO (Maintenance Repair and Overhaul) hub, and auctioning of six more airports on PPP model. GMR Group Chairman G M Rao said India is leading the growth of civil aviation sector globally and is generating significant economic impact. According to him, rationalising Indian airspace is a significant step that would benefit not only the entire sector but also bring down travel time for passengers. Privatising six new airports under public-private partnership (PPP) model would generate significant economic effect and would lead to creation of new jobs. "Likewise, tax incentives for the MRO sector will not only bring foreign investment into India and impact the economics of the airlines but will also open up new opportunities for youth to build careers. The investments being made in airports, privatised in the first two phases, are already leading to enhanced job creation in both aero and non-aero areas," he said. GMR Group manages two airports -- Delhi and Hyderabad -- through PPP model. Welcoming the announcements, GVK Group founder and Chairman G V K Reddy said the move to have PPP model for six more airports would provide the Airports Authority of India (AAI) resources to develop smaller airports across the country. "The plans to make India a global MRO hub will ensure savings of precious foreign exchange and enable Indian airlines to get their aircraft serviced locally," he said. GVK Group manages Mumbai airport through PPP model. Consultancy EY India's Transaction Partner Kuljit Singh said the announcements are good initial first steps and this might be followed by a second phase of reforms package. "... the second phase may need to have more reforms in taxes on fuel, subvention for airport charges, government guarantees for additional unsecured borrowings of private airlines etc," he noted. Law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas' Partner Ajay Sawhney said that today's announcement breathe some life into the pandemic-hit civil aviation sector, but no mention of bailouts on an immediate basis may attract mixed response from the industry. "Though, easing curbs on airspace would certainly bring in long term efficiency, and on an immediate basis some relief to the airlines, but a more meaningful intervention may be required if the aviation sector is not on the recovery path soon," he noted. Travel portal EaseMyTrip.com Chairman and CEO Nishant Pitti said the announcements would definitely provide positive sentiments for the industry overall. "In addition for industry to withstand the recovery period, government will need to support the backbone, airlines, in these turbulent times through tax relief or relaxation in multiple charges paid by airlines to reduce their costs," Pitti said. Vasudevan S, Partner (Infrastructure Government and Healthcare) at consultancy KPMG in India said the aviation sector is the hardest hit because of the global pandemic with an estimated USD 500 billion loss in airline and airport revenues in FY20. Airport PPP transactions will help unlock value for AAI and state governments, given current investor interest and long-term potential of the Indian market. "Rationalising the MRO tax structure has been a long pending demand of the industry and it is good to see that happening finally, but more needs to be done to create a level playing field, attract foreign investment and make it profitable," he noted. Care Ratings Chief Economist Madan Sabnavis said aviation sector has incentives as six airports would have PPP model, but the "question is who will invest now when future of airlines is uncertain". Consultancy Deloitte India Partner Peeyush Naidu said the initiative for private sector participation for operations, management and development of airports is well-intentioned. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. USAID and the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia signed an amendment to the Development Objective Cooperation Agreement for More Participatory, Effective and Accountable Governance, adding $11.5 million in assistance funding, the USAID Armenia told Armenpress. This action brings the total amount of USAID assistance provided within the framework of this Agreement to $51.4 million since its inception in 2013. The Agreement advances broad-based democratic governance reforms through promoting initiatives on transparency and accountability, local governance and decentralization, as well as participatory and inclusive electoral and political processes and rule of law. USAID assistance additionally supports civil society and media programs to increase the level of informed civic activism and promote access to diversified and objective sources of information, with a special emphasis on media literacy. USAID and the Ministry of Economy of Armenia also signed an amendment to the Assistance Agreement for a More Competitive and Diversified Private Sector, adding $7.5 million in assistance funding. This action brings the total amount of USAID assistance provided within the framework of this Agreement to $91.8 million since its inception in 2010. Rajesh Kumar Thakur By Express News Service PATNA: Around 1.40 lakh migrant-labourers out of nearly 2.5 lakh, who have returned to Bihar till Thursday by special trains from across the country ,have been surveyed for their skills. In a first-of-its-kind skill survey, which is being conducted within the migrant-labourers coming to Bihar, the state government is preparing a database of skilled and unskilled labourers in order to create employment for them. With the continuous return of migrant workers daily, providing them employment opportunities, that too when elections are over head, has virtually become a major challenge for the government. To meet this challenge, the skill profiling of migrant workers is in progress under the Jeevika wing of Bihar on war footing. All departments of state government including the industry, water resources, urban development, road construction, agriculture and minor irrigation have also started creating employment opportunities in its respective fields to engage a sea of migrant workers returning homes amid the outbreak of COVID-19. The highest number of 33,921 migrant- labourers, who have returned here, have skilled themselves with works of construction while the second highest number of 11387 of them are skilled with the works of mason. According to official figures of skills profiles of migrant-labourers, 5456 migrant workers among others, are skilled in the tailoring works while 2037 have worked as fine painters in metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and others. Jeevika CEO Balamurugan D admitted that the data of around 1.40 lakh migrant workers out of 2.5 lakh of them , have been captured for their skill profiling till Thursday and out of them, skill profiles of more than 94,403 have already been prepared. He said, "The entire skills profiling process is being done into 79 skill heads including construction and other manual and mechanical jobs. As an example,a migrant at Araria quarantine centre was profiled skilled in toilet construction and he was then and there under quarantine used for construction of toilets." The skill profiling of migrant workers is the brainchild of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and it was he who had asked for it. As of Kumar's directive, the state government has engaged the Jeevika wing for the task under Balamurugan D, who is one of the no-nonsense officers of state bureaucracy. As per figures obtained exclusively by this newspaper, 11,387 migrant-labourers have also been categorised as fine mason-helpers, 1652 skilled as carpenters, 1402 skilled as centring mechanics, 2205 as tiles mechanic helpers, 1672 skilled in the works of brick manufacturing, 1415 skilled in gates and weilding, 929 in electrical works and 638 skilled in the works of plumbering. Jeevika CEO Balamurugan D admitted that a good number of 1125 out of 1.40 profiled labourers are skilled in vehicle driving while 781 are very much skilled in culinary and cooking works without any formal education. "Among them,221 are female labourers skilled in baby caring and household works including tailoring," he said. When the works of embankments strengthening are going on, the state has got 937 workers'skilled in can construction and repairing works while many more of this skill are expected to come in next few days. Altogether, 108 delivery boys and 929 electricians besides 113 skilled auto mechanics and 438 blacksmiths have also returned to Bihar among others till May 14. Similarly, 3921 workers have also found been found unskilled and they would be engaged other manual works. "The state government will provide employment to the migrant workers according to their skills and experiences of works in almost all concerned departments in which job opportunities are being created," he said. Meanwhile, the state government claimed to have created 2 crores mandays for migrant-labourers under 3.73 lakh small and big schemes till date. In next few days, around 2.5 lakh migrant-labourers are still expected to return by 179 special trains addition to more than 4.5 lakh returned so far since March 23 to May 14. By PTI NEW YORK: Over 300 Indian nationals, including India's former ambassador to the UN Syed Akbaruddin, stranded in the US due to COVID-19 related international travel restrictions are headed home on the second Air India flight from New Jersey, and the sixth flight from the US, to New Delhi and Hyderabad. From May 9 to May 15, Air India has scheduled seven non-scheduled commercial flights from the US to India facilitating the return of Indian nationals, who could not travel due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Air India flight departed on May 14 to New Delhi/Hyderabad from the Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey with over 300 passengers. The flight was the sixth non-scheduled commercial flight from the US to India. The first flight took off from San Francisco on Saturday to Mumbai and Hyderabad. Akbaruddin, who retired on April 30, is also heading back to Hyderabad on the May 14 flight from Newark. "Home is where the heart is. Farewell to New York & @UN. Heading home, today, with deep gratitude to all who r enabling r return to the lap of Mother India," Akbaruddin tweeted along with a photograph of an Air India plane along with #VandeBharatMission. Home is where the heart is... Farewell to New York & @UN... Heading home,today, with deep gratitude to all who r enabling r return to the lap of Mother India#VandeBharatMission pic.twitter.com/B7sfFgTdds Syed Akbaruddin (@AkbaruddinIndia) May 15, 2020 The mission is India's biggest ever repatriation exercise to bring back Indians from abroad who are unable to travel home due to COVID-19 related international travel restrictions. India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu tweeted "helping our citizens get back home. #VandeBharatMission. Sixth @airindiain evacuation flight from US departs Newark for Delhi and Hyderabad." The Consulate General of India in New York also said in a tweet that "Indian Citizens checking-in for Air India's Second Evacuation Flight from Newark to Delhi/Hyderabad on May 14, 2020. Shubh Yatra. "We are really grateful to everything that the Indian government has been doing for us, the Consulate General in New York has been so nice and kind. "They have been contacting us, they have been reassuring us that everything is fine in this uncertain period of time. The procedures have been conducted so well, we feel so safe. And we are grateful for everybody over here who has come to help us go home.Thank you so much," Shreya and Trisha, who are returning back home to New Delhi said. The first non-scheduled commercial flight from New Jersey to the Indian cities of Mumbai and Ahmedabad flew on May 10. Apart from the two flights from New Jersey, two flights were scheduled from Chicago on May 11 (to Mumbai and Chennai) and May 15 (Delhi and Hyderabad) and from San Francisco on May 13 to Delhi and Bengaluru. The solo flight from Washington DC on May 12 flew to Delhi and Hyderabad. All passengers will be required to undergo medical screening before boarding the flight and only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to travel. All passengers on arrival in India will be medically screened and would have to download and register on Aarogya Setu app. Further, all passengers will need to undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine on arrival in India in institutional quarantine facilities on payment basis as per the protocols framed by Government of India. Miriam Margolyes: Almost Australian Credit: MIRIAM MARGOLYES: ALMOST AUSTRALIAN New mini-series Tuesday (May 19), 8.30pm, ABC The great comic actress smashes her own stereotype that of the grey, expat British nomad before turning her jolly wit and keen eye on some of our national ones. Getting to know her adopted homeland from a campervan and a motorised scooter, Margolyes rolls up to people and just starts conversations that more of us should be having. In this first of three parts, she meets the well-heeled, the homeless, the drought-stricken and the displaced, from Bondi to Melbourne. Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt were one of Hollywoods hottest couples in their heyday. The two started dating in the late 1990s and it wasnt long before Pitt stunned Aniston with a $500,000 engagement ring. Although their love story did not stand the test of time, did Aniston keep her engagement ring following their divorce in 2005? Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt | Gregg DeGuire/WireImage Inside Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anistons romance Pitt and Aniston started dating sometime in 1998 after their managers introduced them. The two immediately clicked but kept their relationship out of the spotlight. According to Fame 10, Aniston would later say that they were both really proud of the fact that they kept their romance a secret. We had so much fun falling in love, Aniston shared. It was so private; we kept it to ourselves for so long. It was something we were really proud of. RELATED: Jennifer Aniston Knew She and Brad Pitt Were Meant to Be On Their First Date The pair made their engagement official during a Sting concert. Pitt and Aniston joined the musicians on stage to sing a duet about getting hitched in Las Vegas. The Friends star then showed off her massive engagement ring to the crowd. Pitt and Aniston tied the knot in July of 2000 in a beautiful ceremony in Malibu. They invited over 200 people to the ceremony, which featured four bands, fireworks, a gospel choir, and some 50,000 flowers. Although their marriage seemed perfect from the outside, Pitt and Aniston ultimately called it quits in 2005. Pitt went on to date and wed Angelina Jolie while Aniston tied the knot with Justin Theroux in 2015. How much did Pitt spend on Anistons ring? Pitt had a hand in designing Anistons ring. The Fight Club star worked with designer Silvia Damiani to craft the ring, which was based on a pair of earrings Pitt had previously purchased. As a side note, Pitt would later sue Damiani because the company was selling replicas of Anistons ring when they agreed it was to remain an exclusive piece. Pitt reportedly spent $500,000 on the engagement ring, a hefty sum for 1999. Coincidentally, this is the same amount that Theroux spent on Anistons engagement ring over a decade later. RELATED: Who Gave Jennifer Aniston the More Expensive Engagement Ring Brad Pitt or Justin Theroux? Anistons first engagement ring, meanwhile, featured a large center stone surrounded by a spiral of smaller diamonds. It is hard to say how many carats made up the ring, but we do know that Therouxs ring was around 12 to 18 carats in total, so it was likely in that ballpark. Considering how much Pitt spent on the ring, fans have long wondered what happened to it following the couples divorce in 2005. After all, a ring that is worth half a million dollars is not something that was likely left out of the divorce agreement. Did Jennifer Aniston keep her engagement ring from Brad Pitt? Aniston has never revealed what she did with Pitts engagement ring. Given how the two separated on good terms and the fact that Pitt is not going broke anytime soon, it is very likely that she kept the ring. We can also confirm that Aniston liked the style of her first engagement ring. During the actresss appearance on the red cart at this years Golden Globes, she rocked a giant sparkler that looked very similar to Pitts ring. RELATED: Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston Have Never Stopped Gushing About Each Other In Public The appearance immediately drew comparisons to Anistons old engagement ring, something that fans of the couple absolutely loved. Fans have been hoping that Pitt and Aniston get back together following their respective divorces. Pitt separated from Jolie in 2016 while Aniston and Theroux called it quits in 2017. It is unclear if Pitt and Aniston are still single. Brad Pitt has joked about his romantic life on several occasions and been spotted with Alia Shawkat, while Jennifer Aniston was recently linked to Will Speck. Commerce platform DotPe Founder Shailaz Nag said: "I am confident that our solution will allow the restaurants to completely own the customer experience, create their own digital channel for both online and offline ordering and thereby manage their expenses and customer data better." New Delhi: National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) on Saturday said it has partnered with commerce platform DotPe to increase omnichannel sales, providing business-to-business digital ordering solutions fully integrated with a payment gateway for its member restaurants and cloud kitchens. Cloud kitchens are places where food is prepared and delivered at door steps by taking orders via calls and online ordering portals. Unlike other restaurants, they do not cater dine-in and takeaway. Once the lockdown is lifted, the restaurants can use the DotPe' QR based catalogue and e-commerce platform for digital ordering which ensures minimal human touch, it added. "I am extremely happy to announce our partnership with DotPe for this critical solution for the Industry, which will be especially useful in the post-pandemic era. We are committed to take better control of our business and our customer data and become digitally more self-reliant as an Industry," NRAI President Anurag Katriar said. "NRAI will be unveiling a few more industry-friendly tech solutions in the coming days which will hopefully change the contours of this trade and benefit lakhs of business owners rather than a handful of digital giants," Katriar said. On the development, DotPe Founder Shailaz Nag said: "I am confident that our solution will allow the restaurants to completely own the customer experience, create their own digital channel for both online and offline ordering and thereby manage their expenses and customer data better." By collaborating with DotPe, the restaurants will now be able to stay transparent with the customers by communicating with them directly through WhatsApp for all the online orders, he added. This is being done, as in the immediate aftermath of #Logout Movement, the association realised the importance to take larger control of the digital world within the sector for the long-term well-being of the fraternity, NRAI said in a statement. "NRAI was worried about the trend of several key decision-making getting gradually usurped by these new-age digital landlords," it added. The logout movement was initiated by the restaurants against food services aggregators on issues such as deep discounting, customer data masking and other predatory trade practices. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Emergencies personnel work at the site of a fire at the Saint George hospital in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on May 12, 2020. Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images Russia sent the United States a number of Aventa-M ventilators last month the same model that may have caused two separate hospital fires in Russia in the past week. The ventilators delivered to the United States were not used, according to a spokesperson for the US Federal Emergency Management Agency. "Out of an abundance of caution, the states are returning the ventilators to FEMA," the spokesperson said. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Last month, Russia sent the United States a shipment of Aventa-M ventilators, saying they could help with the nationwide shortage. But now, the US Federal Emergency Management Agency says the ventilators won't be used after the model has been blamed for fatal fires in a St. Petersburg and Moscow hospitals. The Aventa-M ventilators, delivered to New Jersey and New York, "have not been deployed to hospitals," FEMA spokesperson Janet Montesi said in a statement. "Out of an abundance of caution, the states are returning the ventilators to FEMA." Russian health officials have also banned the Aventa-M ventilators in the aftermath of the fires. On Tuesday, a fire broke out in the intensive care unit of a St. Petersburg hospital, killing five coronavirus patients. A similar fire was started in a Moscow hospital three days earlier, killing one coronavirus patient. "The ventilators are working to their limits," Russia's Interfax news agency quoted a source as saying. "Preliminary data indicates that it was overloaded and caught fire." Both blazes have been linked to the Aventa-M ventilator, which may have short-circuited. Investigations into the incidents are ongoing. Reuters previously reported that the ventilators were manufactured by a Russian firm under US sanctions. The ventilators along with other medical equipment were delivered to the US by plane in April. Russia has 252,245 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to Johns Hopkins University data more than every country except the United States, which has almost 1.4 million such cases. Read the original article on Business Insider Chennai, May 17 : The Madras High Court on Saturday termed the plight of the migrant workers as shown in the media as a "human tragedy", saying "one cannot control his/her tears" on seeing that. The court also queried the Central government on the number of migrant workers who had breathed their last enroute their home states, besides mentioning several migrant workers who were run over by a goods train in Aurangabad some days back while they were sleeping on the track at night. The court asked the Central government whether it maintained any data of the number of migrant workers in different states and if they were allowed to cross state borders. Pointing at the sufferings of the migrant workers, the court said that nothing has been done for them in the past one month despite the media reporting the hardships faced by them. The court said it was the duty of the states from where the migrant workers hailed and the states where they worked to take care of their well-being. The court also asked the government about the steps taken to transport the remaining people to their home states and whether workers' migration could lead to the spread of coronovirus. Later, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami said the state plans to send 10,000 migrant workers per day to their home states and has requested them to stay at the camps till the arrangements are made. According to the Chief Minister, 55,473 migrant workers have returned to different states like Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal in 43 trains between May 6 and May 15. Palaniswami said the Tamil Nadu government was bearing the entire expenditure for train and food and requested the migrant workers not to try to return to their home states on foot or by any other means. "With their employers neglecting them and not paying them wages and because of the transport shutdown, the workers are left with no other option," R. Geetha, Additional Secretary, Nirman Mazdoor Panchayat Mazdoor Sangam, told IANS. She said the workers were staying in tin sheds, which became unbearable in this scorching heat. Geetha said the state government had provided 15 kg rice, 1 kg oil and pulses to them, but they had no money to buy vegetables. FORT BELKNAP AGENCY In a world that seems to have far more questions than answers lately, tribal health worker Jennifer Show is anxious for information. Before Friday, Indian Health Services had tested only 37 symptomatic members of the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine tribes. All the tests came back negative for the novel coronavirus. But what about the possibility of asymptomatic spreaders? Whats the prevalence of the virus in nearby communities? How successful has a stay-at-home order been? The list of unknowns is long, but Show expects to get some of the most critical answers shes seeking from two days of enhanced drive-thru surveillance testing at Horse Capture Park here. Friday was the first day, and by Saturday evening more than 1,000 people had been tested at the operation run by a coalition of tribal, local, state and federal agencies. It gives us a snapshot in time. Its going to let us know of possible asymptomatic spreaders, which will be interesting. It will give us an idea of how our measures we took to contain the virus worked for us on the reservation, Show said. Yes, its just a snapshot in time. It doesnt mean they couldnt get it later. But we know for that time they are testing negative. Hopefully we dont have that many positives. On a warm spring day, Show and others watched a steady stream of vehicles with license plate numbers beyond just the 24s of Blaine County pass through. A second test site in Hays also operated Friday. Some came alone while others brought family members to be tested. From check-in to administering a nasal swab and driving off, the process took less than 10 minutes for each person. Wearing masks, face shields, gowns and gloves, tribal and Blaine County public health workers and Indian Health Services staff administered tests. The state sent supplies to collect 1,500 samples. Members of the Montana National Guard, who deployed earlier in the week to set up the site, provided support services. Blaine County, where most of the reservation sits, has not reported a positive case of COVID-19. Nor has Philips County, which contains a small sliver of the reservation. But next door, Hill County has reported one. Given how interconnected Hi-Line towns are and how quickly the virus can spread, boundaries mean a lot less these days to public health officials. Testing at the site, though it was on the reservation, was open to anyone enrolled in the tribe or not. "We all cross each others borders all the time, Show said. We need to know how our communities are doing around us. The philosophy is we dont live in a bubble. We have community members that live in Chinook, we have community members that live in Dodson, and then we go to Havre for our supplies. As geographic lines have become less important, so have the demarcations between governmental agencies. Fort Belknap Indian Community Council President Andrew Werk Jr. observed the testing site Friday along with Gov. Steve Bullock, who traveled to see the testing roll-out. Werk said the tribe, in consultation with Indian Health Services, developed and passed a resolution to establish their own testing protocol. That happened as Bullock, at the state level, crafted a framework to dramatically ramp up Montanas testing to 60,000 a month. By Saturday, slightly more 26,000 Montanans had been tested since March. Just six days before the Fort Belknap testing site opened, Werk and Bullock were talking in a Saturday morning phone call about testing goals and decided to move from discussion to action. Though he and Bullock communicated regularly before the pandemic about other issues, Werk said the risks posed by the virus have fast-tracked many things such as setting up the testing operation. We decided, Lets just do it. Lets look at a collaboration with an initiative up here and a model testing effort, Werk said. Montana is in Phase 1 of a gradual reopening that means loosened regulations and more people moving around. While Fort Belknap has kept a stay-at-home order and curfew in place, tribal health officials accept the fact that increased travel to and through the reservation is unavoidable. In most of the rest of the Montana, retail stores, bars, restaurants, breweries, gyms, theaters and more can open at half capacity. While those financial transactions will boost the state's hard-hit economy, they also facilitate transmission of the virus. At some point, as Bullock has emphasized in regular calls with local media, that spread becomes normal. An amount of Montanans will likely test positive for COVID-19, possibly every day for the foreseeable future. Thats the world we live in now. Managing case growth to keep outbreaks from striking vulnerable populations or overwhelming the states health care system becomes the focus. Thats why surveillance testing is critical, Bullock said. Part of it is the science of trying to understand whats happening, but then its also asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic carriers, Bullock said. As we do that, well not only have a better sense of what the virus is, but well be able to quickly isolate and quarantine when we find them. The governors plan to re-open the economy is in concert with setting the benchmark of conducting 60,000 tests each month. That framework focuses, at first, on segments of society where the virus can bring increased risk, such as nursing homes, congregate settings and tribal communities. Reservations are a part of the approach because the the higher prevalence of people with pre-existing health conditions, a lack of health care availability, overcrowded housing, long-term, systemic economic challenges and more. It is a real priority for me and for us in Indian Country because we know that COVID-19 is more risky for both our older Montanans and those with health care compromises, and with the amount of multi-generation living in our tribal nations, Bullock said. Jessica Windy Boy, with the Indian Health Services unit in Fort Belknap, said the community is acutely aware a single COVID-19 case could quickly devastate an entire family. Every household here is at risk, Windy Boy said. Every household is going to have someone that has complicated chronic health issues. It goes back to historical trauma. When you look at everything our people have endured, that has changed our history. The other part is we've only been (on this reservation) about 100 years and weve changed our lives dramatically in those 100 years. Its really hard on your body to assimilate and adapt to that. The coronavirus is highlighting systemic shortcomings that have harmed Indian Country for generations, Windy Boy said. That includes mental health care. In a state that leads the nation in suicides per capita, rates are even higher on Montana's reservations. Then COVID-19 forced more isolation in areas that were already remote. That comes with devastating effects. Weve had a huge uptick in suicide ideations. Since this started weve had two completions, Windy Boy said. Failures by the federal government to fund Indian Health Services created a system where Native people dont seek health care until theyre gravely ill, because its not always clear if it will be available, Windy Boy said. To combat the coronavirus, that will need to change. Thats not how we have traditionally interacted. IHS has trained Indian people that we dont have money for much. We only do what is immediately needed and thats how we have trained people. Weve trained them to come in when theyre sick. Thats generational that weve trained people like that. Were looking at how do we change that relationship with health care, Windy Boy said. The high turnout at the testing sites didn't happen by accident. Windy Boy said there was an aggressive advertising campaign through local media and social media and electronic highway signs on U.S. 2 all boosted by $20 gas cards for those who came. Once the testing wraps up, tribal heath director Karen Yazzie and her deputy Tammy Rider said theyll sit down to compile information about what was successful and what can be improved about the process to share with communities around the state. They want to fine-tune operations for future rounds of testing and have a model to administer a vaccine when it becomes available. The next thing Show would like to see is antibody testing for the community, once it is reliable. In December and January, Show said a handful of people were really sick on the reservation but didnt know what it was. That was before there was widespread awareness of COVID-19 in the U.S. Has it already gone through here? We dont know. Theres so much unknown about this particular virus. But this surveillance testing is a good snapshot in time," Show said. 16.05.2020 LISTEN During the most recent presser by the ministry of information, I heard the minister of information in response to a question posed by a journalist say that cabinet is considering community service against prison sentence for offenders of COVID-19 safety precautions and other petty offenders. As this is a good move by the cabinet, it has been long overdue in coming. Nevertheless, it appears the pig is eventually finding a way of bathing without getting itself dirty in the end. I was literally mesmerized when offenders of COVID-19 safety protocols were arrested and given prison sentences when the president had granted amnesty to some prisoners in an attempt to decongest the prisons. Inconsistencies right? This is the result of knee jerk, reactionary and ill-thought planning. If not how on God's earth could we be planning of decongesting prisons by granting some amnesty so as to curtail the spread of COVID-19 and not plan how to handle people who engage in petty crimes? It begs the question of why the country hasn't contemplated a non-custodial sentencing law since independence in the face of so much work to do? Community sentence or alternative sentencing or non-custodial sentence is a collective name in criminal justice for all the different ways in which courts can punish a defendant who has been convicted of committing an offence, other than through a custodial sentence (serving a jail or prison term) or capital punishment (death). In a bit to contribute to the president's target of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa, I anticipated more transformational legal reforms to engage the services of petty offenders who are unnecessarily given prison sentences and fed by the paltry taxpayers' money. Sadly, that wasn't to be as offenders of sanitation laws instead of being made to clean the streets are rather given jail terms. That's the irony of the Ghanaian condition. Self stabbing our goals and suffocating their chances of becoming a reality. Thus, a president promises a clean city yet, people who dispose of rubbish indiscriminately are given jail terms leaving those rubbish for whom the person has been jailed lying on the streets. Its sad leadership over the years have the penchants for talking big instead of getting the little decisions that can put us on the path of progress right. They are almost always engaged in doing things that will win them the next election instead of reforms that will bring change. For us to progress, we should begin to do right the things that matter. Take the bull by the horns and not be seen to always put the horse before the cart. Critical thinking and coordination should go into policy implementation and not the after thoughts and knee jerk reactions we see now. Until then, we'll continue to self inflict, stab our own efforts in the back and continue to move in circles without any headway. I only hope the pig finds a way of bathing without getting itself dirty in the end. Ayaric's thoughts..... By Express News Service BARIPADA: Driven by the fear of having contracted coronavirus, a migrant labourer allegedly hanged himself from a tree outside a temporary COVID care centre in Mayurbhanj on Friday. The man Surendra Behera, a resident of Raikoma village under Baisingha police limits, had developed sore throat and cough and his swab sample had been sent for tests. The report is awaited. He had returned from Andhra Pradesh on May 12 and quarantined at Damborudahar high school within Anla panchayat. His wife, who had gone to Chennai along with other villagers before the lockdown, had also returned to the village on the day and put up at the same quarantine centre.While his wife and other villagers were lodged in a hall, Surendra was kept in a separate room as he suffered from Covid-like symptoms. Surendra slept late on Thursday night and on Friday morning, the centre staff found him missing from his room. Sarpanch Krushna Chandra Hembram was informed and after arriving at the centre with breakfast for the inmates, he along with two teachers started searching for him.Some locals found a man hanging from a tree outside the centre and informed the Sarpanch, who identified the body. Hembram informed that Surendra was in a depression since he arrived at the centre in apprehension of being infected.Mayurbhanj SP Parmar Smit Parshottamdas said it is not clear yet if the inmate ended his life out of COVID fear or over a family dispute. The postmortem report is also awaited, he said. A 45-year-old teacher of a primary school of East Delhi Municipal Corporation succumbed to Covid-19 last Monday (May 11), making it the fourth death of a civic body employee in the city. Earlier, two sanitation employees and one teacher had died due to Covid-19, while on duty. East civic body officials said that in the latest case, the 45-year-old teacher was not on duty and was in poor health. Some teachers of the civic body have been assigned job of distributing food and ration to the homeless and the underprivileged. Delhi had witnessed 9,333 cases of the virus till Saturday with 129 deaths, according to the Delhi government. East Delhi municipality spokesperson Arun Kumar said that in Saturdays case the deceased teacher was a resident of Bhajanpura. Kumar further added that though the deceased teacher was not on Covid-19 duty but still the corporation has been taking all precautionary and preventive measures to ensure that the frontline staff is not affected by the virus. We have provided good quality face masks, gloves and hand sanitisers to the frontline staff. We have also given gum boots to sanitation workers who are engaged with the garbage collection from containment areas, Kumar said. The teacher who died of Covid-19 was also suffering from a liver ailment. He used to frequently visit hospitals for treatment. He must have got the viral infection from the hospital. On May 10, he was tested Covid-19 positive and was admitted to Lok Nayak hospital where he died on May 11, Kumar added. He said that generally teachers are not considered frontline workers at municipalities unless they are engaged in special duties, such as ration or food distribution at shelter homes or schools. He said that sanitation employees, DBC (domestic breeding checkers) workers and teachers engaged in ration and food distribution duty are frontline workers. In this case, the deceased teacher was not engaged in any such duty because of his poor health. He was not on-duty. Though, he was Covid-19 positive when he died, he does not qualify for Delhi governments Rs 1 crore ex-gratia scheme, Kumar said. An official of north-east district administration said that since the teacher was not on duty so the threat of other staff members getting Covid-19 infection was little. The official said that contact tracing was underway and the family of the deceased teacher was under home quarantine and the area had been sanitised, he said. Earlier on May 4, a 45-year-old teacher of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation had also died of Covid-19. She was on ration distribution duty in her designated school in Jahangirpuri area. Her husband had also died of the virus on May 3. Other than these, two sanitation workers engaged with the east corporation and South Delhi Municipal Corporation had succumbed to Covid-19 on May 15 and April 25, respectively. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 16.05.2020 LISTEN Imagine using one second to sell three thousand (3000) bags of a coffee produce which lay fallow hitherto in storehouses in Rwanda for months due to freighting stand-stills caused by the COVID-19 global lockdown! This is what happened on 14 May 2020 during a livestream by coordinated by the Alibaba Business Group to position small-scale world brands on the Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP), a the six-year-old initiative which facilitates business-to-consumer (B2C) sales. The UN Economic Commission for Africa is helping to bring unique African products and their promoters to the platform in a practical COVID-19 response move. The sale was made by the Rwandan brand known as Gorilla's Coffee whose CEO, Mr. David Ngarabe, rejoiced at the feat following months of slack business as the COVID-19 lockdowns ruptured the supply chains especially to cafes and hotels. The cash-in is explained in terms of the wide reach to customers especially in China via the eWTP whose huge demand, in terms of economies of scale, would now lower overall freighting costs for the supplies. Ms. Vera Songwe, Under-Secretary-General of United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), who addressed participants of the livestream from Addis Ababa, said the Commission was taking action to getting many more small brands from Africa with distinct products to access the platform and make sales during and after the current health crisis. COVID-19 is particularly endangering global trade. That is why I am very happy to be part of this Electronic World Trading Platform (eWTP) initiative with the Alibaba business group she said. Africa, which has already been trading with China, can improve trading at this time based on a number of goods on which it possesses comparative advantage. Rwanda is already trading its Rwandan chili and Coffee. We hope that with the eWTP, we can put more goods from the continent notably, coffee from Ethiopia, Shear Butter from Mali, white pepper from Cameroon, Vanilla from the Comoros Islands and Saffron from Madagascar, among others, on the platform, she told her viewers. Senegals peanuts are also on the discussion table. Mr. Eric Jing, Alibaba Group Director and Executive Chairman of Ant Group said "We want to support SMEs worldwide to recover from the outbreak, resume production and secure orders in their times of need," as he rallied support for brands such as Rwandas Gorilla's Coffee. "Through today's livestream, we look forward to reopening global trade, starting with helping businesses reopen," he went on. In concordance, Ms. Vera Songwe of ECA added that at a time when the world is closing down, it is particularly important that we continue with trade because thats the only way we can build a prosperous world and a prosperous Africa, together with China. As Africa thinks about building and strengthening its trade with itself, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) remains the cornerstone of Africas trade relationship with itself and the world. We believe that with the opening up of the Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) to more countries on the continent, we can do more together to ensure that no one is left behind from the COVID-19 crisis. First proposed by Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma in 2016, the eWTP has been recognized by the G20 and launched in China, Malaysia, Belgium, Rwanda and Ethiopia. It is a private sector-led, multi-stakeholder initiative offering SMEs easier access to new markets via simple and straightforward regulations. It also offers training and support in areas such as e-commerce, logistics, financing, cloud computing and mobile payments. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday said his government has suggested the Centre to resume air, railways and inter-state bus services with reduced capacity. However, the state is not in favour of resumption of teaching in educational institutions till May 31, the chief minister said. Other suggestions of the state government, listed by the chief minister, include allowing shops to open in all market and market complexes in a staggered manner, resumption of industry and construction activities in urban areas without any restriction, as well as permitting e-commerce for all commodities. "The state government, in its recommendations to the Centre, has pitched for resumption of air, railways and inter-state bus services with reduced capacity, as well as starting of intra-district and inter-district buses, taxis, cabs, rickshaws, auto-rickshaws with adequate preparedness in terms of reduced capacity and a screen between passengers and driver," Singh said in a statement here. Offices, both private and government, may be allowed to open for the entire week during normal office hours with staggered timings to avoid over-crowding, the state government suggested. The chief minister said the state government wanted no restrictions on movement of individuals from 5 am to 7 pm, and had suggested that restrictions, if any, may be imposed between 7 pm and 5 am. The Punjab government is in favour of continued prohibition of activities where there would be a sizeable crowd under one roof, as in the case of shopping malls, cinemas, marriage and banquet halls, social, political and cultural gatherings and religious places. Singh said all effort would be made to ensure that maximum number of shops and businesses open up after May 18. (@FahadShabbir) HELSINKI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th May, 2020) The Estonian government has approved the lifting of the state of emergency starting from Monday, the cabinet said after a Saturday e-session, explaining that the easing of restrictions comes amid a slowing spread of the coronavirus in the country. "The restrictions imposed during the emergency situation will be gradually eased and new legal bases will be provided," the government said in a Saturday statement, adding that "the need to extend the emergency situation is no longer necessary as the amendments of relevant laws ensured sufficient basis for both the Government and Government authorities to promptly re-establish measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 disease, if necessary." According to the statement, the healthcare emergency in Estonia still remains in force and several restrictions will continue to be implemented. "The reasonable and responsible behaviour of our people makes it possible to end the emergency situation in Estonia this week. Our joint effort has allowed us to return to a more regular life," Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas said as quoted in the government statement. He warned, however, that the people of Estonia must remain alert to prevent a new spike in coronavirus cases. "The government confirmed during todays session easing of restrictions under special conditions, which will be applied gradually after the end of the emergency situation," Ratas said, adding that people "should continue to act responsibly, so we would not have to retract the easing of restrictions. It is very important to abide by the 2+2 rule in order to protect Estonia from the threat of COVID-19 outbreak and from new restrictive measures." The 2+2 rule in Estonia requires that people gather in social places in groups of no more than two people and must keep a distance of at least two meters (6.5 feet) from others. Estonia introduced a state of emergency amid the spread of COVID-19 in March. According to the latest data from the Johns Hopkins University, there are 1,770 confirmed coronavirus cases in Estonia and the country's COVID-19 death toll is 63. The results of a study conducted by the University of Tartu on the prevalence of the coronavirus were presented to the Government Committee responsible for the emergency situation on Tuesday. The results from the second week of the study continue to confirm the low prevalence of the virus in Estonia. In two weeks, based on random selection, a total of 6,024 adult residents have been interviewed and 4,728 tested in the course of the study. A total of 12 cases of the coronavirus have been identified, of which seven had been diagnosed with the virus prior to the study and six had recovered by the time of the study. The results allow to conclude that the infection is not widely spread in the society, and that the prevalence of the coronavirus remains stable over the weeks. The researchers consider the gradual easing of the restrictions justified. We will continue our successful cooperation with the researchers of the University of Tartu, whose study helps us assess the prevalence of the virus in the society. This will be even more important in two weeks, when we can evaluate the impact of the easing of restrictions that come into force this week on the wider spread of the infection." Prime Minister Juri Ratas The prime minister pointed out that yesterday, another group of researchers from the University of Tartu started work on an antibody-based seroepidemiological study in Saaremaa and Oismae to help estimate the number of people who have been exposed to the coronavirus. "The work of the researchers is extremely important for us to be prepared for the second wave of the virus outbreak as soon as possible and to be able to respond to it promptly and efficiently," said Ratas. In the second week of the study, 3,135 interviews were conducted and 2,495 adult residents were tested. The testing revealed eight cases of the coronavirus; six of the infected persons had been diagnosed with the virus prior to the study. The results of the first week were retroactively supplemented with 226 tests, one of them positive. Professor Ruth Kalda, the head of the study of the University of Tartu, explained that when assessing the actual prevalence of the virus, it must be considered that six infected persons had battled the disease in March or early April and were currently considered healthy. Thus, only half of the positive cases were at risk of spreading the infection at the time of the study. "As we can say on the basis of the first two waves that the prevalence of the virus in Estonia is low at the moment, we can take a two-week break and then see whether the opening of shopping centers has an impact on the spread of the virus. If necessary, we will conduct another wave of the study before the Midsummer's Day and if the epidemiological situation is stable, we will continue monitoring the spread of the virus in autumn," said Kalda. The next wave of the study is scheduled to take place from 22 May to 28 May, i.e. almost two weeks after the partial reopening of shopping centers. The Nigerian defence headquarters have recorded another victory over terrorists in the North East as the dreaded terrorist group fled and left behind their families over the superior fire power of the military. According to Maj.-Gen. John Enenche the Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, he added that no fewer than 11 ISWAP fighters have surrendered to the military trip in Adamawa alone. He said: There are indications that more terrorists are willing to surrender. Advertisement Read Also: Military Jets Destroy Compound Housing Boko Haram Leaders in Borno One of such moves, was the dropping off of 72 family members of BHTs/ISWAP comprising 33 women and 39 children at the entrance of Ngala town in Ngala Local Government Area of Borno on May 10 at about 8.30 pm. All of them are in custody of troops for further action, he said. A total of 72 persons were also rescued from the Boko Haram Terrorists. Also, on May 9, troops of 121 Task Force Battalion, at Pulka-Ngurosoye, near Bama town repelled BHT ambush and killed 20 terrorists, while on escort duty. On May 13, OPLD troops killed nine terrorists in an ambush at MainokJakana axis in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno. Two gun trucks mounted with anti-aircraft gun were captured. In all 61 BHT/ISWAP criminals were neutralized in the Theatre, aside from those that escaped with gunshot wounds with narrow chances of survival, he said. It is sad, but unsurprising, that providing emergency federal funding to states and cities has been framed in routine, coarse political terms when the need is so obvious and universal. COVID-19 has devastated state and local budgets as sales and hotel occupancy taxes have fallen sharply. In San Antonio, COVID-19 has blown a $200 million hole in the citys budget, leading to furloughs and cuts in services. It would be one thing if this crisis were the product of financial mismanagement. But the city of San Antonio has outstanding bond ratings, and officials have taken political hits through bruising contract negotiations with local public safety unions to control health care costs. At a time when city services are in peak demand, massive cuts threaten the citys ability to provide many essential services, let alone assist with an economic recovery. The same holds true for the state of Texas when it comes to education funding, transportation, social services and public safety. The same holds true for cities and states across the country. Unlike the federal government, which has been running trillion-dollar budget deficits in good times and bad, states and cities have to balance their budgets each year. That means without federal assistance, there will be more cuts to local and state government. If you like police officers responding to calls on paved roads, or you value finding respite in city parks, you should care about this. Yes, the city has received $270 million from the federal government through the CARES Act, but these funds are limited to costs associated with the pandemic. As Deputy City Manager Maria Villagomez recently outlined, CARES Act funds can go toward police, fire and Metro Health expenses related to COVID-19. These funds can also be used for contact tracing and purchasing protective equipment, rental assistance for those who have lost jobs or income in this crisis, and addressing the digital divide. This helps, but these funds cant pave your streets, keep city parks operating, process a permit, inspect a restaurant or cover other city services, such as police and fire response to an accident or a blaze. Likewise, federal funding will be needed to blunt potentially massive state cuts to public education dont we all value teachers and schools now? transportation and child welfare. This isnt just about services. Federal aid to states and local government would also be good for the economy. An analysis in 2019 from the U.S. Census Bureau found local and state governments lost 585,000 jobs in the aftermath of the Great Recession. If the federal government is comfortable providing trillions in relief to the private sector to sustain the economy, why would the public sector be any different? And its not just public sector jobs. Its also nonprofits that receive local funding. And yet we have seen Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., initially suggest states go bankrupt rather than cover pension obligations. And we have seen President Donald Trump liken this push to blue state bailout, mimicking McConnells rhetoric. You look at Illinois, you look at New York, look at California, you know, those three, theres tremendous debt there, and many others, Trump told the New York Post. He also said, Florida is doing phenomenal, Texas is doing phenomenal, the Midwest is, you know, fantastic very little debt. In fact, Texas is not doing phenomenal. State sales tax plunged in April from $2.8 billion to $2.58 billion, according to Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who has said the Texas economy is in a recession. Nearly 2 million Texans have filed for unemployment over the past two months, including about 106,000 Bexar County residents. And in many instances where are people turning to for rental assistance, help with internet connections and other forms of support? Local government. U.S. House Democrats have put forward a $3 trillion coronavirus relief package, which includes $29 billion for Texas cities and counties, including $1 billion for San Antonio. A separate pool of funding would send billions to Texas. We are under no illusion here. Its a partisan exercise, but it underscores the need for aid to states and local governments. These are major employers whose budgets have been shredded and whose services are needed not just in this crisis but in our recovery. Chinese mainland unveils measures supporting Taiwan-funded enterprises, projects amid epidemic People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 15:15, May 15, 2020 BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland on Friday issued a circular requiring coordinated efforts to support the development of Taiwan-funded enterprises and advance Taiwan-funded projects amid the coronavirus epidemic. Jointly released by the National Development and Reform Commission, the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office and eight other agencies, the circular lists 11 measures. The measures are as follows: -- Continue to help and support Taiwan-funded enterprises in resuming work and production. -- Coordinate efforts to advance major Taiwan-funded projects. -- Actively support Taiwan-funded enterprises in increasing investments and expanding production capacity. -- Facilitate Taiwan-funded enterprises to participate in the construction of new-type and traditional infrastructure. -- Support Taiwan-funded enterprises in maintaining stability in foreign trade. -- Guide Taiwan-funded enterprises to explore the domestic market. -- Fully implement tax break policies. -- Step up financial support for Taiwan-funded enterprises in epidemic control and business and manufacturing resumption. -- Fully support and meet the reasonable land use needs of Taiwan-funded projects. -- Support the development of small- and medium-sized Taiwan-funded enterprises. -- Actively serve Taiwan-funded enterprises. The measures are set to provide Taiwan businesspeople and enterprises with increased development opportunities, and beef up support for their investments and business development on the mainland. The circular, according to authorities, comes among efforts to implement decisions and plans made by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council to coordinate coronavirus epidemic control and economic and social development and further implement the "31 measures" and "26 measures" that the Chinese mainland rolled out in 2018 and 2019 respectively to promote cross-Strait economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Up to 30% of patients who are seriously ill with coronavirus are developing dangerous blood clots, according to medical experts. They say the clots, also known as thrombosis, could be contributing to the number of people dying. Severe inflammation in the lungs - a natural response of the body to the virus - is behind their formation. Patients worldwide are being affected by many medical complications of the virus, some of which can be fatal. Back in March, as coronavirus was spreading across the globe, doctors started seeing far higher rates of clots in patients admitted to hospital than they would normally expect. And there have been other surprises, including the discovery of hundreds of micro-clots in the lungs of some patients. The virus has also increased cases of deep vein thrombosis - blood clots usually found in the leg - which can be life-threatening when fragments break off and move up the body into the lungs, blocking blood vessels. 'Serious trouble' Artist Brian McClure was rushed to hospital last month suffering from pneumonia brought on by coronavirus. But soon after he arrived, he had a scan showing he was in a bigger fight for his life. "I went for a lung screening and that showed blood clots in the lungs. I was told that was very dangerous," he said. "That was when I really started to get worried. I got the picture that if I didn't improve then I would be in serious trouble." He is now continuing his recovery at home. 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 Councils facing a 5billion cash shortfall caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic could charge families higher council tax for worse public services. Before the lockdown local authorities bought shopping centres and office blocks to make up for lost money after government cuts. Since 2016 local authorities have borrowed 6.6billion in total to pay for this type of retail. After the lockdown closed so many of these shops and office blocks down councils have been left with more expenses and less money coming in. One local authority bought a shopping centre for 40million only a few weeks before the UK went into lockdown leaving the majority of its shops closed. 1 out of every 8 that Woking council (pictured) spends comes from investment and rental income Only two thirds of office rentals and one third of retail rentals were paid on time in March, according to the British Property Federation, and they expect those numbers to be halved in June. Councils are heavily reliant on investment and rental incomes to fund public services. For example 1 out of every 8 that Woking council spends comes from investment and rental income. Commercial property investments fund more of Spelthorne's annual spending than council tax does. Commercial property investments fund more of Spelthorne's (council building pictured) annual spending more than council tax does In the last five years they have invested 1billion on offices and shops that usually bring in around 10million. Commercial property manager of Olim Property, Lord Oakeshott, told the Times: 'Professional investors have been warning these council amateurs for years about their wild property gambling spree. Pictured: Commercial property manager of Olim Property, Lord Oakeshott 'Councils have splashed billions of taxpayers' cash but now they'd be lucky to get half their rents paid or half their money back if they sold. 'The Treasury must wake up and stop this scandalous waste of public money.' But critics have said local authorities should look to make cuts to 'sky-high' council boss salaries before going to the government for more money. Data seen by The Guardian shows that public services are in a financial black hole and that a number of councils in England are on the verge of bankruptcy. Analysis compiled by the largest 44 authorities in the country shows that by the end of this financial year they will be 2.2billion in the red. If spending and losses at all councils continue to mount the predicted shortfall will be 5billion. This is despite Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick previously announcing 3.2billion in additional funding for local authorities. Harry Fone, grassroots campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said that local authorities regularly 'plead poverty' but continue to 'waste taxpayers' money. He added: 'The coronavirus crisis makes it more crucial than ever to fund frontline public health and social care services, but dipping further into taxpayers' pockets is not a sustainable solution.' 'Be it sky-high salaries for council bosses, generous councillor allowances, or poor procurement, local authorities should be rooting out every penny of unnecessary spending before going cap in hand to the government.' Greater Manchester Combined Authority, said on Friday that coronavirus will leave the city's 10 borough councils 541 million out of pocket Councils warned last week that much of the additional funding provided by the government has already gone and the money allocated is not adequately covering a huge increase in costs for things such as the procurement of PPE. Councils are facing significantly increased costs due to the pandemic as they battle to support key services and protect vulnerable people. They have also seen a dip in revenue from council tax and parking fees. The study of 343 local authorities, by the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (Sigoma), indicates that extra spending pressures from Covid-19 will top 720million, but that this will be overshadowed by huge losses in revenue. Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council has said it has already used its 65k additional funding, and only has 1.5million reserves. Oxfordshire councils - who received almost 15m from the first round of funding - said they stood to lose 100m as a result of coronavirus costs While Windsor and Maidenhead council is teetering close to bankruptcy amid a 14million shortfall. Oxfordshire councils - who received almost 15m from the first round of funding - said they stood to lose 100m as a result of coronavirus costs. Greater Manchester Combined Authority, said on Friday that coronavirus will leave the city's 10 borough councils 541 million out of pocket. A spokesman for the Local Government Association last week told the BBC that some councils may be subject to Section 114 reports in the near future. A Section 114 notice bans all new expenditure and effectively means a council is declaring bankruptcy. Northamptonshire County Council followed this process in 2018 after they ran out of money. While Windsor and Maidenhead council is teetering close to bankruptcy amid a 14million shortfall Sir Stephen Houghton, the leader of Barnsley borough council, told the newspaper: 'Even for those councils that are not at that cliff edge, the ability to deliver key services effectively children services, adult services and waste management, for example will be in question. 'Services may be running now but we will see the effect will come through in six to 12 months' time. 'You get to a point where the frequency of waste collection is cut and the time taken to assess vulnerable peoples needs takes longer and so on.' A government spokesperson told The Guardian: 'The secretary of state has announced 3.2bn of funding for councils to support their response to the pandemic. 'This new funding will support them through immediate pressures faced by councils to respond to coronavirus and protect vital services.' The number of coronavirus cases in the country breached the 85,000-mark on Saturday. According to the latest figures updated by the Ministry of Health, the Covid-19 national tally stands at 85,940. There are 53,035 active coronavirus cases in the country, 30,152 patients have been cured or discharged while 2,752 people have died from the deadly contagion. Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra near the 30,000-mark while in Gujarat, the second worst-affected state, the Covid-19 cases have crossed 9,900. Heres the statewise breakup of the number of coronavirus cases, deaths, and recoveries. Maharashtra With 29100 Covid-19 active cases, Maharashtra continues to lead the state tally. The state has recorded 1068 deaths so far while 6564 patients have recovered. Tamil Nadu The southern state has 10108 coronavirus cases. Tamil Nadu has seen 2599 recoveries and 71 Covid-19 deaths. Gujarat The state is third in terms of number of Covid-19 cases. The tally in the state, as per the Ministry of Health, stands at 9931. While 606 people have died due to the coronavirus disease, Gujarat has seen 4035 recoveries so far. Delhi As many as 8895 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the national capital. One hundred and twenty-three people have died from the infection while 3518 have made a recovery, as per the health ministrys data. Rajasthan Coronavirus cases in Rajasthan touched 4727 on Saturday. The state has reported 125 fatalities, and 2677 patients have recovered from the infection. Madhya Pradesh The state has reported 4595 positive cases of coronavirus. Two hundred and thirty-nine people have died from Covid-19 here while 2283 have recovered. Uttar Pradesh The number of Covid-19 positive cases reaches 4057 in Uttar Pradesh. While 2165 people have recovered from coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh, 95 have died from the infection here. West Bengal The number of infected cases in West Bengal reached 2461 on Saturday. There have been 225 deaths and 829 recoveries in the state. Telangana The number of Covid-19 positive cases reaches 1454 in state so far. Nine hundred and fifty-nine people have made a recovery from the virus while 34 people have died from Covid-19. Andhra Pradesh The state has witnessed 2307 positive Covid-19 patients and 1252 cases of recovery. Forty-eight people have died. Jammu and Kashmir The union territory of Jammu and Kashmir has seen the number of Covid-19 patients rising to 1013. 11 people have died from the infection while 513 were cured. Karnataka The state has recorded 1056 Covid-19 cases and 36 deaths. As many as 480 people have been cured and discharged. Haryana and Punjab The neighbouring states have 818 and 1935 Covid-19 cases respectively. While 32 people have died in Punjab, Haryana has seen 11 deaths. Four hundred and thirty-nine people have recovered from Covid-19 in Haryana, 305 in Punjab. Kerala As per the health ministry, Kerala reported 576 coronavirus cases on Saturday. Kerala has witnessed four deaths due to Covid-19 while 492 people have successfully recovered. In Bihar, 1018 people have tested positive for coronavirus, seven people have died while 438 patients have recovered. Odisha has 672 Covid-19 positive patients, 166 have recovered while three people have died. Jharkhand has 203 Covid-19 cases, three patients have died and 87 have recovered. Uttarakhand has 82 coronavirus patients, 51 patients have recovered from the infection, one patient has died. Himachal Pradesh has 76 cases, three patients have died and 39 have recovered. Assam has reported 90 Covid-19 cases, two people have died while 41 people have recovered. Chhattisgarh has recorded 66 cases of coronavirus and 56 people have recovered. In Chandigarh, 191 people have contracted the Covid-19 disease and 37 have recovered, three people have died. Andaman has recorded 33 coronavirus cases, all patients have recovered. Ladakh has 43 patients, 22 people have recovered. Goa reported 15 cases of Covid-19 disease, 7 patients have recovered. Puducherry has reported 13 cases, 9 have recovered. Meghalaya has reported 13 cases and one death, 9 patients have recovered. One patient has died. Manipur had three coronavirus cases, two have recovered. Tripura, meanwhile, has 156 cases, 42 patients have recovered. States and Union territories with just one positive Covid-19 case include Dadar Nagar Havel, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram. All patients in Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram have recovered. Sikkim has not reported any Covid-19 case yet. Note: Figures are from official data released by the Ministry of Health, and may differ from realtime numbers released by various state governments subject to confirmation from the Centre. Kerala has reported 11 new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases, said state health minister KK Shailaja on Saturday while sounding a word of caution that the third phase of the pandemic would be critical for the state. Kerala has been preparing for a spike in Covid-19 positive cases, as those stranded abroad, mostly from the West Asian nations, are being evacuated by the central government under Operation Vande Bharat the largest evacuation operation since the invasion of Kuwait by the then Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in August 1990. The state has reported 587 Covid-19 positive cases so far, of which 87 are still active. North Keralas Wayanad and Kasaragod have emerged as hotspots. A truck driver and a Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader have become the latest superspreaders. The driver came back from Chennais Koyembedu vegetable market, a Covid-19 hotspot, and infected 10 others with SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease, and the CPI(M) leader, who had sneaked into neighbouring Karnataka to bring back one of his relatives, infected eight others, said health officials. People slacken when restrictions are relaxed. This is not a good sign. Now, weve to be more vigilant even though weve to live with the virus. We managed the first two phases well. Our mortality rate, which is less than 1%, is the best in the world. However, we shouldnt lower our guard. The third phase is critical for the state, Shailaja said. Kerala is the first state in the country to report a Covid-19 positive case on January 30, when an infected medical student returned from China. The second phase occurred during the first week of March, when a few people, who came from abroad violated home quarantine norms and infected others. The state had successfully contained the viral outbreak with its track, trace, and treat methodology. But the third phase will be the most challenging as several stranded people are now returning to the state and 60% among the latest 80 Covid-19 positive cases are imported. At least 3,750 people returned by 17 international flights and three ships to the state in the last week from the Persian Gulf nations and the Maldives. Similarly 40,000 people stranded in other parts of the country returned to the state in the past 10 days. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Bombay High Court directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to file an affidavit furnishing details of maternity homes and clinics here that were attending to pregnant women amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Amjad Sayed on Friday was hearing a petition filed by one Mohiuddin Vaid raising concerns over an incident at state-run J J Hospital where a pregnant woman was denied admission, as she did not have a report certifying her as COVID-19 negative. The petitioner sought directions to the government and civic bodies to put in place appropriate measures for pregnant women during the pandemic. However, the state government, in its affidavit, claimed that no such incident was reported at J J Hospital. BMC counsel Anil Sakhare told the court that a number of maternity homes and clinics in the city were catering to pregnant women. The court then directed the civic body to file an affidavit with names and particulars of maternity homes and clinics in the city that were attending to pregnant women. The state's affidavit should also mention the number of deliveries that had taken place at these maternity homes and clinics over the past couple of weeks, the bench said. The matter was posted for further hearing on May 22. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 'The Ladakh clashes are mere warning signals of the storm to come on May 22 when the Chinese parliament meets,' observes Colonel Anil A Athale (retd). IMAGE: A defaced picture mocking Chinese President Xi Jinping and the coronavirus disease is seen above a riot policeman's head in Hong Kong, April 26, 2020. Photograph: Tyrone Siu/Reuters As the world battles the coronavirus in a desperate struggle, there have been intriguing events happening on the India-China border. The incidents in Sikkim and the Pengong Tsu area of Ladakh could not have come at a worse time as far as China is concerned. Already in the dock over the handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, why China would open another front is the logical question. As someone who began his military career in Ladakh 52 years ago and is familiar with the geography and military situation in Ladakh, one thing is for sure -- these are no local incidents. The incident in Sikkim could well be classed as 'local', but the standoff in the Pengong Tsu (lake) area is anything but local. The area is not remote and is close to the higher headquarters of both the Indian and Chinese armies. In a tightly controlled Chinese army, these situations must have been orchestrated at the highest level of army command. The situation in Ladakh has the potential to escalate as India now matches China in that area, gun for gun and tank for tank! One possible explanation for the recent event could be that the Chinese are trying to help Pakistan. With the recent setbacks to Pakistan-backed Kashmiri terrorists and the ever present possibility of Indian retaliation against Pakistan, China may well be trying to heat up the border to help Pakistan. But given the fact that events in Ladakh are too remote from the Kashmir valley and India has adequate force to deal with both issues, this seems unlikely. Possibly the border incidents have a link not to external, but internal issues in China. Let me explain. It is no secret that Xi Jinping -- China's supreme leader; general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, president of the People's Republic of China and chairman of China's military commission -- has been cultivating good relations with India for several years as a hedge against US and Western hostility. Now that the West is up in arms against China, all the more reason for Xi to not antagonise India. One may recall that just when Xi visited India in September 2014 to forge new ties with India, there were incidents in Ladakh. Some lobbies in China appeared to work against the rapprochement with India. There were unconfirmed reports later that the local Chinese military commander was subsequently sacked. The current tensions in Ladakh come at an awkward time for Xi as he faces the Chinese parliament on May 22. The incident may well have been engineered by the anti-Xi faction in the Chinese Communist Party. God and the Chinese Communist Party work in mysterious ways. There is enough historical precedent to show that the rest of the world was totally unaware of inner-party struggles in the 1950s and 1960s. Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution that saw the downgrading of Premier Zhou Enlai in the 1960s, the sudden ouster and death of Lin Biao (the People's Liberation Army commander and Mao's heir apparent) in September 1971, the rise of Deng Xiaoping and the ouster of Mao's widow Jiang Qing and the 'Gang of Four', all came without much warning. The recent clashes in Ladakh between Indian and Chinese troops may well be a signal of loosening control by Xi Iinping as he battles for survival. Xi's handling of the COVID-19 crisis may well have solidified opposition to him in the Chinese Communist Party. China's initial denial, the attempt at a cover-up and the later admission of a much higher death toll has severely dented the Chinese image globally. Leave alone Europe, even otherwise pliant African countries seem to have risen in revolt against China. This is signified by the fact that many of these countries have returned the Chinese testing kits as well as personal protective equipment as sub-standard. The anti-Xi Jinping faction (there is evidence of its existence) may well use these 'mistakes' to oust Xi. The more liberal Jiang Zemin -- former general secretary of the CCP -- and his faction may well be down, but are not out. The Chinese can then claim that the pandemic was Xi's fault and carry out course correction. The world reality is that China stands on the edge of being shunned globally. The economic consequences of anti-China measures can have a devastating effect on its export-oriented economy. Xi's ouster and new and more open policies may well be a prescription that the Chinese Communist Party may be looking at. The Ladakh clashes are mere warning signals of the storm to come on May 22 when the Chinese parliament meets. Many have also linked Nepal's sudden move to oppose the Indian road to the Lipu Lekh pass to Chinese intrigue. This road will make the Indian pilgrimage to Mount Kailash easier. While China may well have instigated Nepal, more importantly it is an economic issue for Nepal. Many Indians wishing to visit Kailash take the tour from Kathmandu. With the opening of the Lipu Lekh pass, the Nepal tourism industry stands to lose. The Nepalese upping the ante may well be due to this reason rather than any Chinese intrigue. All in all, we are in for interesting times as the Chinese say. Colonel Anil A Athale (retd) is a military historian and strategic thinker. D onald Trump has fired the state departments inspector general who is reported to have been investigating the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo. Steve Linick, who was appointed under the Obama administration, was removed from his job on Friday. The US president sent a letter to Congress saying he did not have full confidence in Mr Linick and his removal would take effect in 30 days. The sacking is the latest in a series of moves against independent executive branch watchdogs who have found fault with the Trump administration. Steve Linick was the State Department Inspector General for seven years / REUTERS A senior department official confirmed Mr Linick, who had held the job since 2013, was fired but gave no reason for his dismissal. Democrats in Congress immediately cried foul, with the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee suggesting Mr Linick was fired in part in retaliation for opening an unspecified investigation into Mr Pompeo. This firing is the outrageous act of a president trying to protect one of his most loyal supporters, the secretary of state, from accountability, New York Democrat Eliot Engel said in a statement. I have learned that the Office of the Inspector General had opened an investigation into Secretary Pompeo. Mr Linicks firing amid such a probe strongly suggests that this is an unlawful act of retaliation. Mr Trump sent a letter to Congress saying the State Department Inspector General would be removed from office / REUTERS Mr Engel offered no details of the alleged investigation into Mr Pompeo, but Mr Linicks office had issued several reports critical of the departments handling of personnel matters, including accusing some of Mr Trumps appointees of retaliating against career officials. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also condemned Mr Linicks removal, saying he had been punished for honourably performing his duty to protect the Constitution and our national security. The president must cease his pattern of reprisal and retaliation against the public servants who are working to keep Americans safe, particularly during this time of global emergency. Mr Linick will be replaced by Stephen Akard, a former career foreign service officer who has close ties to Vice President Mike Pence, according to the state department official who spoke on condition of anonymity. A member of congress has claimed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was being investigated / AFP via Getty Images Mr Akard currently runs the departments Office of Foreign Missions. He had been nominated to be the director-general of the foreign service but withdrew after objections he was not experienced enough. Mr Linick, a former assistant US attorney in California and Virginia, had overseen inspector general reports that were highly critical of the departments management policies during the Trump administration. His office had criticised several Trump appointees for their treatment of career staff for apparently being insufficiently supportive of Mr Trump and his policies. Under Mr Linick, the State Departments inspector general office was also critical of former Secretary of State Rex Tillersons hiring freeze and attempts to streamline the agency by slashing its funding and personnel. Mr Trump has been taking aim lately at inspectors general. In April, he fired Michael Atkinson, the inspector general for the intelligence community, for his role in the whistleblower complaint that led to Mr Trumps impeachment. Mr Trump then removed Glenn Fine as acting inspector general at the Defence Department, a move that stripped him of his post as chairman of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. During a White House coronavirus briefing, Mr Trump questioned the independence of an inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services over a report that said there was a shortage of supplies and testing at hospitals. New Delhi, May 16 : Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Saturday held a meeting with the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) to review the preparations for the impending cyclone over the Bay of Bengal. In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs said the IMD has informed that a depression has developed over the Bay of Bengal, which is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm. "It is likely to cross Odisha and West Bengal coasts by May 20. Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, accompanied by high-speed winds and tidal waves are expected," the statement said. During the meeting, officers of the concerned state governments confirmed their preparedness to deal with any emerging situation arising out of the cyclonic storm. "Further, the state governments have adequately warned the fishermen not to venture into the sea. Cyclone shelters have been readied and areas requiring evacuation of people have been identified," it added. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), armed forces and the Indian Coast Guard have been put on alert. They are coordinating with state government authorities. "They are prepositioning themselves adequately. The MHA is also in continuous touch with the state governments and concerned central agencies," the ministry said. The Cabinet Secretary took stock of the current situation and preparedness for rescue and relief operations and directed that immediate assistance, as required, be provided. Senior officials of the Ministries of Home, Defence as well as those from the IMD, NDMA and NDRF attended the meeting. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal The 3rd Congressional District has been a Democratic stronghold since its creation in 1982. In fact, just one Republican has ever held the seat and even then for an abbreviated term in the late 1990s after Bill Richardson stepped down to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Most election years, just one, maybe two, Republicans decide to enter the race in the Democratic dominated 3rd Congressional District race. One year, 2002, the GOP didnt bother to field a candidate. But nothing is normal in 2020. Initially, seven Republicans declared interest in pursuing the seat, perhaps sensing an opening in a year with an incumbent Republican president on the ballot in the general election. In the end, three made the ballot for the June 2 primary and one other qualified as a write-in candidate. One of the favorites is a former Democrat, however. Harry B. Montoya switched his political affiliation a year ago after he said Democratic Party leadership told him he wouldnt be supported because of his stance on abortion. He told the Journal in December that his anti-abortion stance and moderate political views made him the type of candidate that would appeal to voters in northern New Mexico, regardless of party. Montoya is a former Santa Fe County commissioner and spent eight years on the Pojoaque Valley school board. He now works as constituent/legislative affairs director for the Children, Youth and Families Department. Montoya ran for the 3rd Congressional District seat once before as a Democrat, placing fourth among six Democrats in the 2008 primary. Twelve years later, he thinks his chances are better now that hes a Republican. I wouldnt be doing this without the confidence that it will happen, he said of his chances of winning the seat. And I have had moderate friends tell me as much. Montoya emerged the winner at the state partys pre-primary convention in March, earning 39% of the delegate vote. Coming in second was Karen Bedonie, a member of the Mexican Springs chapter of the Navajo Nation, who garnered 31% of the vote. Bedonie told the Journal that she entered the race because people in her part of the state werent being represented. Bedonies campaign website features a photo of her holding a red, white and blue 308 Winchester rifle. The beginning of the regulation of arms is the beginning of the end, she says. Once they get rid of the Second Amendment, its all over. Alexis Johnson of Santa Fe spent most of her career as an energy consultant in the Permian Basin in southeast New Mexico. I am here to bring the voice of a mother, a rancher, a former oil and gas environmental consultant, an engineer, a native New Mexican, she says in her appeal to voters. Johnson has attended some of the reopen New Mexico rallies in Santa Fe and Grants. Its not the job of the governor to dictate to us how we live, she said at a Santa Fe event last month. Though her name wont be on the ballot, Angela Gale Morales of Rio Rancho has qualified for the primary as a write-in candidate. Republicans may have a hard time keeping pace with Democrats in fundraising. Campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission last month showed that the leading fundraiser among GOP candidates was Anise Golden Morper, who had raised $35,000. All of the Democratic candidates raised more than that and two have raised more than $1 million. Golden Morper dropped out of the race in March. Between the lockdown and the corona havoc, there is no improvement in the health of the first Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Ajit Jogi even after eight days. His condition continues to be worrying. In the detailed medical bulletin issued on Saturday morning, Dr. Sunil Khemka, the managing director of Srinarayan Hospital in the capital Raipur, has told that Jogi's condition remains worrisome and stable. He is not able to get out of coma. Teams of doctors are constantly striving for his better health. Despite this, he has gone into a coma due to zero brain activity. He is being breathed through a ventilator. Big Data Analytics conducts data research on these points 74-year-old Ajit Jogi has been admitted to the hospital on 9 May in the afternoon after having respiratory arrest and cardiac arrest. He is being treated by a team of doctors led by Dr. Pankaj. According to doctors, his heart, blood pressure and urin output are controlled. Pakistan increases defence budget from money given by IMF for corona crisis On 15 May yesterday, besides neurologists Dr. Chhatrapal Singh Sahu and Dr. Vivek Tripathi of Srinarayana Hospital, neurologists Dr. Sanjay Sharma and Dr. Nachiket Dixit tested Ajit Jogi's brain. The team of doctors discussed in detail the health of Ajit Jogi by teleconferencing with Dr. Vijay Kumar Sharma, Head of Neurology Department, National University Hospital, Singapore. MP Pragya Thakur tweets this after the Congress attack Updated at 9:35 p.m. RICHMOND Rebuking efforts by fellow Democrats, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, on Friday voted against the latest coronavirus stimulus package Congress is considering. On Friday night, the House of Representatives passed the "Heroes Act," a proposed $3 trillion package that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi drafted. It includes help for state and local governments, student loan forgiveness and hazard pay for frontline health care workers, among other things. The legislation, which Republican senators have said will not pass the Senate, also includes provisions to allow marijuana businesses access to banking and other measures that opponents say are not related to the pandemic. Spanberger, whose district includes Louisa and Orange counties, called the bill opportunistic. As the shockwaves of this pandemic continue, I have a responsibility to be honest with the people of Central Virginia, including those who are suffering, sick, losing their jobs, or losing their businesses," she said ahead of the vote Friday. "In the face of this crisis, they expect our government to work together quickly to provide real relief for those who need it most." "Unfortunately, many members of Congress including some in my own party have decided to use this package as an opportunity to make political statements and propose a bill that goes far beyond pandemic relief and has no chance at becoming law, further delaying the help so many need. Therefore, I will respectfully vote against this bill." Vizag chemical leak: Here are gas leak accidents that made headline the last few years LG Polymers in Vizag gets Styrene inhibitor from Dorf Ketal to increase safety India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa New Delhi, May 16: Dorf Ketal Chemicals has dispatched its Patented Actify series of Green Retarder and Styrene Polymer Inhibitor to LG Polymers Vizag, where there was a serious gas leak reported on Thursday morning. The Dorf Ketal product will be added into the tanks of the styrene stored at LG Polymers, Vizag. This will prevent further degradation and hence another probable gas leak, thereby ensuring the site is safe. ACtify Green Retarder is a new innovative green polymer retardant that is thermally stable and provides excellent protection during unscheduled shutdowns. The Procurement office from LG called up Dorf Ketal to procure ACtify 2680 - it's patented Green Retarder on the basis that Actify 2680 is safe to use and handle . And that is how Dorf Ketal got involved to help LG in India. Dorf was asked to give ACtify 2680 and ACtify 2673. ACtify 2673 is a polymerisation inhibitor which is used in Styrene plants. The entire activity unfolds to the midnight of May 7 and Dorf Ketal Mundra plant has to supply the material. The whole plant swiftly swings into action to get the material ready. One team was looking at arranging the transportation of the material from Mundra to Visakhapatnam as it needed to reach soon. Another team was getting the stocks of ACtify 2,680 and 2,673 ready, checked physically at the Mundra warehouse. Mundra is told to keep material ready dispatch anytime. There was a challenge due to limited manpower in the plant in view of the social distancing norms. On the May 9, Dorf Ketal is informed that the material would be airlifted as it is very urgent. They were told to pass on the details of the factory and nearest airport. After doing so they awaited further instructions. Meanwhile, the Dorf Ketal Plant had got the material fully packed and ready, waiting for final instructions for dispatch. All departments were kept on standby to intervene for any quick decisions, if necessary, so that there was no delay. The Whole Government Machinery - both State and Central swung into action in unison to get the necessary permissions in place and move the material from Dorf Ketal, Mundra to Vizag. The information that this material needs to reach Vizag from Mundra on priority is given to Government of AP, Government of Gujarat, Collector's office in Gujarat, Collector's office in AP and Ministry of Chemicals & Fertiliser of Government of India. There was a commitment from each of them that all help would be given with necessary permissions to move the material on high priority. During the process, there were multiple calls from the government officers to the Dorf Ketal Team, including its founder Subodh Menon, enquiring if they need any help or permission. The documentation is done by 3 pm and and since Dorf Ketal Mundra Plant is the in the Adani Port SEZ, the customs clearance was mandatory. It was decide to stick to the process and on the other hand the persons involved were pushed to move at double speed, so that no time was lost. An official from the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals - Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers was co-ordinating the overall efforts from the GOI. On the other hand, the Industries commissioner of AP Government was coordinating the movement of the material. Since the country is under lockdown due to Covid 19 - there were no options to move the material in the shortest duration to control the situation at Vizag. Finally the Central Home Ministry got involved and gave permissions to Airlift the material from Mundra with the Help of the Indian Air Force. Since the Adani Group had a private air strip couple of kilometres away from the Dorf Ketal Plant, it was decided to use that instead of the commercial airport at Kandla which is around 50 plus kilometres away. The officials from Adani group quickly made necessary arrangements to receive the transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force. The Indian Air Force, flew two sorties of its AN32 aircraft to Mundra, where it picked up Dorf Ketal's material from the Adani Airstrip. Dorf Ketal Employees themselves helped to load the material with forklifts. Hopefully after the addition of the Styrene Inhibitor, the LG Polymers site should be now completely safe. (L-R) CEO of Apple Tim Cook , U.S. President Donald Trump, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos attend a meeting of the American Technology Council in the State Dining Room of the White House June 19, 2017 in Washington, DC. It's not too late for the United States driven by the cutting-edge capabilities of its technology companies to leverage the coronavirus tragedy into a historic opportunity. It would be built around scientifically novel but increasingly available means to prevent future pandemics through constructing a "global immune system." David Bray, the director of the Atlantic Council's GeoTech Center, launched this year to help harness emerging technologies for good, has been pioneering the concept of a "Pandemic Prevention Board" as a significant first step. He likens the system to a previous time when the public "had to be convinced there was a need to install smoke detectors in large buildings linked to the fire department and automatic sprinkler systems to put out the fire." The PPB initially would be an industry-driven answer to the now-obvious need, in the words of Bill Gates, for world leaders to "take what has been learned from this tragedy and invest in systems to prevent future outbreaks." Gates, writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, laid it out this way: "We need to save lives now while also improving the way we respond to outbreaks in general. The first point is more pressing, but the second has crucial long-term consequences." The involvement of global governments would be essential, in the best case by planting seeds as early as the U.S.-hosted G7 summit on June 10 or the Saudi-hosted G20 meeting on July 18 or at the United Nations General Assembly in September. The dream outcome would be that public and private sectors worldwide would join hands urgently in a multi-faceted and coordinated effort that would produce a truly "new world order" out of our existing Covid-19 chaos. Don't hold your breath for that kumbaya moment. If this period has taught us anything it is that our political leaders of 2020 mostly were ill-prepared for the virus. Their responses thus far haven't been sufficiently cooperative, coordinated or pro-active to meet the historic challenge. With China and the United States on a collision course that's only likely to accelerate ahead of November's US elections, an industry-initiated approach could kick-start some tension-reducing collaboration, also among political leaders. The PPB would represent an alliance of technology companies focused on advancing solutions to safeguard against future low probability, high consequence pandemics either naturally occurring or manually designed. Though experts are afraid to say this out loud and thus tempt fate, the Covid-19 impact has also impressed terrorist and extremist groups about the low-cost, high-impact destructive power of pathogens. In Bray's plan, the board's flagship initiative would center around the concept of building an "immune system for the planet" that could detect a novel pathogen in the air, water or soil and rapidly sequence its DNA or RNA. This detection would then trigger rapid sequencing to fully characterize the pathogen. Once sequenced, high performance computers would strive to identify both the three-dimensional protein surfaces of either the virus or bacteria and then search through an index of known molecular therapies that might be able to neutralize the pathogen. The exponential reduction of the time required to take on a biothreat agent would save lives, property and national economies. With advances in biosensors, the Internet of Things and high-performance computing, it's not so far-fetched to imagine real-time data collection to identify problems early and guide responses. However, before getting too lost in the technologies that could make such a system work, it's worth reflecting on the cruel lessons of history that should shift even the harshest critics of multilateral collaboration into a more collaborative spirit to advance global resilience against future waves of the Covid-19 virus and future pandemics. It is essential we do this, finding a way to collaborate across nations and business sectors, while we still have the chance. I've been rereading two books in the past days that richly relate history's lessons, must-reading for today's leaders. Margaret Macmillan's "Paris 1919" illustrates how the United States and its European partners failed the test after World War I; Dean Acheson's "Present at the Creation" chronicles in great detail how, chastened by that experience, President Harry Truman and others used the post-World War II years to construct an international order that has delivered more than seven decades of growing prosperity and relative peace among major powers. Paris 1919 "is a study of flawed decisions with terrible consequences, many of which haunt us to this day," writes the late Richard Holbrooke in the book's foreword. A single paragraph can't settle the debate over President Woodrow Wilson's degree of blame for that failure. He had plenty of accomplices among the U.S. and international leaders of those times. However, what followed is undeniable: nationalism, fascism, the Holocaust and World War II. "Present at the Creation" is about a post-war challenge, writes Acheson, that was "just a bit less formidable than that described in the first chapter of Genesis. That was to create a world out of chaos; ours, to create half a world, a free half, out of the same material without blowing the whole to pieces in the process. The wonder of it is how much was done." That leaves today's leaders to either watch the existing, rules-based global order with all its flaws and dysfunctions tear apart under the coronavirus strain. Or they can search for ways to finish Acheson's half-complete job by creating something more inclusive, drawing upon public health as an indisputable common cause. That could advance the concept of a world where the U.S. and China continue to compete fiercely in large number of other areas, but where at the same time they show they can collaborate as well. That would begin with collaborative efforts to keep their citizens healthy from future novel pathogens, but they at the same time could establish habits that serve other concerns ranging from climate and trade to avoiding a modern-age superpower war with devastating consequences. "Washington's sins of omission and Beijing's sins of commission have conspired to sideline international institutions, helping frustrate their common goal of ending the pandemic," write Thomas R. Pickering and Atman M. Trivedi this week in Foreign Affairs. They point to previous times when the U.S. and China engaged in cooperative research and shared information to combat SARS and the avian flu in 2003, the swine flu in 2009, and the Ebola virus in 2014. During the Cold War, they write, Moscow and Washington "quietly collaborated on polio and smallpox vaccines." It may seem hopelessly naive to expect an even more ambitious degree of global collaboration now, but history's lesson is that the alternatives are horrifying. Frederick Kempe is a best-selling author, prize-winning journalist and president & CEO of the Atlantic Council, one of the United States' most influential think tanks on global affairs. He worked at The Wall Street Journal for more than 25 years as a foreign correspondent, assistant managing editor and as the longest-serving editor of the paper's European edition. His latest book "Berlin 1961: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth" was a New York Times best-seller and has been published in more than a dozen languages. Follow him on Twitter @FredKempe and subscribe here to Inflection Points, his look each Saturday at the past week's top stories and trends. For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter. Lots of people are stressed right now by issues related to the coronavirus crisis, experts say. From job loss, to struggles with overseeing homeschooling, to marital tensions during self-quarantines, the crisis has led to significant challenges in many households. But at point does depression or anxiety about the current situation call for professional intervention? Dr. William Beecroft, medical director for behavioral health at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, offers these five specific red flags: 1. If youre feeling depressed most of the time. So if youre feeling depressed, down in the dumps, blue, sad -- however you want to describe it -- 90% of the time for two weeks in a row, he said. 2. Significant in change in appetite. Youre having changes in appetite, either up or down, with a 10% change in your weight over two weeks, Beecroft said. 3. Major change in sleep habits. You have difficulty initiating sleep or youre waking up early, either one consistently for two weeks in a row without reason like youre drinking more coffee or doing a lot of Red Bull, he said. 4. Major change in use of alcohol use. If you experience a blackout and youve never had them before, he said. If youre experiencing a doubling or tripling of your intake of alcohol, if youre experiencing guilt about your behaviors when you were intoxicated, you need to reach out." 5. Feeling that life is not worth living. If you feel like lifes not worth go on, he said. Its important not to ignore the warning signs, said Scott Halstead, vice president of outpatient and recovery services at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services in Grand Rapids. "Dont just accept, Im not sleeping well irritable. I dont want to get out of bed in the morning. I cant concentrate. I have thoughts of harming myself, ' Halstead said. Those are not normal, and theres treatment for those issues. You should let someone know. And not only should we be mindful of ourselves, but we should keep an eye out for others at risk as well. People experiencing any of those issues should reach out to their primary-care physician for an assessment, experts say. There also are a number of telehealth programs that offer talk therapy without a doctors referral, including programs offered by Spectrum Health and Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services. In addition, Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan offer free telehealth behavorial health services to members. Other resources include: The Headspace website , which provides free, evidence-based guided meditations. It includes at-home workouts that guide people through mindful exercise (a type of meditation in which participants focus on being intensely aware of what they are sensing and feeling in the moment), sleep assistance and childrens content to help address rising stress and anxiety. The resource is free and available to the public through the Stay Home, Stay Well initiative. The National Suicide Prevention hotline, which is available 24/7 at 800-273-8255. The American Red Cross Disaster Distress Helpline, a hotline for anyone in distress during the coronavirus pandemic, is available continuously at 800-985-5990. The statewide Warmline, a phone line for Michigan residents with persistent mental health conditions. It will connect callers with certified peer support specialists who have lived experiences of behavioral health issues, trauma or personal crises, and are trained to support and empower the callers. The warmline operates seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. at 888-PEER-753 (888-733-7753). The states health crisis text line. Texting RESTORE to 741741 will launch a confidential text conversation with a crisis counselor. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help residents coping with any mental health crisis, including anxiety, financial stress, suicidal thoughts and domestic violence. COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces. Read all of MLives coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. Related stories: Michigans mask mandate highlights political fault lines in coronavirus crisis Michigan food assistance payments increased by $68M in March Nearly 900K Michigan students to receive food stamp benefits to battle meal shortages amid coronavirus outbreak Driving in the fast lane or any lane is just not possible during the lockdown and even after restrictions are lifted, it will take a while for borders to completely open up before adventurous drivers can gallop into the horizon in their SUVs. For now, the only lane you can cruise down is memory lane, reminiscing about your best moments behind the wheel. Thats exactly what Ive been doing sitting at home. Rummaging through my hard disk and a mountain of film, Ive unearthed my most epic drives and picked those that were truly unforgettable. Silk Route in Central Asia (1994) The independent Central Asian countries that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 were still steeped in the Soviet era and hadnt quite opened up to the outside world when we drove through them in 1994. Uzbekistans fabled towns Bukhara and Samarkand, with donkey carts as staple transport, felt stuck in time and the dazzling blue-tiled architecture showed off this regions glorious past. I had wangled a seat on this expedition led by Major H.P.S Ahluwalia, a military hero who climbed Mt Everest before being shot in the spine during the 1965 Indo-Pak war. His bullet injury left him paralysed waist down and confined to a wheelchair, but that didnt stop the gritty Ahluwalia from leading this 14,000 km expedition. It had taken Ahluwalia six years to get permission from China to allow us to cross into the sensitive Xinjiang region and our caravan of Mahindra Armadas were the first Indian cars to have set a wheel in this remote part of the world. Driving eastwards through the dreaded Taklamakan desert and returning to India across Tibet and via a detour to the base camp of Mt Everest at a time when few foreigners were allowed in this part of China, made this a truly pioneering expedition that will be hard to top. Kargil to Kanyakumari (2001) The concept was simple; drive to the two extremes of India in a pair of cars that sit at the two extremes of the Indian market. And so the K2K drive was flagged off from Kargil in a Maruti 800 and the uber-expensive Mercedes E240. Fourteen days and 4,300 km later both cars stood at the tip of the sub-continent in front of Kanyakumaris Vivekananda temple, none the worse for wear. The legacy of this drive lives on in the K2K name we originally coined. Its now commonly used by others doing a similar drive from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. SAARC Rally (2007) There will never be another road trip like the 2007 SAARC Rally across the SAARC countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the highlight of which was crossing into Pakistan at the Wagah border in a convoy of 30 Tata Safaris. To see homegrown Safaris thundering down Pakistani highways at the SAARC Rally in 2007 was a proud moment To see our homegrown Safaris thundering down Pakistani highways was a proud moment as this was possibly the first and only time a convoy of Indian cars was allowed into Pakistan. This rally had the blessings of the respective governments and took place at a time when the perpetually fragile Indo-Pak relations were possibly at their best. A year later we had 26/11 and relations fell south. To drive across the Wagah border all the way to Islamabad in an Indian registered car is unthinkable today. Lamborghini in icy Inner Mongolia (2012) Driving the Lamborghini Gallardo on ice is definitely a memorable experience Inner Mongolia. Lamborghini. A frozen lake. Each exotic enough on its own, so when you combine all three, they promise to serve up a truly bucket list experience. Inner Mongolia is actually a remote corner of China where I once flew to drive a Lamborghini Gallardo on a frozen lake. Driving a modern day supercar on ice in this Dr Zhivago-like wilderness where elk look at you quizzically was simply an out-of-this-world surreal experience. On slippery ice, I was happily sliding and pirouetting the Gallardo at pedestrian speeds, without a care in the world. The only thing I had to worry about was the -20 degree cold. Hormazd Sorabjee is one of the most senior and much loved auto journalists in India, and is editor of Autocar India Sunday Drive appears every fortnight From HT Brunch, May 17, 2020 Follow us on twitter.com/HTBrunch Connect with us on facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's announcement on Saturday as part of the Covid-19 stimulus package to privatise power distribution in all Union Territories (UT)s is part of the efforts to improve efficiencies in power distribution, reduce transmission losses and turnaround loss making distribution companies (discoms), say industry sources. Union Power Minister RK Singh had yesterday told a meeting of power sector executives that the Union Territories have been informed of the Government's plan to privatise distribution, based on totally open, transparent, competitive and commercial principles. Further, the Government has also proposed a PPP model for some of the state run utilities. ALSO READ:Big beneficiaries of Tranche IV stimulus: Adani, Vedanta, Tata Power, Anil Ambani's Reliance As part of the proposed new reforms in power sector, likely to be named Atal Distribution System Improvement Yojana (ADITYA), the unviable discoms have to try modernisation, reduce transmission and distribution losses and bring in new technologies like smart metres or go for privatisation by appointing licensees. Power is in the concurrent list of the Constitution of India and States manage power distribution, where as in UTs, it is directly done by the Union Government. States utilities are estimated to annually lose more than 15% of revenue, mainly due to old distribution infrastructure, power theft and billing and collection issues. India's average aggregate technical and commercial losses during power transmission are over 21% and the Government wants to reduce this to 12%, which can make many distribution utilities viable. The Finance Minister on Wednesday had announced a Rs 90,000 crore package for discoms as part of the revival plan. Discoms cumulatively owe more than Rs 90,000 crore to generation companies. ALSO READ:FM unveils tariff policy reforms for power sector Though most states are opposing privatisation of power sector, many cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata and many towns have partially privatised power distribution. Since 2002, power distribution in Delhi is done by BSES Rajdhani Power (BRPL), BSES Yamuna Power (BYPL) and Tata Power Delhi Distribution. Tata Power and Adani Electricity Mumbai are electricity distributors in Mumbai, besides two State Government owned utilities. Torrent Power supplies power to Ahmadabad, Surat, Agra, Bhiwandi and is among the first private companies in India to enter private power distribution. According to Torrent, its Bhiwandi T&D (transmission and distribution) loss is only 15.13% and in Agra it's 14.18%. A few months ago, Tata Power had bagged rights to supply power in five circles in Odisha, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Paradip, and Dhenkanal, for 25 years. ALSO READ:FDI in defence manufacturing raised to 74% from 49% Saudi Arabia has identified about 11,600 Nigerians reportedly stranded in the country, many due to the coronavirus disease, and is making plans to airlift them back home, an official has said. The Nigerian embassy official, who is privy to the development but asked not to be named as he was not authorised to speak to journalists, said the Saudis decision was contained in a letter addressed to the embassy a few weeks ago. The source added that the list, according to the Saudis, includes Nigerians who had visited the country for umrah a lesser hajj and were held up by the movement restrictions introduced by Saudi authorities as part of containment measures. The kingdom, which recorded its index coronavirus case on March 2, had initially imposed a travel ban on some neighbouring countries before extending it to include European countries and 12 others, on March 12. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, confirmed the development. He said Nigerias logistics challenge has been responsible for the delay in the repatriation. Speaking on Tuesday shortly after taking part in the daily media briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVId-19, Mr Onyeama told Premium Times that some of the stranded Nigerians would have landed about a week ago, but that the country does not have enough facilities to accommodate them all for the 14-day quarantine period. He said; We are aware of this In fact, they wanted to land last week, but they couldnt because there was no arrangement to receive them. As you heard, we have a capacity we can absorb. The medical people have to monitor them for two weeks for quarantine. But there is only a certain number of port health authority staff who are able to monitor all these people as they come in. As the SGF said, we have to finish the ones we have, then allow some more to come in. We cant allow everybody to come in because we dont have the capacity to house them and also to monitor them medically. Premium Times Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates A total of 449 trains have so far brought over 5.64 lakh migrant workers back to Uttar Pradesh which is the highest in the country, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said on Saturday. Seventy-three trains are scheduled to arrive on Saturday while permission for 286 trains has been given for Sunday. With this, about 9.5 lakh migrant labourers and workers have either returned or arrangements for their return have been made, Awasthi said. Three lakh people have come from Gujarat so far onboard 223 trains, 1.2 lakh on 97 trains from Maharashtra while 90,000 people have arrived from Punjab in 78 trains. Similarly, more trains would arrive from other states, he added. More than 15 lakh workers have returned to Uttar Pradesh by trains, buses and other modes of transport till now, he further said. The senior official said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over the Auraiya incident and instructed officers to make arrangements for migrant workers so that they safely reach their homes. At least 25 migrant workers were killed and 40 others injured when a trailer and a stationary truck on which they had hitched rides collided on a highway near Auraiya in the early hours of Saturday. All police officers have been instructed to provide food and water to all migrant workers by taking details on the border. They should be screened and should be sent home safely in a respectful manner. Make sure that no migrant worker travels on foot, the Chief Minister has instructed, Awasthi said. On the instructions of the Chief Minister, 200 buses have been deployed on state borders while additional arrangements have been made in all the districts of the border, the additional chief secretary said. He said that the Chief Minister has given instructions to improve food quality and distribution arrangements through the community kitchens. Monitoring committees in rural and urban areas have been instructed to ensure proper home quarantine as about 15 lakh workers have returned home. The Chief Minister also instructed officials to install ultra-thermometers for screening in every village while also giving directions to increase the testing capacity to 10,000 per day, Awasthi said. In connection with the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package, all the officials have been instructed to make a plan and send it to the Central government. The Chief Minister has directed officials to engage labourers under the Jal Jeevan mission and get them to take care of destitute cattle shelter homes and plantation work. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) White House adviser Ivanka Trump, daughter of President Donald Trump, speaks at an event in Laurel, Md. on May 15, 2020. (Andrew Harnik/AP Photo) Ivanka Trump and Agriculture Secretary Unveil Farmers to Families Food Box Program White House adviser Ivanka Trump and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Friday formally kicked off a new food distribution program that pairs struggling producers and families strongly impacted by the pandemic. Billions of dollars worth of fruit, vegetables, and other farm products that might have gone to waste because of the pandemic will instead be delivered to food banks and nonprofits that serve the needy under a new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program called Farmers to Families Food Box. During their tour of Coastal Sunbelt Produce, a dairy and produce distributor in Maryland, Trump and Perdue marked the programs launch at a ceremony. Perdue said that prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, Americas food supply chains operated smoothly and were taken for granted. Half of your business evaporated overnight, he said of the impact on suppliers and distributors of virus-driven shutdowns in the foodservice industry, which includes restaurants and airlines, now shuttered and grounded. With restaurants closed, hotels idled, and cruise ships docked, farmers have been left without distributors to buy their goods, leading to waste. When this thing happened, obviously, it was horrifying to hear about vegetables having to be plowed under because of no markets and milk having to be dumped, animals potentially having to be euthanized because we had broken the supply chain, Perdue said. The program aims to quickly rescue food from struggling farmers and deliver it to those in need as fallout from the pandemic has put millions of Americans out of work and under greater strain. The first daughter said that last Friday, the administration approved $1.2 billion in first-round contracts for the program. I am proud that the majority of the recipients are small and regional food suppliers who prioritize smaller farms and non-profits in their bids, Trump said. She added that the program has had real impact on companies like Coastal Sunbelt, which rehired 50 employees to help with program execution, who previously had been furloughed due to COVID-19. Its part of the $3 billion Coronavirus Farm Assistance Program announced on April 17, under which the USDA buys from producers and distributes to communities. Coastal Sunbelt Produce is packaging the fruits and vegetables in family-sized cardboard boxes and expects to deliver 35,000 boxes a week to food banks and other organizations through June 30. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who attended the event, hailed the program as a win many times over, saying it has helped our farmers and our growers and our suppliers and its helping put people to work right here and bringing them back. Its helping our food banks, and our community organizations and our faith-based organizations feed people that are hungry during a difficult time, he added. Perdue, in an interview with USA TODAY, said the program would also address the food supply chain gaps that saw food go to waste while growing numbers of needy Americans lined up at food banks. There was a mis-allocation of supply and demand, temporarily, Perdue said. President Donald Trump praised the program at an unrelated White House event on Friday. Itll be helping farmers, ranchers, but itll be bringing food to some of the food lines and some of the food kitchens that youve been seeing on television, he said. Were going to be buying $3 billion worth of that food, Trump said. Great for everybody: our farmers, our ranchers, and the people that need great food. The presidents eldest daughter has been working with USDA, the Small Business Administration, and the Treasury Department to include smaller farms in COVID-19 relief programs, the White House said. Trump also said Friday that almost every state had taken steps to begin reopening. The American people are doing an extraordinary job of continuing to take precautions while, at the same time, wanting to start, he said. And they will be starting to resume their American way of life, Trump said, adding that we will be reigniting our economic engines while taking care of our most vulnerable. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Since the outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, the world has been skeptical of Chinas confirmed cases and deaths figures. In fact, this is not the first time that the totalitarian regime is facing the worlds scrutiny for spreading disinformation on matters related to health emergencies: in 2003 it was the SARS coverup. But how many are aware of the fact that even the school textbooks in China contain distorted information on history, both theirs and the worlds? Here are five of the biggest lies that Chinese students are taught in school. Lie #1: Sino-Japanese War For decades, the Chinese communist regime has been claiming that it led China to victory and defeated Japan during the Sino-Japanese War. However, this is far from the truth, and the CCP claiming the credit definitely does not sit well with the Kuomintang troopsthe soldiers who fought in the war. Communist troops wave Chinas Nationalist flag in the Hundred Regiments Offensive. (Public Domain) The Chinese Communist Party didnt defeat Japan, said veteran Maj. Tao Shin-jun to Los Angeles Times in 2015. During those eight years, it was us Nationalists who were fightingthe communists were not doing battle with the Japanese. They were trying to get Nationalist soldiers to defect to their side. According to The Epoch Times editorial series Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, historical evidence has shown that the CCP intentionally avoided battles in the Sino-Japanese War. The series also mentioned that in 1972, Mao Zedong told Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka that the CCP would not have gained power in China if the war didnt happen. Notwithstanding the historical evidence and archives, the authoritarian regime told Chinese educators in 2017 to rewrite textbooks on the countrys war with Japan. The New York Times reported that instead of the Eight-Year War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, which lasted from 1937 to 1945, the educators were asked to change it to Fourteen-Year War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression to include 1931 to 1936 when the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Manchuria. A man with his ribs showing eats rice squatting in front of Chinese government propaganda posters during the Sino-Japanese War. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images) The Chinese Ministry of Education said the reason for rewriting of the textbooks was to emphasize the communist partys core role in the war and also to promote patriotic education, according to The New York Times. However, Kerry Brown, a professor of Chinese politics at Kings College London, thinks the distorting of history showed the communist partys insecurity. It demonstrates this continuing keenness by the party now to seek sources of legitimacy wherever it can and reveals more insecurity than real strength, he told The New York Times. Lie #2: The Great Famine The three-year Great Famine, which lasted from 1959 to 1961, has been labeled by the Chinese regime as three years of natural disaster, with the regime blaming it on the weather. Yang Jisheng, a veteran Chinese journalist and the author of Tombstone, a book that details the Great Famine, had looked through different sources and archives of meteorological data from 1958 to 1961 and found no records of natural disasters such as flood or drought. In fact, the Great Famine was actually a major economic disaster caused by the Great Leap Forward, a campaign that required everyone in the country to get involved in steel-making and forced farmers to leave their crops. It resulted in the death of 40 million lives according to the article Great Famine in the book Historical Records of the Peoples Republic of China (pdf) published in February 1994 by the Red Flag Publishing House, stated Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party (pdf). (JACQUET-FRANCILLON/AFP via Getty Images) However, Helen Raleigh, an immigrant from China and a senior contributor to The Federalist, wrote in an article dated in 2016 that her high school history book didnt mention the number of people who died. Instead, the famine was summarized in only a few sentences. Raleigh added that there were no official books that detailed what happened. But she learned through her parents that she had an uncle who died as a baby because of starvation. She said that her grandmother was too hungry to produce any milk, and there was no baby formula available. In an earlier article by The Epoch Times, Mr. Jiang, from Xie County, Shanxi Province, recalled an even more horrifying scenecannibalism. People ate anything, he said. There were deaths in every family. Dead bodies were everywhere. Finally, people started eating humans, including living ones and relatives. Lie #3: Tiananmen Square Massacre The world cant forget the iconic image of the Tank Man standing in front of a line of tanks at Tiananmen Square on June 5, 1989, as well as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, which happened a day earlier on June 4, 1989. It was the day when many innocent citizens, including students, were gunned down and crushed by tanks. The incident first started in April 1989 when thousands of pro-democracy students rallied on the streets of Beijing calling for political and economic reforms and for an end to government corruption. However, Chinese soldiers and military vehicles charged into Tiananmen Square overnight on June 34 and killed many. According to declassified information leaked by an anonymous high-level source in the Chinese State Council, some 10,454 people were killed by Chinese soldiers during the massacre. Despite the fact that the news was reported widely all around the world, not many Chinese students know of this fateful day. Eric Fish, the author of Chinas Millennials: The Want Generation, wrote on TIME that he met a young Chinese woman majoring in journalism at Columbia University who didnt know about the massacre until a teacher played the video footage. The woman even got upset and thought it was propaganda from America. It was only after the woman did her own research on the internet that she realized what had happened, Fish said. In fact, the reason that some students are left in the dark about this important historical incident is due to the Chinese regimes propaganda and censorship. The regime claimed that no students had died and that some students had attacked the troops, killing some; however, the CCP later revised its position. According to BBC, the CCP said that the counter-revolutionary riots that happened on June 4 had resulted in the death of 200 civilians and some security personnel. As for those who knew a thing or two about the incident, some have dismissed it as an unrelated event. Cui, an auditor, told Foreign Policy, that the anniversary of June 4 has nothing to do with him. Moreover, I dont know any young people around me who care about the June 4 anniversary either, he said. Lie #4. No Believing of Gods The CCP, known for promoting atheism, claims that religion is a spiritual opium that can intoxicate people. Since the time it came into power in China, the CCP ordered a crackdown on religions and religious groups. Up to today, religious persecution continues in communist China, and party members, including retired officials, had been told repeatedly that they should not believe in religions. According to a report by BBC, the Chinese state-run media Xinhua quoted an official, saying: There are clear rules that retired cadres and party members cannot believe in religion, cannot take part in religious activities, and must resolutely fight against cults. School teachers in China are usually required to ask their young students to report family members who take part in religious activities, according to a March 2019 report by Bitter Winter, a magazine on religious liberty and human rights in China. The magazine wrote that some police officers went to an elementary school in Beijing to ask the grade six students if their family members are religious believers and even tried to bribe them. In Shangqiu City, Henan Province, some secondary school students were told to sign their names on a banner, pledging to stay away from gods. They were also threatened with expulsion if they were found to be religious. Such policies have created stress in some families. A Chinese Christian woman told Bitter Winter that her son had been indoctrinated by his teacher into believing that his mother would abandon him and might even burn herself. Before starting school, I told my child about Gods creation, and he believed it, the woman said. But after being taught at school, my child is like a different person. In atheistic China, these pure and innocent children have been taught to hate God. Another elementary school student in Hebei Province tried persuading his Christian father to not believe in God. It leads to a dead end. If you attend gatherings, you will be arrested, the boy told his father, the magazine reported. Lie #5. Tiananmen Self-Immolation Hoax On Jan. 23, 2001, a day before the Chinese Lunar New Year, the Chinese state media reported that some Falun Gong practitioners, including a 12-year-old girl, had self-immolated in Tiananmen Square. This incident was later added to the Chinese elementary school textbooks to incite young students to hate Falun Gong. A snapshot of the elementary school textbook Thoughts and Moral Education (Tenth volume) printed in November 2003. (Minghui) Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, is a mind-body practice that consists of five sets of exercises and the universal principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Merely within five years after its introduction in 1992, as many as 70 million people were practicing Falun Gong. Fearing the spiritual practices growing popularity and teachings of moral improvement, the CCP launched a brutal crackdown on the practice in July 1999; the persecution has led to many practitioners being arrested, detained, and tortured. When the persecution first started, many Chinese were sympathetic towards adherents of Falun Gong. However, suddenly, masses became enraged with the practice after the propaganda of self-immolation was widely broadcast in China via the state media. A week later after the news was reported, evidence that the self-immolation was staged started surfacingthe number of self-immolators increased from the original five people to seven when the video of the incident was broadcast on CCTV. Moreover, The Washington Post reported on Feb. 4, 2001, that the neighbors of two of the alleged self-immolatorsLiu Chunling, 36, and her 12-year-old daughter, Liu Siyinghad never seen the mother or daughter practicing Falun Gong. The neighbor told the reporter about an incident when Liu hit her 78-year-old adoptive mother. There was something wrong with [Liu Chunling], the neighbor said. She hit her mother, and her mother was crying and yelling. She hit her daughter, too. Her behavior contradicts what Falun Gong teaches its adherents, namely, the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. The Washington Post report also mentioned that only the Chinese state media were allowed to interview survivors and interact with their relatives. A snapshot of the elementary school textbook Thoughts and Moral Education (Tenth volume) printed in November 2003. (Minghui) There was further evidence that showed that the incident was staged. Foreign reporters who were familiar with Tiananmen Square said that the police usually would not be carrying fire extinguishers. However, footage of the incident showed that the police were able to put out the fire quickly with fire-fighting equipment. The incident was later analyzed and made into a documentary called False Fire, which won an honorary award at the 51st Columbia International Film Festival for exposure of the tragic event in November 2003. However, despite all the pieces of evidence, many people in China remained unaware of the facts due to the Great Firewall of China. Watch the documentary False Fire below: In the future, everything will be eaten by Mark Zuckerberg Facebook is acquiring Giphy in a deal valued at roughly $400 million. The GIF-sharing service was valued at ~$600 million in its latest funding round. Giphy will keep its branding and will be integrated with Instagram. Facebook made it official on the Facebook blog. A lot of people in our community already know and love GIPHY. In fact, 50% of GIPHY's traffic comes from the Facebook family of apps, half of that from Instagram alone. By bringing Instagram and GIPHY together, we can make it easier for people to find the perfect GIFs and stickers in Stories and Direct. Both our services are big supporters of the creator and artist community, and that will continue. Together, we can make it easier for anyone to create and share their work with the world. We've used GIPHY's API for years, not just in Instagram, but in the Facebook app, Messenger and WhatsApp. GIPHY will continue to operate its library (including its global content collection), and we're looking forward to investing further in its technology and relationships with content and API partners. People will still be able to upload GIFs; developers and API partners will continue to have the same access to GIPHY's APIs; and GIPHY's creative community will still be able to create great content. We're so excited to share some news GIPHY has been acquired by @Facebook and is joining the @Instagram team! Read more here: https://t.co/U6AYQ16cEQ pic.twitter.com/ATjEY1VK3K GIPHY (@GIPHY) May 15, 2020 Axios was first to break the news: Giphy is expected to retain its own branding, with its primary integration to come via Facebook's Instagram platform. New York-based Giphy had raised around $150 million in VC funding since its 2013 inception, from firms like Betaworks (which incubated the company), Lerer Hippeau, IVP, DFJ Growth, GGV Capital, and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Its most recent private valuation was around $600 million. Yes, but: Facebook is facing enormous blowback over its previous acquisitions, which means that this deal, however small by comparison, is likely to face a lot of antitrust scrutiny by regulators. The tech giant is currently under investigation by federal and state lawmakers for antitrust. Read more: Scoop: Facebook to buy Giphy for $400 million [via techmeme, reporting by Dan Primack, Kia Kokalitcheva, Sara Fischer] And related reporting: Facebook's purchase of Giphy gives FB insight into how and where gifs are shared outside of its own apps, including device IDs and keystrokes in Giphy tools John Borthwick, one of Giphy's early investors and board members, describes how the Facebook deal came about and says talks began in late March [Issie Lapowsky / Protocol] Facebook's acquisition of GIPHY is yet another attempt to dominate the market & taunt our competition laws. Antitrust enforcers at the DOJ & FTC must stand up & make sure that the COVID-19 pandemic is not a pretense for corporate behemoths to prey on struggling startups. https://t.co/UqKkHCPUvp Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) May 15, 2020 Now that Giphy has been acquired by FB, many have reached out to ask whether we should be concerned about Giphy search in Signal. Signal already uses a privacy preserving approach to prevent gif search providers from receiving user data:https://t.co/PhfdHb9aJ0 Moxie Marlinspike (@moxie) May 15, 2020 My analysis: With the Giphy buy, Facebook will get a ton of insight into how people are using Twitter, iMessage, Slack, TikTok, etc. And that's why it's worth it to buy them, not just invest. https://t.co/GhnVt00msF Sarah Frier (@sarahfrier) May 15, 2020 everything must be owned by five companies https://t.co/Y2kfKHnhEM @alexhern (@alexhern) May 15, 2020 this is a good thread on the strategic value of FB buying Giphy funny to think that they can keep recreating the onavo acquisition in the future, always keeping an eye on the competition https://t.co/YvHkXNFiIw rat king (@MikeIsaac) May 15, 2020 By PTI PATNA: A one-year-old girl and five police personnel were among 66 people who tested positive for COVID 19 in Bihar on Saturday, taking the number of cases to 1,145 in the state, a top official said here. According to Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar, the baby is from Jehanabad. She had been at a quarantine centre since May 14 when her mother tested positive for the disease, civil surgeon Vijay Kumar Sinha said. Five police personnel, including a woman in her late 20s, tested positive in Nawada district, which accounted for nine cases, the principal secretary said. Nawada Superintendent of Police Hari Prasad said the woman hailed from Bhojpur district and recently joined duty at the Bundelkhand police station. All personnel deployed at the police station, including the station house officer, have been quarantined. Purnea district reported the maximum number of 15 cases in a day, all of them migrant workers stationed at a quarantine centre in Rupauli block, the principal secretary said. District Magistrate Rahul Kumar said 11 of these migrants were among 55 people who returned to the north Bihar town from Azadpur in Delhi on a truck earlier this month. Previously, 10 other people who came by the truck had tested positive for the disease. Four others patients had returned from Haryana. Six people, including a three-year-old boy, tested positive in Madhubani district, the principal secretary said. According to a release issued by the Madhubani administration, one of the patients aged 25 years had returned from Ahmedabad and he had been staying at the Rupauli quarantine centre in Purnea while the remaining five were residents of Rahika and Rajnagar blocks. Eight people tested positive in Gopalganj while Begusarai reported seven fresh cases. Four people tested positive in Bhagalpur district, all of them residents of different villages falling under Kahalgaon sub-division. Sub-divisional hospital's superintendent Lakhan Murmu said all the four are migrant workers of whom three had come from Delhi and one from Hyderabad. Munger, the state's worst-affected district, reported two cases, taking the number of cases to 125. Muzaffarpur, Aurangabad, Katihar and Khagaria districts also reported two cases each. Three cases were reported from Vaishali and one each from East Champaran, Sheohar and Nalanda, the principal secretary added. The state has so far reported seven COVID-19 deaths two from Patna and one each from Munger, Vaishali, East Champaran, Sitamarhi and Rohtas. Altogether, 453 people COVID-19 patients have been discharged after recovery across the state. The badly affected districts also include Patna with 105 cases, Rohtas (77), Nalanda (68), Buxar (59), Begusarai (54), Siwan and Khagaria (43 each). Only four districts Gaya, Sitamarhi, Araria and Sheohar - have their tallies in single digit. Gaya has been classified among red zone districts by the state government in view of its high risk potential as the town happens to be a renowned pilgrimage spot for Hindus and Buddhists and attracts visitors from far and wide. More than half of the state's total number of cases have been reported in the past fortnight and the spike has been mainly attributed to the heavy influx of migrants who are returning by Shramik Special trains besides other modes of transport. State health department said random sampling has been done of 9,023 migrants during the period and 427 of them have tested positive. The total number of tests conducted so far is 44,340 and the state is making efforts to improve its daily average from 1,800 samples to 10,000. WASHINGTON As the nation begins to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic, some people are looking to the skies and experts dont necessarily like what they see, arguing there are not enough safeguards in place to protect passengers and crew. While air travel has fallen sharply due to the virus, the airports are open and planes are flying both domestically and internationally. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued travel guidelines encouraging air passengers to wear face coverings, keep 6 feet of physical distance from others and only board planes for essential travel. However, these guidelines are merely suggestions. There is no requirement for masks, and there have been multiple reports of crowded conditions in airports and on planes, which have left passengers alarmed. The Transportation Security Administration, which screens passengers and luggage at airports, has also experienced over 560 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and six deaths from the illness. Despite these concerns, there are currently no coronavirus screening procedures for domestic air travelers, and a congressional investigation has also raised questions about the level of screening being conducted for international passengers. Speaking in the Oval Office on April 28, President Trump told reporters his administration is working on implementing a procedure for temperature checks and COVID-19 tests for air travelers. Were also setting up a system where we do some testing, and were working with the airlines on that, Trump said. A TSA officer wears a protective mask while screening travelers at Orlando International Airport. (Paul Hennessy/Echoes Wire/Barcroft Media via Getty Images) According to a May 6 government document reviewed by Yahoo News, the CDC was developing a tool for predicting risk of importation of COVID-19 among international travelers and meeting with the White House National Security Council to discuss strategies for screening arriving international passengers from countries with substantial COVID-19 transmission. However, there have been reports of discord between the CDC and the White House. On May 9, USA Today reported CDC officials were overruled by the White House after they raised concerns about a potential plan to establish temperature checks at the airports. While some COVID-19 patients do have high fevers, many do not and others are entirely asymptomatic. Story continues USA Todays report included an email Dr. Martin Cetron, the CDCs director of global mitigation and quarantine, sent to officials with the Department of Homeland Security criticizing the temperature checks as a poorly designed control and detention strategy. Cetron, the CDC and DHS did not respond to requests for comment. The White House did not respond to questions about the reported disagreements from the CDC or whether the Trump administration believes temperature checks are an adequate screening measure for airports. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the chairman of the House oversight subcommittee on economic and consumer policy, has investigated coronavirus screening procedures at airports. Earlier this week, the Illinois Democrat told Yahoo News he was concerned by the report that the White House is pursuing a temperature screening plan over the objections of CDC officials. The White House has been ignoring and sidelining Americas public health experts at the CDC, instead relying on nonexpert political appointees to make public health decisions, Krishnamoorthi said. I am troubled by reports that officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could raise this public health concern and be essentially overruled by presidential aides. The desire to lure Americans back into traveling by making them feel like they are safe cannot outweigh the need to actually keep this country safe. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi on Capitol Hill last year. (Jacquelyn Martin/Getty Images) Krishnamoorthi has previously raised concerns about what he described as lax screening procedures for international travelers coming into the United States from coronavirus hot spots in March as the pandemic exploded around the globe. Trump has repeatedly pointed to restrictions he imposed on travelers from China where the virus originated on Jan. 31 as evidence of his strong efforts to curb its spread in the United States. However, the restrictions on China contained exemptions that allowed over 400,000 people to subsequently travel from that country to the United States. And on May 7, Krishnamoorthis subcommittee released the results of an investigation that focused on two other early coronavirus hot spots Italy and South Korea. Krishnamoorthi said he believes Trump has focused on rhetoric and bluster rather than actually effective screenings. Just from what we found with Italy and South Korea, there was no border closing. There was no screening. Unfortunately, the lack of screening probably had some very serious consequences at a time when cases were exponentially rising in the United States. Krishnamoorthis investigation, which included extensive briefings from officials, found that the White House National Security Councils Policy Coordination Committees decided in March to rely on South Korean and Italian officials to screen passengers in those countries who were headed to the United States. The probe further found the U.S. had limited oversight for those screenings in Italy and that only 69 passengers were prevented from coming to the U.S. from those two countries in March. Once they arrived, the investigation found passengers entering from the two countries did not receive additional health screenings. Potentially thousands and thousands of people came across without screenings from what were two of the leading coronavirus hot spots at the time, Krishnamoorthi told Yahoo News. It doesnt take a lot to believe that folks came over and seeded further outbreaks here in this country. An Italian Red Cross volunteer measures the temperature of a colleague in Gavirate, Italy. (Mattia Ozbot/Soccrates Images/Getty Images) Jonathan Ullyot, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, responded to questions about Krishnamoorthis investigation with a statement touting the governments steps to screen international arrivals earlier this year. The reality is that the United States government took early and decisive action to mitigate the risk from global hot spots, including China, Iran, South Korea, and the Schengen area of Europe, Ullyot wrote. After restricting travel from China on January 31 the security directive put forth by the administration required enhanced medical screenings for all passengers before they departed on flights to the United States from Northern Italy and South Korea. According to Ullyot, the screenings in Italy and South Korea included checking the passengers temperature, visual observations to detect signs of illness, and questionnaires. While Ullyot did not dispute Krishnamoorthis contention that the U.S. relied on officials in those countries to conduct the screenings and that few passengers were denied boarding, he said U.S. mission staff visited airports in both countries to observe these screening procedures. A senior Trump administration official, who requested not to be named, said all international arrivals to the United States are subject to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) screenings that are following CDC guidelines. The official explained that those guidelines require CBP officers to refer travelers to the CDC, DHS contract medical screeners, or local health authorities for health screening if they are exhibiting symptoms or have traveled from countries that have experienced major outbreaks. According to the official, the CBP has established processes to identify travelers who have traveled to the United States directly or indirectly from areas that are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks. Randy Babbitt, former administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty images) Domestic air passengers, however, are treated differently. With regard to domestic travel, theres not more screening beyond what TSA normally does, Krishnamoorthi said. He said that lack of screening for domestic travelers is particularly worrisome as areas of the country are beginning to lift lockdown restrictions. He suggested this could lead to a situation where business people go back and start traveling and then transport these cases everywhere. We have to look at the science of it more closely, and we have to develop a more precise way of screening, Krishnamoorthi said. Randy Babbitt, a former administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, said the lack of new screening procedures is not as much of a problem right now since nobodys flying. However, he said it will become a pressing issue as the country reopens and airports become more crowded. People are going to start flying and as it ramps back up, that becomes a different question, Babbitt told Yahoo News. Babbitt further explained that one difficulty with establishing comprehensive procedures for airports is that so many different government agencies are involved in air travel. However, he pointed to proposals generated by Stonebriar Strategy Group Thought Leadership Initiative, a nonprofit consultancy, as a realistic potential road map. Howard Thrall, the president and senior partner of the group, said the organization is comprised of multiple retired consultants and executives who have worked in the industry. According to Thrall, a veteran executive who has worked for multiple aviation and aerospace companies, the group came together because they were totally amazed a coronavirus airport screening system has not yet been established. This is really a pro bono exercise for a bunch of old graybeards, Thrall said. Terminal 1 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) The Stonebriar Strategy Groups proposal calls for screening perimeters to be established outside airports, where rapid COVID-19 tests, questionnaires and temperature checks could be administered to travelers and workers. Setting up a screening perimeter would mean that even if passengers ended up in close proximity during boarding or on planes, they could have a higher degree of confidence those around them were not contagious. Along with addressing safety concerns, Thrall said implementing these screenings could help the economy since aviation is a substantial part of the nations gross domestic product and boosting consumer confidence is crucial to returning the industry to normal levels. He pointed to the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, when the TSA was formed and security screening procedures were transformed, as evidence that airport procedures can quickly be revamped. The Stonebriar Strategy Groups detailed proposal estimated it would cost approximately $6.8 million per airport, per year, to establish coronavirus screening perimeters. With approximately 5,000 public airports in the country, that would mean a total cost of about $34 billion. However, Thrall argued that cost is realistic relative to the urgent need and the trillions of dollars the government is spending to address the coronavirus. Thats why we wrote it up. It wasnt happening and it could happen. This is not a big deal, Thrall said. I mean, its not going to be free by any means, but this is very, very manageable. _____ 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 war of words over Queensland's decision to keep its border closed to NSW has erupted into a major state of origin clash, with rhetorical barbs masking serious concern about the economic losses. Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the closed border was "ridiculous" and undermined the Sunshine State's bid for failed airline Virgin. Meanwhile, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet chided the Queensland government for accepting his state's goods and services tax revenue but not its people. NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet at the reopened Balmain Hotel on Friday. Credit:Edwina Pickles In return, Queensland's Deputy Premier Steven Miles vowed his state's borders would stay shut until the health advice changed. "We know Sydney can be dreary but hang in there," he said. Figures compiled by Tourism Research Australia and provided by Destination NSW showed that 4.5 million visitors from Queenslandspent a total of 17 million nights south of the border last year, worth $3.4 billion or an average of $65 million a week. Masks go hand-in-hand with some occupations -- welding, professional wrestling. But retail? Not so much. Their addition to the workplace is an adjustment for most people, but masks were a real concern for Dennis Parry, general manager of the Best Buy in Bethlehem Township. Parry is hard of hearing and the companys requirement for employees to wear face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic made him worry about his ability to communicate, because while he wears hearing aids, he also reads lips to make out words. When I first heard about the change, I felt like I was going to be a hindrance to the team, said Parry, who shared his story with Best Buys corporate blog. I wanted to make sure Id be able to communicate with my staff. Parrys inquiry initially hit obstacles as suitable solutions were out of stock. But Shannon Albu, a senior manager within the company, found an appropriate design -- a mask with a clear, vinyl window over the mouth -- and reached out to a group of Best Buy workers who were already sewing masks for other employees across the country. Sarah Cox met Albu's call and created the first batch of face coverings that was sent to the Lehigh Valley location, which is offering curbside pickup for shoppers as social-distancing measures stay in place. I rely on the ability to see peoples lips to communicate. The masks help me be a leader who works side by side with his staff," Parry said. The effort to quickly fulfill Parry's needs during a time of crisis was appreciated his colleagues. Dennis is an incredible manager who cares deeply about people, said Johnny Arias, Parrys district manager. Hes actively engaged in the community and is always looking to make a difference for others who are hard of hearing. Im proud that Best Buy has his back. 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. Turkey intends to start accepting foreign tourists on mid-June, the first guests will be expected from China, South Korea and other Asian countries, the head of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said. According to him, regular international flights will be launched to many regions of the world. Ersoy noted that domestic tourism in the country could be resumed on May 28, at the end of the holy month of Ramadan. By Trend The construction of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) is extremely important for Bulgaria and for the Southeast Europe, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said, as he shared a video on IGB progress on Facebook, Trend reports. He pointed out that IGB, which is a part of the development of the Southern Gas Corridor, will give access to Bulgaria and its neighboring countries to alternative supplies from the Caspian region, as well as from existing or future liquefied natural gas terminals. The interconnector will provide connectivity to other planned gas projects, such as the liquefied gas terminal in Alexandroupolis, as well as liquefied natural gas from Israel, Egypt and other sources, added Borissov. The IGB gas pipeline will be connected with the Greek national gas transmission system in the area of Komotini and with the Bulgarian national gas transmission system in the area of Stara Zagora. The planned length of the pipeline is 182 km, the pipeline diameter will be 32" and the projected capacity will be up to 3 bcm/y in the direction from Greece to Bulgaria. Depending on the interest from the market and the capacities of the neighboring gas transmission systems, the pipeline is designed for increasing its capacity up to 5 bcm/y for following up the market evolution thus allowing physical reverse flow (from Bulgaria to Greece) with the additional installation of a compressor station. A Memorandum for cooperation between ICGB AD and TAP AG has been signed concerning joint actions in relation to future connection between the IGB pipeline and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Critics have called on voters to boycott polls over ballot absence of key opposition parties and coronavirus risks. Benin is due to hold local elections on Sunday without leading opposition parties as the authorities push ahead with the vote despite concerns over the coronavirus pandemic and calls for a boycott. The country has been mired in a political crisis since a disputed parliamentary poll in April last year sparked mass protests. Parties allied to President Patrice Talon won all the seats at the 2019 polls after a decision by the electoral commission to bar opposition parties from standing in the election because they were unable to meet strict criteria under a new election law to field candidates. Key opposition parties again find themselves barred from Sundays vote for control of 77 councils across the country. The exclusion drew a legal challenge from top Talon opponent Sebastien Ajavon, a businessman living in exile after he was sentenced to prison on drug charges in Benin. Last month, the regional African Court of Human and Peoples Rights ruled the vote should be suspended as it was not inclusive. But Benin disregarded the ruling and severed some ties with the court in protest of the decision. Opponents have called on voters to boycott the poll over the political situation and the risks from the pandemic to date, Benin has confirmed 339 coronavirus infections and two related deaths. Many among the electorate appear set to heed the call to stay home given the result is certain to go in favour of those backing Talon. We know that the parties in power will score a clean sweep like the last parliamentary election, student Firmin Armand told AFP news agency. There is no point in going to risk your health for an election with little at stake. Voters on Sunday will have to follow rules making face masks mandatory and officials insist physical distancing measures will be enforced at polling stations. Campaigning has been limited to posters and media appearances as candidates were forced to scrap rallies due to a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people. Srinagar: Authorities today snapped mobile telephony services, except postpaid facility on state-run BSNL, in Kashmir as a precautionary measure in the wake of fierce clashes after Friday prayers last week. "Mobile telephony services have been snapped in the entire Valley. Only postpaid connections of BSNL are working, a police official said.He said the services were snapped across the Valley at midnight to maintain law and order and to prevent rumour mongering. Last Friday saw intense clashes between protesters and security forces at many places in the Valley after the congregational prayers. The clashes left three people dead and several hundred others injured. Mobile telephony services, except BSNL postpaid, were first snapped in the Valley on July 15 in the aftermath of violence following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on July 8. The authorities had snapped mobile internet facility in the entire Valley on July 9. While the postpaid services were resumed on July 26, the incoming call facility on the prepaid numbers was restored a day later. However, the outgoing facility on such numbers continued to remain barred. Mobile internet also continued to remain snapped for the 35th day today. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced policy reforms to fast-track clearance of investments in efforts toward ensuring Atmanirbhar Bharat. Addressing her fourth press briefing today, Sitharaman said empowered Group of Secretaries will be formed for fast track clearance of investment projects. To stimulate investment climate in the economy hit by coronavirus lockdown, the minister announced formation of project development cell in each ministry to prepare investible projects and coordinate with investors and central governments. Nirmala Sitharaman Press Conference at 4 PM Live Updates: Power discoms in UTs to be privatised Sitharaman also said states will be ranked on the parameter of attractiveness of investment to compete for new projects. The government will also initiate promotion of new champion sectors so that recovery of the economy can be put on fast-track. Incentive schemes for the promotion of new champions sectors will be launched in sectors such as Solar PV manufacturing; advanced cell battery storage, the FM said. This is the fourth press briefing by the FM in as many days to announce the details of the Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package announced by PM Narendra Modi during his address to the nation on May 12, vowing to make the country 'atma-nirbhar' or self-reliant. By Olivia Rose A SECOND Covid-19 testing machine, six ventilators and personal protection equipment for frontline workers arrived from the UK this past weekend. The large shipment of essential medical supplies to help the territory combat the coronavirus was delivered by the Royal Air Force (RAF). On Tuesday (May 12) Governor Nigel Dakin wrote on his Instagram page: "The military team on island and colleagues from the Ministry of Health dealt with accounting for it and will ensure efficient distribution as guided by the ministry. He explained that the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine, a leading-edge device which detects the virus using genetic material, had to be moved in dry ice. The gold standard machine which increases the capability to test for the disease locally was hailed as "significant by the governor. He said: "Its arrival, for the Ministry of Health, is significant; its the hardware that allows significant on island testing. "Its not plug and play - it requires serious staff training, laboratory conditions and calibration of the results but its a significant capability that TCI have lacked and its now here. The territory is set to receive a Cepheid testing machine soon which has the advantage of operating with or without the use of nasal swabs, which are often hard to come by. "The PCR delivers to a clinical standard but it does require clinical skill to use it, Dakin said. "However the Cepheid (and this is the only way I can easily describe it) is the Nespresso equivalent of a full fat PCR. "Drop a cartridge in and get a fast result - very quick - you just cant use it to mass test. "With these capabilities complimenting each other the Ministry of Health should be in a good place. The Cepheid test which is said to have high rates of accuracy was recently given the greenlight by the US Food and Drug Association. The governor expressed gratitude to the UKs Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Crown agents and the RAF for assisting the territory during the Covid-19 pandemic. "We thank the FCO for funding this plus all the other medical supplies that have arrived from the UK, for the UKs Crown agents using their global purchasing power to secure hard to acquire technology, and to the RAF for delivering it to our door. "Over to the Ministry of Health to make best use, as I know they will. On May 7, the UK government announced 5 million for the Caribbean and overseas territories to help contain the spread of Covid-19. According to a statement from Caricom, 3 million will go to the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) for the provision of essential medical supplies to help public health systems around the region combat the virus. Caricom said 2 million will be used to scale up assistance for the most vulnerable households, and to help counter domestic violence against women and children during and after the pandemic. UK Minister for the Caribbean Baroness Sugg reiterated the UKs commitment to supporting the Caribbean through the global crisis. She said: "We all face unprecedented challenges with Covid-19 and UK assistance is supporting vulnerable health systems in the Caribbean and across the world - to save lives, protect vital services and reduce the risk of future waves of infection globally. "In addition to our multi-million funding to UN agencies and the WHO that benefits the Caribbean, this direct regional support will help Caribbean countries to cope with the coronavirus crisis, mitigate the wider social and economic impacts and protect the most vulnerable. "The UK stands with you in these difficult times. As part of its wider response to Covid-19 in the region, the UK is reallocating resources from its 400 million development programme to tackle the crisis and support at-risk countries. Technical and financial support is also being provided to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency. Additionally, the UK also has two naval ships, which include helicopters, in the region - HMS Medway and RFA Argus - which are tasked with supporting the British overseas territories through the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. New Delhi, May 16 : The government has revamped the viability gap funding (VGF) scheme for creation of social infrastructure to give a boost to private sector investment in this critical area. While announcing the fourth tranche of Rs 20 lakh-crore economic package, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said a outlay of Rs 8,100 crore has been given for the new VGF scheme where support up to 30% each of Total Project Cost will be given VGF by Centre and State/Statutory bodies. For other sectors, VGF existing support of 20% each from GoI and States/Statutory bodies will, however, continue. The changes have been done as Social Infrastructure Projects suffer from poor viability, Sitharaman said. This VGF support will aid in development of hospitals, healthcare centres by the private sector. To qualify for higher VGF, projects will have to be proposed by Central Ministries/State government/statutory entities. Jonathan Ananda By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Many of the announcements Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made on Friday could be traced back to previous Budget speeches. In one case the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) Sitharaman acknowledged the plan had already been announced in the Union Budget. But, clearly the amounts and the provisioning, and also making sure that critical gaps are getting filled, are all now getting through. And we are announcing it for execution immediately, she said on Friday, adding Rs 20,000 crore would be set aside for this.But, the PMMSY does not find any mention in the most recent Union Budget speech delivered in February 2020. It was, in fact, announced in the previous one made in July 2019. Similarly, quite a few other measures announced in the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package have already been mentioned in earlier Budgets. On Thursday, Sitharaman had announced 2.5 crore new farmers would be issued with Kisan Credit Cards for concessional credit access. This would cover all PM-KISAN beneficiaries, she added, and result in Rs 2 lakh crore of additional credit disbursal. She had also announced that NABARD would extend an additional Rs 30,000 crore to regional rural banks and rural cooperative banks. Similar plans find mention in the Union Budget speech for FY21 delivered in February this year. On page 8, point 23 (12) of the speech copy (downloadable from www.indiabudget.gov.in) reads: Non-Banking Finance Companies and cooperatives are active in the agriculture credit space. The NABARD re-finance scheme will be further expanded. Agriculture credit target for 2020-21 has been set at Rs 15 lakh crore. All eligible beneficiaries of PM-KISAN will be covered under the KCC scheme. On Friday, the first measure announced was a Rs 1 lakh crore fund for strengthening farm-gate and aggregation point infrastructure. (These) are cold chains, post-harvest management infra, yards Entrepreneurs, start-ups who are now looking at facilitating by procuring from farmers and reaching out with value addition to global markets dont have this infra. This fund will address that issue and will be created at the earliest, she said. In the February 2020 Budget speech, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the Central governments intention to strengthen agri-supply chains. Point 23(5) on page 7 of the speech copy reads: India has an estimated capacity of 162 million MT of agri-warehousing, cold storage, reefer van facilities etc. NABARD will undertake an exercise to map and geo-tag them. In addition, we propose creating warehousing, in line with Warehouse Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) norms. Our government will provide Viability Gap Funding for setting up such efficient warehouses at the block/taluk level. This can be achieved, where States can facilitate with land and are on a PPP mode. Food Corporation of India (FCI) and Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) shall undertake such warehouse building on their land too. The finance minister on Friday also recalled that the National Animal Disease Control Programme for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), with a commitment of over Rs 13,000 crore, has from January this year tagged and vaccinated 1.5 crore cows and buffaloes. Sitharaman said the foot and mouth disease control programme forms the basis of her next announcement, which would relate to the building of animal husbandry capacities. The above mentioned plan allocating Rs 13,383 crore toward the pre-existing programme had actually been approved by the Union Cabinet last summer at its very first meeting after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The minister said on Friday that a Rs 15,000 crore fund would be set up for building animal husbandry capacities. Animal husbandry, especially the dairy sector, can now really take advantage, Sitharaman said, noting that they could build on the gains from the disease control programme. The presentation further explained that the government aims to support private investment in Dairy Processing, value addition and cattle feed infrastructure. The Rs 15,000 crore fund is new. But, the government had expressed broad intentions to double dairy processing capacities by 2025 in the Union Budget 2020-21.Point 23 (13) in page 8 of the budget speech copy reads: Our government intends to eliminate Foot and Mouth disease, brucellosis in cattle and also peste des petits ruminants (PPR) in sheep and goat by 2025. Coverage of artificial insemination shall be increased from the present 30% to 70%. MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) would be dovetailed to develop fodder farms. Further, we shall facilitate doubling of milk processing capacity from 53.5 million MT to 108 million MT by 2025. Blast from the past In the February 2020 Budget speech, the FM announced the governments intention to strengthen agri-supply chains. ...we propose creating warehousing, in line with Warehouse Development and Regulatory Authority norms. Our government will provide Viability Gap Funding for setting up such efficient warehouses at the block/taluk level, she said Dave Umahi Governor David Umahi on Friday lifted the ban on religious gathering in Ebonyi State. He said religious centres can now conduct services once a week but must observe the prevention protocol against COVID-19. The states Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Uchenna Orji, announced the governors decision in a statement on Friday. Mr Umahi had declared the ban last month to check the spread of the novel coronavirus in the state. Despite the ban and other measures including the closure of the state boundaries, Ebonyi still recorded nine cases of the virus. The lifting of the ban followed weeks of pressure by some Christians in the state who questioned why churches were closed while markets remained opened. The statement said the waiver was in response to the passionate appeal made by the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Ebonyi State Chapter, and other Christian leaders in the state. According to the commissioner, the conditions for the reopening of the churches include that they observe their service only on Sundays from 9 a.m to 11 a.m. That Seventh Day Adventist and Muslim faithful are to observe their service on Saturdays and Fridays respectively from 9 a.m 11 a.m. No religious centre shall permit more than 500 people and worshipers shall observe a minimum of two meters social distancing from one another. Wearing of face masks, washing of hands with running water and use of hand sanitisers must be strictly observed in all religious centres. No religious service is allowed to hold any other day other than the days specified herein and which must be in strict observance of all COVID-19 Laws and regulations. Christian Association of Nigeria ( CAN) has a duty to close down any religious gathering and arrest the principal of the worship centre that violates this order. According to the statement, the governor urged religious bodies in the state to use the opportunity to create awareness among their members on the protocols, policies, laws and regulations regarding COVID-19 and to pray for the State and Nigeria. They are also enjoined to use the opportunity to advise their members to aggressively participate in agriculture and other lawful means of livelihood. CAN leadership and Anti- COVID-19 Committee on Religious Centres are requested to please mount strict monitoring of all religious centres in the state and ensure strict compliance and discipline among them, he said. Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh tosses "energy dome" headwear to a crowd in New York's Times Square. The band launched an online store featuring merchandise for coronavirus protection. (Bryan Bedder) Now that face coverings are a part of our foreseeable future, Devo wants to ensure fans are protected from the coronavirus with style. The quirky, sci-fi rockers, whose 1980 hit "Whip It" launched them into mainstream popularity, on Friday shared an online store featuring coronavirus merchandise. Offerings include themed face masks and Devo's iconic red energy dome hats with an attached clear plastic face protector. "Stay safe from invisible particles and unwanted bodily fluids," reads the website's description of the red Devo energy dome headgear. Newly launched Official DEVO Online Store OPEN NOW! Personal Protection Equipment & more! https://t.co/UEx2olS2wq pic.twitter.com/it6aK3fmLg DEVO (@DEVO) May 15, 2020 On the band's website, Devo cofounder Gerald Casale explained the purpose of their signature energy dome, which the band introduced in tandem with their 1980 LP "Freedom of Choice." "Graphically bold design in aggressive, primary red, it became the most iconic symbol of the bands multimedia mission to spread the idea of Devolution," he said about the dome. "We explained that once the dome was placed on your head it recycled the electrical energy that regularly escapes from your brain. People of course laughed. Now the dome is no longer a source of controversy or derision. Its popularity is a sort of proof that De-evolution is real!" Fans also will find two types of Devo-themed face masks, T-shirts and a standard energy dome hat, sans the protective shield. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that he was deeply disturbed by the death of labourers in an accident in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya and called for urgent steps to mitigate the plights of migrant workers travelling to their native states during the lockdown. His deputy Manish Sisodia said courage should be shown in opening up cities that were turning into "graves" for labourers. At least 24 migrant labourers lost their lives and 36 people sustained injuries when two trucks collided in Auraiya in the early hours of Saturday. "Extremely disturbed by the loss of lives in the accident in Auraiya. The tragedy of migrant labourers keeps getting worse. Something needs to be done urgently," Kejriwal said in a tweet. The collision of the trucks, both carrying migrant labourers, occurred in Auraiya early in the morning. While one of the truck was coming from Rajasthan, the other was from Delhi. When some of the labourers halted on the Auraiya-Kanpur Dehat Road to have tea at a local shop, the trailer truck hit the stationary vehicle. Police said most of the migrant labourers in both the vehicles were from Jharkhand and West Bengal. Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia, while advocating opening up of cities said no matter how many Shramik Special trains are run and night shelters set up, they cannot bear the "flood of displacement". "The closed cities are turning into graves for hardworking labourers. We need to accept coronavirus and show courage in opening up cities. No matter how many Shramik Special trains and night shelters are there, they can not bear the flood of displacement," he tweeted. A large number of migrant workers from major urban industrial centres in the country have been moving with their families towards their home states, often walking and also in cramped trucks and other vehicles, during the nearly two-month long lockdown due to COVID-19. The Delhi government has suggested to the centre that construction activities and movement of labourers within Delhi be allowed post May 17 when the third phase of the lockdown is to end. Also read: Coronavirus Live Updates: Lockdown 4.0! State brace for phased exit as India's COVID-19 cases top 85,000 Also read: Auraiya road accident: PM Modi mourns death of 24 migrant workers 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. Instead of parades, meet-and-greets and boisterous campaign rallies, Southwest Washington Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler and her Democrat opponent, Carolyn Long, are finding new ways to connect with voters during the coronavirus pandemic. With statewide stay-home orders in effect for the past two months, traditional in-person campaigning methods have become practically impossible. And its difficult to say at this point when or whether they might resume. Both Herrera Beutler and Long this week said they miss meeting in person with voters in the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Clark, Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Skamania and Klickitat counties and part of Thurston County. They said they were looking forward to getting back out in the community when its safe. For now, theyre reaching out to voters who are quarantined at home. Long started holding town halls on Facebook instead of gathering large groups. And Herrera Beutler is posting videos of herself talking about whats going on in the federal government. I have never been a giant fan of filming myself, and I have found that I am doing that now, Herrera Beutler, a Battle Ground Republican, said Tuesday. After a committee hearing in Washington, D.C., last week, I wanted to let people know what we talked about, so I just held my phone up and did a video on it, she said. Its not something I was hardcore into before, but I think its so critical that people know what were doing. During Longs virtual campaign events, constituents seem the most concerned about access to affordable healthcare and broadband internet, Long said. Without internet access, its difficult for students to do schoolwork and for small business owners to enter the online market, she said. Im also hearing concern about trillions of dollars being allocated during this crisis and there being inadequate oversight on how those funds are being spent, she said. Im hearing a lot of concern about a lack of transparency and how that has hindered the ability to make sure they go where they are needed. Long and Herrera Beutler both said they are compiling information and resources on the COVID-19 pandemic and the governments response on their websites. Long said a resource book on her website that includes information for how to volunteer. As the incumbent, Herrera Beutler may have a leg up because her name is in the news whenever Congress takes action. However, Long entered the race earlier this time around in July last year and has more name recognition because its her second campaign, which she says will give her a longer runway during this election cycle. The two candidates previously faced each other during a fierce race in 2018. Herrera Beutler defeated Long with 53% of the vote to secure her fifth four-year term. Long campaigned heavily in Cowlitz County in 2018 but ended up losing the county to the incumbent, who won here with 56% percent of the vote. However, Clark County has the vast majority of the 3rd District electorate, and Long won there by capturing 51% of the vote to 49% for Herrera Beutler. But that was not enough to overcome Herrera Beutlers margins in the other counties of the 3rd District. In 2018, Long raised more campaign contributions than Herrera Beutler, taking in $3.9 million to the incumbents $2.7 million. As of March 31 this year, Herrera Beutler has raised a little more than $2 million in contributions and spent about $783,000. Long, meanwhile, has raised about $1.6 million and spent $546,000. Only a few months ago, the impeachment of President Donald Trump seemed poised to dominate national races in 2020. Herrera Beutler voted against both articles of impeachment, which accused Trump of obstructing Congress and corrupt motives. She said the process was rushed and based on second-hand testimony. Long said she would have voted for the articles of impeachment, having taken an oath to uphold the Constitution. But voters now seem more concerned about the coronavirus, according to both Herrera Beutler and Long. I think the pandemic shook the Etch A Sketch and its a clear slate, Herrera Beutler said. My gut is people are going to look at anybody running for office the president, me, a statewide official and theyre going to look at how you have done your job. ... how well you have responded in the coronavirus era. This window of time will define us more than anything before. Long said the topic of impeachment comes up less frequently with voters these days. I think people are feeling insecure right now and uncertain about not only how we are handling this public health crisis and what things will look like in next couple months, she said. In the multiple times Ive been talking to people in the district, it wasnt on the top of peoples minds but it did occasionally come up. If she was in Congress, Long said she would have emphasized preparedness and transparency prior to the pandemic by funding agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The U.S. was slow to respond to the outbreak, she said. Id emphasis public health, she said. Id make sure we have adequate testing and we hold D.C. to account when testing doesnt come through. And Id make sure we have personal protective equipment for first responders and for people who put their lives on the line. Herrera Beutler has been hesitant to criticize the Trump administration, telling TDN last month I have zero interest in picking snipey fights over political preference. This week, she said the most important keys for reopening are testing, tracing and treatment. The way Ive been discussing it is we dial it open, she said. So how do we open up to the best of our ability and not have a resurgence, because I think that would be a death knell in terms of the economy. That said, I dont have a crystal ball but I do have confidence that all levels of the local, state and federal government working together can get things opened as quickly as possible Herrera Beutler and Long both are disappointed that Longviews Go 4th Festival was canceled this year. Herrera Beutler said she was bummed that she wouldnt get to march in the Independence Day parade. Long said she had been gearing up to win the cardboard boat regatta after finishing second in 2018. (Online campaigning) is a poor substitute. I miss being out in the community, Long said. It really is best when you can see people where they are and genuinely see whats on their mind. I look forward to going back to that. RTHK: Trump considering restoring some WHO funding US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that his administration was considering numerous proposals about the World Health Organisation, including one in which Washington would pay about ten percent of its former level. In a posting on Twitter, Trump underscored that no final decision had been made and that US funding for the global health agency remained frozen. Trump suspended US contributions to the WHO on April 14, accusing it of promoting China's "disinformation" about the coronavirus outbreak and saying his administration would launch a review of the organisation. WHO officials denied the claims and China has insisted it was transparent and open. Fox News, citing a draft letter, reported that Trump was poised to restore partial funding to the WHO, matching China's assessed contribution. The United States was the WHO's biggest donor. If the United States matches China's contribution, as the Fox report indicated, its new funding level will be about one-tenth its previous funding amount of about US$400 million per year. Responding to criticism about resuming payments, Trump said, "This is just one of numerous concepts being considered under which we would pay 10% of what we have been paying over many years, matching much lower China payments. Have not made final decision. All funds are frozen." (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Dateline What Will it Take to Bring Struggling Myanmar Migrant Workers Home from Thailand? -- Ye Ni: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! This week, well discuss the Myanmar governments repatriation of migrant workers from abroad as Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand face difficulties in returning to Myanmar. Well discuss why there are delays and what difficulties Myanmar migrant workers are facing in the meantime. U Aung Kyaw, chairman of the Myanmar Migrant Workers Rights Network in Thailand and U Htoo Chit, director of the Phang Nga-based Foundation for Education Development in Phuket in southern Thailand, join me to discuss this. Im The Irrawaddy Burmese editor Ye Ni. You two have been actively engaged in the issues of Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand. So, my first question to Ko Aung Kyaw is about how the Myanmar government planned to repatriate Myanmar migrant workers around the end of April. As they were the second batch of Myanmar migrant workers returning to the country in large numbers, the Myanmar government expected a second wave of COVID-19 cases. But only around 150 Myanmar migrant workers were able to return in the first week of May and there was no return en-masse like the first batch of returning migrants. Recent reports also say that they will be only able to return to the country in June. What are Myanmar migrant workers going through in Thailand and what difficulties are they facing? Aung Kyaw: Many workers face temporary and permanent redundancies in Thailand. Being temporarily jobless is not a problem, but as they are now jobless for months, they have difficulties paying apartment rent as well as electricity and water bills. The Thai government said those wishing to return would be allowed to do so on April 16, so many workers only prepared [to stay] for that period. But then [the Thai government] said it would only allow the migrant workers to return in early May because it still couldnt be contained the coronavirus in the country. So, all of them were waiting with the expectation of returning on May 1. But then [the Thai government] said it would only allow [them to leave] at the end of May, in order to better contain the virus. As the Thai government has imposed an overnight curfew between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., migrant workers inside the country find it too difficult to make it back across the border. Myanmar migrant workers have been instructed by the Myanmar government to register with Myanmar embassy in Thailand for their return. Once the Thai government gives permission, the Myanmar government said it will arrange for Myanmar migrant workers to return to the country. Around 30,000 Myanmar migrant workers have registered for return on Monday, according to the Embassy. Every day, Myanmar migrant workers contact the embassy by phone, Viber and Line and say they are short on food. YN: Around 30,000 migrants returned in the first batch. The government, taking lessons from the first batch of returnees, believes that it will be able to effectively handle it this time. The problem is that only the Myawaddy-Mae Sot border gate is opened now and migrant workers cant return through other border gates. Ko Htoo Chit, you have written an article calling for the opening of all the border gates. What are the difficulties facing migrant workers as only one gate is open? Htoo Chit: As U Aung Kyaw said, migrant workers are still inside Thailand. They have difficulties travelling from one province to another. I dont know exactly which government decided to open only the Myawaddy-Mae Sot gate, but the government that made the decision is responsible for the consequences because this decision has caused problems on a daily basis for migrant workers. There are many other border gates that migrants could cross through into Myanmar, without crossing other provinces in Thailand and without breaking the curfew orders of the Thai government. It only takes between 30 minutes and an hour to cross the border from Ranong [in Thailand] to Kawthaung [in Tanintharyi Region]. Why should migrant workers [working in Ranong] travel to Mae Sot in order to cross the border into Myawaddy and then return to Kawthaung? This is not realistic. There are four official border gates along the Myanmar-Thai border, and there are also other gates that are occasionally opened. These include Htee Kee [in Tanintharyi Region], Three Pagodas Pass [in Karen State], Maw Taung [in Tanintharyi Region] and Mese [in Kayah State]. There are many existing gates. I dont understand why those gates are closed and only the Mae Sot gate is opened. Myanmar will be able to repatriate Myanmar workers more effectively if all the gates are opened. We would like to request the two governments to open all the gates, even temporarily. Now, 181 migrant workers are in the cells of Ranong immigration authorities, and the Thai government is ready to repatriate them to Myanmar. We would like to ask the two governments to hold negotiations and open all the gates as quickly as possible. YN: According to what you two have said, Myanmar migrant workers were prepared to return to Myanmar, but they still cant return due to the nationwide curfew imposed by the Thai government and travel bans imposed by local authorities. As the Thai government has started to ease lockdowns, it is reasonable to hope that Myanmar migrant workers will be able to return home in June. But then, we have also seen reports of coronavirus infections among the detainees in police cells in southern Thailand. Ko Aung Kyaw, does Thai government really care for the health of Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand and their return to Myanmar? AK: That is very important. We have provided recommendations for the Myanmar Embassy in Thailand regarding that. We pointed out that as the number who are jobless and facing financial hardship is increasing, they will have to face more serious problems if we cant take swift measures for them to be able to return home as soon as possible. We held talks with the officials of the Myanmar Embassy in Thailand and they said they understand that point and that they are negotiating with Thai authorities to enable Myanmar migrant workers to leave their places early in the morning and arrive at the border in the evening with a single day so that they dont need to go against the curfew and dont need to wait until June 1. But Thai government has not yet responded to the request of the Myanmar government. If Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand still cant return to Myanmar on June 1, their troubles will double. To answer the question of whether the Thai government is giving sufficient protection for Myanmar migrant workers, I believe it will handle it systematically if there are infections, because anyone can contract the virus, regardless of his race, religion or color. As an infection can spread to people of any nationality, the Thai government must systematically treat the 34 COVID-19-positive Myanmar nationals, who were deported by Malaysia and detained in southern Thailand. The Thai government said it will treat them free of charge and we believe it is doing so. YN: Suppose Myanmar migrant workers can return to the country in June, Ko Htoo Chit, what are your suggestions for Myanmar migrant workers who are preparing to return, and for the Myanmar government, which is preparing to receive the returnees? HC: We dont want them to have to wait until June. There are around 400 Myanmar migrant workersover 180 in prison and over 200 outsidein Ranong. They can return to Myanmar if the gates are open. It is unrealistic to open only the Myawaddy-Mae Sot gate. This will cause an extra burden for migrant workers. We would like to request that existing border gates be opened as soon as possible. This will help Myanmar migrant workers avoid interprovincial travel bans in Thailand and also help the Myanmar government take care of the returnees more effectively. YN: What else would you like to suggest, Ko Aung Kyaw? AK: There are more challenges for us in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, as migrant workers have to stay in foreign countries instead of inside Myanmar. Many people have lost their jobs over the past three months. The labor laws in Thailand clearly state that employers have to give [employees] 75 percent of their salaries in the case of temporary suspension of their jobs, and compensation has to be given to employees for permanent factory closures. Some factories compensated [their workers] according to labor laws, but many employees were made redundant without any compensation, and they are experiencing hardship. The workers will be left completely helpless if curfews are extended due to a new wave of coronavirus infections [in Thailand]. All we can do for the time being is to send some food to the migrant workers upon receiving their requests for help. But we cant afford to pay their rent and electricity bills. In some places, landlords have evicted them, and they are down-and-out. I would like to request that the two governments repatriate the migrant workers, who are going through bitter experiences, to their mother country as soon as possible. YN: Thank you for your contributions! You may also like these stories: New Rules, New Debts: Slavery Fears Rise for Migrant Workers in Thailand Migrant Workers Left Jobless and Trapped by Thai Coronavirus Lockdown Electricity imports into Ukraine decline by 66.7% in April 23:55, 15.05.20 664 Ukraine did not buy electricity from Russia. Turkey Arrests 4 Other Kurdish Mayors By VOA News May 15, 2020 Turkish authorities Friday detained four more pro-Kurdish mayors in southeastern and eastern regions of the country, local media reported. The mayors from the People's Democratic Party (HDP), which the government accuses of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), were detained at their homes. They were removed from office and replaced with government appointees. The HDP has rejected the accusation. The four mayors Yasar Akkus of Idgir, Berivan Helen Isk of Siirt, Ramazan Sarslmaz of Baykan and Bara Akgul of Kurtalan won their respective local elections held in March 2019. About 45 other mayors who emerged from last year's elections have been removed from office, and 21 one them are in prison on terror-related charges. Also, seven former HDP lawmakers, including its former chairman Selahattin Demirtas, are imprisoned. The New York-based Human Rights Watch has criticized Turkey for such arrests, saying it constitutes a violation of voters' rights. Turkey, as well as the United States and the European Union, consider the PKK a terrorist organization. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address More than 20 migrant workers killed in road accident in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, May 16: On Saturday morning, as many as 24 migrant workers were killed and dozens were injured after the truck they were travelling in collided with another in Auraiya of Uttar Pradesh. According to reports, Abhishek Singh, Auraiya's district magistrate said that the incident took place at around 3:30 am. 24 people died and around 15-20 have suffered injuries. "Most of them are from Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal," Singh said. Coronavirus lockdown: In two days, 14 migrant workers killed in road accidents The injured migrants have been shifted to hospital. They were coming from Rajasthan. In past few days, tens of thousands of people can be seen walking home from big cities after being laid off because of the lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 since late March. These workers were left without jobs across several cities and towns in India when the lockdown was announced on March 24. This resulted in the first wave of workers going back to their villages. Six migrant workers die after being run over by bus in UP The lockdown was extended twice, from April 14 to May 3 and then May 3 to May 17. Earlier this week, 15 migrant workers, who were on their way back home were killed in three accidents, one each in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. On May 8, as many as 16 migrant workers sleeping on tracks were run over by a goods train in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district. On May 9, five migrants were killed in Madhya Pradesh's Narsinghpur district when the truck, in which they were travelling, hit the central verge of the road. 8 migrant workers returning home killed in accident at Madhya Pradesh Police have said close to 100 were also injured in road accidents across states on Thursday, as migrant workers continue to seek rides on trucks, cycle, or just walk on the country's highways. Starting May 1, the government announced special trains for migrant workers, but there are still far too few of them and far too many workers wanting to return home. Some of the workers do not have the documentation required to travel while the others have not registered for the trains or buses being run. Asia India: Tens of thousands of migrant workers demonstrate to demand passage home Laid-off or furloughed migrant workers from various states across India are demanding to be sent back to their home towns and villages during the COVID-19 lockdown. Police have brutally dispersed the mass demonstrations. Tens of thousands of casual or short-term contract migrant workers are mainly employed in the construction industry and in global production plants. These low-paid workers have no access to relief benefits, leaving them destitute, starving and unable to pay rent. On May 10, over 500 migrant protesting contract workers in Amruthahalli, Bengaluru demanding passage home locked company representatives in their offices. Ten Uttar Pradesh-bound workers were also arrested for allegedly vandalising a bus in Bhavnagar after cancellation of a train in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. On May 11, migrant workers in Jaipur, Rajasthan demanding the government organise transport back to their home towns and villages were violently attacked by police. Many workers allege that they were badly beaten. Migrant workers from Bihar rallied in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh demanding they be returned home. The workers said they had no money and had received hardly any rations. Migrant workers from West Bengal and Bihar held a protest march in Shastri Nagar on May 11 to demand transport facilities to return home. They are living in rented accommodation but face eviction because they have no work. Their march was attacked and dispersed by police. Tamil Nadu cleaners demand improved safety from Covid-19 Around 1,000 cleaning workers in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu joined demonstrations organised by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) on May 12. The frontline workers demanded special daily payments, regular medical check-ups and safety equipment to protect them from COVID-19 infections. Over 400 conservation workers from the Tiruppur Corporation participated in protests in Palladam, Udumalpet and Uthukuli, and threatened to intensify their action if their demands were not granted by May 17. Sanitation workers in Madurai demonstrated to demand permanent jobs for around 1,700 contract and 700 daily wage employees in the city. The workers said that they have put their lives in danger attempting to contain the spread of COVID-19 and that the government must make their jobs permanent. Bangladesh: Nationwide protests by factory workers now in fifth week Tens of thousands of workers from hundreds of companies across Bangladesh are maintaining protests that began on April 4 after workers found their factories still shuttered after the government ended a national coronavirus lockdown. The workers, from six industrial zones and other locations, want the factories reopened, payment of all wages during the lockdown, the annual Eid holiday bonus and full restoration of pay rates which were cut by 35 percent in April. On Wednesday, around 10,000 workers of Shah Fateh Ullah Textile Mills and Jalal Haji Spinning Mills in Narayanganjs Fatullah sub-district demonstrated to demand their wages and the Eid bonus. The factory authorities had refused to pay the bonus and decided to pay only 60 percent of workers April wages. Workers alleged that they were attacked by company goons, leaving about 10 injured. Police were also deployed to forcefully disperse the protest. On the same day Adiat Apparels garment factory workers in Ashulia demonstrated against factory closure and for full payment of their March wages. A day earlier thousands of garment workers protested in the Ashulia, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chattogram industrial zones and in Dhaka city, demanding their unpaid wages for March and full payment of April wages. Several hundred workers demonstrated at garment factories in Mirpur area over the same issues. Up until Tuesday, only 997 garment factories out of the total of 7,600 in Bangladesh had paid workers their April wages. Bangladeshi road transport workers demand work or wages Several hundred road transport workers affected by the COVID-19 lockdown demonstrated on the Thakurgaon-Dhaka Highway outside the Thakurgaon inter-district bus terminal on Monday. They demanded financial relief or lifting of the government ban on public transport. Workers said they were rendered jobless by the lockdown but had not received any relief payments from the government or the transport owners. Armed forces and police were deployed to the area. Civil administrators intervened and gave an assurance of immediate relief distribution. Pakistan: Karachi workers protest non-payment of salaries and layoffs A large number of workers protested in Karachi against the non-payment of salaries and continuing layoffs on Monday. Workers across multiple industries in Karachi joined the demonstration called by the National Trade Union Federation of Pakistan and Home-Based Women Workers Federation. According to the union, six million daily-wage workers lost their jobs during the COVID-19 lockdown. The withholding of salaries of industrial workers by private companies and government entities is widespread throughout the country and a longstanding issue faced by Pakistan workers. The unions warned that the protest campaign would be expanded if the issues are not immediately addressed. Government hospital nurses in Pakistan to demand COVID-19 protection On Tuesday nurses from government hospitals used International Nurses Day to demonstrate outside the Karachi Press Club. They were protesting the governments failure during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) and the viruss impact on frontline health workers. Protesters demanded that authorities immediately pay all withheld allowances, including health risk and health professional payments and to implement a previously agreed service structure. The protest was called by the Sindh Young Nurses Association which said the campaign will continue until its demands are met. Cambodian handbag factory workers demand unpaid wages About 1,600 workers at the FMF bags and handbags factory in Takhmao city, in Cambodias Kandal province, protested outside the plant on Wednesday to demand their unpaid April wages. The factory suspended operations because of the coronavirus pandemic 20 days earlier and is not due to open for another 15 days. Management sacked 150 workers and failed to pay wages on May 11, claiming that this was due to the lack of orders caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Cambodian garment industrys peak body has revealed that 180 factories have suspended operations and another 80 were about to do so, leaving 150,000 employees out of work. Australia New South Wales nurses union calls empty protest against wage freeze Unions covering thousands of nurses fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales (NSW) have called on their members to send protest emails to state politicians opposing state Liberal-National government plans to impose a public sector wage freeze. Under the current enterprise agreement, state government nurses are entitled to a 2.5 percent wage increase from July 1. The NSW government claims the freeze is necessary to pay for government spending during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses could lose up to $2,000 annually if the legislation is passed. More than 400,000 public sector workers, including teachers, paramedics, and others, as well as nurses, will be affected. The freeze will cut more than $3 billion from the governments wages bill over four years. According to the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA), over 93 percent of public sector members indicated their opposition to the wage freeze in a snap poll. While the NSWNMA and other public sector unions are bogusly feigning concern about the wage freeze, these pro-capitalist organisations refuse to mobilise their membership in a political and industrial struggle against the government. Like all the other unions in Australia, they are collaborating with employers to slash jobs, wages and hard-won working conditions. The lone COVID-19 patient here has recovered with his latest samples testing negative on Saturday, officials said. The district authorities received 91 results of samples that all tested negative, including the last remaining patient. With this, the district has become free from COVID-19 after all 24 patients recovered from the disease. District Magistrate Selva Kumari J told reporters here that the last patient has recovered and tested negative in his second sample report. She said 91 sample results were received and all of them turned out to be negative. Muzaffarnagar is currently under red zone with 24 coronavirus cases in the district so far. She said that Muzaffarnagar is on the path to move up to the orange and green zones. Meanwhile, police said 24 people were home quarantined after a police officer from the district tested positive in Delhi, where he is posted as a station house officer. The policeman is a resident of Mohammadpur Rai Singh village under Bhora Kalan police station limits in the district, they said. These 24 people had came in contact with the inspector who had come here on May 6. Later, he had tested positive for the virus on May 14 in Delhi. Three family members of the policeman are among the 24 quarantined persons. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday extended greetings on Sikkim's statehood day, saying the state has enriched India's progress in many sectors. On this day in 1975, Sikkim became the 22nd state of India. "Greetings on Sikkim's Statehood Day. Home to talented and compassionate people, Sikkim has enriched national progress in many sectors," the prime minister tweeted. He pointed out that Sikkim's progress in areas such as organic farming have been admired all over. "Praying for Sikkim's progress in the years to come," he said. In his message, Vice President Naidu said known for its natural beauty and rich spiritual heritage, Sikkim is India's first fully organic state, "demonstrating the importance of living in harmony with nature". "My best wishes for a happy, healthy & prosperous #Sikkim," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the words of former Supreme Court Judge Lord Sumption, lockdown is without doubt the greatest interference with personal liberty in our history. Since the end of March we have had our freedoms curtailed, our economy has been in freefall and our children have had their education stopped. As it stands, there is no clear end in sight. At first we were told this was all about protecting the NHS from a surge of cases. The former Professor of Pathology at Hull York Medical School says the R value is less reliable than a weather forecast But now that the NHS has been protected, the Government and its advisers have come up with another reason for stopping us living our lives. This is the R value the number of people who are expected to catch the virus from an infected person. A value above one, and cases of the virus increase exponentially; below one, they decrease and the virus fades out. Time and again, we are told that keeping R below one is the only way to map a route out of lockdown. The truth, however, is entirely different. Why? Because R is an artificial construct and not even a number we know with any certainty. R is calculated using mathematical modelling and the models used have repeatedly been found to reach untenable and frankly wrong-headed conclusions. As a former professor of pathology, and someone who has had a long research career, I am very familiar with critical assessment of data. And in the case of R, I can tell you that this is not a strong enough number to bear the burden of any Government policy, let alone a policy with the magnitude of lockdown. In fact, the epidemiological models that generate R are probably less reliable than long-range weather forecasts. Let me explain. There is a tendency to give models too much respect because they rely on mathematics that few can follow. But any model, no matter how complex, is only as good as its data and assumptions. How do weather forecasting and epidemiology compare? Well, for a start they both suffer from weak data. Meteorologists study things such as pressure, temperature, wind speed, and humidity, to try to predict what is going to happen. These are known as variables because they can take many different values. And changes in the variables can produce totally different results in the forecast. So meteorologists are generally unable to predict accurately further than a few days ahead because there are many more variables out there than they are able to measure. But at least the assumptions of the model the physics at its core are very well established. Dr John A Lee says the R value, the number of people who are expected to catch the coronavirus from an infected person, isn't a number we know with any certainty Epidemiology models share the same serious problem of weak data. Lack of testing means we dont know how many people have been infected, or have recovered. Changes to death certification during this epidemic mean that, contrary to what has repeatedly been said, we genuinely dont even know how many people have died as a direct result of the disease. This means that it is very difficult to know how nasty the disease is compared to, say, the effects of lockdown. Many analysts suggest that lockdown is directly causing more deaths than the virus. Even worse, it is becoming increasingly clear that assumptions central to the models that generate R are flawed. One, for example, is that everyone is susceptible to the virus because it is new. But this is clearly not true. Some of us, perhaps as many as six or seven million, have already had the virus, and immunity means that we are highly unlikely to get it twice. Indeed, new work just published in the prestigious journal Cell shows that coronaviruses causing the common cold give rise to immune cells that also react to Sars-Cov-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19. These cells were present in 40 to 60 per cent of people who had not been exposed to the new virus. If they confer a degree of immunity to it, as seems likely, they would blow calculations of R out of the water. This would also explain another incorrect assumption, that the virus would rip through the population, infecting 80 per cent of us, when in fact it seems to be levelling out at about 20 per cent. Then theres the assumption that we are all equally vulnerable. This is not true either. Children are very unlikely to catch the virus, to become very ill with it, or to pass it on. So quoting a single value of R for different segments of the population is highly misleading. R is also very different in different parts of the country, and in different locations within those parts. This combination of weak data and flawed assumptions means that R is clearly not a number that can be applied universally, or even one that we really know. Weather forecasters often refer to themselves as being in the business of making educated guesses about the weather. But you can see that their guesses, wrong as they often turn out to be, are actually more educated than the models causing the Government to mess up our lives. Another important finding, unappreciated at the start of the epidemic, is that many people, perhaps as many as 80 per cent, have an asymptomatic infection. That is, they have the disease so mildly that they are not even aware of it. In this case, it doesnt matter if the apparent R (assuming we could measure it) is higher than one for healthy people. The best way to deal with the virus is not lockdown, but to encourage R above one for the fit and healthy. If they go out and catch the virus it builds herd immunity, bringing forward the time when R heads back below one and the virus largely peters out. Risks for the fit and healthy are very small, again contrary to initial impressions. Worries on Friday that R was apparently heading back towards one were missing the point. For some segments of society, including most people of working age, that would be a good thing. We need to restart the economy, allowing the fit and healthy not only to get their lives back, but also to generate the resources needed for protecting those elements of society most at risk. Another implication of seeing R this way, which is quite a relief, is that social distancing can be consigned to the dustbin of bizarre historical episodes. We cant realistically do it for many things that make life worth living, and thank goodness most people dont actually need to. Self-isolation for people with symptoms, while shielding the vulnerable, would be just as effective with massively smaller costs. WORRIES about a second wave of infections are also misplaced when so many have such mild symptoms. In any case, the NHS is supposed to be there to look after us, not the other way around. We now know more about treating this disease and are better placed to deal with any new cases that do occur. It is not the existential threat that was first feared. The Government and their scientific advisors are heading up a blind alley with their emphasis on R. They seem to be grasping for spurious certainty from a modelling output that cannot supply it. Or perhaps that is part of the attraction. R is a mysterious number, calculated in ways we are not privy to, that the Government can produce at will to justify a policy that is no longer tenable. But a single R for the country is at best misleading, at worst a meaningless abstraction. And R isnt necessary to understand that evidence has changed over the past two months. The worst-case scenario didnt happen, and in any case serious flaws in the models show that it was greatly exaggerated. We need to get beyond panic and stop moving the goalposts. It takes courage and leadership to strike out in a new direction. Boris Johnson showed that once, in opting for lockdown. But now that we know more about this virus and the consequences of that decision, its time he showed it again. He should release lockdown and minimise social distancing for most, while continuing to bolster systems that provide protection for those most in need. We need our liberties back and to return to all the things that make life worth living. The government opening coal mining for the private sector would ensure better availability of coal and attract foreign investment in the sector, industry experts said on Saturday. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her fourth tranche of the economic package announced that commercial mining will be done on revenue sharing mechanism instead of the regime of fixed rupee/tonne. "Commercial mining of coal on a revenue-sharing basis would help more coal availability at market prices. So this will be far more efficient...Liberalised entry to allow people to participate for a range of coal blocks and those who produce well before the deadlines incentive would also be given," the finance minister said. Welcoming the announcement Arvind Sharma, Partner, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas said that the "government had recently permitted 100 per cent FDI in commercial coal mining and, pursuant to the recent announcement, I understand be that the auction process for commercial coal mining is to be kickstarted. "This is a good measure and should ensure better availability of coal. We will also see a lot of foreign investment in this sector as global players will also participate in these auctions." "Since the auction seems to be based on revenue share and not a fixed price model, we should see better participation," he said. On CBM-based initiatives, Essar Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Ltd (EOGEPL) MD & CEO Vilas Tawde said, "Rs 50,000 crore in evacuation infrastructure would facilitate unlocking CBM potential in Coal India's leased area, which is estimated to hold 90 TCF of CBM gas (unrisked)," he said. The introduction of competition, transparency and private sector participation in the coal sector will automatically build transparency of mine valuations, force rigorous mine planning and compliance, invite investments for enhancing operational efficiency to justify the bids made at the time of mine acquisition, Saurabh Bhatnagar, Partner and National Leader, Metals & Mining, EY India said. Government's big plan to push coal gasification to replace natural gas in the fertilizer sector would help square energy and food security objectives, Tirtha Biswas, Programme Lead at Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) said. "However, ammonia produced from coal gasification has a carbon footprint that is 1.8 times higher than that produced from the conventional process using natural gas. This could potentially offset the emissions intensity reductions achieved through investments in renewables," Biswas said. Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) Managing Director V R Sharma said, "Government has acknowledged the long pending demand of the steel industry. Incentivising the coal gasification process is a welcome move. We are proud of the fact that JSPL is the first company in the world to produce DRI through Coal Gasification route. "India has third-largest reserves of coal in the world. Its gasification can help our country to reduce import of metallurgical coal and crude oil substantially." Coal gasification technology will also enable a cleaner way of using coal, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is holding a press conference to announce the next lot of measures under the Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package with focus on structural reforms. Centre has announced a host of liquidity and fiscal measures so far in three such tranches since Wednesday for different sectors and segments of society have been announced. In the last tranche, FM had announced measures to help the agricultural sector. Among other measures, Essential Commodities Act has been amended to remove food grains, edible oil, oil seeds, pulses, onion and potato from its purview. A Rs 1 lakh crore fund has also been set up to develop agricultural infrastructure at farm-gate. Farmers will also been given the choice of selling their produce at attractive prices in a market of their choice by the way of a new law. ALSO READ:Nirmala Sitharaman press conference at 4 PM: Time, where, how to watch live streaming, telecast Follow BusinessToday.In for latest updates from FM Sitharaman's press conference: 5.18 PM: In GST Council meeting on March 14, GST on MRO has been brought down to 5 per cent with full input tax credit, informed Revenue Secretary. 5.13 PM: Demand-side concerns will be addressed by putting money in people's hands, says FM. 5.07 PM: Establishing facilities in PPP mode to use irradiation technology for food preservation, says FM. 5.07 PM: Research reactor in PPP mode will be developed for producing medical isotopes, says FM. 5.05 PM: Liberal geo-spatial data policy for tech entrepreneurs will be devised, says FM. 5.02 PM: To provide level playing field for private players in space, provisions will be made for them to avail facilities available with ISRO, says FM. 5.00 PM: Viability gap funding of Rs 8,100 crore for social infrastructure development, says FM. 4.56 PM: Power discoms in union territories to be privatised, says FM. 4.51 PM: Cost of maintenance for Indian airlines to come down significantly if India becomes a MRO hub, says FM. 4.50 PM: Not just civil, but defence aircraft will also benefit if India is made a MRO hub, says FM. 4.49 PM: 6 more airports put up for auction, says FM, adding that AAI will get Rs 2,300 crore down payment. 4.46 PM: Restriction on utilisation of Indian airspace will be eased so make civilian flying more efficient, says FM. This is an environment-friendly step with major implication on India's fuel import bill, she added. 4.41 PM: FDI limit in defence manufacturing under automatic route to be raised from 49 per cent to 74 per cent, says FM. 4.41 PM: Emphasis on realistic qualitiative requirements; oeverhauling of trial and testing procedures, says FM. 4.39 PM: Ordinance Factory Boards to be corporatised; this is not same as privatisation, says FM. 4.37 PM: Separate Budget provisions for domestic capital procurement in defence, says FM. 4.35 PM: We shall notify a list of weapons and platforms which shall not be imported and brought in India; each year, this list shall be increased, says FM. 4.35 PM: Make in India and self reliance have become partners, particularly in critical industries like defence, says FM. 4.31 PM: Stamp duty payable at the time of mining lease award being rationalised, says FM. 4.30 PM: Distinction between captive and non-captive mines removed, says FM. 4.30 PM: Joint auction of Bauxite and coal to enhance aluminium sector's competitveness, says FM. 4.29 PM: 500 mining blocks would be offered through an open and transparent auction process, says FM. 4.28 PM: Introduction of seamles exploration-cim-mining-cum-production regime in mineral mining, says FM. 4.24 PM: Rs 50,000 crore for coal evacuation infrastructure, says FM. 4.22 PM: In order to have coal converted into gas, we are providing incentives, says FM adding that coal bed methane extraction will happen through auctioning. 4.20 PM: We are bringing in commercial mining in coal sector on a revenue share basis; government monopoly being remvoed, says FM. 4.15 PM: Issues in coal, minerals, defence production, air space management, airport, MRO, power distribution companies in union territories, space and atomic energy sectors will be addressed in today's announcements, says FM. 4.15 PM: Attempts have already started for upgradation for industrial infrastructure: FM 4.11 PM: Efforts which are being taken clearly give us the confidence that Make in Indi which was launched three years back as an initiative to change the mindset of people to bring in new ways of doing business, to make sure India becomes attractive on its strength, are all being received very well, says FM. 4.09 PM: Structural reforms are the focus of today's announcements, says FM Sitharaman. 4.05 PM: "Many sectors need policy simplification. Once we decongest a sector, we can provide the necessary boost for growth and employment," say the FM. 4.04 PM: In stages we have annoucned relief, says FM Sitharaman, adding that PM had said that we should be ready for tough competition. 4.01 PM: FM Nirmala Sitharaman to announce fourth tranche of measures under Atma Nirbhar Bharat economic stimulus package shortly. 3.44 PM: Several sectors have been badly hit due to the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdowns. Few of the worst hit sectors are aviation, hospitality and travel. While each of these sectors have their specific demands, some common demands include direct tax and GST holiday, and government support for payment of salaries to employees. 3.43 PM: PM Modi praises announcements for farm sector I welcome todays measures announced by FM @nsitharaman. They will help the rural economy, our hardworking farmers, fishermen, the animal husbandry and dairy sectors. I specially welcome reform initiatives in agriculture, which will boost income of farmers. #AatmaNirbharDesh Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 15, 2020 3.42 PM: Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman announced 11 key measures in Tranche III, including a combination of schemes and changes in legal framework, to help country's agricultural sector amid the coronavirus lockdown. While bold, these moves are expected to take time before they become reality. 3.36 PM: The highlight of the third tranche of measures were the legal reforms meant to help the farmers. These refer to changes regarding Essential Commodities Act, Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee and Contract Farming, which have been hailed as bold and progressive. 3.32 PM: The three tranches of economic stimulus announced so far heavily focus on liquidity measures for street vendors, poor, migrant workers and farmers, but do not much fiscal outgo. The government is limiting fiscal spending over concerns that excess spending could trigger a sovereign rating downgrade, government officials told Reuters. 3.20 PM: The last tranche of measures focussed on agriculture sector, including Rs 1 lakh crore fund for agri infrastructure, amendments to Essential Commodities Act, and a new law to allow farmers to sell their produce at attractive prices in a market of their choice. Finance Minister @nsitharaman announces measures to strengthen Agriculture Infrastructure Logistics, Capacity Building, Governance and Administrative Reforms for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Processing Sectors#AatmaNirbharDesh Details: https://t.co/0QngSmgB96pic.twitter.com/bU6vqnpdAz PIB in Chandigarh (@PIBChandigarh) May 15, 2020 3.19 PM: The press conferenc at 4 PM will be broadcasted live on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. FM Smt. @nsitharaman to address 4th press conference announcing Govt's roadmap towards #AatamnirbharBharat TODAY at 4 PM Watch LIVE here YouTube- https://t.co/C7d2aaf7VW Follow for LIVE updates Twitter - https://t.co/XaIRg3fn5f Facebook - https://t.co/06oEmkxGpIpic.twitter.com/rBa2usxr9b Ministry of Finance #StayHome #StaySafe (@FinMinIndia) May 16, 2020 3.17 PM: FM Nirmala Sitharaman will hold a press conference at 4 PM to announce the fourth tranche of measures under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat stimulus package. Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee have expanded their fundraising agreement to include 26 state parties as Democrats look to dent the Republicans' money advantage and build a national campaign foundation heading into the November election. The arrangement allows a new USD 620,600 maximum contribution that a single donor can give to party at one time. That's up from the USD 360,600 cap under the first fundraising deal that the presumptive Democratic nominee signed with the party on April 24. The included state parties can get a maximum of USD 10,000 from each donor, while Biden is capped at USD 5,600. The rest goes to DNC campaign and operating accounts. Biden's campaign and the DNC planned to file papers for the deal on Saturday with the Federal Elections Commission. The GOP has similar arrangements in place that have given President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee a head start on building a national organization. Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law and a campaign adviser, said this past week that the GOP has more than USD 250 million cash on hand; Biden's campaign said the Democrats have a combined USD 103 million. But Democrats said the joint fundraising operation, still in its infancy, positions Biden and the party to keep pace for the remainder of the campaign. We've seen the momentum build across the country, and we'll continue to build out the organization that will defeat Trump and elect Vice President Biden and Democrats across the country, said Greg Schultz, Biden's former campaign manager who is now based at DNC. The arrangement comes as Biden expands his influence with the national party and works with the DNC and state parties. The idea is to build coordinated campaigns in pivotal states where field organizers and volunteers will reach voters on behalf of all Democrats running in November. In addition to trying to unseat Trump, Democrats are looking to retain their House majority and wrest control of the Senate from Republicans. We believe that there will be battleground states that have never been battleground states before, Biden's campaign manager, Jen O'Malley Dillon, said Friday. We must have a customized approach in each battleground. An examination of the 26 states included in the fundraising agreement reveals how Democrats see the competitive landscape in the fall. Some of them are states Trump won narrowly in 2016, some were carried closely by Hillary Clinton and others have have down-ballot races important to the balance of power on Capitol Hill. The deal also includes some outliers. Biden's home base of Delaware, a heavily Democratic state, is not viewed as a battleground, though Democrats are defending the governor's seat this year. Vermont, home to Biden's last primary rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, is likewise a safe Democratic state. Other states could be added. For now, Florida, Michigan North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin anchor the map as the five most competitive states that combined to deliver Trump's 2016 victory. In North Carolina, Democrats also are targeting GOP Sen. Thom Tillis while Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper seeks a second term. Michigan Democratic Chairwoman Lavora Barnes, whose state gave Trump his closest margin of victory four years ago, said an influx of money is critical to boost what the state party already has done since 2016 to elect Democrats in every corner of the state. Michigan flipped its governor's office and several congressional districts in the 2018 midterms. Ohio made the cut as well, with Democrats asserting that Trump's nearly double-digit margin in 2016 was an aberration, not a sign of a more permanent shift. Minnesota and New Hampshire are states Trump believes he can flip. Colorado has moved steadily toward Democrats in recent years and Republican Sen. Cory Gardner faces a difficult reelection. O'Malley Dillon has singled out three GOP strongholds as part of an expanded map reflected in the fundraising deal. Arizona, Georgia and Texas have seen demographics shifts and progressively closer statewide elections in recent years. Arizona and Georgia combine to have three Republican-held Senate seats on the ballot, as well. Alabama, Mississippi and West Virginia stand out as heavily GOP states that won't be close in the presidential election. But all three have notable Senate races. Democrats are defending incumbents in Alabama and West Virginia, states that Republicans view as potential pickups. There are notable omissions: Iowa and Maine, for example. Trump scored a comfortable victory in Iowa four years ago, but Democrats in the state have since flipped two congressional districts and are hoping to oust Republican Rep. Steve King in the fall. Maine is home to GOP Sen. Susan Collins, one of Democrats' top targets as they try to regain the Senate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) But Republicans warn there will be legal challenges to legislation passed during this period, questioning the constitutional legitimacy of proxy votes. The House has never allowed proxy floor votes, even during some of the most challenging eras in the nation's history. Lawmakers convened during the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic and only stayed away a short time after the 2001 terror attacks. Proxy votes had been allowed in committees, but that ended decades ago. Under the new rules, one lawmaker can carry up to 10 votes by proxy to the Capitol. Demand for pregnancy and immunization services has halved in Nigeria since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the country's health minister. Osagie Ehanire has hinted that the lockdown measures were partly responsible, but didn't detail other causes for the drop in outpatient numbers. The head of the Nigerian Medical Association, Francis Faduyile, told the BBC the 50% drop in immunization services, ante-natal care and outpatient visits could place women, children and the elderly at higher risk. But the health minister said the government was trying to ensure all routine health services return to normal. Reports from across the country indicate that many patients are avoiding hospitals for fear of contracting coronavirus, while some are seeking advice over the phone from their doctors. Plus, many private hospitals and clinics have closed. 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 Last week, a friend told me that doctors in Mexico are working in crowded hospitals and forced to wear masks for several days. I was also told by an old business associate that lots of people are dying, and no one trusts the official coronavirus figures. Then I read about President Lopez-Obrador going after doctors. This is from Pulse News Mexico: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's (AMLO) nonstop, venomous spiel against any person or organization that dares to question his Venezuelan-inspired Fourth Transformation (T4) socialist model has become the norm nationwide, sowing hatred and division across the country and spurring violence against journalists, NGOs, human rights organizations and anyone else who dares to question the Holy Doctrine of Saint AMLO. But on Friday, May 8, AMLO's vicious verbal assaults went beyond the pale and even offended some members of his fanatical army of blind proselytes: He attacked the nation's physicians, saying that, until he came to power, health workers in Mexico "only sought to enrich themselves." Incredible, to say the least. My good guess is that most Mexican doctors and nurses will be shocked to hear that they've been enriching themselves over the years. According to a friend, a retired physician and now lives in Texas, the salaries in Mexico City range from 770,000 for an entry-level job to 1,400,000 pesos for one with lots of experience. The peso today is about 23.83 pesos to 1 dollar, according to Bloomberg. So do the math, and an experienced doctor is making US$ 59,000. Frankly, you can live well in Mexico with that salary, but that's far from enriching yourself. We love and praise our doctors and health care workers up here. President Trump calls them "warriors," and V.P. Pence can't stop talking about their sacrifices. Down in Mexico, they have a president who has found a new punching bag to blame for the collapsing economy. He is attacking doctors at a time when the hospitals don't have enough ventilators. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Josa Lukman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, May 16, 2020 12:18 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd876000 1 Art & Culture #health,#virus,#art,#COVID19,#ArtsandCulture,#culture,#artists,#MuseumMACAN,#SidhartaAuctioneers,#auction Free The pandemic has brought Indonesias arts scene together to fight the good fight, one artwork at a time. Several initiatives have emerged to lend a helping hand to support healthcare workers and at-risk communities as well as artists struggling with the loss of opportunities. MITRA MUSEUM JAKARTA FOUNDATION Mitra Museum Jakarta Foundation (YMMJ) is holding an online auction of 40 artworks to directly support artists in these uncertain times. Thirty artists from Bali, Bandung and Yogyakarta are taking part in the auction, with works ranging from paintings to sculptures priced at between Rp 2 million (US$134.37) and Rp 20 million. In this together: Demi Waktu (For times sake) by Agung Pekik is one of 40 works put on online auction by Mitra Museum Jakarta Foundation (YMMJ) to support artists during the pandemic. (Courtesy of Mitra Museum Jakarta Foundation /-) Director Catharina Widjaja said on the foundations website that 100 percent of the proceeds from the sales would go to the artists, who in turn would utilize part of the funds to purchase staple foods for artisans and other workers who regularly support their creations and exhibitions. Those interested in purchasing the artworks can fill an online form at tiny.cc/ymmjpeduli and after completing the form, users will be given 24 hours to complete the payment, with the artworks being shipped directly by the artists after the end of the auction period on May 22. Anyone can buy these works. We invite art lovers to take part and support artists and their communities, she said. MUSEUM MACAN The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara (Museum MACAN) is supporting artists by holding an artwork raffle in three rounds, where patrons can purchase a mystery artwork for a flat price of Rp 1 million. Museum MACAN director Aaron Seeto said in a virtual press conference that artists had been contributing actively during the pandemic, ranging from creating content to keeping the public entertained and helping distribute personal protective equipment to frontline health workers. But the arts is a fragile ecosystem that requires our attention. The postponement of exhibitions and the tenuous freelance nature of artists incomes will be a major concern right now, Seeto says. Without the largesse of a social safety system as we see in the West, there is real concern for the future, because without artists, we have no culture, and our society ultimately suffers. As for the museums raffle, titled Arisan Karya, participants are guaranteed to receive an artwork at the flat price, though the works will only be revealed at the end of the raffle. Seventy percent of the proceeds will go to the artists or their charity of choice, with the rest of the funds allocated to training programs for selected art managers. Study of Movement by Melati Suryodarmo (Courtesy of Museum MACAN/-) The raffle will be held in May, June and July, with each round featuring100 artworks by both senior and up-and-coming artists, with names like Melati Suryodarmo and Tisna Sanjaya on the list. The first round will take place from May 20 to 28, during which participants can visit shop.museummacan.org to see the artwork catalogue and purchase a numbered ticket. The raffle will be broadcasted live on the museums Instagram account on May 29, after which the artworks will be shipped. Prior to the raffle, the museum also held an open call for Indonesian artists to take part and as of May 12, more than 400 artists have answered the call, with more than 900 submitted works. Curator Asep Topan said the curatorial team viewed pictures of the submitted artworks and took into account the diversity of media and the artists geographic location. But we also looked at how the artists describe their works as well as their technical prowess things outside of the artistic elements, he said. SIDHARTA AUCTIONEER Art auctioneer, Sidharta Auctioneer, is currently running an online auction on its Instagram account @sidharta.co, where participants can directly bid on the posts featuring the artworks, ranging from paintings to sculptures. Running from May 14 to 17, the #BidFromHome for Charity Artfordable Auction is currently auctioning 12 artworks by artists including Zabusa and Hari Prast, the proceeds of which will be donated to the NGO Save the Children. The first edition of the charity auction, featuring nine works from artists like Syahrizal Pahlevi and Age Tutu Airlangga, ran from April 30 to May 3. The auction fetched a total of Rp 52.9 million, which was donated to the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI). Chairman and curator Amir Sidharta told The Jakarta Post on Friday that auctions were a form of support for artists, health workers and at-risk groups during the pandemic. Artists can play a huge role in the pandemic, as they can create things that allow us to go through the process with fun, like with simply creating fun masks. My hope is, of course, that the arts and the workers can survive the pandemic and come out triumphant, he said. There are many instances of support to artists so that they can create artworks that inspire us, guide us to do well and discourage the bad. The arts play a positive role for us, so that we never lose our spirit and continue having hope. (ste) A nurse wearing protective clothing handles a potentially infected CCP virus swab at a drive-by testing center at the University of Washington Medical campus in Seattle, Wash., on March 13, 2020. (John Moore/Getty Images) Virus Tracking Project Funded by Bill Gates Paused by FDA A program thats meant to track the spread of the CCP virus in the Seattle area said it had to pause its work because it lacks proper authorization for the tests its been distributing. The Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network (SCAN) has been sending free tests to people to swab themselves at home to see if they have the the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes COVID-19. After the swab arrived back at the University of Washington, results were available in a couple of days. In a recent update, SCAN said it was notified by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials on May 12 that an emergency use authorization is required, prompting a pause in the program. We are actively working to address their questions and resume testing as soon as possible, the network said. They first submitted data to the agency in March. An FDA spokesman told The Epoch Times that any at-home test for COVID-19 requires an emergency use authorization. The FDA is supportive of at-home testing for COVID-19, provided there is data and science to support consumer safety and test accuracy. This includes demonstrating the ability of a lay user to collect their specimen, run the test, and interpret their results accurately, he said in an emailed statement. We also consider the safety of the consumer, including safety from any exposure to toxic chemicals that may be used in the reaction. FDA encourages developers to discuss with us their validation of home use tests early in their development process. While SCAN suggested the FDA recently changed guidance for home-based, self-collected samples, the spokesman said recommendations for at-home testing have not changed. A recent document (pdf) updating policies for testing states that it does not apply to home collection of specimens that will be sent for testing at laboratories certified under a program called CLIA. SCAN said internal studies assessing the stability of specimens turned up only one adverse event, which was described as minor. The headquarters of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seen in Silver Spring, Md. in a file photograph. (Jason Reed/Reuters) Our shipping and stability studies have established that detection of SARS-CoV-2 is stable for over a week at high and low regional temperatures, it said in a statement. SCAN, which has roots in the Seattle Flu Network and is supported by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, said workers have seen a low rate of tests that dont have an adequate sample size over 18 months of testing for the flu and the new virus. One part of analyzing the results after peoples swabs are received is ensuring a sufficient specimen has been collected. Gates said in a recent blog post that the network will help researchers find answers to questions including how many people are infected with the CCP virus, including those without symptoms; whether the virus is weather-dependent; and how officials will know when its safe to reopen businesses and schools. SCAN is testing a sample of people in the Seattle region, including those who are healthy as well as those who are feeling sick, Gates wrote. The test results and other data (like a persons age, gender, race, zip code, and any underlying health conditions) are used by researchers, data modelers, and public health officials to paint a clearer picture of how COVID-19 is moving through the community, who is at greatest risk, and whether physical distancing measures are working. As of late April, 72 samples tested positive out of 8,443 samples, officials said. The FDA spokesman, meanwhile, suggested SCAN is a research study, not a surveillance study. Research studies conducted under supervision of an institutional review board are handled separately by the agency and a board may determine that home collection may occur with appropriate mitigations under such a supervised study. A product containing healthy vaginal bacteria has proved effective against recurrent bacterial vaginosis (BV), an extremely common vaginal infection that is associated with preterm birth, HIV infection and problems with in vitro fertilization. Bacterial vaginosis is one of the most frequent bacterial infections, affecting nearly 30 percent of women of reproductive age in the United States, and anywhere from 15 to 50 percent of women around the world. It is associated with the spread of HIV in Africa, where women make up the majority of those infected, as well as preterm birth and low-birth weight around the world. The findings, published Wednesday, May 13, 2020, in the New England Journal of Medicine, come from a Phase IIB trial of LACTIN-V, a so-called "live biotherapeutic," conducted at UC San Francisco, UC San Diego, Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and Washington University in St. Louis. The randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial showed a significant reduction in the recurrence of BV and found no safety risks from the bacteria used in the LACTIN-V formulation of the species Lactobacillus crispatus CTV-05, a common bacterium found in healthy vaginal microbiomes. While BV is commonly treated with an antibiotic called metronidazole, up to three-quarters of women get the infection again within three months. The study found that LACTIN-V reduced these recurrences significantly. Just 30 percent of women who were given LACTIN-V after initial antibiotic treatment had a recurrence within 12 weeks, compared to 45 percent of the women who received the antibiotic and a placebo. LACTIN-V, which is produced by Osel, Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., comes in a powder form that women self-administer with a vaginal applicator. Once the healthy bacteria in the powder colonize the vagina, they produce lactic acid, which inhibits the growth of bacteria associated with BV. LACTIN-V is stable for more than a year at room temperature, and more than two years in the refrigerator. The 228 women in the trial used LACTIN-V once a day for five days, and then twice a week for 10 weeks. Researchers said the product's ease of use could make it an ideal medication for women around the world. "The initial indication for LACTIN-V is for the prevention of BV, which millions of women in the U.S. have each year," said first author of the paper and study lead Craig Cohen, MD, professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at UCSF. "But this product also has the potential to be an effective intervention to prevent HIV infection and preterm birth." Before LACTIN-V can be used, however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is likely to require a successful Phase III trial with more participants. "This is an entirely new approach that strengthens the vaginal microbiome against infections," said Anke Hemmerling, MD, PhD, MPH, a researcher at UCSF and the senior author of the new study. "This could be a breakthrough for the long-term prevention of BV." The fight against the coronavirus pandemic seems to have robbed us of our humanity. The heart-wrenching ghastly incident of 16 migrants being mowed down under a goods train in Maharashtra on May 8 raises several questions on the mobility of migrants. The next day, five migrants from a group of 11, were crushed to death under a truck in Madhya Pradesh. And this weekend (May 16), two trucks collided and killed at least 24 migrant workers and injured 37 in Uttar Pradesh. The spate of accidents tells us not only about the callous conditions but also of overcrowding, lack of safety and the desperation that is driving people to flee. Follow live updates on coronavirus here Their simple dream was to reach home; they were crushed somewhere along the wastelands they were trekking or ferrying a ride to get to their village. The incidents are a big slap on civilisation itself and, of course, on the development that we claim to have achieved. There are millions of migrants stuck in different parts of the country, and each one has endured unlimited misery amidst uncertainty. The Prime Ministers announcement on May 12 of a massive relief package had a one-line passing mention of migrant labourers, which is the burning issue of the day and has driven many ordinary Indians to tears. An estimated 20-25 lakh migrants from Uttar Pradesh, 10-15 lakh migrants from Bihar and another 20-25 lakh migrants from other parts of India are in the COVID-19 hot zones of just Mumbai, Pune and Thane. We have no experience in dealing with the consequences of such large-scale movement of people. READ: They wont come back anytime soon Consider how the picture has reversed. India was considered fortunate as it had the experiences of successes and failures of several other countries in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic along with two months lead time for preparedness. Unprecedentedly, the entire nation was united then in the hope that we will end up as a totally different country vis-a-vis COVID-19. Indias proactive lockdown was acclaimed globally as the largest and strongest lockdown and earned accolades from the worlds most prestigious medical journal The Lancet, in a special editorial on India. We can debate some decisions and actions taken in retrospect. But the way we have dealt with migrants is unconscionable. READ: Disillusioned migrants choose home over host The question we need to ask is, what was the epidemiological advantage of our actions? If the migrants, especially the casual labourers, having lost their wages, were anyways going to go, it was certainly advantageous - scientifically as well as logistically -- to send them either prior to or immediately after the lockdown. A simple perusal of figures tells us this. As against 536 COVID-19 cases and only 10 deaths in India till March 24, India had over 85,000 cases 2,200 deaths on May 16. In just a day, 52 COVID-19 infections on May 3 in the Mumbai suburb of Mulund jumped to 123 the next day. COVID-19 infections in Dharavi slums had crossed 632 on May 4, more than the entire countrys infections 40 days back. Hence, the workers migrating 50 days later will be migrating with 100 times more chance of COVID-19 infections than on March 24. Most of them were on the streets or in slums, where social distancing is just another dream. A few lucky ones got the shade of community centres or quarantine centres. However, all were without wages with nothing to do but to wait for the next meal from the government agencies or some good Samaritans, and any possibility to get a transport back home. If they had been sent home around March 24, public opinion was on their side and the transport system was still in action then. And many would have probably come back happily to work once the lockdown is lifted. During lockdown 3.0, the government finally agreed to let them move, but with lots of pre-conditions and ambiguities. Yet, barely 500,000 migrants were transported with all manner of conditions and certificates asked of them, which led to overcrowding at police stations and at doctors clinics. Even on Saturday, there was a line at Mumbais main CST station, stretching several kilometres as workers wait in hope for the trains to re-start. We expect migrants to pay for travel home, when they are left with no money. On the other hand, the government paid the costs for evacuating Indians from international destinations in March. Similarly, several state governments footed the bill to transport students from Kota in April. If not all, most of them could afford to pay for their travel and transport. Ironically, the Prime Minister appeals to the states, industry, businesses, philanthropists and common people to look after migrants and those in need. Why then did his government make the migrants pay for their travel back home? Arent these clear cases of double standards? Arent we treating the poor, hapless and voiceless people differently as lesser citizens, if not slaves? The recipient states laid down several preconditions, including impractical ones like COVID-19 tests. No such conditions were laid down when the states picked-up the IIT preparatory students from Kota just a few days back. Harassing poor migrants to fill up forms, get mandatory medical fitness certificates by paying through their nose and that too for an endless wait due to the uncertainty of when their turn would come for train or road travel is demeaning, besides creating chaotic situations everywhere. If the travel is delayed, fresh medical certificates will be required. The queues outside clinics or hospitals, police stations, railway stations or bus terminals are perfect, uncontrollable COVID-19 transmission points where social distancing and hand hygiene went for a toss. When anyway they are to be put in 14-day quarantine at the places they will alight, why all this fuss? There was a stampede by migrant workers in Surat that led to lathi-charge and tear-gassing by the police to disperse the mobs. We must feel ashamed that this is the way human beings and those whose toil has built our cities and their services -- have been treated in our country. The actions have important implications for our fight against COVID-19. If the disease spreads to the vast corners of India, the way we handled migrant workers would have certainly played an important part. We may end up paying a high price. (The writer is consultant in HIV and Infectious Diseases in Mumbai, President, AIDS Society of India, and Governing Council Member, International AIDS Society) (Through The Billion Press) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Simon Tay and Kevin Chen (The Jakarta Post) Singapore Sat, May 16, 2020 15:33 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8821de 3 Opinion ASEAN,physical-distancing,lockdown,reopening-plan,reopening,COVID-19,pandemic Free Over the past week, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia started easing restrictions taken against the COVID -19 pandemic, and Singapore is poised to do so as well in the coming weeks. Such moves come as welcome relief for people and businesses and follow similar efforts in South Korea and Germany. As a whole, ASEAN currently reports fewer confirmed cases than either Europe or the United States. The group has also proactively reached out to China, Japan and South Korea at its recent Special ASEAN Summit to increase regional cooperation. As some countries step forward, others in the region may wish to follow suit. But while efforts have been considerable, risks remain and indeed may be increasing. Easing up on the lockdowns will be a complex process. While many are keen to reopen, the more apt emotions are caution and even anxiety. Surveying the region, restrictions may seem similar on the surface. Looking closer, however, there are significant differences in the timeliness and thoroughness of implementation. Vietnam has been praised for setting a gold standard. The government implemented movement restrictions as early as February, while utilising extensive contact tracing and community mobilisation to arrest the spread of the virus. Vietnam has reported 271 cases and no deaths. Thailand moved less decisively, considering that the Kingdom confirmed the worlds first nonChina case of COVID-19 on Jan. 13. Nationwide measures such as school closures only really took effect in March. While celebrations and travel were curbed during the famously rowdy Songkran water festival, many workers had already left the capital before curfew and business restrictions took effect. There are parallels with Indonesias mudik exodus, when Indonesians typically return to their hometowns to celebrate the end of the Ramadan fast. While President Joko Jokowi Widodo had agreed to a nationwide ban, this was decided late and many left in the time before it was implemented. In Malaysia too, many left for their hometowns before the Movement Control Order (MCO) was first implemented. But the government has since shown more precaution, based on advice from health experts. While easing the restrictions on their lockdown generally, bans will remain against people returning to their hometowns and hosting open houses for the Eid celebrations. Similarly, Malaysia initially allowed barbers and opticians to resume operations in mid-April but changed their policy after concerns were voiced. When we consider these differences, superficial similarities in policy disguise a considerable diversity across ASEAN. This can result in different outcomes as lockdowns ease. Countries are basing their decisions to reopen on falling growth rates in new cases, and rightly so. But it will be critical to keep monitoring and tracking COVID-19s reproduction, or R number. Germany is taking this approach towards easing and, when their R number approached one, restrictions were tightened again. But to monitor the R number, testing and tracing are needed. Only then can governments reliably monitor infection numbers as lockdowns ease. The reality is that few in ASEAN are testing sufficiently at present. This is illustrated by the fact that Singapore is the ASEAN country with the highest number of cases. This result is counter-intuitive, given the countrys relatively small population, and is explained largely by increased efforts in testing. Singapores per capita testing rate stands at 24,600 per million people, the highest in the region. In comparison, the ratio is 3,264 in Thailand and just 444 in Indonesia. By increasing testing in response to outbreaks in crowded foreign worker dormitories, Singapores reported cases rose sharply. While this creates a negative perception, testing remains one of the keys to a successful COVID-19 response. Testing must however be allied to efforts to increase capacity in hospitals and community isolation facilities. Very few countries can build a new hospital in days, as China did. But Vietnam and Singapore, for example, both repurposed public buildings to isolate thousands of quarantined individuals or even COVID -19 patients who have few or light symptoms. As it prepares to ease restrictions, Singapore is aiming to double the number of bed spaces at these facilities to 20,000 by the end of June and is likely to ramp up tracing efforts. There are expectations that governments will ease lockdown measures. Broad restrictions cannot continue indefinitely, given their considerable economic and social impacts. However, governments need to remain cautious. It will be critical not to see this as a time for celebration or relaxation. More testing is needed to reduce uncertainties. This is especially for vulnerable communities that live in cramped conditions where maintaining social distancing and hygiene is challenging. This applies to the many millions of migrant workers across ASEAN, as well as those in the informal economy and low-wage jobs. In tandem with increased testing, efforts to trace contacts must be more efficient and effective; perhaps using technology and mobile apps. This can help more governments assess their R number so they can adjust their measures in real time and based on data. At the same time, ASEAN countries need to ramp up their healthcare systems. Financing and building public hospitals are critical for the long term. More immediately, stopgap measures must be found to significantly increase facilities to isolate and treat those with lighter symptoms. As these measures are put in place, and when local transmissions are contained and monitored, the reopening of border can be considered for the future. This can be among ASEAN neighbors as well as with other partner countries like South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, and discussion has begun on such possibilities. Efforts to flatten the curve have shown some success in some ASEAN countries. But there are more curves and bumps on the road ahead. Keeping both hands on the wheel and a foot on the brakes will be essential. *** Simon Tay is chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs and associate professor of international law at the National University of Singapore. Kevin Chen is policy research analyst. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. When winter smog takes over Asian mega-cities, more particulate matter is measured in the streets than expected. An international team, including researchers from Goethe University Frankfurt, as well as the universities in Vienna and Innsbruck, has now discovered that nitric acid and ammonia in particular contribute to the formation of additional particulate matter. Nitric acid and ammonia arise in city centres predominantly from car exhaust. Experiments show that the high local concentration of the vapours in narrow and enclosed city streets accelerates the growth of tiny nanoparticles into stabile aerosol particles. In crowded urban centres, high concentrations of particulate matter cause considerable health effects. Especially in winter months, the situation in many Asian mega-cities is dramatic when smog significantly reduces visibility and breathing becomes difficult. Particulates, with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres, mostly form directly through combustion processes, for example in cars or heaters. These are called primary particulates. Particulates also form in the air as secondary particulates, when gases from organic substances, sulphuric acid, nitric acid or ammonia, condense on tiny nanoparticles. These grow into particles that make up a part of particulate matter. Until now, how secondary particulates could be newly formed in the narrow streets of mega-cities was a puzzle. According to calculations, the tiny nanoparticles should accumulate on the abundantly available larger particles rather than forming new particulates. Scientists in the international research project CLOUD have now recreated the conditions that prevail in the streets of mega-cities in a climate chamber at the particle accelerator CERN in Geneva, and reconstructed the formation of secondary particulates: in the narrow and enclosed streets of a city, a local increase of pollutants occurs. The cause of the irregular distribution of the pollutants is due in part to the high pollutant emissions at the street level. Furthermore, it takes a while before the street air mixes with the surrounding air. This leads to the two pollutants ammonia and nitric acid being temporarily concentrated in the street air. As the CLOUD experiments demonstrate, this high concentration creates conditions in which the two pollutants can condense onto nanoparticles: ammonium nitrate forms on condensation cores the size of only a few nanometres, causing these particles to grow rapidly. "We have observed that these nanoparticles grow rapidly within just a few minutes. Some of them grow one hundred times more quickly than we had previously ever seen with other pollutants, such as sulphuric acid," explains climate researcher Professor Joachim Curtius from Goethe University Frankfurt. "In crowded urban centres, the process we observed therefore makes an important contribution to the formation of particulate matter in winter smog -- because this process only takes place at temperatures below about 5 degrees Celsius." The aerosol physicist Paul Winkler from the University of Vienna adds: "When conditions are warmer, the particles are too volatile to contribute to growth." The formation of aerosol particles from ammonia and nitric acid probably takes place not only in cities and crowded areas, but on occasion also in higher atmospheric altitudes. Ammonia, which is primarily emitted from animal husbandry and other agriculture, arrives in the upper troposphere from air parcels rising from close to the ground by deep convection, and lightning creates nitric acid out of nitrogen in the air. "At the prevailing low temperatures there, new ammonium nitrate particles are formed which as condensation seeds play a role in cloud formation," explains ion physicist Armin Hansel from the University of Innsbruck, pointing out the relevance of the research findings for climate. The experiment CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets) at CERN studies how new aerosol particles are formed in the atmosphere out of precursor gases and continue to grow into condensation seeds. CLOUD thereby provides fundamental understanding on the formation of clouds and particulate matter. CLOUD is carried out by an international consortium consisting of 21 institutions. The CLOUD measuring chamber was developed with CERN know-how and achieves very precisely defined measuring conditions. CLOUD experiments use a variety of different measuring instruments to characterise the physical and chemical conditions of the atmosphere consisting of particles and gases. In the CLOUD project, the team led by Joachim Curtius from the Institute for Atmosphere and Environment at Goethe University Frankfurt develops and operates two mass spectrometers to detect trace gases such as ammonia and sulphuric acid even at the smallest concentrations as part of projects funded by the BMBF and the EU. At the Faculty of Physics at the University of Vienna, the team led by Paul Winkler is developing a new particle measuring device as part of an ERC project. The device will enable the quantitative investigation of aerosol dynamics specifically in the relevant size range of 1 to 10 nanometres. Armin Hansel from the Institute for Ion Physics and Applied Physics at the University of Innsbruck developed a new measuring procedure (PTR3-TOF-MS) to enable an even more sensitive analysis of trace gases in the CLOUD experiment with his research team as part of an FFG project. Sophie Vaughan, Staff Reporter / Hearst Connecticut Media An elite group of students representing five Fort Bend and Katy ISD high schools along with four Katy and Sugar Land students attending private schools and academies were recently recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) as 2020 National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners. The students were chosen from a group of than 15,000 finalists in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program. Winners were announced Wednesday (May 13). Katy ISDs Seven Lakes High School and Taylor High School were both represented by four students each. Fort Bend ISD students also made an impressive showing with five Merit Scholars representing Clements, Dulles and Hightower High Schools and four students attending private schools and academies were also recognized as Merit Scholars. 2020 National Merit Scholar winners are listed by high school in alphabetical order. Former Bachelorette star Carlin Sterritt has opened up about his battle with depression and anxiety. The 31-year-old, who won Angie Kent's heart on the Channel 10 series last year, discussed his struggles in a lengthy Instagram post on Saturday. 'It's so easy to portray a happy, 'blessed', fun, easy going life on social media...' he wrote. 'It's even harder being in the public eye': Former Bachelorette star Carlin Sterritt has opened up about his battle with depression and anxiety 'But what people don't see is the storm that we can have in our minds, the depression and anxiety that we struggle with daily,' he continued. 'It's even harder being in the public eye. People think they know you from your 15 minutes on TV. '[They] will make up their minds about your whole character and even go out of their way to tell you how much they dislike you, without even scratching the surface of who you really are.' 'What people don't see is the storm that we can have in our minds, the depression and anxiety that we struggle with daily,' Carlin said in an emotional post The personal trainer went on to reveal that he was officially diagnosed with depression and anxiety a few months ago, which led him to seek professional help. He then urged his followers to take care of their mental health during isolation. Carlin and reality star Angie fell in love on The Bachelorette last year and have been going strong ever since. Happiness: Carlin and reality star Angie Kent fell in love on The Bachelorette last year and have been going strong ever since They have been self-isolating together in Sydney during the COVID-19 pandemic, after Angie recently moved from the Sunshine Coast to be closer to her beau. Back in January, the pair sparked engagement rumours when they were spotted shopping for rings. Angie has since denied wedding rumours, telling Studio 10 in February that Carlin has no immediate plans to propose. Mass opposition is developing among teachers and parents to the Johnson governments reopening of schools across the UK. Our Plan to Rebuild, the UK governments COVID-19 recovery strategy, published Monday, includes the phased return of schools starting with reception, year 1 and year 6 pupils (aged 4 to 5 years, 5 to 6 years and 10 to 11 years respectively) from June 1. The closure of schoolsbegun belatedly in the UK on March 23is a key measure recommended by medical experts internationally to reduce the infection and death rate from the coronavirus pandemic. Health Minister Matt Hancock at yesterdays media briefing On Friday, Education Minister Gavin Williamson issued a statement in the Daily Mail calling on teachers to return to work for the sake of all pupils. Williamson repeated the governments contested claims that we are now past the peak of the virus, claiming the phased reopening of schools was based on the latest scientific advice. But yesterday, the head of the British Medical Association (BMA) Chaand Nagpaul warned, Until we have got case numbers much lower, we should not consider reopening schools. We cannot risk a second spike or take actions which would increase the spread of this virus, particularly as we see sustained rates of infection across the UK. The World Health Organisations top official in Europe, Dr Hans Kluge, warned of the risk of a second and more deadly wave of infection caused by the easing of lockdown restrictions. Kluge told the Telegraph yesterday, People think lockdown is finished. Nothing has changed. The full disease control package has to be in place. Thats the key message. The Johnson governments reopening of schools is the spearhead of its homicidal plans to restart the economy on behalf of the financial oligarchy. This cannot be achieved without transforming schools into little more than child-minding centres so that parents can be herded back into unsafe workplaces. Yesterday, teacher unions, including the National Education Union (NEU) and National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) met with the government and leading members of its scientific advisory committee, SAGEincluding Sir Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the governments chief scientific adviser. The talks were billed by the government as a means for unions to reassure their members that the phased reopening of schools was in line with scientific advice. But none of the questions posed by the unions were answered, including the impact on the reproduction rate of current measures to ease the lockdown and the role of children in spreading the virus. Leora Cruddas, chief executive of the Confederation of School Trusts, who has declared schools must reopen on June 1, blurted out the real purpose of yesterdays talks, saying they would be crucial for building a consensus. The unions response is duplicitous. Science has already established the immense dangers posed by any reopening of schools. Figures released yesterday by SAGE show the reproduction rate for COVID-19 has risen to a national average of 0.71.0. Anything above 1 means the virus will begin to grow exponentially. The latest figures are based on data obtained three weeks ago, i.e., before the Johnson governments easing of lockdown restrictions announced last Sunday. There is a mass outpouring of opposition to the Johnson governments reopening of schools: Nine in 10 teachers oppose the prime ministers plan for primary schools to open from June 1, according to an NEU poll. Approximately 85 percent of respondents said they disagreed with the plans, while 92 percent said they would not feel safe with the proposed wider opening of schools. Of those with school-age children, 89 percent said they felt it would be unsafe or very unsafe to send their children back to school in current circumstances. A survey by the GMB union found 96 percent of school support staff are worried that reopening schools too early will put children and their families at risk. Only 0.6 percent of respondents think its possible for young school children to socially distance in school. Meanwhile fewer than 12 percent of school support staff are confident adequate coronavirus testing will be available for staff. More than 400,000 teachers have signed a petition by the NEU opposing the reopening of schools in the absence of safety measures including extensive testing, contact tracing and quarantine. A petition started by parent Lucy Browne demanding the right to keep children at home if schools are reopened has received well over half a million signatures, spiking just hours after Johnsons television broadcast on Sunday evening. Yesterdays announcement by Liverpool Mayor Jim Anderson that schools there will not reopen on June 1 reflects the depth of public sentiment. With new Public Health England figures showing the epicentre of infections has shifted from London to the North West of England and Yorkshire, Gateshead Council in Newcastle yesterday urged residents to ignore the Johnson governments instructions on easing the lockdown and stay at home. The push to reopen schools has been coupled with a vicious attack on teachers by Tory and Labour politicians and the media who have denounced calls for safety as scare-mongering. Thursdays Daily Mail headline, Let our teachers be heroes, caused widespread public anger, with its implication that teachers opposed to ending the lockdown are cowards and traitors. Yesterday, the BBC promoted the comments of social entrepreneur Steve Chalke from the Oasis Trust, which runs 35 primary schools in England. He described teacher opposition to reopening schools as rather middle class, stating, The greatest risks for many of our children are being stuck in a council block, with no fresh air, no exercise, little or no nutritious food. Teachers are more than aware of these issues. They have spent the last decade fighting Tory austerity measures enforced by Labour-run councils which have created a 5.5 billion shortfall in school budgets and near bankruptcy for thousands of schools. More than 4.1 million children live in povertynine in every classroom of 30with 1.6 million families relying on food banks. On Thursday, the witch-hunt against teachers was joined by former Labour Education Minister David Blunkett who told BBC Radio 4 that teachers were working against the interests of children. His comments were welcomed by the Tory education minister. Scientists have called for the country to more than halve its current daily infection rate before it is safe to open schools. Office for National Statistics data released this week has shown children were as likely to catch coronavirus as adults. Azeem Majeed, a professor of primary care at Imperial College London said the data suggests that previous studies, based on hospital admissions, may have underestimated the rates of infection in children. An Imperial College study found that school closures had reduced the death rate by between 2 and 4 percent, but the impact on peak intensive care unit bed demand is much higherbetween 12 and 23 percent. The science is clear but that is not the basis on which decisions are being taken. The safety and lives of teachers, students and their families mean a political fight against the dictates of a ruthless financial oligarchy which is determined to reopen schools and force a return to work whatever the cost in human life. Teachers can place no faith in the education unions, which have enforced decades of attacks under both Labour and Conservative governments. Independent rank-and-file committees must be formed in every school to lead decision-making on health and safety and to ensure that the lives of teachers and their students takes precedence over the drive for profit. Piers Corbyn (brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn) is arrested as conspiracy theorists gather at Hyde Park Corner (Picture: Getty) Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyns older brother was one of several people arrested during a protest against the coronavirus lockdown. Around 50 demonstrators defied social distancing to gather at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park, west London, holding placards with slogans like anti-vax deserves a voice and freedom over fear. Dozens of police officers, including some on horseback, patrolled the protest, issuing several fines and arresting at least six people, including 73-year-old Piers Corbyn. He was taken away after showing up with a megaphone and proclaiming 5G and the coronavirus pandemic were linked. There is no evidence to link 5G and COVID-19. Read more: Primary school for vulnerable children shut after two confirmed COVID-19 cases Piers Corbyn is led away by police (Picture: Getty) Corbyn waves to someone as he leaves (Picture: Getty) Corbyn was taken away after allegedly refusing to leave and give his details when asked by a police officer. A flyer advertising the protest called for no to mandatory vaccines, no to the new normal, and no to the unlawful lockdown. 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. Another demonstrator, 62-year-old Catharine Harvey, said she was defying the rules to highlight the devastation this lockdown has caused. The shop owner said: Developing countries will have no trade, no tourism. I have had to close my shop on Columbia Road flower market. The effects of the lockdown are far, far worse than the virus mental health, domestic violence, shops are closed, theatres, cinemas, restaurants. Its unnecessary. Corbyn allegedly refused to give his details (Picture: Getty) Around 50 people defied social distancing to gather at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park (Picture: Getty) Dozens of police officers, including some on horseback, patrolled the protest (Picture: Getty) Read more: Boris Johnson says Britons' 'common sense is shining through' Scotland Yard said as of 2pm on Saturday, six people were arrested in the Hyde Park area. A separate protest saw about a dozen demonstrators gather on Southampton Common, holding placards saying Stop the Lies, Say no to tyranny and Fight 4 Freedom. Story continues In Belfast, police monitored a crowd of around 20 people who had gathered in Ormeau Park to denounce the lockdown measures. Officers warned participants to socially distance and they complied. The gathering broke up without incident after an hour. Coronavirus: what happened today? Click here to sign up to the latest news, advice and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter She has been enduring her home quarantine in Los Angeles. But on Friday, actress Camila Mendes took a break from her nearly two-month sequester for a stroll with some friends. And the Riverdale star played it safe during her afternoon excursion and wore of protective surgical mask as she enjoyed some fresh air on another warm and sunny Southern California day. Fresh air: Camila Mendes took a break from quarantine and went on a walk with friends The actress, 25, kept it casual in the fashion department in black denim jeans and a white t-short that was tied at the bottom to give a hint of her midriff. She covered up a bit with light blue and white plaid shirt. The Virginia native rounded out her ensemble with a white pair of of slippers and her raven tresses styled long with some soft waves and part on the slight right. Safety first: The Riverdale actress, 25, wore a surgical mask during her stroll Mendes ended her relationship with Riverdale co-star Charles Melton last year. And just last week she was spotted while out on a walk with a mystery male friend in Los Angeles. The actress is best known for portraying Veronica Lodge on The CW teen drama series Riverdale since 2017. New thriller film: Mendes stars in the new Netflix thriller film Dangerous Lies that premiered on the streaming service April 30; she is pictured with co-star Jessie T. Usher She stars in the new Netflix thriller film Dangerous Lies that premiered on the streaming service April 30. It also stars Jessie T. Usher, Jamie Chung, Cam Gigandet, Sasha Alexander and Elliott Gould. Mendes also landed a role in the romantic comedy Palm Springs, starring Andy Sanberg, Cristin Milioti and J. K. Simmons. It premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival in January, but has yet to make its wide release. WASHINGTONWith violence surging in Afghanistan, and its government still deeply at odds with the Taliban, the Trump administration said Friday that a withdrawal of U.S. troops from the countrys longest war was still on track. The administrations special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, said challenges were blocking progress on a U.S.-Taliban agreement signed earlier this year that was meant to clear the way for U.S. forces to leave. But he said both sides remained interested in ending a conflict that has gone on for decades. Khalilzad said a horrific attack Tuesday on a maternity ward in Kabul that left newborn babies, their mothers and pregnant women dead, was the work of an offshoot of the Islamic State group and not the Taliban, the militant group that does not recognize the Afghan government. The Taliban has denied responsibility, but the Afghanistan government which was not part of the withdrawal agreement remains skeptical. On Thursday, a truck bomb attack on an Afghan military base in the eastern part of the country was claimed by the Taliban, and prompted the Kabul government to announce it was resuming military operations against a rival group that controls large parts of the country. The U.S.-Taliban deal, Afghan government officials said, was near collapse. Khalilzad, briefing reporters in Washington, acknowledged the deal he brokered Feb. 29 only obliged the Taliban to halt attacks on troops from the U.S.-led coalition, not on Afghan government forces or civilians. But we believe that theyre in violation of the spirit, given the number of attacks and Afghan casualties in those attacks, he said. We are saying that they are violating the spirit if not the letter, given that commitment that all sides will try to reduce violence. He also blamed outside actors like the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, for attempting to torpedo the deal. There are forces such as ISIS that dont see peace in Afghanistan in its interests and are trying to increase violence, to undermine the prospect for peace, Khalilzad said. Were urging both sides not to fall into that trap, but indeed to co-operate against the terrorists, including ISIS. At the Pentagon on Friday, spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman said the U.S. is proceeding with plans to reduce its troop count in Afghanistan to 8,600, from roughly 12,000, by early summer. Were still moving forward with the force reduction levels that were committed to, he said. We expect to meet that. Under the deal, the Taliban was to commit to reducing terrorism, but terms were vague. In exchange, the U.S. agreed to a gradual withdrawal of troops who have been engaged in fighting in Afghanistan since shortly after the 9/11 terror attacks. NATO troops would also be pulled out. Khalilzad also said that setting a date for talks among all Afghan parties, another part of the deal, was under discussion. The talks were supposed to begin two months ago, but continued disagreement, chiefly between the Kabul government of President Ashraf Ghani and the Taliban, has remained an obstacle. Another lingering point of contention is prisoner swaps. The government was required to release 5,000 Talibs, and the Taliban agreed to free 1,000 government soldiers. So far, Khalilzad said, the government has freed only 1,011 Talibs, and the Taliban, 253 soldiers. U.S. President Donald Trump promised to end the war in Afghanistan, and appears to be moving to make some progress on that pledge in advance of the November election. But critics, including many Afghan civil-rights organizations, worry that in its haste to exit, the U.S. will abandon hard-fought gains in democracy, freedom of expression, womens rights and education. The attack at the hospital, regardless of who was responsible, was an especially shocking atrocity in a country long accustomed to them. The Paris-based charity Doctors Without Borders, which operates the hospital in a Shiite neighbourhood, said gunmen headed straight to the maternity ward and seemed to target women and infants. They went through the rooms in the maternity, shooting women in their beds. It was methodical. Walls sprayed with bullets, blood on the floors in the rooms, vehicles burned out and windows shot through, the organizations head of programs in Afghanistan, Frederic Bonnot, said in a statement. They came to kill the mothers. The attack left 16 dead. Khalilzad could not provide evidence that it was conducted by ISIS, except to say it fit the groups pattern. ISIS has demonstrated a pattern for favouring these types of heinous attacks against civilians and is a threat to the Afghan people and to the world, he said earlier Friday in a tweet. On the same day as the hospital massacre, an attack on the funeral of a pro-government warlord in the eastern part of Afghanistan killed 34 people. ISIS took responsibility. Read more about: NASA analyzes developing System 90L in Straits of Florida A low-pressure area designated as System 90L appears to be developing in the Straits of Florida, located between Southern Florida and Cuba. NASA's Aqua satellite measured cloud top temperatures within the developing system and found some stronger storms. At 8:50 a.m. EDT on May 15, NOAA's National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a Special Tropical Weather Outlook issued to discuss the potential for tropical or subtropical development near the northwest Bahamas. The Outlook stated, "A trough (elongated area) of low pressure located over the Straits of Florida continues to produce disorganized shower activity and gusty winds across the Florida Keys, portions of southeast Florida, and the northwestern Bahamas. Gradual development of this system is expected, and it will likely become a tropical or subtropical storm on Saturday [May 16] when it is located near the northwestern Bahamas. Later in the weekend and early next week, the system is expected to move generally northeastward over the western Atlantic (Ocean)." NASA's Aqua satellite provided information to NHC forecasters. One kind of data Aqua provides is infrared light to analyze the strength of storms by providing temperature information about the system's clouds. The strongest thunderstorms that reach high into the atmosphere have the coldest cloud top temperatures. On May 15 at 3:45 a.m., EDT (0745 UTC) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite gathered infrared data on 90L. Strongest thunderstorms had cloud top temperatures as cold as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 45.5 Celsius). As cloud tops continue to cool, they stretch higher into the troposphere. NASA research has shown that when cloud top temperatures drop to minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 56.6 degrees Celsius), storms have the ability to generate heavy rain. The NHC Outlook stated, "Regardless of development, the disturbance will continue to bring heavy rainfall to portions of the Florida Keys, southeast Florida and the Bahamas through Saturday. Tropical storm-force wind gusts are also possible across portions of the Florida Keys, southeast Florida, and the Bahamas during the next day or so. In addition, hazardous marine conditions are expected along the Florida east coast and in the Bahamas where Gale Warnings are in effect. Dangerous surf conditions and rip currents are possible along portions of the southeast U.S. coast this weekend and early next week." The NHC said that the formation chance through 48 hours and out through 5 days is high. Tropical cyclones and hurricanes are the most powerful weather events on Earth. NASA's expertise in space and scientific exploration contributes to essential services provided to the American people by other federal agencies, such as hurricane weather forecasting. ### For updated forecasts, visit: http://www. nhc. noaa. gov . This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Researchers warned that surging hospital admissions for COVID-19 would divert already limited resources to tackle major health issues in the region AFP/Ericky BONIPHACE Authors of the research, published on Friday (May 15) in the journal BMJ Global Health, predicted a lower infection rate than in other parts of the world like Europe and the US, with fewer severe cases and deaths. But while they said many African nations had been swift to adopt containment measures, they warned that health systems could still quickly become overwhelmed. "Our model points to the scale of the problem for health systems if containment measures fail," said the authors. The study comes amid stark warnings that COVID-19 threatens a health emergency in developing nations where fragile health systems are already struggling with an array of other chronic diseases. Experts at the World Health Organization's Africa office modelled likely rates of exposure to the virus and infection in the 47 countries under its regional remit, which excludes Djibouti, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Somalia, Sudan and Tunisia. Around 231 million people, or 22 per cent (with a range of 16 per cent to 26 per cent) of the 1 billion people in the region were expected to be infected in the 12 month period - most of them showing few or no symptoms. But an estimated 4.6 million people would need to be admitted to hospital, while 140,000 would have severe COVID-19 infection and 89,000 would be critically ill. That would lead to some 150,000 deaths (between 83,000 and 190,000), the study suggested. The modelling estimates what would happen for each country over the period of a year from the beginning of widespread and sustained community transmission. SMALLER COUNTRIES THREATENED Researchers warned that surging hospital admissions for COVID-19 would divert already limited resources to tackle major health issues in the region, such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and malnutrition, worsening the impact of coronavirus. "The region will have fewer deaths, but occurring more in relatively younger age groups, amongst people previously considered healthy - due to undiagnosed non-communicable diseases," the report said, adding that these trends were already emerging. The researchers said they expect the virus would likely circulate within the region for longer than other countries, possibly for several years. Transmission was estimated to be greatest in small nations, with Mauritius found to have the highest risk of exposure. Of the region's large countries, South Africa, Cameroon and Algeria were also in the top ten for exposure risk. The authors calculated this risk by looking at each country's "gathering factor" (including family size and population density), people's likely ease of movement, sanitation and hygiene practices. They also included weather. It is not known if warmer temperatures slow down the spread of COVID-19, though some research has suggested it has that effect on other coronaviruses. Researchers factored in each country's measures to control the spread of the virus, including physical distancing. They also looked at health risk factors - proportion of the population over 65, HIV prevalence (as a proxy for chronic communicable conditions) and diabetes (as a proxy for non-communicable chronic illness). The report assumed that some 88 per cent of people would not know they had the virus, with either mild symptoms or none at all, while four percent would suffer severe or life-threatening illness. They called for countries to rapidly boost healthcare capacity, particularly in primary hospitals. This month the United Nations said the number of deaths from AIDS-related illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa could double if the provision of healthcare to HIV sufferers is disrupted during the coronavirus crisis. The world has witnessed what is described as an unprecedented historic scene on Thursday, 14th May, when millions of people around the world united in prayer to supplicate to God for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic and to help scientists and researchers find a vaccine against the disease as quickly as possible. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200515005533/en/ His Eminence Dr Ahmed El-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar (Photo: AETOSWire) This came in response to the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity (HCHF) humanitarian call, which was blessed and supported by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, and His Holiness Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, and received the support of a number of kings, presidents, leaders, and leading political, religious, and media figures from all over the world. The HCHFs call to pray for humanity, which was announced in a statement issued in 14 languages, gained momentum on social media platforms, as the initiative recorded 36 billion cumulative digital media interactions, engagement and potential reach as estimated by Talkwalker analytics report, since it was launched on 2nd May till 15th May. The initiatives official website (pray.forhumanfraternity.org) and social media accounts have hosted a 24-hour livestream for the global prayers. #PrayForHumanity hashtag trended on social media in many countries, including France, Germany, India, KSA, UAE, Spain, Egypt, and Italy, reflecting the great success of the initiative which also attracted the attention of global media. The HCHF extended thanks to all leaders, religious, political, and popular institutions, and all those who participated in the global prayer day. Judge Mohamed Abdel Salam, HCHF Secretary-General, praised the unexpected successes of the initiative, stressing that such successes will contribute to achieving a true global unity. He said: The voices of supplications to God that were made in an unprecedented humanitarian scene in all continents of the world to end this pandemic are reasons for us to feel optimistic and give us confidence that our unity will help the world overcome this crisis. Monsignor Yoannis Lahzi Gaid, Personal Secretary to His Holiness Pope Francis, stated that the participation of different religions and beliefs in this initiative also the global response paves a way forward to continue working for humanity, especially in facing this pandemic. He said: We will keep supplicating to God and work with our brothers from different religions and beliefs to transform this suffering to an opportunity for more solidarity and fraternity. The HCHF is an independent international committee that includes a group of experts and leaders in inter-culture communication and interfaith dialogue. It aims to achieve the higher goals for human fraternity signed by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, and His Holiness Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, in Abu Dhabi in February 2019, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the patron of the Document on Human Fraternity. *Source: AETOSWire View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200515005533/en/ Teachers and parents have been doing an extraordinary amount of work since mid-March to keep S.C. students on track to finish this school year with the knowledge we need them to have. And many students will be just fine despite this coronavirus-abbreviated school year. Many wont. Education Superintendent Molly Spearman recently told a panel of education leaders that public school teachers have been unable to contact between 4% and 5% of their students since Gov. Henry McMaster ordered school buildings vacated for the year. That sounds low, but in a state with 680,000 public school students, thats more than 30,000 children. A lot of the 650,000 others are struggling. School districts report that theyve counted 160,000 students who dont have computer devices to allow them to participate in online learning; 150,000 households with students lack internet access. Even the best teachers are not equipped to provide a decent education for more than two months to students who cant access online classes. Even students with all the necessary technology are falling short. The Greenville News quoted a Richland 2 administrator who told the panel that many of his Advance Placement students arent participating regularly in online classes, because they just arent engaging enough. Yes, they should be participating, but saying that doesnt change the reality. And if students arent participating, they arent learning. And thats a problem. All this is why Mrs. Spearman wants to get students back into the classroom by fall. And why she wants to beef up this years summer school programs and tack six instructional days onto the beginning of the next school year at a cost of $50 million for summer school and $30 million per day for the fall. Thats without even considering all the extra money that will be needed to bring students back to school from slashing school bus capacity to making sure theyre spaced far enough apart in the classroom, which likely will require splitting classes in half. Its hard to argue with the need. Even with hundreds of millions of dollars in extra federal funding, meeting that need will be another matter. The Legislature passed a measure Tuesday to keep state government operating at its current funding level in the new fiscal year that starts July 1; lawmakers will return to work in September to pass a regular budget one that likely will need to be smaller. Although its hard to imagine how the state could follow through with pre-pandemic promises of large pay raises for teachers or even teachers normal step raises its equally hard to imagine how we catch up all the kids who have fallen behind this spring and then provide them with a safe and adequate education next year with less money. And after years of shorting our schools in terms of both smart policy and adequate funding South Carolina simply cannot afford to fall back into our old habits. Our state government has no duty that is more important than providing a decent education to all children. We realize it will be difficult for legislators to avoid a new round of school funding cuts much less to provide the extra that schools will need to spend in a COVID-19 world. Between them, public education and Medicaid receive about half of state spending, and we essentially have to give money back to the federal government if we cut Medicaid funding. But its not impossible; not if legislators finally do what they refused to even consider during the last recession: decide which non-education and non-Medicaid programs are essential, fund them, and flat-line everything else. That might seem extreme, but even if the recession ends soon, our world has changed. Our spending patterns and our employment patterns which form the basis of state government funding have changed. Our public health needs have changed. Our education needs have changed. Lawmakers need to go ahead now and start changing what constitutes our government, in order to prepare for the post-COVID-19 and pre-next-pandemic world. There has been significant public reaction across Pennsylvania this week, as the District Attorneys of several counties have issued public written statements, stating that they will not be taking criminal action to enforce the emergency stay at home and business closure orders issued by Gov. Tom Wolf. Some local law enforcement agencies have followed with similar statements of their own. This is a rare and important step for one main reason: were any person or business later prosecuted by one of these offices for conduct within the scope of that statement, there would likely be a very strong argument that the statement creates a form of safe harbor preventing prosecution. Much ink has already been spilled about the policy, politics and constitutional authority for both the governors orders and these non-enforcement letters. No such opinion will be offered here because the question facing real people in these uncertain times is a practical one: what does this mean to people and businesses in affected areas, and is it now legal to return to life as normal? In answering this question, the foundational issue is the understanding that county district attorneys are not the only officials with authority to enforce criminal and civil law in Pennsylvania. There may remain real legal risks for people and businesses who rely on these non-enforcement letters to act in spite of the governors emergency orders, even if local authorities make good on their promises not to prosecute. On the criminal side, the Attorney General of Pennsylvania maintains statewide and concurrent jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute in Pennsylvania. This means that the Attorney Generals Office may elect to prosecute any alleged violation of law, even if the local district attorney has declined. Dovetailing with this is the statewide jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania State Police. The State Police, who ultimately report through the executive branch (the Governor), also have statewide jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute. The State Police do not need the consent of local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute anywhere in Pennsylvania. Whether these agencies have any intention to act in enforcement of the governors orders, or whether those prosecutions would be successful, is certainly unclear at this time. However, the governors office appears to be maintaining its position that penalties for violation of emergency orders are criminal in nature. It may not yet be safe for any person or business to assume themselves safe from criminal prosecution on the local district attorneys decision not to enforce. Next, it is important to remember that a wide array of state regulatory agencies may have the authority to seek civil enforcement of the governors orders as they relate to regulated businesses and professionals. For example, the Pennsylvania Department of State, through its various state licensing boards under the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, regulates professional licensing in Pennsylvania. Licensed professionals include barbers, cosmetologists, massage therapists, car dealers, and many others. This agency ultimately reports up through the executive branch (the governor). Again, should this, or any other, state regulatory agency seek civil enforcement action against a regulated person or business for acting in lieu of the governors orders, that person or business could still face significant legal jeopardy. Outside of the states authority, individuals and businesses should also consider their possible civil exposure. In our litigious society, it is nearly certain that there will be future lawsuits, alleging some form of negligence by a person or business who acted in spite of the Governors emergency orders. Pennsylvania recognizes a doctrine called negligence per se. In a nutshell, what this means is that negligence in a civil lawsuit can be proven by the simple act of failing to obey a statute or regulation that affects public safety. Whether any such case would ultimately succeed is much more complicated, and this will likely be the subject of years of litigation to come; however, individuals and businesses should be very careful to consider the potential for costly litigation in considering any plan to move forward in lieu of the emergency orders. It also may be prudent to carefully review any insurance policies to determine what, if any impact, moving forward in lieu of the emergency order may have on future coverage. Every person, family, and business will be making individual decisions on how to move forward in unprecedented times, and it is important to do so with a full understanding of possible legal implications. Whatever that decision, please be safe, be well, and be kind to each other, as we navigate these uncharted waters together. David Mueller is a criminal defense attorney with the Law Firm of Colgan & Associates in Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania. LAPORTE After eight hours outside in the cold negotiating with an armed barricaded man, a detective was able to bring the incident to a peaceful end. Her efforts that day were recently recognized by fellow law enforcement members. On Thursday, LaPorte County Sheriffs Detective Jennifer Rhine-Walker was presented with a Lifesaving Award at the LaPorte County Sheriffs Office Merit Board meeting. On March 14, the LaPorte Police Department requested the help of the LaPorte County Sheriffs Office Emergency Response Team and Hostage Crisis Negotiators, according to the LCSO. There was an armed, suicidal man barricaded in an apartment who had recently committed a battery, police reported. Rhine-Walker was the primary negotiator. As she stood outside the residence, Rhine Walker spent eight hours negotiating with the man, taking minimal breaks to warm up from the cold. Finally, she was able to convince the man to surrender peacefully. When the man and detective met face to face at the end of the incident, he was overheard telling her, I could not have done this without you. Mr Boniface Saddique, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Madina in the Greater Accra Region, has donated bags of rice, gallons of cooking oil, tin tomatoes and sardines to some elderly Moslems of the constituency. The items were provided by a Qatar Charity upon the request by the MP to support the vulnerable and the needy during the ongoing Moslem fasting and prayers (Ramadan). Mr Saddique, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said on the Moslem calendar, the month of Ramadan is to show love, hence the donation to support the needy and the vulnerable in society. It is unfortunate that this years Ramadan has coincided with the outbreak of the COVID-19, which has made it tough for some Moslems to find the means to buy food to break their fast and to take their dawn meals, he said. Mr Mohammed Salifu, a member of the group who received the items on behalf of the people, expressed gratitude to the MP for the gesture and wished him God blessings saying the items would be of great benefit to them as they perform their religious expectations. 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 Description GIS 15 May, 2020: This present day marks two important chapters in Mauritius history, with the implementation of the first phase in easing the lockdown introduced on 20 March 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19, with some sectors resuming their business activities, and the introduction of the COVID-19 (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill and the Quarantine Bill into the National Assembly. The Minister of Tourism, Mr Georges Pierre Lesjongard, made the above statement, this evening, during the daily press briefing of the National Communication Committee on Covid-19, at the New Treasury Building, in Port Louis. The Minister reiterated the commitment and responsibility of Government to act in the best interest of the population. He urged citizens to demonstrate a sense of solidarity and unity, an essential factor for the countrys recovery from the impacts of this pandemic. The key objectives of the COVID-19 (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill and the Quarantine Bill were underpinned by the Minister. The new legislations, he emphasised, will address several issues that arose during the curfew period. These include: the collect of rents for commercial buildings and properties, infected people not reporting their health conditions, and those not abiding by the curfew order. The Minister observed that Mauritius has successfully managed to control the propagation of the COVID-19 across its territory. This feat can be attributed to the bold measures taken by Government and to the sense of responsibility and discipline of the population in adhering to the national confinement protocol. Government, he added, is thankful for the contribution and sacrifice of all frontliners including the Police Force and the healthcare personnel for their concerted effort and dedication in ensuring the health safety of the population against the COVID-19. He called for continued discipline from those who are about to resume work. For her part, the Minister of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, Mrs Kalpana Koonjoo-Shah, spoke about the International Day of Family celebrated on 15 May 2020. This day, she highlighted, marks an opportune time to celebrate the key role of the family as a social institution, also the theme marking this years event. The Minister underlined the key roles of women who are both the backbone of key societal institutions such as the family, as well as significant contributors to the socioeconomic progress of the country. They upheld their roles as heads of family during the lockdown and will be called upon to contribute to the post-COVID- 19 prevailing challenges, she pointed out Minister Koonjoo-Shah also deplored that during the lockdown, women and children continued to be victims of violence. In fact, 349 cases of domestic violence against women and 463 cases of violence against children have been reported to the Ministry, during the period of 20 March to 13 May 2020. The Ministry in collaboration with the Police Force intervened in all cases reported and the necessary support and protection were offered to the victims. Moreover, 37 children were tested to COVID-19 prior to being placed into shelters. My Ministry is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness to have all shelter residents and employees screened, she further stated. Also present at the press briefing, the Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning, Mr Louis Steven Obeegadoo, underscored that the country has successfully stepped past the first phase of its battle against Covid-19. This has been achieved by protecting the health of the population, and now, the country will undertake a second crucial phase which is the economic recovery and maintaining employment for all, he stated. #ResOuLakaz #BeSafeMoris Government Information Service, Prime Ministers Office, Level 6, New Government Centre, Port Louis, Mauritius. Email: gis@govmu.org Website: http://gis.govmu.org Mobile App: Search Gov The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached 56 flats and 16 villas at Peace Valley in Deumol, Goa along with balance in bank account totalling to Rs 7.73 crore under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a case relating to cheating of foreign nationals by Goa-based accused businessmen Ankit Kumar and Sunil Kumar. The attached assets are held in the names of M/s Sanatan Financers and Real Estates Pvt Ltd, Goa. The accused persons illegally collected funds from these foreign nationals in the guise of selling properties under the project named as peace valley, an ED statement issued on Saturday read. The ED initiated an investigation under the provisions of PMLA based on the FIRs registered by Goa Police on the complaints filed by foreign nationals. Also read: India surpasses China tally with 85,000 confirmed coronavirus cases During the course of investigation under PMLA, it is revealed that the accused had collected money from foreign nationals through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) route in the accounts of their various shell companies including M/s Sanatan Financers and Real Estates Pvt Ltd. These gullible foreign nationals were induced to invest in the companies formed by accused Ankit Kumar and Sunil Kumar, towards the purchase of flats/villas, the agency said. However, the ownership of said flats/villas was never transferred to foreign nationals. In this manner, during the period from 2006 to 2011, the accused had received Rs 7.73 crore by duping the foreign nationals and acquired 16 Villas worth Rs 2.56 crore and 56 flats in Goa worth 5.17 crore. These assets and balance in the bank account being proceeds of crime have been provisionally attached under PMLA, it added. The PMLA defines proceeds of crime as any property derived or obtained, directly or indirectly, by any person as a result of criminal activity relating to a scheduled offence or the value of any such property. As per law, foreigners are not allowed to buy properties in India and this violation attracts provisions of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Ankit was arrested in the case by the ED in March and has been released on bail. - Tecra Muigai, daughter of Keroche Breweries proprietors Tabitha and Joseph Karanja, died on Saturday, May 2, in a tragic accident - At the time of her death, she was the was the strategy and innovations director at Keroche Breweries - Her boyfriend Omar Lali was arrested in connection with her death after he provided inconsistent statements in relation to her untimely death - Lali was reportedly living with Tecra in a private residence in Lamu where she allegedly fell from the balcony to her death Tecra Muigai, the daughter of Keroche CEO Tabitha Karanja has finally been laid to rest at a private family ceremony. The burial was graced by former prime minister Raila Odinga who is a close friend to the family. READ ALSO: Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi threatens to lift the lid on Chris Msando's murder READ ALSO: Kenya closes border with Tanzania, Somalia following spike in imported COVID-19 cases The African Union infrastructure envoy on Saturday, May 16, shared on his social media pages a message of encouragement to the family of the deceased. "We joined the family of Joseph and Tabitha Karanja as they laid to rest their daughter Tecra Muigai. May the Lord grant them strength and courage to bear the loss. May Tecras soul rest in eternal peace," Raila said. Tecra who shied off from the public, died in an accident on Saturday, May 2. At the time of her death, she was the was the strategy and innovations director at Keroche Breweries owned by her parents Tabitha and Joseph Karanja. The family of the late Tecra Muigai during her burial ceremony on Saturday, May 16. Photo: Raila Odinga. Source: Facebook Unlike her sister Anerlisa, Tecra kept a low profile and was hardly on social media platforms like her sibling who boasts of celebrity status. Raila converses with Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui during the burial ceremony. Photo: Raila Odinga. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Likizo hii ya COVID-19 mzazi jua anachofanya mwanao usije kujuta baadaye The boyfriend to the deceased, Omari Lali, was arrested and detained for 21 days as investigation into her demise gathered momentum. Lali was reportedly living with Tecra in a private residence in Lamu where she allegedly fell from the balcony to her death. He was arrested in Lamu on Monday, May 4, by homicide detectives after police found inconsistencies in the circumstances leading to Tecra's death. He first said she fell in the bathroom and later changed the narrative and said she fell from a flight of stairs. The suspect, however, denied the allegations. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. My wife pushed me to marry another woman - Pastor Habil Were | Tuko Talks | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. Govt to spend Rs 50,000 crore to develop coal sector: Nirmala Sitharaman Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday the government will explore commercial mining in the coal sector through private sector participation as she unveiled the fourth tranche of economic stimulus measures announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Read more Researchers at IISER, Pune design low-cost ventilator Researchers of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune (IISER), have developed a low-cost ventilator, which is a hybrid version of US and Italian ventilators for the ICU (intensive care unit). Read more Bombay HC allows vehicular access for essential goods thrice a week to Matheran The Bombay high court (HC) on Saturday disposed of a petition and temporarily allowed thrice a week vehicular access to Matheran, a scenic hill station in Maharashtra, for the supply of essential goods to the ecologically sensitive zone (ESZ). Read more Curfew relaxations reinstated in two Gurdaspur villages, two other affected pockets Curfew relaxations were reinstated in two Gurdaspur villages and two other affected pockets in the city on Saturday. The relaxations were implemented on the recommendation of Gurdaspur sub-divisional magistrate Skattar Singh Bal and district magistrate Mohammad Ishfaq. Read more Russia reports rise in coronavirus deaths amid decline in new cases Russia reported a record daily death toll from Covid-19 even as the number of new coronavirus cases eased to the lowest in more than two weeks as the country comes out of lockdown measures. Read more Told Ganguly Ill go after McGrath: Sachin Tendulkar recalls how he unsettled Aussie quick in ICC Knockout in 2000 A lot of great fast bowlers like Wasim Akram, Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath tried to sledge Sachin Tendulkar early on his career only to realise it was not the best way. It made him more determined as he let his bat do the talking. Read more On Vicky Kaushals birthday, brother Sunny shares their cutest childhood pics: Nothing has changed Actor Sunny Kaushal has shared the cutest childhood pictures to mark the birthday of his actor brother, Vicky Kaushal. For the special day, Sunny shared three photos of them as babies, toddlers, and tweens and one of them as grown-ups. Read more Quiet villages, quaint cafes, riverside paradise, Susegad and more: Revisiting Goa away from the beaches The first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions Goa is the thriving party scene, loud music, beach shacks, great seafood and people high on life who love to live at their pace in peace. Read more Wondering how to spend Caturday? Take some inspiration from these felines With many working from home it may seem as if all the days of the week have merged into one. It is, then, especially important to instil normalcy by having a set routine and differentiating the weekend from the workweek. Read more Watch| Dont bother about ratings, think about people: Rahul Gandhi to Centre Li Cheng is the CEO of China Parenting Network Holdings Limited (HKG:1736). First, this article will compare CEO compensation with compensation at similar sized companies. Then we'll look at a snap shot of the business growth. And finally - as a second measure of performance - we will look at the returns shareholders have received over the last few years. This method should give us information to assess how appropriately the company pays the CEO. Check out our latest analysis for China Parenting Network Holdings How Does Li Cheng's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? Our data indicates that China Parenting Network Holdings Limited is worth HK$190m, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as CN699k for the year to December 2019. Notably, that's an increase of 15% over the year before. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth noting the salary is lower, valued at CN628k. We looked at a group of companies with market capitalizations under CN1.4b, and the median CEO total compensation was CN1.6m. 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 73% of total compensation represents salary, while the remainder of 27% is other remuneration. Our data reveals that China Parenting Network Holdings allocates salary in line with the wider market. Most shareholders would consider it a positive that Li Cheng takes less total compensation than the CEOs of most similar size companies, leaving more for shareholders. Though positive, it's important we delve into the performance of the actual business. You can see, below, how CEO compensation at China Parenting Network Holdings has changed over time. SEHK:1736 CEO Compensation May 16th 2020 Is China Parenting Network Holdings Limited Growing? On average over the last three years, China Parenting Network Holdings Limited has shrunk earnings per share by 38% each year (measured with a line of best fit). It saw its revenue drop 14% over the last year. Story continues Few shareholders would be pleased to read that earnings per share are lower over three years. This is compounded by the fact revenue is actually down on last year. These factors suggest that the business performance wouldn't really justify a high pay packet for the CEO. We don't have analyst forecasts, but shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow. Has China Parenting Network Holdings Limited Been A Good Investment? Given the total loss of 92% over three years, many shareholders in China Parenting Network Holdings Limited are probably rather dissatisfied, to say the least. It therefore might be upsetting for shareholders if the CEO were paid generously. In Summary... China Parenting Network Holdings Limited is currently paying its CEO below what is normal for companies of its size. Li Cheng is paid less than CEOs of similar size companies, but the company isn't growing and total shareholder returns have been disappointing. This contrasts with the growth in CEO remuneration, albeit off a reasonably low base. We would not call the pay too generous, but nor would we claim the CEO is underpaid, given lacklustre business performance. Taking a breather from CEO compensation, we've spotted 2 warning signs for China Parenting Network Holdings (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about in order to have a holistic understanding of the stock. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. 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. Duncan Laurence, representing The Netherlands, performs live Arcade after winning the Grand Final of the 64th annual Eurovision Song Contest held at Tel Aviv Fairgrounds on May 18, 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty Images) Its meant to be one of the biggest nights of the year for European music, but fans of Eurovision have taken to social media to share their sadness that the event is not going ahead due to the coronavirus. Music fans would usually gather to take in the night which gives birth to a million memes, but those who love a bit of quirky europop will have to find other ways to stay entertained this evening. The 2020 event was due to take place in Rotterdam tonight, but it was cancelled amid the spread of the pandemic back in March. Read more: Eurovision Song Contest: Graham Norton to host BBC replacement Now man any have taken to social media to share their grief. One fan tweeted: Tonight should have been #Eurovision & party time. Oh well next year. Host of the show Graham Norton during BBC1's Eurovision: Your Country Needs You, filmed at BBC TV Centre in west London. (Photo by Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images) Someone else said: Should be waking up in Rotterdam ready for an all day #Eurovision party. Instead I'm waking up in Manchester with no all day party. And grey skies. F*** you Covid! 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 Another described the event as one of the best nights of year while another pined: So sad that #Eurovision is cancelled. There are so many good songs this year and this might be the most diversity in the artists I've ever seen. UK viewers are usually left in hysterics at host Graham Nortons dry appraisals of the contestants, and while they will not get the full effect tonight, the BBC are planning on marking the date in a way which could help Eurovision fans get over their sadness. Read more: The UK's Eurovision Song Contest entry has had its score lowered Eurovision: Come Together will air from 6.30pm and see Graham Norton look back at some classic Eurovision performances with viewers able to vote for their favourite. Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light will follow from 8pm, with viewers being treated to all 41 songs which would have made up this year's contest though there will not be a competitive element to it. Both shows will air on BBC One. NJ Transit is slated to receive $1.4 billion in federal taxpayer money to help ensure safe service during the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Saturday. The money for the states bus and rail system will come from the CARES Act that President Donald Trump signed into law in March to help the nation recover from the pandemic. Murphy said Trumps administration approved the funding Friday. I cannot overstate how vital this funding is to ensure the safe operation of our mass-transit systems, Murphy said during his daily coronavirus briefing in Trenton. Throughout this emergency, many of our frontline workers across essential industries have relied upon NJ Transit to safely get them to and from their jobs," the governor added. And as we begin our restart, having NJ Transit working as it should will be absolutely vital to our recovery as more residents will be getting back to work. Murphy said NJ Transit will likely need more aid to make up for significant loss in fares the last couple of months. The agency has reduced service as many residents have been forced to stay home to fight the virus. The governor said he will continue to work with the White House and congressional leaders to secure more money. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage New Jersey has begun allocating federal aid from the CARES Act. Earlier this month, Murphy announced $467 million will go toward the states public schools. And on Friday, he announced $50 million will directly support small businesses in New Jersey hurt by COVID-19. The governor has also asked federal officials to approve more direct state aid because New Jerseys government is predicting $10 billion in tax revenue losses through next year. Murphy has warned of massive public-worker layoffs without federal help. New Jersey, a densely populated state of 9 million residents, has reported at least 10,249 total deaths attributed to COVID-19, with at least 145,089 total cases, since the outbreak started March 4. Only New York has more deaths and cases among American states. State officials announced another 115 deaths and 1,239 positive tests Saturday. This week, the governor announced nonessential retail businesses to offer curbside pickup and nonessential construction to resume starting Monday morning. He also announced beaches, boardwalks, and lakes can be open this summer as long as they follow social-distancing rules restrictions. Nearly 1.1 million New Jersey residents have filed for unemployment since mid-March, and many say theyve been waiting for weeks to get paid and have struggled with the states busy phone and online systems. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. One of the most wanted fugitives in Rwandas 1994 genocide has been arrested outside Paris, authorities said Saturday. Felicien Kabuga, who had a 4 million bounty on his head, had been accused of equipping militias in the genocide that killed more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus who tried to protect them. Kabuga, 84, was arrested as a result of a joint investigation with the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals office of the prosecutor, French authorities said. #IRMCT fugitive Felicien Kabuga was arrested today in Paris, France. For further information about the arrest, including Prosecutor Brammertz' statement: https://t.co/dg3fgz84CG pic.twitter.com/I09J6uUQ52 UNIRMCT (@unirmct) May 16, 2020 He had been living in a town north of Paris, Asnieres-sur-Seine, under an assumed name, the appeals courts prosecutors office said. The UNs International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda indicted Kabuga in 1997 on charges related to conspiracy to commit genocide, persecution and extermination. Rwandan prosecutors have said financial documents found in the capital, Kigali, after the genocide, indicated that Kabuga used his companies to import vast quantities of machetes that were used to slaughter people. The wealthy businessman was also accused of establishing the station Radio Television Mille Collines, that broadcast vicious propaganda against the ethnic Tutsi, as well as training and equipping the Interahamwe militia that led to the killing spree. An important step towards justice for hundreds of thousands of genocide victims, Mausi Segun, Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said of his arrest. Story continues Rwandans hold a candlelit vigil during a genocide memorial service held at Amahoro stadium in the capital Kigali (Ben Curtis/AP) Kabuga was close to former president Juvenal Habyarimana, whose death when his plane was shot down over Kigali sparked the 100-day genocide. Kabugas daughter married Habyarimanas son. Kabuga is expected to be transferred to the custody of the UN mechanism, where he will stand trial. The arrest of Kabuga today is a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even 26 years after their crimes, the mechanisms chief prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, said in a statement. Officials in Rwanda said the East African nation will continue to collaborate with the UN mechanism to ensure that justice is served. According to Rwandan prosecutors, other top fugitives still at large include Protais Mpiranya, the former commandant of the Presidential Guards, and former defence minister Augustin Bizimana. Fire department spokesman Vito Maggiolo said the fire rapidly spread to the interior of the two-story house, then to the two adjacent homes. Two alarms were struck, bringing 100 firefighters to the scene. It was not clear whether anyone was home at the time, and its cause had not been determined. Strong to severe thunderstorms capable of producing gusty winds and hail are possible tonight, according to the National Weather Service at State College. The weather pattern crossing Pennsylvania is expected to last tonight into Saturday. An isolated tornado is possible, forecasters said. 5:45 PM Radar update: Showers and a few gusty thunderstorms continue to move across parts of central PA this evening. Localized flooding will also be possible, especially over northern PA. #PAwx pic.twitter.com/tiDwFfS4uo NWS State College (@NWSStateCollege) May 15, 2020 Meteorologists predict the severe weather could affect the following counties: Bedford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Juniata, Lebanon, Perry, Schuylkill, and Somerset. Heavy rainfall is possible Sunday night and Monday, which could lead to flooding. More Fridays high could hit 84, with strong thunderstorms possible Theres a good chance that 2020s first tropical storm will form over the next 5 days, expert says The Telangana government has issued orders permitting shops and establishments dealing with automobiles and their spare-parts, air-conditioners and air-coolers in the red zone to remain open in Hyderabad and municipal bodies. The state government issued a Government Order (GO) on Friday, partially modifying May 7 orders. In GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation) and other municipal bodies in the red zone, only shops selling construction material, hardware, equipment /machinery for agriculture activities like pump-sets, among others, and shops, showrooms and establishments dealing with automobile and auto-parts; automobile workshops; air- conditioners/air- coolers/ fans shops are permitted to remain open, in addition to those selling essential goods," the GO said. The government had announced lockdown in the state till May 29. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who held a meeting with ministers and officials on the COVID-19 situation on Friday, said lockdown in the state would continue as it is and that further strategy would be decided as per the guidelines to be given by the Centre after the ongoing nationwide lockdown comes to an end on May 17. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CHARLESTON An Indiana man was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Friday on a charge accusing him of being intoxicated when he caused a crash that killed a Coles County woman. James W. Miller, 57, of Terre Haute received this prison sentence after pleading guilty earlier this year to a charge of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol that was filed after the Dec. 11, 2018 crash that killed another driver, April L. Fisher, 38, of rural Mattoon. The crash took place when Miller failed to stop at the sign on Loxa Road at the intersection of Illinois Route 316, colliding with Fisher's vehicle. At the close of a sentencing hearing on Friday, Circuit Judge James Glenn sentenced Miller to 10 years in prison followed by two years of parole with credit for 519 days spent in the Coles County jail. The charge to which Miller pleaded guilty mirrors what was once charged as reckless homicide and can result in a prison sentence of three to 14 years when there's a conviction, but a probation sentence also is possible. Defense attorney Robert Morris had sought probation or the minimum sentence of three years for Miller, while the Coles County State's Attorney's Office had sought the maximum sentence of 14 years. "April's family also asked for 14 years, so we wanted to present a united front on that," said Assistant States Attorney Jenifer Schiavone. Still, she said Judge Glenn did a good job of weighing evidence and testimony from both sides in the case as part of reaching his verdict. "It's a really fair outcome in our opinion." Schiavone said Miller's family and friends presented compelling character evidence for the defense during the sentencing hearing. The prosecution's presentation included written victim impact statements from two of Fisher's friends, as well as statements in court from her mother, sister and grandfather about the loss of their loves one. "They were extremely touching statements. The grandfather's statement, in particular, really hit home," Schiavone said. According to testimony at earlier hearings, Miller told police he drank a half pint of vodka less than two hours before the accident. His blood alcohol content at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana hours after the accident was still nearly twice the legal limit, the testimony indicated. He was lost and using his phone's map application while driving 90 mph when he went through the intersection without slowing and hit Fisher's vehicle, the evidence showed. Miller's sentence also includes paying $25,146 in restitution, plus paying nearly $2,000 in court related fees and fines. Contact Stroud at (217) 238-6861. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 12 Angry 8 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. Watching cartoons is great fun, even for adults. I bet most of us would gladly binge-watch all the episodes from Tom & Jerry, Dexter's Laboratory, Scooby-Doo, Swat Kats and Samurai Jack, very happily. These cartoons defined our childhood. Reddit/r/that90scartoon However, there have been a few cartoons that defined our lives, after our childhood was over. These 'adult' cartoons truly exposed us to how messed up, and frustrating adulting can be. And yet, so great and so well made were these, that we couldn't help but ROFL. Tornante Television They have somehow, found the perfect balance between whimsically absurd, and yet, painfully true and poignant, at the same time. In short, these are some of the best shows that you can watch. 20th Century Fox Television Here's our pick of the 6 Adult Cartoons that everyone ought to watch, at least once. Trust us, you won't regret it. 1. Johnny Bravo Yeah, Johnny Bravo * IS * an adult cartoon that happened to air on a network that was meant for children. The Hindi-dubbed version was rather clean, but the original in English was raunchy AF. Putting aside the several problematic aspects of the show, the show was indeed an entertaining one for both children and adults, alike. The slapstick comedy worked really well with children, while the conversations and the subtlety of the show had some great adult humour in them. 2. Family Guy Okay, this one, is a properly adult cartoon, and we for sure wouldn't recommend it for children. There are a number of instances when dark humour, gets a little too dark, but they still make you sit back and laugh. The writers of the show, do not mince words when they take a proverbial machine gun to some of America's, and in fact the world's larger issues, and give it their trademark satirical treatment. Keep an eye out for Stewie Griffin, and you'll know what we're on about. 3. South Park South Park is one of the best adult cartoons ever created. There is one punchline after the other and some really, really dark stuff on basically everything under the sun. From religious institutions to political figures, the show just decimates everything. The writers of the show take shots on almost everything on the political spectrum, going from the extreme right to the extreme left. And of course, there are a ton of sexual innuendos, that are genuinely funny. All this coming from the mouths of 4 eight-year old kids is also what makes the show funny. 4. Rick & Morty On the surface, Rick & Morty are as gaudy as a cartoon can sometimes get - loud, over the top voice acting, and some really unhinged storylines, even for a cartoon. However, the show is beautifully layered and nuanced and actually forces an adult to sit back and think. The show has a dark and sick sensibility which sits very well with its elder audiences. 5. The Simpsons The Simpsons just had to make this list. The beauty of the show is that it sits very well with children as well as adults. Yes, there are a few instances when it would actually be a good idea to send the children out of the rooms if having a difficult conversation is not your thing, but such instances are rare. The parts that focus on the adults, that are satirical and a little political in nature are genuinely funny, and no matter on which side of the aisle you're on, you'll always find something to laugh at. Plus, their version of celebrity appearances has its own charm. And man, do not even get us started on the entire Simpsons 'predicting' things. 6. BoJack Horseman Finally, we have BoJack Horseman, arguably the best of the lot. The show is as funny as it is poignant. In spite of having a visibly absurd aesthetic, it deals with some seriously gripping themes - the issues people have when it comes to self-worth, existentialism, the poignant nature of human relations, with themselves and with others - all this comes to you from a character that has a human body, a horse's head. You seriously have no idea what you're missing out on if you haven't watched BoJack Horseman. This sorts out our weekend. What about yours? My adventure began in the Ryanair boarding queue at Stansted Airport. I stood up on my tiptoes, alert as a meerkat, trying to identify a mysterious 'Jacob' in a snaking throng bound for Stockholm. Jacob was the photographer set to accompany me on an adventure travel assignment for Suitcase magazine. We'd not yet met, but for the next five days, we'd be sharing a tent and a kayak, sole companions on a self-guided expedition around the St Anna archipelago. I hoped he was nice. I hoped I was nice. As a writer specialising in adventure travel, I've been spoiled with blockbuster, blow-the-budget trips: gorilla-tracking in Uganda; driving ice roads in the Canadian Arctic; learning to kite-surf in Mauritius. My travel book, Departures, was a guide to letting go, one adventure at a time. But I'd never been on one as stripped-back as this. I'd also left my iPhone behind. Standing in the queue with the tiniest of backpacks (a meagre allowance designed to fit the bulkhead of a kayak), I realised the adventure had already begun. My pulse had quickened. I'd been stripped of my usual props, crutches and comforts. It was up to me to make a go of things. Eventually Jacob and I clocked each other, and joined together in the queue, doing our best impersonations of nice normal people that anyone would love to spend five days and five nights alone with. Our trip was organised by Swedish outfit Do The North, run by Thomas and Helena. Thomas, an impossibly wholesome-looking sporty Swede, picked us up from Norrkoping (the nearest town to Skavsta Airport) and drove the one-hour journey to the jetty. "In Sweden, we have something called the 'allemansratten' ('everyman's right')," Thomas explained, "a right of access that allows walking, biking or camping except in the immediate vicinity of a building. This means you can moor on any island you like in the archipelago and camp there." As we passed medieval Swedish villages, stopping once at a local supermarket to pick up groceries we'd ordered online, I pulled out a pen and paper and asked him to recommend his favourite islands, determined not to miss a belter. "Well, there are 6,000 of them," he sighed. I quietly put my notebook away. Plainly, I was meant to let go of any FOMO, any fixed plans, any agenda, and just take each passing hour, and island, as it came. Expand Close Natural wonder: the archipelago has stunning places to set up camp / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Natural wonder: the archipelago has stunning places to set up camp Read More Before we set off, Thomas made sure we knew one end of a kayak from the other, and showed us how to use our camping equipment, including an 800 Hilleberg tent that has ruined other tents for me forever. We'd be living the simple life, but in swish, Scandinavian style - a far cry from the damp 1980s tents I spent much of my family holidays in as a child on the shores of Lough Erne. Jacob and I loaded our groceries, and tried to get to grips with our map and compass. Thomas handed us a Nokia 'burner' phone, so we could check in with our co-ordinates daily, and in case of emergencies, and pushed us into the water. "See you in five days," he shouted, cheerfully. I didn't know it then, but this would be the trip that changed how I saw adventure, that convinced me it didn't necessarily require thousands of euros, long-haul flights, weeks of training, exotic wildlife encounters or high-tech equipment. Somehow, this 689 paddling and camping expedition would sink deeper into my psyche than other trips, and I've been drawing on the memories now, during these strange days of lockdowns, travel bans, grounded planes, shuttered hotels and social distancing. At Stansted, Jacob and I had waved goodbye to the distractions of city life, digital technology, other people, pubs, restaurants and music, things I thought I relied on for happiness. But we were presented with a week in the wilderness, new companionship, campfires, swimming, cooking and exploring. Five days paddling the St Anna archipelago would teach me that sometimes the most rewarding adventures rely on the simplest of pleasures, and involve doing a lot with a little. Thrilling as it was to know we were going solo - socially-distanced travel in action, I suppose - our excitement never gave way to fear. The 70km stretch of Baltic coast comprising the St Anna archipelago is ideal for sea paddling, with those 6,000 islands closely clustered together to offer plenty of shelter and a varied landscape. We felt perfectly safe - which was lucky, as we really were having to figure stuff out as we went. During our first hour at sea, we spotted an island signposted 'Kabel' and scoured the map in vain. Then I noticed a few other 'Kabel' islands, and it hit me that 'Kabel' is the warning sign for underwater power cables. It's not a real adventure without a few face-palm moments. The St Anna archipelago was created almost two billion years ago, when a thick ice layer of the last Ice Age melted, revealing a dramatic glacial landscape of smooth granite rock formations and tiny gneiss islands in the Baltic Sea. Its inner islands are large and forested, and we paddled down straits and narrow passages between them, watching this beautiful scenery slide past. By contrast, the outer archipelago is the preserve of grey seals and coastal birds, a smattering of small, barren rocky skerries in the open sea. Thomas had bemoaned the fact that most young Stockholm dwellers flock to islands in Thailand and other exotic locations, overlooking these treasures in their backyard, dismissing them as the preserve of retirees and fishermen. What this meant, though, is that Jacob and I felt like we had the entire archipelago to ourselves, the freedom to choose an island on a whim and make it our home for the night, or simply a place to bask in the sunshine and sip stovetop coffee for a few hours. Expand Close The compact kayak Anna and Jacob travelled together in / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The compact kayak Anna and Jacob travelled together in On our first night, we couldn't quite believe we were permitted to choose an island at random and make it our own. Pulling our kayak onto the rocks of a homely-looking little island, the silence, solitude and sheer beauty of the sunset - at a languorous 10pm - worked its magic on our souls. I'd never call myself a domestic goddess, but I learned that I love cooking provided my kitchen is outdoors. I even got a kick out of the washing up, because it involved scouring plates with a fistful of kelp at the water's edge. I make quite a good cavewoman. Though I'd left my smartphone at home, Jacob had his - and was rarely without a 4G signal. We made a pact just to flick it on, over breakfast, for 'one Google a day'. Every morning, I asked the oracle big questions that had bothered me the day before. Q: Is my Aeropress coffee filter made by the same people who make Aerobie frisbees? (A: Yes.) Q: Did Ireland vote to repeal the 8th? (A: YES.) Q: What's with the rust-red hues of virtually all Swedish houses? (A: So-called Falu red was originally used to mimic European redbrick architecture, was discovered to have weatherproofing qualities, became ubiquitous, and now, mainly, it's a pain to paint over.) Our system worked: these slivers of information felt welcome, satisfying and nourishing, never overwhelming. As the days drifted by, we sank further into our simple, streamlined and slo-mo regime of basic tasks and simple pleasures like cooking, building shelter, splashing around in the water, basking in the sun, and drinking Schnapps as the sun went down. The brackish water was the perfect temperature for swimming, and St Anna is blessed by Sweden's highest numbers of sunny days. It felt like the archipelago was designed specifically with our pleasure and comfort in mind. Without clutter, we cherished what we had: delicious, if simple, food, comfortable sleeping bags, and each other. It turns out Jacob was nice (and I think I was too). A plucky, upbeat travel companion is a precious thing indeed. By our final night, I felt like I could live this way forever. And the feeling is one I draw on today, with travel looking dramatically different for the foreseeable future. Because in Sweden I learned that adventure can be about slowing down, rediscovering what we have in our own backyards, embracing the small freedoms we do have, escaping into pockets of wilderness, and cherishing the family and friends we have close by. How to do it A five-day, self-guided sea-kayaking trip on the Swedish archipelago with Do The North starts from 689 per person, including transfers and all equipment, but excluding groceries and flights to Sweden. dothenorth.com Sign up for our free travel newsletter! Like what you're reading? Subscribe to 'Travel Insider', our free travel newsletter written by award-winning Travel Editor, Pol O Conghaile. A survey finds 446 cases of new coronavirus and 92 deaths among Indigenous groups, mainly in Brazilian Amazon. The coronavirus pandemic has hit 38 Indigenous groups in Brazil, raising fears for populations that have a history of being decimated by outside diseases. The virus is reaching indigenous territories across Brazil with frightening speed, the Brazilian Indigenous Peoples Association (APIB) said in a statement on Friday. An APIB survey found 446 cases of the new coronavirus and 92 deaths among the affected groups, mainly in the Brazilian Amazon. The grim news came a day after the Indigenous community of Parque das Tribos, outside the northern city of Manaus, held a funeral for its chief, Messias Kokama, who died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Kokama, who was 53, was buried in a closed coffin wrapped in plastic to avoid spreading the virus. Brazil has registered nearly 15,000 deaths and 220,000 cases so far, though experts say under-testing means the real figures could be 15 times higher or more. Meanwhile, rights group Survival International said the pandemic was also creating an opening for illegal miners and loggers to encroach on Indigenous lands. Countless tribal lands are being invaded, with the backing of a government which wants to completely destroy the countrys first peoples and makes no attempt to hide it, said the group. It criticised far-right President Jair Bolsonaro for his push to open protected Indigenous lands to farming and mining. Amazon basin Also on Friday, Colombian President Ivan Duque said Brazil would send more troops to its border with Colombia in the Amazon rainforest to stem soaring COVID-19 infections there. The two countries will also share information about the pandemic and seek to coordinate health measures, the president said after ministers held bilateral talks on Friday. A quarantine, meanwhile, entered into force in Colombias Amazonas department of about 77,000 inhabitants, which has recorded 1,003 coronavirus infections. That is the largest number per 100,000 inhabitants in all of Colombia. At least 30 people have died. Infections in Amazon border areas in Colombia, Brazil and Peru could amount to more than 20,000, according to broadcaster Caracol. Reachable only by air and river, the Amazonas capital, Leticia, depends economically on trade with Brazil and Peru, the borders of which could be crossed without any kind of controls. Colombia has now closed the border, the citys mayor, Jorge Mendoza, said. Before the negotiations with Brazil, Colombia and Peru had already agreed to create a ministerial committee tasked with launching an action plan, coordinating health measures and exchanging information on treatments in the border area. The rapid surge in infections in the impoverished Amazonas prompted the government to put it under quarantine until the end of the month. The hospital and clinic in Leticia are reportedly on the verge of collapse, and Amazonas has no intensive care facilities. The cemetery in Leticia has no more space and the local authorities are planning to create another one, Caracol reported. The novel coronavirus has especially hit Indigenous people, many of whom live in crowded houses in areas with no health facilities and are difficult to reach. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh approves Rs 400 crore Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 15 MAY 2020 6:30PM by PIB Delhi In order to give a boost to domestic defence and aerospace manufacturing, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has approved the launch of Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS) with an outlay of Rs 400 crore for creating state of the art testing infrastructure for this sector. The Scheme would run for the duration of five years and envisages to setup six to eight new test facilities in partnership with private industry. This will facilitate indigenous defence production, consequently reduce imports of military equipment and help make the country self-reliant. The projects under the Scheme will be provided with up to 75 percent government funding in the form of 'Grant-in-Aid'. The remaining 25 per cent of the project cost will have to be borne by the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) whose constituents will be Indian private entities and State Governments. The SPVs under the Scheme will be registered under Companies Act 2013 and shall also operate and maintain all assets under the Scheme, in a self-sustainable manner by collecting user charges. The equipment/systems tested will be certified as per appropriate accreditation. While majority of test facilities are expected to come up in the two Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs), the Scheme is not limited to setting up Test Facilities in the DICs only. The DTIS Guidelines have been uploaded on the MoD/DDP and DGQA websites. It can be accessed at the following link: https://ddpmod.gov.in/sites/default/files/pdfupload/DTIS%20Guidelines.pdf ABB/SS/Nampi/KA/DK/Savvy/ADA (Release ID: 1624118) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Enugu State Council on Saturday rejected the palliative from Enugu State Government over alleged interference in the union activities. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that problem started when the government representatives led by the state Commissioner for Information, Chidi Aroh, announced that the palliative was for the alleged two factions in the union. Mr Aroh said he heard that there were two factions in the union and the items should be shared between them. But the Acting Vice President of NUJ, South East, Zone C, Ken Ofoma expressed dismay over the Commissioners statement saying that there were no factions in the union. Enugu NUJ remains one family under the leadership of the state chairman, Rex Arum and under the national body led by Chief Christopher Isiguzo. The vice president disclosed that the other group were those suspended by the national body over anti-union activities adding that any other executive was illegal. In his remarks, the NUJ chairman, Mr Arum said the union would not accept the palliative since the government decided to recognize an illegal group as members. Mr Arum noted that the illegal group comprised only seven persons as against over 200 journalists in the state. READ ALSO: He said that the government should have handed over the items to the state council as it did to the Radio and Television and Theatre Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU). The other group is illegal because they are not recognized by the national body. How can you share the items between 200 journalists and seven illegal persons? You can see that they did the right thing for RATTAWU and they collected their own but the government did not follow the appropriate way for NUJ, that is why the members turned it down, he said. We did not actually reject the palliative but demanded for the recognition of the elected NUJ executive in the state, Mr Arum said. NAN reports that the commissioner and his group comprising the Leader, Enugu State House of Assembly, Ikechukwu Ezeugwu and Chairman, Assembly Committee on Information, Jeff Mba, left with the items as journalists walked away from them. (NAN) U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday his administration was considering numerous proposals about the World Health Organization, including one in which Washington would pay about 10% of its former level. In a posting on Twitter, Trump underscored that no final decision had been made and that U.S. funding for the global health agency remained frozen. Trump suspended U.S. contributions to the WHO on April 14, accusing it of promoting Chinas disinformation about the coronavirus outbreak and saying his administration would launch a review of the organization. WHO officials denied the claims and China has insisted it was transparent and open. Fox News, citing a draft letter, reported late on Friday that Trump was poised to restore partial funding to the WHO, matching Chinas assessed contribution. The United States was the WHOs biggest donor. If the United States matches Chinas contribution, as the Fox report indicated, its new funding level will be about one-tenth its previous funding amount of about $400 million per year. Responding to criticism about resuming payments, Trump said, This is just one of numerous concepts being considered under which we would pay 10% of what we have been paying over many years, matching much lower China payments. Have not made final decision. All funds are frozen. Brooke Aiello, Author & Illustrator of "Tolerance Tykes" & ARSOME Technology Group Launch Augmented Reality Children's Educational Book Series The final decision to close schools across the United States for the rest of the year due to COVID-19 presents an opportunity to better equip parents with digital and interactive learning tools. Tolerance Tykes triggers important conversations about difference in our society. To address the public and private school closures in, ARSOME Technology Group of Manchester, CT, and Brooke Aiello, the Author and Illustrator of Tolerance Tykes, launched an augmented reality version of the series, aimed to promote diversity and inclusion in and out of the classroom. This three-book childrens series is an effective learning tool designed for children ages six through twelve, but parents will also quickly engage and connect with its powerful message. The final decision to close schools across the United States for the rest of the year due to COVID-19 presents an opportunity to better equip parents with digital and interactive learning tools, said Benjamin D. Williams, CEO and Co-Founder, ARSOME Technology. Through augmented reality storytelling, Tolerance Tykes promotes a fun and educational collaboration between parent and child. The book triggers important conversations about difference in our society. Tolerance Tykes Book 1 has augmented reality functionality and comes with a free iOS/Android mobile application that triggers the augmented reality experience from the books page. The series is sold on Amazon and by selected re-sellers. Each book introduces ten unique characters that share a special message to the reader about a physical, social, emotional, or mental challenge they faced, and how they met and overcame it. Examples of these challenges include stuttering, physical disability, childhood disease, abuse, obesity, and being bullied over issues of race, ethnicity, religion, or gender-orientation. Now more than ever it is important that our youth have engaging learning tools. Immersive 3D audio-visual content has characters jumping off the page and teaching important lessons about tolerance and hope. Terry D. Williams, Ph.D. is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified School Psychologist who has worked in Vernon and New Britain Schools. Currently he is the Director of Motivation at ARSOME Technology. He had this to say about the launch: By coupling the educational and entertaining tools of Tolerance Tykes, we get closer to the goal of enhancing a childs motivation to learn more about and appreciate the challenges endured by many of their peers. Augmented reality inspires more student engagement, and students learn deeper by using it. This positively affects and impacts the conventional learning process - a win for parents, teachers, and students. My vision for Tolerance Tykes is to make this an effective educational tool for children throughout Connecticut, said Brooke Aiello, author of Tolerance Tykes. ARSOMEs augmented reality and knowledge of motivational learning techniques is extremely beneficial to the future of the Tolerance Tykes brand. I hope that children can feel connected to the characters in the book and learn to become accepting of everyone. Ive spent nearly twenty years in Connecticuts Education System and havent seen a better learning tool than augmented reality technology. Its engaging, immersive and definitely effective, said David Oyanadel, Chief Innovation Officer and Co-Founder, ARSOME Technology. Partnering with ARSOME to bring these characters to life and introducing them in augmented reality has been a dream come true for me and all the kids in Connecticut, said Brooke. Given this time of financial difficulty, we look forward to donating copies of Book 1 to selected organizations in the Hartford area. ARSOME Technology is a Connecticut based software development company specializing in immersive technology and strategic partnerships. The Founders, David and Benjamin met at Eastern Connecticut State University and started the company in 2016. At the time David, was Benjamins Information Systems Professor and Benjamin was a senior at the university. Since its birth, ARSOME Technology has launched successful products and Divisions, most notably ARSOME Health. For more information on the company and its story, please visit http://www.ARSOME.com. The world is watching Swedens gamble Sweden is an outlier with its coronavirus response, forgoing the strict lockdowns of its European neighbors. A new Times analysis looked at how that strategy is playing out. While Sweden has avoided the devastating toll of outbreaks in Italy, Spain and Britain, it has also seen an extraordinary increase in deaths, mortality data show. Almost 30 percent more people than usual have died during the countrys epidemic a far greater increase than in the rest of Scandinavia. Maud Cordenius is a Stockholm-based journalist whose daughters still attend preschool, allowing her to work a resource many parents around the world sorely miss. Life here has changed, but it hasnt ground to a halt, she wrote in a Times Op-Ed. Other factors are helping Sweden: low population density, a high share of single-person households, a strong public health care system and low levels of chronic diseases like obesity that have made the virus more deadly. And even without a lockdown, its economy has taken a substantial hit. While Covid-19 cases are rising consistently in Rajasthan, the total number of recovered patients has now outstripped the total number of active cases in the state. In the first fortnight of May, the recoveries rose by 57 % compared to an 18% rise in active cases. On May 1, the number of recovered patients was 1,116 which increased to 2,638 by May 15. So in 15 days, 1,522 or 57.6 per cent of patients have recovered. On the other hand, the number of active cases on May 1 was 1,488 which had risen to 1,818 as on May 15, a rise of 18 per cent. Till May 5, the active cases-1,544 were more than the number of recovered patients-1,525. The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19 However, the trend reversed from May 6 when the number of recoveries jumped to 1,739 while the active cases dipped to 1,485. On May 10, the total number of recovered went up to 2,241, while the active cases went further down to 1,465. Rajasthan is at the fifth spot among the states with the most number of Covid-19 cases. Maharashtra tops the list, followed by Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Delhi and Rajasthan. However, Rajasthans 55.7 per cent recovery rate is among the best in these five states. State health minister Raghu Sharma has on several occasions praised the doctors and health workers for medical management of positive patients. Aggressive testing has helped Rajasthan in tracing Covid patients who are either being quarantined or hospitalised to contain the spread of the virus. Till May 15, the total number of samples taken for testing stood at 2,12,317. Sharma said Rajasthan has focused on increasing its testing capacity steadily which has reached 12,000 per day and aims to scale it up to 25,000 tests per day by the end of May. Covid-19 casualties have risen by over 100 per cent in the state in the first fifteen days of the month from 62 on May 1 to 125 by May 15. By Rodrigo Viga Gaier and Marcelo Rochabrun RIO DE JANEIRO/SAO PAULO, May 15 (Reuters) - Brazil's state development bank BNDES said on Friday that the country's top three airlines had accepted a $680 million aid package, but two carriers said they were still discussing terms. Brazilian airlines are clamoring for help as the COVID-19 pandemic ravages the travel industry, but negotiations were deadlocked for over a month until a formal proposal was issued by the Brazilian government this week. "What we can say is true: We sent a proposal to the airlines this week and yesterday they all accepted," BNDES President Gustavo Montezano told reporters on Friday. However, airlines Azul SA and LATAM Airlines Group denied that they had accepted the proposal and were still negotiating. "LATAM Airlines Brasil confirms it is interested in the BNDES proposal," the company said in a statement. "However, negotiations continue." Brazil's largest domestic airline, Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes declined to comment on Friday. The government's latest offer totals 4 billion reais ($683 million) and is a mix of state loans through the BNDES, loans from private banks and funding raised in capital markets. Brazil's three airlines have said in the past that they are interested but they have balked at outright accepting the terms because BNDES was asking for potential equity ownership in the companies. Azul expressed disappointment on Thursday at the size of the rescue package, after initial reports that it would be more than twice as large. Still, the airlines agree they want to benefit from aid. Azul said it has enough cash to run for a year under the current scenario, while Gol said it could run for 10 months. The airlines have cut capacity by over 90% in Brazil and put tens of thousands of workers on unpaid leave to preserve cash. ($1 = 5.8554 reais) (Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier in Rio de Janeiro and Marcelo Rochabrun in Sao Paulo; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) Vietnamese citizens receive personal protective equipment from the Vietnamese Embassy before boarding. (Photo: VNA) The 313rd patient is a 28-year-old Vietnamese man residing in Yen Thanh district, central Nghe An province, who returned to Vietnam from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on May 3 on Flight VN0088, seat 51K. Right after arriving at Can Tho International Airport, he was quarantined at a student dormitory in Bac Lieu province and then transferred to the provincial general hospital for treatment after testing positive for the virus on May 13. Earlier, on May 7, 17 other passengers of the flight were confirmed infected with COVID-19. The Ministry of Health sent a task force to Bac Lieu province to help local doctors take care of the patients. As of May 15, Vietnam reported 173 imported cases which were quarantined upon arrival. Of the 24 infections reported on May 15 morning, 23 are currently in stable condition and one has started developing pneumonia. More than 12,000 people are in quarantine at concentrated quarantine camps, medical facilities or at home. Vietnam has gone 29 days without community transmission. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged the Government, ministries and State agencies to come up with a new, long-term strategy which is both effective in terms of public health and sustainable for the economy. Islamic State Plotted Afghan Hospital Raid, US Says By Ayaz Gul May 15, 2020 The United States said Friday it had "assessed" that Islamic State was behind deadly attacks on a maternity clinic and a funeral earlier this week in Afghanistan. "ISIS has demonstrated a pattern for favoring these types of heinous attacks against civilians and is a threat to the Afghan people and to the world," tweeted Zalmay Khalilzad, the American peace envoy for the country. He used an acronym for the Middle East-based terrorist organization. The attacks occurred Tuesday when several gunmen in suicide vests stormed the maternity ward in Kabul, killing 24 people. An hour later, a suicide bombing of a funeral in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar killed 32 and injured about 100 others. While Islamic State claimed credit for the funeral bombing, no armed group took responsibility for the gruesome hospital raid in the Afghan capital. The maternity ward, run by France-based Doctors Without Borders, is located in western Kabul, home mostly to members of the minority Hazara Shi'ite community. IS has claimed responsibility for previous attacks on Hazara rallies and places of worship in the city, and elsewhere in Afghanistan. The Taliban insurgency swiftly denied involvement in the both the attacks. In a new statement issued Friday, it demanded an independent probe into the violence, denouncing it as "vile and "inhumane." "We firmly call for the transparent and impartial investigation of these attacks in order to expose the dark faces of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes and bring them to justice," it said. However, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his aides accused the Taliban of playing a role in the bloodshed, citing its alleged ties with terrorists responsible for the violence. Khalilzad noted in his tweets that Islamic State has sought to encourage a sectarian war in Afghanistan, as it did in Iraq and Syria. He said the terrorist group was also opposed to a peace agreement between the Afghan government and the Taliban, he added. "Rather than falling into the ISIS trap and delay peace or create obstacles, Afghans must come together to crush this menace and pursue a historic peace opportunity. No more excuses. Afghans, and the world, deserve better," the U.S. envoy said. MSF account of hospital attack Meanwhile, Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, Thursday released details of its own investigation into the attack on the maternity ward in Kabul. It said that the assailants killed 11 women, three of them in the delivery room with their unborn babies, and that five others were injured. "I went back the day after the attack and what I saw in the maternity (ward) demonstrates it was a systematic shooting of the mothers," said Frederic Bonnot, MSF's head of programs in Afghanistan. "They went through the rooms in the maternity (ward), shooting women in their beds. It was methodical. Walls sprayed with bullets, blood on the floors in the rooms, vehicles burnt out and windows shot through." Two young boys and an Afghan midwife working with MSF were among the dead, while three local staff and two newborn babies were also wounded. The MSF probe found the gunmen stormed the hospital through the main gate and moved straight to the maternity ward. The attack lasted for four hours, while patients and staff alike searched desperately for cover, according to the MSF statement. "It's shocking. We know this area has suffered attacks in the past, but no one could believe they would attack a maternity. They came to kill the mothers," said Bonnot. US-Taliban deal Khalilzad negotiated and signed Washington's landmark peace-building agreement with the Taliban in February to end the nearly 19-year Afghan war and bring home American troops. Tuesday's violence prompted Ghani to order Afghan security forces to resume "offensive" operations against "Taliban and other terrorist groups." The move fueled fears of an escalation in the Afghan war, posing a fresh challenge to the U.S.-Taliban pact. The Trump administration, however, has stopped short of endorsing Kabul's war plans, urging Afghan and Taliban leaders to cooperate in fighting the "common enemy" of terrorism and in advancing the peace process. The Feb. 29 U.S.-Taliban deal called for a phased U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. It also binds Taliban insurgents to engage in negotiations with other Afghan groups in the country to negotiate a cease-fire and power-sharing arrangement. However, the proposed intra-Afghan talks, which were supposed to begin in March, have been delayed because of a slow-moving prisoner swap between Kabul and the Taliban. The agreement calls for the Afghan government to release 5,000 insurgent prisoners in exchange for its 1,000 personnel being held by the Taliban. So far, 1,000 detainees have been set free from Afghan jails and the Taliban has released fewer than 300 Afghan forces. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Beaches in Greece, France and Italy were open Saturday for the first weekend since the easing of coronavirus lockdowns. Scores of people flocked to the beaches, to make up for time spent indoors and to capitalise on the timely arrival of one of the first heatwaves of the year. It comes as French health authorities reported 96 new coronavirus deaths on Saturday, as the country eases from a two-month lockdown. More than 500 beaches reopened across Greece, as the country sought to walk the fine line between protecting people from COVID-19 while reviving the tourism sector that many depend on for their livelihoods. The beaches of Athens brimmed on Saturday as people took the first tentative steps outdoors following the first stage of relaxing the lockdown restrictions in Greece People sunned themselves as Greece bids to kick-start its vital tourism sector - though social distancing rules must still be observed, authorities have said The coastline was soon brimming, with children enjoying the hot weather and taking a dip Despite the fun a chilling reminder of current affairs was shown with the frequent disinfecting of sun-loungers As the sun took to the skies of Athens on Saturday, citizens wasted little time in taking to the shores - sunning themselves on the sands before dipping into the ocean. Meanwhile, country work had begun at frantic pace on Friday, in order to get beaches ready for crowds once more. Workers were pictured toiling in the midday heat, setting up canopies and seating areas for outside beach bars. Sun-seekers were required to respect social distancing rules, which even stipulated how far umbrellas must be kept apart. Guidelines stated no more than 40 people were allowed per 1,000 square metres (10,750 sq ft), while umbrella poles had to be four metres (13 ft) apart, with canopies no closer than one metre, according to a government-issued manual, complete with diagram. On Friday workers across Greece's beaches put in hard graft to make sure things were ready Canopies, bars and seating areas were quickly erected ahead of the return of tourism Workers carry a scaffolding on "Paradise" beach in the Greek Cycladic island of Mykonos. Like many European countries Greece has huge reliance upon its tourism industry A saleswoman offers hand sanitiser to a customer at a women's clothing store, as businesses reopen to the public under hygiene and safety measures due to the coronavirus crisis At Alimos, a popular beach just south of Athens, people queued up from early morning to nab their spot in the sunshine. 'This is the best thing for us elderly ... to come and relax a bit after being locked in,' a 70-year-old local Yannis Tentomas told Reuters, as he settled down under an umbrella. He said he was complying with distancing rules, adding: 'It's like a gun to the head.' Italy and France have also started to ease people back into a degree of normality, hoping to keep the virus at bay and avoid a deadly second spike while breathing life back into their respective economies. In a statement, France's health ministry said the figure had fallen slightly from 104 fatalities on Friday. This brings France's total to 27,625, the fourth-highest tally in the world, after the United States, Britain, and Italy, and just ahead of Spain. The ministry said the number of people in hospital fell to 19,432 from 19,861 on Friday and the number of people in intensive care dropped to 2,132 from 2,203 on Friday. Both numbers - key indicators for the French health system's ability to cope with the epidemic - have been on a downtrend for four to five weeks and peaked at over 32,000 and over 7,000 respectively in early to mid-April. A policeman speaks to Antoine, left, wearing a yellow protective face mask, as he waits for a possible gathering of the 'Yellow Vests' movement in Nantes, western France Peopke enjoy the sun without wearing face masks, in front of the statue by French artist Philippe Ramette, which is covered with a face mask in Nantes, France on Saturday A woman wearing a protective face mask walks past a bus with the display reading 'mask is compulsory' in Nantes, France, as the country eases lockdown measures The banks of the River Seine were filled with people today on the first weekend since France eased lockdown measures Members of the public were packed closely together as they sat on the edge of the River Seine, Paris Large groups made the most of their new freedom sitting by the Seine in Paris after the French government announced it was easing the coronavirus lockdown People wearing protective face masks are seen sitting beside Daumesnil Lake during the coronavirus pandemic today in Vincennes, France France called for self-restraint as the country prepared for its first weekend since easing its lockdown, warning that police would break up any large gatherings. On Saturday some of the country's most famous surf spots on the south coast resumed business as usual, with the public taking back to the sands despite general apprehension. With the European summer fast approaching, the key tourism industry is trying to salvage something from the wreckage. Parasols and sun-loungers are starting to appear on coastlines in Italy. 'It moves me to see these sunshades,' said Simone Battistoni, whose family has been running the Bagno Milano beach concession in Cesenatico on Italy's east coast since 1927. A policeman tells off a woman walking in the wrong direction on the rue Nueve - Nieuwstraat shopping street in central Brussels, Belgium on Saturday Clothing stores in Malaga, Spain, have reopened to the public with new hygiene and safety measures Dentists were also able to reopen in Malaga, Spain, as the country eases its coronavirus lockdown measures Despite some businesses and dentists reopening bars and restaurants in Malaga remain closed The pier in Malaga was eerily quiet today as bars and restaurants are still forced to close Austria took an important symbolic step Friday by reopening its restaurants and traditional Viennese cafes. 'We missed it and we're going to come back as much as possible,' said Fanny and Sophie, 19-year-old students waiting for breakfast at a cafe in the Austrian capital. As some countries start to reopen despite fears of a second wave of the pandemic, US President Donald Trump voiced hope that a vaccine would be available by late 2020. 'We are looking to get it by the end of the year if we can, maybe before,' Trump told reporters at the White House Friday as he discussed America's 'Operation Warp Speed' effort in the global race for a vaccine. The timeline - deemed unrealistic by many experts - is more aggressive than the one-year scenario put forward by European scientists. The hunt for a vaccine for a disease that the World Health Organization (WHO) says may never disappear has also threatened to become a source of tension between the globe's haves and have-nots, with trials underway in various countries. Some European countries cannot afford to wait, however, and this weekend marks the first tentative steps of bringing public life back to a more recognisable level. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 18:59:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- India's main opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday that the government should think about transferring money directly into the bank accounts of people worst affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown. Gandhi, while addressing a press conference through a video call, said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi should reconsider the 267-billion-U.S. dollar economic stimulus package announced on Tuesday. "Our people need money. The prime minister should reconsider this package. Modi should think about direct cash transfer, 200 working days under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), money for farmers because they are the future of India," Gandhi said. He expressed "serious reservations" about the government's package for Indian economy, calling it a "package of loans" that did not provide immediate on-ground relief for farmers and migrant workers. "I don't want to make a political statement but I have a serious reservation about the nature of the package that the government has given. I would like the government to reconsider," he said. "It's not a bad step but the most important thing right now is that we put money directly into the hands of our poor people." The Congress party leader warned the government of a "catastrophic problem" if it did not put money into their bank accounts. "The migrant laborer walking on the street needs money, not debt. The farmer who is suffering needs money, not debt," he said. "If we do not, this will become a catastrophic problem." Last week Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee said during a video interaction with Gandhi that India needs a big stimulus package and money should be put in the hands of people to renew demand. The move, he said, would help revive the Indian economy that at present is hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. On Saturday India's federal health ministry said the number of COVID-19 cases in the country rose to 85,940, including 2,752 deaths. A nationwide lockdown imposed on March 25 is underway in India to contain the coronavirus. The move left thousands of migrant laborers stranded at their place of work. The lockdown has badly hit the Indian economy and resulted in the loss of jobs. Thousands of people following the non-availability of work began walking to their homes in distress from big cities in the absence of public transport. The government this week announced a relief and stimulus package that had some measures for stranded and struggling migrants, including food rations and affordable housing. Gandhi said unless the government ensured a significant level of demand from consumers across all economic sections, India would struggle to recover from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. During a televised address on Tuesday, Modi said India would enter into the fourth phase of lockdown with a new set of rules to fight COVID-19 effective from Monday. Enditem A retired school teacher who faced an out-of-the-blue cancer diagnosis in March has told of his shock at being refused critical surgery in Belfast because of Covid-19. Instead, John Price (69) from Lisburn went into 50,000 worth of debt and travelled to London to go through the major procedure. John, who is former head of art at St Louise's Comprehensive School in Belfast, needed an aggressive grade four tumour removed from his mouth which required having his jaw broken and reconstructed. While the cancer made him especially vulnerable to complications from the virus, he had no choice but to leave his home during lockdown to travel to England where he had the surgery three weeks ago. Too weak to return home, he was able to stay with his sister Margaret who lives in England and finally made the long journey by boat back to Lisburn on Thursday. Since his diagnosis in early March, John has endured trauma after trauma. Initially he was offered the surgery in Belfast and then refused it because of the pandemic. He was first told it was due to concerns over Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and risks to medical staff. He was grateful to his GP, Dr Michael Carson from Lisburn, who helped secure a second opinion, only to be told this time the reason he couldn't have the surgery was because there were no ventilators available. A socialist and lifelong supporter of the NHS who has always been opposed to private health care, John is still stunned that, when he needed it most, the NHS let him down. Now he hopes to stand in solidarity with others who find themselves in a similar situation due to Covid-19. He says: "It is absolutely shameful how I have been treated but it isn't about me now. I will be following my own path in relation to getting accountability from the hospital but there is a bigger issue now with others having operations and treatments cancelled. "I applaud the NHS and always have and I have raised funds for them in the past but there is no doubt what is happening now is costing lives. "I pledged this before I went to England that, if I survive, I will seek a day of reckoning so that it can't happen again and I am available to help anyone I can and stand shoulder to shoulder with them - that's what solidarity is." John's ordeal began when he attended his dentist in early March to have a wisdom tooth removed. "I had to get the area where the tooth came out packed and the pain was excruciating," he says. "I was going back and forth to the dentist to get it packed and then one day the dentist rang and asked could I come in. "I thought I was going in to get the packing changed but when I arrived the dentist told me it wasn't good news and that I had oral cancer. "He had taken a flap of skin from my mouth and told me for some reason he decided to get it tested. It felt as if he was talking to someone else, not me. I couldn't take it in." John very quickly got an appointment at the Ulster Hospital on March 10 where a surgeon explained his options. He was told he had an aggressive grade four squamous cell carcinoma which needed removed urgently. "The surgeon said the treatment for me was gold standard," he remembers. "I asked what that was and he explained that the tumour would come out and I would have to get my jaw reconstructed using a bit of bone from my leg. "He explained that there was silver standard which is the tumour being removed with no reconstruction. "That would leave me with severe facial disfigurement and with eating and speech difficulties. I wouldn't be able to chew for the rest of my life. "The third option was radiotherapy which would make being able to get jaw reconstruction done incredibly unlikely. "To me it was a no-brainer and the first option was the only one to consider and, thankfully, the surgeon agreed. Even though it was daunting I was grateful that I was going to get the treatment." Within days John was called back to the Ulster Hospital where he was shocked to discover that the team in charge of his case had done a U-turn. He was told that due to "issues with PPE" the gold standard surgery couldn't be carried out. "It was March 23, my wedding anniversary, and when we went into the room the surgeon and a cancer nurse were sitting with full PPE on," John says. "The surgeon told me they were withdrawing the offer of gold standard treatment because of PPE problems. He said the risk to hospital staff was too great. "He said my only option was the silver standard which would leave me severely disfigured and unable to eat or speak properly. I wouldn't be able to chew for the rest of my life. "I was disconsolate. I knew the tumour was aggressive and I needed surgery but I didn't want to be left disfigured and unable to eat or speak. "I went home and didn't know what to think. My sister rang and I told her and about two hours later I got a text from her in capital letters telling me to ring this man, Mr Luke Cascarini." I was lucky that I was able to borrow the money and have a house to recuperate in, but what about someone who couldn't afford to pay for accommodation or the surgery. What would they do? Mr Cascarini is a leading surgeon of the mouth, jaw and face, based in London with a reputation for using techniques and methods at the forefront of his field. John found a very positive and reassuring specialist on the line who told him he was happy to carry out the complicated mandibulectomy (jaw removal) and reconstruction. However it would cost 50,000 which had to be paid up front. With no access to such a huge amount of money, John tried to remortgage his home to raise the funds but because no house valuations can be carried out due to Covid-19 that couldn't happen. Instead, in a race against time, friends and family dug deep to lend him what they could and in a matter of days he was able to pay for his surgery. John underwent the complicated seven-hour procedure on April 18. He also had 59 lymph nodes removed from his neck and was only told on Thursday of this week that the cancer had not spread. He says: "I was told in the short time from my last scan that the tumour had grown and that I just got it out just in time. "My wife Christina travelled to London with me and also my youngest son Kevin who was absolutely heroic in the way he stepped up to the plate. I also had my sister Margaret who lives in England there. "She arranged a Covid-free house for me to stay in London before my surgery. Expand Close John singles out his 'absolutely heroic' son Kevin (pictured) for particular praise / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp John singles out his 'absolutely heroic' son Kevin (pictured) for particular praise "What strikes me is how someone with no money or support would have coped. I was lucky that I was able to borrow the money and have a house to recuperate in, but what about someone who couldn't afford to pay for accommodation or the surgery. What would they do?" John, who also has a daughter, Una (39) and son Michael (42), is now back home in Lisburn being cared for by his family. And he has been overwhelmed by the support he is receiving from locals and many of his former pupils who have set up a fundraising appeal to cover his costs while he was in England. "When I was first told I had cancer my instinct was not to tell anyone so as not to worry them," he says. "My wife encouraged me to tell people and I am so glad she did. "One of the best things I did was to open up and tell people about it as the support I received has been bottomless. I couldn't begin to describe the incredible sea of warmth and love I have got from people. It is overwhelming." Hundreds of his former pupils have rallied round to support the appeal, which has amassed 20,000 in two weeks. One of the organisers, Mark Hewitt, said: "John worked his whole life; contributing to the NHS. "When he needed it most, he found that it had been irreparably damaged and was unable to provide him with the care he needed. He has just been through life-saving surgery. He shouldn't be left with these debts hanging over him. We knew that people would rally around to try to help him out, if they knew what was happening". As he continues his recovery, John is overcome with emotion by the support he has received and now is determined to support others. He adds: "There is a Bob Dylan quote - 'It is strange how people who suffer together have a stronger connection than those who are most content'. "We have to stand by each other in these awful times. The world has gone mad and I want to give a voice and support to anyone else who is denied these operations. I feel humbled and grateful for the support I have received and it is beyond my ability to express gratitude. Expand Close John says he is 'humbled' by the support he has received / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp John says he is 'humbled' by the support he has received "To all the people who are anonymous and donated who I will probably never meet, I would like to say thank you. People are dealing with Covid and a time of austerity and yet they have still donated money to help me. "Ninety percent of those who have donated are female and former pupils and I don't know how I will ever repay that debt of gratitude, it is an amazing community." When approached for their response to John's case, a statement from the Trust said: "The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust has followed national guidelines issued on March 17, 2020 to UK Head and Neck Multidisciplinary Teams by the British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists. "These provide guidance for head and neck cancer services during the Covid-19 pandemic and are intended to guide and support decisions made locally, regionally and nationally by Head and Neck Multi-disciplinary Teams. "These guidelines advocate wide local excision without reconstruction to include restriction/cessation of surgical procedures requiring post-operative HDU/ICU care. "Further consideration should be given to reducing the length of surgery when possible eg use of local/pedicle flaps rather than free flap." The statement explained that Northern Ireland has a regional Head and Neck Cancer Multi-disciplinary team comprising clinicians from all Trusts providing head and neck cancer surgery. Treatment plans are agreed by a weekly multi-disciplinary team. The trust added: "The multi-disciplinary team take cognisance of the British Association of Health and Neck Oncologists guidance and the regionally agreed specialty guides developed by the Northern Ireland Cancer Network. "The South Eastern HSC Trust cannot discuss individual cases due to confidentiality but would like to reassure that adequate PPE and postoperative HDU/ICU is available where considered necessary. The trust is happy to meet with Mr Price and his family should he wish to discuss further." You can support John's fundraising appeal at https://www.gofundme.com/f/weh8m-for-john/ Musiliu Akinsanya, chairman of the Lagos chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) popularly known as MC Oluomo, says he has no interest in holding political office in Lagos. Speaking on Public Eye, Funmi Iyandas talk show, on Friday, MC Oluomo said his children may be interested in politics but hes not representing Lagos in the national assembly. When others that dont know me get to meet me, theyll say they were expecting some huge person or tout that smokes weed because of the type of job I do, Oluomo explained in Yoruba. But you cant compare nowadays to what is obtained before when it was all riots with cutlasses to claim ownership of garages. Our constitution doesnt allow that. Advertisement When you get to meet me, youll find that Im a gentleman. As an MC, Im a man of the people. Theres nowhere theyve not heard of me in the whole world. The profession I learned is driving. And that has brought me success and given me control over unions in Lagos. Tomorrow, a child of mine might decide to go for a political post in Nigeria. I believe anyone can do what pleases them. But count me out. Im not going for the reps or senator seat. But Im in full support of the Lagos government. Speaking about his childhood, he said, Im from Ejigbo. Ive lived in Oshodi and Isolo. Anyone who knows these places would know Im an indigen of Lagos state. My mum Is from Abeokuta in Ogun state. Read Also: MC Oluomo Warns NURTW Members To Adhere To Guidelines In Fighting Coronavirus Theres no being smart about the fact that, once you have family background problems, perhaps a persons father died when they were young, they have to struggle to make ends meet by themselves. Its unlike what we have today where you see people trying to hit sudden wealth. People like us struggled from childhood while making sure we dont cause our parents trouble. It took us that to get to where were. At that, one can decide to finance ones education from in adulthood as long as one is healthy. no time is too late for education. And Im doing what I can. A windfarm at the centre of a long running planning dispute which ended up in the Supreme Court has to cease operating pending an application to An Bord Pleanala for permission to develop on the site overlooking the Muscrai Gaeltacht village of Beal Atha'n Ghaorthaidh. A windfarm at the centre of a long running planning dispute which ended up in the Supreme Court has to cease operating pending an application to An Bord Pleanala for permission to develop on the site overlooking the Muscrai Gaeltacht village of Beal Atha'n Ghaorthaidh. The 11-turbine Cleanrath Windfarm was granted planning permission twice but this permission was declared invalid. Just before Christmas, an appeal by locally based horticulturalists Klaus Bals and Hanna Heubach, was upheld by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court held that the decision by An Bord Pleanala to grant planning permission to the development was invalid because the Board had erred by not considering submissions from Mr. Bals and Ms Heubach about developing knowledge of the noise impact from wind turbines. In the latest judgement from the Supreme Court delivered last week by Justice Donal O'Donnell, he granted Cleanrath Windfarm Limited a stay on the order of the Supreme Court delivered in December which means the developer, Cleanrath Windfarm Limited, one of a large number of renewable energy firms owned by Macroom businessman Michael Murnane, can apply for substitute consent to An Bord Pleanala. The stay is conditional, however, on work ceasing at Cleanrath Windfarm until the matter is adjudged by An Bord Pleanala. In his judgement, Judge O'Donnell said that the developer couldn't be blamed for proceeding with works on the site even after the December judgement as the process of An Bord Pleanala was flawed and he would be at a considerable loss if he, as he feared, lost out on potential government funding under the Refit 2 scheme. He said that the stay was conditional on work ceasing at the site as, otherwise, it would be as if Mr Bals and Ms Heubach had lost their appeal in December when they had actually been successful. An Bord Pleanala was also told it should expedite the application for substitute consent as the current situation was a result of its own flawed procedure. This is the latest milestone in a seven year planning saga centred on the Cleanrath Windfarm. A ten-year-old boy has died after crashing a quad bike he was riding at his home. Emergency services and police were called to a rural property in Shelford, 100 kilometres south-west of Melbourne, around 10.25am this morning. A Victoria Police spokesperson said an air ambulance had been sent to treat the boy at his home on Cressy-Shelford Road. A ten-year-old boy has died after crashing a quad bike (file image pictured) at his home in Shelford, 100 kilometres south-west of Melbourne, this morning The ten-year-old received life-threatening injuries when his quad bike rolled and he died at the property. Investigators are still establishing the exact circumstances surrounding his death. A report will be prepared for the coroner. 13 of the Hottest Movie Sex Scenes in Cinema History These NSFW Movie Sex Scenes Might as Well Live on Pornhub Hearing the word sex can cause your ears to perk up and your nipples to get hard. When it comes to watching actors have intercourse in movies, stumbling upon a scene in which two smoking hot, almost unfairly attractive people start going at it is like finding that coveted golden ticket in an unsuspecting chocolate bar its even better when you have no idea it's ... coming. Even if its inclusion really has no place within the films plot, including sex is a surefire way to get your movie talked about, for better or worse. And as for what that sexual acts on-screen are supposed to entail, the rules are that there are no rules. RELATED: Top 10 Female Sex Fantasies Since everyones entitled to their own opinion, AskMen rounded up 13 movie sex scenes in no particular order we've deemed the hottest, from porking in public and drug-induced female fantasies to BDSM and someones very first time. Risky Business (1983) Directed by: Paul Brickman Featured: Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay Sex act performed: Public sex, girl-on-top The Chicago L isnt exactly the Ritz, but that didnt stop Joel and Lana from doing the nasty on a mostly-empty public transit car. American Psycho (2000) Directed by: Mary Harron Featured: Christian Bale, Cara Seymour, Krista Sutton Sex act performed: Threesome, doggy style, missionary, oral sex Patrick Bateman cant help but show off his egotistical side while sleeping with two prostitutes he picks up off the street, truly paying the women no mind as he flexes while staring at himself in the mirror mid-penetration. Team America: World Police (2004) Directed by: Trey Parker Featured: Trey Parker, Kristen Miller Sex act performed: Missionary, girl-on-top, reverse cowgirl, doggy style, 69, rimming, oral sex This sex scene actually had more graphic footage of puppets doing it before being cut down to hit the films current R rating. Wild Things (1998) Directed by: John McNaughton Featured: Neve Campbell, Denise Richards Sex act performed: Passionate French kissing Despite there being no in-your-face sex acts performed, this wet-n-wild scene still goes down in history for being iconic in its own right. As for how the two ladies prepared for the big moment? We drank, Campbell told WWHL host Andy Cohen back in 2018. Gone Girl (2014) Directed by: David Fincher Featured: Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris Sex act performed: Oral sex, missionary, girl-on-top A true climax in all senses of the word, Pikes twisted Amy Dunne (spoiler alert!) takes out Harris Desi Collings with a swift cut to the throat right as he puts his O-face on display. There could be worse ways to go, right? Wet Hot American Summer (2001) Directed by: David Wain Featured: Bradley Cooper, Michael Ian Black Sex act performed: Doggy style Who wouldve thought that Academy Award nominee Bradley Coopers first role would have him bottoming for Michael Ian Black in a damp tool shed at summer camp? Odds are he certainly didnt. Crank (2006) Directed by: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor Featured: Jason Statham, Amy Smart Sex act performed: Public sex, missionary, doggy style When youre told the only way to keep your heart pumping is through non-stop excitement, whats a man to do? Have aggressive sex with your girlfriend in the middle of a crowded Los Angeles neighborhood, of course! Black Swan (2010) Directed by: Darren Aronofsky Featured: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis Sex act performed: Kissing, cunnilingus Even with it actually being a substance-induced sex fantasy in the mind of Portmans character, this scene is just one of many that helped the actress earn an Oscar win at the 83rd Academy Awards. Don Jon (2013) Directed by: Joseph Gordon-Levitt Featured: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson Sex act performed: Dry humping Johansson might not want to do anything unless it means something, but her anything-but-sexual whisperings of night classes and meeting the fam in Gordon-Levitts ear while he dry humps her is still enough to make him blow his load right outside her apartment door. Fifty Shades Series (2015-2018) Directed by: Sam Taylor-Johnson, James Foley Featured: Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson Sex act performed: Spanking, whips, chains, bondage, various BDSM acts What the Fifty Shades trilogy lacks in plot and character development, it makes up for in its in-your-face exploration of the BDSM-world. Nipple clamps, anal beads, straps, shibari ropes you name it, they probably used it in one of the three films. American Pie (1999) Directed by: Paul and Chris Weitz Featured: Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid Sex act performed: Cunnilingus To convince girlfriend Vicky (Reid) that hes not just using her as a way to lose his virginity before heading off to college, Kevin (Nicholas) uses a page from the sex bible hidden in his schools library to show her just how much he really cares. Too bad Vicky doesnt have a lock on her bedroom door, though. Shame (2011) Directed by: Steve McQueen Featured: Michael Fassbender Sex act performed: Public sex, oral sex, glory hole After taking a beating on a city street, Fassbenders sex-crazed character continues his night out, ultimately landing deep inside a gay bar in the area. As the camera pans around, showing various men in various types of intercourse, a backwards hat-wearing man brings Fassbender in for a kiss, swiftly dropping to his knees in one of the films many explicit scenes that earned it a NC-17 rating. Swimfan (2002) Directed by: John Polson Featured: Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen Sex act performed: Public sex, sex in water Incessant flirtation by Madison (Christensen) leaves Ben (Bradford) with his guard way down, eventually giving into a spicy romp in the schools swimming pool. Unfortunately, Ben has a girlfriend, and Madison also happens to be a straight-up obsessive, murdering psychopath. Hope it was worth it, Ben! You Might Also Dig: Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 13:49:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GARDEZ, Afghanistan, May 16 (Xinhua) -- At least nine militants were killed, two Afghan security force members and five militants wounded during a predawn clash in eastern Paktia province on Saturday, an army source confirmed. "Armed militants stormed Machalgho Water Dam security posts in Sayyed Karam district, the security force manning the site of the dam responded to the attackers, killing nine militants and five others," Aimal Mohmmand from army's 203 Thandar Corps told Xinhua. Two injured security force members were evacuated to a hospital in an army camp and the militants who came from a nearby mountain also shifted their casualties, the source said. The province has been the scene of clashes and attacks. On Thursday, five civilians were killed and 46 people mostly civilians were wounded in a Taliban suicide truck bomb blast in provincial capital Gardez city. The Taliban militant group has not made comments on the report so far. The Taliban-led violence continues in Afghanistan even after a peace deal was signed between the United States and the Taliban in Doha of Qatar as well as a joint declaration issued by the U.S. side and the Afghan government in February. Sporadic clashes and fighting occur in countryside as Taliban militants have been attempting to take territory and consolidate their positions. Enditem Even as most Americans spent the past two months hiding indoors, Damion Campbell has been rushing into retail and grocery stores in Columbia, South Carolina, each day. The 45-year-old owns an information technology company, and his clients rely on him to keep their cash registers operating. Just a few months ago, Campbell didn't think much about touching surfaces that may not have been washed for days or longer, or chatting with employees while he does his work. But now, Campbell finds himself applying his military training to his civilian job. In the age of the novel coronavirus, that means stocking up on disinfectant wipes, always wearing a mask and never staying in one location for more than an hour, he said. "You keep your head at the swivel, be aware of your surroundings, and avoid patterns," said Campbell, referring to lessons he learned as a Marine deployed to Iraq nearly two decades ago. "You are constantly looking over your shoulder." With tens of millions of Americans preparing to return to work as more states relax stay-at-home orders, Campbell's experiences offer a preview of the new challenges that businesses and employees will soon face as commerce begins reopening in a new era of anxiety and apprehension. A Washington Post-Ipsos poll of more than 8,000 adults in late April and early May found that nearly 6 in 10 Americans who are working outside their homes were concerned that they could be exposed to the virus at work and infect other members of their household. Those concerns were even higher for some: Roughly 7 in 10 black and Hispanic workers said they were worried about getting a household member sick if they are exposed at work. Nearly 1 in 3 Americans - and over half of those with jobs - have continued to leave the house for work at least once a week as the virus has spread and states have issued stay-at-home orders, the poll found. More than one-third of people still going to work said they or a household member has a serious chronic illness, and 13% said they lack health insurance themselves. Nearly 8 in 10 Americans leaving home to work said their employers were doing enough to keep them safe, with a similar majority saying their work is "essential" and about 7 in 10 feeling appreciated for it. But more than a third said they had probably been exposed on the job already. "I was really sick, with all the symptoms back in late January," said Bud Benedix, 60, a truck driver from suburban Chicago who was never tested for coronavirus, but believes it was circulating in the United States far earlier than official estimates. "Where I could have got it? I have no idea." The Post-Ipsos poll found that amid stay-at-home orders, people who continued to commute each day worked in a wide array of industries. Health-care workers accounted for 10% of people still leaving for work, 7% apiece worked in sales and office and administrative support, and another 6% prepared food. Blue-collar workers left home for work at higher rates than others, including those performing installation, maintenance and repair, transportation and construction. Of the nearly half of employed Americans who were not going to an office or job site, nearly 9 in 10 are in white-collar industries. As those workers now prepare to start leaving their homes, follow-up interviews with poll respondents revealed a host of concerns about how they will stay safe on the job. They worry about using mass transportation, how they will interact with colleagues and clients, and whether they could bring the virus home to other family members, including those who suffer from preexisting health conditions. Denise Gonzalez, a 34-year-old landscape designer in Santa Ana, California, has been largely isolated in her house with two elderly parents, including her diabetic mother, since Gov. Gavin Newsom, D, ordered residents to stay home in early March. Gonzalez wonders whether her office will establish protocols for the field crews who used to frequently come in and out of the office in between jobs. "I think there is going to have to be more regulations at the office, like not everybody can come in at once, or only one from the crew can come inside, or we will have to meet them outside," Gonzalez said. "And if we implement that, there is going to have to be somebody who makes sure we stick by it and make it the new norm for a while." In Wisconsin, preschool teacher Andrea Velasquez has also been staying home due to the closure of schools in her state, making only brief excursions to pick up supplies. Velasquez, 42, does not think she will have to return to work until at least the fall, but she already wonders how her job will be different when she is back in the classroom. Some things, Velasquez expects, won't be that different. Most preschool teachers are already diligent about frequently washing their hands and sanitizing, she noted. But when it comes to other fundamental parts of the job, such as interacting with parents and other teachers, Velasquez is still waiting for state and local educational associations to issue extensive guidelines for how to stay safe. "In the past, a lot of teachers have gone to work sick because they feel guilty if they stay home," Velasquez said. "Some kids have, too, and we all have to learn how to change that and follow new protocols." Some Americans who have already gone to work caution that those about to follow them should be prepared for added stress. Hannah Rodriquez, 23, has been reporting to her job as a lab technician in Minneapolis. Her employer has implemented additional safeguards, such as checking employees' temperatures when they arrive. But Rodriquez said working around colleagues amid a pandemic has proved to be "more exhausting" than she would have expected. In addition to the heightened concern about how to best to protect her own health, Rodriquez said she finds it challenging to sift through the varied opinions that her co-workers have about whether the virus is dangerous. "You have some people really anxious and really upset about what is going on, and others who think it's a huge overreaction," Rodriquez said. "That makes it even more stressful for everybody." Although there has been at least one coronavirus case reported in most U.S. counties, Americans have different perspectives on returning to work. In Fargo, North Dakota, Stephanie Pearson, 30, noted her county has had only 76 confirmed coronavirus cases, and it has lower density than many major American cities. And as a healthy, young adult, the engineer said she may be among the first to be called back to work when her office reopens. "I think we all will just have to use our best judgment, as to what is right for our personal situations," Pearson said. "I sit in a fairly large cubicle, so I do not have any concerns about returning." But in northern Virginia, a government employee who would identify himself only by his first name, Olufemi, is worried that he won't be able to safely get to his job in the Washington. Olufemi already had a fever earlier this year, which he believes he could have contracted while riding the subway to work. "I worry if you take the Metro, you run a high risk of being exposed to it," said Olufemi, adding he could not afford to drive to work every day when he factors in the cost of parking downtown. "And even if you don't take the Metro, when you go into buildings, how many people are you going to come into contact with on the elevator on a daily basis?" In recent weeks, many cities and states have begun urging, and in some cases mandating, that residents wear a protective face covering when outdoors. Some employers are also expected to require employees to wear face masks in office settings. The Post-Ipsos poll found mask-wearing is scattershot at workplaces: 35% of people leaving home to go to work reported wearing a mask at all times, 39% said they wore a mask some of the time or occasionally, and 26% never wore one. More than 4 in 10 women said they wore a mask all the time at work, compared with about 3 in 10 men. An 81% majority of Americans said workers at businesses that are open should be required to wear masks, a figure that dips to 73% among those who have been leaving home for work during the outbreak. Almost as many support mask requirements for customers. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Brett Giordano, 47, works as a commercial helicopter pilot in Trophy Club, Texas, and he still flies clients a few times a week. Giordano said he will wear a face mask while flying if a client asks him to, but he usually doesn't see the virus as a major threat to his health. He believes state governments are overreacting by shutting down business and mandating mask use. "If someone came aboard sneezing and coughing, I might say, 'I think you need to get looked at,' " Giordano said. "But it's kind of hard to fly with a mask on, because talking into the microphone with one is kind of hard." The poll also provides the first nationally representative look at what actions employers are taking to protect workers. Over 8 in 10 Americans going to work said they approved of how their employer was handling the coronavirus outbreak. Another wide majority, 85%, said their employers encouraged workers to stay home if they were feeling ill. A smaller majority, 59%, said their employers reduced the numbers of workers required to come into work since the outbreak began. Just over 7 in 10 said their employer provided them with face masks, more than 8 in 10 were provided hand sanitizer, and roughly 9 in 10 had access to soap and water for hand-washing. Rikki Johnson, 58, works in the records unit of a prison in central Virginia that holds about 700 inmates. Although prisons nationwide have struggled with large outbreaks in recent weeks, Johnson said his facility so far has no reported cases. Prison administrators have been diligent in making "people wear face masks, stay socially distanced" and give employees staggered or limited shifts to reduce the chances that they could come in contact with the virus, said Johnson, who lives in Orange County in the Shenandoah foothills. Johnson worries, however, that too many other businesses will try to reopen too quickly, potentially endangering essential workers like himself who have been commuting to work each day. "I think governors and federal officials need to map out a better plan, including more testing," said Johnson, 58. "I think our plan right now is a bit like 'Helter Skelter' and like gambling with dice." Johnson is African American, and the poll found that black and Latino Americans were more worried than white workers about the conditions they will face in the workplace. Nearly half of black men think they may have already been exposed to the virus at work, compared with just over 3 in 10 white men. Campbell, the former Marine, believes he may have been exposed to coronavirus when he took a series of work-related trips in February, including to New York. But he never developed symptoms, was never tested, and isn't about to let down his guard down now. "The biggest thing you got to learn is that you can't control somebody else," said Campbell, who has been stocking up on gallon-sized jugs of hand sanitizer. - - - The Washington Post-Ipsos poll was conducted April 27 through May 4 through Ipsos's KnowledgePanel, a large online survey panel recruited through random sampling of U.S. households. Overall results in The Washington Post-Ipsos poll among the sample of 8,086 U.S. adults have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus one percentage point. The error margin is 2.5 points among the sample of 2,302 people who reported leaving to go to work at least once in the past week. - - - The Washington Post's Scott Clement and Alauna Safarpour contributed to this report. CEO of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, has urged the media in Ghana to give more attention to the number of patients who have recovered from Coronavirus to reduce the level of fear in the country. According to him, hearing more about the increasing number of positive cases and deaths in the country is only putting many people in a state of depression. Instead of telling the figures of those who have contracted the virus and those who are dead, let us also hear of those who have recovered because that is what will inspire home. People are becoming depressed the more they hear, he said. In a video cited by GhanaWeb, Dr Opuni-Frimpong said the media must focus on inspiring citizens to reduce the level of depression in the country as fear and anxieties and the frustrations can also destroy greater parts of our lives and our people. He said the stories of people who are making sacrifices to be in the frontline of the fight against the pandemic should also be told to serve as inspiration to people. He also called on religious leaders to inspire hope in society, including medical officers who are in the frontline as they also stand a risk of being depressed. This is the time we must bring society together, renew hope and confidence in our people and inspire a future that is hopeful to both young and old. Dr Opuni-Frimpong added that Ghana doesnt need a depressed society but rather, one that is hopeful. Ghana has so far recorded 1,460 recoveries from the coronavirus pandemic which has claimed 28 lives in the country. The country's positive case count of the virus stands at 5,630 with 4,150 active cases. Majority of patients are said to be responding well to treatment. Source: Ghanaweb 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 Nigerian Government has given reason for the rising cases of death in recent days. The government is worried that there might have... Nigerian Government has given reason for the rising cases of death in recent days. The government is worried that there might have been an increase in the number of deaths not associated with the dreaded COVID-19 since the virus entered Nigeria. FG noted that the rise in reported death cases could be attributable to fear by some Nigerians to visit hospitals or health workers refusing to attend to patients for fear of contracting Coronavirus. This was the position of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Friday as conveyed by the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire. He said there have been some reductions in the activity of treating routine cases due to fear of the dreaded virus. As a result of that, we do worry that some deaths may have occurred not directly in connection with the coronavirus. If a person couldnt go to get help in a hospital because of the fear of coronavirus or doctors refusing to attend to such persons, he added. The Minister further explained that the latest statistics from the National Health Management Information System (NHMIS) shows that Out-Patient visit dropped from 4 million to about 2 million, Antenatal visits from 1.3 million to 655 thousand, Skilled Birth attendance from 158,374 to less than 99,000, while immunization services dropped to about half. All these have as yet undetermined consequences, which the easing of the lockdown should hopefully address. However, the downside of easing the restrictions needs to be balanced with a collective determination by all of us, not only to comply with protective and prophylactic advisories, but to encourage relatives, friends, neighbours and customers to do same, he said. Gov. Steve Sisolak said its not yet clear what the week-old effort to reopen some Nevada businesses has done to infection metrics or when the state will move to Phase 2, but he said health indicators are pointing in the right direction. Sisolak held a press conference in Carson City on Friday as an update on how Phase 1 has played out in the state. He pointed out that the rate of positive results out of all people tested since the pandemic began continues a 20-day downward trajectory, and that the Nevada Hospital Association says COVID-19 hospitalizations are not significantly impacting the hospital system. Our goal is to continue reopening more of Nevadas economy in a safe and responsible manner but its too early to make any determinations, he said. Sisolak announced last week that the state would move to a limited reopening of businesses on May 9, after nearly a two-month long shutdown of most aspects of public life and business activity in the state in hopes of slowing the spread of COVID-19. Phase 1 guidelines allow most retail businesses to reopen, as long as they dont exceed 50 percent capacity, require employees to wear masks and follow various safety and social distancing guidelines. Hair and nail salons, as well as some dine-in restaurants, are also allowed to reopen but directed to follow safety precautions. Sisolak said the Division of Industrial Relations reported that a majority of businesses are complying with the rules. Im really pleased to hear this and Im proud of the fact that they took this so seriously, he said. We know that there are some that are not in compliance right now. Unfortunately, their negligence puts Nevadans at risk. And so there will be repercussions as a result of that. But the governor said it was still too early to discuss Phase 2 and additional steps to open up sectors of the economy, saying he wanted to have at least two weeks worth of health care data at hand before making a decision. Those decisions will be forthcoming but we need the data in order to move forward on any more reopenings, he said. Asked about whether churches would be allowed to open to larger in-person services if they implemented social distancing measures a request articulated by a coalition of 190 faith leaders in a letter dated Thursday Sisolak said he didnt plan to add more organizations into Phase 1. No one wants churches to open more than me, and my mother probably more than me, because she doesnt think its the same watching Mass online as it is attending in person, he said. But he argued that its difficult to socially distance in a house of worship and that many congregations include older people who are particularly vulnerable if they catch COVID-19. He said drive-in services are allowed and there are discussions about outdoor services, but Phase 1 is what it is right now. Nor was there concrete guidance on when schools would be allowed to reopen, especially as evidence emerges of an illness among children called multisystem inflammatory syndrome that appears to have a nexus to the coronavirus. Thats going to be another one where we dont just come up with these ideas or pull them out of the air, he said, noting that while discussions are happening, as of today, Ive not been presented with a plan. Sisolak said members of the LEAP committee Local Government Advisory Panel, led by Clark County Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick and Eureka County Commissioner J.J. Goicoechea were taking recommendations on different types of businesses that may be allowed to reopen in Phase 2 and evaluating whether limits on capacity could be safely changed. Thats gonna be difficult to increase capacity and at the same time maintain social distancing requirements, he said. So its kind of going to be dependent upon the data that we get continuing to come forward. Sisolak also touted the number of tests performed by the state more than 17,000 last week. Asked why Nevadas rate of testing lags behind the national average, the governor said he expects said capacity is growing and will expand further as more workplaces are testing their employees on a large scale. Not that this is a race, but well be able to catch up with the other states, he said. The state averaged about 2,500 people tested per day in the last week, and he said the state probably already has the capacity to test 4,000 people a day if not now, then by next week. But he acknowledged the logistical barrier of people physically going to a testing site and actually getting 4,000 people a day to submit to the test. We do have capacity, but people have to go get tested, he said. They have to get in their car and drive down there. I encourage them to do that. On the Culinary Unions recommendation that all employees are tested before returning to work, Sisolak said many companies are planning to do so in plans submitted confidentially to gaming regulators but that Gaming Control Board Chairwoman Sandra Douglass Morgan is making those decisions. He also used the press conference to exhort Nevadans to wear a face covering in public. He urged those who dont know anyone personally who has had COVID-19 to remember the story of Marine veteran Ronald Pipkins the first coronavirus patient in Nevada who spent about a month in a coma and fought to recover because he hoped to someday meet his grandchildren. Wear a face covering for someone that you love, for someone that you care about and well all be able to get into Phase 2 quicker, he said. A top UN prosecutor said on Saturday that the arrest of a key Rwanda genocide fugitive in France showed that suspects would be brought to justice for crimes in the 1994 bloodshed. The arrest of Felicien Kabuga today is a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even 26 years after their crimes, said Serge Brammertz, chief prosecutor of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals in The Hague. The cancellation of university classes and postponement of commencements the nation is experiencing is not without precedent. For many of my generation, that time and that moment, May 4, 1970 50 years ago this month is forever embedded in our cultural memory. Now the class of 2020 in grade, high schools and universities a new and different generation, to be sure will have a memory so rooted to and impacted by this time of coronavirus pandemic with actions synonymously far-reaching, yet different in many ways. Fifty years ago, then-President Richard Nixon announced several thousand ground combat troops had entered Cambodia. The secret war in Cambodia meant to try and stop North Vietnamese soldiers and weapons moving inside Cambodia, a neutral country, along the Ho Chi Minh trail. When Nixon spoke on television, Americas campuses exploded with indignation. ROTC buildings were firebombed; windows were broken at some schools. Students gathered in large numbers often spilling into the streets and lighting bonfires, bringing out the local police, whose only tactics were to beat heads, or throw tear gas. An estimated 4,000 students hit the streets in Columbus, Ohio, the next few days. College campuses across the nation exploded into violence. I hitchhiked up to Columbus. The Republican governor there had ordered the Ohio National guard deployed to restore order on campus. I had my 35mm camera and a 50mm lens, some Tri-X film, my press pass from the Ohio University school newspaper, and a gas mask. Reaching the campus, I found the became incensed with the idea of bayoneted soldiers on their campus and mayhem ensued. The young guardsmen were overwhelmed, and before long they and the Ohio Highway Patrol shot tear gas at us, ordering us to disperse. The acrid smell of tear gas permeated the campus. Students walking out of class were caught in the melee; many became radicalized and threw back the tear gas canisters at the police and National Guard. I was able to photograph because I had a tear gas mask on, but it also created an easy target for the authorities. Soon I felt hands on both my shoulders and turned around to see two gas-masked Ohio Highway Patrol officers. They arrested me and handcuffed me. I protested, saying I was a journalist and didnt they see the press pass that was pinned to my green army jacket. One of the officers grabbed it quickly, ripping if off and then tearing it up. He looked at me and said, You are not a journalist anymore! I was booked, mugged and fingerprinted. My camera, film and gas mask were confiscated, and I wound up in a cell with hundreds of others. I had befriended the director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, who bailed me out for $5,000. I was charged with inciting to riot, a felony with the possibility of three to five years in prison. As I left the cell, I was handed a paper bag with my camera and the few rolls of exposed film from that day. I returned to Athens, developed the film, made prints and sent the photos to Liberation News Service in New York City, which distributed photos to the underground press. A few days after I made my photos, a similar scene engulfed the nation when the National Guard opened fire at Kent State University in Ohio, killing four students. The guardsmen fired 67 rounds over a period of 13 seconds and also wounded nine. I remember being transfixed to the TV in my dorm lounge filled with fellow students. We were outraged, shaken and scared. Students flooded the streets, demanding justice. This was an attack on our generation and radicalized thousands. My images taken a week earlier of the same National Guardsmen, who had fired at Kent State, were published all over the world. I realized at that moment that photographs have an incredible power to reach sometimes a vast audiences while at the same time you can witness your world, and tell the story of things unseen by masses of people. It was an epiphany for a 19-year-old, and it changed my life. A photographer had been born, and I havent stop taking pictures since. Over the past three decades, I have also taught photojournalism at UC Berkeley, the beating heart of student protest. From my position as a university professor, I have witnessed the sadness in my students finding remote teaching lacking the quality and closeness the classroom provided now that university has been shuttered. They are upset they will have no graduation to commemorate and the world they prepared for and were about to enter is so transformed: internships canceled, celebrations postponed. I feel their pain deeply. I have told them my own story of 50 long years ago, when the nation faced a political crisis not unlike their own today; only then protesters were gassed, shot at and killed, universities closed, students were sent home, graduations for the class of 1970 were canceled throughout the nation. My students today intuit there are no easy solutions to this moment. They recognize that student concerns then are similar to those on their minds today. They are living history, as we were back in 1970. My students and I ponder whether in 50 years as they look back on this time and post on whatever will be the new social media how those living in 2070 will reconcile this time. Will the upheaval and reordering of society overshadow and supplant the turmoil and protests of the 1970s be so distant as to barely represent the historical precedent it is today? Ken Light is an American social documentary photographer and professor at UC Berkeleys Graduate School of Journalism. Editors note: This piece was edited from an earlier version to correct the reference to bonfires and to clear up the grammar in two sentences. The domain singaporeinformer.com may be for sale. Please click here to inquire PITTSBURGH A Greene County judge has been accused of judicial misconduct by the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board for the alleged mishandling of criminal cases. The board filed a 21-count complaint Thursday against President Judge Farley Toothman, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. The complaint alleges that in one incident Toothman retaliated against a Christy McCarty who confronted his law clerk for an alleged theft that occurred at a Sunoco gas station in 2017. Toothman asked police to investigate the incident and held a closed-door hearing the next day for McCarty without the presence of an attorney. McCarty was incarcerated for 25 days on contempt charges for allegedly violating a payment plan in connection to an unrelated case. Toothman could not be immediately reached to comment on the charges, but he told the Observer-Reporter newspaper Thursday that the complaint was regrettable. "I do my best every day," Toothman said. "I respect the system and will comply with the process." If Toothman is found guilty the Court of Judicial Discipline could impose sanctions including censure, suspension, fines and removal from office. Toothman has 30 days to respond to the complaint. TSMC investment will strengthen U.S. national security: Pompeo ROC Central News Agency 05/15/2020 04:21 PM Washington, May 15 (CNA) United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s (TSMC's) plan to build an advanced semiconductor fab foundry in Arizona is expected to strengthen U.S. national security. In a statement, Pompeo said he welcomed TSMC's plan to invest US$12 billion to build a sophisticated 5 nanometer wafer plant in Arizona after the Taiwanese semiconductor giant confirmed the investment earlier in the day. "The TSMC deal is a game changer for the U.S. semiconductor industry that will bolster American national security and our economic prosperity," Pompeo said in the statement. "TSMC's announcement comes at a critical juncture, when China is competing to dominate cutting-edge technology and control critical industries," Pompeo said. "The TSMC facility in Arizona will increase U.S. economic independence, bolster our safety and competitiveness, and strengthen our leadership in high-tech manufacturing," he said. TSMC said construction of the state-of the art wafer plant is scheduled to start in 2021 and the facility is expected to start mass production in 2024. The 5nm process is the latest technology TSMC has started production. According to TSMC, the wafer plant, which will have a monthly production capacity of 20,000 units, is expected to directly create 1,600 high-tech professional jobs and indirectly add thousands of other jobs in the semiconductor ecosystem. In response to TSMC's assessment of the investment plan, Pompeo said the creation of a cluster of thriving high-skilled sub-industries is expected to help ensure U.S. leadership in technologies of the future and also facilitate cutting-edge research and development by U.S. universities and companies. "With TSMC's commitment, high-tech chips will be Made in America once again-the nation where the semiconductor industry was invented. These chips will power everything from artificial intelligence to 5G base stations to F-35s," Pompeo said. "This historic deal also strengthens our relationship with Taiwan, a vibrant democracy and force for good in the world," he added. The Wall Street Journal cited sources close to the investment as saying that both State and Commerce Departments are involved in the plan. TSMC said the Arizona facility will be the company's second production site in the U.S. Currently, the company runs a fab in Camas, Washington and design centers in Austin, Texas and San Jose, California. TSMC is currently developing the even more advanced 3nm process which is expected to go into production in 2022. (By Stacy Hsu and Frances Huang) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address She has been isolating at home with her husband Alex Bowen during lockdown. And Olivia Buckland took a trip down memory lane as she shared a sizzling bikini snap on Instagram on Saturday, from her honeymoon two years ago. The Love Island star, 26, posted the picture of her wearing a white bikini emblazoned with the words: 'Mrs Bowen'. Looking good: Olivia Buckland went down memory lane as she shared a sizzling bikini snap on Instagram on Saturday from her honeymoon two years ago She showed off her extremely svelte physique and emphasised her curves in the high waisted bikini while kneeling next to the sea. Olivia uploaded the racy snap for her 2.3million followers alongside the caption: 'Switching over to a new phone today & was saving down all my photos. 'Our honeymoon in the Maldives nearly 2 years ago. Safe to say my recent camera roll photos are not up to this.' Memory lane: The Love Island star, 26, posted the picture of her wearing a white bikini emblazoned with the words: 'Mrs Bowen' Olivia and Alex, who met on Love Island in 2016, got married in 2018 and have been loved-up ever since. The reality star recently opened up about her 'bad days' when suffering with depression and anxiety. She spoke alongside The Valleys' Lateysha Grace and Geordie Shore's Sophie Kasaei about their respective mental health challenges and offered help to their friends, family and followers through their tales. In the chat, in conjunction with MTV, Olivia admitted that at some of her lowest points, she wouldn't brush her teeth or shower yet she discussed her determination to rid herself of the guilt that came with her 'down days'. Tough times: Olivia recently divulged details of the 'bad days' she suffers amid her battle with depression and anxiety Since soaring to fame, Olivia has always been extremely candid about her struggles with mental health and become an advocate for a host of campaigns to promote positivity and awareness. In her chat with her fellow reality stars, she divulged: 'I used to feel guilty for having a bad day, so if I spent the whole day in bed, I wouldn't brush my teeth, I wouldn't shower and I had to learn not to feel guilty about that... 'I think sometimes when you're so stressed you really do get knackered. You need the sleep so don't feel bad you need the time to recuperate it helped me to learn and accept that I will always have bad days but you will eventually get out of them'. In a rousing message to her pal, Sophie said: 'You're such a strong woman, get that inner strength and just bring it out and you can do that. You got this girl.' Ive Accepted That I Will Always Have Bad Days | Thats What She Said Olivia Bowen, Lateysha Grace and Sophie Kasaei discuss their past struggles with poor mental health, how they pulled through and who to turn to when youre feeling low. #AloneTogether Posted by MTV UK on Tuesday, May 12, 2020 Open and honest: Olivia spoke alongside The Valleys' Lateysha Grace and Geordie Shore's Sophie Kasaei about their respective mental health challenges and offered help to their friends, family and followers through their tales Olivia went on: 'I want to talk to you about any experiences you've had and I think for girls like us in the public eye, it's really hard for us to think or believe that we've been through anything like that... 'I think it's nice to let people know that anyone anywhere can be struggling, Everyone's always fighting a battle that you don't know about.' On her previous struggle with mental illness, she said: 'I think the main thing I always talk about is how my anxiety was when I was younger and I went through a bout of depression when I was 18... Candid: Olivia went on: 'I want to talk to you about any experiences you've had and I think for girls like us in the public eye, it's really hard for us to think or believe that we've been through anything like that' 'The only thing that got me through it was my friends and family. My friends forced me to talk about. I was so grateful they were there. It was a weird time... 'I used to go home and watch sad films to make myself cry. You always think your family won't get it. You worry your mum will judge you but you have to talk to someone. Samaritans is the best charity. They're there for you if you need them.' Lateysha then admitted she was struggling at the moment and broke down in tears when the girls discussed getting together after lockdown. For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch. See www.samaritans.org for details French police on Saturday arrested one of the last key suspects in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, describing him as its financier and one of the worlds most wanted fugitives. Felicien Kabuga, once one of Rwandas richest men, was living under a false identity in the Paris suburbs, the public prosecutors office and police said in a joint statement. The operation, carried out at dawn, resulted in the arrest of a fugitive who has been sought by the judicial authorities for 25 years, the statement said. Around 800,000 people Tutsis but also moderate Hutus were slaughtered over 100 days by ethnic Hutu extremists during the 1994 genocide. The statement said Kabuga, aged 84, had been living in Asnieres-sur-Seine north of Paris and had been hiding with the complicity of his children. It described him as one of the worlds most wanted fugitives. Kabuga is accused of creating the notorious Interahamwe militia that carried out massacres in the 1994 genocide. He also helped create the equally notorious Radio-Television Libre des Mille Collines that incited people to carry out murder in its broadcasts. Felicien Kabuga is known to have been the financier of the Rwandan genocide, it said, adding that he had spent time in Germany, Belgium, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Switzerland. Brought to account Kabuga was indicted by the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 1997 on seven counts including genocide. The Rwanda tribunal formally closed in 2015 and its duties have since been taken over by the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT), which also deals with cases left over from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. A top UN prosecutor welcomed the arrest, saying it showed that suspects would be still brought to justice. The arrest of Felicien Kabuga today is a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even 26 years after their crimes, said Serge Brammertz, chief prosecutor of the MICT in The Hague. Todays arrest underlines the strength of our determination. He should now rapidly appear before French prosecutors who should order him to be remanded in custody. Judicial authorities can then rule on sending him to The Hague to face justice. Following completion of appropriate procedures under French law, Kabuga is expected to the transferred to the custody of the Mechanism, where he will stand trial, the MICT said in a statement. Kabuga is expected to be tried at the mechanisms branch in Arusha in Tanzania, an official from the proscecutors office told AFP. His eventual transfer to UN custody was likely to take some time because of the COVID-19 pandemic, tribunal sources said. In 1994, Kabuga was part of the inner circle of then Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana. His daughter was married to one of the presidents sons. It was the assassination of Habyarimana on April 6, 1994 that unleashed the genocide. Along with former defence minister Augustin Bizimana and top-ranking military figure Protais Mpiranya both still at large Kabuga was one of the three most significant suspects still sought over the genocide, the statement said. CAPF companies have been deployed in Mumbai, Pune, Malegaon, Amravati and some other places to ensure state police get respite from coronavirus-related duties, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said on Saturday. The state government had recently requested the Centre to deploy 20 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces. "Some of their companies have come to Maharashtra. Their personnel have been deployed in Mumbai, Pune, Malegaon, Amravati and other places to ensure Maharashtra police gets rest," Deshmukh told reporters. To a question, Deshmukh said 800 persons have been arrested in connection with attacks on policemen during the lockdown. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16 By Tamilla Mammadova - Trend: The European Parliament approved 3 billion euros in loans to help European Union (EU) neighbors and partner countries deal with the fallout of COVID-19, Trend reports via the EU. The loans, which will be given on highly favorable terms and disbursed over a year, will help the following ten countries whose economies have been pushed into recession by the pandemic: the Republic of Albania (180 million euro), Bosnia and Herzegovina (250 million euro), Georgia (150 million euro), the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (200 million euro), Kosovo (100 million euro), the Republic of Moldova (100 million euro), Montenegro (60 million euro), the Republic of North Macedonia (160 million euro), the Republic of Tunisia (600 million euro) and Ukraine (1.2 billion euro). The goal of the funding is to allow these countries to mitigate the negative social and economic effects of the crisis while preserving the states financial stability. As reported, the assistance can start being disbursed once the countries sign their respective Memorandum of Understanding, which will list the conditions of the loans. The European Commission expects the first tranche to be disbursed in the autumn of 2020, and the second and final tranche in early 2021. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila6197935 Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 19:25:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JAKARTA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Scores of alleged members of a separatist group launched an attack on a police post in Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua, seriously injuring a policeman, a police officer said on Saturday. During the attack occurring at 10:00 p.m. local time on Friday night in Paniai district, the attackers stole four weapons of the police personnel in charge at the post, Papua Province's Police Chief Inspector General Paulus Waterpauw said. When the attack was launched, there was only a policeman at the post as the other personnel were attending a meeting with residents, Waterpauw said. The policeman suffered serious cuts on his neck, back, right temple and stomach, according to the officer. "The perpetrators are probably members of the criminal armed group led by Ton Tabuni," the officer said. The victim has been rushed to the Nabire General Hospital for medical treatment. The Indonesian police and military have frequently been engaged in conflicts with the separatists in Papua province, leaving scores of casualties from both sides. The separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) based in Papua province has been seeking an independent state through guerrilla wars decades ago, targeting soldiers, police personnel and civilians. Enditem A senior Communist Party official in a northeastern Chinese city has been removed from his post following a new cluster of coronavirus cases that threatens to spread to neighbouring cities. More than 8,000 people in Jilin province have been placed in quarantine as a result of the outbreak that centres on Shulan. The city is now the only area of the country classified as high-risk, but while the central government says local transmission is on the whole under control, new cases in Jilin, the neighbouring province of Heilongjiang and Hubei the central province where the disease first emerged remain a cause for concern. On Friday the Jilin provincial party committee said that Shulans party chief Li Pengfei had been removed from his post and would be replaced by Zhang Jinghui, the deputy governor of Jilin city, which governs Shulan. Five more officials were removed on Saturday, including the deputy head of the health commission and director of the disease control centre in Jilin as well as the health bureau director, public security bureau deputy party chief and disease control centre director in Shulan. As of Friday midnight, 28 Covid-19 patients remained in hospital in Jilin city, 16 of whom were from Shulan. According to the Chinas National Health Commission, two of the countrys eight new cases recorded on Friday were from Jilin city, while the other six were imported. Nationwide, 46 confirmed cases, and three suspected ones, are still being treated in hospital. One of the newly confirmed cases in Jilin was a hospital worker who had been using public transport for the past two weeks, the citys health commission said on Saturday. The city authorities also said all general practitioners clinics would be closed from Sunday, telling people who wanted to see a doctor to go to a hospital and fever patients to visit a specialised clinic. As of Saturday, a total of 31 local transmitted cases, including a case in neighbouring Liaoning province, have been linked to a 45-year-old woman who worked in the Shulan polices laundry department. Story continues How the woman contracted the disease is still a mystery since there had been no local cases reported for 73 days before she fell ill earlier this month, and she had not travelled out of the province or been in contact with anyone returning from overseas. The central government has now sent epidemic prevention teams to Jilin city to help local experts fight the disease. Harbin city, the capital of Heilongjiang province, has also stepped up its testing and has quarantined 383 people who arrived from Jilin or Shulan cities after April 28. The city authorities have also stepped up checks on all new arrivals in the province by road, air or train. Bayanqolu, the Jilin provincial party chief, said last week that the cluster of infections in Shulan posed a great danger to the lives of the public and the situation is heartbreaking, exposing the shortfalls and loopholes in anti-epidemic work. Empty streets in Shulan city. Photo: Weibo He also warned that those who failed to act promptly to control the infection would be held responsible. On May 13 Jilin province, which had started allowing children to return to the classroom, reversed the decision and ordered all schools to close again. Social gatherings have also been banned while indoor public venues such as theatres, internet cafes, mahjong parlours and public bathhouses have been closed until further notice. Outdoor morning markets were also ordered to close from Thursday to prevent people from gathering. 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 Party chief removed after Chinese city hit by new coronavirus cluster first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. By Trend President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Hendrik Daems thanked Georgian Foreign Minister and Permanent Representative of Georgia to the Council of Europe (CoE) for the work done during Georgians six-month chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers (CM) of the CoE, Trend reports citing Georgian media. Twenty years ago, Georgia became a full member of the Council of Europe. Together with the organization, it has been protecting human rights, the rule of law and democracy, said PACE president. According to him, Georgia chaired the CM for six months and it has done a great job. "It was not easy to manage the Committee of Ministers under COVID-19, but the work was nicely done, said Hendrik Daems. According to Daems, the real legacy is that Georgia managed to connect environmental issues with human rights. Georgia ended its six-month chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, a historic position Georgia took on November 27, 2019, on May 15, 2020. Georgia became a member of the CoE in 1999. The chairmanship came at the same time as Georgias 20th anniversary of the membership of the CoE. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor died after battling leukaemia for two years. His demise left a permanent void in the film industry. Remembering her late father, daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahni has been sharing pictures on her Instagram. On Friday, Riddhima took to the photo-video sharing app to post a monochrome throwback picture featuring Rishi and Neetu Kapoor. Riddhima captioned the picture as: "Love." Take a look: Riddhima, who watched the funeral over a FaceTime session with Alia Bhatt, had earlier written she couldn't say a "final goodbye" to her father on her Instagram story. Later, she posted a photo of Rishi to say "Legends live forever... miss you." Riddhima also shared a bunch of childhood memories featuring herself and her brother, actor Ranbir Kapoor as pint-sized versions. In one of the photos posted by Riddhima, Rishi Kapoor features with his mother Krishna Raj Kapoor, who died in October 2018. Rishi Kapoor passed away in Mumbai on April 30. Just the night before, Riddhima was granted permission to drive to Mumbai from Delhi. Riddhima is a jewellery designer and lives with her husband and daughter in Delhi. Meanwhile, Rishi Kapoor was diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and he underwent a treatment in the US for the same. However, the cancer is reportedly said to have relapsed and the actor breathed his last at a Mumbai hospital. The news of his death came a day after the shocking demise of Bollywoods talented actor Irrfan Khan. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Given the current coronavirus pandemic, Tottenville High School art teacher Wynter Carnevale gave students the chance to make a statement through their art. In her advanced placement (AP) art class and her portfolio class, Carnevale asked her junior and senior students if they wanted to honor healthcare workers on Staten Island. This idea was personal to Carnevale. Her daughter and son-in-law are both nurses on Staten Island. To gather the portraits for the students art projects, her daughter asked nurses at Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) North to send their pictures. Those pictures were then sent to Carnevale, who matched the students up with each portrait. The art teacher then drove to each students house and collected the portraits from mailboxes. When every student is finished, the artwork will be either emailed or delivered in person by Carnevales daughter. This is the second project to honor healthcare heroes that Carnevale has done in her class. A few weeks ago, the created a poster for the three major hospitals on the Island. When the staff at school heard, it turned into a much bigger project, including a video that got emailed to the hospitals. I have the most talented and generous students any teacher can ask for, Carnevale told the Advance/SILive.com. When I proposed this idea of honoring a healthcare worker with a personal portrait they were all on board. I felt this would be a bright spot for these people who give so much and also a way for my students to give back to the community. BETHLEHEM A new park around the Normans Kill and its nearby ravines, which will include trails for walking and mountain biking, is expected to open this fall. The town is purchasing 69 acres of woodlands from the Normanside Country Club and merging it with a neighboring 86 acres of land the town already owns off Wright Lane. The property sits west of Normanside and runs along part of the Normans Kill shoreline. The park will be named Normans Kill Ravines as a tribute to its hilly topography. Normanside is offering its property to the town for about $134,000. After the property survey and other expenses, the total project cost will be about $146,900 There are a few more things that need to be finalized, but Bethlehem Town Supervisor David VanLuven anticipates he will be closing the deal by July or August. The park has been in the works for the last two years. In 2018, VanLuven began working on creating the park with town employees and an informal group of mountain bikers who biked off Wright Lane. A year later he was in talks with Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy about purchasing the additional property from Normanside. The volunteer bikers worked to create the trails and maintain them on the Wright Lane property, and they will be doing the same for the parks newest addition. Although maintenance will be done through volunteer work, VanLuven said some residents have raised questions about why the town is making this purchase. A lot of people are asking why were buying land during a pandemic and a financial recession, VanLuven said. The town has a Parkland Set Aside Fund, which is meant for creating and maintaining parks. Developers pay into it when theyre building in subdivisions, and based on how many units they build they can either build a park or set aside money in the fund. As of now, there is a little under $1 million in it. Its the whole purpose of the fund. Those arent dollars we can use for anything else. We cant use it to pay staff or build sidewalks, VanLuven said. Its only for park use, and right now we have a seller that wants to sell and a community that wants trails, so it would be crazy not to move forward. Before advancing with the project the town will have to modify the state code. The land comes with a 10-year bow hunting lease that the four-member Salisbury Road Deer Management Group signed in July 2019 with the country club. Town code doesnt allow for any kind of hunting on town property. However, the modification will be written to make an exception for this particular park. Theyve been hunting safely here for decades, VanLuven said, noting that they had an unofficial agreement with the country club long before 2019. "We are changing our town code to allow for this small group of hunters to hunt in very tightly prescribed positions. He added, "Its only bow hunting for white-tailed deer, and it only applies in the hunting season, which is three months in the fall. Hunting is still prohibited in other town parks." What I think most people dont realize is that many of the reserves they walk through allow bow hunting like Thacher State Park, VanLuven said. Bow hunters will also be up in tree stands that wont be close to trails, VanLuven said. Also, their range isnt very far so the deer will have to be fairly close at them -- so theyre fairly sure about what theyre shooting at. At a May 27 meeting there will be a public hearing about the proposed amendment, and at subsequent meetings the town board will approve using money from the Parkland Set Aside fund to purchase property. United Nurses Association has filed a writ petition in Delhi High Court on behalf of 56 pregnant nurses who are stranded abroad. The petition has been filed through Advocate Subhash Chandran Kr demanding the instant evacuation of these healthcare workers stranded in foreign land. 55 of the pregnant nurses are stranded in Saudi Arabia and 1 is in Kuwait. The petition says that all of them are in serious distress and need immediate medical as well as psycho-socio support. It further also adds that they are exposed to hazards that put them at risk of infection. Highlighting the hardship faced by the healthcare workers the petition says, 56 pregnant nurses are having serious medical issues as most of them are in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and they are not getting priority for repatriation in the first phase of 'Vande Bharat Mission' as announced by the Union of India. The writ petition mentions that the airline policy that a pregnant woman cannot travel after 36 weeks of pregnancy should be overruled for them. It also said that Saudi Arabia did not provide the family status visa to the staff nurses and all of these nurses are staying alone in this tough time. The petition further seeks directions to Centre to schedule a special chartered flight from Saudi Arabia to bring back the nurses and demands to provide adequate medical as well as psycho-socio support through Indian Missions to these women. The urgency of the application has been allowed by Delhi High Court and the matter will be listed on May 18, 2020. Donald Trump has confirmed he is considering restoring funding to the World Health Organization, but wants to reduce the US's contribution to just $40million. The president tweeted on Saturday morning saying no final decision has been made and that US funding for the global health agency remains frozen. Trump had responded to a tweet by Fox News anchor Lou Dobbs about a leaked White House letter that claimed the president was preparing to resume partial funding after cutting off all aid last month. 'Lou, this is just one of numerous concepts being considered under which we would pay 10% of what we have been paying over many years, matching much lower China payments. Have not made final decision. All funds are frozen. Thanks!' Trump said. President Donald Trump confirmed on Saturday he is considering reducing the US's contribution to the World Health Organization to just $40million Trump suspended US aid to the WHO on April 14, accusing it of promoting China's 'disinformation' about the coronavirus outbreak and saying his administration would launch a review of the organization. WHO officials denied the claims and China has insisted it was transparent and open. The president has kept up the criticism, saying at a town hall last week: 'The World Health Organisation has been a disaster - everything they said was wrong, and they're China-centric.' On Friday, Fox News host Tucker Carlson reported that the White House was on the brink of resuming funding at the same level as China. Previously, the US sent the WHO about $400million a year - ten times the amount China contributes. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is seen above. Questions linger about the relationship between China and the WHO 'Despite [its] shortcomings, I believe that the WHO still has tremendous potential, and want to see the WHO live up to this potential, particularly now during this global crisis' the draft letter reads, apparently in Trump's voice. 'That is why I've decided the United States will continue to partner and work with the World Health Organization' it adds. 'China owes a massive debt to the entire world, and it can start with paying its fair share to the WHO.' 'If China increases its funding to the WHO,' the letter adds, 'we will consider matching those increases.' It comes as questions linger about the relationship between China and the WHO. Earlier this week, it was reported that the CIA believes China bullied the WHO into delaying the declaration of a global health emergency in January, even as Beijing hoarded medical equipment. A CIA report says China threatened to stop cooperating with the WHO's coronavirus investigation if the organization declared the outbreak a global health emergency, according to Newsweek. The alleged delay came at a crucial time in January, as the virus was spreading around the world undetected and China was stockpiling medical equipment and protective gear made in the U.S. and elsewhere. World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (left) and Chinese leader Xi Jinping shake hands in Beijing on January 28, 2020 It is the second Western intelligence report to indicate that China strong-armed the WHO into downplaying the risks of the epidemic, after a German intelligence document reported by Der Spiegel suggested that Chinese leader Xi Jinping personally pressured WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. In a statement to DailyMail.com, the WHO denied that it had bowed to any outside pressure in the early stages of the pandemic. 'The WHO Constitution says that each Member State must respect the exclusively international character of the Director-General and the staff and not to seek to influence them,' the statement said. 'We know that every country understands this obligation is critical to WHOs impartiality and neutrality in its global health work.' STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As portions of New York State have begun to officially reopen and other states are in the process of doing the same, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released guidelines for businesses and institutions to follow to ensure customer safety while conducting business. The information released is meant to provide guidance to schools, bars, restaurants, child care centers and other businesses that will eventually become eligible for reopening. General guidelines from the CDC recommend that businesses should not reopen until they are able to properly protect all employees, including those who may have a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus (COVID-19). CHILD CARE CENTERS Many parents are questioning the feasibility of enrolling their children in day care or summer camp amid the coronavirus pandemic.N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com As many parents question the feasibility of summer camps and other child-care services this summer, the CDC is recommending that all people entering facilities including employees and children are properly screened on a daily basis for symptoms of coronavirus. The report also encourages increased social distancing through activities that dont require contact. Another option is to place children in groups and make sure that the groups dont mix to decrease chances of cross contamination. It is also recommended that toys, belongings and equipment are shared as little as possible. Employees should receive basic training on health and safety protocols. The centers should also keep a plan of action in case anyone starts experiencing symptoms or gets sick. There should also be substitute caregivers on call. Click here for the full guidelines for child care centers. SCHOOLS Schools in New York City have been closed since mid-March and won't be opening for the rest of the school year. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) Like child care centers, schools should be able to effectively screen for coronavirus symptoms in employees and students daily. Students and employees should also be encouraged to conduct healthy hygiene practices such as washing their hands on a regular basis and wearing a facial covering. School custodial staff can also expect to intensify cleaning of the facilities both while classes are in session and after students, teachers and other staff members leave. Schools should monitor absences of students and staff members and encourage those who arent feeling well to stay home. Employees should also receive training in health protocols. Click here for the full guidelines for schools. RESTAURANTS AND BARS Staten Island bars and restaurants have been closed to all for dine-in. Many restaurants have chosen to continue delivery service. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri) Staff-Shot Due to many different regulations on restaurants and bars that vary state to state, the CDC recommends that restaurants and bars first and foremost follow local mandates and health orders before opening up. The businesses should be able to protect employees and customers who may be at a higher risk of contracting the virus, such as the elderly or those with underlying conditions. The restaurants and bars should place an emphasis on social distancing by encouraging curbside pickup and spacing tables apart. Restaurants should also consider limiting the party sizes of guests, limit self-serve stations and reduce contact between employees by staggering shifts. Restaurants and bars should also check for symptoms of employees daily upon entrance and should have a flexible leave policy in case an employee does contract the illness. Click here for the full guidelines for restaurants and bars. OFFICE WORKPLACE Staten Islanders who commute to work and school everyday are coming to terms with the new normal. (Staten Island Advance) Those who work at an office should also follow the proper health and safety protocols of increased social distancing and monitoring of employees symptoms on a daily basis. Employers should also keep in regular contact with employees and local officials such as in the health department. All employees should receive some form of health and safety training and be encouraged to practice more frequent hand washing and face coverings. Employers should increase cleaning of the workplace environment and increase ventilation of the work place by opening windows. The guidelines say that social distancing in the workplace can be achieved by enhanced spacing between employees, physical barriers, closing/limiting communal areas and allowing employees to work from home if feasible. Click here for the full guidelines for office workplaces. MASS TRANSIT Victory Boulevard and St. Marks Place, bus driver wears a mask, riders enter the buses starting today from the rear door for the safety of the drivers during the coronavirus pandemic. Monday, March 23, 2020 (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) Due to mass transit employees prolonged and constant exposure to the public, employees should frequently wash their hands and wear a face covering. Buses and other transit vehicles should be regularly wiped down and sanitized as well as increasing the ventilation on board the vehicles by opening the windows. The guidelines recommend that more space be given to each customer by reducing vehicle capacity and closing off every other row on board. Buses should also consider using rear-door exit and entry to lower the risk of transmission to bus operators. The guidelines also recommend limiting routes to and from high transmission areas with guidance from local officials. Transit employees should also be checked for symptoms daily. Click here for the full guidelines for mass transit. A new research has suggested that mouthwash is capable of providing some extent of protection against COVID-19 by killing the novel coro... A new research has suggested that mouthwash is capable of providing some extent of protection against COVID-19 by killing the novel coronavirus before it can infect human cells. The study, which was published on Thursday in the journal Function, has provoked calls by scientists for urgent research into whether normal mouthwash, readily available in stores, could be effective in reducing the virus transmission in the early stages of infection. The calls were after a team of researchers from Cardiff University assessed the importance of the throat and saliva glands in the replication and transmission of the novel coronavirus, making reference to their feeding patterns in the early stages the disease. The study authors stated that their findings demonstrated that mouthwash has the potential to destroy the outermost layer of the virus, preventing it from replicating in the mouth and throat before the infection fully kicks in. pic.twitter.com/1CyDA9d90U A group of scientists has called for urgent research into whether readily-available mouthwash could be effective in reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission. https://t.co/4OQRqco7cf May 14, 2020 They, however, noted that further research into mouthwash chemicals could be beneficial. What we dont know yet is whether existing mouthwashes are active against the lipid membrane of SARS-CoV-2. Our review of the literature suggests that research is needed as a matter of urgency to determine its potential for use against this new virus, said Valerie ODonnell, the lead researcher. Why do these scientists think mouthwash can be effective? Backed by virologists and lipid specialists from Cardiff Universitys School of Medicine alongside other healthcare experts from the universities of Nottingham, Colorado, Ottawa, Barcelona, and Cambridges Babraham Institute, the study questioned current convictions about mouthwash. On the basis that coronaviruses classify as enveloped viruses, ones that are covered by a layer of fat vulnerable to certain chemicals, the scientists claimed that mouthwash could protect against COVID-19 by killing the virus before it infects human cells through lipid membrane disruption. According to the researchers, the ingredients of dental mouthwash, including chlorhexidine, cetylpyridinium chloride, hydrogen peroxide, and povidone-iodine, all have the potential to prevent infection by tackling the one thing that helps these viruses bind to and enter cells. Safe use of mouthwash as in gargling has so far not been considered by public health bodies in the UK. In test-tube experiments and limited clinical studies, some mouthwashes contain enough of known virucidal ingredients to effectively target lipids in similar enveloped viruses, they noted. Mouthwashes and COVID-19: What does the WHO think? debunked claims that had attributed preventive benefits to the use of mouthwash. As plausible as this new-found idea seems ahead of further scientific evaluation, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had earlierthat had attributed preventive benefits to the use of mouthwash. The premier health agency also said that there has been no empirical evidence to back these claims so far. Theres no evidence that mouthwash will protect you from infection with the new coronavirus. Some brands of mouthwash eliminate certain microbes for a few minutes in the saliva. However, this does not mean they protect you from 2019-nCoV infection, WHO had stated in February. To date, there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV). However, those infected with the virus should receive appropriate care to relieve and treat symptoms, and those with severe illness should receive optimized supportive care. Protecting yourself from COVID-19? The WHO had listed the symptoms of COVID-19 to include fever, tiredness, and dry cough but some others have reported aches, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, and diarrhoea. Symptoms might begin gradually, yet, other infected individuals might become asymptomatic. It is estimated that about 80 percent of people who suffer the deadly virus recover from the disease without needing special treatment. It is also understood that one out of every six people who get infected with COVID-19 becomes seriously ill with breathing difficulty that requires assistive care. Following that there is no vaccine or cure for COVID-19 just yet, health experts have emphasised that the best way to prevent the illness is to avoid getting exposed to infected patients, maintain physical distancing, wash and sanitise hands regularly, and seek medical attention if need be. The graduation parade route in Altamont for Labette County High School will remain the same as originally planned, but the drive-thru ceremony was postponed to May 30 after originally being scheduled for Saturday. EAST HAMPTON With unemployment in town running into double-digits, two Town Council members are demanding the town freeze employees salaries and not grant scheduled increases to teachers or town employees. During the virtual Town Council meeting this week, councilors Tim Feegel and Mark Philhower called for an across-the-board freeze. Businesses in this town are not coming back, Feegel said. Feegel said that against that background, for the town to give previously negotiated raises to its employees, thats going to make us look terrible. However, even before the call from the councilors, the police and supervisory personnel bargaining units have signaled their willingness to discuss the matter. In an email Wednesday, Superintendent of Schools Paul K. Smith said teachers and school administrators have already taken action. They have agreed to a concession for the current budget year to STEP freezes for one year, Smith said. Quoting from data compiled by the state Department of Labor, Town Manager David E. Cox said that, since March 8, the number of residents filing first-time unemployment claims totaled 1,052, or about 13 percent of East Hamptons workforce. Councilor Derek Johnson told his colleagues the towns labor force is approximately 7,900 people. Philhower commended Cox for leading by example and foregoing your salary increase. He pointed out that landlords have been ordered by the state to defer rent collections for the foreseeable future. It is incumbent on us as the executive branch to take action. I feel we need a pay freeze on all contracts with municipal employees, Philhower said. No one receives a raise from the town of East Hampton, not when everyone else is suffering, he said. Id be willing to go to court over this, Philhower said. You cant go to church, if youre a landlord you cant collect rent, but a union contract is different. I disagree with that wholeheartedly, Philhower said. I dont remember anything in the governors executive order that goes into contracts, Councilor Chairman James Pete Brown said. The governor has not taken that step, Cox said. Returning to the unemployment filings, Cox said, Traditionally, East Hampton runs a little behind what the state does, so perhaps thats a good sign. It does highlight (the) very diverse nature of the people living in East Hampton, Johnson said, and how many of them have a much higher level of education. However, the rate of those filing unemployment claims does not include those who are self-employed, Councilor Dean Markham said. Whatever the numbers are, It does not distract from the fact that people are hurting, Markham added. This (issue of a freeze) needs to broached, Johnson said. Councilor Barbara Moore said she agreed, We do need to talk about this. Regarding municipal contracts, Cox said We have one that is an agreed settlement and two that are open for negotiations. One thing I will say is many of bargaining units have asked for parity, Cox said. During a Board of Finance review of the proposed 2020-21 budget there was a call, apparently from a virtual audience member, that there should be a freeze on increases for one year, Cox said. Both the police and the supervisory personnel have reached out to us and said they are willing to discuss this, Cox said. In his email, Smith said, The Teachers Union is in the first year of a three-year contract that was the second lowest settlement in the State of Connecticut. The teachers are slated to receive a 1.75 percent increase in the new fiscal year, which begins on July 1. Smith said the teachers were willing to add an additional step at the bottom of the pay scale resulting in an extra year of service prior to reaching the top step. He also said administrators agreed to a furlough day for the next school year and his salary for next year will not be increased. jmill@middletownpress.com Bill Turnbull. (Photo by Jeff Overs/BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty Images) Former BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull has said he feels calm about death after living with prostate cancer since 2017. The 64-year-old revealed his diagnosis back in 2018, and has said he knows the Grim Reaper is waiting which has helped him develop "healthy relationship with death". Though currently healthy, Turnbull has been making preparations for death, including considering what music he wants playing at his funeral. Read more: Bill Turnbull causes chaos in 'GMB' studio after losing earpiece Talking to The Mirror, the father of three said: Ive thought a great deal about death since I was diagnosed with cancer because hes there, yknow the fella with the hood over his head and the scythe. "Hes waiting, and thats fine. Ive developed quite a healthy relationship with death." BBC presenter BILL TURNBULL prepares to broadcast live during the Conservatives Party Conference at Manchester Central. (Credit Image: Mark Makela) (Photo by Mark Makela/Corbis via Getty Images) He added: I feel very, very calm about it because Ive given it a lot of thought. Theres no way Im going to imagine I can live forever, nor would I really want to. Youre talking to someone who has an incurable disease so sooner or later it is going to come and get me. Later rather than sooner, hopefully. The Classic FM DJ has said his condition has meant he has to give "serious consideration" to his funeral, including what sort of music he wants at his funeral if he wants to be buried or cremated. Turnbull presented BBC Breakfast for 15 years from 2001, and is partly remembered for his presenting partnership with Susanna Reid. The now Good Morning Britain host left the BBC for ITV in 2014 and has since struck up a popular partnership with Piers Morgan. Read more: Naga Munchetty tells Bill Turnbull she misses him in BBC Breakfast reunion Turnbull and Reid were emotionally reunited earlier this year when he filled in for Morgan while he was on holiday. The pair embraced on air and Turnbull said: "I can't believe this is really happening, it's so exciting. I feel like I'm coming home." In 2019 he fronted a documentary entitled Bill Turnbull: Staying Alive, which saw exploring potential treatments for prostate cancer. Wet weather late Sunday and Monday didnt stop speeders. Law enforcement officers were out ticketing offenders over the long weekend enforcing the rules of the road. In Hamilton Monday, a young driver was stopped on the QEW allegedly driving 163 km/h. On twitter provincial police said the offender was recently charged with stunt driving and was charged again. Halton Const. Marc Taraso reminded drivers on Twitter that these speeds are unacceptable 365 days a year in Ontario, referring to a driver who was caught going 164 km/h on Hwy. 407 Monday. A collision closed Fennell Avenue at Upper James Street Saturday afternoon, Hamilton police reported on Twitter. In Burlington, Burloak Drive was closed Saturday between Mainway Drive and Upper Middle Road, following a crash at the entrance to Bronte Creek Provincial Park involving a cyclist. The cyclist was seriously injured, Halton police said. President Donald Trump is planning to resume some funding to the controversial World Health Organization, according to a leaked draft of a White House letter. Trump last month cut off all U.S. funding to the group, accounting for about half the WHO's annual funding, accusing it of 'severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.' The president has kept up the criticism, saying at a town hall last week: 'The World Health organisation has been a disaster -- everything they said was wrong, and they're China-centric.' Now, the White House is apparently on the brink of offering to resume funding the WHO at the same level as China, according to a draft letter reported by Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Previously, the U.S. sent about $400 million a year to the WHO, which is ten times the amount China contributes. President Donald Trump is planning to resume some funding to the controversial World Health Organization, according to a leaked draft of a White House letter WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is seen above. Questions linger about the relationship between China and the WHO 'Despite [its] shortcomings, I believe that the WHO still has tremendous potential, and want to see the WHO live up to this potential, particularly now during this global crisis' the draft letter reads, apparently in Trump's voice. 'That is why I've decided the United States will continue to partner and work with the World Health Organization' it adds. 'China owes a massive debt to the entire world, and it can start with paying its fair share to the WHO.' 'If China increases its funding to the WHO,' the letter adds, 'we will consider matching those increases.' It comes as questions linger about the relationship between China and the WHO. Earlier this week, it was reported that the CIA believes China bullied the WHO into delaying the declaration of a global health emergency in January, even as Beijing hoarded medical equipment. World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (left) and Chinese leader Xi Jinping shake hands in Beijing on January 28, 2020 A CIA report says China threatened to stop cooperating with the WHO's coronavirus investigation if the organization declared the outbreak a global health emergency, according to Newsweek. The alleged delay came at a crucial time in January, as the virus was spreading around the world undetected and China was stockpiling medical equipment and protective gear made in the U.S. and elsewhere. It is the second Western intelligence report to indicate that China strong-armed the WHO into downplaying the risks of the epidemic, after a German intelligence document reported by Der Spiegel suggested that Chinese leader Xi Jinping personally pressured WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. In a statement to DailyMail.com, the WHO denied that it had bowed to any outside pressure in the early stages of the pandemic. 'The WHO Constitution says that each Member State must respect the exclusively international character of the Director-General and the staff and not to seek to influence them,' the statement said. 'We know that every country understands this obligation is critical to WHOs impartiality and neutrality in its global health work.' Over the last eight years, Tom Powers and others have opened up a whole new world to hundreds of youngsters. The kids have camped, hiked, fished and hunted in the outdoor places scattered throughout Montana as the result of a dedicated team of volunteers and willing sponsors who have worked hard to make it all possible in part through the Youth Conservation and Education Expo. While COVID-19 is dialing that back a little bit this summer, Powers, with the Expo, hopes that late-season camps and numerous one-day adventures will introduce even more young people to the outdoors. This week, Powers learned that two of the programs favorite camps were canceled due to concerns over the virus. A camp at the Magruder Ranger Station and one that follows at the Scripps Ranch wont happen this summer. We are working on holding a few other camps later this summer, Powers said. Were still hoping that we can send kids to the Theodore Roosevelt Ranch in August. At the end of June, plans call for holding the two-day shooting camp at the Whittecar Rifle Range in Hamilton. The kids will have to wear face masks and there wont be any inside classroom instruction this year, Power said. Everyone will be able to spread out in shooting bays. I think it would work out fine, but well have to wait to see if parents will be fine with that. There will also be some opportunities for youngsters to learn about horse packing with the Bitter Root Backcountry Horsemen at the Teller Wildlife Refuge or maybe attend a camp at the Jack Creek Preserve in August. Powers said theyre also working on ideas of hosting a fly fishing camp on the Bitterroot River and a day-long archery event. Were doing what we can to make sure these kids have a chance to get outside and learn something new, Powers said. In a normal year, the area around the Teller Refuges barn would have been swarming last weekend with youngsters and their parents taking part in the annual Youth Conservation and Education Expo. That event is usually when names are drawn for the camps sponsored by a long list of outdoor affiliated organizations. That event ended up canceled due to the pandemic. This would have been the eighth year of the expo, Powers said. The first year we sent 20 kids the Theodore Roosevelt Ranch. In the second year, that number more than doubled as more sponsors came on board and new camps started to spring up. Last year between summer camps and one-day events the program offered 206 kids the chance to get outside and learn. Even though COVID-19 forced the closure of the spring expo, the generosity of the owner of Stevensvilles Fort Owen Ranch earlier this year ensured that hundreds of youngsters had an opportunity to take part in many of the same activities. Myla Yahraus opened up her large arena to Powers and other youth outdoor expo organizers for a similar event this winter that drew 417 kids and their parents. It worked out really well in that arena, Powers said. Myla was so gracious to allow us to hold it there. Right now, were desperately trying to piece things together to give these kids an opportunity later this summer, he said. We know that we cant do it on the scale that we normally do, but we want to do something. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Earlier this month, Egypt began repatriating nationals stranded in Kuwait after Kuwaiti authorities broke up riots by Egyptian workers with invalid residencies seeking to return home Cairo Universitys dorms received on Saturday three new groups of repatriated Egyptians from Kuwait for a 14-day quarantine, bringing the total number of groups returning from Kuwait to 13. According to state-owned MENA, Cairo University President Mohamed Osman El-Khosht received the groups and followed up on their self-sterilisation and the disinfection of their luggage in sterilisation cabins installed around the dorms. He ordered the increase of medical staff residing in the university dorms to examine repatriated Egyptians from Kuwait and conduct full medical examinations. Egypt has closed its airports to international flights since mid-March as part of the preventive measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The country has since operated exceptional flights to bring Egyptians stranded abroad back home and allow foreign tourists to return to their country. Earlier this month, Egypt began repatriating nationals stranded in Kuwait after Kuwaiti authorities broke up riots by Egyptian workers with invalid residencies seeking to return home. The government is covering the cost of those staying at university hostels. Those willing to spend their quarantine period at designated hotels in the Mediterranean city of Marsa Alam will have to pay for their stay. Egypt is hoping to bring back all stranded Egyptians before the Islamic Eid Al-Fitr holiday, which begins on 23 May and follows the holy month of Ramadan. A civil aviation ministry source told Al-Ahram on Friday that Egypt has repatriated around 12,000 stranded Egyptians from different countries since late April. Egypt sent flights to the US, Canada, France, Germany, England, Spain, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Sudan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Chad, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Maldives, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and India. Search Keywords: Short link: Iran has sentenced a French academic to six years in prison, marking yet another jail term handed to a Westerner. Fariba Adelkhah, 61, was given a five-year prison term for conspiring against national security and one additional year for propaganda, her lawyer revealed. The news of her sentencing was quickly condemned by the French Foreign Minister who urged for her release. Jean-Yves Le Drian said: 'This sentencing is not based on any serious element or established fact, and therefore has a political nature. 'We urge the Iranian authorities to immediately release Ms. Adelkhah.' Officials revealed they had arrested Adelkhah (above) on espionage charges, which were later dropped, but the security-related charges remained in place The academic - whose health has severely deteriorated due to a hunger strike - has been detained in Iran since June last year. She was originally held alongside colleague Roland Marchal in Evin Prison. Officials revealed they had arrested her on espionage charges, which were later dropped, but the security-related charges remained in place. While Marchal was released in March as part of a prisoner swap, Adelkhah, who is an anthropologist and researcher at the Sciences Po university in Paris, was denied freedom. Despite her health issues, Adelkhah's lawyer said she is determined to remain productive during her imprisonment and is working as a librarian in the women's ward of the prison and teaching French to female prisoners. Adelkhah's lawyer has said she will appeal the ruling. The academic, who has dual French-Iranian citizenship, becomes the latest Westerner to languish in Iranian prison. The country does not recognise dual nationality for its citizens and in recent years has arrested dozens with ties to the West on security charges, including British-Iranian charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. The 41-year-old London charity worker's imprisonment has received intense scrutiny worldwide after she was convicted of espionage charges in 2016. She has always strongly denied the charges and was last month granted an extension to her temporary release from prison in light of the coronavirus outbreak. The mother of one is being made to wear an ankle tag and keep within 984ft of her parents' Tehran home. While there are no exact figures on the number of detainees being held in Iran jails, other prominent westerns being kept behind bars include US father-and-son Baquer Namazi and Siamak. Senegalese dancer Alioune Diagne is pictured above performing during a gathering at the Trocadero square in Paris in February this year, calling c's release The pair were sentenced to 10 years in prison in October 2016 for 'co-operating with a foreign enemy state'. Princeton University PhD student Xiyue Wang, a naturalised American from Beijing, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in July 2017 after Iran said he had been convicted of 'co-operating with an emery state'. And British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert - who is also being held in Evin Prison - is said to be at 'breaking point' inside the prison. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband Richard said: 'Kylie has been held in solitary confinement under IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) control for approaching two years.' Adelkhah's lawyer has warned her health has deteriorated because of severe kidney damage suffered after she endured a 50-day hunger strike in December. Panaji, May 16 : One of the three returnees from West Bengal, who all had tested coronavirus positive on Friday, on Saturday tested negative in a confirmatory second round of tests. The third round of tests would be conducted after 72 hours, Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said, here on Saturday. Rane said the three persons were part of a group of seven professionals, who had gone to West Bengal last month and had returned by road. "Seven people had gone from Goa on April 21 to deliver barges in Kolkata. They stayed in Gangasagar, a green zone. On May 3, they were taken to some other place by boat and then they reached Goa in morning," Rane had said on Friday. Of them, three tested Covid-19 positive and four negative. During the day, one active Covid-19 case was reported after a truck cleaner, who had come to Goa along with a pharmaceutical consignment, developed coronavirus like symptoms and landed at the Goa Medical College near Panaji on his own for examination. He tested Covid-19 positive in the preliminary test, while the accompanying truck driver tested negative, Rane said. At present, Goa has 11 active Covid-19 cases. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) In the rectangular coordinate system above, the line y = x is the perpendicular bisector of segment AB (not shown), and the x-axis is the perpendicular bisector of segment BC (not shown). If the coordinates of point A are (2,3), what are the coordinates of point C ? In any mirror reflection around the line y = x, the x-coordinate and the y-coordinate of a point become interchanged. In any mirror reflection around the x-axis, the x-coordinate remains the same, and the sign of the y-coordinate changes. Show Spoiler Attachment: Reflection2.png [ 10.75 KiB | Viewed 30421 times ] (A) (-3,-2)(B) (-3,2)(C) (2,-3)(D) (3,-2)(E) (2,3)Since the line y=x is the perpendicular bisector of segment AB, then point B is the mirror reflection of point A around the line y=x, so its coordinates are (3, 2).The same way, since the x-axis is the perpendicular bisector of segment BC then the point C is the mirror reflection of point B around the y-axis, so its coordinates are 3, -2).Answer: D.The question becomes much easier if you just draw a rough sketch:Now, you can simply see that only D can be the correct answer.Answer: D.Similar questions to practice:Hope it helps._________________ school As the UK gears up to return to work, perhaps it is inevitable that unions will flex their muscles. The pseudo-socialist circumstances Covid created are now being exploited for 1970s levels of activism. Especially, it seems, by the teachers' unions. NASUWT with over 300,000 members, has told our countrys educators and local authorities that they will invoke legal action if teachers are forced to return to reopened primary schools next month. The National Education Union, representing almost half a million school staff, backs the rallying cry while going on to say that online lessons should be kept to a minimum and teachers shouldnt have to do marking while schools are shut. Teacher-pupil interaction is not easily replicated, it said. Yet the instructions from both unions amount to dont teach - a rather extraordinary message for the workforce they claim to represent. What complicates the situation is that a great many parents share in the reluctance to send kids back to school, worried about the unproven risk that their offspring congregating in close proximity could turn their fry into fomites. Any parent who has tackled the virulence of a nit outbreak will be aware of how infection spreads through a classroom like forest fire. It is not irrational to ask why reopening schools is suddenly safe when the Government closed them at the start of the outbreak and headlines still show hundreds of new cases every day. A complex context has been constructed, within which unions are wont to sniff an opportunity. It appears teaching Trotskyists are embracing the confusion with resolve. Of course there are many teachers who want to get back to work. They have clapped for key workers and pride themselves on the value of their own noble profession. Doubtless many have agitated over pupils they know to be confined in cramped conditions without computers and only a bowl of cereal in place of the free school meal. As assistant headmaster in Grimsby has been hauling rucksacks of food and homework to 78 vulnerable pupils. Too many children depend upon the sanctuary the classroom can provide. Every teacher in the country will poignantly be able to name exactly who they are. Story continues Scientific evidence is inconclusive on the matter of child contagion, but most analysis suggests that the risk is low, while the Governments new roadmap allows those who need shielding to remain off work. For a great number of parents, childcare is now impossible as workplaces reopen. Children themselves, many anxious about their futures, also miss the camaraderie of classroom contemporaries. It is vital that everyone works together - as the word union implies. We are coming out of a period where one-size-fits all instructions were imposed to fend off an impending crisis. We must now address the nuances that make every household in the country unique. Just as teachers know that every child is unique. We have a fortnight to solve this if we are to get our kids back to school by June. With millions of children around the world deprived of an education altogether, surely we have the will and the wherewithal to get our youngsters in classrooms again. After all, it's a human right the union bosses themselves doubtlessly enjoyed. BEIJING, May 16 -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe held phone talks with the Malaysian Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Friday afternoon. Speaking of Chinas efforts in dealing with the COVID-19, General Wei said that facing the unexpected epidemic, under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Xi Jinping as the core, China has adopted scientific and accurate policies, and achieved a significant strategic victory after arduous struggle. China has made tremendous efforts and contributions to the global pandemic prevention and control, which demonstrates the thought of building a community with a shared future for mankind as well as China's sense of responsibility as a major country, Wei said. However, politicians of some countries smeared China over pandemic-related issues, seriously violating international morality and undermining the overall international campaign against the pandemic, Wei continued. General Wei also declared that China firmly supports Malaysia for its efforts in combating COVID-19 epidemic and is willing to provide assistance within its power. In addition to controlling the epidemic, the two militaries should maintain communication and promote pragmatic cooperation in various fields, jointly protecting regional peace and stability, Wei added. Sabri expressed admiration and congratulations of the Malaysian side to Chinas achievements in combating epidemic, and thanked the Chinese government and military for donating epidemic prevention supplies to and sharing experience with Malaysia. The Malaysian Government attaches great importance to relations with China and is willing to work with the Chinese side to elevate level of cooperation in various fields including defense cooperation, Sabri said. Rep. Justin Amash, the Michigan congressman who left the Republican Party last year, said on Twitter that he will not run for president this year. "After much reflection, I've concluded that circumstances don't lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year, and therefore I will not be a candidate," he tweeted. Amash said that the polarization in the country, as well as the challenges to campaigning posed by the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing, meant it was not the right year for a successful third-party bid. Last month, he had said he would seek the Libertarian Party's nomination, saying "Americans are ready for practical approaches based in humility and trust of the people." Amash, 40, was elected in the 2010 tea party wave and grew increasingly distant from Republicans as the decade went on, fending off a primary challenge from a business-backed conservative in 2014. He was deeply critical of Donald Trumps 2016 campaign, and even more critical of what the GOP did with control of the legislative and executive branches. Days after supporters of former minister Sudhir Sharma filed a complaint in Dharamshala against Mandi MP Ram Swaroop Sharma for his alleged statement on some Congress leaders violating lockdown norms, Aashray Sharma, grandson of veteran leader and former Union minister Pandit Sukhram has lodged a similar complaint with the Mandi police. Ram Swaroop, in a statement on May 13, had said that he returned to the state during the lockdown complying with all the formalities but some Congress leaders had entered into the state violating the norms. He alleged that senior Congress leaders Sukhram, Sudhir Sharma, Viplove Thakur and GS had entered the state illegally. Meanwhile, in the complaint sent to the Mandi SSP, Aashray alleged that MP made a false and frivolous complaint with mala fide intention to defame his grandfather. Pandit Sukhram returned from Delhi on February 20, more than a month before the nationwide lockdown was imposed, said Aashray. Ever since he is in Mandi town. The same can be verified by tracing his mobile locations during this period, he added. Aashray said that Mandi MPs false statement amounts to various offences under the Disaster Management Act and also violated the guidelines of the Centre and state government to desist from spreading rumours. The false statement made by Ram Swaroop Sharma has defamed, insulted, and harmed the reputation of veteran leader Sukhram and his family, he alleged. So, I request Mandi police to lodge an FIR and take appropriate action against Mandi MP for maligning the image of the veteran leader, he added. Earlier, Rajesh Kapoor, president of Dharamshala Block Congress and supporter of former minister Sudhir Sharma and filed a complaint against the MP at Dharamshala. Kapoor in his complaint had stated that Sudhir Sharma returned to Himachal before the lockdown period and Ram Swaroop tarnished his image by making a false statement in the media. New York's embattled governor, Andrew Cuomo, announced that an upstate barber who violated quarantine, caught COVID-19, and then spread it to others is reason enough for More Lockdown. He said it with an impressive combination of coldness and glee, looking like some kind of hard-faced Caligula-like character. Let them hate me so long as they fear me. Here's the NBC YouTube: My transcript: Reporter: "... I mean, seriously, they have to pay for their food, they have to pay for their buildings, even, you know, month to month, and they're not getting any income ..." Cuomo: "Yeah, how about the story about the hair stylist in Kingston?" (A little twinkle comes to his eye, and then a little smile). "Did you hear that story?" (Another twinkling smile). Reporter: "I did. A barber in Kingston was operating, in defiance of the 'close' order, infected, I think over a dozen people. You know, that is a [sic] occupation of close proximity, right? You can't really socially distance and do a haircut. ... (Smiles again.) ... Maybe mine, you could do from six feet away (calling attention to his well-coiffed head, someone is doing his hair for sure). "... But that is, by definition, an up close and personal occupation. But hairstyling is in Phase II." (Confirms with a flunkie.) This would be the same governor who ordered nursing homes with force of law to be seeded with COVID-19 patients, triggering the horrendous 5,000-plus death toll coming from New York's nursing homes, far and away the nation's highest, and believed to have been undercounted. It's the same one who announced that securing personal protective equipment for nursing homes was "not our job" and now orders tests for their employees in yet another order that will be impossible to comply with. Now he's outraged about a barber, and pay no attention to all the people who died as a result of his mailed fist, force-of-law mandates. This is the last guy in the world who ought to be pointing a finger at a bad, irresponsible barber. He's got 5,000 dead on his scorecard. It's the same one who just got done saying this: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo this week said officials "did everything we could" to protect vulnerable populations, like those in nursing homes, from coronavirus, but acknowledged "you can't save everyone." "As a society, you can't save everyone. You're gonna lose people, that's life," Cuomo told reporters amid reports of nursing home deaths exceeding 5,000. "But we did everything we could." In other words, just order people to do stuff, and too bad if they can't do it. Notice that he didn't answer the reporter's question at all what indeed are people supposed to do when they are denied all possibility of earning a livelihood and can't get through, or maybe can't even qualify, for state aid? He seems to be saying "shut up and starve." The barber shop story is a complicated one, a sad story, one that does involve some blame and injury, including even to competitors who stayed shut, yet it might be exaggerated. How, for instance, could the man presumably having no symptoms still spread the disease, for one, or did he work with open symptoms? Did he use protection? Was there a willing buyer and a willing seller? We don't know any of this at this point, so I'm staying tuned for fake news. What most people will be able to identify with are the issues the anguished barber raised in a separate New York Times report: A few hours after leaving the hospital, Mr. LaLima railed against the governor. He said he had done no wrong, and was simply trying to make a living. "I am aggravated to the nines," Mr. LaLima said. "Is Cuomo going to pay me? Is he going to make up the difference? Is he going to pay my taxes? Is he going to pay the heat and electric? Is he going to feed my family?" he asked. Richard Azzopardi, a senior adviser to the governor, was unmoved by Mr. LaLima's defense. "There is no excuse to be reckless in a pandemic," he said. That was the issue the reporter tried to get an answer out of from Cuomo, and he ignored her. It makes Cuomo look like a heartless bastard. Seriously, he demands a huge price from some parts of society (nursing homes, small businesses), and when they scream in pain, his response is, "you're on your own, mac," and he calls the cops. He doesn't address the barber's issues at all; he offers no hope, no aid, no promise of better days, just the iron fist of big government comply or else. And those little smiles. This incident might be some kind of tipping point. Shut up and starve, with a little smile. People don't like this kind of glee. Image credit: NBC YouTube screen shot. Its back to the beginning for Clear Creek Independent School District graduation ceremonies. Several weeks ago, the district decided to postpone May graduation ceremonies to July in hopes that the worst of the novel coronavirus pandemic would have passed. The ceremonies for the districts five biggest high schools were set to be held in the air-conditioned NRG Stadium in Houston, while two alternative schools would hold theirs in the Clear Falls High School auditorium to avoid the summer heat, district spokesperson Elaina Polsen said at the time. However, on May 5, Gov. Greg Abbott banned indoor ceremonies but said schools could hold outdoor graduations so long as social-distancing measures were kept. On Friday, the district announced a new plan for graduations. All the schools will hold their graduations at CCISDs Challenger Columbia Stadium, 1955 W. NASA Blvd. The dates and times for the graduation ceremonies are: Clear Lake May 29, 8:30 p.m. Clear View May 30, 8:30 a.m. Clear Creek May 30, 8:30 p.m. Clear Falls May 31, 8:30 p.m. Clear Horizons June 1, 8:30 a.m. Clear Springs June 1, 8:30 p.m. Clear Brook June 2, 8:30 p.m. Graduates will be limited to having four guests attend the commencements. John DeLapp is a freelance writer. He can be contacted at texdelapp@gmail.com. India will privatize electricity distribution companies (discoms) in all its eight union territories, and explore public-private partnerships for power distribution in some states, Union power minister Raj Kumar Singh said. The Centre has informed the Union territories about the decision, Singh said at a digital interaction with power sector chief executives. Unlike discoms in states governed by the respective state governments, those in Union territories are directly administered by the central government. So as far as the Union territories are concerned, we have decided that we will put in place a distribution system which is based on totally open, transparent, competitive, commercial principles. So, you people are welcome to compete, Singh said at an event organised by lobby group Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The move comes in the backdrop of the government on Wednesday announcing a reform-linked ~90,000 crore bailout package for fund-starved discoms, along with concessional tariffs. We will be bidding them out for distribution companies to take up. And all the Union territories have been told that we will have distribution companies that are from the private sector, Singh added. Indias electricity distribution reforms scheme tentatively named Atal Distribution System Improvement Yojana (Aditya) aims to cut electricity losses below 12%. Indias average aggregate technical and commercial loss are currently at 21.4%. The scheme aims to ensure continuous supply of power, by privatizing state-run discoms and negating tariff gaps. Prepaid smart meters will be made mandatory across the power distribution chain, including 250 million households. Singh said the Union government will approach some other states for a public-private partnership (PPP) mode on the lines of Delhi or Odisha to bid out their distribution companies. Odisha was the first state to privatize its power distribution sector into four discoms in 1999. This was followed by Delhi, which privatised three of its discoms in July 2002: BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL), BSES Yamuna Power Ltd (BYPL) and Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd. There is a growing interest in power discoms. Mint reported on 12 May about at least eight investors showing initial interest in buying Reliance Infrastructure Ltds Delhi power distribution businesses. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Bay of Plenty If you love working out doors and in a small team then we have the role for you. We are needing someone who has either maintenance... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz PTI's photograph of a man on the phone, his face twisted in grief, was circulated widely on social and media and resulted in help being provided to him to reach his home in Bihar. PTI photographer Atul Yadav recounts his meeting with Rampukar Pandit on a Delhi roadside and the powerful image that captured the tragedy of migrants across India: He was talking on the phone and sobbing uncontrollably on the Nizamuddin Bridge. And I just couldn't drive on. In the last few weeks, I have come across and photographed so many migrants, one more helpless than the other, and honestly I didn't expect to feel surprised at the sight of a grown man crying. But I was. Inured as we are, his naked grief shook me. It felt personal enough for me to not simply click a picture and move on. I just had to know what was bothering him. His son was unwell and might die, and he just wanted to go back home, the desperate father told me. I asked him where, and the 40-something man just managed to say udhar (there) in between sobs, pointing at the expanse of the road stretching across the Yamuna and meandering towards Delhi's border some miles away. It was only much later that I realised home was Bariarpur in Begusarai in Bihar, almost 1,200 km away. He said he worked as a labourer in Najafgarh and, in the absence of any public transport, had started walking home like thousands of other migrants across the country. His journey abruptly came to a halt after the police at the bridge refused to let him go further. The man, broken and defeated, had been stuck at the Nizamuddin Bridge for three days. I offered him biscuits and some water and tried to reassure him. But can any consolation be ever enough for a father scared he won't see his son ever again? I desperately wanted to put this man out of his misery and reached out to police personnel in the vicinity requesting them to let him cross the border. They were reluctant, but since the request came from a media person they said they would ensure he reaches home. I reached home soon after, and realised I never did ask him his name or his phone number. I wanted to know if he managed to reach home, if he saw his son, if the child was well. I didn't have to wait much. That was a Monday, 5.15 pm. PTI put out the photograph I had taken and it was distributed widely across all media, the anguished father's grief touching a chord in so many people. Once his photograph that I clicked started doing the rounds, several newspapers followed up on his story. And then I learnt. His name was Rampukar Pandit and his son lost the battle of life. It broke my heart. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: The construction of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) is extremely important for Bulgaria and for the Southeast Europe, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said, as he shared a video on IGB progress on Facebook, Trend reports. He pointed out that IGB, which is a part of the development of the Southern Gas Corridor, will give access to Bulgaria and its neighboring countries to alternative supplies from the Caspian region, as well as from existing or future liquefied natural gas terminals. The interconnector will provide connectivity to other planned gas projects, such as the liquefied gas terminal in Alexandroupolis, as well as liquefied natural gas from Israel, Egypt and other sources, added Borissov. The IGB gas pipeline will be connected with the Greek national gas transmission system in the area of Komotini and with the Bulgarian national gas transmission system in the area of Stara Zagora. The planned length of the pipeline is 182 km, the pipeline diameter will be 32" and the projected capacity will be up to 3 bcm/y in the direction from Greece to Bulgaria. Depending on the interest from the market and the capacities of the neighboring gas transmission systems, the pipeline is designed for increasing its capacity up to 5 bcm/y for following up the market evolution thus allowing physical reverse flow (from Bulgaria to Greece) with the additional installation of a compressor station. A Memorandum for cooperation between ICGB AD and TAP AG has been signed concerning joint actions in relation to future connection between the IGB pipeline and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn As our day-to-day lives continue to shift amid the coronavirus pandemic, turning to the familiarity of established routines can help structure and organise the day in a time that can feel out of our control. For many, this shift has included a dedication to maintaining exceptional hygiene. I think people are very aware now, more than ever, how much bacteria, viruses, et cetera, we carry on our bodies especially our hands, Judy Rosenberg, psychologist and creator of the Be The Cause Mind Map System, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. When you shower can impact your overall mood. Photo: Getty We are understanding that to be preventive and give ourselves an opportunity to be free of these harmful bacteria and viruses, we need to be proactive and bathe ... now that we are being told to wash our hands and clean ourselves for the sake of life itself, it forces us to be more meticulous in this area. The focus on physical health and well-being has become paramount since the pandemic began, giving many an appreciation for a proper bathing routine now more than ever before. Bathing habits can help our overall mood and well-being by keeping us on a regular schedule and helping our immune system, which can be beneficial during the current pandemic, Amy Mlodzianowski-DePaolo, an oncology social worker in Connecticut, tells us. And whether youre hopping into the shower for five minutes, twenty minutes or even longer, the time of the day that you decide to get clean will have different implications for you mentally and emotionally and might be telltale signs of what youre most in need of. If you shower first thing in the morning For many, taking a shower first thing in the morning is a guaranteed way to wake up both the mind and the body. Showering is a rebooting of your physical and psychological system, Rosenberg tells Yahoo Life. In the morning, it is a physical and emotional way of re-energising. For those whose standards of productivity have changed, a first-thing shower is a way to start the day on the right track, whether youre a natural-born morning person or not. Story continues Morning showers can wake up the mind. Photo: Getty Taking into account a typical 9-5 schedule, for many the best time to shower to boost productivity would be the morning, says DePaolo. She adds that morning showers can be viewed as a set activity before beginning other planned work and can serve as a time to mentally prepare for the day. Hitting the shower as a way to start the day can help encourage that right-brain thinking from the get-go, which makes it popular among creative types. In the morning, showering can help promote creativity, says Dr. Jen Hartstein, Yahoo Life Mental Health Contributor and practicing psychologist. We have some quiet time that is almost meditative and allows for us to have more free-flowing thoughts, which can help us solve that elusive problem or come up with a new idea. One of the many unfortunate implications of the pandemic is that millions of people have lost their jobs. For many, developing new hobbies, habits and goals during the pandemic means not abiding by their standard schedule, which also means that it can be difficult to determine when to take a break to eat, walk around or just switch gears. If you shower in the afternoon Showering in the afternoon can provide a break from the day, says DePaolo. [Its] a time to step away from work, school, or other tasks. It may allow time to clear ones thoughts and prepare for the remainder of the day. Hopping in the shower after a quick workout or during a 15-minute free moment in the middle of the day can revitalise and reset your mind to push through the rest of the days schedule. Though Hartstein notes that afternoon showers are not as optimal overall, she tells Yahoo Life that a midday scrub can can be the wake-up call we need to re-energise and recommit to the things we are trying to accomplish when we begin to hit a sluggish slump. Maybe you shower after a quick lunchtime workout. Photo: Getty If you shower before bed But for those who are trying to accomplish the exact opposite of revitalisation, showering pre-bedtime might be the key to finally getting some shut-eye. The idea is that an evening shower can prep our body for sleep, helping us to wash away the day and move into a relaxed space, Hartstein tells Yahoo Life. There is some science that highlights the change in temperature shifts our body into a more calm internal space, allowing us to be more relaxed and ready for bed. Hartstein does advise to keep nighttime showers quick in an attempt to avoid the benefits of the shower from shifting from relaxing to energising. Evening showers can soothe you and dial down the amygdala, Rosenberg tells Yahoo Life, which is something we can all benefit from in a time of anxiety. For those struggling with the lack of routine, keeping track and awareness of our bathing routines is an easy way to subsequently keep track of our mental health as well. For many, this pandemic has created a loss of control, says DePaolo. Yet, there are still things we have control over and as simple as it sounds, our own personal hygiene and routine is one of them. If your showering habits have changed amid the pandemic DePaolo warns to be mindful of a shift in either direction when it comes to either neglecting our bathing habits or overdoing it in comparison to how often and vigorously we would have bathed pre-pandemic. Individuals with symptoms of depression might struggle to take care of personal hygiene issues such as bathing, she says. This mostly has to do with a diminished interest in activities, as well as fatigue that can accompany depression. She also cautions that the opposite can take effect. Both mental health professionals and patients need to be on the lookout for hygiene-related OCD compulsions [where one might have to shower, wash a set number of times], as DePaolo explains that this type of behaviour can be even more challenging for some currently given the current health crisis. Mental health and hygiene go hand-in-hand, especially in the time of the coronavirus pandemic. Showering and mental health are linked. Photo: Getty If you're skipping showers out of frustration with COVID-19, then every time that you notice you're un-showered, you will be reinforcing negative feelings about quarantine, says Chloe Carmichael, a psychologist based in New York City. In other words, skipping showers can become a vicious circle for mental health and contribute to spiraling downward into depression. Showering is so important that when psychologists require a depressed person in an inpatient unit to shower, we refer to it as behavioural activation. This is because taking on healthy behaviours can activate a healthy mindset. The reverse is true: skipping healthy behaviours such as showering can potentially activate a depressed mindset, especially if you are linking the reason for not showering, to something that is psychologically negative or stressful such as quarantine. Making the effort to stay clean and shower daily can help foster a positive mindset, even if you feel like putting it off or ignoring it. If you are unable to do so, that might indicate trouble. One way I can gauge the mental health of a patient is by observing their grooming and hygiene, Rosenberg says. Being clean and hygienic is an indicator of self-esteem and self-care self-care communicates to you that you are important and worth it. Mental health support for yourself or a loved one can be found by calling Lifeline on 13 11 14, Mensline on 1300 789 978, or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800. Online support is available via Beyond Blue. Got a story tip or just want to get in touch? Email us at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 08:52:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close FUZHOU, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Since April last year, Wang Naizhu, a bird watcher, has made 38 trips to a wetland in eastern China's Fujian Province to observe a type of critically endangered tern. The Chinese crested terns he has been obsessed with were first discovered in China in 1861 and were once thought to be extinct. However, the rare terns with black beaks and white feathers appeared in a wetland along the estuary of the Minjiang River in 2004. They have been found on a sandbank there since then every year from April to September. The wetland, a major passage and habitat for migratory birds traveling between East Asia and Australia, is home to 1,089 types of animals and plants, and more than 50,000 water birds make stop-overs there during their migration. Wang said fewer than 100 such terns exist in the world, but "locals once observed 16 of them in the wetland." Actually, the wetland was severely polluted at the beginning of the new century. Local residents reclaimed dozens of new fish ponds, occupying an area of up to several hundred mu in the buffer zone, and raised razor clam and ducks in the core area, resulting in the degradation of wetland. The fragile ecological environment in the wetland attracted the attention of governments at all levels in Fujian Province. A series of rules and regulations on wetland protection and restoration were rolled out. Meanwhile, local governments started building the wetland reserve in 2003, which was approved as a provincial-level nature reserve in 2007 and the first national wetland park in Fujian in 2010. In June 2013, it was upgraded to a national nature reserve by the State Council. Since 2018, the governments have invested a total of 128 million yuan (about 18 million U.S. dollars) in wetland protection and restoration projects. Thanks to the efforts, the protected area of the wetland has increased to 2,381 hectares, and it has become a paradise for endangered birds again. As the water birds were hunting food and playing in the core area of the wetland, Chen Shenzhen who raised ducks there for decades would always observe the birds on the wetland embankment. "On the one hand, I'm looking to see if there are any people entering the core area to catch birds with nets; on the other hand, I'm checking to see if there's anything unusual in these birds," he said. Last year, the 63-year-old man was appointed a full-time patroller of the wetland. He earned only around 3,000 yuan a month, much less than the income from selling ducks and their eggs. "After all, this (protecting the wetland) is what we should do," he said. Now, another five farmers have transformed into patrollers and protectors of the wetland reserve, and 40 local residents also participate in the public security patrol, sanitation and public green maintenance there to guard the home of the endangered birds. However, Chen had little work to do this spring. He said this made him feel relieved. "It reflects people have enhanced awareness of protecting the wetland and the birds." Enditem An Air India Express flight carrying 181 stranded Indians from Dubai landed at the Cochin International Airport here on Saturday as part of the second phase of the Central government's ambitious Vande Bharat Mission. This is the first evacuation of people of Kerala stranded in foreign soil in the second phase of Vande Bharat Mission, an airport spokesman said here. Air India along with its subsidiary Air India Express operated a total of 64 flights (42 by Air India and 24 by AI Express) to 12 countries including the US, the UK, Bangladesh, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the Philippines, UAE and Malaysia to repatriate over thousands of Indians in the first phase. The Civil Aviation Ministry has said each and every function in this massive air evacuation mission strictly adheres to the safety and hygiene protocol laid down by the government and DGCA. Extensive and meticulous safety arrangements are in place in accordance to government guidelines for safe evacuation of Indians stranded in foreign soil due to COVID-19 pandemic. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shortages and rationing accompany large-scale disasters in the same way that Netflix's Tiger King's stars find trouble. In this COVID-19 pandemic, toilet paper, hand sanitizers, and surface cleaners are hard to come by. And like clockwork, government attempts to fix prices to allay the effects of a disaster are misguided at best and sometimes making the problems worse. It's a good time to reflect on prices and how they affect economic decision-making. As Stanford economist Thomas Sowell has pointed out during the spate of hurricane crises a few year ago, prices do three things: first, they allow sellers to recoup the expenses associated with procurement, manufacture, and distribution of products; second, they limit the demands of buyers; and, finally, cause goods, and those resources that produce them, to flow in one direction through the economy rather than in a different direction. Changes in price then signal changes in supply and demand. When the government fixes prices, the signal to would-be producers or consumers is muddled if not erased, giving both parties false information upon which to act. This can cause a lot of problems that are not easily apparent to economic actors. For suppliers and vendors, being able to raise or lower prices can mean the difference between products being available almost immediately and being available much later than when truly needed. A typical example is the case after Hurricane Fran in North Carolina in '96, described by economist Michael Munger. This was a Cat 3 with 120 mph winds that dropped 10 inches of rain in just a few hours. Power outages, road blockages, 92+-degree temperatures, and no ubiquitous internet like what we have today led to shortages of all kinds, especially ice, lumber for roof repair, and tree-removing equipment. North Carolina had in place an "anti-gouging" law that punished vendors who sold products over 5% more than they were before the storm, with fines of up to $5,000. Fear of paying the steep penalty, and the risk of untold legal trouble, caused people who were positioned to help simply not to bother. Fixing prices to a 5% increase killed any incentive for folks to do what was necessary to assist in life-saving interventions. Indeed, the prospects became so unattractive that relief there became unnecessarily delayed, causing suffering that would not have otherwise occurred. Since that time, many states have passed more feel-good "anti-gouging" legislation, attaching exorbitant penalties to people eager to take risks, to go into harm's way and to provide much needed relief to a suffering populace. It isn't just toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Government price-setting for any product is among the least preferential option for solving emergency supply and demand problems. Last week, HHS released guidance regarding the disbursement of funds provided for in the CARES Act Relief Fund. HHS conditions the money to health care providers with this caveat: "providers are obligated to abstain from 'balance billing' any patient for COVID-related treatment." "Balance billing," or what is sometimes called "surprise medical billing," is where insured patients can face unexpectedly high charges when a member of a medical team who treats them is not in their insurer's network. This is most likely to happen in a medical emergency situation, where hospitals have to use out-of-network specialists. This seems to be a particularly bad time to be limiting physician pay during a medical emergency and giving all of the market power to insurance companies that are currently racking up record profits. There are better ways to address the issue of surprise bills than putting all the pressure on physicians. In fact, several states have already passed laws that allow for independent dispute resolution, which has the goal of putting the insurance companies and the physicians at the table to fight over bills and saves the patient. But now, when the peripheral effects of this dictate have not been adequately examined, is not the time to create new government price control. It is clear that prohibiting the natural movement of prices causes untold harm, and setting prices artificially lower than would occur seems likely to cause shortages of things people in a crisis need the most in this case, health care. Let the market work, and let me watch that new episode of Tiger King. State Secretariat for Migration Bern-Wabern, 16.05.2020 - As part of its support for the Greek authorities in asylum matters, Switzerland has agreed to accept unaccompanied minor asylum-seekers with family living in Switzerland. A plane from Athens landed at Zurich Airport today with 23 children and young people on board. Switzerland is focusing its support for Greece in terms of asylum on assistance on the ground. The Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) has recently stepped up its efforts by granting an additional CHF 1.1 million in funding for projects run by aid organisations mainly benefitting children and young people living in refugee camps on the Greek islands in the Aegean. In addition to its assistance on the ground, Switzerland made the offer to Greece in January of this year to accept child asylum seekers with family in Switzerland on the basis of the Dublin III Regulation. The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) has received and approved applications from 23 unaccompanied minor asylum seekers stranded in refugee camps. These 18 boys and 5 girls are between 10 and 17 years old, and originate mostly from Afghanistan (21 children) and the Republic of the Congo (2 children). SEM worked with the Swiss embassy in Athens and the Greek authorities to organise these transfers and family reunifications. The requirements of the Federal Office of Public Health in respect of the coronavirus epidemic were met in conducting the transfer. Staggered arrival The 23 unaccompanied minors who have now arrived in Switzerland will be quarantined for approximately 14 days to avoid the risk of spreading the coronavirus. After this quarantine period, they will be transferred to the federal asylum centre closest to where their family live. Following the usual formalities, the minors will then be entrusted to the cantons who will take responsibility for their welfare and accommodation. Address for enquiries Daniel Bach, Head of Communications SEM, +41 79 570 37 81 Emmanuelle Jaquet von Sury, SEM spokesperson, +41 79 542 37 64 Publisher State Secretariat for Migration https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home.html (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is set to restore partial funding to the World Health Organization, Fox News reported late on Friday, citing a draft letter. The Trump administration will "agree to pay up to what China pays in assessed contributions" to the WHO, Fox News reported, quoting from the letter. Trump suspended U.S. contributions to the WHO on April 14, accusing it of promoting China's "disinformation" about the coronavirus outbreak and saying his administration would launch a review of the organization. WHO officials denied the claims and China has insisted it was transparent and open. The United States was the WHO's biggest donor. If the U.S. matches China's contribution, as the Fox report adds, its new funding level will be about one-tenth of its previous funding amount of about $400 million per year. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru. Editing by Gerry Doyle) Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Snow showers this evening. Becoming partly cloudy later. Low 13F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.. Tonight Snow showers this evening. Becoming partly cloudy later. Low 13F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Assistant City Manager Colleen Bridger, who has overseen San Antonios public health response to the coronavirus crisis from the beginning, is resigning to start a private consulting business, officials said Friday. Bridger, who first joined the city as Metropolitan Health District director in 2017, said she had thought about leaving her post before the pandemic broke out. But COVID-19 postponed that decision. Months into the crisis, the city has a better grasp on how to handle the disease, Bridger said. Metro Health plans to expand the citys testing capacity from 1,600 tests daily to 3,000 by the end of June and to hire 175 people to conduct contact tracing investigations. The pandemic is still a big deal, Bridger said. But we now have our arms around the problem. On ExpressNews.com: Three new novel coronavirus deaths reported in San Antonio; cases grow to 2,120 Before Bridger was hired to lead Metro Health, she was in charge of three county health departments in North Carolina. City Manager Erik Walsh promoted her to assistant city manager in March, overseeing Metro Health, parks and recreation, human services and the citys Office of Equity. He hired Dawn Emerick, the citys current Metro Health director, in November. Bridger was a key player in putting together the citys five-year Comprehensive Domestic Violence Plan and setting up the citys migrant resource center, which provided shelter and aid to more than 32,000 migrants who had sought asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border last year. Bridger also pushed the citys Tobacco 21 ordinance in 2018, which raised the tobacco buying age in San Antonio from 18 to 21 a change that became state law the next year. She also serves on the city and countys Joint Opioid Overdose Prevention Task Force. The city doesnt have a successor to Bridger lined up yet. Walsh told council members Friday morning that he would announce reporting structure changes to departments closer to her departure. On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases Bridgers last day is July 17. Until then, she will remain involved in the citys economic recovery efforts pertaining to COVID-19. Emerick, who reports to Bridger, will still lead the public health response. We will be able to not miss a beat, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said during Fridays joint city-county media briefing. Bridger plans to have her consulting firm up and running by August. She sought the change in part to spend time with her grandchild. The firm will focus on problem solving for the greater good, she said. For example, Bridger said, she would consult for a nonprofit trying to figure out how to better provide services to the homeless. Im not looking to go work for a for-profit company to help them make more money, Bridger said. Thats not what Im going to do. Joshua Fechter is a staff writer covering San Antonio government and politics. To read more from Joshua, become a subscriber. jfechter@express-news.net | Twitter: @JFreports New Delhi, May 16 : In an impetus to Prime Minister Narendra Modis Local ke liye Vocal call, domestic brand Lava on Saturday announced to shift its entire mobile R&D, design and manufacturing for the export market from China to India within next six months, announcing to invest overall nearly Rs 800 crore in the due course of time. Lava exports over 33 per cent of its phones to markets such as Mexico, Africa, Southeast Asia and West Asia. As part of the transition, Lava will invest around Rs 80 crore this year and subsequently around Rs 800 crore over the next five years. The move came after the Indian mobile phone manufacturers gained a significant cost advantage over China from the Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) scheme announced by the government last month, the company said in a statement. "We have been eagerly looking forward to an opportunity to shift our entire mobile R&D, design and manufacturing from China to India," said Hari Om Rai, Chairman and Managing Director of Lava said. "With the production linked incentives, our manufacturing disabilities for the world market would largely be met hence we plan to make this shift," Rai added. Lava currently follows a two-pronged strategy for its exports - one by selling phones under its brand name and another by manufacturing or customizing products for electronic companies. The PLI scheme extends an incentive of 4 per cent to 6 per cent on incremental sales (over base year) of goods manufactured in India and covered under target segments, to eligible companies, for a period of five years, subsequent to the base year as defined. It was launched as the domestic electronics hardware manufacturing sector faces lack of a level playing field vis-a-vis competing nations. According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the sector suffers disability of around 8.5 per cent to 11 per cent on account of lack of adequate infrastructure, domestic supply chain and logistics; high cost of finance; inadequate availability of quality power; limited design capabilities and focus on R&D by the industry; and inadequacies in skill development. The domestic mobile brand Lava last week resumed production at its manufacturing facility in Noida with over 20 per cent production capacity. Nearly 600 employees of its 3,000-strong workforce are now back at the factory after the company received an approval from the state authorities. Owen Wilson has refused to let COVID-19 stop him from getting his nature derived endorphin rush. And on Friday afternoon, the 51-year-old actor appeared to be in high spirits as he cheerfully forged his way through the winding trails of Point Dume located in Malibu, CA. Wilson - who visited Point Dume Beach earlier in the month - lifted his hands in the air and embraced the ocean breeze with a smile. Beach boy: Owen Wilson appeared to be in high spirits as he cheerfully forged his way through the winding trails of Point Dume located in Malibu, CA on Friday afternoon The Wedding Crashers star sported a navy blue ball cap with a neon orange decal embroidered on the front. He wore a weather-appropriate windbreaker layered over a casual blue t-shirt and paired with some loose fitting sweatpants. Owen could not help but beam as he stood nearly knee deep in wild flowers and brush. Wow: Wilson - who visited Point Dume Beach with his sons earlier in the month - lifted his hands in the air and embraced the oceanside breeze with a smile The trail Wilson was walking 'ascends to the high point above Point Dume, loops around the bluff, and also heads directly to Big Dume Beach,' according to the official California Beaches website. Though Point Dume remains closed to 'vehicular access,' visitors, like Owen, are allowed to explore the state beach on foot as long as they 'maintain a physical distance of 6 feet or more' and refrain from gatherings. California's 'Stay At Home' order has been extended until July, but restrictions on businesses and public spaces have slowly begun to relax. Productions halted: As if the lengthy closure of his favorite seaside spot were not enough to put the actor on edge, Wilson's professional life has also been affected by the pandemic; Wilson pictured in 2017 As if the lengthy closure of his favorite seaside spot were not enough to put the actor on edge, Wilson's professional life has also been affected by the pandemic. The release date for his latest film project The French Dispatch was moved from July 24 to October 16 due to the fast-spreading respiratory illness. In the Wes Anderson directed film, Wilson plays journalist Herbsaint Sazerac and stars alongside Oscar winners Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, Adrien Brody, Benicio Del Toro, Frances McDormand, and Anjelica Huston. Delayed: The release date for his latest film project The French Dispatch was moved from July 24 to October 16 due to the fast-spreading respiratory illness Star-studded: In the Wes Anderson directed film, Wilson plays journalist Herbsaint Sazerac and stars alongside Oscar winners Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, Adrien Brody, Benicio Del Toro, Frances McDormand, and Anjelica Huston The French Dispatch marks Wilson's 10th big-screen collaboration with the 50-year-old filmmaker dating back to his 1993 directorial debut Bottle Rocket co-starring his younger brother Luke. Owen will portray the role of Marvel villain Kang the Conqueror in the highly anticipated Loki series set to premiere on Disney+ sometime in 2021. Wilson was spotted on the set of the series in Atlanta just before production halted due to COVID-19 concerns in March. Inc. magazine today revealed that Decode Digital is No. 150 on its inaugural Inc. 5000 Series: Texas list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing Texas-based private companies. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Texas economys most dynamic segment its independent small businesses. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, said Kathleen Perley, founder and CEO of Decode Digital. As marketing in the digital space continues to grow, I look forward to maintaining our legacy for straight-forward communication, transparency, and meaningful results. The companies on this list show stunning rates of growth across all industries in Texas. Between 2016 and 2018, these 250 private companies had an average growth rate of 294 percent and, in 2018 alone, they employed 36,000 people and added $11 billion to the Texas economy. Companies based in the largest metro areas Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio brought in the highest revenue overall. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Series: Texas, 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-texas-2020 starting March 13, 2020. The companies on this list demonstrate just how much the small-business sector impacts Texass economy, 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. About Decode Digital An award-winning full-service marketing agency in Houston, Texas, Decode develops original strategies that complement the clients vision and goals. Turning data into actionable insights, Decode uses analytics to craft strategy and pursue maximum return on investment for their clients. Due to their analytical insight and focus on results, they have become one of the most awarded agencies in Houstons yearly prestigious marketing award programs, including the AMA Houston Crystal Awards and the AAF-Houston American Advertising Awards. Learn more about Decode Digital by visiting their website at DecodeDigital.co. More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regional Series Methodology The 2020 Inc. 5000 Regional Series is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2016 and 2018. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2016. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies as of December 31, 2018. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2016 is $100,000; the minimum for 2018 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. 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. In Russia, the Republic of Chechnya and its ruler, Ramzan Kadyrov, have a special position. Russian laws do not apply there a long time without restriction. With tolerance and a lot of money from the Kremlin, Kadyrov has built in Chechnya, a reign of violence, in what he defined as the Islamic customs, laws, torture, and homicide be enforced; suffer, especially women and homosexuals. In the case of numerous murders in Russia, the tracks lead to Chechnya. However, at the borders of the investigations of the Russian justice always hold, as in the case of the 2015 in Moscow within sight of the Kremlin shot of the opposition Boris Nemtsov. Outside of Russia Kadyrov's Killer have hit a few times already the course. It is, therefore, not surprising that in the case of the Vienna murder of a Chechen that the indications are that the Clients are looking for in Groznyj, where your no one get hold of can be. This inability to differentiate the Vienna murder, of course, from Berlin's Tiergarten-murder or poison attacks in London, which are presumed to be behind men in Moscow. Also in this new case, is not their hope on cooperation of the Russian judicial system. Your energy would be better spent, journalists, and peaceful opposition, the absurd extremism and terrorism allegations. Updated Date: 06 July 2020, 21:19 The severe storms in the southwest of Japan have demanded until Monday, at least 44 deaths. The authorities in the hardest-hit Prefecture of Kumamoto reported that more and more people as missing, so that the number of dead is likely to rise. On Monday, more rain hampered the rescue and cleanup work. Long hours of heavy rain at the weekend on the southern main island of Kyushu to major Flooding and landslides. Patrick Welter a correspondent for Economics and policy in Japan, based in Tokyo. F. A. Z. Facebook Twitter The rain in front, a little to the North was postponed on Monday. For the Northern part of the Island, including the cities of Nagasaki and Fukuoka, called the authorities, the highest warning level. The meteorologists spoke of a lot of rain, the not have given it for decades. The airport of Nagasaki reported so much water on the Start and country lanes as it has been since records began in the seventies. The heavy rains should continue according to the forecast until at least Tuesday. Pictures and Videos on Monday showed overflowing rivers, devastated houses and streets thick with mud, and wood debris were covered. Rice fields were flooded, roads were under water. Hundreds of thousands of people were asked to bring prior to expected further Flooding and mountain slides in safety. The concern in many places, that could spread in full shelters the Coronavirus faster. Updated Date: 06 July 2020, 13:20 Then there were the problems Dubai faced before the crisis. The value of Dubai's real-estate market had already dropped 30% since 2014, when it announced it would host the Expo 2020 world's fair. That event, on which Dubai already has spent billions, has been postponed to 2021. Exploring climate change impacts through popular proverbs The proverbs related to environmental issues traditionally used by the local population in rural areas of Spain are currently considered imprecise and unreliable due to climate change impacts. This is the result of a study carried out by the Institut de Ciencia i Tecnologia Ambientals of the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) that presents a novel way of using the local knowledge embodied in popular proverbs to explore climate change impacts at local scales. The study, published in the journal Regional Environmental Change, took place in Sierra Nevada (Granada, Southern Spain); a perfect location to study climate change through the view of local people for two main reasons. First, because high mountainous regions are some of the most vulnerable ecosystems in the world to climate change, and second because Sierra Nevada historically has been a region in which local knowledge has been of great importance for water management and agricultural production. Traditionally weather forecasting methods were critical to better cope with weather variability. "I was particularly impressed by the numerous indicators (clouds, wind patterns, animal behaviour) that, still nowadays, people in the area use for weather forecasting", says Maria Garteizgogeascoa who led the study that also included the involvement of ICTA-UAB researchers Victoria Reyes-Garcia and David Garcia del Amo. Although these indicators are still used by local people, their perceived reliability is changing. "I no longer pay attention to water signals because they are no longer credible" or "In the past, cattle used to announce the rain; but now they only know when it rains after they get wet, as rain now is unpredictable", are some of the statements made by the inhabitants of Sierra Nevada who participated in this study. The study used information contained in local proverbs to explore the impacts of climate change on climatic aspects of the environment such as precipitation, on physical aspects like snow cover; and finally, on biological aspects, such as flowering periods. For example, the proverb por Todos los Santos la nieve en los altos, por San Andres la nieve en los pies indicates the arrival and abundance of snow cover. So, according to the proverb, at the beginning of November (Todos los Santos is celebrated on November 1st) snow can be found on the peaks of the mountains, and by the end of the month (November 30th) it normally reaches lower altitudes. When they asked participants about their current perception of the accuracy of this proverb, many stated that the proverb barely reflects the current situation, as snow arrives now later and it is less abundant. And indeed, the scientific data and literature for the region shows a delay in snow periods. The proverb "Septiembre o lleva los puentes o seca las fuentes", describes rain variability during the month of September. In this way, September could be a time of the year in which it either rains a lot (the bridges are washed away) or barely rains (the fountains dry up). Participants explained that the proverb is no longer accurate, as there is hardly any rain in the month of September now. Certainly, the scientific data and literature for the region shows that precipitation has decreased during that time of the year. The same could be said for 19 of the 30 proverbs used in the study. Moreover, some of the proverbs examined provided information about climate change impacts not yet described by scientists. For example, "Cuando vienen los vilanos es conclusion del verano" encodes knowledge of the flowering period (end of August, beginning of September) of the cardus flower and other plants of the same genus that produce thistledown (small fluffy seeds that are transported by the wind). This proverb was considered not accurate nowadays by most of participants due to variations in flowering periods. However, we could not find local literature reporting those variations. The study reveals that although the selected proverbs were still generally well recognized, many informants considered them not accurate nowadays. Specially, older informants and people working in the primary sector thought that the proverbs they use to guide their decisions in the past are not reliable anymore. The study documents how this perception of lack of accuracy goes in line with trends documented by local, regional and scientific literature and impacts of climate change documented through a Global Change Observatory established in the area in 2007. And how for others, the perceived accuracy provides novel information for scientifically undocumented climate change impacts in the area. "Very few studies, and none in Spain, have ventured to study climate change at local scales through songs, stories or proverbs. However, this work shows that, despite some limitations, these traditional ways of encrypted local knowledge could be a useful source to do so and a window of opportunity to engage with local communities. During my work in the field, proverbs proved to be a useful tool to engage participants in discussions about climate change issues", says Maria Garteizgogeascoa. She hopes that this study, together with the increasing literature around climate change and local knowledge, will "contribute to bring visibility to the benefits and needs of having a climate change science that integrates different knowledge systems in part to develop a more democratic and targeted policy making". According to researcher Victoria Reyes-Garcia, "in the absence of meteorological data from the past, traditional knowledge collected in proverbs and other forms of popular knowledge can be an alternative source of information to understand the impacts of climate change." ### This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The Congress on Saturday said the fourth tranche of economic package announced by the government was an "exercise in absolute futility" and asked what has it given to those most-affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. Congress spokesman Gaurav Vallabh asked whether the government has anything to offer to the migrant labour or farmer who has suffered the most due to the pandemic. "My one line comment on FM's fourth tranche: No fiscal measure, ZILCH," former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said. Vallabh, meanwhile, said his party also opposes the government proposal to increase FDI in defence from 49 to 74 per cent, saying it has "serious national security ramifications", and add that the UPA government had specifically rejected a proposal to increase FDI in defence manufacturing. "We strongly object to privatization of Ordnance Factories. In fact, these factories require modernization and not privatisation in the name of corporatization. For modernizing ordnance factories, they require new technology, more investment and best practices. We strongly object to handing over of these factories of strategic importance to the private sector," he told reporters. Vallabh, accompanied by party leader Praveen Chakravarty, said they were "bewildered and saddened" after hearing Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. It was an exercise in absolute futility, he added. "The nation is watching millions of our fellow Indians struggling and walking hundreds of kilometers to their home states without food, water, footwear and transport, (but) there was not a single word or help offered to them by the finance minister today," he said. "Instead, she announced measures to make it easier for Indians to travel to space. People want to travel to their states, not space," he said. The Congress leader said many announcements today were positioned and packaged as some major, new announcements. "Does the finance minister believe the nation is in a crisis or not? We have these daily press conferences because the nation is under a severe humanitarian and economic crisis of proportions, not seen since Independence. Does the finance minister not believe so? What is this game of packaging old announcements and policies as new schemes aimed for Covid19 relief," Vallabh said. The Congress leader posed a set of six questions to the prime minister, asking, "Has any migrant worker got a single paisa as relief? Has any farmer got any benefit in any form? Is there anything specific for our 7 crore shopkeepers or the middle-class income-tax payers, who have lost their jobs during this pandemic." "When people are asking for buses and trains for safe travel to their respective hometowns, you are indulging in freeing-up air space, why? While people are trying to safeguard their spaces in their jobs, you are trying to push for space technology, why?". Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel tweeted, "Our poor are on streets, starving & in pain. Walking back in great agony. They need help, they need support, they need empathy. In pursuance to PM's promise for Corona relief to them, the govt opens up inter planetary space travel for private players. The joke is on our nation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ZURICH (Reuters) - Austria's borders with the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary will fully reopen on June 15, the interior ministry said on Saturday, extending an easing of border controls to its eastern neighbours previously agreed with many of its neighbours to the west. The announcement follows a previously coordinated step to fully remove barriers on travel between Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein from June 15 onwards and ease restrictions on who is allowed transit in the meantime. Restrictions remain in place for transit from Italy. "Our goal is to have as much freedom as possible and as few restrictions as necessary," the country's interior, foreign and Europe ministers said in a joint statement. "These easings create a bit more normality for people in the border region and make it easier for commuters to lead a smoother everyday life." The European Union on Wednesday pushed to reopen internal borders and restart travel, but recommended Europe's external borders remain closed for most travel at least until mid-June. (Reporting by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi and Francois Murphy; Editing by Christina Fincher) The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has distributed about 13,500 face masks to fishermen and fishmongers operating at the Albert Bosomtwi-Sam Fishing harbour in Sekondi for protection. The initiative is to help protect community members from the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Anthony K. K. Sam, explained that the assembly wanted to ensure that the Covid-19 preventive protocols were observed at all times. He told the people that the STMA was supporting government's efforts to help halt the spread of the virus, hence the distribution of the masks. We are here to hand over the masks to the leaders of the landing beach committee for onward distribution to the fishermen here and everybody who comes to the fishing harbour, he stressed. He said it was compulsory for everyone to wear the masks so that we can fight this battle together, because the sickness spreads easily when one speaks or sneezes. We are sharing the masks across all the beaches of Sekondi-Takoradi so that before anybody comes to any of the beaches, he or she has to wear a face mask, he noted. He admonished the fishermen to ensure that they washed and ironed the masks after using them. Samuel Addotey, the Landing Beach Committee chairman at the harbour, was worried that most of the people who visited the fishing harbour did not wear masks. He, therefore, suggested that the Ghana Port and Harbours Authority (GPHA) should insist that anyone without a face mask would not be allowed to enter the harbour. ---Daily Guide These services cannot be provided while maintaining social distance, the order reads. In his daily briefing on Friday, Gov. Cuomo denounced Mr. LaLimas actions without naming him. You know that is an occupation of close proximity, right? You cant really socially distance and do a haircut, the governor said. That is by definition an up close and personal occupation. A few hours after leaving the hospital, Mr. LaLima railed against the governor. He said he had done no wrong, and was simply trying to make a living. I am aggravated to the nines, Mr. LaLima said. Is Cuomo going to pay me? Is he going to make up the difference? Is he going to pay my taxes? Is he going to pay the heat and electric? Is he going to feed my family? he asked. Richard Azzopardi, a senior adviser to the governor, was unmoved by Mr. LaLimas defense. There is no excuse to be reckless in a pandemic, he said. The coronavirus has killed 64 people in Ulster County, and more than 1,500 people have been infected. Eleven people are currently hospitalized in the county, and health officials fear that some of Mr. LaLimas clients may be next. Some of the countys 55 disease investigators are now trying to trace those customers. According to the barber, many of his clients were police officers and firefighters, whose hair he cut for free. I did them a favor! Mr. LaLima said. And I didnt give it to anybody else. I got it from somebody that came into my shop. (Natural News) Amazon confirmed that two more of their warehouse workers who had tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) have died. George Leigh, who worked out of Amazons Beth Page, New York distribution center, died on April 9. He was followed by another worker from Indiana, who has yet to be named, who died on April 30. The two deaths bring the total number of COVID-19 deaths at Amazon warehouses to seven. However, Amazons process of not notifying workers makes the actual number difficult to determine. Several workers at Amazons IND8 fulfillment center in Indiana only learned of their co-workers death through rumors and claimed that management only informed employees more widely after being confronted. They werent going to say anything if it wasnt for people asking questions, a worker at IND8, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution, told the Verge. Pressure on Amazon to address the outbreak The workers deaths come as Amazon faces growing pressure to disclose the number of workers who have tested positive or died from the coronavirus. The situation has led to growing tensions between Amazon and warehouse workers nationwide. The latter has urged the company to put in greater safety precautions, including providing paid sick leave and closing down facilities, where positive cases have been reported, for cleaning and sterilization. Amazon has pushed to maintain something resembling normal operations throughout the ongoing pandemic. Faced with a surge of orders, the company hired 175,000 new workers and resisted closing warehouses where workers tested positive closing only one in the U.S., a returns processing facility in Kentucky, after the governor ordered it shut down. After temporarily stopping deliveries of nonessential goods to warehouses, the company has now lifted those restrictions and claims that delivery times have begun to fall to pre-outbreak levels. (Related: At least 11 Amazon warehouses infected with coronavirus, still shipping packages.) Workers, activists and lawmakers have raised concerns about the safety of Amazons warehouses during the pandemic. Starting in late March, warehouse workers have staged walkouts calling for facilities to be closed and cleaned after one of their co-workers tested positive for the coronavirus. Last week, senators wrote a letter demanding information on the termination of several workers who were fired for raising safety concerns. Earlier this month, an Amazon vice president resigned over the firing of workers who called for the improvement of warehouse conditions. Remaining an Amazon VP would have meant, in effect, signing off on actions I despised, so I resigned, stated Tim Bray on his decision to leave his position as a senior engineer and vice president at Amazon Web Services. Amazon claims its doing its part For its part, Amazon has instituted safety measures in its fulfillment centers. These include temperature checks, face masks and increased cleaning. Our top concern is ensuring the health and safety of our employees, Amazon said in a statement. And we expect to invest approximately $4 billion from April to June on COVID-related initiatives to get products to customers and keep employees safe. The company also claimed that the infection rates at its warehouses were at or below those in the communities where theyre located. Workers at IND8 and other warehouses, however, say that the cleaning has been uneven and that conditions are usually too crowded for them to follow proper social distancing. They also worry that recent policy changes at Amazon put them at greater risk. Earlier this month, the company reversed a policy that it implemented during the start of the outbreak that allowed workers to take unlimited time off without pay. That policy allowed workers who feared to their safety and could afford to go without a paycheck to stay at home without being fired, even if they overdrew their quarterly allotment of unpaid time off. When the unpaid time off policy was ended, workers say that their working conditions became far more crowded. Before we had the unlimited UPT [unpaid time off] so if people didnt feel safe, they didnt have to come to work, explained a worker at IND8. When that went away, we went from having one hundred twenty-five people back to four to five hundred people per shift. Its really crowded. Now, the workers are worried that the end of the time-off policy will push people who feel sick and may have the coronavirus to come to work, exposing more workers to the disease. Sources include: CNBC.com TheVerge.com 1 TheGuardian.com TheVerge.com 2 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Brasilia, Brazil Sat, May 16, 2020 14:08 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd87d2cc 2 World Brazil,health-minister,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free Brazilian Health Minister Nelson Teich resigned Friday after less than a month on the job over what an official said was "incompatibility" with President Jair Bolsonaro's approach to fighting the country's spiraling coronavirus crisis. Teich, a 62-year-old oncologist, joined the far-right president's cabinet on April 17, the day after Bolsonaro sacked his predecessor, Luiz Henrique Mandetta. Mandetta had also clashed with the president, a vocal critic of the stay-at-home measures the then-minister recommended to contain the new coronavirus. Teich took over the post promising "total alignment" with the president, but rifts soon emerged. Teich and Bolsonaro "were incompatible on certain courses of action," a ministry source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. Teich was taken by surprise last week when Bolsonaro issued a decree without consulting him that declared beauty salons and gyms "essential services" exempt from business closures. The final straw for Teich was reportedly a disagreement with Bolsonaro over using chloroquine to treat the virus. Like US President Donald Trump, to whom he is often compared, Bolsonaro touts the drug as a promising treatment. He wants it cleared for widespread use in patients, despite studies casting doubt on its effectiveness and raising concerns about its safety. The health ministry announced Teich's resignation in a brief statement, saying he would hold a press conference later. The news drew anti-Bolsonaro protests in various cities. Residents banged pots and pans out their windows, shouting "Get out, Bolsonaro!" Spiraling death toll Brazil has emerged as one of the countries hit hardest in the pandemic, with a sharply rising death toll that has reached nearly 14,000. The country has more than 200,000 confirmed cases. Experts say under-testing means the real figures may be 15 times higher or more. Bolsonaro has found himself increasingly isolated over his response to the pandemic. He has compared the virus to a "little flu," condemned the "hysteria" surrounding it and repeatedly clashed with state and local authorities over their social distancing measures. The president insists business closures and stay-at-home measures are unnecessarily wrecking the economy, which is on track to shrink 5.3 percent this year, according to the IMF. Stymied by the Supreme Court, which ruled that states have the final say in deciding how to fight the pandemic, Bolsonaro called on top business leaders Thursday to "play rough" to win an end to the stay-at-home adopted in the country's industrial hub, Sao Paulo state. "You have to call the governor (Joao Doria) and play rough, because this is serious, this is war," he told them in a video conference. Bolsonaro, who took office in January 2019, is also embattled on another front after firing the chief of the federal police last month, leading to a probe into whether the president obstructed justice in a bid to protect himself or his family from ongoing investigations. With talk of impeachment mounting in Brasilia, the inquiry could prove explosive. Paatal Lok, starring Jaideep Ahlawat, Neeraj Kabi, Abhishek Banerjee, Gul Panag, and Swastika Mukherjee in the lead, has left the audience praising the engaging content and Twitter is abuzz with positive reviews as they binge-watched the nine-part series. From the plight of journalists in the country, to showing the dark reality of politics, the show is as realistic as it can get. Just like the audience, Virat Kohli is also bowled over by the show that his wife Anushka Sharma has created. He has reviewed the show and has called it a masterpiece. He wrote on Instagram, Having watched the whole season of PAATAL LOK a while ago, I knew it's a masterpiece of storytelling, screenplay, and tremendous acting. Now having seen how people loved it too, just confirmed how I saw the show. Proud of my love @anushkasharma for producing such a gripping series and believing in her team along with our bhaiji @kans26. Well done brother. On Twitter, Virat also shared that its the perks of being married to a producer as he got the chance to see the show weeks ago. He wrote, The perks of being married to the producer of this amazing show means I saw it weeks ago and I absolutely loved it! Well done Team Clean Slate Films @AnushkaSharma @OfficialCSFilms #PataalLok. The perks of being married to the producer of this amazing show means I saw it weeks ago and I absolutely loved it! Well done Team Clean Slate Films @AnushkaSharma @OfficialCSFilms #PataalLok Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) May 16, 2020 The show is inspired by the ancient realms of Swargalok (heaven), Dharti Lok (earth), and Patal Lok (netherworld), the series explores the interplay within the four estates of democracy. Directed by Prosit Roy and Avinash Arun, the story chronicles around four criminals who are nabbed by the police on charges of an attempted assassination of a high-profile journalist. Are you watching the show this weekend? Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 15, 2020 | PADUCAH By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 15, 2020 | 04:49 PM | PADUCAH Starting on Monday, Baptist Health Paducah is easing visitor restrictions to allow one visitor at a time for most patients. In March, the hospital began limiting visitation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and then suspended visitation last month in accordance with state recommendations. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has now eased those guidelines to allow for some visitation. The hospital will allow one visitor for the following: -Surgical patients -Inpatients (those admitted or currently in a hospital room): Visitation hours are 6 to 9 a.m. and 5 to 9 p.m., seven days a week. -Critical Care: One visitor may visit for a limited time, as determined by administration and the clinical house supervisor. -Emergency Department: One person may accompany the patient, but must wait in the care until the provider requests assistance for patient assessment or agrees the visitor may wait in the room with the patient. -Maternity Services: One spouse or partner may accompany the laboring mother to Labor & Delivery and the postpartum unit. Exceptions will be made for the NICU, which will allow one or both parents, and end-of-life patients, who can receive one to two visitors with approval. Visitors will not be allowed in the Ray & Kay Eckstein Regional Cancer Care Center, including infusion, radiation therapy and outpatient oncology clinics, based on the infection risk of oncology patients. "We know our patients look forward to visits from their loved ones while they are in the hospital, and we want to facilitate that, while still taking appropriate precautions to protect our patients and staff," said Chris Roty, Baptist Health Paducah president. "We appreciate the community's continued understanding and cooperation." Visitor restrictions are part of the infection control measures taken by Baptist Health for the protection of patients and staff. Anyone who enters a Baptist Health facility must wear a mask at all times, and be subject to a COVID-19 screening, including having a temperature taken. Visitors must: -Wash their hands before and after a visit -Wear a mask at all times -Stay two hours or less when visiting a patient room -Use the designated entrances and exits: Primary Entrance Larry Barton Atrium, first floor, Medical Park 2, Emergency department and the Ray & Kay Eckstein Regional Cancer Care Center (patients only). Those with fever, runny nose, body aches, or respiratory symptoms should not visit. Those under age 16 may not visit at this time. A single companion is only allowed for: -Patients under age 18 -Those who are physically dependent or vulnerable and require assistance -Hospice or end-of-life patients Baptist Health Virtual Care, which includes urgent care video visits, scheduled video appointments with your primary care or specialty provider, and e-visits comprised of an online symptom-specific questionnaire, may be options for care for those who don't feel comfortable coming into a medical office. You must have a MyChart account, our secure, online patient portal, to access Virtual Care. To sign up for MyChart, visit MyChart.BaptistHealth.com. For more information on Virtual Care, go to BaptistHealthVirtualCare.com. KAMPALA Emirates SkyCargo has utilised the cargo capacity on its Boeing 777-300ER passenger freighter aircraft to facilitate the movement of goods to and from Uganda. Following the announcement that cargo flights were allowed into the country, Emirates SkyCargo recalibrated its operations to Uganda, ensuring continuity to local businesses with dedicated cargo flights, starting with bi-weekly flights before scaling it up to three following increased demand. From January to April 2020, Emirates SkyCargo transported over 2,000 tonnes of cargo between Entebbe and Dubai, including 385 tonnes of food exported to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) alone. The food included chilled fish (Nile Perch), fruits and vegetables, such as, bananas, pineapples, avocado, chilies, hot pepper, white eggplants and sweet potatoes, among others. Imports to Entebbe included general cargo and pharmaceuticals. We are happy to continue supporting the Ugandan economy by ensuring timely delivery of essential supplies to and from Uganda. By helping to facilitate export trade, Emirates is enabling the country earn foreign exchange thereby leading to inclusive growth of the economy, said Samuel Angura, the Emirates Cargo Manager in Uganda. Emirates SkyCargo is currently operating flights to around 60 global destinations on a scheduled basis and to many more destinations as charter and ad hoc operations. Food bound for the UAE is loaded on these flights from markets across the world. With its access to expertise in specialized handling for perishables through its Emirates Fresh product, Emirates SkyCargo ensures that the produce reaching the UAE maintains its freshness during transit. In addition to securing UAE food supplies, Emirates SkyCargo also provides a boost to the local economies of the various countries it operates to by providing a lifeline for the agricultural and other produce exporters. The export revenues generated from trade of fruits, vegetables, seafood and meat support the livelihoods of farmers and growers in these regions. Related Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Research Future (MRFR) projects that the Global Natural Sun Care Products Market will exhibit a sound growth in the forthcoming years. Sun care products have strong penetration in consumer markets worldwide. These products offer the firs-line of defence from harsh sun rays. There is a vast range of sun care products available today. These products are perceived to help in maintaining and restoring skin health. The ingredients are used in preparing sun care products to have properties that shield the skin cell from harmful sun rays. Factors as such continue to drive the global popularity of sun care products. Industry News SC Johnson & Sons, a Racine-based consumer chemical company is reportedly planning to acquire Sun Bum a California-based wellness products manufacturer. Sun Bum has an impressive line of personal care products, which include hair care, lip care and sun protection products. Global Sun Care Products Market: Competitive Landscape Notable companies discussed in MRFRs report include Groupe Clarins (France) Coty Inc. (the US) L'oreal (France) Beiersdorf AG (Germany) Beiersdorf AG (Germany) Unilever (UK) Johnson & Johnson (the US) Shiseido Co. Ltd. (Japan) Burt's Bees (the US) Bioderma Laboratories (France) Global Sun Care Products Market: Segmental Analysis The segmental analysis of the market has been conducted on the basis of form, type, distribution channel, and end-use. Based on form, the market has been segmented into gels, sprays, creams & lotion, powder and others. Based on type, the market has been segmented into after sun products, sun protection products, self-tanning care products and others. Based on distribution channel, the market has been segmented into non-store based and store based. The store-based segment covers convenience stores, supermarket and hypermarket, specialty stores and others. Based on end-use, the market has been segmented into hair care, skin care and others. Browse Sun Care Products Market Data and Information @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/sun-care-products-market-6798 Global Sun Care Products Market: Regional Analysis Key regions discussed in the report include North America, South America, Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). North America is the lasted market for sun care products. A large number of Americans use these products. High level of consciousness and desire to keep a healthy and glowing skin are factoring favouring the market growth in the region. Following North America, the demand for sun care products is highest in Europe. In terms of revenue, Europe accounts for the second spot in the global sun care products market. At the same time, increased inclination towards organic and natural variants, is opening new growth avenues for market players. Meanwhile, a sharp rise in demand for sun care products is expected in APAC in the years to come. TDT | Manama The Supreme Criminal Court recently adjourned the case of an Arab national, who is accused of fraud, to announce the verdict on Thursday. On January 13 earlier this year, the accused was charged by the Public Prosecution of using the electronic signature of the claimant, after supplying his bank card and its PIN code to a company for a fraudulent purpose, which was to illegally obtain certain amounts of money. The Public Prosecution also charged the accused with illegal residency, as he had not renewed his residence permit issued by the General Directorate of Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs that would qualify him to legally reside in Bahrain. Court files showed that the incident took place when the General Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security was tipped off by an owner of a carpentry company. The informant told the cops that the accused purchased BD4,000 and asked to withdraw BD10,000 from his credit card and to return BD6,000 in cash. The accused was ambushed by the company owner, in cooperation with the police and the financial institution. According to the files, the financial company was contacted and asked to cooperate in the arrest of people who carry out these illegal operations, and accordingly an Arabian Gulf national was contacted to bring in the accused for fraudulent operations. The accused went to the shop with the amount and brought three credit cards belonging to different banks, all of which did not bear his name. He completed a transaction using each card in the amount of BD100,000. Additionally, the accused used a card belonging to a Saudi bank and carried out two transactions; the first with a value of BD970, and the second with a value of BD97,000, and the two transactions were accepted. NAIROBI - After a quarter century on the run, Felicien Kabuga, indicted on charges of using his wealth and influence to stir Rwanda's 1994 genocide, was arrested Saturday in Paris and will face trial before an international court. The office of the prosecutor for an international tribunal in The Hague said in a statement that Kabuga, now 84, had been living under a false identity in Asnieres-sur-Seine north of Paris and had been hiding with the complicity of his children. He was arrested in a "sophisticated, coordinated operation with simultaneous searches across a number of locations" by French police. "The arrest of Felicien Kabuga today is a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even 26 years after their crimes," the statement said. In 1994, Kabuga was one of Rwanda's richest men and co-owned Radio Television Milles Collines, a radio station whose broadcasts incited hatred toward Rwanda's Tutsi minority by the Hutu majority. He also financed the Interahamwe militia, a Hutu-led paramilitary group, making "massive purchases" of hundreds of thousands of machetes, hoes and other farming implements that would be used to hack people to death, according to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. More than 800,000 were killed in the span of just three months during the Rwandan genocide. Most were Tutsis. The slaughter was ended by a Ugandan-supported army of Tutsis led by Paul Kagame, who has been president of Rwanda since the genocide ended. That Rwanda criminal tribunal was closed in 2015 after dozens of convictions, but Kabuga remained one of the highest-profile fugitives wanted by Rwanda's government and the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Kabuga was indicted in 1997 on "seven counts of genocide, complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, attempt to commit genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, persecution and extermination, all in relation to crimes committed during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda," according to the tribunal's statement Saturday. It said he would stand trial in The Hague, though other genocide perpetrators have been extradited to Rwanda. Between 2005 and 2012, hundreds of thousands of genocide perpetrators were tried in "gacaca," or grass courts, where victims could come face-to-face with their family's killers in an attempt to reconcile. That process resulted in a two-thirds conviction rate. U.S. authorities had put a $5 million bounty on Kabuga's head, and worked with Kenyan authorities in 2003 to arrest him in that country, where he was thought to be sheltered by politicians associated with then-president Daniel arap Moi. A trap set with the help of an informant. The informant was later found dead, however, and Kabuga remained at large. According to the tribunal, Kabuga also spent time as a fugitive in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Congo. It is unclear how or when Kabuga traveled to France. On a trip to Kenya in 2006, then-Sen. Barack Obama accused Kenya's government of "allowing [Kabuga] to purchase safe haven." The perpetrators of the genocide fled mostly into neighboring Congo where Kagame's army chased them down, sparking a regional conflict that lasted more than a decade and led to millions more deaths. Splintered factions of Hutu militias still operate in eastern Congo and regularly carry out attacks against civilians. Ocean 'breathability' key to past, future habitat of West Coast marine species Marine life off the West Coast, from Mexico up through Canada, inhabit the California Current. The cool, nutrient-rich water supports life from invisible phytoplankton to the economically important salmon, rockfish and Dungeness crab to the majestic orcas. A new study led by the University of Washington finds that the animals' ability to breathe in that water may be key to where and when they thrive. The study, published May 15 in Science Advances, uses recent understanding of water breathability and historical data to explain population cycles of the northern anchovy. The results for this key species could apply to other species in the current. "If you're worried about marine life off the west coast of North America, you're worried about anchovies and other forage fish in the California Current. Ultimately it's what underpins the food web," said lead author Evan Howard, a UW postdoctoral researcher in oceanography. The study shows that species respond to how breathable the water is -- a combination of the oxygen levels in the water and the species' oxygen needs, which are affected by water temperature. The anchovy historical data matches this pattern, and it suggests that the southern part of their range could be uninhabitable by 2100. "Climate change isn't just warming the oceans -- it is causing oxygen to decrease, which could force fish and other ocean animals to move away from their normal range to find higher-oxygen waters," Howard said. Anchovy populations are known to cycle through time, but the reasons have been mysterious. Other explanations -- that drew on food supplies, predator-prey interactions, competition with other species, and temperature preferences -- failed to fully explain the anchovy populations cycles from the1950s to today, which have been carefully recorded. Since the late 1940s, the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations, or CalCOFI, a partnership between California state and federal agencies, has monitored marine life and conditions offshore. It was established after the economically devastating crash of the sardine fishery in the 1940s with the goal of avoid another fisheries collapse and better understanding marine populations. "They weren't just measuring anchovies, they were measuring everything they could get their hands on," Howard said. Because the anchovies are numerous and their populations soared after the sardine collapse, these fish provide a good record over time and space for the past half-century. Previous research by the UW group showed that water "breathability," the combined effects of temperature and oxygen levels, are key for marine animals' survival. The 2015 research used models to combine the effects of warmer seawater that can hold less oxygen with marine animals' increased metabolic needs in a warmer environment. The new study also drew on a 2018 paper that analyzed the oxygen needs for various types of marine animals at different water temperatures. The two previous studies focused on the future, under climate change, and the distant past, for a major extinction event. Researchers combined observations with ocean models to fill gaps in the data and showed that the breathability index changes over time and corresponds with when anchovy populations rise and fall, and when they move deeper or closer to shore. "This study is the first one that demonstrates on a timescale of decades that a species is responding in really close alignment with this metabolic index - how breathable the ocean in its habitat has become," said senior author Curtis Deutsch, a UW associate professor of oceanography. "It adds a new, independent line of verification that species in the ocean are arranged in accordance with how breathable their habitats are." The authors then looked at the extent of anchovy habitat in the future under climate change. Projected changes in the water conditions will likely make the southern part of the anchovies' range, off the coasts of Mexico and Southern California, uninhabitable by 2100. "We expect habitats to shift for all species that depend on oxygen for survival," Howard said. "If we understand how these animals are responding to their environment, we can better predict how these populations will be affected as the conditions change." ### Co-authors include graduate student Justin Penn and research scientist Hartmut Frenzel in the UW School of Oceanography; Daniele Bianchi, Lionel Renault and James McWilliams at the University of California, Los Angeles; Brad Seibel at the University of South Florida; and Faycal Kessouri and Martha Sutula at the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. This research was funded by the National Science Foundation; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; California Sea Grant and the California Ocean Protection Council; and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. For more information, contact Howard at ehoward2@uw.edu and Deutsch at cdeutsch@uw.edu or 206-543-5189. This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 15:11:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- China has released a list of major domestic logistics companies that are capable of undertaking international transport businesses amid the novel coronavirus epidemic, according to a statement on the website of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The move is believed to help ensure smooth international delivery of goods and that the global supply chain is not disrupted due to the disease. There are 54 companies on the list, with one shipping enterprise, two air cargo firms, two courier companies, four comprehensive logistics firms, 35 road transport enterprises and 10 others mainly providing logistics services for the China-Europe freight trains. The well-known companies including SF Holding (Group) Co., JD.com and Deppon Logistics Co. were included on the list. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 08:05:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close QINGDAO, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Retired supply ship Hongzehu, one of the first generation of comprehensive supply ship independently designed and built by China, has been handed over to a memorial hall and will be open to the public. A handover ceremony was held earlier this week at a military port in Qingdao, eastern China's Shandong Province, to mark the transfer of the ship. The recipient memorial in the city of Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, marks the birthplace of the People's Liberation Army Navy. First launched in 1979, the Hongzehu ship was commissioned into the Navy in 1980. Over the last 40 years, it has conducted over 1,000 important missions as well as visits overseas. Thanks to proper maintenance, the ship has stayed in good condition over the decades, according to Navy sources. Enditem Hyewhamun, where Ensign George C. Foulk began his journey to the Bukhan Mountain Fortress. Robert Neff Collection By Robert Neff On September 22, 1884, George C. Foulk, an American Navy ensign temporarily assigned to the American legation in Seoul, set out to visit Songdo (modern Gaeseong in North Korea). He was also invited to visit the mountain fortification of Bukhan just outside Seoul that, according to Foulk, no foreigner had ever been permitted to visit. Foulk wasn't going alone. He rode in "a neat, closed chair with four coolie bearers, dressed in baggy white, with broad brimmed felt hats." He was also accompanied by two personal attendants and their chairs each carried by four bearers. There was also an accompanying Court officer "on horseback, dressed in two colors of flowing green, his horse led by a boy in white, with his thick black hair hanging down his back in a queue." There was a baggage horse, its attendant, and then a servant for each of Foulk's personal attendants and one for the Court officer. According to Foulk, "this is a very small retinue indeed for an officer to have in travel." A sedan chair carried by four coolies through the streets of Seoul. Robert Neff Collection But it got even larger. At Hyewhamun (Northeast Gate) they were met by two other officials in their chairs (with four bearers) and two servants who would guide them to the fortress. There were now 31 in Foulk's "small" party. In his report to the State Department, he described his party traveling along the city wall until they came to Sukjeongmun (North Gate) "which is the gate in the wall used only by the King in his escape from the city in times of danger; this communicates with the palace and is customarily kept closed." In a letter to his parents, Foulk's description seems sparse and lacks detail merely stating "from here, we went north climbing over craggy peaks, and white sandy rock studded country" but in his report, it is filled with a wealth of information. He describes them going up a narrow footpath to a rocky ridge that towered some 200 feet above the city. The Korean government preserved this path at a considerable cost as this was the route the king would take if he had to flee the capital. It was somewhat ingenious as the path could be easily destroyed after the king passed, thus thwarting his pursuers and causing them to negotiate the perilously steep rocky slope with unsteady footing. The walls of Seoul, circa 1900s. Robert Neff Collection The king would then follow a route "across a great basin walled across the western side and bounded in all other directions by sharp rock crested hills to a [sprawling?] range of mountains averaging 2,000 feet in height. Unbelievably there is no road across this basin and we only crossed it with the greatest difficulty. Nearing its north boundary, the lofty, rocky crest before us was seen to be strongly walled, though its rocky sides naturally formed an impassible barrier to any enemy. Ascending to the top of the crest we came to a massive granite arch closed with iron bound doors and guarded by the priest of a small Buddhist temple close by." It was here that they stopped for a short lunch break it was, of course, Korean fare. While many Westerners shunned Korean food, Foulk probably ate it with a certain degree of enthusiasm and bravado. Foulk's path to the fortress is not clear. Hyunuck Park's hasty map of two possible routes. Samuel Hawley, the author of "Inside the Hermit Kingdom," observed "while Foulk could come across to fellow Westerners as occasionally prickly, he was always careful to make a good impression among the Koreans, particularly men of importance, and took pride in his ability to be agreeable and win them over." Foulk may have been diplomatic in front of his superiors and peers but in his letters to his family he was often brutally truthful. "Buddhist temples," he wrote, "are far more used as hotels and resorts than as religious places." Once lunch was completed, Foulk and his party made their way to the gate. In a rather unprecedented manner, in his report he wrote: "Passing through the gate I was amazed at the view before me." What amazed him? We will see tomorrow. My appreciation to Hyunuk Park, Senior Researcher, Cultural Heritage Team of Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation, for his invaluable assistance. The scenery in the Bukhan Mountain Fortress area, circa 2014. Robert Neff Collection A mountain stream in the fortress area, circa 2014. Robert Neff Collection U.S. Afghan Envoy Says New Date For Intra-Afghan Talks Sought By RFE/RL May 15, 2020 U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad says a new date for intra-Afghan peace talks is under discussion and it would be best if the discussions began while a significant number of American troops were still in Afghanistan. Speaking to reporters on a conference call on May 15, Khalilzad also said that he will travel soon to push for a de-escalation in violence and for the release of prisoners. He added that the United States has heard positive things about the formation of an inclusive Afghan government. Disagreements over the composition of the government and the pace of prisoner releases have delayed talks between Kabul and the Taliban to end more than 18 years of war. The talks were to begin on March 10 under a landmark deal signed in February between the United States and the militant group. The Taliban has ramped up attacks in recent weeks despite a pledge to reduce violence, a tactic that may be employed to strengthen its negotiating position. Meanwhile, Islamic State (IS) militants also continue to conduct deadly attacks on Afghan security forces and civilians. Khalilzad acknowledged that the U.S.-Taliban agreement does not specifically bar attacks on Afghan government forces. The Western-backed government in Kabul was not a party to the deal. Khalilzad's comments came three days after attacks on a maternity hospital in Kabul and a funeral ceremony in Nangarhar Province that killed at least 56 people. No group has claimed responsibility for the hospital attack, which killed 24 people, including two babies, and the Taliban have denied it was behind the incident. Extremist IS militants claimed credit for the other attack. Khalilzad reiterated that the current U.S. view is that IS militants carried out the attacks, but Afghan officials say they see it differently. Though he did not mention Khalilzad by name, Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh said some people were naive for accepting Taliban lies and blaming the "fictional" IS faction in Afghanistan for the hospital attack. "Neither the Taliban hands nor their stained consciousness can be washed of the blood of women, babies & other innocent in the latest senseless carnage," Saleh, a former intelligence chief, said on Twitter. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani ordered the military to go on the offensive against the Taliban and other militant groups following the two attacks on May 12. He accused all militant groups of ignoring repeated calls to reduce violence. Khalilzad said earlier on Twitter that IS opposes peace between the Afghan government and the Taliban and "seeks to encourage sectarian war as in Iraq and Syria." "Rather than falling into the [Islamic State's] trap and delay peace or create obstacles, Afghans must come together to crush this menace and pursue a historic peace opportunity," the U.S. envoy said. It was unclear whether the U.S. position would help revive peace efforts or alter Ghani's calculation to start an offensive. The Taliban, which has denied involvement in either attack, reacted to Ghani's statement on May 13 by saying it was "fully prepared" to repel any military offensive. In the first attack, three gunmen stormed a maternity hospital in Kabul's mostly Shi'ite neighborhood of Dasht-e Barchi before security forces killed them. At least 24 people, including babies, women, and nurses, were killed. The area where the clinic, run by the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), is located has been frequently targeted by IS militants. "What I saw in the maternity hospital demonstrates it was a systematic shooting of the mothers," said Frederic Bonnot, MSF's head in Afghanistan, who visited the facility after the attack. "They went through the rooms in the maternity [ward], shooting women in their beds. It was methodical," he added. The same day, a suicide bomber targeted a funeral for a police commander in the eastern province of Nangarhar, killing at least 32 people. The core peace plan is for U.S. and foreign troops to withdraw from Afghanistan following an intra-Afghan deal in exchange for guarantees from the Taliban not to allow the country to become a haven for transnational terrorist groups such as Islamic State and Al-Qaeda aiming to strike abroad. The United States is continuing its drawdown of troops from Afghanistan, and the Pentagon expects to meet a timeline agreed with the Taliban, a Pentagon spokesman said on May 15. "That is still going forward," Jonathan Hoffman said during a press briefing. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan- taliban-is-kabul/30613252.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 Insurance fraud seems like it might be an easy thing to do. Insurance companies are often so huge, one wonders how they might not even notic... As the fight against coronavirus in Lagos progresses, 67 more patients have recovered from the virus, while a female patient was delivered of a baby boy on Saturday. Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu gave the update on his Twitter handle, saying the pregnant woman was delivered of a baby boy at Gbagada Isolation Centre. Sixty-seven patients, including the foreign nationals, have also tested negative to the virus twice and have been discharged from the isolation facilities. I bring you great news from our isolation facilities. Today, a pregnant COVID-19 patient was delivered of a baby boy at the Gbagada Isolation Centre. Both mother and child are doing well. Also, 67 fully recovered COVID-19 patients; 22 females and 45 males including 3 foreign nationals 2 Indians and a Chinese were discharged to join the society. READ ALSO: The patients; 24 from the Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, 22 from Onikan, 11 from Agidingbi, 2 from Lekki and 8 from Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Isolation Centres were discharged after testing negative to COVID-19 in two consecutive readings, Mr Sanwo-Olu wrote. It is the fourth time in the state that a COVID-19 patient would give birth. `The three previous babies were delivered at LUTH isolation centre. Mr Sanwo-Olu urged Lagos residents to abide by health directives. As our front line health workers record successes in the battle against COVID-19, we urge citizens to adhere strictly to public health directives as this is the only way we can break the chain of transmission of the infection, he wrote. As of Saturday, Lagos has 2,194 confirmed cases of coronavirus, 608 discharged cases and 33 deaths. Tara Reid's manager Philippe Ashfield says the Sharknado actress may be cast in the part of Carole Baskin in a Tiger King movie. The Netflix docu-series became a sensation this year, chronicling a feud between Baskin and zookeeper Joe Exotic who was convicted of trying to take a hit out on her. 'We are in talks with the producers and she is being considered, that is all I can say at the moment as casting is on hold,' Ashfield dished to the New York Post. Dead ringer: Tara Reid's (left) manager Philippe Ashfield says the Sharknado actress may be cast in the part of Carole Baskin (right) in a Tiger King movie. 'Tara loves Tiger King and found the documentary extremely interesting,' shared Ashfield, who is also her business partner. 'She feels she could get into the character of Carole Baskin very welland she has a similar look to [Carole],' he argued. There is already more than one scripted Tiger King adaptation percolating and it is unknown which of them Tara is pitching herself for. Rob Lowe is chewing over the possibility of playing Joe Exotic in an adaptation created by Ryan Murphy, Deadline reported last month. In the running: 'We are in talks with the producers and she is being considered, that is all I can say at the moment as casting is on hold,' Ashfield said of Reid (pictured) to the New York Post Nicolas Cage will play Exotic in a scripted show based on a Texas Monthly article about the big cat owner that CBS TV Studios optioned last June, Variety reports. Meanwhile Tara Reid has found herself getting mistaken for Joe Biden accuser Tara Reade and has had to publicly clarify that she is a different person. Reid, 44, told the New York Post she had been on the business end of threats and trolling meant for Reade and wants the Internet to know: 'You've got the wrong Tara!' She explained: 'I dont know Joe Biden. I know about him but Im not into politics at all. What is going on? The wrong person to bring into politics is me.' There he is: Joe Exotic, who is in jail for his failed attempt to take a hit out on Baskin, is pictured in a promotional still for the Netflix show Tiger King Roaring success: There is already more than one scripted adaptation percolating of Tiger King, in which Baskin is pictured Reade has accused presidential candidate Biden of pinning her to a wall and digitally penetrating her against her will in 1993, when he was in the Senate and she was one of his staff assistants - an allegation he denied on Morning Joe. Meanwhile Reid currently has 16 upcoming projects on her IMDb page, including a drama currently in pre-production called Dr. Quarantine. Her upcoming horror movie Mummy Dearest, which reunites her with her Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No star Lou Ferrigno, has already been completed. Throwback: Nicolas Cage (pictured in the 1997 film Con Air) will play Exotic in a scripted show based on a Texas Monthly article about the big cat owner, Variety reports It took the respiratory virus seven weeks to reach 1,000 infections in Egypt, and five days to move from 10,000 to 11,000 cases Egypt reported 20 new coronavirus deaths on Saturday, bringing the total number of fatalities up to 612 nationwide, the health ministry announced in a statement. The ministry also reported 491 new coronavirus infections on the same day, bringing the total number of detected coronavirus cases up to 11,719. Health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said that 151 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from hospital on Saturday, bringing the total number of recoveries to 2,950. Megahed added that the number of people whose test results have turned from positive to negative, including the 2,950 recoveries, has now reached 3,526 individuals. Egypt surpassed 11,000 coronavirus cases on Friday 15 May, almost three months after the first case was confirmed on 14 February. It took the respiratory virus seven weeks to reach 1,000 infections in Egypt, and five days to move from 10,000 to 11,000 cases. Although the current infection rate is high, it is not as high as it was the previous two weeks, during which it took only six days to reach 10,000 from 8,000 cases. Measures applied by the government since mid-March to contain the outbreak include closing schools and universities, mosques and churches and suspending international flights. The cabinet has also imposed a curfew, in place since 25 March, which was initially from 7pm to 6am but was shortened at the beginning of Ramadan to begin at 9pm. Egypt has relaxed some restrictions in recent days. Car licensing units at traffic departments, real estate registry offices, and some court services have reopened. Moreover, the ministry recently announced a three-stage plan detailing the steps to the gradual return of normal life in the country. Search Keywords: Short link: Australia matters little when it comes to international muscle. It is the retainer and pretender of power, a middle-distance runner who runs out of puff on the final stride. The big boys and girls look, agog. Why did you even bother? In the recent international relations shouting match (for Australia, shouting; for China, sotto voce with a touch of menace), you are left with a remarkable impression that Australia has the sort of heft to terrify opponents. It never has and never will, except when it comes to victimising refugees and bullying neighbouring states in the Pacific, whom they supposedly claim to have respect for. On all other matters, its best to consult the US State Department dispatches. With a lack of prudence, the mouse has decided to roar. The theme tune: Chinese responsibility for COVID-19. The object: to take the lead in holding Beijing to account for the losses arising from it. It began with a certain rush of blood arising from a phone call between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and US President Donald Trump on April 22. Morrison emerged from the call brashly confident: an independent inquiry (however oxymoronic) into the origins of the pandemic, should be formed. A letter to various world leaders was drafted and sent, and received a generally cool response. To spend time pursuing such an effort was an unnecessary distraction, taking away from the main task at hand: to battle the immediate effects of COVID-19. Looking at this behaviour with puzzlement, veteran journalist Tony Walker suggested that Morrison, having created himself a sizeable hole, was intent on digging further. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has excavated a diplomatic cavity for himself and his country as a consequence of an unwise intervention in the debate about Chinas responsibility for a coronavirus pandemic. Beijing is certainly showing signs of assisting an enlargement of that cavity. Chinas ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye has spoken of tourists having second thoughts and parents of students reconsidering sending their children to a place they find is not so friendly, even hostile. There have been threats of slapping punitive tariffs on Australian barley (upwards of 80 percent) and halting beef exports. Red meat from four Australian suppliers, who control more than a third of the countrys exports to the PRC, have been banned. The official justification that Australian exporters had breached quarantine and other health regulations conceals the retributive motivation of the decision. Publicly, Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham is playing dumb. Chinese officials both publicly and privately are adamant that these are unconnected and so it is the best interests of our farmers and exporters for us to treat these issues all on their merits, and certainly from our policy perspective these are completely unconnected issues. The response to Chinas moves has been marked by smugness, and also omits the fact that Australia has been more than happy to impose duties on Chinese steel, aluminium and chemicals for the best part of a decade. Australian journalists and commentators are confident that Chinese threats to abandon Australian iron ore in favour of Brazilian options are being dismissed. According to the Australian Financial Review, there simply isnt enough of the core commodity used to make steel to meet Chinas demand. UBS analyst Glyn Lawcock is quoted to add credibility to the claim. With the market tight, it is difficult for China to source iron ore from alternative sources. The general sentiment at the AFR, then, is that China is simply too prudent to risk self-harming in the matter, given that 62 percent of its iron ore hails from Australian sources. The same cannot be said about coal. The strategic fraternity also fail to sight Morrisons large and self-destructively aimed shovel, with its not so well concealed US inspiration. Peter Jennings, Executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, actually seems to think that the words transparent and independent would go hand-in-hand with inquiry into COVID-19. For any such pursuit to be worthwhile, it would have to be divorced from countries who had suffered harm, a decidedly difficult prospect given the virus devastating spread. Jennings prefers to lob a grenade of accusation or two against China, making the trite point that they have something to hide. He omits the patent truth that Chinas great accuser, the United States, has done its fair share of hiding and concealing matters relating to the coronavirus since it started to make its deadly impression. It would be hard to forget the various twists and turns of Trump, who has done his heroic best at diminishing the effect of the virus while inflating the efforts of combating COVID-19. On February 28, he claimed that the virus like a miracle, would disappear. On March 4, he trotted out that cruel thesis that influenza kills with greater effect, suggesting that the novel coronavirus was pygmy-like by comparison, a view rejected by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci before Congress a week later. He has never tired of suggesting that the United States was, and remains, the most prepared country in the world. Then there is that most superb of howlers, the suggestion that coronavirus be treated by injecting disinfectant into the body. (Another lesser known bright idea he entertained: radiating patients with UV light.) Australia finds itself, not so much an unwitting as a witless attachment in the pandemic politics of COVID-19, but best not let the ASPI tell you about it. Given that prudence and discretion have been banished from Canberras corridors, the issue of swatting Australia for its fanciful presumptions is very much on the cards. Those in the business of dealing with China in a direct, and it should be said more mature way, may well dread this Morrison moment. Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: [email protected] Petrojets instrumentation will be installed by Baker Hughes in the Indian Oceans deepwater, around 40 kilometres off Mozambiques Cabo Delgado Egypts Petrojet has been tasked with manufacturing and supplying deepwater equipment for Mozambiques mega liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, the petroleum ministry announced on Friday. According to the petroleum ministry, Petrojet was tasked by US-based oilfield services provider Baker Hughes to manufacture 700 tons of equipment, including well-jumpers equipment. Petrojets instrumentation will be installed by Baker Hughes in the Indian Oceans deepwater, around 40 kilometres off Mozambiques Cabo Delgado. This is the first offshore business by Petrojet in East Africa, the statement said, adding that it comes under the companys efforts to achieve its strategy for business in promising areas, especially Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. Petrojet had established in recent years a representative office in Mozambique capital of Maputo to follow up on recent LNG projects in the area. Mozambiques LNG project the first onshore LNG plant in the country, aims to drive foreign direct investments to the impoverished country. Approximately 65 trillion cubic feet (the equivalent of 12 billion barrel oil field) of recoverable natural gas were discovered in Offshore Area, according to French energy major Total. The Total led project aims to deliver the first production of LNG in 2024. Search Keywords: Short link: WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump accelerated his retaliatory purge of public servants by firing the State Department's inspector general, who had played a minor role in the president's impeachment proceedings and was said to have begun investigating alleged misconduct by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Acting on Pompeo's recommendation, Trump abruptly terminated Steve Linick late Friday night, again challenging established norms of American governance in his push to rid the federal bureaucracy of officials he considers insufficiently loyal to or protective of him and his administration. Trump replaced Linick with Stephen Akard, a trusted ally of Vice President Mike Pence and the diplomat who directs the Office of Foreign Missions. Inspectors general serve as internal government watchdogs conducting oversight of federal agencies - and although they technically are political appointees, their independence has long been protected. Trump's move - his fourth such firing during the coronavirus pandemic - drew swift condemnations from Democrats and at least one Republican on Capitol Hill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., decried what she termed a "dangerous pattern of retaliation against the patriotic public servants charged with conducting oversight on behalf of the American people." House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's ranking Democrat, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, jointly launched an investigation Saturday into Linick's firing. "We unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing of inspectors general and the President's gutting of these critical positions," Engel and Menendez wrote in a letter to the White House directing that all records related to Linick's ouster be preserved and turned over to their committees. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, wrote Saturday evening on Twitter: The firings of multiple Inspectors General is unprecedented; doing so without good cause chills the independence essential to their purpose. It is a threat to accountable democracy and a fissure in the constitutional balance of power. Officials at the White House and the State Department did not detail the reasons for Linick's dismissal or address the criticisms from Democrats. A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said, "Secretary Pompeo recommended the move, and President Trump agreed." Another U.S. official confirmed that Pomepo supported Linick's firing in discussions with Trump. Trump wrote in a letter to Pelosi sent Friday night, "It is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as Inspectors General. That is no longer the case with regard to this Inspector General." Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, a longtime champion of the independence of inspectors general from partisan interference, was notably tepid in his response. In a statement issued Saturday, Grassley said that "inspectors general are crucial in correcting government failures and promoting the accountability that the American people deserve." He said Trump ought to further justify his decision beyond citing "a general lack of confidence," though he stopped short of criticizing Linick's dismissal. Linick had served as inspector general since 2013, when he was appointed by President Barack Obama. A former assistant U.S. attorney and career government official, Linick also served in the Justice Department as a senior anti-fraud official and as inspector general of the Federal Housing Finance Agency before his appointment to the State Department. Some of Linick's recent investigations have been critical of the State Department's management and caused consternation among Trump's political appointees there. He has been perceived as a persistent thorn in the side of the administration under Pompeo. Linick had recently launched an investigation into the use of a Schedule C employee by Pompeo and his wife to conduct personal activities, according to lawmakers and people familiar with the inspector general's office. A Schedule C employee is a non-career official working directly for a presidential appointee. Engel and Menendez wrote in their letter Saturday to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows that if Linick's firing had been designed to protect Pompeo from personal accountability, it may have been "an illegal act of retaliation." A Pompeo spokesman did not respond to requests for comment. Questions also have been raised about the State Department's response to the pandemic, which would fall under the inspector general's purview. Linick's firing is the latest in a series of moves by Trump since the Senate voted in February to acquit him in his impeachment trial. The president has vowed repeatedly to destroy what he calls the "deep state" by removing government officials he believes conspired against him in the impeachment proceedings or are otherwise disloyal. "I never knew the swamp was so bad," Trump said at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 29, about three weeks after his acquittal. "It's really bad. . . . A lot of dirty people. A lot of very bad people. A lot of bad people. And I think justice will be had." Although other State Department officials played far more prominent roles in the impeachment inquiry, Linick last October provided congressional investigators with a packet of internal documents containing unproven claims about former vice president Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden and former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said at the time that he had been responsible for sending some of those materials to the State Department. In recent weeks, Trump has ousted three other internal government watchdogs. The president fired the intelligence community's inspector general, Michael Atkinson, who had handled the explosive whistleblower complaint that led to his impeachment. Trump also pushed out Glenn Fine, chairman of the federal panel Congress created to oversee his administration's management of the government's $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package. And he removed Christi Grimm as principal deputy inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services, after Grimm's office criticized the administration's response to the pandemic. The president lashed out publicly at Grimm, whose office detailed "severe shortages" of testing kits, delays in receiving test results and "widespread shortages" of masks and other protective equipment at U.S. hospitals. There is no modern precedent for so many firings of inspectors general in such a compressed time period. Obama fired one inspector general, citing job performance issues. President Ronald Reagan tried to remove several but reversed himself after aides told him that watchdogs are not political appointees in the traditional sense. Trump's moves have rattled the nonpartisan community of federal watchdogs, many of whom are longtime public servants. About 30 of the 74 current inspectors general are Senate-confirmed presidential appointees, with the rest appointed by heads of smaller agencies. "Some people are scared. Others are outraged. We all recognize how bad this is for our country," one inspector general said in describing the reaction of Obama and Trump appointees alike. This official, like others interviewed, spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid without fear of retribution. For weeks, inspectors general said they have had urgent conversations among themselves about how to continue doing their jobs in the Trump administration without compromising their principles or going easy on the subjects of their probes. "Things are taking a very dark turn," said a second inspector general. Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who heads the council of 74 federal inspectors general, declined to comment Saturday. Walter Shaub, who resigned as director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics six months into Trump's presidency after clashing with the new administration, said he has been alarmed by Trump's efforts this spring to remove "anybody who could protest or expose or investigate his corruption." "During the pandemic, he knows Americans are distracted with the simple tasks of staying alive and feeding their families," Shaub said. "Times of crisis are very dangerous for anti-corruption efforts and very dangerous for democracy because leaders use them to justify power grabs. I think that's what's happening here." At the State Department and other large agencies, inspectors general do not have fixed terms once they are confirmed by the Senate. Although they serve at the pleasure of the president, they have not traditionally been treated as political appointees and therefore occupy a murky space in the bureaucracy. Some State Department officials have questioned the slow speed of inquiries conducted by Linick, and the lack of investigation into the treatment of Yovanovitch, the career ambassador who Trump fired last year. But many of the office's probes have been sharply critical. An August 2019 report concluded that the leadership of the State Department's Bureau of International Organizations Affairs mistreated and harassed staffers, accused them of political disloyalty to the Trump administration and retaliated against them. Career staffers who had held their jobs in the previous administration were referred to as "Obama holdovers," "traitors" and members of the "Deep State" that Trump has long accused of using the bureaucracy to thwart his policies, according to the report. A second report, issued last November, found that a civil service employee relieved of her job as an expert on Iran and the Persian Gulf in the office of policy planning had been targeted in part because she was of Iranian descent, as well as for her work during the Obama administration - including on the Iran nuclear deal - and rumors that she had shed tears at Trump's election. In January, an inspector general investigation of the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki found that Trump-appointed Ambassador Robert Pence, and the career Foreign Service officer who served as second-in-command, "did not manage conflict between them in an appropriate manner, which resulted in a breakdown of trust and communication that complicated the chain of command and contributed to a stressful work environment" for staff. Pence, a Virginia real estate developer and Republican donor, has no relation to the vice president. - - - The Washington Post's John Hudson and Carol Morello contributed to this report. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, people are searching for ways to connect with one another despite not being able to be together in person. Many are also seeking ways to give back to their communities. A handful of photographers are doing both in an unexpected way: 'porch portraiture,' in which they style and photograph families in front of their homes while maintaining a safe distance. These photographers have captured the social distancing experience, but also brought communities together or used their work to contribute to various causes. Here's what 'porch portraiture' looks like for three photographers across the U.S. 1. Dave Puente Self-employed photographer and videographer Dave Puente, 36, started taking his "Porchraits" in mid-March. Puente says that he has long responded to world events through his art, so when everyone around him started social distancing amid the pandemic, his reaction was to use his photography work to check in on others to see how they were doing. "It was part of my natural curiosity [to see] how people are doing," Puente tells CNBC Make It. "I wanted to check in on complete strangers." A family poses for the photo on their stoop. Source: DAVE PUENTE Puente has traveled thousands of miles by car from his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to photograph over 200 families across the U.S. as part of his "Porchrait" series and he's taken all of them for free. He's also managed to stay safe and work efficiently throughout the process: Puente photographs clients with a long lens, which allows him to stand 20 to 30 feet away. When he first started shooting the series, Puente could only photograph about eight families a day. But as of March 21, he's been working with a volunteer that assists him with organizing family bookings in focused areas. Now, he's able to photograph up to 22 families in as little as four hours. A mother and daughter are all smiles as they pose for a picture. Source: DAVE PUENTE Since he started the series, other photographers have reached out to Puente to learn more about his process, including some from international locations like Spain, Brazil and Canada. "I've responded to every single one of them and given them advice on how to do it responsibly and efficiently," Puente says. Puente has also made an impact on the families he's photographed so far. "So many people have expressed to me how wonderful it's been just having a moment to chat with somebody, having a reason to take a shower and put on makeup," he says. 2. Emily Hughes Before the coronavirus pandemic, Emily Hughes, 33, worked as a photo editor and digital asset manager in New York City. But because she hasn't been able to work onsite at either position since March, Hughes returned to her hometown of Rogers, Arkansas. While scrolling through Facebook, Hughes noticed that some of her friends were posting photos of themselves posed on their porches and it caught her interest. She wanted to bring the same type of portraiture experience to Northwest Arkansas. Hughes also hoped to use the project to raise funds for her local food bank, Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, which has been struggling during the pandemic. A mother poses with her sons in front of their home. Source: EMILY HUGHES She posted on Facebook to see if anyone nearby would want to make a donation in exchange for a portrait. In just one day, she reached $500 in donations. "I've been taking pictures since I was 12 years old and I never thought that I'd be able to use it to raise money for something like this," Hughes says. Hughes named her project "Porchtraits" and as of May 6, she's raised over $2,500 and photographed more than 45 families her local area. But even if families can't afford to make a donation, she'll still photograph them. "It helps them, it helps the food bank and it helps me feel like I can contribute something," Hughes says. A family of four poses in style on their lawn. Source: EMILY HUGHES Hughes makes sure to keep herself and her clients safe by by using a long lens and wearing a mask. Because all of her clients are local, she's able to reach each one by car. "We won't have any physical contact," she says. Hughes has received positive feedback on her portraits and is working directly with the food bank to generate more support for its Covid-19 fund. "The response has been so gracious," she says. "I can't wait to see where it goes." 3. Elizabeth Dranitzke The Enforcement Directorate has attached 72 flats and villas in Goa worth over Rs 7 crore in connection with a case of cheating foreigners on the promise of getting them prime properties in the state. The federal agency said it has issued a provisional order for attaching 56 flats and 16 villas located at 172/1, Peace Valley, Sirvoi in Goa. These immovable properties in the name of Sanatan Financers and Real Estates Pvt Ltd. and some bank deposits that have been attached are worth Rs 7.73 crore, the ED said in a statement. The order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is related to a case where some foreign nationals were cheated byCEO and former director of Sanatan Financers and Real Estates Pvt Ltd Ankit Kumar and his associate Sunil Kumar. Ankit Kumar was arrested by the ED in March on money laundering charges. The central agency's case is based on a Goa police FIR that was filed by some foreigners complaining that the duo "illegally collected" funds from them in the guise of selling properties in a real estate project named 'Peace Valley' located at Quepem in Goa. "It was revealed that accused Ankit Kumar and Sunil Kumar had collected money from foreign nationals through foreign direct investment (FDI) route in the accounts of their various shell companies, including Sanatan Financers & Real Estates Pvt Ltd," the ED alleged. These gullible foreign nationals were induced to invest in the companies formed by the two accused for purchase of flats and villas in Peace Valley. However, the ownership of the said properties was never transferred to foreign nationals, the ED claimed. "During 2006-2011, the accused received Rs 7.73 crore by duping the foreign nationals and acquired 16 villas worth Rs 2.56 crore and 56 flats in Goa worth Rs 5.17 crore." "These assets and bank balances being proceeds of crime have been provisionally attached under PMLA," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Local alert La Crosse Common Council: STAR Center greenlighted, mayor 'encouraged' county to extend COVID-19 restrictions Olson La Crosses Common Council met virtually Thursday for the second time since COVID-19 began to spread in the community, passing several key pandemic-planning efforts and giving a large development project the green light. The ongoing pandemic was certainly on the minds of members of the council as they worked through the agenda Thursday night, one of the items passed being a list of successors for each of them should they become unable to perform their duties. The move is routine in moments like a public health crisis, officials said at last months meeting, when Council President Martin Gaul was confirmed as La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabats successor. One agenda item an amicus brief supporting the states safer at home order was considered moot after the state Supreme Court struck the restriction down on Wednesday. Kabat Mayor Kabat emphasized that the decision whether to put La Crosse County on a local lockdown was in the hands of the county with its health department and health experts but he said he was hopeful it would enforce one. I strongly encouraged the La Crosse County Health Department to extend the safer at home order even if for just a week or to develop a modified order, so that testing could be ramped up, a clear plan could be shared and we could avoid the confusion from safer-at-home to no limits at all, he said at the common council meeting. This did not happen, he said, and also wrote in a statement released shortly after his opening remarks. La Crosse County opts not to extend safer-at-home; 4 new COVID-19 cases confirmed Thursday Unlike La Crosse County, officials in 13 of 72 Wisconsin counties and the city of Racine quickly issued local orders that echoed many of the safer at home restrictions. Though the city did not have the power to enforce a closure of any sort, it still passed several pieces of legislation in an effort against the virus. This included the citys Economic Recession Plan, which will create a task force to oversee the citys spending and budget needs as it heads into what was deemed a major recession. The plan was approved, but rumbles of concern about city spending were apparent with the council. I dont see a tremendous difference, like were trying to turn off the spigot, Council Member Jessica Olson said after reviewing some of the citys expenses. Olson pointed to such expenses as $15,000 set aside for the Hmong New Year, though its celebration is still to be determined, or the $15,820 for La Crosse Center concessions, though the event center hasnt held an event since March, as examples. Its very gracious to try to say, well we want to keep paying everybody, regardless of if theres work to do, she said. The city is predicted to lose about 8.65% of its revenue for 2020, or about $5.9 million, and as officials look for cuts in budgets, it was not lost on them that 75.5% of the city operating budget is dedicated to personnel. I think its important to take a hard look, said Council Member Andrea Richmond of the expenses, adding that non-essential spending should be paused. I really dont see how we escape out of this without seriously considering furloughs, maybe even layoffs, Olson added. Plans from this task force are expected to reach city officials by the end of this month. Other COVID-19-related discussion among council members included the passing of reduced liquor license fees for businesses in the city, and the reminder that student move-out would be ongoing for the next three weekends. And though many college students headed home when schools shut down, its expected that up to 12,000 people will flood to the city from out of town as the remaining students pack up. Im expecting the absolute worst of it to hit within the next 24 to 48 hours, said Olson, who represents a district many college students call home. According to Olson, she has been working with the county health department which has deemed the move-out season as essential travel to devise a plan, including warning residents to avoid stores, gas stations and hardware stores during these times, if possible. Contributed The STAR Center's proposed location is at Lang Drive and St. Andrew Street. STAR Center gets green light One major non-virus legislation to pass was the rezoning of a piece of land on the corner of Lang Drive and St. Andrew Street which was the final hurdle for the STAR Center. The multiuse, all-abilities workout and therapy center hit a road bump earlier this year, when the council was unsure about its economic benefit to the community. It referred the rezoning for the land for months, requesting that the developers of the $20 million facility provide an economic impact study to prove that it would bring economic stimulus to La Crosse, as officials expect it to be tax-exempt under state law. The rezoning is contingent that the group purchases the land, provides receipts of any grants or funding for the project, and signs a contract binding it to $58,000 in municipal service payments annually. If all three requirements are met by Oct. 9, the group will have the rezoning and can break ground on the STAR Center. Though no official timeline is available for the project yet, the group said in March it hopes to have shovels in the dirt sometime next year. Top 10 property taxpayers in La Crosse County in 2019 Here's a list of the 10 biggest property taxpayers in La Crosse County in 2019. The information was provided by the La Crosse County treasurer Published On May 16, 2020 12:43 PM By Dhruv Attri The numbers of recoveries across the world have soared by almost 3 lakh since our last weeks report The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in an economic slump, continual hardships and changed the very course of the world. However, these positive headlines from around the world provide a glimmer of hope for the coming days. Nearly 16 lakh People Have Recovered The recovery rate has been steadily increasing across the world and the numbers have now reached close to 16 lakh. This is a near 3 lakh increment over last weeks number. Non-medical suppliers including car manufacturers have also started producing ventilators to fulfil any medical equipment shortages. Many countries and research labs across the world are making steady progress in the final stages of vaccine development and production that could turn the current situation on its head. Source Seniors In Their 80s, 90s Or Even 100s Are Beating Coronavirus The SARS-CoV-2 (official name for the COVID-19) is particularly fatal for our elders but they seem to be fighting it well and coming out victorious in the end. Guadalupe and Jose, a married couple of 65 years from Madrid, have won the battle at 88 years of age and are now together at their home. Rita Reynolds (99 years old) from Liverpool, UK, and Ada Zanusso (104 years old) from Biella, Italy, have also successfully recovered. An even older 107-year old Dutch woman whos seen both the World Wars has also sailed over the COVID-19 tide. A 93-year old Indian man and his wife (88 years old) had earlier recovered from the virus in Kerala. Rare Indus River Dolphins Are Making Regular Appearances It seems nature is reclaiming what is rightfully theirs. Human activity and pollution levels have reduced drastically, which has led to improvements in not just air but also water quality. The internet rejoiced when people saw the clear canals of Venice and now we can see the amazing results closer to home. The Indus river dolphin has started appearing in the Beas river. The authorities checked the water quality and found significant quality improvement. Source A New Textile Coating That Can Repel Blood, Bacteria And Yes, Even A Virus There have been numerous instances of healthcare workers and doctors contracting the virus despite wearing PPE (personal protective equipment). This new textile coating that the boffins at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering are working on could change that. It has been proven to repel blood, protein, bacteria and common viruses. It will now be tested against the COVID-19 virus and if all goes well, it could prove instrumental in keeping our frontline workers secure. Hong Kong, New Zealand, Hawaii & Montana Register No New Cases In Past Weeks People in Hong Kong, New Zealand, Hawaii and Montana seem to have won the battle against COVID-19. None of these places has reported a new case in more than a week now. Life is gradually coming back on track for the inhabitants as places of public interest and restaurants resume operations. All of these countries are taking necessary precautions, of course, to avoid the risk of reinfection from outside cases. Source If you missed last weeks good news bulletin, read it here. Evangelical leaders urge Congress to protect churches from coronavirus lawsuits Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Prominent evangelicals, including Franklin Graham and Kirk Cameron, have urged Congress to give churches immunity from lawsuits that could come in response to decisions to resume in-person services and activities during the coronavirus pandemic. Graham and Cameron joined nearly 300 interfaith leaders in signing a letter sent to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary this week voicing their concern that houses of worship and religious nonprofits could face a potential wave of lawsuits [that] would force many to cease their operations. The letter proposes that Congress include in its next COVID-19 economic relief package some type of immunity for religious organizations from negligence suits resulting from their serving the public or reopening in accordance with local orders. Such protection could be modeled generally after the COVID-19 laws and orders that limit liability for medical professionals and commercial entities that manufacture and sell protective equipment by establishing a gross negligence or willful misconduct standard, the letter explains. This simple, common sense solution will provide religious organizations desperately needed protection from simple negligence lawsuits. The letter was organized by the religious freedom law firm First Liberty Institute. The letter was signed by many notable Christian figures including Southern Baptist seminary President Al Mohler, evangelical leader James Dobson, Christian conservative activist Tony Perkins, televangelist John Hagee, radio host Eric Metaxas, Young Earth creationist Ken Ham and Hispanic Action Network President Marc Gonzales. While the letter was signed by mostly conservative Christian leaders, it was also signed by some Jewish leaders, including Rabbi Pesach Lerner, the president of the Coalition for Jewish Values. We are each concerned about a new threat to our nations faith communities, the letter reads, calling the threat a swarm of lawsuits blaming houses of worship and religious ministries for any person who attended a religious gathering or received food or shelter from a charity or ministry and subsequently contracted COVID-19. The leaders contend that even though the lawsuits should eventually prove meritless considering the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution grants freedom of religion and freedom of assembly, the cost of legal defense would have devastating consequences. Many of the same religious organizations who rushed to provide aid and comfort to those affected by COVID-19 now find themselves struggling financially, the letter states. And a wave of lawsuits would force many to cease their operations, whether due to the cost of litigation, or the mere specter of it. We have, and continue, to support prudent efforts to balance public health with the desire to reopen America, the leaders continues. But in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a proliferation of complex and often contradictory orders and guidelines at the state, county, and local levels, each purporting to govern when and how to reopen. The letter adds that no church or organization is capable of following every guideline or order that has been issued around the country. We are concerned that some people and their lawyers will cherry-pick certain guidelines from around the nation in order to assign liability to religious organizations, the leaders noted in the letter. They might claim that a religious organization or a house of worship was negligent because it did not follow a single recommendation buried deep within a set of guidelines. The leaders fear that some might claim in lawsuits that even if churches and places of worship follow all guidelines and orders, plaintiffs could claim that they are still negligent because they did not follow more stringent guidelines issued in other jurisdictions. This is a novel problem arising from the speed with which seemingly every state and local government in America developed their own, independent orders and guidelines, the letter explains. The problem will soon become even more acute as state and local governments across the nation transition to reopening, but each in a slightly different manner and at a different speed. We must not permit religious organizations to be blamed or held liable for negligence because a food pantry in Wyoming did not follow an artificial amalgamation of every guideline from Washington to Florida. The Christian Post reached out to offices of key members of the Senate Judiciary Committee for a response to the letter. Responses were not received by press time. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said this week that Senate Republicans are planning to introduce a bill that would expand liability protections for businesses, nonprofits, schools and government agencies from lawsuits related to the coronavirus. The business community is also pushing for expanded liability protections. McConnell had described the push to expanded liability protections for businesses and other institutions as the "red line" for Republicans when it comes to negotiating the next round of coronavirus relief legislation. Across the country, churches are weighing the decision over whether they should reopen their doors as some states and localities are starting to go into the early phases of their societal recovery programs. Russell Moore, head of the Southern Baptist Conventions Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, issued his thoughts on how churches should go about reopening in a blog post on Thursday. He cautioned that while everyone will want to rush back on the first weekend, churches should keep spacing congregants out in the sanctuaries until there is a vaccine for the virus. This will mean some churches that have only had one service may now opt to have multiple services, Moore wrote. Some churches will perhaps even need to have persons or families sign up for what service they will attend (the way some churches do now on especially on crowded days such as Easter). Amid the current easing of restrictions around the world as the number of coronavirus cases start to subside, our own Sun begins to enter its own lockdown period. The event, according to scientists, may potentially disrupt the weather, but won't cause catastrophic events. The phenomenon that is currently happening is called "solar minimum" where surface activity on the star is dramatically lower than usual. We are about to experience the deepest period of sunshine "recession" in humankind's history as sunspots seemingly disappear, experts say. Possible effects of solar minimum "Solar Minimum is underway, and it's a deep one," Dr Tony Phillips, an astronomer, said. "Sunspot counts suggest it is one of the deepest of the past century. The Sun's magnetic field has become weak, allowing extra cosmic rays into the solar system," he added. Dr Phillips explains that health hazards to astronauts and polar air travellers may be caused by the excessive amount of cosmic rays. The rays affect the electro-chemistry in the Earth's upper atmosphere and may increase the possibilities of lightning occurring. NASA scientists worry that the even maybe another Dalton Minimum, the New York Post reported. The world experienced this phenomenon between 1790 and 1830. The occurrence led to a time of harsh cold, loss of crops, starvation, and significant volcanic activities. The previous event led to temperatures dropping by up to two degrees Celsius over 20 years, causing catastrophic effects to the world's food production. Also Read: Chinese Space Junk Crashes Into Earth's Atmosphere The second-largest volcanic eruption for the last 2,000 years happened on April 10, 1815. This time was when Mount Tambora in Indonesia exploded, killing at least 71,000 people, but this event was not connected to the low solar activity during that time. In 1816, the so-called Year Without a Summer was also caused by the event, which caused snow to fall in the middle of July. This phenomenon was also called "eighteen hundred and froze to death," but experts are disproving the link between solar activity to these catastrophic events. An unprecedented phenomenon According to Spaceweather, there have been 100 days this year where our Sun showed zero sunspots. The record-setting low number of sunspots has garnered 2020 the title of the second-consecutive year to hit that mark. "This is a sign that solar minimum is underway," wrote Spaceweather. They added, "So far this year, the Sun has been blank 76% of the time, a rate surpassed only once before in the Space Age. Last year, 2019, the Sun was blank 77% of the time, the Sun was blank 77% of the time. Two consecutive years of record-setting spotlessness adds up to a very deep solar minimum, indeed." Sunspots are defined as an area of significant magnetic activity on the Sun's surface, which appears as an area of darkness, Forbes report. The events indicate different solar activities, such as the creation of solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Sunspots may seem minute in size, but they are actually massive. Continuous counting of sunspots started in 1838, which has enabled scientists to monitor the repeating pattern of the Sun's activity on its surface, which is also called the solar cycle. No need to panic Recent evidence from Climate Feedback claimed that solar minimum is not a catastrophic event and should not cause for a major concern. As a matter of fact, it has very little effects to our weather. According to studies, there is no proven link between low solar activity and abrupt changes in climate. DISCLAIMER: In a previous version of this article, claims stated that the occurrence of a solar minimum may be linked to extremely cold weather, crop loss, famine, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. However, field experts have disagreed with and clarified these claims. This article has been amended for clarification. Related Article: Scientists Spot an Earth-Like Planet, But Is It Habitable? @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Virus Outbreak Texas Daily Life Alamo Heights Baptist Church pastor Bobby Contreras, left, and his wife Hannah, work to clean, sanitize and prepare the church for services this Sunday, in San Antonio, Wednesday, May 6, 2020,. Texas' stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic have expired and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has eased restrictions on many businesses that have now opened, churches and places or worship may resume live services with 25% capacity. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) WASHINGTON (AP) While the White House looks ahead to reopening houses of worship, most Americans think in-person religious services should be barred or allowed only with limits during the coronavirus pandemic and only about a third say that prohibiting in-person services violates religious freedom, a new poll finds. States have taken different approaches to resuming gatherings as the coronavirus continues to spread, raising tough questions for religious leaders and the faithful about the appropriate time to return. But the findings of the new poll by The University of Chicago Divinity School and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research suggest that, even as President Donald Trump projects eagerness to reopen, many religious Americans are fine with waiting longer to return to their churches, synagogues and mosques. Among that group is 54-year-old Andre Harris of Chicago, a onetime Sunday school teacher who has shifted his routine from physical worship to the conference calls his church is holding during the pandemic. Harris, a Methodist, said that until either theres a vaccine, or if we know that things have calmed down, I am not comfortable going back to the actual building. Just 9% of Americans think in-person religious services should be permitted without restrictions, while 42% think they should be allowed with restrictions, and 48% think they should not be allowed at all, the poll shows. Even among Americans who identify with a religion, 45% say in-person services shouldnt be allowed at all. White evangelical Protestants, however, are particularly likely to think that in-person services should be allowed in some form, with just 35% saying they should be completely prohibited. Close to half 46% -- also say they think prohibiting those services violates religious freedom. That constituencys support for some form of in-person worship underscores the political importance of Trumps public calls to restore religious gatherings as a symbol of national recovery from the virus, as energizing evangelical voters remains a key element of the presidents reelection strategy. Trump won praise from some evangelical leaders for citing the aspirational ideal of packed churches on Easter during the first weeks of the pandemic, though his goal didnt materialize on Christianitys holiest day. Story continues Trump has since consulted with religious leaders on a phased-in return to in-person worship. Its wonderful to watch people over a laptop, but its not like being at a church, Trump said during a Fox News town hall on Sunday. And we have to get our people back to churches, and were going to start doing it soon. Vice President Mike Pence met with faith leaders Friday in Iowa to talk about their reopening of worship, describing the constraints on worship assemblies as a source of heartache for the faithful. Iowa is one of several states, including Tennessee and Montana, where restrictions on in-person services are starting to ease as stay-home orders imposed to stop the virus run their course. That's in line with the preference of Patrick Gideons, 63, of Alvin, Texas, who said worshippers should be able to do what they want. If they want to be able to hold church the way they normally do, they should be able to do that, said Gideons, a self-described born-again Baptist. As houses of worship wrestle with when to reopen, draft guidance by a team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that offered recommendations for faith gatherings has been shelved by the Trump administration. While those guidelines aimed to help religious organizations use best practices to protect people from the virus, leaders in various denominations have already initiated their own discussions. "Churches are very aware of the implications of people gathering in their buildings," Kenneth Carter, president of the United Methodist Church's Council of Bishops, said in a recent interview about the draft CDC guidance. Compared with in-person religious services, Americans are more likely to favor allowing drive-through services, although most still say there should be limits. Overall, 25% think that those services should be allowed without any limits, and 62% say they should be allowed with limits. The Justice Department last month sided with a Mississippi church in its legal challenge to local limits on drive-in worship. Still, the poll found 56% of Americans say prohibiting drive-in services does not violate religious freedom. White evangelical Protestants were more likely than those of other faiths to favor allowing drive-through services without restriction, at 40%. In total, those who identify with a religious faith are more likely than those who do not to favor no restriction on drive-through religious services, 28% to 15%. As many houses of worship have paused in-person services, a sizable share of religious Americans have used technology to connect with their faith. One-fifth of religious Americans said they watched livestreamed religious services online at least weekly in 2019 but since the outbreak began, that has risen to 33%. About a third of evangelical Protestants streamed services at least weekly in 2019, but about half do now. Among Catholics, the share streaming services weekly has increased from 11% to 22%. For members of the Southern Baptist Convention, when and how to resume in-person worship would be a congregation-by-congregation decision, Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said in a recent interview about the draft CDC guidance. Moore predicted that some virtual worship would continue even as areas resume in-person gatherings. Part of his work in offering resources to inform decisions, Moore said, involves preparing churches for the fact that reopening probably wont be one Sunday when everything goes back to the status quo." Instead, theres going to be probably a lengthy period of time where multiple things are happening at once, Moore said. ___ Schor reported from New York. Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut in Washington contributed to this report. ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,002 adults was conducted April 30-May 4 using a sample drawn from NORCs probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.2 percentage points. ___ Online: AP-NORC Center: http://www.apnorc.org/ ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through the Religion News Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Fans cant get over a high school photo of Beau Clark from Vanderpump Rules, joking about how much he resembles Detroit rapper Eminem. Beau Clark and Stassi Schroeder pose as she presents: Outfit Of The Day Collection exclusively on JustFab | Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for JustFab.com A childhood friend shared the photo on Twitter and fans, including fiancee Stassi Schroeder promptly responded. When you find out one of my best friends from college, went to high school with @iambeau I am shooketh, the fan wrote, along with a photo of a fresh-faced, blonde Clark. Schroeder was seriously floored. Omg! This is incredible, she responded to the tweet. Jax Taylor also shared that Clark had some serious Florida vibes too. Wait is that @iambeau this screams Florida!!! he wrote. Fans think the photo screams more Eminem Vanderpump Rules fans could not get over how much Clark, who now rocks dark hair, looks almost nothing like the photo. But rather he resembled Eminem. Slim Shady! Please stand up! one person responded to Taylors remark. When you find out one of my best friends from college, went to high school with @iambeau I am shooketh @stassi #PumpRules #BravoTV pic.twitter.com/SPuyWDbrkl Jayme (@Jayme627) May 15, 2020 RELATED: Vanderpump Rules: Why Does Stassi Schroeder Think She Owes Her Relationship (Partly) With Beau Clark to Jax Taylor? That Eminem hair, another person observed on the original Twitter thread. Will the real slim shady please stand up?!! More and more fans added to the observation. Haha is this Eminem jr. in his prime?! a fan wrote. Someone else compared Clark to another celebrity. He looks like sacha baron cohen, the fan wrote. The person who shared the photo also told Schroeder she was at BravoCon and met her. @stassi You probably wont rememberbut, I was at BravoCon, and I carried your book around for you to sign it! Even at the after party! I swear we had a moment, the fan commented. Youre great! Congrats to you guys! Clark and Schroeder are in a murky wedding planning place Clark and Schroeder planned to marry in Italy this fall. However, the pandemic had other plans and Schroeder admits she has no idea what will happen next. The tentative plan is to be getting married in Rome in October, but we both have realized that thats most likely not happening, but we just cant bring ourselves to fully pull the plug yet, so were just slowly going through the motions, but were not actively planning anything right now, she shared on Channel Qs The Morning Beat. RELATED: Vanderpump Rules: Beau Clark Almost Proposed to Stassi Schroeder at AHS-Inspired Murder House She then joked, Were just sticking our heads in the sand. Adding that she already has her dress I did that a year ago! Unfortunately, the couple will have to live with being in limbo for a while. Meanwhile, what about having a baby? Schroeder openly talked about motherhood before Clark proposed. I dont think we are thinking about it. If it happens it happens. I mean that would derail my wedding plans. I dont think its a full-blown plan, she said, noting that shed still love to get married first. Clark and Schroeder recently dished about the graveyard proposal that almost wasnt. Clark shared during the Vanderpump Rules After Show he almost proposed at a famous Los Angeles Murder House. However, he went with the graveyard after learning the plan wouldnt work. They gutted the whole thing, he shared. The number of coronavirus patients at Baystate Health system continues to fall. As of Saturday, the Western Massachusetts hospital system has 81 hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection, 12 of whom are in need of critical care. The hospital system is caring for an additional 25 hospitalized patients under investigation for COVID-19. Baystate Medical Center in Springfield is caring for the majority of patients: 78 confirmed and an additional 19 under investigation for COVID. Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield has two confirmed COVID patients, Baystate Wing Hopsital in Palmer has one confirmed and three possible and Baystate Franklin Medical Center has no confirmed cases and three possible ones. Baystate has also offered testing to just over 10,000 residents. About 15% have come back positive so far - 1,520 tests - and 8,563 have come back negative. Statewide, 83,421 coronavirus tests have been conducted. Roughly 3% of Massachusetts residents who are currently sick are hospitalized a metric that has continued to decline in recent weeks. There are currently 2,767 people hospitalized with the virus statewide, and 749 people in the ICU. The number of fatalities rose to 5,592 on Friday. Related Content SILAGE season has kicked off this week in County Limerick, says Bruree-based agricultural contractor John Sheehy. Mr Sheehy, a former chairman of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) who remains on the national executive, said early to mid-May is when they normally begin to motor. Many things stay the same but some are different this year due to Covid-19. A lovely part of country life is when the silage men are invited into farmers homes for food. The leaves of the table are pulled out to make it bigger, everyone sits down for a meal and a chat. It is a beautiful tradition and very much appreciated by us but for the last while we haven't been going into houses. We are still being offered food all the time and it is being brought out to us. We have no problem with that, it is just more awkward for the householder, farmer and their wives having to bring it outside, instead of just turning around and putting it on the table, said Mr Sheehy. Apart from that it is pretty much business as usual. No passengers are allowed which is nearly gone anyway, giving children a drive - that is going to be a no no. Everyone has to watch what they are doing and be mindful of the situation we are in. We all have to do our bit, said Mr Sheehy. Speaking on Sunday, Mr Sheehy said he had two jobs done but this week it is going to kick off. Despite the lack of rain, he says there are fine crops. They are no worse or no better than you would be expecting at this time of the year. There are fine returns, fine crops. Even though we havent had rain in the short term, we had plenty of it in the long term! laughed Mr Sheehy. Hopefully, the drought of 2018 wont be repeated. Getting drivers has been hard-going in recent years but Covid-19 has sadly changed that. There has been a lot more enquiries, lads dropping in their names to say they are available, confirmed Mr Sheehy, whose new Claas 870 harvester will be taking to the roads and fields. One advantage will be the quieter roads. It will definitely make a difference although the roads arent as quiet as they were a month ago but still road users have to be aware we are going to be out the next couple of months. We will do all we can to accommodate them but we expect the same in return. We will pull in when we can but people need to be mindful that we could be coming around the bend on narrow roads, said Mr Sheehy. As the Bruree man alluded to, the FCI is particularly concerned about the risk to children on farms this year. FCI national chairman Richard White said most children are off school due to the Covid-19 restrictions and the arrival of the silage contractor can provide some excitement for them, in what can be an otherwise boring time. We are urging all farm families to pay particular attention to child safety on farms over the coming weeks. We are urging farm families not to allow children into silage fields when the harvesting is taking place, from the time of mowing onwards. We are appealing to them to keep children at a safe distance away from the silage pit as trailers unload and the process of building the silage clamp begins. The risks are simply too great, said Mr White. TV actor Juhi Parmar, who got divorced two years ago, has said breaking the news of her divorce to daughter Samairra was not too difficult. The actor told her about the divorce like a fairytale and the young one understood that it was real. Juhi told The Times of India in an interview, Samairra has been a very understanding kid. She has never made me uncomfortable with her questions. I broke the news about my divorce or separation to her a year and a half back, I told her like a fairytale. She understood how princesses live happily ever after. She understood that it is our reality. She knows that she has a single parent and in true sense more than single parenting, we are triple parenting her as my parents stay with me and they look after her. Juhi also said that her parents are available all the time for Samairra , adding that she is very attached to her grandparents. Juhi also added that her ex-husband and actor Sachin is equally available for Samairra. She can talk and meet her father anytime she wants. Sachin can meet her anytime he wants. Everything is nice and positive. Sachin and I are great friends now. So, when we all are in a happy space there is no scope of feeling that something is lacking. Its just that theres a situation where things are like this but what matters is we have risen above that situation to live in a happy space. Claiming that her relationship status does not bother her, Juhi also offered an advice for single parents: I think it is very important that you answer your childs queries especially when it is related to his/her life. Also read: Shilpa Shetty shares pic with daughter Samisha as she turns 3 months old, son Viaan kisses sisters hand Juhi and Sachin got divorced two years ago in 2018. Just months after she got divorced, Juhi wrote in an emotional note on Instagram. A lot of you have been speculating, a lot commenting, a lot questioning and yes everyone has been asking me why have I been quiet? On January 27, 2013 a mother was born and my first priority has been my daughter ever since. A lot has been said but WHY is my question? We had decided that we would never blame each other, as thats not in the best interest of our daughter. I had kept my word and always shared the blame for a failed marriage by terming it to be incompatibility: I could have never imagined that you will form a base by misconstruing and misinterpreting my so called statements; you have put the entire blame on me of the marriage crumbling down by calling it a loveless marriage. You claim that I have never loved you no matter what and also that only you loved me that too deeply and thus you have called it a one-sided marriage and relationship, she posted. She also wrote, I am shattered as a woman, I cant get over the shock and dont know how to gather myself to speak up. And yet I must to protect my dignity as a woman, which has been maligned. I must speak up to keep the respect of my child and tell her that she was born out of love and not lovelessly, as that would shatter the whole purpose of her being. My integrity has been questioned and blamed by my ex-husband. I have been completely misinterpreted and misquoted by my ex-husband who claims That I was never in love with him... I want to ask that when and where have I said those words! When did I ever say that I have not loved you even after marriage? And by calling our marriage a one-sided relationship you have not only crushed and negated all my efforts that I put into our marriage but also insulted me publicly and assassinated my character. If I didnt love the man I was married to, I wouldnt have stayed with him for nine years of my life and given birth to a child which is ours: Two decades of hard work to build an image, a niche for myself but today my parents, my family and I have to face emotional torture, abuse and nuisance due to the comments you have made, she added. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON (Reuters) - A new life-threatening inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19 has affected 230 children in Europe and killed two so far this year, a regional health body said on Friday, as medics worldwide were told to be on alert. The Swedish-based European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in a risk report that two children had succumbed to the condition: one in Britain and one in France. The new coronavirus has so far taken its greatest toll on the elderly and those with chronic health conditions, but reports about the syndrome in children have raised fears it could pose a greater risk to the young than first through. At a briefing in Geneva, the World Health Organisation (WHO) urged clinicians to be alert to the rare syndrome, but cautioned that links to COVID-19 were still unclear. The condition, known as paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS), shares symptoms with toxic shock and Kawasaki disease including fever, rashes, swollen glands and, in severe cases, heart inflammation. "I call on all clinicians worldwide to work with your national authorities and WHO to be alert and better understand this syndrome in children," said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. On Friday, the WHO issued a preliminary definition of the syndrome, which it said had become more frequent during the current pandemic but has also appeared in children who did not test positive for COVID-19. The condition affected children and adolescents showing fever for more than three days, with elevated markers of inflammation. The children also showed at least two of the following symptoms: rash or signs of inflammation around the mouth, hands or feet; shock or low blood pressure; heart problems; evidence of bleeding disorder; and acute gastrointestinal problems. The case definition pertained to children who had contracted COVID-19 or had had likely contact with COVID-19 patients, and had no other obvious microbial cause of inflammation, it said. Story continues "We know so far very little about this inflammatory syndrome," said WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove. In France, doctors said a nine-year old boy died a week ago in the southern town of Marseille after developing a syndrome akin to Kawasaki disease and being in contact with the coronavirus though not suffering its symptoms. He was hospitalised on May 2 after scarlet fever had been diagnosed. Back home, he suffered from a severe heart ailment and was rushed back to Marseille's Timone hospital's intensive care unit, where he died. French researchers on Thursday reported Kawasaki disease-like symptoms in 17 children admitted to a Paris hospital between April 27 and May 7, while in an average two-week period they would have expected to see only one such case. The European Union (EU) health body ECDC added it had agreed to include the syndrome as a possible complication of COVID-19 to be reported for Europe-wide surveillance. Research efforts should aim at determining what role the coronavirus, if any, plays in causing PIMS, it said. The risk of PIMS in children was currently considered low, as was the risk of them contracting COVID-19, the agency said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday issued guidance to doctors on how to recognise and report cases of the syndrome, following the reports of cases in Europe and more than 100 in the state of New York. [L1N2CW2EH] At its briefing, the WHO urged governments and companies to work together to develop a vaccine and treatments against COVID-19, and make distribution equitable. "Traditional market models will not deliver at the scale needed to cover the entire globe," Tedros said. Costa Rica's President Carlos Alvarado called at the briefing for creating a pool of patents and licences on a voluntary basis to enable fair access. France said on Thursday the world's nations would have equal access to any vaccine developed by pharmaceuticals giant Sanofi, a day after the company's chief executive suggested Americans would likely be the first in line. (Reporting by Ludwig Burger in Frankfurt, Michael Shields and Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi in Zurich, Francesco Guarascio in Brussels, Marc Leras and Benoit Van Overstraeten in Paris; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Edmund Blair) Last year, Vicky Kaushal had flown down to New York to celebrate his 31st birthday with college friends. However, this year, the celebrations look a little different. In 2020, his travel plans may have been ruined but his low-key birthday amid the COVID-19 lockdown is still a special one. Vicky/Instagram Talking to a news agency, Vicky said, Youtube "It's going to be different this time because it'll be a quiet one. It is going to be all about spending time with family. I'll also be catching up with my friends over video calls." Even though the actor misses the thrill of being on a film set, he said that this lockdown has made him realize how much his family matters to him. He adds, "From this point on, it'll be a conscious effort to give more time to them. When the lockdown is lifted, I'll make sure that no matter how busy I get in life, I'll spend ample time with them, have meals with them and talk to them rather than blaming the fastpaced life for not being there with my family." Vicky also traveled down memory lane to recall how his birthday would be celebrated in his childhood. "I used to be very upset because my birthday would fall during summer vacations. I couldn't wear regular clothes to school on my birthdays and distribute chocolates to the entire class. But what I remember are the sweet parties at home where I would cut cakes surrounded by my friends. That was the time when technology hadn't advanced so much and nobody was aware of the concepts of video calls and selfies. Those celebrations felt so real because we wouldn't be busy clicking photos for social media." Vicky's friends from the fraternity may not be there physically but they're present in spirits for him. Wishes have been pouring from all over the world for the actor. Here are a few from his close friends from the fraternity. 1. Taapsee wished his 'Neela Kukkad' co-star from Manmarziyaan: 2. Bhumi Pednekar, his co-actor from his latest release Bhoot wrote: 3. Vicky's forever-favorite co-star Kiara Advani, with whom he acted in Lust stories wrote: 4. Filmmaker and mentor Karan Johar wrote: Vicky 5. Neha Dhupia, who didn't share the screen space with Vicky but co-starred in the same film Lust stories wrote: 6. Vicky's rumored girlfriend and close friend Katrina Kaif wrote: Vicky Kaushal Sofia Vergara urges everyone to stay home amid the growing problem caused by the coronavirus pandemic. She does this stylishly, however, by posting a throwback pic of herself wearing a bikini. Memories Of The Past The 47-year-old actress has been sharing throwback photos of herself in the past few weeks. The "Modern Family" alum has made it part of her quarantine life to share images of her life back when she was living in Miami, Florida in the 90s. Late Thursday, Sofia shared another jaw-dropping picture showing off her amazingly sexy curves. While her show of cleavage might be a bit distracting, the actress wanted to send an important message across. "#tbt Miami in the 90's #stayhomemiami," Vergara captioned the post. It came with a mermaid and several red heart emojis. Her sexy photo came with an appeal to everyone to stay home and follow the quarantine protocols. The coronavirus pandemic has introduced everyone to the new normal. And while people are trying to cope in their own ways, Sofia delighted everyone with how she eases her way into the new normal. The revealing pic showed Vergara looking fierce while she laid on the beach wearing a tiny bikini. Of course, the snap got her nearly 19 million followers showering her with compliments. "So gorgeous, " one Instagram user wrote. Another fan commented: "Bet you had them drooling bby!" Another supported wrote how he was at a loss for words at the sight of Vergara's photo. Age-Defying Secret Last week was just the same. Vergara gifted her followers with a throwback photo of herself. This time, she was totally rocking the black bikini. It was also a picture taken in the '90s before she became a famous household name. Sofia looked as amazing as ever. The photo became a total hit that it left a lot of her followers wondering what's her secret for the youthful glow. How did Vergara manage to look as young and fresh as she did back in the 90s? What could be her age-defying secret? "You looked older then," one fan confessed. Several of her fans agreed that she indeed looks better now than before. Vergara is a mother to her son Manolo, whom she shares with ex-husband Joe Gonzales. Now, the actress is happily married to Joe Manganiello. The New Normal The coronavirus pandemic continues to take lives all over the world. The number of positive cases has steadily increased over the last few weeks, too. While there is still no vaccine or cure available, people will have to learn to continue living with the risk of COVID-19 just around the corner. The call to stay at home and to practice social distancing is just one of the efforts of the government to help flatten the curve. The last two months may have been challenging for everyone and any bit of help to lighten the stress is truly appreciated. Sofia Vergara, like other celebrities, may be having fun sharing throwback photos of herself in sexy bikini outfits, but it says a lot about how everyone is coping these days. In order to ease into the new normal, everyone must hold on to the wondering memories of the past. The long-awaited Canadian immigration program will provide a pathway to permanent residence for workers in certain agri-food industries. Canada launches Agri-Food Immigration Pilot The long-awaited Canadian immigration program will provide a pathway to permanent residence for workers in certain agri-food industries. Canada launches Agri-Food Immigration Pilot The long-awaited Canadian immigration program will provide a pathway to permanent residence for workers in certain agri-food industries. Canada launches Agri-Food Immigration Pilot The long-awaited Canadian immigration program will provide a pathway to permanent residence for workers in certain agri-food industries. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Applications are now being accepted for the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot. The pilot is intended to address the labour needs of Canadian employers in the meat processing, mushroom and greenhouse production, and livestock-raising industries. Temporary visa holders who are already in Canada working in these fields will be able to apply for permanent residence under the new pilot. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will admit up to 2,750 principal applicants plus their family members annually for the next three years under the pilot. Applications are being accepted from now until May 14, 2023, according to an IRCC media release. Get help with Canadian work permits Canadian employers in the agri-food sector have been calling on the federal government to help them recruit and retain the workforce they need to operate. The pilots intended launch date was supposed to be at the end of March but was delayed due to the global coronavirus pandemic. It provides an option for temporary foreign workers (TFWs) with agri-food work experience to gain permanent residence. The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot does not include the province of Quebec, which has its own immigration system. However, Quebec employers who hire non-seasonal temporary foreign workers can benefit from the two-year Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) that is part of the pilot, as long as the workers National Occupational Classification (NOC) code is eligible. They can then apply for a permanent selection from Quebec through the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ). The occupations and industries eligible under the pilot include: Meat product manufacturing; Retail butchers Industrial butchers Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers Food processing labourers. Greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production, including mushroom production; Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers General farm workers Harvesting labourers. Animal production excluding aquaculture; Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers General farm workers. The agriculture and agri-food industry supports 1 in 8 jobs across the country. In 2019, agriculture exports hit a record $67 billion. Attracting and retaining talented workers is essential to help grow our economy and improve the living standards of all Canadians, Marco Mendicino, Canadas minister of immigration, said in the release. The Agri-Food Pilot will attract applicants for permanent residence who have worked in Canada, who can economically establish in Canada, and who support the labour needs of farmers and processors. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved The US House of Representatives on Friday approved a historic change to its rules, allowing lawmakers to vote by proxy from remote locations temporarily, as they also moved toward a vote on $3 trillion in new coronavirus emergency aid. Click here for full Covid-19 coverage By a mostly partisan vote of 217-189, the House approved the rules change proposed by Democrats, allowing Speaker Nancy Pelosi to trigger the remote voting procedure for the first time in Congress history if she deems it necessary. Currently, House members must appear in the House chamber to cast their votes on legislation. That requirement has become cumbersome as lawmakers shelter in their homes in an attempt to help limit the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus that has killed more than 85,000 people in the United States. The special procedure is intended to be in effect during the coronavirus crisis. Republicans argued the Democrats rules change proposal was unconstitutional and unnecessary. The House is next expected to vote on whether to approve the new emergency aid package - an estimated $3 trillion on top of $3 trillion already enacted - that Republicans also oppose. If passed, the Republican-controlled Senate is expected to block it. In India, the walls of government offices carry framed photographs of the president and prime minister. In Britain, its the Queen. Id like to suggest an important addition: Caesars wife. It doesnt matter that he had three. Anyone of them will do. For the saying she needs to be above suspicion applies to all of them. And her presence staring down on our officials would be a welcome reminder that fulfilment of the same principle is also expected of them. If anything, even more so in a time of the coronavirus. In a nutshell, thats why Im disturbed by the action taken by the ministry of corporate affairs against the Gymkhana Club in Delhi. More than three years ago, the ministry received a complaint against the club alleging misconduct and mismanagement, particularly in connection with the admission of new members. It was filed by seven club members, including a former president. For almost 1,000 days, the ministry did nothing. Then, shortly after the lockdown was declared, it moved a petition before the National Company Law Tribunal seeking to take over management of the club and replace its general committee with new administrators appointed by the government. Now, this is not a matter of national priority or even of particular urgency. Yet, the ministry deliberately chose to act during the lockdown when the club is closed and the present management cannot access its records. Was the aim to place the club at a disadvantage and effectively take it over? Thats the suspicion most club members find hard to dispel. And this is why Caesars wife comes to mind. Beyond the technical rights and wrongs of the governments decision is the niggling doubt for some, in fact, its a conviction the government has deliberately chosen this moment to alter the character of this 107-year-old institution which has become the symbol of values and traditions it does not approve of. And what are they? A liberal lifestyle that enjoys drinking in convivial company, the right to express oneself freely including in criticism of governments, to maintain an arms length from all politicians and the right to choose who you want to admit. None of what Ive written is to suggest the club has done no wrong. Indeed, there are no institutions in India of which that could be said. Least of all our governments and the officials who staff them. So, how could a club thats a century-old be faultless? But a just government would not only seek to remedy and rectify but do so in a fair and transparent way. This is where the ministry of corporate affairs has gone horribly wrong. If the aim is to cleanse the club, isnt that best done by self-cleansing? Rather than seeking to take over its management and appoint new administrators of its choice, shouldnt the ministry have requested the club itself to change its management by holding fresh elections in which the incumbent members of the general committee are free to contest alongside others who wish to replace them? The Gymkhana Club is an institution that deserves to be protected and preserved. Its character and culture were not created in a day. They took decades to mould. And theyre widely recognised as special. Thats why so many want to join and are willing to pay a kings ransom to do so. They come from the armed forces and civil services but also professions like journalism, law, chartered accountancy and business. Theyre salaried professionals but the most active members are often pensioners. For them, the club is a sanctuary. An oasis in the sprawling desert that retirement has cast them into. Only an unthinking government could take it away from them. Of course, the club needs to be corrected and improved. Which institution in India does not? But in government hands, its more likely to be ruined. If Calpurnias picture could speak, thats what Id like to believe she would say. Karan Thapar is author of Devils Advocate: The Untold Story The views expressed are personal SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Democrats have powered a massive $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill through the House, an election-year measure designed to brace a US economy in free fall and a health care system struggling to contain a pandemic still pummeling the country Washington: Democrats have powered a massive $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill through the House, an election-year measure designed to brace a US economy in free fall and a health care system struggling to contain a pandemic still pummeling the country. Friday's 208-199 vote, with all but one Republican opposed, advances what boils down to a campaign-season display of Democratic economic and health-care priorities. It has no chance of becoming law as written, but will likely spark difficult negotiations with the White House and Senate Republicans. Any product would probably be the last major COVID-19 response bill before Novembers presidential and congressional elections. The enormous Democratic measure would cost more than the prior four coronavirus bills combined. It would deliver almost $1 trillion for state and local governments, another round of $1,200 direct payments to individuals and help for the unemployed, renters and homeowners, college debt holders and the struggling Postal Service. Not to act now is not only irresponsible in a humanitarian way, it is irresponsible because its only going to cost more, warned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California More in terms of lives, livelihood, cost to the budget, cost to our democracy. Republicans mocked the bill as a bloated Democratic wish-list that was dead on arrival in the GOP-led Senate and, for good measure, faced a White House veto threat. Party leaders say they want to assess how $3 trillion approved earlier is working and see if some states' partial business reopenings would spark an economic revival that would ease the need for more safety net programs. Republicans are also sorting through internal divisions and awaiting stronger signals from President Donald Trump about what he will support. Phase Four is going to happen, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, using Washington insider-speak for the measure. But its going to happen in a much better way for the American people. Trump and top Republicans like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, are insisting the next measure should protect reopening businesses from liability lawsuits. The president is also demanding a cut to payroll taxes, but GOP leaders are not yet onboard. The daylong debate painted a Capitol scene thats become common in the era of coronavirus, even as it remains disconcerting. The sparsely populated House floor was dotted with lawmakers and aides wearing protective masks and even gloves, though some Republicans lacked them. Many members looked shaggier and sported beards they had not worn weeks ago. Roll call votes lasted over an hour each because lawmakers were voting in small groups to limit crowding. To enhance the bill's political impact, Democrats named their measure The Heroes Act for the payments it would provide front-line emergency workers. With more than 86,000 Americans dead, 1.4 million confirmed infections and 36 million filing unemployment claims in an frozen economy, Democrats saw GOP opposition as an easy campaign-season target. Are you kidding me?" said Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, of Republican assertions that it was time to stop spending more money. Where do you guys live? Food lines at our food banks around the block? In the United States of America?" Republicans saw the bill as a Democratic political blunder. They said overly generous unemployment benefits discouraged people from returning to work, and attacked language helping immigrants in the US illegally get federal benefits. They also singled out provisions helping states set up voting by mail and easing the marijuana industry's access to banks. It may help the cannabis industry, but it won't help Main Street, said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California. Pelosi pushed the measure through after overcoming party divisions aggravated by election pressures. Some moderate Democrats opposed the package for its price tag and politically fraught provisions like assisting marijuana businesses. A few progressive Democrats were upset because it did not do more, such as guaranteeing workers salaries and bolstering their health insurance coverage. Fourteen Democrats voted against the measure. Nearly all are centrists and number among the party's most vulnerable lawmakers in November's elections: freshmen from districts Trump won in 2016. Among them was Rep. Cindy Axne of Iowa, who labeled the measure bloated". Another, Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, tweeted, This bill strays far beyond delivering relief or responding to an urgent crisis and it has no chance at becoming law. Republicans were already planning to use the day's votes against other moderate Democrats who backed Fridays legislation and face competitive reelection races. Clearly, the bipartisan consensus that produced four previous coronavirus bills was crumbling quickly. Polls show GOP voters are satisfied with the federal response and arent agitating for more. Self-branded deficit hawks are citing the massive increase in the spiraling $25 trillion national debt. Some congressional aides said the Democratic bill's real price tag could breach $3.5 trillion. A partial estimate of tax provisions alone revealed eye-popping costs: $412 billion to renew $1,200 cash payments to individuals, more than $100 billion to pay health insurance premiums for the unemployed and $164 billion to make an employee retention tax credit for businesses more generous. Republicans leaders faced disunity between conservatives who feel enough has been done and pragmatists who back rescuing the Postal Service from looming insolvency and delivering cash to revenue-starved state and local governments. The huge price tag and a lack of consultation with Republicans by Pelosi cemented GOP opposition. This bill is nothing more than the Democratic policy agenda masquerading as a response to the coronavirus crisis, said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma. He said the bill is going nowhere, and is going nowhere fast. Liberal Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, also opposed the bill. She told reporters that if constituents ask her if the bill would put money in their pockets or preserve their health care, I cant tell them yes". The lone Republican backing the legislation was Rep. Peter King of New York, who is retiring. Advertisement Crowds of protesters descended on London's Hyde Park today to demonstrate against the government's coronavirus lockdown restrictions. In scenes that were replicated with small gatherings around the country, nineteen people were arrested and another 10 given on-the-spot fines during a protest against coronavirus restrictions, the Metropolitan Police said. Among them was Jeremy Corbyn's brother Piers, 73, who was seen being surrounded by police officers as he made his way through the crowds. He was later seen being removed in handcuffs, after earlier holding a sign which read: 'End lockdown now - Free NHS to save those it's left behind.' Further demonstrations took place in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Plymouth, Southampton, Cardiff and Barnstaple in Devon. There were also separate protests over the restrictions in Germany. Police officers march a protester as people demonstrate against the coronavirus lockdown in Hyde Park today. Police were booed when they arrested some protestors A woman at the demonstration in London's Hyde Park talks to two police officers next to another protester dancing in a dress. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said it was disappointing that demonstrators had put themselves and others at risks People of all ages including families with children attended the demonstrations. Nineteen people were arrested today as protesters scuffled with police during demonstrations at Hyde Park A protester talks to a police officer with her sign campaigning against the lockdown restrictions placed on the UK. Police tried to disperse crowds to avoid mass gatherings in close proximity Jeremy Corbyn's brother Piers, 73, was surrounded by police officers as he made his way through the crowds. Amid scuffles with police, the former Labour leader's brother was taken away after showing up with a megaphone shouting conspiracy theories about the pandemic being linked to 5G Police moved in to bring scenes under control as people brandished home made signs A chorus of boos were heard as one man was cuffed and led away by police officers The man appeared to put up some resistance as he was led away from the main scene and police removed his sign Police continued in their efforts to disperse the crowd and stop being gathering in large numbers in close proximity A man is moved on by police during a mass gathering protest There appeared to be more police than protesters at the Hyde Park event today Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: 'With the easing of restrictions we fully expected open spaces to be busy this weekend. 'It was pleasing to see that people were largely compliant with the Government guidance. Where they weren't, and after we engaged with them, they quickly were. 'It was disappointing that a relatively small group in Hyde Park came together to protest the regulations in clear breach of the guidance, putting themselves and others at risk of infection. 'Officers once again, took a measured approach and tried to engage the group to disperse. They clearly had no intention of doing so, and so it did result in 19 people being arrested, and a further ten being issued with a fixed penalty notice.' Amid scuffles with police, the former Labour leader's brother was taken away after showing up with a megaphone shouting conspiracy theories about the pandemic being linked to 5G. He also said 'vaccination is not necessary' and that '5G towers will be installed everywhere', adding: '5G enhances anyone who's got illness from Covid, so they work together.' Corbyn was taken away after declining to leave when asked by a police officer and declining to give his details when asked. Standing close together near Speaker's Corner, several held placards and banners including slogans such as 'freedom over fear' as police, including some on horseback, looked on. As people started to come together at midday on Saturday, initial figures were at the three dozen mark as police moved in to keep the scene under control. With numbers mounting, police continued in their efforts to disperse the crowds and keep people moving, in order to avoid the dangerous scenario of a mass gathering in close proximity. David Samson, 50, who said he works in finance, said he came because 'I never thought I'd see in my generation the suppressing of civil rights' over a 'fake virus'. There was a large round of boos when one protester was taken away in handcuffs by police. The man appeared to put up some resistance while being led away, as police looked to remove his sign and escort him from the area. Another attendee held aloft a sign showing a Dr Who dalek, with the addition: 'Exvaccinate', while others read of 'tracking and chipping' theories linked to the outbreak of the virus. A woman with two men stood next to her remonstrates with a police officer in Hyde Park today 'No mandatory vaccination, freedom to choose' read another of the signs in Hyde Park as officer watched on One woman brought a sign which suggested people were being controlled and 'tracked and chipped' by the government Police were equipped with protective face masks while dealing with the large group of people at close quarters Another attendee held aloft a sign showing a Dr Who dalek, with the addition: 'Exvaccinate' The numbers soon began to mount up as police formed a line in order to keep the masses at a reasonable distance Police vans were required in order to provide reinforcements in case of further arrests in the park People held placards and banners near Speaker's Corner while Officers on horses also patrolled the park, where in other areas members of the general public sat to take in the sun As police tried to disperse the numbers, flags could be seen waving in the air. The colours of the Union Jack and St George's cross swirled above head as the masses chanted. It is not the first time Piers Corbyn has been seen drawing attention to himself during the pandemic, after recently attending another anti-lockdown protest in central London and being given a penalty notice for doing so. Corbyn, 73, called the fine an 'abomination' and an 'attack on human rights' after he refused on numerous occasions to heed the police's polite requests outside St Thomas's Hospital. The scenes in London were replicated around the country. Protestors also gathered at Wollaton Hall Park Nottingham in considerably smaller numbers, with signs proclaiming 'End lock down'. Police were seen remaining at an appropriate distance while keeping an eye on proceedings, as some of the protestors put questions to individual officers regarding current guidelines. Protestors also gathered at Wollaton Hall Park Nottingham with signs proclaiming 'End lock down'. Two mass gatherings were planned in Nottingham this afternoon One man held aloft a sign calling for police forces to 'wake up and help' the people during the ongoing crisis. Police encouraged people not to participate in the demonstrations Three police officers attended the small gathering and were encouraging the group to carry out social distancing and think of those around them. The amount of people protesting in Nottingham was fairly small Demonstrators spoke to police officers, asked them questions and argued with them. Police stayed to keep watch over the small group A small gathering of people was also seen on Southampton common, as locals carted around 'fight 4 freedom' signs A protestor at Southampton Common holds up a sign that says: 'Stop the lies! No to tyranny' with the words 'wake up!' written in each corner A protestor holding a sign with the abbreviation that is a possible reference to the slogan: 'when we go one we go all' referencing the far-right conspiracy theory started on internet chat forum 4chan In Cardiff, a similar protest was attended by just two people in Bute Park while another event lined up in nearby Heath Park, after posters urged demonstrators to join the movement with a picnic. Fliers for the events were circulated on social media in a bid to get people to break guidelines and have picnics together in large groups. The two protesters at Bute Park, who called themselves Paul and Bob, turned up with a dossier about the alleged connection between 5G and coronavirus. The pair, who had travelled 40 miles from Bristol, said: 'Lockdown is a breach of our civil liberties. 'It is a big experiment to see if the Government can control us. We are going to be the next North Korea.' South Wales Police were patrolling the parks but officers said they had mainly encountered dog walkers and families. Protesters object to Scotland's lockdown restrictions in Holyrood park in Edinburgh Members of the public gather at Glasgow Green, as part gatherings taking place across Scotland and the UK-wide. Police tried to encourage protestors to social-distance and think of others around them Police were on site in both cars and vans in order to keep an eye on proceedings and ensure social distancing Numbers were low despise advertising across social media to get people involved in the gatherings Protestors held signs with slogans like: 'Our freedom is essential' with drawings of the Scottish flag on both top corners Demonstrators expressed distrust in the media and tell people to 'take control or be controlled' A group of about a dozen protesters had also gathered on Southampton Common to demonstrate against the lockdown. The demonstrators held placards saying 'Stop the Lies', 'Say no to tyranny' and 'Fight 4 Freedom'. Three police officers attended the small gathering and were encouraging the group to carry out social distancing and think of those around them. This weekend also saw anti-lockdown protests in Germany with thousands of demonstrators gathering in Stuttgart, Munich and Berlin. Some protests turned violent and when the police asked people to leave they were booed as crowds held signs that said: 'freedom instead of coercion'. Germany newspaper Die Welt said that well over the 1,000 limit of people went to Theresienwiese in Berlin to demonstrate against the coronavirus measures in the country. A large crowd of people gathered in the Cannstatter Wasen area in Stuttgart, Germany on May 16, protesting anti-coronavirus measures in place to slow the spread of the virus Right-wing protesters gather at Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, on Saturday. A demonstrator holds up holds a copy of Germany's Basic Law, its constitution Police limited the number of people allowed to gather in Stuttgart to 5,000 but people just flocked around the area police had designated. Germany relaxed some of its lockdown measures on May 6, just over a month after lockdown started on March 22. Since the relaxing of measures a spike in cases in Germany has been recorded, with the country's R number - the rate at which the virus spreads from each person - increasing to 1.1 earlier in the week. Germany has now seen 173,772 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and a relatively low 7,881 deaths compared to other countries in Europe. Douglas County State's Attorney Kate Watson is shown inside a courtroom at the Douglas County Courthouse in Tuscola just after she was elected in 2016. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 20:06:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of prefectures in Japan entered their first weekend Saturday since a state of emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic was largely lifted, with department stores, amusement parks and restaurants reopening to welcome guests after closing for about a month. The Japanese government on Thursday decided to lift a nationwide state of emergency for 39 of the country's 47 prefectures where the coronavirus has been less prevalent, with the move coming ahead of the planned deadline of May 31. However, urban areas such as Tokyo and the wider Tokyo metropolitan area and Osaka prefecture remain under the state of emergency, with the government keen to see daily infections fall further and ease the strain on the nation's medical system. In Miyagi Prefecture in northeastern Japan, the Sendai Mitsukoshi department store reopened on Saturday after closing all of its sectors except the food floor for about a month. A large number of customers lined up to enter the store as it opened in the morning, which has special cameras installed at the entrance to monitor body temperatures. The store also provided free disinfectant to customers and all employees were wearing face masks. At the cosmetics counters, some customers were talking to the staff. A female customer told local media that she is relieved to see the store reopening. "I still feel nervous, but I am happy to shop freely again." In Gunma Prefecture in eastern Japan, major shopping complex Aeon Mall Takasaki has also restarted its business. The mall limits the number of shoppers who can enter at any time, and plans to close two hours earlier than usual. In Utsunomiya, the prefectural capital city of Tochigi Prefecture, an amusement park called Tochinoki Family Land reopened. However, there were few visitors as it was raining. The park requires visitors to take temperature checks at the entrance and fill in their names, addresses and contact information voluntarily in an effort to prevent infection. The director of the park told local media "I feel relieved that the park reopened, but I am still a little worried." Osaka Prefecture also removed part of its business suspension requests from Saturday, even though it remains under the state of emergency put in place by the central government. On one of the most popular shopping streets in Osaka city, more people are visiting there than on recent weekends. The owner of a restaurant in the area said he is grateful that he can open it again, adding that he will comply with physical distancing rules by setting tables sufficiently far apart. According to the latest figures from the health ministry and local authorities on Saturday, the confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan increased by 51 to reach 16,304. The number excludes the 712 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama near Tokyo. In Tokyo, the epicenter of Japan's outbreak, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased by 14 to reach 5,050, followed by Osaka Prefecture with 1,770 infections. Kanagawa Prefecture, meanwhile, has recorded 1,261 infections, Hokkaido 1,006 cases, Saitama 977, Chiba 892, while Hyogo Prefecture has recorded 699 cases of the COVID-19, according to the latest figures on Saturday. The health ministry said there are currently a total of 241 patients considered severely ill and are on ventilators or in intensive care units. The ministry also said that in total, 11,462 people, including 653 from the cruise ship, have been discharged from hospitals after their symptoms improved. Enditem One of the most wanted fugitives in Rwanada's 1994 genocide has been arrested outside Paris today. Felicien Kabuga, 84, who had a 4 million bounty on his head, had been accused of equipping ethnic Hutu extremists in the 100-day genocide that killed more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Kabuga, once one of Rwanda's richest men, was living under a false identity in a town north of Paris, Asnieres-sur-Seine, the public prosecutor's office and police said in a joint statement. Felicien Kabuga, 84, who is accused of equipping extremists in the 100-day Rwandan genocide in 1994, was arrested in Paris today The Rwandan fugitive was arrested at an apartment building in Asnieres sur Seine, near Paris, where he is believed to have been for the last three to four years More than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed as a result of the killing spree The 84-year-old fugitive, who has been wanted by the judicial authorities for 25 years, was found when agents swooped on his house at dawn. The head of France's agency for fighting crimes against humanity Eric Emeraux said the chase had been renewed two months ago after new intelligence emerged. The 1994 Rwandan Genocide: A brutal civil war that killed 800,000 people Between April 7 and July 15, 1994, more than 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu were killed during the Rwandan Civil War. Relations between the two groups had been tense for some time after the Hutus overthrew the Tutsi monarchy in 1959. As a result of the regime change, thousands of Tutsis were forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in neighbouring countries. Tensions between the two groups reached their peak in 1990 when the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a rebel group of Tutsi refugees, invaded the north of Rwanada, sparking the start of the civil war. The war continued until 1993 when the Rwandan government, led by President Juvenal Habyarimana, a close friend of Felicien Kabuga, signed a peace deal with the RPF on August 4. But Habyarimana's assassination on April 6, 1994, saw the end of peace talks. A plane carrying the leader was shot down over the capital, Kigali, killing everyone on board. The following day the genocide of key Tutsi and moderate Hutu military and political began, executed by soldiers, police and militia. In addition, neighbours would kill their neighbours and some men even killed their Tutsi wives. ID cards detailing people's ethnic groups were checked at militia roadblocks and Tutsis were killed, often with machetes and rifles. As well as the mass killings, thousands of women were kept as sex slaves and an estimated 250,000 women were raped during the genocide. No countries stepped in to intervene in the vicious slaughtering, despite the UN and Belgium having forces in the country. The violence came to an end when the RPF, backed by the Ugandan army, took more territory and finally took over the capital, Kigali. Millions of Hutus fled to the Democtratic Republic of Congo to avoid falling victim to revenge attacks. Advertisement He had been hiding in the suburbs with the complicity of his children and is believed to have previously spent time in Germany, Belgium, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Switzerland. Olivier Olsen, head of the association of homeowners in the building where he lived in France, said Kabuga had lived there for three to four years and described him as 'someone very discreet who murmured when you said hello.' In 1997 Kabuga was indicted by the UN's International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda on charges related to conspiracy to commit genocide, persecution and extermination. He was accused of using his wealth and influence during the genocide to funnel money to militia groups as chairman of the Fonds de Defense Nationale fund. Rwandan prosecutors said financial documents found in the country's capital, Kigali, after the genocide indicated he had used his companies to import large quantities of machetes which were used to slaughter people. The wealthy businessman was also accused of establishing the notorious station Radio-Television Libre des Mille Collines, that broadcast vicious propaganda against the ethnic Tutsi and incited people to carry out murder. He was also indicted for training and equipping the Interahamwe militia that led to the killing spree. The Rwanda tribunal formally closed in 2015 and its duties have since been taken over by the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT), which also deals with cases left over from the tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Serge Brammertz, chief prosecutor of the MICT in The Hague, Netherlands, said: 'The arrest of Felicien Kabuga today is a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even 26 years after their crimes.' The fuguitive will now appear before French prosecutors who should order him to be remanded in custody. Judicial authorities can then rule on sending him to The Hague to face justice. He is expected to be tried at the MICT's branch in Arusha in Tanzania but it is likely his transfer to UN custody will take some time because of the coronavirus pandemic. Mausi Segun, Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said of his arrest was 'an important step towards justice for hundreds of thousands of genocide victims'. Officials in Rwanda said the East African nation will continue to collaborate with the UN mechanism to ensure that justice is served. The United States published a 'wanted' photograph in Kenyan newspapers of the businessman accused of helping finance the 1994 killings in Rwanda A worker stands near victims' bones recovered from pits which were used as mass grave during the genocide and hidden under houses in the outskirts of Kigali Family photographs of some of those who died hang on display in an exhibition at the Kigali Genocide Memorial centre in the capital Kigali, Rwanda The son of peasants, Kabuga grew his business from selling cigarettes and second hand clothes at markets in his northern home region of Byumba. He expanded by opening businesses in the capital Kigali and by 1993 was already part of the inner circle of then Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana, with his daughter marrying one of the president's sons. It was the assassination of Habyarimana on April 6, 1994 that unleashed the genocide. Along with former defence minister Augustin Bizimana and top-ranking military figure Protais Mpiranya - both still at large - Kabuga was one of the three most significant suspects still sought over the genocide. A survivor of Rwanda's genocide puts remains of victims in a coffin for a mass burial at a local administrator's office in Gasabo district, a suburb of Kigali A visitor looking at victims' portraits at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Kigali, Rwanda A wall of 800,000 victims' names can be viewed at the Kigali Genocide Memorial France has long been known as a hiding place for wanted genocide suspects and French investigators currently have dozens of cases underway. But so far there have been only three convictions from two trials with another trial - of a French-Rwandan former hotel driver accused of transporting Hutu militiamen - due to begin in September. The genocide has cast a long shadow over Franco-Rwandan relations. Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, a Tutsi, accuses France of having supported the ethnic Hutu forces behind most of the slaughter and of helping some of the perpetrators to escape. Last year, President Emmanuel Macron announced the creation of a commission of experts that will delve into the French state's archives in a bid to set the historical record straight. by Sumon Corraya Caritas Bangladesh is helping 60,000 Rohingya families (200,000 people). We provide for their basic needs like food, housing, medicine, education. Now we have added an awareness programme so that they can be safe from this virus, said a Caritas official. Refugees also get soap, masks, and a leaflet with information on how to avoid the infection. Coxs Bazar (AsiaNews) Bangladesh is home to more than 800,000 Rohingya who fled mostly Cox's Bazar in 2017 as a result of persecution in Myanmar. They joined others who arrived over previous years. Now the region has 1.15 million refugees divided in 34 camps. These refugees now face another threat, the coronavirus. Bangladesh yesterday in fact confirmed the first coronavirus cases in a Rohingya refugee camp, in Cox's Bazar, in the countrys south-east. Two [refugees] were found to be COVID-19 positive, said Mahbubur Rahman, a local medical doctor. Now the Rohingya community in Cox's Bazar is at enormous risk. If the virus spreads to the wider Rohingya population, it would be impossible to keep it under control. If this happen, The world would see another catastrophe. The AsiaNews correspondent spoke to some Rohingya refugees. Many say they live in fear of being infected with COVID-19. Although the Rohingya live in camps, at night some go outside and comeback before the sun rises, said Al-Amin, 25, a Rohingya refugee who works as a volunteer at an NGO-run pre-school. It is very risk for us. Anytime the coronavirus could spread here. Several NGOs are working hard inside the camps to raise awareness among Rohingya about wearing masks, putting on gloves when going out, washing hands several times a day, and keeping social distance. Caritas Bangladesh is one of the largest charities operating in Rohingya camps, with a staff of 250, helping some 60,000 families for a total of about 200,000 people. Pintu William Gomes, director of Caritas Bangladesh's Rohingya Response Project, spoke to AsiaNews the charitys work. We provide for their basic needs like food, housing, medicine, education, he explained. Now we have added an awareness programme so that they can be safe from this virus. Refugees also get soap, masks, and a leaflet with information on how to avoid the infection. For Pintu, the Rohingya are not much at risk. Since they arrived in Bangladesh, they have lived in a lockdown situation because they cannot officially leave the camps. Only a few Rohingya can leave the camps and if any outsider wants to enter, they would be stopped by guards. If security ensures that no Rohingya leaves the camps and that no outsider enters, they will be protected from COVID-19. Plus, the NGOs are teaching them to keep social distance and follow safety measures to avoid contagion. As a development worker, Pintu thinks that, unless a treatment is found, human civilisation will have to coexist with the virus. If that is the case, we shall have to learn how to live safely whilst coping with this virus in everyday life because we can't keep the lockdown forever. The country needs to go back to work. Without production, the economy will not prosper. So far, 283 people have died in Bangladesh as a result of the coronavirus. A total of 18,863 people have been infected and 3,361 have recovered. Each virus has its unique pattern of spread, and scientists are starting get a handle on how the novel coronavirus behaves. This understanding is making it possible to rank the risks of different activities from high to low to trivial. The most informative studies show how the disease is spreading in the real world - a big advance over the various simulations and models that, early on, showed only hypothetical scenarios. The two drivers of the spread of the disease are close contact and crowding in closed spaces, said Muge Cevik, a virologist at the University of St. Andrews in the U.K. It spread through homeless shelters and nursing and care homes, where people were crowded with many others. It spread through people's households, and through meat packing plants. Cevik has been collecting and reviewing papers from around the world on disease transmission. "There are some trends emerging," she says. "Spending time dining together, being in public transport," might risk spreading the disease, but "going to a market briefly, for five minutes or a transient encounter while you walk or run past someone, those are low risks." The studies come from China, Singapore, Taiwan, and to a lesser extent the U.S. They were all done through contact tracing, which may turn out to be humanity's greatest strategy for fighting the covid-19 pandemic. Contact tracing can stop chains of transmission, even after a disease is widespread, as physician and former World Bank president Jim Yong Kim explained in The New Yorker. Another major benefit is that it offers clues as to how the disease spreads. Each virus has its unique pattern. The U.S. has done almost no contact tracing yet. A survey of people coming to hospitals in New York City in May revealed that most of them had been home, and were not working or taking public transport. But why isn't everyone admitted to the hospital being asked about this? Why aren't we finding out who they live with, or who visited them, and tracking down where they've been? The lost opportunities are staggering. Cevik said people often ask her how the disease could be so transmissible if it takes closed environments or close contact to spread. The first part of the answer is that after much speculation of extreme transmissibility, the data show something intermediate, with each infected individual transmitting the virus to between two and three others on average. But the important point, which is often missed, is that this is just an average. In the real world, most people transmit the disease to nobody, or one person, and a minority infect many others in so-called super-spreading events. It's those we must learn how to avoid. The data show that nine percent of infected people are responsible for 80% of the transmissions, she says. Why? For one thing, the disease is apparently very infectious but only for a short window, and perhaps only in some cases. Contact tracing studies show people are most infectious right around the onset of symptoms, as well as a couple of days before and after. If someone in that stage goes to a party, or church service, or to work in a meat packing plant or nursing home, many other people will probably get sick. One study in China showed how the virus spread at a business meeting and a restaurant. A contact tracing effort in Singapore revealed big clusters of cases stemmed from a business meeting, a church, and a visit to a shop. Another study, one of the few from the U.S., showed how one infected person in Chicago spread the disease to multiple people at a funeral and later at a birthday party, and one of those infected at the party then spread the disease to others at a church service that lasted more than two hours. Other studies connected outbreaks to crowded offices. People who eventually developed severe symptoms were more likely to transmit the disease to others than were those who had mild symptoms, Cevik says. While it's clear the disease can be spread by people before they have symptoms, it's still an open question how many people have no symptoms and whether they are driving much of the spread. Much of the material in these studies comes as a surprise to people, says Erin Bromage, a biology professor at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, who recently got 11 million views to a blog post he wrote on how the disease is transmitted. People think if you get exposed, you automatically get sick or become infectious, he explains. But even people exposed to sick family members in their homes don't always get sick. Sharing a home or office does make transmission more likely, since length of exposure matters as much as distance from other people. People passing by you in a supermarket are unlikely to infect you. Outdoor environments appear much safer as well. In one study, which followed hundreds of cases, all but one transmission occurred indoors. "I'd like people to stop wasting mental energy on the wrong things," Bromage says. "To stop worrying about outdoors and bike riders since it's such a low risk." Bromage doesn't think strict lockdowns have to remain until we get herd immunity or a vaccine. But he would like to see businesses use the data available to start up without fueling major outbreaks. He sees hope for restaurants and hair salons in the new normal, and is advising such businesses in his community on how to minimize exposure. As Harvard population medicine professor Julia Marcus recalled in a recent piece in The Atlantic, 20th century doctors eventually relented on advice for unpaired people to remain celibate until there was a cure for AIDS. They started talking about safer sex. Now it's time to do the same with life under the coronavirus. - - - This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Flam is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She has written for the Economist, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Psychology Today, Science and other publications. She has a degree in geophysics from the California Institute of Technology. WASHINGTON More than eight weeks and almost $2.8 trillion federal dollars into an urgent response to the coronavirus pandemic, congressional Republicans and the Trump administration have made it clear that they are in no rush to engage with Democrats on another round of costly relief measures. But their resistance born of spending fatigue and policy divisions is proving increasingly unsustainable, given tens of millions of anxious Americans out of work, businesses and schools shuttered and an election looming. Even as the House moved forward Friday with a Democratic recovery measure that Republicans abhor, President Donald Trump and party leaders offered new assurances that they would draft their own legislation at some point, reflecting their growing unease at being portrayed as hostile to providing additional federal help. Phase 4 is going to happen, Trump told reporters at the White House, using the shorthand for the next round of coronavirus aid, just minutes after saying it could happen. Its going to happen in a much better way for the American people. Only last week, he said he was in no rush to take up such a bill. His pivot followed an unusual one by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the majority leader, who after saying Monday that he felt no urgency to provide more immediate help, told Fox News on Thursday that another round of recovery legislation was likely. Republicans reluctance to commit to more relief measures has provided an opening for Democrats, who have been pounding Senate Republicans particularly endangered incumbents facing the voters in November for their stance. They have seized in particular on McConnells brushoff I dont think we have yet felt the urgency of acting immediately, he said as a serious blunder by the usually disciplined McConnell. Id urge the constituents of senators in every state to call them and ask them that question: Do you agree with Sen. McConnell? Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said Thursday on the Senate floor. Members of both parties concede that the $3 trillion measure that Democrats were speeding through the House is several bridges too far, considering its giant cost and the underpinning of progressive policies on immigration and other issues that could never clear the Republican-controlled Senate. Republicans branded it an outlandish liberal wish list. Most have rejected it outright, and very few were expected to back it in the vote set for Friday conveniently scheduled by Democrats to coincide with more gloomy unemployment news. But this week demonstrated the difficulty of maintaining that stance. Jobless claims soared to 36.5 million over two months, and Jerome H. Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, warned Wednesday that Congress must be prepared to enact more fiscal stimulus to avoid long-term economic damage. Rep. Peter T. King, R-N.Y., who said he would support Democrats $3 trillion aid bill despite his opposition to many of its provisions, said the dire economic situation of so many states and cities meant Congress had to start somewhere. States are going to go under, King said. Youve got to get negotiations going. You cant stand in each others corners yelling back and forth. Yet that seems to be exactly what is happening, as the pandemic continues to exact its toll. Almost since the last rescue package was approved in late April, McConnell has been insistent that it was time for Congress to pause and evaluate how the trillions in spending already pushed out the door were working before allocating more. McConnell was not happy with how the previous negotiations unfolded, with Democrats successfully holding out for concessions and the White House, represented by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, readily acquiescing. He made it clear he would not go down that road again. He began the week sticking to that position, telling reporters Tuesday that he would not so much as interact with Democrats until Senate Republicans and the White House had reached a joint decision on whether to move ahead, and what should be included in any package. But by Thursday, he opened the door slightly to another round of legislation, even as he left the timing uncertain. We do anticipate having to act again at some point, he said in the interview with Fox News, saying that he agreed with Powell. I am certainly not ruling out another fiscal package. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was not waiting, pushing forward her House bill put together solely by Democrats, while noting the call by the Federal Reserve chair for aggressive intervention by Congress to shore up the economy. In the absence of a Republican negotiating partner, she said, our conversation is with the American people. She also warned that opposing the legislation could have political consequences. If you vote against this and all this funding for your state, then you have to go home and defend it, she said Thursday evening during a call with the caucus, according to multiple people familiar with the remarks. And if you can defend that no vote, then youre a better politician than me. Earlier Thursday, McConnell shredded the House legislation on the Senate floor as an 1,800-page seasonal catalog of left-wing oddities and a totally unserious effort. He also said that Democrats cannot stop salivating over the possibilities for partisan gain. Whether they are salivating or not, it is true that Democrats see the opportunity to score political points if Republicans stick to their standpat stance on pandemic relief. Democrats are trying to position themselves as the alternatives to go-slow Republicans, portraying theirs as the party racing to the rescue of suffering and cash-short Americans, as evidenced by the support former Vice President Joe Biden gave this week for rent and mortgage forgiveness for those struggling to pay. At the same time, Democratic state parties in Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina, among others, are hammering Republican incumbents, pressing them on whether they side with McConnell or unemployed constituents being thrown off their health insurance. One broadside aimed at Sen. Thom Tillis in North Carolina was typical. Does Tillis Agree With McConnell That Theres No Urgency to Act as New Reports Show Millions Without Health Insurance and a Looming Long, Painful Downturn? asked a statement distributed by the North Carolina Democratic Party. Republicans say they believe they can counter the Democratic drumbeat by focusing on how over-the-top the House proposal is, with its plethora of liberal policies and by emphasizing that the partys most progressive wing still was not satisfied. Republicans are also putting forward rescue packages of their own, though none have been embraced by either the party leadership or the White House. It was notable that Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado, perhaps his partys most endangered incumbent, on Thursday got behind a proposal by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., that would have the federal government underwrite minimum payroll for workers and provide new grants to struggling businesses. Some Republicans say the absence of a negotiation is in itself a negotiating tactic as the two sides maneuver for position. Many see more legislation as inevitable given the immense needs and the intensifying political pressure and say the foundation for an agreement exists, with business aid, payroll guarantees, help for state and local governments and some form of liability protections as building blocks. There is a deal to be had here, said Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, a senior Republican on the Appropriations Committee and a veteran legislative negotiator. It is just not going to be this deal, and it is not going to be rushed as quickly as the Democrats would like to do it. In the meantime, the parties remain in their corners shouting, but Democrats believe the clamor will ultimately force Republicans to come to the table. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's tropical holiday island of Bali could reopen to tourists in October, thanks to its success in controlling the coronavirus outbreak, the government said on Friday. As of Friday, Bali had reported 343 coronavirus cases and four deaths, a much lower fatality rate compared with 16,496 cases and 1,076 deaths in the whole archipelago. If the infection curve continued to improve, the tourism ministry is looking to revitalise destinations and do promotional work for some parts of the country, including Bali, between June and October, Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani, secretary of the ministry, said in the statement. Partial reopening of those areas, which also include the city of Yogyakarta and Riau islands province, may begin in October, she said. Bali's economy depends largely on visitors. Its gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 1.14% on-year in January-March, compared with a 2.97% GDP expansion nationally. Foreign tourist arrivals into Indonesia plunged more than 60% in March, compared to the year-earlier month, with Chinese arrivals sliding more than 97%. (Reporting by Bernadette Christina Munthe; Writing by Gayatri Suroyo; Editing by Nick Macfie) Like a bear emerging from a long slumber, the Baton Rouge area on Friday cautiously but jubilantly entered the first phase of reopening its economy that had been largely shuttered for two months by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The partial reopening marked the first day since mid-March -- when the governor issued a statewide stay-at-home order that closed many businesses -- that restaurants could offer dine-in service with 25% customer capacity. A host of other businesses, including barber shops, hair salons, gyms, and bars with food permits, were also allowed to reopen Friday at 25% capacity. Louisiana coronavirus reopening, Phase I: What's open and what's closed? Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Monday that Louisiana will move into Phase 1 reopening on May 15. Phase 1 is hoped to last 21 days until June Lucy Sedky and Julia Laborde weren't able to experience a traditional LSU graduation ceremony Friday, but they were able to celebrate at their favorite restaurant, The Chimes, on Highland Road. "We love The Chimes," Sedky said. "And I would feel safe eating in their dining room, especially since the governor feels like it's safe enough to open." Sedky earned her bachelor's degree in marketing and Laborde landed a degree in accounting in their virtual graduations. They were joined Friday by their friend, nursing student Catherine McWilliams. "We're going to sit on the rooftop today," McWilliams said. "But I wouldn't have any problem coming back to eat in the dining room." The Chimes stands at the gates of LSU, and the university's closure affected business. "We've got some pretty good action in the restaurant today," Manager Logan McCoy said. "It's a good group." Elsie's Plate & Pie on Government Street was John Cagayao's first stop on Friday. The LSU student was on a break from his internship in Houston, and he and friend Jamie Pizzuto are regulars at Elsie's. But both opted to wait outside for their food instead of eating inside on the first day of Louisiana's Phase 1 of reopening the state. Usually at noon, Elsie's regular 100-seat dining room is filled to capacity with incoming customers waiting in the seating area or outside. At noon Friday, only a handful of diners were sitting inside. For dining in, Elsie's customers will be asked to wear face masks while ordering. Masks can be removed for eating. The staff at Magpie Cafe on Perkins Road were brimming with excitement in the first hours of reopening on Friday morning as familiar customers returned to sit and enjoy a cup of Joe for the first morning in months. The cafe's manager, Karli Cummins, said it made "her heart happy" to see the return of so many regulars. She greeted patrons by name as they trickled in the door. Across several outdoor shopping centers, which have been partially closed for weeks, there was a steady stream of customers as some stores re-opened for the first time Friday. About half of the stores at Siegen Marketplace were open to the public; some were limited to curbside pick-up. Eric Cashio headed to Roosters Mens Grooming Salon in Towne Center, but was turned away because they werent taking walk-ins. It was the second place where he tried to get a haircut. Its what I expected, he said. Cashio was able to drop off his iPad at a repair business next door. Cashio said he noticed more traffic out and about Friday, but said it was less than a typical Friday afternoon. Its starting to get back to normal, which is good. Meanwhile, The Mall of Louisiana has been closed for indoor visitors since March 23, citing the state stay-at-home order as the reason. The sign was not removed, nor were the doors open on Friday despite shopping malls included in the governor's order signed late Thursday. About two dozen stores began curbside pickup in early May at the Mall of Louisiana, but there weren't any customers on Friday morning. The nail salon with an external entrance at the mall was still closed despite being allowed to re-open. 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 mall expects to reopen on Tuesday at 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Its Sears anchor store announced plans to reopen on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Tanger Outlet in Gonzales re-opened Friday, but only a few stores like Journeys, Rack Room Shoes, Shoe Lovers and Fragrance Outlet are participating, according to its website. The outdoor mall is encouraging customers to wear masks, offering free masks to visitors and limiting its hours to between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. At Perkins Rowe in Baton Rouge, about half of the stores there were open. About half a dozen even had doors wide open to entice customers and window shoppers. Baker resident Nada Bittar was visiting a friend who lives at Perkins Rowe and taking her baby for a stroll but no shopping or eating out yet. "We're not ready for shopping, I would prefer to stay home with my family," she said. "I think people need to be careful, we need more time." But it was time to leave the house for New Orleans resident Babby Doley, who took a little road trip to Baton Rouge. Doley meant to pick up some home furnishings from Z Gallerie, but it hasn't re-opened yet. She also plans to shop at a few nurseries to pick up plants. "Even though the store was closed it was still worth it for the drive," she said. "I don't have anything else to do, it feels good to be out and about just to get out of the house." Most of the businesses in Delmont Village shopping center on Plank Road are open. Lots of businesses are requiring masks. Two of the bigger tenants, Planet Fitness and CitiTrends, are still closed. Frank Stewart, of Baton Rouge, had just stopped by City Gear and bought a mask and a pair of jeans. It feels good to be out here, kind of like its back to normal, he said. Even though its not. Things were sort of back to normal at Spectrum Fitness and Medical Wellness facility in Baton Rouge. Spectrum gyms were among the handful to welcome their members back Friday. Local franchises of many popular brands, like L.A. Fitness and Planet Fitness, are still closed and haven't announced reopening plans yet following the state's relaxation of the stay-at-home order implemented to mitigate spread of the virus. 11 graphics that officials say tell the story of Louisiana's fight against coronavirus in May Saying Louisiana has made significant strides in combating the coronavirus outbreak, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Monday that he will begin For Michael Bonnette, a Baton Rouge man who strives to exercise every day if he can, it "felt good to be back" at the gym he has frequented for the past two years. "I had no worries whatsoever about coming back here," Bonnette said during the middle of his workout. He's a longtime member at Spectrum's center on Perkins Road. Members who returned Friday entered to find sanitation stations set up throughout the gym and all staff wearing face masks, even though the gym isn't requiring customers to put them on. Some of the gym's cardio equipment was also roped off to discourage members from getting too close. In neighboring Ascension Parish, 83-year-old longtime Sno's Seafood & Steak customer Peggy Berteau was the first patron through the doors when the Airline Highway restaurant opened for lunch at 11 a.m. I got here early. I knew its 25% (capacity). I didnt want it to fill up, the Gonzales resident said as she sat down for a meal of shrimp scampi, baked potato, salad and, why not, a beer. Down the road in Prairieville at On the Half Shell on Perkins Road, forever customer Beth Willett walked into the restaurant with her friend Amy Smith for the first time in two months and remarked, Its like coming home. We couldnt wait, said Willett, of Prairieville. Im just totally excited to be able to sit down in a restaurant, added Smith, of St. Amant. Kayla Townsend sat on picnic blanket with her sister, nephew and her mom midday Friday under the shade of an oak tree in an isolated field in front of City-Brooks Community Park off Perkins Road. Townsend, 24, a northern Virginia native living in Baton Rouge for the past few years, had the pleasure of a visit from her mother and family, who had brought her a new friend, a pet dog named Zoey, for these days of social isolation. Despite the occasional jogger or walker, the park was fairly empty on a bright, balmy day, and the Townsends, who weren't wearing masks, were by themselves in the field. Reporters Timothy Boone, Terry Jones, Robin Miller, David Mitchell, Kristen Mosbrucker and Blake Paterson contributed to this story. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 15, 2020) - EMX Royalty Corporation (NYSE American: EMX) (TSXV: EMX) (the "Company" or "EMX") is pleased to report results for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 ("Q1"). The Company's filings for the quarter are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov, and on EMX's website at www.EMXroyalty.com. Financial results were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, and are expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated. HIGHLIGHTS FOR Q1 2020 Financial Update EMX ended Q1 with a strong balance sheet including cash of $66,367,000, marketable securities, investments and loans receivable valued at $14,707,000, and no debt. EMX had revenue of $751,000 which includes royalty income, interest earned on cash balances, and other property income including income from the sale or option of property interests. Revenue decreased by $664,000 from Q1 2019 principally related to a decrease in interest income and other property income. Royalty generation costs totaled $2,117,000 of which the Company recovered $517,000 from partners. The net increase of $514,000 compared to Q1 2019 principally relates to a decrease in costs recovered from partners that continue to navigate the COVID-19 market. General and administrative expenses totaled $1,203,000 which includes $473,000 in salaries and consultants, $267,000 in administrative costs, $232,000 in professional fees, and $160,000 in investor relations costs. The total general and administrative costs are comparable to Q1 2019 with an increase in salaries and consultants, and professional fees directly related to increased deal flow. Costs were also expected to increase as many of our costs are denominated and paid in USD which strengthened significantly against the CAD during the reporting period. For the quarter, the Company had net loss from operations of $2,528,000 and an after-tax net income of $2,120,000. Other items affecting financial results in Q1 include $378,000 in depletion costs, share based payments of $78,000 and a significant foreign exchange gain of $5,419,000. The foreign exchange gain was a direct result of holding USD cash and net assets denominated in USD. Operational Update In North America, EMX received provisional payments of approximately US$218,000 from the sale of 139 royalty gold ounces produced at the Leeville property in Nevada's Northern Carlin Trend. At the Gold Bar South and Hardshell (i.e. Hermosa-Taylor project) royalty properties, operators McEwen Mining and South32, respectively, continued with nearby mine development activities1. In the southwestern U.S., base metals exploration programs funded by partner South32 were advanced until suspension due to COVID-19. On the royalty generation front during Q1, and as a subsequent event, EMX optioned four gold projects for cash and share payments to the Company, work commitments during earn-in, and upon earn-in, royalty interests, annual advanced royalty payments, and milestone payments to EMX's benefit. In Scandinavia, the Company sold or optioned five projects to two different junior exploration companies. The deals involved provisions for share equity, advance royalty payments, and NSR royalty interests in the projects to EMX's benefit. Winter field programs were just getting started when they had to be suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. EMX's subsequent transition to desktop generative work led to the identification of new royalty generation projects that were acquired. On the royalty acquisition front, EMX purchased a 2% NSR royalty covering Palladium One's Kaukua palladium-platinum deposit in Finland2. EMX is a leading explorer and holder of mineral rights in Scandinavia. In Serbia, operator Zijin Mining continued construction at the Timok Upper Zone high grade copper-gold project, which is covered by an EMX NSR royalty. Initial production from the Upper Zone is expected to be in late 20213. In Turkey the new owner (Esan) of the Balya lead-zinc royalty property commenced work during Q1 that included a drill program to acquire data for defining underground design and mine planning parameters. EMX completed the acquisition of 18 royalty properties in Chile from Revelo Resources Corp. for US$1,162,0004. Of that amount, US$369,907 was applied to fully repay EMX for an outstanding loan due from Revelo. These royalties cover more than 135,000 hectares of prospective ground in Chile's key mineral belts. The Company's invested US$3.79 million in Ensero Holdings Inc., an environmental services company focused on mine remediation and reclamation, for dividend and other payments totaling US$8.54 million over seven years, and a 7.5% equity interest in Ensero5. The investment also provides for a strategic alliance to identify environmentally challenged mineral properties with exploration and development upside that may be remedied and then advanced to production or sold. The Company has proactively responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting the health and well being of our employees, consultants, and partners by following the recommendations from governmental agencies and health care experts in the countries where we operate. Q1 ended with EMX having transitioned to office based data compilations and reviews in support of our royalty generation, royalty acquisition, and strategic investment initiatives. OUTLOOK EMX remains in a strong financial position, ending Q1 with working capital of $71,428,000, including $66,367,000 in cash. Company management continues to evaluate our 2020 objectives in context of the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company's strong treasury, and a seasoned team that has weathered multiple industry cycles, puts us in a position to withstand the challenges the industry is currently undergoing. Although the mining industry and world economy are experiencing a pullback due to COVID-19, EMX continues to see heightened interest in its royalty generation projects, as underscored by the recent execution of nine new agreements. With the curtailment of field operations and implementation of work-from-home orders, EMX is identifying new royalty acquisition and royalty generation opportunities to bolster the Company's property portfolio. New acquisitions during Q1 included 18 royalty properties in the highly productive metallogenic belts of northern Chile, and the Kaukua palladium-platinum royalty in Finland. The Company will continue to look for ways to expand the royalty generation business in Chile, as well as in other South American countries. In Scandinavia, EMX has now established a presence in Finland, which complements the Company's substantial portfolios in Sweden and Norway. EMX expects to further capitalize on strategic investment and royalty acquisition opportunities as financing options for the industry tighten. The Company is poised to provide alternative financing mechanisms to companies with high quality opportunities that have had their options limited by the current market conditions. The Company's emphasis is on securing near term cash flow and/or additional royalty positions in key mining districts and favorable jurisdictions. The strategic investment in Ensero provides cash flow, as well as provide a unique approach on acquiring prospective mineral assets through the EMX-Ensero strategic alliance. Similarly, EMX's Rawhide investment is anticipated to provide cash flow to EMX in 2020 from ramped up production after completion of routine repairs and maintenance in Q1. Anticipated new sources of near term royalty cash flow include the Timok Project in Serbia, which is a development priority for China's Zijin Mining Group Ltd. As well, in Turkey, where the new operator (Esan) of the Balya royalty property is aggressively advancing the project to provide additional mill feed to its existing operations in the district. The Company has a resilient combination of revenue from royalties, pre-production cash and share based payments, and strategic investments. Continuing into 2020, EMX is ready to act on new royalty acquisition and investment opportunities, while further developing a pipeline of royalty generation properties to grow shareholder value. QUALIFIED PERSONS Michael P. Sheehan, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and employee of the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved the above technical disclosure on North America, Chile, and Strategic Investments. Eric P. Jensen, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and employee of the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved the above technical disclosure on Turkey, Scandinavia, and Serbia. About EMX. EMX is a precious and base metals royalty company. EMX's investors are provided with discovery, development, and commodity price optionality, while limiting exposure to risks inherent to operating companies. The Company's common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and the NYSE American Exchange under the symbol EMX. For further information contact: David M. Cole President and Chief Executive Officer Phone: (303) 979-6666 Dave@EMXroyalty.com Scott Close Director of Investor Relations Phone: (303) 973-8585 SClose@EMXroyalty.com Isabel Belger Investor Relations (Europe) Phone: +49 178 4909039 IBelger@EMXroyalty.com Neither the 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. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain "forward looking statements" that reflect the Company's current expectations and projections about its future results. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merit of properties, exploration results and budgets, mineral reserves and resource estimates, work programs, capital expenditures, timelines, strategic plans, market prices for precious and base metal, or other statements that are not statements of fact. When used in this news release, words such as "estimate," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "will", "believe", "potential" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which, by their very nature, are not guarantees of the Company's future operational or financial performance, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors may include, but are not limited to: unavailability of financing, failure to identify commercially viable mineral reserves, fluctuations in the market valuation for commodities, difficulties in obtaining required approvals for the development of a mineral project, increased regulatory compliance costs, expectations of project funding by joint venture partners and other factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified in this news release, and other risk factors and forward-looking statements listed in the Company's MD&A for the for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 (the "MD&A"), and the most recently filed Annual Information Form ("AIF") for the year ended December 31, 2019, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. More information about the Company, including the MD&A, the AIF and financial statements of the Company, is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the SEC's EDGAR website at www.sec.gov. 1 See McEwen Mining news release dated March 16, 2020 and South32 "Quarterly Report, March 2020"). 2 See EMX news release dated February 25, 2020. 3 See www.zijin.com. 4 See EMX news release dated March 26, 2020. 5 See EMX news release dated February 18, 2020. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/56008 Arshad Khan By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Announcements made by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday to lift the cash drought aviation sector is not expected to bring any major relief to key players. Contrary to their big ticket expectations such as direct cash infusion, bringing ATF under the ambit of GST and suspending airport charges, the Center on Saturday announced measures which were made previously with minor changes. "We will announce when we have something to announce," the FM said when asked about providing direct help to private airlines. Measures announced on Saturday were related to making India an MRO hub, better airspace management and privatizing airports. "The measures announced on Saturday are all long term. The industry at large needed immediate direct benefit to survive from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the airlines are on the verge of going bankrupt. We really expect the Government to come up with second round of measures," said a senior executive of a private carrier requesting anonymity. Kuljit Singh, Transactions Partner, EY India, said that the government should address fund raising capability of airlines. FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE "One challenge for private airlines in India is that these airlines have nearly all borrowings in forex (by way of foreign aircraft leases or foreign EXIM backed loans) and have little collateral to offer for new loans (as they own a low percentage of aircraft, which are anyway mortgaged, and typically have negative working capital) and hence they may have difficulty in raising unsecured debt from Indian banking system to tide over these COVID problems." "Therefore, the second phase may need to have more reforms in taxes on fuel, subvention for airport charges, government guarantees for additional unsecured borrowings of private airlines etc... Lastly, some of the private airlines may need to arrange for external equity capital, even at current depressed valuations, to tide over these unusual circumstances." Analysts also raised questions on the government's expectation of big investment in airports. "Aviation has incentives as 6 airports to have PPP. The question is who will invest now when future of airlines is uncertain. The sector can garner investment but not sure if the Rs 13,000 cr expected will materialize any time soon," Care Ratings said in a note. Airlines in India have stopped flying passengers since late March due to the coronavirus outbreak. The suspension of services and disallowing airlines to make advance bookings dried up all their major sources of revenue. Barring IndiGo, all the major airlines are struggling to pay salaries to their employees. Rating agency ICRA in a recent note said considering the daily net loss of Rs 75-90 crores during the shutdown of operations and the expected weak demand, the Indian aviation industry will require additional funding of Rs 325-350 billion over FY 2021-22. 1. Vicky Kaushal Movie - Masaan (2015) 2. Vicky Kaushal Movie - Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016) 3. Vicky Kaushal Movie - Manmarziyan (2018) 4. Vicky Kaushal Movie - Raazi (2018) 5. Vicky Kaushal Movie - Lust Stories (2018) 6. Vicky Kaushal Movie - Sanju (2018) 7. Vicky Kaushal Movie - Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019) Vicky Kaushal has made a name for himself as an actor who can be trusted to excel in any given role. From Masaan -- where he played a man who lights funeral pyres, to playing a special ops soldier conducting a surgical strike across the border -- he has done all sorts of roles in between and has always been amply praised for them. On the occasion of his birthday today we bring you a list of seven ofso far to add to your movie watching pleasure this quarantine. Enjoy!Director: Neeraj GhaywanCast: Richa Chadda, Vicky Kaushal, Shweta Tripathi, Sanjay Mishrawas an episodic film carrying three different narratives, which nevertheless get woven together in the end. Vicky acts in the second story. His character Deepak Kumar belongs to the Dom community who traditionally burn corpses on the banks of the rivers. He studies civil engineering at a polytechnic college where he meets and falls in love with Shaalu Gupta (Shweta Tripathi), whose caste is way higher than his. They fall in love and when he tells her about his low caste, she asserts it doesnt make a difference to her. She promises to be with him even if her family stands in the way and tells him to concentrate on his studies. But shes tragically killed in an accident and is coincidentally brought to the same cremation ground where Deepak's family works. Deepak loses direction after seeing her dead body. After grieving for a long time, he finally overcomes his sorrow and studies hard to fulfil his dreams. He gains a placement as a civil engineer in Allahabad.Director: Anurag KashyapCast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sobhita Dhulipala, Vicky KaushalThe film is director Anurag Kashyaps take on the actual case of Raman Raghav, a serial killer who had terrorised the homeless living in Mumbai during the 60s. The director added a new twist in the sense that the cop investigating the murder cases too is shown to be a basketcase himself. ACP Raghavan Amrendra Singh Umbi (Vicky Kaushal) is a drug addict who comes across the body of his regular dealer and another man when he goes to buy his supplies. Hes ironically assigned the case and comes to know it might be the work of a serial killer. The police capture the alleged killer Ramanna (Nawzuddin Siddiqui) but he escapes them twice. Ramanna has been keeping watch on Raghavan as he suspects the cop to be a killer just like him. Thats confirmed when in a fit of rage he kills his girlfriend. Ramanna makes a deal with him saying hell go to jail for the killing of the girlfriend if Raghvan agrees to kill the sole witness to the crime. The film was gritty as hell and both Nawzuddin and Vicky topped themselves essaying their complex roles.Director: Anurag KashyapCast: Abhishek Bachchan, Vicky Kaushal, Taapsee PannuWhat's the meaning of love? Is it pure animal attraction, where you can't wait to take yours and your partner's clothes off and jump in the bed every time you get some privacy or does it exist at some deeper level where it's important for the hearts to beat as one as well and not just the bodies. Is it what you say to your beloved or what you do for him/her that's important. It's not an easy question to answer and everyone has their own interpretation, their own approach, towards solving it. Rumi (Taapsee Pannu), and Vicky (Vicky Kaushal) are a much in lust couple who believe in rutting like rabbits whenever time and place permits. But is there something deeper between them? That question comes to haunt them when they are once caught red-handed. Vicky is hugely commitment-phobic and just doesn't see them as a married couple. Rumi wants to settle down for the sake of love and understands one cannot survive on love alone. Vicky Kaushal brought out the inherent madness of his character who is all about living in the moment and doesn't care two hoots about the future. His angst, his pain as well as his almost drug-addict-like need for Rumi is palpable.Director: Meghna GulzarCast: Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Rajit Kapur, Shishir Sharma, Jaideep Ahlawat, Ashwath Bhatt, Amruta Khanvilkar, Soni Razdan, Arif ZakariaThe 1971 war serves as the backdrop of this spy thriller. Tempers are high on both sides. The Indians are covertly training and supplying arms to the Mukti Bahini which is struggling to turn East Pakistan into Bangladesh. Pakistan naturally doesn't want this to happen and is hatching up secret plans of its own, preparing for a full-scale war with India.plays a Kashmiri girl Sehmat, who gets married to a Pakistani army officer Iqbal Syed (Vicky Kaushal) at the insistence of her father Hidayat (Rajit Kapur), a double agent whose loyalties lie with India. Though it was more of Alias film, as she played an Indian spy planted inrose to the occasion as a gentleman who loves her with quiet dignity. The love doesn't waver even when he reports her betrayal. His eyes spoke volumes when he came to know of her duplicity but in her heart he still loves her. The duo makes for a nice couple and does share certain chemistry and you actually feel bad for him in the film because of that.Director: Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee and Karan JoharCast: Radhika Apte, Akash Thosar, Bhumi Pednekar, Neil Bhoopalam, Manisha Koirala, Sanjay Kapoor, Jaideep Ahlawat, Kiara Advani, Vicky Kaushal, Neha DhupiaSome say lust is the most direct expression of love. It's love at its most unadulterated form. The four stories contained in this episodic film explored just that. Vicky acted in the story directed by Karan Johar. Kiara Advani and Vicky Kaushal star as a young couple while Neha Dhupia plays a rather lustful librarian. The film talks about how sexual satisfaction too is a right and women shouldn't be seen in a bad light if they demand it. It's the most light-hearted of all films, getting the full Karan Johar treatment but the questions it raises are no less pertinent. Vicky Kaushal played against type, portraying a clueless husband who doesnt know how to properly make love to a woman. And when he does understand that he apologises for his immaturity. It was all handled nicely without resorting to excessive melodrama.Director: Rajkumar HiraniCast: Ranbir Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Manisha Koirala, Vicky Kaushal, Anushka Sharma, Jim Sarbh, Sonam Kapoor, Dia Mirza, based on real-life actor and friend Sanjay Dutt and has pulled no punches in his treatment. Drugs, sex, AK 56, RDX -- its all there, make no mistake. Its a reexamination of the life of one of our most controversial film stars and Rajkumar Hirani has made every episode seem as real as it could get. Lifes all about choices and two fictional characters -- God (Jim Sarbh) and Kamlesh (Vicky Kaushal), represent those for Dutt. Both are fast friends but whereas one introduces him to the vices of the world, the other insists he takes a look at the virtues as well. Vicky Kaushal, as the nerdy Kamlesh, is a revelation indeed. One can see the pain Kamlesh suffers when he sees his friend deteriorating in front of his eyes. Hes so good he even forgives the fact that Sanju scored with the girl he planned to marry. Its one of theso far.Director: Aditya DharCast: Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Yami Gautam, Kirti Kulhari, Mohit RainaIts a fictionalised account of the surgical strike conducted by the army in P.O.K. The film begins with a surgical strike being conducted by special force commandos led by Major Vihaan Shergill (Vicky Kaushal) against North-East insurgents hiding in Myanmar. Some days ago, they had carried out a dastardly attack on an Indian Army infantry convoy in Chandel district of Manipur. We learn that Vihaan wants to leave the army on compassionate grounds as his mother is suffering from an advanced stage of Alzheimer's. He's transferred instead as a pen pusher in Delhi so he can be with his mother. His brother-in-law Karan (Mohit Raina), a fellow major in the army gets killed when Pakistan based terrorists strike Uri. A devastated Vihaan asks permission to lead a counter-strike across the border. How he goes about it forms the crux of the film. It'sthat compels you to invest in the film. He method acts to glory amidst the madness and comes out triumphant from the heart of darkness. He has once again shown that you can cast him in any sort of a role in any sort of a film and hell deliver his hundred per cent. Mrs. Hackney, with late husband John Charles Hackney Sr., lived in Devon for many years. Read more People Weve Lost Joan Hackney 91 years old Lived in Devon She was an artist, teacher, mother and volunteer More Memorials In the summer of 1944, Joan Marie Healy was 15, in high school, and doing her part during World War II by assembling radios at the General Electric Co. plant in her Connecticut hometown. After Bridgeport Central High School, she graduated from the Whitney School of Art in 1951 and began teaching art in Bridgeport schools. By 1954, she had enrolled at New Haven Teachers College, where she earned a bachelors degree and met John Charles Hackney Sr., an Army veteran attending the University of Pennsylvania on the G.I. Bill. He had traveled to Connecticut as a member of Penns Mask and Wig musical comedy club, and the couple met after a performance. Married in 1956, they were wed 59 years until his death in 2015. Mrs. Hackney, 91, a portrait oil and landscape watercolor painter, died at Bellingham Senior Living in West Chester of COVID-19 on Monday, April 27. Early in their marriage, the Hackneys lived near King of Prussia, where Mr. Hackney worked for GE. Mrs. Hackney focused on rearing her children and volunteering. She was an active member of Paoli Ladies Auxiliary, and the Hackneys were charter members of the Waynesborough Country Club. She didnt do much painting when her kids were younger, but she taught us, and she took us to all kinds of museums," said son Jack. The family moved several times for Mr. Hackneys career. After King of Prussia, they moved to Newtown Square, then Pittsfield, Mass., and then Syracuse, N.Y. In Pittsfield, his mother taught Sunday school at St. Marks Catholic Church, and in Syracuse, she volunteered at the Everson Museum of Art. The Hackneys returned to the Philadelphia area as Mr. Hackney neared retirement. They lived in Devon for 30 years before moving to Bellingham in 2015. In addition to her son, Mrs. Hackney is survived by son Allan, daughter Anne, four grandchildren, and other relatives. A private burial was Friday, May 1. The family plans a Funeral Mass later. Valerie Russ, vruss@inquirer.com BELGRADE, Serbia - Serbia has sent its army to a town near the border with Croatia where hundreds of migrants remain stranded in hopes of reaching the European Union. The Defence Ministry said on Saturday that President Aleksandar Vucic ordered the troop deployment to secure three migrant camps near the western town of Sid that are housing some 1,500 people, mostly from Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Vucic said he ordered the deployment to protect the local population from alleged harassment and robberies committed by the migrants. He told TV Prva that after a state of emergency imposed to fight the coronavirus spread in Serbia was lifted earlier this month, the migrants started venturing outside their camps, committing petty crimes and illegal entries into houses. Because of that people are feeling unsafe, Vucic said. There is increased popular resentment toward the migrants and frequent unsanctioned protests by far-right groups are held in front of the camps. There are an estimated 4,000 migrants stranded in Serbia, one of the main transit routes through the Balkans for people fleeing wars and poverty. Greece, a country that has struggled to manage large numbers of migrants crossing its borders, took steps Saturday to reunite minors with their families. Twenty-three minors, most of them from Afghanistan, left Athens on Saturday for Switzerland, where they will be eventually reunited with their families, Greek authorities said. Deputy Migration and Asylum Minister Giorgos Koumoutsakos said 508 asylum applicants will soon depart Greece. "Hey, Reilly! The zoo called. You're due back by six." Quips Jerry, the ultimate king of comedy and comebacks! What could be better than witnessing the stand-up legend crack you up with witty one-liners? Nothing! You heard it right. The greatest TV sitcom of the 90s returns to television as Zee Cafe brings back the iconic comic caper about NOTHING Seinfeld. Heres a show that ditched the rulebook and redefined television for decades to come with its quirks and ability to mine laughter out of everyday mundane scenarios. Starting this week, weeknights at 7 PM, buckle-up for a rib-tickling ride back to the 90s where nothing is the rule, and nothing is the exception. The Emmy and Golden Globe winner for Best Comedy Series, Seinfeld, follows the misadventures of an eccentric foursome comprising the sarcastic Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), the neurotic and slow-witted George (Jason Alexander), the sharp and sassy Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and the whacky next-door neighbour Kramer (Michael Richards). What makes this comedy strikingly relatable is its absurd take on the most trivial occurrences be it waiting in line, searching for a lost item, or the trials and tribulations of dating. Amidst the rush and roar of New York City, one thing is for certain with this silly squad, there is ALWAYS a good story to tell! For a show that gifted the world with a dictionary of catchphrases and truckloads of laughter, Seinfeld hits you with nostalgia, while genuine comedy takes centre stage. To those 90s kids for whom Seinfeld was a staple, it couldnt get any better! And to those newbies witnessing a hilarious take on lifes simplest moments - whats in store for you? Nothing in particular, but everything in general! Witness Jerry and his friends wrestle with lifes most perplexing questions in the OG sitcom of the 90s as Zee Cafe airs Seinfeld, weeknights at 7 PM To Know more, follow us on @ZeeCafe , Zee Cafe, zeecafeindia Firefighters have been battling a large forest fire in Co Down. The blaze in Castlewellan has been burned since Friday morning. The fire has swept over a large area of gorse and forest. On Saturday afternoon, around 50 firefighters continued to tackle the flames. Seven pumping units were in attendance, along with a command unit and supervisory officers. A specialist wildfire response team and specialist rescue team were also involved. NIFRS and Forestry Service face punishing conditions in their battle to control a fire close to Castlewellan Forest Park pic.twitter.com/wMDrMuVFuW Richie Campbell (@Richie4504) May 16, 2020 South Down MP Chris Hazzard praised the efforts. He tweeted: Huge credit to @NIFRSOFFICIAL for their ongoing efforts in battling wild fire outside Castlewellan The 22 northeastern insurgents from six outfits flown out of Myanmar in a special flight on Friday have landed in India and have been handed over to the police in Manipur and Assam. Myanmars decision marks a huge step forward for security cooperation between the two neighbours that New Delhi believes sets the template for other anti-India insurgents caught by Naypyidaw. But it has taken months of hard work and perseverance. Nine months, to be precise, people familiar with the developments told Hindustan Times. The first step was taken during the India visit of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar Defence Services. One of the many meetings that Senior General Hlaing had in Delhi with the Indian leadership was with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. It was at this July-end meeting that Ajit Doval broached the topic. The 22 insurgents had been captured by Myanmar military during joint operations carried out a few months earlier along the borders of Myanmars Sagaing Region. The operations, codenamed Operation Sunshine, had started in February and continued through March. INSURGENTS DEPORTED FROM MYANMAR NDFB (S) Rajen Daimary @ Rebgon, self-styled Home Secy Self-styled Capt Sansuma Basumatary @ Sarontsai Gagaram Basumatary @ Capt. Gamsha Surju Brahmo @ Brammo SwrjiSula Sukuram Brahma KLO Shanker Deb Barman @ Silukar @ Siluksh Bhajan Barman @ Tiger Koch Bishu Roy @ Bishwa Singha Koch Jitendra Roy @ Mangak Koch Dhono Roy @ Sgt. Bahadur UNLF Naoba Meitei @ Nganba Masoom @ Sinthoi Balaram Takhellambam @ Loijing Self-styled Capt Sanatomba @ Ningthoujam @ Manaoba Pratap Meitei @ Naitomnganba Sanjoy Meitei @ Naocha Ajoy Akoijam @ Uttam PLA Athoi Meitei @ Koiramba Kennedy Aribam @ Nongdren PREPAK (Pro) Self-styled Lt Pashuram Laishram @ Arjun Premananda Meitei @ Harjit KYKL Santosh Meitei @ Kanta They started out with Indian forces holding strong on its side of the border while Myanmars forces acted against its insurgent groups. The tactic, called hammer and anvil, involves one force pinning down the enemy while the other corners and slams them. The insurgents had been extorting money from Indian personnel working on the $ 484 million Kaladan multi-modal transit transport project in Myanmar funded by India. The second phase focused largely on anti-India insurgents; the Myanmar army action forced the insurgents to cross over and surrender to Indian border guards. It is during the second phase of the operation that the 22 insurgents deported on Friday were caught by Myanmar military. Senior security officials who have been closely associated with the exercise to get back the insurgents said NSA Ajit Doval and Home Minister Amit Shah oversaw the efforts that continued ever since the July meeting. The decision to deport these 22 insurgents, an official said, is a sharp contrast to the time when Myanmar would rarely act against the anti-India insurgents for one reason or the other. As a result of cooperation between security agencies of the two countries, Myanmar initially took some action and later conducted joint operations with Indian security forces. Also Read: Nudged by Ajit Doval, Myanmar army hands over 22 northeast insurgents This moved up a notch when Myanmar okayed joint operations Indian soldiers would move into its territory to back it up as happened during the 2019 operations. Indian soldiers had also provided military provisions and tactical support in the form of UAV and satellite imagery to the Myanmar units on the ground. Handing over insurgents is a huge leap, the official said, adding that this places security cooperation between India and Myanmar at a similar plane as the UAE which, due to synergy between security agencies of the two countries, isnt a haven for criminals wanted in India. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The Middleburg Heights Planning Commission reviewed and accepted a similar-use permit application on May 13 for Kingsmans Vale Tattoo Company. The owner would like to establish his cosmetic and body art business at 7557 Pearl Road in a general business zoning district. City Council gets to review the similar-use permit application next and will have final approval. One of the things that we wanted to introduce to the community about our tattooing is that its cosmetic, its body art and we want to do a higher-end, upscale type of professional service, as opposed to just a regular tattoo environment or a tattoo shop, said Christopher McCracken, company development director. It primarily will be an appointment-only business, with "occasional walk-ins," McCracken said. "Our clientele is going to be diverse. We're going to do regular tattoo and body art, along with working with individuals that have some self-esteem issues due to surgery, mastectomy or cancer," he added. We have an on-call nurse and would make sure we have a doctors written approval stating the person is medically cleared to be able to have a tattoo. McCracken equated the tattoo business to other personal service businesses, such as hair and nail salons. "It's just applying body art to the skin, as opposed to permanent makeup like they're doing down the street," he said. Tattooist Allan Adams said he has been creating tattoos for 15 years and will not do piercings or tattoo removals. We want to make it a lot more upscale. I just want to have a good, strong team to provide that professional service to anybody who may walk through the door," Adams said. Concerns raised by the Planning Commission included whether the business is better suited for an office building zoning district (McCracken said his business is more visual and its artwork should be displayed for public view); whether the general business zoning district prohibits tattoo businesses specifically (according to the assistant law director, it does not); and whether the tattoo business is a similar use and conforms to the characteristics of the zoning classification (it was up to the commission to interpret that and decide). Read more stories from the News Sun. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriza Pinandita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, May 16, 2020 08:30 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd86cdef 1 National virus-korona-indonesia,UI,COVID-19,COVID-19-test,swab-test,coronavirus-testing,University-of-Indonesia,coronavirus,virus-corona Free As part of its social responsibility and public contribution in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Indonesia (UI) and its various industrial partners are set to produce local-made test kits to support testing in the country. The university said it would establish a consortium comprising experts and researchers from its School of Engineerings Research Center for Biomedical Engineering (RCBE). The school will collaborate with several partners whose businesses are in the pharmaceutical, medical and manufacturing sectors, namely Dynapack Asia Pte. Ltd., PT Chandra Asri Petrochemical Tbk., PT Ingress Malindo Ventures, PT Toyota Manufacturing Indonesia, PT Langgeng Jaya, PT Indachi Prima and PT Sri Tita Medika. The consortium is developing flocked swabs a kit for collecting swab samples made with nearly a 100 percent local content. Read also: UI develops online map showing spread of COVID-19 in Indonesia The Hope and Solution for COVID-19 (HS 19) flocked swabs are now being produced after passing research and testing phases conducted by researchers and doctors from UIs School of Engineering and School of Medicine. The availability of flocked swabs is still rare in Indonesia and could only be imported. Collaboration between universities and the industry is necessary to address COVID-19 challenges, UI rector Ari Kuncoro said in a statement on Friday. Ari said the collaboration between the parties had led to the first batch of 50,000 HS 19 flocked swabs. The kits were distributed on Thursday to various hospitals through the network of UIs School of Medicine alumni. We aim to produce 1 million [HS 19] flocked swabs by this June to be donated to the government and later distributed to [COVID-19] referral hospitals and laboratories across Indonesia, Ari said. Read also: COVID-19: Government to conduct PCR pool tests in 8 provinces Hendri DS Budiono, the dean of UIs School of Engineering, added that the university was developing collaborations for research and innovation within the campus, particularly in the development of medical equipment. The cooperation between UI, the industry and the government managed to downstream [the universitys] research, which can contribute to the country, especially amid this pandemic, he said. Meanwhile, UI School of Medicine dean Ari Fahrial Syam said the cooperation proved that interdisciplinary-based research and development was the best option for the country. Aside from getting assistance from the consortium, the development of HS 19 is also funded by a grant from UIs directorate of science and technological innovations. Currently, the consortium is still developing the flocked swabs to include 100 percent local content. Two workers were killed and another injured in a reactor blast at a bio-diesel plant near Zaheerabad town in the Sangareddy district of Telangana on Wednesday, the police said. The incident occurred when workers were doing repair work at the reactor in the plant, which was getting ready to re-open after the lockdown. According to the police, the reactor's roof exploded and the workers were thrown away. Ghousuddin (35) and Saber (33) died on the spot, while Krishna Reddy was admitted to a hospital with injuries. The bodies were shifted to a government-run hospital for autopsy. After the accident, locals gathered at the plant and demanded compensation for the victims' families and the injured. Local legislators Manik Rao and Mohammed Fareeduddin visited the plant and assured the aggrieved families of all help from the government. The Telangana accident has occurred after an industrial disaster in Andhra Pradesh, which claimed 12 lives and injured hundreds due to gas leak from a chemical plant near Visakhapatnam on May 7. The styrene gas leak from LG Polymers affected people in five villages. The accident occurred after the plant was re-opened after 40 days due to the lockdown. The officials suspect the gas leak was caused by initiation of polymerization of styrene in liquid form due to prolonged storage during the lockdown. The safety system failed to prevent gasification of styrene, causing its leak. Hyderabad, May 16 : Saudi Arabia is looking at India as a dependent partner for its food security the same way as India depends on the Saudi Kingdom to fulfill its demand for crude oil and LPG, says India's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Dr Ausaf Saeed. He told IANS in an exclusive interview that the Kingdom has identified India as the best destination to source rice, red meat, sugar, spices and infant milk powder. He noted despite the fall in India's fuel demand due to Covid-19 lockdown, there was no decline in the country's crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia. The ambassador believes that despite the challenges posed by Covid crisis, there are huge opportunities for strengthening bilateral cooperation. Excerpts from the interview: Q: What has been the impact of Covid situation on the plans to strengthen the economic ties? Do you see any opportunities in this crisis? A: There are a lot of opportunities. In fact in March our PM had a video conference with the Saudi Crown Prince during which the two countries decided that within the G20 framework they will work together in all aspects, including the research in combating pandemics like Covid, healthcare and technological innovation. Within the bilateral framework also Saudi Arabia depends on India for food supplies mainly rice and pulses. As India depends upon Saudi Arabia to fulfil our demand for crude oil and LPG, the Kingdom looks upon India as a dependent partner for its food security. It is looking at different ways of partnering with India on the food security front. The Kingdom has identified India as the best destination to source rice, red meat, sugar, spices and infant milk powder -- 75 per cent of basmati rice consumed here is imported from India. The Saudi Agricultural & Livestock Investment Company (SALIC), owned by Public Investment Fund is acquiring stakes in Indian exporters, to secure agro-products in cases of emergency situations. SALIC recently invested $17 million to buy shares in LT foods, which owns the 'Daawat' brand of rice and is also in discussions with Allana Foods. SALIC is also working to invest in warehouses in SEZs, to ensure hassle-free 'field to fork' supply. The Embassy is also working closely with APEDA, Spices Board, MPEDA and other such entities in India to ensure steady supply of Agro-commodities and marine products. There are great opportunities for Indian pharma companies to come to Saudi Arabia. During the current crisis, Saudi private companies and government hospitals were facilitated to get the supplies of Hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol from India. There are huge opportunities in the automobile sector as well. Lot of vehicles that are imported into Saudi of international brands such as Ford, Hyundai, Nissan, etc are from these companies' plants in India. In addition, Indian companies such as Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra and Ashok Leyland have an active presence in the Kingdom. Saudi clients had placed orders for around 400 units of trucks and pickups from Indian in the beginning of the year. Saudi Arabia is India's fourth largest trade partner. The total bilateral trade is $34 billion. According to Saudi data for 2019, there has been a 15 per cent increase in India's exports to the Kingdom that is an increase of $800 million. Q: You recently completed one year in office and how do you look at the progress made in strengthening the bilateral ties? A: It started well last year with the Prime Minister's visit in October. During 2019 a lot of things were achieved, including strategic partnership. We were hoping to carry forward the momentum in 2020 because 2020 is very important for Saudi Arabia as it is the chairman of G20 and for the first time the G20 conference has come to the Arab World. Unfortunately, 2020 witnessed a lot of other developments one after the other. Before Covid it was fall in oil prices. Q: What has been the impact on Indian oil imports from Saudi Arabia? A: India imports around 40 million metric tonnes of crude oil from Saudi Arabia costing $24 billion annually. This fulfils India's 18 per cent of crude oil requirement. In addition, India imported 3.9 MMT of LPG during 2018-19. Covid crisis as such had no impact on oil imports. When the Aramco facility came under drone attack in the middle of last year even then the Saudi authorities continued their supplies to India because it was Diwali time in India. We did not reduce the intake from Saudi Arabia whereas there was a situation that because of reduction in demand we will reduce the intake. Last month we bought 7 million metric tonnes of crude. The other aspect is that Saudi Arabia has also proposed to make investment in India. There are plans to put in $60 billion in the biggest refinery coming up in Raigad district of Maharashtra. This is trilateral cooperation between Saudi Aramco, ADNOC of UAE and Indian public sector. We look forward although there was a slowdown because of pandemic nevertheless we are committed and we look forward to greater engagement in the hydrocarbons sector. Q: Having served in Saudi Arabia in different capacities in the past, how big is the current Covid challenge for you? A: Of course Saudi Arabia has been a familiar place. This is my third posting here. I was Consul Haj, Consul Commercial and Consul General. I had different experiences and exposure to these types of emergency situations. In fact in the very first year here in 1997, we had a disastrous Mina fire (during Haj) 70 per cent of Mina was burnt down. That time there were no fire proof tents and we were involved in rescue operations to help the people at that point in time. During two more Haj related crises, I was the Counsel General in Jeddah. It is a difficult time now but not something which we can't handle. Things are under our control and we hope to handle it very well. Of course definitely it is a challenging time -- one because of lockdown lot of restrictions. There are constraints imposed on you to tackle the situation. Nevertheless we are using technology to reach out and help people. Q: What is the current status of Haj 2020 plans? Are they planning not to host foreign pilgrims this year and have only symbolic rituals with the participation of a limited number of locals? A: The Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umra is expected to make an announcement by this month. Till such time it will be very difficult to know what kind of arrangements take place. Having said that there were instances in history when Haj had to be postponed due to situations like this. I wouldn't be surprised if measures like you are talking about are taken. If they want to go ahead the numbers may have to be drastically reduced because congregations come from more than 200 countries around the world and it will be very difficult handling them in a pandemic situation the world is going through. It is a very difficult choice which authorities will have to make but we will come to know soon. Of course last year we had our biggest contingent coming here with 200,000 pilgrims. People in India are of course looking forward to coming here for Haj but safety takes precedence. We are in close touch with Saudi authorities. Hopefully something will come out soon. President Muhammadu Buhari Saturday at the State House, Abuja, received the Madagascan native formulation against the Covid-19 pandemic, and reiterated that he will listen to science before allowing traditional or any new medicines to be administered on Nigerians. At an audience meeting with President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea Bissau who brought along with him the samples of the traditional medicine as shared to African nations by Madagascar, President Buhari said his position on all such herbal or traditional medicinal postulates had remained the same. We have our institutions, systems and processes in the country. Any such formulations should be sent to them for verification. I will not put it to use without the endorsement of our institutions, said the Nigerian President. On the main reason for his visit, President Embalo said having stabilized his country after the tussles that attended the general elections won by him, he had come to seek counsel from his father, President Buhari on his plan for a government of national unity and a proposed war against corruption in his country. READ ALSO: He also said that his new government met a country beset with a number of issues and problems, the resolution of which would require tremendous assistance from the big brother, Nigeria. Problems of Guinea Bissau are problems of Nigeria. I have come to you as your son. I need your help and assistance to make the people happy. I will not let you down, neither will I put you in any difficult situation, the visiting leader told President Buhari. In response to these demands, the Nigerian leader commended General Embalo on his confirmation as President and for stabilizing the country. I commend your political dexterity in getting the opposition to join the proposed unity government, he said. President Buhari restated the determination of Nigeria to keep West Africa politically stable and promised to support the new government in Guinea Bissau. I will cooperate and help in every way possible, assured the Nigerian President. President Buhari also used the opportunity of the visit to praise the good work that the President of Niger Republic, Mahamadou Issoufou, who is the current Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is doing in the sub-region, and commended him for keeping him informed of all that is happening around. Garba Shehu Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity) May 16, 2020 An exclusive investigation by The Grayzone reveals new details on the critical role Sheldon Adelsons Las Vegas Sands played in an apparent CIA spying operation targeting Julian Assange, and exposes the Sands security staff who helped coordinate the malicious campaign. By Max Blumenthal I was the CIA director. We lied, we cheated, we stole. Mike Pompeo, College Station, TX, April 15, 2019 As the co-founder of a small security consulting firm called UC Global, David Morales spent years slogging through the minor leagues of the private mercenary world. A former Spanish special forces officer, Morales yearned to be the next Erik Prince, the Blackwater founder who leveraged his army-for-hire into high-level political connections across the globe. But by 2016, he had secured just one significant contract, to guard the children of Ecuadors then-President Rafael Correa and his countrys embassy in the UK. The London embassy contract proved especially valuable to Morales, however. Inside the diplomatic compound, his men guarded Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, a top target of the US government who had been living in the building since Correa granted him asylum in 2012. It was not long before Morales realized he had a big league opportunity on his hands. In 2016, Morales rushed off alone to a security fair in Las Vegas, hoping to rustle up lucrative new gigs by touting his role as the guardian of Assange. Days later, he returned to his companys headquarters in Jerez de Frontera, Spain with exciting news. UC Global CEO David Morales (left) at a 2016 security fair in Las Vegas From now on, were going to be playing in the first division, Morales announced to his employees. When a co-owner of UC Global asked what Morales meant, he responded that he had turned to the dark side an apparent reference to US intelligence services. The Americans will find us contracts around the world, Morales assured his business partner. Morales had just signed on to guard Queen Miri, the $70 million yacht belonging to one of the most high profile casino tycoons in Vegas: ultra-Zionist billionaire and Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson. Given that Adelson already had a substantial security team assigned to guard him and his family at all times, the contract between UC Global and Adelsons Las Vegas Sands was clearly the cover for a devious espionage campaign apparently overseen by the CIA. Unfortunately for Morales, the Spanish security consultant charged with leading the spying operation, what happened in Vegas did not stay there. Following Assanges imprisonment, several disgruntled former employees eventually approached Assanges legal team to inform them about the misconduct and arguably illegal activity they participated in at UC Global. One former business partner said they came forward after realizing that David Morales decided to sell all the information to the enemy, the US. A criminal complaint was submitted in a Spanish court and a secret operation that resulted in the arrest of Morales was set into motion by the judge. Morales was charged by a Spanish High Court in October 2019 with violating the privacy of Assange and abusing the publishers attorney-client privileges, as well as money laundering and bribery. The documents revealed in court, which were primarily backups from company computers, exposed the disturbing reality of his activities on the dark side. Obtained by media outlets including The Grayzone, the UC Global files detail an elaborate and apparently illegal US surveillance operation in which the security firm spied on Assange, his legal team, his American friends, US journalists, and an American member of Congress who had been allegedly dispatched to the Ecuadorian embassy by President Donald Trump. Even the Ecuadorian diplomats whom UC Global was hired to protect were targeted by the spy ring. The ongoing investigation detailed black operations ranging from snooping on the Wikileaks founders private conversations to fishing a diaper from an embassy trash can in order to determine if the feces inside it belonged to his son. According to witness statements obtained by The Grayzone, weeks after Morales proposed breaking into the office of Assanges lead counsel, the office was burglarized. The witnesses also detailed a proposal to kidnap or poison Assange. A police raid at the home of Morales netted two handguns with their serial numbers filed off, along with stacks of cash. One source close to the investigation told The Grayzone that an Ecuadorian official was robbed at gunpoint while carrying private information pertaining to a plan to secure diplomatic immunity for Assange. Throughout the black operations campaign, US intelligence appears to have worked through Adelsons Las Vegas Sands, a company that had previously served as an alleged front for a CIA blackmail operation several years earlier. The operations formally began once Adelsons hand-picked presidential candidate, Donald Trump, entered the White House in January 2017. In its coverage of the alleged relationship between the CIA, UC Global, and Adelsons Sands, the New York Times claimed it was unclear whether it was the Americans who were behind bugging the embassy. Though he outlined work for an American client in company emails, Morales insisted before a Spanish judge that the spying he conducted in the embassy was performed entirely on behalf of Ecuadors SENAIN security services. He has even claimed to CNN Espanol that he was merely seeking to motivate his employees when he boasted about playing in the first division after returning from his fateful trip to Las Vegas. This investigation will further establish the US governments role in guiding UC Globals espionage campaign, shedding new light on the apparent relationship between the CIA and Adelsons Sands, and expose how UC Global deceived the Ecuadorian government on behalf of the client Morales referred to as the American friends. Thanks to new court disclosures, The Grayzone is also able to reveal the identity of Sands security staff who presumably liaised between Morales, Adelsons company, and US intelligence. According to court documents and testimony by a former business associate and employees of Morales, it was Adelsons top bodyguard, an Israeli-American named Zohar Lahav, who personally recruited Morales, then managed the relationship between the Spanish security contractor and Sands on a routine basis. After their first meeting in Vegas, the two security professionals became close friends, visiting each other overseas and speaking frequently. During the spying operation, Lahav worked directly under Brian Nagel, the director of global security for Las Vegas Sands. A former associate director of the US Secret Service and cyber-security expert, Nagel was officially commended by the CIA following successful collaborations with federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies. At Sands, he seemed to be an ideal middleman between the company and the US national security state, as well as a potential guide for the complex surveillance tasks assigned to Morales. When Adelsons favored candidate, Donald Trump, moved into the Oval Office, the CIA came under the control of Mike Pompeo, another Adelson ally who seemed to relish the opportunity to carry out illegal acts, including spying on American citizens, in the name of national security. Pompeo outlines the attack on Assange Pompeos first public speech as CIA Director, hosted at the Washington DC-based Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank on April 13, 2017, was one of the most paranoid and resentful addresses ever delivered by an agency chief. The former Republican congressman from Kansas opened his speech with an extended tirade against the Philip Agees in the world, referring to the CIA whistleblower who handed over thousands of classified documents to leftist publishers that revealed shocking details of illegal US regime change and assassination plots around the world. Alluding to Agees contemporary soulmates, Pompeo declared, The one thing they dont share with Agee is the need for a publisher. All they require now is a smart phone and internet access. In todays digital environment, they can disseminate stolen US secrets instantly around the globe to terrorists, dictators, hackers, and anyone else seeking to do us harm. The CIA director made no secret about the identity of his target. It is time to call out WikiLeaks for what it really is a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia, he rumbled from the podium. For the next several minutes, Pompeo ranted against Assange, branding him as a narcissist, a fraud, a coward. The right-wing Republican even quoted criticism of the Wikileaks publisher by The Intercepts Sam Biddle. Next, Pompeo pledged a long term campaign of counter-measures against Wikileaks. We have to recognize that we can no longer allow Assange and his colleagues the latitude to use free speech values against us. To give them the space to crush us with misappropriated secrets is a perversion of what our great Constitution stands for. It ends now, he vowed. Though Pompeo said he recognized that the CIA is legally prohibited from spying on people through electronic surveillance in the United States, he seemed to have already put into motion an aggressive program to spy not only Assange, but on his American friends, lawyers, and virtually everyone in his immediate vicinity. Carried out by UC Global, the campaign entailed recording private conversations of US targets, opening their phones, photographing their personal information, and even stealing their email passwords. The CIAs apparent attack on Assange had been activated weeks earlier, when Wikileaks announced the publication of the CIAs Vault 7 files. It would not be long before Adelsons security team began preparing space for Morales in Las Vegas. Journey to the dark side On February 26, 2017, Wikileaks announced the forthcoming release of a major tranche of CIA files revealing details of the agencys hacking and electronic surveillance tools. One such spying application called Marble allowed agency spies to implant code that obfuscated their identity on computers they had hacked. Other files contained evidence of programs that allowed hackers to break into encrypted messaging applications like Signal and Telegram, and to turn Samsung smart TVs into listening devices. Two days after Wikileaks initial announcement, on February 28, Morales was junketed from Spain to a hotel in Alexandria, Virginia just a stones throw from CIA headquarters in Langley. Though UC Global had no publicly known contracts with any company in Virginia, court documents obtained by The Grayzone establish that Morales sent encrypted emails from an Alexandria IP address and paid bills from a local hotel for the next eight days. From that point on, he traveled back and forth almost each month between Spain, the DC area, New York City, Chicago, or the Las Vegas base of Adelsons operations. When in DC, Morales sent emails from a static IP address at the Grand Hyatt Hotel just four blocks from the White House. The Instagram posts of Morales wife and travel partner, Noelia Paez, highlighted the frequency of his trips: Instagram posts by Morales wife, Noelia Paez, posted while in Las Vegas on January 20, 2017 Fellow UC Global executives began to grow suspicious of Morales and his secretive dealings in the US. According to their testimonies, he spoke constantly about his working relationship with the Americans. Yet UC Global had been contracted by Ecuadors intelligence agency, SENAIN, to provide security to the countrys embassy in London not to spy on its occupants. It was increasingly clear to them that Morales was deceiving one client in Quito to serve a more powerful force in Washington. I remember that David Morales asked a person from the company to prepare a safe phone, with safe applications, just like an encrypted computer to communicate with the American friends, to take his relationship with the US out of the companys range, a former UC Global employee recalled. A former business partner at UC Global stated in their testimony, Sometimes, when I insistently asked him who his American friends were, on some occasions David Morales answered that they were the US intelligence. However, when I asked him for a particular person from intelligence he was meeting with to give them information, Mr. Morales cut the conversation and pointed out that the subject was exclusively managed by him aside from the company. The ex-partner suspected that Morales was receiving payments from US intelligence through a bank account managed by his wife, Paez. On one occasion, they testified, I heard a conversation related to payments to that account from which Mr. Morales didnt want to inform the rest of the company members about. Suspicion turned to rage when the former UC Global partner recognized the full extent of Morales subterfuge. I started [lashing out] at him openly in violent discussions in which I reiterated to him that a company like ours is based on creating trust and that he cant give out information to the opposing side, the ex-associate recalled. At the end of several such arguments, he said Morales tore open his shirt, puffed out his chest and exclaimed, I am a wholehearted mercenary! One camera feed for Ecuador, another for the American client Two former UC Global workers and the ex-business partner said Morales began implementing a sophisticated spying operation at the embassy in London in June 2017. His testimony was corroborated by emails Morales sent to employees who oversaw the surveillance. Before that point, the cameras in and around Ecuadors embassy in London were standard CCTV units. Their sole function was to detect intruders. Most importantly, they did not record sound. To transform the cameras from security instruments into weapons of intrusion, Morales emailed a friend, Carlos C.D. (spy), who owned a surveillance equipment company called Espiamos, or, We Spy. He informed Carlos that our client demanded new cameras be placed in the embassy that were equipped with undetectable microphones. On the 27th of the same month, Morales wrote to the same employee: the client wants to have streaming control of the cameras, this control will have to be possessed from two different locations. He requested a separate storage server that could be operated from out of the enclosure where the recorder is located. By altering the cameras so they could be controlled from the outside, and outfitting them with hidden microphones, Morales put in place the mechanism to snoop on Assanges intimate conversations with friends and lawyers. He also took steps to feed the footage to a separate, exterior storage server, thus keeping the operation hidden from Ecuadors SENAIN. His marching orders came from an organization he described simply as the American client. Every 15 days or so, Morales sent one of the workers to the embassy to collect DVR recordings of the surveillance footage and bring it to company headquarters in Jerez, Spain. Some important clips were uploaded to a server named Operation Hotel, which was later changed to a website-based system. In cases when the DVR size was too large to upload, Morales personally delivered it to his client in the US. In December 2017, Morales was summoned to Las Vegas Sands for a special session with the American friends. On the 10th of that month, he sent a series of emails from a static IP address at Adelsons Venetian Hotel to his spy team. The messages contained a new set of instructions. Nobody can know about my trips, mainly my trips to the USA, Morales emailed his employees, because SENAIN is onto us. To further limit the Ecuadorian governments access to the surveillance system installed in the embassy, he instructed his workers, We cant give them access to some of the programs services, so they dont realize who has more log-ins or who is online inside the system [but] everything must look like they have access to it. Morales sent his team a powerpoint presentation containing instructions for the new system. The aim of the instructions was to create two separate users: an administrator for the Ecuadorian client with no access to the log-in so they would not be able to notice the second user; and a separate security log-in for the Americans, who would be in full control of the systems surveillance features. Obtained by The Grayzone, the slides were composed in perfect English by a native speaker who was clearly not Morales. From the powerpoint surveillance instructions provided to Morales by the American client while he stayed at Adelsons Venetian hotel in December 2017 David Morales obviously didnt have the technical knowledge, a former UC Global IT specialist who received the instructions, so the document must have been sent by another person. Because it was in English, I suspect that it couldve been [created by] US intelligence. Whoever authored the powerpoint instructions was clearly an expert in cyber-security with experience in electronic surveillance and hacking. That person demonstrated their tradecraft by erasing all of the documents metadata except for the username, PlayerOne. The powerpoint was handed down in the apparent physical presence of Morales, who proceeded to tell his employees, these people have given me the following instructions, drafted in English. In Adelsons orbit, there was at least one cyber-security expert with a long record of collaboration with US law enforcement and intelligence: senior vice president and global head of security at Las Vegas Sands, Brian Nagel. From top US cyber-crime investigator to Adelsons security chief During his lengthy career in the US Secret Service, Nagel worked at the nexus of federal law enforcement and US intelligence. In the 1990s, Nagel not only served on the personal protection detail of Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton; he was assigned to work with two foreign protective services after the assassination and attempted assassination of their respective heads of state, he said in sworn testimony in a US District Court in 2011. Nagel also stated that he later protected the director and deputy director of a federal agency that he neglected to name. During the same testimony, Nagel said he received the CIAs Intelligence Community Seal Medallion, an award given to non-CIA personnel who have made significant contributions to the Agencys intelligence efforts. As the deputy director of the Secret Service, he appeared alongside then-US Attorney General John Ashcroft at a November 2003 press conference on combating cybercrime, and testified before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee in March 2007. Besides those two public events, Nagel has not appeared on camera. One of just a few publicly available photos of Las Vegas Sands Director of Global Security Brian Nagel, from his congressional testimony in 2007 While the public tends to associate the US Secret Service with burly men in dark suits and aviator shades who whisper into their sleeves while shadowing presidents, the agency also functions as the countrys leading computer crime investigative body. In November 2002, the LA Times reported on Nagels role in creating the Los Angeles Electronic Crimes Task Force, a massive federal operation that occupied an entire floor of a downtown LA skyscraper. Dedicated to fighting electronic crime and cyber terrorism, the task force included the FBI, local law enforcement, private security contractors, and the US Secret Service. The initiative, said Nagel, was all about enhancing our current partnerships and building new ones. In October 2004, Nagel was credited with taking down a major international cybercrime outfit called shadowcrew.com (no relation to the Shadow Brokers hacker outfit that leaked NSA secrets). According to TechNewsWorld, under Nagels watch, The Secret Service used wiretaps, an undercover informant and their own hackers to gain access to the private portions of the [shadowcrew] site. These tactics seemed remarkably similar to those deployed 13 years later to spy on Assange. Before leaving public life in 2008, Nagel helped the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) create the National Computer Forensic Institute. Then-DHS Director Michael Chertoff vowed the institute would turn the tables on criminal groups by empowering law enforcement to use the same technologies hackers and cyber-criminals typically employed. Two years later, when Wikileaks first appeared, the special federal cyber-security units Nagel helped create were likely on the frontlines of the US fight to combat Assanges online information clearinghouse. Adelsons Israeli-American bodyman turns spying middleman When Nagel joined Las Vegas Sands as its global security director, he was placed in charge of securing an international financial and political empire that spanned from the US to Israel to Macau in the Peoples Republic of China. Sands chairman Sheldon Adelson possessed a fortune valued at around $30 billion that placed him consistently in the top 10 of Forbes list of the wealthiest Americans. Adelsons political activities were guided by two factors: his desire to expand his gambling operations around the globe, and his fanatical Zionism. He is so committed to the self-proclaimed Jewish state, he once lamented having served in the US Army as a young man rather than in Israels military. As a personal friend and financial benefactor of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Adelson plowed his money into a failed attempt to prevent President Barack Obamas re-election and halt the signing of the Iran nuclear deal. In 2016, he became a top donor to Trumps presidential campaign, helping to cultivate the most pro-Likud administration in US history. To ensure his personal protection, Adelson assembled a collection of former Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers as bodyguards. At the head of his security detail was Zohar Lahav, an Israeli citizen who served as the vice president for executive protection at Las Vegas Sands. Adelson with a top bodyguard Naturalized in the US, Lahav worked for a period in the 1990s as an administrator at the Israeli consulate in Miami. He was the subject of minor controversy in 1996 when the Miami New Times reported that the city of Miami had hired him as sergeant-in-arms, entrusting him with protecting the mayor along with an array of undefined roles, including personal aide. Lahav found himself in the news again in 2011 when nine members of Adelsons executive team sued his employer at Las Vegas Sands for refusing to pay them overtime. Three of the staffers amended the lawsuit to allege that they were denied promotions because they were African American. The [executive protection team], for all of its 14 years of existence, has been managed and controlled by an executive management team which has been comprised exclusively of former Israeli citizens who are white males, their lawyer complained. (Besides Lahav, the legal complaint named Adi Barshishat as an Israeli who helped direct Adelsons security team. On his LinkedIn profile, Barshishat lists extensive training surveillance by an unnamed Israeli Government Agency.) In their complaint against Sands, the plaintiffs alleged that Lahav routinely told racially charged jokes. One of them accused Lahav of forcing team members to transport firearms in violation of state law and making them operate an unregistered x-ray machine that placed their health in danger. Two of the security guards subsequently sued Adelson for causing them to suffer injuries, including sterilization, by forcing them to x-ray every piece of the billionaires mail. Lahav was also accused of ordering security staff not to communicate with Brian Nagel under any circumstance. Sands retaliated swiftly against the disgruntled security guards, reassigning them to humiliating mall cop-style roles. Next, Adelsons attorney accused the opposing counsel of anti-Semitism, claiming he had harassed Lahav with insulting questions about race, his religion, and Adelsons family. Finally, Nagel pushed to prevent the legal proceedings from being filmed, insisting before a district judge that televised coverage would create material for viral use on the internet by extremist hate groups and terrorists that could result in harm to Adelsons personal safety. It was an ironic claim by a security operative whose company appeared to have participated in a highly intrusive and possibly illegal spying operation against Assange and numerous lawyers, journalists, politicians, US citizens, and Ecuadorian diplomats. A CIA front in Chinese territory? By the time of the lawsuit, Adelsons company appeared to have been working closely with the CIA. A confidential 2010 report by a private investigator contracted by the gambling industry pinpointed Adelsons casino in Macau as a front for Agency operations against China. A reliable source has reported that central Chinese government officials firmly believe that Sands has permitted CIA/FBI agents to operate from within its facilities. These agents apparently monitor mainland government officials who gamble in the casinos, it stated. Previously detailed by the Guardian in 2015 and viewed by The Grayzone this May, the confidential report cited evidence from Chinese official sources of US agents operating from Sands, luring and entrapping mainland government officials, involved in gaming, to force them to cooperate with US government interests. A spokesman for Adelsons Sands issued a non-denial denial of the report, dismissing it as an idea for a movie script. Not long after, another collaboration between Adelson and Langley seemed to be in the works, and it too contained all the elements of a blockbuster spy thriller. I sense that this person offered him to collaborate with American intelligence authorities A 2016 security industry fair in Las Vegas at the Sands Expo provided the occasion for Adelsons company and presumably the CIA to enlist David Morales. His personal recruiter, according to witness testimony, was Lahav. When Morales returned from Vegas to his home base in Spain, he divulged details of the deal to his then-business partner. I deduced from the conversations with David Morales, where he confessed in detail his agreements achieved at his US trip, the ex-partner later testified in Spanish court, the head of security of Las Vegas Sands, a Jewish guy named Zohar Lahav, made contact with Mr. Morales, getting to become good friends with him at the security fair in Las Vegas. I sense that this person offered him to collaborate with American intelligence authorities to send information about Mr. Assange. Morales confirmed his and Lahavs close friendship during an interview in Spanish court conducted this February by Aitor Martinez, a Spanish lawyer representing Assange in the case. In an earlier court appearance, the Spanish prosecutor asked Morales directly about the connection between Lahav and US intelligence services; Morales claimed he had no idea. A former business partner of Morales recalled an incident when Zohar [Lahav] came to Spain and stayed at [Morales] usual house for a week. Further evidence of the relationship between Lahav and Morales can be found in an undated recommendation letter Lahav wrote for his pal. Authored on Sands letterhead, Lahav stated that he had worked with Mr. David Morales CEO in UC Global S.L. for 3 years, praising him for his loyalty and consistency. By the end of 2017, the alleged collaboration between Morales and Sands had fully matured, with the CIA apparently providing a guiding hand. Together, these entities ratcheted up their surveillance of Assanges associates and foiled his plan to leave the embassy under the protection of diplomatic inviolability. Spying, stealing diapers, and burglary plans Stefania Maurizi, an Italian journalist who visited Assange regularly at the embassy in London, remembered relaxed encounters with minimal security and friendly interactions with embassy staff for the first five years of the Wikileaks founders stay. It was in December 2017 that everything changed. During a visit to interview Assange that month, the Spanish security guards from UC Global demanded Maurizi hand over her backpack and all belongings inside for the first time. She protested the new and seemingly arbitrary procedure, but to no avail. They seized everything, Maurizi told The Grayzone. They took my two telephones, one which was encrypted; my iPod, and many USB sticks. There was no way to get my backpack back. The guard told me, Dont worry, everything will be fine, no one will access your materials or open your backpack. I was very suspicious. I wasnt even allowed to bring a pen inside to take notes. It turned out that UC Global employees photographed the unique International Mobile Equipment Identity number and the SIM card number inside the phone of Maurizi and many other visitors. In one photograph obtained by The Grayzone, the security contractors removed the SIM to get a clear image of the codes. It seemed this was the information they needed to hack the phones. UC Global photo of journalist Stefania Maurizis mobile phone Maurizi knew nothing at the time about the relationship currently under investigation between the CIA and the security team at the embassy. She was only aware that Correa, the leftist president of Ecuador who advocated for Assange, had been succeeded months earlier, in May 2017, by Lenin Moreno, his former vice president whom he branded as a Trojan horse for US interests. The new administration took a sudden pro-US turn that mandated hostility towards Assange and his organization. As the IMF dangled a massive loan before his cash-strapped government, Moreno denigrated Assange as a hacker and cut off his internet access as well as visits from the outside for a prolonged period. Assange, for his part, had become convinced that the embassy security was spying on him. By late 2017, he was using a white noise machine in the main conference room to keep his conversations with lawyers secure, and held the most sensitive meetings with his attorneys in the womens bathroom, opening the faucets to drown out the sound of their conversations. UC Global countered by planting a magnetic microphone on the bottom of a fire extinguisher, enabling them to snoop through the white noise. A second microphone was installed in the womens bathroom. Other plans exposed in UC Global company emails called for planting a mic capable of listening through walls, and placing it secretly inside the office of the ambassador, who was referred to in emails as Director of the Hotel. Morales also proposed installing listening devices in Assanges bedroom, and even put a program in place to swap out all fire extinguishers and replace them with new ones with hidden mics. The mic in the main conference room recorded the bulk of conversations, and is currently in the possession of the Spanish judge overseeing the case. Julian was extremely worried. He said the guards were working for intelligence, his lawyer, Martinez, recalled. I told him they were just working-class guys from southern Spain, where Im from. But now I realize he was totally right. On December 12, two days after receiving the powerpoint instructions at Las Vegas Sands on creating separate surveillance camera feeds, Morales sent an email to his embassy spy team identifying specific individual targets. According to a former UC Global worker, the list was created by the Americans. Among the first he ordered them to focus on was Fix, a German cyber-security expert; and MULLER, a reference to Andrew Muller-Maguhn, a German hacker and internet rights activist who was close friends with Assange. On a visit to the embassy, UC Global security photographed the contents of Muller-Maguhns backpack and the contact numbers in his mobile phone. Morales also demanded the surveillance of Ola Bini, a Swedish software developer who visited Assange, and Felicity Ruby, a colleague of Bini at the company ThoughtWorks, which Morales described as a team of hackers. In a September 2017 bulletin, Morales issued a list of 10 individual targets for investigation, demanding updated profiles on Assange lawyers such as Renata Avila, Jennifer Robinson, and Carlos Poveda, as well as Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon. Morales urged special attention to Stella Morris, a member of the legal team who recently revealed she began a relationship with Assange and had two children with him during his time in the embassy. After proposing a person thoroughly dedicated to the activity of spying on Morris, Morales eventually instructed an employee to steal a diaper from one of Morris infant sons in order to extract DNA which could prove she was the mother of Assanges children. At the time, the employee testified, Morales deliberately indicated that the Americans insisted in confirming [the DNA results]. Upset by the bizarre assignment, the UC Global staffer eventually intercepted Morris outside the embassy to inform her about the planned diaper theft and to warn her against taking the child inside. They were obsessed with American visitors, all of them, from lawyers to journalists to friends. They focused a lot on Glenn Greenwald, even opening his passport, taking pics of his visa to Russia and sending it to their headquarters, Martinez said, referring to the Brazil-based, American journalist who had visited Assange. (The Grayzone has viewed UC Globals photo of the entry visa in Greenwalds passport.) The December 12 email from Morales also called for attention to any Russian citizens visiting Assange. The directive seemed to reflect the growing American obsession with connecting Wikileaks to Russian intelligence and the alleged hacking of the Democratic National Committee email servers in 2016. UC Global spy footage of comedian and activist Randy Credico visiting Julian Assange in November 2017 As a result of the ramped-up surveillance, Garzon, the Spanish judge who led Assanges legal team, was followed by UC Global spies when he picked up former Ecuadorian President Correa at Barajas Airport in Madrid, Spain. The two were photographed while at Garzons home. Morales subsequently emailed a report and photographs of the meeting. A former UC Global employee testified that in November 2017, Morales proposed breaking into the Garzons Madrid office in order to obtain relevant information about Mr. Assange and giving it to [the Americans]. The ex-staffer noted that two weeks later, Garzons office was burglarized and no money or valuables were taken. The Spanish daily El Pais reported that three hooded men dressed in black broke into Garzons office on December 18, 2017, took no money, but shuffled through documents. All surveillance, tracking, and communications requests on Baltasar Garzon, according to what David Morales said, came from the Americans, the former employee testified. Morales also sent reports about a meeting Correa held in Brussels, with details of the serial numbers of his devices, intimate information on the people he met, and the content of those conversations. Strangely, the report was drafted by Morales in English and sent to his team in order to be shared on the special server created for the American client. He claimed implausibly that the report was for Ecuadors SENAIN. Yet when he was asked by the prosecutor and by Martinez, the lawyer for Assange, why he composed an email to Spanish-speaking Ecuadorian officials in English, Morales struggled for an excuse. Sometimes I like to write in English, he claimed. Maurizi, for her part, found that calls, emails, and texts from her editors, then at the Italian daily La Repubblica, were failing to go through. No one could explain this disruption, Maurizi said. I wonder if it had anything to do with these espionage activities. To this day I cannot say. Meanwhile, Pamela Anderson, the American actress who became a friend of Assange, had her email and mobile phone passwords stolen by UC Global during a visit. The theft occurred when Anderson wrote her passwords on a notepad so Assange could verify the security of her accounts. With the camera system they installed, UC Global spies managed to photograph the pad, allowing them access to her accounts. The spying dragnet ensnared virtually everyone who entered the embassy, even then-US Representative Dana Rohrabacher. Assanges lawyer Jennifer Robinson attended the August 2017 Share This Article... A total of 269,575,448 or 82.02% of the Companys issued and outstanding shares were represented at the Meeting All seven proposals to shareholders were approved, including the election of all 10 director nominees; Dr. Elaine Dorward-King joins the Board During the 2020 proxy season, NOVAGOLD placed outreach calls to shareholders holding more than 90% of the Companys issued and outstanding common shares entitled to vote VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NOVAGOLD RESOURCES INC. (NOVAGOLD or the Company) (NYSE American, TSX: NG) is pleased to announce the detailed voting results on the items of business considered at its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on May 14, 2020 (the Meeting). All proposals were approved and all 10 director nominees were elected. A total of 269,575,448 or 82.02% of the Companys issued and outstanding shares were represented at the Meeting. Dr. Elaine Dorward-King joins the Board of Directors of NOVAGOLD The Company is also pleased to report the election of Dr. Elaine Dorward-King to its Board at the Meeting, effective May 14, 2020. Dr. Elaine Dorward-King is a 30-year career executive with a well-established track record of accomplishments in the fields of environmental stewardship, social responsibility, sustainability practices, and governance. Most recently, she served as an Executive Vice President of Newmont Corporation (Newmont), where she was responsible for development and implementation of corporate strategy and practice related to environmental protection, social responsibility, community relations, external affairs, government relations, and communications. Prior to her tenure at Newmont, Dr. Dorward-King worked for Rio Tinto, where she served as Managing Director of Richards Bay Minerals in South Africa and, before that, as Global Head of Health, Safety and Environment. Dr. Dorward-King has authored numerous scientific papers, contributed to five environmental science textbooks, and received numerous awards and honors for her work in advancing safety and environmental responsibility, including being named as one of the 100 Most Inspirational Women in Mining. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Project WET, a global non-profit organization focused on water awareness education and training. Since 2014, she has served as a Board member of Resources for the Future (RFF), a preeminent environmental economics think tank, providing impartial research and policy engagement to advance environmental, energy and natural resource decision making. Dr. Dorward-King is serving as a non-executive director on the Boards of Kenmare Resources (KMR.L), Great Lakes Dredge and Dock (GLDD), Bond Resources (CSE:BJB), and Sibanye Stillwater (SSW). Dr. Dorward-King graduated from Colorado State University with a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry and from Maryville College in Tennessee with a B.A. magna cum laude in chemistry, with emphasis in biology and mathematics. Story continues Shareholder Engagement During this years proxy outreach, NOVAGOLD engaged with shareholders owning 40,000-plus shares; thus contacting holders of approximately 91% of the Companys issued and outstanding common shares entitled to vote at the Meeting. Year-over-year the input received from shareholders has helped shape and improve the Companys practices in the area of corporate governance. Shareholder Voting Results The Shareholders voted on the following matters at this years Meeting: Proposal 1 Election of Directors The nominees listed in NOVAGOLDs Management Information Circular were elected as Directors of the Company. Detailed results of the votes are set out below: Proposal 1 Outcome of the Vote Votes by Ballot Election of Directors Votes For Votes Withheld Dr. Elaine Dorward-King Carried 228,384,768 (96.74%) 7,692,753 (3.26%) Sharon Dowdall Carried 233,297,446 (98.82%) 2,780,075 (1.18%) Dr. Diane Garrett Carried 234,017,892 (99.13%) 2,059,629 (0.87%) Dr. Thomas Kaplan Carried 234,329,359 (99.26%) 1,748,162 (0.74%) Gregory Lang Carried 235,598,250 (99.80%) 479,271 (0.20%) Igor Levental Carried 231,882,849 (98.22%) 4,194,672 (1.78%) Kalidas Madhavpeddi Carried 232,968,133 (98.68%) 3,109,388 (1.32%) Clynton Nauman Carried 233,463,642 (98.89%) 2,613,879 (1.11%) Ethan Schutt Carried 235,517,677 (99.76%) 559,844 (0.24%) Anthony Walsh Carried 234,855,318 (99.48%) 1,222,203 (0.52%) Proposal 2 Appointment of Auditors The vote was carried for the Appointment of the Auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. The votes according to proxies received were as follows: Votes For 265,977,177 98.67 % Votes Withheld 3,597,313 1.33 % Proposal 3 Approval of certain amendments to the Companys Stock Award Plan and approval of all unallocated entitlements under the Stock Award Plan The vote was carried on the Stock Award Plan Vote. The votes according to proxies received were as follows: Votes For 223,685,676 94.75 % Votes Against 11,815,167 5.00 % Abstentions 575,719 0.24 % Proposal 4: Approval of certain amendments to the Companys Performance Share Unit Plan and approval of all unallocated entitlements under the Performance Share Unit Plan The vote was carried on the Performance Share Unit Plan Vote. The votes according to proxies received were as follows: Votes For 226,784,994 96.06 % Votes Against 8,680,650 3.68 % Abstentions 610,918 0.26 % Proposal 5: Approval of all unallocated entitlements under the Companys Deferred Share Unit Plan The vote was carried on the Deferred Share Unit Plan Vote. The votes according to proxies received were as follows: Votes For 229,432,606 97.19 % Votes Against 5,997,404 2.54 % Abstentions 646,522 0.27 % Proposal 6: Advisory Approval of Executive Compensation (Say-on-Pay) The vote was carried on the Say-On-Pay Advisory Vote. The votes according to proxies received were as follows: Votes For 206,218,591 87.35 % Votes Against 29,183,993 12.36 % Abstentions 673,978 0.29 % Proposal 7 Advisory Approval of Frequency of Seeking Non-Binding Approval of Executive Compensation The vote was carried on the Approval of Frequency of Seeking Non-Binding Approval of Executive Compensation Advisory Vote. The votes according to proxies received were as follows: 1 Year 233,840,325 99.05 % 2 Years 433,665 0.18 % 3 Years 1,261,069 0.53 % Abstentions 541,501 0.23 % Full details of all proposals are fully described in the Companys Management Information Circular dated March 26, 2020 available on the Companys website at www.novagold.com/investors/mic/ , on SEDAR at www.sedar.com , and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov , and the detailed results of voting on each proposal are included in the Report of Voting Results filed on SEDAR and on EDGAR. Following the Meeting, the Board met and appointed Dr. Elaine Dorward-King to serve on the Compensation Committee and the Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability, and Technical Committee, and appointed Ethan Schutt to serve on the Corporate Governance and Nominations Committee. The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders webcast and corporate presentation is available on NOVAGOLDs website under Presentations . The webcast will be archived on NOVAGOLDs website for one year and the conference call replay will be available for 14 days following the Meeting. To access the conference call replay please dial 1-800-319-6413 (North America), or 1-604-638-9010 (International), followed by Access Code: 3781. For a transcript of the call please see the Companys website or email info@novagold.com . NOVAGOLD Contacts: Melanie Hennessey Vice President, Corporate Communications Jason Mercier Manager, Investor Relations 604-669-6227 or 1-866-669-6227 As co-ordinator of the print studio at Creative Spark, Grainne Murphy is used to the hustle and bustle of working alongside other artists, giving classes and workshops. A graduate of Limerick School of Art and Design, she took up the position of manager at the Clontygora Drive studio in 2018 and has been instrumental in delivering an exciting range of courses, workshops and outreach programmes. Now, since the doors of Creative Spark closed in March, she has been concentrating on her own work, as well as reaching out to the print studio members and liaising with other print studios around the country. For the first few weeks, she admits that like many, she found it hard to concentrate on her work. Then inspired by seeing others create, she began to work on a project which she had started some time earlier. 'I have limited print making supports at home, so I am mostly working digitally on my iPad, doing preparatory work and coming up with ideas, as well as doing some lino cuts,' she explains. 'The work is all about exploring altered landscapes and about the calming effect which the sea has on people.' She had already started researching the concept of the 'Blue Mind', in which marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols, points to the scientific evidence that being close to bodies of water promotes mental health and happiness. 'I had started looking at it a couple of months and go and have been delving into it now as it ties in with what is happening now' she says. Living in town, she says she had been 'imagining the ocean and looking at photos, getting her fix of the sea by walking to The Quay. She welcomes the extension of the 2km exercise zone to 5km as it means she can now cycle out to Blackrock. As she explores the patterns of the tides, she says the creative process is good at keeping thoughts of the COVID-19 crisis at bay. 'I try to draw every day to keep creative and keep my mind off everything else.' Alongside her own work, Grainne is busy keeping in contact with the other staff at Creative Spark and members of the print studio, having lots of virtual meetings via ZOOM. 'We are offering on-line courses and different studio members take over the Creative Spark Instagram account for a few days,' she says. 'Every Friday we promote the work of former artists in residence and we are also looking for people to apply for print residencies later in the year.' There are exciting plans for the building of a FAB Lab beside the existing Creative Spark building with the print studio relocating into the new build. Construction is not due to start until later this year, so hopefully the project won't be delayed. The studio is also part of Print Network Ireland, a network of print studios around the country which are working to promote one and other as they prepare for re-opening later this summer. They are also marking National Drawing Day on Saturday with a virtual workshop. Grainne is also a member and secretary of the Art As Exchange (AAEX) collective which operates out of Creative Spark. 'It's very strange just meeting up with everyone through ZOOM and communicating through WhatsApp,' she ays. The group has been busy supporting fellow member Niamh O'Connor's campaign 'Grasp The Arts' which asks creatives to grasp a lump of clay or other material and to post an image of the resulting shape on social media. Grainne has shown her work in group exhibitions with the print studio and AAEX,and is now in the process of setting up an on-line store on her website www.grainemurphyart.com The American state has restricted black peoples mobility at least since the time of slavery. These regulations included convict leasing, Black Codes, loitering laws, redlining, racial zoning, redistricting (legal and illegal), the prison-industrial complex and increased surveillance. This history has given us entire cities built to shepherd black labor and presence. One might even consider the black experience as a kind of never-ending quarantine and indeed Jim Crow laws that grew partly out of concerns that black people spread contagion, like tuberculosis and malaria, affirmed as much. The eugenics movement, popular in the early 20th century, led many doctors and scientists to attribute the precarious state of black health to physiological, biological and moral inferiority, instead of structural causes like poverty and racism. Nearly a century ago, my grandparents fled the Jim Crow South, joining the millions of black families that moved north and west as part of the Great Migration. No matter how many thousands of miles they crossed, they met the same thing: not freedom, but constraint. Even in some of Americas most progressive cities like San Francisco, where my family ended up, black people were relegated to parts of town with limited housing, overcrowded schools and low-paying jobs. The police were everywhere. New Delhi: A special train carrying around 700 Tablighi Jamaat members will leave from Delhi to Tamil Nadu on Saturday (May 16). The train will depart from the Old Delhi Railways Station in the national capital at 2 pm today. According to reports, all 700 Tablighi Jamaat members were placed at quarantine centres in the national capital and are said to be free of the coronavirus COVID-19 infection. Special buses have been arranged from the quarantine centre in Delhi to the Old Delhi Railway Station. Buses have also been arranged to ferry the Tablighi Jamaat members from Chenani railway station to their respective home towns. The decision to allow Tablighi Jamaat members to leave Delhi was taken after a special request was placed by the Tamil Nadu government led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami. On May 16, a PIL, filed in the Delhi High Court seeking immediate release of Tablighi Jamaat members put in quarantine centres for almost five weeks, was withdrawn by the petitioner. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar, which conducted the hearing through video conferencing, was told by the counsel for the petitioner that they wish to withdraw the petition as the Delhi government has already directed for release of Tablighi Jamaat members who do not show any symptoms of COVID-19. In another development, prominent Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind said as many as 1,640 foreign Tablighi Jamaat members from 47 countries were in India at the time of Nizamuddin Markaz gathering, of whom only 64 tested positive for COVID-19 and two more died of the virus. Jamiat president Maulana Arshad Madani added that out of the total foreign Tablighi Jamaat members, 739 are in Delhi and the rest are in other states. Earlier, government sources said foreign nationals, who attended the religious congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi would face punitive action if they are found to have participated in the gathering violating visa rules. HARRISBURG The state Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a lawsuit seeking to force Pennsylvania elections officials to accept absentee or mail-in ballots as long as they are received within a week after the primary or general elections during the pandemic. Disability Rights Pennsylvania, the Senior Law Center and several other parties filed the suit in late April, arguing that postal delays from the pandemic could cause ballots to be received too late to count. However, the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf had argued against it, saying among other things that it would be unconstitutional because it would give different voters different deadlines. Under a 2019 law, the deadline for county elections offices to receive absentee and mail-in ballots is currently 8 p.m., when polls close, on election day. Pennsylvania's primary was postponed until June 2 from April 28 because of the pandemic, and many, if not most, votes are expected to be cast by mail. Meanwhile, many counties are making plans to shrink the number of polling locations they would otherwise open because of the pandemic. The state legalized mail-in ballots last fall and they will be used for the first time this year. India's third Covid wave likely to peak on Jan 23, daily cases to stay below 4 lakh: IIT Kanpur scientist Migrants detained by cops after interaction with Rahul Gandhi, claims Congress India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, May 16: The Congress on Saturday claimed that some migrant labourers were detained soon after their interaction with former party president Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi, in a white kurta and black trousers, can be seen wearing a face mask and sitting on the pavement, talking to at least three men, while others, including women and young children. The Congress leader interacted with migrant labourers who were walking near Sukhdev Vihar flyover to return to their home states. Party volunteers later arranged vehicles to take them to their homes. "Rahul Gandhi came and met us half an hour back. He booked the vehicle for us and said he will drop us to our homes. He gave us food, water and mask," Devendra, a migrant labourer, was quoted as saying by ANI. Lift the lockdown: Key highlights of Rahul Gandhi's conference "We got to know that they were being detained. Rahul Gandhi came and met them. We talked to Police after which they agreed that they will allow 2 people to go together. Our volunteers are now taking them to their homes. We are sending 2 people together," claimed Anil Chaudhary, Delhi Congress. Amid nationwide lockdown, hundreds of migrants, for days together now, have been walking or hitchhiking their way to homes. Earlier in the day, the Congress leader spoke to regional media via a Zoom video call and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider his Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package for the economy, asking, instead, that money be put directly into the hands of the poor. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, May 16, 2020, 19:26 [IST] Young children are as likely to get coronavirus as adults, said the Deputy Chief Medical Officer at today's Downing Street coronavirus news briefing. Dr Jenny Harries warned children are one of the two groups that are potentially at risk of contracting the virus, but said they 'don't get as ill' and are 'less likely to pass it on'. Previous research has shown infants are not as likely to become infected by coronavirus than adults and, if they do, show milder symptoms, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine. Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, Dr Jenny Harries, at the daily news conference today, during which she said young children are as likely to get the virus as adults Speaking this evening, Dr Harries said: 'There are two groups that are at potential risk here, one are children. 'We think that children probably have the same level of infection, we are just going through that data now with the ONS (Office of National Statistics) survey, but they don't get as ill. 'We rarely see children in hospital in proportion to the older population. 'And for younger children as well, the evidence is still growing but there may be some evidence that they are less likely to pass it on.' Research from January analysed data on the first 425 confirmed coronavirus cases in Wuhan, where the outbreak was first identified. The study states: 'It is notable that few of the early cases occurred in children, and almost half the 425 cases were in adults 60 years of age or older. 'Although our case definition specified severe enough illness to require medical attention, which may vary according to the presence of co-existing conditions.' The Deputy Chief Medical Officer also said young children will still be able to socially distance at school, ahead of a planned return for some year groups next month. A teacher distributes lunch meals to pupils at the Saint Germain de Charonne School in Paris, France. Primary schools have re-opened in the country this week Dr Harries said plans include having small groups 'where you increase the level of interaction a small amount, but it is contained'. The Government expects children to be able to return to nurseries and childcare settings, and for reception, year one and year six pupils to be back in school, from June 1 at the earliest. She said: 'Although it is recognised that small children will run around and interact, we expect them to, but you can still distance. I know this is the plan.' She also suggested that desks could be placed appropriate distances apart from one another to prevent long periods of close contact. Dr Harries added: 'A child rushing past another one in a normal area is probably not much of a risk. 'But if they were sitting directly opposite to each other in a very small space, close together for a long amount of time - that might be more of a risk. Dr Harries, pictured at this evening's news conference, suggested that desks could be placed appropriate distances apart from one another to prevent long periods of close contact 'All of the interventions are designed to minimise those, while still allowing children to learn.' The deputy chief medical officer was later asked about guidance which allows children to take their own lunch boxes to school, but not their own pencil cases. She said: 'I think the thing in a children's environment is there are certain things that you can control pretty well, which might include pencil cases and things that you use routinely during education. 'By doing that, schools can provide them and ensure that they are maintained clean. 'The issue about lunch boxes is, they're quite personal to the child eating the lunch, and I can almost guarantee that one child won't want to eat the lunch of the one sitting hopefully two metres distance from them.' She added that hygiene was important for both lunchboxes and pencil cases, and stressed the need to encourage children to wash their hands before and after eating. Many Va. churches can resume services at 50% capacity under new guidelines Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Some churches and other houses of worship in Virginia are making plans to reopen as the state begins to lift safer-at-home restrictions for most areas on Friday. In a five-page document, Gov. Ralph Northam's office told churches they will be allowed to resume services provided that they follow several mandatory guidelines during phase one of the state's reopening plan. The document was provided as extra guidance for churches after Northam laid out his broad statewide reopening plan in an executive order signed last Saturday. Houses of worship will be permitted to have services operating at 50% of the lowest occupancy load on the certificate of occupancy of the room or facility in which the religious services are conducted. The state's guidelines require houses of worship to maintain social distancing practices. Those in attendance must be seated 6 feet apart at all times. An exception is made so family members can be seated together along with individuals residing in the same household. Seating at churches must also be marked in 6-foot increments. The state recommends that congregants wear masks that cover the nose and mouth at all times. The guidelines forbid the passing of items to or between those in attendance who are not family members. The guidelines also require that churches do a thorough cleaning of frequently contacted surfaces before and after any service. "Signage posted at the buildings entrance that states that no one with a fever or symptoms of COVID-19, or known exposure to a COVID-19 case in the prior 14 days, is allowed to enter," the guidance explains. The state also told churches to post public health reminders on social distancing and post options for high-risk individuals. If any place of worship cannot adhere to the above requirements, it must not conduct in-person services, the state's guidance on religious services stresses. The state will still limit all other non-religious gatherings to just 10 people while also allowing non-essential retail stores to reopen at 50% capacity. On Tuesday, Northam issued another executive order. The new order allows specific localities in Northern Virginia to delay entering Phase One until May 28. The new order would allow Northern Virginia localities in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. more time to meet the health metrics laid out in Northams order from last Saturday. The Phase One policies are a floor, not a ceiling. While the data show Virginia as a whole is ready to slowly and deliberately ease some restrictions, it is too soon for Northern Virginia," Northam said in a statement. "I support the request from localities in this region to delay implementation of Phase One to protect public health. In other areas of the state, pastors and churches are trying to decide whether it's time for them to resume services. Pastor Danny Dillon of Rock Church in the Hampton Roads area told 13NewsNow that his church is making plans to reopen at the end of the month. What well do each and every Sunday when people come, were going to have our seats 6 feet apart," Dillon explained. Theyre encouraging us not to give out any programs or hand out anything, so as they come in, well do everything digitally. Dillon added that the church will have to stop passing out donation trays and leaflets for the foreseeable future. Some church leaders are hesitant to reopen services even though they will be allowed to do so. Rev. Barry Absher of City on a Hill in Tazewell told The Washington Post that he is worried about trying to keep his congregants 6 feet apart since they like to move around before and after services. Absher said he will keep his church closed for now. It would feel like an episode of The Walking Dead, Absher was quoted as saying. People would want to hug you, then you feel like a jerk for not hugging them back." The allowance for churches to operate appears to have been a concession of sorts after the Trump administration put its support behind a Virginia congregation that sued the governor. Lighthouse Fellowship of Chincoteague took legal action against Northam last month after Pastor Kevin Wilson received a criminal summons for allowing 16 people to worship at a Palm Sunday service held in the churchs sanctuary. The sanctuary is capable of holding over 200 people. The Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in the case, asserting that religious institutions ought to receive leeway since "there is no pandemic exception to the Constitution and its Bill of Rights." Vice President Mike Pence also weighed in on the situation, commenting on a Fox News radio interview that the "very idea that the Commonwealth of Virginia would sanction a church for having 16 people come to a Palm Sunday service was just beyond the pale. Similar scenarios have taken place around the country as tensions have emerged over the government's legitimate duties to safeguard public health while maintaining rights that are established in the Constitution and those protected under the First Amendment. An Illinois man has adopted a dog that he rescued from a cage thrown heartlessly into a frozen lake, giving the pup a new forever home after a heartbreaking case of abandonment. Bryant Fritz was out fishing on Kaufman Lake in Champaign, Illinois, this past November when he spotted a dog half immersed in the frigid waters, trapped in a cage and unable to get to warmth or safety. Fritz jumped into the water to pull the cage and the dog out, stripping off his own sweater and dashing to bring the dog to some place warm. I thought about calling someone but I didnt think she had an extra five or 10 minutes, he said. I just didnt know. After getting the dog into his car and wrapping her up in blankets, he brought her to an animal hospital, where she was treated for hypothermia and wounds that appeared to have been inflicted before she was ever trapped in the cage. She was so cold when she was brought in, even after sitting in Fritzs car bundled up in blankets, that it was impossible to get a temperature reading for her until shed started to thaw. Fritz fell in love with the dog, but he wasnt able to see her again immediately. A police investigation was launched regarding the abuse she had evidently suffered, so she remained with animal control for the duration of the investigation. But Fritz, who is a middle school teacher, explained to local news that his dog had died recently and he felt that the rescue of the tiny frozen pup was anything but chance. We are first ones on the list, he said, reiterating just how much he hoped to be able to help out the furry friend hed encountered so coincidentally. As soon as the investigation wrapped up, he pushed to be permitted to adopt herand sure enough, before long, Dory, as she was named, was home with him and ready to be loved. In the aftermath of her rescue, Dory has even been given her own Instagram account, where Fritz posts updates on the sweet dog as she acclimates and discovers what its like to be a happy, healthy four-legged friend. Last time I rode shotgun in dads truck we were leaving the lake. I couldnt stand. My eyes were shut. I was shaking really bad. Look at me now! Woof! one caption reads. Fritz hopes that her rescue will help to raise awareness for shelters and other rescue organizations, he told The Epoch Times. Its a pretty incredible story, he said, explaining that her viral rescue has already helped to raise around $120,000 to help organizations that ensure dogs just like Dory can be given second chances. Dory still has some scars on her sides from the injuries she had incurred prior to her rescue. But from all of her pictures with Fritz, its clear that shes all smiles nowand living a very different kind of life from the one that left her shivering and close to death out on a lake that day. A tourist from New York was arrested for allegedly violating Hawaii's traveler quarantine after he posted photos on Instagram of himself sunbathing and carrying a surfboard, state officials said. Hawaii authorities have been cracking down on travelers who defy a mandatory 14-day quarantine for people arriving in the islands, a rule put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus. As of Friday, Hawaii reported one new case of COVI-19, bringing the statewide total 638 cases and 17 deaths. Tarique Peters, 23, New York has been arrested in Hawaii for allegedly violating a mandatory 14-day quarantine rule for all visitors to the island state Tarique Peters of the Bronx arrived on O'ahu on Monday and posted numerous pictures of himself on Instagram. He ended up receiving some harsh comments Some tourists have been arrested for defying the quarantine. Tarique Peters, 23, of the Bronx, arrived in Honolulu on Monday, said a news release from the Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center. 'He allegedly left his hotel room the day he arrived and traveled many places using public transportation,' the release said. 'Authorities became aware of his social media posts from citizens who saw posts of him - on the beach with a surfboard, sunbathing, and walking around Waikiki at night.' Agents from the state attorney general's office arrested him Friday morning. Hotel staff told the agents they saw Peters leave his room and the hotel numerous times. Authorities only became aware of his social media posts after citizens saw posts of him on the beach with a surfboard, sunbathing, and walking around Waikiki Hotel staff also confirmed that they had seen him leave his room and the premises on several occasions throughout the past week Travelers in quarantine aren't allowed to leave hotel rooms or residences for any reason except medical emergencies. Hotel guests don't receive housekeeping services and must arrange for food to be delivered to them. Peters was booked, and his bail was set at $4,000. He couldn't immediately be reached for comment Friday. He didn't immediately respond to messages on an Instagram account with the handle @tariquepeters. A photo from two days ago with the location 'Honolulu - Waikiki Beach' shows him carrying a surfboard on a beach. A photo from May 4 shows him wearing a mask in New York City's Bryant Park. A photo from May 4 shows him wearing a mask in New York City's Bryant Park Lawmakers have been struggling with how to enhance enforcement of the quarantine as people keep arriving to Hawaii. Visitors to his Instagram page were not happy at Peters' alleged behavior. 'Don't come to Hawaii and break our laws. You thought you were cute skipping out the 14 day mandatory quarantine and putting our residents in danger. Good for you. Now all of Hawaii knows who you are and all of Hawaii knows how you feel about us,' wrote one follower. 'The world dying and u having fun,' said one upset user. 'Come on vacation , leave with citation. #stayhome' wrote another in his comments. On Thursday, 252 visitors and 318 residents arrived, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. During the same time last year, nearly 30,000 passengers arrived in the tourism-dependent state daily. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. By PTI WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has ruled out renegotiating the trade deal with China and expressed disappointment over Beijing's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, which has spread across the world killing nearly 3,00,000 people, including over 80,000 in America. The US and China in the beginning of the year signed Phase-1 of a trade deal, ending a bitter two-year tariff war that had rattled the global economy. "The Chinese said somewhere that they would like to renegotiate the (trade) deal. We are not going to renegotiate," Trump told Fox Business News on Thursday. "Look, I'm not happy about anything having to do with that particular subject (China) right now. Everything I said turned out to be right. "You look at other countries they charge us tariffs to do business and we are not allowed to charge them," he said. ALSO READ | Don't want to talk to Xi Jinping right now: Donald Trump 'frustrated' with China due to coronavirus crisis Responding to a question, Trump said the Chinese have always stolen Intellectual Property (IP) from the US. "They were never called (out). Now they are being called out," he said. "We can stop them, they are going to try doing it. I mean you could also stop doing business with them, that is one thing. Look, we have lost a fortune dealing with China. We have rebuilt China," he said. "They have done a great job but the people sitting in this seat (The Oval Office) have allowed them to rip us off like you've never seen before and that includes President (Barack) Obama and (Joe) Biden 'sleepy Joe'. He allowed them to rip this country off. We spent hundreds of billions, we gave them hundreds of billions of dollars year-in and year-out," Trump said. The president said he does not want to speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping right now. "I have a very good relationship, but I just -- right now I don't want to speak to him," he said. There are many things that the United States can do, he asserted. "There are many things we could do. We could do things, we could cut off the whole relationship. Now if you did what would happen? You would save USD 500 billion, if you cut off the whole relationship. Look, at what point does -- and I said this for years I said it with other countries also you know -- China is not the only country ripping us off at the NATO where we defend Europe for nothing by the way essentially nothing I was able to get them to pay hundreds of billions of dollars more," he said. The coronavirus, which first emerged in China's Wuhan city in December last, has killed over 3,00,000 people with 4.3 million confirmed cases across the world. More than a quarter of all confirmed COVID-19 cases are from the US. There has been increasing pressure on the President Trump, in the last several weeks, to take action against China as lawmakers and opinion-makers feel that the COVID-19 spread across the world from Wuhan because of Chinese inaction. Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have claimed that the deadly virus originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The United States has repeatedly asked China to allow the international community to go into the laboratory in Wuhan for investigation. The first repatriation flight from Bangladesh under the 'Vande Bharat' Mission will reach the city on May 18 with 160 passengers, West Bengal Home Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay said on Saturday. The passengers on arriving in Kolkata will be sent to the mandatory 14-days quarantine. Bandopadhyay said that the state government has informed external affairs and civil aviation ministries about the arrangements made in the city for those who are coming by air following the relaxation of the lockdown norms. According to him, the state government has already shared the list of hotels, which have been earmarked for pay-and-use quarantine stay and also those arranged by the government for free. "I hope the return of travellers will be streamlined by these arrangements", he said. More repatriation flights will arrive in the city and the government has made provisions for buses, app cabs and pre-paid taxis to transfer the passengers from the airport, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An 84-year-old grandmother was given a heartwarming send off after beating the killer coronavirus. June Springhall was given a standing ovation from the nurses after winning the battle against COVID-19 at the Northern Beaches Hospital in Sydney. Following an intense four week fight against the virus, Ms Springhall can finally be reunited with family and friends. June Springhall was applauded on her way out of the Northern Beaches Hospital in Sydney after winning the battle against COVID-19 'Thank you everybody. You have been wonderful,' she said. The grandmother was handed a card and a gift by nurses who also gave her a certificate saying that she had beaten the deadly virus. Her son Wayne was visibly emotional as he thanked staff who helped looked after his mother. 'If it wasn't for the hospital I really don't think my mother would be here,' he told Nine News. In hearing about Ms Springhall's recovering, families of residents at the Newmarch House are happy to hear a total of six people have been cleared of COVID-19. A vicious outbreak at the nursing home saw 37 residents and 32 staff members contracting the virus. Sixteen residents have died from COVID-19. Ms Springhall battled the deadly disease over an intense four week period However, in the past 48 hours, six Newmarch House residents were given the all clear from coronavirus. Anthony Bowe watched his mother Patricia Shea from a distance and she struggled to fight the deadly disease. He finally received the news that after three negative tests she was officially clear from coronavirus. 'Relief is the big thing. You just sit with anxiety every day until you get the word she is clear,' he said. Thirteen residents are still testing positive for the virus. Azaan, integral to Islam, not its recitation through loudspeaker:Allahabad HC India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, May 16: Azaan is an integral part of Islam, but not the loudspeaker, the Allahabad High Court has held. The azaan may be an integral part of Islam, but its recitation through loudspeakers or other sound amplifying devices cannot be said to be an integral part of the religion, the HC said. The Ghazipur, Farrukhabad and Hathras administrations had directed Mosques to stop recitation of azaan through loudspeakers in the wake of COVID-19. This was challenged by Ghazipur MP, Afzal Ansari and Congress leader Salman Khurshid. The court held that azaan can be recited by the muezzin from the Mosque minarets by human voice without using any amplifying device and the administration is directed not to cause any hindrance, unless such guidelines are being violated. Coronavirus outbreak: Uttar Pradesh records more than 2,000 recovery, 1.5 lakh tests However, under no circumstance can sound amplifying devices be permitted to be used between 10 pm and 6 am by the district administration, the Bench also held. The petitioners have failed to bring on record that they sought any such permission for the use of sound amplifying devices, for recital of azaan from their respective Mosques. Hence their use without such permission would be illegal and cannot be approved by this court. However if any such application is filed before the authorities concerned, that may be dealt with in accordance with law, including the Noise Pollution Rules, the court said. The Uttar Pradesh government had argued that azaan is a call for congregation of prayers at the Mosque and therefore is in violation of the guidelines for containing the pandemic. Officials with the Texas Education Agency have outlined a possible year-round calendar adjustment for school districts to consider implementing for the 2020-21 academic year to help plan for inevitable disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. The school shutdowns caused by the pandemic could have a "devastating impact" on students and lead to some returning "nearly a full year behind what normally occurs," TEA officials said in a presentation that was recently posted online. Coronavirus: What you need to read Coronavirus maps: Cases and deaths in the U.S. | Cases and deaths worldwide Vaccines: Tracker by state | Booster shots | For kids 5 to 11 | Guidance for vaccinated people | How long does immunity last? | County-level vaccine data What you need to know: Omicron variant | At-home tests | Breakthrough infections | Symptoms guide | Masks FAQ | Delta variant | Other variants | Follow all of our coverage and sign up for our free newsletter Impact of the pandemic: Supply chain | Education | Housing Got a pandemic question? We answer one every day in our coronavirus newsletter The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Wyoming rose by 18 on Saturday, along with seven more probable cases. The new confirmed cases come from Albany, Carbon, Fremont (five), Hot Springs, Laramie (three), Natrona (three), Sweetwater, Teton, Uinta and Washakie counties. The new probable cases come from Carbon (five), Fremont and Hot Springs (two) counties. One probable case was removed from Washakie Countys total. Two new confirmed coronavirus recoveries were also announced. No probable recoveries were reported. Probable cases are defined by officials as close contacts of lab-confirmed cases with symptoms consistent with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. A patient is considered fully recovered when there is resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and there is improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g. cough, shortness of breath) for 72 hours AND at least 7 days have passed since symptoms first appeared, according to the Wyoming Department of Health. The new Natrona County cases were announced earlier Saturday afternoon by the countys health department. After going three weeks without a confirmed case, Natrona County has had five newly confirmed cases in the last four days. It is not known how any of the three new cases contracted the virus, according to the county Health Department, and community transmission is a possible cause, according to the departments announcement. The Casper-Natrona County Health Department provided the following information on the three newest cases: Case No. 41 is a woman in her 40s, case No. 42 is a man in his 40s, and case No. 43 is a man in his 70s. The 18 newly confirmed cases are the fifth-most in a single day here. There are now 741 cases 559 confirmed and 182 probable and 498 recoveries 362 confirmed and 136 probable recorded in the state, as well as seven deaths. Less than 65 percent of confirmed patients have fully recovered, a number that grows to 67.2 percent when factoring in probable figures. Officials caution that the reported numbers are low, even with the addition of probable cases. On April 2, the Wyoming Department of Health began restricting testing to six priority categories; potential patients who dont fall in one of those categories had to be tested by private laboratories. However, the department announced April 23 that it would be able to resume testing patients outside of those six categories, although priority patients samples remain at the front of the line. Patients have tested positive for coronavirus in 21 of Wyomings 23 counties. Only Platte and Weston counties are without confirmed cases. Wyoming has the lowest recorded number of coronavirus deaths of any state, and its death rate (1 in 82,680 residents) is third-lowest to Alaska and Hawaii, according to the New York Times. The states infection rate (1 in 808) is seventh-lowest among states, also according to the Times, which includes probable counts where they exist. Less than 13 percent of Wyomings cases required a hospital stay. In 14.5 percent of the cases, health officials dont know if the patient was hospitalized. The virus has disproportionately affected people of color throughout the United States, a trend that is also reflected in Wyomings data. Less than 49 percent of confirmed cases in Wyoming are white, 33.3 percent are American Indian, 12.3 percent are Hispanic, 0.9 percent are Asian, and 1.4 percent are black. The racial identities of 8.2 percent of confirmed cases in Wyoming are not known, and 3 percent of confirmed cases identified as other races. According to 2019 census estimates, Wyomings population is 83.8 percent white (not Hispanic/Latino), 10.1 percent Hispanic/Latino, 2.7 percent American Indian/Alaska Native, 1.3 percent black, 1.1 percent Asian and 2.2 percent two or more races. In 51.3 percent of the cases, the patient came in contact with a known case. In another 11.6 percent of the cases, the patient had traveled either domestically or internationally. Community spread has been attributed to 17.9 percent of the cases. In 11.1 percent of Wyomings cases, health officials dont how the person was exposed to the virus, and 10.9 percent of cases are pending investigation. Cases in Wyoming by county (probable in parentheses) Albany: 9 Big Horn: 2 (1) Campbell: 16 (13) Carbon: 7 (7) Converse: 14 (9) Crook: 5 Fremont: 202 (18) Goshen: 4 (1) Hot Springs: 2 (4) Johnson: 11 (4) Laramie: 119 (62) Lincoln: 11 (3) Natrona: 43 (10) Niobrara: 1 (1) Park: 1 Platte: 0 Sheridan: 12 (4) Sublette: 1 (2) Sweetwater: 16 (7) Teton: 69 (31) Uinta: 8 (2) Washakie: 6 (3) Weston: 0 Deaths in Wyoming by county Fremont: 4 Johnson: 1 Laramie: 1 Teton: 1 Rate of spread This graph shows the rate at which confirmed and probable cases in Wyoming have been announced, as well as the number of patients who have fully recovered. Keep in mind, however, that state and medical officials say the true number of COVID-19 cases is surely higher than the official numbers due to testing limitations. Testing statistics The Wyoming Department of Health has published the following data: As of Thursday, there have been 15,565 tests performed for COVID-19 in Wyoming, an increase of 313 from Wednesday. Wyoming Public Health Laboratory: 6,997 Commercial labs: 8,568 CDC: 1 National cases There have been more than 1.4 million cases nationally, with about 88,000 deaths, according to the New York Times running count. Know the symptoms COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, is a respiratory illness. Its symptoms include cough, fever and shortness of breath. Symptoms appear within two weeks. If you have contact with a person who has COVID-19, you should self-isolate for 14 days. Follow the Wyoming Health Departments tips Stay home when sick and avoid contact with other people unless you need medical attention. Follow advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on what to do if you think you may be sick. Follow current public health orders. Follow commonsense steps such as washing your hands often and well, covering your coughs and sneezes, and cleaning and disinfecting. Nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other healthcare facilities should closely follow guidelines for infection control and prevention. Older people and those with health conditions that mean they have a higher chance of getting seriously ill should avoid close-contact situations. Michigan Settles Lawsuit With Detroit Students, Promises $94 Million for Literacy Programs The State of Michigan has agreed to settle a four-year legal battle with a group of Detroit students who argued the citys low-performing public schools deprived their right to basic literacy skills. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday afternoon that as part of the settlement, she will propose legislation that would provide public schools in Detroit with at least $94.5 million for literacy programs. The state also agreed to provide an additional $2.7 million for Detroit schools to support many literacy-related projects, and a $280,000 payout among the seven students. In the 2016 case, seven Detroit students sued the state of Michigan, alleging a lack of books, absence of qualified teachers, and poor building conditions deprived them of access to literacy in the public schools they attended. The suit argued the state violated the students rights to a basic minimum education as part of the 14th Amendments guarantee of due process and equal protection. Whitmer, a Democrat, replaced Republican Gov. Rick Snyder as a defendant in the lawsuit after she was elected in 2018. The 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, in a divided 2-1 opinion, ruled last month in favor of the students, recognizing basic minimum education and access to literacy as a fundamental right under the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. Students in Detroit faced obstacles to their education that inhibited their ability to readobstacles they never should have faced, said Whitmer in a joint statement with seven plaintiffs. I look forward to working with the legislature to provide funding for Detroit schools and districts across the state to help ensure educators and students have the resources they need for success. The settlement still faces uncertainty, as it needs to be approved by Michigans Republican-controlled state Legislature, which has a history of battling with the Democratic governor over education spending. The Michigan Legislature had asked the 6th Circuit last week to set aside its ruling, arguing that there is no explicit right to education in the U.S. Constitution and that the court has no authority to establish a constitutional right. No one would say that the Detroit public schools are performing at the level they should, said John Bursch, an attorney who filed the petition on behalf of the Michigan Legislature. But the answers for solving that problem cannot come from federal court supervision based on the creation of fundamental rights that no one would have recognized in the text of the [14th Amendments] due process clause. Officials from Erlanger Health Systems three community health centers announced the centers have been awarded additional federal grant funding that will expand COVID-19 testing services in our community. Premiere Community Health Center, Dodson Avenue Community Health Center and Southside Community Health Center will all offer free COVID-19 testing beginning Monday, May 18, 2020. We are extremely pleased to receive the extra funding to provide more opportunities for COVID-19 testing, said Angel Moore, CEO of Erlangers Community Health Centers. We thank our elected officials for recognizing the need for expanded testing services and to our partners, community agencies and faith based institutions, for their support in providing coordinated care. The community health centers continue to remain open for all medical needs. Our team remains committed to enhanced community care during this crisis, said Ms. Moore. Our goals are to eliminate barriers and increase access to testing and health services. We are providing on-site and telemedicine comprehensive care for adults and pediatrics. Additionally, we have services available such as behavioral health counseling as well as resource assistance with language and transportation, prescription coverage and community outreach workers available for one on one assistance. Centers hours are Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Fridays 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Appointments are required before individuals arrive at the centers. Call 423 778-2880 for more information. Southside 3800 Tennessee Ave., Suite 124 Chattanooga, TN 37409 Dodson Avenue 1200 Dodson Ave. Chattanooga, TN 37406 Premier Health 251 N. Lyerly St. Suite 300 Chattanooga, TN 37404 Borussia Dortmund's rising star Giovanni Reyna, 17, suffered heartbreak minutes before what would have been his first Bundesliga start when he was injured warming up before the Ruhr derby at home to Schalke on Saturday. The Bundesliga returned on Saturday behind closed doors after a two-month break due to the coronavirus with Dortmund second in the table, four points behind leaders Bayern Munich. Reyna, a USA Under-17 international, was named in the starting line-up on the right wing, instead of injured England wing Jadon Sancho. However, the American teenager had to withdraw from his first Ruhr derby at the last minute after pulling up during the warm up. It would have been his first start, and only his ninth Bundesliga appearance, having only made his German league debut as a substitute in January. Reyna made a stunning Champions League debut in February when he scored a superb goal as a replacement in the 2-1 win over Paris Saint Germain in the last 16, first leg match. Dortmund crashed out after losing the return 2-0 in Paris. Reyna's place against Schalke in the Dortmund line-up went to Belgium international Thorgan Hazard, who then set up Erling Braut Haaland's 29th minute opening goal. Sancho, 20, who has 14 goals and 16 assists this season, started on the bench after suffering a calf knock in training during the week. Dortmund's US midfielder Giovanni Reyna, 17, missed Saturday's Ruhr derby against Schalke after picking up an injury in the warm-up. 148 Shares Share Smithfield Foods, the nations largest pork producer, closed its Sioux Falls, SD, slaughterhouse after many Smithfield employees grew sick. Tyson Foods closed its Columbus Junction, IA pork slaughterhouse in April, according to the Wall Street Journal. While many U.S. slaughterhouses are closing, pork slaughterhouses and pork producers are bracing for another coronavirus challenge: a virus called Severe Acute Diarrhea Syndrome or SADS-CoV that also originated in China and targets pigs. Like SARS, MERS, and COVID-19, SADS-CoV is bat-originated and hosted by an eaten animal. Two years ago, SADS-CoV was identified by Chinese and U.S. researchers as it was triggering die-offs in piglets on Chinese farms in Guangdong province. In 2018, SADS-CoV had already killed 24,693 piglets on four Chinese farms. While seldom covered as a news story, the U.S. pork industry has been working toward a test for the underreported SADS-CoV. According to Farm Journal Ag Web: In 2018, Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV), related to the bat coronavirus HKU2, was associated with severe outbreaks of diarrhea with high mortality rates in pigs in China. Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and porcine delta coronavirus (PDCoV) are closely related to SADS-CoV, according to the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) newsletter. Following devastating outbreaks of PEDV and PDCoV in the U.S., the swine industry was concerned with a potential outbreak of SADS-CoV. If SADS-CoV were to enter the U.S. the industry needs to be prepared to implement control strategies to mitigate the diseases impact on pork producers, the article says. To do so, SHIC is supporting the development of rapid diagnostic tools for timely detection of SADS-CoV nucleic acid and/or antigens in clinical samples. The previous U.S. PEDV epidemic was hidden from the public Porcine epidemic diarrhea or PEDV, which devastated U.S. pork producers pigs in 2013 and 2014, was largely missed by food consumers and the public, reported National Geographic, but it killed at least 7 million pigs U.S. According to GenomeWeb, the closely related SADS-CoV causes severe and acute diarrhea and vomiting among piglets, leading to their deaths due to rapid weight loss within days. Infected piglets five or fewer days old had a mortality rate of 90 percent, while older piglets had better outcomes. PEDV also invaded Italy, where it circulated as a recombinant strain, reported emerging infectious diseases. It is likely that PEDV, widely seen as similar to SADS-CoV, had been circulating in Italy and likely throughout Europe for multiple years but underestimated as a mild form of diarrhea, reports the journal. Can the pig-hosted SADS-CoV jump to humans? In 2018, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy reported that pork workers exposed to pigs with SADS-CoV had not caught the virus. Yet Dr. Paul Sundberg, executive director of the Swine Health Information Center, told National Hog Farmer coronaviruses can and do mutate quickly. They can jump from species to species, and certainly thats been the U.S. pork experience with coronaviruses, he says. TGE [transmissible gastroenteritis virus] is a coronavirus. Then in 2013, we got PEDV [porcine epidemic diarrhea virus], which is another one, and deltacorona virus is the third. Theres another coronavirus in China right now, called Severe Acute Diarrhea Syndrome or SADS-CoV, that we are watching and developing a diagnostic test, to make sure that we can find it should it get here. Certainly, SARS, originated in bats but hosted by civet cats and MERS originated in bats but hosted by dromedaries, put no pork producers at ease about SADS-CoV. Will SADS-CoV become another surprise epidemic? Many in the U.S. blame lawmakers, the administration, and even the media for not acknowledging the COVID-19 virus earlier and preparing for its pandemic. The same scenario may be occurring with SADS-CoV. While the scientific press and the pork industry have reported on SADS-CoV, major news outlets have not. Yet with what we know about novel virus recombination and with pork slaughterhouses becoming new disease hot spots, SADS-CoV must be acknowledged and studied. Martha Rosenberg is a health reporter and the author of Born With a Junk Food Deficiency. Image credit: Shutterstock.com The United States will airlift 200 mobile ventilators, each estimated to cost about Rs 1 million, to help Indians combat Covid-19, people familiar with the developments told Hindustan Times. It has been indicated that the consignment will arrive by the end of this month or latest, early June, a government official said. Each of these mobile ventilators is estimated to cost the US administration $ 13,000 (Rs 9.6 lakh at current exchange rates) without accounting for the transportation costs. In all, the ventilators will be worth about $ 2.6 million (or Rs 192 million) plus freight charges. US President Donald Trump had announced the decision to donate the ventilators on Twitter to underline close relations between the two countries. The gesture coincides with reports of Indias 85,700 coronavirus cases surpassing the tally of China (82,933), the country where the outbreak began. We stand with India and @narendramodi during this pandemic. Were also cooperating on vaccine development. Together we will beat the invisible enemy! President Trump tweeted. Trump reiterated the point at his Press conference moments later, referring to his India visit in February, the role played by Indian expatriates in the US and describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a good friend of mine. We are working closely with India, he told reporters. Trump also said the US and India were cooperating to develop a vaccine for coronavirus that has claimed over 307,000 lives and infected more than 4.5 million people globally since it emerged in China in December last year. PM Modi thanked him in a tweet and highlighted the India-US relationship. In such times, its always important for nations to work together and do as much as possible to make our world healthier and free from Covid-19, he said. Thank you @POTUS @realDonaldTrump. This pandemic is being fought collectively by all of us. In such times, its always important for nations to work together and do as much as possible to make our world healthier and free from COVID-19. More power to - friendship! https://t.co/GRrgWFhYzR Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2020 The US move comes weeks after Prime Minister Modi acted on Trumps request to reverse a ban on export of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that was championed by the US President as a game changer in the fight against the coronavirus. Hydroxychloroquine, or HCQ, is being used in India as a prophylaxis for health workers at the frontline of the countrys response to the epidemic. Diplomats in Washington and New Delhi said Trumps offer to send the ventilators and his public statements were an indicator of the deepening ties between the two countries and close contact between the two countries at different levels. It also comes against the backdrop of growing congruence of views between the two countries on accountability and transparency on the origin of the coronavirus, reforms in the World Health Organisation led by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and even strategic issues such as terrorism and the situation in the Indo Pacific. For weeks, Trump has roasted the WHO for allowing itself to be led by Chinas assessment of the virus when the disease was detected in central Chinas Wuhan city last year. There have also been accusations from Washington that the Sars-CoV-2 virus may not be natural and may have been created in a laboratory, a possibility that was echoed this week by PM Modis cabinet colleague Nitin Gadkari in a media interview. That the two sides are on the same page on China and WHO also came across at a seven-nation video conference initiated by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. There was broad agreement on the need to stress on transparency and accountability for the spread of the disease that has killed over 3 lakh people worldwide. The emphasis on transparency and accountability at this meeting attended by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar is seen to be aimed at China and the WHO that is due to hold its annual meet on Monday. (Editors note: The story has been updated) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON BERLIN German lawmakers have voted to make the destruction of foreign state flags, including that of the European Union, and the denigration of national anthems punishable by a fine and up to three years in prison, in a relatively rare move by a government to protect the symbols of other nations. The vote in Germanys Parliament was passed just before midnight on Thursday and was in response to a 2017 anti-Israel rally held on the streets of Berlin, the German capital, where the police watched as protesters burned Israeli flags. No Israeli flags may burn in Germany, said the Social Democratic member of Parliament Johannes Fechner, who was part of Chancellor Angela Merkels coalition government, which brought the amendment to the floor. Seated at a safe social distance, lawmakers voted for an amendment to protect foreign state flags, as well as the European Unions (burning the German flag is punishable by up to five years). German law had already protected foreign flags when displayed by embassies, or in some other ceremonial capacities such as at sporting events. With racing's return emerging on the horizon, Chris Ryder could not be more pleased with how Bettors Wish is rounding into form in preparation for his four-year-old campaign. "You're kind of asking the wrong guy; I'm a little biased!" Ryder told Trot Insider when asked about how the son of Bettors Delight has developed over the extended hiatus after a dynamite sophomore campaign including 13 wins and six runner-up finishes in 19 starts and over $1.7 million in purses earned him a Dan Patch Award in the "glamour boys" division last year. "I'm thrilled with the horse the way he's training, the way he looks, the way he's acting. He couldn't be doing any better." While Bettors Wish hasn't faced competition since his runner-up finish to Always A Prince in the TVG Open at The Meadowlands on Nov. 23, he has remained actively in training through the winter in addition to his breeding duties at Walnridge Equine Clinic four mornings a week. "He's doing tremendous," Ryder, who co-owns Bettors Wish with Bella Racing Ltd., Fair Island Farm and Bettors Wish Partners, said. "He's getting the mares in foal and his manner is impeccable. His fertility is good; it's up from what was expected. It's turned out to be a good year to be breeding, with the delay in racing. "Anyway, we didn't have him at the races because I knew he would be breeding. And now some of those races have dropped by the wayside." The Prix d'Ete has been wiped off the calendar altogether and the Confederation Cup (originally slated for tomorrow -- May 17) has been postponed until the fall. And with another one of Ryder's early-season targets for Bettors Wish the Graduate Series hanging in uncertainty, the New Zealand expat is bracing for a bit of a conundrum should the Woodbine Mohawk Park preliminary for June be contested as scheduled. "Suppose they have the Graduate on June 6," Ryder said. "Here I am, I've got nobody qualified. What do I do? Do I have to go to Canada to qualify?" While dodgy logistics may be among Ryder's short-term concerns, he ultimately is looking for a big year from his star pupil: "I am very confident, very happy with him. He's thickened up a lot...he's a man now. I think at the end of his two-year-old year, his improvement from two to three was tremendous. If he does that from three to four, what am I going to have?" One major plus for Bettors Wish this year: he won't have to chase the shadows of Captain Crunch, who defeated him in the Pepsi North America Cup and Cane Pace last season. But that notwithstanding, Ryder is convinced that his champion won't have any issues pulling double duty once harness racing returns. "I kind of feel that he's jumped from three to four similarly to what he did from two to three. It'll be interesting to get racing. "We've got him staked up and we're 90 per cent ready," Ryder continued. "And I've got to make a decision here pretty soon if they're going to race in Canada. It'd be a shame to miss stakes races, but on the other hand, I can't race him until he's completely prepared. It's not like he's just another horse." Another top-calibre Ryder trainee slated to make the jump from three to four is Henderson Farms and Robert Mondillo's Stonebridge Soul, but she'll be a bit slower into action after a winter spell. "It turns out that when the shutdown first started, we gave Stonebridge Soul some time off, so she won't be ready for maybe a month," Ryder indicated. The daughter of Somebeachsomewhere reeled off wins in the James Lynch Memorial, Mistletoe Shalee and Adioo Volo last year, and finished third behind Warrawee Ubeaut in the Breeders Crown. Needless to say, the jump to the older distaff pacing ranks is mighty tough with the likes of Shartin N and Caviart Ally heading the division, but Ryder's plan for Stonebridge Soul is to stay just off them while still facing strong competition week in and week out: "She's got a tough group to come back against. It's not going to be easy. We were kind of expecting her to go to Yonkers and the Opens at Chester, Pocono and The Meadowlands." With tracks in Ontario and across the midwestern United States readying for spectator-free racing in the coming weeks, horsepeople on the east coast are itching to return as well -- and are crafting their own strategies to convince government officials that they can do so safely. "The horsemen's association here has, in cooperation with the racing commission and Rutgers University's health department, put out an extensive protocol and details on how to handle racing at The Meadowlands," Ryder said, "From taking temperatures of people coming in, restricting the number of people in the paddock, and keeping the Ryder stable in one spot and the Burke stable in another spot instead of commingling. I think it's a good idea for the paddock situation to have each stable in its own area. That's all been spelled out fairly well to the governor's office, so we're hoping to get something positive." Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (19) During summer on Swedens west coast, there is a sense of anticipation as its rather unique party season approaches. Everyone gets a little giddy about... crayfish. So dont be surprised when throughout August you see groups sitting at long tables wearing bibs and funny-looking hats, singing silly songs and knocking back schnapps. West Sweden is home to both the fat seaborn langoustine and its smaller cousin, the crayfish a freshwater delicacy so popular in the country that, for most of the 20th Century, strict regulations restricted when it could be caught to avoid over-fishing. Its return to the dinner table each August a date known as Crayfish Premiere became one of Swedens biggest occasions, when friends and families got together and mounds of the crustaceans were wolfed down along with plenty of drink. Bright outlook: The colourful harbour in Smogen, the liveliest summer town in the region of Bohuslan But while the fishing rules were withdrawn in the early 1990s, when crayfish populations returned to healthy levels, it still seemed like a good excuse for a party, and so the tradition continues in true Scandi-style. Sweden prides itself on its cuisine, and, so for foodies like me, this is a gourmet trip to savour. From Gothenburg we head north and theres a soothing texture to the west coast. The glaciated Vrango archipelago is intensely pretty dominated by pinkie-grey granite, giving a dramatic depth of field that appears to go on for ever. My first impressions of Sweden inspire a sense of the big outdoors, where wide expanses of countryside are dotted with small communities with perfect paintwork and immaculate lawns, a Volvo invariably parked in the driveway. Impressive bridges intersect the coastline and white-fenced ranches remind me of the US. We head into Smogen, the liveliest summer town in the region of Bohuslan. Its full of whitewashed clapboard-fronted homes and terracotta-roofed beach houses that make you think of Scandi crime drama. The brackish North Sea air hurtles along a boardwalk brimming with shops, cafes, restaurants and clubs. Bed for the night is at the traditional Smogens Hafvsbad, considered one of the most beautiful hotels in Sweden. The next morning, I cant resist a crayfish safari hosted by Martin Olofsson, who has fished these waters for more than 20 years. This is grassroots tourism the chance to experience life as a Swedish seadog for those who love the smell and swell of the sea. Martin tours the archipelago come rain or shine, hauling up his langoustine pots of treasure. About 700 are put out daily, and today brings a good catch at 355lb. Martin is happy. He tosses a bucket of the critters straight from the net into a drum of boiling water on the deck. We watch them turn pink, then scoop them out, peel and chuck the shells overboard, before savouring the deliciousness. From Smogen, we head inland towards the Gota Canal. West Sweden is home to both the fat seaborn langoustine and its smaller cousin, the crayfish (pictured) In 1809, Baltzar Von Platen and Scottish canal builder Thomas Telford presented a plan for a water route bang through the middle of Sweden to avoid paying hefty Danish duties on shipping. It took 22 years to dig but has remained a key transport link for more than a century, covering 120 miles. We join locals outside the old converted mill in Norrgvarn, who are throwing pots laced with bait of rotten or raw fish into the canal. The river crayfish are nocturnal and can be caught only after dusk 10.30pm in summer. They have to be kept alive with running water until theyre placed in a giant pan of boiling, dill-scented liquid, so waiting to eat them requires a little more patience. While crayfish are the undisputed stars, the traditional August feast also includes regional craft beer, schnapps, cheese and crispbreads from artisan food producers, which I taste and buy along the route. Qvanum Food & Malt brews delicious beer with water from its own well and distils spirits from malted grains flavoured with cocoa, cumin and fennel. Owner Claes Wernerson started brewing in 2005 with help from an English neighbour, who was delighted to have a quasi-pub on his doorstep. Party Time: Locals all dressed up in hats and bibs during a crayfish party Further along, in a garage on the Vara plain, I discover a cheese-lovers paradise on an old military base (sivansost.se). Owner Sophia Johansson comes from a line of famous cheesemakers dating back to 1875. When her mother retired, Sophia quit her job as a pastry chef and baker to take over the family business. They soon needed more space and bought the abandoned Second World War army garage. We catch her experimenting with carrot and beetroot crispbread, with delicious wafts drifting in from the kitchen. I chose a Swedish blue served with red tomatoes and vanilla marmalade and pop a few of her wonderful sesame and linseed crackers into the basket along with some apricot and walnut bread. Party ingredients complete, its time to feast on this balmy August evening. Throw in a few friends, heaps of freshly boiled crayfish, some fantastic cheeses and crispbreads, more craft beers than I care to mention, followed by local schnapps and a selection of silly drinking songs, and hey Olaf, its party time! Crayfish are all the better when eaten at a long table under the stars with flamboyant coloured paper lanterns (a smiling full moon is best, apparently). Add bibs and hats and the banquet begins. Its finger-sucking good with plenty of noisy slurping to extract the juices all perfectly acceptable behaviour. Its all mopped up with soft olive sourdough. And thats a Swedish crayfish festival. Even as the coronavirus situation in Maharashtra is grim, there is some solace for the state as far as the water stock is concerned as it has reported nearly three times more useful storage as compared to the corresponding period last year. The state had faced successive years of drought over the past few years. However, most parts of the state had received good rainfall last year. According to a Maharashtra government report of May 15, the 3,267 major, medium and minor projects across the state collectively reported live (useful) storage of 17,066.71 million cubic metre, which is 41.73 per cent of their total capacity of holding 40,897.95 million cubic metres live stock. On May 15 last year, the collective stock available across these dams was 14.92 per cent. Some major dams, including Manjara (in Beed) in the Marathwada region, which witnesses parched swathes during the summer, however, have run out of their useful content this year as they had in the last season too. The nine major dams in the Aurangabad division of Marathwada have 1,798.89 million cubic metre stock till now, which is 43.9 per cent of 4,097.77 million cubic metre collective storage capacity of live storage. Last year, the stock available across these dams in Aurangabad, Beed, Hingoli, Nanded, Osmanabad and Parbhani districts was just 0.44 per cent. The Jayakwadi dam at Paithan in Aurangabad district, a key project in the region, had dried (in terms of live stock) last year. However, this year, it has reported a big leap of 1,017.91 million cubic metre live stock, that is 46.89 per cent of its capacity of holding 2,170.93 million cubic metre useful storage. Similarly, the dams in Majalgaon (Beed), Yeldari and Siddeshwar (Hingoli) and Lower Terna (Osmanabad) recorded relatively better stock this year. The dams like Manjara, Sina Kolegaon (Osmanabad) and Lower Dudhana dams, however, have run out of their useful stock as they had last year. The 10 major dams in the Amravati division of Vidarbha, which too witnessed dry stretches when the temperature soared, have at present 1,190.48 million cubic metre live stock, that is 47.95 per cent of their collective useful storage of 2,482.65 million cubic metre. On the same day last year, the total useful stock available at these dams in the division- which covers districts such as Akola, Amravati, Buldhana and Yavatmal- was 16 per cent. The Khadakpurna and Pentakali dams, which ran into dead storage last year, have reported 29.35 per cent and 81.83 per cent of their respective total useful stock holding capacity now. In the Nagpur division of the region, the live stock available in the 15 major dams was 1,755.41 million cubic metre, that is, 51.34 per cent of their collective 3,418.87 million cubic metre live stock. In 2019, the live stock available on the corresponding day in the dams in the division that covers districts like Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli and Gondia, besides Nagpur was 6.95 per cent. The Gosikhurd (Bhandara) and Nand (Nagpur) dams, which had no live stock left last year, have reported availability of 15.62 per cent and 22.7 per cent of their respective useful storage holding capacity. The Dina dam in Gadchiroli has no live water stock left in it this year too. The six dams in the Konkan region- comprising Palghar, Sindhudurg and Thane- have 49.28 per cent (892.44 million cubic metre) of their collective 1,683.65 million cubic metre capacity live stock as against 31.02 per cent last year. Nashik division's 24 dams together haveavailable 1,591.86 million cubic metre (42.58 per cent) of their 3,738.75 million cubic metre collective live stock holding capacity. In the previous year, the stock available in the region that covers districts like Ahmednagar, Jalgaon and Nashik, was 11.71 per cent. The Pune region with 29 dams has 4,528.3 million cubic metre (40.14 per cent) live stock available at present of the total live stock holding capacity of 11,281.44 million cubic metre. Last year, the live stock available across these dams in Kolhapur, Pune, Sangli, Satara and Solapur was 13.57 per cent. The Dimbhe, Ghod (Chinchani), Pimpalgaon Joge and Wadaj dams in Pune and Bhima (Ujjani) project in Solapur, which had recorded 0 per cent live stock, are all better placed this year, according to the data. The Temghar dam in Pune, which also reported 0 per cent stock last year, has 2.12 per cent live stock available this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dwayne The Rock Johnson is beaming with pride over his daughter Simone Alexandra joining the WWE family. The former professional wrestler made a virtual appearance on Friday's episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, during which he shared how excited he is for his 18-year-old daughter to make a name for herself in the sport. "I wanna say congrats to your daughter Simone by the way who is going to be in the WWE," Fallon said. "She signed her contract with the WWE and you know it blows my mind," the father of three said, shaking his head in amazement. "First of all, what an honor that my daughter wants to follow in my footsteps but more importantly, follow in my footsteps sounds cliche, but she actually wants to create and blaze her own path, which is so important," said the 48-year-old actor, who shares Simone with his ex-wife Dany Garcia. RELATED: Dwayne Johnson's Daughter Simone, 18, Officially Signs with the WWE and Starts Training The Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle star revealed that Simone is "the youngest signee in the history of the company" and has been honing her wrestling skills since she was 16. "Shes 18 now, at 16 she was working her ass off quietly under the radar, in the ring getting thrown around, you know all the bumps and bruises that go with pro wrestling," he told Fallon. "But she hung in there, and I'm very very proud of her," the proud dad smiled. On Feb. 10, WWE announced that Simone officially signed with the company and started her training at its Performance Center in Florida making her the first fourth-generation Superstar in WWE history. Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP/REX/Shutterstock Simone Garcia Johnson It means the world to me, Simone said in a statement released by the WWE. To know that my family has such a personal connection to wrestling is really special to me and I feel grateful to have the opportunity, not only to wrestle but to carry on that legacy. Story continues Simone was born into a family of WWE legends. Not only was her father a 10-time world champion, but her late grandfather, Rocky Johnson, and her great-grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, were both inducted into the Hall of Fame. Simone Johnsons unbridled passion and incredible drive has earned her a coveted spot training with the elite athletes from around the world at the WWE Performance Center, said WWE executive vice president Paul Triple H Levesque at the time. RELATED: Dwayne Johnson Posts Inspiring Tributes to Three Daughters for International Women's Day Not only does Simone now have an opportunity to cultivate and display her passion for WWE within the Performance Center, but shell carry on the tradition of her incredible family lineage while creating her own impact as WWEs first fourth-generation Superstar, Levesque added. Johnson has been nothing but supportive in the past about his daughter potentially pursuing a career in wrestling. Simone is working so hard and her work has already started she wants to be a WWE Wrestler, he said during an appearance on Good Morning America in 2018. Huawei is still struggling to cope with the Trump administrations US export ban, which blocks US companies from doing business with the Chinese company. While Huawei can be pretty independent as far as hardware goes, the loss of Googles software is basically going to kill Huaweis phone business outside of China. The company is already expecting a 20-percent drop in phone sales in 2020, and thanks to the yearly lifecycle of smartphones, a lot of Google/Huawei phones are still on the market, so were seeing only the beginning of the effects of the export ban. Huawei is doing its best to delay the effects of the export ban, though, and lately, it seems to have come up with a new loophole to keep shipping the Google apps: re-release old smartphones. The way the export ban has worked in practice is that Huawei devices that launched before the export ban (and some that launched even slightly after) can still be sold with Google apps. Devices that launched well after the ban, like the Mate 30 Pro, are stuck without the Google apps. So Huaweis solution, and its interpretation of the law, is that re-releases of old devices can still ship with Google apps. So, meet the New Editions of old Huawei phones and earlier this year it re-launched the P30 Lite as the P30 Lite New Edition. Both of these phones are from March 2019, so theyre well over a year old now, but they both have Google app licenses, so welcome back! Whats new in a new edition? Well, first you get more RAM and storage. The P30 Pro New Edition has a new baseline of 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which is up from the 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage on what I guess were now going to call the Old Edition. Theres also new software: Android 10 with Huaweis EMUI skin (the old version launched with Android 9). And theres a new color: silver. The Old Edition of the P30 Pro was a flagship smartphone with flagship smartphone pricing: 999 or $1,125. The New Edition is now a year-old smartphone, and the one confirmed price we have is for the UK, which is 699, or $852. With the launch of this New Edition, Huaweis lineup looks pretty awkward. Theres this years P40 Pro with 2020 hardware and no Google apps or last years P30 Pro New Edition with 2019 hardware and killer apps like the Play Store, YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, and the Google Assistant. Even if you are somehow invested in the Android ecosystem but not the Google ecosystem, the non-Google apps you use most likely still rely on Google APIs to function. Google Play Services contains things like the Google Maps API, Firebase Cloud Messaging (for push notifications), and Google location APIs, and without these, many apps just wont work. It looks like the Huawei export ban will still be with us for a very long time. Yesterday, the Trump administration extended the ban for an entire year, although there is still a support exemption for existing Huawei customers. The P30 Pro launchesfor a second timeon June 3. Without the springtime rituals of traditional graduation ceremonies, former President Barack Obama delivered two virtual commencement addresses on Saturday, urging millions of high school and college graduates to fearlessly carve a path and to seize the initiative at a time when he says the nations leaders have fumbled the response to the coronavirus pandemic. The speeches, aired hours apart, combined the inspirational advice given to graduates build community, do what is right, be a leader with pointed criticism of the handling of an outbreak that has killed more than 87,000 Americans and crippled much of the economy. More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what theyre doing, Mr. Obama said in his first address, directed at graduates of historically black colleges and universities. A lot of them arent even pretending to be in charge. Although Mr. Obama did not mention President Trump by name, some saw his comments as criticism of his successor. Plainview Rotarians continued their weekly Zoom meetings with 22 people joining from across the world. Dr. Scott Franklin was named Rotarian of the Quarter for his work in using 3-D printers to create personal protection equipment for essential workers in the medical field. The program was presented by Bill Tobin, a Rotarian and representative for Shelter Box. The organization was founded in 2000 and had its first deployment in 2001 to India following an earthquake there. He began as a volunteer in 2010 and now serves as an employee. Tobin explained that the boxes contain, among other things, tents and tarp-based shelters, as well as items such as mosquito netting, solar lights, cooking utensils, gravity-fed water purifiers and a variety of tools. For $1,000, an individual or organization can sponsor a full Shelter Box, which can serve up to 10 families, or for $100, they can sponsor a Shelter Kit, which can serve a single family. He said the organizations work is critical during the current COVID-19 crisis because it allows families in crowded refugee camps the ability to live as single-family units without having to share cooking utensils. In the past, the Rotary Club of Plainview has sponsored Shelter Boxes for specific needs. Following the program, the club dismissed and looked to the community for ways to show Service Above Self. Tesla officials visited two sites in Tulsa, Oklahoma this week to search for a location for its future and fifth gigafactory that will produce its all-electric Cybertruck and Model Y crossover, a source familiar with the situation told TechCrunch. Company representatives also visited Austin. A final decision has not been made, but Austin and Tulsa are among the finalists, according to multiple sources. The AP also reported Tulsa and Austin as top picks for the gigafactory. Tesla expects to make a decision as soon as next month, and "certainly within three months," CEO Elon Musk said April 29 during the company's first quarter earnings call. Musk tweeted in March that Tesla was scouting locations for a so-called "Cybertruck Gigafactory." Musk said, at the time, that the factory would be located in the central part of the U.S. and would be used to produce Model Y crossovers for the East Coast market as well as the cybertruck. Not long after the tweets, TechCrunch learned that Tesla was eyeing Nashville and had been in talks with officials there. Tesla informed Nashville officials this week that the city is out of the running for its gigafactory location, according to one source. An email was sent to Tesla requesting comment. The article will be updated if Tesla responds. Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum's office issued a statement neither confirms nor denies the talks. While I can not comment on potential projects, it is clear that Tesla and Tulsa were forged in the same spirit," Bynum said in an emailed statement. "Both founded by pioneers who dreamt big and made it happen. Both trying to change the world with a new kind of energy. Both investing big in what matters most: people. Tulsa is a city that doesnt stifle entrepreneurs - we revere them. And as Tesla continues to rapidly change transportation all around the world, I cant imagine a better place for them to further that important work than Green Country. Story continues This next gigafactory, wherever it is located, will likely be larger and produce multiple products, CFO Zachary Kirkhorn said during the same April 29 call. "That's under a belief that there's significant efficiencies by having as much as possible and similar product lines under the same roof and as much vertical integration as possible all in one facility," Kirkhorn said. Musk has referred to these as future plants as "tera" factories a nod to terawatt, or more specifically a terawatt-hour of battery capacity. The company's first "gigafactory" is in Sparks, Nevada. The massive structure, which has surpassed. 1.9 million square feet, is where Tesla produces battery packs and electric motors for its Model 3 vehicles. The company has a joint venture with Panasonic, which is making the lithium-ion cells. Tesla dubbed the Sparks plant a "gigafactory" because the company said at the time it would be capable of producing 35 gigawatt-hours per year of battery cells. Tesla assembles its Model S, Model X and Model 3 vehicles in Fremont, Calif. at a factory that was once home to GM and Toyotas New United Motor Manufacturing Inc (NUMMI) operation. Tesla acquired the factory in 2010. The first Model S was produced at the factory in June 2012. "Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo, New York, is where Tesla produces solar cells and modules. The company's third gigafactory is located in Shanghai, China and started producing the Model 3 late last year. The first deliveries began in early January. Tesla is now preparing to build another factory near Berlin. Once complete, this German factory will produce the Model 3 and Model Y for the European market. Commercial airliners monitoring CO2 emissions from cities worldwide Cities are responsible for more than 70% of the global total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Ability to monitor GHG emissions from cities is an important capability to develop in order to support climate mitigation activities in response to the Paris Agreement. The science community has examined the data collected from different platforms, such as ground-based, aircraft and satellites, to establish a science-based monitoring capability. A study by an international team, published in Scientific Reports, examined the data collected by commercial airliners and showed the potential of the aircraft data to contribute to the global GHG emission monitoring. The CONTRAIL (Comprehensive Observation Network for TRace gases by AIrLiners) program is Japan's unique aircraft observation project. Since 2005, the CONTRAIL team has achieved high-precision atmospheric CO2 measurements using instruments onboard Japan Airlines' (JAL) commercial airliners. "Following the aircraft measurements conducted between Tokyo and Australia that I initiated in 1993, and had maintained during my entire career, the CONTRAIL program continuously expanded its global network and has provided numerous data to understand the carbon budget of this planet," stated Hidekazu Matsueda, co-author of the study and researcher at the Meteorological Research Institute, Japan. Recently, the team analyzed thousands of vertical ascending and descending measurements over airports and characterized CO2 variations over 34 major cities worldwide for the first time. Airports are often located in the proximity of large cities to ensure convenient access. The CONTRAIL aircraft fly up and down over Narita International Airport many times nearly on a daily basis (7,692 times in total during 2005-2016) and are able to obtain atmospheric chemical signature of the Greater Tokyo Area (~several tens km away). With similar geographical locations of major airport relative to large urban centers, the research team examined the data collected around global airports in order to retrieve urban CO2 emission signatures from the data. "We analyzed millions of observational data collected at and around the Tokyo Narita Airport and found clear CO2 enhancements when the wind comes from the Greater Tokyo Area," Taku Umezawa, leading author of the study and researcher at the National Insititute for Enviromental Studies, Japan, said. "That was also the case globally for other airports, such as Moscow, Paris, Beijing, Osaka, Shanghai, Mexico City, Sydney, and others." The team also examined the magnitude of CO2 variability in the lowermost atmosphere over these airports. "Short-term changes in the CO2 concentration in the lower atmosphere are associated with various factors such as the upwind pattern of CO2 emissions and uptakes, flight path and its geographical position relative to the locations of emissions and uptakes, and meteorological conditions during each landing and takeoff," said Kaz Higuchi, co-author of the study and adjunct professor of Environmental Studies, York University, Canada. "Despite these complex conditions under which the measurements are made, it was very interesting that we found a relationship between the magnitude of CO2 variability and CO2 emissions from a nearby city." The results show that the commercial airliner-based CO2 dataset can consistently provide urban emission estimates when combined with atmospheric modeling framework. "But still there are missing pieces to examine the physical link to city emissions to establish urban monitoring," said Tomohiro Oda, scientist of the Universities Space Research Association, Maryland, USA, who collaborated with the team as a PI of a NASA-funded emission modeling project. "Cities are considered to be responsible for more than 70% of the global manmade greenhouse gas emissions. Accurate estimation of CO2 emissions from urban areas is thus important for effective emission reduction strategies." This study suggests that commercial airliner measurements can collect useful urban CO2 data that are complementary to the data collected from other observational platforms, such as ground stations and satellites, in order to monitor CO2 emissions from cities. The advantage of commercial airliners is the great global spatial coverage of the measurements even in regions where we only have sparse greenhouse gas measurement networks, especially places where securing ground-site measurements is challenging, such as in developing countries. "A further implementation of similar CO2 instruments into other domestic and international flights will significantly extend our global monitoring capability of cities," said Toshinobu Machida, project leader of the CONTRAIL program and head of the Office for Atmospheric and Oceanic Monitoring at the National Institute for Environmental Studies. ### This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Washington: US President Donald Trump and his presumptive Democratic opponent Joe Biden are both ramping up accusations that their rival is soft on Beijing, signalling that the tense US-China relationship will be central to the November election battle. Both campaigns are trying to tap into the increasingly negative views Americans hold of China, a sentiment that has intensified during the coronavirus pandemic. US President Donald Trump thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for his transparency in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Credit:AP Trump's re-election campaign is referring to the former vice president as "Beijing Biden" in emails to supporters and has painted him as "China's puppet" in a series of three advertisements released this week. The Trump campaign's negative ads have aired in battleground states such as Florida, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania as well as running online. WASHINGTON The U.S. House of Representatives approved a change Friday to allow remote voting for the first time in the chambers history as lawmakers struggle to legislate safely during the coronavirus pandemic. The rule change allowing for proxy voting passed the House by a mostly party-line vote of 217 to 189 Friday. All Connecticut House members voted in favor. Thanks to this change, now a House member who cannot be present in the chamber for the vote for health and safety concerns related to coronavirus can give written instructions to another member of Congress directing that member on how to cast a vote for them. Representatives who are present in the chamber can cast votes for up to 10 members who are not present. That means, worst case scenario, it would take just 45 representatives to ensure that the entire House of Representatives can vote. This change is a big deal because, as I previously devoted a whole column to explaining, there are many hurdles to implementing remote voting, including cybersecurity concerns, legal concerns and precedent. Congress has never permitted remote voting like this before even though other emergencies, like the Sept. 11 attacks, also made voting on Capitol Hill unsafe or challenging. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., blasted the change as Congresss most significant power grab in history in a speech Friday. Our Founders would be ashamed that we arent assembling, he said. It means that they can stay home for the rest of the year, but still get paid for the rest of the year. It means that they let someone else Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi consolidate power and do their job for them, when they could do it for themselves. But Democrats have said the change is a necessary temporary adaption to keep everyone healthy lawmakers, their thousands of staff members and the constituents who live in the districts they travel back to. The rule change also allows the House to hold virtual hearings in which they can question witnesses via videoconference, something that was not previously permitted. I expect to ramp up [committee hearings], said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, who leads a budget-writing subcommittee. Everyone should be allowed to participate and now we can do it remotely or virtually. The Senate, a smaller body, has not yet made any changes to its voting practices. Greenwich man nominated In non-coronavirus news, President Donald Trump nominated Louis W. Bremer of Greenwich to be an assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low intensity conflict last week. Bremer, 50, was a Navy SEAL for 8 years and is now a managing director at the New York City-based private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management. During President George W. Bushs administration, Bremer was a White House fellow for one year and served on the Homeland Security Council in the executive office of the president. A registered Republican, he graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He has spent the past 20 years focused on defense and national security investments in the United States and emerging markets, the White House said. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., will eventually get to vote on Bremers nomination, Blumenthal on the Senate Armed Services Committee and both in a full Senate vote. Such votes have not yet been scheduled. Blumenthal said hed never met Bremer but looked forward to reviewing his nomination. Ive only seen press reports of Mr. Bremers nomination and I look forward to hearing more about his qualifications, Murphy said. Obviously Im always interested more when its a Connecticut resident that is up for a senior position in this Administration. In September, Politico reported that Lou Bremer was the lead contender for the DoD job, which overseas special operations forces. But his candidacy alarmed some former special operations troops and Pentagon officials who were hoping to clean up some SEAL behavior, because he publicly advertised his tequila-drinking and came up through the SEAL forces, which now are facing allegations ranging from homicide to sexual assault to illegal drug and alcohol use. The Atlantic reported that Bremer went to the White House in 2017 with Cerberus founder and chief executive Steve Feinberg. Bremer also attended Trumps inauguration, the Atlantic reported. Bremer did not contribute to Trumps inauguration fund, according to Open Secrets - the way in which many wealthy Republicans obtained spots at the inauguration. Bremer did not respond to a requests for comment left with his office and the White House. emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson Megan Thee Stallion is receiving Grammy buzz after her latest track Savage was remixed by pal Beyonce. And the Texas-born artist is enjoying her success as she takes advantage of her downtime during quarantine. She showed off her sexy curves Friday in a black string bikini as she caught some sun and enjoyed some day drinking with a gal pal during quarantine. Bikini babe: Megan Thee Stallion showed off her sexy curves Friday in a black string bikini as she caught some sun and enjoyed some day drinking with a gal pal during quarantine Quarantine pals: The 25-year-old left little to the imagination as she threw a peace sign while laying out next to her friend on her deck The 25-year-old left little to the imagination as she threw a peace sign while laying out next to her friend on her deck. She captioned the sun-soaked photo: 'Aint nobody trippin cause the money already made.' Megan then took to her Instagram story with a video of her friend pouring some Don Julio 1942 as they toasted with coffee mugs. Wait, there's more: As if she had not brought enough heat to the popular social networking app, Megan returned hours later to share a video of herself advertising a number for fans to reach her at Hear her out: 'I haven't really been able to see or connect with yall since this quarantine started so I wanted to make a way to stay in touch with yall, so I got a phone just for my hotties,' captioned the rapper As if she had not brought enough heat to the popular social networking app, Megan returned hours later to share a video of herself advertising a number for fans to reach her at. 'I haven't really been able to see or connect with yall since this quarantine started so I wanted to make a way to stay in touch with yall, so I got a phone just for my hotties,' captioned the rapper. 'And I promise ITS REALLY ME ! Text me at rn,' urged Megan. 'I wanna talk to my real hotties.' In the video - that has since amassed nearly 1.5million views - Megan danced around in her slinky black bikini while her song Hit My Phone played over top. Do it: 'And I promise ITS REALLY ME ! Text me at rn,' urged Megan. 'I wanna talk to my real hotties' Feeling herself: In the video Megan danced around in her slinky black bikini while her song Hit My Phone played over top At one particularly steamy point of the video, Megan got on all fours and gyrated on a lounge chair. She recently reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with the Beyonce remix of Savage, the final single from her third EP Suga. It's become a Grammy contender for a Best Rap Performance nomination, which would be the first all-female collab nominated in the category in 23 years. The Captain Hook artist told Apple Music: 'I really cant believe it, because being from Houston, Beyonce is just Queen. Killer bod: Megan was beaming with confidence in the video that has since amassed nearly 1.5million views on Instagram Cheers to that: Megan later took to her Instagram story with a video of her friend pouring some Don Julio 1942 as they toasted with coffee mugs 'Thats all you know. Theres no debate, theres nothing else to say whos better than Beyonce?' She and the Lemonade artist have been becoming close since attending her New Year's Eve party. Hot Girl Meg said of their introduction: 'Oh my God, we really danced all night. I was really in there cutting up. I was like, "Wow, Beyonce accepts my turn up. She likes Ratchet Megs and I love it."' Climbing the charts: She recently reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with the Beyonce remix of Savage, the final single from her third EP Suga Spring 2020 Graduates Optimistic About Future in Face of COVID-19 Crisis Fri, 05/15/2020 - 16:51pm | By: David Tisdale Tristen Miller chose public health as her major at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM); that decision appears prescient as she earns her degree during a worldwide pandemic. Spring 2020 USM graduates adjusted to a major disruption midway through the semester, as the COVID-19 virus and its global spread prompted university officials to extend spring break and transition in-person instruction to online delivery for the safety of students and instructors. Colleges across the country faced similar challenges, adapting to recommended and mandated practices in public human interaction to stem the virus spread, which included postponement or cancellation of this weeks spring commencement exercises; USM plans to hold those ceremonies in August. While our University community has adapted to many challenges throughout the years, this semester has proven exceptional, said USM Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Steven Moser. Weve all been profoundly affected as we consider how our sacred rites of passages have been missed or experienced in a different way. However, I am extraordinarily proud of the way our students have persevered. I commend our graduating students, in fact, all of our students, for their resilience. Miller and many of her classmates say that perseverance has helped them become ready for whatever may come next, as they turn to the next page in the story of their lives. Ive grown personally and professionally here, said Miller, an Atlanta, Ga. who plans to begin working in healthcare after graduation while pursuing a masters degree, also in public health. She praised faculty mentors Dr. Tanya Funchess and Susan Dobson for their guidance during her USM career, helping her step outside of my comfort zone and gain new relationships while also motivating others, even as we faced a major life-changing challenge (in the pandemic). Miller expects she and many of her USM classmates graduating this semester with a healthcare-related degree will be in jobs or volunteer positions working with COVID-19 patients and their families. Before coronavirus was located in the U.S., I initially anticipated working after graduation to tackle healthcare issues within the state of Mississippi, such as elevated teen pregnancy rates, opioid abuse, and lack of access to quality health services, Miller said. However, I foresee most of my work now dealing with communicable diseases, infectious diseases and infection control, which aligns with three of my areas of interest. Many will turn to public health workers for leadership and strategic planning during this time. Theres a lot of uncertainty as to when the coronavirus will be completely under control; however, I believe the public health program at Southern Miss has greatly prepared its students to get out into the workforce and apply what theyve learned. Millers roots run deep at USM, going back four decades. Her parents, Warren and Tracy Miller, are alums, as is her sister, Chesnee, a recent graduate of the university. Her aunt, Sethe, was a Dixie Darling; her grandfather, Samuel Tucker, helped establish USMs School of Social Work; and her grandmother, Jewel Tucker, served as an administrative assistant for five USM presidents during a 35-year career at the university. She made her own mark on the Hattiesburg campus as a Deans List Scholar; recipient of the Robert D. Pierce, II Legacy Scholarship; service on the Southern Miss Activities Council and to her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. Miller also earned the Overall Outstanding Assistant Award for Event Services and Conferences. What brought me to USM was the idea of completing my family's wonderful legacy here, Miller said. A graduate of the USM Gulf Park Social Work program, Tiffany Cole of Gulfport, Mississippi plans to pursue a Master of Social Work (MSW) at the school. She came to the university as a transfer student, and jumped into campus life as a student worker in the USM Gulf Park Academic Success Center and leader in its Student Government Association (SGA). In both positions, the students were our main concerns, she said. Were adamant about making their experience on campus the best it can be, and it was wonderful being a part of such an amazing team. Cole says she is saddened commencement exercises are not taking place as scheduled, but believes it was the best decision to postpone them, as school officials follow guidance from public health leaders - a continuation of what shes witnessed since the beginning of her time at USM: compassion and care. Its wonderful knowing our university is truly concerned about the wellbeing of its students, Cole said. Cole was nominated NASW- BSW student of the Year for the 2019-2020, and local Student of the Year for her cohort for both 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. She was recipient of the Academic Excellence Award for the past three years. Among the many USM Gulf Park faculty and staff members who contributed to Coles success, she noted Karen Aderer, Kevin Walker and Jona Burton for their special contributions. These individuals have been with me throughout my journey and provided assistance, guidance, and support the entire time, Cole said. They pushed me into becoming an advocate, leader, and a professional, providing me with the skills, qualities, and examples that can be used for a lifetime. Kayla Jo Martin came to USM from Baskin, Louisiana; shes earning a bachelors degree in accountancy this semester. Her goals include pursuit of a Master of Professional Accountancy degree from USM while also sitting for sections of the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) exam, enroute to a career in public accounting. In the home stretch that was the spring 2020 semester, Martin encountered a few hurdles before making it to the finish line. Im not going to lie - this semester was pretty tough. It seemed like my apartment complex decided to mow under my window every day, Martin said. Im so grateful for the study rooms that USM supplies us with, because I could shut myself off from all distractions and focus. It was challenging to bring that same energy this semester, confined to my home. I also struggled to deal with the fact our graduation ceremony was postponed and my study abroad trip was canceled, and my workplace closed due to COVID-19. However, our university put a lot of effort into making sure students could make a smooth transition to online. Im thankful for all their hard work - and their compassion - during this time. Well still get to share that special graduation moment with family and friends in August. Love led Martin to USM Honestly, I followed my boyfriend here, she said. Then after immersing herself into her studies and extracurricular activities, she also fell in love with the university. He was set on coming to USM due to its excellent relationship with military veteran students, Martin said. Now, I cant imagine going to any other school. This place has become my home and allowed me to rise to my highest potential. I cant say enough great things about its faculty and curriculum. Martin closes the book on her undergraduate career as a Highest Honors graduate; recipient of the fall 2019 Beta Alpha Psi service hour award; a 2019 MSCPA scholarship recipient; the 2020 MSCPA Outstanding Accounting Major; and as president of the newly formed Student Center for the Public Trust, voted Best New Organization on campus. She worked with faculty member Dr. Marvin Bouillon to get the Student Center for the Public Trust going this past semester. He (Bouillon) is a great leader and pushes students to make the right decisions, Martin said. He makes us feel like our voices are heard and our opinions matter. I am grateful for that. And Amber Hatten has been such an advocate for accounting students. She is continuously sending us internship/job updates, and thats something I hope our students dont take for granted. She really wants to see us succeed. Erin Crater of Laurel Mississippi, a Presidential Scholar and Honors College student who double majored in polymer science and chemistry, will pursue a doctorate in chemistry at Virginia Tech University after earning her degree from USM. She came to the university on the recommendation of her high school chemistry teacher, Karen Deniakos, who encouraged her to apply to USM to study polymer science after Crater expressed interest in studying the physical sciences in college. At USM, Crater was a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar; a NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholar; was offered an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship; co-authored two peer-reviewed publications; and studied abroad at the University of Exeter in England. She said the Honors College was highly influential in her decision to come to USM, as the Presidential Scholarship allowed her to focus on her academic development. From the beginning of my time here, the Honors College encouraged me to study abroad, to get involved with research, and to apply for nationally competitive awards, she said. The semesters mid-point transition to online instruction delivery afforded Crater the time and space to reflect upon her career at USM. Im so grateful for the opportunities Ive been given here, and the faculty members who guided me along the way, she said. My research advisors, including Dr. Jason Azoulay, provided me the unbelievable opportunity to contribute to their research, while allowing me to have a hands-on learning experience; Dr. (Bernd) Schroeder, who exposed me to the world of differential equations; Dr. (Julie) Pigza, who developed my skills as a spectroscopist; and Dr. (Robson) Storey, whose lectures on polymer organic chemistry felt more like an interesting story than a class. These professors made the classroom my favorite place on campus. Though mostly Republicans in rural parts of the state where there are fewer cases have been urging an end of the stay-at-home order to help revive businesses, the statewide trend in COVID-19 cases has not subsided. The 410 new cases reported Friday were the second-largest daily increase since the pandemic began. A shrinking patchwork More than a dozen counties and several cities enacted their own stay-at-home orders after the Supreme Courts 4-3 decision to strike down the states safer at home order. However, the number of local orders, which ranged from mirroring the states former safer at home order to rules limiting large gatherings while allowing businesses to remain open, whittled down Friday, with officials expressing doubt in their authority to pass such measures. Counties that rescinded their local orders include Kenosha, Manitowoc, Outagamie, Winnebago and Brown, which has had the second-most positive cases in the state with more than 2,000 as of Friday. CARO, MI A driver distracted by his cellphone caused a motor vehicle-buggy collision, leaving a horse dead and a woman hospitalized, police said. About 11 a.m. on Friday, May 15, Tuscola County Sheriffs deputies responded to the crash site on M-81 near Crawford Road in Elkland Township. Their investigation showed a car and a horse-drawn buggy had both been heading east on M-81. The car rear-ended the buggy, causing the buggys 22-year-old female driver to be thrown from it. The horse was killed as a result of the collision, deputies said. The woman buggy driver was taken to Hills & Dales General Hospital in Cass City via Mobile Medical Response. The driver of the car, a 40-year-old man from Deford, was not injured. He told deputies he had not seen the buggy because he was sending an email. Deputies issued several citations to the driver. Deputies did not state whether the woman in the buggy was Amish or not. Cass City police, Michigan Department of Natural Resources officers and MMR assisted deputies at the scene. Related: Horse killed, man hospitalized in Amish buggy hit-and-run Police say driver crashed into Amish buggy, continued home without stopping Amish buggy involved in crash in Sanilac County From Canadas vaccine efforsts to how a pandemic changed a brides perfect day, weve selected some of the best long reads of the week from across the Stars newsrooms. Want to dive into more long features? Sign up for the Weekend Long Reads newsletter to get them delivered straight to your inbox every Saturday morning. 1. Why Canadas vaccine efforts may have to heavily rely on other countries for manufacturing In 2007, the federal government partnered with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and there were plans to build an $88-million manufacturing facility in Canada to produce HIV vaccine candidates for use in clinical trials. But both sides abandoned the project, and the facility was never built. Looking back at it, it was the stupidest, most horrible mistake that could have been made, said Dr. Eric Arts, chair of Western Universitys department of microbiology and immunology. 2. Disaster waiting to happen: Inside the biggest prison coronavirus outbreak in Canada Mission Institution descended into absolute chaos after going into lockdown, prison insiders told the Star. Frontline workers tussled with management over access to protective equipment, while inmates screamed and banged on their metal doors. 3. The last words of Roy Halladay: Im sorry. I shouldve just gone with you. Another wasted day The Halladays woke up on Tuesday, November 7, 2017, like any other school day. The boys got ready and Roy drove them to school. Roy and Brandy would return to Ryans school in the afternoon to see him play at a band recital. Brandy needed to run errands beforehand with her mother. She asked Roy if he wanted to join her. They could get lunch and make a day of it. But Roy said he had other things he needed to do. He declined. 4. How a pandemic put my perfect day and the toxic parts of our wedding culture into perspective When the COVID-19 pandemic struck Canada, it became clear that our wedding would have to be downsized or cancelled entirely. My first reaction? A wave of relief. All of a sudden, the pressure to pull off a carefully orchestrated weekend to impress our guests melted away. Instead, were left with a deep sense of appreciation for what truly matters. 5. COVID-19 could change long-term care forever at the site of Canadas first outbreak, the shift is already underway Seniors advocates and politicians are scrutinizing the long-term-care sector to an unprecedented degree as the vast majority of Canadas coronavirus deaths have taken place in care homes. Questions raised about funding models, home configurations and staffing practices make it seem impossible that the industry will come out the other side of the pandemic unchanged. Some of the issues being raised including the low pay and sporadic scheduling of care aides that leads them to take multiple jobs at different care homes were flashpoints within the industry in places like Ontario and B.C. long before COVID-19. 6. Havergal private school failed to prevent relentless bullying against girl, $38-million lawsuit claims The bullying, allegedly by two high school students at the prestigious school, occurred in person and on social media and included provocative incitements to suicide, the lawsuit claims. College officials were made aware of the bullying and insisted it was normal teenage behaviour, the lawsuit alleges. 7. This family says 91-year-old father was put in a COVID-19 ward despite testing negative. He died three days later Linda Hargreaves wrote to St. Michaels Hospital demanding to know why her father had died in a COVID-19 ward when he had been admitted for a C. difficile infection. Hours before he died, Hargreaves was told being in that ward meant his family could not come to say goodbye. Dad was really sick. I knew that, she told the Star. But it would have been nice to at least hold his hand at the end. 8. As cities around the world take their foot off the lockdown pedal, scientists warn this is all happening too fast Health officials and scientists warn and warn and warn that this is all happening too fast. Theyre screaming into deafened ears. Even as researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory issued a report that the coronavirus, which emerged in Wuhan, has since mutated; the new, dominant strain thats spread across the U.S. appears to be more contagious. Politicians, too many of them, can live with the dying as the price of functioning, writes Rosie DiManno. 9. What the 9/11 attacks did for security when flying, COVID-19 will do for health in the air The new flying experience will take some getting used to. For instance, your airport sojourn will be longer. Crowding at boarding gates and luggage carousels will be forbidden, replaced by slower-moving small passenger groups for social distancing, writes David Olive. 11. Why COVID-19 outbreaks in hospitals are such a thorny issue Disclosing a hospital outbreak informs the public, which improves trust and transparency. But doctors also worry about misconceptions that could scare people away from seeking care a problem that will only worsen the scope of illness and death caused by this pandemic. 12. I regret to inform you ... The emails are from the nursing home, and theyre never good Every day or two an email arrives in my inbox, an update from the long-term-care home where my dad has been residing since just before Christmas. And every day, as I click the link, I flinch slightly. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday received the delivery of the countrys allocation of the Madagascar anti-coronavirus drink. President Buhari has received the Madagascan native formulation against the COVID19 pandemic, Bashir Ahmed, a presidential spokesman tweeted. Ahmed said the president further reiterated that he will listen to science before allowing traditional or any new medicines to be administered on Nigerians. Buhari on Monday approved the airlifting of the Madagascar anti-coronavirus drink. Advertisement The herbal mixture is a drink derived from artemisia a plant with proven efficacy in malaria treatment and other indigenous herbs. 16.05.2020 LISTEN A 21-year-old head porter popularly called Kayayei has been convicted by an Accra Circuit Court for attempted robbery and causing harm to a fire officer. Daniel Amevor was arraigned at the Circuit Court by James Town Police for attempting to rob a Fire Service officer of his mobile phone and money at knifepoint. According to the prosecution, the victim was attacked while in front of the Fire Service Training School when he was accosted by the convict together with his accomplice, Abodie, who is currently on the run, to surrender his mobile phone and money. In the process, Daniel Amevor slashed the victim's wrist in an attempt to snatch the phone and money. The victim screamed and that alerted his other colleagues who came to his rescue. The convict and his accomplice took to their heels but the officers were able to arrest Daniel Amevor and handed him over to the Police while the victim was rushed to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for treatment. The Police found a knife on Daniel Amevor after conducting a search on him. The court presided over by Her Honour Afia Owusuwaa Appiah found Daniel Amevor guilty for attempted robbery and causing unlawful harm, and sentenced him to 17 years and 5 years in hard labour respectively. The sentences are to run concurrently. Both major political parties have taken advantage of this maneuver. Hillary Clinton was the first presidential candidate to establish a joint fundraising committee when she was a front-runner in the 2016 Democratic primaries, collecting up to $356,100 per year per donor for her White House bid with the Democratic National Committee and 32 state parties. Trump and the Republican National Committee then set up their own joint effort, Trump Victory, asking donors for as much as $449,400 in 2016. Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, education officials in Latin America have hurried to get virtual education or distance learning plans "up and running." However, the region is starting slow as it does not have too much internet infrastructure, faculty training, and fluency with classroom technologies required to guarantee that the students can still study even while on lockdown. According to a study, millions of Latin American students don't have Internet access. More so, below 30 percent of low-income households in the region own a computer which they use for school work. Meanwhile, roughly 60 percent of teachers in secondary school have the skills required to employ, Programme for International Student Assessment or PISA data indicated, "digital technologies in their lessons," let alone, teach purely online. According to Americas Quarterly, Harvard University professor of education, Fernando Reimers, through a recent online panel on home study, approximated that web-based classes would succeed for, ideally, roughly 20 percent of the students. UNESCO's Initiatives to Help the LatAm Students The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization has its own initiatives to help the Latin American students to continue learning while under lockdown. UNESCO has come up with a list of educational platforms, resources, and applications designed to help teachers, students, parents, school administrators, and schools facilitate student learning and offer social interaction and care while the schools are closed due to the pandemic. Most of these solutions are offered for free and a lot of them cater to different languages. More so, while such solutions do not carry the explicit endorsement of UNESCO, they, the organization indicated in its website, "are likely to have a wide reach, a strong proof of effect and user-base. The said solutions are classified according to the distance or virtual learning needs. However, most of them provide functionalities through multiple categories. Initiatives from the Academics Communities To recompense, school administrators, teachers, students, and parents are looking for creative ways to adapt. The school high school teacher, Emilia Alvarez works is currently in partnership with the so-called "mom-and-pop office supply" shops hear the homes of students to have course materials delivered to them. Meanwhile, other administrators, families of the students, and teachers have chipped in in support for those in financial need. Alvarez also said, despite all the challenges that households are experiencing, there has been an actual presentation of solidarity in the academics community to try to help. Nevertheless, a lot of Latin American students are resorting to cyber-cafes or spend for short-term internet packages so they can access their course materials online and this means an additional cost for households whose earnings have been greatly affected by the pandemic. Moreover, finding ways to access courses online may also mean risking the health of students who need to leave their respective houses to learn. Consequently, Alvarez explained, she has seen a decline in performance for her students who lack access to the internet, or need to share just one computer, mobile phone or tablet, with their siblings. There is hope though, that this COVID-19 pandemic can offer Latin America an opportunity to construct the educational infrastructure it's missing, mandating the school administrators and the governments to innovate. However, the challenges are enormous. Check these out! In a bitter attack on the Centre, the Telangana government on Saturday said that it is pulling a joke on the poor and distressed people of the country through daily announcements as part of its Covid-19 package. Telangana State Planning Board Vice-Chairman B. Vinod Kumar condemned what he called the callous attitude of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for giving false hopes to the distressed people of India through "phony announcements" every day without giving any substantial direct benefits and relief to them. Reacting to day four announcements of relief measures by Sitharaman under the Rs 20 lakh crore package announced by the Prime Minister, he said the Centre was mistaking reform measures as relief measures. He said once again there was no announcement of any financial support to the states facing a huge financial crisis due to revenue loss on account of the lockdown. "As long as these announcements do not contain some direct financial support to the states, they are just publicity gimmicks to divert attention from serious issues," he said in a statement. Referring to the announcements made about the structural reforms in sectors like coal, mineral exploration, defence production, civil aviation, power distribution companies in union territories, space and atomic energy, Vinod Kumar wondered how they are related to Covid-19 relief. Stating that structural reforms in any sector are always required and it is an ongoing process, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader said that the moot point is how these reforms pertain to relief measures at the individual and institutional levels. "One is forced to wonder that the government of India is mistaking reforms measures as relief measures. If it is so, the government of India's announcements on relief measures are misleading and mischievous. It is not an exaggeration to state that the government of India is pulling a joke on the poor and distressed population of the country through these daily announcements," he said. At last, some sporting joy for the Queen, whos been self-isolating at Windsor Castle with Prince Philip since the beginning of lockdown. The Cartier Queens Cup the Champions League of the polo world appeared to have fallen victim to the virus. But I can disclose that the organisers determination to save the tournament, which is played at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor Great Park, has paid off. The Cartier Queens Cup the Champions League of the polo world appeared to have fallen victim to the virus, but has now been rescheduled for the end of July. Pictured: Her Majesty with Laurent Feniou at the 2019 competition Traditionally held in June, the first chukka has now been rescheduled for the end of July. Were all determined to go ahead, says my man with the polo stick. Its a delightful prospect for the Queen, who by then would normally have long since decamped to Balmoral. She presented the Queens Cup as it then was in its inaugural year, 1960. Prince Philip twice reached subsequent finals, while Prince Charles went one better, winning the cup in 1986. What odds on there being a regal if socially distanced spectator at its 60th anniversary? Cate Blanchetts terrible hair day in Streetcar... Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett suffers for her art. The 51-year-old, who is in lockdown at her mansion in East Sussex, reveals she suffered from sudden hair loss while playing tragic Blanche DuBois on stage in A Streetcar Named Desire. My hair fell out, she says. We were meant to go to Broadway with it [but] I just had to go home. I think it was the stress. Despite her success, the actress lacks confidence. When someone tells me: Ive seen you in such and such, the first thing that comes out of my mouth is: Im so sorry. Bang goes his chance of a knighthood! Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe mocks the Royal Family in a forthcoming television comedy in which he plays the fictional Prince Frederick Windsor. Produced by subscription giant Netflix, the show, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, features Radcliffe as an emotionally stunted royal who is 12th in line to the throne. He says: I dont dislike any of the royals. I dont have any antipathy towards them or feel strongly personally about any of them. Lets hope thats the same for the Windsors. Sean Penns girlfriend is a dab hand with reptiles So this is how shes managed to tame former Hollywood hellraiser Sean Penn! Leila George, the actress daughter of film star Greta Scacchi, has shared this photograph (right) of her looking remarkably comfortable while holding a snake. Leila, 28, has been courting Penn, 59, since 2016, following his split from actress Charlize Theron. He has a 29-year-old daughter and a 26-year-old son with his ex-wife, House Of Cards star Robin Wright. Leila gushes: I think animals are way cooler than humans. Guinness is good for you, particularly during lockdown. Well, thats the view of private equity whizz Camilla Warner, whos accepted a proposal from brewing heir Matthew Guinness. Milla is extremely nice and we are all very pleased, says Matthews father, Erskine. He continues: The wedding will be in Gloucestershire, but no date has been fixed. Its good to report some happy news about the family, who have suffered from the so-called Curse of the Guinnesses. At the 18th birthday party for Matthews brother Hector, the husband of Catherine Guinness Robert Hesketh was found dead of a drug overdose. And Catherines half-sister, Olivia Channon, died from a drug overdose in 1986. [This initiative is the result of a collective endeavor launched in May 2020 by three scholars: Isabelle Ferreras, Dominique MAda, and Julie Battilana. The three share an abiding interest in democratic and sustainable ways of working and organizing that diverge from the model of shareholder value maximization. The initiative came from a hope to help in the unfolding crisis a in health, climate, the economy, and political life a that we are facing in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cooperating distantly, as is the new norm, the three scholars sat down to draft an op-ed together about what we are learning from this pandemic around the specific issue of work. Their goal was to name a clearly and urgently a the core lesson they saw emerging: it is time to democratize firms, decommodify work, and remediate the environment. . . .] via The Guardian 15 May 2020 Our health and lives cannot be ruled by market forces alone. Now thousands of scholars are calling for a way out of the crisis Nancy Fraser, Susan Neiman , Chantal Mouffe, Saskia Sassen, Jan-Werner MAller, Dani Rodrik, Thomas Piketty, Gabriel Zucman, Ha-Joon Chang, and many others Working humans are so much more than aresourcesa . This is one of the central lessons of the current crisis. Caring for the sick; delivering food, medication and other essentials; clearing away our waste; stocking the shelves and running the registers in our grocery stores a the people who have kept life going through the Covid-19 pandemic are living proof that work cannot be reduced to a mere commodity. Human health and the care of the most vulnerable cannot be governed by market forces alone. If we leave these things solely to the market, we run the risk of exacerbating inequalities to the point of forfeiting the very lives of the least advantaged. How to avoid this unacceptable situation? By involving employees in decisions relating to their lives and futures in the workplace a by democratising firms. By decommodifying work a by collectively guaranteeing useful employment to all. As we face the monstrous risk of pandemic and environmental collapse, making these strategic changes would allow us to ensure the dignity of all citizens while marshalling the collective strength and effort we need to preserve our life together on this planet. Every morning, men and women, especially members of racialised communities, migrants and informal economy workers, rise to serve those among us who are able to remain under quarantine. They keep watch through the night. The dignity of their jobs needs no other explanation than that eloquently simple term aessential workera . That term also reveals a key fact that capitalism has always sought to render invisible with another term, ahuman resourcea . Human beings are not one resource among many. Without labor investors, there would be no production, no services, no businesses at all. Every morning, quarantined men and women rise in their homes to fulfil from afar the missions of the organisations for which they work. They work into the night. To those who believe that employees cannot be trusted to do their jobs without supervision, that workers require surveillance and external discipline, these men and women are proving the contrary. They are demonstrating, day and night, that workers are not one type of stakeholder among many: they hold the keys to their employersa success. They are the core constituency of the firm, but are, nonetheless, mostly excluded from participating in the government of their workplaces a a right monopolised by capital investors. To the question of how firms and how society as a whole might recognise the contributions of their employees in times of crisis, democracy is the answer. Certainly, we must close the yawning chasm of income inequality and raise the income floor a but that alone is not enough. After the two world wars, womenas undeniable contribution to society helped win them the right to vote. By the same token, it is time to enfranchise workers. Representation of labour investors in the workplace has existed in Europe since the close of the second world war, through institutions known as works councils. Yet these representative bodies have a weak voice at best in the government of firms, and are subordinate to the choices of the executive management teams appointed by shareholders. They have been unable to stop or even slow the relentless momentum of self-serving capital accumulation, ever more powerful in its destruction of our environment. These bodies should now be granted similar rights to those exercised by boards. To do so, firm governments (that is, top management) could be required to obtain double majority approval, from chambers representing workers as well as shareholders. In Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia, different forms of codetermination (Mitbestimmung) put in place progressively after the second world war were a crucial step toward giving a voice to workers a but they are still insufficient to create actual citizenship in firms. Even in the United States, where worker organising and union rights have been considerably suppressed, there is now a growing call to give labour investors the right to elect representatives with a supermajority within boards. Issues such as the choice of a CEO, setting major strategies and profit distribution are too important to be left to shareholders alone. A personal investment of labour; that is, of oneas mind and body, oneas health a oneas very life a ought to come with the collective right to validate or veto these decisions. This crisis also shows that work must not be treated as a commodity, that market mechanisms alone cannot be left in charge of the choices that affect our communities most deeply. For years now, jobs and supplies in the health sector have been subject to the guiding principle of profitability; today, the pandemic is revealing the extent to which this principle has led us astray. Certain strategic and collective needs must simply be made immune to such considerations. The rising body count across the globe is a terrible reminder that some things must never be treated as commodities. Those who continue arguing to the contrary are imperilling us with their dangerous ideology. Profitability is an intolerable yardstick when it comes to our health and our life on this planet. Decommodifying work means preserving certain sectors from the laws of the so-called free market; it also means ensuring that all people have access to work and the dignity it brings. One way to do this is with the creation of a job guarantee. Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reminds us that everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. A job guarantee would not only offer each person access to work that allows them to live with dignity, it would also provide a crucial boost to our collective capability to meet the many pressing social and environmental challenges we currently face. Guaranteed employment would allow governments, working through local communities, to provide dignified work while contributing to the immense effort of fighting environmental collapse. Across the globe, as unemployment skyrockets, job guarantee programs can play a crucial role in assuring the social, economic, and environmental stability of our democratic societies. The European Union must include such a project in its green deal. A review of the mission of the European Central Bank so that it could finance this program, which is necessary to our survival, would give it a legitimate place in the life of each and every citizen of the EU. A countercyclical solution to the explosive unemployment on the way, this program will prove a key contribution to the EUas prosperity. We should not react now with the same innocence as in 2008, when we responded to the economic crisis with an unconditional bailout that swelled public debt while demanding nothing in return. If our governments step in to save businesses in the current crisis, then businesses must step in as well, and meet the general basic conditions of democracy. In the name of the democratic societies they serve, and which constitute them, in the name of their responsibility to ensure our survival on this planet, our governments must make their aid to firms conditional on certain changes to their behaviours. In addition to hewing to strict environmental standards, firms must be required to fulfil certain conditions of democratic internal government. A successful transition from environmental destruction to environmental recovery and regeneration will be best led by democratically governed firms, in which the voices of those who invest their labor carry the same weight as those who invest their capital when it comes to strategic decisions. We have had more than enough time to see what happens when labor, the planet, and capital gains are placed in the balance under the current system: labor and the planet always lose. Thanks to research from the University of Cambridge, we know that aachievable design changesa could reduce global energy consumption by 73%. But those changes are labor intensive, and require choices that are often costlier over the short term. So long as firms are run in ways that seek to maximise profit for their capital investors alone, and in a world where energy is cheap, why make these changes? Despite the challenges of this transition, certain socially minded or co-operatively run businesses a pursuing hybrid goals that take financial, social and environmental considerations into account, and developing democratic internal governments a have already shown the potential of such positive impact. Let us fool ourselves no longer: left to their own devices, most capital investors will not care for the dignity of labour investors, nor will they lead the fight against environmental catastrophe. Another option is available. Democratise firms; decommodify work; stop treating human beings as resources so that we can focus together on sustaining life on this planet. a Isabelle Ferreras (University of Louvain/FNRS-Harvard LWP), Julie Battilana (Harvard University), Dominique MAda (University of Paris Dauphine PLS), Julia CagA (Sciences Po-Paris), Lisa Herzog (University of Groningen), Sara Lafuente Hernandez (University of Brussels-ETUI), HAlAne Landemore (Yale University), Pavlina Tcherneva (Bard College-Levy Institute), Miranda Richmont Mouillot, Israr Qureshi (Autralian National University), Clare Wright (La Trobe University), Isabelle Martin (University of MontrAal), Neera Chandhoke (Delhi University), Lukas Clark-Memler (University of Oxford), Alberto Alemanno (HEC Paris-NYU Law), Elizabeth Anderson (University of Michigan), Philippe AskAnazy (CNRS-Paris School of Economics), AurAlien Barrau (CNRS et UniversitA Grenoble-Alpes), Adelle Blackett (McGill University), Neil Brenner (Harvard University), Craig Calhoun (Arizona State University), Ha-Joon Chang (University of Cambridge), Erica Chenoweth (Harvard University), Joshua Cohen (Apple University, Berkeley, Boston Review), Christophe Dejours (CNAM), Olivier De Schutter (UCLouvain, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights), Nancy Fraser (The New School for Social Research, NYC), Archon Fung (Harvard University), Javati Ghosh (Jawaharlal Nehru University), Stephen Gliessman (UC Santa Cruz), Hans R. Herren (Millennium Institute), Axel Honneth (Columbia University), Eva Illouz (EHESS, Paris), Sanford Jacoby (UCLA), Pierre-Benoit Joly (INRA - National Institute of Agronomical Research, France), Michele Lamont (Harvard university), Lawrence Lessig (Harvard University), David Marsden (London School of Economics), Chantal Mouffe (University of Westminster), Jan-Werner MAller (Princeton University), Gregor Murray (University of MontrAal), Susan Neiman (Einstein Forum), Thomas Piketty (EHESS-Paris School of Economics), Michel Pimbert (Coventry University, Executive Director of Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience), Raj Patel (University of Texas), Katharina Pistor (Columbia University), Ingrid Robeyns (Utrecht University), Dani Rodrik (Harvard University), Saskia Sassen (Columbia University), Debra Satz (Stanford University), Pablo Servigne PhD (in-Terre-dependent researcher), William Sewell (University of Chicago), Susan Silbey (MIT), Margaret Somers (University of Michigan), George Steinmetz (University of Michigan), Laurent ThAvenot (EHESS), Nadia Urbinati (Columbia University), Jean-Pascal van Ypersele de Strihou (UCLouvain), Judy Wajcman (London School of Economics), LAa Ypi (London School of Economics), Lisa Wedeen (The University of Chicago), Gabriel Zucman (UC Berkeley), and 3000 more scholars from more than 600 universities across the globe. The full list is available at https://democratizingwork.org Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 11:22:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEGUCIGALPA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- "They didn't give us water or food, they threw us in the back like dogs, and they didn't check if we had a temperature," Marvin Javier Cubas, a Honduran national deported from the United States, complained about his inhuman treatment there. In a recent telephone interview with Xinhua, Cubas, who is currently undergoing a mandatory quarantine in Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras, recalled his miserable experience after he was exposed to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the hands of U.S. border police following his detention in the United States. "We didn't even receive a test for the coronavirus, they didn't even give masks to us, they only took our fingerprints when we were detained in Texas," he said, adding his dislocated shoulder was not treated in the detention center. "I swear to you by the most sacred thing, which are my daughters, that they didn't even give us a pill when we were sick," Cubas said. Cubas left the municipality of Siguatepeque in central Honduras on March 10 with two friends. All of them were arrested by U.S. agents in Texas. He said they were not transferred to a shelter but put in an open-air tent, where they lost all their belongings. "We are going to get in the car and send you to Mexico to return to Honduras," he quoted the U.S. agents as saying. Cubas said that because there were no health screenings for migrants, the process of returning to their country of origin from the United States exposed the migrants and many others to COVID-19. According to U.S. media reports, since the coronavirus hit the United States, the U.S. immigration authorities have deported thousands of migrants, with dozens infected of COVID-19, which left Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean governments struggling to respond. In the northern border state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, 16 positive cases of coronavirus were reported on April 20, including six Hondurans. Fortunately, according to Cubas, he has received all necessary medical attention in a special shelter in Honduras, where he is undergoing quarantine. Honduran Deputy Foreign Minister Nelly Jerez told Xinhua that the migrants' quarantine is mandatory "to guarantee their safety and that of their families when they return to their towns." The Honduran Ministry of Foreign Relations has set up six isolation centers in the northern city of San Pedro Sula and five in Tegucigalpa to receive returning migrants. As of Friday, Honduras has recorded over 2,300 cases and 133 deaths from COVID-19, most of them in the departments of Cortes, Atlantida, and Francisco Morazan, according to the running tally of U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. Enditem Beijing: Ahead of Foreign Minister Wang Yis visit to India, Chinas state-run media on Friday said the door for Indias admission into the NSG is not tightly closed and New Delhi should fully comprehend Beijings concerns over the disputed South China Sea. Terming that India and China are partners not rivals, a commentary by state-run Xinhua news agency said as Beijing and New Delhi head into a season of intensive top-level diplomatic encounters that could well define the future of their partnership, the two need to work together to keep their disagreements in check. What should be noted above all else is that India has wrongly blamed China for blocking its entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), it said. So far, there is no precedent for a non-Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) signatory to become a NSG member. Many inside the body that monitors the global flow of nuclear materials insist prudence in handing a membership card to any non-treaty party, it said in apparent reference to Chinas persistent demand that signing the NPT is a must for the entry of new members into the 48-member body which controls global nuclear commerce. However, New Delhi should not be downhearted as the door to the NSG is not tightly closed, it said in a first such reference by China in recent months since the two counties differed on the issue. But any future discussions need to be based on safeguarding an international nuclear non-proliferation mechanism, in which India itself has a huge stake, it said. However the commentary did not mention whether Wang, who begins a three-day visit to India today, will be carrying any new proposals to assuage Indias disappointment over its failed bid to get NSG membership despite having majority support in the grouping. The commentary also wanted India to understand Chinas concerns over the South China Sea, where Beijing is on the back foot specially after the verdict of the international tribunal striking down its expansive claims over the area. The US, Australia and Japan besides the Philippines which won the case asked China to implement the verdict saying that it is binding. Beijing, which boycotted the tribunals proceeding however termed it as illegal and null and void. Referring to the joint communique issued at the recent meeting of foreign ministers of Russia, India, and China (RIC) in Moscow, the commentary said India agreed that the South China Sea issue should be addressed through talks between the parties concerned. Given that the South China Sea correlates with Chinas vital national interests, it is hoped that India would fully comprehend Beijings concerns, and continue to play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, it said. Wangs visit comes ahead of next months G20 summit in the Chinese city of Hangzhou where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also scheduled to take part. An article in the state-run Global Times earlier said India should avoid getting unnecessarily entangled in the South China Sea (SCS) debate to prevent it becoming yet another factor to impact bilateral ties. China has been making the case that the G20 summit should avoid any references to the SCS asserting that it should be resolved directly by the parties concerned not by outsiders. Besides the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have counter claims over the area. While Modi is due to attend the G20 meeting, President Xi Jinping is also scheduled to attend the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit in Goa in October. Many believe the (Wangs) trip aims to help rasp off the rough edges of the relationship between the worlds two leading developing countries, and build up consensus ahead of two important summits, the Group of 20 meeting in China and the BRICS gathering in India, to be held in the coming months, the Xinhua commentary said. China and India are partners, not rivals, and as long as they can properly handle their differences with sincerity and political dexterity, bilateral ties will grow stronger while the two become a force for good around the world, it said. At the same time, the worlds two fastest-growing economies should maintain their positive momentum on bilateral ties that has been maintained in recent years, further deepen cooperation, especially in trade and commerce, and foster an even closer partnership. At a time of lacklustre global economic recovery, the two countries should team up to fend off trade protectionism, and make substantial efforts to bring the worlds economic house in order at the two key summits and beyond, it said. As key emerging markets, the two nations, by standing together hand-in-hand can be a strong voice for the developing world, and render the global economic governance system fairer and more just. When it comes to addressing some of the worlds most pressing challenges such as climate change, the fight against terrorism and food security, the two most populous BRICS members share great potential to do even more, it said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. WILLIAMSPORT A software issue resulted in 61 Lycoming County voters receiving eight mail-in ballots for the June 2 primary election. ElectionIQ of Stowe, Ohio, which is processing the applications for the county, accepted blame. It said the error occurred when data was being processed through Postal Service sorting software on March 31. The service provider immediately overnighted a letter to each of the 61 and explained it was an isolated incident. It apologized and said additional processes have been put in place to ensure it does not happen again. In 30-plus years our postal expert has never seen this happen, vice president Daniel Chalupsky wrote. Even if someone returned all eight completed ballots only one vote would be counted, county elections director Forrest K. Lehman explained. The bar code on the envelope is linked to the voter and can be scanned only once, he said. Mail-in ballots must be returned in the official envelope to be counted, he said. ElectionIQ also is contracted by Bradford and Montgomery counties In Pennsylvania to process mail-in ballot applications but there have been no problems with theirs, Chalupsky said. The software glitch occurred with the first file of applicants received from Lycoming County, he said. For some reason when the file was run through the sorting machine the software did not understand the data had been inputted and repeated itself until there were eight ballots for each application, he said. Were sick about, Chalupsky said. That is the reason ElectionIQ sent a letter of explanation by overnight mail so the likely confusion for voters would be cleared up immediately, he said. If Lycoming County did not contract out the work, it would have to process the applications by hand because it does not have the equipment, Lehman said. The county already has received approximately 8,000 applications for mail-in ballots and he anticipates the final number will be in the 10,000 range, he said. Lehman attributes the large number to voters being concerned about going to the polls because of the COVID-19 pandemic. ElectionIQ has experienced a 300 percent increase in the number of mail-in ballot applications it has processed for entities in Pennsylvania and Ohio, Chalupsky 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. At Mass in the Casa Santa Marta on Saturday, Pope Francis urges prayers for those who bury the dead during the pandemic, and delivers a homily on the spirit of worldliness. By Robin Gomes Pope Francis celebrated Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on the Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter. At the start of Mass his thoughts turned to those who bury the dead during this pandemic. Let us pray today, he said, for people who bury the dead during the pandemic." "To bury the dead," he said, "is one of the works of mercy and, obviously, it is not something pleasant. Let us also pray for them because they also risk their lives and can be infected. Later, in his homily, the Pope commented on the days Gospel (Jn 15:18-21) where Jesus says to His disciples: If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you." Listen to our report Spirit of worldliness The Pope said that Jesus often speaks about the world and about hatred against Him and His disciples. He asks the Father not to remove the disciples from the world but to defend them from the spirit of the world. The Holy Father thus dwelt on this worldliness that is capable of hating and destroying Jesus, His disciples and even corrupting the Church. Worldliness, the Pope explained, is a proposal of life. It is a culture of the ephemeral, of appearance, of cosmetic make-up with superficial values. It is a culture that knows no fidelity because it changes according to circumstances. Like a chameleon, it negotiates everything. Throwaway culture of convenience It is this worldliness that Jesus, in His prayer, asks the Father to defend us from. Worldliness, he continued, is a throwaway culture that goes according to convenience. It is also a way of life for many who call themselves Christians but are worldly. The concerns of the world drown the faith. The Pope recalled the renowned 20th-century Jesuit theologian, Father Henri de Lubac who described worldliness as the worst of evils afflicting the Church. Spiritual worldliness is a way of living Christianity that kills because it hates faith. Worldliness enters everywhere, even in the Church. Pope Francis pointed to martyrs who are killed for hatred of the faith. He warned against the mistake of regarding spiritual worldliness as something superficial, saying it has deep roots. Faith in Jesus - medicine to worldliness Pope Francis recalled Saint Paul's speech at the Areopagus in Athens, where he drew attention to the "unknown god" and began preaching the Gospel. "But when he arrived at the cross and resurrection they were scandalized and left." The one thing that worldliness cannot tolerate, the Pope pointed out, is the scandal of the cross. "The only medicine against worldliness is Christ who died and rose for us. Victory against the world is faith in Jesus." The folly of the cross and the victory of Christ is our victory too, the Pope said, referring to the First Letter of John. The world hates Jesus and He prays to the Father to defend us from the spirit of the world. However, faith does not mean being fanatical or not dialoguing with others. The Holy Father thus urged Christians to ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to be able to discern between worldliness and the Gospel, so as not to be deceived. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 13:37:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Five sailors who had returned to nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt after a coronavirus quarantine have tested positive for the virus again, the U.S. Navy announced on Friday. "This week, five USS Theodore Roosevelt sailors who previously tested COVID positive and met rigorous recovery criteria, exceeding CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines, have retested positive," the U.S. Navy said in a statement. The sailors, the statement said, developed flu-like symptoms and "did the right thing reporting to medical for evaluation." "The sailors were immediately removed from the ship and placed back in isolation, their close contacts were mapped, and they are receiving the required medical care," it added. "A small number of other sailors who came in close contact with these individuals were also removed from the ship and tested. They will remain in quarantine pending retest results." In a Pentagon briefing on Friday, chief spokesman Jonathan Hoffman called the outbreak on USS Theodore Roosevelt a "learning process." "It's a stubborn disease. We're learning a lot. We're taking every step possible to get the ship fully clean and fully ready," he said. The outbreak on the aircraft carrier, in which more than 1,000 sailors were reported to have infected with the coronavirus, came under spotlight after Brett Crozier, then commander of the ship, wrote a letter late March pleading for help evacuating the ship, when dozens on board had tested positive for the virus. In doing so, Crozier was relieved of his command by then-acting Secretary of the U.S. Navy Thomas Modly, who himself resigned later after his remarks lashing out at the captain backfired. More than 4,000 sailors from USS Theodore Roosevelt's nearly 5,000-person crew were taken off the ship to quarantine after arriving in Guam on March 27, according to the U.S. Navy. In late April, the U.S. Navy began returning sailors to the aircraft carrier. Returning to the ship required testing negative two consecutive times. The U.S. Navy has been conducting an investigation into the situation on USS Theodore Roosevelt. A Pentagon official has also announced that it would also investigate the Navy's response to the pandemic on its ships. Enditem New Delhi, May 16 : Union Railway and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said that the Indian Railways has operated 1,034 Shramik Special trains to transport the stranded migrant workers across the country. In a tweet, Goyal said, "To bring back the workers till date, the Railways has operated 1,034 Shramik Special trains. Out of which 106 were operated yesterday (Friday). Uttar Pradesh and Bihar has taken steps positively and 80 per cent of the total Shramik Special trains have been operated by these two states." The Indian Railways has started to run Shramik Special trains to transport the stranded migrant workers, students, pilgrims and tourists since May 1. Till date the railways has transported over 12 lakh people across the country in these Shramik Special trains. According to railways, till Friday Uttar Pradesh operated over 474 Shramik Special trains while 52 more are in pipeline. Similarly, Bihar operated 248 Shramik Special trains and 21 are in pipeline. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text That familiar, chipper, iPhone ding notifies Terrie Wood and the world she has a new message. Wood is a state representative from Darien but at this moment shes the credentials coordinator at the Republican nominating convention for Connecticuts 4th Congressional District. The event is standing at ease, to sort out some technical issues for the virtual convention which matters, as this is a close contest with no certain outcome. Wood was the last person to speak, so the screen has stopped on a view of her, in her home, with her kitchen behind her. Her Wheaten Terrier snoozes lazily in a soft chair visible over her right shoulder. Anyone tuning in hears no voices, just silence. Normally, the volume of these political nominating events grows when theres a break in the action. Candidates and their teams work the room, lobbying for delegate votes, maneuvering inside the sorts of large event spaces that come with carpeted, mobile walls. Some might feature a mediocre chicken dinner remember those? Though its not plainly visible, Wood looks down at her phone or at the chat feature of the Ring Central, the video conferencing application the Republican Party chose to host these virtual conventions. The app allows delegates to cast votes securely, and for this convention, thats especially important. The party needs to endorse a candidate to face Congressman Jim Himes, the Democrat who has represented the district since 2009, after he unseated Republican Chris Shays. On this night, the silence comes with tension. All of the Democratic incumbents and most of their Republican challengers enjoyed conventions of acclamation, a formality. Only the 2nd and 4th districts on the Republican side had multiple candidates. And only the 4th, held Wednesday, was a tossup among this weeks virtual conventions. The hopefuls included Norwalk resident Jonathan Riddle; Greenwich doctor and lawyer Michael Goldstein; and Joseph Delaney, about whom there was no information available except to those who already know him. In the 2nd, Tom Gilmer had earned the Republican endorsement to challenge Democratic Rep. Joe Courtney by 234 to 50. Downtime at these events, when theyre live and in person, is when ideas are hatched, alliances are formed, votes are swung and old friends who havent seen each other since the previous nominating convention catch up the sort of politicking only a large gathering can generate. But in 2020, when coronavirus has forced everyone to figure out the logistics of broadcasting from the least intrusive space in their home, that sort of backslapping and guffawing seems a remnant from the history books. Instead, the awkward silence of a virtual convention held via Ring Central and broadcast on YouTube via the Connecticut Republican Partys official account is deafening, and the ding from Woods phone a welcome interruption and reminder that things are happening beyond whats captured by the camera. Wood, perhaps not realizing the view of her is the one currently being broadcast to hundreds, laughs and raises a hand to her mouth. But she never shares the joke with the viewers at home. Maybe it was a candidate asking for a vote, a delegate asking for her opinion on who to vote for, or, most likely, it was someone sending well wishes to her snoozing pup in the background. Wood looked over her shoulder at the fuzzy mass in the corner and smiled. For the most part the voting runs smoothly. There are the expected glitches; a few people struggle to log in to the new platform and end up calling in their vote to Rebecca Michlin, the partys executive director, who was charged with managing the technology for the convention. The three nominated candidates had no chance this spring to make the rounds at town committee meetings. Instead, they had worked the phones and hoped for the best. A fourth candidate, T.J. Elgin, of Westport, was supposed to be in the running, but his selected nominator never responds during the call for nominations. And the person designated to second his nomination, state Rep. Gail Lavielle, R-Wilton, says she had no idea she was expected to speak at this convention. Later, the nominator who missed his turn calls in trying to vote for Elgin, only to learn he was never nominated. He asks to nominate Elgin, but under the rules of the convention adopted in 2018 when this event was last held in the bustling conference center at the Foxwoods Resort Casino he cant. Those who called might have been surprised to learn their vote was broadcast for all to hear, while all others were recorded discretely via a poll that popped up on the screens only of the designated delegates, Michlin managed the flow of incoming calls, cutting off any attempted small talk, as she manually recorded the votes of those delegates. Hello, Michlin says, in the way someone answers a call when theyre busy. Rebecca, its Tony Hwang, responds the state Senator from Fairfield. I apologize for being late, nevertheless I did get in after I registered so what can I do to help? Youre all set. Just tell me who youre going to vote for. Mr. Riddle. OK, thanks. Click. Michlin fields a call from a woman who never registered as a delegate. Did you register? Michlin asks. Umm ... no, the woman responds. Then you are not officially eligible to vote, Michlin says. Im a registered voter, the woman responds. No, to register for the convention? I cant accept your vote, Im sorry. Michlin picks up the next call, Hello? Sorry, wrong number, the deep voice on the other end responds. After 16 minutes, 185 out of 195 delegate votes have been cast, satisfying the rules of the convention. Riddle is announced as the winner by state Rep. J.P. Sredzinski, the temporary chairman for the convention, who joined the convention from his phone. Normally there might have been a burst of applause here, but instead just silence. Sredzinskis background consisted of a gray wall and a partially visible decorative sign featuring, presumably, an inspirational quote, though the viewers at home are kept hanging on the second half of those words of wisdom as it stayed hidden behind his shoulder. Riddle won with 97 votes to Goldsteins 81. At an in-person convention, that margin could have been wider as Riddle might have picked up some last minute votes by chatting with delegates. Riddle is given the opportunity to speak and he keeps his remarks brief, clearly reading from prepared notes on the computer screen in front of him. Thank you very much for the support, Riddle said, addressing the convention via video conference from his home. Im thoroughly excited to represent the 4th district. Were going to work diligently to unseat Jim Himes. There is no applause from the virtual audience. Sredzinski thanks Riddle, promises the partys support and then asks for a motion to adjourn. The convention is over, 61 minutes after it started, and with no drive home, no drinks to finish and no goodbye handshakes. The screen goes black. kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt Chinese Communities in US to Hold the CCP Accountable for Pandemic and to Demand Compensation As countries around the world file lawsuits against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for causing a global pandemic, many Chinese communities in the United States are following suit, holding the CCP accountable and demanding compensation. As of April 28, a lawsuit for compensation has officially entered the judicial process. Chinese-Americans from several communities in the United States have formed a group to sue the Chinese regime and its leader Xi Jinping for the spread of the CCP virus. The group expressed that the CCP should be held accountable for deceiving foreign and domestic nationals, covering up the truth, as well as incurring irreparable losses in human lives and economics. The group said that Chinese nationals have no freedom of speech, and the CCPs actions in arresting doctors to dispel rumors have consequently caused the spread of the CCP virus. It also demanded an end to CCPs one-party rule. The group currently has more than a hundred members and has hired Berman Law Group to represent them. Previously, a number of countries had already sued the CCP over the virus outbreak, including lawsuits from two U.S. state governments, and class-action lawsuits filed by approximately 10,000 people from 40 countries within the United States, the UK, India, Africa, etc. China expert Zhang Jian believes the sharp increase in lawsuits filed by different entities will impose a lot of pressure on local governments to support the lawsuits against the CCP. But during this process, the CCP will put up a show (to continue lying in order to shift the blame) and people will see its true nature, Zhang said. The president of the Chinese-American organization Humanitarian China, Zhou Fengsuo, said that the CCP knew about the virus when it first broke out. However, the Chinese authorities did not make a public announcement in a timely manner, which not only victimized the mainland Chinese, but also caused a global pandemic. Zhou said, There are two aspects to why we call this virus the CCP virus. The first aspect is factual because the CCP caused the pandemic. The other aspect is that the CCPs totalitarian ideology has spread everywhere as a result of globalization, which have threatened all of mankind. Zhou pointed out that through this plague, the CCP has shown its dangerous side to the entire world. The death toll in the United States alone has exceeded that of U.S. military fatal casualties of the Vietnam War. The World Health Organization (WHO) has acted as a puppet for the Chinese regime. The Visual Artists Guild, a Chinese-American society in Los Angeles, questioned the WHO after reviewing its report in the medical journal The Lancet. The president of the Los Angeles-based Visual Artists Guild, Liu Yaya, said: According to the Lancet report, 44 onset symptoms had been recorded from December 1 (2019) to January 2 (2020). However, among these cases, many people (infected patients) have not been to the market (Hua Nan seafood market). This proved that during that period of time, they (the WHO) already knew the virus is capable of spreading via human-to-human transmission. Liu questioned why the WHOs medical team only spent half a day in Wuhan during their 15-day visit to China from February 10 to 24. Liu also wondered why they didnt spend more time visiting doctors and patients in the city, the epicenter of the outbreak. Zhang Jian commented: As we can see from the role the WHO played during this virus outbreak, it has become a puppet of the CCP. No matter what it has said, what it has done, or what it has investigated, it has gotten no acceptance from the international community. If this continues in the long run, these organizations within the United Nations will become merely empty shells. Zhang also pointed out that the CCP has infiltrated many U.N. organizations. The organizations will stick to the scripts written by the CCP, and this has sounded the alarm around the world, he said. Zhou Fengsuo thinks the reason that SARS in 2003 did not become as bad as the CCP virus is because the WHO played a role in exposing the CCP back then. But today, under the leadership of director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO has become complicit in the CCPs demands. The WHO and the CCP should be held accountable. Zhou said that in order to prevent something similar from happening again, the world needs to completely decouple from the CCP in terms of economy and technology, among other things. Zhang Jian pointed out that many countries are reflecting on their relationship with the Chinese regime after realizing that the CCP has caused much harm to the world (by unleashing the pandemic). He believes those countries will come together and form a strong anti-communist coalition to make the CCP pay for what it has done. Malaysian prosecutors have dropped money laundering charges against The Wolf of Wall Street film producer and stepson of ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak in a move slammed by Human Rights Watch on Friday as a triumph for impunity and corruption. Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said he was worried the move could set a precedent in graft cases in which thieves will be let off if they return the stolen money. Riza Aziz reached a settlement with the government and was discharged on Thursday without being formally acquitted, meaning that prosecutors can revive the charge. The anti-graft agency said in a statement that the government will recover $107.3 million of overseas assets involved in the case about 43 percent of the $248 million Aziz was accused of having laundered from the 1MDB state investment fund and Riza is also required to pay an unspecified fine. Riza was the third person in his family to be charged last year over the 1MDB graft scandal that helped Mahathirs alliance oust Najibs long-ruling government in May 2018 elections. Both Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor face multiple graft charges, and are currently on trial. Najib says his family was targeted by Mahathirs government as political vengeance. Rizas discharge came under current Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassins government, which came into power in March amid political maneuvering and Mahathirs resignation. The new government includes Najibs party, which has several other leaders also facing graft charges. Riza Aziz walking free is a triumph for impunity and corruption, and running roughshod over the rights and interests of the Malaysian people, said Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watchs deputy Asia director. I think letting Riza Aziz go is all about gauging the publics reaction for potential next steps that could involve Najib. No one should forget that putting a former Malaysian PM on trial was unbelievable to start with and this was never going to be an easy road, Robertson said. Mahathir, a two-time prime minister, quit in February to protest his ally Muhyiddins move to pull their party out of the ruling alliance and form a Malay-majority government with Najibs party and several others. Mahathir, 94, said Friday that he couldnt accept the prosecutors settlement with Riza. I am worried because there are many other thieves in this country, he said. There is a possibility that in the future, the big criminals that stole a lot of money will be let off if they return the money. Najib set up the 1MDB fund to finance development in Malaysia when he took office in 2009, but it accumulated billions in debts and U.S. investigators allege at least $4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered by Najibs associates. Prosecutors last year said $248 million misappropriated from 1MDB was channeled into bank accounts of Rizas company, Red Granite Pictures Inc., which produced films including the Martin Scorsese-directed film The Wolf of Wall Street starring Leonardo DiCaprio. US investigators say Red Granite used money stolen from 1MDB to finance Hollywood films. Red Granite has paid the US government $60 million to settle claims it benefited from the 1MDB scandal, and the US returned the money to Malaysia. The COVID-19 case count in Ahmedabad rose to 8,144 on Saturday after detection of 973 new patients in the district, including 709 "super spreaders", a state Health official said. The death toll due to COVID-19 mounted to 493 with 14 more patients succumbing to the viral infection, the official said. A total of 163 patients were discharged from hospitals in Ahmedabad, taking the total number of the recovered cases to 2,545. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Welcome to Money Diaries, where were tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. Were asking women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period and were tracking every last dollar. This week an Analyst working in Government Consulting who makes $72,000 per year and spends some of her money this week on moisturizer. Occupation: Analyst Industry: Government Consulting Age: 24 Location: Washington, DC Salary: $72,000 Net Worth: Negative net worth as my student loans are greater than my savings. That said, for savings I have: $6,000 in my high-yield savings account, $3,004 in my 401k (I contribute 6% of every paycheck, which is the maximum that my company matches (25% match)). I plan to up to 7% after this promotion cycle. I wasnt great at saving my first year on the job and am actively trying to save more now. Debt: $26,513 Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $1,820 (exact amount varies based on deductions including 401k, health insurance, and $70 to my Metro Card pre-tax) Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Rent: $1,287 (I live with one roommate in a two-bedroom apartment) Student Loans: $308 (All of my debt is student loans (all public) to cover what was not paid for by scholarships) Utilities: ~$40 (my share of gas and electric, the building pays for water and WiFi) Renters Insurance: $14.74 Spotify Premium: $9.99 Netflix: $12.99 (my mom pays for Hulu and AT&T TV NOW) Phone: $75 (I send my mom $75/month to cover my phone bill, as it is cheaper than having my own plan) Unlimited CycleBar Membership: $52.74 (my work pays for half, on-pause for now) Apple iCloud Storage: $2.99 High-Yield Savings Contribution: $500 Donations: I do not have a monthly donation budget but usually end up donating between $200-$300 each month to different organizations/projects. Therapy Co-Pay: $50 (I put this aside every month for therapy twice a month) Day One 11 a.m. After forcing myself to go back to sleep a few times, I finally wake up around 11. This is slightly later than I normally wake up on weekends but 1. who cares, its a global pandemic and 2. I was working until 3:30 a.m. last night. I work in government consulting and my hours are usually pretty normal but my current project is a bit of a mess, to say the least. Im looking forward to moving on to the next project but mostly just feel lucky to be employed. Story continues 11:15 a.m. I throw some laundry in, clean my room, and jump in the shower many things have been sorely neglected this week. I also spend some time researching new credit cards. I only got my first credit card last year so I think I could be eligible for better ones now. I know I am in a privileged position financially, but thinking about personal finance stuff stresses me out immensely. Growing up, my familys financial situation fluctuated wildly, and, after much discussion in therapy, Ive realized how much this has messed with my perception of my own money (and how I cope by avoiding the subject entirely). Im trying to be better about it, which is one of the reasons I am writing this diary. 12 p.m. My girlfriend (plot twist!), K., comes back from her run. We dont normally live together and have only been dating for about four months, but when my roommate went home to their familys house, we decided it made sense for her to move in and prevent both of us from fully losing our minds in solo quarantine. So far, so good! Weve discussed moving in together for real later this year, so its nice to have a sort of trial run. 1 p.m. I worked on a campaign before moving to D.C. and my old boss is hosting a virtual event for the campaign hes managing this cycle. I send in the recommended donation and join the event while I eat leftover chicken pad thai for lunch. $25 4 p.m. We decide to throw on our masks and check out the park by my house to see if its too crowded to distance properly. I love all of the green spaces in D.C. and feel so lucky to live down the street from my favorite one. Its not empty but there is plenty of room for us to tuck away far from any other groups. I feel anxious going anywhere these days but I try to remember that its important to find sustainable ways to follow recommended practices for the long run. I run back to my house to grab a blanket. 7 p.m. We have almost all of the ingredients for an incredible recipe we made a few weeks ago cauliflower tacos with an almond crema from Bon Appetit so we decide to make it again. Weve gotten really into making fresh corn tortillas and I absolutely hate myself as I type that out. The tacos are excellent. After we eat, we FaceTime with my mom for an hour or so. I only came out to her as bi last year and it means a lot how much she loves K. 9 p.m. We open a bottle of wine I got from an awesome local natural wine shop a few weeks ago and play Mario Kart for a couple of hours. K. is much better than me and insisted I include that in this write-up. I was debating selling my Nintendo Switch (I mostly got it for Animal Crossing and just do not get the hype please dont yell at me in the comments) but well see. We finally fall asleep around 2 and I know for a fact I will not feel good tomorrow. Daily Total: $25 Day Two 8 a.m. I did not feel good tomorrow. We fall back asleep and dont get up until 11 a.m. again. I love this song! 11 a.m. We finally drag ourselves out of bed and I run downstairs to pick up my weekly produce delivery. I started getting the boxes again during the stay-at-home order to help limit grocery store trips. I love getting them it forces me to be a more creative cook and it feels like a present (that I paid for). This weeks box comes with baby potatoes, blueberries, broccoli, lettuce, cantaloupe, kale, and sweet potatoes. I also added cilantro and a bag of coffee beans. I use the beans to make coffee in my french press. It is not very good and yet I finish the entire cup immediately. $32.47 12:30 p.m. I start cooking some pinto beans I soaked overnight. Soaking my own beans makes me feel like a resourceful pioneer woman. We cook up the potatoes and more corn tortillas for breakfast tacos. They are the best things Ive ever eaten. While we cook, we play a bunch of live performances on YouTube. We watch Brandi Carlile at Austin City Limits, the Tallest Man on Earth on KEXP, Sharon Van Etten on La Blogotheque, both Anderson Paak/The Free Nationals Tiny Desks (he is so charming!), and boygenius at Brooklyn Steel. 3:30 p.m. I take the worlds longest shower and do my full hair routine. Im using the Ouidad VitalCurl shampoo and conditioner these days (apparently Devacurl makes your hair fall out? scary!) but I dont think Ill repurchase after I run out. I wash my face with the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser and moisturize with K.s Glossier Priming Moisturizer since Im out of mine (Cliniques Moisturizing Lotion+) Hands-down best part of dating another woman is doubling my product options. I order a new moisturizer. $29.68 4:30 p.m. One of my best friends, R., is leaving DC for law school and today is her official moving day. She has some things to return, so she stops by outside my building. Its the first time Ive seen her in over a month and not being able to hug her makes me want to cry. I was extremely lucky to have so many close friends from college in DC when I moved here. Many of them are now leaving, and this is certainly not how I pictured the end of that era I know its even harder for them. She leaves my stuff at the bottom of my steps in addition to an extremely random assortment of gifts/trash (Starbucks K-cups, very large candles, 1/3 of a bottle of gin, a single can of Truly, and so many Body Shop moisturizers and exfoliators, among other things). She encourages me to throw most of it out, but I do keep the gin, single Truly, and an avocado eye mask from Glow Recipe (after disinfecting them all). 6:30 p.m. K. joins her weekly family Zoom call and I decide to grocery shop. Ive started exclusively going to the smaller shop by my house. Its a much less overwhelming experience, its always well-stocked, they require masks to enter the store, and I get to support a local business. I effectively blackout, forget most of what I wanted to get, and end up with English muffins, Tollhouse cookie dough, ground turkey, goat cheese, half-and-half, greek yogurt, black beans, canned tomatoes, oat milk, soy sauce, Bonne Maman blueberry jam (my favorite), onions, garlic, and two absolutely massive limes. Good enough. I try to buy beer and then embarrassingly realize I just brought my credit card and have no ID. K. sends me $20 on Venmo (shes a vegetarian and I still feel like I should pay more for groceries in my own house, even though she insists otherwise). $29.31 8 p.m. I make yogurt flatbreads that I saw on my favorite food blog, Smitten Kitchen. Were still fairly full from 2 p.m. breakfast so for 8 p.m. dinner we have a few flatbreads, lettuce from my produce box dressed in a simple vinaigrette, and a glass of red wine. Its like were in France! I feel very chic. We start watching A Secret Love, both burst into tears approximately seven minutes in, and never stop. Its about a lesbian couple who kept their relationship a secret for over 60 years (but it is also about aging and death and family and it is so! sad! and! beautiful!). Not to get too sappy on Money Diaries but it makes me feel unbelievably grateful to get to love K. so openly and visibly. We truly stand on the shoulders of giants and it is not lost on me how lucky we are. 10 p.m. It starts pouring and we open the windows, sit in the windowsill and watch the most amazing thunderstorm. We talk about the movie and our relationship and it all feels so surreal. Shockingly, the movie about dying lesbians does not put us in the mood for a wild night so we head to bed fairly early. Daily Total: $91.46 Day Three 8:15 a.m. We wake up before 11 a.m. I have some cold brew I made in the french press overnight and a toasted english muffin with butter and jam. Now were in England! 9 a.m. I join my daily 9 a.m. stand-up call for work. Sometimes I find the calls a bit unnecessary but it is nice to have some structure. Im planning to talk to my manager today about leaving the project earlier than planned to join another project thats more aligned with my interests and career goals. My mental health has really suffered on this project due to a combination of the hours, team dynamics, and expectations, and I dont think I can handle another four months without something changing. I know they appreciate me and the work I do, which is great, but it makes me feel guiltier about trying to leave. I am dreading the conversation and feel nauseous all day. I wish I could talk to my therapist and plan what I want to say, but I dont have an appointment scheduled until next week. 1 p.m. Im on and off calls all morning. K. works for the government and her schedule is much more flexible than mine so she makes the bed, does some dishes and cleans up around the apartment. It makes me feel terrible but she insists that she genuinely loves cleaning so whatever makes her happy. For lunch I have leftover flatbread, beans, and some kale with the vinaigrette I made. 3 p.m. I have the call with my manager. Shes so hard to read but she doesnt seem NOT supportive and I think we land on me staying through June (it was originally supposed to be September). I know well have to have follow-up conversations but, for now, Im proud of myself for advocating for my needs. 6:30 p.m. After realizing I forgot to get basil from the store yesterday, I texted my friend with a basil plant to see if I could take some. I literally feel like I am in Animal Crossing or Oregon Trail or whatever. I walk 20 minutes to her house, where she leaves the basil outside for me. I listen to a podcast for the first time in weeks and realize how much I missed it I normally listen on my commute which obviously does not exist, for now. Its a spin-off of my favorite podcast (Reply All) where one of the hosts is trying to train himself to enjoy horror movies. 8 p.m. We make my favorite vodka sauce recipe (from Basically, again) and top it with the basil I scavenged for. It is heavenly (huge shout-out to the 4 oz. of parm). 8:30 p.m. K. and I split an edible we have in the freezer. I have had some not awesome experiences with edibles in the past but these ones are perfect and I love them. K. recommends we watch Middleditch & Schwartz, a long-form improv show, and it is so funny. We fall asleep around 1 AM. Daily Total: $0 Day Four 8:50 a.m. We stay in bed until a full 10 minutes before I need to be working. I have another english muffin with butter and jam, which Im pretty sure is the best food in the entire world. 9 a.m. More boring work, calls, doing report edits, youre bored to tears, Im bored to tears. Im glad that my first job out of college lets me use my brain (usually) and own a lot of my own work, but consulting is certainly not my passion or what I want to do forever. I got the job through the on-campus hiring process and it was nice to know what I was doing so early, but sometimes I wish I had taken more time to see what else was out there. 12 p.m. Its technically Giving Tuesday, which I am not a big fan of for a variety of reasons, but I remember I have some of my stimulus check left to donate. I am so fortunate to still be receiving my usual salary, so I decided to donate half and keep the rest for savings/buying one splurge item (I went with a stupidly expensive, but gorgeous, linen bedding set from Bed Threads I am no Mother Theresa). I sent my first donation to a relief fund for local sex workers last week and decide to donate the rest there, too. Over the past year, Ive gotten very involved with my local abortion fund and have realized how crucial it is to support smaller, community-based organizations and mutual aid projects whenever possible. Organizations like these typically have no fundraising budget and are not going to benefit from a massive Giving Tuesday campaign, so Im happy to do my small part. $200 1 p.m. Leftover pasta for lunch (still so good) while I read Ask a Manager and play with my cat, Lentil, who I adopted a little over a month ago. I had been wanting a cat since I moved to D.C., and now seemed like as good a time as ever. After spending the first three years of her life as a community cat, she came to the shelter in November after getting stuck in a sewer grate and breaking her pelvis. Now, her pelvis is almost as good as new and she is truly the sweetest cat; we always marvel at how crazy it is that shes only been an indoor cat for half a year. She is also the cutest cat in the entire world. I know everyone thinks that about their cat but thats impossible because Lentil is the number one cutest. 6:30 p.m. I make fried rice for dinner to get rid of the leftover rice in my fridge and some vegetables that I got in my produce box, including broccoli, onion, carrot, and cabbage. It is solidly mediocre. 7 p.m. K. and I binge a bunch of episodes of Normal People on Hulu. I finished the book in a day last year and am realizing I forgot a ton of the plot. The show is exactly what I was hoping for super dramatic, almost soapy, but well-acted and beautifully shot. The actor who plays Connell, Paul Mescal, is phenomenal and also just incredibly hot. 9:30 p.m. We finish the night reading in bed. A friend organized a book club focused on reading books by women of color. Right now, were reading A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende. Im enjoying the book but I am way behind where I should be by now since were meeting tomorrow (spoiler alert: I do not join the book club meeting). Daily Total: $200 Day Five 8:15 a.m. I wake up at the crack of dawn (8:15 a.m.), make coffee in the french press, and have my last english muffin with butter and jam. 9 a.m. I spend the morning working on templates in PowerPoint, which is actually one of my favorite parts of my job. I love figuring out ways to distill large amounts of information into an easy-to-understand narrative, and I know this is a useful skill I will take to whichever job I have next. Generally, I just love graphic design and detail-oriented work. Though an ex-boyfriend who is a professional graphic designer once told me that just spacing out letters in titles was not graphic design, my gorgeous slides would beg to disagree. 12 p.m. I have a strange urge for coleslaw (someone once told me I have the cravings of a constantly pregnant woman). I throw together half of the red cabbage I got in my produce box, shredded carrots, mayo, apple cider vinegar and some spices and it turns out pretty good. I add some goat cheese and crackers on the side and, voila, lunch! 1 p.m. Still editing slides so K. and I throw the first episode of Season 2 of Love Island on in the background. It is the first time Ive watched it and Im already addicted. I love the way they talk! I have no clue what theyre saying! 2 p.m. Its my best friends birthday so I FaceTime her while she opens the gift I sent (a makeup kit from Glossier). Were throwing a Zoom party for her on Saturday so we only chat for around 15 minutes before I get back to work. 5:30 p.m. I wrap up work and put on exercise clothes. I started 30 days of Yoga with Adriene but clearly have been slacking the past few days. I light my Palo Santo candle from Brooklyn Candle Studio (so good) and pick up on day 7. I can feel that I havent stretched in a few days but still enjoy it. This is my first time doing yoga consistently and I see the appeal. 7:30 p.m. Its takeout Wednesday! I am craving Chick-Fil-A but I remember I can get a chicken sandwich and fries from my favorite bar in DC instead and get the beer that I wasnt able to get at the grocery store on Monday. I order the sandwich and a six-pack of Union Jack IPA, and tip 25%. K. insists on paying me for the beer but I refuse. She makes way less than I do and I wish she would let me pay for things more often, but I dont want to make her uncomfortable.While we wait for the food, we FaceTime with B., a friend from high school, and he gets to meet K. for the first time. $35.10 9 p.m. We watch more Normal People as we eat and decide to start Sex and the City. Ive seen random episodes with my mom before but Ive never watched all the way through. It is incredible to watch but it has certainly not aged well. I do my weekly face mask the Drunk Elephant Baby Facial while we watch. We go to bed around 11. Daily Total: $35.10 Day Six 8:30 a.m. Wake up, make coffee, work. Nothing new to report! I spend the work day making report edits based on client feedback and starting to think through some implementation plans. 4:30 p.m. I wrap up early for the day and decide to make biscuits to replace my much-beloved-but-now-gone English muffins. I use the Basically recipe for sour cream and onion biscuits, but swap sour cream for greek yogurt and leave out the green onions to make them more versatile. They turn out much better than the first time I tried to make them and managed to turn the oven off as I put them in. 5 p.m. I do my yoga while the biscuits bake and K. is out for a run. For some reason, I feel super self-conscious doing yoga (I feel like I am very much missing the point of yoga) so I prefer to do it when K. is out of the house. 6:30 p.m. I call my grandparents to check in and catch up. I am extremely close with them and Id be lying if I said I didnt worry about them, especially now. Theyre both in great health and being cautious but it still makes me nervous. We have a lovely conversation and Im so glad I called. My mom calls as soon as they hang up and lets me know that her Mothers Day Gift arrived (a pack of Jenis Ice Cream pints)! Its from me and my brother, but really just me because he is a 19-year-old with no income. I talk with her and my brother for a bit before hanging up to make dinner. 7:30 p.m. I am feeling solidly cooked-out but remember that I have most of a can of crushed tomatoes leftover in the fridge that need to be used. I make a very basic tomato sauce with pasta but its still yummy. 9 p.m. I do some work for my local abortion fund, including drafting an onboarding email to new volunteers I have loved getting to take on more responsibility throughout the year. Ill get off my soapbox in a second, but abortion funds around the country are doing such essential and innovative work right now, and I am humbled to play a small part and get to learn from such passionate, intelligent leaders. Daily Total: $0 Day Seven 8:30 a.m. K. makes coffee and I have a biscuit with honey butter to really shake things up. 12 p.m. We have a meeting with our client about some of our recommendations and it goes shockingly well! I am glad that they seem more receptive than they have been in the past. I kill time for the rest of the afternoon. A lot of people have a negative view of consulting (and government consulting in particular) as redundant, at best, and highly wasteful, at worst. While I have generally been on projects that are the exception to the rule, I still cannot wait to do something different once I finish my two years. 5 p.m. Its the weekend! K. and I finish Normal People before kicking off our date night, which is the same as every other night except we wear real clothes and buy more expensive takeout. We get ready in separate rooms and it feels really good to actually look nice. I do my go-to (very) basic makeup routine, using my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, Too Faced Better than Sex mascara, Benefit Brow Zings, and Fenty highlighter. I add some red lipstick from ColourPop and call it a day. 7 p.m. I set my (coffee) table while K. makes us moscow mules. We order from a fancy Korean place that I love but K. has never tried. We get dumplings and roasted sweet potatoes for our appetizers. For our mains, I get Korean chili-braised chicken thighs and K. gets chewy rice cakes with mushrooms and a sweet soy sauce. We tip 20% and split the cost evenly. $45.97 8:30 p.m. We open another bottle of natural wine (this one is German and I have absolutely no clue what it is supposed to taste like) and the food arrives it is heavenly. It feels nice to break up the monotony of quarantine and date night genuinely feels special, even if we are sitting on the floor. Daily Total: $45.97 Money Diaries are meant to reflect individual womens experiences and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior. The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more money diaries, click here. Do you have a Money Diary youd like to share? Submit it with us here. Have questions about how to submit or our publishing process? Read our Money Diaries FAQ doc here: r29.co/mdfaqs Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? A Week In Copenhagen, Denmark On A $70,000 Salary A Week In Tri-Cities, WA, On A $55,400 Salary A Week In Boston, MA On A $154,468 Joint Income Image: Creative Commons/Wikipedia Dhaka/IBNS: With full state honour, country's National Professor Anisuzzaman has been laid to rest at Azimpur graveyard in Bangladesh, media reports said. Drawing the curtain down on an illustrious life, Bangladesh's National Professor, Dr. Anisuzzaman, passed away at the Combined Military Hospital in the capital on Thursday (May 14). He was 83 years old. It was revealed after his death that he was infected with coronavirus. The burial took place around 10:00am after a namaz-e-janaza and guard of honour given by officials at the graveyard, reported The Daily Star. "My father was laid to rest in the grave of my grandfather," the national professor's son Ananda Zaman told the newspaper. Dr. Anisuzzaman has been suffering from various diseases including lung infections for a long time. After being treated at the Universal Cardiac Hospital (formerly Ayesha Memorial Hospital) in Mohakhali since April 26, he was taken to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) on May 9 following the wish of his family. Akhtaruzzaman, the younger brother of Professor Anisuzzaman, said on Thursday night that he had contracted corona. He said that Anisuzzaman's corona positive report has come. Life at a glance: This man of conscience of the nation was born on 16 February 1936 in Basirhat under 24 Parganas in West Bengal. His father ATM Moazzem was a famous homeopath. In the mid 1950s Anisuzzaman did his graduation and Masters (first class first). He was awarded the Nilkant Sarkar Gold Medal for achieving the highest marks in Honors. He received his doctorate from the University of Chicago in 1965. He was involved in the language movement, the anti-Rabindra eviction movement, the Rabindra birth centenary movement and the historical non-cooperation movement. He joined the War of Liberation in 1971. He had actively participated in the people's court formed for the trial of war criminals under the leadership of Shaheed Janani Jahanara Imam. In 1985 he joined Dhaka University from Chittagong University. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to Bengali literature, he has been awarded various prizes including Bangla Academy Sahitya Puraskar, Ekushey Padak, Alakta Puraskar, Alaol Sahitya Puraskar and an honorary D-Lit degree from Rabindra Bharati University in West Bengal, India. Professor Anisuzzaman has received the state award of India 'Padma Bhushan'. In 2015, he was awarded the highest civilian honor, the Swadhinata Puraskar, by the Government of Bangladesh for his contribution to literature. On 19 June 2016, the Bangladesh government appointed him as a national professor. New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address a press conference at 4 pm at National Media centre on Saturday to announce the fourth tranche of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan economic package of Rs 20 lakh crore. The fourth tranche will likely focus on the middle class and small traders and retailers. On Friday (May 15) Sitharaman announced the third tranche of measures related to Atmanirbhar Bharat. The third tranche was focused on 11 measures. 8 of them related to infrastructure, agriculture and allied activities and the rest three pertained to governance and administrative reforms. Rs 1 lakh crore was provided for funding Agriculture Infrastructure Projects at farm-gate & aggregation points in a step to strenghten infrastructure in agriculture, financing facility of India. New scheme of interest subvention of 2 percent for dairy was also announced. FM in her addresss to media on Friday also said, ''Aiming to implement PM's vision of Vocal for Local with Global outreach, a scheme will be launched to help 2 lakh Micro Food Enterprises; Improved health and safety standards, integration with retail markets and improved incomes to be key focus areas.'' The Finance Ministry alloted Rs 10,000 crores scheme for formalisation of Micro Food Enterprises (MFEs) and Rs 500 crore for operations green supply chain subsidy for perishable commodities. On Thursday (May 14) Sitharaman announced the second tranche of measures related to Atmanirbhar Bharat. The FM 2nd tranche of package laid focus on migrant workers, street vendors, small traders, small farmers. In the first tranche of measures announced on May 13 the FM gave details of 15 new and some enhanced measures to revive businesses. She announced a host of fiscal and regulatory measures for MSMEs, Real Estate, NBFCs, EPF, and Discoms. Suzy Morgans senior-level College English class at North Bend Central High School was in the middle of producing the newest addition of The Prowling Pen, a yearly literary magazine filled with poems from the schools graduating class, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. She wasnt sure what would happen with the magazine she first created in 2012 or if The Prowling Pen would make its way to publication at all. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, her class of 42 students soldiered on. Morgan said the end result was one of the most uniquely special editions of the annual magazine shes seen. It documents the personal struggles many of the schools graduating seniors experienced, like missing out on end-of-the-year staples like prom and graduation. This year, Im unusually proud, she said. They just did a little extra this year. I think a lot of people can relate to what they went through. Morgan said the magazine was created to give students an outlet from classes that were dominated by statewide testing. This gave them a corner to be creative during their senior year, she said. Students are given a packet that includes poetry templates to guide them along in the creative writing process. Outside of that, students are free to be as creative as they want while producing five poems to be submitted for the magazine. The classs poetry unit immediately follows reading and discussing The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, which Morgan describes as amazingly descriptive. While reading the novel, students look out for what Morgan describes as gems, or unique word combinations or details that stick out. By the time students move into poetry, Morgan said they already have a strong base on what makes creative writing special. From there, Morgan assigns deadlines to the five poems due for the magazine. She ultimately takes the best works from each student to include in the final publication. I get everybody in there, she said. This is not everybodys thing but theyll be in there some way. Students had only turned in two poems when the school was forced to convert to virtual learning, Morgan said. She said the school was fortunate. It was able to prepare students for the transition, unlike other area schools. They knew that we were going to keep on going with deadlines and that poems would be submitted via email, she said. Initially, Morgan was planning to have students revise their poems after submission, but she quickly found that the work being turned in didnt need any extra work. The end of senior year was them all by themselves, so I wondered how this was going to go, she said. Then when I saw them come in I thought: Wow, were going to be fine. The pandemic understandably shifted the subject matter of some of the poems included in the magazine. For senior Shyann Rolenc, that meant using it as an inspiration for her work. I used everything that was happening as an inspiration and the fact that I was missing out on a lot during my senior year, she said. Rolenc said the project will serve as a continuing reminder of what her life was like during the pandemic. Its going to impact me more because Im always going to have that little reminder and Ill remember that that was the year that COVID-19 disrupted everything. She said realizing she would be missing out on major events such as graduation and prom was difficult in the early days. Writing played a major role in helping her cope with that. In the beginning it was really hard, she said. I was trying to get through the day without breaking down in the beginning. As I was writing it helped me work through it. Senior Lauren Emanuel said the shift allowed her to spend more time on the project. I definitely enjoyed it a lot more because I had a lot of extra time to work on it and I had a lot of time to think through what I was writing, she said. She added that the pandemic made her work harder on the project. When I was writing, I definitely put a lot more thought in it, she said. People will look back at this edition because they knew what was going on. Our words will be looked back on quite often. Additionally, Morgan said the class was also researching topics surrounding mental health for a presentation. She said self care strategies like writing often help people process mitigate stress and difficult events. They were grieving the loss of a lot of important things and I think that helped them process that, she said. I think it was very much helpful for them to work through some of the stress and anxiety. Morgan said she usually works on putting together the final product for the magazine throughout the year. With extended deadlines and other obstacles introduced due to the pandemic, that window shrunk to around three days. Usually I work on it a little bit here and there, but instead I did it all in like three days, she said. I was at school for a super long time. It was a lot of hours in a shorter period of time. Overall, Morgan said she was surprised by the amount of work each student put into the magazine despite the circumstances. We probably had more poems in there than maybe ever before, she said. More students had multiple poems this year. I was constantly wowed. Its going to be a great addition. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Modern-day life is filled with sentiments extolling the multi-tasking prowess of women as nurturers, caregivers, professionals, meal fixers and most recently home-school-teaching overseers. Grace Raymond Hebard (1861-1936) was a Wyoming pioneer, especially in terms of multi-tasking. She came to Wyoming in 1882 as a brand-new college graduate from the State University of Iowa in Iowa City, where she was the only woman studying engineering and a member of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity. Her engineering studies focused on surveying and mechanical drawing. Along with her mother and siblings, the family settled in Cheyenne, where Hebard had been offered a job working for the United States Surveyor Generals office, which then was surveying and mapping the Wyoming Territory. She worked in the office for $100 a month and took correspondence courses from her alma mater to earn a master of arts degree in 1885. Through acquaintances with political influencers Edward C. David and Joseph M. Carey, Hebard, then 30, received an appointment to the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees in January 1891. That appointment was the beginning of a 45-year employment at UW, which lasted until her death. Although she was not the first woman appointed to the board, she soon began to acquire power and influence, according to historians, when she was made the boards paid secretary. With six of nine board members living outside Laramie (and before the now-normal Zoom meetings), she and the two other Laramie board members made up the executive committee and had oversight of day-to-day operations at the school. In 1898, the trustees considered hiring Hebard as UW president, but she declined. That same year, she took and passed the Wyoming State Bar exam, and although she never practiced law, she was the first woman in Wyoming admitted to the bar. Hebard again took correspondence courses and received a doctorate in political economy from Illinois Wesleyan University. In 1894, Hebard started the first library at the University of Wyoming with a sack of books she found in a small, locked room at the university. In 1908, she was appointed the universitys first librarian, a post she held until 1919. The cataloged collection had grown to 42,000 volumes by the end of her tenure. She began her formal teaching career when she received an appointment in 1906 as the universitys head of the Department of Political Economy. In addition to the administrative, library and teaching duties, Hebard would write five volumes of Western history through the years, and it was as an author that she would receive the most criticism, especially in the decades following her death. Her five books included The Government of Wyoming, (1904); The Pathbreakers from River to Ocean, (1911); The Bozeman Trail, (1922), co-authored with E.A. Brinninstool; Washakie, (1930), and Sacajawea, (1933). It is the last work that has caused the most eyebrow-raising in the seven decades since Hebards passing. Historians note that Hebard was a tireless researcher, but the trouble was that the facts she uncovered often did not match her romanticized or pre-determined versions of history. Hebard insisted in her writings that Sacajawea lived to about 100 and was buried on the Wind River Reservation. Most scholars agree that there is much stronger documentation to show that the young Shoshone interpreter for Lewis and Clark died in 1812 at Fort Manuel Lisa in what is now North Dakota. Another posthumous problem for Hebards credibility is of the role Esther Hobart Morris played in Wyomings suffrage movement. Hebard subscribed to the story that Morris and two candidates for the territorial legislature met, with Morris obtaining a promise that whichever of the men was elected to the legislature, he would introduce a bill supporting suffrage for women in Wyoming. Hebard described Morris as The Mother of Woman Suffrage and found a South Pass City resident (where Morris was justice of the peace) to corroborate her story. Historians say at no time in her life did Morris ever claim to have anything to do with the introduction or passage of the suffrage bill in Wyoming. Hebard never married, although some describe her longtime roommate and UW professor Agnes Wergeland as her partner. Hebard died in Laramie in October 1936. A campus-wide memorial service was held for her on December 7, 1936, with speakers including U.S. Senator Robert Carey, university president A.G. Crane and author Agnes Wright Spring, among others. Her research on the history of Wyoming, the West, emigrant trails and Native Americans became the nucleus for what is known today as the American Heritage Center on the University of Wyoming campus. Officially established in 1945, the center now holds over 90,000 cubic feet of historic documents and artifacts in more than 3,500 collections making the AHC among the largest non-governmental archives in the nation. Hebards papers currently reside in the Coe Library addition, completed in 2009. Hebard was an engineer, administrator, librarian, professor, lawyer, researcher, suffragette and historian. While not a native, she is just one of more than a century of women whose curiosity was spurred by a deep romanticism for this wild, untamed place called Wyoming. (This story is based on information from WyoHistory.org, Mike Mackey, University of Wyoming American Heritage Center and Wikipedia. The writer thanks them for help with this project.) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Sunshine Meadows in Florida hosted eight qualifiers on Friday (May 15), and there was plenty of star power in action including a fine-looking roster of three-year-olds from the stable of trainer Casie Coleman. The Pepsi North America Cup is on the dance card of two of the Glamour Boys who faced the gate this morning for Coleman including Indictable Hanover -- a very talented youngster who didnt make it to the races as a rookie. He kicked a cement wall in the paddock and then knuckled under warming up one morning when he was in to qualify at Mohawk, Coleman told Trot Insider. He was lame and I had to scratch him that morning. It took a few weeks to figure out what was wrong and finally, with a bone scan, I found out he had a bad bone bruised in his hind ankle. I had to do right by him and kick him out, she added. So we missed the whole year with him. I and sent him to Lexington with Beth at Anvil & Lace and she did a great job with him. He was there a long time...he went in July and I picked him up in November. So far, so good. Good, indeed. The son of Bettors Delight-Im Sassy snapped home in :27.2 to win convincingly in the fourth qualifier of the morning session, and he impressed his conditioner. Indictable is who I think my best colt is, hes very, very nice. Always has been a top colt, said Coleman. He went 1:56 for fun in a wind storm this morning and Brian [Sears] loved him. He did it so easy. Ill go a good mile with him again next weekend and then he will ship home, she added. Then Ill decide if I qualify again or if hes ready for a maiden race. It all depends on the stakes schedule once new dates are put out. Another Pepsi North America Cup hopeful, Examiner Hanover, also got the job done later in the morning session. And like his stablemate, he did everything asked of him. Examiner was awesome, said Coleman. We didnt want him on the front today in a head wind, and he was in against a killer four-year-old [American Mercury]. Examiner crawled along early hoping the good one re-took the lead, but he didnt. Examiner went a big back half and did it easy. Hell have the same type of schedule as Indictable Hanover will have going forward. Reagan Blue Chip, though no longer eligible to the Pepsi North America Cup, was a powerful winner in 1:55.2 for Sears and Coleman. I took Reagan out of the Cup and wish I didnt, said Coleman. He was a killer after I gelded him three weeks ago. Hes been fantastic since then. A new recruit is on his way to Colemans barn on the weekend, and he was an impressive qualifying winner Thursday morning at Pompano Park for trainer Jim MacDonald. Ideal Perception is a colt Ill be getting on Sunday, said Coleman. He won his qualifier in 1:56.3 at Pompano. Ed James has the colt paid into the Pepsi North America Cup. They say hes very nice, but I havent met him yet. By the looks of it, her barn could be sitting on a big year if all the stars line up. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- On Saturday afternoon, two different groups rallied to support differing point of views around reopening New York City after the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. About 200 people and hundreds of cars were part of the Back 2 Work rally at the former Staten Island Department of Motor Vehicle site in Travis to show their support of reopening the city. OPPOSITE OF GOOD BUSINESS When youre a business owner, you know that you have to change with the economy. You need to make adjustments, said Leticia Remauro, one of the events organizers. Whats happening in New York state is the opposite of good business." **CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ** Remauro, the former chairwoman of Staten Island GOP and Community Board 1 who is also running for borough president, said that at the beginning she was more than willing to follow the directions from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio, but after nine weeks she said the economy needs to reopen. We have to work together, and we have to work in a safe and responsible way, and we have to get our economy back up and running, Remauro said. Steve Margarella, who also organized the event and who has been working in construction for 45 years, said he decided Saturdays rally is important because nobody is doing anything and that the decision on reopening has become solely fueled by politics. This stopped being about a virus. And it started to be about this all about politics and became about money, philosophy and ideology, Margarella said. Many of the attendees held signs that read masks dont work, people do and back to work, back to school, stop the lies. FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE At the same time at the Back 2 Work rally on Saturday, members of the Communications Workers of American (CWA) Local 1102 union were advocating for a more cautious approach to reopening during a car parade that started at Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze and ended a La Colmena, a job community center in Port Richmond. [The mayor and the governor] should hold strong behind the idea that we should be rational when we reopen, said Steve Lawton, the president of (CWA). We should follow the evidence. CWA locally represents mostly Verizon and EZ-Pass workers, but also nurses and transportation workers statewide. The idea of doing a car rally was created to make sure elected officials would hear the voices of the workers that were so impacted [by the coronavirus] before they rush to reopen," Lawton said. He added that how New York state reopens could have positive outcomes if done correctly. Governor Cuomos concerns about how the pandemic exposed a lot of inequalities in our in our economy and in our society. And I think that while one side of the conversation about reopening is about the science of the virus, Lawton said. The other part of its also about [the fact that] we have an opportunity to fix some things that were wrong in the past; the fact that we didnt have enough PPE; the fact that there wasnt enough support for workers; the fact that the virus upended or affected people of color and immigrant workers at a higher rate than other workers ... These are opportunities for us to move forward and fix those issues. And if we rush forward too quickly to reopen and not care for those issues, were gonna make the same mistakes. The Canary news website based in the United Kingdom recently obtained the declassification of British official documents relating to Venezuela. They disclose the existence, since January 2019, of a secret unit within Whitehall (the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office) in charge of planning first the destabilization and subsequently the reconstruction of the country. Aready in December 2018 we reported that the United States was preparing a war of Latin American countries against Venezuela [1], then in April 2020, we revealed the existence of a coordination between the continents former colonial powers (Spain, France, Portugal, Netherlands, United Kingdom) under the US presidency to remove Venezuelas constitutional president, Nicolas Maduro. [2] The documents perused by The Canary attest to the UKs stake in this project. Those who may eventually be put in power, such as Juan Guaido, can be counted on to promote the economic interests of the Crown to the detriment of their own population. Revealed: Secretive British unit planning for reconstruction of Venezuela, John McEvoy, The Canary, May 13th, 2020. RTHK: Polish police fire tear gas at lockdown protest Police in Warsaw used tear gas on Saturday against protesters demanding the government act faster to allow businesses to reopen following a coronavirus shutdown. Hundreds of protesters gathered in Warsaw's Old Town in the early afternoon, carrying signs saying "Work and bread" and "It will be normal again". Poland has been steadily loosening coronavirus restrictions in recent weeks in an effort to cushion the economy. Hair salons and restaurants are expected to reopen with new safety measures in place on Monday. But the protesters, who have gathered in Warsaw repeatedly in recent weeks, say restrictions need to be lifted further in order for them to sustain their livelihoods. Police blocked the planned march, saying in a statement published on Twitter that public gatherings are still banned under the government restrictions. "Unfortunately we are dealing with cases of aggression towards police. Due to the attacks on civil servants, we used methods of direct confrontation such as physical force and (tear) gas," the Warsaw police said in a tweet. Jacek Bury, a senator and member of Poland's main opposition grouping, the Civic Coalition, said he was detained by police during the protest and that they used force against him. As a senator, Bury would have immunity from being prosecuted for taking part in the protest and breaking coronavirus restrictions. The police said on Twitter that they did not detain anyone who held state immunity, arguing the senator had entered a police vehicle himself and refused to leave it. Borys Budka, the head of the Civic Coalition, said on Twitter that he expected the interior minister and the head of Warsaw's police service to explain the use of force during Saturday's protest. Poland has confirmed 18,257 cases of coronavirus and 915 deaths. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday (May 16, 2020) will release a scientific brief on Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children. Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome is said to be a disease similar to Kawasaki and toxic shock syndrome linked to COVID-19. In the past weeks, reports from Europe and North America have described a small number of children being admitted to intensive care units with a multisystem inflammatory condition with some features similar to Kawasakis disease and toxic shock syndrome. The initial reports hypothesize that this syndrome may be related to COVID-19. The WHO said that it is critical to urgently and carefully characterize this clinical syndrome, to understand causality, and to describe treatment interventions. However, WHO along with global clinical network for COVID-19 has developed a preliminary case definition and a case report form for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Taking further steps to better understand the syndrome and stay alert of its spread among children's, WHO has called all clinicians worldwide to work with your national authorities WOODBRIDGE Police are investigating a motor vehicle crash after a person was killed early Saturday morning. In a release, officials said the crash occurred on Ansonia Road near its intersection with Millhaven Road at roughly 1 a.m. The accident involved a single vehicle that was traveling eastbound on Ansonia Road when it drove off the highway and struck a tree, police said. The operator and sole occupant in the vehicle was transported to Yale New Haven Hospital. Reconstruction of the scene is being conducted by the Woodbridge Police Department. The identity of the person killed in the crash has not yet been released, as their next of kin still need to be notified, police said. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Woodbridge Police Department, officials said. The departments main line is (203)-387-2511. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com I attended a public cyber charter school from K-12th grade, and it prepared me to pursue a fully online college degree in public relations. Through it, I gained self-discipline, time management, communication skills, and a love of learning that serves me well in adult life. During the coronavirus pandemic, all students are cyber students. Cyber charter schools have been instructing students online for years and have much to offer brick and mortar schools. My own experience enables me to assist numerous students at my college. Without online learning, it would be nearly impossible for schools to provide education during this time. Gov. Tom Wolf continues to attack public charter schools and the right to school choice, threatening over 143,000 Pennsylvania public charter school students. Wishing to reform charter schools, he wants to cut approximately $280 million of their funding. The issue is not whether one agrees with cyber education or not. It is school choice and freedom that are at risk; the right for a parent to choose what is best for their family, for their own needs. Cutting funds is an offense against our students. Citizens should resist Wolfs budget cuts and voice our concerns to our state legislators. School choice could be taken away by our government, allowed by our own unwillingness to take a stand. A freedom the people do not stand for should not be expected to sustain. Rachel Fleagle, Camp Hill, Pa. CLEVELAND, Ohio Your local swimming pool will look different this summer thanks to new guidelines to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Swimming pools and aquatic centers can open May 26 if they adhere to a series of guidelines, requiring pool operators to reduce capacity to ensure guests can stay six feet apart from other people. Facilities should also be cleaned and disinfected often. Swimmers will be mandated to practice social distancing, gather in groups of less than 10 people and stay home if theyre sick, according to the guidelines. The state recommends guests wear face coverings as they enter and leave pool areas and aquatic centers, but not while theyre swimming. The full list of guidelines can be found here. Only pools regulated by local health departments, such as public pools or health clubs can open May 26. The state will release information about re-opening water parks and amusements parks soon, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said. There is no evidence the virus that causes COVID-19 can spread through the water in swimming pools, hot tubs, spas or water play areas, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Common cleaners like chlorine and bromine should inactivate the virus in water, according to the CDC. Even so, people should continue to protect themselves in and out of the water by regularly washing their hands and staying six feet apart from others for social distancing, according to the CDC. The guidelines do not address equipment such as diving boards or pool slides. They also do not offer instructions for group activities such as swimming lessons, swim and dive teams and water aerobics. Heres a look at some of the guidelines pool owners and operators will be required to follow when they re-open. Capacity Pools and aquatic centers should limit their capacity to help guests keep six feet apart. If a deck area is much larger than the pool it surrounds, a facility should consider putting an additional, lower capacity on the pool itself. Signs and instructions Safety guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19 should be clearly posted at pools or aquatic centers. Guests should be instructed to keep six feet apart from anyone not in their household; regularly wash their hands; and stay home if theyre sick. Changing rooms and public bathrooms They should be cleaned and disinfected every two hours, particularly surfaces like doorknobs and faucets that are touched often. If a facility uses public lockers, it should block off every second or third locker to promote social distancing. Any unnecessary seating should be removed to discourage guests from congregating, but benches by lockers are allowed. Towels If a facility provides towels, they should be kept in covered, sanitized containers that are clearly marked as clean or used. Employees handling towels should wear gloves and face masks. Lane markers in the pool Pools and aquatic centers should install physical barriers and visual cues to remind guests they should stay six feet apart. The guidelines encourage pools to install lane lines in the water to promote social distancing. Deck and dining areas Facilities should develop revised plans for their deck areas, to ensure guests can stay six feet apart as they lounge by the pool. For seating and dining areas, tables and chairs should be spaced far enough apart to maintain social distancing. If tables and chairs are unable to be moved around, the area should be blocked off. Rental and retail areas If a facility has an indoor rental or retail area, they should also limit capacity and place markings on the floor to promote social distancing. All rental equipment should be disinfected after each use. Facilities should discourage or prohibit anyone from sharing equipment like goggles or snorkels. Employees Employees should wear face coverings and keep six feet apart from other employees. Company vehicles and equipment should be disinfected after each use. Employees should also perform daily symptom assessments on themselves, and stay home if theyre sick. Mainly Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province & Ringing Trips to Bahrain Rachel Lissners daily bagel with cream cheese has become a reliable part of her routine amidst the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic, a comfort amidst the chaos. So when the Washington-born Torontonian, who moved to the city more than a decade ago, officially filed her Canadian citizenship papers on Monday, Lissner, 31, decided to celebrate by ordering the rosemary rock salt bagel from St-Viateur Bagel, in Montreal. Her pre-pandemic plans included passing through Montreal and going to St-Viateur open since 1957 and the citys longest running bagel shop was part of those abandoned plans. Its just really comforting and I thought I would indulge, and go all out and get my favourite bagel, she said. That is, until she hit the $23 shipping fee on the smallest order from St-Viateur: two dozen bagels. Instead of abandoning her plans, Lissner opened up her order to her neighbours by posting on neighbourhood Facebook groups for Seaton Village, Dufferin Grove and Roxton Rd., on the west side of Toronto. At first, a few people were interested in chipping in on the order. Lissner called the bakery and manager Nicolo Piazza assured her it could feed a whole neighbourhood. And then, within 36 hours, demand swelled and Lissner had accepted over $2,000 dollars in e-transfers from virtual strangers. On Wednesday, she is expecting 20 boxes carrying 180 dozen bagels to arrive at her home. Thats 2,160 bagels including sesame seed (the most popular bagel choice), everything, rosemary rock salt, poppyseed and cinnamon raisin, plus a few orders of bagel spice. Its the biggest order St-Viateur has ever sent to a single person outside of Montreal. It was all for Rachel, said Piazza, who said the customer went from ordering for herself and some friends, to take advantage of regular shipping prices, to making this a community thing. She came back with this whopping number and told me the story of how she did it and I found that so cool and I helped her out as much as I could, said Piazza, who calls Lissner a real hero for thinking of others in this time. St-Viateur, a family-run business, has been fortunate to be able to sell and ship their bagels during the pandemic, Piazza said. But other parts of their business have been affected: one location, a full restaurant, and two other locations, with food services, were closed, though takeout services reopened on Saturday. When the pandemic first hit, you had owners baking and rolling bagels. This is not glamour work, Piazza said. Baking an order the size of Lissners will take 3-1/2 dough batches and five hours to make overnight on Monday. The final box will be filled just in time for a Purolator pickup on Tuesday morning. Along with the order, Piazza contributed a $100 dollar donation for Sistering, the Toronto-based multi-service agency for at-risk women who are homeless or precariously housed. Lissner added the charitable element to the neighbourhood bagel order once it started to gain steam, and has raised about $800. I could pick whatever group I wanted but I figured that Sisterings in the neighbourhood and its an organization that people in this order would especially fell connected to, she said. I think theyre amazing. Lissner is also feeling especially connected to her neighbours, in part through the bagel order. She didnt know many of her neighbours before the pandemic, but her street was quick to organize, putting on nightly concerts to support frontline workers fighting to curb COVID-19. Lissner role in the band is to play the cheese grater while hula hooping, like thats a normal thing to say. She is impressed by how willing strangers were to donate to money to the bagel order, and to Sistering. After feeling like my world is so small ... it was a really nice way to connect with people, she said. The fact that it was pretty effortless and unexpected and it brought a lot of people joy, I know that will resonate in other ways. Lissner considers herself quite fortunate during the pandemic. She is able to work from home and put more than $2,000 in bagel fees on her credit card without worry. But she thinks of others, like her neighbour who works at Mount Sinai Hospital, and hopes the bagels bring her the same kind of comfort. I know a lot of people, for them getting a dozen bagels from Montreal is a real highlight, she said. I just think its kind of fun and kind of silly. Its a total indulgence but hey, something fun and good. Im glad something came out of it. By Express News Service KOCHI: A detailed Covid-19 safety protocol that includes revised duty schedule and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will soon be issued for police personnel in the wake of three policemen in Wayanad testing positive for coronavirus and more getting exposed to the risk of infection. A high-level meeting of police officers chaired by State Police Chief Loknath Behera on Thursday took stock of the ground-level situation and risk assessment considering the large flow of Keralites from other states through the state borders in the last few days. The meeting evaluated that the risk of possible virus spread to police personnel has gone high in the last one week and it will only aggravate once the arrival of trains from other states also begins. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday stressed on the need for ensuring safety of police personnel on duty saying that the government was committed to their safety and will offer all facilities to them. The high-level police team looking into the issue will submit a detailed report to the government, the chief minister added. Loknath Behera told TNIE that the department would give utmost priority to the safety of police personnel. We will come out with a detailed action plan, he said. Meanwhile, a sense of fear has spread among the police personnel and their family members in the state as they feel that the personnel who have been deployed at high-risk spots like border check-posts have not been given right protective gears like N95 masks. Nearly 35,000 police personnel have been deployed across the state for law enforcement and surveillance. The risk factor of possible infection has gone high after opening up of state borders. Many of those who are coming into the state are not yet serious and their irresponsible behaviour is putting the life of others at risk, said Naveen R, a Plus II student, whose father is on law enforcement duty. We are very concerned about the safety of police personnel. But there is practical difficulty in directing those on duty at border check-posts to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits. Its not possible to stand in hot sun for policing duty wearing PPE. We have raised our concerns to higher officials and we expect a revised safety guideline for police personnel on duty at high-risk zones, said Kerala Police Officers Association (KPOA) general secretary C R Biju. Kerala Police Association former general secretary G R Ajith said the police personnel on field duty should be provided with at least N95 masks. The risk has increased and so has the stress factor for cops and their families. We request the department and the government to do the needful immediately, he added. Functioning of police to undergo a change: CM TPuram: The functioning of the police in various sectors is set to undergo a change, the CM has said. The decision has come against the backdrop of three cops attached to the Mananthavady station testing positive for the coronavirus. Wayanad was listed under the green zone for 32 days. But then things changed. A driver who had a history of visiting Koyambedu market in Chennai tested positive. In between, he transmitted the virus to 10 people. Of the 1,200 police personnel on duty, tests were carried out on 300 officers, said the CM. He added that from the Civil Police Officer to the State Police Chief, the government is committed to ensuring the wellbeing of all. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: Reiterating that farmers welfare is his governments topmost priority, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday released the first installment under the YSR Rythu Bharosa - PM Kisan scheme during a video conference with farmers. As many as 49.43 lakh farmers stand to benefit from the scheme, and Rs 2,800 crore was credited to their unencumbered accounts. Each farmer was given Rs 5,500 out of the first installment of Rs 7,500. The remaining Rs 2,000 was given in advance in April to help them deal with the Covid-19 crisis. Under the scheme, each farmer will get Rs 13,500 per year, and in five years, they will get Rs 67,500, not as a loan, but as an investment to buy farm inputs. Last year, we spent Rs 6,534 crore under the scheme to support 46.69 lakh farmers, the Chief Minister said. The second installment of Rs 4,000 to each farmer will be given in October to help them invest for Rabi crop, followed by Rs 2,000 as a third installment on Sankranthi. Sixty-two per cent of the population is dependent on agriculture; 80 per cent of farmers have less-than 1-hectare landholding, while 50 per cent have less than half a hectare (1.25 acres). Hence it is imperative to help them, he asserted. To ensure no eligible farmers are left out, the beneficiaries names were displayed at village secretariats since April 24. Anyone who has been missed out can apply within a month, Jagan announced, adding that unlike in other states, the scheme is being extended to tenant farmers, those cultivating inam lands, assigned lands and ROF. Bankers were asked not to use this amount to clear the farmers pending dues. If farmers have trouble accessing this money or notice that it was used to clear dues, they may lodge a complaint through the toll-free number 1902. My letter to farmers will be given to them by village volunteers, who will also collect the acknowledgments, he said. Emphasising that the state can develop only with the welfare of farmers and farmhands, Jagan said that his government will complete a year on May 30, and he is dedicating his success to the farmers. 10,641 RBKs to come up: Jagan To mark the occasion, we will launch 10,641 Rythu Bhrasoa Kendras (RBK), which will be a game-changer in the rural economy, he said. Elaborating on the RBKs, he said the centres will herald changes in the social ecosystem, and will have an agriculture assistant, digital kiosks to disseminate information, provide quality seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides. RBKs will help farmers decide which crops to cultivate, when, and to what extent, based on market intelligence reports about the price. Further, soil tests will be performed. They will also help secure crop loans through the e-Crop facility and get crop insurance, he explained. Pointing out that his government has set up a market stabilisation fund of Rs 3,000 crore, he said Rs 1,500 crore was already given to help farmers in the present crisis. Jagan also elaborated on how his government provided MSPs for crops for which the centre had not announced an MSP, and said it was decided to give farmers nine hours of free power. 82 per cent feeders are ready, and the rest will be by Rabi next year. Money wont be used to clear dues The government has asked bankers not to use the money credited to clear pending dues. Farmers may dial 1902 (toll-free) in case of any problem Farmers left out to apply in a month Beneficiaries names were displayed at village secretar-iats since April 24. Those who has been left out can apply within a month, the CM said Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong also sent a wreath to the Lao Embassy in Hanoi. Deputy PM Binh expressed deep condolences to the Lao Party, State, and people as well as the Generals family. Comrade Sisavath Keobounphanh's passing away is a great loss for the Lao Party and State and the Lao Front for National Construction, he wrote in the funeral book. Vietnam lost a big friend and a close comrade who made extremely important contributions to building, consolidating, and developing the great Vietnam-Laos friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also led a delegation from the Foreign Ministry to the Lao Embassy to commemorate the late leader. Many delegations from ministries, sectors, localities, the Vietnam-Laos Cooperation Committee, and the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association also paid tribute to him. On behalf of the Lao Government and people, Ambassador Sengphet Houngboungnuang expressed his gratitude for the sentiments of the Vietnamese Party, State, Government, and people towards General Sisavath Keobounphanh. Secretary of the HCM Citys Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan also paid tribute to the former Lao PM at the Lao General Consulate in the city on May 15. Help India! Musheera Ashraf, TwoCircles.net Dr Zahid Abdul Majeed is from Kashmir and currently a senior resident doctor at AIIMS. His heroic effort to save a COVID-19 patients life has earned him laurels. He shares his story, and thoughts with TwoCircles.net correspondent Musheera Ashraf. Support TwoCircles Zahid Abdul Majeed hails from Anantnag district of Kashmir and is a senior resident doctor at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). His efforts to save a COVID-19 patient have been lauded by one and all. And this he did by risking his own life as he had to remove his PPEs (face shield and goggles) to save a COVID-19 patient. On May 7, a COVID-19 patient was headed to the hospitals trauma centre and his condition became critical in the ambulance. The doctor attending him Dr Majeed had to re-intubate the patient for which he risked his life because of the poor visibility inside the ambulance. Intubation is one of the high-risk procedures for healthcare workers and COVID-19 patients, according to the World Health Organization, which has advised implementation of strict protocols to limit viral exposure. After the incident, Dr Zahid was sent under quarantine and his sample for COVID test had been taken for which the reports are yet to come. Duties have got restructured, wearing PPEs, the reformation, the spectrum of cases, usual routine operations have been put on hold and only some essentials are running like trauma centre and emergencies, barring this all focus is on COVID-19 thing only, Dr Zahid told TwoCircles.net. Dr Zahid said that COVID-19 is a demon the humans are facing. We have to fight with it as a collective force to crush it forever, he said. Talking about the incident, Dr Zahid said he only followed his conscience and adds that the front line workers should not take it as an example. Life is always precious. In a pandemic, if a doctor dies it is a potential loss, he says, calling his decision as a result of his upbringing, inspiration, priorities, religion and innate nature. Dr Zahid said he is grateful to all the people who have been sharing his story and congratulating him. I am not the only hero and every doctor has many beautiful stories of saving lives, he said. Dr Zahid says that he is concerned regarding an incident which happened a few days ago in Odisha where a doctor was assaulted and his earlobe was cut. Doctors are not Gods. They can fight only as much and they need to be respected for that, he said. Dr Zahid says that the lifespan of a doctor across different specialities is lesser than the general population. Its a risk to be a doctor. We face social detachment, bad lifestyle, mental stress and fear of contracting something. Hence, every frontline worker should be respected, he adds. There was a dream I used to have when I was 4 years old or maybe 5. It was of my mother, Kathy, sitting at the plain kitchen table we had in the house where I lived with her, my dad and my next-oldest brother from when I was 4 till I was 16, and where most of my important memories were made. I was just getting to know my mother at that time, and I remember how big her smile was and how large her eyes and her teeth were, at least to me, small as I was back then. In the dream, she would be drinking coffee, something both my mother and my dad, who was never in this dream, drank a lot of, and she would offer me a cup. Shed be wearing a night gown and slippers, or maybe a robe, and would look at me with big, wide eyes as I took the coffee. It was in the china we had at that time, white with a simple green flower and a clinking saucer, and I would take it in my small hands. I dont remember what it tasted like, but it was warm as I raised it to my lips and began to drink, watching my mother, watching me. Before I met her, I hadnt had a mother for a long time not one I knew, anyway. At a few weeks old, I was placed in the care of a kindly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Wolff, foster parents who made room in their modest home for a rotating crew of temporary children amid an already full house of older kids of their own. Mr. Wolff worked at Mothers Cookies in Louisville and would bring home bags full on Saturdays. Mrs. Wolff stayed at home and took care of us. They were full of love and great examples of the selfless folks being honored during this National Foster Care Month, for helping heal torn lives. Despite the loving care it was nothing like the Dickensian scenes we hear about in the Texas foster care system, still rife with abuse and lax oversight after years of litigation when I think back on those early years, I have a vague sense of wariness about the teenagers in the house, an uneasy feeling that I cant put my finger on. But the member of the family closest to me in age was a little girl named Cindy. She was black, the only non-white face Id know for several years. She was maybe a year younger and I adored her. Once, many months after I was adopted away, my mother and I were shopping at a department store, moseying down the wide center aisle when I suddenly spotted a couple walking across the way with a familiar-looking pony-tailed girl. My world stopped. My heart pumped so fast I can still feel the pulsing blood as I write 45 years later. I ran like the dickens, past the toys, the mens shoes and the packs of underwear. Cindy! I shouted, ready to pull her ponytails like I used to or hug her or kiss her or maybe do all three at once. The couple turned around. I didnt recognize them. Cindy must have been adopted, too, I thought. But the confused look on their faces stopped my tiny peds in their tracks. When the girl turned around, I saw that she was someone else, not the sister I so desperately missed. I crumpled in sadness. It was the same kind of sadness Id feel in that same store on another outing that year. I had been casually trailing my mother down the aisles when I looked up for a moment to find I could no longer see her. Thats a frightening experience for any kid. For me, it was shattering. The dark aloneness I felt in the seconds or minutes before a security guard reunited us was terrifying. I felt how a monk might describe that moment when he stops hearing God in his meditations. My mother had merely turned the corner to check prices or something and before I even fully processed she was missing, I was bawling. It was about a year after these two department store episodes that I began having the coffee dream. Each time I had it, maybe three times, I was in my bedroom by myself. Each time, I sipped the warm coffee, and something inside me would eventually turn cold. My mothers big, warm eyes would suddenly turn new, strange. Her face would become warped, twisted with anticipation. I would drop the coffee mug and hear it crash on the linoleum. My mother or whoever, whatever that was behind my mothers big smile and huge eyes was laughing now. My little dreaming mind would see in my moms face the wicked, hooded stepmother cackling in morbid delight as she watched Snow White eat the red apple. Id start to choke, then Id start falling. Just before I hit my knees, Id wake in my bed, sweaty and tear-stained, hoarse from horror, the image of my mothers distorted smile terrifyingly present. Id lie there in my pajamas, desperately wanting to throw off the sheets and run the 20 feet down the hall to my mom and dads door. I wanted that more than anything in my young life. But I didnt dare move. You might assume it was because I was afraid of my mother. Or maybe that I dared not tempt the monsters who surely lurked beneath my bed. But neither of those were why I lay still as stone. It was much worse than that. I stayed because I knew the very next question my new parents would ask me after I told them I had a nightmare: what was it about? How could I tell them? How could I look at my dad and mom who had rescued me from a vagabond existence of foster parents and group homes only to shower me with love and a real home with a babbling creek, my own Big Wheel trike, three brothers, a sister, a cat and a dog named Poochie how could I look her, especially, in the eye and tell her I had dreamed she was a phony? That she scared me. That in my dreams she poisoned me and loved it. I couldnt. At least in no way a 5-year-old could devise. So, each time, I lay there frozen in terror until the fear subsided and the sleep came again. Eventually, I stopped having the dream, but it haunts me still. I never could tell my mother about it. I thought I would some day, but we ran out of time. Twenty years after the dreams stopped, I was sitting alone in the stands at my high school alma mater on a brilliant fall afternoon the kind Kentucky does so well watching two squads of teenagers playing a game. I was full of dread that day. It was Sept. 30, 1996, and it was the day I realized my mother, only 52, was going to die, and probably pretty damn soon. I had gone out to clear my head and the beautiful weather had helped. When I drove back to the house the larger place in the suburbs where we had moved when I was 16 my Uncle Tim was standing at my mothers bedside in the family room. My dad, small and grief-wasted, was there, too. My mom was sleeping, her breathing jagged. Her breath would stop for a minute and my dad would touch her arm, softly call out to her, Kath, and shake her gently as if rousing her from a snore. And shed inhale deeply, probably because the falling oxygen levels in her blood had signaled her unconscious brain for help, not anything my dad was doing. But it had seemed at the time that my dad, down 30 pounds, tear-stained, was shaking off the cold pall of death for just a bit longer. He had been doing that off and on since before she came home from the hospital and all through her treatments and surgeries, her manic periods of optimism and death-like coma, all the days and minutes of the five months since he first called me at 3 a.m. to tell me she had cancer. On that September day, about half an hour after I returned from my lonely vigil in the stands, she finally stopped responding and died. Twenty years. Its not enough time to have a mother. Especially not one gifted to you as a replacement for others who werent able or willing to shoulder the job. I wish it had been enough time to tell her about the dreams, that back when I was 5 my tangled mind had thought she might kill me. That she couldnt possibly be real. This fall will mark 24 years since she died, and maybe the truth is I wasnt ready to tell her back then. Maybe at 25, I didnt understand that the dream had nothing to do with my mother. She was as genuine as the dripping sweetness of watermelon in the summertime, all sliced up at the swim club we used to belong to as kids, pink juices and sticky seeds framing our irrepressible smiles. She was the stuff of dreams, not nightmares. The dream, if it had any meaning at all in the waking world, had everything to do with me. Truth is, for more years than Ill admit here, I was that kid in the department store suddenly finding my mother missing. That kid tearing ass down the aisle to hug my long-lost Cindy. That kid seeing poisoned clouds in the coffee. You dont go from the delivery floor in St. Anthonys hospital to a crowded foster home. Then, Im told, back to my birth mother for a time. Then back to the Wolffs. Then, once birth parent rights were terminated, back on the block for whomever is next in line for a trial period. Then to a new family and a new name and a new life they tell you, this time, is really real you dont go through all that without consequences. Even a tiny package well-cared for as I was, delivered into a land of frankincense and myrrh, into the arms of a big-eyed, smiling angel, has some demons to reconcile. Lindenberger is deputy opinion editor. When it comes to the Covid-19 pandemic, every day is a school day and that isn't just because many parents (myself included) are having to teach our children about fronted adverbials at the same time as working from home. As we scan the news for information, we are all learning a great deal about how viruses behave, on disease control and how scientists search for new drugs. But as investors, we have lessons to learn about how stock markets and assets react under extreme stress, and how we should construct our portfolios to be more resilient in the future as well as providing the investment growth we all crave. We asked experts for key investment lessons that can be learned. If we take them on board, we could come out of lockdown with better money-making skills as well as knowing how to bake a sourdough loaf and sew a facemask. Moving in the right direction: As investors, we have lessons to learn about how stock markets and assets react under extreme stress, like during a pandemic Lesson 1: Tech stocks aren't the biggest risk Investors old enough to remember the 2000 dotcom boom and the biggest casualties from the 2008 global financial crisis have an inherent belief that technology equals risk. But as stock markets plunged around the globe due to Covid-19, tech stocks remained some of the stars of the show. 'One important lesson from the pandemic has been that technology stocks are not necessarily the riskiest part of the market during a downturn,' says Annabel Brodie-Smith, communications director for the Association of Investment Companies. She adds: 'Shares in household names such as Apple, Facebook and Google have performed relatively strongly, highlighting the more central role their products and services are playing in our lives.' Brodie-Smith points out the strong performance of investment companies Allianz Technology and Polar Capital Technology, up 32.3 per cent and 42.5 per cent this year respectively, as an illustration. She says: 'While there's no knowing what the future holds, it may be that habits formed during lockdown such as holding more meetings remotely will continue after life returns to normal, further boosting the tech sector.' Allianz Technology has Microsoft and Amazon as its two biggest holdings, followed by cyber security group Crowdstrike. Polar Capital Technology holds Microsoft, Google parent company Alphabet, and Apple as its top three stocks. Lesson 2: Bonds aren't too boring Before Covid-19, it was easy to dismiss the benefits of bonds as part of an investment strategy. A ten-year bull market in equities meant their performance seemed a lag on many portfolios, but the recent behaviour of the stock market shows their importance. 'Apart from cash, government bonds and corporate bonds were the only global asset classes in positive territory in the first quarter of this year,' says Dzmitry Lipski, head of fund research at wealth manager Interactive Investor. 'What this teaches us from an investment perspective is that while there are few places to hide when the global economic system takes a hit, portfolio diversification is absolutely crucial by both geography and by asset class.' Lipski says that both multi-asset investment funds and some investment trusts can help ensure your portfolio has exposure to both bonds and equities. He adds: 'The Vanguard LifeStrategy 80 per cent Equity Fund has been excellent and is a low-cost global one-stop shop for those wanting global equity exposure with a decent chunk of high quality bond exposure too. 'It's suitable for both first-time and experienced investors.' For those more wedded to bonds, Vanguard also has a 60 per cent equity product. The 80 per cent LifeStrategy Fund is up 0.8 per cent this year and 40.4 per cent over five years. It has a mix of holdings in other Vanguard funds to create a multi-asset profile. Its top holding is a FTSE AllShare Index-tracking fund and its bond holdings include UK gilts and index-linked gilts as well as corporate bonds. The FTSE 100 has joined other major stock markets around the world in bouncing off its lows Lesson 3: Fear can be the enemy of growing wealth It is a well-known cliche that markets are driven by fear and greed. Veteran investor Warren Buffett says the secret of success is to be greedy when others are fearful and fearful when others are greedy. The sharp falls, and similarly sharp recoveries on the stock market during the pandemic, have borne out Buffett's wisdom. James Norton, senior investment planner at Vanguard, says the trajectory of world stock markets in recent months has shown little mercy to those who are fearful. He explains: 'When things go wrong, our emotions take over and fear sets in. It's a survival instinct and we are programmed to take action. For example, if the boiler in our house breaks, we call the plumber, the boiler is fixed and we move on. Selling an investment portfolio is likely to provide instant gratification... but it's nearly always the wrong thing to do 'When stock markets fall, the same instincts are triggered. We are losing money and want to stop the losses. For many, the first thought is to sell up and move into cash. 'Selling an investment portfolio is likely to provide instant gratification. We feel better that we've stemmed the losses and maintained what's left of our hard-earned investment. But it's nearly always the wrong thing to do.' Michelle Pearce Burke is cofounder and chief investment officer of wealth manager Wealthify. She agrees with Norton. She says: 'While some stock markets fell by over 30 per cent earlier this year, many recovered some lost ground very quickly. So investors who held their nerve by remaining invested, or even adding money, have done better than those who withdrew at the height of the panic, crystallising losses.' Is the Fomo rally the real deal or will shares dive again? Its been called the Fomo rally, as shares picked themselves up off the floor and bear markets turned bullish. So, whats going on? Is this the stock market signalling the start of a coronavirus recovery, or have investors merely been piling in driven by Fomo the fear of missing out? On this podcast, we look at the rally, whats driving it and the history of false dawns in stock market crashes. Press play above or listen (and please subscribe if you like the podcast) at Apple Podcasts, Acast, Spotify and Audioboom or visit our This is Money Podcast page. Lesson 4: Check dividend cover to protect income Many investors are attracted by a company's dividend and in particular the dividend yield the amount of annual income you get per share, expressed as a percentage of its price. The higher the yield, the more attractive the dividend income appears. Yet, as recent widespread dividend cuts have shown, the dividend yield shouldn't be taken as a stand-alone measure of a company's income-friendliness. What is more important is the robustness of the dividend its so-called dividend cover. For example, Shell was the highest yielding oil stock in the world back in March at more than 11 per cent, but its dividend cover was equivalent to just over one times its annual earnings. What is more important is the robustness of the dividend In simple terms, this meant that almost everything the company generated in revenues went into paying its dividends. This was an unsustainable position that led to Shell cutting its dividend for the first time since the Second World War. Other companies in a similar poor dividend state dubbed members of the 'dividend danger zone' by wealth manager AJ Bell even before the pandemic include housebuilder Persimmon, which has also postponed its dividend. Weak dividend cover is not always a guarantee of a company cutting or suspending its dividend. For example, mobile phone giant Vodafone announced a few days ago it was holding its dividend despite having low dividend cover. But it should be seen as a warning sign. You can check the dividend cover for a specific company by visiting its shareholder website. It should provide details of the firm's key financial information including dividends and when they will be paid. Dividing the total dividend per share by the earnings per share should give you the dividend cover figure. For those wanting an investment fund that picks dividend winners, Adrian Lowcock, of fund platform Willis Owen, suggests Trojan Income, which is down 4.8 per cent this year but up 16.2 per cent over five years. He says: 'Manager Francis Brooke takes a conservative approach to investing with a focus on capital preservation. He looks for companies that can produce a steady, long-term income along with capital growth.' Lesson 5: Look for big government deals When the outlook for the world economy is uncertain, there is underlying strength in investments underpinned by long-term contracts with organisations that are guaranteed to pay the bills. The investment performance of infrastructure and social housing funds in the current crisis illustrates this, according to Monica Tepes, head of investment companies research at corporate adviser finnCap. She says: 'If you are looking for as much certainty as possible that your dividends won't be cut, you need to look at investment sectors where either the local or state government is a counterparty, or your payments come from businesses unaffected or even benefiting from the current environment.' Infrastructure equity, infrastructure debt and social and supported housing investments are examples of businesses with strong counterparties. For example, Civitas Social Housing is a real estate investment trust that distributes 90 per cent of its profits from social housing rent as dividends. Its customers are not the tenants, but local authorities and housing associations. Its shares are up 24 per cent over a year, although investors must be aware that housing associations are not immune to financial risk. Sequoia Economic Infrastructure Income lends to big infrastructure projects. Shares are down nearly 3 per cent over a year, but up 30 per cent over five. Many of its investments for example ferries and transport are under short-term pressure from coronavirus, but should come through the other end of the economic crisis. Over 300 passengers on Saturday arrived at Madgao railway station in Goa in two trains to and fro Thiruvananthapuram, a senior official said. It can be recalled that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had suggested the Railways to cancel the halt at Madgaon for special trains as the coastal state recorded fresh COVID-19 cases after a gap of more than a month. Sawant on Thursday said the state government had suggested to the Railways that a special train from New Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram should not halt at Madgao station on May 16. Earlier on Saturday, a batch of 35 passengers arrived at Madgao station in Thiruvananthapuram- New Delhitrain around noon, said South Goa Collector Ajit Roy. "This was the first regular train that ran in Goa during the lockdown period, except the Shramik Special trains," he said. Another train from Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram arrived at 2.30 pm bringing in 288 passengers, Roy said. He said the passengers who alighted at the railway station were taken to South Goa district hospital in special buses where they were tested for coronavirus. Meanwhile, state health Minister Vishwajit Rane tweeted that all the passengers who alighted from the Thiruvananthapuram-New Delhi train have tested negative for the coronavirus. "Results of 35 people who came from Thiruvananthapuram via railway reported Negative. Another lot of 100 out of 288 have arrived from Delhi via rail. Their swabs are taken and testing is underway.They will be sent to Fatorda stadium for quarantine until the results are out (sic)," Rane tweeted. Sawant had said that people travelling to the state in special trains or flights will have to undergo home quarantine for 14 days even if they are non-Goans. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeatedly says that he wants global leadership for India. His wish has now been granted and on the biggest stage of them all, no less. Starting this month, India will chair the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) the decision-making body of the WHO. But international politics is a lot like life; all crowns come with thorns. This is the sort of story that novels are made of: India will preside over the worlds largest healthcare organiCOVID, in the midst of the biggest pandemic in a century, while the two most powerful countries are at each others throats. Already, India is being yanked from both ends of the tug-of-war between China and the United States. In one corner is Donald Trump: He wants the WHO to hold China accountable for its mishandling of the pandemic early on for cover-ups and misinformation. He also wants to snub the Chinese by inviting Taiwan to the World Health Assembly (the WHOs governing body, composed of all member states). In the other corner is Xi Jinping: He has unleashed a vicious social media counterattack against the US over the past several weeks. This week, Xi even began exploring punishment against American politicians who are pushing anti-China legislation. India has just entered the arena and it has been frenetic. Over just three days this past week, India found itself having tea and snacks (albeit virtually) with both sides of the conflict. On Monday, India was invited to a 7-nation team huddle by the US and its close allies. Two days later, India went to a meeting convened by China and Russia, ostensibly to talk about the pushback. What will India now do with its god-sent opportunity at the WHO? In many ways, this dilemma is a classic representation of Indias foreign policy practice. In years past, whenever India found itself caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, it walked a tightrope between them. On foreign trips, the Prime Minister acted like an apolitical businessman, signing MoUs and agreements. When asked sensitive questions, India simply turned the other way. As a result, Indias foreign policy history is now replete with umpteen unresolved questions and oftentimes, flip-flops. For instance, should India speak up for democracy in other countries (such as the Maldives), or should it not? Should it recognise Taiwan? Should it levy sanctions on Iran? Should Israel be held accountable for illegal settlements in Palestine? As a middle power, with neither global military presence nor strong political positions, India has often gotten away with no serious answer to any of these questions. Indias opinions are neither asked for, nor offered. But a growing power with vishwaguru aspirations cannot get off the hook so easily and the tightrope is now starting to fray. In Washington, Donald Trump seems determined to build a grand anti-China coalition. The fact that India was invited to an exclusive meeting of only seven countries is quite significant: It means that Trump wants India to behave like a core member of the US alliance. Meanwhile, China is determined not to take things lying down either: In this same eventful week, China and India began yet another round of their unending border feud in the Himalayas (and coincidentally, Chinese air force planes were landing in Kathmandu). Shortly after he came to power in 2014, Modi told senior diplomats that he no longer wants India to play a balancing role. Time has come to act on those words; India must make difficult decisions on burning global issues. The stage is set at the WHO. No positive cases of coronavirus have been found in Victoria using data from the federal governments mobile tracing app weeks after its official launch. As Victoria's case tally rose by 11 overnight, the state's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton revealed the app downloaded by almost 6 million Australians was yet to lead to the discovery of any confirmed infections. No we havent had any detections through the COVIDSafe app to date, Professor Sutton told reporters on Saturday. He said there had been some delay in Victorian authorities gaining access to the data but as I understand it, the data is now being available to the department. The Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down that state's COVID-19 stay-at-home orders because they "exceeded the executive branch's authority." Vermont's Governor Phil Scott has similarly exceeded his authority, both in extent and duration. When President Trump announced that the federal government would control the reopening of the nation's economy, Governor Scott swiftly opposed him: It didn't take federal action to spur us into action and it's not going to be the federal government that determines when we take appropriate steps here in Vermont," Scott said[.] ... Scott said he would rely on data and public health experts to determine how to slowly resume economic activity in Vermont. Picking an "arbitrary date" for states to reopen would be irresponsible, he said. Notably absent from this analysis is whether Vermont's governor possesses the power to "take appropriate steps" or what limits (by the Constitution, not federal authorities) there are to what is "appropriate." This is not an issue for public health experts, or data, or federal versus state powers it is a legal question that has been persistently ducked. Governor Scott does not possess unilateral power to institute whatever laws he wishes just by pinning the name "public health" on them. He has imposed the coronavirus restrictions via gubernatorial edict, not democratically enacted statutes. If the Legislature passed a stay-at-home law, then perhaps that would withstand constitutional challenge, but no such law has been passed this is all just Governor Scott's edicts. The United States Supreme Court ruled in Jacobson v. Massachusetts that the state could fine a pastor who refused to receive a mandatory smallpox vaccination, ruling that states possessed the power to curtail individual rights for the health and safety of the public. But there was no creation of carte blanche for governors to do whatever they wanted in the name of public health in that 1905 case, there was a statute (a law) that a) had been passed by the Legislature with attendant guarantees and b) could be tested against the Constitution. And the pastor lost only a $5 fine Vermont's businesses are losing everything. State laws restricting travel, or contact, or the operation of a business, are subject to challenge. Governor Scott has issued a series of executive orders gatherings of 250 people were banned, then 100, then 50, now 10. Restaurants and other businesses were simply ordered to shut down. (It is still unclear whether gun stores are violating the governor's murky pronouncements are they essential services or not?) Governor Scott's orders fail to meet constitutional muster. Vermonters possess a constitutional right to travel. The pursuit of happiness definitely includes running one's business. Governor Scott has no constitutional power to arrest, incarcerate, or fine someone for not wearing a mask, not staying home, or for opening the doors of his business. If people were charged or fined under his edicts, they could appeal to the Vermont courts, where due process, the right to counsel, and other protections would apply (those haven't been suspended by the governor...or have they?). And in those courts, constitutional concepts such as "vagueness" could be applied: the state of Vermont would have to demonstrate a sufficient state interest to deprive the citizenry of these numerous rights. This raises another question in the coronavirus chaos. Any state government (including its governor) must demonstrate a substantial enough public safety need to justify such broad restraints on liberties. Can Vermont justify these business-destroying measures based on a health and safety argument? The purported justification for these harsh measures to "flatten the curve" now seems to have morphed into "keeping everyone from getting sick." In Governor Scott's executive orders, it is not just the contours of the laws that are vague and unclear it is the justification itself. This bait-and-switch might prevail in the political world, but not in a court of law. Governor Scott defies President Trump and says he will decide when Vermont's citizens regain their inalienable freedoms. But Phil Scott never had the right to take those freedoms away to begin with, nor did he ever present the legal argument why he should. The question is not whether the state or federal government controls Americans' constitutional rights; the question is whether either does. Medicine does not have all the answers for COVID-19; it certainly doesn't negate our constitutions. Whether or not this lockdown is medically advisable, it is not constitutional the Constitution requires the government to provide clear justification for its actions, and clearly delineate what conduct is proscribed. Governor Scott's executive orders fail on both counts. Photo illustration by Monica Showalter with use of Pixabay public domain images. A 75-year-old woman and a 48- year-old man have tested positive for COVID-19 in Manipur, taking the total number of active cases in the state to four, officials said on Saturday. The two persons had recently arrived from Mumbai, where one of them underwent treatment at the Tata Memorial Hospital, they said. They reached Imphal on May 14 in a hired vehicle and were placed under quarantine at the RD Wing in Lamphel, which had been set up to quarantine patients returning from other states following treatment. On Friday, a nursing professional, who was under quarantine, tested positive and was shifted to an isolation ward of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences here. Manipur was declared a zero positive COVID-19 state by Chief Minister N Biren Singh on April 19, after two coronavirus patients recovered. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A keenly-watched Covid-19 vaccine will be priced to allow as wide as possible access to it, if it proves successful, and will be made at huge scale to keep costs down and supply up, said the Oxford University professor co-leading its development. Adrian Hill, director of Oxford's Jenner Institute, which has teamed up with the drugmaker AstraZeneca to develop the vaccine, said ensuring wide distribution and low cost have been central to the project from the start. "This not going to be an expensive vaccine," Hill told Reuters in an interview. "It's going to be a single dose vaccine. It's going to be made for global supply and it's going to be made in many different locations. That was always our plan." The experimental vaccine, known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, is one of the front runners in the global race to provide protection against the new coronavirus causing the COVID-19 pandemic. Preliminary data from a small trial of the experimental vaccine in six monkeys found that some of the animals given a single shot developed antibodies against the virus within 14 days, and all developed protective antibodies within 28 days. When the monkeys were exposed to the new coronavirus, the vaccine appeared to prevent damage to the lungs and kept the virus from making copies of itself there, although it was still actively replicating in the nose. Hill said the data from the animal tests were "encouraging of course" and reinforced his team's high degree of confidence that ongoing human trials of the shot will also show positive results. The first signals on whether and how well it works could come as early as July or August. Hill's team began early-stage human trials of the vaccine in April, making it one of only a handful to have reached that milestone. Hill said that as of this week, more than 1,000 people have been dosed in the trial - with around half getting the experimental vaccine and the other half serving as a control group. Asked about the progress of the human trials, Hill said he and his team "are not going to give a running commentary" but added: "You can conclude that if the trial is still running - as it certainly is - that would mean there have been no major upsets." Almost 4.5 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and more than 301,000 have died, according to a Reuters tally. Health and disease experts say a vaccine that protects people from the new coronavirus could help end the pandemic, but finding one that works and manufacturing enough doses is a huge challenge. The ChAdOx vaccine, a type known as a recombinant viral vector vaccine, uses a weakened version of the common-cold virus spiked with proteins from the novel coronavirus to generate a response from the body's immune system. Other vaccines in human trials include those by Moderna Inc, Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE and China's CanSino Biologics Inc. Hill told Reuters the ChAdOx1 project has at least seven manufacturing sites around the world. Those include India's Serum Institute as well as sites in Europe and China. Hill has said that up to a million doses of the shot are already being manufactured and will be available by September, even before trials fully prove whether it works. "The ambition is shared to get a low-priced, very, very extensively available vaccine as soon as possible," Hill said. "And one of the reasons that we chose Astrazeneca was because they shared that ambition and they were convincing that they could provide supply and large scale." I would trade almost anything to play the oboe. Those are the words of Blaire Tindall in her book, Mozart In the Jungle. Some readers are familiar with the television show of the same name, and that is loosely based on Tindalls book. Notable is that Tindall got to play the oboe for a living. Think about that for a minute. Tindall got to do for a living something that doesnt house, cloth or feed us, but that made and makes life much more enriching for the players and those who listen to them play. The question is why? Why is it that Tindall was lucky enough to have a job that she would trade almost anything to do? The easy response to this question is economic growth. Plain and simple. Important about Tindalls work is that this kind wasn't always a given. Cultural pursuits and the individuals they employ have always been a consequence of wealth creation, and the generosity of the wealth creators. Tindall notes that Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan and Joseph Pulitzer really got things moving when they donated $90,000 to the New York Philharmonic in 1908. Basically the arts do well when the rich do well. And they suffer when the rich suffer. For instance, U.S.-based contributions to the arts amounted to $1.4 million in 1930. By 1933 the number shrank to $740,000. Thank goodness progress in the economic sense is one of those American constants thanks to the intense entrepreneurialism that defines the United States. In the 1950s and 1960s, New Yorks Lincoln Center was built for $185 million; $144 million of that coming private entities with names attached to them like Ford, Rockefeller and Carnegie. Still, Tindalls book is clear that even by the 1960s, and after impressive support from U.S. industrialists, symphony players continued to work day jobs to survive, since their orchestras only played partial seasons. The great news is that in 1966 the Ford Foundation gave away $80 million in matching grants to establish endowments for sixty-one orchestras. In Tindalls words, Seemingly overnight, classical musicians could view an orchestra job as full-time employment, complete with health and pension benefits and paid time off for illness and vacation. In 1995, and as an industrial revolution in Silicon Valley took shape, Tindall notes that the average endowment increased among the nations fifty largest orchestras by 76%. As the stock market and economy go, so go the arts. By 2003 Tindall reports that base pay for New York Philharmonic players was $103,000. Not bad for a pursuit that once helped give life to the notion of starving artist. Thanks to prosperity, and the extraordinary generosity of those who created the prosperity, more and more passionate people get to do what they'd give anything to do for money. It rates prominent mention at the moment in consideration of the devastation presently falling on culture in New York City. As Robin Pogrebin and Michael Paulson report in the New York Times, the culture sector employs 400,000 workers there. The obvious problem now is that an essential driver of what makes New York New York City is all but shuttered. Scarier is what the future might hold. The alarmist response to the new coronavirus has put New Yorks cultural institutions in a very precarious position. How will they survive? Thinking about classical music alone, its the epitome of non-profit. Tindall didnt hide from this truth in her book. The business of classical music is not a business. Per Tindall it is clearly failing, which means that New Yorks great classical music eco-system is reliant on major wealth creation to survive. But with the lockdowns continuing, there quite simply wont be as much wealth around to direct toward the entities that are a consequence of it. The cultural institutions reliant on abundance born of entrepreneurialism know it. Pogrebin and Paulson write of how worried, desperate and vulnerable cultural organizations have become since the virus hit. Per the reporters, these institutions compete with each other not just for audiences and attention, but most important of all, for donors. And with the economy having been bludgeoned by an imposition of one-size-fits-all, there will be fewer donors in at least the near future with fewer dollars to distribute. Thinking about the 400,000+ individuals who work in the arts, imagine what this bleak scenario means for them. So many would trade anything to do what they do, but they werent given the chance to. Rather than allow orchestras, playhouses and other artistic concepts to search for ways to continue to entertain perhaps smaller crowds, these entities were deemed non-essential. Ok, but non-essential to whom? The answer from politicians and experts has all these weeks been that the very people who drive and animate progress are a lethal menace to one another. Supposedly our proximity to other human beings is a potential death sentence, but then for all too many artists, they would rather die than not be allowed to showcase their unique genius to others. All of this has been forgotten by politicians as they arrogated to themselves the ability to enforce how we protect ourselves. In that case well never know. Well never know how businesses that became businesses by expertly meeting the needs of customers with varying needs might have responded to the viruss existence without shutting down. And if they hadnt all been shut down, well never know how much healthier the economy would be as a result; the economys health a direct driver of the health of cultural institutions that bring so much life to our existence. Lastly, well never know what New Yorks hundreds of thousands of performers would have done in order to continue doing what brought them to New York in the first place. Instead, politicians gave them checks, as though money could replace the impossible-to-describe feeling that comes with doing something you would trade anything to do, very well. Politicians have no idea how much they insulted millions of workers, along with a city thats The Big Apple precisely because its populated by people for whom work is so much more than a paycheck. In New York City money is ultimately a consequence of people doing what it would kill all too many to not do. For them, doing nothing is a fate worse than death. Chandigarh, May 16 : Amid a decline in the daily count of new cases over the past four days, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday announced replacement of the strict curfew with a lockdown till May 31 with limited public transport resumption. Maximum possible relaxations will be in the non-containment zones from May 18, he said. The containment zones would be strictly sealed to enable resumption of shops and small businesses in the non-containment areas, he announced, adding that details of all relaxations would be announced by Monday, taking into account the new guidelines of the Centre for lockdown 4.0. He, however, made it clear that educational institutes would continue to remain closed in the interest of the safety and security of the children. The Chief Minister appealed to the people to be cautious and continue to support his government as the state moves into a relaxed lockdown in place of the stringent curfew restrictions of the past 55 days. At the same time, he again urged the Opposition not to indulge in petty politics over the grave issue of Covid, and to cooperate with the state government in this hour of crisis, as they had promised earlier. The Chief Minister said in its suggestions to the Union Home Minister, as sought by the Prime Minister, the state had recommended that the nationwide lockdown, in a relaxed form, should also be extended to May 31. Favouring a simple containment and non-containment zone categorisation instead of the green, orange and red zone classification of the Central government, the Chief Minister said the state had suggested the same to the Centre. He pointed out that at present, the district as a whole is a single zone or at the most, there are two units i.e. municipal corporation area and non-municipal corporation area. As per the current system, Covid cases in one part of the district can result in classification of the entire district as red zone, thus putting severe restrictions on industry, shops, etc, he said, underlining the need to scrap this system and go for a containment-focused strategy. In a live Facebook interaction, the Chief Minister said the daily number of new cases in the state had come down during the last four days, after the recent upsurge due to the arrival of pilgrims from Nanded and students from Kota. He thanked the people for their cooperation, enabling the state to control the Covid cases, whose doubling rate was now 44 days, as against of several other states, such as Maharashtra's 11 days. However, the numbers could go up as more migrant labourers and NRIs enter Punjab, he warned, adding that 60,000 Punjabis from other states and 20,000 from abroad had registered to return as of now. The Chief Minister also made it clear that his government would continue to facilitate, and pay for, migrants who wanted to leave Punjab to go back to their homes. In the interim, no effort would be spared to ensure that no person goes hungry, he declared, agreeing that the over 1 lakh food packets distributed so far were not sufficient and more needed to be done. Amarinder Singh said the state government, in its recommendations to the Centre, has pitched for resumption of air, railways and inter-state bus services with reduced capacity, as well as starting of intra-district and inter-district buses, taxis, cabs, rickshaws, auto-rickshaws with adequate Covid preparedness in terms of reduced capacity. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16 Trend: Statements by Armenian prime minister on the negotiation process to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict show that either he could not study this process over the past two years, or his statements are aimed at creating obstacles to the negotiation process, spokesperson for Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva said, Trend reports. She was commenting on the statement made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during the online press conference. He noted that after the "velvet revolution" no new document was put forward to resolve the conflict, and the old proposal is no longer acceptable. "It is true that there is no new document in the negotiation process, because there is no need for a new document and proposal. The statement of the OSCE Minsk Group dated March 9, 2019 says that negotiations are underway with the document that is already at the negotiating table, said Abdullayeva. "Has Pashinyan ever inquired about what Armenias Foreign Minister did in the negotiations over the past two years? Possibly, the Armenian Foreign Minister did not report to the Prime Minister about the documents submitted by the co-chairs to the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, including intensive negotiations in Geneva in January this year. If the goal of the current leadership of Armenia is to prolong the process of resolving the conflict under the guise of "negotiations", then this approach is strongly rejected by both Azerbaijan and the international community. We remind the leadership of Armenia, which seeks to undermine the negotiation process and the efforts of international mediators, that the main goal of the negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia over many years, including the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, is to ensure the withdrawal of the occupying forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan, restore human rights of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons and, thus, maintain lasting peace and security in the region in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions. With such statements, the Armenian leadership clearly shows which country stands for peace and which country stands for increased tension in the region. We emphasize once again that all responsibility for the escalation of the situation in the region lies entirely on Armenia, Abdullayeva said. Congratulations, yousafsalli.com got a very good Social Media Impact Score! Show it by adding this HTML code on your site: Yousafsalli.com scored 62 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 3/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 25 Dec 2012, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The total number of people who shared the yousafsalli homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. The total number of people who shared the yousafsalli homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the yousafsalli homepage on Twitter + the total number of yousafsalli followers (if yousafsalli has a Twitter account). This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the yousafsalli homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if yousafsalli has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the yousafsalli homepage on Delicious. Basic Information PAGE TITLE Heritage Revived | National Programs | Documentaries | Mian Yousuf Salahuddin DESCRIPTION You can watch online Music Videos,Music Shows,Heritage Revived,Documentaries,National Songs of Pakistan,Mian Yousuf Salahuddin Interviews,Mian Yousuf Salahuddin Haveli Shows,National Programs of Pakistan.just watch only yousafsalli.com KEYWORDS Music Videos, Music Shows, Heritage Revived, Documentaries, National Songs of Pakistan, Mian Yousuf Salahuddin Interviews, Mian Yousuf Salahuddin Haveli Shows, Haveli Shows, National Programs of Pakistan OTHER KEYWORDS CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. 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A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The type of Facebook page. The URL of the found Facebook page. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has authorized over $35 million in emergency spending for protective equipment, testing supplies and other material as New Mexico battles the coronavirus pandemic. But some of the spending may soon come under legislative scrutiny. House Minority Leader James Townsend, R-Artesia, is asking legislative leaders to examine whether the governor has exceeded her authority by not seeking legislative approval. He plans to raise the question at the next meeting of the Legislative Council, a panel of top-ranking lawmakers. The Lujan Grisham administration, in turn, said the spending is allowed by law and part of her legal duty to protect New Mexicans in an emergency. Meanwhile, the staff director of the Legislative Finance Committee, a bipartisan group of lawmakers who meet between sessions, is warning the Lujan Grisham administration against tapping into emergency federal aid totaling over $1 billion without a broader fiscal plan to ensure its spent effectively. The financial scrutiny comes as Lujan Grisham and lawmakers prepare for a special session next month dedicated to adjusting the state budget to reflect an expected $1.8 to $2.4 billion hit to state revenue in the upcoming fiscal year. A combination of falling oil prices and economic disruption is squeezing New Mexicos finances. I hope they spend it responsibly In a series of executive orders since March 11 when she declared a public health emergency Lujan Grisham has cited state laws that allow her to respond quickly to unforeseen disasters. She has generally approved money in batches of $750,000 at a time, but one order alone authorized $20 million in spending for personal protective equipment and coronavirus testing supplies. Townsend contends Lujan Grisham is limited by law to a total of $750,000 altogether in emergency spending. Otherwise, he said, the state Constitution empowers the Legislature to decide state appropriations. In an interview, Townsend said the governor is sidestepping an equal branch of government. Its irresponsible, he said, and its disrespectful to the people Lujan Grishams office says she is following the law. Her executive orders have cited statutes governing emergency management and disaster relief. The laws enable the governor to act quickly to provide aid or relief during emergencies, allowing the office to designate unappropriated monies from the general fund for an emergency, Lujan Grisham spokeswoman Nora Meyers Sackett said in a written statement. The administration, she said, isnt limited to just $750,000. The emergency appropriations provision, Sackett said, gives the governor authority to appropriate larger amounts if the situation warrants it. Under the All Hazards Emergency Management Act, the governor has the duty to provide resources and services necessary to avoid or minimize harm in the event of an emergency exactly what she has been doing. How much pushback the Democratic governor will face on emergency appropriations isnt clear. Democrats hold substantial majorities in both chambers of the Legislature, though they often clash on budget and tax matters. Sen. John Arthur Smith, a Deming Democrat and chairman of the Legislative Finance Committee, said the executive orders appear to be aimed at the coronavirus, not other subjects. I will concede that its a health issue, Smith said Friday. I hope they spend it responsibly. No overall plan One of the state laws cited in Lujan Grishams executive orders says that if a governor declares an emergency, $750,000 in state money is automatically appropriated. But it isnt clear whether thats the only amount available. The law says that, upon an emergency declaration, there is appropriated $750,000 for each eligible and qualified applicant or so much thereof as the governor may from time to time designate from the surplus unappropriated money in the general fund, if any, at the time of the declaration of such emergency or emergencies. In any case, the governor has cited that law and others in a series of executive orders over the past two months. She has authorized emergency funding of: About $1 million for the National Guard to provide humanitarian assistance. $30 million for the Department of Health to purchase personal protective equipment, testing supplies and other material. One of the orders said the first $20 million had been used to purchase hundreds of thousands of pieces of protective equipment, but that an extra $10 million was needed in case of a spike in virus infections. $1.5 million to the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to coordinate relief efforts, and provide emergency medical aid and other services. $3 million to a variety of state agencies to help children, families, older adults and people with disabilities, in addition to broader relief efforts. The executive orders dont typically identify a funding source for the spending, though the disaster relief law mentions that unappropriated money from the general fund can be drawn on. Sackett, the governors spokeswoman, said that at least some of the roughly $1 billion in federal virus aid had been transferred to the Department of Health for pandemic-relief purposes such as PPE and testing purchases and staff costsa. A top staff member for the Legislative Finance Committee, meanwhile, said in a letter to state finance officials that its critical the legislative and executive branches work together to ensure sound fiscal planning for the handling of over $1 billion in federal coronavirus aid. I am concerned there is not an overall plan for spending this money before it is spent, let alone excluding the Legislature from carrying out its appropriation duties, LFC Director David Abbey said. The most effective political leaders are those who surround themselves with smart people to help them make good decisions. Politicians with their hands on the levers of government wield them most successfully when they demonstrate that they have taken all sides of an issue into consideration before taking action. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The most effective political leaders are those who surround themselves with smart people to help them make good decisions. Politicians with their hands on the levers of government wield them most successfully when they demonstrate that they have taken all sides of an issue into consideration before taking action. Although the inner workings of Premier Brian Pallisters office have always been shrouded from public view, it is widely acknowledged including by many current and former Tories that he is a man who neither seeks nor accepts much in the way of counsel. His style of leadership seems to involve dictating major decisions to staff and fellow elected Tories, and then waiting for everyone to execute that which he has decided. In good times, that is a questionable way to run a government. In the grips of a challenge such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it risks becoming a dangerous and potentially destructive strategy. When Brian Pallister said he wanted a three-per-cent cut in operating budgets for every entity that is either directly or indirectly funded by his government, it was observed by many that this is the wrong time for additional austerity. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files) Case in point: when Mr. Pallister confirmed he wanted a three per cent cut in operating budgets for every entity that is either directly or indirectly funded by his government school divisions, post-secondary institutions, health authorities, Crown corporations and government departments it was observed by many outside government that this is the wrong time for additional austerity. The Free Press last week published a summary of opinions from nearly a dozen groups and individuals who collectively have panned Mr. Pallisters ramped-up austerity measures. Yes, the deficit is growing, but in this extremely fragile economy, cutting funding to outside organizations or laying off civil servants will in the opinion of bank and think-tank economists, social-policy experts and other commentators only make a bad situation worse. Want more great journalism? Get our best news and features delivered in your inbox every weekday evening. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Mr. Pallister seems unmoved by the growing opposition. In fact, one might even be inclined to conclude that with each additional dissenting voice, he becomes more committed to his strategy. Although confidence is an important leadership quality, so too is open-mindedness. Manitobas premier appears to have cut himself off from any contrary or alternative theories on how to weather the pandemic storm. Brian Pallister seems unmoved by the growing opposition. (John Woods / The Canadian Press files) In many ways, this is not unexpected. Throughout his public life, Mr. Pallister has been perceived by friends and foe alike as a solitary figure who has battled through challenges with a combination of unwavering resolve and steely resilience. Admirable qualities both, right up until the point they become intransigence. If Mr. Pallister cannot be convinced that his single-minded commitment to austerity is negatively affecting the province as a whole, perhaps he might consider the damage it is doing to his own political brand and that of his party. As he continues to demand and defend layoffs and spending cuts, the coalition of critics is growing, well outside the roster of usual suspects who routinely contest the policies of a Progressive Conservative government. Opinion leaders in business and financial institutions are adding their voices to the critical chorus, along with economists from across the political spectrum. Concern and criticism are also growing in the public at large. There is always a cost associated with austerity, and Mr. Pallister might eventually find that focusing on frugality in a time of crisis has cost his party the support necessary to remain in government. If he listens hard, there are no doubt people close to him now who are willing to warn of such a danger. He should listen to them. By Olivia Rose WITH the start of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season mere weeks away, residents in the TCI are being urged to be more proactive with their preparations this year. Researchers at Colorado State University have warned of a potentially active Atlantic hurricane season, beginning on June 1 as the region continues to battle the coronavirus. Dr Virginia Clerveaux, Director of the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME), has called on residents to make an even greater effort to be storm ready. "In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and a looming active hurricane season, as a country, it is even more important for us to be proactive and begin to prepare for a possible impact. "We must begin now to take steps to ensure that our homes, businesses and families are well prepared for this years hurricane season. "Let us begin to update our business continuity and family emergency plans and develop comprehensive response platforms. "We have to be proactive in preparing and not wait until something happens to begin to put measures in place. She said last years hurricane season, and in particular hurricane Dorian which struck the Bahamas, should serve as a stark reminder of how devastating and destructive storms can be. This years Hurricane Preparedness Month got underway on May 1 under the theme, Be proactive not reactive. Throughout the month the DDME is hosting a series of events including a national day of prayer for a safe hurricane season, a refresher training course in shelter management, damage and needs assessment preparations, radio communications and logistics supply systems. There will also be virtual press conferences, a schools hurricane preparedness (art and poetry) competition and a virtual town hall meeting. On Wednesday (May 13), DDMEs training and education specialist Latoya Jones spoke on a radio programme about Hurricane Preparedness Month. She explained that the activities slated for the month were developed to reinforce social distancing while educating the populace on what they should do to be prepared. Commenting on the refresher training course for shelter managers, Jones explained that the DDME has shortened the course to suit an online audience. "Shelter managers are those persons who have the responsibility for preparation, the day to day management and operational management of the emergency shelters, so they are the persons who will lead the shelters when theyve been activated. She said the training will focus on sharpening the skills of existing shelter managers while educating new managers. "The refreshing part is that people wont have to come into the office, they can do the training in the comfort of their own homes, wherever they have a strong wifi connection they can sit and get the training done. "Its actually a refresher because we will not be able to do a full two to three days normal training that we usually do. It has to be brief and weve had to make some adjustments. Jones stressed that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, social distancing measures at shelters would pose a new challenge for shelter managers. She said the course would educate shelter managers on these necessary procedures. "We want to reinforce the whole issue of organisation, administration, the spacing now we know with social distancing being in effect we would have to be able to space the shelters adequately so that we can be operating under the law. "So shelter managers would need to be brought up to speed where that is concerned. "We have to bring in those best practices and marry it with the Covid-19 protocols. The Royal Navy began training for the approaching hurricane season in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week. A simulation exercise, which ran from May 7 to 10, took place on West Caicos and Ambergris Cay in the TCI. According to the Royal Navy, training involved RFA Argus and HMS Medway, as well as Merlin and Wildcat helicopters and specialist personnel. The teams practised their skills in surveying islands that were previously impacted by hurricanes as part of the training. The exercise saw military personnel bringing in aid using helicopters and boats, and repairing damaged infrastructure. A series of ongoing virtual meetings are also being held bi-weekly with the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME), UK military personnel, the governor and the premier. COVID-19 is spreading faster among First Nations people in Winnipeg and making them more sick, according to the first release of data on Indigenous people in Manitoba. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. COVID-19 is spreading faster among First Nations people in Winnipeg and making them more sick, according to the first release of data on Indigenous people in Manitoba. Province still not providing Metis data Manitoba has still not reached out to the Metis about whether any COVID-19 carriers have come from that community. The province signed a data-sharing agreement with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs on April 28, giving the AMC a daily report on whether anyone who tested positive identified as Indigenous, the location of diagnosis as well as their age, gender and pre-existing conditions. click to read more Manitoba has still not reached out to the Metis about whether any COVID-19 carriers have come from that community. The province signed a data-sharing agreement with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs on April 28, giving the AMC a daily report on whether anyone who tested positive identified as Indigenous, the location of diagnosis as well as their age, gender and pre-existing conditions. The province has made it up to the AMC to decide whether to make any of that information public, in order to encourage testing. Thats part of a principle that puts Indigenous people in control over who gets access to data about them. Courtney Skye, a Mohawk analyst with the Yellowhead Institute, argued its problematic to put elected leadership in charge of those decisions, given that not all First Nations have band membership. Because there are increased risk factors First Nations people experience, theres an even greater need for transparency around where the spread is happening, Skye said Friday. We should have the ability to critique and scrutinize (governments and Indigenous leaders) because we are part of the public. But Dr. Marcia Anderson, a medical officer of health, said Indigenous medical directors requested the data be made public before the Victoria Day weekend to help encourage people to keep up physical distancing. She said it took weeks to figure out how the nurses should ask about ancestry, and gather enough data in order to share it in aggregate, without inadvertently identifying a patient. It misrepresents it, to say that's its at the whims of the chiefs. It takes a lot of work to put together this kind of analysis, Anderson said. Anderson said the data working group is in touch with the Manitoba Inuit Association but not the Manitoba Metis Federation; the province did not explain why by Friday afternoon. MMF President David Chartrand was furious. Why hasn't one call even happened, or one discussion or one letter or one email?" he said. "This is about people's lives, not about race. It's not about politics." Dylan Robertson and Katie May Close "It's in line with previous experiences where there was a higher rate of more severe illness among First Nations individuals, such as during (2009 swine flu) H1N1," said Dr. Marcia Anderson, a medical officer of health. As of Friday morning, 16 First Nations people, all living off-reserve, have contracted the coronavirus, of whom two are active cases. There has been one case in both the southern and Interlake-eastern health regions; the other 14 all lived in the Winnipeg area. The data came after mounting calls to make such figures public; the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs has pledged to release updates every Friday. While 16 people is a small sample size, Anderson noted that four were hospitalized, which she said is more than double the general hospitalization rate, which appears to be less than 10 per cent. The proportion of infected First Nations people transmitting COVID-19 within their homes or families, known as the "secondary attack rate", is 30 per cent, compared with 13 per cent of Manitobans overall. Anderson said crowded urban housing and a lack of access to affordable healthy food helped spread the H1N1 swine flu in 2009, and is likely doing the same with the coronavirus. She said the factors that make COVID-19 more deadly are also more prevalent among First Nations in the province, including hypertension, lung diseases and diabetes. The First Nations cases are overwhelmingly female, 13 of 16, which Anderson said could be a result of women doing more caregiving or frontline work than men, or possibly more testing. The ages ranged from one to 69. It's in line with previous experiences where there was a higher rate of more severe illness among First Nations individuals, such as during (2009 swine flu) H1N1. Dr. Marcia Anderson Manitoba nurses have asked anyone testing positive for COVID-19 a series of questions, which since April 2 include whether the person identifies as First Nations, Metis or Inuit. That's an optional question; Anderson said many are likely reluctant to identify as Indigenous, fearing discrimination from health-care workers. She said that partially stems from medical experiments on residential-school attendees. Armed with new data, First Nations brace for COVID-19 first wave Click to Expand This undated electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in February 2020 shows the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, orange, emerging from the surface of cells, gray, cultured in the lab. Also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus causes COVID-19. Experts say researchers racing against time to provide a proven treatment for COVID-19 will have to balance scientific rigor against speed. THE CANADIAN PRESS/NIAID-RML via AP Posted: 7:00 PM May. 15, 2020 Manitoba has learned for the first time how COVID-19 has impacted First Nations citizens in the province. For the first weeks of the declared pandemic even though many (including the federal government) knew First Nations would be disproportionately impacted the province did not collect data on Indigenous cases. Read Full Story The province has also compared the identities of COVID-19 carriers against The Indian Register, and identified eight people who have First Nations status from March 13 until nurses started asking about ancestry on April 2. Anderson said the province will continue to do this, but only to help form the aggregate data. She stressed that having Indian status wont be then marked into peoples health files. 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. There have been no cases reported on Indigenous reserves; federally run nursing stations have helped administer 1,488 tests in 27 communities as of Tuesday, and none has come back positive. The provinces public health chief, Dr. Brent Roussin, called the information-sharing agreement "a great partnership" and praised "terrific leadership" on reserves for keeping out COVID-19. "It was the goal we were after, and were not out of things yet." Fridays data release does not include Inuit or Metis people. With files from Larry Kusch dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca FARIDKOT/MOGA/KAPURTHALA/JALANDHAR/AMRITSAR/LUDHIANA Punjab on Saturday reported two fresh deaths due to coronavirus. Ludhiana civil surgeon Dr Rajesh Bagga said two positive patients of Gurdaspur district, Pyara Singh (84) and Balwinder Singh (82), died on Saturday at CMCH, Ludhiana. With this the state so far has witnessed 34 Covid-19 deaths. Eighteen more persons, including three, who returned from Takht Hazur Sahib in Maharashtras Nanded, tested positive for Covid-19 in the state on Saturday, taking the states tally to 2,023. In Moga, two Nanded-returnees tested positive for the novel coronavirus, taking the district count to 60. One of the positive persons is a resident of Ghaloti village in Kot Ise Khan, while the other is a resident of Moga. Civil surgeon Dr Andesh Kang said both the patients had been admitted to the isolation ward of the civil hospital. The patients were already in a quarantine centre and are asymptomatic, Dr Kang said. In Faridkot, four persons including a 40-year-old truck driver, who had returned from Jammu, tested positive for Covid-19, taking the district tally to 56. Civil surgeon Dr Rajinder Kumar said among infected persons is a truck driver, who returned to his village from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on May 12. One is Nanded-returnee while the other two are labourers who returned from other states, he said. As per the protocol, samples of the truck driver were collected on the same day, which came out to be positive. The patients have been admitted to the isolation wards of Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital in Faridkot. The Nanded returnee and labourers were already kept in a quarantine facility. However, we are tracing the contacts of the truck driver, while his family members were home quarantined, he said. 5 NEW CASES IN KAPURTHALA Five people, including four who returned from Dubai tested positive for coronavirus in Kapurthala district on Saturday. They are in the age group of 25 to 50 years. Civil surgeon Dr Jasmit Kaur Bawa said that the Dubai-returned are kept in an isolated ward of a private college. The district has so far 30 cases, including two deaths. Two people have been cured of the virus. 3 TEST POSITIVE IN JALANDHAR Three fresh cases of novel coronavirus were reported in Jalandhar on Saturday. With this, the district has reported 211 positive cases so far of which 139 have recovered. Six persons have succumbed to the virus in the district to date. The new patients include 24-years-old man of Greater Kailash area in Jalandhar, a 45-year-old man of Ishar Colony and 52-year-old woman of Bhogpur. Health officials said a total of 5,670 samples of suspected patients have been collected of which 5,013 tested negative while results 269 samples are still awaited. LUDHIANA COUNT REACHES 148 Two fresh cases of Covid-19 were reported in Ludhiana taking the districts count to 148. Among the fresh cases is a 19-year-old employee of a tyre-manufacturing unit in the Focal Point area. He is a resident of Deep colony in Kanganwal area. With this, 11 employees of Hindustan Tyres have tested positive to date. The other patient is a resident of Basant Vihar at Noorwala road. The patient was undergoing treatment at Mohan Dai Oswal Cancer hospital when his sample was taken by the hospital. ONE MORE CASE IN AMRITSAR A 36-year-old man, who returned from Mumbai a few days ago, tested positive for Covid-19 in Amritsar on Saturday. He complained of fever and cold during home quarantine. He is now admitted in isolation ward of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). Health department has also taken samples of his contacts and their reports will come soon, said Civil Surgeon Dr Jugal Kishore. Washington/Beijing, May 16 : China on Saturday hit back at the Donald Trump government for announcing new export controls aimed at limiting Chinese technology giant Huaweis access to semiconductor technology, calling it Americas "unreasonable suppression" of Huawei. Describing the move as the destruction of "global manufacturing, supply and value chains", the Chinese foreign ministry said that Beijing would "firmly uphold Chinese firms' legitimate and legal rights and interests". "We urge the US side to immediately stop its unreasonable suppression of Huawei and Chinese enterprises," said the foreign ministry after the new rule barred semiconductor-makers that use US technology and software in chip design from shipping to Huawei without the US government's permission. According to South China Morning Post, new restrictions will cut off Huawei's access to one of its major suppliers, Taiwanese chip maker TSMC, which also manufactures chips for Apple and other tech firms and on Friday announced to build a $12 billion chip manufacturing plant in the state of Arizona. Global Times said in a report that "Beijing was ready to target Apple, Qualcomm, Cisco and Boeing in retaliation for the restrictions on Huawei". The tightened controls come a year after the US moved to cut off Huawei, the world's second largest smart phone maker, from access to US-made semiconductor chips, which form the backbone of most computer and phone systems. In response, the company and others in China accelerated efforts to manufacture such chips domestically. US Commerce Department Secretary Wilbur Ross said that those efforts were "still dependent on US technologies", and accused Huawei of taking steps "to undermine" earlier export controls. "This is not how a responsible corporate citizen behaves," Ross said. "We must amend our rules exploited by Huawei... and prevent US technologies from enabling malign activities contrary to US national security and foreign policy interests." The new US rules applies to foreign-made items using US technology. It exempts equipment or software made or shipped within the next 120 days - a move meant to limit economic harm. In a background briefing for reporters, the US said officials would consider licence applications to do business with Huawei on a "case by case" basis. "This is a licensing requirement. It does not necessarily mean that things are denied," a senior State Department official said. "We tend to approach Huawei with some concern but this is a measure that gives the US government visibility into what is moving." On Friday, the US also extended waivers that allow US companies, many of them rural internet providers, to use some kinds of Huawei technology for another 90 days. Donald Trump, who is campaigning for re-election in November, has stepped up his attacks on China in recent weeks, blaming it for the spread of COVID-19. This week, he moved to restrict US government pension funds from investing in Chinese companies. He said on Wednesday he could "cut off the whole relationship". The US has said Huawei's technology could be used for spying by the Chinese government. It has pressured allies, including the UK and Germany, to bar Huawei from their networks and sued the company for technology theft and doing business with Iran, in violation of US sanctions. Huawei has contested the US government's claims and said American efforts are likely to backfire, hurting the ability of US tech firms to do business. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Huawei's handset shipments outside of China had dropped by 35 per cent, threatening its position as the world's second-biggest handset maker. Its latest phones can no longer embed Google Mobile Services, which include important features such as maps and the Google Play app store. Huawei has tried to work its way around this by providing its own Huawei Mobile Services. But its App Gallery is missing a majority of the most-popular apps found on Android in the UK and US. The pandemic is paramount, but there is an on-going issue within North Shore neighborhoods that requires attention. The issue? Renegade motorcycles, muscle cars and drag racing. No hour is sacred: 4 p.m., 1:30 a.m., 11 a.m. Daytime Frazier Avenue, Hixson Pike and Barton are witness to a side-show of rude behavior that is detrimental to the ear, restaurants, boutiques, and visiting tourists. Night time? Sleepless and noisy. Ive lived in Chattanooga for three years; North Shore since November; also lived in NYC, Cincinnati, Boston, Albuquerque, among others. Normal city noise i.e. firetrucks, ambulances, garbage trucks, traffic is to be expected, but deliberate intrusion? Sound is measured in decibels. Chattanooga has a noise ordinance of 85 (dB). Residents have documented and reported noise above 100. No response. Facebook has comments, phones hold texts, decibel photos and videos. Yet muffler-less motorcycles and the revving of muscle car engines echo. It is time for action from our District 1 and 2 Councilmembers Chip Henderson and Jerry Mitchell, Mayor Andy Berke, and Police Chief Roddy. Other motorcycles come and go, no issue. When is the time to act, before or after a tragedy? Barbara M Traynor A 54-year-old man, who was admitted to Kasturba Hospital-Manipal, died of cardiac arrest on May 14. The results of samples received on Saturday confirmed that the man had tested positive to coronavirus, KMC Medical Superintendent Dr Avinash Shetty. Udupi Deputy Commissioner G Jagadeesha told reporters, through video messages, that the man who was in quarantine in Kundapur, after arriving from Mumbai, had suffered a heart attack. He was immediately rushed to Kundapur government hospital and from there to KMC hospital in Manipal. Prior to conducting a surgery on the patient, throat swabs were collected and sent to laboratory. The three medical staff, who had attended to the patient infected with virus and had not followed any safety measures, were quarantined. Five persons, who had accompanied the man, were also quarantined. The doctors and nurses who had performed the surgery were wearing personal protection equipment (PPE). The doctors who had tended to him in the Kundapur hospital were also wearing the PPE. Fifty seven primary contacts in the hall, where he had stayed, and 38 secondary contacts were all identified and are being quarantined,. The cremation will be done as per the governments COVID-19 guidelines. KMC Medical Superintendent Dr Avinash Shetty said the hospitals emergency department would be open as usual and the outpatient department will treat patients as usual from 8.30 am to 1 pm. The government-run All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhopal has been conducting drug trials for the treatment of COVID-19, which have yielded some good results, a senior official claimed on Saturday. The trials of the drug Mycobacterium W (Mw) were conducted on COVID-19 patients at AIIMS Bhopal for the last few days, the official said. "So far, three COVID-19 patients have recovered after the clinical trial of Mycobacterium W (Mw) at AIIMS," director of the institute Dr Sarman Singh told PTI. The trials were being run for the last few days and the results were good, as out of four patients enrolled for the trial, three had fully recovered and discharged, he said. Singh also informed that soon Favipiravir, a drug used in Japan, will also be used for COVID-19 treatment here. If Mycobacterium W proves effective during the clinical trial, it will be used in the treatment of COVID-19, he said. Mycobacterium W was used in the treatment of leprosy and recently, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has tied up with Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd to evaluate the effect of this medicine for faster recovery of hospitalised COVID-19 patients, Singh said. Drug Controller of India has granted permission to conduct tests on critically ill COVID-19 patients at three major hospitals in the country including AIIMS Bhopal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fitting in, regardless of your age, cultural background, or sexual orientation, can be hard for some people who feel as if their lifestyle isolates them from others. Often, those feelings of isolation can be exacerbated when municipalities fail to provide specific resources for those who identify under the LGBTQ umbrella. Many towns and communities in Connecticut, and all over the country, recognize the month of June as Pride Month. Communities typically hold cultural events, and usually a parade, to honor their LGBTQ+ identifying residents. A few students at Cheshire High School, who are part of the schools Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA), have decided to establish a Cheshire LGBTQ and Ally network, with the hope of holding Cheshires first-ever Pride event during the summer. Spearheaded by the high schools GSA co-presidents Felicia Lentini and Mirin Scassellati, the group had originally planned for an inaugural meeting to happen in early March, but had to postpone it due to COVID-19 safety precautions. We noticed that while there is a friendly LGBTQ+ community at the high school with the GSA, there isnt really that same community here for adults, Scassellati said. Inclusion is really important, and we want to educate the community about becoming an ally, Lentini added. By definition, an ally is someone who might not be a member of the LGBTQ+ group, but who offers support and guidance to those who identify. An ally is also someone who might help LGBTQ+ members seek financial assistance, housing, or employment. One Cheshire High School student who has been involved in the creation of Cheshires LGBTQ+ and Ally community group, Jasper Barnhart, who identifies as they/them, remembers adjusting to life in Cheshire when they first moved into town. When I first moved here, I had no clue there was an ally community, Barnhart said. I felt really out of place and unsafe until I later learned that the community is here you just need to learn where to look. The newly-created group aims to teach Cheshire residents how to actively be allies in their community, and would ultimately like to host a town-wide Pride event in order to show the LGBTQ+ community that Cheshire supports them. We would love for a Cheshire Pride event to look something like the fall festival, perhaps with more rainbows, joked Lentini, who has been toying with ideas for a Cheshire Pride event for a while. We notice that a lot of the time people are just confused or unsure about what an ally is and why being one is important, she noted. We want to give people a safe place to ask questions, share their feelings, and talk about the things that are important to them. While members are expecting some pushback at the creation of the group and their goal of hosting a Pride event in Cheshire, Scassellati and Lentini have noticed more support for their cause than less. As of now, the group has no date for a first meeting, but is keeping updated via their Facebook group, Cheshire LGBTQ+ and Ally Community. Contrarian travel stocks to watch Over the last few months, shares of cruise companies, airlines, hotels and casinos have plummeted as investors exit their positions for fear that it will take years for companies in the travel industry to recover, if they ever do. In fact, though he once said that you should be greedy when others are fearful, even Berkshire Hathaway (ticker: BRK/B, BRK/A) CEO Warren Buffett has exited all of his positions in airline companies. But there's still value to be had from the travel industry if investors look closely. Keep in mind that these contrarian investments are not for the faint of heart, are largely predicated on health authorities getting the virus under control, and may take years to pan out. Yet if and when the travel industry eventually recovers, these are six of the best travel stocks to buy. Carnival Corp. (ticker: CCL) Cruise line stocks have regained some lost ground as investors realize that pent-up demand for leisure travel will lead to higher bookings in the future. In fact, when Carnival announced it would resume cruises starting in August, the company saw bookings skyrocket more than 200% from August 2019 rates. While Carnival has had to sell 72 million shares and take on nearly $6 billion in debt in an attempt to stay afloat, it had one of the best balance sheets in the industry heading into the crisis, and CEO Arnold Donald has noted that it has enough cash to survive through 2020 even if it doesn't make any revenue. If it can convince customers that it's safe to sail once again, Carnival is an investor's best bet for a cruise industry recovery. Delta Air Lines (DAL) Much like its size somewhat insulates Carnival, Delta, as the largest airline in the world, entered the current crisis from a position of strength. Though the company's balance sheet was weighed down by debt, its free cash flow, net income and high margins were the envy of the industry. Now Delta has had to halt its dividend, the U.S. government owns 1% of the company, and the company is spending more than $60 million in cash every day just to keep the lights on. CEO Ed Bastian has warned that Delta "will be a smaller airline for some time," but for a company that already excelled at operational efficiency, that may not be a bad thing at the end of the day. Story continues Southwest Airlines (LUV) Southwest CEO Gary Kelly recently noted that the company "burned through almost a billion dollars in the month of April" as it contends with stay-at-home orders and a lack of business travel; on top of that, Southwest's fleet has more of the notorious Boeing 737 MAX planes than any other major airline. Yet despite these alarming problems, Southwest's fiscal responsibility is second to none, and the company's low level of debt at a time when balance sheet strength may be the key to its survival should give investors some confidence. In addition, the airline has kept its focus largely on domestic flights in recent years, and considering the fears of contagion surrounding international flights, this may prove to be a distinct advantage going forward. LUV is certainly one of the best travel stocks to buy for an industrywide recovery. Hilton Worldwide Holdings (HLT) With most of the world locked in their own homes, hotel stocks have seen a dramatic decline in bookings since March. For Hilton, that meant revenue dropped nearly 13%, net income plummeted 88.6% and global occupancy levels hit a low of 13% during the first quarter. Though CEO Chris Nassetta stated that Hilton "expects a much more dramatic impact on our second-quarter results," it's important to note that the company's balance sheet looks very secure. With the company drawing down the rest of its credit facility, the presale of Hilton Honors points and a bond offering, it now has $3.8 billion in cash. At the same time, there are rays of hope -- worldwide occupancy is up to 23%, and almost all 150 of its Chinese locations have reopened. Las Vegas Sands (LVS) Casino giant Las Vegas Sands bet big on the Asian-Pacific market, with 85% of its 2019 revenue coming from operations in Macao and Singapore. To help fund the company's expansion in Asia, Las Vegas Sands has taken on more than $12.3 billion in debt -- a daunting number compared with the $6.5 billion it has in cash and available liquidity. Yet the timing of debt maturities works out nicely, with only $117 million due in the next two years. That gives Las Vegas Sands plenty of breathing room as it continues to expand operations in Macao and Marina Bay, with new properties coming online throughout 2020 despite the crisis. When the outbreak does eventually pass, Las Vegas Sands should be well-positioned to capitalize on the continued growth of Asian gaming markets. MGM Resorts International (MGM) If investors would rather place their bets on a speedy domestic recovery, they should look to MGM Resorts -- last quarter most of the company's revenue came from its U.S.-based businesses, while only 12% came from its Macao operations. That said, the situation hasn't been good in either market, and in the first quarter MGM reported losses of 45 cents per share after adjustments for real estate sales. But those real estate sales couldn't have been better timed, and between that, a recent debt issue and a revolving credit facility, the company has $7.1 billion in total liquidity. Management has made it clear that it doesn't expect things to turn around this year, but MGM's strong balance sheet means the company will survive and quite possibly thrive in the years to come. 6 of the best travel stocks to buy if there's a comeback. -- Carnival Corp. (CCL) -- Delta (DAL) -- Southwest (LUV) -- Hilton Worldwide Holdings (HLT) -- Las Vegas Sands (LVS) -- MGM Resorts International (MGM) More From US News & World Report Boaters headed towards the Tennessee River Gorge aka Grand Canyon of Tennessee from Chattanooga to enjoy the fall foliage will have to pass through Suck Creek and will have little or no difficulty navigating through the historical area known as The Suck. That was not always the case prior to the erection of the Hales Bar Dam by the Tennessee River Power Company (TEPCO) headed by Chattanooga engineer Joseph Conn Guild, and the Chickamauga Dam up the Tennessee River in the late 1930s and 1940s. Hales Bar Dam construction started in 1905 and two nearby towns of Guild (now known as Haletown) and Ladds were built to house the thousands of workers that were needed to build the dam. On November 1, 1913, the dam was completed at a cost of $237,000,000 in todays value but had a checkered past with leaks and deaths of workers and private citizens. After the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was passed in 1933 litigation occurred as to the constitutionality of the law which gave TVA the right to buy the assets of Hales Bar Dam for $78,000,000. The location of the Suck southwest of Chattanooga consisted of strong currents and whirlpools that were hazards and dangerous to any boats trying to transverse the area. Just before the start of the Civil War and through 1886 steamboats were a popular mode of transportation on the Tennessee River. Because the water level at the Suck was so low that the riverboats drafted too deep to get through the area it became necessary to dredge out where Suck Creek flowed into the river. Even after the dredging to make the river deeper the steamboats still had difficulty navigating this area when it rained heavy because Suck Creek would spill large amounts of water into the river that caused a suction which made it very difficulty for the steamboats to get through. Several dangerous spots soon acquired colorful names by the local inhabitants such as Tumbling Shoals, the Pot, the Skillet, and the Pan and each became difficult for rivermen to avoid the downstream journey hazards and also restricted upstream travel. The idea of building human winches on the shorelines to go to the bow of the steamboats was developed in order for slaves to turn the giant wooden winches in order to pull the large boats through the Suck. With the erecting of the Hales Bar Dam water levels in Chattanooga rose permanently and today the area is relatively quiet compared to older times but some whirls still exist. In 1964 construction began on Nickajack Dam, six miles downstream from Hales Bar Dam and was completed in 1967 at a cost of $73,000,000 and Hales Bar was taken out of service and the dam portion was removed. * * * Jerry Summers (If you have additional information about one of Mr. Summers' articles or have suggestions or ideas about a future Chattanooga area historical piece, please contact Mr. Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com The upcoming Motorola mid-range smartphone, dubbed the One Fusion, has now reportedly appeared at the FCC ahead of launch. Expected to land sometime before the end of June, the appearance seems to indicate a sooner than later launch. But it also gives away at least a few details that werent previously known. To begin with, the listing shows the handset denoted as model number XT2073-2 ships with a 4,000mAh capacity battery. Battery tests also indicate that up to 10W charging will be used to fuel that up. It also indicates this Bluetooth-enabled handset will pack 4G coverage and support for GSM, WCDMA, and LTE networking. That all indicates that this smartphone wont be the most powerful or bleeding-edge device. But an FM radio receiver appears in the details as well. So there should, at the very least, be a 3.5mm audio jack in the frame. NFC doesnt appear to have made the cut. Advertisement What other Motorola One Fusion details have leaked? Now, this FCC appearance isnt the first time the Motorola One Fusion has made the rounds. Previous leaks and reports have given away quite a few details about this smartphone. One of the few details still remaining to be seen is the actual size of the phone. That will likely vary anyway since the Motorola One Fusion is expected to land alongside a Plus edition of the device. That handset will undoubtedly be larger but could also pack slightly better specifications. Setting that aside, the current rumors surrounding this smartphone point to Android 10 underpinning everything out-of-the-box. Under the hood, that will be driven by a capable, Qualcomm-built octa-core Snapdragon 675 SoC. Just behind that, the option of 4GB or 6GB RAM is expected. That will be paired with 64GB or 128GB storage, respectively. Advertisement Dual-SIM support has been reported as well. On the exterior, the Motorola One Fusion and Fusion Plus are expected to appear in two color configurations. Namely, those are Light Brown and Light Blue. Packed into that frame, the company is purportedly going to incorporate a 12-megapixel camera at the back. The front cameras have not been leaked. Its not immediately clear how these handsets will set themselves apart from previously released Motorola handsets. Typically, the One-series has centered its differences on key camera features or other small differences. The Motorola One Zoom, for instance, offered 3x optical zoom and 10x hybrid zoom. The Motorola One Macro took things in the other direction, offering shots at as close as 2cm. Advertisement The Fusion branding, however, doesnt provide many clues as to what that will be here. Multiple lenses are expected but its not clear where the company might take those. When does this arrive? As of this writing, the only expectation regarding the arrival of the Motorola One Fusion or One Fusion Plus is a date range. As noted above, thats been pinned to sometime before the end of Q2 2020. That places the timeframe for before the end of June. Motorolas FCC certification makes perfect sense if thats to be the case. The certification generally occurs just ahead of launch. And the company has plenty of time to finalize things if it wants its phones launches to meet that purported date. The Health Ministry of Ukraine on Friday, May 15, signed an agreement that will allow receiving $135 million from the World Bank to additionally finance the Serving People, Improving Health Project, the Finance Ministry has reported on its Facebook page. The National Health Service of Ukraine said that $35 million will be sent to improve protection of the public and combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rest of the funds will be sent to implement the healthcare reform, enhance the capabilities of hospitals to provide high-quality care if stokes are recorded in the regions of Ukraine and strengthen the potential of the National Health Service. Earlier the World Bank said that This additional financing will help Ukraine upgrade up to 40 hospital emergency departments and stroke units, World Bank Acting Country Director for Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine Alex Kremer said, adding that patients will have an opportunity to choose any hospital in Ukraine, and their costs for surgical operations will be covered by the state budget. The World Bank recalled that the ongoing Serving People, Improving Health Project, with the initial $215 million investment, provides assistance for renovation of urban hospitals and rural health posts, purchasing of modern equipment, and improvement in the quality of health services. The funds were 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. 16.05.2020 LISTEN The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) says while it is not clear who the individual is and whether she is a nurse, the Association strongly disapproved of such capers by Nurses and Midwives. The Association says it regards the twerking in a professional uniform as unacceptable conduct and a disgrace to the noble profession. Such practices do not reflect the ethics, etiquette and standards of our professions and therefore the GRNMA vehemently disassociates itself from the video, the Association said in a statement signed by its President Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo. The statement directed the leadership of the GRNMA in all districts and regional executives as well as the general membership to assist in the identification of the said nurse" if indeed she is one, and provide the Head Office with any information that can assist in investigation by contacting the GRNMA National Public Relation Officers. Nursing and Midwifery are noble professions and as such all Nurses and Midwives in Ghana are advised to desist from such unacceptable behaviour especially when in uniform in order to protect the dignity of the profession, it added. ---GNA Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 06:54:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The Pentagon on Friday said that the United States is committed to the troops' drawdown plan stipulated in the U.S.-Taliban agreement. Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Jonathan Hoffman said at a Pentagon briefing that the U.S. military is moving forward to reach the troop level of 8,600 in Afghanistan. "That is still going forward. We expect to meet that within the timeline laid out under the agreement with the Taliban," said Hoffman. U.S. Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad on the same day also confirmed to reporters that the United States is "in the phase of implementing the first phase of the agreement with regard to our condition-based withdrawal... gets us within 135 days of the signing of the agreement to 8,600." These comments came days after a series of deadly attacks in Afghanistan earlier this week, raising doubts about the U.S. peace effort in this war-torn country. "I will be traveling again soon to push for de-escalation, to push for reduction of violence, and to push for accelerating the release of prisoners," said Khalilzad in a conference call. The special envoy also revealed that a new date to start intra-Afghan negotiations is under discussion, without providing details. An attack on a maternal hospital in the capital Kabul killed 24 civilians and injured 16 others on Tuesday, while a suicide bomb explosion targeting a funeral in eastern Nangarhar province killed 32 people and wounded 103 others. The Taliban said they were not behind the twin attacks. However, after the attacks, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani ordered national security forces to end active defense position and resume offensives on militant groups including the Taliban. The Taliban on Thursday claimed a truck bombing in Afghanistan's eastern Paktia province earlier in the day, which killed five civilians and injured 46 others, including several military personnel. Violence still lingered in the war-torn country after a peace deal was signed between the United States and the Taliban in Qatar late February, which paved the way for a phased U.S. force withdrawal. The agreement faces challenges as the intra-Afghan dialogue that had been scheduled to begin on March 10 could not start due to differences over the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners. Enditem The supervisor of a health centre, which was supposed to be made a covid-19 testing centre in Jalpaiguri district, died after allegedly consuming pesticide, police said on Friday. It is claimed by those close to the deceased that he was facing opposition from a section of the health centre employees after the district authorities asked him to set up a Covid-19 testing centre. Superintendent of Police Avisek Modi said a suicide note was found from the room of the deceased Debashis Chakraborty who was the supervisor of Ghughudanga Health Centre and a probe has been launched to ascertain the circumstances behind his death. Chakraborty had allegedly consumed pesticide on Thursday and then jumped into a well on the courtyard of his residence. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he died, the SP said. The Indian Medical Association, Jalpaiguri unit, demanded a probe into the death of Chakraborty. Asked about the claims that he was under stress due to opposition by a section of the staff over setting up of the Covid-19 testing centre, IMA (North Bengal) Coordinator Dr Susanto Roy said, "Covid testing centre is for diagnosis of the disease and not for spreading the virus. This must be clear to everyone." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Asip Hasani (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya, East Java Sat, May 16, 2020 15:12 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd87fd95 1 National East-Java,Gresik,rape,rape-victim,Regional-Representatives-Council,DPRD,sexual-abuse,Sexual-assault Free A member of the Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) of Gresik in East Java has allegedly offered Rp 1 billion (US$67,211) in compensation to the family of a 16-year-old in exchange for the latters withdrawal of rape accusations against the councilors close friend. The victims family filed a police report on April 24, accusing security guard Sugianto, 53, of rape. Several days later, councilor Nur Hudi of the NasDem Party allegedly visited the family at their home and offered to build them a house worth Rp 500 million. A source at the Metatu village office, who claims to be familiar with the case and has requested anonymity for safety reasons, told The Jakarta Post that Sugianto was not only Nurs close friend but also his loyal supporter when the politician served as the village head. Read also: Teenage girl suspected of murdering child is 'rape victim', now 14-weeks pregnant The victims sister wrote a letter to the councils ethics board explaining the incident a copy of which was obtained by the Post. Pak Nur promised my mother to build the house, as long as my mother agreed to revoke the police report and settle the case outside the legal domain. My mother rejected the offer, the sister wrote in the letter. She added that the councilor had later raised the offer to Rp 1 billion, which was rejected again by her mother. The victim, a junior high school student, is now seven-months pregnant. The mother and sister work in rice fields and as domestic helpers to make ends meet since the father died years ago. Sugianto, a relative of the mothers, allegedly raped the 16-year-old girl one year ago in his house, which stands within walking distance from the girls house. Sugianto allegedly abused [the girl] five times and threatened to curse the mother with santet [black magic] if she resisted him, said Syafii, a local activist providing legal assistance to the family in the case. Read also: Ignorance, misguided policies allow rape culture to thrive The councilors lawyer, Al Ushudi, said the councilor had offered to help the victims family out of concern for the familys economic hardship. "Pak Hudi only focuses on the future of the girl and the baby and doesnt mean to hamper the legal process of the case, the lawyer said on Thursday. Following criticism from activists that police were sluggish in responding to the report, Gresik Police criminal investigation chief Adj. Comr. Panji P. Wijaya said investigators had detained Sugianto on Friday following questioning. [Sugianto] told investigators that he had given the victim Rp 100,000 after raping her, Panji said on Friday. (kuk) Fred Willard was an improv comedy master whose star shone brightest in the satire of writer-director Christopher Guest, playing a goofball so straight it wasn't always clear he was in on the joke. Willard died on Friday evening in Los Angeles of natural causes at 86, his agent Mike Eisenstadt said. Actor Fred Willard arrives at the 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Live in New York. Credit:Carlo Allegri/Reuters In the 1996 film that launched him into the mainstream, Waiting for Guffman, Willard was a small-town amateur actor opposite Catherine O'Hara. With utter sincerity, the duo auditioned in matching tracksuits with a Taster's Choice commercial performed to the 1973 hit song Midnight at the Oasis. It killed. The film became an instant comedy classic and earned Willard an American Comedy Award nomination and a Screen Actors Guild award nomination. The Executives of the Oil Palm Development Association of Ghana (OPDAG) together with the hundreds of thousands of their members and the entire value chain actors of the oil palm sector are excited about the governments decision to exempt the sectors commodities from the 50% reduction in the benchmark value of imports as announced on Monday 11th May 2020. According to the Executive Secretary of the Association Selorm Quarme, the move will guarantee the continuous employment and sustained livelihoods of a large number of Ghanaian farmers and value chain actors most of whom are smallholders. It will also provide a level playing field to ensure that local producers remain competitive in the near term while encouraging and attracting the needed investment for the development of the oil palm sector which is waiting to be exploited for the development of the tree crop sector. The benchmark value introduced in 2019, gave importers of palm oil in the form of vegetable cooking oils an unfair pricing advantage over local producers, Mr. Quarme said. The price advantage to importers pushed a lot of farmers, processors and refiners and other businesses in the oil palm value chain out of business. We are however excited that a decision has been taken to exempt palm oil and the related cooking oils from this policy, which to us will not only inure to the benefit of all stakeholders especially all those within the value chain but will also make the sector attractive for investment, and for the development of the tree crops sector as envisaged in the Tree Crops Development Authority Act, 2019 Act 1010. Mr. Quarme noted that prior to the introduction of the benchmark value, a 25liter (Yellow Gallon) of oil produced locally was selling at One Hundred and Forty-Five Ghana Cedis, (GH145) against One Hundred and Fifty Ghana Cedis (GH150) for the imported product. However, when the policy kicked in, whereas the locally produced vegetable oil was still selling at One Hundred and Forty-Five Ghana Cedis (GH145), the imported products started selling at between One Hundred and Ten Ghana Cedis (GH110) and One Hundred and Twenty Ghana Cedis (GH120). This situation adversely affected the local industry as local producers were faced with the concomitant effects of an unfair competition a situation that was starting to result in job losses and loss of livelihoods of thousands of smallholder farmers in the value chain, not to mention the effect on investment and expansion of the sector. The Association since the introduction of the policy, has been advocating for an exemption for the oil palm industry and it is heartwarming to note that the government has listened to this plea and taken the step in the right direction to rescue the industry. It is therefore a welcoming and a positive development for the local oil palm industry and we urge all members to continue to adopt best practices to ensure the sustainability of the industry. We thank the president and the government as we look forward to the next big thing the operationalization of the Tree Crops Development Authority. 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 Workers at the Brentwood Originals pillow factory in Walls, Mississippi walked out again Thursday over concerns about the ongoing presence of COVID-19 within the factory. Over 300 workers walked out earlier in the week after management attempted to keep workers ignorant of a case of COVID-19 at the plant. The company is the largest employer in Walls, which is in the outskirts of the Memphis, Tennessee metropolitan area. Brentwood Originals, based in California, employs 650 workers and had sales of $150 million last year. Average wages for its production workers are just $11 an hour. Implausibly, Brentwood Originals CEO Loren Sweet sought to claim that workers did not walk out on Thursday, stating instead that the company stopped production on its own volition in order to address employee concerns and rumors. We shared our concerns and what we had done to address theirs, Sweet said an email to the local Fox News affiliate. It was a great opportunity for them to vent, and we developed a list of issues raised that we promised them a response to. Carolyn Vardaman, employee of Brentwood Originals and mother of six, told the World Socialist Web Site that no employee has received testing for the coronavirus. Furthermore, when asked about the strikes engulfing various industries in the United States and abroad, she expressed support and empathy for the workers carrying out strikes over dangerous working conditions, and voiced her opposition to the social and economic inequality afflicting the working class. The walkouts at the pillow factory in Mississippi are part of a wave of wildcat strikes and other job actions by the working class across the United States and internationally, with workers demanding protection from the virulent COVID-19 disease, personal protective equipment (PPE), and a shutdown of nonessential production. The necessity for a link-up between autoworkers, retail workers, teachers, Amazon workers, meat and food processing workers and others is ever more urgent. Fox News noted that although some workers returned to the plant following the discussion with management Thursday, a number of others left for the day. Vardaman expressed concerns over her health and said she went home. Another worker, who did not wish to be identified, told Fox, My bag is already in the car. I am leaving and going home because it is not sanitary. On Wednesday, Brenisha Goodman, a three-year employee at the facility and seven months pregnant, told local reporters, Really, the rest of this week I think that I will not be returning to work. I might try Monday to see if they did anything, but if not, no. Brentwood had closed the plant Monday and Tuesday for a deep cleaning after the case of COVID-19 could no longer be concealed. However, workers have raised doubts about the companys claims to have deep cleaned the plant, with videos being circulated showing material on the plants floors. CEO Loren Sweet inadvertently admitted the incomplete character of cleaning efforts in attempting to respond to the videos, writing, There were videos circulating with pictures of polyester on the floor. The cleaning was not to sweep the polyester off the floor. Pillow factories have polyester everywhere. The coronavirus has been reported to live on metal surfaces for up to five days, wood four days, plastics between two and three days, and cardboard for a day. Though the nucleic acids from the virus have been detected in fabrics, it is unknown whether this may lead to infection. Regardless, the virus can survive on a multitude of surfaces for days, rendering a two-day cleaning virtually useless if one infected person reenters the facility. Opposition by workers to life-threatening working conditions continues to emerge in city after city and is being fueled by the accelerating bipartisan efforts to restart production and other economic activityand thus the flow of profitsin the midst of the pandemic. During his daily COVID-19 press briefing Friday afternoon, Republican Governor Tate Reeves amended Mississippis Safer at Home order to reopen tattoo parlors and casinos. Reeves has already made moves to reopen the economy, in line with many of his Democratic and Republican counterparts, previously allowing salons, barbershops, and gyms, all of which are potential vectors of the disease, to begin serving customers again. The Safer at Home executive order issued by Reeves, having begun April 27, has already been effectively ended as of 8:00 a.m. on Monday, May 11. In the wake of reopening the states economy, the Mississippi Department of Health reported 393 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the third highest number to date, and 318 Friday. The state has reported 10,801 COVID-19 cases and 493 deaths to date. As with other states in the US South, the widespread poverty across much of Mississippi places workers at immense risk should the virus surge. Approximately one in five Mississippi residents lives in poverty, an underestimation given the abysmally low threshold, an annual income of just $24,250 for a family of four, which the US Census characterizes as poverty. The state is also among the five most vulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic, particularly ill-equipped to respond to it, according to a report recently released by the Surgo Foundation think tank. Theres something of the spirit of meitheal in the air right now. The old Irish tradition is finding modern expression as people try to work together for the common good, writes Clodagh Finn Ill miss the quiet, the glorious quiet. Right now, all I can hear is the distant bark of a dog and the gentle hum of an ageing laptop. How will we ever return to the clatter and bang of normal living? The optimists say we are on the cusp of ushering in a new age but, look around you, it is already here. If the radical changes of the last two months have shown us anything, it is that there are many things about lockdown worth keeping. Here are my top ten: Altruism: Not only has it become an everyday word, it is an everyday occurrence too. This pandemic has been characterised by millions of small (and very large) acts of kindness . It can be the simplest thing, such as coming across painted stones inscribed with the words: We shall overcome. Or a coordinated effort such as Meitheal na mBan, the concert due to air on Wednesday on TG4 YouTube which will bring together some of Irelands top female artists performing from their own homes to raise funds for the victims of domestic violence. In fact, theres something of the spirit of meitheal in the air right now. The old Irish tradition where neighbours gathered to save each others hay is finding modern expression as people genuinely try to work together for the common good. Community: We can actually see what it is to live in a community. For now, the evidence is anecdotal but Id love to see the results of a survey asking Irish people how many neighbours they spoke to for the first time during lockdown? Theres been dancing on the streets, neighbourhood cinema, birthday parties, fund-raisers and all kinds of (socially distanced) celebrations in between. Why stop when lockdown lifts? Creativity: A little bit like altruism and empathy, that fluffy and under-rated thing called creativity is proving that it can make a real difference in peoples lives. Weve seen originality break out in all kinds of places, from the business owners imaginatively reinventing themselves to keep life and limb together to the myriad ways people are trying to home-school children and work or home-school children and not work. Learning to make sourdough bread is the very least of it. People have shown extraordinary imagination in getting through the challenges of each day in these extraordinary times. Deliveries: I had planned to start the day with a green juice, but a box of doughnuts arrived at the door just in time for breakfast. I know, an impossible conundrum. The box of treats had a dual purpose: it was a sweet and thoughtful gift, but also an attempt by the giver to support the doughnut-makers. Many of us have been doing the same and getting all sorts of things farm produce, artisanal treats, books, newspapers home-delivered. Theres a blast of nostalgia about it all; remember the days when you had to rescue the bottled milk from the doorstep before the birds pecked through the foil tops to get the cream. But this new reliance on local suppliers also shows how we can shorten the supply chain and help create a more sustainable world in the process. Health: They said it could never happen but we suddenly have a one-tier health system based on need rather than ability to pay. There is nothing like a landscape-changing calamity to bring about change. Yes, there is the crippling cost of it and the question of how we might fund a national health service when we are facing into a massive economic depression. Its worth remembering, though, that the UKs National Health Service came into being in 1946, just after the devastation of the Second World War. Its time to be bold and pioneering. Home Haircuts: Yes, that is said with a certain degree of irony but amazing things can happen when you take out the good scissors and have a go. For one thing, its great fun. And it shows admirable pluck, not to mention confidence in a partner or household member. It also shows the power of improvisation. You might just be pleasantly surprised by the results too. In this household, everyone is still talking and nobody needs a hat. Reform: True, we are lost somewhere between rose-tinted nostalgia and wishful thinking when it comes to re-imagining the shape of the world, post-Covid-19. But lets dream on because does anybody really want to return to the way things were? Its also true to say that change is not only possible, but necessary. To take one small example, College Green in Dublin will be pedestrianised and car numbers reduced as part of a plan to reopen the city centre as lockdown eases. The challenges are immense. In the months ahead, well have to cope with a pandemic, a climate crisis and an economic downturn. Whats been uplifting about lockdown, though, is a new and more insistent willingness to question, to challenge and to try to re-draw the world. Honesty: How are you? has become a proper question, as a dear friend of mine observed this week. And she is right. People really want to know how you are coping. Its perfectly ok to say that you are not, or that all your survival tricks were used up by 11am. Its been a time of rollercoasting emotions and its ok to say so. Nature: As everything else gets quieter, the natural world has been getting louder. We can now actually see and hear it. A fox on Grafton Street, reports of blue skies replacing smog, clear waters in Venice. I dont believe the line that nature is teaching us a lesson by sending us to our collective rooms, but how wonderful to be talking about birdsong and the joy of planting seeds. Zoom meetings: The virtual workplace is not for everyone, but for me its a godsend. Not only is it possible to curate your own meeting room, no one need ever be respectable from the neck down again. A contract security guard who worked at Maple Leaf Foods plant in Brandon tested positive for COVID-19, but the company says there are currently no workers at the plant with the illness. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/5/2020 (613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Maple Leaf Foods plant is seen at the east end of Brandon. (File) A contract security guard who worked at Maple Leaf Foods plant in Brandon tested positive for COVID-19, but the company says there are currently no workers at the plant with the illness. The contractor last worked at the plant on April 28 and tested positive on May 6, said a statement from Maple Leaf vice-president of communications and public affairs Janet Riley. "We understand from the security company that the worker believes that he was exposed to a COVID-positive acquaintance on April 30, immediately self-quarantined, and received confirmation that he tested positive on May 6," Riley said. Everyone is talking about Manitobas low numbers and talking about how were on the other side of the curve and the weather is beautiful this weekend but I think this shows us how close this could have been to a similar situation to what weve seen in Cargill plants The company the guard worked for learned about it on May 14, Riley said, and informed Maple Leaf. "Given the length of time since the person has been at the plant and the security role the person fills with so little contact with our team members, our physician medical adviser has indicated that is an extremely low-risk situation," the statement reads. Employees on the day shift had been informed by Friday afternoon and afternoon employees were also expected to be informed when they arrived. Reached Friday, Riley said the company has lots of health and safety measures already in place to counter COVID-19. "We clean every day, and then we do deep cleanings. We clean the operating areas where were actually handling animals and producing food but then we also do deep cleanings where were going through all the welfare areas where the employees might interact, like a locker room or a lunchroom," she said. So much cleaning had been done that there wasnt anything more the company could do after it learned someone who worked at the plant had tested positive. The plants work differently than before the pandemic, she said. There are markers for social distancing on the floor and some plants have plastic shields between work stations. Workers also have their temperatures checked before starting work and complete a verbal health screening. They also wear face coverings while on the job. The case at the Brandon plant was a "close call," said UFCW local 832 president Jeff Traeger, who represents workers there. "It speaks to us how important it is to be diligent," he said. There have been large COVID-19 outbreaks in food-processing plants in Alberta, Quebec and the United States. At a Cargill plant in High River, Alta., more than 940 workers were infected, which led to 1,500 cases in the community. "Everyone is talking about Manitobas low numbers and talking about how were on the other side of the curve and the weather is beautiful this weekend but I think this shows us how close this could have been to a similar situation to what weve seen in Cargill plants," Traeger said. The only outstanding health and safety issue the union has at the Brandon plant is the lack of plexiglass shields between workers, he said. Maple Leaf is working on a solution, but the fact that animals are also slaughtered at the plant complicates the issue. "Its a close call, and we need to learn from it; we need to make sure that were absolutely diligent, and when there is a case people need to know a lot quicker than the two weeks it took this time." dmay@brandonsun.com Twitter: @DrewMay_ The US Department of Justice as well as a number of State Attorneys General, are planning to slap Google with an antitrust lawsuit. This is according to a report coming out of The Wall Street Journal on Friday. As expected, shares of Googles parent company, Alphabet dropped pretty sharply after hours when this news broke. The lawsuits will likely be filed this summer The Justice Department is aiming to file at least one case this summer. Meanwhile, some of the State Attorneys General are likely to file their lawsuits in the fall. Which is being led by Texas. Advertisement Google stated that We continue to engage with the ongoing investigations led by the Department of Justice and Attorney General Paxton (of Texas), and we dont have any updates or comments on speculation. Our focus is firmly on providing services that help consumers, support thousands of businesses, and enable increased choice and competition. The Justice Department has been probing Google for a little over a year now. After President Trump asked why the US doesnt fine tech giants like the European Union does. Which fines Google about once a year. As well as Facebook and other companies. These investigations are into Googles ad business Both the Justice Department and State Attorneys General lawsuits are investigating Googles ad business. Advertisement However, since the probe started by Attorney General Paxton, the scope has expanded to search and the Android operating system. While some States might bring a lawsuit against Googles ad business, it is still likely that others could pursue separate cases, for different legal theories. The Justice Department has been solely focused on Googles ad business. And it has been more broadly investigating allegations that it has used the dominance in the search market to squeeze out competitors. Currently, its unclear whether State Attorneys General and the Justice Department will forge together to sue Google, or if they will bring up their own separate cases. Of course, for State Attorneys General, being able to work with the Justice Department would bring a lot more resources to the table. As they are federal enforcers. However, the DOJ and States have not been as close as they should have been. Considering many States were suing T-Mobile to prevent its merger with Sprint. But the Justice Department ultimately let it get approved. Essentially throwing the States to the curb. Advertisement Well have to see later this summer what the charges are against Google. (CNN) While many governments struggled to contain the spread of coronavirus, Taiwan appeared to have it largely under control. In January, the self-ruled, democratic island of 23 million people banned incoming travel from parts of mainland China. Soon after, cruise ships could no longer dock there. By March, domestic face mask production was also increased. As of Saturday, Taiwan has recorded 440 coronavirus cases and seven deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. By comparison, Australia -- with a population of 25 million -- has reported more than 7,000 infections and 98 deaths. Eager to share its experiences in fighting Covid-19, Taiwan is now pushing for a greater voice in global health discussions. The United States, Japan and New Zealand have all voiced support for Taiwan to join next week's World Health Assembly -- an annual meeting of World Health Organization (WHO) members. And this doesn't sit well with Beijing. China regards the island as part of its territory, and has for years blocked it from taking part in many global institutions, while also refusing to have diplomatic relations with countries that maintain official ties with Taiwan. Taiwan, which is not a WHO member, joined the WHA as an observer from 2009 to 2016, when the island was governed by the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang (KMT). But when the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took office in 2016, ties frayed with Beijing -- and Taipei hasn't joined the WHA since. "We are an integral link in the global health network," Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen said Thursday on Twitter. "With more access to the WHO, Taiwan would be able to offer more help in the global fight against #COVID19." The WHO maintains that only member states decide who attends the WHA meeting, and has pushed back on claims that Taiwan is cut out of its coronavirus discussions, pointing to its collaboration with Taiwan's scientists and health officials. But as the virus gives Taiwan a rare opportunity to boost its international profile, Beijing has accused Taipei of pushing for formal independence -- and stepped up military drills around the island. There have even been some fringe calls within China for the country to use the pandemic as an opportunity to invade Taiwan. Democracy vs authoritarianism As the number of new infections dropped in China and surged abroad in recent months, state media touted Beijing's success in defeating the virus while highlighting the failures of other governments to contain its spread -- particularly the US and other Western democracies. Inside China, that sparked claims its authoritarian political system was superior to those of liberal democracies when it came to tackling the pandemic. In a commentary late last month, state broadcaster CCTV hailed China's political system as its "biggest advantage" in overcoming the outbreak. "The firm leadership of the Chinese Communist Party is the most important reason for China to defeat the epidemic," it said. But Taiwan's rapid and transparent response -- with medical officials holding daily briefings -- from the onset of the crisis has been held up as an example of how democracies can also excel in reining in epidemics. Taiwan also avoided the type of strict lockdowns that characterized the response in China and many other countries. Furthermore, the Chinese government has faced criticism for its initial handling of the outbreak. Authorities have been accused of silencing medical workers who tried to sound the alarm on the virus, downplaying the severity of the outbreak and delaying admission of human-to-human transmission in the critical early stages. Beijing has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, although the mayor of Wuhan, the city where the virus was first detected, did concede in an interview with state broadcaster CCTV in late January that the city's warnings were "not sufficient," and his government did not disclose information on the coronavirus "in a timely fashion." As well as via state media, China has tried to defend its image through diplomatic envoys. But the increasingly combative tone adopted by some Chinese diplomats on Twitter and beyond has only further fueled tensions and criticism. 'Taiwan can help' As China moved to help countries by donating personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical supplies, questions have been raised as to the motives behind its so-called "mask diplomacy." In March, the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned about the "geopolitical component" of Beijing soft-power push, saying Europe must be aware of "a struggle for influence through spinning and the 'politics of generosity.'" The Chinese foreign ministry said last month that Beijing had been providing medical supply aid to 127 countries and four international organizations, and sent 13 batches of medical experts to 11 nations. Incidents of faulty Chinese medical supplies, from private vendors, have also created negative publicity. In March, the Netherlands recalled 600,000 "defective" face masks it purchased from a Chinese manufacturer, saying they did not fit and their filters did not work properly. Spain had a similar problem with a batch of "unreliable" testing kits it bought from China, which were found to have a low level of accuracy. China has urged countries not to "politicize" concerns about the quality of medical supplies following the incidents. Meanwhile, Taipei's efforts to help coronavirus-hit countries -- under the slogan "Taiwan can help" -- have been better received. Last month, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry announced the donation of 10 million masks to the US, Europe and its 15 official diplomatic allies -- mostly small states in the Caribbean, the Pacific and Africa -- in a move that generated considerable global exposure. As masks imprinted with the words "Made in Taiwan" arrived in boxes marked with the island's red, blue and white flag, messages of thanks poured in from senior officials in the US and Europe. "During tough times, real friends stick together," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- labeled by Chinese state media as "enemy of humankind" for his relentless criticism of Beijing's response to the pandemic -- tweeted last month, calling the island's "openness and generosity" in the battle against coronavirus a "model for the world." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also publicly thanked Taipei, saying that Europe appreciated the "gesture of solidarity." Improved standing As well as donating medical supplies, Taiwan has sought to develop bilateral partnerships to fight the pandemic -- a move that has drawn the wrath of Beijing. In March, the US and Taiwan issued a joint statement pledging to further strengthen their cooperation in combating Covid-19, including the development of test kits, vaccines, medication and contact tracing technology. China's Taiwan Affairs Office deemed it a "despicable move and political plot to use the Covid-19 pandemic to achieve independence," and accused Taipei of "embarking on a wrongful path of confrontation with the motherland." A similar deal between Taiwan and the Czech Republic in April also prompted a strongly worded protest from Beijing. And in India, The Hindu newspaper reported this week that Taiwan proposed a regular communication channel with New Delhi to "ensure the availability of medical resources." In addition to bilateral cooperation, Taiwan has doubled down on its bid to return to the WHO's annual assembly. On March 27, the US passed a law supporting Taipei's participation in international institutions and its efforts to strengthen ties with other countries, and multiple nations usually wary of being on the wrong side of Beijing, such as Japan, Canada and New Zealand, have publicly spoken out in favor of Taiwan rejoining the WHA. On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian rebuked New Zealand for just that, calling on it to "immediately stop making wrong statements on Taiwan, to avoid damaging our bilateral relationship." Beijing has called Taipei's attempt to rejoin the WHA a "political plot." "In the United States, there are people who blatantly support Taiwan to join the WHO," a spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office said last week. "They are politicizing epidemic prevention issues and sending a seriously wrong signal to the Taiwan independence forces. We resolutely object to that." Rising jingoism The heightened cross-strait tensions have fueled jingoistic calls in China for military action to "reclaim" the island. In recent weeks, Beijing has stepped up military exercises around Taiwan, including twice sailing a battle group led by the country's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, around the island in April. On social media and in the Chinese press, some have called on the People's Liberation Army to take advantage of the pandemic to invade Taiwan, arguing that the timing could not be better, with the US preoccupied with the coronavirus and its military might in the region crimped by an outbreak on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. However, most observers agree that such posturing is unlikely to be matched by any hostile action against Taiwan. Timothy Heath, a senior international researcher at the RAND Corporation, a US think tank, said the weakness of China's economy precludes any such move. The coronavirus outbreak has resulted in the Chinese economy contracting by 6.8% in the first part of this year -- the worst plunge since quarterly records began in 1992. "China needs access to (global) markets once they recover, and so it is in China's interests to maintain good ties with the US and the world," Heath said. "A reckless attack on Taiwan would only exacerbate tensions with Washington and could elevate the risk of economic sanctions and other penalties -- potentially crippling the Chinese economy." He added that while Beijing "cares a great deal about Taiwan," the Chinese government cares "even more about maintaining the economic growth that underpins the (Communist Party's) rule." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Taiwan's success in fighting coronavirus has bolstered its global standing. This has infuriated Beijing." Zaan Khan, who played the lead role in Zee TVs, Hamari Bahu Silk, has come forward to share the plight of his crew members as they face financial difficulties amid COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown. Reportedly, the producers of the show havent cleared the payments for almost the entire tenure of the show. It must be noted that the Chahat Pandey and Reeva Chaudhary starrer went off-air way back in August last year. Hence, Zaan called out the producers for their callousness in a post on social media. He wrote, This is for me, for my co actor's, my fellow technician's, my cameraman, my unit and my make up dada. I have worked with multiple productions in my career like Balaji telefilms, sphere origin, four lions, Fireworks, and many more and never have I had to deal with non payment for the entire show. This is what the harsh reality of our industry is. Producers- @devyanirale, @guptajyoti12, Sudhanshu Tripathi wake up and pay all the technicians actors. BOHOT HO GAYA AB! stop being so inhuman. For the unversed, a source close to the development told Telly Chakkar, While the world is in lockdown and needs money to survive, the cast and crew of Zee TVs Hamari Bahu Silk are almost begging and pleading to the biggies for their payments to be done. They are only asking for their own money, that the producer owes them, can you understand the frustration level? You have given your all to a show and for the service, you are not even paid, especially in this lockdown situation. A few character artists along with make-up personals have given up on the situation. They have been crying. It wont be surprising if they resort to suicide as they are in a situation wherein ending their lives must seem easier than surviving and begging for their own money. Trust me, the situation is gross. ALSO READ: COVID-19: Patiala Babes Producers To Provide Financial Aid To The Crew Till End Of Lockdown Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Spirited campaigns by four candidates two Democrats and two Republicans are underway to represent a chunk of Albuquerques far Northeast Heights in the state House. The area was represented by the late Rep. Larry Larranaga, a Republican, for 24 years, but its now emerging as a swing district, after Democrats narrowly won the seat in 2018. Currently representing District 27 is Democratic Rep. Marian Matthews, a retired lawyer who was appointed following last years death of Democrat Bill Pratt. Matthews is being challenged for the nomination by William Orr, a physician and health care consultant. On the Republican side, voters will choose between two small-business owners Jill Michel, a foster parent and advocate for foster children, and Robert Godshall, a retired federal immigration officer. The winner of each partys nomination will advance to face the other in the Nov. 3 general election. Matthews, who served as a deputy attorney general under Democrat Tom Udall, said she brings a broad background to the job. She has served as criminal prosecutor, taught business law and worked for PB & J Family Services, which works to prevent child abuse. Im very much a problem-solver, Matthews said. Im not hung up on ideology so much as Im hung up on how do we get the best result for a reasonable amount of money thats going to make a difference in peoples lives. Orr, a geriatrician who also has worked as health care administrator, said he would bring a doctors perspective to the House at a time when public health is critically important. He said he is well-prepared to evaluate health care policy and cooperate with others to craft strong legislation. Im a progressive, Orr said, but Im not dogmatic. Youve got to take what you can get and negotiate with people. Matthews had a financial advantage heading into the final weeks of the campaign, according to campaign finance reports filed this month. She had about $25,000 in her account and had raised about $13,000 in recent donations. Orr, in turn, had almost $11,000 in his account and $300 in recent donations. GOP candidates seek positive change The Republican campaign features Michel and Godshall, both of whom say they would bring a needed voice to the Roundhouse. Michel, a foster parent in New Mexico for 11 years, said she was disappointed by the partisanship when she visited the Capitol last year to advocate for the creation of a child-welfare ombudsman, a proposal that failed. If elected, she said, she would bring a sense of compassion to her role as a legislator. I think New Mexico is ready for some positive change up in Santa Fe, Michel said. I think Im a good candidate for that because I havent been a politician. I think thats a strength. Godshall, who is retired from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said his experience in law enforcement would help him address a top issue in the district crime. State and local governments, he said, should cooperate with federal authorities by turning over foreign nationals arrested for a crime. Godshall said he would also promote a business-friendly climate and push to limit government spending. Im not a one-trick pony, he said. I have firm conservative roots. Godshall had about $19,000 in his campaign account, but just $600 in recent donations. Michel reported a balance of about $8,000, but about $6,000 in recent donations, according to reports filed with the state. Farmers often lament that as each generation becomes further removed from the farm, the ability of urbanites to understand and appreciate what it takes to grow food has declined. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/5/2020 (613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Farmers often lament that as each generation becomes further removed from the farm, the ability of urbanites to understand and appreciate what it takes to grow food has declined. Even though agriculture is fundamental to the health, wealth and security of any nation, Canadian producers now make up less than two per cent of the population, so their voice is often relegated to the status of a special-interest group. The pandemic lockdown, however, has made food security top-of-mind for Canadians for the first time since the Second World War, and thats provided farmers and the organizations representing them with an opportunity to engage with the non-farming public. Everything they say and do is suddenly of greater interest. Although farmers and commodity groups have long been engaged in philanthropic gestures such as donating food to local food banks and supporting international humanitarian agencies such as the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, during the COVID-19 crisis it has become the subject of headlines. There are also new initiatives such as the decision by Manitoba dairy farmers to collaborate with Bothwell Cheese to convert surplus milk into cheese products for local food banks. Manitobas general farm policy group Keystone Agricultural Producers has lobbied as hard as any for better support programs for farmers, but it has also launched a "Growing Manitoba Together" campaign to thank workers in the food-processing business. It all feeds into the all-for-one-and-one-for-all theme thats pulsed through efforts to lighten the psychological load created by the pandemic. However, Grain Farmers of Ontario has taken a more strident approach thats proving controversial, even within the farming community. It released a video this week called "Empty Shelves." The ad is part of a larger campaign that frames farmers long-standing grievances with government support programs against the backdrop of making sure Canadians have enough to eat. "The food supply chain is breaking. This isnt happening someplace far away but right here, at home," the narrator says as the video depicts a run-down barn and long lineups outside a grocery store. "Even Donald Trump knows farmers need help Trudeau is standing by as farmers and Canadas food supply collapse. When farmers and the farms are gone, where are we going to get our food from?" the narrator asks as an empty grocery cart rolls across the screen. Some farmers support the messaging. Theyre frustrated because Canadian governments arent matching the $19 billion Donald Trump is paying out to American farmers. Others have reacted with dismay, calling the videos use of scare tactics and misleading imagery cringe-worthy. For example, lineups outside of grocery stores are due to social-distancing provisions that only allow a certain number of shoppers in at the same time, not because there is no food inside for purchase. 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. Most farmers were indeed disappointed by recent federal announcements to support the agriculture and food sectors. They are experiencing varying degrees of hurt and it is likely some farms will be among the business casualties of the pandemic. Seeing farmers in competing export countries receiving higher levels of compensation grates because it gives them unfair advantage. The GFO wants governments to improve the programs already in place to "help farmers if their businesses are in a loss position because of this pandemic." "We are asking the government to fully fund the Risk Management Program, to restore the AgriStability program to 85 per cent with no reference margin limits and restore the AgriInvest program to five per cent." About all the average Canadian would understand about that explanation is that farmers already get a whole bunch of government support. The GFO says a survey of members found the vast majority believe they will see their net income reduced, their sales have been affected, one-third are experiencing cash-flow issues and more than half fear they wont be able to cover their costs of production due to COVID-19. No doubt thats true, but many Canadians could justifiably respond with "join the club." The last thing farmers want is to be perceived as tone-deaf to the widespread hurt this pandemic is causing. Laura Rance is vice-president of content for Glacier FarmMedia. She can be reached at lrance@farmmedia.com A cruise ship passenger says he is suffering post-traumatic stress disorder after he was stripped to his underwear and held prisoner for six days over a false rape claim. Tradesman Daniel Rawlings, 32, is suing cruise liner Royal Caribbean for $400,000 in damages after a threesome in a cabin with two teenage girls ended with wrongful allegations flying. Mr Rawlings, originally from Sydney's northern beaches, travelled on board the Explorer of the Seas to Vanuatu and New Caledonia with his best mate in November 2016. The ten day trip was meant to see the pals sun themselves on tropical islands but the buff young tradesman spent most of the cruise locked up as the company's prisoner, the New South Wales District Court has heard. Daniel Rawlings, seen several years ago with the photographer friend he boarded the cruise with, claims he was wrongfully detained and is now suing Royal Caribbean for $400,000 Mr Rawlings, 32, (left and right) is a successful air conditioning and refrigeration mechanic. He was held prisoner for six days over a false rape claim while on board a cruise ship The tradesman was held in detention for most of his 10 day Explorer of the Seas cruise (above, in Sydney Harbour). He was never charged with any offences Mr Rawlings, a successful air conditioning and refrigeration mechanic, told the court last month he met up with the young woman and her friend for a threesome a few days into the trip. One young women was sick during their liaison and had to clean herself up in the bathroom, and Mr Rawlings has claimed to the court he went to sleep after the pair left. Defence documents tendered to the New South Wales District Court claimed one of the two woman was later found 'naked, intoxicated and disorientated' in another cabin. The girl was taken to the ship's medical centre where company officials classified what had happened as a 'sexual assault rape (sic)', the court documents said. Two security officers were sent to haul Mr Rawlings, then 28, in for questioning, knocking on his door. The guards 'demanded' he come with them and he was taken to a conference room where he was detained for about 10 hours, court documents said. Mr Rawlings said he was then he escorted to another room on level six of the boat where he 'was stripped to his underwear and detained' for five more days, until the ship completed its course and returned to Sydney. He was interviewed by New South Wales police upon their return on November 20, but was never charged with any offence whatsoever. Mr Rawlings is pictured on an evening out with with friends in his hometown haunt of Manly, above In court documents, the cruise liner admitted they held Mr Rawlings for the six day period. But Royal Caribbean argued his detention was 'lawfully' done in line with the company's policies, and the terms of his 'ticket contract'. In defence documents, the company claimed Mr Rawlings was allowed to exit the room for fresh air and given food and access to amenities - but he has told the court he was always accompanied by security. According to the Wentworth Courier, which first reported the story last month, Mr Rawlings told a hearing last month he only had a single pair of shorts in his possession in the opening days of his detention. He had to wash them in the sink. The cruise eventually provided him with a basic outfit from the gift shop, the court was told. The Courier reported that Mr Rawlings told the court he found it distressing to be trapped inside the cabin, while overhearing the screams of an angry woman outside his door who claimed he had raped her daughter. Police boarded the Explorer of the Seas cruise ship when it docked at Circular Quay in November 2016 - but their investigations did not lead to any charges against Rawlings Mr Rawlings was travelling from Sydney to Vanuatu at the time. Above, an island near Port Vila During the hearing last month, Mr Rawlings said he had been having sex with the victim when she fell ill. She retired to a bathroom to clean up before they continued having sex, he said. Mr Rawlings reportedly told the court he had a 'spiritual awakening' following the cruise and is seen above more Mr Rawlings reportedly said he believed the woman was having fun during their encounter 'for all the other parts of the night'. He refuted any suggestion he raped the girl, saying he 'was the victim' of the ordeal. Mr Rawlings is suing the embattled cruise ship company on the basis he was falsely imprisoned and wrongly detained. His statement of claim said he suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and a major depressive illness as a consequence of his ordeal. On Friday, a New South Wales Police Force spokeswoman once again confirmed on Friday that no charges were ever laid against Mr Rawlings. The case returns to court for a hearing in front of Judge John Hatzistergos next month. Hong Kong Probes Exam Body Amid Political Row Over History Question 2020-05-15 -- Authorities in Hong Kong have announced a probe into the setting of examination questions after the ruling Chinese Communist Party's state media slammed a question asking to consider whether Japan made a positive contribution to China in the first half of the 20th century. The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) history examination question had "seriously hurt the feelings and dignity of the Chinese people who suffered greatly during the Japanese invasion of China," state news agency Xinhua quoted Hong Kong education secretary Kevin Yeung as saying. The question asked students: "Do you agree with the statement that during 1900-1945, Japan brought more benefits than harm to China?" Hong Kong's education bureau said on Friday it had assigned a team to carry out how exam questions are vetted and approved, and whether the process had been properly implemented. China's foreign ministry wrote on its Hong Kong office's official Facebook page that "Hong Kong's education sector must not become a chicken coop without a roof," echoing a comment from the city's chief executive Carrie Lam in a recent interview with a pro-Beijing newspaper. In that interview, Lam said she was planning reforms to the liberal education program currently offered in Hong Kong's secondary schools. "Hong Kong's question leads students to be traitors," China's Global Times tabloid newspaper opined on Friday. 'Gravely concerned' The Hong Kong government said in a statement it was "gravely concerned" about the question, and was investigating the approval process for question setting in public examinations. "The [education bureau] will assign a team of colleagues who are familiar with the curriculum and quality assessment to visit the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) to investigate the question setting, vetting, and approval mechanism," it said in a statement on Friday. It said the question would be struck from the exam. "We will request the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) to invalidate the examination question concerned and make appropriate adjustments to ensure the credibility and effectiveness of the history examination," the statement said. "The education bureau will review the existing mechanism and fulfill its role of monitoring the conduct of the HKDSE to ensure the quality of the examination and the examination papers," it said. Hong Kong-based commentator Chui Yin said the exam question hadn't tried to dispute the facts of the Japanese invasion, but had rather tried to encourage critical thinking about those facts. He said it was unnecessary for the ruling Chinese Communist Party, which only came to power in 1949, to feel upset on behalf of its predecessors, the 1911 Republic of China, which now presides over a democratic nation in Taiwan, or the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) that preceded it, both of which were included in the remit of the question. "History has always had positive and negative sides, and even controversial historical figures have merits and demerits," Chui wrote in a commentary broadcast by RFA's Cantonese Service. "To read history is to understand these positive and negative views, and to make objective comments on them." "The only problem here is that the Chinese Communist Party has no respect for history, ignores the facts, and refuses to allow independent thought," Chui wrote. 'Patriotic education' Amid mounting unrest in Hong Kong, Beijing last November unveiled plans for a new program of "patriotic education" in a bid to achieve ideological "unity," including the former colonial territories of Hong Kong and Macau in the plan. In a Nov. 12, 2019 document, the party's Central Committee called for a program of ideological indoctrination that begins in the cradle and specifically focuses on young people. China has been at pains to frame the year-old anti-extradition and pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong as "separatist," saying that protesters want independence for the city, although the majority say they are fighting to prevent the loss of their existing freedoms. Officials in Hong Kong have already begun turning away would-be election candidates who call for Hong Kong to be granted the "high degree of autonomy" promised in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, an international treaty governing the 1997 handover of the city to Chinese rule. China wants "patriotic content" to be integrated into textbooks and teaching materials at all levels of education. Proposals for patriotic education in Hong Kong's schools were shelved in 2012 after thousands of protesters camped outside government headquarters for several weeks, dressed in black and chanting for the withdrawal from the curriculum of what they called "brainwashing" propaganda from the Communist Party. Reported by Wu Hoi-man for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Copyright 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content May not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The complete guide to the three most popular Leaving Cert languages - English, Irish and French - with the most informed advice for the exams in 2009. Our 24-page guide covers every aspect of the courses at Higher and Ordinary levels with special sections on the Orals in Irish and French. Page 1 - Front cover Page 2 - Your guide to Leaving Cert Irish, English and French Page 3 - Irish Higher level Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Irish Oral Examination (Higher/Ordinary) Page 9 Page 10 - Irish ordinary Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 - English Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 - French Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 - Back cover Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: It was a horrific Saturday for migrants on the move in Uttar Pradesh as around 26 of them lost life in road accidents in different parts of the state. While 24 people lost lives in a major accident in Auraiyya, 180 km from state capital Lucknow, a couple, on their way to Bihar, died on Lucknow-Agra Expressway near Unnao when the autorickshaw they were travelling in was hit by a truck. In Auraiyya, 24 migrant labourers were killed and over 35 others injured when a truck carrying them was hit by DCM mini-truck in the wee hours of Saturday. Most of the migrants, hailing from Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, were coming from neighbouring Rajasthan, Delhi and Faridabad. Of the 35 who got injured in the mishap, 15 were shifted to PGI at Saifai in Etawah in a critical condition. According to sources, the incident took place near Mihauli village under Kotwali police circle around 3:30 am. Auraiyya District Magistrate Abhishek Singh said the probe was on to ascertain the cause of the accident. He claimed that the district administration was carrying out the rescue and relief work on war footing. The injured were being rushed to nearby hospitals for immediate medical attention, said the DM. Meanwhile, taking the cognizance of the incident, UP CM Yogi Adityanath directed senior officials to rush to the site of the accident and ensure proper medical help to the injured. The CM announced a financial assurance of Rs 2 lakh to the family of each of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those who got injured in the mishap. Notably, the CM also ordered suspension of the officer-in-charge of the police station concerned for permitting the entry of trucks carrying migrants despite government clear orders that none of them should be allowed to use unauthorised means of transport. The CM also directed the senior officials to issue warnings to Auraiyya district administration officers for their negligence and failure to check movement of migrants in trucks and other private vehicles. Even explanation was sought from the Mathura and Agra SSP and ASP as to why did they provide passage to the container carrying the migrants. According to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi, the CM also directed the Commissioner Sudhir M Bobade and IG Kanpur to visit the site and give the report on the cause of the accident immediately. According to Auraiyya CMO Dr Archana Srivastava, 24 people were brought dead to the district hospital. She said that 35 people were hospitalised and 15, injured critically, were referred to Saifai PGI. However, the local sources claimed that the container in which the labourers were travelling in was stationed at a dhaba (food joint) when the speeding DCM mini-truck hit it at 3:30 am. While the driver of the container was having tea, the labourers were sleeping inside the container. Under the impact of the collision, both the mini truck and the container turned turtle in a nearby gorge. Those who died in Auraiyya mishap included five migrants of UP, two of Bihar, seven of Jharkhand and four of West Bengal. The names and identities of the rest of the deceased were being ascertained by the authorities. The other incident took place when a couple -- Ashok Chaudhury, his wife Chhoti and son Krishna, 6, - was travelling in their auto from Jhajjar in Haryana to their native village in Darbhanga in Bihar. Their auto was hit by a loader when Ashok was filling petrol. Consequently, the couple died on the spot leaving Krishna behind. Thirty-six Thousand Feet Under the Sea New Yorker. UserFriendly: Quite the epic. This Guy Got Hit By Lightning and Became a Concert Pianist Vice (Kevin W). Dont try simulating this at home. How do plants forget? EurekAlert (Dr. Kevin) Damage from climate change will be widespread and sometimes surprising Economist (David L) The Great Lakes are higher than theyve ever been, and were not sure what will happen next Popular Science Artificial Intelligence is helping economists devise a fairer tax system ZMEScience (Dr. Kevin) #COVID-19 17-Year-Old Turned Down $8 Million to Keep His Viral Coronavirus Tracker Ad-Free ScienceAlert (David L) German cafe gives customers pool noodle-hats to ensure they remain physically distant CTV News China? US cuts off semiconductor shipments to Huawei, China vows to retaliate Independent (Kevin W) Huge: The ex US ambassador to China admitted Chinese President Xi Jinping didn't want to militarize the South China Sea and offered a peace agreement, but the Obama admin rejected his olive branch and continued militarizing the region USA is the aggressorhttps://t.co/vgg4my1PEh Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) May 15, 2020 Brexit Brexit talks stall as UK resists EU demands on fair competition Financial Times. I had thought this would be the real sticking point, but the EU has taken a very aggressive opening position on fisheries (posturing or not?) and the two sides are also at odd over Northern Ireland border procedures. Big Brother is Watching You Watch Imperial Collapse Watch Trump Transition live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on May 16, announced three measures for the aviation sector, but none of these - executives point out - may ease the stress the industry is current facing. The measures include opening up the air space, to reduce commute time and save fuel costs. "Right now 60 percent of air space is freely available as air space is restricted for defence purposes. All these years we have been flying to destinations through longer routes. This has to be rationalised as customers end up paying more," the finance minister said. The second measure was to put six more airports for auction on PPP basis. These will bring in downpayment of Rs 2,300 for Airports Authority of India. The Minister added that the development of airports will bring in further Rs 13,000 crore. She didn't provide further details, including on timeline. Thirdly, the Finance Minister reiterated what she had shared while presenting the Union Budget, that the government wants to make India a hub for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of aircraft. 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 measures are unlikely to bring any cheer to the airlines, who had grounded their fleet in March, after the government announced a nation wide lockdown. Most of them, including IndiGo, GoAir and SpiceJet, have been forced to resort to cost cutting measures, such as cutting salary or sending employees on leave without pay. All of them had asked government for a financial aid, especially to pay salaries. "These will not help airlines survive the crisis. What the sector needed to survive was direct cash infusion to pay salaries for the period of Government-ordered grounding," said a senior executive from the industry who didn't want to be named. "We also needed, government-backed credit lines or loans to get back on our feet and sustain losses while demand recovers. Thirdly, a waiver of all statutory dues for six months to allow airlines to rebuild their balance sheet. But what has been announced are business as usual policy reforms," the executive added. On the measure to promote MRO in India, Mark D Martin, Founder & CEO Martin Consulting, said: "To kickstart the MRO business would mean a complete and total exemption of GST on Aircraft MRO services - something I don't think the Government is in a position recommend." He added that a lot of what the Minister mentioned had been said in previous Union Budget s, "so therefore the focus now shifts to implementing recommendations made in the speech on a war footing." As soon as it was announced that social distancing measures were being eased, we acted. Trips down south were booked, dinner parties were planned and shops started reopening. Life was coming back to normal. Working from home: We proved we could do it. Credit:iStock But the government announcements came with an expectation: it was time to return to the office. Despite showing for two-months that working from home is something we can do pretty well, we are being told to return to our peak hour commutes we did in February. Nova Scotia has a long history of using quarantines to protect itself from infectious diseases, but it was a lack of quarantine that inadvertently led to a health disaster and the founding of Halifax. In 1746, France sent a fleet carrying 3,000 men, under the command of Duc D'Anville, to ally with the Mi'kmaq to reclaim the land from the British. But typhus broke out on the ships, killing 1,270 men at sea. The fleet limped into what would become Halifax harbour to meet their Mi'kmaw allies. The Frenchmen weren't quarantined, but left the ships and set up camp on the shores of the Bedford Basin, near today's Bedford Highway. Typhus went with them, killing 1,130 more. The last to die were left unburied on the rocky coast. The Mi'kmaq tried to help their friends, who unknowingly spread typhus into Mi'kmaki via infected lice. Fevers, chills, aching bodies, coughs and vomiting ravaged the land, killing one in three Mi'kmaw people. The epicentre around the harbour was especially badly hit, leaving it a near ghost town in 1749, when the British arrived and founded Halifax. Thousands of settlers came from across Europe and brought infectious diseases with them, often typhus or smallpox. The British established Georges Island as a quarantine zone and many settlers spent their first months living in the small island's shacks. Some died without setting foot on the mainland. Keystone/Getty Images By 1800, Halifax had grown into a proper town, just in time to be hit by a smallpox outbreak that killed 182. Nova Scotia developed Melville Island in the Northwest Arm as a quarantine zone. Ian Cameron is a retired doctor and author of the aptly titled Quarantine: What is Old is New, which tells the history of the next major quarantine station in Halifax. He said global outbreaks of cholera erupted throughout the 1800s. "You get this terrible diarrhea and you lose all your fluids," Cameron said from his home in Sherbrooke, N.S. Story continues Drained, people doubled over as cramps brought intense pain. Finally, their faces froze in a horrid grimace. Cholera could kill a healthy person in hours, though sometimes it took a few days. An 1832 outbreak killed thousands of people in Upper and Lower Canada. Nova Scotia did not quarantine and soon cholera arrived. Sick people were not isolated, but housed at the Poor House in Halifax. Cholera killed 659 Nova Scotians in 1834. Dalhousie University Archives Cholera returned to Halifax in 1866, aboard the S.S. England, on which 40 people had died of cholera. It was quarantined at McNabs Island. Officials thought that would keep the dreaded disease out of Halifax, but a strange case on Inglis Street taught them the grim truth. Charles Tupper, the premier of Nova Scotia and also Halifax's chief medical officer, personally attended to a girl on that street who had fallen ill. At first, it seemed to have nothing to do with the sick ship. She hadn't had any contact with anyone connected to the ship, yet she died of cholera. Tupper learned the girl's mother had found a pretty piece of canvas on the shore and turned it into a petticoat, which the girl wore. The canvas was traced back to the sick ship; it had been thrown overboard and floated to shore, bringing cholera with it. Topley Studio/Library and Archives Canada Dr. John Slayter, the port health officer, oversaw the ship's quarantine. He told Tupper about the horrors he witnessed among the passengers stuck on McNabs Island. "The arrangements here are very bad from want of help more of the people on shore are dying of starvation," he wrote on April 14, 1866. "When food is sent the strong seize it and the sick and the old who have no friends suffer, having no food." That cholera outbreak killed 2,000 people in Halifax, out of a population of 30,000. Slayter, a vibrant man in his 30s, was married and had five children. In late April, he wrote to Tupper that the disease was fading out. But he soon contracted cholera and died within hours. The shock of the disaster and the ad hoc response inspired the city to build a permanent quarantine facility on Lawlor Island. The small, wooded island was near Eastern Passage and, unlike nearby McNabs, it had no residents. It also had no water springs, a problem only later discovered. Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1993-352-1 Crews erected two hospitals, a recovery building and a storage shed. They built roads to connect them, and wharfs to link to the mainland. "None of them were particularly fancy or nice. They were very difficult to heat in the winter," Cameron said. Halifax slowly improved the quarantine island, adding a winterized hospital, better accommodation and a water supply. "By the time it was almost obsolete, they were fully operational," Cameron said dryly. The year 1898 was the busiest on Lawlor Island. From January to July, it dealt with outbreaks of diphtheria, smallpox and measles. The summer of 1898 saw 1,000 people quarantined on the island. Several people died, but most survived. Importantly, the diseases did not spread to Halifax. The quarantine station had protected the citizens. Library and Archives Canada/PA-181559 Cameron said Lawlor Island's finest hour came in January 1899, when Count Sergey Tolstoy, son of the writer Leo Tolstoy, sailed into the harbour aboard the SS Lake Superior. Tolstoy was leading 2,000 Doukhobors to safety, after Tsar Nicholas II drove the radical pacifists out of Russia. Smallpox erupted on the ship and it was quarantined in Halifax harbour. Officials sent the 2,000 refugees to Lawlor, which was only designed to hold 1,400 people on its small frame, which measures 1.6 kilometres by less than half a kilometre. Tolstoy was deeply moved to set foot in the New World, but felt Russian levels of cold and feared the worst. He learned they'd be forced to stay in quarantine for three weeks. But the Doukhobors lived up to their pacifist beliefs and the quarantine worked. Smallpox did not spread to Halifax. In fact, something of a miracle occurred: the population of Lawlor Island grew. "No one died when they were on the island. One lady gave birth, which was a momentous occasion," Cameron said. Tolstoy entered Halifax to pay the debts accrued feeding his people during the quarantine. He funded the rescue mission with royalties from his father's last novel, Resurrection. Getty Images "Halifax, at least in its outward appearance, is nothing out of the ordinary. There are a lot of pot-holes on the streets; the snow is hardly cleared away," he wrote. "People wear knitted caps in the shape of a stocking and fur coats with the fur on the outside." The Doukhobors sailed away in February, singing psalms of praise. Many eventually settled in Saskatchewan. Lawlor Island stood as a bulwark for Nova Scotia, batting away a murderers' row of diseases: scarlet fever, yellow fever, smallpox, cholera, diphtheria, tuberculosis and plague. When outbreaks did reach Halifax, people were treated at the infectious diseases hospital near Africville, or told to self-isolate at home. Lawlor Island was used to try and contain Spanish Flu in 1918, with limited success, and was shut down in 1938. Ryan Androsoff/indiegogo Cameron said medical sleuths slowly learned how to contain many feared infectious diseases. Cholera, for example, was traced to mixing sewage and drinking water in city pipes. New sanitation laws held it in check. "They gradually managed to control most of these quarantinable diseases," he said. Cameron said his research shows a pattern: infectious diseases erupt, prompting governments to fund research and stockpile supplies. But time passes, funding dries up and stockpiles are depleted. And then an infectious disease erupts, starting the cycle over. "You have to be prepared," he said. "If you don't remember history, you're doomed to repeat it." Jan Raska, a researcher at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, said after Lawlor Island closed, Pier 21 took over as the major quarantine station in Halifax. For many baffled travellers, the medical facility was indistinguishable from the nearby detention rooms. "They included strong rooms without door knobs. The windows were barred so no one could escape all under the pretense of public health," he said. "To be put into detention and told they would have to spend a few days or a few weeks in quarantine would have been a jarring experience. They would have been separated from family members." Getty Images Many people arrived knowing little about Canada and speaking neither French nor English. Most were detained because they showed signs of measles or smallpox. But some showed signs of communism. Raska said officials "were interested in making sure that undesirable individuals whether it be for health or political reasons were kept out of Canada." That was especially true during the wave of 200,000 people fleeing Europe for Canada between 1947 and 1952. People, including young children, were locked inside from about 8 p.m. until morning. It was an unsettling first impression of Canada for many. Raska said Pier 21 was a secure facility and most Haligonians paid scant attention to the dramas unfolding inside. He thinks officials kept it quiet, although not secret, to avoid public alarm. It also stayed quiet because it mostly worked, he said, and kept the diseases from spreading. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 (DI2013.1229.1) The 1956 Hungarian uprising, crushed by the Soviets, sent 37,000 refugees fleeing for Canada. Many entered through Pier 21, and a few brought tuberculosis. They were quarantined, treated and allowed out to start their new lives. Raksa said Nova Scotian doctors, immigration officials and volunteers tried to make people comfortable during quarantine. "They were helpful if individuals had to spend days, if not weeks or months, in quarantine at Pier 21. They helped them navigate language, deal with officials and being stuck," he said. Pier 21 closed in 1971, ending Halifax's time of having a formal quarantine facility. After that, the sick were treated in regular hospitals or told to self-isolate at home. MORE TOP STORIES Representative image The nationwide tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases crossed 85,000 on Friday with more people testing positive for the deadly virus infection from Kashmir to Kerala and from Karnataka to Bihar, even as indications emerged about greater relaxations in the fourth phase of the lockdown beginning Monday to contain economic costs of the pandemic. Going by the numbers declared by different states and union territories, India has now surpassed China's official tally of 82,933 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Though some new cases have emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan -- the epicentre of the deadly virus -- less than 100 people are now undergoing treatment across China, which recorded 4,633 deaths due to COVID-19 but more than 78,000 have been discharged after recovery, as per their official data. Globally, more than 3 lakh people have died and nearly 45 lakh have tested positive for the deadly virus since its emergence in Wuhan last December. While China and several other countries have begun reopening their economies, fresh concerns have begun mounting about a possible re-emergence of the virus. India is now the 11th most affected nation in the world, but each one of the top-ten have one lakh or more cases. The US tops the charts with more than 14 lakh cases, followed by Russia, UK, Spain, Italy and Brazil with over 2 lakh cases each; and France, Germany, Turkey and Iran having over 1 lakh cases each. 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 its morning 8 AM update, the Union Health Ministry said the death toll due to COVID-19 across India has risen to 2,649 and the number of cases has climbed to 81,970, registering an increase of 100 deaths and 3,967 cases in the last 24 hours since Thursday morning. There are more than 51,000 active cases, while nearly 28,000 have recovered, giving a recovery rate of over 34 per cent. However, a PTI tally of numbers reported by states and UTs, as of 9 PM, put the total number of confirmed cases across the country much higher at 85,538. This also showed at least 2,679 deaths and nearly 30,000 recoveries. Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar and Karnataka breached the 1,000-mark in terms of the number of people having tested positive, while testing and containment measures were ramped up in places like, Kerala, Goa and Manipur that were being seen as being mostly virus-free till a few days back. Even a quarantine centre had to be sealed in Manipur. On the other hand, large numbers of cases continued to get detected in big urban clusters. Maharashtra, the most-affected state, reported 1,576 new cases to take its tally to 29,100, while its death toll rose to 1,068. Tamil Nadu crossed the 10,000 mark with 434 new cases, while Gujarat saw 340 more people testing positive to push its tally to 9,932. According to the Union Health Ministry, 30 municipal areas account for 79 per cent of India's coronavirus infection caseload. At a meeting of a group of ministers chaired by Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, it was stressed that the focus of COVID-19 management strategy needs to be on the states with the highest number of confirmed cases and fatalities. Also, focus is needed on treatment and case fatality management, for which timely detection and contact tracing were the best way forward. The Finance Ministry in the meantime unveiled the third booster dose, mainly consisting of measures aimed at helping farmers and for reforms in agriculture and allied sectors, of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Rs 20 lakh crore 'special package' for making India self-reliant in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Modi said the third tranche will help the rural economy and boost farmers' income. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, however, said there is nothing new for the welfare of migrant woekers in the Centre's economic package, while NCP chief Sharad Pawar said he was "disappointed" by the announcements made by the Modi government for the agriculture as it appeared more like a "five-year-plan". Left parties said that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's economic package for the agricultural sector would do nothing to help farmers in distress and it was yet another "mega repackaging". India has been under a lockdown since March 25, which was initially scheduled to end on April 14 but has got extended twice -- first till May 3 and then till May 17 with some relaxations. A final decision on the fourth phase is expected soon, but officials said there could be greater relaxations and more flexibility for states and union territories while measures being explored include gradual reopening of the railways and domestic airlines. Schools, colleges, malls and cinema halls may not be allowed to open anywhere in the country, but salons, barber shops and optical shops may be allowed everywhere barring COVID-19 containment areas. E-retailers may be allowed to deliver non-essential items too. Final guidelines will be issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs after going through the suggestions of various state governments. During his last interaction with chief ministers, Modi had asked them to submit their suggestions by May 15. According to officials, Punjab, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Assam and Telangana want the lockdown to continue, while some states have sought powers to decide the zoning of districts -- green, orange and red -- as per the COVID-19 situation. This request of the state governments may be accepted so that they can restrict or allow movement of people or economic activities in a particular place depending on the ground situation, an official told PTI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on Tuesday, had said that the lockdown 4.0 will have a "completely different form", with new rules. Union Home Minister Amit Shah held several meetings with his ministry's officials ahead of the announcement of guidelines for the fourth phase of the lockdown. "No state wants complete withdrawal of lockdown but all want gradual resumption of economic activities," the official said. Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka are among some states which are not in favour of complete resumption of train and air services, at least till May-end. The railways have already started special trains to 15 destinations from Delhi and have been running several hundred 'Shramik Special' trains from different parts of the country to various places for transportation of migrant workers stranded due to the lockdown. Air India is also engaged in evacuation of thousands of Indians stranded abroad during the lockdown under the 'Vande Bharat Mission'. However, there have been cases of people testing positive after reaching their native places using these trains and flights. Officials said local trains, buses and metro services may start running with limited capacity in non-containment areas of red zones. Autos and taxis are also expected to be allowed in all zones with restrictions on the number of passengers, barring areas identified as 'containment zones'. Maharashtra has favoured strict lockdown measures in Mumbai, its suburbs and Pune, and a complete ban on inter-state and inter-district transport. However, Gujarat wants resumption of economic activities in major urban centres. Delhi, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala have also favoured opening up of economic activities. Suggestions made by the Delhi government call for the Delhi Metro services being allowed only for the government staff and for those engaged in essential services for now. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has also recommended keeping barber shops, cinema halls, salons and religious places closed. Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha, which have seen a spike in the COVID-19 cases after arrival of migrant workers, want the lockdown to continue with strict curbs on movement of people. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has urged Modi not to open state boundaries for the next few months, except for migrants or essential services. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the state has written to the Centre urging extension of the lockdown by two more weeks. Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said the Centre may announce many relaxations in the lockdown after May 17. The Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to resume state transport bus service to various destinations from May 18, while the Haryana Roadways has already resumed bus services on select routes within the state. Stephan Francis will spend the next four years in jail for having a loaded AR-15 rifle and f This week received the same question from two VOA fans. Here is the first question. Question: "What is the difference between "pandemic" and "epidemic?" They appear a lot in recent VOA news. Thanks a lot!" - Tina, China. A day later, we got this email: "In recent discussion of the outbreak and spread of coronavirus, we got a little bit confused by two similar words: "pandemic" & "epidemic". Could you please explain their difference and usage? Thank you so much for your kind help in advance." - Chris, China. Answer: Dear Tina and Chris, Thank you for writing to us. That is true, we are seeing and hearing these words very often in the news. When the coronavirus crisis began, it was called an "epidemic" or an "outbreak." After it spread across the whole world, the World Health Organization (WHO) decided to call it a "pandemic" on March 11. Epidemic Here are some examples from news stories about "epidemics:" Italy's coronavirus epidemic began in January. The cholera pandemic began in India, and spread across the globe through trade routes. One summer, refugees leaving a yellow fever epidemic in the Caribbean Islands sailed into Philadelphia. I like to look at the origins of words when I am trying to understand them better so I can explain them to you. I found that both of these words were adjectives in English before we started using them as nouns. That is why they end in -ic, like the word "tragic." The same thing is true of the words "comic" and "academic" they are used as both nouns and adjectives. Here is a sentence where "epidemic" is used as an adjective: The Centers for Disease Control confirmed that the flu has now reached epidemic proportions across the U.S. When we use it as an adjective, "epidemic" is often followed by the word "proportions." Together, this means the size of the group of people affected is very large. These days, you might hear people use "epidemic" to talk about a non-medical problem, such as: There was an epidemic of crime in the city. Health officials warn about the epidemic use of flavored tobacco. Pandemic Merriam Webster Dictionary tells us that our word "pandemic" comes from two Greek word parts: pan- for "all" or "every" and demos for "people." Medical writers use this word to talk about an illness that affects almost everyone in a country or that crosses borders to affect people in many countries. On March 11, 2020, WHOs director-general said, Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. He was reminding people that the word is used only for the most extreme and dangerous situations. Using the two words To use these terms, the main thing you should remember is that a pandemic is much worse than an epidemic. A pandemic is a type of epidemic, but you cannot say that an epidemic is a type of pandemic. And people rarely use "pandemic" to talk about a non-medical problem, as we mentioned earlier with "epidemic." Here are a couple of sentences for you to listen to with "epidemic" or pandemic." Fill in the blank. With fewer people in the streets because of the _________, more wild animals are walking in cities around the world. If you answered "pandemic," you are right because the word describes the worldwide spread of disease which has affected people and animals. Now try completing this news headline: The ______ of Kindness: Free Toilet Paper, Car Washes and More Youre right if you guessed "epidemic," because it is used to describe something that affects a lot of people but is not necessarily a disease. In fact, its something good. Many groups are talking about this epidemic of kindness as they find ways to help each other during this pandemic. Send us your question by email at learningenglish@voanews.com. And that's Ask a Teacher for this week. Im Jill Robbins. Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story outbreak n. a sudden start or increase of fighting or disease Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. Bengaluru, May 16 : A massive hunt is on to capture a leopard, which killed a 75-year-old woman at a village in the wee hours of Saturday on the forest fringe in Karnataka's Tumakuru district, the police said. "A team of forest officials and guards launched a search during the day to spot the leopard in the Turuvekere forest range after it killed a woman at Kothaganahalli village on its fringe and disappeared," sub-inspector N. Suresh told IANS over phone. Turuvekere forest is around 125km northwest of Bengaluru. "The leopard appears to have killed the old woman before dawn and dragged her body behind the hutment 200-metre away. The victim's body and her disfigured head were found separated at the spot," Suresh said. The victim's grandson, who woke up to find the old lady missing, was horrified when he found her bruised body away from their hutment and alerted the police, as the big cat's pug marks indicated that it went into the forest after killing the woman. "The forest team will resume the hunt on Sunday morning to trace the feline after it called off the search in the evening at sunset," added Suresh. The incident occurred two days after a leopard was spotted near the divider of an underpass road near Hyderabad in Telangana on Thursday. NORTHWEST ANGLE 33 FIRST NATION, ONT.Nestled among the thousands of islands in the Lake of the Woods, rotting timber poles bob in the waves, relics from logging operations of the 1940s that once occupied this pristine corner of Ontario. Rusted logging anchors remain drilled in the muskeg near a commemorative plaque that rises from the waterfront like a tombstone. The plaque marks the spot where Treaty 3 was signed between the Crown and the Ojibwe in 1873, as a launch point for the trade and voyageur routes that built Western Canada. The land has since been flooded and the water contaminated. The original location of the treaty signing is now said to be underwater. And nearby are the gravesites where Northwest Angles latest generation of cancer victims are buried. A few decades ago, Northwest Angle 33 First Nations Angle Inlet reserve was home to hundreds, but years of long-term drinking water advisories, poor health care and chronic cancer cases have plagued this community. It is now home to a few dozen people and is on the verge of disappearing. The numbers are stark. Sixty per cent of residents had a first-degree relative with cancer, particularly stomach cancer, according to a never-before-released report by the University of Toronto written in October 2017. The average age of a cancer diagnosis on the reserve was 41. U of T researchers are now trying to reconcile the First Nations water-quality issues, including suspected mercury contamination, with the reserves incidences of illness and death. So far, their findings are consistent with other First Nations in the Lake of the Woods area, indicating a significantly higher rate of colorectal cancer than in First Nations across the province. The consistency in the findings of the NWA33 analysis (although small population size) and the other cancer burden reports mentioned above indicate some concern, especially for colorectal cancer, within this region, the report reads. The project is currently being run by Suzanne Stewart and Michael Anderson from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at U of T. Stewart is also director of the Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health. Of particular concern are the dramatic health disparities between the general Canadian population and remote First Nations. As an Indigenous person, you have two choices to die or assimilate, says Stewart. The reserve is just part of that. There are hundreds of policies in the Indian Act that are to that objective of eradicating Indigenous populations. The research team planned to test lake water this year, but has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and, as often happens with long-term projects, Northwest Angle 33 must hold elections, as mandated by the Indian Act, causing another delay. LEGACY OF LOGGING From cut deadhead logs stuck in the lake to the anchors used to chain the booms drilled into the island rocks, logging operations have left a legacy that is visible throughout the isolated reserve. For many years, residents of Northwest Angle 33 have pointed to the black spruce trees and the mysterious gas that bubbles from their logs. In the early 1980s, scientists in the region discovered that black spruce stimulates the production of methylmercury. In 2000, scientists at the University of Montreal discovered that clear-cutting forests increased mercury contamination in nearby lakes by up to 100 per cent. And as the mercury was released into the water, it moved into the food chain. Today, fishermen from Northwest Angle 33 take photos of bleeding fish. In 2016, the Star reported on internal emails of top environment ministry officials in Ontario who had warned that clear-cut logging releases mercury into the environment. The emails were in reference to a plan for more clear-cut logging near Grassy Narrows. The scientists warned that no one was tracking the downstream implications. The mercury contamination and illness and early deaths at Grassy Narrows and White Dog First Nations have prompted other Northern First Nations to seek answers about the pulp and paper industry and contamination of soil and water. At Northwest Angle 33, residents have asked the government to investigate but that hasnt happened, and there remains no proven link between the reserves water advisories and its cancer rates. Leaders from the community say they have been asking for an investigation since 2010, a year before they were put on a long-term drinking water advisory. A Health Canada cancer study began in 2015, but stalled and no environmental tests were conducted. Seven other First Nations in the region, including Grassy Narrows and White Dog, wanted to be included in the study, but there was not enough funding. Northwest Angle 33 was commissioned by the First Nations Environmental Contaminants Program to study the cause of cancer in its community, according to information acquired through the Access to Information Act. Northwest Angle 33 is working with researchers to build a framework for healing people on their Angle Inlet reserve. It has yet to be determined what this will look like. I cannot express enough the need for healing for them and their families, says Norma Girard, a band councillor for Northwest Angle 33 First Nation who has lost two generations of her family to cancer. The sustenance of our water. Its so important we find the source of contamination, put it to rest by way of bringing those people peace. WATER CONTAMINATION In Northwest Angle 33, where water is seen as a sacred resource, more than 70 per cent of residents did not consider their main water supply safe for drinking, according to community surveys in the 2017 University of Toronto report, which was co-authored by Cancer Care Ontario. Environment Canada has found several contaminants in Lake of the Woods, including mercury, according to the agencys monitoring reports. And more than a decade ago, potentially toxic blue-green algae blooms and declining quality of the lake water caused Environment Canada to assess parts of the region. Two boil water advisories have been in place since 2011. In 2016, Health Canada found that water from the reserves west-end pumphouse plant contained a lethal chemical cocktail including radium, uranium, and lead which formed radionuclides that are linked as a cause for various kinds of cancer. A do-not-consume advisory, the most serious level, was issued. The First Nations council declared a state of emergency. Three years before this advisory, Lili Sioui, Angle Inlets only water operator since 2010, found exceedances in particle activity that create radionuclides. No one would listen, says Sioui. But then along came (Justin) Trudeau and more promises. We became an overnight emergency because of timing and political agendas. Today, half the community relies on untreated surface water from the lake. The reserve has several pumphouse plants to supply water to the community, but they have been continuously defective. Samples taken at both Angle Inlet pumphouse plants have exceeded health limits for chemical and bacteria elements such as turbidity, colour, dissolved organic carbon, total dissolved solids, manganese, sodium, chlorine, heterotrophic plate count, total coliforms and E.coli. Both are now closed. The Angle Inlet reserve has received substandard repairs to their water and wastewater systems for so long that bandage repairs only compound the problems and the costs. Water inspectors reports to Indigenous Services Canada have noted high levels of trihalomethanes (THM) chemical compounds believed to be carcinogenic in the eastern pumphouse plant on the Angle Inlet reserve. The same inspectors labelled the water source as high risk. Northwest Angle 33 has another reserve near Sioux Narrows called Dog Paw where exceedances in THMs have been found, according to the 2017 U of T cancer report. THMs were again found at Dog Paw in 2018. The water operator indicated there were more THM exceedances in 2019. In Northwest Angle 33, the journey to clean water has been multi-generational. In 1975, three Northwest Angle chiefs approached numerous federal government departments, including what was then known as the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, imploring the government for new water and sewage systems. To those living in the communities served by sewer and water systems, the chiefs wrote, this may seem like a routine request. To our people, it is not. It is more than a question of convenience. It is a question of the health, well-being and even the survival of our people. The present water sources are such that we must boil water. One of the chiefs who made the request, Ronald Sandy, has since died of cancer. The disease spread throughout his family, afflicting his brothers and nephews. We only know that we must continue to use outhouses and carry water through the long winter and we must continue to risk our health and the health of our families every day that proper sewer and water treatment are not available to our people, Sandy wrote with the other chiefs. We want you to think of this in terms of the human problems involved. We want the importance of our lives and health to outweigh budget considerations. In the document, the chiefs protested regulations created by the Indian Act that led to the depletion of their natural resources, such as wild rice, forests and fish. They also made a request to the Human Rights Commission for assistance to determine the best way of investigating whether their people were being discriminated against. Today, experts believe that one of the most damaging functions of the Indian Act has been the governance system. The belief is that Indigenous self-government is a key step in getting out from under the Indian Act, but many First Nations are not in a position to do this. Under the Indian Act, these same First Nations must hold elections every two years. For a reserve lacking human resources, the constant shuffling of chiefs, councils, and mandates combined with the wait for funding and project approvals has created an inertia in which the people of Northwest Angle 33 find themselves. By the time a project is approved, they must enter another election. And now COVID-19 protocols have halted outside access to the reserve. It has now been 10 years since the First Nation says it first asked Health Canada for an investigation into the cause of the cancer affecting its band members. Norma Girard completes her band duties from Keewatin, a suburb of Kenora, where her mother took her as a child to keep her out of the residential schools. Girard, and many others, have watched the reserve community dwindle. Its a flawed system, she says, in reference to the Indian Act. Its not designed for the purpose of helping First Nations communities at all. Finding the answer for cancer has become a key step in rebuilding their historic community. But still the Indian Act stands in their way of seeing the project through. We were forgotten, says Girard. We want to know whats going on in our environment. This story is part of a year-long investigation into tainted water across Canada involving journalism students at Ryerson University and reporters and editors at the Toronto Star. The research was conducted with assistance from the Institute for Investigative Journalism. Mekedatu padayatra: After Karnataka HC chides Cong, Siddaramaiah says permission not taken for protest 'Bizarre': Congress on Nirmala Sitharaman's space announcements India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, May 16: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday criticised the tranche of Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus measures announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, calling it a "bizarre" amid a nationwide migrant crisis. In a series of tweet, the congress leader wrote, "When migrants can't reach home safely, Finance Minister is talking of opening up planetary exploration and outer space travel to private sector. BIZARRE!." "One company stands to gain the most from today's package. This is A-nirbhar Bharat," he added. "Tomorrow is the final press conference of FM. Hope at least in that she will tell us how much funds will be given to states in the next 6 months to deal with the economic & social crisis arising from COVID19. States are being denied their legitimate dues & this is hurting India," he said. Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy called the economic package announcement irrelevant in a democracy. Discoms in UTs to be privatised: FM Nirmala Sitharaman Narayanasamy said the opening up ofcoal sector and proposed changes in eight sectors, including defence production, airspace, airports and power distribution in Union Territories, were not relevant in a democracy. He said there was no clear indication of how the benefits envisaged in the tranches would reach the targeted sections. "There are several uncertainties and complications in the Finance Minister's announcements," he said. The government on Saturday said it will relax foreign direct investment norms in defence manufacturing by allowing 74 per cent FDI under the automatic route with a view to attracting overseas players in the sector. As per the current FDI policy, 100 per cent overseas investments are permitted in the defence industry -- 49 per cent under the automatic route, while beyond that government approval is required. "Future projects for planetary exploration and outer space travel will be open for private sector," she said, adding, "India already has the benefit of an extraordinary institution like ISRO, but now lots of private players are also coming in with innovative space technology. The centre has been facing opposition flack over the migrants, who have been stranded for weeks without jobs and money because of the coronavirus lockdown. Twenty-four migrants were killed and more than 30 were injured when the trucks they were travelling in collided at around 3 am in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya district. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, May 16, 2020, 21:16 [IST] NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday banned movement across the country's borders with Tanzania and Somalia to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. He exempted cargo trucks but said drivers would have to be tested for COVID-19. "There will be a cessation of movement of persons and any passenger-ferrying automobiles and vehicles into and out of the territory of Kenya through the Kenya-Tanzania international border," Kenyatta said in a televised address. The same measures would apply on the border with Somalia, he said. Kenyatta also extended by 21 days an existing dusk-to-dawn curfew and a ban on movement in and out of areas of Kenya worst hit by the coronavirus outbreak. "I know there is growing global pressure for easing of measures against this disease and for all of us to get back to normal," he said. "We are going to step up our defence by employing stricter, more localised prevention actions." Kenya first imposed restrictions of movement in and out of the capital Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale on the Indian Ocean coast and Mandera in the northeast in April. The east African nation has also imposed bans on public gatherings, large funerals and shuttered schools. Kenya has 830 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, with 50 deaths. Kenyatta said authorities had so far prevented 78 truck drivers from neighbouring countries, including Tanzania and Somalia from entering Kenya after they tested positive for COVID-19. (Reporting by George Obulutsa; Writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Ros Russell) Federal tourism secretary says Mexico will initially focus on revitalizing domestic tourism Cancun, Q.R. The Federal Secretary of Tourism says it will be next Thursday when they announce the recovery strategy in the gradual reopening of Mexicos tourism industry, adding that initially, they will focus on domestic tourism. Miguel Torruco, tourism adviser to Presidente Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, says it will be through an aggressive promotion campaign that will focus on the domestic tourist market. For Quintana Roo, this segment represents only 35 percent of the tourism it receives, however, for other states, it has greater relevance. He says that during that marketing campaign, emphasis will be placed on traveling first to national destinations stressing that short road trips will be those most in demand after the health contingency. He explained that most travelers will do so by land, mainly in private vehicles, to avoid traveling by bus or plane. Miguel Torruco says they will initially focus on nationals to reactive the countrys tourism industry Torruco explained that although the state of Quintana Roo has a higher percentage of international tourists, domestic tourism throughout the country represents 85 percent of hotel occupation rates during the high holiday seasons and long weekends. He mentioned that they estimate there are 102 million Mexicans who will make short trips to 134 tourist destinations around the country. He added that Quintana Roo also receives a lot of regional tourism, mainly from the states of Yucatan and Campeche. The upcoming promotional campaign will be announced next week, along with the program of health protocols to be followed in tourist destinations around the country in a bid for economic reactivation. The announcement of the initial focus to be placed on domestic tourism comes as positive coronavirus cases continue to soar across the United States, which to date, is reported at just under 1.5 million people and over 88,500 deaths. In 2019, more than 32 million Americans traveled to Mexico with approximately 7 million landing in the state of Quintana Roo to vacation in places such as Cancun and Riviera Maya. A 28-year-old Pakistani doctor on H-1B visa has been indicted by a federal grand jury on pledging allegiance to the Islamic State terror group and expressing his desire to carry out "lone wolf" terror attacks in the US. According to the indictment, Muhammad Masood, a licensed medical doctor from Pakistan, was formerly employed as a research coordinator at a reputed medical clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The indictment against Masood was announced on Friday by US Attorney Erica MacDonald. Masood was initially charged by criminal complaint and has been in custody since his March 19 arrest at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Between January and March this year, he made several statements to others, including pledging his allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) and its leader, and expressing his desire to travel to Syria to fight for ISIS. Masood also expressed his desire to conduct "lone wolf" terrorist attacks in the United States, the court papers said. On February 21 this year, Masood purchased a plane ticket from Chicago to Amman, Jordan, and from there planned to travel to Syria. On March 16 this year, Masood's travel plans changed because Jordan closed its borders to incoming travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. He made a new plan to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet up with an individual who he believed would assist him with travel via cargo ship to deliver him to ISIS territory. On March 19, Masood travelled from Rochester to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to board a flight bound for Los Angeles, California. Upon arrival at the MSP, Masood checked in for his flight and was subsequently arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Joint Terrorism Task Force. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. Masood is in custody at the Sherburne County Jail, Fox reported on Friday. According to the allegations in the complaint, Masood, a licensed medical doctor in Pakistan, was working in a medical clinic in Rochester under an H-1B visa. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In taking on this responsibility, I hope you are bold. I hope you have a vision that isnt clouded by cynicism or fear. As young African Americans, youve been exposed, earlier than some, to the world as it is. But as young H.B.C.U. grads, your education has also shown you the world as it ought to be. Many of you could have attended any school in this country. But you chose an H.B.CU. specifically because it would help you sow seeds of change. You chose to follow in the fearless footsteps of people who shook the system to its core civil rights icons like Thurgood Marshall and Dr. King, storytellers like Toni Morrison and Spike Lee. You chose to study medicine at Meharry, and engineering at NC A&T, because you want to lead and serve. And Im here to tell you, you made a great choice. Whether you realize it or not, youve got more road maps, more role models, more resources than the civil rights generation did. Youve got more tools, technology, and talents than my generation did. No generation has been better positioned to be warriors for justice and remake the world. Now, Im not going to tell you what to do with all that power thats in your hands. Many of you are already using it so well to create change. But let me offer three pieces of advice as you continue on your journey. First, make sure you ground yourself in actual communities with real people working whenever you can at the grass-roots level. The fight for equality and justice begins with awareness, empathy, passion, even righteous anger. Dont just activate yourself online. Change requires strategy, action, organizing, marching, and voting in the real world like never before. No one is better positioned than this class of graduates to take that activism to the next level. And from tackling health disparities to fighting for criminal justice and voting rights, so many of you are already doing this. Keep on going. Second, you cant do it alone. Meaningful change requires allies in common cause. As African Americans, we are particularly attuned to injustice, inequality, and struggle. But that also should make us more alive to the experiences of others whove been left out and discriminated against. So rather than say, Whats in it for me? or Whats in it for my community? And to heck with everyone else, stand up for and join up with everyone whos struggling whether immigrants, refugees, the rural poor, the L.G.B.T. community, low-income workers of every background, women who so often are subject to their own discrimination and burdens and not getting equal pay for equal work; look out for folks whether they are white or black or Asian or Latino or Native American. As Fannie Lou Hamer once said, nobodys free until everybodys free. Ham radio antennas proposed at East Vancouver home A radio amateur in East Vancouver has applied for a permit to enhance a property with three ham radio antennas The radio amateur has submitted the application under the name of Little Hippo Enterprises. The Straight.com site says: According to City Hall, the project will increase the height of the house at 439 East 54th Avenue by about 18 feet. In a letter to the city, Little Hippo Enteprises wrote that amateur radio, which is commonly called ham radio, is useful during emergencies. According to the applicant, amateur radio does not rely on the Internet and phone service. If electricity goes down, Little Hippo Enterprises wrote that it can shift over the main power to batteries or generator. As of 1991 in Hong Kong, I have been a licensed Ham Radio operator, I brought this passion with me to Canada in 2000, the applicant wrote. Little Hippo Enterprises explained that antenna length is critical for any given frequency and it can be quite long. I truly believe that amateur radio will have a lasting role in technical and cultural education for enthusiasts, as well as general public safety where means of alternative communication is needed, the applicant stated. Read the full story at https://www.straight.com/news/alterations-proposed-at-east-vancouver-home-for-installation-of-amateur-radio-antennaes Hyderabad, May 16 : In a bitter attack on the Centre, the Telangana government on Saturday said that it is pulling a joke on the poor and distressed people of the country through daily announcements as part of its Covid-19 package. Telangana State Planning Board Vice-Chairman B. Vinod Kumar condemned what he called the callous attitude of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for giving false hopes to the distressed people of India through "phony announcements" every day without giving any substantial direct benefits and relief to them. Reacting to day four announcements of relief measures by Sitharaman under the Rs 20 lakh crore package announced by the Prime Minister, he said the Centre was mistaking reform measures as relief measures. He said once again there was no announcement of any financial support to the states facing a huge financial crisis due to revenue loss on account of the lockdown. "As long as these announcements do not contain some direct financial support to the states, they are just publicity gimmicks to divert attention from serious issues," he said in a statement. Referring to the announcements made about the structural reforms in sectors like coal, mineral exploration, defence production, civil aviation, power distribution companies in union territories, space and atomic energy, Vinod Kumar wondered how they are related to Covid-19 relief. Stating that structural reforms in any sector are always required and it is an ongoing process, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader said that the moot point is how these reforms pertain to relief measures at the individual and institutional levels. "One is forced to wonder that the government of India is mistaking reforms measures as relief measures. If it is so, the government of India's announcements on relief measures are misleading and mischievous. It is not an exaggeration to state that the government of India is pulling a joke on the poor and distressed population of the country through these daily announcements," he said. The question has been asked since the planet shut down. When will we travel again? Crystal ball-gazing clearly comes with massive Covid-19 caveats, but the past week or two have seen a shift in the conversation. We now have a roadmap, some key dates (including July 20, when Irish hotels could start to reopen), the EU says areas with similar rates of infections and strong health care systems could begin lifting border measures between each other, and we have other countries, several weeks ahead of us on the "new normal" timeline, to learn from. Greece, for example, has reported fewer than 3,000 cases. All going well, it plans to begin opening hotels, resorts and restaurants from June 1, with overseas tourism possible in late summer. The Canary Islands, with a similarly low case load (La Gomera, El Hierro and La Grasciosa are "Covid-free", it says), could welcome overseas visitors by October. Read More Both rely heavily on tourism, so are highly motivated to prioritise its safe recovery. Other countries talk of 'Covid corridors'. Australia and New Zealand have discussed a Trans-Tasman "travel bubble", as have Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania within the EU. Ryanair has plans to resume up to 1,000 flights a day from July. Further afield, Shangai Disneyland reopened this week with timed entry slots and social distancing in queues. It's fascinating and frightening to watch this develop. We're clearly walking on eggshells. Fresh clusters in South Korea and Singapore show the threat of second outbreaks. The new normal will require rigorous hygiene, social distancing and masks on transport, in shops, galleries and museums. How will major new systems like airport health checks be coordinated and paid for? Fundamentally, when we can travel again relies on two things - when will Ireland unlock, allowing us to leave, and when will overseas destinations open, making it possible for us to enter and holiday. But travellers will also need reassurance - a tricky balance to strike. This week there was a telling kerfuffle after the UK announced that air travellers may have to quarantine for 14 days on arrival (with the exception of Ireland and France). Embattled airlines protested a measure they said could slow and complicate any travel recovery. Who will bother to travel if they must isolate for 14 days on arrival, and also when they return home? Clearly, this is not the end. Nor is it the beginning of the end. Late summer holidays are looking increasingly unlikely, once-in-a-generation challenges have to be solved before we can pack our cases again. But perhaps, as the man said, this is the end of the beginning. Conversations have shifted from lockdown to the great unlocking. And there's some relief, and energy, to draw from that. Sign up for our free travel newsletter! Like what you're reading? Subscribe to 'Travel Insider', our free travel newsletter written by award-winning Travel Editor, Pol O Conghaile. The following editorial appeared in Saturday's Japan News-Yomiuri: - - - Moves to advance the schedules for resuming school have appeared as the declared state of emergency was lifted for 39 prefectures. It is hoped that efforts will be made to recover from curriculum delays caused by school closures due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus while taking measures for preventing further infections. In Aichi and Fukuoka prefectures, for which the state of emergency was lifted although they had previously been part of a group of prefectures designated as on special alert, schools will reopen within this month, a change from previous plans to keep them closed through the end of the month. Schools in Ibaraki Prefecture will increase the number of days that children come to school next week, while setting separate days for them to do so. From here on, moves for resuming school are expected to spread to other places. In these efforts, it is important to avoid creating crowded situations as much as possible. It is desirable to make efforts such as reducing class size by splitting children into multiple classrooms, keeping a wider distance between their seats, and keeping their desks separate during school lunches. It is essential that children have their temperature taken every morning at home and that parents and schools watch the condition of children with existing medical concerns. In April, a case was reported in which several elementary schoolchildren and their class teacher were infected with the virus. Precautions against the virus should not be relaxed. A significant impact has been made on children who have gone without studying in a classroom for more than a month since the start of the new school year. The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry plans to allow two or three years to make up for delays in school curriculum for children other than those in their last year of elementary or junior high school. Sixth-grade elementary school students and third-year junior high school students, who need academic or career counseling, will be given preferential status allowing them to come to school separately from other students so as to catch up from the delay in a year. It is hoped that educators will draw up effective teaching schedules by creating sufficient class hours through such measures as shortening summer holidays and utilizing Saturdays. One source of concern is that children will have different depths of learning since they have studied mainly at home during school closures, likely causing diverse approaches to their studies. Schools will be required to offer them more detailed guidance than ever while determining each child's situation. With the help of retired teachers and others, schools need to support children's study through providing sufficient supplementary lessons and classes based on the levels of their actual learning. The government is considering the feasibility of shifting the start of the school year to September, extending the term of the current academic year to around next summer to secure time for them to study. While September admissions would have the advantage of making scheduling easier for students who wish to study in foreign countries, they would also have scheduling disadvantages in regard to finding jobs or taking qualification tests. It is indispensable to examine the challenges that must be solved. In the event that infections spread nationwide again, it is possible that many schools will be forced to close once more. Each board of education should prepare for such a situation while moving forward with creating an environment for conducting lessons online. Celebrity facialist Melanie Grant has hinted that Lara Worthington (nee Bingle), has given birth to her third child with husband Sam. In an Instagram post on Saturday, the beautician gifted the 'new mother' with a decadent hand cream while on lockdown at her $13.8million Los Angeles mansion. Lara, 32, who is already a proud mother to sons Rocket, five, and Racer, three, confirmed she was expecting another boy 'early next year' in November 2019. Has Lara Bingle had her baby? Facialist to the stars Melanie Grant gifted the 'new mother' with a $77 hand cream, while the model is on lockdown at her $13.8m Los Angeles mansion. Lara is pictured with husband Sam Worthington Melanie shared a photo of three hands, alongside the caption: 'My hands Protect, Care and Treat. Show me what your hands can do! 'I'm gifting these new mamas, Nicole Warne, Nicole Trunfio and Lara Worthington The Hand Treatment, until I can see them in real life.' Melanie treated the models and fashion identities to a decadent USD $50 (AUD $77) Augustinus Bader hand cream. Baby news to share? On Saturday, Melanie shared a photo of three hands, alongside the caption: 'I'm gifting these new mamas, Nicole Warne, Nicole Trunfio and Lara Worthington The Hand Treatment, until I can see them in real life' Daily Mail Australia has reached out for comment. Lara confirmed her third pregnancy after months of speculation, while attending the Louis Vuitton Sydney store reopening in November last year. The beauty entrepreneur told Vogue Australia: 'Yes, I'm pregnant! I'm having a boy, early next year. It's my third boy, and we're all very excited and very happy. 'Yes, I'm pregnant!' Lara, 32, confirmed her third pregnancy after months of speculation in November last year. Pictured with Sam in November, 2018 Growing family: Lara and Sam are also proud parents to sons Rocket, five, and Racer, three. Pictured on November, 2019 'I think any addition brings joy and happiness to the family, but more so when you can share it with the other boys. It's such a boy's club in my house!' Lara, Sam, 43, and their family, are in lockdown at their $13.8million Los Angeles mansion amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Hollywood couple listed the five-bedroom home for sale in February, and are hoping to make a tidy profit. They purchased the 584 square metre property in 2018 for almost half its asking price of $20.9million. Smartphone 3D Camera market worldwide is projected to grow by US$30. 1 Billion, driven by a compounded growth of 42. 7%. Time-of-Flight (TOF), one of the segments analyzed and sized in this study, displays the potential to grow at over 46. New York, May 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Smartphone 3D Camera Industry" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p04951657/?utm_source=GNW 2%. The shifting dynamics supporting this growth makes it critical for businesses in this space to keep abreast of the changing pulse of the market. Poised to reach over US$17.7 Billion by the year 2025, Time-of-Flight (TOF) will bring in healthy gains adding significant momentum to global growth. - Representing the developed world, the United States will maintain a 39.9% growth momentum. Within Europe, which continues to remain an important element in the world economy, Germany will add over US$1.3 Billion to the regions size and clout in the next 5 to 6 years. Over US$1.1 Billion worth of projected demand in the region will come from Rest of Europe markets. In Japan, Time-of-Flight (TOF) will reach a market size of US$739 Million by the close of the analysis period. As the worlds second largest economy and the new game changer in global markets, China exhibits the potential to grow at 49.4% over the next couple of years and add approximately US$7.1 Billion in terms of addressable opportunity for the picking by aspiring businesses and their astute leaders. Presented in visually rich graphics are these and many more need-to-know quantitative data important in ensuring quality of strategy decisions, be it entry into new markets or allocation of resources within a portfolio. Several macroeconomic factors and internal market forces will shape growth and development of demand patterns in emerging countries in Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East. All research viewpoints presented are based on validated engagements from influencers in the market, whose opinions supersede all other research methodologies. - Competitors identified in this market include among others, Infineon Technologies AG; Leica Camera AG; Mantis Vision Ltd.; Panasonic India Pvt., Ltd.; pmdtechnologies AG; Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Sharp Corporation; Sony Corporation Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04951657/?utm_source=GNW I. METHODOLOGY II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. MARKET OVERVIEW Global Competitor Market Shares Smartphone 3D Camera Competitor Market Share Scenario Worldwide (in %): 2019 & 2028 2. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS 3. MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS 4. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE Table 1: Smartphone 3D Camera Global Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018-2025 Table 2: Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Shift across Key Geographies Worldwide: 2019 VS 2025 Table 3: Time-of-Flight (TOF) (Technology) World Market by Region/Country in US$ Million: 2018 to 2025 Table 4: Time-of-Flight (TOF) (Technology) Market Share Breakdown of Worldwide Sales by Region/Country: 2019 VS 2025 Table 5: Stereoscopic Camera (Technology) Potential Growth Markets Worldwide in US$ Million: 2018 to 2025 Table 6: Stereoscopic Camera (Technology) Market Sales Breakdown by Region/Country in Percentage: 2019 VS 2025 Table 7: Front Camera (Positioning) Geographic Market Spread Worldwide in US$ Million: 2018 to 2025 Table 8: Front Camera (Positioning) Market Share Distribution in Percentage by Region/Country: 2019 VS 2025 Table 9: Rear Camera (Positioning) World Market Estimates and Forecasts by Region/Country in US$ Million: 2018 to 2025 Table 10: Rear Camera (Positioning) Market Share Breakdown by Region/Country: 2019 VS 2025 Table 11: Below 8MP (Resolution) World Market by Region/Country in US$ Million: 2018 to 2025 Table 12: Below 8MP (Resolution) Market Share Distribution in Percentage by Region/Country: 2019 VS 2025 Table 13: 8-16MP (Resolution) World Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018 to 2025 Table 14: 8-16MP (Resolution) Market Percentage Share Distribution by Region/Country: 2019 VS 2025 Table 15: Above 16MP (Resolution) Market Opportunity Analysis Worldwide in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018 to 2025 Table 16: Above 16MP (Resolution) Market Share Distribution in Percentage by Region/Country: 2019 VS 2025 III. MARKET ANALYSIS GEOGRAPHIC MARKET ANALYSIS UNITED STATES Market Facts & Figures US Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share (in %) by Company: 2019 & 2025 Table 17: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in US$ Million in the United States by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 18: United States Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 19: United States Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Positioning: 2018 to 2025 Table 20: United States Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 21: United States Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Resolution: 2018 to 2025 Table 22: United States Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 CANADA Table 23: Smartphone 3D Camera Market Analysis in Canada in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 24: Canadian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 25: Canadian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Positioning: 2018 to 2025 Table 26: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Canada: Percentage Share Breakdown of Sales by Positioning for 2019 and 2025 Table 27: Canadian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Resolution: 2018 to 2025 Table 28: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Canada: Percentage Share Breakdown of Sales by Resolution for 2019 and 2025 JAPAN Table 29: Japanese Medium & Long-Term Outlook for Smartphone 3D Camera Market in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 30: Japanese Smartphone 3D Camera Market Percentage Share Distribution by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 31: Japanese Market for Smartphone 3D Camera: Annual Sales Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Positioning for the Period 2018-2025 Table 32: Japanese Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Analysis by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 33: Japanese Market for Smartphone 3D Camera: Annual Sales Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Resolution for the Period 2018-2025 Table 34: Japanese Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Analysis by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 CHINA Table 35: Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in China in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 36: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in China: Percentage Share Analysis by Technology for 2019 and 2025 Table 37: Chinese Smartphone 3D Camera Market Growth Prospects in US$ Million by Positioning for the Period 2018-2025 Table 38: Chinese Smartphone 3D Camera Market by Positioning: Percentage Breakdown of Sales for 2019 and 2025 Table 39: Chinese Smartphone 3D Camera Market Growth Prospects in US$ Million by Resolution for the Period 2018-2025 Table 40: Chinese Smartphone 3D Camera Market by Resolution: Percentage Breakdown of Sales for 2019 and 2025 EUROPE Market Facts & Figures European Smartphone 3D Camera Market: Competitor Market Share Scenario (in %) for 2019 & 2025 Table 41: European Smartphone 3D Camera Market Demand Scenario in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018-2025 Table 42: European Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Shift by Region/Country: 2019 VS 2025 Table 43: European Smartphone 3D Camera Market Assessment in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 44: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Europe: Percentage Breakdown of Sales by Technology for 2019 and 2025 Table 45: European Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Positioning: 2018-2025 Table 46: European Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 47: European Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Resolution: 2018-2025 Table 48: European Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 FRANCE Table 49: French Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 50: French Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 51: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in France by Positioning: Estimates and Projections in US$ Million for the Period 2018-2025 Table 52: French Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Analysis by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 53: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in France by Resolution: Estimates and Projections in US$ Million for the Period 2018-2025 Table 54: French Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Analysis by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 GERMANY Table 55: German Smartphone 3D Camera Latent Demand Forecasts in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 56: German Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 57: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Germany: Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Positioning for the Period 2018-2025 Table 58: German Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 59: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Germany: Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Resolution for the Period 2018-2025 Table 60: German Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 ITALY Table 61: Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in Italy in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 62: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Italy: Percentage Share Analysis by Technology for 2019 and 2025 Table 63: Italian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Growth Prospects in US$ Million by Positioning for the Period 2018-2025 Table 64: Italian Smartphone 3D Camera Market by Positioning: Percentage Breakdown of Sales for 2019 and 2025 Table 65: Italian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Growth Prospects in US$ Million by Resolution for the Period 2018-2025 Table 66: Italian Smartphone 3D Camera Market by Resolution: Percentage Breakdown of Sales for 2019 and 2025 UNITED KINGDOM Table 67: United Kingdom Medium & Long-Term Outlook for Smartphone 3D Camera Market in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 68: United Kingdom Smartphone 3D Camera Market Percentage Share Distribution by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 69: United Kingdom Market for Smartphone 3D Camera: Annual Sales Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Positioning for the Period 2018-2025 Table 70: United Kingdom Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Analysis by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 71: United Kingdom Market for Smartphone 3D Camera: Annual Sales Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Resolution for the Period 2018-2025 Table 72: United Kingdom Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Analysis by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 SPAIN Table 73: Smartphone 3D Camera Market Analysis in Spain in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 74: Spanish Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 75: Spanish Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Positioning: 2018 to 2025 Table 76: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Spain: Percentage Share Breakdown of Sales by Positioning for 2019 and 2025 Table 77: Spanish Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Resolution: 2018 to 2025 Table 78: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Spain: Percentage Share Breakdown of Sales by Resolution for 2019 and 2025 RUSSIA Table 79: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in US$ Million in Russia by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 80: Russian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 81: Russian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Positioning: 2018 to 2025 Table 82: Russian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 83: Russian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Resolution: 2018 to 2025 Table 84: Russian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 REST OF EUROPE Table 85: Rest of Europe Smartphone 3D Camera Market Assessment in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 86: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Rest of Europe: Percentage Breakdown of Sales by Technology for 2019 and 2025 Table 87: Rest of Europe Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Positioning: 2018-2025 Table 88: Rest of Europe Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 89: Rest of Europe Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Resolution: 2018-2025 Table 90: Rest of Europe Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 ASIA-PACIFIC Table 91: Asia-Pacific Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018-2025 Table 92: Asia-Pacific Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Analysis by Region/Country: 2019 VS 2025 Table 93: Asia-Pacific Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 94: Asia-Pacific Smartphone 3D Camera Historic Market Analysis in US$ Million by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 95: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Asia-Pacific by Positioning: Estimates and Projections in US$ Million for the Period 2018-2025 Table 96: Asia-Pacific Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Analysis by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 97: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Asia-Pacific by Resolution: Estimates and Projections in US$ Million for the Period 2018-2025 Table 98: Asia-Pacific Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Analysis by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 AUSTRALIA Table 99: Australian Smartphone 3D Camera Latent Demand Forecasts in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 100: Australian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 101: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Australia: Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Positioning for the Period 2018-2025 Table 102: Australian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 103: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Australia: Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Resolution for the Period 2018-2025 Table 104: Australian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 INDIA Table 105: Smartphone 3D Camera Market Analysis in India in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 106: Indian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 107: Indian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Positioning: 2018 to 2025 Table 108: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in India: Percentage Share Breakdown of Sales by Positioning for 2019 and 2025 Table 109: Indian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Resolution: 2018 to 2025 Table 110: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in India: Percentage Share Breakdown of Sales by Resolution for 2019 and 2025 SOUTH KOREA Table 111: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in South Korea: Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Technology for the Period 2018-2025 Table 112: Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Distribution in South Korea by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 113: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in South Korea: Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Positioning for the Period 2018-2025 Table 114: Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Distribution in South Korea by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 115: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in South Korea: Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Resolution for the Period 2018-2025 Table 116: Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Distribution in South Korea by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 REST OF ASIA-PACIFIC Table 117: Rest of Asia-Pacific Medium & Long-Term Outlook for Smartphone 3D Camera Market in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 118: Rest of Asia-Pacific Smartphone 3D Camera Market Percentage Share Distribution by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 119: Rest of Asia-Pacific Market for Smartphone 3D Camera: Annual Sales Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Positioning for the Period 2018-2025 Table 120: Rest of Asia-Pacific Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Analysis by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 121: Rest of Asia-Pacific Market for Smartphone 3D Camera: Annual Sales Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Resolution for the Period 2018-2025 Table 122: Rest of Asia-Pacific Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Analysis by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 LATIN AMERICA Table 123: Latin American Smartphone 3D Camera Market Trends by Region/Country in US$ Million: 2018-2025 Table 124: Latin American Smartphone 3D Camera Market Percentage Breakdown of Sales by Region/Country: 2019 and 2025 Table 125: Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in Latin America in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 126: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Latin America : Percentage Analysis by Technology for 2019 and 2025 Table 127: Latin American Smartphone 3D Camera Market Growth Prospects in US$ Million by Positioning for the Period 2018-2025 Table 128: Latin American Smartphone 3D Camera Market by Positioning: Percentage Breakdown of Sales for 2019 and 2025 Table 129: Latin American Smartphone 3D Camera Market Growth Prospects in US$ Million by Resolution for the Period 2018-2025 Table 130: Latin American Smartphone 3D Camera Market by Resolution: Percentage Breakdown of Sales for 2019 and 2025 ARGENTINA Table 131: Argentinean Smartphone 3D Camera Market Assessment in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 132: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Argentina: Percentage Breakdown of Sales by Technology for 2019 and 2025 Table 133: Argentinean Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Positioning: 2018-2025 Table 134: Argentinean Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 135: Argentinean Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Resolution: 2018-2025 Table 136: Argentinean Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 BRAZIL Table 137: Brazilian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 138: Brazilian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 139: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Brazil by Positioning: Estimates and Projections in US$ Million for the Period 2018-2025 Table 140: Brazilian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Analysis by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 141: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Brazil by Resolution: Estimates and Projections in US$ Million for the Period 2018-2025 Table 142: Brazilian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Analysis by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 MEXICO Table 143: Mexican Smartphone 3D Camera Latent Demand Forecasts in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 144: Mexican Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 145: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Mexico: Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Positioning for the Period 2018-2025 Table 146: Mexican Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 147: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Mexico: Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Resolution for the Period 2018-2025 Table 148: Mexican Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 REST OF LATIN AMERICA Table 149: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in US$ Million in Rest of Latin America by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 150: Rest of Latin America Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 151: Rest of Latin America Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Positioning: 2018 to 2025 Table 152: Rest of Latin America Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 153: Rest of Latin America Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Resolution: 2018 to 2025 Table 154: Rest of Latin America Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 MIDDLE EAST Table 155: The Middle East Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018-2025 Table 156: The Middle East Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Region/Country: 2019 and 2025 Table 157: The Middle East Smartphone 3D Camera Market Analysis in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 158: The Middle East Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 159: The Middle East Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Positioning: 2018 to 2025 Table 160: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in the Middle East: Percentage Share Breakdown of Sales by Positioning for 2019 and 2025 Table 161: The Middle East Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Resolution: 2018 to 2025 Table 162: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in the Middle East: Percentage Share Breakdown of Sales by Resolution for 2019 and 2025 IRAN Table 163: Iranian Medium & Long-Term Outlook for Smartphone 3D Camera Market in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 164: Iranian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Percentage Share Distribution by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 165: Iranian Market for Smartphone 3D Camera: Annual Sales Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Positioning for the Period 2018-2025 Table 166: Iranian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Analysis by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 167: Iranian Market for Smartphone 3D Camera: Annual Sales Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Resolution for the Period 2018-2025 Table 168: Iranian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Analysis by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 ISRAEL Table 169: Israeli Smartphone 3D Camera Market Assessment in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 170: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Israel: Percentage Breakdown of Sales by Technology for 2019 and 2025 Table 171: Israeli Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Positioning: 2018-2025 Table 172: Israeli Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 173: Israeli Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by Resolution: 2018-2025 Table 174: Israeli Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 SAUDI ARABIA Table 175: Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Forecasts in Saudi Arabia in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 176: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Saudi Arabia: Percentage Share Analysis by Technology for 2019 and 2025 Table 177: Saudi Arabian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Growth Prospects in US$ Million by Positioning for the Period 2018-2025 Table 178: Saudi Arabian Smartphone 3D Camera Market by Positioning: Percentage Breakdown of Sales for 2019 and 2025 Table 179: Saudi Arabian Smartphone 3D Camera Market Growth Prospects in US$ Million by Resolution for the Period 2018-2025 Table 180: Saudi Arabian Smartphone 3D Camera Market by Resolution: Percentage Breakdown of Sales for 2019 and 2025 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Table 181: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in the United Arab Emirates: Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Technology for the Period 2018-2025 Table 182: Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Distribution in United Arab Emirates by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 183: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in the United Arab Emirates: Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Positioning for the Period 2018-2025 Table 184: Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Distribution in United Arab Emirates by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 185: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in the United Arab Emirates: Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Resolution for the Period 2018-2025 Table 186: Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Distribution in United Arab Emirates by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 REST OF MIDDLE EAST Table 187: Rest of Middle East Smartphone 3D Camera Latent Demand Forecasts in US$ Million by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 188: Rest of Middle East Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 189: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Rest of Middle East: Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Positioning for the Period 2018-2025 Table 190: Rest of Middle East Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 191: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in Rest of Middle East: Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Resolution for the Period 2018-2025 Table 192: Rest of Middle East Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 AFRICA Table 193: Smartphone 3D Camera Market in US$ Million in Africa by Technology: 2018-2025 Table 194: African Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Technology: 2019 VS 2025 Table 195: African Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Positioning: 2018 to 2025 Table 196: African Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Positioning: 2019 VS 2025 Table 197: African Smartphone 3D Camera Market Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Resolution: 2018 to 2025 Table 198: African Smartphone 3D Camera Market Share Breakdown by Resolution: 2019 VS 2025 IV. COMPETITION INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG LEICA CAMERA AG MANTIS VISION LTD. PANASONIC INDIA PVT. PMDTECHNOLOGIES AG SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD. SHARP CORPORATION SONY CORPORATION V. CURATED RESEARCH Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04951657/?utm_source=GNW 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. __________________________ Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 As hundreds of migrants continue to travel a long distance in this COVID-19 crisis, Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Saturday appealed to state governments to immediately lift food grains and pulses from the godowns and distribute them for free within a fortnight to 8 crore migrants who neither have centre nor state ration card. According to the Food Ministry, about 142 lakh migrants will benefit in Uttar Pradesh and in Bihar (86.45 lakh), Maharasthra (70 lakh), West Bengal (60.1 lakh), Madhya Pradesh (54.64 lakh), Rajasthan (44.66 lakh), Karnataka (40.19 lakh), Gujarat (38.25 lakh), Tamil Nadu (35.73 lakh), Jharkhand (26.37 lakh), Andhra Pradesh (26.82 lakh) and Assam (25.15 lakh). In the national capital, about 7.27 lakh migrants will get free 5 kg food grains per person and 1 kg chana per family for May and June. "If the number of migrants exceeds the current estimation of 8 crore, the Centre is ready to provide additional grains for free supply but the identified person should be genuine which state governments have to validate," Paswan told the media via video conference here. The allocation has been made considering 10 per cent of the existing 81 crore beneficiaries under the NFSA ( National Food Security Act). The free food distribution to 8 crore migrants for two months was announced by the Centre on May 14 as part of an economic package to help those who bore the brunt of the clampdown to fight the COVID-19 crisis. The centre will bear the cost of this intervention, estimated at Rs 3,500 crore. "This decision is in the interest of migrants. Congress may say give more quantity of foodgrains for free. The NFSA, under which 5 kg per person subsidised grain is given to 81 crore through PDS, was framed during the UPA time. But, the Modi government is doing maximum. This is not the end of all. The Prime Minister is sensitive and aware of the situation," Paswan noted. Paswan, an NDA ally, further said his ministry has made all arrangements for distribution of free ration to migrants, but the state governments which have to implement at the ground level, have to be proactive and lift the ration from godowns and begin distribution immediately. An allocation of 7.99 lakh tonne of foodgrains has been made for distribution for two months for free. Of which, the maximum would be rice 6.95 lakh tonne which would be easy for migrants to consume, while the rest 1.04 lakh tonne is wheat, he said. "Now also, many migrants are returning home by walking. It is a difficult situation. Some have died on the way. They are covering long distances on foot. It hurts looking at their plight" he added. The priority now is to ensure migrants do not go hungry. Therefore, the Centre is not insisting states give details of migrant beneficiaries for availing free ration. They can provide after two months but they have to keep the data for accountability sake, he added. According to the Food Ministry, both rice and wheat have been allocated to Delhi and Gujarat, only wheat to Rajasthan, Punjab and Chandigarh, while rice to rest of the states and union territories. Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said already the Karnataka government has begun lifting the grain. The Madhya Pradesh government will do so from May 18, while Kerala has responded to take the grain from godowns. States can directly supply free ration at shelter camps, or issue distressed coupons or adopt any suitable method for free distribution of 5 kg of rice or wheat per person and 1 kg of chana (grama) per family for May and June, he said. States can lift an entire two months' quantity of ration in one go, he said adding that after lifting the grain states should distribute to migrants within 15 days. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Since high school seniors across the country wont be able to walk in graduation ceremonies this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, TV is looking to fill the void with a national celebration. Graduate Together: America Honors the Class of 2020, a one-hour primetime special produced by LeBron James, airs tonight (Saturday, May 16). Here are the details on who will be a part of the show and how to watch. Who is on the lineup for Graduate Together? Former President Barack Obama is set to address students at the graduation special. There will also be appearances from Kevin Hart, New Jerseys own Jonas Brothers, Zendaya, Alicia Keys, Pharrell Williams, Malala Yousafzai, Timothee Chalamet, Lena Waithe, Yara Shahidi, Megan Rapinoe, H.E.R., Chika, Lana Condor, Liza Koshy, Olivia Wilde, YBN Cordae, Maren Morris, Kane Brown, Dolan Twins and more. Obama was announced as as speaker at the event after California high school senior Lincoln Debenham posted a tweet asking the former president to deliver a national commencement address. The Jonas Brothers will join the celebrity-filled lineup for the high school graduation special. Matt Smith | For NJ Advance Media Earlier on Saturday, Obama addressed students for Show Me Your Walk: HBCU Edition," a virtual commencement celebrating graduates of historically black colleges and universities. I know this isnt the commencement any of you really imagined, Obama told students. These arent normal times, he continued. Youre being asked to find your way in a world in the middle of a devastating pandemic and a terrible recession. The timing is not ideal. And lets be honest: a disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country. We see it in the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our communities, just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him if he doesnt submit to their questioning," Obama said, referring to the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery near Brunswick, Georgia. Were LIVE: Tune in to #ShowMeYourWalk HBCU Edition, a virtual commencement celebrating the graduating class of Historically Black Colleges and Universities: https://t.co/CQ9v7uR1JV Chase (@Chase) May 16, 2020 Injustice like this isnt new," Obama continued. What is new is that so much of your generation has woken up to the fact that the status quo needs fixing, that the old ways of doing things dont work. And that it doesnt matter how much money you make if everyone around you is hungry and sick. And our society and our democracy only works when we think not just about ourselves, but about each other. More than anything, this pandemic has fully finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what theyre doing. A lot of them arent even pretending to be in charge. If the worlds going to get better, its going to be up to you. And this isnt the end of the virtual graduation events. On June 6, Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are scheduled to speak at the Dear Class of 2020 Commencement Address for all graduates including college graduates on YouTube. Lady Gaga, BTS, Malala Yousafzai, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Alphabet/Google CEO Sundar Pichai and former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will also appear at the event. When is Graduate Together on TV? What channel and free livestream. Graduate Together" will air on NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox. There will also be a free livestream on Twitter, TikTok Facebook and YouTube. The event starts at 8 p.m. ET/PT and 7 p.m. CT/MT on Saturday, May 16; graduatetogether2020.com. Tonight is the NIGHT!! Shout out who are you most excited to see on the show! #GraduateTogether pic.twitter.com/c8jUmmjggo Graduate Together (@GradTogether) May 16, 2020 Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Tell us your coronavirus story. Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com or send a tip here. The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the lives of students around the world, but the college Class of 2020 may have felt those impacts harshest of all making them the class of Covid-19. The Class of 2020 has been forced to quickly pack their lives into boxes and car trunks, rush their goodbyes to friends and professors and begin their professional careers during one of the most hostile labor markets in the history of the United States. They also will go without traditional graduation ceremonies, and many are mourning the loss of traditional milestones that generations before have enjoyed. In order to recognize the accomplishments of the Class of 2020, President Barack Obama spoke during a virtual celebration for the roughly 27,000 graduates from the country's 78 historically black colleges and universities. "Congratulations to HBCU Class of 2020! Michelle and I are so proud of you," said the former president during the two-hour "Show Me Your Walk H.B.C.U. Edition" event, which was sponsored by JPMorgan Chase. "Graduating from college is a big achievement under any circumstances, and so many of you overcame a lot to get here. You navigated challenging classes and challenges outside the classroom, many of you had to stretch to afford tuition and some of you are the first in your families to reach this milestone," he said. "So even if half the semester was spent at 'Zoom University,' you've earned this moment. You should be very proud." Obama also addressed the uniquely difficult circumstances that HBCU graduates face, referencing the pandemic's impact on black communities as well as the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot by two white men while jogging. "You're being asked to find your way in a world, in the middle of a devastating pandemic and a terrible recession. The timing is not ideal and let's be honest, a disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country," he said. "We see it in the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our communities, just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him if he doesn't submit to their questioning." In terms of outlay, the agricultural reform announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman on 14 May is not as ambitious as other schemes. In terms of outlay, the agricultural reform announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman on 15 May amounting to Rs.1.63 lakh crore is not as ambitious as other schemes. In terms of dreams and promises, however, it could be the most seductive proposal ever. They are also policy decisions that have been reiterated in the past; many of the schemes outlined by the finance minister were laid out by Narendra Modi before 2013, when he was chief minister of Gujarat and also stated as part of the maiden budget of the late Arun Jaitely (as finance minister) in July 2014. Jaitley had stated that the Central government will work closely with the state governments to re-orient their respective APMC Acts, to provide for establishment of private market yards/private markets. The state governments will also be encouraged to develop farmers markets in town areas to enable the farmers to sell their produce directly. It was echoed by the finance minister herself in her maiden budget in July 2019: The Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act should not hamper farmers from getting a fair price for their produce. 15 May, 2020, was therefore a refresher course. In reality, except for milk, wheat and rice, and maybe spices and coffee (which have an altogether different marketing structure), not much has been achieved; all other crops languish. The vegetable grower gets barely 10 percent of the market price, while the milk producer can get as much as 80 to 85 percent of the market price. Rice and wheat farmers are pampered by political lobbies. Thus, they remain the only crops with a procurement mechanism through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and farmers get almost twice the international price for this produce. But more on this later. Three axioms To understand why these dreams are often bandied around, one must first study Indias boldest and best agricultural experiment: the one ushered in by Verghese Kurien as Operation Flood. Thanks to the vision of Lal Bahadur Shastri, the then prime minister, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) was transferred to Amuls care and headquartered in Anand, Gujarat. Kurien had just three axioms: First, the producer (farmer) was more important than either the processor or the distributor/marketer, hence deserved a higher share of the market price. Second, farm prices must remain protected. There is no such thing as market competition, because each country could subsidise exports. He, therefore, was totally against imports. All gifts, aid and even import of milk aid had to be done through NDDB, which would then sell them at market prices, not allowing farmers to suffer a fall in market prices. The profits were used by NDDB to promote dairy development. Thus without any subsidies, milk became a formidable industry, albeit under the cooperative umbrella. The third axiom was that India must adhere to production by masses and not mass production. He was aware that most farmers had one to five cows in their backyard. A mechanism had to be created to collect their milk, process it and then market it. Surplus milk was processed further into skimmed milk powder (SMP) and other dairy products giving it a longer shelf life. SMP was reconstituted into milk in months when production was poor. The farmer did not suffer a fall in milk prices. Confident of this safety net, more farmers got into producing milk in these protected areas and India became the worlds largest producer of milk. Like milk, like agriculture Like milk, Indian agriculture is characterised by small and medium farmers. They need protection against any fall in domestic prices. They need a marketing mechanism which could take care of surplus production and prevent prices crashing and also prevent imports and thus damage the value of their year-long labour. Like milk, agriculture is in the grip of middlemen who also often act as advisors and moneylenders to each rural family. They control the price that is paid to farmers, who in turn are left with no choice. When the APMCs were created, it was to break the stranglehold of these middlemen. But middlemen got close to politicians and together they controlled the APMCs, which became a bigger and more lethal exploiter. Kurien knew the pernicious power of middlemen and politicians (and wily bureaucrats too). All of them were banned from participating in the milk business in Gujarat, the home of the milk revolution. The three hated Kurien for this and he happily returned that sentiment. But politicians saw the tremendous money and voting power in harnessing milk producers. So they set up their own cooperatives in Maharashtra. In Andhra Pradesh, Chandra Babu Naidu set up his own corporate milk company under the name Heritage. Both are not as good with farmers as the Amul group. Responsible private players like Hatsun (Indias largest private sector milk company) also pay farmers well. Lately, the government has tried to break up the milk industry to reap political dividends. It did so last year by almost okaying the RCEP proposals for allowing dairy imports. It then allowed subsidies for milk, which could usher in politicisation and favouritism. Milk remains the only agricultural produce which has remained healthy without subsidies. Dont destroy it. So when the government talks about making farmers independent, it must be looked at cynically. Politicians quickly master the fine art of saying one thing and doing quite another. The new proposals Of the 11 announcements, three concern governance and administrative reforms (the author calls them dreams), including amendment of the Essential Commodities Act (ECA), 1955, and agriculture marketing reforms through a Central law. Others include Rs 1 lakh crore Agri Infrastructure Fund Formalisation of Micro Food Enterprises, with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore Vaccination drive against foot and mouth disease among cattle (something NDDB has been doing for the past five years) Extension of the Operation Greens from tomatoes, onion and potatoes to all fruits and vegetables Help for fishermen through the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana; a Rs 15,000-crore Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund Rs 4,000 crore outlay for promotion of herbal cultivation and Rs 500 crore scheme to promote beekeeping. But if the government really wanted farmers to benefit, it should have done some of the following: First, ensure that all FCI procurement of rice and wheat takes place through MCX, NCDEX and other commodity exchanges. This will ensure that marginal farmers producing rice and wheat are not left out by the FCI and then compelled to sell at distress prices. FCI is known to favour larger and politically connected farmers. Such a move would also prevent the FCI from offering first grade prices for second grade crop (stocks are never audited or assayed by third party evaluators). That explains why a lot of grain is allowed to rot as it erases all evidence of wrongful payments. All this will benefit farmers and make the commodity exchanges stronger. It would help root out corruption as well. But the government is unlikely to do this because of huge political payoffs and interests. Second, get the Warehousing Development and Regulation Authority of India (WDRAI) to transfer all state and government godowns and warehouses (including those of the FCI and the state warehousing corporations) to affiliates of commodity exchanges, or to farmer producer organisations. That will bring in greater transparency in stocks held and warehousing capabilities. Today, the WDRA refuses to even mention the storage capacity of warehouses despite several email and telephonic reminders. This is concealment on top of opaqueness. Third, empower select Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) with huge funds to set up large-scale processing plants in specific areas. For example, there could be one in an onion growing area, another in a potato growing area and several smaller ones in tomato and chilli growing areas and so on. This way, you could replicate a weaker version of the Amul model, but with processing and marketing controlled by farmers. Unless farmers are actually empowered, they will be decimated by politicians and middlemen-traders. Fourth, put a ban on all import of agricultural produce, unless approved by a majority of the FPOs. That will prevent a pulses crisis or even a milk powder import possibility. Fifth, desist the temptation to offer subsidies selectively. If required, empower FPOs which will then create a market development fund. Sixth, there is little mention about hydroponics, the only solution to unseasonal rains and climate change. It could be the best solution for growing Ayurveda crops as well. Seventh, the mention of the lucrative seaweed farming potential has been ignored. Ditto with growing fish not on land-based fish farms, but in international waters like Norway does with onboard processing capabilities in giant fishing trawlers. Fund fishing cooperatives to move into this area, so that catchment areas are never depleted (fish is farmed, not exploited, in the deep seas). To summarise, the governments proposals look good, but the vision is missing. The promises of change were made before, they are being made again. And the way the government tried to break up the milk industry in the past has left observers worried about the commitment of the government to Atmanirbhar farmers. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Friday revealed the official flag for the new U.S. Space Force, the first military branch created in seven decades. He also touted the development underway of what he called a "super duper missile" that could outdo foreign adversaries. Trump said the flag will be displayed at the White House. The flag was presented to him in the Oval Office, where he also signed the 2020 Armed Forces Day Proclamation. "Space is going to be the future both in terms of defense and offense and so many other things," Trump said. "We're now the leader in space." Trump said the country is building "incredible military equipment at a level that nobody's ever seen before" and described a missile he said is being developed that is the "fastest in the world" and will outpace China and Russia. The Department of Defense is working on developing a range of hypersonic missiles to counter our adversaries. https://t.co/ATb1XLHFtl Jonathan Rath Hoffman (@ChiefPentSpox) May 15, 2020 "We have I call it the 'super duper missile,' and I heard the other night 17 times faster than what they have right now," Trump said. "You take the fastest missile we have right now. You've heard Russia has five times and China's working on five or six times. We have one 17 times, and it's just gotten the go ahead." Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany wouldn't comment further with specifics of what missile Trump was talking about when asked at a White House press briefing. But a Department of Defense official later said on Twitter that the U.S. is "developing a range of hypersonic missiles." Today I was presented with the brand new @SpaceForceDoD flag in the Oval Office. I will take Great Pride in displaying it at the @WhiteHouse! pic.twitter.com/S29tBFYlQY Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 15, 2020 The Space Force was established late last year by the administration to protect U.S. assets in space. Trump has pointed to threats from China and Russia and the nations reliance on satellites for defense operations as reasoning for the sixth military branch. Story continues He has said U.S. adversaries are targeting "Earth's orbits with new technology targeting American satellites." Trump first revealed the Space Force logo in January, and it immediately drew comparisons to the insignia that represents the fictional Starfleet Command in the "Star Trek" movie franchise. The logo is a modified version of a pre-existing Air Force Space Command logo, however. President Donald Trump stands as Chief of Space Operations at US Space Force Gen. John Raymond, second from left, and Chief Master Sgt. Roger Towberman, second from right, hold the United States Space Force flag as it is presented in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 15, 2020, in Washington. Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett stands far left. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) ORG XMIT: DCAB455 Logo looks familiar: Trump unveils new Space Force logo, draws comparisons to 'Star Trek' Starfleet Command Why is the uniform camo?: Space is pitch black, so why will US Space Force members wear camo uniforms? "The delta in the middle is the symbol that the space communities used for years and years and years. The North Star signifies our core value, our guiding light, if you will. And the orbit around the globe signifies the space capabilities that fuel our American way of life and our American way of war," said Jay Raymond, the Space Force chief of space operations. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump unveils Space Force flag, says US building 'super duper missile' India is witnessing a strange phenomenon on the labour front in the backdrop of the efforts of some state governments to attract industries which they expect to leave the Chinese shores in the near future in the name of coronavirus. They have decided to water down or suspend labour laws that protect the basic rights of the workmen while their ideological godfathers remain opposed such moves. The attack on the labour laws was initiated in Uttar Pradesh where the Yogi Adityanath government has cleared an ordinance suspending 35 of the 38 laws enacted by both the state and central governments including those on minimum wages and industrial disputes for three years. It was followed by governments in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, both ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Not to be left behind, the Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Punjab announced that they will ease rules on working hours. As the competition intensifies, more states are likely to come up with more such measures. The irony of it all lies in the fact that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the mentor of the BJP, is strongly committed to labour rights, which it has expressed through Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, its affiliate and one of the central trade unions. The BMS has even announced agitational programmes to protect labour rights. The Congress leadership, including its former president Rahul Gandhi, has already come out against the anti-labour move, calling it an attempt to crush human rights. This charade must end. If the think-tanks of the leading political formations in the country believe in the basic rights of the working class, then they should instruct their state governments not to trample on them but make it easy for investments in terms of policies and procedures to flow in. If the states want to make their platters more attractive, then they can add tax and fiscal incentives but not tinker with laws that deliver to the people their basic rights as guaranteed by the Constitution. Poppy Johnston is due to return to class on May 26, part of the first wave of students who will attend schools after several weeks of remote learning. She isnt looking forward to it. Its not that she doesnt like learning. In fact she loves it. Year 10 student Poppy Johnston has thrived while learning remotely and is not keen to return to the classroom. Credit:Simon Schluter But Poppy, who is autistic, struggles with the constant noise and chatter of a classroom full of boisterous students. "If they said that people could, if they wanted to, just continue working from home I would totally just work from home," the 15-year-old says. ALBANY Safety pledges will be required and four-day work weeks are being considered under a reopening plan outlined Saturday by Albany County Executive Dan McCoy. The Capital Region has still not yet met all seven of the state's parameters to reopen as the coronavirus pandemic begins to ebb, but county officials in the Capital Region put together a plan for when the moment comes. Capital Region Control Room Team put together the reopening plan and it has county representatives from Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Saratoga, Washington, Warren, Greene and Columbia counties. Though parts of the state are just into their first phase of reopening, the counties in the Capital Region are slated for that first phase on May 28. I feel weve hit our apex (in positive COVID-19 cases) and are going the other way, but you have to remember we are testing more aggressively than any place else in the state of New York, McCoy said. To reopen, all employees and businesses must sign a pledge saying they understand what is being asked of them and that they are committed to opening in a safe manner, McCoy said. There will also be an online portal so businesses can access guidelines, grants and loans. Employers should encourage remote working when possible, provide reusable or disposable masks and enforce social distancing, McCoy said. High contact surfaces must disinfect regularly. If someone is sick with symptoms, they need to go home. Employers also are expected to conduct contact tracing as required by public officials. Industrial protocols may be considered, like a four-day work week and staggered shifts. Restaurants would only be able to be at 50 percent capacity and should consider more reservation-based seatings. McCoy also mentioned during the briefing that some of the state's numbers of local cases and hospitalizations may be off. "The state is taking info from 62 counties, so I get it," McCoy said. He said since St. Peter's Health Care and Albany Medical Center are regional hospitals people from outside the area may be counted toward Albany County's numbers, though they are not from the area. McCoy said he was told in a meeting Friday that localities can submit more accurate numbers. As of Saturday morning, there are 1,451 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Albany County, an increase of 26 over the last 24 hours. There are now 852 people under mandatory quarantine and six people under precautionary quarantine. To date, 3,727 individuals have completed quarantine, with 957 of them having tested positive and recovered. The most recent death in Albany County was a woman in her 90s with underlying conditions, bringing the countys death toll up to 68. With 30 people now hospitalized, the hospitalization rate for Albany County stands at 2.06%, up slightly from 2.03% the day previous. The number of those in intensive care units is now at seven, up one since Fridays briefing. In Schenectady County there are 594 positive cases and 14 hospitalizations, which includes all hospitalizations, regardless of county of residence. A total of 176 symptomatic individuals are in isolation and 531 recoveries. Twenty eight people who tested positive for COVID-19 have died. As Schenectady County prepares for the Phase 1 of the reopening plan, the county will be doing video updates twice a week at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Residents can email questions to meetings.legislature@schenectadycounty.com. Community testing will be available for residents at the Rotterdam Walmart. Testing is available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7 to 9 a.m. More information is available on the county website. Maria Avadanei is exhilarated: after receiving a tablet as a donation, she can finally take her online lessons. "I was afraid of failing my classes," says the 15-year-old from Darova, a rural commune in Transylvania in western Romania. Avadanei is among hundreds of thousands at increased risk of social exclusion after the coronavirus pandemic forced schools to close in Romania and Bulgaria, two of Europe's poorest countries. A mobile phone belonging to her mother, unemployed since November, is hardly enough for the family of seven -- and besides, "it's an old model", the teen tells AFP. A short distance from where Avadanei lives, in a little house perched on a hill, the four Ciurescu children are bickering over their family's phone, also shared between them. "One of them often has to interrupt his lesson to give the phone to his brother or his sister," says father Danut, who works as a day labourer. Romania has decided to keep schools closed until September in its fight against the virus, which has so far killed more than 1,000 people in the EU member nation of nearly 20 million. "Vulnerable children have found themselves in a critical situation of marginalisation and social injustice," says Gabriela Alexandrescu of Save the Children's Romania office. "Being excluded from the education process is traumatic for them." - Second-hand tablets - After being criticised for making distance learning compulsory without supporting disadvantaged students, the government has promised to spend about 30 million euros ($32 million) on tablets. Romanian volunteers carry boxes containing desktop computers destined for families in a country where hundreds of thousands of students have no computer access / AFP Some 250,000 students do not have computer access, according to the government, though a survey by the IRES economic research institute found the actual number could be more than 900,000, or almost a third of all students. Romanian education suffers from a chronic lack of funds: about 1,000 out of 6,300 schools still don't have running water. Volunteers have jumped in where authorities have been slow to act. In an improvised workshop in Timisoara city, about an hour from Darova, Radu Ticiu and a dozen volunteers from EducaTM, an NGO, repair and disinfect a heap of tablets, smartphones and laptops before distributing them to poor children. The efforts of volunteer and Roma activist Valeriu Nicolae, seen installing a desktop donated by NGOs, are a boon with Romania's schools closed until September / AFP The Avadanei family was one of the beneficiaries. "More and more people and companies are contacting us to offer us equipment that they no longer use," Ticiu tells AFP. "Dear child, be strong, do your best to progress" is the message that comes with one used laptop, which a mother donated. Other initiatives, similar to that of EducaTM, have multiplied since the beginning of the crisis. Roma activist Valeriu Nicolae this week organised online lessons for pupils in a Bucharest ghetto and distributed food packages in the capital's suburbs. The former United Nations expert and his team also installed 30 computers for families in Nucsoara in central Romania. - Teachers' efforts - In Bulgaria, where schools will not reopen before the summer either, teacher Iliyan Markov goes three times a week to the Asenov family living in a Sofia suburb to bring four of their children lesson print-outs and collect their homework. Maria Avadanei (third left) receives a tablet from Radu Ticiu of NGO EducaTM in her home village where she earlier had to compete with siblings for learning time on her mother's old cell phone / AFP "I don't have the money to buy a computer," says the mother, Bozhura, who struggles to help her children even though she herself finished high school. In Razhena in southern Bulgaria, teacher Tsvetelina Andonova aims to reassure her students, some of whom are worried about parents who work abroad. To keep them entertained, she launched a reading competition: each student should summarise the pages read the day before. Preparing and holding online courses is much more demanding, says Nadia Verba, a teacher at Darova in Romania. "But it's well worth it," she says. "The enthusiasm of children when they connect is boundless." Advertisement A woman, 27, has been charged with murder and a 38-year-old man with assisting an offender after a woman's dismembered body was found stuffed into two suitcases in the Forest of Dean on Tuesday. Gareeca Conita Gordon, 27, of Birmingham, will appear before Cheltenham Magistrates' Court via video link on Saturday accused of killing the victim on or before May 12. Gloucestershire Police said Mahesh Sorathiya, 38, of Wolverhampton, would be appearing alongside Gordon in court. The pair have been refused bail. A police spokesman said: 'Police are awaiting results of DNA tests to establish the identity of the victim.' It follows the grisly discovery of human remains close to a quarry, near Coleford in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, late on Tuesday night. Police carrying out searches and door to door enquiries in Birmingham. Two people have since been charged in connection with the discovery and murder arrests after body parts were found in the Forest of Dean on Tuesday night A police search team were yesterday scouring through woodland, pictured, next to Stowfield Quarry in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. A man and woman are due to appear before magistrates in Cheltenham on Saturday Police carrying out searches and door to door enquires in Birmingham in connection to the discovery. A woman, 27, and man, 38, will appear before Cheltenham Magistrates' Court on Saturday Police were alerted after a member of the public reported suspicions about a car due to its erratic driving. The vehicle was located a short while later and two people were spoken to, leading to the discovery of two suitcases containing a human torso and body parts. The force earlier said a post-mortem examination was found to be inconclusive and further examinations were ongoing to establish the cause of death. Officers raided properties in Birmingham and Wolverhampton as they raced to identify the female victim. A man and woman were arrested on suspicion of murder and held in custody, with a Vauxhall Corsa also seized. Detectives were yesterday given an extra 36 hours to question the two people. Police carrying out searchers and door to door enquiries in Birmingham. Officers raided properties in Birmingham and Wolverhampton as they raced to identify the female victim Police, pictured in woodland next to Stowfield Quarry in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, continue to search for clues today as the murder inquiry entered its third full day. A roadblock was also in place along the A4136 Officers, for the third day in a row, continued to search the scene of the arrests - a quarry near the village of Staunton. A huge area of the countryside was cordoned off, though no other body parts have been found in the woodland as originally feared. Sniffer dogs were also utilised by officers on Friday, with trained spaniels seen searching through the area in the afternoon. A roadblock was in place along the A4136 between Monmouth and Coleford as forensic officers swooped on the area. Three tents were erected at the entrance to Stowfield Quarry, which is accessed via the B4228. A resident living near the quarry told how a strange burning smell hung around in the air just before the two people were arrested. The man said: 'It was an unusual smell of burning, it definitely wasn't a bonfire because I burn a lot of wood on my property and it was nothing like it. 'I noticed it about 9.30pm on Tuesday night. It was actually strong enough for me to smell inside the house. I actually came outside to see what it was. I've never smelt anything similar around here. West Midlands Police carrying out door to door enquiries. The force earlier said a post-mortem examination was found to be inconclusive and further examinations were ongoing to establish the cause of death A road closure was still in place yesterday as police remained at the scene, pictured, after a torso was found in a suitcase. Police thanked local residents and drivers impacted by road closures for their patience throughout the investigation 'The wind usually blows from the South West but on Tuesday it was coming from the North East direction - the area near to the quarry where the police are now. I couldn't see anything, no fire or smoke, it was just the smell. 'What it was, I can't tell you but it was strange.' Police also searched a container yard, near to the Regalrouge Dogue de Bordeaux grooming parlour. A Gloucestershire Police spokesperson said on Friday afternoon: 'A post-mortem examination yesterday was found to be inconclusive and further examinations are ongoing to establish the cause of death. DNA testing is also ongoing to identify the female victim. 'Searches have continued today around the area of Stowfield Quarry, near Coleford and some road closures remain in place in the surrounding area.' Police thanked local residents and drivers impacted by road closures for their patience throughout the investigation. Gemma and David Greenway, who breed dogs and run a grooming salon, rang the alarm after spotting a man entering a lorry trailer yard near their home on the outskirts of Coleford, and were left 'shaken' by the horrific find. The quarry is on Staunton Road and the closed section also contains a fishery, a former sawmill which now contains storage units, several houses and a campsite. 'I'm just so glad that David spotted him acting suspiciously and reported it,' Mrs Greenway, 37, told a local Facebook site. One resident said on Thursday: 'The tents weren't there when I went out this morning but they had appeared by the time I got back. I don't know what's going on but they say I can't even walk along the road. Somebody said they had found a body and the police say the road will be closed all day.' Forensic tents, pictured. The quarry is on Staunton Road and the closed section also contains a fishery, a former sawmill which now contains storage units, several houses and a campsite Another resident who lives within the cordon earlier said: 'I don't know what's happening. 'I didn't notice anything until I drove down the road and came to the road block. I asked if I could go through and they said yes but I might not be able to get back in again. One of the officers said the road might be closed for a few days so it must be serious.' The main A4136 from Cinderford to Monmouth was blocked off at the bottom of the hill at Monmouth and there was a further roadblock at the Coleford traffic lights. The roadblock at the lights was stopping traffic from Monmouth and Staunton turning right into Coleford or heading past the fishery to Berry Hill and beyond. Both blocked-off sections of road would have caused chaos on a normal working day and key workers had to find detours through the lanes. Senior Investigating Officer DCI John Turner said on Thursday afternoon: 'The nature of this incident is distressing and we're working around the clock to fully understand what has happened. 'Someone's life has been lost and our priority is to identify the victim and get answers for her family. 'Searches have taken place in the surrounding area for evidence gathering and contrary to media reports no remains have been found as part of these searches. 'Our Major Crime Investigation Team is working in collaboration with the West Midlands Police homicide team to carry out further enquiries.' Severe storms battered the Houston-area early Saturday morning, leaving thousands of people without power. Centerpoint Energy is reporting 14,232 customers are without power as of 8 a.m. According to ther map, several outages struck the area, including Missouri City, Houston's southside, Santa Fe and Rosenberg. Crews are currently making repairs, but power in some neighborhoods may not be restored until noon. After the line of thunderstorms pushed through the Houston-area this morning, the severe weather threat has now diminished, according to the National Weather Service. Expect a cool front to push through late Sunday. The COVID-19 code is ubiquitous at 200 Elm St. in Stamford. A front-door sign announces that anyone coming into the downtown office building has to wear a face mask, follow social-distancing directions and turn around if they are not feeling well. Throughout the interior, floor and wall signs direct workers and visitors to stay masked, remind them to keep six feet apart and tell them to wash their hands. Hand sanitizer and tissue dispensers reinforce the message. Those new features at the Building and Land Technology-owned property encapsulate the changes that professionals across Connecticut will encounter when they return to their workspaces following the launch Wednesday of the first stage of the states economic re-opening. But, by design, the green light for office operations is not likely to spark a rush of returning workers and many companies intend to take much longer to revert from their remote accommodations of the past two months. Companies are really thinking about the workplace and trying to create a safe workplace, said Brian Kropp, chief of research in consulting firm Gartners human resources practice. If youre opening up your workplace, just as much as youre managing the actual safety, you have to manage the perception of safety. New rules Building owners like BLT have updated their properties to comply with a panoply of new state and federal regulations. Among the most visible differences, offices can only operate at 50 percent of their capacity during the first phase of the states re-opening. To help limit occupancy, Gov. Ned Lamonts administration is directing employees to continue working from home if they can. Within the offices, workers will have to keep their face coverings on and sit at desks spaced at least six feet apart. Workspaces must also be separated into discrete zones, with movement limited between them when possible. The state is also instituting rigorous cleaning, disinfecting and personal-hygiene protocols. But many decisions will still be in employers hands. Maybe its slightly higher partitioning, maybe its different work-station configurations where theres a buffer zone. Some folks are talking about individual (work) pods, said Mark Creedon, co-managing principal of architectural firm Perkins Eastmans Stamford offices. Maybe its a furniture solution thats easily sanitized. And there are air controls. It could be many of these things in combination. While tenants are in charge of their respective workplaces, landlords are responsible for maintaining common areas in office buildings, including lobbies and elevators. At 200 Elm, the fitness center and cafeteria will stay closed for the time being. Occupants can order from the dining halls menu and have food delivered to their offices. In addition to 200 Elm, BLTs Stamford office properties include the adjacent 695 E. Main St.; 260 and 800 Long Ridge Road; the under-construction 406 Washington Blvd.; the Harbor Landing complex on Southfield Avenue; and South End hubs at 100 Washington Blvd., 333 Ludlow St., 845 Canal St., 2200 Atlantic St., and 1 Elmcroft Road. BLTs offices are based in the latter building. BLT officials said that tenant input was crucial to their preparations for the re-opening. Feedback came through several channels including a survey and Zoom meetings. Probably in the first week of March, we started to anticipate what it would look like when we got this to this point, said Mike Handler, a member of BLTs management committee. Each step of the way, weve developed internal policies and procedures that we are implementing for our employees. And we have shared and will continue to share our best thinking on what were doing for ourselves, with our partners. Cautious approach BLT expects to re-open with office occupancy levels of about 10 percent to 20 percent across its portfolio. The outlook reflects the state-set limits and many companies preference to ease back into office routines from remote-work arrangements. Consumer-goods multinational Henkel, the largest tenant at 200 Elm, has had a limited number of employees continue to work there to keep developing products such as soap and hand sanitizer. But most of its approximately 450-person Stamford contingent has worked from home since mid-March. The company does not plan to re-open those offices or its sites in Darien, Trumbull and Rocky Hill before the end of this month. When its office operations do ramp up, attendance will initially be limited to 30 percent of the teams based in those locations. Job-search giant Indeed, whose co-headquarters are based in two neighboring downtown Stamford buildings, said this week that it did not plan to re-open any offices until September at the earliest. It was one of the first companies to close its offices in response to the pandemics spread to the U.S. Stamford-based consumer financial-services firm Synchrony, the No. 173 company on last years Fortune 500 list, is planning to have all its employees work from home through the summer. Among other financial-services powerhouses headquartered in the state, neither Stamford-based Point72 Asset Management nor Greenwich-based AQR Capital Management have immediate plans to re-open their offices. While most of southwestern Connecticuts corporate mainstays quickly closed their offices after the states first confirmed COVID-19 cases in early March, some were initially reluctant to pursue that strategy. To the consternation of many of its employees, Stamford-based Charter Communications had asked its employees in mid-March to keep reporting to work unless they were sick or caring for someone who was ill. The company eventually amended that policy and said employees could work remotely if they could demonstrate that they would be as effective as they were in the office. Charter said this week that a significant majority of its more than 1,300 Stamford-based employees are working remotely, although it declined to specify the number. As an essential business, we have never stopped working, the company said in a statement. When we do begin to phase our remote Stamford workers back to the office, it will be consistent with our business priorities to insure an orderly process and in accordance with the local and state health and safety guidelines. About 30 of electronic-trading provider Interactive Brokers Groups approximately 600 Greenwich-based employees have kept reporting to its main offices. Those still coming in mainly specialize in areas such as IT and facilities and cannot work remotely, according to the company. Interactive does not plan to officially re-open its offices next week. A return in June is more likely, although not finalized. Workplace evolution In the long term, 48 percent of employees at firms surveyed by Gartner are likely to work remotely at least some of the time, according to Gartner estimates. About 30 percent worked remotely part of the time before the pandemic. Alongside physical distancing of employees within workspaces, businesses are likely to institute other measures that would limit occupancy. Having all workers in an office work 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, is likely to become less common. Some businesses might decide to split up their personnel into teams that come in on different days or divide them into shifts that might start earlier in the morning or end later in the evening. All the while, the threat of the virus will still linger. Only about 30 percent of companies have a plan to vacate their offices again in the event of another outbreak, according to Gartner. Its not just that you want to have safety protocols in place, Kropp said. You want to communicate that to employees because if your employees know you have a plan to exit, thats going further improve their perception of safety. pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; Twitter: @paulschott WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - J.C. Penney Co. Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection citing the impact of unprecedented coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic on its business. In a statement, J. C. Penney Company said it has entered into a restructuring support agreement or RSA with lenders holding approximately 70% of JCPenney's first lien debt to reduce outstanding indebtedness and strengthen its financial position. The company said it has filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, in Corpus Christi, Texas. As part of the process, JCPenney has secured debtor-in-possession or DIP financing of $900 million from its existing first lien lenders, which includes $450 million of new money. JCPenney has approximately $500 million in cash on hand as of the Chapter 11 filing date. 'Until this pandemic struck, we had made significant progress rebuilding our company,' Jill Soltau, the company's chief executive, said in a statement. Soltau continued, 'Implementing this financial restructuring plan through a court-supervised process is the best path to ensure that JCPenney will build on its over 100-year history to serve our customers for decades to come'. In bankruptcy, JCPenney said it will reduce its store footprint to better align its business with the current operating environment. The company stated that stores will close in phases throughout the Chapter 11 process. The first phase of closures, including specific store details and timing, will be disclosed in the coming weeks. J.C. Penney specified that it will open select stores and continue to offer contact-free curbside pickup service at all open stores. JCPenney's eCommerce distribution centers continue to fulfill online orders and customer care centers are answering inquiries as usual. The company said it remains focused on returning JCPenney to sustainable, profitable growth by reestablishing the fundamentals of retail, re-envisioning its merchandise offerings, and rolling out new innovations. Neiman Marcus Group Inc., J.Crew Group Inc. and Stage Stores Inc. have all filed for bankruptcy this month. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de New York: US crude prices jumped 7% on Friday to their highest since March, on strengthening fuel demand as countries around the world eased travel restrictions they had imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus. US crude gained 19.7% in the week and Brent crude rose 5.2% after a week of bullish news. Both contracts gained for the third consecutive week. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil settled up $1.87, or 6.8% at $29.43 a barrel, just off the session peak of $29.92, its highest since mid-March. WTI soared 9% in the previous session. Brent crude settled up $1.37, or 4.4% a barrel at $32.50. Brent rose nearly 7% on Thursday. The second-month contract for U.S. crude traded at a discount to the first month for the first time since late February, implying market tightness, said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho in New York. "It is no accident the spread switched after EIA crude oil storage, and storage at the NYMEX delivery site at Cushing, both posted up their first storage draws in weeks in Wednesdays storage report," he said. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other major producers have cut supplies to reduce a glut, and now there also are signs of improving demand. Data showed China`s daily crude oil use rebounded in April as refineries ramped up operations. Still, the market remained cautious with the coronavirus pandemic far from over and new clusters of infection emerging in some countries where lockdowns have eased. "Oil prices have been up significantly since yesterday thanks to a better assessment of the situation by the International Energy Agency (IEA)," Commerzbank said in a note. The IEA expects global crude inventories to fall by about 5.5 million barrels per day (bpd) in the second half. It also expects oil demand this year to fall by 8.6 million bpd, smaller by 690,000 bpd than the decline it forecast last month. It expects non-OPEC supply to fall by 3.2 million bpd. Barclays raised its forecasts for Brent and WTI by $5-$6 a barrel for 2020 and by $16 a barrel for 2021. It now sees Brent prices averaging $37 a barrel and WTI at $33 this year. For 2021, the bank expects Brent to average $53 a barrel while WTI averages $50. "The sheer size and speed of the disruption and associated inventory overhang will take time to get fully absorbed, in our view," Barclays analyst Amarpreet Singh said in a note. On Wednesday, the US Energy Information Administration said the country`s crude inventories fell unexpectedly. This reduced the risk that prices will plummet ahead of the front-month contract expiring next week. "With the drawdown, it shouldn`t be as perilous as it was last time," said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital Management in New York. Ahead of last month`s contract expiration, fear of storage shortages pushed the contract into negative territory for the first time on record. Still, market participants remain skittish about the upcoming expiration date, Kilduff said. Record production cuts of nearly 10 million bpd by OPEC and associated producers - collectively known as OPEC+ - have kicked in for May and June, with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE pledging to cut beyond their commitments. Oman said on Friday that it is considering cutting output further in June as well. By PTI LAHORE: Pakistan's anti-graft agency has approved the filing of two additional corruption cases against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the accountability court. The National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) regional board, under the chairmanship of its Director General Shahzad Saleem, convened here on Friday. The board discussed the additional corruption cases against 69-year-old Nawaz, his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif, daughter Maryam Nawaz and 13 others in money laundering and possession of assets beyond known sources of income investigations. Similarly, the board has also approved filing another case against Nawaz Sharif, Geo Media Group founder Mir Shakilur Rahman and two others in a 54-kanal land case. NAB-Lahore has forwarded both cases to its chairman justice (R) Javed Iqbal for his final approval before filing it in the accountability court. "The references against the Sharif family members in the two cases will be filed in the accountability court, Lahore, next week after the approval of the NAB chairman," an official told PTI. In the money laundering and income beyond means corruption case, the Sharif family is accused of swindling 7 billion Pakistani Rupees. "Nawaz, Shahbaz and Maryam have been declared prime suspects in this case," the official said, adding that the NAB will produce 100 prosecution witnesses against the suspects. In the other corruption case, the three-time prime minister is accused of misuse of authority in allotting land along the Lahore canal to Shakilur Rahman in violation of rules in 1986. Sharif was the chief minister of Punjab at the time. Under the Lahore Development Authority exemption policy, not more than 15 plots measuring one kanal each could be exempted to Rahman. The NAB has made 16 prosecution witnesses part of this case. Since Sharif did not respond to any of the NAB's summons, his arrest warrants have already been issued and the bureau has moved the accountability court to declare him a proclaimed offender. Rahman is in judicial remand since he was arrested on March 12. Presently, he is in hospital on medical grounds. The NAB Lahore on Friday also initiated another probe against Nawaz, Shahbaz and Maryam for acquiring thousands of kanals in violation of rules making it part of their Jati Umra Raiwind Lahore residence. Nawaz left for London in November last year after the Lahore High Court granted him four weeks permission to go abroad for his heart condition. He had submitted an undertaking to the court to return to Pakistan, citing his record of facing the law and justice within four weeks or as soon as he is declared healthy and fit to travel by doctors. Nawaz was given bail in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case in which he was serving a seven-year prison sentence in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail. Nawaz Sharif, who was diagnosed with an immune system disorder, has been advised by the PTI government's panel of doctors to go abroad for treatment. He had been diagnosed with a coronary disease. In London, he underwent comprehensive cardiovascular evaluation and investigations at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital. Maryam recently said her father is a high-risk patient and therefore his cardiac catheterisation/coronary intervention has been postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Nawaz's personal physician Dr Adnan Khan said the former premier has been diagnosed with "complicated coronary artery/ischemic heart disease with significant disease burden." The first repatriation flight from Bangladesh to Kolkata, carrying 160 people, will arrive here on Monday, capping days of wordy duel between the West Bengal government and the Centre on the issue. The flight under Vande Bharat' mission will arrive at Kolkata International Airport here from Dhaka on May 18. The development will hopefully bring down curtains on political row between the state government and the Ministry of External Affairs for the last two days, after Bengal alleged that the centre was discriminating between states in terms of deploying repatriation flights for residents of different states. Denying the charge, MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had said the Centre does not differentiate between states, and its 'Vande Bharat' mission is for all stranded Indians. Adding fuel to the fire, the state government on Friday said it had "long back" communicated to the Centre the preparations made to welcome back people stranded abroad, while replying to the Union government's assertion that repatriation flights can be facilitated to Kolkata if Bengal confirms the arrangements to receive and quarantine passengers. West Bengal Home Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay on Saturday said the first repatriation flight from abroad -- Dhaka -- would be arriving in the city on May 18. The state government has informed External Affairs and Civil Aviation ministries about the arrangements made in the city for those onboard following the relaxation of lockdown norms. The passengers would go on the mandatory, 14-day quarantine upon arriving in Kolkata, Bandopadhyay said. The state government has already shared the list of hotels which it has earmarked for pay-and-use quarantine stay and also those arranged by the government for free, he said. "I hope these arrangements will streamline the return of travellers", he said. More repatriation flights will arrive in the city, and the government has made provisions for buses, app cabs and pre-paid taxis to transfer passengers from the airport, he added. Indians stranded in various countries due to COVID-19-driven restrictions are being brought back in special flights under the Union government's Vande Bharat' mission. Senior TMC leader and state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee welcomed the development and said it should have taken place long back. "The repatriation flights should have arrived long back. But better late than never," he said. The issue of deployment of repatriation flights for Bengal had fanned the ongoing Centre-state confrontation, after Chatterjee on Thursday night alleged that the Union government was discriminating between states in terms of allotting repatriation flights under the Vande Bharat' mission. The MEA had denied the charge within a few hours with its spokesperson, Anurag Srivastava, tweeting, "The MEA does not discriminate between states. GOI's Vande Bharat Mission is for all stranded Indians, including those from West Bengal." "Will gladly facilitate flights to Kolkata if the state government will confirm arrangements to receive and quarantine. Will also help in return of West Bengal residents through land borders with neighbours. We hope to receive an early response on the matter. @MoCAGoI @HomeSecretaryWB," Srivastava had tweeted. The state Home Department replied that it had "long back" communicated to the Union government the preparations made by it to welcome back people stranded abroad. It also shared the two letters written by West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on May 8 and 11. The letters mention the details regarding preparations for institutional quarantine facilities for foreign returnees. Srivastava later replied to the tweet, saying the MEA welcomed the willingness of the West Bengal government to accept the returnees from abroad and requested early confirmation of modalities to be followed upon the arrival of passengers at the Kolkata airport. The exchange of words on the allotment of International flights had come close on heels of the Centre and the state sparring on running of 'Special Shramik' trains to ferry stranded migrant workers hailing from Bengal back home. The West Bengal government was last week rapped by the Centre for not allowing trains to ferry migrants, stranded in other states. The state government had denied the charge and said it had already requisitioned trains to bring back migrant labourers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 16.05.2020 LISTEN The General Secretary of Kumasi Youth Association and a Social Commentator, Mr Kwabena Frimpong has urged local producers of approved hand sanitizers and face masks to make them cheaper for all Ghanaians to purchase and wear. In a live studio interview on Boss morning drive (Boss Fm - Kumasi) hosted by Wofa Kofi Appiah, Mr Kwabena Frimpong lamented that, "before the coronavirus, these products were sold at a cheaper price but currently at very high cost especially, a box of disposable gloves were sold for Ghc35 but now between Ghc150 to Ghc200, Why? According to him, some of the manufacturers are wicked for the high cost of these products during these difficult moments. "It seems they love money than people's life. These products should be very affordable for the poor and ordinary Ghanaians to purchase." He continued, "Most people cannot afford these hand sanitizers and face masks because they are expensive to them and for that matter, they have found their own strategic ways of making some for themselves by using unapproved materials and it is very dangerous for their health as well as all of us. Don't forget that, if such a person gets the virus, he or she can also transfer it, to you or many others so let's make the approved face mask and hand sanitizers very affordable for all especially the ordinary Ghanaian who can't afford the expensive ones." He therefore appealed to the government, Foods and Drugs Authority and Ghana Standard Authority to engage the local producers to make these approved them cheaper. South Africa: SA participates in G20 trade ministerial meeting South Africa has backed a package of trade and investment measures to address the COVID-19 challenges faced across the world. The measures have been adopted by Ministers from the Group of 20 (G20) countries. These measures include the need to expand productive capacity of essential goods and services, including pharmaceuticals, medical and other health-related products as well as agricultural products. Speaking at the virtual meeting attended by G20 Trade Ministers, South Africas Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) Minister Ebrahim Patel said the pandemic has also exposed vulnerabilities in global supply. A more resilient global supply-chain must also have at its core the increased production of critical health, food and other basic products in many more parts of the world. The over-concentration of the location of production in just some regions (or what we can say colloquially, putting all our eggs in one basket) does not make strategic sense anymore, he said at Thursdays meeting. Patel said the African continent should become an industrial powerhouse. Africa, birthplace of humanity, with a fast-growing and youthful population, should however also be a key industrial powerhouse, not simply remain a provider of raw materials and commodities to the rest of the world. He also underscored the importance of more intense global cooperation in line with the proposal in the agreed G20 Action Plan to work together in areas, such as critical medical supplies and equipment, and in sustainable agriculture production, where investment is needed. South Africa, as the current chair of the African Union, has been leading in mobilising financial support to address the health as well as the economic crisis. The dtic said Africas ability to recover from the crisis will in large measure be dependent on moving up the value chain, advancing structural transformation and industrialisation in order to capture a larger share of the gains from trade. Minister Patel also emphasised the importance of digital platforms. We look to build African e-commerce platforms so that the next phase in economic history does not leave the continent to yet again being a consumer instead for being an innovator and producer, he said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alloysius Joko Purwanto and Panayotis Christidis (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Sevilla Alloysius Sat, May 16, 2020 13:13 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd87b006 3 Opinion European-Union,EU,ASEAN,Airlines,aviation-industry,travel,COVID-19,pandemic Free Following the COVID-19 outbreak, all 10 ASEAN countries have implemented strict air travel restrictions which prohibit the entry of foreign visitors. According to International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates, airlines in ASEAN countries may see their revenue drop by US$38 billion with a 49 percent fall in passenger demand in 2020 compared to 2019 combined with a potential loss of 7.2 million jobs. These estimates could be far worse depending on the observed affected markets, e.g. airports, tourism, etc., and on further measures such as the restriction on domestic trips in the Philippines and Indonesia. The scale of these impacts, far greater than those of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) pandemic that hit the region in 2003, would be catastrophic for operators. Small- and medium-sized airlines in other parts of the world including Flybe in the United Kingdom, Trans State and Compass Airlines in the United States, and Virgin Australia, have already filed for bankruptcy due to the pandemic. The CAPA Center for Aviation has warned that unless government and industry take coordinated actions by the end of May-2020, most airlines in the world will be bankrupt. Despite many uncertainties, global travel demand will probably bounce back, at least partially, by the second semester of the year and the aviation industry will experience some recovery. Nevertheless, passenger demand could be much lower than the forecasts, as the economic impacts on of the pandemic on ASEAN countries will be significant. The lower demand may eliminate smaller operators and less-established routes. While lower demand is economically bad for hub airports and bigger airlines, some smaller point-to-point direct routes may disappear completely under this situation, and instead shift to hubs resulting in the consolidation of bigger hubs and airlines. At the same time, some smaller hubs would lose the critical mass to allow efficient transit operations and would be limited to serving mainly point-to-point connections. For ASEAN countries, this consolidation and dispersion should affect both intra-regional and long-distance (intercontinental) air passenger trips. First, for intra-regional ASEAN air trips, the consolidation might reduce the number of airlines that compete in the heavy traffic routes such as between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta or Singapore. The impact can also be significant domestically in the Philippines and Indonesia, where domestic travel restrictions affect some heavy traffic routes. In those two countries, the need to decrease fixed operational costs in the low demand period would push low-cost carriers to adapt their operation, meaning cancelling of some lower demand connections and/or abandoning some smaller hub airports. Second, intercontinental traffic is impacted more severely than intra-regional trips in terms of passenger demand, financial loss and recovery time. Currently, the drop in intercontinental demand is caused by travel restrictions, but in the future, this demand will remain low mostly due to the severely damaged economic sector. According to a recent report of the International Air Transport Association, international traffic demand dropped 65.5 percent for Asia-Pacific airlines in March 2020 compared to March 2019 which is the highest drop among the world regions. However, despite some decrease in traffic, airlines from Gulf and Middle East regions, as well as hub airports of those regions, should be able to maintain their domination whilst smaller operators from Asia Pacific will face significant difficulties in maintaining operations in those corridors. One strategy that can address the impact of low demand on ASEAN carriers would be the adoption of agreements between ASEAN and other world regions such as the on-going ASEAN-European Union Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement (EUCATA). The ASEAN-EU CATA negotiation between the European Commission and ASEAN was initiated in June 2016 and as of August 2019, eight rounds of CATA negotiations have been conducted. ASEAN-EU CATA will be the first block-to-block agreement at an intercontinental scale and will cover a wide range of gradual regulatory convergence: market access, safety, security, air traffic management, social, consumer and environmental protection, fair competition etc. This agreement should help ASEAN Aviation industry recovery in two aspects. First, the agreement should improve the right to fly between countries, or what the International Civil Aviation Organization classifies as the 5th Freedom, for both ASEAN and EU carriers. For example, ASEAN carriers that fly from Chiang Mai to Amsterdam with a stop in Paris will be allowed to pick-up passengers and cargo for the leg between Paris and Amsterdam a freedom that does not currently exist. Similarly, EU carriers will be able to fly from Dusseldorf in Germany to Surabaya, Indonesia with a stop in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, or Jakarta. The agreement would lift existing restrictions on code-sharing agreements between the respective states carriers, permitting them to code-share freely on trunk routes as well as on each others regional and domestic networks. This is expected to increase the "point-to-point" traffic in both ASEAN and EU countries, thus strengthening the position of both regions airports, creating additional demand that can help build the critical mass for new connections, including reopening connections abandoned during the pandemic. Second, concerning airline consolidation, ASEAN-EU CATA will eliminate market access limitations. More ASEAN and EU airlines shall be able to enter existing hub-to-hub operations to compete with the current players, for example the Middle East and Gulf-based operators. The creation of new joint-venture operations should allow competing players on hub-to-hub routes to cooperate and engage in joint marketing and revenue-sharing, which can reduce shares of existing dominant players while at the same time decreasing average travel costs. Finally, the entrance of foreign operators into ASEAN domestic air operations should not be seen as a loss of sovereignty. It is a fast and realistic strategy to recover the entire aviation industry while at the same time sustaining connectivity within the ASEAN region to maintain the competitiveness of regional production networks and the attractiveness of the region as an investment destination. The strategy would also increase regional air transport market competition - improving efficiency and bringing down costs. ASEAN countries on the other hand might need to set up cabotage principles that ensure certain minimum of domestic shares ownership of the foreign companies and must elaborate and implement high market entrance standards in areas such as safety and security. *** Joko Purwanto is energy and transport economist at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Jakarta. Panayotis Christidis is senior researcher at the European Commission, Joint Research Center, Seville, Spain. The views expressed are their own. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Prominent human rights activist Loujain Alhathloul has spent two years in a Saudi prison, her trial now indefinitely postponed because of the coronavirus. Alhathloul, a graduate of the University of British Columbia, has been detained since May 2018, when she was arrested in Saudi Arabia along with nine other women's rights activists. The women were first accused of trying to destabilize the country using foreign funding. Since then, those charges have been changed to communicating with foreign journalists and attempting to apply for a job at the United Nations. Alhathloul's brother, Walid Alhathloul, said the family has been unable to visit her since March because of the country's coronavirus lockdown. Those visits have been replaced by a weekly phone call on Sundays, which Walid Alhathloul says are heavily monitored and can be ended arbitrarily. "She claims to be fine. We can only judge from the tone of her voice and it doesn't sound like she's really doing well," he said, speaking from his own self-isolation in Toronto. "Of course, because it's monitored she can't say any negative thing of what is happening inside the prison." Walid Alhathloul said he fears COVID-19 has now indefinitely put off a process that had already been repeatedly postponed without explanation. The number of coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia passed 50,000 on Saturday. Loujain Alhathloul/Facebook "We don't know where the case is going ... when it comes to understanding the outcome of the trial, it's very hard to predict that because we are dealing with people who are unpredictable," he said, adding the family's hope is that they can keep the case in the public eye. In late April, the kingdom announced two changes to the law, banning flogging as a punishment and doing away with the death penalty for crimes committed by minors. These challenges follow a number of human rights reforms, including allowing women the right to drive, and allowing women to travel abroad and obtain a passport without the permission of a male relative. Story continues But the reforms have not yet reached Alhathloul's case. "I have to be optimistic. If I'm not optimistic, I wouldn't be able to accomplish anything. So I have to be ... The good thing is Loujain is still being remembered." Allegations of torture Early in her detention Alhathloul told her family she'd been held in solitary confinement and suffered electrocution, flogging, and sexual assault. The family says her treatment has since improved. Alhathloul, who turned 30 in Ha'er Prison in August, was a well-known activist known for her vivacity and spirit even prior to her high-profile arrest. In 2014, following her graduation from UBC, Alhathloul was arrested for live-streaming herself breaking Saudi Arabia's female driving ban by driving across the border from the United Arab Emirates. The stunt, which captured the world's attention, earned her 70 days of detention. She followed that up by running in Saudi Arabia's first election open to women. When, after 14 months of detention, she was offered a deal that would have let her walk free if she posted a video statement denying that she'd been tortured, she tore it up. The Alhathloul family members who remain in Saudi Arabia have been put under a travel ban, preventing Loujain, her sister, brother, and parents from leaving the country. Her two sisters in Brussels and Walid, in Canada, have been unable to visit Saudi Arabia, fearing they would be unable to leave. As international borders close to stem the spread of COVID-19, it's a situation people around the world can relate to a little more. "We have built some sort of [ability] to cope with everything that's going on with COVID," said Walid Alhathloul. "It was a good exercise to be ready for the worst." REVOLT IN RIDLEY I agree with Overtaxed in Ridley about raising school taxes. If anything, we should be getting a tax cut. Come on, people of Ridley, lets unite against this tyranny. How many millions has the district saved since schools have been closed? Im tired of working to pay higher taxes! FED UP DO UNTO OTHERS I wish there was a way to assure that all those protesting and claiming it is against their human rights to be forced to abide by stay-at-home guidelines, wear masks and practice social distancing were only putting each other at risk. But there is no way that is possible. CAREFUL HECK OF A JOB, DONNIE! New CV-19 cases in South Korea on May 5-6 5. New CV-19 cases on those dates in the U.S. 41,438! Both countries had their first CV-19 case on Jan. 20. The U.S. population is 6-1/2 times South Koreas. If both governments were performing equally, the U.S. should have had approximately 33 new CV-19 cases. Do you still believe President Incompetent is doing an amazing, terrific, wonderful, etc. (his words!) job? I bet you wont get this info on Faux News!!! BILL FROM BROOMALL STUPID AND GREEDY An article in the Times about Elon Musk being a champion for businesses defying the shutdown orders shows that greed can make even people who are as rich as he is really, really stupid. Because later in the article, it even says Anthony Fauci has said that opening too soon will cause some suffering and death that could be avoided. So as rich as Elon Musk is, apparently greed has made him stupid, just like its making all kinds of people all over the country stupid. BUT BENGHAZI I am really sick of hearing from Obamas big mouth. Hes speaking now because he knows hes the center of the corruption with Michael Flynn and thats just one big major cover-up that hes involved in, helping ill Hillary with her email scandal, covering up in Benghazi, campaigning for a second term instead of helping our ambassador in Benghazi. He was murdered and lets not forget Obama helping Eric Holder cover up Fast and Furious, giving guns to Mexican illegals and then used against our border patrol agents. So Obama is scared now and, as usual, hes trying to blame everybody else for the Michael Flynn injustice. But Im not believing a word that comes out of Obamas mouth. He never could be truthful, so why would he start now? BIG BAD WOLF Its time for dictator Wolf to open up the stores and restaurants of Pennsylvania. I live across the street from Taylor Hospital. At last count they only had 65 patients but have a capacity of 280. They had a coronavirus testing site and there were never more than two cars ever in there. They closed it down because there wasnt anybody to test. Lets get on the ball. Wolf has probably never even been here in Delaware County. BUMBLING JOE Aside from my political opinion, I think Joe Biden has a real health issue! He cant complete a sentence without bumbling it! His thoughts are all over the place and he appears to be really struggling. Get help, Mr. Biden! You are not strong enough to run for president! GETTING REAL IN BROOKHAVEN SCANLON DELIVERS To all those idiots in Delaware County who keep ripping Mary Gay Scanlon: Once again, she is proving what a hard and tireless worker she is for the people in Delaware County, seeking medical supplies of we need here. She has written letters to HHS and the Emergency Management Agency administrator to try to get these things here. So dont tell me that Mary Gay Scanlon does not do anything for the people of Delaware County. LOCK HIM UP Michael Flynn lied to the FBI and the vice president. He should rot behind bars. You or I would. Equal justice for all. ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE! Maybe the Beatles knew something we didnt know back in the 60s! Lets apply it today and make the world a better place! JF Prince William and Kate Middleton seem to have a strong, honest marriage for the most part. But while the two were dating (and even once during their marriage), William came tremendously close to cheating on his queen according to reports. People close to the prince have seen various times when hes done questionable things with other women, all while still with Kate. Prince William and Kate Middleton | Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images William reportedly spent time with an American heiress while dating Kate While William was in school, he got to know American heiress Anna Sloan. Sloan was studying at University of Edinburgh, and she and William met through mutual friends. Sloan had lost her father recently when the two met, and they reportedly bonded over losing a parent. Then, Sloan invited William on a trip to Tennessee with her and a few friends, and he went. According to royal biographer Katie Nicholl, Kate was deeply hurt by William vacationing with another woman. Though friends reported that Sloan was not interested in William in that way, it still left Kate speculating what had happened on the trip. Kate and William eventually split shortly after. Prince William and Kate Middleton arriving to announce their engagement in 2010 | Samir Hussein/WireImage RELATED: Kate Middleton Reportedly Became a Huge Party Girl After Her 2007 Breakup with Prince William The prince allegedly had a questionable night at a club By 2007, William and Kate had already broken up once, and it looked like things were heading in that direction once again. William had bowed out of Kates family vacation around the holidays, and it wasnt a good look for the couple. Plus, the two were living hours apart, since William was doing military training. William and his friends and decided to attend Boujis, a club in London, one night in 2007. Things were clearly not looking great for William and Kates future, as William had made a trip back to London to go clubbing with friends but never made time to see his girlfriend. William ran into trouble at the club when a woman named Tess Shepherd arrived. Katie Nicholl reported that the two ended up dancing the night away and were very close to each other. It certainly wasnt a good move, considering William should have been with Kate. RELATED: Prince William Broke Up With Kate Middleton Over the Phone in 2007: It Isnt Fair to You Prince William once grabbed another womans breast at a club Williams clubbing days didnt stop at Boujis, despite that he had gotten too close with another woman. Shortly after that night, William went out to another nightclub, where he was reportedly flirting with various women. And the paparazzi captured him with his arm around Brazilian model Ana Ferreira; in the image, it appeared that Williams hand was grabbing Ferreiras breast. Hed spent the night dancing with other women, and when the photos were revealed, Kate saw them. It proved to be the last straw in their relationship, and the two took a break shortly after. There were rumors about William stepping out with Rose Hanbury In 2019, William was at the center of cheating rumors after a story broke that hed stepped out on Kate with family friend Rose Hanbury. The two had allegedly had dinner together one night while Kate was away, and things supposedly turned into a full on affair. William and Kate hardly acknowledged the affair rumors, suggesting that it might have been something entirely made up by the tabloids. Its a situation where we will likely never know the truth, but it certainly wasnt the first time William was caught up in a scandal with another woman. PATNA: Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has completed the evaluation of copied and is expected to release the Bihar Board Class 10 board results anytime soon. However, the final date for the result announcement has not been announced by the BSEB so far. The results would be made available by BSEB on its official website - biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in. Students who have appeared for the Bihar Board Class 10 matric examination will also be able to check their Bihar 10th Result 2020 via SMS. BSEB chairman Anand Kishore had earlier said that 10-15 days will be required to complete the post-evaluation process. Kishore, however, added that if the declaration of 10th result 2020 gets delayed due to coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown then the BSEB Matric Result 2020 will be announced in the first week of June. Interested students can check their results by visiting on these websites: biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in, onlinebseb.in, bsebresult.online, bsebonline.org, biharboard.online. Earlier, the verification process of Class 12 toppers was conducted through WhatsApp video call, the result of which was announced on 24 March. A total of 80.44 percent of the students passed the intermediate examination this year, with Neha Kumari achieving the first rank of 476. After the Bihar Board evaluation process, the verification process of the toppers will begin. The verification process of toppers is done so that there is no mistake in the results of Bihar Board 10th. Students of both class 10th and 12th will get their mark-sheet in August or the latest by September. The chairman of Bihar Board had stated that the marksheet is printed in Delhi and the process will start as soon as the lockdown is lifted. Around 15 lakh students appeared for the Bihar class 10 matric examination for the academic year 2019-20. The examination was conducted by the Bihar Board from February 17 to February 24. Last year, the Bihar Board Result pass percentage was 80.73 per cent. Hitting out at the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress and Samajwadi Party termed the death of 24 migrant workers in a road accident in Auraiya on Saturday "murders", while the BSP asked parties in power to rise above petty politics and ensure the safety of migrants trying to return home amid the lockdown. The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Congress accused the state government of being insensitive towards the plight of migrant workers and demanded Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's resignation over the incident. At least 24 migrant workers were killed and 36 injured when a trailer rammed into a stationary truck, both carrying passengers, on a highway near Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh in the early hours of Saturday. Some of the workers coming from Delhi had stopped for tea when the accident occurred between 3 am and 3.30 am on the Auraiya-Kanpur Dehat stretch of National Highway 19, police said. Most of those killed were from Jharkhand and West Bengal, and some from Kushinagar in eastern Uttar Pradesh, officials said. In a tweet, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed sorrow over the deaths and prayed for the injured, and said, "Let's see for how long those heartless people and their supporters would justify this negligence despite knowing everything. These are not deaths but murders." He also announced that his party would give Rs 1 lakh to the family of each of the deceased. "The of the death of migrant labourers while returning homes is heart-wrenching. These are the people who run their homes. Hence, the Samajwadi Party will give Rs 1 lakh to the family of each of the deceased," Yadav said. He accused the BJP-led state government of being "pitiless" and urged it to take moral responsibility for the incident. "The pitiless BJP government must take moral responsibility, and provide Rs 10 lakh to each of the family of the deceased," Yadav said. Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati asked Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to ensure that his directives on the safety of stranded labourers returning home were being implemented by the officials. She asked parties in power at the Centre and different states to rise above petty politics in this hour of crisis and ensure the safety of the migrants trying to make their way home amid the coronavirus-forced lockdown. "It was only yesterday that I saw the Uttar Pradesh chief minister announcing on TV that all necessary arrangements for migrants are being made. But it seems that officials are not implementing those at ground level which led to a major accident in the state and this is most unfortunate," Mayawati said in a statement. Had the officials made arrangements for their food and other things they would not have got down at a tea stall in Auraiya, she said demanding strict action against the officials who have failed to fulfil their responsibility. The BSP supremo also asked the Central and state governments and the Railways to be serious over the issue of sending migrants home safely. "The BJP and Congress are levelling charges against each other. Politics in the name of migrant labourers is not right. Congress governments in states should take care of this issue in their states. Labourers of Punjab and Haryana crossing the river in Saharanpur to reach home. Be it the Congress or BJP government they should send migrants home safely. But they are not paying attention to it," Mayawati said. She also appealed to migrant labourers not to try to reach home on foot, instead wait for buses and trains. "Instead of walking home, they should go to the nearest railway station. Then the government will be forced to make arrangements for them," she said. UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu too said that it was "not an accident, but murder." "The chief minister should resign. This government is insensitive towards the (plight of) migrant labourers. Where have all the buses gone, which the UP Government claims have been pressed into service to send the migrant labourers home? The entire country is seeing this," he told PTI. "The accident is very unfortunate and saddening. I express condolence for the loss of lives, and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured persons," the state Congress chief said. Lallu also said, "Yesterday, the UP chief minister had said that buses have been pressed into service so that migrant labourers can reach their homes. He has been saying this for some time, but then who is responsible for this accident. The chief minister is responsible for the accident." The UP government meted out inhuman treatment to the migrant labourers by compelling them to walk home, he said and demanded Rs 20 lakh ex gratia for the kin of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh to the injured. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Henry Harry Gleeson was hanged for murder on April 23, 1941, and he went to the gallows protesting his innocence. In his jail cell at Mountjoy Prison on the eve of his death, he told his junior counsel Sean MacBride: I pray tomorrow that whoever did it will be discovered and that the whole thing will be like an open book. It would be 74 years before his name was cleared, when he became the first person in the history of the state to be granted a posthumous pardon. In 1940, he had found his neighbour Mary Moll McCarthy shot dead in a field in Marlhill, near New Inn, Co Tipperary. Gardai claimed that he had killed her to stop his uncle finding out that they had been in a relationship and disinheriting him. Gleeson vehemently denied this but at the Central Criminal Court in February 1941, he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. The Department of Justices landmark decision in 2015 to overturn his conviction came after years of pressure. Books and news reports had outlined inconsistencies in the case against him. But it wasnt until the foundation of the Justice for Harry Gleeson group in 2012 that the call reached a critical mass. This intensified when the group contacted the Irish Innocence Project, a branch of the international Innocence Network, based at Griffith College in Dublin. The projects goal is to help the wrongly convicted prove their innocence. We would not have been able to do it without them, says Kevin Gleeson, grandnephew of Gleeson and member of the Justice for Harry Gleeson group. They were a huge, huge asset. A phrase we used a good few times was that they were the key to a locked door. The expertise they brought to the table, their direction and how they approached the whole thing definitely made the difference. We had the knowledge, we brought the story to them and they were able to build this case and highlight this huge miscarriage of justice. The projects exploits have become the subject of a Netflix documentary series, The Innocence Files. Capitalising on audiences seemingly bottomless appetite for true crime, the show examines the groundbreaking work of the original Innocence Project in the US. What sets the series apart from its genre stablemates is the vital nature of the projects work, both in getting wrongful convictions overturned and in campaigning for criminal justice reform. Founded in 1992 by lawyers Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck, the Innocence Project investigates suspected miscarriages of justice, including the cases of prisoners on death row. Expand Close Innocent: Henry 'Harry' Gleeson, right, was hanged for murder in 1941 and given a posthumous pardon in 2015 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Innocent: Henry 'Harry' Gleeson, right, was hanged for murder in 1941 and given a posthumous pardon in 2015 In depicting the painstaking work the project does, The Innocence Files lays bare some shocking failings in the American justice system. It is also deeply moving, following the lives of Innocence Project clients who have been exonerated and showing in heartbreaking detail the toll that wrongful convictions have taken on victims and families. The Gleeson case marked an early significant win for the Irish Innocence Project, setting a precedent in Irish law and helping his family find some closure. The Irish Innocence Project now has 40 active cases, dealing mainly with major crimes such as homicide, sexual violence and serious harm against the person or property. It receives institutional support from Griffith College and Trinity College Dublin. There is a steady demand for the projects advocacy and investigative services in Ireland. Clients are typically in prison or have been released and want to clear their name. Unlike the US system, where the project can litigate as well as build cases, under Irish law, external legal representatives must be the ones who take the cases to court. We have cases of a very significant vintage," says Dr Edward Mathews, director of the Irish Innocence Project. Some are quite old. We only deal with cases through the Irish legislative context when the [right to] appeal has been exhausted. We also have people who have not been released from prison who otherwise would have been released because they are not in a position to say to the authorities, Well, I admit my guilt and thus I should be treated more fairly in the remission system. We have people who were convicted decades ago, people convicted in the last decade and other people who have been convicted in the last number of years. One of the most striking aspects of The Innocence Files is how it shows the fallibility of evidence that is often regarded as sacrosanct, such as eye-witness identification. We are all familiar with climatic courtroom scenes where a key witness takes the stand, to be asked by the prosecution if the person they saw committing a crime is in the room. If the witness points to the defendant, it seals their guilt. In reality, this kind of identification is far from straightforward. ID evidence is universally suspect, Mathews says. Even the most genuine of people, who have no grudge to bear, in the most genuine of circumstances, will say and have said X person was seen doing X thing and it has later become apparent through other more objective evidence, if you like, that they were simply mistaken. They didnt set out to do this in a malignant way. Its a systemic failure of the human system. The system of laws and their operation are human systems they are not machines. Mathews describes another issue that the Innocent Project has encountered around the world: In any investigative force, you can have tunnel vision, where there is a focus on a particular suspect. Then what you have are confirmatory activities which follow on from that. These seek to confirm the suspicion you have, as opposed to seeking perhaps to fully investigate all of the possibilities which might emerge in terms of the variety of suspects. The Innocence Project was formed in 1989, three years after the first DNA exoneration in the US. Internationally, DNA evidence has been a game-changer, both in terms of how guilty individuals are identified and how innocent prisoners are freed. Here is a scientific method that can conclusively link an individual to a crime, or rule them out. Unsurprisingly, DNA evidence is a key tool in the Innocence Projects arsenal. Yet for prisoners in Ireland, trying to access DNA testing to clear their name is much more complicated than in many other jurisdictions. We have a particular difficulty in Ireland, Mathews says. There is no statutory requirement to preserve evidence post-trial for further testing and then there is no statutory right to access evidence post-conviction for testing. Advances in DNA testing occur all the time. This means Irish prisoners who cannot automatically access biological evidence for retesting or for whom biological evidence has not been stored post-conviction face a major disadvantage. Mathews cites the hypothetical example where a sample that was identified as containing only the victims DNA at the original trial is later found, through more advanced testing, to contain another persons profile. DNA evidence To have DNA evidence re-tested, Irish prisoners need to first make a very strong case for their innocence. This can be a lengthy and onerous task. It essentially means that when you launch your miscarriage-of-justice application, you have to have your entire case made and say, the last thing I need is this piece of DNA evidence, Mathews says. He argues that it should be the other way around. In fact, DNA evidence is what you need to start to build the case to say that the other elements of the evidence need to be looked at in a different light. The Innocence Files sheds light not only on shortcomings in the legal system but also the devastating impact these can have on peoples lives. It is something Mathews has seen firsthand in Ireland: We often meet people enduring mental illness because of what they have gone through. They have been shunned by their communities. The thing about criminal law, and in particular its operation for serious offences, is that it is the most censorial and stigmatising social system we have in our society. The sense of exclusion that they feel, the sense of shame and embarrassment, the impact that it has on their ability to work, the impact that it has on their family relationships or friends and the community the isolation is huge and ultimately that takes a very substantial toll on their health and their wellbeing and their physical health and mental health over many years. Mathews is keen to stress the important work done by the gardai and the judicial system. In regard to policy and processes, specifically the situation with DNA testing, he emphasises the need for every criminal justice system to operate at all times to convict only the guilty while also being aware that it can make mistakes and convict the innocent. This is something, he says, that makes the safe storage of and access to biological evidence all the more important. The [legal] system is made up of human beings and processes which inherently can have mistakes within them, Mathews says,and thus we should do what is necessary to ensure that when such a grave mistake happens that it is identified and it is remedied. For those helped by the Innocence Project in Ireland and beyond, or indeed for anyone concerned with justice, it is a sentiment that resonates. In the clear: landmark US cases 1 In 1998, Texan John Nolley was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Sharon McLane, who was found stabbed 57 times in her apartment. Much of the prosecution's case against him was based on the testimony of informers who claimed they heard him making incriminating statements. The reinvestigation of his case by the Innocence Project brought to light evidence that resulted in his release in 2016 and full exoneration two years later. In the aftermath, Texas legislatures passed laws regulating the use of jailhouse informant testimony, the strongest of their kind anywhere in the US. 2 In 2016, a Massachusetts court vacated charges against George Perrot for a 1985 sexual assault. The ruling marked the first time a US court had comprehensively reviewed incorrect testimony given by a FBI agent in relation to hair samples. The agent was judged to have overstated the hair samples' importance in linking Perrot to the crime scene. The Innocence Project estimates that inaccurate microscopic hair analysis contributes to about 20pc of the exonerated DNA cases in the US. 3 The stories of Mississippi men Levon Brooks and Kennedy Brewer feature in The Innocence Files. Both were imprisoned in the 90s, Brooks for the rape and murder of a three-year-old girl, Brewer for the murder of his girlfriend's three-year-old daughter. Brooks was sentenced to life and Brewer to death, until the Innocence Project proved the unreliability of the DNA evidence used to convict them. The project's work on their cases called into serious question the scientific validity of bite-mark evidence. Both were released in 2008. Rome: With its economy crashing from the fallout of coronavirus pandemic, Italy is turning to an unlikely saviour to rescue its harvests of fresh food: illegal immigrants. Despite the rise in anti-immigrant sentiment in recent years, Agriculture Minister Teresa Bellanova successfully shepherded through a controversial plan: to give six-month work permits to hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants from Africa and eastern Europe and let them help with harvests. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte's government approved the measure on Wednesday in the face of opposition from one of the main parties in the ruling coalition, Five Star. Italy is a facing a massive seasonal labor shortage at a time when the European Commission forecasts its economy will shrink 9.5 per cent this year while Bloomberg Economics sees a 13 per cent contraction. Lockdowns and border closures designed to fight the pandemic are stopping the hundreds of thousands of foreign workers who normally come to Italy each year during harvest time. "I can't see any logic in opposing such a measure of legality and equality," Bellanova, who began working as an agricultural labourer at the age of 14, said at a press conference on Wednesday. She previously threatened to step down if the cabinet didn't approve it. A man from Detroit faces a terrorism charge after making credible threats to kill the governor of Michigan and the state attorney general, the Wayne County Prosecutors Office has said. Robert Tesh, 32, is alleged to have made the threats against governor Gretchen Whitmer and Dana Nessel, the attorney general, to an acquaintance via social media on 14 April. Mr Tesh, who was arrested later that day at his home, has now been charged with false report of threat of terrorism. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutor Kym Worthy described the case as a very disturbing scenario, adding that threats against any public official carrying out their duties would not be tolerated. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Ms Worthy said: You can disagree with their positions or their methodology, but you absolutely cannot act as this defendant allegedly acted or you will be charged criminally. Maria Miller, a spokeswoman for the Wayne County Prosecutors Office, said on Friday the threats were not specifically about the governors stay-at-home orders. Prosecutors have not given specific details about the content of Mr Teshs messages or about which social media platforms he used to send them. Recommended Michigan Governor Whitmer faces dozens of death threats on Facebook Ms Whitmer has received dozens of death threats posted on Facebook groups with thousands of members, some of whom appear to be linked to the armed protesters that have been demonstrating against lockdown outside the state Capitol in Lansing. More protests are planned for this weekend. Last week, the governor told ABC News that some lawmakers have decided to wear bulletproof vests as a precaution when they go to the state Capitol. According to the Associated Press, the governor said on Friday: It is never acceptable to make threats of violence to anyone, but our officeholders as well. She added that officials take threats very seriously. Baghdad/Xinhua/UNI: Two security members were killed and three others wounded Saturday in an attack by Islamic State (IS) militants in Salahudin province in northern Iraq, a provincial police source said. The extremist IS militants opened fire from their assault rifles on a joint police and army checkpoint on a main road in south of the provincial capital Tikrit, located about 170 km north of Baghdad, Mohammed al-Bazi told Xinhua. The attack resulted in the killing of a soldier and a policeman and the wounding of three security members, al-Bazi said, adding that the attackers fled the scene to nearby orchards. The security situation in Iraq has been improving since Iraqi security forces fully defeated the IS militants across the country late in 2017. However, IS militants are still able to hide in deserts, rugged areas as well as in Himreen mountain range which extends in the provinces of Diyala, Salahudin and Kirkuk, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians despite repeated operations to hunt them down. How Books and Buckets program in Long Beach aims to keep kids away from gang violence In these overstuffed days when department stores stock mass-produced macrame wall hangers, and Marie Kondo has transcended personhood to become a verb (as in, "I Marie-Kondo-ed the f--- out of that jumpsuit"), it could be said that our relationship to things has become a tad cavalier. Thankfully Craft Victoria's latest exhibition has arrived to cure us of our consumptive malaise. Liz Jones presents her fathers drill and drill bits, along with her map of Australia made from vintage linoleum in The Meaning of Things. Credit:Craft Victoria Bryony Nainby: ''We deal with objects every day and what stands out is how attached people can be.'' Credit:Craft Victoria The Meaning of Things is a digital "wunderkammer", a collection of objects from makers and appreciators presented along with the stories that give them meaning. The exhibits range from the exotic to the everyday, with all stopping-off points in between. Human beings have always made things: we keep items because we are sentimental, or they fulfil some need, provide hope or comfort. This exhibition shows how objects can make, shape and change us. Executive director Bryony Nainby conceived of the project to commemorate Craft Victoria's 50th anniversary. "Over that time there's been thousands of people involved in the organisation, so we wanted to do something open to everybody. We deal with objects every day and what stands out is how attached people can be. We wanted to explore those emotional connections. It doesn't matter if the object is humble, it's about the story that goes with it." Ramsgrange students at the YSI Speak Out Tour in Kilkenny earlier this year. PHOTO BY AILEEN OHAGAN Ramsgrange CS students have won the All Ireland Young Social Innovator (YSI) prize for a project aimed at helping fishermen access life saving Personal Locator Beacon (PLBs). Transition Year students Alfie Doherty, Ellie Mason, Lily Sinnott, Brian Doyle, Sara-Jane Kenny, Jack Boyd, Brian Foley, Evan Fitzpatrick, Jamie Foley and Jack Nolan worked together on the project for the Health and Wellbeing category. Like many TY students, they started their YSI class in September and in January they came up with the project 'Safety at Sea'. Living in a fishing community where two lives had recently been lost at sea, the ten classmates knew that raising awareness about the importance of safety at sea, and wearing a Personal Locator Beacon, would greatly help the fishermen in their community. Ellie Mason, whose father Pat is a fisherman, said the students were all concerned that fishermen were risking their lives every day, going to work and providing for their families, in some cases without the correct protective equipment. They felt passionate about tackling this issue and were confident they could make an impact. Ellie said: 'Our aim was to raise awareness about PLBs. When a boat goes down, the life-jacket inflates and the PLB will activate upon [the vessel] hitting the water. We want to get as many fishermen as possible wearing them and will use the project to ask the Government to help fund them as they are expensive (around 150 a year), but fishermen can get them cheaper through BIM if they do a course.' The student's research began with interviews with the local RNLI station in Fethard, the Coast Guard, and the Rescue 117 helicopter crew in Waterford. The team quickly realised that there were several roadblocks to fishermen acquiring PLBs, namely the training required - which would mean time off work - and also the cost of maintenance of the PLBs. While the PLBs themselves were free-of-charge, maintenance could cost over 150 per year. With the goal of supporting fishermen and ensuring the supply and maintenance of PLBs, they set about fundraising in their community and raising awareness. They planned a coffee morning in their school and invited councillors and TDs, the RNLI, the Coast Guard, the rescue helicopter crew, local fishermen and their families, members of the local rowing club, along with other students, teachers and the principal and vice-principal. They hoped that bringing these groups together would help to address the issue and encourage collaboration to improve the situation. Ellie said Deputy Verona Murphy was very helpful and donated 100, which the students will pass on to the RNLI. 'Fishing and the sea is in our blood. My Dad and my uncle fish and my Mam and I row. My classmate Alfie fishes too. 'It was amazing to win. Alfie called me and we were just screaming. We didn't expect to win the All Ireland,' she said. The Ramsgrange students were competing against hundreds of others and made it through to the final 40 before winning. Ellie said principal Rachel O'Connor and their teachers were very supportive. She said the win has given the students and school a great boost. 'It's quite difficult studying from home. It's very difficult to stay motivated but this has helped a lot.' Ms O'Connor said: 'The whole YSI group was inspired by this project. They developed a huge respect and admiration for the fishermen in their area and indeed, around the country. Their project also taught their wider school community about the importance of safety when out on the water, and to always wear the appropriate safety equipment when on a boat. Having reached out in their community to as many people as they could, they hoped that those who learned from them would in turn help to spread awareness of the importance of safety at sea.' Pakistan has reopened its major border crossings with Afghanistan in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces for trade and movement of people, according to an official notification issued on Saturday. The border crossings at Torkham in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Chaman in Balochistan were closed on March 27 as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. In April, they were opened for three days a week. According to the notification, a decision about the opening of the border was taken at the meeting of the National Command and Operation Center. Both the border crossings will remain open around the clock for six days except for Saturdays which will be reserved for pedestrian movements. The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) will be implemented for pedestrians as well, the notification added. During the six days, an unlimited number of trucks will be allowed to cross per day while ensuring proper SOPs and guidelines for both Afghan Bilateral Trade and Afghan Transit Trade. The decision has been hailed by the business community, terming it a milestone in promotion of trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As is the case with many of my fellow Alabamians, I am a strong supporter of President Trump in the substance of what he has accomplished but I am from time to time disappointed by his style. The Presidents repeated attacks on my old friend, Jeff Sessions, for recusing himself when he was Attorney General from an investigation in which he was also a subject and a witness are a good example. In addition to our friendship, I also have the perspective of being a member of the Alabama State Bar for more than fifty years. I therefore cannot stand mute as the President criticizes this highly respected member of the Alabama State Bar for courageously adhering to the rule of law. What adds to my frustration is the reality that Jeffs compliance with the law was essential to the favorable result of complete and wholly credible exoneration desperately needed by the President in the investigation of the charges of collusion by the Trump campaign with Russia. The Mueller Report stated, [T]he investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities. No one has even hinted that the Mueller Report should be dismissed as the product of bias in favor of the President. Had Jeff ignored ethical standards and led the investigation the media would have swiftly and derisively dismissed any ensuing exoneration as the product of pro-Trump bias. The charges of Russia collusion would then have been a large part, if not exclusively, the basis for the recent impeachment proceedings. The charges of collusion were never mentioned. These charges would also be an ongoing issue in the 2020 election; they are not mentioned because the Mueller Report came up empty. The ordeal of the Mueller investigation to which the President was exposed, while extremely painful, pales in comparison to the trauma of having had the issue of collusion the focus of the impeachment proceedings and then again front and center in the coming election. The Presidents wrath, while understandable, is, I respectfully submit, misplaced. His anger should not be directed toward Jeff; it should be focused entirely on the officials of the Obama administration who clandestinely set up the groundless allegations of Russia collusion in the days, weeks and months before Jeff became Attorney General and Donald Trump became President. We who support the Presidents agenda should be grateful to Jeff Sessions, the man whose faithful discharge of his duty made possible the Presidents complete and total exoneration by a panel not remotely subject to attack for bias. Jeffs courageous and selfless stance in support of the rule of law led to the conclusive rejection of the serious charge of corruption of a presidential election. His conduct incidentally benefitted the President but, most of all, it benefited the United States of America to whom his oath required faithful service. His adherence to the rule of law is a wonderful example for all members of the Alabama State Bar and is justifiable cause for great pride on the part of all Alabama citizens, regardless of political persuasion. Jeff deserves to be commended, not condemned. Champ Lyons, Jr. was an Associate Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court from 1998-2011. He is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Alabama School of Law. 1 of 1 Covid-19: US records 1,680 deaths in past 24 hours, toll now at 88,507 The United States recorded 1,680 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing its grim total to 88,507, according to the worldometers. The country - hardest hit by the pandemic in terms of the number of fatalities - has now confirmed a total of 1,484,287 cases. Globally, 4,647,960 people have been infected by coronavirus so far, and the total number of deaths from the disease now stands at 308,985. Brazilian Health Minister Nelson Teich has resigned after being in office for less than a month, even as the number of coronavirus cases continues to surge in the country. Teich became the second Brazilian health minister to resign after replacing Nelson Mandetta, who was at odds with Bolsonaro's decisions regarding the social distancing measures, The New York Times reported. "Life is made up of choices, and today I chose to leave," Teich was quoted as saying by NYT. "I didn't accept the job for the position itself. I accepted it because I thought I could help the country and its people." 6 more Covid-19 cases reported in Nepal today, taking the total number of cases in the country to 273: Nepal Health Ministry Singapore on Saturday reported 465 new COVID-19 cases, taking the country's total count to 27,356, with a senior minister warning that the city-state may see an increase in the number of infections when it allows more activities to resume from June 1. The majority of new cases are foreigners on work permits and residing in dormitories, said the Health Ministry, as it continues to test foreign workers. Four cases are Singapore citizens or permanent residents (foreigners), reported by the Ministry. Several Hong Kong residents who returned from South Africa this week lashed out at the governments decision to put them in quarantine camps, saying the move is unfair given South Africas low rate of confirmed Covid-19 cases. About 10 returnees were sent to a government-run center after they landed Thursday and werent allowed to self-isolate at home. They are being charged HK$200 ($26) a head per day in an apartment complex with no hot water or fridges, and given food they say is unedible. I would go as far as to suggest that the ignorance and prejudice in the decision has now resulted in a direct threat to our health and even our lives, said Colin Embree, a managing director at NBC Financial Markets Asia Ltd., a unit of National Bank of Canada. He is staying in a camp in the Yuen Long area with his family. Hong Kong is requiring residents returning from South Africa, India and three other countries to remain in these camps for 14 days, arguing that the testing rate per capita in these areas is relatively low. Residents arriving from countries like the U.S. and the U.K., which have many more deaths and confirmed cases, are allowed to isolate at home. Targeting Risk The government stresses that the quarantine arrangement targets the risk of infection but not the ethnicity of the returnees, it said in a statement Saturday. We will closely monitor the situation locally and overseas, and will review the arrangement as we gain more understanding about the test findings of recent returnees from South Africa. When asked about the living conditions, the health department said the quarantine centers are operated in compliance with infection control measures. Cleaning, disinfection and waste disposal will be carried out in accordance with the established procedures, according to the statement. The authority noted that the number of tests performed is about 6,800 per million population in South Africa, compared with about 32,000 in both the U.K. and the U.S. South Africa has recorded just 247 deaths, well below the more than 87,000 fatalities in the U.S. and 34,000 in the U.K., data from Johns Hopkins University show. South Africa Push The South African consul general in Hong Kong has said the decision is discriminatory and urged the government to remove it from the quarantine list given the countrys success in containing the virus, the South China Morning Post reported Friday. Other countries on the list include Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. The South African consulate didnt return an email seeking comment outside of business hours Saturday. Embree said his family is under a lot of stress, especially after a seven-week lock down in South Africa. The apartment theyre staying in lacks basic appliances like a fridge and microwave, and is full of dust and mold, he said in a phone interview. He and his family were tested for the virus at the airport and the results were negative. Other returnees from South Africa share similar frustrations. Delphine Yip-Horsfield, an architect, who came back to Hong Kong on the same flight as the Embree family via Doha, questions the governments decision. Why do returnees from the U.S., U.K. and Europe get to do home quarantines and do not need to go to government quarantine facilities when, without a doubt, they are clearly the highest risk groups? Yip-Horsfield said in a text message. We would gladly accept our fate if the numbers and facts correlate to the policy. Hong Kongs 23-day streak without a case of local coronavirus transmission came to an end last week, reflecting the challenge of eradicating a virus that can spread undetected through carriers with no symptoms. The case of a 66-year-old woman with no recent travel history dashed hopes that the city had successfully contained the virus after nearly four months of school closures and social distancing measures. The city has recorded just four deaths from the virus. Now read: What South Africans are buying since the ecommerce restrictions were lifted Bahrains fast-growing digital mobile only bank ila Bank, powered by Bank ABC, has signed an agreement with the Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) to enable customers to donate funds directly to the Foundations various initiatives through its newly launched Donate to Charity in-app feature. The ila customers will now be able to contribute directly to charitable causes supported by RHF, including orphan care, educational care, purchase of medical equipment, cancer patient treatment among others, said the bank in a statement. RHF has demonstrated its unwavering commitment towards supporting various communities in need across Bahrain. This tie-up with ila will go a long way in facilitating individual contributions to the Foundations initiatives and expediting relief for those most in need. It also ensures that users have access to support RHFs future ambitions. It covers all existing and future initiatives. On the agreement, CEO Mohamed Al Maraj said: "This agreement captures the essence of the ila brand which is about positive transformation, propelling individuals to reach the turning point in their lives and achieve their aspirations." The Donate to Charity app was introduced as part of the banks endeavour to continuously deploy seamless, smart banking solutions that simplify financial transactions and fulfil customer needs. "By enabling our community to contribute to RHFs existing and future initiatives, we hope to create a promising future for those in need and drive long-lasting positive change in Bahrain," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Back in the other world, before all was stilled, a neighbor in Colorado would tell me it was time for liberals to gun up. The other side was armed, he argued, and would stop at nothing. What would we tell our grandchildren when Ivanka Trump took office as the 46th president of the United States in 2025 and term limits were abolished? That we tried words, all manner of them, he scoffed, but they had the rifles. I waved him away. American democracy was not Hungarian democracy, now dead. Its checks and balances were resilient. Too many guns are an American scourge. No, he insisted, you will see by June 2020. Civil war, or something like it, is coming. Gun up, dude, before its too late. My neighbor did not predict the uniforms of Americas warring factions. How masks would become normative in Democratic strongholds like Telluride or Ridgway but be scorned in Colorado Trump country as the giveaway dress of the liberal egghead terrorized by the virus. The responsible crowd, with face half-hidden, confronting the unmasked live-free-or-die crowd across the vastness and fracture of an unled country. Once again, in this frayed Republic, there is scant middle ground. The virus is Godzilla destroying all before it. The virus is a myth, get over it. Biking onto the Manhattan Bridge I pass a new piece of graffiti: Bezos made the virus. SAGINAW, MI Saginaw County leaders approved an amended compensation plan that furloughs all nonessential county employees as well as essential employees who are working less than 40 hours a week. On Friday, May 15, the Saginaw County Board of Commissioners at its special meeting approved the amended compensation plan as well as a motion to lay off employees from two unions who have not yet agreed to furloughs for the employees they represent. Furloughs will impact 195 employees with an estimated savings of $53,500 per week for the county, according to Saginaw County Controller Robert Belleman. The county has over 500 employees. The compensation plan calls for the employees to be furloughed until the week of July 31. Employees are eligible for state unemployment benefits of up to $362 a week, in addition to a $600 weekly federal supplement from the CARES Act through the last week of July. The furloughs will save the county more than $500,000. Out of the six unions representing county employees, two have not signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Agreement document, which allows the county to furlough the employees. The employees are represented by the Police Officers Association of Michigan and Technical, Professional Officeworkers Association of Michigan. Both unions are represented by the same individual, said county officials. The motions allow us to proceed with layoffs of any of the employees within the POAM family division, probation and TPOAM contract according to their collective bargaining agreement, said Belleman. According to Belleman, if the county has to lay off the employees they will have to give workers a 10 business day notice, which would take effect June 1. They will ultimately lose their health care and other benefits, set forth in the collective bargaining agreement, Belleman explained. Employee affected by furloughs will have benefits remain intact, the controller said. The deadline to halt the layoffs and sign the agreement is Saturday, May 16, because the next day is when the second compensation plan expires, said Belleman. Dave Gilbert, civil counsel for the county, said the union leader requested more time to possibly negotiate the terms. As of 3 p.m. Friday, May 15, the document still hadnt been signed. Belleman explained there are several reasons to furlough the employees. One of the main reasons being the countys financial crisis which stems from the COVID-10 pandemic. Belleman said the county-wide cash receipts are down $2 million for April and March and the general fund revenue is down over $600,000 compared to last years income. Department heads have been working on a fiscal year 20-21 budget. General fund reflects a $3.7 million deficit, said Belleman. Other reasons contributing to the compensation plan includes the unknown status of state grants and projections of state revenue, Gov. Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home order and the County of Saginaw Re-establishment of Operations plan. A previous compensation plan gave full pay to full-time workers who could not work 40 hours because of the COVID-19, required working employees to submit a summary of work, and recognized full-time and part-time service workers with a one-time distribution of 120 hours of paid time off. Related news: Saginaw County to consider employee furloughs, reduced work hours due to budget concerns Saginaw County extends emergency declaration, offers employees new kinds of work to get paid President Moon Jae-in For President Moon Jae-in, June will be a crucial month in preparations for the post-coronavirus era and efforts to jump-start inter-Korean ties. He is setting his sights on a string of major projects in the coming month related to the economy and inter-Korean cooperation, while quarantine authorities here are struggling to contain COVID-19 amid concerns about new cluster infections in Seoul's nightlife district of Itaewon. Moon and his aides hope that the number of daily confirmed cases will drop back to single digits ahead of end-May, as they are seeking to launch a full-fledged drive the following month to reinvigorate the economy and inter-Korean relations. In early June, Moon's economy team plans to unveil its policy direction for the latter half of this year. A highlight would be details of Moon's Korean version of the New Deal. The concept is to seek a "Green New Deal" or "Digital New Deal," but details remain vague. Moon has ordered relevant ministries to draw up a comprehensive action plan and to report it to him by this weekend. They are the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. "Beginning in June, President Moon would like to focus on (taking) concrete measures to prepare for the post-coronavirus era. The new National Assembly is opening as well at a time when related legislative steps are necessary in addition to administrative ones," a Cheong Wa Dae official said. Moon expects a breakthrough in his attempt to improve the Seoul-Pyongyang relationship, with the two sides commemorating key joint anniversaries, such as the 20th anniversary of the June 15 summit accord and the 70th anniversary of the June 25 outbreak of the Korean War. South Korea hopes to organize relevant ceremonies with the North, which depends apparently on Pyongyang's attitude and coronavirus-related conditions. Moon has already proposed inter-Korean quarantine cooperation as a starting point for a broader range of partnerships including relinking cross-border railways and allowing South Koreans to make individual tours of the communist nation. He believes that Chinese President Xi Jinping could support the process, probably as a mediator. Cheong Wa Dae still hopes that Xi will travel to South Korea before the end of June as initially agreed. The best-case scenario is that he visits the South with a message from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un right after holding summit talks with him in Pyongyang, according to an informed source. Regarding the yearlong trade row with Japan, the government urged the neighboring country to retract export control measures by the end of June, according to another source. Tokyo initiated the retaliatory action in early July last year in protest against Seoul's handing of the wartime forced labor compensation issue. (Yonhap) BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16 By Sadraddin Agjayev - Trend: The volume of Internet usage in the daytime by subscribers of Azerbaijans BirLink provider, owned by Enginet LLC, during special quarantine regime significantly increased in Azerbaijan from March through April 2020, Public Relations and Communications Manager at ENGINET LLC Alina Khalafova told Trend. From March through April 2020, the traffic of usage of home internet by subscribers of the communication service provider increased by 15-20 percent compared to February 2020. The peak of activity was recorded for the period from 21:00 to 23:00 oclock, said Khalafova. In May 2020, the situation with the usage of Internet traffic in the daytime began to be near the mark, she said. Due to the quarantine regime and the concomitant active growth in internet usage, the number of user requests related to traffic consumption has also increased, added the public relations manager. In March-April 2020, the number of requests related to traffic usage increased by approximately 35-40 percent compared to January-February 2020, she noted. During the quarantine, BirLink provided its subscribers with the Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), as well as with the Film Library service, which includes more than 560 films of various genres in Russian, Turkish and English languages, said the manager. In the reporting months, subscribers preferred to watch old movies; however, but new films also were in demand, Khalafova noted. BirLink provides broadband multiservice access to high speed and stable Internet, digital (IP) telephony and television services. Trademark Birlink is owned by ENGINET, a leading telecom services provider offering conceptual IT system integration solutions in Azerbaijan. It specializes on the promotion of the advanced information technologies in the ICT & telecommunication services market of the country. --- Follow the author on Twitter: agdzhaev by Biju Veticad The huts, which serve as quarantine hubs, are a concrete sign of interfaith cooperation. They are meant for internal migrants coming home after losing their jobs. In Konsakhul, Christian residents have handed out fresh vegetables to thousands of Hindus and Muslims in nearby towns. Christians in Assam are helping out. Imphal (AsiaNews) In Tungjoy, a village in Senapati district (Manipur), residents have built 80 bamboo huts to quarantine people and contain the coronavirus. This is a concrete example of interfaith cooperation at such a time of crisis. The initiative, which has been reported nationwide, is for villagers coming home, regardless of their religious affiliation. In the past, Christians in Manipur (more than 40 per cent of the local population) were victims of numerous acts of violence. Today, in this part of India, the fight against the pandemic has brought together people from different faiths working together. In particular, the huts are meant for internal migrants coming home after losing their jobs as a result of the pandemic. Each one comes with a bed, bathroom, gas, electricity and running water. Everything was done without public funding. Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh complimented local residents, as did Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for the Development of the North-eastern Region. In Manipur interfaith cooperation against COVID-19 has taken many forms. In Konsakhul, a predominantly Christian village in Kangpoki district, people handed out fresh vegetables to thousands of Hindus and Muslims in nearby towns. The Catholic Church is at the forefront of helping people in need in northeastern India. Since early April, Archbishop John Moolachira of Guwahati (Assam) has extended the support of his archdiocese to people under social confinement. To this end, the prelate has met with the local governor, Jagdish Mukhi, to evaluate what steps could be taken and to coordinate the actions of the archdiocese with those of the state. Ms. Minamiguchi worries about getting infected at the supermarket. She is scared about what would happen to her children. Yet she said she wasnt sure her husband would help much even if he were home. Maybe in another family where the husband does more, she said, it would be different. Ms. Kataoka, too, sometimes frets about how her family would cope if she fell ill with the virus. She figured that listing all her household and child care tasks on the spreadsheet would ensure that her husband knew what to do if she were hospitalized. Mr. Kataoka says he has learned to consult the list for nudges. In the past, after dinner, I used to just sit there and do my own thing, he said. Now, the list says I should fold all the laundry. So I started to do that instead of killing time. He suspects that he may slip back into old routines when he resumes his regular work schedule and commute. Because I am here, I have more time to do housework, Mr. Kataoka said. But once I have to go back out and have to stay out late with work, I may not be able to do all these things. Hisako Ueno and Hikari Hida contributed reporting. Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Charles Owiredu, has averred that Africans living in China are no longer receiving harsh treatments from the Asian country. In April 2020, there was a widely reported mistreatment of Africans in China where the former were said to have been evicted from their homes, hotels and forced to sleep on the streets amid fear of imported Coronavirus cases. Viral videos also showed some Chinese mobs either beating some Africans they come across or refused them entry into Chinese shops. These acts sparked diplomatic anger accusing the Chinese of racism following the stigmatisation and discrimination faced by Africans. But according to Charles Owiredu, the incidents were as a result of miscommunications to which Chinese consulates to various African countries liaised with their government to resolve the issue. So far, I think that the matter has been adequately been sorted out. Initially, we dont know if it was as a result of miscommunication but there was this viral video going on in China that Africans were the cause of this so when it happened, most of the Chinese stated evicting the Africans who were occupying their homes. He added that once it got to us, we raised the matter with the Chinese authorities and as at today, I can confidently say that the matter has been resolved and Ghanaians are not being ejected. Africans are not been rejected as it was in the past. The Minister also cleared assumptions that Ghanaians stuck in foreign coutries have been stranded as a result of the extension of the border closure. According to him, If we say a Ghanaian is stranded, its not as if the Ghanaian is sitting somewhere on the streets. No. They are in their homes butMost of them are in their homes. They want an opportunity to come home. Thats all that they want they want us to open the borders for them and that means they are stranded because you cant live on the street. You cant even survive. Source: Ghanaweb 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 coronavirus pandemic has upended the international hierarchy. Three of the world's great powers - the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia - have the largest and most deadly outbreaks. Other major players on the world stage struggled with their initial responses. And China is on the defensive, as rivals levy blame for its lack of transparency. Some smaller countries, however, have gained newfound recognition as the world takes note of their early, and still tentative, successes. Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, put it this way: The largest and most powerful nations will need to study what went right among smaller and less powerful ones. "I'd like to paraphrase what Leo Tolstoy said, that all successful countries are alike; each unsuccessful country is unsuccessful in its own way," Huang said. Here's a look at seven examples. Georgia As the coronavirus rages in neighboring Russia, Georgia has emerged as an island of calm. The country of some 3.75 million has kept confirmed cases below 700, with 12 deaths, earning the World Health Organization's praise. Prompt government action, such as required temperature screenings at airports in late January and early restrictions on international travel, appear to have helped beat back the outbreak. With the pace of infections slowing and the country set to reopen for tourism, its ambassador to the United States, David Bakradze, said his office has been fielding travel and business requests from curious Americans. Georgia's small geographic size made it alert to inbound travel risks, Bakradze said, and the country had weathered so much since the Soviet Union's collapse that citizens were willing to make sacrifices, like accepting travel bans and a range of social control measures. "We are used to pulling together in tough times," he said. Vietnam Even among Asia's early coronavirus success stories, Vietnam is an outlier. It is not a wealthy democracy like South Korea, nor a highly developed city-state like Singapore, and it has nowhere near China's might. But Vietnam has marked only 318 known cases of coronavirus, around 50 of which are currently active, and no recorded community transmission in a month. The country officially has no confirmed deaths from covid-19. U.S. experts are impressed. "Vietnam has done an exemplary job of implementing public health measures to contain covid-19," said Matthew Moore, a Hanoi-based official with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pointing to Vietnam's rapid scale-up in laboratory testing and contact tracing. The country implemented "a broad-based communications strategy that builds public support," Moore wrote in an email, all the more notable in an authoritarian state with limited freedom of speech. The country is seeking an economic rebound as international trade moves away from China. It could work: Huong Le Thu, an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, wrote last month that the crisis "only strengthened Vietnam's international positioning and reputation, and boosted public confidence in the government." Ghana Experts worry that sub-Saharan Africa could be among the world's worst-hit by the pandemic. But more than three months in, some African nations appear to be faring better in some ways than their North American and European peers. In Ghana, a West African nation of some 30 million, the government has had more than 161,000 people tested, the region's second highest rate after South Africa. Ghana found plenty of cases - with over 5,600 infections and 28 deaths confirmed so far. But extensive testing allowed the country to track individual outbreaks, including one at a fish-processing plant where one person infected 533 others. The country's corps of community health workers have help it respond effectively. The WHO is studying some of Ghana's techniques, including the potentially time saving practice of "pool testing," in which multiple blood samples are tested together and only processed separately if a positive result is found. Osman Dar, the director of the Global Health Program at Chatham House, a London-based think thank, said Ghana has benefited from its demographics - the country is overwhelmingly young, with just 3% of the population more than 65 years old. But Ghanaian officials were also "quite proactive in using their own budget to get a grip on the outbreak," he said, drawing from a government emergency fund rather than waiting for international aid. Other African countries acted decisively too. South Africa has mobilized thousands of nurses, while Senegal quickly went to work on $1 diagnostic kits that can detect the novel coronavirus in 10 minutes. Many countries acted concurrently to enact travel bands and curfews, under the guidance of Africa's Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which has "played an important role in coordinating and having a consistent response," said Dar. Costa Rica Costa Rica was the first country in Latin America to confirm a coronavirus case, on March 6. More than two months later, the country of 5 million is starting to emerge from a strict lockdown with less than 850 confirmed cases, 10 deaths, and one of the region's more effective models. Juliana Martinez-Franzoni, an Associate Professor at the University of Costa Rica, cited two main factors that have worked in the country's favor: its "very strong and unified health care system" and the centralized government mobilizing effectively to provide basic services and support. "Costa Rica's response was faster than most Latin American countries and more disciplined," she said. People "trust the government, trust the state to help them with a crisis, so the degree of compliance was higher." Costa Rica, unlike other nations in South America, has a universal health care system, and services including water and electricity have not been privatized. Despite economic inequality and widespread poverty, these fundamental institutions have helped the country to cope with and contain the virus and the economic fallout, Martinez-Franzoni said. Lebanon When the pandemic arrived, Lebanon was already in the midst of a severe economic crisis and political protests - the results of decades of corrupt and dysfunctional governance. The presence of more than a million Syrian and Palestinian refugees, in a country of less than 7 million, poses its own set of challenges. But officials in Lebanon saw the virus coming and acted fast. The country started to shut down about a week after the first confirmed case in February. Early action - and the public's familiarity with crisis and willingness to take action with or without government directives - enabled Lebanon to control its outbreak, leading to just over 900 cases and 26 deaths. The virus has put Lebanon's resilience to the test. The suspension of the country's economy has worsened preexisting economic woes. In mid-May, the government began relaxing restrictions as new cases kept falling, only to reimpose a four-day lockdown after a spike of more than 100 confirmed infections in just a few days. Officials said they closed the country again to conduct contact tracing and contain the wave. Many countries will probably experience similar resurgences, according to experts. New Zealand On March 23, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warned her country they had just 48 hours to prepare for a Level-4 lockdown - the strictest type possible. "We currently have 102 cases," she said. "But so did Italy once." Six weeks later, in late April, New Zealanders began easing its measures. The country of 5 million has confirmed 1,498 cases and 21 deaths from the coronavirus. This week, it recorded no new cases for the first time since the shutdown. Just months ago, polls showed Ardern set to face a tough reelection battle later this year. Last month, her approval ratings soared to 65% as she gained international recognition. Van Jackson, an American scholar at New Zealand's Victoria University of Wellington, said he now gets calls from Americans asking about the New Zealand job market. "Even some of my scholar friends tenured at Ivy League institutions are investigating whether they could make a life in New Zealand and Australia," Jackson said. "Do you know how rare it is that someone with tenure seeks life elsewhere?" Cuba will not reopen its borders for the moment, its Ministry of Tourism said Friday. "Borders will not be reopened for the moment, nor will the touristic services be restored, in keeping with guidelines to protect national health security," according to a release on the ministry's official website. "Cuba is working on the improvement of hotel and non-hotel facilities as well as developing hygiene and health protocols to face the beginning of tourism operations," it added. Cuban authorities said on Friday that there are currently 4,142 foreigners staying on the island. On March 31, Cuba announced a decision to suspend international flights as part of its measures to stem the spread of COVID-19. Since the first confirmed cases in the country were reported on March 11, Cuba has so far reported 1,840 infections with 79 deaths. Photo credit: Facebook/Maria Singh From Harper's BAZAAR Maria Singh, nee Princess Maria Galitzine, the daughter of Prince Piotr Galitzine and Princess Maria-Anna Galitzine, nee Arch, duchess of Austria, died on May 4, aged 31. The cause of death is cited as a "sudden cardiac aneurysm". The princess, whose married name was Maria Singh, was living in Houston with her chef husband and two-year-old son. Her sister, Tatiana Galitzine Sierra, also resides in the city. The news was confirmed by her family in an obituary published in The Houston Chronicle: "Our Maria passed away in the Houston morning of Monday, May 4th, 2020, from a sudden cardiac aneurysm." Photo credit: Facebook/Maria Singh Princess Maria was born in Luxembourg in 1988 and led a very international life. When she was five, she moved with her family to Russia, her father's native home, where she studied at the German School of Moscow. Upon graduation, Maria moved to Belgium where she enrolled at the CAD (College of Art & Design) school in Brussels, focusing on interior design. Her work then took her to the US, first to Chicago and latterly to Houston where she met her husband. In April 2018, she married local chef Roop Singh and they welcomed their son, Maxim, not long after. Princess Maria was laid to rest in Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery in Houston. You Might Also Like Stella Maxwell celebrated her 30th birthday on Friday while in quarantine in Los Angeles with a couple of friends, including male model Jordan Barrett. Never one to be dull, the Belgian-born, Northern Irish model eventually brought the party out onto the balcony, where she proceeded to have a face-time chat. During the day's festivities Maxwell went downstairs to the front door to receive a special flower delivery. Partying in sequester: Model Stella Maxwell celebrated her 30th birthday while in quarantine in Los Angeles on Friday The ex-girlfriend of Kristen Stewart kept it casual and stylish in black, white and gold-patterned pants with a navy blue Nike, Just Do It, t-shirt. She also opted to go shoeless, wearing just a pair of blue and white-patterned socks. Maxwell wore her blonde tresses long but pulled the front part of her hair back off her face in a ponytail. Keeping in contact: The Belgian-born, Northern Irish model got animated when she had a face-time chat on her balcony during her birthday bash Celebratory: Aussie model Jordan Barrett, 23, was on hand for the quaint birthday bash Colorful: Maxwell kept it casual and stylish in black, white and gold-patterned pants with a navy blue Nike, Just Do It, t-shirt At one point, Barrett came out on to the balcony wearing a mask, and then had some fun when he pulled it off to reveal his face. He opted for casual comfort in the fashion department dressed in black sweatpants and a matching parka. Maxwell gave her five million Instagram followers a glimpse of the mini bash when she shared a boomerang video of herself surrounded by all the party favors and decorations. Surprise: During the day's festivities Maxwell went downstairs to the front door to receive a special flower delivery Festive: Maxwell gave her five million Instagram followers a glimpse of the mini bash when she shared a boomerang video of herself surrounded by all the party favors and decorations. 'Cutest bday... thank you for the all sweet messages my lovely friends,' she wrote in the caption. Maxwell is best known for her work as a Victoria's Secret Angel and as the face of the cosmetics brand Max Factor. She has also made headlines when she briefly dated Miley Cyrus in 2015, as well as her on-and-off relationship with actress Kristen Stewart from December 2016 to July 2019. According to Iran media, Iran may deploy its military to help combat a locust invasion in the south of the country as swarms of insects threaten to destroy crops worth billions of dollars. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has already hit hard in Iran, with more than 116,635 confirmed cases, and 6,902 deaths. A decrease in oil export also leads Iran to economic turmoil. Iran is now faced with this locust invasion that could lead to a disastrous impact on the country as crops worth more than $7 billion are at risk. On May 15, Mohammad Reza Mir, a spokesman for the ministry's Plant Protection Organization (PPO), said the desert locusts had attacked more than 200,000 hectares (494,000 acres) of orchards and farmland in seven of Iran's 31 provinces, the semiofficial news agency ILNA reported. According to Mir, the affected areas, stretching from eastern Iran on the border with Pakistan to the southwestern border with Iraq, were likely to soon increase to 1 million hectares. Mir also said that the military has offered to help combat the desert locusts for a second year. "The military have promised to help fight the desert locusts, including by providing all-terrain vehicles for use in areas which are hard to access," Mir told ILNA. "Last year the military provided personnel and vehicles, and that was a big help." Mir said anti-locust operations had so far prevented any damages to the crops. The head of PPO's organization, Mohammad Reza Dargahi, said last month that locust swarms threatened 1,250 trillion rials ($7.4 billion) worth of agricultural products across six provinces in southern Iran, according to the daily Financial Tribune. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization predicts agricultural losses to neighboring Pakistan from locusts could be as high as $2.2 billion for winter crops alone. The organization also mentioned that the locust swarms have already damaged crops in East Africa and Horn of Africa in recent weeks. Also, swarms are in a direction to Arabian Peninsula and are threatening the Pakistan and India border. The state government has announced a $2.1 billion package of "congestion-busting" road upgrades, set to include a new arterial for Brisbane's busy outer-northern suburbs. A "redesign" of the Gateway Motorway, Bruce Highway and Gympie Road interchange near Bald Hills will also be among the changes, along with further upgrades slated for each. The 'Moreton Connector', shown in pink, has been pitched as part of a $2.1 billion road upgrade package. Credit:Department of Transport and Main Roads Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the project would "transform Brisbane's northern gateway" and was already backed by money locked in to both state and federal budgets. The federal government has set aside 80 per cent of the funding allocated for the package, with the state government to contribute the remainder. An eighty-year-old widow, Mrs Regina Opoke has reportedly escaped assassination by a whisker with the culprit, Chima Edeh arrested and handed over to the police. According to the chairman of the local government where the botched assassination took place, Hon Sunday Eze, the suspect was arrested by the villagers following a tip off. Also, he said the motive for the assassination remains unknown. Confirming the incident, the Catholic Priest of St Joseph Catholic Church, Eguho Ezzagu, Rev. Father Arinzechukwu Nkannebe who rescued the woman said: Advertisement It was indeed terrible yesterday night with this ugly incident. One Mr.Chima Edeh from Onunweke Ubia set ablaze the house of a poor, wretched and childless old woman, Mrs Regina Opoke. Read Also: Gunmen Kidnap Man After Forcing Wife To Cook Jollof Rice This is high rate of heartless, wickedness and mans inhumanity to fellow human being. A childless old woman, now homeless and naked now except the clothes she is wearing right now. This is terrible. Devilish. Thanks to God no life was lost. The guy has been apprehended by the youths. Lets consider ourselves to be children of this childless old woman of about 80 years old. Always in the Church cleaning and sweeping the Church and compound. Taking charge of little children organization I formed to nurture our little ones in faith and good moral ( Sons and Daughters of St Joseph) every Saturday morning. A Ghana-must-go bag full of clothes I gave her sometime in January and a bag of rice I gave her last month and all her property burnt to ashes Im full of tears, the Rev. Father lamented. Meanwhile, the culprit was apprehended by the villagers and taken to Ishielu Police Division. Police Spokesman, Loveth Odah did not respond to requests for comment. An advanced version of the Russian nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, known as Knyaz Vladimir, has begun final trials before it enters service in Russias largest naval fleet. As Caspian News reports, "Knyaz Vladimir set off Tuesday for the White Sea from Severodvinsk for final trials," TASS quoted its source from the Russian military-industrial complex, adding that a decision to introduce the submarine will be based upon results from trial. Knyaz Vladimir is being hailed as one of Russias most powerful Borei-A class strategic missile-carrying underwater cruisers, which has the capability of carrying up to 20 Bulava (RSM-56) intercontinental ballistic missiles. Other versions of the Borei class submarines could carry only up to 16 missiles. The new version is able to launch 96-200 hypersonic, independently maneuverable warheads, which can produce 100-150 kilotons each. According to the Northern Fleets press office, the trials will last several days - with the submarine first being operated in the surfaced position before submerging for the last part of the testing process. "During the trials, the ironing out of problems surfaced in earlier will be checked, after which the term for including the new vessel into the structure of the Northern Fleets submarine forces will be set," the press service said, recalling that the first-of-class Knyaz Vladimir fully accomplished state validation trials last year. In October, the strategic submarine for the first time fired a RSM-56 Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile from a submerged position in the White Sea, an inlet of the Barents Sea, as part of its final certification tests. The missile successfully hit its designated target on the Kura missile test range on the Kamchatka peninsula in Russias Far East. Also called the "north wind" in English, the Borei-A class submarine will become the fourth submarine in a series of eight Borei-class underwater cruisers and the first one of its kind in the advanced Borei-A Project. Borei-A class submarines are fitted with four additional missile tubes, have smaller hulls and cons, and feature improved acoustics and lower sound levels, making them the quietest submarines produced by Russia and outpacing anything produced by the Soviet Union. Russia is expected to use its Borei-A class boats to guard the Northern and Pacific Fleets, which would play a strategic role in Russias ability to protect itself and deal a second strike, in the event of a nuclear war. Currently Russias navy includes 68 submarines, 20 of which are diesel-powered and the remaining 48 being nuclear powered. The nuclear submarines, depending on the class, can carry either ballistic missiles or missile-torpedo armaments. The Navy of the world's second-biggest military power also consists of 33 large surface warships, more than 100 small surface combat ships and boats, roughly 60 minesweepers, 21 amphibious ships and two training ships. By 2025, Russia plans to launch into operation eight Borei-class Ship, Submersible, Ballistic, Nuclear submarines, including three Borei class and five improved Borei-A class vessels. Eight more people, including four who returned from Takht Hazur Sahib in Maharashtras Nanded, tested positive for Covid-19 in Punjab on Friday, taking the total tally in Punjab to 2,005. According to officials familiar with the development, the four Nanded returnees are residents of Sandhwan and Chand Bhan villages of Faridkot district, which now reported 52 cases so far. Civil surgeon Dr Rajinder Kumar said the patients have been admitted to the isolation ward of the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot. Meanwhile, in Ludhiana, two persons found dead tested positive for Covid-19, days after their bodies were found. One of them, Karan Kumar (15) of Janak Puri, was murdered while the others body was found near the rail tracks near the Gill area on May 12. Sixteen police officials, who carried out preliminary examination of the crime scene, have been asked to self isolate after the infection was confirmed. In a related development, news agency PTI has reported that 500 patients recovered in the state on Friday. Among the discharged patients, most were pilgrims who had returned from Hazoor Sahib at Nanded in Maharashtra last month, a health official was quoted as saying. The state had witnessed a spike in the number of cases after 1,225, out of around 4,200 Nanded pilgrims tested positive for coronavirus. A Punjab health official said the patients have been discharged following the Centres revised discharge guidelines, which says people infected with coronavirus, with very mild or mild and pre-symptomatic cases can be discharged after 10 days of symptom onset and with no fever for three days. As per the Centres new guidelines, no test for COVID-19 is required before discharge in such cases. (With agency inputs) Public Health England could be axed after widespread criticism of its rolling on the UK's testing fiasco, Boris Johnson told Tory MPs last night. The Prime Minister informed a meeting of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservatives that he was planning a review of 'a number of institutions' once coronavirus is beaten back, according to the Times. Tory MPs are furious at what they see as PHE's hampering of efforts to develop viable antibody tests that could potentially allow people who have had the virus to return to work and life to return to something approaching normal. In the virtual meeting last night Mr Johnson also warned he will not freeze NHS pay or return to austerity to get Britain out of the economic black hole caused by coronavirus. The Prime Minister insisted his plans to revitalise left-behind parts of the UK would go ahead to stimulate economic growth amid signs that the UK is already in a pandemic-induced recession. Asked whether nurses could expect a pay freeze as part of any recovery plan, Mr Johnson (seen with Carrie Symonds at the Clap for Carers on Thursday) said 'absolutely not' In a virtual meeting with Tory MPs, the Prime Minister said he would speed up his plans to reform hospitals, schools and the police Mr Johnson was asked whether austerity would be part of the response but said quite the opposite: in fact he would spend more on infrastructure projects and the Northern Powerhourse. He spoke a lot about the government we must address the concerns of the poor, saying it was important to look after them. Asked whether nurses could expect a pay freeze as part of any recovery plan the PM, who spent a week in intensive care being treated for coronavirus, said 'absolutely not. Anyone who suggests that can sit on it', according to the Telegraph. The PM said this was a completely different Tory government to anything known before, pointing out that many working class people had entrusted them with their vote. He laid out his grandmothers footsteps plan to end the lockdown as he vowed to accelerate his domestic agenda in the wake of the virus. Former Brexit secretary David Davis backed the approach this morning, tweeting: 'Pleased to hear Boris Johnson dismiss austerity as a way to pay off the deficit after the crisis. 'To attempt it would be economic nonsense. It should be paid off over 50 years, along with some limited QE (quantitative easing).' In the virtual meeting with Tory MPs, the Prime Minister said he would speed up his plans to reform hospitals, schools and the police. He told them his aim was to build a platform for this country to recover from the once-in-a-generation shock and repay the trust of those who put us here. And he vowed not to bring back austerity. Mr Johnson also explained that he wanted to ease the lockdown in such a gradual way that it would not provoke a second wave of the disease. This is similar to the playground game of grandmothers footsteps, in which children have to creep up on the grandmother to avoid provoking her. The PM said the government had to be very careful when dealing with this virus, saying it was a question of driving forward very cautiously. But he said he wanted to come out of the lockdown as quickly as possible. The PM spoke to about 150 of his MPs, although many complained they could not hear him because so few participants had muted their computers. Mr Johnson talked about not letting the crisis define the UK, and not to let it get in the way of the countrys ambitions. He vowed to push ahead on the domestic agenda on hospitals and police, and said he would go faster on building better infrastructure and education. Mr Johnson also defended his governments record on testing, saying the UK was testing more people per head of population than any other country bar two. That powerlessness has been a frustration for federal politicians over decades; they spend so much money on schools but have such little influence over them. "There is perennial dysfunction in federal-state relations," says one close observer, who does not want to be named. "The best case scenario is almost always that the states go through the accountability motions, which is itself distracting and sucks up resources, and do what they were going to do anyway." Adrian Piccoli, a former NSW Education Minister, says the Commonwealth has one, blunt tool at its disposal to influence schools. "It's called money," he says. The federal government makes funding conditional on reforms, then the states "spend a lot of time working out how to get the money without doing it," Piccoli says. Failed Commonwealth initiatives include the independent public schools push, and repeated attempts to introduce performance pay for teachers. Tehan has so far only had two takers in his attempt to introduce phonics checks around the country. Illustration: Simon Letch Credit: Co-operation has improved recently; there are now national teaching standards, and a national curriculum (although NSW and Victoria kept their own). But debate continues over whether they have been useful, or just create another tangle of bureaucracy. "I don't know at what point we will stop pretending that the federal government can significantly improve schools," says Ben Jensen, chief executive of education consultancy Learning First. In the past few years, the Commonwealth has also formalised its role as the main funder of non-government schools, which has made it "much more directly involved in funding some sectors of schooling than almost anywhere else in the economy," says Peter Goss, School Education Program Director at the Grattan Institute. Federal politicians - particularly Coalition ones - have encouraged the growth of the private school sector because they encourage parental choice. Some also believe they want to use the private systems - which are regulated but not run by states - to extend their influence over schooling. "[Private schools] are in between [the two governments] - not really accountable to anyone," says one insider. But that hasn't worked either. Private schools might doff their cap to governments, and co-operate on policy issues, but they will ultimately make decisions in the interest of their own students - as highlighted in the COVID-19 crisis when Victorian private schools rebuffed federal Education Minister Dan Tehan's attempt to use money to get them to defy the premier, and again when their NSW counterparts ignored the NSW government's plan to return students to school in favour of their own. "We now see some of the consequences of that support for independent schools," says Goss. "They are harder [for governments] to control." That has ramifications for public schools, too. The public school sector feels pressure to match the approach of private schools, lest it be seen to have lower standards. Private schools have influenced government policy a few times during the pandemic; back in January, the NSW Department of Education backflipped on its plan to allow students returning from China - where the virus had taken hold in Wuhan - to go straight back to school after private schools asked them to stay home for two weeks. Earlier this month, NSW public schools scrambled to bring back year 12 because private schools did it first. Going their own way: NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell with Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Credit:AAP But even within the government sector, many argue that the COVID-19 crisis has shown how little influence state education chiefs have over their own schools. When NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian asked parents to keep their children home on March 23, teachers in NSW public schools rushed their lessons online. While the department developed a website featuring guidelines, templates and training material for teachers and parents, each school had to develop their own strategy. "We need to ask really big questions about why we haven't had any economies of scale and quality assurance [during remote learning]," says Rachel Wilson, an associate professor of education at Sydney University. "The teachers are killing themselves doing lesson planning, while they should be given material that's quality-assured, and spending their time working on their relationships with students." Critics say this was the result of years of cutting back central education departments, and shifting most responsibilities to schools. There are many benefits to school flexibility, but it also means that in a time of crisis the department - which has been running distance education for 100 years - can no longer swiftly intervene at school level. Loading "What we've seen in COVID-19 is weak central systems, which have often not had the ability to provide a high-quality starting point for how to move online - or how to bring kids back in [to the classroom]," says Goss. "They've had to figure it out by themselves. I fear we are about to see this play out again, as schools reopen." NSW Department of Education Secretary Mark Scott rejected suggestions the department's response was inadequate. "The feedback we've had overwhelmingly has been gratitude for the creation of that learning from home website - the traffic around that has been absolutely enormous," he says. "There's been more traffic to that ... than there was to the NSW Health website in the heat of the pandemic, because of the quality of support that was provided." Within all this, the deeply entrenched inequities in Australia's school system have become more pronounced. While some schools had top-notch online learning systems ready to launch, others have had to scramble to not only furnish their students with laptops and internet access, but give them tables and chairs. In some more disadvantaged areas, schools - both public and private - also delivered food to their students, knowing that the only decent meals they received where the ones they were fed at school. "Some schools were able to pivot rapidly and extensively," says Paul Kidson, an education academic at the University of Wollongong and a former independent school principal. "They were well prepared, they could roll stuff out, flick switches. Other schools were struggling to provide that support at school, let alone deliver it remotely. That's a funding issue, but it does go to the core of how structural inequities were just reinforced at a moment like this." The problems frustrating the education sector for years they have been thrust into the spotlight by COVID-19, not only via headlines about the high-level battles between governments and sectors, but by the unprecedented insight millions of parents have had into their own children's education, as they helped them with lessons. "If you can take any positive out of this whole experience, is that schools are front of mind for a lot of people now," says Piccoli. Loading Dr Jensen argues the parental insight into their child's everyday classroom activities could be the most significant by-product of the COVID-19 crisis. "It's shone a light on the weeds of teaching and learning - that is where teachers live, and where all the hard work is done," he says. "Education policy has not gone into the weeds for a decade-and-a-half. We have been hopping out of providing support at that level, and instead all this money is going into the high-level stuff." Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said that local circumstances are likely to dictate the next phase of lockdown as he spoke of the sufferings of the poor and pitched for kickstarting economic activities outside places where the spread of coronavirus infection is high. Speaking to reporters through a video conference, he also called for coordination among states to ensure that migrant workers are provided transport to reach their homes so that tragedies like the road accident in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday morning that killed 24 of them are avoided. Huge numbers of migrant workers have been walking hundreds of kilometres from several big cities towards their villages as an extended coronavirus-induced lockdown has made their financial condition precarious. His government has deployed 1,000 buses to ferry migrant workers and drop those who are from other states at the Madhya Pradesh border point nearest to their destination, Chouhan said, asserting that no labourer will have to walk on roads or be hungry as long as he is in Madhya Pradesh. The Madhya Pradesh government is also coordinating with states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, from where large numbers of migrant workers hail, so that they are attended to after being dropped at its borders. With the third phase of lockdown ending on Sunday and Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking of an "entirely different lockdown-4.0", Chouhan said the focus now should be on speeding up economic activities while ensuring that COVID-19 is contained. Poor people and those running small-scale industry are suffering due to extended lockdown, he said. "We will have to fight the coronavirus and also take measures to kick-start economic activities at a fast pace," Chouhan said. Noting that the prime minister has given states a major say in deciding on the nature of the next phase of lockdown, he said local circumstances will dictate it and most activities in green zones, and in orange zones outside containment zones will be allowed. In red zones, where the spread of coronavirus is highest, economic activities will be guided by strict regulations, he added. However, crowds will not be allowed to assemble and so places like malls and cinema halls will remain closed. Religious and political congregation will continue to be barred, he said and advised people to celebrate Eid at their homes. Chouhan said development model will have to change due to COVID-19, and governments will now have to put emphasis on providing employment to people near their homes. Modi's call for a "self-reliant India" is a step in this direction, and the Madhya Pradesh government has taken agriculture and labour reforms to boost investment and generate employment for a long term solution. Asked about the RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh's strident opposition to the labour reforms brought in by his government, Chouhan asserted that the measures are in the interest of labourers and he will continue to have dialogue with the BMS in this regard. With the opposition criticising the central government for not taking adequate measures to mitigate the sufferings of migrant labourers, the senior BJP leader strongly defended various decisions of the Centre. When lockdown was announced from March 25, it was expected that migrant workers will stay at the place of their work, he said. As it was extended and they began facing financial hardships, they decided to leave for their homes, Chouhan said, noting that COVID-19 was something entire unexpected and nobody knew how things would unfold in the coming days and weeks. The Centre's priority was to stop the spread of infection and this is what it did with the lockdown, he said, adding that it has taken several measures to help the poor. The Madhya Pradesh government has also transferred anywhere from Rs 1000 to Rs 2000 to its poor and spent a total of Rs 13,600 crore on the welfare measures, he said. With the coronavirus situation in the state showing some improvement of late, Chouhan said the previous Kamal Nath-led Congress government did "nothing" to tackle the disease, and it was only after he took over on March 23 that health infrastructure and capacity were built. He brushed aside the charge levelled against the BJP for engineering the fall of the Kamal Nath government, saying it was brought down by Congress leaders as it was a "destructive" dispensation that did no good to the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Executive will provide Translink with more money in response to Covid-19 after its chief executive Chris Conway said it faced a 100m shortfall. The funding is on top of 20m given to help clear the company's deficit prior to the coronavirus emergency. It came as a national official for trade union Unite said he hoped deaths from Covid-19 among bus drivers in Britain would not be repeated in Northern Ireland. Davy Thompson, also of Unite, said Translink had taken wide-ranging measures to protect drivers since the beginning of the pandemic. Revenues have slumped at the company after passenger numbers were hit in the lockdown. Translink said: "We have seen a reduction in passenger numbers of over 90%, with services operating at 10-15% of what we would normally see." But it added: "Public transport will play a vital role as we work to rebuild and recover the local Northern Ireland economy." Translink is continuing to run buses on underused routes, as it is obliged to under the terms of its subsidy from government. A spokeswoman for the Department of Finance said: "The Executive has agreed to provide Translink with additional support in response to Covid-19 on top of the 20m provided as part of Budget 2020-21." And the business has been asked by Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon to look into furloughing workers. But last night a department spokeswoman told the Belfast Telegraph that an assessment of the potential of furloughing "would not deliver a game-changing financial solution for the organisation", and that employees would be needed when demand eventually picked up again. She added: "Minister Mallon is expecting that money to be made available to her department soon, allowing the minister to allocate vital funding and ensuring a sustainable service as we look to support the public throughout the Covid recovery period." Meanwhile, a union representative in England has said he hopes that the deaths of bus drivers in service in Britain is not repeated on this side of the Irish Sea. Unite national officer Bobby Morton said: "I sincerely hope that doesn't happen in Translink. Last time I checked the figures, we had 37 fatalities in England, and that's 37 too many. "We're urging operators to hold risk assessments and upgrade the cleanliness of buses where possible. "But no matter what we do, the germ always seems to find a way through." Translink said: "Thankfully, we have had no Covid-related deaths. "Safety of our colleagues and passengers continues to be our top priority." Mr Thompson explained that Metro buses are already fitted with Perspex screens, while drivers are also equipped with visors, masks, hand sanitiser, gloves and wipes to take with them. But he added: "There's always a nervousness about these things that we'll never be 100% safe; the reality is that we have accidents every day. "I think we have to worry about everybody going back to the workplace, no matter what the workplace is. "Our bus drivers have shown tremendous resilience, but you can't give a 100% guarantee." China Rejects US Moves To Extend Iran Arms Embargo, Return Of Sanctions Radio Farda May 15, 2020 The Chinese mission to the United Nations in New York on Thursday said the United States "has no longer a right to extend an arms embargo on Iran, let alone to trigger snapback". "U.S. failed to meet its obligations under Resolution 2231 by withdrawing from JCPOA. It has no right to extend an arms embargo on Iran, let alone to trigger snapback. Maintaining JCPOA is the only right way moving forward," a tweet posted by the Chinese Mission to the U.N. on Thursday maintained. The nuclear agreement between Iran and the United States, Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was concluded in July 2015 and was blessed by the U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231. One of the provisions of the resolution was an arms embargo on Iran that will expire in October. President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 and called the agreement negotiated by the Obama administration "the worst deal ever." However, the United States now says that it can trigger a return of not only the arms embargo but all U.N. sanctions as a participant in JCPOA. The United States is ready to "snap back" sanctions and has drafted a Security Council resolution and "will press ahead with diplomacy and build support" to ensure that the arms embargo will remain, Brian Hook, the U.S. Special Representative on Iran wrote in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. Iran is counting on the support of China and Russia to stifle U.S. efforts to prolong the arms embargo. The re-imposition of the U.S. sanctions have cost a major blow to Iran's economy since 2018. Iran has responded to the reintroduction of the paralyzing sanctions by a series of countermeasures including halting the sales of excess enriched uranium and heavy water to other countries. Russia appears to be supportive of Iran's claim that the United States is no longer a party to the JCPOA and not in a position to demand the continuation of the arms embargo that has been in place since 2007. Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/china- rejects-us-moves-to-extend-iran-arms- embargo/30613637.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 Health officials across the globe have turned their focus on a rare inflammatory syndrome that has impacted children in recent months, with them looking for potential links to Covid-19. Paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome (PMIS) has been reported in at least 25 states across the US and in more than a dozen countries as of 21 May. Concerns over the syndrome, which exhibits symptoms similar to that of the rare Kawasaki disease, heightened in recent weeks after New York reported at least 100 cases in children, three of whom died, governor Andrew Cuomo said. European countries such as the UK, Italy and Spain also reported cases in recent weeks after the coronavirus reached its peak in their areas. Doctors at the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital in Italy released the first scientific study into PMIS that could link it to Covid-19, which was published in The Lancet medical journal on Wednesday. They compared 10 cases of the illness in children initially diagnosed with Kawasaki disease with cases pre-coronavirus. Researchers found a 30-fold increase in cases of a Kawasaki-like disease between February and April. Of those 10 cases in Italy, eight patients tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies, indicating they were previously infected with the virus. The US has also found some of its presumed PMIS cases testing positive for antibodies. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have now raised alert about the rare inflammatory syndrome developing in children during the coronavirus pandemic, leading parents to wonder what they should be worried about as information surrounding the syndrome develops. How PMIS differs from Kawasaki disease Questions evolved in recent weeks about how health officials know the new inflammatory syndrome is not just a variation of Kawasaki disease, which tends to develop in children between the ages of six months to five years old. Dr Juan Salazar, the physician in chief and infectious disease and immunology specialist at Connecticut Childrens hospital, told The Independent that while Kawasaki disease was not caused by a specific bacteria or virus that health officials are aware of, PMIS developed during the coronavirus. Now we have Covid and we have kids that are coming in that look like Kawasaki disease, he said. You could still probably call it Kawasaki disease, but it is associated with coronavirus. Both are believed to develop post-infection from a virus or bacteria, which explains why PMIS cases lag behind the initial coronavirus infections reported across the US. But while Kawasaki disease is rarely found in children over the age of five, PMIS has yet to distinguish if any age group is at a greater risk of developing symptoms. States have reported children as old as 18 years old presenting symptoms of PMIS, which would be extremely rare for Kawasaki disease, according to Dr Salazar. His hospital has two assumed cases of PMIS based on the evolving definition of the syndrome by the CDC. Another presumed case could be confirmed from the state in the coming days. Demographics among the children diagnosed with a Kawasaki-like disease was a key reason that encouraged healthcare professionals to look at the potential for a new inflammatory syndrome, Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatrics infectious disease expert with the Mayo Clinic, told The Independent. Dr Rajapakse cited the recent scientific study out of Italy, which showed the difference in age groups. In kids with Kawasaki disease, the average age was around three years of age, whereas kids with this possible Covid-associated inflammatory syndrome had an average age closer to seven years at least, she said. This suggests that this is potentially something that is unique to Covid-19, because its not following the usual distribution that we see with Kawasaki disease. Another difference between the two inflammatory syndromes was how they presented themselves in patients. A higher proportion of those with PMIS, thus far, have shown low blood pressure or decreased heart function compared to Kawasaki disease, Dr Rajapakse said. Children with PMIS also developed a higher likelihood of severe heart or kidney disease, according to Dr Salazar. Signs and symptoms of PMIS An important indicator parents should look out for is a high fever lasting over a few days, a similar symptom to that of Kawasaki disease. Dr James Schneider, the chief of the paediatric intensive care unit at Cohen Childrens Medical Centre, found that 100 per cent of the hospitals patients being treated had a high fever. 100 per cent of them have had persistent fever for three or four days, he told The Independent. Gastrointestinal symptoms of abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhoea are also common, followed by rash. The rash could take on almost any form, Dr Schneider added. He recommended for parents evaluating their children to seek consultation from a pediatrician if they were displaying any of the above symptoms. Another symptom found in patients across the US included inflammation of the eyes, specifically if no discharge presented itself that would mirror conjunctivitis, commonly known as pink eye. The really worrisome things that we always ask parents to look out for and the reason to seek emergency medical care are obviously if the child is very sleepy, confused, or is difficult to wake, Dr Rajapakse said, adding difficulty breathing could be another indicator. Most of the symptoms are things that can overlap with a lot of childhood illnesses, she added, so we need to make sure that people are able to recognise when it happens to treat it. One phenomenon of PMIS was the lack of patients previously showing any signs or symptoms of being infected with the coronavirus before the inflammatory syndrome developed. At Connecticut Childrens, none of the hospitals three patients showed signs of Covid-19. That is another defining feature, Dr Salazar said. If it wasnt for this we wouldve never known they had a prior infection with coronavirus. New York state has the most presumed cases for PMIS, and the CDC has since asked the states health department to develop criteria that would assist other states in diagnosing and treating children with similar symptoms. Doctors have found that although PMIS presents differently than Kawasaki disease, similar treatments reacted well in the children impacted. The kids have been responding fairly well to the standard therapies that were using for Kawasaki disease, Dr Schneider said about his New York patients, as well as our standard approach to good old critical care, which include blood pressure medicines to support the heart and blood pressure. Intravenous gamma globulin (IVIG), an FDA-approved therapy that alleviates acute inflammation in the patients body, is one common treatment now being used for children with PMIS. At Dr Salazars hospital, doctors have combined IVIG with steroids to help reduce inflammation. That combination seems to be the right treatment for this, and so far it has been very effective for the kids weve treated, he said. Should parents be worried about PMIS? Research is still underway about how the inflammatory syndrome could impact children and what risk factors might increase someones susceptibility. But the condition is still defined as a rare syndrome. Proportionately, I would have to say we have to pause, take a deep breath, Dr Salazar said. It is something that we worry about if a kid has it, but for an overwhelming majority of parents this is something they shouldnt be thinking about too much. Health officials are raising the alarm to hospitals across the nation to help them distinguish these children from other patients. In New York, the states department of health has required hospital staff to immediately report any cases that could be PMIS. The criteria were using ... you need to have evidence of a fever, you need to have evidence of inflammation, and you need to have evidence of multiple-organ involvement, Dr Schneider said. But research has yet to determine if the syndrome will impact a larger proportion of children. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, health officials indicated the elderly population and those with comorbidities were more at-risk to develop severe symptoms from the Covid-19, reassuring parents about their children. Although doctors are reminding parents of the rarity of the inflammatory syndrome, it serves as a reminder that Covid-19 still impacts children. Its very important for children to continue to follow the preventative measures we have been recommending all along, Dr Rajapakse said, because not getting infected in the first place will be one of the things that decreases the incidences of this inflammatory syndrome among kids. In the latest escalation of the US confrontation with China, President Donald Trump threatened to cut off all relations with Beijing over claims that it failed to take steps to prevent the COVID-19 virus from becoming a global pandemic. These bogus allegations have now been integrated into Washingtons trade war measures, which pre-dated the virus outbreak and are aimed at undermining China economically and militarily. Speaking on Fox Business News, the US president said China should have never let this [the COVID-19 pandemic] happen, adding: So, I make a great trade deal and now I say this doesnt feel the same to me. The ink was barely dry and the plague came over. Having previously hailed his personal relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump declared that right now I dont want to speak to him. Asked what penalties he intended to impose on China, Trump blurted out: There are many things we could do We could cut off the whole relationship. He added: Now, if you did, what would happen? Youd save $500 billion. This was a reference to estimated US annual imports from China, described by Trump as lost money. The Trump administration has rapidly ramped up its attacks on China over the pandemic. It has not only repeatedly accused Beijing of a lack of transparency, but also promoted the big lie that the virus came from a Wuhan virology laboratory. Facing re-election in November, Trump is attempting to make China the scapegoat and deflect attention from his own administrations criminal negligence, which has resulted in the United States having the worlds largest number of COVID-19 cases and the highest death toll. Globally the number of cases has passed 4.4 million and deaths stand at more than 302,000, with 1.47 million cases in the US and 85,884 deaths. However, Trumps denunciations of Beijing over the pandemic are also part of a trade-war agenda and military build-up against China. In recent days, the US has imposed or threatened a range of new economic penalties against China and Chinese companies, including: The US announced new export controls yesterday aimed at blocking access to semi-conductor technology for Chinas hi-tech giant Huawei. While the Chinese corporation previously was barred from semi-conductors sourced in the US, the new rules aim to choke off supplies from third countries, such as Taiwan and South Korea. Companies in those countries using US technology will be required to obtain a US license before exporting to China. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross accused Huawei of trying to undermine earlier export controls, claiming it was not a responsible corporate citizen for doing soin other words, for attempting to find new sources for essential semi-conductors in response to unilateral US trade war measures. Ross declared that the rules were needed to prevent US technologies from enabling malign activities contrary to US national security and foreign policy interests. The US claims that Huawei equipment facilitates Chinese espionage. In reality, the chief concern is that Chinese equipment will inhibit the extensive electronic spying operations conducted by American intelligence agencies such as the NSA. China has threatened to retaliate against US technology firms. The Chinese foreign ministry called on the US to immediately stop its unreasonable suppression against Huawei, saying it would not only harm Chinese corporations, but also US enterprises, and cause damage to the global industrial chain, supply chain and value chain. According to the state-owned Global Times, Beijing has threatened to penalise US companies by placing them on an unreliable entity list. This week Trump directed that the board overseeing a pension fund for 5.9 million federal employees, present and retired, halt plans to allow investment in the shares of Chinese companies. The board, which was due to shift some money into investments based on an all-world index that includes Chinese shares, delayed the move on Wednesday. The White House is also seeking to replace three of the pension boards five directors. On Thursday, Trump threatened to impose new taxes on American companies that produce goods outside the US. He told the Fox Business Network that taxation was an incentive for companies to return manufacturing to the United States. You know, if we wanted to put up our own border, like other countries do to us, Apple would build 100 percent of their product in the United States, he said. Thats the way it would work. As it intensifies its propaganda war against Beijing over the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration is discussing a range of penalties it could impose on China. These include: bans on sensitive exports, additional tariffs on Chinese goods, restrictions on Chinese companies listing on US share markets, and even the cancellation of Chinese-held US debt. The Chinese regime has no progressive answer to the US threats and punitive measures. Its responses vacillate between making concessions to Washington in the hope of a deal and threatening penalties of its own. In reply to Trumps latest threat to cut ties with China, the hawkish Global Times lashed out at the US president as insane, denouncing the proverbial anxiety that the US has suffered from since China began its global ascension. The intensification of the US confrontation with China has produced alarm in ruling circles internationally, with warnings of a new cold war and a breakdown of the international trading and financial system. A lengthy article this week in Foreign Policy pointed out that in the 1930s rising tensions between the United States and Japan rapidly led to the outbreak of all-out war in the Pacific at the cost of millions of lives. The article noted that the US ambassador in Tokyo, Joseph Grew, warned Washington in 1935 about the necessity of not imposing economic restrictions on Japan. But Washington was in the grip of economic nationalists battling a historic economic downturn [and was deaf to his pleas], the article observed. Within a few years, the United States ramped up economic pressure on Japan, culminating in a trade and oil embargo. Six years after Grew wrote his dispatch, the two countries were engaged in total war. In the midst of the worst global economic crisis since the 1930s, US imperialism is engaged in a desperate attempt to maintain its global hegemony through all means, including military confrontation, and regards China as the chief obstacle to its interests. As in 1941, the rapidly intensifying US diplomatic and economic attacks on China are lurching toward to a military conflict between nuclear-armed powers with incalculable consequences for humanity. What a terrible week it has been for this acting Government. A Government, frankly speaking, which has more than outstayed its welcome and needs to be put out of its misery, writes Daniel McConnell This day last week, we were all digesting the full scale of the Leaving Cert calamity overseen by education minister Joe McHugh. Then acting childrens minister Katherine Zappone had to concede defeat after the plan to provide childcare to frontline health workers imploded in her lap, and the announcement of said cancellation was done without informing her boss. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar made it clear to the Dail on Thursday the first he heard about it was on the radio that night. The first I heard about that was on the RTE news. That is not to say that others were not aware of it in the Department of Children and Youth Affairs or even in my Department. Unfortunately, given the nature of my job, it is not possible to be aware of everything. I am sure the Deputy would appreciate that, he said to some considerable surprise. As a result, the plan to provide childcare from Monday will not go ahead, meaning hundreds if not thousands of frontline workers will not be able to present for work, as they have no one to mind their children. For Zappone, it is a sorry chapter in her story as she comes to the end of her political life, having lost her seat in Februarys election. As in the case of McHughs bungling on the Leaving Cert, Zappone made the crucial error of announcing the scheme before having the details nailed down, only to force her to u-turn and bring the competency of this interim administration into question. Another slightly disturbing episode came on Wednesday when Varadkar was pointedly slapped down by the chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, for suggesting re-opening schools could be among the safest things the country does. Varadkar was responding to a Hiqa study which found children were not the super-spreaders of the Covid-19 virus as had been feared early on. Within hours of those comments by Varadkar, Holohan shot them down, dismissing the Hiqa report by insisting not enough evidence was in existence to make any determination. Ouch. Such a visible rebuke to the supposed leader of our country by an unelected official did not go unnoticed, with the matter being raised in the Dail on Thursday. There was a pretty embarrassing situation yesterday, said Labour leader Alan Kelly. This is not, and is not meant to be, a slight on the Taoiseach. The Taoiseach made some pretty honest comments yesterday about schools and childcare that related to what he had been told by Dr Michael Ryan of the WHO and representatives of Hiqa." Those comments were subsequently shut down by the chief medical officer. That was a critical moment for all of us in this House. "It was not good for the body politic and is something on which we all need to reflect. The Taoiseach definitely needs to reflect on it, because it was not good. I do not say that in any personal way. For the public to hear one message coming from the Taoiseach and, a couple of hours later, to hear the opposite message coming from the CMO is not good. The chronology, the way in which messaging is done between NPHET, particularly the CMO, and the Government needs to change. There needs to be one voice, that of the Government. Kelly was not alone. The mandarins in the departments are calling the shots, said Tipperary Independent TD Mattie McGrath. I challenge the Taoiseach directly on that. The Taoiseachs statement last night about the creches and schools appeared to be an affront to Holohan. I compliment and support him so far, but he is not the Taoiseach. We have to look at him every night on the nine oclock news and the propaganda and spin. I challenge RTE and the media for not asking questions about what is going on. Then we had the revelations that despite total denials of any tensions between the Department of Health and the HSE, it was revealed that, in fact, those frictions did exist. The details emerged in correspondence published on Thursday given to the Labour leader. A letter from HSE CEO Paul Reid to Jim Breslin, the secretary general of the Department of Health, dated April 19, revealed Reid was extremely disappointed in Holohan. Responding to the letter, Holohan said he did not publicly announce a target of 100,000 Covid-19 tests a week so as to put pressure on the HSE. Holohan said it was not a case that he was attempting to publicly influence the speed with which the HSE ramped up its testing. He said that the figure was subject of NPHET discussion and communicated to the HSE. There have been communication difficulties and so on, but youre talking about a NPHET meeting that goes back almost a month ago. It would be implausible to think that there werent disagreements from time to time, he said in a bid to downplay the rift. Holohan said that there were tensions in any high-pressure work scenario, and that in some cases it can ensure better work. He said that Mr Breslin had responded to the letter, but he was not aware of the content of the letter. Dr Colm Henry, the chief clinical officer, agreed but said that this was natural. When asked about the letter on Newstalk show The Hard Shoulder, Reid said some tensions were to be expected. I would be a fool to think there wouldnt be tensions between a major agency and a department and there will be more, said Reid. The reality is, what we were working through then, of course, there were tensions, but this was about making sure we had capacity. The outcome has been, over the last number of weeks, to have a shared plan, which we published today. Absolutely there have been tensions in between, many tensions in various stages as big agencies working with departments, but the outcome has been what we wanted to achieve. While not a massive deal in its own right, added to the significant criticisms around the treatment of nursing homes, the PPE debacle, and now the under-declaration of cases at by the Dublins Mater Hospital, it served to undermine the credibility of key voices during this crisis. With Government formation talks continuing to trundle on, 98 days since the public delivered its verdict in the general election, the events of the week highlight why this country needs a new Government as quickly as possible. Talks from Monday will seek to step up a gear, with senior sources involved in them saying that they cannot go into a third week without significant progress being made. Questions remain over the appetite of both Fine Gael and the Greens to see the process through to the end. The legitimacy of this acting government, in light of the major decisions now being taken, is in question. It is time to put it out of its misery and for the country to get the government it so badly needs. With 48 more testing positive for COVID-19, the total cases in Andhra Pradesh climbed to 2,355 while one died due to the virus, taking the toll in the state to 49, even as the state government was gearing up to run free buses for migrant workers within the state. Out of the total cases reported, 31 were linked to the Koyambedu market in Chennai, a health bulletin said. Of the fresh cases in the past 24 hours ending 9 AM on Saturday, Nellore, Guntur and Kurnool districts reported nine each, Chitoor eight, Krishna seven, Visakhapatnam four and Kadapa and West Godavari one each, a bulletin form the government said. The lone death was reported in Kurnool, it said adding the number of cases in the district breached 600-mark at 608. Samples of 9,628 people were tested and 101 have been discharged from various hospitals after treatment, taking the cumulative recoveries to 1,353. The number of active patients stood at 803. The state government is in the process of recruiting 835 medical specialists- General Medicine, Pulmonology and Anesthesiologists and 550 doctors to work in COVID-19 designated hospitals across the state, the bulletin said. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy held a review meeting with Deputy Chief Minister (Health) A K K Srinivas, Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney, DGP Goutam Sawang and other senior officials and discussed the strategies to be followed while exiting the lockdown, an official release from the CM's office said. Reddy asked officials to prepare standard operating protocols (SOP), as part of the exit plan, on how to operate movie theaters, restaurants, and public transport taking utmost care. With regards to migrant labourers, Reddy said they should be transported up to the state borders free of cost and offered food and drinking water. "The migrant labourers should be provided transportation free of cost in busses that run under SOP," he said. He opined that COVID-19 testing capabilities should be expanded upto clinics at village level in future. The CM also stressed the need to take measures to educate public about COVID-19 and remove the stigma attached to it. "People should come forward for testing if they have any symptoms. Then only we will be able to eradicate the virus," he said. He instructed officials to distribute a handout to every household in the state, providing contact information of officials concerned in case anyone was symptomatic. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) British researchers will study the genes of thousands of ill COVID-19 patients to try to crack one of the most puzzling riddles of the novel coronavirus: why does it kill some people but give others not even a mild headache? Researchers from across the United Kingdom will sequence the genetic code of people who fell critically ill with COVID-19 and compare their genomes with those who were mildly ill or not ill at all. The hunt for the specific genes that could cause a predisposition to getting ill with COVID-19 will involve up to 20,000 people currently or previously in hospital intensive care with COVID-19 and about 15,000 people with mild symptoms. Scientists caution that their knowledge of the novel coronavirus, which emerged in China last year, is still modest though they say it is striking how it can be so deadly for some but so mild for others. It is, as yet, unclear why. We think that there will be clues in the genome that will help us understand how the disease is killing people, Kenneth Baillie, an intensive care doctor who is leading the study at the University of Edinburgh, told Reuters. I would bet my house on there being a very strong genetic component to individual risk, Baillie said. Health minister Matt Hancock called on people to sign up to the programme. If youre asked to sign up to the genomics trial which is being run by Genomics England, then please do, because then we can understand the genetic links. Its all part of building a scientific picture of this virus. The genome is an organisms complete set of deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, and in humans it contains about 3 billion DNA base pairs. But comparing them can be tough. There are 4 million to 5 million differences between any two people so scientists need a big sample, Baillie said. We dont know at a mechanistic level, at the level of molecules and cells, what are the events that are actually causing people to get sick and die from this disease, he said. Baillie will work with the intensive care units across the United Kingdom, Genomics England and a global genetics research consortium known as the Genetics of Susceptibility and Mortality in Critical Care, or GenOMICC. By reading the whole genome we may able to identify variation that affects response to Covid-19 and discover new therapies that could reduce harm, save lives and even prevent future outbreaks, said Mark Caulfield, chief scientist at Genomics England. Some answers could come as soon as in a few weeks from a study of almost 2,000 people already underway, Baillie said, though it is likely that testing more people will ensure that the signals they detect are genuine. The results will be shared globally. Your chance of dying from an infection is very strongly encoded in your genes - much more strongly than your chances of dying from heart disease or cancer, Baillie said. (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 WASHINGTON, D. C. - Even though its unlikely to advance in the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate, the Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Friday approved a $3 trillion coronavirus package that supporters hoped would open negotiations for more COVID-19 relief. Among other things, the bill dubbed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HEROES Act) would provide $500 billion in aid to states, $375 billion to local governments, and a second round of direct taxpayer payments of up to $1,200 per adult and $1,200 for each dependent up to three. The bill passed in a 208 to 199 vote with support from all of Ohios Democrats and opposition from all the states Republicans. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi described the measure as an offer on the table, and said Democrats are "open to negotiation to pass a fifth bill to help Americans whose health and livelihoods have been jeopardized by the pandemic. Families know that hunger doesnt take a pause, Pelosi said Thursday. Not having a job doesnt take a pause. Not being able to pay the rent doesnt take a pause. The hardship of it all, losing a loved one or having someone in your family sick, it just doesnt take a pause. So, members of the Congress and the House and Senate need to come together. But Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said House measure would undertake a far left transformation" of the country, and American workers dont need it. They just need a path back to the historically prosperous and optimistic moment that they had built for themselves until about 12 weeks ago," McConnell continued in a Senate floor speech. They need us to get rid of obstacles that might stand in their way. If the #HEROESAct is a wishlist, it's a wishlist for the working-class. pic.twitter.com/MbjRTSFQHv Congressman Tim Ryan (@RepTimRyan) May 15, 2020 Although some Democratic members of the House, like Niles Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, said they felt the measure didnt go far enough, most backed it anyway. Ryan said he was disappointed the bill didnt include more direct payments to Americans while the economy recovers, but he applauded its expanded funding for local governments and for COVID-19 testing, tracing and treatment. Ryan sad the bill would provide $32.9 billion to help Ohio communities pay firefighters, police, first responders, and healthcare workers during the crisis. He noted it would also extend weekly $600 federal unemployment payments through next January, increase monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits by 15%, and provide $175 billion in new supports to help renters and homeowners for rent, mortgage and utility payments. In a House of Representatives floor speech, Ryan criticized Republicans for opposing a bill that would help the working class after approving tax cuts several years ago that largely went to the wealthy. Our economy needs help with historic levels of unemployment baring down, said Toledo Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur. "The HEROES Act will provide a bridge of support to save lives and the livelihoods of families, workers, hospitals, and small businesses on the frontlines. In a House of Representatives floor speech delivered from behind a mask, Columbus Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty praised the bill for creating a heroes fund that would give frontline workers the hazard pay they deserve and its inclusion of bill language to put a moratorium on consumer debt collection, to open up forgivable loans to more nonprofits and to make sure the smallest businesses can get a PPE loan, to name a few. The American people need help. Our economy needs help. As our nation battles dual economic & public health challenges, it's clear Congresss work isn't over. The HEROES Act will save lives while providing critical resources to those who need it most. https://t.co/gActll0JjP Marcy Kaptur (@RepMarcyKaptur) May 15, 2020 House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy criticized the bill as a political measure that contains numerous non-COVID related Democratic priorities, including election law changes, federal funding for Planned Parenthood, and allowing cannabis businesses to use conventional banks. Much of this partisan bill has nothing to do with COVID-19, or the current crisis facing so many Americans, Cincinnati Republican Rep. Brad Wenstrup said on the House of Representatives floor. Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus co-founded by Champaign County GOP Rep. Jim Jordan decried it for promoting progressive politics over practical solutions." A statement from the organization criticized the bill for including a frivolous $40 million for bio-surveillance of wildlife and another $10 million for the National Endowment for the Arts. Only once we forge the path to reopen our country swiftly and safely will the challenges facing American families, workers, and job creators be lifted, the groups statement said. House Democrats would rather give tax dollars to illegal immigrants than American steelworkers. Shameful. pic.twitter.com/A3iUTkwD6b Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) May 15, 2020 More coverage: House approves proxy voting during coronavirus over objections from Ohio Republicans including Rep. Jim Jordan Former Cleveland Clinic researcher charged with fraud for failing to disclose China ties See which Ohio members of Congress are most and least bipartisan U.S. senators grill White House coronavirus team on reopening plans Rep. Marcia Fudge proposes coronavirus-inspired voting change Ohio hospitals to get remdesivir to fight coronavirus, says Sen. Rob Portman What Obamacare cancellation would mean to Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan to serve on coronavirus oversight committee he argued against creating Gun sales soar in Ohio during coronavirus pandemic Is Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio the most conservative Congress member of all time? Ohio Congress members want people who lack internet access to be able to track their coronavirus stimulus checks Ohio hospitals want Medicare to forgive coronavirus loans Rep. Jim Jordan wants probe of FBIs Michael Flynn investigation Trump administration to probe whether imported transformer parts threaten Cleveland Cliffs subsidiary AK Steel Groups pushing to reopen after coronavirus give Gov. Mike DeWines efforts a C File photo shows people walking out of the Great Hall of the People after the closing meeting of the second session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2019. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua) The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Friday held a meeting to discuss the draft government work report, which will be submitted by the State Council to the third annual session of the 13th National People's Congress for deliberation and approval. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting. Despite multiple challenges China faced in its development last year, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has rallied and led Chinese people of all ethnic groups to achieve the major annual targets and lay a decisive foundation for completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, the meeting said. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the CPC Central Committee has been regarding epidemic prevention and control as the top priority, the meeting said. Putting people's lives and health on the top of the priority list, General Secretary Xi Jinping has led the whole Party, army and people of all ethnic groups to fight a war against the epidemic, through personal command and deployment. Through arduous efforts, decisive results have been achieved in the fight against COVID-19 to protect the hard-hit Hubei Province and its capital city Wuhan, the meeting said, adding that major strategic achievements have been made in curbing the spread of the virus, with positive results in coordinating the epidemic control and economic and social development. China is facing unprecedented challenges as the global pandemic and economic situations remain grim and complex, the meeting said. The meeting stressed resolutely expanding domestic consumption, safeguarding economic development and social stability, ensuring the full completion of poverty alleviation targets as well as building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Going forward, attendees at the meeting called for unremitting efforts in implementing regular epidemic prevention and control measures this year, while striving to deliver a good performance in all areas of economic and social development. The proactive fiscal policy should be more positive, the prudent monetary policy should be more flexible and appropriate, and the employment priority policy should be further strengthened, according to the meeting. The country should roll out stronger macro policies to stabilize enterprises' development and ensure employment, and should rely on reforms to stimulate market entities' vitality and foster new growth drivers. China will advance opening-up to a higher level and stabilize the foreign trade and investment, and strive to achieve this year's economic and social development goals, the meeting said. The public purse will shoulder the cost of the loan until the company is able to attain 80 percent of its 2019 operation rates, said Maait EgyptAir Holding Company will receive EGP 2 billion as a supportive loan against the repercussions of the coronavirus, Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait announced on Saturday. In a statement, Maait said the public purse will shoulder the cost of the loan until the company is able to attain 80 percent of its 2019 operation rates. The move is based on President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's directives to support the civil aviation sector against the COVID-19 implications that disrupted global air traffic disruption and significantly affected EgyptAir Holding Company and its affiliates, according to the statement. Maait added that the pandemic resulted in the loss of revenue for the company that still bore fixed expenditures, such ad the employees salaries. He pointed out that the finance ministry held two meetings with the minister of civil aviation and the companys representatives to discuss the essential needs of the company amid the current crisis. This loan is part of the supportive procedures that the government has adopted to back the affected economic, social and service sectors because of the coronavirus outbreak in order to set the balance between keeping the peoples health safe, pursuing the production wheel, retaining the workforce, providing the domestic market needs, sustaining public services provided for citizens, and alleviating the harsh impacts of the crisis on the national economy, said Maait. He added that the government is striving to keep the gains of the economic reform programme, including ensuring the fiscal policy stability and maintaining the states safe economic trajectory. Maait noted that new Law 24/2020 came into force at the end of March to provide supportive facilities for the hard-hit sectors. In April, the International Air Transport Association said that Egypts airline sectors revenues were expected to drop by $1.6 billion, with 9.5 million fewer passengers in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. The sector contributes to the Egyptian national economy with $2.4 billion and has created 205,560 jobs. The pandemic affected global tourism, which is seeing declines in the range of 60 percent to 80 percent in international tourist arrivals in 2020. Losses in the sector depend on the speed to contain the pandemic and the duration of travel restrictions and shutdown of borders, according to the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities. Search Keywords: Short link: Reliance had earlier fixed 14 May as the record date for determining shareholders' eligible to apply for the issue. New Delhi: Oil-to-telecom conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd on Saturday said its mega Rs 53,125 crore rights issue will open for subscription of shareholders on 20 May and close on 3 June. Reliance Ind rights issue opens on May 20 and closes on June 3 pic.twitter.com/OafwGwHK1c CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) May 16, 2020 Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's firm had on 30 April announced fundraising of Rs 53,125 crore by way of a 1:15 rights issue--India''s biggest and the first such issue by the firm in nearly three decades. Reliance had earlier fixed 14 May as the record date for determining shareholders' eligible to apply for the issue. In a regulatory filing, the company said the rights issue committee of the board of directors at its meet on May 15 approved issue opening on 20 May and closing date of 3 June. "Abridged letter of offer, application form of rights issue, and rights entitlement letter, to be sent to the eligible equity shareholders of the company," it said. One share will be offered for every 15 shares held at Rs 1,257, a 14 percent discount to the closing price for 30 April. Reliance share price has since risen to Rs 1,458.90 (Friday''s closing price) but rights issue price remains the same. The proposed rights issuance will be the first by Reliance in three decades. 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. But for Reliance, it is not about raising funds as it has significant liquidity with $23.4 billion of cash and equivalent. It is being seen as an attempt to reward the shareholders, cut debt at the group and underscore promoters' faith in the Reliance growth story. Promoter Ambani family has under-written the entire rights issue, pledging to buy shares that are unsubscribed. The last time Reliance 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. 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 March quarter, RIL had an outstanding debt of Rs 3,36,294 crore. It also had cash in hand of Rs 1,75,259 crore, bringing the net debt position to Rs 1,61,035 crore. As part of its balance sheet deleveraging plans, Reliance has sold minority stake in its digital unit Jio Platforms to likes of Facebook. It is also talking to Saudi Aramco for selling a fifth of its oil-to-chemicals business for an asking of $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. Together, proceeds from these transactions will result in reduction in RIL's net debt. (Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd which publishes Firstpost) MIDDLETOWN The 130 young women who comprise Mercy High Schools class of 2020 filed past their alma mater Friday, queuing up in their vehicles for an unexpected reunion with their beloved instructors and others they havent seen for months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Several teachers admitted they have had one issue with distance learning being unable to take part in the simple, day-to-day joy of interacting with their young charges in person. President Sister Mary McCarthy teared up as she marveled at the great sense of community the Mercy family enjoys. Everybody buys in to the mission of Mercy, which is to give the kids a formal education, but to treat them with special care, love and compassion. The girls appreciate the fact that were all in it together. Everyone was willing to pitch in to make this day of appreciation one like no other, she added. The faculty have been longing to get here, she said, reflecting on the poignancy of the afternoon. Its a testimony to their spirit of faith, to their spirit of being women of Mercy who come together in good times, and in the times that are not so good, McCarthy said. They were met with a surprise reception: smiling, waving teachers who honked their horns in excitement, complete with balloons, festively decorated vehicles, music and other revelry. McCarthy, who has led the school for 45 years, is set to retire next month. The event was held outdoors as students at this Catholic high school at 1740 Randolph Road, where the grads received their yearbooks, caps and gowns, as well as other possessions in a wide-open socially distanced setting. We are celebrating their accomplishments, because they have done so much, said Melissa Bullock, dean of academics and technology, who sat in the trunk of her SUV, waving to passersby. Surrounding her were balloons, streamers, 2020 signs and other placards depicting Peanuts character Snoopy in a cap and gown accepting his diploma. Were trying to give them all our positive energy and love as they go forward. We know theyre strong Mercy women and are going to do amazing things, she said. Class moderators placed the bags and contents of each students locker in either the back seat or trunk of her vehicle amid cheers, shouts, and a few emotional moments. The class gift was a gold necklace with a bar pendant engraved with the longitude and latitude of the facility they spent the last four years attending. May the coordinates on this necklace always lead you to your second home, Mercy High School, where a smile, a hug, and a comfortable cup of tea will always be waiting. We love you and well miss you, the attached card reads. Lynn Curello is Mercys business technology teacher. We didnt get to say goodbye in the usual way, she said. The school began virtual learning the day after classes moved online in mid-March. Its been nearly two months since everyone last gathered at the facility. Its very difficult. Seeing them on the computer screen is not the same as seeing them in person, said Curello, who is retiring this summer. This is not how I thought it would be, she said, choking up. Im just so happy to be here. Graduate Jaelena Rivera was overjoyed to see everyone, however briefly. It was bittersweet, since everyone was masked and had to maintain at least a six-foot distance from one another. I love coming together and seeing everyone. Seeing the teachers just makes me feel so happy. I miss everything that weve done in school, Rivera said. McCarthy was very pleased to see the grads take the entire situation in stride. They do it with class and dignity with humor thrown in. The girls know theyre loved. I am so excited, said Latin teacher Jessica Hall, who waved from outside her decorated vehicle on the bright, sunny day. Ive had so many of these girls between history, English and Latin classes. To see them one more time not through a screen has been the best part of the last couple months. The young women swiftly adapted to a new style of learning. I know theyre going to be ultimately successful because, if they can get through this at 18, they can get through anything, Hall said. Its really touching. Its so heartwarming to see all the teachers here wishing us the best, said student Allison Tuttle. I love the family support here. Its very nice. During a very brief drive-through commencement May 31, the students will be presented with their diplomas. A mini-graduation will be conducted on the front steps of the facility. Speeches, the invocation and Diocese of Norwich Bishop Michael Cotes talk will be pre-recorded and shown later in a video. Were trying to make it as special as we can, and also fun for them, McCarthy said. Youre going to have other major events in your life, but youre not going to get this one. It can feel like a letdown, but, at the same time, look at how different this is. Nobody else is going to be able to say this is what this was like, Hall added. In 10, 20, maybe 100 years, well look back on it and say if its not lucky, its that sense of we did something different. We made it happen and we didnt lie down and let corona take our lives, we stood up for ourselves, she added. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 12 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: The number of tourists from Turkmenistan visiting Turkey amounted to 1,633 people in March 2020, which is 92.8 percent less compared to the same month of 2019, Turkeys Ministry of Culture and Tourism told Trend. The share of Turkmen citizens in the total number of foreigners visiting Turkey in March 2020 amounted to 0.23 percent. From January through March 2020, 37,455 tourists from Turkmenistan visited Turkey, which is 42.47 percent less compared to the same period of 2019. The share of Turkmen citizens in the total number of foreigners visiting Turkey in the first quarter of 2020 amounted to 0.88 percent. In March 2020, 718,097 million tourists visited Turkey, which is 67.83 percent less compared to March 2019. In 1Q2020, over 4.2 million tourists visited Turkey, which is 22.11 percent more compared to 1Q2019. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu The Volta Region Friday recorded its first COVID-19 death at the local Treatment Centre in Ho. The deceased, a 60-year-old woman who returned from Accra two weeks ago, visited the Ho Teaching Hospital with difficulty in breathing, fever for three days and reduced level of consciousness. She was noticed to have been progressively getting weak prior to her presentation at the Teaching Hospital and passed on after five days on admission at the Regional COVID -19 Centre on May 14, 2020 at 1815 hours. Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the deceased was a known diabetic who had suffered a Cerebro-Vascular Accident (CVA) a few years ago. The sexagenarian, the statement said, also had a pacemaker in situ for an unspecified cardiac condition. It said she had been previously reviewed at the National Cardio Thoracic Centre where she was told the pacemaker was no longer effective. On examination, she was febrile (40.0 C), not pale and anicteric with a Glasgow Coma Score of 11/15. She had a respiratory rate of 28cpm with Bronchial Breath Sounds and coarse crepitations bilaterally. Oxygen saturation was 86% on room air. The blood pressure was 100/70mmHg, Heart Sounds I &II heard with no other sounds. There was residual weakness of the right upper and lower limbs," the statement said. It said a preliminary diagnosis of severe pneumonia, Diabetes Mellitus type-2 and CVA with residual weakness was made to rule out COVID-19 but results received from the University of Health and Allied Sciences Laboratory for COVID-19 in three hours confirmed the deceased as positive for the disease. Dr. Letsa said, The patient was clinically managed in conformity with the established clinical protocols for the various disease conditions, psychosocial support given to the family of the confirmed case and all contacts and appropriate burial procedures currently underway. The Regional Minister said 39 staff including ten doctors, 28 nurses and an orderly were immediately quarantined as a precautionary measure after varying levels of exposure while contact identification, listing, tracing and testing was ongoing. He said the Emergency Unit of the Ho Teaching Hospital was evacuated and shut down for 24 hours for fumigation. GNA Lakhs of students who appeared in the Bihar Board 10th examination conducted by Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) are anxiously waiting for their BSEB 10th Result 2020, which has been delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country. For many of them, the outcome of the efforts they have put in for the exams is more important than present crisis caused by the outbreak of coronavirus disease. Covid may go after a certain period like other viruses, but our results will stay forever, said Abhishek Kumar, a student of Patna High School, who is desperately waiting to know his marks. He wants to pursue a career in engineering from a reputed institute in the future. Pankaj Kumar, a student of Shastri Nagar Boys High School, is among those students, who frequently visit the website of BSEB at biharboard.ac.in to check if there is any new notification about the result announcement. I really want to get over the result so that I can move ahead with higher studies, he said. Rahul Kumar of Ram Lakhan High School, said, Result will decide fate of my higher studies. If I will get good marks, I will opt science stream and prepare for entrance exam of IIT. Due to pending results, I am not able to concentrate on studies. Chandni Kumari of Bankipore Girls High School was also anxiously waiting for her Bihar Board Matric Result 2020, as she is expecting good marks. I expect good marks as questions were not difficult and I was able to solve all, she added. Daughter of non-matric parents, Chandni said, If I get admission in intermediate then I will be the first from my family to pursue higher education. A BSEB official said that BSEB Matric Result 2020 would be declared in the next week. Evaluation of pending answersheets is completed in all districts. Compilation of result is on. After preparation of toppers list, the board will finish other formalities including verification of toppers copies and interview of toppers through video call, said the official. BSEB chairman Anand Kishor said that after announcement of Bihar Board Matric Result 2020, students can apply for admission in Class 11 through online mode. He said, Thankfully the board had already implemented digitalization of work to eliminate manual paper system and reduce human interference. Computerized online system has helped the board to continue its regular essential work even in this unprecedented situation. More than 15 lakh students appeared in Bihar Board matriculation exam held across 1368 exam centres, which was conducted from February 17 to February 24. Last year, matric results were declared on April 6 with overall pass percentage 80.73%. Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for central Fairfield County until 9:15 p.m. Friday, according to an alert from the National Weather Service. The storms could bring 60 mph wind gusts. Residents are urged to expect possible damage to trees and power lines. With the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting that cyclonic storm Amphan is likely to make landfall somewhere between the North Odisha coast and West Bengal by May 20, Odisha on Saturday announced that it will shift migrant workers lodged in various quarantine centres near the coast to safer places. Saving of lives is our priority. We should put our best efforts to save every precious human life, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik said. IMD director general Mrityunjay Mohapatra said the depression over Southeast Bay of Bengal lay centred 1,040 km south of Paradip and had intensified into a cyclonic storm on Saturday evening and may intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm in another 24 hours. ALSO READ | Cyclone Amphan to hit Odisha, WB Cyclone Amphan will recurve north northwestwards across northwest Bay of Bengal towards West Bengal and adjoining Odisha coasts during May 18 to 20. The exact place of landfall of the cyclone would be known by Sunday, he said. The system is now moving at 20 km per hour. Under its impact, rain will start in coastal Odisha by May 18 evening and by May 19, northern coastal Odisha will receive very heavy rainfall. The cyclonic storm is likely to affect around 7 lakh people in 649 villages along the sea coast. Special relief commissioner Pradeep Jena said Odisha is working towards ensuring zero casualty and district collectors have been asked to conduct vulnerability analysis in view of the summer cyclone. There are 809 cyclone shelters in 12 districts expected to be affected by the cyclonic storm, of which 242 are being used as quarantine centres. Jena said the rest 567 cyclone shelters and 7,092 more buildings would be used to keep the evacuated people ALSO READ | NDRF deploys teams in Odisha and Bengal as Cyclone Amphan closes in As the cyclonic storm is likely to affect the four coastal districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur, additional chief secretary of health department, Pradipta Mohapatra said instructions have been issued to shift the migrant labourers staying in quarantine centres within 3 km of the coastline in the districts. Mohapatra said all hospitals in the state have been asked to ensure adequate stock of medicines including anti-snake venom, ORS and other equipment. The state government is ready to combat any situation arising out of Cyclone Amphan even though the focus of the entire machinery is on dealing with the Covid-19 challenge, he said. So far, 1.33 lakh migrant workers have returned to Odisha from other states through bus, train and other arrangements. Ganjam, the epicenter of Covid-19 in Odisha has so far seen 55,567 migrants returning followed by Balasore (11368), Cuttack (8198), Kendrapara (7457) and Bhadrak (7273). Odisha has urged the Centre to suspend Shramik Special trains for 3-4 days to districts which are expected to be affected by the cyclonic storm. Meanwhile, director general of NDRF, Satya Narayan Pradhan said each of the 4 teams have been sent to the four coastal Odisha districts of Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Bhadrak that are likely to be affected by the cyclone. Another 20 NDRF teams have been kept on standby. In view of the impending cyclone, Eastern Naval Command has assumed a high degree of readiness to render necessary humanitarian assistance. Indian Naval ships at Visakhapatnam are standing-by to proceed to the most affected areas for evacuation and to provide medical aid. The special relief commissioner said the collectors in all the coastal districts have been asked to ensure that the diesel generator sets, inflatable tower lights, telescopic tower lights, chain saws given to multipurpose cyclone shelters be in operational readiness. He said 335 teams of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force and state fire units will be sent to the districts likely to be affected by the cyclone. Throughout history, infectious diseases originating in animals have crossed the species barrier to wreak havoc on humankind. Famous examples include Ebola from bats, HIV and malaria from chimpanzees and gorillas, and the bubonic plague from fleas on rodents. However, the relationship between humankind and the natural world has fundamentally changed in the last several decades, heightening the risk of these dreaded spillover events. The mounting anthropogenic -- human-caused -- disruption of ecosystems, increased contact with wildlife and pressure on the climate together accelerate the pathway from animal infection to human pandemic. In modern times, about 75 percent of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, meaning they originated in animals. Like SARS, which infected 8,098 people in 2003, COVID-19 is suspected to have passed from bats through another mammal before infecting humans. Chinese wet markets, where live animals such as ducks, ferrets and snakes are sold and slaughtered, have been implicated in the origination and amplification of both viruses. These creatures would not naturally come into contact with each other, but markets bring them from their ecological niches into crowded, unhygienic conditions where diseases can spread between species, and into their human captors. Although China has received much attention, it is far from alone in facilitating spillover events, nor are wet markets the only risky environment. Domestic animals raised through global industrial farming operations - or factory farms - may be an even more serious cause for concern. In the United States, it is estimated that 99 percent of animal products are produced in factory farms, which hold massive numbers of stressed and densely packed animals. These conditions are perfect incubators for diseases like pandemic influenza. When two different strains of virus infect the same cell, there is an opportunity for them to combine and create a completely new virus. The result is a pathogen that the human immune system has never seen before, with high pandemic potential. The 1918 Spanish Influenza originated in birds and infected an estimated one billion people, while the 2009 H1N1 pandemic came from pigs and infected around 60 million people. In addition to incubating disease, factory farms are major contributors to land use changes and habitat loss, which bring humans into more frequent contact with our wilder neighbors. When animals lose their homes and food supply, they venture closer to human communities in search of these necessities, creating opportunities for the exchange of pathogens. Animal agriculture is also a major driver of climate change through deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change, in turn, promotes opportunities for spillover. As temperatures rise, many species begin migrating towards the poles in search of new homes, bringing them into contact with new species and communities. Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and zika virus are expected to become more common as mosquitoes expand their geographic range, and increased rainfall provides ideal breeding grounds. Lyme disease is also increasing in prevalence as ticks migrate north, a problem compounded by decreasing biodiversity. To prevent the next pandemic, we must target the forces driving spillover events - and this requires more than controls on wildlife trade. Action on climate change, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving forest conservation, is needed. To reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, we must transition to low-carbon energy sources such as wind and solar. Not only is this necessary for mitigating global warming and extreme weather events, it also improves air quality, protecting against severe outcomes from respiratory illnesses. Conservation also minimizes disruption to ecosystems and habitat loss. Sustainable agriculture practices can be achieved through reducing the demand for meat, and improving livestock living conditions. These changes would alleviate the crowding and unsanitary conditions that promote outbreaks. It is important to remember that epidemics have plagued humans for centuries, and likely always will. However, unmitigated anthropogenic activities make these occurrences far more likely. Once a spillover has happened, our urbanized, globalized society fuels the spread of the disease. COVID-19 has made it apparent that investments in public health, health care capacity and outbreak preparedness are vital to mitigating the impact of novel pathogens when they do arise. The natural world evolved in balance. It should not be surprising that when we upset this equilibrium, there will be consequences. The forces shaping spillover events are inextricably linked. Climate and land use changes, habitat loss, deforestation and animal agriculture are all related to one another and the well-being of life on earth. By understanding this relationship, we can learn to live in greater harmony with the natural world and prevent pandemics before they begin. Holly Burrows is a masters of public health candidate in epidemiology of microbial diseases at the Yale School of Public Health. (Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @verge) How To Use New Messenger Rooms On Facebook: Here Are The New Features You Should Know (Photo : Screenshot from Twitter post of @JacobkCurtis) How To Use New Messenger Rooms On Facebook: Here Are The New Features You Should Know Facebook has always been a great help when it comes to connecting people across the globe using its products. According to Facebook's website, the company has been focusing on helping people connect with others even when they're not together physically. The demand for real-time video was quickly addressed by Facebook. More than 700 million WhatsApp and Messenger accounts participate in calls daily. Video calling on WhatsApp and Messenger have doubled in many countries across the globe, and views of Instagram Live and Facebook Live videos have significantly increased in March 2020. However, the company stated that there are still more things to do to make real-time videos more personal and realistic. Facebook recently introduced "Messenger Rooms" to help people spend their quality time with loved ones and friends more easily during the ongoing pandemic. With it, people can now create a room right from Facebook or Messenger and can even invite those who don't have a Facebook account to join the video conference. Messenger Rooms can hold up to 50 people without a time limit. Facebook users can now share rooms through Groups and Events, and the News Feed without worrying about the need to check everyone's calendar first if they're available to join the video call. The company also said that other ways would be developed that will allow users to create rooms from WhatsApp, Instagram Direct, and Portal. How to use new Messenger Rooms on Facebook: Here are the new features you should know According to Lifehacker, Messenger Rooms is a simpler alternative to video chats just like Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams; and it's free. On your Android or iOS device, open the messenger app. Tapping the "People" tab, and then choose the option "Create a Room." Once done, there will be a "Share Link" option that will allow you to invite other people. For those on a laptop or PC, open Messenger via Facebook's website or simply visit "messenger.com." Click the "Start New Room" camera icon located at the top of the left-hand menu. To start creating a room, tap the "Continue as [you]" on the new window that will appear. You must then copy, paste, and send the link at the top of the Room window to invite other people. Last month, Google banned its employees from using the popular video chat software, Zoom, according to Buzzfeed News. The decision was made after a series of reports about the platform's weak security and privacy measures such as sharing users' information to third parties, and incidents of "zoom-bombing" in the middle of what has arguably become the largest work-from-home initiative in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Google reportedly sent an email to all employees, saying that Zoom is banned because of "security vulnerabilities." 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Sudhir Suryawanshi By Express News Service MUMBAI: The exodus of migrant workers continues unabated from the Mumbai metropolitan region that includes Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan, Panvel etc. As per Maharashtra government records, more than 10 lakh migrants were stranded in various parts of the state. However, the number of migrant workers leaving Mumbai has been unofficially pegged as high as 25-30 lakh. 2.45 lakh migrant workers have left Mumbai and other locations in the state by train. Bihar and West Bengal were initially reluctant to take back migrants but NCP chief Sharad Pawar then had a word with the Chief Ministers, said home minister Anil Deshmukh. Pawar personally phoned Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee and Nitin Kumar and now they have given the green signal. The Maharashtra government has sanctioned Rs 54 crore from the Chief Minister's relief fund for the train ticket fare for the migrants and the amount has been disbursed to all 36 district collectors, said Deshmukh. 191 special trains filled with migrant workers have left Mumbai in the last few days. 117 have left for Uttar Pradesh, nine for Rajasthan, 26 for Bihar, three for Karnataka, 21 for Madhya Pradesh, seven for Odisha, five for Jharkhand, two for Jammu and one for Andhra Pradesh. Maharashtra Congress president and revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat said Gujarat is refusing to take their own people. We have not yet got any clearance from Gujarat to take their own people. We are pursuing the matter and expect to resolve it as early as possible, Thorat said. However, unofficially the state government has asked the police not to halt any trucks, tempos and autos that are carrying migrant workers even if they have no travel permission. Every day, more than 2000 trucks, 1000 tempos, 500 auto and taxis crammed with migrant workers are leaving Mumbai. Some of them are going on motorcycles and a few are also walking. The numbers could be between 25 to 30 lakh, said a Shiv Sena minister requesting anonymity. Nawab Malik of the Maha Vikas Aghadi confirmed the exodus saying migrant workers in Mumbai fear they will contract COVID-19 if they remain. He also said there is no work happening due to the lockdown so they want to go back to their home states as early as possible. ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands (15 May 2020) IMCD N.V. (IMCD or Company), a leading distributor of speciality chemicals and food ingredients, today announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire the pharmaceutical business in China of Develing International Trade (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (Develing) upon fulfilment of transaction-related conditions. Develing International with head office in Shanghai, is a Dutch sales and distribution company (B2B) of high-quality ingredients for the food, pharmaceutical, chemical, and feed industry in China and Vietnam. The acquired business with annual sales of approximately 10 mln will be integrated into IMCD Chinas business unit Pharma and will be synergistic with IMCDs existing product range. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 17:35:52|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait Flour Mills and Bakeries Company (KFMB) announced on Saturday that it has doubled its production since the total curfew to meet the needs of consumers of Kuwait. KFMB is a state owned group specializing in production and supplying of food products in Kuwait and shoulders a sizeable role in the country's economy. The company said that it has made proactive plans, especially for populated areas where residents depend on co-operative societies and grocery shops as the main source of basic foods, and its current production has exceeded seven million breads a day. On Saturday, the company will send more than 30 trucks of breads to selling points in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, it said. In addition, it also distributes breads for free to residents of some areas, the company said, adding that on Friday it has distributed breads to residents of Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, Khaitan, Farwaniya, and Bneid Al-Gar areas during morning and evening periods. It will be operating at full capacity, and will work hard to provide breads for every citizen and resident in Kuwait, the company stressed. KFMB factories are considered as one of the largest and state-of-the-art in the Gulf and Middle East areas. The Kuwaiti government has imposed a full curfew in the country to curb the rapid rise in coronavirus cases. Enditem Authorities, including the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, issued a circular on Friday about promoting the development of Taiwan-funded enterprises and projects in the mainland in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The document, consisting of 11 specific measures, aims to help Taiwan businesses cope with the epidemic and resume work and production and provide them with the same treatment as mainland enterprises. The measures include helping Taiwan-funded enterprises increase their capital and production, and encouraging them to participate in the construction of new and traditional infrastructure, according to the circular. The circular also requires implementing a policy of tax reduction and strengthening financial support for the Taiwan-funded businesses. (Natural News) The Department of Defenses (DOD) Joint Acquisition Task Force in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded ApiJect Systems America a lucrative $138 million contract to produce hundreds of millions of smart syringes for administering Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines to the masses. According to the Pentagon, ApiJect subsidiary RAPID USA Inc. will immediately initiate Project Jumpstart, a program to develop a high-speed supply chain for prefilled syringes using blow fill-seal (BFS) plastics manufacturing technology. This will enable the warp speed development of hundreds of millions of medical-grade injection devices to be ready by October 2020. By immediately upgrading a sufficient number of existing domestic BFS facilities with installations of filling-line and technical improvements, Jumpstart will enable the manufacture of more than 100 million prefilled syringes for distribution across the United States by year-end 2020, says Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Mike Andrews. By the end of 2021, ApiJect is planning to have the capacity to manufacture 330 million prefilled BFS syringes per month, meaning every person in American could theoretically be jabbed once per month with a new vaccine. RAPID USA is led by our multi-disciplinary team of experienced engineers, pharmaceutical technology experts, and management leadership, says ApiJect Systems America CEO Jay Walker. Our team is expending extraordinary efforts to ensure that when drugs are developed and tested all Americans can receive critical injections. We will have done our part by providing the manufacturing capacity to support the necessary volume of ready-to-use prefilled syringes that contain essential medicines, be they therapeutics or vaccines. Coronavirus vaccine microchips will be able to send real-time data straight to the government What makes these syringes smart is that each one comes with its own optional radiofrequency identification (RFID) chip or near-field communication (NFC) tag that can be synced with a smartphone app for tracking by healthcare workers. This will allow for the real-time transfer of data to the government about the syringe, what vaccine it contains, and who is receiving it. Before giving an injection, the healthcare worker will be able to launch a free mobile app and tap the prefilled syringe on their phone, capturing the NFC tags unique serial number, GPS location and date/time, the ApiJect website explains about the technology. The app then uploads the data to a government-selected cloud database. Aggregated injection data provides health administrators an evolving real-time injection map.' While the technology is being unveiled in direct response to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, ApiJect and RAPID say that it can also be used for all future pandemics or public health scares that drive the masses to demand rapid vaccination. RAPID will provide increased lifesaving capability against future national health emergencies that require population-scale vaccine administration on an urgent basis, Andrews says. At the onset, ApiJect will be manufacturing these smart syringes at manufacturing plants in Connecticut, Illinois, and South Carolina. As time goes on, this will expand to other locations throughout the U.S. President Trump also recently announced the names of some of the folks who will be heading up Operation Warp Speed, the government initiative that will spearhead the delivery of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines to be inserted into ApiJects microchip-equipped syringes. The top dog is former GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) executive Moncef Slaoui, who is also a general in the military. Another is Gustave Perna, another military general who will function as Operation Warp Speeds chief operation officer (COO). I think were going to have a vaccine by the end of the year, and I think distribution will take place almost simultaneously because weve geared up the military, Trump is quoted as saying about the timeline for the program. Sources for this article include: Apiject.com UPI.com NaturalNews.com Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii actor Sachin Kumar died of a heart attack on Friday. Several members of the television industry such as Rakesh Paul, Chetan Hansraj, Vineet Raina and Surbhi Tiwari have expressed their condolences, according to a Times of India report. Sachin, who also appeared in Lajja as the negative lead, had since quit acting and become a photographer. His friend Rakesh Paul confirmed the news and told TOI, Yes, it is heart-breaking to share the news, but it is true. I couldnt see him by the time I learnt about his demise, he was already taken to the crematorium. What I have learnt is that he went to sleep and the next day he did not open the door. His parents panicked and they got keys and when they opened the door, he had passed away. He was staying with his parents. The incident happened probably late in the night or early morning. Expressing his shock, Chetan Hansraj told SpotboyE, Its very shocking. I also got to know about the news from Facebook and hence I dont know the actual reason for his death. We had worked together in Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii but he had quit acting a long time back. Producer of Lajja, Benaifer Kohli was quoted by SpotboyE as saying, He was a very sweet boy, and its very heartbreaking to hear the news of his death. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON It was around 10 days ago that actor Satyajeet Dubeys 54-year-old mother had a sudden migraine attack, followed by high fever, shivering, vomit and body ache. And when he took her to get some basic tests done, diagnostic centres expressed apprehension, and urged them to get her tested for Covid-19 first. The test came out positive. What is the source? Dubey has been at the receiving end of this question multiple times over. But he says, You cant pinpoint where it came from. I spoke to the doctor, who said You or your sister could be the carriers, or somebody in the building, or even a currency note. But, my sister and Ive been absolutely fine. Were asymptomatic, and so were not supposed to test as per the BMC guidelines. However, theyre both now in complete isolation at home with their dog Laado, and cats Guru and Meena Kumari, while their mother is under observation in an isolated ward of a private hospital in Mumbai. The word privilege is a word Dubey uses often during the conversation. Explaining the reason, he says, As a son, I wanted to give her the best in terms of comfort. But, if you go through the normal channel, its next to impossible to find a bed in hospitals right now. Thank God for the kind of work I do, and the people I work with I had to call a few people and pull some strings, and people were kind enough to say, You dont worry about it, we will help, and they did. The actor especially names Sanjay Dutt, his onscreen father in Prasthanam (2019), who Dubey says comforted him like a real father would have, on phone. Apart from Baba, as Dutt is lovingly called, Dubey names his close friend Ali Fazal, and actors Tisca Chopra and Amitosh Nagpal, besides his first co-star Zoa Morani, who fought the Covid-19 battle along with her father and sister, recently. It hasnt just been through calls to ask me Kaisa hai? Kya hai?, but helping me figure out a lot of things, shares he. While Dubey is worried that his mothers case is more complicated than what Morani went through, the 29-year-old is holding onto the faith that we shall overcome. I just hope that not just my mom, but every person whos affected, comes out stronger from this situation, adds the actor, whos also concerned about the mass exodus of workers from cities. Theyre the backbone of the economy. We try to look away from the fact, but we need to pay attention to that side as well. If they lose faith in humanity, itll be a huge defeat for us collectively as a nation, he says, reminding that he grew up in a small town in Chhattisgarh, and has seen the labour class struggle. Follow @htshowbiz for more Digitalization holds the key to growth of businesses, be it brick-and-mortar or purely web-based. This is why technology giants are rushing to bring the majority of the worlds population together through Internet connectivity. Big techs such as Facebook, Inc. FB, Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN and Alphabet Inc. GOOGL have been scaling up their efforts to provide Internet services around the world, particularly to rural and remote areas. Let us thus take a look at some of these projects and note which companies may benefit from the expansion of Internet connectivity. Facebooks Massive Undersea CablesAroundAfrica The social media giant is building a huge underwater cable around Africa, in order to bring Internet connectivity to the continents 1.3 billion inhabitants.Facebook has partnered with companies such as China Mobile, South Africas MTN, Frances Orange and Britains Vodafone along with local network operators on the project, dubbed 2Africa, per a CNBC report. The company has given the responsibility of building the subsea cable to Nokia-owned cable systems provider Alcatel Submarine Networks. The cable is expected to be 37,000 kilometers or about 22,991 miles long. The cable will connect 23 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Europe, Facebook said. Alphabets Loon and Equiano Alphabets project for providing Internet services to remote and rural areas could be just a few weeks away from launching its first commercial service in Kenya. Project Loon, which uses high-altitude balloons to offer Internet connectivity, has been tested extensively by the company. The project is part of the companys many moonshot projects that are moving toward providing real commercial services. Another project by Alphabets Google is building a new subsea cable called Equiano to connect Africa with Europe, since it boosts its cloud computing infrastructure. Equiano is Googles third private international cable. According to the search engine giant, Equiano will be the first subsea cable to integrate optical switching at the fiber-pair levelinstead of the traditional approach of wavelength-level switching. Story continues Google said that a contract to build the subsea cable with Alcatel Submarine Networks was signed in fourth-quarter 2018. The first phase of the project, which connects South Africa with Portugal, is expected to be completed in 2021. Amazons Satellites for Low-Cost Internet Connectivity Amazon is looking toward a space-based web service. The companys Project Kuiper plans to launch more than 3200 satellites into space to offer low-cost Internet services around the globe. In fact, Amazon is one of the key players in a bankruptcy bidding game for the assets of the OneWeb satellite venture. OneWeb has 74 satellites launched into orbit to prepare for providing high-speed Internet service, starting in the Arctic and then going around the world. In March 2020, the company filed for bankruptcy when Japans SoftBank Group, a major backer, withdrew its funding because of the coronavirus pandemic. Should Amazon manage to secure the satellite venture, it would certainly have an edge over other companies in the arena of offering Internet services. Digital Population as of the End of April 2020 According to a report by Statista, the number of active Internet users as of the end of April 2020 was 4.57 billion, accounting for 59% of the global population. Speaking in terms of countries, China, India and the United States led the way with the highest number of Internet users. 3 Stocks to Buy We have hand-picked three stocks that could gain significantly from the aforementioned Internet projects. All of these stocks carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and have gained since the beginning of this year. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Services of Netflix, Inc. NFLX are in high demand around the world, owing to its streaming shows and unique content. Increased Internet access could further boost the stock. Shares of the company, which belongs to the Zacks Broadcast Radio and Television industry, have gained 36.6% so far this year against the industrys decline of 0.2%. Netflixs expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 55.9%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the companys current-year earnings has moved 6.3% north in the past 60 days. Activision Blizzard, Inc. ATVI is a developer of video games for mobile, PC and console. Shares of Activision Blizzard, which belongs to the Zacks Toys - Games - Hobbies industry, have gained 22.8% so far this year compared with the industrys rise of 6.8%. Activision Blizzards expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 18.7%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the companys current-year earnings has moved 7.7% north in the past 60 days. Shares of Microsoft Corporation MSFT, which belongs to the Zacks Computer - Software industry, have gained 14.5% so far this year compared with the industrys rise of 7%. Microsofts expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 19.8%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the companys current-year earnings has moved 1.2% north in the past 60 days. Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2020 In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2020? Last year's 2019 Zacks Top 10 Stocks portfolio returned gains as high as +102.7%. Now a brand-new portfolio has been handpicked from over 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. Dont miss your chance to get in on these long-term buys. Access Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2020 today >> 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 Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Activision Blizzard, Inc (ATVI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Facebook, Inc. (FB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Central New York's congressman voted against the latest House of Representatives coronavirus relief bill, despite his support for many of its key provisions. Citing measures put in the $3 trillion bill by Speaker Nancy Pelosi that he said were included to "appease the most extreme elements of her base," U.S. Rep. John Katko, R-Camillus, issued a statement explaining his opposition to a measure that was passed largely along party lines, 208-199. The bill has many provisions that Katko said he supports, some of them in opposition to many Republican members of congress. "I am not intimidated by the size and scope of this bill, as I believe our response to this national emergency needs to match the size and scope of the crisis," he said. "I also disagree with President Trump that we have time to work out the details of the next relief package. Congress needs to act now." The measure includes almost $1 trillion for state and local governments and provides more money for virus testing and to pay front-line emergency workers. It would renew $1,200 cash payments for individuals and extend the added $600 weekly unemployment benefits being paid during the pandemic. It also has provisions helping voters cast ballots by mail, increasing food aid to low-income people,help for the Postal Service and local schools, and $175 billion to help homeowners and renters stay in their homes. But Katko cited other measures in the bill such as "policies like releasing dangerous federal inmates from prison, and sending stimulus checks to illegal aliens" as items that will make it impossible to be approved in the Senate. "How does that help us get out of this crisis? This bill is even opposed by Central New York labor unions because of unvetted and unpopular pension provisions," Katko said. "This measure widely fails to prioritize the needs of working families over a foolish partisan stunt," he added. On Friday afternoon, the Civil Service Employees Association Central Region 5, which advocates for 45,000 active and retired workers in the region, issued statement saying it "refutes the claim by Congressman John Katko that CNY labor is opposed to the coronavirus relief bill being voted on by the House of Representatives today. "CSEA has been advocating tirelessly statewide for this type of relief for the state and local governments," it said. "This relief will help save countless public jobs and services across the state that our hard-working members provide for our communities. ... We are incredibly disappointed that Rep. Katko doesnt see the need for immediate relief for local governments." Katko's office pointed to opposition from numerous labor unions regarding provisions related to pensions in the bill. Among the unions who have spoken out against those provisions are International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union, Directors Guild of America, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers, International Longshore and Warehouse Union, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, SEIU, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, United Steelworkers and Teamsters. The bill is sure to go nowhere in the GOP-led Senate, let alone reach President Donald Trumps desk, where a promised veto awaited. Pelosi, D-Calif., has said the legislation is Democrats opening offer in what is expected to blossom into negotiations with the White House and congressional leaders of both parties. Democratic leaders were working to limit their own defections and avert what would be a politically damaging defeat. In a conference call with Democrats late Thursday, Pelosi cautioned her colleagues against voting no. If you vote against this and all this funding for your state, then you have to go home and defend it. And if you can defend that no vote, then youre a better politician than me, Pelosi told them, according to a Democratic aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private discussion. Her remarks were first reported by Politico. The Associated Press contributed to this report. T he founder of the left wing Momentum campaign group has announced he is standing down as its leader. In an article for the Labour List website, Jon Lansman, 62, said the time had come to hand over to a new generation of activists. We are now a mass of dedicated activists fighting for a better world. And in this new era, it is time that a new generation of leaders put their ideas into practice, he said. That is why I have decided not to contest the forthcoming elections within Momentum and instead will hand over to a new leadership. Momentum grew out of the successful campaign to elect Jeremy Corbyn, a long-standing ally of Mr Lansmans, as leader of the Labour Party in 2015. It was credited with mobilising tens of thousands of young activists, but was distrusted by many traditional Labour members who accused it of acting as a party within a party. The failure of Rebecca Long-Bailey, the favourite of the left to succeed Mr Corbyn, to win this years party leadership election was seen as a sign of its waning influence. However, Mr Lansman insisted that it had changed the party for good. Thanks to our movement, Labour can never again be the party of illegal invasions, anti-immigration mugs or support for Tory policies of austerity and privatisation, he said. The Labour Party is now much closer to being a socialist party than simply a party with socialists in it. He added: "We didnt succeed in democratising the party sufficiently while Jeremy was leader, but we must not give up now. Its now more important than ever that Labour becomes a grassroots member-led movement." Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the Labour Party, said: "There is no doubt that Jon has made a big impact in politics and is a true Socialist whom has always wanted to do his best for people, he has fought injustice and inequality and will continue to do so in the future." We have all become homebodies. Even those of us who never thought we'd utter those words have been thrust into a world of domesticity that knows no bounds. Our kitchens are doubling as offices, date night restaurants, and cocktails bars, and our outfits are reflecting the changes. While you may have been investing in some Zoom-worthy bling, or some casual summer-ready dresses to ride out your new at-home existence, it is actually time for you to consider treating yourself to a kimono. Once the preserve of any TOWIE extra or Eastenders matriarch worth her bacon (Kat Slater, we're looking at you), the kimono - which quite literally translates as "something to wear" in Japanese - has seen its status elevated to one of refinement and sophistication in these testing - and confined - times. According to global search platform Lyst, searches for kimonos have been increasing 22 per cent each week for the past month, while searches for "kimono robes" on Shopstyle are up by 400 per cent. The kimono was also scheduled to be the subject of an exhibition, Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, at London's V&A museum (the exhibition has been postponed.) Feeling a bit late on the uptake? There's no time like the present, these are the most stylish offerings around today. Selfridges Olivia von Halle Mimi floral-print silk kimono, 415, buy now Selfridges Meng Floral-pattern silk-satin kimono, 790, buy now Selfridges Marjolaine Jaguar silk-satin dressing gown, 295, buy now Selfridges Yolke Anais-print stretch silk-satin dressing gown, 345, buy now Harvey Nichols Free People Light is Coming kimono, 250, buy now Harvey Nichols Paolita Cassiopeia silk long sleeve kimono, 375, buy now H&M H&M Satin and lace kimono, 19.99, buy now Selfridges Id Sarrieri Hotel Particulier lace-trimmed satin dressing gown, 615, buy now Selfridges Olivia von Halle Queenie floral-print silk kimono, 790, buy now Harvey Nichols Free People Rumi printed reversible kimono, 170, buy now H&M H&M Airy Kimono, 24.99, buy now (Photo : Gretta Blankenship from Pixabay) Google Nest Doorbell owners worry for their privacy as a stranger's porch randomly popped at a Google Nest Hub. Smart security systems and tools like the Google Nest Doorbell helps guarantee our homes are safe, regardless of whether we are in or not. But many Nest Doorbell users fear for their safety and privacy these days as there was a disturbing report wherein a stranger's house suddenly popped on a Google Nest Hub. Google Nest Doorbell Feed Randomly Appeared According to a report by TechRadar, Reddit user The_Mustard_Tiger said that a Nest Hello Doorbell feed suddenly appeared on their Google Nest Hub. However, the owner was confused as first of all, someone was walking up the front door of a house they did not recognize, and secondly, they don't own a Nest Doorbell, which only means that the feed came from a stranger's home and Nest Doorbell. They also thought at first that it was an ad, but soon realized that was not the case. Because of this incident, some raised concerns over the security of the Google Nest Doorbell and thought that if it could broadcast to a stranger's Google Nest Hub, there might be some possibility that an indoor Nest camera might broadcast the feed to Nest Hubs around the world. The news outlet tried to reach out to Google regarding the issue, but they haven't issued a comment yet. Read Also: Child Abuse Handbook Circulates on Dark Web; Parents Warned as Lockdown Puts Children at Risk for Online Predators Google Reached Out Nevertheless, a Google employee did reach out to the Reddit user and sent out a direct message, but the user did disclose what the message included. According to the author of the subReddit thread, they merely asked what time zone they were in, the firmware and build information of their device, if the video randomly popped up, and whether the device was newly bought or not or whether it was gifted. The Reddit user did say the device was newly bought. As of now, it seems like Google is doing some investigation about this incident. Are We Really Safe? Some people have reason to panic over a small incident since Google Nest was involved in a sextortion scam earlier this year when hackers took advantage of some Google Nest users. In a report by CNBC back in January, the hackers would contact victims and say that they would have illicit and private recordings of the victim and would tell them to pay up or would reveal the recordings to the internet. However, the videos that the hackers use to convince their victims did not come from a breach, meaning the videos did not actually come from the victims' Google Nest cameras, but it was enough for owners to think the worst. The news came at a time when worrying videos of hackers and criminals gaining access to security devices like Google Nest and Amazon's Ring cameras. Last year, Ring was also under fire due to a large data breach that exposed the personal data of around 3,000 owners. To help their patrons feel more comfortable with their safety and privacy, Google now requires all Nest users to enable the device's two-factor authorization. According to the internet giant, this "helps prevent someone from signing in to your account in the Nest app without your permission." Read Also: Protect Your Personal Data from Leaking Through Google Firebase; Here's How 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, May 16, 2020 09:37 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd86f563 1 National Corruption-Eradication-Comission,corruption-case,KPK,ICW,natural-resources,korupsi,sumber-daya-alam,state-losses Free Critics have questioned whether the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will be able to fulfill its promise of addressing corruption in the natural resources sector, which potentially accounts for the largest state losses of any sector in Indonesia. KPK chairman Firli Bahuri recently told the commissions newly inaugurated deputy for law enforcement, Karyoto, to crack down on corruption in mining and other natural resources businesses. Corruption in the natural resources sector has, according to researchers, caused larger state losses than similar illicit practices in other sectors. Antigraft watchdog Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) recorded 37 instances of corruption in the natural resources sector under investigation, accounting for Rp 6.03 trillion (US$403 million) in estimated state losses four times the estimated losses from corruption in the banking sector. Four of the cases were related to mining activities, causing an estimated Rp 5.9 trillion in state losses collectively. These were followed by similar illicit practices pertaining to land management with an estimated Rp 111.2 billion in losses from 16 cases. However, ICW researcher Egi Primayoga said the cases would not be solved anytime soon, blaming the current KPK leaderships lack of willingness to solve them. Read also: 100 days of blunders: Watchdog slams new KPK chairman's performance For example, the KPK has yet to complete investigation against Supian Hadi, the regent of East Kotawaringin in Central Kalimantan. The KPK declared the regent a suspect in February of last year for allegedly accepting gratuities between 2010 and 2012 from mining companies in exchange for mining licenses. The antigraft body estimated that Supians actions had caused Rp 5.8 trillion in state losses from environmental damage caused by the mining operation. The investigation of the case should have been finished [by now]. However, Im not sure that new KPK leaders will pay attention to such cases, as these practices often implicate bigwigs, said Egi. Syahrul Fitra of Auriga Nusantara echoed Egi, saying the KPKs pursuit of corruption cases in the natural resources sector had not shown significant results after the new leaders were inaugurated in December of last year. Maybe they are working quietly. However, we have not seen significant progress so far. Several old cases have also been left hanging, Syahrul said. He added that investigators limited knowledge of natural resources management had prevented them from connecting the illicit practices with their possible environmental effects. Read also: Nur Alams graft verdict loss for environmental protection Laode Muhammad Syarif, the executive director of the Partnership for Governance Reform (Kemitraan) and a former KPK deputy chairman, urged law enforcement to use other laws to prosecute graft suspects, such as the Mining Law. He called on law enforcement officers from other institutions including the National Police, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and the Environment and Forestry Ministry to cooperate in the pursuit of graft suspects in the natural resources sector. If they are serious about prosecuting, for example, crimes related to mining, it will be very easy because the crimes are happening right in front of our eyes. Responding to the criticism, KPK spokesperson Ali Fikri said the antigraft body had been working to curb corruption in the natural resources sector. However, he acknowledged the issue was not as simple as it may seem, because the root of corrupt practices in the sector was a phenomenon called state capture a systemic political corruption in which private interests influence a states decision-making processes to their own advantage. We have launched at least 27 cases pertaining to the forestry sector [since our establishment in 2003]. We are also studying to improve governance in the sector, Ali said. Editors note: The article has been updated to include the KPKs comment. >>> 24 new imported COVID-19 cases confirmed, tally at 312 >>> Over 340 Vietnamese citizens brought home safely from Russia Authorised agencies of the two countries, the Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines and Bamboo Airway coordinated to arrange a flight to take the citizens back to Vietnam. Those repatriated included underage children, pregnant women, sick persons, students made homeless due to dormitories closed, and tourists trapped in the Southeast Asian nation due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Bamboo Airway strictly took measures of security, safety and hygiene and epidemiology during the flight to ensure health for passengers and prevent the spread of the disease. After the flight landed in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, all persons on board were given check-ups and put under quarantine. Domestic authorities and representative agencies of Vietnam abroad continued to advise Vietnamese abroad to abide by the guidance of local authorities, and minimising travel. They will continue to work together to support Vietnamese citizens in disadvantaged situations abroad in returning home through commercial flights. Researchers at the Nanjing University in China were able to develop a wound patch filled with living Synechococcus elongatus or more commonly known as blue-green algae to speed up healing of wounds in mice. This patch may also treat people with diabetes who are suffering from chronic wounds. (Photo is used for representation only) (Photo : pxfuel) Living microalgae to treat slow-healing wounds? This research says it is possible. Researchers at the Nanjing University in China were able to develop a wound patch filled with what we know as blue-green algae, starring their ability to naturally produce oxygen through photosynthesis. These microorganisms, scientifically called Synechococcus elongatus, are used in the study to speed up healing in mice. Oxygen gases are sometimes used to treat the wounds, as oxygen aids in skin healing. Most often, however, the oxygen gas does not work because only a little amount of oxygen gas can penetrate the skin. Blue-Green Algae, Oxygen, and Wounds These challenges lead the researchers at Nanjing University to develop the wound patch. The researchers also used hydrogel beads in the wound patch to soak up the oxygen produced by the bacteria, allowing it to penetrate deep into the skin, passing through sweat and hair follicles. The effectiveness of the bacterial patch was compared to the standard oxygen gas therapy in mice with diabetes that had skin wounds of about 1 centimeter in diameter. Six days after the treatment, the wound treated with the bacterial patch reduced in size by 45 percent, compared to the wound treated with oxygen gas, which only had a reduction of size by about 20 percent. The wounds with bacterial patch also healed completely about three days prior and had no side effects. READ: COVID-19: US and Japan Start Gilead's Remdesivir Treatment Days after Emergency Approval of Drug The faster healing of the wound treated with the bacterial patch seemed to be because of better oxygen delivery. The bacterial patch was discovered to carry approximately 100 times more oxygen into the mouse skin than the oxygen gas. The patch will be tested in larger animals before advancing to human clinical trials. The researchers are hopeful that the same patch may also be used to treat diabetic patients who suffer from chronic wounds due to poor blood circulation. This results in slow-healing sores or wounds. In some cases, the affected body part may have to be amputated to prevent the spread of infection. The study also indicates that the patch promotes "cell proliferation, migration, tube formation in vitro and improve chronic wound healing and the survival of skin grafts in diabetic mice." Are Synechococcus elongates safe? These kinds of blue-green algae are safe. S. elongates thrives in freshwater and is a unicellular cyanobacterium. Cyanobacteria, which are frequently referred to as blue-green algae, are prokaryotes that get their energy from photosynthesis. This cyanobacteria is rod-shaped and can thrive in freshwater environments, even with low nutrients. They thrive best in freshwater hot springs or freshwater habitats. Despite the lack of cilia or flagella, this cyanobacterium moves in a wave-like manner. READ NEXT: Fasting and Vitamin C Combo: A Possible New Anti-Cancer Treatment It can undergo using photosynthesis from sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water. These cyanobacteria can produce oxygen on their own. The oxygen that these blue-green algae are producing is essential for the oxygen needed to heal chronic wounds. Damon Runyon announces recipients of Physician-Scientist Training Award New York, NY (May 15, 2020) The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has named five physicians with novel approaches to fighting cancer as Damon Runyon Physician-Scientists. A scientific committee comprised of leading cancer researchers who are physician-scientists themselves has selected the awardees through a highly competitive and rigorous process. Recipients of this award are brilliant young doctors showing bold initiative and a commitment to finding new cures for cancer. Only one percent of all doctors are physician-scientists, and this number is at risk of shrinking further due to lack of funding. To help increase the number of physician-scientists--critical to moving scientific discoveries from the lab to patients--Damon Runyon created the Physician-Scientist Training Award. This provides physicians, who have completed specialty fellowship training, the opportunity to gain research skills and experience in translational and clinical research. To address the financial burden that often deters physicians from pursuing a research career, Damon Runyon provides significantly higher funding than most research fellowships--$460,000 over four years. The award also retires up to $100,000 of medical school debt still owed by an awardee (the average medical school debt is now more than $200,0000). "Physician-scientists have the unique ability to blend their insights from treating patients and working in the laboratory in a way that enables and accelerates medical advances," said Yung S. Lie, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. "If the current shortage of physician-scientists continues, we risk a situation in which major laboratory research discoveries may not reach patients at all, and that would represent a true crisis in cancer research." The Physician-Scientist Training Award was established in 2015 thanks to the generosity of Damon Runyon Board Members Leon Cooperman and Michael Gordon. 2020 Damon Runyon Physician-Scientist Training Award Recipients: Elisa A. Aquilanti, MD, with mentor Matthew L. Meyerson, MD, PhD, at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston Without new treatment options, patients diagnosed with glioblastoma brain tumors continue to have poor survival outcomes. Dr. Aquilanti aims to validate a new drug target called telomerase, a protein complex that elongates telomeres that cap the ends of chromosomes. Telomeres shorten with each cell division until they reach a critical length, and the cell stops dividing or dies. Many tumors activate telomerase to prevent the telomeres from shortening so their cells can divide indefinitely. Telomerase activation may be one of the main drivers of glioblastoma, occurring in over 85% of cases. Once she demonstrates that telomerase activity leads to cell death in glioblastoma, she hopes to develop a novel tool for screening drugs that can target telomerase. Additionally, she will explore whether alternative telomere maintenance pathways can develop in response to telomerase inhibition. Jonathan C. Dudley, MD, with mentor Bert Vogelstein, MD, at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore Earlier cancer detection usually means a greater chance of remission or cure, but cost-effective and highly specific cancer screening is not yet available for most cancers. More than 90 percent of cancers harbor aneuploidy, an abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell; this abnormality is highly specific for cancer and can be detected with DNA sequencing. Dr. Dudley is developing a new approach for detecting cells with abnormal amounts of DNA, which could identify cancer sooner. He aims to apply this approach to urine and Pap smear samples to create an inexpensive and sensitive screening test for bladder, ovarian and endometrial cancers. Dennis J. Hsu, MD, with mentor Sohail F. Tavazoie, MD, PhD, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and The Rockefeller University, New York DNA stores the information for making all the proteins in an organism. Transfer RNA (tRNA) plays a key role in building the proteins from this blueprint. tRNA molecules recognize specific sequences (three-letter codons) and deliver the corresponding amino acids needed to make a protein. Dr. Hsu recently found that certain starvation conditions can cause some tRNAs to be modulated in colorectal cancer cells. He will study the changes in tRNA levels that occur in response to cellular starvation states. He aims to shed light on how cancer cells adapt to starvation, which potentially can lead to new therapeutic approaches to target metabolic dependencies in cancer. Andrew L. Ji, MD, with mentor Paul A. Khavari, MD, PhD, at Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Squamous cell skin cancer or cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common cancer in the United States. In cases when the tumor cannot be surgically removed, treatment options are limited. Dr. Ji is focusing on intratumoral heterogeneity, the diversity of cell types and tumor cell subpopulations that characterize these tumors. Current cSCC treatments do not effectively target all subpopulations within a tumor, which leads to survival of some cancer cells and therapeutic resistance. He aims to understand how intratumoral heterogeneity arises within cSCC tumors, focusing on how cell-cell communication within the tumor microenvironment influences this process. This research may guide the development of improved treatment strategies. Natalie Vokes, MD [The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research Physician-Scientist], with mentor Eliezer M. Van Allen, MD, at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston The treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has changed dramatically with the development of immune-activating checkpoint inhibitors, given alone or with chemotherapy. However, most patients' tumors eventually develop resistance to these drugs. Dr. Vokes is investigating this process by collecting data on the genetic and immune features of pre- and post-treatment tumors. She will then use computational algorithms to integrate these features into a model that predicts which patients are likely to respond to checkpoint inhibitor therapy and also sheds light on the difference between therapy given alone or with chemotherapy. A better understanding of how tumors evolve resistance will guide the design of more effective therapies for all patients and improve therapy selection for individuals. 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 nearly $22 million in new 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 ### CONTACT Meghan McCurdy Director, Communications and Marketing meghan.mccurdy@damonrunyon.org This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The PCC discussed and decided on the extremely important matters of cadres, Party members and the peoples interest, including directions regarding personnel for the 13th National Party Congress and the general election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and Peoples Councils at all levels for the 2021-2025 term. The committee also made decisions on the number and allocation of delegates to the 13th National Party Congress and looked into other major issues. In his opening remarks, Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong pointed out that determining directions on personnel must stem from the requirements of implementing the Partys guidelines and political tasks, national construction and protection, and the building and rectification of the Party and the entire political system in the country. It is forecast that in the coming years, Vietnam will be confronted with huge opportunities and challenges. For that reason, it is a must to build a PCC which is truly a political leadership nucleus and a highly united and unified centrepoint of the Party and the entire nation. This is all very important work that is directly relevant to the destiny of the Party and the people and the future development of the country. Being fully aware of the great position and significance of the work, the PCC focused on discussions to clarify the contents regarding the review results of the personnel work of the 12th National Party Congress; the viewpoints, principles, objectives and requirements for the building of the 13th-tenure PCC; criteria for members of the PCC; criteria, structure, number and allocation plans for delegates to the 13th National Party Congress; and a number of issues to be implemented in the process of preparaing and implementing the personnel work of the PCC. The plenum emphasised that, in the present context, the PCC, the Politburo and the PCC Secretariat must all have a firm political stance; persevere with the goal of national independence and socialism; be absolutely loyal to Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought, the Partys Platform and directions, the Constitution of the State and the national interest. Candidates must have pure ethics and lifestyle, be a real example for others, and have a high level of respect amongst the community. They must neither be involved in corruption nor be opportunistic, and have no ambition for power. Candidates must also be well aware of their responsibility to preserve and protect unity and solidarity within the Party. The preparation of personnel must be based on a very high sense of responsibility, real objectivity, fairness and pureness, while strictly complying with the Partys organisational principles and regulations; putting the common cause of the Party and the nation first; and resolutely fighting all manifestations of individualism, opportunism, localism, factionalism, group interest, and advancement via corruption. Highlighting the election of deputies to the NA and all-level Peoples Councils as a major political event of the country, the PCC focused on discussing, considering and making decisions, and reached a high level of consensus on the key issues that decide the success of the elections, such as the objective, requirements and guiding principles of the elections; the establishment of electoral organisations; criteria for deputies of the NA and Peoples Councils at all levels, including full-time deputies; the number, structure and age of deputies, particularly the structure and number of full-time deputies, female deputies, ethnic minority deputies, deputies representing social sectors and strata; the right to vote and run for election; the process of nominating and self-nominating candidates; and the settlement of election-related complaints and petitions. On the basis of studying and drawing experience from the allocation of delegates who attended recent National Party Congresses, the PCC looked into and commented on the principles and criteria for allocating delegates and the projected number of delegates allocated to the 67 Party organisations under the management of the PCC. The PCC emphasised that the important thing is how to accurately select and elect truly exemplary and worthy comrades representing Party organisations to attend the National Party Congress, as stated by Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong at the opening and closing sessions of the plenum. The PCC introduced personnel relevant to the planning of the Politburo and the PCC Secretariat, 13th tenure, in line with Party regulations. Reviewing the leadership and direction of the Politburo and the PCC Secretariat in 2019, the PCC affirmed that the Politburo and the PCC Secretariat are a highly united and unified leadership collective persevering with the Partys goals and ideals, Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, and resolutely defending the Party, the regime, and national independence and sovereignty. The Politburo and the PCC Secretariat have strictly implemented the principles of democratic centralism and the working regulations, ensuring collective leadership and promoting the individual role within the assigned scope of work. The PCC applauded the Politburo and the PCC Secretariats serious self-criticism and criticism, and their frank acknowldgement of shortcomings before the PCC concerning any unfulfilled work. In his closing remarks, Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong asked members of the PCC to uphold their sense of responsibility to the Party, the people and the country; focus on leading and directing effective implementation of the resolution of the 12th National Party Congress, resolutions of the PCC and the resolution of the PCCs 12th plenum; and be proactively and actively involved in preparing and effectively implementing Party congresses at all levels as well as the 13th National Party Congress. The 12th plenum of the 12th-tenure PCC is an extremely important preparatory step to ensure the full success of the 13th National Party Congress next year. An empty parking lot is seen outside a closed JC Penney Co. store in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, on Thursday, April 16, 2020. It's not typical for a bankruptcy court hearing to fall on a Saturday, and it's nearly unprecedented for it to happen by phone. But as the coronavirus has battered the U.S. economy, J.C. Penney must navigate almost entirely uncharted territory as it looks to shed debt and emerge from bankruptcy a stronger company. The iconic retailer filed for bankruptcy on Friday weighed down with $4.9 billion in debt and crushed by government mandates that ordered its stores shut. J.C Penney's financial and legal advisors called into the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Houston, Corpus Christi Division to make their first-day statements. At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge David Jones authorized the retailer to continue paying non-furloughed associate wages, provide certain benefits to all associates, and to pay vendor partners in the ordinary course for all goods and services provided on or after the Chapter 11 filing date. Law firm Kirkland & Ellis' Josh Sussberg started the hearing by walking the judge through the chain's iconic history starting from its founding under the vision of James Penney, through its rise as a go-to department store for suburban America, and its lost footing as it churned through CEOs and battled the rise of online retail. He said the company had already begun to chip at its heavy debt load in order to usher in a turnaround envisioned by CEO Jill Soltau, who joined the company in 2018. But anyone, he said, who dismissed coronavirus as the main reason for landing in bankruptcy court was wrong. "You are dead wrong," he said. "This is absolutely about the coronavirus, this is about a governmental shutdown and about us all being in video chat for this hearing." The retailer had, in fact, been in discussions about transactions to address its debt load prior to the pandemic, said CFO Bill Wafford in a court declaration. "Unfortunately, once COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, and the Company's primary revenue stream in-store sales evaporated overnight, talks regarding the potential transactions came to a grinding halt," he said. Sussberg described for court the $900 million bankruptcy financing the company has secured, which includes $450 million in new money from its fist-lien lenders, most of which are hedge funds. That money, though, will not be made available to J.C. Penney all at once. The company will likely receive the first half after a June court hearing and the second half on July 15. But it will only receive that second half to support its business if it meets milestones required of it by its bankruptcy lenders. Otherwise, the funds will go towards funding a potential sale. Kirkland's Sussberg said J.C. Penney has already begun to receive outside interest in the company. According to documents filed with the court, if the company does not have the support of two-thirds of its bankruptcy lenders for a business plan by July 15, or binding commitments from third parties to finance those plans by August 15, it must "immediately cease pursuing the plan" and instead pursue a sale of its assets. That structure makes the next 60 days crucial to determining J.C Penney's fate in its current form. And in those two months, the country will face some of the greatest uncertainty in decades, as questions around the country's ability to defeat the virus and reopen the country remain unanswered. Retail sales in April plunged a shocking 16.4%, worse than the 12.3% expected by economists. The Labor Department reported a loss of 20.5 million jobs in April. J.C Penney has outlined the strategy the company will pursue in that time. It will focus on customer service, apparel and low prices. It will open select stores and continue to offer contact-free curbside pickup service at all open stores. Its e-commerce distribution will continue to fulfill online orders. The retailer is also weighing a plan by which it would split the company into two separate publicly traded companies, one of them being a real estate investment trust. It has also said it will "reduce its store footprint" in phases. CNBC previously reported that the retailer is making plans to close 180-200 stores. The challenges of continuing a turnaround against the backdrop of a pandemic was one that even the judge acknowledged. "I am very worried about this, this is why I'm having a hearing on a Saturday," said Judge Jones to 300 other people on the line. "When retailers are prohibited to have people come into the store," said Jones, "it's hard to make money." CNBC's Lauren Thomas contributed to this report. With the possibility of resuming domestic flights soon, airlines in India have submitted their aircrafts airworthiness report to the countrys aviation regulator Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). As per the set protocol, airlines have to submit their aircraft details to the DGCA and the MoCA before the resumption of their flight operations. Airlines are submitting their aircrafts status and airworthiness report to the regulator, sources in the MoCA told ANI. The Central government is planning to start domestic flights with several guidelines, but as of now, no clear instruction has been given to them. MoCA has informed all aviation stakeholders including airlines and airport operators through the draft SOPs that people over the age of 80 will not be allowed to travel in the first phase of flight commencement. No cabin baggage will be allowed at the initial level and only one piece of check-in baggage -- less than 20 kg -- will be allowed, as per the MoCAs draft SOP. Meanwhile, the Government of India and the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has issued necessary steps before the flights resume stating that passengers have to download the Arogya Setu app on their smartphones before arriving at the airport. With the possibility of resuming domestic flights soon, the AAI has issued some steps that should be followed so that passengers can be fully dressed while travelling. Wear a mask, carry a hand sanitiser, keep the docs handy and register on the ArogyaSetu app, reads a post on the official Twitter handle of AAI. Vistara has a smaller fleet size than other airlines -- 41 aircraft, IndiGo having about 260 aircraft in its fleet, 120 aircraft with SpiceJet and Air India group has over 155 aircraft in its fleet. Recently a senior official from the MoCA had given a detailed presentation before the Group of Minister (GoM) when India is taking a decision on mass repatriation flights for bringing back Indians from abroad under the Vande Bharat Mission. Over 500 aircraft in India and all are capable to repatriate Indians from the Gulf region and other countries, senior MoCA officials added. A private airline has also given a detailed report to the MoCA and the DGCA, stating that its aircraft are ready for flying. We are regularly maintaining our aircraft even though aircraft are flying or not. We have maintained our necessary checks of the aircraft engines and other important equipment. Our aircraft are ready. However, difficult it will be since a booking window is required but we are just waiting to start as soon as we get a confirmation, sources of an airline told ANI. Air India is operating domestic flights for those who are coming to India from abroad in repatriation flights under the Vande Bharat Mission. There is a ban on the movement of commercial flights in India from March 17 to May 17 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Seeking new markets, making new products and following new business thinking are actions now being taken by Vietnams businesses to overcome current difficulties. Struggling to survive The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) found that 35,000 businesses left the market in the first three months of the year. The number of businesses leaving the market was for the first time in many years higher than the number of newly set up ones. Meanwhile, a survey conducted by VTV24 and CEOs Supportive Community found that 58 percent of businesses have seen their revenue decrease by 70-100 percent. VCCI reported that 60 percent of businesses saw cash flow interruption and lacked capital, while 50 percent said they would still hold out for half a year if the epidemic lasts a long time. However, analysts believe in the vitality of Vietnams businesses. Being small and flexible, they can easily shift to other business models to adapt to new circumstances. F&B chains, which had ro close during social distancing, have shifted to sell food online and create new products to attract more clients. Vua Cua Restaurant (Crab King) in HCM City, instead of selling seafood, now spends three hours a day to make and sell dumplings. Coffee Bike now focuses on selling powdered coffee to retain loyal clients. Saigon Tourist, a travel firm, is providing door-to-door food through its network of 100 restaurants and hotels. iVivu, another tourism company, instead of laying off workers, has recruited more workers to provide lunch services. It now provides 1,000 servings a day and the figure is predicted to double weekly. Food demand always exists, Nguyen Trung Cong, director of iVivu, said. However, providing food is not a temporary business, but is part of the plan to build iVivu into a super-app which provides all essential services to users. Meanwhile, F&B chains, which had ro close during social distancing, have shifted to sell food online and create new products to attract more clients. Vua Cua Restaurant (Crab King) in HCM City, instead of selling seafood, now spends three hours a day to make and sell dumplings. Coffee Bike now focuses on selling powdered coffee to retain loyal clients. Instead of selling drinks, we now focus on selling coffee to people who want to make coffee at home. Struggling to survive is the top priority task for us now, said Hoang Tien, the founder of Coffee Bike. Optimism In a survey by the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association of 350 businesses on solutions to cope with Covid-19 for the next three months, 42 percent of businesses mentioned finding new markets as an important solution. Only 4 percent mentioned raising selling price, 5 percent mentioned sale of businesses, and 25 percent said they would suspend business. According to Pham Thai Binh, a retail expert, using high technology in production and business to optimize costs will become essential. He advised businesses to take advantage of this opportunity to accelerate digital transformation. Linh Ha Vietnamese SMEs face cash flow problems amid Covid-19 Many Vietnamese small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are facing cash flow problems triggered by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, stated a survey by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). King Abdullah II says Jordan is considering all options over Israels plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. Jordans king warned Israel of a massive conflict if it proceeds with plans to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank, as European Union foreign ministers agreed to step up diplomatic efforts to try to head off such a move. Israel has promised to annex Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley, which could spell the end of the long-stalled peace process by making it virtually impossible to establish a viable Palestinian state. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, has moved a step closer by reaching an agreement to form a government after more than a year of political deadlock. Jordans King Abdulla II, in an interview published by Der Spiegel on Friday, issued a stark warning over Israels plans. Leaders who advocate a one-state solution do not understand what that would mean, he said. What would happen if the Palestinian National Authority collapsed? There would be more chaos and extremism in the region. If Israel really annexed the West Bank in July, it would lead to a massive conflict with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, he said. Jordan is a close Western ally and one of only two Arab states to have signed a peace treaty with Israel. Abdullah declined to say whether annexation would threaten that agreement. I dont want to make threats and create an atmosphere of loggerheads, but we are considering all options. We agree with many countries in Europe and the international community that the law of strength should not apply in the Middle East, he said. Khaled Elgindy, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, said Israels annexation plans could pose a threat to the Jordanian monarchy. When the king himself comes out and essentially puts his relationship with Israel and the treaty with Israel on the line, its very serious, he told Al Jazeera from Arlington in the United States. For the monarchy in Jordan, an end to the two state solution which this plan and annexation is really aimed at achieving an end of any prospect of a Palestinian state poses not just a strategic threat, but quite possibly even an existential threat to the monarchy in Jordan. Jordan has been lobbying the EU to take practical steps to make sure annexation does not happen. In a statement, Jordans Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi stressed the need for the international community and the European Union in particular to take practical steps that reflect the rejection of any Israeli decision to annex. At a video conference, EU foreign ministers reaffirmed their support for a two-state solution and opposition to any annexation. The ministers, whose countries are deeply divided in their approach to Israel, agreed to ramp up diplomatic efforts in the coming days with Israel, the Palestinians, the US and Arab countries. We reaffirm our position in support of a negotiated, two-state solution. For this to be possible, unilateral action from either side should be avoided and, for sure, international law should be upheld, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said after chairing the meeting. We must work to discourage any possible initiative toward annexation, Borrell told reporters in Brussels. International law has to be upheld. Here, and there, and everywhere. He made no mention of the use of sanctions, saying only that the EU will use all our diplomatic capacities in order to prevent any kind of unilateral action. The ministers had planned to welcome the formation of a new Israeli government and offer the blocs cooperation, but Netanyahu and his rival-turned-partner, Benny Gantz, have postponed the swearing-in of their controversial new Cabinet as the Israeli leader tries to quell infighting within his Likud party. The ceremony, originally scheduled for Thursday, is now planned for Sunday to give Netanyahu more time to hand out coveted Cabinet appointments to members of his party. Their coalition agreement says the Israeli government can, from July 1, begin considering implementing the West Bank annexations detailed in US President Donald Trumps Middle East plan. Unveiled in January, the controversial plan gives a green light for Israel to annex about a third of the occupied West Bank, leaving the Palestinians with heavily conditioned statehood in scattered territorial enclaves surrounded by Israel. The EU has already rejected Trumps plan. The bloc has long been committed to a two-state solution based on the 1967 lines, with the possibility of mutually agreed land-swaps. Israel seized East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 war. The Palestinians want all three to form their future state. In our opinion, an annexation is not compatible with international law, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Friday. From our point of view, changes to borders must, if at all, be the result of negotiations and happen in agreement between both sides. Amaravati, May 16 : Fears of a covid resurgence in Andhra Pradesh took the backseat with just 48 new cases reported on Saturday morning. A day earlier, the state's tally had hit 102 cases, triggering worries of renewed upsurge in COVID-19 cases. However, with the majority of the new cases, on Saturday, traced to people with a travel history to the Koyambedu market, in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh appears to be slowly gaining control over the situation. The state nodal officer reported that 48 positive cases were detected out of the 9,628 samples tested in the 24 hours ending 10 a.m., on Saturday. While none of the positive cases were traced back to migrants returning to their homes in Andhra Pradesh, 31 of these cases were found to have travel history to the Koymabedu market in Tamil Nadu. For the first time in many weeks, not even one district reported COVID-19 cases in double digits. Three districts, Kurnool, Guntur, and Nellore, reported the highest single-day tally of 9 cases each. Chittoor, Krishna, and Visakhapatnam districts reported 8, 7, and 4 case respectively, while Kadapa, and West Godavari districts reported 1 case each. In all, of the state's 13 districts, 5 districts did not report a single case on Saturday. Incidentally, all the 9 cases detected in Kurnool, and Nellore respectively, have a travel history to Koyambedu, while 8 of the 9 cases in Chittoor were also found to have a similar link. Similar links were found in 2 cases belonging to Visakhapatnam, and 1 case each in Guntur, West Godavari and Kadapa respectively. Kurnool district's overall tally touched 608 cases on Saturday, while the district has an active count of 199 cases, following the discharge of 390 persons. Guntur and Krishna districts with cumulative tallies of 413 and 367 cases respectively, rank behind Kurnool. With no deaths reported during the past 24 hours, the state's death toll remained 48 on Saturday morning. A total of 101 persons were cured and discharged by Saturday, the overall tally of discharged persons in Andhra Pradesh stands at 1,352. At the state level, the cumulative tally rose to 2,025 cases on Saturday. Meanwhile, the active cases tally is constantly on the decline and further fell to 803 from the previous day's overall tally of 853 cases. Of the active cases, 150 pertain to people returning from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, and Karnataka. The majority (101) are from Maharashtra, while 26 persons have returned from Gujarat, 11 persons from Rajasthan, 10 persons from Odisha, and 1 person each from Karnataka, and West Bengal. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Union housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Puri on Saturday said that reverse migration of labourers and a breakdown of construction material supply chains have adversely affected real estate projects and that they will take quite some time to restart in full gear across the country. As we have already seen stalling of a lot of projects in Delhi- NCR [National Capital Region] due to various reasons, leading to a lot of litigations, etc, it is vital to take remedial measures now to ensure that Covid-19 does not lead to a complete breakdown of the real estate sector. Such a situation will result in many stalled projects resulting in a huge losses for all the stakeholders especially homebuyers, he while speaking at a webinar on the 3rd anniversary of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA). Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday offered some relief to real estate developers as she asked states and union territories to extend the registration and completion dates by six months of all projects registered under RERA. Puri said the principal objectives of authority is to help restore the trust between the buyer and the seller by effective implementation of the law. This would not only help ease the burden of inventory pile-up in the sector, but also provide the necessary financial cushion to the developers to complete pending projects, he said. During the initial period of the Covid-19 lockdown imposed in late March to check the pandemic spread, construction activities were barred. After reviewing the situation, the government allowed construction activities from April 20 onward, said Puri. He referred to Sitharamans announcement on Friday for affordable rental housing for migrant labourers and the urban poor. He said the scheme under which government-funded houses in cities will be converted into Affordable Rental Housing Complexes will be pursued under the public-private partnership model. This single step will to a great extent alleviate the problem of providing temporary housing to migrant people who are stranded in several urban areas. The Credit Link Subsidy Scheme... under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban... for the middle-income group has been extended to 31st March 2021 which is likely to benefit 2.5 lakh, middle-class people. He added that these measures are aimed at giving a fillip to the housing sector as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, announced by the Prime Minister, he added. Modi announced the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, or Self-Reliant India Movement, on Tuesday that combines policy reforms with fiscal and monetary measures. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 10:58:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HAVANA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Cuba will not reopen its borders for the moment, its Ministry of Tourism said Friday. "Borders will not be reopened for the moment, nor will the touristic services be restored, in keeping with guidelines to protect national health security," according to a release on the ministry's official website. "Cuba is working on the improvement of hotel and non-hotel facilities as well as developing hygiene and health protocols to face the beginning of tourism operations," it added. Cuban authorities said on Friday that there are currently 4,142 foreigners staying on the island. On March 31, Cuba announced a decision to suspend international flights as part of its measures to stem the spread of COVID-19. Since the first confirmed cases in the country were reported on March 11, Cuba has so far reported 1,840 infections with 79 deaths. Enditem Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Mindy was only supposed to be a temporary member of Sunny Szpak-Hollys family. But two weeks after Szpak-Holly took the 18-month-old golden retriever/great Pyrenees into her home as a foster pup, "wed fallen in love and she wasnt going to leave." Szpak-Holly is just one of many Winnipeggers who decided to welcome a four-legged friend during the coronavirus crisis. An uptick in adoptions and fosters is a trend that can be seen all over North America, and it makes sense: people are spending a lot more time at home these days. Szpak-Holly, 44, is a longtime foster-dog parent. "I love being able to help a dog short term, and the costs are covered by the rescue," she says. "Its a great way to help out an animal." Not surprisingly, shes also a volunteer with the Manitoba Great Pyrenees Rescue, which has also seen the COVID-19 effect. Szpak-Holly says that in the past, if the rescue posted a photo of dog, it might receive 10 applications. Now, it gets 50-plus. "You pretty much have to know someone to be able to adopt now," she says. "I love it." JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Sunny Szpak-Holly and her child, Devon, play with their newly adopted dog, Mindy, an 18-month-old golden retriever/great Pyrenees. Javier Schwersensky, the CEO of the Winnipeg Humane Society, suspects many people are craving companionship in the age of self-isolation and social distancing. "Its great that I can have a call or even see my mom on Mothers Day from the yard but its not the same," he says. "You can hug a pet. You can have them on your lap. You can play with an animal. I think, personally, thats why people are willing to go through all the hoops we have in place to get to the point of an adoption." The pandemic has changed the way things are done at the humane society. For one, the organization had to reduce the number of animals it could take in though Schwersensky stresses that no animal that is sick, injured or needs a place to go is left behind and had to lock its doors to the public. "In the past, you could browse online the animals available for adoption and come and take a look, and then come again," he says. "Essentially, what you do now is you have to schedule an appointment, and we have no more than three appointments on the hour. We screen you on the phone, both from a health perspective and how serious you are about adopting. Then you come and you have to make a decision." The heartwarming thing is a lot of people are turning to the humane society and other animal rescues as opposed to buying an animal. CEO of the Winnipeg Humane Society Javier Schwersensky Despite the added barriers, people are still choosing pets. In April 2020, there were 185 adoptions, compared with 245 in April 2019. "If you put that in perspective in terms of the number of adoptions per hour, and based on the available animals for adoption, its quite high," Schwersensky says. And because people are adopting so quickly, the impact of taking in fewer animals has been minimal. One thing that hasnt changed, Schwersensky says, is the societys dedication to making sure adoptions are set up for the highest chance of success so that animals dont wind up back at the shelter. During a pandemic or not, people need to understand adopting an animal is a long-term commitment. As he says, "the job of an adoption counsellor is not to encourage you to take the animal its to discourage you. "What we are is very upfront. You have the full medical history that were aware of and whatever our vets know about the pet. We do a full disclosure in terms of any behavioural challenges we have seen. Then we ask a lot of questions about you and who is living with you, and we want to see everyone, even if it takes us several appointments to ensure that everyone who will be living with the animal is committed." Schwersensky has been buoyed by the way the community has responded during the crisis. "The heartwarming thing is a lot of people are turning to the humane society and other animal rescues as opposed to buying an animal," he says. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Agata Ploszanski with her new dog, Nina, an Australian shepherd mix. After her grown children returned home because of the pandemic, it seemed like the perfect time to get a new member of the family. Agata Ploszanski went the rescue route for the first time, at the behest of her daughter. Ploszanski, who is in her 40s, and her fiance have grown kids who have all returned to the nest because of the pandemic, and she figured that now would be a good time to explore getting a puppy. Everyones home, which means everyone can help. "I wanted a puppy because we wanted some oogly-googly love in our home," she says with a laugh. Her family had to put down one of their dogs last year, which was particularly hard on her son. "I knew there was so much sadness that he still carried because it was his dog and she was so sick in the end, so I wanted to have some joy." One of Ploszanskis friends volunteers for Spirit of Hope Rescue, and got a lead on a litter of puppies born outside Thompson. A few weeks later, Ploszanski and her family welcomed Nina, a tiny Australian shepherd mix, to their home. "Im insanely in love with this puppy," Ploszanski says. Nina has been a great distraction during a time when motivation can be low. "Shes been such a great addition, and it felt good to rescue a puppy." Over at Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter, founder and executive director Carla Martinelli-Irvine has noticed another encouraging trend over the past few weeks: an uptick in adoptions of senior cats including, recently, a nine-year-old cat who had been at the shelter for two years. "Which is just wonderful," she says. "It makes us all feel really happy." It also frees up medical funds to help other animals. People are lonely. Animals bring that sense of comfort. I think people are scared as well. If theyve got something to sit with them at night and stroke, it gives people the sense of being needed, and I think everybody needs to feel needed. Carla MartinelliIrvine, Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter For the past several weeks, Martinelli-Irvine and her staff have been working hard to make sure theyre keeping the staff and public safe while providing an essential service. Only six people are allowed in the shelter at a time. Masks are available to be worn while in the shelter, and hand sanitizer is dispensed by staff. The Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter believes in full disclosures. "People need to know what theyre getting into; a surprise is not a good thing when you first adopt. When people are adopting these older ones who maybe have health issues, theyre really good people for taking them." As for why people are taking a second look at older cats, Martinelli-Irvine suspects it may have something to do with heightened empathy and compassion. "On a personal level, the amount of suffering were seeing is just heartbreaking," she says. "Theres a lot of extra prayers at night. We recognize that a lot of people are alone, and theyre not so blessed to have family around them, or theyre not able to see their families. "People are lonely. Animals bring that sense of comfort. I think people are scared as well. If theyve got something to sit with them at night and stroke, it gives people the sense of being needed, and I think everybody needs to feel needed." SUPPLIED Nicole Chammartin has found some light in the COVID-19 darkness, dubbing her new furry friend Covie. Nicole Chammartin is the executive director of Klinic Community Health Centre and SERC. Shes also the owner of a new pandemic puppy: a bossy little basset hound/shepherd mix named Covie. "Its a little inspired by COVID for sure," Chammartin says of her name (its also a term of endearment for a witchs covenant). "Its a word I was saying a lot. I didnt want to be disrespectful; for a lot of people, COVID has been pretty traumatic, and I want to recognize that. For me, it was an opportunity to find some light in the darkness. "At Klinic we run the crisis lines, so we talk to people every day who are struggling with this pandemic, and (adopting a pet) is actually one of the things that we talk about. We tell people, if theyre considering adopting, to make sure theyre really thoughtful about that, and consider fostering for sure. One of the things weve been saying is how much we notice people just saying the word COVID. Words have power. And I think for me, it was a little bit of taking the word and doing something else with it." Covie comes to Chammartin from Manitoba Underdogs Rescue, which she says has been amazing to work with. Covie is a high-needs pup, and Chammartin has been supported by both the rescue and Covies foster parents throughout. Animals bring so much to us, right? I think in the situation that were in, I think what they can help us with is reminding us to take stock and the simplicity of where we can find joy. Nicole Chammartin Chammartin has had dogs all her life so she knows the work involved, but this is her first time raising a puppy. The sleepless nights, she says, are worth it. "Shes wonderful and loving and also a great support," Chammartin says of Covie. "I love having her in my life. Animals bring so much to us, right? I think in the situation that were in, I think what they can help us with is reminding us to take stock and the simplicity of where we can find joy." Lindsay Gillanders, a spokesperson for Manitoba Underdogs Rescue, says that interest in adoption has spiked amid the pandemic. "We closed our adoptions for April because we werent quite sure how to proceed with home visits safely," she says, "but March was a record month: we had 42 adoptions (a regular month is 20 to 25). We cant even post a photo before were already seeing adoption applications." While the Manitoba Underdogs views pandemic adoptions as a positive trend, "we want the public to realize its not just a COVID commitment," Gillanders says. "We think its really positive, but we want to make sure that people consider that life will go back to normal." Melissa Romanchuk, 33, is also currently living that new-puppy life. Snowball, a husky pup named by her four-year-old daughter, joined their family during the pandemic. SUPPLIED Melissa Romanchuks new pal, Snowball. "The puppy is more work than my daughter was at six months," she says with a laugh. "But hes sleeping through the night, which is not a privilege we got with my daughter until she was much much older." Romanchuks husband has, historically, been fairly resistant to the idea of getting a dog. Romanchuk figured that fencing in their yard would be the thing to convince him; turns out it was a pandemic. "I said to him, if we are ever thinking about getting a dog, I think this would be a good time to do it because somebody is always going to be home." 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. Snowball comes to them from a farm in rural Manitoba. "Hes a puppy so he gets into trouble, but its been a good experience for our family," she says. "Were getting out more, were close to a dog park." Romanchuk is a nurse, so she takes social distancing very seriously. Being able to distantly bond with other dog owners has been an unexpected perk. "You dont really get to connect with people much, but when you go for walks and see people with dogs, you automatically have something in common." While Snowball has been a great fit for her family, Romanchuk recommends people really think about what their lives will look like when this is all over before they opt to adopt. If you were someone who was "never home" before the pandemic, for example, thats something to consider. "Make sure this is, long term, what your family is going to want. Quarantine is not going to be here forever, and dogs are not for everyone. They are a ton of work," she says, adding that one must carefully consider the costs of care, food and pet insurance. "If youre going to bring an animal into your home, youre making a commitment to that animal." jen.zoratti@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @JenZoratti Lynn Shelton, the independent filmmaker who is also described as a prolific television director, is dead at the age of 54. Variety reports that the Ohio native died Friday due to a blood disorder in Los Angeles. Additional details were not available. From producing the films Humpday and Your Sisters Sister to directing a handful of episodes for Hulus Little Fires Everywhere series among other things, Shelton was well known for her versatility and creativity. Per Variety: Shelton was best known for her naturalistic, understated approach to comedy and drama in low-budget films that were hits with the Sundance crowd, but she reached a wider audience with her work on television, helming episodes of The Mindy Project, Mad Men, Glow, and Fresh Off the Boat. Recently, Shelton directed four episodes of the Hulu series Little Fires Everywhere, an adaptation of Celeste Ngs 2017 bestseller that starred Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. Mark Duplass, who worked frequently with Shelton, said on Twitter that: We made so many things together. I wish we had made more. Her boundless creative energy and infectious spirit were unrivaled. She made me better. We butted heads, made up, laughed, pushed each other. Like family. What a deep loss. Read next: A renowned adventurer said the family of an Irish man who lost his life on the worlds highest mountain are never far from his thoughts as he marks the first anniversary of his death. Seamus Shay Lawless, 39 from Bray, Co Wicklow died just hours after summiting Mount Everest on May 16, last year. Mr Lawless, a professor of artificial intelligence at Trinity College Dublin was fulfilling his life-long dream when he fell up to 500 metres during his descent from an altitude of 8,300m, in an area known as the balcony. It was his ambition to climb Everest before he would have turned 40 two months later in July. Northern Irish adventurer Noel Hanna, who has summited Mt Everest eight times and Guinness World Record for Maxtrek, which is the equivalent of going from sea level to the height of Mt Everest (8,848m) and back to sea level in 21 hours and 50 minutes, was leading the climb when tragedy struck. Marking the first anniversary of the father-of-ones today death Mr Hanna said: I am thinking about his family at this sad time. He died carrying out his childhood dream. Mr Lawlesss wife Pamela was expecting their second child at the time of his death. Mr Lawless attempted the mammoth climb to raise up to 25,000 for Barretstown, a charity dedicated to seriously ill children and their families. An unsuccessful search was launched in a bid to find the popular professor but it was eventually called off after more than 200,000 was raised by the public to fund it. The expedition and search teams were led by Mr Hanna, from Seven Summits Treks. In a tribute to Mr Lawless, his Trinity College Dublin colleagues, created a YouTube video in his honour, where they said: Shay was a rising research star in the School of Computer Science and Statistics and at the ADAPT Centre and was a valued member of the Trinity community. His research and scholarship have helped transform the boundaries of the discipline and his legacy will be seen for years to come through the inspirational projects he worked on. Professor Jane Ohlmeyer, Erasmus Smiths Professor of Modern History and Director of Trinity Long Room Hub added: Through his intellect and his personality he not only captured our imaginations and our intellects but he also captured out hearts. What I found with Shay is that he had this remarkable capacity to listen We were so privileged, when I look back, to have that relationship with him. We do miss him. There wouldnt be a day that goes by where we wouldnt think about him. He was a phenomenal educator, a phenomenal researcher and a phenomenal human being. Two other Irish men died last year while attempting hugely challenging climbs, Galway man Kevin Hynes died on May 24, after he had descended several hundred metres from Mt Everest and Kildare native Alan Mahon, passed away on Russias Mt Elbrus. Mr Hanna, also a trained body guard and former police officer, previously said: From the moment I was told that Shay was missing I knew that if we didnt find him within an hour he had very little chance of surviving. I just knew within that hour of not finding him it was going to be a recovery (search for his remains) operation. The expedition had gone like clock work up until we started to come down after spending 10 minutes at the Summit. There were no issues with weather at that stage. We had replaced the empty oxygen tanks with full ones and Shay displayed no signs of confusion, from the possibility of him suffering with altitude sickness, at the area known at the balcony at 8,300m. After spending three days recovering at Base Camp, Mr Hanna took part in the recovery operation flying back up by helicopter to a number of the Camps. Mr Lawless rug-sack, crampons, goggles and broken oxygen mask were found but his remains still remain on the Himalayas. Mr Hanna added: We spent hours and hours searching for Shay but from where we found his rug-sack we were able to pinpoint where he may fallen to but could not find his remains. Shay was in unbelievable form on Everest laughing and singing and in a way solace can be taken from that. Everything slotted into place for him until he fell. Mr Lawless family were forced to fundraise for the search and recovery operation due to what they claimed were issues with the insurance policy he had taken out. After having been abandoned for many years, a water park in the north-central Vietnamese province of Thua Thien Hue may be up for reopening in the near future as provincial authorities are seeking investors to revive the project. On Friday, Nguyen Dinh Bach, deputy chief of the Office of Thua Thien Hue Province Peoples Committee, laid out the plan for the revival of the abandoned Ho Thuy Tien Park located in Thien An Hill in Hue, the provincial capital city. According to the official, the provincial administration has ordered its finance department to set up a panel for property valuation and prepare necessary procedures to attract investment into the deserted park. According to Bach, there are some investors who are interested in the attraction, which has been abandoned for years. The projects former developer, Haco Hue Ltd., is heavily indebted to two banks, with debt obligations surpassing its capacity to pay, the official said. The property is currently managed by the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment. This proves to be an obstacle in attracting new investors, as the province must re-appraise the property and make plans to call on potential investors to clear the debts. A path inside the abandoned Ho Thuy Tien Park located in Hue City, Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam. Photo: Van An / Tuoi Tre Previously, Thua Thien Hue chairman Phan Ngoc Tho had required that competent authorities study building a road connecting local residential areas to the park. Tho also had the provincial construction department in charge of leading a plan and collaborate with the provincial Institute for Development Studies and Huong Thuy Commune Peoples Committee to adjust the detailed planning of Ho Thuy Tien Park. They are tasked with coming up with a solution to retain water inside the parks namesake lake for landscape beautification when it reopens. Despite having been abandoned since 2011, the neglected old park continues to draw attention from a few tourists who like to adventure. Huffington Posts Suzy Strutner wrote an article about Ho Thuy Tien Park in January 2016, describing it as eerie, surreal, and not for the faint of heart. The article quoted some foreign travelers who had paid a visit to the deserted water park in central Vietnam. Here, live crocodiles have mingled among abandoned waterslides, half-full aquarium tanks and a massive dragon structure whose interior looks vaguely like the set of a horror film, Strutner wrote. A water slide inside the abandoned Ho Thuy Tien Park located in Hue City, Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam. Photo: Van An / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Thirty municipal areas including Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata that account for nearly 80% of Indias coronavirus cases should have the maximum restrictions under the Home Ministrys lockdown 4.0 ground rules, the health ministry has told the government. The third round of the lockdown, first imposed on March 24 midnight, is due to end on Sunday night. There is no word on the extent of the restrictions that would be imposed in lockdown 4.0. The ground rules for the next round would be made public on Sunday. The last version of the lockdown that came into effect from 4 May had introduced considerable relaxations in districts that had not reported Covid-19 cases and eased restrictions elsewhere. The Centres objective, starting from the first round of relaxations from 21 April, has been to gradually resume economic activity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had this week told chief ministers that the Centre would opt for another spell of the national lockdown but made it clear that lockdown 4.0 would be very different from the earlier three versions. He had also indicated that this time, the Centre would give a long rope to the states to decide how to ease the restrictions. The rules for lockdown 4.0 have been designed to give a hard push to resumption of economic activity but continue some of the restrictions in municipal areas that have reported a large proportion of the restrictions. These 30 municipalities are spread across 12 states. Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu account for over one-third of these municipalities. Gujarat and Rajasthan have three cities each in this list and West Bengal, two. Covid-19 hotspots: 30 municipal areas Maharashtra : Brihanmumbai, Thane, Pune, Solapur, Nashik, Aurangabad and Palghar Tamil Nadu : Greater Chennai, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore, Chengalpattu, Ariyalur and Villupuram Gujarat : Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara Rajasthan : Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur West Bengal : Kolkata and Howrah Madhya Pradesh : Indore and Bhopal Uttar Pradesh : Agra and Meerut Telangana : Greater Hyderabad Andhra Pradesh : Kurnool Punjab : Amritsar Odisha : Berhampur Delhi The governments renewed focus on the urban areas comes in context of data that suggests these 30 cities are home to most of the countrys Covid-19 case. On Saturday, Health Secretary Preeti Sudan held a special meeting with municipal and health officials from the 12 states where the 30 municipal corporations are located. The meeting discussed the high risk factors and reviewed indices such as confirmation rate, fatality rate, doubling rate, tests per million for these places. She also updated the states about the health ministrys new guidelines aimed at such urban settlements, particularly informal settlements such as Mumbais Dharavi slums. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Delhi account for nearly 68 per cent of Indias 86,000 Covid cases. On Saturday, Maharashtra reported 1,600 new cases, one of the highest single-day spikes, pushing the states total to 30,706. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Chinese FM slams Taiwan DPP for colluding with US to seek WHA attendance Global Times Source:Global Times Published: 2020/5/15 18:38:40 The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday slammed the island of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for colluding with some countries to seek attendance as an observer at the World Health Assembly (WHA), saying it was politicizing a health problem to serve a secessionist agenda that will never succeed. Taiwan's DPP authority seeks "joining the World Health Assembly" to serve its secessionist agenda. That will not succeed. By not recognizing the one-China principle, a lack of access to the WHA is the party's own fault, ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said during a routine press conference on Friday. The DPP has been claiming that if Taiwan is unable to join the WHA, that would leave a gap in global virus prevention efforts, and countries like the US have been urging the World Health Organization (WHO) to extend a WHA invitation to Taiwan. The Trump administration has also circulated a draft proposal that would bring Taiwan to the table at the WHO, Fox News reported. Since the DPP took office in 2016, it has stubbornly adhered to its secessionist position and has refused to recognize that both sides of the Taiwan straits belong to China. As a result, the political foundation for Taiwan's participation in the WHA does not exist. Taiwan's absence from the WHA is the fault of DPP authorities, who are well aware of this, Zhao said. Since 2019, 24 health experts from Taiwan have participated in WHO technical meetings. Taiwan is able to access information relating to COVID-19, and there is no such "gap in global virus prevention efforts," Zhao said. Some countries insist on discussing Taiwan-related proposals for the sole purpose of politicizing the health crisis, which risks undermining global virus prevention cooperation, to achieve their own political interests. That will definitely be opposed by the majority of members of the international community, Zhao said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Thursdays signing ceremony between the hereditary chiefs of the Wetsuweten Nation and the Federal and B.C. governments to begin a new process to determine the Wetsuweten hypothetical rights and stewardship of unceded lands are an incredible insult to investors and taxpayers, as democratically elected chiefs a long time ago endorsed the construction of this pipeline on behalf of those same Indigenous people. The ridiculous part about this disaster is simple. The hereditary chiefs do NOT have stewardship of this land today, and they do also not have any legal or moral right to stop anybody from building a pipeline on it. Scott Fraser, B.C.s Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation stated negotiations with the hereditary chiefs will include talks with others with an interest in what happens. We are allowed to assume this finally will include everybody. We are all migrants and or descendants of migrants, Indigenous people included. To continue to exclude the majority of British Columbians from these sensitive one-sided negotiations is nothing less than a violation of our Charter and Constitutional Rights of being recognized as equals under the law. Failing to establish who had the authority to represent the Indigenous people before venturing into any negotiations demonstrates an incredible lack of competence on behalf of the politicians and the courts. Sub-dividing Indigenous people into separate identities at this point in time, is beyond comprehension, as it casts a huge cloud of uncertainty over the whole process of the awarding of lands and rights that have been made by politicians and the courts over the years. We were held hostage in February. Now we are being held hostage again, and our resource-based economy has stalled. This project has to go, and if somebody has not been greased yet its too bad. The train has left the station. Andy Thomsen, Kelowna By Akbar Mammadov Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov talked with his Belarusian counterpart Vladimir Makei about the future perspectives of bilateral relations between the two countries, Foreign Ministry reported on May 13. During the telephone conversation, the ministers noted with satisfaction the high-level political relations between the two states. Thus, the sides discussed the issues of interaction and realization of common projects in spheres of transport, logistics, and energy. In this regard, the foreign ministers also touched upon the importance of maintaining and further developing trade and economic relations, despite the pandemic. Furthermore, the sides highlighted the cooperation and joint actions within the international organizations, including the UN, CIS, as well as the relations with the European Union, including those within the Eastern Partnership Framework. In the meantime, touching upon the current global situation, the ministers exchanged views on measures taken by the states to fight global COVID19 and emphasized the importance of international solidarity in this regard, the report said. The agenda of future bilateral contacts on different levels was touched upon by the ministers. In the end, Azerbaijani and Belarusian Foreign Ministers agreed to continue the future bilateral contacts after the lift of all restrictions connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier, on April 30, The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) has sent 3.83 million barrels of oil to Belarus since the beginning of 2020. Since the start of the year, SOCAR sent 2.05 million barrels of Azerbaijani and 1.78 million barrels of non-Azerbaijani oil to Belarus. Today, a legal and organizational framework exists that allows the implementation of joint projects between the two countries. The Agreement on Investment Promotion and Mutual Protection between Belarus and Azerbaijan came into force in 2011, which accelerated the bilateral economic cooperation. In October 2019, Azerbaijani and Belarusian Defense Ministers inked a plan of bilateral cooperation for 2020 between Azerbaijan and Belarus, which provides for the organization of mutual visits of expert groups, the holding of joint combat training events, as well as exchange of best practices and other important issues. In 2018, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Belarus was about $204 million, which is approximately $56 million more than the figure of 2017. The volume of trade between Azerbaijan and Belarus reached $60 million in January-February this year. Imports from Belarus to Azerbaijan amounted to $55.9 million, while the volume of exports from Azerbaijan to Belarus was $3.3 million. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Jackie 'O' Henderson has started inspecting new properties in Sydney's affluent Eastern suburbs. The 45-year-old sold her $6.5million Vaucluse five-bedroom home back in March, but has been unable to find a new property amid coronavirus-related restrictions. Speaking on the Kyle and Jackie O Show on Tuesday, the radio star revealed she has now started attending inspections. 'Flying solo': Jackie 'O' Henderson (pictured) has begun inspections to find a new property, it was reported Saturday, after selling her $6.5million five-bedroom Vaucluse marital home 'I was doing an inspection the other day and I needed to do a wee, is that OK?' Jackie asked her co-host Kyle Sandilands. Real estate agents in the Eastern suburbs are abuzz with the news Jackie has started looking in the area. An unnamed source told The Daily Telegraph that Jackie has not enlisted the help of an agent for her high-stakes house hunt. 'I think she's flying solo right now. I don't think she's taken on an agent yet,' the source said. Moving on: An unnamed source told The Daily Telegraph that Jackie has not enlisted the help of an agent for her high-stakes house hunt Over! The star moved out of her $6.5million Vaucluse home in 2018 following her split from husband Lee Henderson (left), who is believed to have continued living there They added: 'I think it's a little unusual but that's what I've heard.' In March, the radio personality sold her Vaucluse mansion for just over its $6.5M price guide. The five-bedroom property was first purchased for $2.7million in 2012, according to The Daily Telegraph. The KIIS FM star moved out of the house in 2018 following her split from husband Lee Henderson, who is believed to have continued living there after the separation. Serene: Jackie and Lee transformed the interior of the home during their years living there, installing oak flooring and marble worktops and an open plan design Perfect for summer! The lounge is lined with french doors that open out onto a perfectly maintained lawn where guests can enjoy the swimming pool and cabana The palatial home boasts five bedrooms, three bathrooms and white picket fences. Jackie and Lee transformed the interior during their years living there, installing oak flooring and marble worktops throughout the open plan design. The lounge is lined with french doors that open out onto a perfectly maintained lawn where guests can enjoy the swimming pool and cabana. The master bedroom has an en suite and dressing room, as well as impressive views of Sydney Harbour. Jackie has spent the past year living in a rented apartment in Bondi Beach. Donald Trump and Narendra Modi Washington: President Donald Trump has announced that the US will donate a lot of ventilators to India to help it fight the "invisible enemy", moments after he underlined the close partnership between the two countries and called Prime Minister Narendra Modi his "good friend". PhotoTrump also said the US and India were cooperating to develop a vaccine for the deadly coronavirus that has claimed 307,666 lives and infected more than 4.5 million people globally since it emerged in China in December last year. Advertisement India's tally of confirmed Covid-19 cases crossed 85,000 on Friday, surpassing China's count of 82,933 infections. "I am proud to announce that the United States will donate ventilators to our friends in India," Trump said in a tweet. "We are sending a lot of ventilators to India. I spoke to Prime Minister Modi. We are sending quite a few ventilators to India. We have tremendous supply of ventilators," Trump told reporters. Advertisement File Photo Adding on he said, "Together we will beat the invisible enemy! We stand with India and Prime Minister Modi during this pandemic." At Trump's request, India had last month allowed the export of 50 million hydroxychloroquine tablets to treat Covid-19 patients in America, the country worst-hit by the pandemic, with 87,530 deaths and over 1.4 million infections reported so far, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Advertisement Earlier in the day, Trump praised India and Prime Minister Modi. "India has been so great and as you know your prime minister has been a very good friend of mine. I just got back a short while ago from India and we are very much together," the president said, referring to his visit to New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Agra in February. He said a Covid-19 vaccine would likely be available by the end of the year. Economic stimulus checks are prepared for printing at the Philadelphia Financial Center May 8, 2008 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jeff Fusco/Stringer The White House would likely back another round of coronavirus stimulus checks, two senior administrative told CNBC on Thursday. In a statement to CNBC, the White House did not immediately confirm the report. "As President Trump has said, we are going to ensure that we take care of all Americans so that we emerge from this challenge healthy, stronger, and with economic prosperity, which is why the White House is focused on pro-growth, middle class tax and regulatory relief." This reported approval comes ahead of a House vote on a follow-up coronavirus bill, the HEROES Act, which includes a second round of stimulus checks for US residents. Senate Republicans were quick to express disapproval of the HEROES Act, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell calling it a "big laundry list of pet priorities" and that it has "no chance of becoming law." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The White House would likely support a second round of coronavirus stimulus checks, contrary to Senate Republican disapproval, CNBC reported Thursday, citing two senior administration officials. In a statement to CNBC, the White House did not immediately confirm the report, but said, "As President Trump has said, we are going to ensure that we take care of all Americans so that we emerge from this challenge healthy, stronger, and with economic prosperity, which is why the White House is focused on pro-growth, middle class tax and regulatory relief." Americans received their first stimulus check a maximum of $1,200 for single taxpayers, $2,400 for married couples, and an extra $500 for dependents up to age 16 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was approved with bipartisan support in late March. With the coronavirus pandemic taking a devastating effect on American jobs and the US economy, millions are filing for unemployment benefits. On Thursday, the Department of Labor announced that "another three million people filed initial unemployment claims last week on a seasonally adjusted basis," CNN reported. Story continues The news comes ahead of a House vote on Friday to approve a $3 trillion stimulus bill to support Americans and the US economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. House Democrats unveiled the follow-up bill to the first CARES Act titled the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HEROES) Act earlier this week. Apart from another round of stimulus checks for US residents, the bill also proposes a variety of initiatives, including a $25,000 pay boost for essential workers and an extra $600 in unemployment benefits. However, Senate Republicans have expressed disapproval for the bill. At the bill's release on Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said it was a "big laundry list of pet priorities" and that it has "no chance of becoming law." Read the original article on Business Insider Just a few days ago, actor Sonu Sood organised 10 buses for migrants workers to take them back home to Gulbarga, Karnataka.Now, the Dabangg (2010) actor has organised multiple bus services to take migrant workers to Uttar Pradesh. Amidst the ongoing coronavirus crisis, Sood has taken extra precautions and after several efforts, managed to get official permissions from the UP state government to send migrants to their home towns. Helping him in the endeavour to help hundreds of migrants meet their families is Soods good friend Neeti Goel, whos also a part of this initiative. Multiple buses left from Wadala, Mumbai on May 15 to various parts of UP including Lucknow, Hardoi, Pratapgarh and Siddharthnagar as well as to cities in Jharkhand and Bihar. Sonu was present to bid goodbye to the migrants and even made arrangements for their meals, says a source. Opening up about the same, Sood says, It has been an extremely emotional journey for me, as my heart pains to see these migrants staying away from their homes and trying to walk all the way home. I will continue sending migrants home until the last migrant reunites with his family and loved ones. This is something really close to my heart and I will give it my all. In addition to this, during the lockdown, Sonu has helped feed thousands of underprivileged families and provided meal kits to migrants in Bhiwandi, Mumbai during the holy month of Ramadan. He also gave away his Mumbai hotel for the accomodation of the medical forces and donated over 1,500 PPE kits to doctors across Punjab. Earlier too, Sood showed his generosity and donated gyms and bicycles to the Pulwama attack survivors, helped Indias various acid attack survivors and even showed support to our Paralympic athletes. Looks like theres truly no stopping for Sonu Sood! SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Azul S.A. AZUL reported bland traffic numbers for April, 2020 primarily due to lacklustre air travel demand stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak. Both domestic as well as international demand and supply fell on a year-over-year and year-till-date basis. Moreover, consolidated load factor (% of seats filled by passengers) declined since consolidated traffic plunge was more than the capacity reduction. Consolidated traffic (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) fell 90% year over year. Apart from a significant decline of 92.6% in international traffic, the metric also plunged 89.3% on the domestic front, thereby buoying the overall figure. Consolidated capacity (measured in available seat kilometers/ASKs) dropped 87.7% due to 87.2% and 89.9% fall in domestic and international capacity, respectively. Consolidated load factor fell to 68.8% (or 15.6 percentage points). Both domestic load factor declined 13.9 percentage points to 69.8 and international load factor declined 22.9 percentage points to 64%. AZUL SA Price AZUL SA Price AZUL SA price | AZUL SA Quote Apart from the traffic report, Azul announced the closure of its acquisition of TwoFlex a domestic airline company based in Brazil.The total purchase price will be R$123 million, payment of which is subjected to certain financial and operating conditions. Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider Currently, Azul carry a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). The company has a trailing four-quarter positive earnings surprise of more than 100%, on average. It reported better-than-expected earnings per share (EPS) in all of the last four quarters. Investors interested in the Zacks Airline industry may also consider ControladoraVuelaCompania de Aviacion, S.A.B. de C.V. VLRS, Ryanair Holdings plc RYAAY and Alaska Air Group, Inc. ALK, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. ControladoraVuelaCompania de Aviacion has a trailing four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 81.95%, on average. The carrier reported better-than-expected earnings per share (EPS) in all of the last four quarters. Story continues Ryanair has a trailing four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 56.31%, on average. The carrier reported lower-than-expected EPS in one of the last four quarters and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the other three. Alaska has a trailing four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 10.55%, on average. The carrier reported better-than-expected earnings EPS in all of the last four quarters. Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2020 In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2020? Last year's 2019 Zacks Top 10 Stocks portfolio returned gains as high as +102.7%. Now a brand-new portfolio has been handpicked from over 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. Dont miss your chance to get in on these long-term buys. Access Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2020 today >> 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 Ryanair Holdings PLC (RYAAY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion, S.A.B. de C.V. (VLRS) : Free Stock Analysis Report AZUL SA (AZUL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research May 17, 9 p.m. Here are latest cases and deaths reported on Sunday in counties around the Bay Area. These will be updated as new information becomes available. Santa Clara reported 37 new cases. The death toll remains 135. Alameda reported 41 new cases. The death toll remains 83. Contra Costa County reported 25 new cases. The death toll remains 33. Santa Cruz County reported two new cases. The death toll remains two. May 16, 10:25 a.m. Marin County is loosening restrictions on motorized access to outdoor recreational areas. "Starting May 18, those who have been sheltering in place will be allowed to drive a vehicle to many Marin County city, town and County-operated parks and trailheads, park nearby, and enjoy a hike, just like pre-pandemic times," the county wrote in a news release. Individual towns and cities are free to enforce stricter measures, and parking restrictions will not be eased at a number of locations "that tend to draw larger crowds from across the Bay Area." These locations include: - Point Reyes National Seashore - Golden Gate National Recreation Area (including Muir Woods National Monument) - Mount Tamalpais State Park - Tomales Bay State Park - Samuel P Taylor State Park - Chicken Ranch Beach (along Tomales Bay) - Miller Park (along Tomales Bay) - White House Pool Park in Point Reyes Station - Bolinas Lagoon Open Space Preserve (including Bolinas County Park) - all Marin Municipal Water District lands - all beaches or inlets along the Pacific Ocean. Click here to read more. May 16, 10:00 a.m. Here are latest cases and deaths reported on Friday in counties around the Bay Area. These will be updated as new information becomes available. San Mateo reported 27 new cases, increasing its total to 1,602. The death toll remains 66. Alameda reported one new death and 51 new cases. The total number of cases is 2,351 and the death toll is 83. Contra Costa reported 21 new cases, increasing its total to 1,121. The death toll remains 33. Coronavirus in the greater Bay Area: A county-by-county snapshot ALAMEDA COUNTY: 2,392 confirmed cases, 83 deaths What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities For more information on Alameda County, visit the public health department website. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY: 1,146 confirmed cases, 33 deaths What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities For more information on Contra Costa County, visit the public health department website. LAKE COUNTY: 8 confirmed cases What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities For information on Lake County, visit the public health department website. MARIN COUNTY: 317 confirmed cases, 14 deaths What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities, retail and manufacturing opening May 18 Fore more information on Marin County, visit the public health department website. MONTEREY COUNTY: 341 confirmed cases, 8 deaths What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities For more information on Monterey County, visit the public health department website. NAPA COUNTY: 90 cases, 3 deaths What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities, retail, manufacturing For more information on Napa County, visit the public health department website. SAN BENITO COUNTY: 61 confirmed cases, 2 deaths What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities, retail, manufacturing, restaurants, shopping malls For more information on San Benito County, visit the public health department website. SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY: 2,091 confirmed cases, 36 deaths What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities, retail and manufacturing opening May 18 For more information on San Francisco County, visit the public health department website. SAN MATEO COUNTY: 1,602 confirmed cases, 66 deaths What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities, retail and manufacturing opening May 18 For more information on San Mateo County, visit the public health department website. SANTA CLARA COUNTY: 2,453 confirmed cases, 135 deaths What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities Fore more information on Santa Clara County, visit the public health department website. SANTA CRUZ COUNTY: 157 confirmed cases, 2 deaths What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities, retail, manufacturing For more information on Santa Cruz County, visit the public health department website. SOLANO COUNTY: 410 confirmed cases, 16 deaths What's open beyond essential businesses: All "low-risk" businesses that can comply with physical distancing guidelines For more information on Solano County, visit the public health department website. SONOMA COUNTY: 373 confirmed cases, 4 deaths What's open beyond essential businesses: Outdoor businesses and activities, retail, manufacturing, car washes, pet groomers, outdoor museums, offices where telework is not possible For more information on Sonoma County, visit the public health department website. CORONAVIRUS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Here are answers to your most frequently asked questions about coronavirus The 2 big reasons why California struggles to control coronavirus Two SF restaurateurs have more questions than answers over new state guidelines San Francisco officials outline 5 goals before reopening businesses WHEN WILL THE BAY AREA REOPEN? With changes made to state order, here's what you need to know: What's open and closed in California? Alameda, Contra Costa signal they will enter Stage 2, leaving only Santa Clara under stricter order Newsom details 4 stages to reopen California businesses The opening of The Wrong Missy is like a comedic Raiders of the Lost Ark. Lauren Lapkus is the boulder. Tim (David Spade) is on a blind date with Melissa (Lapkus) thats so hilariously bad, it just spirals and spirals until Tim can only attempt to flee. It only gets funnier from there. Lauren Lapkus is The Wrong Missy Lapkus plays an adorable psycho and she is relentless. Spade plays Tim as a shy guy, very different than his usual sarcastic character. Hes being the straight man to Lapkus and graciously being her blank canvas on which to wreak havoc. David Spade and Lauren Lapkus | Katrina Marcinowski/NETFLIX RELATED: The Wrong Missy: Critics Might Hate the New David Spade Movie But Its Still No. 1 on Netflix Tim doesnt call Melissa for a second date. He runs into another woman named Melissa (Molly Simms) at the airport. Their meet cute is the same luggage mixup that happened to Commandant Lassard in Police Academy 5. Instead of diamond smugglers, Tim finds he and this Melissa have everything in common: neither likes to drink, they both read James Patterson and have survived similar bad relationships. So Tim gets her number and texts her later. They continue corresponding so Tim invites her to his company retreat in Hawaii. When she arrives Tim realizes hes been texting the wrong Melissa in his phone. His bad blind date shows up. She goes by Missy for short. Adventures with The Wrong Missy The Wrong Missy does ask you to make a lot of assumptions for the mistake to work, but its worth it because its fun. Really, Tim should have known the woman he was texting was being way more aggressive than the woman he met at the airport. He wanted to believe that perfect woman also had those tendencies. It becomes a little less appealing when its her only mode. Lauren Lapkus and David Spade | Katrina Marcinowski/NETFLIX RELATED: Meghan Markle Mexit Has David Spade Saying The Royals Should Make Her Stay Lapkus has no trouble keeping up Missys energy for the rest of the movie. She screams at kids like she screamed at men in the bar where they met, then turns immediately. She freaks out over a lavish hotel room. Everything she does is funny. The Wrong Missy has set pieces for Missy where Lapkus can go wild getting drunk at a company party giving lap dances, cliff diving, or barfing into a shark cage. But she doesnt need a gimmick. Shell find something funny to do even in the in between scenes. There are comically visual effects enhanced pratfalls. She survives cartoonish injuries, but does plenty magnificent ones for real. Naughty and sweet The Wrong Missy Would be R rated if submitted to the MPAA. It is TV-MA but this is premium cable, not network TV-MA. The language alone is R-rated with lots of F bombs but Missy gets creative with sexual language too. You know how these movies go. Any movie where a man and woman hate each other (even if its one sided in this case), they will end up eventually hitting it off. Thats ok. Its a reliable formula and its sweet here. These characters are so weird, for them to find common ground an hour into a 90 minute movie is earned. L-R: David Spade and Nick Swardson | Katrina Marcinowski/NETFLIX Most of the supporting cast get a few laughs too. Nick Swardson, Rob Schneider, Jackie Sandler, Geoff Pierson and Sarah Chalke all have at least one good moment. Usually theyre reacting to Lapkus. Shes really the sun around which all the comedy in the film revolves. Come Saturday evening, a bus will set off from Darjeeling in West Bengal with a sole passenger before picking up four from Kolkata for a 2,800 kilometre long journey back to Goa. This exemplifies the difficulty faced by the Goa government in bringing back the stranded residents that are scattered across the country but not in large numbers to warrant booking of special trains being run by the Indian Railways. Therefore, the government has begun dispatching buses both private and those run by the state transport corporation to bring stranded Goans home. The movement is being coordinated by the interstate movement cell set up for the purpose. So the bus mentioned above was dispatched to West Bengal earlier this week and arrived in Darjeeling on Friday to pick up a single passenger from a place near Assam border before heading to Kolkata on Saturday to pick up four others for a journey from one edge of the country to the other. Another bus has left Goa for Baleshwar (Balasore), Orissa. The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19 More than 6,200 persons have asked for assistance to return home. While most evacuation trips are of a shorter duration and involve bringing back students from Kerala or neighbouring Karnataka, the Kadamba Transport Corporation buses have travelled even to Udaipur in Rajasthan and Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh to bring back stranded residents. The latter was an exchange trip in which students of the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Delhi were dropped and JNV students from Goa picked up from Ratlam-- identified as the midpoint for the exchange. The movement of buses is planned judiciously in consultation with nodal officials of different states, the state government said in a statement. Once they register on the Goa government portal, those wishing to be brought back are informed through SMS/calls by the control room once the travel plan for a particular destination is finalised, the state government said. Besides this, over the last week, 15 buses have brought back 241 people from Kerala (Kasargod), Karnataka (Mangluru, Bengaluru, Belgaum,Hubli, Dharwad, Khanapur, Jamboti and Gadag), Maharashtra (Navi Mumbai, Pune), Gujarat (Ahmedabad,Vadodara and Surat), Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Driving a Volvo is relaxing. However, crossing the state borders, changing routes due to blockages in Red Zones, waiting in long queues for several security checks was hectic. This will be indeed an unforgettable experience, Savlo Parab, 55, a driver of the KTCL who drove to Ratlam, said. The journeys are fraught with risk as was evidenced when a Goa bound bus that was returning from Chennai via Bengaluru met with an accident injuring 21 passengers on board after the driver allegedly dozed off at 4:30 am in Gadag, Karnataka. However, the Goa government is confident its efforts are worth it. Today, I am proud and feel more responsible. The government has arranged the trip well. Each person was provided with masks and sanitizers, food and other essentials. We did not halt anywhere except for food. Their zeal to be in their motherland was also a constant motivation for us, Mahesh Khanolkar, 45, another driver said. Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturer to Spend $12Bln to Build Factory in US Sputnik News 07:55 GMT 15.05.2020 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) on Friday announced it would spend $12 billion to open a semiconductor factory in the United States. "TSMC (TWSE: 2330, NYSE: TSM) today announced its intention to build and operate an advanced semiconductor fab in the United States with the mutual understanding and commitment to support from the U.S. federal government and the State of Arizona ... TSMC's total spending on this project, including capital expenditure, will be approximately US$12 billion from 2021 to 2029," the company said in a statement. The plant will produce 20,000 semiconductor wafers a month and create more than 1,600 high-tech jobs, the company has promised. In early May, the administration of US President Donald Trump was reported to be negotiating relocation to the US with many semiconducting companies, TSMC included, to decrease the US's dependence on foreign countries. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mask usage in Delhis slum clusters quadrupled, frequent hand-washing became nearly universal and time spent indoors doubled compared to the pre-Covid-19 period, according to a working paper on behavioural change and job loss during the lockdown. Nine out of 10 respondents reported they werent smoking but it hasnt been assessed whether most of them are non-smokers or quit smoking because of the Covid-19 crisis. The findings of the working paper, by researchers at the Energy Policy Institute of the University of Chicago and the University of British Columbia, are based on a survey of 1,392 respondents in Delhis slum clusters engaged in different professions, including construction workers, drivers, salaried workers, skilled labourers, domestic workers, and street vendors. The impact of the lockdown on their income and employment has been unprecedented, the researchers found. Their weekly income dropped by 57% on an average, as working days were reduced by 73%. By early May, weekly income had fallen to zero for nine out of 10 of the respondents. Around 35% of the sample reported accessing Delhi governments food assistance programme. The Delhi government set up more than 500 assistance centres across the city to provide food (rice and dal) to those who needed it. These centres appear to have been well placed, as the average distance between individuals in the sample and the nearest government assistance centre is only 640 metres, researchers found. The same team of researchers were studying the impact of air pollution on residents in slum clusters for the past 1.5 years, which is why they had pre-Covid-19 data for preventive measures such as wearing masks. During the first week of November last year, the Delhi government distributed five million masks to help people defend themselves against PM 2.5 (fine, respirable pollution particles), concentrations of which often surpassed 300 micrograms per cubic metres, which is 30 times higher than the WHO standard. Researchers found mask usage had increased in the weeks following the governments distribution of masks but it did not reach 35% of the sample. In contrast, it has become nearly universal during the Covid-19. If we want to understand what came out of the lockdown, one potential benefit is behaviour change. But we have to see if people can continue this for at least a couple of years till a vaccine or treatment is available, said Ken Lee, executive director of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago in India (EPIC India) and the lead author of the study.. The impact of the lockdown on peoples incomes has been massive. About 35% of the sample reported accessing food assistance, which is quite high because you would assume that many will not need food assistance. Our sample mainly consisted of people who earned on average Rs 3,000 a week. But this highlights that food assistance mitigated a crisis. The Delhi government should scale up this scheme. The paper found these behavioural changes were mainly driven by extreme fear and widespread media coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic. Researchers used Facebook mobility data to find that intra-city movement dropped by 80%, immediately following the Janata curfew till May. Compliance with public health directives will decide how cities can gradually emerge out of lockdowns. Future decisions to implement extreme social distancing mandates will involve complex trade-offs between the costs of higher infection rates in a world that remains open, and the economic and non-economic costs in one that is periodically closed. A key factor influencing this trade-off is the extent to which people follow the public health directives, the paper concluded. Dileep Mavlankar, director of the Indian Institute of Public Health in Gandhi Nagar, said: Behaviour change cannot be sustained with hunger, so that needs to be addressed. Also, most workplaces like shops and restaurants do not provide toilet or other facilities to staff. Work places have to provide masks, water and soap for hand-washing. Alcohol is very expensive. Also, in behavioural science, there is the ABC theory which stand for antecedents, belief and consequences. So the behaviour change needs to be reinforced through consequences like congratulating the person for wearing a mask and hand-washing or negative feedback for not doing so. Banita Paik, a domestic worker who lives in Tughlakabad village, which is a containment zone, said, All of us (family of four) bought masks from a medical store immediately after the lockdown began. We are washing hands regularly and not interacting as much with neighbours, but loss of income is a huge concern, even more than Covid-19 right now. In todays volatile equities market, are there stocks capable of emerging from the COVID-19 crisis stronger than ever? The answer is yes. Some of the stocks listed below have actually increased in value during the pandemic. Others have plateaued rather than plunged, or have suffered only modest setbacks compared with their peers. These stocks have in common above-average long-term growth prospects and a bulwark of financial reserves to cope with adversity. And several pay a dividend that compares favourably with whats likely to be a long stretch of miserly returns on fixed-income investments. These arent stocks to buy on dips in hopes of a quick profit. They are keepers. Which means you need to be patient when they slip from time to time, in their march over the years to successive record highs. Among the criteria for listing these stocks here is that, having held up well in the current pandemic, they are favoured to perform well for investors long after the coronavirus crisis has passed. Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., based in Laval, Que., is among the worlds biggest retailers, operating about 16,000 convenience stores and gas bars in North America, Europe and other regions, mostly under the Circle K banner. Deemed an essential service, most Couche-Tard outlets have remained open during the pandemic. So, the firms shares have barely budged during the COVID-19 crisis, off just 1 per cent year-to-date. Couche-Tard has long been an investor favourite, increasing in value more than 13-fold over the past decade to a current $41.30. Couche-Tard is a classic growth stock, meaning it has a lot of capital-gains potential but pays only a small dividend. (The yield is just 0.7 per cent). Nor is it bargain-priced, with a price-earnings multiple (p/e) of about 17. But the firms growth potential is impressive. Couche-Tard has several billion in financing lined up for its plan to double in size by snapping up remaining mom-and-pop C-stores in the highly fragmented U.S. market. Stock in Loblaw Cos. Ltd., Canadas biggest grocer, is an investment in two recession-resistant businesses, grocery and pharmacy. Business has boomed during the coronavirus crisis at most of Loblaws close to 2,500 stores (Loblaw, Shoppers Drug Mart, No Frills, Fortino, et al). Revenues were up 11 per cent in the companys first quarter ended, March. 21. Early pandemic hoarding accounts for some of that spike, but Loblaw is expected to post higher revenues for the year as a whole. Just in time for the pandemic, Loblaw is finally getting efficiencies from a multibillion-dollar logistics system that took years to smoothly integrate. And the pandemic has put a rocket under Loblaws e-commerce and click and pick curbside delivery services. Loblaw is one of the few stocks to have risen in value during the pandemic, up 7.4 per cent year-to-date, to a current $71. That follows a more than doubling in Loblaw stock value over the past decade, and a near-doubling in profit. Shares in Magna International Inc., worlds third-largest auto parts maker, are an investment in the future prominence of electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous, or driverless, cars. While Magna still leads the global industry in its wide spectrum of traditional parts supplied to most of the worlds major automakers from mirrors to seats to powertrains an ever-increasing portion of Magnas total sales is vehicle-mounted cameras, electronic sensors, and miles of computer code. Like the slumping automakers it supplies, Magna has seen its stock decline in value due to the COVID-19-induced economic shutdown. Magna shares are down about 27 per cent year-to-date. But Magna has ample liquidity to keep reinvesting in its R&D prowess (about $4.7 billion in cash and credit lines), and it has recovered smartly from previous industry downturns. From a Great Recession low of $8.38 in 2009, Magna shares soared in value more than ninefold to 2018s $74.46, before the pre-pandemic global auto slowdown that began last year. At a current price of $52.82, the stock trades at a modest p/e of 13, and pays a rich dividend yield of 4.1 per cent. Royal Bank of Canada is a leader among Canadas Big Six banks in its prodigious capital reserves to absorb loan losses. It also boasts best-in-class wealth-management and capital-markets franchises to offset pandemic-era slow or negative growth in its core banking operations. Given the centrality of banks to an economy in partial shutdown, investors have punished bank stocks. Shares in the Big Six banks are down an average of 24 per cent year-to-date. But the financial sector has been side-swiped in this crisis. It is not at its epicentre, as it was in the Wall Street meltdown of 2008 and the resulting Great Recession. And the Big Six are much better capitalized than they were at that time. RBC is priced at a premium to its Big Six peers, having lost just 16 per cent of its share value since Jan. 1. RBC has posted average annual stock gains of 7.1 per cent for the past decade and pays an outsized dividend of 4.9 per cent. That qualifies RBC as both an income and modest-growth stock. Edmonton-based Stantec Inc. is a major force in infrastructure, one of the key sectors that will define the 21st-century economy, as cities rebuild to achieve energy and transportation efficiencies. Stantecs engineering and construction abilities span a variety of project types, but the $4.8-billion (2019 revenues) firm has become especially proficient in transit projects. Stantec is currently the lead engineer or a major partner in the Hurontario Light Rail and Ontario Line projects, the new Reseau express metropolitain in Montreal, and expansions of the Chicago Transit Authority and the Long Island Rail Road systems. Because they are deemed essential, Stantec projects have been granted waivers from construction moratoriums imposed during the pandemic. Shares in the 66-year-old Stantec are among the few to gain ground during the pandemic, up almost 16 per cent year-to-date, and more than triple their value a decade ago. Thomson Reuters Corp. is a low-profile but highly profitable player in the electronic news and information industry. Because most of its specialized newsletters for legal, business, tax and medical professionals are subscription-based, the firm is largely insulated from economic volatility. Toronto-based Thomson Reuters expects to be among the few blue-chip firms to report increased revenues this year, of as much as 2 per cent. The firms stock has gained value during the pandemic, up about 2 per cent year-to-date. And thats after more than doubling in value in the past decade. With a war chest of almost $1 billion for acquisitions, Thomson Reuters is on the hunt for new assets to further boost profitability by spreading its costs over more properties. The stock isnt cheap, with a p/e of about 22, but pays a respectable dividend of 2.2 per cent. A final caution: Nothing beats cash and cash equivalents at times like this, when the only certainty is uncertainty. Rule one in investing is to preserve capital. Rule two is to remember rule one. Until you find a stock youd be comfortable owning forever, you might want to park your money in a government-guaranteed bank deposit or GIC. Happy investing, and stay safe. US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Michael Murphy said the build-up of Russia's military presence in the Arctic threatens NATOs anti-submarine defense line in the North Atlantic. At the same time, he stressed that China also seeks to "challenge the interests of the United States, the West and the allies". According to Murphy, Russia has created development infrastructure in the Arctic, announced the dispatch of S-400 missile defense systems to the Kola Peninsula, and formed new Arctic units. In his opinion, these actions go beyond the protection of territories, jeopardizing the Faroe-Icelandic border, RIA Novosti reports. 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 while the successes are well known, investors should not ignore the very many unprofitable companies that simply burn through all their cash and collapse. So should CEFC Hong Kong Financial Investment (HKG:1520) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves. View our latest analysis for CEFC Hong Kong Financial Investment When Might CEFC Hong Kong Financial Investment Run Out Of Money? A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. In December 2019, CEFC Hong Kong Financial Investment had HK$107m in cash, and was debt-free. In the last year, its cash burn was HK$42m. So it had a cash runway of about 2.5 years from December 2019. Arguably, that's a prudent and sensible length of runway to have. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below. SEHK:1520 Historical Debt May 16th 2020 How Well Is CEFC Hong Kong Financial Investment Growing? Notably, CEFC Hong Kong Financial Investment actually ramped up its cash burn very hard and fast in the last year, by 179%, signifying heavy investment in the business. As if that's not bad enough, the operating revenue also dropped by 22%, making us very wary indeed. In light of the above-mentioned, we're pretty wary of the trajectory the company seems to be on. Of course, we've only taken a quick look at the stock's growth metrics, here. You can take a look at how CEFC Hong Kong Financial Investment has developed its business over time by checking this visualization of its revenue and earnings history. Story continues Can CEFC Hong Kong Financial Investment Raise More Cash Easily? CEFC Hong Kong Financial Investment 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. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash to drive growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate). Since it has a market capitalisation of HK$132m, CEFC Hong Kong Financial Investment's HK$42m in cash burn equates to about 32% of its market value. That's fairly notable cash burn, so if the company had to sell shares to cover the cost of another year's operations, shareholders would suffer some costly dilution. Is CEFC Hong Kong Financial Investment's Cash Burn A Worry? On this analysis of CEFC Hong Kong Financial Investment's cash burn, we think its cash runway was reassuring, while its increasing cash burn has us a bit worried. Even though we don't think it has a problem with its cash burn, the analysis we've done in this article does suggest that shareholders should give some careful thought to the potential cost of raising more money in the future. Taking a deeper dive, we've spotted 4 warning signs for CEFC Hong Kong Financial Investment you should be aware of, and 1 of them is significant. 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. VANCOUVERCity councillor Pete Fry was walking his dog in Vancouvers Chinatown when he saw a man yelling racial slurs and obscenities at a group of elderly Chinese-Canadian women who had been practising tai chi in the park. As the local big guy, I intervened and told him to stop, even though I was aware he might not have been in a stable state of mind, Fry recalls of the incident, some five years ago now. I turned around, and saw there was this posse behind me. The women were in their tai chi poses and holding up their canes to back me up. Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck Canada, Frys community in East Vancouver has seen a spate of suspected hate crimes. The gentrifying but still relatively affordable area has historically been home to many communities of colour, including low-income elderly immigrants from Asia. The region also encompasses the Downtown Eastside, an impoverished neighbourhood just east of the city core, where many charities for the homeless and services for drug users are based. Public concern seemed to reach a zenith earlier this week, when transit police appealed for help to find the suspect in an assault on a Vancouver bus. A middle-aged man had jumped on a woman, punching and kicking her multiple times and pulling her hair so hard he removed a significant amount, authorities said, moments after she defended two Asian women from his verbal abuse. He had shouted something to the effect of, Go back to your country; thats where it all started, transit police said. The woman managed to fight him off, and the suspect was last seen running toward East Hastings. A day after their public appeal, transit authorities said they had learned the suspect had died from an apparent drug overdose a week after the incident. They said the man had no fixed address and was well-known to Vancouver police. The quick turn of events was yet another reminder of societal problems poverty, opioid addiction and racism that have long blighted this city, and which have each in their own way been amplified by the current pandemic. They are difficult issues to try to address in isolation, let alone in ways they may overlap, politicians and community advocates say. Other Canadian cities have seen a rise in anti-Asian incidents as well, which has prompted widespread soul-searching on how to stop the trend. In Ottawa, two Asian pedestrians in the citys west end had racial slurs and obscenities hurled at them by passing motorists. In Toronto, an Asian TTC bus driver was harassed by a Caucasian woman for not looking Canadian, while a white man insulted another Asian female passenger for wearing a mask on public transit. North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA Bowinn Ma posted a video responding to anti-Asian racism in the time of COVID-19 this week. What you see and can capture on videotape or screenshot on your social media account is only what has risen to the top, and its really the tip of the iceberg. In reality, theres a whole lot more going on under the water, Ma told the Star. It is important for all members of society to participate in this battle, because when only people of colour speak up, others can be quick to dismiss them. Theres definitely safety in numbers. Responding to the bus attack case, Ma said: We are facing a very real and serious opioid crisis. Thousands of people in B.C. have died from it. I think its tragic for anybody to live a life of addiction and die from a drug overdose. Does this excuse the violent race-driven attack he committed? No, it does not. Ma said the B.C. Human Rights Commissions work is very important, and she is open to hearing suggestions on other ways the provincial government could target systemic issues of racism and poverty and addiction. Those arent easy issues to solve, she said. Vancouver police say they have seen a spike in reports of anti-Asian hate-motivated incidents and crimes. Of the 20 anti-Asian hate crimes reported to police this year, 11 occurred in April. In comparison, there were 12 such crimes reported in all of 2019. Some people of East Asian descent in Vancouver are so disturbed about the incidents that theyve changed their daily routines. Anita Law, an English Literature studies PhD candidate, woke up early last week but decided against going to the grocery store and waited for midday instead, when she felt safer. After traveling around many parts of the world alone, I never thought that itd be Vancouver where I felt the least safe. I walked around cities at night a lot, and this is the first time in my life where Ive had second thoughts about going out at a certain time. Fry said governments at every level should keep addressing the real anxiety over economic issues. At times of uncertainty, he said, base tendencies such as racism seem to get worse. New data from the City of Vancouver shows nearly 90,000 people have lost their jobs during the pandemic, which is equivalent to 22 per cent of the workforce. We can take actions through policy decisions, constantly striving to have an intersectional lens to understand how different factors lead to discrimination. And maybe its time to have a more purposeful conversation around multiculturalism in some sort of summit, Fry told the Star. Theres a percolating anti-Asian sentiment in this province that goes back to the original settling of Asians in Vancouver over a hundred years ago. The history of Vancouver is peppered with that, says Fry, whose mother is originally from Trinidad. There were mob riots and rallies to prevent Chinese-Canadian immigrants from getting Canadian jobs, the head tax, racism against Southeast Asian refugees and internment of Japanese-Canadians during World War Two. Racism is quite alive in his Vancouver neighbourhood, agrees Christopher Livingstone, an outreach co-ordinator with the Vancouver Aboriginal Community Policing Centre and founding member of Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction Society. He said his partner, who is of East Asian descent, is fearful of walking by herself in the Downtown Eastside, where they live. Indigenous people are also overrepresented in both the Downtown Eastside as well as in the wider homeless population. She wont go outside in this neighbourhood, he said, noting that she was somewhat fearful before but that the pandemic has made it more real. One incident last week sticks out in Livingstones mind. A woman was getting off the bus with her stroller when she yelled, I cant believe that Chinese bitch touched my babys stroller, according to Livingstone. The woman was so loud it was disgusting, he said. But Livingstone, who used illicit drugs and was homeless before securing a unit at a BC Housing building two blocks from Oppenheimer Park, says racism is dished out by many in the Downtown Eastside sometimes by the very people who experience discrimination themselves. Some business owners will pour a bucket of soapy water on Indigenous people sleeping in front of their store and many members of the Indigenous community believe the police and security guards target them, he said. Livingstone said he recognized the suspect of the bus attack as someone who frequented Oppenheimer park before officials evicted people earlier this month. Im sad when anyone overdoses in the face of safe supply being rolled out, he said. In March, the B.C. government began a safe-supply program that allows doctors, nurses and staff at clinics to prescribe pharmaceutical substances to drug users in an effort to provide a safe alternative to the increasingly toxic illegal drug supply. But for those who dont have housing and a safe supply of drugs, just getting through the day can take a huge toll and can lead to people acting out in their own ways, said Livingstone. You get tunnel vision. You get locked into those cycles of poverty that lead you to believe that nobody really cares, that nobody is watching, he said. For him, lashing out meant smoking crack out on the street, in plain sight. For Ma, what can help is to constantly celebrate the great diversity of people who live in Canada. Its a tricky line, it really is. Im not saying its easy. We have the responsibility to have critical dialogue about things that are happening without enabling the sentiments that group an entire people as though they are all the same. For instance, there are legitimate criticisms that can be levelled at the Chinese government without blaming every person who looks as though they might have Chinese heritage, she said. With files from Nicholas Keung Joanna Chiu is a Vancouver-based reporter covering both Canada-China relations and current affairs on the West Coast for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @joannachiu Read more about: Image The Beatles (from left, Pete Best, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Stu Sutcliffe) as photographed by Ms. Kirchherr at a fairground in Hamburg, Germany, in 1960. They looked quite rough, she later recalled, really looking like rock n rollers. Credit... Astrid Kirchherr, via Govinda Gallery It was early in the morning, because I only used daylight, Ms. Kirchherr told The Age, a newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, in 2005. So the poor guys had to get up very early. They only stopped playing at four oclock in the morning, and we met about nine or 10. They looked quite rough, having their hair combed back with grease, really looking like rock n rollers, she continued, so I thought it would suit them the most between all these wagons and steel and rust. Mr. Sutcliffe, Mr. Lennons best friend from art school, was a gifted painter but an indifferent musician; he joined the Beatles after winning a cash prize in a Liverpool art contest and allowing Mr. Lennon to persuade him to buy an electric bass. But even before he met Ms. Kirchherr, he had decided to leave the group and to return to his art studies. Once he decided to remain in Germany with Ms. Kirchherr, he enrolled at the Hamburg College of Art as a student of Eduardo Paolozzi. He continued to play with the Beatles in Hamburg, though, and through him Ms. Kirchherr influenced the groups style. When Mr. Sutcliffe adopted her short, brushed-forward hairstyle, the other Beatles first mocked him, preferring to maintain the greased-back Elvis Presley style. But Mr. Harrison soon adopted the new haircut as well. Both Mr. Lennon and Mr. McCartney followed suit in October 1961. Mr. Sutcliffe also began wearing Ms. Kirchherrs clothing, including collarless jackets she had made, patterned after those of the French designer Pierre Cardin. The Beatles briefly adopted that style as well. Mr. Sutcliffe moved into Ms. Kirchherrs home and continued his studies, but he was plagued by headaches and mood swings. On April 10, 1962, he collapsed while painting; he died of a brain hemorrhage in an ambulance, in her arms. The Beatles arrived from Liverpool, England, for another Hamburg club residency the next day. Jammu, May 16 : The J&K government on Saturday sought the personal intervention of the Foreign Secretary to prioritise the evacuation of the UT residents from Dubai, Oman and Iran ahead of Eid. J&K Chief Secretary B.V.R. Subrahmanyam in his missive to Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla requested to evacuate residents of the union territory stranded in Oman, Dubai and Iran, before Eid. Subrahmanyam said the government has received requests from them. "Their prolonged stay abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic has made them restless and fearful of catching the disease in a foreign country. They are also desirous of celebrating 'Eid' festival, which is approaching on 25th May, 2020 in Jammu and Kashmir," the J&K Chief Secretary wrote. Subrahmanyam requested Shringla's "personal intervention" so that the evacuation can be prioritised. Earlier, scores of students were brought back to the valley from Bangladesh by the Centre's efforts. In his letter to Shringla, Subrahmanyam thanked the foreign office for ensuring the evacuation of students belonging to J&K from Bangladesh under the Vande Bharat Mission. The DGCA on March 19 had announced that no international commercial passenger flight operations will take place in India from 1.30 a.m. on March 23 to 5.30 a..m on March 29. That flight ban has ever since been extended, leaving many Indians stranded abroad. Slovenia, a mountainous nation of two million people, has become the first European country to proclaim an end to the coronavirus epidemic at home. The European Union states government said on Friday the COVID-19 spread is under control and there is no longer a need for extraordinary health measures. Today Slovenia has the best epidemic situation in Europe, which enables us to call off the general epidemic, Prime Minister Janez Jansa said, two months after the epidemic was declared. The government says EU residents are free to cross into Slovenia from Austria, Italy and Hungary at predetermined checkpoints, while most non-EU nationals will have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine. The first coronavirus case in Slovenia was recorded on March 4 in a returnee from neighbouring Italy. The nationwide epidemic was proclaimed on March 12. Despite Slovenia apparently declaring an end to the epidemic, experts clarified that the disease was still present in the country. No other European state has so far declared the epidemic was over so we should be cautious in Slovenia too, infectious diseases expert Mateja Logar told public television on Thursday. The virus remains present. Declaring the end of the epidemic meant the government avoided an automatic extension until the end of June of the first package of economic measures approved to help the population and companies, according to Public Radio Slovenija. This measures will now be in force until the end of May. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the International Monetary Fund on Friday signaled a possible downward revision of global economic forecasts, and warned the United States and China against rekindling a trade war that could weaken a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF's managing director, told an online event hosted by the European University Institute that recent economic data for many countries was coming in below the fund's already pessimistic forecast for a 3% contraction in 2020. "With no immediate medical solutions, more adverse scenarios might unfortunately materialize for some economies," Georgieva said. "It is the unknown about the behavior of this virus that is clouding the horizon for projections." The IMF's April projection for a 3% contraction the global economy would mark the steepest downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The IMF forecast a partial rebound would follow in 2021, but warned that outcomes could be far worse, depending on the course of the pandemic. The U.S. economy - the largest in the world - has been particularly hard hit by widespread shutdowns aimed at containing the spread of the virus. U.S. government data on Friday showed the unemployment rate surging to 14.7% last month. The White House said joblessness could hit 20% in May. President Donald Trump has threatened to punish China for its handling of the virus by imposing new tariffs, and on Friday suggested he could end a Phase 1 U.S.-China trade deal. Top U.S. and Chinese trade officials on Friday said they would press ahead with implementing the initial trade deal, but some observers say China's promised purchases of U.S. goods are running far behind the pace needed to meet the first-year goal of a $77 billion increase over 2017 levels. On Friday, Georgieva warned that a retreat into protectionism could weaken the prospects for a global recovery at a critical juncture. Story continues Asked how concerned she was that rising U.S.-China tensions could jeopardize the global economy, Georgieva said, "It is hugely important for us to resist what may be a natural tendency to retreat behind our borders." Reigniting world trade was critical to ensuring a global economic recovery, she said. "Otherwise," she said, "costs go up, incomes go down, and we will be in a less secure world." Georgieva said the IMF had already provided emergency funding to 50 of the 103 countries that had requested aid. Poor countries remained at high risk given a sharp drop in remittances and falling commodity prices, even if mortality rates from the virus were lower than in some richer countries. The IMF's chief economist, Gita Gopinath, told an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday that the situation had worsened since March when the IMF projected that emerging markets and developing countries would need $2.5 trillion in external financing to manage the health and economic crisis. "This crisis is likely to last longer," she said. "And so the needs will go up, even above that number." (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Leslie Adler) Muhammad Masood, 28, in his mugshot following his March 19 arrest at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport prior to being indicted on a terrorism charge A Pakistani doctor and former Mayo Clinic researcher has been indicted on one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. The indictment comes after authorities say he told paid FBI informants that he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and wanted to carry out lone wolf attacks in the U.S. The indictment against Muhammad Masood, 28, was announced Friday by U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald. Masood was initially charged by criminal complaint and has been in custody since his March 19 arrest at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Prosecutors say Masood was in the U.S. on a work visa. They allege in court documents that from January to March, Masood made several statements to paid informants - whom he believed were members of the Islamic State group - pledging his allegiance to the group and its leader. He also expressed a desire to travel to Syria to fight for IS and carry out lone wolf attacks in the U.S., they said. Masood messaged an informant 'there is so much I wanted to do here .. .lon wulf [sic] stuff you know ... but I realized I should be on the ground helping brothers sisters kids,' according to an FBI affidavit. Prosecutors said Masood was in the U.S. on a work visa. The Mayo Clinic confirmed that he formerly worked at the medical center, but he was not employed there when he was arrested Masood said in February that he was going to notify his employer, the Mayo Clinic, that his last day of work would be March 17. He was arrested on March 19 Prosecutors say Masood planned to leave for Amman, Jordan, and go on to Syria at the end of March, but on March 16 he had to change his travel plans because Jordan closed its borders due to the coronavirus pandemic. Masood and one of the informants then allegedly developed a plan for him to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet with that informant, whom Masood believed would help him travel in a cargo ship into Islamic State territory. Masood's attorney didn't immediately return messages left Friday. Court documents do not name the clinic where Masood worked. The Mayo Clinic has confirmed that Masood formerly worked at the medical center, but said he was not employed there when he was arrested. According to an affidavit supporting the criminal complaint, Masood said in February that he was going to notify his employer that his last day of work would be March 17. The affidavit said the FBI began investigating in January, after learning that someone, later determined to be Masood, had posted messages on an encrypted social media platform indicating an intent to support IS. On January 24, Masood contacted one of the informants on the encrypted platform and said he was a medical doctor with a Pakistani passport and wanted to travel to Syria, Iraq or northern Iran near Afghanistan 'to fight on the front line as well as help the wounded brothers,' the affidavit said. Roughly three dozen Minnesotans - mostly men from the states large Somali community - have left since 2007 to join al-Shabab in Somalia or militant groups in Syria, including the Islamic State group. Several others have been convicted on terrorism-related charges for plotting to join or provide support to those groups. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has filed a case against the county of its headquarters Alameda, California after local health authorities prevented him from restarting operations at the electric car makers manufacturing plant in Fremont last Friday, May 8. The lawsuit states that Alameda County, where Tesla is based, unconstitutionally forced businesses to shut down by threatening them with fines and other penalties, even after these businesses have been deemed essential by the federal government. The lawsuit also argues that Teslas facilities in San Joaquin a county that lies just to the east of Alameda hasnt implemented such restrictions, despite the two counties having markedly similar COVID-19 statistics. Im not messing around. Absurd & medically irrational behavior in violation of constitutional civil liberties, moreover by *unelected* county officials with no accountability, needs to stop, Musk said in a Twitter post, with an accompanying copy of the lawsuit. twitter.com/elonmusk Prior to Alameda Countys actions, Musk had already announced the reopening of the Fremont plant to his employees via email. Unfortunately for him, Dr. Erica Pan, the interim public health office for Alameda County, announced that the factory where they made the infamous Cybertruck prototype did not have the go signal to resume business in a public meeting that Friday. The following morning, Musk announced his plans to move the company in a tweet using his personal Twitter account. Tesla is filing a lawsuit against Alameda County immediately. The unelected & ignorant Interim Health Officer of Alameda is acting contrary to the Governor, the President, our Constitutional freedoms & just plain common sense! the Tesla CEO added, most likely referring to Dr. Pan. twitter.com/elonmusk Frankly, this is the final straw. Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately. If we even retain Fremont manufacturing activity at all, it will be dependen (sic) on how Tesla is treated in the future. Tesla is the last carmaker left in CA. went Musks rant on Twitter. Story continues Despite Alameda Countys decisions, Lily Mei, the mayor of Fremont, expressed her support of Tesla restarting operations as long as they implemented certain precautions against COVID-19 infection. Also after Musks tweets, Neetu Balrum, a public information manager for Alameda County, said in a news segment that theyve been in contact with the Tesla CEO and are now working on a strategy to reopen the automotive manufacturing plant. Photos from Elon Musk's Twitter account Also read: Tesla Easter Eggs: The Missing Link Between Flatulence and Romance Tesla Cyberquad ATV to Go on Sale Alongside Cybertruck Gauging water loss from northern peatlands, a likely accelerant of climate change WOODS HOLE, Mass. -- More carbon is stored in the forests, peatlands, and lakes of the high northern (boreal) latitudes than is currently in the atmosphere. Therefore, understanding how the boreal latitudes, which include Canada and Alaska, respond to global warming is very important for predicting its trajectory. As the climate warms, the air gets drier and can take up more water. The pines, spruces, and larches of boreal forests respond by largely retaining their water, but it hasn't been known how boreal peatlands (bogs and fens) respond. To compensate, a team of 59 international scientists, including Inke Forbrich of the Marine Biological Laboratory, pooled their data and discovered boreal peatlands lose more water than do forests in response to drying air. This has important implications not only for projections of water availability in these regions but for global carbon-climate feedbacks. With a lower water table, peatlands are more likely to release CO 2 to the atmosphere, which in turn would accelerate the pace of global warming. Most current global climate models assume the boreal region consists only of forest ecosystems. Adding peatlands data will improve their projections. Led by scientists at Canada's McMaster University, the team published their report this week in Nature Climate Change. ### Citation: Manuel Helbig et al (2020) Increasing contribution of peatlands to boreal evapotranspiration in a warming climate. Nature Climate Change, DOI: 10.1038/s41558-020-0763-7 McMaster University press release The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is dedicated to scientific discovery - exploring fundamental biology, understanding marine biodiversity and the environment, and informing the human condition through research and education. Founded in Woods Hole, Massachusetts in 1888, the MBL is a private, nonprofit institution and an affiliate of the University of Chicago This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber reflected on the six shows that he'd streamed for free on a live chat on YouTube last night. For the last month and a half, Lloyd Webber has been presenting his musicals online for 24 or 48 hours, appealing for audiences to donate while they watch. Chatting from his piano as the streamed production of Cats (which is available until 7pm Saturday in the UK, he said: "Thank you for so generously donating we've raised half a million dollars for the Actor's Fund." He went on to say: "I hope you realise that theatre will always be there. It will come back. I didn't think we'd be locked down for so long, I'm afraid it might be a bit longer yet. But you can't get rid of me I'll be back doing various things, maybe I'll do a little bit from my new Cinderella. Thank you for watching, particularly those of you that got through By Jeeves. "Goodbye, give generously and thank you." Lloyd Webber's West End venues are currently closed, with Theatre Royal Drury Lane scheduled to reopen with the West End premiere of Frozen, while his own new musical Cinderella, starring Carrie Hope Fletcher, will have its first previews at the end of October. Mumbai, May 16 : Actress Sayani Gupta has pledged support to her house helps and driver amid the ongoing health crisis. "I pledge to support my house help/driver through this crisis," declared Sayani, on a picture of herself she posted on Instagram. The snapshpot was hashtagged #eachonehelpone. Alongside the image, she wrote: "I cannot believe that there are people who are not paying their house help and staff and doing pay cuts in times of this grave crisis. For all the support they have given us, it's time we support them back. We will only survive this storm if each one helps one (or more if possible) Till our domestic help are unable to go back to work, please pledge to pay them their salaries." "I pledge to support my domestic help and driver through this crisis. Please help me spread the message to more people by doing this: 1. go to stories 2.use the Tokyo filter on your photo 3.use the typewriter font 4. highlight "I PLEDGE" in pink 5. "To support my domestic help through this crisis" in black) and post it on your TL. Tag friends as ask them to do the same." On the work front, Sayani was recently seen in the second season of "Four More Shots Please!", which is reportedly the most-watched show from India so far this year on Amazon Prime Video. The web series tells the tale of four unapologetically flawed women as they discover life while balancing friendship in Mumbai. -- Syndicated from IANS Vietnam has gone 30 straight days without a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection among the community, as the national committee on the disease prevention and control has made a proposal to proclaim the end of the epidemic in the country. Vietnams last infection detected in the community identified as Patient No. 268 was on April 16. The 16-year-old Vietnamese girl from the northern province of Ha Giang had been quarantined since April 7. The country has since reported 44 imported cases, who are Vietnamese citizens returning from overseas, with Friday, May 15, setting a record daily increase of 25 infections from Russia and the UAE. The nations infection tally is at 314, with 260 recoveries and no deaths as of Saturday morning. Vietnams Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases decrees that an epidemic can be called off if no new cases of infection are detected after a certain period of time and other conditions specific to each epidemic as prescribed by the prime minister are met. The period of time applicable to the COVID-19 epidemic is 28 days from when the last COVID-19 patient is quarantined according to a decision signed by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on February 26, 2020. However, the current Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases does not distinguish between community and imported infections, a representative of the Ministry of Justice told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. This creates a grey area concerning the prerequisites for Vietnams declaration of the end of the epidemic in the country. Residents react as a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown imposed on Ha Loi Village in Me Linh District, Hanoi, Vietnam is lifted, May 6, 2020. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre Meanwhile, the National Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has submitted a proposal on calling off the epidemic to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, a member of the committee told Tuoi Tre on Friday afternoon. PM Phuc on Friday also announced that Vietnam had gained initial success in realizing the dual targets of containing the disease and promoting production and business. Kidong Park, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative to Vietnam, said in a recent meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam that he was impressed by the rapid and effective anti-epidemic measures that the Southeast Asian country had implemented. I want to spend time analyzing and synthesizing lessons and experiences in preventing and controlling epidemics from Vietnam to share with the international community, Park said. In 2003, Vietnam was the first country in the world to have its declaration of successfully controlling the SARS epidemic confirmed by the WHO after its last patient had been discharged from the hospital on March 2, 2003. Seventeen years later, the COVID-19 epidemic, which shares some similarities to SARS, has seen Vietnam earning praise from the WHO and global media for its swift and effective response to the crisis. Vietnam has met conditions for life to return to normal, with COVID-19 social distancing measures having been eased and the economy, schools and businesses gradually reopened. However, Nguyen Van Kinh, chairman of the Ministry of Healths COVID-19 professional council, underlined that COVID-19 is different from SARS, warning that positive cases might not be easy to detect as 40 percent of COVID-19 patients exhibits no clinical symptoms. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, May 16, 2020 11:39 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd874110 1 News AirAsia,Airlines,travel,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free Low-cost carrier AirAsia Indonesia has extended the suspension of flight operations in Indonesia until May 31. Previously, the airline had announced it would suspend flights operations within the country until May 7. Following the latest decision on the suspension of operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was announced on Friday, earlier plans to resume limited flight operations from Surabaya in East Java to two Malaysian cities, namely Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru, on May 18 have been shelved. According to a statement, the company will gradually begin QZ-coded scheduled flights on selected international and domestic routes starting on June 1, in response to the extension of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in several regions. Passengers affected by the suspension are advised to look for the latest information on airasia.com or the carrier's app. All AirAsia Indonesia passengers will be required to wear face masks throughout their flight, from check-in to baggage collection at their destination airport. The company also urged them to bring a spare face mask and hand sanitizer. (kes) Soaking it up: Sun-worshippers get more precious vitamin D Coronavirus cases have fallen dramatically in recent weeks in many northern hemisphere countries. But can all the reduction be due to lockdown measures and social distancing? Here is what we know about the effect of climate, sunshine and vitamin D on coronavirus. Latitude Latest research suggests coronavirus is following a very specific path around the globe, leaving some countries unscathed, while having a disproportionately devastating impact elsewhere. The University of Maryland found that most cases fall along a narrow east-west corridor of 30 and 50 degrees of latitude, which includes northern Italy, the Pacific north-west, Japan, Iran, South Korea, France, Spain and Germany. All share similar climates. In contrast, areas expected to be hardest hit, because of geographical proximity and travel connections to the Chinese outbreak - such as south-east Asia - have had low infections and deaths compared to those in the "coronavirus belt". None of the temperatures in badly affected cities dipped below 0C during the height of the epidemic, which suggests a threshold beyond which the virus cannot survive. The University of Oxford also conducted a review into whether climate was playing a role in the transmission of coronavirus, and found that cold and dry conditions appeared to boost its spread. It found that while the global death rate was 0.2pc, in the northern hemisphere it was 0.3pc and even discovered a gradient relationship in Italy with the south being less affected than the north. Analysis of the previous Sars outbreak in Hong Kong has shown the number of daily cases was higher on days where the weather was cooler and research has shown viruses can live longer on surfaces when the weather is cold. Vitamin D There is growing evidence that vitamin D is protective against coronavirus and that people with chronically low levels may be at greater risk. Researchers from the Anglia Ruskin University compared the numbers of coronavirus cases to the average levels of vitamin D for 20 European countries and found a significant correlation. Italy and Spain have both experienced high mortality rates, and scientists found both countries have lower than average vitamin D levels. This is partly because people in southern Europe, particularly the elderly, avoid strong sun, while their darker skin pigmentation also reduces the body's ability to produce natural vitamin D. The highest average levels of vitamin D are found in northern Europe, due to high consumption of cod liver oil and vitamin D supplements, and possibly less sun avoidance. Scandinavian nations are among the countries with the lowest number of Covid-19 cases and mortality rates per head of population in Europe. A study by Trinity College Dublin published this week also shows vitamin D appears to help reduce serious complications with coronavirus. UV light During the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, doctors noticed patients who were nursed outdoors appeared to fare better. Sunlight is known to be germicidal and there is growing evidence it can kill viruses too. Viruses tend to survive better in cold weather because they have a fatty coating that degrades when it is warm. Prof Keith Neal, emeritus professor in the epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Nottingham, said: "Sunlight includes ultraviolet radiation. This damages DNA and RNA. I have not seen any work on how quickly this affects Covid-19 but viruses left on surfaces outside will dry out and be damaged by UV light in sunlight." Ventilation Open-air therapy was once a popular treatment for deadly respiratory conditions such as tuberculosis, and patients were regularly put outside until antibiotics became standard in the 1950s. Hospital wards were once "cross-ventilated" with large windows to allow fresh air to move freely, but modern hospitals mostly have closed air-conditioning systems. Prof Neal said fresh air quickly dispersed any virus droplets in the atmosphere. "Talking and coughing can produce droplets and aerosols. Droplets, which are larger than aerosols, carry more virus but fall rapidly to the ground under gravity," he said. ( Daily Telegraph, London) Visit our Covid-19 vaccine dashboard for updates on the roll out of the vaccination program and the rate of Coronavirus cases Ireland Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] One of the most frustrating things about this pandemic, for many I expect, is the lack of certainty. Scientists across the world have responded with unprecedented speed in trying to unravel the secrets of Covid-19. But this is a new virus to humans. And, despite intense research, there are still fundamental things we dont understand. Thats why it may feel as if the advice were being given has been ever-changing and even contradictory. Schools could stay open. Then they closed. We didnt all need to stay at home, then lockdown. Face masks were unnecessary, but we keep hearing that soon we may be asked to wear them in public. The reason for this is because as evidence accumulates, it can often mean a change in what measures are needed or deemed appropriate. With this in mind, I thought Id list a few very important things we still simply dont know about the coronavirus People were initially advised against wearing face masks and then this was changed with members of the public told they should wear a non-surgical face covering while away from home Despite intense research, there are still fundamental things we dont understand about Covid-19. Thats why it may feel as if the advice were being given has been ever-changing and even contradictory Where it came from The official story is that it derived from a bat living in a cave near Wuhan, in China, which infected another animal, possibly a pangolin, which then infected a human. But the coronaviruses in pangolins arent that similar to those found in humans, and bat coronaviruses lack the sort of receptors that would enable them to readily infect humans. This has led some to speculate that these viruses were engineered in a research lab. Scientists who have studied the genetics of the virus say this is implausible. It is possible (though some scientists think it unlikely) that the virus was being studied in a Chinese lab and accidentally escaped. I doubt we will ever know exactly how it started but it is vital that when this is over that a big research effort finds out more about viruses living in wild animals and how close they are to jumping between species. We have had two huge pandemics in the past 40 years, caused by a virus jumping from an animal to a human. The first was AIDS, which killed more than 50 million. Now we have Covid-19. There are bound to be other viruses, waiting their chance. The current, rough estimate is a mortality rate of about 0.7 per cent, making it seven times more deadly than flu. But, for now, we dont know how deadly it is for certain When it started A study in France suggests that the virus has been out of China and circulating for a lot longer than originally thought. When French doctors recently examined samples taken from pneumonia patients in December, one came back positive for Covid-19. The patient hadnt travelled, and had no connections with anyone in China. His wife doesnt remember having symptoms. However, other researchers pointed out that, if the virus was circulating that long ago, we would have seen a spike in cases sooner. The sample could have been accidentally contaminated. The truth is, while an interesting finding, it cant be seen as proof of anything. Is there immunity? With many viruses, after a first infection, once the immune system has mounted an initial response and cleared it, proteins remain in the body that protect us against subsequent infections. But not all viruses cause this response. There is evidence that these proteins, antibodies, are found in the blood of those who have had Covid-19. Scientists believe this means these people will be immune, at least in the short term. But, because weve had only four months to track the illness, we dont know if this is the case, whether everyone becomes immune, or how long immunity lasts. With other coronaviruses, like a closely related one that caused SARS, immunity lasted at least two years, and in some cases much longer. How deadly is it? Official figures show many people have been tested for the coronavirus, how many were positive and how many have died from it. If you go by these statistics, about 13 per cent of people who get Covid-19 die from it. But in the UK, until recently, we were only testing those sick enough to end up hospitalised, and not all deaths from Covid-19 outside of hospital were being recorded. Also, some research suggests many, if not the majority of people infected will suffer few, if any symptoms. So we dont know how many have the coronavirus now, and as there are no ways to widely test if a person has been infected in the past we dont know how many have already had it. The current, rough estimate is a mortality rate of about 0.7 per cent, making it seven times more deadly than flu. But, for now, we dont know how deadly it is for certain. Why some get it bad A picture that was pretty clear from the start of the pandemic was that the majority of those infected were middle-aged or older and those with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes were more at risk. But other trends have emerged. It has been shown that black and other ethnic-minority Britons are up to four times more likely to die from Covid-19, but the reason is not yet clear. Men are more at risk, too, but we dont know why. Are masks needed? One of the clear differences between countries that controlled the initial spread of the virus, isuch as South Korea, and countries that didnt, was the fact that in the former, people were encouraged to wear masks in public. It seems obvious that if you cough while wearing a mask, you are less likely to spread the virus to others. But one argument against masks is that people are unlikely to wear them properly and may get infected by repeatedly touching the outside of them. Wearing a mask might also give the illusion of safety, so people dont bother with hand-washing, which is far more important. And finally, if the public start panic-buying masks, there wont be enough for health workers. Although I started thinking they were a bad idea, I now wear one when I go shopping. It seems obvious that if you cough while wearing a mask, you are less likely to spread the virus to others Can kids spread it? We know that children have a low risk, if they get infected, of becoming seriously ill. But its still unclear if they can spread the virus. In fact, when contact tracing data has been examined, few cases of child-to-adult transmission has been found. Very little evidence on this subject exists so its impossible to say for sure. Is there a cure? While curing the illness looks unlikely anytime soon, the prospect of an effective treatment seems promising. A team of scientists and I investigate this as part of a BBC Horizon documentary broadcast on Tuesday on BBC2. The drugs currently being tested are re-purposed from use in other diseases, as new medications take at least a decade to develop. The most encouraging of these is a drug called Remdesivir, developed to treat Ebola. This stops the virus being able to replicate in a patients body and has been shown, in early studies, to cut recovery time by a third. But scientists are testing several other drugs too. DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR DR MOSLEY? Email drmosley@mailonsunday.co.uk or write to him at The Mail on Sunday, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT. Dr Mosley can only answer in a general context and cannot give personal replies. Advertisement The worlds biggest Covid-19 drug trial is underway in the UK, with 10,000 NHS patients taking part. Drugs being tested include two antiviral drugs normally used to treat AIDS; dexamethasone, a steroid used to reduce inflammation; hydroxychloroquine, a treatment for malaria; and azithromycin, an antibiotic. Peter Horby, professor of global health at Oxford University, thinks they will start getting answers in the next few weeks. Initial effects are expected to be modest but he points out: Even a small reduction would be a lot of lives saved. By Express News Service CHENNAI: With 434 fresh cases, Tamil Nadu crossed the 10,000-mark on Friday. Five deaths were reported, taking the toll to 71. With 310 cases, Chennai continued to dominate the list. Six persons who returned from Maldives, 40 from Maharashtra, two from Gujarat, and one from Karnataka who returned to Tamil Nadu have tested positive. Over half the total cases -- 5,946 out of 10,108 -- are in Chennai. One person died in Thoothukudi and four in Chennai. All of them had co-morbid conditions. Two of the deceased -- a 53-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man -- died at the RGGGH in Chennai on Friday. A 57-year-old man died at the Omandurar hospital and a 61-year-old at the Stanley hospital also succumbed to the virus. Of the 71 deaths in the State, 48 were in Chennai. Officials have confirmed that the 32-year-old who died at RGGGH is the youngest in the State to succumb to COVID-19. He allegedly had chronic kidney disease and systemic hypertension, and died of respiratory failure, two days after being admitted to the government hospital. The fifth death was a 34-year-old man, a native of Ramanathapuram, who died at the Thoothukudi GH. Sources say the deceased was working as a driver at a fish processing unit in Chennai. He had recently returned home by lorry, without obtaining a travel permit. He was admitted to hospital on May 11, and tested positive on Thursday. He too died of breathing difficulty. The onslaught continuing unabated in Chennai, nodal officer J Radhakrishnan said the civic body will distribute 50 lakh reusable masks to slum dwellers within its limits. Totally, 26 lakh people in slums will be given reusable masks. We have identified 650 informal settlements, he said. The city corporation has devised a special plan for Royapuram zone and has identified ten worst affected streets. Vulnerable people from these spots will be shifted to community halls and quarantined, Radhakrishnan said. Chennai currently has 684 containment zones with 117 in Thiruvika Nagar, 102 in Royapuram, 72 in Teynampet and 60 in Kodambakkam. Cases have reduced in six to seven zones and in Kodambakkam and Valasaravakkam, the cases were mostly related to the Koyambedu cluster. Here, we have been giving the people Kabasura Kudineer and herbal drinks, the officer said. He said cases were stabilising in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Tondiarpet and Teynampet and the civic body has put special officers to monitor the zones. The virus is spreading because people in the containment areas meet other people. Everyone must strictly wear a mask, added Radhakrishnan. He said that 80 per cent people in the COVID care centres do not have symptoms while Chennai has now tested close to 70,000 people. So far, 16,000 migrant workers have been sent back home by special trains. Meanwhile, 1,091 people who have returned to Chennai from other places were screened. Nine including one from Maldives have tested positive so far. As of the cases on May 14, Royapuram has 747 active cases, Kodambakkam has 741 and Thiruvika Nagar has 504. While Tamil Nadu had just 5,409 cases on May 7, the numbers have doubled in the last eight days, thanks to the Koyambedu cluster. On Friday, 13 districts including Chennai reported fresh cases, Chennai and its neighbouring districts Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur had more cases when compared to other districts. Chengapattu 20 cases, Kancheepuram 11, Tiruvallur 21, Theni and Madurai six cases each, Cuddalore and Tiruvannamalai three cases each, Perambalur two, Dinduga, Tenkasi, Thanjavur and Virudhunagar one case each. These are excluding people who tested positive after returning from other States and abroad. STAMFORD Neysel, the newborn whose story captured headlines when his brothers teacher took him in to protect him from the coronavirus, has been reunited with his family. Hart Magnet Elementary School teacher Luciana Lira welcomed Neysels family mother Zully, father Marvin and brother Junior to her Stamford home last week, where a beaming Zully got to hold her 6-week-old son for the first time. Lira, who is 7-year-old Juniors teacher at Hart, took the child in after a call from Zully, who told Lira she was sick with the virus while pregnant and had to undergo an emergency C-section. Zully asked Lira to take her baby home, since her husband and son had tested positive for the virus. Lira agreed, bringing Neysel home to her husband and 11-year-old son. When I answered the phone and heard that cry for help, I knew I had to become involved, Lira told Hearst Connecticut Media. In a text message to a Hearst Connecticut Media reporter on Saturday, Lira was overjoyed: Baby Neysel is home! Zully, an immigrant from Guatemala seeking asylum in the United States, was in a coma at Stamford Hospital for about three weeks after Neysel was delivered on April 1. She had no recollection of making the call to Lira when she awoke from the coma, according to Catalina Horak, executive director of the Stamford nonprofit Building One Community. When she first woke up she didnt remember having the baby, Horak said in an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media on Saturday. The last thing she remembers is being put in an ambulance and being taken to the hospital. Horak said while Zully was in the hospital, intubated and in a coma, a lot of behind-the-scenes work went on to ensure Neysel, Lira and her family were supported, as well as support for Marvin and Junior as they recovered from the virus. Once word got out about Zullys request and Liras response, their story was reported by local, national and international news outlets. The attention quickly brought offers to help. Among those to step up and assist Lira and her family were Building One Community, a Stamford nonprofit, and Darien-based The Tiny Miracle Foundation. Numerous individuals reached out as well. The community came together to purchase the entire baby registry from Target, Lira said at the time, crediting her friend and co-worker at Hart Elementary School, Luci Santora, for helping her organize the gift registry. In four hours, we were able to purchase items such as a crib and bassinet, she said. The PTO at my school has been amazing, as has our social worker. The baby is sleeping in a bassinet next to me and my son Christopher moved into our bedroom to help me, so its the four of us. Lira and her family took in the baby on April 7. Until Thursday, his familys only contact with him was during daily video calls between Lira and Zully. Horak said the positive ending for this story wasnt always in the forecast, with things getting so bad at one point that doctors thought Zully might not make it and urged Marvin to prepare himself. She said once Zully got a plasma treatment, she started to improve and was eventually cleared to go home on April 25. Before she was discharged from the hospital, Horak said, Zully tested positive for the virus still, but doctors told her she wasnt contagious. After Zully got home, Building One Community put the family in contact with photojournalist John Moore, who had reached out to the nonprofit to ask if there were any stories in the immigrant community he could document to offer a glimpse into the humanity and challenges during the pandemic. Donning personal protective equipment, Moore spent weeks documenting Zully and her familys recovery and preparation for Neysel, sharing those photos to Getty Images. As Zully continued to recover from the virus and her C-section, the top priority for the family became testing negative for the virus and having their home cleaned. Horak said the Stamford Health Department, after being briefed on the situation, helped the family get expedited test results so they could bring Neysel home. As the weeks went on, Horak said many volunteers provided meals for Lira and her family so they didnt need to worry about cooking. Volunteers also ensured that Marvin and Junior were getting food through deliveries and grocery drop-offs. Zully tested negative for the virus last week, as did Marvin shortly after. The final negative test result came for Junior on the morning of Thursday, May 14. That was the last green light that we needed, Horak said. Hours later, Zully and her family went to Liras home to meet Neysel for the first time and bring him home to their sanitized apartment. Zully is still recovering, Horak said. She came home weak, unable to walk without a walker, and has since regained some of her strength. Horak said Zully and her family are thrilled to have Neysel home with them. Theyre doing well, just getting used to having their new baby home with them, Horak said. Horak said the story wouldnt have been a success without all those who helped the families behind-the-scenes, including the staff at Stamford Hospital, the Stamford Health Department and volunteers. It was just a very inspiring and uplifting story, Horak said. It really demonstrated the power of community. It was always fun with people coming in with their supply lists, Pieritz said. With everything going on the last couple months, we couldnt do that. Nobody knows if schools are going back right now. I didnt want to commit to all of that and have all this stuff in the store and not be able to sell it. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16 By Fidan Babayeva Trend: Various types of Azerbaijani-made products are now available in Polands retail chains, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Economy told Trend. According to the ministry, the products of Azersun Holding LLC, AzGranata LLC, Astarachay LLC, Aspi Agro LLC, Marandi Wine Company, Sharg Ulduzu LLC, Absheron-Sharab OJSC and the Goygol Wine Plant OJSC, were put up for sale at Made in Azerbaijan stands with the support of Azerbaijans Trade House in Warsaw, Poland. Work is underway to increase exports of the country's non-oil sector, promote Azerbaijani products abroad, and bring them to new export markets. For this purpose, as a result of negotiations held at the initiative of the Azerbaijan Trade Representative for Central Europe, Made in Azerbaijan stands were placed in three Carrefour supermarket networks in Warsaw and Kielce, the ministry said. Various kinds of Azerbaijani-made grape and pomegranate wines, jams, compotes, pomegranate juice, salads, and tea are presented at Made in Azerbaijan stands. At the same time, advertising banners were posted in the trading floors, attracting buyers to the stands. Some of our products are also available on regular shelves in the trading floors, noted the ministry. It was initially planned to place stands for two months with the option of extending the period depending on sales. During the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in European countries and quarantine measures, this initiative of the office of the Azerbaijan Trade Representative for Central Europe is extremely important, since it serves to increase the export of non-oil products of our country and diversification of export markets, the ministry added. The French Carrefour S.A. company is one of the leading retail companies operating in many countries of the world. The company opened its first store in the Polish market in 1997 and currently has a network of more than 80 hypermarkets, over 160 supermarkets and more than 650 small grocery stores. --- Follow the author on Twitter: Fidan_Babaeva The fire which broke out at a forest in Ballinamore on April 20th last. Although the weather is expected to become more unsettled in the coming days, the general public should exercise extreme caution when it comes to burning. Acting Chief Fire Officer in Sligo, Marian Coakley, says people who are out walking in forestry and other areas should remain very vigilant. Last week, a Condition Red Extreme Fire Risk warning was issued, on foot of recent dry weather and a weather system which delivered fresh easterly air flows over Ireland, leading to an increased risk. The warning was in place last week between Tuesday and Thursday. Ms Coakley told The Sligo Champion that fire services across the country would continue to monitor the weather conditions, but they are asking people to remain very cautious. "Weather conditions would have an effect on it, people might not be aware of the dangers of burning, clearing ground, it can go out of control," Ms Coakley said. "It's expected the weather conditions may change. We monitor the weather conditions and the fire warnings are based on that whether we even allow the controlled burns so if there's some more rain and the ground conditions are somewhat wetter, then it would improve it. "We would ask people who even may be out walking close to forestry or areas like that, just to be vigilant. Also, illegal dumping and dumping of glass can also lead to fires. It's not just in bogs, as everywhere is dry now, so we'd ask people to be cautious," she said. Last month, Coillte issued a warning after a forest fire in Ballinamore. Coillte has reminded members of the public that the Government COVID-19 restrictions are still in place and that members of the public should stay at home or within five kilometres of their home. Landowners were also reminded that it is illegal to burn growing vegetation on uncultivated land between 1st March and 31st August. Heath workers take a break during the screening and testing campaign aimed to combat the spread of COVID-19 at Alexandra township in Johannesburg. (AP) Johannesburg: With an expert flick of the wrist, South African nurse Bhelekazi Mdlalose collected throat swabs from young men lining up for coronavirus testing at a run-down hostel in downtown Johannesburg. Health workers were sent to the overcrowded block of single-room flats -- mainly occupied by men from rural areas doing odd jobs in the city -- as part of a mass community screening and testing (CST) campaign launched by the government last month. Mdlalose, who is employed by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), left her family and usual job in the northwestern town of Rustenberg in March to support community work in Johannesburg. Aged 51, she trains government health workers to handle suspected coronavirus patients correctly, checking in on CST teams deployed to townships, offices and shopping malls. "We identify those that are COVID-19 positive and those that have symptoms," said Mdlalose. "These are vulnerable people," she added, pointing out that most would not even think to visit a clinic when sick. "By being here we actually target the right group." But as South Africa's coronavirus outbreak picks up pace -- with confirmed cases creeping over 13,500, including 247 deaths -- Mdlalose and other health experts are beginning to see the limits of the country's lauded community screening strategy. "It's definitely a very high resource activity," admitted MSF doctor Claire Keene, who monitors CST in Cape Town's sprawling Khayelitsha township. "I think we are approaching capacity in what we can do, both to detect cases but also to follow them up." 'Struggling labs' South Africa's aggressive COVID-19 screening and testing approach is modelled on years of experience fighting tuberculosis and HIV. "We decided that we shouldn't just wait in hospitals for patients to arrive," said the government's top coronavirus advisor Salim Abdool Karim. "We had to have a more proactive approach and go out there." Around 28,000 health workers have been mobilised over the past month, aiming to test 10,000 people per day. They have screened over nine million people so far, around 15 percent of the population, and tested more than 420,000. "This is the largest and most extensive public health mobilisation in the history of our country," president Cyril Ramaphosa said during an address this week. But labs have been struggling to keep up and medical staff say it can now take up to two weeks for test results to arrive, up from an initial two to three days. "The labs are being filled with community testing," said doctor Ian Proudfoot, MSF clinical educator in Khayelitsha. "With longer and longer turnaround times... someone somewhere has got to make a decision about where the (testing) priority lies," he added. Health department spokesman Popo Maja admitted that labs were "struggling". "We expected this," he told AFP. "This is by far the largest pandemic known to humankind." Pressure on resources Mdlalose sighed in frustration earlier this week as she pulled on protective gear and counted up swab kits to test the 20-odd workers of a community clinic outside Johannesburg. She was sent after the clinic manager failed to submit swab samples from staff, who as medical workers should all be tested. "They didn't have enough test kits," said Mdlalose. The small facility was already struggling to swab an average of four suspected cases per day coming from the surrounding township. "I don't think mass swabbing is a good idea," Mdlalose muttered as she fastened a blue protective apron around her waist. "The test kits and the resources to do this are not there." Experts have voiced similar concerns. South Africa "is dependent on foreign companies for testing materials and kits," cautioned researchers Marc Mendelson and Shabir Madhi in a paper this week. "We... need to prioritise testing in suspected severe COVID-19 that requires admission to hospital." Mendelson and Madhi said it had become an "unrealistic goal" to pursue CST when hundreds of new cases are reported each day, adding thousands to the lists of people to track and screen. 'We haven't dodged the bullet' Mdlalose, however, believes the real value of community outreach lies in preparing citizens and health workers for the months ahead, when South Africa's outbreak is expected to hit its peak. "We haven't dodged the bullet, we are still going to have masses of positive cases," Mdlalose told nurses at a training session. Every morning this week, she has briefed a different group on lesser-known COVID-19 symptoms, taught participants to avoid the tonsils when swabbing and how to wear face masks properly. Many were hearing information for the first time. "It's new to us and we need to know more about it," said community nurse Masesi Mashinini. Back at the hostel, Nhlakanipho Majola was grateful for the opportunity to test. "I want to be sure about whether I have it or not," said the 26-year-old taxi driver, grimacing after the swab. "Many guys are not taking this seriously (and) I am so scared about it." Mdlalose took care to answer the men's questions as they filed through the testing tent. She knew it could take time for their results to arrive. "If they are positive we will need to isolate them," she said expressing doubts there's got enough facilities for that. The European Union does not intend to impose any additional restrictions to protect its producers amidst the economic crisis related to coronavirus. The protection mechanisms will operate within the framework of WTO and the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. "The EU does not intend to impose any special restrictions to protect its production due to COVID-19. There are no changes here, the protection mechanisms are applied only in strict accordance with the Association Agreement with Ukraine and the EU's obligations within the WTO," Katarina Mathernova, Deputy Director-General of European Commissions European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Department said in an interview with the Yevropeiska Pravda online media outlet. At the same time, she stated that coronavirus and quarantine affected the EU-Ukraine trade. According to Mathernova, there are no statistical data for March and April yet, but it is very likely that most sectors have faced problems. "The metallurgical industry, which is important for Ukraine, has become one of the most affected. However, there are a few exceptions to this trend these are some agricultural products, as well as some products to combat the epidemic, trade in which has increased," the Deputy Director-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations said. ol The Balearic government has asked Madrid to include Minorca in the plan for safe air corridors for international flights in the second half of June. The president of the Council of Minorca, Susana Mora, welcomes the request having been made, stressing that it has to be backed up by demonstrating that the health system is capable of dealing with any possible increase in coronavirus cases. Mora explains that it is necessary to have 1.5 / 2 beds for every 10,000 inhabitants and 3 to 4 beds for acute cases for 10,000 inhabitants. Minorca has this capability, while the island is complemented - in terms of being a health area - by Son Espases in Palma. As to countries with which the island might anticipate there being safe corridors for tourist travel, Mora identifies Portugal, certain Scandinavian countries and regions of France. While the Balearic government is looking at Germany and Austria, the council believes that there are these other potential markets for safe corridors. "They have shown an interest in Minorca, and we are working on this." The president is for now ruling out Italy and the island's most important foreign market, the UK. "Unfortunately, they are not in a similar situation to us." The safe corridor option will only become feasible once Phase 3 of the de-escalation plan is completed and the "new normal" starts. For Minorca, this should be from 22 June. Business associations in Minorca have been urging the Council and the regional government to establish the island as a safe corridor destination. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Health Minister C Vijayabaskar inspected Chengalpattu Medical College Hospitals COVID-19 treatment ward and also the Tamil Nadu Medicinal Plant Farms and Herbal Medicine Corporation Limited production unit on Friday. The Minister also inspected the robot that was deployed in the COVID-19 ward at the medical college. Then he went to the TAMPCOL production unit in Chengalpattu district and inspected preparation work of Kabasura Kudineer, Nilavembu Kudineer and Ayush medicine at the unit. Earlier the Minister enquired about coronavirus treatment protocol and precaution activities being taken up at private hospitals with Indian Medical Association (IMA) through video conference from DMS campus. Indias biggest cities have been effectively shut down for over 50 days, and for good reason. The top 15 most populated cities in the country have about 60% of confirmed coronavirus cases. But locking these so-called red zones" indefinitely poses severe risks to the health of the Indian economy and threatens the livelihoods of millions. As in other parts of the world, the biggest cities are also the biggest drivers of the economy, and their influence on the economy goes far beyond their stated share in the countrys gross domestic product (GDP). Cities are vital nodes in the cross-country and cross-national supply chains, and shutting them down has a huge impact on other parts of the country. As a recent study on the impact of shutting down Tokyo suggests, mega-cities have an outsized role in modern economies. Tokyo accounts for 21% of Japans total production, but the study estimated that Japan would lose 86% of its daily output if the capital city is shut for one month. Opening up cities can, however, raise contagion risks. To balance the lives-versus-livelihood equation, policymakers will increasingly have to define no-go areas and green zones at a much more micro-level. One way to do this would be to focus on localities with high caseloads. But given that the actual spread of the disease remains unknown and, the fact that it could spread quickly to other areas, a more effective way might be to focus on areas where the risks of contagion are the highest. And, one approach to measure such risks would be to measure the extent to which people and crowds gather in any particular locality. Using this approach, a team of data scientists at the Delhi-based data analytics startup, Sociometrik, has come up with a micro-level risk index for each 1 sq. km grid in Indias worst-hit cities. The risk index is based on satellite data on human settlements, density of congregation spots (such as places of work and recreation), and density of road and transit networks. [Chart 1a] View Full Image How virus risk varies across India's worst hit cities The risk scores are not comparable across cities, but allow us to zoom in on the areas in each city facing relatively higher risks. Typically, central parts of cities face the maximum contagion risk, while suburbs face lower risks. For instance, GTB Nagar and Kotla Mubarakpur in central Delhi are among localities with the highest risk scores. In Mumbai, Khar West, Dadar East and Parel have the highest risk scores. In Ahmedabad, risk scores are highest in Raikhad and Gulbai Tekra. View Full Image Virus risk varies across the other 3 big high-burden cities Other large cities, such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, have lower case-loads than others at the moment. But some parts are more at risk compared to others. In Bengaluru, Basavanagudi and Marenahalli face the highest risk. In Hyderabad, Somajiguda and Moosarambagh face the greatest risk, based on the risk index developed by Sociometrik. View Full Image Virus risk across cities with lower case-loads so far Such a risk model, when combined with other parameters such as mobility of people inside a neighbourhood, information on marginalized groups based on demographic data, and data availability of public infrastructure, could help city authorities and policymakers understand the geography of risk better. Such an approach will also help in contingency plans for future pandemics. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) on Saturday said it has partnered with commerce platform, DotPe, to increase omnichannel sales, providing business-to-business digital ordering solutions fully integrated with a payment gateway for its member restaurants and cloud kitchens. Cloud kitchen is a place where food is prepared and delivered at door steps by taking orders via calls and online ordering portals. Unlike other restaurants, they do not cater dine-in and takeaway. Once the lockdown is lifted, the restaurants can use the DotPe' QR based catalogue and e-commerce platform for digital ordering which ensures minimal human touch, it added. "I am extremely happy to announce our partnership with DotPe for this critical solution for the Industry, which will be especially useful in the post-pandemic era. We are committed to take better control of our business and our customer data and become digitally more self-reliant as an Industry," NRAI President Anurag Katriar said. "NRAI will be unveiling a few more industry-friendly tech solutions in the coming days which will hopefully change the contours of this trade and benefit lakhs of business owners rather than a handful of digital giants," Katriar said. On the development, DotPe Founder Shailaz Nag said: "I am confident that our solution will allow the restaurants to completely own the customer experience, create their own digital channel for both online and offline ordering and thereby manage their expenses and customer data better." By collaborating with DotPe, the restaurants will now be able to stay transparent with the customers by communicating with them directly through WhatsApp for all the online orders, he added. This is being done, as in the immediate aftermath of #Logout Movement, the association realised the importance to take larger control of the digital world within the sector for the long-term well-being of the fraternity, NRAI said in a statement. "NRAI was worried about the trend of several key decision-making getting gradually usurped by these new-age digital landlords," it added. The logout movement was initiated by the restaurants against food services aggregators on issues such as deep discounting, customer data masking and other predatory trade practices. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The West Bengal government on Saturday issued a fresh notification removing the Trinamool Congress councillors from the Board of Administrators of Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC)as demanded by Mayor Asok Bhattacharya. Bhattacharya had earlier in the day said he would ake up the post of chairman of board of administrators of SMC only if there are no TMC councillors in the board. The five-year term of the civic body would end on May 17 West Bengal Minister Goutam Dev said as demanded by Bhattacharya, the government issued a fresh notification removing five Trinamool Congress councillors from the board which will only comprise of only elected left civic representatives "as our priority remains to fight the Covid-19 pandemic now in a united manner and not doing "Bhattacharya told reporters as the new order took note of his demand for removing the name of opposition councillors and he will take over as the Chairman of the board which will administer the responsibility from Sunday. "Our contention was when the board of administrators at TMC-controlled Kolkata Municipal Corporation did not comprise any opposition councillors, why should there be opposition representatives in the left-run SMC board. It is welcome that finally the ruling party understood the discrepancy and corrected it," he said. The state government on Friday issued the first notification appointing a 12-member board of administrators for SMC with seven members from the Left parties, including chairman Asok Bhattacharya and five from the Trinamool Congress. In the first week of May, the West Bengal government appointed a board of administrators for running the KMC as the five-year term of the elected body was slated to expire on May 7. Mayor Firhad Hakim was made chairman of the board of administrators. The opposition Congress, BJP and Left had slammed the move. Elections to several civic bodies of the state, including the SMC and KMC have been postponed because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Majority of the members of the SMC belong to the Left parties. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thiruvananthapuram, May 16 : A 53-year-old diabetologist S. Manoharan who hails from Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu and runs his own hospital at Chavara about 80 km from the state capital, is in the news for extending a helping hand to the vulnerable sections of the society. He, along with his friend, has paid the insurance premium for around 1,172 people. A computer buff, Manoharan has all along been in the forefront of extending a helping hand to the best of his ability, to people whom he feels need help. He told IANS, when Covid-19 was spreading in his home state, he being a medical professional was thinking on how he could come to the help of the vulnerable who are exposed to the risk of contracting the disease. "I am a very active person in the social media and I found out that there was an insurance policy - Covid-19 Protection Cover of a premier private company. When I found out the premium was just Rs 159, I started to study in detail and decided, I will do my best to buy this policy for the vulnerable. I also spoke to my social media friend Illongavan Geetha, a top railway official in Chennai, who was the one who told me about this and said he too will chip in and asked me to do it for him also," said Manoharan. Manoharan has paid for about 50 people in and around his hospital and the rest at his home district in Tamil Nadu. By now the two have purchased this policy for 1,172 people (672 Illongavan and 500 by Manoharan). "Chennai was having a good number of Covid-19 cases and I decided to do my bit. I found out there were lot of workers under the railway contractors and decided to get their details and got in touch with Manoharan, who was kind enough to enter all the details on the app. I paid the premium for 672 people in and around my workplace and our railway colony. Once the policy document came on the mobile, I took the print out and gave it to all the people, whose premium, I had paid," said Illongavan. This policy is valid for one year and anyone who turns Covid-19 positive after 15 days, the policy gets live, such people have to submit their medical certificate from a government doctor stating that the policy holder is positive. Then the insurance company will pay Rs 25,000 to the policy holder. With both the philanthropists active in the social media, by now they have been approached by their friends and well wishers that they too would like to do this and Manoharan is now busy with it. Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Saturday appealed to guest workers stranded in Tamil Nadu not to undertake journey on foot to their home states and assured them that plans are afoot to facilitate the return of 10,000 migrant labourers every day. He pointed out that as many as 55,473 guest workers have been sent to their home states, including Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and north eastern States in the last 10 days. Against the backdrop of distressing reports of several migrant workers undertaking risky journeys on foot and the killing of 24 labourers in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh today,Palaniswami said the 55,000 plus people were sent by 43 trainswith the concurrence of the respective state governments. "It has been planned to send about 10,000 migrant workers daily with the approval of the state governments concerned," he said in an official release here. The Tamil Nadu government has been taking all steps to coordinate and facilitate their staggered journey based on the workers' choice and the permission of the respective state governments, he said. Since the state government has been making all arrangements and bearing the transportation cost, including the train fare,"I appeal to migrant labourers to not undertake journey on their own either on foot or through vehicles." Palaniswami urged them to stay put in their respective places of stay in Tamil Nadu till such time they were sent by trains. At least one lakh migrant workers are stuck in several regions of Tamil Nadu, including Tirupur, Coimbatore, Chennai andVellore and most of them want to be sent back home to theirhome states. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nene Leakes and Kenya Moore have been at odds on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. The peaches have been feuding throughout season 12 and theres no turning back for them. Both had never been the closest of friends but its now evident that they will never reach common ground. The reunion showcased that Leakes and Moore are at different frequencies and the former is completely over it. Kenya Moore and Nene Leakes | Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images / D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Extra How did the feud start between Nene Leakes and Kenya Moore? Moore took season 11 off of RHOA but made an appearance on the finale episode. Leakes made a comment that completely turned Moore against her and nothing was ever the same again. During the cast trip to Greece, it was finally revealed why Moore was upset at Leakes. The former beauty queen was holding a grudge against the Glee alum because she called her unborn baby a buffalo. Leakes made a snide remark asking if Moore was having a buffalo when she was pregnant due to her physical size. Leakes apologized and explained she didnt mean to insult her baby. However, Moore refused to accept the apology and continue to hold a grudge against Leakes. At the time, the Miss USA titleholder was facing marital issues with Marc Daly and her state of mind might have been focused on that. Will there be a reconciliation between Nene Leakes and Kenya Moore? Even though time has passed, Leakes and Moore continue to go at each other every time they can. The reunion proved that theres no path to peace amongst the RHOA stars. Moore even raised claims that Leakes is cheating on her husband Gregg. Due to all the drama, Leakes is simply over trying to repair any friendship with Moore. I feel like, theres nowhere for me and Kenya to go, Leakes told ET. Like, at this point, it looks stupid to continue to argue. Ive extended olive branches to her, Ive apologized, Ive agreed to move on. Theres nothing else that I can do. Ive done everything that was asked of me to do, I did. Leakes is exhausted from all the arguing with Moore and feels like its not worth it anymore. The New Normal alum feels like Moore wants to continue the feud for notoriety. Theres no reason for me to keep walking around arguing with her, she added. The only reason why she wants to have an argument with me is just to have her name lighted up with mine. My name is such a good name, you know she wants her name printed right next to mine, honey, OK! Nene Leakes looks ahead Bravo has not decided on who will return to season 13 of the cast, but Leakes says that she is doing therapy to help her cope with all the drama. Im doing some therapy and I want to be able to be in a good place, Leakes explained. And I want to be able to have a friend on the show. Thats one of the things that I think is not fair. As far as a spinoff goes, Leakes says she would have to see what type of show it is. It would have to be a certain show, cause Ive been offered spinoffs, so itd just have to be the right thing, she said. Some of the things Ive been offered have been silly, or things I just dont want to do. Im a grown woman, I am not a kid! The Real Housewives of Atlanta airs on Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo. RELATED: RHOA: Porsha Williams Blasts Eva Marcille for Ageist Attacks at Reunion The health watchdog Hiqa has described claims made by a whistleblower who works in a nursing home as matters of "serious concern" and requested the HSE to carry out an investigation. Last week, a member of staff at St Mary's nursing home in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, where 24 residents have died from Covid-19, made a protected disclosure to Health Minister Simon Harris, the CEO of the HSE Paul Reid, chief medical officer Tony Holohan, and Hiqa. The HSE has appointed a review team with an independent chair to examine the allegations made in the 35-page dossier. But Caoimhe Haughey, a solicitor representing the whistleblower, said a HSE-led investigation into the issues raised was "utterly unsatisfactory". She has called for the Health Minister and Hiqa to exercise discretionary powers and "properly consider" a statutory inquiry. In a letter to Ms Haughey and her client, acknowledging receipt of the protected disclosure, Hiqa said: "The information received from you is of serious concern. We have decided to escalate this information for investigation to the HSE, which is the registered provider of this designated centre." Responding to a request for a statutory inquiry into the issues raised, Hiqa said: "We have requested the HSE to carry out an investigation and to provide assurances as regard to the safety and welfare of residents in St Mary's. "Any action taken by Hiqa thereafter will be informed by this response." Ms Haughey said that she had separately received correspondence from the Health Minister acknowledging receipt of the protected disclosure and that the matter was "under consideration". A follow-up letter from a principal officer from the Older People Projects unit, within the Department of Health, confirmed that the matter required investigation. The letter identified the HSE as the "employer and body" under which the facility operates and "is best placed to conduct this investigation". Ms Haughey said she intends to write again to Hiqa and the Health Minister to press them to open a statutory inquiry into what happened in St Mary's. "This is utterly unsatisfactory," she said. "Both the minister and Hiqa have a discretion under the act to conduct a statutory inquiry. "The criteria for that is to do with the risk to patient life and safety. There certainly was a risk to patient life and safety as outlined in the protected disclosure. I want to know has a statutory inquiry been given proper consideration by the minister and Hiqa. The HSE has no role to play in convening and conducting a statutory inquiry under section 9 of the Act. It's entirely at the discretion of the minister and Hiqa and this is a matter of huge public interest." St Mary's is one of the worst-hit nursing homes in the country with 24 confirmed coronavirus deaths. The home is run by the HSE, has 150 beds and a separate 48-bed step-down hospital. The whistleblower has alleged that there was a failure to identify, isolate and test residents in a timely and appropriate manner during the outbreak. By PTI CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday evening said the coronavirus lockdown in the state will continue till May 31, though his government will lift the curfew restrictions. "From May 18, there will be no curfew in the state. But the lockdown will be there till May 31," said the chief minister in a live Facebook interaction as part of his #AskCaptain initiative. He further indicated the resumption of limited public transport services and the "maximum possible relaxation" in the non-containment zones from May 18. He said the state government will announce more relaxations from May 18 but sought the support of people in containing the COVID-19 spread in the state. The containment zones will be sealed to enable the resumption of shops and small businesses in non-containment areas, the CM announced, adding that lockdown details will be announced by Monday after going through guidelines of the Centre. The CM, however, said educational institutions will remain closed. "There is not going to be any fee hike in fee this year by private schools," the CM added. Singh said in its suggestions to the Union Home Minister, as sought by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state has recommended that the nationwide lockdown should be extended till May 31 in a relaxed form. The chief minister said the state government has asked the Union government for a simpler categorization of containment zones. He said at present, a district as a whole is a single zone or at the most, there are two units-- municipal and non-municipal corporation area. COVID-19 cases in one part of a district can result in classification of the entire district as red zone, putting severe restrictions on industry and shops, he noted, underlining the need to scrap this system and go for a "containment-focused strategy". The CM said the daily number of new cases in the state has come down in the past four days or so after a recent surge in the wake of the arrival of pilgrims from Nanded and students from Kota. He thanked people for their cooperation, "enabling the state to control infection cases, whose doubling rate is now 44 days against several other states, such as Maharashtra's 11 days". However, the numbers can go up as more migrant labourers and NRIs enter Punjab, he warned, adding that 60,000 Punjabis from other states and 20,000 from abroad have registered for return as of now. The chief minister made it clear that his government will continue to pay for migrants wanting to go back home. "Seventeen to 18 trains ferry migrants daily from Punjab," he said, adding that 13 lakh migrant workers are in the state. No effort will be spared to ensure that no person goes hungry, he declared, agreeing that over one crore food packets distributed so far were not sufficient and more needed to be done on this count. Responding to a question, the CM said it was not possible to further advance paddy cultivation date from June 10 to June 1 as it may lead to higher moisture content in grains at the time of harvesting in August. On the promise of providing one lakh jobs announced in the budget, he said the process will soon start. The CM again urged the Opposition not to indulge in "petty politics" over the issue of COVID-19, and to cooperate with the state government in the hour of crisis. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday said his government has suggested the Centre to resume air, railways and inter-state bus services with reduced capacity. However, the state is not in the favour of the resumption of teaching in educational institutions till May 31, the chief minister said. Other suggestions of the state government, listed by the chief minister, include allowing shops to open in all market and market complexes in a staggered manner, resumption of industry and construction activities in urban areas without any restriction, as well as permitting e-commerce for all commodities. "The state government, in its recommendations to the Centre, has pitched for the resumption of air, railways and inter-state bus services with reduced capacity, as well as starting of intra-district and inter-district buses, taxis, cabs, rickshaws, auto-rickshaws with adequate preparedness in terms of reduced capacity and a screen between passengers and driver," Singh said in a statement here. Offices, both private and government, may be allowed to open for the entire week during normal office hours with staggered timings to avoid over-crowding, the state government suggested. The chief minister said the state government wanted no restrictions on the movement of individuals from 5 am to 7 pm, and had suggested that restrictions, if any, may be imposed between 7 pm and 5 am. The Punjab government is in the favour of continued prohibition of activities where there would be a sizeable crowd under one roof, as in the case of shopping malls, cinemas, marriage and banquet halls, social, political and cultural gatherings and religious places. Singh said all efforts would be made to ensure that a maximum number of shops and businesses open up after May 18. Meanwhile, a state official said on Saturday that over 200 trains will carry migrant workers to their native states from Punjab in the next 10 days. The officials said till now, over 1.80 lakh workers have been in sent to their native places from the state in 150 special trains. "By facilitating the return of over 1,80,000 migrant workers to their home states through 150 special trains, Punjab has ensured those wishing to go back are united with their families without any hardship," said Nodal Officer Vikas Pratap Singh in an official release here. He, however, said the state government has been working round the clock to provide relief to workers. The mammoth exercise has so far cost the exchequer Rs 10 crore, he said. The Punjab government has planned to send over 200 trains in the next 10 days and the numbers will increase in the near future, Singh said. Punjab is likely to send over 20 trains daily, he added. Of the 150 trains already sent, 57 ferried migrant workers from Ludhiana while 45 trains were run from Jalandhar. Other places from where trains departed include Amritsar, Patiala, Mohali, Bathinda, Ferozepur and Sirhind. "We are in the process of commencing trains from Doraha too," he said. The maximum trains are going to Uttar Pradesh followed by Bihar and Jharkhand. Trains are also being sent to Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Assuring the state's commitment to go the extra mile to mitigate their sufferings, Singh said food, water and other essentials are also being provided to all those traveling back home. What just happened? In a new chapter of the trade war between the US and China, US-based chipmakers that deal with Huawei are expected to take a hit and block semiconductors shipments going to the Chinese company. As expected, the Chinese government is looking for the best way to respond in kind, which could involve placing restrictions on companies like Qualcomm and Apple. Early on Friday, the Trump administration renewed the Huawei ban that prevents the company and its subsidiaries from doing business with hardware and software companies in the United States. While the Chinese tech giant has been able to circumvent some of the restrictions by re-releasing old devices as new "editions," that's only a small win in the grand scheme of things. The amended rules will prevent US silicon giants from selling chips to Huawei. And that extends to companies outside the US like TSMC, who makes chips for Huawei's HiSilicon division. The US Commerce Department has only allowed chips that are currently in production to be shipped to the Chinese company, provided that the shipment is sent within 120 days from today. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said in a statement that "Despite the Entity List actions the Department took last year, Huawei and its foreign affiliates have stepped-up efforts to undermine these national security-based restrictions through an indigenization effort." The new rules are meant to deal with the fact that Huawei still depends on a lot of American technologies, even if indirectly through companies that supply essential hardware and software for its products. According to the Global Times of China, the country is preparing its own restrictions on US companies as a countermeasure in response to the Huawei ban. That could involve adding companies like Apple, Cisco, and Qualcomm on a so-called "unreliable entity list," which has spurred unrest among investors. In the meantime, TSMC will be building a $12 billion, 5nm plant in Arizona, a move that's been welcomed by the Trump administration. The Bombay high court (HC) disposed of a petition seeking vehicular access to Matheran to supply essential goods to the Ecologically Sensitive Zone (ESZ) after the interim monitoring committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) said the local civic body could use Bharat Stage-IV compliant vehicles to transport goods once a week. The court, while accepting the committees decision to use the railways to supply goods to the core area, said till the railway starts transporting goods, vehicular access would have to be provided thrice a week instead of one, which MoEF agreed to. A single bench of justice SJ Kathawalla, while hearing the petition filed by former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Suresh Lad on Saturday through video conferencing, was informed by MoEF that the interim monitoring committee appointed on May 13 had considered the fact that the tourist season for Matheran from March to May was lost which resulted in genuine problems for the residents of the hill station. The committee under the chairmanship of Konkan division commissioner Shivaji Daund on Friday heard the issues raised by the petitioner and observed, The peak tourism season of Matheran hill station (March to May) was lost due to lockdown since March 2020 and this has resulted into huge economic losses to the people of Matheran and reduced their paying capacity. Undoubtedly, the current pandemic situation arising out of Covid- 19 is unique and has increased hardships for people of Matheran. The committee unanimously passed a decision to request railway authorities to operationalise the line from Dasturi Naka to Matheran station for transporting goods. The committee decided to send a proposal to the divisional railway manager of Central Railway for approving goods transport by attaching dedicated goods bogies. The minutes of the committees decision further said till the transportation of goods via railways does not commence, it would allow the Matheran municipal corporation to hire goods transport vehicles meeting environmental norms to ferry essential goods every Wednesday. The same would be applicable till September. Advocate Gaurav Parkar, representing the petitioner, objected to once a week vehicular access stating the needs of the residents would remain unfulfilled and urged that the frequency be increased. The court accepted the same and modified the monitoring committees decision to allow environment compliant vehicles ply thrice a week and disposed of the petition. New Delhi: Everyone around the globe has been celebrating Family Day in their own ways during this lockdown. Filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala gathered his family together on a group video call to wish them a Happy Family Day! The family that we're talking about is his work family. Sajid Nadiadwala along with wife Warda Nadiadwala got this group video call arranged not just to speak to their employees but their respective families too! Sajid shared, "It is well being of both mental and physical help of each and everyone that matters and Warda and I personally wanted to interact with our family at work and their respective families just to have an interaction with everyone that is in some way associated to NGE because that's what I believe in. All of us need to believe in the strength of togetherness in these gloomy times. Also, I feel talking to one another once in a while without work definitely is therapeutic and which is why I would request everyone to stay home and make the most of it." According to a source, Sajid has promised to not remove any of the employees and not just this but he is also financially taking care of 400 daily wage earners like spot boys, light-men and other industry workers. As he feels this is the time where we need to support one another and that's why he has decided to continue everyone's salaries too! He feels that's what family means! Sajid and Warda spoke to their employees today from various departments & the call was to ensure everyone's well being and chit-chatting that ended up in a long cheerful conversation and exchanging of entertaining quarantine stories along with some current information sharing by the filmmaker! It is indeed endearing to watch the man and his family's spirits. 121 Shares Share At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, 46 million people were placed under a 76-day lockdown in Wuhan, China. The conversation around this initial story centered on the resilience of that population, isolating in the face of an unknown and deadly threat. Following the further spread of the virus, countless messages of unity and hope poured in from many corners of the world. Stories of struggles while in quarantine were contextualized as making a difference for overwhelmed health care systems. Similarly, the majority of the U.S. public response has supported a unified effort. Yet a growing segment of the American population has become increasingly frustrated to the point of jeopardizing their own health and that of those around them. This vocal group reflects a national rise in restlessness after many weeks of stay-at-home restrictions. At the beginning of the U.S. pandemic, a significant number of citizens flouted the proclamation of a National Public Health Emergency and CDC travel advisories in pursuit of planned vacations. Furthermore, after less than one month of stay-at-home orders, largely unmasked protestors on either side of party lines rallied in multiple states across the country. The demonstrations were accompanied by guns, Land of the Free signs, and multiple presidential LIBERATE tweets. Although the majority of Americans disagree with the protestors, this behavior reflects nationwide conversations that have framed adherence to public health policies to be at the expense of personal liberties. To continue to motivate individuals to follow state and federal COVID-19 restrictions, even as re-openings begin, public health officials in the United States should take measures to reconcile the individual value of personal freedom with the group benefits of societal efforts. To facilitate this, we propose the following. Actively incentivizing the public to behave in a socially responsible manner can encourage compliance with health recommendations. People, particularly vulnerable populations, need to be provided the means to feasibly comply with the appeals of the government. With other countries utilizing approaches such as loan forgiveness, rent suspension, and even universal basic income, there is an established precedent for America to follow suit in the form of location-based financial rewards and more widespread support services. Furthermore, public health officials should work with media outlets to adjust the lens through which COVID-19 guidelines are disseminated. There are people for whom concerns related to the virus are secondary to other matters. While for some, socially distance to flatten the curve will adequately persuade, others might need to hear socially distance to protect yourself and your family. By acknowledging and appealing to the diverse motivations present in our population, leaders can promote greater personal investment in disease mitigation efforts. In the long term, increasing awareness of key federal and state public health officials during non-emergency periods will foster public trust and increase amenability during times of crisis. Acquiescing to official recommendations places large restrictions on people across the country, many of whom simply cannot afford the change. In order for people to personally sacrifice and abide by public health guidelines, it is critical for the public to trust and believe that appointed representatives have their best interests in mind. At this moment, the priorities of many Americans and its public health officials are not fully aligned. According to a 2015 WHO report, the best medical care in the world remains limited if its provision does not align with the priorities and perceived needs of those it seeks to serve. Yet there is a precedent for collaborative agreement in America regarding the sacrifice of certain personal freedoms for the sake of public health. These include past national campaigns that have promoted vaccinations, discouraged smoking, and increased awareness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. These aforementioned efforts required and received widespread cooperation after framing public health guidelines to match the priorities of the then-population. Similarly, the COVID-19 landscape in the United States now calls for even higher levels of understanding and participation. As we move forward, it will be imperative to determine a path that we can jointly agree upon, both to protect our community and ourselves. Vismaya S. Bachu and Sajya M. Singh are medical students. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Kigali: One of the most wanted fugitives in Rwanda's 1994 genocide, a wealthy businessman accused of supplying machetes to killers and broadcasting propaganda urging mass slaughter, has been arrested outside Paris, authorities said. Felicien Kabuga, who had a $US5 million ($7.8 million) bounty on his head, had been accused of equipping militias in the genocide that killed more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus who tried to protect them. The wanted poster for Felicien Kabuga, accused of genocide. Credit:Abaca The 84-year-old Kabuga was arrested as a result of a joint investigation with the UN's International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals office of the prosecutor, French authorities said. He had been living in a town north of Paris, Asnieres-Sur-Seine, under an assumed name, the appeals court's prosecutor's office said. The politicization of the coronavirus pandemic in Ghana seems to be continuing, with former President John Mahamas darling girl and aide, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, questioning the sincerity of the recoveries figure put out by Ghana Health Service (GHS). GHS last night, May 15, gave an update on the coronavirus situation in Ghana, reporting that the country has recorded 28 deaths, 1460 recoveries and 5,638 confirmed cases. Joyce Bawah Mogtari a deputy minister in the Mahama administration whose husband was the Chief Executve Officer of FDA under the same admnistration took to her Twitter handle to sarcastically question the recoveries figures, calling for proof of the figures. How the hell did 790 more people recover overnight!! she exclaimed in her tweet. Tweet below- Numbers dont mean anything if you dont put them in proper context. Here is a list of countries with number of tests versus population!! pic.twitter.com/XTFFMuCu8r Joyce Bawah Mogtari (@joyce_bawah) May 16, 2020 How the hell did 790 more people recover overnight !! We need to put these numbers to strict proof!! pic.twitter.com/lEonRRDWho Joyce Bawah Mogtari (@joyce_bawah) May 16, 2020 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 Indian-Americans holding OCI cards, mostly their parents, have voiced frustration over the Indian government's recent decision to temporarily put in abeyance their long term visa amidst the coronavirus-linked global travel restrictions. The OCI (Overseas Citizens of India) card is issued to the people of Indian-origin, allowing them a visa-free travel in most of the cases. It also gives them certain privileges like that of an Indian citizen except for buying agricultural land, voting, running for election and working in government. Of all the countries, the Indian diplomatic missions in the US issues the largest number of OCI cards. For instance, in 2019, Indian diplomatic missions in the US issued 90,000 OCI cards. Globally there are six million OCI card holders. According to the regulations issued by the Indian government last month and updated last week, visas of foreign nationals and OCI cards, that provide visa-free travel privileges to the people of Indian-origin, have been suspended as part of the new international travel restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic. In many cases, in particular, the minors having OCI cards is creating a difficult situation for their parents who are still Indian citizens. Please allow Infants (with OCI cards) to travel with their parents (INDIANS) to India from the USA. Indian parents' visas in the USA are going to expire, but due to the kid's USA citizenship with OCI card we are not able to utilise flights scheduled by the government of India. Kindly allow minors to travel, one Fazale Sattar wrote on Twitter. Anitha Vankayala said that her daughter with an OCI card is waiting to come back home. We never thought this kind of discrimination from government because of our OCI status. Please help us to get back our daughter, she said. "Modiji, this is definitely not what we looked at when we came back to your call of Reversal of brain drain.. We loved your spirits and came back 9yrs ago.. Please treat OCI's with aadhar card same as Indians, T R Sreelakshmi tweeted. Many OCI holders, all over the world are having a tough time. Forced to close their restaurants & other business. Economic loss is huge, wrote Constant Gardner. Please help our kids who are OCI card holders and stranded as students in the UK, US, tweeted Madhavi Srihari. For no fault of mine I am stuck outside the country separated from my family for two months now- is there any sense in this madness? What exactly will you achieve by banning OCI card holders from entering India? Absolutely barn door ridiculous, rued Binayak Chanda on twitter. Preethi Gorjala sought help for her son. Please Help. My son, an OCI card holder who grew up in India and presently studying in the US is stranded and not able to get back home due to the ban. Please allow OCI card holders also to get back home, she pleaded. Ravi Puvvala said that he is an OCI card holder and currently stuck in Paris on the employment front and waiting to travel India in priority. I am desperate to join my family(newborn) in India, They are struggling back home in India without me in this pandemic situation, he said. However, Indian American activist Sunanda Vashisht defended the Indian government. OCI card holders are not Indian citizens. They are of Indian-origin and OCI is a long term visa. GOI is rightly prioritising Indian citizens. If there are few urgent cases, embassies can look into that but OCI card holders en masse cannot and must not be included in evacuations, she said on Twitter. Sir we are residents of India with Indian passports please help us get back our stranded son in America who holds an OCI card, pleaded Srithi Reddy. One Simpi argued on Twitter that OCI is permanent residency. No country has betrayed its permanent resident.. not even Indians who have Permanent residency of the USA (Green Card). We are only being made fools by our own Indian govt, she said. Balakrishnan Shanmugam said that current restrictions for OCI card holders to travel to India is impacting parents whose kids are OCI card holders. Mahendran Mahesh wrote on twitter that his wife and six months old baby are stuck in Chennai. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Temamob.com scored 57 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 3/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 6 Mar 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the temamob homepage on Twitter + the total number of temamob followers (if temamob has a Twitter account). This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the temamob homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if temamob has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the temamob homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. The total number of people who shared the temamob homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the temamob homepage on StumbleUpon. Basic Information PAGE TITLE temamob.com Bedava Mobil Temalar, Ucretsiz Temalar, Bedava tema indir, Mobil Tema indir, Mobil Tema DESCRIPTION Turkiyenin buyuk mobil tema arsivi sitesi KEYWORDS mobil temalar, cep temalar, mobile themes, themes, temalar, mobil cep temalar, symbian temalar, symbian themes, pocketpc temalar, ppc themes OTHER KEYWORDS temalar, temalar, temamob, mobil, tema indir, mobil tema, bedava The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. Domain and Server DOCTYPE XHTML Mobile 1.0 CHARSET AND LANGUAGE UTF-8 DETECTED LANGUAGE Romanian Romanian SERVER Apache/2 (PHP/5.3.20) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux Operative System running on the server. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) The language of temamob.com as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Type of server and offered services. Character set and language of the site. Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for temamob.com by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The type of Facebook page. The URL of the found Facebook page. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the Centre should stop acting like a "money lender" for its children by giving them credit instead of cash, and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider the Covid-19 economic stimulus package. Interacting with journalists of regional media via video conferencing, he said he was trying to put pressure on the government for generating demand by putting money into the accounts of the poor and vulnerable sections of society. Gandhi said a 'storm' was brewing on the economic front that will cause damage and hurt many. "The storm has not come yet, it is coming and will cause big economic damage and hurt many," he said. The Congress leader asserted that if demand is not generated, the country will suffer a bigger loss economically than from coronavirus. He also said that it is important to lift the lockdown intelligently without sacrificing the old and vulnerable population to the disease. Powerhouse Company by Build in Amsterdam has won Site of the Month April 2020, thank you to everyone who took the time to vote and tweet, the winner of the years Pro Plan in our Designers Directory is at the end of the article. Now Build in Amsterdam talk us through their process.. Powerhouse Company is an award-winning architecture and design firm with international studios in Rotterdam, Oslo, Munich and Beijing. We helped them to define their strategic brand positioning, followed by a complete rebranding and online platform. We give meaning to space Through an extensive strategy phase, we developed Powerhouses strategic brand positioning. This included their brand claim We give meaning to space, which became leading for their brand identity and platform. In terms of identity, this meant generous use of open white space. The logo is a concoction of serif and sans-serif. This creates a modern feel with serene elements of a serif font. The Powerhouse identity colours are derived from earth tones, which the buildings are built upon. In contrast, we chose a daring Yves Klein blue to broaden the identity and make it more adventurous. These ingredients became the visual foundation of the Powerhouse online platform. Meaningful navigation We gave meaning to the navigation menu by simply using their brand claim: We give meaning to space. Clicking on we opens the About page. Clicking on space zooms out the lightbox and leads to a smart filter for their portfolio, which varies from high-rises, private villas, public spaces, expositions, to yachts and furniture. Their brand claim We give meaning to space, developed through an extensive strategy phase, became leading for their brand identity and platform. A community platform The platform gives a voice to the collective intelligence of everyone involved at Powerhouse Company. All projects are constructed in a collaborative manner, written and tagged by everyone involved. Visitors can interact with the team of Powerhouse by commenting on every case. The team can reply to those comments. Through guided exploration, we let people intuitively explore their work, the people behind it, and the materials used. A spider web-like flow Giving meaning to every aspect of each case by the collective intelligence of everyone involved creates an immersive experience and an endless spider web flow. Every page, story and team member is interlinked with each other. Every team member can comment on any project. This automatically interlinks between team members and project pages. The team members can also be found on the about page creating another entry to the project pages. In the future, we will release a material database which is also interlinked. For example, if a certain material is being used in a specific project, you can explore the material on the Material page and see in which projects that particular material is being used. As a user, you can dive into the world of Powerhouse Company. The materials per project are highlighted and projects are cross-linked if similar materials are being used. Technologies Our goal with this project was to create a seamless experience when browsing the website. For this, we needed a modern setup that could handle these requirements. We opted to use React to handle the rendering of the HTML server and client site. In order to make sure the user never sees the website loading, we preload the necessary data to animate to the next page. In the course of this animation we are able to load the rest of the data. The biggest technical challenge of this project was the overview of all the cases. We used ThreeJS to create a 3D environment, where the visitors can explore the projects. The grid is calculated on the ratio of a visit, therefore we can show as many cases as possible during the intro animation. A defined visual language At Build in Amsterdam a case goes beyond the design of a website. We have developed a comprehensive guide for the visual content, allowing Powerhouse to cultivate a coherent and recognisable brand. In the guidelines we define the identity style, identity usage, photography style and tone of voice. This document is hosted online and therefore always updated to its newest version. We also defined the visual language so it can be utilised in their various on- and offline channels. Build in Amsterdam We are a branding and development agency specialised in digital flagship stores. We believe our industry is blinded by numbers, while buying decisions are based on emotion.We redefine conversion by building emotional clicks. The winner of the year in our Design Directory is @awahabs16, please DM us to claim your prize! Iranian fuel en route to Venezuela despite US sanctions on two allies: Report Iran Press TV Friday, 15 May 2020 9:47 PM Reports of a shipment of Iranian fuel to Venezuela in the face of US sanctions against the two allies have infuriated the United States, with one official threatening to take "measures" against the "unwelcome" development. The Iran-flagged tanker Clavel sailed for the South American country, the Reuters news agency reported. The vessel tracking data from analyst Refinitiv Eikon suggests the tanker loaded fuel at Bandar Abbas port in Iran at the end of March, and sailed through the Suez Canal and entered the Atlantic on Wednesday. A senior official in US President Donald Trump's administration told Reuters on Thursday that the United States was considering measures against Iran in response to the fuel shipment. The official spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said Washington has a "high degree of certainty" that the Venezuelan government is paying Iran in gold for the fuel. "It is not only unwelcome by the United States but it's unwelcome by the region, and we're looking at measures that can be taken," the official said. In May 2018, Trump unilaterally pulled his country out of the international deal, in defiance of global criticism. Ever since withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, Washington has launched a so-called maximum pressure campaign against Tehran, seeking to pressure it with a growing list of widespread sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic. Tehran has responded to the sanctions and the failure of JCPOA signatories specifically Britain, France and Germany to protect the deal by gradually suspending its own commitments to the nuclear accord. Iran has, however, repeatedly announced its readiness to resume fulfilling its commitments if sanctions are removed. Washington has, however, pressed ahead with the campaign. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has said that the US policy for exerting "maximum pressure" on Iran has already failed and all economic indexes show that the country has weathered the worst phase of the American policy. The United States has also over the past few years imposed harsh economic sanctions on Venezuela to pressure the country's President Nicolas Maduro to step down, forcing millions of Venezuelans to abandon their homeland due to a lack of basic food and necessities. According to UN statistics, at least 3.3 million people have left the country of 30 million since the end of 2015. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Case against Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne for unlawful assembly during pandemic dismissed Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Florida State Attorneys Office has dismissed charges against controversial megachurch pastor Rodney Howard-Browne for allegedly violating a "safer-at-home" order in March, which prohibited large worship services during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Having reviewed the charge(s) contained in the Criminal Report Affidavit and/or Notice to Appear, the State Attorneys Office informs you that the charge(s) contained therein is/are dismissed and prosecution is terminated as of this date and that the defendant need not appear for any further proceedings in this matter, State Attorney Andrew H. Warren said in a Notice of Termination of Prosecution shared by Howard-Brownes defense lawyers, the Liberty Counsel, on Friday. Howard Browne, who leads Revival International Ministries and The River at Tampa Bay Church in Tampa, Florida, was charged with unlawful assembly and violation of public health emergency rules, which are both second-degree misdemeanors, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a maximum fine of $500. At the time of Howard-Brownes arrest, ordered by Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, a "safer-at-home" order was in effect mandating nonessential businesses to abide by the CDCs social distancing guidelines that required individuals to be separated by six feet of space. If they are unable to do that, they had to shut down. Chronister said at a press conference about the arrest that he was furious when he saw images online of packed services at Howard-Brownes church. We received an anonymous tip that Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne refused a request to temporarily stop holding large gatherings at his church, he said. And instead, he was encouraging his large congregation to meet at his church. In a statement Friday, Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver argued that the pastors arrest was politically motivated. The arrest of Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne was politically motivated. Neither the pastor nor The River at Tampa Bay Church did anything wrong. The arrest and the press conference were outrageous and caught the attention of the nation and the world. As a result of this arrest, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared attendance at churches, synagogues, and houses of worship to be an essential activity. This arrest freed up every church in Florida to meet. We are pleased that all the charges have been dropped. It is now time to move forward with healing and restoration, Staver said. Howard-Browne and Chronister were already on the path to mending fences after the fiasco. The pastor announced in a post on Facebook on April 29 that he met with the sheriff at his home and discussed plans to reopen the county and that he was looking forward to hosting Chronister at his church as soon as it reopens. Breaking News: So honored to meet with Sheriff Chad Chronister today! He came to our house and met with @adonicashowardbrowne and I. We had a great lunch together. We discussed the way forward in the opening up of Hillsborough County and the role of the @rivertampabay River Church in cooperation with the Hillsborough County Sheriffs department. Its time to get our County back to normalcy - thank you Sheriff Chronister, Howard-Browne said. Almost two months into the lockdown, the government on Saturday eased some restrictions on the exports of masks, allowing woven ones to be exported. The move follows a long term demand of the textile industry. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade in a circular on Saturday, modified its March 31 order and allowed the export of non-medical and non-surgical masks made of woven cloth such as silk, wool and cotton, as well as knitted ones. All other types of masks under the Indian Trade Clarification based on Harmonised System of Coding will continue to remain prohibited for exports, the circular said. On January 31,the government had banned the exports of all categories of PPEs in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic but lifted the ban on February 8, inviting widespread criticism from the Opposition. The textile ministry said that it did so after it was assured by the industry of adequate supply of 2-ply and 3-ply surgical masks at reasonable prices. Coronavirus outbreak: Full coverage The ban on exports was re-imposed on March 19. The three kinds of masks made in India are differentiated by melt blown fabric, which ministry officials defined as a critical component. N95 and N99 masks, which are used by health-workers and Covid patients in hospitals, as well as two and three-plymasks used in surgeries are non-woven and made of melt blown fabric. There is a shortage of melt blown fabric the world over, not just in India, and we cannot part with the masks made of the material at this critical point, an official said. Days before the lockdown was announced on March 24, key government officials in a meeting helmed by the textiles secretary on March 18 pegged the shortage of 10.5 lakh N95 masks and 10 lakh masks. Since then India has reached the capacity to produce 2 lakh N95 masks daily, Prime Minister Modi said during his address to the nation on May 12. Ashok Juneja of the Textile Association of India said that since the garment industry does not have any orders, the move will help generate income. The woven ones are washable and can be reused, and in the near future, the usage of masks will increase, said Juneja. A California woman who was kicked out of Trader Joe's for not wearing a face mask revealed Thursday that she has now experienced a sore throat - a possible symptoms of the coronavirus. Genevieve Peters recorded herself last week inside a Los Angeles-area Trader Joe's without wearing a face mask. But in a new video she said she may have got sick - but insisted she was not concerned. She said: 'Yesterday, I let you guys know that I had a sore throat and it was feeling like it was going into my lymph nodes, and the reason I posted it was because I knew I had zero fear that I will be a statistic on the Covid-19.' Peters, an ardent supporter of President Trump, said she was initially denied entry into the grocery store because she did not have a face covering. Genevieve Peters (pictured) kicked out of a California Trader Joe's for not wearing a face mask She then attempted to use her shirt as a face mask, but relented and borrowed a friend's mask. 'The "guard" refused to open the door until I had a mask on. I put my shirt over my face and called it a mask,' she wrote on YouTube. 'Employee said, she still couldn't let me in because she couldn't guarantee I would hold my shirt up. I said, "you can't guarantee I will keep a mask up either".' The situation came to a head when a cashier called 911 on Peters for not wearing a face mask. A cashier called 911 over the incident and argued that Peters was endangering his colleagues by not wearing a face mask Although Trader Joe's 'strongly encourages' customers to don face masks, Los Angeles County officials made it made it mandatory for residents to wear face masks amid coronavirus pandemic. 'Im uncomfortable wearing a mask,' says Peters, in a recording of the incident on her cell phone. 'Theyre literally calling the police on me because Im not putting this mask on,' she adds. When asked why she isn't wearing a face masks, Peters responds that it's 'unhealthy for me.' 'I dont want to breathe my own CO2. Theres many researchers. Theyre bogus rules Its ridiculous,' she argues. 'Theres so much research that says we actually are in danger of having this mask, of breathing my own CO2. Do you understand that?' At one point, the cashier accuses Peters of endangering his crew because of her disregard for public health guidelines. 'Im not endangering you because Im a healthy person,' Peters says. Peters and the cashier continue to squabble for 20 minutes before she leaves the Trader Joe's store. On Thursday, Peters said in a Facebook Live that she had a sore throat for less than 24 hours one week after the Trader Joe's incident On Thursday, Peters launched a Facebook Live where she told viewers that she experienced a sore throat and some irritation in her lymph nodes. She admits that she could contract the coronavirus in the future, but likened it to catching the flu. 'Im not saying I might not get it, I might get it, I mean anyone could get it, right? I mean, its like the flu. Ive had the flu many times in my life. But Ive survived it,' she says. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention lists a sore throat as a symptom of COVID-19, as well as cough, fever, shortness of breath, chills, muscle pain and a loss of taste or smell. Health officials have repeatedly warned that coronavirus is a more serious disease than the seasonal flu, with a higher mortality and infection rate. Peters says the reason she shared her health status was to show others that there is 'zero panic.' Peters said she has 'zero panic' over the symptoms and said she boosted her immune system to fight any instance of illness 'And the reason I put it out there is I wanted to show that if you start feeling symptoms, there is zero panic. Zero panic. Why? Because Im healthy. Healthy people can get sick It doesnt mean the end,' she says. 'Theres bacteria, theres viruses, theyve been around for millions of years, really, and the most important thing is that our body is equipped for that. 'It has what we call an immune system. So when I was feeling sick yesterday, I knew that all I had to do was boost my immune system.' She says during the Facebook Live that she experienced the symptoms for less than 24 hours. On Friday, Peters claimed anyone linking her sore throat to coronavirus was promoting 'a FRAUD that is being perpetrated on the American People.' It's unclear if Peters underwent a coronavirus test or an antibody test. DailyMail.com reached out to Peters for further comment. Severe thunderstorms brought wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour, hail larger in diameter than a dime and heavy rainfall to Massachusetts on Friday. It destroyed homes, downed trees and caused tens of thousands of power outages. In Holyoke, more than 140 people were forced to flee their homes after the roofs were ripped from two apartment buildings in the citys Flats neighborhood Friday night. Large portions of the roofs were ripped from the multi-family homes located at 147 and 151 West Street, with piles of bricks from pediments along the roof lines falling down onto the sidewalk and cars parked in the street. Holyoke Fire Department Capt. Kevin Cavagnag said two people sustained minor injuries due to the partial building collapse. They were transported by ambulance to the Holyoke Medical Center for treatment. Meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Boston reviewed photos of the damage and radar data from the storm. They did not see evidence of a tornado and believe straight-line winds caused the damage. Sometimes straight line winds can be more damaging than a tornado, Bill Simpson, a hydrometeorological technician for the National Weather Service, told MassLive. The National Weather Service said wind speeds reached up to 70 miles per hour in the Western Massachusetts city. Immediately following the storm, Dr. Marcella R. Kelly Elementary School, the neighborhood elementary school, was opened to serve as a shelter for families. By Saturday morning, all displaced families received vouchers to stay at area hotels with support from the Red Cross. The HCM City Power Corporation Corporation under Vietnam Electricity (EVNHCMC) is co-operating with suppliers to carry out preferential programmes to encourage enterprises and individuals in the city to use solar power. EVNHCM has signed an agreement on solar power development with Bach Khoa Investment and Development of Solar Energy Corporation. EVNHCMC on Tuesday signed agreements with Bach Khoa Investment and Development of Solar Energy Corporation, Vietnam Services and Ecological Solutions Joint Stock Company, and TTC Energy Joint Stock Company to carry out the programmes. Individuals and enterprises will receive discounts when they register to install solar power systems with EVNHCMC. After the installment, if they need to be connected with the national grid and want to sell a surplus of solar power to EVNHCM, they can call 1900545454 to check conditions for the connection. Buyers can install a two-way electricity metre and sign a contract on power purchase and sale with EVNHCM. Bui Trung Kien, deputy general director of EVNHCM, said that renewable energy such as solar power would reduce pollution and ensure energy security. Nguyen Duc Anh, representative of Vietnam Services and Ecological Solutions Joint Stock Company, said that power usage was higher in HCM City than other cities because of its population and size. The city has high potential for solar power development, especially rooftop solar power. He said that installment of rooftop solar power systems would also reduce heat in houses. The city has 6,835 rooftop solar power units with a total capacity of 88.78 MWp. The energy generated for the national grid is 30.49 million kWh. VNS New tariff scheme approved to encourage solar development The Government has officially decided to approve a new feed-in-tariff mechanism to encourage development of solar power in Vietnam. Haiti - COVID-19 : Intervention of President Jovenel Moise at SONAPI Friday afternoon President Moise went to the National Industrial Park Company (SONAPI) where the materials and sanitary equipment ordered from China are stored to fight against the Covid-19. In his speech, President Moise recalled that these materials cost 18.6 million US dollars to the Treasury before specifying "I would like to clarify an information, it is that each plane has the capacity to transport 108 tons. Several planes have already arrived and the weight of the cargo delivered represents the equivalent of more than 70 platform trucks [...] All these materials are there to serve the Haitian people." Before adding "On May 23, we will receive 2,500 oxygen cylinders and regulators. For the month of May, we will receive almost 90% of what we have ordered. The remaining 10% will be delivered by ship due to inspection problems in China. "The Haitian people are not aware of the various problems that we encountered in the context of this operation. Although there were no planes available, we dispatched specialists to China to ensure the quality and availability of these materials and supervise the order." "Today, more than 250 people are infected with the virus and we have recorded 20 deaths https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30783-haiti-flash37-new-cases-west-dept-epicenter-of-the-disease.html . This afternoon, I have a special thought for the parents of these people. [...] We have many considerations for nursing staff. They represent heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic because they are on the front line: doctors, nurses, auxiliaries etc... I tell them that these equipments are there to protect you [...] I ask the Ministry of Health to make a rigorous management of each medical equipment and materials ordered with the money of the people [...] and to keep the eyes open permanently so that these medical materials are really to serve the people and to protect the medical personnel. This medical equipment and materials will go beyond the Covid-19 pandemic, in particular artificial respirators, 1,500 hospital beds, oxygen cylinders, etc... All of this equipment will remain to serve the population and strengthen the system. as well as vital signs monitors and biochemical analyzers who will continue to test across the country [...] Today, we have 9 oxygen manufacturing units that have arrived. This will allow us to produce oxygen in each geographic department of the country. [...] I recommend that you wear your mask. They cost money. The Haitian state has ordered 18 million masks. 14 million have been ordered from factories and the rest (4 million) are made by craftsmen. According to the Minister of Commerce, by June 13, we will receive all of the masks ordered. Distributions of masks will take place at the rate of 2 to 4 million per week." Before concluding, Moise mentioned the money transfers promised to the most vulnerable https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30405-haiti-covid-19-moise-promises-food-to-1-million-families-and-cash-to-15-million-others.html "[...] I asked the Minister of Social Affairs to manage to make 75,000 transfers each week [...] The process is not easy because we did not have this habit [...] But we have passed instructions and all the managers are hard at work to deliver results [...] I wish that all the people living in remote and vulnerable areas can receive their money. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30670-haiti-politic-the-government-has-already-sent-3-000-gourdes-of-subsidies-to-22-888-families.html See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30783-haiti-flash37-new-cases-west-dept-epicenter-of-the-disease.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30774-haiti-news-zapping.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30753-haiti-china-2nd-arrival-of-equipment-and-materials-to-fight-covid-19.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30721-haiti-china-first-arrival-of-equipment-and-materials-to-fight-covid-19.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30670-haiti-politic-the-government-has-already-sent-3-000-gourdes-of-subsidies-to-22-888-families.html HL/ HaitiLibre It might be one of the indirect effects of coronavirus, Borodin said. Because people are in self-isolation and dont go to work, they have more time to go out, especially people in the villages near forests and fields. And they can cause fires maybe with a barbecue or something else. US President Barack Obama meets with President-elect Donald Trump to update him on transition planning in the Oval Office at the White House on November 10, 2016 Former President Barack Obama criticized the federal government's coronavirus response in a thinly veiled swipe at the Trump administration during a virtual commencement address delivered to historically black colleges and universities on Saturday. "More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they're doing," Obama said in his speech. "A lot of them aren't even pretending to be in charge." These latest comments could ignite further tension between Obama and President Donald Trump. Obama previously criticized the Trump administration last week, when he called its Covid-19 response "an absolute chaotic disaster" during a private call with supporters who formerly worked for him. Back in March, Trump blamed the country's lack of coronavirus tests on the previous administration. He has also tried to blame the Obama administration for the lack of a vaccine. "I don't take responsibility at all," Trump said at a press briefing. "Because we were given a a set of circumstances, and we were given rules, regulations and specifications from a different time." One of Trump's own top health advisors, Dr. Anthony Fauci, dismissed the idea that Obama was responsible for the lack of a vaccine during a Senate hearing this week. The White House responded to Obama's speech with a statement defending Trump's coronavirus response, claiming it had "saved lives." At least 88,437 Americans have died from coronavirus and more than 1.4 million have been infected, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Streamed online, Obama's speech mentioned the difficult circumstances facing graduates that stem from the pandemic, including the current economic recession. In addressing the country's 78 HBCUs, he also made reference to enduring racial inequality in the U.S., which he said can be viewed in how the pandemic is disproportionately affecting people of color as well as the recent death of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who was allegedly shot by two white men in Georgia while jogging. Though Arbery died in February, the two men allegedly responsible were not arrested until May after a video that is said to depict the shooting went viral. "We see it in the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on our communities, just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog, and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him if he doesn't submit to their questioning," Obama said during the speech. "Injustice like this isn't new. What is new is that so much of your generation has woken up to the fact that the status quo needs fixing." Obama ended the speech on a note of optimism for the class of 2020, saying that the graduates were all "role models" now. "Your participation in this democracy, your courage to stand up for what's right, your willingness to forge coalitions these actions will speak volumes," he said. : The Madras High Court has said it is not only the duty of the native states of migrant workers but also the duty of the states where they work to take care of them, but this was not the case. The court, while observing that the migrant workers and agricultural workforce are a neglected lotin the COVID-19 crisis, asked the Central and state governments to file a report on such workers by May 22. The bench observed though the governments have taken care of every section of the society to the maximum extent possible, the guest workers and agricultural workforce were neglected. This was evident from the reports of the print and visual media in the past one month. While referring to the sufferings of the migrant workers, the court said "One cannot control his/her tears after seeing the pathetic condition of migrant labourers shown in the media for the past one month. It is nothing but a human tragedy...." A Division Bench of Justice N. Kirubakaran and Justice R. Hemalatha made these observations while passing an interim order on a habeas corpus petition from advocate Suryaprakasam seeking a direction to produce Ilayaraja and 400 others who have allegedly been illegally detained by the Superintendent of Police, Sangli district, Maharashtra. Most of the workers lost their jobs, no shelter is said to have been provided apart from lack of supply of adequate food. After waiting for long, they started migrating to their native states by foot with their children carrying all the belongings and surviving on food provided by good Samaritans. As if these were not enough, there were reports of starvation deaths, the bench said while referring to the death of 16 workers caused by a train when they were sleeping on the tracks. The bench then directed the Central and state governments to file a detailed report by May 22 as to whether any data on such guest workers is being maintained, if so, what is the number of migrant workers in each state/union territory, and whether assistance was provided to those migrant workers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Razumkov said Kyiv would not abandon efforts to return Crimea to Ukrainian control, nor efforts to regain control of terrorist-controlled areas of Luhansk and Donetsk regions, also known as Donbas. The speaker of the Ukrainian parliament says efforts to return control of Crimea to Kyiv are part of "a difficult and slow process," that Ukraine is determined to resolve. Dmytro Razumkov, head of the Verkhovna Rada, made the remarks in an interview with RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that was published on May 16. Russia forcibly took over Crimea in March 2014 after Russian forces seized control of strategic sites on the Black Sea peninsula and organized a referendum that was not recognized by the international community. Shortly thereafter, Russia began supporting armed forces in two eastern Ukrainian regions, Donetsk and Luhansk. The conflict in eastern Ukraine has left around 13,000 people dead, tens of thousands more injured, and uprooted well over 1 million Ukrainians, according to UN and Ukrainian officials. Read alsoRussia making another move toward legalizing Crimea grab OSINT group The West has sanctioned Russia for its seizure of Crimea and its support for the armed forces in eastern Ukraine. Moscow denies supplying fighters, weapons, and financing to the armed forces, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. It also claims that the referendum in Crimea was legitimate, and has ruled out handing control back to Ukraine. Razumkov said Kyiv would not abandon efforts to return Crimea to Ukrainian control, nor efforts to regain control of terrorist-controlled areas of Luhansk and Donetsk regions, also known as Donbas. "It is a difficult and slow process, but at the same time we can take this issue off the agenda and [cannot quit] trying to resolve it in all sorts of ways on various levels and neither can we lose means of communication with the occupied territories both Donbas and Crimea," Razumkov said. Ukrainians in terrorist-controlled areas of Donbas who have accepted passports offered by Russia often had no choice, Razumkov explained. "There are many very many people who were, are, and will remain citizens of Ukraine. The conditions they find themselves in force them to take steps you are referring to [taking Russian citizenship]. But, you know, God forbid we ever had to find out what it is like in their shoes," Razumkov said. U.S. and other Western officials have condemned Russia's move to fast-track the granting of citizenship to all residents of Donetsk and Luhansk as running counter to efforts to achieve peace. Celebrate the New Da Hong Bao Gold Slot from Genesis Gaming Published May 16, 2020 by Mike P With Da Hong Bao Gold, users can play a slot with 50 paylines and the ability to launch free spins while extra wilds are appearing. Da Hong Bao Gold is based on the Asian concept of celebrating fortune through elders awarding red packets to young people while the Lunar New Year festival is underway. This act is a symbol of good fortune for the year to come, while younger people give red packets to their elders to wish them longevity. The Da Hong Bao Gold slot from Genesis Gaming is a vivid creation, resplendent with red and gold symbols displayed on a central gaming interface made up of five reels and four rows of 20 symbols positions. 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If three or four scatters land on the reels, then the slot shall re-spin the empty reels to try and fill them with yet more scatters. With three or more scatters, its possible for players to trigger a bonus round of 12 free spins with doubled wins, additional wilds, or both. With the recently introduced reforms in Namibias renewable energy sector and the growing presence and entry of international oil companies entering the hydrocarbons sector, the Ministry of Mines and Energy is optimistic about the countrys energy future. There are very positive and encouraging signs when we talk about the hydrocarbons sector. We have had a couple of investors that are keen on entering the market and potentially finding something, said Hon. Tom Alweendo, Namibias Minister of Mines and Energy during a webinar hosted by the African Energy Chamber (www.EnergyChamber.org) in partnership with Africa Oil & Power on Friday. On the renewable energy sector, we have been able to introduce some reforms that have made it possible for independent power producers to come into the sector and produce clean energy, especially through solar and wind, he added. Minister Alweendo was joined by the Chambers Executive Chairman, NJ Ayuk, who encouraged a practical and realistic energy transition that addresses the continents energy needs first. Oil and gas are going to be around for a long time and will remain a major part of many countries across Africa. The same can be said for clean energy. We have to be environmentally conscious and ensure that lowering carbon emissions remains a key priority, said Nj Ayuk. But, we have to also look at where we stand as a continent and address our needs first, he added. Although Namibia is largely a consuming country, it hopes to grow its upstream industry, improve energy security through diversifying its energy mix. In achieving this, the country is looking forward to collaborating with the private sector to review its policies in order to attracter further investment. Other topics explored during the discussion guided by the theme: The Future of the Namibian Energy Industry included plans on the development of the Kudu gas project to which the minister provided that the ministry is currently relooking the projects business model and hopes to move forward thereafter. On other key projects, Minister Alweendo said the 37,500 bpd barge-mounted refinery in Walvis bay was due to finalize in March this year but, was deterred by the pandemic. Despite this, the ministry is exploring other avenues in order to reach completion on the $370 million project by the end of 2020. The Angola-Namibia cross border Baynes hydroelectric dam is currently undergoing feasibility studies and is planned to commence with construction in June this year. The 600MW output will be split in 300MW for Angola and 300MW for Namibia. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires The coronavirus pandemic has already upended teachers lives, banishing them from their classrooms to teach students from home. Now, as a grueling school year nears its end, some New Jersey teachers are receiving a cruel reward: A pink slip, courtesy of the crushing economic weight of the crisis. Facing a Friday deadline to notify those teachers who wont be brought back next year, many districts have already told non-tenured educators they wont be offered a contract for the fall until schools know just how badly their finances will be hurt by COVID-19, said Richard Bozza, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators. And those decisions might only be a precursor to a summer of painful budget cuts forced by an almost certain decrease in state funding. I think any significant cuts are going to be severe (for schools), and roughly 80% of school district budgets are people costs, Bozza said. Nobody wants to be a doomsdayer, but there is only so much you can do. School districts built their 2020-21 budgets based on state funding figures announced in February, when New Jerseys revenues were healthy. But Gov. Phil Murphys administration now projects a $10 billion drop in revenue projections through next year, leaving state aid in question. How much funding will districts lose? How much help will the federal government offer? How much will expenses rise if schools have to supply masks and check every students temperature next fall? Everybody is very uncertain, Bozza said. And that uncertainty produces anxiety." With so much uncertainty ahead, some districts decided to take the cautious approach of telling non-tenured teachers they cant offer them a new contract right now, but schools will try to bring them back when funding becomes clearer, Bozza said. Murphys administration is required to provide a more detailed revenue projection by May 22, which will help guide school districts expectations for the fall. Bozza expects districts will have a better idea by mid-June whether they need to lay off teachers or other staff, although there are so many unanswered questions that its impossible to predict how deep the cuts might go. That ambiguity leaves teachers in limbo as they finish the final month of an emotionally taxing school year. Its worrisome, and its heartbreaking, said Susan McBride, president of the Bergen County Education Association. Because a lot of teachers are putting their hearts and souls into what they are doing. The New Jersey Education Association, the states largest teachers union, called for a cooperative response with lawmakers, similar to the deal the NJEA recently struck to lower state and local health care costs. While we dont know the full scope of the budget challenges ahead, we know they will be significant and we know it will take all of us, working together, to protect children from being harmed, spokesman Steve Baker said. Even as statewide unemployment claims skyrocketed in March and April, many public school employees have been immune until now. A state law passed in April directed districts to continue paying employees salaries and benefits, even if their jobs were not needed for remote learning. Empty buildings and parked buses have helped schools lower some costs. However, those gains have been mostly wiped out by unexpected expenses like deep cleanings and investments in technology and wireless internet access for students, said Robert Zywicki, superintendent of Mount Olive Township Schools. Anyone who thinks that school districts are saving money on this, its not true, Zywicki said. Instead, districts expect they will need every penny as they anticipate a budget crunch that could resemble the impact of the Great Recession and have long-lasting ramifications for students. Murphys original 2021 budget proposal called for about $10.5 billion in direct aid to K-12 schools, accounting for roughly 25% of the governors $40.9 billion spending plan. But the near-lockdown measures ordered to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus have crippled the states finances, including income and sales tax collections, the states two biggest revenue sources. The state now predicts a $2.8 billion revenue loss for the current fiscal year and a $7.3 billion hit for 2021. It is a tough pill to swallow, said G. Kennedy Greene, superintendent of Newton Public Schools. I think we are all in for a situation that is probably even going to be worse than it was back in 2010 when we lost considerable state aid in the first year Gov. [Chris] Christie was in office. School districts are planning for a reduction in aid while also juggling a series of unknowns, said Susan Young, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials. One proposal in the state Legislature could temporarily hurt school finances by allowing municipalities to delay making property tax payments to districts. Another plan would help districts, authorizing government furloughs to curb payroll expenses while school employees collect higher pay through enhanced unemployment benefits. And then theres the possibility of more federal relief money, which is either a lifesaver or a political pipe dream depending on whom you ask. Given that uncertainty, districts took different approaches to the May 15 deadline. Some informed non-tenured teachers they cant offer a new contract, at least not now, and they hope to bring them back if their budgets allow, Bozza said. Others decided not to make decisions until they receive an update on their state aid. Newton Public Schools already planned to cut three teachers before the coronavirus hit and didnt want to risk losing more until it has no choice, Greene said. It is a real chicken or egg kind of thing, he said. If the budget shortfalls dont happen, you end up losing some really key staff members who maybe go find jobs elsewhere. Mount Olive renewed teachers in the hope that additional federal money will help offset any losses in state aid, Zywicki said. It is wait and see, but there is a lot of stress and anxiety over what June to August will bring, he said. Zywickis biggest fear? That Murphy cuts state aid even more than expected when he delivers his updated budget proposal in August, he said. Funding cuts are especially problematic as districts expect expenses to rise if and when students return for in-person instruction in the fall. Personal protective equipment and social distancing requirements will likely force spending that wasnt in schools original budgets, Bozza said. And many students who have been remote learning since March will need extra academic support along with enhanced counseling. Bozza is skeptical federal aid would make up for the losses that could come in the state budget, he said. Schools can still lay off staff at any time, once state and federal revenue sources become more certain, although there may be a contractual requirement for severance pay, Bozza said. He expects some districts will struggle to close budget gaps without slashing teachers. Nearly 200 districts were already losing state aid before the coronavirus, and some had already approved staff cuts. No district wants to cut teachers, but a decade of trimming around the edges has left few options, he said. We are kind of out of the bag of tricks, if you will, Bozza said. McBride said she had not yet heard of any sweeping COVID-related staff cuts in Bergen County. She hopes any layoffs will be minimal. After the year teachers have been through, losing their jobs would be devastating, she said. I think when people write about this period of our history, I think they will come to see what a crucial role educators played in the emotional stability of our students, she said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. Armenia wants to create a system so that parents talk with their children about cases of sexual assault, so that children could later inform their parents after learning about such cases, said Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan during his big press conference on Saturday. He was asked what will be done after the ratification of the Lanzarote Convention by the National Assembly in terms of attracting relevant specialists to schools and developing a program. What is the reason for the spread of pedophilia? 90% of potential pedophiles are sure that the child will not tell anything about the incident, and their parents will not be interested in this, because this is simply not acceptable. "We are talking more about education not of the child, but of the parent. As a rule, children are sexually assaulted by people who are familiar with their families, and in many cases, the children do not even know whether what is happening to them is normal or not," the PM noted. "Everything needs to be done in order to exclude cases of pedophilia in Armenia," PM added. Talking about sex education, the PM added: "For those who believe that it is not needed, I want to ask a question, but how do newlyweds in Armenia learn about sex life?" "And what are the consequences? There are the most difficult consequences, which are not accepted to talk about," he added. "How many people suffer from impotence in Armenia due to sexual illiteracy, do we know about it or not? Is it a question or not, is it a problem or not? the PM wonders. It wasnt a lot of money. Certainly not the millions upon millions upon millions devoured by gluttonous companies in the run on the $659 billion in federal stimulus money apportioned to help small businesses endure the corona-crashour national economic meltdown ignited by the very-necessary shutdowns needed to slow the spread of COVID-19. In Alabama, truly small businessesnot the behemoths with up to 500 employees, as defined by the fedsare vital to local economies and most needed just a few thousand dollars to pay employees and cover other expenses after Gov. Kay Iveys statewide order shut them down in late March. Thats all they needed to get them through. It wasnt a lot of money. Hopefully, it was enough. Just enough to get to this week when Ivey threw open the doors and allowed businesses and churches to reopen with capacity restrictions and social distancing requirements. (God help us.) Just enough to endure. To survive. Itll be a while before we know for sure. Maybe until the end of June when the two-and-a-half months of coverage provided by the Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Payroll Protection Program (PPP)part of the $2 trillion CARES Actexpires. Maybe a lot longer as we navigate through this fog of uncertainty, as there are more positive tests, more deaths, and little more than a hopeful glimpse of a vaccine in sight. For now, take solace that a lot of our small enterprises are open again, many because they were able to obtain a few thousand dollars from local and national stimulus funds. Not without frustrationoften with their very own banksas they bounced through the maze in search of the money. The Church Sardis Missionary Baptist Church was among 116 Alabama small businesses, nonprofits, and churches that received a loan ($47,000) from the $310 billion second-round of stimulus funds through the Hope Credit Union (HOPE), a community-focused financial institution. (You probably recall the $349 billion first roundwas gobbled up as if by Jabba the Hutt, most by companies about as small as Alabama politics is pristine and honest.) HOPE was the gatekeeper in a partnership with the City of Birmingham and the investment firm Goldman Sachs that last month committed to providing up to $5 million in loans to small businesses, nonprofits, and churches in the region. (The loans are forgivable if at least 75% of the money was used to fund payroll.) In the Birmingham metro region, 72 companies were approved for $1,948,889 in loans through HOPE. (Statewide, loans totaled $3,053,469.) HOPEs median loan was $11,367. (The smallest Birmingham area loan was $1,800; the smallest statewide, $500.) Bham Strong, the citys $2 million stimulus fund, tapped out last week after approving small-business loans to 92 companies, about 80 for the $25,000 maximum. Its average loan was $21,740. Not a lot of money. But for some, it was just enough. These are real small businesses, says Jason Eppenger, president of black-owned Citizens Trust, which would not release PPP lending data but says its volume was on par with HOPE and Bham Strong. A lot of them didnt have relationships with us or only a minimal relationship. But we processed 100 percent of the applicants that were eligible. For a lot of them, we came in and saved the day. Sardis found HOPE after being turned down by two major banks, including the one where the church deposits its funds. We are grateful, says Trustee Chair Sandra Hall, who did not want to name the two banks. Giving, just as it is at churches everywhere, is down significantlyabout 40 percent since late March. [The loan] has been a godsend, says Hall. It covers our musicians, our pastor, the custodian, church assistant, the open-hands ministry, all of them. If it had not come through, would we have made it? I have no idea. Prayers were answered. Those two noes led to a yes. Hall effusively credits Kendra Key, HOPEs senior vice president, for being responsive from the moment she initially reached out to the institution via email on the afternoon of Sunday, April 26, the day before the opening of the second round of PPP funding. I have never, Hall says. I am retired from AT&T and worked in corporate America most of my life. Ive seen some things some people cant imagine. That Saturday, I got the information on HOPE and knew the floodgates would open on Monday. I sent her an email at 4:30 Sunday afternoon. At 4:31 I had a response. She emailed me just that quickly and told me what I needed to do. This is a Sunday afternoon; I was shocked anyone would respond that quickly on a Sunday afternoon." Hall says she was on the phone with Key until 11 p.m. Sunday evening trying to ensure her application was in order. Ive never seen anybody who is such an advocate for the people, Hall says. She said, Small businesses need to be funded but so do our churches. I cant let you go under. Early Monday, Hall and other church members scrambled to find the final piecethe churchs articles of incorporation, which were handwritten more than 100 years ago. On Wednesday, Key telephoned Hall to inform her of the SBAs decision on the churchs application. "She said, Miss Hall, I just want to tell you your loan request was approved. Hall recalls. "You talking about a holy ghost time at this house. Were going to open an account at Hope. The big banks, Hall adds, let us down. First money in BhamStrong was first to offer aid to the citys small businesses, right at the onset of the pandemic. The loans are repayable after 180 days on a sliding scale, with a 3% interest cap. Back in January, Gregory Minards Global Team Staffing hospitality firm boasted 144 employees who handled events throughout the state. By mid-April, the company had only 30 employees as large gatherings were squashed due to social distancing restrictions. The $25,000 BhamStrong loan was a lifeline that helped keep us relevant and open until we can get additional [PPP] funding. Weve just got our fingers crossed, he adds. Recovery is going to take longer than we expect. Summer is slow in hospitality. In the fall, it picks up. This year, were gonna have a lot of downside until 2021. Still, just enough. Good graces (and beer) A BhamStrong loan to Good People Brewery helped owners support takeout sales and other expenses while they, like all restaurants and bars, could not serve customers inside. Better to shut down for a little while for the betterment of everyone than stay open and risk everyone, co-founder and brewmaster Jason Malone told me last week. We also wanted to take care of people. That included almost 10 production employees and a couple of dozen sales staff. Basically, adds business partner/brew buddy Michael Sellers, it kept doors openpaying salaries, bills, anything negated by the loss of revenue. Brewers lost quite a bit of business from draft and keg sales. The retail taproom aspect of the business was essentially gone and curbside was just a fraction of what taproom brought in. Just enough. Were in a wait and see mode, Jason said, Thats part of life right now. The Bundles of Hope Diaper Bank, is a nonprofit run by a bunch of penny-pinchin mommas, says director Lindsay Grey, a Pell City native. Each month, it provides diapers and feminine products to about 100 families throughout the region. When the economic shutdown hit, the need doubled. Everyone talked about toilet paper, but no one talks about diapers, says Grey. Families often dont want to talk about it. They dont want to share that they dont have enough clean diapers for their little ones. Theres a lot of dignity wrapped up in diapers. Feminine products, too. The nonprofit didnt receive funding during the first stimulus round because the staff was overwhelmed with trying to figure it out. Grey thought it would fall short in the second because it didnt meet the minimum need of $10,000 established by its own bank (which she, too, didnt want to name). Upon learning of HOPE, she contacted Key and asked if HOPE had a minimum loan amount. She said, We dont,' Grey recalls. They were awesome." BOH is lean, with just three people on payrollone full-time, one part-time, and one contracted. It also kept six months of operating expenses in reserve, primarily for rent and, well, diapers. No one prepares for a pandemic, though. After statewide shutdown, it had to cancel its biggest fundraiser and corporate sponsors grew squeamish and stingy. We didnt know how we were going to pay employees, Grey says. It was a roller coaster. Working with HOPE, BOH was approved for a loan of just under $10,000, which helped it to be able to continue to fill a unique yet vital need. Its a diaper, Grey says. But its also a tool to love families and let them know the community cares for them. Just enough. Head for entrepreneurship Portia Kimble always had a passion for hair, even as a little girl growing up in Pratt City. Shes named for an aunt who had her own salon. Everyone in the family did hair, says Key. But I looked up to her. After graduating from Jackson-Olin, Kimble stopped trying to ignore her calling and enrolled in cosmetology school. I was like, This is what you like to do, stop trying to do other things, she said. Just walk into it. Ive been doing hair for 10 years and love it. Love everything about it. Kimble, a sole proprietor, rents a space in Sola Salons in a Hoover building containing about 30 suites. One day I was at work, then the next day, I was told, You cant come in, she recalls of the start of the state shutdown. The landlord stopped charging rent on the day the building was closed, but Kimble, like many entrepreneurs, was suddenly without income and had no clear idea when it might return. A few of her peers received up to $1,000 through Kabbage, an online lender processing PPP applications. Kimble filled out the forms but did not receive a reply. I had a little savings, but didnt know how long that would last." A client sent her a flyer containing HOPEs information. She spoke with Louis Franklin, a commercial lender, to determine if she was eligible. He told me, We will not turn anybody down. When Kimble received the letter stating her loan was approved, she was confused by the number she saw: $5,200. Is this the actual amount? she asked. Kimble used the time out of the salon, she says, to get some much-needed rest (I was drained, she admits.) and devise a business plan for expansion. I sat on my dream for five years, she says. It will bring more businesses to our neighborhood. This business, being an entrepreneur, it is a faith business, Kimble says. God is my source. You dont know how things are gonna go. Im glad were still standing. Just enough. Eyeing 40 years Optometrist Dr. Juanakee Adams never closed her office downtown, near City Hall. Her medical services were deemed essential, offering those needing emergency eye care an alternative to the emergency rooms, which were expected to be overwhelmed by patients suffering coronavirus. Accolades and kudos to God, she says. Adams Eye Cares 40th anniversary is in August. She was the first black female optometrist in the state and its oldest female practitioner. (The states second licensed black female optometrist, Dr. Colleen Dent, works at the same practice.) Adams was in the process of renovating the office when the state shutdown began. Even though she kept seeing patients, they all but stopped comingfrom up to 15 per week down to three or four, Adams says. One employee had to be laid off due to the slowdown and another furloughed. Adams tried to apply for a PPP loan through the bank where she keeps her accounts. From the beginning, they said, Your review is pending,' she recalls. Its still pending. They were catering to bigger clients. Adams was introduced to HOPE by her accountant. Within four days, her loan was approved. I know when people do things just when they want to help or when they do them for ulterior motives, she says. The loan enabled Adams to fill a position, retain employees through the drought, and avoid furloughing Dr. Dent. I was able to keep her afloat, she says. The coffer was getting low; I dipped into my savings. I made a choice. I knew God brought me too far to leave me. Faith over fear, that was my choice. Adams dubbed her upcoming anniversary celebrationwhich will not be virtual20/20 Vision Explosion. Seeing in high definition, she says. Im very excited." My goal, by being the first black female optometrist, my mantra is to make the load lighter and the path brighter for those who come behind me. Just enough. A passion for jobs Alicia Givins has worked in the staffing industry for 26 years. She knows because she gave birth to her daughter when she entered that workforce. Rachel, her daughter, is now 26 years old. Alicia launched Divine Professional Services in 2018. After years working for someone else and growing into a career, I was granted the opportunity to give back to the community and do something I truly say is my passion, purpose, she adds. Being engaged with people and being able to render hope to them, to put them in jobs they never thought theyd have the opportunity to do. Givins attended Banks Academy, a private Christian school on Birminghams East Lake community. She went on to the University of Alabama-Huntsville for just under three years before taking a customer service job. There she met her first husband, started a family. Then, as she says, life happened. Givins, now 50, has four children and two grandsons. Givins has placed more than 500 people in her career, she says. I just believe in what I do, she says. My sense of urgency is a desire to help customers end their staffing pain and provide outstanding service. Spring is normally Divines busiest time, even though business can be seasonal. Once the pandemic hit, though, clients shut down staffing entirely without any sense of when they might reboot. Its been extremely hard, as in business dripping to less than 20 percent of normal levels. By mid-April, Givins says she had laid off her four employees, and more than half of her contingent employees were laid off, as well. It was an emotional roller-coaster, she says. Once she learned about the PPP, Givins made an appointment with the large bank where she deposited her companys funds. The young lady had no information, Givins says. It was just like a wall had come up. I left the bank more discouraged and confused as when I walked in. As she walked to her car, someone from the bank came out and apologized, she says. She gave her the name of someone at another large bank, who said the first round of stimulus funding was depleted. That banker offered other resources, including HOPE, to whom she reached. Thats when the lightbulb came on, she says. I was in survival mode. I didnt know what the outcome would be. He rendered Hope. Divine was approved for $184,000. I will bring everyone back to work on Monday, Givins said in an email Friday. As far as my contingent employees, I am very prayerful and hopeful as businesses reopen everyone will be rehired. Givins, like other entrepreneurs, also promises to be better prepared if the economy turns downward again in the upcoming months. Things will get worse, she says. You have to have plan B and C. You can never be prepared for what you dont know. Just enough. All Smiles Birmingham native Dr. Craig Rousso, a dentist, had been trying for years to buy a practice from a retiring practitioner. Late last year, an opportunity fell into my lap, he says, and just before the end of 2019, he and his wife purchased Mountain Brook Smiles. They were ecstatic. Then COVID-19 happened. I can promise it was definitely a scary time, Russo said. Being in such an uncharted situation, no one knew what to donot my accountant, lawyer, anybody. Rousso was well aware of the PPP and sought to apply for a loan through his bank, Wells Fargo. I got the runaround, he says. Big banks did not give the little man the hand they needed. He learned of HOPE and says he found them to be easier and more responsive. They were good about responding and I learned quickly, he says, [big banks] are not the best when it comes to small business. I appreciate what they can do for you, but [in a crisis] youre more an unfortunate number than a name. You can slip through cracks. Through HOPE, Rousso was approved for a $36,000 loan. You dont think a little bit helps but it does; I could keep the business alive and still have income, he says. Because Im in a new office, I want my employees to want to feel like theyre taken care of. I dont want them to think, The new boss doesnt care about us. Theyve been No. 1 for me. Without [the PPP loan], I would not be sleeping well at night. Mountain Brook Smiles opened this week at half its staffing capacity and made sure everything was peachy clean, Rousso says. Patient appointments are at about 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels. Slowly well come back to normal patient flow, he says. Rousso is also looking at banking elsewhere. Were re-evaluating whether to switch to a local bank, he says. Just enough. As of Friday, between $100-$140 billion remained in the $310 billion PPP fund, with potentially more in the kitty as firms return previously loaned PPP funds under the SBAs Safe Harbor clause, which expires Monday. We are encouraging firms who are eligible to apply quickly, shared Tom Todt, director of the SBA Alabama district office, in an email. Theres been a lot of stories about companies not able to access the funds, particularly black-owned firms. Why? How much of it was systemic? How much of it was that many small businessesnot just black- or women-owned or whatever-owned- businesseswere truly ready with the rigor required to pursue and qualify for the loans? If they were not, how can they be ready for the next challengepandemic or less? Did our bid banks learn anything through this journey? Did entrepreneurs? More pain to come? This hurt aint over for businesses, says Robert Dickerson, who managed BhamStrong. PPP was a Band-Aid. Going forward, its going to take a concerted effort among landlords and banks, who have to consider giving forbearance [temporary suspension] on payments. The consumer has a role to play, too, as soon as employment comes back. If we want to keep these businesses in our neighborhoods, we have to support them, spend money with them. If you like them, buy them. When youre cut, a scab grows, but the scar may never go away. This is a huge cut." Adds Key: Now that Ive experienced this, what do [small businesses] do. This is a teaching moment for business owners who did not have their business set up to access capital. So, while were in a crisis now, maybe its something that paves for a better future. Eppenger, of Citizens Trust, summarizes with three recommendations for entrepreneurs. The importance of good record-keeping and bookkeepingbeing able to put your hands-on business and organizational documents quickly, he says. Two: a lot of small businesses usually dont borrow money from their bank. Its just a depository. Its important to have someone who works in that bank that you develop a good rapport with, someone you can call on for guidance and the service you need. That makes it easier to do business in times like these. Third, if theres something you dont understand, dont be afraid to ask. The only dumb question is one you dont ask. Dont feel less than for asking. Instead, feel more than enough. Be more than enough. A voice for whats right and wrong in Birmingham, Alabama (and beyond), Roys column appears in The Birmingham News and AL.com, as well as in the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register. Reach him at rjohnson@al.com and follow him at twitter.com/roysj Google My Business this week began publishing customer reviews for the self-storage industry, restoring a core function to its platform that had been temporarily disabled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The return of comments will aid shoppers who want to hear about other customers experiences before deciding where to store their personal belongings. Googles decision to restore reviews was lauded by Barry Raber, president of Bargain Storage. Bargain Storage feels strongly that the customers ability to share their storage experience helps others make informed decisions about their best options and is delighted to see this capability restored, Raber said. Bargain Storage has generated over 3,250 5-star reviews the last four years, and this is an encouraging move. As part of providing a better storage experience, Bargain Storage promises a quality product, great service and bargain pricing with a personal touch. The company currently operates 11 properties in two states. Google notified businesses last month that customer reviews would be on hiatus. No specific timeline for restoring the service was provided, although the company said user reviews, photos and other functions would gradually return by country and category. New and suspended reviews began reappearing this week including at least 50 more 5-star reviews for Bargain Storage. Please visit http://www.bargainstorage.com and http://www.carefreecoveredrvstorage.com for more information. Bargain Storage specializes in turning around undermanaged and neglected properties and currently operates 11 facilities in Arizona and Texas. Bargain Storage is a division of Business Property Trust, LLC, a niche real estate investment firm located in Portland, Oregon. New Zealands ruling elite is responding to the economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic with job cuts, wage reductions and other attacks on the working class. Announcing the Labour Party-led governments annual budget on Thursday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declared: New Zealand is about to enter a very tough winter and the coming months and years will be some of the most challenging our country has faced in a very, very long time. Internationally, a savage restructuring of class relations is underway. While failing to properly fund public health systems, governments have seized on the pandemic as a pretext to give trillions to the banks and corporations. At the same time, ordinary working people are being told they must sacrifice their living standards, or risk their health and lives by returning to work before it is safe. In New Zealand, the number of people receiving the Jobseeker (unemployed) benefit increased from about 145,000 before the country went into a lockdown in mid-March, to 184,400 at the start of May. Forty-five percent of the new welfare applicants were young workers aged in their 20s. The Treasury says unemployment, which was officially 4.2 percent in March, will likely reach 9.8 percent in September. This is undoubtedly an underestimate. Documents leaked from the Ministry of Social Development this month show it is preparing for 300,000 benefit applications by January 2021. This would mean an unemployment rate of 13 percent, a level not seen since the 1930s. The scale of job losses will be even greater. Many people made redundant will be ineligible for the Jobseeker benefit if their partner is still employed. Others who suffer reduced hours or become discouraged from looking for work will not be counted as unemployed. The tourism industry, which supports 400,000 jobs and accounts for 10 percent of gross domestic product, has virtually collapsed. A survey of 1,619 businesses by Tourism New Zealand confirmed that almost 300 were at high risk of closing down, 16 had already closed. Thirty-seven percent had cut staff already and another 21,381 layoffs are expected. Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis told an industry webinar on May 15 that the government would not pay people to exist and any state support would be targeted to businesses that are deemed strategic. Ngai Tahu Tourism, a major Maori tribal-owned business in the South Island, recently confirmed 309 of its 348 staff will lose their jobs. Skyline Enterprises, which runs businesses in Rotorua, Dunedin, Christchurch and Queenstown, sacked 500 people last month, more than half its workforce. Aoraki/Mt Cook Alpine Village Limited, which has received $1.2 million in subsidies, has announced it is sacking 157 staff from its Hermitage Hotel. Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) has cut contracted and temporary staff and slashed wages for remaining staff by 5 to 20 percent. This is despite QAC getting more than $400,000 in wage subsidies from the government. It is one of many companies that have attacked workers despite benefiting from the governments multi-billion dollar wage subsidy scheme. Almost 2.5 million airline passengers went through Queenstown in the year ending June 2019. This has completely dried up, with devastating consequences for the region. On May 7, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) agreed with Air New Zealand to slash the wages of 900 pilots by 30 percent and make another 300 pilots redundant. Union president Andrew Ridling presented this attack as a fair outcome, telling Stuff there was an agreement to bring back pilots once the industry restarts. The national airline, which is 52 percent owned by the government and has received more than $70 million in wage subsidies plus a $900 million government loan, signalled in April that at least 3,750 staff will lose their jobs. E Tu, which represents about 5,000 Air NZ workers, has accepted mass redundancies. On April 9 the union stated merely that the process was too rushed. At the same time, E Tu applauded the governments appointment of former Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson as an independent advisor to Air NZs board, falsely claiming this would ensure a workers voice is heard. Unions are assisting the government and big business by blocking any organised resistance to the most brutal attacks on the working class in decades. These organisations do not represent the interests of workers; they are an upper middle class bureaucracy, with close ties to the Labour Party and corporations, whose aim is to ensure their own privileged position within capitalism. While tourism and travel are the worst-hit industries, workers in virtually every sector of the economy are being made to pay for the economic crisis. SkyCity, a casino and convention centre operator, recently announced 700 more redundancies, on top of 200 confirmed last month, together representing almost a third of the companys workforce in Auckland. Cleaners, hotel workers, gaming, bar and cafe staff are affected. Unite union organiser Joe Carolan, who leads the pseudo-left group Socialist Aotearoa, told the New Zealand Herald on May 11 that the union had negotiated a very good redundancy clause, amounting to just four weeks pay for the first year and two weeks for every subsequent year of employment. He blamed the layoffs on a drop in international business, social distancing requirements and people having less money to spend. SkyCity regularly posts annual profits in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Despite this, as of May 3 the company had claimed $21.7 million in subsidies from the government, while slashing wages by 20 percent during the COVID-19 lockdown. Other job cuts include 230 at sports-betting company TAB, 30 percent of its workforce. Hardware chain Bunnings Warehouse has proposed seven store closures in regional or rural towns, with 145 redundancies. Online retailer Trade Me, with 600 staff, intends to cut 20 percent of its wage bill. In the manufacturing sector, building products company Steel & Tube is considering up to 200 redundancies. NZ Steel expects to shed 60 jobs. Local councils are also imposing austerity. Auckland Council, led by the Labour Partys Phil Goff, has cut 450 temporary or contract staff since the onset of the pandemic, and slashed wages for others. New Zealand was already experiencing a severe social crisis and economic downturn when the coronavirus pandemic began. In 2018 and 2019, New Zealand saw an upsurge in anti-austerity walkouts and protests, including nationwide strikes by teachers and health workers, which were strangled and sold out by the unions. The rapid destruction of tens of thousands of jobs and livelihoods, however, is paving the way for an even greater eruption of the class struggle. Still, Italy is moving quickly to ease its restrictions in part because many of its regional governments, worried about the economic toll, have agitated for a more rapid timetable. On May 4, Italy took the first steps to emerge from lockdown, allowing factories and construction projects to resume. The government has since pushed up the opening date for restaurants from early June to May 18. Retail stores and museums will also restart May 18. Hong Kong is looking into using an electronic health certificate that could exempt residents from quarantine when they visit Macau and Guangdong as part of the plan to lift Covid-19 pandemic border restrictions, the citys health minister has revealed. Creating the travel bubble will enable easier movement of people between regions that agree on the level of health screening required, and do away with imposing a 14-day quarantine on travellers. In an interview with the Post, Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee also said that temporary quarantine facilities being built on Pennys Bay, a site on Lantau Island which includes land earmarked for Hong Kong Disneylands phase two development, could become permanent. Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan spoke to the Post at her office in Tamar. Photo: Jonathan Wong Hong Kong recorded no new Covid-19 cases on Saturday. With the growth rate of cases in the city, Macau and Guangdong province showing signs of slowing since last month, the three governments began discussions on relaxing the pandemic border restrictions. Since May 10, Macau and the neighbouring mainland Chinese city of Zhuhai have recognised each others health code system, to determine if individuals crossing the border ought to be in quarantine or can be free to enter buildings on the mainland. The system generates coloured QR codes to indicate a persons level of risk based on the individuals state of health, contact with Covid-19 patients and travel history. A green code means the person is well and not related to any Covid-19 cases, while red indicates infection, suspected infection or that a close contact is a confirmed case. Yellow means the person had fever or respiratory symptoms. We are looking into it, Chan said. What information does it need to generate a green light, how can the information be mutually recognised [by different administrations]? If we are really doing it, do we set up our own system, or adopt one from another administration? These issues havent been confirmed yet. Story continues Using such a common system could create a travel bubble, allowing the free movement of people in the region. This is already being done between Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in eastern Europe, and has been proposed for Australia and New Zealand. While there have been privacy concerns on whether a mutually recognised health code system would mean passing personal information to the mainland, which has a different legal system from Hong Kongs, Chan did not consider it a major issue. The system will not collect more information than necessary, she said. The health code is just a tool. Even now, when we go to the mainland, we have to fill in some information on the health declaration. So far, there have been 1,052 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong, 45 in Macau and 1,589 in Guangdong province. With the situation easing in Hong Kong and neighbouring cities, there have been calls to ease the mandatory quarantine requirement for travellers. Hong Kongs mandatory requirement for arrivals from the mainland, Macau and Taiwan is set to expire on June 7. Before a travel bubble can happen, however, the authorities need to study a number of factors including mutual recognition of Covid-19 testing and quarantine arrangements. Chan said no date had been fixed for relaxing the border restrictions, but added it would likely start with a small number of people, possibly those already exempted by the Hong Kong authorities for quarantine after arriving from the mainland, Macau and Taiwan. These include people who commute regularly across the borders, such as professionals, factory and business owners, students and truck drivers. Chan also said Hong Kong authorities had not begun discussions with Taiwan to relax the pandemic border controls, despite remarks to the contrary on Thursday from Executive Council member Arthur Li Kwok-cheung. Now we are in a battle On the proposal to have permanent quarantine facilities in Hong Kong, Chan said the premises being built in Pennys Bay met the criteria, except for its remote location on Lantau Island. That site is for the sole purpose of quarantine facilities, she explained. Its not at a decision stage yet, but we can say it meets the criteria. Hong Kong currently has about 3,700 quarantine units at four sites. The government is building 800 units on four hectares of its land in Pennys Bay. By September, a further 700 units will be built on part of a 60-hectare site at Pennys Bay zoned for tourism use and earmarked for Disneylands second phase. Whether the quarantine facilities coming up there will be permanent is subject to negotiation. Chan stressed the need to think ahead, so officials would not have to scramble to buy beds and fans like we did for Chun Yeung Estate, referring to the newly built Fo Tan public estate that was turned into one of the quarantine centres. Although the situation has eased a bit, we are still in emergency mode Sophia Chan Reviewing the past few months of grappling with the coronavirus, Chan said what proved most challenging was remaining in battle mode at all times, especially when Hong Kong was recording more than 60 new cases a day in late March. Many new arrangements were rolled out in a rush at that time, she said, referring to the testing centre that was set up near the airport as an example. As for criticism the government did not react quickly enough at the start of the outbreak, she said almost all involved matters that had already been acted upon or were being acting on, but had not yet announced. Chan, who has not taken leave since the outbreak began, said: Now we are in a battle. Although the situation has eased a bit, we are still in emergency mode. Help us understand what you are interested in so that we can improve SCMP and provide a better experience for you. We would like to invite you to take this five-minute survey on how you engage with SCMP and the news. More from South China Morning Post: This article Coronavirus: Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong consider ways to create a travel bubble for easier movement across borders first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. There had been two major Sean O'Casey productions scheduled for 2020: The Shadow of a Gunman was due to open at the Gate next week, and Juno and the Paycock was due in the Olympia in July from Decadent Theatre Company. These productions were clearly intended as a nod to the centenary commemorations of the Civil War and would have formed part of the national debate, had virus-shaped events not blown the more contentious period of commemorations off centre stage. You can almost hear the sigh of relief - the year had not started well with the controversial proposed RIC event. Since his debut in 1923 with The Shadow of a Gunman, O'Casey has remained enduringly popular. His plays have repeatedly rescued the Abbey from financial ruin over the decades. Poet Valentin Iremonger and playwright Roger McHugh protested against the lazy revivals of O'Casey on the Abbey stage in the 1940s, where he was trotted out as a money-spinner without the theatre investing much creative effort. The Plough and the Stars was the play running on the night of the Abbey fire in 1951. The Easter Rising centenary commemorations of 2016 saw a Gate production of Juno and the Paycock and an Abbey production of The Plough and the Stars. In 2014, the National Theatre in London produced The Silver Tassie, the fourth O'Casey Dublin play, which revolves around World War I. It seems that O'Casey is the go-to guy for commemorative drama. Descendants of his talent include actor and writer Emmet Kirwan and director Louise Lowe. Kirwan has a campaigning, socially engaged persona, his work creating heroic everyman archetypes from working-class characters. Kirwan has extended his talent into film and video, with his hit play Dublin Oldschool made into a successful film last year. Lowe, who made her name with the theatrically innovative Anu Productions, was due to bring her distinctive directing style to the Gate production of Shadow. She directed an award-winning adaptation of O'Casey's lost one-act play Nannie's Night Out last year at the Gate. O'Casey's writerly fingerprints are evident in the work of many others, including the marginalised characters of Conor McPherson's plays and the homeless squatters in Cristin Kehoe's impressive debut, Shelter. Like Charles Dickens before him, O'Casey gave the impoverished classes a lasting nobility. O'Casey fell out with many people over the years, finding it impossible to even consider bending the knee to avoid conflict. This did not make life easy for a man dependent on his writing to support his family. O'Casey's creative life is dotted with painful and public rows. There was the opening night of The Plough in 1926, when he was confronted by the enraged widows of 1916 in the Abbey foyer. Over three decades later in 1958, he was still being roughed up by dominant ideologies when he was forced to withdraw The Drums of Father Ned from the Dublin Theatre Festival. All his life, O'Casey was the artist that the establishment could not abide. Part of the reason for his endurance is the astute comic touches in these family dramas. But what resonates most strongly today is O'Casey's chippy, uncompromising persona and his social conscience. He appeals to a politically alert, activist generation, who are not afraid to pick a fight. He was a committed Marxist and happily made his characters spout lefty tracts, sometimes to comic effect, as with the Covey in The Plough. Above all, though, his characters embody the lived reality of early 20th-century capitalism's victims. Their lives were the problem for which he saw socialism as a cure. He was, in modern parlance, completely woke. The EU FMs have issued a statement on the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean. The statement runs as follows: Following the latest decision by Turkey to dispatch a drilling ship on a new drilling operation within Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone the EU recalls and reaffirms its position as clearly defined by previous relevant Council and European Council conclusions, notably those of June 2019 and October 2019 on Turkeys continued illegal activities in the Eastern Mediterranean. In line with previous Council Conclusions, the EU stands in full solidarity with Cyprus and reiterates that concrete steps towards creating an environment conducive to dialogue are needed. Issues related to delimitation of exclusive economic zones and the continental shelf should be addressed through dialogue and negotiation in good faith, in full respect of international law and in pursuit of the principle of good neighbourly relations. In this respect, we welcome once again the invitation by the Government of Cyprus to Turkey to negotiate in good faith the maritime delimitation between their relevant coasts. The most recent escalating actions by Turkey regrettably go in the opposite direction. We deplore that Turkey has not yet responded to the European Union's repeated calls to cease such activities and reiterate our call on Turkey to show restraint, refrain from such actions, and respect the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Cyprus, in accordance with international law. Recalling the European Council Conclusions of March 2018, the EU condemns the escalation of Turkeys violations of Greek national airspace, including overflights of inhabited areas, and territorial sea, in violation of international law. Turkey should avoid making threats and taking actions that damage good neighbourly relations. It should instead respect the international law, including the law of the sea, and in particular the sovereignty of all EU Member States over their territorial sea as well as all their sovereign rights in their maritime zones, including those generated by islands, as well as refrain from violating the sovereignty of EU Member States over their air space. All members of the international community must abide by these principles and should refrain from any actions undermining regional stability and security. The EU and Turkey have a strong interest in an improvement of their relations through a dialogue which is intended to create an environment of trust. Abstaining from unilateral actions is a basic element to allow the dialogue to advance. That is why, in full solidarity with Cyprus and Greece, the EU reiterates the serious negative impact that these illegal actions have across the range of EU-Turkey relations. The Council will remain seized of the matter. Graduation 2020 is a little different. Because you won't be able to be photographed at your high school and college graduations, we asked you to send us photos to commemorate the end of the school year. Here are some of Connecticut's graduates... If you'd like to be included, click here for submission instructions. Note: Ad blocker may prevent you from scrolling to the bottom of the page. LANSING>> Michigan will confront multibillion-dollar declines in tax revenue and record-high enrollment in government health insurance programs a double whammy from the coronavirus pandemic that may lead to major cuts in services. Legislative experts and top officials in Gov. Gretchen Whitmers administration agreed to revised budget estimates Friday after hearing economic forecasts. The steep downward revision from revenue estimates issued just four months ago a combined drop of nearly $6.3 billion this fiscal year and next was unprecedented. Revenues in the school aid and general funds, the states two main accounts, are projected this fiscal year to fall nearly $3 billion, or 12%, from last years levels. The outlook is dire for the next budget, too, with revenues in the major funds coming in $2.2 billion, or 9%, below 2018-19 collections. These numbers are staggering, said Mary Ann Cleary, director of the nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency. Officials project that the economic downturn will result in an additional 500,000 people needing Medicaid, which covers health care for low-income residents. That would cost the state $569 million more in the next fiscal year, draining what already will be a smaller $9.3 billion general fund. This is potentially as bad if not worse than the Great Recession. We were only able to make it through that because the federal government provided us resources so we could backfill our losses, said budget director Chris Kolb. The bottom line is, if were going to save lives and provide critical services to Michiganders throughout this crisis, were going to need flexibility and support from the federal government. The state is getting $3 billion as part of the $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill, but it cannot be used to offset lost revenue. Congress and President Donald Trump are being pushed to send $500 billion more to states, though it is uncertain what will happen. By law, the state must cut, or prorate, payments to K-12 schools, universities and community colleges if their allocated funding exceeds the amount available to be spent. That would be the equivalent of a $650 per-student cut for districts this fiscal year, 8% of the $8,111 base amount most schools receive, according to the state budget office. The Legislature, controlled by Republicans, would have 30 days to prevent or alter the per-pupil reduction by redirecting funds or tapping the states rainy day fund. A tax hike would be unlikely. None of us wants to cut our kids education as a result of COVID-19 not one us, said Whitmer, who urged Congress to act in the next few weeks. The chairmen of the House and Senate budget committees called on the Democratic governor to issue a new budget proposal for the coming fiscal year, which starts in October, and to work with them to begin spending reductions immediately to balance the current budget. Every day she waits leaves us with fewer options and less money, said Republican Sen. Jim Stamas, of Midland. He said the $3 billion revenue hole in the current fiscal year accounts for more than 30% of what is left in the school and general funds. Kolb said even if the state emptied its $1.2 billion in savings, there would still be a roughly $2 billion shortfall. I can eliminate 12 departments, including if we did away with the budget for the Legislature and the judiciary branch, and we would not have $2 billion. Thats in a full year, let alone what we have left in this fiscal year, he said. GOP lawmakers said the picture would have been less grim if Whitmer had reopened parts of the state that have not been hit as hard by the virus, boosting tax revenues. The governor, who has let some business sectors restart in a state with the countrys fourth-highest reported death toll from COVID-19, defended the slow reengagement of the economy as a way to avoid a second surge in cases that would force her to reimpose restrictions. U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, I-Cascade Township, has dropped any plans to seek a presidential bid as a Libertarian candidate, he announced Saturday. Amash, who represents Michigans 3rd Congressional District, announced April 28 he formed an exploratory committee to look at running, took to Twitter to say he would not run. This was a difficult decision for me, especially having seen grassroots supporters put so much effort into this campaign. Its been humbling and awesome, he wrote. After much reflection, Ive concluded that circumstances dont lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year, and therefore I will not be a candidate. Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 16, 2020 Ive spent nearly three weeks assessing the race, appearing in media, talking to delegates and donors, watching the Libertarian Partys convention plan unfold, and gathering feedback from family, friends, and other advisers.'' Amash describes himself as a constitutional conservative and a libertarian, and has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump. He was elected as a Republican in 2010. He left the Republican Party in July and became an independent after calling for impeachment proceedings against Trump. In Saturdays Twitter string, he indicated it was unlikely he could get the media exposure -- whether through social media or traditional media -- to reach voters. Polarization is near an all-time high. Electoral success requires an audience willing to consider alternatives, but both social media and traditional media are dominated by voices strongly averse to the political risks posed by a viable third candidate, he wrote. Amash drew national headlines in May 2019 when he became the first Republican in Congress to call for impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. He said he made the comments after reviewing U.S. Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into 2016 election interference. Related stories What West Michigan residents are saying about Justin Amashs potential presidential run Why Congressman Justin Amash believes he can win the presidency Meet Justin Amash: Michigan congressman exploring presidential bid as Libertarian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is committed to more help for airlines after Air Canada announced plans to slash its workforce by at least half, but its unclear what that support might look like. In an emailed statement, Air Canada said Friday that it will reduce its staff by 50 to 60 per cent on June 7, leaving up to 22,800 people out of a job. We recognize that certain areas are harder hit than others. Airlines is a great example of something that was going well before the pandemic, Trudeau said Saturday, while also announcing the start of the countrys first clinical trials of a potential vaccine and a $300 increase of the Canada Child Benefit for May. We are going to need airlines afterwards. We need to make sure we can support them through in the right way that makes sense for Canadians. Air Canada said business is down 95 per cent because of the COVID-19 pandemic and normal traffic levels arent expected to return any time soon. We are doing this in order to conserve cash, right-size our business for the level of traffic we anticipate in the mid- to longer-term and to position ourselves to rebuild once business returns, the statement said. We are working with our unions to implement these measures in accordance with our collective agreements. The company said its current workforce was built to handle 51 million customers a year, 1,500 flights a day and 258 aircraft: With current realities, this is simply not sustainable going forward. Trudeau said the government is working with the airline industry on support, but didnt commit to sector-specific assistance. Were going to continue to work with airlines across this country to make sure that theyre drawing on the benefit packages that weve put forward for workers through the Canada (Emergency) Wage Subsidy, he said. On Friday, Trudeau announced the $73-billion subsidy will be extended through the end of August. He also noted Saturday that theres a separate bridge financing program for major airlines and other large employers with at least $300 million in revenue, called the Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility. It is not a bailout, he said. It is a loan that is going to help them get through. Were still working with companies to see who is taking that up and how the format of it will be worked out. A spokesperson for the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents Air Canada workers, declined to comment because the union is still in an open labour negotiation. Air Canada, the countrys largest airline, used the wage subsidy to rehire more than 16,000 employees who were laid off in March, but hasnt said whether it will extend participation in the program. Meanwhile, on top of the one-time May increase, Trudeau announced the maximum Canada Child Benefit will rise starting July 20: to $6,765 annually per child under age six and $5,708 from age six to 17. Also, the countrys first clinical trials of a possible vaccine for COVID-19 will take place at the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, which the prime minister called encouraging news. The National Research Council of Canada will be working with manufacturers so that if these vaccines are successful, we can produce and distribute it here at home. With files from The Canadian Press Read more about: By Trend Iran President Hassan Rouhani announced reopening the businesses in the country after Ramadan. Regarding the reopening of religious and holy places, the President said that after Ramadan they are supposed to open in accordance with the health protocols given to them by the Ministry of Health, Trend reports citing IRIB. "The holy places will be open for three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening, he said at the meeting of National Committee on Combating Coronavirus today on May 16, adding that the pilgrimage stops should be short. He said that the restaurants will open following the health protocols after Ramadan. The university entrance exams will be held the protocols are announced, the head of state said. Referring the reopening of universities, Rouhani said that they will start their activities on June 6. "Sport matches will start within the health protocols and without spectators," the president said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz District In-charge Minister C T Ravi said that stranded Kannadigas in Australia would be brought back through special flight. Interacting with stranded Kannadigas in Australia through Skype on Saturday, he said the issues of Kannadigas would be brought to the notice of state and Central governments. More than 1,500 Kannadigas have expressed their wish to return to their native places from Australia. Stranded Kannadigas said that the Indian Embassy in Australia was catering to the needs of the Indians. Kannada Sangha has been joining hands with the Embassy in various activities. The minister said that the post of vice chairman of NRI Forum was lying vacant, which will be brought to the notice of CM. Ravi said artistes from Karnataka should be invited for cultural programmes in Australia. Kannadigas have a responsibility to create a brand for Karnataka in Australia. Kannada and Culture department and Kannada Book Authority will supply old Kannada books for libraries in foreign countries. The issue of extending the education loan repayment period will be brought to the notice of the government. Further, he said that the COVID-19 had cast a shadow on tourism sector. Measures will be taken to attract tourists in a phased manner in future. Less than two weeks after an abortive mercenary invasion aimed at overthrowing Venezuelas government and murdering its president that was hatched by the Trump White House, the US State Department on Wednesday renewed it classification of the country as not fully cooperating with Washingtons global war on terrorism. Also added to the list was Cuba, whose embassy in Washington was targeted by a gunman armed with an automatic weapon on April 30, an act that elicited not a word of condemnation from the Trump administration. This marked the first time that Cuba has been placed on the list since 2015, when it was removed as part of negotiations between US President Barack Obama and Cubas Raul Castro on the normalization of relations between the two countries. That move was backed by major American financial and corporate interests seeking to compete with the Chinese and Europeans in and for the Cuban market. Prior to that, Cuba had been classified for 33 years as a state sponsor of terrorism. The designation stemmed from Havanas support for both Nicaragua, at the time under siege by the terrorist contra army organized by the CIA, and El Salvadors Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), carrying out an armed revolt against the murderous US-backed juntas that ruled El Salvador. Both the Sandinistas and the FMLN have since transformed themselves into bourgeois parties, leading right-wing governments in their respective countries. The hypocrisy of Washington branding Venezuela and Cuba as complicit in terrorism is as brazen as it is boundless. On the same day that the State Department released its list, Venezuelas delegation to the United Nations filed formal charges with the Security Council and the Secretary General over the armed terrorist attacks carried out on the countrys northern coast on May 3 and 4 by mercenaries organized, trained and financed by the governments of the US and Colombia. The Venezuelan government reported capturing 39 more armed men on its border with Colombia Thursday, bringing the number detained since the landings in the coastal towns of Macuto and Chuao in the north of Venezuela to 91. Captured mercenaries in Chuao, Venezuela Among those detained are two ex-US special forces operatives, Luke Alexander Denman, 34, and Airan Berry, 41, who have been formally charged with terrorism, facing sentences of between 25 and 30 years in prison. The two ex-US soldiers were recruited for the operation by a US security contractor, Silvercorp, Inc., run by a former Green Beret, Jordan Goudreau, who was put into contact with Washingtons puppet and self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido by Trumps longtime security chief. A contract signed between the two of them, along with other members of Guaidos entourage, has been posted online, revealing that the US puppet had agreed to pay $212 million for an armed operation that, if successful, would have led to either the capture or murder of President Maduro, along with the killing of an unknown number of other Venezuelans, both civilian and military. Guaido was named in the contract as the commander in chief of the mercenary operation. While branding Caracas as uncooperative in the US war on terror, the Trump administration has shown no inclination to extradite Goudreau to face charges of terrorism in Venezuela. On the contrary, it has vowed to use all tools at its disposal to free the two US mercenaries caught red-handed on the beaches of Venezuela. US terrorism against Venezuela did not begin with the landings on its northern coast earlier this month, but rather has been sustained through a maximum pressure regime of economic sanctions tantamount to a state of war, preventing the country from importing food and vital medical supplies in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Washingtons claim that Caracas is uncooperative in the so-called US war on terrorism is based on the claim that Maduro and other members of the Venezuelan government are involved in narco-terrorism. The Pentagon has deployed warships off the Venezuelan coast on this pretext, even as US intelligence officials acknowledge that the vast majority of drugs coming into the United States are passing through the territories of Washingtons closest allies in Colombia and Central America. In Cubas case, the cynicism of the US decree is equally blatant. Its principal charge is that Havana failed to accede to the demands of Colombias right-wing President Ivan Duque to extradite representatives of the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group, who had come to the Cuban capital as part of a series of peace negotiations that resulted in a settlement between the main guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Colombian government. For its part, Cuba has recorded the deaths of 3,478 of its citizens and the wounding of 2,099 as a result of terrorist operations launched from the US and with the aid and complicity of the US government. Also included on the list of those not cooperating fully with Washingtons war on terror were Iran, Syria and North Korea. Iran responded with a statement from Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi, who said, With a history of founding, funding & arming different terrorist groups, a record of state terrorism, and its outright support for another terrorist regime [Israel], US is not a good yardstick for measuring anti-terrorism efforts." In January of this year, Washington carried out an act of flagrant state terrorism with the drone missile assassination of one of Irans senior state officials, Gen. Qassem Suleimani, as he was making a state visit to Iraq for talks with the countrys prime minister. As for Syria, the country has been the victim for nearly a decade of a US-organized war for regime change that has utilized Al Qaeda-linked militias as its main proxy ground troops. US officials have told the media that Washington is preparing to return Cuba to its list of state sponsors of terrorism and to brand various elements of Venezuelas security forces as terrorist entities. These measures would pave the way for redoubled US aggression against both countries. While both the Maduro government in Venezuela and that headed by President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Cuba have sought to accommodate themselves to the interests of US and world imperialism, Washington has shown no inclination to compromise. The Trump administration, while currying favor with the right-wing Cuban and Venezuelan exile groups in Florida in advance of the 2020 election, is basing its policy on the drive by American imperialism to roll back the influence of Russia and China in the Western Hemisphere. The charges of failure to cooperate with the war on terrorism" are being leveled to prepare for a global war that entails unimaginable terror for the population of the entire planet. (Natural News) Since 2009, the worlds largest meat company, JBS, and several of its competitors, including Marfrig, have signed agreements with both Greenpeace and Brazilian prosecutors in which they committed that they would no longer buy from farms which had been involved in illegal deforestation in Brazil. In terms of the Greenpeace deal, it was also agreed that these companies would no longer have any business dealings with producers accused of land grabs or who had been convicted in rural conflicts. The deal they signed with the countrys federal prosecutors bans agreements with farmers who have been convicted of, or are being investigated for, involvement in rural conflicts. While these agreements are good for the public relations images of companies like JBS, they may not be worth the paper they are written on. Reports out of Brazil indicate that the worlds largest meat companies are working around these agreements by engaging in cattle laundering a system in which a farmer who has been engaged in a rural conflict or whose farm has a history of environmental issues sells his cattle to a farm which has a spotless track record. The big meat companies then purchase their cattle from these clean farms, thereby upholding the agreements they have signed, even though the cattle originate on farms that they are not supposed to be supporting. Now, an investigation by Reporter Brasil has found that this practice of cattle laundering has linked both JBS and Marfrig to Valdelir Joao de Souza, a farmer accused of ordering the brutal massacre of nine men. (Related: Deforestation in the Amazon increased 29 percent over the past year.) The Colniza massacre As reported by The Guardian, JBS has come under increasing pressure recently because of its practice of cattle laundering. And a clear link to a farmer accused of ordering the death of nine men is proving to be a PR nightmare for the company. The Guardian reported: On 19 April 2017, nine men were brutally murdered in what became known as the Colniza massacre. The men had been squatting on remote forest land in the state of Mato Grosso when their bodies were found, according to court documents. Some showed signs of torture; some had been stabbed, others shot. According to charges filed by state prosecutors in Mato Grosso, the massacre was carried out by a gang known as the hooded ones. The aim, they said, was to terrify locals, take over land they lived on and extract valuable natural resources. On 15 May 2017, prosecutors said they had charged Valdelir Joao de Souza, a farmer who owned two timber companies on neighbouring land, and four others with homicide and forming or being part of an illegal paramilitary group. Prosecutors said de Souza had ordered the massacre, although he had not been present when it occurred. De Souza has been on the run ever since, but that hasnt stopped him from continuing his farming interests. In April 2018, he purchased two farms in the Rondonia state. Government records indicate that in May 2018, these farms sold 143 cattle to Mauricio Narde, who worked for de Souza back in 2017. Within minutes of purchasing the cattle from de Souzas farms, Narde sold them to a JBS meatpacker. Then, government records indicate that in June 2018, one of de Souzas farms sold 153 head of cattle to a clean farm owned by a farmer named Jose Carlos de Albuquerque. Though de Albuquerque denies the fact, government records indicate that he then went on to sell the cattle to JBS and Marfrig slaughterhouses. Greenpeace opted out of their agreement with the meat companies back in 2017, after JBS was fined for buying cattle from farms in illegally deforested parts of the Amazon, and an audit by Brazilian prosecutors indicated that sales records for a whopping 19 percent of the cattle purchased by JBS in 2016 revealed evidence of irregularities. (Related: What do mining and chocolate have in common? Deforestation of rainforests.) Clearly, they were right to do so. If you care about the issues facing the environment, bookmark Environ.news. Sources include: TheGuardian.com TheGuardian.com A New Jersey police union is suing state officials over restrictions on when retired cops can carry concealed guns. In a lawsuit filed Monday, the states Fraternal Order of Police argued that requiring former officers to apply for local permits violates their national right ... to carry concealed firearms anywhere in the United States, including New Jersey." The complaint is the latest attempt by gun rights advocates to push back against New Jersey gun laws, which are some of the toughest in the nation. The fight has become especially pronounced during the coronavirus shutdown, and a local firearms club recently sued the state to re-open gun ranges. Federal law allows a qualified law enforcement officer," which includes retired cops, to carry concealed firearms. That proposal passed in 2004 and has since been amended. New Jersey law agrees that former officers may carry, but they must jump through additional hoops, from application fees to receiving approval from the head of the State Police. New Jersey should do away with those permits, the complaint says. The state should also stop any prosecutions of anyone who violated New Jerseys requirements and reimburse attorney fees. The lawsuit is directed at state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and acting State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan. A Grewal spokesman declined comment, and the State Police did not respond to a request for comment. In the complaint, three residents said they were hurt by New Jerseys limitations. One is former Secret Service officer Richard Bowen, according to the lawsuit. Bowen is in his 70s, and New Jersey law wont allow him to carry a concealed weapon once hes older than 75. That violates his rights under federal law, the suit said. The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for New Jersey along with the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BCunninghamN. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. Millions of businesses may permanently shut their doors due to the loss of revenue caused by Covid-19. The businesses that do manage to remain open may have had to- or will- cut back on employees. The loss of revenue makes it hard for some companies to stay alive and also pay employees. Covid-19 has and will continue to cause many people to lose their jobs either permanently or temporarily. In just a seven-week span, 36.5 million people have filed for unemployment.This is a record high. Manufacturers, construction workers, and service workers are some of the people expected to be hit the hardest by the economic losses caused by the pandemic. There are also a variety of moving companies out there, like California Movers Inc, that are also having to adapt to the Covid-19 pandemic. Some moving companies are allowing potential buyers to get an accurate estimate through a completely online process, rather than giving an estimate in-person. Customers can send a video of their home to display what needs moved or use apps like skype in order to do a virtual walk-through of their homes. What Should Individuals Expect to See from Businesses in The Future? Individuals should expect to see more and more businesses moving towards remote work. This is a great solution in the case that the pandemic causes another large-scale shut down on businesses. Businesses will also take more precautions when it comes to hygiene-related matters. This includes having hand sanitizer and sanitation wipes available. Businesses may also begin cleaning their buildings more often. Individuals should also not expect to see large events held for some time to come. What Steps Should Businesses Take to Keep Their Company Alive? Make Multiple Business Plans Business owners must learn to adapt to change. Everyone is testing their own policies when it comes to Covid-19. Some businesses are limiting the number of customers allowed in a building at one time. This makes it so that stores aren't too crowded and customers can distance themselves from others easier. It also decreases the risk for employees. Other businesses are blocking some entrances in order to guide customers into using a specific entry and exit way. In addition, some companies have representatives shopping for the customer in order to limit the amount of hands touching a product. Some companies are also closing their physical locations except for pick up orders. These are all creative ways to get people to social distance without permanently closing a physical business location. Some of these policies may need tweaked in order to work out in the long-term so it is a good idea to be flexible. Experiment with what you can change. If you make a new policy, be ready to change it if it doesn't work out. Digitize your Business Doing business under Covid-19 has forced many businesses to digitize in order to ensure business continuity and avoid the economic impact of the global medical crisis. Going online to weather the storm has become as much a necessity as an option for business owners especially. As we progress beyond the coronavirus crisis, doing business under Covid-19 has helped many business owners to prepare for the new normal in an interesting twist of fate. Even now, more people are moving online to work, play and shop, and an increasing number of people are actively seeking out a means to earn a living online. Among the many benefits of the digitization of business operations is the ability to engage in business process outsourcing. The influx of new freelancers in online markets has also provided an invaluable resource base for those businesses that are digitizing. The digitization of business operations also allows for an immediate access to international markets which increases the opportunities for business growth and expansion. Shift Towards Remote Work Remote work may not be a suitable option for every business. This is because some positions may not be a good fit for remote work. However, companies should make as many positions into remote work positions as they can. If businesses do have remote workers, they will still have workers able to work if the pandemic causes physical businesses to shut down again. This allows businesses to still have incoming revenue from remote workers. These businesses will also be better off than businesses that only have physical operations. Temperature Test Employees Many companies are already temperature testing employees before they come to work. If an employee has a fever, they will be sent home in order to keep the rest of the workers from getting sick. This isn't a guarantee that the spread of Covid-19 will be prevented. Even a non-sick individual can be a carrier for Covid-19. However, the practice does lower the potential of infected individuals spreading Covid-19. Expand Online Sales Platforms Online business is skyrocketing due to Covid-19 because many buyers can no longer safely leave their homes. Due to the virus, there has been a surge in Amazon orders and this has caused Amazon to run behind on deliveries. This is one example of how running an online platform can allow a company to thrive during this time. Many businesses are suffering and even shutting down. This is because of profit losses from the lack of steady customers and/or companies being forced to shut down their physical locations. The best thing for a business to do at this time is to focus on their online sales platform. This will allow some revenue to continue to come in, even when a physical business location gets shut down. Postpone Events Many companies like to advertise that they are a great place to work by hosting company events or award ceremonies. A company picnic is a great way to boost worker morale but it is still a large gathering of people. If one worker has Covid-19, they may spread the disease throughout your workers and largely impact your work force. In addition, a positive Covid-19 case may be enough to cause your business to temporarily shut down due to a threat of possible contamination. The business won't open until people clean the building in order to safely prepare it for re-entry. Your company may lose profit while being shut down. In order to prevent the spread of Covid-19, open businesses should limit human interactions as much as possible. Provide Safety Equipment to Employees Providing masks and gloves to workers should be a given. It is the same concept as a kid coming into kindergarten with lice which leads the whole class to catch lice. Even if a physical worker does not deal with the public, they still have to deal with other workers or direct supervisors. Safety equipment is especially important for workers who deal with the public on a regular basis. The risk is increased substantially for these workers because they are exposed to both workers and customers. Use Video Chat Platforms to Hold Meetings Using video chat platforms whenever possible to connect to your associates is a smart move. If you are doing online meetings, remember to keep everyone on the same page. Relay meetings times and dates as clearly as you can. You can send email reminders to remind individuals of meeting times in the case that they forget. It may also be a good idea to include a guide in the email explaining how individuals can access the online meeting room. Your workers may be unfamiliar with certain video chat platforms. Giving them a guide to follow makes it less likely that technology issues will arise before the set meeting time. Make sure that you also list who to get in contact with if a worker cannot attend a previously scheduled meeting. Communicate with Employees The worst thing that you can do as a leader of a business is to keep employees out of the loop. Many of your employees may be thinking of themselves as 'exposed to a deadly virus'. They may be scared to continue working because of their fear of the virus. Workers during this time will turn to their higher ups, which they expect to provide rules and protections against the Covid-19 virus. If the company takes too long to respond to the issue, then the employees will likely be worked up. It is a common trend in history that humans like to blame one particular entity for the majority of their problems when bad situations arise. It is important to show your employees that you are on their side and thinking of their safety. Employees may start blaming the company for any safety issues that occur during the waiting period. This is especially likely to be true if the company has not supplied any sort of safety equipment or changed their business routines to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The best practice is to be open with your employees. Convey to your employees that they are safe in order to prevent hysteria. Clearly explain what measures you are taking in order to keep up with the pandemic crisis. Don't leave workers waiting for too long or they may begin to make assumptions and point fingers out of fear. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Reelers boycotted the auction in Kolar and at Kyalanur Silk Cocoon Market on Saturday affecting farmers. Efforts of the sericulture department officials and the market authorities to persuade them to participate in the auction failed. The reelers wanted the government to help them as the prices of raw silk reels had dipped. Kolar District Reelers Union President Ansar Pasha said that the reelers purchased the silkworm cocoons from farmers for 50 days despite lockdown. The prices of reels had come down in the market. The Karnataka Silk Marketing Board (KSMB) officials claim to buy 20 kg reels from every reeler a week. However, one reeler generates 100 kg reels. The decision to fix grades to the reels is improper, he charged. The protesting reelers sought the government to completely buy the reels through the KSMB. The government should announce package to the silk reels, besides buying 50 kg reels and make payment. They threatened to boycott the auction till their demands were fulfilled. The prices of silkworm cocoons have dipped after the lockdown. The special packages announced by the State and the Central government have ignored the welfare of farmers, Narayanaswamy, the district sericulture farmers association president alleged. C omic actor Fred Willard, whose improvisation style kept him relevant for more than 50 years in films like This Is Spinal Tap, Best In Show and Anchorman, has died aged 86. Willards daughter, Hope Mulbarger, said in a statement on Saturday that her father died peacefully on Friday night. He kept moving, working and making us happy until the very end, Ms Mulbarger said. We loved him so very much. We will miss him forever. Willard was a four-time Emmy nominee for his roles in Whats Hot, Whats Not, Everybody Loves Raymond, Modern Family and The Bold and the Beautiful. Willard had recently finished filming the Netflix series Space Force, in which he played actor Steve Carells father. How lucky that we all got to enjoy Fred Willards gifts, actress Jamie Lee Curtis said on Twitter. She was married to Christopher Guest who directed Best in Show and Waiting For Guffman. Stars have paid tribute to the comedy actor on social media / Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP Thanks for the deep belly laughs Mr. Willard, she continued. Willards death comes nearly two years after his wife Mary Willard died at the age of 71, who was a playwright and TV writer, earning four Emmy nominations. Willard attending a premiere in Hollywood in 2014 / Getty Images After his wife died, Willard questioned whether he would work again. But he was brought on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to mock President Donald Trumps space force - a reprise role of the 1978 NBC show Space Force. There was no man sweeter or funnier, Kimmel said on Twitter. We were so lucky to know Fred Willard and will miss his many visits. Willard's daughter said he died peacefully on Friday night / Getty Images In 2012, Willard had a brush with the law after he was arrested after being suspected of committing a lewd act at a Hollywood adult theatre. He called the arrest very embarrassing but insisted he did nothing wrong. Its the last time Im going to listen to my wife when she says, Why dont you go and see a movie? Willard said during an appearance on Jimmy Fallons NBC show Late Night. Ruben Sweeney of Temple Carrig school in Greystones said that the Leaving Cert being cancelled is bittersweet. 'I don't really know how to feel,' he said. 'In a way I won't have the stress, pressure and the uncertainty.' This would have been the first Leaving Cert year in the lifetime of the school. He said that he is pleased to know what's happening. 'I don't know if it's going to be a fair reflection of everyone in the country,' said Ruben. 'Personally, I feel that if it had gone ahead I would have done better than my predicted grades. That's the kind of student I am.' He said that there would be people who would not have put as much weight on their mocks and homework assignments as the exams. 'The only important thing maybe was the Leaving Cert in June, and they put all their eggs in one basket.' Ruben said that he opted to re-sit the exams, rather than have calculated grades, he doesn't know if they would be corrected in time for college. 'There is still a little bit of uncertainty there,' he said. 'I don't know how they will accurately assess how a student gets on at home,' he said. 'I do grinds. That wouldn't be obvious necessarily in school.' Dylan McKenna O'Toole goes to St Kilian's in Bray and he had previously made his feelings known in a spoken word piece, objecting to the postponement of the exams. 'In a way some of the pressure has now been transferred from the students to the teachers,' said Dylan, who said that he hopes the work he had done will stand him in good stead for the future. He would like to study media at DLIADT and hopes that the grades he and other receive will help to reflect their aptitude for the particular course they are hoping to do. For the young people across the board, they have all now finished their schooling without the events of the final days in school. 'For us the big night is the graduation, it's always really special,' said Dylan. 'Our principal Mr Murphy has said we will have that like any other year when we can,' he said. 'All of the students would have been watching the graduation ceremony each year for their years in the school.' For now, the debs is still scheduled to go ahead in the autumn. Ruben's group in Greystones have decided at this stage to cancel the debs for the time being. Not seeing them has been very difficult for not just Ruben, but most sixth years, he said 'It's really taken a toll on my mental health,' he said. 'We've all been working so hard for the past six years. We all had plans for what should have been one of the best summers of our life,' he said. 'That's gone now. We can't get summer jobs, holidays are cancelled. The past few weeks have been really tough on us. Hopefully we will be starting college in the autumn.' He wants to study geography in Trinity and is hoping that whatever system is worked out, he can get there this year without having to wait another year. 'I do trust the teachers, I think they're great and I trust their judgement,' he said. 'I hope they will have a certain amount of empathy. 'The principal and teachers will want what's best for the students and in a way this isn't fair on them,' he said. 'They are going to be determining the fate of their own students. I think it will be hard for them to give a grade.' He has been in touch with a few friends. 'Lots of people are very happy,' he said. 'Other people are worried they might not have been ding so well or putting in the effort. If we had been told at the start of 5th year it would be continuous assessment, that would have been fine.' Dylan said that the feedback he has been getting overall has been positive. 'It's not going to be suitable for everyone, but I think it was the only way forward,' he said. Likewise, Ruben agreed that everyone's circumstances are different. 'I don't think there's one way to grade everyone and it be fair for everyone,' he said. 'Either way, someone loses.' Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 19:32:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) on Saturday announced that all of the country's electric railway service hours will be adjusted from Sunday onward to meet the new curfew hours. The Thai Airport Rail Link (ARL) on Saturday began services from 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.. The line usually transports passengers to Bangkok's main international airport at Suvarnabhumi. Despite the change in curfew hours, however, international air travel is currently banned under the emergency decree which ends on May 31. Meanwhile, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) is also extending its daily electric railway service hours until 10:30 p.m. The new service hours will apply to MRT's Blue Line and Purple Line where the last electric trains will reach their terminals within 10:30 p.m. instead of 9.30 p.m., so that commuters will have enough time to arrive home before the curfew starts. The move came after the Thai government's announcement of reducing curfew hours from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. The SRT recommended commuters to wear face masks, wash their hands with alcohol gel and keep away from other people for at least one meter at the stations. Enditem An Italian-designed 'polka dot' system for marking social-distancing policies in offices and public places has been launched here A POLKA-DOT product designed to help Italians return to work, shops and other public places following their own harrowing Covid-19 lockdown is coming to Ireland. The system designed by Milan start-up TCommunications has just been licensed for production and sale here by Dun Laoghaire firm Kiciprop. The product, called 'Safety Pois' - Italian for polka dots - involves kits of green, amber and red circles for floors. These provide a visual aid for organising where people should walk, stand and stop in line with the firm's social distancing regime. TCommunications already has reported sales of 1.5m and clinched similar production and distribution deals in the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Russia, US, Canada and Australia - barely five weeks since it first developed the product. Among its Italian clients is fashion house Versace. When Hudsons Bay Company started re-opening its stores across the country last week, the Manitoba locations were first, not because there is more pent up demand here but because provincial regulations made it possible. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. When Hudsons Bay Company started re-opening its stores across the country last week, the Manitoba locations were first, not because there is more pent up demand here but because provincial regulations made it possible. On Thursday, stores in the rest of Western Canada and Nova Scotia were opened. As one would expect of a brand thats 350 years old, the company is trying to put on a brave face in the midst of a tectonic shift away from department store shopping that was well under way before COVID-19 threw off everyones strategic plans. Or maybe thats not what happened. Maybe its allowed some to speed up those plans, especially if those plans include closing stores. In fact, that is exactly the rationale Hudsons Bay Co. used in justifying closing its downtown Edmonton store this fall, which it announced on Thursday. The company said, "As Hudsons Bay has worked to adjust operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has also accelerated its strategy to elevate the brand and improve performance." Craig Patterson, Director of Applied Research at the University of Alberta School of Retailing and the editor-in-chief of Retail-Insider, noticed that would make Edmonton the first city in the country without a downtown department store. He believes Winnipeg will be next. "Im surprised it hasnt happened yet," he said. "Its a miracle (that the downtown store is still open)." Patterson said the two month shut down of the bricks and mortar retail industry may be giving some department store companies the opportunity to cull the herd, as it were. The fact that the 675,000-square-foot Portage and Memorial landmark now has heritage status, means it cant be torn down. The Hudsons Bay Co.s own real estate advisors recently valued the property at $0.00, so its not like potential buyers are experiencing sticker shock. In an understatement, Sandy Shindleman, whose real estate company, Shindico, did extensive research on the possibility of retrofitting the building when Manitoba Hydro was looking for a new head office, said, "The store is not in great shape. To put it into first class shape or third class shape it would cost more than the building is worth." Most Winnipeggers are aware of various re-development schemes that have been floated over the years for that building. There was talk that about a decade ago The Bay tried to gift the building to the University of Winnipeg. There is some revived hope that the proposed $400 million investment that Starlight Investments is planning to make in redeveloping Portage Place will somehow create renewed value in the big department store across the street. Starlights closing of its acquisition of Portage Place has been extended into August, but there are plenty of positive noises about that deal going forward, including what sounds like an imminent announcement from the province about some sort of additional support for that project. But retail industry veterans like Shindleman and Patterson do not see a future for department stores downtown. "Polo Park is the downtown shopping district of Winnipeg," Shindleman said. "There is no two ways about it." Patterson said The Bay has wanted to close the downtown store for years. "They have downsized it to two floors. You dont do that if you have a successful store," he said. Now that COVID-19 has pushed many department stores to the brink, with a number of chains, especially in the U.S., filing for creditor protection, including Nieman Marcus, J. Crew, Pier 1 and late Friday, JC Penney; it may embolden others to do to the same. Hudsons Bay company was recently taken private which means there is a sizable debt management issue that will have to be dealt with. The company told the Free Press on Friday that it has no new information to share about its downtown Winnipeg store. 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. And while no one believes there is anything imminent afoot, Patterson figures that The Bay will downsize its 89 stores in Canada 88 after the closure of Edmonton City Centre over the course of the next two or three years. "My expectation is there will be something happening, like some sort of creditor protection filing in order to close many, many stores," he said. His thinking is that would definitely include Winnipegs downtown store, as well as the store in St. Vital Centre. He believes Edmonton will go from six to two stores. Same thing in Calgary. "I would predict in a few years, not in three months, there will be 30-40 exceptional Hudsons Bay store across the country featuring exceptional, great shopping experiences," he said. It may not be hard to understand why The Bay might close that store. The big question remains what will replace it at the corner of Portage and Memorial. martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: Uzbekistan has allocated 1.5 trillion soum ($148.5 million) from the state budget to support the population and reconstruction work after the Sardoba dam collapse, Trend reports citing the data of Yuksalish nationwide movement. Of this amount, 123 billion soum ($12,1 million) will be spent to repair houses. It is also planned to build three new arrays and several social facilities. In addition, 163 billion soum ($16.1 million) will spent on potable water restoration and implementation, 390 billion soum ($38.4 million) on restoration of roads and bridges, 100 billion soum ($9.8 million) - irrigation system, 13 billion soum ($1.2 million) - communication system, 22 billion soum ($2.1 million) - natural gas supply, 68 billion soum ($6.6 million) - on electricity and one billion soum ($98,498) will be spent to document recovery. On May 1, 2020, heavy rains caused a Sardoba dam wall nearby the districts to collapse partially, flooding a large land area. As a result of the emergency accident, 2,570 individual and 76 apartment buildings in Sardoba, Akalty and Mirzaobod districts were destroyed. Furthermore, 1,781 individual houses and 52 multi-storey houses were partially flooded. Approximately 70 social, production and service facilities, about 20,000 hectares of agricultural land, 828 kilometers of roads, electricity, gas and water supply networks, and communication lines were damaged. About 90,000 residents of Sardoba, Akalty and Mirzaobod districts were evacuated to safe areas. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini It looks like Numis Corporation Plc (LON:NUM) is about to go ex-dividend in the next 4 days. Investors can purchase shares before the 21st of May in order to be eligible for this dividend, which will be paid on the 19th of June. Numis's upcoming dividend is UK0.055 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of UK0.12 per share to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Numis has a trailing yield of 4.3% on the current share price of 2.815. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. As a result, readers should always check whether Numis has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut. Check out our latest analysis for Numis Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Numis distributed an unsustainably high 127% of its profit as dividends to shareholders last year. Without more sustainable payment behaviour, the dividend looks precarious. When the dividend payout ratio is high, as it is in this case, the dividend is usually at greater risk of being cut in the future. Click here to see how much of its profit Numis paid out over the last 12 months. AIM:NUM Historical Dividend Yield May 16th 2020 Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? When earnings decline, dividend companies become much harder to analyse and own safely. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. Numis's earnings per share have fallen at approximately 13% a year over the previous five years. Such a sharp decline casts doubt on the future sustainability of the dividend. Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Numis has delivered 4.1% dividend growth per year on average over the past ten years. The only way to pay higher dividends when earnings are shrinking is either to pay out a larger percentage of profits, spend cash from the balance sheet, or borrow the money. Numis is already paying out 127% of its profits, and with shrinking earnings we think it's unlikely that this dividend will grow quickly in the future. Story continues Final Takeaway Is Numis an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Earnings per share are in decline and Numis is paying out what we feel is an uncomfortably high percentage of its profit as dividends. It's not that we hate the business, but we feel that these characeristics are not desirable for investors seeking a reliable dividend stock to own for the long term. These characteristics don't generally lead to outstanding dividend performance, and investors may not be happy with the results of owning this stock for its dividend. With that in mind though, if the poor dividend characteristics of Numis don't faze you, it's worth being mindful of the risks involved with this business. To help with this, we've discovered 4 warning signs for Numis (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that you ought to be aware of before buying the shares. We wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see, though. Here's a list of interesting dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend. 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. India's desire for peace is born out of strength, should not mistaken otherwise: Army Chief Naravane Nepals protest against link road to Lipulekh Pass: Army Chief hints at China hand India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, May 16: Army Chief General M M Naravane hinted that China may be behind the protest by Nepal against India's new Link Road to the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand. He, however, said that he did not see any concerted design in the recent troop face offs with China. I do not see any contradiction at all as far as the road to the Lipulekh Pass is concerned. In fact, the Nepalese ambassador had mentioned that the east side of Kali Nadi belongs to them. There is no dispute in that, the General also said. India committed to peace and tranquillity along border with China: MEA The road which we have constructed is on the west side of the river. So, I do not know what they are agitating about exactly. There have never been problems on this score in the past. There is reason to believe that they might have raised the issue at the behest of someone else. That is very much a possibility, he also said. Nepal had declared that the Link Road to Lipulekh passed through its territory. It criticised India for the unilateral act. India responded that the road lay completely within its territory. Loading Rooney may be a Millennial writer but her work has now reached a significantly wider audience. In the UK, the adaptation broke records for the BBC's iPlayer, with 16.2 million people watching in its first week (compared to 8 million for Killing Eve). Despite the series being targeted at under 25s, it proved hugely popular with older viewers. The UK Daily Telegraph concluded the show's popularity was "fuelled by middle-aged nostalgia". Stan, which is owned by Nine, the publisher of this newspaper, would not release the Australian data but said the series had set new records for all demographics. But not everyone is a fan. Critic and Guardian columnist Jessa Crispin was "bored" by the series, deriding it as "a story as old as time" padded out with cliched university woes, milquetoast forays into sado-masochistic sex and "performed awareness about class relations". While Rooney's book earned critical acclaim and won a legion of everyday fans, many of the lay reviews on sites such as Amazon complained it was dull, repetitive and frustrating. Of course, frustration is a key feature of the story. Marianne and Connell are supposed to infuriate; they are two highly intelligent but emotionally awkward young people trying to navigate their first love. Their inability to communicate effectively about their desires can be nauseating, but it is also the point. It's easy to see how this could provoke pangs of empathy from fellow Millennial and, at the same time, howls of derision from older and perhaps more jaded observers. It plays into prejudiced assumptions about young people being skittish, unreliable, naive and selfish. Theatre director Sam Strong loved the adaptation, especially its structure of 12 intense half hour episodes, but empathised with those who just don't get it. "People who are older than the characters depicted might have a degree of impatience with the way they express themselves or how much they're able to express themselves," he said. "It's true that the novel is quite a slow burn ... not an enormous amount happens and it's quite focused in its range of characters." It plays into prejudiced assumptions about young people being skittish, unreliable, naive and selfish. Those who adore Normal People see themselves in it - and perhaps their infatuation, whether for the book or screenplay, stems from the rarity of that recognition. There is not a wide selection of explicitly modern literature by and about Millennial; less so novels with quick-witted, politically engaged, culturally aware characters at their core. It is no wonder Normal People resonates with those who produce the lion's share of social commentary and criticism - they are from Rooney's world, and the heartache that plays out between Marianne and Connell at Trinity College would make any 20, 30 or even 40-something university graduate nostalgic for their own halcyon days. Rothfeld, who is 28 and completing her PhD in philosophy at Harvard, says it is no surprise that in the middle of a terrifying pandemic, people find comfort in the world Normal People portrays. "People want to watch escapist TV right now," she says. "It's pleasant to watch glamorous people doing glamorous things. That's why I'm rewatching Downton Abbey. For similar reasons, I think it would be nice to be at college in Dublin." The same flaws that make the characters frustrating also make them attractive. "It is pleasant to imagine a world in which everyone responds to you as if you're brilliant, even if you're behaving in a way that real people would find annoying," Rothfeld says. "Marianne is the classically glamorous aloof woman. All of her problems are glamorous problems: she's too thin, she's too emotionally contained. She doesn't have any of the qualities that might make her difficult for audiences to warm to - it's not like her depression manifests in emotional outbursts." Loading Much of the critical discussion of Rooney's story focuses on its supposed class politics. Marianne comes from wealth, Connell does not. As Rooney's critics point out, it is hardly a groundbreaking premise, though it is compelling to see how that divide manifests in a relationship between two class conscious Millennial. Rooney, herself a Trinity graduate, also identifies as Marxist. Rothfeld argues this has led people to elevate the role of class in her work beyond what is warranted. "There are many books about people from different classes interacting with each other and this is no more radical than many others," she says. "I think if Sally Rooney did not say that she was a Marxist so much in interviews, people would not comment very much on this aspect of the book." Rothfeld says the better rendering of Normal People is that it is a classic love story, conventional in its structure and sensibilities, that has attracted a level of intellectual curiosity far beyond what it deserves. "The two camps I know are people who love it and people who think it's fine and entertaining and are confused as to why it's taken seriously as literature," she says. "I read it on a plane. I think it's great plane reading because it doesn't demand a lot intellectually. It has a couple of references to high literature so you get to feel good about yourself. Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu 16.05.2020 LISTEN Minority Leader in Parliament, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu is urging Ghanaians to resist all attempts by the Electoral Commission (EC) to change the citizenship laws of the country in the planned compilation of a new voters register. According to him, the EC has introduced into Parliament a constitutional instrument that will end up excluding the national ID card and the Birth Certificate from the accepted documents for the registration exercise. To prepare for the new register, the Electoral Commission has introduced into Parliament Constitutional Instrument No. 126 (Public Elections (Registration of Voters)(Amendment) Regulations, 2020) intended to amend Sub-regulation (3) of Regulation 1 of the Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations (C.I. 91). Sub-regulation (3) of Regulation 1 of C.I. 91 establishes the primary documents required for verification of a person who presents herself or himself for registration as a voter, a statement from Haruna Iddrisu has disclosed. It continued, The Electoral Commission, by the proposed amendment, is seeking to limit primary documents to only the Ghanaian passport and a national identification card issued by the National Identification Authority.A voter identification card, which derives its legitimacy from the constitution and particularly Article 42 of the Constitution of Ghana, 1992, is excluded from the list of primary documents. With the NDC sticking to its stance of opposing the compilation of a new voters register, Haruna Iddrisu says Ghanaians must resist attempts by the EC to deny the greater majority their fundamental right to vote as provided by the Constitution. I am therefore calling on Ghanaians to resist this blatant attempt by the Commission to amend or change the citizenship laws of Ghana through the backdoor by using an inferior Instrument to amend an Act of Parliament or by extension the Constitution intended to disenfranchise Ghanaians thereby denying them their fundamental right to vote as provided by the Constitution. Read the full statement from Haruna Iddrisu below: CONSTITUTIONAL INSTRUMENT ON THE COMPILATION OF A NEW VOTERS REGISTER We appear to be in interesting times! The Electoral Commission is saying that it is determined to compile a new voters registration to be used for the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Ghana contrary to good counsel from Civil Society and well-meaning Ghanaians. Their justification for the compilation of a new register is that the existing voters register is bloated and does not make room for facial recognition as a necessary concomitant to the biodata collected of existing voters on the register. To prepare for the new register, the Electoral Commission has introduced into Parliament Constitutional Instrument No. 126 (Public Elections (Registration of Voters)(Amendment) Regulations, 2020) intended to amend Sub-regulation (3) of Regulation 1 of the Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations (C.I. 91). Sub-regulation (3) of Regulation 1 of C.I. 91 establishes the primary documents required for verification of a person who presents herself or himself for registration as a voter. The Electoral Commission, by the proposed amendment is seeking to limit primary documents to only the Ghanaian passport and a national identification card issued by the National Identification Authority. A voter identification card, which derives its legitimacy from the constitution and particularly Article 42 of the Constitution of Ghana, 1992, is excluded from the list of primary documents. But the most shocking revelation is that the Electoral Commission has not brought to Parliament a Constitutional Instrument for the purpose of capturing the facial details of prospective voters. Facial recognition has far-reaching consequences for the enjoyment of fundamental rights of citizens and especially privacy rights. Technological determinism can have disastrously invasive negative effects on the lives of the citizens of this country. The failure of the Electoral Commission to avert its mind to the need for Regulations to guide this exercise is disconcerting! Another critical omission by the Commission is the lack of or limited consideration or thought given to the consequences of the proposed amendment in C.I. 126. It will have the effect of unsettling the Citizenship laws of Ghana. The Citizenship Act,2000 (Act 591) presumes a person born on or before 6th March 1957 to be a Ghanaian provided either parent or grandparent was born in Ghana. Therefore to establish whether a person is prima facie a Ghanaian, one needs to look at the person's birth certificate. Unfortunately, the Electoral Commission will have none of this! The Commission has unwittingly changed the presumption, and any person who appears at the registration centre without a passport or a national identification card issued by the National Identification Authority is presumed not to be a Ghanaian unless two people can vouch for that person. In effect, a child who was born to parents and has a passport but whose parents have no passports or a national identification card issued by the National Identification Authority will have to be vouched for by the child. The child will impliedly confer Ghanaian citizenship on his parents contrary to the express provisions in the Constitution, 1992 and the Citizenship Act, 2000, Act 591. I am therefore calling on Ghanaians to resist this blatant attempt by the Commission to amend or change the citizenship laws of Ghana through the backdoor by using an inferior Instrument to amend an Act of Parliament or by extension the Constitution intended to disenfranchise Ghanaians thereby denying them their fundamental right to vote as provided by the Constitution. Express News Service NEW DELHI/LUCKNOW/MUMBAI/JAIPUR: When Sarika (name changed), 27, of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh felt labour pain late last month, her husband took her to a nursing home where she had been consulting a gynaecologist during her pregnancy. The nursing home was shut and her doctor, over phone, advised her to arrange for a midwife-facilitated homebirth rather than going to the district hospital. I heeded to the doctors advice since the chances of contracting Covid-19 seemed higher at a government hospital teeming with people, said Pawan Kumar (name changed), who teaches in a primary school. Sarika delivered a baby girl on April 29, helped by a retired auxillary nurse midwife. I never wanted it this way but I am thankful I and my child are fine, she said. Sarika may have been lucky; many would not be. But for many months to come, we wont even know of those who might have suffered in unimaginable ways, as they would either opt or be forced to deliver at home without medical supervision. A number of them will die, too, due to complications during the childbirth. A look at the Health Management Information System, maintained by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare suggests that in March 2020 when the nationwide lockdown was enforced institutional deliveries dropped by 43 per cent compared to March 2019. The number of childbirths registered in hospitals public and private across India stood at 17,17,500 in March last year while this year the number dropped to 9,71,782. The differences are equally stark in case of Caeserian Section which may be essential and life-saving in 5-15 per cent of all childbirths which dropped by over 46 per cent in March, as compared to the same month last year. The data for April is not yet available but the figures for March indicate at even more worrying trends that the coming weeks will throw. The numbers suggest the monthly institutional deliveries in March this year may have been the lowest in many years. Data from states confirm the worrying dip in the numbers. In Lucknow, authorities said though the maternity hospitals were functioning throughout the lockdown, the number of expectant mothers coming for follow-up or even delivery, in public and private hospitals, dipped by around 20 per cent. In Rajasthan, data suggest that every month, in about 2200 primary and community health centres and 1,100 private hospitals, nearly 1.5 lakh births were registered last year, but this figure has fallen by almost half during the period. The figures are alarming and while some of this could be explained by issues in reporting, the lockdown has a major role to play, said Dr Subhasri B of CommonHealth. This massive disruption in maternal health services could push back Indias effort on ensuring safe deliveries by about 15 years. Sulakshna Nandi of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan said the drop is a direct result of women struggling to get access to health facilities due to lack of transport, panic among people and doctors and thousands in need being denied services by hospitals. There are numerous instances when women have delivered outside hospitals after being denied admission, she said. Many essential healthcare services have been hit during Covid-19 outbreak and pregnant women are among the worst hit. Last month, Delhi-based Sama group filed a PIL in the Delhi HC seeking directions to the government to pass appropriate orders to ensure that no pregnant woman is denied or discriminated against in accessing essential health services and to take action against hospitals that refuse access and/or admission to pregnant women. The court directed the government, too, but on ground, little has changed. Given that the Covid-19 threat is very real, was there a way out? The government should have planned it better as there cannot be a compromise on essential healthcare services such as pregnant women needing medical care, said Dr Subhashri. As it is, public health system has limited capacity in several states even during normal times, and now it is overwhelmed. Dr Nafis Faizi who teaches community medicine at the Aligarh Muslim University, had similar concerns. When it comes to normal deliveries and C-Sections, we depend on private sector for majority of our needs. But today, with most of them either shut or denying services, its mostly medical college hospitals which are now overburdened, he said. What he says is reflected from many government run tertiary care centres. In Mumbais J J Hospital, for example, 600 women gave births this April as compared to 350 the same month last year. There are non-registered pregnant women also, who could not avail any other option and are turning up, said Dr Ashok Anand in the hospital. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 07:34:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A staff member indroduces children's wear via live broadcast at a clothing company in Jimo District of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, May 15, 2020. Affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, lots of enterprises producing children's wear for exporting in Jimo District of Qingdao have shifted from exports to domestic sales through the combination of online sales and traditional marketing modes. (Photo by Liang Xiaopeng/Xinhua) As Ireland prepares to lift some lockdown restrictions, Free Now has released new travel guidelines. The taxi app is encouraging drivers and passengers to wear face coverings when travelling. It recommends people not to travel in groups of more than two people both of whom should sit in the back seat. The company also wants drivers to install a partition screen in their taxis and says it has been providing screens to drivers still working throughout the crisis. Drivers working during the crisis have also received bottles of hand sanitiser and masks. Free Now is encouraging passengers to avoid paying by cash if they can and, of course, to wash their hands before and after travelling. "Over the past two months we have seen taxi drivers step up to keep essential workers moving across Ireland," Alan Fox, General Manager of Free Now Ireland said. "Now, as we approach the first phase of the lockdown easing, we want to ensure that drivers and passengers feel protected over the coming months as the country starts to open up again. By encouraging passengers and drivers to wear face coverings, limit the number of people travelling and install partitions we hope to play our part in helping to get the country moving again in a safe and responsible way. Valid questions. The answers are: a) because I dont want to die alone with 50 cats licking the skin off my face; b) of course I do; and c) if I knew the answer, I would be able to unlock the secrets to the universe. Curious to speak to others on the frontline, I put a call-out for stories on Instagram. The response from single women was overwhelming. But it was surprising how many said they didnt consider the kind of language they experienced as sexual harassment. (The NSW Anti-Discrimination Boards definition of sexual harassment is "any unwelcome behaviour of a sexual nature that makes you feel offended, humiliated or intimidated. It can be physical, verbal or written".) Many women who have been sexually harassed on dating apps take to Instagram to share their stories. Credit:Simone De Peak Rather, they consider it the language of the dating apps. Something they just take it in their stride like being harassed by internet trolls deleting the conversations, occasionally reporting it to the apps "block and report" function if it is upsetting enough, and moving on. Whether reporting an incident is all that effective is still a mystery. A Tinder spokesperson says "when a user reports an assault, we attempt to identify the alleged perpetrator and block the associated account". A representative from Bumble says their moderators review each complaint case by case, which could include banning or blocking the user. But is that enough? Shouldnt Australian women have the right to feel comfortable when trying to find a potential match? Why should we have our hearts in our throats every time we open up a message, not knowing if its going to be someone asking us out for a drink or a text full of verbal bashing? Loading "You have to be safe," says Leanne McDonald, national head of abuse law at Shine Lawyers. "If [a person is] sending pictures or saying things that are unacceptable in a conversation it should just be an automatic ban. No warnings. Otherwise its almost encouraging it." McDonald says she has seen an increase in queries of this nature over the past year, and says it was likely more instances of this kind of harassment would be occurring during the coronavirus crisis. She says if women are feeling unsafe as a result of toxic behaviour on the apps, they should report the incident immediately. Not just to the respective digital platform but to the police if they feel it is warranted. "When you dont have your normal network around for support, getting things from these sites that are unwelcome can cause real damage." McDonald also credits the rise in reports to the fact that people are now more likely to be believed when they come forward with their story. "If this becomes a normal conversation," she says, "and something people can report and talk about, then I think that is a way to change the culture." Gary Pinchen, owner and principal of A Whole New Approach an organisation representing Australians against sexual harassment says there has been a spike in the past month in the number of women making complaints about online dating and harassment over social media, and inquiries as to whether they can lodge a claim. Loading A study published by RMIT said there were few international studies on the adult experiences of digital harassment and abuse, particularly in Australia. "Little is currently known about the extent, nature and impacts of digital harassment and abuse on adult victims," the study said. Frustrated with the system, many women now take to Instagram to share their stories either on their own feeds or sending their stories to accounts such as Tinder Nightmares and Alexandra Twetens Instagram account, Bye Felipe. Lowik is now taking a break from online dating. Cassandra Ferguson, who works for boutique jeweller Heart of Bone, is no stranger to sexual harassment on dating apps. For her, it is men offering to pay for sex, asking for crude sexual favours and then getting angry and abusive when she ignores them or turns them down. Its a really sad reality that women shrug it off as part of dating. It shouldnt be ... but unfortunately we write it off as part and parcel of what you should expect. Cassandra Ferguson For the most part, having been harassed for so long and so thoroughly, she "shrugs it off". But sometimes it is impossible to ignore. "Its these guys that think that its OK to either say these things to your face or to text you when you constantly make it clear that youre not comfortable with it," she says. "Its a really sad reality that women shrug it off as part of dating. It shouldnt be ... but unfortunately we write it off as part and parcel of what you should expect." The U.S. flag that flew in honor of World Falun Dafa Day in front of the Capitol building in Washington on May 13, 2020. (York Du/The Epoch Times) Flags Raised on US Capitol in Honor of World Falun Dafa Day A congressional lawmaker flew two American flags over the U.S. Capitol on May 13 in celebration of the spiritual discipline Falun Gong. The day marks 28 years since the practices introduction in northeastern China in 1992. Falun Gong has since spread to more than 90 countries, with an estimated following of 70 million to 100 million. The practice, also called Falun Dafa, is known for its meditative exercises and moral teachings centered on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. Falun Gong practitioners and supporters recognize May 13which is also the birthday of the practices founder, Mr. Li Hongzhias World Falun Dafa Day. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) requested two flags to be hoisted for the occasion, recognizing both the anniversary and Li, a five-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, for introducing the practice. The certification for flag-raising in honor of Li read, Your legacy will continue to touch and instill confidence in our future generation of leaders around the world. Certifications of the two American flags flown over the U.S. Capitol in honor of World Falun Dafa Day on May 13, 2020. (Courtesy of Jennie Sheeks) The flags have since been mailed from Washington back to Bucks County, Philadelphia. Jennie Sheeks, a local Falun Gong practitioner who picked up the flags on May 15, said the event carried a special message for the practitioners, given the ongoing persecution in China targeting their faith. Since 1999, adherents have faced continued harassment, forced labor, or imprisonment in an escalating campaign aimed at eradicating the spiritual group. Hate propaganda filled airwaves and state newspapers for months on end, and people risk jail or torture for talking positively about the practice or carrying informational flyers. With the fact that in China you cant really access free media, and theres so much terrible propaganda against Falun Dafa, it can be a really lonely place to be a Falun Dafa practitioner, Sheeks said in an interview, adding that the symbolic gesture would encourage the practitioners in China as they continue to forbear under the suffering that theyre going through. The U.S. flag that flew in honor of World Falun Dafa Day in front of the Capitol building in Washington on May 13, 2020. (York Du/The Epoch Times) For many regular Chinese people who have misconceptions about the practice because of the Chinese Communist Partys indoctrination, the flag-raising eventand the U.S. support for the practice that it symbolizesmay make them realize that the persecution of Falun Dafa is wrong and that its time to end this 20-year-long persecution, she said. Minghui.org, a U.S.-based clearinghouse for firsthand accounts of the persecution, has documented around 4,500 deaths as a result of the state-sanctioned campaign and more than 113,000 cases of torture over the years. Due to heavy censorship, the true human cost of the CCPs campaign to eradicate Falun Gong remains impossible to ascertain. The U.S. flag that flew in honor of World Falun Dafa Day in front of the Capitol building in Washington on May 13, 2020. (York Du/The Epoch Times) One of Sheekss friends who fled China because of the persecution recounted having to perform long hours of slave labor peeling garlic, making her fingers swell and burn. She was also deprived of sleep for 20 days. Another, a former doctoral candidate at the prestigious Tsinghua University, was detained for five years and tortured with 10 high-voltage electric batons for refusing to renounce his faith in Falun Gong, Sheeks said. The recognition will also serve as inspiration for her three children, aged 10 to 13who are now stuck at home because of the virusto continue living by the practices principles. If the young people today can know these principles for how to improve your heart and mind that will make a better world for everybody, she said. A study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has predicted that a quarter of a billion people in Africa will likely be infected with coronavirus while 190,000 will die. The WHO regional office for Africa also said there would be a lower rate of transmission and viral spread across the continent than elsewhere, but this will result in up to 190,000 deaths. A WHO data analyst, Humphrey Karamagi, in a virtual meeting said the predictions are as a result of data collected from specific countries. The biggest factor that plays out in our (Africa) numbers is age. We also have very few people who are obese, although the numbers are rising. But not at the levels in the U.S., he said. WHO in the model report published by BMJ Global Health this week, however, warns that associated rise in hospital admissions, care needs and huge impact on services such as immunisation and maternity, will overwhelm already stretched health services in Africa. Larger countries, including Cameroon, South Africa and Algeria, would be most at risk, while Nigeria is set to have the largest number of infections overall, followed by Algeria and South Africa, the report added. It said, the infection mortality rate across Africa was 0.06 per cent, compared to about 0.1 per cent elsewhere. About one in four (22%) of the one billion people in the countries measured would be infected in the first year of the pandemic, the model suggests. Lingering on The report said the disease is likely to linger in Africa for longer possibly for several years. The continents much younger age profile compared to other countries is behind the lower transmission rates, the authors say. Lower rates of obesity in African countries, compared to the U.S. and elsewhere, also help to slow its progress. Meanwhile, another report by the UN Economic Commission for Africa in mid-April predicted a much higher death rate on the continent. It said of 1.2 billion African population, 3.3 million deaths may occur. However, the models are not comparable, because the new model uses data from the WHO African Region, a smaller grouping of the continent that does not include Djibouti, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Somalia, Sudan or Tunisia. This paper has been peer-reviewed. Scientists have also learned much more about the virus and its transmission since the UN research. We tried to factor in what we are seeing on the ground, said Mr Karamagi. And we are seeing slower transmission rates in African countries compared to Europe and the US, he said. Limited testing Some commentators have speculated that African countries may be reporting fewer cases because they are not detecting them, but Karamagi points to South Africa, which has good detection capabilities, but low numbers. There might be an effect of reporting but we do not think that fully explains the rates, when we are seeing the pattern we are seeing. There is something around social-cultural or developmental or environmental structure that is slowing the transmission rates, he added. He saod the researchers had calculated the risk of exposure, and estimated the number of infections and deaths for each of the 47 countries in the WHO region. We are including a risk of exposure into our estimation of the risk of transmission, said Karamagi. The risk of exposure, which is country specific, is driven by factors including number of people in a household, population density, what proportion of the population lives in slums, and road infrastructure. Small countries, including Mauritius, are likely to be the most vulnerable, while sparsely populated countries, such as Niger, Mauritania and Chad, less so. Advertisements Per head of population, Mauritius, Seychelles and Equatorial Guinea are likely to have the highest numbers of cases, the report added. By Express News Service GUWAHATI: The police in Assams Bongaigaon district on Saturday intercepted a container truck that entered the state from West Bengal and detained 51 people who were travelling in it. Most detainees are believed to be migrant workers. Every individual who enters Assam is subjected to mandatory medical screening vis-a-vis COVID-19 at the inter-state check post. However, these people managed to escape the glare of the cops and health officials deployed there by hiding in the vehicle. The 51 people are from various districts of Assam and it was not immediately known which state they were travelling from. The truck bore an Uttar Pradesh registration number. FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE Bongaigaon District Magistrate Lakshmi Priya told this newspaper that the police had detained the people by intercepting the vehicle. It was intercepted at a place 80 km from the inter-state border. "There are some check posts that were set up at various places by the police. The vehicle, carrying the people, was intercepted by the police and some locals," she said. The DM said the persons were provided with food and "other things" as they were travelling for a while. She said they would be sent to a quarantine facility in Guwahati. Mayor Linda Tyer speaks during her weekly COVID-19 update on PCTV. Mayor Tyer Says City Ready to Assess Reopening Protocols PITTSFIELD, Mass. Mayor Linda Tyer is cautioning residents that the anticipated "reopening" report expected Monday from the state will likely not mean everything will immediately open. "Not surprisingly there is much anticipation around Monday's announcement however it is important to keep in mind that this date will serve only as a guidepost for what is to come," Tyer said during her weekly COVID-19 update on Pittsfield Community Television. Gov. Charlie Baker appointed an advisory board to develop a four-phase plan for gradually reopening the state dependent on public health data. Much of the commercial activity statewide has been closed or greatly reduced because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. While the report is expected to be released Monday, however, the safety parameters for any reopening were laid out earlier this week. "As we go forward, we're going to be balancing the trade-offs that are pretty obvious that are associated with public health and people's ability to work," the governor said on Friday. "And I think what these folks have done, what we'll report on Monday, is a very thoughtful and substantive approach to dealing with this ... some people are gonna say it's too slow and some people are gonna say it's too fast and I understand and I respect that. "But this is our idea of the best shot we have a continuing to make progress and not giving the virus a chance to get back out of the barn." Tyer said each stage of the governor's four-stage reopening plan pertains to different organizations and business. She said with each stage there will be new operations and safety standards, and protocols. "My team and I will undergo an immediate review to assess how Pittsfield can begin to implement our reopening," she said. "Adherence to the state's plan will be vital for monitoring shifts in public health and guiding our response to emerging needs as more businesses and organizations reopen." At the moment, all public buildings will remain closed until June 1. The mayor said it has been 70 days since the city's COVID-19 team had been implemented and that the good work its done responding to COVID-19 countywide has not gone unnoticed. Last week representatives from the state's Emergency Management Agency and the governor's office visited communities throughout the county to see how they were coping. "The team was especially impressed by the seamless and effective distribution of [personal protective equipment] to 32 municipalities throughout the county and they noted that Pittsfield and the Berkshires serve as a model of excellent collaboration for the state," she said. "I am thrilled to know that this feedback will be shared with the governor and his team." Tyer said there is still work to be done and that just that day, four more cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the city bringing the number in total to 151. She said an expansion of testing criteria will now allow the city to test people who have been in contact with an infected person. She said this contact testing could increase recorded case numbers but will provide important information for the reopening process. This week was National Police Week, which Pittsfield was unfortunately unable to publicly acknowledge because of the pandemic. The annual memorial recognizes officers who worked or lived in the city, including William Craig, the first Secret Service officer to die in the line of duty. Craig was killed when President Theodore Roosevelt's carriage was struck by a trolley in Pittsfield in 1902. "We would normally hold a memorial service to acknowledge the Pittsfield fallen officers," Tyer said. "That of course did not happen this year but that does not diminish the great respect and appreciation that we have for those we have made that ultimate sacrifice." Tyer said it is also National EMS week and extended this appreciation to the city's emergency medical services personnel. "They are working tirelessly on the front lines of this pandemic. We truly appreciate all that you do throughout the year to support the health and well being of our friends, family, and neighbors," she said. Tyer signed off by wishing residents a nice weekend. With nice weather expected she invited residents to responsibly enjoy the outdoors. "I hope that you and your loved ones will enjoy the outdoors safely," she said. "We have an abundance of wide open natural resources ready to be explored plus they make social distancing really easy." This week in Michigan, protesters gathered at the state capitol to express their frustration with the states lockdown rules. Such protests have sprouted up around the United States as some people are bucking against what they see as overreaching government control in their lives.Matt Dibble reports Fifteen prisoners and a jail warder of Rohini jail have tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Saturday. Jail officials said all 16 are asymptomatic and have been sent into quarantine. A high alert has also been sounded in Tihar jail, where around 15,000 are currently lodged in different sub-jails. Rohini currently has 1,370 prisoners. Director general (prisons) Sandeep Goel said a 29-year-old prisoner was admitted to the Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospital last Sunday for a surgery. He tested positive for the virus on Wednesday, and doctors informed the prisons department immediately. The department then conducted tests on 19 prisoners and five officials, who had come in contact with the first prisoner. Their test results came on Saturday and 15 of 19 prisoners tested positive for Covid-19. Of the five jail officials, one tested positive, while the others are negative for the infection. The inmates who have tested positive have been separated from the others. They are being kept in the isolation quarantine barracks. The head warder has been sent to home quarantine. A few other jail staff have also been sent to home quarantine, Goel said. All 16 prisoners who have tested positive till date have been lodged in Rohini jail for more than two months. With families of prisoners barred from visiting inmates and court hearings currently being held inside the prison over video conferencing, jail officials suspect that the virus may have been spread by an asymptomatic jail official. To contain the disease, the bi-weekly visits of all family members have been cancelled until further notice. Prisoners have been allowed to use the jails phone to speak to their family members daily. At the Tihar complex, all new prisoners are kept in isolation for 14 days in jail number 2, before they are shifted to other jails. We are taking all steps to prevent the spread of the Covid-19. In Rohini, none of the prisoners is new. New prisoners are only sent to isolation wards at Tihars sub-jail 2 for 14 days. All prisoners in Rohinis jail 2 have been lodged there before the lockdown started. We have used the jails hospital to quarantine them. Contact tracing of all positive persons is on, a senior prison official, who did not wish to be named, said. Last week the jail administration had tested three prisoners from Tihar after one of them -- a rape accused -- was found to be in contact with a woman who had tested positive for Covid-19. All three test results, however, were negative. Tihar jail officials have been on high alert after reports emerged of a rapid Covid-19 spread at Mumbais Arthur Road jail, where 4,000 prisoners are lodged. The spread happened within a week of the first prisoner contracting the virus, and in all, it had affected 184 prisoners and prison staff. It had also prompted the Maharashtra government to look at releasing half the prisoners in its jails to contain the spread of the disease. Tihar jail officials have also decongested the prison by releasing around 3,000 prisoners on interim bail and parole. A storm system will continue its crawl across the Southern states through the end of the weekend, bringing drenching rainfall and locally severe thunderstorms along its path. As the stormy weather shifts eastward, drier weather is in store across the southern Plains, where last week ended with damaging and drenching thunderstorms. Thunderstorms on Friday produced dozens of incidents of damaging winds and large hail across western and central Texas and southwest Oklahoma, and a brief tornado was reported in Tillman County, Oklahoma. This satellite image shows a large area of clouds over the South Central states, indicative of the storm system slowly moving through the area on Saturday morning, May 16, 2020. (CIRA/RAMMB) One round of storms moved through the Houston metro area on Friday afternoon before another wave arrived early Saturday morning, leading to several incidents of street flooding with vehicles stranded in high water. On Saturday evening, the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center received a report of a tornado over Lake Wright Patman in Bowie County, Texas. Remember to stay weather wise when planning a boating trip this time of year. Here is a video of some severe weather crossing Lake Wright Patman caught by a local Game Warden. #WeatherWise#BoatingSafety pic.twitter.com/HOKywWhhp5 Texas Game Warden (@TexasGameWarden) May 16, 2020 Tornadoes were also reported in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, and Little River County, Arkansas, on Saturday. "The threat of heavy rain will shift eastward into the lower Mississippi Valley as the storm system weakens on Sunday," AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert said. Story continues AccuWeather meteorologists expect localized flooding to be the greatest threat in this area, as opposed to severe thunderstorms. Still, residents will need to be mindful that any storm can bring gusty winds, along with frequent lightning strikes. "This rain could act to aggravate flooding concerns that occurred this past Thursday night over portions of Louisiana," Gilbert said. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP People with outdoor plans from Shreveport and New Orleans, Louisiana, to Little Rock, Arkansas, and Jackson, Mississippi, should consider making alternative plans indoor this weekend, due to the risk of storms. "Those who must travel will need to watch out for ponding on roadways, especially in poor drainage and low-lying areas, and should never drive through floodwaters," Gilbert said. Reduced visibility from downpours and blowing spray is also expected along stretches of interstates 10, 20, 30 and 55. Stormy weather will continue to shift eastward across the Deep South Sunday night into Monday, bringing downpours with a localized threat for severe weather to places such as Montgomery, Alabama and Atlanta. This system will link up with another storm over the Midwest during this time, and the joined storms will then sit and stall over the East for much of the week. Meanwhile, the southern Plains will get a much-needed reprieve from rain and severe weather through early week. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. During the Islamic revolution in 1979, Iranian clerics helped overthrow the repressive regime of the Shah and then backed a new Shiite doctrine known as wilayat al-faqih, or guardianship of the jurist, which now guides Iran. But the reputation of the clergy, once known for their fierce independence from the government, has been sullied over the decades because of their involvement in politics and some Iranians say mismanagement of everyday administrative affairs. By PTI NEW DELHI: Sitting on the pavement near the Jangpura Metro Station, Jagdeesh Yadav stares blankly into space, occasionally sipping water from a plastic bottle. Yadav, who claims to be in his 90s, has got a tumour right above his left ear which makes it uncomfortable for him to wear a mask, but he wears it nonetheless. "I am not wearing it for myself. I have put it on for the safety of others," he says. Yadav says he left his home in Allahabad more than 30 years ago. He worked in several factories and drove a truck across the length and breadth of the country which gave him a perspective of life. He came to Delhi 12 years ago and drove a rickshaw before his vision diminished. In April, the owner of the rented accommodation he shared with two other rickshaw-pullers drove them out when they could not pay the rent. "In our room in Sarai Kale Khan, I would cook for myself and my roommates," he says. "Now, the footpath is my home. I cannot go home. I don't even know if my brothers and sisters are alive. They must have died," he says. Yadav remained unmarried. He says he was so busy earning and taking care of the family that he didn't think about it. "If I go home now, my extended family will think I am asking them to take care of me in my final days," he says. Mukesh Kumar, 19, who shared the room with Yadav, says he will take the elderly man to his village, Kheda, in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad. "He will be part of my family," he says. "Baba cooked for us, cared for us. He is like my grandfather. I cannot leave him alone here," he says. Back home, Kumar's father and two brothers are farmers and he says he will join them and never return. "We are homeless. I don't have a penny in my pocket. Neither baba nor our other roommate, Deepak, who is from Nepal, has any money on them," he says. Kumar and Yadav plan to take a bus to Moradabad when inter-state travel resumes. "I would have set out on foot but baba cannot walk much," Kumar says. Yadav intervenes: "I can still walk 60 kilometers a day. I had a lot of ghee and dahi in my prime." For now, the two sleep under a foot-overbridge and use the public toilet near it. "We don't have any soap, so we just rinse our clothes in water so that there is no odour at least," Kumar says. They get "khichdi" twice a day in a nearby civic body school in Jangpura and some food from the people driving by. Like Yadav and Kumar, around 80-85 migrants have made the pavement their home after police stopped them on the border with Uttar Pradesh and sent them back in mid-April. Britains biggest teaching union yesterday dug its heels in over the reopening of schools despite a meeting with top government advisers as it emerged senior members are Labour activists who have vowed to stop Boris Johnson. The National Education Unions views were said to be unchanged after a briefing with top scientists, including Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, about the prospect of children returning to classrooms. Joint general secretary Kevin Courtney, who has urged his 450,000 members not to engage with any government plans to partially reopen schools on June 1, said he was pleased with the crunch talks. Dr Mary Bousted: Joint general secretary Bolton-born Dr Bousted, 60, taught English at a secondary school in north London before moving into lecturing at the University of York. She became general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers having never been a member. Her pay packet at the NEU last year was 117,000 plus benefits But he added many questions are yet to be answered, and must be done so in public written form, saying: This is important for transparency and for other scientists to comment on. Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, the UKs second-largest teaching union, said the meeting was not conclusive. But the NEU faced criticism over its political links yesterday after it emerged at least three senior elected members tried to or stood as Labour Party candidates in the 2019 general election, while two are currently Labour councillors. The body claims not to affiliate with any political party in a bid to maintain independence, but members of the NEU executive have repeatedly backed the policies of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Amanda Martin: Joint president The mother-of-three, 46, has been a primary school teacher for 22 years. Standing as the Labour candidate for Portsmouth North in last years general election, she achieved 27 per cent of the vote but was beaten by Penny Mordaunt Louise Atkinson: Junior vice president The primary school teacher also holds a position as a secondary school governor in her native Carlisle, Cumbria, where she represents the Cathedral and Castle ward for Labour. An avowed socialist, she has previously named Mr Corbyn as the most genuine, honest, sincere person in politics The links raised questions about whether political allegiances may be impacting negotiations with the Government, and whether the so-called super union is using the virus crisis to promote its own political agenda. Former work and pensions secretary Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: The NEU are not impartial at all. Health workers, care workers, drivers, everybody else is recognising they need to compromise to try and both help people and to get the economy moving again. And yet this one group appears to want to hold the economy and childrens education to ransom, which I think is disgraceful. This appears to be a politically-motivated campaign in an attempt to try and make life as difficult as possible for the Government. But they will also be making life as difficult as possible for parents and for children and the wider community. The row comes after Mr Courtney, 60, this week called a return to the classroom irresponsible and reckless. Last year he promoted a Parliament Square protest to Stop Boris and repeatedly voiced his support for Mr Corbyn. He this month spoke alongside the veteran MP at an online rally. Amanda Martin, the unions joint president, is chairman of Portsmouth Labour Party and was the Labour candidate for the seat of Portsmouth North at the 2019 general election, losing out to Conservative MP Penny Mordaunt. At the time, she suggested Conservative politicians in the area do not care about our public services... and about the people who live in our communities. Daniel Kebede: Senior vice president A socialist early years teacher, has a child with former pro-Corbyn MP for North West Durham Laura Pidcock. On May 10, Mr Kebede described Boris Johnson as dangerous and last year put a photograph online of him with the text not my Prime Minister overlaid Last month, Mrs Martin, a primary teacher, said it was vital it is not business as usual for teachers after the pandemic and called for further education funding. Meanwhile the NEUs membership and equalities officer, Louise Regan, also stood for a Labour seat at the last general election but did not make the shortlist. Former primary head Mrs Regan, who was bidding to be Labours candidate for Nottingham East, said: I would be proud to represent Nottingham East as a Labour MP and even prouder to do so as part of a socialist Labour Party led by Jeremy Corbyn. Mairead Canavan, who sits on the NEUs national executive committee, also made a run at becoming Labour candidate for her local seat of Pontypridd at the 2019 election but failed to make the shortlist. The Labour Party womens officer said she joined the party because of Mr Corbyn and his inspiring and transformational socialist vision. Rachel Curley: Assistant general secretary Miss Curley, a lifelong trade unionist, is a Labour councillor on Stroud District Council. The mother-of-two has held senior roles at the ATL and the University and College Union And two sitting Labour councillors also sit on the NEU executive. Primary school teacher Louise Atkinson is a councillor on Carlisle City Council in Cumbria and describes herself as a socialist, while the unions assistant general secretary Rachel Curley sits on Stroud District Council in Gloucestershire as a Labour councillor. Senior members at the NEU ask for five tests to be met before children can return to school. These are to lower the number of Covid-19 cases; have a plan for social distancing and PPE; more testing and protocols in place to test a whole school if a case occurs; protection for vulnerable staff. The NEU said: The NEU represents members from across the political spectrum. As an independent union not affiliated to any political party, the NEU engages with whatever Government is in power and with all parties in opposition to seek the best possible outcomes for school staff and the children. Mr Courtney has met in recent months with the Conservative Education Society, in the House of Lords, with the Liberal Democrat Education Association at Lib Dem conferences and the Socialist Education Association, the Labour Party affiliated group. It is not the NEU that has not been seeking to fully engage in discussions about the return of schools and colleges, but Government. Louise Regan: Membership and equalities officer Miss Regan is a former primary school headteacher. She described the announcement of Mr Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party as brilliant... a fabulous result The latest analyst coverage could presage a bad day for Chatham Lodging Trust (NYSE:CLDT), with the analysts making across-the-board cuts to their statutory estimates that might leave shareholders a little shell-shocked. Revenue estimates were cut sharply as the analysts signalled a weaker outlook - perhaps a sign that investors should temper their expectations as well. After the downgrade, the consensus from Chatham Lodging Trust's three analysts is for revenues of US$164m in 2020, which would reflect a substantial 45% decline in sales compared to the last year of performance. Prior to the latest estimates, the analysts were forecasting revenues of US$185m in 2020. It looks like forecasts have become a fair bit less optimistic on Chatham Lodging Trust, given the measurable cut to revenue estimates. Check out our latest analysis for Chatham Lodging Trust NYSE:CLDT Past and Future Earnings May 16th 2020 There was no particular change to the consensus price target of US$8.10, with Chatham Lodging Trust's latest outlook seemingly not enough to result in a change of valuation. That's not the only conclusion we can draw from this data however, as some investors also like to consider the spread in estimates when evaluating analyst price targets. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Chatham Lodging Trust at US$10.00 per share, while the most bearish prices it at US$7.00. Analysts definitely have varying views on the business, but the spread of estimates is not wide enough in our view to suggest that extreme outcomes could await Chatham Lodging Trust shareholders. These estimates are interesting, but it can be useful to paint some more broad strokes when seeing how forecasts compare, both to the Chatham Lodging Trust's past performance and to peers in the same industry. We would highlight that sales are expected to reverse, with the forecast 45% revenue decline a notable change from historical growth of 5.0% over the last five years. Compare this with our data, which suggests that other companies in the same industry are, in aggregate, expected to see their revenue grow 5.1% next year. So although its revenues are forecast to shrink, this cloud does not come with a silver lining - Chatham Lodging Trust is expected to lag the wider industry. Story continues The Bottom Line The clear low-light was that analysts slashing their revenue forecasts for Chatham Lodging Trust this year. They're also anticipating slower revenue growth than the wider market. Overall, given the drastic downgrade to this year's forecasts, we'd be feeling a little more wary of Chatham Lodging Trust going forwards. Still got questions? At least one of Chatham Lodging Trust's three analysts has provided estimates out to 2022, which can be seen for free on our platform here. Another way to search for interesting companies that could be reaching an inflection point is to track whether management are buying or selling, with our free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. 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. The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, Dr Kofi Koduah Sarpong, has praised the fast pace of work on the 100-bed infectious disease isolation and treatment facility at the Ga East Hospital in Accra. The GNPC contributed one million dollars to the estimated project cost of $4.5 million. Speaking after a tour of the project site, Dr. Sarpong expressed his delight that the corporations contribution is yielding a meaningful, long-lasting benefit a facility that will soon become a key part of the nations battle against Covid-19. The facility is expected to be ready for use by the end of May, with workers striving day and night to meet that deadline. When completed it will serve as the main treatment facility for critically ill Covid-19 patients in Ghana. Dr. Sarpong was full of praise for the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund (GCPS-Fund], which initiated the project in support of the governments response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. I will say that a massive amount of work has been done. They [GCPS-Fund] have demonstrated the private sector efficiency, he said. They are going to deliver a superior product and I think that you cant take it away from them. Dr. Sarpong also applauded the workers on site for their efforts to ensure that the project is delivered on time. He appealed to companies and organizations to donate to the project as well as the three similar facilities that are envisaged to be constructed in Tamale, Kumasi and Takoradi. A member of the board of directors of GNPC, Yaw Kyei, who was in Dr. Sarpongs entourage, indicated his willingness to become an ambassador in soliciting for funds for the construction of the infectious disease isolation and treatment facilities. Im so impressed with what Ive seen so far, Mr. Kyei said. With what Ive seen, I hope to convince my co-board members to get along and even do more. Its so brilliant and wonderful. With what Ive seen, Ive decided to be an ambassador to talk to colleagues and other organizations that I am well-acquainted with to come out and help. Watch video here: Leading Egyptian developer City Edge Developments has awarded a major contract to Gama Engineering and Construction Services for the development of Phase Two of Etapa project, reported Daily News Egypt. The project, located in the Sheikh Zayed area of West Cairo, was launched two years ago by City Edge. It is located near The Pyramids and The New Egyptian Museum, and 28 km away from the heart of the Egyptian capital. The city, which includes a large number of residential complexes, most of which are luxurious neighborhoods, provide housing units that vary in type, area and price. The construction work is likely to start soon and will be completed within a year, stated the report, citing its CEO Mohamed El Mikawi. "We have been progressing very rapidly with our construction schedule, and the tender issued for Phase Two attracted a large number of leading construction companies in the bidding process," he added. By PTI WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has said that he does not want to talk to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping right now, expressing his displeasure at Beijing's handling of the coronavirus outbreak which has spread across the world, killing over 300,000 people. The US has expressed disappointment over China's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed 87,530 lives in America. President Trump on Thursday threatened to "cut off the whole relationship" with China. The president has been pressing China to agree for an inquiry into the origin of the virus, including the allegation that it emerged from a lab in Wuhan. "Just don't want to talk to him right now. We will see what happens over the next little while," Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday, when asked why he did not want to not speak to Xi. China, as per the trade deal inked earlier this year, is buying a lot more of American goods than last year. "They are spending a lot on the trade deal, but the trade deal I don't know somehow I lost a little flavour for it, you can understand," Trump said. Earlier in the day, Trump said he did not want to talk about the trade deal. "I don't want to talk about it. I can say China is buying a lot of our products. But the trade deal - the ink was barely dry - when this (coronavirus) came in from China. So, it's not like we're thrilled," he said. "This should have never happened. This came from China. It should have been stopped in China before it got out to the world. 186 countries are affected. Each country that's affected is the same thing. Russia now is badly affected. France is badly affected. "You look at each country and you can say 'affected' or you can say 'infected', either way you want to put it," he said. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters that President Trump was frustrated with China. "I will leave it to the president as to when he resumes speaking with the Chinese leader. But look, China slow walked this. I've shared with you guys before on human-to-human transmission. "It was really important that the world knew of that aspect of the disease, but that information was slow walked through to the WHO," she said. The genetic sequencing, likewise, was not given until a professor in Shanghai did so on his own. The president has repeatedly noted that why are they letting flights out of China but not into China? These decisions put American lives at risk. Not just American lives, the lives around the globe, she said. "We know that this disease came from China, and why that information was not shared, some of the information I just suggested is really unacceptable. So he's frustrated at this point, and I'll leave it to him," McEnany said. China has denied America's accusation of covering up the extent of its coronavirus outbreak and accused the US of attempting to divert the public attention by insinuating that the virus originated from a virology laboratory in Wuhan. "China was the first country to report the COVID-19 to the World Health Organisation (WHO), (and) that doesn't mean the virus originated from Wuhan. "There has never been any concealment, and we'll never allow any concealment," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said last month. "A discerning person will understand at a glance that the purpose is to create confusion, divert public attention, and shirk their responsibility," he said. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Trump administration will not tolerate efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to undermine the privacy of US citizens or the integrity of next-generation networks worldwide. "(Chinese technology company) Huawei is an untrustworthy vendor and a tool of the Chinese Communist Party, beholden to its orders. The Department of Justice has indicted Huawei for stealing US technology and helping Iran evade sanctions, and the Department of Commerce has placed Huawei on the Entity List in 2019. "The Department of State has engaged for more than a year to share what we know about Huawei and other untrustworthy vendors with allies and partners around the world," he said. On Friday, the Department of Justice expanded rules to prevent Huawei from undermining US export controls, closing a loophole that has allowed the company to exploit US technology and threaten national security. "It also imposes US export control restrictions on countries that use US technology or software to design and produce semiconductors for Huawei. Companies wishing to sell certain items to Huawei produced with US technology must now obtain a license from the United States," Pompeo said. The US will continue to restrict most American exports to Huawei and its affiliates on the Entity List for activities that threaten US national security and international stability, Pompeo said. The novel coronavirus which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan last year has claimed 307,666 lives and infected more than 4.5 million people globally, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The US is the worst affected country with 87,530 deaths and over 1.4 million infections reported so far. Mira Kwon, 16, a junior at the Marlborough School, shops for a client at Monsieur Marcel gourmet market at the Original Farmers Market on Wednesday in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) What could possibly be more educational for a teenager than living through a pandemic? In an ideal world, if I ran a high school, as soon as classes went virtual, I'd have made life right now their textbook. I'd have had students examining pandemic government and politics, pandemic economics, pandemic psychology. I'd have had them following the epidemiology of the virus in science classes, parsing the statistical models in math classes, collecting oral histories and documenting daily details of this strange time as a way of transforming the study of history into something living and breathing and immediate. I'd also have ditched the prepared reading lists and had history students read up on the 1918 Spanish flu and every English class read Albert Camus' "The Plague." (I'm reading it now for my book group. It could not be more relevant.) All my students would be asked to keep pandemic journals of these days when they can't see their friends and they're stuck at home with parents and siblings and the hours seem to stretch longer and even the usual texting gets dull. They'd be asked to try to record as vividly as possible their experiences and feelings, however small, so they can later summon up exactly how this time felt. Every student also would be asked to interview grandparents, neighbors, local shop owners and front-line workers about what this pandemic time is like for them. It could all be done safely, by phone. It would be a resource for future historians. It would help build the students' communication skills. And in a deeper sense it would build their understanding of how profoundly the pandemic is affecting others and why it's important, even if you feel invulnerable, to take safety measure to help protect them. I started thinking about this a month ago, when I first heard from a thoughtful 16-year-old named Mira Kwon, a junior at the Marlborough School, who was just then launching a volunteer, delivery-fee-free service to bring food to older and immunocompromised people. Story continues Had times been normal, Mira, when we first spoke, would have just spent spring break on a tour of East Coast colleges. Instead she'd been at home and bored and looking for something anything interesting to do, when her aunt sent her a story about Zoomers to Boomers, a delivery service started by Santa Barbara high school students. Mira picked up the phone and soon after agreed to open the Los Angeles branch. She had no idea what a big commitment that would be or how much she'd have to figure out to make it work. Community service, by the way, would play a central role in my ideal coronavirus-era school. I would block out time for it and ask every student to commit to a helpful project whether it be making masks or reaching out by phone to chat with people living alone or using their social-media skills to crowdfund for those in great need. For weeks now, during school hours, Mira has been staring at her computer screen, watching her teachers try to cover the same ground they would have covered pre-pandemic. She's studied for Advanced Placement tests and recently started to take them, just as she would have done before though they're now online. But those experiences grab her and I believe teach and help her far less in this moment than her ever-growing extracurricular effort, which constantly hands her new, real-world challenges. She had to come up with a model for helping people that wouldn't involve putting either herself or them in danger, which meant learning all about how to sanitize properly and how to wear masks and gloves and take them off safely. She had to recruit friends and figure out to engage them by learning to delegate and empower them to take on independent roles in the project. She and two key classmates Lexi Gluck, who became the director of finance, and Sadie Weil, who took on communications had to find ways to recruit other students from private and public schools all over the city. They had to learn how to set up delivery schedules and invoices and payments and how to let people know their service existed, by contacting newspapers, radio stations, neighborhood councils, churches and synagogues. Mira knew she didn't want her volunteers taking daily risks at big supermarkets. She wanted to place orders that could be packed in advance. So she made cold calls until she found Farm Fresh Produce at the Original Farmers Market, which was willing to create standardized assortments of vegetables and fruits for safe pickup. Then the people who placed orders started asking for other things so she made cold calls again to many more small businesses to form more partnerships. She reached out, too, to the central office of the Original Farmers Market, which got her in touch with its other shops. And when she found people who couldn't pay for their own groceries, she linked up with a nonprofit to help deliver free meals. She was tentative at first, she said, about approaching strangers. When a person she delivered to in the early days criticized her (which has happened only one other time since), she called her parents, trembling. She's tougher now, she told me, from the experience. On Wednesday afternoon, from a safe distance, I watched Mira fill a delivery at the market. Shopkeepers greeted her warmly. She confidently and efficiently moved from stall to stall, picking up rhubarb, oranges, apples, plums and almonds from Farm Fresh Produce, baby back ribs from Huntington Meats & Sausages, milk and cookies from Monsieur Marcel, a fresh boysenberry pie from Du-par's. The other day, she took a delivery order from Mary Navarro, a disabled woman in her late 70s, who told Mira that it's hard for her to walk and she's scared to go out and that she'd been living for at least a week on oatmeal and dried fruit and Campbell's soup and saltines. A neighbor had told her about Mira's service. She was so relieved. Mira brought her the roast chicken and fresh fruit and vegetables she asked for as well as extras chocolate chip cookies baked by her little sister, salad toppings from her mom. "It felt like Christmas," Navarro told me of the delivery. "I'm still glowing from the kindness." A year ago, Mira was grounded for throwing three parties when her parents were away. She thought fitting in mattered. Now she knows other things, like helping those in need, matter much more. "I think a lot of people are isolated and we've been isolated too," she said of her team of teen volunteers. "So it's really helpful both for them and for us to have some interaction. I think that's what's been meaningful to us, to be able to make someone's day." That's not something she learned in school. I know many teachers have been creative during this time. I'd love to hear their stories. I also understand that school curricula and requirements tend to be firmly set, especially in the higher grades when the goal is to get kids into college. But if this crisis continues into a new school year, as it is likely to do, I hope schools will go much further than slotting what they always have taught into a smooth online format. I hope they'll see the educational power of teaching about this time. Because if there ever was a teachable moment, it's now. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at an event in Raleigh, N.C., on Nov. 8, 2016. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Hillary Clinton Denounces Michigan Lockdown Protests as Domestic Terrorism Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has condemned armed protests in Michigan calling for an end to pandemic-related lockdowns, denouncing them as domestic terrorism. Clinton shared a tweet on Friday about protests at the state legislature in Michigan, commenting: Armed men storming a legislature to disrupt its democratic proceedings is domestic terrorism. It cannot be tolerated. Hundreds gathered to protest Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmers stay-at-home order on Thursday in Lansing. It was the third major demonstration at the states Capitol since businesses were shuttered in March due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, the novel coronavirus that emerged from Wuhan, China, late last year and sparked a global pandemic. Whitmer recently extended Michigans stay-at-home orderone of the strictest in the United Statesuntil at least May 28 to prevent the spread of the deadly bug. Michigan has the fourth-highest death toll from COVID-19 in the United States, with nearly 5,000 dead, according to a Friday update by Whitmer. During the briefing, she said health authorities on Friday reported Michigans 50,000 cases of COVID-19 infection. At the briefing, she referred to the protests, urging unity and calling for demonstrations to remain peaceful. I know many people in our state are feeling frustrated, Whitmer said, some are scared, some are angrythats understandable. But now is not a time for division, for hatred, and certainly not a time for violence, she said, adding, Now is a time for us to pull together. In Michigan, on April 30, hundreds of protesters, some armed, gathered at the same site in Lansing, with some entering the Capitol building and demanding to be let onto the House floor, which is prohibited. Thursdays protest was organized by Michigan United for Liberty, which says it is a nonprofit with nearly 8,000 members that view the order as unconstitutional. About 150 protesters gathered in light rain around 9 a.m. near the steps of the Capitol building, but the crowd grew to several hundred by mid-morning. A handful had firearms, including long guns. Open your business now. Open the restaurants. Open the bars. Open the movie theaters, one protester, who did not announce his name, told the crowd. Michigan, wake up America. The Capitol building was closed because the legislature had been adjourned. The debate over how and when to ease restrictions on commerce and social life has grown increasingly politicized in the United States. Democratic governors of states hardest hit by the outbreak have taken a more cautious stance, drawing criticism from many Republican leaders, including President Donald Trump, and provoking allegations that they are politicizing the pandemic to impact the Nov. 3 presidential election. With the pandemic devastating the economy, the Trump administration has sought to strike a balance between protecting lives and ensuring livelihoods, with White House messaging increasingly focused on encouraging state governors to ease restrictions. The president has accused some Democrat state governors of dragging their feet in restarting economic activity. Ahead of his planned visit to Pennsylvania last week, Trump tweeted: The great people of Pennsylvania want their freedom now, and they are fully aware of what that entails. The Democrats are moving slowly, all over the USA, for political purposes. They would wait until November 3rd if it were up to them. Dont play politics, Trump added. Be safe, move quickly! Trump said at an event on vaccine development on Friday that almost every state had taken steps to begin reopening. The American people are doing an extraordinary job of continuing to take precautions while, at the same time, wanting to start, he said. And they will be starting to resume their American way of life, Trump said. We will be reigniting our economic engines, he added, while taking care of our most vulnerable. In releasing criteria for Opening Up America Again, which is a three-phased approach based on the advice of public health experts, the White House has largely left decisions about reopening to state governors. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, warned Congress this week of needless suffering and death if the states move to reopen too haphazardly. Reuters contributed to this report. A draft resolution seeking a higher threshold for personal income tax (PIT) is being examined by Vietnams legislators to help its citizens cushion the impacts of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. After the lawmaking National Assembly Finance and Budget Committee finishes the examination, Standing Committee of the legislature is slated to give their opinions on the draft on Saturday. The document proposed a new PIT threshold of VND11 million (US$472) a month, which is VND2 million ($86) higher than the current level, for taxpayers, and VND4.4 million ($189), compared to the effective threshold of VND3.6 million ($154), for dependents. The increase of the news thresholds is calculated based on the 23.2-percent growth of the consumer price index (CPI) between July 1, 2013, when the revised Law on Personal Income Tax came into effect, and the end of December 2019. The Ministry of Finance estimates that the yearly state budget revenue will fall by VND10.3 trillion ($441.6 million) once the draft resolution is passed as taxpayers enjoy reduced payable tax. For instance, a taxpayer with a monthly income of VND15 million ($643) and one dependent will be tax-exempted, instead of paying VND120,000 ($5.15) a month as currently. Likewise, a taxpayer with a monthly income of VND20 million ($858) and two dependents will have to pay only VND10,000 ($0.43) a month, instead of VND190,000 ($8.15) each month as currently. People perform tax finalization procedures at the Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department in this undated photo. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre In another draft resolution to resolve difficulties faced by wage earners at companies affected by COVID-19, the Ministry of Investment and Planning proposed the government delay PIT payment until the end of the year. However, experts have expected that PIT will be scraped for at least six months. Tran Minh Hiep, a lecturer of commercial law at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, said that Vietnam had once exempted PIT for the first six months of 2009 following the financial crisis of 2007-08. I think that in order to create conditions for workers to regain life balance [post-COVID-19], there should be a stipulation that they can enjoy PIT exemption for at least six months in 2020, Hiep said. Elaborating on Hieps opinion, Nguyen Cong Hung, chairman of the Hanoi Taxi Association, suggested a PIT exemption until the end of the year. As many as 1,523 enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City were dissolved in the first four months of this year, an increase of 54.82 percent from the same period in 2019, according to the municipal Department of Tax. Revenues from corporate income tax and value-added tax decreased by 11.08 percent and 6.27 percent, respectively, in the first four months of 2020 compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, personal income tax revenue climbed by 8.96 percent over the same period. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Native Americans across the U.S. are struggling to battle the coronavirus pandemic, as decades of poverty, poor health care and pre-existing medical conditions leave them vulnerable to high rates of infection. Driving the news: The Navajo Nation, which stretches across three states and has been especially affected, is under its strictest weekend lockdown since the pandemic was declared, after a spike in cases, The Navajo Times reports. All gas stations and grocery stores must remain closed and essential workers have been told to stay home until the order expires on Monday at 5 a.m. The big picture: Cities and states with resources have struggled to curb the coronavirus pandemic. Reservations are forced to confront the disease head-on, often without running water, medical infrastructure, adequate housing, electricity or reliable internet access for information. Cramped living conditions make practicing social distancing difficult for a large percentage of Native Americans and a lack of running water makes frequent handwashing a challenge. Why it matters: Tribes are concerned for their elders. The continued spread of the virus on reservations could hit vulnerable older Native Americans, who help keep their cultures alive by passing down language, customs and values. The state of play: As of May 16, there are 3,632 confirmed coronavirus cases and 127 deaths in the Navajo Nation, according to the Navajo Department of Health. Doctors Without Borders has dispatched a team of nine to help the Navajo Nation combat the virus. They will likely stay there until June. Many Native Americans are also vulnerable to the coronavirus because of pre-existing conditions, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and respiratory diseases, according to the Indian Health Services. Reservations' health care systems were underfunded before the pandemic. Among the Oglala Sioux in South Dakota, only 24 coronavirus tests, six ventilators and four beds for quarantine are on-hand for the tribe's 50,000 members at Pine Ridge Hospital, The Washington Post reports. When you look at the health disparities in Indian Country high rates of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, asthma and then you combine that with the overcrowded housing situation where you have a lot of people in homes with an elder population who may be exposed or carriers this could be like a wildfire on a reservation and get out of control in a heartbeat. We could get wiped out." Kevin Allis, chief executive of the National Congress of American Indians, to The Washington Post Many tribal members already live in poverty. Casinos provided some tribes with more income, but that revenue has dried up. Nearly 500 casinos closed as part of precautions to fight the pandemic. Some Native American tribes are suing the Treasury Department for access to billions of dollars of coronavirus relief. It could become one of the most significant legal battles between tribal government and the U.S. in years, The New York Times writes. Go deeper: African Americans are disproportionately dying from coronavirus Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16) The Department of Social Welfare and Development has provided cash assistance to over 17 million households so far amid the coronavirus pandemic, the agency reported on Saturday. "Sa pangkalahatan, nakapagpahatid na ang DSWD ng mahigit 96.59 billion sa mahigit 17 million na beneficiaries ng SAP," DSWD Spokesperson Irene Dumlao said in a Laging Handa virtual press briefing. [Translation: Overall, the DSWD has delivered over 96.59 billion to more than 17 million beneficiaries of SAP (social amelioration program).] Of the total amount, 78 billion had already been distributed by local governments to 12.8 million households, she added. Local government units have also been receiving resource augmentation from the department, particularly through additional food packs and assistance in their implementation of social pension for indigent senior citizens, said Dumlao. Each beneficiary must receive full cash aid amount Dumlao reminded local authorities that they must provide each qualified family the COVID-19 emergency subsidy, which ranges from 5,000 to 8,000, in full instead of dividing the amount among households. Low-income families whose members are part of low-income or vulnerable sectors are eligible for the cash aid, the official said. "Mangyari lamang pong ibigay natin yung entire amount dahil ito ay close approximation dun sa halaga na kakailanganin po nila para matugunan ang kanilang pangunahing pangangailangan," she explained. [Translation: Can we kindly provide the entire amount because this is a close approximation to the actual amount they will need in order to meet their basic needs.] Dumlao also encouraged the public to report cases of halved SAP distribution to the agency. The government initially announced 18 million qualified households shall be receiving the said subsidy per month for two months, with the first tranche being scheduled in April and the second one in May. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque revealed later on that five million more beneficiaries left out of the LGUs' lists shall be included in the first round of cash aid distribution. In today's briefing, Roque also said they are still awaiting the official memorandum from the Office of the Executive Secretary regarding the second tranche of financial assistance. READ: Around 11 million families to get second tranche of COVID-19 cash aid DSWD On Friday, Malacanang confirmed that President Rodrigo Duterte will be seeking help from Congress regarding the funding for the emergency subsidy's second round. By Express News Service LOCHI: The city police on Friday seized two ambulances from Ernakulam Junction railway station, after finding that they were hired by passengers who arrived in the Thiruvananthapuram-bound special train from New Delhi. The police warned those arriving on special flights and trains against hiring ambulances for transportation. In a press release, the city police said ambulances were not meant to be used as taxis, and that those found transporting passengers will face confiscation, in addition to the suspension of the drivers licence. Similarly, hiring taxis to transport passengers arriving at railway stations and airports will also not be allowed. Enough ambulances have been arranged at the railway station, but they will only be used to transport symptomatic persons to the hospital, the police said. Passengers who arrived at the railway station on Friday were sent home in nine KSRTC buses, 99 taxis and private vehicles and the drivers of the private vehicles were directed to enter home quarantine. Thank God I have no one doing the Leaving Certificate this year. I don't envy anyone trying to devise a 'least-harm' solution, but I've got an idea worth considering that addresses a fundamental weakness of the proposed 'predicted grades' system. In order to solve a problem, you have to define it correctly. Let's go back to the Leaving Cert itself and understand what it attempts to achieve. It has been determinedly moulded over the years to perform one function only - to allocate places in higher education. But the whole point of the Leaving Cert is not what it does but how it does it. Its 'how' is the reason we cling to this barbarous rite of passage. So why do we have mass hysteria about the Leaving Cert every year? In the dark ages, when I did the Leaving Cert, everything didn't hang on it. Students who wanted to go to one of the National University of Ireland colleges, like UCD or UCC, could sit its matriculation exam. Trinity did its own 'matric'. The technical colleges conducted interviews for many courses and I know several people with poor Leaving Certs who got into courses on good interviews and went on to achieve great success. But the Department of Education pushed for a single method to act as the gatekeeper to further education. Gradually, all other entrance exams were wound down, interviews discouraged, and now the Leaving Cert is the educational equivalent of St Peter at the pearly gates. Fail it and you fail everything. But why? Almost everyone recognises the brutality of a system in which one bad day can precipitate disaster; when education is reduced to regurgitation; when class is so depressingly influential in the final outcome; when teachers are hamstrung by a rigid curriculum; and when it fails to measure so many important qualities in students. But despite all this, in this small country, when favours and influence are so easily arranged, we recognise that whatever other inequities are present, at least on this one day, it is entirely anonymous. Every student becomes a number. Daddy can't help you now. It is limited in all other ways but this: for one day, it's fair. Brutal, but fair. And this is why people are so concerned about predicted grades - it undoes that one fundamental advantage. Slagging off teachers is a cheap shot, so I'm not going to accuse them of deliberately manipulating grades for or against particular pupils. But with the best will in the world, they can get it wrong sometimes. Everyone has a story about the teacher who dragged them down but who they proved wrong in the exam. Or all the students who did a terrible mock exam but pulled it out of the fire by the time the Leaving Cert came around. My idea removes the power of teachers to influence who gets what course in college - random selection. So, let's say it is Law in UCD and it has 500 places (that's a guess). Take everyone who put that first choice on their CAO form and do a raffle. For those who lose out, move on to the applicant's second choices and so on. Cracked? Well, we already do this and always have done to some extent. Random selection is used when a bunch of applicants have the same points, but there is a limited number of places left on a course. If there are 100 students on the same points, but only 50 places, it's a lucky dip. This was relatively common on the old A, B and C grades, when lots of people had similar points. It's less common since they narrowed the bands, as a H2 or H3 is separated by only five points. But it's still used. So the principle is accepted. Funnily enough, in my time you knew when you got in on random selection and students would furtively admit to their good fortune. These days they don't tell applicants when they got in on the raffle, so people aren't as aware of its existence. I floated the idea around some academics who were supportive of the idea. One criticised the plan because he worried that students' top choices are often far beyond their capabilities and he'd have students who just weren't able for the course sitting in his classroom. But I checked with the CAO and around 80pc of students applying for a Level 8 course, a degree, are offered one of their top three choices. Of all applicants for a Level 6 or 7 course, 89pc get their first choice, and 98pc are offered one of their top-three choices. The alignment between application and what's offered is extraordinary. It shows that students are actually fantastic at predicting their own grades. My system only works by using choices people have already made. You couldn't do it every year because students might apply for fancy courses they can't manage. Now, the trick to any solution is that students buy into it. I expect predicted grades would lead to a huge wave of appeals, and increased applications to courses next year that will impact the class of 2021. But if you give students what they want, the course they applied for anyway, without the influence of teachers and bell curves, they might be convinced. It's certainly worth asking them. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 22:41:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People wearing face masks visit a market in Sanaa, Yemen, on May 16, 2020. Yemen's health authorities on Saturday recorded 16 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total confirmed cases in the war-ravaged Arab country to 122. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) ADEN, Yemen, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's health authorities on Saturday recorded 16 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total confirmed cases in the war-ravaged Arab country to 122. According to a brief statement released by the country's supreme national emergency, during the past 24 hours, 16 new coronavirus cases were officially recorded including three new deaths, raising the total number to 122. Meanwhile, the death toll from coronavirus climbed to 18 in different areas of the government-controlled provinces, including the southern port city of Aden and the southeastern province of Hadramout. So far, the pro-government health authorities recorded only one recovery of all the infected patients since the outbreak of coronavirus on April 10. Elsewhere in Yemen, health authorities in the Yemeni Houthi rebel-held capital Sanaa on Saturday declared two new COVID-19 cases in the areas under their control, taking the total number of infections in northern Yemen to four, including one death. The Yemeni authorities have taken several measures to contain the outbreak of COVID-19, including imposing a partial overnight curfew in Aden and other main cities. The pro-government Yemeni authorities called on donors and relevant international humanitarian organizations to provide urgent support to help contain the pandemic. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi group seized control of much of the country's north and forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of Sanaa. The optimal minimum legal age for non-medical cannabis use is 19 years of age, according to a study published in BMC Public Health. A team of researchers at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, investigated how Canadians who started using cannabis at several young ages differed across important outcomes (educational attainment, cigarette smoking, self-reported general and mental health) in later-life. Dr Hai Nguyen, lead author of the study said: "Prior to legalisation, the medical community recommended a minimum legal age of 21 or 25 for non-medical cannabis use in Canada. This recommendation was based on scientific evidence around the potential adverse impacts of cannabis on cognitive development. However, policymakers feared a high minimum legal age may lead to large underground markets, with those under the legal age continuing to use cannabis illegally. Ultimately, a lower legal age of 18 or 19 was decided across provinces, however there remains ongoing debate and calls to raise the legal age to 21." To determine whether the age at which people begin to use cannabis may have an impact on later-life outcomes, the authors analysed data from nationally-representative Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Surveys (CTUMS) and Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Surveys (CTADS) conducted between 2004 and 2015, which annually interview up to 20,000 individuals aged 15 years and older. The authors found different optimal minimum legal ages depending on the outcome of interest. For smoking, respondents who first used cannabis aged 19-20 were less likely to smoke cigarettes later in life than those who first used cannabis aged 18, but no significant difference was found in those who started using cannabis at an older age, indicating an optimum legal age of 19. The number of respondents reporting a high level of completed education was 16% higher among those who first used cannabis between the ages of 21 and 24, relative to those who first used it before age 18, suggesting an optimal minimum legal age of 21. General health was significantly better among those who started using cannabis aged 18, relative to those who started before age 18, but no significant difference was found among those who started at an older age, suggesting a minimum legal age of 18. However, mental health outcomes were found to be higher among those who first used cannabis aged 19-20 than before age 18, suggesting a minimum legal age of 19. Dr Nguyen said: "The lower level of completed education reported in those who first used cannabis at an earlier age may reflect poor neurological development or a higher 'drop-out' rate from further education. It is also possible that those who initiate cannabis use early may use it as a gateway for further illicit drug use, resulting in poorer health in later life, which may explain the poor general or mental health scores recorded in the study." Dr Nguyen said: "Taking into account all measured outcomes, our results indicate that, contrary to the Canadian federal government's recommendation of 18 and the medical community's support for 21 or 25, 19 is the optimal minimum legal age for non-medical cannabis use. Keeping the legal age below 21 may strike a balance between potential increases in underground markets and illegal use, and avoiding the adverse outcomes associated with starting to use cannabis at an earlier age." The authors caution that as the study used self-reported data, respondents may not have accurately recalled the age at which they first used cannabis. Data was also collected prior to legalization of non-medical cannabis in Canada and the authors were unable to predict the impact of cannabis use after legalization. They suggest that further research is needed to establish potential causal effects between the age at which cannabis is first used and the outcomes measured in the study, and could also focus on additional outcomes such as driving behaviours and street drug use. Lou Uridel, owner of the MetroFlex Gym in Oceanside, spoke on Wednesday at a protest in front of his business. Uridel was arrested and cited last week after refusing to close and has since been released. (Don Boomer / San Diego Union-Tribune) A few fitness centers and gyms in Southern California are reopening, in some cases challenging California's stay-at-home rules. In Riverside County, the Self Made Training Facility in Corona reopened May 4. The business is classified as a private training facility rather than a gym, so the opening complies with Riverside County's health orders, its owner, Kelly Michelsen, said Friday. Though the facility resembles a gym, it offers appointment-only sessions with personal trainers and is not open to general membership, she said. We can control our environment and there's not a lot of foot traffic coming in here, Michelsen said. The training facility had been closed since March 20 and was not able to obtain economic relief funds, she said. Michelsen was able to dip into personal reserves during the pandemic, but many of the personal trainers took a hit and wanted to get back to work, she said. I felt it was extremely important, especially during this time, that we spread awareness to people that long-term health is important, she said. I have private personal trainers that are very skilled in that. Since reopening, the facility has taken extra precautions, including checking temperatures at the door, having clients sign a waiver and wash their hands before and after sessions, and limiting capacity to eight trainers and eight clients per hour, Michelsen said. She said shes also placed markers six feet apart to encourage distancing between trainers and clients. She said business has been brisk, and shes received nothing but support from the community. The private personal trainers have seen an influx of people that cant go to regular gyms that are scheduling appointments with them, she said. A spokeswoman for the county said she was not aware of an exemption for private training facilities but deferred to the state. California's stay-at-home orders classify gyms and fitness studios as higher-risk businesses, which are permitted to reopen during Phase 3 of the state's recovery plan. The state is currently in Phase 2. Story continues At least two gyms in San Diego County one in Oceanside and the other in Vista reopened this week, despite county and state prohibitions. Both owners said they fear they could be forced to shut down at any time. Oceanside police arrested Metroflex Gym owner Lou Uridel for opening his business on Sunday. He was released the same day, and reopened again Wednesday after holding what he called a freedom rally attended by well over 100 people in the parking lot outside his business. He said Thursday that officers had warned him again that he could be cited for each day he remains open, but so far the police had taken no additional action and he had no intention of closing. Uridel was only the second person cited in Oceanside for violating COVID-19 health restrictions, said police spokesman Tom Bussey. The previous arrest was several weeks ago, when lifeguards detained a surfer who ignored repeated warnings to leave the ocean before the county lifted the surfing ban in late April. Our objective is one of education and compliance, Bussey said Thursday. Most people are good about doing what is asked. We are trying to protect lives here." A separate north San Diego County fitness business, Gym Vista, reopened May 7 and remains open despite the state and county prohibitions on nonessential businesses. The gym was crowded with people working out on exercise machines Thursday afternoon. No one wore face masks, and few appeared to be maintaining a six-foot distance. The owner was warned and given copies of the state and county public health order, said San Diego County sheriffs Lt. Ricardo Lopez on Friday. Since he chose to remain open, a case for violating [the order] was submitted to the district attorneys office. For the majority of the violations, deputies have been able to use education to gain voluntary compliance, Lopez said. Manager and co-owner Todd Danner said Thursday that since the warning, Sheriffs Department patrol cars drive past the gym several times a day, apparently in response to phone calls. Before its reopening, the Vista gym sent a news release to the media and city officials, stating that the business would adhere to all public health guidelines, hire additional cleaning staff and require members to declare that they have no COVID-19 symptoms and sign waivers accepting personal responsibility. We wanted to make it known we were opening up for the community we serve, Danner said. Felicien Kabuga, who was arrested Saturday in a Paris suburb, rose from poverty to become one of Rwandas richest men before allegedly using his wealth to fund the countrys 1994 genocide. Kabugas money and connections also helped him avoid arrest for more than 20 years as he moved from Rwanda to Switzerland, the former Zaire, and Kenya. Charged by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) with genocide, complicity in genocide, and direct and public incitement to commit genocide, Kabuga, 84, was living under a false identity outside Paris and people close to him said he had died. He was one of the worlds most-wanted fugitives and often referred to as the person who financed three months of Rwandan massacres from April to June, 1994 in which 800,000 people were massacred. Kabugas parents were modest farmers and his first jobs included peddling items door to door and selling cigarettes and used clothing in a market in his native Byumba region in northern Rwanda. A hard and determined worker, Kabuga then moved to Kigali where he opened several shops. According to French press reports, he owned a tea plantation, a mill, and real estate, including apartments and warehouses. By 1994 he was said to be one of the richest men in Rwanda and if farmers in remote villages saved up money, they were often nicknamed Kabuga. In 1993, one of his daughters married the oldest son of Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana, whose assassination triggered the 1994 genocide of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate ethnic Hutus. Another daughter married Augustin Ngirabatware, the countrys planning minister who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the bloodshed. Kabuga was also charged by the ICTR with two lesser but related genocide charges. He headed the National Defence Fund, to which he and other businessmen contributed, and which allegedly bought machetes and uniforms for the army and Interahamwe Hutu militia. In his position of authority, Felicien Kabuga between April and June 1994 contributed to the interahamwes killing and harming of persons identified as Tutsis by organising meetings to raise funds to purchase arms, the ICTR indictment read. Jean Damascene Bizimana, executive secretary of the National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide, told AFP that Kabuga had funded tonnes of machetes and grenades which were imported and distributed across the country as weapons. Many of the victims were hacked to death with machetes. Broadcasting calls for murder In addition, Kabuga helped create the notorious Radio-Television Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM) that incited people to carry out murder in its broadcasts. Kabuga served as president of RTLM and as such had de facto and de jure control of programming, operations, and finances of RTLM, the indictment said. He is also accused of directly supervising Interahamwe massacres in Gisenyi, northwestern Rwanda, and in the Kigali district of Kimironko. In July 1994, Kabuga sought refuge in Switzerland but was thrown out a month later. He flew to Kinshasa and later moved on to Kenya, where he managed to avoid three arrest attempts by police and ICTR officials after an arrest warrant was issued in 1997. The United States offered a reward of $ five million in 2002 for information leading to his arrest and funded a media campaign in Kenya that splashed his photo across the country. In 2011, the ICTR organised forums to collect testimony for Kabugas eventual trial, in case some witnesses died before he could be arrested. strs-fal/wai/ach Nerissa Barnes said she always knew her mother was a strong person, but she found out just how strong when the 87-year-old surprised her doctors and survived a bout with the coronavirus. They considered her to be terminal, and we were getting calls about making arrangements to move her to hospice, she said of her mother, Ethel Barnes. I said to my husband, I guess this is it. Im going to lose my mother. He said, Dont count her out. The very next day, Ethel Barnes vitals started to improve. Shes now back at JFK Hartwyck at Edison Estates, the nursing home where she caught the virus in early April. She is still on a feeding tube and is lethargic, her daughter said, but she is stable and COVID-19-free. They counted her out. We prayed and relied on the fact that shes strong, Nerissa Barnes said. She wants others to know that elderly people can survive the virus, even if things dont look good. I realized theres nobody thats a bigger hero to you than your mother, she said. Im learning my mother is a tremendously strong person. I want to tell her shes absolutely my hero. I hope I get the chance to do it." "Im still so scared, she added, referring to her mothers situation. Born in Jersey City, Ethel Barnes got her first job at age 10 and worked until she was 82 when she had to stop driving, Nerissa Barnes said. It wasnt easy work as a custodian, first for N.J. Bell Telephone Company and later part time in the Plainfield school district, but she was always cheerful and never complained, her daughter said. Ethel Barnes, left, pictured with her daughter Nerissa Barnes, survived the coronavirus in April.Provided She went to live with her daughter in West Orange in 2015, when she was diagnosed with Alzheimers Disease. She landed in JFK Hartwyck for rehabilitation after suffering a fractured hip in 2017. Even with Alzheimers Disease and being in a wheelchair, her daughter said she remains the same happy, social butterfly she always was. My mother is super high-energy, super nice, super social. She was never in her room. Shes always wheeling around in her wheelchair visiting people, Nerissa Barnes said. Thats probably how she got it. The family said they had no idea there was coronavirus in the facility until April 7, when Ethel Barnes brother called to see how she was and the staffer mentioned she was sick and had tested positive for COVID-19. As of Friday, JFK Hartwyck at Edison Estates has reported 162 coronavirus patients the second most in Middlesex County, behind the Menlo Park Veterans Memorial Home and 24 deaths. A spokeswoman for Hackensack Meridian Health, which runs the facility, said she couldnt comment for this story because of patient privacy concerns. Nerissa Barnes said she was furious they hadnt been notified the facility had coronavirus patients, and that no one had called as soon as her mother tested positive. Her mother never had any respiratory symptoms, she said, but had a fever and stopped eating. The nursing homes doctor was treating Ethel Barnes with hydroxychloroquine but wasnt optimistic, her daughter said. Staff repeatedly suggested a do-not-resuscitate order, she said. Nerissa Barnes worried that staff had already given up on her mother, so she demanded she be hospitalized. She even called Edison Police to see if they could help. On April 16, in renal failure and with low oxygen levels, Ethel Barnes was taken to JFK Medical Center in Edison. Nerissa Barnes praised the care her mother received from Dr. Basma Khan at the hospital, but said it was clear staff there thought she would not survive. She was never on a respirator, but her kidneys were failing and she wasnt eating. But on April 20, the day after the hospice intake call, Ethel Barnes oxygen levels and kidneys started improving. They counted her out, Nerissa Barnes said. We prayed and relied on the fact that shes strong. Eventually the doctors only concern was the fact that Ethel Barnes wasnt eating, so she was given a feeding tube. When she tested negative for COVID-19 and was starting to talk a little, she was discharged. Nerissa Barnes called other nursing homes but said she was told they werent accepting new patients, so her mother is back at JFK Hartwyck, at least for now. They say shes stable. They dont use the word recovering, Nerissa Barnes said. The next hurdle will be her eating on her own. She was finally able to do a video call with her mother May 9 and again Thursday, but said it was hard to communicate with her because she remains so lethargic. In the future, she hopes to be able to move her mom to a facility that cares for people with Alzheimers, or maybe even bring her home to West Orange. But for now, just the thought of seeing her mother in person again, after she survived such a deadly virus, is enough to bring Nerissa Barnes to tears. Im so glad my moms still here, but she was going through all that and I couldnt be there, she said. It would be absolutely amazing to hug her, to kiss her. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. A scoop from Politico's Meridith McGraw late Friday night: "The State Department's inspector general has been terminated tonight, the latest of a slew of inspectors general to be ousted in recent months." Steve Linick is a Justice Department veteran appointed to the role in 2013 by then-president Barack Obama, report McGraw and Nahal Toosi at Politico tonight. State Department Inspector General Steve Linick has been fired, according to a senior administration official and a congressional aide.https://t.co/NAw2Z5ZqFT POLITICO (@politico) May 16, 2020 Read the rest at Politico. Some intrigue behind the firing. Tonight the State Dept's Inspector General was ousted. A Democratic aide on Capitol Hill tells me that the OIG was looking into Secretary Pompeo's misuse of a political appointee at the Department to perform personal tasks for himself and Mrs. Pompeo. Michele Kelemen (@michelekelemen) May 16, 2020 .@RepEliotEngel: "I have learned that the Office of the Inspector General had opened an investigation into Secretary Pompeo. Mr. Linick's firing amid such a probe strongly suggests that this is an unlawful act of retaliation." Whoa. Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) May 16, 2020 Here's the termination letter from Trump, below. The U.S. State Department's website still lists this biography for inspector general Steve A. Linick, at the time of this blog post late on Friday night: Mr. Linick's professional memberships have included the President's Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency's (CIGIE) Investigations Committee, the CIGIE Legislation Committee; the Council of the Inspectors General on Financial Oversight, and the Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Working Group. Mr. Linick currently is the chair of the CIGIE Inspections and Evaluation Committee. Mr. Linick served as an Assistant United States Attorney in California (1994-1999) and Virginia (1999-2006). He also served as both Executive Director of the Department of Justice's National Procurement Fraud Task Force and Deputy Chief of its Fraud Section in the Criminal Division (2006-2010). During his tenure at the Department of Justice, he supervised and participated in white-collar criminal fraud cases involving, among other things, corruption and contract fraud against the U.S. in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. Linick earned a Bachelor of Arts (1985) and Master of Arts (1990) in Philosophy and a Juris Doctor (1990). All of his degrees are from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Well, then, that's not weird at all late on a Friday night, then, is it. Trump has fired the State Department inspector general in his latest effort targeting key watchdogs across the government. According to this letter he sent to Pelosi, Trump says he "no longer" has the "fullest confidence" in the State inspector general. Effective in 30 days. pic.twitter.com/9U4Q3HXd9W Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 16, 2020 BREAKING NEWS via @meridithmcgraw, @nahaltoosi: The State Dept. IG has been fired, the latest in a slew of watchdog firings by the Trump administration: https://t.co/9Pm3Ex3AW9 Nancy Cook (@nancook) May 16, 2020 It's a niggling question eating away at millions of Britons: was that wretched cough that lasted for most of February actually coronavirus? And if it was, might you have locked down your life for nothing? The answer lies in a simple test that looks for antibodies in the blood proteins released by the immune system in response to the Covid-19 virus. The theory is that if youve developed antibodies, the immune system is primed to fight the virus, and its highly unlikely youll get it again. Such a test doesnt tell you if you currently have it a different test is used to diagnose active disease. But it will tell you if youve had it in the past. Miranda Levy, pictured at her father's home in Chigwell, Essex, was one of the first people in the UK to receive the new state-of-the-art ELISA test for Covid-19 antibodies. Ms Levy was convinced she and her boyfriend Hugo picked up the virus while in New York in January. Her boyfriend, who lives in New York was positive, but Ms Levy was negative And this has been deemed crucial from the very start of the pandemic the key to establishing exactly how many have been infected. The reason? Up to 80 per cent of those who get Covid-19 suffer a mild illness or may not even realise theyve had it and diagnostic testing has, until recently, been limited to those ill enough to end up in hospital. Just how prevalent Covid-19 really has been is still unknown. Last week, Public Health England backed a new antibody blood test developed by Swiss firm Roche, which officials hope might finally provide an answer. The manufacturers claim the test is almost 100 per cent accurate and are in talks with NHS providers about distributing it across the country. But scientists are cautious. Previous attempts to roll out such tests have proved disastrous. The initial misfire came in early April, when 3.5 million antibody test kits ordered for use by the Government were found to be useless. Studies showed that the tests were unable to differentiate between antibodies triggered by Covid-19 and those associated with the common cold. A few weeks later, officials announced plans to distribute pregnancy-test style finger-prick tests to millions before some of those were found to be insufficiently accurate. But at the same time, scores of private companies have begun offering similar DIY tests, costing up to 100. Some of the countrys biggest employers have even batch-bought the devices and are testing staff to get them back to work quickly and safely. So do any of them work? Clinics in the UK are offering Covid-19 antibody tests which cost 300 and requires blood to be taken in a GP surgery or by a specialist clinic with the samples examined in a laboratory Broadly speaking, there are two different types of antibody tests. The failed tests initially planned for use by the Government were so-called lateral flow immunoassay (LFI). They can be completed within minutes at home and look a bit like pregnancy kits. The test must be taken about at least ten days after symptoms emerge, to allow time for antibodies to be produced. Using a tiny needle, you prick your finger to draw blood, then place a droplet on a piece of blotting paper. Built into the blotting paper are proteins called antigens. These antigens are targeted by antibodies released by the immune system deployed to fight the virus. If antibodies are present in blood, they will bind to the antigens on the paper. A chemical is triggered, causing a blue line to emerge an indicator of a positive result. Results are seen within ten minutes. Yet several studies have found these tests to be unreliable and for this reason, experts urge extreme caution. A large quantity of antibodies needs to be produced by the body in order for these tests to detect them, says Dr Penny Ward, visiting professor in pharmaceutical medicine at Kings College London. The antibody tests are different to the techniques used to determine whether someone is currently infected with Covid-19 which ordinarily uses an oral and nasal swab The concentration of antibodies found in the blood of those who have had Covid-19 is thought to vary those who have had the worst symptoms have been found to have the highest numbers. However, those who have not had the disease as severely may have lower concentrations, and the LFI test may not pick these up. These tests have a high false negative rate, warns Dr Ward. Will Irving, professor of microbiology and infectious diseases at Nottingham University, adds: In laboratories, we can add chemicals that help to pick up minuscule amounts of antibodies. You simply cant do that with these tests. The second, more robust, method is a blood test carried out in clinics, which is considered the gold standard. Called an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, or ELISA, it involves taking about 10ml of blood, which is then spun in a machine to extract the antibody-rich blood serum. The serum is then placed on to plastic plates coated with specific coronavirus antigens. This too measures the number of antibodies that attach themselves to the antigens on the plate. Unlike the LFI tests, only the blood serum which carries the antibodies is used, making it far easier to detect them. The new antibody test approved for use last week, called the Elecsys, is a type of ELISA test. Blood samples taken at a GP surgery or specialist clinic are then analysed in a laboratory by scientists. But what would a positive result actually mean? The answer is not as straightforward as it might seem. One UK clinic, Private Harley Street Clinic in London, is already offering its version of an ELISA blood test for a hefty price of 300. Journalist Miranda Levy, 52, was one of the first Britons to take it. She was convinced that the rampant fever, persistent headaches and scratchy throat that plagued her in January, was, in fact, the coronavirus. My boyfriend Hugo and I first became unwell during a holiday to the US, says Miranda, from Essex. We flew to and from Nicaragua via New York, which must have been swarming with the virus at the time. My cough had finished by the time I got home a week later, but I didnt feel right for weeks. I'm relieved to have some immunity Daniel Imperiale says the 300 he spent on an antibody test was worth it for the sense of security. Knowing that I definitely had the virus, so have some immunity to it, has stopped me feeling anxious when venturing out the house, says the 32-year-old who lives in West London. When the time comes to get on the Tube and go back to work, I wont feel as nervous because now I probably have protection against it. Marketing manager Daniel Imperiale says the 300 he spent on an antibody test was worth it for the sense of security after the Harley Street test confirmed he had previously been infected by Covid-19 The marketing manager visited The Private Harley Street Clinic in London two weeks ago for the blood test, nearly two months after recovering from suspected Covid-19. I rarely get ill, so when I woke up with a fever of 39 degrees and it didnt shift for five days I just knew Id got it, he says. Id moved to London from New York in February, and Id spent two weeks sightseeing in central London, mixing closely with lots of tourists, so it was unsurprising that Id caught it. I checked the Government website and saw I had all the symptoms on the checklist. Thankfully, his illness passed after five days of bed rest but he was never officially diagnosed. When he read about the private antibody test that might tell him for sure, he signed up immediately. Two weeks ago, he went for an hour-long appointment, in which the nurse took a sample of blood, and a week later the results arrived by email. Id tested positive and had antibodies, which meant I had some level of immunity, says Daniel. I felt an immediate sense of relief. But I am sensible and I know that theres no guarantees. Im still keeping my two-metre distance and hand-washing. Advertisement We didnt think much of it until Covid-19 hit the headlines in March and my boyfriend, who lives in America, was offered a free ELISA test as part of a research programme. It came back positive. When Miranda found a clinic offering the same test in the UK, she signed up immediately. But her results, which arrived last week, were negative. I just thought, How could that be? Hugo had had a slight fever in March so mild, he hadnt even mentioned it. Perhaps that was Covid-19? I was so disappointed I wanted to feel like I had virus-fighting superpowers too. But then I read articles suggesting a positive result may not mean a person is immune after all. Mirandas doubts are justified. First of all, not all ELISA tests are created equally. The technology works but each individual test varies in terms of accuracy, says Dr Ward. There is currently no legislation that requires manufacturers to provide evidence to show their particular device works. The test may have only been verified using animals or in petri dishes not on humans. The same doubts apply to the new test backed by Public Health England there is little detail about the research on which the accuracy claims are based. Without seeing the study methods and the data, its impossible to verify these claims of accuracy, warns Prof Carl Heneghan, director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at Oxford University. And Prof Irving adds: Manufacturers might say their test is 99 per cent sensitive, based on 100 people with Covid-19. But if all 100 of those people were very ill in hospital producing large numbers of antibodies then weve no idea if it will find antibodies in non-hospitalised patients with a mild illness who produce far less. A major trial run by Imperial Healthcare Trust in London and the Department for Health hopes to fill this gap in information, by randomly distributing 100,000 of the newly approved antibody tests to people in the community. But even if the test is 100 per cent accurate, what does it actually tell you? For now, antibody tests can only tell you if youve had the virus, not if youre definitely protected from reinfection, says Dr Ward. We currently dont know the level of antibody needed to grant immunity. Promisingly, studies from China suggest high levels of Covid-19 specific antibodies do appear to indicate immunity, or at least a less severe second infection. But how long immunity lasts is unknown, according to studies of previous coronaviruses. Survivors of SARS had protective antibodies for anything between three and 17 years, and they seemed to prevent reinfection. But a 2016 follow-up of MERS patients showed their protective antibodies lasted just three years. Unlike the flu virus, which mutates and so can evade existing antibodies, mutations in the new coronavirus are rare. But, as Dr Ward says, antibodies are only one small part of the puzzle when it comes to understanding Covid-19 immunity. The immune system draws on several important modes of defence to guard us against reinfection, she says. Scientists are also investigating the role of a type of fighter cell, released in response to a virus, called a T-cell. Studies show these can remain for longer than antibodies in recovered SARS patients theyve been detected more than a decade later. Theres a lot of research to do before we know what is needed to make someone immune from Covid-19, says Dr Ward. Its going to take years of studying people, the further away they get from the first infection. So, if there is no guarantee antibodies grant us immunity, why is the Government testing for them? Many people are afraid they may contract Covid-19 while commuting to work where social distancing is difficult Antibody testing is crucial for understanding the spread of the disease and how deadly it is, says Dr Ward. It may be that thousands of people in the community have come into contact with it but havent had symptoms. If this is the case, it would dramatically reduce the mortality rate. We saw this in swine flu only after subsequent antibody tests did we learn that, in many people, it was so harmless they didnt even know they had it. It could be that were massively overestimating the mortality rate. (Photo : Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash) Which Google Alternative is the Best? Here Are Top 5 Search Engines of 2020 In today's lockdown, the Internet has been our best friend throughout the stay-at-home orders. Google, specifically, holds the throne of the most used and trusted search engine out there. But, just in case you're wondering, other web browsers may serve as alternatives for Google. Here are the top five choices for you! Google Search has alternatives too; Here are the top 5 A lot of Google alternatives are available to use by anyone on the Internet freely. Since Google seemed to be the giant name in the online world, its users' privacy and security have been the main issues presented in the search engine. So, if you're looking to find other ways not to track your searches, here are the top five Google search alternatives to visit now. DuckDuckGo DuckDuckGo, founded in 2008 by its CEO Gabriel Weinberg, is one of the best Google alternative search engines available to anyone. Technically, DuckDuckGo isn't different from Google. TechCrunch reported last year that Google had quietly added this search engine as one of its default options for users. One characteristic that this search engine has, though, is its issue on privacy setup. As reported, DuckDuckGo is the safest search engine available, even in 2020. This website claims not to track any of their users using target IP addresses or even search history. Mozilla Firefox One of the common alternatives for the Google search engine is Mozilla Firefox. Just like DuckDuckGo, one of the main key features it boasts is the security. The company said to automatically block third-party cookies and remind users once a website experiences a data breach. Unlike before, Mozilla Firefox already improved its speed, so its a great alternative when Google's not working. Tor Tor browser, just like the above alternatives, also focuses on keeping your search engine protected and safe to any prying eyes. As reported via Fox News, Tor is so safe to use by anyone that governments around the world use this search engine to break through censorship from any platform. Searx If you're really concerned about your search history by using Google, one of the less popular search engines that give ultimate privacy to its users today is Searx. Searx, made by programming company Python, is a privacy-friendly and unique metasearch engine that goes to open-source. Ecosia For the last option in our top choices for Google alternatives, Ecosia is a search engine worthy of its users. Aside from providing a privacy-friendly search engine based in Germany, the search engine also claims to have a positive impact in the environmental world. The site claims to use its ad revenue from each searcher type-in by the users. All trees will be planted to places "where they needed the most." So that's not just helpful for Google alternatives, but for the planet, right? 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan assures that the person, who is representing the people of Armenia, is sitting at the negotiation table for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. According to the PM, no force in Armenia can restrain the one who is representing the peoples interests. During an online press conference today Pashinyan said he has repeatedly expressed his position on the formula of settling the NK conflict, that is the participation of the elected representatives of the Republic of Artsakh to the negotiations is very vital and important. Some are trying to constrain the legal representatives of Armenia at the negotiation table. Different people can voice the most acceptable and the most unacceptable ideas at the negotiation table, and so what?, he said, once again reaffirming that no force can constrain them. Pashinyan said before making any decision its necessary to talk to the security councils, parliaments and peoples of Armenia and Artsakh. The PM said he doesnt imagine a solution that will be made without the participation of the elected representatives of Artsakh. According to some talks we didnt manage to return Artsakh to the negotiation table just as it has not been returned to the negotiation table in the past 22 years when in 1988 Artsakh was left out of the negotiation table and for 22 years the whole international community, the OSCE Minsk Group, worked under such conditions, he said, adding that the fact that Artsakh is not present at the negotiation table leads to certain difficulties. Asked whether he is ready to meet with the former presidents of Armenia on the Artsakh issue, Pashinyan said he doesnt see any problem if there is a need for that. As for the issues of possible deployment of peacekeeping troops, the Armenian PM said the idea of peacekeeping troops has always existed in the documents and public statements made before. Industrialist Anand Mahindra has supported an army proposal that seeks to allow the countrys youth to serve the military for three years under a new tour of duty (ToD) model and said that the exposure would give them an added advantage in the next workplace they choose, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday. The ToD model is similar to the short-service commission that allows officers to serve the armed forces for 10 to 14 years. In an e-mail to the Indian Army, Mahindra said his group would be happy to consider the candidature of ToD optees for corporate jobs. The email read, I recently learnt that the Indian Army is considering a novel proposal, the Tour of Duty. The young, fit citizens of India will get an opportunity to gain operational experience in the Army both as soldiers and officers through this voluntary three year-programme. If the proposal is accepted, the army could implement the ToD model - essentially an internship after military training - on trial basis for both officers and other ranks in a limited number of vacancies. I definitely think military training will be an added advantage for Tour of Duty Graduates as they enter the workplace. In fact, considering the rigid standards of selection and training in the Indian Army, the Mahindra Group will be happy to consider their candidature, Mahindra wrote in an e-mail. The ToD proposal, reviewed by Hindustan Times, stressed that the internship model would result in savings for the organisation. It said it will also brighten the prospects of the ToD optees in the corporate world. The cumulative cost of pre-commission training, pay/allowances, proposed severance packages, leave encashment and other costs is nearly 5.12 crore and 6.83 crore for short-service commissioned (SSC) officers released after 10 and 14 years of service. However, similar costs for those released after three years will be just 80 to 85 lakh, the proposal stated. It said the ToD model would eventually result in significant reduction in salary and pension budgets, too. The proposal cites a survey that has indicated that corporate houses would prefer employing individuals who have been trained by the military and join them at the age of 26-27 after a three-year ToD rather than college graduates. The Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) has submitted a memorandum to chief minister Jai Ram Thakur demanding payment of workers salaries and amendment of labour laws. CITU state president Vijendra Mehra said due to the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown imposed to contain its spread workers and labourers had suffered the most. Many workers have been laid off during the lockdown and many industrial workers have not been paid salaries for March-April, he said. Through the memorandum, CITU has demanded that the salaries and wages of workers are paid immediately as per Payment of Wages Act, 1936, to reverse the decision of extending working hours, pay salaries from eight hours to 12 hours and reverse all amendments in labour laws, which are anti-labour. An online meeting of the Management Board on the North-South road corridor modernization programs, sustainable urban development, and the Northern corridor program was held on Saturday. According to Armenian deputy PM Tigran Avinyan's press service, during the meeting, Yerevan transport issues were considered. Taking into account that an agreement was reached with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on the purchase of 100 buses to solve the Yerevan transport problem, and a tender for the purchase has already been announced, the construction of a new bus depot that meets international standards was also discussed. Following the meeting, it was decided to begin work on the issues discussed, and Avinyan gave relevant instructions on this subject. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close (Natural News) Researchers from the University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside) have shown that the way animal mothers nurture their offspring can influence how they develop, and can even influence how fast a new species develops. The study, which was published in the journal Nature Communications, studies more than 170 species from the Poeciliidae family of freshwater fish, the most famous of which is the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). The research team was led by David Reznick, a professor of biology at UC Riverside who has spent years studying the Poeciliidae family of fish. Reznick believed that the way guppy mothers nurture their young can influence the evolution of male traits. He was inspired to test out this hypothesis when he saw guppies in a fish store. All the fish that were for sale, he noticed, had similar traits. The fish I saw that day all belong to the Poeciliidae family, which give birth to live young, rather than lay eggs. Some of them even have placentas, like mammals, said Reznick. The ones offered for sale were only species with colorful males and all of those species had mothers that lack placentas. I wanted to know how having this type of mother might relate to the evolution of male traits. Stark difference between fish with placentas and those without Reznick and his team set about constructing a family tree using the DNA they gathered from more than 170 species of Poeciliidae. Afterwards, they mapped male and female traits that they observed onto the tree and tried to reconstruct how male and female traits evolved throughout the Poeciliidae family. In their research, Reznick and his team found that when the fish evolved placentas, it changed how they pick potential mates. For the fish that didnt have placentas, choosing a mate was a lot trickier. According to Reznick, the mothers who didnt have placentas have already invested a lot into their eggs, even prior to fertilization. This makes the mothers picky about the partners they choose. (Related: Immune system intelligence: Your biochemistry morphs to defend against new parasites.) Meanwhile, for the fish who did have placentas, there was a stark difference. In those kinds of species, the eggs were smaller and the mother didnt invest a lot into them. Furthermore, a mother with a placenta is able to choose who the father of the eggs will be after mating, as she can influence whose sperm fertilizes the eggs. She can even choose to abort the eggs if she doesnt want them. Presence of placentas also altered the males Upon analysis of the DNA tree Reznick and his team made, they found that the females who had placentas were more sexually active, and their male counterparts were a lot less competitive. These males were less colorful and did not dance during courtship. In contrast, the researchers found that the mothers without placentas gave rise to more colorful males who were more likely to dance during courtship. Reznick and his team also found that there was a strong connection between the way mothers would nurture their offspring and whether or not a new species would form. In their study, Reznick and his team found that the fish species that had fancier males formed new species twice as fast as the species that had plainer-looking males. This, according to the team, heavily suggests that the way these fish are nurtured by their mothers influences the development of new species. Reznick further argues that while this research was limited in its scope to one family of fish, its underlying principles may be applied through the entire animal kingdom. He expects that future research will be able to show that these same connections can be discovered. Sources include: ScienceDaily.com Nature.com NewScientist.com When 2020 is done, maybe well look back and say the years best news was delivered by someone with a name to match. People feared the worst this month when a 2-year-old boy went missing for more than 24 hours in a heavily wooded area north of Salina. But 16-year-old Adair High School student Seth Best made stomach knots vanish when, searching on horseback, he found Jesse Dale Young alive and well, with only a few minor scratches to show for an overnight adventure. Jesse was delivered to authorities and returned to his family three days before what surely was a Mothers Day to be appreciated. The day before Mothers Day, Jesses mom said in a Facebook post (more on this later) that she hoped the finding of Jesse would help to heal Seths family. In days since Jesses rescue, Seth has learned how much people love a happy ending. He said he cant go anywhere without someone saying his name or clapping or shaking his hand. Last weekend, Seth filled his belly at a Tulsa steak house. A team roper, he was on his way back from a rodeo event and was wearing a shirt with his contestant back number on it. He walked into the steak house without realizing he might be IDd by his shirt. He became a topic for other diners. They didnt say (anything) really to me, but I could hear them talking about it, he said. They were like, Is that the kid? You could hear them saying things. If youre hungry to know more about the kid, a go-to source is Devin DeLozier. An ag teacher and FFA adviser at Adair, DeLozier said he has had many good kids in 22 years at the school. Seth is one of them. Ill be honest with you, DeLozier said. Just like most teenagers, I have had to (get after him) about stuff, but, at the same time, he does the right thing. Adair superintendent Mark Lippe described Seth as polite and a positive role model. DeLozier also said Seth was polite, adding that the junior-to-be has a good attitude and is always smiling. But work was the word the teacher used most often when talking about Seth. DeLozier recalled giving Seth a hard time about looking tired when he showed up for school one snowy morning last February. Seth didnt look weary because he had just rolled out of bed. He said he had gotten up at 3 a.m. to clear snow from parking lots in Pryor. That kid is always working, DeLozier said. In this day and age, thats invaluable. He likes to play hard, too. ... But when it comes time to work, his mom and dad, they raised him right. He will work. He will not starve to death in his adult life. He will work. Seth lives near Langley, in close proximity to Grand Lake. He said his family has a lot of land and has always had horses and cows. When he was younger, he was big into dirt bike racing. Now team roping is a passion. Drones and airborne vehicles were used in the search for the missing boy, but Jesse was found the cowboy way, by a rodeo kid who has been aboard horses all his life. DeLozier said Seth and his father, Shane, are the kind of people that, if folks need help, they show up ready to go. Hundreds of law enforcement officials and volunteers showed up to search for Jesse when the toddler went missing May 6. Shane and Seth were asked to join the hunt the following day. As many people as were out there, I figured they already would have found him or something, you know? Seth said. I didnt expect us to find him. It took them only about 30 minutes to hit a jackpot. Seth heard something. He didnt know if he was hearing things or if the noise came from an animal or a kid, but it was a clue worth investigating. He concentrated on listening. His ears led him to Jesse. We got off and we started walking to a ledge and he was straight down from us right there, Seth said. Jesse was found in an area east of Lake Hudson. He had walked, in a diaper and Croc-type shoes, about two miles from his home. Seth was asked if he wishes he could read Jesses mind to find out what happened during the overnight adventure. I dont know what you would do out there at night, Seth said. There wasnt nothing but rocks and sticks. Seth said he would not have wanted to spend the night there. When I was younger, I used to go camping and stuff, he said. But now that I am older, I do not want to go camping. I have a horse trailer for a reason. Temperatures dropped into the 40s during Jesses night in the woods. Seth said Jesses skin was not cold when he was found. Still, Seth wrapped Jesse in a shirt. On May 9, Jesses mother, Carlie Young, said this on Facebook: I havent posted a whole lot on here in regards to Jesse. We have been enjoying having our baby home among other basics needed to be done. Our Jesse Dale was named after two of his great grandpas. My grandpa, Jerry Dale Young, passed away four years ago. He was my hero growing up and ALWAYS wore a denim shirt. The fact that the Best boys were wearing a denim shirt and wrapped Jesse in it prove that my papa was looking over him and led Seth straight to him. I hope that finding Jesse and helping our family has healed their family just a bit. We couldnt thank the hundreds of volunteers, law enforcement and everyones prayers enough. One year earlier, Seths brother, Bobby, died in a motorcycle crash in Elk City. Bobby was an 18-year-old senior at Pryor High School. It was such a tragedy, DeLozier said. I told my wife after they found that little boy, I said, They needed that. Seth and Shane needed that, big-time. Mentioning that many had been looking for Jesse and the Bests found him in only 30 minutes, DeLozier said, Honestly, I think it was kind of Gods plan to find that little boy and put Seth in that position to find him. Maj. Rod Howell of the Mayes County Sheriffs Office told The Paper, a weekly publication based in Pryor, that the safe recovery of Jesse was one of the most rewarding and satisfying moments of his law enforcement career. Ive been at this about 20 years, Howell said. And seeing the outpouring of people and being able to be a part of helping bring this boy home safely was pretty special. Seth, who was thanked by Jesses parents, said he doesnt need an award or anything. He is glad that the search turned out as good as could be expected. I have a niece and a nephew, he said. If they were both missing, I would want help out there looking for them. As the finder, Seth got a taste of sudden fame. The story of Jesses recovery made national news. Seth was flooded with calls and texts, many of them from people he didnt know. The attention has been a little flattering how could it not be? but Seth is ready for normalcy. Normalcy for a 16-year-old is getting a drivers license. Seth passed his test a few days after finding Jesse. Seth wasnt nervous about the test because he has been driving since he was 13 or 14. My mom has already got me running errands, he said during a mission to Braums for milk and eggs. Seth said people have been asking what he wants to do with the rest of his life. He doesnt know yet. Regardless, the Jesse story will always be part of Seths story. Hey, Seth. Whats the second-coolest thing youve ever done? He said it was getting to meet an FBI agent not just one, but six of them. The FBI was part of the search. I just never thought where we lived, a small town in Oklahoma, that we would ever meet an FBI agent, he said. When Seth and the newly found Jesse met up with FBI agents, one of the agents was equipped with a bottle of Dr Pepper. Jesse took a swig. It was sweet, just like his recovery and the outpouring of support for the teen who found him. FEATURED VIDEO Look for the helpers: See what these Tulsans are doing to ease the stress of the coronavirus pandemic Jimmie Tramel 918-581-8389 jimmie.tramel@tulsaworld.com Twitter: @JimmieTramel Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Model of critical infrastructures reveals vulnerabilities MANHATTAN, KANSAS -- An interdisciplinary team of Kansas State University researchers developed a computer simulation that revealed beef supply chain vulnerabilities that need safeguarding -- a realistic concern during the COVID-19 pandemic. Caterina Scoglio, professor, and Qihui Yang, doctoral student, both in electrical and computer engineering, recently published "Developing an agent-based model to simulate the beef cattle production and transportation in southwest Kansas" in Physica A, an Elsevier journal publication. The paper describes a model of the beef production system and the transportation industry, which are interdependent critical infrastructures -- similar to the electrical grid and computer technology. According to the model, disruptions in the cattle industry -- especially in the beef packing plants -- will affect the transportation industry and together cause great economic harm. The disruptions modeled in the simulation share similarities with how the packing plants have been affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. "When we first started working on this project, there was a lot of emphasis on studying critical infrastructures; especially ones that are interdependent, meaning that they need to work together with other critical infrastructures," Scoglio said. "The idea is if there is a failure in one of the systems, it can propagate to the other system, increasing the catastrophic effects." The study included a variety of viewpoints to create a realistic and integrated model of both systems. Co-authors on the paper include Don Gruenbacher, associate professor and department head of electrical and computer engineering; Jessica Heier Stamm, associate professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering; Gary Brase, professor of psychological sciences; Scott DeLoach, professor and department head of computer science; and David Amrine, research director of the Beef Cattle Institute. The researchers used the model to evaluate which supply chain components were more robust and which were not. They determined that packing plants are the most vulnerable. Scoglio said that recent events in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic raise important issues about how to safeguard the system. "An important message is that after understanding the critical role of these packers, we need to decide how we could protect both them and the people who work there," Scoglio said. "While the plants are a critical infrastructure and need to be protected, taking care of the health of the workers is very important. How can we design a production process that can be flexible and adaptable in an epidemic?" According to the paper, the beef cattle industry contributes approximately $8.9 billion to the Kansas economy and employs more than 42,000 people in the state. Since trucks are needed to move cattle, any disruption in either cattle production or transportation almost certainly would harm the regional economy, Scoglio said. "Packers need to be considered as a critical point of a much longer supply chain, which needs specific attention to make sure it will not fail and can continue working," Scoglio said. "Beef packers are a critical infrastructure in the United States." The project was supported by the National Science Foundation and focused on southwest Kansas, but the researchers acknowledge that cattle come from outside the region and interruptions may have larger national effects. ### This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Amsterdam, the Netherlands 15 May 2020 - Intertrust N.V. (Intertrust or Company), a global leader in providing tech-enabled corporate and fund solutions to clients operating and investing in international business, announces that the Annual General Meeting of 14 May 2020 adopted all voting items on the agenda, including the financial statements for the year 2019. For more information: Investors & Media Marieke Palstra marieke.palstra@intertrustgroup.com Tel +31 20 577 1157 About Intertrust Intertrust is a global leader in providing tech-enabled corporate and fund solutions to clients operating and investing in the international business environment. The Company has around 3,500 employees in more than 30 jurisdictions in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Middle-East. Intertrust delivers high-quality, tailored fund, corporate, capital market and private wealth services to its clients, with a view to building long-term relationships. The Company works with global law firms and accountancy firms, multinational corporations, financial institutions, fund managers, high net worth individuals and family offices. Attachment Attachment The Centre on Saturday said it will rationalise stamp duty in mining sector, eliminate the difference between captive and non-captive mines, introduce seamless composite exploration-cum-mining-cum-production regime and auction 500 mining blocks. Announcing the fourth tranche of the economic stimulus package, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "We would also like to eliminate the difference between captive and non-captive mines." The move, the government said will allow transfer of mining leases and sale of surplus unused minerals, leading to betterefficiency in mining and production. The Ministry of Mines, the finance minister said, is in the process of developing mineral index for different minerals and added that the Centre has also decided to rationalise stamp duty payable at the time of award of mining leases. "Then the rationalisation of stamp duty which is payable at the time of award of mining leases is also happening," she said. Welcoming the announcement, Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi in a tweet said that "under PM @NarendraModi ji, the nation is transforming. FM @NSitharaman ji announced today structural reforms in Coal & Mining sectors to make India an #AatmaNirbharEconomy. These reforms will bring in investment & global best practices will generate huge employment opportunities." Miners' body FIMI welcomed that the government's decision to grant composite exploration-cum-mining-cum-production licence (CEMPL). "FIMI has long been requesting the government to allow seamlessness in the mining sector starting from reconnaissance to mining stages, in line with international best practices...However, the finer details of the newly announced regime has to be seen," Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI) said. "We also welcome the Government's decision to rationalize the stamp duty in mining sector, which will provide much needed relief to the highly taxed Indian mining sector." The removal of the distinction between captive and non-captive mines will lead to independent development of the mining sector in India, it said. Vedanta Ltd welcomed the announcements made by the Finance Minister for structural reforms in coal and mineral resources. "India is blessed with abundant reserves of coal, bauxite and other mineral resources, and these reforms will bolster India's production of these critical resources. This shall ensure raw material security for the industry and give great impetus to India's efforts towards self-reliance for an AtmaNirbhar Bharat," Ajay Kapur, CEO, aluminium and power business Vedanta said. Elimination of distinction between captive mines and non-captive will ensure a level-playing field for players in the integrated metals space, Saurabh Bhatnagar, Partner and National Leader, Metals & Mining, EY India said. "All firms will now compete through measures of efficiency and deploying best practices for running a mining business. These were much need reforms in the mining sector as India is a mineral rich country and any sectoral reforms to attract investments which adds to India's GDP through this sector and save precious foreign exchange are welcome," he added. Debasish Mishra, Partner, Leader Energy, Resources and Industrial Products, Deloitte India said single licensing policy, removal of captive non-captive distinction, revenue sharing model and stamp duty rationalisation have been the demand of the industry for a long time. "Similarly aluminium industry has been asking for bauxite and coal combined license, which has been cleared now," he said. The Centre also announced that introduction of joint auction of bauxite and coal mineral blocks. The move will enhance aluminium industry's competitiveness and help the sector reduce the electricity cost. Removal of distinction between a captive and non-captive mines would mean that transfer of non-captive mines will be permitted subject to compliance with prescribed conditions, Arvind Sharma, Partner, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas. This is a huge relaxation and will lead to increased merger and acquisition in the mining sector, he said, adding that this will create new opportunities. Niladri Bhattacharjee, Partner - Metals & Mining, KPMG India said that in terms of novelty, one thing stands out i.e, joint auction of coal and bauxite blocks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congressional Democrats on Saturday launched a probe into President Donald Trump's "politically-motivated" dismissal of a government watchdog believed to have been investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The announcement came after Trump told House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi late Friday that he planned to dismiss State Department Inspector General Steve Linick. It was Trump's third abrupt dismissal of an official tasked with monitoring governmental misconduct and abuse since April, and drew criticism even from members of his own party. "The firings of multiple Inspectors General is unprecedented; doing so without good cause chills the independence essential to their purpose," tweeted Republican Mitt Romney. "It is a threat to accountable democracy and a fissure in the constitutional balance of power," Romney continued. Two senior Democrats -- Senator Bob Menendez and congressman Eliot Engel -- said in a statement they "unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing". The lawmakers said Linick had apparently "opened an investigation into wrongdoing by Secretary Pompeo himself," and said the firing was "transparently designed to protect Secretary Pompeo from personal accountability ... and may be an illegal act of retaliation." A Democratic congressional aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Linick was probing complaints that Pompeo inappropriately used a political appointee to perform personal tasks for himself and his wife Susan. CNN, citing a senior State Department official, reported that Pompeo himself had recommended the firing and hand-picked Stephen Akard, a former aide to Vice President Mike Pence, to succeed Linick. By law, the administration must give Congress 30 days' notice of its plans to terminate an inspector general, in theory giving lawmakers time to study the move -- and protest if warranted. "A general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress," warned Republican senator Chuck Grassley. But previous such firings have gone through unimpeded, and those dismissed have been replaced by political allies of the Republican president. Engel, who heads the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, requested that the White House and State Department turn over records related to Linick's dismissal. They also asked to see files for IG investigations "involving the Office of the Secretary that were open, pending, or incomplete at the time of Mr. Linick's firing." - Dog-sitting and takeout - Pompeo has raised eyebrows for frequently traveling the world on his government plane with his wife, who has no official role. CNN reported last year that a whistleblower had complained that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, which guards US missions overseas as well as the secretary of state, had been assigned questionable tasks for the Pompeos, such as picking up takeout food or tending to the family dog. The State Department confirmed Linick's firing but did not comment on the reason -- or on whether Pompeo was under investigation. A State Department spokesperson also confirmed that the new inspector general would be Akard, an attorney who served as a foreign affairs advisor to Pence when the latter was governor of Indiana. - Trusted presence for Trump - Pompeo is one of Trump's most trusted aides -- and a rare one never to come publicly into the crosshairs of the mercurial president. In recent months, Pompeo has moved US foreign policy forcefully to the right -- encouraging a drone strike that killed a top Iranian general and promoting a theory, discounted by mainstream scientists, that the COVID-19 pandemic originated in a Chinese laboratory. Linick, a longtime prosecutor, was appointed in 2013 by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama to oversee the $70 billion juggernaut of US diplomacy. He played a small role in Trump's impeachment saga last year, handing to Congress documents by Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani with unproven claims about Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and Marie Yovanovitch, whom Trump removed as the US ambassador to Ukraine. Trump repeated the charges to Ukraine's president and pressed him to dig up dirt, while freezing military aid to Kiev, which is battling Russian-backed separatists. Since his acquittal by the Senate, Trump has fumed against a "Deep State" he sees as out to get him. He has removed or demoted inspectors general for the Pentagon, the intelligence community and the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as a senior health official who questioned Trump's promotion of unproven drug therapies for COVID-19. US State Department inspector general Steve Linick, pictured on Capitol Hill in October 2019, was appointed in 2013 by Trump's predecessor Barack Obama to oversee the $70 billion juggernaut of US diplomacy US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife Susan Pompeo walk on the tarmac of the Luanda airport on a February 2020 visit to Angola US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is one of the few aides to Donald Trump not to find himself in the president's crosshairs Abrupt halting of the auctioning of cocoons prompted silk farmers dump the produce in front of the cocoon market on Bengaluru-Mysuru highway here on Saturday. Reelers boycotted the auctioning alleging that the state government had not fulfilled their demands halting the process. However, farmers resorted to protest as the e-auctioning did not begin by noon. They alleged that they would not have brought the cocoons to the market had the reelers announced their decision in advance. They sought the government to buy the cocoons through Karnataka Silk Marketing Board (KSMB) and Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation Limited (KSIC). The reelers claimed that about 2,500 tonnes silk reels were in stock across the state due to lockdown. They wanted the KSMB to purchase a minimum of 30 kg reels a week and make 60% payment during procurement. The government should ensure passes to reelers to sell the reels in other states, they demanded. They said that they would not buy the cocoons till their demands were fulfilled. Deputy Commissioner M S Archana and Magadi legislator A Manjunath held an emergency meeting with the reelers. Though the DC clarified that the government had orally promised to fulfill the demands, the reelers did not come to the market. Karnataka State Reelers Association President Mohammad Muheeb Pasha said that the office-bearers would take a decision on participating in the auctioning only after the Association received the governments communication in writing. The auction was suspended as the reelers did not participate and it will resume on Sunday, deputy director of the market said. By Trend Azerbaijan copes with the negative impact of coronavirus very well, Manager of the French SUEZ Group for Azerbaijan Alain Carbonel said in an interview with the French BFM Business radio. "We are mainly engaged in research and the implementation of innovative projects in Azerbaijan, Carbonel said. Azerbaijan, like other countries, has been also affected by the coronavirus pandemic. But the number of infected people and fatal cases from coronavirus in Azerbaijan is very small compared to other countries thanks to the high level of management in this country, as well as comprehensive preventive measures." Carbonel stressed that the epidemic had a negative impact on the construction sector, agriculture, the chemical industry, oil and gas sector. However, the country copes with this negative impact of coronavirus very well, the manager said. Carbonel also highlighted the recent business meeting with the participation of Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov in a webinar format organized by the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO), the French Entrepreneurs Organization (MEDEF) and the Azerbaijan-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry. During this meeting, Jabbarov spoke about the planned measures to combat the crisis and stressed that none of investment projects in the country will be canceled, the manager said. Carbonel added that the Azerbaijani government has prepared an assistance plan that covers such sectors as tourism, construction, agriculture, transport, as well as the companies implementing infrastructure projects. "Huge financial assistance is rendered to these companies to prevent staff cuts," the manager said. Carbonel stressed that the Azerbaijani government will need time to ensure diversification of the economy. "Presently, two sectors are most developed in the Azerbaijani non-oil sector, namely, agriculture and tourism, the manager said. Obviously, there is stagnation in tourism sector and this is natural as all countries have closed their borders. We hope that this stagnation will end soon. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Hugh Jackman plays a corrupt school superintendent in Foxtel's new drama, Bad Education. And the 51-year-old, who is widely considered to be the nicest guy in Hollywood, joked to News Corp on Saturday that he wouldn't 'be very good with scandal'. The Australian actor, who resides in New York with wife Deborra-Lee Furness, said that he's 'never had the issues that a lot of very famous people have'. 'I don't have the issues very famous people have': Hugh Jackman, 51, told News Corp on Saturday that he wouldn't 'be very good with scandal'. Pictured in New York in March 'I don't think I'd be very good with scandal,' Hugh joked, adding that he was never one aiming to get 'into trouble for attention' during his teenage years. 'I think if I did get into trouble, I would not have a cool head about it,' he continued. 'And look, I don't get hassled a lot by paparazzi, and I certainly don't live behind a big, high wall in a secluded way. I just never had the issues that a lot of very famous people have.' Grateful: The Australian actor, who resides in New York, added that he doesn't 'get hassled by paparazzi' and his fame has never gotten to the point where he lives behind a 'big, high wall' Latest gig: Hugh's latest role sees him play Frank Tassone in HBO's drama series Bad Education, a corrupt superintendent who hoodwinked Long Island's Roslyn High School, before being sent to prison in 2006 for larceny Hugh, who is in lockdown with Deb, 64, and their adopted children, son Oscar, 19, and Ava, 14, in New York, went on to reveal what their typical evening involves. The Greatest Showman star said he will iron while watching television in the family room, and play 10 games of backgammon with Deb. Hugh's everyday life is in stark contrast to his role as Frank Tassone, in the HBO drama series Bad Education, set to premiere on Fox Showcase on May 18. Buzz: The telemovie is set to air on Fox Showcase on May 18, but has already screened on HBO in the United States Frank hoodwinked Long Island's Roslyn High School, conning his way to millions to fund his extravagant lifestyle, before being sent to prison in 2006 for larceny. Hugh's performance has already received rave reviews, with USA TODAY branding it 'great acting', while Decider called it an 'Oscar-worthy role'. In an interview with Variety last month, Hugh described the opportunity to portray real-life school superintendent as 'fascinating'. Rave reviews: Hugh's performance has already received rave reviews, with USA TODAY branding it 'great acting', while Decider called it an 'Oscar-worthy role' '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 another recent interview with Collider. '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. Bad Education premieres Monday May 18 at 8.30pm on Fox Showcase. Six new projects in five counties will receive state funding to help complete the construction of pipelines, according to the state department of community and economic development. The Pipeline Investment Program, which provides grants to construct the last few miles of natural gas lines to business parks and existing manufacturing and industrial enterprises, approved projects in Butler, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, and Luzerne counties. Approved projects allow more residents and businesses access to natural gas. "The PIPE program provides a lifeline to residents and businesses across the commonwealth by helping them tap into Pennsylvanias abundant natural gas resources, DCED Secretary Dennis Davin said. "In the end, this assistance allows residents and business owners to save money, create jobs, and lower emissions. While Pennsylvania has a "vast network of natural gas pipeline infrastructure, some locations require funding assistance to complete projects. Gov. Tom Wolfs administration created the fund in November 2016. Businesses, economic development organizations, hospitals, municipalities, and school districts are considered eligible applicants. The approved projects are as follows: Butler County "Greg Young Excavating was approved for a $3,210 PIPE grant for the extension of natural gas service to their facility located in West Sunbury, Butler County. Greg Young Excavating (GYE) recently built a 2,400-square-foot workshop that will be used to make repairs in a heated facility. GYE hopes to lower operating costs and at the same time use more clean energy. By adding an additional building to repair and keep equipment maintained, additional employees could be hired as the business expands and hopefully boost development in the area. The extension includes 250 feet of mainline and 300 feet of service line constructed by National Fuel. Additionally, the project will allow two additional small businesses to have access to the line. The total project cost is $6,420, and GYE will contribute $3,210 in matching funds." Cumberland County "EDC Finance Corporation was approved for a $1,042,589 PIPE grant for the installation of a natural gas pipeline in Mechanicsburg Borough, Cumberland County. The proposed project will extend gas lines currently located on Simpson Ferry Road into the existing, fully-developed residential Orchard Crest/Allendale Road neighborhood. The gas line will provide service to 527 residential properties that are not currently served. The approach main will pass by 250+ townhouses and apartments that will have the opportunity to convert to gas or are now better positioned to be included in future gas programs, and the mainline will also pass a 185-acre parcel being developed as Landmark Homes at Cedar Run, which will include 506 residential lots. The total project cost is $2,085,178, and UGI will contribute $1,042,589 in matching funds." Dauphin County "EDC Finance Corporation was approved for a $262,685 PIPE grant for the extension of natural gas service to residential properties located in Lower Swatara Township, Dauphin County. EDC Finance Corporation has partnered with UGI to extend natural gas to the TwelveOaks/Ohara Lane residential neighborhood, which is interested in converting to natural gas. The project will extend natural gas service 7,000 feet into the residential Twelve Oaks/Ohara neighborhoods to provide natural gas to 111 residential properties that are not currently served. The total project cost is $525,370, and UGI will contribute $262,685 in matching funds." Lancaster County "EDC Finance Corporation was approved for a $207,916 PIPE grant for the extension of natural gas service to residential properties located in Manheim Township, Lancaster County. EDC has partnered with UGI to extend natural gas to the Belair North/Bob White Lane residential community, which is interested in converting to natural gas. The project will extend natural gas service 8,300 feet into the neighborhoods to provide natural gas to 154 residential properties that are not currently served. The total project cost is $415,832, and UGI will contribute $207,916 in matching funds. Additionally, EDC Finance Corporation was approved for a $242,361 PIPE grant for the extension of natural gas service to residential properties located in Manheim Township, Lancaster County. EDC has partnered with UGI to extend natural gas to the Village Park/Pebblebrook Drive residential community, which is interested in converting to natural gas. The project will extend natural gas service 8,800 feet into the neighborhoods to provide natural gas to 194 residential properties that are not currently served. The total project cost is $484,722, and UGI will contribute $242,361 in matching funds." Luzerne County "Greater Wilkes-Barre Industrial Fund was approved for a $1,499,556 PIPE grant to install 20,600 feet of gas line in Dupont Borough, Luzerne County. Greater Wilkes-Barre Industrial Fund is partnering with UGI to provide natural gas to 323 parcels, including eight commercial and 315 residential properties. This is a three-phase project with Phase I complete and Phase II under construction. Phase Ill is the construction of 20,600 feet of natural gas distribution main along various streets within the borough. The installation of the natural gas in Dupont Borough will help retain 35 jobs for existing commercial customers along the route and provide natural gas to a 36-unit housing facility called Dupont Housing for the Elderly which is being developed. These units will create up to seven new full-time jobs. The total project cost is $2,999,113, and UGI will contribute $1,499,557 in matching funds." More 31-mile detour around Mount Holly Springs in effect on Monday Counterfeit and potentially harmful Seresto flea collars for pets seized in Pa. Jean Adukwei Mensah, I am told I cant vote by virtue of a New CI being laid in Parliament. I have to vote on 7th December 2020 at all cost. My vote is my RIGHT. Some of us have been registered voters since 1992 until 2016. Where did we go wrong to be handed down this kind of punishment from the Electoral Commission aided by the National Identification Authority? Do we have different classes of Ghanaian citizens in this country? Hell, no. Some people have been registered and they have received their cards. Some people also registered and still havent received their cards, and some of us didnt get the opportunity to register at all. What do we do? Now, the Ghana Card is becoming a mandatory identification to be called a Ghanaian. Since when? How did the NIA card replace the Voters Identity Card in the 1992 Constitution? This is incredible and ridiculous. It is unambiguous and clear that the NPP government led by Nana Akufo-Addo is hell-bent on carrying through the registration and compilation of a new voters register. So what do we do because we do not have the Ghana Card? Do we simply throw our hands in the air or give up on the impending elections and go to sleep? That will be suicidal because that is the only option available to some of us that dont have Ghana Cards. Mensah Thompson of ASEPA put out a detailed report a few weeks ago about the NIA registration figures against eligible voters who voted in 2016. I still cant comprehend with such malicious acts meted to innocent Ghanaians, because reports gathered by ASEPA state that Greater Accra had a deficit of 46,846 voters, Western Region and Western North have a deficit of 276,570 voters, Central Region has a deficit of 323,379 voters, Northern Region, North-East Region and Savannah Region have a deficit of 141,116 voters, Upper East Region has a deficit of 246,440 voters, Upper West Region has a deficit of 148,043 voters, Bono East, Bono and Ahafo Region have a deficit of 290,215 voters, but they have increased the Ashanti Region by 290,651 voters. Why these wide discrepancies? The registration systems mobilized for the exercise were never faulty when they reached Ashanti and Eastern Regions but all other Regions had daily challenges. We are just asking Jean Mensah that is it really her plan to disenfranchise some Ghanaian citizens? This country has laws that govern us, so the laws must work. But here we are. A bunch of cronies are appointed and packed up in the Courts to give judgements that depict how their wives treat them at home. This can not be an acceptable way to go. I can see a clear plan to disenfranchise myself and some people. Now, I understand the famous statement from the Majority Leader in Parliament. He stated that the NDC will surely lose the elections if the Electoral Commission goes ahead to do a new register. Honourable Kennedy Adjepong has also stated that the NPP already has 1.5 million voters with the new register. These people who have spoken are WHISTLEBLOWERS and we just have to follow their leads to reject the new register. In a beautiful piece written by Hon. Inusah Fuseini, he stated that legally, the 1992 Constitution and its framers contemplated the compilation of a register for the purposes of public elections in Ghana. That the register will contain the names of persons who are otherwise qualified to vote in public elections. The criteria for qualification as a voter are provided in the Constitution. And just like the Constitution, a voter register is a living document. Citizens of Ghana whose names are on the register can die and so those names will have to be removed. Citizens who come of age, that is when they turn eighteen and are of sound mind are entitled to be put on the register for the purposes of participating in public elections. That is why the Constitution has given the EC the power to review the register from time to time and in accordance with the law. Jean Mensah and the EC appear to have lost sight of this constitutional provision by citing previous compilations of the register as justification for the exercise they are about to undertake. But the previous compilations in the past years have facts that are distinguishable from this current exercise. Jean Mensahs EC and the NPP had evil machinations and sought to recruit the assistance of the National Identification Authority to scheme for the NPP. They have planned and executed foul means of denying some Ghanaians the opportunity to possess the National Identification Card (Ghana Card) issued by the NIA, and this will not give them the opportunity to vote on 7th December 2020. Jean Mensah is chewing more than she can swallow and the earlier she stopped the better. I want to vote come 7th December 2020, and I know there are other people who have been disenfranchised like me. TT Caternor, La Dadekotopon Oil prices are continuously rising despite the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, with WTI nearing a two-month high on Friday morning For further research, analysis and trade recommendations, make sure you read this morning's Global Energy Alert newsletter. From an analysis on Saudi Arabia's current economic crisis to the latest updates on COVID-19, it truly is a must-read. Friday, May 15th, 2020 Oil prices appear to be rising relentlessly, with WTI bouncing above $28 per barrel, nearly at a two-month high. Market sentiment has been gaining steam as supply shut-ins mount and demand begins to come back. Still, the risk of another wave of coronavirus infections presents a major risk to the rally. OPEC+ could keep cuts beyond June. The ministers want to keep the same oil production cuts now which are about 10 million bpd, after June. They dont want to reduce the size of the cuts. This is the basic scenario thats being discussed now, one OPEC+ source told Reuters. Analysts see optimism in data. Oil time spreads have seen a narrowing contango, a sign of tightening in the oil market. We believe stocks will be reduced gradually over the next 12 months or so, said Rystad Energy head of oil markets Bjornar Tonhaugen. Brent stabilizing above $30 gives the market confidence that frightening days of negative prices and record daily declines are behind us. Saudi oil flotilla delayed at ports. The flotilla of Saudi supertankers heading to U.S. ports have been delayed because there has been a shortage of the smaller ships used to lighten the load near shore. Related: Are Venezuelan Oil Exports Poised For A Comeback? Storage fears subside. Due to sharp cuts in oil production, the pace of inventory builds has slowed dramatically, easing fears of an acute shortage in storage capacity. Iraq cuts 650,000 bpd from southern fields. Iraq cut 650,000 bpd from its massive southern oil fields in order to comply with the OPEC+ cuts. The reductions have been split between state-owned companies and the private international companies. Exxon CEO under fire. ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) CEO Darren Woods is under scrutiny after Legal & General Investment Management, which oversees $1.5 trillion in assets, said it would vote against Woods as CEO and Chairman at the companys upcoming shareholder meeting. The investment group cited Exxons lack of strategic ambition around climate change, while its European competitors step up and reaffirm their sustainability ambitions. WoodMac: oil demand may not recover until 2026. Wood Mackenzie outlined several scenarios in a new report, all of which paint a pessimistic outlook for oil demand. The firm said it could take years for demand to recover, but ultimately, demand will probably peak within the next decade. Fed warns economic damage will persist. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned of an extended period of economic damage. St. Louis Fed Chair James Bullard warned job losses could be permanent and businesses could fail on a grand scale. WHO: Coronavirus may never go away. The World Health Organization warned that the world may live with COVID-19 indefinitely. It is important to put this on the table: this virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities, and this virus may never go away, WHO emergencies expert Mike Ryan told an online briefing. Venezuelan opposition wants change of direction from U.S. The Venezuelan opposition is reeling after the government easily thwarted a hapless coup attempt by American contractors. Opposition lawmakers have contacted the U.S. State Department and requested a change of direction, according to Bloomberg. Nearly 600,000 clean energy jobs eliminated. The U.S. lost 447,000 clean energy jobs in April, taking the total job losses for the sector close to 600,000 since March. Diamond Offshore takes stimulus, pays executives. Diamond Offshore (OTCMKTS: DOFSQ) took advantage of stimulus money passed by Congress, getting a $9.7 million tax refund. Then it asked a bankruptcy judge to reward top executives the same amount. Oil companies are receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in stimulus money. This is a stealth bailout for the oil and gas industry, Jesse Coleman, a researcher with Documented, told Bloomberg. North Dakota to pay to cleanup orphaned wells. North Dakota wants to use $33.1 million in coronavirus aid to pay for cleaning up oil wells orphaned by the industry. Alaska oil payout at risk. Alaska sends a check to every citizen every year as a dividend from oil revenues. This year, the check is expected to be about $1,000. But with revenues drying up, that payout is at risk. Nigeria to cut oil by a quarter. Nigeria said that it would cut its oil production by 417,000 bpd, or about 23 percent of total output, to bring it in line with the OPEC+ agreement. Tesla to unveil new low-cost battery. Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) is set to introduce a new low-cost battery with a longer range for its Model 3 in China later this year. The improvement will bring the cost of the car in line with gasoline vehicles. Story continues Related: Battery Metal Demand Set To Soar By 500% BP said governments should press ahead with clean energy. BP (NYSE: BP) said that governments should press ahead with climate change policy. We have got to do the energy transition this isnt an option, BP CFO Brian Gilvary told the FT. LNG price war could send gas into negative territory. Gas markets are oversupplied and LNG exporters are scrambling, looking for some combination of fighting for market share and storing excess supply. U.S. inventories of natural gas are expected to continue to rise this year. By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Read this article on OilPrice.com Taking care of your emotional well-being is as important as physical health, but in Asia, the topic is often stigmatized. Intellect, a Singapore-based startup, wants to make the idea of mental health more approachable with an app that offers self-guided exercises based on cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. The company develops consumer and enterprise versions of the app (for employers to offer as a benefit) and now has users in several countries, including Singapore, Indonesia, India and China. Since its beta launch earlier this year, co-founder and CEO Theodoric Chew says Intellect has signed up about 10,000 users, as well as 10 companies ranging in size from startups to large corporations. The startup plans to launch Mandarin and Bahasa Indonesian versions, and is currently working with researchers to develop localized versions of its exercises, which include guided journaling, behavioral exercises and "rescue sessions" with short audio clips about topics like stress, low self-esteem, emotional burnout and sleep issues. The company has raised a pre-seed round that included Enterprise Singapore, a government agency that supports entrepreneurship. In the United States and Europe, there is a growing roster of self-help apps that teach users coping strategies for common mental health issues, including Headspace, MoodKit, Moodnotes, Sanvello and Happify, to name a few examples. But the space is still nascent in Asia. Before launching Intellect, Chew was head of affiliate growth and content marketing at Voyagin, a travel-booking marketplace that was acquired by Rakuten in 2015. He became interested in the mental health space because of his own experiences. "Ive been to therapy quite a bit for anxiety and in Asia, there is still a lot of social stigma and there arent a lot of tools. A lot of work is being done in the U.S. and Europe, but in Asia, its still developing," Chew told TechCrunch. He added that "most people shy away when you mention mental health. We see a lot of that in Asia, but if we frame it in other ways, like how to work on personal problems, like low self-esteem or confidence, we see a huge shift in people opening up." Story continues Intellect was developed with feedback from mental healthcare professionals, but Chew emphasizes it is not a replacement for professional therapy. Instead, it is meant to give people an accessible way to take care of their mental health, especially in cultures where there is still a lot of stigma around the topic. The apps exercises address low mood and anxiety, but also common workplace and interpersonal issues, like developing assertiveness and handling criticism. The enterprise version of the app can be customized with exercises tailored to people in different industries. It is meant for startups and other SMEs that dont have the kind of employee assistance programs (EAP) that bigger companies can offer, which often include mental health resources, like support hotlines and referrals to mental healthcare providers. The consumer app usually charges a flat monthly fee that gives unlimited access to all its features, but Intellect is making it free during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eventually, the startup hopes to develop a network of mental health professionals that users can connect to within the app. "The way we approach this is that therapy is not solely for clinically depressed people, but for everyone," said Chew. "In three to five years, we want to make therapy commonplace to address every day problems. We want to tackle more clinical issues as well, but we believe most people can benefit from framing it as a way to tackle every day issues using CBT-based methods." Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 02:31:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PARIS, May 15 (Xinhua) -- A nine-year-old boy died in Marseille last Friday from Kawasaki-like disease and tests have shown that he was infected with coronavirus, his doctors told French media on Friday. A medical team from La Timone University Hospital in Marseille in southern France said he was the first victim of the disease in France and the second in Europe after the death of a boy in the United Kingdom. "The child presented symptoms that resembled Kawasaki disease and his serology indicated that he had been in contact with the coronavirus without developing symptoms in the previous weeks," said Professor Fabrice Michel, head of the hospital's pediatric resuscitation service. The child spent a week in intensive pediatric care before cardiac arrest and subsequent brain damage led to his death, said the doctor, adding that studies are underway on a possible association between coronavirus and Kawasaki disease. Since March 1, a total of 135 Kawasaki-like coronavirus-linked cases have been recorded in France, according to the French health authorities. Kawasaki disease is a rare inflammatory disease, which attacks mainly infants and small children. The symptoms include high fever, rashes, swollen glands, pink eyes and heart inflammation in serious cases. Inflammation of blood vessels and cardiac damage are much more pronounced in cases suspected of being linked to COVID-19 compared with classic Kawasaki disease, France's public health agency said on Thursday. Enditem ATLANTA - Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee have expanded their fundraising agreement to include 26 state parties as Democrats look to dent the Republicans money advantage and build a national campaign foundation heading into the November election. The arrangement allows a new $620,600 maximum contribution that a single donor can give to party at one time. Thats up from the $360,600 cap under the first fundraising deal that the presumptive Democratic nominee signed with the party on April 24. The included state parties can get a maximum of $10,000 from each donor, while Biden is capped at $5,600. The rest goes to DNC campaign and operating accounts. Bidens campaign and the DNC planned to file papers for the deal on Saturday with the Federal Elections Commission. The GOP has similar arrangements in place that have given President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee a head start on building a national organization. Lara Trump, the presidents daughter-in-law and a campaign adviser, said this past week that the GOP has more than $250 million cash on hand; Bidens campaign said the Democrats have a combined $103 million. But Democrats said the joint fundraising operation, still in its infancy, positions Biden and the party to keep pace for the remainder of the campaign. Weve seen the momentum build across the country, and well continue to build out the organization that will defeat Trump and elect Vice-President Biden and Democrats across the country, said Greg Schultz, Bidens former campaign manager who is now based at DNC. The arrangement comes as Biden expands his influence with the national party and works with the DNC and state parties. The idea is to build co-ordinated campaigns in pivotal states where field organizers and volunteers will reach voters on behalf of all Democrats running in November. In addition to trying to unseat Trump, Democrats are looking to retain their House majority and wrest control of the Senate from Republicans. We believe that there will be battleground states that have never been battleground states before, Bidens campaign manager, Jen OMalley Dillon, said Friday. We must have a customized approach in each battleground. An examination of the 26 states included in the fundraising agreement reveals how Democrats see the competitive landscape in the fall. Some of them are states Trump won narrowly in 2016, some were carried closely by Hillary Clinton and others have have down-ballot races important to the balance of power on Capitol Hill. The deal also includes some outliers. Bidens home base of Delaware, a heavily Democratic state, is not viewed as a battleground, though Democrats are defending the governors seat this year. Vermont, home to Bidens last primary rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, is likewise a safe Democratic state. Other states could be added. For now, Florida, Michigan North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin anchor the map as the five most competitive states that combined to deliver Trumps 2016 victory. In North Carolina, Democrats also are targeting GOP Sen. Thom Tillis while Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper seeks a second term. Michigan Democratic Chairwoman Lavora Barnes, whose state gave Trump his closest margin of victory four years ago, said an influx of money is critical to boost what the state party already has done since 2016 to elect Democrats in every corner of the state. Michigan flipped its governors office and several congressional districts in the 2018 midterms. Ohio made the cut as well, with Democrats asserting that Trumps nearly double-digit margin in 2016 was an aberration, not a sign of a more permanent shift. Minnesota and New Hampshire are states Trump believes he can flip. Colorado has moved steadily toward Democrats in recent years and Republican Sen. Cory Gardner faces a difficult reelection. OMalley Dillon has singled out three GOP strongholds as part of an expanded map reflected in the fundraising deal. Arizona, Georgia and Texas have seen demographics shifts and progressively closer statewide elections in recent years. Arizona and Georgia combine to have three Republican-held Senate seats on the ballot, as well. Alabama, Mississippi and West Virginia stand out as heavily GOP states that wont be close in the presidential election. But all three have notable Senate races. Democrats are defending incumbents in Alabama and West Virginia, states that Republicans view as potential pickups. There are notable omissions: Iowa and Maine, for example. Trump scored a comfortable victory in Iowa four years ago, but Democrats in the state have since flipped two congressional districts and are hoping to oust Republican Rep. Steve King in the fall. Maine is home to GOP Sen. Susan Collins, one of Democrats top targets as they try to regain the Senate. Pune, May 16 : In a shocker, a 54-year old man in Maharashtra died in a chair on a Pune road awaiting an ambulance during the lockdown early on Saturday, officials and family members said. The victim's distraught wife, sister and other relatives sat around him in a circle, maintaining physical distance, as local social activists and volunteers attempted to console them. The incident occurred around 4 a.m. when the victim, Yesudas M. Francis, had already spent nearly three hours in that chair, hoping for an ambulance to come and rush him to a hospital. A local volunteer said that owing to the lockdown and containment in the area, roads have been barricaded or strewn with stones to stop vehicular movement. An official of Samarth Police Station told IANS that the incident had happened and details were awaited from the hospital soon. Around 1 a.m., Francis suffered severe uneasiness and the family called for an ambulance and also sought police help. Later, they shifted him on a chair out of their home near Manusha Mosque in Nana Peth area of Pune, the country's second worst-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. For nearly three hours, the family kept calling ambulance numbers but none came, while a police patrol reportedly reached but could not help much as no ambulances were available. Around 4 a.m., seated on a plastic chair, Francis breathed his last, surrounded by his helpless family. Sometime after his death, a tempo was available and Francis' body was taken to a government hospital where he was pronounced dead on admission. Videos and photos of the family which went viral on social media evoked strong reactions among the citizens of Pune and elsewhere. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, May 16, 2020 07:46 614 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd869752 4 Politics COVID-19,house-of-representatives,Lawmakers,PSBB,travel-restriction,travel-relaxation,coronavirus,virus-corona,virus-korona-indonesia,DPR,mudik-ban,Soekarno-Hatta-International-Airport Free Several members of the House of Representatives have asked the government to reevaluate its travel-relaxation policy after pictures of passengers crowding into Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, went viral on Thursday. Nurhayati Monoarfa, deputy head of House Commission V overseeing transportation, said the Transportation Ministry should develop performance indicators to assess the policy. "I suggest the government evaluate the policy by considering officials' preparedness in the field. The Transportation Ministry should also draw up policy-performance indicators," she said in a written statement on Friday as quoted from kompas.com. Nurhayati said strict health protocols to prevent COVID-19 transmission should always be implemented during the travel-relaxation policy. "The goal of the policy is to curb the spread of COVID-19 while improving our economy at the same time," she said. Read also: Businesses worry easing restrictions could prolong recovery People's Representatives Assembly (MPR) Speaker Bambang Soesatyo also issued a similar request on Friday. "I asked the Transportation Ministry to improve its management and evaluate the relaxation policy so that its implementation is still in line with COVID-19 prevention measures. Intensive monitoring in regions where the policy is implemented is also necessary," Bambang said. He said the government should ensure public safety during the travel relaxation. "The government should also actively inform the public about the policy so they can understand it properly," he said. To prevent people from going on the Idul Fitri mudik (exodus) and to curb COVID-19 transmission, the Transportation Ministry decided to suspend intercity flights for passengers from April 24 to June 1. However, the national COVID-19 task force relaxed the restriction on May 6, allowing state officials, private-sector and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) employees who provide essential services, repatriated Indonesian nationals, individuals who need emergency medical care and bereaved family members to travel between cities. Following the regulations, airlines announced that they would gradually resume domestic flight services with stricter health protocols, such as requiring pre-flight medical checkups and a letter explaining reasons for travel from a relevant institution. Read also: AP II limits flights, sets up new system to avoid congestion Airport operator PT Angkasa Pura (AP) II communications manager Febri Toga Simatupang said document checking and busy morning flights had caused long queues in Soekarno-Hatta on Thursday morning. "The crowding of passengers was caused by an influx of passengers coming for morning flights where 13 departures were scheduled between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. Airport officials were overwhelmed by the large number of passengers seeking to get their flight documents checked," he said. Nurhayati demanded the government hold AP II accountable for Thursday mornings incident. "Officials could open a lot of gates [to prevent crowds] and manage passengers so they could keep their distance," he said. Nurhayati said passengers should be able to submit the required documents online prior to their flights to prevent crowding at the airport and long queues. (nal) This is a gut punch, said Suzi LeVine, the commissioner of Washington States Employment Security Department. In a memo obtained by The New York Times, investigators from the U.S. Secret Service said they had information suggesting that the scheme was coming from a well-organized Nigerian fraud ring and could result in potential losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Roy Dotson, a special agent who specializes in financial fraud at the Secret Service, said in an interview investigators were still working to pinpoint who was involved and exactly where they were. We are actively running down every lead we are getting, Mr. Dotson said. Mr. Dotson said it appeared the fraud was being aided by a substantial number of mules people, often in the United States, who were used as intermediaries for money laundering after making connections with fraudsters online. He warned people to be wary of quick-money job offers or other suspicious financial arrangements. The Secret Service memo said Washington State had emerged as the primary target thus far, but there was also evidence of attacks in Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Wyoming. The agency warned that every state was vulnerable and could be targeted, noting that the attackers appeared to have extensive records of personally identifiable information, or P.I.I. It is assumed the fraud ring behind this possess a substantial P.I.I. database to submit the volume of applications observed thus far, the memo said. The Victorian Liberals have problems well beyond the amusing planning spokesman Tim Smith. Opposition state or federal, left or right has never been so irrelevant. Globally, leaders who have well handled the pandemic are rewarded with soaring approval. If you are not in government, it is a titanic struggle to get clear air. Do you compete on policy or flick the switch to Vaudeville? Illustration: Matt Davidson Credit: Smith would knock over his grandmother to get to a microphone. This week he described the Premier as loony, a dictator and a loser and made his own leader look timid and ineffectual while irritating many in his own party. He freely comments on school closures and bar opening limits, nothing to do with his portfolio. Many colleagues are asking what is the point of chasing the sugar hit of a media grab if it neither advances policy nor makes a dent in Premier Daniel Andrews' standing, but damages your leader along the way? Mojito, appletini or a simple glass of fizz -- they may take the edge off a busy day, but if you find yourself bingeing on more than a few, you could be putting your physical and mental health at risk according new research at the University of South Australia. Examining the drinking patterns of 479 female Australian university students aged 18-24 years, the world-first empirical study explored the underlying belief patterns than can contribute to Drunkorexia -- a damaging and dangerous behaviour where disordered patterns of eating are used to offset negative effects of consuming excess alcohol, such as gaining weight. Concerningly, researchers found that a staggering 82.7 per cent of female university students surveyed had engaged in Drunkorexic behaviours over the past three months. And, more than 28 per cent were regularly and purposely skipping meals, consuming low-calorie or sugar-free alcoholic beverages, purging or exercising after drinking to help reduce ingested calories from alcohol, at least 25 per cent of the time. Clinical psychologist and lead UniSA researcher Alycia Powell-Jones says the prevalence of Drunkorexic behaviours among Australian female university students is concerning. "Due to their age and stage of development, young adults are more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviours, which can include drinking excess alcohol," Powell-Jones says. "Excess alcohol consumption combined with restrictive and disordered eating patterns is extremely dangerous and can dramatically increase the risk of developing serious physical and psychological consequences, including hypoglycaemia, liver cirrhosis, nutritional deficits, brain and heart damage, memory lapses, blackouts, depression and cognitive deficits. advertisement "Certainly, many of us have drunk too much alcohol at some point in time, and we know just by how we feel the next day, that this is not good for us, but when nearly a third of young female uni students are intentionally cutting back on food purely to offset alcohol calories; it's a serious health concern." The harmful use of alcohol is a global issue, with excess consumption causing millions of deaths, including many thousands of young lives. In Australia, one in six people consume alcohol at dangerous levels, placing them at lifetime risk of an alcohol-related disease or injury. The combination of excessive alcohol intake with restrictive eating behaviours to offset calories can result in a highly toxic cocktail for this population. The study was undertaken in two stages. The first measured the prevalence of self-reported, compensative and restrictive activities in relation to their alcohol consumption. The second stage identified participants' Early Maladaptive Schemes (EMS) -- or thought patterns -- finding that that the subset of schemas most predictive of Drunkorexia were 'insufficient self-control', 'emotional deprivation' and 'social isolation'. advertisement Powell-Jones says identifying the early maladaptive schemas linked to Drunkorexia is key to understanding the harmful condition. These are deeply held and pervasive themes regarding oneself and one's relationship with others, that can develop in childhood and then can influence all areas of life, often in dysfunctional ways. Early maladaptive schemas can also be influenced by cultural and social norms. Drunkorexic behaviour appears to be motivated by two key social norms for young adults -- consuming alcohol and thinness. "This study has provided preliminary insight into better understanding why young female adults make these decisions to engage in Drunkorexic behaviours," Powell-Jones says. "Not only may it be a coping strategy to manage social anxieties through becoming accepted and fitting in with peer group or cultural expectations, but it also shows a reliance on avoidant coping strategies. "It is important that clinicians, educators, parents and friends are aware of the factors that motivate young women to engage in this harmful and dangerous behaviour, including cultural norms, beliefs that drive self-worth, a sense of belonging, and interpersonal connectedness. "By being connected, researchers and clinicians can develop appropriate clinical interventions and support for vulnerable young people within the youth mental health sector." PALO ALTO, Calif. May 15, 2020 Koji Tanabe Palo Alto March 11, 2020 Japan's Kyoto, Japan the United States Japan Japan Background of Obtaining the Manufacturing License Japan * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Key Takeaways Our cell manufacturing facility (Peace Engine-Kyoto) is compliant with the Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine in Japan . . Peace Engine-Kyoto has been approved as a cell manufacturing facility that can produce clinical-grade iPS cells by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan . . I Peace is now able to serve as a Contract Manufacturing Organization as well as manufacture its own clinical-grade iPSCs globally. About I Peace, Inc Palo Alto, California Kyoto University Koji Tanabe Palo Alto, California Japan Kyoto, Japan Kyoto, Japan /PRNewswire/ -- I Peace, Inc. (CEO:), a-based biotech start-up focusing on Nobel Prize-wining technology "induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)" began manufacturing clinical-grade iPSCs. We are now officially taking orders for custom manufacturing of clinical-grade iPSCs from institutions around the world.On, the company received a license to manufacture clinical-grade cells fromMinistry of Health, Labour and Welfare for its cell manufacturing facility located in. The Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) audited I Peace's GMP facility Peace Engine-Kyoto and reviewed facility operation, sanitization, cell culturing, Quality Control, and maintenance standard operating procedures (SOPs) among others as part of the approval process to manufacture clinical-grade cells.Leveraging deep regulatory expertise across bothandalong with a strong intellectual property position, I Peace is now manufacturing clinical-grade iPSC lines and has officially started to serve as a contract development and manufacturing organization for clinical-grade iPSCs. While the iPSCs are manufactured in, the cells can be shipped globally.I Peace plans to further expand production capacity by building a system capable of manufacturing thousands of clinical-grade iPSCs annually using our automated technology.iPSCs are adult cells that are reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like state by introducing special factors (genes). iPSCs are able to become any type of cells in the body and proliferate almost indefinitely, like an embryonic stem cell. Unlike embryonic stem cells, iPSCs can be made from mature cells in the body, such as skin or blood cells, from anyone. iPSC-derived cell therapy generated from a patient's own cells minimizes the risk of immune rejection and is expected to change the course of regenerative medicine, drug discovery, and personalized medicine.Demand for clinical-grade iPSCs has surged in the past two years with various iPSC-derived cells entering clinical trials across the world. However, there are very few facilities worldwide that can manufacture clinical-grade iPSCs. In, facilities that produce clinical-grade iPSCs for cell therapy must comply with the Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine.With the license from the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, we are now officially able to serve as a contract manufacturer of clinical-grade iPSCs. We will expand accessibility and availability of clinical-grade iPSC lines so clinical research institutions can select the most appropriate iPSC line for each of their specific clinical research, taking into account differentiation propensity and other factors.One of our strengths lies in our core proprietary technology which enables mass production of distinct clinical-grade iPSC lines simultaneously in a single room, using a miniaturized plate aided by robotic technology. Our facility is equipped with fully-closed automated iPSC manufacturing system and it meets the safety standards set by the Japanese Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine.Envisioning a world where iPSCs are accessible to all, I Peace, Inc. will continue to develop innovative technologies to accelerate therapeutic applications of iPSCs.Name of Cell Processing Center: I Peace, Ltd. (Peace Engine-Kyoto)License Facility Number: A5190004I Peace, Inc. was founded in 2015 at, USA by Dr. Tanabe, who earned his doctorate atunder Nobel laureate Dr. Yamanaka. I Peace's mission is to alleviate the suffering of diseased patients and help healthy people maintain a high quality of life. I Peace's proprietary manufacturing platform enables the fully-automated mass production of discrete iPSCs from multiple donors in a single room. Increasing the available number of clinical-grade iPSC lines allows our customers to take differentiation propensity into account to select the most appropriate iPSC line for their clinical research at significantly reduced cost. Our goal is to create iPSCs for every individual that become his/her stem cell for life.Founder, CEO:Since: 2015Head Quarter:subsidiary: I Peace, Ltd. ()Cell Manufacturing Facility:Web: https://www.ipeace.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/i-peace-inc-begins-clinical-grade-induced-pluripotent-stem-cells-custom-manufacturing-service-301060111.html SOURCE I Peace, Inc. Lorain County schools deserve credit for coming up with creative ways to honor the thousands of graduates who wont have commencement. A graduation ceremony is so special, because family, friends and others pack into venues to watch students stroll across stages to receive that hard earned document, whether its a degree, diploma or certification. Because protocols are in place to keep people safe from the nasty and deadly novel coronavirus, the class of 2020 will not get that chance. Junior high and high schools as well as institutions of higher learning have come up with ways to honor the hard working students. For instance, Lorain County Community College will virtually celebrate the accomplishments of its largest graduating class in the colleges 57-year history. With 2,510 degrees and certificates earned by 1,918 graduates and another 260 students earning bachelors and masters degrees through LCCCs University Partnership, the class of 2020 is historic for a number of reasons. Included in this years class are 125 high school students who are earning both a high school diploma and associate degrees through the Early College High School and College Credit Plus programs. LCCC President Marcia J. Ballinger said these times are unprecedented, but so are the graduates innovative thinking, determination and potential. The college will have a two-week tribute and celebration of the Class of 2020. An online ceremony May 16 featured the theme Perseverance and paid tribute to the graduates with video messages along with keynote addresses from Ballinger and Student Senate President Udell Holmes. To provide an opportunity for graduates to join in the celebration, the college sent students their regalia and asked them to submit a photo and message to their families, which was shown during the online ceremony. Many graduates decorated their caps for the ceremony and were encouraged to share photos of the completed caps on social media. LCCC also created an outdoor public recognition display that Ballinger hoped would make this years ceremony even more special. The graduation cap display spans 351 feet by 279 feet. Each of the 47,000 marking flags represents an LCCC graduate. The symbolic display celebrates this years graduates, as well as all grads since 1964, which marked LCCCs first graduating class. One square, identified by yellow flags, represents the end of the tassel within the design and has an additional 2,185 flags one flag for each graduate of the class of 2020. Boards located near the display list the names of the class of 2020 to further recognize their accomplishments. The display will remain up until June 1 and allow the opportunity for graduates to drive by and take a photo. Area high schools also have come up with innovative ways to honor the graduates. On May 14, Lorain City Schools celebrated its 2020 senior class by placing 469 yard signs at the homes of the graduating students, recognizing their accomplishments despite the limitations. Tamara Jones, dean of Scholar and Family Engagement at General Johnnie Wilson Middle School, organized the event. Jones and more than 80 staff members from the district trekked to Lorain High to pick up the signs and then traveled to the homes of the seniors. This was a very nice gesture because the staff wanted to give back to the students and to give some sort of closure for their high school years. And Avon High School celebrated the class of 2020 with graduation drop-off. About 20 school buses decorated with congratulatory posters and signs crisscrossed Avon on May 8 making stops at the homes of each of the high schools 332 graduating seniors. The Avon Teachers Association spearheaded the initiative as a way congratulate the seniors. Heather Pelphrey, president of the Avon Teachers Association, said the union began buying yard signs for graduating seniors about three years ago and would hand them out at in-person commencement. But this year, the teachers delivered the yard signs door-to-door. Each bus had one driver and one Avon Teachers Association member on board to offer a wave and a congratulations. For those of us whove participated in graduation ceremonies recall how special it was with family and friends in attendance applauding our accomplishments. The class of 2020 wont have memories of walking across the stage. But the students have done an incredible job of focusing even during this pandemic. And it probably wasnt easy for them to concentrate with all thats going on. But officials at the schools are doing their best to make the end of the year special for the graduates. Although there wont be the large gatherings, students must always remember that theyve achieved something that can never be taken away from them. They may not have had the commencement, but they will that document that says, graduate. Congratulations to the class of 2020. Less than a week ago, an ailment the New York Times called baffling took the lives of three children. More cases of the syndrome, which doctors believe is related to the COVID-19 pandemic, have been popping up in children around the United States and in Europe. The Lehigh Valley Health Networks Reilly Childrens Hospital has now treated three children, all of whom are recovering, for the ailment and is bracing for the possibility of treating more. Reilly is the Lehigh Valleys only childrens hospital. The hospital sent out a news release on Thursday night stating that it was monitoring the incidence of pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome (PMIS) both regionally and internationally and is "prepared to care for children with the illness. PMIS causes inflammation in organ systems, as well as other systems, including skin rashes. It appears to be connected to the coronavirus, as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said all of the 73 children admitted to New York hospitals with the syndrome tested positive for COVID-19 or its antibodies, the Times reported. 'Pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome is both rare and treatable,' Dr J. Nathan Hagstrom, chair of department of pediatrics, said in the release. LVHN says treatment entails a steroid medication given to patients as well as a common IV medication (IVIG) used to treat inflammation with an autoimmune disease. The majority of patients recover with no long-lasting effects and the percentage of children who die from the syndrome is very low, Hagstrom said. Symptoms of PMIS include: persistent fever; abdominal pain, diarrhea or vomiting; skin rash or changes in skin color; difficulty breathing; confusion; and both eyes appearing red. The three children with the syndrome have already been treated at the hospitals pediatric intensive care unit and the pediatric inpatient unit, and theyre recovering, according to the hospital. In the nearly 26,000 tests ordered for LVHN, less than 1% of children tested have had tested positive for the coronavirus. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to Lehighvalleylive.com. Connor Lagore may be reached at clagore@njadvancemedia.com. Jane Argento of Pasadena, Calif., planned a week in Cape May in June with 16 members of her extended family, all coming from different states. Now, balking at the safety or even legality of that arrangement gatherings of more than 10 people are still prohibited in New Jersey she says she cant get her $8,000 rent refunded. Were strangers as far as this virus is concerned, Argento said. I said to my daughter, we might as well be 15 college graduates meeting up. Were having a house party. As the Shore pushes forward with plans for a Gov. Phil Murphy-blessed reopening, and with some towns allowing short-term rentals as early as May 26, and opening up hotels and motels in June, and people are pouring into Shore towns, others who would never have second-guessed a Shore vacation are, lets say, still debating. I think people are scared, said Kelly Stipa Mull, of Norristown, a Realtor juggling multiple cancellations. She said she has refunded all deposits despite being so far unable to rebook even in typically peak weeks. Other homeowners are holding onto deposits and rents until they can rebook canceled weeks, or requiring postponements, even until the summer of 2021. The coronavirus has upended a traditionally robust rental market at the Jersey Shore. While many have already flocked to second homes from hot spot cities, the run-of-the-mill weekly Shore rental market is in flux. Theyre afraid of a surge down the Shore, Mull said. Shes sympathetic to those who canceled a recent bike ride on a packed North Wildwood seawall scared her, too. But she says she needs the $25,000 in rents to pay the mortgages on her two Shore properties. One person feels they cant take off now because they just took all this time. But the biggest thing is the fear." ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work and life? Ask our reporters. Some teenagers who had booked motels in Wildwood for senior week in May are having trouble getting refunds even though the motels were not open, according to Mayor Pete Byron, who has been fielding complaints. But others, along with their parents, are wondering if now is the time to reschedule that ancient Jersey Shore rite. The idea of a large group of unrelated people sharing a Shore house seemed to take Murphy by surprise Friday at his press conference. Ive not been asked the question of the sharing the house, Murphy said. "But this notion of the bubble and breaking your bubble and going outside of it, if theres more than 10, that gives me discomfort. Is that a municipal reality? As an individual, that gives me concern, I have to say, Murphy said. Hes not alone. My home is not for rent' Some homeowners who would otherwise have rented out their houses for part of the summer are canceling on renters. Bill Earley, of Merion, who owns a home in Longport, said he decided not to rent it out as he has done in the past. My home is not for rent, he said. People are saying, should they be renting a house? Why would I want to have anybody in my house? Theres lots of uncertainty. Theres lots of pushing and shoving, he said, of ongoing discussions about deposits and refunds or changing dates, some of which has spilled over into lengthy Facebook discussions on popular sites like Main Liners Shore House Rentals. People are saying, Am I entitled to get my deposit back? " Earley said. "The landlord says, I dont know. Allan Dechert, of Ferguson Dechert Realty in Avalon, said people have been calling with questions about cancellations. But every day, he said, new calls come in looking for rentals. Some tenants are canceling, said Dechert. We also have owners who say we dont want any rentals in our property this summer. Were not going to go Argento, of Pasadena, said she found her rental on VRBO but conducted the actual deal privately, which has complicated her attempt to get her $8,000 back. She said she is in continued discussions with the landlord, who did not wish to be interviewed. Realistically, were not going to go, Argento said. This woman knows this. I understand the plight. But we are being penalized for not just protecting our own health but protecting, really, the potential health of Cape May. Were in L.A. L.A. is starting to spike. Oregon is starting to respike. Is an extended family a violation of a governors executive order? Jerrel Harvey, a spokesperson for Murphy, said the executive order would cover gatherings in Shore houses of more than 10 people, but deferred questions about enforcement to the Attorney General. The legal case for demanding a refund is debatable. I dont know that they would interpret a rental situation of people sharing a house as a gathering in terms of the prohibition on social gathering, said real estate attorney Bridget A. Sykes of Atlantic Citys Fox Rothschild. Because short-term rentals will be permitted as of June in most Jersey Shore towns, the argument that you have health concerns may not be enough to get a refund, since you can still legally occupy the rental, she said. People can try to claim frustration of purpose, in that not everything is fully open, and their original vacation plans have been compromised by the pandemic. Right now, its coming down to what the status of the rental bans are," she said. The issues coming up with the owners and potential renters having fears about contracting the virus and liability and whether or not theyre going to come. A lot of property owners have been trying to determine what their obligations are in making sure properties are properly sanitized, she said. Jarred Kessler, CEO of EasyKnock, a firm that buys real estate and leases back to owners, says the high-end second-home market will be fine, especially as people continue to flee cities. Its the more middle-class destinations, and investors, that get caught in a squeeze, as money that once would have gone to a week at the Shore is now going for groceries. Property owners who may be balking at returning deposits may be coping with their own tight circumstances. The owners not able to deliver the deposit, theyre very much under water right now," he said. A lot of people have one or two properties, and thats how theyre making their living." Ill miss my whitefish' Robin Stein Rodin of Newtown Square had a girls week planned for nearly a year, but bailed this month. As she saw chatter about the Shore reopening, she wondered, Am I crazy? Were talking and debating, will restrictions be lifted, do we feel its going to be safe, she said. In the very gut, we didnt. We did make the decision. We got our money back. FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered. Now, she says, she feels relief. The week she pictured: happy hour, shopping, socializing, would not have materialized anyway. Whats a week in Margate without the bar at Tomatoes? It will be her first summer in years not to go down the Shore. It just does seem crazy, she said. For me, personally, its too much work and too much stress to be in a place and have to do the mask, washing your hands all the time. Even with required social distancing, shes worried about the mob scene that descends on beach towns like Margate, where the usual summer treats like the bagels and whitefish salad at Casels Market will have to wait. Wearing a mask on a hot sunny beach is not ideal either, she said. Ill miss my whitefish. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-15 22:31:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday the nation should be prepared for a long battle against the coronavirus pandemic, warning that the virus still remained a significant threat and preventative measures should be maintained. The Japanese leader said that even though the state of emergency had been lifted for the majority of prefectures, the virus will remain a threat until a vaccine is developed and people should be prepared for further waves of the virus and the possibility of a long battle ahead. Abe's remarks, made at a plenary session of the upper house of parliament, came a day after the central government lifted a nationwide state of emergency for 39 of Japan's 47 prefectures, while easing restrictions for the eight remaining prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka, will be considered next week. The prefectures remaining under the state of emergency comprise urban areas such as Tokyo, the wider Tokyo metropolitan area and Osaka prefecture among others that have been harder-hit by the virus, with the government keen to see daily infections fall further to ease the strain on the nation's medical system. A panel of experts advising the government has proposed the infection rate should drop below 0.5 new cases per 100,000 people in the past week before the emergency state could be lifted in these areas. For Tokyo, the epicenter of the pandemic here, the number of people infected with the virus from a population of around 14 million, would have to be less than 70 in one week, the advisory panel has recommended. Citizens where the state of emergency has been lifted are still being requested by the government to continue to avoid crowded places and close contact with people, as well as not travel between prefectures where the state of emergency has been lifted and those where it remains in place. Abe initially declared a state of emergency for one month for seven prefectures until May 6, this was expanded nationwide on April 16, with the deadline then extended to the end of May. The Tokyo metropolitan government on Friday, meanwhile, released a roadmap for the easing of restrictions in the capital. The criteria for the easing of restrictions on businesses, the movement of people and people-to-people contact in the capital, will require a number of targets to be achieved for specific periods of time, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said. Such targets include there being fewer than 20 new COVID-19 infections a day, with the percentage of untraceable cases remaining below 50 percent as a weekly average. Koike also said that the easing measures for Tokyo, if the targets are achieved, would be phased in after the central government lifts the state of emergency for the remaining prefectures, slated for May 31. The Tokyo metropolitan government confirmed nine new COVID-19 cases on Friday, with the figure dropping below 10 for the first time since March 22. Following the capital's peak in April of more than 200 daily cases, Tokyo has seen new COVID-19 infections fall to double-digit levels of late. Tokyo, the hardest hit by the virus among the country's 47 prefectures, has seen the total number of cases top 5,000, while the nationwide count has risen to around 17,000 cases. Japan's Health Minister Kato Katsunobu said on Friday that around 10,000 people across the country would be tested for coronavirus antibodies from next month so that health officials would be able to gain a better understanding of how much of Japan's population has been infected by the coronavirus. The tests will also help to determine the level or possibility of Japan's "herd immunity", which is achieved when a large percentage of the population develops antibodies and potential immunity to a virus. Abe on Friday, underscoring the health ministry's plans, pledged that antibody testing would be stepped up, as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. He also warned that if there are further spikes in infections, then a state of emergency could be declared again. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 17:09:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Thailand reported no new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, the second time in one week. Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman of the government's Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) reported the new development on Saturday. No new fatalities was also reported. "Two months after Thailand reported the highest number of new cases on March 22 at 188 cases, now we are seeing new infections dropping to single figures," Taweesin said. So far, the total infections in Thailand stand at 3,025. Death toll remains at 56. Taweesin said that to date, 50 Thai provinces have not reported any new infections for at least 28 days. The CCSA spokesman said that more Thais are arriving from abroad on Saturday, with 204 coming from the United States, 187 from South Korea. On Sunday, 150 Thais will arrive from the Maldives, 80 from Canada and 80 from India. All Thai returnees are subject to a mandatory quarantine of 14 days. Enditem Every year, more than 538 million tourists visit Europe. But since the start of the pandemic, numerous European countries had to close their doors to international travel. Now that summer is almost here, Europe is desperate to lift their restrictions, allow travels, and boost their stricken economies. On May 13, the European Union unveiled an action plan to get its internal boarders reopening and safely start its hospitality sector and to revive rail, road, air, and sea connections that have been strangled during the coronavirus pandemic. It is a decision that is anticipated by millions of travelers who are desperate to enjoy this year's summer after months of being forced to stay in their homes. The EU's plan sets out a roadmap for creating health and safety protocols for beaches, hotels, campsites, cafes, B&Bs, and restaurants to protect guests and employees. It also wants to strengthen rules about giving tourists the right to choose between cash reimbursements or vouchers for canceled transport tickets or package trips. Although new measures will help impose some order on a chaotic travel situation in Europe, it remains a fluid situation. Here are some of the things that you need to know about the plans of certain countries in Europe. Also Read: Nuke Map: What Would London Look Like If World War 3 Happened? France For those who wish to travel to France, a 14-day coronavirus quarantine will be compulsory until July 24. Although its lockdown is being lifted slowly, with restaurants, schools, and cafes in the country to reopen in the coming weeks, France's interior minister, Christophe Castaner, has made it clear that France will not be adapting its border restrictions for the foreseeable future. Greece Greece may become the first European destination to open up to tourists again. The country has managed to keep its coronavirus death toll low, with only 150 COVID-19 deaths so far, as the country enforced a strict lockdown when the pandemic began. According to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, some businesses like bookstores and hairdressers have already started to reopen and he hopes that visitors will start coming in by June 1. However, this year's summer in Greece may be different from those of past years. Mitsotakis said that no bars may be open and no tight crowds will be allowed just yet. Travel restrictions within Greece will be lifted on May 18, allowing movement from one area to another. The city hotels in Greece are scheduled to reopen on June 1. Spain The lockdown in Spain is one of the strictest in Europe, even children and elders were banned from leaving the house entirely. But the country will now slowly ease restrictions, with beaches set to reopen in June and hotels in some parts of the country were granted permission to operate again. A 14-day quarantine has now been enforced for all travelers arriving in the country from May 15 to May 24. Italy Italy's lockdown is being lifted in stages, and all shops are scheduled to reopen on May 18. The plans to reopen cafes, restaurants, and bars will be in June. All museums are to slowly reopen throughout May, but strict social-distancing rules will apply and tickets need to be bought in advance online. Germany Germany remains closed to non-EU visitors and its border crossings to neighboring states such as Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and France are either guarded or closed. Hotels are not allowed to accommodate tourists just yet and the majority of flights to and from Germany remain grounded. United Kingdom The UK government has introduced a 14-day quarantine on all arrivals and it has slowly begun easing restrictions for residents. Going out for exercise and errands are allowed as long as social-distancing measures are followed. Airlines are not to operate just yet as the coronavirus death toll in the UK is not decreasing as fast as they hoped. Related Article: North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un Sell Fake Beards, Eyebrows and Eyelashes Despite Sanctions @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The central government has lifted ban from the export of non-surgical and non-medical masks to the foreign countries. On March 19, the Centre had imposed restriction on exports of all types of masks amid rising positive coronavirus cases and crisis of masks in the country. In a notification on May 16, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, amended its earlier order and allowed the export of non-medical, non-surgical masks of all types (cotton, silk, wool, knitted). "All other masks falling under ITCHS code including the HS codes would continue to remain prohibited for the exports," reads the order by DGFT. Also Read: Coronavirus Live Updates: Punjab to lift curfew from Monday, lockdown will continue till May 31; India's cases-85,940 Recently, the Delhi Customs intercepted over 5 lakh masks, including raw material to make masks, which were being smuggled to China. Also Read: Coronavirus: COVID-19 cases touch 85,940; check state-wise tally, deaths The government had put a ban on exports of all kinds of personal protection equipments, including clothing and masks, used to protect people from airborne particles amidst the coronavirus outbreak. Later, the DGFT had removed surgical and disposable masks, and all gloves, except NBR gloves, from the list of banned export items. However, it had said that export of all other personal protection equipment, including N95 and other equipment accompanying masks and gloves, would remain prohibited for exports. Hong Kong Mob Attack Victims Hit Out at Official Version of Yuen Long Incident 2020-05-15 -- Two victims of an attack by white-clad mobsters in the Hong Kong border town on Yuen Long on July 21, 2019 on Friday hit out at a police-backed report that concluded there was no collusion between police and the attackers, in spite of a long delay in responded to multiple emergency calls on the night, and photos of officers chatting with groups of men wielding weapons in white T-shirts. The victim, who gave only his surname Tseng, said he was among dozens of passengers, protesters, and passersby attacked by individuals wielding sticks and poles inside Yuen Long MTR station on that day, suffering severe injuries in the process. "I think their theory is unconvincing, and doesn't explain what happened," Tseng said of the lengthy report by Hong Kong's Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC), which despite its name relies entirely on evidence generated by police, and has no independent investigatory powers. "I think what most people wanted to know was the relationship between [police and the triads], and what mistakes the police made in their handling of the situation, or in their communications," he said. "But this report ... concludes that there was no collusion." "But of course, we know that the IPCC has no powers of independent investigation, and that's why they reached such a conclusion," Tseng said. Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, who was himself attacked by gang members in white T-shirts in the same incident, dismissed the report as "garbage." "I am very angry," Lam said. "This report is garbage. It contains no condemnation or criticism of the police ... the IPCC is basically doing PR for the police." Police investigate themselves The IPCC has been criticized by its own experts, rights groups, and protesters as a toothless body that relies on the police investigating themselves. In January, it announced it was quashing a much fuller report in spite of growing international criticism of police violence against protesters throughout 2019. Friday's report is a greatly curtailed version, focusing on a handful of contentious incidents that have been the focus of public complaints and demands for redress. An international panel of law enforcement experts hired by the IPCC stepped down at the end of last year, saying they no longer wished to be associated with the probe, as the IPCC lacked the necessary powers to carry out a credible inquiry. The IPCC report found that "The police's failure to take timely action in certain instances did fuel allegations of collusion against the police." It blamed inadequacies in the police command structure for their inaction during the first 37 minutes of the attack. IPCC chairman Anthony Neoh on Friday defended widespread police violence during last year's pro-democracy and anti-extradition protests, saying it was the duty of police to maintain law and order. "Under the violence they had to face in performance of their duty, the police had found it necessary to resort on occasion to the use of force," Neoh said. The IPCC report also claimed that police had only employed force in reaction to "illegal action" by protesters or in self-defense, a claim that has been undermined by months of social media footage and live video streams from the front lines of the protests. Public concerns dismissed The report was highly dismissive of public concerns over the Aug. 31, 2019 attack by riot police on unarmed passengers in the absence of journalists inside Prince Edward MTR station, which gave rise to unconfirmed reports of at least one death at the scene. It found that the use of the remote San Uk Ling detention facility was inappropriate for detained protesters, particularly those who were already injured. While it noted that being able to identify individual police officers -- something that has been made very difficult through lack of visible information throughout the protests -- was key to transparency and accountability, it stopped short of requiring it, saying only that the police were "heading in the right direction." The report also denied that Indonesian journalist Veby Indah had been hit by a police rubber bullet, claiming that journalists had already been asked to leave the footbridge where she was standing to cover the day's protests. But fellow journalist and eyewitness Sarah Zheng said the report was "inaccurate," providing a link to the Facebook Live broadcast of the incident. "[The] FB live ... shows police raise their guns & retreat down stairs, then protesters run forward," Zheng wrote via her Twitter account on Friday. "One nears corner of the stairs with a shield. Police fire & hit Veby. She falls to the ground." According to Zheng, police could be heard discussing leaving the area among themselves, but at no point do they tell journalists to leave. In total, it made 52 recommendations, including calls for better communication with the public over the actions police take to enforce the law. 'Bloodied but not broken' Amnesty International said in its 2019 annual report that Hong Kong protesters are 'bloodied but not broken' in the wake of abusive policing tactics for which the authorities have yet to be held accountable. It said the Hong Kong protest movement, which began in June 2019 with mass popular opposition to extradition to mainland China, had demanded accountability in spite of increasingly harsh treatment by the authorities Reported by Lu Xi and Man Hoi-tsan for RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Copyright 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content May not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address As states plan to exit the national lockdown and restricted travel resumes, social distancing, wearing masks and washing hands will be the only defence against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). With infections likely to rise after restrictions are relaxed and the anticipated second wave hitting the world, some amount of social distancing will have to continue through 2022, said Harvard researchers in the journal, Science, on Wednesday. In India, even with states planning to move towards a staggered lifting of the lockdown, the number of cases will continue to rise because the absolute number of cases is high. How the outbreak evolves over the next few weeks will depend on the lessons learned so far from infection trends, including clustering. You cant police social distancing; people must learn to protect themselves. The acid test will be how we behave as we exit from the lockdown in the next few days, said Dr Ambarish Dutta, associate professor of epidemiology and public health, Indian Institute of Public Health, Bhubaneswar. Click here for the complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic Studies show infected people take on average five to six days to develop symptoms, but are infective from day one. Some people have no symptoms and others have mild disease, but still infect others. Lockdowns prevent undiagnosed infected people from stepping out and infecting others, but with less restricted travel, chances of exposure increase, so we need to be extremely cautious, said Dutta. As India prepares to loosen lockdown measures, knowing who is most at risk of infection is critical. India has finally begun population-level surveillance of random samples, with pool testing for current infection and antibody testing for past infection, to help guide policy and help people protect themselves. Also Read: 30 cities should have maximum restrictions in lockdown 4.0: Official The worlds first study on who is at risk of both infection and severe disease shows that older people, men, obese people, the poor, those living in densely populated areas, and people with chronic kidney disease are more likely to test positive for Covid-19. Unlike previous studies that have established trends from hospital data for the people with severe symptoms, the study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, analyses electronic health records of 3,802 people who visited doctors clinics in England between January 28 and April 4. The risk of infection among the general population remains a grey area. Its important to know which groups in the wider community are most at risk of infection so that we can better understand SARS-CoV-2 transmission and how to prevent new cases, said study author professor Simon de Lusignan from the University of Oxford, and director of the Royal College of GPs Surveillance Centre, UK. Hospital-based studies have found that being older, male, and having underlying diseases like hypertension and diabetes cause more severe disease and death. The Lancet study has found that most underlying diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease did not raise susceptibility to infection, as neither did household size. Also Read: 6-year-old untouched by Covid-19 despite 15-day exposure to ill patients The only clinical conditions associated with higher susceptibility to infection was chronic kidney disease and obesity. Of 207 people with chronic kidney disease, 32.9% tested positive, compared with 14.4% without kidney disease. Around 20.9% people who were obese tested positive, compared with 13.2% people with healthy weight. The study also found smokers were less likely to test positive than non-smokers, which study authors said was due to confounding factors and because of a protective effect of smoking. This result does not indicate that smoking protects against infection, and there are many potential alternative explanations such as smoking hampering the sensitivity of the Sars-CoV-2 test, or smokers being more likely to have chronic cough so being more likely to be tested despite not having the virus. Apart from the well-documented health damage from smoking, smoking increases the severity of Covid-19, and so our findings should not be used to conclude that smoking prevents Sars-CoV-2 infection, or to encourage smoking, said professor de Lusignan. The study confirmed earlier findings of older people and men being at higher risk of disease. People between the ages of 40 and 64 years were at the greatest risk of testing positive (18.5%), compared with children younger than 17 (4.6%). Around 18.4% men tested positive, compared with 13.3% of women, which suggests that gender differences in poor outcomes are in part related to differential infection susceptibility. Two preprint studies that examined population level risks showed increased risks of Covid-19 deaths in hospitals with older age, male sex, obesity, and poverty. Underlying diseases such as hypertension and diabetes and smoking play a more important role in disease progression and poor outcomes in hospital studies than in developing infection, The Lancet study suggests. The study did not measure socioeconomic factors that raise infection risk, including high-risk jobs such as health and municipal workers. Going out with protection and social distancing is safer than being in a closed environment with infected people because the wind disperses the virus and the sun and humidity make it less transferable in sparsely populated areas. Also Read: Agra attains cure rate of 61 %, 96 Covid-19 patients discharged in 24 hrs The chances of getting infected from contaminated surfaces such as doors, railings, elevator buttons, table tops and shelves in shops and public places is high, as washing hands and avoiding touching your mouth, nose, eyes or the part of the mask that covers your face is crucial. What works in Indias favour is its demography. Most of Indias workforce, including the migrants going home, is predominantly young and are likely to recover and become non-infective very quickly. In countries like Italy and Spain, the deaths have been predominantly in older people in care homes, said Dutta. The challenge for India will be preventing infection in public transport, retail markets and wholesale markets, which can seed large outbreaks, as evident from Chennai and Delhi wholesale mandis, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Robin Millard (Agence France-Presse) Geneva Sat, May 16, 2020 13:22 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd87beb5 2 World WHO,COVID-19,coronavirus Free The World Health Organization on Friday urged countries, companies and researchers to pull down the barriers and open up their findings on COVID-19 as it unveiled a global knowledge-sharing platform. The information pool is intended to be a voluntary worldwide repository of intellectual property and open-sourced data, allowing everyone involved to benefit from each other's advances in a common front against the new coronavirus. Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, who first proposed the idea, said now was no time to be selfish in the race to find effective vaccines, treatments and technology to combat the deadly pandemic sweeping the globe. "The idea is to make available for everybody around the world the different advancements and innovations," Alvarado said at a WHO press conference, via videolink. "We want to see those innovations and technologies as global public goods to protect humanity against this threat." He said the coronavirus pandemic could only be defeated with international solidarity, "not being selfish". Dozens of vaccine projects have been launched worldwide and several clinical trials are under way to try to find a cure for the disease. The potential financial stakes are huge and several major pharmaceutical companies are racing against the clock in the hope of being the first to bring a vaccine to market. Sanofi triggered a storm this week when it said that any potential COVID-19 vaccine it reached would go to the United States first because Washington was helping to fund the French pharmaceutical giant's quest. Market forces not enough WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said researchers were working at breakneck speed to understand the virus and develop potential vaccines and medicines. However, "traditional market models will not deliver at the scale needed to cover the entire globe," he said. "In these extraordinary circumstances, we need to unleash the full power of science, to deliver innovations that are scalable, usable, and benefit everyone, everywhere, at the same time. "Solidarity within and between countries and the private sector is essential if we are to overcome these difficult times." The platform will be officially launched on May 29. "WHO has accepted this visionary proposal and will, in the next few weeks, launch a platform for open, collaborative sharing of knowledge, data and intellectual property on existing and new health tools to combat COVID-19," said Tedros. The health technology repository will include vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and any other tool that may work against COVID-19. The novel coronavirus has killed more than 300,000 people and infected nearly 4.5 million since the outbreak first emerged in China late last year, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP. WhatsApp Pay under scrutiny once again for violating Indian anti-trust laws Facebook-owned instant messaging app WhatsApp's plans to officially integrate its payment service into the app is under scrutiny once again. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is reportedly reviewing a complaint against the social media giant that raises concerns regarding the violation of the countrys antitrust laws. The complaint was filed in mid-March alleging that WhatsApp was bundling its digital payment service within its messaging app, which allows it to abuse its massive user base to exploit India's growing digital payments market. While WhatsApp and CCI did not comment on the matter yet, two sources told Reuters that the complainant was a lawyer, who refused to disclose his identity. The case is in initial stages .. senior members of CCI are reviewing it, but a final decision hasnt been reached, told one of the three sources to Reuters. The complaint comes at a time when WhatsApp is aggressively looking for an official rollout of the service in India, whereas, it has been beta testing the service with 1 million users since 2018. WhatsApps payment service will allow users to do inter-bank fund transfers via UPI from within the messaging app. While in Google's case, the search giant released a standalone app for the service. India's antitrust law and WhatsApp WhatsApp has been struggling to get regulatory clearance for a full-fledged rollout to its existing 400 million users in India. Country's antitrust watchdog is allegedly looking into the allegations. The CCI can order its investigations arm to conduct a detailed probe into the claims or discard the case if it finds no substantial argument to back it. India's antitrust law was developed to protect consumers from monopolistic business practices by making it illegal for businesses to compete in unfair ways. WhatsApp, which has its most extensive user base in India, definitely has an advantage over the existing famous players like Google Pay and Paytm. The latest antitrust setback isn't the first hurdle restricting WhatsApp payment service in India. Last month an Indian legal think-tank also filed a case in Supreme Court against violation of data storage rules by WhatsApp. In response, WhatsApp told the court that it would comply with the necessary laws before launching the service, whereas the latest court order has asked Indian regulators to submit their views on the case. (Bloomberg) -- Amazon.com Inc. sidestepped calls by a congressional antitrust committee for Jeff Bezos to testify amid lawmakers allegations that the company hasnt been forthright with Congress. The e-commerce giant promised cooperation with the House Judiciary Committees probe of its competitive practices in a letter on Friday to the leaders of the panel and its antitrust subcommittee. But Amazon didnt directly address increasing demands that the companys chief executive officer, also the worlds richest man, appear. The response was called called unacceptable by Judiciary panel chairman Jerrold Nadler of New York, who added that members of both parties have questions about Amazons practices. Will will not permit stonewalling of our investigation, by Jeff Bezos or anyone, Nadler said Saturday on Twitter. Representative David Cicilline, who heads up the antitrust subcommittee and is running the investigation of tech giants, said in a tweet that he expects Bezos to testify about Amazons troubling business practices and false statements and threatened to subpoena the companys founder. Cicilline, of Rhode Island, is seeking Bezos testimony after media reports that appeared to contradict testimony from a company executive about its treatment of the third-party merchants on its site. Company lawyer Nate Sutton told the committee in a 2019 appearance that Amazon doesnt use data it collects to favor its own products over third-party sellers and doesnt use individual seller data to launch competing goods. A recent Wall Street Journal report, though, contended that company employees did use such seller-specific data to develop competing products. Getting an Edge In the letter, which was obtained by Bloomberg, Amazons vice president of public policy said that accounts of employees accessing individual seller data to give the company an edge represent a violation of policy and are being investigated. The official, Brian Huseman, said that Amazon tracks store data, trends and other details such as best-selling items to better compete. Story continues As part of our commitment to serving customers, like other retailers, we make use of data to improve the customer experience in our stores, Huseman wrote. He said Amazon is prepared to make the appropriate Amazon executive available to the Committee. Huseman denied that the company had been untruthful in its prior statements to the committee, and said that Amazon has produced 200,000 pages of information, including highly confidential, business-sensitive documents, and spoken with the committee weekly. (Updates with Nadler from 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. Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (27) How bad are things? The surge in the number of Covid-19 cases, the images of fleeing migrants and the hugely divergent assessments of economic growth plus the governments own opacity make it difficult to judge. These issues remain the focus of the opinion writers this weekend, says Kanika Datta. If the experts say that the right comparison for what we are living through is with what happened in the Great Depression, then it is time our expectations of the future got less unreal, says T N Ninan. Read it here Narendra Modis fifth monologue to a locked down nation was ... representative image Japan and the United States will set up a dialogue on economic security that will discuss 5G mobile-phone networks and the export of civilian technology that also has military use, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Saturday. US President Donald Trump's administration on Friday moved to block global chip supplies to Chinese 5G equipment giant Huawei Technologies. Japan's Cabinet Secretariat, the US National Security Council and the US Commerce Department are expected to participate and could hold their first meeting by the end of the year, the Yomiuri said, citing unnamed sources. Officials at Japan's Foreign Ministry could not immediately be reached for comment on Saturday. The United States has blacklisted Huawei, saying the company's 5G equipment could provide a back door for Chinese government espionage. Huawei, the world's largest telecom equipment maker, has denied this claim. 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 US government has also discouraged other countries from using Huawei's gear to build their 5G mobile phone networks as part of a larger battle for global technological dominance between the world's two largest economies. Japan's government has decided to effectively exclude Huawei and rival Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp ZTE from public procurement, and the country's top three telcos have followed suit. Iranian News Agency Warns US Acts Over Venezuela Fuel Shipments Will Not 'Go Without Repercussion' Sputnik News 21:43 GMT 15.05.2020(updated 22:22 GMT 15.05.2020) An Iranian news agency has warned the US against taking action against several Iranian-flagged tankers transporting fuel to Venezuela, as Washington has threatened. "If the United States, just like pirates, intends to create insecurity on international waterways, it would be taking a dangerous risk and that will certainly not go without repercussion," Iran's Nour News Agency said on Friday, citing reports that US warships were en route to intercept the tankers in the Caribbean. On Thursday, an unnamed US official told Reuters the Trump administration was considering possible actions against the tanker shipments. "It is not only unwelcome by the United States but it's unwelcome by the region, and we're looking at measures that can be taken," the official said, who indicated Washington believed with a "high degree of certainty" Caracas intended to pay for the fuel with gold. Iranian Ambassador to Venezuela Hojjatollah Soltani has explicitly denied the accusation. Earlier on Friday, the US Navy's Twitter account shared photos of four US warships - three guided-missile destroyers and a littoral combat ship - on patrol in the Caribbean. It was the second such tweet this week, with another on Wednesday including a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. According to reports, five tankers sailing under the Iranian flag are transporting refined fuel to Venezuela, where more than a year's worth of siege by the United States has strangled the Venezuelan economy, blocking importation of parts necessary to keep industries running. As a result, in January, the country was forced to shut down its last oil refinery, meaning that although its primary export is petroleum, Venezuela is now experiencing a fuel shortage. Following reports of potential US actions against the shipment, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza denounced the prospective actions on Twitter as "more evidence for the world that we will send to the International Criminal Court." He continued, "Against the background of the pandemic, Washington is tracing ships that transport our oil and carry fuel. This is a gross violation of international law and of the fundamental rights of Venezuelans." Last month, Tehran received significant flak for helping Caracas restart its broken catalytic cracking unit at the huge Cardon refinery, a necessary step in the refinement of crude oil into the variety of fuels that can be made from it. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The reports during the past two days that President Trump has engaged the military in a project called Operation Warp Speed to fast track a Covid-19 vaccine which is being compared to the World War Two Manhattan Project to develop a nuclear weapon feels like the final blow. It has taken the wind out of my sails that America can be made great aka pre-coronavirus panic ever again. President Trumps promise of a vaccine yesterday implies words like mandate, monitoring, and immunity passports. Contact tracing and tens of thousands of new government workers to spy on and enforce compliance with that unproven strategy which came out of nowhere last month were bad enough. Now we have the next and possibly the final chapter: A new medical mandate enforced by the military that will make Obamacares onerous individual health insurance mandate seem like childs play. There are those of us millions of us, actually who have refused to take the annual flu vaccine and any of the other fashionable immunizations that are hyped and sold to us by the medical industrial complex and the mainstream media. When one looks closely, including into the scientific literature itself, there is just too little or no proof at all that most vaccines, including the annual vaunted flu shot, actually do any good and/or are worth the potential dangers and the costs to personal health that lurk within all of them. The few exceptions for an adult might include something like a tetanus shot after a skin-breaking accident. An article Thursday by Mike Adams of Natural News a controversial and highly censored figure according to the MSM pretty much checked out: MILITARY vaccine mandates? Dept. of Defense purchasing 500 million ApiJect syringes to inject every person in America with coronavirus vaccine. I am linking to another site that hosts Adams article here. When I attempted to tweet a link to the original on Thursday, Twitter blocked my link. Adamss analysis is based on a Department of Defense (DOD) news release on Wednesday: DOD Awards $138 Million Contract, Enabling Prefilled Syringes for Future COVID-19 Vaccine. Statement attributed to Lt. Col. Mike Andrews, Department of Defense spokesman: Today the Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announce a $138 million contract with ApiJect Systems America for Project Jumpstart and RAPID USA, which together will dramatically expand U.S. production capability for domestically manufactured, medical-grade injection devices starting by October 2020. Adams, a prominent proponent of natural alternatives to healing with a popular Web site (currently #4,157 in the U.S. according Alexa, with over 12,000 other sites linking to it), carries the analysis further. Dont forget that this is being married with President Trumps Operation Warp Speed which aims to bypass all the usual protocols of vaccine safety testing and clinical trials, delivering up to 300 million coronavirus vaccine doses before the end of calendar 2020. If coronavirus vaccines were planned to be optional respecting the vaccine choice of individuals not more than 100 million doses would be needed. The fact that 500 million doses are being manufactured is an admission that the DoD and HHS plan to make coronavirus vaccines mandatory. [emphasis original.] With all of the talk about contact tracing and immunity passports, and the hype about a vaccine being our best or our only hope to achieving a viable new normal, Adamss analysis cannot be dismissed out of hand. One possible glimmer of hope is that at last almost two months into the forced shutdown of life as we knew it substantive critiques of the insane lockdown strategy are beginning to proliferate and to generate a broader discussion about exactly whats going on here. One noteworthy report and analysis was published two days ago by David Stockman, elected in 1976 to two terms as a Republican Congressman and until 1985 the Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Ronald Reagan. The title of Stockmans provocative article is WAKE-UP, Donald! Your Malpracticing Doctors Are The Real Killers. Stockmans article was apparently written on Tuesday May 12: If you dont think the fix is in, please take note of the big news of the morning. Namely, that the allegedly ultra-busy Dr. Fauci had time last evening to ping Sheryl Gay Stolberg, correspondent for the failing New York Times, in order to dump a VLCC size tanker- load of cold water on the urgent need to end Lockdown Nation, now. In a nanosecond, of course, Stolberg was on Twitter and on-line with Faucis stern admonition to the restless natives of Flyover America to shut-up and stay put. That way the entire MSM had plenty of time to crank-up a feverish barrage of messaging during Faucis actual Senate appearance as to how Red State governors are jumping the gun and putting life and limb in danger throughout the country: The major message that I wish to convey to the Senate HLP committee tomorrow is the danger of trying to open the country prematurely, Fauci wrote in the email, which Stolberg posted on Twitter. If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines to: Open America Again, then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country. This will not only result in needless suffering and death, but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal, wrote Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. For gods sake, WAKE UP, Donald! Rather than quote further from Stockmans detailed article, replete as it is with charts and graphs and totaling 2,500 words, I simply recommend that people read it for themselves here. Thank God (capital G), there is an avalanche of writings that are both reflective of data, scientific accuracy, and clear-headed common sense that can serve as an antidote a vaccine, as it were to the toxic nonsense being spewed by deep administrative medical hacks and yes Democrat party stooges like Dr. Anthony Fauci. Talk show host Michael Savage is the only prominent national media voice opposing the looming vaccination mandate (podcast here). Carrying forth that information war, I would argue, represents our last if not our only hope in turning aside this highly destructive Covid-19 panic thing that has captured our culture for the past two months with no end in sight. Graphic credit: Pixabay Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran journalist who writes about politics, media, popular culture, and health care for American Thinker and other publications. He also appears in the media, including recently on BBC World News. Peter's website is http://peter.media. Follow Peter on Twitter at @pchowka. A rise in the number of passengers will prove difficult for Translink as it tackles social distancing A rise in the number of passengers will prove difficult for Translink as it tackles social distancing Translink has faced many problems in recent years - and maintaining social distancing on its buses and trains at peak times when passenger demand increases will be yet another. Senior economist Dr Esmond Birnie of the Ulster University business school said the company has faced a series of setbacks, including falling rates of subsidy, and years of austerity in which it has been expected to run down its cash reserves. That's led to several crisis points over the last few years but now Covid-19 has ushered in a new set of problems beyond the immediate hit to passenger numbers as people stay at home and avoid unnecessary journeys. But in the future, how do you solve a problem like social distancing on buses and trains? Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon has said that buses would need to operate at just 15% capacity if social distancing is to be maintained. And school buses are likely to be the worst pinch-point for Translink when the kids go back in autumn. How to carefully manage hordes of jostling schoolkids may prove quite an exercise in crowd control. The Department of Education confirmed yesterday: "As part of the planning processes for the restart of schools, the provision of home to school transport is being considered by the Department and the Education Authority in partnership with other key stakeholders and in the context of social distancing guidelines." Translink has said it's working with departments to provide appropriate school transport. Last night the Department for Infrastructure confirmed it will receive funding to get it through the challenges of Covid-19. In the last few months it's been losing as much as 90% of its typical revenues from passenger fares as people stay at home. At normal times, Translink has a fleet of 1,400 buses and trains and runs 12,500 services every day. It's been operating at a reduced timetable since the lockdown - but even the buses which are running have few passengers on them. That has led to the phenomenon of 'ghost buses' with no passengers, gliding past us while we are out for our daily exercise. While Translink can reduce services, it cannot cut them due to the public service agreement which it must fulfil by running rural and less popular routes, in exchange for its subsidy. One transport insider said: "Their structure is that they are contracted to fulfil a network obligation and contracted to cover services regardless of how many passengers are on them. If they were more commercial as an organisation they might be making decisions like cutting routes but it's not really their decision. "They're fulfilling that public service obligation role and that sets the beat. They have to maintain that unless the Department for Infrastructure would make some sort of pause by agreement." He said Translink would find it difficult to maintain social distancing at peak-times. All Translink buses - Goldliner, Ulsterbus and Metro buses - have only one door. However, the Glider has three - which could make social distancing easier on boarding. Buses are also being retro-fitted with perspex screens to protect drivers - Metro buses already have them. The company is increasing its use of pre-paid tickets so that drivers don't have to handle passengers' cash. Some in the industry are vexed over whether operating at 15% capacity would mean 15% of seats or 15% of capacity in passenger number terms. It's understood some discussion has ranged around closing off every other seat, or arranging passengers in a zig-zag fashion, with the first seat behind the driver cut-off, but the second seat open on the other side, and so on. Trade union Unite's representative Davy Thompson says he's more concerned about social distancing for staff and passengers on trains, where conductors generally walk the length of the train to check tickets. The reality of how Translink works, on a cross-subsidy model, means that the most popular routes finance the less-used routes in rural areas. Even in non-pandemic times, there's likely to be no problem with social distancing on some rural services around Northern Ireland. Social distancing will therefore be harder to impose on peak services - and on school buses. However, if schools are brought back gradually, for example for half days at a time, that could help solve that problem. And while demand is down for Metro services in Belfast, some Metro buses are taking to routes like Ballymena where the buses normally used aren't fitted with screens. With the Executive agreeing to come up with more money, it looks like Translink has survived its latest crisis. Read More But addressing its funding model in the long-term is always going to be a thorny political issue. The deficit problem has been solved for the short term but in the long term, either its government funding will have to be increased, or there would need to a be sharp adjustment to its public service agreement. One insider says: "That's a very political thing and they don't have the power to do that. Translink is really only a delivery agent." It's clear that if social distancing continues in the long-term, it's not really viable for it to simply order more buses and trains. "Even if Translink has unlimited money, you're talking a 10-year order to get in more trains, or an 18-to-24 month order to get more buses." Translink bosses will be hoping that on the Metro and Glider routes in particular, the change in working practices that's likely to have many more people working from home into the medium term will mean we're all naturally distanced from our former commuting methods. Or if demand does return to its pre-Covid-19 levels, could social distancing be sacrificed for more use of face-coverings on board? Translink has a lot to think about but the arguments for changing its funding and privatising it probably won't win out in Northern Ireland, given the rural nature of much of the province. "Privatisation would be a disaster," a source says. "The lucrative routes would continue to run but it would decimate the coverage which helps disadvantaged people and people in rural areas. "It's a service like education, policing or health." Maharashtra on Saturday breached the 30,000 mark with 1,606 new Covid-19 cases, its highest single-day spike till date, according to state health department data. The total number of coronavirus positive cases in the state now stands at 30,706. The death toll in Maharashtra climbed to 1,135 as 67 people succumbed to the deadly coronavirus disease in the last 24 hours. The number of deaths too, is the highest in a single day so far. A total of 524 patients were discharged from hospitals, taking the total number of recovered patients to 7,088, the state health department statement said. ALSO READ | Nearly 30,000 patients in Maharashtra, cases breach 10,000-mark in Tamil Nadu Of them, 41 people died in Mumbai, 7 people each died in Thane and Pune, 5 people succumbed to the infection in Aurangabad, 3 in Jalgaon, 2 people in Mira Bhayandar, and one person each in Nashik and Solapur. Capital city Mumbai recorded 884 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday and 41 deaths. The total number of people affected by the highly contagious disease in Mumbai is now 18,396. At least, 696 coronavirus positive patients have succumbed to the infection in Mumbai alone. Indias tally of confirmed Covid-19 cases crossed 85,000 on Friday with more people testing positive for the deadly virus infection from Kashmir to Kerala and from Karnataka to Bihar, even as indications emerged about greater relaxations in the fourth phase of the lockdown beginning Monday. ALSO READ | One more Mumbai cop succumbs to Covid-19 The relaxations are a step towards containing the economic costs due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. The numbers declared by different states and union territories also indicate that India has now surpassed Chinas official tally of 82,933 confirmed Covid-19 cases since the coronavirus was detected in Wuhan in December 2019. Kate Farmer, the Wyoming woman who had the shortest of tenures as Chattanooga City Treasurer, issued an apology and indicated she would still like to be appointed to the position. The City Council approved Ms. Farmer, then the next week went back on the approval in a 7-1 vote with Chairman Chip Henderson opposed. That came after publicity about her being the subject of several federal lawsuits involving former officials of Guernsey, Wyoming. Chattanooga Attorney Sam Elliott said after an independent investigation that she was fully competent to hold the post. Ms. Farmer wrote: Dear Chattanoogans, Please accept my humble apology for the situation that has followed me to your great community. Some of you may have heard of me from the recent news articles regarding my appointment as your city treasurer. Just as soon as I was confirmed by the City Council news broke about lawsuits against me. These are troubling times for us all and I am very sorry to have filled your newspapers with drama and for any doubt that may have been cast by this. Your City Council, Mayor Berke, and his administration had no notification about this situation. I had been thoroughly vetted for this position, a background check was done, but the lawsuits were filed against me after this process took place. The very moment the administration raised concerns about the allegations, I gave them complete and total disclosure. I believe in transparency. Honesty is a core value I do not compromise on. My sincerest apologies to all the city officials for the difficult position they have been placed in. I respect and admire these public officials and I am truly sorry for any harm I have caused. There are a lot of reasons this transpired the way it did but none of them should allow any fault to be directed towards the leaders of your community. As the independent investigator has stated these suits are "more-or-less run of the mill wrongful termination cases" and "there should be little concern with her ability to proceed with the duties of treasurer." Unfortunately, when you hold these positions in leadership it is all too common for former employees to be disgruntled and to seek retribution. As of now, these allegations have directly led to the loss of my position as your City Treasurer. This is extremely difficult for me and my young family because I am the sole wage earner due to my husbands medical condition and now we have lost that income, our insurance, and because I voluntarily left my former position we do not even have an option to file for the short term relief that unemployment would provide. In difficult times like these our faith is critical, and I sincerely ask for you all to please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers. I know in my heart that honesty and truth will triumph and this attempt to sully my name will be defeated. As the city attorney who is most knowledgeable about this situation is quoted as saying I am "a person of high competence and integrity." If allowed to continue as your City Treasurer, I will work hard for you, and I will become an incredible asset to your community. With my sincerest of apologies, Kate Farmer Amaravati, May 16 : Hundreds of migrant workers heading back to Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have been stranded on Tamil Nadu border as Andhra Pradesh police have sealed the routes to stop them from entering the state on their way to their home states in north India. Fully aware of the dangers of covering a distance of 1,700-2,000 km by walking under the scorching sun and with no food and water, the migrants said they had no choice. "We have no money to buy food or pay house rents. We couldn't have stayed in Chennai and since there are no trains or buses available, walking was the only option," said a worker returning his home in Odisha. "We are being asked to go back. How can we walk back after covering such a long distance. The authorities should show some sympathy by allowing us to pass through Andhra Pradesh," said another worker. Adding to the miseries of the workers who had reached the border by walking from Chennai and its suburbs, Andhra Pradesh police refused to allow them to enter the state. According to Google weather the temperature along the border is hovering around 35 degrees Celsius and the haze makes it feel around 45 degrees. A migrant worker from Srikakulam district died in Chittoor district. He along with some others was walking toward their home district. The group had stopped enroute at Chandragiri. Mohan Rao reportedly took ill and died on Saturday. The police even pushed back many workers who had managed to enter the state. Those who had reached as far as Nellore, Ongole and even Vijayawada were transported back to the border. More than 2,000 hungry and tired workers were stranded on the border point in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu. They were all walking along Chennai-Kolkatta highway to reach their homes in Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. They also included workers from Srikakulam and Vizinagaram districts of Andhra Pradesh bordering Odisha. With no money and lack of transportation to return to their homes, hundreds of workers including women and children from Chennai had set off on a perilous journey on foot. During the last few days, several workers succeeded in covering a distance of 500 km to reach Vijayawada and continued their onward journey. Moved by the plight of the workers, some voluntary organizations started distributing food and water among stranded migrants on the border. They tried to hold talks with the police officials of both the states but no progress could be made. The Tamil Nadu police also set up check-posts a few kilometers from the border to stop the workers following demand from Andhra Pradesh not to allow the migrants to cross the border. Authorities in Andhra Pradesh decided to stop the movement of migrant workers from Tamil Nadu as they were finding it difficult to tackle the large influx. As many workers are taking ill along the highway in Andhra Pradesh, the state government is also under pressure to come to the rescue of the people in distress. Officials said 6,000 migrant workers were stopped at the border checkpoints and sent to relief camps during the last few days. Principal Secretary, Roads and Buildings, MT Krishna Babu had earlier stated that the government took up supportive measures for the migrant workers travelling to their native places by providing food and water. Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had also asked officials to provide counselling for the migrants who are walking back to their states and accommodate them in relief camps, followed by transportation through Shramik trains. Meanwhile in Vijayawada police used mild force to stop a convoy of migrant workers who were walking towards their home states on Saturday. They were part of a group accommodated in the camp at Vijayawada Club following the intervention of Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney on Friday. The chief secretary, while returning from the chief minister's camp office at Tadepalli, found a group of workers walking along the road. She stopped her car and spoke to the workers, who informed her that they started walking from Chennai and were on their way to home states of Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand. The chief secretary had directed Guntur and Krishna district collectors to accommodate the workers in relief camps and make arrangements for their transport through Shramik special trains to their destinations. However, about 150 workers left Vijayawada Club on Saturday morning and started walking towards the highway. Some of them were on their bicycles. On receiving the information, the police stopped the group and asked them to return to the camp. As the workers insisted that they be allowed to continue their journey to their home states, police resorted to mild lathi-charge and forced them to return to the camp. RTHK: France arrests suspect in Rwandan genocide France on Saturday arrested Felicien Kabuga, one of the last key fugitives wanted over 1994 Rwandan genocide, leaving him facing a likely trial at an international tribunal after a quarter of a century on the run. Kabuga, once one of Rwanda's richest men, was living under a false identity in the Paris suburbs, the public prosecutor's office and police said in a joint statement. Agents swooped on his home at dawn, finding an 84-year-old man "who has been sought by the judicial authorities for 25 years", the statement said. Around 800,000 people Tutsis but also moderate Hutus were slaughtered over 100 days by ethnic Hutu extremists during the 1994 genocide. Kabuga was arrested at his home in Asnieres-sur-Seine north of Paris and had been hiding with the complicity of his children. The police statement described him as "one of the world's most wanted fugitives". Kabuga is accused of creating the notorious Interahamwe militia that carried out massacres in the 1994 genocide. He also helped create the equally notorious Radio-Television Libre des Mille Collines that incited people to carry out murder in its broadcasts. "Felicien Kabuga is known to have been the financier of the Rwandan genocide," it said, adding that he had spent time in Germany, Belgium, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Switzerland. The head of France's agency for fighting crimes against humanity, Eric Emeraux, said that the chase had been renewed two months ago after new intelligence emerged. Kabuga is accused of using his wealth and influence during the genocide to funnel money to militia groups as chairman of the Fonds de Defense Nationale (FDN) fund. According to the State Department of the United States, which had offered a US$5 million reward for information about him, Kabuga through the FDN "is alleged to have provided funds to the interim Rwandan government for the purposes of executing the 1994 genocide." (AFP) This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. People have been staying indoors, maintaining social distancing and following the guidelines of the government to contain the spread of novel coronavirus. Shah Rukh Khan too is quarantined with his family at their home in Mumbai. In a heartfelt post, the actor reminded his fans and followers that lockdown has made him aware of how those he is currently interacting with are the only important people in his life. Share the post on social media, he spoke about the lessons he learned during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown and mentioned about the value of love and emotions. Captioning the post, Lockdown lessons, he also shared a picture of himself flaunting his salt-and-pepper look. Heres what the actor wrote: "That we have been living far beyond our exigencies, most of which dont really matter as much as we thought they did. That we really dont need (emotionally) more people around us than the ones we feel like talking to while we are locked up. That we can stop the clock for a bit and reimagine our lives when the rush to acquire false securities is peeled away from us. That we can laugh with those we fought so hard... and know that our ideas werent actually any bigger than theirs. And above all, love is still worth it, no matter what anyone else tells you!" Earlier this week, Shah Rukh asked people to support healthcare workers by contributing towards Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other essentials. The actor, along with his wife Gauri Khan, had also offered their four-storey personal office space for treating COVID-19 patients. Follow @News18Movies for more South Africa: UIF reaches out to domestic workers, farm labourers The Department of Employment and Labour has begun efforts to reach domestic workers and farm labourers to enable them to benefit from the COVID-19 relief scheme. The scheme is part of a basket of government-wide services aimed at ensuring that the worst effects of the Coronavirus pandemic are mitigated. The Departments relief fund has already paid out billions of rands to workers who may not have received a salary as a result of the lockdown. In a statement, Employment and Labour Minister, Thulas Nxesi, said: Society is judged by how it tries to take care of the most vulnerable in its midst. This is why government in general and the Department of Employment and Labour in particular, are doing everything in their power to shield the most vulnerable from the worst of the pandemic. Since the lockdown was announced, the Department, through the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), has handed out almost R11-billion in benefits to workers through employers. We have appealed to employers, especially those who employ domestic workers and farm labourers, to apply on their behalf so that they are not left wanting. We sincerely hope that employers, especially in these two sectors heed our call. We have also enlisted the help of a private company which is helping us trace these workers through their cell phones so that they are aware of the benefit and either get the employers to claim on their behalf or reach out to the UIF themselves, said the Minister. Private company, Interfile, has offered to run the SMS service to these sectors at no cost to UIF. The department is currently working on the database it has, to try and reach these workers. According to Department records, at least 91 406 domestic workers are on the database - however, only 2 968 (3%) have their cell numbers listed and only 25 518 (28%) have emails. We appeal to employers of domestic workers, those who may have difficulties paying them, to ensure that they access these services as soon as possible. The disbursements from UIF could also act as top-up for reduced salaries and these are necessary for our mothers and sisters as they really need the break, said Minister Nxesi. So far, the Fund has disbursed just under R12 billion (R 11 915 612 569.90) through 167 524 employers and benefitted 2 092 774 workers. A total of R155 481 810 has been paid to 56 641 workers through bargaining councils representing 909 employers. The fund continues to pay ordinary benefits amounting to R1 664 959 589.24 for 184 207 recipients since March 26, 2020, broken down as follows: R 1 331 967 671.39 for unemployment benefits for 147 366 individuals R 249 743 938.38 maternity benefits for 27 631 recipients R 49 948 948 787.67 for 5 526 dependants R 33 299 191.78 for 3 684 recipients for illness and adoption For further information, anyone can log on to www.uifecc.labour.gov.za/covid19 or reach the UIF on the toll-free number 0800 030 007. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. NEW DELHI: Union Human Resource Development Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on Saturday announced that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will release the complete datesheet for the remaining board exams of class 10th and 12th, today at 5 pm. The HRD Minister took to Twitter to make the announcement, Attention students! Releasing the date sheet for CBSE Board Examination for Class 10th and 12th today at 5.00 pm. Stay tuned for more details. Pokhriyal had earlier announced that the CBSE class 10 and 12 examinations would be conducted between July 1 and July 15. Moreover, the HRD Minister had also announced that 3,000 CBSE schools in the country have been selected as evaluation centres from where more than 1.5 crore answer sheets will be sent for evaluation to teachers. CBSE has also directed all its schools to conduct online/offline examinations for the students of classes 9 and 11 who have failed in their previous attempts this year. The decision has been taken as a lot of queries from the distressed students and parents were coming to the board. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was turned away from a cafe because it was too full. Ms Ardern and her fiance Clarke Gayford attempted to dine at Olive, in Wellington, on Saturday morning. 'Omg Jacinda Ardern just tried to come into Olive and was rejected cause it's full,' a fellow diner wrote on Twitter. New Zealand entered 'Alert 2' of their coronavirus action plan on Thursday, which allowed Kiwis to slowly return to everyday life. Restaurants and cafes were allowed to open but must enforce physical distancing by keeping customers one-metre away from others and prohibiting groups of more than 10. Ms Ardern and Mr Gayford were eventually able to enjoy a meal at the restaurant after space became available. Mr Gayford blamed himself for the hiccup but praised the venue for their customer service and abiding by the rules. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford were turned away from a cafe because it was too full under coronavirus social distancing restrictions The couple attempted to dine at Olive, in Wellington, on Saturday morning but were turned away. They were eventually offered a table after a spot freed up 'I have to take responsibility for this, I didn't get organized and book anywhere,' he responded on Twitter. 'Was very nice of them to chase us down st when a spot freed up. A+ service.' Other Twitter users were glad the mum-of-one followed the rules she's implemented. Pictured: Olive in Wellington, New Zealand. New Zealand entered 'Alert 2' of their coronavirus action plan on Thursday, which allowed Kiwis to slowly return to everyday life 'Sticking to the rules. I like it,' one person wrote. 'How very Kiwi: beautiful,' tweeted another. The couple, who are engaged to be married, did not have their one-year-old daughter Neve with them for their brunch date, The New Zealand Herald reported. Olive's owner told the publication: 'She had a lovely brunch and left half an hour later. She was lovely with all the staff ... [and] she was treated like a normal customer.' New Zealand spent about seven weeks in lockdown before restrictions were eased on Thursday. The country has recorded 1,148 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 21 people have died. Russia, China slam US plan to extend UN arms embargo on Iran Iran Press TV Friday, 15 May 2020 7:07 AM China and Russia have rejected US plans to extend a UN arms embargo on Iran along with a probable push to trigger a return of all sanctions on Tehran at the UN Security Council. "It has no right to extend an arms embargo on Iran, let alone to trigger snapback," China's UN mission wrote in a tweet on Thursday. "Maintaining [the] Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is the only right way moving forward," it added. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also vehemently rejected the plan as a "cynical" measure plunging the UNSC into "crisis". "The conclusion is that the next crisis in the UN Security Council and the UN as a whole is imminent, taking into account this US stubbornness," he said. "Washington will not have an easy road here in any case," he added. Over the last month, Washington has stepped up calls for the extension of a UN arms embargo on Iran that will expire in October under UNSC resolution 2231, which endorsed the landmark Iran nuclear deal in 2015. The Trump administration has threatened that it may seek to trigger a snapback of all sanctions on Iran if its attempts to extend the arms embargo fail. Tehran, however, has firmly rejected Washington's plans as the US is no longer a party to the nuclear deal ever since it withdrew from the multilateral agreement in 2018. China and Russia, which are both signatories to the JCPOA, echoed Tehran's position in their statements on Thursday. "US failed to meet its obligations under Resolution 2231 by withdrawing from Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," China's UN mission said. Also noting that Washington is in gross violation of UNSC resolution 2231, Ryabko also stressed that "no one is allowed to implement UNSC Security Council resolutions selectively and extremely fragmentarily". Ever since withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, Washington has sought to pressure Tehran with a growing list of widespread sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic. Tehran has responded to the sanctions and the failure of JCPOA signatories specifically Britain, France and Germany to protect the deal by gradually suspending its own commitments to the nuclear accord. Iran has, however, repeatedly announced its readiness to resume fulfilling its commitments if sanctions are removed. Washington has, however, pressed ahead with new bans even as Iran grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. 'US needs to revise haphazard policy towards Iran' In an opinion piece published by the US-based Bloomberg magazine on Thursday, US Senator Dianne Feinstein called on the US to revise its provocative policies towards Iran at a time when the US is preoccupied with upcoming elections and the COVID-19 pandemic. She also lambasted Washington's "haphazard" behavior towards Iran as lacking "any clear policy or overarching strategy" which could inadvertently lead to a war. "The administration is at times threatening and at times conciliatory, giving Iran little sense of what actions the president will take," she said. Feinstein highlighted that Washington has sought to defend the efficiency of its sanctions by saying that Iran's economy is on the verge of collapse and has denied sanctions relief amid the pandemic by claiming Iran is "flush with cash". Pointing to another Trump administration contradiction, Feinstein added that the US "appears to be reinserting itself into the Iran nuclear deal in an attempt to extend the arms embargo on Iran, despite withdrawing from the deal". The senator added that Washington's contradictory measures have led to the weakening of "America's most important alliances, an increase in Iranian nuclear activity, and the consolidation of Iranian anti-American sentiment". "So how does the US increase stability?" she added. Zionist lobby pushes for 'regime collapse' strategy Speaking during a Tuesday event held by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), JINSA chief executive Michael Makovsky called on Trump to "do more" to overthrow the Iranian government, the National Interest reported. Makovsky, who is a former official in the once US-led provisional government in Iraq, said he endorsed a "military component" against Iran, yet emphasized that he did not want to see a repeat of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. He said he would rather want Washington to indirectly exploit "forces already at play in Iran". "There's no question that a regime collapse strategy has risks," Makovsky said. "Iran today poses a much greater risk to American interests than Libyaso I'm willing to take the risk," he said. He added that such a risk was necessary to protect Israel from a potential war with Iran or its regional allies. According to the National Interest, JINSA has served as an "incubator" for Republican foreign policy officials. The hawkish former Vice President Dick Cheney, which lobbied for the US invasion of Iraq under the Bush administration, and recently-departed National Security Advisor John Bolton were both JINSA members before being appointed to senior positions. Bolton, the architect of the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" campaign towards Iran and an adamant supporter of "regime-change", was fired by President Trump last year due to alleged policy disagreements. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A Newark man died Friday afternoon when the motorcycle he was riding overturned on Interstate 280 in western Essex County, authorities said. Charles L. Henderson III, 33, was traveling west on the interstate about 2:41 p.m. when his motorcycle crashed near milepost 5.4 in Roseland, according to New Jersey State Trooper Sgt. Lawrence Peele. Preliminary information indicates (the) motorcycle was traveling westbound when it overturned and ejected the driver, Peele said. Henderson was pronounced dead at the scene, Peele said. The westbound lanes were closed for more than two hours. There were no other injuries and there were no other vehicles involved, Peele said. Peele said the cause of the crash remains under investigation. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. A holy Jewish Site in Hamadan Province in Iran has been set ablaze, according to the director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The tomb of Esther & Mordechai is believed by some to house the remains of biblical Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai. It is reportedly the most important pilgrimage site for Jews in Iran. 'Disturbing reports from Iran that the tomb of Esther & Mordechai, a holy Jewish site, was set afire overnight,' ADL director Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted on Friday. 'We hope that the the authorities bring the perpetrators of this antisemitic act to justice & commit to protecting the holy sites of all religious minorities in Iran.' Greenblatt did not cite the source of the report, but other organisations have since claimed to have confirmed the attack, which a twitter exchange suggests could have been premeditated. The Simon Weisenthal Center, a human rights organization, said that Iranian activists had confirmed the attack to have occurred on May 14, the 72nd anniversary of when the state of Israel was founded. It is unclear whether the attack was related to the anniversary. The Tomb of Esther and Mordechai is located in Hamadan, Iran is believed by some to house the remains of the biblical Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai. Reports say that it was set on fire on May 14 A tweet threatening to burn the holy site down was sent in response to another tweet from Israel's Foreign Affairs' Farsi twitter (pictured) Earlier on May 14, a twitter user by the name of Mohammad Mahdi Akhyar threatened to destroy the holy site, in response to a Tweet by Israel's Foreign Affairs' Farsi Twitter page. Roughly translated, Akhyar threatened if the twitter page continued to post, 'the fire brigade will be at the disposal of Hamedan, the tomb of your stories.' The initial tweet from Israel's Foreign Affairs' Farsi twitter account, that Akhyar was responding to, said that 'The regime of the Islamic Republic is deadly in the air, on land and at sea, even more so than Corona.' A number of top-U.S. jewish groups joined the ADL in strongly denouncing the reported arson attack, including the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Elan Carr, US Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, strongly condemned the alleged attack, saying: ''Iran's regime is the world's chief state sponsor of antisemitism.' 'We strongly condemn the attack on the Tomb of Esther & Mordechai in Hamedan Iran, which follows a threat last Feb. against the site,' he wrote on Twitter. 'Iran's regime is the world's chief state sponsor of Antisemitism. It must stop incitement and protect its Jewish community and other minorities.' ADL director Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted on Friday tweeted the news of Friday, but did not cite where he had received the infomration 'We hope that the the authorities bring the perpetrators of this antisemitic act to justice & commit to protecting the holy sites of all religious minorities in Iran,' Greenblatt tweeted Arthur Stark, Chairman, William Daroff, CEO, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Vice Chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations released a joint statement, joining the condemnations of the attack. 'This abhorrent and unconscionable act represents not only a blatantly antisemitic assault on Jews and Judaism, but an assault on all people of faith,' the statement read. 'It must be unequivocally condemned by the international community. The government of Iran must act to prevent further attacks and bring to justice those responsible. The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations released a joint statement condemning the attack, saying they were 'outraged' by the reports Human right organization, The Simon Weisenthal Center, said Iranian activists claimed to confirm the arson attack, saying that while such sites were traditionally protected in Iran, that had since changed. 'Historically, Muslims safeguarded Jewish holy sites from Persia to Morocco, including the Tomb of Esther and Mordechai,' the organization said in a statement. 'But all that has changed under the Ayatollahs and the terrorist movements they have spawned. In recent years there have been annual anti-Semitic protests at the Holy Site where Jews have come to pray peacefully for hundreds of years.' Adding to speculation over the incident, American journalist Michael Lipin tweeted that eyewitnesses had seen fire trucks heading towards the tomb. 'An eyewitness in Iran's Hamadan city told VOA News he saw several fire trucks going to the Tomb of Esther and Mordechai after an apparent arson attack on Jewish holy site Thursday night, but authorities didn't allow people to get close,' Lipin wrote on Twitter. The Jerusalem Post has reported that the The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said on Sunday that a suspect has earlier sought to enter the tomb. A US government funded news outlet, Radio Farda that reports on Iran wrote that the IRNA 'confirmed that there had been an attempt to break into the tomb of Esther and Mordechai, a holy Jewish site in Hamedan, but removed the report from its website two hours after its publication.' According to Radio Farda, the IRNA said that the suspect had attempted to enter the site through a building next door, but was not successful, and added that the site did not suffer any damages. Police are said to be searching for the suspect. Hamadan province, pictured, is located in the north-east of Iran, located in the Zagros Mountains The Alliance for Rights of All Minorities (ARAM) in Iran tweeted on Sunday, also saying they had heard reports of an attempted break in to the Tomb of Esther & Mordechai. 'According to covering reports, members of the Iranian Basij attempted to raid the historic [tomb of Esther and Mordechai] site yesterday in an act of revenge against the [Israeli-Palestinian] peace plan by US President Donald Trump,' the group wrote. It also claimed that Iranian authorities had threatened to destroy the holy site, and 'convert it into a consular office for Palestine.' The ARAM wrote that Esther and Mordechai 'were biblical Jewish heroes who saved their people from a massacre in a story known as Purim. Their burial site has been a significant Jewish landmark for Jews and history buffs around the world.' BAD AXE This past Tuesday, the Rotary Club of Bad Axe and its volunteers surprised four commendable Hatchets who graduated with scholarships. We wanted a way to make sure these graduates knew their hard work and accomplishments throughout high school were recognized, said rotary club President Cheryl Krueger. The rotary sought to honor these outstanding students under a whole new light, seeing as the traditional high school awards night will not be held this year. Therefore, they had to get creative. Armed with a giant check, certificates, and balloons, the caravan departed the high school en-route to their first Publishers Clearing House style surprise, Huron County Community Foundation Executive Director Mackenzie Price Sundblad said. On the tour were students Melanie Rogers, Ben Shuart, Amanda Nugent, and Laken Chapin. Each student was gifted with a $1,500 rotary club scholarship to continue their education. The seniors hopped into the caravan and traveled from house-to-house surprising other deserving recipients. Along the trip, two rotary members were recognized for commendable dedication Lynn Rapson was titled Bad Axe Rotary Hero for her commitment to club motto Service Above Self And Greg Newland was titled "Paul Harris Fellow, for contributing $1,000 to the clubs foundation. The event was success leading to a fun and memorable evening for both the rotarians and the recipients, Krueger said. The communitys support of rotary fundraisers made these scholarships possible, including the annual Wine Festival and 20/20 Raffle. For more information on how to get involved, contact Rotary Club of Bad Axe President Cheryl Krueger at 989-550-0357 or via email at clkrueger77@gmail.com. Orlando, US: Women wait in a queue to receive food aid provided by the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida at the Calvario City Church. (Paul Hennessy/Echoes Wire/Barcroft Media via Getty Images) As we spend more weeks separated from family and friends in isolation, the idea that we are all in this together is of some comfort. The virus has even been called the great equaliser meaning that it shows no respect for factors like power, authority, nationality or race. But as we now know, there is nothing equal about the toll being inflicted by the global health crisis. Research has shown a dramatic divergence in the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Black people are more than four times more likely to die from COVID-19 in the UK than white people, ONS data has shown. All over the world in China, Italy, the United States and Australia many more men than women are dying from COVID-19. But the pandemic isnt just a health crisis, it is an economic one too. Millions of people have been furloughed or made redundant and data shows the economic fallout of coronavirus is affecting women more severely than men. In previous recessions, such as the global financial crisis in 2008, men have faced a greater risk of unemployment than women. This is, in part, because the sectors that usually struggle during downturns, such as construction, are dominated by men. READ MORE: How to cope with losing income because of coronavirus This time around, things are different. The closures to prevent the spread of coronavirus have impacted different sectors and industries such as the retail and restaurant industries sectors predominantly staffed by women. Women are a third more likely to work in a sector that is now shut down than men, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has found. One in six female employees were in such sectors, compared with one in seven men. Women are also more likely than men to work in low-paid sectors such as care and leisure sectors hit hard by the current crisis. According to the IFS data, low earners are seven times as likely as high earners to have worked in a sector that is now shut. Women are more likely to be working in low paid work, which has historically been considered low skilled, for example care work and retail, says Kate Sang, a professor of gender and employment studies at Heriot-Watt University. It is simply not possible to work from home and they may find it harder to remain in paid employment. Story continues And with more women working in caring roles, they have found themselves at the frontline of the health catastrophe. Women make up the majority of workers in the health and social care sector around 70% in 104 countries analysed by the World Health Organization (WHO). They also face the added burden of unpaid care work as, globally, women perform 76.2% of total hours of unpaid care work, more than three-times as much as men. In Asia and the Pacific, that figure rises to 80%. As health systems become stretched, many people with COVID-19 will need to be cared for at home, adding to womens overall load, as well as putting them at greater risk of becoming infected. We know that women are more likely to be exposed to coronavirus through the course of their work, Sang says. Added to this, we see women still undertaking the majority of unpaid domestic labour including childcare, care for parents and disabled or ill family members. This care work is very hard to balance with paid employment and so it's likely we will see more women be forced out of the labour market, particularly at a time where we are facing recession. READ MORE: What does the furlough extension mean? To prevent coronavirus from spreading further, the closure of schools and nurseries was essential. But the mass shut down has left many working parents with little choice but to take time off or to try to work from home, while caring for their kids. The closure of schools hits women particularly hard because much of the responsibility for childcare still falls on them. We already know from some sectors that women are more likely to be doing the homeschooling, Sang says. We may see more women being able to return to work, but again, this depends on the nature of the work and what sort of hours we see in school or nursery openings. What if we see different days of the week for different age groups? This would be very difficult, or impossible, to balance with paid work, she adds. Since women still do most of the childcare we are unlikely to see equality in how this detriment is shared between men and women. We may see implications on careers. Crucially, Sang adds, the current crisis may well exacerbate disparities that already pose a problem for women in the workplace. We need employers and the government to be aware of these risks and to work with organisations such as trade unions to find ways forward that allow the economy to recover while working to overcome gender inequalities at work, she adds. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: General insurance companies saw over 10 per cent decline in premiums earned during the month of April. The contraction is for the second consecutive month, but it may be noted that Aprils decline was largely due to the COVID-19 lockdown. To mitigate hardships for policyholders, the government allowed delayed payments of renewal premiums until May 15 for health, motor vehicle and other policies. Moreover, due to the lockdown, insurers could add few new customers, perhaps barring health cover where there was some traction. During April, companies premium collection fell by 10.6 per cent to Rs 14,206 crore in April 2020 from Rs 15,891 crore in the same month a year ago. While private insurers saw a steeper decline of 16.18 per cent in monthly premium collections, public sector companies saw premiums decline by 5.68 per cent. In absolute numbers, private insurers earned Rs 6,722 crore premium in April, while State-run insurers premium collection stood at Rs 6,559 crore. Within private players, Bajaj Allianz saw the sharpest drop at 21 per cent, followed by HDFC Ergo at 16 per cent, ICICI Lombard at 9 per cent and Reliance General by 8 per cent. However, some players like Go Digit Insurance, Future Generali and Universal Sompo registered positive growth in April. On the other hand, public sector insurers saw a mixed performance. The largest State-owned general insurer, New India Assurance, bucked the trend by registering a positive growth of 7 per cent. But its peers National Insurance and Oriental Insurance saw premium collections decline, while United India Insurance recorded a flat growth. Meanwhile, the seven standalone health insurers reported 7 per cent growth in premium collections at Rs 888 crore from Rs 831 crore last year. In contrast, specialised public sector insurers saw premiums decline by 57 per cent to Rs 36.74 crore from Rs 85.27 crore. Lastly, in what could be a relief to insurers, non-Covid claims fell by a staggering 40 per cent including the motor segment, which saw a significant drop in claims as fewer vehicles plied on roads. Lockdown effect Rs 14,206 cr worth premium collected by public and private insurance companies in April 2020, against Rs 15,891 crore in the same month last year In Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, his first adventure, our fearless boy reporter and his waggish companion find themselves seeking refuge in a log cabin in a frozen waste. The cabin is haunted; something about its clock striking 13 and ghostly wailing fails to convince Tintin. The noise is coming from a gramophone under a false floor. Descending a ladder, he is ambushed. "Where am I?" he asks a mean-eyed, cigar-puffing Bolshevik. "You're in the underground hideout," the Bolshevik tells him, "where Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin have collected together the wealth stolen from the people... if by chance a peasant wandered into the haunted room which covers the entrance to our vaults, he'd be far too scared to pursue his investigations." Ninety years on, enter that wanderer: not a peasant but the experienced former Moscow correspondent of the Financial Times, Catherine Belton, who has not been scared to explore deep into the recent history of those still extant money vaults. In the process, as she recounts in her relentless and magnificently detailed Putin's People, she has uncovered an increasingly repressive, violent and greedy autarchy, sustained by black money and inscribing Vladimir Putin's name way ahead of those of his Communist predecessors. Many of the money vaults are, of course, abroad. By funnelling capital abroad year after year - hundreds of millions of dollars here, billions there - that is controlled by Russians who owe their fortunes to Putin and whose loyalty he entirely directs, Russia's president has created numberless reservoirs of untraceable money that as instruments of foreign policy are far more usable than nuclear weapons to destabilise his rivals. In all this, the ubiquity of the siloviki, the securocrats or "men of force" of the KGB, now FSB, is central. Once, under Soviet communism, it was a boring fact of life that the KGB and the Vory - organised crime - lived hand in glove. As the Soviet Union collapsed economically, Russia's mafia and rising oligarchs fought savagely for wealth, sometimes finding an accommodation in a painfully democratising Russia. In 2000 came Putin, the spy candidate who had started his KGB career managing operatives in Dresden (a salutary story in itself) and advanced through the mafia-ridden violence of St Petersburg in the 1990s. Anointed by Boris Yeltsin, and elected in May 2000, at his inauguration, Putin spoke of his "holy duty to unite the people of Russia". Within months the new president began reorganising strategic cash flows so that, by various Kremlin-enabled routes, they diverted into the hands of KGB comrades. In 2003, starting a pattern, he arrested and imprisoned Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia's richest businessman. By the time the president's "little green men", his deniable troops without insignia, invaded Crimea and eastern Ukraine a decade later, the siloviki had become a state within a state. They owned everything; which is to say Putin owned everything, in the sense of being able to deploy the entire economy in line with his wishes. Sergei Pugachev, a confidant and grey eminence of the early Putin years, who lives in exile in France, says now "there is only Putin and his lieutenants who carry out his orders. All cash generated is put on the balance of Putin. The country is in a state of war." We - the EU, UK and USA - are chief enemies of Putin's resurgent Russia. Belton makes this clear, exposing how we have colluded, largely for reasons of our own greed, in Putin's manipulation of all the theatres of geopolitics. There has been more than $800bn of estimated capital flight since the Soviet collapse, "more than the wealth held by the entire Russian population in the country itself". The West's so-called light-touch regulation has helped open the way for a web of secret black cash used as "a mechanism for authoritarian control at home, and for undermining institutions in the West". In the prescient Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, Tintin's last brush with the USSR's secret police is with a Bolshevik sent to blow up the capitals of Europe. Putin's game today, according to Belton, is not very different: to detonate the cities and nations of the West in slow motion. In Britain, London's bankers jostle round Russian wealth in search of fees; British lords are paid 500,000 a year to sit on the boards of Russian companies over whose activities they have little oversight; the pro-Brexit Conservative Party is delighted by extravagant Russian donations. Even the supposedly innocent extravagance of a wealthy tycoon named Abramovich buying Chelsea FC may have been ordered by Putin to build a beachhead for Russian influence in the UK. In continental Europe, Putin backs far-left and far-right parties without favour. In the US, his associates have helped elect a president who is every KGB man's dream. Where does this manipulation leave the president himself? For now he remains Russia's self-chosen tsar, a role he relishes, but with the same problem as a mafia boss: he cannot retire. That is why he has set in train changes to the Russian constitution to allow him to remain in power until at least 2036. Exactly where he - and we - will be then is hard to say. Video of the Day What we can say for certain is that his writ, thanks to black cash, already runs far too disruptively around the globe for the West's, or the world's, comfort. We would do well not to be humouring in any way a leader whose international conduct is now a combination of Robert Mugabe plus the Joker, with a nuclear arsenal. So Putin's People is a serious, absolutely timely warning. No book has documented the Russian president's leadership so indefatigably and compellingly. If you want to grasp in full how Russia has become the nation it has in the last 20 years, this is the book you've been waiting for. I just hope Belton has a cheerful, highly intelligent fox terrier looking out for her. The Telegraph YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. Armenia can expect from its strategic partner Russia that now its not the best time to talk about the increase of gas price, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a press conference today, asked when will be clarification on the price of gas supplied from Russia to Armenia and at what stage are the negotiations. The PM firstly reminded that Gazprom Armenia CJSC has submitted an application on the gas price to the Public Services Regulatory Commission. And the Commission will discuss the issue. Our political consultations on this topic continue. Unfortunately, I cannot say anything concrete right now. But we should record that under the conditions of collapse of energy markets, decline in oil prices, we could and can expect from Armenias strategic partner Russia that now its not the best time to talk about the gas price increase, especially taking into account the coronavirus crisis and its social problems, he said. The Armenian PM assured that they will continue working with their partners. Reporting by Anna Grigoryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan On this episode, John and Amy talk to Cameron and Brenda Glinke owners of Shove It Pizza Truck about how they are doing during all of this. Posted by MIBest on Friday, May 15, 2020 LANSING, MI -- We first met the Glinke family in the fall of 2016. We were on the search for Michigans Best Pizza, and their food truck -- formerly known as Pie Hole Pizza, now Shove It Pizza Truck -- was voted No. 1 in the Lansing area. We were shocked because it beat out longtime favorites like DeLucas and trendy hot spots such as The Cosmos. And they had only been open for a few months. We loved the pizza, especially their dessert pies, but we also became instant fans of Cameron and Brenda Glinke, the parents of two young boys, who had dreams of establishing a business built on family values, work ethic and loyal customers. Fast forward to the coronavirus pandemic. Life has has changed for them, like it has has for all of us. Along with co-owning a business with her husband, Brenda works full time for the state of Michigan, and is in charge of schooling their two sons, Parker, 6, and Riley, 9. Cameron spends all of his time on the food truck, making the partially baked pizzas early in the morning, and then delivers them to a 20-mile radius around Lansing all day. They keep on trucking. The popular Shove It Pizza Truck in Lansing is doing deliveries to local communities, as well as offering Pizza Chef Kid kits that are popular among the little ones. Owners are Brenda and Cameron Glinke. Their sons are Parker and Riley.Shove It Pizza Truck Everything is OK, said Brenda Glinke in a recent Michigans Best Podcast/Video. Like every family, its just crazy juggling all of it, but we count our blessings because we still have a business right now. Were making it work. Were figuring out how to reinvent our business and keep it going. Over the years Shove It Pizza Truck had been visible throughout the greater Lansing area, from the downtown Capitol to Mason, Okemos, St. Johns, and at festivals and farmers markets. Today theyre visible in other ways. Orders are placed online by 8 p.m. and delivered the next day. The menu is listed daily on at shoveitpizzatruck.com, as well as on Facebook facebook.com/shoveitpizza. We wanted to put up a fight, said Cameron, brainstorming with Brenda immediately when this all started. They were losing huge corporate events. They asked the question: How can we make this work? The new model has them up until 11 p.m.-midnight working on a spreadsheet of orders and mapping out a delivery schedule for the next day. (Brenda is masterful at logistics, Cameron said.) Then he gets up at 6 a.m. to make the partially baked pizzas, packages them and makes deliveries all day. Customers give them directions like leave pizzas on the doorstep or dont worry, the dogs will let us know when you arrive. They even have neighborhoods gather together for a Shove It Night, ordering at the same time to have a virtual pizza party with friends. The biggest success has been the Pizza Chef Kid Kits, which are a Saturday-only delivery because of the demand. They sold 85 the first time they did it. Each kit includes a dough ball, flour, sauce, cheese and pepperoni (if ordered). Kids will also receive an activity page full of fun Michigan facts from Grand Rapids-based Brix Soda and pizza stickers. Price is $8 per kit or $6 per kit if you order 3 or more. Each kit includes instructions. Kids are getting bored so we wanted to do something fun, said Brenda, who was inspired by Mitten Raised bakery in East Lansing, which is doing cookie and doughnut kits. It keeps the hands busy," she added. Its just cute watching all the little creations. Even though the money is tight, the couple is still able to go give back to the community thanks to loyal customers who are ordering sometimes twice a week, and large tips. They have been tipping above and beyond, which is cool because we have been able to drop off to 10-15 pizzas to families we know that didnt get choices, Brenda said. We have always tried to give back, and I didnt want this to turn into a situation where our story during this time, was yeah we made it, but we completely cut off any charity stuff we usually do. Thats because of our customers. Order at shoveitpizzatruck.com/order If you are trying to think of something fun for Mothers Day- you could order pizzas for Saturday delivery. Better yet,... Posted by Shove It Pizza Truck on Thursday, May 7, 2020 Listen to the Michigans Best Podcast The Powering Positivity campaign by MLive Media Group highlights how Michiganders are supporting one another during the coronavirus pandemic. It is sponsored by The MediLodge Group. MORE Beer of the Week: a tart refresher from Mitten Brewing Company How to make National Pizza Party Day a Pizzapalooza with Bells Brewery Come Together: See recipes, drinks and restaurants featured on the show Northern Michigan restaurant slush fund raises money for a special graduation ceremony Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Festival canceled, organizers focus on helping community Hundreds of thousands of tons of 'wonderful British produce' will be left to rot in the fields if 70,000 Britons do not step up to pick fruit and vegetables, Waitrose's head of food has said. Rupert Thomas, the supermarket's director of trading, issued the dire warning as the country prepares for the start of the British berry picking season next month. He said Britain would need to invoke the spirit of the Land Army, the name given to the 80,000 Britons who brought in the harvest during the Second World War. Waitrose's director of trading said 70,000 workers are desperately needed to pick fruit and vegetables As the coronavirus pandemic rages, farmers have been left without their usual source of migrant labourers, many from Eastern Europe, who usually make up 90 per cent of the workforce. Thomas said: 'We don't have enough pickers for harvest season and if we don't find people in time, hundreds of thousands of tons of wonderful, healthy British produce will go to waste and the livelihoods of countless British producers will be put at risk. 'Crops will, quite literally, rot in the fields without committed pickers. Truly, your country needs you.' A Waitrose spokesperson said: 'Visit pickforbritain.org.uk for nearby vacancies.' Triggering a staff shortage at private hospitals in West Bengal where the Covid-19 pandemic is spiking, nurses from other states are leaving for home, citing risk of getting infected. Of the 68 hospitals dedicated to treatment of Covid-19 patients in West Bengal, 52 are private institutions. Two doctors, including a senior state health department official, have died of the disease in the state so far, while more than 160 doctors, nurses and hospital staff have been infected. As many as 185 nurses from Manipur alone left for home during the weekend, HT found from official documents. Hundreds more from Tripura, Odisha and Kerala are also preparing to leave. HT accessed a document issued by the Manipur government on May 9, which include transit clearance for 185 nurses and 132 other Manipur citizens and travel permits for 31 buses and cars all of which are registered in West Bengal. The vehicles travelled through Assam and Nagaland. The documents were signed by Rehanuddin Choudhury, joint secretary (home), Manipur. Click here for the complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic Manipur chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh has said all Manipuris would be brought home. His government has arranged for trains and buses to carry patients, labourers and students. Right now only a small number of non-Covid patients are admitted at hospitals and non-emergency procedures have been kept on hold. The scenario will drastically change once the lockdown is over, the authorities said. WATCH| Bengal needs 105 shramik trains a day: Piyush Goyal slams Mamata govt Of the 600 nurses at our south Kolkata superspecialty hospital, more than 60 per cent, ie 360 nurses, are from other states. 70 of them from Manipur have already left. This is a serious situation, said Dr Alok Roy, chairman of Medica, a group that has eight other hospitals, five of which are in Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar and Assam. At AMRI Hospitals - a well-known chain engaged in treating Covid-19 patients at least 60 per cent of the 900 nurses at its three units in Kolkata hail from the North-East, Odisha, Kerala and Karnataka. Some from the North-East have already left while others have told the management that they will leave once the lockdown is over. Bengals first Covid-19 death took place at AMRIs Salt Lake unit. The health department functionary also died here. Many nurses from Manipur have left. We are counselling nurses from Tripura and Odisha, asking them not to leave. We have asked our human resource departments to go on an aggressive recruitment drive in Kerala and Karnataka, said Rupak Barua, CEO, AMRI Hospitals and chairman of the healthcare sub-committee of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), east zone. Since the pandemic has had very little effect in the North-East, nurses from the region probably feel it is safer to be at home, Barua added. Also Read: Kolkata: Buses and taxis likely to hit the roads; maintaining social distancing could be a challenge Till Thursday, Tripura recorded only 154 cases and no deaths while Manipur had only three cases and no deaths. In comparison, Bengal registered 2377 cases and 151 deaths. Some nurses claimed that hospitals in their states have offered to pay Rs 1000 a day in addition to reimbursement of daily expenses. This should be a great offer as they will be paid more while getting to live with their families, said an official at a private hospital in Kolkata. While a few nurses from Tripura resigned, most simply left without saying a word, he added. Shortage of nursing staff is a perennial problem in Bengal because there are not many training colleges. We hire people from the North-East, Odisha and Kerala. In recent years, Karnataka has been added to the list, as many training colleges have come up there, said Barua. On an average, no less than 60 per cent of the nurses employed at big private hospitals in Bengal come from other states.Since state government hospitals employ local residents only and absorb the bulk of the students graduating from nursing schools, private hospitals employ migrants in large numbers. Apollo hospital said it did not face this situation till Thursday. We have one thousand nurses and a sizeable chunk are from other states. However, only four nurses from Manipur have so far left, said a spokesperson. Apollos East Zone CEO, Rana Dasgupta added that the hospital was not facing any problem so far. The authorities at some private hospitals in Kolkata said that some nurses from Kerala - a large chunk of this migrant workforce- were also planning to leave, but Medica group chairman Alok Roy felt this may not happen, because nurses from Kerala had experienced more of the disease across the country, and were not likely to panic. There is no centralised data on the number of migrant nurses working at private hospitals and clinics in Kolkata and rest of Bengal. There must be thousands of them and the figures keep fluctuating, as deployment depends on demand and supply. The nurses are taken on a 2-3 year contract, said Dr Koushik Chaki, secretary, West Bengal Doctors Forum, a prominent body of physicians. Dr Chaki said that frontline warriors were not getting personal protection equipment (PPE) in adequate quantity either. On Monday, the forum wrote its second letter in four days to chief secretary Rajiva Sinha, highlighting this issue. On May 5, the 400-bed multi-specialty Peerless Hospital in south Kolkata shut down operations after a number of doctors, nurses, staff members and attendants contracted Covid-19 while treating patients. In April, Chernock Hospital in the eastern fringes of Kolkata had to be shut down for the same reason. Both hospitals employ migrant nurses. A gunshot wound victim found on a Southwest Side street reportedly refused to tell police what happened before she was taken to a hospital Friday afternoon. San Antonio Police Sgt. Oscar OConnor said the incident was reported at about 5:20 p.m. in the 6100 block of Birch Valley Drive. A witness told police that a suspect and the woman were inside a pickup that pulled into the driveway of a residence. OConnor said the woman was seriously injured with a gunshot wound to her back, on what appeared to be either her neck or shoulder. She was in surgery Friday evening, and police are waiting to hear if her wound is life-threatening. In the meantime, detectives are working to determine whether she was shot inside the pickup before it arrived at the, or if she was shot outside the vehicle. They also do not know if she got out on her own or if she was dragged out, police said. He said the woman was not cooperative with police who asked her questions about the incident, and other witnesses so far had not been helpful. Theres a lot of holes to the situation here, OConnor said. Jacob Beltran is a reporter covering San Antonio and Bexar County. To read more from Jacob, become a subscriber. jbeltran@express-news.net | Twitter: @JBfromSA The case against Attorney General William Barrs corruption of the law was deep enough even before his Justice Department moved to abruptly drop charges against Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser who had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his interactions with Russias ambassador to the U.S. during the presidential transition. A nonpartisan group of lawyers, legal scholars and retired judges could wait no longer. It fired off a letter to the House Judiciary Committee requesting a hearing on how the Trump administration has undermined our countrys core constitutional commitment to the impartial administration of justice. Joseph Grodin, a former state Supreme Court justice, said his group, known as Lawyers Allied to Uphold the Rule of Law, was worried that Barrs intervention in the Flynn case was the portent of perhaps even greater or more serious political meddling. The Flynn matter just brought to a head the public perception that whether a person is prosecuted or let off depends not necessarily upon the facts or the law, but upon his relationship with the president of the United States, Grodin said in a phone interview. And thats a very scary proposition. This august group was hardly the only one to express outrage at the Flynn intervention. More than 1,900 former Justice Department employees separately sent a letter Monday demanding that Barr resign after having once again assaulted the rule of law. Grodin and his fellow signatories merit special attention because of their stature, depth and diversity of legal experience and, most important, the gravity of their warning. These are neither alarmists nor partisans. The list includes former U.S. District Judge Lowell Jensen (previously an Alameda County district attorney and a deputy attorney general appointed by President Ronald Reagan) and former state Supreme Court Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar (appointed by Republican Gov. Pete Wilson). The letter did not mince words. We are deeply troubled by the disregard, and in some cases outright scorn, for crucial protections against partisan influence and the lack of accountability shown by Department of Justice leadership and high-ranking members of the administration, they wrote. The letter did not mention Donald J. Trump by name. It wasnt necessary. He not only set the tone, he was the perpetrator of most assaults on the rule of law specified in the letter. And, in each case, Barr was either an accomplice or passively silent in the undermining of evenhanded justice. It cited the intimidation of judges and jurors, the threat to intimidate whistle-blowers, a two-year investigation without evidence of any wrongdoing of a Justice official who dared to cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller and tweets about guilt or innocence during investigations, trials or sentencing. Never before have I so despaired for the rule of law in the United States, said Erwin Chemerinsky, a constitutional scholar and dean of Berkeley Law, adding, The core of the rule of law is that no one, not even the president, is above the law. Chemerinsky pointed to Barrs blatant distortion of the Mueller reports findings and the high-level intervention to overrule line prosecutors sentencing direction for longtime Trump confidant Roger Stone, convicted by a federal jury of witness tampering and lying to investigators. Trump tweeted that the judge and jury forewoman in the Stone trial were totally biased. Even against that pattern of the Justice Department kowtowing to the mercurial president, Chemerinsky called the decision to withdraw from the Flynn prosecution after conviction as a new low. The letter spelled out the danger in plain language. Peoples willingness to serve, to speak up and to follow the law depends on this faith that those entrusted to administer justice will act without partisan preference or prejudice or politics, the lawyers wrote. It noted the jurors who give up weeks or months of their lives to serve, witnesses and whistle-blowers who risk their livelihoods and sometimes lives to come forward, and the victims who seek justice through the system. In my history of practicing law, Ive never seen anything like it, said Joe Cotchett, a prominent Bay Area attorney. And when we lose that third branch of government, were going to lose this country. Its the only thing that separates us from other countries around the world. Cotchett was asked if there was a Barr action that he found particularly egregious. I think its his total inability to act independently, Cotchett replied. He cannot use his own good judgment, or what little judgment he seems to have. Instead, he follows the edicts and mandates of the White House like a puppy dog. Puppy dog would seem to be last on the list of characteristics Americans need in an attorney general. Our editorial board called for Barrs resignation in May 2019 after his white-glove handling of the Mueller report on Trumps behalf: withholding it from the public for weeks after providing a distorted summary that forged the talking points for Trump and his surrogates. The rule of law and respect for the institutions that uphold it has been under stress from the start of Trumps presidency. The damage is mounting. Is it repairable? I think its going to be long lasting, but I dont think its permanent, said Grodin, the former state Supreme Court justice. We have a way of reviving ourselves, but we have to act when we see the serious threats occurring now. Circle your calendars, American patriots: Nov. 3, 2020. John Diaz is The San Francisco Chronicles editorial page editor. Email: jdiaz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnDiazChron President said that Europe begins with allergy to taking or giving bribes, with properly parked car and cigarette butt thrown into trash President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky published an appeal on the occasion of Europe Day, in which he said that building a successful Europe cannot be considered complete without Ukraine. Presidents Telegram channel reports. So, the head of state hopes that this day will surely come and our state will be a full part of the European family. This year, our European friends celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, with which the European Union actually began its reckoning. Robert Schumans words are still relevant today: Europe will not be built immediately or according to a single plan. Building a united, prosperous and successful Europe continues. It is obvious to me that this process cannot be considered completed without Ukraine," Zelensky said. The President noted that the phrase "Ukraine is Europe" should not be just a formal slogan, which is recalled once a year. This should be part of our consciousness. "I have always said that Europe is first of all a way of thinking. Europe begins with each of us. With each citizen. With the observance of laws, payment of taxes, protection of democratic values and civil society, free expression of will, freedom of speech, thought and religion, equality and respect. From the "allergy" to taking or giving bribes, from a properly parked car and a cigarette butt thrown into the trash. Let's make sure that we have Europe Day every day," Zelensky said. As we reported before, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky noted that from May 22 another mitigation of the lockdown will take place, not its abolishing as he reminded during the address to the Ukrainians Gov. Phil Murphys easing of some coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday allowed New Jersey residents to return to an old-fashioned favorite in drive-in movies. But drive-in comedy? Thats a new one. Fortunately, residents will be able to take in a new version of standup comedy when ACJokes hosts a live show at 6 p.m. on Saturday in the John King Memorial parking lot on Tennessee Avenue in Atlantic City. ACJokes began working on plans for a drive-in show last month, speaking with city officials to make sure the show could be done safely and legally. They initially planned to begin shows after June 1, but Murphys announcement gave them the chance to push up the debut. The last thing we want to start it prematurely and cause a bigger problem," said Ray Vazquez, co-owner of ACJokes. "The idea is to make sure if events do start up, that everyone is safe at those events so they dont get shut down indefinitely. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage Guests will be able to watch the show from their cars, with audio streamed over their radios. Theyll also have the option to order food from Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall and have it delivered directly to their cars. Since food will be served, cars will be parked at least six feet apart. That will allow the lot to fit approximately 65 cars for the show. With a little bit of luck despite short supplies, ACJokes acquired an AM transmitter to broadcast the show to cars, and residents with a view from nearby windows will also be granted access to the stream. Unlike a typical comedy show, the performers wont be able to gauge the audiences reactions based on laughter, since people will be confined to cars. Vazquez and company came up with a few creative ways around that obstacle. Were going to start by offering people to honk if they find something funny, Vazquez said. I almost think thats kind of a roll of the dice, because we dont know if thats going to become an issue with neighbors ... You might run into one or two people that dont like honking, at which point we can switch over to headlight flashing or windshield wipers, any kind of recognition that the joke went over good enough. Comedian Gary G. Garcia, a regular at Ballys, Tropicana and Caesars in Atlantic City, will headline the show, and it will also feature Mike Merk, Vazquez, and Petey Rancel, and it will be hosted by Matt Bridgestone. Tickets are available for $10 per car, though first responders and healthcare workers are eligible for free admission. Vazquez said first responders should email ACJokes to arrange for tickets and verification. The Atlantic City club also has drive-in comedy shows scheduled for Friday, May 22, and Saturday, May 23. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. NEW ORLEANS, May 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Zuora, Inc. (NYSE: ZUO). Leading up to its April 2018 initial public offering ("IPO") and thereafter, the Company repeatedly marketed its two flagship software products, Billing and RevPro, as a functional, integrated, and seamless financial management solution for online subscription order-to-cash services, emphasizing to investors the cross-selling value of the two products. Despite its prior representations, on May 30, 2019, the Company disclosed dismal 1Q2020 financial results and lowered guidance, due to "execution headwinds," including challenges and delays with the integration of Billing and RevPro, and likewise, the Company's ability to effectively cross-sell between the two products. The Company has been sued in a securities class action lawsuit for failing to disclose material information, violating federal securities laws. Recently, the court in that case denied the Company's motion to dismiss, allowing the case to move forward. KSF's investigation is focusing on whether Zuora's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to Zuora's shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws. If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of Zuora shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-zuo/ to learn more. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors in seeking 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 The number of COVID-19 cases in Gujarat crossed the 10,000-mark on Saturday, with 1,057 new patients being found positive for coronavirus including 709 "super spreaders" in Ahmedabad city, a Health official said. The total cases now stands at 10,989 while the number of fatalities rose to 625 with 19 people succumbing to the viral infection, the official said. "Ten of the 19 deceased were suffering from comorbidities," said Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi. "Apart from 348 new cases reported on Saturday, the state health department has added a tally of 709 'super spreaders'," Ravi said explaining the total number of new cases. A total of 273 patients were discharged, taking the tally of thew recovered patients to 4,308, Ravi added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The stigmatization of persons who have recovered from COVID-19 and the insistence by some groups will not help win the war against the pandemic, Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, the Deputy Minister of Health has said. He said the government was taking the necessary measures to contain the spread of the disease and the citizens needed to complement those efforts by exhibiting the Ghanaian culture by welcoming and encouraging those who recover but not the opposite. It is disheartening and sad that some people are agitating against the use of some facilities as isolation centre. If their relatives contract the virus where do they expect the government to isolate them, he questioned. He urged the public to desist from engaging in such acts and also encourage them to observe the preventive measures to decrease their risk of contracting the virus. Mr Okoe-Boye, said this when he took delivery of medical supplies worth $400,000.00 donated by Chinese private and public companies operating in Ghana. The supplies, which were coordinated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, contain personal protection equipment and medical facilities including N95 face masks, medical protective suits, goggles, gloves, thermometers, and ventilators. Mr Okoe-Boye, thanked the donors and said it would augment government supply especially to the frontline workers as the nation continue to record cases in other regions. He said the PPE was particularly crucial because frontline health workers needed it most to stay safe while helping to save lives. He stated that the current infection rates which were three out of 1000 person were lower compared to some developed countries. Presenting the items, Mr Charles Wiredu, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, said the Ministry together with its missions abroad continue to mobilise resources to support the government fight against COIVID-19. He said all its efforts were to support the government's measures and interventions intended to achieve five strategic objectives. They are limiting and stopping the importation of the virus, detecting and containing the spread of the virus, enhance contact tracing and testing of the virus, The rest are caring for the sick, minimizing the impact on economic and social lives, and boosting domestic capability and deepen our self-reliance. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video New Delhi, May 16 : Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh Jitin Prasada has hit out at his party colleague and data analytics department chief Praveen Chakravarty after and old video of the latter where he is seen analysing the resource allocation between states for a media house, went viral. Prasada said contribution of UP can't be ignored in nation building. "The migrants that you see headed back home to UP are the ones fuelling the growth in the states you are talking about. You cannot ignore UP's contribution to nation building and India's growth story," said Prasada. Praveen Chakravarty, the head of data department of the Congress party, is heard saying in the video that south India bears the cost of northern states in terms of fund allocation. But he got sharp response from Prasada, a former union minister, who said, "People from UP are not a drain but an invaluable asset. #UP Zindabad." The Congress leader from UP said the people from UP have been worst hit by the pandemic and scores of people have lost their lives. "Its Unfortunate that you compare the funds in the same country where people from UP go and build the southern states," he said. Prasada said that it is pathetic and sad that 24 migrant workers died and 20 seriously injured in the collision between the mini-truck and a trolley in UP's Auraiya district, early on Saturday morning. In another such incident, five migrant workers died in an accident on Saturday in Madhya Pradesh when their truck overturned on the Sagar-Chhatarpur road. Eighteen co-passengers were injured in the incident. United Nations: The clash between China and the United States over COVID-19 has caused a rift between European nations at the UN Security Council over a call for ceasefires in some conflict zones during the pandemic For two months, France has been trying to corral Washington and Beijing into a compromise on the resolution, which would urge a halt to fighting in countries like Afghanistan and Yemen as they struggle to cope with COVID-19. France and Tunisia had teamed up to draft the resolution. But on Tuesday, Germany and Estonia threw their hats in the ring with a competing resolution one they did not coordinate with France, and which includes language that would placate the prickly administration of US President Donald Trump. The same day, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke by telephone with Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu, with the State Department saying they "discussed cooperative efforts" at the Security Council. "Everybody knows who is behind the new draft," quipped one diplomat under condition of anonymity. "Estonia and Germany are just trying to clean up the mess the US has created," said Richard Gowan, who follows the United Nations for the International Crisis Group, which studies conflict resolution. At the heart of the dispute is Trump's offensive against the World Health Organization, from which he has vowed to cut all US funding. Trump has accused the WHO of responding too slowly to the illness that has killed more than 300,000 people worldwide, and of blindly accepting China's initial assurances about the virus first discovered in its metropolis of Wuhan. Beijing denies wrongdoing and, as do others, accuses Trump of seeking to shift attention from his handling of COVID-19 in the United States, which has suffered by far the highest death toll. China has threatened for the past two months to veto any resolution that does not reference the WHO, while the United States has indicated it would do likewise if the text does mention the UN agency. Compromise Collapses The French-Tunisian draft tried to skirt around the rift by speaking of the role of "specialized health agencies." The United States and China both indicated last week that they were fine with the compromise but Washington reversed course a day later. That prompted the new initiative by Estonia, which holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council this month. The Estonian-German draft makes no mention of the WHO. "The Europeans are united on the substance but disagree on the method," another diplomat said. Several diplomats said that some countries were taken aback by the Estonian-German effort, and said it would be difficult to resolve the two texts. "The French are not happy," Gowan said, but he doubted that any Council member "really thinks a resolution will make a difference at this stage." "It is just necessary to end this pointless debate at last," he said. Violence in Afghanistan, Libya and Yemen has continued despite the virus, and despite calls first led by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for global peace. Even if France and Tunisia press ahead, their room for maneuver is limited. A diplomat doubted that either the United States or China wanted a resolution, believing it would only strengthen the hand of Guterres in the future. Several sources saw growing tension between France, the only EU member with a Security Council veto, and the non-permanent European members, as Paris chose to focus on negotiating with the other permanent members. The three EU members have divergent interests, Gowan noted. France seeks to show its clout as one of the Big Five, Germany hopes to highlight its leadership against the pandemic, and Estonia, a former Soviet republic with historic tensions with Moscow, is prioritizing its security relationship with Washington. After Estonia, France takes over the Security Council presidency and then Germany. The three powers called a news conference this week to celebrate the "European Spring" -- but it was abruptly canceled. A rally to demand the re-opening of Pennsylvania amid the COVID-19 lockdown broadly matched polling pointing to the increased partisanship of the virus policy debate, with Fridays event largely functioning as a conservative political rally. Several state legislators, including Cumberland County state Sens. Mike Regan and Doug Mastriano, both Republicans, spoke on the steps of the Capitol in Harrisburg to a crowd of roughly 1,000 people, for which apparel in support of President Donald Trump was by far the most common accessory. The rally took place as Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf announced that additional counties, including Cumberland, would move to the yellow phase of his re-opening plan starting next week. But Wolfs movement on easing the COVID-19 lockdown is unlikely to sate the crowd seen Friday, who frequently launched into chants of lock him up when Wolfs name was mentioned, and demanded that all social distancing requirements be lifted. Do you embrace Wolfs red-yellow-green thing? Mastriano asked rhetorically through a bullhorn, generating chants of the catchphrase. Only a small fraction of Fridays protesters wore masks. Fridays crowd was overwhelmingly conservative, and most who spoke to The Sentinel after the rally said they had not lost work due to the shutdowns and were not experiencing any direct economic stress. The few that had said they were successfully able to receive unemployment. Id rather not rely on it because Im able to go back, said Mark Smithson, who was furloughed from his job in the print mail room for a law firm in Pittsburgh. If we allow these measures to go on for that long, therell be nothing left to go back to. Polling shows a growing partisan split on COVID-19 policy. A Washington Post/Ipsos poll issued earlier this month found that 52% of Pennsylvania Republicans believed the country should open up business and get the economy going, even if it means more people contract COVID-19. Only 8% of Democrats agreed, and those who had lost work due to the pandemic were actually less likely to endorse the economic trade-off argument. Many of those interviewed Friday said they did not understand why healthy people were being asked to isolate; when asked if they understood that the virus can be spread even by those with little to no symptoms, most argued that this was a good thing, citing herd immunity. That concept was promoted by the speakers on Friday, including York County GOP state Rep. Mike Jones. We go back to work, we build herd immunity and we act like Americans, Jones yelled through the bullhorn. Herd immunity refers to the concept that if a certain majority of the population is immune to a disease, either through vaccination or because theyve had it, transmission rates will begin to decline and confer de-facto immunity to the remainder of the population. Its unclear how long people stay immune to COVID-19 after recovering from it, according to recent studies. But even if infection does incur long-lasting immunity, the math on herd immunity is grim. Given that the novel coronavirus is up to 10 times more contagious than the common flu, Johns Hopkins researchers estimate that 70% to 90% of the population would need to be infected and become immune for herd immunity to take hold. Easing up lockdowns rapidly would still mean that herd immunity would not be reached until 2021, at which point a half-million deaths would be seen in the United States alone based on current mortality rate estimates, according to Johns Hopkins making herd immunity significantly more lethal for Americans than World War II. Many rally attendees rejected the danger of this outcome, saying COVID-19 is no more dangerous than the regular flu, and alleging that researchers were padding their statistics that said otherwise. Several pointed to other countries outcomes as comparisons. I think the way Sweden handled it was way better, said Mary Vanicky of Monroe County, who gave no credit to Wolfs mitigation strategy and said she suspected case counts would be the same as they are now if no lockdown actions had been taken. The results of Swedens laissez-faire approach have been mixed, as many Swedes have voluntarily isolated even though mandatory business closures are not in effect. Testing is limited, but the number of deaths in Stockholm doubled last month, according to the New York Times. Others were simply unwilling to make any further sacrifice to reduce the death toll. Im not going to light myself on fire to keep you warm, said one woman, who declined to give her name. Many of the rallys speakers pointed at Wolf and state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, the latter of whom Mastriano has called to resign, as the culprits in the states number of nursing home deaths. Several speakers said the state should not have directed that COVID-19 patients discharged from hospitals be allowed to return to nursing homes, although the states guidance also requires proper isolation procedures for this to be done. Instead, Lebanon County GOP Rep. Russ Diamond said Wolf should have commandeered hotels and other facilities to house discharged nursing home residents. But the debate over the states response often took a back seat to wider cultural grievances. We are going back to socializing, not socialism, declared Danny DeVito, a GOP statehouse candidate from Allegheny County, back to our cultural values. The situation in the state was due to Wolfs culture of death against the unborn and his culture of death against the elderly, Mastriano said. Others implied that any adherence to social distancing was a sign of weakness, with Jones decrying the sacrifices of military veterans compared to grown men in their basement who are too afraid to get carry-out. Many members of the crowd shouted accusations of totalitarianism against Wolf, and some said that they believed he had ulterior motives. Keith Zook, of York County, said Wolfs Commonwealth Civilian Coronavirus Corps, a pitch to hire a large number of contact tracers to help notify those who may have contacted an infected person, was an attempt to create an organization equivalent to the Gestapo. Theyre going to come out and force you, for them to give [a vaccine] to you, Zook said. Several attendees carried signs aaccusing Microsoft founder Bill Gates of being involved in a conspiracy to foist unwanted vaccines on the populace. It seems to be a bigger agenda than keeping people safe and healthy, said a man who gave his name as Duncan Lemp, saying the pandemic lockdown was a pretext to bring in socialism and purposely destroy the economy to bring in something worse. (Duncan Lemp is the name of a far-right paramilitary activist who was killed in a police shooting in Maryland in March). Many of the shouts from the crowd during the speeches were directed specifically at Levines sexual identity, and were of a nature that cannot be printed in this newspaper; it is unclear if the legislators heard them. Taking the podium briefly before Mastriano, Regan said I dont know if Ive ever felt more American that right now. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 3 Angry 9 Brazilian startup develops technology for monitoring of patients with suspected COVID-19 Agencia FAPESP Developed by Biologix, a startup headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil, a sleep apnea home diagnostic and monitoring system based on the Internet of Things can be used for the remote monitoring of individuals with suspected COVID-19 or mild symptoms of the disease. The system can also be used to recommend transfer to a hospital if the patients clinical signs worsen. Two private hospitals in Sao Paulo, the epicenter of the pandemic in Brazil, will test the technology. The development of the innovation was supported by FAPESP via a project funded under the PIPE/PAPPE Grant program, a partnership between FINEP, the Brazilian governments innovation agency, and FAPESP via its Innovative Research in Small Business (PIPE) program. Several devices are already available to monitor patients with suspected COVID-19 or mild symptoms, but theyre based on the patients subjective responses. They dont monitor clinical signs as our system does, Tacito Mistrorigo de Almeida, CEO of Biologix, told Agencia FAPESP. The physical part of the system is a cordless portable sensor, which, when placed on the patients index finger, captures oxygen saturation and heart rate data. The data are collected in real time by a free smartphone app available for the Android and iOS platforms. The program automatically sends the data to the cloud and to a control panel operated by the medical team responsible for monitoring each patient. If the system shows a drop in oxygen saturation, the medical team contacts the patient or on-site carer. Low oxygen saturation is one of the main warning signs of a deteriorating condition in the case of both COVID-19 and sleep apnea, in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. The team advises immediate hospitalization if, in addition to the data showing a fall in oxygen saturation and heart rate, the patient or carer reports fever, a cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing, which are typical symptoms of infection by SARS-CoV-2. The system enables the monitoring staff to refer patients to a hospital at the right time, lowering the risk of contagion by interaction with others and, above all, protecting healthcare workers, Almeida said. The technology can also be used by hospitals, health management organizations and insurers to monitor not only patients with suspected COVID-19 or mild symptoms of the disease but also older people and other members of the groups most at risk of developing a severe form of the disease. In hospitals, the system can be used to monitor noncritical COVID-19 patients and leave intensive care unit beds free for critical patients, Almeida said. Adaptability Biologix is supported by Eretz.bio, a healthtech startup incubator operated by the Albert Einstein Jewish-Brazilian Charitable Society (SBIBAE) that also assists several firms with initiatives funded by PIPE-FAPESP to develop technologies for COVID-19 diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. Among these are Magnamed, which will supply 6,500 mechanical ventilators to the Ministry of Health of Brazil, and Hoobox, which, in partnership with Radsquare, has developed a system that detects fever remotely. This ecosystem of healthtech startups has been agile, evidencing a capacity to reconfigure rapidly in order to create solutions for the fight against COVID-19, including technologies that can be used in triage to identify patients who require more urgent treatment, said Jose Claudio Cyrineu Terra, head of innovation at SBIBAE. This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has provided details of the 28 persons who have so far succumbed to the COVID-9 disease in the country. The list which was provided in the latest COVID-19 update gave the underlying health conditions responsible for the death. Although the list did not mention the names of the victims, their ages and gender were provided in a tabular format. The data showed that the majority of the patients who succumbed in the battle against COVID-19 had Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, Asthma and Liver diseases. Three persons on the list, however, died without any underlying health conditions. The three are a 9-year old, 32-year-old and 20-year-old who are 2nd, 12th and 23rd on the list. Seventeen (17) of the victims, representing 61per cent of the number were males with the remaining 11 (39 per cent) being females. Twelve (12) persons on the list representing 43 per cent of the total fatalities were above 60 years, persons who were from ages 30 to 60 years were 12 in number, representing another 43 per cent. The remaining four victims which constituted 14 per cent of the mortality were below 30 years. Twenty (20) of the deaths were from the Greater Accra Region, five from Ashanti Region, two from Upper East Region and one from North East Region. Meanwhile, Ghana has recorded 108 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number to 5,638, and 1,460 recoveries. 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 Highlights The Motorola Edge+ is launching in India on May 19. Motorola offers a 108-megapixel camera and Snapdragon 865 on the Edge+. The star attraction of the Edge+ is its waterfall curved edge display. Motorola is done being an affordable smartphone maker and this year, it's taken up its game to the Samsungs and Apples of the world. The Razr folding phone was a stunner and with the Edge+ coming up, it is only going to be better for the premium smartphone buyer. The Edge+ is Motorola's conventional flagship phone but based on its specification sheet, nothing seems to be conventional about it. It's got all class-leading specifications and similar to the Razr, the Edge+ has a design that will leave many drooling over it. Motorola will announce the price on May 19 and we assume that the Edge+ will exchange fists with the likes of OnePlus 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S20 and Xiaomi's Mi 10 5G. Unless we get the review unit in our hands, we can't say much about the phone. However, there's a lot to look forward to and we go through all of them. Motorola Edge+: What to expect? -One of the biggest draws of the Edge+ is its design. Many phones have curved edge displays these days but the Edge+ takes it to the next level. The display on the Edge+ curves all the way to the side, giving a waterfall kind of look. We have seen this display previously on the Vivo Nex 3 but Motorola has managed to retain the buttons. Motorola has bumped the refresh rate to 90Hz. -The pronounced curves aren't just for show. Motorola says that the Edge+ lets the users use the curves as shortcuts to various functions on the phone. The software lets you customise the edge to your liking. If you wondered, cool animations while charging and notifications also follow. -The Edge+ joins the exclusive list of phones with a 108-megapixel camera. Motorola claims the Edge+ can take good photos in all lighting conditions, a claim that we need to put to test. That said, besides the 108-megapixel camera, the Edge+ also has an ultra-wide-angle camera and a telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom. Motorola Edge+ -Performance is taken care of by the 5G-equipped Snapdragon 865 that's paired to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. In 2020, this is more than enough, especially when the display is limited to 1080p. -To backup the firepower, Motorola has given it a 5000mAh battery. Not many flagship phones have 5000mAh batteries this year. Motorola is bundling 18W fast wired charging, 15W wireless charging and 5W reverse wireless charging. -Another draw for the Edge+ is the clean iteration of Android. The Edge+ runs on a clean and near-stock Android 10, with Motorola promising two more Android upgrades. Motorola has built-in some custom features to let users tweak the UI elements. The customisations are similar to what you see on OnePlus phones with Oxygen OS. Will the Motorola Edge+ edge out the other flagships? For that, you will have to wait until we have the phone in our hands for review. Based on the information that's already public, the Edge+ does not have feature advantages over a OnePlus 8 Pro and a Samsung S20+. Both the OnePlus and Samsung phones have 120Hz Quad HD+ AMOLED displays to offer, much higher than the 90Hz Full HD+ display on the Edge+ Motorola could play with the pricing and push it lower than both these phones. However, Xiaomi's Mi 10 5G is currently the full-fledged Android flagship sitting at Rs 49,999 and chances of Motorola looking to undercut it are looking slim. Hence, it all boils down to what Motorola announces on the launch date. By Trend The European Union (EU) always supports Georgia in the process of reforms, said Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Natia Turnava, Trend reports citing Georgian media. She made the remark at a meeting organized by the US-based StrategEast strategic center in a video conference format. "During the crisis caused by the pandemic, EU gave us very solid support, for which we are very grateful, Turnava said. The meeting focused on EU programs aimed at combating the coronavirus pandemic in the Eastern Partnership countries. During the videoconference, Natia Turnava briefed the meeting participants about the successful experience of the Georgian government in preventing the spread of coronavirus in the country. She also noted that the implementation of an effective anti-crisis policy allowed Georgia to begin a phased opening of the economy. In addition, the minister spoke about the updated strategy for attracting foreign direct investment, as well as about the sectors of the economy that the Georgian government will focus on in the post-crisis context. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Salad could be grown on Mars, say scientists after successfully sending seeds to space. Researchers sent a million seeds to the International Space Station in 2015, in a mission supported by British astronaut Tim Peake. When it came back to Earth after half a year, six lakh children across the UK took part in an experiment to grow the seeds. The experiment was organised by the Royal Horticulture Society. Scientists believe the findings take them a step closer to understanding whether edible crops can be grown during space missions. The results of the study were published in the scientific journal Life. The study said that although the space flight did not compromise the seed viability and the development of the seedlings, the germination vigour was reduced. According to a report in Independent, the study was led by Dr Jake Chandler of the Royal Holloway's department of biological sciences in London. Chandler said that transporting high-quality seeds to space will be crucial for growing plants to support human exploration of Mars and space. He added, "Our study found that a six month journey to space reduced the vigour of rocket seeds compared to those that stayed on Earth, indicating that spaceflight accelerated the ageing process." According to study authors, the seeds need to be protected from harmful effects of cosmic radiation and mechanical vibrations to maintain their quality. As per a report in Daily Mail, factors that could potentially affect seeds in space also include microgravity, a lack of oxygen, low humidity and extreme temperature fluctuations. Jason Hatton, head of biology and environmental monitoring at the European Space Agency (ESA), confirmed radiation was the most likely reason for the seeds growing less effectively. AFRICOM: 'No Pause' in Fighting Al-Shabaab Despite 5-Week Halt in Somalia Airstrikes Sputnik News 23:00 GMT 15.05.2020 US Africa Command (AFRICOM) asserts that even though seasonal change in Somalia has prevented the force from carrying out airstrikes against al-Shabaab targets, the US military force remains committed to its support of the country's government against the militants. Stars and Stripes on Thursday called attention to what is now AFRICOM's five-week break from airstrikes in Somalia - the longest hiatus in air-based attacks from the force in over a year. Despite a pause in reported airstrikes since the April 10 strike against an al-Shabaab terrorist in Jamaame, Somalia, the military force has not ceased additional operations in and around the region, AFRICOM spokesperson Col. Chris Karns insisted. "With the rainy season there can be shifts in al-Shabaab and broader activity," the AFRICOM spokesperson claimed. "There is always effort, not always opportunity to conduct airstrikes. There is certainly no pause." According to recent numbers from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Somalia, 24 people have been killed and an estimated 283,000 have been displaced following heavy rains in the country triggered by the warming Indian Ocean. AFRICOM managed to conduct a total of 40 airstrikes in Somalia within the first four months of 2020 - a significant increase after only 63 airstrikes were conducted in 2019. The frequency of airstrikes against militants in Somalia began to increase following al-Shabaab's January 5 attack on Kenyan and American troops at the Kenyan Defense Force Military Base in Manda Bay. During its five-week halt on airstrikes, the US released its first quarterly casualties report and confessed to killing two Somali civilians and injuring at least three more in a single airstrike. "While we follow very precise and rigorous standards, in instances where we fail to meet our expectations, we will admit the mistake," AFRICOM Commander US Army Gen. Stephen Townsend said in the report. "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." The authenticity of AFRICOM's reporting on civilian casualties in Somalia has previously been brought into question by human rights organization Amnesty International. More recently, AFRICOM has been providing COVID-19 novel coronavirus-related humanitarian assistance to countries in Africa grappling with the highly contagious disease. The U.S. Embassy in Mauritius and Seychelles and U.S. Africa Command donated 2900 KN95 masks and 200 face shields to the Seychelles Department of Health on April 28. The donation, which will assist medical professionals fight the epidemic, was made possible by Air Seychelles providing transportation of the PPE The command, in conjunction with the US Embassy in Mauritius and Seychelles, provided the Seychelles Department of Health with 2,900 KN95 masks and 200 face shields on April 28. Likewise, on April 20, the Mauritius Ministry of Health and Wellness received 2,000 N95 masks, 21,000 pairs of gloves and additional personal protective equipment. In addition to the flooding, COVID-19 pandemic and airstrikes, Somalians are also experiencing food insecurity brought about by waves of voracious desert locusts that have found the recent moist conditions extremely favorable. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The West Bengal government will bear all expenses for bringing back migrant workers from other states by train, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday. The states opposition parties, however, said increasing the number of trains is more important. Saluting the toil faced by our migrant brethren, I am pleased to announce the decision of GoWB to bear the entire cost of movement for our migrant workers by special trains from other states to West Bengal. No migrant will be charged, Banerjee tweeted. A letter sent on Saturday by chief secretary Rajiva Sinha to Railway Board chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav stated, I would like to confirm that the entire cost of movement by special trains to West Bengal, of migrants of the state stranded in various parts of the country, shall be borne by the government of West Bengal. Instructions may accordingly be issued to the concerned railway officials that no costs may be claimed from those boarding these Shramik Special trains, destined for West Bengal, at the station of origin. The decision came amid a controversy over West Bengals phased policy for repatriating migrant workers. The state has repeatedly said it wants to bring back migrant workers in stages to ensure proper screening and observance of lockdown norms, but the states opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Congress, have accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of being apathetic towards the migrants. On Thursday, Banerjee announced the state has arranged 105 trains over a month, but railway minister Piyush Goyal responded to the announcement by accusing West Bengal of not doing enough. Goyal contended the state needs 105 trains daily. On Saturday, BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha described Banerjees decision as flawed and meaningless. He said: The railways have already said they would bear 85% of the cost and the states have been asked to pay only 15%. Why is the state willing to pay for what the railway is already committed to paying? The state needs to increase the number of trains and the government wants to divert peoples attention from this utmost priority. CPI-M legislator Sujan Chakraborty also criticised Banerjee. Given the number of migrant workers from Bengal stranded in other states, Bengal would require about 3,000 trains to ferry them back. How would these people survive if the government allows only 105 trains over a period of a month? he asked. Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Choudhury said increasing the frequency of trains was of utmost importance. Those stranded in other states are getting restless and taking desperate measures to come home, said Chowdhury, the MP from Berhampore in West Bengal. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Whether to reopen schools in September has become a controversy, with the increasingly fatuous Dr. Fauci cautioning against it. My friend Hans Bader was on this early: [I]t is now clear that most schools do not need to remain closed to keep the healthcare system from being overwhelmed. Doing so will not save lives in the long run. So states should reopen their schools, starting with elementary schools. In calling for school closures, I wanted to keep children from contracting the coronavirus in school and then giving it to their grandparents, who could die from it, in an overwhelmed hospital. But experts have thus far failed to find a single case of a child giving the virus to an adult. Although such cases almost certainly do exist, they arent a significant fraction of COVID-19 cases. And children do not transmit the virus to other children at high rates. Links in the original. Happily, children seem to be barely affected by the Wuhan virus. We have already closed schools for the last three months of the current school year, to the disadvantage, mostly, of kids who are disadvantaged already and cant learn well from home. But not to the disadvantage of teachers and educational bureaucracies, as Hans points out: Yet, even as schools closed, states continued to spend money on the salaries of teachers and school officials and continued to receive federal tax dollars to operate their educational systems. It is debatable whether closure of schools from March through May made any sense, but that is water over the dam. I find it verging on the insane that some are talking about closing schools for the next school year. The Washington Examiner editorializes: Keeping schools closed in the fall is not a viable option. If the response to the coronavirus is to keep schools closed going into another academic year, then the response should be viewed as an unmitigated failure. *** Keeping schools closed means that children suffer physically, emotionally, socially, and academically. It places an extraordinary burden on parents who have to figure out a way to balance homeschooling with work. And it exacerbates the achievement gap, as wealthy two-parent families with the ability to work remotely and technological resources to participate in distance learning are at an even more significant advantage over single parents in jobs that do not allow them to do remote work. There is also no feasible plan to reopen the economy that does not first reopen schools. From any perspective, the idea of closing schools for another school year, or major portion thereof, is bonkers. But there is another level of craziness: what makes the alarmists think that 2020-21 is the only school year that needs to be shut down? At the present rate, it will be years before the Wuhan virus works its way through the American population. In all probability, it will still be present and active in September 2021, and it probably will still be a threat in September 2022, and perhaps for years thereafter. Kids still wont be getting sick, but when will the hypothetical possibility of children infecting their grandparents ever go away? And if we assume that the schools must be open by September 2021, why doesnt the exact same assumption apply to September 2020? If you live in an area where this subject is up for debate, you should come down hard on the side of re-opening the schools. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 20:47:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ANKARA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Turkish military killed two members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in a counter-terrorism operation in northern Iraq, Turkey's defense ministry said on Saturday. "Two PKK terrorists, who were detected in northern Iraq's Zap and Avachin region during the reconnaissance and surveillance activities, were neutralized by airstrikes," the ministry said on Twitter. "Our operations against the terrorist organization PKK continue resolutely," it added. Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in statements to imply terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured. Turkish security forces have long been conducting operations against the PKK in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq where the group has hideouts. The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the EU, launched a 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state which caused the lives of more than 40,000 people. Enditem Nearly a week after France began easing its Covid-19 lockdown, we're back online in the Sound Kitchen! This week, the answer to the quiz question looking back at Paris's ban on outdoor activity during confinement. There's On This Day, great music, and of course, the new quiz question. Just click on the Audio arrow above and enjoy! Hello everyone! Welcome back to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, once again published every Saturday. A hearty thank you! to all of you who so kindly continued to watch The Quarantine Kitchen videos on Facebook during confinement. Now you'll hear The Sound Kitchen as you have always known it, with the quiz, the winners and all the other ingredients you're accustomed to: your letters and essays, On This Day, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great musicso be sure and listen every week. And once again, thanks for continuing to be a part of The Sound Kitchen ! For the time being, Paris Live, our afternoon news broadcast, is still off-the-air. We will let you know as soon as we can safely bring it back to you. Thank you all for your patience, and for your support of the English service during this difficult time. Send me your music requests! I'll make programs of your favourite music when I can't be in the kitchen to cook something up new for you write to me at [email protected] To listen to our features from your PC, go to our website and click on the three horizontal bars on the top right, choose Listen to RFI / Podcasts, and you've got 'em ! You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone. To listen to our features from your mobile phone, the three horizontal bars are on the top left. Click and choose Features. Teachers, take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is [email protected] RFI Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni ([email protected]) and Chrystelle Nammour ([email protected]) from our Listener Relations department on all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me ([email protected]) when you write them so that I know what is going on, too. N.B. You do not need to send them your quiz answers! Email overload! And don't forget, there is a Facebook page just for you, the RFI English Clubs. It is a closed group, so when you apply to join, be sure you include the name of your RFI Club and your membership number. Everyone can look at it, but only members of the group can post on it. If you haven't yet asked to join the group, go to the Facebook link above and fill out the questionnaire!!!!! (if you do not answer the questions, I click decline). There's a new Facebook page for members of the general RFI Listeners Club. Just click on the link and fill out the questionnaire, and you can connect with your fellow Club members around the world. Be sure you include your RFI Listeners Club membership number (most of them begin with an A, followed by a number) in the questionnaire, or I will have to click Decline, which I don't like to do! To join the RFI Listeners Club, just write to me at [email protected] and tell me you want to join, and I'll send you a membership number. It's that easy. When you win a Sound Kitchen quiz as an RFI Listeners Club member, you receive a premium prize. This week's quiz: On 11 April, I asked you a question about Paris' lockdown. Earlier that week, Paris authorities added something new to the list of banned activities, and I asked you to tell me what that was. The answer is: Jogging, between the hours of 10 in the morning and 7 in the evening. To quote my colleague Mike Woods' RFI English web article: 'We've seen there are too many people in the streets', said Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, underlining that the idea was not to ban exercise, but to cut down on the number of people in public at times when residents are also shopping and working. The winners are: RFI Listeners Club members Ralf Urbanczyk from Eisleben, Germany; Radhakrishna Pillai N from Kerala State, India; Alan Holder from Britain's Isle of Wight, and Jayanta Chakrabarty from New Delhi, India. From Muzaffargarh, Pakistan, there's Saira Abid Khokhar, who is a member of the Sungat Radio Listeners Club. Congratulations winners! Here's the music you heard on this week's program: Quincy's Home Again by Quincy Jones, performed by the Harry Arnold Orchestra; The Flight of the Bumblebee by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; Prelude from Suite No 1 for cello, BWV 1007, by Johann Sebastian Bach, transcribed for lute and performed by Hopkinson Smith, and Being Alive from Company, by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth, sung by Raul Esparza. Do you have a musical request? Send it to [email protected] This week's question ... You'll have to listen to the show to participate. You have until 15 June to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 20 June podcast. When you enter, be sure you send your postal address in with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number. Send your answers to: [email protected] or Susan Owensby RFI The Sound Kitchen 80, rue Camille Desmoulins 92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux France or By text You can also send your quiz answers to The Sound Kitchen mobile phone. Dial your country's international access code, or + , then 33 6 31 12 96 82. Don't forget to include your mailing address in your text and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number. To find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize, click here To find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or to form your own official RFI Club, click here The Ekiti State Government took to its twitter handle to announce the discharge of 4 patients from the isolation centre and confirmed 4 new cases today. The Ekiti State disclosed that 4 samples were sent to the Nigeria Centre For Disease Control NCDC accredited lab for testing and the samples returned positive for corona Virus. Which brings the total number of active cases to 5, 15 discharged cases and 1 death recorded in the state. Ekiti State Government can confirm that four (4) of the samples sent to the @NCDCgov accredited laboratory for testing has returned positive results of the #COVID19 virus infection. The state government tweeted The Ekiti state contact tracing team has been able to trace over 177 persons with 38 persons currently under observation. The government further tweeted : Three of the new cases are a 38-year-old female who came in from Lagos State, a 25-year-old male who came in from Kastina State and another 32-year-old male who came in from Oyo State during the lockdown. They were all compulsorily quarantined upon arrival into Ekiti State. The fourth case acording to the state is an elderly person who is currently on admission in one of the states tertiary institutions and is said to be very ill. The other 3 confirmed cases have been been transferred to the state isolation centre in Ado-Ekiti, there asymptomatic and are stable. Three of the new cases are a 38-year-old female who came in from Lagos State, a 25-year-old male who came in from Kastina State and another 32-year-old male who came in from Oyo State during the lockdown. They were all compulsorily quarantined upon arrival into Ekiti State. Government of Ekiti State (@ekitistategov) May 15, 2020 Three of the newly confirmed cases are currently stable and asymptomatic and they have been transferred to the State Isolation Center, Ado-Ekiti while the elderly patient who is critically ill, is still on admission. Government of Ekiti State (@ekitistategov) May 15, 2020 Four previous cases have also been discharged. Government of Ekiti State (@ekitistategov) May 15, 2020 This brings the total confirmed cases in Ekiti State to nineteen (19), of which five (5) active, (13) discharged, and one (1) death. Government of Ekiti State (@ekitistategov) May 15, 2020 Chinas Wuhan has rolled out consumer subsidies to support local auto and home appliance companies as the city in which the coronavirus first emerged tries to revive its economy after months of heavy lockdowns. Wuhan authorities will offer 10,000 yuan ($1,415) subsidies to residents who buy locally made electric vehicles, according to a text message sent by city government to citizens on Saturday. A gasoline-fuelled car would attract a subsidy of up to 5,000 yuan. Customers who purchase Wuhan-made air-conditioners, water heaters or refrigerators will also receive subsidies. The subsidies are valid until the end of this year, the message, which was seen by Reuters, said. Reuters reported on Monday Wuhan was considering supporting local automaker Dongfeng Motor Corp. Wuhan produced 1.5 million vehicles last year and the city is also home to plants owned by Dongfeng Motor Groups joint ventures with Honda Motor and Peugeot SA, and General Motors tie-up with SAIC Motor. The city of 11 million underwent a 76-day lockdown and accounted for over 80% of Chinas more than 4,600 deaths from the virus, and suffered a 40.5% slump in first quarter gross domestic product from a year earlier. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Public health officials around the world have agreed that testing and contact tracing are vital to containing the coronavirus pandemic. But for many people, coming forward to get tested -- let alone revealing the personal information of friends, family and close associates -- is more terrifying than getting covid-19. In South Korea, where gay marriage is illegal and homophobia is common, officials are struggling to reach thousands of people who may have been exposed to the virus at gay nightclubs in Seoul. In Malaysia, undocumented immigrants and foreign workers say they fear detention or deportation. In India, real and suspected virus patients say they've become targets of on- and offline harassment. COVID-19 TESTING: Texas falls short of recommended COVID-19 testing Governments around the world have released unprecedented amounts of information about actual and potential covid-19 cases -- ages, neighborhoods, travel patterns -- all in the name of public health. But it's also emboldened a new kind of vigilantism and threatened personal privacy, and experts worry harassment and prejudice could undermine the goals of all the disclosure in the first place: containing community spread. "It's all become too scary," said Deepak Saxena, a professor at the Indian Institute of Public Health in Gujarat. Health authorities across India say patients have fled hospitals ahead of their test results, fearing the physical abuse and social ostracism that might accompany a positive result. "No one wants to be tested. People will do anything not to be on one of those lists that are circulating," Saxena said. Even prior to the outbreak connected to Seoul's nightlife scene, a positive coronavirus diagnosis carried deep stigma in South Korea. In a survey conducted by Seoul National University's School of Public Health, 62% of people reported they were more afraid of the social consequences of getting the virus than they were of the potential health risks. "The virus outbreak is bringing up many social issues that have been unresolved in South Korea for a long time," said Ki Moran, an epidemiologist at the National Cancer Center. "Homosexuality is one of them, and public disapproval is now testing the nation's ability to get those who fear that stigma to be tested." People have lots of reasons for wanting to remain anonymous. The Malaysian government has detained hundreds of undocumented immigrants and imposed stricter restrictions in areas that are home to mostly foreigners. The crackdown has also affected the 180,000 people recognized as refugees by the United Nations, though not by Malaysia, which isn't a party to international refugee agreements. COVID-19 OUTBREAKS : Texas releases nursing home coronavirus case totals The news of mass arrests in early May was "counter-productive and clearly a step backward in the ongoing public health response to the pandemic," the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia said in a May 3 statement. "As a consequence, one can expect these vulnerable people will be less willing to come forward for any tests or medical treatment, regardless of the argument or persuasion for them to do so." Others fear vicious personal attacks. Varun Vig found himself a target within hours of landing in New Delhi on March 22. After the New York-based graphic designer arrived at the empty suburban apartment he'd chosen for his mandatory home quarantine, neighborhood chat groups began reporting the surreptitious arrival of a coronavirus-positive "patient." That was the first thing the nosy Parkers got wrong -- Vig didn't have the virus -- but it wasn't the last. They said he'd escaped from virus-ridden Rome with his infected Italian girlfriend. He'd reportedly evicted his grandparents to take refuge in their home. Maintenance staff soon refused to clear his "contaminated" trash, and police came knocking. "I want to spend these 14 days in peace, not being harassed by cops, not being harassed by security guards and by other building residents," the 23-year-old pleaded in an Instagram video post. Still others have more pedestrian reasons for wanting to maintain their privacy. In the central Japan city of Gifu, at least 30 infections were eventually traced to one of the city's hostess clubs. While such clubs, where female employees flirt with and entertain the mostly male clientele, are entirely legal, discretion is part of their business model. Customers -- and employees -- may not be known by their real names. "World over, an unfortunate consequence of an event of this magnitude is that privacy is sacrificed in the name of public health," said Nikhil Narendran, a partner in the telecommunications, media and technology practice at the Indian firm Trilegal. "It's going to be very difficult to regain lost ground." At the meeting, Vietnamese Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung shared Vietnams experience in containing the pandemic as well as measures adopted by the Vietnamese Government to promptly deal with difficulties caused by the disease. The Vietnamese Government has approved a relief package worth VND62 trillion (US$2.6 billion) to help about 20 million people, mostly labourers who have been rendered jobless by the epidemic, and affected businesses, he said. Dung expressed his belief that with attention of high-ranking leaders and regional policy actions, ASEAN will soon overcome this difficult time, recover the labour market and build a cohesive and responsive community. He took the occasion to thank other ministers, delegation heads and the ASEAN Secretary General for backing Vietnams initiative on building the ASEAN declaration on human resources development for the changing world of work that will be submitted to the 36th ASEAN Summit slated for June 2020. Dung said he hopes that the declaration will create a significant cooperation foundation for ASEAN to improve competitiveness of regional labourers. The delegates spoke of policies, programmes and social support packages exclusively for labourers, especially those regarding their wage, job, safety and health. They issued the joint statement of ASEAN labour ministers on response to the impact of COVID-19 on labour and employment. Apart from a meeting between ASEAN member countries, there was an open meeting between them and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The ASEAN ministers expressed their hope for further cooperation with the ILO in labour and employment in the time ahead to deal with challenges caused by the pandemic and other relevant issues. IKLA/AINAZI BORDER CROSSING POINT, Estonia/Latvia (Reuters) - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia opened their common borders at the stroke of midnight, creating the first 'travel bubble' within the European Union in a bid to jump-start economies broken down by the coronavirus pandemic. A dozen Estonian border guards removed all signs directing vehicles to stop at the border and huddled together at the roadside for cake and coffee. 'We have the little celebration because the border is now open again,' officer Martin Maestule told Reuters on Friday just after midnight as the first cars sped through on the region's reopened main road. IKLA/AINAZI BORDER CROSSING POINT, Estonia/Latvia (Reuters) - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia opened their common borders at the stroke of midnight, creating the first "travel bubble" within the European Union in a bid to jump-start economies broken down by the coronavirus pandemic. A dozen Estonian border guards removed all signs directing vehicles to stop at the border and huddled together at the roadside for cake and coffee. "We have the little celebration because the border is now open again," officer Martin Maestule told Reuters on Friday just after midnight as the first cars sped through on the region's reopened main road. Citizens and residents of the three generally sparsely populated Baltic nations are now free to travel within the region, though anyone entering from outside must self-isolate for 14 days. "The Baltic Travel Bubble is an opportunity for businesses to reopen, and a glimmer of hope for the people that life is getting back to normal," Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said in a statement. The Baltics opened up as the EU executive seeks to coax the 27 member states to reopen internal borders and restart wider travel, albeit with safety measures such as requiring people to wear face masks on planes. New coronavirus infections in the three Baltic republics have slowed to a trickle with none reporting more than a dozen new cases on Thursday. Authorities have loosened lockdowns since late April. The region has recorded fewer than 150 deaths from the disease - far below larger euro zone countries such as Italy, Spain, France or Germany. "The Baltic states are close partners, have a similar epidemiological situation and their economies are well integrated, so the free movement of people as well as goods is very important for the region," said Arnoldas Pranckevicius, the European Commission representative in Lithuania. "Opening the borders is up to the member states, and the European Commission expects them to talk to each other, to coordinate their actions and to not discriminate against nationals of other EU members." Some 120 vehicles crossed the border between Latvia and Lithuania in first five hours of Friday, officials said. "We are driving to pick up our puppy - we will meet the new member of our family for a first time," Latvian Ervins Butkevics said as he crossed into Lithuania. "It's a date!" Lithuanian and Estonian foreign ministers drove to Riga on Friday to sign a three-way memorandum on running the travel zone together. No hands were shaken, the ministers sat almost 2 meters apart and signed three separate copies of the document, which foresees jointly opening the zone to countries where the virus has been dealt with. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - the three poorest members of the euro zone - expect their economies to shrink by 7-8% this year, in line with the rest of the currency union. Lithuania has warned of a "double digit" drop if economies are not reopened by the summer. Estonia has given an emergency loan of 100 million euros ($108 million) to Baltic Sea shipping firm Tallink, badly hit by the lockdowns, while Lithuania is setting up a state-run facility to support key companies if they do not survive the crisis. The Baltic countries were quick to close their borders and impose lockdowns. "There is no reason to fear that opening the border will cause the spread of the virus," Estonian Interior Minister Mart Helme said. Travel restrictions were eased between Finland and Estonia, as well as between Poland and Lithuania, this week but only for those on the move for business or education. But neither Poland nor Finland is rushing join the full "travel union" with their Baltic neighbours, despite an invitation to do so. Poland and Finland have also reported relatively low numbers of coronavirus infections and deaths. "We should look at not only the physically nearest countries, but also at distant countries with clearly low epidemiological situation - direct flights from them could be free of the quarantine", Estonian Foreign minister Urmas Reinsalu said. (Reporting by Janis Laizans at the borders, Andrius Sytas in Vilnius, Tarmo Virki in Tallinn, Gederts Gelzis in Riga with additional reporting by Marcin Goclowski in Warsaw; Writing by Andrius Sytas; Editing by Niklas Pollard, Mark Heinrich, Nick Macfie and Giles Elgood) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. As little merit as the prime minister believes comparisons between the UK and other countries have at the moment, its pretty difficult to ignore the similarities we share with another flailing nation: the United States. From comparably moronic responses to the pandemic, to similar stakes in systemic discrimination, we can, at times, appear near mirror images of each other, our respective nations hubris one step closer to destroying us all by the day. The more the ill-preparedness of the leaders we do have is made clear, though, the louder our voices seem to have become. So, with that in mind, Id rather not focus on the people whove made a bad situation hellish right now. What I want to talk about are the ways in which we can seize this moment for ourselves and keep vital conversations going. What inspired this spate of optimism, you may wonder. Im not sure I have any other way of describing it than being honest; Ive been reminded of the merits of hope. Watching Michelle Obamas Becoming on Netflix a couple of days ago, a documentary beautifully shot and directed by Nadia Hallgren, it was hard not to be. Back when Ms Obama graced the Southbank Centre for the first part of her Becoming book tour in December 2018, the great danger out there was Trump. Yet even after half a term of his chaotic leadership and in the UK at the time, Brexit and Theresa May the former first ladys audiences both here and abroad seemed galvanised once more after hearing her inspiring reminders that going backwards doesnt mean the progress wasnt real. As if, after years of being mired in doom, the very prospect of change had been green-lit by Michelle Obama herself. In the documentary, that inspiration-rousing spirit is just as strong, whatever your personal view of her politics (or her aversion to discussing them). If we can open up a little more to each other and share our stories, our real stories, thats what breaks down barriers. But in order to do that, you have to believe your story has value, she says, at one point in the film. I believe thats a fact more of us are waking up to now. Particularly those of us who are invariably on the vulnerable side of the equation, the ones used to being offered up as collateral damage at the first sign of trouble. The great danger out there may be bigger now, so big that it may fundamentally change how we socialise forever. At times like these, we need to talk to each other. When the disproportionate deaths of Bame people from Covid-19 became public knowledge in the UK, it was the voices of that community that rallied against the compulsion to shift the discussion back towards scientific racism, going to great efforts to share information publicly and among ourselves when it became clear the government wouldnt. In the US, when Ahmaud Arbery the 25-year-old black man who was shot and killed while jogging in Brunswick, Georgia, by a white man and his son became known to the masses, it was because of similar efforts from the people that his name and that crime were known worldwide, leading to arrests a shocking 74 days after he was shot. When Taser-happy police in the UK began to abuse their powers under lockdown, it was, as it always is, the voices of ordinary people, activists and experts alike who refused to let up. And when the needs of migrants, women facing domestic violence, homeless people, newly unemployed practitioners, teachers and others became more desperate by the day, it was the people who spoke up and made themselves heard, proving time and again that we are much stronger than weve been led to believe. In the absence of political leadership even with it weve always had ourselves. Its why, in one of the more difficult to parse scenes in Becoming, Ms Obama becomes so incensed by the lower turnout of black voters in the 2016 US election. Though the lower numbers are true, and her frustration is worth interrogating, one thing was clear: even to this awe-inspiring woman, peoples power, both in silence and action, was palpable. They say globalisation is dead; in social terms, its never seemed more alive. We are switched on with each other, all over the world, all of the time. The same cultural exchange between the UK and the US that initially made us feel, symbolically at least, like the arrival of the Obamas was our victory too, can continue in this pandemic. It doesnt have to stop solely because of the physical distance between us. Many of us are going through the same things; many more of us could teach each other important lessons. Whether its forging discussions between workers and trade unions; live panels dedicated to re-imagining entire industries; advising communities about their rights; or discussions between artists, such as the recent one between Becoming director, Nadia Hallgren and a dozen other creative women in the UK, our activists, community figures and neighbours are quietly chipping away at the moulds many of us have been forced to stick to. It may be naive to fixate on hope at a time like this. But though Ive not always bought into the idea, as the former first lady says in Becoming, that these countries are good, people are good, numerous examples of idiocy in both countries aside, it really does feel a little more believable now. DuPont Forest starts phased reopening DuPont State Recreational Forest and neighboring Holmes Educational State Forest has begun a phased reopening in Western North Carolina, although most popular waterfall viewing areas remain closed during the first phase. To encourage responsible use and to maintain required social distancing, phased reopening will begin by allowing public access only to areas of the forest that promote movement-focused activities. Some areas and facilities of the forest will not be available to the public during phase one of the reopening, but will become available in accordance with Gov. Roy Coopers phased plan for reopening the state. N.C. Forest Service staff are working hard, taking every precaution, to make sure our state forests are available for families and visitors to safely enjoy some of North Carolinas most beautiful views, said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. Now, we need the public to join our efforts. We must take care of public lands and each other by following social distancing guidelines and recommendations from our public health experts. Minimal services, facilities and assistance will be available for visitors. Responsible recreation is critical during this time. Visitors are asked to be good stewards and good neighbors.Visitors may find limited parking at busy times. Please only park in designated parking areas. What can visitors expect during a visit to DuPont State Recreational Forest during phase one of the reopening? DuPont State Recreational Forest is open daily, 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. Most of the trail system is open, and visitors should come prepared to access trails and to keep moving. Come prepared to share trails with all types of users. Trail courtesy is critical during this time to ensure safe access for everyone. Parking is limited to Fawn Lake Access Area, Guion Farm Access Area and Corn Mill Shoals Access Area. Expect crowding and limited parking. Portable toilets are available. Permanent restrooms are not available. Gathering areas of the forest remain closed to encourage movement and separation. These areas include the following: -- High Falls Access Area, Hooker Falls Access Area, and Lake Imaging Access Area -- Visitor Center and Office -- Triple Falls Trail and Staircase, Base of High Falls Trail and the area at the base of Bridal Veil (Waterfall viewing areas remain available. Remember social distancing. Remain patient. Wait your turn.) -- Three Lakes Trail -- All picnic areas -- Swimming areas and waterfronts -- Hooker Falls, Fawn Lake, Lake Dense and Lake Alford What can visitors expect during a visit to Holmes Educational State Forest during phase one of the reopening? Holmes Educational State Forest is open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Most of the trail system is open, and visitors should come prepared to access trails and to keep moving. Portable toilets are available. Permanent restrooms are not available. Gathering areas of the forest remain closed to encourage movement and separation. These areas include the office, forestry center, group campground, picnic shelter and picnic areas. Visitors are asked to adjust expectations, to be prepared, to stay local and to continue complying with CDC recommendations and guidelines. Additionally, please follow individual best practices and social distancing recommendations.Visitor behavior will be a key factor for providing continued public access and preventing additional closures during this period of phased reopening. For updated information about public access to North Carolina State Forests during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit ncforestservice.gov/COVID19.htm and follow us on Facebook. Washington: The US government is confident that China is spying on its system for the Corona virus study. The Trump administration says that China is cyber attacking its hospitals, research labs, pharma companies and companies related to health care, which the US does not want to leave any stone unturned. Many high-profile people have also been arrested in the US on suspicion of spying for China. The FBI made two arrests last week. Dr. Qing Wang was arrested from Ohio on 13 May. Wang is a former Cleveland Clinic employee. He was arrested for fraud related to a $ 3.6 million federal grant. Prosecutors allege that Wang accepted the grant from the National Institutes of Health and violated its terms. However, Wang did not disclose his affiliation with China's Huijing University. He was the dean of the College of Life Science and Technology. Wang participated in China's 1000 Talent Program. He was given a 3 million dollar grant from China and he hid it from the US government. Along with this, another scientist was also arrested recently. 63-year-old electrical engineering professor Simon Sou-Tong Ang. He is also a researcher at the Arkansas-Fayetteville University. Also Read: Pakistan increases defence budget from money given by IMF for corona crisis Corona will end with just one tablet, medicine will come by December- American doctor claims Two more cases of corruption to be filed against Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam was also charged Oxford Universitys Covid-19 vaccine shows promise New Delhi, May 16 : The Ministry of Power has written to all states/UTs extending Rs 90,000 crore financial package to assist the stressed DISCOMs. A communication in this regard was sent on May 14. "The package for power sector will significantly reduce the burden of Discoms for maintaining distribution of electricity as supplied by gencos/transcos during these difficult times," said Power Ninister R.K. Singh. The government had on May 13 decided to make an infusion of liquidity of Rs 90,000 crore through Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) as a part of the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan'. Under this intervention, REC and PFC would extend special long-term transition loans up to 10 years to DISCOMs. The letter sent to States/UTs mentions that REC and PFC shall immediately extend loans to DISCOMs which have headroom for further borrowing within the working capital limits prescribed under UDAY. Further, the DISCOMs that do not have headroom under UDAY working capital limits but have receivables from the state government in the form of electricity dues and subsidy not disbursed will also be eligible for these loans to the extent of receivables from the state government. Since these loans are long-term and are not against the working capital requirement of the DISCOMs, with repayment security from the state government, UDAY Working capital limits will not be applicable. In addition, the respective states may request for relaxation of the limit to the government of India for the DISCOMs that do not have receivables from states or headroom available under the working capital limits imposed under UDAY. The letter says the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown has adversely affected the power sector finances, creating a situation of acute liquidity crisis across the value chain in the power sector as a consequence. In this situation, the liquidity infusion in the power sector value chain will help to tide over the cash flow problem. This money will help discoms to repay most of the money that they owe to power generators (Gencos) and transmission companies( Transcos). It will help restart the virtuous cycle of cash flow in the power sector. The loans will be provided to the DISCOMs against guarantees by the state governments which will be used to clear liabilities of CPSE Gencos/Transco, IPP and RE generators. Total funding quantum will be about Rs 90,000 crore. The funding would be done in two tranches of Rs 45, 000 crore each, it adds. To further lift the discoms out of the financial stress, the Power Ministry as per another communication issued on May 15 has decided to defer the fixed charge on power not scheduled of Central Gencos for lockdown period and it will be repaid in interest-free three equal instalments in subsequent months. During the lockdown period, there has been a significant drop in demand because industrial and commercial units were closed. According to the Power Purchase Agreements, Discoms pay a fixed charge to Gencos for all the contracted quantity, even if power is not drawn. This has burdened the Discoms because they have to pay for the power that was not used during the lockdown period. They have also been suggested a rebate of 20-25 per cent on power supplied (fixed cost) including Inter State Transmission Charges (ISTS) payable to PGCIL for the lockdown period. The Discoms have been asked to pass on these cost savings to the end consumers which will lead to reduction in electricity cost to the consumers. Somewhere around January, 22 of this year, CNN published an article, Fashions Chinese New Year quandary: Can rats ever be luxury? it was titled. It was accompanied by a thumbnail of a Chinese fashion model with a white rat perched on her shoulder. I thought surely they must not be serious. The vectors of the bubonic plague itself, carriers of about 180 different zoonotic pathogens. Rats? Humanised? Surely, they cannot be serious. The article turned out to be an exposition into consumerism in the context of the fashion industrys commercialisation of a deep-seated Chinese tradition. But it got me thinkingbecause it had only been a day after this article that China recorded 655 cases and 18 deaths from COVID-19, with the virus spreading to 9 different countriesit got me thinking about humankinds relationships with animalsthese checkered relationships, some ecological, some cruel, others very unnecessary and dispensable. This is not a pointless thing to ponder over for research shows that about 61% of human pathogenic diseases are zoonoticmeaning they are diseases that spread from animals to humans. 70% of these zoonotic infections caused humans originate from wildlife. A complete disassociation of humans from animals is too absurd, and un-human even. Yet, our relations with animals need a serious check. Worldwide vegetarianism and veganism is, too, an absurd recommendation for a naturally omnivorous mammal such as humans; yet our palate for and agglomeration of certain animals need vigorous checks and balances. Zoonotic hubs Countries worldwide, throughout history, have made their individual contributions to the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases; Chinas contribution has been dense. Concerns about China being established as hubs for such diseases must be especially worrying due to certain secondary factors, such as population density and the nations status as the ages major industrial hub, with connecting and frequent links between it and various countries across the globe. But more about that in a bit. The nations track record of zoonotic outbreaksone that worries local and international observers alikehas ranged from containable and low consequence diseases, endemics, to pandemics. Mid 2007, the nation experienced an outbreak of a fatal disease, SFTS (severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome). The animal vector was suspected to be something quite elementaryticks. In 2002, the infamous SARS broke out in the Guangdong Province, it earned its name as the first fatal human coronavirus, the Middle East gave us another coronavirus MERS, only for China to re-emerge, during the latter part of 2019, with COVID-19. Back in 1996, another disease had broken out in GuangdongHPAI H5N1. The avian influenza H7N9, emerged in China in 2013the list is quite long. Retracing the steps of patients infected with the disease led to the wet markets of the country. As inferred earlier in the article, not all animal-to-human diseases are caused by wildlife. A large number of these diseases have been traced to domesticized animals. However, the fact that the possibility still exists in a large number of cases, that some domesticized animals may or may have served as intermediary vectors for these zoonotic diseases, still makes the discomfort caused by the wet marketsvery much ingrained in the Chinese culturemerited. Human co-existence with animals, throughout historya natural phenomenonhas taught us one thing: the inevitability of a defying of the species barrierof a jump of diseases from animals to humans. But human incessant invasion into wildlife territories shows us that such zoonotic diseases are more likely to occur at exponential rates. Globalisation shows us that these incidence of zoonotic disease outbreaks stand enormous chances of being rendered pandemics within short periods of time. Eradicating the primary cause This highly globalised world offer enormous benefitseconomic, socio-economic, knowledge and technology transfer, etc. It offers, also, this bane of giving communicable diseases feet, such that diseases which in centuries past, would, in their deadliest have been endemics, now have such pandemic potential that, now, a nations cultural, environmental, health practices etc. ought to be made the business of other countries across the globe. This global community our world has become requires that we join voices in the fight against trade in wildlife and endangered specieswe must be able to voice our concern about the unsanitary practices in the nations wet markets. These wet markets serve as hub for the transmission of diseases from animals to animals, and eventually animals to humans in such assured ways that it renders the persistent emergence of diseases from such markets not surprising at all. The concerning secondary factors China is the most populous nation in the world. This is fuel for the spread of zoonotic diseases, catapulting them to the status of endemics within a short span. In this information age, the quickly developing nation has established itself as the eras industrial hub, hence countries worldwide, have its citizenry and businesses trooping in and out of China every chance they getwhich is a great thing. However, when a nation of such great importance to this global world community has within it a number of centers which serve very high chances of the occurrence of deadly animal-to-human transmissions, globalisation, a powerful economic tool, turns on its head, and becomes a weapon of mass destruction. This insistence upon a much more robust preventive system against zoonotic spread is not solely a suggestion from without the borders of China. There have been series of internal pressures from within the country, insisting upon more effective systems to help prevent future spread of such animal-to-human diseases. It is about time the world added its unbending voice to these internal pressures, for it has been the habit of the world to revert back to the lackadaisical after playing defensive against a pandemic or epidemic, and narrowly escaping said disease. In 2003, after the curbing of SARS, China reverted back to business as usual by lifting the various bans placed on the trade in wildlife. COVID-19 has seen an all too familiar ban on wildlifeone would be right to foretell another backtrack, upon the curtailing of this novel coronavirus. The Middle East decided that camels had too grave a cultural importance to be divorced from, hence rendering MERS a periodic disease. The Science and Common Sense of Staying Alive The nature of such disease outbreaks, specifically coronaviruses outbreaks, has been that of little assuredness. Past coronaviruses, for one, have eluded researchers to no end; the present COVID-19 offers the same elusiveness. Each outbreak has left the world with the scenario of walking through a maze, and this is not without the consequence of mortalitiesthe many lives that are inevitably lost, no matter how well we mollify ourselves with the lowness of some of these diseases' fatality ratesthe bottom-line is that at the end of the day, lives are lost. While we labour about, chasing these viruses with the hopes of understanding them well enough to arrive at solutions for them, lives are inevitably lost. And this, the most able of governments, worldwide, are left with the feeling of helplessness. No preparation prior to such outbreaks is enough to actually be ahead of such virusesthe human race is always behind these viruses. It has been two decades after the outbreak of the first fatal human coronavirusSARS and no vaccine has been arrived at; it has been over a decade after that of MERS, and the same situation ensues. There have been very few certainties accorded us by COVID-19, SARS, and past avian influenzas, on top of the scant list is the immutability of Chinas wet markets as grounds for the festering and transferring of zoonotic diseases. The deadliness of the trade in wildlife and endangered species has not been only so to these animals, but humans too. Like many diseases, prevention seems to be one sure cure. The world owes itself more care in its dealing with animals. Our globalised situation is this: as you concern yourself with the question of what your government and fellow citizens are doing to ensure sustainable development, you must concern yourself too with what foreign governments and nationals are doing to ensure same. In retrospect, my inadvertent, Eh?! upon just reading that CNN title was merited after all. Late Friday evening, in a near party-line vote, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed the so-called Heroes Act by a vote of 208 to 199. The $3 trillion measure, presented by the Democrats as a boon to workers struggling with mass unemployment, is, in fact, a political maneuver. It is the opening salvo in a process of political theatrics between the two parties that will produce, in the end, a measure that further benefits the corporate elite while providing little to no relief for the mass of the population. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brought the bill to the floor knowing that it has no chance of being passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Trump. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made clear that his caucus in the Senate would oppose any major aid to bankrupt state and local governments, the centerpiece of the Democratic bill, and Trump declared it dead on arrival. Pelosi has stressed that she considers the bill a mere starting point for negotiations that are expected to drag on for weeks before any compromise is reached. At her weekly press conference on Thursday, she said, Were putting our offer on the table. Were open to negotiation. She chided the Republicans for departing from the bipartisan harmony that accompanied the passage in March of the CARES Act, the biggest corporate bailout in world history. That measure provided some $8 trillion in Treasury and Federal Reserve money to redeem the bad debts of the banks, corporations and Wall Street speculators. The Democrats voted unanimously for the bill in the Senate and ushered it through the House by voice vote. Among those voting for the bill were senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, leaders of the so-called progressive wing of the party. Trump has called for a cut in the payroll tax as part of any new stimulus bill, a measure designed to deprive Social Security and Medicare of much of their revenue stream. McConnell said he would insist on narrowly targeted legislation. He and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have declared that no bill will be approved unless it includes legal immunity for companies from lawsuits filed on behalf of workers sickened or killed from COVID-19 as a result of unsafe working conditions. The Democrats have said little about this demand for a legal green light for what amounts to corporate murder, but House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer signaled their willingness to negotiate such a provision as part of a compromise bill. Asked about the Republican demand earlier this week, he made a point of not ruling it out. He merely said that it is not a focus of ours, nor do we think it should be a priority. New Yorks Democratic governor, Andrew Cuomo, has already quietly slipped legal immunity for nursing homes into the states latest budget. These privately owned, for-profit institutions have been centers of COVID-19 outbreaks that have taken tens of thousands of lives, including the lives of nursing home workers. Prior to passage of the Heroes Act, a rule change was passed, again along party lines, that temporarily allows House members, for the duration of the pandemic, to vote by proxy or remotely for the first time in US history. The $3 trillion bill includes nearly $1 trillion in funding to state and local governments, whose tax revenues have been decimated due to the lockdown and mass layoffs. Democrats included no provisions within the package to raise taxes on corporations or the rich. The bill also includes another one-time stipend of $1,200 for all citizens. As with the previous round of checks, some 12 million undocumented workers are ineligible. The bill would also extend state unemployment benefits through next year and extend the $600-per-week federal bonus on top of state benefits through January instead of through July. The measure includes bailouts for corporate lobbyists, landlords and mortgage servicers. It does not extend Medicare to laid-off workers who lose their employer-sponsored health insurance. Instead, it provides billions in subsidies to private insurance companies via COBRA. In crafting the bill, the Democrats took pains to make clear that they fully support the back-to-work drive that is being carried out by the Trump administration under conditions of a still rampaging pandemic and a lack of safety and health protections for workers and their families. Speaking earlier this week on MSNBCs Morning Joe program, Pelosi said that number one in our bill is how do we open up the economy. Speaking of the bill at her weekly press conference on Thursday, Pelosi began by saying, First, open the economy. Test, test, test. The party leadership rejected calls by the Congressional Progressive Caucus to include a payroll guarantee to cover the lost wages of laid-off or furloughed workers during the pandemic. Pelosi brushed aside the demand. Speaking Friday on the House floor before the vote, she said, There is more we could have done, but we wanted to keep the cost low. Only one Republican, Peter King of New York, voted for the bill. Fourteen Democrats voted against. The Democratic no votes included only one so-called progressive, the cochair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Pramila Jayapal of Washington state. All of the left-talking members of the squadAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressleyvoted in favor. The other Democrats who voted against, including Virginia Representative Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA officer, did so because they considered the bill too expensive. Spanberger released a statement chiding my own party for going far beyond pandemic relief. WOOD RIVER A cluster of coronavirus cases has been recorded at Riverside Rehab and Health Care in Alton, according to information released by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Madison County Health Department. As of Saturday, 15 cases and two deaths had been reported at the 180-bed facility on Humbert Road operated by Greystone Healthcare Management LLC. In February the company acquired 13 skilled nursing and one supportive living facilities in Missouri and Illinois. Included in that was Rosewood Care Center, renamed Riverside Rehab & Healthcare, as well as Rosewood Care Center in Edwardsville, renamed Care Center at Center Grove, and Foxes Grove Supportive Living in Wood River, which retained its name. It is the third cluster reported in the county at a nursing home or long-term residential or rehab facility. Edwardsville Care Center has reported 92 cases and 18 deaths, up one case and one death from last week. Eden Village Care Center in Glen Carbon has reported 41 cases and 13 deaths, up 10 cases and five deaths from last week. The Madison County Health Department on Saturday announced two new deaths, for a total of 43 so far. It also noted five new COVID-19 cases, for a total of 484. The county figures include 90 people hospitalized and 224 recovered, meaning they have completed isolation. Statewide the IDPH reported 74 deaths and 2,088 new cases, bringing the total to 4,129 deaths and 92,457 cases. The IDPH also reported 23,047 test results during the past 24 hours for a total of 561,649. IDPH information by ZIP code Saturday showed additional cases in the Bethalto, Cottage Hills, Maryville, Troy, Granite City/Pontoon Beach, Collinsville, Madison, Venice and Highland areas. The most cases were reported at 62025 (Edwardsville) with 106, 62002 (Alton) with 76, 62040 (Granite City/Pontoon Beach) with 68, 62034 (Glen Carbon) with 55 and 62234 (Collinsville) with 46. Eighteen cases were reported in 62035 (Godfrey) and 62060 (Madison) with 17 in 62294 (Troy); 16 in 62095 (Wood River); 13 in 62010 (Bethalto) and 62052 (Jerseyville); 12 in 62056 (Litchfield); 11 in 62249 (Highland); 10 in 62090 (Venice); eight in 62069 (Mt. Olive) and 62062 (Maryville); seven in 62018 (Cottage Hills) and 62024 (East Alton); and six in 62012 (Brighton) and 62088 (Staunton). 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 online at www.dph.illinois.gov. More Information COVID-19 cases by county St. Clair - 783 (66 deaths) Madison - 484 (43 deaths) Clinton - 162 (14 deaths) Monroe - 86 (11 deaths) Macoupin - 41 (1 death) Montgomery - 37 (1 death) Jersey - 18 (1 death) Bond - 11 (1 death) Washington - 17 Greene - 4 Calhoun - 1 Washington - 17 Cases by zip code 62002 (Alton) - 76 62010 (Bethalto) -13 62035 (Godfrey) - 18 62012 (Brighton) - 6 62052 (Jerseyville) - 13 62095 (Wood River) - 16 62018 (Cottage Hills) -7 62024 (East Alton) - 7 62025 (Edwardsville) - 106 62034 (Glen Carbon) - 55 62062 (Maryville) -8 62294 (Troy) -17 62040 (Granite City/Pontoon Beach) -68 62234 (Collinsville) -46 62060 (Madison) -18 62090 (Venice) -10 62249 (Highland) -11 62088 (Staunton) - 6 62069 (Mt. Olive) - 8 62056 (Litchfield) - 12 Sources: Illinois Department of Public Health and Madison County Health Department. See More Collapse Additional cases were reported Saturday in Montgomery, St. Clair, Clinton and Monroe counties in the Metro East, with additional deaths noted in St. Clair and Clinton counties. Also on Saturdat, the Associated Press reported people who want Illinois to speed up the reopening of the state gathered at rallies featuring Republican politicians or candidates and small business owners. A few hundred people clustered on downtown Chicago streets outside the Thompson Center; protesters also gathered in Springfield outside the state Capitol. 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. The Canary Wharf skyline. Photo: Kirsty O'Connor/PA Images via Getty Images Canary Wharf has drawn up plans to bring back more than 12,000 financial workers as COVID-19 lockdown restrictions ease. The London complex, which houses HSBC (HSBC), Barclays (BCS) and Citigroup (C), expects to see between 10% and 20% of the 120,000 employees return in the next few weeks. Social distancing rules will be implemented by restricting lift capacity, removing soft furnishings to make more space and creating one-way routes around the towers. Staggered working will also be put in place, as bankers, accountants and lawyers return to their offices, following an extended period working from home. READ MORE: How to set yourself a routine when working from home Howard Dawber managing director of strategy at the 16.5 million sq. ft. office space, told the BBC the complex is designing "a new way of working" based on the assumption that government restrictions would be "kept in place for some time". The number of employees to return will depend on public transport availability and the re-opening of schools. Workers may also be reluctant to return to the office, with a survey from the Chartered Management Institute suggesting 60% of members want to split their working week between home and office after the pandemic. Despite the ongoing debate over the future of office working versus remote working, Dawber said big companies would still require large spaces to meet in person. "Maybe home working during lockdown will accelerate trends, but big companies will still need a central hub." READ MORE: What might social distancing look like in the workplace? "It's possible our next generation of interior design may be different, may involve more collaborative space like tech hubs," he added. Canary Wharf has remained open throughout the pandemic with an estimated 3,000 workers looking after back end operations. And some banks have reportedly kept trading floors open for those who cannot work from home. Prior to lockdown the estate received 40,000 daily visitors on top of the 120,000 workforce. Around a dozen protesters were camped out at the intersection outside the Fisher Ham and Meat Co. headquarters in Spring on Friday, demanding the meat processing facility be shut down amid the coronavirus pandemic. Dani Alexander, one of the organizers of the event, called factory farms and slaughterhouses breeding grounds for new strains of dangerous bacteria and viruses, likening the spread of coronavirus from animals-to-humans to diseases such as bird flu and swine flu. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Bayou Land Conservancy talks conservation plan People think that these small family-owned businesses are somehow more compassionate towards the animals but the terms such as humane and organic are meaningless labels that do little or nothing to improve the lives of animals and ultimately still involve violent death for an individual who did not want to die, Alexander said. Alexander said pandemics like coronavirus wouldnt stop until people transitioned to a plant-based food system and called the pandemic one of the many global devastation side effects of the meat industry. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, several early COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China were found to have had some link to an animal market. The CDC states that while the origin of the virus was an animal source, the virus is believed to be primarily spread person-to-person and there is currently no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with food or that animals significantly contribute to the virus spread. The protesters were also outside to protest the condition of workers who have to continue going into meat processing plants during the pandemic, but Alexander said she didnt know the conditions of the Fisher plant. Theres no glass walls to the slaughterhouse, otherwise the world would be vegan, she said. All of this happens behind closed doors. If we knew the conditions of what the workers were going through, how the food is processed, these industries would fail. Protestors walked at all four corners of the intersection of Carrot Street and Spring Cypress Road outside the Fisher building, 5023 Spring Cypress Road. TEXAS WATERWAYS: Yes, Texas rivers and lakes are open. Here are 8 worth a day trip. Mallory Barker, the co-organizer of the protest, said she wanted to speak for the animals and workers who she believes were being equally exploited by the meat industry. Were taking animals lives and were putting our own lives at risk doing so, Barker said. Barker said there was danger in any job, and that she was a nurse, but that people are seeing coronavirus spread in the meat industry. A report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found nearly 4,200 workers at 115 U.S. meatpacking plants had been infected with coronavirus, with 20 workers dying. Were not against the workers at all, we just want them to have better, safer jobs, Barker said. There were a few counter-protesters at the event, including a man dressed in a pig costume, and another man dressed in a bacon costume with a sign that on one side said I [heart] bacon and the other side said Jeffrey Epstein didnt kill himself. The protester in the bacon costume, Chuck Berend, said he wasnt affiliated with Fisher Ham and Meat Co., but just lived a half-mile down the road and had seen the protesters outside before. Berend said the idea came about a few months ago after he and his wife talked about how much they love bacon and decided to counter-protest. We just like bacon and we like these people, theyre very nice, Berend said about the Fisher Ham and Meat Co. owners. They sponsor swim teams, they sponsor FFA teams, theyre really nice people. Theyve been here for a long time and they do a great job. Berend said certain jobs were critical to keep going during the pandemic, and that included jobs in the meat industry. Though he wasnt sure of the Fisher companys pandemic measures, he said most plants must keep high standards of cleanliness anyway due to diseases like E. coli and salmonella. Dolly Vyas-Ahuja was another protester outside who said the reason she was protesting was because of the pandemics caused by eating animals. She is also a filmmaker, making a documentary called The Land of Ahmisa to try to persuade India to adopt a vegan lifestyle. We need to stop all slaughterhouses today if we want to save our children, our future generations and the planet, Vyas-Ahuja said. Its not about the taste anymore, its about people dying. Fisher Ham and Meat Co. did not immediately respond to a request for comment. paul.wedding@hcnonline.com US President Donald Trump says administration considering proposal to pay WHO about 10 percent of former funding. Spains government says will seek to extend its coronavirus state of emergency for the last time until late June as daily death toll reached a near eight-week low. The Italian government passed a new decree to allow travel across the country, as well as to and from other European countries starting on June 3.The daily death toll dipped to its lowest since March 9. Mexico and Brazil posted new daily records for coronavirus cases as Brazils Minister of Health Nelson Teich resigned after less than a month on the job. Globally, more than 4.5 million people have been infected and more than 308,000 have died from COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University. About 1.6 million people have recovered. Here are all the latest updates: Saturday, May 16 23:12 GMT Brazil registers 14,919 new coronavirus cases, 816 new deaths Brazil confirmed 14,919 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday, as well as 816 related deaths, Reuters news agency reported quoting the countrys health ministry. Brazil has now registered 233,142 confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, the fifth highest in the world, and 15,633 deaths. 21:05 GMT US FDA suspends Gates-backed at-home COVID-19 testing program An at-home coronavirus testing project in Seattle backed in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said it was working with US regulators to resume the program after being suspended by the Food and Drug Administration. The Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network (SCAN), which aims to monitor the spread of the novel coronavirus in the region, had said it was suspending its testing of patient samples collected at home after the Food and Drug Administration tightened guidelines to require emergency approval first. The FDA has not raised any concerns regarding the safety and accuracy of SCANs test, but we have been asked to pause testing until we receive that additional authorization, SCAN said. The Gates Foundation in March said it was providing technical assistance for SCAN, which had been approved by regulators in Washington state, one of the first US states to be hit hard by the outbreak. Bill Gates has also privately funded SCAN, according to the foundation. 20:20 GMT Italy PM says taking calculated risk in rolling back lockdown Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Italy was taking a calculated risk in rolling back lockdown measures from next week as the daily death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic fell to its lowest since March 9. Were facing a calculated risk, knowing that the epidemiological curve could rise again, Conte said in press conference to detail measures taken by the Rome to restart most economic activities and lift restrictions on peoples movements. With shops allowed to open from Monday, Conte said movement between European Union countries would be allowed from June 3, without a quarantine period for those entering Italy. Gyms, swimming pools, sports centres will reopen on May 25, while theatres and cinemas will be allowed to reopen from June 15. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said gyms, swimming pools, sports centres will reopen on May 25 [File: Reuters] 19:55 GMT Migrants quarantined after Canary Islands rescue A group of migrants rescued off the coast of Fuerteventura have been placed in mandatory quarantine as Spain moves to reduce the likelihood of imported virus cases, local officials said. Their boat was pulled to safety by the Spanish coastguard on Friday night and all 38 migrants were taken to a port on Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. They were rescued on the day that Spain began imposing a new mandatory 14-day quarantine requirement on any incoming travellers arriving by sea or air in a bid to avoid any imported coronavirus cases. The new measures will remain in force until May 24 when the state of emergency expires, although the government on Saturday signalled its intent to extend the restrictions until the end of June. 19:25 GMT Alarm in Germany as corona demos take off Thousands took to the streets in Germany in a growing wave of demonstrations that has alarmed even Chancellor Angela Merkel. Huge numbers of anti-lockdown protesters, conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxxers or extremists massed across Germany, with more than 5,000 gathering in Stuttgart, at least 1,500 in Frankfurt and around 1,000 in Munich. Corona is fake, claimed one poster held aloft in Stuttgart, Isolation, Masks, Tracking, Vaccine thats a no go, cried another. Police in Berlin made 200 arrests as scuffles broke out, while in Hamburg, conspiracy theorists clashed with anti-lockdown protesters. A recent poll commissioned by the Spiegel news magazine found that almost one in four Germans surveyed voiced understanding for the demonstrations. People stage demonstrations across several Gemran cities to protest against restrictions imposed against the novel coronavirus pandemic [Anadolu] 19:10 GMT Zimbabwe to maintain coronavirus lockdown Zimbabwes President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the lockdown imposed to control the spread of coronavirus would stay in place for the moment, but would be reviewed every two weeks. The restrictions have so far borne fruit as transmission has not been widespread and numbers remain lower than had been initial projections, he added. From more than 25,000 tests conducted, the country has so far detected 42 cases, four of which proved fatal. Mnangagwa said the World Health Organisation had classified coronavirus transmission in Zimbabwe as sporadic, with one or more cases imported or locally detected. This may suggest that despite the small numbers tested, our country might have a reduced COVID-19 trajectory, he said in a speech broadcast on public television. 18:53 GMT British police arrest 19 at London protest against social distancing London police arrested 19 people for deliberately breaking social distancing guidelines in protest against the rules, on the first weekend since Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a slight loosening of Englands lockdown. The Metropolitan Police said that a group in central Londons Hyde Park had been protesting about the governments response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and had failed to comply with repeated requests to disperse. It was disappointing that a relatively small group in Hyde Park came together to protest the regulations in clear breach of the guidance, putting themselves and others at risk of infection, Laurence Taylor, Deputy Assistant Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, said in a statement. Officers once again, took a measured approach and tried to engage the group to disperse. They clearly had no intention of doing so, and so it did result in 19 people being arrested, and a further ten being issued with a fixed penalty notice. Last Sunday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined plans to ease the lockdown [File: Tolga Akmen/AFP] 18:20 GMT New COVID-19 cases in New York coming from people leaving home Cuomo said the states new confirmed COVID-19 cases are predominantly coming from people who left their homes to go shop, exercise or socialise and not from essential workers. That person got infected and went to the hospital or that person got infected and went home and infected the other people at home, he said during his daily news conference on the coronavirus. State data showed that the number of new cases statewide has fluctuated between 2,100 and 2,500 per day. That was exactly wrong, he said. The infection rate among essential workers is lower than the general population and those new cases are coming predominantly from people who are not working and they are at home. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo advised people to exercise good judgment and social distancing when gathering in groups of up to 10 [File: Bloomberg] 18:00 GMT France says total coronavirus death toll rises to 27,625 French health authorities reported 96 new coronavirus deaths, bringing the total to 27,625, the fourth highest in the world. The ministry said the number of people in hospitals fell to 19,432 from 19,861 on Friday and the number of people in intensive care units dropped to 2,132 from 2,203 on Friday. 17:19 GMT Italys daily coronavirus death toll dips to lowest since March 9 The daily toll from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy fell to 153, its lowest since March 9, against 242 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new cases increased to 875 from 789 on Friday. The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on February 21 now stands at 31,763 the agency said, the third highest in the world after those of the United States and Britain. The number of confirmed cases in Italy is the fifth highest global tally behind those of the United States, Spain, Britain and Russia [Remo Casilli/Reuters] 16:54 GMT Singapore reports 465 new coronavirus cases, one additional death Singapore registered 465 new coronavirus infections, its health ministry said, taking the city-states total to 27,356 cases. The vast majority of the newly infected people are migrant workers living in dormitories, the health ministry said in a statement. Four are permanent residents. Singapore also reported one more death, bringing the virus-related death toll in the island nation to 22. 16:10 GMT Mexico reports fresh one-day coronavirus record of 2,437 new cases Mexicos health ministry confirmed 290 additional coronavirus deaths and 2,437 new infections in a fresh one-day record rise in cases since the start of the pandemic. The new infections brought confirmed coronavirus cases to 45,032 and 4,767 deaths in total, according to the official tally. Mexicos previous highest daily confirmed cases total was a day earlier on Thursday, when authorities reported 2,409 new infections. 16:00 GMT UKs confirmed COVID-19 death toll rises to 34,466 A total of 34,466 people who tested positive for the new coronavirus have died in the United Kingdom, a rise of 468 in a 24-hour period, the health ministry said. The figures are as of 5 p.m. (1600 GMT) on May 15. including deaths due to suspected cases, Britains toll is over 40,000. 15:45 GMT Kenyas president bans movement to Tanzania and Somalia over COVID-19 Kenyas President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered a cessation of movement between the country and neighbouring Tanzania and Somalia to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. He exempted cargo trucks but said drivers would have to be tested for the disease. Kenyas President Uhuru Kenyatta exempt cargo trucks from movement ban [File: John Muchucha/ AP] 15:40 GMT South African platinum miner Impala finds 19 coronavirus cases at mine South Africas Impala Platinum said it had detected 19 positive cases of the COVID-19 disease at its Marula operation in northern Limpopo province, and that it would close the plant until it had taken necessary health measures. Implats has identified 19 positive cases during the week, all of them asymptomatic. Of these cases, 14 were identified as the result of proactive testing of employees returning to work. None of these employees had started work at the mine, the firm said in a statement. South African says it will it will close its Marula operation in northern Limpopo province until necessary health measures are taken [File: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters] 15:35 GMT Germany mulls 57 bln euros emergency aid for virus-hit municipalities German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz is working on an aid package worth 57 billion euros ($61.65 billion) to help municipalities cope with a plunge in tax revenues caused by the coronavirus crisis, a finance ministry document showed. The package should help towns stabilise their public finances and include extra relief for some heavily indebted municipalities, according to the finance ministry document seen by Reuters. 15:28 GMT Chinas Wuhan conducted 113,609 COVID-19 tests on May 15 The city of Wuhan, the original epicentre of the new coronavirus outbreak in China, conducted 113,609 nucleic acid tests on May 15, the local health authority said. Wuhan has launched a city-wide testing campaign after confirming last weekend its first cluster of COVID-19 infections since its release from a virtual lockdown on April 8 to contain the spread of the pathogen. The number of tests administered on May 15 in the city of 11 million residents was more than 50 percent higher than the 72,791 tests conducted a day earlier, and was also the highest since the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission started publishing the data on February 21. 15:22 GMT Hungary to gradually lift COVID-19 lockdown in Budapest from Monday Hungarys government will gradually lift lockdown restrictions in Budapest from Monday, two weeks after it ended the lockdown in the rest of the country, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on his official Facebook page. It has become clear that we have managed to curb the epidemic in Budapest as well, Orban said in a video. Therefore, we can shift to the second phase of defence in Budapest as well, cautiously and thus we lift the lockdown. 15:10 GMT Mumbais hospitals close to collapse in war on virus Packed morgues, bodies in wards, patients forced to share beds and medical workers run ragged: Mumbais war against coronavirus has pushed the Indian citys hospitals to breaking point. The huge Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, better known as Sion, has become a byword for the stunning failure of Mumbai home to billionaires, Bollywood and slums to cope with the pandemic. With space at a premium, and relatives too afraid or unable to claim their dead because they are themselves in quarantine, disposal of coronavirus corpses is not easy, doctors say. But dealing with the sick is much harder. India has reported more than 118,000 confirmed cases [Hemanshi Kamani/Reuters] 15:00 GMT Saudi Arabias coronavirus cases top 50,000 The number of coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia topped 50,000 on Saturday, the health ministry said. A ministry official reported 2,840 new cases, taking the cumulative total to 51,980. That was up from an average of around 1,500 new cases a day over the past week. The death toll in the kingdom increased by 10 to 302, the official said on state TV. Saudi Arabia recorded its first COVID-19 infection on March 2, several weeks after the initial outbreak in Asia. The number of deaths in the kingdom due to the new coronavirus surpassed 300 according to the health ministry [Anadolu] 14:50 GMT Trump says considering restoration of some funding to WHO US President Donald Trump said his administration was considering numerous proposals about the World Health Organization, including one in which Washington would pay about 10 percent of its former level. In a posting on Twitter, Trump underscored that no final decision had been made and that US funding for the global health agency remained frozen. Trump suspended US contributions to the WHO on April 14, accusing it of promoting Chinas disinformation about the coronavirus outbreak and saying his administration would launch a review of the organization. WHO officials denied the claims and China has insisted it was transparent and open. - Hello, this is Arwa Ibrahim taking over the live blog from my colleague Virginia Pietromarchi. - 13:10 GMT Coronavirus in the most vulnerable communities Who is most at risk as the coronavirus hits worldwide? A new episode of Start Here explores what has been done to help the most vulnerable people to stay safe. 13:00 GMT Austria to reopen borders with eastern neighbours Austrias borders with the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary will fully reopen on June 15. The governments announcement followed a previously coordinated step to fully remove barriers on travel between Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein from June 15 onwards and ease restrictions on who is allowed to transit in the meantime. Restrictions remain in place for transit from Italy. 12:45 GMT Kenya locks border with Somalia, Tanzania Kenyas president has ordered the closure of the countrys borders with Somalia and Tanzania for the next 30 days. The measure announced by Uhuru Kenyatta does not cover cargo trucks. Kenya has reported so far 780 infections and 45 deaths. 12:10 GMT Football makes comeback in Germany After a two-month break due to the pandemic, professional football resumed in Germany with four games in the second division taking place behind closed doors. Goal celebrations were marked by fist bumps and elbow-to-elbow touching, as players had been warned to keep their emotions in check, and to desist from spitting, handshakes and hugging. All players and team staff who were not on the pitch wore masks. Substitutes took their positions in the stands, rather than beside the fields as customary. Life-size cardboard figures with the photos of football fans are positioned on the stands of a soccer stadium in Monchengladbach, Germany for a game played without spectators [Thilo Schmuelgen/Reuters] 11:37 GMT Spain daily death toll lowest in 2 months The number of daily deaths from coronavirus in Spain dropped to its lowest level in two months. The health ministry announced 102 more COVID-19 fatalities raising the overall toll to 27,563. The tally of confirmed infections reached 230,698 after the country counted 539 new infections. Despite the slowdown in the spread of the virus, Madrid, Barcelona and parts of Castille and Leon will not be joining the rest of the country in a more relaxed lockdown, officials said. 11:05 GMT Cases in Qatar top 30,000 Qatar reported 1,547 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, bringing its total to 30,972. Ministry of Public Health announces 1,547 confirmed new cases of COVID-19, and 242 people new recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recovered cases in the country to 3,788. The Ministry also announces one new death due to the virus. #QNA pic.twitter.com/siotxGiFa2 Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) May 16, 2020 The health ministry also announced the death of a 74-year-old patient who became the 15th person to die in the country due to the virus. 10:15 GMT Tanzania lowers 2020 growth projection Tanzanias government has lowered its 2020 economic outlook due to the impact of the coronavirus, with Finance Minister Philip Mpango forecasting growth of 4 percent compared to an earlier projection of 6.9 percent. The pandemic has particularly hit the countrys tourism industry, a major source of revenues and employment. Tanzania has not imposed a widespread lockdown, reporting so far 509 infections and 21 related deaths. 09:37 GMT Greeks return to beaches, but keep umbrellas apart As the summer season kicks in, Greeks flocked to the seaside with the opening of more than 500 beaches. However, sun-seekers must respect a series of rules issued by the government, including a four-metre distance between umbrella poles and an entry allowance of maximum 40 people per 1,000 square metres. The country is gradually lifting restricting measures hoping to strike a balance between granting health security and resurrecting its austerity-hit economy. A man wearing a face mask disinfects a sunbed during the official reopening of beaches to the public following the easing of measures against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Athens, Greece [Costas Baltas/Reuters] 08:55 GMT Countries report new total figures: Philippines: 12,305 cases ( 214), 817 deaths ( 11) Malaysia: 6,872 cases ( 17), 113 death ( 1) Indonesia: 1,7025 cases ( 529), 1,089 deaths ( 13) 08:22 GMT Fears over coronavirus spread in Yemen Across war-torn Yemen, the official figures for coronavirus infections and related deaths stand at 106 and 15, respectively. However, local health authorities told The Associated Press newsagency that the numbers are likely much higher as hundreds of people in the southern city of Aden have died with symptoms of what appears to be the coronavirus. A health worker takes the temperature of people riding a taxi van, amid concerns of the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at the main entrance of Sanaa, Yemen [Khaled Abdullah/Reuters] Despite five years of bloody war, a gravedigger in the port town told AP the constant flow of dead was unprecedented. Experts fear a severe outbreak would have devastating consequences in Yemen, a country with a gutted health system and limited testing capacity. 07:45 GMT Latest figures for Singapore, Russia Singapores number of infections increased by 465 to 27,356, according to the health ministry. Most newly infected people are migrant workers living in dormitories, while four are permanent residents. Meanwhile Russia, which has become one of the pandemics hotspots, reported more than 9,000 new infections, down from 10,598 the previous day. The countrys coronavirus taskforce said the overall number of cases stood at 272,043. It added that 119 people had died over the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll from the virus to 2,537 06:55 GMT Slovakia lifts last Roma settlement quarantine After more than a month in isolation, residents of the last of Slovakias five Roma settlements under quarantine were freed from restrictions. I would like to thank you for enduring this and for being patient and responsible. Stay careful, a member of the European Parliament Peter Pollak, who is himself a Roma, told residents of the Zehra settlement. The move came after all inhabitants were tested and the remaining 16 infected people and their families were moved to a temporary quarantine centre. With 1,480 cases and 27 deaths, Slovakia has recorded the lowest death toll per capita in Europe as the government moved quickly to impose tough restrictions in the early days of the outbreak in Europe. A member of the Slovak military tests a person for the new coronavirus COVID-19 outside a Roma settlement in the eastern Slovakian village of Janovce, Slovakia [Joe Klamar/AFP] 06:30 GMT Thailand, Cambodia report no new cases As business activity gradually returns in Thailand, the country reported zero new coronavirus infections and deaths. Today there are two zeros thank you all Thais who have given their cooperation, said Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration. From Sunday, shopping centres and department stores will reopen and a nighttime curfew will be shortened by one hour. Meanwhile in Cambodia, all 122 confirmed patients have now recovered after authorities said the last infected person had been discharged from hospital. The country, though, will not be easing restrictions as the health ministry urged continued vigilance. Hello, this is Virginia Pietromarchi taking over the live blog from my colleague Zaheena Rasheed. Im handing over the blog now to my colleague, Virginia Pietromarchi, in Doha, Qatar. Heres a summary of this mornings key developments: At least 23 migrant workers killed as Indias cases exceed that of Chinas. Italy will allow international travel starting on June 3 Top health official says coronavirus deaths in the US likely to exceed 100,000 by June 1 05:49 GMT Truck collision on Indian highway kills 23 migrant workers At least 23 migrant workers were killed in India when a truck they were travelling in crashed into a stationary truck on a highway in northern Uttar Pradesh state. Another 20 were injured in the accident, magistrate Abhishek Singh told The Associated Press news agency. The workers were on the way from Indias capital, New Delhi, to their villages in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal states, he added. In this still image taken from video, a police rescue team works to lift a truck at the site of an accident in Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh, India, on May 16, 2020 [ANI via Reuters] Tens of thousands of migrant labourers have been returning from big cities to their villages after losing jobs because of the countrywide lockdown. 05:36 GMT Vigilance urged as Australia eases lockdown The president of the Australian Medical Association urged people to remain vigilant as Australia began relaxing a two-month lockdown with restaurants, cafes and bars reopening in most parts of the country. If we do the wrong things, we risk undoing all the gains that weve made, Tony Bartone said. So, the message is, yes, appreciate all the efforts, appreciate the opportunity to release some of those measures, but lets not have a party, lets not go to town. New South Wales and Queensland states eased restrictions this weekend but Victoria, which is still struggling to curb the viruss spread, retained most of its lockdown measures. Australia has recorded just over 7,000 cases and 98 deaths. 05:18 GMT Italy to lift travel restrictions The Italian government is easing travel restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic, allowing people to move freely inside the region where they live as of Monday, and between regions starting June 3. The government decree also permits international travel to and from Italy from June 3. Social distancing rules are being implemented in the sectors of the economy that have reopened, including factories and some businesses. Schools remain closed and crowds are not permitted, though people will be allowed to attend Mass in churches with some restrictions starting from next week. 04:43 GMT India surpasses China in coronavirus cases Indias coronavirus cases surpassed Chinas with the health ministry reporting 85,940 infections and 2,752 deaths. In total, China has reported 82,933 cases and 4,633 deaths. A health official checks the body temperature of passengers as they arrive to board a special train to New Delhi in Chennai on May 15, 2020 [Arun Sankar/ AFP] The worst-hit Indian states are Maharashtra with 29,100 cases, Tamil Nadu 10,108, Gujarat 9,931 and New Delhi, 8,895. Prime Minister Narendra Modis government is due to announce this weekend a decision on whether to extend the countrys 54-day-old lockdown. 04:31 GMT South Korea hopeful of containing nightclub cluster South Korean officials confirmed 162 coronavirus cases linked to club-goers in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, but also expressed cautious hope that infections are beginning to wane. Authorities have so far tested 46,000 people after health workers detected a slew of infections linked to clubs and other nightspots in Seouls Itaewon entertainment district. Despite massive testing, there seems to be no trend of the rapid virus spread tied to the Itaewon outbreak, said Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health ministry official. If we pass this weekend well, we expect the Itaewon-linked spread to come under the control of quarantine authorities. South Koreas Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 19 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday. Nine were linked to Itaewon and the rest involved passengers arriving from abroad. 03:23 GMT Trump to restore partial funding to WHO, says Fox News US President Donald Trumps administration is set to restore partial funding to the World Health Organization, Fox News reports, citing a draft letter. The Trump administration will agree to pay up to what China pays in assessed contributions to the WHO, Fox News says, quoting from the letter. BREAKING: The Trump Admin is on the brink of resuming U.S. funding of the World Health Organization. pic.twitter.com/NCm2BZctRc Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) May 16, 2020 Trump suspended US contributions to the WHO on April 14, accusing it of promoting Chinas disinformation about the coronavirus outbreak. The agency denies the claim. The US was the WHOs biggest donor. If the US matches Chinas contribution, as the Fox report adds, its new funding level will be about one-tenth of its previous funding amount of about $400m per year. 02:49 GMT Virus spreading to Brazils Indigenous territories at frightening speed A Brazilian rights group says the coronavirus has hit 38 indigenous groups in the country and is spreading to Indigenous territories with frightening speed. A survey by the Brazilian Indigenous Peoples Association (APIB) finds 446 cases of the new coronavirus and 92 deaths among the affected groups, mainly in the Brazilian Amazon. The grim news came a day after the Indigenous community of Parque das Tribos, outside the northern city of Manaus, held a funeral for its chief, Messias Kokama, who died of COVID-19. 02:05 GMT US House passes $3 trillion coronavirus aid bill The United States House of Representatives narrowly passed a $3 trillion bill aimed at salving the heavy human and economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic. The bill, crafted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her fellow Democrats, passed mostly along party lines in a 208-199 vote. The enormous measure would cost more than the prior four coronavirus bills combined. It would deliver almost $1 trillion for state and local governments, another round of $1,200 direct payments to individuals and help for the unemployed, renters and homeowners, college debt holders and the struggling US Postal Service. But Republicans, who control the Senate, have promised it will be dead on arrival in their chamber. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi walks past the Statuary Hall at the US Capitol on May 15, 2020, in Washington, DC, the United States [Olivier Douliery/ AFP] 01:53 GMT US deaths projected to exceed 100,000 by June 1 Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says forecasting models indicate the number of coronavirus-related deaths in the US will increase in the coming weeks. The total death toll is projected to surpass 100,000 by June 1, he added in a tweet. CDC tracks 12 different forecasting models of possible #COVID19 deaths in the US. As of May 11, all forecast an increase in deaths in the coming weeks and a cumulative total exceeding 100,000 by June 1. See national & state forecasts: https://t.co/PI1AtLCCmt pic.twitter.com/iylBnom5U0 Dr. Robert R. Redfield (@CDCDirector) May 15, 2020 01:34 GMT Air Canada to lay off more than 20,000 people Canadas largest airline said it plans to lay off at least 20,000 employees because of the coronavirus pandemic. Air Canada said the pandemic has forced it to reduce scheduled flights by 95 percent, and it does not expect normal traffic to return any time soon. We therefore took the extremely difficult decision today to significantly downsize our operation to align with forecasts, which regrettably means reducing our workforce by 50 to 60 percent, the airline said in a statement. 01:09 GMT LATAM Airlines to cut 1,400 jobs LATAM Airlines said it would lay off 1,400 employees in Latin America, blaming a drastic slump in business on the coronavirus pandemic. The effects of COVID-19 are profound and make reducing the size of the LATAM group inevitable to protect its sustainability in the medium term, said Roberto Alvo, executive director of the Chilean-Brazilian carrier. The jobs will be cut from operations in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. 00:39 GMT Most difficult moment as Mexico reports record daily cases Mexicos health ministry reported 2,437 new coronavirus infections on Friday in a fresh one-day record rise in cases. The new infections brought confirmed coronavirus cases in the country to 45,032. The death toll rose by 290 to 4,767. Mexicos highest daily toll was on Tuesday, when health authorities reported 353 fatalities. We are at the moment of the fastest growth in new cases, said Assistant Health Secretary Hugo Lopez-Gatell. This is the most difficult moment. 00:28 GMT Brazil reports 15,305 new infections Brazils health ministry confirmed 15,305 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday in a record for a 24-hour period. It also reported 824 related deaths. Brazil has registered 218,223 confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic and 14,817 deaths. 00:04 GMT US House allows proxy voting The US House of Representatives approved a historic change to its rules allowing legislators to vote by proxy from remote locations temporarily. The change, proposed by Democrats and passed in a 217-189 vote, upends more than 200 years of precedent in Congress. Proxy voting has been allowed before within committees but not for votes in the full House or Senate. Under the new rules, House legislators will no longer be required to travel to Washington, DC to participate in floor votes. They will be allowed to vote by proxy assigning their vote to another legislator who will be at the Capitol to cast it for them. Eventually, a provision allows for direct remote voting, once the technology is approved. Just as importantly, the House committees the bread and butter of legislative work will be able to fully function remotely. The new rule will remain in place only for the duration of the coronavirus crisis. Hello and welcome to Al Jazeeras continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Im Zaheena Rasheed in Male, Maldives. You can find all the key developments from yesterday, March 15, here. FLINT, MI The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded contracts to operate two Job Corps centers in Michigan, with another two elsewhere in the country. Administered by the Departments Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Job Corps is a national residential training and employment program designed to address the multiple barriers to employment faced by at-risk youth. The Department awarded contracts for operations of the Flint Genesee Job Corps Center in Flint and the Detroit Job Corps Center in Detroit. In addition, the Department has awarded contracts to centers in Riverton, Wyoming, and Manchester, New Hampshire. Job Corps continues to prioritize the education and training of students and, with the switch to firm-fixed pricing contracts, an increase in oversight ensures centers are providing students with services that meet or exceed Job Corps expectations, said John P. Pallasch, assistant secretary for employment and training. The new firm-fixed price approach differs from the cost-reimbursement type contracts Job Corps has used to procure services. Firm-fixed price contracts streamline procurement process requirements and create administrative efficiencies. The approach will also strengthen financial oversight of the Job Corps program by increasing cost certainty. Job Corps provides comprehensive career development services to at-risk students, including academic, career technical, career success and independent living skills, career readiness training, and support services. The program is intended to prepare youth to obtain and hold gainful employment, pursue further education or training, or satisfy entrance requirements for U.S. military careers. Currently, there are 123 Job Corps residential and non-residential centers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. ETA administers federal government job training and worker dislocation programs, federal grants to states for public employment service programs, and unemployment insurance benefits. State and local workforce development systems primarily provide these services. The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights. The United States is investigating whether imports of stainless steel sheet and strip from Vietnam are circumventing existing U.S. antidumping and countervailing duties on these products from China. The Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) said in a statement on Friday that the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has self-initiated an inquiry into possible circumvention of duty orders on stainless steel sheet and strip from China. The possible circumvention involves stainless steel flat-rolled products from China that are completed in Vietnam and then exported to the United States. This is the seventh circumvention inquiry self-initiated by the DOC, based on its own monitoring of trade patterns a new trade enforcement tool created by the current administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Vietnamese authorities said the probe is based on available information which suggests stainless steel sheet and strip products from Vietnam may be within the scope of the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on Chinas similar products. Since 2016, the United States has imposed anti-dumping duties of 139 percent and 267 percent, respectively, on such products from China. The DOC initiated the inquiry on the ground that Vietnamese manufacturers have been importing stainless steel flat-rolled inputs from China and processed them in Vietnam before shipping finished products to the United States. The DOC alleged shipments of stainless sheet and strip from Vietnam to the United States increased in value by US$122 million, or 180.4 percent, comparing import data from the 40-month periods before and after the initiations of the investigations on Chinese stainless sheet and strip on March 2016. Statistics from the MoIT revealed the exports of Vietnamese stainless steel sheet and strip to the United States had shown a downward trend in volume sales for the past three years. The figure in 2017 was 32,000 metric tons before falling to 25,000 and 23,000 metric tons, respectively, in 2018 and 2019. The General Department of Vietnam Customs said in a recent report that Vietnam spent $567 million on 932,000 metric tons of Chinese steel and iron products in the first quarter of 2020, down 33.4 percent in value and 32.3 percent in volume. Similarly, the exports of Vietnams steel and iron products to the United States during the three-month period reached around 45,700 metric tons worth $44.03 million, down 68.5 percent and 62.4 percent, respectively. Last year, the Vietnamese government slapped anti-dumping duties on stainless flat steel imports from China ranging from 17.94 percent to 31.85 percent in an attempt to minimize losses faced by local manufacturers, mainly those on the verge of bankruptcy. The MoIT said on Friday that the DOC will issue questionnaires to solicit information from Vietnamese steel producers and exporters. The questions are expected to concern their shipments of stainless sheet and strip to the United States and the origin of any imported stainless steel flat-rolled inputs being processed into stainless sheet and strip. Therefore, the MoIT urged the concerned stakeholders to provide sufficient details, especially those related to their sources of raw materials and their management processes, as requested by U.S. authorities in a timely manner. Otherwise, the DOC may rely on available information which usually puts these Vietnamese steel producers and exporters at a disadvantage during the investigation, according to the ministry. The MoIT pledged to work closely with the DOC, the Vietnam Steel Association and relevant exporters to devise plans to support the businesses in an effort to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests. In this case, if the DOC preliminarily determines circumvention is occurring, the department will instruct the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to suspend liquidation and begin collecting cash deposits on imports of stainless sheet and strip completed in Vietnam using Chinese-origin stainless steel flat-rolled inputs and/or Chinese-origin stainless sheet and strip further processed in Vietnam. For products found to be circumventing the antidumping and countervailing duty orders, or subject to their scope, duties will be imposed on future imports and on any unliquidated entries from the date of initiation of the circumvention inquiry. The DOC said the strict enforcement of U.S. trade law is a primary focus of the Trump administration. Since the beginning of the current administration, the department has initiated 27 new circumvention inquiries. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The day he declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national emergency, President Donald Trump made a cryptic offhand remark. I have the right to do a lot of things that people don't even know about," he said at the White House. Trump wasn't just crowing. Dozens of statutory authorities become available to any president when national emergencies are declared. They are rarely used, but Trump last month stunned legal experts and others when he claimed mistakenly that he has total authority over governors in easing COVID-19 guidelines. That prompted 10 senators to look into how sweeping Trump believes his emergency powers are. They have asked to see this administration's Presidential Emergency Action Documents, or PEADs. The little-known, classified documents are essentially planning papers.. The documents don't give a president authority beyond what's in the Constitution. But they outline what powers a president believes that the Constitution gives him to deal with national emergencies. The senators think the documents would provide them a window into how this White House interprets presidential emergency powers. Somebody needs to look at these things, Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said in a telephone interview. This is a case where the president can declare an emergency and then say 'Because there's an emergency, I can do this, this and this.' King, seven Democrats and one Republican sent a letter late last month to acting national intelligence director Richard Grenell asking to be briefed on any existing PEADs. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., wrote a similar letter to Attorney General William Barr and White House counsel Pat Cipollone. The concern is that there could be actions taken that would violate individual rights under the Constitution," such as limiting due process, unreasonable search and seizure and holding individuals without cause, King said. I'm merely speculating. It may be that we get these documents and there's nothing untoward in their checks and balances and everything is above board and reasonable.'' Joshua Geltzer, visiting professor of law at Georgetown University, said there is a push to take a look at these documents because there is rising distrust for the Trump administration's legal interpretations in a way he hasn't seen in his lifetime. The most publicised example was Trump's decision last year to declare the security situation along the US-Mexico border a national emergency. That decision allowed him to take up to USD 3.6 billion from military construction projects to finance wall construction beyond the miles that lawmakers had been willing to fund. Trump's move skirted the authority of Congress, which by law has the power to spend money in the nation's wallet. I worry about other things he might call an emergency, Geltzer said. I think around the election itself in November that's where there seems to be a lot of potential for mischief with this president. The lawmakers made their request just days after Trump made his startling claim on April 13 that he had the authority to force states to reopen for business amid the pandemic. When somebody's the president of the United States, the authority is total, Trump said, causing a backlash from some governors and legal experts. Trump later tweeted that while some people say it's the governors, not the president's decision, "Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect. Trump later backtracked on his claim of total" authority and agreed that states have the upper hand in deciding when to end their lockdowns. But it was just the latest from a president who has been stretching existing statutory authorities to, if not beyond, their breaking point," said Stephen Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas. Questions about Trump's PEADs went unanswered by the Justice Department, National Security Counsel and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of a national security program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, said PEADs have not been subject to congressional oversight for decades. She estimates that there are 50 to 60 of these documents, which include draft proclamations, executive orders and proposed legislation that could be swiftly introduced to assert broad presidential authority in national emergencies. She said the Eisenhower administration had PEADs outlining how it might respond to a possible Soviet nuclear attack. According to the Brennan Center, PEADs issued up through the 1970s included detention of U.S. citizens suspected of being subversives, warrantless searches and seizures and the imposition of martial law. A Department of Justice memorandum from the Lyndon B Johnson administration discusses a presidential emergency action document that would impose censorship on sent abroad, Goitein wrote in an op-ed with lawyer Andrew Boyle published last month in The New York Times. "The memo notes that while no 'express statutory authority' exists for such a measure, 'it can be argued that these actions would be legal in the aftermath of a devastating nuclear attack based on the president's constitutional powers to preserve the national security.' Goitein said she especially worries about any orders having to do with military deployment, including martial law. You can imagine a situation where he (Trump) engineers a crisis that leads to domestic violence, which then becomes a pretext for martial law, said Goitein, who insists she's simply playing out worst-case scenarios. "What I worry about is the extreme interpretation under which he asserts the authority to declare martial law and take over all the functions of government, including running the elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 22:38:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BUDAPEST, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Hungarian government has decided to lift restrictions on movement in the capital, Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared on Saturday. "The number of new cases also decreased in Budapest, therefore the government is ending the restrictions on movement in the capital as well," Orban said on his Facebook page, following a meeting with experts and members of his government. Orban added that the regulations for the capital would follow the easing measures introduced in the countryside two weeks ago, meaning that from Monday, the open spaces of restaurants and hotels can open, along with playgrounds, baths and zoos, and the shops will be allowed to stay open as long as they want. "We brilliantly won the first battle against the epidemic thanks to the measures introduced early, and to the discipline of citizens in the countryside and in the capital," Orban stressed. In order to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, restrictions on movement were imposed in Hungary from March 28 and citizens have only been allowed to leave their homes and places of residence for the purpose of going to work or meeting other essential needs. According to official figures, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Hungary stood at 3,473 on Saturday, with 1,371 recoveries and 448 fatalities. Enditem China readies biggest counterattack against US Global Times By GT staff reporters Source:Global Times Published: 2020/5/15 20:07:49 China is ready to take a series of countermeasures against a US plan to block shipments of semiconductors to Chinese telecom firm Huawei, including putting US companies on an "unreliable entity list," launching investigations and imposing restrictions on US companies such as Apple, and halting purchase of Boeing airplanes, a source close to the Chinese government told the Global Times. The potential move, the second time within two days that China has released message of hitting back against the US, also the very first time government source noted to target specific US companies, is a result of Washington's recent malicious attacks on China, which ignited a tsunami of anger among Chinese officials and in the business circle. China is mulling punitive countermeasures against US individuals and entities over COVID-19 lawsuits due to the abuse of litigation by the US side, sources close to the matter told the Global Times previously. China's latest moves indicate a toe-to-toe strategy between the world's two largest economies, from political to economic ends, being in full play, experts said. The Trump administration on Friday moved to block shipments of semiconductors to Huawei from global chipmakers. The US Commerce Department said it was amending an export rule and the Entity List to "strategically target Huawei's acquisition of semiconductors that are the direct product of certain US software and technology," according to a statement on its website. "China will take forceful countermeasures to protect its own legitimate rights," if the US moves forward with the plan to change its rules and bar essential suppliers of chips, including Taiwan-based TSMC, from selling chips to Huawei, the source told the Global Times in an exclusive interview. The measures include adding related US companies to China's "unreliable entity list," imposing restrictions on or launching investigations into US companies like Qualcomm, Cisco and Apple according to Chinese laws like Cybersecurity Review Measures and Anti-monopoly Law, and suspending the purchases of Boeing airplanes, according to the source. The US companies mentioned, such as Apple, Qualcomm, Cisco and Boeing, are all highly dependent on the Chinese market. "China should implement these countermeasures to the extent that the US dare not ask for a mile after being given an inch," He Weiwen, a former senior trade official and an executive council member of the China Society for World Trade Organization Studies, told the Global Times. He advised China to carry out "thorough investigations into relevant US companies and "let them feel the pain." Punitive measures targeting large-sized US companies like Qualcomm, Cisco and Apple are the "nuke bomb," according to analysts. "China will launch rounds of endless investigations on those firms, just like swords hanging over their head. It will dampen investors' confidence and squeeze their income in the Chinese market," said an insider, who preferred to remain anonymous. In the first quarter of 2020, China's revenue made up 14.8 percent of Apple's total revenue. Analysts also noted that if chips made by those firms cannot be sold to the Chinese market, one of their most important sources of revenue, it would be extremely difficult for US tech companies to recoup investment. Some may be mired in a loss. The chip industry is one of the top US exporters and one of the few sectors that still generates a trade surplus, largely driven by sales growth in China, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, noting that a potential chip sales ban could cost US chip makers about $36 billion in revenue. "It will also inflict a chain reaction on various upstream and downstream players in US chip production," the insider said. As for Boeing, China could possibly scrap all the current Boeing orders if the US steps on China's bottom line, even if it means some Chinese firms have to pay for the liquidated damages, an aviation industry insider told the Global Times. If Boeing lost orders from China, the firm, which is already on the verge of bankruptcy, could only resort to US government for help in the end, the insider said, adding that China, the world's largest buyer for planes, could order more than 100 planes from the US firm that could worth 30 billion yuan every year. While the pain, according to experts close to the government, is expected to be felt not only by big names mentioned above such as Qualcomm, Cisco and Apple, but also by smaller US firms that are more vulnerable to uncertainties. Most US companies included in the list may be small-sized US firms that are highly dependent on Chinese companies, such as US trading agencies, Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing who is close to Chinese government, told the Global Times. "They are vulnerable to restrictive measures. Once Chinese authorities impose sanctions on them, the cost is ill-afforded. Most small firms will be pushed to the brink of collapsing," Gao said. He noted that such countermeasures could serve as a "first-level" warning to the US side. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) announced in May 2019 that China would release its own list targeting foreign entities that seriously undermine the legitimate interests of Chinese companies. The unreliable entity list will include foreign organizations, individuals and companies that block or shut supply chains, or take discriminatory measures for non-commercial reasons, whose actions endanger the business of Chinese companies as well as global consumers and companies, according to MOFCOM, noting that once a company is listed, it will face necessary legal and administrative measures and the Chinese public will also be warned against it to reduce risks. Insiders said that the administrative procedures for carrying out those countermeasures are as such: Chinese firms issuing litigation to relevant authorities on US companies' unfair market behaviors. Then regulators accept, investigate and obtain evidence. After referencing to laws and regulations, they will decide accordingly whether to revoke US firms' licenses in China or impose other penalties. The new restrictions on Huawei are a firm reminder that Taiwan cannot trust the US as a reliable business or economic partner, Tom Fowdy, a British political and international relations analyst, told the Global Times, noting that the White House pushed TSMC to invest in America, and then within hours of getting that is slapping restrictions on their business with Huawei. "That is extraordinarily dishonest business," he said. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, or TSMC - the world's third largest chip maker - announced on Friday that it plans to build a $12 billion semiconductor factory in Arizona, with construction to start next year, CNN reported. And the latest US export controls would require foreign firms like TSMC that use US chip equipment to apply for a license before shipping components to Huawei. "What the administration is effectively doing is forcing TMSC to rely more on the US while undercutting its business in Asia. That is extremely treacherous and sleazy," Fowdy noted. While in all, China is only acting passively and defending its legitimate interests, given US President Donald Trump is spreading anti-China conspiracy that aims to cover up his mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Wednesday, Trump extended for another year an executive order signed in May 2019 declaring a national emergency and barring US companies from using telecommunications equipment made by firms posing a national security risk, Reuters reported. The order was considered aiming squarely at Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE Corp. The US Department of Commerce is also expected to extend again a license, set to expire on Friday, allowing US companies to keep doing business with Huawei. The US has failed to kill Huawei with a ban that has lasted over a year, while it's also fully aware that the longer the ban lasts, the higher cost US firms have to pay, and now it's on the verge of backfiring, said analysts. The US Department of Commerce is close to signing off on a new rule that would allow US-based companies to work with Huawei on setting standards for next-generation 5G networks, Reuters reported on May 7. Rather than interpreting the move as a goodwill gesture, Chinese analysts said it only shows the US has realized the cost of refusing to cooperate with the world's largest patent contributor to next-generation technology. US companies are falling far behind Huawei on 5G patents. China has "well documented" Washington's usual threats and tactics of crackdown on Chinese firms including Huawei after previous rounds of confrontation, and also has ample countermeasures in hands that could precisely strike US economy, Gao said, adding that China will surely strike back without hesitation if the US continues to go its own way. "China adopting countermeasures will eventually benefit China-US relations, as only by defeating the small portion of US politicians that harm bilateral relations can the two countries' relations and trade return to normal," He said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chennai, May 16 : With Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announcing setting up of a dedicated nuclear research reactor in the public-private-partnership (PPP) mode for making medical isotopes, the next step is to talk with the pharma industry to gauge their interest, said K.N. Vyas, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). The other step is to work out the modalities like any amendments to law to be made to allow the private sector in the nuclear reactor sector. "Now that the Finance Minister has talked about a dedicated research reactor in the PPP model for making medical isotopes or radiopharmaceuticals, the industry will look at the proposal seriously. Perhaps the announcement was made as a part of the Central government's goal to provide health for all," Vyas told IANS in an interview. Queried about the capacity of the research reactor that would be set up, Vyas said: "India has built research reactors with capacity between 40 MW and 100 MW. But the capacity for a dedicated reactor for radio pharmaceuticals will have to be arrived at after talking to the industry." Similarly, the investment needed per MW would also differ as the last research reactor built by India was way back in 1984 and the new costs will have to be worked out and a private partner has to be found, Vyas added. According to him, the costs for research reactors may be different from that of reactors that are being built for power generation. According to him, there is a variety of radiopharmaceuticals made in India and some are also imported. Ruling out hiving off an existing research reactor under the proposed PPP mode, Vyas said: "The reactors were set up at specific locations and free access cannot be provided to all. A private investor would like to have free access to a reactor set up under the PPP model." Finance Minister Sitharaman also announced a PPP model for setting up of irradiation units for agriculture produce to complement the agricultural reforms announced earlier and also to assist the farmers. "There are about 20 such units that are functioning in the country. Irradiation is useful in extending the shelf life of the agricultural produce. A lot of food gets wasted in the country," Vyas said. Here too, the nuclear sector has to approach the private industry to measure their interest. "Interest in such centres is picking up as Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are looking at having such centres," Vyas said. Sitharaman also said the idea is to link India's robust start-up ecosystem to the nuclear sector. She said Technology Development-cum-Incubation Centres will be set up for fostering synergy between research facilities and tech-entrepreneurs. By PTI KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday urged the people to follow preventive measures to protect themselves from dengue amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Banerjee, who also holds the Health portfolio, commended the health workers who are fighting dengue during this time of crisis. Today on #NationalDengueDay I would like to commend our health workers who are working tirelessly to combat Dengue amidst the #COVID19 pandemic. Effective community engagement is the key to Dengue prevention & I urge everyone to protect themselves & follow preventive measures, the chief minister tweeted. The Union Health Ministry recently wrote to the West Bengal government, alerting it about a possible outbreak of the disease, following a spike in the number of dengue cases in neighbouring Bangladesh. Banerjee has cautioned her officials of not forgetting efforts to combat dengue amid the coronavirus outbreak. In another tweet, she expressed grief over the road accident in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya district, in which at least 24 people died and 36 sustained injuries when two trucks carrying migrant workers collided. "Extremely saddened to hear of the tragic road accident in #Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh. My condolences to the families of the migrant brothers and sisters who have lost their lives. May their souls rest in peace. Praying for recovery of those injured," Banerjee tweeted. More than 20k people have left Phuket, police app confirms PHUKET: More than 20,000 people have now left Phuket due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 restrictions, a new app launched by the Phuket Provincial Police has revealed. COVID-19Coronavirushealthtransport By The Phuket News Saturday 16 May 2020, 06:17PM A screenshot from the PhuketSmartCheckin app showing the total number of people who have already been allowed back into Phuket and the busiest days that people were allowed back onto the island, and the total number of people who have registered to enter Phuket so far. A screenshot from the PhuketSmartCheckin app showing the total number of people who have already left Phuket and the busiest days that people left the island, and the total number of people who have registered to leave Phuket so far. A flowchart issued by the Phuket Provincial Police showing the process involved in leaving the island. Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana today (May 16) confirmed that his request to re-open the bridges onto and off the island has been denied, and that all ports in the province are to remain closed until further notice. That news followed Phuket International Airport yesterday being ordered to remain closed to all non-essential flights also until further notice. However, Governor Phakaphong was not disheartened by the decision from Bangkok to keep Phuket under lockdown. The lockdown of three transportation channels [air, road and sea] has not been lifted, but we are ready to lift the lockdown in Phuket when we receive the new order to lift the lockdown. he said after the daily meeting of the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee today. Phuket Provincial Police broke the news first that access across the bridges remained closed to all non-essential traffic with a post on their official Facebook page late last night. The post explained that all authorised traffic, including drivers delivering essential goods, products, medical equipment and supplies, authorised government officers, construction materials (but now only for government projects) and any other people deemed necessary by officers at the checkpoint would continue to be granted passage onto and off the island as usual under the original lockdown order. They also posted an advisory that all people wanting to enter-exit Phuket must register through the new PhuketSmartCheck-in app, which is available only for mobile phones. THE NUMBERS At last report, on May 5, Governor Phakaphong revealed that about 50,000 people had registered to leave Phuket due to economic hardship brought on by unemployment due to the COVID situation. Since then there have been no official statements as to how many people have actually left the island. All police and officials asked by The Phuket News for more than a week have refused to answer the question. That silence comes as fear spread throughout the country that people returning home from Phuket will be carrying the virus with them. Yet, according to the PhuketSmartCheck-in app, as of today the total number of people who departed Phuket from May 3-15 was 20,731. The app also reveals that in total 41,462 people have registered through the app to leave Phuket. It is not clear whether the total number of people registered to leave Phuket includes those who registered before the latest app was launched following rush to leave the island forced police to close the bridge within hours of opening on May 1. It is also not clear if the number given for people leaving the island from May 3-5 includes those who departed before the Phuket Provincial Police commandeered the queueing process to make sure the departure checks and process were more orderly. Highlighting how simple the process was to register to enter of leave Phuket, the Phuket Provincial Police have released a flowchart to explain the process. COMING TO PHUKET The PhuketSmartCheck-in app also reveals that as of today (May 16) the number of people registered as living in Phuket allowed back onto the island from May 3 to May 15 totalled 14,245. In total, 28,490 people have registered their intent to come back to Phuket, the app notes. The only public admission that it was possible for people to enter Phuket came earlier this week with Phuket Provincial Police posting notices urging people to use the PhuketSmartCheck-in app in order to enter-exit Phuket. Questions from The Phuket News as to what conditions must be fulfilled in order for people to be approved entry to Phuket have been ignored. National headlines and repeated statements by Phuket officials have heaped onto people the message that any persons leaving Phuket must observe a 14-day quarantine on reaching their destination a mandatory requirement that has always very clearly communicated since the option to leave the island was announced.. Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who also serves as the Public health Minister, earlier today repeated that this must be observed in his press conference about the COVID situation in the country. We never know where the virus is coming from, he said today. Meanwhile, there has not been a single statement clarifying whether any people being granted entry to Phuket must observe a 14-day quarantine before being allowed onto the island. The new PhuketSmartCheck-in app makes it clear that people leaving Phuket must first observe a 14-day quarantine and obtain a Fit to Travel permit issued by health authorities, but makes no mention of any quarantine period for people coming to Phuket. The Phuket Provincial Police last night revealed that in addition to those returning to their home provinces due to the impact of COVID-19, regular people will be granted passage for special circumstances, such as returning to work in Phuket, any medical emergencies or funerals for family members or other urgent business to attend to in Phuket. Applicants must bring evidence to present to officers at the checkpoint, the post advised. Whether or not people have been approved to enter or leave Phuket should be available online by checking the app the next day, it said. The police also stressed in the post, Register first - make passage faster, simpler, more convenient a request that throws into doubt whether people need to register online first at all in order to be granted passage onto or off the island. The Phuket Provincial Police today did make it clear that only people with urgent matters to address will be allowed onto the island. Arrivals will be subjected to strict inspection, they warned. If there is no need [to enter Phuket], they will not be allowed to travel into the area, the police noted in a post late this afternoon. INCOME IMPACT For more than a week all officials and police have refused to answer any questions about the Phuket Provincial Police asking people through their online registration forms to confirm their incomes before the COVID-19 outbreak and their income at the time they were registering to leave the island. The initial online form used by the Phuket Provincial Police asked people to enter their incomes both before and after the outbreak began. The new PhuketSmartCheck-in app still continues to ask people their income before the outbreak, but does not ask about their income after. After a week of badgering by The Phuket News, Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Rungrote was still not available to answer questions, but the The Phuket News finally managed to contact Lt Col Wasuthep Jai-in, one of the administrators and coordinator of information with the Phuket Provincial Police online form to register to leave Phuket. That information will be handed over to provincial officials to use in making policy decisions, was all he would say, and declined to answer any further questions. No details of the extent of the impact of COVID19 on peoples incomes has been recognised or been made available by provincial officials. Christian schools' legal team optimistic after Supreme Court weighs ministerial exception Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a pair of cases that could shape how far religious employers ministerial exception goes in protecting them from discrimination lawsuits brought by certain employees. Observers came away from Mondays hearing believing the court may take the opportunity to fine-tune legal language on religious exemptions that faith-based employers possess to make hiring decisions that could break federal and local discrimination laws. On Monday, the nations high court heard the cases of Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-BerruandSt. James School v. Biel. Both cases center around California elementary school religion teachers whose contracts were not renewed and who have sued on the basis that they were discriminated against in manners that violate the law. In the case of Our Lady of Guadalupe School in Hermosa Beach, Agnes Deirdre Morrissey-Berru claimed that her contract as a religion teacher was not renewed as a result of age discrimination. She sued under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. However, the Our Lady of Guadalupe School contends that the teacher was let go due to poor performance after a new principal was brought to the school and a new rating system was implemented that featured the teachers becoming catechists. In the other case, Kristen Biel taught a fifth-grade religion class at St. James School in Torrance starting in 2013. But when her contract was not renewed in the next year, she sued and claimed that the school was discriminating against her for having cancer, a violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Lawyers for the school contend, however, that Biel was let go because of poor performance and that the school made it known to Biel before she disclosed her cancer diagnosis that she may not get a new contract. District courts dismissed both cases on grounds that a ministerial exception is provided to religious groups when it comes to hiring decisions related to positions responsible for the sharing and teaching of the faith. The legal precedent was broadened by the Supreme Courts 2012 decision in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. However, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the teachers last year. The 9th Circuit broke away from trends set in previous lower and appellate court rulings by focusing on the fact that the teachers' formal titles seemed secular. While reports have indicated that the justices appeared divided along ideological lines during Mondays telephone hearing, attorneys at Becket who represent the schools came away from the hearing with optimism that the schools will come out on top. Our view was the court really seemed quite broadly in agreement that the schools should win their case and that the 9th Circuit was wrong, Becket Senior Counsel Daniel Blomberg, a member of the legal team representing the schools, told The Christian Post. I think the thing that the justices were probing was less about this particular case but more about how to draw the line doctrinally in future cases. I think thats one of the things that came through really clear was that the line being drawn by opposing counsel wasnt the right one. While the schools maintain that religion teachers fall under the umbrella of positions protected by ministerial exception, the attorney for the teachers claimed that it is necessary for positions covered under the exception to have a title that the government would understand as being religious. Additionally, the teachers legal team claims that they never had to undergo any type of formal religious training. We just dont think that can be true under the First Amendment, Blomberg said of a title requirement. These teachers were teaching the faith so the children would adopt the faith. That is a much more important and much more central aspect of religious autonomy than whether we call these teachers ministerial teachers instead of just teachers. Blomberg pointed out the Hebrew term rabbi the title for a Jewish leader translates to teacher in English. It is not the schools position that all teaching positions are covered under the ministerial exception but only those positions that are important to the communication of the faith," he said. If you have a math teacher who only taught math, they would not be within the ministerial exception. Blombergs optimism coming out of the hearing stems from an exchange between the teachers lawyer and Justices Samuel Alito and Elena Kagan, the justices who wrote a concurrence in the Hosanna-Tabor case that many lower courts look to when trying to rule on similar cases. In [the oppositions] view, if you had a religion teacher who was teaching religion every day, that wouldnt be enough because you would have to show some title or some training or something like that in order to establish the ministerial exception, Blomberg explained. That guts the purpose of the ministerial exception. I think Justice Kagan called it surprising that he took that position. He didnt back down from it. He was very clear. Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh asked questions related to why the ministerial exception protection shouldnt be made even broader, Blomberg added. I think that is a good sign, he said. The kind of questions they were asking were less about these teachers and they were assuming almost that these teachers were within that same decisional matrix. The question is where does the line go after that. One thing all sides the schools, attorneys for the teachers and justices could agree on was the dislike for the wording of the term ministerial exception, Blomberg explained. Since 1985 in a case called Rayburn, this doctrine of the First Amendment has become known as the ministerial exception. The problem with that is that most non-Protestant faith groups dont really call their religious leaders and teachers ministers. That is not a term they use. This has led to some discrimination and some confusion against minorities and faith groups that dont use that kind of terminology. The other problem early in the doctrine was courts were confused if the exception was just kind of a statutory thing where you read it into a statute, thinking that it would never go this far because then it would violate the First Amendment. Or was it actually grounded in the First Amendment itself? He further contended that thinking of the exemption as an exception loses sight of the fact that it is a free speech guarantee under the First Amendment of the Constitution. According to Blomberg, Alito voiced his displeasure with the term during the hearing, calling it discriminatory. Both the opposing attorney and Becket have also voiced support for changing the term ministerial exception. According to Becket, the term is no longer useful. We get why it was started. But at this point, it is really more confusing than helpful, Blomberg said. You might see the law moving more in the direction of a term like ecclesiastical immunity, which is the idea that there is a space for religious groups to make their own decisions about the people who hold really important and religiously sensitive positions and the government is not going to get involved. It is not an exception to the statute and it is not just for ministers. It is immunity from government intrusion because it is respecting this idea of core religious autonomy. In a year unlike any other, Hampshire College celebrated its 50th Anniversary with the 2020 commencement ceremony unlike any other in the schools history. Rather than seas of motor boards and gowns and crowds of proud families and friends, attendees saw a Zoom webinar on their computer screen or smartphone. Each of the participants spoke from different locations. But, even as the coronavirus pandemic nearly derailed the schools academic year, ongoing funding issues nearly derailed the school itself, and the 2020 Commencement also celebrates a successful fundraising campaign that kept the college in operation. In a campus-wide letter earlier in the week, College President Ed Wingenbach said the 2020 commencement was fitting to celebrate graduating students and recognize everyone in the Hampshire College community who helped the school make it through the academic year. We all deserve some communal Joy, he said. As the names of the 289 graduates scrolled by on the screen, each read by Eva Rueschmann, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, brief images of faculty members wishing the graduates well popped onto the screen Chair of the Board of Trustees, Jose Fuentes, addressed the graduates from his home in New York City, and noted the unique presentation of the ceremony and told students not to feel slighted by their graduation. Please dont allow some shifts in the program or the absence of a large audience or the applause of hundreds take away from the palpable excitement of the appreciation and grateful global crowd cheering you on, he said. And while this years commencement is occurring during this jarring new normal, our core understanding and experience of the College is not shaken. Being a Zoom presentation, also shown on Facebook Live and YouTube, the image of each speaker was shown on the screen, while a running commentary on the speeches and ceremony ran alongside. As Fuentes spoke, virtual attendee Ellen Sturgis chimed in, These grads are truly the most resilient given what the last four years have thrown at them. And yet THEY PERSISTED! Fuentes is a member of the Class of 2010 and spoke as not only a member of the administration but an alumnus himself. He called on the newest alumni to continue their commitment to Hampshire College into the future. I hope you will keep your connection to Hampshire strong your deep ties to the friends you have made here, the collaborators, and the faculty and staff mentors. But, also tapping into the broad and diverse Hampshire community who are out there waiting for you. College President Ed Wingenbach told the 289 members of the Class of 2020 that what they had gone through only added luster to the qualities he said a Hampshire College graduate possessed. Every one of you was given every opportunity to fail, every excuse to give up and every reason to take an easier path. You persisted. You worked the problems. You demonstrated and organized. You acted, individually and collectively. You learned from looming disappointment and forged success. You did what every Hampshire College graduate has done for 50 years: you faced uncertainty, embrace radical freedom, learned from failure and, with the help and support of mentors and colleagues on the staff and faculty and the community, you created something entirely your own, something of quality, beauty and meaning. Thats what it means to have a Hampshire College degree. A member of the Class of 2020, Willow Elizbeth added her comment. Feeling very blessed and thankful to be graduating from this school. Our journey is yet to begin. But, Wingenbach also noted that were it not for a concerted fundraising effort in 2019, there may well have not been a Hampshire College to graduate from in 2020. As I was signing your diplomas earlier this week, I experienced a moment of shocked realization. I realized I was signing Hampshire College diplomas. A year ago, nobody knew is anyone would ever get a Hampshire College diploma again. The fact that you are graduating from Hampshire, rather than from a strategic partner to which you had been assimilated reflects one way in which youve helped change reality already. Hampshire College is still here because many of you insisted it must be. Hampshire's commencement comes at a turning point in the history of the liberal arts college in Amherst. Faced with daunting financial challenges that threatened its survival, Hampshire embarked on a $60 million fundraising campaign in 2019, with a 2024 target date for completion. A strong start was affected but not derailed by the coronavirus crisis that closed campus. Wingenbach has expressed optimism that the goal will still be met, and at least two six-figure donations were received in recent weeks. Known for its non-traditional approach to higher education Hampshire is concurrently restructuring its curriculum with innovations its administrators feel will meet changing educational and societal needs for the next generation. Wingenbach said that process is ongoing. On May 6, Wingenbach said he expects the campus to open in the fall. Hampshire's smaller enrollment and surplus housing will allow for social distancing, he said. Hampshire is also making plans to celebrate the Class of 2020 with an in-person ceremony to coincide with the colleges 50th-anniversary celebration during the Oct. 16-18 weekend. The pandemic has nonetheless come with a price: the college anticipates a 10 percent reduction in its 2020-21 operating budget than was planned before the COVID-19 outbreak. Hampshire will enroll fewer students than projected in the fall. The college is inviting 650 first-year students and 64 transfers to its October celebration and maintains a goal of enrolling 350 new students in the fall of 2021. Ron Chimelis contributed to this article RALEIGH, N.C., May 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (MLM) today announced that a new independent director was elected to its Board of Directors at its Annual Meeting of Shareholders. David C. Wajsgras served as president of the Intelligence, Information and Services business of the former Raytheon Company, now part of Raytheon Technologies Corporation (RTX). Previously, he served as Raytheons senior vice president and chief financial officer. Mr. Wajsgras fills the seat previously held by Stephen P. Zelnak, Jr., who reached the mandatory retirement age provided in Martin Marietta's Bylaws. Mr. Zelnak was ineligible for election at the 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and retired after 27 years of Board service. C. Howard Nye, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Martin Marietta, stated, "We are excited to welcome Dave to Martin Marietta's Board of Directors. He is an experienced public company executive who is well-versed in financial and operating matters, technology transformation, and corporate governance. Daves expertise will provide us with valuable insight on matters critical to our business." "On behalf of our Board and shareholders, I extend our collective heartfelt thanks and sincere appreciation to Steve Zelnak for the decades of service and insights he provided to our company. Steve always gave generously of his time and consistently provided thoughtful judgment, advice and more all of which were invaluable to Martin Mariettas success." With the addition of Mr. Wajsgras and retirement of Mr. Zelnak, Martin Marietta's ten-member Board of Directors consists of nine outside independent directors, six of whom have joined since 2016. About Martin Marietta Martin Marietta, a member of the S&P 500 Index, is an American-based company and a leading supplier of building materials, including aggregates, cement, ready mixed concrete and asphalt. Through a network of operations spanning 27 states, Canada and The Bahamas, dedicated Martin Marietta teams supply the resources necessary for building the solid foundations on which our communities thrive. Martin Mariettas Magnesia Specialties business provides a full range of magnesium oxide, magnesium hydroxide and dolomitic lime products. For more information, visit www.martinmarietta.com or www.magnesiaspecialties.com. Investor Contact: Suzanne Osberg Vice President, Investor Relations (919) 783-4691 Suzanne.Osberg@martinmarietta.com Ukraine is the only state in the world that, not being a member of the European Union, celebrates unity with European countries at the state level from year to year Day of Europe in Ukraine 112 Agency Today, on May 16, Ukraine celebrates an amazing holiday - Europe Day. It is surprising mainly because our state is the only state in the world that, not being a member of the European Union, celebrates unity with European countries annually. Usually the holiday was calebrated loudly, cheerfully, widely. Now, in the conditions of coronavirus, of course, it will be a bit different. How was Europe Day in Ukraine established? Europe Day in Ukraine appeared in the calendar of public holidays over 16 years ago. On April 19, 2003, then-President Leonid Kuchma, taking into account the country's strategic course towards European integration, decided to celebrate Europe Day in Ukraine annually on the third Saturday of May. By the same document, the Ukrainian government and local authorities pledged to ensure the organization and holiday in all corners of the state, and the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provided coverage of the celebration in the media. The holiday itself began to be perceived as a symbol of the unity of Ukraine with other European countries - a day of peace, shared values, a common history of all the nations of the continent. It so happened that in 2020 the third Saturday of May is May 16. Peculiarities of celebration of Europe Day in Ukraine In ordinary, non-lockdown time, the celebration of Europe Day in Ukraine was traditionally opened with a solemn ceremony in Kyiv. Also, the so-called European town was being built for this day in the capital. It consists of pavilions representing Ukraine, each EU member state, the European Commission and international organizations. The pavilions showed geography, culture, the history of the largest cities of the EU member states, organized public debates with ambassadors and representatives of the Ukrainian authorities, held quizzes on European topics and language courses, set up corners of national dishes and much more. In addition, during the official opening of the Europe Day celebration, meetings were held between Ambassadors of EU member states with representatives of local authorities, students and teachers of local universities, representatives of non-governmental and public organizations, and the media. Similar events were also held in other cities of Ukraine, both large and small. How Europe Day is marked abroad? It is important to mention that abroad Europe Day is celebrated differently than in Ukraine. And the essence of the holiday itself is somewhat different. It is also a day of celebration of unity and peace between European countries, but in general there are two separate Europe Days: one of them is dedicated to the establishment of the Council of Europe, which took place on May 5, 1949; the other is in memory of the Schuman Declaration of May 9, 1950, which became the basis for the creation of a new organization of states in Europe, the predecessor of the European Union. Accordingly, they are celebrated on May 5 and 9. These days, all representative offices of the Council of Europe and the European Union have the so-called open day. Everyone can go in the institution, learn about how and why it works, take part in thematic discussions and other events held there, including excursions. At the same time, the official symbol of the holidays are the flags of European states, including Ukrainian flag. In a letter to chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi has sought permission for 1,000 buses to send migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh back to their state. We want to run 500 buses from the Ghazipur border in Ghaziabad and a similar number of buses from the Noida border. The Congress party will bear the expense for the same. We will observe all the protocols while helping these migrant workers reach home. We seek permission to run these 1,000 buses, read a statement from Priyanka Gandhis office. In a separate development, the Centre said it has developed an online national migrant information system to capture the movement of stranded labourers heading home and to further facilitate their travel. Earlier in the day, 24 migrant labourers were killed and several injured after the truck they were travelling in collided with another truck in Uttar Pradeshs Auraiya district. CM Yogi Adityanath on Friday asked state officials to set up teams in every police station area to ensure that no migrant worker travels on foot or bike or in any unsafe mode in Uttar Pradesh. The directive came amid rising cases of migrants losing their lives in road accidents while marching back home. The CM said food and water should be provided to the migrants as soon as they enter the state and added that they should be medically screened. Arrangements for a vehicle to send them to their respective destinations should be made if they are found fit, the CM told officials. New Delhi: Over 30 municipal areas have been identified in 12 states where maximum restrictions are likely to be imposed as as India enters phase four of coronavirus lockdown. The development comes a day after the country surpassed China's rally with over 85,000 cases. According to officials, to chalk out the plan for curbs, the Union health secretary will have a meeting with district medical officers of the selected 30 areas in states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Odisha. The selected municipal areas are: Brihanmumbai or Greater Mumbai, Greater Chennai, Ahmedabad, Thane, Delhi, Indore, Pune, Kolkata, Jaipur, Nashik, Jodhpur, Agra, Tiruvallur, Aurangabad, Cuddalore, Greater Hyderabad, Surat, Chengalpattu, Ariyalur, Howrah, Kurnool, Bhopal, Amritsar, Villupuram, Vadodara, Udaipur, Palghar, Berhampur, Solapur and Meerut. The guidelines for the phase four of lockdown will be issued on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on Monday, had said that the lockdown 4.0 will have a "completely different form", with new rules. "No state wants complete withdrawal of lockdown but all want gradual resumption of economic activities," the official said Gradual and need-based operations of the railways and domestic airlines are likely to be allowed from next week but full-fledged opening of the two sectors is unlikely to take place immediately. Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka were among some states which were not in favour of complete resumption of train and air services, at least till May-end, the official said. Lockdown was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 for 21 days in a bid to combat the coronavirus pandemic. It was first extended till May 3 and again till May 17. Home seekers could soon be subjected to 'health screenings' by estate agents on the phone before viewing a property in person, a leading property website claims. Aside from this development in the property market, Rightmove says there are strong signs that buyers are poised and ready to move. Visits from potential buyers to the websites are reportedly already back up to where they were before lockdown. On 13 May, over 5million people visited Rightmove in 24 hours, marking a 4 per cent increase on a year ago, the online site said. Go virtual: The Government is encouraging viewings to be done virtually at present It remains to be seen whether online browsing homes turns into property transactions, particularly as buyers will be cautious over predicted price drops and sellers reluctant to drop asking prices. There could also be sticking points as lenders try to figure out property values and how much they are prepared to lend. The UK's property market has been given the go ahead to get moving again by the Government this week, with Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick claiming the sector could play a vital role in an economic recovery. How should buyers approach virtual viewings? Speaking to This is Money, buyer agent Henry Pryor said prospective purchasers need to be careful and remember that a virtual tour is really only a 'commercial' produced by a company who want to get your cash and sell you a home. Mr Pryor said: 'Whilst virtual viewings can be very helpful never forget who is making them. 'They are really just commercials and just as you need to be suspicious of what the estate agents photos arent showing - the power station just out of shot or the railway line only visible when an intercity train flies by, always ask yourself what are you not being shown. 'On no account should you think of buying or renting a property without first seeing it in the flesh.' Home moves are now permitted, estate agents can open and prospective buyers will be tempted by cheap mortgage deals. Halifax has reported seeing mortgage applications spike by 36 per cent in the past week compared with a week earlier. With people staying cautious about social distancing, many estate agents are ramping up the number of online virtual property tour videos they produce. Estate agents are also scrambling to sort out how in-person viewings will work while adhering to social distancing measures. Rightmove suggests buyers might end up being subjected to an unappealing 'health screening' on the phone by their estate agent before they can view a property in person. House price forecasts Bank of England: Fall of 16% Cebr: Fall of 13% Savills: 5 to 10% fall on thin sales Liberum: Fall of 7% in real prices Lloyds Banking Group: 5 to 10% fall EY's Howard Archer: Fall of 5% Knight Frank: Fall of 7% Rightmove said: 'Organising physical viewings will also mean estate agents taking on the unfamiliar task of health screening, as they quiz both sellers and buyers for Covid-19 symptoms or vulnerabilities, so they will be keen to follow the government guidance that the buyers who want to view in person should be serious.' Another critical issue in the market will be price. The Bank of England has predicted that house prices could fall by 16 per cent over the next year. This might mean that buyers may wait over the next few months and see how prices pan out, rather than race straight out of the starting blocks after lockdown and buy a property. Estate agents and sellers could also face trouble with buyers wanting to pull out of deals once they see that the value of the home they were planning on buying has gone down. Stock levels also look set to remain low, as they have been for a few years already. Sellers who are not desperate to move may end up being reluctant to put their property up for sale if it looks like prices have dropped significantly. Rightmove said the number of homes being added to its site was down 90 per cent on a year ago, with 'too few' homes coming up for sale to be able to work out how asking prices have changed over time. Surge: Rightmove says its browsing figures are back up to pre-lockdown levels In normal circumstances, Rightmove would be publishing its house price index next week, but this time round there has not been enough stock coming up for sale to be able to gauge how asking prices have been fluctuating. But, Rightmove added that on a week-on-week basis, it had seen the number of homes being listed on its site rise by 111 per cent, coinciding with the easing of certain lockdown measures. Potential pitfalls in the property sector aside, Rigtmove claims it had 5.2million visitors to its website on 13 May, the day the property market was taken out of the deep freeze. Sales demand, which relates to potential buyers actually making an enquiry via Rightmove about a property they see online, doubled from Tuesday to Wednesday this week. Meanwhile, Rightmove said rental demand also surged this week, with the highest number of queries from potential tenants coming through since September 2019. Miles Shipside, director of Rightmove, said the sector had been 'caught by surprise' at the easing of rules by the Government this week. But, in some respects, with the economy in disarray and taxpayers bearing the huge burden of massive furloughing costs, it is not too surprising that the Government was so keen to get the property market moving before the pandemic has truly subsided all over the country. Mr Shipside added: 'The traditionally busy spring market was curtailed by lockdown, but we're now seeing clear signs of returning momentum, with the existing desire to move now being supplemented by some people's unhappiness with their lockdown home and surroundings.' On the price front, Mr Shipside said: 'With no new seller asking price data its too early to comment on price movements, though high demand is needed to support a stable market. If there are attractive lower deposit mortgages available it would help sustain the recovery in activity.' Getting things moving: Housing Minister Robert Jenrick, who was accused of breaking lockdown rules himself, took the brakes of the housing sector this week Estate agent and chairman of Jackson-Stops Nick Leeming said his Exeter branch received four requests from buyers to view properties, all before 10:30am on the day the market reopened. Mr Leeming said his Alderley Edge branch also received two requests for valuations and three calls from buyers asking to view properties both above and below the 1million price band before noon. On the possibility of in-person property viewings, Mr Leeming said: 'Rome was not built in a day.' And, of course, Scotland and Wales still have compete lockdowns in place, restricting he level of housing market activity that can take place in those areas. Recent research from Savills revealed that house hunters are increasingly prioritising properties with space to work from home, and those in village locations. A few weeks ago, separate findings from Rightmove also suggested that there had been an upswing in the number of people looking for homes outside of big and overcrowded cities like London and Birmingham in favour of more rural locations. New Delhi, May 16 : Emphasising that travelling in trucks is dangerous, Union Railway and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday condoled the deaths of 24 migrant workers in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya. He urged the state governments to give permission to run the Shramik Special trains to avoid such accidents in the future. In a tweet, Goyal said, "I am shocked at the death of 24 migrant workers in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya. My condolences to the families of the victims. Our workers are returning home from trucks which is dangerous. I appeal to all the state governments to give permission to operate Shramik Special trains so that such incidents are not repeated." His remarks came after 24 migrant workers returning to their native place in Bihar died in a road accident near Auraiya on Saturday morning after their truck collided with another truck. In the last few days the politics over the Shramik Specials has heated up as the Centre has accused several state governments of not giving clearance to the railways to run the special trains to transport the stranded migrant workers. The railways started to run the Shramik Special trains from May 1. Till date, the national transporter has operated 1,034 Shramik Special trains and transported over 12 lakh people across the country. The Indian Railways has suspended the passenger, mail and express train services from March 25 amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic until further notice. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Philip Flock, an Edenville farmer,was born in Hamilton, Canada, July 10, 1827, the son of Philip and Ellen (Hoffman) Flock. The parents were natives of Pennsylvania. The father died in Canada, The mothe rresided in Waterford in the Dominion. Mr. Flock obtained his education in the common schools of Canada and was under the guidance of his mother until he attained his majority, his father having died previous to that date. He remained and worked in the home place until he was 25 years old. He was married Feb. 5, 1856, to Joanna, daughter of John W. and Elinor (Robbins) Grover. Her parents were natives of Pennsylvania. They died and were buried at Edenville. Following is the record of the three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Flock: Geddes P. was born Nov. 14, 1857, at Fredericksburg, Canada, and had been a salesman in the store of Ralph Dunton. He also was Township Clerk seven years. Samuel W. was born Aug. 16,1858, at Windham, Canada; and Carrie was born May 21, 1868, at Edenville. Mr. Flock conducted a hotel at Fredericksburg, the year following his marriage, and then returned to the old homestead, which he managed two years, after which he engaged in coopering. He engaged a force of men to work at the business and continued in management seven years, with satisfactory results. At the end of that time he again spent two years in farming on the family homestead. In 1867, he came to Michigan, arriving in Saginaw on the 15th day of November. Four days later he came to this County and engaged in keeping a hotel at Averill Station. A year after he bought a town lot at Edenville and built a house. In 1869, he bought 40 acres of land on section 13, Edenville, and in February, 1877, he purchased another 40 acres in Tobacco Township, Gladwin County. Oneach of these pieces of property he made fine improvement. Mr. Flock was a School Director eight years and Township Treasurer one year. EDITOR'S NOTE: The Midland County Historical Society is partnering with the Midland Daily News for "A Window to Midland's Past," which will feature historical pieces in print and online at ourmidland.com. This particular piece was compiled by retired historical society director Gary Skory from the 1884 Biographical Album. It was originally published on Jan. 18, 1996. By Louis Speizer and Linn Goldberg The fundamental principle of medicine is first do no harm. President Trump and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie obviously dont agree. Both believe hundreds of thousands of Americans must die to return workers to their lower-wage jobs and resuscitate the U.S. economy. Other countries are choosing a better way. There are four strategies that lower infection rates during a viral pandemic: widespread testing and isolating those infected; closing schools and non-essential businesses; staying-at-home and physical distancing. The amount of benefit depends on how quickly these measures are adopted and how easily the disease is transmitted. Transmission rates, designated by Ro (pronounced R-naught), are the average number of people infected by one person with the disease. If one person infects two others, the Ro is 2. As Ro increases, a virus spreads more rapidly, requiring a quicker response. When Ro drops below 1, the disease ultimately dies out. Wuhan Chinas estimated coronavirus infectivity rate was 2.5. At that rate, prevention strategies need to begin within two weeks to achieve the greatest effect. Waiting too long is disastrous. New Zealand and Greece began prevention strategies two weeks after its first COVID-19 case. Austria and Norway began at three weeks and Israel began at four weeks. The initial U.S. case was January 20. None of the strategies were recommended by the president or the White House Coronavirus Task Force for over six weeks. The result? The U.S. has more deaths than any other nation and one-third of the worlds coronavirus cases. The U.S. failed to use World Health Organizations COVID-19 diagnostic tests; the CDCs initial COVID-19 test failed and the FDA originally prohibited private labs to test. This limited our ability to locate and isolate infected patients. From January 20 through March, President Trump, his advisors and Coronavirus Task Force members expressed false public assurances that COVID-19 is very, very low risk ; coronavirus has been contained; coronavirus will disappear; flu is a bigger risk; vaccines will be available soon; you dont need a mask if you feel well; and the death rate will be below 1%. Disease Expert: Flu a Bigger Risk in the US Than Coronavirus https://t.co/f1IAUyRadh Spectrum News DC (@SpectrumNewsDC) February 17, 2020 Countries implementing the four strategies within two to four weeks report significant results. Switzerland, Portugal, Germany, Denmark, Austria, Romania, Hungary, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Greece and others all have a lower mortality rate than the U.S. The death rate of Greece and Bulgaria is about 18 times lower than in the U.S. Despite these findings, Dr. Deborah Birx and the president falsely claimed the U.S. has among the worlds lowest death rates. Without a national directive, governors initiated their own life-saving strategies. After California and Washington ordered closing schools and non-essential businesses and issued stay-at-home orders, Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases said on March 6th that nationwide social distancing is not needed. Just three weeks later he reversed his opinion stating, earlier social distancing measures obviously could have saved lives. Opening up the economy at this time, during the peak of U.S. infections is deadly. President Trump brags about graduating from Wharton. Whartons model predicts that prematurely reopening states would add another 233,000 coronavirus deaths, even while we maintain social distancing. However, there will be a net gain of 18.1 million jobs. This equates to 78 jobs achieved for every American COVID-19 death. Is this the value of a human life? The president and Christie seem to think so. There is a better way. Because states are not uniform in their infection rates, counties and cities could begin returning to more normal activities when their Ro is below 1, while continuing to monitor infection rates. We can protect ourselves from COVID-19 by maintaining the four strategies until infectivity drops in areas where Ro is higher than 1. This will defeat coronavirus. We should not make up for the incompetence of the Trump administration with our lives. The president once predicted, Were going to win so much, youre going to be so sick and tired of winning. He got the sick part right. What is even more dangerous than coronavirus, is relying on the lack of wisdom and hasty decisions of callous politicians. Louis Speizer, Ph.D., previously worked in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry for over 30 years. Linn Goldberg, M.D. is a professor emeritus and research scientist at Oregon Health and Science University. 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. Pakistan on Saturday rejected what it called "threats and allegations" by Indian Army chief Gen MM Naravane against it. Responding to a question about the possibility of India facing a two-front war along the borders with China and Pakistan in New Delhi on Friday, Gen Naravane said that it is a possibility and that the country will have to remain prepared to deal with such a scenario. "We reject Indian Army chief's recent comments levelling allegations against Pakistan and hurling threats," the Foreign Office said in a statement. It claimed that these are part of India's "attempts to divert the world's attention" from Jammu and Kashmir. The FO also said that India's "attempted diversions, misrepresentations and continued belligerence imperil peace and security in South Asia". It is important for the world community to take cognizance and urge India to act responsibly in the interest of regional peace and stability, the FO added. The ties between India and Pakistan strained following the Pulwama terror attack and the subsequent Balakot airstrikes by the Indian Air Force. The bilateral relations further nose-dived following the Indian goverment's abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in August last that revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. The move angered Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties with India and expelled the Indian High Commissioner. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 'violent, drunken thug' who headbutted a police officer has avoided jail after a magistrate heard about his 'tough childhood'. Jordan Campbell Kenneth Walker, 27, pleaded guilty to assaulting a public officer and obstructing public officers in Bunbury Magistrates Court, south of Perth, Western Australia, on Thursday. The court was told how Walker met friends for drinks at one of their homes on March 21 when a neighbour called the police, according to The West Australian. The neighbour reported that they thought they had heard a domestic dispute between a man and woman. Jordan Campbell Kenneth Walker, 27, pleaded guilty to assaulting a public officer and obstructing public officers in Bunbury Magistrates Court, south of Perth, Western Australia, on Thursday When police arrived they found Walker intoxicated and acting aggressively. Walker then headbutted one of the officers when they tried to place handcuffs on him. Walker's lawyer told the court he had written the officer a letter of apology prior to the hearing. He also said he has very little recollection of the night's events. 'He has had a tough childhood and he uses alcohol as a coping mechanism and has seen a psychologist regarding his issues,' Walker's lawyer said. He headbutted a police officer when they tried to handcuff him after a domestic disturbance call was made to the cops Magistrate Michelle Pontifex said on the night in question Walker behaved like a 'violent, drunken thug.' 'It is appalling when I see members of the community act the way you did to officer's whose job it is to protect them,' she said. 'You cannot drink alcohol, ever, if you don't get your issues with alcohol sorted you will go to prison.' Magistrate Pontifex said she wanted to give Walker and opportunity to deal with his issues. She said if Walker commits any more offences he will find himself back in court. Walker was handed a 12-month intense supervision order. Serbia has sent its army to a town near the border with Croatia where hundreds of migrants and refugees remain stranded in hopes of reaching the European Union. The Defence Ministry said today that President Aleksandar Vucic ordered the troop deployment to 'secure' three migrant camps near the western town of Sid that are housing some 1,500 people, mostly from Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Vucic claimed the increase in security presence was to protect the local population from alleged harassment and robberies committed by the migrants. Serbia has sent its army to a town near the border with Croatia where hundreds of migrants remain stranded in hopes of reaching the European Union He told TV Prva that after a state of emergency imposed to fight the coronavirus spread in Serbia was lifted earlier this month, the migrants started venturing outside their camps, committing 'petty crimes and illegal entries into houses.' 'Because of that people are feeling unsafe,' Vucic said. There is increased popular resentment toward the migrants and frequent unsanctioned protests by far-right groups are held in front of the camps. There are an estimated 4,000 migrants stranded in Serbia, one of the main transit routes through the Balkans for people fleeing wars and poverty. President Aleksandar Vucic ordered the troop deployment to 'secure' three migrant camps near the western town of Sid that are housing some 1,500 people, mostly from Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan There is increased popular resentment toward the migrants and frequent unsanctioned protests by far-right groups are held in front of the camps Greece, a country that has struggled to manage large numbers of migrants crossing its borders, took steps Saturday to reunite minors with their families. Twenty-three minors, most of them from Afghanistan, left Athens on Saturday for Switzerland, where they will be eventually reunited with their families, Greek authorities said. Deputy Migration and Asylum Minister Giorgos Koumoutsakos said 508 asylum applicants will soon depart Greece. Charities and other organisations that assist refugees were stopped from entering reception centres in Serbia due to the Covid-19-related ban on movement in and out of the camps related to the. The vulnerable groups were left in a state of forced isolation, with support groups warning that it is also leading to a lack of legal protection and food and medical assistance. He told TV Prva that after a state of emergency imposed to fight the coronavirus spread in Serbia was lifted earlier this month, the migrants started venturing outside their camps, committing 'petty crimes and illegal entries into houses Serbia imposed a state of quarantine on all its reception centres on March 17. Since then, people have not been allowed out of the centres unless it is to seek medical care, or with special permission. The ban works both ways, so no staff from rights organisation can enter the facilities either. It has left the migrants and asylum-seekers inside without support, help or information, the director of the Belgrade-based NGO Asylum Protection Center, Rados Djurovic, said. 'Since the crisis began, for almost a month, access has been denied to anyone providing psychological, legal or other assistance, so they have no activities and are locked in the camps,' Djurovic told BIRN. VICTORIA - British Columbia's top doctor is urging residents to stay close to home over the long weekend in order to mitigate transmission of COVID-19 before some businesses reopen on Tuesday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/5/2020 (613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. VICTORIA - British Columbia's top doctor is urging residents to stay close to home over the long weekend in order to mitigate transmission of COVID-19 before some businesses reopen on Tuesday. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said much of the virus's spread has occurred because symptoms are often mild, especially in the early stages of illness, and people may not recognize it could be COVID-19 making them sick. "This means we must continue to stay alert and stay vigilant, and this May long weekend, we need to pause," she said. "We need to stay close to home and think through how all of us in B.C. will put into place our new safe social interaction rules for the coming days and weeks." B.C. reported 21 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the province's total to 2,428 an increase of 0.87 per cent. Henry said 355 of those cases are active, with 49 people in hospital, including 11 in critical or intensive care. One more person has died after contracting the novel coronavirus, raising the province's death toll to 141. Guidelines for businesses that are allowed to reopen during the second phase of the province's restart plan were updated Friday. Starting Tuesday, restaurants, cafes and pubs, retail and personal service establishments, libraries, museums and galleries, office spaces and child care facilities may reopen, as well as parks, beaches and recreational facilities. B.C. is also set to allow the restoration of health services, including the rescheduling of elective surgeries, as well as dentistry, registered massage and physiotherapy, chiropractors, in-person counselling and speech therapy. Henry said each business must have a COVID-19 safety plan in place that customers, employees and public health officials may access, and WorkSafeBC is available to help develop the plans. Some of the same rules that apply to social interactions apply to businesses, including physical distancing and "fewer faces, less time together (and) bigger spaces," said Henry. As well, no one with symptoms should be allowed to enter a place of business, including employers, employees and customers, she said. "You need to have the appropriate processes in place to identify anybody who's feeling unwell and ensure that they have the ability to remain away from work or school. There can be no flexibility on this piece." At times when physical distancing is not possible, Henry said there are other options, including plastic barriers and one-way aisles in stores. She said non-medical masks can also be helpful for short periods of time in areas such as public transit. "My wearing a mask and somebody else wearing a non-medical mask keeps our droplets to ourselves." However, Henry emphasized that masks do not replace other measures aimed at maintaining distance and separation between people. 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. Schools are also set to reopen on an optional, part-time basis in June. Henry said there's no reason to keep kids out of school if someone in their household is sick unless they're the contact of a confirmed case of COVID-19. But the health officer urged caution, noting processes must be in place to assess people on a daily basis. There are no new community outbreaks in B.C., Henry said Saturday, but there are ongoing outbreaks in 15 long-term care facilities and five acute care units, as well as a fruit and vegetable processing facility in Coquitlam. Public health officials will be watching and responding to a variety of indicators as B.C. begins to reopen, she said. They include the number of new cases, particularly those that aren't easily linked to known chains of transmission, as well as hospitalizations and the province's capacity for COVID-19 testing, case management and contact tracing. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2020. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, May 16, 2020 16:03 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd88398e 1 National COVID-19,West-Java,Tasikmalaya,patient,COVID-19-Indonesian-patients,medical-workers Free A 40-year-old man initialed as AR, who has tested positive for COVID-19, has caused a commotion as he refused to be taken to the hospital by a team of medical workers and fumed at his neighbors in the city of Tasikmalaya, West Java. He had tested positive of COVID-19 in a recent swab test. AR became enraged when the team, wearing hazmat suits, approached to pick him up at his house in Empangsari subdistrict in the city on Friday. He became more infuriated when neighbors recorded the event on their mobile phones. He ran after the neighbors and hugged then in an apparent attempt to infect them with the viral disease. What are you staring at? I will hug you all, you will soon be people under monitoring, he said, referring to the ODP status, while chasing and hugging residents, Kompas.com reported on Friday. In the end, the medical workers managed to persuade AR to be taken to hospital and quarantined in an isolation room. Read also: 46 medical workers in Semarang contract COVID-19 after patients fail to reveal travel history Tasikmalaya Deputy Mayor Muhammad Yusuf confirmed that a patient had gone berserk when he was to be picked up by medical workers. Yusuf said the authority had to pick up the patient as he had refused to isolate himself. I have ordered a team to forcibly take the patient, because if not, it would be dangerous for the neighborhood if transmission occurs, he said. He also demanded that the team track the patients contacts and disinfect the area around the patients house. (aly) Nollywood actress, Victoria Inyama has narrated the harrowing experience she was allegedly subjected to by her ex-husband, Godwin Okri. The actress who shared her story in an Instalive chat with UK based mental health advocate Malin Anderson, said the cracks in her marriage became obvious after her ex-husband began maltreating her. Inyama revealed that she lived in fear as Okri allegedly threatened to kill her if she failed to do his bidding. She disclosed that when she opted for divorce, her ex-husband turned it down and also insisted that she is his property. The actress also recalled getting arrested by her ex-husband while trying to protect herself and her three kids. Asides accusing Okri of domestic violence, Inyama claimed he once fed their son a food he was allergic to and also dislocated the arms of their daughter. She said; I was scared because he would tell me I know a lot of people in prison, my clients that owe me a lot of favour because they didnt do long term and Ill just waste you and nothing is going to happen. At that point I just told him that Im ready to die, Im not coming back to you, he said alright, we will see about that. He would bring his girlfriends to my house to drop off the kids and one day I said can we just go for a divorce and he said you cant divorce me, I own you, you are my property, divorce me? I said youve moved on, you are living with another woman in your house, he said so? you are not in my house anymore, there has to be a woman in my house and I requested a divorce. He went on to say first of all you cant divorce me and second of all, which man is going to want a woman with three kids? Oh, you think its because youve gone to the university that you think you are now intelligent? You are not intelligent. I was arrested in front of my kids and locked up for 12 hours. That was my most humiliating moment in life." Here is the video below; View this post on Instagram recounts inhuman treatment her ex-husband allegedly subjected her to A post shared by Lindaikejiblog (@lindaikejiblogofficial) on May 15, 2020 at 6:52am PDT 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 Yves here. A few days ago, we ran a post on how different the Covid-19 infection rates were in two neighboring Queens communities, Flushing, which has a large Chinese population, and Corona, which is strongly Hispanic. One reader pointed out that the Latin culture likely played a role, with hugging, backslapping, and physical closeness in social interactions common. Looks like he was on to something. By Jean-Philippe Platteau, Active Emeritus Professor of Economics, University of Namur and Vincenzo Verardi, FNRS Associate Researcher; DeFiPP, University of Namur. Originally published at VoxEU One puzzle that arises in connection with the spread of Covid-19 is why there is such large variation in infection and death rates both across as well as within countries. This column argues that differences in the way people, and in particular different age groups, interact can explain part of this variation. Simulations show that the measures Belgium would need to take when re-opening its economy would be more moderate if it had the same interaction patterns as Germany, and more strict if it had Italys interaction patterns. A key lesson is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution that could be applied to all countries, or even to all regions within a country. One puzzling question that arises in connection with the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is why there are such large variations in its incidence (the infection rate) and its lethal consequences (the death toll) across countries as well as across regions within countries (Economist 2020: 16-17). In Europe, there is a striking contrast between the relatively low rates of infections, hospitalisations, and/or mortality in countries like Germany, Austria, Scandinavia (with the exception of Sweden) and in Eastern Europe and the relatively high rates observed in countries like Italy, Spain, France, the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. Equally striking are the intra-country variations found within some countries, such as Italy, France and Switzerland. In the latter, the French-speaking part, Romandy, has epidemiological statistics close to those of France, the German-speaking, Alemanic part shows a strong similarity with Germany and Austria, while the Italian-speaking part, the Tessin, shows a strong similarity with northern Italy. Many confounding forces are obviously at play, including geographical factors (population density, the role of super-drivers, etc.), genetic determinants, public health policies, and social or cultural characteristics. In current debates, attention has been mostly focused on explanations that privilege public health facilities and policies, including the capacity of the government to plan and anticipate and its ability to act decisively early enough in the propagation of the virus. Recently, however, awareness of the role of genetics has been raised by a team of researchers from Ghent University in Belgium. According to this team, part of the intra-European differences in the intensity of the epidemic are attributable to genetic variations: some population groups carry a gene (ACE1) that facilitates the fixation of the SARS-CoV-2, while other groups exhibit a higher frequency of the polymorphism D of the same gene, which makes them more resistant to this virus (Delanghe et al. 2020). Interestingly, the more one moves toward the eastern parts of Europe, the higher the incidence of this favourable variant of the ACE1 gene. It is not only Eastern European countries but also Austria-Germany, Scandinavia, and southern Italy (where the Norman conquest left its biological imprint) that are within the zone where the polymorphism is found. Spain, Northern Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom are not. The Role of Culture In our current research, we aim to bring to light the possible influence of local cultures. So far, cultural variations have been mostly conceived as differences in the attitudes and gestures displayed by people when they meet. The Japanese habit of keeping a reasonable distance, for example, is in stark contrast to the Western European habit, especially in southern Europe, of kissing and hugging friends, relatives, and acquaintances. Moreover, in some countries like South Korea, China, and Japan again, people are accustomed to wearing face masks as a way of protecting themselves against air pollution an attitude which is something of an oddity in Europe. It is clear that these East Asian cultural habits are a big advantage under an attack from a virus when it is precisely these attitudes that are conducive to effective protection from contamination. Here, we look at another component of culture, namely, the frequency of contact between people. For example, the Italian society is strongly centred on the family, and relatives pay frequent visits to each other. In Scandinavia and in German-speaking areas, by contrast, interpersonal contacts are less frequent. Fortunately for our purposes, contact matrices have been estimated for a large number of countries, which display such contact frequencies, assumed to be pre-determined, both within and between different age groups. A simple glance at these matrices shows, for instance, that the density of contacts is comparatively high for Italy and much lower for Germany; Belgium occupies an intermediate position (see Figure 1). Figure 1 Interaction matrices for Germany, Belgium, and Italy Source: Prem at al. (2017) To use this information in the most persuasive manner, we have carried out a thought exercise in two steps. First, using a standard epidemiological model (the age-structured SEIR model), gauged on Belgian data, we simulate the effects of different lockdown exit strategies on the evolution of the epidemic, once its peak has passed. Second, we repeat the same simulations after having replaced the Belgian contact matrix successively by that of Germany and that of Italy on the date of the exit from lockdown (Platteau and Verardi 2020). The SEIR model is widely used by epidemiologists to simulate the evolution of a pandemic (Adam 2020). Its underlying structure is described in Figure 2 (for one reference age group) where we see that the population is divided into four groups (compartments) of individuals. Group S are susceptible individuals, that is, those at risk of being contaminated; 1 group E are individuals who have been exposed to the virus; group I consists of individuals who were in group E but for whom the latency period is over so that they have become infectious; finally, R is the group of individuals who were contaminated but had an outcome (either a recovery or death) and are no longer infectious. Figure 2 The SEIR epidemiological model Economists are increasingly trying to improve our understanding of several aspects of the Covid-19 crisis (Baldwin and di Mauro 2020a, 2020b), and they have characteristically chosen the same model as their basic scaffolding, onto which some behavioural function is possibly grafted (e.g. Alfaro et al. 2020, Brotherhood et al. 2020, Forslid and Herzing 2020, Ichino et al. 2020, Jarosch et al. 2020). Our own efforts consist of making the SEIR model speak in terms of exit strategies aimed at (gradually) re-opening the economy, with the aim of then examining the specific influence of particular contact habits. The results are striking. If Belgians had the contact habits of Germans, they would be able to (gradually) re-open their economy by resorting to milder measures than they actually need. And, conversely, if they had the contact habits of the Italians, they would need to use much harsher measures. More concretely, with their own culture Belgians must implement rather ambitious testing (and contact-tracing) schemes and enforce rather strict social-distancing measures if they want to avoid a significant rebound of the epidemic while re-opening their economy. If they had German interaction habits, they could avoid a rebound by implementing more moderate measures of testing and social distancing. But if they had Italian interaction habits, they would have no choice other than to implement more severe public health policies and proceed much more slowly in re-opening the economy. In particular, testing would have to be more established before starting to re-open and social distancing would have to be more stringently enforced in the course of the re-opening. This is essentially what Figure 3 is telling us with a stereotyped exit strategy. Figure 3 Comparative evolutions of the Covid-19 epidemic under a moderate lockdown exit scenario: Belgium, pseudo-Germany, and pseudo-Italy Conclusion An important lesson is that a country like Germany is probably benefitting from all the advantages that work towards a comparatively smooth lockdown exit: (1) it possesses a strong public health infrastructure and has chosen sound public health policies that prepared the ground for an effective battle against Covid-19; (2) its social norms that guide individual behaviour, including habits regarding meetings and visits, help slow down an epidemic; and (3) its people might possess genetic characteristics that make them less vulnerable to the virus. Contact frequencies may also provide a (partial) explanation for the aforementioned variations within Switzerland, where, in terms of rates of infection and deaths, the French-speaking part is close to France, the German-speaking part is close to Germany and Austria, and the Italian-speaking part is close to northern Italy. It is true, on the other hand, that important variations, such as those observed between northern and southern France, are not accounted for, confirming that there is no one explanation for all the geographical differences observed. However, there is a key lesson to draw from our work and from the foregoing discussion: there is no one-size-fits-all solution that could be uniformly applied to all countries, or even to all regions within a given country. It is perhaps no coincidence that the EU has been unable or unwilling to suggest, let alone prescribe, a common lockdown exit strategy for all its member states, leaving them free to make their own decisions on the matter. The diversity of peoples and cultures within Europe is too large to allow for a general solution to the complex problems raised by the present pandemic. The same conclusion also applies to large federal political entities such as India, Russia, and the US. See original post for references A group calling itself the Bawku Youth Parliament has petitioned government through the Upper East Regional Minister to review the Bawku township road construction plan in the Bolgatanga-Bawku-Pulmakom road contract and speed up work. The group in a petition addressed to the Upper East Regional Minister, called on the government to consider its demands and reply its petition before May 31, 2020, else its members would advise themselves. We also demand a response from government not later than 31st May 2020 that our demands are met and the projects would be completed within a stipulated reasonable timeline. We would be compelled to heed to the call of our colleague campaigners and advice ourselves accordingly. The petition which is signed by Seidu Atiraag Issah, Speaker of the Bawku Youth Parliament, said it the group has detected a supposed gap in the construction of the road especially roads within the Bawku Municipality as against what was promised. The group stated that the leadership of the youth had an engagement with the leadership of the construction company, Queiroz Galvao, now QGMI and realized that less than 30 percent of work had been done on the 109 kilometres of road. The group in its petition said, On job description, Mr Peter Dagadu, Resident Engineer of the Project, explained that the 109km road had been divided into 14 lots, out of which three lots are bridges, the Kolaa bridge, Red Volta bridge and the White Volta bridge. Two kilometres from Bolgatanga Township will be a dual carriageway. There will be by-passes in Bawku and Pusiga Township and the rest of the roads will be double surface dressing and single carriageway. It indicated that only three kilometres of the entire roads would be asphalted, that is, two kilometres in Bolgatanga and one kilometre in Zebilla, while Bawku would not get a dual carriageway and asphalt. The youth expressed dissatisfaction with the plan of the project, particularly how roads within the Bawku township would be constructed. The group thus demanded an immediate review of the plan to ensure roads constructed in the area befitted the status of a Municipality. ---citinewsroom Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan has strongly indicated the government is unlikely to extend its free childcare beyond the end of June as demand for childcare places is rising faster than anticipated with the return of parents to work. Nationwide demand for childcare has already surged to 60 per cent of normal capacity, forcing the government to consider an early shake-up of the fee-free funding system put in place for the COVID-19 crisis. But while some childcare operators are pushing for a return to the previous fee-and-subsidy scheme, others warn that a "premature" snap back would be unaffordable for many parents in the harsh economic environment. Education Minister Dan Tehan says Australia's success in containing COVID-19 has fuelled demand for childcare. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Mr Tehan indicated the reduction in coronavirus cases - resulting in restrictions easing and people going back to work - made it unlikely the government will opt to extend the scheme beyond its expiry date of June 28. Rwandas most-wanted man was living under a false identity in a flat outside Paris, French justice ministry says. Rwandan genocide suspect Felicien Kabuga was arrested on Saturday near Paris after 25 years on the run, accused of playing a leading role in one of the worst massacres of the 20th century. The 84-year-old, who is Rwandas most-wanted man and had a $5m bounty on his head, was living under a false identity in a flat in Asnieres-Sur-Seine, according to the French justice ministry. French gendarmes arrested him at 05:30 GMT on Saturday. Kabuga had been hiding with the complicity of his children. A police statement described him as one of the worlds most wanted fugitives. A Hutu businessman, Kabuga is accused of funding militias that massacred about 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus over 100 days in 1994. Since 1994, Felicien Kabuga, known to have been the financier of Rwanda genocide, had with impunity stayed in Germany, Belgium, Congo-Kinshasa, Kenya, or Switzerland, a justice ministry statement said. The arrest paves the way for bringing the fugitive in front of the Paris appeal court and later to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Lewis Mudge from New York-based Human Rights Watch said it is a huge day for Rwanda. Felicien Kabuga is one of the big fish. He is one of the last remaining individuals still out there who is alleged to have had a planning purpose with regards to the Rwanda genocide, Mudge told Al Jazeera. Machete imports Kabuga was indicted on genocide charges by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Rwandan prosecutors have said financial documents found in the capital, Kigali, after the genocide indicated that Kabuga used his companies to import vast quantities of machetes that were used to slaughter people. The wealthy businessman also was accused of establishing the station Radio Television Mille Collines that broadcast vicious propaganda against the ethnic Tutsi, as well as training and equipping the Interahamwe militia that led the killing spree. Kabuga was close to former President Juvenal Habyarimana, whose death when his plane was shot down over Kigali sparked the 100-day genocide. Kabugas daughter married Habyarimanas son. Could not have happened Kabuga is expected to be transferred to the custody of the UN mechanism, where he will stand trial. Phil Clark, a professor at SOAS University of London, said the arrest was significant as Kabuga played a crucial role in the mass killings. The genocide could not have happened without Kabuga, he basically bankrolled the entire genocide, Clark told Al Jazeera. He basically produced, created and funded the militias that carried out many of the largest massacres during the genocide. He also bankrolled the main hate radio station that incited many of the key massacres, and he also enabled the import of about 500,000 machetes, without which the killing spree would have been impossible. Without Kabuga, the genocide couldnt have happened. 160407111638338 Olivier Olsen, head of the association of homeowners in the building where he lived, described Kabuga as someone very discreet who murmured when you said hello. Two other Rwandan genocide suspects, Augustin Bizimana and Protais Mpiranya, are still being pursued by international justice. Serge Brammertz, chief prosecutor of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT), said Kabugas arrest is a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even 26 years after their crimes. He added: Todays arrest underlines the strength of our determination. Questions asked France has long been known as a hiding place for wanted genocide suspects and French investigators currently have dozens of cases underway. But so far there have been only three convictions from two trials with another trial of a French-Rwandan former hotel driver accused of transporting Hutu militiamen set to begin in September. 170703093608992 The genocide has cast a long shadow over Franco-Rwandan relations. Rwandas President Paul Kagame, a Tutsi, accuses France of having supported the ethnic Hutu forces behind most of the slaughter and of helping some of the perpetrators to escape. Last year, President Emmanuel Macron announced the creation of a commission of experts that will delve into the French states archives in a bid to set the historical record straight. HRWs Mudge said there will be questions asked about how Kabuga was able to avoid arrest for so long. There should be an absolute investigation into how he was able to get this other identity and how he was able to evade justice for 26 long years, he said. Officials in Rwanda hailed the arrest. After many years, the old guards in the French government who could have been protecting Kabuga have left power and you find the young generation have no interest in protecting the ageing fugitive under the new administration, said Gonza Muganwa, a Rwandan political analyst. Its clear he was being protected and some powerful people knew his hiding place. They sold him. Ford said Saturday it will test hourly and salaried employees with suspected COVID-19 symptoms in four metro areas where it has major operations as it prepares to reopen facilities this month. The automaker is expected to resume production and some operations at its North America facilities May 18. Aside from factory workers, Ford is also bringing back about 12,000 employees whose jobs cannot be done remotely such as vehicle testing and design. The company's parts distribution centers reopened in North America on May 11. Ford said it will initially use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, which identifies if someone is actively infected. PCR tests are used to detect the presence of viral RNA, not the presence of the antibodies, which are the body's immune response. The automaker said it has signed contracts with health systems to conduct the testing. Ford will work with Beaumont Health for testing in Southeast Michigan, the University of Louisville Health in Louisville, Liberty Hospital in the Kansas City area and the University of Chicago Medical Center and UChicago Medicine-Ingalls Memorial Hospital in the Chicago area. Collectively, Ford employs more than 72,000 people in Southeast Michigan, Louisville, Kansas City and Chicago. The contracts will enable Ford to test employees with suspected symptoms with a goal of getting results back within 24 hours, according to the automaker's medical director Dr. Walter Talamonti. Testing results will be simultaneously shared with Ford doctors to help identify other employees who might have been in close contact with an infected worker. Those employees will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days. The company is working on expanding testing, Ford CTO Ken Washington said in a statement. Washington added that Ford is looking into voluntary antibody testing in the future for its employees. Ford released May 1 a back-to-work playbook that describes the protocols that it will put in place once production at its factories resume. Employees will have to complete a self-certification health check daily and have their temperature scanned upon arrival to any Ford facility. Face masks will also be required. Safety glasses with side shields or face shields will be required when jobs don't allow for social distancing. Kilkenny County Council Arts Office has initiated a blanket project to help you use up of all that extra wool you have lying around your house and to help improve the lives of children in South Africa. What better time to get back to knitting, crocheting or indeed take it up for the first time or to get your children knitting. Knit or crochet a square 7 x 7 and your squares will be stitched together into beautiful blankets for the children supported by the Elkana Childcare charity in South Africa. The Elkana Charity transforms the lives of children who live in severely adverse situations which negatively impacts on their positive development and future. They are in desperate need of meaningful interventions to prevent/stop the infringement on their human rights to enable them to eventually lead happier and more balanced lives. The charity runs a residential Temporary Safe Care Programme for twenty-four children at any given time and after school programmes accommodating two hundred children. This offers the children a safe place to do their homework, assignments and studies instead of being alone at home after school (which is the case for 95% of their children). Throughout the year children enjoy numerous activities that contribute towards their physical, emotional and social development. This charity has very strong connections to Kilkenny, and so is very dear to our hearts. A magnificent municipal building named Kilkenny Hall stands in the middle of one of Africas largest townships today. It was built via the monies sent from the south east of Kilkenny in a drive spearheaded by Mooncoin farmer John Crowley. John was deeply moved by what he witnessed on his first trip to the Khayelitsha township during the 2002 Kilkenny hurlers holiday to South Africa. So John set about transforming the lives of women and children. An incredible difference has been made so far but here is your opportunity to further support and help these women and children. You too can make a difference and have a positive impact on their lives one square at a time. So we are asking you with a little motivation and a lot of love to take to your knitting and crocheting and encourage your friends to do the same. Take this opportunity to learn a new skill and maybe even teach a loved one how to. If you are interested in getting involved in this wonderful project please let us know by e mail bernadette.roberts@kilkennycoco.ie / or call the Arts Office on 056 779 4203. We ask that for now you collect your knitted squares at home and we will send out further instructions regarding collection in due course. This project is brought to you by Kilkenny County Council Arts Office as part of Kilkenny County Councils community wellbeing initiative Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 10:01:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- More than 20 people were killed and many injured in a road mishap in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh early on Saturday, said local media reports. Further details are awaited. Enditem Iceland announced this week that it plans to reopen its borders to tourists by June 15. The country will welcome travelers from all over the world, including the United States, but will subject visitors to either testing or quarantine. Less than two months after limiting arrivals from international travelers, the country announced its reopening plan, which could be moved up if the number of cases stays low. According to Iceland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the timing "depends on when all the practicalities will be in place." Earlier this month, the European Commission extended its ban on nonessential travel through June 15. Iceland is a member of the Schengen area and, according to the ministry, will confer with other member states about opening its external border. In addition, the government will not allow visitors to venture into wider Europe without permission from the other countries. Since late February, the Nordic island nation has recorded at least 1,800 confirmed cases of covid-19 and 10 deaths. The number of confirmed cases has dropped to four so far in May, one of the encouraging developments that helped influence the recent decision. Officials have controlled the spread of the virus through such measures as testing and tracing, and will extend these practices to the visiting public. Upon arrival at Keflavik International Airport, visitors will be tested for the coronavirus at no cost during a two-week trial period. The ministry said the planning group has not yet determined the cost to travelers beyond the initial period. After the test, the visitors can enter the country and start their vacation, but they must provide a contact number in the event of a positive result. Results can be expected in as little as a few hours. Visitors can also use the tracing app as a point of contact. The ministry said health officials may also accept a certificate of recent test results from the visitor's home country, as long as the document meets the government's standards. Visitors who decline testing will be required to undergo a two-week quarantine. To prevent a rise in cases, travelers will have to download the tracing app, Rakning C-19. Officials can use the technology to contact visitors about their results; the app also helps investigators pinpoint the source of infection and identify individuals who may have been exposed to the virus. About 40 percent of the country's population of 364,000 has downloaded the app. The ministry said the app will not misuse an individual's personal information: "The app has been developed following the strictest privacy standards, with location data stored locally on the user's device unless released for tracing purposes in case of an infection." The country will not place any restrictions on healthy travelers beyond its commonly practiced safeguards. The ministry said the government will likely loosen limits on gatherings from a maximum of 50 people to 200 participants. Patrons at restaurants and other public places must stay about 6 feet apart. Most hotels and attractions are open, or will soon open. The Blue Lagoon's website said the geothermal pool will remain closed until May 26. For now, airlines are offering limited service from the United States to Iceland. Icelandair is departing only from Boston Logan International Airport but plans to release its summer schedule, including flights from Washington Dulles, in the near future. "The country is opening, and we are excited to welcome tourists," said Michael Raucheisen, an airline spokesman. "We will have a more comprehensive schedule soon, but it will be a significant reduction from what was anticipated." Australia is leading the world in coronavirus tests, conducting more than one million since the outbreak began, helping it to smash the deadly virus' infection rate. The country's widespread, and free, testing has been a cornerstone of its remarkable fight against COVID-19, which has killed more than 300,000 people worldwide. Deputy chief medical officer, Professor Michael Kidd, confirmed that as of 3pm on Saturday, Australia had administered 1,015,652 tests. If a resident is concerned about having the coronavirus, they can go to any public testing centre and be seen without charge. In New South Wales and Western Australia, even those not eligible for Medicare can get the test for free. But he warned the public not to be complacent as restrictions are lifted, saying the risk remained 'significant'. A man is seen being tested by a nurse at Sydney's St George Hospital on Saturday (pictured), with more than one million coronavirus tests having been conducted across Australia Friends are seen catching up in Brisbane on Saturday (pictured) after some coronavirus restrictions were eased 'The pandemic is not over. The risk to vulnerable people remains significant,' he told reporters in Canberra on Saturday. 'With restrictions being relaxed we still need to be vigilant. 'It's essential that we all continue to do our part. 'What we hope is the measures we have in place in Australia will not result in a resurgence in COVID-19.' He also revealed that 5.7 million Australians had downloaded the COVIDSafe tracing app so far, heralded as the country's way out of the last restrictions. The government has set a target of 10 million people downloading the app, which is 40 per cent of the population. Victoria has ramped up its testing, including at drive through centres such as this one at Highpoint shopping centre (pictured on May 4) Cafes, public parks and playgrounds also buzzed with activity as Queenslanders headed outside to embrace the sunshine (pictured in Brisbane on Saturday) The Department of Health confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that it believes there are around 16 million adult smartphone users, which are its target population for the app. HOW HAS AUSTRALIA BEATEN COVID-19? Australia's infection rates are in stark contrast to those in many other G20 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy and Spain. Australian health experts say the infection rate has been steadied due to several factors: - Widespread testing - The tracing of carriers - Self-isolation of those at risk - Strictly-enforced social distancing - Quick restrictions on travel - An early ban on travel from China - The isolation of all Australian arrivals The first case of COVID-19 infection in Australia - a Chinese citizen who had arrived from Guangzhou on January 19 - was reported in Melbourne on January 25. Six days later Australia banned the entry of foreign nationals from China and ordered citizens returning from that country to self-isolate for 14 days. That rule was further extended to anyone entering the country on March 15. Prime Minister Scott Morrison then took the decision to close the country's borders on Friday March 20. Advertisement 'The broad uptake of the app across the community will increase the ability of state and territory public health authorities to efficiently and accurately find close contacts if a user tests positive for COVID-19,' a spokesman said. 'The use of the app by as high a proportion of the population as possible will complement and accelerate the existing manual processes to contact people exposed to COVID-19.' Australians are enjoying the benefits of restrictions being gradually lifted across the nation - a reward for enduring weeks of curbs that have helped limit virus' spread. But the repeated message from health authorities is to approach these new found freedoms with care for fear of sparking a second wave of the disease. States and territories have begun the first stage of a three-stage process to lift restrictions on outdoor and indoor gatherings and business operations. Australians are able to sit in pubs, cafes and restaurants for the first time in weeks after isolation and social distancing measures kept the lid on infections and COVID-19 deaths. This is excluding those in Victoria, where no lifting of such restrictions has been announced. Australian Medical Association president Tony Bartone said there is still a risk the virus could flare up as hot spots or small outbreaks. Two women catching up over coffee and a meal at Crew in Burleigh Heads sat spaced metres away from a group of four (pictured on Saturday) after restrictions were lifted Friends are seen enjoying a birthday picnic at Milsons Point on Saturday (pictured), with outdoor gatherings of ten people now allowed in NSW CORONAVIRUS IN AUSTRALIA: LATEST STATS * Australia has recorded 7,037 cases, but only 674 remain active, while South Australia has reached a milestone of no active cases * The national death toll is 98 - 47 in NSW, 18 in Victoria, 13 in Tasmania, nine in Westeern Australia, Six in Queensland, four in South Australia and three in ACT (Two QLD residents who died in NSW have been included in both state's counts) * Two clusters in Victoria, at McDonalds and Cedar Meats, continue to push the state's infections higher with 11 new cases on Saturday * About 5.7 million of an estimated 16 million people have registered for the federal government's COVIDSafe tracing app since April 26 Advertisement 'If we do the wrong things, we risk undoing all the gains that we've made so far,' Dr Batone told ABC. 'So, the message is, yes, appreciate all the efforts, appreciate the opportunity to release some of those measures, but let's not have a party, let's not go to town.' He said people must still maintain social distancing, cough etiquette, washing hands regularly and staying away from others if they are unwell. 'Those messages are really the backbone as we progressively lift those restrictions,' he said. The number of cases in Australia now stand at 7037 after 20 new cases were reported over the past 24 hours. The death toll from the pandemic remains at 98, extremely low by international standards. The new cases included 11 in Victoria, including a further two infections connected to the west Melbourne abattoir cluster, which now stands at 98. A group of women dressed up to celebrate a birthday with a picnic spread in New Farm Park in Brisbane (pictured on Saturday) as restrictions were lifted Women are seen training in Rushcutters Bay in Sydney on Friday (pictured) as restrictions were eased across NSW 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 Elsewhere, a McDonald's restaurant in the north Melbourne suburb of Fawkner has recorded an additional case, with the outlet's cluster growing to 11. There was only one new case in Queensland, while 193 people have been tested for COVID-19 at the North Rockhampton Nursing Centre after a nurse working at an aged care facility was diagnosed with the disease on Friday. All tested negative, including 114 residents. In NSW there were three new cases, while Tasmania recorded its first case in a week, a 70-year old man who was on the ill-fated Ruby Princes cruise ship. The national cabinet met on Friday and endorsed a $48.1 million mental health response plan that is set to roll out in coming months, including research and support services. Prof Kidd recognised that many people are enduring 'anxiety and stress and fear' as a result of the pandemic Alex Whitehead (pictured, left), Willem Stewart (centre) and Jack Keegan (right) are seen playing a game in New Farm Park in Brisbane on Saturday A woman is seen getting testing for coronavirus at a special clinic at St George Hospital in Sydney on Friday (pictured) 'Many people are experiencing very significant financial stress due to job losses, many people are feeling very lonely and isolated, separated from family members and loved ones in other parts of the country,' he said. NSW diners welcomed a taste of normality as they return to their favourite restaurants and bars, but Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned COVID-19 case numbers will inevitably rise in the state in the coming weeks. Outdoor gatherings of up to ten people are permitted from Friday and up to five people, including children, can visit another NSW household. Religious gatherings and places of worship can welcome up to ten people, while restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs can have up to ten patrons so long as they maintain social distancing. Fitness fans in Brisbane on Saturday (pictured) after restrictions were lifted, but widespread testing it still underway Staff are seen wiping down a waiting room at a COVID-19 assessment clinic on Friday in St George Hospital, Sydney (pictured) BL Burgers in Newtown welcomed its first diners on Friday with manager Eilidh McGuire saying customers were in the store 'from the second we opened'. 'It hasn't been too difficult to manage so far, I think the rain has slightly held it off, but we've had people coming saying can we sit with four ... that's the bit we have to be extra careful, not having people sit too close together,' Ms McGuire told AAP. At The Rio bar in Summer Hill, operational manager Fabrizio Culici said pouring the first beer - into a glass pint - had felt 'phenomenal'. 'We just hope that it keeps going, hope that this is certainly not going to be a short-lived thing and we go back to deliveries, because it's going to be very hard to survive if that happens,' Mr Culici told AAP. Local Shannah Baichoo was among the first to return to the reopened bar, with her and her husband resuming what was once a regular Friday night ritual. Hand sanitiser was set up at a nail bar in Brisbane on Saturday (pictured) as they reopened 'It's like a signifier of life becoming normal again,' she said. Ms Berejiklian on Friday warned NSW residents an increase in COVID-19 cases was likely, but said authorities would only be really concerned if numbers grew exponentially. 'I won't be standing here in the next few weeks talking about eight, nine or ten (cases) - I don't know what I'll be saying, but it certainly won't be a handful,' the premier told reporters. 'That's OK, so long as we ensure the vulnerable are protected, so long as we ensure people can get the healthcare they need.' Ms Berejiklian acknowledged that lifting restrictions overseas - such as in South Korea and Singapore - had resulted in fresh virus outbreaks. Diners stared out towards the beach as cafes reopened this weekend (pictured, Surfers Paradise on Saturday) The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, has asked all Chief Judges both at the federal and state levels to take urgent measures towards the speedy trial of cases and decongestion of prisons across the country, as Nigeria still battles increasing Coronavirus cases. In a circular issued today May 15, Justice Muhammad in his capacity as the Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), directed the Chief Judges to ensure that criminal cases were speedily attended to, while they are also required to visit prisons within their jurisdictions. The CJN, who regretted the large number of awaiting trial inmates in prisons, said it has become imperative for the judges to embark on immediate visit to all custodial/correctional centers within their respective states to identify and release deserving inmates, where that has not been done already. According to the CJN, this move is imperative as physical distancing and self-isolation in such confined places as the prison is impossible. Part of the statement reads From available records, population at various custodial centers across the country presently stands at about 74, 127 out of which 52, 226 are Awaiting Trial Persons (ATPs). Most of these custodial centers are presently housing inmates beyond their capacities He asked the judges to consider the conditional or unconditional release of Awaiting Trial Persons who have spent six years or more in custody, ATPs who have no confirmed criminal cases against them, aged inmates and those that are terminally ill. In the third tranche of a financial package, the government unveiled on Friday a mix of financial, legislative and reform measures primarily focused on the farm sector. The Rs 1.63-lakh-crore package attempts to free up agriculture markets and improve farm incomes. Meanwhile, coronavirus disease cases in India surpassed Chinas tally, but experts pointed out that the infection has so far proved to be deadlier in the neighbouring country. Sops, reforms for farmers in third tranche of govt aid Finance minister Nirmala Sitharamans announcements on Friday aimed largely at increasing the pricing power of farmers or share of profits in farm incomes did not contain any direct cash transfer programme for farmers, or money in hand, but is a mix of new allocations and top-up to existing agriculturally critical schemes, some of them announced in Budget 2020-21 in February. Read More India goes past China in Covid cases but with lower rate of fatalities The number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in India on Friday crossed the total count of infections in China. The Covid-19 cases in the country rose to 85,709 on Friday, according to HTs dashboard, with 2,680 people having died so far of the respiratory illness. China has so far reported 82,933 Covid-19 cases, 4,633 of whom have died of the disease. Read More How can we stop migrants from walking, asks SC as it nixes plea The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain an application that sought a direction to the Union government to identify stranded migrant workers, take care of their needs, and provide free transport to them, with one of the judges on the bench remarking, How can we stop them from walking. Read More 30 areas reporting most cases: Centre Thirty municipal areas account for 79% of Indias coronavirus disease (Covid-19) caseload, but the country has done better than others in terms of reducing the fatality rate, the government said on Friday. Read More SC defers summer vacation till Jun 19 to make up for time lost The Supreme Court on Friday deferred its summer vacation till June 19 to make up for the loss of working hours due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) lockdown, which has forced it to hold hearings of important cases via videoconferencing since March 23. Read More States look to ease curbs, restart interstate travel in lockdown 4.0 Several states on Friday submitted their proposals for Covid-19 lockdown 4.0, asking the Centre to allow interstate travel, easier movement in non-containment zones and sectors like tourism and hospitality to restart work to revive the economy, multiple officials said. Read More Need to wait on resuming air travel: Niti Aayog member India needs to wait for flights to resume because the air that circulates inside the planes pressurised cabin may be conducive to the spread of the coronavirus disease, Dr Vinod Paul, a Niti Aayog member who is head of the governments team to combat Covid-19, said on Friday. Read More World Bank gives $1 billion to India to aid social safety The World Bank on Friday announced a US$1-billion Accelerating Indias COVID-19 Social Protection Response Programme, aimed at integrating Indias 400-plus fragmented social-security programmes for migrant workers hit by the outbreak, part of an initiative that seeks to rebalance access to safety nets between rural and urban India. Read More Humans can pass infection to animals, shows research Two dogs who were reported to have contracted the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) recently likely got the infection from their owners, according to a new research paper that analysed cases in animals in Hong Kong. An analysis of viral genetic sequences from the dogs showed them to be identical to those in the infected people, an article on the findings said. Read More TN veggie market cluster pushes state tally past 10k As Tamil Nadu crossed 10,000 cases on Friday the first case, a 45-year-old man with a travel history to Oman, was detected in early March a wholesale market of fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers in Chennai became the latest warzone for the administration battling the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Read More The office is dead; long live the office Work from home (WFH) is the new mantra partly because it is safe and convenient, the most important things right now; and partly because it could mean lower real estate costs for companies struggling to cope with what the pandemic and the lockdown have done to their business. Read More China firmly denies covering up outbreak, delaying action China said it did not know until January 19 how infectious the coronavirus is, pushing back against accusations that it intentionally withheld information about the severity of the outbreak in Wuhan from the world. Read More Wuhan starts ambitious drive to test its millions Some eight million residents of Wuhan, the Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged late last year, are undergoing the worlds largest mass testing for Covid-19. The campaign to test millions is being closely watched by countries all over the world because of its scale and feasibility. Read More If there are no crowds, will I be waving the flag alone? Sudhir Kumar Gautam is Indians most recognisable cricket fan. Now he is under quarantine at home, and the subject of attention he does not care for. He believes he will be inside the stadium when Team India play their first post-pandemic match, and his conch will announce the return of cricket. But he has a different worry. What is it? Read More Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Qasim Rafiq and Martina Micheletti (The Jakarta Post) London Sat, May 16, 2020 12:04 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd87465d 3 Science & Tech The-Conversation,SARS-CoV-2,COVID-19,vaccine,coronavirus,Research-and-Development,Science,pharmaceutical-industry Free There are 102 candidate vaccines being explored as a means of ending the COVID-19 pandemic, as of April 30. Eight of these have already made it to clinical trials in humans, and another 94 are in the pre-clinical evaluation stage. These candidates also fall into eight different categories of vaccine development strategy that are being explored. While it still doesnt guarantee success, this is in effect the biological equivalent of hedging our bets in the hope that one of the strategies will pay off. But if and when a successful vaccine is found, we still have to manufacture enough of it to immunize huge numbers of people all around the world. And how long this will take, and what is involved, will depend on which strategy is found to work, because different vaccines are made in different ways. Despite arguments about lack of preparedness concerning PPE and testing, the UK has been on the front foot when it comes to identifying suitable candidate vaccines. It is leading the charge to ramp up production, having invested more than any other country in doing so, according to the health secretary, Matt Hancock. The UKs two leading candidate vaccines, being developed by the University of Oxford and Imperial College London respectively, both use very different approaches that were already under investigation in the lab for other diseases. Oxfords candidate, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, uses a genetically modified chimpanzee adenovirus as a vector to carry the genetic sequence of a protein from the COVID-19 coronavirus to the human body. The body can then learn to recognize the coronavirus and start producing antibodies to fight it. This is the same technique the team previously developed for the closely related Mers coronavirus, which showed promise in animal and early-stage human testing. The Imperial candidate, in contrast, is whats known as a self-amplifying RNA vaccine. It is designed to induce muscle cells to produce the coronavirus protein, which then stimulates the immune system to produce the antibodies. Usually vaccine development takes years, but human clinical trials for the Oxford vaccine candidate are underway, just three months after the genetic sequence of the coronavirus was released for study. This is thanks to a specialist adenovirus manufacturing platform adapted as part of work by the EPSRC UCL-Oxford Future Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub (Vax Hub), as well as next-generation gene sequencing methods that have enabled the team to proceed at breakneck speed. Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has announced it will develop, manufacture and distribute the vaccine (if its successful) around the world. But to do this, it will need to find a way to scale up production without critically affecting the supply of other vital vaccines. Global manufacturing facilities are adept at producing millions of vaccine doses against influenza, measles and polio. They have strategies in place to step up production at times of increased demand, such as for the annual winter flu season. But we are in unprecedented times, and the global demand for a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine will be on a scale never before seen, likely resulting in key production and distribution bottlenecks. Vaccine production requires complex manufacturing processes involving the production of living organisms that, in turn, generate the genetically-modified virus on which the vaccine is based. And we must get the manufacturing right. These vaccines will be administered to healthy people to generate immunity to the virus. Any faults would risk their safety and a long-term loss of public confidence. But there is cause for cautious optimism. As we await the clinical trial outcomes for the Oxford vaccine, behind the scenes there has been a flurry of activity to adapt existing manufacturing technologies and processes to make the adenovirus vector it relies on. Alongside AstraZeneca, established UK-based viral vector production companies such as Oxford Biomedica and Cobra Biologics have adapted their manufacturing sites. The UK government has launched a vaccine taskforce to coordinate scale-up efforts, funded a 14 million industry-led vaccine manufacturing group and fast-tracked a 65 million Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC). Vaccine manufacturing process The manufacturing process for the Oxford vaccine will begin by encoding the coronavirus surface protein into the adenovirus vector. Producer cells, usually human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells, will then be used as mini-factories to produce the vector particles. The producer cells will be grown at scale in a bioreactor, a vessel that tightly controls the environmental conditions to optimize cell growth. The cells will then be put through a series of steps to purify and concentrate the final adenovirus vector, including filtration and centrifugation (spinning it very fast in order to separate different particles). Finally, the solution will be formulated into a usable product and kept stable by storing it between 2C and 8C. However, the final concentration of the solution can vary significantly, and it is the lack of an effective manufacturing process to resolve this problem that limits current production on a mass scale. This will be the significant challenge AstraZeneca will face in translating the lab-based Oxford process to something akin to industrial manufacturing. Importantly, the groundwork for this has already been established by UK engineers and scientists. Sustained, flexible research funding for vaccine manufacture will be critical to mitigate the impact of this coronavirus and prepare for future outbreaks. Of course, all these efforts will only come into play if the Oxford vaccine (or potentially another in the same category) is found to work. Other vaccine candidates, such as that being developed by Imperial, will require a substantially different manufacturing process. In these unprecedented times, the worlds vaccine experts will have to work with unprecedented speed and innovation to deliver a way to save potentially millions of lives and start returning society to normal. *** Qasim Rafiq is Associate Professor of Cell and Gene Therapy Bioprocess Engineering, UCL. Martina Micheletti is Professor of Bioprocess Fluid Dynamics, co-Director of the Future Vaccine Manufacturing Hub, UCL. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Saturday said both the Centre and the state government had failed in their responsibility to send migrant labourers back to their home states. The former Maharashtra Chief Minister expressed his disappointment over the announcements made by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman regarding the Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package. If the economy needs to be brought back on track, the government has to increase people's spending capacity, but unfortunately, in the package, there was little emphasis on spending, he said in an online press conference. Speaking about the exodus of migrant labourers from the state, Chavan said, "I think both the Centre and the state government have made a big mistake by treating migrants this way. It was our human responsibility to send them back to their states and we have failed it completely." Money should have been spent in making arrangements for these migrants to be sent home, he added. Since the country was receiving aid from global financial institutions, these funds should be spent on strengthening the health sector, the senior Congress leader said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A suspect has been arrested in the killing of a woman found dead last year in the San Jacinto River, according to the Harris County Sheriffs Office. The body of Tera Rose Hoseck, 32, was found on April 15, 2019 floating in the water near the west riverbank adjacent to a vacant lot, according to deputies. Hosecks body appeared to have been there for several hours, investigators said. The woman was stabbed to death, according to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. Christopher Tate, 32, was arrested and charged with Hosebecks murder on Friday, more than a year after the womans death. Homicide investigators and deputies tried to conduct a traffic stop on Tate in the 3500 block of North Sam Houston Parkway, according to a statement from the sheriffs office. Tate fled the deputies and crashed his car after a brief chase, the sheriffs office said. Tate then ran to a nearby Holiday Inn that was under construction, deputies said. Workers were evacuated from the building before a SWAT team was deployed at the site to search for Tate. After a few hours, deputies said Tate was found in the building and was apprehended. The motive in the killing of Hoseck is still under investigation, according to the sheriffs office statement. hannah.dellinger@chron.com San Antonians have done an extraordinary job working with city and county leaders to reduce the effects of the coronavirus in our area. As a result, San Antonio, the seventh-largest city in the nation with 1.5 million people, and surrounding Bexar County have recorded, as of this writing, 62 deaths attributable to COVID-19, the lowest among the 10 largest cities in the nation. We have learned some things about our community over the past few months. First, we are far more interdependent than we understood. So many things are interrelated in our city, linking together people at every level of the societal pyramid. When people are laid off because tourism shuts down, they cannot pay rent; soon the owners of the rental properties cannot make their mortgage payments; banks must then record nonperforming loans to bank examiners assessing the condition of banks; in turn, our financial system is endangered. The point is that in ordinary times, we think of working people at the bottom of the pyramid and powerful, wealthy institutions at the top. But, it turns out, we are dependent on each other, from top to bottom, to keep our society functioning. In the years ahead, I hope we will remember how closely we are linked. Second, related to this, is the role of the people who have stayed on to work as we shut down our economy. In normal times, they are invisible and we tend to take them for granted; in times like these, we call them essential workers. But essential also means they are exposed to the virus more than those of us who stay safely at home. These are the people who process our food, transport it, and work in the grocery stores and takeout eateries so we all have enough to eat. They are the health workers, the doctors and nurses, but also the hospital orderlies, custodial workers, hazardous materials handlers and staffers. They are public safety personnel police, firemen, emergency medical technicians and security guards. To these we must add the bus drivers, mechanics, construction workers, cargo truck drivers, maintenance and repair workers, water and power technicians, gas station and store operators, and many others. We have found symbolic ways to thank them, but it will be important to act on the ultimate acts of respect and appreciation: understanding their wage needs and working conditions as the emergency passes. Third, we have heard for years that for many Americans, poverty is as close as missing one paycheck. We saw what that looks like in San Antonio in the lines at our Food Bank, which has done an outstanding, heroic job. When this is over, we will have a lot of work to do to regain our citys momentum, but I would recommend that Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Judge Nelson Wolff consider bringing together all the key organizational leaders who drive our anti-poverty agenda to reimagine, reorganize and reinvigorate a 21st-century attack on the pernicious poverty that holds our city back. We have deployed a lot of resources and have engaged many organizations, but we tend to be uncoordinated and too often ineffective. The first step has to be a consensus concerning precisely the kinds of poverty we confront: Is it low wages because of inadequate training? Is it low incomes because of health disabilities? Is it intergenerational poverty and unstable ladders of upward mobility? Is it new arrivals with low skills pulling down wages? Is it the structure of jobs and firms in our economic base? Is it continuing discrimination and low expectations? Is it a mix of all of the above? We need to come to a post-COVID-19 consensus and target our efforts with renewed energy and effectiveness. COVID-19 pulled the scab off our societal arrangements, and the wound is too glaring to ignore. We have a lot to work with as we go forward. On the plus side, we are a growing city of opportunities. We showed we can be resilient and action-oriented, and we have a culture of cooperation that other cities envy the so-called San Antonio way. It is not majority and minority; it is not radical left and reactionary right; it is not Anglo, Tejano, African American or other heritages. It is the San Antonio way. Our people recognize it and miss it when they go elsewhere. So lets put the San Antonio way to work to build a post-COVID-19 future. I read recently that during the blitz of London in World War II, Winston Churchill sought the help of the United States as a Nazi invasion of Britain seemed inevitable. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent one of his most trusted advisers, Harry Hopkins, to London to bring a personal recommendation. Hopkins toured bombed-out neighborhoods and burned-out buildings. On the last night of his visit, Churchill orchestrated a chance for Hopkins to speak at a working dinner to gauge his reaction and commitment. Hopkins hesitated, choked up and then quoted the Book of Ruth: Whither thou goest, I will go. And where thou lodgest, I will lodge; Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God, even to the end. That is the spirit I detect in my fellow San Antonians today. We can do this! We will do this! Henry Cisneros served as secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton and is a former mayor of San Antonio. Captain Amarinder Singh Chandigarh: Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday directed the Police department to crack down on all kinds of liquor smuggling, bootlegging and illicit distillation of liquor to protect the cash-strapped state from incurring any revenue losses due to such activities. Punjab Chief Minister Captain AmarinderThe Chief Minister has ordered immediate action to be initiated against DSPs of Sub-Divisions and the SHOs in whose areas such activity is seen taking place, and strict proceedings against any government officer/official found negligent or supporting any illegal activity in any manner relating to distillation/smuggling/distribution of liquor etc. Advertisement On the directives of the Chief Minister, DGP Dinkar Gupta has issued necessary directives to all CPs and SSPs in the state to identify liquor smugglers/suppliers/bootleggers, district-wise and police station wise, by May 23. The officers have been asked to take all possible legal action against all such persons, including under the relevant provisions of the Disaster Management and Epidemics Act etc. The DGP said that the Chief Minister has made it clear that due to acute economic and financial stress all over the world and India, arising out of the curfew/lockdown to contain the spread of Covid, the state government needs to mobilize all possible revenue. Thus it cannot afford any loss of revenue on account of smuggling of liquor from outside the State, or on account of illicit distillation of liquor or bootlegging, he said. DGP Dinkar Gupta Advertisement In pursuance of the Chief Ministers orders, the CPs and SSPs have been asked to put the SHOs of all Police Stations, especially the bordering Police Stations on notice, and direct them to ensure that no smuggling of liquor into Punjab takes place. The DGP warned that in case of failure to do so, the concerned SHO will be shifted out, and necessary departmental action taken against him as well as the defaulters. Any government officer/official found supporting any illegal activity relating to distillation/smuggling/distribution of liquor etc. shall be proceeded against very strongly, as directed by the Chief Minister, he added. The DGP has directed the CPs and SSPs to have a VC meeting with their DSPs of Sub-divisions and SHOs to make it absolutely clear that if any illegal liquor factory is found operational in his area of jurisdiction, as in Khanna and Rajpura recently, he will be liable to be shifted out and legal/departmental action initiated against him. He will also become ineligible for SHO and public dealing postings in the future. All CPs and SSPs have further been asked to monitor inter-state smuggling of liquor on a daily basis. All CPs and IGP/DIG Ranges will send a Monthly Report, along with a DO letter, on the achievements of the districts falling in their jurisdiction in this regard, to ADGP Law & Order by 5th of every month, without fail, said the DGP. Advertisement All CPs and SSPs have also been directed to remain in touch with the Excise Department officers and also the contractors for feedback, and to ensure sustained and focused efforts against drug smugglers/suppliers/distillers etc. Any failure in this regard would be viewed very seriously, warned the DGP. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16) President Rodrigo Duterte left Malacanang early on Saturday to fly home to Davao City on the first day of relaxed quarantine restrictions. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed this to CNN Philippines in a text message. He said Duterte traveled at midnight, but did not elaborate. Duterte had stayed in Malacanang since March following the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis. He went through self-quarantine after confirmed cases of coronavirus infection among several government officials he had interacted with, but he himself had tested negative for the viral illness. On the first week of April, Duterte was supposed to return to Davao City to be with his family for Holy Week and for the birthday of his youngest daughter, Kitty Duterte. The Palace did not specify why the President changed his mind, but stressed that he would continue working in Malacanang instead. During that time, Metro Manila was under enhanced community quarantine, which required most people to stay home, except for frontliners and workers offering essential services. On Saturday, the capital region transitioned to a modified enhanced community quarantine, where more businesses are allowed to reopen but mass transportation remains suspended. Also under MECQ until the end of May are the provinces of Laguna, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Zambales. Meanwhile, a stricter ECQ is in place in Cebu City and Mandaue City. Much of the country, including Davao City, is under a more relaxed general community quarantine where adults from age 22 to 59 can go out and public transport resumes subject to social distancing and other safety protocols. READ: What daily life would be like in areas under modified ECQ, GCQ The Philippines now has more than 12,000 coronavirus cases, a number that is expected to rise further amid efforts to expand the country's diagnostic capacity. Uygur bill damages worst-in-decades bilateral ties, triggers countermeasures on anti-China politicians: experts Global Times By Liu Xin, Xie Wenting and Fan Lingzhi Source:Global Times Published: 2020/5/15 20:46:47 COVID-19-inflicted US mocked for Uygur bill, 'cares' more for Xinjiang than American lives Chinese and overseas experts and residents of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region firmly opposed the US Senate passage of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020, which accuses China of detaining Muslims and threatens to impose sanctions. They said that instead of clearing its own mess of failing to control the COVID-19 in the US, US politicians are eager to push anti-China acts. The US is pushing the Uygur bill at a worst moment when the China-US ties are at low ebb and leave little room for mistakes. And it may cause a more destructive result to bilateral ties. The Senate on Thursday afternoon approved the Uygur human rights bill to sanction Chinese government officials responsible for "forced labor camps" in Xinjiang and "recommends a tougher response to the human rights abuses," CNN reported on Thursday. This is the US' latest shot at China as US President Donald Trump, officials and politicians have accused China for the COVID-19 pandemic and are busy seeking opportunities to put pressure on China in many fields. The bill, which is full of groundless accusations and lies, only aims to smear China and scramble for the right to speak on human rights and use this as an excuse to slander China, Qian Jinyu, executive dean of the Human Rights Institution of Northwest University of Political Science and Law in Shaanxi Province, told the Global Times. US politicians choosing to speed up passage of the bill at this time also shows they don't care about people in Xinjiang - their purpose has always been and will always be to serve US policies against China, Qian said. Residents in Xinjiang reached by the Global Times said "when so many people in the US died from the coronavirus, US politicians continue to divert attention to hype Xinjiang issues. It seems Xinjiang people's lives are more valuable than Americans!" They said that instead of caring for nonsense from the "US clowns," all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are busy working on poverty alleviation work and making efforts for a better life. "See how we controlled the COVID-19? Isn't it enough to make our point by comparing the death toll of COVID-19 in Xinjiang and in the US?" a resident surnamed Li, told the Global Times. Muhammad Zamir Assadi, a journalist from Independent News Pakistan, told the Global Times on Friday that "the international community knows the enemy of mankind is the virus. But unfortunately, the US is still trying to destabilize this unity by using the noble excuse of saving humanity." The US Senate should focus on the shortage of medical equipment, which is costing hundreds of lives in the US on a daily basis. It is time for the US to decide whether they wish to save American people's lives or make baseless accusations against China, he said. Pressuring China China will hold its most important political events - the plenary session of the National People's Congress and the annual session of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference - starting May 21, and experts said the Senate bill is also aimed at disturbing China. Zhu Ying, deputy director of the Human Rights Institute at Southwest University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times that to help the Trump administration's recent China-blame farce, the Republicans would do everything to push for more anti-China bills. This includes the Tibet bill, Taipei act and the China sanction bill over COVID-19. Predrag Markovic, director of the Institute for Contemporary History in Serbia and vice president of the Socialist Party of Serbia, told the Global Times on Friday the most recent Uygur bill is only part of a broader propaganda offensive against China. During the 1990s, propaganda "bombs" had been used against Serbia. Then came real bombs and destruction. Fortunately, the scenario will not repeat today. "For benevolent China, such accusations are annoying, just like mosquito bites for a mighty tiger," Markovic said. Markovic paid a visit to Xinjiang in September 2019 during which he visited a vocational education and training center, religious institutes and local markets in Kashi. He told the Global Times that he has seen efforts to turn Xinjiang into a modern and prosperous society. "I wonder if the US has ever offered such a chance for a new life to Muslim extremists around the world. Americans have only destroyed many Muslim societies," he said. Zhu said that the House and Senate have reached consensus in speeding up the passage of the bill, as long as they can collect enough signatures from senators. It is highly possible that Trump would sign the bill since he is also desperate to divert public attention from his failure in dealing with the COVID-19. Senator Marco Rubio, who sponsored the Uygur bill, tweeted on Thursday that the bill now "heads to the House which I hope can pass it as soon as tomorrow" so Trump can sign it into law. The US Senate first passed the bill in September 2019, but the House amended it to restrict the export of devices that could be used to spy on or restrict the communications or movement of members of the group and other Chinese citizens, Bloomberg reported. Compared to the September version, the December version deleted many testimonies, which had been debunked by Chinese authorities. In the version passed on Thursday, the Senate stripped the export restriction from the December version and the House must clear it before it goes to Trump for his signature or veto. Zhu told the Global Times the Senate took the export restriction away since it would seriously affect the industrial chain and interests of the US and its allies, including some Muslim countries, Australia and Canada. Experts from the US Department of Commerce also opposed this part during the hearings. Wang Jiang, an expert on law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that the export restriction mainly targets electronic products for security and protection, including drones and cameras. The US attempted to limit the export of products and technologies used in counter-terrorism to China. But China has developed domestic technologies in these fields. The export restriction is meaningless. Wang noted that the US relies more on China's products on security and protection. For example, the US 2019 National Defense Authorization Act required Federal agencies not to use any telecommunication facilities or services from China, but until the act was enacted, there were still many products made in China being used. Experts in the US also said that it is impossible to replace or remove all of them. The export restriction was also stripped because it would lead to a shortage of security and protection facilities in the US, Wang said. Erkin Oncan, a Turkish journalist, told the Global Times that any accusation made for political reasons will have to be withdrawn or changed when it collides with the facts. It is also necessary to study every US move on this issue as a setting for the next attack. Destroying global counter-terrorism work Chinese authorities and the Xinjiang regional government have made preparations for US' interference, including completing the National Security Law and Anti-Terrorism Law and other related nation-level and region-level laws, offering protection to companies and individuals in Xinjiang that may be affected by the bill, experts said. Chinese authorities could also take countermeasures to punish US politicians who had been actively pushing anti-China bills in accordance with the National Security Law and Anti-Terrorism Law, including restricting businesses related to them in China, experts said. Zhu said that the Uygur bill, once enacted, will be the US' first law that interferes in China's policies in Xinjiang and severely infringes upon China's domestic affairs. The US would use it and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, as well as acts on human rights and religion freedoms, to add fuel to trade frictions with China. They may also affect the international cooperation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. China-US ties are fragile, and the passing of the Uygur bill at this time is like adding fuel to the fire. The US has criticized China for being "nationalist" and "not hot-headed." But it is the US who needs to reflect for causing a major setback in bilateral ties, Wang said. "What I worry the most is that it will destroy previous achievements and cooperation on counter-terrorism and security affairs between the two countries after the 9/11 tragedy," Wang said. China's counter-terrorism work in Xinjiang has contributed to the global work and what the US has done strikes a blow to global counter-terrorism cooperation, Wang noted. Zhu said the bill would also send a wrong signal to Xinjiang separatists in the US and severely violate the human rights of overseas Uygurs, since they may be forced by the US to offer information. The World Uyghur Congress, a US-backed network which seeks the fall of the Chinese government, hailed the passage of the bill and claimed "this is one more victory for the Uyghur community." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A worker disinfects the Tempio Maggiore di Roma, a synagogue in Rome, Italy, ahead of the return of religious services. Roberto Monaldo/LaPresse via AP Italy announced on Saturday that international travel would be allowed again from June 3. The country is emerging from a serious lockdown after one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the world. At first, it is possible that only Europeans will be able to visit, as the EU is asking member states to keep their borders closed to non-Europeans until June 15. Italian media reported that the government is keen to restart the country's hard-hit tourism sector in time for the summer. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Italy has announced that it will allow international travel to and from the country on June 3, as the country continues to re-open after its harrowing experience of the coronavirus pandemic. According to Italy's La Repubblica newspaper, Italy's government wants to allow its valuable tourism sector to operate over the summer. June 3 will also bring an end to the requirement that inbound travelers quarantine themselves for 14 days. People wearing face masks arrive at the Cadorna railway station on May 4, 2020. Flavio Lo Scaldo/Reuters However, international access may initially be limited to visitors from within Europe. The European Union has asked member states to keep the bloc's external borders closed until June 15, though the proposal has yet to be formally agreed. Italy was the first nation outside of eastern Asia to have a major coronavirus outbreak, and went into national lockdown on March 10. It has been gradually opening up since its cases began to subside from the start of May. Saturday brought another wave of announcements, including guidelines to reopen restaurants, gyms, swimming pools, hair salons, and allow access to beaches, albeit with restrictions in place. For instance, diners in restaurants will be permitted to sit indoors, but tables must be at least one meter apart. All buffets will be banned. Gyms can re-open, but anyone exercising must stay at least two meters away from others. Hair salons can operate, but with fewer customers, barriers in place, and mandatory temperature checks. Story continues Italy has experienced the third-worst virus outbreak in the world, after the US and UK, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. As of May 16, Italy had recorded more than 220,000 infections in total, and around 31,000 deaths. Read the original article on Business Insider When a deadly disease breaks out and threatens the world, countries are obliged to share laboratory samples and other information to help fight it, right? Wrong. In 2007, Indonesia refused to give the World Health Organisation samples of an H5N1 influenza strain from an outbreak in the country until it was guaranteed fair access to any vaccines created from the material. Welcome to the world of viral sovereignty. The ownership of pathogens and related data that emerge in one country is part of a long-standing debate that touches a colonial exploitative nerve: wealthy countries plundering the natural resources including biodiversity of poorer nations and profiting from it. With the coronavirus death toll nearing 300,000, the Covid-19 pandemic has revived the issue of whether countries can claim ownership of pathogens that have emerged within their borders, according to the authors of a paper published in the Policy Forum in Science magazine on Friday. The problem here is that the international community has failed to reach a consensus on what obligations, if any, countries have to share viruses and share genetic sequence data. That is an incredibly important public health good on the international stage, Dr Mark Eccleston-Turner, who co-authored the paper with Dr Alexandra Phelan, told the South China Morning Post. Indonesia is not the only country involved in the debate. In 2018, China withheld laboratory samples of the H7N9 bird flu, despite repeated requests from the United States and Britain to share the material, according to media reports. China disputed those reports. With the virus that causes Covid-19 first identified in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the cooperation spotlight is again on China, especially as the US has accused Beijing of concealing information about the outbreak, claims the Chinese authorities have angrily rejected. The genetic sequence data for the new coronavirus that causes Covid-19 was shared by Chinese researchers from Shanghais Fudan University on January 10 and two days later the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention submitted the sequence officially to the WHO. Story continues Researchers in several countries have noted that this was a quick turnaround, given that China first informed the WHO of the outbreak on December 31. But it was researchers in Australia who first sent a physical sample of the virus to the WHO and other laboratories after isolating it from a traveller from Wuhan at the end of January. Now scientists are concerned that the soured political atmosphere, combined with loopholes in existing international frameworks, could impede the sharing of genetic data and virus samples in the future. The term viral sovereignty was coined after Indonesia cited the Nagoya Protocol under the UNs Convention on Biological Diversity, a treaty on environmental conservation, as the basis for its sovereignty claim over viruses isolated in the country, according to Phelan, an adjunct professor in global and public health law at Georgetown University. The WHO tried to resolve the issue with the introduction of the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework in 2011, but the new rules affirmed sovereignty as a legal norm and imposed no direct legal ramifications for not sharing influenza viruses with the WHO. This framework also did not apply to Covid-19, Phelan said. Other rules like the WHOs International Health Regulations (IHR), require member states to notify the WHO within 24 hours of all relevant public health information on anything that may constitute a public health emergency of international concern. But those rules do not classify genetic sequence data as health information and physical pathogen samples are not regarded as health information either, according to the Science article. China ratified rules in 2019 to regulate the international transfer of human genetic materials, but lawyers in this field say that viral materials that do not include human genetic material are unlikely to fall under these rules. China did signal it will strengthen oversight of pathogens and other biological materials with the release of a draft biosecurity law last month. Katherine Wang, a Shanghai-based partner at Ropes & Gray who focuses on life science regulatory law, said that because the law was in draft form it was not yet clear how this would affect the sharing of pathogenic materials outside China. But it could make this process more complicated, as exports might need to go through a more complicated biosafety vetting process, Wang said. While the US has accused China of withholding virus samples, the US is also not party to the Convention on Biological Diversity or the Nagoya Protocol, which could have facilitated the transfer of such samples, according to the authors of the paper. Phelan added that the US allegations did not carry much weight because the genetic sequence data for the virus was shared by China. The reality of modern technologies, a lot of things that we need to find out from a sample, we can do on the basis of that genetic sequence data, she said. A Swiss laboratory says it has already been able to do just that. The lab says it has synthesised the new coronavirus genome using the publicly available genetic sequence, although there were difficulties in creating some fragments in the genome and it required a physical virus sample from a patient, according to paper by the Institute of Virology and Immunology in Bern. But whats at stake, other researchers say, is the scientific cooperation that allowed the sharing of influenza and Covid-19 data. The concern is that political tensions may jeopardise this work without the protection of a legal framework. Dr Gavin Smith, a professor from Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, is active in influenza surveillance, a process that includes researchers from all over the world uploading genetic sequences of viruses to repositories to help monitor potential outbreaks. Smith said there had been very open sharing of data in previous outbreaks such as H1N1 pandemic, Ebola and Zika and now with Sars-CoV-2, the official name for the virus that causes Covid-19. Respiratory viruses are not constrained by borders and theres just a moral obligation to be open about the sequence data that we have, he said. A lot of the data sharing is done by the scientists and the clinicians because thats naturally what we do. Dr Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, a professor of microbiology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, was one of the researchers to identify the origins of the 2009 H1N1 flu strain. He said he was concerned that political tensions could affect scientific collaboration. This pandemic looks like it is creating a lot of tension between different countries in the world that may actually put a strain on the ties that were already put together for having a global surveillance and a direct deposit of influenza virus sequences for everybody, he said. Garcia-Sastre said that if a country banned scientists from sharing pathogen data, scientific sharing would be at risk. This was not a problem now but it might happen, he said. This is why Smith in Singapore said that having a formalised agreement on sharing would be useful. Theres always the possibility, because governments change, that if an outbreak starts in a country where at the political level they dont want to share, and scientists might think were going to share this data anyway. I can see how it would be useful to have something like that formalised, he said. The authors of the Science article said a quicker solution might be to update the definition of public health information under the IHR to include genetic sequence data and pathogens during potential and actual public health emergencies of international concern. This approach might not require the regulations to be rewritten, said Eccleston-Turner. So we could have a situation where the WHO operates like a clearing house for viruses, and a clearing house for genetic sequence data, where all member states have to give all their virus samples. Additional reporting by Robert Delaney 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 Who owns a virus? Covid-19 reignites debate on viral sovereignty first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Joey Roulette (Reuters) Washington Sat, May 16, 2020 15:02 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd87f657 2 Science & Tech NASA,moon,star-trek,Star-Wars,space Free NASA on Friday set the stage for a global debate over the basic principles governing how humans will live and work on the moon, as it released the main tenets of an international pact for moon exploration called the Artemis Accords. The accords seek to establish 'safety zones' that would surround future moon bases to prevent what the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration called "harmful interference" from rival countries or companies operating in close proximity. They would also permit companies to own the lunar resources they mine, a crucial element in allowing NASA contractors to convert the moon's water ice for rocket fuel or mine lunar minerals to construct landing pads. The accords are a key part of NASA's effort to court allies around its plan to build a long-term presence on the lunar surface under its Artemis moon program. "What we're doing is we are implementing the Outer Space Treaty with the Artemis Accords," NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine told Reuters, referring to a 1967 international pact that emphasizes that space should be used for peaceful rather than military uses. The framework will be used as an incentive for nations to adhere to U.S. norms of behavior in space, he added. "It applies to low Earth orbit, it applies to the moon as well," Bridenstine said. The accords also require countries to adopt standards of the United Nations Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines which govern the prevention of hazardous space debris and the Registration Convention, which would require countries to provide orbital details of their "space objects." The US Congress passed a law in 2015 allowing companies to own the resources they mine in outer space, but no such laws exist in the international community. The Artemis Accords, consistent with the Trump administration's space policy, appear to clear the way for companies to mine the moon under international law and urge countries to enact similar national laws that would bind their private sector's space operations. "Why would private companies take the risk of going to mine resources if the legal situation was they could be kept from owning them?" Lori Garver, former deputy administrator of NASA, said to Reuters. "So anything this does to clear any of that up could really help advance progress in space development." Read also: NASA launches website with at-home activities amid quarantine China and Russia Reuters reported earlier this month that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump was drawing up the Artemis Accords. In response, Russia's space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin criticized Washington for excluding Russia from early negotiations over the space exploration pact, drawing parallels with US foreign policy in the Middle East. "The principle of invasion is the same, whether it be the Moon or Iraq. The creation of a 'coalition of the willing' is initiated," Rogozin wrote on Twitter. "Only Iraq or Afghanistan will come out of this." China said it was willing to cooperate with all parties on lunar exploration "to make a greater contribution in building a community with shared future for mankind," a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said in a statement faxed to Reuters. The safety zones while intended to encourage coordination have prompted questions on whether the accords align with the Outer Space Treaty, which states the moon and other celestial bodies are "not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means." The size of the safety zones would vary depending on the nature of the site they surround and would not constitute appropriation, Bridenstine said. They would follow the principle that "basically says I'm gonna stay out of your way, you're gonna stay out of my way, and we can all operate in this space," he added. However, there is a question over who determines the sizes of the safety zones, said Ram Jakhu, associate professor at McGill University's Institute of Air and Space Law in Canada. "Safety zones are necessary, but they can also be abused in a way that it may become appropriation." But Mike Gold, NASA's associate administrator for international relations, told Reuters the language on moon mining shouldn't worry other nations. "The principles that are being put forward here is nothing that we believe any responsible spacefaring nation would disagree with," he said. "Via the Artemis Accords, we hope that the future will look a lot more like "Star Trek," and a lot less like "Star Wars" by getting ahead of these issues," Gold said. Several state governments want complete shutdowns only in containment zones allowing space for the resumption of almost all activities, except large social gatherings and educational institutions, during lockdown 4.0. Officials in several states said the guidelines defining containment zones, a key guidance document for enforcing lockdown 4.0, would come by Saturday and it was likely to divide a district into red, orange and green zones, unlike the existing methodology of categorising an entire district as red, orange or green. Click here for full Covid-19 coverage Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on Monday, had said that the lockdown 4.0 will have a completely different form, with new rules. The current period of lockdownthe third since it was enforced on March 25is scheduled to end on Sunday. Heres what is likely to happen during lockdown 4.0: * It appears from the viewpoint expressed by government officials that states are likely to allow resumption of all industrial activities, offices and standalone markets from May 18 onwards. * Public transport including autos and taxis would resume with certain restrictions on number of passengers along with intra-district travel, except for the containment zones. Interstate travel may also be opened up but only for those with travel passes. * Permission is also likely to be given for all types of home delivery of goods, officials said. * Educational institutions will continue to remain closed with several states expected to declare summer holidays from May end or June. * Religious and political meetings are unlikely to be allowed for some more time apart from other activities that require or encourage mass gatherings or community participation including shopping in malls and other public places. * Marriages and funerals would be allowed with limited attendees, officials said. What states want: * Maharashtra, which has the maximum number of Covid cases, submitted its position to the Centre on extending the lockdown. The state is in favour of extension with more relaxations in less affected zones, so as to ensure economic activities resume gradually. State health minister Rajesh Tope said that the decision about red zones will be taken by May 18, but the state government is considering easing the lockdown in non-affected areas in red-zone districts too. Largely affected cities like Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nashik may also see relaxations in commercial operations. * Delhis chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has said markets, malls, public transport, including the Delhi Metro, and all offices should be allowed to open with reduced footfall and staggered operations. * Gujarat, which has the third highest number of Covid-19 cases, wants to resume all economic activity in all major urban centres except Ahmedabad, which accounts for states 70% cases. * Some states may have state specific relaxations, for example, the Karnataka government is in the favour of resuming inter-state travel with mandatory 14-day quarantine for travellers. * Even Rajasthan government favours inter-state travel. Kerala, however, wants inter-state travel only on the basis of a pass while Bihar and Jharkhand are opposed to inter-state travel of individuals and have requested the Centre for a guidance document. * Telangana, which has extended lockdown till May 29, is likely to announce more relaxations in sectors such as information technology and real estate. * Kerala wants resumption of metro services, local trains, domestic flights, restaurants and hotels to revive the tourism sector. * Karnataka may open restaurants, hotels and gymnasiums. Andhra Pradesh has proposed resumption of all activities except in containment areas. Both Himachal and Uttarakhand would allow hotels and resorts to open with limited capacity. * Tamil Nadu, another industrial state, plans to open all places except containment areas. * Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has asked for an extension of the lockdown, stating during the meeting with PM Modi that we must have strong lockdown. I will ensure a curfew. * Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha want to continue with stricter lockdown as their Covid-19 cases are increasing due to the return of migrant workers. Jharkhands rural development minister Alamgir Alam said the state will allow all standalone shops and will provide work to migrant workers, who have returned home. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 01:34:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Dana Halawi BEIRUT, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Ali Ashmar, a 25-year-old Lebanese man, caught the novel coronavirus in his village al-Hallousiye, some 10 km northeast of the coastal city of Tyre. The young man said his optimism gave him the power to overcome the social pressure toward the COVID-19 patients and finally survive the virus. "I was told by the doctor that I may have COVID-19 symptoms but I took his comment lightly. He was surprised not to see any fears on my face," Ashmar told Xinhua. Months earlier, Ashmar had already gone through a tough health problem which necessitated the implantation of bones in his leg. "What does not kill you makes you stronger," he said, referring to his favorite motto in life. "I now appreciate life much more and aim to make the most out of it." After spending 17 days at the hospital and another 14 days at home before he was assured of full recovery from the coronavirus, Ashmar was surprised to find people in his village were trying to stay away from him when he went out. "I laugh when people stay away from me. I understand their fears and I feel I want to help quieten their fears by speaking to them about my experience," he told Xinhua. However, what has really bothered Ashmar is that his father, an assistant to the owner of a vegetables shop, had to quit his job temporarily although his father's testing for COVID-19 turned out to be negative. "We have been facing tough economic conditions ... but we will eventually get over it like any other problems in life," Ashmar said. A key factor that helped Ashmar in his fight against COVID-19 is the support from doctors specialized in clinical psychology through an initiative launched by Hussein Hamieh, a postgradute in Clinical Psychology at the Lebanese University. "We wanted to remove the link between COVID-19 and death to encourage people to seek help and go through the infection phase and treatment smoothly with minimum psychological impact," Hamieh told Xinhua. Hamieh said his initiative, with the participation of 870 clinical psychologists, receives calls through municipalities, nongovernmental organizations, associations and hospitals all over the country from people in need of psychological help. "We are keen to intervene early to deal psychologically with infected people because psychological repercussions will be more serious after the person heals. Patients may develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)," Hamieh warned. The Lebanese health ministry has launched a strategy for psychological support but it has not yet come into full implementation. Enditem Dame Helen Mirren and David Walliams are offering fans the chance to win 15-minute video-calls with them to raise money for Barnardos. They have joined the childrens charity for its 15 Minutes With Fame prize draw, raising money to help continue its work during the coronavirus pandemic. Winners will be able to quiz Dame Helen about her life and work, or have comedian and childrens author Walliams read a bedtime story. They join previously announced names including Dame Emma Thompson, Russell Howard, Catherine Tate, Jamie Vardy and Lennie James. Dame Helen said: In partnership with Barnardos I am offering one of you the exclusive opportunity to join me for a Q&A over video conference, with all the money raised going towards their coronavirus appeal, helping them continue their vital work with the UKs most vulnerable children. You will have the chance to ask me a series of questions they could be about a role Ive played, about becoming an actor or actress or anything else that youve always wanted to ask about my work within reason of course! Just click the link to find out how to enter. I look forward to meeting you see you soon! Walliams said: Im working with Barnardos to give you the chance to have a special one-to-one video chat with me. Video of the Day Perhaps if you have children I could read them a bedtime story, or you can ask me questions or if you really want I can dance for you like a monkey! Barnardos chief executive Javed Khan said: The vulnerable children Barnardos supports need us now more than ever. Were working round the clock to adapt our vital services, so we can continue to help children and families whether face to face, on the phone or through an app. But we cannot do this alone, and with our shops closed and major events cancelled, were more reliant than ever on the generosity of our friends and supporters, as well as the British public. This is why Im so grateful to our fantastic ambassadors and supporters, and to everyone bidding for 15 Minutes With Fame. The funds raised will help make sure we can support vulnerable children through this crisis. Each entry to the draw costs 5 and all proceeds go to the Barnardos emergency appeal. More information is available at https://www.givergy.com/charity/barnardos. WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve said Friday that Wall Street remains vulnerable to another shock if the global pandemic takes an unexpected course putting renewed strains on the economy and the country's financial system. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - This Jan. 14, 2010, file photo, shoes The Federal Reserve Building in Washington Thursday,. The Federal Reserve says that parts of the U.S. financial system came under severe strain in March as a global pandemic was shutting down much of the economy. But quick action by the central bank helped alleviate many of the stresses. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve said Friday that Wall Street remains vulnerable to another shock if the global pandemic takes an unexpected course putting renewed strains on the economy and the country's financial system. The central bank said the financial system came under severe pressure in March as the pandemic shut down much of the economy and sent the markets plummeting. The Fed said its quick action helped alleviate many of the stresses but it cautioned that prices for stocks, bonds and other assets could fall further, depending on the course of the virus. Asset prices remain vulnerable to significant price declines should the pandemic take an unexpected course, the economic fallout prove more adverse or financial system strains re-emerge, the Fed said. The Feds assessment of the virus impact on the financial system came in a twice-a-year Financial Stability Report that the central bank issues to assess vulnerabilities in the financial system. The report also noted that corporate debt had risen to historically high levels even before the coronavirus hit the United States. The sharp economic contraction will make it harder for businesses and individuals to meet their loan obligations. While household debt is not as elevated as business debt, the loss of millions of jobs will mean that banks could face material losses if borrowers can't repay mortgages, auto loans and other consumer debt. The report said that stresses seen in March in various financial markets, such as short-term business loans known as commercial paper, had eased with the help of a number of emergency credit facilities the Fed created to deal with specific problems, similar to the help the central bank provided during the 2008 financial crisis. The Feds concern is that, while the billions of dollars it is supplying to keep credit, or liquidity, from drying up, the financial system could be hit by a wave of corporate or individual bankruptcies that could raise solvency concerns. The coronavirus crisis sent the country's unemployment rate surging to 14.7% in April, the highest level since the Great Depression of the 1930s. It has also triggered a sharp contraction in economic growth with analysts forecasting the economy could shrink at a record annual rate of 40% in the current quarter. The Trump administration is predicting a sharp rebound in the second half of the year but private forecasters are concerned that the country could struggle to emerge from the current downturn until a vaccine is widely available. The report said that reforms to the financial system adopted after the 2008 crisis had made banks and other institutions much better prepared to handle the current crisis, but risks still remained. 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. Financial sector vulnerabilities are likely to be significant in the near term, the report said. The strains on household and business balance sheets from the economic and financial shocks since March will likely create fragilities that last for some time. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned in a speech Wednesday that the U.S. economy would become stuck in a lengthy recession if Congress and the White House did not provide more aid to address the economy fallout. As part of the market turmoil earlier this year cited by the Fed, the report said that at least some hedge funds appeared to have been severely affected by the large drop in asset prices and increased volatility in February and March. The report said these problems appeared to be contributing factors to market dislocations. All told, the prospect for losses at financial institutions to create pressures over the medium term appears elevated, the report said. In a related development, the Fed and other federal bank regulators announced Friday they were temporarily modifying their regulation on how much leverage big banks with more than $250 billion in assets need to hold against the loans they make. The modifications, which will go into effect once the rule change is published in the Federal Register, will allow large banks to make more loans available to credit-worthy borrowers. The Fed said the looser requirements would remain in effect through March 31 of next year. Stephanie Browitt, 23, suffered third degree burns to 70 per cent of her body A survivor of the White Island volcano eruption who suffered burns to 70 per cent of her body has finally been reunited with her adorable pet dog Arlo. Stephanie Browitt, 23, from Melbourne, was with her father Paul and sister Krystal, 21, off the coast of Whakatane in New Zealand when the volcano erupted on December 9. After spending six months in hospital being treated for her third degree burns, Ms Browitt finally had her day leave approved and shared a heartwarming post to social media. 'So after nearly six months in hospital and definitely over six months since Ive seen my fur baby, I finally got approval for day leave,' she wrote on Instagram. 'On my beautiful babys 1st birthday!!! And to say I got the best welcome back hug and cuddles from my dog is honestly an understatement! 'Mum had to try and stop him from jumping on me so I wouldnt get clawed (she failed miserably and I honestly didnt care lol). 'But today couldnt have been any better and it felt amazing to be back in my home even if it was just for a day.' 'So after nearly six months in hospital and definitely over six months since Ive seen my fur baby, I finally got approval for day leave,' she wrote on Instagram On her day leave, Ms Browitt went back home in time for her pet dog's first birthday Krystal Browitt (left) and her sister Stephanie (right) are pictured together. Krystal did not survive the eruption on White Island The family of four were a group of 38 people on board the Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas cruise ship who went to tour the Bay of Plenty region It was about 2pm when Ms Browitt and her father first noticed some ash being spluttered into the sky on their way back to the boat. Her father encouraged Krystal to take a photo and that's when the group heard their tour guide Hayden yell out 'run', Ms Browitt told Four Corners. Before Ms Browitt could put her gas mask on she was hit by the blinding acidic ash cloud. '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,' she said. '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 was eventually able to make her way towards the water with a group of others who had been hit by the earthshaking 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 recalled. The White Island volcano eruption is pictured from above as a cloud of ash shoots into the sky A tour helicopter which had its rotors destroyed during White Island volcano eruption in New Zealand on December 9 The group of injured people were waiting over an hour for help to arrive and Ms Browitt would hear her father call out her name every 15 minutes to ensure she was alive. 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. Ms Browitt's father told the rescuers to take his daughter first. He stayed behind and eventually died four weeks later in hospital. To this day, Ms Browitt and her mother still don't know what happened to Krystal who's body has not yet been found. A White Island tour operator rescuing people from the island minutes after it erupted The families on board the cruise ship said they were not warned of any risks before traveling to the volcano site. They claim they were just given the tour book which had two lines about their visit to White Island. 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.' 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 Despite her horrific injuries, Ms Browitt 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.' 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.' "Inner Melbourne virtually sees all its population growth from overseas migrants. When overseas migrants come to Australia they tend to settle in cities and they tend to rent. That has an impact on values," Owen says. She suspects home values will fall by up to 10 per cent within the next 24 months. "The general pattern we're seeing, and what weve seen from previous negative economic shocks, is the biggest impacts over the next 12 months will be in the rental space and in sales volumes." The rental market has already started to show signs of struggling in some areas. For instance, high-density sections of Melbourne, like Docklands, and in Sydney, such as the CBD and Ultimo, where two-thirds of homes are rentals, have seen vacancy rates triple. In these locations more than one in 10 rental apartments are currently sitting empty. In general these are areas where international students and young people typically working in retail and hospitality live. These two groups have been particularly affected by the shutdowns. Property owners who lease their homes and rooms out on Airbnb to tourists at higher rates have also started putting their properties onto the private market. According to data website AirDNA, which tracks Airbnb listings, the number of active short-stay holiday rentals in Australia fell from 202,000 in early February to 164,000 by the end of April. New bookings fell from 78,000 to 27,000 over the same period. Rents dropped by 0.4 per cent over April, but so far house prices have not seen major falls, Owen says. "At the moment we're not seeing an influx of distressed properties come to market and [for sale] listings were 43 per cent lower in April. That's preserving property values." Another reason prices have held up could be the intervention of the banks and government assistance for those losing work. Right now about 400,000 people who cannot afford to pay their mortgages due to a loss of income have been given a break from payments by the big four banks. At the same time the federal government is providing record stimulus for households, including the wage subsidy scheme JobKeeper and a more generous unemployment benefit through JobSeeker. UNSW professor and director of the City Futures Research Centre Bill Randolph questions how long this assistance will help the market hold up. "The lenders have seen the writing on the wall and have moved to avoid immediate problems, but if youve lost your business or your work, you're going to be facing longer-term problems than the next six months," Randolph says. "There will almost certainly be some blowback in terms of negative equity for people in danger of not being able to pay their mortgage. That will slowly unravel and impact prices if people foreclose and theres a fire sale. There could be all sorts of longer-term impacts." Sydney and Melbourne home owners who have held onto their property for many years would be cushioned by equity from price surges over the past decade, he says, but those who have bought in the last two years would "probably be facing negative equity" soon. "You can usually sit through these things if you can repay the mortgage, but the double whammy is so many people are losing their incomes and have financial commitments." Loading However Property Investment Professionals of Australia chairman Ben Kingsley, who is also a buyer's agent, is expecting a "strong uplift in listings come September". While he acknowledges medium and high-density homes in the inner CBD and city fringes will be hard hit, he expects higher-priced family homes will hold on to their values. "For the established owner-occupier property markets, we still expect first home buyers showing up and competition with astute investors on the demand side of the equation," he says, "Especially in the $1.5 million house range in Sydney and around the $750,000 to $1 million range in Melbourne." Simon Pressley, head of research at buyers agency Propertyology, suspects there may even be a small amount of price growth in the next 12 months in some markets. While hes aware his assessment is at odds with those of banks and economists, he expects the very low supply of homes for sale will see a "dynamic which resembles seagulls fighting over chips". The majority of people are not expected to lose their jobs and with record low interest rates, those who maintain their incomes are in a strong position to borrow. "On the demand side, record low interest rates, first home buyer support and sensible credit policy provide fantastic support for buyers," Pressley says. Cranes on the skyline In the construction industry the housing crunch has been a long time coming. Craig Delaney, chief executive of Melbourne-based developer Long Island Homes, started to see a slide in business in August 2019 and the pandemic has compounded the decline. "In the past two to three months new site starts have fallen off a cliff," he says. "The industry has seen business drop substantially, possibly up to 40 per cent, with house and land inquiry coming to a complete halt in some metropolitan areas. "Banks have stopped lending to non-essential industries, bringing great uncertainty to prospective clients as to whether they can actually obtain a construction home loan at all." Had it not been for the JobKeeper scheme, 30 per cent of his 40-person team would already be facing redundancy: "It would've been one of the worst days of my life." Now Delaney wants the government to open up more foreign investment in the housing market as well as encouraging the banks to lend through a government guarantee covering new-loan defaults with Commonwealth funds and loosening up restrictions on lending. Loading "We need different, more creative types of stimulus and the government needs to have the courage to implement this." Delaney's situation is not unique, with Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) NSW chief executive Steve Mann saying there are challenges in restocking the development pipeline, including securing presales and financing for future projects. "While demand and settlements are steady and we are seeing anecdotal evidence of increasing enthusiasm on behalf of buyers to commit to land purchases in the current climate, our only fear is ... how sustainable it will be," he says. More than two-thirds of members surveyed by UDIA were concerned about the ongoing impact of the virus on their projects, with about half suffering due to supply chain effects, staffing with social distancing and sales. Some projects have been delayed by up to 180 days, with an average delay of a month. Mann says the government could consider co-financing projects with debt or equity, the acceleration of greenfield development sites and more infrastructure directly unlocking housing supply. "Contract home builders have only a few months [of work] left ... forward orders are very low. We need shovel-ready projects to come to market now, which will keep our trades in their jobs and help drive the economic recovery beyond COVID-19." The construction industry is a major driver of jobs in NSW and Victoria, with about 1 million people reliant on jobs in the industry nationwide, and the sale of new homes boosts spending in other areas. It is well documented that new home buyers typically spend up on new white goods, cars, furniture and other goods. This adds urgency to what Housing Industry Association (HIA) chief economist Tim Reardon describes as an expected "quantum shift" in home building this year. The building industry had already contracted about 20 per cent in the 18 months to March on HIA figures. "The Prime Minister said [a week and a half ago] there would be an 85 per cent reduction in net overseas migration and if that did play out ... it would mean levels of home building well below the 1990s recession," he says. "In a best case recovery scenario, including the V shape that Treasury is advocating, we wont get back to the level of economic growth in February until mid-2023. That's best case scenario." Booms and busts Following previous economic shocks like the global financial crisis and the Asian financial crisis property prices fell about 10 per cent, says Diaswati Mardiasmo, chief economist for real estate company PRD. But recovery was also driven through the housing market. "We've learned from these previous events that house values are normally pretty insulated, it's the volumes that will drop. What this means is that there are less sales, however those that do sell still relatively maintain their value," she says, adding low interest rates would also insulate prices. "Assuming we are back to the pre-COVID economic pace within the next 12 to 24 months, and with all of the current government stimulus and historical low interest rates on a steady platform, we should start to see a market recovery," she adds. Reardon says the sign of recovery will be when population growth returns to 1.5 per cent through international arrivals. This will be dictated by the lifting of global restrictions on borders, which is directly affected by the spread of the virus. "In previous economic cycles we've seen the home building sector as one of the main sectors used to stimulate economic activity and employment," he says. "We certainly saw that post-GFC home building had a key role in the recovery. We've seen state and federal governments working together through the COVID-19 response and a similar industry-by-industry approach will be necessary in the recovery phase." Randolph also suspects there will be a recovery through housing stimulus, potentially using assistance for first home buyers. As part of the GFC stimulus the Rudd government tripled the first home buyers' grant to $21,000 and only gave it to those buying brand new or off-the-plan properties. This might mean more young buyers enter the property market. A workforce of 70,000 fruit and vegetable pickers is needed to prevent produce from rotting in the fields. Photo: Matt Cardy/Getty Images Waitrose boss Rupert Thomas has called for 70,000 British fruit pickers to come forward to prevent hundreds of thousands of tons of produce from rotting. The supermarket's director of trading has issued the stark warning ahead of the British berry picking season next month. He told the Daily Mail that Britain needed to invoke the spirit of the Land Army, the name given to the 80,000 Britons who brought in the harvest during the Second World War. The COVID-19 pandemic has left British fruit and vegetable farms without 90% of their workforce, which is made up of migrant labourers, many from Eastern Europe. READ MORE: Italy unlocks its economy with travel and shop opening plan Each summer around 70,000 seasonal workers normally arrive in the UK to work on farms often staying in mobile homes and temporary accommodation on site for the duration of the picking season. Thomas said: "We don't have enough pickers for harvest season and if we don't find people in time, hundreds of thousands of tons of wonderful, healthy British produce will go to waste and the livelihoods of countless British producers will be put at risk. "Crops will, quite literally, rot in the fields without committed pickers. Truly, your country needs you." Last month Ocado chairman and former M&S boss Lord Stuart Rose made similar efforts to mobilise tens of thousands of British workers. He called on young people and university students to volunteer their services to help prevent gaps in shop shelves and prices rocketing. READ MORE: Why coronavirus is fuelling an economic crisis that will hit women the hardest Lockdown measures across Europe mean that migrant workers, many from Romania and Bulgaria, will be prevented from travelling to the UK. Rose said the first crops of strawberries, seasonal fruits, and salads would soon be ready to pick. He told The Mail on Sunday: "If those crops aren't picked, the crops will rot and that will mean there will be a shortage of fresh produce. There is nothing to guarantee the shortfall could be made up of European imports and even if it could, there'll be a cost attached." Famers have also told of worries that the cancellation of outdoor events such as Wimbledon and weddings will create a berry glut. The Financial Times reported that British public are being urged to binge on strawberries to make up for what would usually be consumed. Prince Andrew was at the New York mansion of paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein at the same time as a young woman understood to have been abused for years as a sex slave. An investigation by The Mail on Sunday has uncovered compelling evidence that the woman who was in her 20s at the time of the Duke of York's visit was groomed by Epstein as a teenager, sexually assaulted and forced into a sham lesbian marriage. Court papers seen by this newspaper say the abuse she suffered, which continued after Andrew's infamous 2010 visit to Epstein's 60million home, was so 'perverted' that lawyers considered it too graphic to be included in official public legal documents. The revelation that the Prince is believed to have been under Epstein's roof at the same time as a victim who endured such an appalling ordeal will raise further questions about what Andrew knew about his financier friend's criminal activities. Prince Andrew leaves sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's home and the two men go for a stroll together through New York's Central Park The Duke has always insisted he never saw anything that aroused his suspicion. But the latest revelations will add to the clamour for him to assist the FBI with its probe into Epstein's sex-trafficking ring. Andrew has been accused of refusing to co-operate with US investigators, but has said he is willing to talk to law enforcement agencies. In the documents, the woman is referred to as 'Katlyn Doe' a pseudonym to protect her identity. The Mail on Sunday has amassed evidence from eyewitnesses and official records that indicate she visited Epstein's MoS uncovers evidence Duke of York was in paedophile Epstein's New York mansion at same time as victim of horrifying abuse vast townhouse on the Upper East Side during Andrew's six-day stay, during which he was photographed waving from the door. A source, who was also inside the property at the time, believes the woman may even have given the Duke a foot massage while he watched the movie The King's Speech at a private screening with Epstein. Katlyn's lawyer Bradley Edwards said last night: 'I cannot discuss any of the current cases being litigated.' Andrew has already been accused of having sex three times with another of the financier's victims, Virginia Roberts, including once in 2001 in Epstein's New York home. The Duke has repeatedly and strenuously denied the claims. Katlyn endured seven years of shocking sexual abuse by Epstein, according to a lawsuit filed at a court in New York. The now infamous photo of Prince Andrew with Virginia Roberts taken in 2001 'Jeffrey Epstein used fraud, the threat of force, or coercion to cause [her] to engage in commercial sexual acts the details of which are too graphic and perverted to include in this public hearing,' legal documents state. She met the paedophile when she was aged 17. At the time she was suffering from an eating disorder and another unspecified serious medical condition that required surgery. Epstein, who died in jail aged 66 last August while awaiting trial on charges of trafficking under-age girls for sex, seized on her vulnerability and began to groom her. He gave her free haircuts, beauty treatments and medical care, and made her feel 'indebted' so she had to have sex with him. The tycoon even flew her to Florida in 2009, when he was still serving a part-time jail sentence for sex offences, and made her have sex with him while he was supposedly on 'work release' at his office. Around 2013, Epstein proposed paying Katlyn $20,000 so she could afford the surgery she required but told her that she must first marry a woman who was a 'recruiter' of other young women. As the recruiter was a foreign citizen, the so-called 'green card' marriage would allow her to become a permanent US resident. A video grab of Prince Andrew peeping out of Jeffrey Epstein's New York home in December 2010 as he waves goodbye to a brunette The paperwork was signed by one of Epstein's associates and the couple posed for photographs 'to give the appearance that the marriage was legitimate'. Katlyn knew that if she did not agree to the marriage and continue 'to commit commercial sex acts, Jeffrey Epstein would cause her serious psychological, financial, reputational and medical harm,' the legal papers claim. Her ordeal is believed to have been one of at least three fake marriages ordered by Epstein to keep recruiters and friends in America. Our source, who was once part of Epstein's inner circle, said last night: 'He loved the idea of getting citizenship through same-sex marriages, manipulating the official system. Same-sex marriages were just legalised and he thought it's a great chance to exploit this.' Epstein paid Katlyn $10,000 but refused to hand over the rest instead using it as 'a cudgel to cause [her] to continue to engage in commercial sex acts'. He stopped having sex with Katlyn in 2014 when she was 25 because she was 'too old'. She was forced out of an apartment provided by Epstein, leaving her without anywhere to live. Katlyn divorced in 2017 but was never paid the remaining $10,000. Last week, the MoS's source claimed Epstein arranged for three young women to meet Andrew during his stay. She claimed the Duke treated his friend's house 'like it was his' and stayed in an opulent bedroom dubbed 'Room Britannica'. One of the women was named as Latvian-born model Lana Zakocela, who has said she attended a gathering at the house but does not know if the Prince was there. Miss Zakocela is not the woman named in legal documents as Katlyn Doe. The MoS source said last night she was shocked at the way Epstein treated some of those at the bottom of his 'hierarchy' of women. 'Epstein didn't encourage us all to be friends because he didn't want us to talk and share moments of our personal experience,' she said. Last night, Lisa Bloom, a lawyer representing five of Epstein's victims, said: 'This new report only underscores the need for Prince Andrew to live up to his promise and finally talk to the FBI. Justice demands it.' The Katlyn Doe case is one of a string of civil lawsuits filed by Epstein's accusers. A spokesman for the Duke's lawyers said: 'We will not comment on allegations made by a so-called witness who has chosen to wait ten years to come forward and has chosen to remain anonymous.' A friend of Andrew added: 'They insinuate the Duke has somehow done something wrong or is acting as if he's above the law. The opposite is the case.' Additional reporting: Valeria Sukhova More than 25,000 migrants left for their hometowns on 21 trains from different railway stations of Punjab and Chandigarh on Saturday. Ferozepur divisional railway manager Rajesh Agarwal said that 15 trains departed from the Ferozepur division on Saturday, including six from Ludhiana, five from Jalandhar city and two each from Ferozepur and Amritsar railway stations. As of now, more than 1.4lakh migrants have been sent to their home states-- Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. As many as six trains, with around 1,200 passengers in each train, departed from stations of Punjab and Chandigarh, under the Ambala division, on Saturday. These trains included two trains each from Chandigarh, Patiala and SAS Nagar (Mohali). Increasing the frequency of trains, the Ludhiana administration has decided to run 10 Shramik special trains on Sunday. It will be the highest number of trains departing from a single station in a day. OVER 1.7 LAKH MIGRANTS SENT HOME Over 1.7lakh migrants have been sent home from Punjab in the last 11 days via Shramik special trains. Since May 5, as many as 144 trains departed from different stations of Punjab, of which 119 left from four stations of the Ferozepur division and 25 from the Ambala division. Of the total migrants transported from Punjab, around 82% have been sent by the trains operated by the Ferozepur division. LUDHIANA ADMN TO START BUSES FOR 10 UP DISTRICTS Ludhiana deputy commissioner Pradeep Agrawal on Saturday announced that the Uttar Pradesh government has agreed to let its natives travel home from Ludhiana. We have got permission to send buses to 10 districts Mathura, Meerut, Saharanpur, Bulandshahar, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat and Hapur. We are making arrangements for buses and the migrants will be informed through SMS about the facility, he said. He added that the administration is also coordinating with the Bihar government for permission to send its natives home. More than a third of primary care doctors in California surveyed this month by an Oakland foundation worried they will be forced to close their practice or clinic because of financial impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. The survey of 350 physicians across the state, released Friday, found that 37%, about 130, said they were very or somewhat worried that they will have to permanently close their doors. Doctors at practices with fewer than five physicians were especially concerned. More than half of those doctors, 63, said they fear they will have to shut their clinic for good. These numbers show that clinics of all sizes and smaller practices in particular face unprecedented challenges, said Kristof Stremikis, director of market analysis at the California Health Care Foundation, which conducted the survey from May 8 to May 13 with research firm Truth on Call. Significant numbers of Californias primary care doctors are concerned that their practices will not survive the pandemic. The idea behind the survey was to better understand the financial hit of the outbreak amid the statewide shelter-in-place order that all but emptied doctors offices beginning in mid-March, the survey noted. Although the survey was emailed to about 25,000 primary care doctors across California, the foundation received just 350 responses but from a mix of large, medium and small practices, as well as about a third serving mainly low-income patients. Nick Otto / Special to The Chronicle The wide-ranging survey asked doctors about their concerns, layoffs in their offices, whether they had enough personal protective equipment for workers, and if they could test all employees and patients for the coronavirus. As with most sectors of the economy, troubles began for the medical industry when shelter-in-place orders blanketed California on March 19. The states health care providers watched as revenue from non-emergency surgeries and the loss of patient visits plummeted, even as costs to combat the outbreak rose. Results from the anonymous survey indicate that independent doctors are feeling the kind of financial pressure although on a smaller scale as larger hospitals, which have slashed staffing costs and taken other drastic measures to try and make up for millions of dollars in losses. Dr. Lisa Capaldini, a general medicine physician in San Francisco, was not among the doctors surveyed. But she told The Chronicle she has felt financial stresses similar to those described in the survey. Capaldini said she couldnt pay her $7,100 monthly rent in May. And since March, she said, her patients and income dropped by more than half. She operates a small, solo practice and has one staff member. Like 50 of the small practitioners surveyed, Capaldini said she wasnt worried about closing right now but she fears the future. The longer this goes on and theres no relief, you just cant do the math, said Capaldini. While Capaldini has been able to keep paying herself and her employee, many primary care practices face a range of other difficulties, the recent survey revealed. Nick Otto / Special to The Chronicle Among the surveys findings from 350 doctors across the state: Have adequate access to personal protective equipment in their office: 243 (69%). Furloughed or laid off staff since the statewide shelter-in-place: 131 (37%). Considered temporarily closing their clinics in the last month: 114 (33%). Reduced staff pay since shelter-in-place: 62 (18%). 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. Lack enough COVID-19 tests to meet the needs of employees and patients: 61 (17%). As the California Health Care Foundation released its survey Friday, Sutter Health, a vast nonprofit health care provider in California, reported it had lost $1 billion in the years first quarter. On Friday, leading health care providers spoke to reporters about financial stress in the industry: Some (health care providers) are having to resort to choices no one wants to make layoffs, furloughs, asking staff to take paid time off, said Carmela Coyle, president and CEO of the California Hospital Association, on the call. Nick Otto / Special to The Chronicle The federal government has approved more than $100 billion in stimulus grants for hospitals, with $3 billion sent last month to tens of thousands of California health care providers. Those who served the most elderly patients on Medicare last year received the largest chunk. Federal funds offset 40% of coronavirus-related losses for the UC Health system, Executive Vice President Dr. Carrie Byington said on the call. In March and April, the health system lost $769 million $632 million due to canceled or delayed procedures and $137 million spent to prepare for COVID-19 she said. The system received $287.8 million in stimulus money. These extraordinary costs will continue in the near term, Byington said. Although hospitals are facing a return to essential care, its not practical or prudent to expect that our finances will return to pre-pandemic levels this year and next year. Lloyd Dean, CEO of CommonSpirit Health, which runs 28 hospitals and other clinics in California, used the call to urge the federal government to push out the remaining billions pledged for hospitals. He said he hoped the next stimulus disbursement would focus on providers serving low-income patients on MediCal, many which come to CommonSpirits facilities, he added. Federal aid has provided a boost, but let me be crystal clear. It doesnt begin to cover our losses, he said. We in California desperately need the help. Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@mallorymoench Health Ministry issues additional guidelines on rational use of PPEs in non-COVID-19 hospitals India pti-PTI New Delhi, May 15: The Health Ministry on Friday issued additional guidelines on rational use of Personal Protective Equipment for healthcare functionaries working in non-COVID-19 hospitals. The guidelines differentiated various areas in the hospital like in-patient ward and out-patient wards into low, moderate, mild and high risk categories. The Help desk or registration counter, doctors' chamber used for clinical management of patients, sanitary staff and pharmacy counters among others have been marked in the mild-risk category. Karnataka: No institutional quarantine for healthcare workers in complete PPE The ministry has recommended the use of triple layer medical mask and latex examination gloves, besides following social distancing guidelines and frequent use of hand sanitiser over gloves in the mild risk category areas. Chambers of dental or ENT doctors or ophthalmology doctors and pre- anesthetic check-up clinics have been categorised as moderate-risk areas where the usage of N-95 mask, goggles, latex examination gloves and face shield have been advised. As far as in-patients departments in non-COVID-19 hospitals are concerned, the ministry has designated ward or individual rooms used for clinical management activity as mild-risk areas, while the ICU or critical care, labour room and operation theatres have been categorised as moderate-risk areas. It has recommended the use of triple layer medical mask, face shield (wherever feasible), sterile latex gloves and goggles. Patients should also wear masks in labour rooms, the guidelines stated. The ministry has recommended wearing of triple layer medical mask and latex examination gloves in wards. According to the guidelines, areas where emergency cases are attended, come in the mild risk category and areas in the emergency department, where severely ill patients are being attended to while performing aerosol generating procedures, have been marked in the high risk category. Fact check: Is India short of PPE Coveralls due to quality control problem? Besides, laboratories which are used for sample collection, transportation and testing of routine (non-respiratory) samples come under mild-risk category, while labs where respiratory samples are collected and tested fall in moderate-risk category, according to the guidelines. Radiodiagnosis and blood bank among others fall in the mild-risk category, while kitchen areas have been marked in the low-risk category. Ambulances transporting patients not on any assisted ventilation and driving areas come under the low-risk category, while emergency vehicles carrying patients with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) come under the high-risk category. The guidelines said standard precaution has to be followed at all times. It also advised people to always follow the laid down protocol for disposing off PPEs as detailed in infection prevention and control guidelines available on the website of the Union Health Ministry. Crazy Alans Swamp Shack received an unwelcome, though not surprising, visitor Friday afternoon. Roughly 2 feet of rainwater flooded its Kemah patio and bathrooms just days before the restaurant was set to celebrate a decade in business. It wasnt the first flood for the business, and it likely wont be the last. Owner Alan Franks said the restaurant has taken on rainwater two to four times a year for the past several years. It doesnt do a lot of damage, Franks said. It just makes a huge mess and shuts us down. It always seems to happen around the weekend. Kemah was among the hardest-hit areas as bad weather moved through the greater Houston region on Friday afternoon and evening, said National Weather Service meteorologist Dan Reilly. Localized, slow-moving storms dumped between 5 and 8 inches of water on areas including Kemah, Seabrook, Pasadena, League City and Santa Fe. They were slow-moving storms, Reilly said. So where it did rain, it rained a lot. Those were followed by a line of storms early Saturday morning that hit a broader swath of Houston but moved quickly. It didnt rain as much during these storms, though there was some gusty wind. An area east of Missouri City awoke to toppled trees and other Houston regions saw spotty wind damage. But it wasnt too severe, Reilly said. As of 2:30 p.m. Saturday, CenterPoint Energy reported more than 100,000 power outages in the greater Houston area during the previous 24 hours. Walter Gant III, Kemahs city administrator, said there was flooding in its main business district. And while he knows of one or two homes that flooded, Grant will hopefully have a more precise count on Monday. For Crazy Alans Swamp Shack, flooding is so routine that a group of 10 people managed to clean the restaurant in two hours. On Facebook, one post shows a restaurant manager riding an alligator pool float. Another post says, Living up to our name. Were swamped. Fortunately, the water didnt get into the kitchen (thats only happened during Hurricane Harvey when water from the marina spilled onto the street) and the restaurants patio was open again on Saturday. On Tuesday, it plans to celebrate its 10-year anniversary by selling crawfish for $3.99 a pound. Crazy Alans Swamp Shack joins other restaurants that have opened and taken precautions against the new coronavirus by only seating guests at 25 percent capacity. Franks said the community has come out to support the restaurant, but incidents like Friday hurt its recovery. With all the things that have been going on with the coronavirus and everything else, Franks said, its just like, Whats next? andrea.leinfelder@chron.com twitter.com/a_leinfelder If the scheme must be tied to payroll, there are far better ways to do it. It could instead cover a portion of total payroll up to a ceiling with some additional support for non-payroll costs, of the kind offered in the United States and other countries. To ensure no business got too much, the entire payment could be capped so the business made no more under JobKeeper than it did before the crisis. There has been widespread confusion about eligibility for JobKeeper. Most businesses qualify if they declare that they expect turnover to fall by at least 30 per cent in the coming quarter (or month if turnover is more than $20 million). But reasonable expectations are hard to police. As the Australian Taxation Office puts it: "We will accept your assessment of these turnovers, unless we have reason to believe that your calculation of your projected GST turnover was not reasonable." Loading If things go better than expected and they end up not needing so much support, they get to keep the subsidy for the entire six-month period, regardless. A better approach would be to pay businesses up front some portion of total payroll for the same time period in the previous year. Then, after the fact, what they are eligible for could be calculated based on actual payroll. Any difference could be reconciled through the ordinary tax return process. Anything overpaid could be taxed back and any extra due could be paid out. This would be simpler, clearer and better targeted, and solve the cash-flow problems businesses are complaining about, where they need to pay workers before they get the JobKeeper payments, but don't have the cash on hand to do it. The scheme is set to end after six months on September 27 regardless of economic conditions. Some businesses in some sectors are already back at work and others will come back soon. But some, such as those affected by the international travel ban, will be out of action until next year. For those businesses that recover quickly, support will be provided long after it is needed. But for some others, the maximum six-month time frame will be too short. A better approach would be to tie the duration to objective benchmarks tailored to particular sectors (such as the end of the international travel ban, for instance). Short-term casuals, most temporary visa holders, workers at certain foreign-controlled businesses, and employees at most universities were left out despite many of them working in the hardest-hit industries. The reported underspend on JobKeeper makes these omissions all the more puzzling. There was never a good reason morally or economically to exclude these people, and the budgetary constraint has turned out not to be an issue. If changes to JobKeeper are to be made, these people should be included in the scheme immediately. Loading The JobKeeper legislation is merely a shell, with the details at the discretion of the Treasurer. This gives him the freedom to make whatever changes he sees fit. But whether he should do so is a tough call. There are clear flaws in the current system, and for many businesses it could be wound up earlier as the outlook has changed somewhat for the better. But the government made a clear commitment to these millions of businesses and workers to maintain a certain level of support for the full six months. WASHINGTON - The Senate on Thursday adopted a package of surveillance reforms its backers say will help rein in abuses, following an inspector general report that found fault with the FBI's handling of an investigation into a former Trump campaign aide. The 80-16 vote paves the way for final House passage of the bill to renew the USA Freedom Act. The House could take up the measure as soon as Friday, though the pandemic has made timing uncertain. The law expired in mid-March, leaving the FBI without several surveillance tools it considers crucial, but the bureau was able to continue to use those powers in investigations that had already been opened. The bill had become a flash point for conservatives angry at the FBI's handling of an investigation into a former Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page, that involved wiretap order applications that the Justice Department inspector general in December found were flawed by errors and omissions. At the same time, liberals, who have been critical of the surveillance process since long before the Page controversy erupted, have seen the bill as a vehicle to push for deeper surveillance reforms to protect civil liberties. The House had passed the original package in March, but when the Senate finally took it up this week, it amended the bill to strengthen third-party oversight of the process used to obtain court approval for wiretaps and searches in espionage and counterterrorism investigations under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or FISA. The House must now take up the Senate version. Sponsored by Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the amendment requires judges with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which decides whether to authorize surveillance, to appoint an amicus, or third-party observer, in any case involving a "sensitive investigative matter" as long as the court does not determine it to be inappropriate. The reform also would give the court and the amicus access to all documents and information related to the surveillance application. The bill also permanently bans a controversial but dormant program that allowed the National Security Agency to obtain Americans' phone records in FBI terrorism investigations. The agency suspended the program in early 2019. In March, three FISA authorities lapsed. One is Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act, which allows the government to obtain "any tangible thing" - from airline travel records to genetic profiles to online purchase histories - without a probable-cause warrant as long as it asserts the information is "relevant" to a national security investigation. Another power allows the FBI to surveil a non-U.S. "lone wolf" suspect who might be planning a terrorist attack but who cannot be linked to a foreign terrorist organization. Finally, the "roving wiretap" authority enables the FBI to seek a wiretap order for a criminal suspect and continue using it even if the suspect switches phones. The legislation bars the collection of cell tower and GPS data without a warrant. But privacy advocates have decried, among other things, the lack of an explicit ban on the government collecting Americans' Web browsing history without a warrant. They also criticized a provision that creates a carve-out for "national security" in a new obligation to notify targets of surveillance when the government is using information against them in legal proceedings gathered under Section 215. The Opec Fund for International Development (Opec Fund) said it has increased its trade finance programme from $50 to $100 million to enable international financial services firm Natixis to boost support for trade and development in Africa. The unfunded risk sharing agreement sees the Opec Fund guarantee trade finance transactions supported by Natixis part of Groupe BPCE, Frances second-largest retail banking group in developing countries. The programme has supported trade transactions such as imports of medical equipment and sugar on the African continent, and in Asia. The original $50 million agreement was signed with Natixis in 2018. Opec Fund Director-General Dr Abdulhamid Alkhalifa signed the increased agreement with Natixis Stephen Menke, Global Head of Marketing and Sales, Trade Syndication and Distribution. Dr Alkhalifa said: We are pleased to expand our partnership with Natixis. Both our organizations have ambitious development aspirations and recognize the importance of trade to socio-economic progress." "This transaction supports Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 on decent work and economic growth and will improve the livelihoods of many business owners, employees and their families across the African continent, he added. The federal government yesterday pleaded with COVID-19 survivors to stop giving details of the drugs used for their treatment to disco... The federal government yesterday pleaded with COVID-19 survivors to stop giving details of the drugs used for their treatment to discourage self-medication. The Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Mr. Boss Mustapha, made the plea at a press briefing in Abuja, following recent video testimonies of some high profile survivors, talking about the drugs administered on them at the treatment centres. On the same day, 288 fresh COVID-19 cases were confirmed nationwide, taking the tally to 5445, with 171 deaths and 1320 discharged. Also, it was disclosed that nine local governments alone accounted for 51 per cent of national infections of the Coronavirus, and that five states were participating in WHO- coordinated solidarity drug trial, as fresh strategy is being worked out to address community transmission in states like Lagos and Kano. Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, expressed concern that some of the testimonies disclosing the prescription for treatment of the virus could encourage patients to indulge in self-medication instead of seeking help from health authorities. He urged all Nigerians that have symptoms of COVID-19 to test for the virus and if positive, go into the isolation centres for care by experts. The PTF congratulates and appreciates the testimonies of Nigerians who have recovered from COVID-19, which has given us more insights and further strengthens the need to adhere strictly to guidelines issued. However, an emerging issue from all these testimonies is the issue of prescription for treatments. We should always remember that the symptoms of COVID-19 mimic some illnesses we already know but treating the symptoms is not the same as treating the virus. For this reason, we strongly discourage self-medication, Mustapha said. He also said that five states in Nigeria were currently participating in the on-going World Health Organization (WHO)-coordinated solidarity trial to find a cure for the pandemic, saying that at the end of this trial, relevant health authorities would make statements on acceptable drugs for treating COVID-19. Mustapha also raised the alarm that 51 per cent of the countrys COVID-19 cases are concentrated in nine local government areas across the country. However, he did not name them. He said the affected nine local government areas were all densely populated, indicating that the crowded communities were at the risk of spreading the virus. Let me say that our preliminary analysis has narrowed down the over 51 per cent of the total number of infected persons to nine Local Government Areas across the country and all of them are densely populated. This indicates that a critical element of our taming this pandemic is to reduce opportunities for large gathering, sustaining the ban on inter-state movement, the nationwide curfew and complying with the measures prescribed- wash your hands as frequently as necessary; use hand sanitisers; maintain social distancing, use a face mask or covering in public places, he said. Mustapha also stated the opposition of the federal government to reports that some state governors were lifting restrictions on large congregation of people. He warned that while President Muhammadu Buhari had encouraged state governments to adapt national guidelines that are suitable to their state, such adaptation should be informed by empirical evidence of progress made. The PTF chairman warned the governors that lifting restrictions on large congregation of people had consequences and was an opportunity for more seeding of the virus thereby negating gains already made. Kate Middleton has been one of the most visible members of the royal family amid the COVID-19 crisis. While everyone is worried about the pandemic, the Duchess of Cambridge came out (figuratively) and took a bold step to comfort everyone. A Genius Idea Kate Middleton has received massive praise from royal experts for the new project she launched amid the coronavirus pandemic. Her new project is aimed at uplifting the spirits of everyone during this difficult time. What makes her new project even more exciting is that it is open to anyone in the U.K. Kate announced the new endeavor she's pursuing in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery. "Hold Still" was launched earlier this May. The project aims to collected various photographic portraits with narrative captions. The goal of the project is for everyone in the U.K. to be able to highlight the "resilience, bravery and kindness" of people while in quarantine. Royal commentators Rachel Bowie and Roberta Fiorito showered Kate with praises for the "genius" idea. In their podcast Royally Obsessed, the pair highlighted the role that Kate played in carrying out such a heartwarming initiative. In an effort to record both the high and low points of the lockdown, the Duchess of Cambridge has indeed stepped up to encourage everyone to ease into the new normal. It all begins by trying to make sense of how they feel at this time. "I always love hearing from Kate, it is just such a brilliant idea. I'm picturing a conference call where they brainstorm and figure out how to evolve in the pandemic," Fiorito said. She also emphasized how brilliant the idea was, whether it was Kate's or somebody else's. "It is such a genius idea and I love it," Fiorito added. Bowie then went on to talk about what would happen to all the photos that were submitted for the project. "Kate is going to get the 100 photos that are selected in the National Portrait Gallery," shared Bowie. They both highlighted how honest Kate was when she said that there will both be happy and sad moments, but there will also be images that will truly be uplifting. "It is touching to see not only the impact she has on people but also that she can encourage people to share what has been most meaningful during this time," Bowie furthered. Hold Still During her interview with ITV's This Morning, Kate emphasized the importance of the project at the time of the pandemic. "We've all been struck by some of the incredible images we've seen which have given us an insight into the experiences and stories of people across the country," the Duchess of Cambridge said. Kate added that the images will also bring hope to everyone. "Some desperately sad images showing the human tragedy of this pandemic and other uplifting pictures showing people coming together to support those more vulnerable," Kate shared. As Kate also mentioned, "Hold Still" aims to capture a portrait of the nation -- "the spirit of the nation." She wants everyone to be aware of what is going on in the U.K., be it good or bad, and bring a reminder that they can all get through the crisis with unity and solidarity Cathy Becker, owner of Calamity Janes at First and Coombs streets, is ready to fight for both her business and others in Napa Valley. Ive worked my whole life to get to do what I do and own my own business, said Becker. If businesses have to close (because of COVID-19), well all be back to where Napa was years ago. Becker said shes talked to other Napa business owners struggling during the COVID-19 outbreak, and we have to do something. That something is a campaign Becker has started: #WeAreNapa Supporters can visit the website (shop.wearenapacali.com) and order a T-shirt with a smart-looking Napa logo. Ten dollars of the $20 price will go to a business or nonprofit, specified when ordering, or it will go to a general fund to be divided among all businesses. The first 300 businesses to sign up will have their name included on the T-shirt. The campaign will run for 30 days, at which time all the T-shirts will be printed and mailed to recipients. The campaign started on May 9, and as of Monday evening, almost 100 businesses had signed up, and 200 people had ordered shirts. Becker takes no credit for the idea. I was in my hometown in Michigan right as the shelter-in-place orders were happening, and I talked to two friends who started doing this for that town. They raised over $100,000 for their community. Im blessed to be able to pass the idea along and implement it here in Napa. The Downtown Napa Association (DNA) is the nonprofit group that will collect and disburse all the funding. Normally, the DNA group works only with downtown businesses, but Becker wants to open this up to every business in the county. We are all in this together, said Bill LaLiberte, president of DNA. The entire community has been affected and we want to do everything we can to help. Bob Magnani is the general manager of the downtown wine tasting room Gabriella Collection taste +, and, like everyone else, has been challenged by the pandemic. Weve all been greatly affected, but the good news is that weve banded together as a community. These shirts send a positive message that we are all part of the solution, and we were one of the first to sign up. You can reach reporter Jennifer Huffman at 256-2218 or jhuffman@napanews.com HONOLULU - A tourist from New York was arrested for allegedly violating Hawaiis traveller quarantine after he posted on Instagram photos of himself sunbathing and carrying a surfboard, state officials said. Hawaii authorities have been cracking down on travellers who defy a mandatory 14-day quarantine for people arriving in the islands, a rule put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus. As of Friday, Hawaii reported one new case of COVI-19, bringing the statewide total 638 cases and 17 deaths. Some tourists have been arrested for defying the quarantine. Tarique Peters, 23, of the Bronx, arrived in Honolulu on Monday, said a news release from the Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center. He allegedly left his hotel room the day he arrived and travelled many places using public transportation, the release said. Authorities became aware of his social media posts from citizens who saw posts of him on the beach with a surfboard, sunbathing, and walking around Waikiki at night. Agents from the state attorney generals office arrested him Friday morning. Hotel staff told the agents they saw Peters leave his room and the hotel numerous times. Travellers in quarantine arent allowed to leave hotel rooms or residences for any reason except medical emergencies. Hotel guests dont receive housekeeping services and must arrange for food to be delivered to them. Peters was booked, and his bail was set at $4,000. He couldnt immediately be reached for comment Friday. He didnt immediately respond to messages on an Instagram account with the handle @tariquepeters. A photo from two days ago with the location Honolulu - Waikiki Beach shows him carrying a surfboard on a beach. A photo from May 4 shows him wearing a mask in New York Citys Bryant Park. Lawmakers have been struggling with how to enhance enforcement of the quarantine as people keep arriving to Hawaii. On Thursday, 252 visitors and 318 residents arrived, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. During the same time last year, nearly 30,000 passengers arrived in the tourism-dependent state daily. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 20:54:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Saturday commended its Chinese counterpart, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), for its latest donation of medical supplies. The Africa CDC, a specialized healthcare agency of the 55-member African Union (AU), commended its Chinese counterpart after the China CDC on late Friday donated 10,000 face masks to help support Africa CDC's fight against the spread of COVID-19 across the African continent. "Together we will stamp out COVID-19 from the workplace," the Africa CDC said in a statement issued on Saturday. The Africa CDC in its latest situation update disclosed the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in Africa reached 78,194 as of Saturday. Meanwhile, the death toll from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the African continent reached 2,630. As COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the African continent, the Chinese anti-epidemic medical experts dispatched by the Chinese government have helped Africa in confronting the pandemic. On Thursday, the Africa CDC said that Chinese medical experts are helping African countries to manage COVID-19 outbreak. John Nkengasong, Africa CDC Director, speaking to journalists on Thursday, said medical experts from more than 30 African countries recently held a webinar with Chinese counterparts on how to better handle the COVID-19 outbreak in the continent. Speaking to press recently, Benjamin Djoudalbaye, head of the division policy, health diplomacy and communications at Africa CDC, said Chinese assistance to Africa in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic has been crucial to contain the danger posed by the disease. "The successful COVID-19 experience from China has been an inspiration to us," said Djoudalbaye. Enditem Discovered in April 2020 by amateur astronomer Michael Mattiazo, comet Swan entered our orbit and may become visible to the naked eye. The green-tinged cosmic object with its 10 million-mile-long tail will be closest to our sun by the end of May. The sighting of this ball of ice is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, as it only comes by our solar system every 11,597 years. Mattiazo, from Australia, didnt first spot the comment while looking through a telescope. He saw it, however, while analyzing online images posted by the Solar Wind ANisotropies (SWAN) instrument aboard the ESA/NASAs Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), ESA reported. According to scientists, the cosmic objects official name is Comet C/2020 F8, and the possibility of its being visible without special equipment is very high. Theres a SWAN in space. Discovered by an instrument on the @ESA & @NASASun Solar and Heliospheric Observatory mission, comet SWAN makes its closest approach to Earth today at a distance of 53 million miles. Its closest approach to the Sun is May 27: https://t.co/EBnEq0bYwk pic.twitter.com/a8qtcdP1zf NASA (@NASA) May 13, 2020 C/2020 F8 was at its closest point to Earth on May 13 and, according to NASA, is now heading straight for the sun. It shall reach perihelion (its closest distance to the sun) on May 27, according to NASA. This particular ball of ice is the 3,932nd comet that the SOHO satellite has so far discovered, said NASA. On a brightness and visibility magnitude between 1 and 5, Swan is expected to reach 4 or 3. Scientists are optimistic the object will brighten even more as it approaches the sun. Its extremely exciting that our sun-watching observatory has spotted so many comets since its launch in 1995, says Bernhard Fleck, ESA SOHO project scientist, according to Daily Mail. From mid-May onwards, anyone living in the northern hemisphere might be able to spot the spectacular cosmic object. However, according to scientists, the comets behavior can be hard to predict, as they become fragile as they approach the sun. Comets can do unusual things when they get close to the sun, explained Nick James, director of the comet section at the British Astronomical Association, according to Forbes. We wont really know how it performs until we actually see it go through perihelionit could surprise us. According to James, there is a possibility that the photos already taken have captured the comet at its brightest. I doubt if it will be much for the general public, he told Forbes. All the really spectacular images were taken when the comet was in outburst and in dark skies. Other factors can impact C/2020 F8s visibility, including the time of day and moonlight. It is true that estimates are being affected by bright skiestwilight and the Moonbut earlier predictions of magnitude 3 or brighter are now looking optimistic, James explained. If C/2020 F8s visibility is not exciting enough for stargazers, though, the month of May boasts two more astronomical events in store; between May 21 and May 23, the planets Mercury and Venus will appear very near each other, according to Daily Mail. However, if the comet indeed survives its sun-bound journey, stargazers on Earth should look for it near the bright star Capella in the constellation of Auriga, the Charioteer, ESA wrote. This astronomical event is almost certainly the only time the comet will be visible in our lifetimes: estimates are not yet fully precise, but it is clear that the comets orbital period is measured in thousands or even millions of years, the space agency adds. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday gave its nod for three chartered flights to bring back 414 stranded Indians, most of them ship crew members, to Goa from Italy. Pratap Singh Rawat, under secretary, MHA, said in an official memo that the ministry had no objection to "carrying out immigration functions in respect of 414 Indian nationals coming to India (Dabolim Airport, Goa) from Italy through three special flights". The flights, arranged by M/s Costa Cruise company, are tentatively scheduled to land in Goa on May 20. The clearance was subject to production of No Objection Certificates from competent authorities in Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Director General of Civil Aviation, the memo added. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant tweeted about the development, thanking the MHA and Ministry of External Affairs. As per the state government data, at least 7,000 Goans working on ships are stranded across the globe since the outbreak of coronavirus. Goa Seaman Association of India's Founder President Dixon Vaz said it was good for the families of stranded seafarers. "We expect similar action to follow in future and all Goans who are stranded abroad and brought back home," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 'India's reputation is not and cannot be dependent on the whimsical opinions of some obscure foreign advisory committee packed with Hindu-phobic acolytes,' declares Vivek Gumaste. IMAGE: Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla Parker Bowles attend the Ganga aarti at the Parmarth ashram in Rishikesh. Photograph: Kind courtesy, Parmarth Ashram, Rishikesh The harsh and uncalled for indictment of India as a CPC, or a 'country of particular concern' by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has raised the hackles of the Indian establishment, caused consternation among many Indians and given the traditional Narendra Modi bashers a handle to excoriate the government. In making this decision, the USCIRF claimed in its annual report (2020): 'In 2019, religious freedom conditions in India experienced a drastic turn downward, with religious minorities under increasing assault.' 'Following the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) re-election in May, the national government used its strengthened parliamentary majority to institute national level policies violating religious freedom across India, especially for Muslims.' But who or what is the USCIRF? Is it a credible body whose words carry the weight of moral authority or is it a fly by night cabal that indulges in dubious machinations and whose motives are suspect? How valid is this appraisal and what are its ramifications? The USCIRF, according to its Web site, defines itself as 'an independent, bipartisan US federal government commission dedicated to defending the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad'. Further, the commission claims that it 'reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations and makes policy recommendations to the president, the secretary of state, and Congress'. But its modus operandi is anything but what is defined in its preamble. When scrutinised carefully, its reports prove to be a compendium of self-serving interpretations, questionable factuality and reckless hyperbole -- all cocktailed together to produce an inflammatory assessment of sensational value; the assessments are neither objective nor sincere. The USCIRF has two categories of condemnation derived from the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, United States (IRFA): CPC (countries of particular concern) and the lesser category of SWL (special watch list). A CPC is a country where the government engages in or tolerates 'particularly severe' violations of religious freedom; severe violations being defined as ones that are 'systematic, ongoing, [and] egregious'. Along with India in 2020, the USCIRF designated 13 more countries as CPCs: this list includes China, Pakistan, Burma, North Korea and Saudi Arabia. First, to club India with the likes of Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, North Korea and Burma is an egregious (to use the USCIRF's own terminology) violation of the basic tenets of honesty, objectivity and rationale; it makes a mockery of common-sense. There will be few takers for this characterisation at either the country or on an individual level. In support of its recommendation, the USCIRF lists four areas of concern: Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens; anti-cow slaughter laws; anti-conversion laws; and religious freedom in Jammu and Kashmir. The arguments put forth with regard to these four issues are too fluid and too nebulous to count as sound rationale. The CAA was not an authoritarian diktat. It was a legislation passed by a democratically elected Parliament in the largest democracy in the world. Even its opponents grudgingly agree that the CAA viewed independently is non-controversial and serves a noble cause. With regards to its combination with the NRC which is yet to be implemented and whose fate is uncertain, the jury is still out -- no one has been able to adequately explain how this will discriminate only against Muslims. For all the brouhaha engendered by the CAA and the NRC one must realise that at this juncture everything is pure speculation -- unsubstantiated alarmism and scare-mongering. Official committees cannot base their recommendations on far-fetched conjectures. With regard to anti-cow slaughter vigilantism, the analysis is too sketchy to have any constructive value. The USCIRF claims that 'Cow protection has been promoted as a key issue by the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)' and 'since the BJP came to power in 2014, there have been over 100 attacks, amounting to over 98 percent of such attacks since 2010', making it appear as if the BJP instigated the violence. Not true. Cow protection is not a whim of the BJP or RSS alone but an integral facet of life in India. Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists -- all revere the cow and Article 48 of the Constitution prohibits the killing of 'cows and calves'. Anti-cow slaughter laws have existed throughout Indian history -- during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and even during the rule of some Mughal emperors. Violence related to the killing of cows is not new, but goes back hundreds of years and a classic ploy adopted by some to provoke communal tension. Rather than invoke religious xenophobia, India's Supreme Court rightly described the current cow slaughter vigilantism as a law and order problem related to 'mobocracy', the bane of Indian society; accordingly, the Supreme Court issued directives to deter such crimes. Prime Minister Modi has repeatedly condemned these crimes and several states -- Manipur, Rajasthan and West Bengal -- have passed anti-lynching bills. In July 2019, the state appointed law commission in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh formulated a bill, the Uttar Pradesh Combating of Mob Lynching Bill (2019) that proposes imprisonment up to 10 years for perpetrators. The government's actions, the Supreme Court guidance and anti-lynching bills clearly disprove the claim that cow vigilantism is 'systematic' or 'ongoing'. Likewise, its censure of anti-conversion laws does not pass muster. Conversion is anathema to all Hindus and not the BJP alone. Mahatma Gandhi, the conscience of modern India, called conversions the 'deadliest poison' and declared: 'If I had the power and could legislate, I should stop all proselytising.' Anti-conversion laws are meant to deter religious evangelists from using fraud, allurement or force to exploit the illiterate poor masses. Eight states (Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand) have anti-conversion laws; several of them were enacted by Congress governments including the Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Bill 2006. The Supreme Court of India has clarified that Article 25 which gives all Indians the right to 'freely profess, practise, and propagate religion' does not axiomatically mean the right to convert. In the case of Rev Stanislaus vs State Of Madhya Pradesh (1977) the Supreme Court proclaimed: 'There is no fundamental right to convert another person to one's own religion because if a person purposely undertakes the conversion of another person to his religion, as distinguished from his effort to transmit or spread the tenets of his religion, that would impinge on the "freedom of conscience" guaranteed to all the citizens of the country alike'. How can laws that echo Gandhi's thoughts and are in line with the Constitution be viewed as immoral and how can a practically defunct law (the USCIRF report itself states 'to date, however, there are no known convictions for forced conversion') count as egregious violation? Lastly, to deem a political statute (the abrogation of Article 370) that abolishes political apartheid as an assault on the religious freedom of Kashmiri Muslims is a convoluted and laughable piece of logic. Moreover, when one factors in the ethnic cleansing of the minority Hindus (250,000 Hindus have been driven out) and the continued oppression of Shia Muslims (prevented by law to take out processions) in Sunni majority Kashmir, the rationale becomes even more bizarre. There is a clear anti-Hindu strain that runs through the arguments: opposition to the CAA, cow slaughter, anti-conversion laws that Gandhi endorsed, and championing religious freedom in a Hindu-cleansed Kashmir. Cut to the chase, the USCIRF report is a malicious Hindu-phobic dossier out to undermine the robust and pluralistic values of an ancient civilisational State by raising the bogey of religious discrimination. It is by no means an altruistic attempt to enforce moral tenets. Most foreign affairs expert agree that this report is unlikely to have any significant impact on major Indo-US bilateral issues; some ex-ambassadors, however, worry about its 'reputational'; value. India's reputation is not and cannot be dependent on the whimsical opinions of some obscure foreign advisory committee packed with Hindu-phobic acolytes. India's reputation stems from its own unswerving confidence in its traditional moral values that go back thousands of years. India is a moral giant: The birthplace of Buddha, Mahavira, Guru Nanak and Mahatma Gandhi and home to what is arguably the only major secular religion of the world. If there is any global authority on morality today it is India despite the supposed deficiencies blown out of proportion by our ninny homegrown liberals. It is unfortunate that, even 70 years after Independence and in the midst of a powerful indigenous renaissance, there are cohorts who jump to attention at the monosyllabic rebukes from the West without even pausing to evaluate its validity as if we are an errant child -- an ingrained inferiority complex We need to move past this. Let us not be apologetic or be defensive. Instead, we need to aggressively demolish the false claims of organisations like the USCIRF and call them out in no uncertain terms. The USCIRF report is a fictional document, sans logic, sans facts and sans common sense. Not surprisingly, two of its commissioners chose to dissent. Commissioner Gary L Bauer wrote: 'I must dissent from& placing India in a gallery of rogue nations in which it does not belong.' That is the truth, and the report must be negated in totality. Academic Vivek Gumaste, who is based in the United States, is the author of My India: Musings of a Patriot. You can e-mail the author at gumastev@yahoo.com By Trend Export of cars from Turkey to world markets decreased by 26.9 percent from January through April 2020 compared to the same period of 2019 and amounted to $7.5 billion, the Turkish Ministry of Trade told Trend. The export of cars from Turkey made up 14.6 percent of the country's total export over the reporting period. In April 2020, Turkey exported the cars worth over $596.3 million to the world markets, which is 77.2 percent less compared to the same month of 2019. Meanwhile, the export of cars from Turkey amounted to 6.6 percent of the country's total export. From April 2019 through April 2020, Turkeys export of cars amounted to $27.7 billion. Turkeys foreign trade turnover exceeded $32.2 billion in March 2020. In March 2020, Turkeys export decreased by 17.8 percent compared to the same month of 2019, amounting to $13.4 billion. Meanwhile, Turkey's import increased by 3.1 percent compared to the same month of 2019 and amounted to $18.8 billion. From January through March 2020, Turkeys trade turnover exceeded $98.4 billion. During 1Q2020, export of Turkey dropped by 4 percent compared to the same period of 2019, amounting to $42.7 billion. In the reporting period, Turkeys import exceeded $55.6 billion, showing an increase of 10.3 percent over the year. The foreign trade turnover of Turkey amounted to $374.2 billion in 2019. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The European Union has called for an investigation into how the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 was transmitted from animals to humans. A resolution, tabled by the EU and backed by 55 countries, also called for an evaluation of the World Health Organisations performance and for plans to improve global pandemic prevention. Previously EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell had said the bloc would push for a scientific and independent inquiry into the origins of the pandemic. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had urged China to cooperate with the probe, saying the world has lessons to learn and should establish an early-warning system. All EU member states backed the draft resolution; as did Britain, Australia, Brazil, Turkey, Japan and South Korea but the US and China are not among the signatories. The World Health Assembly resolution said the UN health agency should work with the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organisation to identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population, including the possible role of intermediate hosts through scientific and collaborative field missions. Such work will enable targeted interventions and a research agenda to reduce the risk of similar events as well as to provide guidance on how to prevent Sars-CoV-2 infection in animals and humans and prevent the establishment of new zoonotic reservoirs, as well as to reduce further risks of emergence and transmission of zoonotic diseases, the draft said. The US, which has frequently criticised China for its handling of the outbreak, has said it wants to focus on the origins of the virus. Andrew Bremberg, its ambassador to the UN in Geneva, hoped the US would be able to join the consensus and said he hoped Taiwan would be able to attend the WHOs decision-making body despite opposition from China. Story continues Allowing for some sort of meaningful participation would seem to be the minimum that the WHO could do, Bremberg added. The Chinese mission did not respond to a request for comment on the resolution, but its ambassador Chen Xu said earlier this month that there had been an attempt to smear and demonise Chinas performance. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell had previously said the bloc would call for an independent inquiry. Photo: Reuters China has also mobilised its diplomats to defend its handling of the outbreak and has also sent medical teams and supplies to other nations. But its actions have also triggered a backlash and Borrell has accused Beijing of trying to improve its image by making sure the world knew about the supplies it has sent to other countries while the EU has been more discreet. In an article published in several European newspapers on Friday, he also accused China of trying to exploit the differences between EU countries. The draft resolution, which is expected to be debated during the assemblys annual meeting on Monday and Tuesday, calls for a stepwise process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation to review experience gained and lessons learned from the WHO-coordinated international health response to Covid-19. This will focus on the effectiveness of the mechanisms at the WHOs disposal and the functioning of the international health regulations that empower the UN body to declare a global health emergency. The draft resolution also calls for a review of the WHOs actions at the start of the pandemic. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the former Ethiopian foreign minister who leads the WHO, has been criticised for delaying the announcement of a global health emergency, which critics say helped the virus spread round the global. No African country, apart from Zambia, supported the call for a review of the WHOs actions. The draft resolution also calls for recommendations on how to improve the preparations and response to a global pandemic and says all countries must have unhindered timely access to quality, safe, efficacious and affordable diagnostics, therapeutics, medicines and vaccines. Adrian Hill, from The Jenner Institute in Oxford, has said a million doses of a vaccine will be ready before trials on the drug have concluded. Photo: Reuters Last week, French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi was criticised for promising the US government the right to the largest pre-order of any vaccine it developed because Washington had invested in its research. The companys chief executive Paul Hudson, later reversed the pledge after being criticised by Frances President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who said access for all was non-negotiable. Meanwhile Oxford University researchers said that if an experimental vaccine they are working on proves successful, its pricing will allow the widest possible access. Adrian Hill, director of Oxfords Jenner Institute, which is working with the drug maker AstraZeneca, said that up to a million doses will be ready by September, even more trials conclude. The project has at least seven manufacturing sites around the world, including Indias Serum Institute as well as sites in Europe and China. 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 EU calls for coronavirus investigation to focus on animal-to-human transmission first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday urged the people to follow preventive measures to protect themselves from dengue amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Banerjee, who also holds the Health portfolio, commended the health workers who are fighting dengue during this time of crisis. Today on #NationalDengueDay I would like to commend our health workers who are working tirelessly to combat Dengue amidst the #COVID19 pandemic. Effective community engagement is the key to Dengue prevention & I urge everyone to protect themselves & follow preventive measures, the chief minister tweeted. The Union Health Ministry recently wrote to the West Bengal government, alerting it about a possible outbreak of the disease, following a spike in the number of dengue cases in neighbouring Bangladesh. Banerjee has cautioned her officials of not forgetting efforts to combat dengue amid the coronavirus outbreak. In another tweet, she expressed grief over the road accident in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya district, in which at least 24 people died and 36 sustained injuries when two trucks carrying migrant workers collided. "Extremely saddened to hear of the tragic road accident in #Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh. My condolences to the families of the migrant brothers and sisters who have lost their lives. May their souls rest in peace. Praying for recovery of those injured," Banerjee tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Can Americans still have a sensible and friendly political discussion across the partisan divide? The answer is yes, and we intend to prove it. Julie Roginsky, a Democrat, and Mike DuHaime, a Republican, are consultants who have worked on opposite teams for their entire careers yet have remained friends throughout. Here, they discuss the weeks events with Tom Moran, editorial page editor of The Star-Ledger. Q. Gov. Phil Murphy lifted a few more restriction on construction and retail and signaled that he will open the beaches by Memorial Day weekend. Is he opening up too fast, too slow, or just right? Julie: He is generally doing a good job on the timeline but I think he could do a better job communicating the reasons for why he is doing what he is doing. He was very strong in the first weeks of this pandemic, dealing with his constituents forthrightly and honestly, which is why I suspect his poll numbers were as high as they were. But now the calendar has forced us to reach a new inflection point where people need to start making decisions about their summer plans: Will day or sleep-away camps be allowed to open next month or will parents have to make other plans for taking care of their children while trying to work this summer? Will seniors who require surgery be able to schedule those procedures in the coming weeks? I recognize that these are decisions driven by science and data and that Governor Murphy is deferring to the experts on those calls, as he rightly should. But he is the communicator-in-chief and he needs to communicate decisions as quickly and with as much humility as possible. Mike: It is time to get more aggressive about the future to give people hope. The Governor has been strong, but his language can quickly feel paternalistic and nanny-ish at times. The vast majority of the population here are fully functional adults, not knuckleheads, so he needs to talk to us like grown-ups. We have all adjusted well over the last two months and modified our lives significantly. That wont snap back if the mall opens. I applaud Sen. Tony Bucco and Rep. Mikie Sherrill for joining together in a bi-partisan fashion to encourage the governor to allow for curbside retail and other steps toward reopening. This issue is quickly becoming partisan, but it should be more about balancing safety and saving peoples livelihoods. Q. New Jersey is way behind New York on testing, per capita. The carnage in our nursing homes is making national headlines. And the death rate in our prisons is the highest in the country. Does any of that fall on Murphy? Julie: It does. He is the governor and the buck stops with him. Mike: I think most people are trying their best under very difficult circumstances in all the issues outlined above, including the governor. But this is not about the governors intentions. It is really about the decisions made by state government during the crisis, whether or not they worked well and if they could be done better in the future. Coronavirus has killed dozens in state prisons. How N.J. failed to stop it. https://t.co/fpnl4mn8mu pic.twitter.com/Z0LahuCDrW njdotcom (@njdotcom) May 13, 2020 Q. After Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Congress against opening the economy too soon, President Trump lashed out, saying Faucis testimony was not acceptable. Is this headed for divorce? What are the political stakes for Trump? Julie: Trump already filed for divorce with Dr. Fauci a week ago, when he signaled that he would abolish the Coronavirus Task Force. President Trump understands full well that his re-election will ride on what the economic picture will be like in November. The political stakes for him are not his treatment of Dr. Fauci, but if he doesn't listen to Fauci, he should be very concerned that this plague, and its detrimental effects on what is left of this economy, will resurface with a vengeance just in time for November 3rd. Mike: The president and Fauci are still in an arranged marriage, and though neither may be happy, it is serving them both well. We need balance. Fauci was not elected, and no one ever thought we should have an infectious disease specialist in charge of the economy or all aspects of America. Believe it or not, the president is listening to him. The people he doesnt listen to get fired. Q. We saw another stunning twist in the Michael Flynn case Wednesday when a federal judge challenged William Barrs decision to drop the case, despite Flynns guilty plea. The judge appointed a retired judge and prosecutor from Brooklyn, John Gleeson, to argue against Barrs move. Gleeson, who prosecuted mobster John Gotti, wrote in the Washington Post recently that Barrs decision reeks of improper political influence. What are the stakes in this case? Julie: The stakes are the rule of law itself. Michael Flynn pled guilty in court to lying to the FBI. Last time I checked, that is a crime. Just because General Flynn is tight with Attorney General Barr's boss doesn't mean that he gets out of jail free. And while we are at it, I am all for letting Paul Manafort out of prison to serve the rest of his sentence at home because of COVID fears. But if we are making exceptions for President Trump's incarcerated buddies, I have a long list of other people, starting with ICE detainees in NJ jails, who should be let out immediately on the same humanitarian basis. Mike: Tom, please stop giving me questions I dont want to answer. I never served in the Justice Department and am not a lawyer so I am not expert in reading his rationale. Turns out the rule of law is not so easy to break, even if youre an Attorney General hell bent on trying. https://t.co/KUsndo6W8C Ian Bassin (@ianbassin) May 13, 2020 Q. In Trenton, Democratic leaders are lining up to appoint five men and no women to the all-important redistricting commission, which will draw a political map for the next decade. A group of 14 female legislators wrote a letter of protest this week to the party chairman, John Currie. Is this old boys network going to let the women play, it being the 21st century and all? Julie: I have said it before and I will say it again: the Democrats cannot be the party of #MeToo if are situational about the treatment of women. If the Republicans were refusing to appoint women to this very critical commission, my party would rightly make a big deal about it. Chairman Currie has five appointments to the Redistricting Commission. I am confident that he values the contributions of women to the success of the Democratic Party in New Jersey and, as a result, I hope that he appoints at least 2 or 3 women. We are 50% of the populations and we should not be begging for scraps. Mike: The Republican redistricting team is led by Al Barlas, a Pakistani-born immigrant, first-generation Muslim American. And we also have a woman on the team, so I will yield the remainder of my time to Ms. Roginsky. Female Democratic legislators call for party to appoint women to redistricting commission. Of Democratic names floated so far, none are women. pic.twitter.com/5HJ5aqROtU Matt Friedman (@MattFriedmanNJ) May 14, 2020 Q. Sorry, but I want to end on a scary note this week: In Michigan, armed members of a right-wing militia whose protest at the statehouse in Lansing draw praise from Trump, guarded a barber shop that opened in defiance of the law. With protests growing, and job losses reaching 36 million, should we worry about civil unrest? Julie: We should be worried because what we saw in Michigan was just a preview of what is to come if Trump loses this November. I have worried for years that Trump will refuse to accept a loss, since he madly seems to believe that 3 million Clinton supporters voted fraudulently in an election he actually won. If he does lose, his supporters, egged on by a pliant Republican Congress and sycophantic right-wing media echo chamber, will mobilize and then we may be in for the kind of civil unrest we have not seen in my lifetime. Mike: Should we be more worried about armed militias who didnt actually do anything unlawful, or be more worried about the long-term erosion of civil liberties? Police arrested a hairdresser in Texas for working. Police arrested people for not social distancing enough in Maryland. Police chased a solitary swimmer out of the ocean in California. Government needs to find the right balance and do it soon. Civil unrest will come not from armed militias but from poverty and hopelessness. If we have a false start, and we go back into lockdown stalling the economy even further, it would backfire. @MikeDuHaime discusses the major risk @realDonaldTrump faces as he reopens the economy, noting that its no easy task. Read @businessinsider: https://t.co/MUaIEBrjfQ Mercury New Jersey (@Mercury_NJ) May 12, 2020 A note to readers: DuHaime and Roginsky are both deeply engaged in politics and commercial advocacy in New Jersey, so both have connections to many players we discuss in this column. Given that, we will not normally disclose each specific connection, trusting that readers understand they are not impartial observers. DuHaime, a principal at Mercury Public Affairs, was chief political advisor to former Gov. Chris Christie, and has worked for Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and President George W. Bush. Roginsky, a principal of Optimus Communications, has served as senior advisor to campaigns of Cory Booker, Frank Lautenberg and Phil Murphy. Henceforth, we will disclose specific connections in the text only when readers might otherwise be misled, at the discretion of the editors. 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. If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. The novel coronavirus pandemic already has wreaked havoc at Ohio K-12 schools and colleges this spring by forcing the closure of buildings and requiring educators to shift all in-person classes to remote learning. To add insult to injury, COVID-19 now is taking a toll on the budgets that K-12 schools and colleges in the Buckeye State rely on to serve students. On May 5, Gov. Mike DeWine announced spending cuts totaling $755 million because of the economic downturn and losses in tax revenue stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak. DeWine said the budget reductions include $355 million for schools and a $110 million for higher education. In response to DeWines announcement, Lake County school districts are being forced to take a hard look at their own budgets and consider how theyll deal with the cuts in state funding. Kirtland Schools Superintendent Bill Wade is focusing on trying to offer the best support he can for students. These cuts, along with the previous $1.1 million in reductions from state and federal revenue, continue to increase the burden on our local taxpayer, Wade said. He noted that in DeWines plan, Kirtland School District was among the top 20 districts with the highest per-student cut of $304 per pupil. This almost 36 percent reduction is the largest in Lake and Geauga counties and equates to a total loss of $362,387. The continued loss of state funds is devastating to our district, particularly since we were penalized based on the reserves we have raised through sound fiscal management, Wade said. The district implemented staffing reductions, budget cuts, increased fees and additional shared service agreements as a response to the failure of the May 2018 levy. Wickliffe Schools Superintendent Joe Spiccia said he will focus on making adjustments to minimize student impact. While we are disappointed in the budget cuts, we understand that every organization and every person has to do their part in creating a healthy and economically strong Ohio, Spiccia said. We did anticipate budget cuts from the state due to the COVID-19 emergency. We will adjust our budget to minimize the impact on students and student programs. Meanwhile, Lakeland Community College announced in a news release that it will lose $781,000 in state funding between now and the end of June, and anticipates a $3.1 million to $4.1 million cut in state funding for fiscal year 2021. Enrollment projections for summer and fall semesters are uncertain, as current and prospective students face financial, family, health and technology challenges. As a result of the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the college during the last few months and into the future, Lakeland has announced reductions in force effective May 15. The affected full- and part-time non-instructional personnel are from a range of college departments and have served in a variety of roles, the release stated. Thirty-seven employees were permanently laid off, 51 were furloughed and 25 have a permanent reduction in hours. Other cost-savings measures that will continue include: * A hiring freeze with rare exceptions for continuity of operations or revenue generation. * Reductions in nonessential operating costs. * Suspension of college-sponsored travel. According to the college, the actions are being taken to assure the continued financial strength of the institution. These are unprecedented times, which unfortunately require difficult decisions to ensure we continue to meet our mission of helping area students reach their educational goals, said Lakeland President Morris W. Beverage Jr. One gets the sense that the assessments about fiscal challenges from educational administrators like Wade, Spiccia and Beverage are being echoed at many school districts and colleges throughout Ohio at this time. Clearly, when COVID-19 is factored into the equation of coming up with adequate funding for public education, it creates a problem thats very hard to solve. Readers look at a newspaper June 12, 2002 in Nairobi carrying the photograph of Rwandan Felicien Kabuga wanted by the United States. REUTERS/George Mulala Felicien Kabuga, a millionaire accused of financing the 1994 Rwandan genocide, was arrested in Paris after 26 years on the run, reported Reuters. Kabuga was the most wanted man in Rwanda for decades and a $5 million US bounty for his arrest. He was accused of funding militias that killed 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutu allies in the span of the 100-day genocide. The 84-year-old was living under a false name in Asnieres-Sur-Seine, France when he was caught, according to the French justice ministry, but had evaded authorities in Germany, Belgium, and Kenya. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A millionaire accused of funding the 1994 Rwandan genocide was arrested by French authorities in Paris after 26 years on the run, reported Reuters. Felicien Kabuga was accused of financing militias that killed 800,000 Tutsi people and moderate Hutu allies in the span of the 100-day genocide. According to the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Kabuga was indicted in 1997 on several criminal counts including genocide all related to the 1994 genocide. Kabuga was the most wanted man in Rwanda for decades. In 2003, the US put out a $5 million bounty for his arrest, according to The Washington Post. The 84-year-old was living under a false name in Asnieres-Sur-Seine, France when he was caught, according to the French justice ministry, but had evaded authorities for nearly three decades by living in Germany, Belgium, Congo-Kinshasa, and Switzerland. Now that he is in custody, Kabuga will be brought before UN judges and sit trial in front of an international court for the charges he was indicted in almost thirty years ago. "[Kabuga's arrest] is an important step towards justice for hundreds of thousands of genocide victims...survivors can hope to see justice and suspects cannot expect to escape accountability," Mausi Segun, Africa director at Human Rights Watch, told Reuters. Read the original article on Insider There is perhaps no more dramatic an example of the destruction plaguing Americas food supply chain than this: Thousands of pigs are rotting on compost heaps as grocers run out of meat. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/5/2020 (613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. There is perhaps no more dramatic an example of the destruction plaguing Americas food supply chain than this: Thousands of pigs are rotting on compost heaps as grocers run out of meat. COVID-19 outbreaks at slaughterhouses have led to the largest pig-culling effort the U.S. has ever seen. Hundreds of thousands of animals are already backed up, and CoBank estimates 7 million animals may have to be destroyed this quarter alone. Thats about a billion pounds of meat lost to consumers. Some farms in Minnesota are even using chippers reminiscent of the 1996 movie Fargo to grind up carcasses to be spread out for compost. Rendering plants are seeing higher volumes of hogs turned into everything from gelatin to sausage casings. Behind that enormous waste are thousands of farmers, some of whom are holding on in the hope that slaughterhouses get back up and running before animals get too heavy. Others are cutting their losses and culling herds. Pig "depopulation," to coin an industry euphemism, highlights the disconnect thats occurring as the pandemic sickens workers trying to churn out food supplies in mega-plants across the U.S. "In the agriculture industry, what you prepare for is an animal disease. The thought is never that theres not going to be a market," said Michael Crusan, spokesman at the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. As many as 2,000 hogs will be composted a day and laid out in windrows in Nobles County. "We have lots of pig carcasses that we have to effectively compost on the landscape." Most meat plants that closed as workers fell ill have reopened after President Donald Trump issued an executive order to do so. But the processing industry is still far from pre-pandemic levels given social-distancing measures and high absenteeism. The fallout has left meat cases at grocery stores across the U.S. with fewer supplies and driven up prices. Wholesale pork prices in the U.S. have doubled since April. Americas pork supply chain is designed for "just-in-time manufacturing" as mature hogs are sent from barns to the slaughterhouse, and another group of young pigs take their place within a few days after the facility has been disinfected, said Liz Wagstrom, chief veterinarian with the National Pork Producers Council. The processing slowdowns left younger pigs with nowhere to go as farmers initially tried to hang on to mature animals for longer. But when pigs reach about 330 pounds (150 kilograms) they are too big for slaughterhouse equipment and the cuts of meat wont fit into boxes or Styrofoam trays, Wagstrom said. Farmers have limited options for euthanizing animals and some are setting up containers such as an airtight truck box to pump in carbon dioxide and put the animals to sleep, Wagstrom said. Other methods are less common as they are more traumatic to the worker and the animal. They include gunshot or blunt force trauma to the head. Landfills are taking animals in some states while shallow graves lined with wood chips are being dug in others. "It is devastating," Wagstrom said by phone. "Its such a tragedy and its such a waste of food." In Nobles County, Minn., hog carcasses are being put into a chipper designed for the timber industry, an idea initially developed to combat an outbreak of African swine fever. The material will then be applied on a wood-chip bed and covered with more wood chips. This will speed up the composting significantly compared with an intact carcass. Composting makes sense since burials are difficult because of the states high water table, while incineration likely is not an option for farmers culling a large number of animals, Beth Thompson, the executive director and state veterinarian of the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. Darling Ingredients Inc., a Texas-based processor that converts fats into food, feed and fuel, has seen "a good number" of hogs and chickens sent for rendering in recent weeks, Chief Executive Officer Randall Stuewe said on an earnings call last week. Large producers are trying to make room in the hog houses for the next little litter to come along and "its a tragic thing for them," he 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. "At the end of the day, the animal supply chain, at least specifically on the pork side, theyve got to keep the animals coming," Stuewe said. "Were getting anywhere from 30 to 35 loads of hogs a day into our Midwest plants now that are being depopulated." Animal welfare groups say the virus has exposed the vulnerabilities in the nations food system and the cruel, yet approved, methods to kill animals that are unable to be sent to slaughter. The industry needs to move away from intensive confinement to give animals more space so producers wont need to rush to use "ad hoc killing methods" when supply chain disruptions occur, said Josh Balk, vice president of farm animal protection for the Humane Society of the United States. Farmers are also victims in the current livestock logjam at least financially and emotionally. The decision to cull could help farms survive, but it takes its toll on producers and on public perceptions of the industry at a time of surging meat prices and shortages at supermarkets. "Over the course of the past few weeks, weve lost our ability to market, which started to create a backlog," said Mike Boerboom, who raises hogs with his family in Minnesota. "At some point, if were unable to market, they are going to hit a point where theyre too large for the supply chain and were going to face euthanasia." Bloomberg News China's foreign ministry said on Saturday the United States needed to stop the "unreasonable suppression" of Chinese companies like Huawei. The Trump administration on Friday moved to block global chip supplies to blacklisted telecoms equipment giant Huawei Technologies, spurring fears of Chinese retaliation and hammering shares of U.S. producers of chipmaking equipment. China will firmly defend its companies' legal rights, the foreign ministry said in a statement in response to Reuters' questions on whether Beijing would take retaliatory measures against the United States. Also read: Coronavirus Live Updates: Lockdown 4.0! Centre may give more relaxations from Monday; India's cases-85,940 Also read: Coronavirus impact: Trump to slap new taxes on companies manufacturing outside US Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has issued a circular to owners and managers of licensed commercial, industrial and tourism facilities on the preventive health and safety guidelines in the workplace as part of the precautionary measures issued by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority to curb the spread of Covid-19. The circular focused on six main directives related to employees operating at companies, preventive measures for the wholesale and retail sales and marketing departments along with other measures for the transport sector, financial services, construction, manufacturing and utilities, as well as additional measures for the catering and hospitality sector. It emphasises the extreme necessity to allow only those employees in the age group of 18 to 55 years - with good health conditions and free from all chronic diseases and disabilities - for duty. Employees who suffer from chronic diseases who are over 55 years of age must not be allowed to go to the workplace, considering that these people are more subjected to the risk of being infected with the virus, stated the circular. ADDED has also included additional measures in the circular pertaining to the transportation , financial services, construction, manufacturing, restaurants, and hospitality sectors as well as service facilities in the private sector. These include installation of thermal cameras at the main parking entrances, wearing gloves and face masks at all times and reducing the company's vehicle capacity down to 50 per cent. It also highlighted that passengers must leave a space between one another and avoid crowding and also sanitisers should be at hand at the entrances and inside all transportation vehicles, while drivers should be protected by installing a transparent barrier to separate them from the rest of the passengers. For the wholesale and retail establishments, the circular said it was mandatory to install thermal cameras with advanced thermal detectors at entrances of all establishment that have 30 employees and above. Employees should always put on face masks and gloves during their shifts and ensure that presenting products to clients should be done from behind the installed glass barriers, it stated. Rashed Abdul Karim Al Balooshi, Undersecretary of ADDED, confirmed that the circular seeks to promote business continuity for private companies while ensuring the health and safety of their employees through the set of guidelines provided in the circular. The move further aims to enhance companies productivity and continue their business and commercial activities in an appropriate and safe environment.-TradeArabia News Service San Antonios largest hospital system plans to ease restrictions on visitors starting Monday. Baptist Health System announced in a statement Friday that its visitation policy put in place during the coronavirus pandemic will be relaxed to allow one designated support person to accompany each patient. Baptists parent company, Dallas-based Tenet Health Corp., runs five hospitals in San Antonio and operates another eight smaller facilities called micro hospitals. Before entry, visitors will be screened for fever, respiratory symptoms or travel to high-risk locations before entering the hospital. They will be required to sanitize their hands and to wear visitor identification and a face mask. Tenet spokeswoman Patti Tanner said the system has resumed elective care with extensive safety measures in place, which includes designated waiting areas that allow for physical distancing, plenty of hand sanitizing stations and rigorous cleaning of surfaces. CEO Matt Stone said its COVID-19 safety standards are based on federal and state public health recommendations. We are providing the reassurance that our patients, staff and their families deserve, Stone said. I am proud of the work of our team to quickly implement and optimize these standards to provide care for patients in the safest environment possible. Methodist Healthcare System started allowing one visitor per patient three weeks ago shortly after the state order barring elective surgeries was lifted. Visitors are screened and also required to wear a mask at its nine hospitals. Christus Santa Rosa Health System started allowing one visitor per surgical patient at its four hospitals on April 29. Bexar County-owned University Health System likely will announce its plans to allow visitors next week, said Elizabeth Allen. Laura Garcia covers the health care industry in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Laura, become a subscriber. laura.garcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @Reporter_Laura Even by President Trumps standards, it was a rampage: He attacked a government whistle-blower who was telling Congress that the coronavirus pandemic had been mismanaged. He criticized the governor of Pennsylvania, who has resisted reopening businesses. He railed against former President Barack Obama, linking him to a conspiracy theory and demanding he answer questions before the Senate about the federal investigation of Michael T. Flynn. And Mr. Trump lashed out at Joseph R. Biden Jr., his Democratic challenger. In an interview with a sympathetic columnist, Mr. Trump smeared him as a doddering candidate who doesnt know hes alive. The caustic attack coincided with a barrage of digital ads from Mr. Trumps campaign mocking Mr. Biden for verbal miscues and implying that he is in mental decline. That was all on Thursday. Far from a one-day onslaught, it was a climactic moment in a weeklong lurch by Mr. Trump back to the darkest tactics that defined his rise to political power. Even those who have grown used to Mr. Trumps conduct in office may have found themselves newly alarmed by the grim spectacle of a sitting president deliberately stoking the countrys divisions and pursuing personal vendettas in the midst of a crisis that has Americans fearing for their lives and livelihoods. Since well before he became president, Mr. Trumps appetite for conflict has defined him as a public figure. But in recent days he has practiced that approach with new intensity, signaling both the depths of his election-year distress and his determination to blast open a path to a second term, even at the cost of further riling a country in deep anguish. A ctivists including the brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have been arrested after descending on London's Hyde Park protesting the UK's coronavirus lockdown. Pictures from the park in the heart of the capital showed around 40 protesters gathered on Saturday morning. A Met Police spokesman said 19 people were arrested in the Hyde Park area, and a further 10 given on-the-spot fines. Standing near Speaker's Corner at the north-eastern end of the park, protesters brandished banners reading "this is not about a virus, this is about control" and "no to the new abnormal". Police took Piers Corbyn away in handcuffs after he joined with a megaphone, proclaiming that 5G and the coronavirus pandemic were linked. He said 5G enhances anyone whos got illness from Covid" and called the lockdown a pack of lies to brainwash you and keep you in order. He was taken away after declining to leave when asked by a police officer and declining to give his details when asked. David Samson, 50, who said he works in finance, said he came to the protest because: I never thought Id see in my generation the suppressing of civil rights over a fake virus. Anti-lockdown Hyde Park protest - in pictures 1 /16 Anti-lockdown Hyde Park protest - in pictures Police handcuff and detain a protester in Hyde Park, London PA Police lead away Piers Corbyn, brother of former Labour leader PA Police talk to protesters in Hyde Park PA A protester in Hyde Park, London PA Police handcuff and detain a protester in Hyde Park PA Police handcuff and detain a protester PA Police lead away Piers Corbyn PA A protester in Hyde Park PA Police at the anti-lockdown protest in Hyde Park in London PA A protester in Hyde Park PA Police in Hyde Park in London as protesters gather PA Police in Hyde Park in London as protesters gather PA Another demonstrator, 62-year-old Catherine Harvey, said she wanted to highlight the devastation this lockdown has caused. She said she had been forced to close her shop on Columbia Road Flower Market, adding: The effects of the lockdown are far, far worse than the virus mental health, domestic violence, shops are closed, theatres, cinemas, restaurants. Its unnecessary. A flyer advertising the protest called for no to mandatory vaccines, no to the new normal, and no to the unlawful lockdown. A large number of police officers also gathered and there was a round of boos whenever protesters were arrested and repeated shouts of jail Bill Gates. The UK currently has the second highest confirmed death toll from coronavirus in the world, behind only the United States. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, of the Met Police, said: It was disappointing that a relatively small group in Hyde Park came together to protest the regulations in clear breach of the guidance, putting themselves and others at risk of infection. Officers took a measured approach and tried to engage the group to disperse. They clearly had no intention of doing so, and so it did result in 19 people being arrested, and a further 10 being issued with a fixed penalty notice. Loading.... The London protests come as people also gathered in small groups in Glasgow, Belfast, Nottingham and Southampton to show their displeasure at the lockdown. Earlier this month protesters took part in a group hug outside Met Police's London headquarters in defiance of the coronavirus lockdown. The UK has been on lockdown to slow the spread of the virus since March 23, with people urged to stay at home as much as possible and many businesses and services shut down temporarily. Prime Minister Boris Johnson began easing lockdown measures this week. People who cannot work from home were asked to return to their workplaces from Wednesday and restrictions removed on the time people are allowed to spend outside - as long as they remain socially distanced. The UK's protests follow several instances of unrest in the US over lockdown measures. Armed protesters descended on the Michigan state capitol earlier this month over the state's "stay at home" order, while other states have also seen disturbances. Despite the UK protests, polling has showed that a majority of people support the lockdown. She cannot monitor his every minute online: A single parent, she is working from home full time and must care for her second child, too. She has asked her son to stop looking at the messages, but that is where fifth-grade social interaction takes place these days. Instead, he has started logging in early. He uses the extra time before class to examine every chat group, scanning for mean things other students may have typed about him overnight. Two parents in Missouri are facing child abuse charges after authorities say their 12-year-old son escaped from their abusive home and told police his father had been handcuffing him to his bed every night for two months. The boy's father, Christopher Crets, 40, and his stepmother Nicole Crets, 33, were arrested on May 2 after authorities found the boy walking down a highway with "severe bruising on his face, torso, legs and arms," according to a police report obtained by NBC affiliate KSDK. Image: Christopher Crets and Nicole Crets (Warren County Sheriff's Dept.) Both parents had been "whooping him with a leather belt," the boy said, according to police. The parents told police they've been handcuffing the boy to the bed to prevent the him from sneaking food and candy because he has a medical condition. There is nothing a child could ever do to justify this," Warren County Sheriff Kevin Harrison told KSDK. "It breaks my heart because this child is being handcuffed in his own home, and he's being not just abused, but tortured by his parents." The boy said he was able to escape from the house because they forgot to handcuff him that day, according to police. Detectives who searched the parents' house before they were arrested found the handcuffs attached to the bed just like the boy had described, Harrison told KSDK. The boy told police he once weighed 115 to 120 pounds. When authorities found him, he was 74 pounds. The boy was diagnosed with refeeding syndrome a metabolic condition that can cause seizures, heart failure, fatigue and confusion due to starvation after authorities took him to the hospital. At least two other young children lived at the residence. Harrison said they didn't show any signs of abuse but they were removed from the home and placed in the care of others. Both parents were charged with felony child abuse on May 3. Christopher Crets is also facing additional charges that include kidnapping and four counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. They're both due in court on May 27. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 00:08:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Royal Gazette on Friday announced that China, South Korea, China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and China's Macao Special Administrative Region will removed from its list of "dangerous disease zones" from Saturday. The gazette said that China, South Korea, China's Hong Kong and China's Macao had shown their effectiveness in preventing and containing the coronavirus. The four were on the list first drawn up in March as Thailand began to step up its efforts to fight the COVID-19 outbreak. Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul earlier in May said he would propose to the Cabinet to have the four locations removed from COVID-19 high risk lists. However, with the emergency decree still in effect until May 31, inbound flights into Thailand are still banned. Enditem Rome, May 16 : The Italian government has signed a decree that will allow travel to and from the country from June 3, as it moves to ease its coronavirus lockdown measures, it was reported on Saturday. The decree was signed by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Friday and published early on Saturday, the BBC reported. It will also allow travel between the regions, which has so far been tightly restricted, from the same day. Italy, one of the worst affected nations in the world, was the first country in Europe to impose nationwide restrictions when coronavirus cases began to surface in northern regions in February. But it began to relax those measures earlier this month, when it allowed factories and parks to reopen on May 4. Shops and restaurants are also due to reopen from May 18 provided that social distancing was enforced. Catholic churches weree preparing for the resumption of Mass on the same day, but there will be strict social distancing and worshippers must wear face masks, reports the BBC. Other faiths will also be allowed to hold religious services. Conte's announcement on Friday came shortly after the country, which was once the global epicentre of the pandemic, reported a further decline in its daily death toll. It reported more than 900 deaths on March 27, but the authorities said there were 262 on Friday. Earlier this week, the government approved a $59 billion stimulus package designed to offset the economic impact of the pandemic on businesses and families. As of Saturday, Italy had 223,885 COVID-19 cases, with 31,610 deaths. More than 3,000 nursing home residents in Texas about 4 percent of the estimated number of Texans living in nursing homes have been infected with the coronavirus, according to state data released Friday. The numbers paint an increasingly dire picture of the fate of nursing home residents in this pandemic. By comparison, about 0.15 percent of Texans have tested positive for the virus. And not only are nursing home residents much more likely to test positive, but they are also more likely to die, the data shows. While nursing home residents make up around 6 percent of the states positive cases, they account for about 38 percent of the states deaths related to COVID-19. Release of the total case numbers broken down by region marked a step toward increased transparency from the state, which previously was not providing updates on how many long-term care facility residents were sick, or disclosing where they lived. But it fell short of calls from advocates and family members for facility-by-facility case information, or at least data by county. WHICH NURSING HOMES HAVE OUTBREAKS? Texas wont tell you. More information would help people understand the scope of the virus, including where the outbreaks were and who was falling prey to it, said Kelley Shannon, executive director of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Its still very important for the public to know which nursing homes and long-term care facilities are being hit by COVID-19, so we urge the state to go further than this, Shannon said. The state on Monday began forming plans to test all residents and staff in nursing facilities over the span of two weeks. State officials said they aimed to get a clearer picture of the extent to which the illness was affecting the vulnerable residents. Shannon said she saw no legal reason why the state could not release more detailed information. But the data provided for now offers the public only a blurry regional and statewide picture. Among some 200 nursing homes licensed in the 16-county Houston region, 74 facilities had confirmed cases a total second only to the Dallas region. Among them, 675 Houston-area residents tested positive and 110 died. Amanda Fredriksen, associate state director for advocacy and outreach at AARP Texas, agreed that the numbers represented progress but were not enough as Texas relaxed its closures. Wed like to see more transparency where the cases are, Fredriksen said, and in seeing more testing going forward, especially as the state continues to open up. emily.foxhall@chron.com Emily Foxhall is the Texas Storyteller for the Houston Chronicle. Read her on our free site, chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | emily.foxhall@chron.com | Twitter: emfoxhall I never went back to that job. My young husband hadnt had health insurance, but a lot of friends and family and internet strangers pooled their money in an online fund-raiser that cost me some dignity but allowed me to quit my job, move myself and my child into my mothers house and spend my time trying to metabolize the brick of sorrow that was lodged in my chest. I was lucky. I had the time to think, feel, sleep. To cry in the aisles at Target. Eventually to find a therapist. I felt immense guilt about this luck. At night, I took some of the money from my fund-raiser and deposited it into the fund-raising campaigns of strangers dealing with their own losses. They too deserved some space, a boost to get their heads above water, if only long enough to scream for help. Sorrow has always been a lonely experience, even when we were able to gather together. In the wake of loss, the Earth spins on, completely oblivious to the fact that your world has stopped spinning. Right now, people are dying and grieving in solitude, their own personal losses compounded into a communal grief for the world we used to inhabit, where we could at least hold our dying mothers hand and pretend to remember a distant cousins name as he hugged us at the funeral. In a sense, that communal suffering makes things a little less lonely. But it is also threatening. We hold our own pain up against others, and we secretly hope ours wins. Whats the emotional toll of the death of a husband as opposed to, say, an uncle? Is it grief to miss your senior prom because of the pandemic? How about when you compare it to the grief of an E.R. doctor who has witnessed the suffering and death of dozens of patients? Anyone who dares to love someone has opened themselves up to the certainty of loss. Yes, everybody experiences grief. We need to make sure that everyone also gets to grieve. Nora McInerny is the creator of the podcast Terrible, Thanks for Asking and the founder of the Hot Young Widows Club, a support group. 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. Being a royal is anything but easy any member of the family will attest to that. Senior royals have pretty demanding schedules, what with all the appearances that they make on a regular basis, in addition to the fact that they are constantly being watched, photographed, and analyzed. For those who are in the direct line of succession, such as Prince William, the job is a bit tougher. Those select few are under constant pressure to be their best at all times, and they are being observed by millions of people every day. Prince Charles is next in line to take the British throne, which is a job that his younger son, Prince Harry, once admitted that no one actually wants. There is no doubt that he is a little nervous about what is what to come, since being the ruling monarch of an entire country is about as high-profile as it gets. While he will definitely have the support of plenty of people, he needs a few that he can count on without worry. Here is why Prince Charles trusts Katherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William implicitly, according to a royal source. What is the line of succession in the British royal family? Prince William and Kate Middleton | Charles McQuillan/Getty Images The British line of succession is a bit confusing, so lets take a moment to break it down. Technically, every member of the royal family has a place in line for the throne. However, it is highly unlikely for the majority of them to ever be crowned king or queen. Those who are in the direct line of successions such as Princes William and his father, Prince Charles are more or less guaranteed to one day take the throne. After the death of Queen Elizabeth or if she opts to step down, Prince Charles will become king. Prince Charles will be ollowed by Prince William, who will be succeeded by his son, Prince George. Who will be the ruling monarch after that? The firstborn of Prince George will be next in line, and so forth and so on. That is all under the assumption that the monarchy will still be an institution at the time. Prince Charles will likely need some help Prince Charles is already 71 years old. According to Readers Digest, he will become the ruling monarch the moment Queen Elizabeth passes away. Prince Charles is older than many people are when they retire, and he has yet to take over the job. This is why he will likely need a bit of help when the time comes, and he knows that he can turn to Prince William and Kate to assist him in getting things done. While the Cambridges already carry out full-time royal duties, it is likely that they will get significantly busier when Prince Charles becomes king. It is a good thing Prince William and Kate have plenty of experience and are fully committed to doing the best job that they can when it comes to their royal roles. Prince Charles trusts Kate Middleton and Prince William implicitly Since he definitely needs people that he knows he can turn to, it is wonderful that Prince Charles has a son and daughter-in-law that he can trust implicitly. According to a royal source, reports US Magazine, the oldest son of the queen is in awe of how they have handled their responsibilities over the years. He knows just how dedicated Prince William and Kate are to doing the best that they can in their roles, and he knows that they are more than ready to assist him when the time comes as well as one day take on the role of king and queen themselves. [Charles] cant do it all himself, the source told US Magazine. He trusts his son and daughter-in-law implicitly, and marvels at what a breath of fresh air theyve been. And its not just Prince Charles: Queen Elizabeth is reportedly thrilled with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as well. The wonderful thing about Kate and William is that they remain focused and calm even during their most challenging times, the source says. [Queen Elizabeth] couldnt be prouder. She takes pride in being on top of everything but recognizes that its time to hand off some responsibility. About 30,000 orders were placed online for doorstep delivery of essential items, which has been made mandatory in Ahmedabad, on a single day on Friday, a Gujarat government official said on Saturday and added that it was the largest such distribution so far in the country. These orders have generated cashless transactions worth Rs 8.5 crore, he said. In a bid to check the spread of coronavirus in Ahmedabnad, which has so far reported over 7,000 cases and 473 deaths, the cash-on-delivery option was banned and digital payment mode became compulsory for online delivery of grocery and food items from May 15. "Around 30,000 online orders were placed for essential supplies in Ahmedabad in a single day on Friday, and Rs 8.5 crore was paid for the same through cashless mode," said Ashwani Kumar, secretary to chief minister Vijay Rupani. It is for the first time that online delivery at such a largescale happened in India on cashless payment, he said. In a video message, Kumar also said that 657 people who reached Gujarat from the Philippines, USA, Kuwait, and UK on special flights will have tochoose from among districts except Ahmedabad, Surat, and their home districts, for getting admitted in institutional quarantine facilities. "The state government has once again decided to provide free food basket to 68.8 lakhfamilies holding food security and BPL cards between May 17 and 27," he said. Kumar also said the government will provide the subsidy worth Rs 25 per cattle to the registered cow sheds and 'panjrapoles' (cattle shelters) in May, which works out in numbers at 4 lakh cattle and an outlay of Rs 30-35 crore. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The President of the United States Donald Trump unveiled the flag for the Space Force on Friday caling it a very special moment. The ceremony took place at the Oval Office in the White House. Trump had pushed for this new military service after having complained that he inherited a 'hollow' military. "We've worked very hard on this and it's so important form a defensive standpoint, from an offensive standpoint, from every standpoint there is," Trump said. He also said, "We should have started this a long time ago, but we've made up for it." General John W. Raymond, the chief of Space Force said, "We're proud of this flag. We're proud to have an opportunity to present it to you." Trump spoke about another project saying the military was building 'incredible military equipment,' which he only loosely described, in a likely reference to a hypersonic missile. "We have, I call it the Super Duper Missile, and I heard the other night 17 times faster than what they have right now, when you take the fastest missile we have right now," he said. He claimed with this the US was ahead of Russia and China. Back in December 2019, the Space Force was signed into law under the National Defense Authorization Act. Trump had advertised for this division of the military saying the US needed to expand its presence in space. In an effort to cease criminal operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers launched Operation Stolen Promise. Authorities and local law enforcement are to intercept shipment and delivery of items, and so far, they have confiscated fake test kits and diluted bleach. Closer at the border, officers are on high alert in El Paso and Nogales to ensure that these products do not cross American territory. Frauds taking advantage of supply shortage According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations Phoenix special agent-in-charge Scott Brown, predicted that the COVID-19 pandemic provided the ideal conditions for criminals to scam civilians. He said that they found fake COVID-19 test kits being shipped into Sky Harbor International Airport. In the middle of a health and economic crisis, supply shortage is low, and people are in need of medical supplies and equipment. At the border, officials confiscated almost a thousand bottles of diluted household products like bleach. Frauds would be selling fake and diluted products for illicit profit. Scott said that the officers were adapting to threats previously unheard of, like PPE-related fraud. He commended the agents and officers for identifying the cleaning products as a potential threat. Brown added that they were committed to maintaining their efforts to deal with the criminals, who he believed would be just as willing to continue scamming people for as long as the pandemic would go on. Some of these products were counterfeit personal protective equipment and pharmaceuticals found by Baltimore officers. Similarly, in El Paso, authorities recovered medical equipment like thermometers, bleach, and cold medicine. Beverly Good, U.S. Customs and Border Protection El Paso Port Director, believed that the cold medicines especially might contain something that was not approved by the Food and Drugs Administration. This would pose harm to unknowing civilians. Check these out! Operation Stolen Promise In response to the pandemic-related deception schemes, ICE's Homeland Security Investigations started Operation Stolen Promise, or S.T.O.P. COVID-19 Fraud campaign. This was an effort to intercept shipment of fake supplies being delivered in the country. A key part of the operation was public outreach, in which officers involve the public by providing tips and red flags that would allow them to identify criminals and report them. The official web page of the campaign was launched to provide information about the scams and the local law enforcement. Special agent Jere Miles at HSI's New Orleans field office said that the frauds started with supplies like PPE. When more products and equipment were shelved out from stores as a result of panic-buying, the criminals must have seen the opportunity to gain profit. He recommended everybody to start reaching out to local authorities in the community to report any suspicious characters. Miles offered more advice, saying that Americans must become equally involved in the operation to purge the scammers. He said that if the product's price seemed too good to be true, then it was highly possible it could be a fraud. As businesses open their doors to customers for the first time in weeks, some have taken the opportunity to poke fun at the logistical challenges of upholding social distancing rules. Serving customers with drinks and meals, particularly to those dining in, means staff unavoidably will come closer than the 1.5 metre requirement when placing items on the table. Staff at As Nature Intended, an organic cafe in Canberra, have come up with a hilarious way of getting around this hurdle - but their tactic involves a bit of a messy clean-up. Staff at these businesses poked pun at social distancing rules by throwing items to tables from 1.5 metres away. Source: Facebook In a video uploaded to Facebook on Friday, staff members approached an empty table from the required distance, then proceeded to toss each item the 1.5 metre distance. Liquid was shown splashing across the table and up the glass window behind the setting, prompting laugher from the woman filming the comedic display. We were thinking its quite hilarious how were going to serve the customers because of the 1.5 metre distancing, and (technically) were not allowed to go any closer, owner Beata Wilder said. This is fun, we have to start laughing about it. Were trying to (social) distance, but its really hard, she told Yahoo News Australia. The 10 customers allowed inside the cafe at a time, under the new easing of restrictions, need to adhere to floor markings and maintain social distancing between themselves. Loyal patrons appreciated the businesss jab at the restrictions, some jokingly suggesting they might need to postpone their visit to the cafe for a few weeks due to their outlandish approach. Ms Wilder said it had been difficult staying afloat throughout the coronavirus crisis, with tough restrictions making it tricky to keep the businesss doors open. Its not easy, but we think its necessary (to abide by restrictions). Were following the orders and we are very happy that there is no coronavirus in Canberra, she said. Hopefully within a month or a month-and-a-half, well be allowed to have more customers. Story continues Another video similar to the one filmed at the Canberra cafe went viral earlier this month, showing a waitress also ditching glassware towards a table, causing it to smash and create a mess. It was jokingly tagged with the words training for reopening and attracted thousands of comments and shares. Businesses across Australia have this week begun reopening to customers, but still are required to adhere to customer capacity and time limits. From midnight Thursday, bars, restaurants and cafes were allowed to open doors to 10 people at a time, while those in the Northern Territory were permitted to open from noon on Friday. Queenslanders were given the same luxury on Saturday, while other states and territories opted to keep their hospitality venues closed to dine-in customers for the time being. While the gradual easing of restrictions was a promising sign the country was on its way to recovery, health ministers have warned Australians that the virus was very much still lingering. The highest number of cases in nearly a month was recorded on Friday, with more than 7000 people nationwide infected with the virus. NSWs Health Minister Brad Hazzard reminded people on Saturday the virus is still amongst us, urging people to continue to take social distancing seriously when outside their homes. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google France on Saturday arrested Felicien Kabuga, one of the last key fugitives wanted over 1994 Rwandan genocide, leaving him facing a likely trial at an international tribunal after a quarter of a century on the run. Kabuga, once one of Rwandas richest men, was living under a false identity in the Paris suburbs, the public prosecutors office and police said in a joint statement. Agents swooped on his home at dawn, finding an 84-year-old man who has been sought by the judicial authorities for 25 years, the statement said. Around 800,000 people Tutsis but also moderate Hutus were slaughtered over 100 days by ethnic Hutu extremists during the 1994 genocide. Kabuga was arrested at his home in Asnieres-sur-Seine north of Paris and had been hiding with the complicity of his children. The police statement described him as one of the worlds most wanted fugitives. Behind Interahamwe Kabuga is accused of creating the notorious Interahamwe militia that carried out massacres in the 1994 genocide. He also helped create the equally notorious Radio-Television Libre des Mille Collines that incited people to carry out murder in its broadcasts. Felicien Kabuga is known to have been the financier of the Rwandan genocide, it said, adding that he had spent time in Germany, Belgium, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Switzerland. The head of Frances agency for fighting crimes against humanity, Eric Emeraux, told AFP that the chase had been renewed two months ago after new intelligence emerged. Olivier Olsen, head of the association of homeowners in the building where he lived, described Kabuga as someone very discreet who murmured when you said hello. He said Kabuga had lived there for 3-4 years. Kabuga is accused of using his wealth and influence during the genocide to funnel money to militia groups as chairman of the Fonds de Defense Nationale (FDN) fund. According to the State Department of the United States, which had offered a $5 million reward for information about him, Kabuga through the FDN is alleged to have provided funds to the interim Rwandan government for the purposes of executing the 1994 genocide. Brought to account Kabuga was indicted by the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 1997 on seven counts, including genocide. The Rwanda tribunal formally closed in 2015 and its duties have since been taken over by the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT), which also deals with cases left over from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The arrest of Felicien Kabuga today is a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even 26 years after their crimes, said Serge Brammertz, chief prosecutor of the MICT in The Hague. Kabuga should now rapidly appear before French prosecutors who should order him to be remanded in custody. Judicial authorities can then rule on sending him to The Hague to face justice. Kabuga is expected to be tried at the mechanisms branch in Arusha in Tanzania, an official from the prosecutors office told AFP. His eventual transfer to UN custody was likely to take some time because of the COVID-19 pandemic, tribunal sources said. Two more still at large The son of peasants, Kabuga grew his business from selling cigarettes and second hand clothes at markets in his northern home region of Byumba. He expanded by opening businesses in the capital Kigali and by 1993 was already part of the inner circle of then Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana, with his daughter marrying one of the presidents sons. It was the assassination of Habyarimana on April 6, 1994 that unleashed the genocide. Along with former defence minister Augustin Bizimana and top-ranking military figure Protais Mpiranya both still at large Kabuga was one of the three most significant suspects still sought over the genocide, the French police statement said. France has long been known as a hiding place for wanted genocide suspects and French investigators currently have dozens of cases underway. But so far there have been only three convictions from two trials with another trial of a French-Rwandan former hotel driver accused of transporting Hutu militiamen due to begin in September. The genocide has cast a long shadow over Franco-Rwandan relations. Rwandas President Paul Kagame, a Tutsi, accuses France of having supported the ethnic Hutu forces behind most of the slaughter and of helping some of the perpetrators to escape. Last year, President Emmanuel Macron announced the creation of a commission of experts that will delve into the French states archives in a bid to set the historical record straight. Saima Afreen By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Hatwill a post- Covid-19 world be especially in terms of socialising? Food has always brought people together but in a world which is yet to see the lockdown come to an end, its going to be challenging not just for the industry, but for people as well. Social distancing has become the new normal and nobody would like to take a risk. In a city like Hyderabad where people just love their food, a lot is going to change. This will, of course, mean shutting down of the smaller enterprises. Even the ones that survive will have to revise their norms, policies, approach, and even menus. As of now, there are 10,000+ eateries in the city which include restaurants/bars/ pubs/sweets shops/bakers, etc and this figure does not even include caterers and street vendors. On a good day, these outlets receive an average footfall of 15,00,0000 (150 diners x 10,000 eateries is 15,00,000 pax) which is going to come down drastically. Says Sampath Tummala, the joint secretary of Telangana State Hotels Association (TSHA), Post lockdown only 50 percent of the restaurants will survive unless they receive any relief m e a s u r e f r o m t h e government. The new normal Restaurants in countries like Sweden, Germany, Netherlands, and Thailand have already begun functioning as Covid-19 resistance properties. For example, in Ransater, Sweden a pop-up restaurant, named Bord for En (Table for One), doesnt have waiters. The food, kept in a basket, is served from the kitchen through a pulley. An eatery in Thailand has plastic barriers to maintain social distancing. Talking on similar lines, chef Inam Khan, owner of Kingdom Of BBQ, Banjara Hills says, We will be installing scanners for thermal checkups both for employees and guests. We are going to focus more on takeaways. He is already working on creating cabins for small groups. But the number of guests will be limited. He adds, We will be installing disinfectant sprays at the entrance area. Tables will have to be reserved in advance as we will Whatsapp the menu beforehand and the guests can take their food directly from the counter in near the table while maintaining social distancing. More solutions While restaurateurs are prepared to face the challenges, they feel this will be the last sector to be allowed to function after the lockdown. Says Shaaz Mehmood, partner for Olive Bistro & Bar, Jubilee Hills, This industry is the secondlargest employer of the workforce, and with no government support its going to be tougher in the future. We have to think of lesser staff, menu revamps, tech solutions to encourage delivery, and cloud kitchen delivery format. But restaurants are also community builders and he questions if we will able to build nightlife again? He adds, We will be able to overcome this crisis maintaining proper health guidelines and social distancing. He worries about performance artistes and DJs, who are the worst affected. He shares, We are encouraging them to start their performances online. IT doesnt work well Many people are lauding the efforts of the Telangana government for not allowing food delivery apps to function till month-end as there would have been major cross-contamination given Hyderabad is known for its haleem obsession during this season. At the same time, takeout has to start as Hyderabad has many employees in the IT industry, who have come here for work from different parts of the country and rely on food from restaurants for their night shifts. Says Sampath, who also owns Spicy Venue, The industry is going to suffer as many dont have the running capital. Many core players who are going to run the show. The location also plays a major advantage and disadvantage now. Thats why its according to the sale of the food that the costs are decided. Some initiatives should come from the government also. So are they going to take any certain initiative in this regard? He informs, We are discussing and talking to startups for solutions. The takeout service has to start as it caters to the need of many. But the packet containing food is to be sanitised properly. However, theres no study that shows that the food carries the virus. Its the contact that does it. We have to think of contact-less solutions. He adds, Even the landlords who have rented out the place should understand the concern of the restaurateurs that these are tough times but they wont last. Mutual support will helps us survive. The comeback Many restaurant owners are hopeful that the dine-out culture will not die so easily as it will take time for every sector to return to normalcy after the lockdown. And in hotels, earlier a staffer would come and set the table for breakfast, but now its going to be different, contact- less to be precise. Says Sailesh Mathur, owner of Hotel Shree Venkateshwara, Lakdi- Ka-Pul, which also has finedine restaurant inhouse for the guests, We are looking for total change while preparing and serving food. We are social animals and thus socialising is a must. At present, we dont have guests in the hotel. But when the situation normalises, we are looking forward to in-theroom- dining experience through contactless service. We have to survive, and we will. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has been served with an FBI search warrant in connection with dozens of stock trades he made on February 13, before the widespread stay-at-home orders took place.According to the Los Angeles Times , the FBI visited the senator at his residence around the nation's capital, where he turned over his cell phone. The Times reported no other details about the warrant at the time of publishing, and spoke with a law enforcement official on the condition of anonymity.Los Angeles Times reporter Del Quentin Wilber has since stated that the FBI also issued a warrant to Apple in order to get information from the senator's iCloud account.Information about Burr's stock activities was unearthed in late March by ProPublica , which reported that the senator and his wife "sold off a significant percentage of his stocks" over the course of 33 transactions in a single day.From the single day of trading, the news agency discovered Burr had unloaded between $628,000 and $1.72 million in holdings.A financial filing obtained by The New York Times notes that Burr sold off between $15,001 to $50,000 in holdings of Extended Stay America and $50,001 to $100,000 in holdings of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts.In a statement to the Associated Press , Alice Fisher, an attorney for Burr, saidsaid Fisher.AP reports that Burr has acknowledged his stock sales were related to the coronavirus, but maintains he only used public information to guide his financial decisions, specifically referencing CNBC daily health and science reporting.As The Daily Wire previously reported, Burr was among three other senators who received heat after reports emerged they sold off holdings before the stock market began to fall. The other senators included Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), and James Inhofe (R-OK).A spokesperson for Feinstein told The New York Times in March that all of the senator'sand that she hasInhofe told ABC-5 in March that he's been gradually divesting from stocks over the last 15 months.Loeffler also responded to the allegations in March, saying she was informed of the stock activity three weeks after it happened: FLINT, MI A dispute over limiting access to a Flint liquor store culminated in a security guard shooting an assailant in his ankle. On Friday, May 15, Flint police responded to a reported shooting at Carpenter Road Superette at 1066 E. Carpenter Road. Prior to officers arrival, an altercation had taken place between a security guard and a male customer over limited access due to the COVID-19 crisis, said MSP Lt. James Lang. The customer subsequently struck the security guard multiple times, police said. The guard drew his gun and the customer attempted to strike him again, causing the guard to fire one round toward the ground. The bullet struck the customer in his ankle. Investigators believe the bullet had ricocheted off the ground before it hit the customer. The wounded customer was taken to an area hospital and is in good condition as of Saturday. The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Flint Major Case Unit, composed of Michigan State Police and Flint Police personnel. Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact Detective Trooper Allison Lukco at 810-733-9380. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-422-5245, P3TIPS mobile app, or CrimeStoppersofFlint.com. This is the second time this month a security guard at a Flint business was involved in a shooting believed to be linked to COVID-19 procedures. The afternoon of May 1, 43-year-old security guard Calvin J. Munerlyn was shot and killed the at the Family Dollar at 877 E. Fifth after an alleged dispute. A security guard at the Family Dollar off East Fifth Avenue in Flint, Munerlyn was shot around 1:45 p.m. May 1 allegedly following a dispute over a customer not wearing a mask into the store. Prosecutors have alleged Munerlyn and Sharmel L. Teague, 45, got into a verbal dispute after Munerlyn told the womans 24-year-old daughter, Brya Bishop, she needed to wear a face mask while inside the store. A police report states Brya Bishop then left the store, but her mother began to yell at Munerlyn. He told the mother to leave the store and instructed a cashier not to serve her, according to investigative reports of the incident turned over to Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton. During a May 4 press conference, Leyton said there is video surveillance of the altercation between Teague and Munerlyn. A short time later, Teague returned to the store with husband Larry Teague Jr., 44, and son Ramonyea T. Bishop, 23, and confronted Munerlyn. Larry Teague yelled at Munerlyn about disrespecting his wife, with Bishop accused of pulling out a gun and fatally shooting Munerlyn in the back of the head, Leyton has said. Larry Teague was arrested May 7 near the Studio Six Hotel in West Houston, Texas, when he was returning to his room. Bishop was arrested in Bay City on May 8. Shamel Teague and Bishop have been arraigned on charges of first-degree murder and firearms offenses. Brya Bishop has been arraigned on charges of tampering with evidence, lying to police investigating a violent crime, and accessory after the fact to a felony. Larry Teague is awaiting extradition from Texas to Michigan. Related: Alleged gunman arraigned in fatal Flint security guard shooting over coronavirus mask rule Woman arraigned in fatal shooting of Flint security guard over face mask Gov. Whitmer offers condolences to family of Flint security guard killed over mask dispute Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 22:15:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest developments on COVID-19 in China: -- Chinese health authority said Saturday that it received reports of eight new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Friday, of which six were imported. The other two domestically transmitted cases were reported in Jilin Province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report -- The Jilin provincial health commission said the two domestically transmitted cases were close contacts of earlier confirmed cases in the cities of Jilin and Shulan. -- No new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported in central China's Hubei Province Friday, the provincial health commission said Saturday. By the end of Friday, Hubei still had six confirmed COVID-19 cases, all in the provincial capital of Wuhan, including one in severe condition and one in critical condition. -- Wuhan-based Zall Foundation in Hubei Province that was hard hit by COVID-19 has donated a batch of medical supplies to France to aid the country's fight against the epidemic. The donation, worth about 3.1 million yuan (about 436,500 U.S. dollars), included 500,000 disposable medical masks and 10,000 medical protective suits. The supplies are expected to arrive in France next week. -- China's medical services have been restored to 85 percent of what they were a year ago amid regular epidemic control efforts, a health official said Saturday. In some areas, medical services have fully resumed, said Guo Yanhong, an official with the National Health Commission, at a press conference in Beijing. Enditem Even as special Shramik trains and buses are being run by the government to ferry stranded migrant labourers from Maharashtra and other states, most of them still prefer to travel in vehicles like trucks and tempos to return home, flouting the social distancing norms. The migrants find trucks and tempos convenient, mostly because they drop them close to their home in their respective states, unlike the buses which carry them only till the state border, while the trains ferry them to their home state, from where they have to arrange for vehicles to reach their places. However, their journey in trucks and tempos is not safe as these vehicles are almost always tightly packed, due to which the risk of contracting COVID-19 infection is higher. Small tempos carry around 20 persons, while the medium-sized ones can accommodate 25 to 40 people. Small trucks can carry 40 to 60 people, while the larger ones are found carrying up to 100 or even more, with several of them sitting atop. Sources said that the truckers charge anywhere in the range of Rs 1,500 to Rs 4,500 per person for the journey to Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand depending upon the distance to their native places from Mumbai and adjoining places. Talking to PTI, several migrant labourers said that vehicle operators charge Rs 1,500-2,000 for MP, Rs 3,000-3,500 for UP and Rs 3,000-4,500 for Bihar. The migrants said that they prefer trucks and tempos to go back to their native places as the trucks drop them close to their villages, while buses drop them only till the state border, from where they have to find another mode of transport to reach home. Several of them said that they were forced to undertake journey in vehicles like trucks, as their efforts in seeking permission for Shramik special trains did not get any response. Umesh Kumar Maurya, a worker from a sweet shop in Kalyan, who was heading to Lucknow, said, "For the train journey, I had first applied online and later on visited local police station in Kalyan three times. However, I did not get any response and hence decided to take road journey." After the Centre extended the lockdown, especially for the second time, a large number of migrants started returning home by whatever mode of transport available to them. A large number of them even started their journey back home on foot. According to the residents of villages located along the highways, until last week a large number of migrants could be seen walking in groups with their meagre belongings on their head and back. However, slowly the number of them going on foot started dwindling as most of them are now hiring trucks and tempos. Mumbai, which is one of the biggest COVID-19 hotspots in the country with over 17,500 cases so far, houses lakhs of migrants. During a surprise visit on Thursday evening, Maharashtra Transport Commissioner Shekhar Channe checked a few trucks and tempos on the Mumbai-Agra Highway. During the inspection at Bhiwandi Phata, he found over 55 migrants crammed inside a truck. He directed the RTO officials to impound the UP- registered truck that was without any number plate, and take necessary action against the operator. He also asked the authorities to arrange for free buses for the migrants found inside the truck. Apart from Shramik special trains being run for the labourers from different cities in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, the state government has arranged free buses to drop them till the state border. Around 22 migrants are carried in each bus. According to the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), it has ferried over 1.34 lakh passengers in 10,000 buses till Friday. Channe said, "RTO officials have been asked to take action against the trucks and tempos illegally carrying migrants. They have also been asked to arrange free buses for the people found travelling in such vehicles." According to RTO officials, before travelling in trucks and tempos, the migrants do not apply for e-passes, issued for intra-state and inter-state travel. Even the truck operators do not have any permission to ferry them, and hence the entire exercise is illegal. Sources said that the trucks returning to UP, Bihar, MP and Jharkhand prefer to ferry the migrants instead of running empty and some agents do the booking for the labourers. From the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the truck operators pick up the migrants from Majiwade in Thane, Ghodbandar, Mira Bhayander, and many other locations on Mumbai-Agra highway, apart from Anjur phata and Bhiwandi phata. Small tempos charging Rs 100-500 per person drop the migrants outside Mumbai, from where trucks and tempos pick up these migrants. Many of them even to walk from Mumbai to these pick-up points. Sources said that most of the times, the authorities, turn a blind eye towards the trucks and tempos ferrying labourers illegally without following any social distancing norms. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 21:37:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LAUSANNE, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday signed a new cooperation agreement to promote a healthy society through sport in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to affect people's lives around the world. "Over the last few months in the current crisis, we have all seen how important sport and physical activity are for physical and mental health. Sport can save lives," said IOC President Thomas Bach. "We will benefit from WHO advice when addressing the challenges of the post-coronavirus society, where health will play a much more prominent role in public policies. We look forward to working even closer with WHO. The IOC calls on the governments of the world to include sport in their post-crisis support programs because of the important role of sport in the prevention of non-communicable diseases, but also of communicable diseases." He continued: "As we are preparing for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 in a safe environment for all participants, we are happy and grateful that we can continue to rely on the valuable advice of WHO." "I am pleased to formalize this longstanding partnership with the International Olympic Committee," said WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "WHO works not only to respond to diseases, but also to help people realize their healthiest lives, and this partnership will do exactly that. Physical activity is one of the keys to good health and well-being." WHO was instrumental in sharing technical advice with the IOC during the discussions that led to the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Enditem Life cycle assessment of cars -- new web tool helps consumers and researchers Decision support for car buyers: Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute have developed a web tool called the Carculator that can be used to compare the environmental performance of passenger cars in detail. The program determines the environmental balance of vehicles with different size classes and powertrains, and presents the results in comparative graphics. The entire life cycle of the passenger cars is taken into account, including the manufacture of the vehicles and the environmentally relevant emissions from driving. Anyone who wants to buy a new car surely gives some thought to its environmental balance sheet. However, our gut feeling can be deceptive. The general public was recently surprised by the finding that a battery electric car is already the most environmentally friendly option in Switzerland and many other countries, even when the manufacture of the battery is figured in. This was the result of a PSI study led by environmental scientist Christian Bauer. Now the same research group has developed a web tool that makes the data and results of their ongoing studies accessible to both end users and the research community. The program, playfully named the Carculator, can be found at the website carculator.psi.ch, and guides the interested layperson through a selection of parameters: which type of engine should be used, petrol-burning or diesel, for example, or one powered by natural gas, a fuel cell, or a battery - that is, an electric car. "Our tool offers a very wide range of engine types", explains PSI environmental scientist Romain Sacchi, who led the development of the Carculator. "In addition, it can differentiate between a large number of fuels: Besides the common ones, we have also integrated bio- and synthetic fuels of various origins, and we have considered future technologies such as CO2 capture and storage in hydrogen production." Besides the engine type and fuel, those who use the Carculator can also enter the size category of the vehicles to be compared, from subcompact cars to vans. The user also selects the country where the vehicles are to be used - because this differentiates the electricity mix for electric cars - as well as the year, between 2000 and 2050, when the cars will be registered. For the future, the electricity mix can also be manually entered to test the effects of different scenarios. The tool also assesses the environmental impacts of the entire life cycle of passenger cars, including the manufacture of the body and all other components, such as batteries for electric motors. Several environmental indicators in the result The results which the Carculator delivers in the end are both detailed and comprehensive. "Many people think first and foremost about the climate impact by greenhouse gas emissions: that is, CO2 and gases that produce a similar effect, such as methane. Yet there are further relevant environmental indicators, and these too can be investigated", Christian Bauer explains. For this reason, the tool shows not only the calculation of all greenhouse gases - added together and expressed in CO2 equivalents - but also those for the release of particulates, harmful nitrogen oxide emissions, and all of the usual environmental assessment indicators such as pollution of water bodies. The Carculator graphically presents these values for all selected vehicles in parallel, for ease of comparison. The most comprehensive tool for comparison - and completely transparent The Carculator also gives professionals a look behind the scenes: If the program is installed from the website, all the underlying calculations can be viewed, assessed, and even changed. "This is primarily intended for those in the research community who want to know how we did our work, and who might want to use our calculations for further studies of their own", Sacchi says. This complete transparency should prove helpful in the public debate. "Up to now, when it comes to the environmental impact of different means of transportation, arguments are still too often based on ill-founded results with biased assumptions behind them", says Sacchi. "We want to put an end to this through our transparency." With the Carculator, the PSI researchers have succeeded in providing a unique tool. "I can say in good conscience that we have created the world's best comparison tool for passenger cars to date", says Christian Bauer. "But we're not finished yet - the upcoming versions of the tool will also include trucks, planes, and public transportation." The Carculator was developed as part of the initiative on Efficient Technologies and Systems for Mobility of the Swiss Competence Centre for Energy Research (SCCER Mobility). ### Text: Paul Scherrer Institute/Laura Hennemann About PSI The Paul Scherrer Institute PSI develops, builds and operates large, complex research facilities and makes them available to the national and international research community. The institute's own key research priorities are in the fields of matter and materials, energy and environment and human health. PSI is committed to the training of future generations. Therefore about one quarter of our staff are post-docs, post-graduates or apprentices. Altogether PSI employs 2100 people, thus being the largest research institute in Switzerland. The annual budget amounts to approximately CHF 407 million. PSI is part of the ETH Domain, with the other members being the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, ETH Zurich and EPFL Lausanne, as well as Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology), Empa (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) and WSL (Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research). Further information Link to the Carculator: http://carculator. psi. ch Electric is already the right choice today - Interview with Christian Bauer from March 2020: http://psi. ch/ en/ node/ 32885 Contact Christian Bauer Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland Telephone: +41 56 310 23 91, e-mail: christian.bauer@psi.ch [German, English] Dr. Romain Sacchi Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland Telephone: +41 56 310 57 64, e-mail: romain.sacchi@psi.ch [French, English] This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Friday invited Tesla chief executive Elon Musk to relocate his businesses to Houston, days after reports emerged that the billionaire entrepreneur could move his companys electric vehicle plant to Texas. In a letter to Musk who spoke Tuesday with Gov. Greg Abbott Turner pitched the Bayou City as a hub of innovation, workforce talent and distribution capacity, framing it as an ideal location for the consolidation of Tesla and SpaceX operations. Musks spacecraft manufacturing firm already owns a launch site in south Texas. Our citys long-standing history of industrial innovation and corporate collaboration offers unmatched advantages for production and growth, and our large customer market provides direct access to a valuable customer base, Turner wrote. The mayor went on to call Houston a leading global city where collaboration to solve the problems that matter is routine, citing its role in putting a man on the moon and recent efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Musk last week filed a lawsuit against Alameda County in California, where he has sought to reopen Teslas car factory despite local restrictions that kept the business closed as part of the effort to stem the spread of COVID-19. He tweeted Saturday that Tesla will now move its HQ and future program to Texas/Nevada immediately, prompting some local Texas officials to court Musks business. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins responded by posting a photo of himself with his Tesla and writing, Did I mention I own a Tesla and know an awesome spot for you in South Dallas? Fort Bend County Judge KP George earlier this week posted a video to his Facebook page inviting Musk to consider the county southwest of Houston: From pioneers like Stephen F. Austin who started the state of Texas here to the engineers that work at NASA and call Fort Bend home, Tesla and Elon Musk would benefit from our strategic location, highly educated workforce, and a friendly business climate. Musk has narrowed his options to Austin and Tulsa, Okla., for the site of a new Tesla assembly plant, the AP reported Friday. Apple announced plans in December to build a $1 billion campus in Texas capital city, and several large tech companies already have workers there, including Facebook, Google and Oracle. Turner, meanwhile, cited Houstons lower-than-average cost of living and said the companies that operate here benefit from unparalleled access to global markets through the citys diverse residents, along with two international airports and the Port of Houston. I welcome the opportunity to further discuss the benefits of consolidating your companies in our region and more formally introduce you to the benefits of doing business in our great city, Turner wrote. I am available to connect at your earliest convenience and look forward to welcoming you to Houston in the coming weeks. jasper.scherer@chron.com A New York City man who went on vacation amid stay-at-home mandates and lockdown orders, experienced some of his Hawaiian vacation from jail. Tarique Peters arrived in Oahu, Hawaii, on May 11 then left his hotel and "traveled many places using public transportation," said authorities with the Department of the Attorney General Clare Connors' office. PHOTO:A police officer arrives to tell people to leave Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. (Caleb Jones/AP, FIle) Travelers to Hawaii must self-quarantine for 14 days before venturing out to the islands, as per an executive order issued by Hawaii's Governor David Ige that went into effect on April 1. Peters, 23, posted five photographs to his public Instagram account of him on the beach with a surfboard, sunbathing and walking around Waikiki at night, according to authorities. Agents confirmed with hotel personnel that Peters was seen repeatedly leaving the premises during his stay, authorities said. PHOTO: A surfer returns to Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, April 21, 2020. Hawaii has some of the lowest coronavirus infection and mortality rates in the U.S. (Caleb Jones/AP) "We appreciate the assistance of local people who spot flagrant violations of our emergency rules on various social media sites and report them to the appropriate authorities," said Connors in a press release issued on Friday. Peters, who is from the Bronx, was arrested and charged with violation of the mandatory 14-day quarantine rule and unsworn falsification to authority, authorities said. Bail was set for Peters at $4,000. His attorney's information was not available. Violations of the self-quarantine order could result in a misdemeanor with fines of up to $5,000 and/or up to one year in prison, or both, according to the governor's office. Over 200 tourists have flown into various parts of Hawaii since the self-quarantine orders were put into place, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. FILE PHOTO: Waikiki Beach is nearly empty due to the business downturn caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. April 28, 2020. Picture taken April 28, 2020. (Marco Garcia/Reuters) Peters is not the first tourist to get arrested for violating the self-quarantine orders. Six tourists have been arrested in Hawaii for violating the orders since the end of April, including a California couple on their honeymoon. Man on Hawaiian vacation arrested, charged with breaking quarantine rules originally appeared on abcnews.go.com We are incredibly excited to partner with these companies who are determined to help real estate professionals during this pivotal time, said Inman CRO Emily Paquette. These partners are leaning into the moment and showing their commitment to the industrys success. Inman Group announced the first wave of companies that will sponsor Connect Now, which kicks off June 2-4, 2020. The event will welcome thousands of agents, brokers, owners, and managers, all coming together from around the world for a virtual event specially designed to tackle the drastically altered real estate industry of today. The lineup of speakers, panels, and tracks at this unprecedented event reflect the powerful way the industry has determined to confront the moment together. The sponsors and exhibitors that join them offer real estate education, products, solutions, and services that can help them forward and be ready for recovery. We are incredibly excited to partner with these companies who are determined to help real estate professionals during this pivotal time, said Inman CRO Emily Paquette. These partners are leaning into the moment and showing their commitment to the industrys success. Get more information on sponsorship and/or exhibitor opportunities at Connect Now at sponsors.inman.com/sponsorship/connect-now. Sponsors will include: Agent Image agentimage.com Agent Image is recognized as the #1 real estate website design and digital marketing company in the world. A leading innovator with 20 years of experience, constantly setting trends with one-of-a-kind custom designs, striking imagery, and intuitive user experience. Agent Images commitment to extraordinary design and personalized attention makes them the first choice for top-producing agents, franchises, and independent brokers looking to take their online presence to new heights. BoomTown! boomtownroi.com BoomTown has all the tools, technology, and teams needed for real estate success. Its the only solution that generates and manages leads, backed by 300+ experts. Their lead generation, consumer websites, CRM, lead qualification services, and more come in flexible packages that scale with success. 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IXACT Contact ixactcontact.com IXACT Contact is a next-generation real estate CRM that gives agents all the tools they need to manage contact information, keep in touch communications, active business, and online presence. All in a single, easy-to-use solution. Leading Real Estate Companies of the World leadingre.com Leading Real Estate Companies of the World is a selective global community of the highest quality independent real estate companies. LeadingRE exists to make its members better by connecting them to opportunities and people around the globe, supporting them with an international referral network, awarding-wining professional development programs and unique events worldwide. Find more information on the 565 member firms that span six continents with 130,000 sales professionals on their website. Lone Wolf Real Estate Technologies lwolf.com Lone Wolf Technologies is the leader in real estate technology. From back office, to accounting, commissions, and transaction management, their technology provides brokerages with one platform to save time, boost revenue, and support the entire brokerage from contract to close. With 30 years in the industry, their technology is designed to work for all makes and models of brokerages; it can be found in over 20,000 offices across Canada and the U.S., and is used by over 700,000 real estate professionals. Lucidpress lucidpress.com Lucidpress provides real estate agents with an incredibly easy way to customize and distribute their own marketing collateral without ever going off brand. Lockable templates keep brand assets protected while empowering agents to make small design tweaks all on their own, easing the load off a brokerage's central team. Brokerages can keep agents happy and say goodbye to rogue branding forever with Lucidpress, the brand templating platform trusted by over 7 million users worldwide. MOO moo.com MOO is an online print and design company. They love great design and believe it can work wonders for every business, no matter their size. MOO makes it simple for real estate professionals to create beautiful, expertly crafted business stationery and promotional materials that start conversations and open doors. Offrs.com Offrs.com provides real estate professionals applications powered by smart data and artificial intelligence. Their app store for agents delivers powerful marketing tools, business apps and most importantly leads driven by predictive analytics and big data. Propertybase propertybase.com Propertybase is the leading global real estate platform for franchises, brokerages and teams looking to showcase their brand and drive more business through extraordinary digital experiences, collaboration and automation. The Propertybase platform includes IDX and MLS-integrated luxury websites, lead generation, real estate CRM, plus intelligent transaction management and back-office tools. Qualia qualia.com/brokerages Qualia's settlement software makes real estate transfers simple with an all-in-one, mobile platform for more efficient and secure real estate closings. Its award-winning intuitive design, quick and reliable quoting, and hassle-free registration are just a few of the many reasons why professionals across the country are switching to Qualia, the future of title settlement software. ReminderMedia remindermedia.com ReminderMedia allows real estate professionals to keep serving their clients while making sure they stay top of mind. ReminderMedia is the highest quality client follow-up program in real estate. Agents stay connected and start generating more referrals and repeat business. An incredible 58% of recipients gave a referral in the last 12 months. SentriLock sentrilock.com SentriLock is the leading electronic lockbox manufacturer and service provider supporting the real estate industry and other emerging markets. SentriLock is 100% owned by, and the official lockbox solution for the National Association of REALTORS (NAR), Americas largest trade association representing over 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. Side sideinc.com Side transforms high-performing real estate agents, teams and independent brokerages into successful businesses and boutique brands that are 100% agent-owned. Side exclusively partners with the best agents, empowering them with proprietary technology and a premier support team so they can be more productive, grow their business and focus on serving their clients. Side is headquartered in San Francisco. Inman Connect Now will take place online June 2-4, 2020. The best and the brightest in real estate and technology are expected to attend. For information on how to receive a press pass, please contact samantha.carducci@inman.com. About Inman | Inman News is the leading real estate news source for real estate agents, Realtors, brokers, real estate executives, and real estate technology leaders who need the latest real estate news, insights and analysis to grow their business and stay ahead of the competition. For more information, visit inman.com. - Reel-to-real couple Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla have finally addressed the ABS-CBN shutdown on their social media account - However, their videos caught the attention of Banat By who rebuffed the couple's concerns over the shutdown of their home network - KathNiel fans immediately came to the aid of the love team and defended the two from the blogger - Aside from this, Daniel's mother, Karla Estrada also addressed Banat By's statement online PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Kapamilya love team Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla have finally spoken up about the ABS-CBN shutdown on their respective social media accounts. In their videos, the two celebrities aired their concerns over the employees whose jobs are being threatened over the shutdown of the Kapamilya network. However, KAMI learned that their videos caught the attention of blogger Banat By who addressed Kathryn and Daniel's videos on his YouTube channel. Following this news, KathNiel fans rallied behind the tandem and the hashtag '#WeBlockAsOne' trended on Twitter afterwards. Aside from this, Daniel's mother, Karla Estrada has finally spoken up about the issue as well. "Di ka nag iisip na may mga magulang, mga kapatid mga kamag anak, at mga supporters sina Kathryn Bernardo at Daniel Padilla," she wrote. PAY ATTENTION: Shop with KAMI! The best offers and discounts on the market, product reviews and feedbacks. In a screenshot provided by Kapamilya Online World, the celebrity mom also told the blogger that he does not have the right to air such statements against the two. "Wala ka ni katiting na karapatan bastusin sila," Karla said in her tweet. Read her full statement below: Karla also posted this on her Instagram account to show her support for the two. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! As reported earlier by KAMI, the hosts of "Magandang Buhay" expressed their sentiments over the sudden closure of ABS-CBN. Jolina felt fear and uncertainty, especially that the network's shutdown happened in the midst of a pandemic. Karla Estrada is one of the most veteran actresses in the Philippines. She is currently one of the hosts of the morning talk show entitled Magandang Buhay. POPULAR: Read more news about Karla Estrada 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! In this video, our hosts talk about 'quaranFLING' and the levels of flirting involved during the ECQ! Check out all of the exciting videos and celebrity interviews on our KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel ! Source: KAMI.com.gh She's the South African-born Australian actress known for roles in Home and Away, The Young and the Restless, and Pretty Little Liars. And on Friday, Tammin Sursok wore her 'first bikini in two years' after giving birth to her second child, one-year-old daughter Lennon. In a short clip shared to Instagram Stories, the 36-year-old posed in a burgundy two-piece in the bathtub of her Los Angeles home. One hot mama! Tammin Sursok, 36, wore her 'first bikini in two years' in an Instagram Story post on Friday, after welcoming her second child, one-year-old daughter Lennon Tammin swept her brunette tresses into an effortless topknot and looked to have gone makeup-free, showing off her natural beauty. Tagging the swimwear brand in the caption, the soap star revealed that it was her 'first bikini in two years', alongside shocked and shrugging emojis. Tammin also told fans that she 'can't wait' to renovate her bathroom, once the coronavirus pandemic has eased. Trim and terrific: The South African-born Australian actress looked simply sensational as she posed in a burgundy two-piece, in the bathtub of her Los Angeles home The mummy blogger shares Lennon and daughter Phoenix, six, with film director husband Sean McEwen. Tammin revealed she suffered two consecutive miscarriages before the birth of Lennon. During an appearance on Seven's The Morning Show in June last year, she said: 'When we decided to have a second child, I got pregnant really fast again - and we lost that baby in the doctor's office. Ready to pop: Tammin is pictured prior to giving birth to daughter Lennon Family: The former Home and Away star is also a proud mother to daughter Phoenix, six 'It was pretty far into my pregnancy, so it was quite shocking,' Tammin continued. 'When things like that happen, you never think it's going to happen to you.' 'But they're so common, and we don't talk about it. And then I had another miscarriage before Lennon, so two back-to-back.' Tammin said it was important for women to speak about their miscarriages, so that others don't feel alone. Thiruvananthapuram: Keralas Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac of Saturday warned that the state government would exhaust its borrowing capacity which was otherwise supposed to last till December by next month. "We won't be able to pay salaries in two months, let alone fight Covid-19. The Kerala government is slipping into a dangerous situation," Isaac said, adding that the states entire borrowing capacity will be exhausted by June. "We have been permitted to borrow up to 14,000 crore till December. To pay the salaries, I have to borrow. In two months, this amount will be exhausted. How will we pay salaries after that? Should we close down the government? This is senseless. Never in the history of Indian federalism has any government acted with such disdain and absolute lack of empathy for the states," the states finance minister said. Isaac said states require funds to fight the pandemic. "The central government is now having 10 per cent of GDP as package and should set aside 2 per cent for the states, this is all we are asking for," he said, adding that in GST payments the Centre owes States about one lakh crore rupees till the month of April. Fighting the Covid-19 is turning out to be a huge task for the Kerala government as Malayalees from abroad and other states have been coming to Kerala. Since May 7, the state has seen a surge in the number of cases with 80 active infections being found in 21 people who recently landed in here from abroad. The global cleanroom technology equipment market is expected to grow by USD 1.36 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, healthy growth is expected to continue throughout the forecast period, and the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of almost 6%. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200515005508/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Cleanroom Technology Equipment Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Request challenges and opportunities that influence COVID-19 pandemic Request free sample pages of the cleanroom technology equipment market Read the 120-page report with TOC on "Cleanroom Technology Equipment Market Analysis Report by Product (Consumables and Equipment), Geography (North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and MEA), and the Segment Forecasts, 2020-2024". https://www.technavio.com/report/global-cleanroom-technology-equipment-market-industry-analysis The market is driven by the growing healthcare industry. In addition, the introduction of new universal standards for air filters is anticipated to boost the growth of the cleanroom technology equipment market. The expansion of the aging population and the increasing prevalence of various diseases have been fueling the growth of the global healthcare industry. For instance, the national health expenditures in the US grew at a rate of 4.8% in 2019 compared to 4.4% in 2.18. Also, the 20-year patents of many branded drugs are expected to expire in the coming years. This is expected to attract significant investments in the development of generic drugs. In the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, cleanrooms are used to eliminate contaminants from operators as well as from the air to ensure the quality of products. Therefore, the growth of the global healthcare industry is expected to have a positive impact on the cleanroom technology market during the forecast period. Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free. View market snapshot before purchasing Major Five Cleanroom Technology Equipment Companies: Alpiq Holding Ltd. Alpiq Holding Ltd. operates its business through segments such as Generation Switzerland, Generation International, and Digital and Commerce. The company offers a line of products such as BioClean cleanroom glove with high standards and cleanroom grade. Ansell Ltd. Ansell Ltd. operates its business through segments such as Industrial and Healthcare. The company offers and supports the installation of cleanrooms for the pharmaceutical, electronics and food industries, hospitals, plastic manufacturers, and research laboratories through its product Alpiq InTec. Ardmac Ardmac operates its business through the Unified segment. The company offers industry-leading cutting edge cleanroom solutions to global clients with modular HVAC systems, while delivering cost-effective solutions through standardization. Azbil Corp. Azbil Corp. operates its business through segments such as Building Automation, Advanced Automation, and Life Automation. The company offers a line of products such as Multi-Loop Controller and Multifunction Display Model C7G/C7S with resistive touch-panel which is easy to operate in cleanrooms. Clean Air Products Clean Air Products operates its business through the Unified segment. The company offers a line of products such as air showers for modular cleanrooms to reduce or eliminate the product defects for increased yields. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Cleanroom Technology Equipment Market Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2020-2024) Consumables Equipment Cleanroom Technology Equipment Market Geographic Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2020-2024) North America APAC Europe South America MEA 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: Manned Security Services Market in India Manned security services market in India by end-user (commercial buildings, residential buildings, and industrial buildings) and geographic landscape (South India, West India, North India, and East India). 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/20200515005508/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/ Masks have been in the news more in the past two months than maybe ever. In spite of the Centers for Disease Controls recommendation to wear a cloth face mask in public settings to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, tensions over the subject have reached a breaking point in some places. Just look at May 1. On that day police in Los Angeles arrested two men at a Van Nuys Target who fought with security guards after being asked to wear masks; in Michigan that same day, Family Dollar Tree security guard Calvin James Munerlyn was shot and killed after asking a customers young daughter to wear a mask; and in Decatur, Ill., a man allegedly attacked a gas station employee after being asked to wear a mask. Objections to masks have even become part of many protests to reopen the country: One protesters sign with the words My body my choice Trump 2020 and a drawing of a mask crossed out on it has been widely shared on social media in recent weeks. As more businesses reopen with California relaxing its pandemic shutdown advisories, many are asking how to best navigate a world where were told to wear face coverings to protect our health, but where not everyone obeys the recommendations and requirements. For some in the Bay Area, safety concerns have led them to speak out to people who dont cover their faces. It bothers me when people remove them once they get inside the store, says Oakland resident Toni VandeKemp. If they get too close, I do say something. Not wearing one, or half wearing one, seems disrespectful and entitled. Griffin Cloudwalker of Hayward says he has no problem asking people to cover their faces for safety. Its our lives they may infect, Cloudwalker says. I also make a point of telling them why we need to wear a mask. Courtesy Lisa Grotts While citations are possible for the misdemeanor offense of violating a lawful mask-requirement emergency order, the San Francisco Police Department reports no one has been arrested for not wearing a mask. Sgt. Michael Andraychak, a police public information officer, says the face-covering violation is the same one that applies to people violating the shelter-in-place provisions or operating a nonessential business. SFPD has been and continues to take the approach of progressive enforcement with an emphasis on educating the public on the provisions of the emergency order, Andraychak says. Mayor London Breed has advised San Franciscans to call 311 to report possible shelter-in-place or health order violations and to not take matters into their own hands. Not everyone will make that call. Theyll want to say something. So how are we supposed to deal with bad mask behavior without becoming the next news story? As with so many other issues raised by the pandemic, theres no simple answer. Lizzie Post, the etiquette author and co-president of the Emily Post Institute, says that while theres always a need for people to be considerate, The health issue here makes this very different. Were always supposed to be thinking about the comfort of others were with, but right now that is very heightened. Post, who is the great-great-granddaughter of manners maven Emily Post, says the coronavirus has changed how people interact with each other so significantly that shes considering adding a chapter on how to behave during a public health crisis to the 20th edition of her ancestors famous Etiquette book next year celebrating its 100th anniversary. When it comes to masks, Post says, she prefers to lead through example by following mask guidelines in her home state of Vermont. It is the duty of the citizen to stay informed about what the local mask rules are, she says, but you cant ultimately control other peoples choices. In San Francisco, Contra Costa, Alameda, San Mateo and Marin counties, wearing a mask is required in essential businesses, when taking transit and when getting health care but is not required when exercising outdoors. There are also signs throughout many public parks and at the entrances of businesses reminding people about maintaining 6 feet of social distance. Santa Clara County strongly urges people to wear face coverings, but has not made it a requirement. Courtesy Charlotte Shultz Its easy to go to a place of desperation and fear when you see someone not wearing a mask or going against the recommendations, Post says. Our brains can want to punish or shame people who arent following the rules. That never gets people on your side. The thing you can do is control yourself and do everything you can to protect yourself. Bay Area author and etiquette consultant Lisa Grotts also prefers avoidance over confrontation if a person is not wearing a mask in a public place. Never engage; there could be rage, Grotts says. If someone is flouting the rules, she recommends that people appeal to the higher authority of employees and management. Shaming, Grotts says, is never good behavior. Emotions and concerns around personal safety can be high. If you need to ask a person to change their behavior during a social interaction, you should phrase it in a mutually beneficial way, she suggests. For both of our safety, could you stand a little further away? is appropriate, Grotts says. This is all new and changing so quickly, sometimes its an accident. I stepped over the tape line (for social distance) at the grocery store the other day, and the woman ahead of me very nicely asked me to back up. I didnt even realize I was doing it. Post says that shes also mindful that following the rules around masks and social distance in businesses isnt only for the customers safety, its for the safety of the workers. Charlotte Shultz, chief of protocol for California and San Francisco, says avoiding conflict is always the safest course of action, and that there are safe, polite ways you can remind people about mask regulations or request more distance. If youre not belligerent, if you say it in a kind way, I wouldnt mind, Shultz says. But it might just be easier not to walk toward them, or to walk away. 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. Issues around face coverings and physical contact have impacted Shultzs role planning major public events and in her interactions with San Franciscos foreign consular community. Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle The protocol is, we have to follow whatever the latest government guidelines are, Shultz says. The guidelines are the way were fighting this international, criminal intruder. Protocol, people acting the correct way, is needed in this fight. Masks will probably be a part of official events when they resume, Shultz says, as will social distancing and doing away with handshaking and kissing on the cheeks as greetings. Shultz notes that she even had a mask put on the statue of Tony Bennett outside the Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill to make the point: Maybe we should put them on all the public statues to remind people. Shultz and her husband, former Secretary of State George Shultz, recently agreed to be part of a campaign through Grace Cathedral to promote wearing masks for public safety. Thats what the scientists say we need to do, Charlotte Shultz says. Wearing masks is a duty; people who dont do it are irresponsible, heartless, not respectful. Its such a small sacrifice. People need to follow the guidelines in this very serious situation. While Shultz, Grotts and Post all agree that scolding and angry confrontations are neither good manners nor good safety, its possible that given the charged subject matter, people may still get upset when others dont follow guidelines. Always try and be positive and generous with the way you say things but if you blow up in the moment, apologize, Post says. Its OK to tell people youre frustrated by this. Grotts advises people to come up with a game plan, before they leave their homes, on how to avoid potentially uncomfortable situations, like runners swiftly passing nearby without masks. Sometimes that involves changing where you walk or what times you go there, or just backing away from an interaction if a person isnt respecting your wishes. Post also reminds that no one should tell people not to be worried about the pandemic. Dont tell someone theyre stupid for trying to protect themselves, Post says. Not a single one of us has enough science to be an expert on this. Theyre learning new things every day. Try to be kind; its very unsettling trying to navigate the world during this crisis, which is the delicate, Emily Post way of putting it. Tony Bravo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tbravo@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TonyBravoSF US President Donald Trump has said that he does not want to talk to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping right now, expressing his displeasure at Beijing's handling of the coronavirus outbreak which has spread across the world, killing over 300,000 people. The US has expressed disappointment over China's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed 87,530 lives in America. President Trump on Thursday threatened to "cut off the whole relationship" with China. The president has been pressing China to agree for an inquiry into the origin of the virus, including the allegation that it emerged from a lab in Wuhan. "Just don't want to talk to him right now. We will see what happens over the next little while," Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday, when asked why he did not want to not speak to Xi. China, as per the trade deal inked earlier this year, is buying a lot more of American goods than last year. "They are spending a lot on the trade deal, but the trade deal I don't know somehow I lost a little flavour for it, you can understand," Trump said. Earlier in the day, Trump said he did not want to talk about the trade deal. "I don't want to talk about it. I can say China is buying a lot of our products. But the trade deal - the ink was barely dry - when this (coronavirus) came in from China. So, it's not like we're thrilled," he said. "This should have never happened. This came from China. It should have been stopped in China before it got out to the world. 186 countries are affected. Each country that's affected is the same thing. Russia now is badly affected. France is badly affected. You look at each country and you can say 'affected' or you can say 'infected', either way you want to put it," he said. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters that President Trump was frustrated with China. "I will leave it to the president as to when he resumes speaking with the Chinese leader. But look, China slow walked this. I've shared with you guys before on human-to-human transmission. It was really important that the world knew of that aspect of the disease, but that information was slow walked through to the WHO," she said. The genetic sequencing, likewise, was not given until a professor in Shanghai did so on his own. The president has repeatedly noted that why are they letting flights out of China but not into China? These decisions put American lives at risk. Not just American lives, the lives around the globe, she said. "We know that this disease came from China, and why that information was not shared, some of the information I just suggested is really unacceptable. So he's frustrated at this point, and I'll leave it to him," McEnany said. China has denied America's accusation of covering up the extent of its coronavirus outbreak and accused the US of attempting to divert the public attention by insinuating that the virus originated from a virology laboratory in Wuhan. "China was the first country to report the COVID-19 to the World Health Organisation (WHO), (and) that doesn't mean the virus originated from Wuhan... There has never been any concealment, and we'll never allow any concealment," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said last month. "A discerning person will understand at a glance that the purpose is to create confusion, divert public attention, and shirk their responsibility," he said. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Trump administration will not tolerate efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to undermine the privacy of US citizens or the integrity of next-generation networks worldwide. "(Chinese technology company) Huawei is an untrustworthy vendor and a tool of the Chinese Communist Party, beholden to its orders. The Department of Justice has indicted Huawei for stealing US technology and helping Iran evade sanctions, and the Department of Commerce has placed Huawei on the Entity List in 2019. "The Department of State has engaged for more than a year to share what we know about Huawei and other untrustworthy vendors with allies and partners around the world," he said. On Friday, the Department of Justice expanded rules to prevent Huawei from undermining US export controls, closing a loophole that has allowed the company to exploit US technology and threaten national security. "It also imposes US export control restrictions on countries that use US technology or software to design and produce semiconductors for Huawei. Companies wishing to sell certain items to Huawei produced with US technology must now obtain a license from the United States," Pompeo said. The US will continue to restrict most American exports to Huawei and its affiliates on the Entity List for activities that threaten US national security and international stability, Pompeo said. The novel coronavirus which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan last year has claimed 307,666 lives and infected more than 4.5 million people globally, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The US is the worst affected country with 87,530 deaths and over 1.4 million infections reported so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa is set to launch N1billion suit against Sahara Reporters for maligning him in a series of false reports, even as his colleagues have risen in his defence. Lagos lawmakers said the allegations by Sahara Reporters are false, malicious and unsubstantiated, and challenged the online medium to provide evidence of the allegations. The Speaker, through his counsel. Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN) has demanded a retraction and threatened to file N1billion libel suit against the media company. Pedro said the media published a vile and denigrating report with the headline: Exposed: Speaker of Lagos Assembly, Obasa, awards contracts to self through a company registered in sons name. The report claims that Obasa used a company known as De Kingrun Multipurpose Nigeria Limited to secure for himself contracts from the state assembly and ministries to launder public funds. The medium also claims that to avoid the company is directly linked to him, Obasa used the names of his father, wife and children to register it. Sahara Reporters further claims that Obasa owns several other companies (listed in the publication), which he used to receive contracts from the House. Other Allegations By Sahare Reporters Are: The medium subsequently published other reports against Obasa, with the headlines: Exclusive: Tinubu, GAC back Lagos Assembly Speaker, Obasa, over the suspension of Lawmakers, corruption; and Lagos Speaker, Obasa, gives thugs N50m to burn down Sahara Reporters, Civic Media Lab. Pedro, in a demand letter dated April 30, 2020, to Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore, said the unsubstantiated claims repeated in the reports confirmed Obasas suspicion that you and your organisation for reasons best known to you are pre-occupied with personal resentment and hatred neither warranted, necessary, proper nor justified against him. We were able to confirm that the House of Assembly has never at any time engaged or awarded any contract to any of the listed companies in the publication, the letter reads. Therefore, we find the publication utterly absurd, abusive, malicious and amount to irresponsible journalism to deliberately tarnish the image of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly (Our Client). Our client has been greatly injured in his credit, character and reputation and in his office and has been brought to unwarranted hatred, ridicule, public scandal, odium and contempt before his friends, associates, constituents, the State, the country and the world as a whole. Pedro said no responsible media organisation will hide under media freedom or freedom of expression to deliberately peddle false and malicious statement to injure any citizens reputation and credit. He said: In the circumstance, it is our clients instruction and we hereby demand of you, within seven days of receipt of this letter a retraction of the said false, malicious and defamatory publication against our client through your online publication, social media platforms and three national newspapers circulating in Nigeria. You are also to tender a written unreserved apology to our client for the publication. Take notice that, if you fail, refuse or neglect to meet our clients humble request within the stipulated number of days, we have his further instruction to commence legal action against you and your organisation for the malicious defamatory publication and to claim N1billion damages. John Jacobs-Adeniyi, a lawyer urged Obasa and the House to pursue the matter to the logical conclusion if the medium does not retract or substantiate the reports. He said: Journalism should be practised responsibly. The report by Sahara Reporters maligning the person of Speaker Obasa is an abuse of the platform, with those behind it out only to achieve selfish rather than the public good. How can a person high up in a position of Speaker give such a huge amount as N50million to thugs to burn down an online news reporting platforms office, without the medium providing evidence to back it up? Is money now so cheap to come by in the country? During the plenary session, the House denied that it spends N17 million monthly to maintain Obasas personal residence and guest house. The Clerk of the House, Mr Azeez Sanni, said the report was aimed at portraying them in a bad light. He clarified that the sum covers various expenditure for the maintenance of the office of the Chief of Staff, special advisers, office of the Chief Press Secretary, Special Assistant (Protocol), Special Assistant (Research and Development), Special Assistant (Women Affairs), and 15 Special Assistants engaged to attend to the growing demands and specialty of the House. I must also state that these expenditures have been in existence prior the emergence of Speaker Obasa. In fact it is dated back to as far as 2012 when it was N27 million monthly and I have the document here to show that the expenditure had been in existence since 2012, Sanni added. The lawmaker representing Somolu Constituency 1 and Chairman House Committee on Finance, Rotimi Olowo, said Sahara Reporters was known for publishing misleading reports. I believe if it is truly investigative journalism that the medium is practising, it should get the other side of the issue before they rush to publish lies. The medium is known to publish lies as they published recently that former House of Representatives Speaker was dead. But this is one that you can really see that the medium was telling lies because we have a procurement law and there are procedures stated by the law. The lawmaker representing Ifako Ijaiye 2, Temitope Adewale, who corroborated Olowo, stated that Sahara Reporters publisher was a presidential loser who was accused of mismanaging his partys campaign fund. We dont need to waste our time over his publication. We can explore the legal means by suing the medium, said Adewale. The lawmaker representing Eti Osa 2, Gbolahon Yishawu, emphasised that Sahara Reporters was trying to incite the public against the Speaker and the House and that an attack on Obasa was an attack on the entire members. Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, Tunde Braimoh, added that the medium did not reach out to the House to get their own side of the story, adding that the report was malicious. But Obasa had clarified that the expenditure existed as far back as 2012, long before he became Speaker. During an earlier plenary in March, Obasa had also slammed Sahara Reporters over the contract award reports. Clerk of the House had raised the matter during plenary, stating that the lawmakers did not award any contract to the companies. ALSO READ: ICPC Exposes Margaret Igbeta, Nigerian Judge Who Opened N870 Million Bank Account With Her Maids Name Danny Tenenbaum 1. When it comes to providing state-funded financial aid for college students, Montana ranks 49th in the nation. Do you think the state should contribute more toward higher education funding or should it be the responsibility of the student to fund their own college education? The Legislature's decades-long experiment in starving Montana's higher education system has been a spectacular failure. Twenty-eight percent of UM students went homeless during the past year, twice the national average. The UM Food Bank recently expanded to six locations to meet demand but they're running out of donations. The next generation of Montanans deserve a shot at success but we've given them debt and poverty instead. The next Legislature should reverse past cuts to higher education and move towards a tuition-free system funded by increasing the tax rate of investment income to match the tax rate of wages. 2. Do you think the state of Montana should increase state funding for affordable housing? Why or why not? Montana faces a critical shortage of affordable housing. Fortunately, there's a way forward: Last year Rep. Dave Fern (D-Whitefish) passed HB16 to designate a portion of coal tax revenue for affordable housing projects throughout Montana. The program was successful, too successful! Several proposals, including one in Missoula, went unfunded. The program should be expanded. We can also increase affordable housing by banning the Jim Crow-era apartment bans that persist in cities like Missoula and Bozeman. If cities are unwilling or unable to repeal this type of exclusionary zoning, the Legislature can do it for them. 3. What, in your view, is the largest issue with management of Montanas public lands? What should be done about it? Both the state and federal governments have a long history of making decisions that affect public lands and waters without listening to affected tribal governments. Here in western Montana we've seen it with the Bison Range, the Smurfit-Stone discharge permit, the Columbia River treaty, and so on. Bad decisions get made when tribes don't have a seat at the table. Montana can do better. At the very least, the Environmental Quality Council, the Oil & Gas Board, and the Fish & Wildlife Commission should have designated seats for tribal representation. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 New Delhi: In her Friday Flashback diaries, global star Priyanka Chopra shared a gem of a video welcoming the weekend like a true blue boss lady. PeeCee can be seen grooving to a party number backstage her show. And her hair set in a bouffant style will immediately draw your attention. Also, the talented actress can be seen giving total chill vibes in a white bathrobe just before she's about to change for her shoot presumably. She captioned the video as: Dancing into the weekend. There is always something to be grateful for. #flashbackfriday #getyourfreakon @missymisdemeanorelliott #BTS @tatlermagazine #princesspoppyvibes Make up: @fulviafarolfi Hair: @petergrayhair The shoot was done just before the deadly coronavirus hit New York and quarantine became the norm of the day. PeeCee is quite an avid user of social media. Her pictures amid lockdown and inspirational posts often hog the attention. Sometime back, she even joined Lady Gaga's starry 'One World: Together at Home' concert to celebrate healthcare workers fighting against the coronavirus pandemic and urged everyone to stay strong during the health crisis. As many as 70 artists and celebrities from across the world joined the concert to honour the frontline workers fighting the daily battle against the deadly novel coronavirus COVID-19. Air Force reviews preliminary design for future ICBM Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center By AFNWC Public Affairs, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center / Published May 15, 2020 KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- The Air Force reviewed Northrop Grumman's preliminary design for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent in late April, advancing the program toward its next milestone and acquisition phase. The GBSD intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) will modernize or replace the current Minuteman III ICBM's systems for command and control, launch and flight. Under the Defense Acquisition System, a PDR assesses the maturity of the preliminary design, as supported by requirement trades, prototyping, system reviews, etc. "The PDR ensured Northrop Grumman's design is sufficiently mature and ready to proceed into detailed design with acceptable risk, and will meet performance requirements within budget and on schedule," said Col. Jason Bartolomei, GBSD system program manager. From April 28-30, the Air Force hosted the PDR meetings in a secure virtual environment at 19 locations across the United States, connecting over 25 government organizations. "Accomplishing this PDR is a huge success for the program, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic," Bartolomei said. "The GBSD team overcame many challenges to accomplish such a large, complex PDR for an Acquisition Category 1-D program. Our classified network and digital engineering capabilities were key to this milestone, but secondary to the hard-work and commitment of the entire organization. We have an amazing workforce." "GBSD is the most cost-effective option for maintaining a safe, secure and effective ground-based leg of the nuclear triad," Bartolomei said. "It will address capability gaps to meet warfighter requirements, maintaining the preeminence of America's ground-based nuclear strategic deterrent." The GBSD program is currently in its Technology and Maturation Risk Reduction phase. The Air Force anticipates receiving DoD approval to enter Milestone B later this year and awarding the contract for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase before the end of the fiscal year. The EMD phase will conclude with the development, test and evaluation of the GBSD system, before it proceeds into the Production and Deployment phase. Deployment of the new ICBM is planned to begin in the late 2020s and span about nine years. Located at Hill AFB, Utah, the GBSD program office is part of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center. The center is headquartered at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, and is responsible for synchronizing all aspects of nuclear materiel management on behalf of Air Force Materiel Command, in direct support of Air Force Global Strike Command. The center has about 1,300 personnel, both military and civilian, assigned to 18 locations worldwide. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan's anti-graft body has approved the filing of two additional corruption cases against embattled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in London for medical treatment. Five corruption cases have been launched by the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan previously against the 70-year-old supremo of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz since his ouster from the office by the Supreme Court in July 2017 in the Panama Papers case. The National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) regional board, under the chairmanship of its Director General Shahzad Saleem, discussed the additional corruption cases against Nawaz, his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif, daughter Maryam Nawaz and 13 others in money laundering and possession of assets beyond known sources of income investigation. Similarly, the board has also approved filing another case against the three-time premier, Geo Media Group founder Mir Shakilur Rahman and two others in a 34-year-old 54-kanal (6.75 acres) land case. The NAB-Lahore has forwarded both cases to its chairman Justice retired Javed Iqbal for his final approval before filing it in the accountability court. The cases against the Sharif family members in the two cases will be filed in the accountability court, Lahore, next week after the approval of the NAB chairman, an official told PTI. In the money laundering and income beyond means corruption case, the Sharif family is accused of swindling 7 billion Pakistani Rupees. Nawaz, Shahbaz and Maryam have been declared prime suspects in this case," the official said, adding that the NAB will produce 100 prosecution witnesses against the suspects. In the other corruption case, the three-time prime minister is accused of misuse of authority in allotting land along the Lahore canal to Shakilur Rahman in violation of rules in 1986. Nawaz was the chief minister of Punjab at the time. Under the Lahore Development Authority exemption policy, not more than 15 plots measuring one kanal (0.125 acres) each could be exempted to Rahman. The NAB has made 16 prosecution witnesses part of this case. Since Nawaz did not respond to any of the NAB's summons, his arrest warrants have already been issued and the bureau has moved the accountability court to declare him a proclaimed offender. Rahman is in judicial remand since he was arrested on March 12. Presently, he is in hospital on medical grounds. The NAB Lahore on Friday also initiated another probe against Nawaz, Shehbaz and Maryam for acquiring thousands of kanals in violation of rules making it part of their Jati Umra Raiwind Lahore residence. Nawaz in November last had left for London after the Lahore High Court granted him a four-week permission allowing him to go abroad for his treatment. He had given an undertaking to the Lahore High Court to return to Pakistan citing his record to face the process of law and justice within four weeks or as soon as he is declared healthy and fit to travel by doctors. Nawaz was also given bail in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case in which he was serving seven-year imprisonment in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail. Nawaz, who was diagnosed with an immune system disorder, has been advised by the PTI government's panel of doctors to go abroad for treatment. He had been diagnosed with a coronary disease. In London, he underwent comprehensive cardiovascular evaluation and investigations at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital. Maryam recently said her father is a high-risk patient and therefore his cardiac catheterisation/coronary intervention has been postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Nawaz's personal physician Dr Adnan Khan said the former premier has been diagnosed with "complicated coronary artery/ischemic heart disease with significant disease burden. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Columbia-Greene Media has recently teamed up with the US Postal Service to provide same-day delivery of your local newspaper with your mail. Our expanded daily delivery of your local news reaches into the following areas: State health officials are increasingly saying that a contact tracing app being built by Apple and Google will be useless because it doesn't show where potential coronavirus exposures took place, or share data with the government. Officials in Utah, North Dakota and elsewhere are developing their own apps or hiring legions of contact tracers after rejecting the project under development by the two tech giants. The biggest problem, officials say, is that Apple and Google's strict privacy rules don't reveal the potential exposure point for new clusters. 'We want to know if, all of a sudden, contact tracing identifies that we've had a lot of positives at a particular grocery store or a bar,' Vern Dosch, North Dakota's contract tracing liaison, told NPR. Utah's homegrown contact tracing app is seen above. The app tracks symptoms and shares location data for contact tracing, the process of determining who might have been exposed Last month, bitter rivals Apple and Google announced their contract tracing collaboration to great fanfare. Using Bluetooth, their software would track the other phones that someone comes into close contact with, and then notify them if one of the contacts later tested positive for coronavirus. The two tech giants said last month they would build special software to make Bluetooth apps work better. At first, this will be a tool that developers can integrate in their apps. That is due out in coming days. Later this year, Apple and Google will include the tool in software updates, meaning users can log contacts without having to download an app. The two companies set strict privacy rules. Apps that use the Apple-Google system cannot collect any personal data, including where contacts happened. Contact data is stored only on the phone, and when a user is confirmed as infected an anonymous notification about possible exposure will go directly to other phones. Apple's headquarters is seen above. Last month, bitter rivals Apple and Google announced their contract tracing collaboration to great fanfare Google's headquarters is seen. Many health officials say the strict privacy limits on the Apple-Google collaboration make it worthless for contact tracing Frustrated by the limitations of the system, state officials have begun building their own tracing apps. In Utah, more than 45,000 people have signed up for the state's own contact tracing app, Healthy Together, since it was released in late April. The app does not automatically share location history with state officials, but if someone tests positive for coronavirus, they get an invitation in the app to share their location history and contact history over the past 14 days with a contact tracer. The location log is intended to jog the patient's memory and cut down on the interview time needed to trace back through their movements. In New York, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is leading the state's effort to build its own app and hire an army of thousands of contact tracers to interview people who contract coronavirus and notify people they may have infected. A nurse at at the International Community Health Services clinic in Seattle's International District, takes a nose swab sample for a coronavirus test on Friday Both North Dakota and South Dakota are using a homegrown app called Care19, which eschews Bluetooth and instead tracks users' location using GPS data. 'Every minute that ticks by, maybe someone else is getting infected, so we want to be able to use everything we can,' Dosch, the contact-tracing liaison for North Dakota, told the Washington Post. 'I get it. They have a brand to protect,' he added of Apple and Google's privacy restrictions. 'I just wish they would have led with their jaw.' With the Apple and Google approach, 'We've overcompensated for privacy and still created other risks and not solved the problem,' Ashkan Soltani, the former chief technologist of the Federal Trade Commission, told the Post. 'I'd personally be more comfortable if it were a health agency that I trusted and there were legal protections in place over the use of the data and I knew it was operated by a dedicated security team.' Ministers were facing serious questions over the effectiveness of its track-and-trace plan to get the UK out of lockdown amid fears that just a fraction of the staff needed to make it work are ready to go. The Government has insisted that army of 18,000 people required to make the lockdown-easing measure work will be in place at some point next week, the deadline it has set for a full roll-out. It has also said that an NHS app that will be used alongside it will be ready for a nationwide release after a trial on the Isle of Wight. But Downing Street has refused to confirm the number of contact tracers - medics able to carry out swab tests and call centre staff - who have been recruited after a minister claimed that only a tenth were ready to go. No10 said figures of 1,500 given to media by Northern Ireland Secretary Brendan Lewis yesterday were several weeks old but did not provide an update. It came as the Government was told to move away from an 'arbitrary focus on numbers' to a clear testing strategy to prevent a second wave of infections. In a letter Royal College of GPs (RCGP) chairman Professor Martin Marshall said there is a lack of confidence in the Government's testing strategy - including in the accuracy and timing of results. 'As we ease lockdown over the coming weeks and months, it is essential that the profession and patients have full confidence in the approach to test, track and trace,' he wrote. Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Boris Johnson were also warned to 'dramatically' increase the Government's 'inadequate' testing regime by a care home boss warned who said the PM's aim of 200,000 per day would not be enough. Jeremy Richardson, the chief executive of one of the UK's largest care providers, said that the Health Secretary's plan to boost testing in homes next month was 'not terrible useful'. No10 said figures of 1,500 given to media by Northern Ireland Secretary Brendan Lewis yesterday (pictured) were several weeks old but did not provide an update Matt Hancock last night pledged to test every care home resident and staff member for coronavirus in England by 'early June' Jeremy Richardson, the chief executive of one of the UK's largest care providers, said that the Health Secretary's plan to boost testing next month was 'not terrible useful' The minister used last night's press conference to pledge to test every care home resident and staff member in England for coronavirus by 'early June' amid a growing scandal over the number of elderly people dying from the disease. But Mr Richardson said that the sector's 1.4million staff needed testing regularly to avoid huge numbers of deaths. His call came as the head of the The Royal College of GPs (RCGP) branded the testing regime a 'free-for-all' and demanded clarity over who was a priority. The Government is under growing pressure to do more to keep the most vulnerable in society safe and the Health Secretary last night confirmed 600 million of new funding to stop the spread in care homes. But speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning Mr Richardson, who runs Four Seasons Health Care, suggested the cash would do little more than help councils reduce the size of their care provision 'collective overdrafts' . He said: 'Single point tests are not helpful to us as the operator. What we need to see are rolling tests because unless the infection only occurs on a Tuesday then I cannot be sure that everybody who is tested is captured. 'We need to see this testing rolled out on a regular basis. There are 1.4 million people, give or take, working in social care and all of those people needed to be tested every week. 'The 200,000 tests per day that the government has announced really should be deployed on that basis only into social care. 'But of course you have to test the rest of the country as well so the Government needs to scale up testing dramatically because at the moment the testing isn't adequate and to simply do a single-point test one would have to question whether that is a benefit to us as the operator or to the government for their statistics.' Office for National Statistics data released yesterday showed between March 2 and May 1 there were 12,526 deaths in care homes where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. Meanwhile, the overall number of deaths of care home residents in England and Wales from December 28 to May 1 this year was 73,180 - some 23,136 more than in the same period last year. Once the Covid-linked deaths are taken into account that means there are more than 10,000 unexplained excess deaths in the period. Mr Hancock also said the Government's approach so far had meant that almost two thirds of care homes have not recorded any cases of coronavirus. Speaking at the daily Downing Street press conference, Mr Hancock said: 'We have put extra infection control procedures in place and prioritised testing in care homes. 'We test any resident returning to a care home from hospital and all residents with symptoms and all social care colleagues and members of their households if they have symptoms. 'Together, these measures have saved lives and protected 64 per cent of care homes, almost two thirds, from having any coronavirus cases at all. 'And where there are cases we have taken extra measures to protect measures and staff with local public health officials playing such a critical role. 'Now we have capacity for well over 100,000 tests a day we are extending testing coverage still further. 'All care home residents and staff in England, both those with symptoms and those without, are now being tested. 'And in fact we will test every resident and every member of staff in our elderly care homes in England between now and early June.' But today the RCGP chairman Prof Marshall said GPs need to know which groups they should be prioritising, what was the role of the new antibody test and how often they should be testing people. 'What we have got at the moment is a bit of a free-for-all so we are looking for a targeted plan,' he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. 'The focus of the whole of the crisis in many ways on very sick people in hospitals is ICUs. But GPs have been providing an essential role in the background. 'But if we are honest in the Covid crisis the battle is now taking place in the community, not in hospitals. That is where we are trying to prevent the second wave of infections.' Meanwhile, Sir Mark Walport, chief executive of UK Research and Innovation and a former government chief scientific adviser, said test, track and trace is critical as a second wave is still a possibility. He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: 'It is a combination of people being really careful about how they behave coupled with identifying cases as early and as rigorously by testing as possible, and then working out who their contacts have been and making sure that they do isolate themselves. 'As measures are taken to relax social distancing, they have got to be taken very, very cautiously indeed. 'There is no question that the prospect of a second wave does exist. That is undoubtedly the case. It will continue to exist while there are a significant number of cases out there.' The governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, on Friday said the lockdown currently imposed in the state cannot last forever urging residents to observe relevant health protocol to check the spread of coronavirus. If people observe the protocol, then the relaxation of lockdown is in sight. Considering that, the lockdown cannot be forever. What we need to do is to examine and produce more proactive measures, the governor said in a statement. Kano traders had recently relocated to residential areas in disregard of the governors lockdown order and conducted businesses in violation of the physical distancing rules. The governors spokesperson, Abba Anwar, in the statement said the governor is still aware and conversant with the theory of 3Ls, that of Life, Livelihood and Liberty issues, surrounding lockdown process, both locally and globally, particularly in our local setting. READ ALSO: Mr Ganduje said while agreeing that it was not out of order to tinker with lockdown with a human face, he believes that the issue of total lockdown was still controversial around the globe. Or you assume that livelihood matter supersedes your life or you think you have liberty or you are at liberty to move around as you wish, while disregarding your life. We are really conscious of this sequence. It is either you take your life and that of your family and other members of the society very serious and stay home and observe other protocols, to stay safe, Mr Anwar quoted his principal in the statement saying. Kano elders meet Ganduje Mr Anwar also said in the statement that non-partisan Kano elders, who are mostly professionals serving and retired, technocrats, businessmen, among others, met with the governor via teleconference and assured him of their support in the fight against the spread of coronavirus in the state. He said the group, led by AB Mahmoud, discussed how to improve community engagement in the fight against the disease in the state with the governor. We decided to work out modalities and plans so that we can avoid duplication of responsibilities with other arrangements. Very soon we will come with a technical group for the engagement to take proper shape. We are doing all that we can to have more (sample) collection centres in our 36 local governments in the state. We have reached an advanced stage at that. This will go a long way in detecting community transmission with the view to crushing the pandemic, the governor said at the meeting. New Delhi, May 16 : The ED has attached 56 flats, 16 villas and crores of rupees in bank account of Goa-based Sanatan Financers and Real Estates Pvt Ltd in a cheating and money laundering case. The seized flats and villas located in Peace Valley near Sirvoi in South Goa district stand in the names of Sanatan Financers and Real Estates Pvt Ltd, Goa. Besides, Rs 7.73 crore lying in a bank account have been attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The ED had in second week of March arrested Goa-based company CEO and former director under the PMLA on charge of laundering money by cheating foreigners on the pretext of selling them real estate in the beach state. The central agency had initiated investigations on the basis of First Information Reports registered by Goa Police against the company, Ankit Kumar and Sunil Kumar on the complaints lodged by foreign nationals. The two accused illegally collected funds from the complainants on the pretext of selling flats and villas in a project named "Peace Valley" through Foreign Direct Investment route in the accounts of their different shell companies, including Sanatan Financers and Real Estates Pvt Ltd. "However, the ownership of these flats and villas was never transferred to the foreign nationals. In this manner, from 2006 to 2011, the accused collected Rs 7.73 crore by duping the foreign nationals and acquired 16 villas valued at Rs 2.56 crore and 56 flats in Goa valued at Rs 5.17 crore," the agency said. It has been more than five months since I began living in New Zealand. After the first month during which I was traveling to participate in panels and events I spent my time trying to comprehend freedom. For someone who has been immersed in a tragedy and humanitarian crisis for years, living in a quiet and calm city like Christchurch represents a profound transformation. I have been able to contemplate my life on Manus. Not a day has passed that I have not thought about the refugees in Port Moresby, Nauru or Australia. My experience on Manus is like an ongoing nightmare - what felt like years of struggling to crawl out of a pit. It gives me pleasure that after years I can be by myself; I can listen to music by myself; walk to the city centre; go to the cinema on the weekends; sit in the corner of a cafe and drink coffee while watching people walk by; make new friends and talk to them about the city and its history; and immerse myself in the stories of people who have lived their entire lives in freedom. Recently I bought a bicycle and every afternoon I ride along the river that runs through the middle of the city until I reach the sea. I watch the birds as I sit beside the lagoon next to the ocean, or I traverse the hills surrounding the city and enter the beautiful town of Lyttelton. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Bone marrow aspiration and trephine biopsy are usually performed on the back of the hipbone, or posterior iliac crest. An aspirate can also be obtained from the sternum (breastbone). For the sternal aspirate, the patient lies on their back, with a pillow under the shoulder to raise the chest. A trephine biopsy should never be performed on the sternum, due to the risk of injury to blood vessels, lungs or the heart. The need to selectively isolate and concentrate selective cells, such as mononuclear cells, allogeneic cancer cells, T cells and others, is driving the market. Over 30,000 bone marrow transplants occur every year. The explosive growth of stem cells therapies represents the largest growth opportunity for bone marrow processing systems. Europe and North America spearheaded the market as of 2016, by contributing over 74.0% to the overall revenue. Majority of stem cell transplants are conducted in Europe, and it is one of the major factors contributing to the lucrative share in the cell harvesting system market. Request For Report sample @: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/3184 In 2016, North America dominated the research landscape as more than 54.0% of stem cell clinical trials were conducted in this region. The region also accounts for the second largest number of stem cell transplantation, which is further driving the demand for harvesting in the region. Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness lucrative growth over the forecast period, owing to rising incidence of chronic diseases and increasing demand for stem cell transplantation along with stem cell-based therapy. Request For Table of Contents: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/requesttoc/3184 Japan and China are the biggest markets for harvesting systems in Asia Pacific. Emerging countries such as Mexico, South Korea, and South Africa are also expected to report lucrative growth over the forecast period. Growing investment by government bodies on stem cell-based research and increase in aging population can be attributed to the increasing demand for these therapies in these countries. Major players operating in the global bone marrow processing systems market are ThermoGenesis (Cesca Therapeutics inc.), RegenMed Systems Inc., MK Alliance Inc., Fresenius Kabi AG, Harvest Technologies (Terumo BCT), Arthrex, Inc. and others More Info of Impact Covid19 @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/covid-19-analysis/3184 The coronavirus pandemic does not give the government any authorisation to destroy parliamentary democracy and embark on a "grand clearance sale" of national assets and resources, Congress leader Anand Sharma said on Saturday. His reaction came after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled a series of long-pending reforms for the defence sector which included making provisions for separate budgetary outlay to procure Indian-made military hardware, increasing the FDI limit and generating a year-wise negative list of weapons which can't be imported. The Congress leader said such decisions require a broader national consensus, and sought a national debate on it. "Corona pandemic and lock-down does not give government any authorisation to destroy Parliamentary democracy and embark on a grand clearance sale of national assets and resources," the former Union minister said on Twitter. "My question to PM Narendra Modi is: whether opening up of defence, Airspace and Aerospace to foreign companies will make a Aatm Nirbhar Bharat? Let there be a national debate," he said. Sharma said taking sensitive and strategic policy decisions that have a direct bearing on national security and self reliance without a broader national consensus raises fundamental questions. "Does the government have a mandate to take arbitrary decisions that will have far reaching implications," he asked. Sitharaman, a former defence minister, also announced corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Board, a nearly 200-year-old organisation that operates 41 ammunition production facilities across the country. The decision is aimed at enhancing efficiency in functioning of the organisation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A woman who was jailed for illegal trade in wildlife in Vietnam had her prison sentence increased from two to five years this week. Pham Thi Thuan, 58, was given more jail time following a hearing by an appeals court on 12 May in the central province of Quang Nam. She had originally been sentenced to two years and a fine of 60m Vietnamese Dong ($2,560 USD). However prosecutors pushed for a harsher sentence. Ms Thuan was found in possession of 13 king cobras, eight Bengal monitor lizards, nearly 300 turtles and other rare species without any documentation at her home in August 2018. The home was registered as a wildlife breeding facility, according to Vietnam Plus. The 58-year-old had been subject to administrative sanctions twice before in 2011 and 2013 for the unlawful possession of wildlife, the site reported. The case was first reported by the Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV), a non-governmental organisation which has tackled the illegal wildlife trade in Vietnam for the past 20 years. ENV Deputy Director Bui Thi Ha commended the investigation while urging authorities to revoke Ms Thuans wildlife breeding licence. The conservation group also reported that on 13 May, Tran Quy, director of company Hai Dang Ltd, received 13 years in prison and a 100m VND ($4,283USD) fine by the Provincial Peoples Court of Ca Mau for operating a pangolin trafficking network through the ruse of an ecotourism business. Several accomplices also received jail time. A recent report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) found that Vietnam faces a huge wildlife trafficking problem with large-scale consignments of ivory and pangolin scales from Nigeria and other countries continuing to enter the country and vast quantities of tiger products available for sale. The country is taking steps to address the illegal wildlife trade. In 2018, penalties were increased for trafficking in endangered species. Criminals now face up to 15 years in prison and fines up to US$660,000, WildAid reported. Vietnams Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered a directive on banning wildlife trade and consumption in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. By Express News Service MYSURU: While healthcare capitals and financial nerve centres across the world are crumbling under the Covid pandemic pressure, Mysuru, with its limited infrastructure and a vast and diverse demographic, won the battle against the virus by bringing down the number of active cases to zero. As the last two recovered patients walked out of the Coviddesignated hospital on Friday, they were cheered and presented with flowers by the medical staff. The P534 and P341 thanked the doctors and said it is a rebirth for them. The district, which once topped the tally in the state with multiple clusters, now has an exceptional 100 per cent recovery rate with zero mortality, a rarity among other red zones in the country. On April 18, Mysuru had 62 active cases, while Bengaluru had just 47. But on Friday, Bengaluru had 93, while Mysuru zero. Since March 21, when the first case was detected, the district authorities have battled the yet-to-be solved Nanjangud Jubliant Pharma Company cluster, which gathered national attention after a super spreader infected 74 people, ten cases of Tablighi Jamaat members, a case of two people, who had returned from abroad, infecting two others and two SARI cases. The district was initially suffering from lack of medical infrastructure, as the designated Covid hospital was functioning out of KR Hospital that was built during the princely era. The designated hospital was later shifted to the district hospital, which was yet to be completed and did not even have oxygen lines then. Incidentally, the hospital still does not have an operation theatre. Meanwhile, 600 people, who have returned to the city from other states and countries, are under quarantine. Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar congratulated the district administration, incharge ministers, doctors and citizens for making the district Covid free. He said the district getting into the green zone from red is a great achievement, and recalled the efforts of the district administration. He said the earlier district incharge minister V Sommanna and the incumbent S T Somashekar have effectively handled the situation and shouldered their responsibility while ensuring that 5,332 people were quarantined effectively. Somashekar too lauded the efforts of the district administration, doctors and officials. I will celebrate this by applauding the doctors, Asha workers and nurses, who are the real Covid warriors, he said. The world is looking very different from how it did a few months ago, before coronavirus struck and sent economies into meltdown. As a result, the country's army of small businesses is having to take a leaf out of Darwin's book and adapt to survive. We spoke to the entrepreneurial bosses of companies making dramatic changes in a determined effort to thrive once lockdown comes to an end. Flexible: Gwen Burgess makes takeaway English breakfasts first thing and Mexican suppers in the evening Gwen Burgess describes the last couple of months as 'a bit of a whirlwind' which could be putting it mildly. She is the deputy mayor of Shrewsbury, and tomorrow she was to have been officially named as mayor with a ceremonial parade next month complete with sword-bearers and the traditional toast to the Queen. But, by necessity, all that has been postponed for later in the year. Instead, Gwen will spend tomorrow like every other day since lockdown began, making up to 20 full English breakfasts for takeaway in the morning and preparing Mexican food (fajitas, burritos and tacos) for delivery in the evening. Gwen, 57, owns Darwin's cafe in the centre of town named after Shrewsbury's most famous son, Charles Darwin. Before Covid-19 struck, her business had just recovered from the devastating floods at the beginning of the year. 'After the floods, coronavirus was a real kick in the teeth,' says Gwen. Her dream of semi-retiring by selling the cafe and concentrating on her mayoral duties has now fallen through. 'All of a sudden my plans had gone and I was left with, 'What happens now?' she says. 'I had to reinvent myself.' As well as reopening to serve takeaway coffee, Gwen started making breakfasts for delivery. She also transformed Darwin's into a takeaway Mexican restaurant Pequena Burro in the evening. 'It's gone well so far,' says Gwen, who has still seen her turnover fall by 50 per cent. 'I could have shut up shop and got by on the 10,000 small business grant I received, but as Darwin said, you have to adapt to survive.' We switched to snack boxes to be sent home Another business adapting to survive is Edinburgh-based Healthy Nibbles which supplies snacks to companies to give to their staff including stocking vending machines with treats such as olives, chickpea puffs, lentil chips and dark chocolate. Corporate customers range from technology and pharmaceutical firms to mobile phone network Three and Transport for London. But when lockdown came, income plunged 80 per cent in the first week. Some even send jigsaws with the snacks for employees to do as team-building exercises The business's founder Sara Roberts had to act fast. The result was to make individual snack boxes which employers could send to staff at home, not only to help them snack more healthily but as a way of letting them know they were being thought of. Sara says: 'It's these little touches which really help. Companies can put messages on the snacks and some even send jigsaws with the snacks for employees to do as team-building exercises. For us, it's great to have a new income stream which will hopefully continue after the lockdown.' I started selling my sauces online Last year, former architect Robert Ngo quit his job to set up Malaysian street food company, Eat Lah. Initially selling at street markets in London's Hackney and Deptford, Robert saw business take off when he started getting corporate bookings to supply lunch to office-based staff in the City. But lockdown meant his business stopped overnight. 'I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared,' says Robert. 'I didn't qualify for any grants. Everything ground to a halt.' If there's no income then I can't pay my bills, but hopefully this is something which will keep me going through lockdown Robert decided to sell his homemade sauces and pastes online. He set up a website using Shopify, uploaded pictures and started spreading the word on social media. He then began selling online packages of Malaysian food such as marinated fried chicken, his signature blue rice, prawn crackers, pickles and sauces and shipping them via UPS. 'I include instructions on how to reheat and serve, and it's great to be able to keep working,' he says. 'If there's no income then I can't pay my bills, but hopefully this is something which will keep me going through lockdown.' Other businesses are focusing on preparing for the new way of doing things once lockdown rules are lifted. Buy a 50 bond and get 60 to spend in future Eighteen months ago, Andy Lennox founded Southern African-themed restaurant Zim Braai, in Poole, Dorset. But it is now closed. He says: 'It didn't seem worth opening in some capacity such as takeaway just to be loss-making.' Andy who also runs Wonky Table, a local business network to support small businesses during lockdown is now spending his time readying his restaurant for life after lockdown. This means investing in personal protective equipment for staff and designing screens to go between tables to protect diners. He's also launched 'Braai bonds' which he is selling with a 20 per cent dividend, meaning customers who buy a 50 bond will get 60 to spend on a meal at Zim Braai. He says: 'If we can only open at 50 per cent capacity due to social distancing, we'll need people to stagger the times when they come to dine with us. The bonds are valid from Monday to Wednesday. 'The whole restaurant industry has paused and there are many businesses who won't make it out of the other side. We want to come out stronger,' Don't forget the self-employed scheme Self-employed workers are being encouraged to apply to the Government's new Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) if they have not already done so. It is designed to partly make up for the fall in income among the self-employed as a result of the lockdown. The scheme is similar to the Government's furlough arrangement for employed workers. To be eligible, your business's income should have been adversely affected by the pandemic. Furthermore, you need to have filed a tax return for the tax year ending April 5, 2019, before April 23 this year. You must also have traded in the tax year just ended and intend to trade during the current tax year. Many people will already have received a text message from Revenue & Customs advising them to check if they are eligible. Anyone who thinks they are should visit the website gov.uk. You will need your unique taxpayer's reference (UTR) and your National Insurance number. If you are eligible you can apply straightaway, signing in with your Government Gateway ID and password. Once you claim, the system will calculate what you are entitled to 80 per cent of your average trading profits over the last three years. If successful, the taxable grant will be paid within six working days and will need to be included on your next tax return. Kiran Narayanan By Express News Service KOCHI: While the district administration is busy battling Covid-19, a few have used the opportunity to illegally fill paddy and wetlands in the district. In a stark violation of the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008, a two-acre paddy field at Karippassery near HMT Junction in Kalamassery here is being filled by some people gradually. Residents allege the filling, which started before the lockdown was announced, picked up pace when government machinery focused on containing the pandemic. It is depressing to see that they are using the crisis to fast-track their illegal activities. The area housed serene paddy fields and filling available plots will lead to acute water crisis. Earlier, police would often patrol the area to prevent such activities. Now that they are busy with Covid-19 measures, landowners are filling the land, said a nearby resident who did not wish to be named. Civic body officials said they had not come across any incident of land filling recently. We received such a complaint from Kaipadamugal a few months ago and immediately stopped the filling. If someone complains to us, we will definitely take stringent action, said Kalamassery municipality chairperson Rukiya Jamal. Environmentalists said filling of wetlands is rampant during summer and official apathy has led to its continuation. We know about their workload at present, However, officials are giving least priority to curtail prevent filling of land. Also, their unholy nexus with property developers is preventing people from reporting such matters. Despite consecutive natural calamities, we have not learnt any lesson and rectified our mistakes. Immediate and strict action is the only solution to control such activities, said an activist A photocopy of Deinego's Russian passport has been posted by Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories and Ukraine's envoy to the Trilateral Contact Group's political subgroup Oleksiy Reznikov. So-called "Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs" of the self-proclaimed "Luhansk People's Republic" ("LPR") Vladislav Deinego has been granted Russian citizenship. Read alsoEU, NATO should work to counter Russia's hybrid passportization U.S. strategy consultant A photocopy of Deinego's Russian passport has been posted by Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories and Ukraine's envoy to the Trilateral Contact Group's political subgroup Oleksiy Reznikov, the Novosti Donbassa media outlet reported. Reznikov also demonstrated this photocopy during the negotiations of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), which took place via video link on May 14. Deinego is an invited member of the TCG in Minsk as a representative of certain districts of Luhansk region. Russia insists on his participation in the negotiations, as well as other members of the so-called republics. According to Reznikov, the meeting of the TCG began at 13:00 Kyiv time. At about 15:00-16:00, the so-called "invitees" from "LPR" (Vladislav Deinego) and "DPR" ["Donetsk People's Republic"] (Natalia Nikonorova) joined the members of the TCG (Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE). Prior to that, the Ukrainian side had been informing the Russian delegation for two hours that it was aware of the Russian citizenship of "invitees." As an example, Ukraine showed photocopies of Deinego's foreign and national passports issued by the Russian Federation. As UNIAN reported earlier, the Trilateral Contact Group on Donbas settlement on Thursday, May 14, held a scheduled meeting via video link, where an upgraded delegation for the first time presented Ukraine. US President Donald Trump has said that he does not want to talk to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping right now, indicating his displeasure at the Chinese leadership's handling of the coronavirus outbreak which has now spread across the world, killing over 4.5 million people. "Just don't want to talk to him right now. We will see what happens over the next little while," Trump told reporters at the White House, when asked why he did not want to not speak to Xi. China, as per the trade deal inked earlier this year, is buying a lot more of American goods than last year. They are spending a lot on the trade deal, but the trade deal I don't know somehow I lost a little flavour for it, you can understand, Trump said. Earlier in the day, Trump said he did not want to talk about the trade deal. "I don't want to talk about it. I can say China is buying a lot of our products. But the trade deal -- the ink was barely dry -- when this (coronavirus) came in from China. So, it's not like we're thrilled, he said. This should have never happened. This came from China. It should have been stopped in China before it got out to the world. One-eighty-six countries are affected. Each country that's affected is the same thing. Russia now is badly affected. France is badly affected. You look at each country and you can say "affected" or you can say "infected," either way you want to put it," he said. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters that President Trump is frustrated with China. "I will leave it to the president as to when he resumes speaking with the Chinese leader. But look, China slow walked this. I've shared with you guys before on human-to-human transmission. It was really important that the world knew of that aspect of the disease, but that information was slow walked through to the WHO, she said. "The genetic sequencing, likewise, was not given until a professor in Shanghai did so on his own. The president has repeatedly noted that why are they letting flights out of China but not into China? These decisions put American lives at risk. Not just American lives, the lives around the globe," she said. "We know that this disease came from China, and why that information was not shared, some of the information I just suggested is really unacceptable. So he's frustrated at this point, and I'll leave it to him," McEnany said. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Trump administration will not tolerate efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to undermine the privacy of US citizens or the integrity of next-generation networks worldwide. (Chinese technology company) Huawei is an untrustworthy vendor and a tool of the Chinese Communist Party, beholden to its orders. The Department of Justice has indicted Huawei for stealing US technology and helping Iran evade sanctions, and the Department of Commerce has placed Huawei on the Entity List in 2019. The Department of State has engaged for more than a year to share what we know about Huawei and other untrustworthy vendors with allies and partners around the world," he said. On Friday, the Department of Justice expanded rules to prevent Huawei from undermining US export controls, closing a loophole that has allowed the company to exploit US technology and threaten national security. "It also imposes US export control restrictions on countries that use US technology or software to design and produce semiconductors for Huawei. Companies wishing to sell certain items to Huawei produced with US technology must now obtain a license from the United States," he said. The US will continue to restrict most American exports to Huawei and its affiliates on the Entity List for activities that threaten US national security and international stability, Pompeo said. A viral picture taken by PTI photographer Atul Yadav showed a migrant worker sitting on the roadside and crying on his phone. Identified as Bihar's Ram Pukar Pandit, his one-year-old son passed away and he was unable to see him. Ram Pukar used to work in Delhi and he tried to return home but was stopped at the UP Gate. (Image: PTI) Central Board of Secondary Education will release the datesheet for the remaining board exams of class 10 and 12 on May 18, Monday. Central Board of Secondary Education will be releasing the datesheet for remaining class 10 and 12 board exams on May 18. Earlier, Ministry of Human Resource Development Dr. Ramesh Pokhariyal informed the students about the datesheet to be releasing today, but due to some additional technical aspects before finalizing the datesheets of the board exams, the schedule will now be releasing on May 18, Monday. According to the earlier reports, the board exams will be conducted between July 1 to July 15, 2020. Further, the board also informed the students that the datesheet which is currently circulating on social media is fake and no one should believe it. The students are advised to visit the official website of CBSE for any official information or updates about the exams. The evaluation process of the exams which has already been conducted has started and the board has revealed that the students should be prepared as the exams can also be conducted on weekends so that the 12th class students can apply for entrance exams as well. The subjects for which the exams will be conducted for class 12th are Business Studies, Home Science, Geography, Hindi Core and Elective and Sociology. Further, subjects like Information Practice Old, Bio-Technology, Information Practice New Syllabus, Computer Science, Information Technology and IT are also left. Also Read: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi says lockdown should be lifted carefully, intelligently #CBSE is taking into consideration some additional technical aspects before finalizing the datesheets of the board exams of classses 10th and 12th, due to which, the datesheets will now be released by Monday i.e. 18-05-2020. Inconvenience caused is sincerely regretted. Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) May 16, 2020 Datesheet for CBSE Board Examinations for Class 10th and 12th to be released today at 5.00 pm: Union Minister for Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal (file pic) pic.twitter.com/iB7ejLjYY9 ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2020 For class 10th only the students of North East Delhi will be giving the exams within the aforementioned dates. Not just this, the Board will also be giving a second chance to the students of 9th and 11th who failed in the examinations. The board has instructed the schools to conduct online or offline exams to give them admission in the next class. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App The goal must not be simply to go as far as possible in the direction of preventing anything that some might characterize as sexual harassment. The goal must instead be to fully address sexual harassment while at the same time protecting students against unfair and inappropriate discipline, honoring individual relationship autonomy, and maintaining the values of academic freedom. UC opposes these ill-conceived changes and in spite of them will continue our hard-won momentum through education, prevention, and processes that are fair and compassionate for all parties...We have come too far as a nation to halt our progress against sexual harassment. In the latest case where a male student sued his college over the unfair procedures it used to expel him, Colgate University in New York will go to trial. So ruled federal district judge Frederick Scullin on April 30. In his opinion , the plaintiff student had presented sufficient evidence of bias against him for the case to proceed.The case began in October 2016. At that time, Colgate, like all American colleges, was operating under the Title IX regulations instituted during the Obama administration. Those regulations, dictated through a mere "Dear Colleague" letter rather than formal administrative rulemaking, decreed that colleges must abide by a new set of rules when responding to complaints of sexual assault or harassment (which was very broadly defined).Those rules dramatically changed the way such cases were handled by stacking the deck against accused students, almost always male.The Colgate case was typical. As Judge Scullin observed, there was a strong odor of bias on the part of the school's investigator against the defendant. Courts in many other Title IX cases have come to the same conclusion that fairness and due process of law were trampled upon by zealous administrators who were far more concerned with punishing accused students than in seeking the truth.It is worth noting that many liberal civil libertarians denounced the blatant unfairness of the Obama administration's Title IX regulations, including 28 members of the faculty of Harvard Law School, who sharply criticized the rules. In their letter, they wrote,Those professors clearly saw that the Title IX regulations swung the pendulum too far to the side of the accuser and school authority. For example, the defendant student was not told the exact charges against him, was not allowed legal representation, was not allowed to see the evidence that the school was relying on, was not allowed to confront his accuser, and was given very little time to prepare his defense.Early in her tenure as secretary of education under president Trump, Betsy DeVos suspended the Obama regulations and began the process of revising them in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act. On May 5, the new rules were released and the reaction was strongly divided.The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), a non-partisan group that defends free speech and due process for students and faculty, applauded the changes. In an op-ed piece for The Wall Street Journal, FIRE's executive director (and also a member of the Martin Center's board) called the revisionsobserving thatSimilarly, the American Enterprise Institute's director of education policy studies, Frederick Hess, wrote "DeVos gets Title IX right," pointing out, among other sensible changes, that the new rules are even-handed with respect to appeal. Under the Obama rules, the accuser had a right of appeal if the decision went against her, but the accused was afforded no such right.One of the most salient changes is that colleges are no longer expected to use a single investigator model for handling Title IX complaints.Under the Obama regulations, schools were pressured to have one campus administrator (usually trained to favor the accuser) deal with the whole case, from fact-finding to determination of guilt. With the new rules, schools must use a three-person system-one officer to receive complaints, another to interview people and gather facts, and a third to decide the question of guilt and recommend sanctions and remedies.Moreover, the training materials for those officials must be posted on the school's website. (In the past, some colleges kept their training secret, knowing that the lack of fairness in them would lead to criticism.)If the new rules are followed, they will protect colleges against lawsuits such as Doe v. Colgate. They'd no longer be held liable for violating the due process rights of accused students. A superb book to consult if you are interested in the details of some of the cases is The Campus Rape Frenzy by KC Johnson and Stuart Taylor, Jr., which I reviewed HERE On the other hand, the new Title IX rules were bitterly attacked by some people and groups.Catherine Lhamon, who now chairs the United States Commission on Civil Rights (and was chiefly responsible for writing the former regulations when she headed the Office for Civil Rights in the Obama administration), fumed that secretary DeVos wasThat is so obviously untrue that the purpose of Lhamon's rhetoric must be to rally opposing forces rather than convince objective people that the rule changes are undesirable. She isn't trying to spark a rational debate over the ideal way of enforcing Title IX, but to energize leftists to take up arms.With less vitriol but still showing defiance, University of California president Janet Napolitano issued a statement declaring,Napolitano's statement is reminiscent of the old Brezhnev Doctrine from the Cold War-that once a country had fallen under communist rule, it could never go back. In the view of feminists like Lhamon and Napolitano, the Obama Title IX rules were an advance for women (and never mind that many women deplore what the rules did to men in their lives) that must be preserved.It is crucial to keep in mind that the Obama-era rules were designed to serve a political purpose. In their book, Johnson and Taylor explain that after the Democratic Party's disaster in the 2010 elections, its strategists were looking for new issues to motivate their voting base-especially college-educated women-in 2012. One that fit their needs perfectly was the claim that college campuses were places of great danger for women because school officials did very little to crack down on "rape culture."That gambit worked very well for the Democrats in 2012, helping propel the president's re-election. During Obama's second term, huge numbers of jobs were created for Title IX administrators who saw their mission as exercising their power to correct what they regarded as the power imbalance between men and women. Doing justice in individual cases was much less important than pushing the narrative that women need strong rules to protect them against sexual harassment.Tellingly, immediately after the new rules were announced, presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden stated that if elected, he would overturn them and reinstate the Obama-era rules.We should expect to see widespread resistance to the new Title IX rules. All of those aggressive administrators who enforce the rules won't let themselves be reprogrammed like you might reprogram your Roomba. Many will resist, hoping desperately that the rules will be overturned (The ACLU has said it will sue to bring that about) or that Joe Biden is elected.Title IX enforcement has been completely politicized and the battle over it will continue so long as our colleges are under Washington's control. Brennan Says Hes Willing to Be Interviewed by Durham in Crossfire Hurricane Probe Former CIA Director John Brennan said May 15 that he is willing to be interviewed by the federal prosecutor investigating the origins of the TrumpRussia probe, adding that he has nothing to hide and looks forward to the day when the truth is going to come out. I feel very good that my tenure at CIA and my time at the White House during the Obama administration was notthat was not engaged in any type of wrongdoing or activities that caused me to worry about what this investigation may uncover, Brennan said in an interview with MSNBCs Chris Hayes. So I welcome the opportunity to talk with the investigators, the former spy chief said. I have nothing to hide. I have not yet been interviewed by any of those individuals involved in this matter, but Im willing to do so. Attorney General William Barr assigned John Durham, the U.S. attorney for Connecticut, early in 2019 to investigate the origins of the FBIs counterintelligence investigation of the Trump campaign. Part of Durhams brief is to assess whether the surveillance of Trump campaign associate Carter Page was free of improper motive. Brennan said in congressional testimony on May 23, 2017, that it was his intelligence that helped establish the FBI investigation. I was aware of intelligence and information about contacts between Russian officials and U.S. persons that raised concerns in my mind about whether or not those individuals were cooperating with the Russians, either in a witting or unwitting fashion, and it served as the basis for the FBI investigation to determine whether such collusion [or] cooperation occurred, Brennan said. The New York Times has reported that of specific interest to Durham are Brennans CIA communications, to find out what role he played in developing an Intelligence Community Assessment (pdf) that said the Russian government meddled in the 2016 election to help Trump. While Durham may be scrutinizing Brennans activities around the launch of the Russia probe, there is no indication of any wrongdoing on the part of the former CIA chief. In the interview on MSNBC, Brennan said he welcomed talking to Durham to assist with his investigation. I have not yet been interviewed by any of those individuals involved in this matter, but Im willing to do so because I do believe that for too long, the American public have been misled by Donald Trump, by William Barr and others, Brennan said. While its unclear who else Brennan may have been referring to, in February, senior figures in the Republican camp have intimated that people involved in the TrumpRussia investigation should go to jail. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) said in February that he believes some people who allegedly abused their power in an attempt to take down a candidate for president should be sent to prison after Durham concludes his probe. People need to be held accountable. They abuse their power to literally try to take down a candidate for president of the United States. People ought to go to jail, Scalise said. Ive seen some classified information that I cant go into, but I can say this: hopefully Durham names names. I think the attorney general is waiting to see what comes out of that. Brennan told MSNBC that hes concerned that instruments of law enforcement and intelligence may be weaponized against political opponents. Im very worried that the instruments of governance, the instruments of intelligence and law enforcement and justice are now being exploited and manipulated in Mr. Trumps hands, and I think thats something that should worry all Americans, Brennan said. John Durham, who is a well-respected individual from the Department of Justice is conducting this investigation, Brennan said. Id like to think that John Durham and the other DOJ and FBI investigators will continue to honor their oath of office and to carry out their responsibilities without any consideration of [the] political interests of Donald Trump. It comes after Fox News reported, citing anonymous sources, that Durham was building a serious case, and that some of the revelations could be sufficient for some charges against agents. Durhams office declined a request from The Epoch Times for comment. Janita Kan contributed to this report. During the 2008 campaign, Obama promised to fundamentally transform our country. This may be the one campaign promise he kept. Since the end of President George Washington's second term, our country has prided itself in the peaceful transfer of power from one president to another, regardless of the difference in political parties. We pride ourselves that we are not a "banana republic" where the party with the military power remains in office, removes an elected president, or otherwise interferes with elections. The Obama Gang lied and cheated to help Hillary Clinton win. They tried to destroy the Trump presidency by concocting the Russia Hoax, including the framing and persecution and prosecution of General Flynn. They tried to sabotage the transfer of power from Obama to President Trump. The banana republics use tanks and soldiers to interfere in transfers of power. The Obama Gang used FISA warrants based on the phony Steele dossier, the framing of General Flynn, the misconduct by Comey to leak memos to get his pal Mueller appointed to persecute and prosecute Trump friends and officials, and other misconduct. When all failed, they impeached President Trump without any evidence as required by the Constitution. The Obama Gang used the FBI; the DOJ; lawsuits; attorneys; and its in-house pet media consisting of CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NBC, the N.Y. Times, the Washington Post, and others. In banana republics, the military always seize the radio and television stations as part of the coup to control the news. The Obama Gang did not have to do that because their pet in-house media were already part of the Gang. The Obama Gang has not accepted the results of the 2016 election and sought to undermine the transfer of power and cripple the Trump presidency. Senator Lindsey Graham, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has promised hearings to investigate the political corruption of the Obama Gang in the persecution and prosecution of General Flynn. The prosecution of General Flynn was an integral part of the plan to sabotage the transfer of power. The logical first witness to call is Obama since Obama, as POTUS, wanted to know everything the FBI was doing. But Graham said he will not call Obama: I am greatly concerned about the precedent that would be set by calling a former president for oversight. No president is above the law. However, the presidency has executive privilege claims against other branches of government[.] Obama can raise executive privilege if he believes that it applies, but this is not a bar to call him as a witness. Obama did not show any hesitancy to use the DOJ and FBI to sabotage President Trump's presidency. The Democrats did not show any hesitancy to impeach President Trump with no evidence as required by the Constitution. Yet Senator Graham believes that Obama is owed respect and courtesy not to testify because he is a former president. President Trump disagrees. He notified Graham that Graham should call Obama: If I were a Senator or Congressman, the first person I would call to testify about the biggest political crime and scandal in the history of the USA, by FAR, is former President Obama. He knew EVERYTHING. Do it @LindseyGrahamSC, just do it. No more Mr. Nice Guy. No more talk! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 14, 2020 This is the biggest political scandal in our history because an American president used the power of his office to sabotage the transfer of power to President Trump and then tried to destroy the Trump presidency. This is unprecedented. Graham must call Obama, under oath, to have him answer for what he and his gang did. Image: Ari Levinson via Wikimedia Commons. The Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) recently announced its continued support in Canadian glycomics research with a three-year investment of $16.3 million through the Canadian Glycomics Network (GlycoNet). Founded in 2015, GlycoNet has been working to develop a multidisciplinary and collaborative national network to accelerate carbohydrate-based healthcare treatments, vaccines, and technologies for Canadians. These efforts have resulted in a potential vaccine candidate and a urine test for tuberculosis, therapeutic treatments for aspergillosis, as well as diagnostics for Parkinson's disease. More recently, efforts are focused on COVID-19 with the development of drugs and vaccines. It is an exciting time to work in the field of glycoscience. I would like to thank the NCE for its continued confidence in the Network. We are unique in what we do. Our research focuses on the roles of carbohydrates in human health, and we use this knowledge to discover new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for a variety of major diseases which burden millions of Canadians and others around the globe." Dr. Todd Lowary, Scientific Director of GlycoNet Glycomics is the study of carbohydrates, which includes everything from table sugar to complex structures found on every cell in the human body. Carbohydrates in biological systems are directly involved in the pathophysiology of major illnesses such as cancer, chronic diseases (e.g. diabetes, heart disease), inflammatory responses, and infections (e.g. influenza, tuberculosis). Having a better understanding of the roles of carbohydrates to relieve the burden for even a single disease will have a significant impact on Canadian healthcare. As an example, in the recent COVID-19 outbreak, glycomics not only shows promising potential but also stimulates cross-disciplinary collaborations such as developing diagnostic tests based on detecting fragments of carbohydrates from the virus, vaccines based on the carbohydrate present of the virus surface, and new drugs to clear the infection through blocking interactions between viral carbohydrates and proteins in the human body. As a leader in the sector, GlycoNet is well positioned to propel this effort and continue its work by unmasking the relevance of carbohydrates in making populations with certain blood types more vulnerable to the infection. Translating carbohydrate research from bench to bedside is a long and complex process, but it is one that can lead to immense benefits for patients, healthcare providers, and Canadian bio-economy. We are now at a stage where we anticipate innovative therapies and commercialization activities arising from GlycoNet research." Ms. Karimah Es Sabar, Chair of GlycoNet's Board of Directors "A recent expert panel assessed GlycoNet and its strategic plan and recognized GlycoNet as a value-driven entity to deliver concrete healthcare solutions to Canadians," said Dr. Elizabeth Nanak, Executive Director of GlycoNet. "NCE's renewed support will allow us to execute the plan and enable us to pursue foundational research, accelerate research innovation into clinics, provide important training for the next generation of glycoscientists, and engage healthcare stakeholders from academic institutions, industry, government, and not-for-profit organizations." At a glance: GlycoNet Centre is planning to invite private players as "co-travellers" in India's space sector. Announcing the fourth tranche of measures under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat economic stimulus package on Saturday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that predictable policy and regulatory environment will be provided to individuals and start-ups who have been working with space-related technologies. "ISRO has brought the nation a lot of laurels. However, today private sector is also doing a lot of work in the space arena. A lot of individuals and start-ups have spent a lot of time developing space-related technologies. Unfortunately, because of the Indian regulations, they're unable to use ISRO's available facilities for even testing their products. What we want to do now, in order to provide level playing field for private companies in satellites, launches and space-based services, we will make a provision for them to benefit from the assets which are available with the ISRO," said the Finance Minister. ALSO READ:Private sector allowed entry in coal mining; govt monopoly removed ALSO READ:FDI in defence manufacturing raised to 74% from 49% "We will also provide predictable policy and regulatory environment for private players. We want them to be co-travellers with us, and therefore, private sector is being encouraged. Future projects for planetary explorations and outer space travel will also be open for private sector," she further added. FM Sitharaman further said that start-ups will be provided geo-spatial data related to India domestically, for which they now have to look up to foreign sources and pay exorbitant prices. "There is a lot of geo-spatial data for Indians, particularly like start-ups which are looking at doing a lot of irrigation work, drought-prone area development work, groundwater work. They don't most often get the data within India. They go get it from abroad, paying through their nose, for some good work that they do for India itself. A liberal geo-spatial data policy is something which we will like to work on. We will like to provide remote sensing data to tech entrepreneurs, of course with a lot of sense of caution because this is a very sensitive area," FM Sitharaman said. ALSO READ:FM unveils tariff policy reforms for power sector ALSO READ:Nirmala Sitharaman press conference: Rs 8,100 crore for social infrastructure projects Which is the best bridge pair of all time? In the United States, you would get many votes for Bob Hamman-Bobby Wolff and Jeff Meckstroth-Eric Rodwell. In Europe, you would also get support for Pietro Forquet-Benito Garozzo. The Italians produced arguably the best cooperative defense of all time in this deal. How did they defeat three no-trump after Forquet (West) led the heart five: three, eight, king? Declarer had seven top tricks (given trick one). If he could establish the diamonds, which looked easy to do, he would have no trouble coasting home with overtricks. But when he cashed the diamond ace, Forquet sacrificed his king! From the revealing first trick, Forquet knew that he had to get his partner on lead for a heart play through declarer's remaining queen-seven. Also, from the point-count, East couldn't have a quick entry. Perhaps East had jack-third of diamonds; hence the unblock. Now declarer had eight tricks. If the clubs were 3-2 and he could lose a club trick to West, he would be home. So, declarer played a diamond to the queen and led a low club. If Garozzo (East) had followed with the eight, declarer would have played low. But Garozzo put in the 10, forcing declarer to win with the king. Forquet dropped the queen! Back in dummy after a spade to the ace, declarer tried another low club, but Garozzo played the jack, swallowing his partner's nine -- a crocodile coup. Declarer played a third club, hoping West would win the trick, but that resulted in his finishing down three! Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Indian Railways has operated 1,074 Shramik Special trains since May 1, ferrying more than 14 lakh workers, it said Saturday. On Friday, the Railways said it had received more than 1,000 approvals from states in the last 15 days to ferry migrants home, with most workers being received by Uttar Pradesh, followed by Bihar. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal hailed the active participation of UP and Bihar in processing trains for their migrants, saying 80 per cent of the labour trains are terminating in these two states. During the last three days, more than 2 lakh persons have been transported per day. In days to come, it is expected to be scaled up to 3 lakh passengers per day, the Railways said. Out of the trains which have terminated so far, the maximum has been in Uttar Pradesh (387). Uttar Pradesh has given approval for 526 trains, followed by Bihar for 269 trains, and Madhya Pradesh for 81 trains. The number stands at 50 for Jharkhand, 52 for Odisha, 23 for Rajasthan and 9 for West Bengal, the data showed. The operation of these trains has, however, led to a political mudslinging with the Opposition accusing the Centre of charging fare from migrants. The Centre has clarified that the fare is being shared on a 85-15 ratio by the Railways and the state governments. It has said it has the capacity to run 300 Shramik Specials per day. Goyal had appealed to states like West Bengal, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand to approve more trains. A Shramik Special train carries around 1,700 passengers, instead of the earlier 1,200, to ferry as many workers home as possible. Initially these trains had no scheduled stoppages during the journey, but the Railways now allows up to three stoppages in the destination states. While railways is yet to announce the cost incurred on these special services, officials indicated that the national transporter is spending around Rs 80 lakh per service. Since the Shramik Special service started, Gujarat has remained the top originating state, followed by Kerala. Earlier, the Railways drew a flak from opposition parties for charging for these services. In its guidelines, the national transporter has said the trains will ply only if they have 90 percent occupancy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Funeral parlor workers transport the body of a COVID-19 victim in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on May 15. (Herika Martinez / AFP via Getty Images) In cities across Mexico, morgues are full, funeral homes are jammed and crowded hospitals are turning patients away. My father is in a black bag in the back of that brown hearse, said Gabriela Jacome, a 43-year-old house cleaner waiting outside the San Nicolas Tolentino cemetery in Mexico City on a recent morning. Vehicles carrying COVID-19 victims were gridlocked at the entrance along a main drag marked with yellow signs warning: High risk of contagion! "We have to wait outside for hours to get in to pay final respects, Jacome said. Such scenes are difficult to square with the country's official death toll: 4,767 as of Friday. Government authorities have long acknowledged that many deaths are not counted because they have not been confirmed by testing, and just how many remains a mystery. There are clues. The Los Angeles Times reviewed 120 death certificates provided by a worker at a crematorium in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez. A total of 63 listed "probable COVID-19" as the cause of death, and another 30 named pneumonia or other respiratory ailments often associated with coronavirus patients. Only 12 listed COVID-19 as the confirmed cause, meaning that only those cases would become part of the official total a possible undercount of 93 deaths. The widespread belief that Mexico's official death toll is artificially low and the inability of the government to correct it have become fodder for critics of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador as the country of more than 120 million begins to reopen its economy. He recently complained: "They suggest we are hiding the dead." Dr. Alejandro Macias, an infectious disease specialist who headed the countrys response to the swine flu epidemic a decade ago, said he had no doubt there is an undercount. I dont think its a question of bad faith," he said. "But the official figures arent complete. Brando Gonzalez Ortiz cries after receiving the news of his mother Carmen Ortiz's death of COVID-19 outside Iztapalapa General Hospital in Mexico City on May 3, 2020. (Marco Ugarte / Associated Press) Health authorities in three northern border states Baja California, Tamaulipas and Chihuahua, where Juarez is located have also challenged the governments count. Story continues The official numbers are very low, according to what we are seeing and experiencing, said Dr. Pablo Villasenor, who treats coronavirus patients at the General Hospital in Tijuana, across the U.S. border from San Diego. Villasenor said he and his colleagues have counted more than 200 coronavirus deaths at the hospital, one of several treating pandemic patients in the sprawling city of 1.8 million. The official death toll in Tijuana as of Friday: 402. Yet things have gotten so bad that the city's morgue has run out of refrigerator space for bodies. Theyre putting them in the hallway and covering them with tarps, said a worker from a nearby hospital who was waiting outside the morgue with a body. The employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to talk to the press, had been there for hours because the facility was full. In Mexico City, which has a population of 8.9 million and the most cases by far, officials said this past week that they were creating a special commission to determine how many people are likely to have died of COVID-19. As of Friday the official toll in the capital was 1,197. We have always said that there are more deaths than those reported daily by the government of Mexico, the mayor, Claudia Sheinbaum, told reporters on Thursday. Only people who have tested positive, while alive or after they die, are included in Mexico's official count. By comparison, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says COVID-19 can be included on death certificates if it is a probable or presumed cause of death, even without a laboratory diagnosis. Mexico only began tallying suspected deaths linked to coronavirus in late April and as of Friday the number stood at 462. Most countries, including the United States, have struggled to count coronavirus victims, mostly because of a shortage of testing. Relatives wait their turn to enter the San Nicolas Tolentino cemetery in the Mexico City neighborhood of Ixtapalapa for the funeral of their loved one on April 30, 2020. (Marco Ugarte / Associated Press) The testing rate in Mexico is among the lowest in Latin America at about 1,200 tests for every million people, according to the global statistics website worldometer. The testing rate is more than 14 times higher in Peru and Chile, nearly seven times higher in El Salvador and almost three times higher in Brazil. The U.S. rate is more than 27 times higher, at 33,000 tests for every million people. Dr. Hugo Lopez-Gatell, Mexico's undersecretary of health and head of coronavirus policy, told reporters Thursday that the country had generally reserved testing "for cases sufficiently grave to be hospitalized" because that was all that was necessary to track to the spread of the virus. He denied allegations that the budget-conscious administration of Lopez Obrador an early coronavirus skeptic who was relatively late to embrace social distancing was purposely skimping on tests. We have money for tests, Lopez-Gatell said. We have tests. More are coming. The official count of infections nationwide reached 45,032 on Friday. But those numbers exclude 16,450 positive tests conducted by private laboratories and still under government review. Lopez-Gatell told reporters earlier this month that the number of infected could be eight times the official tally. In many countries, health investigators have been trying to assess the COVID-19 death toll by examining statistics of total deaths regardless of cause and comparing the totals in recent months to the totals during those months in past years. The approach is not foolproof, but it can provide a reliable estimate of how many deaths are not captured in official tallies. In Mexico, however, neither the federal government nor individual states have released statistics on total deaths this year as the coronavirus has spread across the country. The most recent national figures are from 2018. In many parts of Mexico, the devastation of COVID-19 is evident enough without accurate official counts. The crematorium worker in Juarez said he now typically retrieves 80 corpses a week from area hospitals compared with around 25 before the pandemic. You pick up one and while youre there, three more are delivered to the morgue, said the worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he didn't have permission to be interviewed. The crematorium where he works is one of seven in the city of 1.4 million. In the densely populated Mexico City neighborhood of Ixtapalapa, the line outside the San Nicolas Tolentino cemetery never seems to end these days. Nora Martinez, a 41-year-old homemaker, stood in a crowd of flower-bearing mourners and cemetery workers in white hazmat suits and face shields dispensing squirts of hand sanitizer. She had come for the funeral of her cousin, who a week earlier had lost his father. The two men, 35 and 60, ran a hardware store together. COVID-19 was the suspected though unconfirmed cause in both deaths. We know of a lot of cases of people who already died, Martinez said. The truth is that Im very afraid. Times staff writers McDonnell and Linthicum reported from Mexico City. San Diego Union Tribune staff writer Fry reported from Tijuana. Times special correspondents Gabriela Minjares in Ciudad Juarez and Cecilia Sanchez in Mexico City contributed to this report. A police head constable was killed after militants attacked a security forces' party in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, an official said. Militants fired upon the police and CRPF deployment party at Main Chowk at Frisal in the South Kashmir district, a police official said. He said head constable Mohammad Amin was injured in the firing. The injured policeman was taken to a hospital where he was declared brought dead, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 32-year-old television actor struggling with debts and lack of assignments due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown allegedly committed suicide at his residence in Kharghar in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, police said on Saturday. Manjot Singh, a resident of Swapnapoorti Complex in Kharghar, hanged himself on Friday night, an official said. "His wife spotted him hanging and tried to call for help but nobody turned up, possibly due to the coronavirus scare. When police reached the home, she was still holding onto his legs. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival," the official said. Singh's last rites were held in Panvel, and his parents, who were informed of the death, could not make it here from Punjab due to the lockdown, but witnessed the funeral through video call, he added. "Preliminary probe has found he was in debt and was not getting work due to the lockdown. An accidental death case has been registered," the Kharghar police station official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) People in the know said plans were afoot to begin the sale of all food grains through online, with a major quantity through auctions that would be later extended to other commodities. IMAGE: The APMC market in Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Photograph: Farooq Sayed / ANI Photo. The Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) at Vashi, Navi Mumbai, is set to go online and sell commodities via electronic orders for delivery, in a day or two. The digital foray comes 43 years after the commencement of physical sale. It will start with food grains, with modalities to be finalised on Saturday. The move was decided upon after the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporations (NMMCs) advisory on Thursday, which called for devising strategies to reduce footfalls in the APMC yard. Over 120 mandi participants have been infected so far, including traders, farmers, workers, and customers -- taking the total number to over 600 in the APMCs vicinity. The Maharashtra government had earlier closed the mandi for a week until Sunday, only to reopen after proper sanitisation of the entire yard along with a health check-up of all participants. It has convened a meeting of all stakeholders, including officials of the marketing department (which monitors APMC), trade associations, mandi officials, and farmers representatives, on Saturday. This is to draw a roadmap on the online venture and linking of the same with the electronic National Agricultural Mandi (eNAM). We have advised the mandi to start selling online. A detailed blueprint on the operative part will be finalised in the scheduled meeting with stakeholders on Saturday, said Annasaheb Misal, commissioner of NMMC. Spread across 72.5 hectares in six separate sections, the Vashi APMC commenced physical selling of onion and potato in 1977. Three years later (in 1980), the state government notified to allow trade in fruits, vegetables, spices and condiments. Food grains and pulses are major commodities traded here, where farmers, stockists, exporters, traders, wholesalers and retailers from across the country come to execute their deals. Before the outbreak, 100,000 people used to enter the mandi. However, the market yard imposed various restrictions, such as mandatory prior registration of vehicles and passengers for entry, and denial of permission to retail purchasers with a booking order of below Rs 10,000. These actions resulted in a sharp reduction in footfalls to 60,000 before the mandi was shut on May 11. However, further reduction in the number of people entering the mandi is required, without hurting farmers and traders interests. Hence, we need to plan sale of some commodities only through online, said Anil Chavan, secretary of APMC Vashi. Upon a successful beginning of the online venture, the government may link APMC Vashi with eNAM for nationwide sale of agricultural commodities cultivated in Maharashtra. People in the know said plans were afoot to begin the sale of all food grains through online, with a major quantity through auctions that would be later extended to other commodities. A wholesaler or retailer may place orders through email or phone, with payment in advance or on delivery, said Sunil Singatkar, director of APMC Vashi. The Vashi APMC had collected a total revenue of Rs 100 crore for FY19 through 2.75 per cent of mandi tax. UPPER THUMB It was a busy Thursday in coronavirus news in Huron County, as we saw more cancellations and news break regarding the pandemic. Here are some things you need to know as you start your weekend: Michigan surpasses 50,000 coronavirus cases Michigan surpassed 50,000 total confirmed COVID-19 cases on Friday, as the number of new statewide cases and deaths slowed down again. There have been 497 new confirmed cases and 38 new deaths, both significant decreases from Thursdays reported numbers. Record-high levels continue for Lake Huron The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announced that new monthly mean water level records were set for Lake Huron this past April and are expected to continue through May. Senior Scope Dorothy Anderson reflects on 80-plus years in Huron County While Dorothy Anderson spent her childhood on a small farm near Harbor Beach, she has called Bad Axe her home for nearly seven decades. Dorothy has been known for many things in the community, but her life in the financial world may be her claim to fame. Business Matters: Pigeon favorite HarJo's reflects on 16 years of service HarJos Ben Franklin has been serving the community for years. Inspired by the popular five and dime stores she worked at growing up, owner Anne Eichler created the perfect one-stop craft store. Being the youngest of six children, family is a very important part of Annes life. It was only right that the store's name pay tribute to her parents, Harley and Josephine Walker. Uncertainty looms over farmers markets in Huron County Agriculture and community involvement make the tip of the Thumb everything it is. Each year residents and visitors look forward to locally harvested fresh fruits and vegetables sold at nearby farmers markets. Due to statewide executive orders and health concerns linked to COVID-19, things have changed this year. Coronavirus cases across the U.S. Here is a look of where coronavirus cases are being reported across the country. Have questions about coronavirus? Need a question answered about coronavirus? Fill out the form below and we will try to get the answer in a future article. Alcoholic beverage sales have remained steady in Finland during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new stats from monopoly retailer Alko. The state-owned retailer reported 23% year-on-year sales growth during April, with rose wine leading the charge. Alko normally accounts for 75% of Finlands sales by volume, with 10% going through the on-trade and 15% a result of booze cruising, known as passenger imports. Bars and restaurants were closed on April 4, while international travel has been severely restricted since March 19, so those channels have essentially disappeared during the crisis. Finns have turned to the off-trade instead to keep them refreshed during the lockdown. Wine is the countrys most popular alcohol drinks category. Rose sales increased 40% during April, while red wine sales grew 35% and white wine was up 28% compared to April 2019. Finland eased some of its restrictions on May 4, and restaurants can start reopening on June 1. Social distancing restrictions will apply, and bars will not be able to welcome more than 50 guests at a time. Alko looks set to continue enjoying double-digit year-on-year sales growth until the on-trade returns to full strength and international travel opens up again. Alcohol sales contribute roughly 1.5 billion to the total annual tax revenue in Finland, and the country should receive a boost as more volume is now going through its monopoly retailer. In 2018, per capita alcohol consumption in Finland amounted to roughly 9 litres per capita, down from a peak of 10.5 litres on 2005, according to OECD data. Nadia Calvino, Spain's minister for economic affairs and third deputy prime minister, says that the quarantine of foreign travellers entering Spain is a "transitory" measure that has been necessary for activating the de-escalation plan. Speaking on Friday, Calvino explained that measures which had previously existed under the state of alarm corresponded to confinement. With this being lifted in phases, it was "necessary to establish measures to guarantee the safety and health of citizens given this new context". "This is why certain measures have been adopted that are transitory in nature and aim to align the treatment of citizens from other countries with the treatment of Spanish citizens who themselves are subject to restrictions on movement within and between provinces." Once more emphasising the transitional nature of measures, Calvino added that she considered the European Commission's recommendations for tourism to be "very positive", as "common rules will guide our actions over the coming weeks as we recover tourism sector activity". She stressed the government's commitment to supporting tourism, which has great weight in terms of GDP and plays an "important economic and social role". Measures adopted by the government, she said, are aimed at keeping going the "engine of economic growth" in the country. DUBLIN, May 15 (Reuters) - Horse racing will be allowed to resume in Ireland without spectators on June 8, the government said on Friday, with face coverings mandatory for jockeys and temperature tests for all key personnel on entry. With racing in neighbouring Britain set to resume on June 1 and meetings in France already underway this week, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said he wished to move in line with those markets, conscious of the economic value of the industry. "This is a big economic sector worth nearly 500 million euros ($540 million) to the economy each year and because people won't be able to travel to race meetings, the amount of movements happening will be very limited," he told a news conference. "They won't be open to spectators for the foreseeable future," he said, announcing the first easing of restrictions to control the spread of the coronavirus. Horse Racing Ireland, the sport's governing body, said only key personnel necessary to run each race meeting will be allowed on site where they will be subject to strict COVID-19 protocols. That will also include health surveying in advance and a strict enforcement of social distancing. Ten meetings were safely held behind closed doors in March before the shut down of the economy, Horse Racing Ireland added. "While race fixtures will return in Ireland on June 8, they will be very different from what people will have experienced before," Horse Racing Ireland Chief Executive Brian Kavanagh said in a statement. ($1 = 0.9247 euros) (Reporting by Padraic Halpin, Editing by Timothy Heritage) THE LARGEST opposition political party in Ghana, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has appealed to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to intervene so that the 2020 presidential elections will be free and fair. The General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, making the appeal, recounted the significant roles Otumfuo had played to ensure free, fair and incident-free elections in the country previously. According to him, the NDC is confident and hopeful that the Asantehene will replicate his patriotic and shining example once again, so that the upcoming presidential and parliamentary polls will be fair and peaceful. Im appealing to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to once again play leading roles as he has always done during electioneering periods, so that the 2020 polls will be free, fair and very peaceful, he said on Opemsuo FM in Kumasi. Asiedu Nketia, who was congratulating the Asantehene on attaining 70 years and 21 years on the revered Golden Stool of Asanteman, described him as a unique asset to Ghana and the entire world. He particularly recounted how the Asantehene always rose up to the occasion by initiating positive measures to help save Ghana from a possible political turmoil, adding that Ghanaians appreciate Otumfuos works. Prior to the 2012 elections, the electoral temperature was very high, as there was tension all over, but the Asantehene quickly intervened by inviting the political parties to the KNUST to sign a peace treaty, the NDC scribe recounted. According to him, that divine intervention of the Asantehene was key in ensuring peaceful elections that year, retreating his plea to Otumfuo to once again bring his deep wisdom to bear and make the 2020 polls peaceful. Otumfuo lives for Asanteman and Ghana. He has godly wisdom, as his reign has brought about total peace and transformation to Asanteman and to a large extent the entire country, he pointed out. Asiedu Nketia, who was thrilled about Otumfuos significant contributions to Ghanas forward march, noted that politicians in the country always rush to Otumfuo for wise counsel in times of need. He said the Asantehene is a father-figure for the country, for which reason he was confident that Otumfuo would make sure that the authorities concerned would do the right thing to make the upcoming polls free and fair. During his 21 years on the throne, Otumfuo has brought stability to the country, the NDC scribe applauded the Asantehene, adding that the citizenry are looking up to Otumfuo to rise up to the occasion once again. 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 China firmly opposes Taiwan-related proposal to WHO by some countries People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:09, May 15, 2020 BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday expressed firm opposition to a so-called proposal by a few countries to invite Taiwan as an observer in the upcoming session of the World Health Assembly (WHA), a foreign ministry spokesperson said Thursday. Spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a routine press briefing the insistence by some countries on discussing Taiwan-related proposals is only aimed at disrupting the assembly's agenda and undermining the joint international response to COVID-19. Due to the impact of the current pandemic, the 73rd session of the WHA, scheduled from May 18 to 19, will be held via video link, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with its agenda condensed only to essential issues, such as COVID-19 and the executive board members selection. "This shows that the goal of the member states is to focus on the international collaboration on the joint response to the pandemic at the upcoming assembly," Zhao said. On the premise of the one-China principle, China's central government has made proper arrangements for Taiwan's participation in the global health affairs, to ensure its prompt and effective responses to local and global public health incidents, Zhao said. Taiwan's participation in the assembly must be in accordance with the one-China principle, Zhao said. "The refusals by WHA over the years to Taiwan-related proposals by a few countries fully demonstrate the popular consensus of the international community." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adrian Wail Akhlas (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, May 16 2020 Indonesias imports have fallen for 10 consecutive months in April as manufacturing companies cut their production output while consumer demand continues to shrink amid the COVID-19 pandemic, signaling cooling economic activity going forward. The country recorded US$12.54 billion in imports in April, an 18.58 percent drop from the same period last year. Imports of consumer goods plunged 16.6 percent, while incoming shipments of raw materials and capital goods dropped 19.1 percent and 17.1 percent, respectively, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) announced on Friday. This will be bad for the national economy because this may risk greater deindustrialization as nobody can be sure whether the industry may be able to produce [normally] again, Indonesian Commerce and Industry (Kadin) deputy chairwoman Shinta Kamdani told The Jakarta Post Friday. 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 British American Tobacco (BAT), has claimed that it is ready to test its potential COVID-19 vaccine on humans after it generated a positive immune response in pre-clinical trials. The leading cigarette company has made the vaccine using protein from tobacco leaves. In April, BAT announced that its biotech subsidiary, Kentucky BioProcessing (KBP), was developing a potential vaccine for coronavirus. The Lucky Strike cigarette-maker also said it could produce 1 million to 3 million doses per week if it got the support of the government. BAT has said that once it gets approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the vaccine, it would progress to Phase 1 trials or testing on humans. "The vaccine candidate is now poised to progress to the next stage which will be Phase 1 human clinical trials pending FDA authorisation," BAT said on its website. London-based BAT added it has committed funds to conduct clinical trials, which it expects to start as early as late June, and invested in additional equipment to boost capacity. Drugmakers across the globe have been racing to develop a vaccine for COVID-19, caused by coronavirus, with some of the vaccines already in human trials. Experts have suggested that a COVID-19 vaccine could take 12-18 months to develop. (With Reuters inputs) Also read: Coronavirus update: India surpasses China's tally with over 85,000 cases Also read: Coronavirus Live Updates: Lockdown 4.0! Centre may give more relaxations from Monday; India's cases-85,940 Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 19:15:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People walk past the Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 16, 2020. Another 73 COVID-19 patients were cured and discharged from hospital in Malaysia over the past day, pushing the recovery rate to 80.2 percent, the Health Ministry said on Saturday. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua) KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Another 73 COVID-19 patients were cured and discharged from hospital in Malaysia over the past day, pushing the recovery rate to 80.2 percent, the Health Ministry said on Saturday. Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah told a press briefing that the total number of cured cases stood at 5,512 while there are 1,247 active cases. Seventeen new cases were reported on Saturday, bringing the national total to 6,872. Of those still receiving treatment, 13 are currently being held in intensive care and five of those are in need of assisted breathing. One more death had been reported, with the victim having suffered from pre-existing health problems, raising the total deaths to 113. Malaysia has seen its COVID-19 cases on decline since the government imposed a Movement Control Order on March 18. The restrictions were eased on May 4 to allow most economy to reopen, but activities involving large gathering are still banned and schools remain closed. In a televised speech in conjunction with Malaysia's Teachers' Day on Saturday, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the government will follow the advice by the Health Ministry to set a date to reopen schools, and that the government would provide two weeks notice. When schools are reopen, senior grade students in middle schools who are facing important exams for further studies would be prioritized to return to classroom. Separately, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Nancy Shukri said the government has decided to allow the foreigners participating in the "Malaysia My Second Home" (MM2H) program to enter Malaysia from Sunday. Those who want to return need to undertake a 14-day compulsory quarantine at designated facilities upon arrival, she said. Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said in a separate press conference that MM2H participants must be tested negative for COVID-19 before being allowed to return. Under the movement control order, Malaysia maintain a tight border control to reduces imported COVID-19 cases, banning Malaysians from leaving the country and most foreigners from entering. Malaysians return from overseas are required to be quarantined for 14 days at designated quarantine centers. The MM2H program is promoted by the Malaysian government to allow foreigners who fulfill certain criteria, to stay in Malaysia for as long as possible on a multiple-entry social visit pass. The social visit pass is initially for a period of 10 years and is renewable. Enditem With 79 more people testing coronavirus positive in the last 24 hours, the number of patients in Indore district of Madhya Pradesh has grown to 2,378, a health official said on Saturday. The virus claimed one more life in the district during this period, which took the death toll to 99, the official said. Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Praveen Jadia said that 79 fresh cases and one death were reported in the last 24 hours in Indore, which is one of the worst-affected districts in the country in terms of the coronavirus outbreak. "A 57-year-old COVID-19 patient died on Friday while undergoing treatment at a private hospital here. This took the death toll in the district to 99," he said. As per the latest data, the district's mortality rate of COVID-19 patients as on Saturday morning was 4.16 per cent. Another state government official said that more than 1,100 patients in the district have recovered from the infection so far. The first COVID-19 cases in Indore were reported on March 24, when four persons tested positive for the infection. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Texas has been steadily growing in recent days as the state has started to reopen nonessential businesses. The Texas Department of State Health Services reported that as of Saturday, there were a total of 45,198 positive tests for coronavirus. So far, 1,272 Texans have died. Fifty-six more people died on Friday than on the previous day. On Thursday, 58 deaths were recorded - the deadliest day on record in the state. Around 646,000 people have been tested mostly by privately run labs. The first COVID-19 case in Texas was reported in Fort Bend County on March 4. That patient had traveled abroad and recently returned home. A month later, there were 6,110 cases in 151 counties across the state, according to The Texas Tribune. The image above shows the latest data indicating an increase in the total number of COVID-19 cases (top) and fatalities (bottom) in Texas As of Saturday, there were 45,198 total cases of COVID-19 across the state. The number of fatalities was nearing 1,300 Harris County, which includes Houston, has so far recorded the highest number of confirmed cases followed by Dallas County, Tarrant County, and Travis County Despite the increasing numbers of coronavirus cases, Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said that he favored reopening the economy due to the daily infection rate the ratio between positive cases and tests reported and the hospitalization rate. As of Friday, the daily infection rate was 5.93 per cent. Abbott said he was advised by public health experts who recommended reopening so long as the rate remained below the 6 per cent threshold. Abbott also cites the hospitalization rate, which is calculated by dividing the number of people who are currently hospitalized by the number of active COVID-19 cases. State officials take the total number of COVID-19 cases and subtract the number of deaths and the total number of estimated recoveries. As of Friday, the hospitalization rate was down to 9.29 per cent. In early April, it was hovering around 20 per cent. Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said that the state should reopen as long as daily infection rate and hospitalization rates remained relatively low. Abbott is seen above in Austin on May 5 There are currently 1,716 people in Texas hospitals being treated for COVID-19. A spokesperson for Abbott told ABC News that the number of cases are increasing because there is more testing. 'Since [COVID-19 testing] started, we did 330,000 tests in March and April,' John Wittman, Abbott's communications director, said. 'Since May 1, we have done over 330,000 - so in 16 days we have doubled our testing from the previous entire two months.' 'The governor has been clear that as the state of Texas conducts more tests, we will see the raw number of cases rise,' Wittman said. 'However, the [rolling seven-day] average positivity rate has steadily declined from our high April 13 [of a bit more than 13 per cent] to around 5 per cent today. 'Our hospitalizations remain steady, and Texas has one of the lowest death rates per capita in the nation.' The biggest jump in the number of cases reported Thursday came in Dallas County, where 243 new cases were reported, bringing its total to 6,602. That was still second to Harris County, where 205 new cases reported Thursday brought its total to 8,621. The biggest increase in COVID-19-related deaths was reported in El Paso County, which reported eight new deaths on Thursday. The highest death toll remained in Harris County, where five new deaths reported Thursday brought its total to 188. 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. In Corpus Christi, 63 workers of the 747 employees, contractors and vendors at the STX Beef processing plant tested positive for COVID-19, Nueces County health officials said. The 747 workers at the STX Beef plant were tested for COVID-19 from Saturday through Wednesday, Nueces County Health Director Annette Rodriguez said. No evidence was found of food or food packaging being associated with coronavirus transmission, she said, and there have been no reports of meat contamination. In a statement, STX Beef has said it is implementing extra safety precautions, including face masks, face shields, social distancing measures in break rooms and other safety measures. Jerry Mann (center) is held by his grandmother, Sylvia Rubio, as he is tested for COVID-19 by the San Antonio Fire Department at a free walk-up test site set up to help underserved and minority communities in San Antonio on Thursday On Wednesday, a JBS USA meatpacking plant in the Texas Panhandle accepted the state's offer to test employees for the coronavirus as officials try to contain a cluster of infections connected to the facility. Hundreds of cases of COVID-19 have been linked to the Moore County plant near Amarillo, and Abbott has singled out the county as an area of concern. Outbreaks have hit meat plants across the country. President Donald Trump has ordered them to remain open, but Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden called the plants among 'the most dangerous places there are right now.' More than 3,000 nursing home residents in Texas have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to data released by the state on Friday. The 3,000 positive tests represent about 4 per cent of the estimated number of Texans living in nursing homes, the Houston Chronicle reported. By comparison, about 0.15 per cent of Texas residents have tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19. Abbott on Monday ordered coronavirus testing for all Texas nursing home residents and staff after the White House urged governors to do so as deaths mount nationwide. More than 26,000 residents and staff have died from outbreaks of the virus at the nation's nursing homes and long-term care facilities, according to an AP tally based on state health departments and media reports. That is about a third of all 76,000 deaths in the US that have been attributed to the virus. A man at Doug's Barber Shop in Houston receives a haircut as social distancing guidelines to curb the spread of coronavirus are relaxed. The image above was taken on May 8 While nursing home residents in Texas make up around 6 per cent of the state's positive cases, they account for about 38 per cent of the state's deaths related to COVID-19, the newspaper reported. The numbers for nursing homes that the state has released are broken down by region, but advocates and family members have been calling for more detailed information that shows cases by specific facility or at least by county. 'We'd like to see more transparency where the cases are,' said Amanda Fredriksen, associate state director for advocacy and outreach at AARP Texas. 'And in seeing more testing going forward, especially as the state continues to open up.' New Delhi, May 16 : Amid the ongoing nationwide lockdown to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, 43.1 per cent of old people (those above 60 years of age) took active part in household chores, while nearly 60 per cent of those aged between 25 and 45 years also did the same, according to the latest IANS-CVoter Covid tracker survey. According to the survey, 43.1 per cent of the old people said they participated more in household chores and 38.2 per cent said they have been already chipping in, while only 18.7 per cent said 'no'. The survey also indicated that more than 50 per cent and less than 60 per cent of people from other categories -- fresher, young and middle aged -- also chipped in with household chores during the lockdown. Education group wise, 65.6 per cent of people in the higher education groups said they participated in household chores, while in the income group category, 57.7 per cent of people in the middle income groups, highest in the category, chipped in with household chores. In the gender category, 57.1 per cent females said they participated in household chores, while the males were not far behind at 54.4 per cent. Social group wise, 76.8 per cent Christians participated in household chores during the lockdown, followed by Sikhs (74.7 per cent) and Schedule Tribes (74.4 per cent). Region wise, 61.1 per cent respondents in the western region said yes, they chipped in, while only 50 per cent in the eastern region did the same, the lowest in the group. In the location category, 58.5 per cent respondents in the rural setting said yes, they chipped in with household chores, and nearly 55 per cent participants in the semi-urban and urban settings said they also chipped in with household chores during the lockdown. Fr Sean Laffan, Gusserane: Fr Sean's first posting as a priest was South Africa the year Nelson Mandela was imprisoned and the plight of the country's black community shaped his egalitarian worldview. Born and reared in West Cork, Fr Sean joined the Mission of the Sacred Heart and was ordained in 1961. 'My mind was set on my particular vocation from the very beginning. Once I was ordained I was sent to South Africa where I spent almost 30 years. It was fantastic.' Based in the northern Transvaal area, Fr Sean found himself in a country riven with conflict. 'Shortly after I went there Mandela was imprisoned and the day I left Mandela was released. There was no mixing between whites and blacks during my 29 years there.' Working mainly within black communities in an area the size of Munster with around 40,000 people, Fr Sean said he embraced the challenge from the get go. 'I think coming from West Cork where if there is a problem facing you, you try and solve it - I approached every situation with that mindset. The language was the difficult part for me as I had three different languages to learn.' Fr Sean achieved international fame when he baptised children born to their grandmother, who was their surrogate mother. 'One of my parishoners was a surrogate for her own daughter and she had three children. The daughter was 21 and had gotten damaged delivering her first child. There was a big international debate as to whether the children should be christened and the story was covered in American, French and English newspapers.' When asked if he would baptise the children, Fr Sean said that he would. 'To me baptising a child means every child should be baptised. It was a nine day wonder for about half a day.' After leaving South Africa, Fr Sean was appointed to a parish in Liverpool, where he found a people even friendlier than the people of Ireland. 'It was fantastic. That was in the 90s. The people were so friendly and were very appreciative of everything and of the service you give.' Galway was his next port of call and he spent seven years in a parish just outside the city there, prior to being appointed parish priest in Gusserane. In his early seventies by now, Fr Sean wanted a quiet life and following a chat with the then bishop of Ferns, he relocated to the Sunny South East in 2008. Now cocooning, he said he can't wait to emerge 'like the biggest butterfly' once restrictions are lifted for over seventies. Fr Sean said the challenge for priests is getting young people engaged in religion. He said the role of the priest has change tremendously over the years. 'The priest is no longer a figurehead in the parish and lay people are doing more. It's a concern not only for this diocese, but for every diocese in the country and for every religion also because the missions are also short of vocations. So the time has come to open the door for lay people to do more, which is the whole drift of the Vatican Council. My attitude is God is in heaven and all is right in the world; it's still all part of God's plan.' Fr Jimmy Moynihan Newbawn Fr Jimmy was ordained in June 1988, having studied in St Peter's College. 'Back then in the diocese of Ferns, there was an understanding that the guys from the North, from the Diocese of Connor, we had a surplus of priests at the time, with around 23 on loan priests from Connor and all around the world who were sent here. 'Today there are over 20 parishes without curacies like in Raheen. There are very few guys who have less than two parishes.' Fr Jimmy arrived in Newbawn in August 2015, having previously served in Murrintown, Clonard and Gorey. He was 24 when he was ordained. 'Before I started my studies I went out to work and came back in again.' He worked as a classroom assistant at St Patrick's Special School. 'I was working on the school bus as a helper. Having a caring nature goes with the job. My pals in the priesthood are caring by nature. It's part and parcel with the job. For the most part, anyone in religious life, regardless of what part of it they play, there is a caring streak. It's like being a good husband or a good father; you are there to serve people as best you can and help out as best you can.' He said the parish priest in Ireland is still an integral member of the community. 'We're there for whatever is going on, whether it's a field day, or a pattern. We had a great time at the Tops of the area variety shows in Foley's pub which was absolutely brilliant; community at its best. Thank God we had it when we did.' Fr Jimmy said weddings were always traditionally held in churches, but today many are held in hotels and registry offices. 'Young people who are getting married today are inclined to get married older. Society has changed in that what would have been frowned upon 20, 30, 40 years ago is taken as a given today; there is good and bad in that. No one has the right to judge a life. The role of the priest is for us to serve the people who want to be served. When I was a young lad unless the parish priest ran something it wasn't happening. The priest ran the youth club and the first disco; whatever was going on.' He said the rising age profile of priests combined with the fact that there is only one priest in training, is a big worry. With a cocooning bishop and many priests also stuck at home, there is an extra workload on younger priests. He said families who have to bury a loved one during Covid-19 have been very stoic. 'We have a quite active and elderly population here so lockdown is tough.' He said broadcasting masses from Newbawn church has proven difficult. 'It's a magnificent church we have here. The only problem is the walls are so thick for getting broadband coverage.' He misses being able to do sick calls, adding that due to Covid-19 restrictions he can only do emergency cases and funerals. 'It's a very stressful time. One thing we do in Ireland that we haven't lost in our culture. When someone dies it's taken for granted that the whole community takes over and everyone steps in and they are all part of the grieving process. From going to the wake and removal to the church and the sandwiches after. All the chat, it's all unique in itself. A lot of these elements are missed now. The funeral mass can still be celebrated, albeit with restrictions; mass is still said. Another mass will be celebrate at a later date.' For Fr Jimmy taking time out from the demands of the job is vitally important. 'I try to take Mondays off and go home and spend time with my nephews and nieces. That is providing no other priest within the cluster is very sick. You are always living off the mobile phone. For me to get a holiday is impossible. It has changed.' He said priests have to mind their mental health. 'Most people are entitled to retire at 66 or 67. Some of them worked hard over the years. Everyone likes their two weeks break from work in the summertime. I don't get that but I'm lucky out and can get a break from saying weekend masses if I have to. By the time Thursday rolls around you are worrying about the weekend mass. You have to keep in touch whether you are on holidays or not. The switch off at the end of the week is hard for me. 'I find sometimes life can pass you by and you can get yourself caught into a routine. I definitely think in a priests life prayer is the most important thing. It's like with any relationship, if you're not making time for each other it falls apart.' He said unless people make a conscious decision at some point in their life to embrace religion then it will not be relevant to them in a meaningful way. The drop in income due to the church being closed is not a big concern for him. 'From the day I was born I was spoiled. I have always been blessed. There are weeks when you wouldn't have a penny but the minute I needed money I would have it.' He said people are very good, especially in these difficult days of coronavirus. 'I could open a small coffee shop with all of the buns and cakes left at my door. People have been leaving money too.' He said the present model of the church is to 'keep the ship afloat'. 'You never thought you'd have two or three parishes to run when you set our as a young priest. I'm healthy and strong now at 55. In ten years time I'll be approaching 66. In any other job you'd be retired. I don't want to retire; it's not physical work like being on a building site shovelling cement, but it takes a mental toll.' He said the Ferns diocese is unique in that priests' incomes are entirely dependent on collections at mass and money donated for anniversaries, weddings, funerals etc, 'We are taxed as being self employed. You nearly pay your accountant more than you pay your taxman. He praised the local community for their response to the Covid-19 crisis, adding that everyone who wants to be contacted will be contacted. Fr Jim Finn Crossabeg From Craanford, Fr Jim was ordained in 1976 in St Peter's College, which he said was very revolutionary at the time in its teaching. 'The training now is different but you couldn't have predicted these times in the 70s. We were trained for the times we were living in. Personally, I would have liked to have done more but what we learned it gave us the basics to explore more.' Multimedia and the online revolution has always been of interest to Fr Jim. He would also have liked to explore other religious beliefs. 'I served in the Mission House in Enniscorthy. We went for a week or fortnight to different towns where we preached and visited schools.' He spent ten years at Bethany House and taught spirituality in St Peter's College and served at Courtnacuddy for 13 years and in Crossabeg. Based in Ballymurn for 17 years. 'From the time we started until now there have been many changes. When you set out you want to deal with a lot of spiritual things. The role has changed as there are more administrative than spiritual jobs, from GDPR, finances, child protection etc. They weren't there when I was starting out. Society has changed where our work is concerned. Today we need to define what our faith is; we need to define that for young people.' Fr Jim said it's a good thing that people are embracing the Catholic faith out of their own choice, and not due to social pressures. 'As a result they will be much more open about their own [spiritual] development and much more articulate about their faith and more conscious.' Fr Finn is on the vocations committee and having seen only one person set out in training to be a priest in five years, he feels the future lies in lay people developing their own talents within the diocese. 'Lay people need to develop their own gifts and become involved themselves. They don't need to follow what the priest is doing but rather find their own path and work in conjunction with priests. It's not just administration, people are very good on spiritual things. I do Bible study and people are very good at picking up their own spirituality and at expressing it.' Fr Jim isn't concerned about the drop off in mass attendances. 'I have a young population coming in from both areas. I have seen numbers increase and decrease but also I think there needs to be a development of Bible study. There has to be a reaching out to people who are not coming to Mass. We have our own website and Facebook page and that is a welcome development. I think they are a great means of spreading the message of the church and of engaging with people as well.' Describing the internet as a highway into people's hearts and minds - one which priests can use - Fr Jim, who is in his late 60s, said he finds his job very meaningful and rewarding. 'I would prefer someone else to be doing the administrative work. We have a parish council, a pastoral committee and finance committees. I find them really helpful and encouraging. I would like to do more. I can't do house visits because of my other workload. I did them when I came here first and the population has grown here tremendously since. I visited every house in the first 18 months and found that really good talking to people on their kitchen floor. They really open up.' Among the other roles he enjoys is visiting schools. 'I ask pupils to ask me questions. 13-year-old youths today are not the same as they were 17 years ago. They see TV and have a lot of adult questions. By the time they come to be in 6th Class they have a lot of adult questions like "does God exist".' Fr Jim has a website for Crossabeg/Ballymurn parishoners aged over 18. 'It's all about faith. The people I have had here years ago are now either at work or in college. They're aged 18 to 35. These people who I would have been meeting I'm not seeing anymore so it's good to engage them on Facebook. I think sometimes our lives are so busy that we don't have time to think about the bigger things, like quality of life or our spiritual lies. I think the website has given people the chance to do that. Now people are wondering what all the rushing and tearing about was for. They were spun out and can't talk to their children anymore so this is a good time for people to look at their values and their priorities and press the reset button.' Looking back over his time as a priest, Fr Jim said: 'As a teenager I asked the question, was there a God. When I was a teenager I came to the conclusion that there was. While I had doubts about entering the priesthood I have never doubted it from the first day I started. An older priest once told me to see prayer as the most important part of my day and that is what I have done and that is very meaningful to me even in tragic and hard times. It permeates everything I do.' Money was not a factor in him becoming a priest and he isn't concerned about not having much income presently with churches closed. 'You wouldn't be in it for the money because it wouldn't work; you wouldn't be able to get it out of them,' he joked. 'To be honest money is the least of my worries. People are very good. They are calling to my door and are calling asking if there is anything that can be done. I think it would be a sad day. I did vocations work. We're very lucky with the priest we have. It does need to be done a lot better. I couldn't do it as well as I wanted to. Young people may not be going to Church but they are still being called to be a priests. We have people who converted and the became a priest; that needs to come across. People don't have the spirituality for priests for vocations to grown but the presence is there.' Bosses behind dozens of primary schools in England are backing plans for pupils to return to classrooms, despite strong opposition from teaching unions. The heads of four academy chains - Reach 2, Harris, Oasis and GEP - which teach a quarter of the UK's children, have all thrown their weight behind government proposals to reopen schools by June 1, according to The Times. It comes amid warnings from unions that doing so would put both teachers and students at risk of contracting coronavirus. Steve Chalke, founder of one of England's biggest academy trusts, Oasis Charitable Trust, said attempts to stop children going back to primary schools in June was 'rather middle class'. Picture: Stock Sir Steve Lancashire, chief executive of Reach 2, the country's biggest primary multi-academy trust (MAT) with 50 schools, told the newspaper: 'Our intention is to open all of our schools for the priority year groups, and will do so as long as the rigorous risk assessments we carry out for each school gives us the reassurance we need that we can keep our pupils and staff as safe as possible.' MAT schools work independently from local authorities and are able to set their own rules and regulations. They also cater to some of the country's most disadvantaged children, who could suffer if attempts are made to stop a return, Oasis Charitable Trust's founder said. Steve Chalke called the opposition 'rather middle class' and said it could pose great risk to children 'stuck in a council block, with no fresh air, no exercise and little or no nutritious food.' However, Hartlepool in County Durham, has now joined Liverpool in saying it would ignore the plan to let some primary school pupils back. The largest doctor's union also backed the teachers' representatives today, saying they are 'absolutely right' to argue it is unsafe for schools to open next month. Boris Johnson, pictured outside Downing Street on Thursday, ordered the closure of schools on March 18, just days before the national lockdown was introduced In Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday SNP ministers would not take a 'cavalier' approach to reopening, adding that pupils will not fully be back in classes until at least August. Boris Johnson ordered the closure of schools on March 18, just days before the national lockdown was introduced, with many remaining open to look after vulnerable children and those of frontline key workers. Under new government plans to ease the country out of lockdown, children in reception, Year 1 and Year 6 could start back on June 1 with smaller class sizes, of no more than 15, with procedures in place to limit the spread of the virus. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson this week demanded teachers union do their 'duty' and stop their blanket objections to the proposed phased return. In response Britain's second-largest teaching union, NASUWT, threatened to sue school chiefs if they put teachers 'at risk'. The union, which has 310,000 members, wrote to headteachers, academy bosses and local authorities to outline their stance. In the letter the union said: 'No teacher should be expected to go into a school that is not safe and until it can be demonstrated that it is safe to do so we will be continuing to support and advise members on that basis.' Of the 35 schools within Mr Chalke's trust, 45 per cent of children are eligible for free school meals. He told The Times staying away from school could pose greater to risks to these pupils. Mr Chalke said children from disadvantaged background would be at greater risk if they were to miss more school due to a delay in reopening. Picture: Stock He said: 'The greatest risks for many of our children are being stuck in a council block, with no fresh air, no exercise, little or no nutritious food.' The Oasis boss suggested many pupils would also be at a disadvantage from missing lessons because many of them 'live in cramped conditions with little digital access' making it difficult for them to learn effectively online. Despite his comments, Mr Chalke added that his school would not force pupils or staff to attend and stated that he respected the union's stance. In attempt to ease the tensions, union chiefs have been offered a briefing with the Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty this afternoon to reassure them the plans are safe for children, staff and parents. The Centre on Saturday (May 16) announced several reforms in the mining and coal sectors to boost the production and attract private investments. " 500 blocks of minerals will be auctioned in a composite exploration-cum-mining-cum- production regime," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told media persons in New Delhi. Also, a joint auction of bauxite and coal blocks would be done to enhance the aluminium industry's competitiveness. This will help the aluminium industry reduce electricity costs. She said the distinction between captive and non-captive mines will be removed to allow the transfer of mining leases and sale of surplus unused minerals, leading to better efficiency and production. In the coal sector, she said the government will allow commercial mining and nearly 50 blocks to be offered immediately. There will be no eligibility conditions and anybody can bid. However, there will be only upfront payment with a ceiling. This is against the earlier norm where only captive consumers with end-use ownership could bid. The FM allocated over Rs 50,000 crore for creating evacuation infrastructure for coal. Against the earlier provision of auctioning only the fully explored coal blocks, now the partially explored blocks can also be auctioned. Apart from allowing private sector participation in exploration, this will be done via a revenue-sharing mechanism instead of the regime of a fixed rupee per tonnes. Chinese high school students had the most positive attitude toward online learning compared with those in the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), according to a report released by China Youth Daily. The report showed that most of the surveyed students in the four countries embrace online learning. "Online learning is important" was perceived by 87.1 percent of Chinese students, and "online learning is interesting" was supported by 91.2 percent of Chinese students, both higher than that in any of the other three countries. More than 94 percent of Chinese high school students believed that online learning can expand their scope of knowledge, while 86.8 percent believed that they can learn from first-class teachers via the internet, according to the report. Though online learning can push the boundaries of time and space, the report said the students were easily distracted, adding that students in the four countries expressed similar concerns such as poor vision, reliance on the internet and less effort in problem-solving on their own. The study, jointly conducted by researchers at China Youth & Children Research Center and their counterparts in the other three countries, covered 3,903 Chinese high school students, 1,521 U.S. high school students, 2,204 Japanese high school students and 1,618 high school students of the ROK. By PTI WASHINGTON: A 28-year-old Pakistani doctor on H-1B visa has been indicted by a federal grand jury on pledging allegiance to the Islamic State terror group and expressing his desire to carry out "lone wolf" terror attacks in the US. According to the indictment, Muhammad Masood, a licensed medical doctor from Pakistan, was formerly employed as a research coordinator at a reputed medical clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The indictment against Masood was announced on Friday by US Attorney Erica MacDonald. Masood was initially charged by criminal complaint and has been in custody since his March 19 arrest at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Between January and March this year, he made several statements to others, including pledging his allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) and its leader, and expressing his desire to travel to Syria to fight for ISIS. Masood also expressed his desire to conduct "lone wolf" terrorist attacks in the United States, the court papers said. On February 21 this year, Masood purchased a plane ticket from Chicago to Amman, Jordan, and from there planned to travel to Syria. On March 16 this year, Masood's travel plans changed because Jordan closed its borders to incoming travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. He made a new plan to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet up with an individual who he believed would assist him with travel via cargo ship to deliver him to ISIS territory. On March 19, Masood travelled from Rochester to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to board a flight bound for Los Angeles, California. Upon arrival at the MSP, Masood checked in for his flight and was subsequently arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Joint Terrorism Task Force. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. Masood is in custody at the Sherburne County Jail, Fox News reported on Friday. According to the allegations in the complaint, Masood, a licensed medical doctor in Pakistan, was working in a medical clinic in Rochester under an H-1B visa. David Anthony a 43 year old from Jupiter is currently being held without bond at a Palm Beach County jail on charges of kidnapping and second-degree murder in death of Gretchen, his 51-year-old wife whose body has not yet been found. In its report, WPTV said, Anthony, who was apprehended on March 31, about 1,900 miles away in New Mexico, is suspected to have killed his wife 10 days before his arrest. After several days from the suspected slaying, the arrest report which the said station obtained said, at least five individuals received alarming text messages allegedly sent by Gretchen specifically on March 23 and 24. Disturbing Messages In one of the messages sent, the woman said she was on quarantine for two weeks after she was infected with what she described as "an acute case of COVID-19." More so, the said messages specified she was being held by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, as indicated on another text read, after her illness, police said, was detected at the Jupiter medical Center. The suspect, for his part, told the Jupiter authorities that his wife was undergoing treatment at the hospital for COVID-19. However, the hospital records showed there were no indications that Gretchen was indeed, there, although the station reported, her blue Mini Cooper was reportedly found in its parking lot. Later on, one of the couple's neighbors told the police she heard a loud scream, seemingly complaining of pain. Cops' Discovery Inside Gretchen's home, investigators discovered a rag in the kitchen and two bottles of disinfecting solution. They also found towels with "reddish substance" the police suspected as blood. A video from Gretchen's home showed a person, police suspected as her estranged husband who, they said, was carrying an object that could not be identified. Additionally, a broken glass frame was discovered, as well, on Gretchen's home, specifically on the upstairs landing. There were also few small pieces of glass were found as well on the comforter inside the master bedroom. Other what was seen in the towels, the investigators said they also found seemingly "small droplets of blood in the master bedroom." Also according to the report, Gretchen walked onto the porch "before muffled yelling" was heard. The garage surveillance camera then "showed a blood-so soaked hair" on a stock-still body as the suspect police said, was seek walking in the background. The Suspect's Claim According to Anthony's arrest report, on March 30, the Jupiter police detective received a call from him who said, his wife was being treated for COVID-19. He also said, Gretchen had exposed "illegal tax fraud" at the company she was working at, and that she contacted the IRS about it. The suspect also said, as indicated in the arrest report that Gretchen was scared for her life and that someone "went to her house to hurt her." The authorities issued an arrest warrant for Anthony and ultimately, he got tracked down at a 1,900-mile distance in Mexico. Meanwhile, a judge in Palm Beach County denied on Thursday, bond for Anthony, and directed him to have no contact which includes via phone calls with the witnesses or family of the victim. The authorities also announced that anybody who knows any information that can help the investigators can also get in touch with the Jupiter Police Department at 561-741-2235. Check these out! Police Apprehend Man in Florida, Said to have Abducted an Uber Driver Tennessee Man who Fled Custody at RI Hospital Apprehended in Puerto Rico, Police Say Arizona Man Shot and Killed by a Trooper in Mesa County Identified Bunnings may have been spared from becoming a coronavirus hotspot because the layout of their stores provides significant space for customers and staff. Contact tracing studies from China have revealed rates of infection were higher among friends, family and relatives who live together or those who work in confined spaces such as offices and restaurants. Bunnings and other retailers may have avoided infections because aisles, walkways and checkouts are placed far apart. Alongside enforcing strict social distancing and hygiene measures, the layout of Bunnings provides significant space between customers which limits close interactions. Muge Cevik, a physician and scientist at Scotland's University of St Andrews' School of Medicine, examined the studies from China which looked at the close contacts of coronavirus cases as of May 4. She posted a thread on Twitter and used this data to explain why retailers have low infection rates despite operating through the pandemic and serving thousands of customers. Contact tracing studies from China have revealed rates of infection were higher among friends, family and relatives who live together or those who work in confined spaces such as offices and restaurants Bunnings and other retailers may have avoided infections because aisles, walkways and checkouts are placed far apart 'The risk is highest in enclosed environments; household, long-term care facilities and public transport,' Dr Cevik said. 'High infection rates seen in household, friend and family gatherings, transport suggest that closed contacts in congregation is likely the key driver of productive transmission. 'Casual, short interactions are not the main driver of the epidemic though keep social distancing.' Although she came to this conclusion, Dr Cevik said it was based on limited data. Alongside enforcing strict social distancing and hygiene measures, the layout of Bunnings provides significant space between customers which limits close interactions Canberra Hospital infectious disease physician Professor Peter Collignon said even though retailers and supermarkets are considered enclosed spaces, hygiene measures and social distancing have reduced infection numbers. 'I think it makes a lot of difference,' Prof Collignon told news.com.au. He said research found infections in enclosed spaces were up to 20 per cent more likely to occur in places where people spend a significant amount of time with each other. 'Customers are in the stores for a short period of time,' Prof Collignon said. Prof Collignon said the customers don't seem to be getting infected, but the main risk comes from staff spreading it to other staff members. 'All of those things reinforce that if you are close together, without adequate face protection, you are more at risk,' he said. A Bunnings spokesperson said they have taken a 'common-sense' approach to find ways to adapt during the changing environment due to the coronavirus pandemic. 'One initiative is the introduction of a contactless Drive and Collect service, which is available at 250 of our larger stores across Australia,' the Bunnings spokesperson said. 'The Drive and Collect process gives customers the option to pick up their order from Bunnings car parks, ensuring no contact between team members and customers. 'Weve also been encouraging customers to plan ahead for their visit and shop alone where possible.' According to the official, the incident occurred at around 3.30 am. Auraiya (Uttar Pradesh): As many as 24 labourers were killed and several injured after the truck they were traveling in, collided with another truck in Auraiya on Saturday morning. According to the official, the incident occurred at around 3.30 am. All the labourers were mostly from Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Speaking to ANI, Archana Srivastava Chief Medical Officer, Auraiya said that 15 people have been referred to Saifai PGI. "24 people were brought dead, 22 have been admitted and 15 who were critically injured have been referred to Saifai PGI. They were going to Bihar and Jharkhand from Rajasthan," Archana told ANI. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed Commissioner and Inspector General Kanpur to visit the site and give the report on the cause of the accident immediately. "Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken note of the unfortunate incident in Auraiya. He has expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the labourers who lost their lives," Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi told ANI. "Chief Minister has also directed that all the injured be provided medical care immediately and the Commissioner and IG Kanpur to visit the site and give the report on the cause of the accident immediately," Awasthi added. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court need not be so apprehensive about the disposal of cases by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), its chairman L Narasimha Reddy said on Saturday. Refuting the claims made by Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Gita Mittal, in a letter written to the Centre, over the tribunal's ability to handle service matters of the employees, Reddy said the tribunal has recorded the disposal rate of 104 per cent in the past few months. Reddy said the content of the letter -- which has not been received by Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh -- appeared in the print and electronic media. The establishment of benches at various places and to ensure disposal of the cases is the responsibility of the tribunal and the high court need not be so apprehensive. Wherever necessary, the guidance and help of the high court would certainly be taken, the CAT chairman said. Referring to a media report, he said many statements in the item were indeed not called for and at any rate, were not a matter of concern for the high court. The assertions by Mittal and Reddy come in the backdrop of an order issued by the central government on April 29, that mentioned that the CAT's Chandigarh bench will have jurisdiction of the benches in states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and union territories of Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir has been reorganised into two union territories Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh with effect from October 31, 2019. Its employees, who were earlier under the state government's jurisdiction, are now under the ambit of the CAT. If 31,000 service matters were pending before the High Court and the litigants were waiting for several years, it is not due to any lapse on the part of the tribunal, the CAT chairman said. Reddy said, one cannot expect full-fledged functioning of the benches of the tribunal straight away particularly when the cases are yet to be transferred from the High Court. I may mention that the pendency of the cases in the circuit benches at Srinagar and Jammu before the state was re-organised was just 140, he said. After re-organisation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the request for accommodation was considered and offer of the places was also made, said Reddy, a former Chief Justice of the Patna High Court. Before any tangible steps could be taken, the COVID-19 lockdown has occurred, he said. Once the accommodation is made available and cases are transferred from the High Court, it would be the responsibility of the tribunal to take care of the situation, Reddy said. The tribunal, that adjudicates central government employees service matters, has 33 benches across the country and depending on the pendency before each bench and the need to establish benches at various places, adjustments are taking place from time to time, the CAT chairman said. Reddy said that though the appointment of members was delayed on account of the pendency of a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court, the tribunal recorded the disposal rate of 104% in the past few months. Citing the infrastructure-related deficiencies in the erstwhile state, the CAT chairman said he had conducted one of the hearings last year along with an administrative member at Srinagar and Jammu. The hearing took place in a room of 8' X 10' size in a corner of the office of the Deputy Commissioner. Even a II class judicial magistrate court would not function in such premises, he said. However, the situation in Jammu was slightly better, Reddy said. Repeated requests made to the then state government for accommodation did not yield any positive result. All the same, yet the tribunal did not shirk from its responsibility, the CAT chairman said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Additional measures to ease the lockdown burden on children are to be considered by the Governments expert advisers on coronavirus. Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan acknowledged young people had experienced a particularly difficult and challenging time during the restrictions. He said the National Public Health Emergency Team, which he chairs, will consider specific measures for children next week, suggesting they could be introduced in phase two of Irelands lockdown exit plan in early June. A man walks past a mural depicting Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, outside Davitts Pub on Camden Street, Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) At the daily Covid-19 briefing, Dr Holohan also advised that it would be appropriate for people currently cocooning from the virus to partake in some of the activities permitted when phase one of the plan starts on Monday. He said people over 70 and some of those in vulnerable categories could engage in outdoor discretionary activities, such as meeting other people in small groups, as long as social distancing applied. He advised against them going to shops and also said anyone in a medically vulnerable category should seek the advice of a doctor first. On the prospect of new measures for children, Dr Holohan said: We had a specific discussion about this in recent meetings of our NPHET and it is reflected in the advice that weve given to the minister (Simon Harris) and through the minister to government that we do think that we need to think about whether there are additional measures. Because the burden on children has been particularly challenging and difficult and we will be looking at over the course of the next week or two, are there other things that we can do that can add to, and make easier, the whole challenge for children, for young people? He said the NPHET would have to take account of any changes to how the virus could potentially impact children. But he added: All other things being equal wed like to give specific consideration in the next interval test to see what additional measures we might be able to identify that will help us in relation to children in general and the impact on children, not just of the illness but of the restrictions. Greece to Take Over On Georgia's Chairmanship of CoE Committee of Ministers - GeorgianJournal Vast Resources plc / Ticker: VAST / Index: AIM / Sector: Mining 15 May 2020 Vast Resources plc (Vast or the Company) Further Baita Plai Metallurgical Test Work Update Progress on asset backed debt financing Vast Resources plc, the AIM-listed mining company, is pleased to update the market on progress on metallurgical test work at its Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine Baita Plai in Romania and on its progress on asset backed debt financing. Test work Following the previous announcement made on 12 May 2020 regarding the Baita Plai Metallurgical Test Work, the Company can confirm it has now received the remaining Batch 2 Head Assay Results which offers further confirmation of higher gold and silver values. These new results now further confirm Vasts increased insight into the expected gold and silver values in the working areas expected to commence production shortly and which should substantially increase the value of the saleable copper concentrate. Table 1: Complete Batch 2 Head Assay Results Element Sample 4 Sample 5 Sample 6 Unit Cu 7.09 10.74 4.74 % Pb 0.36 1.12 0.26 % Zn 0.32 3.8 0.72 % As 0.065 0.384 0.079 % Cd 0.0065 0.0382 0.009 % Ni 0.003 0.003 0.003 % Co 0.008 0.009 0.011 % Mn 0.26 0.39 2.74 % Bi 0.2602 0.5794 0.1723 % Sb 0.0103 0.0361 0.032 % Hg <0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 % Te 0.0018 0.0042 0.0016 % Se 0.0025 0.0037 0.0031 % SiO2 28.50 12.23 17.05 % Al 1.22 0.59 1.02 % Fe 3.66 4.11 3.63 % Mg 10.13 9.55 12.71 % Cr 0.03 0.02 0.03 % Ca 11.38 14.04 12.92 % S 4.31 7.15 4.19 % Cl 0.08 0.09 0.11 % F 0.02 0.02 0.02 % WO 3 0.065 0.048 0.13 % Mo 0.046 0.031 0.29 % Na 0.04 0.03 0.05 % K 0.26 0.17 0.18 % Au 3.10 4.42 2.17 g/t Ag 206.8 372.7 127.4 g/t The Company is extremely pleased with the initial indications from the test work on producing the copper concentrate and so far, the grades are greater than originally forecasted. It is expected that the underground drilling currently underway will further confirm the continuation of similar grades at depth. Story continues The Company looks forward to providing further updates on the continuing drilling and assay results over the coming weeks. Debt financing The Company announces that negotiations with two institutional investors in relation to a non-equity linked asset backed debt structure linked to Baita Plai have now reached a well developed stage. Such financing would be used inter alia for refinancing the Tranche 1 Convertible Bonds issued to Atlas Special Opportunities LLC. Due diligence to secure the financing has commenced and in order to expedite this the Company is now accelerating and expanding its drilling and metallurgical test work process. The Company looks forward to updating the market in due course on further developments regarding the refinancing. Third Party Verification The information in this announcement that relates to the metallurgical test work is based on information compiled by Grinding Solutions Limited. Grinding Solutions is an innovative and consultative company specialising in mineral liberation and separation. Grinding Solutions Limited approach client problems without preconceptions to help maximise their value and opportunities in order to meet the ever increasing global challenges that the mining industry faces. Grinding Solutions works with clients across the world covering metalliferous, coal and industrial mineral industries. Qualified Person The information in this announcement that relates to the drilling operation is based on information compiled by Mr Craig Harvey, the Chief Operating Officer for Vast and a full-time employee and Director of the Company. Mr Harvey is a Competent Person who is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists and of the Geological Society of South Africa, a Recognised Professional Organisation included in a list that is posted on the ASX website from time to time. Mr Harvey has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Mr Harvey consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears. **ENDS** For further information, visit www.vastplc.com or please contact: Vast Resources plc Andrew Prelea (Chief Executive Officer) Andrew Hall www.vastplc.com +44 (0) 20 7846 0974 Beaumont Cornish - Financial & Nominated Adviser Roland Cornish James Biddle www.beaumontcornish.com +44 (0) 20 7628 3396 SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP Joint Broker Richard Morrison Caroline Rowe www.spangel.co.uk +44 (0) 20 3470 0470 Axis Capital Markets Limited Joint Broker Richard Hutchison www.axcap247.com +44 (0) 20 3206 0320 Blytheweigh Tim Blythe Megan Ray www.blytheweigh.com +44 (0) 20 7138 3204 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 (MAR). ABOUT VAST RESOURCES PLC Vast Resources plc, is a United Kingdom AIM listed mining company with mines and projects in Romania and Zimbabwe - focused on the rapid advancement of high quality projects by recommencing production at previously producing mines in Romania and the commencement of the joint venture mining agreement on the Chiadzwa Community Concession Block of the Chiadzwa Diamond Fields in Zimbabwe. The Companys portfolio includes an 80% interest in the Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine in Romania, where work is now currently underway towards developing and recommissioning the mine and the Community Concession Block in Chiadzwa, Zimbabwe. Vast Resources owns the Manaila Polymetallic Mine in Romania, which was commissioned in 2015, currently on care and maintenance. ABOUT GRINDING SOLUTIONS LIMITED Further information about Grinding Solutions Limited can be found on their website below: www.grindingsolutions.com Attachment NEBO Fewer than two weeks ago, 37-year-old James L. Chestnutt walked out of Graham Correctional Center and to the relative freedom of his home in Nebo. Although he still was under mandatory supervised release, May 4 marked the end of life behind bars Chestnutt had known since Sept. 15, 2017, when he entered prison on charges of possession of methamphetamine, aggravated battery of a police officer and obstruction of justice. By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russian private military contractor Wagner Group has up to 1,200 people deployed in Libya, strengthening the forces of eastern-based military leader Khalifa Haftar, according to a confidential United Nations report seen by Reuters on Wednesday. The 57-page report by independent sanctions monitors, submitted to the U.N. Security Council Libya sanctions committee, said the Russian contractor deployed forces in specialized military tasks, including sniper teams. Haftar launched a war a year ago to grab the capital Tripoli and other parts of northwest Libya. Since 2014, Libya has been split between areas controlled by the internationally recognized Government of National Accord in Tripoli and the northwest, and territory held by Haftar's eastern-based forces in Benghazi. Haftar is supported by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia, while the government is backed by Turkey. The U.N. Security Council imposed an arms embargo on Libya in 2011 amid an uprising that ousted longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi. The sanctions monitors said that while they could not independently verify the scale of the deployment to Libya by Wagner Group, "based on open source reporting and the limited sightings assesses that the maximum number of individual private military operatives deployed to be no more than 800 to 1,200." "Their deployment has acted as an effective force multiplier for (Haftar)," the sanctions monitors wrote. When asked in January if the Wagner Group were fighting in Libya, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that if there are Russians in Libya, they are not representing the Russian state, nor are they paid by the state. Wagner Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 'NO HELP' TO LIBYAN PEOPLE Russian private military contractors have clandestinely fought in support of Russian forces in Syria and Ukraine, Reuters and other media have previously reported. The Russian state denies it uses private military contractors abroad. Story continues The U.N. sanctions monitors identified more than two dozen flights between Russia and eastern Libya from August 2018 to August 2019 by civilian aircraft "strongly linked to, or owned by" Wagner Group or related companies. The monitors also listed the details of 122 Wagner operatives of "whom many are highly probably operational, or have been operational, within Libya." They said 39 were from Wagner's specialist sniper group and the remaining 83 operatives were from Wagner combat units. The report said forces affiliated with the Government of National Accord had captured arms "typical of the weaponry observed being used by ChVK Wagner operatives elsewhere in eastern Ukraine and Syria." The monitors are also investigating social media reports that a six-month contract between Wagner and Haftar ended on Oct. 15 last year and accusations that by this time Hafter had only paid half of the more $173 million owed. Across Wagner Group, personnel are predominantly Russian, but also include citizens of Belarus, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine, the report said. It also said they have been identified using equipment typically reserved for Russia's armed forces. When asked about the use of private military contractors in Libya on Wednesday, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said it was a matter of concern for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "It is of no help to the people of Libya who are in dire need of political reconciliation so peace can return to their country," Dujarric told reporters. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Mary Milliken) Felicien Kabuga, one of the main suspects in the Rwanda genocide, has been arrested by French police outside Paris, after being hunted by judicial authorities for 25 years. Kabuga, accused of financing the genocide, was living under a false identity in the northern Paris suburb of Asnieres-sur-Seine, the public prosecutor's office and the police said in a joint statement. Kabuga had a US$5 million bounty on his head. The 84-year-old, once one of Rwandas richest men, had been hiding with the help of his children. Some 800,000 people, mainly Tutsis but also moderate Hutus, were slaughtered over 100 days by ethnic Hutu extremists during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Kabuga is accused of creating two key killing instruments that whipped up the genocide: the Interahamwe militia that carried out a large portion of the massacres, and the Radio-Television Libre des Mille Collines that incited people to murder Tutsi cockroaches. Since 1994, Felicien Kabuga, known to have been the financier of Rwanda genocide, had with impunity stayed in Germany, Belgium, Congo-Kinshasa, Kenya, or Switzerland," according to the statement. The arrest opens the process for Kabuga to face the Paris Appeal Court and later, the international court in The Hague, it added. The arrest of Felicien Kabuga today is a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even 26 years after their crimes, said Serge Brammertz, chief prosecutor of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals in The Hague. Kabuga was also indicted on genocide charges by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Two other Rwandan genocide suspects, Augustin Bizimana and Protais Mpiranya, are still at large, on the run from international justice. In another major success, the Punjab Police on Saturday morning arrested two people in connection to the cross border narco-terrorism link of Riyaz Naikoo, slain commander of the banned terrorist outfit Hizbul Mujahideen. Official sources said on the basis of specific intelligence generated by NIA, the prime accused Ranjit Singh (also known as Rana or Cheeta) was arrested along with his father Harbhajan Singh and brother Gagandeep Singh in a joint operation by NIA, Punjab Police and Haryana Police. Earlier on Friday, two more Hizbul-linked individualized been arrested, from Punjab's Gurdaspur, as per sources. These two individuals allegedly used to deliver money packets for the organisation. During the investigation, the duo revealed that the money delivered to Hilal Ahmad Wagay was given by Iqbal Singh (Shera) and Ranjit Singh, both charge-sheeted absconders in an NIA case related to the seizure of 532 kg heroin from the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari international border last year. READ: Two Hizbul-linked individuals involved in money delivery arrested in Punjab's Gurdaspur As per sources, the investigation established that the seized consignment was part of five consignments of drugs, out of which four have been successfully smuggled into India. The investigation further revealed that Pakistan-based entities are smuggling narcotics into the Indian territory by hiding it in sacks of rock salt imported from Pakistan. The first charge sheet in the case was submitted by NIA last year on December 27 in a special court at Mohali against 15 accused, including Ranjit and four companies. READ: Hizbul Mujahideen chief Riyaz Naikoo neutralised by forces in J&K's Awantipur Hizbul Mujahideen Commander eliminated On Wednesday, Hizbul Mujahideen chief Riyaz Naikoo was gunned down in a joint operation of the Jammu-Kashmir police and Indian Army on Wednesday, as per J&K police. In the operation which began early in the day, two terrorists have been eliminated at J&K's Beighpora area in Awantipur district. The elimination of Naikoo - who is a native of Beighpora - was the successor of terrorist Zakir Musa was involved in killings and attacks on the security forces. Sources state that the joint team of J&K police and Army had been conducting a search operation for the past two days, after receiving credible inputs that terrorists were present in the village. J&K police confirmed that the team came in contact with 2 terrorists as they were hiding in their uncle's house in Awantipur. After gunbattle of almost 8 hours, the forces eliminated the terrorists. In a separate operation in J&K's Pampore district, two more terrorists were killed by Indian forces. READ: Over Ground Worker of Hizbul Mujahideen arrested in Doda; pistol & wireless set recovered READ: India Air Force fighter aircraft crashes in Punjab's Hoshiarpur, pilot ejects safely (With Inputs from Agency) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday approved an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh each from Prime Ministers National Relief Fund for the next of kin of those who lost their lives due to the road accident in Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh. The PM has also approved Rs 50,000 each for those injured due to the road accident. At least 24 migrant labourers lost their lives and 36 people sustained injuries when a trailer truck carrying them collided with another truck in the early hours of Saturday. Both the trucks were carrying the labourers. The incident took place between 3 am and 3.30 am, said the police. "The accident took place in Mihauli in which 24 people died, and around 36 were injured. A trailer truck carrying around 50 migrant labourers was coming from Rajasthan and it collided with another truck, they said. The PM has also condoled the death of the migrant workers and said the government is carrying out relief work in full swing. "The accident in Auraiya of Uttar Pradesh is very tragic. The government is carrying out relief work in full swing," the Prime Minister tweeted. "I express my condolences to the families of those killed and wish the injured recover at the earliest," he said. Auraiya, which falls under the Kanpur division, is in south-west Uttar Pradesh. It is on the National Highway-19 and is 400 km away from Delhi and 200 km from Lucknow. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. The CM has also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakhs for families of deceased persons and Rs 50,000 for injured, he added. The Chief Minister, in a statement released by the state government, directed the divisional commissioner and IG Kanpur to visit the site and give a report on the cause of the accident immediately. "UP chief minister has taken note of the unfortunate incident in Auraiya. He has expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the labourers who lost their lives. He has also directed that all the injured be provided medical care and the Divisional Commissioner and IG Kanpur to visit the site and give the report on the cause of the accident immediately," the statement said. Washington, May 16 : US President Donald Trump has fired the State Department's inspector general, Steve Linick, saying he no longer had his full confidence on the latter and that he would be removed in 30 days, the media reported on Saturday. "It is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as inspectors general. That is no longer the case with regard to this inspector general," the BBC quoted Trump ias saying in a letter sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi late Friday. Not long after Linick's dismissal was announced, Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said he had opened an investigation into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "This firing is the outrageous act of a president trying to protect one of his most loyal supporters, the secretary of state, from accountability," Engel, a Democrat, said in a statement. "I have learned that the Office of the Inspector General had opened an investigation into Secretary Pompeo. Linick's firing amid such a probe strongly suggests that this is an unlawful act of retaliation." Engel did not provide any further details about the content of this investigation into Pompeo, said the BBC report. Media reporta have cited Congressional aides as saying that Linick was examining complaints that Pompeo may have improperly used staff and asked them to perform personal tasks. Linick, a former prosecutor, was appointed by Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, to oversee spending and detect mismanagement at the State Department. Responding to the firing, Pelosi said in a statement: "The late-night, weekend firing of State Department IG Steve Linick is an acceleration of the President's dangerous pattern of retaliation against the patriotic public servants charged with conducting oversight on behalf of the American people. "The President must cease his pattern of reprisal and retaliation against the public servants who are working to keep Americans safe, particularly during this time of global emergency." This is the latest in a series of dismissals of independent government watchdogs, the BBC reported. Last month, Trump dismissed Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the intelligence community. Atkinson first alerted Congress to a whistleblower complaint that led to Trump's impeachment trial. In the recently held press conference, Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister of India has stated that government is working to efficiently utilize airspace over India to reduce flying time of passenger aircrafts, which will benefit both the air carriers and environment. Currently only 60 percent of the Indian airspace is freely available for passenger aircrafts and rest is controlled by military. Utilizing the other airspace will reduce flying cost upto Rs 1000 crore by saving fuel and time. While the benefits will soak in losses incurred by airlines due to Coronavirus, it will eventually be passed to flyers, reducing ticket prices. Earlier, PM Narendra Modi held a meeting between officials from Indian aviation industry, the Home Minister, the Finance Minister, and other senior officials of the Government of India for a comprehensive review of the strategies that could help in making Indias Civil Aviation sector more efficient. It was decided in the meeting that the Indian Air Space should be effectively used in such a manner that the flying time is reduced benefiting the travelers and also helping the airlines to save costs in close co-operation with the Department of Military Affairs. This essentially means that passenger aircrafts in India can now fly over prohibited zones designated by military due to their sensitive nature to cut short the journey from one city to another. This will save both fuel and time for the flights, making them more cost effective. This move comes after the Indian aviation industry is struggling from impact of coronavirus. To implement social distancing norms, many air carriers might not book the middle seats, hence reducing their earnings. However, the move to shorten flying time can save considerable amount of money in fuel savings and turnaround time. For reference, Delhi-Mumbai average flying time is 2 hr. If a more direct route is taken, the flight time can be reduced by at least 15-30 minutes, bringing the flight time to less than 2 hrs. This essentially means a saving of at least 1000 litre of fuel, which is a huge amount for the air carriers. Also the turnaround time is improved, which means more flights in a day, increasing the operational profits for air carriers. Talks to form the next government are going well, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said. He said he hoped to be able to negotiate a programme for the new administration's priorities before the end of this month. Discussions between Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party have been taking place this week to appoint a new team of ministers. Negotiators have been discussing policies on the economy, housing, healthcare and climate change. "Talks are going well, and I'm still confident that it will be possible to negotiate a programme for government, ideally before the end of the month," Mr Varadkar said. Consequences Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have been trying to draw other parties and Independents into the talks process, but Aontu, the Social Democrats and the Labour Party have all ruled themselves out. Mr Varadkar warned that governance would be a "hard labour" as Ireland recovers from the downturn caused by coronavirus restrictions. "It's not going to be an easy time to be in government," he said. "The economic consequences of this virus are going to be very severe in terms of jobs lost, in terms of businesses which will not open again, in terms of the impact on public finances. This country needs a government that is led by people that want to be in government even when it's not easy." Efforts to form a government are intensifying, three months on from February's inconclusive election. Fianna Fail won 38 seats (a tally reduced to 37 after one of its TDs was re-elected speaker), Sinn Fein 37 and Fine Gael 35, with the Greens on 12 and Labour on six. A majority of 80 seats is needed to form a government. Yesterday, the Labour Party formally ruled itself out. Leader Alan Kelly wrote in a letter to the Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin that his party's position on economic policy was at odds and criticised a "lack of clear direction" on a coronavirus unemployment payment. A Pakistani doctor was indicted in Minnesota, US, over an attempt to provide material support to the terrorist organisation ISIS. On May 15, a federal grand jury sitting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, returned a single-count indictment against 28-year-old Muhammad Masood. He was initially charged in a criminal complaint on March 19 and is currently in custody pending further court proceedings. According to the indictment and documents filed in court, Masood, a licensed medical doctor in Pakistan, was formerly employed as a Research Coordinator at a medical clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, under an H-1B Visa. Between January-March 2020, Masood made several statements to others, including pledging his allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) and its leader and expressing his desire to travel to Syria to fight for ISIS. Masood also expressed his desire to conduct lone wolf terrorist attacks in the US. On February 21, Masood purchased a plane ticket from Chicago, Illinois to Amman, Jordan, and from there planned to travel to Syria. On March 16, 2020, Masoods travel plans changed because Jordan closed its borders to incoming travel due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. He then made a new plan to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet up with an individual who he believed would assist him with travel via cargo ship to deliver him to ISIS territory. On March 19, Masood travelled from Rochester to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to board a flight bound for Los Angeles, California. Upon arrival at MSP, Masood checked in for his flight and was subsequently arrested by the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force. (Photo : Screenshot from: NASA Official Facebook Account) To celebrate all graduating students of 2020, National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) and SpaceX have put together a call for students all over the world to send in photos of themselves that will be taken to space. These photos will ride with SpaceX's Crew Dragon as they set out for the Demo-2 mission which will take off for the International Space Station (ISS) on May 27 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Read Also: [WATCH] COVID-19: Video Shows Particles From Cough Can Reach 12 Feet, Social Distancing Of 6 Feet Not Enough, Experts Say Send your photos to space As written on the SpaceX website, "In an effort to celebrate the class of 2020-from kindergarten to graduate school-SpaceX and NASA are inviting students from around the world to submit their photo to fly on America's first human spaceflight in nearly a decade. If you graduated or are scheduled to graduate in 2020, upload your photo to the mosaic of Earth below, which will be printed and flown aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft during its upcoming mission to the ISS with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on board." You can start uploading your photos until May 20 and it will be added to a huge mosaic version of the Earth made up of photos of students from all around the globe. Once the time for launch arrives, the mosaic will be printed out and carried on the space mission along with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the ISS. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for graduates, whether they are graduating from college or even kindergarten, to make their graduation celebration more special. As of the moment, attending graduations personally have been postponed or canceled due to the concerns about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Even though you're not able to attend the graduation with your friends and family wearing a gown and a cap, you can still commemorate it by sending your photos on a mission to space. Read Also: COVID-19 and the Environment: NASA Backs Up Studies to Know the Full Effect of the Coronavirus Pandemic to Earth Demo-2 mission According to Tech Times, SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft only has two weeks left before they set out to launch NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the ISS and this is the first time since 2011. The SpaceX mission is called Demo-2. "They will be making history as this is the first-ever crewed launch space mission from the United States to orbit since NASA's space shuttle program ended back in 2011. However, Phil McAlister, director of the commercial spaceflight division at NASA headquarters, has said that even though this mission is approaching, there's still a lot of work to be done," Tech Times added. The deadline for submissions is May 20, 2020. Read Also: Doctors Say Inflammation Might be the Root of COVID-19 Along with Other Diseases Such as Cancer and Dementia 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. 14, May, 2020 Accra: The Tema General Hospital has today received a donation of 520 PPEs from Standard Chartered Bank to support frontline staff at the hospital as efforts to treat new cases of COVID-19 in Ghana step up. The PPEs which included N95 masks and surgical gloves come on the backdrop of increased cases of COVID-19 in the Tema Municipality and will be key as the hospital continues playing an integral role as an isolation and treatment center. Mansa Nettey, Chief Executive, Standard Chartered Bank, Ghana Limited, while presenting the items said, Following the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Ghana, it is now more than ever important to ensure that all hospital staff are adequately resourced through the provision of PPEs. We are fully behind our health workers as they fight this pandemic from the frontline. Tema General is the fourth hospital to receive PPEs donation from Standard Chartered as part of the GHS 1 million committed by the Bank to support emergency relief and aid those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. At Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Limited, we live up to our brand promise Here for Good, particularly in these times of adversity and hope the PPEs will continue keeping you safe as you fight against COVID-19, she added. Receiving the PPEs, Dr. Richard Anthony, Medical Director of Tema General Hospital thanked Standard Chartered Banks CEO and her team for the generous donation and for its commitment to supporting frontline health workers during this time. This donation has come at the opportune time for the hospital because as we continue receiving new COVID-19 cases, PPEs at our disposal are utilized much faster and as such, the hospital requires constant replenishing, he added. To date, Standard Chartered Bank has donated over 3000 PPEs to four (4) hospitals. In previous weeks, the Bank presented Greater Accra Regional Hospital, the Ga East Hospital and LEKMA Hospital with their donations of PPEs. The Bank also donated a portable Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) equipment to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research to assist in conducting widespread testing and detection of COVID-19 in Ghana. Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Limited Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Limited is Ghanas premier bank established in 1896. We are part of a leading international banking group, with a presence in more than 60 of the worlds most dynamic markets. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity. Our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, Here for good. The Bank is listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange and has been one of the leading stocks over a sustained period. Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges as well as the Bombay and National Stock Exchanges in India. For more stories and expert opinions please visit www.sc.com/gh Follow Standard Chartered on Twitter, LinkedIn and Standard Chartered Ghana Limited on Facebook.com/StandardCharteredGH FLASHBACK! - 1997 Ford Methanol Taurus Costs Less than Gas Co-publishers Note - So Wha Happened? WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 1996; The Ford Motor Company is offering an "Unlimited" number of Taurus FFV (flexible fuel vehicle) sedans for the 1997 model year at a discounted sticker price of $345 less than the conventional gasoline-powered Taurus. Ford is offering the Taurus FFVs, capable of running on methanol (or ethanol) and unleaded gasoline, for sale to fleet purchasers. "When it comes to alternative fuel vehicles, Ford is in the driver's seat," said American Methanol Institute President Raymond A. Lewis. "Ford is the only automaker offering a full line of alternative fuels vehicles -- including methanol -- and the only automaker to ever sell an alternative fuel vehicle for less than the gasoline model. The company's decision to offer an unlimited number of Taurus FFVs was made, quite simply, because the cars sell. Ford sold out its production run of 5,300 Taurus FFVs last year, and orders have exceeded production quotas for the last three years." The methanol Taurus FFV operates on M-85, a blend of 85% methanol and 15% unleaded gasoline or any mixture of the two fuels in the same fuel tank. The Taurus FFV is an ideal alternative fuel vehicle for fleet operators that require the ability to fuel with conventional fuels when vehicles operate outside their normal service territory. The majority of methanol Taurus FFVs sold are placed into service in California. Since the early 1980s, the State of California has pioneered the development and introduction of flexible fuel vehicles. Today, in California over 13,000 methanol FFVs serve in federal, state and municipal governments fleets, corporate fleets, rental car fleets, and are driven by hundreds of individual consumers. To serve these vehicles, an extensive network of 60 public methanol refueling stations stretches from Los Angeles to Sacramento, including a station in Yosemite National Park. This methanol fueling infrastructure was established by the California Energy Commission in cooperation with the State's major gasoline retailers. In addition, more than 50 private fueling stations are operated in California by individual fleet operators. Outside of California, there are an additional 40 methanol fueling stations located in 14 states and Canada. This includes 9 methanol stations operated by the New York State Thruway Authority at maintenance areas located along the length of the highway from the Tappan Zee Bridge to Buffalo. Methanol fueling stations are relatively inexpensive to build and operate. A below-ground methanol tank and fueling system can be installed for about $50,000, while a 2,000-gallon above-ground fueling system costs around $20,000 to install. Methanol is a liquid alcohol fuel made from clean, domestic natural gas. In 1995, methanol production capacity from 17 U.S. plants in 8 states totaled 2.2 billion gallons. These plants meet three-quarters of U.S. methanol demand. The remaining supply comes from imports of which Canada supplies well over one-half. In 1995, 90% of methanol supplied to the U.S. was produced in North America, 8% from Trinidad, Venezuela and Chile, with the remaining 2% produced in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The largest market for methanol in the U.S. is for the production of methyl tertiary butyl ether or "MTBE." Produced in nearly 50 U.S. plants in 14 states, it is estimated that 3.3 billion gallons of MTBE will be used in 1996 for blending in clean, reformulated gasoline. The American Methanol Institute (AMI) serves as the voice of the methanol industry in Washington and across the country. AMI works to support the use of clean reformulated and oxygenated gasoline, promote the use of methanol as an alternative fuel, and encourage the development of emerging methanol- powered fuel cells. YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government has developed a new tool for the economic policy and investments, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during an online press conference today, introducing 100 facts about new Armenia. During the next session of the government a decision on a mechanism, which didnt exist in Armenia before, will be adopted aimed at boosting investments. The discussions on one-two similar mechanisms continue, and I dont rule out that new mechanisms will launch in the future, he said. He said at this stage they will propose a certain governance model of up to 50 billion AMD to economic entities, and concrete criteria will be set for that. Reporting by Lilit Demuryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Paul W. Taylor, Ph.D. is the Executive Editor at e.Republic and of its flagship titles - Governing and Government Technology. Prior to joining e.Republic, Taylor served as deputy Washington state CIO and chief of staff of the state Information Services Board (ISB). Dr. Taylor came to public service following decades of work in media, Internet start-ups and academia. He is also among a number of affiliated experts with the non-profit, non-partisan Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) in Washington, D.C. He can be reached at ptaylor@governing.com or on Twitter at @pwtaylor. One man is dead and the other in a critical condition after being rushed to hospital by a friend in Melbourne's north. Emergency services were called to Nolan Drive in Epping just before 9pm on Saturday to treat an injured 37-year-old Epping man but he died at the scene. Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man on Saturday night. Credit:Paul Rovere Homicide squad detectives are investigating the circumstances that led to the mans death. When the World Went Away, We Made a New One I lost many things during the quarantine. But there can be an unexpected abundance inside a state of loss. Like so many quarantines, mine began with a series of sudden subtractions: subways, classes, public spaces, hugs, bookstores, child care; the bodies of friends in my living room; the bodies of strangers brushing against mine on the sidewalk; and finally my own body, as the virus came for me early, insistent but ultimately merciful; shivers and night sweats and muscle aches rippling from my neck to my heels. During those weeks of total isolation with my toddler, I lost my sense of taste and smell, lost everything beyond my doorway lost the streets of my city, which was rapidly flooding with deeper losses I could only imagine. The wailing sirens made it impossible to forget that the hospitals were filling with patients on ventilators. The subtractions of our quarantine came on the heels of other ones. I signed divorce papers just a month before the city started shutting down, and as the lockdowns restrictions drew an increasingly tight perimeter around every household, they cast into sharper relief the ways mine had been gutted. It felt vaguely like being forced to live in a building splintered by a wrecking ball before the rebuilding had begun. Quarantine didnt just take things away; it revealed with a harsh, unrelenting clarity what had already been lost. Once I realized I would be spending many weeks alone at home with my daughter, I made us a daily schedule with clumsy illustrations: stray water drops next to Mama Shower, a cutout octopus next to Cleaning/Chores, as if wed deploy eight arms to wipe the door handles with bleach; a tiger beside our Morning Walk, as if the streets of Brooklyn would be full of exotic discoveries. But once I got sick, even the limited life outlined on our rainbow schedule its cheerful colors radiating compensatory, forced optimism now seemed naive in its aspirations, anchored by walks we could no longer take, meals I could no longer taste and activities that required staying vertical longer than I could manage. The cherry blossoms beyond our windows seemed tone-deaf in their extravagance. The sunshine arrived like someone laughing on a hospital ward. Before I realized I was sick, I refused to believe my own fatigue, falling asleep on the couch while I tried to return work email during naptime. But eventually there was no denying it: the aches running like electric currents through my legs, wearing me out like exercise. When I stood after picking up things my daughter dropped or tossed, the corners of my vision fluttered with dark flecks. The virus claimed my bedroom as its own, salting my sheets with night sweat. When I woke in the darkness, body aching in the gloom, I always checked the news on my phone before I could remember not to. A few days after I lost my sense of taste and smell, I started seeing articles about this new symptom. Thats how it was: bodies in the news, and the news in our bodies, making us sweat and shiver. It seemed as if losing my sense of taste was a personalized cosmic joke, a nod to the eating disorder I had years earlier. But thats the fallacy and hubris of any misfortune, however minor that it was made bespoke, just for us. I knew this was melodrama and tried not to indulge it before naptime. Then I could cry alone in the bathroom if I needed to. Maybe the pandemic felt to everyone like a heat-seeking missile specifically targeting the particular fragilities of any life a new business, a restaurant job, a fractured marriage or its dissolution even as the virus cast its vast, impersonal damage across us all. It created a certain cognitive dissonance to encounter something as surreal and unfamiliar as a global pandemic from inside the deadening familiarity and cloistered banality of our apartment an extraordinary event experienced from inside a parade of days textured by unceasing ordinariness, the daily loop of domesticity. The teakettle, the oatmeal-crusted bowls in the sink, the toddler scattering her tiny hats and gloves across the floor for the umpteenth time, Mama FIX it. The days were endless and also irrelevant: Tuesdays were Wednesdays were Fridays, except sometimes it was raining outside and sometimes it was sunny and sometimes as a neighbor informed us by text someone broke into the vestibule of our building to ransack the Amazon packages. The past flooded the empty present, filling the apartment with its ghosts. I kept remembering the summer I spent recovering from jaw surgery two decades earlier, not just sequestered in my home but in my body; unable to eat or speak because my jaw was wired shut for months, 18 years old and missing the world that was stripped away. I kept remembering the first time I tried to stop drinking at 27, a decade later when I essentially put myself in quarantine, taking a week off my bakery job to hole up in my brothers empty apartment and Not Drink. In my mind, this self-sequestering was a cross between a bad schoolgirls being sent to a corner of the classroom and a heros striding off to some remote mountaintop to confront her archenemy in one-on-one combat. In reality, it mainly involved eating saltines and foil-wrapped triangles of spreadable cheese for dinner, and realizing at one point that it had been a couple of days since Id been outside, in part because I was afraid I lacked the willpower not to stop at a liquor store. I drank again as soon as I got home. When I tried to quit again, a few months later, it was not in isolation but by flinging myself into the unexpected community of recovery meetings. Remembering those nights in the midst of the pandemic, I yearned for their physicality: the unfolded origami creases of strangers papery palms against my own; the stem of a plastic fork still warm from someone elses grip as I pronged a vanilla-frosted slice of sober-anniversary cake; the raspy voices and minty gum-breath of chain-smokers offering collective prayers. But after six weeks of studiously avoiding any kind of contact or even proximity with strangers, I also flinched at the idea of that kind of bodily communion; it seemed an impossibly beautiful constellation of perilous exposures. But while the physical proximity of early sobriety felt impossibly far away, an echo from those days felt eerily close the surprise of finding unexpected abundance inside a state of loss. When you lose what you rely upon, you start reaching for things you never thought youd want, or else the things you already had but always took for granted. Early sobriety taught me one version of this strange arithmetic by giving me a way to understand what I was losing the sweet oblivion of getting drunk in terms of what it made room for: not just the sweaty palms and earnest confessions of strangers but also a more acute presence in my own life. At first, of course, not-drinking was hell. It was deprivation and punishment, as if I were trapped in a bare white room while the cinema reels of boozy nostalgia played on the other side of a glass wall: the salty pop of gin-soaked olives, the foam of cold beer on warm summer evenings flickering with fireflies. All that was gone. Only seltzer remained. But if not-drinking was hell, then sobriety was something else. Eventually not on the first day, or the 20th, but maybe on the 100th, or the 400th the whole world began to open up. Days werent just defined by absence this is life minus drinking but by a new kind of plenitude: the rituals of recovery meetings, and the voices of strangers in those rooms, telling stories about loving booze so much they thought their hearts would break from losing it. This strange, unsettling affinity with strangers was abundance. The call to listen was abundance. But these werent the only forms of abundance. The sensory hyperattention of sobriety was overwhelming, like staring at the sun: the acid pang of an orange slice on a cold sore, the ache in the balls of my feet after 12 hours standing beside a giant mixer in the kitchen of the bakery where I worked. The abundance of those days rose from the conspiracy of multiple constraints the constraints of sobriety alongside the confines of that cramped kitchen and those repetitive labors. Even unbeautiful things came to constitute a strange new lushness, because they felt so ferociously proximate, so searing and undeniable. A decade later, quarantine was nothing if not searing and undeniable the broken-record quality of our daily lives insisting on the same rooms, the same people, the same routines. Recovery meetings happened on Zoom now, like so much of the rest of my life, and at a distance couldnt offer the same bodily surrender. Still, while certain kinds of visceral intimacy were lost, in other ways the meetings felt more intimate than ever. Every square on the screen was a portal into someones home, revealing other sober alcoholics leaning against their headboards or curled up under blankets, Bluetooth buds carrying the rest of our voices, cat whiskers swishing suddenly in front of computer cameras. In our thumbnail boxes, we chanted the serenity prayer in an out-of-sync patchwork that was somehow more moving for its raggedness, for the ways it failed to disguise the incompleteness of our medium, the ways it didnt replace what wed lost: that room full of body heat and layer cake, plastic forks passed palm to palm. It was a chorus of disembodied voices trying our best, straining or fumbling or sometimes surging toward gratitude; acknowledging all the loss and terror around us without trying to redeem it. For the first few meetings I attended, I had Zoom set to speaker mode because I didnt know there was a gallery alternative that could display everyones faces at once. Whoever was speaking loomed large, but whenever someone laughed or murmured in recognition their face would pop briefly to the center of the screen the technology illuminating, just for a moment, the flashes of resonance that had animated our meetings all along. Sometimes Id be distracted or horrified by the sight of my own face in the corner wondering if my expression communicated enough attention, compassion or openhearted presence but one of the best things about speaker mode was that it let me scroll away from my own face so I didnt see it at all. Scrolling away from my own face on Zoom became a technological embodiment of what recovery meetings had been inviting me to do for years: get away from myself, flee the quarantine of my own heart. Even outside these meetings, quarantine was enacting a daily alchemy with the abstract truisms of recovery, making them concrete: One day at a time meant not knowing how long quarantine would last. It meant: Just get through this single stretch of hours. Surrender existed on all scales. It meant giving up on knowing how the pandemic would play out across the world. It meant giving up a definite timeline for when wed come out of lockdown. It meant letting my daughter pull all the books off the bookshelf without trying to pick them up. One morning I sat cross-legged and tried to read passages from a book of Buddhist meditations holding on to anything blocks wisdom, I dutifully repeated while my daughter climbed onto my back, heaving oatmeal breath on my cheek, and pulled the book from my hands. She enacted its truth by ripping one of its pages. Ten days into our total isolation, once our apartment had filled with bags of recycling, I Googled toddler art + old trash. We ended up drawing a road on the back of a cardboard diaper box. When she ripped up one of her picture books, we used the illustrations as decoration, and I copied a quote onto the cardboard from a poem Sylvia Plath had written for her newborn son, a poem I memorized at 24 during the months after my abortion: Love, love, I have hung our cave with roses. . . . Old trash was the new cross-stitch. My daughter scribbled over the lines with marker, and they felt even truer obscured by her scribbles, spackled with her fish stickers. Every morning I read the same passage in the Big Book, It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to futility and unhappiness, and thought of other peoples quarantines people with partners, who curled up with a body each night, or people whod fled the city, or people whod fled the city with their partners and tried to surrender that resentment too. I tried to neutralize it with gratitude. Not gratitude in the dutiful, box-checking, white-knuckled sense of acknowledging everything I had my health, my daughter, my job but in a more immediate sense: for the sunlight on my daughters overgrown curls, for the specific weight of her head on my shoulder; for my students reading from the pandemic diaries Id asked them to keep, as we all gathered in our Zoom boxes to listen; for my high school friends on Zoom, how blunt and broken I could be in their company. I was grateful for the taste of peanut butter, the first time it returned the first time any taste returned. The faint nutty sweetness was like a stranger standing at the end of a long corridor, barely visible but there more than six feet away, but better than no one at all. During the thickest, shivery days of my illness when it was just me and my daughter and a photo-copy of my divorce settlement on a closet shelf, tucked beneath our stash of cloth masks it was as if her tiny, restless body were living for both of us: tasting for us both, seeking pleasure for us both, radiating energy for us both. She conducted intense, inscrutable projects, using her tiny wok to carry my lucky hawks feather found by the side of the road on a sunny day upstate, in another universe entirely to her little wooden kitchen, where she stirred it with a little wooden knife. What was she doing? Her eyes gleamed with focus. She wanted to take care of everything. She tried to put a diaper on her wooden zebra. She tried to put a diaper on our Dustbuster. She tried to put a diaper on our tube of Clorox wipes and then tuck it under my comforter. Night, night, she said. On Day 8 of our isolation, she glanced toward the window and said plaintively, Outside. On Day 9, we spotted a toddler in a puffy orange coat lurching toward her father on a driveway across the street, and my daughter called out: Orange baby! Seeing another person felt like spotting a celebrity. When the toddler left, my daughter called out: Orange baby come back! When my aching muscles felt like knotted ropes draped across the inside of my body, and I felt incapable of doing much besides lying down, I was grateful for my daughters endless appetite for stories. Her desire to read 20 picture books in a row no longer seemed burdensome, as it did during the busy crush of normal life; now it seemed more like a way she was guiding us through the hours. The days were a swirl of body chills and fantasies: the story about the boy and bear traveling through a magical land of berries; the story about the mouse who recited poems to all the other mice spending winter huddled in an old stone wall; the story about the woman who gazed out the window from her sick bed and imagined planting lupines across the hills; the story about the dinosaur who wanted to be a ballerina. It started to seem as if every story were about quarantine. The mice in the old stone wall were in quarantine. The woman in her sickbed was in quarantine. The brontosaurus bumping her head while attempting a jete was in her own quarantine trapped in a space that was too confined, a world that was too small. The boy and the bear on the blackberry train were clearly also in quarantine; thats why they were dreaming of this fantastical land full of strawberry ponies and raspberry fireworks. At dusk each day, I played Leonard Cohen during bath-time, his scratchy voice crooning about a Manhattan that no longer existed, and might never exist again, where theres music on Clinton Street all through the evening. My daughters tiny palms splashed against the soapy water as the streets below our window erupted into applause for the doctors and nurses at the hospital a few blocks away and we clapped too, through the suds of her bath, though no one could hear us. I tried to feed my daughter at least one new thing each day, as a way of telling the days apart. Boiled zucchini, sliced rings of pineapple, raspberries before they fuzzed with tiny white beards of mold. Pasta shaped like bow ties, pasta shaped like wagon wheels. Peanut butter straight from the jar. Sometimes I caught myself gazing at her with jealousy she could still taste. I missed the taste of chocolate, the taste of apples, the taste of Cheddar cheese, even the taste of the instant coffee I drank when the good coffee ran out. Or certain smells, like the urine tang and compost stink of my daughters drooping diapers I grew to miss even that. Missing taste became a way of missing everything. I missed the air, missed having moments when I was doing something other than picking tiny wooden teacups off the floor, missed other people even a single other person, even the bodies of strangers missed my friend Anna, who lived five blocks away, now a thousand miles, who brought over groceries when I was sick: a bulb of fennel and a carton of mushrooms and pale balls of raw cookie dough, grub worms of knobby turmeric (what do I . . . ?). Late at night, after our kids were asleep, Anna and I would trade voice memos telling the stories of objects in our homes, because the objects in our homes were what we had. She told me about her stack of overdue library books, the orange earrings shed given birth in. It wasnt the same as feeling her arm draped over my shoulders, or watching our toddlers gazing up at us, side by side, waiting for us to feed them chunks of apple-cider doughnuts. But it was something that reached into my marrow, her voice traveling across the city blocks, filling up the darkness. A few years into sobriety, I went to a potluck where no one ate or drank anything. Half of the people who came were alcoholic, or sober addicts, and the other half struggled with binge eating, so the idea was basically: What activity can we gather around that doesnt involve putting something into our bodies? Everyone brought something to read, and we gathered over flickering candles and listened to one another as if our voices were food. A few days into the quarantine, when two friends organized a group of us to read poems aloud and send the audio files to one another, I thought of that boozeless, foodless potluck, how grace never arrives as we imagine it. I sat by a window overlooking empty streets, as my daughter tried to put a wooden cookie in my mouth, and listened to the disembodied voice of my friend reading William Merediths Accidents of Birth: to/meet in a room, alive in our skins,/and the whole galaxy gaping there. What to do with the strange incandescence of those two weeks of total isolation with my daughter her sweet voice naming all the animals in her bath book as the clapping from the streets rose around us like a hymn? What to do with the eerie, spellbinding video my friend sent of herself dancing in the middle of a deserted street to a speaker blaring We Are the World from a shuttered jewelry store? These strange beauties did nothing to supply the ventilators our city lacked, to mitigate the oncoming apex of deaths, to stave off the bankruptcies or the oncoming recession. They were not a vaccine, or an antibody test, or even a useless floating hospital docked in the Hudson River. They did not cure the virus, or redeem the suffering it caused. The sirens kept blaring as I gave my daughter her baths. Its easy to subscribe to a fantasy of diminishment as revelation the notion that wisdom is the inevitable yield of hardship. But sometimes loss just feels like loss, and absence is just absence: the solipsism of pain; the ache of losing touch; the empty streets and bankruptcies, the missing ventilators, the bodies stored in the temporary morgues of moving vans. The trick is how to hold both truths at once absence-as-presence and absence-as-absence rather than letting one obscure the other; how to let fragile, unexpected, imperfect consolations exist alongside everything they cant console. Holding both at once lets us honor the pleasures and odd discoveries of quarantine without blinding ourselves to everything beyond it. Its a way of seeing that does not back away from what is happening by pretending people are not dying, and that does not back away from what is happening by pretending people are not loving and being loved alongside this death. Because we are also eating brownies. We are stupefied by the tenderness of a child tucking a tube of Clorox wipes under the covers. We are brought to tears by the sight of a nurse walking home from work in hospital scrubs. Suffering and grace live side by side, as they always have in the same homes, or else separated by those walls we keep between our bodies now, in service of a solidarity we trust but cannot touch. Grace locks eyes with pain from the other side of the sidewalk, six feet away, and they both keep walking. Leslie Jamison is the author, most recently, of Make It Scream, Make It Burn. She last wrote for the magazine about the relationship between creativity and addiction. Brian Rea is an artist in Los Angeles. His book Death Wins a Goldfish was published last year. A top economic advisor to US President Donald Trump on Friday favoured giving tax incentives to American companies to move their economic base from China to America, amidst a new rift in the bilateral relationship over Beijing's handling of the coronavirus crisis. The US has expressed disappointment over China's handling of the coronavirus pandemic which has claimed 87,530 lives in America. China has also been accused of stealing Intellectual Property and research work. The US and China in the beginning of the year signed Phase-1 of a trade deal, ending a bitter two-year tariff war that had rattled the global economy. "It's not a policy yet, but we want to make America the most attractive place to do work," White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow told reporters on Friday, amidst reports that a number of companies are looking to move their manufacturing base out of China. "I'm a believer in rewarding not punishing, so my thought is in addition to the full expensing 100 per cent capital expensing why not provide a 50 per cent discount for the corporate tax rate if you are moving from outside the US to the US," he said. Kudlow suggested reducing the corporate tax from the present 21 per cent to 10.5 per cent. "Why not try for a couple of years or longer a 10.5 per cent rate which would make us extremely competitive and hospitable to new investments here or for moving expenses not only 100 per cent full expensing but also we may add some assistance," Kudlow said. "That's another thought to help them come here. In other words, I want to reward not punish. Those are options. Those are options. Again this is pre-decisional; these are just things that we are looking at internally," he said. On Thursday, a top US senator unveiled an 18-point plan, including enhancing military ties with India, to hold the Chinese government accountable for its "lies, deception, and cover-ups" that led to the global COVID-19 pandemic. President Trump has been pressing China to agree for an inquiry into the origin of the virus, including the allegation that it emerged from a bio-lab in Wuhan. He has threatened to cut off "the whole relationship" China. China has denied America's accusation of covering up the extent of its coronavirus outbreak and accused the US of attempting to divert the public attention by insinuating that the virus originated from a virology laboratory in Wuhan. "China was the first country to report the COVID-19 to the World Health Organisation (WHO), (and) that doesn't mean the virus originated from Wuhan... There has never been any concealment, and we'll never allow any concealment," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said last month. "A discerning person will understand at a glance that the purpose is to create confusion, divert public attention, and shirk their responsibility," he said. The novel coronavirus which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan last year has claimed 307,666 lives and infected more than 4.5 million people globally, according to Johns Hopkins university data. The US is the worst affected country with 87,530 deaths and over 1.4 million infections reported so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The House passed a $484 interim coronavirus relief bill that will pay for testing and offer help to small businesses and medical providers. Win McNamee/Getty Images The House passed a $3 trillion coronavirus bailout, dubbed the HEROES Act, with a 208-199 vote. Spanning 1,815 pages, the bill outlines a list of priorities, including another round of $1,200 stimulus checks, a raise for essential workers, and increased health insurance coverage. Despite passage in the House, it is not likely to be backed by Senate Republicans, who have expressed disapproval of the bill. During its unveiling by House Democrats earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the bill a "big laundry list of pet priorities" that has "no chance of becoming law." However, being signed into law is not entirely the mission of the HEROES Act. "Instead, its passage was meant for Democrats to demonstrate their priorities and signal what they will fight for in a later bipartisan bill that could pass in June," Business Insider's Kimberly Leonard reported. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The House passed a second $3 trillion bill aimed at providing relief and support to those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic on Friday. The bill, known as the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act, or the HEROES Act, follows the first coronavirus bailout signed into law in late March with bipartisan support, the CARES Act. The rescue package was approved with a vote of 208 to 199, but it is unlikely to pass in the GOP-controlled Senate. When House Democrats unveiled the HEROES Act earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the bill a "big laundry list of pet priorities" that has "no chance of becoming law." Spanning 1,815 pages, the $3 trillion bailout package is not poised to become law. "Instead, its passage was meant for Democrats to demonstrate their priorities and signal what they will fight for in a later bipartisan bill that could pass in June," Business Insider's Kimberly Leonard reported. Story continues The bill includes a list of priorities, including another round of $1,200 stimulus checks, a raise for essential workers, increased health insurance coverage, and nearly $1 trillion in financial aid to local and state governments. Read the original article on Business Insider Created by Pope Francis, the commission is linked to the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. It has a year to study, suggest and design new ways of social life and economic models. Greater agricultural production is needed. Because of coronavirus outbreak, 350 million children do not even get one meal a day. Caritas is helping more than 7.8 million people in 14 countries. Sanctions against Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Libya, and Venezuela should be dropped whilst the debt of poor countries should be cancelled. Military spending should be diverted to food production. Vatican City (AsiaNews) A press conference was held this morning in the Vatican on COVID-19, food crisis and integral ecology: the action of the Church. Card Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, was present, as were the Dicastery Secretary Mgr Bruno Marie Duffe, his Deputy Fr Augusto Zampini-Davies, and the General Secretary of Caritas Internationalis Aloysius John. The Dicastery established a Vatican COVID-19 Commission to address the challenges created by the pandemic afflicting the planet. Its action will focus on three areas to prepare the future of the world: food, since hunger will increase for hundreds of millions of people; integral ecology, to come up with new economic models that are more respectful of human health and the environment; and charity for the marginalised through greater inclusiveness and solidarity. In his introduction, Card Turkson highlighted how the pandemic has affected every aspect of human life and culture. The commission, created by Pope Francis, will rely on the help of other Vatican dicasteries and will last for at least a year. Archbishop Duffe stressed that the pandemic revealed the "vulnerability" of every aspect of life: physical, ideological, planning, economic. For this reason, it is necessary to think and act in "solidarity" by imagining "new economic models" that connect the health, ecological, economic and social" aspects of the current crisis in order to find new solutions. Fr Augusto Zampini-Davies spoke about hunger, a problem that already afflicts more than 800 million people. As a result of the coronavirus outbreak, 350 million children are now going hungry because they no longer go to school where they received their one meal a day. In his view, the problem of food will get worse in the future as agricultural production and distribution break down. He warns that food Insecurity will lead to violence and more conflicts, which will in turn, [will] cause more poverty. Hence, it is necessary to encourage improvements in farming and divert funds from weapons to food production. In his address Aloysius John spoke about how Caritas Internationalis reacted to increased needs generated by the coronavirus outbreak. The response includes providing food, distributing sanitary and health products, and helping people pay their rent. Currently, Caritas is helping more than 7.8 million people in 14 countries, including Ecuador, India, Palestine, Bangladesh, Lebanon and Burkina Faso. Other projects are under study to provide support to an additional 840,000 people in difficulty. For Aloysius John, the international community should also remove economic sanctions from countries like Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Libya, and Venezuela so that aid can reach their populations. Likewise, the debt of the worlds poorest countries should be scrapped or at least the interest they have to pay this year should be cancelled. Donations to needy countries should continue and not be used for other purposes. Employees at the Richelieu Foods plant in Beaver Dam have been quarantined after testing positive for COVID-19. Spokesperson Stacey Burke said those who were in close contact with their coworkers who tested positive have also been quarantined. Richlieu announced May 6 that it would test all 420 employees for COVID-19 after eight employees tested positive and testing was conducted on site in the following days. The plant is operational. The company takes the risk of COVID-19 very seriously, Burke said. It has followed the CDC guidelines as well as our county health departments guidance for protecting our employees and continues to work closely with local health officials to do everything it can to reduce the risk to employees and their families. Dodge County has had 87 people test positive for COVID-19 as of Friday afternoon, according to the public health department. Of that total, 43 people are under active monitoring, 43 have recovered and one resident died while out of state. There were 55 cases as of the afternoon of May 9. There were no graduation robes and group pictures, but just students happiness of getting their degrees at Jaipura Institute of Managements virtual convocation ceremony which was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Over 900 students from the institutes Noida, Lucknow, Jaipur and Indore campuses graduated at the e-convocation. Whenever in history youth has come together, they have created and rewritten the history itself. The usage of technology to invent innovative solutions will become a norm for success. Technology can be a real rescue in difficult and challenging times. So, both technology and youth have immense potential for India, Singh said. Graduation day is not the end of learning rather it has just begun and will continue throughout. Hence, it is important to learn new lessons and skills in order to survive and succeed in the corporate world. Critical thinking is one of the most sought-after attributes in the corporate world. Tackling problems with an open and objective mind helps in finding the best solutions to combat them, he added. Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16, when Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. Later, a nationwide lockdown was imposed from March 25, which was extended till May 17. Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday that China firmly supports the United Nations and the World Health Organization in playing their due roles in international cooperation against the COVID-19 pandemic. In a telephone conversation with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Xi stressed that China stands ready to work with Hungary and other members of the international community to effectively carry out joint prevention and control efforts and resolutely curb the spread of the coronavirus disease. Xi also called for concerted efforts to strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination to jointly address the challenges the pandemic has brought to the world economy. He noted that during the special period of jointly combating COVID-19, the Chinese and Hungarian peoples have been helping and supporting each other. China firmly supports the Hungarian government and people in their anti-epidemic efforts, and will continue to provide as much assistance as its capacity allows for the European country, Xi said, adding that he believes that under Orban's strong leadership, the hard-working Hungarian people will surely win the battle at an early date. Xi pointed out that through the test of the joint fight against the pandemic, the traditional friendship between the two countries will grow even deeper and bilateral cooperation will embrace broader prospects. He called on the two sides to actively plan the development of bilateral relations after the pandemic, maintain high-level contact, strengthen cooperation in such traditional areas as economy, trade and investment, actively explore cooperation in such new fields as digital economy and artificial intelligence, and promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Xi said he looks forward to meeting with Orban at an early date after the pandemic, so as to help lift the China-Hungary comprehensive strategic partnership as well as cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) to higher levels. Orban, for his part, said he congratulates the Chinese people on having successfully contained the COVID-19 epidemic through arduous efforts. He added that the Hungarian people will not forget and is deeply grateful for the timely assistance China has provided for Hungary's fight against the disease, including urgently-needed medical protective supplies. Hungary always firmly adheres to the one-China policy, he stressed. He noted that Hungary and China have carried out good cooperation in high-tech fields, which has promoted Hungary's economic development. Hungary, he said, is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in such fields as economy, trade and finance, and will continue as always to support and participate in CEEC-China cooperation. The ex-cop who appeared on video with his son where one of them shot dead Ahmaud Arbery leaked the video of the 25-year-old jogger's last moments because 'he thought it would exonerate him'. Brunswick attorney Alan Tucker - who made headlines when he revealed himself to be the one who released the video of the February 23 killing - claimed Greg McMichael wanted to use the video to clear up rumors circulating in the community after the shooting. Tucker, who said his parents live in the Satilla Shores area in Georgia where the shooting occurred, also hoped the video would ease racial tension in the community. Gregory McMichael (left) is said to have released the video of the February 23 killing of Arbery Ahmaud because he wanted to clear rumors circulating in the community. He and his son, Travis McMichael, 34, (right) have been jailed on murder charges since May 7 Brunswick attorney Alan Tucker said that he helped release the video because he 'didn't want the neighborhood to become a Ferguson' 'I didn't want the neighborhood to become a Ferguson,' Tucker explained to WSB-TV. Tucker said that Greg McMichael had brought the video, along with others, to his office beacause he wanted help to get them to a talk show host at a local Brunswick radio station. The older McMichael went to his lawyer pal as a friend and not as a potential client, the attorney said. Tucker told the local station that the 'young man (Arbery) did not deserve to be shot' but would not comment on the charges brought against his friend or Travis McMichael. Arbery, 25, was killed while jogging in Brunswick, Georgia. Travis and Gregory McMichael trailed him in their pick-up truck, allegedly believing he was responsible for a spate of robberies in the neighborhood Shocking cellphone video captured the moment the McMichaels confronted Arbery in the street. In the footage Travis is seen engaging in a physical fight with Arbery before shooting him with a shotgun The video fueled a national outcry not just over the killing but also that more than two months passed before arrests were made A map showing the Feb. 23 encounter between Arbery and the McMichaels 'There was no reason in the world for Travis to pull a shotgun out of a damn truck. None,' Tucker added. But in an interview with Inside Edition, earlier in the month, Tucker was singing a different tune. 'I really thought releasing the video would put the truth out to the public,' Tucker stated. 'If he [Arbery] had just froze and hadn't done anything, then he wouldn't have been shot.' Arbery was killed February 23 after the father and son pursued him when he jogged past their yard just outside the port city of Brunswick. The McMichaels have been jailed on murder charges since May 7. The elder McMichael told police he suspected Arbery was responsible for recent break-ins in the neighborhood. But local police have said there have been no break-ins in the area for the last couple of months. The video fueled a national outcry not just over the killing but also that more than two months passed before arrests were made. L. Chris Stewart, an attorney representing Arbery's family, derided the older McMichael for having possession of the video An officer with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is seen leading 34-year-old Travis McMichael out of the home in handcuff Exclusive photos show the moment Gregory McMichael (pictured) and his son Travis McMichael were arrested at their home in Brunswick, Georgia, on Thursday S. Lee Merritt, a lawyer representing the Arbery family, took to Twitter on Saturday to share that local police had given a property owner the retired officer's number in December to report when people were on his property. 'Police told the homeowner where #AhmaudArbery was last seen to contact Greg McMichael if his cameras caught someone on his property,' he said in the Saturday tweet. 'McMichael in turn gathered a posse & began hunting for Ahmaud, or someone who fit his description, catching up with him on 2/23/20 killing him.' Attorney Franklin Hogue, hired to defend Gregory McMichael along with his law partner wife, said more details would be revealed at a preliminary court hearing that he plans to request soon. 'The truth will reveal this is not just another act of violent racism,' Franklin Hogue told a news conference outside the couple's Macon office. 'Greg McMichael did not commit murder. Greg McMichael is not a party to the crime of murder.' L. Chris Stewart, an attorney representing Arbery's family, derided the older McMichael for having possession of the video. 'He had that tape by himself. He delivered it. We have questions about the length of it,' the lawyer said. He later added: 'I have no doubt that Mr. McMichael and his son believe what he did was OK. It just wasn't. Travis never should have gotten that shotgun. That is significant.' S. Lee Merritt, a lawyer representing the Arbery family, took to twitter on Saturday to share that local police had given a property owner the retired officer's number in December to report when people were on his property TIMELINE OF BOTCHED HANDLING OF AHMAUD ARBERY'S CASE February 23: Ahmaud Arbery is shot dead in the street in Brunswick, Georgia. Gregory and Travis McMichael had gone out in their car with guns to chase him because they mistook him for a burglar. When they caught up to him, Travis got out of the car. Jackie Johnson recused herself because McMichael used to work in her office Gregory says they told Arbery that they wanted to talk to him and that he attacked Travis. A struggle ensued and Travis fired his gun twice, killing Ahmaud, 25. Late February - First prosecutor recuses herself Jackie Johnson, the Brunswick District Attorney, stepped down from the case because Gregory used to work in her office as an investigator. Mid-April - Second prosecutor says he won't press charges, then recuses himself George Barnhill said Ahmaud initiated the fight George Barnhill was given the case. He at first said he did not think it merited charges because the McMichaels were acting lawfully by trying to carry out a citizen's arrest, which is legal in Georgia. He also said that the video 'shows' Arbery reaching for Travis' gun. Barnhill recused himself because his son, also called George Barnhill, works in the office where McMichael used to The first shot is fired however when the pair are out of frame. When the camera panned back to them, they were struggling again to the side of the vehicle. Barnhill said Travis was standing his ground by firing three shots which hit Arbery. He later had to recuse himself after it emerged that his son works in the Brunswick District Attorney's Office, where Gregory served. May 5 - Third prosecutor passes it on to grand jury Tom Durden is the third prosecutor to have the case come across his desk. He said that his office would approach it without prior prejudice. Joyette Holmes This week, he announced that he would not make a decision on whether or not to charge, and that he wants to convene a grand jury to take it on. May 7 - Georgia Bureau of Investigation files charges The GBI announced that it was bringing charges of murder and aggravated assault against the Gregory and Travis on May 7. May 11 - Department of Justice says it is weighing hate crime charges against the McMichaels Georgia's Attorney General Chris Carr orders the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to conduct a federal probe into why it took 74 days for the men to be arrested. The case is also given to Joyette Holmes, a black prosecutor. Advertisement Woman whose brother and father have been charged with murder of Ahmaud Arbery insists they are not racist because they 'loved' her non-white boyfriends - and says she is scared for her life after receiving death threats A white woman whose brother and father have been charged with murdering black jogger Ahmaud Arbery insists the pair are not racist and says the killing 'was not a lynching'. Lindsay McMichael, 30, was inside in her pajamas when her father Gregory, 64, and brother Travis, 34, shot and killed Arbery, 25, down the road from their Brunswick, Georgia home on February 23. Lindsay told The Sun on Saturday that she does not believe Arbery's slaying was racially motivated, claiming that her father and brother have 'loved' all her non-white boyfriends. 'I have never dated anyone of the same race since I was 19 years old and my father and my brother have loved every person that I've ever dated like they were their own son or brother. 'These are people that I have brought home, that my sweet mama has cooked for and given everything to'. Lindsay continued: 'They're not monsters. This wasn't a lynching. Do I think mistakes were made? Absolutely, but look back on your life how many mistakes have you made?' Lindsay McMichael is speaking out for the first time after her father, Gregory, and brother, Travis, were charged with murder over the February 23 shooting of black jogger Ahmaud Arbery Gregory and Travis trailed Ahmaud Arbery in their white pick-up truck on February 23, before shooting him. The pair allege they thought Arbery was responsible for robberies in their neighborhood. Lindsay says she rushed outside when she heard gunshots down the street, and recalled the harrowing scene in her interview with The Sun. 'I ran out to see what was going on...I had no idea. There was a firefighter I knew so I made a beeline to him and asked, 'Are my father and brother okay?' and he said yes.' Linday says she saw Travis' clothes splattered with Arbery's blood, and saw terror in his face. 'I've seen my brother in his happiest moments - I was there when his child was born and I've seen him in distress and I know that look... it wasn't like some glory thing, like 'I stalked and then got the kill that I was hoping for'. 'It was absolute f***king panic... I really do believe that things just escalated so fast.' 'I don't think it was vigilante justice. Travis had a weapon stolen. My mom's car had been rifled through. I think they just thought 'Let's apprehend this guy'.' Video footage which showed Gregory and Travis embroiled in a scuffle with Arbery before they fatally shot him sparked national outrage after it was published on social media earlier this month. Racial tensions in Georgia are running high in the aftermath of murder charges which were filed against Gregory and Travis last week. Lindsay called for calm in her interview with The Sun, stating: 'Here in the country of the United States, it is innocent until proven guilty'. 'I get it that people are angry. But let it all [the complete evidence] come out, please, for the love of God and then we'll figure things out after that. 'If things were done that were nefarious or wrong, fine, but let it come out first.' Linday says that both she and her 61-year-old mom have been subject to violent threats. Anonymous people have allegedly threatened to 'murder and rape' the pair. 'We're not not the ones on trial here - my dad and my brother are,' she stated. The fourth tranche of the Rs 20-lakh crore economic stimulus package announced by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has come in the form of reforms. Even as the aviation sector was hoping for easing of liquidity and direct injection of funds, Sitharaman chose an indirect path to provide relief. She touched upon three areas: freeing up of more airspace for civil use, privatisation of six more airports (in addition to existing 12 airports which have been awarded or identified), and making India an MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) hub. Although the government has been making efforts across all these three areas for some years, it has ignited a fresh hope among the sector players in the middle of coronavirus pandemic. For instance, the FM has said that the government has plans to make India as a MRO hub so that the domestic aircraft don't fly outside of the country for their maintenance work. She said that efforts will be made to push engine and aircraft OEMs (original equipment makers) to set up shops in the country, and the aircraft component repairs and airframe maintenance will increase from Rs 800 crore to Rs 2,000 crore in three years. At the moment, nearly 90 per cent of the (civil) aircraft maintenance work goes out of the country, primarily to Hong Kong, Singapore and Sri Lanka. That's largely due to high taxation, and the reluctance of foreign component OEMs to set up base in the country. Though starting April, the GST on the total MRO work has been reduced from 18 per cent to 5 per cent which should result in more business going to local MRO. "That's a huge benefit. To encourage OEMs to come to India requires liberal FDI policy. Government has large land bank to facilitate these OEMs to set up large infrastructure in the country," says Pulak Sen, founder secretary general, MRO Association of India, adding that the decision to converge defence and civil MRO would need more clarification because of the requirement of a separate set of certifications to repair defence aircraft. ALSO READ:Big beneficiaries of Tranche IV stimulus: Adani, Vedanta, Tata Power, Anil Ambani's Reliance In India, there are over 300 MROs but most of them are small entities. Even the large private players like AirWorks and GMR have their hands full due to limited capacities. Though Air India has major capabilities to do all kinds of maintenance work here - structural (mainframe), landing gear, component repairs and engine - it has started doing third-party work (for other airlines like GoAir) just two years ago. The other big announcement on creating six more world-class airports through PPP (public private partnership) model is essentially an extension of the existing privatisation progamme that's being carried out by the nodal agency AAI (Airports Authority of India). By adding six more airports, government would give a total of 18 airports under the PPP model. These 18 airports would be on top of the eight airports awarded under PPP model over the years, including airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and others. These 18 airports are in non-metro cities. In general, the air traffic from non-metro cities have been rising over the past few years, and given that point-to-point air connectivity is going to be the mantra for airlines in the post-Covid era, the development of non-metro airports have become a critical piece of the government's infrastructure development programme. ALSO READ:FM unveils tariff policy reforms for power sector Last February, the Gautam Adani-controlled Adani Enterprises won the rights to operate, manage and develop six airports - Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Trivandrum, Guwahati and Mangaluru - for a period of 50 years. As per today's announcement, the annual revenues from these airports is likely to be Rs 1,000 crore annually (up from Rs 540 crore at the moment). AAI will also get a down payment of Rs 2,300 crore for these airports. But that's not all. In addition to the six airports won by Adani Enterprises, the AAI has identified six airports that will be put up for bids shortly. Though FM Sitharaman didn't divulge the names of these six airports, they are likely to be Varanasi, Amritsar, Bhubaneswar, Trichy, Indore and Raipur. In total, these 12 airports (in round one and round two) would result in investments of Rs 13,000 crore from the private entities. Experts say that bidding for the second round, which is going to happen soon, is not timed well. How? The bidding would hugely rely on historical data (passengers, etc) which under the current circumstances have no relevance. Investors need to take a long term view while bidding for such projects that have tenures of 30-50 years. The changes in travel patterns in the post-Covid world (selective travel by individuals, cost-cutting by corporates) would impact demand for air travel, and investors would have little confidence in bidding at this stage. ALSO READ:FDI in defence manufacturing raised to 74% from 49% Peeyush Naidu, Partner at Deloitte India, however, says that between the first round where a number of players had participated for the development of six airports, and the just-announced second and third rounds, a lot has changed in terms of impact on passenger traffic and the aviation sector. "For this initiative to be successful, it would be critical to go back to the drawing board on a number of aspects, and tailor the structure and timing with respect to the potential 'new normal' in the sector as well as private sector interest and appetite at this time." As far as domestic airlines are concerned, a relief has come in the form of freeing up of more airspace for the civilian aircraft by the defence forces. While the relaxations of airspace have been going on for more than a decade, there's still just 60 per cent of the airspace available for civil aircraft to fly. That's because military services use the rest of the airspace for their training and sorties. The move, as the minister outlined, would benefit the civil aviation companies by Rs 1,000 crore per year as there will be reduction in detours, and consumption of aircraft fuel. Experts say that Rs 1,000 crore is nothing in front of the damage caused by the pandemic. As per ratings agency ICRA, domestic airlines are losing Rs 75-90 crore per day due to flight restrictions during the lockdown period. The airlines still have no clarity as to when they will be allowed to resume operations. In the absence of direct benefits to the airlines, their existence, particularly the smaller carriers, remains questionable. "I would have also liked to hear more relief measures for the civil aviation sector to keep it alive post-Covid-19," said Vishesh Chandiok, CEO at Grant Thornton India. ALSO READ:Economic stimulus Tranche IV: Old wine in new bottle China on Friday issued a statement calling on all UN member states to actively fulfill their financial obligations to the United Nations, stressing that Washington owes the organization more than $2 billion. As of May 14, the total unpaid assessments under the UN regular budget and peacekeeping budget amount to 1.63 billion and 2.14 billion US dollars respectively, the Chinese statement said, citing a report from the UN Secretary-Generals office and a meeting held on Thursday. Including arrears that stretch back several years, the United States is the largest debtor, owing 1.165 billion and 1.332 billion US dollars respectively, China added. ALSO WATCH | Covid: Chinese hackers targeting US vaccine research? Donald Trump responds The US is the biggest contributor to the UN budget, paying 22 percent of its annual running costs, a bill which adds up to around $3 billion; and 25 percent of its peacekeeping operations, which amount to some $6 billion a year. Officially, Washington is meant to pay 27.89 percent of the peacekeeping budget, but a decision made by Congress and implemented by President Donald Trump in 2017 cut that payment to 25 percent, meaning Washington runs up an annual shortfall of $200 million. The United States also has a fiscal year that runs from October to October, which can make it look like an even bigger debtor at certain times of the year. The US mission to the UN dismissed the call, saying China is eager to distract attention from its cover-up and mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis, and this is yet another example. It continued: The United States recently made a payment of $726 million toward its peacekeeping assessment, and per practice will pay the bulk of its assessment at the end of the calendar year. It said the total peacekeeping arrears was $888 million, adding: Roughly two-thirds of this amount is the result of payment at the rate of 25 percent from 2017 through the present. The payment of contributions by member countries for peacekeeping operations has a direct impact on the reimbursements the UN pays to countries that contribute troops to the 15 or so missions around the world. In a report on May 11, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that there may be significant delays towards the middle of the year, unless the cash position across missions improves significantly. On Thursday, around 50 of the 193 member states, including China, paid their contributions in full, which Beijing -- the second largest contributor, far behind the United States -- noted in its statement. China pays around 12 percent of the UNs running costs and around 15 percent of the peacekeeping budget. A federal judge ordered a former Johnstown man to pay nearly $370,000 to the government agency that had to clean up the unpermitted hazardous waste he'd stored at an old tannery building in the city, authorities said Friday. Carville National Leather Corporation was a family owned tannery operating in the small Fulton County city from 1976 until September 2013. Robert Carville, 57, owned and operated the business for about 10 years before it closed. Orthopaedic teams across north Wales explain how theyve adapted their services during coronavirus pandemic This article is old - Published: Saturday, May 16th, 2020 Healthcare workers across north Wales have been adapting the way they provide services to help ensure that people still have access to the care they need. Although elective surgery has been temporarily postponed, the Orthopaedic teams are still supporting patients in different ways, such as carrying out patient reviews over the telephone and continuing to carry out emergency trauma operations. Plans have also been put in place to ensure care is still available for patients with musculoskeletal injuries. Wrexham Maelor Hospitals Orthopaedic team have created a one-stop Consultant led service within their department to support these types of patients. Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and Trauma Lead, Mr David Barlow, said: Early on during this pandemic we decided we needed to establish a service where patients can be seen quickly to reduce their time in the hospital, and also to reduce the pressure on our Emergency Department. We are now into our second month of running an efficient minor injuries service in our own department, as well as continuing with our normal trauma lists for our emergency patients. However, patients with a minor injury now come directly to us, rather than into the Emergency Department. We see a number of different injuries from cuts and bruises to more serious injuries which may require a small operation, which we can do in our Minor Operating Theatre within the department. Our priority was to prevent patients from waiting a long time to be seen for treatment and also the need for patients to return to hospital for a follow up appointment with a specialist. This service allows patients to be seen quicker and prevents many of them needing to return for further treatment. The teams involved include specialist surgeons, nurses, plaster technicians and physiotherapists to ensure we have cover available during 8am to midnight seven days a week, with our normal on call service continuing between those times, to provide the best possible care for our patients. At Ysbyty Gwynedd they are delivering a consultant delivered emergency service and also supporting their colleagues within nearby community hospitals. Consultant Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon, Mr Agustin Soler, said: At the start of the pandemic we knew we had to change the way we delivered our fracture clinics to minimise the patient footprint into the hospital. As well as running our regular on call service we now have an additional dedicated Consultant available between 8am 5pm who can make the senior decisions on what care the patient needs. This can either prevent them from coming into hospital or reduce the need for them to come back for further treatment. This has reduced the number of admissions and clinic appointments. Those who do need to be seen by a member of our specialist team are seen in a safe environment, treated and in some cases will need to return in a few weeks, depending on their injury. To adhere to social distancing guidelines we now see the patients adjacent to the Emergency Department, rather than the fracture clinic, which was an enclosed space and not suitable during these times. It has also been important to us to support our colleagues in the community and we are doing this by offering advice and support to staff in the Minor Injury Units who are seeing patients with injuries that can be treated locally, rather than in hospital. At Ysbyty Glan Clwyd a new temporary Surgical Emergency Department has been established at the front of the hospital. Miss Louisa Banks, Trauma and Orthopaedic Consultant, said: Due to our elective service being postponed, we decided to form a new department to keep our patients as safe as possible during this time. Rather than attend the Emergency Department, patients are now triaged and directed to the ideal person to deal with their injury within the large Surgical Emergency Department. We wanted to create a Consultant led service and maintain an environment that is as safe as possible for our patients, to reduce the risk from coronavirus and prevent recurrent and unnecessary visits to the hospital. The department has been working really well and other surgical teams such as the vascular, general, Ear Nose and Throat and Maxillofacial surgical teams have now moved into this area to see patients who require urgent treatment. Security firms have foiled an advanced cyber espionage campaign carried out by Chinese APT and aimed at infiltrating a governmental institution and two companies. Antivirus firms have uncovered and foiled an advanced cyber espionage campaign aimed at a governmental institution and two companies in the telecommunications and gas sector. The level of sophistication of the attack and the nature of targets suggests the involvement of an advanced persisten threat, likely from China, focused on cyber espionage activity in Central Asia. Attackers used multiple commodity malware and previously unknown backdoors in the attacks, the analysis of their code suggests a possible link with multiple campaigns uncovered over several years. Most of the C2 used by the attackers are hosted by the provider Choopa, LLC, and threat actors made large use of Gh0st RAT, a malware attributed to China-linked cyber espionage groups. The security firm ESET and Avast first detected the attacks since September and January respectively. The researchers identified a host used as a repository containing hacking tools and backdoors, whose code has many similarities with malware previously associated with China-linked APT groups. The samples we analyzed contain links to malware samples and campaigns, such as Microcin, BYEBY, and Vicious Panda, previously described by Kaspersky, Palo Alto Networks, and Check Point, respectively. The backdoors we found are custom tools that have not previously been analyzed, as far as we know. reads a report published by Avast. The majority of the C&C servers are registered to Choopa, LLC, a hosting platform that has been used by cybercriminals in the past. Below a timeline of the attacks that appeared to be associated with the same threat actor. An APT group, which we believe could possibly be from China, planted backdoors to gain long-term access to corporate networks. Based on our analysis, we suspect the group was also behind attacks active in Mongolia, Russia, and Belarus. continues Avast. Researchers from ESET that investigared into the attacks discovered three backdoors that collectively tracked as Mikroceen. The backdoors allowed the threat actors to manage the target file system, establish a remote shell, take screenshots, manage services and processes, and run console commands. Below the list of backdoors published by ESET: sqllauncher.dll (VMProtected backdoor) (VMProtected backdoor) logon.dll (VMProtected backdoor) (VMProtected backdoor) logsupport.dll (VMProtected backdoor) Both sqllauncher.dll and logon.dll run as services and use the same C2 infrastructure, experts noticed that all of them feature protection against reverse engineering. Two of them, sqllauncher.dll and logon.dll, run as services and use the same C2 server. Attackers use a version of the Mimikatz post-exploitation tool and rely on Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) for lateral movement. Avast reported its findings to the local CERT team and reached out to the telecommunications company. We have not heard back from either organization. concluded Avast. Avast has recently protected users in Central Asia from further attacks using the samples we analyzed. Both Avast and ESET have published a list of indicators of compromise (IoC) for the above threats. Pierluigi Paganini (SecurityAffairs Microcin malware, hacking) In a symbolic and practical move signaling the essential end to capital punishment in Oregon, the state is dismantling death row. This summer, the Oregon Department of Corrections will empty death row at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem and send the 27 condemned men who live there, some for decades, to general population or other prison housing. The space will be converted into a disciplinary unit for prisoners who commit assaults, engage in extortion, gang activity or other illicit conduct behind bars. Last year alone, more than 1,000 inmates cycled through the disciplinary unit, now located in an older building. The agency has considered the move since 2016, when a prominent prison reform group recommended that Oregon shutter death row to lessen the potential psychological harms associated long-term segregation. Corrections Director Colette Peters, on Friday described her decision as a practical one: Prison managers could use the space and the shift translates into cost-savings. The 40-cell unit houses only 27 inmates. She said the move has no connection to the coronavirus pandemic. Peters said the change is in line with her agencys efforts to reduce its use of segregation and create an atmosphere of normalcy and humanity behind bars. I need to say very clearly that when we make these moves we will make them with the safety and security of our employees and the institution first and foremost, Peters said. We will not move anyone we dont think can safely walk general population. Though driven by largely practical concerns, the dismantling of death row is a nod to a larger reality: Capital punishment in Oregon has effectively ended due to evolving sentencing laws and a nearly decade-long governors moratorium on executions. The Legislature last year changed the aggravated murder statute, severely limiting the kinds of killings eligible for capital punishment. Today, 28 states, including Oregon, have the death penalty. In addition to Oregon, two other states have a moratorium. Oregons moratorium began in the Kitzhaber administration and continues under Gov. Kate Brown. Going forward, it is unlikely that Oregons death row will grow much -- if at all. Criminal justice reform organizations, like the ACLU of Oregon and the Oregon Justice Resource Center, hailed the news as a landmark in the states long history with capital punishment and urged Brown to commute the death sentences of the men housed there. We dont actually impose the death penalty and now we are apparently going to not even house people who have a death sentence separately from the rest of the population, said Jesse Merrithew, a Portland criminal defense lawyer who represents two men on death row. They are Jason Brumwell, convicted in the 2003 murder of a fellow inmate, and Bruce Turnidge, who along with his son, Joshua, was convicted a decade ago in the Woodburn bank bombing that killed two police officers and injured a third. You gotta ask: What is the point? Why do we still have it at all? he said. *** Oregon is the latest state to reexamine how it houses and treats the condemned, a trend shaped by litigation, experts said. Some states have done away with the death penalty and closed their death rows and others, like Pennsylvania, have begun moving prisoners into the general population, said Cassandra Stubbs, director of the ACLU Capital Punishment Project. California too plans to reassign death row inmates, she said. Segregated housing like death row often involves long stretches of isolation, which can be psychologically debilitating, especially for people who have histories of mental illness or other mental health problems, which a significant number of prisoners on death row have, said Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, a national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. Dunham pointed to studies that show death row inmates typically are no different from those in general population when it comes to the potential danger they pose to other prisoners. Thats the case in Oregon, Peters said. Death row inmates have far fewer disciplinary issues compared with the rest of the prison population, she said. Contrary to the popular myth, prisoners on death row as a whole do not represent the worst of the worst, Dunham said. They are no different in terms of their dangerousness in prison from other prisoners who were sentenced to life for murder. Four years ago, the Vera Institute of Justice, a national research and policy nonprofit based in New York City, recommended that Oregon close its death row. Decisions about where a prisoner lives should be based on their conduct in prison, not their sentence, said Elena Vanko, a senior program associate with the group. The idea, she said, is to treat these people with death sentences the same in that sense. *** But some prosecutors and crime victims oppose the decision. Paige Clarkson, the Marion County district attorney and president of the Oregon District Attorneys Association, said the men who live there have wreaked unimaginable havoc upon the lives of their victims. Keeping them in permanent isolation from society is but a small consequence in comparison to what they have done, said Clarkson, whose office prosecuted the Woodburn bombers and five others on death row. Bruce Mitchell said he was stunned to learn that Christian Longos days on death row are numbered. Longo, 46, killed Mitchells niece, Mary Jane, and her three children, Zachery, Sadie and Madison. Mitchell said he hopes the prospect of change presents a hardship for Longo. His crime was so horrendous and so devastating to my family, he said. I know you are supposed to be a forgiving person and a Christian, but I never want him to be able to forget what hes done or have a good life. Scott Tennant lost his father, Woodburn Police Capt. Tom Tennant, in the Woodburn bombing and said hes always taken comfort knowing the men responsible were locked away from other inmates. They were put in such an isolated spot, said Tennant, a deputy for the Linn County Sheriffs Office. They didnt get to interact with other people. Thats just part of the punishment for the crime, he said. Terri Hakim said she is struggling to absorb the news. Her husband, Oregon State Police Senior Trooper William Hakim, was also killed in the bank bombing. Victims and their families were overlooked in the decision, she said. I liked the fact that they were on death row, she said, and having to suffer. *** Located in a far corner of the State Penitentiary grounds, Oregons death row is a prison within a prison. During a tour of the unit earlier this year, most of the men were in their cells; the two-tiered unit was quiet. The men live in single cells and call out to a corrections officer if they want to leave the cell to sit in the day room or take a shower or exercise outside in the recreation area. They eat meals in their cells. Like general population inmates, they are allowed to have televisions and they can order from the canteen. They can make calls on the unit and take the phone into their cell. They can leave their cells for showering and shaving every day and can exercise outside for an hour a day five days a week. Death row features a small law library. Some of the men have churned through appeals and court reviews for years and have amassed massive files. Death row inmates are allowed to keep their own files with them a privilege they will lose once they leave death row. The mothballed execution chamber sits next door. We have worked hard to make that as humane and normal as possible, Peters said of death row. So those individuals who move from death row to general population will actually lose some of the things they have been used to. Janet Turnidge, whose son and husband are on death row, said the pair worry theyll be separated in the move. She said her husband has trouble hearing; her son serves as his communicator. They work together on their appeals, she said in an email to The Oregonian/OregonLive. Inmates on death row are considered the safest to work with by the staff, she wrote. General population is by far a more dangerous place to be. Not only for the guards, but also for the inmates. Where the group will end up is still unknown. Peters said a handful of the men can be safely housed in general population while others will always have to be in a single-cell environment. Richard Wolf, a criminal defense lawyer, said the closing of death row likely represents a mixed bag for the men who live there. Inmates could end up in far-flung eastern Oregon, away from family in the Willamette Valley. I think there are plusses and minuses, said Wolf, who represents Dayton Leroy Rogers, 66, considered Oregons most prolific serial killer. Whether the guys are seeing it as a positive or a negative remains to be determined. -- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. PARIS A French-Iranian academic who has been detained in Iran for almost a year was sentenced on Saturday to six years in prison on national security charges, according to her lawyer. The academic, Fariba Adelkhah, was sentenced to five years jail for gathering and conspiring against Irans national security, the lawyer, Saeid Dehghan, told Reuters, adding that she was also given a one-year jail term for propaganda against the Islamic Republic. Mr. Dehghan wrote on Twitter that his client would appeal the decision. He could not be immediately reached for comment. Iran has arrested dozens of dual citizens on espionage charges in recent years, regularly using their release as a bargaining chip to seek the repatriation of Iranian prisoners in other countries. Ms. Adelkhah, who was arrested in Tehran in June 2019, was also accused of espionage, which is punishable by death, but those charges were lifted earlier this year. The national security charges, however, were upheld. The number of closed M&A (merger and acquisition) transactions in the GCC for the first quarter witnessed a 52 per cent decline when compared to the same period last year, while it fell 51% over the previous quarter, according to a report by Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz). None of the GCC countries recorded a growth in the number of closed transactions relative to the previous quarter, thanks to the havoc created by the Covid-19 outbreak. The GCC economy experienced a significant slowdown due to the pandemic and the uncertainty it has caused. As such, this has significantly impacted the level of M&A activity throughout the quarter, stated the report issued by the Investment Banking Department at Markaz. A majority of the transactions completed during Q1 2020 and Q4 2019 were carried out by GCC acquirers. Of the total number of Q1 transactions, GCC acquirers accounted for 92% while foreign acquirers accounted for 4% and the remaining 4% represents transactions for which the buyer information was not available, it stated. The market witnessed a similar pattern during the previous quarter in Q4 2019 as GCC acquirers accounted for 71% of the total number of closed transactions while foreign acquirers accounted for 24%. Regionwise, the UAEs logistics sector topped the GCC M&A transactions list with Port & Free Zone's 20% stake buy in a fellow logistics company, DP World, for $2.7 billion. The firm currently holds 80% of DP Worlds existing share capital. The next two transactions involved UAE buyers, both of whom fully acquired local companies. The first was Gulf Capital acquiring 100% of IVI-RMA Middle East, one of the fastest growing providers of fertility treatment services, for a total value of $100 million. The second transaction involved Mastek Arabia fully acquiring the Middle Eastern arm of Evolutionary Systems Arabia, an IT-focused consulting firm, for $65 million. The second largest transaction in the region was by Qatar Petroleum, which acquired a 25% stake in Qatar Fertiliser Company for $1 billion. The third was Saudi with its Jazan Energy & Development Company announcing the merger of its international aquaculture unit with three local aquaculture companies. Under the terms of this deal, Jazan will own a 45% stake worth $60 million in Advanced Aquaculture Company (the merged entity). According to Markaz, a majority of the Gulf acquirers preferred acquiring local or regional companies as opposed to acquiring foreign targets. The UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia were the most active players in terms of local activity while the remaining acquirers each closed one transaction in their home countries. In addition, the UAE surpassed its GCC counterparts and reported seven closed transactions that involved foreign targets whereas Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia closed one transaction each. Lastly, neither Oman nor Qatar closed any transactions involving foreign targets, stated the report. Compared to the previous quarter, the market attracted a significantly lower level of interest from foreign buyers, which again, was in large part related to the global slowdown. Overall, there was only one closed transaction that involved a foreign buyer, which is 92% lower relative to Q4 2019 and a decrease of 94% relative to Q1 2019. The one transaction that closed oversaw the Spanish company, Aqualia buy a 51% stake in Qatarat Saqia Desalination Company for an undisclosed amount. The transactions that closed throughout the quarter spanned across multiple sectors which was also observed in the previous quarter. With that being said, the sectors that witnessed the greatest level of activity throughout Q1 2020 were the Financials, Information Technology and Industrials sector. These three sectors collectively accounted for almost 50% of the total transactions that closed throughout the quarter. Lastly, the quarter recorded activity in three new sectors and they are the Aviation, Construction and Telecommunication Services sectors. By the end of Q1 2020, there was a total of 14 announced transactions in the pipeline, which was the same as the previous quarter. Roughly 58% of these transactions involved UAE targets while the remaining portion equally involved both Kuwaiti and Saudi targets. Neither Bahrain, Oman nor Qatar had announced any transactions throughout the quarter.-TradeArabia News Service Press Release May 16, 2020 Bong Go urges education sector to make use of technology to prepare alternative modes of teaching and learning amid COVID-19 crisis As the threats of COVID-19 continue to reduce physical mobility and highlight the importance of preparing for the "new normal", Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go has recommended to the education sector to innovate on ways on how to conduct teaching and learning while adhering to the physical distancing protocols and other measures set by the government to curb the spread of COVID-19. "Pag-isipan na po natin paano makakapag-aral ang mga kabataan na may social distancing at iba pang mga hakbang na ipapatupad depende sa sitwasyon sa mga lugar nila," Go said. The Senator reminded concerned agencies and educational institutions to guide students in preparation for the next school year considering that classes are supposed to resume as early as August while the whole world is still trying to put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Hindi pa natin alam kung ano ang mangyayari sa susunod na mga buwan. Sinisikap po natin na ma-flatten na ang curve at matapos na ang krisis na ito. Pero hindi pa rin tayo dapat maging kampante kaya importanteng may precautionary measures pa rin in place para hindi na muling kumalat ang sakit," Go said. "Paghandaan natin kung papaano magpapatuloy ang ating pamumuhay sa panahon ng 'new normal'. Maglatag na po tayo ng kailangang policies and protocols. Siguraduhin nating makapag-aral ang kabataan habang patuloy nating nilalabanan ang COVID-19," he added. Go is encouraging educational institutions to explore possible online or distance learning programs for students to be able to continue their studies without putting them at harm or adding burden to then and their families given the challenges of the post COVID-19 situation. "Hindi naman po pwedeng tumigil ang kanilang pag-aaral," Go said, adding that "schools must also prepare their facilities and lay down protocols in preparation for the possible scenarios that students, teachers and education personnel will face when classes resume." Go also urged the private sector, particularly telecommunication companies and media networks, to help the education sector by allowing their platforms to be used for educational purposes. "Gamitin ang teknolohiya na available para sa distance learning tulad ng pagkakaroon ng virtual classrooms. May airtime rin na allotted for educational programs ayon sa batas, pwede po itong gamitin bilang alternative mode of teaching and learning," he said. Go was referring to RA 8370 or the Children's Television Act of 1997 which states that "a minimum of fifteen percent (15%) of the daily total air time of each broadcasting network shall be allotted for child-friendly shows within the regular programming of all networks granted franchises or as a condition for renewal of broadcast licenses hereinafter, to be included as part of the network's responsibility of serving the public." Meanwhile, Go also mentioned that in order to successfully implement the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) Program, the government must be able to further improve the education system nationwide and assure that schools in the provinces can accommodate more students. "Ihanda na natin ang mga probinsya dahil marami pong pamilya ang gustong umuwi na pagkatapos ng krisis na ito. Isa sa dapat ikonsidera ay ang kahandaan ng mga eskwelahan at ibang learning institutions sa mga lilipat na estudyante," Go explained. Go said that the education system in rural areas must be enhanced to prepare for the transfer of students. Aside from the physical facilities of schools, Go said that a thorough review of teaching strategies based on new technology and availability of the internet for E-learning must be considered. "Kapag maganda ang education system sa iba't ibang rehiyon sa bansa, mas makakaenganyo ito sa mga pamilya na umuwi sa kanilang probinsya," Go explained. "Marami naman pong magagaling na eskwelahan sa iba't ibang parte ng bansa. Pruweba rito ang resulta ng 2020 Bar exams kung saan 'probinsyano' ang karamihan na nasa Top 10... Patunay ito na kung patuloy nating ayusin pa ang kalidad ng edukasyon sa mga lalawigan, hindi na kailangang lumuwas ng Kamaynilaan para mag-aral," Go added. Go encouraged the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to work together and continue improving the quality and capacity of schools nationwide. Go has expressed his appreciation for DepEd's efforts of laying out the Basic Education - Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) to ensure that learning among Filipino students continues amid the global pandemic. The BE-LCP has been approved and adopted by the Inter-Agency Task Force after consultation with partner institutions and organizations. The adjustments under this comprehensive continuity plan cover the K-to-12 curriculum. It aligns learning materials, provides various modalities of delivery, and includes teacher and parent/guardian training for homeschooling. With school opening scheduled on August 24, the DepEd said that schools may be allowed to hold physical classes as long as they meet the requirements set by proper authorities, both national and local. These include measures to ensure the health and safety of students, the teachers, and the non-teaching personnel in educational institutions. Go also commended the DepEd for its "Sulong EduKalidad" initiative. Launched last December, "Sulong EduKalidad" involves reforms to achieve quality in basic education in "response to the rapidly changing learning environment of present and future learners and will introduce aggressive reforms to globalize the quality of basic education in the Philippines." To reduce physical contact among students and teaching personnel once the school year has opened, DepEd is also preparing guidelines that could limit the number of students to fifteen to twenty per classroom. However, Go noted that this will pose challenges given the limited number of classrooms and teachers in the country. He appealed that funding must be made available for the construction and repair of school facilities. Last year, Go filed Senate Bill No. 396 seeking to amend Section 272 of the Local Government Code of 1991 by expanding the application of the Special Education Fund taken from the additional 1% on real property tax. If this proposed measure is passed into law, LGUs will be allowed to utilize their SEF to further improve education facilities such as for the operation and maintenance of public schools; construction and repair of school buildings and libraries, facilities and equipment; payment of salaries, allowances and other benefits of teaching and non-teaching personnel; competency trainings for teaching personnel; operation of Alternative Learning System; among others. May 15 marks the 45th anniversary of the rescue operation to retake a US cargo ship SS Mayaguez that was captured by the Khmer Rouge in 1975, and led to a brief but fierce battle between US marines and the Communist fighters on Koh Tang, one of Cambodias islands off the coast of Sihanoukville. VOA reporter Men Kimseng interviewed Cpl. Al Bailey who fought and survived the Khmer Rouge onslaught. Mr. Bailey is now retired, but is still fighting another battle to get proper recognition for a hero who saved the battle and many lives including his on that day. I think the bottom line is the politicians and companies dont care and made a decision to get auto manufacturing going again. While the union is just playing their part and preaching safety protocols, there will be a human cost from this. Everyone knows that. These remarks by a worker at the General Motors Fort Wayne Assembly plant express a growing feeling among autoworkers that they must take a stand to oppose the premature reopening of auto plants in North America. The Detroit automakers, with the full support of the United Auto Workers, are set to begin ramping up assembly lines Monday in the US, Canada and Mexico. Several Japanese and German automakers have already started producing cars. The ruling class is reopening the economy, including the restart of giant auto assembly plants employing thousands of workers, despite the continuing rise in coronavirus infections and deaths and the lack of protection for employees. This was underscored Friday by President Trump, who declared at a press conference, I don't want people to think this is all dependent on a vaccine. Vaccine or no vaccine, were back. And were starting the process. Workers walkout over coronavirus at FCA Dundee Engine Plant in March Trump went on to mock concerns over the spread of the disease. In many cases they dont have vaccines, and a virus or a flu comes and you fight through it, he said, adding, Other things have never had a vaccine, and they go away." Without a vaccine or massive testing and contact tracing, something the Trump administration refuses to organize, health experts say it is exceedingly dangerous to lift lockdown measures. Concerns over the reopening of the auto plants have been heightened by reports of COVID-19 infection among team leaders at Fiat Chryslers Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP) north of Detroit. These workers were called in to work this week to prepare for the restart of production on May 18. Fiat Chrysler (FCA) management confirmed at least one case at the plant. Workers widely shared a report on COVID-19 at SHAP posted yesterday on the World Socialist Web Site. Fox News interviewed a team leader at SHAP who said some of those who had been in contact with the infected team leader were not allowed to go home to get tested and self-isolate with pay. He remarked, If this is what happened when we have 200 people in there, what will happen next week when there are thousands? Underscoring the danger of an early reopening of assembly lines while the COVID-19 virus spreads unchecked is the assessment of medical experts, who warn that large factories pose a particular threat of the spread of the disease, as demonstrated by outbreaks centered in meatpacking plants. Detroit, a center of US auto production, is already also a hotspot of coronavirus infections and deaths. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, Dr. Chris Murray, director of the University of Washingtons Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, said a study from New Zealand showed that half of all COVID-19 transmissions came from large transmission events in that country. And that really, I think, puts the onus on employers and local governments keeping the limits on group gatherings down to a pretty small number, like 10 or less, just to avoid the risk of those hundred-people transmission events that weve seen quite routinely, Murray said. The Los Angeles Times wrote: That means that larger workplacessuch as places with assembly lines where people are close to one anotherare particularly vulnerable as a threat for rapid spread of disease, said David Michaels, epidemiologist and professor in environmental and occupational health at George Washington University and assistant secretary of labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the Obama administration. In Washington state, a single person who was showing signs of illness attended a two-and-a-half-hour choir practice at church on March 10 with 60 other people. After the practice, 52 people fell sick with COVID-19, a disease attack rate of 87 percent, and two died. A COVID-19 outbreak that started at Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls, South Dakota has resulted in more than 1,000 linked cases. It is one of the largest identified outbreaks in the US. Despite this, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it will not enforce any safety guidelines if employers act in good faith. In other words, workers are on their own. There are no safety rules on the books for dealing with infectious diseases after a decade of delays under both the Obama and Trump administrations. Julia Heck, an epidemiologist and adjunct associate professor and researcher at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, spoke to the World Socialist Web Site about the concerns from an epidemiological standpoint posed by the premature reopening of nonessential industry. From the perspective of an epidemiologist, the goal is to preserve life, she said. Undoubtedly, reopening the economy more broadly is going to result in more cases of COVID-19 and more death. I dont know at this point if it would be realistic to change the whole environment in these plants for workers to go back to work in them safely when the companies expect them to. Workers at FCA Warren Stamping If there was widespread rapid testing, that could be a key to reopening also, but that doesnt seem to be on the horizon any time soon. A worker from Indiana wrote to the World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter: I have been recalled to the filthy GM foundry (Bedford, Indiana) who liberally sprays known poisons in the air. This is concurred by their own industrial hygienist. I start May 18 while they are still running ads in Indiana to stay home. ... Because of my age and health, I have concerns that to date havent been addressed. A young worker at SHAP agreed, Yes, its too soon. I had to report on Monday. They passed out unwrapped facemasks and made us go through an obstacle course to get to the turnstiles. I didnt feel safe one minute of the shift. He said that his son had been diagnosed with Kawasaki disease in October, which has been linked to the coronavirus. I had to suppress panic attacks the whole time on Monday, he said. Yesterday, I had a video visit with my primary physician and expressed my anxiety and concern with the possibility of contracting the virus and passing it on to my son. I wont put my son at risk to go in and build a damn truck thats not even going to sell at the moment. The World Socialist Web Site and the Autoworker Newsletter urge autoworkers to organize independently of the UAW to prepare a fight against the premature return to work. We call for the building of rank-and-file factory safety committees. Networks of communication need to be established between factories and different affected industries, including auto, meatpacking, logistics and transportation in the US, Canada and Mexico. There should be no return to work at nonessential industries until the virus is contained and healthy and safe conditions are established in the plants. This must be monitored by the democratically chosen rank-and-file committees. The Fort Wayne worker said, I can see it leading to more walkouts maybe if locations see large amounts of infections. The problem now is the union and government agencies are green-lighting starting back up and are not going to intervene if there are outbreaks. Business as usual at the cost of human lives. Another SHAP worker said that management was concerned about possible heavy absenteeism. They are definitely trying to get as many TPTs [temporary part-time workers] as they can in place of full timers. People are worried about going. It is crazy that people are making desperate decisions. He said that one temp worker said he planned to drive 10 hours straight to get back to SHAP. They were under the impression that they wouldnt come back until June 1. Since they are on an at-need basis, its come back or else. A worker at Dearborn Truck said, I think it is totally insane that we are going back on Monday. There is no way possible you can work in that environment and not be put in danger. Think of what that will mean under the present circumstances. There are just too many people and too many unknowns. Even before, people were bringing in their own fans, blowing the air around and all that. Who knows what will happen now? Workers across North America are calling for joint action against the gang-up by the corporations, the political establishment and the unions against the workers. A Canadian FCA worker told the Autoworker Newsletter: I work for FCA Brampton Assembly in Ontario, Canada. I for one believe it is too soon to open up the auto plants in Mexico, USA or Canada. COVID-19 is not under control, and I believe auto companies and governments are jumping the gun all for money instead of human health. We in Canada will be watching our brothers and sisters in the USA and Mexico closely with this horrendous virus. US plants have lost too many workers already. Please, lets not lose any more of our loved ones. Please be safe, everyone. A worker at the Windsor Assembly plant in Ontario, Canada said, Its odd that you cant go see your mother on Mothers Day. No gathering of more than five people here. But you have to go to work. How sensible is that? So 100,000 people die. They dont care. What will be done? Nothing. At the General Motors plant in Silao, Mexico, which is scheduled to restart production Monday, a rank-and-file group called Generating Movement issued a statement, An international call for solidarity and action in support for the workers struggle at General Motors. The committee rejects managements bogus safety measures as inadequate and warns of the crime that the owners and managers of General Motors are about to commit by forcing our co-workers to return to work on May 18, during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, and May 30 for those co-workers that are most vulnerable. The life-and-death issues raised by the drive to push workers back into the factories above all pose a political challenge to the working class. In the US, both the Trump administration and Democratic governors, such as Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan, have lined up behind the auto companies reckless campaign to restart production. This fight requires the development of a political movement of the working class to fight on a socialist program aimed at the defense of human needs and human life, not corporate profits. We encourage workers who are interested in more information to contact the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter and the Socialist Equality Party. A barber who continued to cut hair at a shop in New York over the past few weeks in violation of the state's stay-at-home order has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, according to the Ulster County Department of Health and Mental Health. In a statement Wednesday, the county health commissioner advised anyone who received a haircut in the past three weeks at a barbershop on Broadway in the city of Kingston, about 20 miles north of Poughkeepsie, to seek testing for the coronavirus. The statement did not identify either the barber or the shop. Nonessential businesses have been closed since March 22 under an order issued by Gov. Andrew Cuomo that is set to expire Friday, when certain parts of the state that have met public health metrics will be allowed to begin a phased reopening. Under the order, barbershops, beauty salons, nail salons and other businesses that provide personal care services are not allowed to be open and operated to slow the spread of the coronavirus. "We are taking extraordinary measures to try and minimize the spread of this dangerous disease," Ulster County Health Commissioner Dr. Carol Smith said. "Learning that a barbershop has been operating illicitly for weeks with a COVID-19 positive employee is extraordinarily disheartening." "As much as we would all like to go out and get a professional haircut, this kind of direct contact has the potential to dramatically spread this virus throughout our community and beyond," Smith added. Venezuelas chief prosecutor has ordered the arrest of a former US soldier and two opposition figures living in the US for their alleged role in a botched operation aimed at removing Nicolas Maduro from power. Tarek William Saab said Venezuela will seek the capture of Jordan Goudreau, a military veteran who has claimed responsibility for the attack, as well as Juan Jose Rendon and Sergio Vergara, two US-based advisers to opposition leader Juan Guaido. They are living in impunity, Mr Saab said. In tranquillity over there. US law enforcement is investigating Goudreau, though it remains unclear if he will charged. A video of American Airon Berry was shown on Venezuelan TV (Venezuelas Ministry of Communication press office via AP) President Donald Trump does not recognise Mr Maduros government, making it highly unlikely that his administration would accept any extradition request. The Trump administration has denied all responsibility for the armed raid, which resulted in the arrests of two Americans, Luke Denman and Airan Berry, who were purportedly hired by Goudreaus private firm to participate in the failed assault. In an interview with Fox News Channel on Friday, Mr Trump said he didnt know too much about the attack and again denied any US government involvement. It wasnt led by General George Washington, obviously, he said. This was not a good attack. Venezuelan authorities have been insisting that Trumps government was behind the plot, with Mr Saab noting Friday that the US had previously offered a 15 million dollar bounty for Mr Maduros arrest, which he said opened the door for such attacks. That gives a green light for an incursion into our territory, he said. Denman and Berry are both former US special forces soldiers who served in Iraq. In video statements aired on Venezuelas state television, both said they had been hired by Goudreau to train rebel troops in Colombia and target Mr Maduro. Goudreau has said they were part of his operation. Story continues Rendon has acknowledged giving Goudreau 50,000 dollars to cover some expenses and said that he and Vergara signed an agreement with the three-time Bronze Star recipient. Meanwhile, Goudreau has presented what said is an audio recording made on a hidden mobile phone in which Mr Guaido can be heard briefly greeting the combat veteran via video conference. The opposition leader recognised by the US and about 60 other nations as Venezuelas rightful president has denied any involvement in the operation. Saab said Venezuela is issuing 22 new arrest orders and did not mention Guaido among them. Anuradha Shukla By Express News Service NEW DELHI: As part of the fourth tranche of Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman focused on structural reforms in eight sectors including coal, mining, aviation and defence, which she claimed will fast-track investment in these sectors and will create jobs. The move included allowing the private sector in commercial coal mining, easing of limits on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in defence manufacturing, privatization of six more airports, opening up of more air space and allowing private players in the Space sector. While many reforms were already in the pipeline or under consideration, the government assured that they will now happen immediately and on a priority basis. "Government will fast-track investment clearance through an empowered group of secretaries," Sitharaman said on Saturday. Coal Mining The Finance Minister permitted commercial mining of coal to remove governmental monopoly in the sector and announced Rs 50,000-crore for the development of coal-related infrastructure. The Minister said nearly 50 blocks would be offered for auction immediately and in a departure from the tradition, there will no eligibility conditions, only upfront payment with a ceiling. The coal-based methane gas reserves will also be auctioned and incentives will be provided for the conversion of coal into gas. FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE Sitharaman also announced structural reforms in the mining of minerals through the introduction of a seamless composite exploration-cum-mining-cum-production regime under which 500 mining blocks would be auctioned. Also, the government proposed a joint auction of bauxite and coal mineral blocks removal of the distinction between captive and non-captive mines to allow the transfer of mining leases and the sale of surplus unused minerals, which will lead to better efficiency in mining and production. The government also announced that foreign investors would be allowed to own up to a 74 per cent stake in defence manufacturing ventures under the automatic route, up from the current 49 per cent limit, subject to security clearance norms. To improve autonomy, accountability, and efficiency in ordnance supplies, the government will Corporatise Ordnance Factory Board and it which will ultimately lead to listing on domestic stock exchanges - the move was already announced last year. Aviation sector In the aviation sector, as six airports are already on bid, six more airports will be bid out for operation and maintenance on public-private partnership (PPP) basis. The government will also open more air space, which will help airlines save Rs 1,000 crore in flying costs through reduced flying time and lower fuel consumption. The government also announced to privatize Power distribution companies in union territories. The government also proposed to allow private sectors in the space sector which includes giving them access to ISRO facilities, participation in future projects for planetary exploration and outer space travel. "The announcements give shape to the Prime Ministers vision of Atma Nirbhar Bharat for localised manufacturing, reducing imports and boosting employment," Chardrajit Banerjee, Secretary-General CII said. In her last three media address, she has announced measures targeted at farmers, migrant labourers, small businesses, urban poor and shadow banks. The fifth and last tranche of the economic package will be released on Sunday at 11 in the morning. New Delhi, May 16 : At a time when the country is locked in a grim fight against coronavirus, a political battle is raging between the BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal. The situation has come to such a pass that BJPs Lok Sabha MP from Barrackpore Arjun Singh has accused the Mamata Banerjee government of hatching a conspiracy to eliminate him. On the other hand, Trinamool leaders have said that BJP is doing politics in this hour of crisis. Political analyst Ratan Mani Lal says the political battle has become a question of prestige for the two sides. The assembly polls are due in West Bengal next year, so the coronavirus pandemic is being seen as an excuse in the run-up to the preparations for the elections. BJP's national General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya is in-charge of West Bengal and has adopted an aggressive stance: hardly a day passes without his acerbic barbs at the Banerjee government through tweets or by letters where he accuses the state government of being insensitive towards migrant workers. The Amit Malviya-led IT Cell of the party has since March already dug in against the Trinamool government. A tough fight looms in 2021 In the 2011 Assembly polls, Mamata Banerjee had dislodged the entrenched three-decade-old Leftists. In the intervening years, the BJP devoted itself to strengthening the organization. In 2016, the saffron party couldn't do anything spectacular, but in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, it stunned all by winning 18 of the 42 parliamentary seats. The Trinamool could bag only four more than the BJP - 22 seats. In 2014 polls, the Trinamool's Lok Sabha tally was 34 out of 42 seats. The unprecedented Lok Sabha showing last year has led to unease in the Trinamool camp, triggering shifting of loyalties among Trinamool leaders. This restlessness continues in the Mamata camp. On the other hand, the Lok Sabha performance has boosted the BJP morale, the feeling of bravado has given space to belief in the cadre that the party is within the striking distance of getting into power in 2021 polls -- in the same manner as the Leftists were ousted in 2011 polls. The BJP has come to acquire Number 2 position in the state politics, leaving behind the Congress and the Left. Analysts say the reducing distance in the race to be Number One between the Trinamool and BJP is the reason for intensification of conflict between the two parties, leading to a battle of political prestige. BJP's West Bengal unit's Secretary Ritesh Tiwari told IANS that the Mamata Banerjee-led state has receded back into the days of Leftists. "Poverty and unemployment are on the rise and violence has become a routine. In the times of corona crisis, hospitals have neither treatment facilities nor has the government arranged adequate quarantine centres. The resentment among the people would surely express itself in the 2021 polls," said Tiwari. A CHAIN of hairdressers says it could fold after it was refused a 500,000 insurance claim to help cover its costs during the coronavirus crisis. Marc Antoni has five branches, including one in Henley and another in Caversham, and claimed 100,000 for each of these. However, it was told by its insuraer Hiscox that it wasnt covered. This was despite part of its business interruption cover stating: We will insure for your financial loss resulting from an interruption to your activities caused by your inability to use the insured premises due to restrictions imposed by a public authority during the period of insurance following an occurrence of any human infectious or human contagion disease, an outbreak of which must be notified to the local authority. Marc Antoni, a family business which has been running for more than 50 years, is not the only business to suffer and a national campaign group has been formed to force the insurer to settle business interruption claims. The Hiscox Action Group and the Night Time Industries Association the UKs two biggest Hiscox policy holder action groups have formed an alliance demanding it pays out quickly and in full. Marc Antoni has furlouged its staff, who number about 60, but the six company directors will not receive any money as they are paid by dividend. The business has now applied for a bank loan of 300,000 to try to avoid any closures. Director Julie Giamattei said: Hopefully the loan will come through quite quickly. It is a massive worry because we are taking on all this debt as a family-run business. If the loan is refused we wouldnt be able to continue to trade. It is a last resort. If Hiscox had paid out then the loan would not have been as urgent. I have been pushing for this insurance claim since March. She has written to Maidenhead MP Theresa May, MP and Reading East MP Matt Rodda asking for their support. The letter says: We have applied for the grants, the rates relief for all five of our salons, and have been told to apply for a 300,000 loan in order to pay all our running costs, rent, rates etc. I have written to all our landlords and a couple have come back to me and said we have to pay a service charge and we can pay the rent monthly. This is not good if we have no money coming in. Our only hope of help was our insurance company. I spoke with Hiscox, who informed me of their decision that we will not be covered, even though our policy clearly states human disease. Hair salons have been advised that they will be among the last businesses to be allowed to re-open as the lockdown measures are gradually eased. Mrs Giamattei, who lives in Woodley, said the extra steps the salons will have to take to protect customers will cost more money and so they could be forced to increase their prices. She added: Our wage bill is 80,000 and we wont get the furlough money back for a while. We are now going to have extra costs and when we go back we will all have to wear PPE and have a gown for each client and this is when the NHS staff cant get the resources they need and they are the priority. In a letter rejecting the claim, Hiscox said: We understand the unprecedented challenges facing your business, indeed every business, as a result of the actions the Government is taking to reduce the spread of coronavirus. At Hiscox, we strive to pay claims that are covered by the policies we issue fairly and quickly. Unfortunately, the loss for which you have claimed is not covered by your Hiscox policy. We understand this will be disappointing for you, so we want to explain it clearly. Your business interruption cover is provided as part of your property insurance. The coronavirus pandemic itself and the different government measures taken to mitigate its impact do not involve insured damage to the property that is covered under the policy. The Government understands that many businesses do not have cover for this type of event and as a result it has announced extensive help and support for businesses which are facing a difficult situation. Mr Rodda, a Labour MP, said: Small businesses are under huge pressure because of the coronavirus pandemic and some are at risk of going out of business. I am calling for urgent help and I believe more needs to be done to help them and their employees. I would hope that insurers would understand and try to support their customers at this difficult time and I am asking for Hiscox to rethink their approach. Henley MP Howell said: The Association of British Insurers can double-check the contract to see whether Hiscox is right. He said the other issue was what help could be given to directors of companies that take all or the majority of their income from dividends and are not covered by the main assistance the Government was providing for the self-employed. I understand that Her Majestys Revenue and Customs cannot at present distinguish between the dividends a self-employed person takes from their company and the dividends that others receive from stocks and shares, he said. Marc Antoni was started byMrs Giamattei father-in-law, Bruno. His four sons have been running the business for nearly 40 years and many other family members now work for it The Henley branch in Hart Street was opened in 1984 after it was purchased by Bruno Giamattei snr, who put his son Bruno in charge. The other salons are in Bracknell, Fleet and Woodley. New Delhi: As many as 1,640 foreign Tablighi Jamaat members from 47 countries were in India at the time of Nizamuddin Markaz gathering, of whom only 64 tested positive for COVID-19 and two more died of the virus, prominent Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind said on Friday. Jamiat president Maulana Arshad Madani said the "highlighting" of Tablighi Jamaat cases while talking about the total number of cases in the country had allegedly created an atmosphere of hatred against Muslims. Maulana Madani said that now when there are more than 78,000 cases of coronavirus, the Tablighi Jamaat figures are not being highlighted. Citing data compiled by his organisation through various embassies and the Nizamuddin Markaz, Madani said there were 1,640 members of foreign Tablighi Jamaat from 47 countries in India at the time of the Markaz incident. Of them, 64 tested positive for the virus and two died due to it. All 64 people have now recovered. The foreign Tablighi Jamaat members included those from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Sudan, Singapore, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, US, Syria, Belgium, Brazil, Australia, and Afghanistan. Out of the total foreign Tablighi Jamaat members, 739 are in Delhi and the rest are in other states, the Jamiat said. Maulana Madani said coronavirus spread has nothing to do with the Tablighi Jamaat but it was portrayed by vested interests to be the case to create ill-will against Muslims at large. Hundreds of Indians and foreigners attended a Tablighi Jamaat congregation in the Nizamuddin area of Delhi in March, ignoring warnings by the government against large gatherings in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. A number of people who attended the event were later found to be suffering from COVID-19. Earlier, government sources said foreign nationals, who attended the congregation will face punitive action if they are found to have participated in the gathering violating visa rules. Fred Willard was an improv comedy master whose star shone brightest in the satire of writer-director Christopher Guest, playing a goofball so straight, it wasnt always clear he was in on the joke. Willard, a Shaker Heights native, died Friday evening in Los Angeles of natural causes, his agent Mike Eisenstadt said. He was 86. In the 1996 film that launched him into the mainstream, "Waiting for Guffman," Willard was a small town amateur actor opposite Catherine O'Hara. With utter sincerity, the duo auditioned in matching tracksuits with a Taster's Choice commercial performed to the 1973 hit song "Midnight at the Oasis." It killed. The film became an instant comedy classic and earned Willard an American Comedy Award nomination and a Screen Actors Guild award nomination. "Fred has the patent on characters who are comfortable in their stupidity," Guest once noted. Born Sept. 18, 1933, Willard cultivated his wisecracking straight man persona as the son of a stern father who worked in a bank. He was raised middle class in Shaker Heights and fell in love with sketch comedy after seeing the 1950s vaudeville silliness of bandleader Spike Jones and the City Slickers. Though Willard spent his formative years in military school, earning a graduate degree in English from the Virginia Military Institute, his heart was always in show business. After he spent his stint in the U.S. Army stationed in Germany, he moved to New York in the early 1960s to train as an actor. In no time, he and a classmate were appearing as a comedy duo on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Around 1965, Willard moved to Chicago to spend a year training with the groundbreaking improv group "The Second City." Then he returned to New York and co-founded his own troupe, the Ace Trucking Co., which spent years performing on high-profile TV variety shows, opening for Tom Jones in Las Vegas and eventually releasing a comedy album. Along the way, Willard co-starred in an off-Broadway black comedy with a 20-year-old Guest, a connection that would later change the course of his career. "I knew something was off when Fred started doing lines that weren't actually in the play to me," Guest told Charlie Rose in 2007. "I didn't know what to make of it. I said to myself, 'You're different.'" By 1977, Willard was appearing with Martin Mull as host of a short-lived parody talk show, "Fernwood 2 Night," created by Norman Lear. That led to another brief hosting gig for the NBC reality series "Real People." But it was Willard's mastery of the mockumentary, starting with the 1984 film "This Is Spinal Tap," that first earned him widespread notice. In that film, he played an Air Force officer trying to prove his hipster cred with a series of cringe-worthy jokes. And though it was years before the film reached cult status, Willard had discovered his place. He spent the 1980s and 1990s bouncing around TV in with a few notable recurring parts, including as Mull's gay partner in "Roseanne." That same year, he appeared the Oscar-winning comedic short film "Ray's Male Heterosexual Dance Hall." In Guest's 2000 comedy "Best in Show," Willard earned enduring success as an over-the-top dog show host. Willard's bone-headed and improvised interstitial remarks to his prim, British co-host became one of the highlights of the film. He won an American Comedy Award for the performance. After that, Willard appeared in higher profile film roles, in the 2004 Will Ferrell comedy "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" and its 2013 sequel and as the CEO of the Buy 'n' Large Corp. in the 2008 Oscar winning animated film "WALL-E." He spent three seasons on the hit CBS sit-com "Everybody Loves Raymond" as the conservative middle school vice principal Hank MacDougall, earning three Emmy Award nominations for the role. And in 2009, Willard began as an occasional guest star as Ty Burrell's father on the ABC series "Modern Family," earning an Emmy nomination in 2010 for the role. Willard would go on to appear in three more of Guest's mockumentaries, "A Mighty Wind" in 2003, "For Your Consideration" in 2006 and the Netflix film, "Mascots" in 2016. In 2012, he was arrested for suspicion of engaging in lewd act at an adult theater in Hollywood. But rather than hide behind a publicist, Willard tweeted a review of the X-rated film he was caught watching: "Lousy film, but theater would make a terrific racquetball court." Then he went on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" and cracked jokes about it. He was later exonerated of any wrongdoing. In 2016, he formed a sketch group in a little theater in North Hollywood called the MoHos that performs regularly around Los Angeles. Thats always been my favorite thing: sketches, he told L.A. Weekly in 2016. Because if the audience doesnt like something, its over in four or five minutes and you go on to something new. By Gina Piccalo, Los Angeles Times Taiwan urges WHO to consider humanity, human rights ROC Central News Agency 05/15/2020 09:18 PM Taipei, May 15 (CNA) Taiwan's health minister on Friday urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to consider the factors of humanity and human rights in protecting world health, as he admitted the chances of Taiwan attending the international health body's annual assembly this year are slim. The World Health Assembly (WHA), the policy-setting body of the WHO, is scheduled to hold its 73rd session in Geneva May 18-19 by videoconference. However, Taiwan still has not received an invitation from the WHO to attend, despite growing international support. "We have yet to receive an invitation, but we will strive until the last minute because participating in the assembly is significant to Taiwan in terms of public health," Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung () said at a press conference in Taipei. He pointed out that Taiwan has a great deal to share in the medical field, particularly in terms of the country's health insurance coverage, medical system and long-term care. Taiwan also plays an important role in infectious disease prevention due to its position as an international transportation hub, Chen said. Transmission chains of infectious diseases detected in Taiwan could be reported to the WHO far more precisely if Taiwan were to be a member of the organization, he argued. "Organizations such as the WHO should protect global health by taking humanity and human rights into consideration," Chen said, reiterating that Taiwan's spirit of humanity and mutual assistance are worth sharing. Although the chances of WHA participation by Taiwan this year are slim, the process of vying for participation has increased the country's visibility and has allowed it to establish closer cooperation with allies and like-minded countries, Chen said. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), 29 foreign governments had expressed support for Taiwan's participation in the WHA through various avenues as of Friday. These include issuing statements, writing letters to the WHO, direct discussions with the WHO, making remarks during legislative sessions and answering questions from the media, MOFA said in a statement. Several high-level foreign government officials have openly voiced support for Taiwan, MOFA added, citing U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as examples. In addition, lawmakers from 43 countries have called for Taiwan's participation in the WHA and more than 600 politicians from other countries have written to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the matter, MOFA said. (By Wang Yang-yu, Chen Yun-yu and Emerson Lim) Enditem/J NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 19:19:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Ph oto taken on May 16, 2020 shows medical supplies from China at Cairo International Airport in Cairo, Egypt. The Egyptian authorities received on Saturday the third batch of medical aid from the Chinese government, which includes 1 million medical surgical face masks, 180,000 N95 masks, 90,000 sets of medical protective clothing, 80,000 testing reagents, 70,000 pairs of disposable surgical gloves and 1,000 sets of thermometers. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo) CAIRO, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian authorities received on Saturday the third batch of medical aid from the Chinese government to help the North African country with its fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. Delivered at Cairo international airport, the third batch of medical supplies, which weighs over 35 tons, includes 1 million medical surgical face masks, 180,000 N95 masks, 90,000 sets of medical protective clothing, 80,000 testing reagents, 70,000 pairs of disposable surgical gloves and 1,000 sets of thermometers. Egyptian Health Ministry Undersecretary Mohamed Shawky said during a ceremony held at Cairo airport that the Chinese medical aid "reflects the close ties of friendship between the two countries." "We present to the international community a model for relations between two friends and mutual support amid a global pandemic that we all suffer from," the Egyptian official added. He stressed that the Chinese medical aid will help a lot at isolation hospitals in Egypt that has recently been seeing a growing number of cases infected with the novel coronavirus. Egypt received the first batch of the Chinese government's medical aid in mid-April and it included 20,000 N95 masks, 10,000 protective suits and 10,000 testing kits for COVID-19, while the second was delivered on May 10 and it consisted of 10,000 N95 masks, 10,000 protective suits and 70,000 nucleic acid detection reagents. Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang said during the ceremony that Egypt supported China at a critical moment of its fight against COVID-19 and China also provides wholehearted support to Egypt in its anti-coronavirus battle. Liao noted that the third batch of Chinese medical aid coincides with the 64th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Egypt and China, highlighting the "profound friendship" between the peoples of the two countries. He added that Chinese and Egyptian medical experts held several video conference meetings to exchange expertise on fighting the pandemic, besides a recently established Sino-Egyptian face mask factory in Cairo that is scheduled to produce about 1.5 million masks per day. In addition to the Chinese government's medical aid, some Chinese provincial and municipal governments, organizations and enterprises also donated medical supplies to Egypt, according to the Chinese ambassador. Egypt and China enjoy distinguished bilateral relations that have been elevated to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership. "We highly appreciate the Chinese gifts to Egypt, whether provided by the Chinese government, the Chinese provinces or the civil society organizations. These gifts embody the strength of ties that connects the two countries," Hany Selim, Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the ceremony. "The support provided by China to the peoples of the world during this crisis is a practical embodiment of the principle of shared destiny for mankind," said the Egyptian diplomat. Enditem You may also like these stories: He served as attorney general and justice of the Supreme Court of independent Myanmar before he died at the age of 82 in Yangon. He was the first Myanmar national to be invited as an honored guest to attend trial at the New York Supreme Court. He also served as legal advisor for Gen. Aung San and independent Myanmars first prime minister, U Nu, in signing agreements with British Prime Minister Clement Attlee to gain independence from Britain. U Chan Htoon, who was then 41 years old, also traveled to London as a consultant of the British Foreign Office to prepare details for the transfer of power from the British to independent Myanmar. He also travelled to the United States, Ireland and other countries to learn about their constitutions and judicial systems. To write the constitution, the countrys independence hero and AFPFL leader General Aung San dispatched U Chan Htoon to India to ask for input from Sir Benegal Narsing Rau, who played a key role in drafting the constitution of India. After qualifying to practice law at the Inner Temple in London, U Chan Htoon designed the details of Myanmars first constitution in 1947 as a legal advisor to the Anti-Fascist Peoples Freedom League (AFPFL), a mass organization that led Myanmars struggle for independence. YANGONOn this day in 1988, legal expert U Chan Htoon, who was known for his key role in designing the first constitution of Myanmar, passed away. On This Day The Day the Lawyer Behind Myanmars First Constitution Died Myanmar Confirms 14 New Coronavirus Cases After Week of Few Cases Skirmish Breaks Out Between Myanmar Military and Karen Rebels Over COVID-19 Checkpoints COVID-19 and the Unfinished Agenda of Funding Disease Control in SE Asia How Can the Myanmar Govt Help Businesses and Workers Weather COVID-19? Mandalay Steps Up Mask Campaign with Fines as City Begins to Reopen India Looks to Ease Lockdown Even as Coronavirus Infections Jump China's Wuhan to Test All Residents After New Virus Cluster Identified Five Civilians Injured by Shelling in Muslim Villages in Rakhine Different Laws Applied to Myanmar COVID-19 Restrictions Lead to Inconsistent Punishments for Violators For Many in Myanmar, Working From Home Amid COVID-19 Poses Unexpected Challenges Residents Fined for Failing to use Face Masks in Myanmars Yangon Two Muslim Children Killed, One Hurt in Mine Blast in Myanmars Rakhine State China's Wuhan Says It Has Tested Almost a Third of Its Residents for Coronavirus The Day the Lawyer Behind Myanmars First Constitution Died We do not encourage viewing this site in this width. Please increase the size of your window. New rules that took effect Friday allow most Portland area retailers to welcome customers. Although the tri-county area remained relatively quiet, that wasnt the case across Oregon. Business hummed back to life within the 31 counties that received approval this week for a Phase 1 gradual reopening. It was the first time since March that Oregonians in much of the state were able to hit the gym or salon, have a sit-down meal or step inside their favorite boutique. Here are more developments to know this weekend: BUSINESS: Oregon retailers across the state were allowed to remain Friday. But retailers remain concerned that they will be unable to recover after being shuttered for two months. CAMPS: Oregon will allow day camps to move forward with significant restrictions, but overnight camps will not be allowed to operate this summer. COURTS: Most Oregon state courts will slowly start hearing more cases this summer as their counties begin to reopen. CASES: Oregon public health officials said the number of known cases of coronavirus statewide exceeds 3,500. A weekly study by Oregon State University tested 672 people for coronavirus in Corvallis and found no infections. DINING: After getting the green light, restaurants from McMinnville to Eugene to Bend took baby steps toward reopening Friday. Self-service restaurants are embracing takeout and delivery in order to survive. TRANSIT: Fewer workers at TriMet are on medical leave related to COVID-19, the regional transit agency said. WATCH: Times are weird -- for everyone. Thats why The Oregonian/OregonLive decided to launch a new show where we check in some of Oregons favorite people to see how they are doing while the coronavirus pandemic rages on. #TEAMOREGON: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter -- The Oregonian/OregonLive Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. The boss of takeaway company Just Eat is joining Moneysupermarket as chief executive. Peter Duffy was set to leave Just Eat after the company merged with Dutch food delivery rival Takeaway.com, as Takeaways Jitse Groen became boss of the newly combined company. But price comparison site Moneysupermarket has hired him and Duffy will join the board at the beginning of September. The companys former chief executive, Mark Lewis, had already announced he would step down at the end of August. The class of 2020 is graduating into an off-kilter world. Ceremonies are canceled and its not safe to throw an in-person party. But graduates are still celebrating. And gifts are still in order, though in interviews many graduates acknowledged the countrys economic problems, and did not want to create a stress or burden on their families. For many joy and pride are enough. The greatest gift can be just spending time with the ones I love, said Zeeshan Parupia, a senior marketing major at the University of Texas at Dallas. Based on dozens of suggestions from real graduates, here are some gift ideas to help them celebrate their accomplishments. For A High School Graduate The promise of a future get together Emma Lingo, an 18-year-old from Kirkwood, Mo., wants to make memories, to make up for experiences she lost because of the pandemic. I missed out on a lot at the end of senior year, from banquets to bonfires, she said. A total of 4,678 migrant workers from Bihar embarked on a journey to their hometowns on four special trains from Greater Noida on Saturday, officials said. Two of the trains left from the Dadri railway station to Aurangabad and Sasaram, while the other two from the Dankaur railway station to Buxar and Siwan, the officials in Gautam Buddh Nagar said. "Total 4,678 migrant workers were on board the trains. Around 978 of them left for Aurangabad, 656 for Buxar, 1,524 for Sasaram and 1,520 for Siwan," according to a statement from the district administration. The decision to arrange transport and send back stranded migrant workers is in compliance of an Uttar Pradesh government order, it said. District Magistrate Suhas L Y, Nodal officer for COVID-19 response Narendra Bhooshan and Police Commissioner Alok Singh spearheaded the operation, it added. Passengers were screened at the station using thermal sensors by the district health department officials, the administration said. The trains were sanitised and passengers were made to follow social distancing measures before getting on board the trains, the officials said, adding that they were also provided with meal packets and water for the journey. Thousands of workers and daily wage earners in Noida and Greater Noida were rendered jobless ever since the lockdown came into force to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission. Gautam Buddh Nagar district adjoining Delhi in western Uttar Pradesh has recorded 247 positive cases of coronavirus, including five deaths till Saturday, according to official figures. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) HOLLAND, MI -- Sarah Huff isnt ready to say her Holland hair salon will be open for good, but she took the bold move Friday to defy Gov. Gretchen Whitmers order that shuttered non-essential businesses. Huff, owner of Ardor + Grit salon in Hollands Washington Square neighborhood, opened for business Friday morning, May 15 and served several clients through the day. She became the latest of at least three Michigan barbers or hair stylists to open despite Whitmers order. Her decision seemed to gain the favor of many who heard about the opening through social media or news sources. By mid-day Friday, she had received hundreds of messages on an answering machine from people wanting haircuts. Related: Michigan surpasses 50k confirmed cases of coronavirus Its honestly more than just about owning a business. Its about the principle of everything, she said about her decision. "We need to open our economy. I do have bills to pay. I have a mortgage, the same thing as everybody else, she said while standing outside her small shop. Also, if her business remains closed into July, Huff said she likely wold have to close permanently because of tax and other bills. Supporters came to cheer her on Friday, with a significant turnout in the morning and still a dozen or so later in the afternoon. Some people stopped by briefly just to offer encouraging words, including Bob Knaack of nearby Overisel in Allegan County. The governor definitely has gone overboard, said Knaack, sharing his opinion. I really believe it should be up to the Legislature to determine if this thing should continue. Whitmers stay-at-home order and closure of non-essential business continues through May 28 unless she grants exceptions. She allowed manufacturing to reopen May 11. Knaack said the economic toll on small businesses is becoming overwhelming. Its now causing more damage than doing good, he said. Huff said she expected Holland police to issue her a cease-and-desist order about her operation. Holland police Capt. Keith Mulder said the police have requested voluntary compliance from Huff as of Friday. He said no citations have been issued to any Holland businesses, so far, for violating the governors order. If further action is required because of a possible continuing violation, we send the complaint to the Ottawa County Prosecutors Office for a decision on enforcement or further action, he wrote in an email. Huff, in an interview late Friday afternoon with MLive, said she likely would comply with a cease-and-desist order if one was issued. I want do things legally. Im trying to do this in the smartest way but also to get my point across that they need to open up the economy because its more than just a haircut, she said. When Huff opened the doors to her shop Friday, she had a coronavirus protocol and safeguards already set up -- no more than one customer in the waiting room and one in the salon chair, everyone wears a mask including herself, she wears gloves, sanitizing happens throughout the day as customers come and go, and the shop door remains locked and only opened for appointments. Huff joined Owosso barber Karl Manke and Cadillac barber Tina Godfrey in testing the state waters on enforcement of Whitmers order. Manke has received the most publicity and his state license was suspended Wednesday by the state Licensing and Regulatory Affairs bureau. More from MLive Families flock to Michigan animal park despite Gov. Whitmers stay-at-home order Coronavirus prompts projected $3.2B drop in Michigan tax revenue, more losses expected Detroit man arrested, accused of threatening to kill Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, AG Nessel Amazon, a leading online retailer, has seen a dramatic stock price increase since the shutdowns were initiated. Meanwhile, conventional brick-and-mortar retailers like J.C. Penney have seen a drop in their stock prices. L.Mae's demographic target is 18-25-year-old women, a group that shops online more than the average customer. Indeed, L.Mae maintains a thriving online business in addition to the brick and mortar locations in Myrtle Beach and Pawleys Island. The coastal locations are less vulnerable to the trend of more online shopping because both are in areas with higher concentrations of tourists. Once restrictions are lifted, these areas will have a higher amount of foot traffic and more people wanting to shop in the store. Davis added that her office had received several phone calls from businesses looking to move into the downtown area and that there were tons of support systems including federal funds available for businesses in the city's downtown as they work to weather the economic storm brought on by the shutdowns. The latest data available from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control indicates that 68.19% of the state's 10,378 hospital beds are in use including 443, or 4.27% of the total, being occupied by COVID-19 confirmed patients. Meanwhile, up to 16.69% of Florence County's workforce has filed initial claims for unemployment since March 15. 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. Last week, Carlos Araujo-Preza, MD, safely discharged his first patient that received a convalescent plasma transfusion, who is now recovering at home. Dr. Araujo-Preza, critical care medical director at HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball, administers the convalescent plasma study for COVID-19 at the Tomball hospital. HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division announced May 4 its participation in a national study to find out if plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients may help individuals hospitalized with life-threatening cases of the coronavirus. The national study is being led by the Mayo Clinic, headquartered in Minnesota, and supported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. HEALTHCARE HEROES: Houston hospitals plan appreciative gestures for health care workers during National Nurses Week Araujo-Preza said its just the first step but is hopeful that the study will help them determine if plasma transfusions can be a treatment for critically ill patients. He said the hospital systems asking communities to help build awareness about plasma donations for patients facing COVID-19 in Houston, across Texas and the country. Its extremely important, Araujo-Preza said. We encourage everybody who has been treated for the disease and has recovered completely to donate blood so we can treat patients to come. Over a dozen HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division hospitals are contributing to the study including HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball, HCA Houston Healthcare North Cypress and HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest. The Tomball location receives patients transferred for treatment from North Cypress, Northwest, Conroe and Kingwood. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Houston Methodist study reports plasma therapy safe, helped three-fourths of patients We have seen significant benefits at least on three quarters of the people that we are administering the plasma for without side effects, Araujo-Preza said. We have not observed any side effects to the treatment. If you get diagnosed with COVID-19 in Kingwood and you are of need of getting serum you will be transferred to Tomball to be treated. Araujo-Preza said HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball is proud to be a part of this study and is one of a network of 172 hospitals from HCA Healthcare that are participating in the convalescent serum plasma study. The hospital is also coordinating with the Sarah Cannon Research Institute. The national study involves identifying a donor and collecting the plasma, which is then matched to a person who has the disease, is seriously ill and who would be a good candidate to receive the serum. The study is not designed to tell us if it works or not because we have more than a century knowing that these types of treatments work, Araujo-Preza said. The study is designed to see benefits, when to give it, how much to give and to which patients to give because those are the ones who will benefit the most. GOV. ABBOTT: Bars, daycares and sports can return under phase 2 of reopening Texas Araujo-Preza explained that this is not a vaccine, but a type of antibody already made to fight COVID-19. A vaccine requires your own body to make the antibodies; in this case, we are bypassing the vaccine and we are giving you the antibodies already formed, Araujo-Preza said. Immediate impact The study was approved by the FDA in early April and HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball joined in early May because of HCAs presence as a nationwide company with capabilities to recruit and treat patients, according to Araujo-Preza. GIVING BACK: Tomball health care workers receive free meals for service during COVID-19 pandemic We also have the Sarah Cannon Research Institute that has a good name and belongs to the HCA Healthcare system that provides us the background to process the information and give it to (the Mayo Clinic), Araujo-Preza said. With COVID-19 being a new disease, Araujo-Preza said there was no treatment yet. He said convalescent serum, which in medicine is called passive immunity, has been in use for more than 100 years and that its been used to fight diseases like hysteria and tetanus, hepatitis E and hepatitis B, and more recently Ebola. So, we have a long history of knowing this works, Araujo-Preza said. In passive immunity, antibodies are formed elsewhere and are given (to) you ready to fight the disease the second they are placed inside you. This is the case with the convalescent patient serum transfusion; the patient has recovered already, has tested negative, is having no symptoms and his (or) her blood is tested to see if they have antibodies against COVID-19. MORNING REPORT: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox Araujo-Preza said theyve tested hundreds of patients and have approximately 21 patients being treated as of May 15. The study is only for patients that are at great risk of death and having a prolonged hospitalization or that meet criteria as potential patients that can deteriorate very quickly, according to Araujo-Preza. Once donors, who are 14 days without symptoms, are identified and go through the blood type and screening process, the blood is sent to either the American Red Cross or Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center and they prepare the serum from a donor that matches the blood type of the patient. The serum is then sent back for doctors to administer the patient. Consent forms are also obtained from patients in which they are told what theyll be transfused with, how antibodies will be formed, and how it will help them. The advantages of this type of immunity is that its immediate, Araujo-Preza said. Serving the community Araujo-Preza said theyve had great success with the use of plasma. The only thing we can say about it is that is seems to benefit most of the patients, Araujo-Preza said. We have had impressive success on patients going home or being removed from mechanical ventilation. Araujo-Preza said that the study is anticipated to last a year but has already seen some preliminary findings. For example, he said, some patients that could not go home because their oxygen needs were high have been able to go home after receiving the plasma. The hope is that once we have identified the proper candidate and the exact time at which these should be given to the patient, we will be able to prevent serious illness, organ dysfunction and rapid resolution of symptoms, he said. Araujo-Preza looks forward to the results of the study. So far, hes seen it work in three ways. The first one is shortening the duration of symptoms, the second one is the severity of the disease and the third is decreasing the time in which the patient shares the virus, Araujo-Preza said. Individuals who have recovered from COVID-19who have tested positive and since tested negativecan help by donating plasma through the American Red Cross or another local donation center. For more information about the donation process, eligibility and locations to donate in Houston, Brownsville, McAllen and Corpus Christi call the dedicated COVID-19 Plasma Phone Line at 833-582-1971 or visit www.hcagulfcoast.com. We are very proud of having been one of the institutions nationwide chosen to participate in this study and that we are serving the community in the best way possible and bringing the best of medicine to Tomball, Araujo-Preza said. alvaro.montano@chron.com Britains chief European trade deal negotiator has warned the Cabinet that Brussels talks are heading for collapse and has put Ministers on notice to prepare for No Deal. David Frost, who heads the Prime Ministers Taskforce Europe, told Ministers to take the moral high ground when speaking to their counterparts across the Channel in the face of stubbornness from Brussels. But he has also urged them to step up their planning in case talks over a new trading arrangement break down. Downing Street is preparing to issue warnings that the UK is heading for an Australia-style deal with the EU which in reality means No Deal and tariffs on imported and exported goods under terms set by the World Trade Organisation. After a tetchy round of talks last week, Mr Frost admitted very little progress had been made and he accused the EU of ideological intransigence. David Frost (left), who heads the Prime Ministers Taskforce Europe, told Ministers to take the moral high ground when speaking to their counterparts across the Channel in the face of stubbornness from Brussels. Boris Johnson is expected to tell the EU27 to set new rules for their chief negotiator Michel Barnier (right) or see any hopes of a deal fade If progress is not made at the next meeting of UK and EU negotiators in 15 days, there is even talk in Whitehall of a British walk out of the talks, which are currently being held online. A senior Government source told The Mail on Sunday last night: Breakdown is entirely possible. Boris Johnson is planning a major personal intervention in the efforts to forge a new trade relationship with the EU when he meets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen next month, but hopes are fading for making much progress by then. After a tetchy round of talks last week, Mr Frost admitted very little progress had been made and he accused the EU of ideological intransigence Mr Johnson is expected to tell the EU27 to set new rules for their chief negotiator Michel Barnier or see any hopes of a deal fade. Talks are currently stuck on the EUs insistence that Britain signs up to reams of Brussels red tape that the EU calls level playing field measures in a bid to make the independent UK less competitive to the bloc. As implementation of these rules would be overseen by the European Courts of Justice, the UK Government insists that the request is a non-starter. The two sides are also deadlocked on sweeping demands from the EU to continue having the same access as now to UK fishing waters, a totemic Brexit debate issue that Mr Johnson has staked his political career on vowing to win. Sources within the UK negotiating team also suggest that Brussels arent happy with the UKs insistence that there will be no extension to the trade talks process that will see Britain leave the transition period at the end of December this year. One said: They think we are just trying to run down the clock and will fold, but they need to realise we are not moving on this stuff. Mr Frost has described any possibility of jurisdiction by EU judges as line in the sand Britain cannot cross. A Downing Street source said: They must understand no Government has, or would, sign up to commitments that would require EU oversight of the UKs domestic legislation, and certainly not this Government, which was elected on precisely this point. Weve made very clear that such conditions would be unacceptable and can never form the basis of an agreement. Mr Barnier has insisted that he is acting within a strict window set by EU member states so cannot offer any movement in the talks Michel Barnier is doing his best. He must know that he has an impossible job with a mandate that in certain areas is totally non-negotiable with us and gives him no flexibility where he needs it. Mr Barnier has insisted that he is acting within a strict window set by EU member states so cannot offer any movement in the talks. He said: Ive invited the UK to change tactics, to change strategy if they really do want to strike an agreement. There seems to be a real lack of understanding. But that claim has been met with short shrift in London. A senior Government source said: They always claim they are sticking to their mandate until suddenly they are not. Barnier claimed last autumn that he had no mandate to ditch the backstop, yet he did just that. This week, Mr Frost will publish a raft of draft legal texts for a proposed deal in a last-ditch bid to get negotiations moving. President Donald Trump has added to his long list of firings of officials said to be critical of his administration (Alex Brandon/AP) US President Donald Trump has fired the State Departments inspector general, an Obama administration appointee whose office was critical of alleged political bias in the departments management. The sacking is the latest in a series of moves against independent executive branch watchdogs who have found fault with the Trump administration. A senior department official said Mr Trump removed Steve Linick from his job on Friday but gave no reason for his dismissal. In a letter to Congress, Mr Trump said Linick, who had held the job since 2013, no longer had his full confidence and that his removal would take effect in 30 days. Mr Trump did not mention Linick by name in his letter. This firing is the outrageous act of a president trying to protect one of his most loyal supporters Democrat Eliot Engel Democrats in Congress immediately cried foul, with the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee suggesting Mr Linick was fired in part in retaliation for opening an unspecified investigation into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. This firing is the outrageous act of a president trying to protect one of his most loyal supporters, the secretary of state, from accountability, New York Democrat Eliot Engel said in a statement. I have learned that the Office of the Inspector General had opened an investigation into Secretary Pompeo. Mr Linicks firing amid such a probe strongly suggests that this is an unlawful act of retaliation. Mr Engel offered no details of the alleged investigation into Mr Pompeo, but Mr Linicks office had issued several reports critical of the departments handling of personnel matters, including accusing some of Mr Trumps appointees of retaliating against career officials. The president must cease his pattern of reprisal and retaliation against the public servants who are working to keep Americans safe, particularly during this time of global emergency Nancy Pelosi House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also condemned Mr Linicks removal, saying he had been punished for honourably performing his duty to protect the Constitution and our national security. The president must cease his pattern of reprisal and retaliation against the public servants who are working to keep Americans safe, particularly during this time of global emergency. Mr Linick will be replaced by Stephen Akard, a former career foreign service officer who has close ties to Vice President Mike Pence, according to the state department official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Mr Akard currently runs the departments Office of Foreign Missions. He had been nominated to be the director general of the foreign service but withdrew after objections he was not experienced enough. Expand Close Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is said to be the topic of an investigation opened by Steve Linick (Andrew Harnik/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is said to be the topic of an investigation opened by Steve Linick (Andrew Harnik/AP) Mr Linick, a former assistant US attorney in California and Virginia, had overseen inspector general reports that were highly critical of the departments management policies during the Trump administration. His office had criticised several Trump appointees for their treatment of career staff for apparently being insufficiently supportive of Mr Trump and his policies. Under Mr Linick, the State Departments inspector general office was also critical of former Secretary of State Rex Tillersons hiring freeze and attempts to streamline the agency by slashing its funding and personnel. Mr Trump has been taking aim lately at inspectors general. In April, he fired Michael Atkinson, the inspector general for the intelligence community, for his role in the whistleblower complaint that led to Mr Trumps impeachment. Mr Trump then removed Glenn Fine as acting inspector general at the Defence Department, a move that stripped him of his post as chairman of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee. During a White House coronavirus briefing, Mr Trump questioned the independence of an inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services over a report that said there was a shortage of supplies and testing at hospitals. Chairwoman of the Federation Council of Russia Valentina Matvyenko (Photo: VNA) In a letter to Chairwoman of Vietnams National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Matvyenko expressed deep gratitude to the Vietnamese NA and the Vietnam Russia Friendship Parliamentarians' Group for their valuable solidarity amid the current difficult situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The medical supplies, including medical masks and means to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2, will be distributed to medical institutions and social organisations to support Russian people, she said.The Russian legislative leader also said she believes that with common efforts, Russia will soon overcome the pandemic as well as its impacts on society and the economy.On May 14 morning, Russia recorded 9,974 new cases of COVID-19 during the previous day, raising the total to 252,245. The country also reported 93 more deaths, bringing the total fatalities to 2,305. Meanwhile, 5,527 patients were given the all clear, taking the total recoveries to 53,530./. Uttar Pradesh: 24 migrants killed and dozens were injured after the truck they were traveling in collided with a lorry at around 3 am in Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh: Twenty-four migrants labourers dead and many were injured in a truck accident in Uttar Pradesh last night. Reports reveal that the truck in which the migrants were traveling collided with a lorry at 3 am in Auraiya on Saturday. The migrant workers were coming from Rajasthan and were going to their hometowns at different locations in Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal as per the reports. Desperate to go home, on their home they hitched a ride on a truck that was carrying some food packets. Archana Srivastava, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) said that 24 people brought were dead, 11 were admitted to the hospital where 15 were critically injured, and are referred to Saidar PGI. Awanish Awasthi. UP Additional Chief Secretary for Home sad that the Chief Minister has taken note of the accident and has expressed his deepest condolences to families of the labourers. Adityanath has also directed all the officials, Commissioner and IG Kanpur to visit the location personally and report the incident immediately. He has also ordered to provide proper medical care to all the injured migrants. 24 people were brought dead, 22 have been admitted & 15 who were critically injured have been referred to Saifai PGI. They were going to Bihar & Jharkhand from Rajasthan: Archana Srivastava, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Auraiya https://t.co/YKsoS6Jit6 pic.twitter.com/W9FZKYvjHl ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 16, 2020 Chief Minister has also directed that all the injured be provided medical care immediately and the Commissioner and IG Kanpur to visit the site and give the report on the cause of the accident immediately: Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi (2/2) https://t.co/IB31zYNAq4 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 16, 2020 Just a few days back, 16 migrants were dead in Maharashtra when they were run over by a goods train whole sleeping on railways track near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Out of the twenty only 3 or 4 managed to escape with bruises as they immediately jumped aside as they heard the cries and the noise of the train coming towards them. The incident took place at around 3:30 am. 23 people have died and around 15-20 have suffered injuries. Most of them are Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal: Abhishek Singh, DM Auraiya pic.twitter.com/fLpnPTAYmD ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 16, 2020 For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Results of the class 12 science examination of the Gujarat State Board will be declared on May 17, the state government said on Saturday. The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Board (GSHSEB) said in a release that students who appeared for the class 12 board exam held in March could access their results on official website,HYPERLINK "http://www.gseb.org/" www.gseb.org, to be uploaded at 8 am on Sunday. The Board would notify the dates for distribution of mark sheets, certificates and revaluation and re-verification to the students later, it said. The examinations were conducted between March 5 and March 21, but announcement of results has been delayed due to the nationwide coronavirus-induced lockdown imposed after March 24. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Memorial Day is approaching, and Americans should think about those who died serving their country. They should also consider the families left behind. One organization, Children of Fallen Patriots, has a mission to help the children of the fallen service members. In 1989, five days before Christmas, Sergeant William Delaney Gibbs from the 7th Infantry Division was killed in action during Operation Just Cause in Panama, leaving behind a young wife and an unborn daughter. The Founder and CEO, David Kim, served with Sergeant Gibbs and was inspired by his sacrifice. He never forgot about Sergeant Gibbs or his daughter. American Thinker first heard about this organization from thriller author David Ricciardi, whose latest book is Black Flag. In each and every book, he highlights this organization. Ricciardi told American Thinker, "It was started by a friend of ours who was an Army Ranger in 2002. Someone in his unit was killed, leaving behind a young child. David and Cynthia Kim decided to do something to help them and other families who lost a loved one. They committed time and money to this organization. After hearing what they wanted to do, my wife and I were on board. At first, there was just a small fundraiser in our home town, but it has now ballooned to having corporate sponsors. Many of the staff are from Gold Star families. The mission resonates with me, and I hope with others as well." What the organization does is help children of those who died by making sure they don't accumulate college debt. In 2019, $8 million was awarded in scholarships to these children. One of the primary goals is to identify the 20,000 students affected by working with the V.A., Department of Defense, and other military charities. More than 53% of the families earn less than $50,000 per year, and this year, with the pandemic, it could get worse. Giving the students scholarships relieves some of the financial burden for the families left behind. One of the recipients is Madison Roussel, who now serves as a scholarship administrator at Fallen Patriots after graduating in 2019. She lost her father, U.S. Army staff sergeant Kenneth Roussel, in 2003, when she was six years old. He died while serving in Korea. She remembers him as "loving, caring, goofy, funny, and a devoted father." This organization allowed this first-generation college graduate to attend the University of Kentucky with a double major of communications and history. Madison explained to American Thinker, "We help to pay for a student's housing, books, and undergraduate tuition. The Fry scholarship provides post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits to the children and surviving spouses of service members who died in the line of duty while on active duty after September 10, 2001. If a student does not qualify for Fry or it does not pay all the school expenses, we can jump in. We give a $500 stipend for books each term, a one-time stipend of $1,000 for a computer, and out-of-pocket costs for living expenses. We also help financially with SAT/ACT preparation. If a student needs a tutor while in college, we will reimburse $1,000 per term. Any school is accepted as long as they have met the requirements, and we have had students attend Harvard and even Oxford." Tyler Overcash, the corporate partnership officer, noted, "Those students qualify if the Department of Veteran Affairs issues a determination letter where a parent had died in combat, training, from an accident, from an illness, or PTSD/suicide. They must maintain, while in college, a minimum GPA of 2.0 per term. But we do give them a chance to raise their GPA the next term." Currently, 8,000 out of 20,000 have been helped. Tyler gave an example of a mother who had two children graduate from college, leaving her with a debt of $60,000 in loans. "After we found out, we reimbursed her so she does not have that financial worry. We are hoping to find more students by word of mouth." Hopefully, people will be inspired to contribute to this organization because Americans should not forget the fallen and also should not forget their families. This organization needs people's support to make sure that every child of someone who served and died can achieve his goal of going to college without having a financial burden. The author writes for American Thinker. She has done book reviews and author interviews and has written a number of national security, political, and foreign policy articles. A few weeks ago, a Covid-19 patient in New Jersey, USA, claimed to have been cured after taking a medication produced by Dr. Sheikh Amin Bonsu. She added that her roommate who also manifested the symptoms took the medication and like her tested negative after an earlier positive result. The feat expectedly received wide publicity, and given the continuing search for a therapeutic treatment for the novel virus, we think this could be a game changer. He had said that another Ghanaian lady in London also got cured through a similar product from his pharmaceutical production. The position of most Ghanaians who read the story and heard the interview with the owner of the famous Amen Herbal Scientific Centre with branches in some parts of the country was that we hardly recognize alternative medical practice even when evidence abounds about the efficacy of medicines from this line as in the case of the cured persons earlier alluded to in the commentary. With the addresses and lab results of the recovered patients available, it is surprising that Dr. Amin Bonsu has not been invited for discussions about his products. We wish that the medical authorities, especially the Pharmacology Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology whose testimony he has for one of his drugs, would subject the medication to further scrutiny, especially against the strong claim by the New Jersey-based Ghanaian lady. Even as the world is in a frantic search for a cure for the disease, which is responsible for a global nightmare, every claim is worth evaluating. Throughout history, mankind has unearthed solutions during crisis such as the one confronting the world today. The confidence Dr. Amin Bonsu, a respectable personality in the comity of alternative medical practitioners in the country, is exuding speaks volumes about what could possibly come our way as a country. As the search continues, we should not lose sight of such persons and their alternative medical practice across the country. Dismissing him as some of us have already done is not an acceptable option without evaluating his medication. With his medical products bearing the certificate of approval of the regulatory authorities, we think it would be worthwhile if they engaged with him, with a view to ascertaining the authenticity of his therapeutics. We do not by any means seek to turn the attention of Ghanaians away from mainstream medical facilities but only asking that the authorities engage with those who claim to have cure for Covid-19 because of the unusual times in which we are. Merely writing off non-hospital players in the search for cure for the disease would not serve our cause. Perhaps such engagements would bring for us and the world at large a cure which would elevate the stature of Ghana beyond its current notch. Lahore: Pakistans top counter-terrorism agency has issued two alerts, warning about possible terror attacks by two Taliban suicide bombers at the Wagah and Ganda Singh borders with India around the Independence Day. The National Counter-Terrorism Authority has asked the Punjab Director General of Pakistan Rangers, the Home Department and the Punjab police chief to take high preventive measures to protect the public as well as security personnel. Tehreek-i-Talibans Fazalullah group is planning to target parade at Wagah Border in Lahore and Ganda Singh Border in Kasur on August 13, 14 or 15, the security alert says. The letter also says two suicide bombers have been sent to hit these targets. Extreme vigilance and heightened security measures are suggested to avoid any untoward incident, it says. The Punjab Home Department has also issued a separate alert saying at least 16 suicide attackers have entered the Punjab province who are planning to target public gatherings in connection with the Independence Day. Following the alerts, the Punjab police launched a crackdown in the border areas and arrested a number of suspects. Police have taken more than 50 suspects into custody during a crackdown and security has been beefed up in the city as well as in the border areas, Lahore police spokesman Niyab Haider told PTI. He said the suspects would be quizzed and kept into custody till verification process as a majority of them could not produce documents related to their identity. He said police personnel have also been deployed at the border areas on Pakistans Independence Day (August 14). Rangers have also reportedly enhanced their patrolling in the border areas. A deadly terrorist attack had hit Wagah in November 2014, when over 60 people, including children and security personnel, were killed and 200 others injured minutes after the flag-lowering ceremony at the border. We have taken measures in the wake of the security alert issued by Nacta about possible terror attack at two important places - in Lahore and Kasur, Lahore police chief Capt Amin Wains said. He said police had launched the combing, search and sweep and intelligence-based operation last night and arrested several suspects. He said major security enhancement has been made around the Wagah Border. Meanwhile, the Punjab government has cancelled all outdoor activities planned for celebrating the Independence Day in the view of terror threat. The Quetta blast this week that killed 74 people mostly lawyers has necessitated the need to be more careful about the August 14 festivities that attract massive public participation, an official said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Hamilton researcher Dr. Mark Loeb has been struggling with funding despite launching the only randomized clinical trial in the world to answer one of the most important questions during the pandemic: How well do surgical masks protect heath-care workers from COVID-19 compared to N95 respirators? When making ends meet is tough even for a prominent infectious disease researcher conducting a study crucial to how the world responds to the virus 60 staff have been infected at Hamiltons hospitals alone it shows how COVID-19 has ravaged the world of science and discovery. It had a huge effect on the research at McMaster, said Karen Mossman, acting vice-president of research. Seemingly overnight, a large portion of the universitys researchers found themselves with no lab when the campus shut down and industry funding started drying up. Our challenge has been to keep our existing studies running ... and avoiding serious damage to several of our studies, many of which we had invested a decade of work, said Dr. Salim Yusuf, director of the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) affiliated with McMaster and Hamilton Health Sciences. It will cost us substantially. The research is more important than ever before, with the danger of the virus made painfully clear Friday as it spread rapidly through Rosslyn Retirement Residence on King Street East. In just over 24 hours, the number of infected staff and residents soared to 62 from 13 the day before. Eight residents were taken to hospital and one died. The 70-year-old man, who passed away May 14, brings the citys death toll to 26. Even without many of the new cases from Rosslyn added, Hamilton saw an increase of 14 people infected to have 521 confirmed cases Friday and six more probable. We need high-quality trials of vaccines and treatments and until we have both, we cannot open up society or the economy to the extent we would like, said Yusuf, one of Canadas most cited researchers. This epidemic showed the importance of sustained investment in research, and also how the decades of low funding for research in Canada has lead to a decline in our global competitiveness. The federal government announced $450 million in aid for researchers at universities and health research institutes Friday to provide wage support and help with unanticipated costs associated with maintaining research assets at risk due to the pandemic. Four-hundred and fifty million is a lot of money, but considering there are hundreds of research institutes across the country, its still even probably not enough in that sense, said Dr. Zain Chagla from the Research Institute of St. Josephs Hospital and McMaster University. But obviously given the times, given the economic conditions, its definitely a good step in progress to at least make sure projects dont have to shut down entirely. Chagla says at lot is at stake considering the robust research community Canada has painstakingly built, We cant just close these research networks otherwise were going to be left without this valuable resource we have in Canada. The dire situation can be seen through the pandemic experiences of some of the citys top researchers. Jason Busse, known for his work on chronic pain and evidence-based clinical practice, has had two clinical trials halted and has lost a research co-ordinator. Loeb has received some money from the Juravinski Research Institute but currently needs funding to complete the study on personal protective equipment for front-line workers. There have been many supply-chain issues for example getting enough swabs to detect COVID challenges around how to conduct clinical research while social distancing, and for our study obtaining N95 respirators, he said. But we are overcoming most of these barriers and are very grateful to those health-care facilities and health-care workers participating in the study. Yusuf says PHRI anticipates a substantial deficit because of COVID-19. We will survive as we had always kept a small reserve for challenging times and unanticipated expenses, he said. I hope that there will not be any layoffs especially among our high-performing team members at least this year, but future funding is also of concern. He says the Canadian Institutes of Health Research cancelled its last competition in which PHRI had submitted over 20 proposals. He doesnt anticipate there will be one in the fall either. Companies may pull back in their funding but we are watching the situation closely, he said. Dr. Mick Bhatia, director of McMaster Universitys Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute (SCCRI), hasnt had to layoff staff but hes had to be cautious about hiring or training anyone new. There is lots of great talent and potential out there that we cannot tap into right now, he said. The new monies from the feds will go a long way ... but we cant sustain this for long either. Question is, how this is going to be used, given the need is likely greater than 450 million? Researchers from PHRI, SCCRI and other institutes at McMaster have done what they can to do as much work as possible from home or to pivot their work to COVID-19 studies that have been developed rapidly. The research community was very creative in using those talents to address a whole number of relevant issues, said Mossman. But it is very challenging, she says. Our researchers do what they do because they want to make a difference, they want to have an impact and when theyre not allowed to do what they love ... its very frustrating. And Yusuf believes the government has been too slow in providing relief to researchers and grants to study COVID-19. On a national level, Canada s response has been very late, he said. We will miss the first wave of the epidemic and so recruitment of COVID patients into studies will be slow. ARCHIVED - Spain extends entry restrictions for international travellers until June 15th Non-essential travellers are not permitted to enter On Friday 15th May the BOE has published an order extending the entry restrictions to Spain for non-essential independent travellers until June 15th. Click to see original document; BOE This goes beyond the current dates established for the state of emergency although prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has already announced his intention to prolong the state of alarm until June 26th. From today new quarantine rules apply and anyone arriving in Spain must self-isolate for 14 days. Although the new rules are deemed to be unenforceable as there appears to be no mechanism by which the quarantine can be physically enforced, new arrivals will be expected to comply and self-isolate for 14 days. Earlier in the week the entry restrictions for non-residents were amplified until May 24th, but this amendment to the BOE effectively restricts entry into Spain for anyone other than residents until June 15th. The extension affects all those non-residents of Spain travelling for any non-essential purposes, only allowing entry to members of EU states or areas within the Schengen borders who need to stop off in Spain as they travel to their temporary place of residence or for the transit of goods/services/ diplomatic personnel and health workers. Its an additional blow for all those who had hoped that the Covid crisis would be over by the end of May and that it would be possible to take a holiday in Spain during June. The text says: The members of the European Council agreed, on March 17th, 2020, to apply a period of thirty days temporary restriction to non-essential travel from third countries to the European Union and associated Schengen countries. The agreement was intended to limit the spread of COVID-19 contagion. Spain applied this agreement through Order INT / 270/2020, of March 21st, which establishes criteria for the application of a temporary restriction on non-travel from third countries to the European Union and associated Schengen countries for reasons of public order and public health, due to the health crisis caused by COVID-19. This restriction was part of the state of alarm declared by Royal Decree 463/2020, of March 14, declaring the alarm status for the management of the health crisis situation caused by the COVID-19, and joined measures such as those adopted through Order INT / 239/2020, of March 16, re-establishing controls at internal borders land due to the health crisis situation caused by COVID-19. The state of alarm declared by Royal Decree 463/2020, of March 14, has been extended in Spain until, for the moment, on May 24 at 00:00. They have also successively extended controls at internal land borders,expanding them to air and sea, so that under the Order INT /396/2020, of May 8, and of Order INT / 401/2020, of May 11, are in force until 00:00 hours on May 24. After evaluating the pandemic situation in the Member States, in the Schengen partners and third countries, the European Commission recommended to extend until May 15th the temporary restriction of non-essential travel from third countries to the European Union and Schengen partner countries. This recommendation was included in the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council and the Council on the evaluation of the application of the temporary travel restriction no essential to the European Union, of April 8, Spain put it into practice through the Order INT / 356/2020, of April 20, by which the criteria for the application of a temporary restriction on non-essential travel from third parties countries to the European Union and Schengen partner countries for reasons of public order and public health due to the health crisis caused by COVID-19. All other Schengen states acted in this way. Again, in your Communication on the restriction of non-essential travel to the European Union of 8 May, the Commission recommends the extension of the aforementioned restrictions, in this case until June 15th. By virtue of this, pursuant to the provisions of article 4, sections 2 and 3, of the Royal Decree 463/2020, of March 14, provide: Article 1. Applicable criteria to deny entry for reasons of public order and public health due to the health crisis caused by COVID-19. 1. For the purposes of articles 6.1 e) and 14 of Regulation (EU)2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council of March 9, 2016,establishes a Code of Union standards for the crossing of people across borders STATE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER No. 136 Friday, May 15, 2020 Sec. I. Page 33175 cve: BOE-A-2020-5053 Verifiable at https://www.boe.es (Schengen Borders Code), will be subject to refusal of entry, for reasons of public order or public health, any person who is a third country national, unless they belong to one of the following categories: a) Usual residents in the European Union, in the Schengen Associated States or Andorra, who go directly to their place of residence. b) Holders of a long-term visa issued by a Member State or Schengen Associated State addressing it. c) Cross-border workers. d) Healthcare or elderly care professionals heading to or returning from exercise your work activity. e) Personnel dedicated to the transport of goods in the exercise of their activity work, which includes the crew of ships, in order to ensure the provision of maritime transport services and fishing activity; and the flight personnel necessary to carry out air transport activities commercial. It will be an indispensable condition that they ensure the immediate continuation of the journey. f) Diplomatic, consular, international, military and members of humanitarian organizations, in the exercise of their functions. g) People traveling for imperative family reasons duly accredited. h) Persons who document documentary reasons of force majeure or situation of necessity, or whose entry is permitted on humanitarian grounds. Formal documentation can be viewed here: Click State of Emergency documentation A plot by some COVID-19 patients who sneaked into Kwara State to escape from the Ilorin isolation centre was foiled on Friday. A s... A plot by some COVID-19 patients who sneaked into Kwara State to escape from the Ilorin isolation centre was foiled on Friday. A statement by the spokesman of the state COVID-19 technical committee, Rafiu Ajakaye, said the attempt was promptly foiled leading to the arrest and return of the patients who had already scaled the fence. Earlier today, Friday, May 15, 2020, the governments intelligence network uncovered a plot by some Covid-19 patients who sneaked into the state to escape, the statement said. The government expressed dismay that the persons were among the imported cases who intentionally violated the interstate lockdown order and came into the state. Security has been further beefed up at our isolation centre, the statement added, just as it restated that COVID-19 is not a death sentence and there is no reason why anyone would want to escape and put their own lives and the lives of others at risk. Meanwhile, a distressed man whose evacuation by a driver of the Kwara state COVID-19 technical team turned controversial in Ilorin, has tested negative after all. Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq broke the news while speaking to newsmen at a refresher course organised for health workers in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in Ilorin the state capital on Friday. Speaking on the man whose poor evacuation by the driver against established guidelines went viral, Governor Abdulrazaq said for abundance of caution, we took his sample after stabilising and freshening him up. And I am glad to say that we were right after all. He tested negative. Even so, I am saying that we could have done better. That was why we took actions against officials we established did not measure up to our expectations while we immediately fix all the gaps going forward, he declared. Assuring the people of the state that the government was on top of the situation, the governor said our heart goes to the gentleman that was rescued. His case was indeed that of the down moments of life. He is being taken care of. I am glad to say he is doing fine now at our Accident and Emergency unit. Governor Abdulrazaq said the training programme, the second in 24 hours followed the recent incident in which the evacuation of a distressed man was mishandled. What happened was an unfortunate exception which should not have happened. We acknowledge the gap, we are sorry about it, and here we are immediately fixing it. He said the simulation seen at the training programme is like a refresher course for our men to be at their best in the future adding that the state is not taking any chances to protect the people as such efforts have helped to prevent community transmission of the virus. DAILY POST reports that as a result of the mishandling of the distressed man, the Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Health, Dr Ayinla Abubakar was sent on indefinite suspension, while the driver who acted on his instruction has been sacked with some officials in charge of the state Rapid Response Team queried. A PROJECT launched by an entrepreneur from Henley to help small laboratories provide coronavirus testing for frontline healthcare staff has signed a multi-million pound contract with the government. Mike Fischer founded the Covid-19 Volunteer Testing Network with the aim of recruiting volunteer labs across the UK to carry out thousands of tests a day for GPs and NHS workers. The project, which was launched last month, aimed to build an emergency volunteer network of labs willing to convert to covid-19 testing to supplement the governments existing facilities. It now has the backing of the Department of Health and Social Care, which will fund tens of thousands of tests under the contract. Mr Fischer, 69, wants the country to urgently expand its covid-19 testing capacity for frontline workers and originally donated 1million of seed funding to get the project going. The governments support will now make it easier for small labs to convert to covid-19 testing, allowing capacity to rapidly increase. Mr Fischer said: We believe that it is vital to test even asymptomatic frontline healthcare workers regularly. Even people who do not show symptoms may be carriers of the virus, and transmit the infection to others. There are thousands of labs in the UK with the right equipment and expertise to run these tests but they are currently not being used. The Covid-19 Volunteer Testing Network has quickly expanded testing capacity across the UK. It is a distributed network of smaller local labs, working parallel to the governments centralised testing program. The network now has six labs live testing hundreds of healthcare workers each day across 50 GP surgeries. More than 20 more labs are currently in the pipeline and expected to go live in this month and next. The governments funding will substantially increase the number of labs for which it is viable to convert to testing, by helping to fund purchases of necessary equipment and consumables. Network labs are testing health workers locally, so most are able to deliver same-day results. Labs deliver swab kits to GP surgeries and care homes, then pick them up when they have been completed, reducing the need to drive long distances to a testing centre. This makes it easier for workers to be regularly screened and for asymptomatic cases to be identified quickly. This is vital for slowing the spread of the virus. Mr Fischer is the director of SBL, an independent, non-profit medical research laboratory in Milton Park, Abingdon which has been converted to testing for covid-19. It was the inspiration for the wider network. It is now providing hundreds of tests a week to NHS staff at 18 GP practices, including the Hart and Bell surgeries in Henley, Nettlebed Surgery, Sonning Common Health Centre and Goring and Woodcote Medical Practice, and some staff in care homes, with a half-day turnaround. These tests are giving hundreds of staff an indication of their current health status and the knowledge required to keep fulfilling these vital roles. The Covid-19 Volunteer Testing Network is being co-ordinated on an entirely voluntary basis and is looking for further labs to join the effort. For more information on the testing network, to join or to provide funding for the initiative, visit www.covid19-testing.org For the full story, see next weeks Henley Standard. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 01:09:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HARARE, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday hailed China for helping provide food assistance to Zimbabwe, where people are benefiting from the country's generosity during the lean season. China has over the years provided assistance to thousands of hungry Zimbabweans who are affected by cyclone-induced floods and droughts. WFP said on Twitter that it had managed to deliver the all important food to vulnerable people in the country through China's assistance. Zimbabwe is facing its worst hunger crisis in more than decade. With thanks to funding from China, WFP has delivered vital food assistance to almost 250,000 people so they can meet their daily food needs at the peak of the lean season, it said. "Thank you to the people of China," WFP said. China has come in as an important partner for Zimbabwe in its fight against hunger and during January-May period provided food assistance to Zimbabwe in an intervention WFP described as timely. "Severe drought and economic instability has hit Zimbabwe hard, driving 7.7 million people into hunger. A timely contribution from China towards WFP lean season assistance provided rice, beans and vegetable oil," WFP said in March. Zimbabwe has had two consecutive bad agricultural seasons, starting with poor and erratic rainfall in 2018/2019 coupled with flooding caused by Tropical Cyclone Idai in March 2019 and an equally bad 2019/2020 season. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said maize production in 2019 was 40 percent below the country's five-year average, while on-going harvesting of staple cereals will also be poor. Zimbabwe is one of three beneficiaries from China's assistance following the signing of agreements between the Asian country and WFP in September 2019 to provide emergency food assistance to three Southern African countries. The other two countries are Mozambique and Namibia. WFP noted that China has provided continual and concrete support to WFP's humanitarian operations in various countries and regions in recent years, contributing significantly to WFP's mission of saving lives and changing lives. The organization in April made an urgent appeal for 130 million U.S. dollars to feed some 4.1 million Zimbabweans facing acute hunger, as the country also faces the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Enditem Smith said Oggs salary would be very close to the package given to Cox. Smith said board leaders had thoroughly vetted Ogg and talked to people with whom he had worked. One of the references said that Ogg is a fix-it guy. Ogg, who grew up on a farm in central Wyoming, said he was one of those kids who proudly accepted 4-H and FFA honors as a youngster. All four of his kids were successful members of those organizations, he said. One of the board members questioned Ogg about his time at the Greeley Independence Stampede in Colorado. When Ogg started that job, the organization was $1 million in debt, he said. Among other things, he got a cash advance from the carnival to make payroll, he said. Jensen asked Ogg how open-minded he would be about getting input from Cox, who is now an adviser to the fair. Ogg said he had worked with Cox for several years at the Montana State Fair. Food at the 2019 Nebraska State Fair The Netflix docuseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness took the world by storm in March 2020. John Reinke, friend of Joe Exotic and previous manager of the GW Zoo, recently revealed how much he made by being part of the docuseries and what filmmakers got wrong about Joseph Maldonado-Passage better known as Joe Exotic. John Reinke | Netflix RELATED: Tiger King: PETA Lawyer Defends Carole Baskin and Big Cat Rescue Tiger King exposed the world of big cats in captivity Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness revealed the big cat underworld in the United States, which is headed by eccentric zookeepers like Bhagavan Doc Antle, Carole Baskin, and Maldonado-Passage. RELATED: Tiger King: Why Carole Baskin Spoke Freely About Her Missing Husband, Don Lewis A majority of the series documents Maldonado-Passages efforts to take down Baskin, become a country music star, and run for governor in the state of Oklahoma. The series served as a distraction from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic for many, but the original intent of the docuseries was to raise awareness about big cats in captivity in the United States. John Reinke still considers Joe Exotic a friend Reinke had a unique relationship with Maldonado-Passage. When Maldonado-Passage was arrested, the GW Zoo staff were forced to choose a side: stick with Maldonado-Passage or adapt to Jeff Lowes new way of running things and testify against Maldonado-Passage. Right there towards the end, everybody turned on everybody, Reinke explained to Too Fab. They just kind of rolled over. He remained loyal to Maldonado-Passage. Though Reinke doesnt agree with some of Maldonado-Passages actions, he still considers him a friend. I was part of Joes life for 14 years, I worked with him side by side every day, Reinke explained. Hes not where he should be. He shouldnt be in there for 22 years. He did do some stuff wrong, but I think hes done enough time. Reinke insisted Maldonado-Passage was framed to secure his conviction, saying [Maldonado-Passage] had his words turned around. Maldonado-Passage is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence for the murder-for-hire plot he tried to execute on Baskin. John Reinke believes Tiger King creators censored Joe Exotic Joe Exotics persona was over-the-top eccentric. As an entertainer, he would stop at just about nothing to give audiences a show, whether they were visitors to his zoo or camera crews filming. Though some claim they were misrepresented in Tiger King, Reinke believes everybody was spot on in the show. The only person who was different was Maldonado-Passage. Hes pretty flamboyant, Reinke explained, claiming that the docuseries tamed down Joe Exotics true personality. How much John Reinke made filming Tiger King Contrary to the success of the Netflix series, Reinke said he didnt make any money for participating in filming. I filmed that thing for five or six years, and didnt make biscuits out of that, he said. Netflix made all the money on that. According to Reinke, there were whisperings of other cast members making money on the docuseries. Ive not tried to make money at all through this, until now, he said. To add to the Tiger king fans.https://t.co/vFYInrlNlm John Reinke (@bonediggerlion) May 14, 2020 RELATED: Not Everyone Enjoys Tiger King: Larry David and Howard Stern Arent Fans On May 15, Full Moon Features released the comedy Barbie & Kendra Save the Tiger King, a humous retelling of how Joe Exotic came to be. The movie stars Reinke himself, along with Will and Grace alum Leslie Jordan. Its what we need right now during COVID, Reinke joked. Everyone needs a laugh. Hopefully, Barbie & Kendra Save the Tiger King reap the rewards Reinke feels he is owed for his participation in Tiger King. To the Editor: I read with great interest the commentary on the Kent State massacre of 1970 (50 years ago, Kent State sent a shock wave that still resonates, May 4, 2020). A similar massacre occurred at predominantly black Jackson State University 10 days later. Two students, Phillip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green, were killed and 12 others were wounded as Mississippi State Police and Jackson city police fired as many as 400 rounds into a campus dormitory. Kent State, a predominantly white school, has become a well-known touchstone of opposition to the Vietnam war while Jackson State has been largely forgotten. The 1976 Vietnam Peace Calendar, which I coordinated for Syracuse Cultural Workers, addressed this systemic racism with the graphic (by Kim Smith) and text: On April 30, 1970 Richard Nixon announced the U.S. invasion (incursion was his doublespeak word) of Cambodia. Protests erupted around the country and world. On May 4, at Kent State U. (Ohio), the National Guard, which had been called onto the campus by the schools president and Governor Rhodes, shot and killed 4 students and wounded 15 others. Ten days later at Jackson State U. (Mississippi) state police shot and killed 2 students and wounded 30 others. The Kent massacre received massive press coverage; Jackson comparatively little. Jackson is a black school, Kent predominantly white. A graphic example of the endemic racism in U.S. society. Our government exploited this same racism in its genocidal war in Viet Nam. Kent/Jackson - Kim Smith This text, relevant in 1970, is, unfortunately, just as relevant in 2020, 50 years later. Dik Cool Syracuse How to submit letters and commentary to Syracuse.com Bob Green has been working on and off at Presque Isle Wine Cellars, located a couple of miles from Lake Erie, since 1983. He has seen plenty there, although its safe to say that few seasons have rivaled this spring at one of the states two oldest wineries. For one, there has been the closure since mid-March of the tasting room because of the coronavirus pandemic. Then theres been the chilly spring on the heels of one of that areas mildest-ever winters. This morning I noticed our neighbor was out scraping ice off the windshield, said Green on Wednesday. It has been in the 40s pretty much since the middle of February. Weve had a couple of days where its gotten into the low 60s, and then it drops right back down again. What that means for the Presque Isle vineyards along with the many others that are clustered around 15 miles northeast of Erie and along the Lake Erie wine trail is that even the particularly cold nights earlier this week probably didnt do much damage because, as Green said, the buds [on the vines] are barely open. Nothing is really pushing out that far, he said of the vines. I talked to a grower a couple of days ago. He also has blueberries. He said normally by now hed have one spray on his blueberries. At this point, there are no leaves on them. Theres nothing to spray. So, he figures they are like a week or so behind, so not really a lot. But were still a little bit behind. The advantage is weve been cold enough that we have not seen any kind of [frost] damage because nothing has really pushed out. "In that way, I think our spring is OK, said Green, a native of Union City in Erie County. Its been miserable for us because we cant do anything because it has been too cold. Green has had several stints as a winemaker at Presque Isle, working under owners Doug and Marlene Moorhead. He left in 2004 to pursue opportunities in winemaking education and continues to teach. A longtime instructor at Mercyhurst University Culinary and Wine Institute, he also served as the director of the viticulture and enology program at Harrisburg Area Community College, which began in 2011 and was terminated by the school in 2018. A two-year associates program, it pushed out a number of graduates now working in the industry. Some of that material, Green said, he brought with him to a new certificate program at Penn State Berks, a one-year series of classes that focus on enology. Presque Isle Wine Cellars hauled in several medals at the Pa. Farm Show competition in January. Theres some current irony in the fact that all of those classes at HACC and Penn State Berks have been online; with a couple of weekend trips to Harrisburg built in for Green to conduct the lab portion of the instruction. Green said that while the certificate program has been scaled back from what was offered at HACC, I think it still meets the needs of the industry, at least to a certain degree. I last saw Green at Wine Excellence XVIII at the Harrisburg Hilton in late January. He was there representing the winery, which placed its 2017 Dornfelder on the contests list of finalists. An in-state competition put on by the Pa. Wine Society that largely judges wines made from vinifera grapes (Traminette, Vidal and Chambourcin are also thrown into the mix), Presque Isle has placed in a majority of those years, and usually with something different. Its top 10s the past decade have included its Riesling Ice Wine in the 2011 and 2012 competitions, its Dornfelder in 2014, its Cabernet Franc in 2017 and its Traminette (best white wine overall) in 2018. Green returned in 2015 to Presque Isle, where he works as the executive winemaker on a consulting basis in addition to assisting on the managerial side, where needed. Marlene, at one time the winemaker, retired in 2007 but still lends a hand. Doug continued to contribute in numerous ways until two years ago when he suffered a severe stroke. Their son Erik is now chairman of the board and the operations president and treasurer. Its a place that remains so important to the states wine industry for all it has meant historically, opening in 1964 as a business that sold winemaking supplies, equipment and juice. When Pennsylvania approved the Limited Winery Act in July 1968, establishing the creation of a wine industry, Presque Isle in 1969 became one of the first two wineries in the state to open. It remains a member of one of the East Coasts grape and wine hubs, with 11 wineries located in Northeast Township along the lake and 23 wineries covering more than 50 miles of Lake Erie Wine Country that stretches into New York. Amid all those tasting rooms are somewhere in the vicinity of 30,000 acres of grapes, mostly Concord and Niagara. A blend of those two grapes now makes up Presque Isles biggest seller, a sweet blush. It wasnt always that way, said Green, recalling it wasnt until the 1990s that more customers started to ask for wine made from Concord grapes. We realized at that point that these wines sell, that theyre cash cows, and we really need to make some money off them. So we did, and we started to carry them more. Selling those wines, he said, helps finance the quality dry wines that have been part of Presque Isles portfolio for decades. Underneath, he said of the philosophy he has understood since he first arrived, theres was always kind of the basic, we just want to make good, solid wines, kind of emphasize the traditional style all the way across the board. I still focus on trying to make the best possible reds I can, barrel-aged, he said. Work with the growers very closely. Were still trying out new varieties, which weve always done. If we can get some vinifera that arent quite as common, we like to play around with them and see what we can do Theres kind of that constant theme thats been there of traditional, but lets kind of look at the new varieties that are coming in the area, Gruner Veltliner, for example. Dornfelder. Stuff like that. And Im also talking with one of the local breweries and were probably going to, once we open up again, well have our first hopped wine. So were still playing in that direction, too. Seeing what works and what doesnt work. Presque Isle Wine Cellars' Isle House tasting room, which remains closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. At some point, there will be customers tasting wine here again. So there is evolution, he continued. Part of the evolution is that we.see what sells and makes money, and so we want to go after that. Its a business and thats what businesses do. And the other one is that we have the side of us that is the traditional, and I dont want to stray too far from that. I want to maintain that as also who we are. Erie County as of Friday moved into Gov. Tom Wolfs yellow phase, which removes the stay-at-home guidelines but still limits the size of groups and keeps a number of businesses closed. Presque Isle will continue to sell its wines and supplies curbside, with orders called in, knowing the time eventually will come to reopen for tastings. Even though the county has been on the lower end of the spectrum comparatively in positive cases (134) and deaths (3), Green said the winerys attitude likely matches how many individuals in that county feel. I dont think people are too eager to throw the doors open and start getting a bunch of people through the door, he said. Although wed like to. But I think theres still a little hesitancy on our end for it. Other recent regional wine stories on PennLive Lancaster County winery adds second curbside location for pickup, expands its vineyard Berks County winery managing the present as best it can while preparing to plant for the future Central Pa. producer gives quarantined customers a one-stop destination for wine, homemade food Top wine picks from Pa. producers licensed to ship to your home Bedford County winery fares better than expected during string of recent frosts 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. Princess Eugenie has praised her special mum Sarah Ferguson for bringing joy and happiness through her 'storytime' YouTube show during this challenging time.' Taking to Instagram, Princess Eugenie, 30, shared a screenshot of her mother, the Duchess of York's post, and penned: 'My special mum has started @storytimewithfergieandfriends. Something to bring joy and happiness in this challenging time. 'If you'd like your story read or you would like to take part then look below to join in on a bit of fun.' In an effort to keep spirits high, Prince Andrew's ex-wife has introduced a daily story time slot where she reads a children's bedtime story on YouTube - and is joined online by various celebrity guests. Princess Eugenie, 30, has praised her special mum Sarah Ferguson, 60, for bringing joy and happiness through her 'storytime' YouTube show. Pictured, attending the 50th anniversary of The Beatles SGT Pepper Album at Abbey Road Studios for End The Silence and Hope&Homes for Children on May 31, 2017 in London Taking to Instagram, the royal penned: 'My special mum has started @storytimewithfergieandfriends. Something to bring joy and happiness in this challenging time' (pictured) In her post, the Duchess of York, 60, encouraged the nation to send in their favourite children's stories and wrote: 'I would love to receive your books and stories for @storytimewithfergieandfriends.' It comes hours after Princess Eugenie thanked a breakfast brand for donating 'over a million bags' of oats to a care package scheme for vulnerable people across the country. Taking to her social media page, Eugenie, shared a picture of NHS healthcare workers clutching huge bags of porridge oats that had been donated by Cheshire based brand MornFlake. The royal posted: 'Thankyou to @MornFlake who have been donating 100s of bags of their oats to hospital workers but also over a million now to the @Defrauk care package scheme - a national initiative which sends care parcels out to vulnerable people across the country.' In her own Instagram post, Sarah Ferguson encouraged the nation to send in their favourite childhood books for @storytimewithfergieandfriends (pictured) It comes after the 30-year-old shared a snap of health workers carrying boxes full of oats as she thanked the Chesire-based company Princess Eugenie has played an active role on social media during the pandemic, highlighting work done to support NHS staff working on the frontline. The Duchess of York's daughter has previously thanked a takeaway chain for donating to frontline staff at The York hospital as it emerged that Sarah Ferguson has briefed eateries to make any donations 'convenient'. Earlier this week, Eugenie shared a picture of the colourful goodie bags containing pasta that had been donated to NHS workers at the York Hospital. The royal wrote: 'Thank you to Eataliano UK who donated and delivered their pasta to the team on the fronttline at York Hospital'. It comes days after Princess Eugenie thanked a takeaway chain for donating to frontline staff at The York hospital Meanwhile, her mother Sarah Ferguson shared a picture of hospital staff holding trays of brownies, writing: 'Thank you so much for the cake and brownie donations to Northwick Park Hospital'. The baker behind the brownies, Nisha Khurana, later took to Instagram to reveal the brief she had been given, focusing on 'comfort' when she baked for hospital staff. She wrote: 'Absolutely delighted to have been given the opportunity to contribute towards the generous donations to the NHS by Sarah, Duchess of York. 'From the beginning comfort and convenience were the main focus for what I was going to produce. With that in mind, and a cup of tea in hand, I settled on individually baked slices of brownies, coffee and walnut cake, banana cake and lemon bread.' She added: 'Made even sweeter by the donation going to the renal unit at the Northwick Park Hospital who have been instrumental in keeping many people alive and well, including my mum'. There was some good news for Fermoy this week after it was confirmed the Government is to uphold a commitment to part fund a report into the condition of the dilapidated town weir. Last August the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government agreed to cover half the cost, up to 175,000, of a consultant's report into the protected structure, with a view to repairing the weir and its fish pass. Deputy Stanton confirmed the one-off payment for initial planning and scoping works for repairs to the weir will be forthcoming within the coming weeks. Cork County Council had previously confirmed it had commenced the tender process for consultants, but that would only be possible with financial assistance from the Government. Cllr Noel McCarthy (FG) said he and colleagues had been in regular contact with department officials urging them to stump up the funding needed to kick-start the initial phase of the repair project. "As the tender process has already been completed, the release of this funding means the council is now in a position to draw up a design, with full costings, for the repair of the weir and fish pass. I would anticipate this will take in the region of three to four months to complete," said Cllr McCarthy. It is understood the consultant's report will cost in the region of 330,00 to complete, with the total cost of the repairs estimated to cost in the region of 3 million. Cllr McCarthy said the next step will have to be securing the funding needed to complete the project. He said the most likely scenario would be the sanctioning of a loan from central government to Cork County Council, to be paid back on favourable terms over a pre-determined period of time. "Now the process is up and running, it is vitally important the momentum be kept up and the funding ring-fenced to complete the project as soon as possible. We simply cannot afford to let this drag on for much longer and run the risk of having to continually cancel river events such as the Fermoy Regatta," he said. Cllr McCarthy said that one way of fast tracking the project would be to carry it out on a phased basis by first repairing the severely damaged weir itself and then moving onto the fish pass once this has been done. "This would be subject to approval from Inland Fisheries, who have insisted all along that both be done together. However, my fear is that the longer the weir is left in its current condition, the greater the chance that one flood event will destroy it completely," he said. "Time is of the essence here. Everyone needs to put their heads together to come up with a common sense solution that will ensure this iconic Fermoy structure is not lost for good. My hope is that a new Government will show the same commitment to this project as the current one has done." An exam authority employee accused of posting anti-government comments online ahead of a raging controversy in Hong Kong over a history question on Sino-Japanese relations has resigned, along with a colleague from the same department, the Post can reveal. A source said that Lo Ka-yiu and his subordinate would leave their roles this summer at the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA), which was asked by the Education Bureau on Thursday to probe reports of inappropriate comments allegedly published by Lo and a third member of staff. The two resignations emerged on Saturday as more than 54,000 people signed a petition accusing the bureau of interfering in the citys university entrance exams after officials took the unprecedented step on Friday of asking for the invalidation of a question posed in a history paper a day earlier. Samuel Yung Wing-ki, HKEAAs chairman, told the Post on Saturday that detailed discussions were required and a decision would not be reached very quickly on whether to strike out the question, which asked candidates if Japan did more good than harm to China in the early 20th century. A source close to Lo said the resignations of the two members of HKEAA staff were effective from August 16, but refused to comment on the nature of their departure, including whether they were asked to leave by top management. Lo is a senior manager of assessment development, working in a division responsible for the development of question papers on Diploma of Secondary Education exams and assessments, as well as marking scripts and grading candidate performance. He and the more junior colleague worked on liberal studies, another controversial subject in the city. An HKEAA spokesman said it would not comment on personnel changes. Pro-Beijing media outlets reported on Wednesday the day before the controversial DSE exam that two authority employees had made inappropriate comments on social media. Story continues Lo was one of those mentioned and reportedly published posts calling for city leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to step down, as well as other material relating to the anti-government protests sparked last June in Hong Kong by the now-withdrawn extradition bill. The other HKEAA employee referred to in those media reports was on the committee drawing up the history exam at the centre of the row. The latter was said to have posted in Chinese: If there was no Japanese occupation, would there be a new China? Have you forgotten your origin? Japanese troops celebrate the fall of Nanking in 1937. Photo: Handout The comment referred to a news report that a man was arrested in mainland China for wearing a Japanese army uniform to his wedding. The media reports suggested the post implied that the Japanese invasion of China helped pave the way for the Chinese Communist Partys rise to power. At the centre of the exam row was a compulsory question in a history paper of the DSE on Thursday, which asked the 5,200 candidates if they agreed that Japan did more good than harm to China between 1900 and 1945, with reference to two excerpts of reading material and their own knowledge. Education minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung on Friday condemned the reference materials as biased and the question as leading, saying there is no room for discussion on what the answer should be: that Japan only did harm but no good from its invasion of China. The paper sparked outrage among pro-establishment figures in Hong Kong and internet users on the mainland who described the question as blatantly ignoring the suffering of the Chinese people during the eight-year occupation between 1937 and 1945. The bureau first lashed out on Thursday evening at the HKEAA for setting the question, an hour after the Office of the Commissioner of the Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong threw its weight behind criticism levelled by some pro-Beijing figures. State news agency Xinhua slammed the question as poisonous in a commentary warning that the rage of all Chinese sons and daughters would not be able to be settled if it was not removed. Concern groups, including those made up of students, teachers and members of political party Demosisto, have launched a petition opposing the bureaus political interference. As of Saturday night, more than 54,000 had signed the petition, including 1,467 listing themselves as candidates sitting the history exam, 440 identifying as history teachers and more than 9,700 parents. Whether an exam question is appropriate should not be decided based on the feelings of some people, but should be left to the education industry to judge, the petition wrote, adding that a well-established professional mechanism for setting exam questions was recognised by universities, secondary schools and the international community. The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority says it will meet government officials to run through how it sets exam questions. Photo: May Tse Expressing worries that invalidating the question would affect the exams coherence, fairness and international accreditation, the petition called on HKEAA to safeguard the credibility of the exam and say no to political interference. The move of the Education Bureau has overridden professionalism and interests of students with politics, it wrote, demanding Yeung to withdraw his remarks. One of the petitions initiators, Issac Cheng Ka-long, the vice-chairman of Demosisto, said activists had been mulling a plan to launch a judicial review should the HKEAA invalidate the exam question. We are discussing with our legal team and actively considering taking legal action, Cheng said. We have reached some affected DSE students and see who would like to apply for the review. He said the legal grounds would relate to the bureau overriding the independent examination authority and the resultant loss to students of the departments misconduct. Others behind the petition are the Academic Staff Association of The Education University of Hong Kong, Progressive Teachers' Alliance, and student groups formed online from the anti-government movement that grew out of opposition to the extradition bill. HKEAA chairman Yung, a businessman who is also a member of the national advisory body, the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, said the body would meet with officials on Monday to discuss issues relating to the mechanism for setting questions. On whether the exam authority felt any pressure to comply with the governments request, Yung said on Saturday: It is not up to one person, but the whole council. A detailed discussion is needed and a decision is not expected to be released very quickly. Samuel Yung, chairman of Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority. Photo: Xiaomei Chen A spokesman for HKEAA, which is an independent and self-funded statutory body, said its governing council would not hold any meetings over the weekend. The council comprises education officials and independent members, including educators appointed by Hong Kongs chief executive. Teddy Tang Chun-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools, said he did not know the reason for Lo's resignation but predicted more departures. Some will find it more difficult to sustain their professionalism under this environment, so will quit, he said. I am worried that some youngsters interested in teaching will refrain from joining the profession too. It is getting more obvious that there are political taboos. But we are uncertain of the scope. While Tang said the wording of the exam question was not ideal he would seek a meeting with the bureau to express his concerns over its intervention. Wong Kwan-yu from the pro-Beijing Federation of Education Workers, meanwhile, said he would not speculate on the reasons for Lo's resignation, adding he hoped a personnel change would revitalise liberal studies, which had stirred up disputes in the community. On Saturday morning, a DSE student told a radio programme she was opposed to scrapping the question. I think I have answered quite well on this question. A sudden cancellation would be unfair to me, she said. I have spent 20 minutes on this question, and less time on other questions. University of Hong Kong legal scholar Eric Cheung Tat-ming said there were grounds for students to file a judicial review if the invalidation went ahead. That would be an absurd and unprecedented circumstance, and students who are directly affected by the change have grounds to file a judicial review, he said, adding in that scenario the judge would look at the HKEAAs decision-making process as well as the reasons behind reaching its conclusion. Barrister Randy Shek Shu-ming said whether the court accepted the application was based on any reasonable arguments and procedural impropriety. It is too early to say whether the decision itself has infringed academic freedom and free speech at this stage, he said. The Post has contacted the Education Bureau for comment on the petition. Help us understand what you are interested in so that we can improve SCMP and provide a better experience for you. We would like to invite you to take this five-minute survey on how you engage with SCMP and the news. More from South China Morning Post: This article Hong Kong exam authority employees resign during controversy over history question on Japans relations with China first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 04:15:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Syria recorded two new COVID-19 infections on Friday, bringing the total number in the country to 50, the health ministry said in a statement. Syria has so far recorded 36 recoveries and three deaths from COVID-19, according to the ministry statement. On Thursday, the health ministry said 6,781 Syrians have been put in quarantine for COVID-19 inspection since February, with 2,557 now in quarantine for further tests. Syria reported the the first COVID-19 infection on March 22 and the first death on March 29. Earlier this month, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warned of a "real catastrophe" in case of an increase in the number of COVID-19 infections in the war-torn country. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 16:21:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- At least five workers were killed Saturday after a goods truck they were travelling in overturned in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, police said. The accident took place near Banda in Sagar district, about 185 km east of Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh. "Today in a road accident here five migrant workers were killed near Banda," a police official in Sagar district said. "They were going to Uttar Pradesh from Maharashtra." Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident. "Received sad news about the untimely death and injuries of many labourers in a road accident in Sagar. I pray to God for the peace of departed souls and strength to the victim families to bear this deep sorrow," Chouhan said. Earlier Saturday, 24 migrant labourers were killed and more than 30 others injured when the trucks they were travelling in collided with each other in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya district. Enditem New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday interacted with a group of migrant workers on their way from Ambala in Haryana to Uttar Pradeshs Jhansi near a flyover in Delhis Sukhdev Vihar before arranging transportation for them. He sat on a footpath with the migrants and interacted with them for over an hour, the Congress said and alleged the Delhi police later detained the workers citing a direction to do so. The police refuted the claim. We have not detained any migrant. Rahul Gandhi came and interacted with the migrants. Later, his supporters took the migrants in their vehicles, said deputy police commissioner (south-east Delhi) R P Meena. In a video the Congress released, Mahesh Kumar, one of the migrants, said their group of 13 migrants, including a child, was squatting on the footpath when Gandhi met them. He asked us to speak about our problems. We told him that we do not have enough food and water. We have spent 50 days without much work and have worked for only 4-5 days in between, he said. Kumar added that Gandhi promised to make arrangements for their return. The Congress said that the migrant workers worked at a factory in Ambala and were waiting for their dues to be paid. It added that the Congresss Delhi and Uttar Pradesh units have been asked to facilitate their travel to Jhansi, around 500 km away. Gandhi has been critical of the governments handling of the migrant crisis. On Saturday, he tweeted about the latest accident involving migrant workers in Uttar Pradeshs Auraiya. I am hurt by the news of the death of 24 labourers and the injuries to many people in UPs Auraiya. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and hope the injured get well soon, he tweeted. Migrant workers left jobless by the Covid-19 lockdown imposed in late March have continued to walk and cycle back to their homes even as buses have been arranged for them since late April and trains from May 1 onwards. (With inputs by Karn Pratap Singh) YPSILANTI, MI A documentary by director Anthony Collings, with help from the Student Advocacy Center, follows the progress of former Ypsilanti student Jakobie Kobie Pillar while he was in high school. The documentary titled You Cant Give Up, goes into detail about how former Student Advocacy Center mentor Anell Eccleston helped change the path Pillar was leading. Collings portrays how mentorship can influence students when they may be entering the school-to-prison pipeline. You Cant Give Up premiered on Facebook and can be viewed here. Pillar grew up in an environment in Ypsilanti where negative influences surrounded him, he said. The documentary stated at the time that one of his brothers was incarcerated and another had been incarcerated many times. The Washtenaw County Student Advocacy Center, located at 124 Pearl St., is a mentor program for students who may need guidance when with academics. Mentors focus on grades, behavior and attendance in order to prepare students for graduation. Im really grateful that Kobie was willing to open up his life in that way because whenever someone tells their story, we always hear from other students and community members about how inspired they are, said Peri Stone-Palmquist, Student Advocacy Center, executive director. You Can't Give Up In America, one out of every three black men is likely to be imprisoned. This is the story of one young man who tried to avoid that fate -- and the mentor who helped him. Posted by The Student Advocacy Center of Michigan on Tuesday, April 28, 2020 Pillar, who graduated from Ypsilantis Achieving College & Career Education high school in 2019, is still connected with Eccleston today, who now works as a probation officer. I talk to my mentor all the time every other day, Pillar said. I feel like thats my big brother. He guided me and showed me a lot of things that I didnt know. People get to where they are because they seek support and mentorship along the way, Stone-Palmquist said, adding it can be harder for some people more than others to ask for guidance, but the Student Advocacy Center hopes to change that. Stay positive and know that you can do whatever you need to do to succeed -- and know that anybody can do anything no matter where you come from, Pillar said. Pillar is one of many students who successfully graduated out of the program. Mentors are located at three different offices, helping students in Detroit, Jackson and Ypsilanti. Al Correa is a Check and Connect mentor, which is a Student Advocacy Center long-term program that assists students who are facing a disconnect with their academics. He reaches out to 22 students a week. We want to celebrate every milestone and every achievement they make, Correa said. Some kids may be inconsistent with going to school and maybe they went to school three days out of the week instead of not going. We want to celebrate every step that we take. Students end up having a new mentality after experiencing the mentorship program, Correa said. The Student Advocacy Center has been serving students since 1975. The nonprofit is hosting a livestream fundraiser at 7:30 p.m. May 22 to highlight the stories of students and local advocates. Speakers include co-hosts Jessica Decky Alexander, director and professor of Eastern Michigan Universitys Engage@EMU, and Derrick Jackson of the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office. Stories will be told by Leo Sheng of Showtimes The L Word: Generation Q; Daicia Price, a clinical assistant professor of social work at the University of Michigan, and Marina Jimenez, a Ferris State University student. Registration is open on the website for tickets that cost $30 for adults and $10 for students in middle school and up, If someone wants to attend, but is financially impacted due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, send an email to contact@studentadvocacycenter.org. The Taiwanese vice president accuses Beijing. Taipei asks to take part as an observer state. For the Chinese, Taiwan is not a sovereign state. Among the 15 diplomatic allies of the island, only the Vatican has not expressed support for its participation. 66% of the inhabitants of the "rebel province" consider themselves Taiwanese. Taipei (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Due to pressure from China, Taiwan has little chance of attending the World Health Organization (WHO) Assembly on May 18 and 19, Taiwanese vice president Chen Chien-jen revealed yesterday. Taipei is asking to participate in the WHO decision-making body meeting as an observer state. Beijing opposes this, arguing that the island is not a sovereign state, but a "rebel" province, to be forcibly reunited if needed. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) maintains China that must submit Taiwanese applications to the WHO, provided that Taipei recognizes the "principle of one China". Taiwan is one of the countries that has faced the pandemic crisis most successfully. International support for hits participation in the WHO Assembly has grown in recent days. The United States, Australia, New Zealand and Japan have expressed themselves openly in this regard. As did 14 of the 15 states that have formal diplomatic ties with Taipei. The Vatican, which participates as an observer in the WHO's work, is the only diplomatic ally of the island that has not made such a request to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the Organization. Tensions between Taipei and Beijing worsened in 2016, when the current Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen won her first term. Tsai is the leader of the People's Democratic Party, in favor of the island's formal independence from the Chinese motherland. According to a survey published on May 12 by the Pew Research Center, a US demoscopic institute, 66% of Taiwanese inhabitants consider themselves Taiwanese, 28% both Taiwanese and Chinese, only 4% recognize themselves Chinese. SBC Digital Summit Breaks Through Significantly Online Published May 16, 2020 by Lee R The inaugural SBC Digital Summit preserved key components of live events with resounding feedback. In a format which we might be forced to rely on at a moment's notice in these uncertain times moving forward, SBC has managed to set a standard for this brave new world of virtual conferences and exhibitions. The Event The lynchpin of the accomplishment of the inaugural version of the SBD Digital Summit was the global audience of betting and gaming industry professionals from 100 countries. Content Not only was the format a game-changer, but the content was as well. The five-day online forum-style event brought together a dazzling industry array of operators, affiliates and suppliers to discuss how they were coping with the impact of COVID-19. Attendees The event turned out to attract huge attendance, as delegates gleaned insights and ideas from 160 high-level speakers participating on a seven-track conference which featured over 30 operator CEO's. Components The Summit preserved key elements of live conferences, including an interactive virtual exhibit hall; virtual networking lounge and market-themed online networking sessions. Exhibitions The virtual stands were a particularly big hit, with 50 exhibitors booking meetings with potential customers; chatting with delegates; showcasing their products via video; and distributing product literature to get the word out at the same scale as any live conference. Virtual Stand Awards A charming recognition was extended to the virtual exhibitors in the form of a delegate poll to decide the SBC Virtual Stand Awards. The results were quite rollicking as well, with Pragmatic Play emerging as the winner of a tight competition for the Best Virtual Stand; while the Most Visually Appealing Stand honour was shared by BetConstruct and 1xBet; and Betradar grabbed the Best Use of Video & Downloads prize. SBC Leader Speaks SBC CEO and Founder Rasmus Sojmark, the event director, couldn't have been happier, calling the organising of the gambling industry's first ever large scale online event a bold step to put together in a matter of weeks: We put together a high-level conference agenda and speaker roster, sold out the exhibition and devised some great ideas for virtual networking. Outlook The positive feedback that Sojmark and the SBC team received shows that at least as a Plan B, a game-changing online event can be delivered to the iGaming industry. An Iranian court has sentenced a French-Iranian academic to six years in prison on security charges, her lawyer said. The lawyer for Fariba Adelkhah said on May 16 that his client was sentenced to five years for "colluding to commit acts against national security" and one year for "propaganda against the system." Her lawyer, Said Dehghan, said they would appeal the ruling. France condemned the sentencing and demanded Adelkhah's immediate release. "This sentencing is not based on any serious element or fact and is thus a political decision," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement on May 16. "We are urging Iranian authorities to immediately release Mrs Adelkhah." Adelkhah and her French colleague and partner, Roland Marchal, were arrested together in June 2019. Marchal, who was accused of "colluding to commit acts against national security," was allowed to return home to France in March after being released in a prisoner swap between Paris and Tehran. In January, Iran dropped spying charges against 61-year-old Adelkhah but she remained in Tehrans Evin prison on other security-related charges. Adelkhah is a research director at Sciences Po university in Paris and an expert on Iran and Shi'ite Islam. Iran, which does not recognize dual citizenship, had repeatedly rejected calls from Paris to release Adelkhah. Adelkhah has been weakened by a 49-day hunger strike between late December and February, her lawyer said. The country has arrested dozens of dual nationals in recent years on alleged espionage charges. Iranian authorities have not provided any solid evidence to back their claims. Marchal is not the only foreign national to have been freed by Iran in a prisoner swap in recent months. In February, Iran released an unidentified German national in exchange for Iranian Ahmad Khalili, who was in custody for circumventing U.S. sanctions. In December, Tehran freed U.S. academic Xiyue Wang in exchange for scientist Massud Soleimani. Iran has said it is open to further prisoner swaps. With reporting by Reuters and AFP By PTI KOLKATA: The first repatriation flight from Bangladesh to Kolkata, carrying 160 people, will arrive here on Monday, capping days of a wordy duel between the West Bengal government and the Centre on the issue. The flight under 'Vande Bharat' mission will arrive at Kolkata International Airport here from Dhaka on May 18. The development will hopefully bring down curtains on the political row between the state government and the Ministry of External Affairs for the last two days after Bengal alleged that the centre was discriminating between states in terms of deploying repatriation flights for residents of different states. Denying the charge, MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had said the Centre does not differentiate between states, and its 'Vande Bharat' mission is for all stranded Indians. Adding fuel to the fire, the state government on Friday said it had "long back" communicated to the Centre the preparations made to welcome back people stranded abroad, while replying to the Union government's assertion that repatriation flights can be facilitated to Kolkata if Bengal confirms the arrangements to receive and quarantine passengers. West Bengal Home Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay on Saturday said the first repatriation flight from abroad -- Dhaka -- would be arriving in the city on May 18. The state government has informed External Affairs and Civil Aviation ministries about the arrangements made in the city for those onboard following the relaxation of lockdown norms. The passengers would go on the mandatory, 14-day quarantine upon arriving in Kolkata, Bandopadhyay said. The state government has already shared the list of hotels which it has earmarked for pay-and-use quarantine stay and also those arranged by the government for free, he said. "I hope these arrangements will streamline the return of travellers", he said. More repatriation flights will arrive in the city, and the government has made provisions for buses, app cabs and pre-paid taxis to transfer passengers from the airport, he added. Indians stranded in various countries due to COVID-19-driven restrictions are being brought back in special flights under the Union government's 'Vande Bharat' mission. Senior TMC leader and state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee welcomed the development and said it should have taken place long back. "The repatriation flights should have arrived long back. But better late than never," he said. The issue of deployment of repatriation flights for Bengal had fanned the ongoing Centre-state confrontation, after Chatterjee on Thursday night alleged that the Union government was discriminating between states in terms of allotting repatriation flights under the Vande Bharat' mission. The MEA had denied the charge within a few hours with its spokesperson, Anurag Srivastava, tweeting, "The MEA does not discriminate between states. GOI's Vande Bharat Mission is for all stranded Indians, including those from West Bengal." "Will gladly facilitate flights to Kolkata if the state government will confirm arrangements to receive and quarantine. Will also help in return of West Bengal residents through land borders with neighbours. We hope to receive an early response on the matter. @MoCAGoI @HomeSecretaryWB," Srivastava had tweeted. The state Home Department replied that it had "long back" communicated to the Union government the preparations made by it to welcome back people stranded abroad. It also shared the two letters written by West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on May 8 and 11. The letters mention the details regarding preparations for institutional quarantine facilities for foreign returnees. Srivastava later replied to the tweet, saying the MEA welcomed the willingness of the West Bengal government to accept the returnees from abroad and requested early confirmation of modalities to be followed upon the arrival of passengers at the Kolkata airport. The exchange of words on the allotment of International flights had come close on heels of the Centre and the state sparring on running of 'Special Shramik' trains to ferry stranded migrant workers hailing from Bengal back home. The West Bengal government was last week rapped by the Centre for not allowing trains to ferry migrants, stranded in other states. The state government had denied the charge and said it had already requisitioned trains to bring back migrant labourers. Arrangements for contact-less travel and social distancing norms have been readied at the city airport to keep passengers safe from COVID-19, a top airport official said on Saturday. An "absolute contact-less procedure" with "least possible surface touch" will be provided to passengers from the time of entering the airport till boarding the flight under the new arrangement. Director of N S C Bose International Airport Kaushik Bhattacharya said, "We have taken all measures to keep the entire operations touch-free. We will entirely go by the directives of the Centre in this regard." From collecting boarding pass to tagging of luggage, social distancing norms will be strictly followed and there will be zero contact with personnel at the counters, airport sources said. Apart from temperature checking with thermal guns, the mandatory security check and frisking will be done by maintaining a necessary gap between the passenger and security personnel, the sources said. Tickets and identity cards will be checked by the CISF personnel without any physical contact. Passengers will be scanned by a machine to match identity cards, during which they may be required to briefly remove their masks. The travellers will not have any contact with kiosks that will dispense boarding passes. Passengers are only required to display their mobile phones or ticket with an identity card to the person designated to operate the machine. The passengers will have to collect it after it has been dispensed from the kiosk. There will be mandatory washing of hands before boarding and a gap in seating arrangements inside the terminal, they said. A passenger cannot move around in the lounge area while waiting for flight and only basic utility shops will be allowed to open including tea and coffee shops, the sources said. All necessary santisation measures are already in force in the airport and disinfectants are being sprayed on a regular basis. From handling of cargo carriers to evacuation flight of foreign nationals from the airport during the lockdown period, the airport has been working on a limited scale even during this period, the sources said. The Washington Post From reading the comments on my recommendations, it would seem that most people just want a good, cheap buzz. But wouldn't you rather have a better cheap buzz? Here are five wines that justify a little research - or maybe just attention - to what you are buying so that you can have a much better drinking experience. We start with a California red blend. Yawn, you say? But look at its pedigree. Then we have two outstanding chardonnays, one from a quality producer in a value region of Burgundy, another from a region better known for another grape - both excellent values. To top off this list as we (finally!) transition to warmer weather, we have a rose from a lesser-known region of Italy and a steak-worthy bargain red from Argentina to stock our summer wine lists. The past week has been one of goodbyes for secondary school students across the country, sudden goodbyes to their schools and to the exams they've been studying for, and for New Ross CBS student Anna Leahy it has all been a rollercoaster of emotions. Anna, from Mullinavat, took the bus every school day into New Ross CBS, a journey she never minded because she loved the school and enjoyed the banter with her school mates. The announcement on Friday, after 24 hours of speculation, that there would be no Leaving Cert for the country's class of 2020 led to duelling emotions: relief that the chaos was over and sadness that she would never be back at the school again, sitting beside her classmates. Anna said when the school closure was announced on March 12, she thought she would be back in class after the Easter holidays. When the lockdown was announced, she had to adjust to a brand new reality. 'Just trying to study and get motivated was hard and then it was announced that the exams wouldn't be until July. It was at that point that everyone's motivation just flattened. It was like a donkey with a carrot in front and the carrot kept moving.' After the initial shock, Anna managed to get back on track, something she credits her teachers for. 'They were constantly in contact with us. It was still very strange not having that face-to-face contact; not being in school. The Mock results were just after coming out. I didn't do my best in them. I was taking things at a nice pace and didn't really put myself into them; my focus was more on the orals and on the Leaving Cert. Hopefully my work after the Mocks will be taken into consideration in the final push.' Broadband was a big issue for Anna and she missed out on parts of classes due to poor connectivity. 'I'd miss half a class on Zoom and then the teacher would be talking in an email about what he or she had discussed and I'd be lost.' Thankfully, with the help of her teachers, Anna was able to keep up to speed. She said the biggest difficulty was studying from home and being away from school. 'I didn't expect this to go on for so long and that we wouldn't be back at the school at all, especially for the atmosphere coming up to the Leaving Cert when everyone is pulling together to get over the finish line. Not having that was horrible.' All CBS Leaving Cert students were invited to a Zoom call on Friday night after the Leaving Cert was eventually cancelled. 'Everyone was suddenly aware this was the last hurrah for our 6th Year class. There is no official goodbye so we are missing out on the signing of the school shirts. I know it's trivial but it's important. After that Zoom call I was a bit upset; the finality of it all. The realisation that I am never going back to the school.' Principal Pat Rossiter assured pupils there would be a Debs and a graduation ceremony of sorts at a later date. 'The day before the announcement we were in shock and disbelieving it would happen. That there would be no Leaving Cert but after the final Zoom call we were all reminiscing on the past six year.' Anna thought making students study at home was very unfair on lots of students for a variety of reasons. 'Now everyone is on a fair playing field; it gives everyone the opportunity to either accept the calculate grades or sit the exams.' She said she can't wait to meet her friends, social distancing allowing, this week. 'Reflecting on her time at New Ross CBS, Anna said: 'There is an unbelievable atmosphere there. Everyone is so friendly and you rarely come across any negativity and if there is, it's dealt with quickly. I have made some brilliant memories and I'll have friends for life from that school and I'm going to miss the teachers so much. I'll miss my group of friends, we're a mixed group and some of the other group of lads. One fella had a squeaky highlighter, I'll never forget that.' Anna hopes to go on to study Construction Management and Engineering at W.I.T. India's third Covid wave likely to peak on Jan 23, daily cases to stay below 4 lakh: IIT Kanpur scientist One line comment: Chidambaram on FM Sitharaman's announcements India pti-PTI New Delhi, May 16: The Congress on Saturday said the fourth tranche of economic package announced by the government was an "exercise in absolute futility" and asked what has it given to those most-affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. "My one line comment on FM's fourth tranche: No fiscal measure, ZILCH," former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said. Congress spokesman Gaurav Vallabh asked whether the government has anything to offer to the migrant labour or farmer who has suffered the most due to the pandemic. Vallabh said his party also opposes the government proposal to increase FDI in defence from 49 to 74 per cent, saying it has "serious national security ramifications", and add that the UPA government had specifically rejected a proposal to increase FDI in defence manufacturing. "We strongly object to privatization of Ordnance Factories. In fact, these factories require modernization and not privatisation in the name of corporatization. For modernizing ordnance factories, they require new technology, more investment and best practices. We strongly object to handing over of these factories of strategic importance to the private sector," he told reporters. Discoms in UTs to be privatised: FM Nirmala Sitharaman Vallabh, accompanied by party leader Praveen Chakravarty, said they were "bewildered and saddened" after hearing Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. It was an exercise in absolute futility, he added. "The nation is watching millions of our fellow Indians struggling and walking hundreds of kilometers to their home states without food, water, footwear and transport, (but) there was not a single word or help offered to them by the finance minister today," he said. "Instead, she announced measures to make it easier for Indians to travel to space. People want to travel to their states, not space," he said. The Congress leader said many announcements today were positioned and packaged as some major, new announcements. "Does the finance minister believe the nation is in a crisis or not? We have these daily press conferences because the nation is under a severe humanitarian and economic crisis of proportions, not seen since Independence. Does the finance minister not believe so? What is this game of packaging old announcements and policies as new schemes aimed for Covid19 relief," Vallabh said. The Congress leader posed a set of six questions to the Prime Minister, asking, "Has any migrant worker got a single paisa as relief? Has any farmer got any benefit in any form? Is there anything specific for our 7 crore shopkeepers or the middle-class income-tax payers, who have lost their jobs during this pandemic." "When people are asking for buses and trains for safe travel to their respective hometowns, you are indulging in freeing-up air space, why? While people are trying to safeguard their spaces in their jobs, you are trying to push for space technology, why?" he said. Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel tweeted, "Our poor are on streets, starving & in pain. Walking back in great agony. They need help, they need support, they need empathy. In pursuance to PM''s promise for Corona relief to them, the govt opens up inter planetary space travel for private players. The joke is on our nation." Manipur reported its fourth case of Covid-19 on Saturday amid the return of local residents who had been stranded in other states. The fourth positive, confirmed on May 15, is a nursing professional who returned from Kolkata, Khoirom Sasheekumar Mangang, additional director and spokesperson of the state health department, said in a statement. She is now admitted in JNIMS (Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences). The third person to test positive is also being treated at JNIMS, the statement said. Describing the condition of both persons as stable, the statement added: All close contacts of these two active cases are under close surveillance and all other necessary precautionary measures (have been) put in place. The first two Covid-19 patients in the state were discharged from two government hospitals on April 12 and 21. No new cases were recorded until the third case was detected on May 14. The states capacity to test for Covid-19 has substantially increased to about 200 tests a day, according to the statement. This has been possible due to the introduction of the pool testing method. The Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) and JNIMS have installed the Truenat medium for testing Covid-19, and this will further enhance the testing capacity. Till date, 1,900 samples have been tested, the statement said. Only four samples are positive. On Friday evening, the second special train carrying 932 residents of Manipur, who had been stranded in and around Punjab due to the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown, arrived at Jiribam railway station, 220 km west of Imphal. The first special train from Chennai, with 1140 stranded people, arrived at the same station on May 13. The state administration is expecting two more special trains carrying residents of Manipur from Bengaluru and Vadodara. India has sought details of the unsolicited offer of ventilators by US President Donald Trump in a tweet Friday but both sides appeared more excited by a portion of that social media post that acknowledged at the highest level for the first time growing collaboration on the development of a Covid-19 vaccine. Three vaccine candidates are in various stages of development in separate bilateral projects involving two of Indias leading pharmaceutical companies with robust portfolios of vaccines. Their US counterparts are research units of two universities and the third is a biotechnology company. All three collaborations started in recent weeks as the coronavirus raged across the world, infecting millions of people and killing hundreds of thousands, a third of them in the United States, the pandemics epicenter. I am proud to announce that the United States will donate ventilators to our friends in India. We stand with India and @narendrmodi during this pandemic, the president wrote in the tweet, as he went on to acknowledge the vaccine projects, adding, Were also cooperating on vaccine development. Indians appear to have been taken by surprise by the announcement specially as they had not sought it and he had not mentioned it in his response to a direct question about India at a news briefing shortly before. They have asked for more details about the numbers and the delivery schedule. Asked about the details of his offer including numbers, Trump hedged. Were sending a lot of ventilators to India. I spoke to Prime Minister Modi, and were sending quite a few ventilators to India. We have a tremendous supply of ventilators . President Trump has often said the United States is the king of ventilators a respiratory aid needed for severely ill hospitalized Covid-19 patients as a result of an extraordinary push from his administration in response to early fears of an impeding shortage. He has since said the United States has more ventilators than its needs and it will be willing to share them with allies and partners. Indians are viewing Trumps announcement on ventilators in the larger context of growing cooperation in the healthcare sector, even though it was in all probability just a thank-you gesture in return for the lifting of the ban on the export of selected drugs to allow a massive consignment of antimalarial hydroxychloroquine following Trumps personal appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month. In a separate tweet hours later, the presidents National Security Council followed up with a full-bore acknowledgement of the vaccine projects. The US and India are working together to fight #COVID19 and find a vaccine, it said, adding, the US-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership has never been stronger. There was no mention of the ventilators. Pune-based Serum Institute of India and Codagenix, a biotech company headquartered in New York, were the first to announce their collaboration. Codagenix and Serum Institute are pursuing an accelerated development pathway with built-in redundancies to increase speed and likelihood of success, they said in an announcement on February 17. Codagenix, clinical-stage biotechnology company that develops prophylactic vaccines and oncolytic virus therapies brings tot he table the research and Serum Institute the scalability, the ability to quickly roll out millions and millions of doses that will be needed to be rolled out if the vaccine works. Bharat Biotech, a Hyderabad pharmaceutical company, is part of the second project which was announced on April 2, The American partners are virologists at the University of Wisconsin and FluGen, a biotech company whose flu vaccine form the platform for the Covid-19 vaccine research. Bharat Biotech is also the Indian collaborator in the third project, with researchers at the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, in April end. More than 100 research projects are under way world wide to develop a vaccine against a virus that has killed more 300,000 people worldwide, a third of them in the United States. President Trump has said a vaccine is possible before year-end and even before. And the man he has appointed to head the hunt in a joint public-private partnership comparable to the World War II-era Manhattan Project to develop the first nuclear weapons, has said this is a credible target. BOISE, Idaho, May 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cradlepoint , the global leader in cloud-delivered LTE and 5G wireless network edge solutions, today announced the Cradlepoint E3000 Series, the industrys first 5G-Optimized, all-in-one wireless edge router for enterprise branch deployment. The clean-slate design optimizes performance and investment protection, enabling customers to deploy a wireless wide-area network (Wireless WAN) today using the latest LTE and Wi-Fi technology and seamlessly upgrade to 5G in the future. The current coronavirus pandemic has fueled an already growing demand for agile and rapidly deployable wireless WANs based on LTE for primary connectivity. The new Cradlepoint E3000 Series directly targets this burgeoning market. According to a new Worldwide 5G and 4G LTE Router Forecast from IDC, the combined market for enterprise branch, mobile, and IoT wireless routers and gateways will reach $2.98 billion by 2024. Packaged as part of the Cradlepoint NetCloud Enterprise Branch Service, the E3000 Series utilizes the latest multi-core, wireless system-on-chip technology to deliver compelling price/performance relative to traditional wired branch routers. The all-new, all-in-one design provides a mid-sized, enterprise-class branch-in-a-box solution. In a compact footprint, the E3000 contains an embedded Gigabit-Class LTE modem, integrated Wi-Fi 6, gigabit Ethernet ports for WAN/LAN connectivity, and expansion slots accommodate a secondary LTE modem module today with 5G modem and Bluetooth 5.0 modules slated for later in 2020. The powerful E3000 can run processor-intensive WAN edge features within the NetCloud Service at gigabit speeds, including BGP routing and application-aware SD-WAN and security functions, such as firewall, analytics, IPS/IPS and content filtering. It also supports customizable services like Wi-FI guest portal and IoT edge computing capabilities. The Cradlepoint E3000 Series is ideal for branch-oriented industry sectors that need the flexibility and freedom of primary wireless connections with robust WAN and LAN networking and security capabilities. These include retail stores, restaurants, healthcare clinics, financial services locations such as banking, insurance, and tax preparation construction sites, and field service offices. Initial SD-WAN deployments have been focused primarily on fixed Internet economics said Lee Doyle, principal analyst at Doyle Research. The next phase of WAN transformation broadens the definition of a branch and will include an expanded role for LTE and 5G to drive Wireless WAN solutions. The Cradlepoint announcement expands its solutions to enable the transformation to a Wireless WAN. Protect Your Investment With The Most Paths to 5G According to a recent survey by Infosys of 850 industry practitioners and leaders across the US, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, 90% are actively investigating business cases, defining use cases, or defining service portfolios based on 5G technology. The implications are clear: any IT executive that is planning a WAN edge technology refresh needs to have a defined pathway to 5G or risk having to rip-and-replace before the investment is fully depreciated. Cradlepoint provides the most pathways from LTE to 5G in the industry. In February, the company introduced its W-Series 5G Wideband Adapter , the first 5G solution purpose-built for the enterprise. The E3000 Series is 5G Optimized and engineered to be a companion branch router for the W-Series, interconnecting over a high-speed 2.5Gbps Ethernet port. Pairing it with a W2000 indoor unit gives customers a complete wireless WAN solution for low-band and mid-band (Sub-6) 5G while paring with the W4005 outdoor unit delivers high-band (millimeter wave). Additionally, the E3000 expansion port will accommodate the new MC500 field-upgradable 5G modular modem (Sub-6) planned for early Q1 in 2021. Cradlepoint is committed to being the first and best choice for enterprise Wireless WAN and 5G solutions, said Todd Krautkremer, Chief Marketing Officer at Cradlepoint. We believe, as do many of our customers and partners, that Wireless WAN is the next big networking wave, driven by the emergence of 5G. The Cradlepoint E3000 Series, powered by NetCloud, is the latest addition to our next-generation of 5G-capable solutions, its design provides customers with no-compromise Gigabit-Class LTE performance and the most paths to a 5G future. The Cradlepoint NetCloud Service for Enterprise Branch with the new E3000 Series Router is available today, with pricing starting at $2,023. While optimized for wireless WAN and 5G, it supports the broadest range of wired and wireless connections for both WAN and LAN of any edge router in its class, and at a breakthrough price point: Wired and Wireless WAN Connectivity Options Embedded Gigabit-Class LTE modem (CAT 18) 2.5Gbps Ethernet WAN port Gigabit Ethernet WAN port SFP/SFP+ fiber WAN port Expansion port for secondary Gigabit-Class LTE or primary 5G modular modem (future) Wired and Wireless LAN Connectivity Options 9 gigabit Ethernet ports with 4 Power over Ethernet (PoE) capable Integrated Wi-Fi 6 access point Expansion slot for Bluetooth 5.0 module (future) For more information on the NetCloud for Enterprise Branch plan and the new Cradlepoiint E3000 wireless edge router, please visit https://cradlepoint.com/products/branch . IDC, Worldwide 5G and 4G/LTE Router/Gateway Forecast, 20202024: Stronger Focus on Cellular Solutions at the Enterprise Edge, Doc # US46208020, May 2020 About Cradlepoint Cradlepoint is a global leader in cloud-delivered LTE and 5G wireless network edge solutions for branch, mobile, and IoT networks. Cradlepoint NetCloud, the personification of our Elastic Edge vision, is a subscription-based service with purpose-built endpoints that delivers a pervasive, secure, and software-defined Wireless WAN edge to connect people, places, and things over LTE and 5G cellular networks. More than 20,000 enterprise and government organizations around the world including 75 percent of the worlds top retailers, 50 percent of the Fortune 100, and first responder agencies in 25 of the largest US cities rely on Cradlepoint to keep critical fixed and mobile sites, points of commerce, field forces, vehicles, and IoT devices always connected and protected. Major service providers use Cradlepoint solutions as the foundation for innovative managed services. Founded in 2006, Cradlepoint is a privately held company headquartered in Boise, Idaho, with a development center in Silicon Valley and international offices in the UK and Australia. What lies beyond the pandemic? MassForward is MassLives series examining the journey of Massachusetts businesses through and beyond the coronavirus pandemic. ________________ Plans are in the works to allow more restaurants to serve drinks outside. As the weather warms and people are increasingly enthusiastic to be outside, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker looks to reopen the states economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. The governor announced in late April that a 17-member advisory board, led by Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy, would create a four-phased plan for reopening the state. The advisory board is set to deliver more details about the plan on Monday, May 18, the same day that Bakers order closing non-essential businesses is set to expire. Before the announcement, city leaders in Springfield began formulating a plan to support businesses reopen. The Springfield Business Improvement District is both an area of properties and an organization of professionals, dedicated to enhancing the social, cultural, governmental, business and residential activity of downtown Springfield Were hoping for a decision that allows restaurants that serve alcohol without going through the normal process, said Executive Director of Business Improvement District Chris Russell. In other words, if they didnt have a license that allowed them to serve alcohol outdoors, it would skip a step which normally takes 8 to 12 weeks. Springfield Business Improvement District Executive Director Chris Russell. (Douglas Hook / MassLive) The Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission issues permits for businesses to sell and serve alcohol outside. Restaurants are only granted a permit allowing patrons to drink outside if they have an existing patio or other outdoor seating. But the city is looking for ways to allow restaurants to expand outside amid the need for decreased restaurant capacity and social distancing. Talks also include the possibility of temporary road closures in downtown to accommodate this new strategy. Worthington Street, which has had to cancel the annual Worthy Beer Fest because of the pandemic, is one of the streets being considered, Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno told MassLive. For years, Springfield has been working to attract restaurants to open in the areas of Bridge, Worthington, Taylor and Lyman Streets between East Columbus Avenue and Chestnut Streets. The area is adjacent to the recently renovated Union Station, offering daily travel to New York City and Amtrak service, and blocks from MGM Springfield. I redid Duryea Way, I did Stern Square, so we were already been conversing with Pat [Sullivan] on how we can utilize it and does that mean we curtail some traffic, said Sarno. We're looking to temporary type closings of the roadways. Im looking forward to seeing what [Russell] will formally put across. Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno. (Douglas Hook / MassLive) Patrick J. Sullivan is the director of Parks, Recreation and Building Management in Springfield and has been one of the main city officials involved in the tents on Worthington Street to triage the homeless for COVID-19. Russell told MassLive that he is waiting for the ABCCs response next week on a modification to the current process in place that could take too long for businesses to make money in the coming weeks when they most need it. I think a municipality can handle these things very, very quickly. Typically, when you change a license like that, it has to go to the ABCC [in Boston] first and theyre overwhelmed on a regular basis, said Russell. So, its just basically a modification were asking them [for.] Not to do away with it permanently, but to do away with it for a period of time. MassForward is MassLive's series examining the journey of Massachusetts' small businesses through and beyond the coronavirus pandemic. Related Content: By Express News Service MUMBAI: The Marathi Manoos is back on the agenda of political parties in Maharashtra who are now pitching for locals in recruitment of new workers in various industries. The massive exodus of migrants at a time when the state has sought to restart the engine of economy has created fears of labour shortage. However, state Industries Minister Subhash Desai said local people can grab the opportunity the crisis has presented. There are labour shortages that can be filled by the local people. We will give priority to the son of the soil. The government will also give them training and according to their skill and training, the industries facing labour shortage can hire them. The government has given permission to 65,000 industries to restart operations. Desai said the government will set up a board where local unemployed youths can register for jobs. MNS chief Raj Thackeray was the first to demand, at an all-party meeting, that youths from Maharashtra be given priority while recruiting the people in industries. CM Uddhav Thackeray agreed, saying 80 per cent reservations should be made for locals, said sources. Sena patriarchs pet theme It was Shiv Senas patriarch late Balasaheb Thackeray who raised Marathi Manoos slogan to cement his partys hold on mill workers, locals From Friday, May 15, international travelers who fly into Spain will have to have to have their temperature taken, according to an order published yesterday in the Official State Gazette (BOE). The measure will last until June 15, but could be extended beyond this date. The new regulation coincides with the extension on the restrictions on non-essential travel for people coming into Spanish territory, which will be in place for another month. It also comes on the same day that the 14-day quarantine for international visitors came into effect in Spain. A temperature check at Palma de Mallorca Airport in the Balearic Islands. Europa Press Spanish health authorities have warned that imported coronavirus cases represent one of the biggest risks to the improving situation in Spain, which has seen daily coronavirus fatalities fall from a peak of 950 on April 2, to 138 on Friday. According to the Health Ministry, if a person has a fever, their temperature will be taken several times to confirm the reading. In any event, an individualized evaluation with an epidemiological survey and an inquiry into other symptoms will be carried out, the Health Ministry confirmed. Temperature checks have been in place in airports in countries such as South Korea since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis. But in fully operational facilities these controls have led to long delays and false negatives. It is estimated that only a small number of coronavirus infections are detected via this method, given that there is growing evidence of the significance of transmission between asymptomatic or presymptomatic cases, who would not be identified by the temperature checks. But with fewer passengers and flights arriving at airports, delays and staff shortages will not present a problem. The measure has been in place in Spains Canary Islands since the implementation of the state of alarm on March 14. Only travelers who arrive in Spain by air will be subject to the temperature checks. The regulation does not apply to the land border with Andorra or travelers coming from Gibraltar, the British Offshore Territory in the south of the Iberian peninsula. English version by Melissa Kitson. Those who do end up homeless are often those with additional burdens. They are disproportionately graduates of foster care or the prison system, victims of domestic abuse or discrimination, veterans, and people with mental and physical disabilities. Some end up on the street because of addictions; some develop addictions because they are on the street. Whatever problems they face, however, they are much more likely to become homeless in places without enough affordable housing. According to one analysis, a $100 increase in the average monthly rent in a large metro area is associated with a 15 percent increase in homelessness. Consider a simple comparison: In 2018, eight out of every 10,000 Michigan residents were homeless. In California, it was 33 per 10,000. In New York, it was 46 per 10,000. Countries confronting homelessness with greater success than the United States, including Finland and Japan, begin by treating housing as a human right. In the United States, by contrast, politicians decry the problem but aim for more modest goals. Mayor Bill de Blasios promise to New York last December to end long-term street homelessness as we know it is a classic of the genre; most homeless people in the city live in shelters, not on the street. Reframing the debate asking what is necessary to end homelessness is an important first step for New York and for other places that are failing this basic test of civic responsibility. The next step is simple but expensive. The federal government already provides housing vouchers to help some lower-income families. The families pay 30 percent of their monthly income toward rent; the government pays the rest. But instead of giving vouchers to every needy family, the government imposes an arbitrary cap on total spending. Three in four eligible families dont get vouchers. The program costs about $19 billion a year. Vouchers for all eligible households would cost an additional $41 billion a year, the Congressional Budget Office estimated in 2015. Where to get the money? Well, the government annually provides more than $70 billion in tax breaks to homeowners, including a deduction for mortgage interest payments and a free pass on some capital gains from home sales. Lets end homelessness instead of subsidizing mansions. Enbridge is pausing its application to expand a controversial natural gas pipeline through rural Hamilton while it waits to see how COVID-19 uncertainties affect future demand for fuel. Opponents are hoping that plunging demand for fossil fuels combined with government climate change action leads the energy giant to abandon the planned pipeline. The company has been seeking Ontario Energy Board approval for a $206-million, 10-kilometre natural gas pipeline that would run through Flamborough, including ecologically sensitive areas like the Beverly Swamp. Enbridge was expected to respond to written concerns filed by environmental groups as well as the City of Hamilton by May 4, ahead of a formal hearing. Instead, the company requested a six-month adjournment of the regulatory review. The request letter points to uncertainties associated with COVID-19, in particular the need to assess pandemic impacts on the demand forecast for the expansion. Spokesperson Andrea Stass said by email the delay will allow Enbridge to update its regulatory evidence and emphasized project planning continues, including working with interested parties like municipal government, landowners and Indigenous communities. But Clean Air Alliance chair Jack Gibbons said he views the requested delay as an acknowledgement that there may not be a need for the (new) pipeline. I would hope they will abandon it, said Gibbons, who is part of a coalition of groups opposing the pipeline. He expressed hope plunging oil prices and growing climate change awareness will make more companies think twice about fossil fuel expansion plans. Maybe they are going to find there is not the same demand for fracked gas from Pennsylvania, he said, pointing to the controversial practice of extracting gas via high-pressure injection of liquid into the ground to shatter rock. Local climate activist Don McLean said he isnt convinced Enbridge will give up on the pipeline. But (plunging demand) may well mean it will be harder to justify the project, he said. Regardless, McLean said the delay is positive because it gives opponents more time to raise awareness and convince all levels of government to cut fossil fuel emissions and thus demand for natural gas. The OEB is expected to approve the adjournment, but still needs to rule on requests to have Enbridge provide answers now to pipeline questions already submitted by would-be hearing participants, including the city. Read more about: There is confusion over whether or not controversial pastor Bishop Daniel Obinim of the International Gods Way Church has been picked up by the Ghana Police Service. The Police Administration has vehemently denied that the pastor, who claims to be an angel and has been frequenting heaven, is in their custody. Criminal Investigations Department (CID) sources told DAILY GUIDE that Obinim had not been arrested and another checks at the Greater Accra Regional Command also said the pastor was not in its custody. Checks at the Police Hospital where Obinim is said to have been taken after 'falling' sick had also proved to be false. The rumours about Obinim's arrest started on Thursday night when social media was replete with news about the incident. The MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, who has vowed to bring down all 'Men of God' he deems fake, and Obinim who he says is one of them, has been on the radar of the MP. The MP confirmed on his NET2 TV that he has reported Obinim to the Inspector General of Police for fraud, money laundering and using police logo to threaten some of his (Obinim) followers who had bad deals with the pastor. He said a warrant had been issued to get Obinim arrested but when the police tracked him down, the pastor feigned sickness and had since been hiding at a private health facility in Accra. He said Obinim claimed to have blood pressure and was hiding at the second floor of the hospital located at East Legon, Accra. ---Daily Guide Stocks slumped this week after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned Americans about the possibility of a prolonged recession. While that phrase may sound pretty scary to investors, Sevens Reports Tom Essaye said Thursday stock prices may hold up much better in 2020 than during the previous two extended U.S. recessions. The Data During the U.S. recession in 2001-2002, the S&P 500 dropped by more than 30%. During the recession in 2009-2010, the S&P fell 50%. However, Essay said there is one key difference between the current situation and the previous two recessions, and that factor is the Federal Reserve. From September 2008 to September 2014, the Feds balance sheet increased from $1 trillion to $4.5 trillion. In March and April of 2020 alone, the Fed expanded its balance sheet from $4.1 trillion to $6.7 trillion. Thats $2.6 billion in two months, compared to $3.5 trillion in six years! Essaye said. And, the Fed isnt done, either, as the balance sheet will certainly eclipse $7 trillion soon. Dont Fight The Fed Essaye isn't predicting the Fed has prevented a bear market or that stock market volatility wont lead to another correction in the near future. Point being, this is very, very powerful support for stocks, and the net effect is that it should be able to offset a lot of the negatives from even a prolonged recession, at least from a stock market standpoint, because the liquidity has to go somewhere, Essaye said. For now, given the unprecedented stimulus, Essaye said applying a 16-17 times multiple on $155 in 2020 S&P 500 earnings yields 2,558 as a downside target for the S&P 500, suggesting the March low could be the bottom. We remain comfortable with that level being a reasonable floor in this market unless we get a resurgence of the virus (that causes another national lockdown) or the Fed begins to hedge on support, Essaye said. Story continues Given the potential valuation floor at 2,550, Essaye sees current fair value for the S&P in the 2,800 to 2,900 range, which is right where it's trading today. Benzingas Take The 26.7% rally in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE: SPY) since March 23 may seem overly optimistic given COVID-19 is still ravaging the economy. However, investors shouldnt overlook the aggressive Fed stimulus or the fact that the S&P 500 was down more than 30% at one point this year and remains down 12% year to date. Do you agree with this take? Email feedback@benzinga.com with your thoughts. Related Links: What Negative Interest Rates Would Mean For Banks, Stocks And The Average American Powell Says US Economic Recovery 'May Take Some Time To Gather Momentum' See more from Benzinga 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. The North Korean leader has been missing for another two weeks, and rumours of his whereabouts claim that Kim Jong Un is currently situated at his Wonsan retreat. The claims are based on satellite images where the area is surrounded by boats. Sightings of several yachts were reported in the last two weeks and were said to be seen just outside the despot's compound. Recently, however, another vessel has been spotted in the area, fueling further scepticism. Resurfacing after rumours of death Photographs of the leader were released by the Hermit Kingdom during an opening of a fertilizing company, debunking claims that the North Korean figure died of botched heart surgery that left Kim missing for nearly three weeks. The images, however, garnered theories of a body double as several differences were seen with the leader's characteristics. These baseless theories have not been verified. Bloomberg reported that Robert O'Brien, national security adviser for the White House, said, "He seems to be out and cutting ribbons on fertilizer factories." and added, "So, you know, our thinking is he is probably doing well." The government official, however, stated that intelligence could not be sure of the authenticity of the photos captured by an open-source party. Initial rumours of his ill health conditions emerged after he failed to attend events that celebrated his grandfather Kim II Sung's 108th birthday. Recent events have led to the assumption that Kim is back at his retreat after two parked boats at beach villa and central Wonsan docks have switched places. The imagery of the boat shows it's back in the repair dock and suggests an ongoing upgrade to the vessel is currently underway. According to the New York Post, the 180-foot-long boat docked at the Wonsan villa since April until last week. The two vessels traded places after the leader seemingly returned from Sunchon in his opening ceremony of the fertilizer factory. Also Read: North Korean City Sealed Off, Sparking Rumors About COVID-19 Cases One speculation that has begun to spread is that the North Korean leader has complications with his legs and is unable to walk properly. A source told Daily NK, "People are speculating that Kim John Un can't walk properly right now because he might have gotten leg surgery due to his weight." The first case of rumours The first rumours of the death of the supreme leader came as The Sun reported claims that the recent deterioration of Kim's health has led him to have a heart surgery that allegedly caused his demise. Before the claims, the North Korean leader was last seen on April 11 during a government meeting, debunking the failed heart operation rumours, according to CNN. Daily NK, a South Korean news agency, reported that Kim is currently resting at a villa in Hyangsan after a "cardiovascular surgical procedure" conducted on April 12. The agency also reported that the leader's health deterioration came from smoking, obesity, and overwork. Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, would succeed in the position of the supreme leader in the case of Kim's death. She has represented North Korea at the 2018 Winter Olympics held in South Korea and has garnered various prestigious titles. Related Article: Missile Testing Accident Left Kim Jong-Un Gravely Injured, Reports Say @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Weather Alert .An arctic cold front will move across the region on Wednesday, causing rain to change to snow Wednesday afternoon and evening. ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST THURSDAY... * WHAT...Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations of one inch with localized higher amounts and ice accumulations of a light glaze. * WHERE...Portions of southwest Indiana, western Kentucky and southern Illinois. * WHEN...From 4 PM Wednesday to 6 AM CST Thursday. * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the evening commute, especially along the Ohio River. The transition from rain to a wintry mix and snow may not occur closer to the Tennessee border areas until this evening. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The combination of gusty winds, falling temperatures and wind chills, and falling snow will cause hazardous travel. Freezing of residual moisture on roads from rain earlier Wednesday could also cause icing of roads and walkways. Black ice issues could linger through the early morning hours. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling. && Spain Suffers in Pandemic for Covering Up for China Countries that joined the Chinese Communist Partys Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, also known as One Belt, One Road) have been ravaged by the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. Spain has strongly campaigned for the BRI. Many commentaries pointed out that the Spanish Organ Transplant Community helping the CCP to avoid international accusations of live organ harvesting is the main cause of the pandemic within the country. Spain is one of the worst affected countries in Europe. In December 2019, The fourth China International Organ Donation Conference was held in Kunming, China, and the Donation and Transplant Institute (DTI) of Spain was the organizer. One of the co-chairs of the conference was Marti Manyalich, a Spanish doctor who was the pioneer of the cooperation between the Spanish Organ Transplant Community and the Chinese Communist Party. He is also the former President of the International Society for Organ Donation and Procurement (ISODP) and the President of the Donation and Transplant Institution (TPM-DTI). International cooperation and development in organ donation and transplantation under the framework of the CCPs Belt and Road Initiative even after the practice of the CCP performing live organ harvesting on Falun Gong practitioners was exposed to the international community as early as March 2006. After more than 10 years of investigation, The World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong published a list of 891 Chinese hospitals and 9,519 transplant doctors involved in the live organ harvesting. As of January 2020, The World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong published more than 80 investigation reports, 581 audios, and more than 2000 documents as evidence of the Chinese Communist Party performing live organ harvesting. Among these evidence, there are 58 audio files that directly testify to live organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners. The spokesperson of The World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, Wang Zhi-Yuan, said: Since the CCP started the genocide of Falun Gong practitioners in July 1999, the development of organ transplants experienced an explosive growth in China. Take liver transplants as an example, the number of liver transplants hospitals in China increased from 9 to more than 500 and the official statistics of liver transplants increased 180 times between the years of 1999 and 2006. In 2007, the number increased 436 times. The governments of Europe, the United States, and Australia have passed various resolutions to strongly condemn and demand the Chinese Communist Party to stop the forced removal of organs of Falun Gong practitioners. In the face of international accusations, the Chinese Communist Party, unable to produce the source of a large number of transplanted organs, was in a desperate situation and resorted to the excuse of using the organs of death row prisoners while seeking a way out to explain itself. The Chinese Communist Party referred to Marti Manyalichs Transplant Procurement Management (TPM) as the Spanish Model. Marti Manyalich became the most respected foreign expert in the Chinese Communist Partys Organ Transplant Community and led other Spanish medical experts participating actively in major hospitals, universities, and forums in China. Under Spanish Organ Donation Law, all citizens are considered organ donors, unless the citizen himself/herself clearly rejected the idea in his/her lifetime. This is considered an important reason why Spain became the worlds number one organ donation country. Huang Jiefu, director of the Commission of Donation and Transplantation of Organs of China, revealed to Global Times in July 2018 that the Chinese Model of organ transplant borrows from the advanced experiences of Spain. Marti Manyalich spoke to the Chinese state-run media Xinhua News Agency on the 27th International Organ Transplant Conference that China is now good enough to be a role model for the world because of its organ distribution and shared computing systems, despite its late start in the field. However, the spokesperson of The World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, Wang Zhi-Yuan, pointed that the CCPs so-called donated organs have no source of tracing the origins on the internet so the organ distribution system is a lie. Moreover, the majority of the Chinese, under traditional and conventional influences, are unwilling to donate their organs. He continued: Marti Manyalich helped the CCP establish the Chinese Model of Organ Transplant using the so-called Spanish Model and used this to perplex the international community and to defuse the international communitys accusations of the CCPs evil live organ harvesting. The CCPs illegal organ transplants have been presenting itself on the international stage. In March 2010, European Organ Donation and Transplant Conference held in Madrid invited Huang Jiefu who was accused of involvement in live organ harvesting to attend and speak. In August 2013, Marti Manyalich and other organ transplant experts visited You-An Hospital in Beijing to introduce the current situation of organ transplants, models, and experiences in Spain. In December 2014, Transplant Procurement Management (TPM) and Donation and Transplant Institution (DTI) from Spain, along with Kunmings No. 1 Peoples Hospital hosted the first International Organ Transplant Training Course. The Research Institute of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University also hired Marti Manyalich as an emeritus professor. According to Wang Jiefu, without Wuhan, there would be no organ transplant industry in China. Xinhuanet, a Chinese state-run media, emphasized in its report dated July 2018 that Marti Manyalichs Transplant, Procurement, Management and Donation and Transplant Institutes (TPM-DTI) assisted China in the training of more than 1500 organ transplant coordinators. Wang Zhi-Yuan said: The CCP performing live organ harvesting on Falun Gong practitioners is a crime of genocide and the evidence is plenty. Now, the outbreak of the CCP virus in countries like Spain is Gods punishment and warning to those who ignore the persecutors of human rights in the Chinese Communist Party. Countries around the world, including Spain, chose to ignore and even took the side of the evil-doer, the CCP. This is the ultimate destruction of the bottom line of human moral values and that is why the world is suffering today. This is Gods warning. he continued. Wang indicated: Today, the people are suffering as a result of committing the crime of either acknowledging or assisting the CCPs genocide. If they are not going to repent their actions, then humanity will face an even worse consequence. 30 Ways Shopping Will Never Be the Same After the Coronavirus The coronavirus has changed life in just about every aspect, including shopping. Many retailers with a brick-and-mortar presence have been able to shift to serving customers solely online, but essential businesses like Target and Costco have been forced to quickly adapt to new safety protocols to protect customers and employees. Some restrictions will almost definitely ease up over time, but as Forbes reported, the longer the pandemic crisis goes on, the greater it will impact the retail landscape. Additionally, as consumers get used to these thoughtful safety measures, they may want them to stick around. Heres a glimpse at how shopping could be different forever. Last updated: Aug. 12, 2020 Young Children Not Allowed in Stores Taking your child with you to run errands might become a thing of the past. In fact, some stores have already instituted this rule. Wisconsin-based home improvement store Menards banned shoppers under the age of 16 at one point, requiring anyone who looked younger than 16 to show identification. Per the company website, Menards has lifted this ban, noting that children are now welcome. Mandatory Face Masks At the beginning of the pandemic, there was some confusion regarding who should wear face masks. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends people wear cloth face coverings in public settings, where social distancing guidelines can be difficult to maintain. Consequently, many stores have followed suit, requiring shoppers to wear masks. For example, effective May 4, Costco requires all shoppers except children under age 2 and individuals with a medical condition who cannot wear a mask to wear a face covering that shields their mouth and nose at all times while in the store. Apple also requires masks in its stores, as does Publix. 6-Foot Spacing In the pre-pandemic world, shoppers didnt think twice about congregating in small spaces. However, now that the CDC recommends staying at least 6 feet apart from other people, stores have had to adjust. Story continues For example, Target has implemented signage, floor decals and audio messages in stores reminding customers to stay 6 feet apart. Even when its seemingly safe to go back to normal, many customers might be uncomfortable narrowing the distance between themselves and fellow shoppers. Buying Limits on In-Demand Items Its no secret that some shoppers have been hoarding in-demand items like toilet paper and hand sanitizer. As a result, some retailers have limited the number of hot-ticket items people can purchase per visit. For example, Costco is currently restricting select fresh meat purchases to three packages per member. Kroger Co. is also limiting customers to certain quantities when purchasing high-demand items. This makes sense, as 47% of consumers are stocking up on essential items, with 78% doing so because it makes them feel safer, according to Shopkick. Buying limits on certain items could become the new standard, as the pandemic might leave people with a hoarding mentality. Find Out: 17 Everyday Products You Use That Are Still Being Affected By the Coronavirus Online Shopping Becomes the Preferred Form Brick-and-mortar stores were already feeling the crunch as consumer interest veered to online. In 2019, the so-called retail apocalypse saw 9,300 stores shutter. The pandemic pushed this trend of online buying over the edge. Total U.S. online sales reached $73.2 billion in June this year, up 76.2% compared with $41.5 billion a year earlier, Adobe Analytics reported. E-commerce purchases of virus protection items such as hand sanitizers, gloves, masks and antibacterial sprays surged 817%, Adobe found. Post-pandemic, its likely this trend will continue. People might determine online shopping is the easiest, most efficient way to get the items they want or need. Plexiglass at Cash Registers Retailers have been working hard to provide at least 6 feet of space between people in store locations, but this isnt possible at most cash registers. Consequently, this is the most dangerous part of a store, according to CNN. Many retailers have installed plexiglass at cash registers to create a protective barrier between customers and employees. Trader Joes and The Home Depot are among the retailers that have taken this measure. If its deemed effective, this feature could be here to stay after the pandemic, because COVID-19 isnt the only virus out there. Plexiglass could help protect customers and employees from other illnesses, such as the common cold and stomach flu. Temperature Checks for Everyone Many employers require employees to have temperature checks at the door an additional measure to ensure safety and help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. For example, Amazon is conducting temperature checks on its U.S. and European operations network and Whole Foods Market employees daily. Those with a fever are asked to go home and wait to return to work until their fever has been gone for at least three days. Not just for employees, Connecticut grocer LaBonnes Market performs temperature checks on everyone who enters its stores. Many restaurants that have reopened for dine-in service are also checking customers temperatures, according to the Associated Press. This might become standard practice, as fevers can indicate a viral infection that can be contagious. Limited Number of People Allowed in Stores Crowded areas are breeding grounds for the coronavirus, so in addition to implementing social distancing, many retailers are restricting the number of people allowed in a store at a time. Walmart and Target are keeping an eye on the number of customers coming, ensuring spacious aisles at all times, as are many other retailers. Options: 9 Best Grocery Delivery Services That Are Worth the Money More People Opting For Grocery Delivery Supermarkets have mostly remained open throughout the pandemic, but many consumers prefer to stay home. The demand for grocery delivery is clear, as Instacart planned to hire 300,000 full-time shoppers in March. In April, the company announced it would be adding 250,000 more shoppers to meet consumer demand. The trend will likely be here to stay; 51% of shoppers placed an online grocery order the first one ever for 33% of this group in the four weeks ending April 7, according to Acosta. Furthermore, 31% predict they will do more online grocery shopping post-pandemic than they did before it began. More Support for Small Businesses Many small businesses are struggling during the pandemic. A lack of foot traffic and competition with retail giants like Amazon make staying afloat in this environment a challenge. Unfortunately, only 22% of shoppers are currently patronizing local retailers with online stores, according to Convey. This is likely due to the fact that 64% cite free shipping as an incentive to shop online. The good news is 87% of those surveyed believe its important or very important to support local retailers. This could mean people will largely gravitate toward local retailers when they start shopping in physical store locations again. Less Leisurely Browsing Before the pandemic, retailers encouraged customers to casually browse aisles, as this often led to higher purchase volumes. However, current safety measures like limiting the number of guests in stores essentially urge people to buy what they need and leave. This pattern could stick as people become used to making lists, finding those specific items and exiting as quickly as possible. No doubt, those who used to make frequent impulse purchases will see the cost savings associated with ditching the habit, which might make them think twice about returning to their old ways. Mandatory Hand Sanitizer Retailers might not be able to force customers to use hand sanitizer for entry into a store, but they can require it when touching certain items. For example, Macys will ask shoppers to use hand sanitizer before trying on jewelry and watches, in an effort to keep the virus off these items. Be Aware: 12 Most Controversial Coronavirus Price Hikes Increased Buy Online, Pick Up at Store Offerings Since many customers are eager to minimize their time in physical stores, retailers have rushed to create or expand buy online, pick up at store and curbside pick-up options. For example, Kroger debuted its first pickup only location on March 25, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Target and Staples are also offering curbside pickup. This trend could be here to stay because, in addition to likely being a safer way to shop, its also a time-saving opportunity. Many consumers have now grown used to this feature, so they might want to keep using it in a post-pandemic world. Fewer Services In order to remain competitive and best serve customers, retailers have traditionally offered a variety of in-store add-on services; however, these will likely disappear at least for a while as they require close contact between employees and shoppers. For example, bra fittings, alteration services, ear-piercing services and all spa-like services are suspended until further notice at Macys stores. All paid and free in-store services, makeup and skin care applications and classes were also suspended at Sephora before the beauty retailer temporarily closed all U.S. and Canada locations in mid-March. No Makeup Testers Theyve long been a staple to help shoppers choose the right product, but beauty and makeup testers could be a thing of the past. For example, at Macys, testers will only be available for customer viewing. Fragrance samples will also only be given on blotters at customers requests, instead of spraying directly on the skin. Reduced Hours In an effort to reduce the spread of germs, responsible retailers are working hard to keep stores as clean as possible. Therefore, many have decreased opening hours to reduce employees chance of exposure to the virus and allow time for deep cleaning of the store. For example, The Kroger Co. has adjusted select store operating hours based on local conditions. This gives employees extra time to clean and stock stores in a safe and efficient manner. All Trader Joes locations also have reduced hours and are closing at 7 p.m. This could become the standard if customers become used to limited hours and companies can realize the same sales volumes with shorter business hours. Fitting Room Closures Trying on clothing in a store fitting room is a major part of the shopping process for many customers, but this luxury might go by the wayside. Though some stores like Macys and Nordstrom have reopened fitting rooms (with restrictions), stores like Ross, Kohls and T.J. Maxx continue to keep fitting rooms off limits. Consider: Things To Cut Out Right Now To Save Money During the Health Crisis No Food Sampling A perk beloved by many, stores might stop offering food samples. While this practice is designed to boost sales of certain items, it presents health and safety risks stores might not be willing to take. For example, Target has temporarily stopped offering food sampling. In mid-March, BJs also announced a temporary halt on food sampling in all clubs. Special Hours for Seniors Theyve been deemed one of the most vulnerable groups during the pandemic, so many stores have limited certain hours for senior citizens only. For example, effective May 4, U.S. Costco locations have made at least the first hour of operations exclusive to members ages 60 and older and people with disabilities. If this approach is successful, retailers could make it a permanent move. This allows shoppers at a higher risk to feel more comfortable venturing out in public. No Reusable Shopping Bags Eco-conscious shoppers make a habit of bringing reusable shopping bags to stores, but the pandemic has put a halt to this practice in some areas. For example, in Northern California, six Bay Area counties have temporarily banned reusable bags, due to health concerns caused by the pandemic. In other areas where reusable bags have not been banned, shoppers who bring them are being asked to bag their own groceries. This could permanently hinder the use of reusable bags, if touching them is deemed a risk to employees. Since retailers cannot require customers to properly sanitize bags between uses, they could be considered unsafe. More Touch-Free Payments Customers and cashiers exchanging cash and credit cards is one of the many ways to transfer germs. Walmart is encouraging shoppers to download the retailers app and enjoy a contact-free checkout experience with Walmart Pay a feature that allows customers to securely store their credit, debit or gift card in their phone. Since services like Apple Pay and Google Pay make this possible at any retailer that accepts mobile payments, this could quickly become more prevalent. More than half (56%) of U.S. adults paid for goods or services with a smartphone in the past year, according to the Pew Research Center, so theres clearly potential. Stricter Return Policies Generally speaking, customers are accustomed to returning unwanted and unused items to the retailer of origin for a refund. However, many companies have tightened their return policies for health and safety reasons. For example, The Kroger Co. has temporarily suspended returns on food products, cosmetics and apparel. However, the grocer will replace or refund produce, meat, seafood and deli products that do not meet its freshness standards. This could become a permanent trend, as retailers might be hesitant to put items back on the shelf that have left the premises with a customer. Fewer Cash Payments Consumers used cash in 26% of transactions in 2018, according to the Federal Reserves 2019 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice study. Despite its continued popularity, this form of payment could decrease in popularity, as it can facilitate the spread of germs. For example, LaBonnes market is currently asking customers to pay with credit or debit when at all possible. Plastic is considered a safer form of payment, as customers can typically run their cards themselves, without employees having to touch it. Read More: Cash and 21 Other Everyday Things Wiped Out by COVID-19 No Self-Serve Stations Many grocery stores have traditionally offered a variety of self-serve stations to customers, such as a salad bar. However, they have largely been deemed unsafe during the pandemic, causing stores to suspend these features. For example, Whole Foods Market has closed all self-serve offerings, from its hot bars to olive bars. This could be a new way of life, as these stations are largely unmonitored. Customers might feel uncomfortable eating from such an open, shared environment. Limited Brand Selection Many retailers are struggling to survive the loss of business during the pandemic. For example, the J.Crew Group announced its bankruptcy filing on May 4. Even more recently, in early August, Lord & Taylor filed for bankruptcy protection, as did Mens Warehouse. If the economy doesnt pick up soon, it seems likely other retailers will follow suit. This could lead to fewer retailers, meaning less jobs and a smaller number of brands for consumers to choose from. Shopping Won't Be a Social Activity For many, shopping has long been a social activity, but this could go by the wayside. If social distancing measures stay in place, it will be difficult for people to enjoy a leisurely shopping trip together. Even if restrictions are eventually lifted, it could be too late, if consumers have already grown used to shopping alone. Fewer Cashiers Self-checkout lanes at large retailers are nothing new, but they could become even more prominent. For example, Meijer is currently encouraging customers to pay with its shop and scan tool or self-checkout lanes when possible, to limit contact with others. If automated checkout tools are deemed safer for everyone and more cost-effective for retailers more companies might invest in this feature. No Major In-Store Promotions In the pre-pandemic world, retailers worked hard to drive as much traffic to stores as possible. Fast-forward to the present and many are trying to keep crowds at bay. For example, The Home Depot eliminated major spring promotions in an effort to avoid bringing high levels of traffic into its stores. This will likely be the standard, as retailers work to limit the number of people in stores. Instead, major promotions might become online-only or simply a thing of the past. Mostly a Business Transaction More than just an errand, shopping is an experience for many people. They know the cashiers, they run into friends in stores and friendly associates make helpful product recommendations. If shopping continues to be a socially distant activity, where customers are encouraged to quickly get what they need and leave, the personalized element of this activity will disappear. Shopping will become an isolated experience akin to filling up the car with gas with little human interaction. Less Assistance From Associates Responsible retailers are working hard to limit interactions between customers and employees, for everyones safety. For example, Southern California grocer Gelsons is currently asking customers not to put their phone near employees to show them pictures of items they want. Customers will likely become more independent, as they either work to minimize contact with employees or assistance simply is not there. Companies might need to increase self-service options like store maps available on retailer apps so shoppers can effectively help themselves. More From GOBankingRates Nicole Spector contributed to the reporting for this article. This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 30 Ways Shopping Will Never Be the Same After the Coronavirus There are experts with the know-how of the ground who are seeing an opportunity in the large-scale movement of the migrant working population back to villages from cities. The return of so many people to the villages may be an opportunity to revive the economy of the rural sector is the argument. And Ravindra, who works with WASSAN (Watershed Support Service and Activities Network), a Hyderabad-based NGO that works closely with the rural sector in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, is among those who believe in it. Ravindra also says that while the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is the lifeline of the rural economy, it cannot provide for everyone at this time of crisis. Time may have come to push the large-scale manpower now available in rural areas towards farming and rejuvenation of natural resources, works that have remained pending for long, he says. Are people who have arrived at their homes in rural Andhra Pradesh looking to return to work any time soon? A lot of people are coming back. While a lot of things are changing on ground, I think that for at least the next three to four months, people are not going to go back to the cities because of the uncertainty in the urban areas. They dont know when the next lockdown could happen trapping them again in urban spaces where survival is a big challenge. How big a role do you think MGNREGA is going to play in the revival of rural economy? From what I understand, the government does not have the wherewithal to give 100 days wages to everyone who is looking for work right now. It will be monsoon pretty soon anyway, and MGNREGA works are any ways going to stop. MGNREGA should be there. It is the lifeline for a lot of people in rural India, but it cannot sustain everyone. The MGNREGA framework to dig up holes and fill it - we need to get out of that. Bring people back to agriculture. A reorientation needs to happen. So what alternatives are you proposing to people? We are asking people go for food crops at the moment as a temporary relief. Nobody knows how long this pandemic will last. Earlier, people said that the country will see peak in cases in May. This has now been shifted to June-July. This virus is bound to spread but you will have to look for sustenance nevertheless. If you are living in a village right now, feeding your family is going to be your biggest concern right now. PDS will give you rice, but beyond rice how will you manage things? What happens, for instance, if the virus comes to the rural areas? If an earning member of a family gets infected with it and is quarantined, what happens to the rest of the family? So, the way forward for people in rural areas is to farm? I think we could look at this ongoing period as an opportunity to revive agriculture. For example, people can be pushed for revival of natural resources, for biomass regeneration, lot of things can be done. Everyone is affected by the ongoing economic crisis, including tribals whose weekly markets, the source of sustenance for many, have been shut for two months now. The last two months were an important season for many people because what they earn during this period, they draw their years resources from it, including investments for the next crop. And the next crop is going to be harvested till, say, September-October, when the harvest of the next season will happen. NEW DELHI Just before the coronavirus arrived in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced serious challenges, perhaps the biggest of his tenure. Antigovernment protests roiled the country. Hindu-Muslim riots exploded in the capital just as President Trump was visiting. And Indias once-hot economy was slumping, shedding millions of jobs and casting a pall over the entire country. Since then, as the world has been walloped by the coronavirus pandemic, many of these problems in India, especially the economic ones, have only gotten worse. But once again, India has rallied around Mr. Modi. Recent opinion polls show that in the past few months Mr. Modis already high approval ratings have soared even higher, touching 80, even 90 percent. Unlike two of the populist leaders to whom he is often compared, President Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, Mr. Modi seems to be thriving in this crisis. Popular Nigerian Media entrepreneur, Mo Abudu has expressed her displeasure and demanded that Sky News takes down a post where they referred to the threaded hairstyle as a "spiky coronavirus haircut" that gained popularity because it resembles the shape of the Coronavirus. The threaded hairstyle is a style that has been popular among African women for decades. However, Sky News claimed the style was just gaining popularity because of its resemblance to the deadly virus. Also, they called it a "haircut". Displeased with this misrepresentation, Ebony Life TV founder, Mo Abudu took to Instagram to correct Sky News while demanding they take down the post.haring photos of African women wearing the threaded hairstyle long before the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Abudu wrote: Who Is Mo Abudu? Mosunmola Abudu, or Mo Abudu as she is more commonly known, is one of Africas most vibrant personalities. She is a jack, and a master, of many trades. Abudu is a renowned entrepreneur, talk show star, media personality, human resources guru and philanthropist. Forbes magazine has even gone so far as to name her Africas most successful woman and others have dubbed her Africas Oprah. Early life in the UK and Nigeria Born in the United Kingdom to Nigerian parents, Abudu spent her early years in Hammersmith, London. When she was aged seven, her family decided to return to Nigeria. She was sent to stay on her grandparents farm in Ondo State, and it was here that Abudu really connected to her African roots. When she was just 12 years old, her father tragically passed away, and not long after, Abudu returned to the UK. She moved to Kent, to stay with a family friend and guardian before enrolling in The Ridgeway School, in Tunbridge wells. Abudu has recounted that she was one of the few black children in the school and that 1970s Britain wasnt the most multicultural or tolerant place. She often felt the need to prove herself in the face of ignorant remarks and hurtful questions. She said: I think somewhere deeply buried in my subconscious was a need to tell Africa's story. A remarkable career and an outlandish dream Abudu obtained a Masters degree in Human Resources Development at the University of Westminster. She started her HR career in 1987, joining recruitment giant Atlas Group. She swiftly maneuvered herself into senior corporate positions. In 1992, she moved back to Nigeria after being headhunted by ExxonMobil to head up their HR and training unit. In 2000, she set up her own specialist HR consultancy, Vic Lawrence & Associates, which she still owns today. Despite her success, an unfulfilled ambition gnawed at her. She left her HR career in 2006, to pursue her dream, television. Abudu felt that Africa was ready for its own TV talk show and that she was the star to host it. In 2008 she pitched her pilot episodes to executives at DStv. Convinced by her tenacity and passion; they decided to commission the program. An African television sensation Moments with Mo has gone on to become a pan-African Success. Abudu has hosted distinguished guests such as Hilary Clinton and President Goodluck Jonathon. Today it airs in over 50 African countries, and Abudu is a veritable household name across the continent. However, the popularity of Moments with Mo was not enough for Abudu. She was convinced that Africa needed a bigger platform to promote African culture in a more positive way. In 2013 she launched Ebony Life TV. This award winning network is now established across the continent, and offers a range of high quality, exclusively African content across television, mobile and internet platforms. Through Ebony Life TV, Abudu hopes to particularly engage with Africas growing young demographic, as she sees them as the custodians of the future. She hopes to use her networks content to galvanize this generation, and foster a new-age African identity for the future. 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 Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has warned farmers not to become too dependent on Chinese trade as Beijing suddenly halts imports of major commodities and increases its own food production, and Chinese investment in Australian agriculture plummets. Beijing hit back last week against Australia's pursuit of a global inquiry into the coronavirus, halting imports from four of our largest red meat abattoirs citing technical infringements and launching an anti-dumping investigation that could impose 80 per cent tariffs on Australia's $1 billion barley export trade. Riverina dairy farmer Malcolm Holm in front of his milking herd at his Finley, NSW farm. Credit:Nick Moir "I would expect that given the regulatory actions of the Chinese authorities over the past week some businesses would be reassessing their risk versus reward profile," Mr Birmingham said. "When unexpected regulatory disruptions occur it changes the commercial risk assessment that a business would logically undertake. Businesses and farmers always need to balance the reward and lucrative opportunities that trading in one place presents with the risks of over reliance on a single customer." And even if that information can be found, companies have to be willing to give it to you. Sometimes theyre not, according to Persis Yu, staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center and director of its student loan borrower assistance project. So you need to have the records. All of them. This Call May Be Recorded There is no consensus among experts about the best way to keep track of your exchanges with companies, but it certainly cant hurt to just keep a record of everything. Written exchanges are easier to store and sort than recorded phone calls, and many companies have simplified things by encouraging people to use various forms of text chat. Often, companies use technology, like that offered by the company LivePerson, that allows you to click a button to get a transcript. If you prefer the phone, recording the calls can be both technically and legally irksome. There are apps that can record calls, removing some of the hassle. The legal part is trickier: Some states require you to get consent from the other party before recording. The law firm Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer maintains a state-by-state guide. One problem: The location of any given phone rep isnt clear, so its not advisable to just hit a button on your phone, even if youre in a one-party state. Mark A. Solomon, an insurance trial lawyer at the firms office in Austin, Texas, said it was probably wise to get permission to record each time. How to do this? Try what the companies do. Youve probably long since stopped registering that many calls begin with some version of This call may be recorded but thats your cue to say the same thing back. Katherine Peoples, founder and executive director of HPP Cares, a consumer and housing counseling agency in Long Beach, Calif., simply responds in kind to such opening entreaties from mortgage servicers by saying this: Thank you, and so is mine. By Trend Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili talked on the phone with President of Finland Sauli Niinisto, Trend reports referring to Georgian presidents press service. The heads of state spoke about the coronavirus-related situation in Georgia and Finland and remote education process, as access to education in a crisis situation is very important. The president of Georgia briefed her Finnish counterpart on the tourism plan prepared by the Georgian government and noted that Georgia and Finland need closer cooperation in the field of tourism. Zourabichvili also stressed the importance of cooperation in the field of cyber security between the two countries. The presidents touched upon issues on Georgia's European integration. Zourabichvili said that the current crisis was an opportunity for Georgia to deepen relations with the European Union and take specific steps towards Europe. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO, speaks at The Economic Club of Washington's Milestone Celebration in Washington, on Sept. 13, 2018. (Cliff Owen/AP Photo) Amazon Says Appropriate Executive to Be Available as US Panel Calls on Jeff Bezos to Testify Amazon said on Friday it would make an appropriate executive available to the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee to testify amid an antitrust investigation involving allegations related to how the company uses third-party sellers data. The panel had called on chief executive Jeff Bezos to testify. Amazons blog late on Friday did not commit to a specific person or consideration for who could eventually testify. We have been working with the Committee in good faith for nearly a year to provide answers and information, and we remain prepared to make the appropriate Amazon executive available to the Committee to address these issues, Amazon said in the blog post. The logo of Amazon is seen at the company logistics centre in Boves, France, November 5, 2019. Pascal Rossignol/Reuters. File Photo. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the online retailer used data from its third-party sellers to create competing products. In a letter to Bezos this month signed by Democratic and Republican members of the panel, U.S. lawmakers referred to the April 23 WSJ report, saying, If the reporting in the Wall Street Journal article is accurate, then statements Amazon made to the committee about the companys business practices appear to be misleading, and possibly criminally false or perjurious. At issue were statements by Amazons associate general counsel, Nate Sutton, who denied under oath last July that Amazon used sensitive business information from independent sellers on its platform to develop products for Amazon to sell. The company has previously said any such practices would violate its policies. Amazon sent a letter to the panel on Friday in response to the committees May 1 letter and reiterated that any allegations that there was such a policy breach would be investigated. By Ismail Shakil and Kanishka Singh Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak has said that at the next video meeting of Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) Ukraine will present a group of representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (CADR and CALR), in particular, who are Ukrainian citizens internally displaced persons, who "can present Donetsk and Luhansk regions and put an end to the monopoly on the representation of these territories by unrecognized quasi-state structures." "We are ready to coordinate, as stipulated by the Minsk agreements, with citizens of Ukraine who are not related to illegal armed groups, have not killed our soldiers, and not related to unrecognized structures. In our opinion, such people can be representatives of Donbas," Yermak said at a meeting with G7 ambassadors and the head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, the press service of the Office of the President reported. He said that Ukraine counts on the support of the G7 countries, the EU and the entire civilized world for further active promotion in the Minsk process. While Dundalk Chamber welcomes a Government package for business as planning starts for re-opening of the economy, Paddy Malone said it is imperative that a Government is formed to allow the proposals to take effect. Last week the Cabinet announced additional financial supports for businesses, particularly SMEs, who have been impacted by COVID-19. The supports range from waivers on commercial rates, grant aid, a loan guarantee scheme and supports for businesses who have tax liabilities. 'The package recognises the scale of the problem facing all businesses from micro to large,' said Mr. Malone of Dundalk Chamber. 'The support to rate payers and the commitment to fund Local Authorities is a good move. 'However, we would hope that there will be further action should that be required, which is probable. For that reason and to pass the enabling legislation to allow the proposals to take effect it is imperative that a Government is formed.' He explained that at present the Senate cannot meet and legislation cannot be approved. 'The Taoiseach has eleven nominations to the Senate but he cannot make them as he has not been elected Taoiseach since the last election. The Senate is not properly constituted. 'All I am saying is if this is not an emergency, I don't know what is. Could someone please form a Government?' Mr Malone added business can't afford to wait. 'I'm not saying the Government is not doing a good job. They have done a fair bit right but need to start moving on this.' He gave an example that if this was a boardroom and a major decision had to be made it would be done quickly. Mr Malone pointed out there are sectors of the economy including pubs, restaurants, hairdressers and gyms which because of their scheduled opening dates require specific help. 'We also note the continued threat of Brexit and the very real threat of a border. We note and share the concerns of Michele Barnier.' Wearing his hat as chairman of the DkIT Governing Body, Mr Malone said there are a huge number of issues to be examined concerning the Dublin Road college, such as social distancing and how hands-on apprentice courses will be run, for example 'Foreign students, who are so important to DkIT and the local economy, have also to be addressed.' Meanwhile, Chambers Ireland Chief Executive Ian Talbot said: 'What our members have been telling us over the past several weeks is that they need much more support to help fund overheads and working capital, particularly as we move to re-open the economy. 'Our message to Government throughout the crisis has been that the risk of under-reacting to these economic challenges is much greater than over-reacting. The announcement shows that this message has been heard.' He added the new supports will be welcomed by businesses, particularly the announcements on commercial rates waivers, supports on tax liabilities and the new Restart Fund, which aims to provide grants to micro and small businesses. This particular scheme is a step in the right direction, as many businesses are facing huge challenges with liquidity and cash-flow. 'The funds proposed must be capable of rapid drawdown and the organisations charged with delivery are properly resourced to undertake the tasks. 'Further, we reiterate our earlier calls to ensure supports like the Wage Subsidy Scheme are extended beyond the June deadline.' Hong Kong: Exam moderation work clarified The Education Bureau today clarified that it has not deployed any staff member to join the history subject's moderation committee of the Hong Kong Examinations & Assessment Authority. It made the statement in response to a media report which claimed that the bureau knew the questions of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination before the commencement of the examination and had set up a trap to frame others. The bureau expressed deep regret over the media report, as it has seriously undermined its integrity. According to the bureau's records, a teacher it employed had already been invited by the authority to serve on the relevant moderation committee in his personal capacity before joining the bureau. After employment, the teacher applied for outside work to continue his duties in the moderation committee. Due to the confidentially protocol, the staff member concerned did not and cannot disclose the content of the examination questions to anyone, including his colleagues in the bureau. In the past two years, the bureau repeatedly requested to nominate staff to join different subjects' committees. But the authority decides on the acceptance of nominations, duties to be assigned and at which stage a member would be involved in setting and moderating questions. In 2019, the bureau nominated a staff member to join the moderation committee of the history subject, but no officer was invited. The bureau has also asked to join the moderation committees of other subjects. The bureau pointed out that even if a staff member is invited to serve as a member of a committee, they should abide by strict confidentiality and must not disclose the content of the examination questions to others, including those in the bureau. The controversy this time is about the appropriateness of the HKDSE history examination questions. The bureau urged all sectors to face up to the relevant issues together and not to be deliberately misled or have their attention diverted. This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. New Jersey surpassed a grim milestone on Friday: More than 10,000 residents have died from the coronavirus since the outbreak began. State officials announced that the death toll from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, rose to 10,138 Friday, with 143,905 total cases. The milestone came as state officials expressed optimism that the peak of the outbreak has passed. Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday that beaches could open for Memorial Day and said Friday that hospitals could begin performing elective surgeries again a week after Memorial Day. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage Even though we are not out of the woods, we are clearly without question making progress, Murphy said Friday. In addition to the new deaths, officials announced 201 new deaths and more than 1,297 new cases in the past 24 hours. Is the above map not displaying? Click here. As cases and deaths continue to trend downward, so do hospitalizations. As of Friday night, there were 3,823 patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 at the states 71 hospitals. That is the lowest figure since N.J. began making those numbers public on April 4 and comes on the heels of four straight weekly declines of around 1,000 patients each. Is the above chart not displaying? Click here. Gov. Phil Murphy has said that these numbers will all be taken into account as he decides when to lift more of the lockdown restrictions that have been in place since mid-March. He announced Friday new guidelines for elective surgeries, which can begin again a week after Memorial Day. More than 4.5 million people worldwide have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Almost 305,000 have died and another 1.5 million have recovered. ALSO: LATEST TOWN-BY-TOWN CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS IN N.J. Is the above map not displaying? Click here. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. J. Dale Shoemaker may be reached at jshoemaker@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. Keller Kissam was recently let in on a well-kept secret. The Dominion Energy South Carolina president of electric operations was nominated for an award for excellence in communication and leadership. And he won. On April 30, the South Carolina Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America announced Kissam was its recipient of the 2019 Executive Excellence Award. It is given annually to a South Carolina business leader in honor of being an outstanding communications ambassador and for showing exceptional support to the companys communications team. I am without words to describe how much I appreciate my relationship with all of you, Kissam said to the companys marketing and communications group when he got the news. "Communication is important, and it is work. It takes time, and it takes effort. You often run the risk of confrontation. You cant focus simply on what your business does. You need to focus on how you inform a variety of stakeholders primarily your customers," Kissam said. "Daily coordination through a solid corporate communications team is of extreme importance and requires intentional planning and execution. An award like this reflects the hard work, outstanding skills and steadfast dedication from our communications team, which is a group of people Im proud to work with every day." SCPRSA normally holds an in-person, dress-up ceremony to celebrate award recipients in various categories, but this years celebration was virtual. None of that really matters to Kissam. He would choose to wear a linemans uniform to work if it were up to him. Of anything I have ever received in my life, these words at the end I will cherish more than anything, the Creston farming-community native said after reading testimonials Dominion Energy communications professionals wrote about him in the nomination package. Rhonda OBanion, manager of public relations for Dominion Energy South Carolina, said, Kellers communication style consistently exudes energy, charisma, authenticity and authority leaving his audiences eager to carry out his call to action and feeling like they just received a good word in church. Hes a leader who communicates so powerfully and passionately, and basically says for me to tell him where I need him, and hell be there. Thats what every PR professional wishes to have. Love your neighbor as yourself OBanions testimonial shares a common theme with all the others: Kissam cares. Kissam connects. Kissam communicates. Thats what draws him to company-sponsored events like Midlands Gives, which was May 5. Dominion Energy was the top sponsor with a $100,000 donation to nonprofits throughout the Midlands. When there was an in-person component in years past, Kissam was known for taking local TV personalities up in a bucket truck while doing interviews to encourage people to give what they can to help neighbors in need. This years event was online, but that didnt kill Kissams enthusiasm. During a Facebook Live interview, JoAnn Turnquist, president and CEO of Central Carolina Community Foundation, asked him what motivates Dominion Energy to be such big supporters of the community. All of our employees live in our communities, and they are our neighbors, he said. And what do you do? You love your neighbor as yourself. Midlands Gives gives us that great opportunity to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. He added, This thing called COVID-19 has kind of come between us. We dont get to high five, we dont get to handshake, and we dont get to hug. Even though theres been that separation between us and our customers, Midlands Gives this day of caring gives us the opportunity to embrace our customers our neighbors in a very symbolic and very meaningful way that will carry them through and have an impact upon them throughout the coming year. When Dominion Energy hosted a communications professional development conference on its corporate campus in Cayce last year, Kissam, who has been with the company for more than 30 years, greeted the attendees just as he did the year before. He spoke passionately about the importance of transparency in communications. He emphasized the critical role of values-based messages in credibly connecting with an audience. Keeping customers safe, informed In every interaction with customers, business leaders, regulators and legislators, Keller is an ambassador for Dominion Energys employees in South Carolina the thousands of men and women who give their best every day to meet the energy needs of more than a million families and businesses across the state, said Eric Boomhower, director of public affairs and employee communications for Dominion Energy South Carolina. He communicates with clarity, credibility and compassion on our behalf. He also makes it a priority to personally meet and welcome, on their first day, every new employee who is hired into the company. When hurricanes, ice storms and other major weather events interrupt service to customers across the state, Kissam leads the charge to keep customers informed while overseeing the companys restoration efforts. He was key in communications with Hurricane Dorian last year before, during and after the storm. Dorian impacted nearly 280,000 Dominion Energy customers in South Carolina. He accompanied Dominion Energy media relations professionals across the state for press briefings and in-person interviews with news outlets to keep customers safe and informed. Kissam is committed to ensuring operational excellence and to making it easier for customers to do business with Dominion Energy. Under his leadership, Dominion Energy South Carolina has achieved historic results in electric service reliability and set new standards for safety. Along with Rodney Blevins, president of Dominion Energy South Carolina, Kissam has helped lead the companys efforts to invest in a clean and sustainable energy future while driving initiatives to improve quality of life in communities across the state. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 It was a morning of emotional, heartbreaking but ultimately restrained testimony. Gregory Green, 54, the on-again off-again boyfriend of missing woman Laura Johnson, was sentenced Friday to 100 years in state prison for her murder. A jury found Green guilty in March for the Sept. 13, 2018, murder. That's the last day Johnson was seen alive. Her family had reported her missing. Much of the testimony given at the sentencing hearing Friday focused on asking District Court Judge Jessica Fehr to give Green the maximum sentence allowed under the law and asking to Green to divulge where he hid Johnson's body. "We just want to bring our mom back home," said Jonathan Johnson, who participated by video. "He has discarded her as a piece of trash and then declined to help" authorities find her, Howard Johnson, Laura Johnson's estranged husband, said over video. In all, eight family members testified in court, some by video and others through written statements read by Yellowstone County Attorney, Scott Twito, who prosecuted the case. "I ask the court to show Greg Green the mercy he showed my mother," Stephen Johnson, Laura Johnson's son, said by video. Echoing the sentiment, Twito argued that Green be sentenced to life in prison without parole. "The unbelievable lack of compassion in every stage (of the crime) should certainly be considered by this court," he said. "This was a methodical cover up." Green's was an unusual trial; the case was tried without a body, autopsy, cause of death, or murder weapon. Before she died, Johnson, 49, had been working toward a new life: making strides in drug treatment, breaking it off with Green, landing full-time work, and dreaming about her own apartment and car, The Gazette previously reported. Green was arrested April 17, 2019, in Henderson, Nevada, on charges of deliberate homicide in connection with Johnson's disappearance. Green and Johnson were in a relationship and were living together when she disappeared. During the investigation, police found stains in Greens truck made by Johnsons blood, and a neighbor's late-night surveillance video showed Green removing from his house what appeared to be Johnson's belongings, including two red suitcases and her purse. Green had earlier told investigators that Johnson had left him, taking with her the two red suitcases. Video footage also captured Green carrying "cradle style" what appeared to be a body wrapped in a red blanket, which he placed in the cab of his truck. He then placed a shovel in the truck's bed. The surveillance video was key to the case and turned up after two of Johnson's sons, Stephen and Jonathan, traveled to Montana from Washington to look for their mother when they could get no response from her. The two sons approached the neighbor in the house across the street from Green's home, who told them he had surveillance cameras that covered his front yard and pointed toward Green's property. Fehr praised the two sons for traveling to Billings and taking up the search for their mother and ultimately turning up the surveillance video footage. "Your mom would be proud of you," she said. Defense attorney Gregory Paskell argued that Green should be sentenced to 40 years, the minimum allowed by state law. He told the court that Green's refusal to help in the investigation was simply him exercising his Fifth Amendment right to silence. He told Judge Fehr that evidence against his client was circumstantial and that any theories about Johnson's death were "working theories," the phrase used by investigators during Green's trial. Green, who sat in the courtroom in dark blue prison garb with obscenities scrawled across the back, did not speak at the hearing or address Johnson's family. Judge Fehr pushed back on Paskell's characterization of Johnson's disappearance and Green's involvement as she prepared to deliver her sentence. "The jury has rendered a verdict, and I do believe what the jury saw was Mr. Green disposing of evidence, Mr. Green disposing of the body and Mr. Green engaging in a cover up," she said. She then sentenced him to 100 years in prison with the possibility of parole. Under state law, Green would first become eligible for parole after one quarter of his sentence has been served in this case, 25 years. Photos: Gregory Green sentenced to 100 years for killing missing woman Laura Johnson The Ogun State Government, on Friday, announced that it has extended a lockdown in the state by one week. The governor, Dapo Abiodun, mentioned a significant increase in coronavirus cases as a reason, saying community transmission of the virus was on the rise in the state. Mr Abiodun said these at a press conference to provide an update on the governments efforts to check the spread of the virus. In my last week briefing, the number of confirmed cases in Ogun State was 100. But, by yesterday, Thursday 14th May, 2020, we have recorded 34 more positive cases of COVID- 19, bringing the total to 134. This shows an increase of more than 30 per cent, in just one week, he said. Mr Abiodun said in the same period, the state discharged 20 additional patients who have been successfully treated at isolation centers. He said this was in addition to the 39 earlier discharged thus bringing the total to 59. The spike in the number of positive cases, particularly in the last one week, is attributable to two main factors. First is the expanded testing capacity, currently at 450 per day, that has enabled us to embark on aggressive testing, especially in the communities with possible high prevalence of infection such as our border communities. The testing has presented us with the stark reality that community transmission is on the increase in our rural and urban communities in Ogun State. We will keep expanding our testing capacity by deploying more personnel and testing centers to every nook and cranny of the State, he stated. The governor said the state has recorded five deaths in total. This leaves us with 70 active cases who are currently receiving care at our treatment centers. As usual, we hope and pray that they will also be discharged in due course. Mr Abiodun lamented that in spite of several warnings and the concerted efforts of security agencies, many residents have continued to flout the measures in place to flatten the curve of the spread. Some residents still come out in the public without the use of facemasks or use the facemasks in a manner that do not shield their mouths and noses; motorcycles and tricycles riders still carry more than the approved number of passengers of one and two respectively; and drivers of taxi cab and passenger buses are also culpable in this flagrant violations of the extant guidelines, he said. He also noted that markets have not fully complied with physical distancing and other measures to ensure the markets do not become the COVID-19 transmission centres. He said between May 4 and 14, a total of 108 violators of the lockdown and other measures have been apprehended and prosecuted. They were promptly tried by the newly introduced mobile courts, with some of them made to pay fine whilst some are undergoing community service. In the same vein, 517 vehicles, 109 motorcycles and 6 tricycles were impounded for breaching the Presidential directive on curfew within the same period, he said. The governor said security agencies also intercepted travellers from other states who defied the ban on interstate travels. He said such travellers were turned back by security agencies. He said in view of the evidence of community transmission and poor compliance with the lockdown measures, the government was constrained to extend the lockdown for another week till May 24. The current pattern of lockdown, with relaxation windows from 7.00 a.m to 5.00 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday continues. We will continue to monitor the level of compliance with the lockdown measures and incidence of community transmission and hopefully There will be positive developments that will enable us further ease the lockdown at the end of this new lockdown period. We must also bear in mind that the daily curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and the ban on non-essential interstate travel as directed by Mr. President still stands. Interestingly, the feedback from you, the people of Ogun State, from the Public Opinion Poll hosted on the Twitter, also support the extension of the lockdown. Out of about 6,000 respondents of the online poll, 53% support the continuation of the lockdown whilst 43% want a review with 4% undecided. The governor declared that the government will not tolerate any act of smuggling of people, either indigenes or non-indigenes into the state, stressing that, anybody found contravening this restriction will be immediately prosecuted. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced last week that it had begun testing multiple versions of an experimental coronavirus vaccine in healthy adults in the U.S., greatly accelerating the vaccine development process, which normally first requires years of testing on animals. The U.S. trial, part of a partnership with the German biotech company BioNTech, will enroll up to 360 healthy subjects into two age groups, 18 to 55 and 65 to 85. The younger adults will receive versions of the potential vaccine first. Those found safe and effective will then be tested on the older adults. Kathrin Jansen, 62, head of vaccine research and development for Pearl River, New York-based Pfizer, where she leads a global team of scientists, said the partners could potentially have millions of doses ready by the end of the year, increasing to hundreds of millions in 2021. "I look at it like a war," she said. "The world is in a race to develop vaccines and therapies against COVID-19, the enemy. Nothing aligns humankind more than a common enemy. We are all in it together." Coronavirus impact: Many U.S. adults who lost jobs or saw hours cut expected to return No more handshakes?: How do we replace the ancient greeting if coronavirus keeps us from touching? Kathrin Jansen, senior vice president and head of Vaccine Research and Development and a member of the Pfizer Inc. worldwide research and development leadership team, at Pfizer's Pearl River, N.Y., site on August 27, 2019. While there are about 100 potential COVID-19 vaccines in various stages of development, the Pfizer and BioNTech experimental vaccine is one of only eight that have advanced to human clinical trials worldwide. Jansen, a microbiologist, played a vital part in the development of Gardasil, the worlds first vaccine to prevent infection with several strains of HPV, a cause of cervical and other cancers, and of Prevnar-13, given to children and adults to protect against life-threatening illnesses including meningitis and pneumonia. Question: What's different about working on this vaccine? Kathrin Jansen: Never in my over 25 years of developing vaccines have I seen a collaboration of this magnitude to realize the launch of a clinical trial at this speed. This milestone is a testament to the innovation and collaboration among researchers and colleagues from Pfizer and BioNTech two very different organizations and cultures together with unprecedented access to and support from regulatory agencies and other government agencies, and the willingness of companies to go above and beyond what is normal for them. Story continues Pfizer's Kathrin Jansen says "The world is in a race to develop vaccines and therapies against COVID-19, the enemy." Q: How do you approach this task personally? Jansen: For me personally, the pandemic is an unacceptable disaster of unprecedented (in recent history) proportions. I feel that I can contribute to try to solve the problem, a sentiment that is shared by our colleagues and scientists around the globe. The quest for a solution is energizing us to a degree probably never experienced before. Q: How were you able to shorten the time taken to test the vaccine on humans? Jansen: We worked with regulatory authorities to design a clinical study to evaluate four candidates simultaneously in a small number of subjects with the goal of selecting a vaccine candidate. Pfizer and BioNTech are testing four different mRNA (messenger RNA, genetic material which carries the instructions for cells to make proteins, can prompt the body to make its own medicine) candidates in our Phase 1/Phase 2 study. Because mRNA can potentially be more rapidly produced than a conventional vaccine, it, therefore, may be the fastest way to address an emerging pathogen during a pandemic. All four candidates have the potential to become a vaccine and our clinical studies will allow us to select a candidate that is safe and effective. Q: What are the challenges in trying to develop a vaccine on an accelerated time frame? Jansen: There is an unprecedented sense of urgency to make what seemed impossible only a couple of months ago now possible. Because Pfizer and BioNTech are trying to do development and manufacturing steps in parallel instead of sequentially in a highly compressed time period and before we know whether we have a successful vaccine candidate, resources may become strained. Pfizer's research facility in Pearl River, N.Y. Q: When do you hope to have the vaccine ready for widespread use? Jansen: Safety is our number one priority and collecting sufficient safety data takes time. We are working with government agencies around the world and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to define a regulatory pathway and timeline for a potential vaccine to address COVID-19. We are beginning to scale up our manufacturing operations so we can potentially have millions of doses ready by the end of the year in the event we achieve technical and regulatory success. Q: How many are working on this vaccine? Jansen: You can probably best compare our teams to a large symphony orchestra, which has all the instruments. Many, many different musicians and a conductor that is working to bring the performance together. The goal is to try to get the various talented players to work together, so that at the end, a beautiful piece of music is created. There are many hundreds of colleagues at Pearl River and other sites in the U.S. and Europe including virologists, biologists, immunologists, bioinformaticians, and manufacturing engineers, in addition to clinical laboratory scientists and clinicians. In addition, we are working closely with our partner BioNTech and many of their scientists and personnel. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy covers women and power for the USA TODAY Network Northeast. Click here for her latest stories. Follow her on Twitter at @SwapnaVenugopal. Support local journalism; go to lohud.com/specialoffer to find out how. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Pfizer's Kathrin Jansen: Race for a coronavirus vaccine 'like a war' A new server-side update is now rolling out to Google Messages in as many as seven new regions, reportedly bringing RCS chat with it. The update appears to be landing primarily in Europe. Specifically, thats in Italy, Portugal, and Poland. But it has also appeared in Singapore, Argentina, Turkey, and Pakistan. The current state of the rollout, reported by users in the various regions, isnt fully known. So it will likely land in far more regions as well. Additionally, it appears as though the company is rolling the update completely independently of carriers. Thats the same tactic the search giant used for its US rollout. So it should arrive with effectively every user in at least those regions fairly quickly. Advertisement Users in the regions who are seeing the update arrive will be informed of the new feature by an in-app bottom-positioned banner. Conversely, the features associated with RCS can be accessed in the Settings menu in the app. Users simply need to tap the three-dot menu icon on the apps home page. Then, theyll need to tap Settings followed by Chat features. What is RCS and what does this mean for end-users? The update to enable RCS in Googles Messages app arguably couldnt arrive at a better time. Not only did the company recently add support for Facebook-like reactions. Specifically, Google designed those to allow users to add an emoji-based reaction to messages theyve received. The search giant has also seen a steep uptick in the number of devices that support RCS more completely. Advertisement For clarity, RCS is a chat-like service found in Messages and elsewhere. It delivers features such as a more consistent group chat service. But it also brings group customization and management features, read receipts, and typing indicators. Thats atop a number of other advantages over standard SMS. In fact, unlike SMS, RCS messages can be sent over another Wi-Fi when mobile data service isnt readily available. And file sizes are supported, with regard to auto-downloads, up to 105MB. Google Messages recently joined a select list of apps to garner over 1-billion installs. With consideration for the face that Messages typically has to be downloaded manually, thats a significant number. RCS and associated updates are almost certainly key reasons for that. Advertisement This should arrive very quickly wherever Google rolls it out The full extent of the rollout is presently unknown. Thats because Google hasnt made much by way of an announcement here. Instead, its simply started turning the feature on. So it could appear in a much wider group of countries when everythings said and done. The app update is a server update though, as noted above. That means it should roll out in days at most, as opposed to launching over the course of weeks. But it also means that users wont need to navigate to the Play Store to get the features. Instead, the RCS update should just arrive for Google Messages on its own, as long as a data connection or Wi-Fi network is available. Weary and exhausted, Ramavati Devi feeds her one-year-old grandson and keeps an eye on another as she waits for her son and seven-month pregnant daughter-in-law under the shade of a Metro pillar near the Anand Vihar Bus Terminal. A Delhi Police constable drives away Devi, and many others who have gathered to cross over to Uttar Pradesh, to another border crossing a kilometer away. She moves away from the spot near a petrol pump, but not too far as he is waiting for her son. "My daughter-in-law is seven months' old. She cannot walk any further. Both have gone to look for transport," she said, as her eyes welled up. The family has been walking since morning, but the scorching heat is too much for them. Devi, in her late fifties, said her son, a daily wage labourer did not have work since the lockdown. So did her daughter-in-law who worked as domestic help. The family was residing at Peeragarhi in northwest Delhi, but with no rent to pay since last two months, the landlord evicted them. They had no choice but to go back to their village in Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh. Like Ramavati Devi, hundreds of families can be seen on the Delhi-Ghaziabad border, walking back to their towns and villages in different states. There is barely any option available as families try to hitch rides. After the first phase of coronavirus-forced lockdown, many migrant labourers with families stayed back, waiting for the curbs to ease so that life can return to normalcy. But with the lockdown likely to be extended, many are left with no option, but to go back to their villages. In these two months, many exhausted their savings, so they don't even have the option of buying a train ticket. If the first phase of lockdown saw tens of thousands of workers going back to their hometown and villages, this phase has been witnessing an exodus of migrant labourers and their families, including young and old. Some were even seen walking with infants and heavy bags on their heads. Fifty-meters from Rama Devi is Shivshankar Yadav (27) with his wife Aarti (25) and two daughters, Anshi (3) and Priyanshi (2). A weaver working at a garment factory, Yadav has not been paid for the past two months. "The government provided food, but what about milk. There is no money left even to buy milk," Yadav said. All the money he has saved is now over, leaving him no option but to go back to his village in Sultanpur. Yadav said he took rest under a Metro pillar as his wife and two children were exhausted due to heat. "I am looking for a vehicle to go back home. We can pay them after we reach home," Yadav said. Same is the case with Jang Bahadur, a road driller, who is going back to his village in Allahabad, with his wife Urmila and three children aged Himanshu (12), Nandini (9) and Sudanshu (7). All his three children study in a government school in Nangloi in northwest Delhi. "What do we do? There is no money left and my husband has not been paid for the past two months," Urmila said as she walked with her eldest son Himanshu, while Bahadur was nudging his two other children to walk fast as they trudge due to exhaustion. Urmila said the landlord asked them to vacate the house. The family, along with Bahadur's friends and his brother, started from Rithala at 3 a.m. "We got a tempo from Rithala. He was to drop us at the Delhi-Ghaziabad border, but then the police intercepted the vehicle. They bashed up the driver and asked him to drop us at the point where we were picked up from. But he then dropped us 5-6 kilometers away from the border," Mahesh, who is a part of the group, said. Suraj Baghel (50) and her 52-year-old husband are also making a journey back to Baloda Bazaar in Chhattisgarh. Daily wagers at a construction site, the couple have not been paid for the last two months. "They contractor fled. We don't have any money. If we go back, we can at least survive on what we can grow in our field," said a tired Baghel. Baghel walked for hours with a heavy bag on her head. Her slipper too was broken, but she had tied it with a rope. The couple somehow managed for two months, but not anymore. She sent her savings to her two school-going daughters back in her village. But with no money left, the couple is going back, clueless about how will they reach their home. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) April Caldwell and her husband Aaron were running a popcorn business out of their house when their dreams were suddenly dashed. They were ready to take the next step and open a real storefront, but no one would accept a popcorn shop next door. "We actually tried three different places to get a storefront and open up shop, but all three places turned us down for various reasons," Caldwell said. For years, the couple sold popcorn at events like farmer's markets and saw real success. They decided to ask other business owners whether they could set up shop briefly in their stores. Their business, called The Princess and the Popper, would spend a day here, two days there. It was a real pop-up popcorn shop. But that led to an even better business idea, a forum through which mobile vendors like themselves could connect with other business owners who had brick-and-mortar spaces and would allow them to drop in and set up a pop-up shop: fayVen -- short for "your favorite venue/vendor," depending on which side of the exchange you fall on. "We kept on trying for all these different opportunities," Caldwell said. "We realized there's not a place you can actually go online and find venues that are willing to let you set up shop for three days to do a pop-up." The Caldwells represented fayVen at the 2020 Veteran EDGE Conference, run by Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans and Military Families. (Courtesy of April Caldwell) The Caldwells describe fayVen as "the AirBnB of small business," but it's much more than simply scrolling on a website to find the perfect situation. FayVen matches vendors to the venues that will work best for their business. "Of course, we want the businesses to be complementary," he said. "We don't want to have too many of the same tastes of vendors at the same venue or be overrun with multi-level marketing companies. We're here to focus on small businesses who are doing everything and need help the most." The Caldwells are no strangers to hard work. April joined the Air Force right after graduating from high school and became a dental lab technician. She met her husband, also a dental lab tech, while serving in Germany. Together, the two run fayVen from their home in Tampa Bay, Florida. Running a small business can be tough. Despite working her own business for years, April relied on the resources and training offered by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families' Veteran EDGE conference. Veteran EDGE brings together veterans, spouses and other business leaders in a four-day conference to network and learn from one another. "Small businesses have to stick together at this time," Caldwell said. "To really grow, we should spend our effort where it's actually going to help somebody other than a big company." Many fayVen Virtual events feature a Zoom Happy Hour format. (Courtesy of April Caldwell) The Caldwells ran The Princess and the Popper from their home for 2 years, starting in 2017. They put that on the back burner and decided to focus on fayVen after moving to Florida in 2019. "It just seemed like [fayVen] could be a lot bigger than a popcorn company," April Caldwell said. "Going to some of those events to sell popcorn made me realize how much of a hustle it was to find the right place. And some didn't even turn out to be successful for us." The disappointment felt by the Caldwells about their popcorn storefront efforts was echoed by other small vendors in their sphere. It was time-consuming to search for the right events and decide where to focus their time and energy. Creating a go-between for companies, events and vendors to meet and share their mutual interests was a natural progression. fayVen's virtual events keep businesses going even in a tough time, according to April Caldwell. In fayVen, the Caldwells come from a place of experience as small vendors. They take the time to match vendors with events and locations to take the pressure off other small businesses, so they can focus on what they do best. Even in the face of limited interactions forced by the novel coronavirus pandemic, fayVen is thriving. They do virtual events, encourage happy hour libations, and present potential shoppers with unique companies and products. "When you're a community, you support other small businesses in your community," Caldwell said. "One way that they can do that is by allowing other small businesses to have some space in their location." -- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook. Want to Know More About Veteran Jobs? Be sure to get the latest news about post-military careers as well as critical info about veteran jobs and all the benefits of service. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox. A family tiff and boarding a wrong train had compelled a 35-year-old woman to undertake a 40-day walk on GT road before being rescued by the police and reunited with her husband in Bihar, an official said on Saturday. After a minor tiff at her father-in-law's house in Bhagalpur on March 22, Sabo (name changed) barged out from the place, went to the railway station to take a train to Banka where her aunt stayed, but she boarded a train that took her to Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh instead, Hazaribag Social Welfare Officer Sipra Sinha said. The woman did not have any money to return home after some people informed her that she had reached Kanpur, Sinha said. The people asked her to walk along the Grand Trunk road as there were no means of transportation following the nationwide lockdown. Sabo began her journey back home before she fell sick near the composite inter-state check-post with Jharkhand and Bihar at Chordaha in Hazaribag district on May 4, the officer said. Some policemen spotted the woman lying in an unconscious state and the area circle officer Shivam Gupta sent her to a rehabilitation centre at Maheswara locality in Hazaribag Sadar, where she was treated and given food, the district social welfare officer said. "Her swab samples tested negative for COVID-19," Sinha said. Later, the authorities of Bhagalpur were approached and they came to Mirza Chowk at Mandor and took her by a car. "The woman was reunited with her husband on May 14 and both are overjoyed," the officer said. Thanking all the officers, Sabo told the Hazaribag social welfare officer, "After walking from Kanpur to Chouparan, I had lost all hopes of returning home." Sinha on her part replied, "I feel morally obliged and very happy to get you reunited with your family during the lockdown. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) IRVING, Texas, May 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Consolidated Electrical Distributors ("CED") acquired certain assets of Sun Valley Electric and Energy Electrical Distribution from Warner Holdings, LLC (said acquisition closed on May 6, 2019). The email system CED received from Warner Holdings, LLC was compromised prior to the acquisition, unbeknownst to the parties, and access to the email system was gained by an unknown actor as early as April 26, 2019 when it was still owned by Warner Holdings, LLC. On or about July 11, 2019, CED became aware of unusual activity in certain employee email accounts. CED launched an investigation with the assistance of a third-party forensic investigator to determine the full nature and scope of what occurred. Through this investigation, CED determined that an unknown actor gained access to these email accounts between April 26, 2019 and July 22, 2019. The email credentials were changed, and the email accounts are secure. The content of the accounts was reviewed through a time-consuming manual and programmatic process to determine what sensitive data may have been accessible. CED confirmed the types of protected information contained in the affected email accounts and the locations of the individuals and businesses to which the information relates. Although CED is unaware of any actual or attempted misuse of any information, CED is providing notification of this incident out of an abundance of caution. While, to date, the investigation has found no evidence of actual or attempted misuse of data, CED did determine that the email accounts affected by this incident may include name, payment card information, Social Security number, financial account information, date of birth, passport number, driver's license or other government issued ID number, treatment information, health insurance information, prescription or medication information, provider information, patient account number, and/or username and password. Upon learning of this incident, CED reset account passwords and quickly took steps to determine the content of the impacted accounts and identify the potentially impacted individuals and entities. CED will also notify the necessary regulatory bodies. In an abundance of caution, CED is notifying notice to potentially impacted individuals and entities. Additionally, while we have safeguards in place to protect data in our care, we are working to review and enhance these protections as part of ongoing commitment to data privacy and security. On April 3, 2020, CED began mailing notice letters to individuals and businesses, as appropriate, whose information may have been present in the affected email accounts. CED offered the affected individuals access to credit monitoring and identity restoration services for one year without charge. CED is also encouraging individuals to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud, to review account statements, and to monitor credit reports and explanation of benefits forms for suspicious activity and to detect errors, as well as providing more information on steps individuals may take to protect personal information. CED has set up a dedicated assistance line to answer questions regarding this incident. Individuals and businesses who have questions about the incident are encouraged to call CED's dedicated assistance line at 1-866-755-4209 Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. CT (excluding U.S. holidays). More information on steps individuals may take to protect personal information is also available at www.svesupply.com and below. STEPS YOU MAY TAKE TO PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION Monitor Your Accounts Under U.S. law, consumers are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of your credit report. Consumers have the right to place a "security freeze" on a credit report, which will prohibit a consumer reporting agency from releasing information in the consumer's credit report without express authorization. The security freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent. However, you should be aware that using a security freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a security freeze on your credit report. Should you wish to place a security freeze, please contact the major consumer reporting agencies listed below: Experian PO Box 9554 Allen, TX 75013 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com/freeze/center.html TransUnion P.O. Box 160 Woodlyn, PA 19094 1-888-909-8872 www.transunion.com/credit-freeze Equifax PO Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 1-800-685-1111 www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services In order to request a security freeze, you will need to provide the following information: Your full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.); Social Security number; Date of birth; If you have moved in the past five (5) years, provide the addresses where you have lived over the prior five years; Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill; A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver's license or ID card, military identification, etc.); If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft. As an alternative to a security freeze, consumers have the right to place an initial or extended "fraud alert" on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer's credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer's credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer's identity before extending new credit. If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the agencies listed below: Experian P.O. Box 9554 Allen, TX 75013 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com/fraud/center.html TransUnion P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19016 1-800-680-7289 www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resource/place-fraud-alert Equifax P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348 1-888-766-0008 www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services Additional Information You can further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and the steps you can take to protect yourself by contacting the consumer reporting agencies, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580, www.identitytheft.gov , 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and your state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement. For North Carolina residents, the Attorney General may be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001, 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000, www.ncdoj.gov. You can obtain information from the Attorney General or the Federal Trade Commission about preventing identity theft. For New Mexico residents, you have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in your credit file has been used against you, the right to know what is in your credit file, the right to ask for your credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to your file is limited; you must give your consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; you may limit "prescreened" offers of credit and insurance you get based on information in your credit report; and you may seek damages from violators. You may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage you to review your rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. SOURCE Consolidated Electrical Distributors, Inc. The chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers Musiliu Akinsanya has dispelled rumours that he is planning to contest for a political office in Lagos State in the future. The known All Progressives Congresss supporter, however, said is fully in support of the party in government in the state. The union boss popularly known as MC Oluomo made the clarification while speaking with Funmi Iyanda on Public Eye. The constitution permits anyone to contest, Akinsanya said in Yoruba. But count me out of it (contesting). I dont want to be a rep, a senator or a governor, he said. Akinsanya also said on Public Eye that NURTW has set up a committee to ensure fares in different parts of the state do not get too prohibitive for commuters following the state governments directive cutting passenger limits for different types of vehicles after coronavirus lockdown in the state was washed off. The government also imposed a statewide ban on the operations of commercial motorcyclists. Lagos State has the highest coronavirus burden in Nigeria with 2099 cases as of May 14. I gave out my number at a recent forum so that people can call to report cases of hike in fare, Akinsanya said. We have also set up a task force to that effect. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during a video meeting with Executive Vice President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis on Friday, May 15, expressed the hope that Ukraine would receive a tranche of macrofinancial assistance (MFA) from the European Union (EU) in coming two weeks. The press service of the Cabinet of Ministers said that Shmyhal also thanked the European Union for the allocation of EUR 190 million for the healthcare system of Ukraine, small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), small farms, civil society and the regions of the east and south of the country affected by the conflict in order to overcome COVID-19, the press service reported. The head of the Ukrainian government also assured Dombrovskis of continuing systemic reforms and emphasized the importance of cooperation in order to jointly face the challenges of the pandemic. Jamal Bryants New Birth gives nearly 2K COVID-19 tests as churches become lifeline for minorities Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pastor Jamal Bryants New Birth Missionary Baptist Church facilitated free coronavirus testing for nearly 2,000 people in Atlanta, Georgia, at a Mothers Day event Sunday as churches increasingly become a lifeline for access to testing in minority communities. Almost 2,000 people were tested, making it the largest for Georgia, Bryant said in a statement shared with The Christian Post on Thursday. [COVID-19] has impacted, disproportionately, the African American community, so I was grateful that New Birth was able to participate in such a partnership. The testing event was a partnership between RoweDocs and MAJL Laboratories. Bryants announcement comes as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a partnership last weekend with the states largest healthcare provider, Northwell Health, to establish 24 temporary coronavirus testing sites at churches in predominantly minority communities as preliminary data both locally in New York City and nationwide shows black and Latino people dying at about twice the rate of whites and Asians. At the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York, which is home to one of the 24 temporary testing sites, the churchs leader, the Rev. Calvin Butts, took the first test as an example to the community. Oh my goodness, Butts said after the test was administered, CBS New York reported. Were hoping that this encourages other people in our community, he said. Why? Because the black and brown community is the epicenter of the epicenter. Northwell Health is expected to provide about 300 coronavirus and antibody tests at the church until Sunday for area residents, but Butts believes many more will be needed. Reports of the deaths of dozens of pastors and members of predominantly black churches have not been uncommon during the pandemic. Last month, the Rev. Johnnie Green of Mount Neboh Baptist Church in Harlem, New York, who himself recovered from the coronavirus, told CP that at his church alone 13 members had died in 30 days and all but two of them died due to complications from the virus. And Louis Johnson Jr., who owns Harlem Haberdashery, says the coronavirus continues to hit many in the community hard. I have five people in my church alone. I had actually four of my great friends lose their mothers last week alone, he told CBS New York. In places like Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, volunteers with the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium have also been carrying out testing at churches and other religious organizations to reach residents of hard hit communities, The Philadelphia Tribune reported. Last month, at the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church where some 350 men, women and children were tested for the virus, doctors said people were waiting in line for hours before the 10 a.m. scheduled testing began which shows the high demand for testing in underserved communities. When I pulled up after 8 a.m., people were lined up around the sidewalk, Dr. Ala Stanford, a pediatric surgeon and founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, said. Folks have been lined up all day, before the sun came up. Stanford is seeking to raise $1 million to continue funding her effort in a GoFundMe Campaign. African Americans are being diagnosed at a disproportionately higher rate than other groups and are dying from coronavirus at a higher rate than other groups. To address that need, the Black Doctors COVID19 Consortium was born. We have built a mobile COVID19 testing operation. Our goal with the mobile unit is to provide a testing alternative that is BARRIER FREE to test for coronavirus disease in our hardest-hit areas in Philadelphia, Stanford said. In addition to free coronavirus testing that was provided by Bryants church, it was also noted that New Birth has been providing free groceries to 1,000 families each Saturday. The church has also partnered with the Allen Entrepreneurial Institute and Hilton Hotels to provide a retreat center for medical professionals. I felt that the call was there. DeKalb County is unusually being afflicted and as one of the largest churches in the area, we cant call ourselves a megachurch and have a minor impact. The Bible said to whom much is given much is required, and so I thought it was our responsibility to try to step up to the plate, Bryant said. New Birth is expected to do another free COVID-19 testing event but a date is yet to be announced. YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. During the period from May 10 to 16 the Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire regime in the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact more than 120 times by firing nearly 1,500 shots from various caliber weapons at the Armenian positions, the defense ministry of Artsakh told Armenpress. The Artsakh Defense Army forces continue keeping the situation under control and confidently fulfill their military duties. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan US ventilators to reach India in 3 weeks, to cost around Rs 192 million India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, May 16: The ventilators promised by US President Donald Trump would reach India in three weeks. The US will send in 200 ventilators, each of which would cost India Rs 9.6 lakh, without accounting for the transportation costs. As reported by Hindustan Times, the ventilators would reach India either by the end of this month or early June. In all, this would cost India around Rs 192 million. US will donate ventilators to friends in India says Trump I am proud to announce that the United States will donate ventilators to our friends in India. We stand with India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during this pandemic. We are also cooperating on vaccine development. Together we will beat this invisible enemy, US President, Donald Trump said in a tweet. It may be recalled that India had earlier supplied large shipments of hydroxychloroquine to the US to help it fight the pandemic. The US has recorded 87,000 deaths and 14 lakh cases. The virus that originated from Wuhan in China has claimed 3 lakh lives globally. China on the other hand has recorded 81,500 cases. Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: Rajasthan on Sunday recorded the highest single day spike of 242 new cases and five more fatalities, officials said. The number of cases in the state stands at 5,202 and fatalities at 131. Auto refresh feeds As many as 1,257 persons tested positive for coronavirus have been cured, of which 952 were discharged on Saturday, the Punjab government announced. Most of these patients were Sikh pilgrims who had returned from Maharashtra's Nanded. The state has reported 1,946 cases so far. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to address a press conference at 11 am today to speak on the roadmap laid out to move towards an 'Aatmanirbhar' India. Sitharaman on Saturday said that the Central government will introduce competition, transparency and private sector participation in the coal sector and infrastructure development of Rs 50,000 crore. Nirmala Sitharam while announcing the final tranche of the economic stimulus package said, "Health-related steps that have been taken: Rs 15,000 crore was released by the prime minister, insurance cover of Rs 50 lakhs per person for health professionals was announced, made sure telemedicine comes into play, capacity building exercises have been taken up, for protection of health care workers, amendment of Epidemic Diseases Act was required which was undertaken." The finance minister noted that online education has been taken up in a big way in India. She said, "SWAYAM PRABHA DTH channels to support and reach those who do not have access to the internet. Provision made for the telecast of live interactive sessions." In first of the seven steps to be announced by the finance minister, Nirmala Sitharam said that a budget estimate for MNREGS is now at Rs 61,000 crore. "Government will now allocate an additional Rs 40,000 crore under the scheme. This will generate Rs 300 crore more person-days of work and will address the need for work for returning migrants." she said While the first step of the final tranche of the stimulus package, Nirmala Sitharaman said, "Health reforms and initiatives put in place. Public expenditure on health will be increased. Investments at grassroots for health and wellness centers both at rural and urban levels will be ramped up. All districts will have infectious disease hospital blocks. Public health labs to be set up at block levels." In relation to IBC related matters, Nirmala Sitharaman said that debts related to COVID-19 shall be excluded from defaults under IBC. "No fresh insolvency proceeding will be initiated up to 1 year. At the moment MCA has extended this by 6 months, we intend to extend this by another 6 months. For MSMEs a special insolvency framework will be notified under section 240-A of IBC. The minimum threshold to initiate insolvency proceedings raised to Rs 1 crore from the earlier Rs 1 lakh, which largely insulates MSMEs." Speaking of public enterprise policy, the finance minister said, "All sectors will be opened to private sectors also. Public sectors will continue to play an important role in defined areas. We shall defined the areas or categories. The strategic sectors in which public-private sector enterprises will be present will be notified. Not more than four enterprises will be present in each sector." Nirmala Sitharaman said, "Part of the borrowing by states will be linked to specific reforms. From 3-3.5%, the 0.5% will be an unconditional increase. Next 1% to be released in 4 tranches of 0.25%, with each tranche linked to clearly specified, measurable, and feasible reform actions. Further 0.5% will be given if milestones are achieved in at least three out of the four reform areas." Speaking on the support which has been extended to state governments, Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said, "Like the Centre, the state is also witnessing a sharp drop in revenues. Over Rs 46,038 crore were devolved as tax revenue to states. Over Rs 12,000 crore were also dispensed on time. The Health Ministry has also released over Rs 14,000 crore. The RBI in a very timely step has increased ways of advancing limits for states by 60%. The number of days a state can be in an overdraft situation in a quarter has been raised." I want to tell the Opposition party that on the issue of migrants we all must work together. We are working with all states on this issue. With folded hands, I ask Sonia Gandhi ji that we must speak and deal with our migrants more responsibly, said Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. On the question on when the country can we expect GST dues to be given to the states, the finance minister said, "We are periodically talking about it. GST dues are clearly explained in the GST Council. All states' GST dues are due which we recognise for December, January, February, March. It has not been paid." The fourth phase of lockdown, lockdown 4, will be completely redesigned, with new rules. Based on the suggestions we are getting from the states, information related to Lockdown 4 will also be given to you before 18 May, Modi had said during his address. India will enter into the fourth phase of lockdown from 18 May but with a different set of rules and guidelines as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to the nation on 11 May. The new guidelines for lockdown 4.0 will be based on the suggestions made by chief ministers of all the states to the home ministry last week and are expected to be announced on Sunday evening, reports NDTV. Of the new cases during the past 24 hours ending 9 AM on Sunday, five were linked to the Koyambedu market in Chennai, which has become a hotspot, according to a bulletin issued by the department. Of the total positive cases, 150 were from other states. Over 160 Indian citizens from Chicago in the US arrived in Hyderabad on Sunday on board an Air India flight, the ninth such service to reach the city since the beginning of the Vande Bharat Mission to repatriate people from the country stranded due to coronavirus lockdown. "The Congress is providing help to the starving migrant workers that's why I went to the Ghazipur border yesterday. People will not spare these governments that are detaining us for helping migrant workers," the Congress leader said. "Police came to my home from the New Ashok Nagar police station in the morning today. Police told me that I was being detained but no reason was given for doing so," he said. Kumar said police kept asking him if he had gone to the Ghazipur border on Saturday. The test report of a 55-year-old migrant worker, who fell ill upon return to Bihar from Mumbai and died before his sample was collected, came COVID-19 positive, taking the death toll in the state to eight, reports PTI.Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar, said the migrant workers, who was diabetic, had breathed his last early on 15 May after suffering 'cardiopulmonary arrest' at a hospital in Khagaria district, where he was admitted upon developing respiratory problems. "Soon after his death, his sample along with that of his wife was collected and both tested positive on Saturday. He goes into records as the eighth COVID 19 death in Bihar," Kumar said. The Union Health Ministry on Sunday listed parameters such as active COVID-19 cases, doubling and fatality rates and cases per lakh population, for the states and UTs to follow while categorising areas into red, orange or green zones. It also issued guidelines for delineation of coronavirus containment and buffer zones and outlined the actions that have to be implemented in those areas to break the chain of transmission. In a letter to the states and Union Territories, Health Secretary Preeti Sudan said states may categorise districts or municipal corporations into hotspots, red, orange and green zones. They, however, may also choose to categorise sub-division, ward or any other appropriate administrative unit into the colour-coded zones after detailed analysis at their end, duly taking into consideration the geographical spread of cases, contacts and their zone of influence in terms of disease spread, the ministry said. Gujarat will be divided into containment and non-containment zones, and economic activities will be allowed in non-containment zones in the state during the extended lockdown period as the per the Centre's guidelines, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said on Sunday. He said a meeting of all district officials will be held for notifying containment zones and the fourth phase of the lockdown will be implemented from Tuesday."All industrial and commercial activities will be allowed in non-containment zones, be it Ahmedabad city or Surat or Vadodara, as per directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs," Rupani said after chairing a high-level meeting with state ministers and officials. With extension of lockdown up to 31 May, new guidelines issued by MHA will be applicable based on risk profiling of districts into Red/Green&Orange zones with restrictions imposed, said an order issued by the Himachal Pradesh government. Curfew hours will be notified by District Magistrates from time to time, it further added. On May 1, Goa had been declared as green zone after all the seven COVID-19 patients previously found in the state recovered. However, the coastal state has witnessed a spurt in the number of cases over the last few days. The tally of COVID-19 patients in Goa reached 22 after nine such cases were reported on Sunday, PTI quotes a health department official as saying. Six of the total number of patients are passengers of the Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram Express train, who tested positive in the last 24 hours, the official said. "All the 22 patients have been admitted to a specially-designated COVID-19 hospital in Margao town," he said.. The Puri district administration on Sunday vacated the Kumbharpada police station after a person arrested in a snatching case tested positive for COVID-19, officials told PTI. The police station was sanitised and about 30 personnel, including the inspector in-charge, were lodged at a hotel as a precautionary measure, they said. The administration said COVID-19 test of all the personnel posted at the police station will be conducted. On Jhansi-Shivpuri border, police stopped trucks and other private vehicles ferrying migrants on Saturday night leading to protests. Senior officials reached the spot and at 2 AM it was decided that the people will be allowed to proceed further after undergoing screening for coronavirus symptoms, according to Divisional Commissioner, Jhansi divison, Subhash Chandra Sharma. Hundreds of migrants were stopped on Sunday by police in border districts of Uttar Pradesh from travelling to their native places by unauthorised vehicles and on foot during the ongoing coronavirus lockdown, leading to protests in some areas, reports PTI.Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had on Saturday directed district authorities not to allow migrants to travel by unsafe means and to ensure that they are transported in buses after 26 workers who were returning to their homes died in a truck-trailer collision in Auraiya. A Rajasthan cabinet minister on Sunday claimed that the state government had kept 500 private buses ready to ferry migrant workers to Uttar Pradesh but they were not allowed to enter by the Yogi Adityanath government. Vishvendra Singh, Minister for Tourism and Devasthan, Rajasthan said the buses were stopped at Bahej village on the Uttar Pradesh-Rajasthan border for almost the entire day. Later, the buses were asked to return to Rajasthan. We had been waiting for permission from the UP government to enter cross the border for nearly seven hours, Singh alleged. Around 1000 private buses to facilitate the movement of migrants have been arranged on the directives of Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as she was moved by their plight, Singh said. Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: Rajasthan on Sunday recorded the highest single day spike of 242 new cases and five more fatalities, officials said. The number of cases in the state stands at 5,202 and fatalities at 131. Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba during a video conference requested states to cooperate in running more Shramik Special trains to facilitate the movement of migrant workers. Gujarat will be divided into containment and non-containment zones, and economic activities will be allowed in non-containment zones in the state during the extended lockdown period as the per the Centre's guidelines, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said on Sunday. Gujarat on Sunday recorded 391 new COVID-19 cases and 34 deaths, taking the total case count to 11,380 and the number of fatalities to 659, a Health official said. According to the BMC's figures released on Sunday evening, 1,571 COVID-19 cases and 38 deaths were reported in Mumbai on Sunday. The total number of cases in the city is now at 19967, including 5012 recovered/discharged and 734 deaths. Maharashtra COVID-19 tally rises to 33,053 after 2,347 new cases recorded; toll climbs to 1,198 after death of 63 patients. The Ministry of Home Affairs has extended the nationwide lockdown till 31 May and issued fresh guidelines. According to the guidelines, all international and domestic flights will continue to be banned except for medical and emergency purposes. The Ministry of Home Affairs has extended nationwide lockdown till 31 May and allowed states, Union Territories to impose restrictions as deemed necessary by them. The NDMA in exercise of powers of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 directs Centre and State government to continue the lockdown measures up to 31 May to contain the spread of COVID-19. It has also asked the NEC to issue modified guidelines keeping in mind the resumption of economic activities. Karnataka has extended lockdown to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in the state to 19 May, according to reports. The existing lockdown guidelines shall remain applicable during this period. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that 14 more persons had tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Kerala, taking the number of active cases to 101. The test report of a 55-year-old migrant worker, who fell ill upon return to Bihar from Mumbai and died before his sample was collected, came COVID-19 positive, taking the death toll in the state to eight, reports PTI. Two migrant workers who returned to Chhattisgarh's Balod district from Mumbai tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday, taking the number of such cases in the state to 69. Lockdown in Tamil Nadu extended till 31 May with more relaxations, announces chief minister E Palaniswami. He also announced new relaxations such as resumption of public transportation in 25 districts after a hiatus of nearly two months. In the first case of COVID-19 in a Punjab prison, a woman inmate at Ludhiana jail tested positive. Meanwhile, the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus was extended in Punjab till 31 May. Delhi reported 19 coronavirus deaths on Sunday and 422 new infections, taking the total to 148 fatalities and 9,755 cases, the authorities said. The new guidelines for lockdown 4.0 will be based on the suggestions made by chief ministers of all the states to the home ministry last week and are expected to be announced on Sunday evening, reports NDTV. Maharashtra, with the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country, has decided to extend the lockdown till 31 May, reports PTI. The state has registered 30,706 cases and 1,135 deaths. After Punjab, Mizoram and Telangana, Maharashtra has become the latest state to extend restrictions. The finance minister slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his meeting with migrants in the National Capital on Saturday and asked 'why to politicise the issue'. 'She said, 'I want to tell the Opposition party that on the issue of migrants we all must work together.' Speaking of public enterprise policy, the finance minister said, 'All sectors will be opened to private sectors also. Public sectors will continue to play an important role in defined areas. ' In view of the unprecedented situation, the Centre has decided to accede to the request of states and increase the borrowing limits of states from 3% to 5% for 2020-21 only. 'This will give states extra resources of Rs 4.28 lakh crore,' she said. Now, Indian public companies can list their securities directly in foreign jurisdictions, announced Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. 'Private companies which list Non-Convertible Debentures on stock exchanges will not be regarded as listed companies, she said "Debts related to COVID-19 shall be excluded from defaults under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board," says Nirmala Sitharman. "No fresh insolvency proceeding will be initiated up to one year." Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says the first of seven steps is allocating an additional Rs 40,000 crore for the MGNREGA scheme. Sitharaman said it would address returning migrants' need for work. Nirmala Sitharam said that she would be announcing seven steps in the final tranche of the stimulus package. 'Today I have 7 such steps to tell you, the order is: MGNREGS, Health (rural and urban) and Education related, businesses and COVID-19, decriminalization of Companies Act, Ease of Doing Business, Public Sector Enterprises- related steps and state governments and related resources,' she said. Need to now build an Aatma Nirbhar Bharat', said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday, while addressing a press conference on the final tranche of the economic package, revisits Narendra Modi's speech on Tuesday. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to address a press conference at 11 am today to speak on the roadmap laid out to move towards an 'Aatmanirbhar' India. Sitharaman on Saturday said that the Central government will introduce competition, transparency and private sector participation in the coal sector and infrastructure development of Rs 50,000 crore. India reported the highest ever spike of 4,987 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, a woman, who travelled to Goa in Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani train on Saturday, has tested positive for coronavirus, taking the new infections in the state to 10. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address a press conference at 11 am today to talk on the roadmap laid out to move towards an 'Aatmanirbhar' India. Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases stood at 90,927 on Sunday. India crossed the 85,000 mark in number of COVID-19 cases on Saturday, becoming the 11th worst-affected country in the world. The Union Health Ministry reported a rise of 3,970 infections and 103 deaths due to the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours since Friday 8 am. The total number of cases has climbed to 85,940 while number of deaths due to COVID-19 has risen to 2,752, the ministry said. With 53,035 active cases, India is the eighth largest in terms of active cases after the US, Russia, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain and Peru. More than 30,000 patients have recovered so far, data showed. However, a PTI tally of figures announced by states and Union territories, as of 9.15 pm put the total number of confirmed cases in the country at 90,326, deaths at 2,790 and recoveries at over 33,500. Globally, more than 45.6 lakh people are reported to have been infected by the novel coronavirus while 3,06,221 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. COVID-19 cases from states In India, Maharashtra remained the worst affected state with its COVID-19 tally crossing the 30,000-mark on Saturday with 1,606 new cases and 67 more fatalities taking its death toll to 1,135. Gujarat, the second worst-affected state, crossed the 10,000-mark on Saturday with 1,057 new patients being found positive for coronavirus including 709 "super spreaders" in Ahmedabad. Gujarat now has 10,989 cases with 625 deaths, while Tamil Nadu's overall tally has risen to 10,585. The major worry, however, is a new phase of coronavirus infections in states like Kerala and Goa, which had become virtually free of new infections, have begun reporting new cases while the numbers have started rising rapidly in places like Odisha, Bihar and Assam too in the last few days. Click here to follow LIVE Updates on coronavirus Most of the new cases across states are being linked to the influx of people from other states or other countries in special trains, flights and buses. In Odisha, 65 people tested positive during the day, taking its total to 737, and officials said most of these cases are among people who had returned from other states. Ganjam in south Odisha now accounts for the highest number of cases in the state at 277 and most of these people have returned from Gujarat and other states. In Kerala, 11 people tested positive for COVID-19, including four from Thrissur district, three from Kozhikode and two each from Palakkad and Malappuram. All of them had come from outside the state -- seven from abroad and two each from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Nearly 57,000 people are under observation in the state at present, out of which about 3,000 came to the state through airports, nearly 800 from sea ports, over 1,000 through train and over 50,320 via road. In Tripura also, 11 people, including seven BSF jawans, tested positive on Saturday. Bihar recorded 46 new cases, including in Patna which now has 105 cases. The number of cases in Bihar has risen sharply since the beginning of the month, mainly because of migrants returning to their native places in large numbers by special trains in addition to other modes of transport. According to the state health department, 427 of returnees since 4 May have tested positive for COVID-9. Most of them had come from Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Five cities account for over 50% COVID-19 cases The high concentration of COVID-19 in urban clusters is another major cause of worry with five cities -- Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Pune -- as of Saturday accounting for over 50 percent of total infections with close to 46,000 cases. These five also account for over half of the nationwide death toll of close to nearly 2,800 so far. On Saturday, Delhi reported 438 new cases, taking its tally to 9,333, while its death toll rose to 129. Delhi is the third worst hit among the major urban centres after Mumbai and Ahmedabad, which reported 884 and 973 new cases, respectively. The COVID-19 case count in Ahmedabad has now risen to 8,144, while its toll has grown to 493. Mumbai's tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases has risen to 18,396, while its death toll due to the pandemic is now 696 with 41 new deaths. Chennai also saw its tally rising to 6,261. Among other major urban centres, Pune, Surat and Indore have also been reporting large numbers of cases. 35 migrants killed in road accidents At least 35 migrant workers were killed and many more were injured in road accidents during the day in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh while trying to return to their native places. Most of them had hitched rides in trucks while a couple was in an autorickshaw for a journey running into hundreds of kilometers. Lakhs of migrant workers in different parts of the country had begun walking back to their native places after being rendered jobless, and many of them homeless too, due to the nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 March. While special trains are being run now by the government and some states have also arranged for buses to take them back to their homes, not all places are said to be connected by these trains and large numbers of people remain on roads. FM announces fourth tranche of measures; Opposition slams it The government in the meantime unveiled a slew of structural reforms in eight sectors -- coal, minerals, defence production, civil aviation sector, power distribution companies in Union Territories, space sector and atomic energy sector -- in the fourth tranche of the Rs 20-lakh-crore economic stimulus package with an aim to boost growth and create jobs. Some of the measures, announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, included opening of space sector for private players, commercial mining of coal, raising FDI limit in defence sector through automatic route from 49 percent to 74 percent, privatisation of power discoms in the Union Territories, offering more airports on a PPP model as well as boosting private sector investment in social infrastructure projects through revamped viability gap funding scheme of Rs 8,100 crore. Modi said the measures announced by Sitharaman will create many business opportunities and contribute to the country's economic transformation. Leading industry body Assocham said these measures would give "new wings to India" and demonopolise core sectors. Left parties, however, accused the government of using the COVID-19 pandemic to "impose the agenda of the rich" and privatise public assets. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said cash assistance should be given to the poor and vulnerable sections who are in dire need of money due to the lockdown. The third phase of the nationwide lockdown is scheduled to end on Sunday and there are expectations that the fourth phase beginning Monday may give significant relaxations for various economic activities even as a complete exit is unlikely given the continuous rise in the number of COVID-19 cases. Several states have already said they want the lockdown restrictions to continue further. However, on Saturday Punjab become the first to extend it till 31 May but without curfew restrictions. Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala supported restarting of domestic flights as well as opening of schools and universities, as he stressed on resumption of normal life while dealing with COVID-19. His state reported 33 new cases, including 14 in Gurgaon on the outskirts of the national capital. With inputs from PTI Confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona topped 13,600 on Saturday, according to new state figures. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases across Arizona is 13,631, the Arizona Department of Health Services said Saturday in its daily tally. The total number includes people who have recovered. The state said 679 people in Arizona have died from COVID-19. There were 28 new deaths reported today. Across Pima County, 1,781 cases of coronavirus have now been confirmed, up 31 cases from the day before. Among the 1,781 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pima County: 529 people ages 65 and older; 244 people between 55 and 64 years old; 315 people between 45 and 54 years old; 622 people between 20 and 44 years old; 70 people 19 years old and younger. No age was available for one coronavirus patient in the county. There have been 157 known COVID-19 deaths in the Tucson-metro area, according to the state health department. There have been 194,504 coronavirus tests given across Arizona, with 6.2% of them showing positive for COVID-19, the state says. The 679 confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Arizona include: 542 people 65 years old and older; 77 people between 55 and 64 years old; 33 people between 45 and 54 years old; Public support for the Government's handling of the coronavirus outbreak has slipped sharply, according to a new opinion poll. The survey by Opinium found 39% backed the Government's response, down from 48% a week ago. Those saying they disapproved have risen from 36% last week to 42%. It follows a week in which Boris Johnson faced criticism over his announcement of the easing of the lockdown restrictions in England. The Prime Minister also came under pressure in the Commons from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer over the Government's efforts to tackle the spread of the disease in care homes. More than a third - 35% - said they approved of the response of Sir Keir and the Labour Party, as against 20% who disapproved. Public support for the Government's handling of the coronavirus outbreak has slipped sharply. It follows a week in which Boris Johnson faced criticism over his announcement of the easing of the lockdown restrictions in England. Pictured: a packed St James's Park today Adam Drummond, the head of political polling at Opinium, said it was the first time disapproval of the Government's handling of the crisis was higher than approval. 'In part this was likely inevitable as the relatively simple and almost unanimous decision to lockdown has given way to much more contestable decisions about how and when to open up,' he said. 'We have gone from a very simple and clearly understood message to a more nuanced situation with more confused messaging and a sense that the Government don't have as firm a grip on the situation as voters would like.' Opinium Research surveyed 2,005 UK adults aged 18 and over online between May 13 and 14. It comes as Gateshead's council leader has called the Government's easing of the lockdown rules 'frankly madness' as Liverpool says it will not be reopening schools on June 1. The unease at the changes to social-distancing rules among civic leaders in the north of England grew as Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the Government's easing 'did come a little too soon' for the North-West. The Prime Minister also came under pressure in the Commons from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer over the Government's efforts to tackle the spread of the disease in care homes Labour leader of Gateshead Council Martin Gannon said on Friday that his council's advice continued to be to 'stay at home'. He said there was evidence that the rate of infection, measured through the R value, was greater than one in his borough. And he said his views on the lockdown were echoed by his counterparts in Newcastle and Sunderland. Mr Gannon told the BBC News Channel: 'The national advice telling us the lockdown is over is frankly madness to Gateshead.' He said: 'I think it's clear that this pandemic has a very different impact on different populations and different communities. 'I'm sorry but it's just not working in terms of whether it's food supply, PPE, testing, tracking and tracing.' He added: 'We have the knowledge, we have the experience. We know our communities.' More than a third - 35% - said they approved of the response of Sir Keir and the Labour Party, as against 20% who disapproved Earlier, Mr Gannon said: 'Our message in Gateshead is for people to stay home,' adding: 'I think what the Government is doing nationally is reckless. It may be okay in some of the leafy suburbs, it may be alright in some of the rural villages, but it is not okay in Gateshead.' In Liverpool, only the children of key workers and vulnerable children will be allowed in school from June 1, the city council confirmed on Friday. Burnham warns of 'fracturing of national unity' if PM ignores the North Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has warned Boris Johnson he faces a 'fracturing of national unity' if he ignores concerns of the regions in the coronavirus outbreak. Mr Burnham said the Prime Minister had failed to inform civic leaders of his easing of the lockdown restrictions in advance - even though they were the ones who had to deal with demands on the transport system. While the announcement came as cases of the disease were falling in the South East, Mr Burnham said that he believed it had come too soon for the North. Writing in The Observer, he warned that without additional support for the regions, there was a danger of a 'second spike' in the disease which could in turn pass back through the Midlands to London. His intervention comes amid growing signs of unhappiness with Mr Johnson's handling of the crisis in other parts of the country. Advertisement Mayor Joe Anderson earlier this week said he was 'minded to resist' Prime Minister Boris Johnson's suggested June 1 partial reopening date, because of safeguarding concerns. The city and wider region has seen some of the UK's highest infection rates for coronavirus, well above the England average. Instead, the Labour-run local authority said schools reopening will be staggered, with all pupils only allowed in when headteachers, governing bodies, council officials and unions are satisfied it is safe to do so. Steve Reddy, director of Children and Young People's Services at Liverpool City Council, said on Friday he is writing to all parents to tell them not to expect schools to reopen for everyone on June 1. In the letter, Mr Reddy said: 'Our guiding principle is that schools can only reopen to other pupils when it is safe to do so and not a moment before. 'Only once we can be sure that schools are safe for both children and staff will they be able to open to more children. The safety of your child, and of our staff, is our top priority. 'Some parents have asked me when schools may fully reopen. This will vary from school to school. Each headteacher has to rigorously assess the risks of fully reopening for their particular school.' He added: 'We will not be pressuring anyone to send their child to school since you know your children and personal situation best. Once you have all the information, you will be able to make an informed decision. Labour mayor Mr Burnham told talkRadio on Friday: 'I personally think, we did rush change on Sunday night because it did come a little too soon for certainly the north west of England.' Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has warned Boris Johnson he faces a 'fracturing of national unity' if he ignores concerns of the regions in the coronavirus outbreak He said: 'We haven't yet been given the funding to run transport service properly so people have been encouraged to return to work but we aren't able to put on the extra trams and buses to carry them safely to work, and that's just a very practical example of how this thing has been rushed.' NASUWT general secretary Dr Patrick Roach responded to Mr Gannon's advice, saying: 'This advice reflects the fact the Government has provided no evidence that opening schools next month will be safe for children or teachers. 'The Government must now publish the scientific evidence it is relying on to claim that it will be safe for children to return to school. 'The NASUWT is clear that there is no requirement or obligation currently on any school to reopen to more pupils from June 1.' Amazon said Friday it will "make the appropriate executive available" to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on the company's competitive practices, but stopped short of making its CEO Jeff Bezos available like committee members requested. Earlier this month, the committee compelled Bezos to testify after Democratic leaders said they suspected Amazon of lying to Congress. Top Democrats on the commitee said they suspected Amazon of lying to Congress over its private label strategy, after a recent Wall Street Journal report on the company's use of third-party seller data appeared to contradict an Amazon executive's previous testimony on its treatment of sellers. The committee also threatened to subpoena Bezos if he didn't comply. In a response to the committee on Friday, Amazon's vice president of public policy, Brian Huseman, said the company appreciates the opportunity to "address the issues" raised in the committee's letter. But Amazon's response doesn't state it will make Bezos available for testimony. "We disagree strongly with any suggestion that we have attempted to mislead the Committee or not been cooperative with the investigation," Huseman said. "While our teams remain heads down around the clock focused on protecting the health and safety of our employees while continuing to serve customers during the global pandemic, we remain prepared to make the appropriate Amazon executive available to the Committee to address these important issues." When asked whether Amazon will send Bezos to testify, an Amazon spokesperson referred back to Huseman's letter. Bezos is the only CEO of the big four tech firms Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook who has never before testified in front of Congress. The company has faced scrutiny over the past year as lawmakers and regulators assess issues of privacy and dominance among tech companies. The House Antitrust Subcommittee is currently probing Amazon and three of its peers on antitrust grounds. Amazon also faces a probe by the Federal Trade Commission, according to Bloomberg. The Journal investigation found Amazon employees used nonaggregated or easily identifiable data from third-party sellers to figure out which products to make on its own. The report was based on interviews with more than 20 former Amazon employees and documents reviewed by the Journal. The report appeared to contradict testimony by Amazon's associate general counsel Nate Sutton at a July hearing, during which he denied that individual seller data is used to manipulate search algorithms to favor Amazon's own products, or in any other way to directly compete with merchants. Amazon said it has been "working with the committee in good faith" for almost a year to provide information on its seller practices, as well as to answer the committee's questions about the report from the Journal. The company has also initiated its own investigation into the findings from the Journal and said it will share the results of its probe with the committee. House Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David Cicilline, D-R.I., who was one of the signatories of the letter sent to Amazon, reiterated the committee's position that they'd subpoena Bezos to appear if he chose not to. "No one is above the law, no matter how rich or powerful," Cicilline said in a statement. "We have asked Mr. Bezos to testify before the U.S. Congress about Amazon's troubling business practices and false statements, and we expect him to do so. Whether he does so voluntarily or by subpoena is his choice." -- CNBC's Lauren Feiner contributed to this report. On the fateful day in March that the COVID-19 virus officially became an international pandemic, Canadas immigration minister, Marco Mendicino, was paying tribute to employers who hire newcomers to this country. The ceremony was held at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on March 11 and, as the proceedings were getting under way, the host read aloud a bracing bulletin from German chancellor Angela Merkel. The virus, Merkel had just declared, could infect up to 70 per cent of Germans. Mendicino was stopped in his tracks. A little over a week before, he had been sitting beside Merkel at an immigration-themed event in Berlin, where he had been invited to share stories of how Canada handled the integration of newcomers. That event had been a big deal for a rookie minister, only sworn into cabinet a few months earlier. But this news from Merkel in Germany was suddenly a much bigger deal. That was the moment. That was enough to give me and everybody else in the room pause, Mendicino said. It was the moment that the world changed for me. What made this moment even more surreal is that it came only one day before Mendicino was due to make the annual announcement on how many immigrants would be welcomed to Canada in the years ahead 341,00 for the coming year; 361,000 by 2022. Even as Mendicino was gamely rolling out this plan on the Thursday of that week, however, the world was closing its doors. Donald Trump had shut down entry of all travellers from Europe the night before. Canadas own prime minister, Justin Trudeau, went into isolation that day, after his wife tested positive for the coronavirus. Mendicino was asked at his March 12 news conference about how he could possibly be talking about welcoming more immigrants to Canada while borders were slamming shut all over the planet. We are at a moment where we are responding to COVID-19, but we also are planning for the future, he said. The future of this country depends on immigration. We need to continue to grow because we have an aging population, an aging workforce. Making the case for immigration in an increasingly insular, inward-looking world was already a hard sell. Mendicino says that he and Trudeau talked about this candidly when he was asked to take on the job after the last election. Canada is a lot more polarized over immigration today than it was in the heady days for Trudeau after the 2015 election, when one of the first big gestures of the new Liberal government was to welcome floods of Syrian refugees to Canada. Since then, Trump has become president; Britain has voted to leave the European Union; and repeated polls in this country show that sentiments about immigration are hardening. In the midst of this, COVID-19 has very conveniently handed a big win to all those political forces looking for larger walls between nations and stricter limits on who gets into their countries. Add to that the record unemployment the pandemic is causing and, one assumes, accompanying resentment at anyone coming to this country to do jobs Canadians could do. It didnt help fans of immigration either that in the early days of the crisis almost all the cases of COVID-19 had come to this country from abroad. Xenophobia, meet germophobia. Where has that put Canadas immigration minister in this crisis? I joked to Mendicino before interviewing him this week about whether he is now the Maytag repairman of cabinet, on lonely call, but presiding over a system that has effectively been shut down until further notice. Mendicino emphatically disagrees with the premise of that joke. For the past two months, hes set up his office in the basement of his home in Toronto and he hasnt been short of things to do. While he remains vague on whats happened to that 341,000 immigrants target well have more to say in the fall Mendicino would say that people are still arriving here. According to rough counts from Mendicinos department, about 3,000 permanent residents arrived in Canada in April a massive decline from the usual 25,000 or so who arrive as permanent residents each month during normal times. In the first three months of this year, Canada took in nearly 70,000 permanent residents, but the numbers started to tail markedly downward in the last half of March, once the pandemic hit. In addition, the immigration department was busy in April welcoming a little more than 20,000 temporary foreign workers into the country. Canada still needs immigrants, maybe more now than ever before, Mendicino says, as the pandemic exposes just how dependent this country is on those who come here from abroad to work in essential businesses. The notion that somehow immigration has stopped doesnt square with the reality that we are continuing to welcome temporary workers, international students and continuing to land those who wish to come to Canada, and lend their experience, their hard work to our country, Mendicino says. It should be said that for all the help that COVID-19 has given to arguments for closed borders, the pandemic has also forced Canadians to look at how much the economy depends on welcoming workers from elsewhere. The havoc that the pandemic has been wreaking in long-term-care homes, for instance, has shone a light on how that whole sector is highly dependent on immigrants. Hospitals are similarly reliant. According to StatsCan, one in every four health-care workers in this country is a newcomer to Canada. More than a third of family physicians are immigrants; roughly the same proportions are seen in the fields of nursing, nursing aides and other related occupations. Then there are the temporary workers in agriculture, urgently needed this spring when planting season was under way across Canada. Universities are already worrying about what will happen if they lose international students, whose high tuition costs account for about half of universities tuition revenue by some estimates. Mendicino believes that all these facts are going to help make the case for immigration, once its safe to open the borders again. Immigration has been a lifeline during the pandemic by safeguarding our food supply, recruiting additional support for our essential services on the front lines of our hospitals, he says. But heres the blunt question: how do you get Canadians feeling good about opening up borders when theyre still extremely cautious about whats going in and out of their own front doors? Two months of isolationism is going to be a hard habit to break, especially when it comes to envisioning thousands once again at Canadas gates. Weve adapted our immigration processes so that everyone is screened at the border, not only immigrants but returning Canadians too, Mendicino says. This still relatively new immigration minister refuses to be drawn into any questions about whether his job is tougher now or how hes going to modify his arguments in favour of immigration in a world that has been locked down for two months. I have faith that Canadians believe in immigration, he says. Thats because they relate to it. Its part of who we are. At its core, immigration is about people coming together to build a stronger country, which is what weve seen throughout our history, throughout this pandemic and, Im confident, what we will see in the future. As with everything around this pandemic, though, no one knows whether this experience will make Canada more closed, or more aware of how much this country is connected to the world. Attitudes to immigration and Mendicino will be at the centre of that debate. Susan Delacourt is an Ottawa-based columnist covering national politics for the Star. Reach her via email: sdelacourt@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @susandelacourt Read more about: C elebrities took to Facebook live to share advice and congratulate graduates whose achievement ceremonies were overshadowed by the Covid-19 pandemic. A-list stars, including Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and Matthew McConaughey praised the class of 2020 in an inspiring online event. The virtual graduation party was broadcast as thousands of high school and university students in the US marked the completion of their courses at home. Oprah Winfrey was the final speaker, delivering a stirring speech telling students they were the perfect generation to meet the challenge posed by the crisis. Oprah gave the class of 2020 a motivational talk / Facebook I know you may not feel like it, but you are indeed the chosen class for such a time as this, she said. Of course, this is not the graduation ceremony you envisioned. Youve been dreaming about that walk across the stage, your family and friends cheering you on, the caps flung joyously in the air. But even though there may not be pomp because of our circumstances, never has a graduating class been called to step into the future with more purpose, vision, passion and energy and hope. In her message, pop star Gomez shared what advice she would give her younger self. She said: When people ask me what I would tell my younger self, I always said, Go ahead and do it. You all have worked incredibly hard to get to this point and I know its not exactly how you imagined your graduation to look like. I want to say its okay not to know what to do with the rest of your life. Its a journey to find your direction or your passions, so dont get frustrated by the mistakes and setbacks as they happen to all of us. Cyrus gave a moving performance of her song The Climb and said: It feels full of a new meaning. Keep the faith, keep on moving, keep climbing, heres The Climb. Rapper Cardi B delivered a typically colourful address, urging students not to allow the pandemic to ruin their graduation. Cardi B also gave a motivational message / PA She added: Now youre about to start your life, youre about to make some money! During a separate event, Hollywood comedian Will Ferrell appeared during a virtual ceremony for his former school, the University of Southern California. Donning a cap and gown, Ferrell referenced the famous moment from Winfreys talk show when she gave each member of the audience a free car. Every graduate is getting a new car, Ferrell joked. Every graduate is getting round trip tickets for him and her and their family to the Bahamas or Tahiti, whenever its OK to travel again. The US government yesterday moved to block global chip supplies to blacklisted telecoms equipment giant Huawei Technologies, spurring fears of Chinese retaliation and hammering the shares of US producers of chip-making equipment. The Trump administration's new rule, unveiled by the Commerce Department, expands US authority to require licenses for sales to Huawei of semiconductors made abroad with US technology. The move vastly expands its reach to halt exports to the world's No. 2 smartphone maker. The White House has previously described Huawei as a security risk and demanded its exclusion from 5G infrastructure projects. The reaction from China was swift, with a report yesterday by China's 'Global Times' saying Beijing was ready to put US companies on an "unreliable entity list," as part of countermeasures. Reuters A number of locations in Wicklow's five Municipal Districts have been designated for people aged 70 and over to exercise outdoors. The special designation is also open to people who are medically vulnerable and will operate between the hours of 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. for the next couple of months. Since Covid-19 restrictions were introduced on March 27, older and vulnerable people have been requested to cocoon themselves as a protective measure. However, those restrictions were eased from Tuesday, May 5 to allow over 70s go outside. Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Cllr Irene Winters, said: 'We are very conscious of the challenges COVID-19 has presented for us all, individuals, families and communities and the impact it has had on our daily lives. Normal life as we knew it has temporarily ceased to exist and the impact on the more vulnerable in our society has been even greater. We are reaching out to the goodwill of all citizens to embrace this request and to leave this two hour period as a quiet, dedicated space for those who have been cocooning.' The designated areas include the promenade from the pier to the playground in Wicklow town, Burnaby Park in Greystones, Tinahely Railway Walk, Baltinglass Park, Shillelagh Park, the Riverwalk in Arklow, Bray Promenade (not restricting access to the beach) and the People's Park in Bray. Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council, Mr Frank Curran, stated: 'The continued protection of elderly people and those with underlying health conditions is hugely important to us all as we move through the various phases of the Government's five stage plan to ease the COVID-19 restrictions and reopen Ireland's economy and society. It is hoped that by the Council introducing these small measures that it will assist to reduce the spread of the virus in the community particularly for the most vulnerable as they go outside for exercise and fresh air.' Wicklow County Council urges members of the public to strictly adhere to the two metres physical distancing measures and to avoid other people as much as possible when out exercising. The United States President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that US is working with India to develope a vaccine for coronavirus COVID-19 and said that he is hopeful a vaccine would be available by the end of the year. "Yes. We are working very closely also with India... We have a tremendous Indian population in the US and many of the people that you are talking about are working on the vaccine too. Great scientists and researchers," he told reporters at White House. He announced the appointment of a former head of vaccines at GlaxoSmithKline who will be spearheading the effort as researchers around the world scramble to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus that has killed more than 300,000 people globally. Trump called the Indian-Americans scientists and researchers, who are contributing in the development of coronavirus vaccine as 'great'. Later on microblogging site Twitter, he described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "very good friend" and announced that US will donate ventilators to India. "I am proud to announce that the United States will donate ventilators to our friends in India," he wrote. "We stand with India and Prime Minister Modi during this pandemic," he said. Though there is no immediate confirmation as to the number of ventilators that will be donated to India. While on Friday, India's number of COVID-19 infections crossed 85,000 surpassing China who has reported 82,933 cases. Occidental Petroleum's (NYSE:OXY) ambitious plan to pay off the debt it took on to acquire Anadarko Petroleum has encountered many obstacles. Not only has it been unable to close some asset sales, but plummeting crude oil prices took asset values with them, which will make it impossible to achieve the company's target. Because of that, the oil company has had to shift gears as it works to address its massive debt load. The company's management team discussed its options on its first-quarter conference call. Here's a look at what it might do to stay afloat during these very challenging times. The best-laid plans often go awry Occidental Petroleum initially anticipated that it could net $15 billion from selling assets following the acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum. It signed deals to sell $10.2 billion of assets by the end of last year, including Anadarko's African assets, which it planned to flip to French oil giant Total for $8.8 billion. It closed several of those transactions last year, -- including the sale of Anadarko's Mozambique business to Total for $3.9 billion -- which, when combined with its free cash flow, enabled Occidental to pay off $7 billion of debt by the end of the year. Unfortunately, the company hasn't been as successful this year. CEO Vicki Hollub provided an update on its progress during the first-quarter call. She stated that: Turning to divestitures, we did not disclose any additional material transactions in the first quarter as travel restrictions and the fall in commodity prices have severely disrupted the market for asset sales. While we remain committed to closing divestitures over time, we will not sacrifice value to close transactions quickly. Given the market condition, we are no longer confident in raising sufficient funds from just divestitures to address all of our near-term debt maturities but have numerous options available. Its asset sales plan hit a major snag during the quarter. Not only did prices collapse, taking asset values with them, but the company has run into issues closing its remaining African assets. Because of that, it abandoned its plan to sell its assets in Algeria and might not be able to sell its business in Ghana. As a result, Occidental has a looming problem in the form of a significant amount of debt coming due over the next couple of years. On a positive note, it doesn't technically have any debt maturing this year, though holders of its 2036 zero-coupon notes could force the company to redeem them in October, which could cost as much as $992 million. Things get worse next year as it has $6.4 billion of notes maturing. It also has $4.7 billion of debt coming due in 2022. With only $1 billion of cash on its balance sheet, Occidental needs to work fast to address those upcoming debt maturities. Laying out a potential plan B Occidental Petroleum's new CFO Rob Peterson discussed the options at its disposal for addressing this debt on the call. He stated that: Looking toward our 2021 and 2022 debt maturities, we are taking significant steps to preserve liquidity, including the board's announced intent to reduce our common stock dividend and the payment of the deferred dividend in common shares and a little cash in the second quarter. We are intent on raising as much cash as possible from divestitures and expect to raise over $2 billion in the near-term. It may take us longer to close divestitures in excess of this near-term estimate as we are not prepared to sacrifice in today's challenging environmental conditions. By paying the dividend on the preferred shares owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway in stock instead of cash, Occidental will save about $200 million per quarter. Add that to the potential of raising $2 billion from asset sales, and Occidental is still well short of what it needs to retire next year's debt maturities. The company aims to bridge that gap by "actively reviewing and evaluating our capital structure and options available to match our near-term debt maturities," according to Peterson. Among the options it's reviewing are "debt exchanges and extension maturities, the refinancing of debt and accessing capital markets." Despite its junk credit rating, Peterson said that the debt markets are "absolutely" open to Occidental to refinance its upcoming maturities. However, that window to refinance could close at any moment, especially if market conditions deteriorate. Meanwhile, the cost will likely be quite high. Companies in troubled industries like auto manufacturing, cinema, and cruise lines, for example, have been able to tap into the capital markets in recent weeks to raise cash but paid an exorbitant price for that funding. Given Occidental's situation, it likely would also pay a high price to refinance its debt. The weight isn't dropping fast enough Occidental's brash move to acquire Anadarko saddled it with an enormous pile of debt. While the company thought it could quickly sell assets to bolster its balance sheet, cratering crude prices upended that plan. Because of that, it's quickly pivoting to "plan B" to stay afloat while it waits for oil prices and asset values to recover. It must rapidly execute this strategy since it doesn't have much time before it hits a maturity wall. Any further delays or market deterioration and Occidental might find itself with bankruptcy as its only remaining option. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 16:36:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The following are the highlights of China's science news from the past week: BEIDOU NAVIGATION SATELLITE China plans to complete its BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) with the launch of its last satellite in June, according to a BDS official. The final satellite is a geostationary earth orbit satellite of the BDS-3 system, the third iteration of BDS that has already provided positioning and navigation services to global users, said Ran Chengqi, director of the China Satellite Navigation Office, in an interview with state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday. "The BDS-3 system plans to have 30 satellites, with 29 now in orbit. It will be fully completed in June with the launch of the last satellite," Ran said. "Both the satellite and carrier rocket have been sent to the launch site, and preparations for the upcoming launch are underway." ANCIENT DNA Chinese researchers reported on Friday that an analysis of sequenced ancient genomes revealed a major episode of admixture of ancient humans in East Asia, suggesting that population movement played a profound role in the early genetic history of East Asians. Researchers from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences reported in the latest issue of the journal Science online that they retrieved ancient DNA from 25 ancient human remains dating back 9,500 to 4,200 years and one dating back 300 years from sites across China. COVID-19 PREDICTION MODEL Chinese researchers have developed a prediction model to help identify COVID-19 patients' risk of developing critical illnesses, according to the Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health. Researchers developed the model based on clinical data of 1,590 COVID-19 patients. They screened 72 clinical factors and identified 10 key risk factors that could be combined to help predict the development of critical illnesses, including chest radiography abnormality, age, hemoptysis, dyspnea, unconsciousness, and number of comorbidities. They validated the prediction model on 710 patients and results showed that the accuracy rate reached more than 88 percent. Enditem An oil company is an entity engaged in at least one of the following three activities: The oil industry is rapidly changing in the current economic climate. Find the latest information in the newsfeed at the end of this article. Additionally, investors must consider the implications of climate change for the long-term prospects of oil and gas. The energy sector is changing a lot, and renewable energy companies are taking more market share. Even so, that doesn't mean there are few opportunities in the oil patch. Here's a closer look at some of the top oil stocks and factors to consider before buying oil stocks. However, the oil industry is highly competitive and volatile, and profits and losses can swing wildly based on small shifts in demand or moves by petrostates such as Saudi Arabia and Russia whose interests can run counter to the public companies in the industry. Oil companies are crucial to the global economy, providing fuels for transportation and power, as well as the core ingredients of petrochemicals used to make products, including plastics, rubber, and fertilizers, that we rely on every day. Read on to learn more about each of these. With the oil industrys headwinds in mind, three top oil companies worthy of investors' consideration include ConocoPhillips ( NYSE:COP ), a global exploration and production company; Exxon Mobil ( NYSE:XOM ), a large-scale, integrated supermajor; and Phillips 66 ( NYSE:PSX ), a leading refining company with midstream, chemical, and distribution operations. ConocoPhillips For investors looking to capitalize on rising oil prices and steady demand, ConocoPhillips is worth considering. One of the largest E&P-focused companies in the world, it specializes in finding and producing oil and natural gas and has operations in more than a dozen countries. ConocoPhillips benefits from scale and access to some of the lowest-cost oil on earth, which includes significant exposure to the Permian Basin via its 2020 acquisition of Concho Resources (NYSE:CXO). With average costs of about $40 per barrel and many of its resources even cheaper, it can make money in almost any oil market environment. The company plans to return its entire market cap in dividends and share repurchases over the next decade as long as Brent Crude prices average only $50 per barrel. Finally, the company complements its low-cost portfolio with a top-tier balance sheet. ConocoPhillips routinely boasts one of the highest credit ratings among E&P companies, backed by a low leverage ratio for the sector and lots of cash. Add it all up, and ConocoPhillips has consistently been able to generate positive cash flows while paying out a dividend it's raised six times since 2015. ExxonMobil Corp. One of the largest oil companies on the planet, ExxonMobil is a fully-integrated supermajor. It operates in every segment of the oil and gas industry, including E&P, midstream, petrochemical manufacturing, refining, and, even farther downstream, marketing refined and petroleum products to customers. The past decade hasn't been great for the company. Profits have steadily declined during that time, it was removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average after more than a century in the index, and the climate-focused hedge fund Engine No. 1 successfully captured three seats on its board in May 2021. But more recent efforts to reduce its business costs and boost efficiency are beginning to pay off. It has lowered its oil production costs significantly over the past couple of years by focusing on its highest-return assets while also taking steps to better leverage its massive scale. As a result of those improvements and a recovery in oil prices and global demand, its cash flows are surging. That should continue to protect ExxonMobil's dividend and its status as a Dividend Aristocrat. With the concerns about the growth of renewables, and many investors choosing to avoid oil stocks entirely, ExxonMobil's stock price could remain undervalued for an extended period of time, offering one of the better dividend yield opportunities on the market. Phillips 66 Phillips 66 is one of the leading oil refining companies, with operations in the U.S. and Europe. It also has investments in midstream operations -- including sizable stakes in two master limited partnerships, Phillips 66 Partners and DCP Midstream (NYSE:DCP) -- and in petrochemicals via its CPChem joint venture with Chevron (NYSE:CVX). Finally, its marketing and specialties business distributes refined products and manufactures specialty products such as lubricants. Thanks to its large-scale, vertically integrated operations, Phillips 66 is among the lowest-cost refiners in its industry. This is the result of both leveraging its integrated midstream network to source lowest-cost crude for refining and petrochemical feedstocks and investing in projects that give it higher margins on the products it makes. Phillips 66 also boasts a strong financial profile, which includes an investment-grade balance sheet with very manageable debt, plus it has lots of cash on hand. These factors mean it has ample capital to invest in expansion projects -- including a surprising focus on renewable fuels. It's also been a dividend growth superstar and a share buyback dynamo over the past decade. Investors looking to profit from oil stocks and gain exposure to renewables should give Phillips 66 a close look. MONTREAL In normal circumstances, the crowning this week of Dominique Anglade as the first ever female leader of Quebecs Liberal party would have ranked as a top political development. Anglade, a former deputy premier of Haitian origin, made history on two fronts. It is the first time in Canada that a major provincial party is led by a woman from a visible minority community. But in the midst of a pandemic, her swift elevation to the leadership made possible by the mid-week defection of her only opponent received little more than a cursory acknowledgment. If the Quebec Liberal party gets a bump in the polls over the next few weeks, it will be due to growing unease over Premier Francois Legaults failure to put a lid on the spread of COVID-19 in Montreal rather than as a result of Anglades coronation. The Quebec Liberal party is hardly the only party to see its leadership developments sucked into the pandemic black hole. If anything, the short shrift afforded to the changing of the official opposition guard in the National Assembly compares enviably to the abysmal indifference that attends the ongoing federal Conservative leadership campaign in Quebec. Friday was the cut-off day to sign up Conservative members who will cast a ballot in August. No one expects the Quebec membership ranks to have swelled as a result of the exercise. With no Quebec horse in the race, even diehard Conservatives are having a hard time becoming engaged in the battle to select a successor for Andrew Scheer. As a result, Quebec is very much still up for grabs by either Erin OToole or Peter Mackay. Over the week leading up to the membership sign-up deadline, each picked up some significant Quebec endorsements. But neither emerged as the prohibitive favourite. MacKay boasts the support of half-a-dozen Quebec MPs along with that of former cabinet colleagues such as Lawrence Cannon and Jean-Pierre Blackburn. But two of the caucus heavy hitters are unaligned. Quebec lieutenant Alain Rayes is set to remain neutral. And Gerard Deltell who was initially considered the Quebec MP most likely to run to succeed Andrew Scheer backed OToole in the last leadership contest but has so far remained on the sidelines. Over on the other side, Christian Paradis, Stephen Harpers next-to-last Quebec lieutenant, along with strategist Carl Vallee, joined OTooles camp, as did former Senate speaker Leo Housakos. MacKay is said to have the support of Brian Mulroney and the former prime minister does still have a significant network of contacts in Tory circles. But whether that support can mitigate MacKays shortcomings on the language front is an open question. In their pitch to Quebec members, OTooles leading supporters, including Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, have been playing up the argument that he is more fluent in French. There is good and bad news for the Conservative Party of Canada in the tepidness of Quebecs modest conservative cohort toward the leadership choices on offer. On the plus side, most Quebec Conservative members can probably live with either MacKay or OToole as leader. This campaign is not in the process of splitting the partys Quebec wing wide open. On the minus side, that reflects the widespread conviction in Quebec political circles that neither OToole nor MacKay is liable to work miracles for the party in the province. It is not that Quebec is free of anti-Trudeau sentiment but rather that the bulk of it is increasingly spoken for by the Bloc Quebecois. In the most recent batch of polls, the Bloc outscored the Conservatives in voting intentions by a margin of two to one. In a leadership selection system that gives each riding the same weight regardless of the size of its membership, Quebec with fewer Conservative boots on the ground than any of the three other larger provinces could have a supersized impact on the outcome of the Conservative leadership vote. There has been speculation that the social conservative wing of the CPC could emerge as the kingmaker in August. The other two leadership candidates Derek Sloan and Leslyn Lewis hail from the religious right as do most of their supporters. On a ranked ballot, to be the second choice of as many of them as possible could make the difference between victory and defeat. But Quebec is a bigger prize. And the irony is that if either OToole or MacKay courts the religious right, the more he stands to hurt his prospects in a province whose voters have little or no time for rearguard battles on abortion rights and same-sex marriage. Chantal Hebert is an Ottawa-based freelance contributing columnist covering politics for the Star. Reach her via email: chantalh28@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter: @ChantalHbert Read more about: The Guardian The Steelers quarterback is headed to the Hall of Fame. But he was unloved outside Pittsburgh for understandable reasons Ben Roethlisberger almost certainly played his final game in the NFL on Sunday. Photograph: Ed Zurga/AP Ben Roethlisberger is lucky that football legacies are not decided by finales. If Sunday night was indeed Big Bens last ever NFL game, as he has strongly hinted, it wasnt exactly a mic drop. In the 42-21 beatdown by the Chiefs, Roethlisberger struggled with rollouts, and l Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed the media on Saturday afternoon in the fourth phase of announcement on governments Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package. Sitharaman said that the fourth day of the announcements on the stimulus package will focus primarily on structural reforms. The finance minister opened her address by hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a great reformer who has had a strong track record of taking up deep, systemic reforms, she said. Sitharaman recalled some of the notable reforms led by PM Modi in the last two terms. Also read: Govt to spend Rs 50,000 crore to develop coal sector, says Nirmala Sitharaman The direct benefit transfer (DBT) has become very useful for us to be able to directly give money in the hands of people. GST, which was pending for a very long time. All states were taken on-board. GST brought in one nation-one market, Sitharaman noted. The finance minister also said that several steps have been taken under PM Modis leadership for the ease of doing business, so that India becomes an attractive destination for investment, she said. Sitharaman said that over the days, along with her team, she has been announcing the various steps that the government wants to take to give stimulus to the economy and help various sectors. We have made several announcements and introduced many measures. We also made sure people dont have to struggle to file taxes and have given boost to the MSMEs, the finance minister said. Sitharaman said that todays announcements will focus on structural reforms in 8 sectors - coal, minerals defence production, airspace management, MROs power distribution companies, space sectors, atomic energy. An Israeli firm has introduced the Firefly new loitering munition UAV, which is portable enough for infantry to carry and continually reuse. There is also a useful option to replace one of the two batteries with explosive warheads and turn Firefly into a guided weapon. Another major advantage of Firefly is that it operates like a helicopter, not a fixed-wing aircraft. Being able to hover is a major advantage for loitering munitions used by infantry. What Firefly seems to have done is address all (or most) of the user criticisms of earlier lightweight loitering munition systems. Firefly was developed by Rafael, the same firm that developed and builds the Spike family of ATGMs (anti-tank guided missiles). Much of the tech in Firefly was based on what is already used in Spike systems. In particular, Firefly has a guidance system that can track and attack a moving target. This can be critical for infantry using such a weapon, because these targets are elusive in the first place and without a UAV the infantry would not have spotted dangers like snipers or moving troops at all. Firefly is a dual rotor miniature helicopter and those dual (on top of each other) rotors make it stable in winds that would make a similar-sized fixed-wing or quad-copter UAV unusable. The .4 kg (one pound) warhead can be replaced by a second battery to provide 30 minutes of flight time. When using the warhead Firefly can stay in the air for 15 minutes. The operator uses a small tablet device that is mostly a touch screen and Firefly controller. Firefly can be controlled up to 500 meters in a built-up (or forested) area or up to 1,500 meters in line-of-sight (nothing between Firefly and operator) mode. Firefly returns to the operator if the control signal is lost. The operator can press an icon on the screen to get Firefly to return immediately, abort an attack or carry out a high speed (19 meters/62 feet a second) attack on a target. The target can be moving, as in a sniper changing firing positions out of sight of the operator. This is accomplished using the ability of the Firefly guidance system to remember the shape of a target and follow it. The Firefly warhead would be most often used against troublesome targets like snipers or hidden machine-guns. Even without the warhead Firefly would be able to locate such lethal adversaries and enable the infantry to avoid them. Firefly can also be launched and operated from a moving vehicle. Firefly is not the first development in this area. In 2015 another Israeli firm introduced a similar but less capable Hero 30 system weighing 3 kg (6.6 pounds) for the infantry to carry and use. The Hero 30 has 30 minutes endurance and has a small warhead that can use used to turn it into a weapon if the onboard vidcam indentifies a target that has to be taken care of immediately. Otherwise, it can be landed and reused. Hero 30 was based on the older Hero 400 which weighs 40 kg and has an 8 kg (18 pound) warhead. Hero 400 has a four hour endurance and can operate up to 150 kilometers from the operator. But Israel noticed that the United States was having a lot of success (and demand from special operations and infantry units) for the similar (to Hero 30) Switchblade. Switchblade was developed in the United States and, as soon as ground troops heard about it, the result was a lot of Internet chatter about why the troops didnt have Switchblade. Thus motivated the U.S. Army to send some Switchblade systems to Afghanistan in 2009, for secret field testing. This was very successful and the troops demanded more, and more, and more. Initially, Switchblade was mainly used largely by special operations troops. In 2011, after a year of successful field testing, the army ordered over a hundred Switchblade UAVs for troop use and last year ordered more as regular infantry units got their hands on it and demanded more. By 2012 the U.S. Army and Marine Corps had ordered hundreds of Switchblades because the combat zone testing proved so successful. Switchblade was developed for the army but the marines apparently noted the success that soldiers and SOCOM (Special Operations Command) had with this system and ordered them as well. Switchblade was very popular with troops in Afghanistan and with SOCOM in all sorts of places they wont discuss in detail. Switchblade is still used and thousands have been ordered and many of them used. There have been several upgrades Switchblade is a one kilogram (2.2 pound) expendable (used only once) UAV that can be equipped with explosives. The Switchblade is launched from its shipping and storage tube, at which point wings flip out, a battery-powered propeller starts spinning and a vidcam begins broadcasting images to the controller. The Switchblade is operated using the same gear the larger (two kg/4.4 pound) Raven UAV employs. A complete Switchblade system (missile, container, and controller) weighs 5.5 kg (12.1 pounds). In 2015 the marines successfully tested using Switchblade from an MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. This showed that Switchblade could be used from helicopters and other slow-moving aircraft wanting to know whats on the other side of the hill while avoiding getting shot at by any bad guys who are there. Switchblade can also be launched from the existing 70mm rocket tubes used on army helicopters. Moving at up to a kilometer a minute, the Switchblade can stay in the air for 20-40 minutes (depending on whether or not it is armed with explosives). Switchblade can operate up to ten kilometers from the operator. The armed version can be flown to a target and detonated, having about the same explosive effect as a hand grenade. Thus, Switchblade enables ground troops to get at an enemy taking cover in a hard to see location. Switchblade completed development in 2009. Technically a guided missile, the use of Switchblade as a reconnaissance tool encouraged developers to refer to it as a UAV. But because of the warhead option, and its slow speed, Switchblade also functions like a rather small cruise missile. The troops were particularly enthusiastic about the armed version because it allowed them to easily take out snipers or a few bad guys in a compound full of civilians. It was these sort of situations that apparently led to systems like Firefly. Switchblade has been so successful that the army has requested manufacturers to come up with a Switchblade 2.0. The new version is also called LMAMS (Lethal Miniature Aerial Munition System). It is heavier with up to 30 minutes endurance and a 9 kilometer range. The sensor must have night vision and be stabilized. It must also be able to lock onto a target and track it. Not all the new features desired were added to Switchblade because of budget cuts. Firefly may eliminate the demand for Switchblade, if only because Switchblade was not a reusable system and not a helicopter. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen chairs the Cabinet meeting (Photo: khmertimeskh.com) The law is designed to assist authorities to fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism by identifying measures to prevent, crackdown, and combat such activities in Cambodia. After being passed by the cabinet, the law will be sent to the National Assembly for approval. According to the governments spokesperson Phay Siphan, the move came following the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering found that Cambodia does not have the appropriate legal basis and adequate enforcement mechanism related to penalties for money laundering and terrorism financing in line with international standards. In 2019, Cambodia uncovered 75 money laundering cases. Authorities seized nearly 7.8 million USD, two houses, a land lot and more than 2,700 vehicles relating to money laundering activities. Earlier, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) placed the country on its grey list, which comprises countries highly vulnerable to money laundering./. May 16 : With lockdown rules and regulations easing down a bit, the smartphone makers around the world are ready to gear up for some smartphone launches in the month of May 2020. This month, you can expect a lot of new smartphones with exciting features to launch on the online platforms and sometimes even in the partner outlets. If you want to know the smartphones, their prices, specs, and also do a comparison study, we have it sorted out for you. Down below, you can check out the features of Honor 9X Pro, Oppo Find X2 series, Huawei Y9s, Vivo V19, and Realme Narzo 10, Narzo 10A and OnePlus 8 Series 5G. OnePlus 8 Series 5G Image Source: IANS News OnePlus 8 launch. Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus on Thursday announced its 'OnePlus 8 Series 5G' will be available for sale in India on May 29 on Amazon.in, oneplus.in and select OnePlus exclusive offline stores and partner outlets. Read more Vivo V19 Image Source: IANS Vivo V19 launched in India, price starts from Rs 27,990. In a 50-day long nationwide lockdown, and still counting, smartphone lovers have not seen much happening in terms of new devices being launched and made available. Now, Indias number 2 brand Vivo has brought much-awaited V19 to a market that is still not fully opened but a flurry of activity now being seen in green and orange zones in the country. Read more Realme Narzo 10, Narzo 10A Image Source: IANS Realme Narzo 10, Narzo 10A launched in India, price starts Rs 8,499. Chinese smartphone maker Realme on Monday launched Narzo 10 and Narzo 10A smartphones in India via an online event. Read more Honor 9X Pro Image Source: IANS Honor 9X Pro. Chinese smartphone brand Honor on Tuesday launched 'Honor 9X Pro' will all-new AppGallery in India for Rs 17,999. Read more Huawei Y9s Image Source: IANS Huawei Y9s. Chinese smartphone maker Huawei on Tuesday launched mid-range 'Huawei Y9s' for Rs 19,990 in India. Read more Oppo Find X2 Image Source: IANS Chinese smartphone maker OPPO on Thursday launched its flagship smartphone "Find X" in India for Rs 59,990. Chinese smartphone brand Oppo has announced that it is set to bring its Find X2 series phone to India soon. Read more One in three patients who fall severely ill with coronavirus develop dangerous blood clots that may be contributing to their deaths, a leading scientist has warned. The clots, also known as thrombosis, can become fatal if they migrate to major organs in the body and cut off their blood supply. The blockages can trigger heart attacks, strokes, organ failure and the fatal lung condition pulmonary embolism. Severe inflammation - an overreaction by the immune system to COVID-19 infection - is thought to be the cause of the blood clots. Roopen Arya, a professor of thrombosis at King's College London, said that while pneumonia was still the main cause of death in COVID-19 patients, doctors were now becoming 'more and more aware' of the problem. One in three patients who fall severely ill with coronavirus develop dangerous blood clots that may be contributing to their deaths He told the Radio 4 Today programme this morning: 'With a huge outpouring of data over the past few weeks I think it has become apparent that thrombosis is a major problem. 'Particularly in severely affected Covid patients in critical care, where some of the more recent studies show that nearly half the patients have pulmonary embolism or blood clot on the lungs.' Clots that start in the lower body can migrate to the lungs, causing a deadly blockage called a pulmonary embolism - a common killer of COVID-19 patients. Blockages near the heart can lead to a heart attack, another common cause of death in infected people. And clots above the chest can cause strokes. Roopen Arya, a professor of thrombosis at King's College London, said that while pneumonia was still the main cause of death in COVID-19 patients, doctors were now becoming 'more and more aware' of the problem Scientists aren't sure why the virus causes clots - but they believe it could be the result of a an immune overreaction called a 'cytokine storm'. Cytokines are chemical-signaling molecules which guide a healthy immune response. They tell immune cells to attack viral molecules in the body. But in some patients, this process goes into overdrive and immune cells begin destroying healthy tissues. This can lead to damaged blood vessels which leak and cause blood pressure to plummet, driving up the chance of clots forming, according to Dr Jamie Garfield from Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. Other scientists say the clots be a byproduct of the way COVID-19 invades the human body. Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: 'Covid binds to an enzyme called ACE2 which is on the surface of the cell. It simply uses it as a way of attaching itself but in doing so the enzyme function of ACE2 is reduced. 'The consequence of this is an imbalance of hormones called Angiotensin I and Angiotensin II which together regulate blood pressure. It could be related to the increase in strokes reported.' Dr Robert Bonow, a professor of cardiology at Northwestern University, said it may be the coronavirus' unique shape that is causing the blood clotting issues. WHAT'S CAUSING THE CLOTS? While experts are unsure why the virus causes the blockages, there are three main theories: CYTOKINE STORM The prevailing theory is that it is the result of a an immune overreaction called a 'cytokine storm'. Cytokines are chemical-signaling molecules which guide a healthy immune response. They tell immune cells to attack viral molecules in the body. But in some people, this resonpse goes into overdrive and immune cells start attacking healthy tissue as well, known as a cytokine storm. As blood vessels become damaged they can leak, causing blood pressure to drop and driving up the chance of clots forming. BYPRODUCT OF INFECTION Other scientists say the surge in strokes may be a byproduct of the way COVID-19 invades the human body. Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: 'Covid binds to an enzyme called ACE2 which is on the surface of the cell. 'It simply uses it as a way of attaching itself but in doing so the enzyme function of ACE2 is reduced. 'The consequence of this is an imbalance of hormones called Angiotensin I and Angiotensin II which together regulate blood pressure. 'It could be related to the increase in strokes reported.' VIRUS' UNIQUE SHAPE Dr Robert Bonow, a professor of cardiology at Northwestern University, said it may be the coronavirus' unique shape that is causing the bloodclotting issues. He said the virus' spikes, which latch onto receptors in cells, can also attach to blood vessels. Once they dock onto these blood vessel cells, the viral particles can trigger damage to these as well as to heart muscle, Dr Bonow says. Advertisement He told MailOnline: 'With COVID specifically, what you see that you don't with the flu, is because under a microscope, coronavirus has all these spikes coming out of it, and those spikes are little proteins that are looking for receptors on the cells that they attach onto,' 'It's specifically looking for receptors in the lungs, but those same receptors sit on blood vessels, so it can attach on the lungs but also on blood vessels.' Once they dock onto these blood vessel cells, the viral particles can trigger damage to these as well as to heart muscle, Dr Bonow says. They can trigger 'hypercoagual states,' causing blood clots that lead to heart attacks. If COVID-19 targets blood vessels, it could explain why people who already have damaged vessels - such as diabetes and high blood pressure patients - are more likely to fall critically ill. Exactly how the virus attacks the blood vessels remains a mystery, but several scientific paper and pre-prints have shown the deadly side effect is common. Heart damage was discovered in 20 per cent of patients hospitalised in Wuhan according to a March 25 paper in JAMA Cardiology. Another study in the outbreak's epicentre found 44 per cent of those in ICU suffered heart arrhythmias. Thirty-eight per cent of Dutch ICU patients had blood clotting in a April 10 study published in Thrombosis Research. Between 20 and 40 percent of COVID-19 patients at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, have developed blood clots - even after being put on anticoagulants. It comes after a study by University College London found coronavirus caused an increased risk of blood clots and blockages in the brain. The small study focused on six patients with confirmed COVID-19 who had suffered a stroke caused by the sudden loss of blood circulation to the brain. The team, that included neurologists from the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, saw an increase in D-dimer - a blood protein linked to clotting. The authors say the exaggerated inflammatory immune response known to occur in COVID-19 patients stimulates abnormal blood clotting in the brain. They say there was evidence of raised D-dimer in the blood - that is a production of antibodies created from an abnormal immune system response. Corresponding author, Professor David Werring and colleagues looked at six patients with acute ischaemic stroke due to blockage of a large brain artery. Acute ischaemic stroke is caused by the sudden loss of blood circulation to an area of the brain, resulting in loss of neurological function. The findings suggest early testing for D-dimer in COVID-19 patients, could enable clinicians to prescribe specific treatments at a much earlier stage. They say this might reduce the number of people subsequently having further strokes or blood clots elsewhere in the body. Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (17) The family of one Margaret Ikumu has petitioned the Lagos state police command over her death. In the petition, the family raised ... The family of one Margaret Ikumu has petitioned the Lagos state police command over her death. In the petition, the family raised suspicion over the involvement of two friends of their late daughter, alleging that the friends buried her without the familys consent. They said Ikumu lived in the Ajah area of Lagos with two of her friends identified as Marvelous Mary and Nneka Buddy. We hereby write to complain to you over the conduct of one Miss Marvelous Mary and Nneka Buddy (Facebook names) and other accomplices in the circumstance surrounding the alleged death of our sister, Margaret Adiya Ikumu, bearing Margaret David on Facebook, who was reported to have died a few days ago under the custody of Marvelous and Nneka, the petition read. Our attention was drawn to the death of Margaret on Facebook a few days ago somewhere at Aja area of Lagos where she was living with Miss Marvelous Mary and Nneka Buddy who are said to be her friends. Upon enquiries, our people were able to establish contact with Marvelous Mary on phone number 07040869026 and Nneka Buddy on her Facebook page, who reluctantly revealed to us that Miss Margaret was their friend but now dead and that her dead body is in their custody. They told us that they had the instruction of the late Margaret not to allow members of her family to know anything about her death and that they were authorised by the deceased to bury her according to her wish. Since then, all efforts by our family and our community here in Lagos to know the cause and circumstances surrounding Margarets death has been rebuffed by Marvelous and Nneka who are the only persons with information about her death. They later sent a chat message on WhatsApp to one member of our family with a picture of a casket showing that the late Margaret has been buried. All efforts by members of the family to get more details surrounding the death and eventual burial of Margaret from Marvelous and Nneka Buddy has proved abortive due to their refusal to co-operate with us. Miss Marvelous Mary has threatened to discard her phone number (07040869026) after the burial as a way of blocking us from further reaching her and all efforts to reach late Margarets personal phone number, 0811377322 has not yielded any result as the phone is permanently switched off. The family said they are in a dilemma over how to get to the root of the matter, and finding it difficult to console the bereaved mother who is insisting on seeing the body of her daughter. We therefore appeal to the police authority under your leadership to wade in by investigating the incident with the view to establishing the facts and circumstances surrounding her death and eventual burial without the knowledge and consent of her family, the petition read. Note that the late Margaret is from Oju community, in Oju local government area of Benue state, while her supposed friends (Marvelous and Nneka) are of Igbo extraction from the Southeast [and] unknown to our family and community. When contacted, Tony Iji, the lawyer who wrote the petition on behalf of the family, said all he had to say were contained in the letter sent to the police. Bala Elkana, spokesman of the Lagos police command, neither answered calls nor responded to a text message sent before this report was filed. The Buddhists in Sri Lanka, together with fellow Buddhist brethren the world over, celebrate the Vesak, their supreme religious festival, with much religious fervour and enthusiasm. Since ancient times, it has been the practice to spend the period of Vesak indulging in religious observances with the fervent veneration of the Buddha. This year, like the rest of the world Buddhist community, we too have to perform the religious practices of Vesak in the backdrop of a virus pandemic threatening the entire human race. Such calamities are not very rare in the human history. During the lifetime of the Buddha, the Visala Mahanuwara of Dmbbadiva was threatened by three fears. It was ended when a recitation of Buddhist stanzas was conducted as discoursed by the Buddha. I am confident that we too could attain physical and spiritual health by practicing the teachings of the Buddha during this season of Vesak. We have the blessings and the guidance of the venerable Mahasangha to conduct the State Vesak Festival by using electronic technology. Hence, we can perform religious practices at our homes with utmost devotion to the Buddha. Thancha kamman kathan sadhu Yan kathwa nanuthappaththi Yassa pathitho sumano Vipakan patisevani The above stanza in Dhammapada says, Its not good, the doing of the deed that, once its done, you regret, whose result you reap crying, your face in tears. Its good, the doing of the deed that, once its done, you dont regret, whose result you reap gratified, happy at heart. On this day of Vesak we can take the righteous path by not doing deeds that you regret as the Buddha advised. At this time of calamity, let us determine to save the people and the country by practicing the teachings of the Buddha and adhering to the corona prevention measures. I wish this Vesak festival leads to health and spiritual bliss of the people of Sri Lanka as well as the people all over the world. Gotabaya Rajapaksa May 07, 2020 View PDF A police senior executive who had an affair with a younger colleague has been demoted after using the office computer system to receive her nude photos. John Purcell, the former Assistant Director in the Office of Information Management at Western Australia Police, has taken a pay cut after an internal audit last year found 'obscene and offensive' photos he received from the woman between 2013 to 2016. Documents obtained by The West Australian reveal Mr Purcell, who was in a relationship at the time, exchanged 23,736 personal messages with the woman which included 12 images of her 'either nude, semi-nude or wearing only underwear'. In an email on July 11, 2014, Mr Purcell received an image after he 'actively invited' her to send him photos as they worked. John Purcell (pictured) has slid down the WA Police Force's ranks after an internal audit uncovered a scandalous affair with a younger colleague carried out across the office computer system Another seven messages detailed plans for 'intimate liaisons during work hours', which they carried out on five of the occasions. Mr Purcell, who is not a sworn officer, supervised the woman between 2013-2014. She no longer works with WA police. During the audit, WA Police's human resources section accused the father-of-one of failing to delete the dirty emails or 'cease the receipt of such emails'. Details of the scandal emerged when Mr Purcell appealed against his demotion in the WA Industrial Relations Commission. In the appeal, his counsel argued the demotion was 'harsh and unfair', with Mr Purcell claiming he had tried to end the affair and sought counselling from his church in 2017 and 2018 over the incident. They added their client had an 'unblemished record previously' and had taken 'actions to redeem himself'. But last week the commission ruled that it was 'entirely appropriate'. 'In our view, Ms Roberts (WA Polices director of human resources) showed the appellant considerable leniency,' the commission said. 'The appellants misconduct can only be described as brazen and cavalier.' Mr Purcell, who is not a sworn officer, tried to appeal the demotion in the WA Industrial Relations Commission but it was denied Mr Purcell and the woman 'struck up a friendship' in 2011, which developed into an on-off relationship until 2017, the commission heard. During that time, Mr Purcell had a partner who subsequently became his wife. He was also found to have emailed an 'unauthorised person' sensitive information from the force and highly sensitive and confidential State Government information between 2015 and 2016. Mr Purcell, who has worked with WA Police since 1992, did not receive criminal charges as a result of his offences. Instead, he demoted from a level 8.3 position to a level 5.4, which meant he was 'unlikely to have access to sensitive or confidential material', no longer have responsibility over a large number of employees, data and 'multi-million-dollar budget'. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced major reforms in the mining of minerals through a seamless composite exploration-cum-production regime. She said 500 blocks of minerals will be auctioned in a composite exploration-cum-mining-cum-production regime. Also, a joint auction of bauxite and coal blocks would be done to enhance the aluminium industry's competitiveness. This, she said, will help the aluminium industry reduce electricity costs. She said the distinction between captive and non-captive mines will be removed to allow the transfer of mining leases and sale of surplus unused minerals, leading to better efficiency and production. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Army to Build Hypersonic Weapons Test Center on University Campus Sputnik News 19:23 GMT 15.05.2020(updated 21:52 GMT 15.05.2020) The Texas A&M University System board of regents has approved funding that will be used to create the US Army Futures Command's (AFC) latest hypersonic weapons test center. Regents on Thursday voted in favor of spending some $79 million in university funds on the US Army and AFC's Bush Combat Development Center, which was unveiled last year during a naming ceremony dedicated to former US President George H.W. Bush. Prior to the announcement of funding from the school, approximately $50 million was approved by the state of Texas, and around $65 million was contributed by the Army. The "investment" as the school termed the move, was originally slated to run $130 million for the testing center alone, according to the university's October 2019 news release. In addition to a kilometer-long tube that will be used to actually field potential hypersonic weapons on the RELLIS Campus, the university's decision has approved "laboratories, runways, underground and open-air ranges and a resilient network of sensors and systems for experimentation, data collection, analysis and storage," according to the May 14 news release obtained by Defense News. "Texas A&M and the RELLIS campus will become a nexus for collaboration and high-tech testing in service to our nation's security," Elaine Mendoza, chair of the A&M System board, said in a statement. "Today's vote will bring hundreds of millions worth of private investment to Central Texas as these facilities come to life. Simply put, this is where American defense contractors will want to set up shop if they want to work with the US Army Futures Command." Defense News noted that since the establishment of the AFC in July 2018, its commander, General John M. Murray, has been seeking outside assistance from the local tech and educational community of Austin, Texas. The creation of the new program on the campus grounds comes shortly after the Pentagon announced the successful test of its Common-Hypersonic Glide Body. The US Department of Defense noted at the time that the launch was a "major milestone" in the US' continued effort to obtain hypersonic weapons. It's worth noting the US military did not disclose the exact velocity the missile reached at the time, only stating that it traveled at "hypersonic speed." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Saturday said that a fake whatsapp message claiming to be the datesheet of CBSE Class 10 and Class 12 examination is circulating on the social media. PIB urged people to beware of this fake datesheet claiming to be that of CBSE Class 10 and Class 12 exams. PIB has tweeted a fact-check regarding this on its official twitter handle. Claim - A whatsapp forward claiming to be Date Sheet of #CBSE Board examination for Class 10th & 12th.#PIBFactCheck: #Fake forwards. Union HRD Minister @DrRPNishank will be releasing the date sheet for the same at 5 pm today, PIB wrote this on Twitter. Claim - A whatsapp forward claiming to be Date Sheet of #CBSE Board examination for Class 10th & 12th.#PIBFactCheck: #Fake forwards. Union HRD Minister @DrRPNishank will be releasing the date sheet for the same at 5 pm today. Check: https://t.co/qCtXp7x2rB pic.twitter.com/7JNxsZTwsK PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 16, 2020 Earlier today, Union HRD Minister Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal informed the students that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will release the complete date sheet for the remaining board exams of class 10th and 12th, today at 5pm on the microblogging site, Twitter. Ethiopian Airlines expects a settlement with planemaker Boeing (BA.N) by end of June over the crash of an 737 MAX plane in March 2019, CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told Reuters on Friday. Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 bound for Kenya crashed six minutes after take-off from Ethiopias capital Addis Ababa, killing all 157 passengers and crew. It was the second deadly crash of a 737 MAX in less than six months, and led to the worldwide grounding of Boeings top-selling jet, which remains in force. We have invited Boeing to discuss compensation. Its compensation for the grounded MAX ... there is also compensation for delayed delivery of the MAX that was supposed to come and loss of revenue, Tewolde said in an interview. Ethiopian now has four MAX planes in its fleet. The CEO did not specify how many it has on order. By the end of June, which is the end of our fiscal year, we should have something ... meaning compensation, he said. Ethiopian, Africas largest airline, is also seeking compensation for the impact of the accident on its brand, Tewolde said. But the airline has decided not to pursue a lawsuit against Boeing as it remains a partner and Ethiopian uses many of its planes, he said, adding the settlement could be in form of cash or supplies of plane parts. He did not say how much compensation the airline was seeking in total. Boeing could not immediately be reached for comment. Since early March, Ethiopian has converted 22 passengers planes to cargo aircraft, stripping out all seats, the CEO said. The move has helped the company to survive as passenger revenues have disappeared due to travel restrictions across the world to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Demand for cargo, however, has grown, mainly to transport personal protective equipment and medical supplies to tackle the virus. Normally cargo would make 15% of our revenue, but at this time when the passengers revenue is almost gone we are only surviving on cargo, Tewolde said. He said that, so far, Ethiopian had not cancelled any purchases of planes despite the collapse in air travel, though several orders, including some from Boeing and Airbus (AIR.PA), had been delayed. Ethiopian made a loss of $550 million between January and April, but Tewolde ruled out seeking a bailout from the Ethiopian government. Source: reuters.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 Delhi: One more area has been de-contained Air India Express repatriation flight, carrying 181 passengers from Dubai, has landed at Cochin International Airport Measures and reforms announced Saturday will create many business opportunities: PM Modi NMRC prepares to resume its aqua line services after coronavirus lockdown ends First death reported in Nepal due to coronavirus PMO approves compensation to next of kin of those who lost lives in Auraiya accident In last 24 hours, 65 new Covid-19 positive cases have been detected in Odisha Western Railway has operated 463 'Shramik Special Trains' from 2nd May till 16th May Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced fourth tranche of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat package today. The measures announced today to aid Covid-hit Indian economy are part of the government's stimulus package worth 20 lakh crore. Sitharaman will be holding daily press conferences till Sunday. So far, Sitharaman has announced several reforms in the agriculture sector. One of the major reforms announced by the government was the amendment in the Essential Commodities Act to deregulate prices of food items. This, the finance minister said, would not only revive the economy but also unleash its latent potential through opening up of production and marketing avenues. Coronavirus cases in India have gone up to 85,940, according to the data published on the health ministry website on Friday evening. As many as 2,752 people have lost their lives due to the infection, while 30,152 people have been discharged.Click here for full Covid-19 coverage Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16) At least 2,300 Filipino seafarers are stuck in various quarantine facilities, waiting for coronavirus test results. Philippine Transmarine Carriers Executive Director Restituto Padilla, Jr. told CNN Philippines on Saturday that some Filipino seafarers have been staying in various quarantine facilities and cruise ships for nearly a month already. Sa amin lang kumpanya, sa mahigit na halos 4,000 na ang PCR test merong nananatili pang 2,300 plus na nagaantay ng resulta, Padilla said in an interview. Diyan sa ating Manila Bay ngayon ay nakalutang diyan ang napakamaraming cruise ship, mahigit bente na cruise ship nagaantay para maibaba yung kanilang mga Filipino crew na sa ganun makauwi na, pero hindi pa natatapos ang kanilang PCR testing. [Translation: In our company, out of the 4,000 who have been tested, more than 2,300 are still waiting for their results. More than twenty cruise ships are waiting in Manila Bay for their Filipino crew to disembark and return home, but they are still waiting for their PCR testing.] Padilla clarified that the actual figures may be more because the numbers they have include only those covered by their company, which they have provided for. More than 1,300 Filipino seafarers have returned to their homes after completing 14-day quarantine and testing negative for COVID-19, Padilla said. Returning Filipino seafarers undergo RT-PCR testing, which gives a definitive diagnosis for COVID-19 patients. While it is the gold standard test," it takes at least 24 hours to process, sometimes even longer due to bottlenecks. Deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon earlier said that the government will prioritize 25,000 returning OFWs for testing this month, so that those who do not have the coronavirus will be allowed to return to their hometowns as soon as possible. The Department of Foreign Affairs reported Thursday at least 19,064 Filipino seafarers have been brought home to the Philippines amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with thousands more expected in the coming weeks. However, Filipino seafarers experienced challenges even after returning home, with some being asked to pay the hotel bills where they underwent the mandatory 14-day quarantine, because their manning agencies did not. When CNN Philippines raised this with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac said they are prepared to help affected seafarers, but clarified that the manning agencies should have shouldered the cost for quarantining their workers. "Tinutulungan nating yun, sinasalo natin sila sa OWWA," Cacdac said. "Under the 'Tulong Marino Program' we provide food and accommodation." [Translation: We will help them, OWWA will cover them. Under the 'Tulong Marino Program' we provide food and accommodation.] Cacdac added that more seafarers from cruise ship lines are expected to arrive, as the industry is among the hardest hit by the global health crisis and it will take some time before they resume operations. Meanwhile, hundreds of Filipino cruise ship workers in Germany have asked the government to help them return home to the Philippines. CNN Philippines' correspondent Tristan Nodalo contributed to this report. Major Osahene Boakye Gyan (rtd), one of the architects of the June 4 uprising, has reportedly declined an invitation by the police to come over to the headquarters to assist in investigations. Peacefmonline.com is reliable informed that Osahene Boakye Gyan did receive an invitation from the police following some alleged inflammatory comments he made with regards to the compilation of the voters' register. But speaking on Okay Fms Ade Akye Abia program, the former military officer explained he was not able to honor the invitation due to ill health. "A team (of investigators made up of security operatives) were dispatched to my house this morning and i have answered a few questions....they had earlier invited me but i told them i cannot go to their office because of my state of health...," ".i was giving a cautionary warning...i still stand by what he said, members of the general public dont seem to understand me....i was only talking of a likely civil war not military takeover....i even do not have what it takes to organize a coup as its been portrayed by some people," he pointed out. Watch Video Below National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, had on Thursday called for the arrest of the retired Major for instigating for a civil war in the country. To him, the latter was someone "who has civil war in his blood" and should not be treated with kid's gloves.Major Osahene Boakye Gyan (rtd) warned of impending doom should the Electoral Commission connive with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to rig the upcoming December polls.In an earlier interview on Okay FM Tuesday morning, he pointed out that most electoral disputes in Africa have resulted in civil wars with Ghana not immune to it, and therefore warned that "should the EC continue to toe the line of their paymasters, it will certainly spell doom for this country.""This party (NPP) won power with the biggest electoral margin; so what has gone wrong? . . . this morning, I overheard an NPP activist on radio claiming if elections are held today, Nana Addo will be re-elected with some one million, three hundred thousand votes difference. See, the NPP has cooked up the figures already, they are simply looking for the means to legitimize their rigging by undertaking a registration exercise (through the EC)....," he alleged. Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/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 Pitchforks weekly rap column covers songs, mixtapes, albums, Instagram freestyles, memes, dances, weird tweets, fashion trendsand anything else that catches our attention in the world of hip-hop. Sheff G: One and Only Sheff G isnt the poster boy for Brooklyn drill but he should be. Sure, he doesnt have the natural charisma of the late Pop Smoke. Or the viral stickiness of Fivio Foreign. Or the catchy lingo of 22Gz. But Sheff G is a rappers rapper, the type who grew up idolizing Biggie Smalls, and has attempted to adopt that icons ability to make lyrical songs that are fun to rap along with. He also has an ear for production thats unmatched in his borough, typically choosing beats that merge the Deep Souths infatuation with moody pianos and guitars with drill drum patterns. His new mixtape, One and Only, feels like a moment of separation from his peers, who have yet to make the same progress as Sheff. With tracks like the celebratory intro, his brooding sequel to No Suburban, and a pair of collaborations with his similarly skilled childhood friend Sleepy Hallow, its clear that even without the extra flair, theres nobody quite like him in Brooklyn. Lil Uzi Vert freestyling at a gas station The only pure moment on the internet this week. Detroit mixtape of the week: Cash Kidds No Socks Cash Kidd is a romantic. He hands his girlfriend a credit card (that doesnt belong to him) and tells her to buy whatever she wants. Hell bring her on a date to the traphouse, and makes her promises, but crosses his fingers behind his back. These sweet nothings are delivered throughout his new tape as he switches between an offbeat Detroit rap flow and a bright melody. Like on Proud of Me, where he pauses mid-verse to give his own rendition of Alicia Keys No One, before he quickly returns to the romance by asking his girlfriend to sleep in a separate bed. Story continues Questioning Navs questionable decisions on Good Intentions Nav is known for rapping about his avoidable struggles, a pattern that continues on his new album. Here are some of the most egregious examples, along with manageable solutions: We aint returning shit, so we dont need receipts/Dont wanna know what I spent, the totals scary Navs accountant would likely recommend that he keep track of his finances. Girl, tell me what you want me to do/The only one I trust, I count on you/I got lit, these bitches came out the blue Nav is finally in love. But, of course, instead of changing his lifestyle he keeps getting himself into situations that are hurting his newfound relationship. Gave my bros my publishin, I don't care bout my percentage Again, Nav needs a financial advisor. For someone who supposedly doesnt trust anyone, he sure is generous with others. YSL jeans too tight they dont fit me I would simply suggest that Nav buy his jeans a size up next time. Goin in the fridge, I aint lookin for a Sunny D, I just want the purple stuff If Nav doesnt want Sunny Ds in his fridge, then he should really talk to whoever does his grocery shopping. Seems like an easy fix. Lerado: Last Chance St. Paul, Minnesotas Lerado can grace just about any beat with his lethargic delivery. Throughout his new EP CDQ, presented as one eight-and-a-half-minute piece on SoundCloud, he drifts under distorted production on the intro and prepares to start a controlled mosh pit with HOOK, but theres something fitting about Last Chance, which begins at the 2:08 mark. On the song, enigmatic Virginia producer Nolanberollin supplies a perfect background for Lerados calm, reflective lyrics, which vaguely allude to his anxieties and relationships. The track only lasts a minute, but its lazy pace makes it feel longer. Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon: SHE GOT HER SECOND BABY DADDY NAME TATTOOED ON HER NECK BUT IM STILL IN LOVE Boasting one of the best song titles of the year, the latest from Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon has him kicking a fantasy freestyle for Funk Flex. Over smooth production, the North Carolina artist raps about dope being sold while he was watching Romeo!, compares his life to that John Gotti movie, and, of course, laments the girl who has her second baby daddy tatt on her neck. Funk Flex would approve. Action Bronsons return to television At this point Action Bronson is a TV host who happens to rap on the side. Its not a bad thing. F*ck Thats Delicious, his Vice food and travel show which recently began a new season, is exceptional at merging everyday eats with high-end cuisine. Do you want to watch Action Bronson stuff a knish with pepperoni and mozzarella at a deli in Whitestone, Queens? Or watch New York MC Meyhem Lauren order sandwiches named after Marisa Tomei and Bruno Sammartino in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn? Or see the Alchemist dive into pasta sprinkled with white truffles and drink a glass of 27-year-old bourbon with his pinky up? I do. Throwback of the week: Diddys Central Park tears Theres a story in Diddys 1999 GQ cover story about the rap mogul watching Love Story, a 1970 hit romantic drama about a couple from different social classes who fall in love at Harvard. When the movie reaches its tragic end, Diddy becomes so overwhelmed with emotion that he leaves his Park Avenue townhouse at 3 a.m. and goes into Central Park to bawl his eyes out. Who knew Bad Boys CEO could be a sad boy? Mari Boy Mula Mar: Aflac Every scene needs their weirdo, and Mari Boy Mula Mar is Milwaukees. He sounds like he just stubbed his foot on a couch whenever he raises his pitchthe change is normally sudden and brief, like hes in pain that quickly goes away. On Aflac, he ends nearly every line with a squeal, and he switches between a squawking melody and a not so quiet whisper. This back and forth makes it sound like hes rapping jokes, but the lyrics make it clear hes serious, even when he compares himself storming through the Milwaukee streets to Johnny Test. Just go with it. Originally Appeared on Pitchfork The Uttar Pradesh government has withdrawn the order of 12-hour shift for industrial unit workers, against an 8-hour shift, after receiving an order from Allahabad high court. On May 8, UP government issued a notification relaxing all the provisions related to overtime, intervals for rest, and working hours, as demanded under section 51, 52, 56 and 59 of the Factory Act till July 19, 2020. According to the notification, all the factories were given clear instructions to employ the labourers and workers for 12 hours of shift, instead of 8 hours, under the act. Criticizing the same, UP Workers Front, through advocates Vinayal Mittal and Pranjal Shukla stated in the high court that the order violates the constitutional values. After analyzing the situation, Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Siddharth Varma and has issued a notice to the government. The official statement revealed that the decision to exempt all the business from the range of almost all labour laws was taken as the commercial economic activities and business-related activities were badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the state. However, the increase in the working hours of industrial unit workers was done through separate executive order which has now been withdrawn. Also Read: Auraiya train accident: Priyanka Gandhi slams government for not providing buses to migrant workers, says it remains oblivious to everything Not just this, various trade unions have threatened all the BJP -ruled states like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, who have brought changes in the labour laws through ordinance route. Reports also reveal that this was a part of the strategy to attract investments from China after COVID-19 disruptions by taking the route of the ordinance. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Biafra Nations Youth League, BNYL have reacted to Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, warning to secessionists to exclude Ijaw from their territory. Responding to the statement made by Kennedy Olorogun, Deputy National Leader of BNYL and Director of Operations, BBS Media, Ebuta Takon Akor said that Biafra will be restored with or without the support of the Ijaw Youth Council, adding that the mentality of some Ijaw people are the cause of why the Federal Government planted seed of hatred, sentiment and tribalism during Biafra war. Ebuta Takon Akor had on thursday hoisted Biafra flags around the Nigeria-Cameroon of Ikom, Cross River state declaring that the BNYL's grassroots activities and mobilization have positioned them as a multiethnic pro Biafra movement. He rebuked IYC thus saying that Adaka Boro declared Ijawland Niger Delta Republic similar to Ogoni Republic declared by Kane Sarowiwa, Akor, an Ejagham native of Cross River State said if the IYC feels the Ijaw can stand on their own they should go to total war with federal government. "All these are just distractions, enemies are at work because we have lifted our flags in areas they never expected. They are trembling and probably the next place will be their area. My people of South south especially the Ijaws should not allow sentiment to takeover their minds and soul. Ijaw cannot stand on their own. There is no land in Ijaw region, they need the hinterland people, they need other foods than fish. Let us stop this unnecessary quarrels and support Biafra known all over the world, unless they are ready to go to war alone with Nigeria". Authorities in Nigeria say the whereabouts of a team of 15 Chinese medical experts who arrived in the country in early April is not known to the government. The Chinese team who travelled to Nigeria to support the country's fight against coronavirus had been received at the airport by government officials, including Health Minister Osagie Ehanire. But on Thursday, a frustrated Mr Ehanire told reporters that the experts were guests of a Chinese construction company handling several high-profile projects in Nigeria and that not all of them were doctors, as he had heard that some of them were technicians who are staff of the company. There seems to be a lot of interest in these doctors but they are staff of a company. I would be very happy if you do not ask me where they are," he told reporters. They are not really our guests in that sense but we have been able to learn some things from them. We shared ideas of what they did in their country in managing Covid-19. Mr Ehanire's statement seems to be at odds with that of Information Minister Lai Mohammed, who last week told reporters that the Chinese doctors were already working at different isolation centres across the country where they were "helping our doctors in capacity building". Last month, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the medical team was sent at the request of the Nigerian government, who "had voiced welcome and gratitude to China's help". The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and other groups had criticised the arrival of the Chinese experts at the time, but the government had said they were in the country to help. 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 An international research team led by scientists at the University of California, Riverside, has observed light emission from a new type of transition between electronic valleys, known as intervalley transmissions. The research provides a new way to read out valley information, potentially leading to new types of devices. Current semiconductor technology uses electronic charge or spin to store and process information; the associated technologies are called electronics and spintronics, respectively. Some semiconductors contain local energy valleys in their electron band structure that can be used to encode, process, and store information, giving rise to a new kind of technology called valleytronics. "Valleytronics provides an alternative route to engineer information systems besides the conventional electronics and spintronics," said Chun Hung "Joshua" Lui, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UC Riverside, who led the research on intervalley transitions in monolayer tungsten diselenide (WSe 2 ). "Our new work can speed up the development of valleytronics." Monolayer WSe 2 is a promising valleytronic material because it possesses two valleys with opposite dynamic characteristics in the band structure. Moreover, this material can interact strongly with light, holding promise for optically controllable valleytronic applications. Excitons When monolayer WSe 2 absorbs a photon, a bound electron can be freed in a valley, leaving behind an electron vacancy, or hole. As the hole behaves like an electron with positive charge, the electron and hole can attract each other to form a bound state called an exciton. Such an exciton, with both its electron and hole in the same valley, is called an intravalley exciton. Current exciton research in monolayer valley semiconductors focuses predominantly on intravalley excitons, which can emit light. advertisement An electron and a hole in opposite valleys can also form an exciton, called an intervalley exciton, which is a novel component in valleytronics. The law of momentum conservation, however, forbids an electron and a hole in opposite valleys from recombining directly to emit light. As a result, intervalley excitons are "dark" and hidden in the optical spectrum. The UCR-led research team has now observed light emission from intervalley excitons in monolayer WSe 2 . The team found that although the intervalley excitons are intrinsically dark, they can emit a significant amount of light with the assistance of either defects or lattice vibrations in the material. "The scattering with defects or lattice vibrations can compensate for the momentum mismatch between an electron and a hole in opposite valleys," Lui said. "It allows us to observe the light emission of intervalley excitons." "Although the process involves scattering with defects or lattice vibrations, the intervalley light emission is circularly polarized," said Erfu Liu, a postdoctoral researcher in Lui's lab and the first author of the research paper. "Such circular light polarization allows us to identify the exciton valley configuration. This optically readable valley configuration is crucial to making intervalley excitons useful for valleytronic applications." Trions Besides the excitons, monolayer WSe 2 also hosts trions, which consist of two electrons and one hole or two holes and one electron. Trions also have well-defined valley configurations for valleytronic applications. Compared to the charge-neutral excitons, the motion of trions can be controlled by an electric field due to their net electrical charge. advertisement A trion can generally decay through two paths. For example, for a trion consisting of an intravalley electron-hole pair and a hole in the opposite valley to decay, the electron can choose to recombine with the hole in the same valley or with the hole in the opposite valley. This gives rise to two different trion decay paths with intravalley and intervalley electron-hole recombination. The intravalley trion decay has been much studied, but the intervalley trion decay has not been reported thus far. The UCR-led team has shown intervalley trion decay for the first time. "Although a trion can decay through either intravalley or intervalley decay, the two transitions have the same energy and can hardly be distinguished in the optical spectrum," Lui said. "But when a magnetic field is applied, the energies of the intravalley and intervalley transitions will become different." The team carried out the experiments at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, Florida. They show both the intravalley and intervalley decay paths of the trions. "Our results provide a more complete, multipath picture of trion dynamics in monolayer WSe 2 ," said Jeremiah van Baren, a graduate student in Lui's lab, who shares equal authorship with Liu. "They build on the existing single-path description of trions in 2-D materials and are key to furthering trion-based valleytronic science and technology." Given only two days to vacate her dorm room, Destiny went back home, to the one-bedroom apartment she had shared with her father, an alcoholic, and his sister before she entered foster care at 17. What is so heartbreaking about Destinys situation is that she worked so hard and then through no fault of her own is brought right back to the source of her trauma, Rachel Lloyd, the founder of GEMS, an organization that helps sexually exploited girls, told me. Ive seen such a drop in her level of confidence. The first time I spoke with Destiny, she sounded buoyant, hopeful. I know I am not where I am supposed to be, she said. The next time, a day later, she seemed despondent, remote. Ms. Lloyd, who has been speaking to her girls via Zoom during this period of confinement, said she can hear shouting in the background when she meets with Destiny. During one of these sessions, the support of the others was strong but limited. Girls in the group were saying, Youve got this Desie; you can do it, Ms. Lloyd said. But she hangs up the Zoom call, and she is right where she started.' Destiny had lived apart from her mother, whose own life had been given over to drugs. Her aunt had told her that one day, her mother had dropped her off for a visit and never returned. Whether or not this was true seemed unclear to Destiny. By the time she was in sixth grade, her problems were compounded by bullying at school. In ninth grade she was expelled from a charter school for getting into a fight. A succession of different schools followed, none of them had ignited any interest in learning. The comforts of the life had come to seem greater than the comforts of home, she told me. Prostitution brought her things. At home I wasnt cared for; I needed money, she said. A lot of the women who were in the life felt OK about it and they were mother figures to me. It would take time for her to see what a mistake it was to elevate them that way. Throughout all of this, with each new school, Destiny told me, I would hope for a moment of enlightenment.' News Washington, DC - In times of war and peace alike, on land, at sea, in the skies, in cyberspace, and beyond the Earths atmosphere, the men and women of our Nations Armed Forces serve with honor and distinction and stand ready to selflessly defend our Nation. On Armed Forces Day, we pay tribute to these patriots, whose work enables our country to shine always as a beacon of freedom and hope for the world. Throughout our Nations history, our Armed Forces have protected our country, our liberty, and our founding principles. Earlier this month, we marked the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, when United States and Allied forces liberated Europe and North Africa from tyranny and oppression. The courageous actions of these heroes will stand always as monuments to the very best of our Nation. Today, many of our service members have been called into action on the home front to aid in our fight against a new type of enemy the coronavirus. Our Guardsmen, engineers, logisticians, and medical service members have provided critical lifesaving treatment, protective equipment, facilities, and other vital services and provisions quickly and efficiently to those in need. In March, I was honored as Commander in Chief to salute those aboard the USNS Comfort as these heroes set sail from the shores of Norfolk, Virginia, to bring aid and comfort to people in need of care in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. As they have shown throughout this crisis, working to ease the burdens on healthcare workers and first responders, our Armed Forces can adapt to any challenge and succeed in any mission. My Administration will always remain committed to ensuring our Nation has the strongest and most advanced military in the world. We owe it to our warriors to ensure that we provide them with the necessary training and equipment to meet current and future challenges. Since I took office, we have invested a historic $2.2 trillion in the United States military, purchasing the finest American-made planes, missiles, rockets, ships, and other pieces of military equipment. Additionally, last year, I was proud to sign into law legislation that provided a 3.1 percent pay raise for our troops the largest pay raise for our military men and women in a decade in recognition of their unparalleled duty, honor, courage, and commitment. This year, we also celebrate the historic creation of the United States Space Force, the first new military branch since the establishment of the United States Air Force more than 70 years ago. We recognize that to combat the evolving threats of a 21st-century world, we must look to the newest warfighting domain and address malign activities in space. Americas leadership in space is unparalleled, and with the addition of the United States Space Force, we are now even better positioned to meet the evolving threats in this emerging frontier of technology, exploration, and discovery. Approximately 16,000 military and civilian personnel have already been assigned to the Space Force, embarking on their mission to organize, train, and equip these new fighters responsible for protecting the United States and allied interests in the vast domain of space. Today, and every day, we reaffirm our unwavering support for the millions of American patriots who fill the ranks of our Armed Forces. We are eternally grateful for every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine, Coast Guardsman, and member of the Space Force, and we deeply appreciate the sacrifices their families and loved ones make on our behalf. As one Nation, we pledge to always honor this service and this devotion given to our great country. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, continuing the tradition of my predecessors in office, do hereby proclaim the third Saturday of each May as Armed Forces Day. I invite the Governors of the States and Territories and other areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, to provide for the observance of Armed Forces Day within their jurisdiction each year in an appropriate manner designed to increase public understanding and appreciation of the Armed Forces of the United States. I also invite veterans, civic, and other organizations to join in the observance of Armed Forces Day each year. Finally, I call upon all Americans to display the flag of the United States at their homes and businesses on Armed Forces Day, and I urge citizens to learn more about military service by attending and participating in the local observances of the day. Proclamation 9892 of May 17, 2019, is hereby superseded. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fourth. DONALD J. TRUMP The former owner of an Islamic bookshop has been released from jail after he was caught up in major terrorism raids. Omar Succarieh, 37, pleaded guilty in October 2016 to four foreign incursion offences after the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions dropped the more serious terrorism financing offences against him. Succarieh's younger brother Ahmed blew himself up in a suicide attack which killed 35 people on September 11, 2013, in the Syrian city of Deir al-Zor after leaving Australia five months earlier. The Courier-Mail revealed Succarieh was released from prison in January, less than six years after he was arrested in counter-terrorism raids in Brisbane. Despite the seriousness of his charges, Succarieh was reportedly a model prisoner during his time in the high-security Wolston Jail. Omar Succarieh (pictured), 37, pleaded guilty in October 2016 to four foreign incursion offences after the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions dropped the more serious terrorism financing offences against him. He was granted day visits outside of jail and visited one of his four brothers, who was very ill, and upon his death, he was allowed to attend his funeral. And while on remand in Arthur Gorrie jail, he reportedly helped other prisoners by cutting their hair. According to court documents, Succarieh said he could pursue a job as a hairdresser or barber upon his release. He was also offered a job at a fruit shop operated by one of his relatives. The Courier Mail reported before COVID-19 restrictions were in place, Succarieh was hesitant to be out in the community but was eager to find work. 'He wants to get employed and that won't be an easy task with his profile,' a person familiar with his case said. Succarieh's younger brother Ahmed (pictured) blew himself up in a suicide attack which killed 35 people on September 11, 2013, in the Syrian city of Deir al-Zor after leaving Australia five months earlier Succarieh ran an Islamic bookshop at the iQraa Islamic Centre in Logan until he was arrested in 2014 during terror raids. His bookstore was raided alongside a gym and seven other premises in Logan. Crossbows, a firearm and electronic data were seized when about 180 Queensland Police and AFP Police officers executed the nine search warrants. He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years behind bars, with a three-year non-parole period after he pleaded guilty. One of the charges included giving $US 43,700 to his brother Abraham, who was in Syria fighting against the Assad regime. Another charge was giving $7700 to an Australian-born citizen of Muslim Sunni faith to travel overseas in an alleged attempt to join the fight. Succarieh ran an Islamic bookshop at the iQraa Islamic Centre in Logan until he was arrested in 2014 during terror raids The court had heard Succarieh believed it was his religious duty to involve himself in the Syrian conflict. In handing down the sentence, Justice Roslyn Atkinson said there was no evidence Succarieh had planned any terrorist activity in Australia, the ABC reported. 'At the time of your offending, your religious beliefs were fundamentalist in nature,' she said. 'Your family has certainly been harmed, but the Muslim community is harmed by your offences because of the fear of them that it might engender in people thinking that you represent the Muslim community, which you most certainly don't.' NASA Artemis Accords Lays Foundation For International Moon Exploration Pact News oi-Sharmishte Datti Moon exploration will have a couple of new norms to follow henceforth. NASA has just laid the foundation for an international pact for Moon exploration with its Artemis Accords. These are governing principles that highlight safety zones to avoid 'harmful interference' from other countries and organizations as the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration puts it. NASA Artemis Accords Explained The NASA Artemis Accords are part of the space organizations to build a long-term presence on the Moon under the Artemis Moon program. The new norms permit organizations to own lunar resources for mining, which is indeed a crucial element that can convert Moon's water ice for rocket fuel or even mine lunar minerals for future landing pads. One of the key prospects of the Artemis Accords is that lunar exploration is a peaceful enterprise and isn't supposed to be a site for weapon storage of mass destruction. Also, the Accords restricts anyone from laying sovereign claim to an outer space body and ensures we don't contaminate the places we explore. "With numerous countries and private sector players conducting missions and operations in cislunar space, it's critical to establish a common set of principles to govern the civil exploration and use of outer space," the Artemis Accords read. As reported by Reuters, there's already an international framework in place as the Outer Space Treaty. However, this was quite vague with loose guidelines and now, NASA aims to provide a little more structure for future Moon exploration. NASA Artemis Accords Global Debate Of course, the Artemis Accords have set the stage for a global debate regarding the Moon exploration. Not all countries will gladly sign the agreement. For one, the agreement touches many tiny things like sharing data opening, just like NASA does and other countries would keep the Apollo landing site unharmed. Bridenstine hinted that countries like Japan and Canada are interested in this approach. But not everyone is game to sign the Artemis Accords. For one, Russia isn't very pleased with this idea and Dmitry Rogozin, director-general of Russia's Roscosmos argued that "the principle of invasion is the same, whether it be the Moon or Iraq." Nevertheless, NASA is hopeful that the global debate will bring in more countries on board for the Artemis Accords. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Mr Kweku Agyeman Manu, Minister for Health, has presented a State-of-the-Art COVID 19 testing equipment to the Ho Testing Centre to enhance its testing capacity and aid research on the Coronavirus disease. The equipment, a full set PRC Real-time Machine was given by the Ghana Atomic Energy, after it received it as part of logistical support from the Vienna based International Atomic Energy Commission. With this new Testing and Research Equipment, the Ho Covid-19 Testing Centre could now test 2,300 samples within 24 hours; hitherto, the Centre could only run 100 to 300 samples within the said hours, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister, who together with Professor John Owusu Gyapong, Vice Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences received the equipment, said. He was full of gratitude to stakeholders for the upgrade, and said the testing capacity of the facility would be increased sevenfold. The Regional Minister said the Centre would now meet testing demands from beyond the Volta and Oti Regions. Volta Region recorded 33 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus disease with 28 recoveries, one death and the remaining said to be responding to treatment. 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 A third person has been charged with murdering an NHS worker in east London. Vagnei Colubali, 22, was charged on Saturday over the death of marketing graduate David Gomoh, 24, who was stabbed outside his home in Newham on April 26 while he was on the phone to his girlfriend. Colubali was also charged with conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent against another unidentified man whom he also allegedly threatened with a knife, Scotland Yard said. Colubali, who was arrested on Friday in Cambridge, was remanded in custody to appear before Thames Magistrates Court on Monday, the force added. Mr Gomoh, who worked for the NHS in supplies and procurement and whose mother is a nurse, was killed just days before he was due to attend the funeral of his father, who died after contracting Covid-19. A post-mortem examination gave the case of death as stab wounds to the chest and abdomen. Muhammad Jalloh, 18, of Stratford, Newham, and a 16-year-old boy, of Telford, Shropshire, appeared at the Old Bailey by videolink charged with his murder on May 6. They are also accused of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent in connection with another alleged incident shortly before Mr Gomoh was found with knife wounds in Freemasons Road, in Newham. Judge Anthony Leonard QC set a plea hearing for July 22 and remanded the defendants into custody. By Trend The Center for Economic Research and Reforms of Uzbekistan conducted a business climate assessment survey in the country, Trend reports with reference to the Center. The assessment of the survey is based on the methodology of "Business Climate Index" of Germany, developed by the Institute for Economic Research Institute (IFO) in Munich. The business climate indicator stood at 26 points. This means that the business sentiment of entrepreneurs regarding the current state of their business is moderately positive. The analysis showed that out of 451 businesses, 34 percent assessed their business as "good", 46 percent - "fair" and only 19 percent - "bad". The indicator of expectations of the prospects of business development for the next 2-3 months amounted to 43 points, that is, reflects a positive attitude. The survey results showed that out of the total number, 52 percent responded "will improve", 33 percent - "will not change", only 14 percent - "will deteriorate". The indicator of business climate made up 35 points, i.e. its condition in Uzbekistan is assessed as "good". The country's economy is expected to experience rapid development in the next 2-3 months, the report says. Earlier, the CER published the Business Activity Index (BAI) for April, which showed negative changes not only compared to the previous month but also with the same period last year. The main reason for the decline in the IDA is the introduction of quarantine in all regions of the country in late March 2020. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A 21-year-old woman who recently returned to Manipur from Kolkata has tested positive for COVID-19, taking the total number of cases in the state to four, authorities of a hospital where she is being treated said on Saturday. The woman, who works as a nurse in a hospital in Kolkata, returned to Manipur in a bus on May 7 and was in a quarantine centre in Imphal West district till she tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, the authorities of state-run Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) here said. With this development, the number of active cases in the state has risen to two and both the patients are being treated at the JNIMS, they said. Earlier, two other COVID-19 patients had recovered from the disease. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) David Benham, Keith and Kristyn Getty join Trail Life USA for backyard movie and campout Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment David Benham and hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty have kicked off a nationwide backyard movie event for families nationwide as a way to lift morale during state lockdowns. The Backyard Movie Night and Campout was organized by boys adventure group Trail Life USA, a Christ-centered mentoring and discipleship program alternative to the Boy Scouts and held on Saturday. Tens of thousands of people have signed up to participate via a real-time video link that they can stream right from their own backyards. This is the perfect occasion to watch a great movie with a message and make memories together with your family, Mark Hancock, CEO of Trail Life USA, said in a statement shared with The Christian Post. Night one of the event well showcase the inspirational movie The Pilgrims Progress, a film that Hancock says reflects Trail Life USAs core values of character and adventure. Benham, a bestselling co-author of Whatever the Cost and Living Among Lions, along with his twin brother, Jason, will be the events emcee. The Gettys, best known for the modern hymn In Christ Alone, will begin the virtual movie night with a performance. Were all tired of being stuck inside our homes, and were desperate to get out and breathe the fresh air again, Hancock said. Were inviting all families everywhere to join us on this special night, roast some marshmallows over your backyard campfire, look up at the sky, and make memories. The first Backyard Campout was held April 17 with more than 6,000 families participating in the event during the initial shelter-at-home orders. This tedious lockdown doesnt have to get the better of us, Hancock stressed. We can turn this around to make some of the very best memories ever. Tens of thousands of families are now registered to participate in the backyard movie night this weekend. Others interested can register for free on Trail Life USAs website. Families receive a movie link and camping tips, outdoor recipes, and activity ideas contributed by Trail Life USA volunteers across the country. Trail Life CEO Mark Hancock told The Christian Post in an interview on Tuesday that his organization wanted to create a fun event amid the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic. "We think that families need something to look forward to in this time and we wanted to create for kids a positive experience out of this difficult time, Hancock said. "Adults may look back on it as a time of uncertainty and shortages and layoffs, but kids can look back and say, 'wow, that's when our family came to the backyard.'" Hancock told CP last month that Trail Life USA is seriously considering making the National Backyard Campout an annual event, even after the coronavirus pandemic comes to an end. "Our initial thoughts were that we needed a special event in this special time, he said, but we're hearing from more families that they really like the idea and it will certainly be something we're considering for the future." Trail Life USA was officially launched on New Years Day 2014 in response to the Boy Scouts of America voting to change their policies to allow for openly gay members. We believe that homosexuality is sinful and immoral, as is any sexual activity outside of the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, the FAQ page states. Consistent with this belief, we have specific policies that address membership and sin in both youth and adult members. Trail Life USA also doesn't permit the chartering of a troop by any church that does not accept the doctrine of the Trinity, such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Non-Trinitarian denominations do not participate in our program because our specific Statement of Faith adheres to Trinitarian doctrine, Trail Life USA states on its website. Since its establishment in 2014, Trail Life USA has grown to include over 30,000 members and more than 830 troops in all 50 states. Brigadier General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, a former Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces has chastised the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for being 'troublesome'. "The people have already intended to be troublesome and it's bad; it's sad," he said in reaction to the hullabaloo surrounding a new voters' register. The former National Security Advisor to the late Prof. John Evans Atta Mills was speaking in a one-on-one interview on Me Man Nti programme on Neat FM said there is no way President Akufo-Addo will do anything to jeopardize this country and that since he is the President, he should be allowed to make decisions in the interest of the country. "Akufo-Addo is not going to do anything which will harm Ghana . . . So why should the NDC fight him over a new voters' register? I don't think Akufo-Addo will intentionally do anything that will harm the country. Is he not a Ghanaian?" According to him, "compiling a new voters' register should not be a source of tension". "Why should I raise hell over a new voters' register? We need to stop it. If you are a bad person, you suspect every other person is also bad . . . we should think Ghana first," he added. Meanwhile, the largest opposition NDC has accused two bodies: National Identification Authority (NIA) and the Electoral Commission (EC) of conniving to disenfranchise Ghanaian youths all in a bid to rig the elections in favour of the ruling NPP government. EC's Denial The Electoral Commission (EC) has denied claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the Commission is plotting to rig the 2020 elections in favour of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). In a press statement signed by its acting Director of Public Affairs, Mrs Sylvia Annor, the EC described the allegations as a calculated attempt by the NDC to tarnish the image of the Commission. "It is impossible for the Commission to conspire with any political party or institution as is being speculated by Mr Ofosu-Ampofo and the NDC since the electoral process remains transparent at all levels, the EC said. NIA not conspiring with EC The National Identification Authority (NIA) has reacted to the allegation by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that it was conspiring with the Electoral Commission (EC) to rig the 2020 general elections in favour of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The NIA in a press statement on Friday challenged the NDC to provide evidence to support the allegation. NIA is not part of the election management architecture in Ghana. There is no conspiracy between NIA and EC to rig the 2020 elections. Election rigging is a serious criminal matter with dire political, economic and social consequences for any nation. Any person, party or institution alleging such a criminal conspiracy has a duty to report same to the police and provide the requisite evidence to support investigations and/or prosecution, the NIA said. Listen to Nunoo-Mensah in the video below Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/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 ALBANY Andrew Cuomo is receiving national acclaim for his handling of New York's coronavirus crisis and much of the praise is well deserved. But the adulation glosses over mistakes the governor has made, including the biggest one: The state mandate, recently abandoned, that nursing homes must admit suspected or diagnosed COVID-19 cases. While the Department of Health directive may have seemed justifiable at the time, given the extreme circumstances New York was anticipating at the apex of the crisis, the policy has contributed to tragic results. Many New York nursing homes have been ravaged by the pandemic, with more than 5,300 of their residents believed to have died from the outbreak. Critics believe many of those deaths are directly tied to the policy and say the outcome was predictable, given long-standing and well-documented problems at nursing homes. "We all know that nursing homes are seriously understaffed and under-equipped," said Ron Kim, a Democrat in the state Assembly whose Queens district includes nursing homes ravaged by the virus. "It was never their mission to treat COVID-19 patients." The governor's March 25 mandate said that nursing homes couldn't deny admission or readmission "based on a confirmed or suspected diagnoses of COVID-19." It also forbade nursing homes from requiring COVID-19 testing of incoming hospital transfers. The order was driven by fears that hospitals would be swamped during the pandemic and that COVID-19 patients who could be at nursing homes would occupy much-needed beds. There was also concern that if nursing homes rejected elderly residents, some could be left with nowhere to go. But the order overlooked that the coronavirus would present a new and distinct threat to nursing homes and their elderly residents. The mistake was odd, since Cuomo had issued an earlier directive banning all visitors from nursing homes because their patients were, he said, uniquely vulnerable during the pandemic. The two directives seem contradictory. If outside visitors were too risky, than admitting untested patients who might or might not have COVID-19 was also risky especially when many nursing homes were also facing critical shortages of personal-protective equipment as the crisis worsened. Kim notes that Cuomo's budget package, approved just as the crisis was bearing down on New York, included a provision that shielded nursing-home operators and hospitals from lawsuits related to COVID-19 deaths. As the New York Times reported, many lawmakers (Kim included) were unaware of the change when they approved the budget. The provision, in Kim's opinion, acted as a "disincentive" for nursing-home operators to take steps needed to confront the crisis and protect residents. "It was like a get-out-of-jail-free card," he said. I wouldn't go that far; nursing homes would have been unprepared for an epidemic that targets the elderly regardless. But that unpreparedness certainly means they shouldn't have been required to take COVID-19 patients. As outrage over the directive grew, Cuomo stressed that nursing homes could transfer patients if they couldn't provide adequate care. Richard Azzopardi, his spokesman, repeated the point Friday in an email: "The clear policy is if a nursing home does not have the facilities, the staff nor the protective equipment to care for a resident, they must transfer them to a place that can period." But the March 25 directive didn't actually say that or suggest any flexibility on the issue, while it did explicitly say that nursing homes couldn't discriminate based on COVID-19. The result was that nursing homes, which should have been given the highest level of protection possible, given the inherent vulnerabilities of their elderly populations, were left terribly exposed. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Last Sunday, Cuomo at last announced that hospitals would no longer be allowed to release patients to nursing homes unless they had tested negative for COVID-19, undoing a key element of the March 25 directive. "We're just not going to send a person who is positive to a nursing home after a hospital visit. Period," the governor said, though, strangely, he denied that the obvious policy reversal was a, you know, policy reversal. As I've previously written, much of the acclaim coming Cuomo's way during the pandemic stems from his clear, straightforward communication and his expressed willingness to take responsibility for tough decisions. "I accept full responsibility," the Democrat has said, repeatedly and admirably. But the governor hasn't been inclined to take responsibility for the nursing-home decision, or even explain why such an obviously mistaken policy wasn't abandoned much earlier. "He's unwilling to say there's anything they did that was wrong, and he doesn't seem willing to learn from his mistakes," said Kim, who believes the nursing home directive will be remembered as one of the deadliest policy errors in state history. "We're all learning as we go with this, and the governor is allowed to make mistakes. But not being able to recognize mistakes so we don't repeat them in a possible second wave of the pandemic is dangerous." If there's a silver lining to all this, it's that the deaths have focused attention on an industry that should have been spotlighted long ago. Some lawmakers, including Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, a Democrat from Manhattan, are even calling for an independent probe of the state's nursing-home policies. "The problems in nursing homes have been there for decades," Gottfried told me Friday. "COVID-19 made them worse and made them much more obvious." cchurchill@timesunion.com 518-454-5442 @chris_churchill Apparel Export Promotion Council on Saturday said it will ensure exports of non-medical and non-surgical masks worth USD 1 billion in next three months, after the government eased restrictions on outbound shipments of these products. Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on Saturday issued a notification amending the export policy to allow the export of non-medical and non-surgical masks of all types including cotton, silk, wool and knitted. Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC)said the decision will further boost the production of masks in the country. There is a huge opportunity for Indian Apparel manufacturers for export of such masks," AEPC Chairman A Sakthivelsaid, adding that there is a huge demand for the export of these products and the council has already identified the international markets for these non-medical and non-surgical masks. "The Council assures the government that it will ensure exports of these items to the tune of USD 1 billion within the next three months," Sakthiveladded. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fariba Adelkhah is sentenced to five years in jail for conspiring against Irans security and one year for propaganda. Iran has sentenced French-Iranian academic Fariba Adelkhah to six years in prison on national security charges, according to her lawyer. Saeid Dehghan told Reuters News Agency on Saturday he would appeal against the verdict. The branch 15 of Tehrans Revolutionary Court has sentenced her to five years jail for gathering and conspiring against Irans national security. She was also sentenced to one year jail term for propaganda against the Islamic Republic, he said. Iran dropped spying charges against Adelkhah, but she remained in jail on other security-related charges, Dehghan had said in March. Later on Saturday, France condemned the sentencing of Adelkhah in Iran and demanded her immediate release. This sentencing is not based on any serious element or fact and is thus a political decision, the French foreign ministry said in a statement. We are urging Iranian authorities to immediately release Mrs Adelkhah. No interference Iran had previously rejected Frances call to release Adelkhah, a 60-year-old anthropologist who has been held since June 2019, saying the demand is considered interference in its internal affairs. Tehran does not recognise dual nationality. In March, Iran released Adelkhahs partner, French academic Roland Marchal, who was arrested along with her. Marchal was released after France freed Iranian engineer Jalal Ruhollahnejad, held over alleged violations of United States sanctions against Tehran. A French court in May 2019 approved the extradition of Ruhollahnejad to the US to face charges of attempting to illegally import US technology for military purposes on behalf of an Iranian company which US officials said was linked to Irans elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRCG). The German economy shrank 2.2% in the first quarter, the most in more than a decade, offering an early flavor of the damage from the coronavirus outbreak. Less than two weeks of official lockdown caused slumps in consumer spending and capital investment. Government spending and construction provided some stabilization. A 3.8% slump in the euro-area economy led to a decline in employment, the first since 2013. A revision to Germany's fourth-quarter performance means Europe's largest economy is already in a recession. With restrictions to contain the pandemic only slowly being lifted, the economy is set to suffer much more in the three months through June. The German government has already mobilized some $1.3 trillion (1.2 trillion euros) to support German businesses, and is working on additional tools to kick-start the economy. More than 370,000 people lost their jobs in April alone, and a program in which the state compensates large parts of wages lost when businesses cut workers' hours has received applications for more than 10 million staff. Finance Minister Olaf Scholz on Thursday promised a stimulus program in early June that will focus on investing in a "modern and climate friendly future." The Italian government passed a stimulus package worth 55 billion euros this week to try to prop up the economy, after a previous 25 billion-euro plan in March was deemed insufficient. The decline in industrial sales and orders in the country exceeded 25% in March. Even though the situation is dire, Germany isn't faring as poorly as much of the rest of the euro area. France, Italy and Spain have all registered first-quarter contractions of around 5%. The Dutch economy shrank 1.7%. That's partly because German containment measures were comparatively light and only took effect on March 23, later than in other countries. There's also the economy's reliance on manufacturing and trade, sectors that have been weathering the crisis slightly better than the services and tourism industries that are dominant in Europe's south. Projections for Germany -- as well as the euro area -- are highly uncertain and largely depend on how the outbreak develops. The region's largest economy is on track for its worst recession since World War II, with the European Commission predicting a decline in output of 6.5% this year. Germany's Economy Ministry expressed confidence on Friday that the country has already seen the worst of the coronavirus slump. "The recovery began with the cautious lifting of the lockdown at the beginning of May," it said in an emailed statement. "But this process will take a longer time due to the continuation of the corona pandemic." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The European Central Bank has also offered some hope that the economy start improving in the second half. At the same time, policymakers including the ECB's vice president and the chief economist have cautioned that the speed and scope of the recovery will depend chiefly on confidence returning to consumers. In China, industrial output increased in April for the first time since the virus outbreak, suggesting the economy is starting to recoup losses. Yet retail sales extended their decline. In Germany, Volkswagen AG was forced to cut back production at its largest car factory this week after gradually restarting assembly lines last month, pointing to weak customer demand. Sportswear maker Puma SE forecasts the current quarter to be worse than the previous one, warning that the pandemic is crushing sales. Restaurants and hotels probably won't operate at full capacity as long as there's no vaccine or treatment for the coronavirus, and supply-chain disruptions mean exporters will continue to struggle. Hapag-Lloyd chief Rolf Habben Jansen said Friday he anticipates the pandemic will have "very significant impacts in 2020, beginning in the second quarter." Still, the container shipping company maintained its 2020 earnings forecast, counting on a gradual recovery in the global economy in the second half. Bengaluru, May 16 : The second train from New Delhi arrived here on Saturday morning with 503 passengers and there was no protest against the compulsory institutional quarantine, unlike the first batch of travellers on Thursday morning, said an official. "Second Rajdhani Express arrived at Bengaluru on Saturday morning from Delhi. No protest by travellers to undergo institutional quarantine," tweeted D. Roopa, Inspector General of Police (Railways). The police answered a few questioned raised by some returnees. But there was no protest unlike the passengers of the first train, some of whom returned to Delhi to avoid institutional quarantine. "There were questions that we answered. We remained patient, they were understanding," said Roopa. According to the South Western Railway (SWR) spokesperson, the train that left New Delhi on Thursday night arrived at Bengaluru City Junction Railway Station (SBC) at the right time (6.40 a.m.). Amid the coronavirus scare, the Karnataka government has announced that all inter-state travellers arriving here will be compulsorily placed in the institutional quarantine for a fortnight. "You can stay in government hostels for free or in specific hotels at your own cost. You will not be allowed to go to your homes before 14 days," said an official statement shared by the SWR officials. To drive home the message to passengers who boarded the special train in Old Delhi railway station for Karnataka on Thursday night, Karnataka Bhavan officials distributed pamphlets in Kannada and English about the quarantine requirements. Officials also sent out text messages to the travellers. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Saturday ordered extension of COVID-19 financial assistance of Rs 2,000 to all hairdressers irrespective of whether they were membersof a State board for their welfare or not. While the government has already been disbursing Rs 2,000 in two instalments to 14,667 members of the State welfare board for hairdressers, those who are not part of it have requested that they be also provided the relief, a government release here said. As part of lockdown curbs to prevent spread of coronavirus,hairdressing salons are not allowed to open. Considering their plea, the Chief Minister ordered disbursal of Rs 2,000 to them like the assistance being given to those with the board besides unorganised workers. The hairdressers should send their applications to localauthorities who will forward them based on eligibility criteriato district collectors for disbursal of the cash assistance, the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ana Sofia Reboleira, a biologist from the University of Copenhagen's Natural History Museum of Denmark, discovered a new species of a parasitic fungus in a non-traditional way. She discovered the species through Twitter. She first saw a photo of a millipede posted by Derek Hennen, a doctoral student at Virginia Tech, on Twitter. Hennen regularly posts millipede images of millipedes on his Twitter account. Reboleira's keen eyes spotted some beguiling dots on the creature's head. She said it looked like fungi on top of the millipede. She explained in a release on Friday that it was the first time the fungi had been found on American millipedes. On May 15, Hennen shared a Twitter thread recap of how the discovery of the fungi started. He originally posted the photo of the millipede back in 2018. The millipede in the picture came from Ohio, as part of Hennen's promise to send a collection of millipede photos through Twitter to people who have voted in the US midterm elections. After her initial discovery on Twitter, Reboleira then went hunting for the species in previously undocumented fungus by going through American millipede specimens conserved at the Natural History Museum. Her hunt led to the confirmation of the existence of a previously unknown species of Laboulbeniales. The species establishes an order that consists of over 2000 species that are obligate biotrophs or ectoparasites of insects, mites, and millipedes. They are possibly the oddest microfungi known because they have no hyphae or the long branching structures found in fungi. Instead, it has cellular thalli formed by the expansion and subsequent cell divisions of the two-celled ascospore. The researchers have named the species Troglomyces twitteri, after the social media platform where it was discovered. The findings of the study were published in the journal MycoKeys. Reboleira hopes that more scientists will share their work and discoveries on social media. She says that so far, their discovery of the fungus species has been the first time a scientific discovery has been made on Twitter. She adds that it shows how important social media platforms are in sharing research and achieving new results. A super cool story came out today! We finally have a species of ectoparasitic fungus known from millipedes in North America, thanks to @SReboleira 's keen eyesight. https://t.co/KMaklHpn6t Derek Hennen, Ph.D. (@derekhennen) May 14, 2020 Read Also: Newly Discovered Green Pit Viper Snakes Named After Harry Potter's Salazar Slytherin The Role of Social Media on Scientific Studies and Discoveries Three scientists, who use Twitter on a daily basis to broadcast their science, found a positive equivalence between social media involvement and traditional measures of scholarly activity. In their study published in 2018 in the journal PeerJ, researchers Clayton Lamb, Sophie Gilbert, and Adam Ford have concluded that researchers can increase the exposure of their research through social media engagement. Simultaneously, it can also enhance their performance under traditional approaches of scholarly activity. The researchers explain that there's a big hype when a paper comes out, but they say that there is this dismaying lull for a year or two while waiting for citations to accumulate. They say that most scientists aren't really aware of whether their science was reaching people or not. In their study, they quantified whether science communication may correlate with more citations. According to Lamb, in the case of Ecology and Conservation Science, it looked like it did. Also Read: Look: Rare Sea Slug Resembling a 'Blue Dragon' Washes up on Texas Shores Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 16:05:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian leadership postponed a meeting to discuss Israel's plan of annexing parts of the West Bank territories, a senior official said early on Saturday. Moneer al-Jaghoub, a senior official in Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, said in a short press statement that the meeting, which was scheduled to be held later on Saturday, was postponed until further notice. Al-Jaghoub didn't give more additional details on the reasons behind postponing the meeting. The Palestinian leadership, which convened earlier this week and was chaired by President Abbas, decided to hold a meeting on Saturday to discuss the Israeli plan of annexing parts of the West Bank and put it under its sovereignty. Meanwhile, Saeb Erekat, secretary general of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee, welcomed on Saturday the remarks of King Abdullah II of Jordan on the dangers of the Israeli annexation plan. Erekat tweeted that "the annexation means one thing only which is that peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians can never be achieved as well as peace between Israel and the Arab states." Enditem A giant revenue stream lies at the heart of the clashes between rebel groups in Syrias Idlib and Turkish-controlled regions that the Syrian rebels deem as liberated areas. The attempts of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the hard-line Islamist group controlling the last rebel stronghold, to revive commercial ties with Syrian government-held areas highlights the importance of revenue generating streams for the region. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and much of the international community, is dragging its feet on forgoing control of the strategic M4 highway in Idlib as called for in the March 5 cease-fire deal between Turkey and Russia. The first Hayat Tahrir al-Sham attempt came April 18, when the group tried but failed to set up a commercial crossing in the key city of Saraqeb on the Aleppo-Damascus highway. The second attempt to open such a crossing in Maarat al-Nassan was blocked by rebel rivals opposed to reviving trade with the areas controlled by the Syrian regime. Armed factions staged nine separate demonstrations to protest the move; Hayat Tahrir al-Sham forces dispersed the protests by force, killing one fighter. The deadly escalation shows the importance of so-called customs fees collected at crossings for the armed factions in Idlib. Simultaneously, in-house rifts sparked among the Turkish-backed rebels in Afrin, Tell Abyad, al-Bab and Jarablus. Aside from foreign aid, the revenue wheel spins on three main pillars: taxes taken from shopkeepers, customs fees taken from vehicles crossing at checkpoints between regions and criminal activities such as looting, other taking of property and ransom. Ankara doesnt impose customs fees on basic needs and foods at crossings linking Turkey and Syrias rebel-held territories, but Turkish-backed rebels do. Armed rebels have also turned domestic crossings into de facto customs points. Such customs fees taken from vehicles crossing at checkpoints between regions are often described as extortion money. After seizing the Bab al-Hawa border crossing, and crossings linking Idlib with Aleppo and Hama in 2017, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham began taking the lions share of the customs fees. However, Idlibs connection with Aleppo and Hama was cut off by the Russian-backed Syrian governments military push aiming to take control of the M4 and M5 highways, and this has stripped Hayat Tahrir al-Sham of the revenues it was taking at several locations, including Qalat al Madiq, Abu Zuhur, Morek and al-Ais. The radical group is now pursuing alternative funds to compensate for its losses. Said al-Ahmed, a Hayat Tahrir al-Sham official responsible for crossings, said 95% of the goods that currently enter Idlib are from Turkey and only 5% from government-controlled areas. Turkey, in turn, buys only 10% of Idlib's production, leading to a product surplus, particularly in agriculture. Regime-held areas stand as the only potential buyer for this surplus. Saleh al-Hamawi, the former commander of Jabhat al-Nusra the predecessor of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham says the armed group was making more than $2 million monthly from six crossings in Idlib, with Morek being the most profitable at some $800,000. According to the Asharq Al Awsat, commercial vehicles had to pay between $300 to $500 at the Morek crossing depending on the size of their cargo. After losing five of the crossings to Syrian government forces, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham was left with the Mansura crossing. Still, the SyriaCall website claims the militant group gets some $2 million in monthly revenue from Mansura, which was formerly controlled by the Nureddin Zengi Brigade. The most profitable crossing is Bab al-Hawa on the Turkish border, where Turkey directly engages with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham despite considering it a terrorist organization. The armed group earns $4 million from the crossing monthly, according to SyriaCall. After seizing control of Bab al-Hawa in 2017 from Ahrar al-Sham, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched a customs office within its civilian body, the so-called Salvation Government, for the management of border and internal crossings. At the Bab al-Hawa crossing the group takes between $3 to $60 per ton for each cargo, with food products generally being charged some $5 per ton. The tariff rises further for technology products based on their weight or number of items. Some 115,000 trucks passed through the crossing in 2019. Furthermore, the group also controls the Deit Balut and Gazaviye crossings linking Afrin and Idlib. Syrian journalist Nurhat Hesen said Hayat Tahrir al-Sham takes $7 minimum per vehicle at these two crossings. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham also seizes 10% of the humanitarian aid, Hesen told Al-Monitor. The group makes some $2 million just from the Gazaviye crossing monthly, according to SyriaCall. The two crossings bear logistical importance as Gazaviye links Afrin to Aleppo to the north and Azaz near the Turkish border to the south and the Atme refugee camp to the southeast. In addition to those two crossings, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham also controls three unofficial crossings linking Turkeys border province of Hatay and Idlib. Hayat Tahrir al-Shams resources are not limited to the customs revenues. Each shopkeeper in Idlib pays $50 monthly in extortion money to the radical group, Hesen said, adding that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham also sells deserted lands in Harem and Deir Hassan. Each house in Idlib pays $4 for water and $2 monthly in a garbage tax to the group. A big income source has been energy; Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has monopolized oil products through a company called WATAD. Syria TV said WATADs monthly income is more than $1 million, with $250,000 from diesel, $400,000 from gasoline and $400,000 from electricity. A Hayat Tahrir al-Sham official announced in September that the groups monthly income had reached $130 million. In Turkish-backed opposition-held territories, meanwhile, the profit wheel mostly relies on irregular incomes. Bab al-Salam, a Syrian opposition-held border crossing near Azaz, brings in roughly $3 million monthly. The interim government of the Syrian opposition receives 15% of the tax revenues that are being deposited in a Turkish bank account. The Turkish-backed groups also control 10 more crossings in al-Bab, Aleppo, Latakia, Afrin, Jarablus, Ras al-Ain and Tell Abyad. The crossings in Jarablus, al-Rai and Hammam are mostly used by the Turkish military and allied forces. Turkish-backed groups make millions of dollars from the transports to and from the regime-controlled areas, Hesen said. Taxes they impose on shopkeepers are also an important source of revenue as well. War spoils often lead to clashes among Turkish-backed allied factions. Turkish-backed groups do not receive adequate salaries. They havent been paid in months, Hesen said. This is the main driving motive for resorting to stealing, plundering and kidnappings. Furthermore, the groups that refuse to send fighters to Libya have been threatened to have their salaries cut. Aside from feeding the warlords, these profit-generating schemes are also undermining the new Turkish plan for a joint army on the rebel side. Turkey, in turn, has largely refrained from interfering in the rebels revenue-generating means as its main concern is to retain its control in Syria. With NBC continuing its trip down memory lane by showing American Pharoah's 2015 Preakness Stakes (G1) May 16, I thought we'd also take a trip down memory lane by going behind the scenes of all three Triple Crown races and showcasing some of the more memorable moments. American Pharoah's journey to possible superstardom began in earnest one morning at the McKathan Brothers Farm in Florida, where he was given his early training. The McKathans - J.B. and Kevin - were putting on a breeze show for the Zayats, showcasing their 2-year-olds. In attendance were representatives from WinStar Farm and several trainers, including Dale Romans and Tony Dutrow. "We knew American Pharoah was special as soon as we let him do something on the track," said Chris Alexander, who has been with the McKathans for eight years and deals directly with the Zayats. "At the breeze show, everybody was there, and J.B. asked me, When are you bringing up Pharoah?' I said I needed to breeze a couple of sets first, because he needs to be last and be on the racetrack by himself." Alexander and the McKathans were well aware of the show American Pharoah was about to put on. "Everyone was standing there talking and he came galloping by the viewing stand and we told them this was the best one Mr. Zayat's got," Alexander said. "Then when he broke off at the pole everyone went quiet." American Pharoah came flying down the stretch with those smooth, magnificent strides and everyone at once knew they were looking at something out of the ordinary. As he passed the wire, all you could hear was Ahmed Zayat utter an expletive phrase beginning with the word "Holy." As the colt was pulling up, J.B. wasted no time in telling Zayat, "Figure out who you're gonna send him to and get him out of here." "J.B. turned to me and said, "Chris, get this sucker off the farm right now," Alexander said. "He's too much horse for us to have here. Tammy Fox (Dale Romans' wife) was watching the breeze at the other end of the viewing stand and leaned over and said, Dale, I want that one.' But everyone wanted him. You could gallop him with two fingers, but once you took the rings off and he knew he was working, then he'd be tough. But he'd walk back to the barn and cool out in 10 minutes. Thirty minutes later you'd go to his stall and he was laid out fast asleep. This was after just going out there and working like you couldn't even imagine a horse could work." Kevin McKathan added, "I've had my hands on a lot of talented horses (including many of Baffert's top horses), but I've never had my hands on a horse this special and this fast." Although Baffert did not attend the breeze show, he was sent a video of the colt working and immediately contacted Ahmed Zayat and said, "Just remember, the Breeders' Cup is at Santa Anita this year." Before he knew it, American Pharoah was in his barn and life was about to change for the Baffert and Zayat families. ------------------------------------------ Most of the Preakness horses were saddled in the indoor paddock, and as they headed out to the track, the rain began, getting harder and harder. The track had been sealed before the race, and when they harrowed it just before post time, one would have thought the rain was going to hold off. But before long, sheets of heavy rain pelted the track. Baffert, his wife Jill, and son Bode took their usual place in front of a TV screen near the entrance to the paddock. The wind began to pick up, with an occasional gust blowing the rain into the paddock. Soon it was a deluge outside. Jill began getting nervous, especially with the thunder and lightning and with American Pharoah breaking from the inside post and the TV revealing deep standing water right along the rail. "It's a river on the rail; that's not right," she said. "If he can overcome this and still win, he really is something special." Baffert added, "That wind is really sharp. This changes the whole picture. But it's too late now, we can't change it." Baffert even starting thinking about the ear plugs he puts in American Pharoah's ears getting waterlogged. Although Baffert and Jill were concerned with the turn of events, it was up to 10-year-old Bode to instill the confidence everyone had just a few minutes earlier. Bode's concern with the heavy rain was much more simple. "How are we going to get to the winner's circle?" he asked. Jill stayed as far away from that question as possible, not wanting to go there. Conditions got so bad and so dangerous the fans in the infield had to be evacuated. The scene that just a few minutes earlier was filled with electricity and anticipation had now turned to mayhem. People caught outside resorted to holding folding chairs over their head. As the field loaded in the gate, Jill, visibly upset, cradled her hands against her face, as if dreading the possibilities that could ensue. American Pharoah broke well and Baffert was happy to see him and Dortmund running so well. Around the far turn, Divining Rod came charging up along the inside and began closing the gap on American Pharoah, with Dortmund trying to make a run on the outside and taking over second briefly. But he could never sustain the run and dropped out of contention. But Divining Rod was still running strongly and closing in. "Come on, boy," Baffert urged American Pharoah. "Who is that, the seven?" he asked, referring to Divining Rod. "The seven is right there, too. Uh, oh, come on Pharoah. Come on Pharoah." As if on cue, American Pharoah, as is his custom, threw his ears up as if letting his followers know he had everything well under control. Espinoza, unlike the Derby, never had to go to the whip, merely waving it a couple of times, as American Pharoah bounded away to a four-length lead at the eighth pole, with Baffert now breaking out in a big smile, knowing Pharoah had it wrapped up. He continued to pour it on, winning as he pleased by seven lengths, while running straight as the proverbial arrow the entire length of the stretch. "What a horse," an elated and noticeably choked up Baffert said as soon as American Pharoah crossed the finish line. Jill was in tears. Baffert turned to his son and asked, "Bode, you mind getting wet?" At that point, rain or no rain, none of them had any trouble getting to the winner's circle. ---------------------------- So, let the comparisons with Seattle Slew continue. It is still too early from a historical standpoint to actually make that comparison, but there is one person who has the credentials to do so -- Paula Turner, former wife of Slew's trainer Billy Turner. Paula rode Slew and gave him his early training on the farm and then came to New York with him to introduce "Huey" (Slew's nickname) to the track, giving him his first race gallop. "I came back from that gallop and told Billy, "He's the one. This is the one you've been waiting for," Paula said. "American Pharoah is the only horse who's reminded me of Huey's authoratative command of a race; just daring anyone to come near. His 'try and run with me if you can' show took me right back to Huey. Watching the (Preakness), I commented, 'Now, that's authority; so reminiscent of Slew. American Pharoah looked like he wanted to run off after the finish, which Slew also did when horses tried passing him afterward." ------------------------------- Belmont day began with an unwelcomed surprise, as a steady, and at times heavy, rain fell on Belmont Park. The inside portion of the track was sealed early, with cones being placed about five paths out from the rail. When trainer Kiaran McLaughlin received a report on the track condition, he opted to send Frosted to the training track for his race day training. Behind Barn 8 were four large RV vehicles, providing a compound-like atmosphere for American Pharoah's owner Ahmed Zayat and his family. Confident all week, Zayat admitted he was concerned for the first time because of the weather and the track condition. At around 10 a.m., Zayat, who is deeply religious and cannot drive on Saturday because of the Jewish Sabbath, stood at the front end of the RV reciting the Sabbath prayer. In his own way he no doubt was also praying for a safe and clean trip for all the horses. Soon it was time for family and friends to visit and indulge in helpings of whitefish, lox, bagels, cream cheese, and assorted danish and pastries. What Zayat feared was a drying out track, which, unlike slop, could make for a testing and demanding surface. "At this juncture, I'm freaking out," he said. "I'm very anxious, but it's something I can't control." What Zayat didn't realize, or wouldn't let himself realize, was that the racing gods had already reserved a place for American Pharoah in the history books, and that they would soon bring a pleasant breeze and bright sunshine to help dry out the track. Everything was now in place for a historic afternoon. Zayat felt somewhat relieved when he was told that Espinoza would be riding the Baffert-trained Sky Kingdom in the mile and a half Brooklyn Invitational to get a feel for the distance and see how the track was playing. "I didn't know that," Zayat said. "I love it. Now I'm feeling a little better." Zayat on this morning was once again confronted with an unflattering story in the New York Times (this time on the front page) titled, "Ahmed Zayat's Journey: Bankruptcy and Big Bets," as well as a TMZ-like front page story in the New York Post on Victor Espinoza's personal affairs. Well-timed media ambushes such as these had become commonplace for Zayat since the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1). But on this day Zayat had more important things on his mind and he was trying to think only positive thoughts. He had recently found out a lawsuit against him that had triggered so much unfavorable publicity had been dismissed by a federal judge, and he had just donated $100,000 to the Belmont Child Care Association. So the negative energy that had invaded the euphoria of this once-in-a-lifetime journey had dissipated and he and his family could now focus on the fairy tale ending about to unfold. "We're on the doorstep of making history," Zayat said, as he finally was able to grab a little whitefish salad. "With us being in this game since only 2006, it is amazing for my family to be having this humbling experience." Like the previous 11 Triple Crown winners, it is ultimately all about the horse. "Thank God this horse has not had a single hiccup," he said. "We couldn't afford to have even one. And what's scary is, this horse is getting better. He is more intelligent, and he loves what he does. He's the definition of a Thoroughbred. It's how majestically they move." As if on cue, there was American Pharoah shown galloping on TVG. "Look at him, we're talking about him right now," Zayat said. "Look at his ears, pricked and happy. His coat, his sheer energy...it sounds like I'm making love to somebody. If he wins the Triple Crown, in 10 years everybody will remember American Pharoah; they won't care about the owner." Affirmed's owner Louis Wolfson had spent nine months in a federal prison for conspiracy and illegal stock sales, and his daughter Marsha reached out to Zayat's wife, Joanne. "She called me and said, Listen, people tortured my father all through the entire Triple Crown campaign,'" Joanne said. They wrote horrible things about him. I just want you to make sure you enjoy the moment. Don't let the bad guys get involved and ruin it for you.'" ----------------------------------- This time, there was nothing that could stop the irresistible force known as American Pharoah and his date with destiny. We salute all those who tried and failed since 1978. But, finally, we hail a conquering hero, who has broken through those hallowed gates and ascended into immortality. Nearly four decades of pent up disappointment and frustration came spilling out onto the Belmont Park track June 6, where American Pharoah and jockey Victor Espinoza took a well deserved victory lap after winning the Belmont Stakes Presented by DraftKings (G1) by 5 1/2 glorious lengths. They were greeted by a wave of cheers that rose to a deafening crescendo, as people in the packed grandstand hugged, kissed, and cried. Joyce Patci, who does volunteer work at Old Friends retirement facility, was in the grandstand and described the scene best: "When American Pharoah crossed the wire, flowers came cascading down from the upper balcony. It was like we were in a movie...or dream. I was shaking, the stands were shaking. I hugged two ladies behind us and literally beat up a poor man to my right; a perfect stranger." The waiting was over, as new generations of racing fans and even those with only a casual interest in the sport finally were able to experience the emotions that come with witnessing a Triple Crown winner. In the clubhouse, Penny Chenery, owner of Secretariat, and Patrice Wolfson, owner of the last Triple Crown winner Affirmed, sat in adjoining boxes and welcomed a new member to racing's most exclusive fraternity, even though both seemed protective of their own horses, while cognizant of the fact that another had infiltrated that sacred triumvirate of the 1970s after so many years. Both used the exact same short-but-sweet words to describe their feelings: "I'm happy for racing." ---------------------------------- At the barn, American Pharoah never left the front of all stall, as Baffert and his family, Espinoza, and dozens of visitors took turns posing for pictures and petting him, while photographing him with the Triple Crown trophy. When Jill walked up to his stall, she hugged him tightly and leaned her head against his neck, remaining in that position for about 30 seconds. No words were needed. Through it all, the horse never once seemed bothered, and accepted all the petting and hugging and attention as if actually enjoying it. He remained virtually motionless as Baffert, Jill, and all of Baffert's children posed with him for a family portrait. Earlier, in the winner's circle photo, he never turned a hair despite being engulfed by a mass of humanity that could have proved dangerous with another horse. This brought to an end one of the most magical and exhilarating days of racing ever and certainly one of the most emotional. After the race, TV analyst and longtime jockey Richard Migliore, said, "How come I feel like I want to cry?" The answer is simple according to Edgar Allen Poe, who wrote, "Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears." And the beauty that was witnessed at Belmont Park as American Pharoah glided down the stretch in isolated splendor will stir the emotions of every "sensitive soul" who can now say they saw a Triple Crown winner. As India continues its battle against COVID-19, Shah Rukh Khan jots down a few lessons that learnt from the lockdown. He wrote, "That we have been living far beyond our exigencies, most of which don't really matter as much as we thought they did. That we really don't need (emotionally) more people around us than the ones we feel like talking to while we are locked up." The Devdas actor further added, "That we can stop the clock for a bit and reimagine our lives when the rush to acquire false securities is peeled away from us. That we can laugh with those we fought so hard... and know that our ideas weren't actually any bigger than theirs and above all, love is still worth it, no matter what anyone else tells you!" Shah Rukh Khan, who has been quarantining with his family in Mumbai, put his step forward in so many things to help the nation in its fight against the pandemic. From contributing to PM-CARES relief fund to spreading love and awareness, Shah Rukh Khan not only won millions of hearts but also set the right example as a superstar. Coronavirus Scare: Netizens Laud Shah Rukh Khan For Announcing Several Initiatives To Help Citizens Shah Rukh Khan had earlier tweeted, "In these times it's imp to make everyone around u working tirelessly for u.. not related to u.. perhaps even unknown to u... to feel they are not alone and by themselves. Let's just make sure we all do our little bit to look after each other. India and all Indians are One Family." For the unversed, Shah Rukh Khan also provided 25000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the frontline warriors, and offered his office building to the BMC for quarantine purpose. (Social media posts are unedited.) As Ireland comes to terms with the historic decision to cancel the Leaving Certificate exams, Gorey students and their teachers have welcomed the decision. Both Principal Michael Finn and sixth year student Conor Brennan of Gorey Community School said that in the end they weren't surprised by the move. Conor is Student Council President and hopes to study law and politics at UCD after his Leaving Certificate. He said, at the end of the day, the Leaving Certificate is about fairness. 'This cancellation is what the majority of students would have wanted. From the amount of people I've spoke to - from teachers, parents, priests and religious leaders to older people - they were all in favour. At the end of the day the Leaving Certificate is about fairness and fairness has just gone out the window especially with the digital divide. Some teachers don't have access to the internet. 'Without public health advice, I couldn't see it proceeding. During the exams you have over 60,000 students, 20,000 invigilators and another 20,000 students sitting outside the doors, I didn't think so'. As school leaders come to terms with the new marking system, which will see school principals sign off on grades in the third stage, Michael Finn said it brings new responsibility. 'The system being introduced, I'm confident that it'll be robust, transparent and fair. In the overall circumstances of the situation that we find ourselves in, this is the best possible outcome. It's a big responsibility, but it's one that I'll be taking very seriously as I'll be signing off on students' futures'. Mr Finn said that the running of the exams would have been challenging. 'Given the current state of the crisis, I really was at a loss to see how we were going to manage having students in. We have a large school and we would have had 250 students in for two weeks in July being taught by teachers. We were thinking creatively about how we'd do it, spreading people out and reducing numbers as much as possible but it would still create significant risks. With the numbers we have, you're going to have both students and teachers with underlying health conditions or indeed those who come from a home where someone lives with an elderly person or someone with underlying health conditions. The logistics of trying to run the Leaving Cert while observing social distancing, the challenges were going to be quite significant'. Although Conor was critical about a lack of communication from the Department of Education, with opposition TDs as well as students, Mr Finn said that the Department has communicated well with schools. 'I feel the Minister for Education has been put in a very difficult position. I know he has come in for criticism recently but I think, given the circumstances, I feel he's made the best decision possible,' said Mr Finn. 'This is unprecedented, there's no manual to tell you how to navigate your way out of this. The channels of communication have been excellent and our main source of communication has been with the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools (ACCS), our management body, who are being informed by the Department. So far we've had very good direction from the department and the ACCS and I know that we're going to continue to get that direction throughout the course of this process'. Both agreed that there has been a mixed response to this development from students, teachers and parents. 'There are many students out there who want to sit the exams. They've worked hard, they could be the kind of students who work well under pressure and have really pushed the boat out in terms of their work output in February and March and they feel they could perhaps be disadvantaged by this process that's being put in place,' said Mr Finn. 'Teachers are professional individuals, they've gone to college and that needs to be respected. It's up to teachers now to show themselves up that they can do this in a fair way with the respect that they deserve,' said Conor Brennan. Conor said that it has been difficult to continue studying as normal during the crisis. 'It's very hard to motivate yourself when the goal posts are being moved quite often and there's also speculation that the Leaving Cert won't happen. Some people say it's easier to study because you're not seeing anyone but it's the complete opposite, it makes it very difficult to study. 'There's a lot more to the Leaving Cert than two weeks of exams. Your whole graduation from school and the kind of camaraderie and spirit of your friends helps you through one of the most difficult and stressful times of your life. The carpet has been taken out from under us as we can't see our friends, we can only leave our house for essential journeys unless within our five kilometres for exercise. 'Of course I was thinking ahead to sitting the Leaving Cert but at the end of the day public health advice and protecting the lives of others is the most important thing. If it needs to be cancelled, cancel it. I'd rather save the lives of others than do a Leaving Cert exam'. Both agreed that the year 2020 could be a defining moment in changes in education. 'I think this is going to change the way we work because of the amount of technologies and initiatives that are out there now that I didn't know existed,' said Mr Finn. 'We have transition year students now who are doing paired reading with first year students online. The staff members can move in and out to monitor what's going on. The response has been wonderful, people have adapted very well. We had a few teething problems initially but we have it sorted now that students and teachers are working to their timetable, most teachers are teaching classes live using the Teams software. Overall been a really positive experience. 'Obviously we want to be back and there's no substitute for being back in the school on so many levels, but I think it is going to adjust and change for the better the way we work'. Conor said: 'I think we need to move away from the Leaving Cert as we know it and move into a more continual assessment basis which would involve up to 50% of marks being awarded in fifth year. Those should be marked externally with grades given out by the State Examinations Commission'. Bogota: A Colombian company has created a hospital bed from cardboard that can turn into a coffin if a COVID-19 patient dies. Through this initiative, the Bogota-based firm ABC Displays seeks to help address a shortage of hospital beds and facilitate the safe management of corpses. Rodolfo Gomez, left, and his employees demonstrate how their design of a cardboard box can serve as both a hospital bed and a coffin. Credit:Fernando Vergara The company's manager, Rodolfo Gomez, pointed out that the bed is biodegradable, can hold up to 150kg, costs about $US127 ($200) - three times less than a normal one, and meets the requirements of comfort and functionality. "We developed it because of the situation caused by COVID-19 in the world because we realised that there was a lack of hospital beds," Gomez told EFE. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the worlds premier public health agency, was stooped over the White House lectern. He conceded that the coronavirus pandemic had overwhelmed the US, and that there would be a difficult second wave of the virus later in the year. His boss had different thoughts, however. Redfield, a career virologist, made way for Donald Trump, the US president and former host of The Apprentice, who intoned to the cameras that Redfield had been totally misquoted in a previous Washington Post story warning of a damaging resurgence of Covid-19. Invited to clarify, Redfield confirmed he was quoted correctly. Trump again took to the lectern to try a different tack. You may not even have corona coming back, the president said, contradicting Redfield again. Just so you understand. The CDC director, looking on impassively, would not appear at a White House coronavirus press conference again. The exchange, on 22 April, was seen by some CDC staff as grim confirmation that the agencys venerated expertise has been shoved to one side as Covid-19 continues to ravage the US, causing more than 80,000 deaths so far. For the first time since 1946, when the CDC flickered to life in a cramped Atlanta office with a brief to fight malaria, the agency is not at the frontline of a public health emergency in the US. The low profile of the CDC has caused frustration and some embarrassment, according to Jeffrey Koplan, the director of the CDC under Bill Clinton and George W Bush. Its like youre an accomplished violinist playing in a quartet and youre told you cant use your right arm. Thats the feeling. When facing previous threats to public health, from the H1N1 flu pandemic to salmonella outbreaks to the emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars), the CDC was a hive of activity publicly and behind the scenes, holding daily briefings, working on vaccines, and crafting guidance solemnly followed by governments domestic and foreign. Story continues But during Covid-19, the greatest health emergency in a century, the CDC has been almost entirely erased by the Trump administration as the public face of pandemic response. An approach of collaboration and open dialogue has been replaced by reticence and a fear of retribution from the Trump administration, according to some CDC staff. The diminished role of the CDC is obvious to its former leaders. Theres no question the CDC has been sidelined, said Tom Frieden, CDC director during Barack Obamas presidency. The US has not been making use of CDCs expertise, and as a result the response has not been good as it could have been. I can only imagine how distressing it is to not contribute during to the biggest public health crisis in our lifetimes. Frieden said there is puzzlement among the American people over the CDCs absence from the public stage, leading to confusion over the scope of the pandemic and the best measures to tackle it. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, has been out of public view since accurately predicting a pandemic in February. Photograph: Amanda Voisard/Reuters The early days of the virus outbreak did see several CDC officials issue stark warnings, only to disappear from public view. Nancy Messonnier, the director of the CDCs National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, accurately forecast on 25 February that the virus was not contained and would grow into a pandemic. This comment, which diverged from the confident assurances given by other administration officials, caused the stock market to plunge and prompted a reportedly enraged Trump to threaten to fire her. Messonnier, one of the countrys most respected virus experts, was then removed from future White House press conferences and, after subsequently warning that the virus could extend into next year, has not featured since in public briefings held by the CDC. When we were hearing from Nancy regularly, we had a real sense of what was happening with the pandemic. But it clearly wasnt popular with the administration, said Frieden. The White Houses coronavirus taskforce has taken on much of the CDCs mantle. Redfield, currently self-quarantining after coming into contact with an administration adviser with Covid-19, is a member of the taskforce, but has been largely eclipsed by Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who is also isolating himself for the same reason. The presence of these experts has not prevented Trump making a string of inaccurate and potentially dangerous statements, such as claiming the virus would fade away by April, that a vaccine will be shortly available and that people may want to inject themselves with disinfectant to treat the virus. These weird therapies and concepts have undermined confidence, said Koplan. During a pandemic youre not looking for weird, particularly from someone in ultimate authority. Members of a cleaning crew push a barrel to be loaded in a CDC truck after cleaning the New York apartment of a doctor exposed to Ebola in October 2014. The CDC has hitherto been at the forefront the US response to pandemics. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters CDC advisories have either been fatally undermined or buried by the Trump administration or the presidents own pronouncements. After the CDC recommended the wearing of face coverings in public, Trump used the same announcement to confirm he would not, in fact, be wearing a mask. Somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful Resolute Desk, the great Resolute Desk, I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, dictators, kings, queens, I dont know, I dont see it for myself, the president said. Frieden said the garbled message conveyed to the public was very unfortunate. Other advice sent from the CDCs Atlanta base to the White House has been rejected, such as a suggestion in March that sick and elderly Americans be advised not to fly on commercial airlines because of Covid-19. A CDC stipulation that cruise ships remain docked until August was amended by the White House to allow the ships to set sail a month earlier. As Trump shifted from fraught attempts to contain the coronavirus to advocate for a reopening of American businesses, the CDC drew up a step-by-step guide, approved by Redfield, for state and local authorities on how to safely allow people to frequent restaurants, bars and other public spaces again. However, the White House told scientists the guidance would never see the light of day, according to reporting by AP. Trump advisers, including the presidents chief of staff, Mark Meadows, reportedly felt the document was too prescriptive. The CDC put forward much stricter advice on reopenings than the White House, according to AP, such as placing a much longer timeframe before non-essential travel was recommended to resume. The decision has left the US with no detailed federal plan on how to emerge from the pandemic lockdown, echoing the administrations lack of a plan to roll out widespread testing and contact tracing to try to curb the spread of the virus. At one point, Trump claimed to have ultimate authority over such matters but has since left it to individual states on how to proceed. There continues to be absent a cohesive, thoughtful plan that everyone can buy into and follow, said Koplan. Leaving it to the states alone is somewhat misguided. There is no federal game plan, and there is a price to pay for that. Robert Redfield, the CDC director, addresses a US Senate hearing on Covid-19 by video link from his home, where he is self-isolating. Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock The CDC has also erred during the pandemic, most significantly in the initial effort to develop its own test for Covid-19. The testing kits proved to be faulty, with the problem compounded by sluggish efforts to rectify the deficiencies and then by severe bottlenecks in distributing enough tests to the public. The US is still falling well short of the number of tests experts say is needed every day to allow a safe resumption of normal life. Related: No leadership and no plan: is Trump about to fail the US on coronavirus testing? But public health specialists are still mystified by the CDCs low profile as the pandemic has swept across the country. The CDC has the best public health officials there are they are very intelligent and tremendous public servants. But they have been sidelined, said Howard Koh, former assistant secretary for health. We need their scientific leadership right now. Koplan said the last few months has left the CDC badly bruised but added it was encouraging that polling shows Americans still mostly have positive feelings about the agency. The CDC has been shaken but this experience will show that we need to reaffirm its role, he said. A spokesman for the CDC said there was no ban or restriction on agency experts speaking publicly. The mainstays of CDC epidemiology, laboratory science and surveillance are helping shape our nations response, as well as the response by our state and local health department partners who continue to be on the frontline fighting this war, he said. CDC is 100% engaged operationalizing the response throughout this nation. Russia: US citation of its right under JCPOA astonishing IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Moscow, May 15, IRNA -- Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that it is astonishing that American legal experts cite the rights of the US in resolutions on Iran that have been violated by White House officials. Addressing weekly news briefing on Thursday, she added that two years passes since the US withdrew from the JCPOA and with this move, US President Donald Trump paved the way for US refusal to implement the international deal and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231. Criticizing the US for the move, she pointed out that a member of Security Council challenged the council's decisions and refused to execute them. She also hoped that remaining countries in the JCPOA will do their utmost to shield the international deal from collapse. By violating the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, the United States discredited itself and violated its commitments to implement the terms of the agreement and the Security Council's decision, Zakharova said. A country that violates a Security Council resolution cannot cite its provisions, and the United States' attempt to cite Resolution 2231 to start using the trigger mechanism is unpleasant for the international community, she reiterated. 8072**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PARIS Renault is preparing to substantially reduce its vehicle range, withdrawing well-known but ailing models like the Espace minivans, as part of looming cost cutting plans, four sources in the industry and close to the French carmaker said. The company, shaken by the downfall of its once star CEO Carlos Ghosn and by setbacks in its main markets, is set to detail at the end of the month how it aims to cut costs by 2 billion euros ($2.16 billion) over the next three years. That will coincide with Renault's embattled Japanese partner Nissan's own strategic update, set to be outlined on May 28 and which should encompass a pullback from Europe and elsewhere to focus on the United States, China and Japan. "The project is not yet completely set in stone but the Espace, the (compact minivan) Scenic and the large sedan Talisman should already be considered scrapped from the future product program, it is practically a given that these models will stop," one of the sources told Reuters. "In short, fewer minivans and sedans and a focus on crossovers and SUVs," the source added. The company had already embarked on an overhaul of its ranges in 2009 but it still has between 45 and 50 models in its catalogue, under its own brand as well as Dacia, RSM, Lada and Alpine. Renault, which last year posted its first net loss in 10 years and has been hit hard like its peers by the coronavirus crisis, declined to comment. The carmaker, which is 15%-owned by the French state, is negotiating a 4 billion to 5-billion-euro aid package with the government to withstand the impact of the drop in sales and production due to the pandemic. In PSA's footsteps PSA, Renault's French competitor, trod a similar path six years ago, when it announced it would cut the number of its models from 45 to 26 over its three main brands, with the aim of saving 300 million euros a year. "Renault is far more international than its compatriot, whose sales remain focused on Europe", another source said. "But even if Renault's geographical diversity is the factor behind its high number of models, that level is not sustainable anymore." Story continues The Espace model, which has sold 1.3 million units since its launch in 1984, would be the most notable to go. The car became the standard bearer, in Europe at least, for the multiple purpose vehicle (MPV) segment. The fifth generation of the model, on the market since 2015, has however struggled against competition from SUVs and its sales plummeted 21% last year to a mere 10,000 units. The Espace, as well as the compact minivan Scenic - another one of Renault's former bestsellers - would give way to a new Kadjar model, an SUV built in Spain with five-seat and seven-seat versions, two sources said. Those two models as well as the Talisman are all built in Renault's factory in Douai, in northern France. But the site would remain active with the planned assembly of two new models based on the Renault-Nissan alliance's new electrical platform. To cut costs and boost its profitability, Renault also plans to extract more synergies from its alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi, sell real estate assets and shut down operations in loss-making markets like China. Acting CEO Clotilde Delbos has said there would be no taboo in cutting costs, raising fears of job cuts and plant closures. That is likely to be politically sensitive in France, however, especially when the group is in talks over state aid. Heathrow will this week launch airport temperature checks in a move it hopes will allow Britons to head abroad safely without going into quarantine on their return. In a trial set to start as soon as Thursday, passengers arriving at the airports Terminal 2 will be automatically screened for raised temperatures by thermal imaging cameras mounted on tripods. Passengers will see the cameras as they pass through the immigration hall, with a sign telling them when they are entering an area being monitored. They will not have to stop to have their temperature checked instead, screening will take just seconds using infrared sensors as passengers move through the area. In a trial set to start as soon as Thursday, passengers arriving at the airports Terminal 2 will be automatically screened for raised temperatures by thermal imaging cameras mounted on tripods. Pictured, immigration and passport control at Heathrow The cameras can read temperatures at a distance of 8ft. If a high temperature or suspected fever is detected, checking systems will produce a warning signal. Heathrow bosses told The Mail on Sunday they are in talks with Border Force, the Department for Transport and Public Health England on what action should be taken if a passenger with a fever is identified. Options include asking that person to go into quarantine. If the trial proves successful, Heathrow could roll out its temperature screening cameras in its departures, connections and staff search areas. It is also trialling contact-free security screening equipment and UV lighting to sanitise security trays. The new scheme is part of the Governments efforts to get Britons flying safely again. Thermal cameras monitors are used to check the body temperature of passengers at Fiumicino airport, near Rome, Italy on April 15 If international health standards for travel can be agreed, Heathrow believes there would be no need for social distancing in airports or on planes. It also hopes health checks would negate the need for Government proposals to ask passengers who arrive in the UK to quarantine for 14 days. Last week, Ministers sparked a furious backlash from airlines, airports, travel firms and holidaymakers by suggesting that most people arriving in the UK would have to self-isolate for two weeks. The travel industry warned that the plans, which apply to Britons returning from holiday as well as visitors from abroad, will put off most families from leaving the UK for summer breaks this year even if other countries open their airports to international arrivals. Airlines told The Mail on Sunday they felt they were not properly consulted on the 14-day quarantine plan. They also raised doubts about its scientific basis and criticised a lack of detail about how the scheme would be implemented and later phased out. Motorists drive on the M25 near Heathrow Airport after the announcement of plans to bring the country out of lockdown A senior airline source said: If the Government said quarantining people is going to stop further spread of the virus, everyone would understand. But there is no logic [to the plan] and a complete lack of clarity. As part of ongoing talks with the industry, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Home Office Minister Kevin Foster last week held a series of calls with aviation bosses to fine-tune the rules. Ministers are considering introducing a list of passengers who would be exempt from the requirement to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival in the UK, including businessmen, freight drivers and doctors. Privately, industry insiders fear the Government will push ahead despite the backlash. However, they hope to ensure rules are in place for as short a time as possible. One industry leader at last weeks talks said: We are opposed to the quarantine but we are realistic enough to know that the Prime Minister announced it to 28 million people on TV. It will be tough to row back from that. Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, added: We support the use of exemptions that allow the safe resumption of travel as soon as possible. But it isnt clear why business or any exempted category of traveller is safer than others if everyone is subject to the same health measure at and before departure. Airlines already carry out temperature checks at departure gates on passengers who are going to countries that require them. Many Asian airports use technology similar to the one being tested at Heathrow. Its Friday night during a pandemic, so The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond took the time to mix with her fans on Twitter. The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond | Tyler Essary/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images RELATED: Pioneer Woman: Ree Drummond The 1 Chef She Would Love to Cook With The mother of four got personal with fans on her social media account and asked them to ponder a question that would require some thought. Drummonds question to her Twitter followers that got them thinking This week, the Food Network star posted on Twitter to ask her fans to think back, way back, asking them if their views of a film had changed as theyd aged. For her, it was On Golden Pond, the 1981 film starring Henry Fonda in his last role, Katherine Hepburn as his wife, Ethel, and Jane Fonda as their daughter. This is basically every movie, but can you think of one specifically that you saw when you were younger, but understand so much more (and in such a different way) now that youre older? I just watched On Golden Pond and Im in a heap on the floor, so I just thought Id ask. Ree Drummond The Pioneer Woman (@thepioneerwoman) May 15, 2020 RELATED: The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummonds 1 Must-Have Kitchen Essential This is basically every movie, Drummond posted, but can you think of one specifically that you saw when you were younger, but understand so much more (and in such a different way) now that youre older? I just watched On Golden Pond and Im in a heap on the floor, so I just thought Id ask. She remembered going to see the film as a young girl in the theater. When I first saw On Golden Pond, she recalled, I was in sixth grade and I saw it in the theater alone. (I begged my mom to let me go by myself.) I related to 13-year old Billy, the angsty son of Jane Fondas characters boyfriend. I remember getting a Mr. Pibb [soft drink] and a movie pickle. RELATED: The Pioneer Woman: Ree Drummond Lends Her Support for Online Learning During the Coronavirus Crisis She went on to say that when she watched the film as a younger woman, she experienced it differently than she had this week, older and married, with children of her own. Drummond shared that she related, surprisingly, in her recent viewing more to Hepburns 74-year-old character in the film. Ladd and I just watched it together, she mused, and dangit if I dont relate to Ethel now. It was so interesting and a little devastating (but in a nice way) to see 39 years of changing On Golden Pond perspective flash before my eyes. Drummond got her fans tweeting For Drummond, responses from her fans came fast and furious. One replied, Parenthood (the movie). When it came out in 1989 I had a newborn. Throughout the years of rewatching it, I get something different out of it every time. RELATED: The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond Revealed She Had Postpartum Depression Another follower of Drummonds hilariously posted, Clueless. It came out the summer after 3rd grade and I understood it more and more with every semi-annual rewatch through to my twenties. . . I had to hall a** to the ladies. I was riding the crimson wave. Like I truly thought she was talking about traffic. [The] Sandlot, another poster said poignantly, one day we all played our last game as kids and no one knew it How the powerhouse cook is getting through the pandemic Like so many other cooks and chefs who are televising from home now, such as Rachael Ray, Ina Garten, and Lidia Bastianich, the Oklahoma resident is providing her fans with fun and delicious content from home. Shes also employing her kids to help out with the broadcasting business. In an Instagram post showing off her familial crew, Drummond said, My TV crew. Proud of these Gen Zers! Staying Home: Episode 2 airs on Food Network this morning at 10et/9c! Come watch me catch a spoon on fire. That is not a figure of speech. RELATED: The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond Says Ladds Love Language Is Acts of Service The Pasteur Institute in Madagascar is under fire from the Malagasy government after a number of false positives were found in samples submitted for Covid-19 testing. The government had the original samples retested, and only five positive cases were found. The Institute, which received the samples on 6 May, admitted that samples sent to its laboratory for analysis could have been contaminated. It had originally announced that 67 cases were positive. The samples were sent to the Charles Merieux Center for Infectious Disease, a research centre in Antananarivo, where only five samples came back positive. False positives A sample of an exceptional viral load could contaminate an entire series, according to Andre Spiegel, director of the Institut Pasteur. He says unintentional contamination could have affected the entire chain, from taking samples at the hospital to their arrival at the institute. Spiegel said that tests are carried out only on samples brought to the centre from the Malagasy Ministry of Health. He said that the Institut Pasteur conducted an internal investigation, but did not find any issues with the diagnostic process. The government ministry is also looking in to the matter of contamination. According to the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Madagascar has 283 positive Covid-19 cases. French police on Saturday arrested one of the last key suspects in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, describing him as its "financier" and one of the world's most wanted fugitives. Felicien Kabuga, once one of Rwanda's richest men, was living under a false identity in the Paris suburbs, the public prosecutor's office and police said in a joint statement. The operation, carried out at dawn, resulted in the arrest of a fugitive "who has been sought by the judicial authorities for 25 years", the statement said. Around 800,000 people -- Tutsis but also moderate Hutus -- were slaughtered over 100 days by ethnic Hutu extremists during the 1994 genocide. The statement said Kabuga, aged 84, had been living in Asnieres-sur-Seine north of Paris and had been hiding with the complicity of his children. It described him as "one of the world's most wanted fugitives". Kabuga is accused of creating the notorious Interahamwe militia that carried out massacres in the 1994 genocide. He also helped create the equally notorious Radio-Television Libre des Mille Collines that incited people to carry out murder in its broadcasts. "Felicien Kabuga is known to have been the financier of the Rwandan genocide," it said, adding that he had spent time in Germany, Belgium, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Switzerland. 'Brought to account' Kabuga was indicted by the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 1997 on seven counts including genocide. The Rwanda tribunal formally closed in 2015 and its duties have since been taken over by the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT), which also deals with cases left over from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Floral offerings at a mass grave at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. By Yasuyoshi CHIBA (AFP/File) A top UN prosecutor welcomed the arrest, saying it showed that suspects would be still brought to justice. "The arrest of Felicien Kabuga today is a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even 26 years after their crimes," said Serge Brammertz, chief prosecutor of the MICT in The Hague. "Today's arrest underlines the strength of our determination." He should now rapidly appear before French prosecutors who should order him to be remanded in custody. Judicial authorities can then rule on sending him to The Hague to face justice. "Following completion of appropriate procedures under French law, Kabuga is expected to the transferred to the custody of the Mechanism, where he will stand trial," the MICT said in a statement. The genocide was sparked by the assassination president Juvenal Habyarimana (2ndL). By STF (AFP/File) Kabuga is expected to be tried at the mechanism's branch in Arusha in Tanzania, an official from the proscecutor's office told AFP. His eventual transfer to UN custody was likely to take some time because of the COVID-19 pandemic, tribunal sources said. In 1994, Kabuga was part of the inner circle of then Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana. His daughter was married to one of the president's sons. It was the assassination of Habyarimana on April 6, 1994 that unleashed the genocide. Along with former defence minister Augustin Bizimana and top-ranking military figure Protais Mpiranya -- both still at large -- Kabuga was one of the three most significant suspects still sought over the genocide, the statement said. Venice officials expressed the hope that the COVID-19 crisis would provide an opportunity to rethink the future of one of the most fragile cities in the world, create a more sustainable tourism industry and attract more permanent residents, PA reported. For many years, the Italian city has been faced with an almost existential crisis, as the rampant success of its tourism industry has threatened to destroy attractions that have attracted visitors for centuries. The COVID-19 pandemic stopped a wave of tourists and shocked the urban economy. The pandemic that followed a series of exceptional floods in November, which dealt the first economic blow, led to a halt to the city amid slow government aid. The city, which has inspired artists such as Canaletto and Turner, is now a blank canvas. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, speaking in an empty square said that this allows us to rethink life in the historical center. The population of the historic city center was reduced to 53,000 people, which is a third less than a generation ago. To help move in, Brugnaro supports the proposal from Ca'Foscari City University to rent apartments to students that were removed from the housing stock. He also wants to create a center for the study of climate change, given the vulnerability of the city to floods, which could attract scientists who will become its inhabitants. According to him, this will provoke a kind of renaissance that would lead other foreign residents - artists, - who for centuries has been the life force of Venice. Brugnaro would also like to change the scale of the so-called mass tourism, on which the economy depends. Venice's future visions include calls for tax breaks to bring traditional production back to the historical center. Civic groups have offered incentives to restore the Venetians' traditional way of life, for example, boats that have been used by residents for centuries, but which struggle to compete with motorboats. It is hoped that tourist trinket shops that disappeared during quarantine will be replaced by more sustainable enterprises. Although the pandemic made it possible to look at a cleaner and slower Venice, now there are already signs of how difficult it will be to maintain or implement major plans. Tens of thousands of people were forced into cramped shelters by the powerful storm pounding the Philippines on Friday, making social distancing nearly impossible as the nation battles the coronavirus pandemic. Typhoon Vongfong smashed homes, schools and virus quarantine sites when it hit central Samar island on Thursday, but then weakened into a severe tropical storm on its path north to the capital Manila. The storm struck as tens of millions of Filipinos are hunkered down at home to protect themselves against COVID-19, but more than 140,000 had to flee in central Bicol region because of the powerful storm, disaster officials said. Vongfong packed gusts up to 190 kilometres (120 miles) an hour and drenching rains when it roared into the Philippines. "We have to wear masks and apply distancing at all times," local police official Carlito Abriz told AFP. "It's difficult to enforce because they (the evacuees) are stressed. But we are doing our best." Bicol saw less damage than hard-hit Samar, so some of those in shelters had begun to return home after the storm passed on Friday, disaster officials reported. Authorities have said they will run shelters at half of capacity, provide masks to people who don't have them and try to keep families grouped together. However, many spaces normally used as storm shelters have been converted into quarantine sites for people suspected of being infected with coronavirus. Ben Evardone, governor of the central province Eastern Samar, said local quarantine sites, schools and at least one church were levelled by the fierce wind. "So what will happen to us now, what will we use as COVID facilities here?," he asked. "This is a big challenge for us." Fortunately the central region where the storm struck first is not one of the hotspots of the Philippines' outbreak, which has seen 12,091 reported infections and 806 dead. - Overlapping disasters - Tens of millions more people live along Vongfong's path, which is forecast to take it near the densely populated capital Manila later Friday. Disaster officials in Manila, which is the centre of the nation's virus outbreak, said they have not ordered pre-emptive evacuations for the capital but have issued storm warnings. Authorities have not reported any deaths so far, but disaster crews had not yet completed their assessment of hard-hit areas cut off by the storm. It is not unheard of for disasters to overlap in the Philippines, and some 22,000 people were evacuated from the slopes of the active Mayon volcano ahead of the typhoon's arrival. Heavy rains in the past have sent landslides of debris cascading down the volcano, burying and killing the communities in their paths. Typhoons are a dangerous and disruptive part of life in the Philippine archipelago, which gets hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year. The storms put millions of people in disaster-prone areas in a state of constant poverty and rebuilding. A July 2019 study by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank said the most frequent storms lop one percent off the Philippine economy, with the stronger ones cutting economic output by nearly three percent. Many of the areas in Vongfong's path have already gone through much of their emergency disaster money while responding to the pandemic, and have asked the national government for help. The country's deadliest cyclone on record was Super Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing in 2013. Tens of millions more people live along Vongfong's path Map showing the path of Typhoon Vongfong, crossing the central Philippines on Friday. Vongfong packed gusts up to 190 kilometres (120 miles) an hour Typhoons are a dangerous and disruptive part of life in the Philippine archipelago CAIRO - Dr. Dina Abdel-Salam watched in terror last month as scores of strangers gathered under the balcony of her aunts empty apartment in the Egyptian city of Ismailia, where shed temporarily sheltered after leaving her elderly parents at home to protect them from exposure to the coronavirus. The crowd called out her name, hurling threats until she dialed the police for help. You have moved here to make us sick, someone shouted. Abdel-Salams ordeal is just one of many in a wave of assaults on doctors, illustrating how public fear and rage can turn against the very people risking their lives to save patients in the pandemic. While many cities across the world erupt at sundown with collective cheers to thank front-line workers treating COVID-19 patients, in Egypt, India, the Philippines, Mexico and elsewhere, some doctors and nurses have come under attack, intimidated and treated like pariahs because of their work. The pandemic, especially in places with limited healthcare infrastructure, has already subjected doctors to hardships. But medical workers, seen as possible sources of contagion, face another staggering challenge in these countries: the stigma associated with the illness. Now more than ever, we need to recognize the importance of investing in our health workforce and take concrete actions that guarantee their well-being and safety, Ahmed al-Mandhari, the World Health Organizations regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said in a virtual news conference earlier this week. But in many places, thats a difficult task as mistrust, fear and misinformation can have devastating effects. Decades of poor education and scant government services in some places have created deep misgivings about the medical profession. In central India, a group of five health workers, dressed in full protective suits, entered a neighbourhood to quarantine contacts of a confirmed COVID-19 patient when a mob descended, slinging stones and screaming insults. Some people felt that the doctors and nurses will come and take their blood, said Laxmi Narayan Sharma, the health union president in Madhya Pradesh, in central India. In the southern Indian city of Chennai, another stone-throwing mob broke up a funeral for Simon Hercules, a neurologist who died from COVID-19, pelting the ambulance carrying his remains and forcing his family and friends to run for their lives. In Afghanistan, conspiracy theories undermine the credibility of medical professionals. Nearly 19 years after the U.S.-led coalition defeated the Taliban, many blame Western nations for the countrys deterioration. One commonly shared conspiracy theory is that the virus was allegedly manufactured by the U.S. and China to reduce the world population, said Sayed Massi Noori, a doctor at one of two Kabul hospitals testing for coronavirus. Last week, several physicians at the emergency unit of the Afghan Japan Hospital, where Noori works, were mobbed by 15 family members of a patient who died of the virus. The doctors had their noses bloodied. The relatives believe it is the doctors who killed their family members, Noori said. The coronavirus hotline in Ouagadougou, the capital of war-torn Burkina Faso, fields calls about persistent coughs and headaches. But it has also gotten death threats. They call and say that after theyre finished killing the soldiers in the north, theyre going to come and kill everyone here, said Red Cross volunteer Emmanual Drabo. Health workers across the Philippines have been attacked and targeted more than 100 times since mid-March, resulting in 39 arrests, police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar told The Associated Press. In one attack, five men stopped a nurse heading to work in the Sultan Kudarat province in late March, throwing liquid bleach into his face and burning his eyes. Tough-talking President Rodrigo Duterte, long censured for his violent approach to curbing crime, responded: I told the police, maybe its illegal but Ill answer for it. Pour it back on the attackers of doctors and nurses. In Guadalajara, Mexicos second-largest city, doctors and nurses say just venturing out in scrubs invites danger. One city hospital instructed its workers to shed their uniforms when they clock out, and the government has assigned National Guard troops to public hospitals. Similar fears have sparked arrests in Sudan. In Omdurman, across the Nile River from the capital, Khartoum, a riot erupted at a hospital when rumour spread it would take COVID-19 patients. Police arrested several people who tried to attack the building, said hospital director Babaker Youssef. In Egypt, even hospital administrators have faced public anger. Ahmed Abbas, the vice-president of a government hospital in Egypts Nile Delta city of Zagazig, was wearing scrubs when he was jostled and cursed while waiting in line at an ATM. The head of Egypts Doctors Union, Ihab el-Taher, says such incidents are limited but still disheartening. On top of a global shortage of respirators, virus testing, and protective equipment, increased public hostility has deprived some medical professionals of basic needs such as housing and transportation. In Indias capital, New Delhi, doctors and first responders reported being evicted by their landlords. A nurse in Ethiopia said taxis refuse to pick up workers coming out of the nations main hospital dedicated to coronavirus patients. As the wave of attacks spurs government efforts to better support medical personnel and dispel rumours, many doctors draw optimism from growing public awareness. After police dispersed the mob beneath her balcony in Ismailia, some people came back to apologize, Abdel-Salam said. In India, two of the doctors pelted with stones in Madhya Pradesh were cheered when they returned with gifts of saplings a day later, after health officials had explained the purpose of their visit. Yet painful memories linger. After the aborted burial of Dr. Hercules in southern India, one of his colleagues had to pick shards of glass off his shrouded body. Another colleague, Pradeep Kumar, gathered two hospital workers and returned under the cover of night to cover the dug-out grave with dirt. We had to literally use our hands, Kumar said. This man deserved something better than that. ___ Schmall reported from New Delhi. Associated Press writers Chonchui Ngashangva in New Delhi; Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines; Tameem Akhgar in Kabul, Afghanistan; Sam Mednick in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and Elias Meseret in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, contributed. PR-Inside.com: 2020-05-16 21:58:05 Press Information Richard J. Douglas, Attorney at Law in Texas 2001 Timberloch Place, Suite 500 The Woodlands, Texas 77380 77380 U.S.A. Richard J. Douglas Principal Attorney +1-202-257-7110 email http://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-j-douglas-attorney-at-law-44819b6/ Published by Richard J. Douglas 202-257-7110 e-mail https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-j-douglas # 349 Words 2001 Timberloch Place, Suite 500The Woodlands, Texas 7738077380 U.S.A.Principal Attorney+1-202-257-7110Richard J. Douglas202-257-7110 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEU.S. Citizenship: Apply NowTo mark the inauguration of his Texas law practice on May 16, 2020, Attorney Richard J. Douglas released the following statement:"The most effective defense against uncertain U.S. immigration policy is U.S. citizenship. There has never been a better time for eligible lawful permanent residents of the United States to obtain U.S. citizenship.There are many reasons to apply for U.S. citizenship now, beyond the protections it affords from changing tides in U.S. immigration policy. For applicants who have minor children born outside the United States, these children may also benefit when their parent obtains U.S. citizenship. Citizens may also vote, compete for higher-level employment in the U.S., and even compete for public office.When beginning the process, many naturalization applicants are surprised and gratified to learn that their existing English fluency and grasp of U.S. civics are already substantial. Others are exempt altogether from these naturalization requirements. In either event, the language and civics portions of citizenship processing are clearly manageable. Where there is a will, there is a way." Richard J. Douglas is a member of the bar in four states (including Texas) and three federal courts. He was posted in the Foreign Service in Mexico and Spain, and has served private and government clients in complex immigration, visa and nationality cases, US and foreign military procurement, international extradition, international child abduction, privileges and immunities of international organizations, anti-corruption compliance, election law, construction, maritime matters and aviation. Attorney Douglas speaks Spanish fluently.Mr. Douglas also served in the Pentagon during wartime as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counter-narcotics and Counter-proliferation. Earlier, in the U.S. Senate he was a senior attorney responsible for advising Senators and staff on foreign relations and intelligence matters. At the U.S. Department of Justice, Mr. Douglas managed US bilateral extradition and judicial assistance dockets with Mexico, Spain and Switzerland. He is also a retired U.S. Navy Reserve Lieutenant Commander with service in Iraq and in nuclear submarines. Reach him at richardjdouglas@ gmail.com 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 By Angela Hart and Samantha Young and Rachel Bluth | California Healthline 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. The coronavirus has claimed another victim: California's finances. Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his revised 2020-21 state budget plan Thursday at a somber briefing punctuated by bleak talk of deficits, program cuts and record unemployment. His $203 billion spending proposal -- nearly $19 billion less than his ambitious January budget blueprint -- includes a slight increase in public health funding to help California in its fight against COVID-19, but falls far short of the amount public health leaders say is needed to respond immediately and prepare for future threats. "The state of California, as large as we are," Newsom said, "simply cannot do everything that is needed in this moment." The Democratic governor also warned that California can no longer afford the expansive health care agenda he outlined in January because the pandemic has shredded the state's finances. Unemployment is projected to reach at least 24.5%, Newsom said, and state finance officials are projecting a $54 billion budget deficit for the coming fiscal year. The number of enrollees in California's Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, is expected to soar, putting greater pressure on the state general fund and forcing cuts to education and safety-net programs. Newsom's revised proposal marks a remarkable shift from four months ago, when the legislature's Democratic majority was debating how to increase the size and scope of government programs, and the state was flush with $16.2 billion in rainy day reserves. At that time, Newsom sought to expand Medi-Cal to unauthorized immigrants ages 65 and up and dramatically increase mental health and addiction treatment -- especially for homeless people. "We have been making historic investments in the last many years in the state of California," Newsom said. "And now being forced back into this position to make cuts breaks my heart." Other states are facing similarly extreme budget shortfalls. Revenue projections for the 2021 fiscal year are down $13.3 billion in New York and $4.6 billion in Illinois, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Yet public health agencies say they need more funding than ever, as challenges remain with contact tracing, expanding testing and securing adequate protective gear. Lawmakers likely won't have the money, said Trish Riley, executive director of the National Academy for State Health Policy. Like California, many other states are likely to face spending cuts "even more brutal" than what they faced in the Great Recession. "Do we invest in prevention when the house is burning down?" Riley asked. "That will be the fight legislators have all over the country, and I think the real issue here is these are tough decisions." Newsom is proposing a modest increase in public health funding for California. His budget includes a one-time $5.9 million investment for the state Department of Public Health, and $4.8 million in annual ongoing funds for public health infrastructure expansions. The budget also includes $1.3 billion in one-time funding from the federal government for local public health departments. There is no state money in the budget for local public health departments. Public health officials representing all 58 California counties and organized labor leaders expressed disappointment, saying much more is needed despite the devastating economic outlook. Together, the Health Officers Association of California, the Service Employees International Union California and the County Health Executives Association of California are asking the governor and legislature to allocate $150 million every year from the state general fund for a major public health workforce expansion, including disease investigators, public health nurses and epidemiologists. That's three times the amount they requested last year. Chronic underfunding of public health, they say, has hamstrung the state's ability to respond now and into the future. "If not now, when?" said Michelle Gibbons, executive director of the County Health Executives Association of California. "We know we're entering into a recession, but we also know that this COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated what happens when public health is not adequately funded. So if we don't invest in our public health infrastructure, we're setting ourselves up for failure again." Newsom's budget addresses the projected deficit by cutting programs, increasing health care-related taxes and drawing from the state's rainy day fund. The state legislature must send the governor a balanced state budget by June 15, so Newsom and lawmakers are headed into a month of tense negotiations. Some lawmakers said they will push for more public health funding, including state Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), chair of the Senate Health Committee. "We need to be sure we build up our public health workforce to address these issues over time," Pan said. "The sooner we can have the pieces in place, particularly with testing and infrastructure to test, trace and isolate, the sooner we can restore public confidence in terms of people wanting to go out and shop." But not all lawmakers are convinced the state can afford new investments in public health. Assembly member Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, said the state should pursue federal reimbursement to fund pandemic-related public health proposals, but beyond that, the money isn't there. "For anything that's extra, we're going to need additional revenue sources" such as new taxes, Ting said. The state could raise health care funds through a Newsom administration proposal to tax e-cigarettes, which could generate up to $33 million in the first year, said state Finance Director Keely Bosler. Meanwhile, with millions of Californians losing their jobs, and their job-based health insurance, Medi-Cal enrollment is expected to peak in July, when 14.5 million Californians -- or about 2 million more than today -- are expected to rely on the program, according to the governor's budget. But given the deficit, the state can no longer afford to expand Medi-Cal to older undocumented immigrants, Newsom said. A major Medi-Cal transformation aimed at expanding behavioral health and homelessness services is also no longer feasible, he said. "Unfortunately, we just don't have the resources," Newsom said. To help balance the budget, Newsom is proposing major cuts to Medi-Cal, including eliminating some optional benefits restored this year after they were cut during the previous recession. They include adult podiatry care, eyeglasses, speech therapy and hearing exams. Newsom called on President Donald Trump to step in and help prevent the cuts, saying the president should back a new federal coronavirus relief bill in Congress. "These are cuts that can be triggered and eliminated with the stroke of a pen," Newsom said. Health care advocates vow to fight the cuts. Lawmakers must commit to expanding and preserving health care for those who need it most, said Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, a health advocacy group. "This budget will be a body blow to the health care system we all rely on, at a time when we need health care in a pandemic," he said. This story was produced by Kaiser Health News (KHN), which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. KHN is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. It was originally published on California Healthline. Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Saturday (May 16) directed BMC to furnish details of maternity homes and clinics catering to the needs of pregnant women in the state. The courts direction to Municipal Corporation comes following a hearing of Public Interest Litigation alleging that a pregnant woman was denied admission for delivery at the J.J. Hospital in south Mumbai on the ground that she did not carry with her a negative coronavirus test report. The double bench of Bombay High Court heard the matter via video conferencing while person filing the plea Mohiuddin Vaid appeared in person, he sought directions to the corporation to put in place appropriate measures for pregnant women. BMC's counsel contested the allegation levelled in the PIL. He argued that there are a number of maternity homes and clinics which are catering to the needs of expecting ladies. The High Court directed BMC to file an affidavit name the maternity homes and clinics which are attending to expecting ladies and the number of deliveries that have been conducted in such maternity homes and clinics over the past couple of weeks. The next hearing in the matter will be held on May 22, the affidavit has to be filed by that time. Mumbai has witnessed several cases speciallyu during the lockdown period. In another such incident, a nine-month pregnant women was denied admission by the private hospital as she was not carrying a Corona test report along with her The surrogate virus neutralisation test kit for COVID-19 developed in Singapore. (PHOTO: GenScript) SINGAPORE Singapore hospitals are now equipped with a unique COVID-19 test kit that can tell whether a person had been infected before with the coronavirus within an hour, instead of the usual several days. The test kit can eventually be used for contact tracing, checking if potential vaccines work, and assessing the proportion of the population that are already infected. It is jointly developed and manufactured by Duke-NUS Medical School, biotechnology firm GenScript Biotech and the Diagnostics Development Hub (DxD Hub) at Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star). Rapidly detects neutralising antibodies in patients In a media release on Friday (15 May), Duke-NUS said that the test kit which uses a unique detection system known as the surrogate virus neutralisation test is the first in the world that rapidly detects neutralising antibodies in the COVID-19 patients that are responsible for clearing the infection. Other commercially-available test kits require complex laboratory procedures that not only need several days to obtain results, but are also generally less sensitive in detection of the antibodies. The newly-developed test kit, on the other hand, can detect the antibodies without the need of live biological materials and bio-containment facilities. This means it can be rapidly conducted within an hour in most research or clinical laboratories. Pilot batch for use in Singapore hospitals The DxD Hub has validated the test kit and secured its provisional authorisation by the Health Sciences Authority. It will produce the pilot batch for use in Singapore hospitals, and there are plans for the know-how to be transferred to local biotech companies for scaled-up production. The test results will be of great help to governments in guiding the resumption of work, since it is extremely useful for quick and reliable surveillance to determine how widely a population has gained immunity to (COVID-19), said Dr Li Zhu, GenScripts chief strategy officer. Story continues Detection of neutralising antibodies determines who can more safely go back to work or to more social life. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Related stories: COVID-19: S'pore reports 793 more cases and new single-day high of 1,275 recoveries COVID-19: No tests for any disease can be completely accurate MOH official 'No doubt' construction costs will rise with COVID-19 testing for workers ramped up: Lawrence Wong 10% of construction workforce to resume in 'controlled manner' by June: BCA New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Saturday (May 16, 2020) showered flower petals on people working at the Jhandewalan temple in the national capital for their continuous efforts to feed needy people amid the coronavirus lockdown. The workers in the temple have distributed food to over 18.5 lakh people since the coronavirus restrictions were put in the city. "Since the lockdown has been imposed, our servicemen have been working continuously and around 35-40 thousand people are being given food every day. The Delhi Police staff also come here to get food and distribute it to the needy ones," Kulbhushan Ahuja, secretary of the temple committee, said in a conversation with Zee News. Sanjay Bhatia, DCP of Central District, told Zee News that today we felicitated the people working in the temple. He said, "Even in a situation like COVID-19, these people are preparing food for the poor people and today we have also taken an oath that no matter how the situation may be, we have to beat face the virus and beat it." The Delhi police also circumambulated the Jhandewalan temple. Delhi Police felicitates Sewadars of Jhandewalan Mandir for their humanitarian work of providing 35000 meals everyday with the help of @DelhiPolice(18.5 Lakhs till now) during lockdown to various sections of delhi. Corona Oath was also taken by all present @CPDelhi @SChoudharyIPS pic.twitter.com/GLlwkZG55Y DCP Central Delhi (@DCPCentralDelhi) May 16, 2020 The trustee of the temple, Ravindra Goyal, said, "We take full care of cleanliness in the kitchen. Our servicemen have their face masks all the time and they also take care of the food packets. We also provide them with kadha in the morning and evening so that they don't fall ill easily." "Our courage and zeal have increased after Delhi Police's gesture today," added Goyal. May 15, 2020 News By Jim Garamone Defense.gov NATO Nations Face Threats Together, Including Pandemic While these are challenging times, NATO nations do not face these problems alone, the chairman of NATO's Military Committee said today. Royal Air Force Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach held a virtual briefing for the news media on the results of the NATO Chiefs of Defense meeting. The meeting also virtual brought together the 30 military leaders of the alliance. They discussed the response to coronavirus and other threats to the NATO nations. The recommendations that stem from the meeting will be used to inform next month's defense ministerial, he said. Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, participated in the NATO meeting from his Pentagon office. "NATO allies and partners are standing together and acting together in solidarity," Peach said. "Together, we endure, persevere and overcome." NATO must be on guard to ensure that nations or groups do not try to exploit the pandemic for their own gains, he said. "We have seen an increase in disinformation aimed at sowing division in the alliance and in Europe as well as undermining our democracies," the air chief marshal said. "We have seen a continued pace of Russian military activity. Over the last couple of weeks, the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission has been deployed numerous times to intercept Russian aircraft." The attacks in Kabul brought Afghanistan into focus, and the chiefs discussed the security situation in that troubled country. Peach said there has been some progress in inter-Afghan negotiations. "In Iraq, the situation remains unstable," he said. "The fight against [the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria] is not over. Coalition forces are working hard to safeguard the progress and gains achieved." NATO forces remain in Iraq to ensure peace and stability. "Our forces remain ready, and our work continues," Peach said. All the chiefs reiterated their commitment to the alliance. "They assured that COVID-19 would not affect their contributions to collective defense, including our multinational battlegroups in the east of the alliance, NATO air policing, our maritime deployments and our missions from Afghanistan to Kosovo," Peach said. NATO personnel will adapt special measures to protect themselves from infection, but the missions are too important to let slide, he said. "Our ability to deter and, if necessary, defend persists," he said. The peacekeeping mission in Kosovo continues with 19 NATO allies and eight partner nations contributing roughly 3,500 troops. "KFOR provides a safe and secure environment for all people and communities and is an important contributor to the stability of the Western Balkans," Peach said. The Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan continues, and NATO personnel continue to train, assist and advise Afghan partners. "We will continue to adapt our presence in Afghanistan through a conditions-based process, in close coordination with all allies and, importantly, our partners," Peach said. Following clear political direction from NATO ministers in April, the chiefs of defense discussed new ways to contribute more to the security in the Middle East and North Africa Region to complement existing efforts, the chairman said. The chiefs also worked to make operational NATO's military strategy, which was approved last year. "This work is being refined and made operational through our work on the Concept for Deterrence and Defense of the Euro-Atlantic Area, supplemented and complemented by the NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept, which looks forward 20 years and sets a vision to support allies' efforts to develop military forces," Peach said. The results will also go before the Defense Ministerial next month. "These concepts will improve the future alignment of existing mechanisms, processes and activities as well as the procurements requirements resulting from our continuous process of adaptation," he said. "It brings coherence to all our military activities." The chiefs, along with Italian army Gen. Claudio Graziano, chairman of the European Union Military Committee, also discussed NATO's response to COVID-19. NATO has launched more than 150 missions to support and transport medical personnel, supplies and treatment capabilities. The alliance has facilitated the construction of more than 50 field hospitals and alternate care facilities. There have been numerous international aero-medical evacuations with critical care teams; and more than 3,500 allied citizens from around the world have been repatriated, Peach said. "We concluded the meeting after an in-depth discussion about the effects of this pandemic and a discussion on resilience and the importance to capture lessons that can be implemented to better prepare for any future health crisis," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 16:09:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHANGSHA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The search continues on Saturday for a female wingsuit pilot who went missing four days ago during a film shoot in the Zhangjiajie mountains of central China. The pilot deviated from her planned route and lost contact shortly after 11:19am on Tuesday, when she and another pilot jumped from a helicopter flying at an altitude of 2,500 meters, according to sources from the Zhangjiajie Tianmenshan Scenic Area. The missing pilot was said to have undergone systematic professional training abroad and have completed hundreds of wingsuit flights and skydives. She did not have any mobile phones, GPS or other communication devices with her during the flight. Two helicopters and several drones were deployed by the film crew and the scenic area committee to search above all possible mountains where the pilot might have landed. A fire brigade dispatched by the local government, a private Blue Sky Rescue team and villagers familiar with the terrain have also joined the search and rescue operation. Continuous efforts remain underway in the steep and misty mountains, despite difficulties posed by complicated terrain and low visibility caused by recent persistent rainfall. Enditem Wendy Vogts interest in migration patterns is as personal as it is academic. Vogts grandparents fled Mainland China in 1957. Her mother, 8-years-old at the time, was entrusted to a female smuggler for that journey. The family reunited in Hong Kong. They eventually settled in Los Angeles, where Vogt was born and raised. Vogt is associate professor in the department of anthropology and affiliate faculty in global and international Studies, Latino Studies, and womens, gender, and sexuality studies at IUPUI. She is the author of Lives in Transit: Violence and Intimacy on the Migrant Journey, published in 2018. Vogt started her research on Central American migration in 2008, long before the subject became a daily news item. She learned about her subject by working for a year as a volunteer in a shelter for Central American refugees in Oaxaca, Mexico. Her research focused on the forces driving refugees to the U.S. from Central America, and what their journeys entailed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation has only become more difficult for Central American migrants and for the undocumented in the U.S. During our phone conversation, I asked Vogt about her family history, her research, and her ongoing concerns about Central American migrants and the undocumented in the U.S. Note: This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. DAN GROSSMAN: Did the experience of your parents and grandparents as refugees feed into your choice of anthropology as a field of study? WENDY VOGT: Coming to the U.S. as refugees was definitely part of our family narrative. I grew up in Southern California and had lots of friends who are from mostly Mexico but also other places in Latin America. I knew about their family stories and what it's like to be an immigrant and, before I started graduate school, I lived in Mexico for a year ... So it came together to help me develop my interest in understanding migration and the impacts on families and communities and what that means. GROSSMAN: Tell me about your experience volunteering at Casa Guadalupe. VOGT: That's just a pseudonym for a shelter that I worked in Oaxaca, Mexico. I went there with funding for my dissertation research. I had a Fulbright-Hays grant and funding from the National Science Foundation to do that research, and I was interested in Central America migration and violence that people experience. But I worked at the shelter for a few reasons. One, because the context that I was studying was violent. The shelter was a much more secure place for me to conduct research than just finding people hanging out at the railroad tracks, for example. It was also strategic. It was easier to do research in that setting. People were more comfortable speaking to me after I had gotten to know them and to build rapport over the few days of being at the shelter. But it was also a way for me to give back to the community and to put my day-to- day efforts towards working for migrant rights and social justice. GROSSMAN: You argue that violence and impunity are key processes in a multi-layered migration industry. Can you give me an example of how this is so? VOGT: If you read further into the book you would see that I talked about different kinds of economies. I talked about global economies and histories of neoliberal policies in Central America and how those processes contribute to the reasons why people are fleeing their countries now and why there's so much political and economic uncertainty in people's home countries. But the core of my research is on local economies that develop in transit communities. I'm talking about economies based on kidnapping of migrants or holding people ransom or forcibly recruiting people to work for the drug cartels, but also the way local communities and local people are making their living selling everyday items or food to the migrants passing through their towns. GROSSMAN: Did your research which ultimately led to Lives in Transit fill a vacuum in existing research? VOGT: I think so. When I started my research in 2006, the public certainly wasn't thinking about Central American migration not until 2012, when there was a so-called unaccompanied minor crisis, during the Obama administration. But there also wasn't very much scholarly attention to Central American migrant journeys ... Now there are more scholars in the U.S. and Mexico doing important work on Central American journeys. GROSSMAN: You call migration a liminal process. How is that so? VOGT: I'm using the terminology in a couple of different respects.That's a term that anthropologists think about a lot in terms of theoretical concepts when people who are having a major transitional moment in life that we call them a rite of passage. A liminal state is part of the process but I was thinking of migration as well, mostly because people are not home and they're not yet at their destination, right? They're physically in between these two spaces. Yet this liminal state the physical in-between but also kind of the social in-between lasts for quite a long time while they're on their journeys So they're kind of physically between two places but also they arent connected to their social networks, legally, they're not citizens but they're undocumented people ... It's a difficult legal arena for people who are just transiting through a country like many Central Americans are transiting through Mexico. GROSSMAN: What is the reception of Lives in Transit been like in terms of starting a conversation among scholars and perhaps more importantly, lay persons? VOGT: I've gotten a lot of really nice messages from scholars people I don't know who have read the book or they've taught it in their classes and their students have read the book. Ive done a couple of Skype sessions in classes and been able to talk with students across the country. So that's been really rewarding to have people read it and so I think the reception has been pretty positive. I've been able to present my work obviously at IUPUI. So, I've had opportunities to be interviewed by various media sources and last year during the hysteria over the migrant caravans. People were very interested in what I had to say. GROSSMAN: Have you had the opportunity to interview any undocumented or come across any undocumented being here in Indianapolis? VOGT: I haven't formally interviewed but I certainly have spoken with people who are undocumented. I'm really passionate about the work that some of our students who part of the Indiana Undocumented Youth Alliance, which is a local organization that gives scholarships to students who are undocumented or have DACA [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status]. And so I've been really inspired by their work and the work that they're doing in the local community. GROSSMAN: Has the plight of Central American immigrants become more difficult under the Trump administration? VOGT: Absolutely. It has, I think, in terms of U.S. policy, once people arrive at the border, but also in terms of the pressure that the U.S. has put on Mexico to further securitize its migration routes and make traveling through Mexico more difficult. The situation in Central America has been really difficult and deteriorating for years. Its not something new that started with the Trump administration. But Mexico has for a long time cooperated with the United States, and cracked down on immigrants at different points in time. So again, that's not something new that's happened with the Trump administration, but we've certainly seen more pressure and Mexico has continued to crack down on people who are coming through. But I think what has really shifted is the rhetoric around immigrants and the discourse around people and why they're coming. Theres lots of myths about who these folks are just straight up lies about who's coming but also the policies in terms of family separation at the border. And what's called Remain in Mexico, where Central Americans who are legally seeking asylum in the United States are being returned to Mexico to wait until their cases are being processed even though we know how dangerous it is for Central Americans to be in Mexico. That's been, I would say, one of the most outrageous [and] deadly things that has happened is that we're sending people who are seeking asylum here back to Mexico where there are documented kidnappings and violence. I think that's also been really different under this administration. GROSSMAN: I'm wondering if you've thought about the recent murder of nine members of the Mormon community in Mexico. It makes me think about many undocumented Americans are in in Mexico seeking medical treatment and going there to retire. It got me to think about where you were talking in the introduction of Lives in Transit about different economies and how there's free trade of goods, but there's not a free exchange of people. VOGT: We're so focused on people from Mexico or Central America who come to the U.S. but there's lots and lots of Americans who travel south, who live in Mexico, or are crossing the border to get dental treatment or get medication or for various reasons. The border has become more dangerous. And those economies have been affected, certainly, along the border. And I think that, again, the violence that we're seeing along the border / south of the border is connected to these processes of militarization and smuggling. The only reason why smugglers have a market is because of the border militarization. If we didn't have so much militarization and people were able to cross in a safe way there would be no need to hire smugglers so those kinds of criminal activities really depend on the state. GROSSMAN: What is your biggest concern regarding migrants during the COVID-19 epidemic? VOGT: One of my largest concerns right now is seeing what's happening within the ICE detention facilities. There seems to be an increase in cases in those detention facilities and people who are vulnerable who aren't getting the healthcare that they need. We saw one of the first deaths of a detainee in an ICE facility last week in California. There was another example of detainees that were transferred from the northeast, to facilities in Texas and California, and dozens of those people had tested positive for COVID-19 ... I was just looking up statistics and one in four cases of ICE detainees who have tested positive for COVID-19 are in facilities in Texas. There are over 800 cases and so I think that's really worrisome. People are so close together and aren't getting the protective gear that they need ... We're also seeing that in the prison system in general in the U.S., but many of these folks are asylum seekers, and escaping violence, and they're in detention and now their health is even more at risk. GROSSMAN: One of the new policies is just turning back Central American refugees at the border and also flying them back to their own countries. Isn't there a danger that the societies accepting these refugees aren't prepared for this influx? VOGT: Most people are being told to not travel to not cross borders to not fly and yet we are physically moving the people into other countries, going against what the recommendations are and bringing COVID-19 to places that otherwise wouldn't have that exposure. The New York Times just ran a piece of about coronavirus in Latin America and how underreported a lot of the cases are and how it's less visible, but in some places like in some certain in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in Quito, Ecuador the numbers are really high and rival some of the worst hit places in New York and in Italy, and yet we hear very little about that. I think part of it is an issue of visibility. But there's a lot of people suffering in Latin America as they don't have the resources that we have in the United States or Europe. So I think we're going to see the consequences and impacts of that as well and it's just frankly inhumane. GROSSMAN: What are some of the other challenges for Central America migrants during COVID-19? VOGT: From what I understand there's less people who are actually making the journey right now because the borders in Guatemala and Honduras have also closed and people are not leaving right now. But, with the economic crisis, we're going to obviously see an increase in migration in the future. That's just how things work. But in addition to refugees, the folks that I'm really concerned about are just larger immigrant communities in the United States, and the agricultural workers the folks who are working at meat packing plants and the people who are undocumented who don't have access to the emergency relief funds. GROSSMAN: Is there a personal story, say, from your experience in that refugee center that stands out to you? One person that you think about or draw inspiration from? VOGT: I think about a couple that I met that were being threatened there from El Salvador. The husband just refused to be part of a gang, but they were going to kill him unless he participated and he had just found out that his wife was pregnant. They fled El Salvador because they were having a baby and they weren't even interested in coming to the United States. They just settled in Mexico and actually had the baby and stayed where we lived in Oaxaca. But I think it was a really kind of powerful story. It's not a mystery that people are being pulled to the United States. They're fleeing conditions that are simply unliveable and it's just a matter of life and death. The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has said people who recover from the coronavirus disease need the love and support of the society and not neglect and stigmatization. Mr Daniel Baya Laar, the Bawku Municipal Director of the Commission, said negative attitude such as name calling, ridiculing, stereotyping and insinuations among others were major hindrances to the efforts against the spread of the pandemic and urged the people to live meaningful and dignified lives. The Director called on the citizenry to desist from such abusive practices and give suspected, infected or recovered persons the necessary support to recuperate fully and feel at home in their communities. The Director made the call when the NCCE intensified its educational drive to help fight the spread of the coronavirus in the Bawku Municipality in the Upper East Region. The sensitization programme was done via public announcement at various communities in the Municipality. The Municipal Director indicated that stigmatizing COVID-19 patients would not only prevent them from sharing their experience in the fight against the disease, but would scare people from seeking health care although they may not have the virus. Mr Laar noted that the coronavirus was real and advised members of the public to adhere to the precautionary protocols prescribed by health experts and government to protect themselves and curb the spread of the pandemic. He advised them to regularly wash their hands with soap under running water, use alcohol based hand sanitizer, nose masks and practice social distancing to ensure safety and public health. While commending the Church of Pentecost for supporting the sensitization drive to demystify misconception and misinformation as well as adequately equip the people with needed knowledge, the Municipal Director called for collective efforts from all stakeholders to curb the spread of the virus. Some people living within the Bawku Township still have doubts about the existence of COVID-19 in Ghana. According to them, COVID-19 is a political gimmick and does not exist. Such people want to see people with the sickness before they can believe, he said. He said through effective collaboration with the Church of Pentecost, the NCCE was able to reach about 55 communities in the Municipality. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung Sat, May 16, 2020 10:26 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd8708b8 1 National COVID-19,test-kits,rapid-testing,PCR-test,Unpad,ITB,ridwan-kamil,coronavirus,virus-corona,virus-korona-indonesia Free Padjajaran University (Unpad) and the Bandung Institute of Technology in West Java are jointly developing a new rapid COVID-19 test using antigens as an alternative to detect the virus amid a shortage of the reagents necessary to conduct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. West Java governor Ridwan Kamil said the new equipment was developed with a Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) sensor which could detect the virus RNA quickly and accurately on the spot. "[The SPR testing] only requires a laptop and a little box containing the samples to detect the virus," Ridwan said in a statement after a visit to the Unpad Research Center for Molecular Biotechnology and Bioinformatics on Thursday. PCR tests, currently considered the most precise method to detect the virus in patients, are time-consuming. They require lengthy laboratory tests. They also require reagents to isolate the indicators for the coronavirus RNA from the human DNA in swab samples. A global shortage of the chemicals has made it difficult for the country to conduct large-scale PCR testing. Read also: UI, private partners join hands to produce local-made flocked swabs for COVID-19 testing Ridwan called the innovation "Rapid Test 2.0" as the test results would appear within 15 minutes. It differed from the existing rapid test for its accuracy in detecting the particular virus that causes COVID-19: SARS-CoV-2. The West Java administration hopes to test at least 300,000 people, or 0.6 percent of the approximately 50 million residents of the province, to map out the spread of COVID-19 in the region and to subsequently contain the spread of the disease. "God willing, we will achieve the target with the presence of the local test kits, he said. So far, the province has conducted 114,282 tests 105,992 of which were rapid tests and 8,290 were PCR tests. Muhammad Yusuf, a COVID-19 vaccine and diagnostic research coordinator at the Unpad Biotechnology, Molecular and Bioinformatics Research Center, said the test kits used antigens to scan for proteins inside viruses in the test samples. Read also: From test kits to robots, Indonesia develops locally made devices to aid COVID-19 battle The researchers injected the novel coronavirus' proteins into chickens and used their antibodies the Y-shaped proteins produced by the immune system in response to antigen exposure as a component in the testing. Unpad researchers collaborated with their ITB counterparts to test the molecules on the surface of SARS-CoV-2. "The result is very specific and sensitive. In dense concentrations, we can detect [the virus] presence," Yusuf said, adding that they would start testing COVID-19 samples using the new kits within a month. They planned to produce about 5,000 test kits in the initial stage, between May and June, and would eventually produce up to 50,000 per month. "We'll partner with privately owned PT Pakar Biomedika Indonesia to produce and distribute the kits," Yusuf added. (vny) A Sharadhaa By Express News Service Will a film on Muthappa Rai take shape after his death? Rai died of brain cancer on Friday. A film on the former underworld don, titled Rai, with a tagline The Greatest Gangster Ever was announced in 2016 by producer CR Manohar, and it was to be helmed by filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma. Though the makers had initially chosen Sudeep to play the titular role, the team later chose Vivek Oberoi to play the lead. The film was launched amid much fanfare when the team revealed the first look of Vivek Oberoi. Muthappa Rai They even had plans to make it in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, and had finalised the locations in Mangaluru, Bengaluru, Mumbai, London, and Dubai, among other places. However, the project did not take off for unknown reasons. Ask producer Manohar whether a film on Rai will take off again, throwing light on the don-turned-philanthropists journey, and he says, There are a lot of interesting facts about Muthappa Rai to be told on the silver screen, and I had already announced the making a film on him when he was alive. I am looking at taking forward the project, provided I can bring in a director who can justify the biopic, as well as the cast and crew, all of which might take some time. Manohar, the producer of films like The Villain, is now looking forward to his next project Raymo, a film directed by Pavan Wadeyar and starring Ishan and Ashika Ranganath. Chakravarthy was loosely based on the former underworld don Darshan-starrer Chakravarthy was loosely based on Muthappa Rai. The film, directed Chintan and made under the banner of CSD Veera Films, was released in 2017. It showcased the life of gangster Shankar, a role played by Darshan, who lands up in Bengaluru in search of a job, and decides to wipe out the rowdies in the city. The film also had Dinakar Thoogudeepa playing the antagonist, while Deepa Sannidhi, Kumar Bangarappa, Srjuan Lokesh and Aditya played important roles. Special Operations Command is close to equipping its helicopters with special sensors designed to eliminate pilot blindness when landing in brownout conditions. Landing a helicopter in brownout conditions in places like Afghanistan and Iraq has been described as one of the most dangerous tasks a pilot can face and accounts for 65% of non-hostile fatalities in military helicopter accidents during hover and low-speed flight, according to a 2017 article in the Journal of the Joint Air Power Competence Center. Special operations aviation officials have been working on an effort to reduce the risks of landing in degraded visual environments for five years, Geoffrey Downer, the head of U.S. Special Operations Command's Program Executive Officer Rotary Wing, recently told defense reporters at the National Defense Industrial Association's vSOFIC 2020 industry conference. Related: Army Pilot's Invention Enables Hyper-Realistic Low-Visibility Flight Training "Our efforts have primarily focused on providing a full system to provide complete situational awareness in a brownout environment," Downer said, describing the work involving the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. The effort developed momentum about two years after U.S. Special Operations Command awarded an initial contract to Sierra Nevada Corp. to develop its Degraded Visual Environment Pilotage System (DVEPS), according to the company's website. The DVEPS features a multi-sensor, see-through imaging system that provides real-time, high-resolution fused imagery of the terrain and obstacles, allowing pilots to fly in brownout, smoke, sand, snow, rain and fog conditions, the website states. A 2017 directed requirement resulted in PEO Rotary Wing working with conventional Army aviation to evaluate the new technology, Downer said, adding that the service finished an operational test of the system in November. "We are actually starting to equip our HH-60 medevac aircraft in addition to the [MH-47] and the [MH-60] aircraft," he said. "The plan is to do our user evaluation this summer with plans to make a decision to start procuring the systems to equip the SOF aircraft." -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Read more: SOCOM Wants Army's Futuristic Troop-Carrying Helicopter Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries on Saturday announced that its rights issue of Rs 53,125 crore, the biggest ever in India, will open on May 20 and close on June 3. The Letter of Offer will be filed with BSE, National Stock Exchange and Securities and Exchange Board of India and an abridged Letter of Offer, Application Form of Rights Issue, and Rights Entitlement Letter will be sent to the eligible equity shareholders of the company, the company informed in a filing to exchanges. The RIL stock turned ex-date on May 13 and May 14 was fixed as its record date. The record date is the cut-off date at the end of which you must own RIL shares to be eligible to participate in the rights issue. The rights issue will be executed in a ratio of 1:15, that is, for every 15 shares, you'll get one RIL share. The company had fixed the issue price at Rs 1,257 per share, which is still 13.83 per cent lower than Friday's closing of Rs 1458.90. While the recent recovery in the RIL stock has already captured most of its near-term upside, most brokerages are still bullish on the stock. Global brokerage HSBC has a target price of Rs 1,590 on the stock as it remains confident that growth projects and margin expansion will drive a 17 per cent earnings CAGR for FY20-22e. "We believe RIL's diversified businesses, asset monetisation and capital raising in the current environment make it financially stable. In addition, the expansion of RIL's omni-channel retail and digital businesses should allow it to grow rapidly," says HSBC in a report. Brokerage Motilal Oswal has revised its target price on RIL stock to Rs 1,713 from Rs 1,618 earlier. The brokerage sees company's telecom venture Reliance Jio to garner premium valuations compared to competitors thanks to its lower debt and market leadership position. Notably, in a span of three weeks, Jio Platforms received investments from three large marquee global investors-Facebook, Silver Lake and Vista. The stake sales will help deleverage RIL's balance sheet. The company expects to become net debt free by March 2021. "Jio Platforms has turned virtually debt free through the recent capital reorganisation, InvIT structure and now the stake sales. Overall, RIL has raised Rs 60,600 crore for 13.5 per cent equity stake through the three deals," says Motilal Oswal in a research note. RIL is also in talks with Saudi sovereign wealth fund and General Atlantic to sell some stakes in Jio Platforms along with looking for an investor to buy into the Fiber business. Although it's not mandatory for you to participate in the rights issue, you must know that post-issue the value of shares that you hold will get diluted due to new shares being issued. Besides, if you don't want to subscribe to the rights issue, you can sell your rights in the secondary market during the issue period. The application form will have all details. Also read: Jeff Bezos may become world's first trillionaire in 6 years; Mukesh Ambani in 13 years: Report Also read: RIL rights issue: Stock price up 78% since March lows; should you subscribe? A family-of-six who wanted to get out of the rental market and purchase their own place have done so in style, completely transforming a property in western Sydney over the course of three years. Lauren Perry, 35, and her husband David bought their home in May 2017 after longing for their four boys - aged 10, nine, six and three - to have a space large enough for them to play and run around in. 'I believe it was late 2017 that we got all the approvals to begin work. And we are only just finishing now midway through 2020,' Lauren told FEMAIL. Slide me 'I believe it was late 2017 that we got all the approvals to begin work. And we are only just finishing now midway through 2020,' Lauren told FEMAIL (before and after exterior) The kitchen had potential to be a lot bigger and could open up into the family room The transformation has been remarkable, with an entirely white kitchen fulfilling Lauren's dreams 'We still have a few jobs left to do but we have almost finished everything finally.' The renovation was a 'family affair' with the help of Lauren's parents, in particular her father who is a retired building designer. 'While I had the vision for the house, handled the interior design and made all the aesthetic choices, my father John took on a lot of the practical work,' she said. 'From drawing up our plans and submitting the forms to council, to overseeing the trades and physically completing a lot of the building work himself.' Everything was changed over the course of three years, with significant alterations made to the floorplan, which went from a small 104m2 to 200m2 with two decks. Extensions were made to the family room with a raked ceiling, master bedroom, ensuite bathroom, walk in robe and double garage. They rendered and painted the old brick exterior, resprayed the roof and painted every surface of the interior including the brand new doors, skirting boards, windows and architraves. 'We laid new flooring throughout the whole house and added robes in every bedroom,' Lauren said. What a change! The kitchen was brought back to life with splashback tiles and brand new appliances Everything was changed over the three year extravaganza, with significant changes made to the floorplan, including the bathroom (pictured before) There is now a deep tub inside the shower cubicle, so you have the best of both worlds 'We enlarged the main bathroom and even relocated and built a new laundry room from scratch, and transformed a once dated kitchen into what it is today.' The idea of building a modern farmhouse with a mixture of French provincial design was high on Lauren's list of desires for the house, and she used a combination of both to perfect the interior. 'Aside from that I chose my favourite colours as the palette which I incorporate throughout: Sage green, blush pink, soft greys and bright white,' she said. 'You can see it carried through each area of the house with the paint colours, tile, benchtop and cabinet choices as well as with the furniture, soft furnishings and homewares.' Her favourite part of the entire renovation were the changes made to the open plan kitchen, family and dining area because she could include a rustic exposed brick, French doors and beautiful pendant lighting. It has also become a key room the whole family spend time in, so it feels like the epicentre of their new house. 'We laid new flooring throughout the whole house and added robes in every bedroom,' Lauren said They rendered and painted the old brick exterior, resprayed the roof and painted every surface of the interior including the brand new doors, skirting boards, windows and architraves (Lauren pictured) Most of the materials were sourced from Bunnings, including the kitchen which came as a flat pack in the Kaboodle range, which her father John unpacked. A lot of the hardware was purchased from Restoration Online and the exposed brick wall is real, supplied by The Brick Pit in Smithfield. 'Most of the framing and artwork I did myself. I have a small business, Neat Interiors, which supplies products like these to a few retailers,' she said. 'I also get a lot of comments about the kitchen splashback tiles - these I designed myself, had handmade and then imported from overseas through my business.' 'We enlarged the main bathroom and even relocated and built a new laundry room from scratch and transformed a once dated kitchen into what it is today,' she said Several furnishings are from IKEA, Provincial Home Living and Temple & Webster (reading nook pictured) Several furnishings are from IKEA, Provincial Home Living and Temple & Webster, the chandelier in the dining room is from Early Settler and the farmhouse table was a 'bargain' from Amart Furniture. Other home decor items were sourced from Kmart, 1825 Interiors and H&M Home. 'The renovation budget was extremely tight,' Lauren said. 'So much so that we are still slowly finishing off the odd job here and there. But for all the work completed on our house we came in at just over $200,000.' The City of Rio Rancho isnt planning to hold traditional childrens summer camps or open the outdoor pools this year due to the novel-coronavirus pandemic. Mayor Gregg Hull explained the reasons at the governing body meeting Wednesday. Because of a lack of earlier guidance from the state and concerns about spreading COVID-19, especially among children, he said, the citys budget for next fiscal year doesnt include money for summer camps or operation of outdoor pools. That situation could change before the governing body approves the budget May 27. Rio Rancho resident Michael Jackovich submitted written comments disagreeing with not offering the services. Without summer camps, he said, youth would get into trouble, even more than the increase in graffiti his neighborhood is already seeing. The impact with all three outdoor pools closed for the summer is even greater, Jackovich wrote. He said some senior citizens have orthopedic problems that prevent any exercise but water sports, and teenagers learn responsibility and leadership as lifeguards. He also worried that without pools or swimming lessons, children might try to swim in the Rio Grande and drown. Hull said the city could afford the services, but safety was the problem. Our concerns with the summer camps and the swimming pools are multi-fold, he said. Until Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams news conference, which started two hours before the governing body meeting, Hull said, city officials didnt know what the state would allow this summer. They didnt want to spend thousands of dollars on training, supplies and so forth, only to be prohibited from opening pools or holding camps, meaning no return on investment. Plus, lifeguards and camp counselors needed to be trained by May 1. The city could rush the training, but on top of the normal skills, employees would need to know COVID-safe practices, he said. City Councilor Jeremy Lenentine pointed to the life-saving value of good training. We saw (last) year, with a lifeguard saving the life of a young girl, I dont think it would be wise to try to rush peoples training, especially if they were new to this, he said. Acting City Manager Peter Wells said a concern with summer camps is data indicating New Mexico children are contracting COVID-19 at three times the national rate. Summer camps could expose children to the disease, the city couldnt allow the large numbers typically participating in camps, and all potential field-trip destinations would be closed, he said. For summer camps, Lujan Grisham ordered that children be separated into groups of no more than five, with each group led by the same counselor for the entire program and never mingling with other groups. Theyre also not allowed to take part in competitive or contact sports. Hull said if a counselor became sick or otherwise unable to come to work, the five children he or she supervised would have nowhere to go. He also worried about the citys liability if COVID-19 spread within the programs. Wells said he hoped to reopen the aquatic center, libraries and City Hall at 25 percent occupancy with COVID-safe practices, much like private businesses are required to do, May 26. Nothing that came out today would appear to prohibit it, he said. Current employees would go back to work to operate the facilities. Wells said city staff members are considering holding micro-camps in July, but havent made a decision. In other business, governing body members: Voted to move forward in the process to sell a piece of land at 2570 Abrazo Road to developer Pierre Amestoy at the appraised value. A public comment period comes next, followed by the sale, said Public Works Director B.J. Gottlieb. The city was going to use the lot for a drainage pond. However, it was determined to be unsuitable for the purpose and Abrazo has other drainage now, he said. Voted to move almost $118,000 from reserves to pay for necessary repairs and a maintenance agreement for the emergency-services communication system. Approved the formation and membership of the Rio Rancho Business Community and Economic Recovery Task Force. Turkish President Erdogan, NATO Chief Stoltenberg Discuss COVID-19 Response, Libya Sputnik News 00:45 GMT 15.05.2020(updated 00:48 GMT 15.05.2020) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg have discussed the global efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19 and the ongoing conflict in Libya, according to a statement by the military alliance on Thursday. "They discussed NATO's ongoing efforts to support Allies in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Secretary-General commended Turkey for its support with medical equipment to other Allies and partners, in response to requests made through NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre", the NATO statement read. Stoltenberg stated that solidarity within the alliance was crucial amid the ongoing epidemiological and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the statement. Both Erdogan and Stoltenberg also discussed the ongoing security challenges in Libya, the alliance stated. "As stated by NATO Heads of State and Government at the 2018 Brussels Summit, NATO is prepared to help Libya in the area of defence and security institution building, in response to the request by the Prime Minister of the Government of National Accord to assist the GNA to strengthen its security institutions", the NATO statement read. Turkey has been a staunch supporter of the North African country's UN-recognized Government of National Accord, which is currently in conflict with the Libyan National Army, led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. The Turkish president and NATO Secretary-General held their last face-to-face meeting on 9 March, when the escalation of violence in Syria formed the basis of talks. At that time, Stoltenberg reaffirmed the alliance's commitment to supporting Turkey. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 22:37:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NANCHANG, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A cross-border e-commerce pilot zone in eastern China's Jiangxi Province started business on Saturday as the first freight train departed from Ganzhou Port for Poland. The launch of the cross-border e-commerce freight train, loaded with lamps, electronic products, daily necessities and other products, adds a new channel to the import and export business of foreign trade firms in Ganzhou City, a practice believed to benefit businesses in terms of lower logistics cost and to provide quality products with reasonable prices for consumers, according to the provincial department of commerce. Ganzhou Port, a hub for railways, roads and shipping transportation along the Yangtze River, has launched 19 freight train routes, connecting 26 cities in 11 countries along the Belt and Road. Enditem Cyril Kongo and his artwork at the Paris Lariboisiere public hospital to thank medics.- Photo courtesy of the artist He chose Lariboisiere Hospital, one of the facilities in the city severely affected by the pandemic, as his studio. He sprayed colour paints on the staircases, the wall, the pillars and windows of the hospital. On his Instagram account, he wrote: "I am so delighted about this project. It was really important for me to be able to contribute. I hope this project brings colours, smile and love to our heroes. Thank you for your devotion." The large public hospital is located in an area with a sizable working-class and immigrant population. By April, nearly 170 medical staff of the hospital had tested positive for the coronavirus. The artist was born as Cyril Phan in Viet Nam in 1969 to a Vietnamese father and French mother. Two years after national reunification in 1975, he moved to the Democratic Republic of Congo with his mother, hence he took his artist name of Cyril Kongo. According to online art magazine Prestige, he held an online auction for his work, L'esentiel, which he completed during social distancing time and donated all the proceedings to fund French hospitals. Kongo began to do grafitti in Paris in his teenage years and started to be recognised across Europe in 2009. He has made his signature imprints with Hermes scaves, Chanel Kongo backpacks and Richarrd Mille limited edition watches. A Forbes article said that: "Kongo rewrites the codes of grafitti art and takes viewers where they least expected him". It estimated that Kongo's work sells today for approximately 15,000 euro per square metre. In the tradition of Ransom Riggss Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children and Katherine Dunns Geek Love, Lisa Browns THE PHANTOM TWIN (First Second, 208 pp., $17.99; ages 12 to 16) explores the behind-the-scenes lives of performers in an old-timey circus sideshow, tapping into our fascination and on some level identification with these obvious outsiders. Jane and Isabel (often referred to as one person, Jan-Iss) are conjoined twins who make their living on display. Despite being close, in all senses of the word, their personalities are not always in sync. Nor are their wishes. Jane is more independent, and longs to be parted from her sister. When an opportunistic doctor proposes surgery, Jane dreams of marriage. But the procedure goes awry, leaving Isabel (or Issy, as Jane calls her) grief-stricken and altered. As Issys world expands beyond her sideshow family though she continues to feel Janes presence, as the novels title suggests she must decide, on her own, whom to trust. The former site of a long troublesome McDonalds restaurant across from Golden Gate Park will be the location of San Franciscos second safe sleeping site, a sanctioned tent camp meant to provide homeless people with basic services and enough space to practice social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. The city-owned lot, which is destined to become affordable housing, will provide enough space for 40 tents, said Mary Ellen Carroll, executive director of the citys Department of Emergency Management. Carroll oversees the Emergency Operations Center, which led the site-selection process in conjunction with Supervisor Dean Preston, who represents the Haight, and other city departments. The citys first sanctioned tent site opened Thursday on Fulton Street between the Asian Art Museum and the Main Library. It has enough space for 50 tents. The new site, at the corner of Haight and Stanyan streets, should be open in the next two weeks, Carroll said. In addition to already being owned by the city, the site was selected based on its access to electrical services, its ability to be effectively secured and the fact that it was empty. The old restaurant was razed and the lot has been vacant. Mayor London Breed said on Twitter that the sanctioned sites are key to the citys COVID-19 emergency response for unhoused people, given the limitations placed on San Franciscos usual homeless facilities. The pandemic and the risks facing those living clustered together have forced the city to limit its shelter populations to accomplish physical distancing and slowed programs like Homeward Bound, which connects homeless people with relatives or loved ones. So while in normal times I would say that we should focus on bringing people inside and not sanctioning tent encampments, we frankly do not have many other options right now, Breed said. Having places with resources serving people in the neighborhood is better than unsanctioned encampments. Preston and other supervisors have slammed Breeds administration for what they claim is its intransigence in getting the homeless into vacant, city-leased hotel rooms. Barring that, Preston said, the safe sleeping sites were an effective, speedy alternative. Preston said his office had other sites in mind, but in the midst of a pandemic, getting a site set to open quickly was of the top priority. We made it clear (to the Emergency Operations Center) that there were a number of sites we wanted, and we made clear there were sites we would have preferred, he said. But were not going to let the perfect be the enemy of the good here. For some nearby residents, the decision was met with dismay and frustration and a feeling of futility after they had spent weeks pleading with Prestons office to find an alternative, like parking lots owned by the school district or City College and even Recreation and Park Department property. There are all of these large parking lots not being used that would be so much better than plopping this down in the middle of a residential area an area weve struggled for decades to get control of on this end of Haight Street, said Ted Loewenberg, president of the Haight-Ashbury Improvement Association. Carroll said the nearby parking lot at Kezar Stadium was also considered, but ultimately rejected in part because it is being used as a parking lot for UCSF medical workers, an arrangement thats also generating money for the city. Michelle Leighton, who lives near Buena Vista Park, said residents like her are chiefly concerned about perceived health risks. Having a porous encampment site so close to a highly trafficked area where lines at the Whole Foods across Haight Street can stretch around the block needlessly exacerbated the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus, she said. Its like this perfect storm of mixing of crowds of people, which is exactly what were trying to avoid, she said. Carroll said the site would provide a controlled environment with easy access to services that would help limit the spread of the virus. Well be providing access to health care and testing and overall monitoring that I think will be beneficial to the participants and the community, she said. 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. But beyond concerns tied to the pandemic, Leighton despaired what she described as Prestons indifference to the concerns of many in his district, lamenting what she saw as his selective attention to an echo chamber of supporters. I am so fatigued fighting this, she said. Im baffled by the fact that the city and our supervisor refuse to listen to anyone in the community other than a group of old hippies. The issue in part reflects a long-simmering tension in the neighborhood, Leighton said, between what she sees as advocates of an overly permissive attitude toward the homeless and those like herself, who feel their concerns about quality of life issues go unheeded. Preston was unmoved. There is a very vocal minority of residents who have simultaneously demanded that we clear tents off the street and yet oppose every effort to solve the problem by finding a safe sleeping site in the neighborhood, Preston said. Weve been in constant communication with stakeholders and community groups, he said. Weve gone above and beyond in pursuing every lead. I understand some of these folks want to ship everyone whos homeless to another city, but thats not going to happen. And I think its an irresponsible approach, especially in a pandemic. The McDonalds was long a sore spot for the neighborhood, drawing frequent police visits for loitering, drug dealing and violent crime. It sits directly across Stanyan Street from the eastern entrance to Golden Gate Park, where transients and dealers gathered despite sporadic city attempts to disperse them. Renovation of the area began last summer, and is about 75% complete, according to the Recreation and Park Department. Residents and businesses complained for years about the illegal activity near the parks entrance and the former McDonalds. The restaurant was the locus of hundreds of police calls each year 640 alone between January 2014 and April 2015. The situation deteriorated to the point that City Attorney Dennis Herrera declared the restaurant a public nuisance and issued its operators a cleanup order in 2015. The city bought the restaurant in 2017 with plans to convert the site into affordable housing, though that plan was long-delayed, even before the onset of the pandemic. Construction is slated to start in 2022. Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa TV personality and former Bigg Boss contestant Rahul Mahajan has been in home quarantine, along with his wife Natalya, after their cook tested positive for the coronavirus. Rahul told Times of India in an interview, Natalya and I initially panicked a bit, when her cook tested positive and was taken to the hospital. We are now waiting for him to return home after getting well. We were worried that we would also test positive. However, in the last few days, I have realised that one should not become a victim of fear even before being tested or treated for the disease." The cook was immediately hospitalised while Rahul and Natalya have been in quarantine since May 9, the daily added. Also read: The world has been moving at an insane pace: Lisa Ray Recently, TV actor and former Bigg Boss contestant, Devoleena Bhattacharjee was also under home quarantine after it was suspected that her cook had contracted Covid-19. The actor had said then, I have had to consequently quarantine myself. Its not going to be easy. Damn! This is the 4th time in the last 5 months that I cannot go out of the 4 walls- first Bigg Boss 13, then my back played up and confined me to bed rest, then the lockdown happened- and now just when I was managing to step out a bit for essentials, I have been asked to lock myself up. Devoleena had also clarified that her cook did not test positive. I dont know why it spread like wildfire that he has contracted Coronavirus. The government has put him up in some hotel. Hes been looked after very well. Too much has been made out of this. It has made me only more tired, she said. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON By Trend The European Parliament will hear the annual report on the implementation of the EU association agreement with Georgia during the May 19 sitting of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Trend reports via Georgian media. As reported, according to the document attached to the agenda, the main topic will be the progress made by Georgia in several areas. The European Parliament calls on Georgia to respect the highest standard of independent court and impartial court. The European Parliament also calls on the relevant agencies to review the procedures of election of judges and ensure that the recommendations of the Venice Commission are implemented. The Parliament expresses regret that serious shortcomings were identified in the selection process of Supreme Court judges. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A Pakistani doctor has been indicted by a federal American grand jury on pledging allegiance to the Islamic State terror group and expressing his desire to carry out "lone wolf" terrorist attacks in the US. According to the indictment, Muhammad Masood, 28, a licensed medical doctor from Pakistan, was formerly employed as a research coordinator at a medical clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, under an H-1B visa. The indictment against Masood was announced on Friday by US Attorney Erica MacDonald. Masood was initially charged by criminal complaint and has been in custody since his March 19 arrest at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Between January and March this year, he made several statements to others, including pledging his allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) and its leader, and expressing his desire to travel to Syria to fight for ISIS. Masood also expressed his desire to conduct "lone wolf" terrorist attacks in the United States, the court papers said. On February 21 this year, Masood purchased a plane ticket from Chicago to Amman, Jordan, and from there planned to travel to Syria. On March 16 this year, Masood's travel plans changed because Jordan closed its borders to incoming travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. He made a new plan to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet up with an individual who he believed would assist him with travel via cargo ship to deliver him to ISIS territory. On March 19, Masood travelled from Rochester to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to board a flight bound for Los Angeles, California. Upon arrival at MSP, Masood checked in for his flight and was subsequently arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Joint Terrorism Task Force. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 06:45:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRASILIA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Less than a month after taking office, Brazilian Minister of Health Nelson Teich presented his resignation to President Jair Bolsonaro, the ministry said on Friday. The ministry did not clarify the reason for the official's departure, but noted that a press conference would be held on Friday afternoon. Teich, an oncologist, took office on April 17, replacing Luiz Henrique Mandetta. Like his predecessor, Teich disagreed with President Bolsonaro about how to best combat the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country. Bolsonaro has announced his intention to change the protocol of the Unified Health System and allow chloroquine to be administered during treatment for the disease, while Teich did not agree with this. This week, the president published a resolution that expanded essential activities in the country to include beauty salons, barber shops, and gyms, and Teich was reportedly not consulted on for the decision. Teich was called to a meeting at the Planalto Palace on Friday morning by President Bolsonaro, and after returning to the Ministry of Health office, his resignation was announced by his advisers. Enditem Melbournes inner north-west is emerging as the states new coronavirus red zone, government data shows. After outbreaks in McDonalds restaurants in Craigieburn and Fawkner, as well as the huge and still-growing cluster at Cedar Meats, health department data shows the council areas of Hume and Brimbank now make up a quarter of Melbournes active cases. The Craigieburn McDonald's is being deep cleaned. Credit:Chris Hopkins Brimbank takes in parts of Brooklyn, the suburb where the Cedar Meats meat-processing plant linked to 98 cases of COVID-19 so far is located. The council area has 14 active cases of COVID-19 as of Saturday afternoon, the most in the state. New Delhi, May 16 : Prominent Muslim clerics on Saturday advised the community members not to hug each other and shake hands on Eid on May 26 and maintain social distancing and other norms while celebrating the festival in view of the coronavirus scare across the country. "Eid comes again and again but this is not the case with coronavirus. Since the entire world is at present battling coronavirus, the happiness of Eid is in not hugging each other and not shaking hands this time over," said Dr Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, Chief Imam of All India Imam Organisation. He pointed out that the ritual of hugging each other was to mend fences with ones whom we may not be on cordial terms with earlier on. "But now, if we are to harm someone, we should hug them. If we want to love them, we have to maintain distance. If we greet each other from a distance we not only save ourselves but others also. Eid is related to life and happiness and we have to give the same," the cleric said. Jama Masjid Shahi Imam Ahmed Bukhari said there was need to take all precautions since coronavirus cases were increasing in the country. He said conveying Eid greetings through phones would be fine in the given situation. Bukhari said that we all need to adhere to the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation and medical experts to save ourselves, our kith and kin, and fellow countrymen. Islamic Centre of India Chair and Lucknow Idgah Imam Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali also appealed to the community members to observe social distancing on Eid while greeting each other. He called on the Muslims to donate money to the poor and needy so that they too could celebrate Eid. Agra Jama Masjid Imam Irfanullah Nizam also emphasised the need to observe all health precautions on Eid. (Mohammad Suaib Khan can be contacted at mohammad.k@ians.in) Latest updates on Eid al-Fitr 2020 -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Even on days like today, go out and enjoy the sun on your porch or backyard or on a walk with the people you live with, Allison Arwady, director of the Chicago Department of Public Health, said during a question-and-answer session on social media. Do not use it as an opportunity to get together with people. Local Sikh organizations to take the case of New Zealand youth trapped in India due to corona: Advocate Dhami Newborn babies, rescued from a deadly attack on a maternity hospital, are safe at the Ataturk Children's Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Rahmat Gul / Associated Press) With violence surging in Afghanistan, and its government still deeply at odds with the Taliban, the Trump administration said Friday that a withdrawal of U.S. troops from the nation's longest war was still on track. The administration's special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, said "challenges" were blocking progress on a U.S.-Taliban agreement signed earlier this year that was meant to clear the way for U.S. forces to leave. But he said both sides remained interested in ending a conflict that has gone on for decades. Khalilzad said a horrific attack Tuesday on a maternity ward in Kabul that left newborn babies, their mothers and pregnant women dead, was the work of an offshoot of Islamic State and not the Taliban, the militant group that does not recognize the Afghan government. The Taliban has denied responsibility, but the Afghanistan government which was not part of the withdrawal agreement remains skeptical. On Thursday, a truck bomb attack on an Afghan military base in the eastern part of the country was claimed by the Taliban, and prompted the Kabul government to announce it was resuming military operations against a rival group that controls large parts of the country. The U.S.-Taliban deal, Afghan government officials said, was near collapse. Khalilzad, briefing reporters in Washington, acknowledged the deal he brokered Feb. 29 only obliged the Taliban to halt attacks on troops from the U.S.-led coalition, not on Afghan government forces or civilians. "But we believe that they're in violation of the spirit, given the number of attacks and Afghan casualties in those attacks," he said. "We are saying that they are violating the spirit if not the letter, given that commitment that all sides will try to reduce violence." He also blamed outside actors like Islamic State, also known as ISIS, for attempting to torpedo the deal. "There are forces such as ISIS that dont see peace in Afghanistan in its interests and are trying to increase violence, to undermine the prospect for peace," Khalilzad said. "Were urging both sides not to fall into that trap, but indeed to cooperate against the terrorists, including ISIS." Story continues At the Pentagon on Friday, spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said the U.S. is proceeding with plans to reduce its troop count in Afghanistan to 8,600, from roughly 12,000, by early summer. Were still moving forward with the force reduction levels that were committed to, he said. We expect to meet that. Under the deal, the Taliban was to commit to reducing terrorism, but terms were vague. In exchange, the U.S. agreed to a gradual withdrawal of troops who have been engaged in fighting in Afghanistan since shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. NATO troops would also be pulled out. Khalilzad also said that setting a date for talks among all Afghan parties, another part of the deal, was under discussion. The talks were supposed to begin two months ago, but continued disagreement, chiefly between the Kabul government of President Ashraf Ghani and the Taliban, has remained an obstacle. Another lingering point of contention is prisoner swaps. The government was required to release 5,000 Talibs, and the Taliban agreed to free 1,000 government soldiers. So far, Khalilzad said, the government has freed only 1,011 Talibs, and the Taliban 253 soldiers. President Trump promised to end the war in Afghanistan, and appears to be moving to make some progress on that pledge in advance of the November election. But critics, including many Afghan civil rights organizations, worry that in its haste to exit, the U.S. will abandon hard-fought gains in democracy, freedom of expression, women's rights and education. The attack at the hospital, regardless of who was responsible, was an especially shocking atrocity in a country long accustomed to them. The Paris-based charity Doctors Without Borders, which operates the hospital in a Shiite neighborhood, said gunmen headed straight to the maternity ward and seemed to target women and infants. They went through the rooms in the maternity, shooting women in their beds. It was methodical. Walls sprayed with bullets, blood on the floors in the rooms, vehicles burned out and windows shot through," the organization's head of programs in Afghanistan, Frederic Bonnot, said in a statement. "They came to kill the mothers. The attack left 16 dead. Khalilzad could not provide evidence that it was conducted by Islamic State, except to say it fit the group's pattern. Islamic State has demonstrated a pattern for favoring these types of heinous attacks against civilians and is a threat to the Afghan people and to the world, he said earlier Friday in a tweet. On the same day as the hospital massacre, an attack on the funeral of a pro-government warlord in the eastern part of Afghanistan killed 34 people. Islamic State took responsibility. First Shipment of U.S. Oil to Belarus Press Statement Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State May 15, 2020 This week, the first shipment of U.S. crude oil will depart for Belarus. This competitive deal, by U.S. energy trader United Energy Trading, with the assistance of U.S. firm Getka and their Polish partner UNIMOT, strengthens Belarusian sovereignty and independence, demonstrates that the United States is ready to deliver trade opportunities for American companies interested in entering the Belarusian market, and fulfills the commitment the United States made to Belarus in February with government leaders in Minsk. As the biggest oil and gas producer in the world, the United States stands ready to meet the import requirements of countries that, like Belarus, want to benefit from enhanced energy security based on supply diversification and trade rooted in the U.S. commercial values of free enterprise, the rule of law, and transparent deals free of corruption. The United States urges Belarus to build on the progress it has made to increase the access of American businesses to its market and undertake the market-oriented, trade-liberalizing reforms necessary to advance its WTO accession process. These developments will help Belarus unlock its full trade and investment potential and secure its future. The United States looks forward to continuing to strengthen our partnership. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Editors Note: In recognition of National Historic Preservation Month, local historian Cindy Reinhardt will tell the stories behind some of Edwardsvilles historic buildings in a series of articles during the month of May. EDWARDSVILLE Although the house at 112 Elm Street is more than 150 years old, it has been at its current location for only a century. Before the house was moved from 1023 St. Louis Street, it was one of the oldest homes on that street and remains among the oldest homes in Edwardsville. In last weeks article on 1023 St. Louis Street, it was speculated that the older house (now at 112 Elm) may have been built for Moses and Isabelle Sherman. Since then, new sources have been found that specify who built the house and when. David Gillespie, the owner of the property before it was developed, sold it to Charles and Adelaide (Isbell) Springer for $675 on July 5, 1869. Charles Springer was born in Indiana, a cousin to the other Springers who would later move to St. Louis Street. After graduating from law school in 1858, he moved to Edwardsville where he became the law partner of David Gillespie (also a relative). Charles enlisted in the Union Army early in the Civil War and rose to the rank of colonel before being mustered out Jan. 16, 1866. He was active in Republican politics and elected as one of Madison Countys representatives for the 1869-1870 Illinois Constitutional Convention. After the war, he returned to his law practice in Edwardsville and by the end of the year, he married his long-time sweetheart, Adelaide Ada Isbell. They were married in December 1866 at Altona, Iowa, where her father was pastor of the M. E. Church. Back in Edwardsville, the couple built a house on St. Louis Street, the house that is now at 112 Elm Street. In a biography of her husband written for the History of Jones County, Iowa in 1869, Ada told the author, Removing to Edwardsville, four years of perfect blessedness were granted and a perfect home erected, in which they lived nearly two years, when death, who spares neither friend or foe, but always takes the best, tore down this bright hearthstone and put out its altar fires. After surviving four years of war, Charles, 36, died suddenly on Nov. 15, 1870, of complications from a disease he contracted during the war. He was buried in Edwardsvilles City Cemetery, adjacent to Luck Cemetery. A year later, Ada moved to Evanston, for a teaching position at Northwestern University. The following year, in the fall of 1872, she returned to Iowa due to the ill health of her sister and mother. She took a position as principal at the Jones County Academy. In 1875, Ada moved her husbands remains to Iowa so that she could someday be laid to rest next to her family and her husband. Although the 1873 Atlas of Madison County still shows David Gillespie as the owner of the property at 1023 St. Louis Street, court records prove that since 1869 the property was by owned by the Springers. A warranty deed dated July 7, 1881, transferred ownership from Ada Springer to Moses B. Sherman for $2,000. Since the property soon after was being referred to as the Sherman place, it is probable that the Shermans leased the house until purchasing it in 1881. Mrs. Sherman was a relative and the 1880 census shows the Shermans were living on St. Louis Street. Moses Sherman came to Edwardsville as a teacher in the 1850s. Although he taught for many years, he went on to have a varied employment history. When he died in 1901, he was working a deputy clerk for the county. The Sherman household was a musical one. A newspaper article on the history of Edwardsville musicians said that Moses and his daughter, Mattie, had powerful voices. Mattie participated in local musicals and plays for two decades before her marriage to Thomas Ramey. However, regarding Mattie, the article also said, she always sang a fraction of a beat behind the rest of the congregation at church, with the result that the hymns became slower and slower. In 1919, the lots in the 100 block of Elm Street were purchased by contractor Ciro Erspamer and within a year he moved the house at 1023 St. Louis Street to its new home. The house was rolled on logs to its new location at 112 Elm Street. Erspamer completely renovated the house, adding a basement, doubling the flooring, and rewiring to upgrade electricity. A two-sided porch was removed from the house and replaced with a modern front porch that gave the house a 20th-century appearance. The first family to occupy the house in its new location, the Edward A. Fresen family, enjoyed the novelty of running hot water, a gas stove, a coal furnace in a usable basement, and a telephone, all things that were unavailable at their previous residence. The exterior of the house, originally clapboard, was changed to white stucco, probably by Erspamer, and later to shake-shingle siding. Although very attractive, the only visual hints of its earlier origins are an open walnut staircase and the style of the four-panel doors throughout the home. Thanks to Edward (Ed) Fresen Jr., this house has a well-documented history containing both Eds memories as well as additional research. After 35 years as a minister, Ed returned to Madison County after retiring. He took graduate classes at SIUE in the 1980s, but also participated in SIUE gerontology outreach courses that worked with seniors encouraging them to document the past. The Fresen family consisted of the parents, Edward and Elsbeth (Plassmann) Fresen and their children, Ed and Ruth. Edward was a second-generation American, but his wife was born in Germany so German was spoken at home. Their children didnt learn English until they started school. Edward Fresen Sr. (1884-1956), attended Jones Business School in St. Louis to study bookkeeping. Sometime after his marriage in 1906, he moved from Horseshoe Lake to Edwardsville when he was hired as a cashier for Citizens State Bank. In 1917, he was hired by Charles Boeschenstein to work at the new National Bank of Edwardsville as a cashier where he would work for the remainder of his career, retiring as bank president. Eds passport savings book was the first issued by the new bank. The familys first home in Edwardsville consisted of rooms rented from Phoebe Montgomery at 829 St. Louis Street. Ed Jr. was born there in 1910. They then rented the house at 1009 St. Louis Street (1914-1919) where daughter Ruth was born in 1915. Their third move, in 1920, was to the St. Louis Street house that had been moved to 112 Elm Street. They rented for a few years, but then purchased the house in 1922. Members of the Fresen family would live there until 1982. Ed lived on or near St. Louis Street until he left for college in 1928. He remembered that the lots on Randle, behind 1023 St. Louis Street, were very steep. During construction of the new courthouse in 1914-15, dirt from the courthouse basement was used to fill some of the hollows. Eds father would later bring in additional truckloads of dirt to level the yard on Elm Street. When Ed Jr. was a child the area looked much different than today. West of Elm Street, between Grand Avenue and St. Louis Street, there were no houses. There were a few houses on St. Louis Street, but none on the south side of Grand Avenue where there was a trash dump. Randle Street did not yet exist west of Elm Street. But for the most part, it was a woodland paradise for children to play in with a clear stream, wildflowers, hills and the trestles of the Yellowhammer streetcar line. Ed and his sister were two of very few children on and around St. Louis Street before 1920. The neighborhood was populated with attorneys, judges, merchants and bankers. Many new homes were being built by professional men near the ends of their careers, whose children were now adults. However, by the time Eds father died in 1956, he was one of the few older residents of a neighborhood that was by then populated with young families and children. The Fresen home was the only house on Elm Street in Eds childhood. Across the street, where there is a house today, was the Springer barn. The house next door, at 114 Elm Street, was built by Ciro Erspamer in 1922 for Oliver Thornton. Ed walked to Columbus School every morning, returning home for lunch after first stopping at the butcher to buy meat for the noonday meal, then returning for afternoon classes. His father also walked to work, but if the weather was especially bad, they might catch the streetcar on Elm that left them off downtown next to his fathers office building. Neighborhood children were all very conscious of the streetcar, especially when sledding down Elm Street towards the tracks. The Fresens took the streetcar to Granite City to visit relatives or to St. Louis on shopping excursions. In the mid-1920s the Fresen family purchased their first car, a Model T Ford, from Bothmans. The Fresens were friends of the Bothmans so, their automobiles were always Fords. While living at 1009 St. Louis Street, the Fresens were in quarantine twice, once when Ruth contracted typhoid and again for influenza in 1918. Eds mother and sister both contracted the flu and although both survived, his mother was never in good health after that. Elsbeth Fresen died in 1933 at the age of 41. In 1938, Edward married Marie Quernheim and they enjoyed many wonderful years together until Edward became ill in the early 1950s. He died in 1956. Marie continued to live in the house on Elm until it was damaged by fire shortly before her death in 1982. The current owners purchased this home 35 years ago. By coincidence, the house is currently on the market which allows those interested to view interior photographs showing the staircase and doors dating to the 1860s. Information for this article was obtained from resources at the Madison County Archival Library, the memoirs of Ed Fresen, and from the current owner. If you have questions about this article, contact Cindy Reinhardt at (618) 656-1294 or cynreinhardt@yahoo.com. Izzys, an all-you-can eat pizza buffet chain with 10 locations throughout the Pacific Northwest, celebrated its fourth decade in business last year. Now the company is working on an app. During Oregons Phase 1 reopening plan, Izzys plans to reopen nine of its outposts in Oregon and Washington for takeout dine-in service, according to Wendy Ochs, the companys operations manager. (A franchise location in Corvallis plans to change concepts.) Customers dropping by during that time could be able to select their pizza, salad or dessert on their phones or a device at the table, with employees in gloves and masks assembling each plate. Were calling it a virtual buffet, Ochs said, where instead of having buffets where people go up, grab a plate and are using serving utensils, theyll be able to build their plate, right down to position of the food on the plate, then well build it and bring it to the table. As Oregon counties seek to reopen restaurant dining rooms closed for nearly two months, one business sector is at severe risk of being left behind: self-service restaurants. Buffets, salad bars, soda machines and growler refilling stations were specifically prohibited under Gov. Kate Browns Phase 1 reopening plan. Owners of sushi trains and self-service fro-yo stores are generally interpreting the rules to include their businesses as well. The ban is already having an impact nationwide. Sweet Tomatoes, a San Diego-based salad bar chain, announced last week the company would permanently close nearly 100 locations across the United States, including four in the Portland metro area. In announcing the closure, CEO John Haywood noted that even Georgia, which has been criticized for reopening businesses too soon, hasnt allowed self-service operations to reopen. Swagat owner Srimanth Chinnam doesn't plan to reopen his three Portland-area buffets anytime soon.Michael Russell | The Oregonian Even before the details of Browns Phase 1 plan were released, Swagat owner Srimanth Chinnam was planning to keep his popular lunch buffet closed for a long time, perhaps until a vaccine is available. Even if they allow it in Phase 3 or Phase 4 or whatever, in my opinion, its not going to be safe," Chinnam said. So many people touching the same spoonstheres no way to maintain social distancing at the buffet table. Chinnam laid off around 20 of the 50 people who worked at Swagats three Portland-area locations on March 17, when Brown put an end to on-premises dining at restaurants and bars across the state. Most of those positions came from the service ranks. But Swagat hasnt been hit as hard as other businesses, Chinnam said, partly because their curries and other food travels well. Takeout business has been brisk, particularly at Swagats original Beaverton location, which opened in 1992. The restaurant might experiment with thali meals, with a little bit of this and that, like a little buffet sampler plate, Chinnam said. At the Sherwood location of Menchies Menchies Frozen Yogurt, owner David Brown said he was able to reopen Monday for takeout thanks to a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan. We tried running, and Ill tell ya, business is miserable, Brown said. If it wasnt for the forgiveness part of the loan, we would not be open. According to Brown, Menchies reopening strategy for franchisees includes masks and gloves for both employees and guests, social distancing enforcement and plexiglass shields in front of cash registers. But that system wont be allowed during Oregons Phase 1. And without self-service, well be bankrupt by winter. The problem, Brown said, is that Menchies and other self-service operations rely on volume to turn a profit. People come in, they create excitement, and you can do $700-$800 in business in a half hour," Brown said. "With people gloved up, youll never do that kind of volume. Its just not enough. And then of course you have to keep people spaced apart. Kao Saechow, owner of downtown Portlands Sushi Ichiban, reopened for takeout service last week, bringing back three employees. But without the restaurants popular sushi train, sales have been slow. Even if we were to open back up for dine-in business, because of the requirement to spread out customers by six feet, we can only fit ten people in the whole sushi bar, Saechow said. Thats not something that we can work out right now." Saechow bought the restaurant, known by many as Punk Rock Sushi, from original owner Seiji Takahashi more than a decade ago. Now hes considering partnering with a third-party delivery app, but between the restaurants low prices and the fees those apps charge, its probably not worth it. This is the worst time I have seen in business in over 10 years, Saechow said, including 2008. -- Michael Russell, mrussell@oregonian.com, @tdmrussell Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Kabul, May 16 : Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has defended his aggressive military strategy against insurgents, adding that his administration will never oppose efforts for peace and reconciliation but the armed forces had the right to defend the nation against threats. Referring to the recent spate of deadly attacks in Afghanistan, Ghani on Friday asked the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces (ANDS) to give the "final response" to the perpetrators of the recent attacks so that they agree on a justified and equal peace, reports TOLO News reported. "Today, once again, there is a need for you (ANDSF) to demonstrate your hidden power and bring out your swords from the sheath," Ghani said as he addressed members of the Afghan commandos. "Today it is the time that the enemies of Afghanistan see the power of the special operation forces and commandos of Afghanistan," warned the Afghan president. General Bismillah Waziri, the Afghan Chief of Army Staff, hailed Ghani's decision to put the ANDSF on offense mode, and for vowing to crush any insurgent response. "We are grateful to the decision made by the supreme commander of the armed forces and we will bravely act to suppress the enemies of Afghanistan," said Wazirif. The Afghan government has blamed the Taliban for the recent attacks. "Our objective is to create conditions for peace," said the President. "We are not moving away from peace. Our objective is to prove that the power of our commandos shows them the power of the sovereignty of the law," added Ghani, indirectly warning the Taliban. An attack on a maternity hospital in the capital Kabul killed 24 civilians and injured 16 others on Tuesday, while a suicide bomb explosion targeting a funeral in eastern Nangarhar province killed 32 people and wounded 103 others. The Taliban said they were not behind the twin attacks. However, after the attacks, Ghani ordered national security forces to end active defence position and resume offensives on militant groups including the Taliban. The Taliban on Thursday claimed a truck bombing in Paktia province, which killed five civilians and injured 46 others, including several military personnel. Violence still lingered in the war-torn country after the peace deal was signed between the US and the Taliban in Qatar on February 29, which paved the way for a phased American forces withdrawal. The agreement faces challenges as the intra-Afghan dialogue that had been scheduled to begin on March 10 could not start due to differences over the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners. A migrant worker from Ganjam district in Odisha was reportedly beaten to death by police in Surat for allegedly violating social distancing norms. The deceased, identified as Satya Swain, had gone to a police station for registration to return home with other migrant workers on the day of the incident. Satya and other workers had gathered in front of the police station to register themselves for train travel back to their respective states, stated an India Today report. After the police force reprimanded them, the workers dispersed and fled to their quarters in Anjani Industrial Estate nearby, report added. Around 5-10 policemen then followed the migrant workers, broke down a locked gate to barge into the house, brutally thrashed people and took them to Amroli police station, one of Satya's roommates told India Today. Satya succumbed to his injuries while being taken to the hospital in an ambulance, the report said. Satya is survived by his wife and a five-year-old mentally-challenged son. Responding to media reports that they were underreporting their COVID-19 deaths, Moscow's health department explained that its health data is absolutely transparent. However, it also acknowledged that they only tallied deaths that the postmortem autopsy classified as directly caused by COVID-19 complications. On Wednesday, the department said that 100% of the suspected COVID-19 victims underwent autopsies conducted by the authorities and only 639 were confirmed to have died directly of complications caused by coronavirus in April. Moreover, it stated that it is impossible to put COVID-19 as the cause of death in some of the cases while also acknowledging that the spike in the countries mortality rate in April. They also noted that in at least 60% of the cases, the deaths were caused by different causes including heart failure, leukemia, malignant diseases on their last stage, and other incurable diseases. According to CNN, itwas also stressed by the health officials that all patients who died of suspected COVID-19 went through mandatory autopsies in order to establish their true cause of death, which they claimed is very different on what is done in other countries. More than 10,000 cases in a single day On a trend that has been continuing resulting in Russia registering more than 240,000 cases of COVID-19, on Wednesday alone, more than 10,000 cases were reported in the country. Russia now follows the US and has tallied the second-highest number of cases. However, officials defended the rise in cases saying that it is a result of the countries massive testing program. It was also emphasized that the country has already carried out six million tests. Read also: Hospitals Ethical Calls: Health Workers Need to Decide Who Lives and Dies This Coronavirus Pandemic According to Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, out of the more than 240,000 cases of COVID-19 in the country, 100,000 are now confined in hospitals. The death toll among medics and health care workers due to COVID-19 has also spiked up with more than 174 names listed by a group of Russian doctors. The death count, however, is unofficial and includes some from Belarus. Russian healthcare workers have repeatedly complained about the shortage of protective equipment amidst the health crisis and noted that there is a higher death rate among medics in Russia compared to any country in the world. It wwas also reported that the Russian Foreign Ministry has requested two Western newspapers to retract the incorrect information about the country's COVID-19 death toll that they have published. Ventilators use was halted After two fires broke out in coronavirus hospitals, which were suspected to have been due to faulty ventilators, Russia's health regulator called on a halt in the use of ventilators. The two separate fires took the lives of six people who were already fighting for their lives in the intensive care wards of the COVID hospitals. The fires have been linked to 'Aventa-M' ventilators which are also the same model that Russia has shipped to the US to aid in the COVID-19 crisis. According to the spokesperson for the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the said ventilators have already been sent to hospitals in New York and New Jersey but have not been used yet. Related article: Faulty Ventilators May Have Caused the Deadly Blaze in Russian Hospital, Killing 5 @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Most Reverend Eamon Martin is the Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland. Q. Can you tell us about your background? A. I was born on October 30, 1961 and I grew up in Derry in the Sixties and Seventies and was blessed to be a member of a large family of six boys and six girls and to have a great education at St Patrick's Primary School, Pennyburn and St Columb's College, where I eventually was to return as a teacher and school principal. Q. How and when did you come to faith? A. My late parents, John James and Catherine, were my first teachers and best examples in the faith. The love of God, family prayer and involvement in parish were a natural part of my growing up. As an altar server, I grew to love the Mass and got to know the priests of my parish. Although they were all different, both in character and in outlook, they helped me to understand that God calls us as we are, to know, love and serve Him. In my late teens, I liked to read and study the Gospels and I found myself seeking out opportunities to spend quiet time with God in prayer - either in the oratory at school, or by visiting local churches. That's where I heard Christ's call: "Come follow me!" Faith is everything for me. Q. Have you ever had a crisis of faith, or a gnawing doubt about your faith? A. Like many people, I've sometimes struggled intellectually with reconciling religion with the mystery of suffering and the reality of evil in the world. It is sad that Christians are divided and, at times, we Christians can even be counter-witnesses to the love and joy of the Gospel. However, that's precisely where faith comes in. At a personal level, I've never doubted God's existence, or God's love for me. Q. Have you ever been angry with God? And, if so, why? A. Never angry, although sometimes frustrated that God always seems to be wanting more from me. And then God comforts me by giving me all I need to fulfil His will. As the medieval saying puts it: "To those who do what is in them to do, God does not deny His grace." Q. Do you ever get criticised for your faith? And are you able to live with that criticism? A. The harshest criticisms and mockery nowadays tends to come in social media - often from trolls, or people who have never met me. I try to have a broad back for criticism. Much of it can be merited and provide an opportunity for reflection, conversion and growth. I ask myself, "What are these critics really saying, or searching, for?" When I visited Iraq back in late 2018, I became much more conscious of our Christian brothers and sisters - the modern martyrs worldwide - who have to endure real persecution, oppression and violence for the faith. Q. Are you ever ashamed of your own Church, or denomination? A. The awful crimes and sins of abuse in the Catholic Church continue to cause me shame and I have met many victims and survivors of that abuse who were shockingly violated and left traumatised. As Pope Benedict XVI put it, such abuse has "obscured the light of the Gospel". Q. Are you afraid to die? Or can you look beyond death? A. I sometimes feel nervous about what the process and experience of dying might be like, but I'm not afraid of death itself - I see it as the threshold into a new life with God. Q. Are you afraid of hell? A. I try to focus every day on God's mercy and I genuinely believe that God does not want anyone to go to hell. God wants me and all of us to turn away from sin in our lives and continually try to do better. I live and hope in Christ and pray that I may never persist in turning away completely from God. Q. Do you believe in a resurrection? And, if so, what will it be like? A. I do believe in resurrection and in new life beyond this earthly one. In imagining what it might be like, I find helpful St Paul's words in 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, where he reflects on the seed that is sown which is perishable and decays, but which springs up again in new life and strength. I believe our new life with God in Heaven will be a beautiful one, free from the evil and suffering of this world. Q. What do you think about people of other denominations and other faiths? A. Since becoming bishop, I have very much enjoyed sharing the joys and struggles of my faith journey with the leaders and members of other Christian traditions. I have also become much more aware of how people of other faiths are sincerely searching for the truth. I try my best to witness to God's love for us all. Q. Would you be comfortable in stepping out from your own faith and trying to learn something from other people? A. I think it is important to be open and to dialogue respectfully with people of all faiths and none, although I don't feel the need to step out of my own faith in order to do so. Q. Do you think that the Churches here are fulfilling their mission? A. I think that the Churches nowadays are having to recalibrate their position in society here, both north and south, and perhaps this is helping us get closer to our core mission: to spread the joy of the Gospel in a world that is often preoccupied and somewhat lost. For my own tradition, Pope Francis has been challenging us to put everything into what he calls a "missionary key". He is correct in saying that we need to transform everything we do for the evangelisation of the world, rather than simply for "our own self-preservation". Q. Why are so many people turning their backs on organised religion? A. For some, it's because they feel that we have lost some of the joy of being followers of Christ; others perceive organised religion as turned in on itself, stuck in the past and out of touch with the struggles and questions of life. On the other hand, there is a growing minority who feel that the Churches have lost their "edge", because they have been diluting the challenging message of the Gospel too much and they no longer stand for anything worth following. Q. Has religion helped, or hindered, the people of Northern Ireland? A. Pastorally, and often quietly behind the scenes, the Churches, via their various outreach projects, have made a huge contribution to community resilience and hope. At times, we might have worked more closely together to present a single voice for peace, reconciliation and solidarity with the poor and marginalised. Q. What is your favourite film, book and music? A. The film is Meet Joe Black, starring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins (I love the music). I also like The Field, starring Richard Harris and John Hurt. It's a multi-layered classic, which you can watch over and over. The book is the Bible (of course) and Acts of the Apostles to be specific (you never have it finished). The music is Chopin's nocturnes (so soothing after a long day). Q. Where do you feel closest to God? A. In any of our churches, before the tabernacle, or at the consecration during Mass. Q. What inscription would you like on your gravestone? A. "Be strong, let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord" (Psalm 31:24). This is the verse I chose for my ordination card on June 28, 1987. Q. Finally, have you any major regrets? A. Time wasted worrying about things that never happen. Eritrea has officially declared itself virus-free after all 39 patients successfully recovered from COVID-19. A Ministry of Health statement said the 39th patient had been discharged from hospital as of today. As of May 8, there were only two active cases, one of which was discharged on the 11th before todays final recovery and discharge. Eritrea follows the likes of Mauritania and Mauritius who have recorded full recoveries. Mauritania have since recorded new cases. Eritrea is also among a handful of African countries that have not recorded deaths as of May 15, others are Madagascar, Central Africa Republic, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Lesotho, Rwanda and Uganda. Total confirmed cases = 39 Total recoveries = 39 Total deaths = 0 Active cases = 0 Figures valid as of close of day May 15, 2020 Announcement from Health Ministry FULL TEXT One patient has recovered fully after standard tests at the National Laboratory and was released from hospital today. This result means that all 39 confirmed cases in the country to-date have recovered fully. But as underlined last week, this important milestone should not induce complacency at this point in time. Indeed, it is vital that every citizen continue to fully adhere to, and diligently implement, the GOE Guidelines in force until the ongoing task of detailed and comprehensive assessment to gauge the spread of the pandemic in the entire country with full certainty is accomplished. Source: Africanews.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 Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III has filed a civil enforcement complaint under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) against The Rustic Flag Company (RFC) and its owner, Justin Scott, for engaging in deceptive and unfair trade practices. The states complaint alleges that defendants received payments from thousands of customers for products that were never provided, failed to respond to customers inquiries related to the manufacturing and shipping of purchased products, and misrepresented the amount of time it would take for customers to receive their orders. They had a good product that was in high demand, said General Slatery. But The Rustic Flag Company did not deliver on what it promised customers and violated state law. Defendant Justin Scott started Rustic Flag Company in 2015 selling homemade wooden flags out of his basement in Trenton, Tn. As the products became more popular, Mr. Scott and his wife purchased a warehouse in 2017 and took orders online. The wooden flags varied in price from $100-$400 depending on size and style. Custom flags could cost up to $4,000. By 2018 defendants were unable to keep up with the number of orders and were behind schedule. However, many customers say they were not informed that their orders would be delayed. The Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs received more than 1,100 complaints and the Better Business Bureau received over 2,100. In the complaint, the State details scant and haphazard record keeping at RFC and misuse of company funds for personal benefit by defendants. Some of those expenditures include: Defendants used a significant portion of a capital loan for RFC from Shopify to pay off the balance ($215,000) on a home loan. Approximately $26,000 for a Ford Mustang. Approximately $25,000 landscaping on personal property. Approximately $20,000 down payment on a Chevrolet Corvette. Approximately $1,100 monthly payment on a Cadillac Escalade. Approximately $3,400 each for two four-wheelers. The State is requesting a permanent injunction to prevent future violations of the TCPA by defendants, an injunction against further disposition by defendants of assets that lawfully belong to the State, freezing assets, appointing a receiver to take charge of the assets, and granting any other relief the circumstances may require pursuant to TCPA including refund of monies paid and disgorgement of ill-gotten gains. Since 2013, following strict enforcement of provincial wildlife legislation in the less studied regions of Asia, the overall trend of illegal reptile poaching is steadily decreasing. But it's too early to claim that the issue is solved. Poached reptiles are largely destined not only for the pet trade, but also folk medicines and snake charmer shows, according to the recent study led by the scientists from the Pakistan Museum of Natural History and the University of Peshawar published in the open-access journal Herpetozoa. For the first time, the exploitation of reptiles for the pet trade has come to the attention of the public in the late 1960s. In general, illegal poaching is one of the problems we still face a lot all over the world, despite strict restrictions which are coming in force massively over the last decades. The wildlife trade leads not only to biodiversity loss (through the capture of protected species), but also threatens with a possible spread of animal-borne diseases, due to interspecies contact at pet and folk medicine markets. The case of the recent COVID-19 pandemic gives a lesson to learn, and in order to stop further occurrences, a focus on law-enforcement activities should be brought to wildlife trade hotspots. In the particular case of Pakistan, a country with high species diversity of reptiles, still very little is known about the links between illegal wildlife trade and wildlife decline. The illegal poaching and trade in Pakistan are largely undocumented and it's difficult to bring accurate data since the trade involves many channels and follows informal networks. There is marginal information available about the medicinal use of wild flora and fauna for some parts of Pakistan, but there is no report on the commercialisation, harvest, market dynamics and conservation impact of these activities. Since 2013, a number of confiscations of different reptile species and their parts from Pakistani nationals have been reported widely from across the country, which resulted in the enforcement of legislations regarding the wildlife trade in Pakistan. An international team of researchers, led by Dr. Rafaqat Masroor from Pakistan Museum of Natural History investigated the extent of illegal reptile collection in southwestern Balochistan. Scientists tried to determine what impact these activities might have on the wild populations. The field trips, conducted in 2013-2017, targeted Chagai, Nushki, Panjgur, Kharan and Washuk districts in Balochistan province. Over those years, scientists interviewed 73 illegal collectors. Most of the collectors worked in groups, consisting of males aged between 14 to 50 years. "They were all illiterate and their sole livelihood was based on reptile poaching, trade, and street shows. These collectors were well-organized and had trapping equipment for the collection of reptiles. [...] These groups were locally known as "jogeez," who mainly originated from Sindh Province and included snake charmers, having their roots deep with the local hakeems (herbal medicine practitioners) and wildlife traders, businessmen and exporters based at Karachi city. [...] We often observed local people killing lizards and snakes, mostly for fear of venom and part for fun and centuries-old myths," share Dr. Masroor. A total number of illegally poached reptiles, recorded during the investigation, results in 5,369 specimens representing 19 species. All of them had already been declared Protected under Schedule-III of the Balochistan Provincial Wildlife Act. Amongst the reasons for the province of Balochistan to remain unexplored might have been the lack of government environmental and wildlife protection agencies, lack of resources and specialists of high qualification in the provincial wildlife, forest and environment departments, as well as geopolitical position and remoteness of vast tracts of areas. Scientists call for the provincial and federal government to take action and elaborate a specific strategy for the conservation of endemic and threatened species as a part of the country's natural heritage both in southwestern Balochistan and whole Pakistan. The conservation plan needs to be consulted with specialists in the respective fields, in order to avoid incompetence. Also, the research group suggests to strictly ban illegal poaching of venomous snakes for the purpose of venom extraction. What is important to remember is that Balochistan represents one of the most important areas of Asia with a high number of endemic reptile species. The illegal capture of these species presents a threat to the poorly documented animals. Even though the current trend for captured reptiles is decreasing, more actions are needed, in order to ensure the safety of the biodiversity of the region. Jonathan Lipson has been making the best of a tough situation since he began working from home after the downtown building where his office is located closed a few weeks ago. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 16/5/2020 (613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Jonathan Lipson has been making the best of a tough situation since he began working from home after the downtown building where his office is located closed a few weeks ago. "Im an old man in that I like to still meet with people," says the 29-year-old, who works in the financial services industry. But these days, unfortunately, he doesnt see people in person. "Im calling, emailing, Zooming you name it." Its not ideal, and often a learning process. Yet like so many others, hes managing. Still one uncertainty is whether he can claim a portion of home office expenses during the pandemic as tax deductions. "Im keeping track of my expenses, but I dont really know what I can claim," he says. "I think Im in the same boat as a lot of people." Indeed he is: Statistics Canada released data early last month that show almost five million Canadians were working from home due to social distancing measures. Many of them could be doing so for the foreseeable future. Like Lipson, many may wonder if they can claim some of their home expenses, such as utilities, as deductions against income on next years return to reduce their taxes. The answer is that Canada Revenue Agency does allow Canadians who work from home to deduct some costs against income under certain circumstances. But whether you qualify remains a "grey area," says John Waters, chartered professional accountant and vice-president, director of tax consulting services at BMO Private Wealth. "You have to meet a couple of criteria," he says referring to workers who earn a salary. (The rules are somewhat different for self-employed and commission-based workers.) One is "the home office space must be used exclusively during the period for the purpose of earning income from employment, and used on a regular and continuous basis for meeting customers or other persons in the ordinary course of performing the duties of the office of employment," he says, essentially quoting the governments own guidance on the matter. "CRA has historically treated that meeting clients and customers means through physical face-to-face meetings." Thats unlikely going to be a good fit for most individuals because of the social distancing rules in place. Yet the other threshold to qualify is that you as an employee must principally perform your duties of employment from a home office space. "The word principally is interpreted to mean greater than 50 per cent of the time," Waters says. "So thats where the grey area kind of presents itself because its not clear under the law and for that matter CRAs previous interpretations." One way to interpret this aspect of Canadian tax rules is that you must work at least six months out of the year from home to qualify. In that case, many workers who could return to work in the coming weeks would not be able to claim expenses. Indeed, inquiries to the CRA by the Free Press on this point resulted in the department pointing to its Work space in the home expenses directive on its website, updated at the start of 2020 for the 2019 tax year. Based on that alone, CRA in an email stated: "The more than 50 per cent of the time criteria usually applies for the whole year." Tax expert Evelyn Jacks author of several Canadian tax books, including the recently published Make Sure Its Deductible says she believes the CRA would likely accept claims for some home costs while workers are at home, even if they do not work there for at least six months of this year. Thats because the rule can be interpreted that during the span, 50 per cent or more of the work was carried out from home. As such, for that period, a portion of those qualifying costs should be deductible. The key, she adds, to making a legitimate claim is getting your employer to certify you had to work from home, having them fill out a T2200 Declaration of Conditions of Employment form for your tax return for 2020. By filling that out, "what your employer is basically saying is your contract of employment required you to pay your own expenses to carry out the duties of your employment." Most wage and salaried employees should be able claim office supplies such as printer toner cartridges and paper, providing theyre not reimbursed for those costs by their employer. Additionally, they can deduct a portion of gas, electricity, maintenance and repair costs for their home. Renters can also claim a portion of their rent. Additionally, commissioned employees may claim a portion of property tax and home insurance. Of course, you cannot claim the entire amount of these expenses. The deductible amount is calculated based on the percentage your office takes up of your home. For instance, if your office accounts for 20 per cent of your homes floor space, then one-fifth of the hydro bill would be deductible against your income. The same amount would apply to natural gas, water and any repair and maintenance costs (though those last two costs must have some impact on your work space). As for internet and phone, those costs are not on the list. Waters says CRA considers those costs that you would normally incur as a homeowner. Yet even he admits this seems arbitrary given utilities costs are also paid whether or not you work from a home office. Again, uncertainty arises because some of those phone and internet costs may be deductible, too. "There have been some rulings on that and a precedent set on that," Jacks says, adding some of the basic phone rate should be deductible. Yet, she adds figuring out whats deductible and whats not are "complicated and not as easy as you would think." For that reason, both Jacks and Waters urge anyone working from home to do two things this year to prepare for the 2020 tax season. First, keep track of all of your expenses that might be deductible: phone, internet, natural gas, water and electricity. Second, when the tax year ends, ask your employer to fill out the T2200 form. That is the first hurdle to claiming these costs, Jacks says. "I dont think employers will have a hard time with that, given the circumstances." As for that 50 per cent threshold actually being at least six months of the year, Waters says he expects CRA will offer more guidance on the issue as the year goes on. "Then again if people are working from home for the next six months, this may be a moot point," he says. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Hopefully, between now and March and April next year, there will be some more clarity because it is a question on a lot of peoples minds." Indeed, its on Lipsons. "Regardless of whether I believe they might be relevant or not, Im going to keep track of my expenses and let my tax professional sort it out." That, perhaps, is the best advice of all related to this unfolding issue. Save your receipts. And let an expert sort it out. TORRINGTON The plea hearing of the Bethel man accused of threatening two New Milford men with a gun after allegedly killing his own brother last year has been postponed to July 9. Matthew ODell, 40, was charged with first-degree threatening, first-degree reckless endangerment, carrying a pistol without a permit, disorderly conduct, illegally carrying a firearm while under the influence and attempt to commit second-degree larceny following a Nov. 11 incident in New Milford. Congress leader and former party chief Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that there is an immediate need to focus on demand creation as it is vital for restarting the economy which is bearing the brunt of the coronavirus crisis. The economys engine needs to be primed, he said during the press conference on Saturday noon which saw participation from professionals from regional media across the country. If demand is not generated, the country will suffer bigger losses economically than from coronavirus, Gandhi said. Gandhis comments came during his interaction with the members of the regional electronic media. He went on to take questions and suggestions from them. The Congress MP also reacted to Centres Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package and said that he has a reservation against the economic plan. He urged the Centre to rethink the package so as to provide immediate money to the needy, the farmers and the migrant labourers. Gandhi also said that the nationwide coronavirus lockdown will need to be lifted in an intelligent manner and carefully to ensure that the vulnerable people are not affected. We need to take care of the vulnerable people. The elderly people, those suffering from diabetes, hypertension, kidney diseases, et cetera. They must be taken care of, he said. Lockdown is not an on-off switch, it should be lifted intelligently, carefully, Gandhi said. Prior to todays press conference and interaction with members of regional electronic media, Gandhi had led online interactive sessions with intellectuals like former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan and Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee. The heat wave is caused by a hot air mass coming from Sudan, and it is affecting Upper Egypts governorates the most The Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) said on Saturday that the country is currently witnessing a heat wave, forecasting that the temperature will continue to rise through the upcoming days, reaching its peak in the middle of the week. According to the data released by the EMA on its official website, the weather is expected to cool down on Friday. Greater Cairo and the Nile Delta region will see a high of 42 degrees Celsius starting Sunday, which will rise to 43 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and Thursday before it drops to 40 degrees on Friday. The northwestern coasts of Egypt will see a peak of 37 degrees on Wednesday. However, the temperature will drop to 30 degrees on Friday. Upper Egypt will remain extremely hot with a stable high of 44 degrees throughout the week in its southern regions. The heat wave is caused by a hot air mass coming from Sudan, and it is affecting Upper Egypts governorates the most, head of the Meteorology and Forecasting Department at EMA Mahmoud Shahin told Al-Ahram. Shahin told Masrawy that light to moderate rainfall is forecast in some parts of Cairo, South Sinai, the Red Sea Mountains, Northern and Southern Upper Egypt starting Saturday and throughout the week. He asserted that the rainfall may cause torents in mountainous areas. According to Shahin, moderate winds are expected in South Sinai and Red Sea Mountains, which will be activated in the Gulf of Suez leading to a disturbance of marine navigation. Search Keywords: Short link: 12 out of 23 committees of the Verkhovna Rada recommended the government to finalize the program Open source The Committee on Eurointegration of Ukraine at an online meeting on May 15 sent the program of Denys Shmygal's government for revision. This is stated on the committees official website. "The committee unanimously voted to send for revision a program of activities of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine," it was informed. The program of activity of the Shmygal's government was approved on April 2. In particular, it confirms the unchanged course towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine. 12 out of 23 Verkhovna Rada committees advised the government to finalize the program. In particular, such a recommendation was made by the committee on environmental policy, the committee on the organization of state power, the committee on finance, tax and customs policy, and the committee on economic development. Related: European Parliament approved allocation of 1.2 billion euros to Ukraine Earlier Verkhovna Rada intended to allow officials not to show their illegitimate children in declarations. 244 MPs voted for the corresponding bill. 112 Ukraine TV channel broadcasted the session. The draft law was developed with the aim of increasing the transparency of the management bodies of state banks, state enterprises, state organizations which function to make a profit, and business entities where more than 50% of shares of authorized capital belong to the state, the explanatory note says. The document is also aimed at eliminating the existing contradictions and establishing a circle of entities that are subject to anti-corruption legislation. Police locked the Jilin city's railway station in Jilin, China on May 13, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) Fearing Virus Spread, Authorities in Northeastern China Quarantine Over 8,000 People Amid a severe CCP virus outbreak in northeastern China, authorities have isolated more than 8,000 people on May 15 who were close contacts of the first people diagnosed in the second wave outbreak. The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, first broke out in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. The virus quickly spread to all parts of the country. But in March, local authorities throughout China proclaimed that there were little to no new infections, and that the virus was contained. But since April, authorities in regions of northeastern China confirmed a second wave outbreak. Virus Spreading Chinas National Health Commission announced on May 15 that four additional people were diagnosed in Jilin Province. Meanwhile, Chinese portal website Sina reported that one of the patients in the latest outbreakwhich first erupted in Shulan, a county level city located in Jilin city, Jilin Provincewas a 45-year-old woman who cleans private homes and companies for a living. Since May 2, when she may have been infected with the virus, she worked at Accor Ji Hotel in Fengman district, a crayfish restaurant in Changyi district, and five residential compounds located in Chuanying, Changyi, and Fengman districts, according to Sina. When she went out for work, she had meals at small-sized restaurants close to the places she worked. She also went shopping at different markets every two to three days. She was isolated at a quarantine center after one of her close contacts in Fengman district was diagnosed with the virus on May 12. She herself was diagnosed on May 14. She is one of the latest infections who was exposed to the virus from the patient zero of the Shulan outbreak, another 45-year-old cleaning lady who works at the citys police bureau. The patient zero was diagnosed on May 7. Several of her family members and close contacts were later diagnosed with the virus. On May 15, state-run newspaper Beijing Daily posted on its official Weibo account that more than 8,000 people were placed under quarantineall related to the cluster outbreak that began with the patient zero. The close contacts are mostly located in Jilin city and Shenyang city. The Jilin city government said it was searching for more people who had contact with the diagnosed patients in the past two weeks and should be isolated. Because the diagnosed patients traveled activelyvisiting supermarkets, hospitals, barber shops, markets, and restaurants before they were diagnosedthe newspaper said it suspected there would be a large number of people who would need to be quarantined. Shulan Locals told the Chinese-language Epoch Times more details during phone interviews. One insider, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the mother and two sisters of the patient zero in Shulan live at the Jianxin residential compound. The insider added that 61-year-old Li, an elder sister to the first patient, worked at a local public bathhouse. Li was in charge of managing the bathhouses storage and purchasing, as well as picking up goods and cleaning the sauna room. Lis 37-year-old daughter was diagnosed with COVID-19 along with Li on May 9. The daughter worked at the reception desk of the bathhouse. She then inadvertently spread the virus to a 31-year-old man who works at the Shulan city government, the insider said. Mr. Yu operates a small grocery store close to the bathhouse. He said that after the mother-daughter pair was diagnosed, local authorities tightened their monitoring of the area. This morning, a customer wanted to buy cigarettes. My wife just opened the door [of the store to serve the customer], and a police officer arrived and asked us to close the door, Yu said. Yu added that authorities have asked all possible close contacts of patients to report themselves. All need to be isolated and tested. They may not have symptoms but were infected, Yu said. Mr. Liu operates a shop in the same neighborhood. He said most of his fellow business owners closed their doors. One reason is theres no customers around. The most important thing is that we feel its risky to come into contact with people. So we decided to close the stores, Liu said. State-run China Radio International reported on May 14 that the Chinese central government set up a makeshift tent as a testing center in Shulan. Beginning on May 15, the center can perform 1,000 nucleic acid tests. Readers look at a newspaper in Nairobi carrying the photograph of Rwandan Felicien Kabuga wanted by the United States on June 12, 2002. (George Mulala/Reuters) Rwanda Genocide Suspect Kabuga Arrested in France After Decades on the Run PARIS/KAMPALARwandan genocide suspect Felicien Kabuga, who is accused of funding militias that massacred about 800,000 people, was arrested on Saturday near Paris after 26 years on the run, the French justice ministry said. The 84-year-old, who is Rwandas most-wanted man and had a $5 million U.S. bounty on his head, was living under a false identity in a flat in Asnieres-Sur-Seine, according to the ministry. French gendarmes arrested him at 05:30 GMT on Saturday, the ministry said. Kabuga was indicted in 1997 on seven criminal counts including genocide, complicity in genocide, and incitement to commit genocide, all in relation to the 1994 Rwanda genocide, according to the UN-established International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT). Rwandas two main ethnic groups are the Hutus and Tutsis, who have historically had an antagonistic relationship and fought a civil war in the early 1990s. A Hutu businessman, Kabuga is accused of funding the militias that massacred some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus over a span of 100 days in 1994. Since 1994, Felicien Kabuga, known to have been the financier of Rwanda genocide, had with impunity stayed in Germany, Belgium, Congo-Kinshasa, Kenya, or Switzerland, the statement said. Pictures of the Rwandan Genocide victims donated by survivors are displayed at an exhibition at the Genocide Memorial in Gisozi in Kigali, Rwanda, on April 6, 2019. (Baz Ratner/Reuters) The arrest paves the way for bringing the fugitive in front of the Paris Appeal Court and later to the international court in The Hague, it added. Two other Rwandan genocide suspects, Augustin Bizimana, and Protais Mpiranya, are still being pursued by international justice. The arrest of Felicien Kabuga today is a reminder that those responsible for genocide can be brought to account, even twenty-six years after their crimes, IRMCTs Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz said in a statement immediately after the arrest. He added the arrest was the result of cooperation between law enforcement agencies in France and other countries including the United States, Rwanda, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and others. Kabuga was responsible for making purchases of large quantities of machetes, hoes, and other agricultural implements in the knowledge that they would be used as weapons of murder during the genocide, according to a UN news website. The UN added he was also part-owner of the infamous Radio Television Milles Collines in Rwanda accused of ordering Hutus to kill Tutsis. By Dominique Vidalon and Elias Biryabarema The Committee For Public Education (CFPE) invites all university workers, students and teachers to attend its online forum on Sunday May 17 at 4 p.m. (Australian Eastern Time) to discuss the coronavirus pandemic and the deep crisis in the universities, both in Australia and internationally. The pandemic, which was both foreseeable and foreseen, continues to spread around the world. This is a damning indictment of the capitalist system. The massive loss of life and livelihoods is not simply the product of a virus but the policy decisions of governments. The pandemic has been responded to more as an economic crisis than a health one. Trillions of dollars in bailout packages have been provided, not for health care or education, but to prop up the profits of corporations and the banks. Now these same governments, from Trump to Morrison, demand rapid returns to workplaces, including schools and universities, even though they know that deadly infections are likely to result. At the same time, the crisis is being used to impose the slashing of the wages and conditions of those being forced back to work. The trade unions are enforcing this offensive. In the universities, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) is seeking to push through agreements, after backroom talks with managements, that will allow such attacks to proceed. This includes allowing employers to axe casual jobs and ask staff to do additional work. The NTEUs landmark national agreement sets a new precedent for union-enforced pay and job cutting. It allows university managements to not only cut wages by up to 15 percent but also destroy thousands of jobs, including by forced redundancies. These will not be temporary cuts. The universities face revenue losses of some $19 billion over the next three years. This shortfall is to be paid for through the assault on the livelihoods of academics, tutors, administrative staff and the courses offered to students, who face larger classes. We need to reject the false choice being put forward by the governments, management and the unionsaccept such concessions or risk redundancies. The crisis in the universities did not start with the pandemic. They have been starved of funds for years, with billions of dollars cut by every government since the Gillard Labor-Greens government, and increasingly transformed into business operations, fighting each other for market share. The attack on educators is also driven by the US-led confrontation with China, heightening the danger of another catastrophic world war for global capitalist hegemony. Having been forced by budget cuts to exploit international students as cash cows, the universities are being punished for alleged over-reliance on Chinese students. These international students have been abandoned by the government and left to fend for themselves with no support or means to return home. Many are homeless and reliant on foodbanks to survive. The CFPE advances a socialist and internationalist perspective. We call for the formation of Action Committees at schools and universities to coordinate genuine opposition to these attacks, independent of the pro-capitalist trade unions, and to ensure the health and safety of all educators, students and the working people as a whole. Please join us to discuss these issues. The forum will include contributions from colleagues in universities and schools, and from the equally devastated universities in the UK, as well as from the International Youth and Students for Social Equality. All educators and students looking for a way forward against the wholesale offensive on universities and the disaster triggered by the pandemic are urged to take part in the May 17 forum. To participate contact the CFPE Facebook site or email the SEP at sep@sep.org.au, or click on this Zoom link just before 4 p.m. on Sunday: https://zoom.us/j/94447278547 Centre mandates Air Suvidha portal for ease of travel: All you need to know Passenger flights set to become cheaper as govt focuses on efficient utilisation of airspace India pti-PTI New Delhi, May 16: Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chairman Arvind Singh on Saturday said efficient utilisation of airspace will help reduce travel time, fuel expense and air ticket costs. Describing the reforms announced on Saturday as bold, he said they would have "far-reaching, significant and long lasting impact". Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced that steps will be taken for efficient airspace management for civil aviation and to make the country a MRO (Maintenance Repair and Overhaul) hub. The government would also auction six more airports on the PPP (Public Private Partnership) model. When asked about efficient utilisation of airspace, Singh said it would reduce travelling time in many sectors. "Since travelling time will be reduced, it will become more economical and fuel cost will come down and ticket cost will go down," he told PTI. Civil Aviation Ministry staffer tests positive for COVID-19 Currently, only around 60 per cent of the country's airspace is freely available and the government plans to ease the restrictions on utilisation of the airspace so that civilian flying becomes more efficient. Efficient airspace management for civilian flights could help in reducing flying costs to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore. The move would help "bring a total benefit of about Rs 1,000 crore per year for the aviation sector," Sitharaman said, adding that there would also be a positive environmental impact. Earlier this month, a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided that the Indian airspace should be effectively used in a manner that flying time for travellers is reduced and airlines also save costs. That will be done in close cooperation with the Department of Military Affairs, an official statement had said. Fox News has been heavily criticized for its coverage of the pandemic. In April, the network was sued by a Washington group seeking an injunction to prevent it from publishing further false and deceptive content. As the maker of hit gangster films such as Snatch and Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, Guy Ritchie knows a thing or two about rancorous disputes. But the directors been left bemused by claims made about his brewery by an organisation led by Doc Martin star Martin Clunes. The British Horse Society, of which Clunes is president, has ridden into the dispute with Ritchie by publicly objecting to his plans to redevelop a derelict building on his farm in Wiltshire. He wants to create a new brewery store and bottle store, but Cluness society fears that this will stop its members using a popular riding track nearby. Director Guy Ritchie (right, with wife Jacqui Ainsley) has been left bemused by claims made about his brewery by an organisation led by Doc Martin star Martin Clunes (left) Speaking for the first time about the row, Ritchie tells me: I dont quite know whats going on here. Yes, were building an extension to the brewery and no, were not moving any bridleways. The Gritchie Brewery Company has produced real ale since 2017 on the 1,000-acre estate at Ashcombe House, which he secured as part of his acrimonious divorce settlement from Madonna in 2008. He is now happily married to former model Jacqui Ainsley and has five children. A map showing the proposals for an expansion, which the BHS fear would block a riding pathway, filing an objection to Wiltshire Council, with a decision to be given in the summer Ritchie says: I live in fear of upsetting The British Horse Society, and nothing makes me happier than seeing a pony trot by while I am enjoying a fresh pint of Gritchies IPA. The film-maker, who is in lockdown with his family at Ashcombe, would be happy to settle the dispute over a drink with Clunes, who made his name in the BBC sitcom Men Behaving Badly. Id be delighted to donate a couple of cases to Mr Cluness beloved organisation, in order to smooth over any misunderstanding, he tells me. Wiltshire Council is expected to give its decision in the summer. Cate Blanchetts terrible hair day in Streetcar... Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett suffers for her art. The 51-year-old, who is in lockdown at her mansion in East Sussex, reveals she suffered from sudden hair loss while playing tragic Blanche DuBois on stage in A Streetcar Named Desire. My hair fell out, she says. We were meant to go to Broadway with it [but] I just had to go home. I think it was the stress. Despite her success, the actress lacks confidence. When someone tells me: Ive seen you in such and such, the first thing that comes out of my mouth is: Im so sorry. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridges children wont be short of playmates when the lockdown is lifted. I hear that Prince Georges godmother, Emilia Jardine-Paterson, has given birth to her first daughter, Lucia. Married to renewable energy boss David, with whom she has two sons, Emilia was at Marlborough College with Kate. Meanwhile, Willss close pal Bear Maclean is also celebrating an expanding brood. His wife Daisy Dickson has given birth to their third son, Arlo. The smart sets talking about... Lady Margaritas milestone With Prince Harry and Meghan having quit royal duties, the Firm could do with some bright young recruits. So how about Princess Margarets only granddaughter, Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones (right) who reached adulthood on Thursday when she turned 18? The daughter of the Earl of Snowdon and his estranged wife, Serena, Lady Margarita is a sweet-natured and fun-loving teenager who was bridesmaid to Kate Middleton when she married Prince William at Westminster Abbey in 2011. Shes inherited the creative and enterprising genes of her carpenter father, founder of upmarket furniture company Linley, and mother, who opened a Chelsea shop selling products using lavender from Provence, where they have a French holiday home. To prove it, the teenager has been showing off online the silver jewellery she makes by hand, as well as her photography skills. Margarita enjoys appearing on the balcony at Buckingham Palace and other state occasions, but has her own ambitions, says a friend. Perhaps shell take after her celebrated grandfather, Lord Snowdon, and become a photographer? (Very) modern manners With barbers shut, Rory Bremners wife, Tessa Campbell Fraser, was alarmed that he was already looking more unkempt than one of their horses. So she took drastic measures at their home in Oxfordshire and rummaged in the grooming kit that their teenage daughters, Ava and Lila, use for their ponies. Tessa decided that enough was enough and used some pony hair clippers, Bremner tells me. Actually, shes done a good job. Thats the mane thing. This car driver bribes the traffic cop the most hilarious thing possible Two cops suspended for seeking bribe from chemist India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, May 16: Two policemen were suspended and two others transferred after they allegedly forcibly took away money from a medical shop owner and also demanded bribe from him at Navghar in Thane district, an official said on Saturday. The accused policemen questioned the medical shop owner why he was selling energy drinks when he was supposed to sell only medicines during the lockdown, the official said. Bengaluru cop demands Rs 50 lakh bribe from men carrying liquor, suspended The incident took place on May 6, he added. "After the four policemen went to the shop, they found some energy drink bottles kept on sale there. Objecting to it, they took away around Rs 18,300 from the shop and demanded Rs 1 lakh from the owner for not filing a case against him and his shop," the official said. "Police constables Kiran Ghughe and Amol Raul have been placed under suspension. Two others have been transferred to the control room from Navghar police station," he added. In neighbouring Palghar district, a policeman, accused of making some fishermen do sit-up for carrying fishing activities, was transferred. A video of the purported incident had gone viral on social media. "ASI Dyaneshwar Sawant, who was found involved in the incident, has been transferred out of Satpati police station based on a complaint by the fishermen and their unions," an official said. Hit-and-runs, collisions and even a train speeding down the tracks have killed scores of migrants since the lockdown began and injured many more making a perilous journey home along roads that are empty, winding and seemingly endless. As vehicles careen down deserted roads and lakhs of migrants are on the move -- packed into trucks and tempos, riding rickety cycles or just walking towards their villages, hundreds, maybe thousands, of kilometres away the death count from accidents rises inexorably with each day of the lockdown. The SaveLife Foundation, a non-profit organisation working towards curbing road accidents in the country, has recorded nearly 2,000 road crashes and 368 deaths from March 25 when the lockdown began to May 16 (11 am). Of these, 139 deaths are of migrants travelling back home, 27 of essential workers and 202 of others, it said. "Of the total 368 deaths reported, over 100 were recorded from Uttar Pradesh alone. The top five states in thistally include Madhya Pradesh (30), Telangana (22), Maharashtra (19) and Punjab (17). The most common factor for these road crashes was speeding," SaveLife Foundation CEO Piyush Tewari told PTI. As the numbers spiralled, slowly, steadily and then in what appeared to be a torrent, a pattern emerged. Many of the tragedies occurred in the dark, which is when it is cooler to walk, and many people were caught in their sleep. That's what happened on Saturday too, when a trailer rammed into a stationary truck in the pre-dawn darkness around 3.30 am on a highway near Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh, killing at least 24 people and injuring 36. The vehicles, one headed from Delhi to Madhya Pradesh and the other to Rajasthan, were ferrying labourers to their homes, Some of the workers had stopped for tea and others were possibly sleeping by the roadside or in the vehicles when the crash occurred. Most of those killed were from Jharkhand and West Bengal, and some from Kushinagar in eastern Uttar Pradesh, officials said as reports suggested that some of the victims may have been crushed under cement bags loaded in one of the vehicles. A few hours later, tragedy unfolded in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, when five migrant workers going from Maharashtra to Uttar Pradesh were killed when a truck carrying them overturned on the Sagar-Kanpur Road. The combination of no traffic and speeding vehicles has led to havoc, endangering the lives of those who found themselves without work or money in the coronavirus-induced lockdown and were frantic to get home, any which way. Over this week alone, there have been multiple accidents reported from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. In Guna, Madhya Pradesh, for instance, as many as 14 migrants were killed and around 60 injured in two different road accidents on Thursday and Friday. On Friday, six migrant workers were killed and 95 injured in separate road accidents across Uttar Pradesh. And the day before, six migrant workers walking from Punjab to Bihar were killed in Muzaffarnagar in the state when they were hit by a roadways bus on the Delhi-Saharanpur Highway, officials said. With no compass to guide them on their treacherous inter-state journey home and perhaps to escape the police, many people also walk along railway tracks. On May 8, it cost 16 lives. In perhaps the most gruesome of accidents, 16 migrant workers going to Madhya Pradesh were mowed down by freight train when they dozed off on the tracks near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. In a chilling reflection of the hunger and deprivation that led the group of 20 men working in a steel unit in Jalna four of them survived the rotis' they had packed to see them through the journey lay scattered on the tracks. The same morning, hundreds of kilometres away, amigrant labourer couple,Krishna Sahu (45) and his wife Pramila (40), were run over by an unidentified vehicle on their way from Lucknow to Chhattisgarh. The couple, on a bicycle, were with their two children, both under five years, who survived the crash. Reduced to statistics as they undertake their own personal odysseys, challenging the odds but not always triumphing them, there was a back story everywhere. Some lockdown induced road accidents were reported as early as March 28 when four migrants were run over by a truck on the Maharashtra-Gujarat border. According to Indian Express, the four, part of a group of seven which wanted to reach their villages in Rajasthan after crossing into Gujarat, had just begun walking after taking some rest when a truck came from behind and rammed into them. Two days later, 40-year-old labourer Sukh Lal Ahirwar died in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh after a car hit him. Ahirwar and his wife had walked for two straight days from Delhi towards their home in Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh and were resting on a road divider when the accident took place, reported the Hindi daily Nayi Duniya. Those who survive have no option but continue the journey. Like the group of 20 labourers who left in a tempo from Mumbai to Lucknow on May 10. The 1,400-km journey had barely begun when the tempo met with an accident, killing their driver. The driver had spoken to the channel NDTV just hours earlier. "There are lots of problems. We don't have anything to eat. We had rations till now, so we were eating that. Now, we are heading out. We will travel somehow in this," one of those in the group told the channel. There were also reports of a woman and her six-year-old daughter who were part of a group travelling between Maharashtra and Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh in an autorickshaw. They had travelled almost 1,300 km when the autorickshaw was hit by a truck just short of their destination in Fatehpur. The Railways has organised "Shramik Special trains" and ferried at least 12 lakh migrants to their homes since May 1. "To bring back the workers till date, the Railways has operated 1,034 Shramik Special trains. Out of which 106 were operated yesterday (Friday). Uttar Pradesh and Bihar has taken steps positively and 80 per cent of the total Shramik Special trains have been operated by these two states," Union minister Piyush Goyal tweeted on Saturday. But if the thousands of workers and their families still trudging their way home, however they can, is any indication, it might be too little too late. India accounts for one of the highest road crashes fatalities in the world with an estimated 1.5 lakh people killed in about five lakh accidents a year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Panaji: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi today arrived in Goa to discuss about preparations for the BRICS summit scheduled for October, and said the event will put the coastal state on a higher pedestal. Yi, after landing in Goa, met Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar at the state secretariat where both the leaders discussed about preparations for the forthcoming summit. The meeting lasted for over an hour. "I have come here because BRICS summit is being held in Goa. I have seen friendly sentiments from the people of Goa," Yi told reporters in the presence of Parsekar. "Goa has a beautiful landscape, beaches and people. Goa is one of the best in the world. I am sure BRICS summit will put Goa at a higher pedestal," he said. He said, "India and China are good friends and good partners. " The Goa Chief Minister said he had a discussion with Yi over breakfast. He said Goa and China have long standing relations, with iron ore from the coastal state being exported to the neighbouring country. "We can also tie up with China in the field of education and technology. We can attract investment from China in the Information Technology," Parsekar said. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has bestowed faith on Goa by offering us to host BRICS summit," the CM said. During his day-long tour, Yi is expected to meet state Governor Mridula Sinha and visit Aguada plateau, about 10 km from Panaji. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Israel will review a Hong Kong-based companys involvement in a major infrastructure project after a warning from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about rising Chinese influence. Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings is one of two finalists in the bid to build Israels US$1.5 billion Sorek B desalination plant, near the military base of Palmachim, a facility that is expected to be the biggest of its kind in the world. Israeli company IDE Technologies is the other contender and the decision will be announced on May 24. The facility will be able to produce 200 million cubic metres of water annually a quarter of the water Israel uses each year, and the winning bidder will have the rights to run it for 25 years. Citing three Israeli officials, the Financial Times reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would force extra checks on whether CK Hutchison would be allowed to bid for the plant, buckling to pressure from US officials. Pompeo did not make public comment about the project while in Israel on Wednesday, but he openly expressed opposition to any Chinese involvement in Israels infrastructure projects. We dont want the Chinese Communist Party to have access to Israeli infrastructure and to Israeli communication systems all of the things that put Israeli citizens at risk, and in turn put the capacity for America to work alongside Israel on important projects at risk as well, he told Israels public broadcaster KAN. CK Hutchison declined to comment. As prime minister, Netanyahu has expanded trade and business with China and begun free trade talks. But the United States has pressured him to put the increasing Chinese investment in the country under more scrutiny, threatening to reduce intelligence-sharing if concerns are not addressed. In October, Israel set up a committee to review foreign investment in general not specifically Chinese investment but US officials were not satisfied. Story continues In a report last month, US-based think tank Rand Corporation said the US should be concerned by Chinese investment that could give China a military and economic edge. Some projects listed as concerns in the report included building and operating the new Haifa Port terminal. Li Guofu, a Middle East specialist at the China Institute of International Studies, said Israel generally welcomed Chinese investment as well as other cooperation because ultimately the deals were mutually beneficial. The pressure from Washington will have some effect, but will not essentially overturn the cooperation between China and Israel, because the Israeli leaders will have their own consideration of the needs and interests of their own country, Li said. The Israelis will not just bet on one side, especially when the US election is coming up. 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 Israel to review CK Hutchison water plant bid after US China influence warning first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. KALAMAZOO, MI With massive state budget deficits looming, Kalamazoo Public Schools leaders are discussing a potential budget shortfall ranging between 10-25% for the 2020-21 school year. We all knew that with the coronavirus and decreasing economy, that we would need to make cuts next year," Interim Superintendent Gary Start told trustees at the Thursday, May 14, Board of Education meeting. However, the numbers that Ive heard this week are shocking," Start said. "Theyre just absolutely unimaginable, In 36 years of budgeting, Start said, the worst year he ever encountered was 2011, when per-pupil funding was cut by $470 as the nation came out of the 2008 recession. A 25% cut to the school districts budget would equate to a cut of $2,070 per student, the superintendent said. A 10% cut would equate to a cut of $830 in spending per student. I can tell you for sure, that type of cut, itd be impossible to address it without major cuts to programs for students, substantial employee contract concessions in the state in the areas of wages and working conditions, major layoffs and eliminating our fund balance and even then Im not sure it is possible, Start said. The State Senate Fiscal Agencys economic outlook and budget review released May 14 showed a $1.2 billion deficit in school aid funding for the 2019-20 school year compared to January consensus estimates along with a $1.1 billion decrease in School Aid Fund revenue anticipated for 2020-21. I knew we had issues. Until this week I didnt realize how serious they were, Start told KPS board members Thursday. And keep in mind, weve cut all the low-hanging fruit. What I fully expect is that Ill be making recommendations that I strongly dislike and Ill be asking you to approve those recommendations, and we wont have any choice but to approve something that we all dont like in order to properly, provide some fiscal management and we really under order by law, weve got to provide that. Board president Patti Sholler-Barber said its hard to know what the long-term effects will be, but called the short-term ramifications abysmal. She said the board needs to step up to the challenge and focus on providing equity to all classrooms. I fear these cuts, what theyre going to do to these people who chose a very noble profession," she said. "We need to seek as many ways as we can to help our teachers connect to their students and to all the students. Our task at hand is huge. In addition to this years shortfall, state Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, who chairs the Senates education budget subcommittee, warned districts to expect as much as a 25% cut in foundation allowance for the 2020-21 school year, Start said. At the first of the states biannual revenue estimating conferences in January, public schools received a pretty good budget recommendation by the governor, Start said. Unfortunately, thats all history now, he said, on the heels of the May report. While additional revenue estimating conferences are likely to be held this summer given the uncertainty surrounding tax collections due to the coronavirus pandemic, Start said there is likely nothing that can be done about the $1.2 billion deficit schools are facing statewide this year, noting the fiscal year concludes June 30. Honestly, I didnt think our big issue was 2019-20, he said. "And the reality is theres virtually nothing we can do about that. "If the state decides to deal with that deficit by cutting schools, really whats going to happen is a direct hit to fund balance. You really cant cut spending this late in the year." A $1.2 billion cut equates to 9% of school aid fund revenue for the state, he said. For Kalamazoo Public Schools, it translates to a $10.8 million cut. We have a projected fund balance this year of $14 million, he said. You take $10.8 million out of that and were down to a projected fund balance of $3.2 million, which is about 2% of our budget." A major issue there, he said, is that if the districts fund balance drops below 5% of the budget, it would be under significant state scrutiny because they would be considered high-risk and it is illegal to go into a deficit. Losing that much fund balance, he said, would not only create a major structural deficit going into 2020-21, it would make program cuts, contract concessions and layoffs inevitable. One thing that could soften the financial blow, Start said, is potential federal funding that could come the districts way as a result of the CARES Act, along with a possible second stimulus package that could offer aid to local governments. The district could see a windfall of $3.5-$4 million, Start said, but his concern is there may not be flexibility in how the money can be spent if it is received. We need to be able to use it to back-fill revenue so we need to lobby to ensure that we have that flexible flexibility, he said. As far as a second stimulus package, he said that money is desperately needed. With the types of cuts the state is talking about, it cant be done, he said. Certainly not in a way that we could have a school district that looks anything like what were presently doing. Its really disappointing. A couple of months ago we were talking about all the great things that we can do for kids and thinking of ideas and how we can invest money in kids, and the discussion is going to completely change. Calling the financial dilemma heartbreaking, Trustee Jermaine Jackson said community members must stand up together and lobby for change. Its going to take us all unifying our voices together, not just the board but the community, not just the community, but the state of Michigan," Jackson said. We are all going to have to really sound the alarm and hope that we can push to really bring about change, because for these cuts to happen, its not only going to be devastating to our staff, but also to our students. Also on MLive: Friday, May 15: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Kalamazoo Public Schools announces plans for virtual graduation ceremonies Substantial layoffs still coming at Western Michigan University as budgets cut by 20% Nearly 900K free meals delivered to Kalamazoo-area students during pandemic Y Ty Commune in Bat Xat District, Lao Cai province, has welcomed many visitors after the provincial authorities allowed the resumption of tourist attractions and services following the easing of social distancing orders. Ha Nhi ethnic minority people's traditional Tet Festival is a unique tourism product in Bat Xat District. The initiative of Ha Nhi ethnic minority people The Y Ty Cloud homestay in Ly Xa Xuy is located in the head of a slope where visitors can see a panoramic view of Y Ty Commune. Xuy said that buses from Lao Cai City to the centre of the commune have to pass through his house. Xuy was born into a famous family in Y Ty. His grandfather is the folk artisan Ly A Cho, who is considered as real life history book on the culture of Ha Nhi ethnic minority people; meanwhile his uncle is the localitys leader. After graduating from the National University of Civil Engineering, Xuy returned to his hometown and open his homestay last year when Y Ty began to appear on the Vietnamese tourism map. Y Ty had been a remote land in Lao Cai Province for many years. This border commune has been famous for bobbing clouds and the magical stories of the Ha Nhi people. However, the road from Lao Cai City to Y Ty was still very rough and an extremely arduous journey even as recent as ten years ago. At that time, the area had only one homestay. Visitors had to spread cushions and blankets and sleep on the stairs. Only a few years later, local young people like Ly Xa Xuy began to change their mind about working in the border land. Many others, including Phu Suy Tho and Chu Che Xa, decided to run their homestays. They have paid much attention to designing the traditional houses more beautifully. Phu Suy Tho has carefully prepared a path full of hoa huong duong (sunflowers) for visitors to take photos. Chu Che Xa has become a professional tour guide who introduces the customs of Ha Nhi people to the guests. Y Ty can now welcome over 2,000 visitors, mainly staying at indigenous peoples homestays. Notably, points for viewing clouds, small cafeterias and rest areas for guests to take photos were all built at the homestays. Xuy admitted that he has grown a stronger attachment to Y Ty than he had ever imagined since he began his involvement in the tourism business. Previously, he had never taken any notice of the stories told by his grandfather as well as the importance of traditional offerings and processions. However, he studied hard and learnt from his predecessors. The young people also always promote the beauty of their locality on social networks. Xuys VND800 million At a tourism conference held in Lao Cai Province at the beginning of the year, the organisers asked Xuy how much money he spent constructing his homestay. He said he invested nearly VND800 million, a large amount for s new start-up. Meanwhile, revenue comes mainly from the VND200,000 per night for a room and his homestays maximum capacity of 20 guests. Since the bridge over the Muong Hum spillway was put into operation and the border patrol road along the Red River was completed, visitors have paid much attention to Bat Xat District with Y Ty, A Lu and Ngai Thau Communes being as beautiful as Sapa. With wonderful, terraced paddy fields, the landmark No.92 where the Red River flows into Vietnam and the unique and diverse indigenous culture of the Ha Nhi ethnic minority people, Bat Xat is waiting for its momentum to rise. Coming to Y Ty, visitors can rest and enjoy pristine places that have not been urbanised like Sapa. However, so far, there have not been many tourism products developed in Y Ty. Although the local young people, including Xuy, Xa and Tho, have tried to exploit new destinations and routes, they have faced numerous difficulties. They have not had professional guidance or assistance. Therefore, their dynamism alone is not quite enough for this mountainous commune to develop. They are still confused when any guests need to find a motorbike to go to other destinations or are hesitant to experiment with new forms of tourism. Meanwhile, the price of land in Y Ty has risen as it has become gradually more famous. Several locals sold their land to earn a large sum of money. Many people met Xuy and offered an attractive price for his homestay. However, he refused and encouraged his friends not to sell their land. Y Ty people have not really ever been familiar with tourist activities. There is no history of that there, so it will be difficult to apply any formula to the development of modern tourism in the mountainous commune. Therefore, Xuy has not thought about the recovery of his investment capital of VND800 million. He constructed his homestay by himself, not following any professional design concept. Despite support from his relatives, he is sometimes worried because many things were very expensive. For example, an original Ha Nhi person like Xuy could not find a beautiful and affordable bamboo tray which is a traditional handicraft product of Ha Nhi ethnic minority people in Bat Xat District. He even had to buy a rattan chair in Lao Cai City. Bat Xat has great potential in terms of nature and cultural identities, but it lacks the well-invested products and services that can help the locality develop in a more sustained way. There were also several English courses for the locals like Xuy. However, after the Covid-19 outbreak, all have had to restart. Anyway, in a land amidst the clouds, the Ha Nhi people still dream of the further development in the future. Nhan Dan Exploring golden paddy fields of Yen Bai With autumn upon us, thousands of visitors have begun flocking to the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai in order to enjoy some of the regions breathtaking scenery of ripe paddy fields. The discovery of the bodies of two dead sisters came as a shock when they were tossed off a bridge. On Wednesday morning, Rome, Georgia woke up to find out that two sisters just perished in the sickest way. Each one wearing a bag over their head, until their moment of death. The bodies that were hooded and tossed on the bridge were identified as 19-year-old Vanita Nicole "Vera" Richardson, 19, and Truvenia Clarece "Bean" Campbell, 31. Both from Rome Georgia, this grisly crime is unthinkable why it was committed in the first place. One of the local newspapers, the Rome News-Tribune identified the two women, as sisters to confirm their filial relationship. Later on, authorities like the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are stepping in after the incident is now determined to be a homicide based on the initial facts of the case. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation will follow all the leads to determine the one responsible for the double murder of the sisters. Agent on the case According to one of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brian Johnston, he reveals to that the sisters were dead by the time they were thrown like potato-sacks over the Etowah bridge. Although the Tribune revealed the discovery of several shotgun shells nearby, the GBI did not confirm or comment about the Tribune's claim yet. The exact location of the corpses was further expounded, and the bodies were located in Willbanks and Houston mill roads as further information on the scene of the crime. Also read: Suspect in Utah Murder-Suicide Posts Graphic Video on Snapchat Before Killing Himself Discovering the hooded victims The News-Tribune said that the bodies would be unnoticed had it not been for a crew of the Georgia Department of Transportation, who stumble upon the slain sisters to make the gruesome discovery. Calls for the authorities to check the scene of the crime was made at 11 a.m., reported special agent Johnston. Authorities knew how the gruesome deaths of the sisters happened but not what led the murderer to commit the crime, or even why the two wore hoods. The GBI stressed that they are assisting the Rome Police Department in resolving the homicide case. Speculating on the reports, one question is how long were the victims on the bridge. Were they still alive when the murderer tossed them or were the sisters lifeless when thrown at the part of the East Rome Bypass? Investigators still have so many questions about who and what led to their slaying. Leads are sought to help clear the case. The victims Robinson would have graduated from Armuchee High School in Rome next Saturday. But that will never happen. Last Thursday, the Floyd County Schools in a statement wrote," We are deeply saddened and heartbroken by the news of the death of one of our students, Vanita Richardson who was scheduled to graduate next Saturday." The school also said,"Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Vanita will be remembered for being a fun-loving, humble, and motivated student who was making strong plans for her future." Vanita, one of the victim, made an impact and touched everyone with her big heart. Why she died is still not known too. Related topic: Pantless Dead Woman Dumped in Trash Can Via Shopping Cart @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. 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, added benefits if needed and hazard pay, during the coronavirus pandemic on Apr. 7, 2020. Our essential workers are dying. Just this week, we learned of three more Amazon warehouse workers who have died due to Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths to seven. Unofficial tallies, mostly tracked by concerned Amazon employees who receive text message alerts whenever one of their colleagues catches the coronavirus, peg the total number of cases at 900 or more. There could easily be more deaths and infections within Amazon's walls, but the company has declined to disclose the impact the pandemic has had on its employees. Instead, Amazon has only verified deaths when they're dug up by members of the media, leaving us with a fuzzy picture at best as to how dangerous this work actually is. Amazon disagrees. In an interview with "60 Minutes" on May 10, Amazon's operations boss David Clark said disclosing the number of "isn't particularly useful," and instead said the focus should be on the rate of cases relative to the number of workers in a warehouse and the communities in which they live. Amazon hasn't disclosed that rate either. Amazon should release the number of infections and deaths among its workforce, or, at the very least, figures that show the rate of the infections inside its warehouses. Our notion of an "essential worker" has dramatically changed since the start of the pandemic. It's not just doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters and members of the military. In the time of the coronavirus, the definition has expanded to include sanitation workers, grocery store clerks, food-delivery workers and warehouse workers who ship goods ordered online. Over the last few months, we've called these workers heroes. We've asked them to show up to work amid a deadly pandemic that has already killed at least 86,000 people and affected at least 1.4 million in the U.S. They're working in crowded buildings, behind checkout counters shielded with plexiglass and in hotspots like New York City where the virus continues to spread and kill hundreds of people per day. We're asking them to do it all without a clear picture of just how dangerous the work actually is. We're asking them to choose between no paycheck and putting their lives at risk. We're asking them to do all this just to keep the basic standard of living we've become accustomed to humming as a virus ravages the country. If Amazon disclosed its infection and death data, it would provide valuable insight not just to workers who need to make decisions about their paychecks and health, but also to employers grappling with the same issues as Amazon. As other businesses slowly begin to open again across the country, they'll need all the help they can get to make sure they're protecting their workers and customers, just like the essential businesses who have been operating through the pandemic have done. There are lessons to learn, but those lessons become more difficult without the data. Amazon's biggest rival in retail, Walmart, also has a slew of reported Covid-19 cases and deaths, but has routinely declined to disclose its own data and faces a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of one of its employees who died from the coronavirus. Other horror stories have cropped up in essential businesses from Tyson meat plants to grocery store chains like Costco and Kroger that are grappling with long lines and customers angry over social distancing rules. Amazon has proven it can be a leader. For example, in October 2018, Amazon announced it would raise its minimum wage to $15 per hour. But Amazon went further than just raising wages. It also said it would advocate to bring the federal minimum wage up to the same standard, and CEO Jeff Bezos dared other large employers to do the same. "We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead," Bezos said in a statement at the time. "We're excited about this change and encourage our competitors and other large employers to join us." Now it's time for Amazon to lead again. It's an icon of American industry, like General Electric and General Motors were decades ago. It's the company many businesses admire and look to for guidance. Through its innovation and relentless drive, Amazon has earned the burden of setting the standard for how business works in this country. So far, Amazon has done a great job talking about the safety measures it has taken to protect its warehouse workers. It provides regular updates on its dedicated Covid-19 blog, which reads like a template for just about any large business grappling with how to safely operate during the pandemic. Face masks. Temperature checks. Social distancing. Hand sanitzer. Gloves. And so on. Amazon should be commended for moving as rapidly as it could to implement these changes throughout its sprawling logistics network. That's no small feat. On top of that, Amazon said it plans to reinvest all of its profits this quarter -- an estimated $4 billion -- into its Covid-19 response. Hundreds of millions of dollars of that will go towards its own development of Covid-19 tests, a key to getting all of its employees safely back to work. It said it could spend $1 billion on testing alone this year. Compare that to the White House's response to the testing shortage. Workers are scared, even as they do important work for pay that doesn't match up to the risk they're taking. Amazon has the opportunity to shine light on just how dangerous this work is by being the first major important to disclose its worker death and infection counts. Hopefully others would then follow Amazon's lead. It wouldnt be a stretch to say that the year 2010 was a landmark year for Indian cinema. Many think that our standards as moviegoers have dropped as the years went on - before the rise and absolute domination of OTT streaming service, Bollywood churned out just over 120 films in that fateful year (compared to 2019s somewhat muted 101). And while, at the time, it seemed like a year full of item-number heavy, commercial moneymakers like Dabangg, Golmaal 3 and Tees Maar Khan, 2010 marked a clear and direct shift thats impossible to ignore today - a resurgence of unconventional characters, tight and layered scripts and most importantly, film budgets that reflected Bollywood as an artistic powerhouse, not a financial one. One such film was Vikramaditya Motwanes directorial debut - Udaan. Today, it seems like destiny more than coincidence that the films name means flight - along with revolutionising how young Indian men saw themselves in coming-of-age stories, it also marked the takeoff for Rajat Barmechas career, who was barely 21 at the time of his casting - playing the role of Rohan - a young teenager with big dreams and a father (played by acting juggernaut Ronit Roy who won multiple awards for his role) deeply mired in an abusive, ruthless and unforgiving view of the world. Rajat Barmecha In an exclusive chat with MensXP, Rajat looks back on his introduction into the world of acting and his initial trepidations with a mixture of pride and amusement - recalling fond memories of visiting cinemas on Tuesdays (his fathers weekly off) as a child, and the incredible reactions of his friends and family on finally getting to see the young man on screen. Here are a few things he had to share about the film - a whole decade in the future: Revisiting Early Days On Set Anurag Kashyap Films I clearly remember the first day. For me it was just a Delhi boy with no filmi background coming on the set of this film - back then I had no idea how well the film would be received, but it was my first time appearing as a lead. The only thing I remember thinking about was I only hope that after the film comes out, I dont want anyone to say that Im a bad actor - that Vikram [Motwane] made a mistake by choosing this boy - because the whole film was on my shoulders. I was in practically every scene, and out of the forty-two days of shooting, there was only a period of four hours for which I was absent from the set. Thankfully, Vikram scheduled some easier scenes for the first day of shooting - I remember Dipa Motwane, Vikrams mother. Dipa Aunty was one of our executive producers, and after being out all day, she came up to me and said, oh, you did a good job today! Everyone was talking about you, and said that you did well. It made me so happy, you have no idea! Learning How To Act, The Hard Way Anurag Kashyap Films I think more than a gradual process, it was a subconscious process. I became the character over time without me even realising it. Before the shoot began, back in Bombay, Vikram hired this guy by the name of Vikas Kumar, who happened to be an acting teacher - Vikram got him on board to help me learn and understand my character better. Soon, Id be going to Vikas house daily to practice scenes - usually with him playing Ronit Roys character while I played my own, just trying to improvise. One day, while practising, he slapped me in the middle of a scene - for real. It was a shock - my own parents have never slapped me, and I wondered yeh kaunsi acting hai - what the f*ck was that? I looked back at him, and was about to tell him this - and then he slapped me again! It was then that I looked back at him with this rebellious look on my face - tears flowing down. I got so angry that I pushed him onto the bed and began raining punches on him - all legit, not a bit of acting at that moment. Soon, I found myself in Anurag [Kashyaps] office, and I was particularly quiet that day - avoiding talking to anyone because I was hurt and angry. Vikram soon spoke to Vikas and learned the story - saying I can now see my character in Rajat. Its Rohan who is sitting in my office right now. Even now, Vikram and I remember that day." How A Character Changes An Actor Over Time Anurag Kashyap Films Compared to Rohan, I was totally his opposite at the time. I had a very loving father and family, no dreams of writing, no boarding school experience and pressure to do engineering - so there was no similarity. Today, after ten years so much of Rohan is in me without me even trying. Uss time pe, Vikram gave me a notebook, which is Rohans notebook you get to see in the film - and he told me to write in it and express my thoughts on paper. Since then, I picked it up and today I write poetry and in the midst of the lockdown, Ive just finished writing my first feature film. That Rajat Barmecha of ten years ago, never in his wildest dreams would have imagined that hed write a single word - forget a script. A lot has changed in these ten years. On Family & Friends Reacting To Udaan Anurag Kashyap Films My father is crazy. *laughs* Even if I were to take on the worst kind of work, he would still go on to take the time to watch it and say, arre, bohut accha tha! - for him there was no question about it, he just loved it. I have memories of my entire school going out on a field trip to watch the film too, but heres a rather funny story from the initial screening. Back then, when we had taken my family to the theatre to watch Udaan, my naani happened to tag along, and she had never seen a film in a theatre before - it happened to be the only movie she ever watched in a cinema. As we watched it, my naani could not believe that I actually smoked onscreen, or that I got slapped! The only thing she had to say was, yeh thappad aur yeh cigarette sab computer se ho gaya hai. She couldnt even believe I had done scenes like that. Everyone else was excited and happy though. Seeing A Younger Self On-Screen Once Again Anurag Kashyap Films For me, the feeling of watching Udaan again is always one of nostalgia. Every single shot of that film reminds me of stories from production - what went behind each scene. I still remember every single minute of the prep, the shoot I can never really detach myself from this movie. I normally can do that with my work, it happens, and then I move on. But with Udaan, theres just so much of me in it - I invested myself completely in that film. Today, no matter who I meet in the industry, I address them by name - no sir, madam, uncle or aunty - I just stay professional. But with Udaan, it really felt like being with family for me. It was not like a work environment for me at all. Many people have come to me over the years and remarked that Udaan was a dream role, and touchwood, I feel so blessed and so thankful that my first film had a role like this." HOBART Two Chicago men have been charged after multiple police agencies chased down a U-Haul they say was stocked with dirt bikes stolen from a motorcycle store in Hobart early Saturday. Sherman Jett, 29, and Antoine White, 26, were each charged with burglary, according to the Hobart Police Department. Jett, the U-Haul driver, was also charged with resisting law enforcement. The pursuit began around 5:30 a.m. with Lake County Sheriffs Department deputies and Hobart police in chase, according to Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez. It began when Hobart Cpl. Kenneth Williams was driving west on East 37th Avenue and heard an alarm ringing out from Cycle Sport Yamaha, at 8544 E. 37th Ave. in Hobart. When Williams got to the scene, he saw two men pushing dirt bikes out of the store into a U-Haul truck that was backed up to the front door. The officer also saw the front window was smashed in. When the duo saw Williams, the two men jumped into the U-Haul and fled westbound on 37th Avenue, police said. It sounds like something from a Jason Bourne movie. Our hero needs to get out of town, and fast. And the only way he's going to manage it is with fake papers. So far, so Hollywood. Except that this is Germany in 1849. The renegade is opera's heavy-hitter Richard Wagner, and the man procuring the false passport is none other than the concert hall's greatest showman, the pianist and composer Franz Liszt. The pair, direct contemporaries, first met in Paris in 1840. Liszt was the talk of the town, a 19th century rock star, who had audiences swooning in their seats as he played and squabbling over the green silk gloves and pocket square he would leave behind on stage after his encore. Wagner was struggling to make any kind of mark. He couldn't find a producer for his first attempt at opera. His second had closed after only one performance. Expand Close Franz Liszt helped Wagner obtain a false passport / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Franz Liszt helped Wagner obtain a false passport Broke, he headed for Paris. They loved their opera there, and Wagner felt it was the best place for him. He sought out Liszt, looking for support as he tried to get a break. While nothing came of it, their paths would cross again, when Wagner had found his feet and was back in Germany, as conductor to the royal court in Dresden. Writing to him some time after they had reconnected, Liszt recalled: "Your genius flashed its light on me." They collaborated, Liszt conducting Wagner's opera Tannhauser. Events were to take a dramatic turn. The Revolutions of 1848 that had been sweeping across Europe reached Germany - then a confederation of 39 separate states - in the form of a demand for national unity. In Dresden, the capital of Saxony, the anti-unity king dissolved the state parliament, provoking an uprising. Wagner actively supported the insurgents. The composer had posters printed that he handed out to local soldiers, urging them not to co-operate with the military reinforcements being sent in from Prussia to quell the unrest. He acted as a look-out. He organised hand grenades. All of this left him somewhat exposed when, days later, the revolution was crushed. Video of the Day He went on the run. "Wanted for examination on account of his active participation in the recent rising," read the arrest warrant, which also included a pretty inadequate description: "of middle height, has brown hair, and wears glasses". Wagner met up with Liszt at his house, west of Dresden. With the police on his tail, he couldn't stay, but Liszt had taken care of arrangements. He had "borrowed" the passport of a friend of his, a Professor Widmann, to give to Wagner to help him get out of Germany and beyond the reach of the warrant. Paris was his intended destination, but with heavy police activity on the direct route, he was advised to head south and take the ferry across Lake Constance into Switzerland. He wondered how he would get away with it. The good professor was from southern Germany, with an accent to match. If Wagner was asked to explain himself, there was a serious risk he'd be found out. He needn't have worried. All the ship's passengers had surrendered their papers together. With no photographs involved, when the time came to hand them back, Wagner was able to claim "his" unchallenged. With one bound, he was free. Just like in the movies. George Hamilton presents 'The Hamilton Scores' on RTE lyric fm from 10am each Saturday and Sunday. MAPLEWOOD On a recent afternoon, Shana Poole-Jones set up her tables full of food in her yard, like shes done almost every day for more than a month. HELP YOURSELF, read handwritten signs attached to the three tables filled with everything from carrots and cucumbers to peanut butter and rice mixes on the lot near the corner of Bredell and Folk avenues in Maplewood. A string of visitors, all affected in some way by the coronavirus pandemic, soon began to stop by. Construction workers who had their hours cut with slow-downs in work grabbed items. A woman who drove about 45 minutes, from Warrenton, collected food for a nurse she knows who has five kids and needs help. A maintenance man who is seeing less work amid the shutdown grabbed a few things, saying, Food is tight. This will help. Poole-Jones provided the offerings out of grief and a need to take action. She has lost 10 loved ones to COVID-19: an aunt, an uncle, two first cousins, four close childhood friends and two godparents. All lived in her hometown of Albany, Georgia, a city of about 75,000 that has had one of the most intense outbreaks of the virus in the nation. Its a different type of hurt for me right now, Poole-Jones said, shortly after learning her partners father in St. Louis also had died, from an unknown cause. Its like blow after blow. I had to figure out a way to cope with all the emotions. Poole-Jones came up with the idea for the food giveaway when she got a message from the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District saying it was suspending a meal drive for families after an employee reported a fever. I thought, People are going to go hungry from this, Poole-Jones said. So she and her family went into her kitchen and pulled out enough food to fill a table with school lunches. She posted about the effort on a local Facebook page and more than 15 people stopped by. I thought, Wow, we need to keep doing this, Poole-Jones said. Over the next few weeks, a single table grew to three. Poole-Jones got a donated tent to cover the tables from the sun, and neighbors began to contribute boxes of food. Poole-Jones also began buying disinfectant wipes and personal care items and added toys, books and DVDs to the collection. Everything is taken almost every day, with about 25 families getting items, she said. I found they really do take just what they need, she said. I have one older woman come and grab one meal off the table every day. Just enough for her. Poole-Jones usually doesnt interact with the visitors but stays inside and keeps an eye on the tables via a security camera. She avoids close contact because she has health issues, including diabetes, that put her at high risk for complications from coronavirus. But she also likes that people can take what they want without having to speak with anyone. I want to be a blessing. I dont want anybody to feel like someone is looking over their shoulder, she said. They dont have to fill paperwork out writing about why theyre struggling. They dont have to wait in line. Its just, Heres food. Its simple. Poole-Jones does occasionally come out onto her porch to speak with regulars such as Jessica Hirzy, who stopped by recently with her young daughter, Lynaya Callahan. She already feels like family. Last week I dropped stuff off. This week we need it, said Hirzy, who gave a dramatic wave when Poole-Jones and her partner, Keyaira Stepps, stepped outside to chat. Lynaya told Poole-Jones it was her seventh birthday. She had wanted to go to a trampoline park and get a pet hamster, but her mom said that couldnt happen this year with stay-at-home orders still in place. Stepps went into the house and a few minutes later brought the birthday girl bags of snacks and toys to celebrate. Those are the moments that make this worth it, Poole-Jones said. Poole-Jones this week had to pause setting up the tables for a few days while she traveled to Georgia and helped her family sort through the affairs of relatives who died from the virus. I set up the table before we left at 7 a.m., she said by phone from Georgia. I asked people to keep setting out some food if they can. But I just want to get back as soon as I can. I know people have started to rely on it and there is a need. The tables, she said, have helped her cope with weeks of personal loss and fear. I realize that Im a broken person and most of the people who come to the table are broken right now, she said. But all the broken pieces come together and make a sort of community to survive this. Anyone interested in supporting the grab-and-go tables can drop off food or give money through Poole-Jones fundraiser at GoFundMe.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. Erin Heffernan Erin Heffernan is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Erin Heffernan 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 At least 800,000 mainly Tutsi people were beaten, hacked or shot to death in Rwandas 1994 genocide, a 100-day killing spree carried out mostly by Hutu forces. Here is a recap: President killed On April 6, 1994 Rwandas president, Juvenal Habyarimana, is killed when his aircraft is shot down over Kigali. From the Hutu majority, he is returning from peace talks in Tanzania with Tutsi rebels of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). It is not clear who carried out the attack but the killing unleashes a killing spree by Hutu forces and militia. Genocide starts On April 7 soldiers of the elite presidential guard kill the moderate Hutu prime minister, Agathe Uwilingiyimana, as well as 10 Belgian paratroopers guarding her. Massacres start. Authorities distribute lists of people to be killed, mostly Tutsis but also opposition Hutus; troops and militia set up roadblocks and go house-to-house looking for targets. The Mille Collines radio station exhorts Hutus to kill Tutsi cockroaches, to rape and loot. Men, women and children are killed in the streets, in their homes and even in churches and schools where they seek refuge. UN scales down effort From April 9 French and Belgian paratroopers arrive to evacuate their nationals. A UN peacekeeping operation, unable to stop the massacres, is on April 21 reduced from around 2,300 to 270 men. A week later Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says a genocide is underway. On June 22 France deploys Operation Turquoise, a UN-mandated force tasked with halting the killing. It has little effect. On June 30 the UN Human Rights Commission special rapporteur says the slaughter legally qualifies as genocide and appears to have been planned. Killing stops On July 4 the mainly Tutsi RPF soldiers finally seize the capital Kigali and the killing ends. The United Nations will later estimate that 800,000 people lost their lives. Hundreds of thousands of Hutus, fearing reprisals, flee to neighbouring Zaire, todays Democratic Republic of Congo. Justice In November 1994 the UN sets up the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in neighbouring Tanzania to try the main perpetrators. In 1998 it becomes the first international court to hand down a conviction for genocide, finding a former town mayor guilty of inciting the massacre of more than 2,000 Tutsis. Local community courts also find thousands of people guilty and convictions are also made internationally. Belgium, the former colonial powers, holds five trials linked to the genocide. Ikea was planning to open on Monday but will have to wait IKEA fans may have to wait until June 29 to shop at the Swedish homeware store after the Government moved to block any early opening. The store had announced in recent days that it was preparing to open on Monday due to the original Government roadmap stating homeware stores would be opened. As it now stands, Ikea may not be able to reopen until next month, under the return of non-essential retail outlets with street-level entrances and exits. "Following the Government's announcement, our store and order-and-collection point remain closed for the time being," a spokesman said. "Customers can still purchase our products online. We will continue to plan for the safe reopening of our stores once we get the go-ahead from the authorities." David Fitzsimons, from Retail Excellence, said: "Homeware was listed as being opened and now it's decided they're not. "All furniture stores thought they'd be opening and now they're not. "We're told in phase two, on June 8, small stores will be allowed to open - but what qualifies as a small store? The advice isn't great." Meanwhile, supermarket giants have been criticised for selling clothing, while stores specialising in fashion are not permitted to open their doors under the Government roadmap. Rioting Business owners and members of the public have been critical of larger grocery stores, such as Tesco Ireland and Dunnes, opening clothing sections while fashion shops have been restricted. The roadmap for reopening the economy states clothes stores cannot open until June 29. "It's not fair that larger supermarkets are able to open clothing sections while fashion stores cannot," Mr Fitzsimons said. "However, I do understand there was rioting [at a large supermarket] in Dublin and Clare, where customers got over the barrier and started pulling clothing items down. "They were asked not to do it. "The stores had to close that section. "However, aside from that, this is not fair and the level of clarity we're getting from the Government is not ideal." Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced yesterday he hoped to announce a further easing of restrictions on June 5. Mr Fitzsimons said: "From the very outset we said to [Business] Minister Heather Humphreys that it would be best to advise the larger grocery stores, who sell food but not homeware and clothing. "The fall-out from this is going to be monumental. "There are stores where the owners have suffered so much and will only be able to bring 70pc of colleagues back." The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Turkey is easing COVID-19 restrictions as the government claims success in containing the virus. While infection and death rates are falling, concerns remain, the move may be too soon. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. S Kumaresan By Express News Service CHENNAI: Is DMK president MK Stalin still bearing animosity towards Congress State chief KS Alagiri? Congress leaders and cadre did not miss that Stalin did not condemn the recent police case filed against the State leader for staging a demonstration against reopening of TASMAC outlets. They feel that Stalin is still giving a cold shoulder to Alagiri even months after the latter made an open statement expressing disappointment over the seats allocated to the party in local body polls. The Cuddalore police recently filed a case against Alagiri and a few other Congressmen for staging a protest. All allies and parties cordial with DMK had staged protests against the government decision to reopen TASMAC outlets. While a few leaders in the alliance, like CPI State secretary R Mutharasan, condemned the police action, DMK leaders have so far been silent on the issue. Several social media users raised the issue and a section of Congress leaders and cadre have expressed displeasure at Stalins silence. State secretary of Congress farmers wing GK Muralidharan told Express, First of all, we want to thank the Edappadi K Palaniswami-led State government for considering our State president as the only true opposition leader. Isnt that why they booked only him even though a lot of opposition leaders agitated against the TASMAC reopening. After sensing this recognition, Stalin must have refrained from condemning the police excess. Another State functionary of the Congress on condition of anonymity told Express, MK Stalin wished former prime minister Manmohan Singh a speedy recovery. He knows everything that is happening in Delhi, but is ignorant of the happenings in Cuddalore district which is hardly 250 km away from Chennai. I think thats why he didnt make any comments on this, he said in a sarcastic tone. Another Congress leader from Thiruvallur district says, I think he is not ready to forgive KS Alagiri for issuing a statement during the indirect elections for local body heads and deputy postings. Alagiri had then expressed his displeasure over the big-brotherly attitude of DMK district level functionaries. Several DMK men refused to comment when contacted. Lindy Ursos response (May 12) to my op-ed (May 5, Coronavirus lawsuit is irresponsible, selfish, and unethical) made me realize we agree on two things. First, we are both sad. Mr. Urso because he believes I fail to see the importance of protecting rights in this time. Im sad because Mr. Urso seemingly reacted to my piece without reading it. I understand the importance of upholding our laws, especially in this time. However, I also understand that doctors and health care professionals are telling us that upholding every right will lead to more unnecessary loss of life. I am willing to temporarily forego some freedoms for my health and the health of my fellow Americans. Mr. Urso is not. I think that speaks more to his entitledness than mine, even if I am a millennial. Second, I have a lot to learn in the next year of law school. If I did not, I would be graduating now. Where we may differ though, is whether Mr. Urso has a lot to learn about professional responsibility. I also do not know Mr. Urso, so I cannot speak to whether his piece is indicative of his character. If it is, I should remind him that name-calling does not align with the Model Rules of Professional Conduct. In 1998, Sandra Day OConnor gave a speech at Washington University School of Law in which she spoke to the pervasive civility problems in Mr. Ursos profession, one that I will be joining in just a year. In describing how civility problems increased over the years she said, lawyers far too often breach their professional obligations to other lawyers ... When the lawyers themselves generate conflict, rather than focusing on the dispute between the parties they represent, it distorts our adversarial system. Referring to me as an entitled millennial or woefully ignorant (on Twitter), Gov. Ned Lamont and his fellow governors as King Lamont and his fellow consortium of communist(s) or using other dramatic language distorts from the issue at hand: the lawsuit is unethical. I do not believe our governor is cherry-picking who can earn a living and provide for their families. Governor Lamont is attempting to save the lives of Connecticut residents who, without proper precaution, would drown in medical debt or die. Even the White House has mask requirements. Its a temporary price to keep each other safe. Mr. Urso believes science shows unequivocally that masks do nothing to help prevent the spread of the disease, even though the Mayo Clinic, World Health Organization, and Center for Disease Control have said otherwise. It would be interesting to know which medical professionals he has spoken to or if he, instead, is supplementing his own knowledge. While the Epidemic of 1918 did not look exactly like this, the government employed the same principles: distance the healthy from the sick. The difference now is the incubation period of COVID-19 is vast. Many of us have no way of knowing if we are no longer healthy or asymptomatic. If unknowing people carrying the disease were not in quarantine, they would be out spreading the disease, endangering the lives of those trying to live and provide for their families. The government engaged in quarantine-like mandates in 1918 and Mr. Ursos fear of the bottom of the slippery slope was never realized. There is no reason to believe it will in this case. Mr. Urso said he does not seem to understand why someone like me would be concerned about the lawsuit. My top reason is because I care about other people. But, Mr. Urso also asks for costs and such other relief as (the) Court deems fair and equitable. Read: taxpayer money. Every resident of Connecticut should be concerned about paying for frivolous, unethical lawsuits. Maggie Koester, who grew up in Greenwich, is a second-year student at George Mason Law School. Mumbai, May 16 : Actor Akshay Oberoi is waiting for a day when people are drawn to theatres hearing his name. "One day I would also love to have huge box-office success and see people thronging into theatres just hearing my name. More than that, I crave respect. When I started my career all I wanted was to be a good actor and earn people's respect. I was really not after being popular. I just wanted people to take me seriously as an actor, and I guess I have achieved that over time," Akshay told IANS. He added: "I am blessed that people liked my work and never typecast me. I believe in versatility." Akshay is currently seen in the web show "Illegal". He will be next seen in the Hindi remake of "Thiruttu Payalaye 2" with Urvashi Rautela, and several shows including "Flesh" and "Magic". He will also be seen in the film "Madam Chief Minister" starring Richa Chadha. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text A northeast Houston man was fatally shot Friday afternoon, according to police. Houston Police Department officers are investigating the suspected homicide in the 3100 block of Bay Street. A man was found dead there around 4 p.m., police said, and officers have found a possible suspect. The names of the victim and suspect have not yet been released. Reuters India's antitrust watchdog is looking into allegations that Facebook's WhatsApp is abusing its dominant position by offering payment services to its vast base of messaging app users in the country, three sources told Reuters on Friday. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is reviewing a complaint filed in mid-March alleging that WhatsApp was bundling its digital payment facility within its messaging app, allowing it to abuse its market position and penetrate India's booming digital payments market, the sources said. WhatsApp and Facebook did not immediately respond to repeated requests for comment. The CCI also did not respond. Two of the sources told Reuters the complainant in the case was a lawyer, but declined to divulge the identity of the person. Reuters could not independently ascertain who filed the case. The complaint, which has previously not been reported, comes at a critical time for WhatsApp, which is aggressively working to fully launch its payments platform in India, where it has been beta testing it with 1 million users since 2018. Lack of regulatory clearances have meant WhatsApp has struggled to offer the service to its around 400 million users in India, its biggest market worldwide. The CCI can order its investigations arm to conduct a wider probe into the allegations, or throw out the case if it finds no merit in it. "The case is in initial stages .. senior members of CCI are reviewing it but a final decision hasn't been reached," said the first of the three sources, all of whom declined to be identified as the case details were private. The antitrust complaint alleges that WhatsApp's large user base meant it was dominant in the messaging app market, and the company was forcing its payments feature on to its existing users. The two products - WhatsApp's messenger service and its payments feature - are bundled, which could harm competition and violate the country's antitrust laws, the second source said while detailing the allegations. WhatsApp's payment service will allow users to do inter-bank fund transfers from within the messaging app. It will compete with payment apps of Alphabet Inc's Google and Softbank-backed Paytm, which already have tens of millions of users across India. While the antitrust case has been filed against both Facebook and WhatsApp, the complainant has urged the watchdog to investigate only WhatsApp, the second source said. It was possible WhatsApp could escape a wider investigation as the extent of any market abuse will be clearer only when it fully launches the service, the source added. The antitrust complaint is the latest setback for WhatsApp in India. An Indian legal think-tank last month filed a case in the Supreme Court saying WhatsApp should not be allowed to expand its payments service as it was violating data storage rules. WhatsApp told the court it will comply with necessary laws before it moves ahead, according to a May 13 court order that also asked Indian regulators to submit its views on the case. In April, Facebook said it will spend $5.7 billion to buy a 9.99 percent stake in India's Reliance Industries' digital arm, as it looks to roll out services for grocers and small businesses by capitalizing on WhatsApps extensive reach. Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 07:18:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Nelson Teich wears a mask while speaking at a press conference to announce his resignation as Brazil's Minister of Health at the Ministry of Health in Brasilia, Brazil, May 15, 2020. (Xinhua/Lucio Tavora) Like his predecessor, Teich disagreed with President Bolsonaro about how to best combat the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country. BRASILIA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Less than a month after taking office, Brazilian Minister of Health Nelson Teich presented his resignation to President Jair Bolsonaro, the ministry said on Friday. The ministry did not clarify the reason for the official's departure, but noted that a press conference would be held on Friday afternoon. Teich, an oncologist, took office on April 17, replacing Luiz Henrique Mandetta. Like his predecessor, Teich disagreed with President Bolsonaro about how to best combat the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country. Bolsonaro has announced his intention to change the protocol of the Unified Health System and allow chloroquine to be administered during treatment for the disease, while Teich did not agree with this. This week, the president published a resolution that expanded essential activities in the country to include beauty salons, barber shops, and gyms, and Teich was reportedly not consulted on for the decision. Teich was called to a meeting at the Planalto Palace on Friday morning by President Bolsonaro, and after returning to the Ministry of Health office, his resignation was announced by his advisers. Heres a thought experiment for you. Would you rather have a Princeton education, or do without the education but get the Princeton diploma? Economist Bryan Caplan posed this question a couple of years ago in his provocative book, The Case Against Education. Its a tougher question to answer than you might think. As Caplan put it, if youre stranded on a deserted island, a diploma from a survival training course isnt as valuable as the actual survival training. But in the labor market you wouldnt see it the same way. For job seekers, the diploma is probably more valuable than the education. Economists call this the sheepskin effect. (Traditionally, diplomas were printed on sheepskin.) To get hired by a big company, you need to get into the pipeline of people getting an interview, and its difficult to even get an interview if you dont have a diploma from the right school. Screening the applicant pool to find graduates from the best schools doesnt guarantee youll get the best workers, but its a useful shortcut for employers. It saves time and minimizes the chances youll get truly unqualified applicants. And, not to be discounted, it gives the HR people an excuse if a hire doesnt work out. Hey, he came from MIT. I assumed he could do the work! The sheepskin effect is not an iron law of economics. Its just one trend or variable in a broader equation. Plenty of successful people have dropped out or skipped college entirely. But one thing an elite diploma telegraphs to potential employers is that youre good at doing the things that get you into an elite school. The sheepskin effect can be difficult to isolate precisely because there are so many other variables at play. Among the most important reasons to send your kid to the best college possible are the social benefits one gets from going to an elite school. The friendships and access to various social networks students get from going to Princeton might be as valuable as the education or the sheepskin. Who you know can be more valuable than what you know. Everyone familiar with the process of going to college understands at some visceral level that a big chunk of what youre paying an obscene amount of money for isnt the formal education, but the intangible social benefits and the power of the credential itself. For years, critics of higher education have predicted that the pattern of ever-rising tuitions for a product that hasnt really improved in innate value is unsustainable. And yet, nothing changed. That may be coming to an end. COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the equation. In an interview with New York Magazine, Scott Galloway, a Silicon Valley veteran turned professor at New York Universitys Stern Business School, argues that, thanks to the pandemic, Theres a recognition that education the value, the price, the product has fundamentally shifted. The value of education has been substantially degraded. Universities now contend that the price of the sheepskin shouldnt change even if kids cant go to campus. Every school is saying, This is unprecedented, and were in this together. Universities, Galloway says, are living in a kind of fantasy world, with each saying, Were going to maintain these prices for what has become, overnight, a dramatically less compelling product offering.' Paying more than $50,000 to have your kid take classes from home via Zoom or Google Hangouts seems like a pretty bad deal and thats if you can afford it, which is more unlikely for many people given the economic downturn. That means a lot of college-bound kids are going to postpone going for a year probably a good thing. But the huge drop-off in applicants means a huge drop-off in tuitions. The top-tier schools will be OK, and theyll probably fill out their rosters with kids who couldnt have gotten accepted in a normal year. But the overall shortfall in applicants will eventually hit some schools hard. Galloway believes that when all of this is over, many colleges will be dead or dying. What comes out the other side will look very different than the system weve known. He sees new partnerships between big corporations and elite universities becoming one feature of the new normal. Another: the normalization of distance learning. Im not sure that will be a positive change, but Im more certain the system that needed a pandemic to change its ways will have no one to blame but itself. Jonah Goldberg writes for the Los Angeles Times. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Flash A common European economic recovery plan was in the focus of Friday's video conference of European ministers responsible for internal market and industry. The ministers discussed the Joint Roadmap for Recovery, which was presented in late April by the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission. The roadmap aims to address the need for a comprehensive recovery plan and investment that will help relaunch economies hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic. "The upcoming months will be crucial for restoring the EU's Single Market and shaping the future of the European industry. As the health crisis recedes, it is important to avoid an uncoordinated recovery, given the strong economic interdependence of the Member States of the EU," said Croatian Economy Minister Darko Horvat who chaired the conference that was organized by the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The meeting was also attended by the European Commission's Executive-Vice President Margrethe Vestager and the European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton. According to the ministry's press release, the Joint Roadmap consists of four key areas: a full functioning and revitalized single market, an unprecedented investment effort, global action, and a functioning system of governance. Ministers agreed that green transition and digital transformation will have a central role in the efforts to revitalize and modernize the European economy. Investments in clean and digital technologies will help in creating new jobs and new economic growth, the press release says. Virus Outbreak Indonesia Aceh Prayers In this Tuesday, April 28, 2020, photo, Muslims men attend a Ramadan evening prayer at a mosque in Lhokseumawe, in Indonesias Aceh province. Muslim leaders in the province that practices Shariah law are allowing mass prayers in mosques if certain health protocols are in place. (AP Photo/Zik Maulana) BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) Hundreds of people join the Ramadan evening prayers at Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in the capital of Indonesia's far western Aceh province. They wash their hands to prevent the spread of the coronavirus before they perform ablutions and begin their prayers. They come with masks, following a government appeal, but don't always wear them. Some worshipers bring their own prayer rugs after the carpets at the mosque were rolled up in March. One congregant, Umar, decided to join a mass prayer at the mosque and wore a mask to make sure he did the right thing as suggested by the government. I feel not complete if I do the prayer not at the mosque, Umar said. The scene stands in sharp contrast to past Ramadans. The mosque in Banda Aceh can accommodate thousands, and people flooded outside the mosque building in past years. This year, not more than 400 worshipers have participated at the evening prayer. They were not packed together, but were not social distancing either. Indonesia's Religious Affairs Ministry has issued guidance for people to worship from home, alongside government recommendations for working and learning from home. The Indonesia Ulema Council also previously issued a fatwa advising against congregational prayers in areas where COVID-19 had spread uncontrollably. Indonesias coronavirus outbreak has been most intense in and around the densely populated capital, Jakarta. It has recorded 4,002 cases with 370 deaths from the total 9,511 cases and 773 deaths across the country. The central government reported nine COVID-19 cases in Aceh with one death as of Tuesday. Aceh is the only province in the worlds most populous Muslim nation that practices Shariah law. The region's autonomy was a concession the central government made in 2001 as part of efforts to end a decades-long war for independence. The Aceh Ulema Council has allowed daily mass prayers as long as they follow previously announced health protocols, such as wearing masks and bringing their own prayer rugs. Some preachers are shortening sermons so worshipers won't stay long in a crowd, and some Aceh mosques are not allowing mass prayers, following the central government's guidance. The Aceh councils deputy chairman Faisal Ali said the council only allowed congregational prayers in certain areas. For people who live in areas where the epidemic of COVID-19 is still under control, they can do the prayers that are held at mosques by limiting the duration, Ali said. ___ Associated Press writer Edna Tarigan in Jakarta contributed to this report. Jaipur, May 16 : A sorry note from a migrant worker in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan has gone viral on social media, leaving netizens teary-eyed. In this note, the poor man has narrated his despairing story as the reason for stealing the bicycle and earnestly apologised for it. In the note, he said he, along with his physically challenged son, needed to travel to Bareilly, UP. "As my son can't walk the big distance, I am stealing your bicycle. Please forgive me (Main aapki cycle lekar ja raha hoon. Ho sake toh mujhe maaf kar dena ji)," he wrote. The incident has been reported from the Rarah village in the Bharatpur district. Mohammad Iqbal, a migrant worker from Bareilly, stole a cycle from Sahab Singh's house on May 11 night. Singh found the note while sweeping the verandah. by Vladimir Rozanskij Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov (of Islamic profession) and the Mufti Rushan Abbasov, first vice-president of the Islamic Council of Russia among the most enthusiastic supporters of the Day of Prayer and Fasting launched by the High Committee of Human Fraternity and supported by the Pope. Support also from many Orthodox priests, Protestant Christians and Jews. The death of priests and monks continues in the Orthodox Church. An "anti-virus" cross. Moscow (AsiaNews) - The "Day of prayer to free us from the coronavirus" supported by Pope Francis and the High Committee of Human Fraternity yesterday, was also widely supported also in Russia. Many Orthodox priests declared their adhesion with the Pope and the Catholics, specifying that the litanies and the moleben to ask for an end to the pandemic are already widely practiced by the Russian Church. The president of the Russian republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov (of Islamic profession) was among the most enthusiastic about the papal initiative: "I am convinced that on this day people from different continents and representatives of various religions turn to the Most High. We ask the Creator to help us overcome the pandemic and the crisis it has caused. Only by uniting and overcoming the divisions that make us suffer, can we hope that the Most High will have mercy on us. " Even Mufti Rushan Abbasov, first vice-president of the Islamic Council of Russia, recalled that we are in the blessed month of Ramadan, which even more fills the lives of Muslims with prayers. Muslims from Russia have already organized collective prayers with Muslims from other countries several times; we wholeheartedly support these initiatives, such as the appeal to common prayer proposed by the Pope of Rome, Francis ". In the Orthodox Church many supported the initiative, as stated by the priest Aleksej Dikarev: "This proposal unites people of good will, who try to do whatever they can to overcome this crisis. The whole Russian Orthodox Church with its pastors and faithful pray for a speedy overcoming of this crisis, in particular by repeating the Akatistos to the Mother of God ". Russian Protestants, and Chief Rabbi of Russia Berl Lazar, also expressed their solidarity with the Pope's initiative. In particular, the Russian Church prays remembering the many losses of these days, due to the coronavirus. On 13 May, a 46-year-old priest, the protoierej Vasilij Aleksandrov Andrej Kuraev, who served in the Trinity church in the village of Oktjabrskij, in the province of Moscow, also known as moderator of the blog of the proto-saxon, died. Vasily left his wife Matushka Julija with five children. The protoierej Aleksandr Gridunov, from the Volgodonsk eparchy near Rostov, the protoierej Aleksij Penkov (photo 2), 52, of the Church of the life-giving Trinity in Konkovo, on the outskirts of Moscow, and the hieromonk Petr (Gribov) of the eparchy of Shuj, 55 years old. In the monastery of the Life-giving Cross of Shuj, all 12 monks were infected with the virus. The monastery is located in a place that is difficult to access and even going to the hospital is rather problematic, and Father Petr died in his cell without being able to receive treatment. In the monastery of Verkhoturja on the Urals, the number of people infected has reached 50; all 15 monks of the monastery of San Pafnuzio in the province of Kaluga were also found positive for coronavirus. In a parish of the Kurgan eparchy, that of the Nativity of Chastoozerje, the parish priest Fr. Aleksandr Shumilov thought of organizing a "processional race" of the faithful with the icon of Saint George the Winner, in honor of the Victory celebrated in these days and for the liberation from the enemy virus. Together with the banners of the saints, the parishioners waved the red flags with the hammer sickle (photo 3). A Protestant bishop, Nikolai Mitrofanov, one of the main representatives of the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians (Russian Pentecostals), also died from the virus in the city of Yaroslavl on the Volga River. His confreres, Bishop Sergei Ryakhovsky and Bishop Andrej Dirienko gave the news, recalling that "There is no greater love than one who gives his life for his friends" (Jn 15:13). The deputies of the State Duma, the Russian parliament, have decided to apply a special badge with a cross to be worn on their jacket (photo 4). The speaker of the Duma, Vjaceslav Volodin, explained that it is a sign that "removes the coronavirus". Even Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, had been wearing the white cross on his jacket for a few days, before being hospitalized for the virus. KEY HIGHLIGHTS Adani Power, Tata Power, JSW Energy, Reliance Power will lock horns in the bid for thermal coal blocks Existing captive users like Tata Power, Reliance Power, Tata Steel must bid at regular intervals to retain mining licence Adani Enterprises Ltd had recently emerged as the highest bidder for six airports Adani bought the Mumbai distribution business of Reliance Infrastructure in 2017 The major beneficiaries of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's fourth tranche of economic relief package will be business groups like Adani, Anil Ambani's Reliance Group, Vedanta and Kalyani, besides companies like Tata Power, JSW Steel, GVK, Hindalco and GMR. Adani Group will be able to tap new opportunities coming up in sectors like coal, minerals, defence, power distribution and airports, while Vedanta and Aditya Birla group's Hindalco will be able to cash in on projects in coal and minerals mining. The FM announced strategic reforms in eight sectors - coal, minerals, defence production, airspace management, airports, power distribution companies in Union Territories, space and atomic energy. She spoke about building coal evacuation infrastructure spending Rs 50,000 crore. The government also wants to auction six more airports to private companies and wants to build another 12 in public-private partnerships. In fact, many of these projects are time consuming and it will not help the country in coming out of the coronavirus crisis immediately. ALSO READ: 'All good coal blocks already with Coal India,' says ex-coal secretary PC Parekh Private companies like Adani Power, Tata Power, JSW Energy and Reliance Power will lock horns in the bid for thermal coal blocks that will be auctioned as part of the package. They are expected to auction some of the coking coal mines also for steel companies. All together, the plan envisages auction of 50 mines. The government wants to club the auctioning of bauxite and thermal coal mines so that aluminium makers can bid for them together. This will help companies like Hindalco and Vedanta Aluminium. About 500 minerals mining blocks will also be offered as part of the package. The government also plans to remove the distinction between captive and non-captive mines. It means existing capitve users like Tata Power, Reliance Power and Tata Steel will have to bid at regular intervals to retain the coal mining license with them. Adani Enterprises Ltd had earlier emerged as the highest bidder for all six airports that had been put up for privatisation - Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Guwahati and Jaipur. The group is also expected to bid in the new auctions planned by the government. Anil Ambani's Reliance Infrastructure won Rs 648-crore contract for Rajkot airport last year. GMR and GVK are established players in the segment with global scale. ALSO READ: Private sector allowed entry in coal mining; govt monopoly removed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in defence production has been increased to 74 per cent from 49 per cent by the government. Indian companies had earlier formed many joint ventures with foreign defence manufacturers, but most failed to take up big projects as the foreign partner wanted majority stake because of their intellectual capital involved in the projects. Adani and Anil Ambani group companies had earlier signed a slew of foreign partnerships to seize the opportunity. Pune-based Kalyani group also has strong defence business, including arms and ammunition manufacturing. In power distribution, the government wants to privatise their business in union territories. Adani and Tata Power are the major players in the segment. Adani bought the Mumbai distribution business of Reliance Infrastructure in 2017 and has been ramping up the market share. Last week, Anil Ambani group put its Delhi power distribution business up for sale. ALSO READ: FDI in defence manufacturing raised to 74% from 49% In America, some frontline workers battling the coronavirus crisis aren't being given any time off. They're nose to the grindstone, around the clock without so much as a toilet break or a cup of coffee to keep them going. Even in these strange times, it sounds like the sort of slave labour that would trigger global condemnation. But these are no ordinary workers. They are, in fact, a new generation of robots created to carry out repetitive back-office tasks that would otherwise be done far more slowly by a human. The US government is using the computer software created by British technology company Blue Prism for so-called digital workers to process a loan application every 90 seconds to keep small businesses alive. Back in the UK, hundreds of the Warrington-based company's digital workers have also been deployed in the NHS to take on clerical tasks and allow staff to focus on saving people's lives. Vision: Blue Prisms chief executive and chairman Jason Kingdon has helped secure an extra 100 million For years, companies such as Blue Prism, one of the largest on the junior AIM stock exchange with a market value of 1.1 billion, have faced an uphill battle to convince sceptics that their robot worker technogy is part of the future amid fears of mass redundancies. But Jason Kingdon, Blue Prism's chairman and now also chief executive, thinks the current crisis will prove a turning point. He believes the public, MPs and sceptical businesses will finally start to realise how valuable the service can be as firms look to save money without slashing jobs. He uses the example of the NHS to explain. 'What this does is allow more nursing and frontline care to take place,' he says of robotic process automation. 'You see exactly the same thing with the police and other services using this technology. What these guys hate the most is when they get bogged down with administration. 'It's all the logistics behind the scenes. How do you keep up with the paperwork? If you're a frontline nurse, you deal with all that stuff, you register all of the administration to do with the patient. 'At the moment that's largely a manual process. You put a robot in there and you actually get time back for frontline activities and take them away from the paperwork that sits behind the scenes.' Blue Prism's NHS workers many of which were donated by the company during the crisis and now help more than 50 NHS trusts carry out an array of administrative tasks from managing beds in wards and decontamination scheduling to signing up new staff quickly to help tackle the crisis and sharing respiratory data across agencies. Its workers have also been tracking cases of Covid-19 in prisons. Last year, the Office for National Statistics found that 1.5 million people were at risk of losing their jobs to automation. Tech bosses have argued that the Government needs to do more to train workers to use technology so they are not left behind when it is commonplace. But Kingdon, a pioneer of artificial intelligence, argues that these digital workers will not displace staff, but create new roles and increase productivity. 'We don't see digital workers being a replacement for human beings. We don't see it as a zero sum thing where it's 100 digital workers in and 100 people out,' he says. By Blue Prism's reckoning, the business of the future will be made up of a third humans, a third digital workers, and the final third existing IT. Giant corporations such as Coca-Cola, Telefonica and Npower already use its robots. It might sound like complicated tech only for computer whizzes, but Blue Prism's robotic software is actually designed for the average person. Kingdon says it should be as easy as operating Windows not like cracking the Enigma code. 'It's automation technology, but it's aimed at operational business users. So not people with technical degrees or backgrounds, it's aimed at generalists,' he explains. 'Any systems can be used by these digital workers. Anything becomes operable by these so-called robots. The way we do that is we get the piece of software to mimic a human being. It does this by reading the screens and using the user's interfaces in just the same way a human would. You have a piece of technology which is like a human being you show it what it is you want it to do and then it can carry out those actions in the same way.' This is how the company has been helping the US government process loan applications for small businesses. The government sets the criteria and Blue Prism's robots verify whether or not an application is suitable using artificial intelligence and then issue it. They are helping process mortgage holidays in the UK, but Kingdon says the company would love to be doing more here to help small businesses. His calls have fallen on deaf ears though. 'We've been trying to get through to the various relevant people to say we might be able to help,' he says. 'We think there's a lot more we could be doing in the UK. We've tried, we're putting various proposals in, specifically around these schemes to support businesses. HMRC we'd love to be helping them.' Kingdon, a computer scientist by background, has been involved with Blue Prism since 2008 when he joined as executive chairman. He then took a backseat when the company floated in 2016 to focus on other things, including launching a nonprofit programme for AI research start-ups with University College London, helping the brightest PhD students turn ideas into companies. But he has now returned full-time and taken over as chief executive from founder Alastair Bathgate, who remains an adviser. 'He's been doing this job for 19 years so nobody's going to begrudge him some downtime!' Kingdon jokes. It means Kingdon has taken on the job during a huge crisis, but he doesn't appear daunted by the proposition and seems eager to take on as much new work as possible. The company certainly has capacity to help more after it became one of the first firms to tap shareholders for more funds. It is now armed with an extra 100 million, which was a resounding endorsement of the company and its technology, Kingdon says. 'We still think this market's right at the beginning and that these digital workers are going to become very commonplace. And Covid-19 will put a spotlight on this.' It's undoubtedly something plenty of companies will be thinking about as they navigate their way through the downturn. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina has insisted that Nigerians cannot force President Muhammadu Buhari to address the nation on the coronavirus pandemic. Adesina stated this on his Facebook page in an article titled, If you cant take blows brother, dont throw blows. According to him, if it were the former President Olusegun Obasanjo that was still in power, he would have insulted Nigerians calling on him address the nation. You know what? If it was former President Olusegun Obasanjo that had come under the you must talk to us barrage like that, and on live television, he would have first cleared his throat noisily, adjusted himself in his seat, and then bellowed: And who are you, that I must talk to you? I say who the hell are you? Who is your father? Who is your fathers father that you are commanding me to talk to you? Were you born when we fought a civil war to keep this country together? Where was your father when I received the instrument of surrender from the Biafra Forces? Dont come here and tell me nonsense. Talk to us, my foot! But President Buhari would not upbraid anyone like that. He rather keeps his peace. And some people have now taken liberty for license, till they begin to sound like broken records. Yes, no apologies. Thats how they sound. The fact that you have voted a man into office is not carte blanche for you to lead the man around by the nose. A leader worth his salt would not even submit himself to such cavalier treatment. Definitely not President Buhari. I made that point clear on the programme, he said. Adesina said he would continue to defend the President as a spokesman but would not be compelled to answer questions which are not within his purview. Explaining that Buhari was not in the habit of talking too much, Adesina said that the three national broadcasts he had done on COVID-19 should be enough. KanyiDaily recalls that Adesina had said it is the style of President Buhari not to address Nigerians during the Coronavirus pandemic. According to him, Buharis decision not to come out to address Nigerians on a daily basis following the outbreak of deadly virus is a matter of style. Bexar County Sheriff's Office A 59-year-old Schertz man was arrested Wednesday and charged with sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child-sexual contact after he was accused on sexually assaulting three female victims, according to an arrest affidavit. In December, one of the victims told police that Elco Lozano sexually assaulted her in 2016 when she was only 7 or 8 years old, the affidavit said. The victim said she was at Lozano's house when he sexually assaulted her, the affidavit said. Living on the edge of a postindustrial site with all the ramifications that that carries has been traumatizing and there were many instances, and rightfully so, where people in that community have felt over the years that the government has abandoned them or worse, has exacerbated their problems, Lightfoot said. Im very well aware of that. I think its incumbent upon me as the mayor and the government that I lead to understand that history, understand that trauma and how that implosion has exacerbated those feelings and be respectful of that reality. Now I have to balance all of that against a real public hazard on that site. President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday renewed his commitment to deploy resources to deal decisively with the security challenges bedeviling the country. Buhari spoke at an extraordinary meeting of the National Security Council which held yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The highest security body in the country is chaired by the President and sits once every quarter to discuss the most critical issues affecting security in the country generally. This came as bandits on Wednesday reportedly killed eight people in a fresh attack on Gonan Rogo settlement in Kufana District, Kajuru Local Council of Kaduna State. The incident followed the killing of 17 people a day before in the same village. Buhari, while presiding over the meeting, said he would redouble his effort in ensuring the realization of the primary responsibility of government, which is to ensure the safety of lives and property. The meeting was reportedly called by the president following the recent upsurge on security challenges pervading some parts of the country, particularly in Kaduna and Nasarawa States. Buharis pledge came on the heels of a report by the UN Department for Safety and Security (UNDSS) alerting Nigerians on what it said were looming complex and coordinated attacks on the nations critical infrastructure, calling for urgent review and implementation of anti-terrorism measures. According to the UNDSS Nigeria, information received indicated an increased likelihood of terrorist activity, including the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and complex attacks against critical national infrastructure and High-Value Targets (HVTs) in Nigeria. The UN agency, in its latest Security Threat Information (STI) and Advisory report on Nigeria said based on the information at its disposal, Boko Haram was likely planning to exploit the momentum of the host governments strain due to COVID-19 spread to conduct a series of coordinated simultaneous attacks and so weaken the governments efforts, to disturb and distract military activities in the North-east and to gain greater local and regional attention and acceptance. The report, a copy of which was obtained by Huhuonline.com was released by the Chief Security Adviser (CSA) and UNDSS Representative to Nigeria, Robert Marinovic. The report: assessed that we are at the beginning of the security crisis characterized by a wide spectrum of interconnected crisis (civil unrests, crime and the increasing threat of terrorism), that were fuming for quite some time and now released by Covid-19 impact on the government and population. In this context, the critical infrastructure are considered any of economic or security entities and their premises (petrol industry installations, banks, governmental facilities, shopping malls, hotels, etc), at any location in the country, especially state capitals, including Lagos and Abuja. Though the UN in Nigeria is not the primary target for the terrorist activity, it is assessed that the UN can be impacted as collaterally (while visiting governmental installations, banks, shopping malls, e.t.c.), but also as the target of opportunity, if seen to be less protected (soft target). The UNDSS added that it had already assessed the likelihood of such terrorist activity and included it in all respective areas of UN Security Management Systems (UNSMS) Security Risk Management (SRMs) in Nigeria, stressing that, the strict implementation of and compliance with standing security measures are of paramount importance. The UNDSS recommended among others that Nigeria should ensure all SRM measures, especially those against terrorism threats, are urgently reviewed and fully implemented. It directed its Security Focal Points (SFPs) to alert security guards and host government security in and around UN compounds, on the above-described threat in order to be vigilant against possible hostile surveillance (that usually precedes terrorist attack). It said UN personnel should patronize only neighborhood markets and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), rather than big shopping malls or banks, to avoid unnecessary risk. It also advised that emergency phone numbers (emergency contact card distributed by UNDSS SWA) should be kept handy at all times; while respective Security Operations Centers (SOC) should be informed of all suspicious movements/observations. It also urged SFPs to circulate and disseminate the message to their respective personnel. However, President Buhari pledged to deploy available resources to combat security challenges causing sorrows and trauma to Nigerians. The President said Nigerians deserved a much more peaceful environment, promising that nothing would be left to chance in achieving the objective for the citizens. Addressing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), said the council received a comprehensive brief from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19 on the gains made so far, highlighting areas of concern which needed urgent attention as well as make projections for the next couple of weeks. Monguno said he also spoke in his capacity as the NSA, informing members on the insurgency in the North East, armed banditry and emergence of all kinds of non-state groups and actors in addition to kidnappings which have resumed frightening dimension in recent times. In a related development, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has indicted the federal and state governments for the mayhems, claiming that there had been no honesty and commitment in putting an end to the bloody crisis. In a statement after its emergency meeting, the state CAN chairman, Reverend Joseph Hayab, cautioned the President and Governor Nasir el-Rufai against complacency in managing the security challenges. He reminded the duo that leadership is a serious business of safeguarding lives and prosperity. Hence, leadership is not about oratory, but the taking of firm steps and actions towards stopping evil from destroying the land. Besides, stakeholders have urged swift boundary demarcation between Taraba and Benue to check the persistent bloody clashes among the Tiv and Jukun ethnic groups in the North-East state. During a peace meeting organised by Governor Darius Ishaku yesterday in Jalingo, the indigenes agreed on the immediate cessation of the pogrom. The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Danjuma Adamu, who spoke on behalf of the Jukun, and the representative of the Tiv, Jimme Yongu, concurred that upheavals were not the best way of resolving disputes. Also yesterday, troops of Sector 1, Operation Lafiya Dole said they had killed nine Boko Haram terrorists who were transiting the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway at the Mainok/Jakana end of Borno State. Army spokesman, Colonel Sagir Musa, in a statement in Maiduguri clarified that the soldiers ambushed the insurgents and recovered two gun trucks, while others fled with gunshot wounds. So far, nine Boko Haram terrorists lost their lives and two gun trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns have been captured during ongoing counter-insurgency operations, he said. As much of Europe slowly gets back to its feet and reopens, Britains Boris Johnson presides over a country still reeling from his own governments sluggish response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The United Kingdoms death toll now exceeds 40,000 people by far the worst reported in Europe and is expected to get much worse in the weeks ahead before it gets better. In contrast, many of its European neighbours appear to be on the rebound. In Germany, plans will soon be in place to reopen borders and encourage holiday travel. In Italy, bars and restaurants are about to open. And in France, schools are making a staggered return. But in Britain, the mood is glum and a backlash against Johnsons fumbling approach is beginning to develop. Decades ago, in the 1960s and 70s, Britain was derided by many politicians and commentators as the sick man of Europe because of its industrial strife and poor economic performance compared with the Continent. Once again, that label is being used about Britain, and it is ironic that its prime minister, still recovering from his own near-fatal bout with the coronavirus, is the human embodiment of it all. Last Sunday, Johnson unveiled a confusing plan to ease the restrictions imposed since March 23 and encourage more outdoor exercise, a gradual return to work and restricted use of public transport. But in spite of its limited scope, the plan was widely condemned by many in the public. A poll taken this week by YouGov found that almost half of the country (46%) believed that Johnsons changes went too far. This was consistent with other surveys that have shown that the British are perhaps the most fervent supporters of a lockdown in the world. An Ipsos Mori poll at the end of last month indicated that only 23% of Britons believed that the economy and businesses should be reopened even if the virus is not fully contained. That is much lower than in other countries where there is intense impatience to get the lockdowns ended and analysts attribute much of that to the British prime ministers own brutal experience with COVID-19. Boris Johnson spent a week in a London hospital last month, including three nights in intensive care, declaring afterwards that the countrys National Health Service saved my life, no question. Not surprisingly, the publics emotional response to Johnsons plight was supportive, even though he had bragged before his illness about how proud he was in shaking the hands of COVID-19 patients. Regardless, his approval ratings shot up. But with the countrys death toll now rising, it is telling that his popularity appears to be declining. Incredibly, the latest YouGov poll this week shows that the new leader of Britains opposition Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer, is now more popular with the British public than Boris Johnson. This is just one poll, but it may be pointing to a new direction in U.K. politics. No longer does the Conservative prime minister of Britain have the luxury of an inept, unpopular Jeremy Corbyn as the leader of the opposition party. Instead, Starmer a former human rights lawyer who was fervently anti-Brexit and whose moderate politics could be described as social democratic has received impressive reviews from many media commentators, including in the right-wing press, for his forensic cross-examination of Boris Johnson. In The Independent, commentator John Rentoul wrote: This was the week we saw how Keir Starmer might win the next election. In the conservative Daily Telegraph, which used to employ Boris Johnson as a columnist, its parliamentary sketch writer, Michael Deacon, wrote: Labours new leader is calm, polite, and utterly merciless. He doesnt rant or shout putdowns. Instead, he asks factual questions designed to establish whether or not the Prime Minister knows what his own government is doing And this week like last week the Prime Minister didnt have the answers. Boris Johnsons great hero is Winston Churchill, and he is passionate about wanting to be compared to him. Ultimately, Boris may get his wish, but not in the way he would want. Churchill is best remembered for successfully leading Britain through the Second World War, and inspiring his country never to give up, even when things are going badly. But the other Churchill before he became British prime minister in 1940 was remembered by some historians as a reckless adventurer and unprincipled opportunist. As we look back at how Boris Johnson has handled this pandemic, and look ahead to the inevitable wreckage that his support of Brexit will further bring Britains economy, that latter description of Churchill does seem familiar, doesnt it? Tony Burman, formerly head of CBC News and Al Jazeera English, is a freelance contributing foreign affairs columnist for the Star. He is based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: , formerly head of CBC News and Al Jazeera English, is a freelance contributing foreign affairs columnist for the Star. He is based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyBurman Jasleen Matharu has been in the news ever since she participated in Bigg Boss 12 along with Anup Jalota. It must be recollected that the duo had faked their relationship and when Anup was eliminated, he clarified that they are just guru-shishya. And now, Jasleen has revealed that she is virtually dating an aesthetic surgeon from Bhopal all thanks to her mentor Anup. She told the Times of India that the Bhajan Samrat introduced the two of them via video call. Jasleen said, Anupji had told me about this doctor, who separated from his wife last year. But, the matter couldnt progress owing to the lockdown. However, rather than delaying it further, he introduced us virtually. We talk a lot and get along well. On being quizzed if he has bought up her alleged link-up with Jalota, she replied, He has not mentioned it even once. Anyway, we dont talk about each others past. He is yet to get a divorce and so, we are taking one day at a time. I just want to say that its my life and I am happy that Anupji is involved in it. Anup Jalota too shared his happiness over their union and stated, Theirs is a cultured family and I have known them for five-six years. I am hopeful that things will work out between them, eventually. I had promised that I would do her kanyadaan and I hope to do it whenever Jasleen chooses to marry. (sic) In conclusion, the actress stated that the aforementioned development will also mark the end of her being linked to Anup Jalota in spite of repeated clarifications about their equation. ALSO READ: Anup Jalota Wants Ranbir Kapoor To Play His Role & Kareena To Play His First Wife In His Biopic Guwahati/Agartala/Imphal, May 16 : With stepped up inter-state movement, 20 people, including seven BSF jawans, a nurse and an under-treatment patient, tested COVID-19 positive in three northeastern states -- Assam, Tripura and Manipur -- in the past 24-hours, ministers and health officials said on Saturday. According to Tripura's health officials, of the 159 Border Security Force (BSF) personnel of two battalions (86th and 138th) and family members who tested positive so far, 62 including five kids and a woman have recovered and been discharged from the hospital. After a two-day break, 11 people, including seven BSF jawans, were tested COVID-19 positive in Tripura on Saturday taking the state's total positive cases to 167. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb in a tweet said : "As many as 625 samples have been tested for COVID-19. Among them 11 persons were found positive. (Of the 11) seven people are from 86th Battalion of BSF and four civilians." According to Deb, who also holds the Health and Home Departments, of the four civilians, two are truck drivers of other states and two others, including a girl, recently returned to the state from Guwahati. In Tripura, as many as 167 COVID-19 positive cases have been reported so far. In Assam, five people, including an under-treatment patient were tested COVID-19 positive in Guwahati in the past 24-hours. A barber and a cart-puller, who tested positive on Saturday, are contacts of a migrant worker who worked in a potato godown in Guwahati and had tested positive on Monday. Three persons had tested COVID-19 positive on Friday night. Of the three, one person was under treatment at the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital. Out of the 91 positive cases found so far in Assam, currently 46 are active cases and undergoing treatment and 41 have been discharged from hospitals after they recovered from the disease. In Assam, two people, including a 16-year-old girl died while two positive cases migrated to other states. In Manipur, three women including a nurse and a youth tested corona positive during the past 24 hours. A 76-year-old woman and her 48-year-old son tested positive for COVID-19 in Manipur, taking the state's total number of positive cases to seven with five active cases. Manipur Health and Family Welfare Department's Additional Director Khoirom Sasheekumar Mangang said the woman and her son belonged to a 36-member group, which returned to Manipur from Mumbai on May 8. A nurse, who was under quarantine since her return from Kolkata, and a 22-year-old girl, who recently returned to Manipur from Chennai, also tested positive for COVID-19. Manipur was declared COVID-19 free by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on April 19, after two coronavirus patients recovered. Meanwhile, a three-member Central team, which arrived in Tripura on Thursday to study the coronavirus infection among the BSF troopers and their kin, is now on a visit to the two BSF battalions (86th and 138th) headquarters in Ambassa, 82 km north of Agartala, and different parts of Dhalai district. The Central team, led by G.K. Medhi, Professor and Head of the Department of Community Medicine of the Shillong-based North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), is studying the source and other aspects of the coronavirus infection among troopers, officials and their family members. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) 16 May 2020 Type Event Proceeding John Douglas from Teagasc Grass10 and Micheal O'Leary from PastureBase Ireland joined us on an Instagram live on Monday, 11 May to answer your questions. 60% of the grass grown annually happens during the mid-season (early Apr to early Aug) and its important you make the most use of this for your own farm. John Douglas Grass10, and Micheal OLeary PastureBase Ireland, were on hand on Monday evening, 11 May on the Teagasc Instagram account to answer questions which farmers had in relation to grazing management and using PastureBase at this time of year. Over 600 people tuned in to the live video and it was viewed a further 1,200 times on the Teagasc Instagram story. There was lots of interaction and many questions came in so theres a good chance if you have a grazing question for your farm, its answered in this video. Please follow @TeagsacGrass10 and @PastureBase on twitter. Or join our community on Facebook by searching Teagasc Grass10 PastureBase Ireland Group. Happy Grazing! View recording below Bright-eyed and mischievous, Asher the cocker spaniel looks every bit the family pet. Right now, hes a little scruffier than normal thanks to a Covid-19 hair cut from a loving owner unable to get to the grooming salon during the lockdown. There is no clue at all that Asher could soon be Britains secret weapon in defeating Covid-19. The five-year-old has already shown how thousands of lives could be saved by successfully detecting malaria thanks to his remarkable sense of smell. Now, along with five younger dogs, he is learning to sniff out people infected with the coronavirus, even if they arent displaying any symptoms. Asher is pictured above in training. Right now, hes a little scruffier than normal thanks to a Covid-19 hair cut from a loving owner unable to get to the grooming salon during the lockdown This pioneering scheme is a collaboration between the charity Medical Detection Dogs which has the Duchess of Cornwall as its patron the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Durham University. It is being taken so seriously that on Friday it was awarded 500,000 of Government funding in the hope that specially trained Covid sniffer dogs could be deployed at airports, train stations and other transport hubs within ten weeks. Last night, the Duchess praised the initiative, saying: Having been the proud patron of Medical Detection Dogs for six years, I have every faith that these brilliant dogs will achieve remarkable results in the fight against Covid-19. Dr Claire Guest, Ashers owner (and hairdresser) and co-founder of the charity, has previously successfully taught dogs to detect malaria, Parkinsons disease and cancer. She says that when fully trained, a team of four Covid-19 bio-detection dogs, working with sufficient breaks, could screen 1,000 people an hour helping to reduce the risk of fresh infection brought by travellers from abroad. The aim is to train the dogs to detect travellers who are carrying the virus without knowing it because they have yet to develop symptoms and might never do so. This could be a game-changer in fighting Covid-19 because each dog can make a detection in just half a second, says Dr Guest. Some countries are using thermometer guns and thermal imaging in crowded areas such as airports, and experimental temperature checks will soon be introduced at Heathrow. But this approach can miss infections in their earliest stages. Asher is being trained alongside fellow cocker spaniels Norman and Jasper, labradors Storm and Star, and Digby, a labradoodle. Together they are known as the Super Six. They may have brown eyes, fluffy coats and waggy tails, but they are sophisticated bio-sensors, continues Dr Guest. A labrador, for example, has 350 million sensors in its nose compared to just five million in a human nose. The aim is to train the dogs to detect travellers who are carrying the virus without knowing it because they have yet to develop symptoms and might never do so 'The science and evolution that goes into their sense of smell is quite remarkable. At the moment theres nothing that can match it. This work, we believe, is hugely important because as people start to move around and we go back to some sort of normality, these dogs can save lives by helping to prevent a second spike of the virus. It could also help us map where the disease is coming from. Using detector dogs at airports could help establish that 50 per cent of passengers on a plane from destination A have the virus, whereas only five per cent of passengers from destination B do. Digby, above, is one of the medical detection dogs. So powerful is the dogs sense of smell, they are capable of detecting the odour of one teaspoon of sugar diluted in two Olympic-sized swimming pools of water The aim is to train the dogs to detect travellers who are carrying the virus without knowing it because they have yet to develop symptoms and might never do so. So powerful is the dogs sense of smell, they are capable of detecting the odour of one teaspoon of sugar diluted in two Olympic-sized swimming pools of water. The research is being led by Professor James Logan, head of disease control at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who is collecting virus samples from London hospitals. NHS workers a mixture of those who have tested positive for coronavirus without exhibiting symptoms and those who have tested negative have been asked to wear a pair of nylon socks for 12 hours and a face mask for three hours. These items are then sealed in special envelopes and sent to the dog training centre in Milton Keynes, where they are kept for several hours until the virus is no longer active. Asher and his fellow dogs will then sniff the socks and masks to try to distinguish a unique Covid-19 scent. This pioneering scheme is a collaboration between the charity Medical Detection Dogs which has the Duchess of Cornwall as its patron the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Durham University Even their human handlers will be kept blind as to which sample is positive or negative so they cannot inadvertently tip the dogs off. We know other diseases carry distinct and specific odours, so the whole premise is that dogs can learn the smell of Covid-19, says Prof Logan. We can do this within a couple of months. The good thing about it is that its non-invasive. We dont need a blood sample and we can screen a lot of people very quickly. 'The key is we can catch people who are asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic. If successful, the approach could revolutionise how we detect the virus with the potential to screen high numbers. Once they have established the scent, Prof Logans team will set to work in a lab to recreate a synthetic version of the smell using chemicals. This, in turn, means they can train more dogs without requiring further human samples. The Duchess of Cornwall has spoken to Dr Guest over the telephone about the scheme and has also asked to be kept informed about the dogs progress. She has had her own experience of the virus as her husband, the Prince of Wales, tested positive for Covid-19 with mild symptoms, although she herself escaped illness. Jasper (above) is a cocker spaniel being trained as part of the trials. Together with five other dogs, they they are known as the Super Six The Duchess is a huge believer in what we do, says Dr Guest. She has seen how our dogs work with cancer and Parkinsons to detect disease. The animals can point to other conditions, too. We were very privileged to stage a demonstration in front of the Queen at Buckingham Palace two years ago and the Duchess was sitting beside her. We had invited some of our clients to the event, including a woman who suffers from Postural Tachycardia Syndrome, where an abnormal heart rate occurs and can make a person faint when sitting up or standing. This ladys dog had noticed a change in her heart rate and jumped up to warn her of a medical emergency. 'The Duchess immediately spotted it even before I did and the lady had to lie down and make herself safe. The Covid-19 team has already shown how to combat malaria in West Africa. Working in the Gambia, they trained dogs who sniffed sock samples to successfully detect children carrying malaria parasites without exhibiting symptoms of the disease. Some people who themselves have immunity can unknowingly harbour the parasites that cause the disease and pass it on to mosquitos which then spread it with deadly consequences. Given their track record, the scientists are confident they can repeat their success to target Covid-19. When fully trained, a team of four Covid-19 bio-detection dogs including Star (above), working with sufficient breaks, could screen 1,000 people an hour helping to reduce the risk of fresh infection brought by travellers from abroad Animal lovers will be relieved to know the dogs themselves will not be at risk of contracting the virus. Its highly unlikely because they have very low susceptibility to it, says Professor Steve Lindsay, a disease specialist at Durham University, who is also working on the project. Being closer to the ground, theyre likely to get a low contact with the virus if anything, and probably nothing compared to a person sitting next to an infected individual on a plane. We can provide PPE for both the handler and the dog including goggles you can get for dogs. 'We have a designated vet monitoring the health of the animals. Theyre all spoilt rotten because these arent kennel dogs they all live with families and individuals out in the community. After three of its residents tested positive for COVID-19 in late March, the Six Nations of the Grand River took the unprecedented step of limiting access to its territory. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/5/2020 (614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Six Nations of the Grand River community member Kahnner Johnson watches over the access checkpoint on 6th Line on Thursday, May 14, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn After three of its residents tested positive for COVID-19 in late March, the Six Nations of the Grand River took the unprecedented step of limiting access to its territory. That meant creating an identification system for all vehicles in the community southeast of Brantford, Ont., and shutting down most of the roads entering the reserve. More than six weeks later, elected Chief Mark Hill says taking those extreme steps has been critical to stopping the spread of the novel coronavirus into one of Canada's most heavily populated First Nations. "I don't want to speak too early on things but when we declared our community emergency, we did the right thing," Hill said in a recent interview, noting that the first major step was limiting access to the Iroquois Lodge nursing home in the village of Ohsweken. "What started out as protecting our elders evolved into the bigger picture." The Six Nations of the Grand River declared its community emergency on March 13 and began restricting access to Iroquois Lodge the next day. Like municipalities across Ontario, the reserve shut schools, parks and other recreational facilities, and encouraged residents to work from home. But on March 30 a third resident of Six Nations tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the emergency control group a committee equally comprised of elected officials and traditional tribal elders to restrict access to the reserve. That meant setting up checkpoints at eight of the 22 concession roads entering the territory and closing the rest. Residents were given vehicle ID badges with QR codes so police manning the checkpoints could easily scan them without having physical contact with the passengers. For trucks bringing in food and other supplies, a work order or invoice has to be provided. All these steps were necessary to keep out the tens of thousands of visitors Hill says the territory gets for shopping and recreation. "They're coming from highly populated areas like the Greater Toronto Area so there was potentially a higher risk of exposure to the virus," said Hill. Getting the word out within the territory was itself a major task. There are approximately 15,000 residents in the reserve most of whom are Haudenosaunee, known in French as the Iroquois clustered in smaller communities spread across more than 180 square kilometres. Newsletters and fliers were distributed to every home, news releases were issued through the tribal council's website, and a daily briefing on Facebook has kept community members apprised of every step of the lockdown. "It's just pulling all of the resources we have in every department to put out messaging," said tribal councillor Nathan Wright, one of the elected officials on the emergency control group. "Not only from the standpoint of the health and safety perspective but also for mental health reasons. "We recognize that mental health is an issue because of the measures that public health has taken. We have been secluded in our homes, so continuing to put that support out there for the community is important." At its peak, there were 11 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Six Nations of the Grand River, and one person died on April 9. There are currently no active cases in the territory. Hagersville, Ont., a town of less than 3,000 people just outside of the reserve, has had one of the worst outbreaks in the province, with the Anson Place nursing home having 28 confirmed resident cases, 29 confirmed staff cases and 23 resident deaths. Wright says that like most Canadians, the people of the Six Nations of the Grand River are anxious to get back to normal life. "'When are we going to see a normal? What's it going to look like?'" said Wright. "That's the work that we're undertaking in the next couple of weeks. "I would say it's been an overwhelming positive response. I'm pretty proud of our community in terms of how they have responded." This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2020. ___ Follow @jchidleyhill on Twitter Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version had an incorrect figure for the number of confirmed cases in the community. The recent accident on the Chesapeake Bay, which took the lives of the daughter and grandson of former Maryland lieutenant governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, reminded me of what my father, a longtime boater and sport fisherman, used to say: The Chesapeake Bay is an especially dangerous body of water in a storm, and its conditions can change in almost the blink of an eye. As a kid who grew up in the mid-1950s, I have a vague recollection of the sinking of an older sailing boat that took passengers for overnight cruises on the bay. Its name was something like the Levin J. Marvel. Have you ever heard of this tragedy? Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 19:26:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- China will launch a campaign to promote the employment of disabled people living in poverty for 2020 on Sunday, sources with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said. The campaign aims to help registered poverty-stricken and low-income disabled people living in difficulty in rural areas who are of legal working age and are capable and willing to find jobs or start businesses. The campaign will support poverty-stricken disabled people obtain employment locally or in nearby areas, gain flexible employment while staying at home and find jobs or start businesses with the help of new business forms. China marks the 30th National Day for Helping the Disabled on May 17, the third Sunday of May. Enditem N ineteen people have been arrested during a protest against coronavirus lockdown measures in Hyde Park, the Metropolitan Police said. A further 10 people were issued with on-the-spot fines after a "relatively small group" of people gathered in the central London park on Saturday. The arrests include the brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Piers Corbyn, who was taken away in handcuffs after he joined protesters with a megaphone, proclaiming that 5G and the coronavirus pandemic were linked. Mr Corbyn said 5G enhances anyone whos got illness from Covid," and called the lockdown a pack of lies to brainwash you and keep you in order. Ten protesters were also handed on-the-spot fines / Getty Images He was taken away after declining to leave when asked by a police officer and declining to give his details when asked. Standing near Speaker's Corner at the north-eastern end of the park, protesters brandished banners reading "this is not about a virus, this is about control" and "no to the new abnormal". Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said most protesters were "largely compliant" with Government guidance on social distancing. With the easing of restrictions we fully expected open spaces to be busy this weekend," she said. It was pleasing to see that people were largely compliant with the Government guidance. Where they werent, and after we engaged with them, they quickly were. Around 50 people attended the protest / Getty Images It was disappointing that a relatively small group in Hyde Park came together to protest the regulations in clear breach of the guidance, putting themselves and others at risk of infection. Officers once again, took a measured approach and tried to engage the group to disperse. "They clearly had no intention of doing so, and so it did result in 19 people being arrested, and a further ten being issued with a fixed penalty notice. Jeremy Corbyns brother among arrests at anti-lockdown protests Protester David Samson, 50, who said he works in finance, said he came to the demonstration because: I never thought Id see in my generation the suppressing of civil rights over a fake virus. Another demonstrator, 62-year-old Catherine Harvey, said she wanted to highlight the devastation this lockdown has caused. She said she had been forced to close her shop on Columbia Road Flower Market, adding: The effects of the lockdown are far, far worse than the virus mental health, domestic violence, shops are closed, theatres, cinemas, restaurants. Its unnecessary. The state of the daily wage earners in our country is too sad to be commented on. Rather than blaming anyone, its time to help them at the individual level in any possible way. These people have suffered the most amid the lockdown and nobody is rescuing them. BCCL We are at home worrying about getting bored but they are still solving the problem of roti, kapda, makaan and its disheartening to see these people suffer. Recently, a migrant workerstole a bicycle in Rajasthan to pedal his way over 250 kilometers to Bareilly, his home town in Uttar Pradesh. He also left a handwritten apology note for the owner. Mohammad Iqbal stole a cycle from Rarah village from the house of Sahab Singh and Singh found the letter while he was cleaning the verandah of his house. BCCL The letter says, Main majdoor hun, majboor bhi. Main aapka gunehgar hu. Aapki cycle lekar ja raha hu. Mujhe maaf kar dena. Mujhe Bareily tak jana he. Mere pass koi sadhan nahi he aur viklang baccha hai (I am your culprit. But, I am a laborer and also helpless. Im taking your bicycle. Forgive me. I have no other means to reach and I have a specially-abled child. I have to go to Bareilly). Checkout his heartbreaking letter here- "I am your culprit. But, I am a laborer and also helpless" - Migrant worker steals a cycle to reach Uttar Pradesh, leaves behind sorry note for owner (reports @JaykishanHT)#COVID19 #lockdown https://t.co/Msps2qfJqZ Hindustan Times (@htTweets) May 16, 2020 For the migrant workers the story is as simple as if they dont have food, hunger will kill them and if they go outside, the virus will kill them. So, during the lockdown, thousands of these migrant workers have started walking towards their home in absence of any transport facilities. BCCL The incident sheds light on how helpless the labourers are and how the government has failed them. Rajeev Gupta, a sociologist said, Before imposing the lockdown, the government should have arranged transport facilities for them so that they could have reached their native places. But it didnt happen. Many labourers are hungry for months. They cannot feed themselves nor their family members, Heres what the people on the internet have to say about the heartbreaking incident- Laborer not culprit but our snollygoosters are real culprit... Batakrushna Behera (@BatuLSendoflife) May 16, 2020 Very heart touching news. Why govt is not requisitioning para military forces' trucks to transport these helpless migrants on roads to nearest district rail station and from there they may be sent by Shramik trains. Anand Mohan (@anandmohan31) May 16, 2020 And..... Our FM is busy sharing illogical details of distribution package. All promotional gimmicks, beyond this they can't think anything for the poor. Migrant worker steals a cycle to reach UP, leaves a moving apology note - india news - Hindustan Times https://t.co/VLO8paBmnd Jaane bhi do Yaro (@mat_jane_de_yar) May 16, 2020 More honour than any filthy rich politician. Creatively Sarcastic (@CreativelySarc1) May 15, 2020 Both Central and state governments have failed miserably.. Vishhal Jaain (@iamvishhal) May 15, 2020 No words sushmitac83 (@sushmitac3) May 15, 2020 This shows Migrants have become so helpless, that they are forced to act against there moral values. Mayank Bakshi (@mayankbakshi07) May 15, 2020 It is astonishing that the poor of India are so stoic. Raj Ayy (@raj_ayy) May 16, 2020 It is paramount that the government wakes up and does something to make their situation better or else their suffering wont end. Also, we as individuals are very powerful and can do a lot at a personal level. It is time that we help the needy and help them in this difficult time. The platform can cater to 100 people in a meeting for 24 consecutive hours. It will be regularly updated and provided free to the public nationwide. Speaking at the launch ceremony, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Hung said the platform was completed within the 20 days of social distancing and is a useful tool as social gatherings remain limited to prevent COVID-19. The creation of Zavi proves the rapid advancement of Vietnamese IT staff, he said. Hung then chaired the first online meeting using Zavi, with the Departments of Information and Communications of Ha Giang and Quang Ninh provinces to discuss the Bluezone application. On Friday, Thomas Lifson wrote that last week's news about the Flynn unmaskings was just the beginning. He cited a post by retired naval officer J.E. Dyer, at Liberty Unyielding, for insights about what acting director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell was carrying in a sizable satchel he delivered to the Department of Justice on May 7, 2020. Anyone could see that the satchel contained substantially more information than the five pages revealing the myriad Obama officials who unmasked General Flynn's name. Dyer's article is worth reading in its entirety, but Lifson gives a quick, elegant summary: The key message is that for years the Obama administration was mining the incomparable database of the National Security Agency (NSA), which captured virtually all electronic communications emails, text messages, everything launched into the ether. The potential for abuse is breathtaking. Everything that political enemies said to each other, except in private in-person conversations or in snail mail letters, could have been spied upon. And now it looks like staggering numbers of intercepts were monitored. Dyer makes that case. What especially caught my eye was the exponential growth rate of queries that "desk jockeys" in the various federal agencies made to view information about United States Persons of Interest during Obama's second term, all without having to log the specific inquiry or the identity of the person unmasked. Here are the data, straight from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence: Two thoughts flow from these extraordinary data. First, I am indebted to Mary Theroux, of the Independent Institute, who alerted me to the National Security Agency's collection and storage capacity. Its Utah Data Center, completed in May 2019 at a cost of $1.5 billion, is located at Camp Williams, near Bluffdale, Utah. The structure covers somewhere between 1 to 1.5 million square feet, with 100,000 square feet dedicated to the data center and the remainder for technical support and administration. The Data Center's storage capacity is estimated to exceed exabytes, plural. If you're wondering, a single exabyte is equal to one quintillion bytes (or 10 to the 18th power of bytes). That's a lot of information. Mary Theroux pointed out that there is no way that the U.S. can scan this information in real time. That is, there's nothing in this massive database that will alert our intelligence agencies to a planned terrorist attack. Instead, this database exists as a repository to hunt down information after the fact. In that regard, it gives the government power that Lavrentiy Beria only dreamed about. Lavrentiy Beria was the head of the secret police under Stalin. He was responsible for tens of thousands of deaths (including the Katyn massacre) and hundreds of thousands of imprisonments. Beria's job was to get rid of anyone whom the increasingly paranoid Stalin perceived as a threat. In that capacity, Beria famously said, "Show me the man, and I'll find you the crime." In other words, because he was spying on everybody, should a person be unfortunate enough to catch Stalin's eye, Bernie could sift through those saved records and retrofit a crime. A government with exabytes of computer data has a lot of material for retrofitting crimes should it need it. Second, the Obama administration's radical increase in inquiries during his second term demands explanation. It's to be hoped that, in the coming months, John Durham and Bill Barr provide that explanation. In the absence of that information, though, it's not unreasonable to guess that Barack Obama was getting his ducks in a row to preserve his legacy. Barack Obama was always thinking about the long game. After all, he announced right before his election that he would "fundamentally transform" America. A good insurance policy for ensuring that legacy was to track the opposition and remove or prepare to remove anyone who looked like a risk. Once Obama was in his second term, the administration was in a position to consolidate power for a permanent Democrat government class. If this was, in fact, what Obama was doing, it's a dead certainty that Trump wasn't the only person Obama's administration spied upon. After all, while Trump incurred Obama's wrath for poking at him with the Birtherism, Trump didn't announce his candidacy until mid-2015, and, for quite a while, the political class assumed that he was a joke. Obama could not have been worried about Trump. However, the numbers show that Obama's minions were searching more and more records when Obama could reasonably be worried about other candidates: Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee any one of them might have a chance of becoming president. Moreover, although Hillary was the "anointed one," Obama knew from his 2008 primary campaign and from Hillary's stint as secretary of state that Hillary was a tin-eared candidate whom many people hated with a passion. She was going to need all the help he could give her if she was going to be Obama's third term. In sum, my best guess is that we're going to discover that Obama had teams of faceless drones searching through that enormous NSA stockpile of data for information about every Republican whose head ever appeared above the parapet as a threat to a permanent Democrat presidency. The moment a tiny white dog named Marley scared off two thieves who broke into her owners' home has been caught on video. Footage from a front porch camera captured the surprising moment two men broke into an elderly woman's home and were chased out by the tiny dog. The video was posted to Reddit with the caption 'Thieves broke into my neighbours' house at 5am yesterday morning.' A tiny dog named Marley (pictured) scared off two thieves who broke into her home at 5am The footage showed two mean sneak across the porch and enter the home through the front door. Barking was heard a few seconds later and the thieves ran out of the home with Marley chasing after them. The men sprinted off the property and Marley stopped in the driveway to growl after them. Marley's elderly owner then stepped outside and called the dog back into the house. Commenters were impressed with Marley's bravery and praised the little dog. One user wrote: 'Marley has the heart of a lion in that little body.' Another said: 'The next time I feel like getting annoyed at a small dog barking, I'll think of Marley.' One commenter noted that Marley had 'big dog energy'. Amazon responded to lawmakers on Friday who demanded that its chief executive, Jeff Bezos, testify as part of a congressional antitrust investigation. The company told lawmakers in a letter that it would be happy to send someone. It never, however, mentions Mr. Bezos in the three-page letter, which was obtained by The New York Times. Instead, the company said that it was prepared to make the appropriate Amazon executive available to the Committee to address these important issues. By not promising an appearance by Mr. Bezos, Amazons response may escalate tensions with the Democrat leaders of the House Judiciary Committee who, along with some Republicans, requested Mr. Bezos testimony in a letter sent to the company on May 1. They have threatened to legally compel Mr. Bezos to appear before the panel if he does not agree to do so willingly. The Union Health Ministry on Saturday issued guidelines on preventive measures, isolation and quarantine for healthcare workers deployed in COVID and non-COVID areas of hospitals. The ministry advised the healthcare facilities to activate their Hospital Infection Control Committees (HICC) which would be responsible for implementing the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) activities and organising regular training for staff. A nodal officer (Infection Control Officer) shall be identified by each hospital to address all matters related to Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), the advisory said. The nodal officer has to ensure that healthcare workers in different settings of hospitals use PPEs appropriate to their risk profile, as detailed in the guidelines issued by the ministry, and they have undergone training on IPC and are aware of common signs and symptoms, need for self-health monitoring and prompt reporting of such symptoms, it added. The officer also has to make provisions for regular (thermal) screening of all hospital staff and ensure that all healthcare workers managing COVID-19 cases are provided with chemo-prophylaxis under medical supervision, the ministry said. On actions for healthcare workers, the advisory said that it needs to be ensured that all preventive measures like frequent washing of hands/use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers and respiratory etiquettes are followed at all times. "He or she shall use appropriate PPE at all times while on duty. A buddy system to be followed to ensure that there is no breach in infection prevention control practices," it said. READ | Health Ministry 'not satisfied' with efficacy of Remdesivir, Favipiravir to fight COVID-19 Under the buddy system, two or more-person teams are formed amongst the deployed hospital staff who share responsibilities for his/her partner's safety and well-being in the context of appropriately donning and doffing of PPEs, maintaining hand hygiene and taking requisite steps on observing breach of PPEs. The advisory also asks healthcare workers to follow social distancing and use masks to prevent transmission or acquiring infection. "Pregnant/lactating mothers and immuno-compromised healthcare workers shall inform their medical condition to the hospital authorities for them to get posted only in non-COVID areas," the advisory said. READ | India to breach 2 million COVID-19 tests on Thursday: Union Health Minister Advisory for rational use of PPE kits Earlier on Friday, the Ministry of Health released guidelines on the rational use of Personal Protective Equipment based on the settings approach. This shall be applicable to healthcare professionals and others working in non-COVID hospitals and non-COVID treatment areas of a hospital. The use of PPE depends on the risk profile of the healthcare worker. It has prescribed the PPE to be used in different settings such as the out-patient department, in-patient department, emergency department, ancillary services, and ambulance services. At the same time, the Ministry of Health has stressed that PPE cannot be substituted for basic preventive health measures such as hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. (with PTI inputs) READ | Post-May 3 lockdown guidelines: MHA clarifies buses will not ply in Orange zones By PTI MUMBAI: CAPF companies have been deployed in Mumbai, Pune, Malegaon, Amravati and some other places to ensure state police get respite from coronavirus-related duties, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said on Saturday. The state government had recently requested the Centre to deploy 20 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces. "Some of their companies have come to Maharashtra. Their personnel have been deployed in Mumbai, Pune, Malegaon, Amravati and other places to ensure Maharashtra police gets rest," Deshmukh told reporters. To a question, Deshmukh said 800 persons have been arrested in connection with attacks on policemen during the lockdown. Earlier on Saturday, the Union Home Ministry ordered the withdrawal of 10 CAPF companies from Jammu and Kashmir and sent nine such units to Maharashtra, which has been the worst affected state by the pandemic. They said the 10 units comprising over 1,000 personnel are being withdrawn from the Jammu region of the Union Territory. No units of the paramilitary forces deployed in Kashmir have been touched, the officials said. Among these ten, three companies belong to the CISF and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police each, while two each are from the CRPF and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), as per an order issued by the Union Home Ministry. These forces work under the ministry's command for rendering a variety of internal security duties and border guarding. The Home Ministry, meanwhile, also released nine companies -- four from the Rapid Action Force, two from the Central Reserve Police Force and three from the Central Industrial Security Force -- for deployment in Maharashtra. While five companies for Maharashtra are drawn from the ten units being withdrawn from Jammu, the rest four have been released from the Mumbai-based unit of the RAF, CRPF's specialised counter-riots unit, they said. The state had sought 20 Central Armed Police Forces companies recently to relieve its police personnel who, it said, were overworked during the coronavirus-enforced lockdown. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had said state police have been working "day in and day out" to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state. Many state police personnel have tested positive for coronavirus and need time to rest and recuperate, he had said. "The festival of Eid is also around the corner and proper law and order has to be ensured. The police should get some rest for that. Hence, we have requested the Centre to deploy 20 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), that is 2,000 personnel," the minister had said in a video message on Twitter. Thirty-two companies of the Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPF) have already been deployed in Maharashtra and are working in tandem with the state police, according to an official statement of the state government. Each CAPF company has about 100 personnel. A retired Florida firefighter is changing lives. Through active fundraising, he is distributing a free nasal spray that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose in vulnerable communities across the nation. Luis Garcia, from Boynton Beach, Florida, and his army of volunteers have brought 176 overdose victims back from the brink of death in the almost three years since the missions onset. Garcia, 53, shared his story with The Epoch Times in an email interview. Luis Garcia, a retired firefighter from Boynton Beach, Florida. (Courtesy of Luis Garcia) The Wonder Drug A trained firefighter and paramedic with 28 years of experience, Garcia retired from Boynton Beach Fire Rescue in 2011. In December of 2016, he was alerted to a new FDA-approved layperson-administered drug that had the capacity to reverse an opioid overdose. Garcia noted that the drug, a nasal spray named Narcan, delivers a dosage of naloxone four to eight times higher than the initial dosage administered by first responders in the case of an overdose. My inspiration was simple science, Garcia, who got on board, explained. A higher dose of naloxone, easily administered by anybody, would save many more lives. Narcan is an opioid antagonist, which immediately binds to the opioid receptors in the brain, negating the effect of the drug, Grias explained. The nasal spray reverses the overdose and restores respiratory function if administered in a timely manner. Additionally, the FDA states that it can be administered by anyone, even those without medical training. The drug is sprayed into one nostril while the patient is lying on his or her back, and can be repeated if necessary, the FDA explained. However, they also noted that it is not a substitute for immediate medical care. Alluding to who can use Narcan, Garcia told The Epoch Times that Any one-day-old baby, animal, 100-year-old lady weighing 70 pounds, or muscular 30-year-old man who has overdosed 10 times will respond to Narcan. But Narcan, he clarified, will only work in the event of an opioid overdose. It will neither help nor hurt any other medical condition. After being denied a state grant, Garcia made the selfless decision to spend $50,000 of his own money on almost 4,900 Narcan sprays, worth around $50 a dose. [I] donated them to my students, he said, who have saved 176 human lives in 33 months. In November 2017, Garcia named his mission the USA Opioid Crisis Mortality Reduction with NARCAN, and started a GoFundMe page to raise funds for his ongoing outreach. Community Involvement Garcias mission to deliver free Narcan to the communities most affected by the opioid crisis is multifaceted. I offer free two-hour community classes, do 30-minute classes at community health fairs, have created three one-hour training videos, and also do 15-minute classes for the homeless, Garcia explained. Garcia keeps his finger on the pulse of his local Florida community and stresses that additional support is vital. I listen to fire rescue scanner radios and respond in real time, when Im close, to administer Narcan, he said. Also, I visit businesses where an overdose occurred to offer free sprays and training. When asked whether any overdose cases have affected him emotionally, Garcia explained that he is careful to remain clinically detached. During my career, I administered [Narcan] over 3,000 times, he said. I have also personally sprayed 16 victims in Southeast Florida and saved 15 of them with one spray. In the beginning I was touched by success stories, but the unhappy endings overwhelmed my heart. Marion County, Florida, sheriffs headquarters, where Garcia trained and equipped almost 150 citizens in two classes. (Courtesy of Luis Garcia) Hope Exists However, Garcia believes that his missions biggest obstacle is the stigma attached to addiction, and the commonly held false belief that opioid addiction is a choice. No addict chooses a life of pain and anguish, he said. Reflecting further on the challenges he faces, Garcia said: Unless a person lost somebody to the disease of substance use disorder, or is in 12-step recovery of any kind, or works in the addiction field, or knows a young person battling drugs whom they consider a good person, most people do not understand this disease or actively support my mission. The retired firefighter has no personal experience with drugs or addiction, but after decades spent working with others, he firmly believes that change is possible. Hope exists, he asserted, if the person seeks professional help. (Video courtesy of Luis Garcia) Past, Present, and Future Looking back on a longevous career of helping people, Garcia cited the greatest highlights of his vocational life as delivering 17 babies in the back of my paramedic ambulance, and rescuing an unconscious female from an inferno-like house fire in 2008. Garcias retired status is not stopping him from continuing his efforts to help save lives. On March 1, 2020, Garcias mission became an official Florida nonprofit awaiting IRS approval and is steadily gaining visibility. In the wake of the pandemic, which has swept across the world, Garcia has pledged up to five months of his time to focus on providing personal protective equipment, free of charge, to the public during drive-up events. In addition, Garcia also mentioned that he will continue to distribute Narcan. Luis Garcia standing in front of City of Boynton Beach Fire Rescue (Station 2), where he served as a firefighter toward the end of his 28-year career. (Courtesy of Luis Garcia) Garcias mission to help more people is made possible through ongoing donations to his GoFundMe page; its the only way I can continue doing what Im doing, he explained. In recognition of his incredible efforts to fight opioid overdose in vulnerable communities, the crowdfunding site has even featured Garcia as one of its annual heroes. To date, Garcias fund has raised just over $58,000 of its $100,000 goal. I do not consider myself a hero, Garcia reflected. Each of the 176 persons with no fire rescue background who attended my two-hour class, and then sprayed a stranger, is the hero. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming bumps elbow with one of the Korean businesspeople leaving for China as a new COVID-19 greeting at Incheon International Airport, May 10. Yonhap South Korea said Saturday it will explore ways to expand transnational movement and exchanges of businesspeople and doctors in Northeast Asia as it held a health ministers' meeting with China and Japan over the coronavirus. The health ministers of South Korea, China and Japan agreed Friday to cooperate in tackling the coronavirus and developing a vaccine in their first teleconference since the virus emerged in China late last year. South Korean Health Minister Park Neunghoo proposed the idea of expanding movement of essential figures, including scientists, doctors and businesspeople, among the three countries. "The issue requires discussions of pan-government agencies. The government will explore possible ways (to expand movement) on the diplomatic side," Sohn Young-rae, a government official, in a briefing. He said the government plans to flesh out details through cooperation with Beijing and Tokyo. The tripartite teleconference involved South Korea's Park, China's Ma Xiaowei and Japan's Kato Katsunobu, as well as Takeshi Kasai, the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific regional director. The ministers agreed to exchange clinical and epidemiological information on COVID-19 and share their data on diagnosis and treatment of the virus. Park stressed the need for systemic cooperation in infectious disease response as well as vaccine and drug development, Seoul's health ministry added. The three-way gathering was launched in 2007 at the request of South Korea to deal with the Influenza A scare that swept through the world. (Yonhap) Attorney Group Ready to Help Victims of CCP Virus Sue Wuhan Government The CCP virus (COVID-19) pandemic has, so far, spread to 184 countries. A number of countries are taking action to hold the Chinese communist regime accountable for covering up the outbreak. Victims in Hubei Province, the epicenter of the pandemic, also wish to sue the government. Yang Zhanqing, a Chinese visiting scholar in the United States who has been paying attention to livelihood issues in China, recently publicized a lawsuit template to help the victim families. The 14-page template, called Legal Template for Novel Coronavirus Damage Compensation, along with a procedural guide for filing the lawsuit, was prepared by an 18-member attorney group from outside China. Yang: The victims just need to fill out the template based on their specific situations. Several plaintiffs have completed the form, but they also need to provide additional details such as the names of the hospitals, and the specific symptoms shown before the person died, etc. We have decided to leave out these details for now, and get the cases filed first. They will mail the lawsuit documents. This is because, if they visit a court in person, the court staff will likely reject their suit using any excuse they can come up with. However, if the case is filed by mail, the court has to acknowledge the acceptance of the letter as soon as it is delivered. The court will then feel pressure if it does not accept the case. Reporter: How many families are doing this now? Yang: Families of six victims. Two of them completed their own version of the complaint several weeks ago. However, they hesitated to send it after they were written. We are not sure if they were threatened by the authorities or if they have concerns even before being threatened. Therefore, we decided that we should come up with a template to encourage more victims to file a lawsuit. By last weekend, four other families used our template to prepare the document. Reporter: As long as someone is working on such lawsuits, it will have a positive impact and serve as a role model. Yang: Right. Actually, the local governments in Hubei Province and Wuhan City are scared of these lawsuits. They will pressure and threaten whoever is taking action to file a lawsuit. Reporter: When your template is publicized, the plaintiffs may well fill it out and do the next steps themselves. So how are you involved in filing the lawsuits? Do you provide any guidance or assistance? Yang: They can use our template and file the lawsuit themselves. If the victims families get to see our template, they may want to file it on their own, without asking for further help from us. We provided our contact information in the Guide. If any of them need our help, we would certainly love to help. My main concern is that many of these victim families will be facing huge pressure. If they do it themselves by going to a court directly, or if they communicate with us on WeChat, which is monitored by the Chinese authorities, their local government will then threaten them not to file the lawsuit. We are making it easier for them to defend their rights by providing the template and guiding them through the process. Reporter: On one hand, if your group is the point of contact for all these plaintiffs, the Chinese government will make trouble for you. On the other hand, if the plaintiffs each try to do it on their own, they may not succeed. Yang: Correct. It is impossible for them to get together physically when they are inside China. If we form a WeChat group, the group can be dispersed by the Chinese authorities at any time. Anyway, it is very hard to provide legal help to this group of people. Reporter: You mentioned that one of the plaintiffs, Wu Suqin, was approached by his company leaders. Yang: He told me that a company leader summoned him, saying that he made a political mistake and that the report Wu prepared was equivalent to attacking the state. Actually, Wus statement was two simple paragraphs. He first described his illness and lack of treatment, then attributed the spread of the virus to the fact that ordinary citizens were kept in the dark. That was it. How could they claim this is political in nature? Yang: In Wus case, it also involves a patients basic rights to be informed. He sought treatment in a hospital, but was denied access to his medical records and the results of medical exams! As a matter of fact, what the authorities are trying to do is prevent people from presenting these materials in media interviews, or using them to file lawsuits to defend their rights. Wu told me his company leader threatened him. The leader said, if Wu continues to seek justice from the hospital, he will either be subjected to administrative punishment or the company will refuse to reimburse his medical costs. Reporter: Have you yourself encountered any pressure or menace from the Chinese government? Yang: Yes. A close friend of mine, inside China, was summoned by local state security on April 1 and April 18. I asked him what they wanted. He told me he could not reveal details because he was forced to sign a non disclosure agreement. All he can tell me is that the state security staff was targeting me and they asked a lot of questions about me. The interview was conducted on April 21 by Hong Ning of the Chinese-language Epoch Times. GST on textiles will not be increased from 5 to 12 per cent: FM Sitharaman It is not BJP money: Nirmala Sitharaman on IT raids on 'Samajwadi perfume' trader Budget Session 2022 to commence on January 31; Union Budget to be tabled on February 1 FM Nirmala Sitharaman to address press conference at 4:30 pm, likely to clear air on Antrix Devas issue FM Sitharaman on Devas-Antrix issue: Cong has no moral right to speak about crony capitalism Highlights of Nirmala Sitharamans briefing on economic stimulus package India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, May 16: Nirmala Sitharaman in her fourth briefing today said that the focus would be on the structural reforms. The focus on today's tranche was on coal, minerals, defence production, airports, airspace management, maintenance/repair/overhaul, power distribution companies in UTs, space and atomic energy. In the last couple of months, an empowered group of secretaries was formed to look into project development. Ranking of states on investment attractiveness to compete for new reforms. Incentive schemes for promotion of new champion sectors will be launched in sectors such as solar PV manufacturing, said Nirmala Sitharaman. Schemes will be implemented in states through challenge mode for industrial cluster upgradation of common infrastructure facilities and connectivity. 3,376 industrial parks/estates/SEZs in 5 lakh hectares mapped on industrial information system. All industrial parks will be ranked in 2020-12, she also said. Coal: The Finance Minister also said that the government would bring into the coal sector. Commercial mining of coal on a revenue sharing basis will make it more efficient. In the coal sector, entry norms will be liberalised. Nearly 50 blocks will be offered immediately. Earlier, only captive consumers with end use ownership can bid. Now any party can bid for a coal block and sell in the open market, the Finance Minister also announced. Rs 50,000 crore will be created for evacuation infrastructure, Sitharaman also said. For the mineral sector, a seamless composite exploration cum mining production regime is being introduced. 500 mining blocks would be offered through this transparent mechanism. Joint auction: Further a joint auction of bauxite and coal mineral blocks to enhance aluminium industry competitiveness will be introduced. This will help aluminium industry reduce electricity costs, the Finance Minister also said. We would also look to remove captive and non captive mines. This will allow transfer of mining leases and sale of surplus unused minerals leading to better efficiency in mining and production. The government is in the process of developing a mineral index for different minerals, the Finance Minister also said. Defence production: With regard to defence production, Sitharaman said the government would notify a list of weapons/platforms for the ban on import with year wise timelines. There would be indigenisation of imported spares. There would be a separate budget provisioning for domestic capital procurement. This will help reduce huge defence import bill. This will improve autonomy, accountability and efficiency in ordnance supplies by the corporatisation of the ordnance factory board, the FM also said. The FDI limit in defence manufacturing will be raised from 49 per cent to 74 per cent. There would be time bound defence procurement process and faster decision making will be ushered in by setting up of a project management unit to support contract management. There would be realistic setting of general staff qualitative requirements of weapons/platforms. There would also be overhauling trial and testing procedures, the Finance Minister said. Air space and power: Only 60 per cent of the Indian airspace is freely available. Restriction on utilisation of the Indian air space will eased, so that civilian flying becomes more efficient, the Finance Minister said. We will bring a total benefit of Rs 1,000 crore per year for the aviation sector. There are six more airports up for auction, Sitharaman said. The bid process shall commence immediately, the Finance Minister said. We will also make India an MRO hub. If an MRO ecosystem is created in India, maintenance cost for airlines comes down as they do not have to go abroad for repairs. This would also help the defence aircraft the Finance Minister also said. The power distribution companies in Union Territories will be privatised. The tariff policy laying out reforms will be released. This would take into consideration consumer rights. This would promote industry and there would be sustainability of the sector, Nirmala Sitharaman also said. The government will boost private sector investment in social infrastructure through revamped viability gap funding scheme of Rs 81,00 crore. Space sector: Indian private sector will be a co-traveller in India's space journey. We provide level playing field for private companies in satellite launches and space based services. Private sectors will be allowed to use ISRO facilities and other relevant assets to improve their capacities, the FM announced. There will be a research reactor in PPP mode of production of medical isotopes. This will promote welfare of humanity through affordable treatment for cancer and other diseases. We will establish facilities in PPP modes to use irradiation technology for food preservation to compliment agricultural reforms and assist farmers, the Finance Minister also said. Four new Leadership Lincoln classes are forming as the organization enters its 36th year of connecting and preparing folks in Lincoln and Lancaster County to serve in leadership roles. Applications are being accepted for the Fellows, Executives, Advocates and Youth cohorts through May 31. Leadership Lincoln alumni are at the forefront as our city, county and state respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. From City Hall to the County Courthouse, from providing food to helping families in need, those who have participated in Leadership Lincoln over the past 35 years are providing leadership. They also can be found in leadership roles in business, education and government. Our graduates consistently tell us that not only are they amazed at how much they learn about our community, but how they also get to know people from across the community," said Brendan Evans, interim executive director. "Those connections have proven to be helpful in business, in managing nonprofit organizations and in elected office. Leadership Lincoln is a nonprofit organization that seeks to provide strong leaders for a stronger Lincoln. Were proud that so many of our alumni are guiding us through these challenging times, added Evans. The coronavirus pandemic has shone a spotlight on Taiwan's exclusion from the World Health Organization and ignited a diplomatic row between China and some Western powers. Led by the United States, a growing number of countries are calling for Taiwan to either be allowed into the WHO, or be given observer status. The spat is likely to worsen at next week's World Health Assembly -- the WHO's annual policy making meeting -- which is gathering virtually because of the virus outbreak. Why is Taiwan shut out? Taiwan -- officially the Republic of China -- was a founding member of the WHO when the global health body was created in 1948. But it was expelled in 1972 a year after losing the "China" seat at the United Nations to the People's Republic of China. The two sides have been ruled separately since 1949 after the Nationalists lost a civil war to the Communists and fled to Taiwan to set up a rival government. Beijing views Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary. It balks at any international recognition of Taiwan as a sovereign nation and in recent years has ramped up economic, diplomatic and military pressure on the island. Keeping it shut out of international bodies like the WHO is part of that campaign. Was it always this way? No. Between 2009 and 2016 Beijing allowed Taiwan to attend the WHA as an observer under the name "Chinese Taipei". At the time, relations between Taipei and Beijing were warmer. Things turned frosty with the election of current president Tsai Ing-wen in 2016. She hails from a party that views Taiwan as a de facto independent nation and doesn't subscribe to Beijing's idea that it belongs to a "one China". Taipei found little diplomatic support for its calls to be included but the coronavirus pandemic has dramatically changed that. China has found itself scrutinised for its initial response to the outbreak and allegations its authoritarian government made the global spread worse. In contrast, democratic Taiwan has been praised as a model for how to handle the outbreak -- with only seven deaths and 433 infections. Why does Taiwan's exclusion matter? Taiwan and its supporters argue it is unfair to exclude 23 million Taiwanese from the world's health body, especially during such a huge health crisis. They also say global leaders and doctors could learn from the island's expertise in combatting the virus. "No one should be treated as an orphan in the health network that the WHA should look after," Taiwan Vice President Chen Chien-jen, a US-trained epidemiologist, told reporters on Thursday. "The WHO attaches too much importance to politics and forgets about its professionalism and neutrality," he added. Taiwan's exclusion has also raised questions about Beijing's influence over the WHO. This week the Trump administration accused the WHO of opting to "choose politics over public health" by being overly deferential to China. What does the WHO say? WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said Taiwan's participation can only be decided by member states with the consent of "the relevant government" -- a reference to Beijing. He rejects the notion that the body has been too deferential to Beijing under his tenure. WHO officials say they are in regular contact with Taiwan and that Taiwanese officials are often included in technical meetings. Taiwan has countered that it was previously invited to attend the WHA "at the discretion" of the then director general. It says Tedros has a public health obligation to stand up to Beijing's blacklisting of the island. The WHO later said an invite can be given by Tedros if a consensus existed between member states, which it does not. Will Taiwan have its way? It's highly unlikely. Only 15 nations still recognise Taiwan over China, most of them economic minnows in Latin America and the Pacific. Few of the 194 countries within the WHO will want to stoke Beijing's anger -- a 2007 bid by Taiwan to seek membership was comprehensively defeated. But any recognition of Taiwan's de facto sovereign nation status is seen as a win for Taipei and a blow for Beijing. And it is here that Taiwan has seen significant success during the coronavirus pandemic. In the last few weeks Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand have joined the US in publicly calling for Taiwan to be given observer status at the WHA. That has infuriated Beijing. It has accused Western governments of using Taiwan as a wedge issue to distract from their own shortcomings in fighting the outbreak. Taiwan -- officially the Republic of China -- was a founding member of the WHO when the global health body was created in 1948 Things turned frosty with the election of current president Tsai Ing-wen in 2016 WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said Taiwan's participation can only be decided by member states with the consent of 'the relevant government' -- a reference to Beijing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the briefing room at the State Department in Washington on Jan. 25, 2019. MUST CREDIT: Bloomberg photo by Eric Thayer. Read more WASHINGTON - State Department Inspector General Steve Linick was fired Friday in a late-night ouster that drew condemnations from Democrats, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warning of an acceleration in a "dangerous pattern of retaliation" against federal watchdogs. Linick, a 2013 Obama appointee who has criticized department leadership for alleged retribution toward staffers, will be replaced by Ambassador Stephen Akard, a State Department spokesperson confirmed Friday. It was the latest in a string of weekend removals of oversight officials who have clashed with the Trump administration. Rep. Eliot Engel, D.-N.Y., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, claimed the State Inspector General was fired after opening an investigation into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and said the timing suggested "an unlawful act of retaliation." The State Department did not explain Linick's removal or address criticism, and the White House did not immediately respond to an inquiry Friday night. A Democratic congressional aide said that Linick was looking into Pompeo's "misuse of a political appointee at the Department to perform personal tasks for himself and Mrs. Pompeo." President Donald Trump said in a Friday letter to Pelosi that the inspector general no longer had his "fullest confidence" and would be removed in 30 days, the required period of advance notice to lawmakers. The firing came weeks after Trump removed Christi Grimm as principal deputy inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services, after Grimm's office criticized the administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic - detailing "severe shortages" of testing kits, delays in getting coronavirus results and "widespread shortages" of masks and other equipment at U.S. hospitals. Trump had lashed out publicly at Grimm. Last month the president ousted intelligence community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, who handled the explosive whistleblower complaint that led to Trump's impeachment. He also pushed out Glenn Fine, the chairman of the federal panel Congress created to oversee his administration's management of the government's $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package. The president's critics responded with outrage Friday to the move against Linick. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., slammed "another apparent act of retaliation and cover up" meant to "shield a loyal cabinet secretary from oversight and accountability," while Pelosi said in a statement that Linick was "punished for honorably performing his duty to protect the Constitution and our national security, as required by the law and by his oath." Pelosi expressed concern that the move came as the House passed coronavirus legislation that includes funding that the State Department's inspector general would oversee. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., called the firing "shameful" in a late Friday tweet. "Another late Friday night attack on independence, accountability, and career officials," he wrote. "At this point, the President's paralyzing fear of any oversight is undeniable." Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., also on Twitter, said "inspectors general are inconvenient, pesky brutes if your goal is turn the government into a cash cow for your friends, cronies and family." Linick has previously been critical of alleged misconduct by officials. An August report by the inspector general concluded that leadership of a leading department bureau mistreated and harassed staffers, accused them of political disloyalty to the Trump administration, and retaliated against them. Linick's office also faulted actions by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. His replacement, Akard, is a former Foreign Service Officer who leads the State Departments Office of Foreign Missions. Akard was nominated several years ago to become director general of the Foreign Service but withdrew amid opposition. The Washington Posts John Hudson, Karen DeYoung and Lisa Rein contributed to this article. Citing medical ground in the backdrop of the coronavirus outbreak, former CMD of Religare Enterprises Limited (REL) Sunil Godhwani sought bail in a case of misappropriation of funds of Religare Finvest Ltd (RFL), but was denied relief by a Delhi court on Saturday. Additional Sessions Judge Vipin Kumar Rai dismissed the application which had claimed that the accused was suffering from sleepapnea, a sleeping disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. Senior advocate Rebecca John, appearing for the accused, had told the court that in the ongoing health crisis due to COVID-19, the illness may have serious consequences for the accused. Godhwani has been arrested by the ED as well as the Delhi Police for allegedly misappropriating funds of Religare Finvest Ltd (RFL). Advocate Nitesh Rana, the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) special public prosecutor, opposed the bail plea, saying that sleep apnea was not a serious ailment and the jail authorities were already taking extra care due the coronavirus threat. Rana also opposed the accused's contention that he had ailing parents, saying his family was there to take care of them. The case also involves former Fortis Healthcare promoters Malvinder Singh and his brother Shivinder, who are currently in judicial custody. RFL is a group firm of REL, which was promoted earlier by the Singh brothers. Malvinder (46), Shivinder (44) and Godhwani (58) were arrested by the economic offence wing (EOW) of Delhi Police for allegedly diverting the money and investing in other companies. Later, the ED took their custody. The EOW had earlier told the court that during the course of investigation, it has been disclosed by the accused persons that an amount of approximately Rs 1,000 crore has been transferred to various persons from the entities linked to corporate loan book and finally it was siphoned off. Religare has accused the three, along with others, of diverting funds, claiming that loans were taken by Shivinder while managing the firm but the money was invested in other companies. The counsel for Malvinder had earlier told the court that the money was with Radha Soami sect head Gurinder Singh Dhillon but the police was not going after him since he had political connections and that Malvinder was being made a soft target. The police had said that a look out circular (LOC) had been issued against Malvinder as he was absconding. The EOW had registered an FIR in March after it received a complaint from Manpreet Suri of RFL against Shivinder, Godhwani and others alleging that loans were taken by them while managing the firm but the money was invested in other companies. According to the police, the complainant stated that the four had absolute control on REL and its subsidiaries. "They put RFL in poor financial condition by disbursing loans to companies having no financial standing and being controlled by them. The companies to which loans were disbursed willfully defaulted in repayments and caused a loss to RFL to the tune of Rs 2,397 crore," the police had alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CLINTON, N.Y. Hamilton Colleges annual Class & Charter Day took place May 11. Established in 1950, the event combines the traditional celebration of the end of classes with a commemoration of the granting of colleges charter May 26, 1812. The following local residents were named among the award winners in this years virtual ceremony: Acacia Bowden of Deep River was named the recipient of The Holbrook Prize in Biology. Bowden, a senior majoring in biology, is a graduate of Valley Regional High School. The prize is awarded to the senior having the best record in six courses in biology. Claire Curran of Middletown was named the recipient of The David J. Gray Senior Prize in Sociology and The Franklin G. Hamlin Prize in French. Curran, a senior majoring in French and francophone studies and sociology, is a graduate of Middletown High School. The Gray award is given to an outstanding senior concentrator in honor and memory of Professor Gray, the first chair of Hamiltons Sociology Department. The Hamlin prize is awarded to a senior who has excelled in French and plans to continue its study, or the study of a related field, in graduate school. Kayla Glemaud of Middletown was named the recipient of the Woman of Color Prize. Glemaud, a junior majoring in world politics, is a graduate of Kingswood-Oxford School. The Woman of Color Scholarship is awarded to an Asian-American, African-American, Latina American, or Native American woman who has completed the junior year, exemplifies hard work and leadership, and portrays a strong positive role model for other women of color. Eastern CT State University WILLIMANTIC Eastern Connecticut State Universitys history department inducted 16 students into the Phi Alpha Theta national honor society recently. Among the inductees were: Claire Lavarreda of East Haddam, a junior who majors in history and social science, and Spanish; and Alyssa Petty of Chester, a senior who majors in elementary education and history and social science. Established in 1921 and with more than 350,000 members, Phi Alpha Theta is the national honor society for undergraduate and graduate students and professors of history. Inductees must be a junior or senior with an overall grade-point average of 3.5 and at least 15 history credits completed. In other news, 10 ECSU students were inducted into Delta Mu Delta, the international honor society for accounting, business administration, business information systems and finance majors. Al Viglione of Clinton, a senior who majors in economics and business information systems, as among them. To qualify, students must have a 3.25 grade-point average in their field, and be in the top 20 percent of their junior or senior class. Also, students in the ETV News club put their television production skills to the test during the COVID-19 pandemic by producing its weekly newscast remotely from home. With limited resources, club members are continuing to provide special coronavirus coverage to the Eastern community Thursday nights on their YouTube channel, Eastern CT Television ETV News. Among the students involved is senior Emily St Lawrence of Higganum, who majors in communication. The at-home newscast came about in the wake of Easterns move to online learning and the stay-at-home policy, which went into effect following spring break March 23. Four ECSU students were recently inducted into Iota Iota Iota (Triota), the national honor society for the field of womens and gender studies. Among them is Rebekka Agnello of East Hampton, a senior majoring in women and gender studies. Students must complete at least nine hours of womens and gender studies courses with a 3.3 grade-point average or higher to be inducted. They must also have at least a 3.0 GPA overall and a record of academic integrity. Lasell University NEWTON, Mass. Natalia Martins, a event management major at Lasell University, became a certified hospitality department trainer through the American Hotel & Educational Institute. Martins, a Westbrook resident, received the certification as part of her Hospitality Operations Capstone course. All-CT Academic Team HARTFORD Thirty-one high-achieving students from Connecticuts 12 community colleges were named to the Phi Theta Kappa All-Connecticut Academic Team, and, for the first time, will each be awarded a $160 scholarship by the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Foundation. Sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa the international honor society of two-year colleges and academic programs the team is one of the All-USA Community College qualifying teams. This honor recognizes high achieving two-year college students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership and service beyond the classroom. Awardes included Middlesex Community College students Joshua Budney, John Guillamon and Abigail Ingalls, a New Century Workforce Pathway Scholar. The joint platform of central trade unions (CTUs) have alleged that on the pretext of the Covid epidemic, the government has been taking decisions that are detrimental to the working class and commoners, who are already in deep distress amid the lockdown. The unions, after holding a meeting in Doraha, Ludhiana, said that trade unions, independently and unitedly, have made several representations to the prime minister and labour minister. The unions have brought to their attention, the rampant violations of governments own directives and advisories regarding payment of full wages to workers and non-termination of employment amid the lockdown, but in vain. The government, despite making announcements about ration distribution, or even cash transfers to women and senior citizens, has failed to deliver as the said help didnt reach most beneficiaries, said Bal Krishan Kirti and Malkiat Singh Burail, working committee members of the All India Centre of Trade Unions. The leaders also announced their support to the call for a nationwide protest by 10 trade unions on May 22, to endorse the decision of CTUs. City Editor Tom Roeder is the Gazette's City Editor. In Colorado Springs since 2003, Tom has covered the military at home and overseas and has covered statehouses in Denver and Olympia, Wash. His main job, though, is being dad to two great kids. Theres a conflict between the Burundian government and the World Health Organization. The Burundian governments Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a letter dated Tuesday, May 12, ordered the expulsion by of four experts from the ( WHO ) responsible for advising him on the Covid-19 epidemic. At the top of the list is Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, WHO representative in Burundi, followed by Tarzy Daniel, Ruhana Mirindi, and Jean Pierre Mulunda. Such an expulsion attempt had been initiated in April by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before being suspended after discussions between the head of state Pierre Nkurunziza and the director-general of the WHO, sources said. diplomatic and administrative. These evictions which took place a few days before the presidential and legislative elections, give grain to grind on detractors of Pierre Nkurunziza, who accuses him of knowingly minimizing the extent of the disease to avoid that the population does not wonder, on the opportunity to maintain elections. Share this post with your Friends on After Juan Rodriguez tested positive for COVID-19 last week at Stateville Correctional Center, he told his wife that guards moved him to a cell inside Statevilles notorious F-House, which officials closed in 2016 citing health and safety concerns. Yellow-brown water ran from the cells sink faucet, he said. And since authorities didnt give Rodriguez cleaning supplies, he cleaned mold off the walls with a bar of soap he had purchased at the prison commissary, according to his wife, Dominika Rodriguez. COVID-19 is an upper respiratory illness, but theyre moving sick people to a cell house with mold? she said in an interview with Injustice Watch. No human should be in there. The Illinois Department of Corrections reopened the controversial housing unit, known as the roundhouse, on May 5 and now is quarantining about 70 men at F-House who have either tested positive for COVID-19, are awaiting test results, or who work in the facility, according to a department spokeswoman. Stateville is both the agencys most crowded prison and the epicenter of its COVID-19 crisis. The department reported that 150 inmates and 75 staff had tested positive for the virus as of Monday, more than at any other Illinois prison. Twelve incarcerated people at Stateville have died from the virus, according to WBEZ. The department spokeswoman said officials reopened F-House temporarily to ensure men incarcerated at the facility are safely quarantined or isolated and to mitigate COVID-19s spread. She added that necessary repairs were made to the housing unit and that the Illinois Department of Public Health had inspected it. F-House was built in 1922 in the circular panopticon style, with a single guard tower in the center, surrounded by four tiers of cells. The buildings design garnered discipline for the way it reverberated and amplified noise, causing a loud cacophony at all hours. It was the last panopticon prison building to close in the U.S., department officials said. In 2011, the prison watchdog group John Howard Association wrote that the building seemed perfectly engineered to induce extreme aggravation, anxiety and stress among inmates and staff, whom the group contended seemed to universally despise the building. Before it closed in November 2016, F-House also was plagued by cockroaches, mold, leaks, bad plumbing and chipped paint, according to the group. Corrections officials estimated at the time that it needed more than $10 million worth of maintenance. All those issues remain today, said Jenny Vollen-Katz, John Howards executive director. When they shut F-House down, its not like they went in and improved it or cleaned it all up, she said. One of the reasons it was shut down was because the conditions inside the roundhouse were so terrible and inhumane. On the other hand, Vollen-Katz added, if theyre using this unit to spread people out to reduce exposure and contagion, its hard to argue with that. But prisoners and their loved ones have said the men in F-House, positive and negative, are still using the same showers and stairwells and interacting with the same guards. Jamal Bakr was transferred to F-House last week, though he had tested negative for COVID-19, his wife Donna Bakr told Injustice Watch. While talking to her on the phone on Monday, Jamal Bakr said he could see the same officers who he has come in contact with interacting with men who he knew had tested positive, according to Donna Bakr. It doesnt make sense. Its not fully thought out, she said. You have people that have tested positive, and you have people who have tested negative. Why have them interact? The corrections department spokeswoman said prisoners who have tested positive and those who are awaiting tests or have tested negative are being sufficiently distanced from one another. Before prison officials transferred Jamal Bakr, they told him to bring his mattress because they didnt have enough in F-House, his wife said. She also said guards had been passing out bottled water to the incarcerated men held there, according to her husbands account. Theyre not going to tell them that the water in the building isnt safe, she said. Both Donna Bakr and Dominika Rodriguez said one of the most challenging parts about prison officials moving their husbands to F-House is the lack of technology there, which makes it harder to communicate during the COVID-19 crisis. Prison officials have canceled their video visits because F-House doesnt have the proper equipment. And the womens husbands, who only get one call a day, can no longer send emails on their tablets because the unit lacks wireless internet. The nonprofit news outlet Injustice Watch provided this article to The Associated Press through a collaboration with Institute for Nonprofit News. Responding to the need for more personal protective equipment in Massachusetts hospitals, Fidelity Bank donated 6,000 to frontline health care workers. The KN95 masks were donated to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Heywood Hospital in Gardner, Central Care Nurses Association, and UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital with locations in Fitchburg, Leominster, and Clinton. Healthcare workers are heroes who are putting their lives at risk daily to get us through this crisis, said Fidelity Bank Chairman and CEO Edward F. Manzi, Jr. Donating masks to keep them safe and providing free lunches are just two ways we can live up to our Caring LifeDesign promise to provide support to our community, clients, and colleagues. The masks cost an estimated $14,000 and were paid for from the Fidelity Banks LifeDesign Community Dividend. Fidelity has given more than $2 million since the dividend program was created in 2013, including more than $330,000 to organizations in Central Massachusetts. This commitment raises the spirit of our caregivers and has immediate impact in our community," said Steve Roach, interim President of UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital. "We cant thank Fidelity Bank enough for this generosity. Related Content Does the world of retail really need J.C. Penney? As the department store chain filed for bankruptcy protection Friday evening, some question if the company still has a place in American retail. Or if it could ever bounce back from the fatal blow it has been dealt during the coronavirus pandemic, which forced its roughly 850 stores shut temporarily. "You have this issue of the middle collapsing," said Steve Dennis, founder of retail group SageBerry Consulting and a Neiman Marcus strategy executive from 2004 to 2008. "I think conceptually there is only a place for one department store in the mall." Penney, which was born in 1913 catering to farmers in rural America, built an iconic brand name for itself, serving as a staple shop in many homes, especially catering to women with families. But Walmart and Target grew, stealing market share outside of the mall. Then, the internet exploded, with Amazon at the helm. Penney was late to adapt and invest in its stores. The Covid-19 crisis only exacerbated many of the challenges it was already facing, including an overhang of debt. Penney's annual net sales contracted 8.1% to $10.7 billion in 2019. That followed a 7.1% drop in 2018, a sales decline of 0.1% in 2017, and a drop of 0.4% in 2016, according to annual filings. Some thought Penney would reap the rewards of Sears' demise. Sears, another American retail icon, has been shuttering stores for years and filed for bankruptcy in October 2018. But still, Penney finds itself in a sales slump, battling TJ Maxx, Target, Macy's and others in apparel, appliances and home goods. "I don't think there is a place for J.C. Penney anymore," said Robin Lewis, founder and CEO of The Robin Report and a consultant to retail companies. "Even if we didn't have this virus ... we have been over-stored for half a century in this country." This past holiday season, sales online and at Penney stores open for at least 12 months were down 7.5%. Overall department store sales decreased 1.8% from Nov. 1 through Dec. 24, according to Mastercard Spending Pulse. The drop happened even as holiday retail sales overall grew 4.1%, the National Retail Federation said. And as retail sales tumbled 16.4% last month, their worst month-over-month drop ever recorded, department stores were down 28.9%, according to fresh data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Year-over-year, department store sales were down 47%, amounting to $6.1 billion, compared with $11.5 billion in April 2019. A look back in time shows just how much department stores' dominance in retail has waned. In 1992, department store operators accounted for 14.3% of overall retail sales, excluding gas and car dealer sales, according to data from the Commerce Department. That share was a paltry 3.7% as of the end of last year. America will emerge from the coronavirus pandemic with fewer department stores, as Nordstrom has already said it plans to close 16 of them. Additional closings by other chains are expected. But it could also mean entire companies, such as Penney, vanish. "There's way too much space chasing too few dollars," Dennis said. "Nobody can consistently make money." Penney said in its Chapter 11 filing that it has commitments for $900 million in financing from its existing first-lien lenders to fund its bankruptcy, which includes $450 million of new money. It had approximately $500 million in cash on hand as of the Chapter 11 filing date. Penney added that in bankruptcy proceedings it will "reduce its store footprint" in phases. It said it plans to disclose specific store details and timing in the coming weeks. "Until this pandemic struck, we had made significant progress rebuilding our company," Chief Executive Jill Soltau said in a statement. Another former department store executive sees a scenario where Penney dissolves along with others including Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus and Dillard's and only Macy's, Nordstrom and Kohl's are left standing. "They are just like Sears, there is no path forward," Jan Kniffen, a consultant to investors in retail companies and a former executive at The May Department Stores, parts of which were folded into Macy's, said about Penney. "I think a lot of stores will reopen long enough to go broke again." CNBC previously reported that Penney has been working on a plan that would contemplate closing 180 to 200 stores while in bankruptcy. Penney is not alone in this scenario, either. High-end department store chain Neiman Marcus, the rural chain Stage Stores and apparel maker J.Crew have each filed for bankruptcy protection during the pandemic. Stage plans to liquidate its more than 700 stores if it can't find a buyer. It operates under brand names such as Gordmans, Bealls and Goody's. Home-goods company Pier 1 Imports and sporting-goods retailer Modell's had filed for Chapter 11 protection before the Covid-19 virus slammed the U.S. economy and forced nonessential retailers' stores shut, subsequently putting their going-out-of-business sales on hold. Modell's has been in the process of liquidating its entire store base. Pier 1 was planning to emerge with a smaller footprint. "Anything that has any chance of working would take many years and a lot of investment," Dennis said. "In these bankruptcies, I think a lot of them aren't going to make it because investors are saying ... this is too much of a long shot." CNBC's Lauren Hirsch contributed to this reporting. The coronavirus crisis has reminded Australians of the vital role schools play in society. They are essential to the economy, not just because they allow parents to work, but because they educate the workers of the future. They are a safe place for our most vulnerable kids, and they bring the community together. When schools shut, everything shuts, which is why Prime Minister Scott Morrison has fought so hard to keep them open. But he came up against an insurmountable hurdle; the Australian Constitution. States run schools, not the Commonwealth. That's why each attempt by Morrison and education minister Dan Tehan to get their way - by directly urging parents to send their children to class despite the premier's instructions, or accusing Victorian Premier Dan Andrews of taking a sledgehammer to his state's education (an accusation Tehan later withdrew) - has ended with them backing down. It is the issue that has most threatened the unity of national cabinet. That powerlessness has been a frustration for federal politicians over decades; they spend so much money on schools but have such little influence over them. "There is perennial dysfunction in federal-state relations," says one close observer, who does not want to be named. "The best case scenario is almost always that the states go through the accountability motions, which is itself distracting and sucks up resources, and do what they were going to do anyway." Adrian Piccoli, a former NSW Education Minister, says the Commonwealth has one, blunt tool at its disposal to influence schools. "It's called money," he says. The federal government makes funding conditional on reforms, then the states "spend a lot of time working out how to get the money without doing it," Piccoli says. Failed Commonwealth initiatives include the independent public schools push, and repeated attempts to introduce performance pay for teachers. Tehan has so far only had two takers in his attempt to introduce phonics checks around the country. Illustration: Simon Letch Credit: Co-operation has improved recently; there are now national teaching standards, and a national curriculum (although NSW and Victoria kept their own). But debate continues over whether they have been useful, or just create another tangle of bureaucracy. "I don't know at what point we will stop pretending that the federal government can significantly improve schools," says Ben Jensen, chief executive of education consultancy Learning First. In the past few years, the Commonwealth has also formalised its role as the main funder of non-government schools, which has made it "much more directly involved in funding some sectors of schooling than almost anywhere else in the economy," says Peter Goss, School Education Program Director at the Grattan Institute. Federal politicians - particularly Coalition ones - have encouraged the growth of the private school sector because they encourage parental choice. Some also believe they want to use the private systems - which are regulated but not run by states - to extend their influence over schooling. "[Private schools] are in between [the two governments] - not really accountable to anyone," says one insider. But that hasn't worked either. Private schools might doff their cap to governments, and co-operate on policy issues, but they will ultimately make decisions in the interest of their own students - as highlighted in the COVID-19 crisis when Victorian private schools rebuffed federal Education Minister Dan Tehan's attempt to use money to get them to defy the premier, and again when their NSW counterparts ignored the NSW government's plan to return students to school in favour of their own. "We now see some of the consequences of that support for independent schools," says Goss. "They are harder [for governments] to control." That has ramifications for public schools, too. The public school sector feels pressure to match the approach of private schools, lest it be seen to have lower standards. Private schools have influenced government policy a few times during the pandemic; back in January, the NSW Department of Education backflipped on its plan to allow students returning from China - where the virus had taken hold in Wuhan - to go straight back to school after private schools asked them to stay home for two weeks. Earlier this month, NSW public schools scrambled to bring back year 12 because private schools did it first. Going their own way: NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell with Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Credit:AAP But even within the government sector, many argue that the COVID-19 crisis has shown how little influence state education chiefs have over their own schools. When NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian asked parents to keep their children home on March 23, teachers in NSW public schools rushed their lessons online. While the department developed a website featuring guidelines, templates and training material for teachers and parents, each school had to develop their own strategy. "We need to ask really big questions about why we haven't had any economies of scale and quality assurance [during remote learning]," says Rachel Wilson, an associate professor of education at Sydney University. "The teachers are killing themselves doing lesson planning, while they should be given material that's quality-assured, and spending their time working on their relationships with students." Loading Critics say this was the result of years of cutting back central education departments, and shifting most responsibilities to schools. There are many benefits to school flexibility, but it also means that in a time of crisis the department - which has been running distance education for 100 years - can no longer swiftly intervene at school level. "What we've seen in COVID-19 is weak central systems, which have often not had the ability to provide a high-quality starting point for how to move online - or how to bring kids back in [to the classroom]," says Goss. "They've had to figure it out by themselves. I fear we are about to see this play out again, as schools reopen." NSW Department of Education Secretary Mark Scott rejected suggestions the department's response was inadequate. "The feedback we've had overwhelmingly has been gratitude for the creation of that learning from home website - the traffic around that has been absolutely enormous," he says. "There's been more traffic to that ... than there was to the NSW Health website in the heat of the pandemic, because of the quality of support that was provided." Within all this, the deeply entrenched inequities in Australia's school system have become more pronounced. While some schools had top-notch online learning systems ready to launch, others have had to scramble to not only furnish their students with laptops and internet access, but give them tables and chairs. In some more disadvantaged areas, schools - both public and private - also delivered food to their students, knowing that the only decent meals they received where the ones they were fed at school. "Some schools were able to pivot rapidly and extensively," says Paul Kidson, an education academic at the University of Wollongong and a former independent school principal. "They were well prepared, they could roll stuff out, flick switches. "Other schools were struggling to provide that support at school, let alone deliver it remotely. That's a funding issue, but it does go to the core of how structural inequities were just reinforced at a moment like this." The problems frustrating the education sector for years they have been thrust into the spotlight by COVID-19, not only via headlines about the high-level battles between governments and sectors, but by the unprecedented insight millions of parents have had into their own children's education, as they helped them with lessons. "If you can take any positive out of this whole experience, is that schools are front of mind for a lot of people now," says Piccoli. Loading Dr Jensen argues the parental insight into their child's everyday classroom activities could be the most significant by-product of the COVID-19 crisis. "It's shone a light on the weeds of teaching and learning - that is where teachers live, and where all the hard work is done," he says. "Education policy has not gone into the weeds for a decade-and-a-half. We have been hopping out of providing support at that level, and instead all this money is going into the high-level stuff." While observing the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis in Canberra, Kidson has spied an opportunity for reform. If the national cabinet has carefully considered the advice of medical experts during this time of crisis, without ideology or agenda, could it not do the same for education in a post-pandemic world? "There has been this profound respect and honouring of the professional knowledge," he says. "Put aside partisan politics, put that aside for the national good. This serves as a blueprint of what can be the case. Just because it's hard, doesn't mean we shouldn't try." Amaravati: The Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government in Andhra Pradesh on Friday (May 15,2020) is likely to invest over Rs 16,200 crore in a bid to boost to the primary healthcare sector in the state. It includes setting up of at least 10,000 'YSR Health Clinics' at village level and revamping government hospitals and medical colleges. The Chief Minister conducted a review meeting on Friday and directed the officials to expedite work to establish 10,000 YSR Health Clinics at every village secretariat. A statement issued by the CMO said: "In order to strengthen public healthcare and Health Infrastructure, the State Government is contemplating to invest Rs 16,203 crore for revamping government hospitals and medical colleges across the State, while 10,000 YSR Clinics will be set up soon at the village level." The government has proposed to start as many as seven super speciality hospitals in Tribal areas and six medical colleges with attached institutions at a budget of Rs 6100 crore, and revamp the existing 1,086 sub-centres and setting up 10,000 more clinics at a budget of Rs 2,026 crore. CM Reddy further sought details on the development of village clinics, primary healthcare centres, community health centres, area hospitals and district-level hospitals under the Nadu-Nedu programme. YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. Since the declaration of the state of emergency in Armenia, nearly 23,000 citizens of Armenia have returned to homeland as of May 6, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a press conference today, introducing 100 facts about the new Armenia. Nearly 23,000 Armenian citizens have returned to Armenia after the state of emergency has been declared in the country, in case when many air transportations, many airlines have suspended their operation, the PM said. Pashinyan informed that flights will also take place in the future and the process of returning the citizens will continue. He thanked the Diasporas individuals and organizations for assisting the government to organize this process. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Coronavirus update: The total cases in India has now crossed 85,000 mark with the toll at 2752. A total of 3,970 fresh cases were reported in the last 24 hours with 103 deaths. Coronavirus update: The total number of coronavirus cases has reached 85,940 with the toll at 2752. India has a total of 53,035 active cases of COVID-19 with 30,152 people recovered and discharged from the hospitals as per the recent report by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. A total of 3,970 fresh cases were reported in the last 24 hours with 103 deaths. According to the state-wise data, Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state with a total of 29,100 COVID-19 cases with toll at 1068. Further, Mumbai has reported a total of 15,000 COVID-19 cases. Tamil Nadu remains at number two with the second-highest number of cases 10,108 with 71 deaths. Followed by Gujarat and Delhi with 9,931 and 8,895 total cases. There are also reports that if the Centre accepts Delhi governments suggestion of resuming Delhi Metro from Monday, people will now have a different experience. Under the new guidelines, only people with smartcards will be allowed. Wearing masks and practicing social distancing is necessary. AAP government has also said that only government employees will be allowed with E-passes and involved in essential services. Further, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced new reforms for the farming sector which included new central law that allows farmers to sell their produce freely and can avail better prices on Friday. Not just this, she also announced Rs 1.5 trillion package to strengthen the infrastructure and logistics in the agriculture field. Also Read: Coronavirus lockdown: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal writes to PM Modi, requests resuming metro services for people providing essential services and having e-pass Spike of 3970 #COVID19 cases & 103 deaths in India in the last 24 hours. The total number of positive cases in the country is now at 85940, including 53035 active cases, 30153 cured/discharged/migrated cases and 2752 deaths: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare pic.twitter.com/fjOoeqCpuR ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2020 According to the global tally, more than 4.5 million COVID-19 cases are registered worldwide with the death toll at 307,000 deaths. The United States has alone recorded 1.4 million cases. Moreover, as per the recent reports, President Donald Trump has said that the United States will donate ventilators to India to support the country in fighting against coronavirus. Further, he also called PM Modi his good friend. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, political actors have been urged to seek for consensus in addressing the disruptions to political processes involving elections. Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), said governments on their part must promote more community-based approaches and inclusiveness underpinned by a human rights-based approach. Business continuity of governments is a key area that we should be supporting, targeting key areas beyond health, but also those that will reinforce peace and stability, Dr Ibn Chambas said in his address at a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of Accra-Airport. Speaking on the topic: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on West Africa and Sahel, Dr Ibn Chambas lauded the resilience of the people of West Africa and the Sahel in the face of adversity. The resilience and solidarity demonstrated during the Ebola crisis that affected the region has created room for optimism. I am convinced that together, we shall prevail against COVID-19, he said. First, this is a global crisis, with a global impact and so, addressing it will require global action and solidarity. The existential threat posed by COVID-19 cannot be addressed by any single country or entity in West Africa and the Sahel. He said: At the national level, we must support a whole-of-government approach while at the region or international level, we collectively harness efforts, enhance collaboration, share resources and expertise to contain, prevent its spread and find a cure. Dr Ibn Chambas said secondly, this crisis has once again demonstrated the frailties in nations health policies and systems and the increasing need to enhance access to healthcare for the population especially the most vulnerable including women and children. He said meeting this aspiration would require international cooperation and assistance otherwise, humanity would remain exposed to such pandemics time and time again. Dr Ibn Chambas quoted Mr Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, as having aptly put it: In our interconnected world, we are only as strong as the weakest health systems. He said thirdly, this crisis was imposing a new way of life to billions of people in the world but at the same time emphasizing the relevance of human security. It is pushing us to readapt and enact smart policies and strategies to promote human development in a manner that is comprehensive and sustainable and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were key in this regard. Dr Ibn Chambas re-echoed the call for the cancellation or postponement of the debt of African countries, initiated by the UN to support developing countries. In addition, I also wish to reiterate the call by the UN Secretary-General, for an immediate ceasefire particularly in West Africa and the Sahel to reinforce diplomatic action, help create conditions for the delivery of lifesaving aid, and bring hope to places that are among the most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. He said it was important that despite the need for action to address the pandemic, they keep focus on other peace and security threats which might be exacerbated by this health crisis. 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 We are inundated with things to be afraid of: crime, death, and loss all top the list presently. As we attempt to be courageous we are often bombarded with the latest woe and recent development that we had previously never entertained before. New statistics, side effects, and data seem to pile on a daily dose of anxiety as we endeavor to be brave. So just how are we supposed to be fearless at a time like this? Fear came occasionally before the Coronavirus. It was more of a seasonal emotion: appearing in our lives periodically. With the advent of the global pandemic and news that seemingly changes by the minute, fear has become a more dominant presence in our world, and in us. We are inundated with things to be afraid of: crime, death, and loss all top the list presently. As we attempt to be courageous we are often bombarded with the latest woe and recent development that we had previously never entertained before. New statistics, side effects, and data seem to pile on a daily dose of anxiety as we endeavor to be brave. So just how are we supposed to be fearless at a time like this? How are we supposed to resist the temptation to be overwhelmed by fear when there is an abundance of things to be afraid of? Photo Credit: Unsplash/Engin Akyurt In the Presence of Fear When we look to the pages of Scripture, there are people who faced scary circumstances, and yet overcame their fear. What principles can we learn from their lives to guide us in our present season? In the last chapter of Deuteronomy we see the death of Moses, a great leader and deliverer for the children of Israel. Deuteronomy 34:10-12 (NIV) describes Moses by saying, Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egyptto Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. When he died the Israelites mourned for him for 30 days and it was after this time of weeping that Joshua emerged as the new leader. Moses had laid his hands upon Joshua, and as a result, he was full of the spirit of wisdom. It was now time for him to lead the children of Israel into the land God promised. Immediately, the Lord gave Joshua his assignment in Joshua 1:2 (NIV), Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to themto the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Photo Credit: Getty Images/kieferpix Do We Have Reason to Fear? Joshua was not given transition time. He went from grief to his first major assignment at the onset of his leadership journey. Surely, he must have felt a little anxiety and fear. Maybe he questioned whether he would be able to complete the task that was set before him. This may be why we see the Lord encouraging him multiple times. In Joshua 1:6 (NIV) God said, Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. Then God said it again in verse 7 and again in verse 9. God saw the need to reiterate the words three times directly to Joshua. He did not suggest it or say He thought it would be a good idea. God commanded Joshua to Be strong and courageous. It is probable that because the Lord knows our thoughts before we think them, He knew these were the very words Joshua needed to hear. He needed the reassurance and confidence that came from hearing God essentially say choose strength and courage. God never acknowledged the presence of fear or weakness, He simply told Joshua over and over to choose the opposite attributes. The Presence That Pulls Us Through It could be that God repeated this encouragement because He knew Joshua would be tempted to reflect on the past in light of his future. In Numbers 13:27 (NIV) it says, We went to the land where you sent us. It really is a land flowing with milk and honey But the people who live there are strong, and the cities have walls and are very large. We even saw the descendants of Anak there. Although Joshua was among the men who confidently gave a report on the promised land he may have been tempted to fear and shrink back in light of the fact that it would now be him leading the people and not Moses. Joshua had to look beyond what he could see and trust in what he could not see: the presence of God. He needed to believe that the Israelites would be victorious not because they could match the strength of those living in Canaan, but because the sovereign God of Israel would be with them. These words remain true for us today. Currently we are staring at the giants of sickness, unemployment, death, financial collapse and isolation. The Coronavirus itself may look like a massive giant with impenetrable walls. It may appear impossible to defeat and rebound from. As we stare these giants down God is saying the same thing to us that He said to Joshua. Be strong and courageous. I will be with you. We can anchor our hope in this truth no matter what we are facing today, God will be with us. A Convincing Track Record In the face of fear we can choose a kind of courage not based on mere will power or our own strength. We can choose courage and strength because God is with us as it says in Joshua 1:9, Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. In quoting this Scripture we should remind ourselves exactly who God is. This is the same God who delivered an entire nation from bondage, who controls the wind and the waves, who turned water into wine, who healed the woman with an issue of blood, who raised Lazarus from the dead, who predicted his own death and resurrection, and who saved us from our sins. He has a proven track record and can be trusted in times when we find ourselves afraid. Whatever we are afraid of, God is sovereign over those things. This does not mean we do not exercise wisdom, but it does mean we are not to be governed by our fears. We are to be governed by God. This is what Paul admonished in 2 Timothy 1:7, For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. Paul wrote these words from a jail cell in Rome. This is the same Paul who faced persecution from his fellow Jews, was beaten, shipwrecked, rejected and imprisoned several times. If anyone could say God did not give us a spirit of fear it would be Paul. He faced giants of many kinds confident that the living God was on his side. Photo Credit: Unsplash/Lea Dubedout Which Spirit Will You Be Filled With? In this verse we find the truth we need to remember when we are afraid. God never bestows a mental disposition of fear on anyone. If we are overwhelmed by feelings of timidity or cowardice then the source is not originating from God. A spirit of debilitating fear comes from our enemy, the devil. He seeks to cripple and debilitate us so that we will shrink back from being the men and women God created us to be. Here in this Scripture, Paul is reminding us that we do not have to be helpless individuals subject to the tricks and schemes of the enemy. We can be courageous because God's power and might make us brave. God gives us strength for the journey. He offers us a sound mind and unconditional love that casts out all fear. What God offers is ours for the taking, but we must choose to accept His gifts of power, love and a sound mind, and reject that of overwhelming fear. Kia Stephens is a wife and homeschooling mom of two who is passionate about encouraging the hearts of women. For this reason, she created The Father Swap Blog to help women exchange their father-wounds for the love of God the Father. Kia is also the founder of Entrusted Women, which she created to equip Christian women communicators of color. Kia's writing has been featured on Ann Voskamp's blog, Christianity Today, iBelieve.com, Beloved Women, Crosswalk and Incourage. When she is not writing or serving women, she enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends. You can connect with Kia at www.kiastephens.com. Want more interaction with the women of iBelieve? Join our fans, writers, and editors at the iBelieve Facebook group, Together in Faith, for more videos, stories, testimonies, prayers and more. Visit here to join the community! New Delhi, May 16 : In a big-bang reform measure, the Union government has decided to raise the limit for foreign direct investment (FDI) for defence manufacturing from 49 to 74 per cent under the automatic route. Speaking to the media here, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said that time-bound defence procurement process and faster decision-making will take place under the new policy. The government will set up a project management unit to support contract management. Further, realistic setting of general staff qualitative requirements of weapons or platforms will be taken up. Under the new regime, the government will also overhaul the trial and testing procedures. In a bid to enhance self-reliance in defence production, the government will notify a list of weapons and platforms for a ban on import with year-wise timelines. Indigenisation of imported spares will also be taken up. Further, the government will take up separate budget provisioning for domestic capital procurement. All these measures, according to the government will help reduce India's huge defence import bill. The government has also decided to corporatize Ordnance Factory Board to improve autonomy, accountability and efficiency in ordnance supplies. The mega reform announcements are part of the Rs 20 lakh-crore economic package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text by Melani Manel Perera For some young Catholics, heeding Pope Francis' invitation was a great joy and a duty. The countrys dioceses did not adequately publicise the event, but it still found an echo up on social media and TV. One young person, spent the day with family, praying and donated food to some people in need. Colombo (AsiaNews) - Young people in different parts of Sri Lanka were happy to spend the day of 14 May performing the three actions Pope Francis suggested, namely praying, fasting, and carrying out works of charity. For them, "responding to the call of the Holy Father was a great joy and a duty". Two days ago, people around the world spent the day asking God for the end of the pandemic. The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity had proposed the event, which received the full support of Pope Francis. In Sri Lanka, many young people were surprised that the countrys dioceses had not publicised the event as a priority. Instead, they found out about it on television and social media. Kamal Fernando, from Colombo, works in the private sector. He learnt about the day through social and foreign media. This gave him a chance of getting involved with this "wonderful intention and request by the Holy Father to meet a global need. This pandemic situation is very tough, Kamal said. No one can predict what will happen the next hour. This is a time of fear in which we can only hope in Gods help and that of our blessed Mother. Anushiya Kandasami, from Kandy, heard about the day from Verbum TV, a local Sinhala-language channel, that mentioned the Pope's call to unite in prayer to heal the world affected by the pandemic. "Since the start of the lockdown, in our family we pray for the end of the pandemic, she said. We warmly welcomed the Pope's invitation, dedicating the whole day to prayers. At home we have a corner for praying with an oil lamp, candles, and the Bible. We asked Jesus and Mary non-stop: 'Do not leave us in these dark hours, save our nation and the whole world. Naamini Rasika, a university student, found out about the day on Facebook. "A priest, Fr Sunil, posted a message with some words by Pope Francis. So, with my family I spent the day praying and donated food to some people in need. "Covid-19 has also had a debilitating effect on the real estate sector, which has become a cause for project delays," Puri said participating in the deferred 3rd RERA Day Celebrations through a webinar attended by secretary, MoHUA, state RERA Authorities, Appellate Tribunals, home buyers, developers and other stakeholders of the sector. The government has taken several steps so that the real estate sector survives the onslaught of COVID-19. Regulatory authorities need to play a crucial role to revive the sector so that it can thrive and contribute to the countrys growth, he said. These are indeed difficult times and it is the bounden duty of a responsive Government to address the concerns faced by various stakeholders. Various reformative measures have been taken by the Central Government to provide a boost to the real estate sector, including those towards regulatory, programmatic, fiscal and financial matters, he said. As part and parcel of the Prime Ministers mega announcement, the Finance Minister in her announcements on May 13, 2020, delineating on the package, has included the demand made by the real estate sector for extension of the completion date or revised /extended completion date. Accordingly, the Ministry has issued necessary advisory to all States/Union Territories and their Regulatory Authorities for issuance of necessary orders/ directions under the enabling provisions of RERA to automatically extend the completion date or revised / extended completion date for all real estate projects registered under RERA for a period of 6 months, where completion date expires on or after 25th March, 2020, he 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 Regulatory Authorities may further extend this timeline for a period upto 3 months, for whole of the State or part thereof, if the situation arising out of COVID-19 so demands, for the reasons to be recorded in writing, Puri said. Also, Regulatory Authorities may extend concurrently the timelines of all statutory compliances in accordance with the provisions of RERA. This will go a long way in addressing the anxiety amongst the home buyers and the developers, due to Covid-19 and is a step towards regulatory easing, he said. During discussions with industry associations in the last few weeks, it was persistently requested that as the pandemic has affected the project implementation of real estate projects, it should be considered as a force majeure event under the provisions of RERA, Puri said. He said that during the initial period of the lockdown, construction activities had been barred. Lakhs of migrant workers left cities and workplaces for their native villages and many more are waiting to leave; supply of essential construction material has stopped; site engineers and other support staff are not available, and construction has come to a standstill. After reviewing the situation, the Government has put in place certain measures to allow for construction activities effective from April 20, 2020, he said. The Ministry of Home Affairs has subsequently laid down a detailed protocol for the movement of persons, including migrant workers. "It is a fine balance between life and livelihood and the Government is fully conscious of that and hence, it is adopting a carefully calibrated approach while monitoring the situation by the hour," Puri said. RERA Day is celebrated on May 1. It is on May 1, 2017 that the Real Estate Act and all the 92 sections of the Act were notified for commencement from that date. The Real Estate Act was aimed at addressing serious concerns that plagued the growth of the real estate sector, affecting its true potential to contribute to the economy and the growth of the country. Indefinite delay in project completion; fund diversion; speculative purchases; absence of project information; unfair trade practices; absence of standardised agreements for sale; reneging on contracts; tardy resolution of disputes - had become the norm in the sector, Puri said. With RERA, homebuyers have found a voice that had hitherto been strangled and subjugated at the altar of unscrupulous elements. "Make no mistake, RERA is an article of faith for this Government. A promise made to the people that corruption and opaqueness will give way to a clean and transparent regime where accountability and financial discipline will be the cornerstones, he said. In the era of RERA, it is thus our collective duty to ensure that instances such as Amrapali, Jaypee and Unitech, do not ever happen again; home buyers / consumers in the sector receive their due; and the sector thrives to its true potential, he added. Since the last three years, 31 States/UTs have notified the rules under RERA, and the two north eastern states are under process to notify the same. As many as 30 States / UTs have set up Real Estate Regulatory Authorities, of which 24 have set up full-time regulatory authorities, and 6 have interim authorities. As regards Appellate Tribunal, 24 States / UTs have set up Real Estate Appellate Tribunal, of which 16 have set-up regular Appellate Tribunals, and 8 have set up interim tribunals. The operationalisation of a web-portal for project information, which is the heart of RERA ensuring full transparency, has been operationalized by 25 States / UTs. Puri also urged all those states/UTs which are yet to notify their rules, or yet to establish their Regulatory Authorities / Appellate Tribunal and set up their websites, to do the same at the earliest. As regards registrations under RERA - 51,971 real estate projects and and 40,517 real estate agents have been registered with the Regulatory Authorities across the country. As many as 46,162 complaints have been disposed-off by the Real Estate Regulatory Authorities across the country. This will go a long way in unclogging the consumer courts and the contract Courts, and ensure expeditious justice, Puri said. On West Bengal, Puri noted that one state remains an outlier, which has enacted its own legislation and is not implementing RERA. Nevertheless, that is under challenge and the hearing is likely to happen soon, upon the resumption of regular hearings by the Supreme Court. West Bengal is the only state in the country that has not accepted RERA. It has enacted its own West Bengal Housing & Industrial Regulation Act 2017 (WBHIRA). Local public health officials are working to meet a looming deadline for testing all nursing home residents and employees for coronavirus. On Friday, some appeared further along than others. The governors office this week directed the Texas Department of Emergency Management and other state agencies to ensure the testing gets done. On Friday, it said those agencies would work with local fire departments and health authorities. In Southeast Texas, Hardin County Judge Wayne McDaniel expressed confidence he could meet the May 25 deadline. He said the Public Health Department there, which also covers Orange County, has agreements to test several nursing homes in both counties and expects to finish in the time allotted. The plans for Jefferson Countys two public health authorities seemed less clear. Beaumont Public Health Director Sherry Ulmer said she was on a conference call with the state on Thursday about the testing, but her department is still working to figure out how the process will work. It has to be done, but the details havent been ironed out, she said. 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. See More Collapse The health department assisted in the testing of one nursing home several weeks ago after two residents tested positive. Another nursing home used a private provider to test its residents. Together, these two facilities account for at least 37 positive cases and six virus-related deaths in Jefferson County. The Enterprise couldnt reach officials with the Port Arthur Fire or Public Health departments on Friday evening. But Mayor Thurman Bill Bartie said he wasnt aware of plans being made at this time. Together, the two public health departments cover the entirety of Jefferson County. While the departments are planning ways to accommodate this testing need, the six-county coalition to address the pandemic in Southeast Texas on Friday officially ended its public testing sites, handing the responsibility back to local health authorities. The coalition confirmed an additional nine positive cases on Friday, bringing the total to 693. Just more than100 people were tested at the public sites on Friday and eight people called in to the hotline set up to streamline coronavirus screening and testing. While the coalitions testing sites will be down, the hotline will stay active and direct callers to their separate public health jurisdictions. Those jurisdictions are then expected to run their own programs to continue testing. The city of Port Arthur still has yet to find a partner to do its testing. Bartie said previously that any contract would have to be approved by the City Council, and no such proposed agreement is listed on the agenda for the councils meeting next week. In unincorporated parts of Jefferson County, Public Health Authority Dr. Cecil Walkes will be resuming his regular rotation through smaller areas including Cheek, Fannett and Bevil Oaks. People who live in those areas and wish to be tested will be able to access the service though his van. The six-county coalition says it will continue reporting positive cases until all of the kits its sent for testing have been returned. At that time, it will be up to local health authorities to report new cases for their jurisdiction. kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/KaitlinBain The Italian government announced Saturday that it will throw open its borders next month, effectively ending Europe's longest and strictest coronavirus lockdown just as the summer tourism season gets under way. Both regional and international borders will open June 3, with the government eliminating a 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving from abroad. Many hope the move will revive a decimated tourist industry, which is worth 13 per cent of Italy's gross domestic product. Such an opening is exactly what tourism operators have been waiting for -- even if European neighbors so far appeared be wary of the unilateral Italian announcement. "We hope to work with the neighboring countries, those who can travel by car,'' said Gianni Serandrei, the owner of the 4-star Hotel Saturnia near St. Mark's Square. The hotel's last guest -- a determined couple of honeymooners from Argentina -- checked out around March 11, days after Italy's lockdown. And when phones have rung in recent months, it has been with cancellations, with only a few reservations for 2021 trickling in. Serandrei said that Saturnia's clients are overwhelmingly foreign, making open borders and an eventual resumption of air traffic key to a successful season. With no clear indication of when more regular air traffic will resume, he is looking forward to further signals before committing to a June 3 opening. The caution may be merited. Germany -- whose border is about a 4-hour drive from Venice through Austria -- is instructing citizens not to travel abroad for tourism until at least June 15. And officials in neighboring France made clear that they had sought a coordinated European effort on border openings, indicating Italy had jumped the gun. During a visit to a Normandy beach, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said on Saturday that European countries should work together in solidarity and held out the possibility of France acting to protect its citizens. Italy's national hotel federation said that by April the sector had already shed 106,000 jobs, with occupancy dropping by 99% for foreigners and 96% for Italians. Another half a million jobs are at risk if the summer season does not take off, according to the association. Judged by last year's turnover, the virus lockdown and suspension of touristic activities cost the country 10 billion euros ($10.8 billion), the amount spent by foreigners in Italy from March to May 2019, according to a study by the national statistics agency ISTAT. To illustrate the importance of arrivals from nearby countries, Eurostat figures show that French overnight stays in Italy hit 14 million last year, while those from Germany came in at 13.6 million, edging Italians themselves at 13.5 million. Spaniards were the top with 14.6 million. Italy is hoping also to encourage domestic tourism, offering vouchers to lower income families to spend in Italian hotels, campgrounds and other establishments before the end of the year. Not everyone is satisfied with the guidelines set out overnight by the government, which foresees the opening Monday of bars, restaurants, shops, hairdressers and beauticians. Restaurant owners in Milan protested in front of the main train station Saturday, saying that the rules remain unclear and that the entire sector needs more concrete help, including an abolition of taxes. Many worry they will reopen only to have to close again because of lack of business. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Photo: Andres Altamirano Brooklyn-based designer Lauren Manoogian remembers the first time she visited Peru. It was 12 years ago, and she went there to meet everyone in the factory of the independent brand she was working for at the time. The first person she met became a close friend and collaborator, and now manages parts of her eponymous brand that she launched in 2008. It laid the foundation for my entire business, Manoogian explains of her eye-opening journey over a decade ago. The majority of her buttery soft earth-toned knits are currently all handmade in Peru, in and around Lima and Puno, using natural, locally-sourced alpaca, as are some of her sculptural knit accessories. Peru has certainly provided Manoogian with a sense of discovery over the last decade or so, not just related to her ready-to-wear designs, but also in her love and appreciation for handmade objects. It was during her second trip to Peru that she purchased her first artisanal totem from a woman who operated a small gallery out of her house in Barranco. It was a large pot made with natural red clay, featuring abstract lines of pigment on its surface, and it was the first item in what has now grown to be a full collection of ceramics that Manoogian has kept and cherished throughout the years. Photo: Andres Altamirano After reinterpreting their surfaces and textures into some of her beautifully organic, textural knitwear designs, Manoogian decided that it was time to share her collection with the world. Showcasing these craft objects on the site or in a physical environment was an intention for some time, the designer explains. Beginning today, she is selling a 12-piece capsule of her collection on her website under the new section Object, with everything priced between $60 and $600. 20% of the proceeds will go to Juguete Pendiente, a Lima-based NGO that manages social projects for individuals and communities in a state of vulnerability. When the coronavirus pandemic began unraveling New York, Manoogian immediately thought of Peru. The country's highways have begun to fill with people fleeing the cities due to mass unemployment and death tolls have doubled over the last week. Juguete Pendiente is working to provide food and hygiene products to the most vulnerable communities, as well as medical supplies to those working on the front lines in Peru. Story continues I like the idea of using our platform to highlight the work of other people that I love and feel inspired by, she notes. Ultimately, we decided to launch this now in part to stay inspired, collaborative, and, with these pieces in particular, to feel connected to Peru even though we are separated from the place and to give back in some small way, Manoogian explains. This is the first in what the designer is planning to be a series of ongoing projects in which she and her team will highlight a group or groups of makers on their site. Theyd originally planned to work with a friend who is a glassblower in France, but due to COVID-19, Manoogian decided to share her personal collection for the launch instead, while also giving back to a place and people she loves dearly. She was also excited to expand the conversation around her brand and its Peruvian roots to craft and object, rather than just the knitwear. I think when people think Peru, they think textiles, Manoogian says. Ive learned over time that there are many interesting ceramic traditions throughout different regions in Peru. The designer adds, each piece has a real spirit in its uniqueness and imperfection that I find so beautiful and human. I think now more than ever, as we are pushed further into digital mediums, it feels very vital to have that sense of wonder and emotional connection to objects. Photo: Andres Altamirano Originally Appeared on Vogue The former chief cardiologist at the VA hospital in Palo Alto has been criminally charged with having unwanted sexual contact with a doctor under his supervision, the same conduct that led to his firing from the hospital last year. Dr. John Giacomini, 71, of Atherton was charged with abusive sexual conduct in a federal grand jury indictment unsealed Thursday. He pleaded not guilty before a federal magistrate in a telephonic hearing and was released on a $200,000 bond. Giacomini had been a cardiologist at the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital for more than 30 years and taught medicine at Stanford University, a position he also lost as a result of the investigation. The U.S. attorneys office said Giacomini is accused of unwanted and non-consensual sexual contact with a female physician he was supervising while both were on duty at the VA hospital in December 2017. According to a November 2018 memo by a VA investigator, obtained by the Palo Alto Post under the Freedom of Information Act, the woman said Giacomini began by hugging her as they left the office. In the following months, she said, he would rub her back and kiss her neck, despite her objections, and eventually put his hands beneath her underwear, in the view of a housekeeper. Giacomini said the relationship was consensual, but the investigator disagreed, according to the memo. Attorney Michael Betz, who represented Giacomini during the investigation, said Friday it was a a one-way investigation by the VA in which Dr. Giacomini was not able to participate and vigorously contests the findings. 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. Tony Brass, Giacominis lawyer in the criminal case, said he was surprised that the investigation had led to an indictment. Until he can examine the evidence more closely, Brass said, were hopeful that everyone will reserve judgment. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Russia rejects allegations of spying on Germany's Merkel in 2015 Iran Press TV Friday, 15 May 2020 5:16 PM Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has rejected claims by German Chancellor Angela Merkel that Russian hackers spied on her in 2015. "Five years have passed. Not a single concrete fact has been provided," Lavrov said in a live interview with Russia's RBK media group on Friday. Speaking in the German parliament on Wednesday, Merkel said she had concrete proof of Moscow's "outrageous" hacking attacks targeting her. "Obviously, this doesn't make it easier" to pursue a better relationship with Moscow, she said. Merkel added that Germany might consider imposing new sanctions against Russia if the alleged activities continued. In his Friday remarks, however, Lavrov said that Germany's accusations came despite Berlin having "no facts in relation to Russia." "They suddenly said in the Bundestag that all of this is outrageous and it had been done by Russians," he said. German media reported last week that Russia appeared to have acquired emails from Merkel's constituency office in a 2015 hack attack on Germany's parliament, with data from two of Merkel's email accounts being completely copied by hackers. The media reports named Russian national Dmitry Badin as the suspect. Badin has also been accused by US authorities of conducting cyberattacks, notably against the 2016 US presidential election. No evidence was produced, however. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The scramble began on May 6: Two sisters from El Salvador, ages 8 and 11, in U.S. government custody had just been approved for reunification with their Houston-based mom, when ICE stepped in and moved to deport them. That same day, in McAllen, Texas, a teenage girl from Guatemala completed a sworn asylum declaration, claiming she would be persecuted because of her race, indigenous identity and refusal to join a gang if returned to her home country. Hours later, ICE picked her up. The sisters and the teenage girl have three things in common. They all previously sought asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border alongside parents. They were sent to Mexico under the Migrant Protection Protocols, or MPP, program. And they reentered the U.S. a second time without their parents. Minors are not supposed to be returned to Mexico under MPP if unaccompanied by their parents or legal guardians, so some families have allowed their children to seek asylum in the U.S. alone. Between October 2019 and this month, at least 577 unaccompanied migrant children in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, or ORR, have reported having their parents in Mexico, according to the agency. Under a landmark court settlement, the U.S. government is obligated to make "prompt and continuous efforts" to unite unaccompanied migrant children with relatives or other sponsors in the U.S. while their immigration cases proceed. But the government argues that children who have already been ordered removed with their families under the Remain in Mexico policy should be deported even if they last entered the U.S. unaccompanied. Attorneys for the minors, however, say they should be treated like other unaccompanied migrant children. Both the sisters and the teen girl have been fighting their case in court. A federal judge barred the government from immediately deporting the Salvadoran sisters, and they were released to their mother in Houston, according to attorneys. Their deportation proceedings are ongoing. Their father, with whom they were originally sent to Mexico, remains in Matamoros, Mexico. Story continues The Guatemalan teen was transported by the government first to a motel in McAllen, then moved to another one in Alexandria, Louisiana, according to her attorneys. ICE was prepared to deport her on a flight Friday afternoon, according to Neha Desai, a lawyer who is part of the team representing all children in U.S. immigration custody. But her flight was postponed to Monday after the Guatemalan government said it would not receive the plane because of coronavirus cases among migrants recently deported by the U.S. Judge Dolly Gee of the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles ruled on April 24 that deportation orders under the Remain in Mexico program do not change the government's obligation to seek the prompt release of migrant children to relatives and other sponsors in the U.S. under the landmark 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement. "That policy just like any other pending proceedings or participation in class action proceedings or anything like that, if it results in a prolonged detention where deportation is not imminent, then it is causing unnecessary delay," Gee said during a hearing before issuing her order, which said the administration's "opaque policies" surrounding children with pending MPP cases violate the Flores settlement. Advocates say ICE has seized on Gee's use of the word "imminent" to move to deport children in ORR care who have pending removal orders under the Remain in Mexico policy. ICE said migrant children are only deported when "their immigration case is complete and there are no legal impediments to removal." "If a minor received a final order of removal from an immigration judge as part of a family unit enrolled in the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) prior to entering the U.S. as (an unaccompanied migrant child) then they are subject to the final order of removal," an ICE spokeswoman said in a statement Friday. The agency did not comment on specific cases or say how deporting migrant children from shelters overseen by the U.S. government conforms with the adjusted "enforcement posture" it announced in March as a result of the pandemic. In its announcement, ICE said its agents would only focus on detaining "public safety risks," as well as immigrants whose criminal records require the agency to apprehend them. For everyone else, the agency said it would "delay enforcement actions" until the crisis abated. Mark Weber, a spokesman for ORR, said his office does not determine which children in its custody are deported, calling it a child welfare agency. Desai said she is concerned that the government's actions are related to Gee's decision that children who were previously returned to Mexico and came back unaccompanied should be released to sponsors. "We can't concretely say it's retaliation, but it sure feels like it," Desai said, adding that she believed the government had intensified attempts to deport these children after Gee's ruling was made. Asra Syed, who represents the sisters in Houston, said that in addition to being so near to their mother, there were no relatives in El Salvador who the children could be safely returned to. A redacted filing reviewed by CBS News included descriptions of abuse and gang threats during the girls' youth. "Our clients are the only detained children we know of who ICE is insisting on deporting even though: 1) they have a parent in the U.S. who ORR recommends they be reunified with, 2) they have no parent or other relative in their home country who can take care of them, and 3) they are really, really young only 8 and 11," Syed said. ORR currently has roughly 1,600 migrant children in its custody, a low population level not seen since 2011. The agency has been receiving few minors since late March from border officials, who are expelling most unauthorized migrants, including unaccompanied children, under an emergency public health order. Charity created by 2020 University of Vermont grad repurposes graduation gowns as PPE Inside a New York hospital for "Bravery & Hope: 7 Days on the Front Line" Great-grandmother gets to embrace family through "hug time" device Paducah, KY (42003) Today Snow this evening will give way to some clearing late. Low 16F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snowfall around one inch.. Tonight Snow this evening will give way to some clearing late. Low 16F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snowfall around one inch. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 16, 2020 / Loranique Sears is a woman who seeks to influence and uplift others with her story and the lessons she has learned throughout her life. Loranique is an experienced brand consultant, and a motivational speaker and influencer. She was born in Brookwood, Alabama, and on top of being a successful career woman, she is now happily married with 3 biological kids and 2 step kids. Loranique is best known for her leadership skills and influence. However, before becoming a motivational speaker, she wanted to get an education and then build herself up careerwise. Loranique attended Ashford University in Alabama under the Applied Behavioral Psychology course. She wanted to be an entrepreneur, so she and her husband also launched their own business called 'Seariously Smoking.' Loranique was also employed as a Global Training Assistant and a Senior Accountant Consultant for one of the biggest telecommunications companies in the world. Working in the corporate industry gave her an incredibly valuable experience she needed and the opportunity to become an expert in her field. By working with the telecommunication company's employer brand marketing team, Loranique was able to master the art of social media, and learned to navigate the web to utilize it for maximum potential. She applied these skills through establishing proactive engagement on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Loranique was dedicated to working on employee story campaigns by creating realistic career previews and assisting internal advocates or influencers in enhancing their career brand. Moreover, she created her own internship in the marketing and social media side of the business with no degree. She takes pride in the fact that despite struggling and trying to balance being a teen mom and a budding entrepreneur and employee, she was able to raise her children and find a career that helps her change other people's lives. Through her hard work and dedication, Loranique's daughter is set to graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree next year from Talladega College. Story continues "Each one, teach one," is an ideology that Loranique lives on and shares. Currently, Loranique's career is more focused on influencing and inspiring people, especially African-Americans. In 2019, she started the 'So Join her Truth' movement as she believes in the power of genuinely caring for others and acting on those intentions. Loranique describes herself as a person who is an open book, someone who lives and speaks with transparency. Her purpose is to inspire someone, if not everyone, to keep moving ahead no matter what. Loranique aims to help others rise above any situation or social stigma with her guidance. She also wishes to reach out to the older population who may not have necessarily had an education. 'So Join Her Truth' can be found on Facebook with a steadily growing number of followers. If you want to join Loranique on her journey, and if you wish to find out how she can inspire you too, visit her Facebook page, check out her Instagram, send an email to loraniqueh@gmail.com, or even give her a call on (205) 413-3889. SOURCE: Loranique Sears View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/590137/Loranique-Sears-Inspires-and-Invites-You-to-Join-Her-Truth THE MOTHER of a 16-year-old boy, who died in her arms, says if anyone ever feels down, put their hands out and ask her son for a hug from heaven. William Crowe, of Woodpark, Castleconnell, couldnt speak but his beautiful smile spoke louder than words. In his 16 years, William brought so much love and joy to his heartbroken parents Dolores and Gerry; sister Maria; grandparents Catherine and the late John OGrady, extended family, neighbours and friends. He also brought hugs, William loved giving hugs. He passed away from pneumonia in University Hospital Limerick on Sunday, May 3. Mum, Dolores said: I held him in my arms in the bed. I took his hands and put them against my heart. Gerry was on the other side rubbing his hair. He was cuddling his head against me and he was happy. He took his last breath and he passed away. We were privileged to be there with him. We have a little angel up in the sky now. Sister, Maria is in Canada and couldnt come home but was able to say goodbye on the phone. She erected a little memorial to her brother in Vancouver. Alongside a photo of William, with his gorgeous red hair, she asks people to take a flower for a loved one or to brighten your day. William had a complex medical condition that was never fully diagnosed. He had epilepsy, recurring chest infections and development delay. While fully dependent on family and carers for his 24/7 care needs William gave so much back in return. He was particularly close with his granddad and nana. The late John called William the boss while he was Willie Wonkers to Catherine. William and John are now buried with each other in Kilteely, where Dolores is from. It's so wonderful but heartbreaking to have our two bosses together. They were happy together in life and now in heaven they are watching over all of us. No one was ever allowed to roll Williams wheelchair or feed him while daddy was with him. He was so protective of him. Now he has him to himself, said Dolores. Placed in the white coffin with William were two teddies, which he loved, a small red motorbike, a soft toy from his cousins Ben and Sophie, his grandads black rosary beads and red scapular. Despite the Covid-19 restrictions on funerals, William got a send-off fit for a president. Dolores asked mourners to wear bright garments because William loved colours and to put out their arms so William could give them a virtual hug. William was fascinated by motorbikes and the hearse from his home in Woodpark into Castleconnell village was led by bikers from Buachaill Dana MCC who had a close affinity with William. The neighbours were out with balloons as far as Daly's Cross, down by the school and all down by the church. "Everyone wore colourful clothes. It was lovely to see. They all put out their arms for a virtual hug from William, said Dolores. Outside the church, Darragh, a friend of Williams from St Vincents School, gave Dolores a red rose. Fr Tom Whelan, assisted by Fr Willie Teehan, said a beautiful Mass which was streamed on Facebook Live for Maria in Vancouver and for the many who couldnt attend. Touchingly, Fr Whelan asked the small number in the church to put out their arms for a virtual hug instead of the sign of peace. Gerry gave a moving speech and sang a song especially written for his beloved son. "After the Mass, we came up to the house and the neighbours all came out again. We pulled up at the gate. We have two dogs - Rex and Vinny - and they looked out over the wall to say their final goodbye, said Dolores. The hearse continued on to Kilteely cemetery, passing Dolores homeplace of Garrynachara. Neighbours there had put out balloons and Limerick and Tipperary jerseys as Gerry is a Tipp man. When I saw them I said 'Daddy we are not too far off giving you your boy', said Dolores. Fr Joe Tynan said prayers before William was laid to rest with his grandfather. He is at peace and in our own time we can all go up and sit down with the two of them and have a chat, said Dolores. On behalf of herself, Gerry and Maria, Dolores thanked her mum Catherine, brother Sean, all her family, nieces and nephews, neighbours, doctors, nurses, carers, SNAs, teachers, priests, those involved in the funeral Mass, Buachaill Dana, friends, undertaker and all who were part of Williams life, and all who came out to say a moving final farewell in these strange times. If anyone ever feels down they can put their hands out and ask William for a virtual hug, said Dolores. May he rest in peace. Iran sentenced French-Iranian academic Fariba Adelkhah to five years in prison on national security charges Saturday, her lawyer said, adding that she plans to appeal. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian denounced a "political" verdict and demanded Adelkhah's immediate release. The case of Adelkhah and her French colleague and partner Roland Marchal, who were arrested together in June last year, has been a thorn in relations between Tehran and Paris for months. Marchal was released in an apparent prisoner swap in March that drew strong criticism from the United States. The 61-year-old Adelkhah has remained in custody ever since her arrest. A research director at Sciences Po university in Paris, she is a dual French-Iranian citizen, a status Iran does not recognise. The academic was "sentenced to five years for gathering and conspiring against national security, and one year for propaganda against the Islamic republic," her lawyer Said Dehghan told AFP. The sentences were to be served concurrently, he said, adding that his client intended to appeal against her conviction. The punishment caused dismay in France. "I strongly condemn (this verdict). This sentence is not based on any serious element... it has a political nature," Le Drian said in a statement. Iranian authorities must "immediately free" Adelkhah and grant her a visit by French consular officials, he added. Her trial opened on March 3 with the final hearing held on April 19 at branch 15 of Tehran's Revolutionary Court. Adelkhah has been severely weakened by a 49-day hunger strike she mounted between late December and February, her lawyer said. - Argument for appeal - Her French colleague Marchal, who was detained while visiting her in Tehran, is also a researcher at the Centre for International Research (CERI) at Sciences Po. He is a specialist in sub-Saharan Africa, while she is a specialist in Shiite Islam. Marchal was freed after France released Iranian engineer Jallal Rohollahnejad, who faced extradition to the United States over accusations he violated US sanctions against Iran. Washington has said that it "deeply regrets" that decision. Dehghan said Marchal's release gives grounds for appeal against the charge of "gathering and conspiring against national security". "At least two people must be involved for this charge to stand," he said. Adelkhah's defence team also plans to argue that her personal academic opinion regarding the Islamic dress code enforced in Iran cannot amount to "propaganda against a political system." Following Adelkhah's hunger strike, her support committee expressed concern over her vulnerability to any outbreak of the coronavirus in the prison where she has been held. Iran is battling the Middle East's deadliest COVID-19 epidemic, which has claimed more than 6,900 lives. Dehghan had recently indicated that Adelkhah continued to "suffer from kidney disease as a consequence of her hunger strike." - 'Kafkaesque' - Arrests of foreign citizens have increased since the United States unilaterally withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and major powers in 2018 and reimposed crippling sanctions. Those detained, who have included a number of dual nationals, have mostly been accused of spying or of acting against Iran's national security. A support committee, which was set up to campaign for their release, condemned Adelkhah's conviction and jail sentence as "Kafkaesque". "It was not a proper legal process. There was clearly no open debate," said committee member Jean-Francois Bayart, a Geneva based academic. The support committee also called on scientific institutions to "suspend all scientific co-operation with Iran". Bayart said Adelkhah had been caught up in wider political issues over which she had no control. Iran has been increasingly critical of European governments, particularly France, over their failure to do more to save the 2015 nuclear deal by enabling companies to get round renewed US sanctions. "The intensity of this arm-wrestling contest does not surprise us," Bayart said. "It's an opaque and arbitrary process and an utterly asymmetric bargaining situation because one of the protagonists is in jail." But Bayart added that despite the after-effects of her hunger strike, Adelkhah remained "extremely combative, lucid and determined". Marchal is not the only Western national to have been freed by Iran in a prisoner swap in recent months. In February, Iran released an unidentified German in exchange for Iranian Ahmad Khalili, who was in custody for circumventing US sanctions. In December, it freed US academic Xiyue Wang in exchange for scientist Massoud Soleimani and said it was open to further swaps. France has been demanding for months that Iran release researcher Fariba Adelkhah, who has dual French-Iranian citizenship Adelkhah's French colleague and partner Roland Marchal, who was detained along with her in June last year, was released in March in an apparent prisoner swap Plans to complete road works or amenity projects in Laois or starting new projects are in doubt because they will rely on income this year from rates and parking charges which have suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic emergency. Laois County Council management reported its list of road and amenity schemes that are partly completed, paid for or not started, to county councillors at the April council meeting. Roads include: the N80 Clonreher tie in, orbital routes and junction upgrades in Portlaoise and in Portarlington, Togher access routes, Durrow's regeneration, Port's Market Square, bridges, traffic calming and bus shelters around Laois. Amenity works include: a carpark for the Rock of Dunamaise, the leisure centres in Portlaoise and Portarlington, libraries in Abbeyleix, Port, Portlaoise and Stradbally, Borris-in-Ossory courthouse, the Slieve Bloom mountain bike project and amenity projects, town and village renewals, urban and rural regeneration, the Portlaoise Triogue cycleway and greenway, the civic plaza in Portlaoise and playgrounds around the county. The CEO John Mulholland noted in the Development Contributions report that work will depend on funds being available. A budget re-adjustment may be necessary during 2020 to take account of reduced income from rates, parking charges, go vernment funding, etc. This may impact on council services. There is a Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government requirement to ensure that expenditure is funded by income received or due within the year. Therefore, the commencement of some projects, particularly in the Roads and Amenity/Open spaces areas, is dependent on the availability of further resources and the extent of grants/ funding available from the Department, other departments and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Mr Mulholland said. In 2019 2.96 million was available in development contributions from roads, parking, amenity, environment and other sources. 1.2 of it was spent by being put towards projects; 789k on roads in Portlaoise, 275k on Stradbally Arthouse, 63k on Port swimming pool, 46k on Portlaoise library, 24k on Slieve Bloom amenity, 3.2k on the civic plaza in Portlaoise and 2k on parking in Moutmellick. Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 12:16:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A woman wearing a face mask walks past the U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C., the United States, May 15, 2020. U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed a 3-trillion-U.S.-dollar coronavirus relief package, which was proposed by Democrats but not likely to gain approval from Republican-held Senate. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) WASHINGTON, May 15 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed a 3-trillion-U.S.-dollar coronavirus relief package, which was proposed by Democrats but not likely to gain approval from Republican-held Senate. The Democrat-led House passed the bill by vote of 208-199, shortly after the chamber approved a historic rules change to allow remote voting by proxy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The massive aid package includes nearly 1 trillion dollars for state and local governments, 200 billion dollars for hazard pay for essential workers, 75 billion dollars for coronavirus testing and tracing, as well as another round of cash payments to individuals, up to 6,000 dollars per family. Calling it a "monumental bill," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, said earlier that the package is "urgently needed" to protect the lives and livelihoods of the American people. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, however, lashed out at the proposal. "Forget about this 3 trillion left-wing wish list that even House Democrats are criticizing," he said on Twitter earlier Friday. "Republicans are focused on practical solutions like legal liability protections for medical workers and the schools, universities, and businesses that will be trying to re-open," McConnell said. Republicans have criticized Democrats for using the crisis to push their political agenda, noting that the bill includes some measures less directly related to cushioning the COVID-19 economic impact, such as requiring all voters to be able to vote by mail and providing aid for U.S. Postal Service. Meanwhile, economists have said that the government's relief efforts so far have not led to sufficient support for individuals and companies affected by the pandemic, calling for more action. Congress has provided roughly 2.9 trillion dollars in fiscal support for households, businesses, healthcare providers, and state and local governments, to blunt the economic impact, with a major relief package, totaling 2.2 trillion dollars, approved in late March. U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday that while the economic response has been "both timely and appropriately large," it may not be the final chapter, given that the path ahead is both "highly uncertain" and subjected to "significant downside risks." The central bank chief said more policy measures might be needed to support the recovery and avoid prolonged recession. "Additional fiscal support could be costly, but worth it if it helps avoid long-term economic damage and leaves us with a stronger recovery," he said. The House passed the 3-trillion-dollar bill just a few hours after the Commerce Department reported that U.S. retail sales plunged by record 16.4 percent in April amid mounting economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Data released Thursday showed that nearly 3 million Americans filed for jobless claims last week as COVID-19 continues to sweep the nation, bringing the eight-week total to a staggering 36.5 million. Enditem White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow has floated the idea of halving the corporate tax rate for US companies who bring their operations back from other countries. "Why not provide a 50pc discount for the corporate tax rate if you're moving from outside the US to the US?" Mr Kudlow told reporters at the White House, emphasizing that this was a thought, not a policy. One of the most touching photographs published last week was that of two Italian grandparents, Melia and Giovanni Famoso of Milan, joyfully hugging their grandchildren after a two-month lockdown. It must represent such a universal sentiment of families reunited after this surreal and sometimes tormenting period we've been going through. For all the many tragedies, losses and economic anxieties, the one positive that has emerged is that the pandemic has brought families together (and kept them together!). And sometimes brought a new perspective on family life, too. A British study has found that many people used the lockdown time to reassess their lives and consider what was important to them. Many people, surprisingly, came to like the fact they had less choice; this simplified life, clearing away much of the mental clutter. And a primary outcome of this general reassessment was that "family matters". More touching still have been the many expressions of grief and sorrow expressed on social media at the passing of family members; the real sense of distress at a family not being able to attend a deathbed. And then, not being able to hold a proper funeral which wider circles of family and friends could attend. The attachment to grandparents has been striking - and so moving: young women brokenhearted when a grandmother, in her eighties, has gone. I've worked with the obituary sections of the media, where, to be frank, the hardened obits editor tended to regard a death in a person's eighties as "a good innings". Yet I've seen a real tenderheartedness among the public at large towards the passing of older people, either from the virus or because (as happened to a friend of mine) cancer treatment was not available because of the risk of entering hospital. I've seen appalled reactions from younger people to the notion that older people mightn't be given as much priority in medical treatment as anyone else. There's also a huge well of compassion for older people in care homes, so many of whom have died from the contagion. Yes: family matters. And it takes an emergency, sometimes, to bring that home to us. Literally. It's a funny turnaround, because the progressive view of the family has long been a negative one. "Family values" were said to stand for right-wing, reactionary forces of patriarchal tyranny and church-imposed shackles. From George Bernard Shaw to Herbert Marcuse - he who inspired the rebel generation of 1968 - liberal thinkers have deplored the family as the fountainhead of bourgeois oppression. Engels thought marriage was merely a device for transmitting property to legitimate heirs; Freud shone the light on "the dark places" of family life. Feminism has been particularly critical of the family as a patriarchal institution which exalted respectability at the cost of women's freedom and choices. There is some justice to some of these charges. As we know, there can be domestic abuse, and child abuse, within family life. The obsession with family respectability drove many an unwed mother to misery. A late friend of mine could never tell her own father that she had given birth because he was such an upstanding pillar of the community: it was a grief to her that he never saw his grandchild. The former Derbyshire MP Edwina Currie was banished and rejected by her family because she married out of the Jewish faith (later, her mother relented; her father didn't). There is a whole canon of memoir and story about how restricting and controlling family life could be: the "misery memoir" specialises in its cruelty. But the family has changed. It is very seldom, now, in Western society, a patriarchal institution (and even when it was "patriarchal", many women found a way to rule the roost psychologically). Marriage has become a much less prominent aspect of family life - marriages are later, and cohabitation much more frequent. A priest friend who has pastored in inner city Dublin found that while christenings and First Communions are often important to young couples, marriage isn't a priority. I've observed the same phenomenon elsewhere too: I know a young couple for whom an Anglican christening of their child was really meaningful to them, but the wedding day can wait. I've also seen it with an Islamic young father: marriage to the mother was rejected as just a piece of paper, but the little lad had to be circumcised, to bring him into the circle of kinship. "Marriage is inseparable from 'family', however it is defined," wrote Beatrice Gottlieb in The Family in the Western World. But that study was published in the 1990s, and values have altered. Family has usually meant kinship and a household, and that still holds mostly true, but it seems no longer to be defined by marriage. Attachment and commitment are the focus. So is continuity, judging by the enormous outpouring of love and devotion I've seen directed towards grandparents and great-grandparents. The family has always changed: shape-shifting and re-forming over the centuries (Gottlieb points out that servants, even in quite modest households, were once part of the core "family"). It changes at key moments in human history - wars, famines and, indeed, pestilence. Perhaps 2020 was a key moment when we came to realise how meaningful it is, in whatever shape, to our emotional survival. The complaints are the same at construction sites, warehouses and laboratories. The allegations overlap at hospitals, prisons and other essential businesses and government agencies across the state. New Jerseys workers allege their employers havent provided enough protective gear, are making them work near sick colleagues or otherwise are flouting federal regulations meant to stem the spread of the coronavirus, according to an NJ Advance Media review of federal records. In total, New Jersey workers filed more than 160 health and safety complaints with the federal governments Occupational Health and Safety Administration, or OSHA, federal records show. The 162 individual complaints amount to 190 allegations of federal health and safety violations at New Jersey workplaces, leaving at least 16,400 workers at risk. Taken together, the complaints cast in stark relief the daily fears and anxieties of employees deemed essential during the pandemic. There has been a confirmed case of COVID-19 (and) employees are still required to report to work, an April 14 complaint from a Sicklerville grocery store read. The employer has not disinfected the facility or put a policy into place which would (protect) employees from contracting COVID-19 during work activities and interactions. Employees are exposed to other COVID-19 positive employees in the facility who are returning to work while still being symptomatic, alleged an April 27 complaint from a Lakewood ambulance provider. The facility is not properly being cleaned and disinfected after having COVID-19 positive patients. Complaints from the U.S. Postal Service are also common, with 11 in total. Workers were exposed to workers that were positive for COVID-19 and the facility had not be decontaminated, read one from a postal worker in Camden. The letter carriers are required to use gloves however there are currently no gloves provided to or available to postal employees, read another from a postal worker in Dover. A spokesperson for the postal service didnt respond to a request for comment. Although the complaints could suggest many workplaces are ignoring federal and state health and safety guidelines, the reality is is more complicated, said Carmen Martino, an expert in the Occupational Safety and Health Act and professor at Rutgers. Theres no enforceable OSHA standard for dealing with a deadly virus, Martino said. Though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued guidelines for how to handle the virus, those are just guidelines, Martino said. "Without legal requirements, all an employer has to say is, 'Well, were trying to live up to the CDC guidelines. And theres nothing OSHA can do to hold your feet to the fire, he said. Nationwide, OSHA has logged thousands of complaints related to COVID-19 more than 400 per week from mid-March through May but isnt able to do much in response, Martino said. For the OSHA region that includes New Jersey and New York, workers have made a total of 649 complaints, at least a quarter of which came from New Jersey. As OSHA spokesperson did not respond to questions. Complaints alleging a lack of personal protective gear, like face masks and gloves, are most common. Throughout the pandemic, healthcare workers have reported shortages of protective equipment, as have those on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic, the states other public health crisis. Complaints alleging workers arent allowed to social distance on the job are also rampant. Employees are not being provided Personal Protective Equipment such as but not limited to face mask, and gloves, an April 20 complaint from a Burlington food distributor read. Employer is not enforcing the 6ft social distancing requirement in the facility. The facility is not being cleaned and disinfected after employees have been confirmed COVID-19 positive. The OSHA complaints reviewed by NJ Advance Media dont reveal whether or not the agency took action or levied fines in response to the allegations. While state officials have been able to order businesses closed in violation of executive orders signed by Gov. Phil Murphy, OSHA does not have that authority. Only cases marked closed were available for review. Open cases the agency is still investigating were not available. Without a federal standard, some advocacy groups, including New Labor and Make the Road New Jersey, are pushing for an executive order that would give workers the ability to refuse to work if they fear for their safety during the pandemic New Labors executive director Lou Kimmel said. Kimmel said the proposed executive order, which the groups submitted to Murphy for consideration, also includes an expansion of paid sick days for workers and creates a conflict resolution process that workers and employers can engage in when it comes to health and safety issues. Such a move could serve as a backstop for workers while the virus is still spreading, Martino said. In the absence of an emergency standard, in the absence of OSHA trying to enforce with some standard, were left with where we are, he said And its not good for workers. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. J. Dale Shoemaker can be reached at jshoemaker@njadvancemedia.com. President Muhammadu Buhari has taken delivery of the Madagascar native formulation against the Coronavirus. At an audience meeting with President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea Bissau who brought along with him the samples of the traditional medicine shared to African nations by Madagascar, President Buhari said his position on herbal or traditional medicinal postulates had remained the same. We have our institutions, systems and processes in the country. Any such formulations should be sent to them for verification. I will not put it to use without the endorsement of our institutions, the President said On the main reason for his visit, President Embalo said having stabilized his country after the tussles that attended the general elections won by him, he had come to seek counsel from his President Buhari on his plan for a government of national unity and a proposed war against corruption in his country. He also said that his new government met a country beset with a number of issues and problems, the resolution of which would require tremendous assistance from the big brother, Nigeria. Problems of Guinea Bissau are problems of Nigeria. I have come to you as your son. I need your help and assistance to make the people happy. I will not let you down, neither will I put you in any difficult situation, the visiting leader told President Buhari. In response to these demands, the Nigerian leader commended General Embalo on his confirmation as President and for stabilizing the country. I commend your political dexterity in getting the opposition to join the proposed unity government, he said. President Buhari restated the determination of Nigeria to keep West Africa politically stable and promised to support the new government in Guinea Bissau. I will cooperate and help in every way possible, assured the Nigerian President. President Buhari also used the opportunity of the visit to praise the good work that the President of Niger Republic, Mahamadou Issoufou, who is the current Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), is doing in the sub-region. Buhari also commended Issoufou for keeping him informed of all that is happening around. Source: LIB Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Dennis Ruhnke holds two of his remaining N-95 masks as he stands with his wife, Sharon at their home near Troy, Kan. Friday, April 24, 2020. Dennis, a retired farmer, shipped one of the couple's five masks left over from his farming days to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for use by a doctor or a nurse. Read more Dennis Ruhnke had a mask to spare. He had found five of them while digging through some old farm equipment five of the coveted, medical-grade N95 respirators that nobody could seem to get their hands on, not even the federal government. He used to wear them while cleaning out the grain bins. Now people talked about them on the news each night like they were worth their weight in gold. Ruhnke and his wife, Sharon, needed the protection as the coronavirus pandemic swept through the country and menaced their community in rural Troy, Kansas. Both were in their 70s, and Sharon suffered from dire health problems that would make an infection life-threatening. But four masks would do, Ruhnke decided. The fifth should go to someone else who needed it. In late March, after watching the death toll skyrocket in New York, he mailed one to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, along with a handwritten letter imploring him to give it to a healthcare worker. Please keep doing what you do so well, he wrote, which is to lead. It was the humblest of offerings in a desperate time. Cuomo, moved nearly to tears, read the letter aloud during a televised news conference in April, praising Ruhnkes selflessness and helping the retired farmer achieve a moment of viral acclaim. And earlier this month, in honor of his generosity, Ruhnke received an award hes waited decades for: a college degree. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly presided over an ad hoc commencement ceremony on the third floor of the statehouse, where Ruhnke received a diploma from Kansas State University. The distinction was nearly 50 years in the making: Ruhnke had to leave the university two credits short of a degree in 1971 to take over the family farm after his fathers unexpected death. Lauding Ruhnkes goodwill as well as his extensive experience in agribusiness, Kelly noted that the degree was official and not just for show. He provided a dose of inspirational strength to America just as soon as we felt ourselves beginning to buckle under the crushing, prolonged weight of this crisis, she said. He has proved to us that he has mastered all the most important lessons that a university has to offer. FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered. Ruhnke had long ago written off any chance of getting a diploma. The last time he inquired about it, Kelly said, he was told he would have to start over because too much time had passed. Although he never doubted he made the right decision for his family, Kelly said, he could not quite shake the disappointment of not finishing what he had started. When Kelly learned about his mask donation, she asked university President Richard Myers whether he could award Ruhnke an honorary degree. Myers said his decades of farm work were enough to give him the real thing. I guess you call it karma, said Ruhnke, wearing a purple-and-white Kansas State jersey, overalls, and an N95 mask. Speaking from the lectern, he said he had received many letters from people inspired by his example asking how they could help. Just pay it forward as much as you can afford to do so to honor all of those who lost their lives to the C-19 virus, he said. And also to honor the first responders, who in some cases also lost their own lives in the line of duty the ultimate sacrifice. Ruhnkes donation came at a time when shortfalls in supplies of masks and other personal protective equipment have prompted widespread hoarding and price gouging. Hospitals and government officials have been forced into bidding wars over the medical gear, which is crucial for protecting frontline workers and patients with underlying conditions from infection. In his letter to Cuomo, Ruhnke said his wife was diabetic and had only one lung, putting her at extremely high risk of developing a severe or fatal case of COVID-19, the disease the novel coronavirus causes. Frankly, I am afraid for her, he wrote. He said he didnt expect Cuomo to receive the note, knowing the governor was busy beyond belief with the disaster that has befallen our country. But he offered the solitary N95, an unused relic from his farming days. If you could, he wrote, would you please give it to a nurse or doctor. When the letter reached Cuomo weeks later, the governor read it in its entirety. Choking up, he called it a snapshot of humanity. Its that love, that courage, that generosity of spirit that makes this country so beautiful, Cuomo said. And its that generosity for me makes up for all the ugliness that you see. Take one mask, Ill keep four. DUBAI, May 16 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has purchased minority stakes in major U.S. companies including Boeing, Facebook and Citigroup, according to a U.S. regulatory filing. PIF disclosed a $713.7 million stake in Boeing, around $522 million in Citigroup, a $522 million stake in Facebook, a $495.8 milllion stake in Disney and a $487.6 million stake in Bank of America, the Securities and Exchange filing on Friday showed. It also disclosed a small stake in Berkshire Hathaway. PIF also disclosed an $827.7 million stake in oil company BP , which has American Depstory Receipts (ADRs) listed in the United States. The $300 billion Saudi sovereign fund has been buying minority stakes in global companies, taking advantage of market weakness in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. PIF was not immediately available to comment. Last month it disclosed an 8.2% stake in coronavirus-hit Carnival Corp< l, sending the cruise operator's shares nearly 30% higher. The Saudi fund earlier this year bought stakes in Royal Dutch Shell, Total, Eni and Equinor, a source familiar with the transactions told Reuters on April 9. PIF already has stakes in Uber Technologies and electric car company Lucid Motors. (Reporting by Saeed Azhar and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Andrew Heavens) A Pakistani doctor and former Mayo Clinic researcher has been indicted on one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization after authorities say he told paid FBI informants that he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and wanted to carry out lone wolf attacks in the US The indictment against Muhammad Masood, 28, was announced Friday by US Attorney Erica MacDonald. Masood was initially charged by criminal complaint and has been in custody since his March 19 arrest at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Prosecutors say Masood was in the US on a work visa. They allege in court documents that from January to March, Masood made several statements to paid informants whom he believed were members of the Islamic State group pledging his allegiance to the group and its leader. He also expressed a desire to travel to Syria to fight for IS and carry out lone wolf attacks in the US, they said. Masood messaged an informant there is so much I wanted to do here .. .lon wulf stuff you know ... but I realized I should be on the ground helping brothers sisters kids, according to an FBI affidavit. Prosecutors say Masood planned to leave for Amman, Jordan, and go on to Syria at the end of March, but on March 16 he had to change his travel plans because Jordan closed its borders due to the coronavirus pandemic. Masood and one of the informants then developed a plan for him to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet with that informant, whom Masood believed would help him travel in a cargo ship into Islamic State territory. Masoods attorney didnt immediately return messages left Friday. Court documents do not name the clinic where Masood worked. The Mayo Clinic has confirmed that Masood formerly worked at the medical center, but said he was not employed there when he was arrested. According to an affidavit supporting the criminal complaint, Masood said in February that he was going to notify his employer that his last day of work would be March 17. The affidavit said the FBI began investigating in January, after learning that someone, later determined to be Masood, had posted messages on an encrypted social media platform indicating an intent to support IS. On Jan. 24, Masood contacted one of the informants on the encrypted platform and said he was a medical doctor with a Pakistani passport and wanted to travel to Syria, Iraq or northern Iran near Afghanistan to fight on the front line as well as help the wounded brothers, the affidavit said. Roughly three dozen Minnesotans mostly men from the states large Somali community have left since 2007 to join al-Shabab in Somalia or militant groups in Syria, including the Islamic State group. Several others have been convicted on terrorism-related charges for plotting to join or provide support to those groups. Indias tally of confirmed cases has surpassed Chinas count of 82,941, taking the total number of cases to 85,940, out of which 30,153 have been cured and 2,752 have succumbed to the disease, leaving 53,035 active cases so far, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. However, we have some good news. US President took to Twitter to announce sending ventilators to India. In the same tweet, he praised Indian-Americans as "great" scientists and researchers and said that both the countries were working together to develop the much-needed vaccine for the pandemic. That apart, churches in Mizoram have accepted the states request to convert church halls into quarantine areas amid the crisis. Click podcast for more China Marine Corps on Show in the South China Sea By Drake Long 2020-05-15 -- Amid the recent muscle-flexing in the disputed South China Sea, one maritime drill went largely unnoticed that could be an important harbinger of China's strategic thinking, and how its forces could project power across heavily contested waters. It involved the People's Liberation Army Marine Corps -- an arm of the Chinese military that is growing fast as the PLA develops expeditionary forces that can operate further from China's shores. The strength of the Marine Corps, or PLANMC, has nearly tripled over the past three years to 35,000 troops, according to a report prepared by Jane's for the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. The corps has also become a more visible presence in the South China Sea. On May 5, the PLANMC undertook an anti-piracy exercise near the Paracel Islands that showed off its capabilities to China's neighbors at a time of rising tensions in the region. The exercise simulated covert, amphibious assaults by the PLANMC with fast-moving speedboats and naval aviation aircraft, integrating the corps' operations with the People's Liberation Army Navy. The corps is expected to feature in another military exercise planned in the South China Sea in August. This time, they will be simulating an island seizure operation, Kyodo News reported this week, citing anonymous Chinese sources. It is part of a two-and-a-half-month-long series of drills involving the army, navy, and the PLANMC that began this Thursday off China's northern coast. China's state media has not confirmed such an island-seizing exercise would take place, but a Global Times article published Wednesday hinted that such an exercise would be warranted and designed to simulate a takeover of Taiwan and its outlying islands in the event of a "secession." Taiwan is a self-governing democracy that Beijing regards as part of China. Taiwan said Wednesday it would be monitoring the movement of China's military. Other claimants in the South China Sea -- Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam are also likely to eye any such maneuvers by Chinese amphibious forces with some concern. Andrew Scobell, the Bren Chair in Non-Western Strategic Thought at Marine Corps University, said the PLANMC is meant to be the "nucleus" for China's armed forces as they operate further afield. "The PLA is intent on improving its expeditionary capabilities and the Marines are considered a key -- if not the core -- component of this expeditionary force." he said. "The South China Sea is an obvious and convenient training ground for Chinese marines," Scobell said, although he added that he did not know whether there were plans for a permanent PLANMC presence there. He said even if there were a permanent presence, the corps would likely stay in the background as China's military already does during confrontations with other countries in the region leaving that kind of activity to the China Coast Guard or maritime militia. He said that for China's military planners, the PLANMC is a high priority because of their amphibious capabilities. "The Marines are supposed to be a rapid response force," Scobell said. But he added that they have been primarily focused on non-combat operations in recent years, especially anti-piracy missions. Experts say there's certainly a need for anti-piracy capabilities in the seas of Asia. The inter-governmental information-sharing group based on the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia, or ReCAAP, says in its latest quarterly report that there's been a sharp increase in armed robberies at sea in Southeast Asia. But most of the lawlessness was in the Straits of Malacca or in the Sulu Sea. There were very few incidents in the South China Sea during 2019. "The Paracel Islands is not really an area where we find piracy," said Lydelle Joubert, an expert on global piracy and counter-piracy efforts with the nonprofit group, Stable Seas. She was referring to the islands in the northern half of the South China Sea near where the PLANMC's anti-piracy drill took place disputed between Vietnam, the Philippines, and Taiwan. The Paracels were placed under 'Xisha District' in a controversial move by China in April to assert administrative control over the disputed features along with the Pratas Islands currently occupied by Taiwan. "We do get conflict between fishing vessels from countries and the Chinese Coast Guard, but you can't classify that as piracy," she said. China does contribute financially to regional information sharing centers focused on piracy in the region. But Jay Benson, also with Stable Seas, said virtually all of China's anti-piracy efforts at sea were concentrated in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of east Africa. There are no recorded joint patrols aimed at anti-piracy between China and Southeast Asian states, aside from joint patrols China has undertaken up the Mekong River. Which all serves to fuel skepticism about whether the PLANMC May 5 drill was motivated by Beijing's concern about piracy in the South China Sea, or to send a message to the other claimants. According to a press release by the official news outlet of the PLA, the drill focused on "improving the ability to respond to air and sea conditions," and escorting Navy ships as they moved through contested areas. The drill coincided with signs that China has stepped up its deployment of expeditionary capabilities to its islands and bases in the South China Sea. Repeat sightings of military aircraft prompted Jane's to report this week that China's naval aviation force may be rotating deployments through Fiery Cross Reef, its main base in the Spratly Islands. Copyright 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content May not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address There are vice presidential hopefuls who smile and say it's an honor just to be considered. Who insist that they really aren't focused on the ticket at all. Who shrug off chances to brag about their credentials. Then there's Stacey Abrams. She told Elle Magazine that she would be an "excellent running mate" with an ability to motivate oft-ignored voters. Abrams has confidently promoted her resume, declaring on "The View" that "sometimes the work needs a hype man." And she has cast her near miss campaign for governor of Georgia as a blueprint for future Democratic success. "Tradition does not serve those who have been marginalized or disadvantaged. And therefore my response has to meet the moment," she said in an interview with The Washington Post. Abrams, 46, who has never held an elected position higher than state legislator, is widely seen even by some of her own supporters as an improbable selection, with some Biden allies pushing more experienced contenders such as Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Kamala Harris, D-Calif. But her unusually high-profile efforts to get the nod - bolstered by rock-star Democratic credentials earned as a voting-rights activist and an almost-successful bid to become the country's first black female governor - make it likely there will be some disappointment no matter what direction Biden goes, according to his allies and other Democrats. Abrams has propelled herself into the running mate conversation through sheer force of will and her backers' enthusiasm. Her omnipresence has increased pressure on Biden to select a black woman, even if it isn't her - a demand some Biden allies don't feel is helpful. And if Biden does not select Abrams, he will disappoint some activists excited about the possibility of a young, energetic African-American woman joining the ticket. "It has created a no-win situation for this choice," said Avis Jones-DeWeever, a political scientist and advocate for black women in politics, who hopes Harris gets the nod. In some ways, Abrams' unorthodox approach is in sync with Biden, who has taken unusual steps himself, such as promising to pick a woman and talking openly about his running mate deliberations. But some Abrams fans are already frustrated about what they see as the likelihood that Biden, in many ways a traditional politician, will go another direction. "I think as we get closer to the election, people retreat to what they know best. In establishment Democratic politics, at the national level at least, that means going after swing white voters," said Quentin James, co-founder of Collective PAC, who said he would be happy with any of the black women contending for the job. "They're going to make every excuse in the book to justify picking Gretchen Whitmer, Amy Klobuchar or - even though I agree with her politics - Elizabeth Warren." The Rev. Al Sharpton, who recently spoke to Biden about the decision, said in an interview he's excited about Abrams' forthright pitch and that times have changed. "I think that we're in an era where people are more assured when you're self-assured," the civil rights leader said. What's clear already is that, due partly to Abrams and partly to Biden's hint-dropping, this veep search has a far more wide-open feel than previous versions. Susan Rice, who served as national security adviser under former president Barack Obama, told PBS on Thursday that "I certainly would say yes" if Biden offered her the job. Harris has said she would be "honored" to be chosen. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has also said unequivocally she would accept an offer. It's a notable contrast from the coyness that has historically greeted such questions. Abrams' biggest audition yet came Thursday night when she appeared with Biden in a joint television interview and town hall. The discussion turned the figurative split-screen Abrams has often sought into a literal one, with Biden appearing on the right from his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and Abrams beaming in on the left from Atlanta. MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell told viewers that Biden had invited Abrams to join him. "Do you have an announcement to make? Is this an audition?" O'Donnell asked, prompting smiles from his two guests. Biden replied with praise for Abrams' efforts to champion voting rights, but neither referred to the running mate slot. Abrams showcased her abilities as a surrogate when the discussion turned to Ahmaud Arbery, a young black jogger in Georgia who two white men have been charged with murdering. "Only in America in 2020 is jogging while black and sleeping while black a cause for killing," Abrams said. "What we know is that we have to not only rebuild America, but - as Joe Biden has said so eloquently - we have to restore the soul of America." While Biden said Abrams played off each other with ease, many of his top allies do not see her as his best choice, especially at a time when the pandemic has put a premium on governing experience. "Stacey Abrams - is she ready on Day 1? I don't know. I don't think so," said John Morgan, a Florida trial lawyer and top Biden donor. Biden, 77, would be the oldest president in history. Many Democrats are openly questioning whether he would seek a second term, and they say his running mate should be someone who can ease concerns about his longevity and reassure voters she could instantly step into the presidency. Earlier this week, Biden said he is looking at about a dozen choices. Speaking in a virtual fundraiser, he said the process was just getting started, and when it comes to the list of possibilities, "I can't tell you that it's been narrowed down at all." Some of the women believed to be under consideration have spent decades forging ties to the political establishment, giving them advocates with the clout to champion their cause publicly and privately. Abrams, who rose to prominence in the 2018 midterm elections, is a relative outsider with a growing network but fewer allies in the Biden orbit. Adding to weight of Biden's dilemma, Abrams in many ways represents the future of a party that has become more diverse and has its hopes set on recapturing the South. She comes from a purple state that Democrats urgently want to turn blue, and at 46, she is younger than other running mate prospects. Abrams has a history of following her own political playbook, becoming the first black woman to serve as state House Democratic leader in Georgia. She ran for governor when few thought she had a chance, losing the governor's race to Republican Brian Kemp by 1.4 percentage points and capturing more votes than any Democrat who has run statewide. She cites that performance as evidence that she could help Biden, rattling off statistics from the 2018 race like a star athlete recounting a banner season and expressing confidence about turning out different kinds of Democratic voters. Amid current trends, however, some Abrams advocates fear that won't be enough. At the start of the presidential primary, Democrats boasted of the historic diversity in their field, which featured women and men of color and an openly gay man. But in the end, the contest came down to two white septuagenarian men: Biden and 78-year-old Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Biden became the presumptive nominee thanks largely to strong support from the African-American community, especially in the South. Many believe that he should build on that success by picking a black woman to join him on the ticket. Sharpton said that in his recent phone conversation with Biden, he urged him to choose a black woman, naming Abrams, Harris and Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., as possibilities. He said that some on Biden's team are open to the idea, while others are "respectful but not all the way convinced." Sharpton had reportedly been preparing to publicly urge Biden to choose Abrams. But he said he had changed his mind on a public endorsement, opting instead to convey any preference privately to Biden's team. Abrams has made her ties to the black community and disadvantaged voters central to her pitch. In the interview, she recalled that as a young lawyer at a prestigious law firm, she started a nonprofit to help community organizations that did not have access to tax attorneys. "My approach has always been you can't just fix the problem, you have to fix the systems - and that no one is going to fix the systems better than those who understand them," she said. "As a woman of color as a black person, I understand how the systems are not designed for us, even if they are supposed to serve us." Valerie Jarrett, a onetime senior Obama adviser, said Abrams' style is a welcome change. "I think she's been refreshingly direct," Jarrett said. "It's unusual - she's not demurring or being coy." But she also said Biden should cast a wide net for whoever would best help him defeat Trump and govern the country. "I wouldn't encourage him to limit his scope to only African-American women," Jarrett said. Although some see Abrams' comments about the vice presidency as brazen, she has navigated the post-2018 political landscape with some caution. After her defeat in the Georgia governor's race, she passed on a Senate race and opted against running for president, as some expected her to do. During the presidential primary, she stayed publicly neutral before endorsing Biden earlier this week. Abrams also formed an organization called Fair Fight to advocate for voting rights. She has never conceded the 2018 race to Kemp, and a political action committee she formed has sued state elections officials, alleging they "grossly mismanaged" the governor's race. If Abrams does not become vice president, many supporters hope she will seek a rematch against Kemp in 2022. Abrams has made no specific commitments, saying only that she plans to run for office in the future. In the meantime, her current work doubles as her pitch to Biden. "I've stood up a multistate organization and raised millions of dollars that will serve 100 million people who have the right to vote in those states," Abrams said in the interview. "My belief in their right to vote is what I do every single day, and my energy to turn them out and to make sure we protect the right to vote is not going to diminish." Is Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (ETR:FME) 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. A 1.6% yield is nothing to get excited about, but investors probably think the long payment history suggests Fresenius Medical Care KGaA has some staying power. The company also returned around 3.3% of its market capitalisation to shareholders in the form of stock buybacks over the past year. Some simple analysis can reduce the risk of holding Fresenius Medical Care KGaA for its dividend, and we'll focus on the most important aspects below. Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on Fresenius Medical Care KGaA! XTRA:FME Historical Dividend Yield May 16th 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 30% of Fresenius Medical Care KGaA's profits were paid out as dividends in the last 12 months. A medium payout ratio strikes a good balance between paying dividends, and keeping enough back to invest in the business. One of the risks is that management reinvests the retained capital poorly instead of paying a higher dividend. Another important check we do is to see if the free cash flow generated is sufficient to pay the dividend. Fresenius Medical Care KGaA paid out 19% of its free cash flow as dividends last year, which is conservative and suggests the dividend is sustainable. It's positive to see that Fresenius Medical Care KGaA'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. Story continues Is Fresenius Medical Care KGaA's Balance Sheet Risky? As Fresenius Medical Care KGaA has a meaningful amount of debt, we need to check its balance sheet to see if the company might have debt risks. A rough way to check this is with these two simple ratios: a) net debt divided by EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation), and b) net interest cover. Net debt to EBITDA measures total debt load relative to company earnings (lower = less debt), while net interest cover measures the ability to pay interest on the debt (higher = greater ability to pay interest costs). With net debt of 2.73 times its EBITDA, Fresenius Medical Care KGaA's debt burden is within a normal range for most listed companies. Net interest cover can be calculated by dividing earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) by the company's net interest expense. Fresenius Medical Care KGaA has EBIT of 5.19 times its interest expense, which we think is adequate. Remember, you can always get a snapshot of Fresenius Medical Care KGaA's latest financial position, by checking our visualisation of its financial health. Dividend Volatility From the perspective of an income investor who wants to earn dividends for many years, there is not much point buying a stock if its dividend is regularly cut or is not reliable. For the purpose of this article, we only scrutinise the last decade of Fresenius Medical Care KGaA's dividend payments. During this period the dividend has been stable, which could imply the business could have relatively consistent earnings power. During the past ten-year period, the first annual payment was 0.61 in 2010, compared to 1.20 last year. Dividends per share have grown at approximately 7.0% per year over this time. Companies like this, growing their dividend at a decent rate, can be very valuable over the long term, if the rate of growth can be maintained. Dividend Growth Potential Dividend payments have been consistent over the past few years, but we should always check if earnings per share (EPS) are growing, as this will help maintain the purchasing power of the dividend. Earnings have grown at around 7.1% a year for the past five years, which is better than seeing them shrink! It's good to see decent earnings growth and a low payout ratio. Companies with these characteristics often display the fastest dividend growth over the long term - assuming earnings can be maintained, of course. 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. Firstly, we like that Fresenius Medical Care KGaA has low and conservative payout ratios. Earnings growth has been limited, but we like that the dividend payments have been fairly consistent. All things considered, Fresenius Medical Care KGaA looks like a strong prospect. At the right valuation, it could be something special. 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. As an example, we've identified 2 warning signs for Fresenius Medical Care KGaA that you should be aware of before investing. 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. Karnatakas industries minister Jagadish Shettar on Saturday told captains of the industry that the current Covid-19 situation was the new normal and asked them to resume operations in full after taking adequate precautions. Most of the industrial activities have come to a juddering halt after March 24, when the first lockdown was put in place. While there has been a partial re-opening, especially after May 4, full activities are yet to resume. Asserting that economic activities have to be resumed, Shettar said that the Rs 20 lakh crore economic stimulus package announced by the Centre would help the industry revive growth. We need to show resilience and adopt bold reforms to make the country a global manufacturing hub, said Shettar addressing leaders of industry. Karnatakas industries department principal secretary Gaurav Gupta also said that the state government was committed to help the industrial sector get back on its feet, including encouraging migrant workers to come back and join work. Maharashtra on Friday recorded 1,576 new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) positive cases, as the overall tally in the state rose to 29,100. Covid-19 related death toll went up to 1,068 after 49 fresh fatalities were recorded. The state government is in favour of further extension of lockdown restrictions, which expire on Sunday, till end-May, and this time around the curbs are likely to be eased even in red zones a bid to open up economic activities. State health Rajesh Tope said that a decision to allow economic activities in red zones would be taken after Monday. Though the states Covid-19 related mortality rate has dropped to 3.7%, it is still above the national average rate of 3.23%. At present, the states doubling rate the number of days taken for cases to increase two-fold -- is a little over 10 days. Mumbai, which accounts for around 60% of all Covid-19 positive cases in the state, reported 933 new cases on Friday, as the total count rose to 17,671. The city also recorded 34 fresh deaths and 655 people have died in the countrys financial hub so far. Tope has requested Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to reserve 60% of beds in private hospitals for Covid-19 patients while anticipating a peak by end-June. The contingency plans are being put in place in line with the recommendations of the Dr. Sanjay Oak-led task force that the state government has formed to identify ways to reduce the mortality rate. The rest 40% of beds in these private hospitals would be reserved for non-Covid-19 patients, the minister said. Maharashtras positivity percentage is at 11.61% after 2,50,436 tests were conducted till Friday, of which 2,21,336 proved negative. Of the 10,291 tests conducted in the 24 hours between Thursday and Friday evening, 1,576 tested positive, or a positivity percentage of 15.31%. The state authorities have put 3,29,302 and 16,306 under home and institutional quarantine, respectively. So far, 6,564 Covid-19 patients have recovered and discharged from various hospitals in the state. 19452020 Martha Ann Marshall Crutchfield, 74, sadly lost her incredible 30+ year battle with Breast Cancer, Melanoma and finally Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, passing away on May 12, 2020. Under a crisp night sky in her caring daughters home, the pain ended, and she peacefully transitioned with her children at her side. Martha was born in Berkeley Hospital on September 5, 1945 to her parents Edward Bettencourt Teixeira and Vesta Dora Linton of San Pablo, California. Martha spent the 1st chapter of her precious life in her birth town, where she excelled in scholastics and graduated from Richmond High in 1963. Shortly thereafter, Martha embarked on her 2nd life chapter, when she married her childhood love Robert Allen Marshall, moved to Napa, California and raised their 3 children. Martha was intrinsic in the local community, where she actively supported her childrens MANY extracurricular activities and successfully led well known Napa businesses Swensens, Alexis Baking Company ABC and Oakville Grocery with her radiant charm and extraordinary talents. Shortly before Roberts passing, her dream came true in 2001, when her 1st grandson was born, and the spoiling began. She began her 3rd and final chapter when she departed Napa in 2009 and moved to Roseville, California to be closer to her Daughter. Having spent her 2nd chapter in the hospitality industry, she decided to attend to her deep love for children and family and became a Nanny. Over the next eight years, three different families of different cultures were graciously blessed with her loving heart. She raised their children as her own and helped to strengthen their family bond. Martha spent the last three years of her beautiful life being her 1st and only grand-daughters nanny, embedding her goodness deep into her soul before leaving the physical world. Those of us who were fortunate enough to have Martha in our lives, know this to be true. Her enormous heart, selfless giving and zest for life made her Loved by All. Her secret weapon was the kitchen, and ALL OF US happily fell prey. She believed in the power of Sprinkles and dusted everything she touched. She will be forever missed. Martha is survived by her children Matthew Marshall, Timothy Marshall and Amy Allen; daughter-in-law Susan Marshall; son-in-law Ronald Allen III; sister Gail Dickhaus; grandchildren Stone Cyrus, Willow Faith Allen and Bodhi Marshall. She was preceded in death by her parents and grandparents. In honor of Marthas wishes, her ashes will be placed with a Sweet Bay Magnolia Tree so her soul can continue to flourish and bloom as her favorite tree. The family only planting service will be fulfilled on May 20th at Tulocay Cemetery in Napa, California. A celebration of life is tentatively planned for September 5, 2020. Details to follow later. Donations, Flowers and/or Pay it Forward to someone in need. Whatever you feel best honors her life. Our dear Mother would want it this way. Prosecutors in Chicago could be about to exonerate more than 50 people who may have been wrongly jailed for murders they did not commit, after allegations that a a cop framed or pressured them to make a confession Retired Chicago detective Reynaldo Guevara is accused of framing dozens of men, mainly Latinos, from the northwest of Chicago during the 1980s and 1990s. So far, 20 people have been exonerated in cases where Guevara took the lead. A further 14 men whose cases are under review remain in prison, while 16 have completed their sentences but could see their records wiped clean. Some potentially innocent men have died behind bars. It's alleged that now-retired Detective Reynaldo Guevara helped frame up to 50 convictions of mainly Latino men during murder cases in the 1980s and 90s Guevara is alleged to have beat people to force them into making false confessions, or intimidated witnesses to make fake statements stating they were at murder scenes when they were not. Guevara is even alleged to have told witnesses who to select from police lineups. The ex-cop has not been charged with any crimes. But he has helped inmates win freedom by repeatedly invoking his constitutional right against self-incrimination or insisting he couldn't remember facts, forcing prosecutors to dismiss charges in several cases. 20 men have so far been exonerated, 14 remain in prison as a result of Guevara's involvement while 16 who have been released need their records wiped clean Every time charges are dropped against somebody who alleges Guevara framed them, attorneys say appeals in other Guevara cases become stronger. 'With Guevara, we put together this pattern that we can use to buttress individual cases,' said Karen Daniel, director of Northwestern University's Center on Wrongful Convictions. The organization represented Gabriel Solache, who spent nearly two decades in prison for a double murder before a judge threw out his confession to Guevara. Prosecutors dropped charges against Solache in December 2017. Jose Maysonet spent nearly 27 years in prison for a double-murder in a Guevara case before prosecutors dropped the charges against him. Prosecutors in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office are now going to conduct a 'comprehensive review' of convictions that detective Guevara was involved with, according to BuzzFeed. Demonstrators hold a sign showing what are supposedly the faces of men Guevara helped to wrongfully convict in photo from a July 2016 ABC News Chicago report Nancy Adduci, director of Cook County's Conviction Integrity Unit, is now compiling a list of names and case numbers of people who have been convicted of crimes in which Guevara had a hand in the prosecution. Adduci said the review is part of the state's attorney's 'mission to seek justice equitably' and 'build trust in the criminal justice system by remedying convictions that should not stand.' 'Convincing prosecutors to take up a review of murder convictions is not something that's easy to do in any sort of scenario,' said Josh Tepfer, an attorney with the University of Chicago's Exoneration Project. But he added: 'We showed them things that cannot be explained, examples of perjury, and examples of clear, uncontradicted framing of people that there's no explanation otherwise.' As individual cases the Guevara's alleged corruption was not always obvious but taken as a collection of verdicts some alarming patterns have become clearer Tepfer recently met with top deputies from the Cook County State's Attorney's Office to set out the case against him. Sometimes the alleged misconduct is not always obvious, particularly when cases are considered on their own, but looked at as a group patterns become clear. 'I hope there's some teeth in it,' said Civil rights attorney Jennifer Bonjean who has already managed to secure exoneration for several of Guevara's cases. 'These cases take a lot of work, a lot of initiative, and I hope there's the manpower, the commitment,' she said. One judge declared Guevara to have told 'bald-faced lies' during testimony given in 2018 for two men seeking to overturn their convictions. In 2016, an appeals court declared that the detective had engaged in 'alarming acts of misconduct.' Jacques Rivera (pictured left) spent 21 years in prison before he was exonerated in 2011 and released from prison after former Detective Reynaldo Guevara (R) allegedly framed him In a case from 2018, A federal jury awarded more than $17 million to a former inmate who alleged that three former Chicago police detectives - including Guevara - set him up for a murder he didn't commit. During the trial, Jacques Rivera's attorneys alleged that Guevara coerced a 12-year-old boy, the only witness in a 1988 slaying, into identifying Rivera as the killer. He walked free from jail in 2011. 'You can't just go around making up identifications and sending people to prison,' Rivera's lead attorney, Jon Loevy, told the jury. 'That's not right. That's as dangerous as a bullet.' Rivera is one of 18 men who have had their convictions in cases involving Guevara tossed out of court amid allegations of brutality and coercion (Rivera pictured with his children Jennifer Rivera, 30 and Jacques Rivera Jr.) Referring to the investigation, Loevy contended that 'The whole thing was dirty,' citing missing detective reports and 'rigged lineups' designed to incriminate his client, according to The Chicago Tribune. Rivera spent 21 years in prison before he was exonerated in 2011 and released. For his part, Guevara did what he has done repeatedly in other cases: He refused to answer questions. When he took the stand in federal court in the Rivera lawsuit, Guevara invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 200 times. 'This is a big case, this is an important case, this is a staggering case,' Loevy said during closing arguments. 'The things we have seen in this courtroom are unprecedented.' Guevara has never been charged with a crime but in civil trials jurors are allowed to draw what is called a 'negative inference' from his silence. In another overturned conviction from 2016, Armando Serrano, claiming that former detective Reynaldo Guevara and then-assistant state's attorneys Matthew Coghlan and John Dillon collaborated to pressure a key witness into pinning the 1993 murder of Rodrigo Vargas on Serrano. He and co-defendant Jose Montanez were released from incarceration in July 2016, after more than two decades in prison, when prosecutors dropped the charges, according to ABC News. Armando Serrano (second from L) filed a lawsuit in 2016 seeking $60 million in damages, alleging that a detective and state's attorneys collaborated to pressure a key witness Serrano is seen here waving to reporters after his release in July 2016 Serrano was wrongfully convicted of Vargas' murder in Cook County, Illinois, in 1993 and spent 23 years behind bars. Francisco Vicente was a key witness in the murder trial. He faced four felony charges at the time that he allegedly told Guevara that Serrano and Montanez had confessed to him that they fatally shot Vargas in his vehicle in 1993. Vicente recanted his account of the admissions in 2004 after several interviews with students from the Medill Innocent Project, according to the Chicago Tribune. He said that Guevara had fed him the story. In 2017, a Cook County judge dismissed another case involved Guevara, against Roberto Almodovar and William Negron. Serrano (C) is seen here with an unidentified woman (L) and attorney Jennifer Bonjean (R) after his release in July 2016 The two men were convicted of a double homicide in 1995 on the strength of witness testimony obtained in part by Guevara. Almodovar was granted his freedom while Guevara was once again held civilly liable for a wrongful conviction. In 2009, Juan Johnson won a $21 million verdict against him in 2009 when he successfully argued that Guevara framed him for a 1989 murder. Russell Ainsworth (L), attorney for Jose Montanez (R), looked on as Montanez embraced family following his release in July 2016 From preparing for community transmission after lockdown, to relief for homeless migrants, and how to wear and remove a mask properly read these and more in todays India dispatch. Expert Speak A mental health crisis is brewing: How ready are we as a populace or as individuals for the post-Covid-19 world? What is happening to us right now as we sit at home and engage with our families? Are issues we should have been grappling with or are grappling with perhaps have an impact as we ... 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 A Sligo nurse, now based in Scotland, found the time during the Covid-19 crisis to provide her colleagues at home in Ireland with goods, food and drinks to help them through the Covid-19 crisis. Natasha Connolly, a nurse in Edinburgh but originally from Oakfield Park in Sligo town, went about raising funds via a GoFundMe page to help the staff at Sligo University Hospital and show her appreciation for the work they are doing. Speaking to The Sligo Champion, Ms Connolly said she was moved to undertake the initiative as she is aware herself, as a nurse, the pressures staff are under at this time. On Friday last, a hamper was donated on behalf of Ms Connolly to the ICU staff at Sligo University Hospital. She said she chose the ICU as her partner works in the ICU unit in Edinburgh and therefore she knows how hard it is to work in that environment, particularly at this time during a global pandemic. Ms Connolly also said she decided to make a gesture to Sligo as she feels sometimes smaller hospitals such as Sligo University Hospital are forgotten about when compared to those in larger areas in the country. A presentation of a hamper from Gourmet Parlour in Sligo took place last Friday at the hospital, while the donation also included food and drink. In all, Ms Connolly's fundraiser raised just short of 500. It is a challenging time for many of those working on the frontline at this time, but there was an afternoon filled with joy for the radiology staff at Sligo University Hospital last Friday also. The staff at the Radiology Department were treated to a complimentary curry lunch by Joyita Bhanja, who runs the popular Joy Kitchen and can often be seen with a stand at the Strandhill People's Market. The selfless gesture, initiated by Joyita, was widely welcomed by the staff who were treated to a delicious curry at lunchtime. Sinead McGuinness is a radiographer at Sligo University Hospital and is a friend of Joyita's. Sinead said: "I've known her [Joyita] for years, and she just text me saying I'd like to do something nice as a nice gesture for the frontline staff in radiology where you work," The selfless gesture on the part of Joyita came as a nice surprise to the radiographers, who, like many other staff in the hospital, are working in challenging circumstances during the current crisis. However, the lunch provided by Joyita offered an opportunity for the staff to take the time to enjoy each other's company in a different way. Sinead continued: "It's just strange times but we put all of that aside and go ahead and have a nice lunch." As for the work of the radiology department at the moment, Sinead says they benefited from wide-ranging preparation before the height of the Covid-19 crisis. "We were well prepared, we had the advantage I suppose of being able to put things in place. We are ready, it definitely feels well prepared." The lunch prepared and delivered by Joyita took place at Sligo University Hospital last Friday at 12.30pm, with all of those lucky enough receive a meal enjoying a lunch of a different kind. Meanwhile, Tony Liu, a Taiwanese Student from National Taipei University of Technology participating in an exchange programme at Institute of Technology Sligo, decided to help the local community and his new found home by partnering with Scieneering Consulting Ltd to source and donate 1,000 medical masks to Nazareth House, Sligo. Tony was inspired by a larger ongoing charitable COVID-19 fundraising campaign by the Taiwanese Community in Ireland, 'Taiwan Can Help!'. The campaign was launched in late March by the Taiwan Ireland Association to purchase reliable PPE for vulnerable groups and Long Term Care Facility in Ireland. Scieneering Consulting Ltd is a service provider for the Pharmaceutical Industry and are based in Blacklion. Both of its directors, Dr. Angel Cheng (from Taiwan) and Mr. Julien Thibault (from France), were graduates of IT Sligo and have been living in Connacht region for more than 13 years. Mr. Thibault said: "Many of our customers are in Sligo, and the people we work with may have family members in LTCFs so when Tony approached us, we were happy to provide a solution." A Colombian company has created a hospital bed from cardboard that can turn into a coffin if a COVID-19 patient dies. Through this initiative, the Bogota-based firm ABC Displays seeks to help address a shortage of hospital beds and facilitate the safe management of corpses. The company's manager, Rodolfo Gomez, pointed out that the bed is biodegradable, holds 150 kg, costs about $US127 ($A198) - three times less than a normal one, and meets the requirements of comfort and functionality. A Colombian company has created a hospital bed from cardboard that can turn into a coffin if a COVID-19 patient dies. Source: AAP "We developed it because of the situation caused by Covid-19 in the world because we realised that there was a lack of hospital beds," Gomez told EFE. The company used to manufacture cardboard pieces for advertising, and made changes to be able to produce up to 300 beds a month and even export them, although it admitted not having received any orders yet. The hospital beds manufactured by ABC Displays have a corrugated cardboard structure and feature metal railings and a reusable base. They also have wheels to facilitate movement and can be disinfected thanks to a lacquer that covers the cardboard. The product has a shelf life of six months. Although the company hopes the patients who use the beds recover. However, in case they succumb to the disease, the beds can be converted into coffins, allowing the corpses to be handled without touching it, thus reducing the chances of health personnel getting infected. Gomez recalled that while working on the design of the bed, they realised that in neighbouring countries such as Ecuador, there was a crisis in the management of corpses bringing them to incorporate a second use as a coffin. "When we had made progress in the design, we realised what was happening in Ecuador, that they were taking their (dead) relatives to the streets and had no way of burying them, then it occurred to us that we could turn the bed into a coffin," Gomez said. Rodolfo Gomez and his employees demonstrate how their design of a cardboard box can serve as both a hospital bed and a coffin. Source: AAP If required, the bed can be converted into a coffin by removing the railings and, by a manual procedure, the body is moved lower within the cardboard structure. Story continues The company has been subject to criticism on social media over making the hospital bed convertible into a coffin. However, the manufacturer claims it is a matter of seeing things from a different angle. In his opinion, it was more distressing for the sick to be lying on the floor in overcrowded hospitals or relatives of the deceased being unable to bury them due to the unavailability of coffins or money to buy them. He stressed their intention "is not to offend anyone" but to propose solutions to a real problem, due to the pandemic it is becoming impossible for the family to go to a funeral home and carry out a traditional burial. The Covid-19 figures for the entire country include 13,610 infected and 525 dead. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. Mumbai, May 17 : After INOX and PVR, Carnival Cinemas is the latest multiplex chain to issue a statement regarding producers releasing their films directly on OTT platforms, bypassing traditional theatrical release. The statement conveys that the management was expecting filmmakers to stand by theatres at this time because they are one family. Issued by Carnival Cinemas CEO Mohan Umrotkar, the statement reads: "Though we are disappointed with the move of filmmakers to go straight to digital, we understand the financial burden/compulsion that one may have in these times. Even in the past, there have been a few cases of filmmakers facing failure when they opted for digital release, skipping the theatrical run. The ones who have decided to go ahead with the digital release were possibly in a difficult situation due to the coronavirus pandemic. There is money invested, there may be interest (on it), someone wants to minimise the loss and if they are in a position to monetize it, we can't stop them. The situation is such that you cannot blame anyone. In this time of uncertainty some producers have decided to release their content directly on OTT. It is within their rights to decide but we will not release those movies in our theatres." "As of now, we are expecting cinemas to open without any restrictions very soon. Once that happens, there will be a huge number of films awaiting release with the big ticket films claiming the dates of their choice, and there are makers who would wait because they have made films with theatrical release in mind." "A few small or mid-budget films releasing on streaming services are not really going to impact the theatre business much. We would have lost on releasing a few good films with the new development, but it is not going to be easy to accommodate all the films in the limited window anyway. They have bankable stars but the subjects are unconventional. One is never sure whether they will really work. I understand there will be a rush of movies when the lockdown is lifted. The entire industry needs to stand by each other. Films releasing on OTT is the loss of opportunity. It is not an absolute loss however. We hope filmmakers stick to theatre format. We were expecting them to stand by us because we are family." "I feel that the trend of releasing films on OTT platforms directly is a temporary phenomenon. I don't see this going beyond the lockdown. While OTTs are a reality, big film producers will prefer a theatrical release before a digital one. The overall collection from theatrical releases also surpasses what is garnered by directly releasing movies on OTT platforms. Once people are able to go back to theatres, there would still be demand and all of us will be able to resume our business like before." A few days ago, Amazon Prime Video confirmed it would release seven films directly over the next months, bypassing theatrical release. These include two Bollywood films - Shoojit Sircar's "Gulabo Sitabo" starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana, and Anu Menon's "Shakuntala Devi" starring Vidya Balan. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Aluminum Sulfate Market: Introduction Aluminum Sulfate or Al2(SO4)3 or Alum is a chemical compound which is soluble in water and is nontoxic and noncombustible in nature. It is majorly used in waste water treatment as a flocculating agent to purify drinking water. It is also used in the production of paper, fireproofing agents, and food additives, deodorizers, as a decolourization agents in petroleum and in firefighting foams. The anhydrous form of Aluminum Sulfate is essentially a white crystalline solid and is mainly obtained as an 18-hydrate Al2(SO4)3.18H2O. A saturated solution of Aluminum Sulfate can be used as a mild caustic soda. Any solution of Aluminum sulfate containing 5%-10% of the chemical compound can be used to capture foul discharges from mucous surfaces and also be used to treat ulcers. Aluminum Sulfate is also used in the production of ear drops containing Aluminum Acetate. Alum or Aluminum Sulfate is also used to clean lake water. It successfully removes phosphorus from water, thereby, creating an obstacle in production and growth of algae. Request For Report sample @: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/3187 Due to the acidic nature of the compound, Aluminum Sulfate is often used to balance the pH of alkaline soils. On coming in contact with water, Aluminum Sulfate forms dilute sulphuric acid and aluminum hydroxide, thereby altering the pH of soil. In water treatment, Aluminum Sulfate is used as a flocculating agent as Aluminum Sulfate when added to water causes the microscopic impurities to form a clump, forcing them to settle at the bottom from where they can be easily collected. Aluminum Sulfate is also used in cleaning the cloudiness of swimming pools. Aluminum Sulfate when dissolved in a high amount of water forms a gooey substance called Aluminum Hydroxide. This compound acts a dye fixer as it helps the dye stick to the cloth by making the dye water insoluble. Aluminum Sulfate Market: Market Dynamics An increase in research activity to find cures for diseases has led to increased consumption of Aluminum Sulfate. For instance, Aluminum Sulfate is now used in medicines to cure Atopic Dermatitis and Interigo. Thus, it is anticipated that any increase in the usage of medicines containing Aluminum Sulfate will drive the market. Rapidly growing population is also increasing the demand for healthy crops, which in turn, is putting pressure on the agriculture industry. To grow healthy crops, healthy soil conditions are required. Acidic soil can be made healthy by adding Aluminum Sulphate to it as AluminiumSulphate helps to balance the pH of soil, thereby making it productive for the crops. Thus, is it slated that the above stated reason will cause an increment in the consumption of Aluminum Sulphate, leading to growth in the Aluminum Sulphatemarket. That apart, due to the wide applications of Aluminum Sulfate in various industries, such as mining, chemicals, construction, food & beverages, etc. it is anticipated that the Aluminum Sulfate market will witness some acceleration in coming years. Request Report For Toc: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/requesttoc/3187 Aluminum Sulfate Market: Market Segmentation The Aluminum Sulphate market can be segmented on the basis of type into: Industrial Grade Food Grade Pharmaceutical grade Cosmetic Grade Others The Aluminum Sulphate market can be segmented on the basis of application into: Water Treatment Pulp & Paper Dye Cosmetics Synthetic Catalyst Production Pharmaceutical. Aluminum Sulfate Market: Regional Outlook Europe is anticipated to witness significant growth in the Aluminum Sulphate market as the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) has gathered approximately 900 paper mills which produce paper, pulp, cardboard and various other products. As Aluminum Sulphate is used in the manufacturing process of paper and pulp, this will lead to the growth of Aluminum Sulphate market during the forecast period. The Asia Pacific region including India, China, Indonesia and Malaysia and excluding Japan is expected to witness a huge increase in demand for Aluminum Sulfate due to an increase in the number of water treatment plants (which use aluminiumsulphate) and stringent regulations by the Governments to provide clean and safe drinking water. Latin America is anticipated to witness stable growth in the Aluminum Sulfate Market. Aluminum Sulfate Market: Key Participants Examples of some of the key participants in the Aluminum Sulphate Market are: Affinity Chemical Thatcher Company Chemtrade Logistics Inc. KemiraOyj Zibo Xinfumeng Chemicals Co., Ltd Zibo Dazhong Chemical Co., Ltd Shandong sanfeng group Co., Ltd Holland Company Zibo boshan win-win chemicals Co.,Ltd Hengyang Jianheng Industry Development Co., Ltd Southern Ionics Incorporated Carus Group Inc. Taixingxingyun chemical Co.,Ltd Hangzhou yunhe aluminum sulfate Co.,Ltd Zibo duxing purifier Co.,Ltd USALCO Bisley& Company Pty. Ltd. GEO C&S Chemicals GAC Chemical More Info of Impact Covid19 @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/covid-19-analysis/3187 The Delhi High Court has directed the AAP government to ensure uninterrupted working of their helpline numbers for migrant workers so that they can approach nodal officers who shall be easily available to labourers. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar, which conducted the hearing through video conferencing, noted that the Delhi government is ready and willing to accept the registration of the workers who want to migrate. The bench noted in its order that as and when these workers will approach the concerned nodal officer, all care will be taken by the state government for their migration in accordance with the law and the standard operating procedure (SOP) issued by the Centre on April 29. "So far, as restoration of helpline number is concerned, we direct respondent no.1 (Delhi government) to ensure the uninterrupted working of their helpline number so that people may approach nodal officers through the helpline numbers. "The very purpose of the helpline number is to help people and, therefore, the same must be functional," the bench said, in its order passed on Friday and made available on Saturday late evening. "We also expect from respondent no.1 (Delhi government) that nodal officers shall remain easily available to migrant workers so that after the online registration follow-up action in accordance with the SOP for their movement to native places be taken," it added. The court's order came on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking direction to authorities to register and repatriate migrant workers to their native places and also to appoint a nodal officer in each district who would facilitate the entire process. Petitioner NGO National Campaign Committee for Eradication of Bonded Labour claimed that the official website of the government meant for registration of migrant workers for transit to their respective native places and the helpline numbers provided in this regard were not working properly. Central government standing counsel Anurag Ahluwalia submitted that the Centre has issued an order on April 29, detailing SOP regarding movement of stranded migrant workers. He said detailed instructions have been issued to all the states and UT Delhi, and the procedure for appointment of nodal officers and the standard protocol required to be followed have also been mentioned in that order. Delhi government's counsel Rishikesh told the court that Principal Secretary of Social Welfare Department P K Gupta has been appointed state nodal officer and all the district magistrates in Delhi are the nodal officers of their respective districts and their names and contact details have been given on the Delhi government's website. Railways counsel Jagjit Singh said as and when requests will be received from any state, they are ready to provide the necessary trains and till now more than 800 trains have already departed, taking around 10 lakh migrant workers to their native places. The Delhi government's advocate also said they are already looking into the difficulties being faced by the public at large and all possible actions are being taken by them to send the migrant workers to their native places. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Anyone who's ever seen the movie "Twister"is aware of Tornado Alley - known for its reliable and, at times, hyperactive swarms of tornadoes that swirl across the landscape like clockwork each spring. The term brings to mind the image strip of land stretching across Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas. But meteorologists fear that imaginary zone may be leaving out areas at an even greater risk for damaging tornadoes. In recent years, the South has come to prominence for its encounters with violent tornadoes. As recently as Easter weekend, an outbreak of more than 150 tornadoes wrought havoc across Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and even into the Carolinas. A week later, another high-end EF4 tornado struck near the previous hardest-hit counties in Mississippi, marking the third EF4 to hit within a 15 mile radius over the course of only 7 days. Meteorologists argue this corridor of enhanced tornado activity across the South isn't just another tornado hotspot - it's a bona fide extension of Tornado Alley. In fact, many atmospheric scientists feel that the term "Tornado Alley" is a misnomer in its entirety, and fails to convey where the greatest tornado risks may lie. Some believe portions of the South are among the most vulnerable to tornadoes in the world. April 27, 2011, is a day that will live in meteorological infamy. A morning squall line of vicious thunderstorms plowed across Mississippi and Alabama, unleashing a band of quick-hitting tornadoes and winds that knocked out power to a million. An EF3 tornado hit Cordova, Alabama - a town that would be struck hours later by an even more violent tornado. Tornadoes are rated on the 0 to 5 "EF" (Enhanced Fujita) scale. The atmosphere reloaded that afternoon, giving rise to what's often regarded as the most prolific tornado outbreak in recorded history. Repeated rounds of violent tornadoes, including four EF5s, resulted in hundreds across Mississippi and Alabama as seemingly endless rotating supercell thunderstorms marched across the state. Some storms traveled hundreds of miles. All told, more than 350 tornadoes accompanied the days-long outbreak. Already this year, tornadoes have struck Nashville, Birmingham, Atlanta, Chattanooga, and Charlotte 2020 to date is the deadliest year for tornadoes since 2011. Mississippi recorded its widest tornado on record. Most of those deaths have occurred outside the traditionally regarded Tornado Alley, but well within the zone of where vicious tornadoes are common. Some experts agree it's time to abandon the term. "To be honest, I hate the term 'Tornado Alley,' " said Steven Strader, an atmospheric scientist at Villanova University specializing in severe weather risk mitigation. He says he "hates" the term "Dixie Alley," which refers to the busy swath of tornado activity in the South, "even more." "What people need to understand is that if you live east of the continental divide, tornadoes can affect you," said Strader. The geographical distribution of tornadoes across the Lower 48 is a topic that has been the subject of investigation for years. One study conducted by P. Grady Dixon, a physical geographer at Fort Hays State University in Kansas, found that the Deep South is in essence just a continuation of the more traditionally-recognized Tornado Alley. "I'm of the opinion that tornado alley is an outdated, misleading concept in general," said Grady in an interview with The Post. "But I'm realistic in that I know [the term] is not going away anytime soon." His project found that, on a basis of tornado density and path length, the most tornado-prone location in the country isn't in Oklahoma or Kansas at all - it's Smith County, Mississippi. Though Grady's paper was published in 2010, anecdotal evidence since suggests that finding is spot-on - that region of Mississippi has been close to ground zero for the country's worst twisters so far this year. On the whole, Grady's work revealed not only that Mississippi and Louisiana average the most "tornado days" per year, but that an enormous circular swath from the Midwest and Corn Belt down through the Plains and South are one large breeding ground for tornadoes. Save for a small downtick in tornado counts over the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks, there's virtually nothing separating - or distinguishing - traditional Tornado Alley from the South. "The term 'alley' is restrictive, suggests something that is spatially long and narrow so to speak," explained Grady. "We have a tornado region that's essentially the eastern 40 percent of the continental U.S.." "Even just that paper, we've learned tons of things," continued Grady. "I don't think a gap [between the Plains and the South] exists. . . maybe there's a low spot in activity in Missouri, but if you're drawing a line from central Mississippi to south central Kansas, there's no gap. Central Illinois to eastern Nebraska, there's no gap. They're connected." To make matters worse, Grady uncovered evidence that suggests tornadoes in the South, or Dixie Alley, actually travel farther thanks to their faster speeds. Those longer paths make tornadoes more likely to cause damage in the South, especially before the mid-spring and summer months and again later in the fall. "Storms tend to move faster during the cool season," said Grady, "I think they are actually longer [tornado] paths throughout the Deep South. Look at the speeds of some of these storms from that Easter event. . . we were having some storms move at 70 mph." Tornado are also as common - or even more frequent - in the South as they are on the Plains. "That region gets probably the greatest number of tornadoes, the Southeast," said Strader. So why has Tornado Alley's colloquially-defined loose definition never really included the South? It boils down to public perception, rooted in years of storm chasing, cinematography, and geography. Our subliminal association of only the Plains as Tornado Alley largely predates us - originating when tornadoes began appearing on television and in print media. "We've all seen 'The Wizard of Oz,' and we've all seen the tornado dancing in the landscape, the sepia tornado in the wheat field," said Strader. "We associate tornadoes [with] central half of the U.S." It's likely a product of the imagery we see. Often, the most compelling videos of tornadoes - which routinely make the evening newscasts - come from flat landscapes with few trees to obscure the view. That's Kansas, Oklahoma, and the Texas Panhandle in a nutshell. The forests of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama? Not so much. Thunderstorms along the Gulf Coast generally form in highly humid environments, resulting in lower cloud bases that can obscure a storm's structure. Heavy rainfall frequently shrouds any tornadoes that do form, the rain-wrapped twisters impossible to photograph. Moreover, thunderstorms in the South are usually quicker-moving. "With lower cloud levels and [faster storms], essentially they don't see the tornado coming until it's right on them," said Strader. In addition, timing of storms may play a role. Oklahoma, for instance, sees nearly two thirds of its tornadoes during April and May, the bulk of them occurring during large outbreaks that attract media attention. While the South still sees increased activity in the spring, its accumulation of tornadoes is more spaced out over the entire year with a second season in the fall. "Who was providing photos and videos of tornadoes? Experts and extreme enthusiasts," said Grady. "They built their [expeditions] around going to the Great Plains because of that reliable season." "But the South [has] one really long season that runs from September to May, but they sort of get the summer off," said Grady. "Their season is less predictable. It tends to lull people to sleep. It's very inconsistent year to year." Regardless of where the jackpot of tornadoes may form, experts agree that tornado risk ought to drive discussions on tornado safety and preparedness. "What I like to tell people is tornado disasters are a coin," said Strader. "Tornadoes are one side of that coin, and societal influences are the other. When we're looking at tornado disasters, we don't care about tornado in middle of a field. We care about the one that goes through a subdivision. So often, we're neglecting the societal side." Strader says that, while tornadoes routinely terrorize Oklahoma, the bull's eye for tornado risk and fatalities is located in the South. "What it comes down to is the difference in the socioeconomic structure of the two regions," he explained. Urban sprawl, housing type, and land use all work together and culminate into a bad recipe for high-fatality tornado events in the South and Southeast. Population density is also much greater, expanding the target for tornadoes - particularly east of the Mississippi River. The greater population density has ties to the way land is used in the Southeast, according to Strader. While the Plains is largely farmland and inhibits the spread of neighborhoods and communities, the South, albeit rural, "[doesn't] really have that strong [of an] agricultural tie anymore," said Strader. "That allows population of South and Southeast to sprawl out a little easier," Strader explained. "When a tornado does occur in either region, odds are much greater in the [South of Southeast] of it hitting something." In addition to the greater population density, many who live in the South reside in mobile or manufactured homes. It's no secret that mobile or manufactured homes can become death traps during tornadoes and succumb to even lower wind speeds. Contrary to popular belief, however, it's not the building's structure itself - but rather how it's anchored. "What we have found in manufactured homes where fatalities occur is that the box, the superstructure. . . that's actually built pretty well," explained Strader. "The box itself is good. . . it's as good as a single family home." The issue, he says, is with anchoring. "Probably ninety-five percent of fatalities in manufactured homes occur because the first component of failure isn't the home itself," said Strader. "It's the anchoring to the ground." In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, FEMA required mobile homes along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts to be anchored according to "zone 3" standards, which Strader believes would dramatically increase a mobile home's survivability during a tornado. He estimates anyone can bring their home up to snuff for less than a thousand dollars. Of course, your first course of action during a tornado should be to seek shelter below ground. But some wonder why so few mobile or manufactured home communities have actual community shelters. Strader says it's not so simple. "[Mobile and manufactured homes are] everywhere in the landscape," he said. "Everywhere else in the country, when you see a mobile or manufactured home, it's in a park. You don't have that necessarily in the Southeast. Eighty percent of mobile or manufactured homes are found in the landscape [by] themselves." It's a construction type that is a staple of many Southern communities. "There are counties with no mobile home parks at all, but yet sixty percent of their residents are in manufactured housing," said Strader. That prevents the construction of community shelters; without a centralized location near to everyone, the utility of a community shelter would plummet markedly. "In the Southeast, it's not a great solution. If everybody's twenty minutes from [a community shelter] but average warning [lead] time is twelve to thirteen minutes, they're not going to get to it," said Strader. Putting it all together, the lack of available sheltering options - coupled with swelling population and expanding targets - has made the South the leader in tornado fatalities. Add atop that the public's tendency to delay shelter and seek visual confirmation of a tornado, most of which can't easily be spotted in the South, and you have a recipe for disaster. In the end, Strader and Grady are optimistic that society is finally becoming aware of how outdated a concept Tornado Alley truly is. They hope that awareness of the much more widely-present tornado risk stretching from the Plains into the Midwest, South, and Southeast is on the rise. But Strader says the South's tornado vulnerability is also on the rise, and only looks to get worse in the years ahead as urban sprawl continues. And if that happens, tornado disasters don't look to go away any time soon. Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson and spent a weekend exchanging private WhatsApp messages about allowing quarantine-free travel between Britain and France blindsiding officials on both sides of the Channel, who had been kept out of the loop. The Mail on Sunday has learnt the Prime Minister and French President regularly converse over the messaging service, away from the prying eyes of aides. They were in touch throughout last weekend, which led to an unexpected announcement on Sunday evening that travellers from France would not be subject to the same 14-day quarantine as anyone else arriving in the UK. The Mail on Sunday has learnt the Prime Minister and French President regularly converse over the messaging service, away from the prying eyes of aides Just 20 minutes after Mr Johnson announced the draconian measure for all visitors in his televised address to the nation on Sunday, Downing Street said: No quarantine measures would apply to travellers coming from France at this stage; any measures on either side would be taken in a concerted and reciprocal manner. However, by the end of the week, the Government had made an apparent U-turn over the exemption. After the EU warned about singling out one member of the bloc, No 10 officials claimed the statement had been misinterpreted. They pointed out it merely said there was no quarantine at this stage which is true of travellers from all nations as the measures are not expected until the end of the month and stressed there is no exemption agreed with France. However, Ministers are scrambling to keep the vital cross-Channel trade route flowing. A Government source admitted: Boris and Macron overcooked it a bit with the WhatsApp diplomacy. A letter bearing the signature of U.S. President Donald Trump was sent to people who received a CCP virus economic stimulus payment as part of the CARES Act, seen in Washington on April 29, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) House Votes Down Motion to Block Illegal Immigrants From Receiving Virus Payouts The House of Representatives voted against a motion that would have prevented anyone without a Social Security number from receiving government payouts approved in a recent stimulus package. Under the bill, most Americans have already received $1,200. While illegal immigrants and others without a Social Security number would have been prevented from receiving the payment if the motion to recommit passed, the measure was narrowly defeated late May 15 on a 209-198 vote. All Republicans present voted for the motion, as did 13 Democrats. Democrats who voted for the motion are primarily first-term members who face tough reelection battles. They are: Reps. Cindy Axne of Iowa, Collin Peterson of Minnesota, Joe Cunningham of South Carolina, Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania, Abby Finkenauer of Iowa, Kendra Horn of Oklahoma, Chris Pappas of New Hampshire, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, Jared Golden of Maine, Elaine Luria of Virginia, Tom Malinowski of New Jersey, Ben McAdams of Utah. While no Republicans voted against the motion, Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.), a former Republican, did. Twenty-three members didnt vote. Those who missed the vote were about equally divided between parties. A subway team member and a passenger in the train wear protective masks in Manhattan, New York, on May 4, 2020. (Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times) Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.), who offered the motion, said he did so because the House bill members were about to vote on included a provision that would change the identification requirement for the government payouts to taxpayer identification number from Social Security number. This switch will let illegal immigrants and non-citizens get checks they arent eligible for, he said. Now, more than ever, we need to make sure these rebate checks go to Americans who need it, he added later. Riggleman said his motion shouldnt garner controversy considering illegal immigrants arent eligible for most federal aid. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) spoke in opposition to the motion, charging that Republicans were standing in the way of helping people. Instead of focusing on economic hardship caused by policies implemented due to the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, the GOP is only offering regurgitated talking points about immigration, she added, accusing the party of trying to relitigate the culture wars. I want to make it very clear: COVID-19 does not discriminate or differentiate on immigration status, she said, referring to the disease the virus causes. The House passed a $3 trillion COVID-19 relief bill later on May 15, after the motion was voted down. Police on Saturday had to use mild force' to disperse a group of migrant labourers who blocked the national highway near here, demanding to be sent back to their native states. Some migrant workers reached Karera Khurd village near here after covering long distances on foot and bicycles from neighbouring Punjab. Some other migrants, who had already been accommodated in a relief shelter, also joined them and came out on the Yamunanagar-Panchkula National Highway. Police said these migrants blocked the highway from both sides, causing heavy disruptions in traffic. The police tried to convince them to lift the blockade, but migrants persisted with their demand to make immediate arrangements to send them to their native states UP, Bihar and elsewhere. The police then used mild force after which migrant labourers were seen running into the adjoining fields, leaving behind their luggage on roads and in fields. Officials said the migrant workers coming from Punjab and entering the district were accommodated in a relief shelter. The administration assured workers that arrangements were being made to send them home. Some migrants, however, claimed that it has been days and their patience had run out. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump on Friday said the United States would donate ventilators to India to support the country's fight against the coronavirus pandemic. He also said that both the US and India were cooperating on vaccine development in order to beat the "invisible enemy." Trump wrote on his Twitter page, "I am proud to announce that the United States will donate ventilators to our friends in India. 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 Dubai Design District (d3) said it has joined the Arab Fashion Council on #AThread4Cause to combat COVID-19, with seven partners poised to create thousands of protection gowns and surgical face masks for frontline medical workers. Dubais beating heart of creative design, home to more than 9,000 people and 385 companies, has pledged its support to #AThread4Cause a campaign calling on UAE-based fashion designers to use their craftsmanship and haute couture flair to make surgical attire for the UAEs healthcare industry. As part of the initiative, seven business partners with over 50 tailors and pattern makers, will make the medically certified garments. To provide the designers with ample material and to support local suppliers, d3 has established a partnership with a Dubai-based Saudi Arabian fabric manufacturer who will supply over four tonnes of technical fabric to the participating brands. To facilitate logistics, d3 is set to host a unified distribution centre, to store and deliver the protection gowns and surgical masks produced by d3 designers as well as other designers based in the UAE. This will turn the d3 community into a strategic hub for personal protective equipment (PPE) made by luxury brands, it stated. Executive Director Khadija Al Bastaki said: "As the fashion capital of the Middle East, d3 is both humbled and delighted to support #AThread4Cause. With six d3-based designers, we aim to aid the life-saving work of vital medical staff by contributing to the UAEs stockpile of gowns and facemasks." "We are well placed to be able to cater to the needs of the local population, as well as export to the rest of the world, heralded by the strong logistics and infrastructure of Dubai. This will enable #Athread4cause to quickly receive the PPE carefully produced by highly skilled, luxury fashion designers across the emirate," stated Al Bastaki. Attracting and nurturing talent is a thread that binds our community together in line with the vision of the UAEs leaders to foster knowledge, innovation and creativity. What we have seen today is the value design brings to society and the fact that d3 can collaborate in such a way is testament to the dedication, creative spirit and generosity of our community, he added. Founder & CEO Jacob Abrian said the Arab Fashion Council was proud of d3s remarkable support to #AThread4Cause campaign by joining forces with us and its readiness to strengthen the emergency network of creative force. "Due to this uncertain time, the Arab fashion industry has been able to highlight its strong capacity to operate a purely local value chain," he added.-TradeArabia News Service 105 Shares Share We all love a good conspiracy theory. Did a man really walk on the moon? Who really killed JFK? On and on. The medical conspiracy theories have also been around. The anti-vaccine movement has left many children vulnerable to preventable life-threatening diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated conspiracy theorists to the point that they have planted the seeds of doubt in one too many Americans. Social media has been inundated with ludicrous claims of the origin of this coronavirus, and then many physicians and scientists are left to retroactively dismiss the claims with science and facts. However, the damage is already done. We are not to be trusted. We are the puppets. We are the beneficiaries of mass casualties. We are making money by artificially and illegally listing COVID 19 as a cause of death. We want to push for mandatory, deadly, still not created vaccines on the masses. These lies are what are being perpetrated in the social media universe. We have somehow become the scapegoat and enemy, while many physicians have literally put their lives on the line with minimal personal protective equipment and separated themselves from their vulnerable family members for weeks so that they would not bring home a deadly virus. We are known as heroes by some, enemies by others. Applause being met with protestors yelling. Yet through all this, we have a duty as physicians. First, do no harm. I have recently come across people in my life who hold such antagonistic views of physicians and the medical community. At first, I was dumbfounded, and then I became angry. Now I am thinking, how do we go to battle? How do we get ahead of the conspiracy theories and advocate for evidence, science, and ultimately the truth? It is easier to accept a conspiracy than the truth because the truth carries all our fears. It is easier to blame a person or an organization than to come to grips with the eventual fate of our existence. It is easier to deny climate change than to accept that we will eventually be drowned away from rising ocean levels. The clickbait world that we live in has made this phenomenon worse. People research via YouTube videos of sham figures who are out to make some dollar bills. This mistrust of science and the medical community needs to be addressed with a multi-system full force that is unified in its mission. Yes, social media has to do more, but in the meantime, what can we do? I am emotionally and mentally tired from educating people about each and every conspiracy theory. A campaign focused on empowering ourselves with the truth is what is needed. Students in K-12 and in college need a curriculum in fact-checking. Just because 6-year-old Mike said he swam with sharks, does not mean he is telling the truth I tell my kindergartner. My 8-year-old is scared he will never go back to school. If I tell him its a hoax because of corrupt healthcare officials in the government, will that make him feel better? Of course not, and that is why I have empowered him with the truth on the progress we are making with vaccine development. We, as physicians, know that just because COVID-19 is scary, it does not mean we stop fighting. We get to the lab to perform critically needed research, we get to the ICU to administer medications, we get to our computers to analyze peer-reviewed research, and we get to the bedside to hold our patients hands. Fighting a disease that we know little about can seem scary, but the American thing to do is to stand up united and fight. That is the message needed across our airways and our social media platforms. Alya Khan is an occupational medicine physician. Image credit: Shutterstock.com New Delhi/Kabul, May 16 : The diametrically opposite claims of the Afghan government and the US government about the deadly terror attack on the Kabul maternity hospital in which two dozen nurses, mothers and newly-born babies were killed early this week, indicates why the peace deal in Afghanistan is tenuous. While the Ashraf Ghani government has blamed the Taliban for the attack, the Donald Trump administration has held the ISKP responsible, even as neither radical Islamist groups have owned it. The national security advisor to Ghani, Hamdullah Mohib castigated the Taliban saying that if they "cannot control the violence, or their sponsors have now subcontracted their terror to other entities -- which was one of our primary concerns from the beginning" then their seems little point in continuing to engage Taliban in "peace talks". However, the US special representative Zalmay Khalilzad pinned the blame on the ISKP, saying the group opposed the US-peace agreement and sought to trigger an Iraq-style sectarian war in Afghanistan. "Rather than falling into the ISIS trap and delay peace or create obstacles, Afghans must come together to crush this menace and pursue a historic peace opportunity," Khalilzad said. The former vice president of Afghanistan Amralleh Saleh was quick to point out that the Afghan government has the IS chief for South Asia Abu Omar and chief for Khorasan Aslam Faroqi in its custody, implying that the ISKP is decimated in Afghanistan and does not have the capacity to attack. Interestingly, Pakistan had requested for Aslam Farooqi extradition, which the Afghan government rejected last month. "Dots are connected. Neither the Taliban hands nor their stained consciousness can be washed of the blood of women, babies & other innocent in the latest senseless carnage," he tweeted. Many in the Afghan government believes that both the Taliban and the ISKP in Afghanistan are controlled by Pakistan's ISI to keep Afghanistan destabilized. In 2015, in an expansionary move, the ISIS created 'Wilayat Khorasan' (Khurasan Province), a historical region that includes parts of both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The ISKP recruited defectors and disgruntled members from the Taliban, especially Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who fled Pakistani army operations in the FATA after mid-2014. As a result, a turf war between the Afghan Taliban and the ISKP broke out in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, in which the latter was able to seize territory. The province, bordering Pakistan's region formerly known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), became the center of the ISKP operations in Afghanistan. However, the US dropped its mother of non-nuclear bombs, the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), to destroy tunnel complexes used by the ISKP in the province in April 2017. Last year in November, the Afghan and NATO coalition forces defeated the ISKP decisively, forcing hundreds to surrender along with their families. Most of the ISKP members were Pakistani nationals who had infiltrated, four years ago, into Nangarhar province through the Durand Line -- the border which Afghanistan has disputed since it was drawn by the British in 1893. Despite the defeat of the ISKP in the north and east Afghanistan, "US officials caution that ISKP remains a threat, though there reportedly is disagreement within the US government about its nature," a January 2020 US Congressional research report said, adding that "some raise the prospect of Taliban hardliners defecting to ISKP in the event of a settlement with the United States". Security officials in New Delhi who follow the situation in Afghanistan closely agree with the assessment that the hardliners within the Taliban dissatisfied with the terms of the US President Donald Trump's peace deal, may have already switched to the ISKP. "For us, the two groups are different but for them who switch between these groups easily, it is just a change of nomenclature," an officer said. Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (21) Covid-19 patients struggling to communicate in intensive care have been given a voice thanks to a groundbreaking new app. The program, which can be downloaded free on to an iPad, helps people relay messages to doctors and nurses if they are on a ventilator or unable to speak because of medical tubes in their windpipe. The app called myICU voice was developed by Dr Tim Baker and trialled at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. One of our patients used it to ask about her son, says Dr Mark Jefferys, a registrar using the app. It was only then that we realised she had become convinced that he had died and we were able to get him on a video call later that day to reassure her. A new app developed by NHS doctors has given Covid-19 patients in ICU with limited ability to speak the chance to communicate. The App, myICU voice can keep patients in contact with their families New sign language is our top new hobby Locked-down Britons may have been prevented from meeting friends and family over the past couple of months but that hasnt stopped them trying their hand at new hobbies to fill the time. Among the most popular and rewarding searches carried out on Google was how to learn sign language. Almost 13,000 searches have been carried out on the subject since March, when strict new movement rules were brought in a 175 per cent increase, according to data provider SEMrush. Among the most popular and rewarding searches carried out on Google was how to learn sign language How to learn Spanish was searched for 7,910 times, while how to learn French was picked 6,800 times. But Britons also showed a sense of fun too the number of searches of the phrase learn how to backflip soared by 182 per cent. Britons could be at risk of yet another lethal lung disease post-lockdown due to a build-up of dangerous bacteria, experts warn. Employees returning to work in buildings left empty for weeks may be exposed to legionella bacteria, which can thrive in stagnant water systems. When inhaled, it can infiltrate the lungs and cause legionnaires disease, a form of pneumonia. Debbie Wood, of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, issued an urgent warning to businesses to carry out safety checks. It is vital that a second possible public health risk is avoided, she said. PPE with a smiley face Nurses are using emoji stickers designed to look just like them to communicate with children who are frightened of their PPE. Although the visors and masks are essential, they can hide a persons face and expressions. Now the paediatric team at Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust in Surrey have begun using a memoji a smiley cartoon version of themselves attached to the visor to make children feel more relaxed. Paediatric nurse Carrie Reeve says: As one of my young patients put it, You look more friendly. China said it did not know until Jan. 19 how infectious the new coronavirus is, pushing back against accusations that it intentionally withheld information about the severity of the outbreak in Wuhan from the world. While Chinese officials knew that there were signs of human-to-human transmission earlier, it was hard to ascertain the new viruss level of contagiousness, said Zeng Yixin, vice minister of the National Health Commission, at a press briefing in Beijing on Friday. There are diseases like HIV that while infectious, are not easily transmitted from person to person, he said. It was only on Jan. 19 that Chinese scientists concluded that the virus spreads easily among people and China released that information to the world the next day, said Zeng. The accounting of events from top officials came as China faces growing blame for a delay in sounding the alarm about the coronavirus, which allowed people to spread it unwittingly for some time. Zeng was responding to an Associated Press report in April that cited confidential documents showing Chinese officials were internally discussing the possibility of widespread infections six days before President Xi Jinping warned the public of the dangers of the virus. The alleged delay resulted in millions of people traveling from Wuhan to elsewhere in the country and the world, seeding a pandemic that has now sickened over 4.4 million people and killed over 300,000. Giving a rundown of events since the crisis began, Zeng said that China concluded on Jan. 9 that it was dealing with a novel coronavirus and began developing test kits the next day. On Jan. 12, it informed the World Health Organization about the outbreak. On Jan. 14, a national meeting of provincial health officials was held. Many uncertainties remained. We understood theres more research needed on human-to-human transmission and we couldnt rule out the chance of a further spread of the virus, said Zeng. But we couldnt reach conclusions to many questions. Trumps WHO Attack Accelerates Breakdown in Global Cooperation Besides its alleged delay in disclosing information on the virus outbreak at an earlier stage, China has also faced skepticism about its official tallies of deaths and infections. The pandemic has revived tensions between the worlds two largest economies. China and the US are escalating disputes from visas to supply chains as the two countries continue blaming each other regarding the origins of the virus, a mystery that global experts are trying to unravel. Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo accused China of covering up the virus by silencing doctors who tried to warn about the disease and ordering that samples be destroyed on Jan. 3. Liu Dengfeng, another NHC official, said that China did issue a document on Jan. 3 about lab safety and that the countrys regulations have clear requirements for how to handle samples, including their destruction. The comments made by these US officials are taken out of context and intended to confuse the public, Liu said, adding that China has shared samples with countries including the US, UK and Australia in recent years. Along with the US, countries including Australia and Germany have sought an investigation into how the previously unknown virus made the jump from animals to humans before being discovered in Wuhan last year. What We Dont Know About Coronavirus Origins Might Kill Us Asked if China rejected a request from the WHO to visit the P4 lab in Wuhan that some have speculated is linked to the virus, NHC official Li Mingzhu said the agency has never asked to visit a particular lab in China and its thus not true that such a request was turned down. Li wasnt asked if China would allow access to the lab if a request was made. While the number of infections has dropped dramatically in China, the nation still faces the threat of a second wave after a new cluster emerged in its northeastern region ahead of high-profile political meetings scheduled to convene next week in Beijing. Xi on Thursday called for stronger measures to contain any risk that could undermine the countrys success so far. In Wuhan, officials have been directed to prepare for mass testing the entire population of 11 million after new cases were reported for the first time since the citys lockdown lifted in April. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The trade union bureaucracy has seized on the unprecedented health and socio-economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic to deepen its already close partnership with the pro-war, pro-austerity Trudeau Liberal government and powerful sections of Canadas corporate elite. The unions, like their close allies in the New Democratic Party (NDP), have supported the massive bailout of the banks, other investors, and big business orchestrated by the Trudeau government and the Bank of Canada, while helping the ruling elite force workers who have lost their jobs onto ration-style temporary relief. Now, with the ruling class mounting a back-to-work campaign, seeking to reopen non-essential business and services in the midst of a raging pandemic, the unions are doing everything in their power to suppress worker resistance to returning to unsafe workplaces. The unions corporatist anti-worker alliance with big business was epitomized by a joint statement from Canadian Labour Congress President Hassan Yussuff and Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) head Perrin Beatty published in Mondays Hill Times. Entitled Canada needs a national task force on how best to reboot the economy, it argued that a tripartite alliance between government, big business, and the unions is a critical mechanism for intensifying the exploitation of the working class and strengthening Canadian imperialisms global position amid the deepest crisis of world capitalism since the Great Depression. This statement is the outcome of weeks of close cooperation between the trade unions, the CCC and other leading business lobby groups. In early March, as COVID-19 cases surged in North America and stock markets suffered their biggest ever losses, Yussuff called for a collaborative front between employers and the unions. Behind the scenes, the CLC, Unifor, the Quebec Federation of Labour and the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN) held consultations with the government, Beatty and other business representatives on how to salvage Canadian big business and prevent the economic collapse from sparking massive social unrest. This resulted in over $650 billion being funnelled into the banks and big business so as to rescue the fortunes of the rich and super-rich. Workers who have lost their jobs or are unable to work due to the pandemic, meanwhile, are being provided just $2,000 per month through the temporary Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). Underscoring their role as the labour lieutenants of capital, the unions and NDP have sought to cover up the ruthless, naked class character of the governments response to the economic collapse triggered by the pandemic. About the governments bailout of the financial elite and on a scale that dwarfs even that engineered by the Harper Conservative government amid the 2008 global financial crisis, the unions and social-democratic NDP politicians have breathed not a word, helping to conceal the ruling classs looting of the treasury. On the other hand, they have heaped praise on the CERB and the no strings-attached wage subsidy for employers and invoked them to laud the progressive Liberal government and its readiness to seek common ground. A March 18 statement from the CLC, for example, enthused that the unions were pleased with the governments measures to help Canadian families. The statement continued, This financial aid package will help deliver money directly to the workers who need it most (see: Canadas trade unions back Liberal coronavirus plan to bail out big business, place workers on rations). The close to two months since have provided a devastating verdict on these demagogic and complacent claims. The corporate elite has seized on the unlimited government largesse extended it to initiate a massive assault on the working class through the imposition of lay-offs and stepped-up exploitation. The latest Statistics Canada figures show that 1.9 million workers lost their jobs in April, including over 600,000 in manufacturing and construction. Meanwhile, food bank use has skyrocketed as families struggle to make ends meet. Leading politicians now regularly threaten the withdrawal of the meagre CERB to bully workers on the verge of financial ruin back to work. However, none of this interests the unions and their corporate allies. Once the public purse had been successfully raided, they switched gears to mounting a reckless back-to-work drive. Beginning in mid-April and culminating in this weeks Hill Times statement from Yussuff and Beatty, the union bureaucracy released a series of statements and documents, many of them co-authored with big business representatives, aimed at justifying and providing political cover for forcing workers to return to work. Taken together, these statements systematically downplayed the risk posed by the pandemic, accepted without question the right of big business to risk workers lives for corporate profits, and advanced a reactionary Canadian nationalist narrative to claim that were all in this together. The April 15 joint statement: the unions join hands with bankers and the Liberal government On April 15, a joint statement was issued by federal Labour Minister Filomena Tassi, the CLC, Unifor, FTQ, CSN, the Bankers Association of Canada, and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, among others. Its contents make clear that the unions first priority is to secure the profits and wealth of Canadas ruling elite by smothering working class opposition. As the pandemic continued to spread, with well over 1,000 cases and more than 100 deaths being reported on a daily basis throughout April, the well-paid union bureaucrats and their corporate cronies warned that it would be necessary to remain flexible and adaptable in how we respond above all, we must continue to work together. Workers and bosses share common goals, continued the statement, including the need to protect the health, safety, and well-being of Canadian workers and keep Canadian businesses ready to come roaring back and ensure the economy can recover by getting people back to work quickly and in a safe manner. That the blather about health and safety was little more than window dressing can be seen by the unions response to the mass outbreaks of COVID-19 at meat packing plants and to the states failure to ensure even frontline health care workers have the requisite Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)a failure that has resulted in thousands of infections and a mounting toll of deaths. At the Cargill meat packing plant in High River, Alberta, where over 900 workers were infected, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union refused to organize any job action, even though the company, as it itself noted, flagrantly ignored safety precautions. Eager to prove the unions reliability in enforcing contacts and upholding the big business-designed collective bargaining system, UFCW Canada Vice-President Thomas Hesse publicly denounced any suggestion Cargill meatpackers take strike action to protect their health and lives, because A work stoppage would not be legal. While ensuring that workers are herded back into unsafe workplaces, the unions collaborative front with big business also entails submission to mass layoffs. Neither the trade unions nor their NDP parliamentary allies have done anything to organize resistance among 1,200 Toronto Transit Commission workers, 1,000 Resolute Forest Products workers in Quebec, 1,100 Calfrac Well Services workers across North America, 1,500 Translink transit workers in Vancouver, 1,500 employees of Halifax Regional Municipality or 1,000 Shaw Communications workers across Canada, to mention only some of the largest lay-offs announced over the past few weeks. The May 8 CLC statement: the unions assist a reckless reopening of the economy On May 8, the CLC released a document cynically entitled Health and safety conditions for reopening sectors of the economy. Its purpose is to provide the unions with political cover as they line up behind the drive of corporate Canada and its political hirelings to prioritize profit over human lives by reopening huge swathes of the economy without even ensuring elementary protective measures for workers and their families. The statement lays out at great length detailed requirements for workplace safety and worker protection. A typical passage reads, Before opening, employers must have in place a safety plan that keeps workers healthy and safe and ensures that workplaces dont contribute to the spread of COVID-19 in the community. Specifically, employers must have an infection prevention and control plan, developed with the participation of workplace health and safety committees, or worker health and safety representatives. This plan must be in place before an employer is allowed to re-open. This plan must include a detailed health and safety response in the event of a workplace COVID-19 outbreak. Governments must have the capacity and commitment to enforcing occupational health and safety laws. This is all hot air, aimed at shoring up the unions rapidly diminishing credibility in the eyes of working people. The well-paid bureaucrats know full well that Canadas federal and provincial labour boards invariably side with the corporate bosses. Out of more than 200 workplace safety complaints received by authorities in Ontario related to COVID-19, not a single one has been upheld. The unions are working hand-in-glove with management to open huge plants where infection prevention is next to impossible, including the Detroit Threes auto production facilities in Ontario. In Quebec, the Quebec Federation of Labour applauded the back-to-work drive spearheaded by the provinces right-wing populist premier, Francois Legault, as an economic recovery plan. This under conditions where Legaults government has not even managed to supply PPE to all health care workers, and systematic COVID-19 testing is not being carried out at care facilities where dozens have died and scores of workers have fallen sick. The unions callous indifference to this reality does not flow from ignorance, but is a deliberate policy aimed at corralling workers back to their jobs so the financial elite can begin raking in profits once again. As the CLC noted in its Health and safety document, forcing millions of workers back to work is a monumental challenge in the era of COVID-19, but it is a challenge that we must meet. At no point did the CLC bureaucrats even consider calling for a shutdown of all non-essential activities until the pandemic is contained, because to do so would require expropriating the wealth of the corporations and super-rich to support working people through the crisis. The May 11 joint statement: Unions and bosses promote Canadian nationalism and an imperialist agenda The latest statement issued under the joint byline of the CLCs Yussuff and Beatty, a former Conservative cabinet minister and current president of the Chamber of Commerce, sums up the intimate collaboration that has taken place between the unions and corporate elite in recent months. It seeks to conceal the anti-worker character of this collaboration with reactionary Canadian nationalist appeals, while pledging the CLCs support for Canadian imperialism as it seeks to uphold and advance its world position in the face of an unprecedented economic collapse and a surge in global commercial and geopolitical antagonisms. The pandemic has tied our wellbeing to one another like never before, the statement begins, before adding, Our fellow Canadians are relying on collective effort to overcome this crisis. Time and again, Canadas trade unions have wrapped themselves in the Maple Leaf over the past four decades to ram through unpopular measures to boost the competitive position of Canadian capital on the world stage and attack wages and working conditions for workers. From the Canadian Auto Workers nationalist split in the mid-1980s from the UAW to the unions promotion of Trudeau and his Liberals as a progressive alternative to the Conservatives, claims that all Canadians are in it together and that Canadian capitalism is, or can be, a kinder, gentler alternative to the rapacious US dollar republic have served to disarm the working class in the face of a ruling class offensive on their jobs, wages and social and democratic rights. Yussuff and Beatty make clear that driving workers back-to-work amid the pandemic is but the beginning of a massive new assault on the working class aimed at strengthening the competitive position of Canadian big business and its ability to assert its predatory interests on the world stage, through intrigue, aggression and war. The pandemic will change how we live, how we work and how we use technology, write the partners Yussuff and Beatty. We will enter recovery with substantial new public and private debt. The reversal of decades of economic globalization and international supply chains will create challenges for a trading nation like ours. We will need to revisit policies on health care infrastructure, strategic reserves of key supplies, and ensuring domestic production facilities for critical medical equipment. Canada requires a process to discuss these transformational changes and to avoid stakeholders going off in different directions [emphasis added]. Coming straight from the horses mouth, the message being sent to the ruling elite by the union bureaucracy could not be clearer. The formation of a long-term corporatist alliance, a national economic task force, will help tackle the challenges for a trading nation and other transformational changes, like how to reduce substantial new public and private debt, without stakeholders going off in different directionsi.e., without triggering an explosion of working class opposition to capitalist austerity and war. Workers must build rank-and-file committees to assert their class interests and fight for socialism The union bureaucracys intensification of its partnership with big business and government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is a global phenomenon. In the US, the UAW, like Unifor, has plotted with the automakers to overcome worker resistance to a premature reopening of the plants. In Europe, the Trades Union Congress in Britain, and IG Metall and other major unions in Germany are assisting governments in herding workers back to unsafe workplaces and appealing on behalf of the major corporations for bailouts. In Canada, as around the world, the unions have become ever more integrated with corporate management and the state over the past four decades. The development of this tripartite union-state-big business alliance against the working class has been driven by objective changes in the structure of world capitalism and the material interests of the labour bureaucracy, an upper-middle class layer that feeds on the crumbs capital rewards it for its services in policing the working class. Based on an acceptance of capitalist private property, the unions have always been hostile to the struggle for socialism and traditionally sought to limit the activity of the working class to pressuring the bosses for better wages and working conditions. However, with the globalization of production in the 1980s, the unions and their social democratic allies in parties such as the NDP, the British Labour Party and German SPD junked their traditional national reformist programs, which had been based on the possibility of placing certain restraints in capital within the confines of a nationally regulated market. Instead, the labour bureaucrats sought to defend their privileges by imposing wage and job cuts to attract investors and boost global corporate competitiveness, and by developing new sinecures though their burgeoning corporatist partnership with management and the stateincluding investment funds, of which in Canada, the QFLs Solidarity Fund with its more than $9 billion in assets is the most notorious example. As part of this sharp shift to the right, the NDP, as exemplified by the actions of the 1990-95 Ontario NDP government under Bob Rae, imposed brutal austerity on the working class whenever it came to power in the provinces. The unions for their part, shaken by the mass working class upsurge against the Ontario Tory government of Mike Harris and its Thatcherite Common Sense Revolution, began in the late 1990s, to develop an intimate partnership with the Liberals. Although this began at the provincial level in Ontario, where the union-backed McGuinty-Wynne Liberal governments imposed further austerity and tax cuts for big business and the rich from 2003-18, the unions went on to become a key pillar of Justin Trudeaus federal Liberal government when it came to power in 2015. Over the past five years, the unions have supported and helped implement many of Trudeaus major initiatives, including the negotiation of the US/Mexico/Canada Agreement (USMCA) to replace NAFTA, and a massive rearmament program. USMCA is a crucial part of the Canadian ruling elites strategy of deepening its military-strategic partnership with US imperialism by consolidating a North American trade bloc under Washingtons leadership, which can be used to compete economically and militarily with Canadian imperialisms global rivals, above all Russia and China. Workers cannot reform the unions or reverse their integration with business and the state, either through a change of leadership or with pressure from below, as their pseudo-left hangers-on claim. As has been show time and again, the union bureaucrats will respond to working class pressure and rank-and-file initiative by throwing their arms even more tightly around the necks of their big business and government partners, and with deception and ruthlessness seek to supress strikes and smother popular opposition. Workers can assert their class interests only through a political and organizational break with pro-capitalist unions. This requires the establishment of rank-and-file committees in factories and all other workplaces, independent of and in opposition to the unions, to fight for the immediate measures needed to staunch the pandemic and protect the livelihoods of working people. This program must include irreconcilable opposition to the efforts of the capitalist class to prioritize private profit over human life. It must contain demands for hundreds of billions to support the health care system, laid off workers, and small businesses. These funds can and must be obtained through the expropriation of big business and seizure of the hundreds of billions in government funds handed over to the banks and rich investors. The realization of these urgently required measures is unthinkable unless the working class wages a frontal assault on the capitalist profit system and its private ownership of the means of production. Workers fighting to establish rank-and-file committees must therefore link their struggle for the measures urgently needed to contain the pandemic with the development of an independent working class political movement aimed at breaking the stranglehold of the financial oligarchy over society through the establishment of a workers government committed to socialist policies. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has given the federal government a 48-hour ultimatum to declare the whereabouts of the Chinese medical team it brought in to assist in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in our country. The PDPs position is predicated on the declaration by the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, that he could not account for the whereabouts of the Chinese team, who were brought into the country from the global epicentre of the pandemic. The 15-member team of Chinese medical personnel arrived in 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. Forty Eight Hours Ultimatum In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party stated that the ministers statement had heightened apprehensions in the public space that the Chinese team, whose identity and activities have been shrouded in secrecy, might have been brought in by a certain cabal for another purpose outside the general public good. The party described as suspicious, creepy and weird that the minister of health, who had repeatedly assured that the Chinese were brought to render medical services and trainings; and even went personally to receive them at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on April 8, 2020; in an elaborately publicised event, can no longer account for the team. The PDP recalls how officials of the APC-led administration had vehemently defended the invitation of the Chinese team and offered them full state protocol upon arrival, only to now turn around to disclaim the supposed experts, deny involvement with them and even forbid Nigerians from enquiring about their whereabouts. Our party is worried that the APC-led Federal Government is being economical with the truth, with its officials playing politics with the lives of our citizens and health safety of our nation. The PDP holds that governments inability to account for the Chinese team amounts to direct betrayal of public trust, which has heightened fears of conspiracies by certain unpatriotic interests in the APC and its administration to compromise the health architecture of our nation and expose our citizens to danger. President Muhammadu Buhari [PHOTO: Presidency] Nigerians can recall how the Federal Government had failed to respond to demands by our party and other well-meaning Nigerians for the particulars of the members of the team, their medical status, scope of operation, detailed itinerary within our country as well as the safety of the equipment they brought into our nation. He said the party had expressed worry over scary reports of escalation of the scourge in certain countries reportedly after the arrival of Chinese medical personnel in those countries and insisted that the APC administration should be held responsible should there be any sudden upsurge in COVID-19 infection and deaths in our country, with the arrival of the said Chinese medical team. We invite Nigerians to note that whereas our nations COVID-19 data, upon the arrival of the Chinese team in April, stood at 254 confirmed cases with 44 successfully treated by our doctors and 6 deaths, which reportedly had other underlining ailments. Today, the data stands at no less than 5,450 cases and 171 deaths. Our party therefore insists that the PTF on COVID-19 should immediately come out with the truth and provide explanations on the whereabouts of the team in the next 48 hours so as to douse the tension in the country. He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant while intensifying personal and public health safety strategies at this critical time. The Defence Headquarters says Boko Haram terrorists in the Sambisa Forest of Borno have been set in disarray, following massive airstrikes conducted by the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole (OPLD) on Friday. The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, John Enenche, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja. Mr Enenche, a major-general, said the operation was executed based on credible intelligence reports as well as series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. He added that the reports revealed that the terrorists were importing additional fighters as well as increasing their logistics stocks preparatory to launching attacks on troops locations and surrounding civilian settlements. According to him, the air task force dispatched an enhanced force package of attack aircraft and a surveillance platform to engage the location. Overhead the target area, significant activity of the terrorists was observed in different parts of the settlement. READ ALSO: The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets took turns in attacking the target area, neutralising many BHTs as well as destroying their logistics facilities and other structures in successive passes, thereby further degrading their will to fight. The armed forces of Nigeria, operating in concert with other security agencies and stakeholders, will sustain the offensive against the enemies of our great nation. We shall not relent until peace and normalcy are restored not only in the Northeast but also in every other troubled region of our beloved country, he said. (NAN) Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 06:51:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LISBON, May 15 (Xinhua) -- President of the Eurogroup Mario Centeno said on Friday that the 540 billion-euro economic response package to coronavirus is being made possible "in record time". "The last Eurogroup was just one week ago. We have been busy making good on our promise to add a new line of defence of up to 540 billion euros. I can report good progress today. The ground-breaking political decisions taken in the Eurogroup a month ago are being translated into legal reality in record time," Centeno said in a statement following the Eurogroup videoconference. Centeno, who is also Portugal's Minister of Finance, said all countries in the eurozone are confirmed as "eligible" to receive financial support. "Member States are doing everything possible to control this pandemic, the ESM (European Stability Mechanism) Board of Governors is ready to support them," he declared. "The costs of direct and indirect health care, costs of cure and prevention, can be covered by the mechanism. Therefore, the first safety net is already in place," he said. Centeno also pointed out that the SURE program (Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency), aimed at European workers, will become law in a few days to protect jobs and income during the pandemic. "The SURE program means that these efforts are supported by European solidarity, in the form of cheap loans," he said. Regarding companies, the president of the Eurogroup said that the so-called EIB (the European Investment Bank) Pan-European Guarantee is also moving towards a definition of the main parameters. "Member States have taken unprecedented steps to keep companies afloat during this crisis. It is essential to have this common safety net in order to keep companies viable in business and prevent fragmentation of the single market," he stressed. Centeno pledged that Europe will "need something more" after the pandemic to "accelerate the economic recovery and ensure that we grow together". He explained that the recovery fund must be temporary, targeted and proportional to the extraordinary costs of this crisis. "The recovery is an opportunity to accelerate the modernization of our economies, in particular the transition to a green and digital economy," he said. According to the Eurogroup president, policies will be needed to restart the single market and preserve the integrity of supply chains. "We will continue to monitor the economic situation closely and prepare the ground for a robust recovery," he added. Enditem By PTI NEW DELHI: Mathematical modeling studies suggest containment of COVID-19 might be possible but success of containment operations "cannot be guaranteed" since there is efficient human to human transmission, the Union health ministry said on Saturday. It also said there is no approved drug or vaccine for the treatment of COVID-19 as of now and Chemoprophylaxis with Hydroxychloroquine are recommended for healthcare workers and high-risk contacts. "Since there is efficient human to human transmission, success of containment operations cannot be guaranteed. Mathematical modeling studies suggest containment might be possible," the health ministry said. The government has drawn out a containment plan as clusters posing a high risk of further spread of COVID-19 have emerged. The cluster containment strategy aims to contain the spread of the disease within a defined geographic area by early detection of cases, breaking the chain of transmission and thus preventing its spread to new areas. For institutional mechanisms and inter-sectoral coordination at the national level, the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) and the Committee of Secretaries (CoS) will be activated. The NCMC will coordinate with health and non-health sectors on issues flagged by the health ministry. "The concerned state will activate the State Crisis Management Committee or the State Disaster Management Authority, as the case may be to manage the clusters of COVID-19," a document by the health ministry read. There will be regular co-ordination meetings between the Centre and the affected states through video conference, it said. The document said India would follow a strategic approach for possible scenarios - travel-related cases reported in India, local transmission of COVID-19, large outbreaks amenable to containment, widespread community transmission of the disease and India becoming endemic for COVID-19. According to the document, "Containment for large outbreaks through geographic quarantine strategy calls for near-absolute interruption of movement of people to and from a relatively large defined area where there is single large outbreak or multiple foci of local transmission of COVID-19". "In simple terms, it is a barrier erected around the focus of infection. geographic quarantine shall be applicable to such areas reporting large outbreak and/or multiple clusters of COVID-19 spread over multiple blocks of one or more districts that are contiguous," it said. The cluster containment strategy would include geographic quarantine, social distancing measures, enhanced active surveillance, testing all suspected cases, isolation of cases, quarantine of contacts and risk communication to create awareness among the public on preventive public health measures, the document stated. As far as the evidence for implementing geographic quarantine is concerned, the document said that the "current geographic distribution of COVID-19 mimics the distribution of H1N1 pandemic influenza". "This suggests that while the spread of COVID-19 in our population could be high, it's unlikely that it will be uniformly affecting all parts of the country," the ministry said. Large-scale measures to contain COVID-19 over large territories have been tried in China. Mathematical modelling studies have suggested that containment might be possible especially when other public health interventions are combined with an effective social distancing strategy, the document stated. The ministry listed some of the factors affecting large outbreak cluster containment. A number of variables determine the success of the containment operations through geographic quarantine which include the number and size of the cluster and also how efficiently the virus is transmitting in Indian population, taking into account environmental factors especially temperature and humidity, it said. The factors also include public health response in terms of active case finding, testing of large number of cases, immediate isolation of suspect and confirmed cases and quarantine of contacts along with the geographical characteristics of the area. According to the document, the authorities will do extensive contact tracing and active search for cases in the containment zone, test all suspect cases and high-risk contacts, isolate all suspect or confirmed cases, implement social distancing measures and intensive risk communication as part of the cluster containment strategy. For large outbreaks amenable to containment, the document stated that the strategy will remain the same but vary in extent depending upon spread and response to be mounted to contain it. The government on Saturday said it is set to sail maiden containerised Exim Cargo from Haldia Dock Complex to Narayanganj, Bangladesh, via Indo-Bangla Protocol (IBP) route. This is the first time that cargo consignment is to being exported through IBP route. "In line with Government's focus on strengthening regional connectivity through inland waterways, maiden containerised EXIM cargo consignment is set to sail from Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) to Narayanganj, Bangladesh," Ministry of Shipping said in a statement. It said 64 TEUs (Twenty Feet Equivalent Units) of steel fillings / pig iron ingots, of West Bengal-based steel manufacturer Rashmi Metaliks Ltd will be exported to Bangladesh via National Waterway 1, National Waterway 97 (Sundarbans) and IBP Route. Loading will start after getting clearance from customs, it said. It is expected to open up possibilities for movement of other commodities on inland waterways between India and Bangladesh. Currently, IBP route is mostly used for transportation of Bulk cargo like fly-ash, coal, stone chips and over-dimensional cargo for export to Bangladesh. Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, "The Maiden Exim cargo movement through National Waterways is a landmark moment and we are very delighted with our recent development in shipping sector. This environment-friendly mode of transportation would escalate business growth and contribute to the economic development of the country." India's exports to Bangladesh in FY 2018-19 stood at USD 9.21 billion and imports from Bangladesh during the same period were USD 1.04 billion. The government said given the trade volume, this movement is a welcome development as it will not only reduce the congestions on Land Custom Stations at Petrapole, Gojadanga etc but also reduce the cost of logistics, air pollution and GHG emissions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fifty-one babies born to surrogate mothers are stranded in Ukraine -- lying in rows of cots in a small hotel on the outskirts of Kiev, as the lockdown prevents parents from the United States, Europe and elsewhere from collecting them. Ukraine imposed a ban on foreigners entering in March, and most parents have only seen their newborns through pictures and video calls with the clinic. Rafa Aires from Spain managed to get in before the lockdown. He was united with his daughter Marta but cannot leave as Kiev has suspended almost all flights and he needs to finish the paperwork. He says the situation has been tough on him and his wife, waiting at home: "Every day I make video calls with my wife for one hour or an hour and a half for her to see a baby. It is the only thing I can do for my wife to stay happy. It is very difficult, it is very difficult. (...) The nurses and medical personnel in this hotel are wonderful for me. They make my life easier." The government says it can only permit parents to enter Ukraine if it receives a request from the relevant embassy. So the BioTexCom clinic, which runs The Hotel Venice, released video footage of the babies to raise public awareness and spur the government into acting more quickly. Reaction from the authorities was then swift. Lyudmyla Denisova, a human rights expert for the Ukrainian parliament, said the video showed the country had a "massive and systemic" surrogacy industry where babies were advertised as a "high quality product." "She suggested looking into changing the law to allow only Ukrainian parents to use such services. She also ordered checks on the clinic but said she found that BioTexCom was following all procedures correctly. Surrogacy is legal in Ukraine and at BioTexCom, a surrogate mother receives about $15,000-$17,000. Currently, the parents of 16 of the babies have been able to travel to Ukraine so far. - Abduba Dida blamed Uhuru for the rising coronavirus infection in Kenya saying the government did not take it seriously - The politician said the government was punishing Kenyans for its own failures by allowing Chinese nationals into Kenya - The fiery government critic suggested Uhuru should compensate all the victims and families of Kenyans who succumbed to the deadly virus Former presidential candidate Mohamed Abduba Dida has called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to take personal responsibility for the coronavirus crisis in Kenya. The fiery government critic said the head of state should compensate all the victims and families of Kenyans who succumbed to the deadly virus. READ ALSO: Police arrests man at lover's house wearing father-in-law's stolen military uniform Abduda said the government was punishing Kenyans for its own failures. Photo: Mohamed Abduba Dida. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: It was their own agenda: Tanzania breaks silence on snubbing EAC heads of state meeting over COVID-19 He blamed Uhuru for the spread of the virus saying he failed to handle the matter with seriousness when it allowed in Chinese nationals despite the dangers they posed to many. Coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan city of China in November 2019, many countries suspended passenger flights from the Asian nation over fear of exporting the virus. READ ALSO: Form political alliance with KANU at your own peril - Analyst Edward Kisiangani President Uhuru announced extension of the night curfew for 21 days. His critics claimed some of the measures should have effected much earlier. Photo: Uhuru Kenyatta. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Jamaa auguza majeraha baada ya kudaiwa kushambuliwa na MCA "President Uhuru Kenyatta is joking. His government mismanaged this crisis by allowing Chinese nationals and travellers free access. It is entirely his mistake that COVID-19 got to this point. Why is he therefore punishing Kenyans? He must also compensate all COVID-19 victims," he tweeted. Abduba was reacting to government decision to prolong the dusk-to-dawn curfew for 21 days in a desperate attempt to slow the infection curve. This, according to the politician, was akin to punishing Kenyans for what the failures of the government which acted late to combat the disease. Uhuru in his address on Saturday, May 16, also extended cessation of movement into and out of Kwale, Kilifi, Nairobi and Mombasa counties for the same period. Kenya's numbers rose to 850 after 49 patients were reported while deaths jumped to 50 on the same day. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. My wife left me at my lowest, chose alcohol over our children - Kennedy Mwangi | My Story | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke - President Uhuru Kenyatta extended curfew and cessation of movement into and out of the select counties for 21 days until June 6, 2020 - He said studies showed most countries that relaxed some of their control measures recorded significant increase later on - The head of state said his government was doing all it could to protect Kenyans from the deadly infection and will not make regrettable decisions President Uhuru Kenyatta has extended the dusk to dawn curfew in Kenya for additional 21 days up to June 6, 2020. At the same time, Uhuru announced extension of cessation of movement into and out of the counties of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale and Mandera for the same period of time. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Kenya records 49 new cases as govt tightens its measures President Uhuru said he was not going to make a decision that the country will regret later. Photo: State House Kenya. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Uhuru allocates land to Rwanda to construct dry port in Naivasha The head of state said the decision was agreed based on critical analysis of the situations in other countries which had relaxed their restrictions. "The nationwide dusk-to-dawn curfew that is currently in force extended for a further period of 21 days up to and until June 6 2020. The cessation of movement into and out of the Nairobi metropolitan area and the counties of Kilifi, Kwale, Mombasa and Mandera that is currently in force shall also be extended upto and until June 6, 2020, he said. READ ALSO: Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi threatens to lift the lid on Chris Msando's murder READ ALSO: Kenya closes border with Tanzania, Somalia following spike in imported COVID-19 cases He cited Ghana and Singapore which recorded significant increase in numbers of deaths and cases after easing some of their coronavirs control measures. Though the president noted with concern the pandemic was taking its toll on the Kenyan economy, he said the whole world was going through similar challenges. He assured Kenyan business community of the government economy recovery plans adding that he was not ready to make decisions that the country will regret later. The whole world is walking through the valley of the shadow of death. However, I know that the firmness of our resolve as a nation, the fidelity of each and every one in keeping the enemy at bay, and Gods enduring Grace, will see us into the light, he added. The nationwide curfew was first declared effective from Friday, March 27, to curb the spread of the virus, but it was extended for 21 days which was to end today (May 16). The president said all movement would be restricted in the said time for everyone with the exception of health workers and other essential service providers. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. My wife left me at my lowest, chose alcohol over our children - Kennedy Mwangi | My Story | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Russia has launched the production of its advanced Su-35 fighter jets under a contract with Egypt, TASS reported citing a military diplomatic source. "The Gagarin Aircraft Plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur has launched the production of Su-35, intended to be delivered to the Egyptian Air Force under the contract signed in 2018," the source said. "The timeframe for first batchs delivery to the Egyptian side has not been set yet, due to restrictions imposed by the novel coronavirus outbreak," he added. TASS has been unable to officially confirm the information by the time of the publication. Russias Kommersant daily reported in March 2019 that Egypt had decided to purchase several Russian-made Su-35 fighter jets for about $2 billion. The signing of the deal has never been confirmed by official sources. The Pentagon said Friday it was still too early to resume all military exercises between South Korea and the United States in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. It is still too early to resume all military exercises between South Korea and the United States in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, the Pentagon said Friday. The allies postponed their springtime combined military exercises slated for March amid growing concerns about the spread of COVID-19 in South Korea. U.S. Forces Korea said Friday it is maintaining current restrictions on service members' off-post activities following an increase in new infections in the country. "We have not fully restored all of our exercises in the face of this," Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said during a press briefing. "There's a lot that has to take place before we can do that. But I will say that USFK has continued to do maneuvering, to do tabletop exercises. They've been flying. They've been maneuvering. They've been working with the Republic of Korea military throughout, and will continue to do so." On the COVID-19 situation in North Korea, he questioned the regime's claims of zero confirmed cases. "I'm not going to get into intel matters about what we do and don't know on that," Hoffman said. "I think it's safe to say that it would be highly unusual if there was one place in the world that didn't have coronavirus." (Yonhap) Fans are furious that they have been automatically signed up for a pricey annual subscriptions after using Chris Hemsworth's popular fitness app. Social media pages for Centr, the Marvel star's app, have been flooded with complaints by disgruntled users who suddenly found money had left their accounts. During the coronavirus pandemic, with gyms still closed across much of the country, Australians were offered a six-week free trial of the app. It offers workouts to do at home, designed by the actor's crack team of trainers, and some videos even promised a glimpse of the Thor star himself. But six weeks later, some customers found that they had been stung with huge charges. Chris Hemsworth (pictured) has been criticised for his fitness app, which users claim has charged them without their knowledge One Melbourne couple were each charged $95.99 for an annual subscription - nearly $200 from a household who had lost work during the pandemic. '$200 is a lot of money, maybe not to Chris but to us,' Daniel O'Kane from Melbourne told A Current Affair. Along with his wife, Jill, Mr O'Kane had signed up for the app in March after missing out on their regular gym visits. After just one workout, they stopped using the app as they weren't impressed by the offering. Six weeks later, a whopping $191.98 left their household bank account, without any receipt or confirmation of payment being emailed to them, they claimed. 'I was pretty upset and then kind of thinking like, "oh, is this my fault? Like, am I an idiot, did I just forget?", he explained. Chris Hemsworth (pictured) launched the app, Centr, earlier this year, and offered users a free six-week trial during the coronavirus pandemic The app (pictured) gives users access to workouts with some of Hemsworth's favourite trainers, as well as dozens of healthy recipes 'Then I'm looking, maybe I'll get a reminder, I thought. 'I looked through my emails and there's nothing there and they didn't even send a receipt. So, I thought that was really unusual.' He accused the actor of being 'un-Australian' for taking people's money without any reminder. 'I remember one of the first emails I got from Centr was from Chris Hemsworth saying "thanks for putting your trust in me". 'And then they take our money, they don't give us a receipt, or any reminder, it just seems bloody un-Australian to me.' Jacintha Soo Ho also told the programme she had been charged $95.99 without warning, even after she cancelled before the free trial ended. Hemsworth (pictured) has promoted the app online, saying it offers world-leading workouts straight into people's homes The Centre app (pictured) has been criticised by some users, with many mentioning that Hemsworth doesn't feature in all the videos 'He seems trustworthy. He is a big Hollywood superstar,' she said. 'I actually went into my account to click some kind of button that said either unsubscribe or stop auto-repayments.' Both have since received a full refund. A spokesman for the app told the programme: 'Centr's extended free trial period was a genuine offer made with the intention of helping people to stay strong, healthy and calm during this challenging time. 'The terms and conditions, which are standard for any subscription-based service, were clearly displayed upon sign-up, outlining that if the trial was not cancelled within the six-week period, the customer's nominated plan would be charged.' The Centr app (pictured) includes meal plans, daily workouts, meditations and access to a 24/7 community offering support, tips and exclusive bonus content For Immediate Release Chicago, IL May 11, 2020 Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Sempra Energy SRE, Prevail Therapeutics PRVL and Sprouts Farmers Market SFM. Here are highlights from Fridays Analyst Blog: The World vs. a Virus: Zacks May Strategy The following is an excerpt from Zacks Chief Strategist John Blanks full May Market Strategy reportTo access the full PDF, click here There are a variety of facets to the worlds COVID19 battle scenes. Take them all in at the same time to see most clearly where COVID19 matters stand. (1) On May 1st, Cambridge, MA-based biotech Moderna announced an agreement with Swiss drug maker Lonza Group to manufacture up to a billion doses per year of mRNA-1273, Moderna's vaccine candidate for the novel coronavirus. The two companies initially plan to establish manufacturing capabilities at Lonza's facilities in the U.S. and Switzerland to make the vaccine at both locations, with additional production suites to be established across Lonza's worldwide facilities under a 10-year agreement. The companies expect to produce the first batches of mRNA-1273 at Lonza's U.S. facility in July 2020. A portion of the funding for the manufacturing operations in the U.S. will come from Moderna's contract with Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2) Sir John Bell, the Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford University, said on Sunday May 3rd that researchers at that major U.K. university who are working on a potential vaccine for the coronavirus would likely have an idea of its efficacy by June. The Oxford researchers hope to generate enough data from Phase Two trials to get evidence that the vaccine has efficacy by the beginning of June. Story continues Bell called the chances of success in developing a vaccine pretty good, adding We are gradually reeling it in, bit by bit and as every day goes by, the likelihood of success goes up. (3) COVID-19 shutdowns are still in place, but many European countries are getting ready to test post-lockdown life. Italian factories and building sites reopen from Monday May 4th, after Europes longest lockdown So will German schools, museums and churches, following the reopening of small shops Britain will lay out its exit strategy in the first weeks of May Slowly does it seem to be the message coming from European governments wary of a renewed spike in infections. But with the ECB predicting the euro-area economy to shrink by as much as 15% in Q1, the authorities are also keen to get activity going again. The authorities will watch April trade and industrial output data for clues on how Q2 might shape up. The stricken country of Italy faces a sovereign bond rating review from Moodys on Friday May 8th. At a notch above junk, the rating is very likely safe. An unexpected downgrade from Fitch would jangle nerves. (4) After two months of intensive social distancing, South Korea is about to open up too. According to the Wall Street Journal, South Korea has a rule for everything. When meeting in an office, people will wear masks. At meals, diners will sit next to each other or in a zigzag pattern, not directly across. Hotel rooms will be ventilated for 15 minutes after travelers check out. Visitors at zoos and aquariums must stand 6 feet apart. Shouting and hugging will be discouraged at sporting events. So will high-fives. (5) In China, their enormous and globally-connected industrial sector probably comes back to life before the more domestic services side. Chinas policymakers appear cautious about allowing service businesses such as movie theaters and gyms to reopen. That means that theres still some way to go before that country returns to a situation thats close to normal. (6) The operating capacity of Brazilian industry dropped to 57.5% in April, the lowest in a time series going back to January 2001. While the Brazilian industry overall is using just over half of its productive capacity, the impact varies among sectors: Car manufacturers have been hit the hardest, using only 12.5% of their overall capacity Other areas, such as apparel and leather goods & shoes are down to 20.5% and 24.5%, respectively On the other hand, paper & pulp manufacturing is the positive highlight, with 90% of its capacity in use On May 4th, the city of Sao Paulo (Brazils biggest metro area) began blocking major avenues, aiming at reducing the number of people breaking social isolation. (7) The Russian National Guard said it is using drones and a helicopter to enforce self-isolation rules in Moscow and the Moscow region over that countrys May holidays. The drones and helicopter will send information about violations to officers on the ground, who will then issue fines to violators. (8) Despite grim virus statistics, India allowed most businesses and services to reopen on Monday May 4th, entering a third phase in the national lockdown strategy. Indians were warned it was time to learn to "live with the virus." (9) Japan's prime minister extended a state of emergency over the corona virus until the end of May. That government warned it was too soon to lift restrictions. Zacks May Sector/Industry/Company Telescope The Zacks Industry Rank pattern in Early May is very Stay-at-Home directive driven. As May to June leads to more reopened sectors, in more and more big U.S. states, this ranking may be dated. Be careful this month. The best groups are Utilities, Health Care, and Staples. Those are the obvious Stay-at-Home plays. Info Tech and Communication Services retain some status, and also imply Stay-at-Home plays. Drugs are a top-notch area, as COVID19 vaccines, treatments, and frankly stable dividends make the group tops. Financials Energy and Industrials feel the most stress. But Investment Funds stunningly outperform. Alternates in Energy can be held at Market Weight. (1) Utilities went back to Very Attractive. Utilities-Gas Distribution looks excellent. Electric Power is looking good. Zacks #2 Rank (BUY): Sempra Energy Sempra Energy is a southern California-based energy services holding company involved in the sale, distribution, storage and transportation of electricity and natural gas. The company has recently reorganized its subsidiaries under two operating groups: Sempra Utilities and Sempra Infrastructure. The Sempra Utilities group includes the companys utility operations: Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas), San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and Sempra South American Utilities. (2) Health Careis Attractive. Only Drugs lead now, and by a wide margin. Zacks #1 Rank (STRONG BUY): Prevail Therapeutics Prevail Therapeutics is a gene therapy company. It focuses on developing and commercializing disease-modifying AAV-based gene therapies for patients with devastating neurodegenerative diseases. The company's product candidate consists of PR001, PR006 and PR004 which are in clinical stage. Prevail Therapeutics is based in New York. (3) Consumer Staplesrise to Attractive. Cons. Products Misc. Staples and Food/Drug Retail are the strongest industry groups. That makes shut-in sense. Zacks #1 Rank (STRONG BUY): Sprouts Farmers Market Sprouts Farmers Market operates in a highly fragmented grocery store industry. But it has a unique model that features fresh produce at the center of the store, an expansive bulk foods section, and a vitamin department focused on overall wellness. Moreover, the company has been diversifying its offerings to meet changing preferences of consumers, who are looking for more health and wellness products. (4) Info Techremains a Market Weight. Semis are best, followed by Computer- Software Services. (5) Communications Servicesis Market Weight. Telco Equipment and Telco Services are about equal now. Utility-Telephone still looks poor. (6) Materialsare Market Weight. What helped? Same as last month. Containers & Glass (packaged goods in grocery stores) look good. Ditto Metals Non-ferrous (gold). (7) Consumer Discretionaryis Very Unattractive. The Other Consumer Discretionary group is all that looks good. Lots of poor industry groups here. (8) Financials stay Very Unattractive. Investment Funds look best. (9) Energyremains Very Unattractive. But Bifurcated. Coal, Drillers, and Alternates are OK. (10) Industrialsremains Very Unattractive. CEOs are pessimistic. Conglomerates are the sole spot above a Market Weight. Conclusion We are now observing a staggered opening of economies, both stateside and abroad. Carry on with substantial, regularly-spaced, equity market asset allocations. This is an event-driven regime. The Fed and the other major central banks of the world have share buyers backs. Prices on the most respected stocks are still oftentimes better than six or eight months ago. But be ready to see core elements of a worst-case scenario materialize. The return of shutdowns in selected places can create stock market volatility again. Just Released: 5 Stocks Set to Double Four Zacks experts each announce their single favorite pick with potential to gain +100% and more in the months ahead. Today, download the private Special Report that names these stocks and spotlights why their upside is so exceptional. See Stocks Now >> Join us on Facbook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates. Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press 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 Sempra Energy (SRE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Sprouts Farmers Market Inc (SFM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Prevail Therapeutics Inc (PRVL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal expects to receive a tranche of macro-financial assistance from the European Union in the next two weeks. PM Shmyhal said this during a virtual meeting with Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis on May 15, the Government portal reported. The parties discussed the situation with the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus disease, its impact on the economy of Ukraine and economies of European countries, financial and economic cooperation. Shmyhal thanked the European Union for a EUR 190 million assistance disbursed to Ukraine for the healthcare system, small and medium-sized enterprises, small farms, civil society, and the conflict-affected eastern and southern regions of the country to fight COVID-19. The prime minister expressed hope that Ukraine will receive a tranche of macro-financial assistance from the European Union in the next two weeks. In addition, Shmyhal assured Dombrovskis of further systemic reforms and stressed the importance of joining efforts to address the challenges related to the pandemics. As reported, in April, the European Commission decided to allocate EUR 190 million to Ukraine to support its healthcare system, economy, small and medium-sized businesses, and the most vulnerable populations. Separately, the EU allocated EUR 13 million for humanitarian needs in Donbas. As of May 16, 2020, Ukraine had 17,858 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases. Some 528 new cases were confirmed over the past day. ish TDT | Manama Bahrain India society has thanked the leadership and the government of Bahrain for the pro-active measures taken to control the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. The measures taken by the government to move free visa expatriate workers to better and safer accommodations free of cost is an example of how humanely the government is treating the expatriate community here, societys board of directors said in a statement The society said donated 1000 Bahraini dinars to the Feena Khair campaign and another BD1000 to Indian Community Relief Fund to help 400 needy workers. The society said it is in the process of distributing 5,000 masks to workers here in coordination with the Indian Embassy. Creative Zone, one of the largest business setup companies in the UAE, has announced its expansion into the Saudi Arabian market. Having operated in the UAE since 2010, the company has been a trusted partner for startups and entrepreneurs setting up their businesses in Dubai and many of the free zones such as Fujairah Creative City and Shams Free Zone in Sharjah. "Expanding into Saudi Arabia was our most obvious choice due to the interest that Saudi is taking in the international business scene," remarked Steve Mayne, the managing partner at Creative Zone. "Through the Saudi Vision 2030 announced by HRH Sheikh Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, the country has set in place initiatives aimed at opening up the economy to foreign investors. It is in our opinion a must for businesses looking to expand their operations further into the Middle East," stated Mayne. "Investors need a helping hand when it comes to setting up in a new country like Saudi Arabia; we have developed a 360 degree solution that helps business owners through the entire processes from company formation and setup, tax and legal advice, business introductions and market launch," he added. According to him, Saudi Arabia has accelerated the shift from a government-led economic model to a market-based approach by introducing changes to their investment law, updated business regulation, more openness to competition and international trade, as well as easing the barriers of entry to investors. "In this regard, the former Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority in the Ministry level now known as the Ministry of Investment (MISA) is the entry point for any foreign investor looking to set up in the Kingdom," he explained. Some of the most attractive incentives provided to expatriates are - 100% foreign ownership of property and companies in certain industries, lower minimum capital requirements, no restriction on repatriation of capital, sponsorship of foreign employees by foreign investors and also attractive tax incentives. All expatriate companies are formed through the Ministry of Investment (MISA) that issues a trade license allowing foreign individuals to own 100% of the onshore company without the need of a local partner, he added. CEO Lorenzo Jooris said: "During its 10 years of existence, Creative Zones has helped over 36,000 entrepreneurs set up their businesses in the UAE. We have many clients asking us to support them in expanding into Saudi Arabia aside from the general interest we are witnessing by new entrants into the Middle Eastern Market." "Having the right advice is key when starting a new venture, and it can become a deciding factor for launching successfully into a new country like Saudi Arabia," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Migrant workers left jobless by the Covid-19 lockdown making their way back home on foot despite special trains and buses arranged for them has emerged as a major challenge for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as it nears the completion of its first-year office after it swept back to power last year. Three BJP functionaries said the party has taken a serious view of the ramifications of images of poor workers, some with children and families, and their deaths in road accidents on its electoral politics. On Saturday, 24 migrants were killed and over 30 injured in the latest road accident involving them in Uttar Pradeshs Auraiya. The buses were arranged in late April while the trains from May 1. Many migrant workers have been unable to register to travel since they did not have identity papers. Social welfare schemes for the poor are widely believed to have contributed to the BJPs return to power last summer with the bigger majority of 303 members in the 543-member Lok Sabha, or Parliaments lower House. The party has asked all its state units to redouble their efforts in reaching out to the poor and the needy and ensure that anyone seen walking is provided all necessary help, said a BJP general secretary on condition of anonymity. The functionary said BJP president JP Nadda had instructed all workers to take the responsibility of feeding over 50 million poor people across the country during the lockdown imposed in late March to check the pandemic spread. The extension of the lockdown has resulted in the closure of workplaces, left lakhs without jobs and exacerbated the situation, the functionary added. We are the only party that took the lead in providing food and shelter to the migrant workers. Lakhs of workers have turned up so far. The state has not only offered them shelter but also made arrangements for their employment in case they do not want to go back and also provide them immediate cash assistance, said a party functionary in Uttar Pradesh. In some states, BJP functionaries have been asked to urge migrant workers to stay back and benefit from central schemes such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. Efforts are also underway by the government to bring unskilled, unorganized workers under the ambit of social security schemes. As was announced by the [Union] finance minister [Nirmala Sitharaman], rental housing and credit facility for small entrepreneurs and street vendors is also being worked out, said a third functionary, who did not want to be named. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson reacts outside 10 Downing Street during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), London, Britain, May 14, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted his country will work to thrash out a Brexit deal in a call with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, despite strained talks in Brussels. Mr Johnson told Mr Varadkar that the UK will work hard to reach an agreement on a future relationship with the European Union, which he said is still possible, on a phone call last night. That's according to an account of the call from Downing Street. Earlier though, UK and European Union negotiators traded threats over a Brexit free trade deal, each warning that unless the other side gave ground there would be no deal - a scenario that would convulse global trade as the world aims to exit the coronavirus lockdown. The United Kingdom left the EU on January 31 but the main terms of its membership remain in place for a transition period until the end of this year, giving it time to negotiate a free trade deal with the bloc. "We made very little progress towards agreement on the most significant outstanding issues between us," UK chief negotiator David Frost said after a week of talks. The main sticking point has been so-called 'level playing field' rules to harmonise regulation, which the EU says are needed to ensure Britain does not undercut its standards, but which Britain rejects as binding it to European laws. Mr Frost said the major obstacle to a deal was the EU's insistence on including a set of "novel and unbalanced" proposals on the level playing field. The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said Britain had refused to engage in full conversation about the issue, and that there had been little progress. "As soon as the EU recognises that we will not conclude an agreement on that basis, we will be able to make progress," Mr Frost said. "We very much need a change in EU approach for the next round beginning on 1 June." EU sources said there had been little progress on the negotiations that will shape post-Brexit trade between the EU and Britain in almost everything from fishing and farming to pharmaceutical rules and tariffs. "Both sides agreed to disagree," said one diplomat in the EU hub of Brussels as the penultimate round of scheduled negotiations wrapped up on Friday before a deadline at the end of June. After years of Brexit political chaos in London, investors and companies are trying to work out if London and Brussels are simply ratcheting up the rhetoric or are so far apart that there could be a cliff-edge at the end of 2020. The EU says talks need to wrap up around October to allow enough time for ratification. Additional reporting Reuters Many people around the world now wear masks, covers for their nose and mouth, when they go out in public. You see masks on people walking their dogs, buying food, riding bicycles and working at their jobs. In many places the masks are required by law as a measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But commercial masks are in short supply. Most people agree that those rare objects should go to health care professionals and others on the so-called front lines of the fight against coronavirus. So, mask-making has gotten more personal for the rest of us and more creative in design, as a result. It seems masks are becoming the fashion statement of 2020. The online news media site Insider recently published photos of 17 of the most creative masks it found around the world. Many of the mask makers are artists, but not all. The photos include a knitted piece of pink and red from Icelandic-based cloth artist, Yrurari. It is a large mask made to look like a big mouth with a long pink tongue hanging out. The report also shows a smart design from leather worker Anissa Mekrabech of France. She created a mask with see-through material over the mouth. It permits people who read lips, because they can not hear, to continue to communicate during the pandemic Some of the masks among the photos are beautiful. Some artists made masks covered in shiny, colorful jewels or mirror-like material. Another uses paint to create bright pictures on paper masks. A few of the masks are made of plastic and other waste material found on the street. One clothing designer even made a special mask to go with wedding clothes. Masks could be new little black dress We might be covering our faces and mouths for quite a while. And not just for COVID-19. There are lots of possible viruses ahead. And there is air pollution and toxic dust, allergies and bad smells. So, are masks our fashion forward look? Fashion bible Vogue seems to think it might. On May 5, it published 92 Cloth Masks To Shop Now. Writer Sarah Spelling notes that that mask cover a large part of the face. So, she writes, it is not surprising people are looking for masks that look good. And the story directs readers how and where to buy them. And, in Lithuania this week, Reuters reported on a special fashion show held in the capital, Vilnius. There were no live models or crowds around a runway. Instead, the city celebrated creative face covers in photographs on 21 huge signs around town. The billboards show men, women and children wearing masks as part of a so-called Mask Fashion Week. Those shown in the photos include local artists, musicians, and other townspeople chosen at random. Even the mayor of the city is captured on a Mask Fashion Week sign. Members of a local Facebook group called Mask Your Fashion chose the masks for the signs. Designer Julija Janus established the group to share new designs for masks and advice on how to make them at home. A mask is a good way to display your creativity, to express yourself. And its a good activity to do when youre sitting at home with the kids, said Janus. Mask or no mask Masks can also be used, or not used, to make political or cultural statements. President Trump does not wear one, so far. He has said he does not think a mask would send the right message when he meets with world leaders. He also suggested his wearing one might cause unease among the American public. But some people have criticized his lack of mask use in public. They argue the decision belittles the seriousness of the pandemic. And last month, Trumps vice-president Mike Pence was denounced by many for not wearing a mask when he visited with a COVID-19 patient at the Mayo Clinic, a famous medical center in the American state of Minnesota. Pence later said he should have worn a mask at Mayo. And he put on a mask two days after for a visit to an American automobile factory. Im Caty Weaver. Caty Weaver wrote this story for VOA Learning English, with reports from Associated Press, Reuters and others sources. Hai Do was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story fashion -n. a popular way of dressing during a particular time or among a particular group of people photo -n. a picture made by a camera knit -v. to make (a piece of clothing) from yarn or thread by using long needles or a special machine leather -n. animal skin that is chemically treated to preserve it and that is used in making clothes, shoes, furniture, etc. wedding -n. a ceremony held to marry people There are concerns over spikes in illness among staff and supply chain difficulties as hundreds of retailers prepare to reopen their doors for the first time after months of coronavirus lockdown. While homeware outlets were unexpectedly excluded from shops that the Government allowed to reopen, garden centres, hardware stores and a string of other retailers are gearing up for getting back to business. Chambers Ireland chief executive Ian Talbot last night cautioned that some stores' staff might be depleted because of personal and family health issues. Some employees will not return to work, he said, because they have "conditions that make them vulnerable to the disease, or have dependents that still need to be cocooned or cared for". He said there is the possibility that there could be sudden spikes of illness among staff. And he said: "For many reopening will take time... Restocking will have to happen. Our logistics networks and supply lines have never experienced the kind of shock they have just received." Mr Talbot said: "The worst-case scenario is that we see infection rates rise - too many become too sick, too quickly - and we end up having to go back into lockdown." He believes the graduated reopening of the economy that the Government has outlined is "both wise and necessary" and added: "To be overly adventurous in relaxing these measures risks squandering what was so hard won." Retail Ireland director Arnold Dillon said: "If public health objectives are met, we are hopeful that the timeline for the safe reopening of the entire sector can be brought forward." He added: "While public health is the priority, the late removal of homeware stores from the first phase of reopening is disappointing." Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the reason why hardware stores are allowed to reopen is that they sell building supplies for construction, which is also restarting on Monday. Business Minister Heather Humphreys sought to clarify any confusions, saying: "If you're a homeware shop and that's your main line of business, you can't open." She said many are continuing to do business online. Furniture giant Ikea had planned to reopen on Monday but reversed course following the Government decision on homeware stores. It said in a statement it accepts the Government's verdict and would not reopen its Ballymun superstore or its Carrickmines collection facility. "We will continue to plan for the safe reopening of our stores... and look forward to welcoming back our customers," Ikea said. Woodie's, meanwhile, expressed joy as it confirmed plans to reopen all 35 of its outlets on Monday. "The safety of our customers and colleagues is our top priority, so please take on board these measures and follow the direction of our colleagues when shopping with us," it said. Harvey Norman, which sells furniture and electronics, said it's reopening all 13 of its stores - but will let customers shop only in Government-approved sections. This means the furniture will be roped off, and arriving customers will see "a clearly marked passageway to the computers and electrical department". Two of its 13 branches - in Castlebar, Co Mayo, and Tralee, Co Kerry - don't sell furniture at all so will be fully open. Many of the State's car dealers and repair centres will reopen their showrooms and garages on Monday. Phone shops are allowed to reopen and Vodafone and Three Ireland both announced plans to do so. Opticians, electrical goods stores and bicycle shops can also reopen. In the course of this week, two Nigerian actresses have lost their fathers but they have been strong enough to share their grief. Some people have the perception that celebrities have it all and they tend to forget that they are human beings too. Its necessary to remind ourselves that celebrities are not exempted from suffering or feeling pain but being able to share their experiences brings a sense of comfort because they know that they are not alone and they are deeply loved. Advertisement Heres a look at the actresses who tragically lost family members this week. Bisola Badmus The actress took to her Instagram page on Monday to announce that she had lost her father whom she calls, Baba Adunni. In a follow-up post, the actress broke down as she revealed she is finding it hard to believe that her father is no more. Fans and followers stormed her comment section to console her. Destiny Etiko The actress broke the news of her fathers death on her Instagram page as she penned an emotional tribute, saying that her heart is broken and she is not sure it can be mended. Popular actor, Pete Edochie paid a condolence visit at Etikos home and he comforted her repeatedly as she bursts into tears. Its been a sad week for these celebrities especially during this trying times. Happy virtual Pride! The organizers of the world-famous NYC Pride march and events honoring the LGBTQ community have announced the lineup for the landmark 50th anniversary extravaganza, which will be "a very different type of celebration" this year thanks to coronavirus. In lieu of the usual Manhattan march, a TV special with pre-recorded video from people's homes, along with in-studio appearances, will feature performances by LGBTQ icons such as Janelle Monae, Deborah Cox, Billy Porter, Wilson Cruz and Margaret Cho. The special will air on June 28 from noon to 2 p.m. on WABC in New York as the city remains on pause amid the fight against COVID-19 virus. The event will be held on LGBTQ Pride Day, which is traditionally celebrated on the last Sunday of June to honor the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in 1969. The first pride march in New York City was held in June 1970 to recognize the first anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. This year, the celebration will go on virtually as the city still remains on pause. TV personality Carson Kressley will co-host the special, NYC Pride announced Friday. Joining Kressley will be WABC's Ken Rosato and Lauren Glassberg, along with correspondents Sam Champion and Kemberly Richardson. "NYC Pride is a special place for so many," Kressley saidt. "I couldn't imagine a year without celebrating with the fabulous LBGTQ people in New York,." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "When I was asked to join this special broadcast event with my friends at WABC, it was a no brainer," he added. "Pride is something we carry with us all year long, and though we can't be together in the way we are accustomed, I'm grateful to be a part of it in this way." The event will honor this year's grand marshals. They include Dan Levy, the co-creator and star of the smash hit Canadian sitcom "Schitt's Creek;" human rights activist Yanzi Peng, who's the executive director of LGBT Rights Advocacy China; LGBTQ rights powerhouse activist Victoria Cruz; and the Ali Forney Center, the nation's largest organization dedicated to caring for homeless LGBTQ youth. "The NYC Pride March is such a pillar of our community and I am incredibly honored to be recognized alongside the other Grand Marshals on its 50th anniversary," Dan Levy said. "While the physical circumstances are less than ideal, our community has always come together in the face of adversity, and this year's broadcast is no exception. I am so inspired by the opportunity we've been given to celebrate together." An Accra Circuit Court on Friday granted a GHC30,000.00 bail with two sureties to each of the 19 persons for breaking the Public Restrictions Order meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The accused made up of nine Nigerians and 10 Ghanaians pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit crime to wit failing to comply with Restrictions Imposed: Contrary to Section 23(1) of The Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), Paragraph 1(1) (A) (Vii) of E.I 64 and breaching the Imposition of Restriction Act, 2020 (Act 1012). The Court presided over by Rosemary Dotsu also ordered the Nigerians to deposit their passports with the Courts Registry. They will make their next appearance on June 9, 2020. Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Martin Acheampong said on May 12, 2020, the Baatsonaa Divisional Police arrested the accused who were partying at a location in Cambodia near the Baatsonaa Spintex road, a suburb of Accra in violation of the restrictions imposed on social gatherings. He said they were engaged in close contacts, socializing, feasting and making merry, in disregard for the restrictions imposed by law on public gatherings including private parties currently in force on such activities to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. The Prosecution said the Baatsonaa Police consequently arrested 19 of them, whilst the rest escaped. He said investigations revealed that one of the accused organized the birthday party for his girlfriend and sent invitation through social media for the others to attend. GNA THINGS are moving from bad to worse for Nelson Chamisa and his top MDC allies, after more party MPs defied his decree to withdraw their services from Parliament, the Daily News reports. This comes as political analysts have warned that the charismatic politicians directive was a bad and irrational call, which was already backfiring spectacularly contributing significantly to the threat facing his political career. After several legislators had earlier ignored Chamisas directive to withdraw from Parliament in solidarity with four legislators who were recently recalled from the august House, more lawmakers were in the National Assembly yesterday, as the pressure mounts on the former MDC leader. MPs David Tekeshe, Joice Makonya and Virginia Mafuta attended the parliamentary portfolio committee on Agriculture which is chaired by Zanu PF legislator for Gokwe Nembudziya, Justice Mayor Wadyajena. This was after their colleagues Peter Moyo and Winnie Kankuni similarly attended the parliamentary portfolio committee on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare earlier this week. I am happy that we have three MDC MPs who have attended this committee despite reports of intimidation and threats on their lives. Some of them, who have failed to attend, have apologised. We thank you guys, Wadyajena said at the start of his committees meeting. The MPs later told the Daily News that it would be a travesty of justice not to attend Parliament when their constituencies expected the legislators to represent them in the august House. Tekeshe added that he had been directed by people in his constituency to attend parliamentary business after he consulted them. I do not believe I am defying the party directive, but that I am doing what the constituency has directed me to do. During this time of Covid-19, the people in my constituency need me the most, and if I dont come to these platforms they will miss out on many things. People think that politics is about hatred and enmity, but I think we need to unite, Tekeshe said defiantly. I am not bothered if anyone recalls me because I am an established businessperson. I did not join politics to become MP, but for the people, he told the Daily News. Pressed to say if he still recognised Chamisa as his leader, Tekeshe said the time was not yet ripe for him to declare his allegiances. We will cross that bridge when we get to it. All I can say is that in a democracy we have the right to make choices, and I made the choice to come to Parliament today, he said. On her part, Mafuta said she had decided to defy Chamisas directive after having allegedly suffered abuse at the hands of fellow MPs in the party, who were accusing her of backing reinstated party secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora. I was removed from the partys WhatsApp group by Lilian Timveos (who is among the MPs who have been recalled), who accused me of being Mwonzoras person. When I begged for re-admission to the group, I was told to wait. I only got re-admission for a short time before I was removed again. From that point I realised that there was a bigger hand behind all this. So at the moment, I am standing by the court judgment. That is my position, Mafuta told the Daily News. Southerton MP Moyo has also questioned why Chamisa wanted them to withdraw from Parliament for the sake of the four recalled MPs when he had failed to do the same after he lost the 2018 presidential election. For the record, I voted for Chamisa and I will vote for him again. But let us not use emotions here. The bigger question is why did we not boycott Parliament when we said the presidential elections were rigged? Why should we now disengage from Parliament simply because four MPs have been recalled from Parliament? Moyo said. The issue is that we are disputing the decision by the party to tell us to disengage before they consult. If they are saying MPs should disengage, everyone else should disengage. A war is not fought in bits and pieces. I couldnt miss the committee meeting because that meeting was crucial, especially during this time of Covid-19 when people in our constituencies are hungry.We have people we lead who we should consult first. Let us not put emotions everywhere, Moyo further told the Daily News. Chamisa and his lieutenants have appeared to be in disarray ever since the Supreme Court delivered its ruling on the partys leadership ructions at the end of March. The countrys highest court upheld last years ruling by the High Court which said Chamisas ascendancy to the leadership of the MDC had violated the main opposition partys constitution. In the unanimous judgment that was handed down by Supreme Court judges Paddington Garwe, Bharat Patel and Antoinette Guvava, Chamisas elevation to the MDCs presidency was thus declared unconstitutional, and null and void. The ruling also automatically re-instated former MDC secretary-general Mwonzora and ex-chairperson Morgen Komichi who both lost their positions at the partys chaotic congress in Gweru last year to their previous positions. And in addition to installing Thokozani Khupe as interim party president, it also ordered her to convene an extraordinary MDC congress to elect a new leadership within three months. Last week, the Khupe group successfully recalled Chalton Hwende (Kuwadzana), Tabitha Khumalo (MDC proportional representative), Prosper Mutseyami (Dangamvura) and Midlands senator Lillian Timveos, from Parliament, as it flexed its muscles and demonstrated that it is fully in charge of the beleaguered party for now. Meanwhile, political analysts said yesterday that Chamisa was not likely to succeed with his decree that attempted to force MPs to withdraw from Parliament. University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, Eldred Masunungure, described the directive as irrational adding that it could lead to questions being asked about his leadership qualities. The decision (to ask MPs to withdraw from Parliament) will undermine his credibility as a leader because he put the MPs in an invidious position, where they have to make a difficult choice given our political economy where many of the MPs are not formally employed outside politics. The party should have considered the status of the MPs, and also consulted them first before issuing the decree. Chamisa put the cart before the horse, he told the Daily News. International Crisis Group senior consultant for southern Africa, Piers Pigou, said the current imbroglio in the MDC was predictable. The politics of survival and opportunism abound, but more than anything, this current situation reflects an opposition movement unwilling and seemingly incapable to reconcile. Accusations of doing Zanu PFs bidding are repeatedly made against detractors within the opposition. Certainly, the ruling party appears to be the primary beneficiary of all this, he said. Another political analyst, Admire Mare, said Chamisa could not do anything to stop the MPs from defying his directive given the poverty that was gripping the majority of them. Whether there was consultation or not, this was bound to happen because of bread and butter issues. Furthermore, most of these people have accrued a lot of debts, including car loans from Parliament, which cannot be repaid outside the MPs ticket, he said. The MDC has a total of 107 legislators who got top-of-the-range vehicles, including Toyota Hiluxes worth between US$40 000 and US$60 000 . Under their parliamentary privilege, they are supposed to pay for them through a stop order for a period of five years. Besides their average monthly salary of between $6 000 and $8 000, the MPs are entitled to $700 sitting allowances per session, fuel coupons and lucrative foreign trips on parliamentary business. Sonakshi Sinha Mumbai: Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha has now extended a helping hand to help the daily wage workers. She will be going to auction off her most special item. She will donate all the money raised to help the daily wage workers. Sonakshi SinhaIt is learned that Sonakshi Sinha is going to auction her artwork online. These include Sonakshi's digital prints, sketches and canvas paintings. Sonakshi herself tweeted about it. Advertisement In one of his tweets, he shared a photo of himself with a painting he made, written, "What good are we, if we can't do for others. My art is my safe space, my solace. It helps me centre and channelise my thoughts and just brings me so much happiness. Creating art brings a sense of calm and relief to me." Sonakshi SinhaShe further said that workers are so upset that they do not even have food to feed themselves and their families. It's painful. So I decided to join Fankind and auction off my artwork. It will be a mix of canvas paintings and sketches. I made them with my heart. The proceeds from the auction will now going to help daily wage workers who are unable to afford bread. Earlier, the daughter of film director and choreographer Farah Khan was also making and selling her own sketches and donating the proceeds to the public. JACKSON COUNTY, MI There was no way she could mentally prepare for each 12- to 14- hour shift at a COVID-19 hospital in New York City. Every day, Erin Beard would see people breakdown before they left the hospital after a long and grueling day at work at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, where she worked for 44 days. You just did it, she said. You went in. You knew what your mission was for the day and you got through it somehow, knowing that today would come and youd be able to go home. For Beard, today, May 16 was returning home to the Park Woods subdivision in Summit Township; to her husband, Matthew Beard; to her five kids ages 11 and younger. Her return was celebrated by the whole neighborhood. More than 60 people lined the subdivision streets with signs welcoming her home, as the Summit Township Fire Department escorted her home. Its a little surreal right now, I had no idea everyone was going to be here, Beard said. But its great. Im very, very, very happy to be home after 44 days. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Beard was laid off from her job, by a company she doubts will survive the pandemic. She started working as a nurse in 2009 and later as a nurse practitioner. When she saw the opportunity to go to New York City, she knew she needed to go. Matthew Beard was also laid off from his job, so he could take care of the kids when she left. More than the money side of things, she felt like she wanted to go and help, Matthew Beard said. She wanted to try to go and make a difference. She felt a strong need to go down there and make a difference. So, they started calling the agency. It took three phones and a couple hundred calls before Matthew Beard got through and handed her the phone, she said. Then, she had 24 hours to get to NYC. It was an amazing experience really, to be able to go out there and help everyone and help in this enormous time of need, she said. When I got there, the nurses, the doctors, the housekeeping staff, everyone was just so overwhelmed. They hadnt had a break in 6 weeks, 8 weeks, they had just been trucking through. Five kids kept Matthew busy the whole time, and he said he experienced fatherhood on a very deep level. Frequent video chats with Erin Beard helped when they missed her a lot. They kept me on my toes the whole time, he said. Ive learned quite a few tricks for parenting the last 45 days. Ive found that bribery is probably the best way to get your children to do anything. For the first three and a half weeks, Erin Beard worked in direct contact with COVID-19 patients, where basically every unit was an intensive care unit. She took care of the public, and the doctors, nurses and hospital office workers who caught the virus. People were getting it all over, she said. You dont know if they contracted it at home or in the hospital setting.'' "A lot of nurses taking care of their own there. For us to come in and assist them meant the world to them. Its hard enough as it is, losing family members at home and theyre losing colleagues. To come in and assist them, so they can properly grieve as well, that was a huge help to them. For the second half of her stay, she worked in the lab, testing for the coronavirus and antibodies. This allowed her to self-quarantine before returning home, meaning Beard could see her family right away without putting anyone in harms way. She tested negative for COVID-19 before flying home. I think the hardest part of the experience, definitely being away from my family, but also the unknown, Beard said. Would I catch this? Im taking all the proper precautions but so are a lot of these patients and providers I am taking care of now in the ICU. You are walking into a potentially fatal position, but you have to do what is best for yourself with all the proper PPE (personal protective equipment). The unknown of COVID. No one has the answers that we need. That was the hardest part. After staying in three hotels for more than six weeks without housekeeping Beard is excited for clean sheets and a clean bed. It was worse than college, Erin Beard said. Its not a glamorous life of coming and you got someone cleaning your room for you. Hotel living was not at its finest. I havent had an actual warm meal in 45 days. Everything you get there, even if you ordered something, by the time it actually got to you, it was cold. There was no such thing as a warm meal. There were no microwaves, none of that. But the experience was worth it. She said it changed her in countless ways. I got just as much out of it as they got from me, Erin Beard said. Read all MLive coverage of the coronavirus here. Saturday, May 16: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Michigans coronavirus crisis creates epidemic of mental-health issues Kroger swaps $2 per hour Hero Pay raise for frontline workers for one-time bonus Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the government should not be a sahukar [money lender] and argued in favour of cash assistance instead of loans to tide over the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis while warning of an impending economic crisis. When a child is hurt, the mother does not offer a loan. As a citizen, my disappointment is the [Rs 20 lakh crore] package should not be of loans but for giving money in hands. The government should not be a sahukar, said Gandhi while interacting with journalists from the regional media via videoconferencing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced the 20 lakh crore economic package to help individuals and businesses deal with the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown enforced to combat its spread. Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who has been providing details of the scheme, on Thursday announced assistance involving free food grains, cheaper loans, and affordable housings as part of the package. Gandhi asked the government to consider rolling out the Nyuntam Aay Yojana, or Nyay, which the Congress had proposed as a social welfare programme in its 2019 national election manifesto. Under the scheme, the Congress had proposed to distribute Rs 72,000 cash annually among 20% of Indias poorest, or 250 million people. Gandhi said the scheme should be implemented temporarily in urban areas while the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) must be strengthened in the rural areas. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government introduced the MGNREGS in 2006 to provide 100 days of work annually to at least one member of every rural household. The demand for work under the MGNREGS has surged as hundreds of thousands of migrant workers left jobless by the Covid-19 lockdown have returned from big cities to their homes since late March. Gandhi said he has heard the government was not giving the money because it wants to retain ratings. Our ratings are made by our farmers, our workers and businessmen. When people will start working, Indias ratings will improve, he said as he warned the government of an impending economic storm. Gandhi said the most important thing now is to fire demand and supply. He added while infrastructure is certainly the key, the government must give money in the hands of the poor. If you want to start an engine, you have put fuel in the carburettor. The fuel is cash. We must have a national strategy for income. We cannot sacrifice our economy..., Gandhi said. He said in a short time, small and medium businesses, farmers, migrant labourers and people in the high-risk category need to be protected. Gandhi refused to compare the 1991 economic crisis when the Congress government ushered in the economic reforms with the current situation. He refused to indulge in a political blame game with the government and said his party will apply pressure pyaar se [with love] on the government to accept its proposals. Gandhi cited the steps taken by the Congress-ruled states to help the poor and migrant workers. He did not hesitate in contrasting their responses with those where the Congress is part of coalition governments. There is a difference between Congress and an alliance government. If you look at the Congress-ruled states like Chhattisgarh, you will see a very aggressive strategy. But in an alliance, we try to put pressure through conversations, he said when asked about the lack of services allegedly offered by Maharashtra for migrant workers. Senior BJP leader and MP Rakesh Sinha said: Rahul Gandhi speaks like a feudal lord and he considers the government of the day as his fief. This government has been doing everything, taking into account two major aspects making India an economic superpower and performing on the principle of catch-up. Secondly, another paradigm of government policy and program has been strengthening the economic foundation of the marginalized people of the country who form the majority. Therefore, Rahul Gandhis observation shows his lack of understanding of a dynamic government and its dynamic leader. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 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. City officials today launched the Slow Streets program, which places signs and temporary barricades on some residential streets -- but doesn't completely close them off to vehicles. The program is starting in two neighborhoods -- West L.A./Sawtelle and Del Rey near Culver City -- but all communities can apply. As more Angelenos strive for whatever form of fresh air and exercise they can get during the coronavirus pandemic, you may have noticed more people strolling on sidewalks, walking their dogs and jogging. But city sidewalks are only so wide and many ofthem don't allow people to stay six feet away while passing their neighbors. Slow Streets aims to address that need by placing with signage that indicates the streets are for local traffic only. L.A.'s "Slow Streets" program launched in the Del Rey neighborhood on Friday, May 15, 2020.(Courtesy Eric DeSobe) The changes are designed for residential streets, not main corridors, and will be capped at two miles of streets per community, according to LADOT spokesperson Colin Sweeney. Local residents will not lose parking, and delivery drivers, emergency services and other essential vehicles won't be affected. The city's Department of Transportation is managing the program and will coordinate with community members to determine where the signs and barriers should be placed. The application form to join the program is online, but it requires a "sponsoring organization" -- meaning a neighborhood council or city councilmember's office -- to sign off to indicate broader community support, Sweeney said. That group would then coordinate with the city to plan and monitor the initiative in their neighborhoods. LADOT will also gather feedback from residents to better understand how the program is working -- or not. Sweeney said it's possible signs and barriers could be removed from certain streets if LADOT determines people are violating public health orders. All current guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19 remain in place. "These aren't places where people are supposed to congregate and barbecue," Sweeney said. "It's not a block party. It's essentially providing more space so that folks can pursue active-use activities while observing physical distancing." Asked how speed enforcement will work, Sweeney initially said LADOT has shared the current Slow Streets sites with the Los Angeles Police Department and would be asking officers to monitor those locations. But Sweeney later walked that back, saying the department "[has] not and will not be asking" police to monitor Slow Streets locations, adding that there is "no additional enforcement beyond usual operations as part of this program." "If people see unsafe speeds on designated Slow Streets, they should report that on the feedback survey on ladot.lacity.org/slowstreets," he said. The changes are designed to be temporary and would likely be phased out in coordination with community groups as the city and county ease public health restrictions and "we return to normal," Sweeney 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 Mayor Eric Garcetti said it is possible that some of the safety measures could become permanent. "I think it'll be a great experiment for Los Angeles," Garcetti said of the program during a news conference Wednesday. "We've all enjoyed being outside. Maybe we'll learn some lessons for some permanent closures in the future, but at least for now, we'll have safe places for us all to be." Del Rey and West L.A./Sawtelle had previously submitted proposals through their neighborhood councils. LADOT had been working with those neighborhood councils, along with City Councilmember Mike Bonin's office, and was set to erect signs and barricades on April 30. But the night before, Mayor Garcetti's office announced the plan was being postponed, citing concerns raised by the L.A. County Department of Public Health. WHY THE WALK-BACK? At a news conference earlier this week, Garcetti explained the delay this way: "We didn't want to just do one small area of town and [county Public Health Director Barbara] Ferrer didn't sign off when it was just going to be one or two places because there was a worry everybody would rush there and there would be such huge crowds as we saw in beaches in Orange County and other places." L.A.'s "Slow Streets" program launched in the Del Rey neighborhood on Friday, May 15, 2020.(Courtesy Eric DeSobe) Last week, Councilmember Bonin expressed frustration over the delayed rollout, saying county health officials "have a very poor understanding" of what the Slow Streets program aims to do. "We weren't even talking about closing down streets entirely," he told me last week, "just sort of putting some cones up and letting [drivers] know there might be activity in the street, and to go slower." Bonin also said he was "absolutely baffled" that county officials would not sign off on the small-scale initiative, but reopened hiking trails countywide. On Friday, he lauded the official launch of the program as "a great way to make our streets more family-friendly." "Kids who were cooped up in cramped apartments get a little more space to play, seniors get a little more room to walk, and exercise enthusiasts get a little more space to jog or cycle," he said in a statement. "Without this program, people were finding it difficult to maintain the proper distance from others on narrow, congested sidewalks and were feeling unsafe walking on the street amid speeding cars and construction trucks." Garcetti said more neighborhoods have requested similar changes on their streets; LADOT has already received some applications, according to Sweeney. The motion the Del Rey Neighborhood Council passed last month was based on a template created by Streets for All, a nonprofit organization that advocates for more investment in public transit and sustainable transportation in the region. Adriane Hoff, who sits on that group's steering committee and serves on the Wilshire Center Koreatown Neighborhood Council, said the program could be especially vital for L.A.'s disadvantaged communities, where residents often lack the safety infrastrucure more affluent neighborhoods benefit from. "This would also help provide a safer space for essential workers ... to get to and from places of employment," she told me this week. "A lot of these folks rely on public transportation, which is not very conducive to social distancing. But if they were able to utilize active mobility, like riding their bikes to work, we should help ... and give them a safe place to do that." FEWER CARS, MORE SPEEDING The Slow Streets program is rolling out as speeding ramps up on L.A. roads. Soon after stay-at-home orders were enacted in L.A., people began driving faster. Citywide, the percentage of drivers going over the speed limit has increased an average of 17%, compared to the weeks before stay-at-home orders were enacted, Sweeney told me. That's based on data gathered from speed feedback signs installed across the city. Speeding was up as much as 30% on some corridors, Sweeney said. Typically, L.A.'s traffic signals run on a fixed cycle and sync up based on normal traffic patterns, according to Dan Mitchell, chief engineer for LADOT. But those more open roads and long stretches of green lights have enticed some drivers to go drive recklessly. "What feels comfortable in a car feels very differently to people who are outside of a car riding a bike, or a scooter, or on foot," Mitchell said. "It's important that people are aware that we have more people out and about, and that they're particularly vulnerable to people driving their car too fast." That's why earlier this month, LADOT switched daytime signals to "nighttime mode," which runs on a cycle designed "to take care of people as they arrive from whatever direction they arrive," Mitchell said. "The signal is trying to get through everybody's turn as quickly as possible," he explained. "It also does not create that coordinated pattern of green lights down the street that can cause people to go faster on our streets, [which] makes our streets less safe." Slow down! LADOT is always thinking of your #Safety. That's why weve adjusted signals to night-time mode to encourage safe driving across the city. Traffic lights now are programmed to prevent speeding while the traffic is low during #SaferAtHome. #LADOT #MovingLAForward pic.twitter.com/vc0fibShxS LADOT (@LADOTofficial) May 7, 2020 Mitchell added that traffic volume has been cut almost in half. "It has been slowly creeping up since then, but it's still at significantly lower levels, and most parts of the city are not experiencing congestion," Mitchell said. So vehicle traffic is down and speeding is up. What does that mean for street safety in L.A.? You might think that with fewer people driving, our streets would be less deadly -- at least in the short-term. But this is Los Angeles. After an initial lull when our local and regional "Safer at Home" orders took effect, traffic deaths on city streets have surged in recent weeks and are now at the same level as this time last year, according to LAPD officials. As of Wednesday, 86 people have been killed in traffic collisions on city streets this year, Commander Marc Reina of the LAPD's Traffic Group said at a press conference Thursday. Fifty of those victims -- nearly 60% -- were pedestrians killed by drivers, Reina said, and three victims were bicyclists. Police have logged more than 360 collisions that caused severe injuries so far this year, he added. Reina had a simple message for drivers: "Please slow down. Put your cell phones down. Don't be a distracted driver and be extremely mindful of your surroundings -- especially of the pedestrians and bicyclists." In 2019, more than 240 people died in traffic collisions on L.A. streets, according to city data. Roughly 55% of those victims were pedestrians struck by drivers. In the past 10 years, overall traffic deaths in Los Angeles have risen 32% while the number of pedestrians killed by drivers jumped 52%. UPDATES: Monday, May 18, 2:40 p.m.: This article was updated with new comments from LADOT spokesperson Colin Sweeney regarding LAPD's role in enforcing the Slow Streets program. This article was originally published at 5:15 p.m. on Friday, May 15. READ MORE ABOUT STREET SAFETY IN L.A.: China's foreign ministry said on Saturday the United States needed to stop the "unreasonable suppression" of Chinese companies like Huawei. The Trump administration on Friday moved to block global chip supplies to blacklisted telecoms equipment giant Huawei Technologies, spurring fears of Chinese retaliation and hammering shares of US producers of chip making equipment. China will firmly defend its companies' legal rights, the foreign ministry said in a statement in response to Reuters' questions on whether Beijing would take retaliatory measures against the United States. US President Donald Trump's administration is set to restore partial funding to the World Health Organization, Fox News reported late on Friday, citing a draft letter. The Trump administration will "agree to pay up to what China pays in assessed contributions" to the WHO, Fox News reported, quoting from the letter. Trump suspended US contributions to the WHO on April 14, accusing it of promoting China's "disinformation" about the coronavirus outbreak and saying his administration would launch a review of the organization. WHO officials denied the claims and China has insisted it was transparent and open. The United States was the WHO's biggest donor. If the US matches China's contribution, as the Fox report adds, its new funding level will be about one-tenth of its previous funding amount of about $400 million per year. A trough of low pressure moving through the Florida Straits could organize over the northwestern Bahamas later Friday or Saturday and become the first named storm of the 2020 hurricane season, the US National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Tropical storm force wind gusts are possible in the Florida Keys, southeast Florida and the Bahamas on Friday and Saturday, forecasters said. Gale warnings have also been issued for the region. Fort Lauderdale, which saw wind gusts of 30mph on Thursday and Friday, may be hit with four inches of rain. Heavy rains and strong winds pummeled Monroe County, Florida, on Friday as locals brace for a possible tropical storm A kiteboarder rides the wind and waves near the jetty as the top of the Mar-A-Lago club rises in the distance in Palm Beach on Thursday Hurricane season starts June 1, but forecasters at the hurricane center said the system, which was already bringing heavy rain and wind across South Florida on Friday morning, has a 70 per cent chance of developing into a subtropical or tropical storm. If it develops, the storm would be named Arthur. Subtropical storms are not as defined as tropical storms, with its strongest winds located some distance from it's loosely formed center. They are also not a strong as tropical storms. It's not uncommon to have a named storm before the official start of hurricane season. Later in the weekend and early next week the system is forecast to move generally northeastward over the western Atlantic. The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a low pressure system set to move up along the coast of Florida The tropical storm is expected to move up the coast of Florida in the coming days Most of the state is forecast to see rainfall and thunderstorms on Saturday The low pressure system is located about 100 miles off the eastern coast of Florida Meteorologists expect the system to bring heavy rain to the coast before eventually veering off toward the northeastern Atlantic Ocean by early next week The forecast led Florida emergency management officials to close 14 state-run COVID-19 test sites on Friday. The sites in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Brevard counties will reopen on Monday. Helen Aguirre Ferre, the communications director for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, said on Twitter that it's the right move. 'With possible wind gusts of 40 mph, it is best for public safety to reopen on Monday. It's also common sense,' she tweeted Thursday night. State officials have said Florida is currently testing 16,000 to 24,000 people a day for the coronavirus. Closing the testing sites for the entire weekend will give officials time to break down and set up tables, tents and other equipment at each location, Jason Mahon, communications director for the Florida Division of Emergency Management, told the Miami Herald. Even though the anticipated weather is expected to move through the area by later in the weekend, Mahon noted that the sites would remain closed Sunday 'to allow staff to set up the sites after the conditions have passed.' Clouds loom over the Miami skyline on Thursday as the area got hit with rain A trough of low pressure moving through the Florida Straits could organize over the northwest Bahamas later Friday or Saturday and become the first named storm of the 2020 hurricane season, the US National Hurricane Center in Miami said Wild weather batters the US after the Midwest was hit with strong winds and tornadoes Tens of millions of Americans are being affected by wild weather this weekend as multiple storm systems impacted large swathes of the country. A storm system surged up through Texas and into Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri late Wednesday, affecting more than 26 million people. Residents in parts of Louisiana were keeping a close eye on rivers on Friday after heavy rainfall flooded streets and homes. The St. Tammany Parish Sheriffs Office said late Thursday that its deputies were rescuing people from homes and vehicles in the Madisonville area and the Highway 1077 corridor. Parish President Mike Cooper told The Times Picayune/New Orleans Advocate that residents near rivers should prepare for them to flood. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the Bogue Falaya River in Covington, the Tchefuncte River above US 190 and the Tangipahoa River near Robert. 'Very large hail' was anticipated for the Gulf region on Thursday and Friday, and the Storm Prediction Center was also monitoring for potential tornadoes. The weather events are likely to cause further anxiety and disruption for millions of Americans already crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 1.47 million US residents have tested positive to the virus, and more than 88,000 have died. According to The Sun Sentinel, forecasters are predicting a particularly active hurricane season due to unusually warm waters in the Atlantic. On Tuesday, two separate tornadoes hit Central Texas, downing trees and causing property damage. Thankfully, there were no reports of injuries. The storm system also caused heavy rains as far north as Michigan and Illinois. Record rainfall of 4 inches or more fell on the Chicago area, causing flash flooding that left some roads impassable, the National Weather Service said. More than 4 inches of rain fell at OHare International Airport during the 24 hours ending at 5am on Friday, the Chicago Tribune reported. OHare received 3.53 inches of rain Thursday, making it the wettest May 14 on record in Chicago, the weather service said. Some roads in the northwest, west and north suburbs and the Chicago North Side remained flooded Friday morning, authorities said. Severe storms are not uncommon in the Midwest and South during this time of year. Last month, a tornado caused significant damage to the community of Baxterville, Mississippi TSMC said Friday it is "working with outside counsels to conduct legal analysis and ensure a comprehensive examination and interpretation of these rules. We expect to have the assessment concluded before the effective date," the company said, adding the "semiconductor industry supply chain is extremely complex, and is served by a broad collection of international suppliers." The rule change is a blow to Huawei, the world's No. 2 smartphone maker, as well as to Taiwan's Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd, a major producer of chips for Huawei's HiSilicon unit as well as mobile phone rivals Apple and Qualcomm. TMSC announced late Thursday it would build a US$12 billion chip factory in Arizona. Reuters first reported the news ahead of the Commence Department's release. The department said its "announcement cuts off Huawei's efforts to undermine U.S. export controls." The reaction from China was swift with a report saying it was ready to put U.S. companies on an "unreliable entity list," as part of countermeasures in response to the new limits on Huawei, China's Global Times reported on Friday. The measures include launching investigations and imposing restrictions on U.S. companies such as Apple, Cisco Systems, and Qualcomm, as well as suspending purchase of Boeing Co airplanes, the report said, citing a source. The U.S. Commerce Department said it was amending an export rule to "strategically target Huawei's acquisition of semiconductors that are the direct product of certain U.S. software and technology." The Trump administration on Friday moved to block shipments of semiconductors to Huawei Technologies from global chipmakers, in an action ramping up tensions with China. Huawei, which needs semiconductors for its widely used smartphones and telecoms equipment, is at the heart of a battle for global technological dominance between the United States and China. Huawei, which has warned that the Chinese government would retaliate if the rule went into effect, did not immediately comment on Friday. U.S. stock market futures turned negative on the Reuters report. "The Chinese government will not just stand by and watch Huawei be slaughtered on the chopping board," Huawei Chairman Eric Xu told reporters on March 31. The United States is trying to convince allies to exclude Huawei gear from next generation 5G networks on grounds its equipment could be used by China for spying. Huawei has repeatedly denied the claim. Huawei has continued to use U.S. software and technology to design semiconductors, the Commerce Department said, despite being placed on a U.S. economic blacklist in May 2019. Under the rule change, foreign companies that use U.S. chipmaking equipment will be required to obtain a U.S. license before supplying certain chips to Huawei, or an affiliate like HiSilicon. The rule targets chips designed or custom-made for Huawei. In order for Huawei to continue to receive some chipsets or use some semiconductor designs tied to certain U.S. software and technology, it would need to receive licenses from the Commerce Department. National Security Concerns Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Fox Business "there has been a very highly technical loophole through which Huawei has been in able, in effect, to use U.S. technology with foreign fab producers." Ross called the rule change a "highly tailored thing to try to correct that loophole." Ross said in a written statement Huawei had "stepped-up efforts to undermine these national security-based restrictions." The Commerce Department said the rule will allow wafers already in production to be shipped to Huawei as long as the shipments are complete within 120 days from Friday. Chipsets would need to be in production by Friday or they would be ineligible under the rule. The United States placed Huawei and 114 affiliates on its economic blacklist citing national security concerns. That forced some U.S. and foreign companies to seek special licenses from the Commerce Department to sell to it, but China hawks in the U.S. government have been frustrated by the vast number of supply chains beyond their reach. Separately, the Commerce Department extended a temporary license that was set to expire Friday to allow U.S. companies, many of which operate wireless networks in rural America, to continue doing business with Huawei through August 13. It warned it expected this would be the final extension. Reuters first reported the administration was considering changes to the Foreign Direct Product Rule, which subjects some foreign-made goods based on U.S. technology or software to U.S. regulations, in November. Most chip manufacturers rely on equipment produced by U.S. companies like KLA, Lam Research and Applied Materials, according to a report last year from China's Everbright Securities. Other Recent Action The Trump administration has taken a series of steps aimed at Chinese telecom firms in recent weeks. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last month began the process of shutting down the U.S. operations of three state-controlled Chinese telecommunications companies, citing national security risks. The FCC also in April approved Alphabet Inc. unit Google's request to use part of an 8,000-mile undersea telecommunications cable between the United States and Taiwan, but not Hong Kong, after U.S. agencies raised national security concerns. This week, President Donald Trump extended for another year a May 2019 executive order barring U.S. companies from using telecommunications equipment made by companies deemed to pose a national security risk, a move seen aimed at Huawei and peer ZTE Corp. Some residents of Tema have bared their teeth at the Ghana Water Company Limited for making their taps run dry for four days. The Tema metropolis and its environs from Wednesday had interruptions in their water supply as the GWCL embarked on an unannounced emergency maintenance work schedule. The residents speaking to the Ghana News Agency, said the water shortage made it difficult for them to fully comply with the COVID-19 protocols, especially the handwashing under running water. They explained that due to the unavailability of water, some residents were resorting to collecting water from any available source for domestic use, a situation which could lead to spread of communicable diseases. According to them, they had exhausted the little water stored before the unannounced interruptions in water supply, indicating that they were now resorting to only the use of hand sanitizers which does not give full protection like hand washing. Mr Shadrach Tetteh, a resident of Tema Community Four, told the GNA that he did not have water to even bathe before going to work adding that if the taps were not opened by the close of day, it meant he would not be able to do proper bathing when he returned home, fearing that he could be exposing his family to any bacteria and possibly COVID-19 virus he might have had contact with. Mr Tetteh said how do they expect us to practice the hand washing when they have closed the taps for the past four days without making provision for water tankers to provide water to us since they did not give us advance notice to enable us store enough water. He added that the water shortage was so bad that he saw some residents of Tema Community One, drawing water from drains. Mr Lawer Turson Coffie, a septuagenarian resident of Tema Community Eight, told the Ghana News Agency that he did not have water at home, describing the situation as "frustrating" as he had to beg for water from neighbours. Mr Coffie appealed to the GWCL to urgently restore the flow of water or send tankers around as they embark on the maintenance works. Ms Rebeca Afari, a hairdresser and resident of Community One, Site One, said she could not fill her veronica bucket for hand washing, revealing that she had to buy three bags of water sachets daily for the family to bathe and cook with. Ms Afari said it was inappropriate for GWCL to embark on such an exercise without notice or provision of water for residents. Mr Sampson Ampah, Tema Regional Communication Manager of GWCL, apologized to residents for not giving them ample notice before the shutdown, explaining that it was due to the emergency nature of the works. Mr Ampah however indicated that the maintenance work had been completed but engineers of the company were undertaking an integrity test after which water supply would be fully restored. 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 US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut bilateral ties with China, the latest blast in an increasingly violent war-of-words between the worlds two largest economies about the origins of the virus that has killed more than 300,000 people. Adding fuel to the fire are persistent rumours that the US wants to return to Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam. China on Friday urged the United States to meet it halfway and strengthen cooperation in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. It follows US President Donald Trump's threats to sever bilateral ties, in an interview on the Fox Business News show Mornings with Maria. Chinas state-controlled Global Times rejected Trumps remarks, in which the American leader described the Covid-19 pandemic as the plague from China. Beijing believes Trump's rhetoric is election strategy nonsense. The exchanges follow the publication of a joint report by the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) on 13 May claiming that cyber actors affiliated with the People's Republic of China are targeting US organisations conducting research into vaccines and other treatments to fight Covid-19. Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said China deplores and opposes such slanderous" claims, pointing out that spreading rumours and smearing and scapegoating will not make the virus go away and put an end to the pandemic. "To maintain the steady development of China-US relations is in the fundamental interests of the people in both countries, and is conducive to world peace and stability," Zhao insisted. Trumps threat came a week after a trade call between US and Chinese negotiators in which both sides stressed their commitment to the Phase One business deal reached in January. But completing that deal looks increasingly unlikely in the wake of the pandemic which has caused a massive downturn in the global economy. 'Revisionist power' Meanwhile, persistent rumours that the US might revamp its military might in East Asia are making Beijing nervous. Story continues The 2019 Indo-Pacific Strategy report from the US Ministry of Defense describes China as a revisionist power that undermines the international system from within by exploiting its benefits, while seeking Indo-Pacific regional hegemony. China, meanwhile, in its own 2019 report National Defense in the New Era maintains that Beijing exercises its national sovereignty to build infrastructure and deploy necessary defensive capabilities on the islands and reefs in the South China Sea. In practice, this has resulted in the construction of airstrips and other permanent structures on uninhabited shoals and islands like the Spratley Islands and the Paracels, in an enormous area contested by the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam. Pacific theatre The US has countered Chinas perceived aggression with a massive military presence in the Pacific theatre. According to researcher David Vine, who has mapped the US military presence worldwide in his landmark study Base Nation, some 250 US military bases of a total of over 800 globally are located in East Asia, with 113 in Japan, 83 in South Korea and 47 on the island of Guam. The US military suffered a setback in East Asia when the Philippines terminated the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement with Washington in 2014, and seems to be looking for replacement. The most attractive option may, ironically, turn out to be former enemy Vietnam, since such an alliance would give the Americans renewed access to the Cam Ranh Bay deep sea harbour, Asias largest. Back to Vietnam? Cam Ranh Bay housed the US navy during the Vietnam war, before the Vietcong took over the country, forcing American soldiers to leave. For several years, US warships have been visiting Vietnam, the last such visit was when the USS Theodore Roosevelt visited the port of Da Nang in March. The Philippines are kicking the US out, according to Carlyle Thayer, an emeritus professor with the Australian Defence Force Academy. China is being aggressive. Many US colleagues see a US-Vietnam partnership around the corner, he says. Officially, Vietnam is not interested. According to Vietnams 2019 National Defence Whitebook, Vietnam continues its military three nos policy: Hanoi wont join any military alliances, it wont side with one country against any other, and it wont give any nation permission to set up military bases or use its territory to carry out military activities. Disaster relief But a new clause in the Whitebook reveals that Hanoi may be open to change. Depending on circumstances and specific conditions, Vietnam will consider developing necessary, appropriate defence and military relations with other countries, the policy paper continues. America has been pushing to preposition supplies for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in Vietnam, says Thayer. But a fixed foothold may not be the ultimate goal. They want access, he argues. They want to habituate the Vietnamese to regular visits, so it becomes routine, and a tortuous, yearly process of gaining approval for a port visit would not be necessary anymore." But he warns that Hanoi will be careful not to antagonise Beijing too much: China is Vietnams largest economic partner...there is nothing to be gained by keeping China their permanent enemy. Despite not being able to perform to a live audience these days because of the restrictions in place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, comedian Jason Byrne is finding new ways to keep his fans entertained - and has also shown his more serious and reflective side with his new podcast on mental health and keeping and maintaining a positive mind and a healthy body through exercise. Fingal resident, Jason (48) has also revealed he would have loved to have become a counsellor or a keynote speaker instead of the path he took to become an international comedian. His exciting new venture is in the world of podcasting and his podcast, entitled 'Mind Your Loaf' is being run in partnership with a charity called turn2me.ie - a free, online counselling service. In this six part series, Jason Byrne and his co-host Mar Cusack, in conjunction with online mental health service turn2me.ie, have a look, a chat, a cry and a laugh on the areas of well-being and mental health. With a new expert guest each week, Jason finds out how to tackle all sorts of problems, from happiness to grief. Explaining the background to his podcasts, Jason told Fingal Independent: 'I started reading different self-help books and books on mindfulness and now it's like a hobby. 'I really started getting into it. Then I met a friend called Jennifer Griffin, who studied psychotherapy and she started working for the website turn2me.ie, a free counselling service online.' 'I then thought I would love to do some sort of keynote speaking - as a performer I am already good at talking but I am not qualified in the area of psychology or mental health,' he explained. 'So then I thought, I know what I will do, I'll do a podcast. I'll get a co-host in,' he said, adding that his co-host is Mar Cusack. 'We get guest experts each week and I am actually the student and the guest that comes in for the podcasts are the experts. So I get to learn loads for free,' he laughs. He said the idea for the podcasts came from his interest in mental health issues. 'In fact, if I knew I was into this so much I wouldn't have become a comedian,' he revealed. 'I would have become a counsellor or a keynote speaker on the subject. It's such an interesting subject.' As well as working on his new podcast, Jason is also encouraging people to join him on his tri-weekly training sessions on his Instagram Live page with his personal trainer Adrian Harrington. The training/exercise sessions take place on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays at 11am on his social media page. Each session is 25 minutes long. 'I was doing a lot of exercise and my trainer Adrian Harrington, from Curragha in Co Meath, also got me into medication,' Jason said. 'So now every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on my Instagram Live I do exercise sessions with Adrian and I am encouraging people to watch and join in. 'It's good to keep healthy and keep active during this isolation period,' he explained. 'It is so great that nowadays, in this new situation we are all in that everyone is doing things such as trainers doing exercise sessions for free. Hundreds of them are doing it on line,' he said. Jason got into meditation and encouraged by his personal trainer, he now meditates daily. 'Adrian taught me meditation. When he first suggested it, I said I'm not doing that!! 'Now, with the situation we are in, especially because we all have to isolate, I meditate every day. 'I listen to Wim Hof, the Ice Man. He is great craic so my best advice for people who haven't meditated before is go on YouTube and do guided meditation.' With all his new interests and social media live sessions, Jason hasn't forgotten about the children. Each evening he reads a chapter from his series of children's books ' The Accidental Adventures of Onion O'Brien' on his Instagram page called Onion O'Brien, which is especially for children. 'That instagram page Onion O'Brien is just for kids so they can listen to me read a chapter from my books each evening,' said Jason. And how is he coping with self-isolation? Jason explained that being a comedian, he is on his own most of the time.' 'I was a guest on Des Bishop's podcast the other day and we spoke about being comedians amongst other things. We are on our own most of the time. Our brains are already trained for this isolation,' Jason explained. 'We travel on our own, we are on stage on our own, we are in the dressing rooms on our own. 'We don't have a crew, we are our own bosses. Like when we are on tour, doing something like 38 dates, we are in different towns on our own, a different hotel each night, on our own.' And during the 'lock down' Jason says his comedy work hasn't stopped - despite his tour of Australia being cancelled, and the cancellation of one of the biggest comedy festivals around - The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 'I am actually exhausted,' he laughed. 'I am so busy with the podcasts, training sessions etc and because I am sitting in my house, I am finding old comedy stuff, putting subtitles on it and putting little comedy clips on my Facebook page. I am also doing sketches every day and also putting them up on Facebook too. I am also doing Facebook Live sessions so fans can talk to me - that's a bit of craic, actually it's great craic,' he said. Jason also opened up about the heartbreaking and sad loss of his father Paddy, towards the end of February, just days before widespread COVID-19 restrictions were put in place. Speaking to his friend Des Bishop on his podcast, Jason opened up about how he was at his dad's side when he passed away two days after suffering a huge stroke. Jason said: 'I didn't know anything about grief. I know nothing about it. One thing I got from it is that I'm not afraid of death anymore. 'I see it as a peaceful thing because I've seen it happen.' He added: 'I watched the energy leave his body. It was literally like a lilo. It was like someone took the air out of him. 'It was like he shrunk as his breath stopped. Then I didn't recognise him at all. 'If you get the chance to be with someone when they're going to pass, be with them. It's good for you.' Jason - who regularly jokes about his dad in his comedy shows - told how he believes the memories keep loved ones alive after they're gone. He said: 'They're not in that body. I saw and felt something come out of him. Paddy Byrne left his body.' He told the Fingal Independent, that although he, his mother, sisters and family are grieving the loss of Paddy and they are all mourning separately for Paddy because of the COVID-19 restrictions, he is also trying his best to 'go the other way' with his grief. 'My dad only passed away six weeks ago. But I have gone the other way,' he said. 'Instead of sitting here and being really upset - my mam is in Ballinteer and my sisters are too far away so we are all basically mourning separately. 'But what I haven't done is gone into bed and put my head under the pillow. 'I always say take advantage of this situation -and try and make it positive.' he said. And his last bit of advice for people in self-isolation is: 'Don't be lowering the booze and chocolate into yourself - go the other way.' 'I am no expert but I have been reading all the psychotherapy and philosophy books so what I am saying to people is, if you are stuck don't be lowering the booze and chocolate into you. 'Go the other way. Learn something new, try to get more healthier. 'If you are more healthier and positive, then your mind is more healthier and thus your immune system is strong. 'Again, I am not the expert on this though,' he said. India's Investigative Agency Arrests Main Conspirator in Navy Espionage Racket Sputnik News 13:27 GMT 15.05.2020(updated 16:12 GMT 15.05.2020) New Delhi (Sputnik): In a major international espionage racket, Pakistani spies recruited agents in the defence establishment of India to collect sensitive and classified information regarding Indian warships, submarines, and data on the location of naval commands. Navy personnel were also accused of spying for Pakistan. India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Mohammed Haroon Haji Abdul Rehman Lakdawala, a key conspirator in the spy racket from 2019, in which some Navy personnel were hand in gloves with Pakistani nationals for monetary gains in exchange of crucial information. During the investigation, it was revealed that Lakdawala had visited Karachi on various occasions to meet the handlers on the pretence of conducting cross-border trade, confirmed the National Investigation Agency. "During these visits, he came in contact with two Pakistani spies namely Akbar alias Ali and Rizwan, who directed him to deposit money into the bank accounts of Navy personnel at regular intervals. The same was done through different means", said the NIA in a statement. Further investigation in the case will be done with respect to a number of digital devices and documents seized from Lakdawala's house by the NIA. So far, a total of 14 accused have been arrested from all over the country, including 11 Navy personnel and one Pakistani-born Indian national, Ms Shaista Qaiser. On 20 December 2019, three from the Visakhapattanam-based Eastern Naval Command and three from the Mumbai-based Western Naval Command were arrested by the NIA. In the spy racket, known as the Visakhapatnam Espionage Case, it was alleged that all junior ranking personnel were "honey trapped" through Facebook and online dating sites, while other high ranking officials were lured with monetary gains to leak out crucial and sensitive information regarding the locations/movements of Indian Navy ships and submarines, as well as other defence establishments. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions In 1991, former PM Manmohan Singh, forced by a crushing balance-of-payments problem, liberalized the Indian economy. Nearly three decades later, the Narendra Modi government has seized the Covid-19 crisis to unshackle critical sectors, promising ample privatization of new sectors along with deeper reforms for long-term goals not entirely related to the Covid-19 catastrophe, economists have said. From agriculture to small industry to mining to defence production, the reforms span several sectors. Experts have termed some of them, radical. The government has however sidestepped some equally critical short-term needs, like income support for lockdown-induced joblessness, analysts say. On May 12, Modi announced a Rs 20-lakh crore economic package, equivalent to 10% of Indias gross domestic product or GDP. He branded it Atma Nirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) scheme. The specifics of it, are being announced by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a series of daily briefings. Her last announcements are scheduled for May 17. All of these reforms are also to attract foreign investment due to changing global realities. Thats the rubric, said S. Mahendra Dev, vice-chancellor of the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai. Dev formerly headed a federal body that fixes farm minimum support prices. On Saturday, Sitharaman, devoted her third round of announcements to what she termed as major reforms. The announcements have nothing to do with a Rs 20-lakh-crore stimulus. These are structural changes. They aimed to give the economy new breathing space, NR Bhanumurthy of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, a leading state-run think-tank said. These reforms may have been necessitated as much by global factors, Dev said. Global firms are reducing their dependence on China, shifting supply chains away. It is true that last few years have been bad for globalization, said DK Joshi, the chief economist of Crisil Ltd, a ratings firm. The US-China trade war has rewired some supply lines already. Countries are unsure to what extent they can depend on others in a post-pandemic world. Bhanumurthy said short-term goals are critical too. People have lost incomes. They need support. Such issues can also make the economy so weak it may not be able to absorb the measures. The government pushed key reforms in the factor markets, which roughly denote five economic determinants: land, labour, capital, technology and infrastructure. Before Covid-19 struck on Jan 30, growth was already tumbling. GDP, the broadest measure of peoples incomes, grew just 4.71% in the October-December 2019 period, the slowest pace in six years. So, it is true that factor-market reforms were required, Bhanumurthy said. The reforms also cover sectors that can have multiplier effects on investments, Dev said. Multiplier effects refer to a rippling impact of economic decisions across sectors or society. In her first round, Sitharaman dealt with small enterprises, which employ the largest number of skilled workforce outside agriculture in India. She hiked the turnover limits of small, medium and micro enterprises (MSMEs) such that they will legally remain MSMEs even if they grew in size. This enables them to enjoy tax benefits, among other rebates. The foreign direct investment bar in defence will be raised to 74% from 49% to boost the military infrastructure industry. Farmers will be able to sell to any buyer of choice, with the finance minister announcing the end of monopolies of agricultural produce market committees. Mining firms can now do all of these simultaneously: explore, processing and producing finished useable minerals. The 60% airspace limit for civil aviation will be widened to boost aviation, cut oil imports and shorten flying routes. Sitharaman also announced the end of Coal India Limiteds monopoly, allowing free private extraction on revenue-sharing basis. The Covid crisis has given the government political legroom to display its reforms appetite, says KK Kailash, who teaches at Hyderabad University. A key social-sector reform is the digitized ration distribution system branded One Nation, One Ration Card, currently under trial in 12 states, which will be made fully operational by March 2021. This will ensure benefits move with migrants, creating constant food security coverage. Generally because of Covid and other reasons, countries are thinking of self-sufficiency and India seems to have taken the cue, Dev said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Brussels, May 16 : The European Union (EU) has indicated that it will try to stop Israel's proposed annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank. Speaking after a virtual meeting of EU Foreign Ministers on Friday, foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said: "We must work to discourage any possible initiative toward annexation," the BBC reported He said the EU looked forward to working with Israel's new government, but added: "Unilateral action from either side should be avoided and for sure international law should be upheld." Some EU states were said to be calling for a tougher line on the issue, including possible sanctions, but others have urged caution. "What everybody agreed is we have to increase our efforts and our reach-out to all relevant actors in the Middle East," Borrell said. Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement with Benny Gantz, the leader of Blue and White Party, to form a unity government. They both agreed to impose Israeli sovereignty on the territories, which they called as "part of the historic lands of Israel" as of July 1. On May 7, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said that American President Donald Trump's administration supports Israel's application of sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and the settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. The Palestinians - who claim all of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - have rejected the idea. Israel has occupied the territories since the 1967 Middle East war, said the BBC reported. More than 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Most of the international community considers the settlements illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. Rajasthan on Saturday reported 177 COVID-19 cases, 116 of them from the Jaipur district jail, as the infection tally jumped to 4,924 in the state, officials said. Among the fresh cases, the highest number of 122 were reported from Jaipur, the officials said. They said the district jail accounts for 116 of the fresh coronavirus cases from Jaipur. Besides, 21 cases were reported from Dungarpur, nine from Udaipur, six from Jodhpur, four from Ajmer, two from Sirohi and one each from Ajmer, Barmer, Bharatpur, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Pali and Kota, an official said. The total of number of COVID-19 cases in the desert state as of 2 pm on Saturday is 4,924, the officials said. The state has so far recorded 125 novel coronavirus deaths. The officials said 2,785 people have recovered from the infection, leaving 2,014 active cases in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kate Middleton may have taken the prize as the most relatable member of the royal family. Earlier this year, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, discussed the challenges of parenting on a podcast with Giovanna Fletcher. Royal watchers were surprised by Kates openness throughout the interview, and Fletcher recently revealed that hearing Kate talk about mom guilt was a surreal experience. Kate Middleton | Samir Hussein/WireImage Inside Kate Middletons pregnancy struggles Earlier this year, Kate appeared on Fletchers podcast Happy Mum Happy Baby and discussed her experiences becoming a mother. According to Express, Kate started the podcast by talking about her struggles with severe morning sickness, something she experienced in all three of her pregnancies. Lots of people have it far, far worse, but it was definitely a challenge, Kate shared. Not just for me but also for your loved ones around you. The Duchess of Cambridge noted that Prince William felt pretty helpless when she was sick. Although he wanted to help her out, there was really nothing he could do but watch. In an effort to find a solution, Kate researched the benefits of hypnobirthing, which uses breathing techniques to manage stress during pregnancy. The method worked for Kate who said it was hugely powerful during labor. Middleton admits to having mom guilt During the podcast, Kate also discussed what it was like becoming a mom. Now that her children are older, Kate admitted that she often deals with mom guilt, especially when she has to travel as part of her royal duties. Yes absolutely and anyone who doesnt as a mother is actually lying. Yes all the time, Kate stated. Theres such a pull, but I am such a hands-on mum, and whatever youre doing you want to make sure youre doing the uttermost best job you can for your children. Kate gave birth to her first child, Prince George, back in 2013. She went on to have two more children with William, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. In the interview, Kate acknowledged that mom guilt is a constant challenge for mothers around the country. She also stated that even moms who do not work deal with these types of issues. Kates comments offered a rare look into her views on parenting, and Fletcher later confessed that the entire interview was surreal. Fletcher dishes on having Kate Middleton as a guest Motherhood is a common subject on Fletchers podcast, but having Kate discuss her own experiences was something Fletcher believes all of her listeners can relate to. Having the Duchess of Cambridge as a guest was a surreal experience, she stated. I talk all the time about how motherhood is a leveler and think our discussion really highlighted that. Fletcher added that she felt honored that Kate agreed to come on her podcast. Although she did not expect Kate to be as open as she was, Fletcher was glad to have the opportunity to discuss topics that are sometimes swept under the rug. Kate and William are currently staying at their country estate, Anmer Hall, amid the coronavirus pandemic. They have been fulfilling some of their royal duties via video chats, and have also been staying busy homeschooling their three children. The Duchess of Cambridge surprises new mom While Kate and William are practicing social distancing at home, the Duchess has been keeping up with her work behind the scenes. At the beginning of May, Kate spent a few hours contacting medical workers, parents, midwives, and others as part of the United Kingdoms Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week. According to Glamour, this includes paying a virtual visit to a new mom who had just given birth in a hospital in London. Hello! Very nice to meet you, Kate told the mother and her husband, who showed Kate their newborn boy. Hes so sweet. Aww, congratulations. During the video call, Kate Middleton discussed the importance of managing stress in the early days of parenthood, especially in light of the current crisis. Kate may not be able to visit people in person but she is certainly doing her part to support people in need. He was basically reading from a Holocaust funeral Mad Lib he had in his siddur. Im not kidding: There was an actual page that had a speech with blank spaces as if before the service he had called my mother and asked for a name, a gender, the names of my grandmothers children, from which camp she had escaped, which Israel charity she co-chaired and her favorite Leonard Cohen quote. We finally stopped him so we could move on. There were endearing mistakes as well, ones that reminded us of how much we loved her. For example, my speech had Bubby at 92, the rabbis had her at 93 and my sisters had her at 94. Bubby told us all different ages and nobody knew how old she was. All her original paperwork was lost in the war, which she used to her advantage when it came time to start her life. In order to be taken seriously by potential employers, she would age herself up so that they wouldnt think they were hiring a kid. When she came over to America, she was supposed to live with a family member who had an apartment here. She was pretty excited about it, but when she got to the apartment, she discovered it was a dump. It was cramped, it was in a bad part of town and it simply would not do. So she took a subway downtown to the United Jewish Appeals offices in the Upper West Side and told them she wasnt going back to that apartment. The U.J.A. told her she had to. But after a few minutes of arguing with them, this little Czechoslovakian teen who didnt know English talked her way into staying in a dorm room in the 70s by Broadway. The trade-off? She was only allowed to stay there if she took English classes at Roosevelt High School. Bubby was quick to tell me that she was going to do that anyway, so it was an all-around win for her. It was classic Bubby. Bubby was confident, brilliant, cunning and extraordinarily resilient. When she passed, NY1 called her a Holocaust Heroine because in Auschwitz she saved lives by hiding stolen food between her legs and sneaking it back to her barracks for weaker prisoners. She also supposedly won a beauty pageant on the Holocaust refugee boat she took from Europe to America, and was the elegant kind of lady who had an oil painting of herself hanging in the living room. The ending of the funeral was as screwed up as the rest of it. Theres a Jewish tradition where the family doesnt leave the cemetery until the coffin is fully covered. Usually, the family gets the cemetery gravediggers to help, but because of social distancing, we had to bury the coffin ourselves. And because I was the only one who could physically do it, I had to bury my Bubby alone. I shoveled dirt for eight minutes straight and so concluded what Im pretty sure was my Bubbys funeral. The coronavirus has been wiping out a generation of Holocaust survivors who are saying goodbye, and subsequently being eulogized, over Zoom meetings hosted by people who dont know how to work front-facing cameras or mute loud participants. Its unfair, heartbreaking and kind of quirky. While I havent felt guilty for laughing at this stuff, Ive also had a lot of guilt for not feeling guilty enough and thats the right Jewish response, I think. Like so many of the other bad things to happen to the tribe, the coronavirus is a deep, dark life lesson in how to experience something awful while quietly leaning over to your neighbor and whispering, Can you believe these schmucks? Eitan Levine (@EitanTheGoalie) is a comedian and writer. 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. A tornado touched down Friday evening in Saratoga County, New York, the National Weather Service confirmed on Saturday. The tornado touched down in Wilton, New York at 6 p.m. Friday near the intersection of Nichols Road and Woodard Road and tracked easy for about two miles before lifting at the intersection of Wilton-Gansevoort Road and Blanchard Road. The tornado snapped and uprooted several trees - some of which landed on houses - and blew away street signs. An empty trailer was blown on top of a van and a warehouse roof in the tornados path was peeled off, landing on a vehicle. The EF1 tornado reached wind speeds of 85 to 90 miles per hour with a maximum path width of 50 yards. No one was injured due to the tornado. Severe storms Friday brought strong wind gusts, hail and heavy rainfall to the Northeast. In Massachusetts, it destroyed homes, downed trees and caused tens of thousands of power outages. Read More: Wind speeds reached up to 70 miles per hour during storm that ripped roofs from Holyoke apartment buildings Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rocky Intan (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, May 16, 2020 16:32 613 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd884b7c 3 Opinion pandemic,COVID-19,globalization,supply-chain,CSIS Free The coronavirus pandemic presents severe stress to a world already torn by existing geopolitical tension and accustomed to multi-country production networks. The outbreak took place in the midst of simmering trade tensions between China and the United States and the still unresolved dispute in the South China Sea. Countries, developed and developing alike, also enacted deficit spending to deal with the public health crisis and the economic aftereffects, catapulting their respective debt load. For its part, Indonesia relaxed its legal limit on annual fiscal deficit of 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by spending an extra Rp 405.1 trillion in the 2020 budget, increasing it to 5.07 percent of GDP. Will countries seize this opportunity to resolve longstanding disputes: territorial and trade alike? Will nations rise to the occasion to showcase solidarity, especially toward the least developed ones? Will the world engineer globalization to be pandemic-proof the next time it strikes? The first trend to note is the stubborn persistence of realpolitik interests, despite hopes for their disposal or at least a halt in the face of a global health crisis. For example, despite the pandemic wreaking havoc on every claimant and relevant countries in the region, tension and dispute in the South China Sea continue apace. In early April, a collision took place in the Paracels between a Vietnamese fishing vessel and a Chinese Coast Guard ship, resulting in the formers sinking. Later that month, a Chinese geological survey vessel Haiyang Dizhi 8 conducted exploratory activities inside the Malaysian exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Although it seemed like Beijing was exploiting the pandemic to improve its position, its actions were more reflective of its consistent move in proclaiming its "historic right", namely the nine-dash-line claim that has been declared illegal by the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea. Whatever its territorial and geopolitical intentions in the South China Sea, the pandemic does not compel Beijing to pause on them, no matter the struggle of other countries. The second trend that lingers is unilateralism and lack of solidarity by some. Even as the pandemic ravages its own population, the United States suspended funding for the World Health Organization (WHO), after accusing the body of being biased toward China, including in its core tasks of investigating early reports on the virus from China in December 2019. As the US is the largest single funder of the WHO, accounting for 15 percent of its total budget, it is not clear yet how detrimental the effects of this funding withdrawal will be. Washington is also sitting out other multilateral efforts to tackle the virus. In early May, it refused to join a global effort by various countries and organizations to pool funding amounting to US$8 billion to discover a coronavirus vaccine. Instead, the Trump administration opted to unilaterally push for a vaccine discovery through the presidents son-in-law Jared Kushner, called Operation Warp Speed. Unfortunately, this lack of solidarity is not confined to the US. There have been calls for suspension of interest payments, principal repayment relief, or some kind of debt restructuring for developing and least-developed countries that have been saddled with high debt burden, even before the pandemic called for massive emergency spending. In a summit in mid-April, Group of 20 (G20) countries accommodated this by agreeing to freeze government loan repayments for low-income countries for 2020, with the possibility of extension next year. All G20 countries, except one. As the biggest emerging creditor other than multilateral financial institutions, China signed up to the pledge but added the caveat of excluding its bilateral loans. The bulk of Chinese loans to the developing world have been in bilateral loans in its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI); often likened to the Marshall Plan, which unlike BRI were actually grants, not loans. Most of these bilateral loans came from Chinas policy banks such as the Export-Import Bank of China, with around 1800 projects around the globe. Due to their commercial nature, Beijing decreed that these loans were not applicable for debt relief. The third trend is a casualty from the pandemic that most likely survives: globalization. Factory closures from lockdowns and social distancing measures cause supply chain disruptions across Southeast Asia. Furthermore, export restrictions of medical supplies and agricultural products to prioritize domestic needs aggravate this disruption. Cambodia and Vietnam have introduced rice export controls, endangering food security of neighboring countries. Indonesia itself in March this year introduced a temporary export ban on antiseptic, mask raw materials, masks and personal protective equipment (PPE). These have understandably prompted calls for some reversing of globalization: "reshoring" of critical production to be in-country and supply chain diversification. But the logic of comparative advantage that spurs firms to outsource across multi-country supply chains during good times will make them do so again once they return. It is not clear how the pandemic will alter the fundamental dynamic of cost differentials and product availability that prompted companies to offshore in the first instance. Even before the pandemic struck, a famous example was the failure of Apple in 2013 to bring back its production of Macbook Pros from Asia to Texas because of the lack of a specific screw made in America. And asking companies to have multiple suppliers for a single component is essentially asking them to shoulder redundancies: a hefty request as this means more costs for those already on razor thin margins, even before sales dropped because of the post-lockdown drop in household spending. Furthermore, it is doubtful where firms can indeed outsource and diversify during these days when the pandemic and its subsequent lockdowns are across the board: national, regional and global. Japanese multinationals, for example, have been reluctant to completely leave their Chinese plants despite cash incentives from Tokyo to diversify their supply chains. In this regard, the best that countries can do seems to be building up strategic reserves, identifying specific bottlenecks in production and distribution, and proceeding with trade liberalization. It is encouraging that ASEAN leaders agreed to establish an ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund, even though its funding is not from new sources but redirecting around 10 percent of resources from the ASEAN Development Fund. Apart from assisting countries procure medical supplies and equipment for front line responses, the fund should also help ASEAN countries build up reserves to weather future pandemic waves. In addition, it turns out ASEAN countries still charge high tariffs for importing PPE products, ranging from 17.1 percent in Thailand to 9.6 percent in Laos. Singapore has set an example by eliminating tariffs on them. And fortunately, in the background, with a little help from videoconference technology, negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) proceeded with expectations for a deal in November during a leaders summit. For Jakarta specifically, the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) is set to enter into force on July 5 this year, 60 days after the Indonesian ratification. These trends suggest that countries will most likely not use the opportunity presented by the pandemic to fix traditional concerns. There are indeed options to enact to deal with some excesses on the margins, especially on globalization. But in these unprecedented times, we would still have to deal with our old world problems. The old world is dead, long live the old world. *** Researcher, Department of International Relations CSIS Indonesia Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Guernsey, Channel Islands, May 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In connection with AP Alternative Assets, L.P.s (AAA; Euronext Amsterdam: AAA) equity investment in Athene Holding Ltd. (Athene; NYSE: ATH), AAA informs its investors that Athene has released its unaudited statutory financial statements for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020 for its main operating entities in Iowa, Delaware and Bermuda on its website at ir.athene.com. For additional information regarding Athene, please visit www.athene.com. About AP Alternative Assets AP Alternative Assets was established by Apollo Global Management, Inc. and its subsidiaries (Apollo) and is a closed-end limited partnership established under the laws of Guernsey. Apollo is a leading global alternative investment manager with 29 years of experience investing across the capital structure of leveraged companies. AAA is managed by Apollo Alternative Assets, L.P. For more information about AP Alternative Assets, please visit www.apolloalternativeassets.com. Contact Gary Stein (New York) +1 (212) 822 0467 This announcement does not constitute or form part of an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction. This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to future events and circumstances. Such statements are based on currently available operating, financial and competitive information and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from the historical experience and expressed or implied expectations of AAA. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and AAA does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements unless required by law. Attachment Up to 242 million jobs will be lost due to the virus that has battered the world economy, the Asian Development Bank said. (Photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman) The estimated impact would cost as much as US$8.8 trillion based on a range of scenarios, but ADB said government interventions could help offset the losses inflicted by the crisis. Up to 242 million jobs will be lost due to the virus, more than seven times higher than the employment losses seen during the global financial crisis a decade ago. Foregone labour income could top US$1.8 trillion. "These will be difficult to recoup," the Manila-based lender said, warning it could not discount the possibility of a financial crisis if the pandemic was not contained quickly enough to prevent defaults and bankruptcies. The coronavirus has killed 300,140 people worldwide, according to an AFP tally based on official sources. The World Health Organization has said the virus may become just another endemic virus in communities and populations will have to learn to live with it. Over 4.4 million cases have been officially recorded in 196 countries and territories, with the United States recording the most deaths at 85,906. To stem the economic losses, governments have announced a range of stimulus measures such as payroll support to keep jobs, cash transfers and tax breaks. "These helped counteract some of the adverse economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic," ADB said. The bank noted the United States stands to lose up to US$2.2 trillion or a tenth of its GDP while losses in China, where the virus first surfaced, could top US$1.6 trillion or 11 per cent of its economy. Among industries, tourism and aviation were hit hard as countries closed borders and enforced lockdowns to contain the spread of the virus. Many airlines have either retrenched staff or told their employees to take unpaid leave. "The impact on employment was severe. Unskilled workers normally working on a casual or 'per piece; basis were hardest hit," ADB said. Travel restrictions will cut global trade by up to US$2.6 trillion, which is already reeling from trade tensions between the United States and China, a global growth slowdown and weaker business confidence. Former President Barack Obama on Saturday criticized President Donald Trump in all but name as he gave a televised commencement address for high school seniors. Obama's message to graduating high school students came at the end of an hourlong television special. Obama panned 'so-called grown-ups, including some with fancy titles and important jobs' who do 'what feels good, what's convenient, what's easy.' 'That's how little kids think,' he added, 'which is why things are so screwed up.' Former President Barack Obama spoke during a televised commencement ceremony for high school graduates of the class of 2020 In this screengrab, a photo of President Barack Obama is displayed during Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 The 44th President did not mention Trump by name, but there was no mistaking who he meant. Earlier on Saturday, Obama gave another commencement address online, in which he claimed that the pandemic showed many officials were not 'even pretending to be in charge.' Obama spoke on 'Show Me Your Walk, HBCU Edition,' a two-hour event for students graduating from historically black colleges and universities, which was broadcast on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. His remarks were unexpectedly political, given the venue, and touched on current events beyond the virus and its social and economic impacts. Torrey Pines High School graduating student Phoebe Seip, 18 (center), her father Jake, 57, and her sister Sydney, 22, watch former United States President Barack Obama deliver a virtual commencement address to millions of high school seniors who will miss graduation ceremonies 'More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what theyre doing,' Obama said. 'A lot them arent even pretending to be in charge.' Earlier this month, he strongly criticized Trumps handling of the pandemic as an 'absolute chaotic disaster' in a call with 3,000 members of his administrations. The commencement remarks were the latest sign that Obama intends to play an increasingly active role in the coming election. He has generally kept a low profile in the years since he left office, even as Trump has disparaged him. Obama told supporters on the call that he would be 'spending as much time as necessary and campaigning as hard as I can' for Joe Biden, who served as his vice president. During Saturday's commencement address, Obama said the fatal shooting of an unarmed black jogger in Georgia shows how America is still unequal. Obama urged the graduating class to take up the mantle of leadership, saying: 'If the world's going to get better, it's going to be up to you.' Former President Barack Obama delivered an online commencement speech on Saturday to graduates of historically black colleges and universities The nation's first black president also alluded to Ahmaud Arbery case, which ignited outrage after video of the unarmed black jogger's fatal shooting surfaced online and went viral. Arbery, 25, was accosted by two armed white men while going for a jog in his Georgia neighborhood on February 23. The two men claimed they suspected Arbery of being linked to recent burglaries in the area and that they were legally permitted to detain him until law enforcement officials arrived. Obama also made mention of the February 23 killing of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery (above), who was fatally shot by two armed white men who accosted him while he was jogging in his neighborhood in Georgia After a struggle in which Arbery tried to flee, he was shot. Video of the incident shows him collapsing to the ground after he was stopped by the two men. Public outrage grew as it was learned that local authorities declined to prosecute the men, who were known to be friends with officials in the prosecutor's office. It took more than two months for authorities to make an arrest and charge Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son Travis McMichael, 34, with murder. Obama told HBCU graduates on Saturday that the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed a disproportionately large number of African American victims, 'just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country.' Gregory McMichael (left) and his son, Travis McMichael (right) are accused of killing Arbery in February Leaked video of the incident went viral and led to the arrests of Gregory and Travis McMichael The local authorities initially declined to arrest and prosecute the McMichaels, but state authorities stepped in and arrested the two men after the video leaked online and went viral The inequalities are visible not just in the realm of public health but also 'just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog, and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him if he doesn't submit to their questioning.' Obama, who has largely been quiet since leaving the White House in January 2017, has vowed to be more involved in trying to help his vice president, Joe Biden, win the presidency this fall. Last week, Obama also blamed the current occupant of the Oval Office and his allies for exacerbating 'tribal' tensions around the country, which he says has hampered the effort to reduce total number of cases nationwide. Audio of the web call in which Obama spoke was obtained by Yahoo News. 'What we're fighting against is these long-term trends in which being selfish, being tribal, being divided, and seeing others as an enemy - that has become a stronger impulse in American life,' the president said. 'And by the way, we're seeing that internationally as well. Trump has come under fire from Democrats for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Pictured, Trump speaks to the press at the White House on Friday 'It's part of the reason why the response to this global crisis has been so anemic and spotty. 'It would have been bad even with the best of governments. 'It has been an absolute chaotic disaster when that mindset - of 'what's in it for me' and 'to heck with everybody else' - when that mindset is operationalized in our government.' Obama added: 'That's why, I, by the way, am going to be spending as much time as necessary and campaigning as hard as I can for Joe Biden.' Trump has been slammed by Democrats for his administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 88,000 Americans and infected nearly 1.5 million others. The president has denied reports that some of his top aides, including Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, warned him as early as January that a pandemic would have devastating consequences for Americans. Trump has also been faulted for his administration's failure to put in place a plan to have readily available testing so that Americans can isolate those infected with the coronavirus. While Trump has largely been portrayed as absent, state governors have taken the lead, imposing lockdowns while urging the public to maintain social distancing guidelines. Trump has even lashed out at several governors, particularly Democrats like Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, while urging his supporters to 'liberate' those states from lockdown even while his own administration's health experts continued to encourage Americans to maintain social distancing. The president has also made comments that have prompted mockery and scorn from the public, including his suggestion that cleaning disinfectants could be ingested into the body in order to treat COVID-19. Trump, for his part, has claimed that his decision to shut down travel from China saved lives, though the administration has allowed flights from China carrying American citizens and legal residents to continue landing in the country. The current president, meanwhile, tweeted on Saturday: 'OBAMAGATE!' Trump, meanwhile, has accused Obama and his vice president, Joe Biden, of wrondoing in the Michael Flynn case. Flynn's conversations with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. got picked up by US intelligence during the Obama administration, prompting allegations of 'spying' Trump and his supporters have alleged that Obama acted improperly in the investigation that resulted in the arrest and prosecution of Michael Flynn. Flynn, who was fired as Trump's national security for lying to Vice President Mike Pence over his contacts with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. As part of the plea, he had to admit in court, under oath, that he lied to the FBI and violated federal law. It is a crime to lie under oath in court. UNMASKING EXPLAINED WHAT IS UNMASKING? During routine, legal surveillance of foreign targets, names of Americans occasionally come up in conversations. Foreigners could be talking about a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident by name, or a foreigner could be speaking directly to an American. When an American's name is swept up in surveillance of foreigners, it is called 'incidental collection.' In these cases, the name of the American is masked before the intelligence is distributed to administration officials to avoid invading that person's privacy. Unless there is a clear intelligence value to knowing the Americans name, it is not revealed in the reports. The intelligence report would refer to the person only as 'U.S. Person 1' or U.S. Person 2.' If U.S. officials with proper clearance to review the report want to know the identity, they can ask the agency that collected the information - perhaps the FBI, CIA or National Security Agency - to 'unmask' the name. Unmasking requests are common, according to Michael Morell, former CIA deputy director and host of 'Intelligence Matters' podcast. 'Literally hundreds of times a year across multiple administrations. In general, senior officials make the requests when necessary to understand the underlying intelligence. I myself did it several times a month and NSA adjudicates the request. You can't do your job without it,' he said. Morell emphasized that unmasking is not the same as declassification. 'When a name is unmasked, the underlying intelligence to include the name remains classified so leaking it would be a crime.' WHEN WOULD AN INTELLIGENCE AGENCY UNMASK A NAME? The request is not automatically granted. The person asking has to have a good reason. Typically, the reason is that not knowing the name makes it impossible to fully understand the intelligence provided. The name is released only if the official requesting it has a need to know and the 'identity is necessary to understand foreign intelligence information or assess its importance,' according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence's latest report, which includes statistics on unmasking. 'Additional approval by a designated NSA official is also required.' Former NSA Director Mike Rogers has said that only 20 of his employees could approve an unmasking. The names are shared only with the specific official who asked. They are not released publicly. Leaking a name, or any classified information, is illegal. HOW OFTEN ARE NAMES UNMASKED? The number of unmasking requests began being released to the public in response to recommendations in 2014 from the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. There were 9,217 unmasking requests in the 12-month period between September 2015 and August 2016, the first period in which numbers are publicly available. The period was during the latter years of the Obama administration. The number rose during the Trump administration. The 9,529 requests in 2017 grew to 16,721 in 2018 and 10,012 last year. Advertisement In January, Flynn filed court papers to withdraw his guilty plea, saying federal prosecutors had acted in 'bad faith' and broken their end of the bargain when they sought prison time for him. Initially, prosecutors said Flynn was entitled to avoid prison time because he had cooperated extensively with the government, but the relationship with the retired Army lieutenant general grew increasingly contentious in the months before he withdrew his plea, particularly after he hired a new set of lawyers who raised misconduct allegations against the government. But the Justice Department filed a motion last week to dismiss the case, saying that the FBI had insufficient basis to question Flynn in the first place and that statements he made during the interview were not material to the broader counterintelligence investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. The judge presiding over Flynns criminal case appointed a retired jurist on Wednesday to evaluate whether the former Trump administration national security adviser should be held in criminal contempt over his guilty plea. Trump this week blasted Biden over revelations that Biden had requested that Flynn's name be 'unmasked' in foreign intelligence reports, a procedure that allowed for warrant-less surveillance of the then incoming national security advisor during the presidential transition. Biden was identified on Wednesday as being among a group of Obama administration officials who 'unmasked' the name of Mike Flynn in U.S. intelligence reports. A National Security Agency document signed by Director General Paul Nakasone lists Biden as among those who requested and may have received information on Flynn in the final days of the Obama administration or were otherwise involved in his unmasking. The leaked memo immediately set off a clash in Washington, with President Donald Trump tearing into Biden, his presumed 2020 opponent, for unmasking, which he connected to the prosecution of Flynn, which he termed a disgrace. 'When I see what is happening to him, it's disgraceful,' Trump said of Flynn. 'And it was all a ruse. And by the way the FBI said he didn't lie,' Trump said at the White House on Wednesday. Trump this week unloaded on Obama over the Flynn prosecution in an interview with Fox Business that aired Thursday morning. 'It was the greatest political crime in the history of our country,' Trump said. 'If I were a Democrat instead of a Republican, I think everybody would have been in jail a long time ago, and I'm talking with 50-year sentences. It is a disgrace what's happened.' Trump also tweeted 'If I were a Senator or Congressman, the first person I would call to testify about the biggest political crime and scandal in the history of the USA, by FAR, is former President Obama. He knew EVERYTHING. Do it @LindseyGrahamSC, just do it. No more Mr. Nice Guy. No more talk!' But Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, won't call Obama, saying Thursday the idea wasn't practical due to 'executive privilege' matters. Biden struck back, saying Trump was trying to distract from mishandling the coronavirus. 'This is all about diverting attention from the horrible way in which he has acted,' Biden said. 'We don't have coronavirus because of him, but we have the devastating impact of it because of his lack of a policy, because of his lack of action. 'It's all about diversion.' Global technology giant Siemens today (May 16) loaded a giant gas turbine onto an inland cargo ship in Berlin which is bound for Keadby, Lincolnshire, in the UK to be tested in a power plant of British energy generator SSE Thermal. This is the largest, most powerful, and most efficient heavy-duty gas turbine that Siemens has ever produced. Built by Siemens Gas and Power in its Berlin factory and destined for the 50-Hertz market, the powerhouse known as SGT5-9000HL measures 13 m in length, 5 m in height, 5 m in width, and weighs nearly 500 metric tonnes. After the recent first fire and synchronization to the grid of its first 60-Hertz version in a power plant in the US, Siemens has reported this second milestone for its latest HL-class within several weeks, said a statement from the German technology major. To test the 50-Hertz version of the HL-class machines, Siemens is building the Keadby 2 power plant for SSE Thermal. With its 593-megawatt (MW) capacity, the gas turbine sets new standards in power, efficiency, lifecycle costs, and operating flexibility, it stated. After the test phase, the gas turbine system will be expanded into a highly efficient combined cycle power plant, where the turbine will then rise to a new level of maximum performance: 840 MW and a baseload efficiency of more than 63 percent. The higher efficiency will save fuel and simultaneously reduce CO2 emissions in Keadby by as much as 3.7 million metric tons per year, compared to coal-fired power plants, said the statement from Siemens. The turbine will first travel by inland waterways, heading west to the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where it will be loaded onto a coastal ship for transport to the eastern coast of England, it stated. It will travel up the Humber and Trent rivers for approximately 12 days until it reaches the inland port of Keadby, where it will be lifted off the ship and driven to the construction site, it added. Shipping the first SGT5-9000HL gas turbine is an important milestone for the Keadby 2 project, said Karim Amin, CEO of the Generation Division within Siemens Energy. Im pleased that we were able to complete the turbine assembly work during these challenging times, despite all the restrictions imposed by COVID-19, and that we managed to successfully send the machine off on its journey to the power plant location in the UK, stated Amin. Stephen Wheeler, Managing Director, SSE Thermal, said: "Today marks a hugely exciting milestone for our Keadby 2 project as the turbine begins its journey to north Lincolnshire." "This first-of-a-kind technology will make Keadby 2 the UKs cleanest and most efficient gas-fired power station, displacing older, more carbon-intensive generation, and providing vital flexibility for the electricity system" he added. Initial operation of the new turbine in Keadby is scheduled for 2021. SSE Thermal will place the turbine into commercial operation in 2022, following successful testing. Lauding the slew of structural reform measures, announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and FM Sitharaman for the landmark decisions adding that it would surely boost India's economy and further the efforts towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat. He asserted that PM Modi's mantra of 'Reform, Perform and Transform' is the key to Indias phenomenal growth in the last six years. Congratulating PM Modi for the unprecedented step to make India self-reliant in coal production, Shah said, "Rs 50,000 crores for infrastructure development in the coal sector and introduction of commercial mining is a welcome policy reform which will bring more competition and transparency". "Raising the FDI limit in defence manufacturing to 74% and banning the import of selected weapons/platforms with year-wise timelines will surely boost Make in India and reduce our import burden. A strong, secure and empowered India is Modi Governments topmost priority," the Home Minister said. He thanked PM Modi for futuristic decisions to give a boost to the Aviation sector. He said, "By easing out restrictions on utilisation of Air Space, our aviation sector will be benefited by about Rs. 1000 crores/year. Further, the tax regime for MRO has been rationalized to make India a global hub for Aircraft MRO." Talking about the decision to boost private sector presence in the field of space and social infrastructure development, the Home Minister said, "I applaud PM Modi for todays decisions like providing Rs 8,100 crore revamped Viability Gap Funding to boost private sector investment in social infrastructure and encouraging private participation in space activities so that they can become a co-traveller in Indias space journey". Sitharaman on Saturday unveiled the fourth tranche of government's Rs 20 lakh crore economic package to provide relief to various segments of the country battered by the coronavirus lockdown. The Finance Minister announced reforms for eight sectors, namely coal, minerals, defence production, airspace/airport management, aircraft MRO (maintenance-repair-overall), power distribution in union territories, space, and atomic energy. Nirmala Sitharaman announced to deregulated the coal mining sector, thereby, ending one the last remain great Central monopolies. The minister announced that nearly 50 blocks along with coal-based methane gas reserves will be offered immediately for auction. The government will also incentivise coal gasification or liquefaction through rebate in the revenue share. It would significantly lower environmental impact and also help India switch to a gas-based economy, she added. The Rs 50,000 crore infrastructure development will be carried out for it. This will help Coal India (CIL) raise production from 600 million tonnes to 1 billion tonnes by 2023-24. An asymptomatic 30-year-old male patient was made to move from pillar to post after he was denied admission at four hospitals in Telangana and later tested positive for COVID-19 Hyderabad: An asymptomatic 30-year-old male patient was made to move from pillar to post after he was denied admission at four hospitals in Telangana and later tested positive for COVID-19. The patient, while speaking to ANI, said, "Before admission at the Care Hospital, I had visited four other hospitals of which one was a private hospital. The other three were government hospitals. They refused to hospitalise me or even conduct a coronavirus test. Right now, I am under isolation at Gandhi Hospital." A representative at Care Hospital said, "The 30-year-old male came to the OPD on 11 May to the Pulmonology Department. The patient had no COVID symptoms but was complaining of discomfort in the chest. He was advised to get a CT scan done, but he decided to get the scan done from outside." The patient came back to Care Hospital on May 13 and underwent a repeat HRCT, which showed ground glassing appearance and strongly a suspect of COVID-19. He was admitted in a special isolation room the same day, and the sample was sent for the test. On 14 May, the sample was reported positive, added the representative of Care Hospital. "Since the patient was very anxious and had frequent episodes of diarrhoea, he required the attention of healthcare providers. He underwent required investigations because of his chest discomfort and had to be evaluated further for the underlying cause," the representative said further. YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. Due to the current situation caused by the novel coronavirus in Armenia it wouldnt be possible to hold the constitutional amendments referendum for at least a year, but the state is discussing of solving this issue in the parliament, with any option, partially or completely, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during an online press conference today, asked whether it is possible to solve the Constitutional Court crisis through Parliament, not through a referendum. The reporter also said that the Armenian government has also sent inquiries to the Venice Commission over the CC crisis and asked why this option was chosen. As part of the referendum, we also planned to apply to the Venice Commission as a result of our discussions. But our prediction is that the coronavirus will exist in our reality for at least a year, which means that we cannot hold a referendum for at least a year because we have stated that for us the interest of public health is higher from any political interest. Thus, its impossible to hold a referendum during the coronavirus pandemic. But on the other hand, we cannot wait for the solution of the situation around the Constitutional Court, until the end of the coronavirus. Even if we wait, we have formed a commission on Constitutional amendments: constitutional amendments should take place in the future, and in this context we will solve, which, according to the preliminary calculations, may be put up to referendum in June 2021, the PM said. But now we have applied to the Venice Commission, and the issue of solving the CC crisis in the parliament with any formula, partially or completely, is being currently discussed, the PM said. He said nothing hinders the work with the international partners aimed at receiving effective and also consensus-based solutions as much as possible. Armenia was planning to hold a referendum on constitutional amendments on April 5, 2020. The referendum was proposing to suspend the powers of president of the Constitutional Court Hrayr Tovmasyan and 6 judges. However, the referendum didnt take place as the country declared a state of emergency to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Reporting by Anna Grigoryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan If isolation has, for festive Melburnians, felt like one long winter of the social soul, the loosening of restrictions on gatherings was the first swallow of spring. From the moment the coronavirus ban on at-home get-togethers came off, they hit the phones to resuscitate a suburban institution. Annie Price (at right of bench) wasted no time celebrating the return of legal dinner parties (for 5 guests) with a dinner party at her Beaumaris home. Credit:Joe Armao The Premier announced on Monday that Victorians were allowed five guests in their homes; many had the candles lit by the time it became legal to do so. "As soon as Daniel Andrews announced the 'party of five' ruling, we were straight on the phone to our close friends and we said 'come Wednesday night!'" said Annie Price, who loves to have "mid-century modern" dinner parties in keeping with her period-perfect Beaumaris home. Over 90 churches belonging to various denominations in Mizoram will lend their halls to the state government for use as quarantine facility, an officials said on Saturday. The Mizoram government had asked the churches to requisition the halls to accomodate people returning from outside the state as there is shortage of quarantine facility, an official of the task group on quarantine facility told PTI. On Thursday 884 people stranded in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry had returned to the state and more than 10,000 people are yet to do so, he said. The official said a total 96 churches belonging to three denominations have volunatarily allowed the government to use their halls. Of them 75 belong to the Presbyterian Church, 15 to the Baptist Church of Mizoram and six to the Salvation Army, he said adding some other denominations are also considering the government's request. The official said that some churches are also providing food to the inmates of the quarantines and free wi fi and library to them. The government will also hire a hotel here for providing quarantine facility to those who cannot have it at their homes, he said. At present there are 182 designated quarantine facilities in Mizoram with a total capacity of 4,172. Aizawl Venghnuai Presbyterian church secretary C Lalramliana told PTI, It is a question of humanity in this time of crisis. We have no reason to oppose the government's request but whole heartedly give our church hall. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Trend On May 14, the US Government provided medical tents to the Emergency Management Service to support Georgias response to COVID-19, Trend reports referring to the US Embassy in Georgia. These tents will be used in at-risk communities, helping keep the Georgian people safe during the pandemic. The handover was possible through USAID Zrda Activity in Georgia. The field hospital tents are needed in strict quarantine zones such as Marneuli municipality, at checkpoints, and in areas where COVID-19 response teams are working with insufficient hospital bed capacity. As reported, after the pandemic, the tents will be used by the Chemical, Biological, Radiation and Nuclear Incidents Response Division of the Fire and Rescue Forces Department, and will substantially enhance the preparedness and response capabilities of the Emergency Management Service (EMS) of Georgia. The Narendra Modi government on Saturday announced a slew of measures to promote indigenization of defence production under the Make in India" programme including raising the foreign direct investment caps from the existing 49% to 74% through the automatic route. For the first time ever, the government would also put out a list of weapons and platforms that would only be purchased from the domestic industries and not from foreign vendors, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. This list would be expanded every year in consultation with the armed forces, she said. The government will also make separate budgetary provisions for procuring only Indian made defence items, the minister said. "We will notify a list of weapons and platforms for ban on their imports and fix deadlines to do it," Sitharaman said, adding this move will improve self-reliance on defence manufacturing. "Every year this list will be increased," she said. A third measure that Sitharaman announced was the corporatization of the ordnance factory boards seen as having potential but seen as producing substandard products including shells for artillery. Corporatsiation however did not mean privatization, the minister clarified saying that the aim is to make sure that the 41 ordnance factories in India are better managed so that they can be listed on the stock market and people can buy their shares. "We will work to improve autonomy, accountability and efficiency of OFB by corporatisation and not privatisation," said Sitharaman who has in the past held the portfolio of Defence Minister. She also said that weapon trial and testing procedures will also be overhauled" with the general staff qualitative requirement or GSQR -- among the first steps in buying capital equipment that lists why the equipment is needed and its expected quality standards made more realistic matching the needs armed forces, the minister said. Taken together, the reforms are aimed at reducing Indias huge defence import bill, Sitharaman said. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the US, China and India were the worlds three biggest military spenders in 2019, followed by Russia and Saudi Arabia. The two Asian countries made it to the top three for the first time, SIPRI said in a report last month. Sitharamans announcements on Saturday were part of the 20 lakh crore stimulus package for restarting the Indian economy that has been under stringent lockdown since 25 March in a bid to arrest the spread of covid-19 infections. Welcoming the announcements, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a Twitter post said: The FDI limit in the defence manufacturing under automatic route has now been raised from 49% to 74%. This decision will unleash the true potential of Indian defence production capabilities through Make in India. The announcements made today will prove to be a Game Changer." Corporatisation of the OFB has been the topmost priority of the Govt. The corporatisation will improve the efficiency of our Ordnance supplies & factories," he said in a second post. Prime minister Modi had in February set a target of $5 billion in defence exports in next five years for India at the inauguration of the 11th Defence Expo in Lucknow. He had then issued an invitation to private businesses to invest in the country, which he said would realize the twin objectives of handsome returns on investment and making Asias third largest economy self reliant in defence manufacturing. India has inaugurated two defence industrial corridors, one in Tamil Nadu and the other in Uttar Pradesh to boost the flagship Make in India" programme that in turn would attract investment as well as encourage employment generation. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. WASHINGTON- President Donald Trump shared that the United States could cut off the entire relationship with China, claiming that this suggestion could mean $500 billion of savings for the country, Thursday. On his Thursday morning interview, Trump stated that he could cut off the whole relationship as there are many things or options for Americans as a nation. Aside from the United States, many other countries have become critical of China amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which first broke out in the Chinese city, Wuhan. China has been the center of accusations of covering up the extent of the outbreak and failing to be transparent about the severity of the virus. But despite the accusations, China only dismissed it and claimed that the administration of Trump is just trying to deflect criticism of its own response to the pandemic. On Thursday, the US President mentioned that cutting ties with China would mean saving money for the United States. Trump has long been a critic of China. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump had been a critic of China, even upon entering the White House. Trump reiterated continuously his concerns about the trade deficit between the two countries, as the United States historically has imported more from China than it has exported to the US. Read also: China Conducts Nucleic Acid Testing on Entire City of Wuhan Amid Potential Second Wave of Coronavirus This accelerated imposing tariffs on hundreds of billions of Chinese goods starting in mid-2018, which led China to respond in kind. The move escalated into a trade war that analysts have calculated cost the United States hundreds of thousands of occupation and forced American importers to shell out extra billions than they would have to pay tariffs. But the altercation appeared to be resolving in mid-January, with the signing of a new phase one trade agreement. As the United States holds the top spot in the world with the highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, as well the highest number of fatalities, the Trump administration now faces criticism at home for its management of the crisis. The president dismissed the seriousness of the virus through February, even stating that it would simply disappear. But despite the criticisms, Trump supporters argue that the president responded quickly by implementing travel restrictions on foreigners who had a history of visiting China. China has encountered major international criticism due to its way of handling the virus, specifically due to the fact that Chinese officials initially covered up the outbreak, even detaining doctors who pushed the alarm about the growing outbreak in Wuhan. Moreover, a CIA report has assessed that China threatened the WHO or the World Health Organization in January, forcing it not to declare a worldwide health emergency. But on Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijia answered back from the criticisms stating that people in the US failed to fight the pandemic themselves, even the trust of the American people as they have not made reflections of how to improve their work. He also added that they are urging the United States to stop slandering and discrediting China, he also emphasized to stop playing this nonsense blame game. Related article: Law Firm Hackers Threaten to Reveal Donald Trump's 'Dirty Laundry', Demanding $42 Million @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Donald Trump addresses reporters during Oval Office ceremony: Fox News The Pentagon has reluctantly commented about its development of hypersonic weapons after Donald Trump bragged about the existence of a new super duper missile. Mr Trumps comments came during a Friday presentation at the White House in which Defense Department officials presented the US president with the Space Force flag. Were building right now, incredible military equipment, at a level that nobodys ever seen before, we have no choice we have to do it, with the adversaries we have out there, Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. We have, I call it the super duper missile, and I heard the other night 17 times faster that what they have right now. Then you take the fastest missile we have right now. You heard Russia has five times, and China is working on five or six times, we have one 17 times, and its just gotten the go-ahead. The Department of Defence initially declined to comment, referring enquiries to the White House, which in turn referred reporters back to the Pentagon. After the administrations refusal to comment on the issue was revealed social media, Jonathan Rath Hoffman, the Pentagons chief spokesperson, tweeted: The Department of Defense is working on developing a range of hypersonic missiles to counter our adversaries. The US has been pursuing the development of hypersonic weapons for years. According to CNBC, the Defense Department has almost a dozen programmes tasked with developing and defending against the new breed of weapons, which travel at five times the speed of sound or more. The Department of Defense is working on developing a range of hypersonic missiles to counter our adversaries. https://t.co/ATb1XLHFtl Jonathan Rath Hoffman (@ChiefPentSpox) May 15, 2020 Mr Trump directed the Pentagon in 2018 to establish the Space Force the first new US military branch in 72 years calling for American dominance in space. Story continues The 16,000 airmen and civilians that make up the Space Force technically remain part of the Air Force, which previously oversaw offensive operations in space. But Mr Trump has made clear he sees the newest service as critical to the future of American defence. The Space Forces dark blue and white flag includes a Delta Wing long a symbol in the Air Force meant to signify change and innovation. Dark and light shades of grey within the delta were incorporated in a nod to the 24/7 nature of the Space Forces work. The flag also features a globe, for the Space Force fighters home turf, and an elliptical orbit around the globe was incorporated to signify the forces mission to defend and protect from adversaries and threats emanating in space. This flag was produced by artists and crafts people at the Defense Logistics Agency flag room in Philadelphia from a design finalised and documented by the Departments Institute of Heraldry at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Additional reporting by AP Read more Trump says warp speed action will develop a coronavirus vaccine Trump claims truck horns near White House were sign of love for him Trump says space is the future at unveiling of Space Force flag Source: Xinhua| 2020-05-16 20:11:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHENGDU, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A bus flipped over on Saturday, killing six people on board and injuring 20 others in southwest China's Sichuan Province, local authorities said. The accident happened at 12:36 p.m. when the vehicle flipped over after crashing into the central guardrail on the highway from Xichang to Chengdu, according to the Sichuan provincial public security department. Among the 36 people on board, two were killed on the spot and four died after being taken to hospital. All the 20 injured are treated in hospital, including three in severe conditions. Further investigation of the accident is underway. Enditem Closure of schools in Maharashtra leads to boys working in fields Open Enquiry: Ex-Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh yet to appear before ACB Will schools in Maharashtra reopen next week amid rising Omicron cases? Proposal sent to CM Centre withdraws 10 CAPF companies from Jammu; sends nine to Maharashtra India pti-PTI New Delhi, May 16: The Union Home Ministry on Saturday ordered withdrawal of 10 CAPF companies from Jammu and Kashmir and sent nine such units to Maharashtra, officials said. They said the 10 units comprising over 1,000 personnel are being withdrawn from the Jammu region of the Union Territory. It has also released nine companies -- four from the Rapid Action Force, two from the Central Reserve Police Force and three from the Central Industrial Security Force -- to Maharashtra. Maharashtra considers lockdown extension in Mumbai, Pune and other hotspots until May 31 For Maharashtra, five companies have been withdrawn from Jammu, while rest four have been released from the Mumbai-based unit of the RAF, CRPF's specialised counter-riots force, they said. The state had sought 20 Central Armed Police Forces companies recently to relieve its police personnel who, it said, were overworked during the coronavirus-enforced lockdown. It is with great sadness that I report today on the death of a great institution: the A-list party, the resurrection of which is looking decidedly unlikely for quite some time. Popping corks: One of the great parties of 2013, the Sydney world premiere of The Great Gatsby. Over the years I've watched everyone from Paloma Picasso unwittingly sending doves to their death when she released them inside the State Theatre only for them to fly into blindingly bright lights - to launch a bottle of perfume, to models parading on highwires in mid-air as we dined on lobster and sipped vintage champagne at an awards night honouring the year's best lipstick. Soirees of all shapes and sizes have been the mainstay of an entire industry, from florists, decorators and caterers to publicists on headsets wielding inordinate power about who gets in (and who stays out). Some guests were so desperate to get into grand events like the fabled Cointreau Ball they attempted to smuggle themselves in via catering vans. A GARDA investigation is underway after a floating pontoon at the University of Limerick was badly damaged after it was set on fire by vandals. A spokesperson for UL has confirmed the incident, which occurred on Wednesday afternoon, was reported to gardai and that the area has since been secured. A number of units of Limerick Fire and Rescue from Mulgrave Street attended the scene after the alarm was raised at around 2pm on Wednesday. Because of the current public health restrictions, the UL campus is closed to the public including the pontoon and surrounding areas. Its understood a number of barriers were specifically put in place around the pontoon prior to Wednesday given its popularity and the recent good weather. The incident has sparked outrage on social media including from Dave Mahedy, the former director of sport and recreation at UL. Thats disgusting vandalism of a beautiful and peaceful facility what goes on in some peoples minds, he wrote on Twitter. Gardai at Henry Street are investigating. 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. A Woolworths shopper has issued a warning after coming home to discover her chicken breasts were a whopping 119g underweight. The furious mum, Deb Fisher, from St Mary's in New South Wales, had gone to her usual supermarket at St Clair to do her weekly shop. Having paid $12.81 for what she thought was 915g of diced chicken, she returned home and went to weight out the 800g she needed for a dinner recipe. But she was horrified to discover that the chicken, with packaging, weighed just 796g - leaving her dog without any tasty leftovers. Posting the evidence on Woolworths Facebook page, she wrote: 'Not happy. Went to Woolworths at St Clair to get some diced chicken. Paid $14kg for 915g. After getting home with what she thought was 915g of diced chicken (pictured, left) Deb Fisher discovered the contents in fact weighed just 796g (right) - leaving her dog without leftovers 'I get home and way out what I needed (800g) to find I only had 796g. Big fail.' She had planned to give any extra chicken to her dog, but because of the weight the pooch went hungry. Ms Fisher went on to explain she had never bought the diced packet before, but was shocked to find such a large discrepancy in weight. 'I had a mate tell me that she's noticed inconsistencies with weights before,' she explained. 'I expect you know a couple of grams here and there but over 100g. 'Was the first time i had bought that, normally I dice myself but thought I'd save time. Deb Fisher (pictured) was horrified to make the discovery after returning home from Woolworth's The woman had visited the Woolworths store in St Clair (pictured, a branch in Roselands, Sydney) 'Tempted to just get the breast and dice all myself. 'It was only that I was weighing out what I needed for what I was cooking for me, and the rest was going to my dog - needless to say he never got chicken last night.' Woolworths responded to the disgruntled shopper, and apologised for the mishap. 'We're sorry to see that your chicken was found like this,' a representative wrote. 'We're always committed to providing high-quality products, so we're just as disappointed to see this. 'With the information youve provided, weve been able to raise this with our Quality Team for attention and product control review. Wed also like to let you know that youre eligible for a refund or replacement.' She was told to bring her receipt and the offending chicken into store to get a refund. Rep. Mitch Greenlick, a guiding force on Oregon health care policy who had served in the Oregon House of Representatives since 2003, died Friday. He was 85. His family said he died of natural causes. He had battled a number of health issues during the past year. Just this week, Greenlick participated in a phone conference on the states response to coronavirus, said his longtime friend and legislative colleague, Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, D-Portland. She said he posed questions to Oregon Health Authority officials during the call. He was still engaged and active and never stopped up until the last, Steiner Hayward said. Greenlick founded Kaiser Permanentes Center for Health Research and directed it for 30 years. A Democrat, he represented House District 33 and earlier this year announced he would retire at the end of his current term, which was his ninth. The district spans parts of the greater Bethany area of Washington County and part of Northwest Portland. He was considered a leading and influential voice in Oregon health care policy. Tributes to Greenlick poured in as lawmakers learned of his death. He died while serving in office, doing what he loved," said House Speaker Tina Kotek. Oregonians lost a champion for fairness, justice, and health care as a human right. His work and legacy will benefit Oregonians for years to come. Representative Greenlick was one of my closest colleagues in the Legislature," she said. "I will miss his moral compass, his intellect, and his sense of humor. I will miss my friend. House Republican Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, issued a statement offering condolences to Greenlicks family. Representative Greenlick was deeply committed to his values, his community, and his family," she said. "He devoted years of his life to serving his constituents in the legislature, and he will be missed." Greenlick was known as a policy wonk and sharp-tongued questioner who was generous with his time and expertise. In a statement, Gov. Kate Brown called Greenlick a true Lion of the House. A fierce advocate for expanding health care, he championed initiatives that helped push our state forward, including extending the Oregon Health Plan for low-income and underserved communities, she said. House Majority Leader Barbara Smith Warner said Greenlick fought for what he knew was right and just and he always did it with unmistakable candor and humor. Its a difficult day when your mentor, friend and a great Oregon leader passes away, said Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Lake Oswego. "Mitch had clear vision for the future of Oregons health care system and the people it serves." Even as his health declined, he remained engaged in the issues he cared about, said Salinas. His youthful spirit compelled him to continually think about the potential waiting over the next horizon and his years of experience propelled him to shoot for the moon when serving the common good, she said. Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick called Greenlick a true genius who "used his vast intellect to serve humanity, first in public health and for two decades in the Oregon Legislature." He was an unwavering advocate for health care and his tireless efforts ensured hundreds of thousands of Oregonians have the coverage they deserve. He saved lives. He was always purposeful with his passion. He cared deeply about critical issues such as protecting our environment, providing quality public education and reforming our justice system. Senate President Peter Courtney called Greenlick a great lawmaker and a a good and decent person." Mitch was a man of strong morals and a good conscience, Courtney said in a statement. "Someone who could be counted on to do the right thing. We will always need people like Mitch in the Legislature. We will miss his guidance. Oregon has lost a true public servant today. U.S. Rep Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, said Greenlick was a kind and brilliant man with integrity and passion for serving the public." Oregon will not be the same without you, she said. Greenlick and his wife Harriet were inseparable, said Steiner Hayward. Harriet Greenlick served as her husbands legislative aide and the pair were often seen together in the Oregon State Capitol. I never saw Mitch without Harriet being nearby, Steiner Hayward said. They did everything together, that was Mitch and Harriet. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his three children, daughters Phyllis Taber and Vicki Green and son Michael. Michael Greenlick, a Multnomah County Circuit Judge, said his father was a wonderful family man. Greenlick leaves behind five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He just loved us all unconditionally and it made the family so much stronger, Greenlick said. We are all going to miss him terribly, but we are glad he is at peace now. Kotek said a small private ceremony will be held in the coming days in accordance with Jewish tradition. A public celebration will be held at a later date, she said. -- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. From raising foreign direct investment (FDI) in defence manufacturing to creating a separate budget for buying locally-made military hardware and notifying a list of weapons/equipment that cannot be imported, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced a raft of measures to boost self reliance in the defence sector. The other steps announced by Sitharaman to give a push to Prime Minister Narendra Modis Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (Self-Reliant India Movement) include corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), indigenisation of imported spares and setting realistic qualitative requirements of weapons to support the local industry. The minister said the FDI limit in the defence manufacturing sector under the automatic route would be hiked from 49% to 74% subject to security clearances. The increase in FDI limit to 74% through the automatic route is a welcome step. But care must be taken to safeguard our start-ups, which have enormous prospects, from being bought over, said Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd), additional director general, Centre for Air Power Studies. The minister said the list of weapons banned for import will be reviewed every year and more items will be added to it after discussions with the department of military affairs (DMA). This implies India will have to compulsorily develop technology for the defence systems and platforms figuring on the negative import list. One of the key responsibilities assigned by the government to the DMA, headed by chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat, is to promote the use of indigenous military equipment in the armed forces. Imports account for 60-65% of the countrys military requirements and it has signed contracts worth billions of dollars during the last decade for weapons and systems including fighter jets, air defence missile systems, submarine hunter planes, attack helicopters, heavy-lift choppers and lightweight howitzers. Sitharaman highlighted the need for the realistic setting of general staff qualitative requirements (GSQRs) of weapons and platforms. Sometimes unrealistic quality requirements are set and quite a lot of time is spent in searching for suppliers who will meet all those requirementsyou will end up with just one supplier and since buying from a single supplier is not permitted, you do the entire circle all over again, she said. The minister also spoke about overhauling trials and testing procedures. GSQRs are the specifications put out by the armed forces for the equipment they need. The point about having realistic GSQRs is debatable; it is inconceivable that the forces are given equipment that doesnt meet their operational requirements fully. Phase-wise development of a war fighting system is an accepted methodology but GSQRs must meet operational necessity in full, said Air Vice Marshal Bahadur. The minister said the corporatisation of the OFB would help improve autonomy, accountability and efficiency in ordnance supplies. The Confederation of Indian Industry said the governments focus on domestic manufacturing was encouraging as the country was among the largest importers of defence equipment in the world. CII director general Chandrajit Banerjee said, The list of non-importable items and corporatisation of the OFB are some landmark steps and will boost the confidence of domestic manufacturers. The increase in FDI limit will attract foreign funds into this sector along with technology infusion. India was the third-biggest military spender in the world last year after the United States and China, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) said in a report released in April. As many as 36 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Karnataka on Saturday, taking the infection tally to 1,092, a Karnataka Minister said. The total cases include 496 discharges, 559 active cases and 36 coronavirus deaths, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education S Suresh Kumar, who is spokesperson for COVID-19 in the State, told reporters. He added that 13 coronavirus patients are in the Intensive Care Units (ICU). According to the health department bulletin, 14 COVID-19 cases were reported in Bengaluru urban district alone, followed by eight in Kalaburagi, three in Shivamogga, three in Hassan and one case each in Mandya, Udupi, Dharwad, Vijayapura, Bagalkote, Davangere, Ballari and Davangere. The cases include two women and a one-year-old girl from Udupi. The biggest contributor of today's tally was Bengaluru with the cases being the secondary contact of a house-keeper of a hotel in the city, health department sources said. The three positive cases from Hassan and one from Dharwad had travel history to Mumbai whereas the Udupi girl had returned from Dubai. The Minister said the health department has issued a circular regarding those who returned from foreign countries that they will have to quarantine twice for a total of 28 days -- one at the quarantine centre and second as home quarantine after reaching their respective districts. "Even if they test negative for COVID-19 at the quarantine centre, they will have to undergo home quarantine for 14 days," the minister explained. According to the circular, the travellers will have to arrange for their travel and the police will issue passes for them. These passengers will have to coordinate with the COVID-19 nodal officer. Kumar said the Union Home Ministry has issued a circular on the migrant labourers that they should not be allowed to walk on the railway track or road. Instead, arrangements should be made to send them by special trains and special buses, he said. The minister said a patient, who had committed an offence by escaping from a containment zone here, would be booked for violating the COVID-19 guidelines. Regarding the alleged substandard food to those quarantined in hotels, Suresh Kumar said the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (city civic body) will make sure to take the case to the logical end. "Those quarantined in the hotels are our guests and we cannot allow such incidents to happen," the minister added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A migrant couple on its way to Bihar from Haryana in their auto rickshaw was killed while their six-year-old son escaped unhurt when a loader hit them on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway on Saturday, police said. Ashok Chaudhari, 35, who earned his living driving an auto rickshaw in Jhajjar, Haryana, was returning home in Bihar's Darbhanga district with his wife Chhoti, 33, and son when the accident occurred, they said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the victims, and directed officials to make arrangements for sending the bodies home. Police said the auto rickshaw had run out of petrol and Chaudhari was filling the tank with the help his wife when a speeding loader hit them from the rear side in the Bangarmau Kotwali police station area here. The couple died on the spot, the police said, adding that they were identified with the help of the driving licence and Aadhar Card recovered from them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Haiti - FLASH: 37 new cases, West Dept. epicenter of the disease The Ministry of Public Health informs that 37 new cases have been confirmed, for a total of 310 cases in Haiti (42.3% women and 57.7% men) since the start of the epidemic (March 19, 2020) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30319-haiti-health-origin-of-the-first-2-cases-of-covid-19-in-haiti.html A 19th patient was cured. The number of active cases in Haiti (excluding death and recovery) now stands at 271 cases (+ 15.3%) or +36 since the last report of the Ministry https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30773-haiti-covid-19-daily-report-may-14-2020.html Number of suspected cases followed : 1.669 (+ 11.1%) or +167 (the day before +94) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30775-haiti-flash-39-new-cases-in-24-hours-the-spread-is-accelerating.html All the details in our daily report of 11:00 am See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30781-haiti-covid-19-daily-report-may-15-2020.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30775-haiti-flash-39-new-cases-in-24-hours-the-spread-is-accelerating.html HL/ HaitiLibre London, May 16 : People travelling to the UK from France will no longer be exempt from the governments 14-day quarantine period, unless their journey was for business, the media reported. On Sunday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had announced that anyone flying into the UK will have to spend 14 days in isolation before being able to move freely around the country, the Metro newspaper reported. These rules were not set to apply to France, but ministers have now reportedly scrapped their blanket exemption. It comes after concerns that the previous exemption could be exploited, with travellers from other countries flying to the UK through France. The new proposal is expected to be unveiled next week by officials after the details have been finalised, according to the newspaper report. A Whitehall source told the Daily Telegraph: "The French don't want a blanket exemption, only freight and business travel. "You have to remember there are multinational firms in Europe that are testing every single one of their workers for coronavirus two times a week." The European Union had previously warned that the UK could face huge lawsuits in the European Court of Justice if only France was granted an exemption from the 14-day isolation period. The only other country granted exemption is Ireland. Anyone from other countries who refuses to self-isolate after arriving could face punishments of up to a 1,000 pounds fine or deportation. Saturday the 16th of May marks World Whisky Day, a call for celebration across the world to celebrate this fabulous and much-adored spirit. With the number of distilleries producing whisky continuing to rise, theres an ever-growing catalogue of whiskies to whet your palate. Among this extensive catalogue, perhaps what is most remarkable is the original identity of each brand, which becomes apparent as soon as the precious liquid touches your lips. However, during such a celebration, its important to pay homage to those that have been making whisky for years - and where better to start than Scotland? Growing up in Scotland, Ive always been aware of the fantastic reputation Scotch whisky has, which is no doubt a result of years spent perfecting the art. From the thick forests and deep valleys of Speyside, to the rugged shores of the Orkney islands, whisky making has been ingrained in Scottish culture for centuries. After quickly gaining a passion for Scotch whisky it drove me to pursue a career in the Scotch whisky industry, whereby I started as a tasting host at the Scotch Whisky Experience, a popular tourist attraction in the heart of Edinburgh. The attraction itself really homes in on the 5-malt whisky making regions of Scotland Lowlands, Highlands, Speyside, Islay, Campbeltown and the style of whisky that each region is renowned for. It was here that I learnt so much about Scotch Whisky - but what amazed me more was the breadth of tourists that visited us, eager to learn more about our treasured national drink and the history behind it. With the first written reference to Scotch Whisky dating back to 1494, guests often found themselves wondering where to begin. Personally, I feel that the 19th century is a good place to start, as it was a pivotal time for the Scotch Whisky industry. In 1822 King George IV visited Scotland and asked to try a drop of whisky from the infamous Glenlivet valley although infamous for its illicit whisky distilling, it was no secret that the king enjoyed it. The following year the excise act was passed, allowing distillers to legally produce whisky, provided they had a licence. The founder of The Glenlivet George Smith acquired a license for his distillery in 1824, which made him the first licensed distiller in the parish of Glenlivet. His decision to legitimize his work was met with anger from competitors who continued to distill illegally, but that didnt stop George from creating the whisky often accredited with inspiring Scotlands foremost whisky region and the development of single malt whisky. Theres no denying that Scotch whisky has a rich history, but today we raise a toast to the man who was a pioneer, visionary, an original thinker George Smith. He saw the world was changing and when opportunity knocked, he innovated, moved forward and made a mark on history. He created a single malt which is synonymous with quality and elegance - so great that many competitors tried to steal the name for their own. There is however only one single malt with the indisputable right to be called The Glenlivet. This World Whisky Day, lets raise our glasses is in celebration of the worlds most adored spirit - and what better way to do it than raising a toast to the original single malt. I know I will be! -- Jordan Edwards is brand ambassador for the Scotch whisky portfolio of Pernod Ricard India Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Despite FBI Denials, Dossier May Have Influenced Russia Probe Opening, Growing Evidence Indicates News Analysis The FBI team that ran the Russia investigation in 2016 may have known of the infamous Steele dossier months earlier than when they acknowledged receiving it, several pieces of evidence indicate. They may have even known before they opened the investigation. The FBI officials involved, most of whom have since left the bureau, said that they first received the dossier on Sept. 19, 2016. They have maintained that the dossier, which is full of unsubstantiated claims of collusion between Russia and the Trump 2016 election campaign, played no role in their opening a probe into virtually the same allegation on July 31, 2016. One after another, pieces of evidence have emerged that put the FBIs claim in question. The dossier was supposedly written by Christopher Steele, a former British spy. He was paid through intermediaries by the Democratic National Committee and the presidential campaign of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Steele and his employers had for months peddled the dossier to the media, the FBI, the State Department, the Justice Department, and Congress. The first installment of the dossier was dated June 20, 2016. Victoria Nuland, former assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, publicly said during an interview in 2018 that the dossier was first provided to the State Department in early July 2016. She said her view was that the material should be handled by the FBI. Steele was an FBI informant. His handler at the time was Michael Gaeta, who was the assistant legal attache at the U.S. Embassy in Rome in 2016. In early July 2016, Gaeta received a call from Steele, who asked him to come to London to urgently see something, Gaeta told the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Dec. 20, 2017, according to a recently released transcript of the interview (pdf). So this was somebody who I viewed as credible, professional, you know, worthy of a response, when he says, I need to see you tomorrow, that I get on a plane and I go see him, Gaeta said. The transcript keeps the interviewees name redacted, but he can be clearly identified from the context as Gaeta. The meeting in London took place on July 5, 2016, and was authorized by Nuland, who then obtained the first part of the dossier, marked as report No. 80. This clashes with the account of Luke Harding of The Guardian, who wrote that Steele, already in June, went to Rome to brief his FBI contactGaetaon the dossier. In any case, the dossier was wholly uncorroborated, Gaeta recalled. Is there any independent corroboration, information that you have? Is there a videotape? Is there an audiotape? Do you have anything else? he said he asked Steele. And the answer was no. Gaeta wanted to pass it on to somebody within the bureau who could look more into it, he said. I couldnt just sweep it under the rug, couldnt discount it just on its face, because it was an established source, he said. His concern was to pass it on in a manner that was completely discreet because he didnt want it to be spread around widely within the bureau, he said. On July 13, 2016, Gaeta reached out to the assistant special agent in charge (ASAC) of public corruption at the New York Field Office. He knew the person and described to him the dossiers contents. On July 28, 2016, as Gaeta remembers it, the ASAC called back and told him to send over the documents. The ASAC then forwarded the dossier to his supervisor, the special agent in charge (SAC), according to a report by the Justice Departments inspector general (IG) on the Russia investigation (pdf). The IG report says that Gaeta actually sent over two of the dossier reports, No. 80 and No. 94. Also on July 28, Gaeta sent an email to an unspecified FBI supervisor saying that according to Steele, reports No. 80 and No. 94 may already be circulating at a high level in Washington, D.C., the IG report states. Within a day or a couple of days, Gaeta said, the New York ASAC got back to him. He gave Gaeta further instructions to send the dossier to FBI attorneys in the New York office. And then he adds, he goes, also, so you know, executive managementthis is on maybe the 1st of August, right around then, either the 31st July, 1st August, right around thenexecutive management at FBI New York, meaning the SAC and the assistant director in charge, are aware of the reports and have seen the reports, and EAD level at headquarters is aware of the reports, Gaeta said. If correct, Gaetas testimony indicates that between July 28, 2016, and Aug. 1, 2016, the dossier information reached at least one of the FBIs executive assistant directors. There are six executive assistant directors, but given the nature of the dossier, only two were relevant: Randall Coleman, who headed the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, and Michael Steinbach, who headed the National Security Branch. Directly under Steinbach was Bill Priestap, then-head of counterintelligence and a central figure in the discussions between July 28, 2016, and July 31, 2016, on whether to open the Russia investigation, according to the IG report. Aside from talking to some of his subordinates and FBI lawyers, Priestap told the IG that he also discussed the matter with either then Deputy Director (DD) Andrew McCabe or then Executive Assistant Director (EAD) Michael Steinbach, the IG report states. Based on what Priestap, McCabe, then-FBI Director James Comey, and others told the IG and Congress, the Russia probe was opened based on information from a friendly foreign government (FFG) that a foreign ambassador said that a Trump campaign aide, George Papadopoulos, suggested that Russia suggested that it had information damaging to Trumps opponent, Clinton, and that Russia may release the information to help Trump. The foreign ambassador that was mentioned, former Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, recalled the conversation with Papadopoulos in multiple media interviews. He acknowledged the part about damaging information, but never mentioned anything about Russias suggesting it would help Trump. The FBI officials told the IG they received the FFG information on July 28, 2016, and that the probe, dubbed Crossfire Hurricane, was opened three days later solely on this information. On Aug. 1, 2016, Peter Strzok, then-chief of the counterespionage section under Priestap, and Supervisory Special Agent Joe Pientka flew to London to talk to Downer. It was only after that, that the Russia probe team determined that the initial investigative objective of Crossfire Hurricane was to determine which individuals associated with the Trump campaign may have been in a position to have received the alleged offer of assistance from Russia, the IG report states. After conducting preliminary open source and FBI database inquiries, intelligence analysts on the Crossfire Hurricane team identified three individualsCarter Page, Paul Manafort, and Michael Flynnassociated with the Trump campaign with either ties to Russia or a history of travel to Russia. On Aug. 10, 2016, the team opened cases on Page, Manafort, and Papadopoulos and on Aug. 16, 2016, a case on Flynn. But theres a problem. McCabes contemporaneous notes reflect that the FFG information, Carter Page, and Manafort, were discussed on July 29, [2016,] after a regularly scheduled morning meeting of senior FBI leadership with the Director, the IG report stated. Why were the officials discussing Page and Manafort before even opening the probe? The IG report is silent on this question, but the dossier could provide an answer. The dossiers installment No. 94, sent to New York by Gaeta, included allegations that Page, a volunteer Trump campaign adviser, secretly met with two associates of Russian President Vladimir PutinRosneft oil executive Igor Sechin and senior government official Igor Divyekinduring a July 2016 trip to Russia. Theres no evidence such meetings occurred. Page denied them both publicly and in a private conversation with an FBI informant. The mention of Manafort adds more to the puzzle. The dossier parts Gaeta sent to New York, according to the IG, didnt mention Manafort. But Manafort is featured prominently in another report, No. 95, dated July 28, 2016, according to the IG. No. 95 says, in part: Speaking in confidence to a compatriot in late July 2016, Source E, an ethnic Russian close associate of Republican US presidential candidate Donald TRUMP, admitted that there was a well-developed conspiracy of co-operation between them and the Russian leadership. This was managed on the TRUMP side by the Republican candidates campaign manager, Paul MANAFORT, who was using foreign policy advisor, Carter PAGE, and others as intermediaries. The unsubstantiated claim of a well-developed conspiracy was used by the FBI verbatim in its October 2016 spying warrant on Page. The warrant was deeply flawed, the IG concluded, and the FBI has since acknowledged that the warrants last two renewals in 2017 were invalid, resulting in illegal surveillance. Gaeta made no mention of sending this part of the dossier to New York on July 28, 2016. The previous report, No. 94, was dated July 19, 2016, and that was also the day Gaeta received it. Thiruvananthapuram, May 16 : Eleven new cases of coronavirus were reported in Kerala, taking the number of active cases to 87. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan gave this information in a Facebook post on Saturday. "Of these, seven have come from abroad, and four from within the country," he added. As on date, 497 persons have been cured and discharged in the state. He said 56,362 people were under observation in homes and 619 in various hospitals at present in Kerala. With six more hot spots registered today, the number of such areas in Kerala has risen to 22. The Chief Minister said that so far 2,911 people have landed at four Kerala airports from abroad, 793 by three ships from Maldives, another 1,021 by trains and 50,320 by road. State Health Minister K.K. Shailaja told the media that a 81-year-old on Saturday tested negative at state-run Medical College Hospital at Kannur after 42 days during which his condition had also worsened. The patient had undergone swab test 16 times. Meanwhile, Kerala Police said it had registered 1,381 cases, arrested 1,525 people and confiscated 738 vehicles for violation of lockdown norms. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text As left-wing Democrat-controlled states continue to keep people in lockdown, it is becoming apparent that they are using the pandemic as a means to gain ultimate control of people's lives. In fact, leftists the world over are exploiting the pandemic in order to create their alleged utopias. Vanessa Vallejo, a Colombian activist and columnist explains that Whenever they come to power, communists work hard to create a clientele network that will vote for them and support them in the future. So instead of looking for real solutions to lift people out of poverty altogether, they offer them subsidies or useless jobs where citizens are dependent on politicians. At the same time, they make life difficult for entrepreneurs, resulting in more and more unemployed people who can be hooked into their clientele network. Many of them will not be able to get subsidies, but plunging them into poverty will make them easy prey to convince so long as the government offers them aid and blames right-wing entrepreneurs and politicians for their misery. Sound familiar? This is happening all across the United States. The governors of states like Michigan, New York, New Jersey, California, and Pennsylvania continue to hold people hostage to their dictatorial impulses. After all, "[c]ompanies have been forced to close, people cannot leave their homes so they can not 'seek' income on their own, many are sick or have sick relatives, and in this crisis, they have no way to pay the expenses raised by the calamity. In just a few weeks, government spending and the people who need help have both increased dramatically because people have lost their jobs." Eric Levitz at Intelligencer can barely conceal his glee as he writes Now, the world is besieged by a pandemic that threatens to kill 100,000 Americans if were lucky [emphasis mine] before triggering a global economic depression. He believes that the COVID-19 pandemic has "expanded the spectrum of imaginable futures and political possibilities. And some of those possibilities have been a sight for sore socialists eyes." Thus, "there's good news for progressives" as they see a golden opportunity to assert that employer-based health care system is inadequate and the market economy which results in "gross inequality" must be dismantled. To the Left, the pandemic "provides a vivid reminder that the state is perfectly capable of sheltering its constituents from the markets mercilessness [.]" Enter a "progressive movement defined by the twin goals of Medicare for All and Green New Deal [that] might thrive in COCI-19's wake." Leftists assert the need to mount a robust, progressive response to climate crisis transcend the nation state establish "cross-class and inter-ethnic solidarities" include the undocumented by providing cash assistance assist "stigmatized constituencies", i.e., people in jail The ultimate goal for the Left is "to fortify the progressive project" by "cultivat[ing] border-collapsing modes of social identity and secur[ing] a modicum of political power for the worlds disenfranchised and dispossessed." At the Jacobin, an American socialist, Marxist quarterly based in New York, Ben Burgis emphasizes that Progressives and democratic socialists need to make the case that theres a third alternative to business-as-usual centrists running the states Trump wants to 'liberate' and the cynical demagogues who want to feed low-income workers to the capitalist death machine by prematurely ending the lockouts [emphasis mine]. Consequently, he emphasizes that "the pandemic can be an opportunity for the Left if [they're] prepared to fight for bold measures." In fact, the "Democratic Socialists of America have an estimated 10,000 new members -- growth that organizers attribute, in part, to the coronavirus pandemic." Since "[t]he financial toll will be felt for years -- maybe decades -- to come, and with Congresss push to expand the social safety net, more and more Americans could be open to government playing a bigger role in their lives. There is, in other words, great potential for systemic change in this as-yet-unwritten future -- a potential that [Democratic Socialists of America DSA] members recognize." Madeline Osburn reports that "[a] network of Democratic non-profits and super PACs are funneling millions of dollars toward advertisements in key swing states, with the intent of politicizing the Wuhan coronavirus crisis and blaming the pandemic on President Donald Trump." The Washington Post reported the group Pacronym is planning to spend $5 million on ads attacking Trumps response to the pandemic. Pacronym, whose board of directors includes former Barack Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, said its ads will target key 2020 swing states like Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Arizona. Money is distributed to progressive causes by a number of Democratic PACs, e.g., Sixteen Thirty Fund. In fact, "in 2018, Politico reported that the Sixteen Thirty Fund 'funneled millions of dollars to progressive causes' by setting up a secret-money network of other groups, which were the 'most prolific political advertisers of 2018' when combined." Trevor Loudon has documented how "communists and socialists are infiltrating the Democrat Party -- some openly, some secretly and some even running for public office on the Democratic Party ballot line." In reality, "politicizing the growing fears, illnesses and deaths of American citizens" is a potent weapon in the Leftwing arsenal. And, yet, as Vanessa Vallejo states, "What is happening in the United States is a novelty that, once again, shows us how strong and important are the values and ideas on which this great country was built. In different parts of the U.S., there have been protests, including armed ones. Also, in different parts of the U.S., police have declared that they will not comply with orders to keep people completely confined by preventing activities that do not represent any danger and are necessary for the survival of many people." The declarations that we are seeing in the United States these days on this matter are shocking to those of us who come from countries where people have simply become accustomed to obeying any nonsense spouted by the ruler of the day. To see a policeman telling the media that he will always 'put constitutional rights before political opinions' and that therefore, he will not abide by draconian measures that go against common sense is encouraging for those of us who defend freedom. The coronavirus has cleared the field for communists. It is an opportune moment for the left in general, but above all, for those who already wield a certain amount of power and want to perpetuate themselves and implant their totalitarian paradise once and for all. Freedom-loving Americans need to understand the existence of this fifth column and then assiduously fight the penetration of enemies to the state. Eileen can be reached at middlemarch18@gmail.com Lopez Obrador has consistently questioned the increasing rate of crime and abuse currently plaguing Mexico despite the security plan introduced by former president Felipe Calderon and reinforced by Enrique Pena Nieto, who resigned from office in 2018. As the president is known, Lopez Obrador has been perpetuating the militarisation model, apparently recognizing that what he has so far attempted has not been effective, amidst promising that his government would stop terrorism by identifying its underlying problems through government welfare programs. AMLO brushed off the criticisms With the entire country holding onto the promise of withdrawing the military from various Mexican regions, just four days ago a presidential decree was published stating that the armed forces are to continue their public security duties until 2024. The decree was considerably different from what Obrador stated when he ascended into presidency in 2018. Lopez Obrador, talking at a morning press briefing, shrugged off criticism that he is militarizing the nation, claiming he is adamant that the military forces are vital to decrease the increasing rates of violent activity plaguing Mexico. The only factor which might change his mind, according to Lopez Obrador, would be evidence that the military had performed violations of human rights whilst conducting state security operations under his leadership. "Even though they criticize me, [saying] I want to militarize the country, I'm going to continue insisting that the armed forces must help us in public security tasks," President Lopez Obrador stated. President Lopez Obrador stated on Thursday that efforts to combat violence and abuse demands the navy and army 's discipline as well as professionalism, three days since he released a directive requiring the military forces to continue to carry on activities of public defense for the next four years. Check these out! Armed forces range of human rights violations In the past, the military forces have engaged or have been accused of engaging in a series of human rights abuses, such as the 2014 military massacre of 22 assumed terrorists in Tlatlaya, state of Mexico. A study indicated conditions that obstruct civilian military investigations involve overlapping civilian and military investigations, insufficient access to witnesses from personnel, and troops who mess with criminal investigations or give false statements. There have been several reports of severe abuses of human rights by military throughout that period, like torture, massacres and even involuntary disappearances. Moreover, according to experts, the Mexican army is also not prepared to participate in enforcement. That being said, many of the national police forces are perceived as corrupt, outgunned and often in frequent contact with organized crime syndicates, and therefore ineffective partners against the criminals. "I don't want ... the National Guard to end up like the Federal Police because it would be a complete failure," President Lopez Obrador stated. Lopez Obrador claimed that he was also persuaded that the National Guard, the revolutionary paramilitary force intended to be the backbone of the defense policy of his government, would have a "close relationship" with the military. (Photo from (l) to (r)): duncan c on Flickr via CC/ Sylvia L. on Yelp Mikkeller San Francisco, a popular beer bar and affiliate of the Copenhagen-founded craft brewery Mikkeller, will imminently close, an email obtained by SFGATE confirms. Staff were notified of the closure via email Wednesday. The message attributed the decision to "the financial strain of the pandemic" and the uncertainty around how a bar might feasibly operate in the coming months. A listing for the bar and restaurant space at 34 Mason St. also appeared online recently, advertising the business as a "a beer lovers paradise, with the volume and profits to prove it." The page, offering it for $390,000, also notes its Type 42 license used for 21-and-up beer and wine bars with retail capabilities as an attractive component of the sale. "The location is loved by SF locals, tourists and tech workers alike," the listing continues. "It also benefits from convention goers and the customers of the many neighboring hotels ... Additionally the famous Union Square is a short couple blocks away." However, reached by email Thursday, a spokesperson for Mikkeller's Copenhagen headquarters which does not own the bar, but licensed its name told SFGATE that "it is not correct that it is closed permanently," and rather that "it is closed now due to the situation in the world." Chuck Stilphen, who co-owns the bar, told SFGATE Friday that "Mikkeller HQ may choose to reopen Mikkeller SF if they want." "It's completely up to them," he added. "I personally am getting out of the business." Mikkeller, a Copenhagen-based brewing company founded by Mikkel Borg Bjergs in the mid-2000s, quickly gained popularity in Europe thereafter. Mikkeller opened its first bar in Copenhagen in 2010, and then expanded to other countries, including the United States. In 2013, Mikkeller opened a San Francisco bar location as a joint project between Bjergs and Stilphen (also of the Trappist in Oakland). Three years later, Mikkeller opened a brewhouse in San Diego, and in 2017, Stilphen and Bjergs teamed up again to open a Los Angeles taproom. A short-lived Oakland taproom closed in February 2019, and the Los Angeles taproom closed in late February. The San Francisco location, however, has always seemed bustling and busy, building itself a reputation as a high-end craft beer destination in downtown San Francisco. It offered not just Mikkeller's popular hoppy styles and experimental ales, but a number of curated locally produced beers, internationally acclaimed mixed-fermentation ales and robust imperial dark ale styles. The care taken by bar staff to curate menus and maintain beer quality elevated its reputation in the beer community, making it a destination for post-work locals and beer-seeking tourists. SFGATE is awaiting further comment from Mikkeller in Copenhagen. Alyssa Pereira is an SFGate digital editor. Email: alyssa.pereira@sfgate.com | Twitter: @alyspereira By PTI DEHRADUN: Nine people tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttarakhand on Saturday, the highest single day spike, bringing the virus count to 91, a state health department bulletin said. Of the total cases, four each were reported from Dehradun and Udhamsingh Nagar districts and one from Nainital district, a state health department bulletin said. There has been an abrupt rise in coronavirus cases in Uttarakhand ever since migrants began returning in droves from different parts of the country including highly infected states like Maharashtra and Gujarat, health officials here said. The patients from Dehradun include a 32-year-old woman, a 49-year-old man, a 15-year-old and a 10 year-old-boy. The four patients from US Nagar district include two young men aged 18 years, a 41-year-old man and another man aged 23 years. The lone case from Nainital is a 20-year-old man. Waiting room: Nurses care for babies born to surrogate mothers for foreign parents in a large room of a hotel in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Photo: Efrem Lukatsky/AFP Side by side in steel cots in Kiev's Hotel Venice lie around 50 newborn babies, mewling at the world as nurses comfort them. But these babies are not abandoned or unwanted. Far from it. They are the product of surrogacy arrangements with Ukrainian mothers who gave birth to them on behalf of couples desperate for children. The problem is that those couples cannot travel to the former Soviet republic because of travel restrictions imposed to stem the spread of coronavirus. It is a similar picture in several countries where surrogacy has become a way for women to earn desperately needed money by giving birth on behalf of more affluent families. These include Georgia, India, the United States, Canada, Mexico and Colombia. Travel bans have left an unknown number of intended parents across the world worried about missing out on vital early bonding experiences or even fearful of ever seeing the babies for whom they longed. The situation is particularly difficult in Ukraine and Georgia, where dozens of babies born since lockdown are now seven weeks old and in desperate need of stable parenting. Expand Close Big job: A Vatican staff member in protective gear sanitises the interior of St Peters Basilica as part of efforts to combat a spread of the coronavirus. Photo: Yara Nardi/Reuters / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Big job: A Vatican staff member in protective gear sanitises the interior of St Peters Basilica as part of efforts to combat a spread of the coronavirus. Photo: Yara Nardi/Reuters One such parent is Maria, whose son Kaloyan was born on April 17, a month after the border closed - meaning she was not present at the birth and has been unable to travel from her home in Galicia, northern Spain, to be united with him. "It's very difficult," she said. "I've been counting the days since he was born, and I'm very anxious about him and how he is." The Spanish government, which opposes surrogacy, is unwilling to help Maria travel to Ukraine. She has had to pay a nanny 2,500 a month to care for Kaloyan. That is on top of the 40,000 fee she paid to an agency to arrange the surrogate birth. "All I can do is wait for travel restrictions to be lifted or to be allowed into the country under special humanitarian measures," said Maria, who moved to Spain from Bulgaria 20 years ago. "In the meantime, the nanny sends me pictures of my son. But it's not the same. I want to be with him and hold him." Some parents, including several couples from Ireland, managed to get into Ukraine before the barriers went up on international travel in March. Others, including from the US and Australia, have made it through after a complex and risky overland journey taking as much as nine hours from Minsk, in Belarus. But now they cannot leave with their children until restrictions are lifted. The BioTexCom clinic, which arranges surrogacy births in Ukraine where the procedure is legal, is caring for about 50 surrogate babies who cannot be collected. Surrogate mothers working with the firm get a fee of around 15,000 - enough to buy a house in Ukraine - to give birth on behalf of adoptive parents from as far afield as Ireland, the US, China, Britain and Sweden. Denis Herman, a lawyer for BioTexCom, said: "The children are all provided with food. A sufficient number of employees look after them, but there is no substitute for parental care. "We try to send photos of children to the parents, try to make conference calls, but this can't replace communication in direct contact." Surrogacy has become a global phenomenon. Latest figures show that in 2012, the industry was worth an estimated 5bn a year. But the religious and cultural sensitivities around surrogacy mean many find it hard to get help from their own authorities to travel to the country where their babies have been born. ( Daily Telegraph, London) Visit our Covid-19 vaccine dashboard for updates on the roll out of the vaccination program and the rate of Coronavirus cases Ireland Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] Wes Heryford, 42, gives J Farr, 28, a haircut at Butte House Barber Shop in Yuba City. Farr drove more than 600 miles from Olympia, Wash., to get his hair trimmed while barbershops elsewhere are closed. (Wes Heryford) The temptation after seeing the Facebook post was too great for J Farr, a 28-year-old living in near isolation in his Olympia, Wash., apartment. An old friend from his hometown of Yuba City, north of Sacramento, had announced he had gotten a haircut. I immediately started making preparations, said Farr, who before the coronavirus outbreak would get his hair cut every few weeks and, with no clear end in sight, had considered shaving his head. A couple of days later, Farr, who had lost his job as a paint sprayer, was in his Volkswagen Jetta listening to country music and driving more than 600 miles back home for the first time in four years. He arrived on Tuesday night, and by the next afternoon was sitting at the busy Butte House Barber Shop in Sutter County. His barber wore a mask, but Farr didnt. He left sporting a fade haircut with a quarter-inch taken off the top. It cost $20 plus tip. When I got in there it was exactly what I had hoped for, he said. Ive been isolated for the last three months and thats the first time I had that type of social interaction in that period. Its a really good feeling to feel like theres other people in the world who arent going to sit inside in fear when theres nothing to be afraid of. People from across California and outside the state have been driving hours to visit beauty salons in neighboring Sutter and Yuba counties, which have opened their parlors under local guidance despite Gov. Gavin Newsoms statewide stay-at-home order. Clients desperate for a haircut have also sought a sense of normalcy after living with little social contact for months. Wes Heryford, center, owner of Butte House Barber Shop in Sutter County, works on Ben Martin, 25. Heryford doesn't require his clients or barbers to wear masks, and said he wasn't concerned about getting the coronavirus. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Some salons worried about losing their state license havent opened. Many are having clients wait in their cars and, per county rules, require face coverings and limit close contact with beauty professionals to 30 minutes. Patrons often leave with wet hair. The demand for cuts and color, both from locals and outsiders, has been overwhelming. Story continues I am cutting peoples hair from out of state, from San Francisco, Walnut Creek, Martinez, Fresno, Madera, Redding, Reno, said Wes Heryford, 42, owner of the Butte House Barber Shop. Theres not very many options and people are excited that there is someone cutting hair, so they have no problem to drive three or four hours to come see us. In early May, officials in Yuba and Sutter counties allowed fitness centers, restaurants, shopping malls, hair and nail salons, spas, tattoo parlors and other businesses to reopen, ahead of the states plans, as long as social distancing and other safety protocols were followed. Officials have argued that the counties, which together have had more than 60 COVID-19 cases, were less affected by the pandemic than spots such as Los Angeles and the Bay Area. This past week, counties like Yuba and Sutter received permission to move further into what the governor has called Phase 2 of Californias reopening plan and open more businesses. While that phase still does not allow personal care services like salons to operate, the Yuba-Sutter bi-county health officer has held that the local order still stands and that businesses should seek private legal counsel if they do not fall within Phase 2. The discrepancy has concerned many salon owners. The California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology has warned that it may pursue disciplinary action against the licenses of those who do not follow the states stay-at-home order. The board has received more than 800 complaints of businesses across the state operating in violation of the order but has taken no disciplinary action yet, a spokesman said. Meanwhile, a federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday by the Professional Beauty Federation of California, a nonprofit that represents licensed beauty professionals, has sought to reopen the industry. It has cited the sanitation and hygiene training that stylists, cosmetologists and barbers already are required to complete. Thats been the hardest thing of going to work, said Mercedes Brockman, 30, co-owner of Beyond Appearance Salon Spa in Marysville in Yuba County, who has had clients from Nevada and Oregon. Its not the extra sanitation, its the fear of someone threatening to take where I have worked ... threatening to take that away because were trying to provide for our families. Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at UC San Francisco, acknowledged the industrys cleanliness standards but said that the key is safety around breathing. Commonly worn cotton masks, he said, do not protect fully against coronavirus transmission, and that the longer people wait, the lower the chances will be of coming across a barber or client who is infected. I think youre in very close contact and even with masks its going to be problematic, he said. Its the concern about respiratory secretions. That didn't faze Mike, a 52-year-old bread deliveryman from San Bruno in San Mateo County, who drove two hours to Heryfords salon. Mike, who declined to disclose his last name, said he typically gets his hair cut every two weeks and a stretch would be three. He found the salon on Google after a co-worker told him that barbershops were open in Yuba City. Good reviews were enough assurance, and he made the 115-mile drive on his day off on Wednesday. Anyone who enters Rockabetty's Hair Parlor in Yuba City must have their shoes sprayed with disinfectant and their hands sanitized. Clients and stylists sign release forms stating that the parlor is not liable if they contract the coronavirus at the facility or any time after that. (Amy Johnson) Heryford doesn't require his clients or barbers to wear masks, and Mike opted not to himself. He said he wasnt concerned about getting the virus. Barbers go about sanitizing their clippers, their combs, whatever tools they use, he said. Its a big thing, sanitization from one customer to the next. Theyre very careful about it. While Heryford said his shop is doing its best to practice social distancing, its up to his customers just like mask use. I dont force anything on anybody, its a free country as far as Im concerned, he said. Its their decision, its their life. I myself am not afraid of the virus, so Im not wearing a mask. Other salons have taken numerous extra precautions. Amy Johnson, 40, the owner of Rockabettys Hair Parlor in Yuba City, said she needed to reopen to support her family and her stylists, independent contractors who rent out her space. She already faces a significant financial loss because she has let the stylists skip rent payments. Anyone who enters the salon has their shoes sprayed with disinfectant and their hands sanitized. Clients and stylists sign release forms stating that the parlor is not liable if they contract the coronavirus at the facility or any time after that. A walkway drawn with tape from the salons entrance to its hair styling chairs promotes social distancing. Stylists use a 30-minute timer, and the business has turned away requests for color corrections and smoothening treatments that would take longer. Johnson said she's had tons of customers from across the state, including Santa Rosa, Sacramento, and Los Angeles including many men. But shes been debating whether to continue to allow that, worried about the health risks of serving visitors who may come from other counties. At Rockabetty's Hair Parlor in Yuba City, a walkway drawn from the salon's entrance to hair styling chairs promotes social distancing. (Amy Johnson) Im really not sure what to do, she said. How am I going to say that to a person? And how am I going to enforce that? Some owners, like Kristi Goldby, 49, who helps run the Headlines Salon and Spa in Yuba City, have been placing out-of-towners on a waiting list. Goldby has received many calls a day from people in other counties, including one person willing to drive four hours from Monterey. Others have barred them altogether. We are only taking locals. Just to keep our community safe, said Jennifer Johnson, the owner of Image Salon and Day Spa in Yuba City, who has been taking the temperature of her clients. Marti, a woman in her 70s who lives in Davis, drove about an hour to Rockabettys on Wednesday for a $40 cut. She wears her hair, naturally gray but dyed brown, in a bob. She was hesitant at first to make the trip. Marti, who declined to provide her full name, lives alone and had only been leaving her home for trips to the grocery and drug store. But she grew less worried when she learned the region has had a low death and case count. And, although she had been busying herself with an online eight-week meditation retreat, she also felt constrained. Like many people in lockdown, you have good days and days that arent as good, and maybe days where you dont feel as good about yourself, she said. Of course, I could have kept going, but I needed a lift. It was really, really therapeutic to have someone wash my hair and give me a head massage. Marti said she felt safe because she chatted with her stylist through the appointment. Going to a salon, she said, is not something she would have felt comfortable doing in her own county. I feel a little bit guilty that Im not waiting until my county opens up, she said. I like Gov. Newsom and think he has our best interests at heart, and I wanted to follow his guidelines. I would have felt guilty if I was sitting there and some authority came along and cited them. The Odisha government urged the Centre to temporarily suspend running of 'Shramik Special' trains to the state's coastal districts in view of the impending cyclonic storm that is likely to intensify from Sunday, official said. The request was made by Chief Secretary A K Tripathy on Saturday during a video conference with Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba. "We have urged the Centre to suspend running of Sharmik Special trains for 3-4 days as it may create problems for administration as well as the passengers amidst the cyclone," Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), P K Jena, told reporters. Thanking the Centre for running special trains to ferry stranded migrant workers, Jena said the impending situation could create problems in receiving the passengers and taking them to quarantine centres as per the COVID-19 guidelines. "We want the Shramik Special trains to be suspended only for a temporary period in view of the cyclone situation and not a complete halt to their operation," Jena said while replying to a question. Jena explained that the passengers who come to Odisha by other Shramik Special trains to the western and the southern regions of the state will have to remain in quarantine centres on their arrival and later be shifted to their native places after the cyclone is over. Apart from Shramik Special trains, the Indian Railways has also started operating special passenger trains between New Delhi and Bhubaneswar. Jena, however, did not say anything about the other trains scheduled to reach the coastal region between May 17 and 20 when the cyclone is likely to make impact. Meanwhile, the state government has put 12 coastal districts - Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Jajpur, Nayagarh, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhanj and Cuttack on alert for cyclone. Of the 12 districts, the state government as per the forecast of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), has identified the four districts like Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Balasore and Bhadrak as prone to the impending cyclone, which is likely to impact the state between May 18 to 20. Sources in the chief secretary's office said the cabinet secretary has assured the state all assistance like use of chopper, deployment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Coast Guard and others whenever necessary. "As per the predicted path of the cyclone till now, around seven lakh people in 649 villages along the sea coast are likely to be severely affected. "The standing crop in lakh hectare particularly, ripe summer paddy, pulses and oil seeds, cashew, mango, coconuts and vegetables are likely to be damaged in the heavy rainfall and wind," Tripathy informed in the video conference. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two more special trains will bring back Himachal Pradesh residents stranded in Mumbai and Goa due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, whereas one train will ensure the return of West Bengal natives stranded in HP, an official said on Saturday. The two trains with stranded HP natives will arrive from Mumbai and Goa at Una on May 17 at 10.55 pm and May 18 at 2.40 am respectively, Una Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar said. The two trains are scheduled to arrive at Una railway station within a gap of four hours. The district administration is making arrangements to receive them at Una railway station by ensuring social distancing norms and providing them food packets, hand sanitisers and face masks upon arrival, he added. Earlier, 2,128 HP residents stranded in Goa and Karnataka returned to their state in two special trains. While 642 people returned to HP from Bengaluru in a special train on May 13, 1,486 people stranded in Goa arrived in Una in another train on May 15. The DC said a special train will depart on May 20 in the morning from Una to West Bengal with its last destination at Howrah railway station, he added. The West Bengal residents stranded in various districts of HP may get themselves registered with deputy commissioners concerned to return to their state in the train, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) A suicide bomber on Wednesday targeted a base belonging to Afghan special forces on the southern outskirts of the capital, Kabul, killing at least three civilians and wounding 15, officials said. The government blamed the Taliban for the attack, which took place a day after the country's defense minister and the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan visited the facility. The bombing happened outside the base for army commandos as civilian contractors working in the facility waited outside to get into the base, said a military official, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the media about the attack. Tareq Arian, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said the site of the bombing was in the Chahar Asyab district and blamed the Taliban for the attack, calling it a crime against humanity. The target was likely the base itself, but the bomber failed to reach his target and instead killed innocent civilians," Arian said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but both the Taliban and the Islamic State group are active in Kabul and its surroundings and have repeatedly struck military and civilian targets. On Tuesday, the Afghan defense minister, Gen. Assadullah Khalid, and the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, U.S. Gen. Scott Miller, visited the base, known as Army Commando Corps, praising achievements of the Afghan commandos and their dedication in defending the country. Also Wednesday, a sticky bomb attached to vehicle detonated elsewhere in Kabul, wounding three civilians, according to Firdaus Faramarz, spokesman for the Kabul police chief. No one claimed responsibility for that attack. The Taliban have continued to attack security outposts, even as the U.S. and NATO proceed with a full troop withdrawal that is set to be completed next year under a deal signed at the end of February between the U.S. peace envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, and the Taliban. Story continues On Sunday, Khalilzad called on the countrys feuding political leaders to set their differences aside to combat the coronavirus pandemic and advance the stalled peace agreement signed with the Taliban. He said Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah, who each declared himself the victor in Septembers election, should put the interest of the country ahead of their own during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began last week. He urged the government and the Taliban to carry out a prisoner exchange that was part of the U.S.-Taliban agreement. The agreement had called for the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 government personnel held by the insurgents. To date, Ghani has released 550 detainees based on age, vulnerability to the virus and time served behind bars. The Taliban have not said if those released are among the prisoners referred to in the agreement. For their part, the Taliban have freed 60 prisoners. In a statement Wednesday, the Taliban expressed concern that coronavirus could spread unchecked in Afghan government prisons, and urged international right organizations to act swiftly to save lives. If the novel coronavirus were to enter these prisons, it could prove catastrophic, the statement said. The insurgents also delivered a veiled threat, saying they would exact revenge upon the cold-hearted enemy" if Taliban prisoners lose their lives to the virus. Afghanistan has reported 1,939 cases and 58 deaths from the coronavirus. ___ Associated Press writers Maamoun Youssef in Cairo and Tameem Akhgar in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report. Most of the revenue comes from a digital ad market that Google dominates along with social networking rival Facebook _ another potential target of antitrust regulators. There has been no word, though, whether Facebook might be sued. Mountain View: Federal and state regulators in the U.S. are preparing to file antitrust lawsuits alleging Google has abused its dominance of online search and advertising to stifle competition and and boost its profits, according to a report published Friday. The Wall Street Journal cited unidentified people familiar with the probes in a story about the upcoming offensive by the U.S. Justice Department and the attorneys general from several states. The Justice Department may file its case as early as this summer while Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton may take action in the fall, along with his peers in other states, according to the Journal. U.S. Attorney General William Barr has previously said he hoped to decide whether to pursue an antitrust case against Google by the summer. Texas and other states announced they were looking into Googles business practices last September. Google acknowledged it has ongoing discussions with the Justice Department and Paxton without elaborating on the nature of the talks. Our focus is firmly on providing services that help consumers, support thousands of businesses, and enable increased choice and competition, the company said in a statement. This isnt the first time Google has been thrust under the microscope of antitrust in the U.S. The Federal Trade Commission closed an extensive investigation into Googles alleged abuses in 2013 without taking any action because it concluded the Mountain View, California, company wasnt hurting consumers. Since then, Google has grown even more powerful under the umbrella of the corporate parent, Alphabet, that it spawned in five years ago. When the FTC closed its case, Google was generating annual revenue of $50 billion. Last year, earned Alphabet raked in $162 billion in revenue. Most of the money comes from a digital ad market that Google dominates along with social networking rival Facebook _ another potential target of antitrust regulators. There has been no word, though, whether Facebook might be sued. Google is the bigger of the two online ad giants, thanks mostly to a search engine that has become synonymous with looking things up. The company also owns the leading web browser in Chrome, the worlds largest mobile operating system in Android, the top video site in YouTube and the most popular digital mapping system. Google has consistently maintained its services face ample competition and have unleashed innovations that help people manage their lives. Most of the services are offered for free in exchange for personal information that helps Google sell its ads. Antitrust regulators in Europe have attempted to crack down on Google by imposing multi-billion dollar fines and ordering changes to its practices. But the companys critics say those penalties havent been severe enough and contend more extreme measures will be required to for Google to change its ways. Those might include a government attempt to force Google to spin off its various services into separate businesses, an effort the company would be likely to fiercely oppose. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Till Saturday evening, the government had announced Rs 18.8 lakh crore of the Rs 20 lakh crore relief and stimulus package promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. But experts say that the actual fiscal cost of the package so far is Rs 1.47 lakh crore to Rs 4 lakh crore, with both budgetary announcements and monetary measures of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) being included in the Rs 20 lakh crore Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (Self-reliant India Campaign).They added that the package is heavily skewed towards monetary measures. On Friday, finance minister Nirmala Sithraman said that the package also includes some of the schemes announced in the budget 2020-21 on February 1. Expenditure secretary TV Somanathan added that globally both fiscal and monetary measures are clubbed while announcing a stimulus package. Also Read: 30 cities should have maximum restrictions in lockdown 4.0: Official DK Srivastava, chief policy advisor at consultancy firm EY India, estimated that the related additional cash cost with respect to the FY21 budget amounts to Rs 1.55 lakh crore or about 0.8% of FY21 GDP, including Rs 8,100 crores direct budgetary cost in the latest round. The budgeted cash cost is thus a small fraction of the total value of the package announced so far, he added. On Friday, by which time around Rs 18 lakh crore of the measures were announced, Ram Singh, professor at the Delhi School of Economics put the figure at Rs 1.50 lakh crore, while an industry body estimated the fiscal component in the package offered till then at around Rs 4 lakh crore. DK Aggarwal, president, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, As per quick estimate it looks like government cash component is going to be around 4 lakh crore out of this 18 lakh crore package announced so far including the earlier measures by RBI and FM. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) did not comment on this issue. Also Read: An arduous journey back home Commenting on the recent three tranches of announcements made by the finance minister starting May 13, Ranen Banerjee, leader-Economic Advisory Services at consultancy firm PwC India said: It will be very difficult to push out more than 10% of these announcements as actual expenditure during this fiscal year. The finance minister has so far unveiled a total Rs 18.76 lakh crore package in four tranches after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Rs 20 lakh crore the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan on March 12. The Rs 20 lakh crore also includes the Rs 1.7 lakh crore already announced on March 26 under the Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) and about Rs 5.7 lakh crore of monetary measures announced by the RBI since March 27. Also Read: Govt plans higher FDI, local weapons for self-reliant defence sector Sitharaman announced the first tranche of Rs 5.94 lakh crore focusing on MSMEs on Wednesday (May 13), the second tranche of Rs 3.16 lakh crore on May 14 was mainly for migrant workers and agricultural credit, and Rs the 1.63 lakh crore third tranche on May 15 focused on farm sector reforms. On Saturday, she announced a Rs 58,100 tranche focused on structural reforms in key sectors such as coal, minerals, civil aviation, defense, power distribution and space. Nilaya Varma, co-founder and CEO of consultancy firm Primus Partners said exact calculation of cash component is difficult. Definition of cash component is an issue. Will it include DBT [direct benefit transfer] only, or also monetary value of grains or also the money that the government will transfer to institutions to leverage? If we include all the above it can be in the range of 30-40%, he said. Srivastava said that these stimulus initiatives relied heavily on monetary and credit measures. The fiscal resources that can be tapped through the budget have been used sparingly because of considerable underperformance of tax and non-tax revenues and the limit to which the fiscal deficit can be stretched this year. But some of the measures would still have significant impact, Singh said. Some of them, such as agricultural and MSME reforms will have far reaching impact and they are appreciable. Also Read: Tracing the Nanded cluster trail Earlier this month, the government had raised its market borrowing estimate by a staggering Rs 4.2 lakh crore to Rs 12 lakh crore in 2020-21 to make up for an expected shortfall in revenues because of prolonged lockdown since March 25 that crippled the economy. The finance ministry did not respond to queries. Answering a question on budgetary allocations finding a mention in the package on Friday after announcing the third tranche of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan at a press conference, Sitharaman said that some of the schemes announced were also mentioned in the Budget 2020-21. Yes, I have myself said, where it has been mentioned in the budget... but amounts are being released now. And where more than what was announced in the budget, additional money is being given, even that has been specifically mentioned... After all, when was the budget? February wasnt it. Also Read: Rahul meets migrant workers walking back home from Delhi On another specific question related to clubbing monetary measures (announced by RBI) and fiscal measures in the economic relief package, which is not a global practice, she said, We also look at how the world has been claiming what they are doing. We have also gone into the details of looking at whos included what stimulus into their package announcement. And so, for an example, when we are announcing ours and incidentally we are saying tax refunds are given, we are not including tax refunds. And if you noticed during my presentation, I said, its your money, tax-payers money Im giving that back to you. Only that Im not delaying, Im not sitting over it, Im not going to spread it over the year, I will give it to you now because money should reach your hands now. And I did mention even then that tax refund money has none gone into our calculation in claiming what we are giving as a stimulus. Click here for the complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic Adding to the comments of finance minister, expenditure secretary Somanathan said, The facts are that most countries packages the way they have been reported in the press, including in the international press, are a combination of actual fiscal outgoes and liquidity provisions. This is the fact, for example there is one country that, what is called, 15% [of GDP] package, which lot of people talk about. Please look at it, 14.9% of it was liquidity. So it is not as if only one part of the package is counted. Way this is being counted is being given to you, accurately. There is a mix of fiscal impulses and liquidity provisions and almost every country in the world counts it this way. Srivastava said ideally, stimulus should be a balanced combination of monetary and fiscal measures. The benefits from fiscal measures are more direct and result in overall stimulus which is larger than the original amount due to multiplier effects. Monetary and credit based measures have indirect effects as they depend on behavioural responses of various stakeholders including targeted beneficiaries, banks and NBFCs, he said. He also added that the issue of demand has been under addressed. Most of the focus of policy initiatives undertaken so far has been on supply side of the economy. Demand issues remain under-addressed which require augmentation of direct government expenditure such as that on infrastructure investment, and additional benefit transfers and tax reductions and rebates for uplifting household incomes. The resource constraints faced by the government has limited its capacity to undertake more direct demand-enhancing measures. Banerjee said the cash transfers and enhanced spending on MGNREGA and some front loading of the transfers to farmers will create some demand at the bottom of the pyramid. All depends on how we are able to manage the infections and extent of opening up of the economy post May 17. He said that the government has very limited fiscal headroom to have very large actual budget expenditure. Even during the worst of slowdowns the car industry did not go slow on new model launches. Companies enticed the buyers with new models to break the trend of gloom and depression. But it couldn't match up to the launches seen in the earlier periods in the face of the challenges for the industry. Yet companies haven't given up hope. More on this later in the copy but here is the complete round up of all the major events in the auto space this week. Maruti Suzuki net profit dips 28%, lines up lowest capex in five years Maruti Suzuki, the country's largest car manufacturer, on May 13 declared its March quarter profit of Rs 1,291.7 crore, down by 28.1 percent YoY dented by lower sales during the lockdown. Hit by severe external market disturbances, Maruti Suzuki, Indias largest carmaker, has cut back on capital expenditure substantially for the current year as certain projects stand to get delayed. Tata Motors to relaunch NCDs, restarts production Tata Motors on Friday said it is planning to raise Rs 1,000 crore through issuance of securities. The company is desirous of offering rated, listed, secured, redeemable, non-convertible debentures (NCDs) aggregating Rs 1,000 crore, Tata Motors said in a regulatory filing. Tata Motors on Wednesday said it has commenced operations at its Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) and Sanand (Gujarat) facilities after getting approvals from relevant government authorities. COVID-19 is forcing dealers to adopt new ways Car-buying experience will nowhere be close to being as exciting as it was, thanks to all the precautionary and compulsory measures adopted by the dealers to keep COVID-19 at bay. Dealers across the country have agreed to open showrooms maintaining a strict vigil on social conduct. Carmakers are offering test drives only against prior appointment. Only one person will get to drive the vehicle while a dealer staff member will sit in the rear seat. During pre-COVID-19 days it was normal for more than one person of a family to enjoy the first drive. Lack of manpower a bigger worry: Maruti Suzuki Maruti Suzuki is set to restart more production lines at its Haryana factories over the next seven days, but restrictions imposed on free movement of manpower will become a challenge for the company. The maker of Swift and Baleno will reopen plants in Gurugram on May 18-19 after restarting the second production line at the Manesar plant next week. Only one production line is operational for the company based in Manesar that started the vehicle roll out on May 12 Tata Motors value down to zero Weighed down by debt coupled with a negative outlook for the passenger vehicle business Tata Motors' worth nothing without its luxury car business of Jaguar Land Rover, according to a report by CLSA. The Mumbai-headquartered company has run up a debt of Rs 19,150 crore, which is almost at par against CLSAs enterprise valuation of Rs 19,200 crore comprising Tata Motors' India business. Coronavirus casts a shadow over new launches Coronavirus has slowed down the automotive market quite considerably forcing automakers to rethink new product launch plans. More than a dozen new models, upgrades and variant launches were scheduled over the next 6-7 months before the pandemic hit the market. The original launch schedule has surely been disrupted because of the coronavirus pandemic considering the delay in dispatches of a handful of models. Maruti S-Cross petrol, Audi e-tron, Mahindra eKUV, Volkswagen T-Roc and Skoda Karoq were a few of the known models that were due for launch before May. Compact SUV by Renault, automatic version the Renault Triber, new models Stonic and Sonet from Kia, premium SUV Gloster and the seven-seater Hector from MG Motor, Mercedes A-Class Limo and the fully electric EQC, the all-new Honda City were some of the launches planned since April this year. While Isuzu postponed launch of its BS-VI compliant models by a quarter European brand Citroen has postponed their launch to 2021 from end-2020. This year was also to see the debut of Citroen in India. The pace of new launches has been affected. But manufacturers are keen to get on with it. Mercedes-Benz, Indias largest luxury car maker for instance, is launching the C 63 AMG and the AMG GT R on May 27. Volkswagen has already launched the TSI edition of the Polo and Vento. As against the usual bells-n-whistles involving a grand launch ceremony followed by consumer engagement programs at dealerships in most of the big cities carmakers would be forced to have a rather quiet affair using the internet. Launching cars through an online platform will become the norm for most part of the year given the restrictions on gatherings for public and private events. Such events were usually done at a luxury hotel or at a large outdoor location taken on rent. Even before the lockdown the car industry was beginning to cut down on its marketing and promotion budget which includes events earmarked for the press and prospective consumers. A day-long event conducted at a five star hotel would cost the company anywhere between Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore that would include food and beverage costs, rent charges of ballroom and separate meeting rooms, payments to event management companies, accommodation of senior executives of the hosting company. The costs do not include transport and accommodation charges of personnel flying in from other cities for the event and local conveyance costs. No doubt most market surveys reveal that research done online by prospective consumers about their next purchase has grown manifold over the years. At least 70 percent of the buyers have researched their choice of vehicles online before they enter the showrooms. Though coronavirus-induced lockdown cannot stop people from buying cars it will certainly change the experience of buying cars. A court here on Saturday directed Delhi Police to get two witnesses in a case related to the northeast Delhi communal violence of February tested for COVID-19 before their statements are recorded. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sudhir Kumar Sirohi asked the investigating officer to get the prosecution witnesses tested for COVID-19 for safety and security of the court staff and the police officials in the prevailing circumstances before the court records their statement. The court was hearing the case in which Jamia Coordination Committee members Meeran Haider, Sarfoora Zargar, Jamia Millia Islamia Alumni Association President Shifa-ur-Rehman, suspended AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain have been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly instigating people during the violence. "Two applications have been moved for recording the statement of witnesses, but it has been informed that both these witnesses have not been tested for COVID-19, therefore for safety and security of court staff and the police officials in the prevailing circumstances, I deem fit that both these witnesses be tested for COVID-19 before recording their statement," the judge said. On May 10, a circular issued by Saket District Court had stated that one of its judges had gone into self quarantine at home for 14 days because her husband, who is also a judge posted at Tis Hazari Courts complex, came in contact with a COVID-19 positive patient while recording his statement. In the communal violence case, police has alleged that it was a "pre-meditated conspiracy" and former JNU student leader Umar Khalid along with others instigated the mob which led to stone pelting and use of firearms. Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE:J), which is in the construction business, and is based in United States, saw a double-digit share price rise of over 10% in the past couple of months on the NYSE. With many analysts covering the mid-cap stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stocks share price. However, could the stock still be trading at a relatively cheap price? Lets take a look at Jacobs Engineering Groups outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if the opportunity still exists. View our latest analysis for Jacobs Engineering Group What is Jacobs Engineering Group worth? According to my price multiple model, where I compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average, the stock currently looks expensive. In this instance, Ive used the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio given that there is not enough information to reliably forecast the stocks cash flows. I find that Jacobs Engineering Groups ratio of 57.66x is above its peer average of 12.28x, which suggests the stock is trading at a higher price compared to the Construction industry. Furthermore, Jacobs Engineering Groups share price also seems relatively stable compared to the rest of the market, as indicated by its low beta. If you believe the share price should eventually reach levels around its industry peers, a low beta could suggest it is unlikely to rapidly do so anytime soon, and once its there, it may be hard to fall back down into an attractive buying range. What does the future of Jacobs Engineering Group look like? NYSE:J Past and Future Earnings May 16th 2020 Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that its the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. In Jacobs Engineering Groups case, its earnings over the next year are expected to double, indicating an incredibly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to stronger cash flows, feeding into a higher share value. Story continues What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? Js optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading above industry price multiples. At this current price, shareholders may be asking a different question should I sell? If you believe J should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards the industry PE ratio can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed. Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on J for a while, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its industry peers, which means it is likely that there is no more upside from mispricing. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for J, which means its worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop. Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters the fundamentals before you make a decision on Jacobs Engineering Group. You can find everything you need to know about Jacobs Engineering Group in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Jacobs Engineering Group, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential. 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. Several years ago, Debbie Alcoser created a private Facebook group for residents of Alamo Heights and nearby suburbs, a platform where they could post photos of household items they no longer wanted and were ready to pass on for free. Alcoser, 55, couldnt have known that the coronavirus pandemic would cause her modest brainchild Just Give It Away! 09 to grow from just a way for folks to jettison their unwanted belongings into a forum to help them connect at a time when human bonds feel sorely missing. The once-sleepy group now has more than 1,000 members, many of whom have joined since the virus took hold. At one point, Alcoser said, she was signing up about 40 new members a day. Its just spread like a fire, said Alcoser, a former orthodontic assistant who now renovates and resells houses with her husband and high school sweetheart, retired police officer Louis Alcoser. People are sharing their stuff from their porches, and opening their hearts as well. Alcoser said she believes that altruism, even such small-scale acts of giving, works as a kind of balm these days. Making A Difference Do you know someone who is making life a little better for others during the coronavirus pandemic? Email Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje at mstoeltje@express-news.net or leave a message at 210-250-3226. See More Collapse I think it makes people feel good, especially right now, with all this craziness with the virus going on, she said. The rapid growth of the Facebook group open to those who live in Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Terrell Hills and Terrell Heights no doubt stems in part from the flurry of decluttering and home organizing spurred by the pandemic, as people seek escape from stay-at-home boredom or try to impose order in a time of uncertainty. The surge may also owe to the temporary shuttering of traditional donation locations, such as Goodwill and Salvation Army stores, during the height of the countywide emergency restrictions, Alcoser said. On ExpressNews.com: Metro Health expands COVID testing Scrolling through Just Give It Away! 09 feels like a Norman Rockwell-esque tour of life in 21st-century America, a quasi-museum of everyday existence. The page serves as a time capsule of sorts, a compendium of what its like to live and love and parent at this particular time in history, a story told through odds and ends, new and gently used. Most items are commonplace and ubiquitous: Books, toys, puzzles, clothes, shoes, plants, food and snacks, tchotchkes, kitchenware, bikes, sporting equipment, furniture, household goods. Some of the best reading comes from less-common items, especially those with owner-posted comments: Popcorn popper (Works great, well-seasoned); a babys night light and noise machine (Cant use, doesnt have feature to stay on all night); bedsheets (They dont stay on because of our mattress topper); window shutters (Got for a project that didnt work out, great condition); dog tooth-brushing kit (I was overzealous when I bought this); Nostalgia Snow Cone Machine (Missing the cones! Maybe used twice!); Whole Foods organic hot dogs (Apparently we are not organic hot dog people. Im not even sure they are supposed to look like this.) Some of the items posted are a bit head-scratching, Alcoser said. One member gave away two remaining Sharpie pens from a box of five. Another gave away three cans of La Croix sparkling water. Yet another offered a bunch of fresh parsley. You wouldnt think people would go for those things, but they do, Alcoser said. On ExpressNews.com: Nonprofits struggle amid coronavirus She said she limited membership in the group to those who live in the designated neighborhoods, all of which are within the Alamo Heights School District. To make the group any larger would have been a logistical nightmare, she said. She said shes aware that the targeted neighborhoods in the Facebook group are known for their affluence. (The 09 in the groups title refers to 78209 one of San Antonios most vaunted ZIP codes.) But there are plenty of residents who have needs, she said. Most participants are female, but there is the occasional male, Alcoser said, one of whom recently relinquished his beer-making kit. How it works: Its strictly first come, first served. After an item is posted, someone who wants it will comment SOLD. The accepted etiquette is for the taker to immediately private message the giver to get the address and arrange a time to retrieve the item from the porch or garage. Its considered bad form to not pick up the item within a day or so. Other rules: No irate customers. It says so, right there on the page. No advertising your business on the site. You must live in one of the designated neighborhoods. Please sanitize or wipe down items. No curbside pickup dont be leaving your free stuff by the street. Those giving away food maybe they bought too much at Costco, or their kid doesnt like a snack cannot post products that are expired. In the beginning, Alcoser banned ISOs the In Search Of function. The site is for giving away and browsing, not actively searching or trolling for money. But shes relaxed that rule somewhat with the pandemic. Recently, a few members banded together to collect baby clothes and other items for a young mother one of them knew who direly needed such goods. Most of the time, the giver and receiver dont even meet in person. But sometimes they do. Ive seen people meet up on the site and say, I didnt know you were my neighbor! said Alcoser, who, like her husband, graduated from Alamo Heights High School in 1983 and has three kids ages 33, 27 and 14. It was a desire for a less anonymous way to give that sowed the idea. You can give to places like Goodwill, and you know that you help others, but you never see the response, she said. It felt sort of stagnant. I thought: Why not start a neighborhood site where everyone could be included. I love neighbors, I love to talk to neighbors, I love people getting to know each other more. In the beginning, some were skeptical. What if someone comes and takes my potted plants? Im not giving those away. But in four years, theres been nothing in the way of thievery or malfeasance. Its almost like theres online neighborhood accountability, said Inga Cotton, who recently gave away her old vegetable steamer when she decided to buy a larger one. If anybody starts acting out, we sort of know where you live, she said, laughing and joking. Well, sort of joking. What I like about the group is everyone is close and local and its not complicated, she said. Its got a good vibe, and its not about making money. I know lots of people use Craigslist or Facebooks Marketplace. But what I like about this group is everyone plays fair and no one gets in an argument. Cotton, mother of a 10-year-old and a 12-year-old, said the group is a great way to recycle, say, the shoes her kids outgrow at a stratospheric rate or the puzzles that have begun to bore them. I just dont like sending stuff to the landfill, she said. She recently posted SOLD on an offering of used kites something safe and fun she and her family can do outdoors. Giving and taking on the site instills a sense of balance, she said. We all have the sense theres suffering out there, people who are ill, whove lost jobs, she said. Being able to give things I dont need any more it costs me nothing and makes me feel like Im trying to put some good out in the universe. Recently, Alcoser sponsored a weekend contest on the site. Members could vote on who gave away the coolest stuff during that time period. The winner was a hippo cookie jar, but the owner passed the honor to the runner-up: Alamo Heights resident Alisha Coyle, who gave away a Kenmore washer and dryer. Who gives away a Kenmore washer and dryer? Someone whose new husband has a better washer and dryer, quipped Coyle, a newlywed and pediatric speech therapist who has belonged to the group for a few years. For her generosity, Alcoser gave Coyle a $50 H-E-B gift card. One of the neatest things about the site: With the pandemic grinding on, Alcoser has learned that some members have taken to sharing things theyve received with each other. This just really ups my faith in humanity she said. Im so glad I started this. Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje is a general assignment reporter covering breaking news, cultural trends and interesting people and goings-on around San Antonio and Bexar County, as well as all across South Texas. To read more from Melissa , become a subscriber. mstoeltje@express-news.net | Twitter: @mstoeltje Krystal Thomas showed up with her three children, who are 4, 7 and 12. She had tried to buy masks online, but she lost her job just before the pandemic hit and couldnt afford them. Despite a rainy forecast, she rushed to the supermarket parking lot when she saw a social media post about the event. She was too late to get any kids masks and decided to improvise with the four she took home. I didnt know if we were going to make it, she said. LANSING>> Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Friday that it is her hope that K-12 schools can reopen for in-person instruction in the fall and created an advisory council to develop a road map on when it is safe to return. The governor, who closed schools in March to curb the coronavirus, stopped short of saying schools definitely will be allowed to reopen in late August or early September less than 100 days away. Students currently are learning remotely, though typically have much less classwork. I can you that its my hope that we will have some form of in-person instruction come the fall, she told reporters. Of course, its all going to be determined based on how many people keep wearing their masks, how many people keep washing their hands and staying away from crowds and observing 6 feet of distance. Its dependent on how we perform in the interim. The Return to School Advisory Council will advise Whitmer and a COVID-19 education task force. It is charged with submitting recommendations regarding the safe, equitable and efficient return to school in the fall. The panel will look at how to improve academic support for students who fall behind this spring and summer. Whitmer said the group will have 21 to 25 school administrators, educators, health experts and include at least one parent and one student. They will develop a road map and framework for helping us decide when it is safe to return and what that return looks like, she said. Separately, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the states chief medical executive, urged parents to speak to their childs physician about getting important vaccines. Nonessential procedures are restricted under one of Whitmers orders, but Khaldun said people should not delay seeking important medical care. BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16 Trend: The Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan has issued a statement on the anniversary of the ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Trend reports on May 16. May 12 marked the 26th anniversary of the ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Addressing the international community on this anniversary, the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan focuses on the deplorable state of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijani internally displaced persons (IDPs) who are still awaiting the restoration of their fundamental rights and freedoms, said the statement. The military aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan led to the occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts, which make up about one fifth of the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan. The occupation policy of Armenia doomed every tenth citizen of Azerbaijan to live the life of IDP or refugee. Hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis, including the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, were expelled from their homes, deprived of property, and their fundamental human rights have not been restored for many years, the statement noted. By a decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Chiragov and Others v. Armenia court case dated 2015, it was once again confirmed that Armenia is directly responsible for the violation of human rights in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The international community has consistently condemned the military aggression against Azerbaijan and the occupation of Azerbaijani territories. In 1993, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884) condemning the use of force against Azerbaijan, the occupation of its territories, as well as recognizing its sovereignty and territorial integrity, thereby confirming the inviolability of its internationally recognized borders. In these resolutions, the UNSC reaffirmed that the Nagorno-Karabakh region is an integral part of Azerbaijan, and demanded the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of occupying forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan. But despite the fact that the ceasefire agreement provides for the cessation of all hostilities and the political settlement of the conflict with the withdrawal of Armenian troops from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the conflict remains unresolved. The main factor hindering the settlement of the conflict is that the illegal occupation of Azerbaijani territories by the Armenian armed forces still continues. As the OSCE has confirmed, the ceasefire has reduced the scale of active hostilities, but no progress has been made in resolving the conflict. Armenias lack of political will continues to impede the development of the process, said the statement. Moreover, another factor directly impeding the peace process is the regular violation of the ceasefire by the Armenian armed forces. The positions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on the contact line and on the border with Armenia, as well as the settlements of Azerbaijan are regularly bombarded by Armenia. Armenias policies and actions in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan during the ceasefire, attempts to distort physical and demographic data, to artificially change the cultural heritage of these territories, illegal resettlement of residents of Armenia and other countries on these territories show that Armenia is not interested in observing the ceasefire, and plans to annex the occupied territories. "Amid the foregoing, various documents continue to be distributed on behalf of the illegal regime created in the occupied territories, but these steps have no legal basis and legal force. This is nothing more than attempts to evade responsibility for the illegal occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia and atrocities committed against the Azerbaijani civilian population," the statement reads. Armenia must realize that it will not be possible to achieve any peace contrary to the Constitution of Azerbaijan, the norms and principles of international law. The fact of military occupation of Azerbaijani territories will not allow Armenia to achieve the desired political result. The legal basis for resolving the conflict is enshrined in the relevant resolutions of the UNSC. Peace, security and stability can only be achieved if the Armenian armed forces are immediately and unconditionally withdrawn from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the right of all Azerbaijani IDPs to return to their homes is ensured, and the internationally recognized territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is fully restored, said the statement. 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. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2020 > Debate on Marxs law of falling rate of profit, and value-price (...) Review Article Which Way Lies the Future? KK Theckedath, Ma-Le Prakashana, Bengaluru, 2017. Price Rs 60/- Publication of Volume III of Capital by Karl Marx began series of controversies on value/price relationship. Bourgeois and even some Marxist economists tried to show that there is a contradiction between labor theory of value of Volume I and the determination of price and profit in Volume III. They are also trying to prove that the Law of the Tendency of Rate of Profit to Fall (LTRPF) of Marx is either wrong or no more applicable. In this context, the well-known mathematician-scientist and economist Prof KK Theckedath has taken up the questions in his well-researched monograph Which Way Lies the Future? dealing in detail with the views of famous economists Prof Prabhat Patnaik and Paul Sweezy. It was published on the occasion of Centenary of Russian revolution. According to the author there has appeared a tension within Marxist analysis between those who have given primacy to the production side and those who have paid greater attention to the demand side. (p9) This monograph discusses the so-called inconsistencies between Volumes I and III of Capital, the attempts made to drop LTRPF (Law of Tendency of Rate of Profit to Fall) altogether from Marxs political economy and to show that price is not a transformation of value. Prof Theckedath says that his monograph is part of world-wide effort to reinstate the LTFRP. (Initials used are in different order but this makes no difference.-AR) The Monograph also includes a review of the famous economist Prof Prabhat Patnaiks The Value of Money (2009). Tension within Marxist analysis In this important section, the author discusses the reference by Prof Prabhat Patnaik to the debate between two illustrious Marxist economists, Paul Sweezy and Maurice Dobb. According to Prof Patnaik, the emphasis on production side leads to missing significance of imperialism, while theories emphasizing demand side are more sensitive to the role of imperialism. Prof Theckedath shows that The two sides, the production side and the demand sideare the two processes in the circuit of capital given by Marx in Capital. (Pp 9-10) Value is created in the first, while in the second it is realized in the market, converted into money on demand from the purchaser; that is why it is termed demand side. Prof Theckedath rightly points out that production and demand sides are two sides of the same process, inter-related dialectically. They each cannot be over-emphasized. Karl Marx in Volumes I and III of Capital has dealt with them in a dialectical unity. Treating them separately would be a methodological mistake. The author refers to the clarification given by Marx himself. After production, the entire mass of commodities must be sold. If this is not donethe laborer has indeed been exploited but his exploitation is not realized (Capital, Volume III, Moscow, 1978, p 244, quoted on p10) The conditions of direct exploitation and those of realizing it are not identical. They diverge not only in place and time but also logically. (Ibid, emphasis authors.) In Marxist political economy, the two sides are two stages of the same process. Therefore, if you are clear about the process of value-creation in production and its realization on the market, you do not miss the significance of imperialism at all! As we shall further on, Prof Patnaik, Paul Sweezy and Paul Baran have serious problems with the concepts of value and price. Attack on Marx There have been ridiculous attempts to show that Marx was at fault on several counts in Capital Volumes II and III, and did not properly understand the market processes. The bourgeois economists, as also some Marxist ones, try to show that Volume III is a departure from Volume I, and thus Karl Marx contradicts himself. Suddenly there a surge of sympathies for Volume I! To this end the technical instrument of algebra of simultaneous equations is used to erase the time lapse between production of value and its realization in market. This point is crucial. Even such outstanding names as Paul Sweezy, Paul Baran and Prof Prabhat Patnaik view that value and prices are mutually incompatible and that the LTFRP is no longer valid. They are in favor of casting away many of the traditional Marxist emphases. The monograph at hand is a commendable effort to restore Marxs political economy to its scientific form and essence. It also successfully restores dialectics as method in political economy. Prof Theckedath refers to the discussions of the Bergamo conference (1994), which clarified certain points and restored in Marxism. (p13) We have two magnitudes and two relations under debate: one is surplus value, calculated against variable capital. The other is profit, which is surplus value calculated against total capital advanced in production. They are unscientifically being termed as two kinds or schemes of calculations. The capitalist profit, that is, surplus value calculated against total capital, has a tendency to fall, historically speaking. Marx called it the most important law from the historical point of view. (Quoted on p24) The drive to keep profits high and to hold back the tendency to fall creates crises for capitalist production and market. Law of Tendency of Rate of Profit to Fall (LTRPF) This law has confused many, who have misinterpreted it. The reason is the confusion between value and price and a tendency to give up concept of surplus value, though Marx has clarified sufficiently. Prof Theckedath has described the problems with Prof Prabhat Patnaik, Baran and Sweezy. Dr Theckedath quotes Alan Freemans paper A Rigorous and General Proof of the Falling Rate of Profit, contained in the Bergamo conference proceedings Marxian Economics: A Reappraisal, wherein the latter says: Thus we findthat after a hundred years of nit-picking at Marxs original statement of the general law of the falling rate of profit, that this law is not merely valid, but scientifically and rigorously exact. (p13) Dr Theckedath also quotes Dumenil and Levy (2004) to the effect that in the 1980s, profit rates did reach a low in US and UK, but have since been rising. However, Freeman showed that this was because necessary corrections had not been made for financialization, in which case the assets functioned as money capital and entered into profit equalization. The corrected rates of profit are indeed falling continuously, as Freeman showed through his charts. Temporary reversal or suspension does not prove that the law does not function. Rise of finance capital is only a serious symptom and result of this law. Reviewing Prof Patnaiks important book The Value of Money (2009), Prof Theckedath comments: Patnaiks critique fails to disturb his (Leon Walrass-AR) equilibrium (p39), and actually strengthens Walrasian Marxism. In the process, Prof Patnaik ends up criticizing Marx. Discussing production and circulation spheres, Prof Theckedath quotes Prof Patnaik to say that according to Marx, sum of values equals the sum of prices, and the sum of surplus values equals the sum of profits. Therefore, as per Marx, the equilibrium rate of profit in the price system was nothing else but the general rate of profit (S/(C+V)) of the value system, and the prices of production were nothing else than transformed labor values. The labor values in other words could be visualized as underlying the price system. (pp40-41) Prof Patnaik next says that it is generally accepted that Marxs formal reasoning was at fault here: For any arbitrary output vector, the equilibrium rate of profit is not equal to S/(C+V), in which case, Marxs description of a two-stage processlacks any formal validity. (p41) Therefore according to Prof Patnaik, the value accounting system becomes a mere add-on as far as the determination of the equilibrium prices is concerned, since the latter system can stand on its own without the rigmarole of labour values. (p41, emphases by AR) Prof Theckedath quotes Prof Patnaik to the effect that Samuelsons description of values and prices is not without substance. Prof Theckedath says that to impress this point he could as well have given a more poetic quotation from Joan Robinson: Voltaire remarked that it is possible to kill a flock of sheep by witchcraft if you give them plenty of arsenic at the same time Marxs penetrating insight and bitter hatred of oppression supply the arsenic, while the labor theory of value provides the incantations. (p 42) Says Prof Theckedath that the flow of time, in all things, is the essence of the dialectical approach. (p 43) The element of time is killed in the equilibrium economics of Walras, Bortkiewicz and others. These are astonishing statements, coming as they are from a prominent economist like Prof PAtnaik, as also Paul Sweezy and Paul Baran. How can they commit such mistakes is beyond understanding. It is surprising that Prof Patnaik devalues value system by treating it as mere add-on (!) on the price system! How then will you determine prices, if the values are value-less!! How can one consider value system as a rigmarole?! Is this not holding the concept of value in a poor light? Value is not an add-on over price at all; they are not two separate systems but a single dialectical process. Price system is a conversion of value system, as Marx himself clarifies. Value expresses itself as price in the market via exchange value. Marx clarifies the issue by showing the difference between cost-price and the price of production. The cost-price does not include the unpaid labor (surplus value), while the price of production does. The capitalist sells commodity at price of production, as if surplus value has been paid! This is a crucial point. As Marx himself shows, surplus value and profit represent qualitatively different relations. The former is a scientific Marxist analysis of the capitalist mode of production; the latter is the representation of the same from a bourgeois point of view. The former shows the source of profit in surplus value. The latter covers it up. (Capital, Volume III, Moscow, 1978 edition, p42 and elsewhere.) The surplus labor contained in the commodity costs the capitalist nothing. This is the source of market processes. The capitalists profit is derived from the fact that he has something to sell for which he has paid nothing. (Capital, Volume III, 1978, p42) Rate of profit expresses nothing but a different way of measuring surplus value. (Volume III, p47) Why then is the so much confusion, so much that well qualified academics and authorities too are confused? Essence of time and dialectical method In Marxs famous formula at the beginning of Capital, Volume II on M-CPC-M etc, the dots represent the interval of time taken by commodities to transform into money, a crucial time lag between production and circulation processes (production of value, its realization as price). Relevant quotation from Marx above (p244 of Volume III) clarifies it. The author points out rightly that the essence of time is killed in the so-called equilibrium economics of Bortkiewicz, Walras, Sweezy and Paul Baran. An important book dealing with Walrasian Marxism is Marx and Non-Equilibrium Economics by Alan Freeman and G. Carchedi. (1996). Samuelson and Patnaik conclude that the new output values are the old input values plus the labor incorporated. (p 45) This is incorrect. The concept the labor incorporated is imprecise and open to loose interpretation. As Prof Theckedath shows, The value of the output is equal to the value of input plus the abstract labor used in production. (p46) It would have been more precise to state that the value of output is the value of the input plus the value of labor power expended, and that equals value of abstract labor. Author says, Linear simultaneous algebra cannot be used to deal with Marxs results. The mathematics required is of a non-equilibrium situation, with difference equations and, in continuous case, differential equations. It is time to recognize poverty of algebra. (Ibid) The booklet contains, at the end, some relevant and useful quotations from Marx, and also two appendices on the Dialectics of the Soap Bubble and on Conjunctural Analysis. Paul Sweezy, surplus value, transformation problem and LTRPF In Appendix I (p48), Monograph mentions the crucial point that Sweezy and Baran in their Monopoly Capital openly give up the concept of surplus value in favor of surplus. This is the source of confusion! This school of political economists has given up the use of concepts of value, surplus value, rate of surplus value, labor theory of value, LTRPF and so on, feeling that these concepts do not explain processes within imperialist/finance system. There is nothing wrong in criticizing Marx, if his theories are really shown to be outdated, but this has to be scientifically and dialectically proved. Otherwise one becomes mechanical, and goes against Marxist political economy. Paul Sweezy in his celebrated Introduction (Ed. Paul Sweezy, Karl Marx and the Close of his System, Etc., Merlin Press, 1975, Introduction, p. xxiii) confuses profit with rate of profit, saying there is a flaw in Marx of Volume III: theory of LTRPF contradicts the obvious fact that under capitalism, equal investments tend to yield equal profits. This is a mistaken statement, as Marx does not talk of volume of profit but of the rate of profit. Marx clarified that the same rate of surplus value may yield different rates of profit. Sweezy also accuses Marx of dropping assumptions of Volumes I and II and in Volume III. (Introduction, ibid, p. xxiii) This is also factually wrong. Solution of LTRPF has been the goal of all political economy since Adam Smith, but it has been running in circles and has never been able to separate surplus value from profit. (Capital, Volume III, pp213-14) Marx showed that market economics begins with prices and market, and is unable to reach the essence (value and surplus value). Sweezy claims that Marx uses flawed method of using two different schemes (of value and price) for production and market, and for input and output. (Sweezy, xxiv) This is wrong, again. Marx does not talk of any scheme but of transformation of values into prices. In market things appear upside down. In the light of these arguments, it is clear that the source of confusion in Prof Patnaik, Sweezy and Baran is a mix-up of value and price, as Prof Theckedath has shown ably in his very useful booklet. Booklet could have been better composed and also should have avoided certain repetitions. Yet it is packed with concepts in defence of Marxism. Updating Marxism is one thing, confusing its basic concepts another. An all-India organisation of priests has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reopen temples and pilgrimage centres to help combat the COVID-19 outbreak, saying the novel coronavirus is an asur (demon) and can only be killed by divine forces. If all temples, shrines and pilgrimage centres are reopened, the coronavirus cannot do any harm (kuch nahi bigad sakta hay), Akhil Bhartiya Tirth Purohit Mahasabha national president Mahesh Pathak said in a letter to the prime minister on Saturday. He said the closure of temples has also adversely impacted the economic condition of priests and demanded special financial package for them. In his letter to the prime minister, Pathak said the religious sites can be reopened with some restrictions under the present circumstances. The government has banned congregations and closed temples and other religious sites, besides schools, colleges, malls and factories, to check the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 85,000 people and killed over 2,750 in the country so far. Pathak said India is perhaps facing the wrath of deities as they have been treated at par with factories during the ongoing lockdown. Coronavirus is an asur (demon) and it can only be killed by divine forces. I am quite sure divinity would rescue devotees from the coronavirus after joint prayers, he told reporters here. He said the closure of temples and shrines has widened the distance between gods and devotees, and the separation cannot be erased through prayers at home. He said though the portals of Char Dham' temples have been opened in Uttarakhand, entry of devotees has been banned. The deities provide solace to a disturbed mind, he said and demanded that devotees be allowed there. The opening of the temples under a guideline would also provide some financial support to priests who have been badly hit by the coronavirus-triggered lockdown. The organisation has requested the prime minister to bring priests and pandas' (religious guides) under the umbrella of an economic package being provided by the government to different categories of people. A copy of the letter has been sent to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Pathak said. The lockdown was first announced by Prime Minister Modi on March 24 for 21 days in a bid to combat the coronavirus pandemic. It was first extended till May 3 and again till May 17. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Holodomor of the early 1930s happened when Stalin deliberately starved small, independent Ukrainian farmers who wanted to retain their independence and private ownership rather than become part of the Soviet agricultural collective. Although Democrat governors aren't starving anyone (although some have had a good run at killing nursing home patients), there's an eerie historic parallel here when one looks at how Democrat politicians have used the excuse of the Wuhan virus to bankrupt the working and middle classes. In the 1920s through the mid-1930s, the Soviet government under Stalin declared war on the independent Ukrainian farmers known as Kulaks. Only with the Kulaks erased could the USSR collectivize agriculture. So it was that, through government-engineered starvation (the government impounded the farmers' grain, including the grain they needed for subsequent harvests), deportation, and execution, the Soviets killed approximately 7 million Kulaks. This famous photo of starving peasants lying in the streets while well fed urban dwellers assiduously ignore them (it was dangerous to notice or, God forbid, feed them) perfectly illustrates that Stalin was engaged in a targeted political genocide: Democrat politicians are not engaging in a mass genocide here in America. Nevertheless, it's hard to miss the fact that they are targeting working Americans who refuse to get with the completely irrational lockdown mandates that are destroying the working and middle classes. That is, not only are the Democrats barring people from working, but when people try to work, the Democrats unleash the government on them, instantly destroying their businesses and even attacking their families. To enforce these lockdown rules, Democrat politicians all over America have been engaged in uncompensated takings from small business people desperately trying to salvage their life's work or feed their families. You've heard about Shelley Luther, the Dallas hairstylist, who was jailed for trying to work; Karl Manke, the 77-year-old Michigan barber who lost his license; and Colorado's Castle Rock restaurant, which lost its license. There are many more stories like that. Shortly after 5pm the Garfield County Health Department suspended my food license at @ShootersGrill. My restaurant can't serve food until further notice. A virtual hearing is scheduled for Monday... Lauren Boebert for Congress (R-CO3) (@laurenboebert) May 16, 2020 ...@GovofCO, your policies are literally bankrupting small businesses like mine that are trying their very best to responsibly stay afloat. This has to stop. 13 employees depend on @ShootersGrill for a living - why does their well-being not matter to you? Lauren Boebert for Congress (R-CO3) (@laurenboebert) May 16, 2020 From Oregon: Lindsey Graham opened her Salem salon last week, in defiance of state lockdown orders. In response, Democrat Governor Kate Brown arranged a $14,000 fine through Occupational Safety and Health (Oregon OSHA) and sent Child Protective Services (CPS) to visit her kids at home while Graham was at work. From Los Angeles: Los Angeles authorities could shut down water and power to nonessential businesses that refuse to close amid the coronavirus outbreak there, according to local reports. "We won't tolerate the selfish behavior of a few who unnecessarily put our community at risk," Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a press release on his website. He also said his "Safer at Home" emergency shelter-in-place order would be strictly enforced. The order requires LA residents to stay at home except for in a number of situations, including to get food, health or medical necessities as well as to care for children or adult relatives, friends and people with disabilities, according to the mayor's office. Nonessential businesses include bars, restaurants, movie theaters, bowling alleys, salons and gyms. These reactions are out of all proportion to the risks. Oregon, for example, has had 137 deaths from the Wuhan virus or 0.0032% of the state's total population of 4,217,737. Despite these low numbers, Oregon's Democrat governor announced that Oregon will be locked down until July 6. In Colorado, 1,150 people, or 0.019% of the state's population of 5,758,736 people, have died, but that doesn't stop the government's vindictive responses. California's situation also doesn't justify punitive measures: California is our most populous state with 39 million residents but it ranks fifth in overall cases according to Statista and is in the green according to the Guardian, way behind New York. But it remains locked down with the contradictory and nonsensical rules that have come to typify some of the blue states. Democrat-driven policies have also ensured that small businesses will not be able to get back on their feet. A study has shown that two thirds of the workers who lost their jobs because of the lockdowns are getting more in unemployment insurance than they did from their salaries. Add to all this the fact that Nancy Pelosi's $3-trillion "stimulus" would hand taxpayer money over to illegal aliens, release most ICE detainees, and effectively declare amnesty for illegal aliens. You can't help but suspect that the Democrats want to wipe out independent Americans, making them vassals of the state and clearing the way for an entirely new, more amenable batch of "citizens." Five die in Veracruz after consuming adulterated alcohol Rafael Delgado, Veracruz The municipal president of Rafael Delgado in the state of Veracruz has reported the death of at least five people who were killed after ingesting adulterated alcohol. Municipal head Isidora Antonio Ramos said there was initially a report of two people who had died after consuming adulterated alcohol, however, on Friday, that number had been increased to five. Antonio Ramos explained that as of Friday, four of the deaths were reported in the municipality of Rafael Delgado and one in Tilapan. She indicated that the lines of investigation led to a business located on the banks of the municipality, which has already been closed by Coordinacion de Regulacion y Prevencion contra Riesgos Sanitarios. Five people died after drinking adulterated alcohol in the state of Veracruz Unfortunately there are clandestine alcohol sales. There are already four people who have died here and another one from Tilapan. We will be aware of other businesses that could incur the same crime of illegal sale and cause more deaths, she said. The deaths occur during the same week as nine others died in the state of Morelos after ingesting adulterated alcohol allegedly bought online. On Friday, Cofepris sent a public warning for people to avoid the purchase of alcohol though social media, in particular, Facebook. There has been a shortage of alcohol around the country as beer producers halt production and distribution due to the health epidemic. Numerous incidents have come to light where Pakistani diplomats posted abroad have been found involved in heinous crimes, bringing embarrassment to the country. In the latest incident, Waqar Ahmad, a Pakistan Foreign Service Officer posted as First Secretary in Kiev, Ukraine was removed from service on May 7 following charges of sexual harassment by a local Ukrainian employee. He was charged with gross misconduct, "conduct unbecoming of an officer and gentleman and conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline" according to a notification issued by Pakistan's Foreign Office. Incidentally, the current Pakistan Permanent Representative at the UN, Munir Akram, too has a damning domestic violence case against him in the U.S. in which he was let off because of his diplomatic immunity. While serving as Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN, Akram courted controversy after being accused (December 2002) of domestic violence by his live-in partner. Also Read: Law firm hackers who stole secret documents of A-list celebs, threaten to expose Donald Trumps dirty laundry Apart from such notoriety, Pak diplomats are well known for using host countries to target India, particularly pushing fake Indian currency notes (FICN) and terrorists. Mohamed Mazhar Khan, Assistant Visa Officer at Pakistan High Commission, Bangladesh, was arrested in January 2015 by the Bangladeshi authorities for his role in the syndicate that was said to have been pushing FICN through the Assam and West Bengal border. Documents in his possession also revealed that he was in touch with members of the outlawed terror group Hizb-ut-Tahrir. Similarly, Farina Arshad, Second Secretary at the Pakistan High Commission in Bangladesh was withdrawn in late 2015 after Idris Sheikh, an operative of the militant organization Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB), admitted to having links with her. The list of such misconducts by Pak diplomats posted abroad is endless. Amir Zubair Siddiqui, Counsellor (Visa) at the Pakistan High Commission in Sri Lanka from 2009 to 2016, too was charged with conspiracy to attack nuclear installations, defence establishments, the U.S. Consulate in Chennai, the Israeli Consulate in Bengaluru and other Indian ports. Sources reveal that Pakistan Defence Attache and ISI officer in Sri Lanka, Col. Shaharyar Butt too was repatriated following constant run-ins (2014) with his High Commissioner, who did not take his throwing of his ISI clout too kindly. Significantly, Butt also bad-mouthed his own the then Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif. Mohammed Arshad Cheema, First Secretary, Pakistan Embassy in Nepal, was arrested on April 2001 by Kathmandu police with 16 kg of RDX. He is also believed to have been linked with the December 1999 hijacking of the Indian Airlines flight IC 814. Sources said that Cheema was one of the two Pakistani officials, other being his deputy Zia Ansari, who had met the hijackers at Tribhuvan airport shortly before IC 814 took off for Delhi on December 24, 1999. With such a notorious track record, it is not surprising that from May 2018 to 2019, the US had imposed travel restrictions on Pak diplomats, curtailing their movement beyond 25-miles radius around Washington D.C. without prior approval. Pak diplomats involvement in such illegal activity not only reflects poorly on the country they represent but also erodes Islamabad's credibility in the eyes of the international community. Pakistan remains on the grey list of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) till June 2020 as it failed to comply with the 27-point action plan to control funding to terrorist groups. FATF may take note about Pak establishments' close nexus with terrorists and other illegal activities. The question remains whether the cover of diplomatic immunity should be removed by the host country for such diplomats to prevent them from executing their nefarious designs. (ANI) Also Read: Coronavirus fight: Spoke to PM Modi, sending 'quite a lot' of ventilators to India, says Donald Trump By PTI KOCHI: An Air India Express flight carrying 181 stranded Indians from Dubai landed at the Cochin International Airport here on Saturday as part of the second phase of the Central government's ambitious Vande Bharat Mission. This is the first evacuation of people of Kerala stranded in foreign soil in the second phase of Vande Bharat Mission, an airport spokesman said here. Air India along with its subsidiary Air India Express operated a total of 64 flights (42 by Air India and 24 by AI Express) to 12 countries including the US, the UK, Bangladesh, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the Philippines, UAE and Malaysia to repatriate over thousands of Indians in the first phase. The Civil Aviation Ministry has said each and every function in this massive air evacuation mission strictly adheres to the safety and hygiene protocol laid down by the government and DGCA. Extensive and meticulous safety arrangements are in place in accordance to government guidelines for safe evacuation of Indians stranded in foreign soil due to COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday gave its nod for three chartered flights to bring back 414 stranded Indians, most of them ship crew members, to Goa from Italy. Pratap Singh Rawat, undersecretary, MHA, said in an official memo that the ministry had no objection to "carrying out immigration functions in respect of 414 Indian nationals coming to India (Dabolim Airport, Goa) from Italy through three special flights". The flights, arranged by M/s Costa Cruise company, are tentatively scheduled to land in Goa on May 20. The clearance was subject to the production of No Objection Certificates from competent authorities in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Director General of Civil Aviation, the memo added. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant tweeted about the development, thanking the MHA and Ministry of External Affairs. As per the state government data, at least 7,000 Goans working on ships are stranded across the globe since the outbreak of coronavirus. Goa Seaman Association of India's Founder President Dixon Vaz said it was good news for the families of stranded seafarers. "We expect similar action to follow in future and all Goans who are stranded abroad and brought back home," he said. The last Chevy Nova left the assembly line on August 18, 1988. The nameplate hasnt been revived to this day and there are no rumors on that. However, one digital artist had a stab at creating a modern Chevy Nova that in all fairness, looks more like a Dodge from where were standing. We like the idea of a modern Chevy Nova Chevrolet built the Nova from scratch. It wasnt based on another car, so essentially the carmaker started out with a blank drawing board in an attempt to rival the likes of Ford Falcon/Comet, AMC Rambler American, and Chrysler Valiant/Dart. Thats how the Chevy II came to life in 1961 as a 1962 model, described by Chevy General Manager Ed Cole as a car that offered "maximum functionalism with thrift." The car was initially assembled next to the Corvair in Willow Run, Michigan, in three flavors: Chevy II 100, Chevy II 300, and Chevy II 400. By the way, the Chevy II nameplate was replaced by Nova in 1969 - initially, the Nova was the runner-up name as Chevy II was preferred because it started with a C. Short history talk aside, someone imagined a modern Chevy Nova and through pixel manipulation, came up with the renders you see here. Instagrams @wb.artist20 says his muse was the 68 Chevy Nova and that the final styling you see here was inspired by "some of the newer Camaros to get the design language similar." Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course, but to us, this contemporary would-be Nova looks more like a Dodge to us. Maybe its the boxy front end or the rear trunk lid a la Challenger SRT Hellcat that plays this trick on our retinas, but were just saying it as we see it. Thats not to say the render is completely ruined. Because its not. We particularly like the drama of the front end although were not sure how would that fare in terms of pedestrian safety. Source: wb.artist20 via Instagram Police have registered a case against a 27-year-old woman and her younger brother, both COVID-19 patients, for allegedly threatening to "spread" the deadly infection in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh, an official said on Saturday. The case was registered at Kotwali Police Station at Khargone on Friday, after a video in which the woman purportedly gave the threat went viral on social media. The video was shot by her brother, the official said. However, after the case was registered against them, the woman posted a fresh video in which she said that the previous video was shot out of "frustration and anger" as some reporters were creating trouble for her father, who has also tested coronavirus positive. Kotwali Police Station in-charge, Lalit Singh Dagur, said that the woman and her a 21-year old brother, who have returned from China after studying medicine there, were booked for posting the video, in which she threatened to spread coronavirus in Khargone. According to police, the parents of the brother-sister duo have also tested coronavirus positive and undergoing treatment. According to police, the video was shot when the brother-sister duo was being taken to an isolation centre in an ambulance on Wednesday. The case was registered against the duo under IPC sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), and provisions of the Disaster Management Act, Dagur said. In the second video, the woman said that she and her brother were doctors and they had no intention of spreading coronavirus. "We went for the tests on our own when saw the symptoms. We are doctors and know what to do. It was not our intention...I was frustrated due to reporters...you have seen what they have reported. They are publishing useless since my father tested positive. My father is critical..., the woman said in the new video. In the video, she is also heard urged people not to circulate her previous video. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Entrepreneur Network In early April, Stacy Rotner launched GratiFoodNYC, a grassroots initiative dedicated to sending gratitude through food. Rotner's first goal was to send meals to the frontline emergency and ICU department teams of doctors, nurses and staff at New York City hospitals. After sharing her idea on Facebook, Rotner received nearly $20,000 in one week through her GratiFoodNYC Venmo account. In under four weeks, Rotner had raised more than $65,000. To maintain and tighten up security and surveillance against the influx of foreigners in the Akatsi North District of the Volta Region, the Member of Parliament for the area, Hon. Peter Nortsu Kotoe has donated some motorbikes to the Dzalele and Ave Dakpa posts of the Ghana Police Service. This he believes will boost the effort of the security to monitor the borders and clamp down illegal immigrants that might enter the district through some unapproved routes and possibly import the novel COVID-19 in the District. In a short ceremony, he said his gesture is his responsibility to maintain a COVID-19 free district since the region's hotspot, Ketu South is a neighbour and a potential spread threat to the district. He has also denoted veronica buckets, face masks, Sanitizers and other forms of PPEs throughout the district. He entreated all citizens to take all the protocols serious to curb the spread of the virus. Later, the Hon. MP donated some bags of rice, boxes of oil and bags of sugar to the Muslim community in the district. The chief Iman who received the items was full of praise for the Hon. MP and his benevolence to the Muslim community over the years and promised they will always make sure they observe the COVID-19 protocols during their worships. He prayed for Allahs protection, Wisdom and abundant mercy on the MP and the NDC executives in the constituency. The Hon. MP continued to inspect the ongoing works on the One-Unit 6-classrom block of Ansar Nurudeen Islamic school also at Ave Afiadenyigba. The DCE of the area upon the invitation of the Hon. MP was grateful for the support. He announced at the presentation that the DISEC had mapped out some strategic plans to prevent the novel pandemic from entering the district. He continued that, DISEC had met and had agreed that all persons refusing to wear the face masks shall be made to face the law and that all vehicles carrying passengers either from Ho or Aflao shall be checked at Matrikasa and Dzalele barriers to ensure all passengers have their masks on. Seibold Prize 2020 goes to four researchers from Germany and Japan This year the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is to honour four researchers - two women and two men - with the Eugen and Ilse Seibold Prize. Chemist Professor Dr. Shigeyoshi Inoue from TUM, Japanologist Professor Dr. Regine Mathias from Ruhr-Universitat Bochum, materials physicist Professor Dr. Hidenori Takagi from the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart and jurist Professor Kanako Takayama from the University of Kyoto are each to receive the 15,000 award. Through years of dedication, they have successfully contributed to both academic and cultural exchange between Germany and Japan. The Seibold Prize will be awarded for the final time in 2020, since the fund established by Eugen and Ilse Seibold in 1997 will be exhausted following this round of awards. The choice of two Japanese researchers integrated in the German research system for this year's prize, reflects the new realities of the globalisation of research, the jury noted. "In selecting four prizewinners, the DFG is once again sending out a strong message in support of German-Japanese cooperation," said the chair of the jury, DFG Vice President Professor Dr. Julika Griem. "We believe we have chosen an academically excellent group of individuals who are highly committed to promoting German-Japanese relations, and with the inclusion of two highly qualified women, it also fulfils the DFG's Research-Oriented Standards on Gender Equality." Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the award ceremony for the Seibold Prize will not take place until next year. Chemist Shigeyoshi Inoue has shown tremendous dedication in promoting exchange and cooperation between Germany and Japan. Born in 1980 in Aichi, he has been awarded fellowships from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and has been working in Germany since 2008. In 2015 he was appointed professor of silicon chemistry at TUM. In 2014 he received an ERC Starting Grant for his work on the synthesis and catalytic applications of NHC-stabilised silylium ylidene ions. Inoue was involved in the Junior Expert Program (JEX) of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), which enables young managers in research and industry in Germany and Japan to become acquainted with research institutions in the other country. Regine Mathias, a retired professor at Ruhr-Universitat Bochum, was actively involved in promoting exchange and cooperation between Germany and Japan during her long research career. She enhanced the understanding of both countries through her work on the history of everyday life in modern Japan, always avoiding an exoticisation of the country, and placing its historical development within a global historical context. She was also involved in supporting early career researchers and served on various bodies, including the board of trustees of the JaDe Foundation, which promotes German-Japanese academic and cultural relations, and the board of trustees of the Max Weber Foundation. Mathias was a DFG review board member from 2008 to 2015. She is currently coordinating the development of a Japanese library at the Centre Europeen d'Etudes Japonaises d'Alsace in France. Hidenori Takagi is well known both in Germany and in Japan for his many contributions to materials physics. He has published pioneering research on metal-insulator transitions, high-temperature superconductivity and quantum magnetism. After researching at Tokyo's RIKEN institute in Tokyo and working as a professor at the University of Tokyo, in 2013 he was appointed director of the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart, at the same time becoming the first Japanese scholar to be awarded a Humboldt professorship. Takagi has won several awards, including the IBM Science Prize, and is a Fellow of the American Physical Society. He promotes German-Japanese cooperation by collaborating closely at the MPI with research teams at the University of Tokyo, where he still holds a professorship. This partnership has given rise to joint research projects, staff exchanges and annual workshops. Jurist Kanako Takayama was appointed professor of law at the University of Kyoto in 2005, becoming one of the youngest female law professors in Japan. Her research deals with questions such as the importance of sympathy in lay participation in penal procedures, crime among the elderly in Japan and criminal penalties for tattoos. In 1998 Takayama received a grant from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and carried out a two-year research visit to the University of Cologne. Since then she has organised German-Japanese conferences for early career researchers in law and has been actively involved in the Humboldt Alumni Association Japan. She is also active in many international, German and Japanese associations and is a member of the Science Council of Japan. She has received an array of awards for her contributions, including the Philipp Franz von Siebold Prize in 2018 and the Federal Cross of Merit in 2006. The Eugen and Ilse Seibold Prize has been presented by the DFG to Japanese and German researchers since 1997. The prize money comes from a fund set up by Eugen and Ilse Seibold. After this year's awards have been presented, the proceeds of this fund will be exhausted, with the result that the prize cannot be awarded again. Marine geologist Eugen Seibold was President of the DFG between 1980 and 1985. In 1994, he and American environmentalist Lester Brown were awarded the Blue Planet Prize by the Asahi Glass Foundation in Japan - at 400,000 the world's largest environmental prize. Eugen Seibold and his wife, Dr. Ilse Seibold, donated 150,000 of the prize money to the DFG. ### Further Information Media contact: DFG Press and Public Relations, Tel. +49 228 885-2109, presse@dfg.de DFG Head Office contact: Dr. Ingrid Krumann, International Affairs, Tel. +49 228 885-2786, ingrid.kruessmann@dfg.de More information about the prize and previous winners is available at: http://www. dfg. de/ en/ funded_projects/ prizewinners/ seibold_prize This story has been published on: 2020-05-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The $130 billion JobKeeper program is a windfall for low and medium income earners, especially couples and single parents. The Grattan Institute has found couples who had a joint income of $75,000 or less before the pandemic are financially better off if they both get the JobKeeper payment of $1500 a fortnight. The income boost is greatest for couples with children. Student Nadia Homem, who is living at home and working part-time, is getting an extra $200 a fortnight on JobKeeper. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Singles with no children are typically better off on JobKeeper if they earned $25,000 or less before the crisis, but JobKeeper is a pay rise for single parents who normally earn $50,000. Brendan Coates, Grattan's household finances program director, said JobKeeper was shielding ordinary Australians from the worst of the downturn. Its a few minutes to midnight on Friday. Around 35 km from Raipur city, a truck ferrying about 70 migrants including women and children is standing on the Raipur-Bilaspur highway. A bitter altercation is going on between the migrants -- most have alighted from the truck -- and the driver. Lootat hass tola, (You are looting us) , cries Lalit Banjare a resident of Bemetra district of the state, speaking in Chhattisghari. We booked this truck from Pune for Rs 1.5 lakh to ferry us to Navagarh tehsil of Bemetra..Now the driver is asking Rs 500 more from each of us. Banjare doesnt want to pay up but everyone else is keen to be on their way. . Thoda door aur hai...jhagda na karo...(Its only a short distance (home); dont fight) a woman intervenes. The truck left Pune on Wednsday. The money is finally arranged but Banjare is almost in tears. The driver looks embarrassed. The owner demanded ...I am just a driver. Chattisgarh lies in the heart of India, a link between the south and the north and the east and the west. It shares borders with Andhra and Telangana to the south; Maharahtra and Madhya Pradesh to the West; Odisha to the east; and Uttar Pradesh and Jharkand to the north. Thousands of migrants from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu cross Chhattisgarh each day to reach Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. They move mostly at night. A little after the altercation on the highway; Tatiband Square, the entry into the city from Maharashtra and other states is packed with migrants. Two roads lead away from the square -- one to Odisha and the other towards Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The Chhattisgarh government has arranged food, water and buses for the migrants. The buses are arranged by district administration, regional transport office (RTO) and NGOs. About 4,000 migrants are ferried to Jharkhand, Odisha and within the state every day, said Sandeep Kumar, a social activist who arranges buses for migrants at Telibandha square. But some migrants, especially those travelling to locations in Chattisgarh are in a hurry and do not want to wait for buses; others, who have longer distances to travel, wait. Most of those who do not wait travel by hitching rides on trucks, said Kumar. Four constables of Chhattisgarh police have worked out a good system. They stop every truck which heads towards UP, MP, Bihar and Jharkand , and get some migrants on board. Its an informal system -- but it works. I am here for the last three days... We stop trucks, ask their destination , and urge them to ferry migrants to their destination... The Chhattisgarh government has also arranged buses for them but still most of them travel on their own, said Chandrahas Verma, one of the four constables. Well after midnight , on the Raipur -Odisha highway, about 60 km from Raipur, a group of 40 migrants are sleeping in a truck lay-by. About 14 auto-rickshaws, owned by these migrants, are parked in the lay-by. The migrants are travelling from Mumbai to Jharkhand in the auto rickshaws. We started our journey on Tuesday from Mumbai with these auto-rickshaws. My village is about 1850 km from Mumbai... We travel whole day and camp anywhere in the night. Now around 500 km is left, says Jahangir Ali. This is the time of Ramzan but most of us cannot fast because we are travelling and it is very difficult to sustain due to immense heat, Ali adds. The group says most of them wont return to Mumbai. It is better to do farming than to get stuck in some big city. We have decided to live in our native village for next couple of years because we cannot survive in big cities, says Anas, who gives only one name Furter ahead on Raipur-Odisha road, a dozen migrants are camped near a Dhaba, r waiting for a ride. We took a lift from a truck from Tatiband Chauk in the evening with the help of policemen. The driver forcibly dropped us here. We have no option now but to wait till morningt, says Diwakar Ravi, on is way to Jharkand. The Chhattishgarh government says 67,441 of its migrant workers from different parts of the country have reached the state till Friday. These labourers came on trains and buses provided by the state government. According to labour commissioner Sonmani Bora, around 240000 migrants from Chattisgarh have registered with the state government, seeking a ride back to the state. The state has no record of the number of migrants entering it on their way to other states. At Tatiband Chauk , a young migrant worker, travelling from Nagpur to Varanasi is sitting on his suitcase . Its time to call home. Raipur mein hun ..kal shaam tak pahuch jaaunga khana mil gaya hai yahan (I am in Raipur; I will be home tomorrow evening; Ive got food here), Saraj Kumar tells his mother. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON COVID-19 has claimed the life of a long-time worker in the Oregon Health & Science University food service division, where a coronavirus outbreak took hold in late March and early April. Paul Odighizuwa, a 30-year employee of OHSU, died earlier this week, friends said. More than 500 health care workers in Oregon have tested positive for COVID-19. Eleven OHSU employees contracted the virus in an outbreak within the food service department earlier this spring. Its unknown whether Odighizuwa was one of them. "It is a scary time, particularly when you are in a job that puts you in contact with the virus, said Promise King, a Portland political activist and friend of Odighizuwa. My tribal man, Paul,' a staff at OHSU, succumbed to COVID-19 death trap, yesterday night, King wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday. I am lost for words. He was a kind, and very jovial man. Working conditions in the OHSU food and nutrition department became the subject of heated dispute between employees and management in March. Workers complained that social distancing guidelines were being ignored and no masks or any other sort of personal protective equipment was made available. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents the food service workers, joined the fray. On April 10, OHSU announced it had taken a number of steps, including appointing a new crisis manager, to ensure safety guidelines were closely followed. Despite these focused and concerted efforts, we deeply regret that eight employees who work in Food and Nutrition Services at OHSU have tested positive for COVID-19 since March 27 and are isolating at home, OHSU said. Union officials say the total of COVID-19 victims in the OSHU food service department ultimately climbed to 11. They claim they first notified OHSU of unsafe conditions in the food service operation on March 16. It was April before OHSU responded, they said. The union put out its own statement on Friday. Our union and its members notified OHSU management as early as mid-March about the appalling and dangerous conditions Food and Nutrition employees were being forced to work in," said Michael Stewart, vice president of AFSCME Local 328. Upper management within the department flagrantly disregarded basic safety protocols and needlessly put people in harms way. The death of our member is a tragic reminder that those deemed essential are too often treated as expendable by our society. This sacrifice is more than any worker should bear, and we are heartbroken by this loss." OHSU officials said they were limited in what they could say by privacy laws. We are deeply saddened by the passing of an OHSU member and extend our sincere condolences to family, friends and colleagues," OHSU said in a written statement. "Patient privacy laws require consent from family members to disclose protected health information, and the family has requested privacy. However, we can share that the employee did not provide direct patient care. Odighizuwa lived in Northeast Portland. His death comes as Oregon is slowly reopening after a lockdown that began in early March. Hospitals, including OHSU, are reopening for elective surgeries. OHSU is not the only hospital that has struggled to contain the highly infectious coronavirus. At least seven employees of the pharmacy in Kaisers Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro, contracted the virus. Odighizuwas family could not be reached for comment Friday. Friends said he emigrated to the U.S. three decades ago from Nigeria. He attended Portland State University. African Americans and Latinos who contract COVID-19 are experiencing far worse outcomes than whites and Asians. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control in April reported dramatic findings in New York City. Among hospitalized COVID-19 sufferers, the death rate among blacks and African Americans was 92.3 per 100,000 population. Latinos died at a rate of 74.3 per 100,000. The death rate of whites and Asians, meanwhile, was far lower at 45.2 and 34.5 per 100,000. Odighizuwas death comes as a group of OHSU researchers conclude a sweeping survey of research papers from around the world on the health risks faced by frontline workers in the struggle against the coronavirus and related viruses. Dr. Roger Chou and a team of others were hired by the World Health Organization to conduct the review. They found good news and bad. Health care workers clearly experience a disproportionate share of these infections, Chou said. The good news is that health care workers tend to be less seriously affected. They tend to be younger and healthier. They also found something unexpected: While those with direct and prolonged exposure to patients face the highest risk, other hospital workers also experience higher infection rates. Among the research papers reviewed by Chous team was a study of the the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong in 2003. In one of the Hong Kong hospitals, the group that suffered the highest infection rate was support staff. The authors of the study concluded that support workers often have less personal protective equipment and less training in how to deal with a highly infectious virus. It isnt always the people with direct contact, Chou said. Its also the housekeeping staff, the lab technicians, and other support staff. A paper summarizing the findings by Chou and his team was just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. We are going to perform a burial rites for his home going soon, King said in his Facebook post. He told me six months ago that hes hoping to return back to our tribal home in Nigeria when he retire this year. My heart hurts. He never made it. (Bloomberg) -- Not all of Elon Musks projects have been thwarted by the coronavirus pandemic. While the billionaire clashed this week with local officials over restarting production at a Tesla Inc. factory in California, his tunnel-drilling company hit a new milestone in Nevada. A giant drill called Godot Plus broke through a wall near the spot where it will connect to the Las Vegas Convention Center. The event marked the final phase of excavation for the projects two main transportation tunnels and will allow Musks Boring Co. to collect its next portion of a total $48.7 million in payment from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. From a construction standpoint, were comfortably in the schedule, said Steve Hill, the authoritys chief executive officer. In fact, he said Boring Co. is somewhat ahead, making him confident that the companys planned transportation network will be open to the public on time, by January. The milestone comes just one year after the LVCVA approved the project, and the completion of both tunnels signals remarkably speedy progress for major infrastructure construction. When its completed, the tunnels will serve as the core of a transit system connecting the eastern edge of the convention complexs South Hall to the western edge of a new buildinga route of just short of a mile. An intermediate stop will serve the central and north exhibit halls. Boring Co. has also been tapped to build a pedestrian tunnel between the South Hall and a nearby parking lot where it will locate a station. To move passengers around, Boring Co. will use the basic framework of Tesla Model 3 and Model X vehicles, modified to hold up to 16 passengers. Although construction progressed quickly, Hill said Boring Co. workers took precautions to prevent Covid-19 infection. Those included mandatory checks of workers temperatures, mask wearing and social distancing for both Boring Co. and convention center workers, who are currently building out an expansion of the complex, Hill said. Story continues Things have not gone as smoothly for Musk in California, where hes clashed with local officials over restarting production at a Tesla factory in Fremont. Tesla reopened the factory against Alameda County rules, Musk tweeted on Monday. Adding: If anyone is arrested, I ask that it be only me. President Trump tweeted his support Tuesday for the factorys restarting, and local authorities in California havent escalated the conflict. But Tesla has had an easier time in Nevada, where its battery-making Gigafactory has ramped production back up with little fanfare. The Boring Co. transit system in Las Vegas is slated to come online in time for the Consumer Electronics Show in January. However, with a succession of trade groups cancelling conferences around the world, it is unclear whether CES will be held in-person in 2021, even though its organizers say it will move aheadwith provisions such as extra cleaning and more space between seats. If people do attend CES and other conventions in person, they may do so in smaller numbers and will likely be more cautious about how they travel. Will tourists want to use underground travel after Covid-19? asked Stephen Miller, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. People need confidence they will be safe. That will take time. Hill, the convention center CEO, said that the Boring Co. transportation system meets public safety standards because it allows passengers to ride solo, or with pre-selected groups. At first the modified Teslas used as vehicles will require drivers, but eventually theyll run autonomously, allowing for greater social distancing. Hill also said the vehicles will be disinfected regularly if the coronavirus is still prevalent when the system, dubbed the Loop, opens to the public. When we chose the Boring Co.s system, we did not choose it with a health threat like the coronavirus in mind, Hill said. But he added that the Loops features will allow our visitors to feel more secure using it. Boring Co.s payment for the Las Vegas project depends on it hitting certain targets. Up next, the company will need to secure a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy by Oct. 1. Clearing that hurdle will require completing internal tunnel infrastructure so that vehicles can run a complete cycle underground. After that, Boring will have to run tests and hit capacity targets. So far, including the payment resulting from todays milestone, Boring has earned about $15 million from the project. The Las Vegas convention authoritys general fund is picking up the tab, mostly using proceeds from hotel room taxes in the city. The simultaneous $935 million convention center expansion comes from a separate allocation approved by Nevada legislators. Rides on the future Boring Co. service will be free to convention-goers. (Updates with context on Tesla in the seventh 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. The Electoral Commission says rigging elections in Ghana is impossible. At a press conference on Thursday, the biggest opposition party raised fears that the decision of the Electoral Commission to compile a new register of voters using passports and the National Identification Authoritys Ghana card as proof of eligibility may give undue advantage to the governing New Patriotic Party and President Nana Akufo-Addo and also help the incumbent to rig the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in December 2020. The NDC said more than 10 million Ghanaians are unable to retrieve their Ghana cards from the NIA several months after they were registered, a situation which the Chairman of the party, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, said will make it impossible for them to be captured on the new electoral roll. The President, seeing defeat staring glaringly at him, is, in conjunction with the Jean Mensa-led EC, and the Ken Attafuah-led NIA, desperately scheming to rig the 2020 elections and hold on to power at all cost. Not even the unusual circumstances we find ourselves in which require that we pull together for our collective survival as a nation, are enough to deter the actors of this plot from their ungodly act, Mr Ampofo alleged at a press conference on Thursday, 14 May 2020. In essence, he noted, youd realise that at the end of the day, several people will be frustrated, theyll not get the opportunity. And if you look at the figures, youd realise that the percentages increase in the NDC strongholds and it is a very worrying sign that it is a deliberate attempt to suppress votes and ensure that as many people as possible are unable to make themselves available. In Mr Ampofos view, allowing the EC to compile a new register within the time constraints brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, could mean disaster. Again, considering the time limitation imposed on the nation by COVID-19, this is not only practicable but simply defies commonsense and will surely disenfranchise a lot of eligible voters if the EC is allowed to proceed on this rather dangerous and perilous path. The EC, in its response, said: It is impossible for the Commission to conspire with any political party or institution as being speculated by Mr Ofosu-Ampofo and the NDC since the electoral processes remain transparent at all levels. As an independent body, the Electoral Commission is mandated to conduct free, fair and transparent elections within the confines of the law and will continue to perform its functions as such without fear or favour, the Commission said. Meanwhile, the NIA has also denied the allegation, saying: There is no truth to this allegation. NIA does not operate on the basis of political strongholds. Our operations planning is based on population statistics obtained from Ghana Statistical Service. There has been no deliberate effort to prevent applicants in any region to register. It added: While it is true the exclusion of the voter ID card as a primary registration requirement has increased the number of applicants needing to be vouched for, this process has been a part of our electoral practice under the Fourth Republic. The only difference now is that requirement that the oath be sworn before a Commissioner for Oaths or Magistrate. This ensures greater document integrity as guarantors appreciate the consequences of perjury in swearing the oath of identity. NIA ensures that a Commissioner of Oaths is available at every registration centre, at no cost to the applicants. Indeed, over 70% of applicants for the Ghana Card used this method to validate their citizenship nationwide. ---classfmonine One thing that we miss the most in the COVID-19 world is eating outside. Whether it is the roadside chat stall you love or the premium fine-dine restaurant that was your preferred date spot. Unsplash There are some restaurants that do offer home deliveries during the lockdown, however, the experience isnt the same. And recent research states that one in four restaurants wont reopen after the pandemic. This is according to Steve Hafner, CEO of Booking Holdings OpenTable and travel booking site Kayak, in a conversation with Bloomberg. He gave an example of the kind of demand theyve received, during the COVID-19 Total reservations and walk-in customers from OpenTables network were down 95 percent on May 13 from the same day a year ago, according to data from the service. The report also highlighted that the National Restaurant Association revealed around $30 billion was lost by its members in the month of March, followed by $50 billion in the month of April. Just last week, several restaurants in the US have announced that they wont re-open including popular chain of restaurants that have been serving their customers for decades, due to the losses incurred due to COVID-19. Reuters Indias situation wont be any different The situation in India wont be very different. The restaurant business is one of the largest in the service sector, accounting for around 3% of Indias GDP and employing around 7.3 million people. With COVID-19, all this has taken a huge hit. Most people who work in the restaurant, as waitstaff or back-kitchen workers, most of them are immigrant workers, who have now gone back to their villages, after being laid off by their owners, who are already going through a tough ordeal, with minimal margins, and rolling businesses on credits. Reuters Dineout CEO, Ankit Mehrotra in a piece on ET, explained, Most restaurants in India and around the world work on slim 10 percent to 15 percent EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) margins with hardly three weeks of cash flow. NRAI estimates that over 22 lakh people employed within the industry will lose jobs as losses shoot as high as Rs 1,00,000 crores. Tackling concerns of hygiene using tech Ankit explained, The first and foremost challenge that restaurants will face after the COVID pandemic is around ways to manage the sea-change in consumer behaviour to the very idea of dining out. With the rise of the conscious consumer, restaurants maintaining the utmost hygiene and adopting digital menus & digital payment solutions would weather the slowdown better. Maintaining social distancing in the premises He spoke about how restaurants will have to manage social distancing in the establishment, With popular restaurants likely to be operating at 50 percent or less of total capacity to ensure social distancing, apps that offer diners online reservation and pre-ordering and waitlist management that help minimize table turn-times, further shortening the queue of people waiting to be served will prove to be critical. Reuters Thermal scanners: the new metal detectors He added, Restaurants will have to partake in online consumer awareness exercises to inform diners about the measures and precautions they are taking to ensure that their restaurants are safe. Thermal scanning will become the new metal detection in the post COVID era, and restaurants & public places will have to make it mandatory to check temperatures not only for their staff but also for diners. A TikTok user has been facing backlash on social media for his latest prank where he spilt a crate full of milk and cereal on a New York City subway compartment. The person left the site after the incident without even cleaning the mess he created. The video, tweeted by New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), shows TikTok user Josh Popkin, known as @fckjoshy on the app, dropping the tub, thus spilling milk and cereal in the compartment and on passengers. MTA said that essential workers have to clean up the compartment at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. "A new low: Pulling a prank on essential workers in the middle of a global pandemic. And making essential workers clean up your mess. Despicable," read the post. A new low: Pulling a prank on essential workers in the middle of a global pandemic. And making essential workers clean up your mess. Despicable. https://t.co/hMu8g5cJY9 MTA. Stay Home. Stop the Spread. (@MTA) May 13, 2020 Popkin has over 3 million followers on TikTok. After facing the wrath, he has deleted the video from the social media platform where he called the act a prank. According to NBC News, the now-deleted video had garnered 3.2 million views. A number of people reacted to the video with many demanding the arrest of Popkin. Here's what they wrote: Get him and arrest him. Get in contact with @tiktok_us and get his account suspended for life. Its time for yall to stop being soft & go after people who mess with the people & the trains. C-GLOW (@KingCam79) May 14, 2020 @NYCMayorsOffice can someone look into this and make an arrest??? Failure to social distance ??? Ho Ki - Cookie (@cookie_hm) May 13, 2020 Essential workers and first responders should not have to deal with this on their way to work. He did this on the 4 train in the south bronx which has been hit hardest in covid-19 cases and deaths. The lack of empathy and remorse is deafening from this man child. Caroline (@carolinek119) May 14, 2020 Can he be banned from the mta bromatica (@smbaspridee) May 13, 2020 Popkin posted apologized on his TikTok, Instagram and YouTube accounts. He called himself an "idiot" and said he really messed up. "I would like to apologise to the MTA, the essential workers, everyone I have affected," he said in the YouTube video. A number of users on social media suggested that Popkin be arrested, kicked off from TikTok or banned from the MTA. Some even said he needed to clean the trains as punishment. New York Police Department (NYPD) is looking into the matter, CNN report quoting an NYPD spokeswoman. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Raj Persaud (The Jakarta Post) London Sat, May 16, 2020 08:14 614 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd86a8d4 3 Opinion Women,female-politicians,Jacinda-Ardern,Angela-Merkel,Germany,New-Zealand,leadership,gender-inequality,COVID-19,pandemic Free While many countries continue to grapple with escalating COVID-19 outbreaks, two have declared theirs effectively over: New Zealand and Iceland. It is no coincidence that both countries governments are led by women. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her Icelandic counterpart Katrin Jakobsdottir have both received considerable and well-deserved praise for their leadership during the COVID-19 crisis. But they are not alone: of the top ten best-performing countries (in terms of testing and mortality), four Estonia, Iceland, New Zealand, and Taiwan have woman leaders. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen have also been commended for their pandemic leadership. Women account for less than 7 percent of the worlds leaders, so the fact that so many have distinguished themselves during the COVID-19 crisis is noteworthy. But thats not all. Some of the worst-performing countries are led by unapologetically old-fashioned mens men. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaros entire persona channels a retrograde masculinity and a patriarchal view of women. Accordingly, he has called the virus a measly cold, boasting that he wouldnt feel anything if infected. In the United Kingdom which has recorded the most COVID-19 deaths in Europe Prime Minister Boris Johnson also has a history of sexist comments. Like Bolsonaro, Johnsons first instinct was to minimize the threat COVID-19 poses, though he changed his tune after being infected and ending up in an intensive-care unit. Its the same story with United States President Donald Trump. A leader who came to power gloating about powerful mens ability to assault women sexually which he and his supporters dismissed as locker-room banter Trump has often worn his misogyny like a badge of honor. He, too, has consistently downplayed the COVID-19 crisis, focusing instead on making China pay for allowing the virus to spread beyond its borders. Just as leaning into masculine stereotypes seems to correlate with poor pandemic responses, many observers seem to believe that woman leaders success may be rooted in their traditionally feminine qualities, such as empathy, compassion, and willingness to collaborate. Forbes called Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solbergs televised address to her countrys children an example of the simple, humane innovations that are possible under female leadership. This reading is outdated, reductive, and simply wrong. Trump and his ilk may act tough, but ultimately their leadership is an incompetent charade of bluster, vacillation, and self-aggrandizement. High-performing female leaders, by contrast, have been resolute, assessed the evidence, heeded expert advice, and acted decisively. Following the mantra go hard and go early, Ardern imposed a strict lockdown four days before New Zealands first COVID-19 death. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen introduced more than a hundred public-health measures in January when the World Health Organization was still casting doubt on the possibility of human-to-human transmission. If traditionally feminine traits dont explain female leaders strong performance in times of crisis, what does? The answer may be related to the path women take to power, which is generally more demanding than that faced by men. In particular, it may be linked to the glass cliff phenomenon, whereby women are more likely than men to be appointed to leadership positions that are risky and precarious. Research into the glass cliff began with the finding that, before appointing men to their boards, companies in the Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index typically experienced stable share prices. Before appointing a woman, however, those same companies often experienced five months of poor share-price performance. Another study found that companies listed on the UK stock exchange tended to increase gender diversity on their boards after experiencing big losses. A similar tendency can be seen in politics. Margaret Thatcher became leader of a Conservative Party in crisis, and prime minister after a winter of discontent. Archival analysis of the 2005 UK general election found that female Conservative Party candidates tended to contest seats that would be significantly more difficult to win (judged according to their rivals performance in the previous election). Ardern also got her break by being thrust onto a glass cliff: she became the leader of New Zealands Labour Party in 2017 after poor polling forced her predecessor to resign. A mere two months later, she became the countrys youngest prime minister in 150 years. According to the researchers, the glass cliff may appear because organizations are more willing to challenge the status quo when the status quo isnt working. The visible difference of having a woman in charge could also reassure stakeholders that change is happening. As for the women, they may be more likely to accept leadership positions in times of crisis because they have fewer opportunities to reach the top. They cant simply wait for an easier post to open up. Regardless of why it happens, the fact is that by the time a woman reaches the heights of corporate or political power, she is likely to have overcome massive hurdles. With men, that is possible, but far from guaranteed. Johnson (who was fired from multiple jobs for lying) and Trump (with his meticulously documented history of business failures, including several bankruptcies) never seem to run out of second chances. These leaders paths to power are characterized more by plush cushions than glass cliffs and it shows. While many factors are shaping outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, leadership is undoubtedly one of the most important. It should surprise no one that, by and large, it is the leaders who have already had to prove themselves who are the most effective. That very often means they are women. ______ London-based psychiatrist and the coauthor, with Peter Bruggen, of The Street-wise Guide to Getting the Best Mental Health Care Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. New Delhi: Trade unions allied to the Congress and Left parties and other non-affiliated organisations have called a nationwide hunger strike on May 22 to protest the suspension of labour laws by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Trade unions such as the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), a frontal organisation of the Congress, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), which is affiliated to the Communist Party of India-Marxist(CPI-M), the Self Employed Womens Association (SEWA) and the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) have joined hands against the move by these state governments. INTUC president G Sanjeeva Reddy said representatives of different trade unions met on Thursday through video conference and decided to go for a day-long hunger strike on May 22 to protest against the draconian move by BJP-ruled states. In a statement, CITU general secretary Tapan Sen last week called on trade unions, irrespective of their affiliation, to unite and resist this barbarous and brutal machination on the rights and livelihood of workers. The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), a trade union affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), too has called a nationwide protest on May 20 against the decision by the BJP governments. The RSS is the ideological mentor of the BJP. Asked if they would take along BMS since it was also opposed to the move, Reddy said this matter wasnt discussed at Thursdays meeting. We have not approached the BMS. We have seen in the past how they were first keen to join us and later backtracked, he said. The BMS has criticised the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat for doing away with labour laws, and also Rajasthan, Goa and Odisha for increasing working hours. The RSS affiliate described these changes as unheard of in history and rare even in most undemocratic countries. Why then are the unions not burying their differences to come together? BMS president Saji Narayanan said left-affiliated trade unions seldom overlook political considerations in taking up issues. He said while trade unions were vocal in criticising the Centre for the decision to withhold additional DA, they chose not to protest when the Kerala government used an ordinance to cut salaries. In April, the Pinarayi Vijayan government issued an ordinance to cut a months salary in five installments for all state-owned enterprises, public sector undertakings (PSUs), quasi-government organisations and universities, among others. Narayanan said there have been instances in the past when the unions came together but the arrangements did not last. A BMS functionary said trade unions, irrespective of their political affiliation, came together in the 1990s as the national campaign committee, but later broke up since differences emerged on the Ramjanamabhoomi issue. In December 2013, INTUC joined hands with Left-allied unions and called for a Bharat Bandh after the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government announced its decision to wind up eight PSUs. Eleven central trade unions came together against the proposed changes to labour laws by the then UPA government. A fresh attempt to bring the unions together was made in 2018, when BMS and a faction of INTUC formed a non-political group, the Confederation of Central Trade Unions or CONCENT, to bring together unions on common issues related to labour protection. Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D Raja said though BMS had been part of some common platforms that were launched to bring together central trade unions, it began to withdraw from protests after the BJP came to power in 2014. Dilution of labour laws cannot be justified by the government and they cannot be accepted. Labour laws were not given on a platter, they are hard-won, he said. The issue has triggered a fresh slugfest between the BJP and the opposition, with former Congress president Rahul Gandhi saying on Monday the fight against the Coronavirus cannot be an excuse to exploit workers, suppress their voice and crush their human rights. The remarks came in the wake of states such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh amending labour laws. Gandhi also said there cannot be any compromise on basic principles by allowing unsafe workplaces. Many states are amending labour laws. We are together fighting against corona, but this cannot be an excuse to crush human rights, allow unsafe workplaces, exploit workers and suppress their voice. There cannot be any compromise on these basic principles, he tweeted. However, the BJP insisted that labour law reforms are a long-standing demand of unions and industries. As it is in the concurrent list, the Centre had earlier consolidated 40 existing laws into four codes to streamline compliance and help formalisation of the labour force. Now, some state governments are working for further streamlining the functioning of industry and helping restart the economic cycle. These amendments are for the benefit of the economy as a whole, including workers, BJP spokesperson Gopal Agarwal said. President Donald Trump unveiled the official flag for his Space Force at the White House on Friday, touting American military might including the development of what he called the super-duper missile. Trump said the U.S. is building right now incredible military equipment, including a missile that would travel faster than any other in the world by a factor of almost three. Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed his country has already developed and fielded a hypersonic nuclear missile ahead of the U.S. The Pentagon has been working on the technology. Later Friday, Jonathan Rath Hoffman, a Pentagon spokesman, tweeted that the Department of Defense is working on developing a range of hypersonic missiles to counter our adversaries. Last December, Trump signed into law a measure to create the Space Force, saying the U.S. needed to expand its military presence in space. The Air Force previously oversaw offensive and defensive operations in space. Trumps enthusiasm for Space Force has drawn sporadic criticism and provided fodder for comedians. A satirical Netflix series, Space Force, debuts later this month, starring Steve Carell and John Malkovich. The Pentagons budget allocated funding for the force, including space-related weapons systems and operations. The Space Forces procurement budget is projected to reach $4.7 billion by fiscal year 2025. The synchronized banging of pans will ensure the Virginia Tech Class of 2020 has some pomp despite the circumstances, thanks to a group of New River Valley musicians. The PanJammers, an award-winning steel drum orchestra based in Blacksburg, has recorded a virtual version of the traditional graduation song, "Pomp and Circumstance" (originally composed by Englishman Sir Edward Elgar) to honor the Virginia Tech class, whose physical commencement ceremonies were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. I think people [band members] were looking for a way to stay engaged with the group and they thought this would be a nice way to recognize the folks finishing their degrees at Tech this semester, said Sheryl Ball, who has been playing with the band about a year. An economics professor in the College of Science, Ball said the idea came to her in the midst of the band looking for ways to be creative while social distancing and the college organizing a virtual celebration. I think my brain just kind of squished those two ideas together, she said. More than half of the bands roughly 30 members have Virginia Tech affiliations, either via employment or alumni status. The 17 players who took part in the video donned either academic regalia or maroon and orange while recording their performances independent the other members. Atlanta, GA, May 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Morehouse School of Medicine is beginning a highly structured, phased return to its campus to live out its unique mission to deliver primary care to underserved and minority communities which have been devastated by COVID-19 in Georgia and across the country, the institution announced today. The institution has been operating as a virtual campus since March 23. After providing COVID-19 testing to faculty and staff May 11-15, the medical school is launching a two-week pilot program utilizing staggered work schedules and class instruction following social distancing guidelines and other actions to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Just as our graduates cannot truly master their craft without touching patients, peering through a microscope or engaging community, we cannot truly prepare them for the challenge of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic or other future health crises without demonstrating, in person, the best practices for testing, treating and contract tracing, said President and Dean Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD. Ours is an evidence-based, data-driven approach and is the result of a rigorous planning process. Testing is conducted by Color, a leading health technology company that offers COVID-19 workforce testing and risk management programs with employers across the U.S., including the City of San Francisco. Through the collaboration, Color is providing integrated software to manage risk screening, test ordering, onsite and distributed testing logistics, processing of samples, results delivery, case management, and public health agency case reporting to support contact tracing. Colors COVID-19 Essential Workforce Testing Program is based on Colors work in distributed clinical testing and healthcare services with over 100 large employers globally. Morehouse School of Medicine is at the forefront of implementing a responsible, evidence-based return-to-work program. said Color CEO Othman Laraki. Across the country, leaders in the public and private sector will need to implement programs that help prevent the workplace from being a context for COVID-19 contagion. Under President Montgomery Rices leadership, we are excited to partner with MSM as one of the institutions who are establishing a model to bring our country back to work. After the pilot, the medical school will initiate a second phase beginning June 1 to bring back all faculty, students and staff in what it hopes will serve as a model to guide the re-opening of other academic institutions around the country. Individuals receive their results from Color, and if someone at the school tests positive for COVID-19, they will receive quarantine guidance and a referral to the Georgia Department of Public Health for contact tracing. A recent study completed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on 305 Georgians being treated for COVID-19 found that 83 percent of the more serious cases were among African Americans. African Americans make up about 12 percent of the countrys population, but where racial breakdown data is available, they comprise 52 percent of confirmed COVID-19 cases and 56 percent of all deaths. In a study published by MSM last week, researchers found the higher the percentage of black people in a Georgia countys population, the higher the countys COVID-19 rate is; race had a significant relationship with the disease even when accounting for other factors a countys level of uninsured people, poverty and population density. As doctors and academicians, we know that there are many systemic challenges to health care delivery in minority communities with higher incidences of heart disease, diabetes and obesity that may be contributing to more COVID-19 deaths among African Americans, Dr. Montgomery Rice said. We have not made the choice to return to campus lightly, but we must live out our unique mission to give our students the hands-on instruction they will need to care for the people we are committed to serve. Colors Workforce Testing Program gives us the best tools available to ensure our teams health and safety and to contribute to the effort of getting our country back to work. Founded in 1975, the Morehouse School of Medicine held a virtual graduation for its 2020 class on May 16, 2020 that included a performance by 10-time Grammy award winner John Legend. ABOUT MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), located in Atlanta, Ga., was founded in 1975 as a two-year Medical Education Program at Morehouse College with clinical training affiliations with several established medical schools for awarding the MD degree. In 1981, MSM became an independently chartered institution and the first medical school established at a Historically Black College and University in the 20th century. MSM is among the nation's leading educators of primary care physicians and has twice been recognized as the top institution among U.S. medical schools for its dedication to the social mission of education. The faculty and alumni are noted in their fields for excellence in teaching, research, and public policy, and are known in the community for exceptional, culturally appropriate patient care. Morehouse School of Medicine is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award doctorate and masters degrees. About Color Color is a leader in distributed healthcare and clinical testing. Color makes population-scale healthcare programs accessible, convenient, and cost-effective for everyone. Color works with health systems, employers, and national health initiatives around the world including the million-person All of Us Research Program by the National Institutes of Health. For more information about Color and its response to COVID-19, visit www.color.com. # # # 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. Democratic Sens. Kamala Harris of California, Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont unveiled a bill Friday to give most Americans $2,000 a month for the duration of the coronavirus crisis. How it would work: The legislation, called the Monthly Economic Crisis Support Act, would provide direct payments of up to $2,000 a month to individuals who make less than $120,000. The payments would start to phase out above $100,000. Married couples filing taxes jointly would get $4,000, and parents would get $2,000 per child for up to three children. The plan would be retroactive to March and continue for three months after the Health and Human Services Department has declared that the public health emergency had ended. The payments would go to all eligible U.S. residents regardless of whether they filed a tax return or have a Social Security number. The bill would also forbid debt collectors from seizing the relief payments. Why the senators says its needed: The CARES Act passed by Congress in March provided for one-time Economic Impact Payments of up to $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for couples, plus $500 for each qualifying child, with full payments limited to those earning up to $75,000 ($150,000 for couples). The trio of senators behind the new bill say those payments are not nearly enough to get households through the crisis. Bills will continue to come in every single month during the pandemic and so should help from government, Harris said in a statement. Markey added: Providing recurring monthly payments is the most direct and efficient mechanism for delivering economic relief to those most vulnerable in this crisis, particularly low-income families, immigrant communities, and our gig and service workers. The political lens: This is one of several COVID-19 related proposals Harris has introduced while she's been rumored to be a potential vice presidential pick for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, CBS Newss Tim Perry notes. Story continues Republicans unlikely to back more relief payments: Congresss Joint Committee on Taxation estimated that the one-time direct payments authorized by the CARES Act would cost $293 billion. This proposal would obviously cost far more, making it unlikely to find much support among Senate Republicans, many of whom have expressed wariness about additional coronavirus spending. Some Republicans objected to the first round of direct payments and several have indicated that they strongly oppose the idea of additional stimulus checks. Well, people in hell want ice water too, Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said when asked about another round of checks, according to The Hill. I mean, everybody has an idea and a bill, usually to spend more money. Its like a Labor Day mattress sale around here. Like what you're reading? Sign up for our free newsletter. Bengaluru, May 16 : At least 23 new COVID-19 positive cases have emerged in the past 19 hours, raising Karnataka's tally to 1,079, a health official said on Saturday. "New cases reported from Friday 5 p.m. to Saturday noon are 23," said the official. Among the 1,079 cases, 548 are active and isolated in designated hospitals across the state, 494 patients got discharged and 36 died of the virus. In the past 19 hours, cases spiked in Benglaluru Urban, the place hosting the highest number of coronavirus cases in the state. Of the new cases, Bengaluru Urban reported 14 cases, followed by 3 in Hassan and Mandya, Ballari, Bagalkote, Davangere, Dharwad and Udupi, 1 each. All the 14 cases, men, from Bengaluru Urban were secondary contacts of positive case 653. All Hassan, Dharwad and Bagalkote cases had a history of inter-state travel to Mumbai, Maharashtra, India's largest sufferer of Covid. A 46-year-old man from Ballari had a travel history to Ahmedabad in Gujarat, another major COVID-19 hotspot state in India. A 40-year-old man from Mandya had inter-district travel history to Kolar and Bengaluru. A 1-year-old infant girl from Udupi had international travel history to Dubai. Among the new cases, 15 are contacts of earlier cases. Of the all cases, 20 are men and three women. Only four of the 23 cases are above 50 and 18 below 40. Of the 1,079 cases, 12 per cent patients were senior citizens, 66 per cent men and 34 per cent women with a discharge rate of 44 per cent. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge Barry Dozor on Thursday issued an order that would open up all grades in the Chester Upland School District to outsourced management as part of a financial recovery plan. The order includes a directive for the districts receiver to solicit requests for proposal and for the district to consider the potential need for strategic options in managing and delivering pre-kindergarten 12th grade schools, or any variation thereof. This order is intended to be a road map for the school district, providing priority to initiatives and strategies recommended in the revised financial recovery plan, Dozor wrote in an accompanying letter. The order is intended to confirm authority to the receiver to move ahead with various recommendations and initiatives, including further investigation and requests for proposals for strategic initiatives. Interim Receiver and former district Superintendent Gregory Thornton will leave the position later this month. He stepped in after former receiver Peter Barsz resigned in October. Dozor has appointed outgoing Superintendent Juan Baughn to take over as the new receiver May 25. Under the language of Act 141 of 2012, which dictates Chester Uplands Financial Recovery Status, the district could convert an existing school or schools to charters if doing so would result in financial savings. Chester Community Charter School, the largest brick-and-mortar charter school in the state with more than 4,300 students, filed a petition in November asking the court to direct the district and the Pennsylvania Department of Education to issue RFPs on charters taking over elementary schools in the district as part of its financial recovery plan. Dozor denied the charter schools petition as too vague and premature at a Dec. 4 hearing, but left open the possibility that it could be filed again. The order issued Thursday expands the scope of the original proposal to include all grade levels. John Pund, a Certified Public Accountant who put together the recovery plan with the help of the state, district administration and other stakeholders, testified in March that the district is facing myriad financial pressures. He noted there is no plan in place to address a 10-year settlement with brick-and-mortar charter schools that is saving the district about $10 million per year and is set to expire in 2025, and that there is an estimated $30 million required over the next three years at district schools just as a Band-Aid to keep them safe. The reason why theyre in receivership is because they have fundamentally difficult financial problems, said Michael Churchhill, an attorney representing parent petitioners opposed to school conversion. It doesnt seem to me that the solution to fixing the financial problems should be on the backs of students by taking away their traditional schools, some of which have been working very well better than charters. Churchhill noted the district still has not filed financial information for school years 2018 and 2019. Pund said in March that financials for the 2017/18 needed to be restated to take into account $4.9 million in payments to charter schools ordered by the Commonwealth Court. The 2018/19 audit could not be started until that was complete, he said. Thursdays order directs those audits to be filed within 45 days as a precondition for any management change at district schools. Dozor indicated a hearing for further review and possible corrective measures could be set if there are additional delays. It is going to be difficult to know how theyre going to save money if they dont even know how much theyve been spending, said Churchill. But the important thing is for the public to realize that the wheels have been set in motion to destroy the system of the schools as they currently exist and put them into private hands, and they ought to consider carefully where these proposals are coming from and the quality of them. Pund laid out five major areas in the plan in March that he said should be explored as soon as possible: Outsourcing transportation, facilities and finance; outsourcing management and operations of schools; completing a facilities assessment; reducing special education costs; and assessing leadership. Everything needs to be looked at in an out-of-the-box way, because you dont know if theres potential savings and efficiencies without evaluating it, he said. Chester Upland School District cant generate enough money from local sources, local property taxes, to fund its operations, said Frank Catania, an attorney representing the charter school. The state has not increased its funding. The charter schools have said, Judge, youve got to consider all available options, including outsourcing different functions, allowing more charters any lawful way to address this problem, because the state has not stepped up and helped out the Chester Upland School District. Catania said that from his reading of Thursdays order, Dozor appears to have agreed to do just that and has put in place methods by which the district can solicit new ideas for generating revenues, cutting costs, or both. Thats what the order says: Allow people to submit any idea that they have, as long as its authorized by the school code and Pennsylvania law, and then well consider those, and we are looking forward to participating in that, said Catania. He is basically soliciting ideas from everybody as to how these financial matters should be addressed, because the state has not addressed them and the Chester Upland School District does not have the ability to address them. The order additionally lays out criteria for evaluating any received proposals. Any outside provider must not only show a cost savings, but also be able to demonstrate the ability to provide a quality curriculum and extra-curricular activities, meet the needs of students with disabilities and provide alternative quality arrangements for students who do not choose to attend the conversion charters. The order dictates that the Chester Upland School Board shall serve as a review board for the receivers recommendations, and provide advice to the receiver and the court on any recommendations for outsourcing school management. These reviews will take place at public meetings where the community and state officials may attend and comment, according to the order, and all information regarding such proposals must be posted to the district website. The court also must approve any proposed change in management to a school or grade level through an amendment to the recovery plan. Dozor also ordered the receiver to solicit RFPs for the potential outsourcing of functional areas of the district, including human resources, transportation, information technology, accounting and a slew of other positions. Outsourcing those areas will not require court approval, according to the order. President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday expressed deep sadness over the death of 24 migrant workers in Uttar Pradesh and said the local administration is making efforts to help those affected. At least 24 migrant workers were killed and 36 injured when a trailer rammed into a stationary truck, both carrying passengers, on a highway near Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh in the early hours of Saturday. Extremely saddened to learn about the tragic road accident in Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh. Local administration is making all efforts to help those affected. Thoughts and prayers with the bereaved families and with those injured, the president tweeted. According to police, some of the workers coming from Delhi had stopped for tea when the accident occurred between 3 am and 3.30 am on the Auraiya-Kanpur Dehat stretch of National Highway 19. The impact of the collision was so huge that both vehicles overturned and fell into a ditch. My solute to my English 170w classmates: (Remarks: I studied ENG170W with 20 young classmates in a college, most them from English Major and most of them white. These are the smartest and harder students I met in a college.We read together several books or films like Masala of south. A lot of the content is about post-colonialism. A lot of brainstorm there. I summarize some thought under. Hi! Guys! Nice to meet you here. We together have a nice experience during the debating Of the classes for the whole semester. This semester, we share so many periods, especially the presentation period. I appreciate all your effort, we successfully make a hot pot, a memorable moment for the presentation series, which I will remember forever. I could figure out how hard you guys work on it. I realize so many brains sparkling there, which is quite nice to listen to and share. We read a literature theory textbook and share the analysis of the literature works together, and I wish you all enjoy it, at least I am. I think you guys from English major follows a career plan like being an English in elementary school or middle school. I believe in that you will be the reliable teachers. Because I enjoy the moments we share, during the moment, you show hard work and deep thought. In the classroom there is like a melting pot, each group with each own sequence and organization. We use so many concepts, theories, the tool to analysis not only the literature around us, but also the world and the population. How do we watch and analysis the world ? either in an academic way, either in a matured or selfish way, either an open-minded or narrow-minded way, It partially depends on our own experience and our dignity and status, but at least, at the moments, we try to analysis objectively, as an American, as a New Yorker, as an intellectual. We change the world_ Firstly, we learn to analysis the literature clearly. You all try your best to get there. I appreciate your effort. You guys give me the confidence of the nations future. Your guys effort makes the classroom shining and colorful with thoughts and ideas, making it like the intersection of many stream gathering to the entrance to the ocean. 20 years later, I will meet with you who would have been teachers, editors, social workers, or other professional, each of you will devote your effort to the society, but you all begin with here. I realize another editor of New York Times newspaper rising from the class. You are the intellectual of next generation. You are the hope and the heart. You share a precious memory with me. Thank you all! Srinagar, May 16 : A J&K policeman was killed in a terror attack in Kulgam district of south Kashmir on Saturday. According to details, the head constable of Jammu and Kashmir police was killed after militants fired indiscriminately at him near a check point in Frisal area of Yaripora. Police have launched an operation to nab the attackers. In no other industry have so many people fallen ill with the coronavirus as in the meat processing industry. Slaughterhouses in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Baden-Wurttemberg and Schleswig-Holstein have been developing into veritable coronavirus hotspots for weeks now. Hundreds of workers, most of them sub-contracted from Eastern Europe, have become infected with the dangerous virus. In North Rhine-Westphalia, 264 of 1,200 workers at Westfleisch in Coesfeld had tested positive by Tuesday afternoon, and 40 workers at another slaughterhouse of the same company in Oer-Erkenschwick are also infected. The abattoirs have been temporarily closed, and the state government has ordered the broad testing of all meat industry employees in NRW. Factory premises of the Coesfeld meat centre of Westfleisch SCE [Source: Wikimedia] This revealed that 34 workers were already infected at another company, Boeser Frischfleisch in Schoppingen (Borken District). At Germanys biggest meat processor, the large slaughterhouse Tonnies in Rheda-Wiedenbruck (also in NRW), the testing of a total of 7,000 employees is still ongoing. In Schleswig-Holstein, more than 100 employees of the Vion slaughterhouse operator tested positive for COVID-19 a week ago. In Baden-Wuerttemberg, too, the number of those infected at Muller Fleisch in Birkenfeld has continued to rise. There, 412 workers, far more than one-third of the total of 1,100 employees, have now become infected with the virus. From the Enzkreis district in Baden-Wurttemberg, where Birkenfeld is located, it is now reported that almost 150 employees of Muller Fleisch have recovered. However, this only means that they must resume work under tougher exploitative conditions, while the so-called company quarantine continues. Despite the pandemic, most slaughterhouses are still operating, and for the staff, the pressure of work has increased once again. In Birkenfeld, those that are healthy have been working extra-long shifts of up to 12 hours on the assembly line for two weeks to compensate for the losses. In NRW, workers from Westfleisch in Coesfeld have made it clear to broadcaster WDR that such brutal work pressure definitely prevails even in normal times. Two Romanians reported, The contract specifies a work shift of eight hours. But normally you work 10 or 12 hours, also on Saturdays and often Sundays in addition. Others showed the camera crews where they lived: collective housing for temporary workers in Coesfeld district, where three men share a room and ten share the kitchen and washrooms. In fact, it is precisely in such unhygienic, overcrowded, and dilapidated accommodations where the virus can spread. They are organised by subcontractors who provide the slaughterhouses with the cheap labour upon whose exploitation the meat industrys billion-dollar business is based. The subcontractors themselves also make a huge profit, as they take a large part of the wages for accommodation, placement, transport, etc. from the Eastern European migrant workers. We are dealing with a criminal milieu, explained Peter Adrian, who heads the research team at the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ). Some of these subcontractors are recruited from former rocker clubs. They can also be from drug or prostitution rings. One should not underestimate the criminal energy. The East European workers are squeezed to the maximum, they are systematically cheated of wages, working hours and labour rights. The basic problem, Adrian added, is that The meat industry relies on subcontractors and those they employ. The coronavirus pandemic in the meat processing industry has at a stroke exposed a huge boil that stinks worse than rotten meat. In fact, these conditions have been known about for years. Only now, when the coronavirus pandemic threatens to paralyze the meat industry, have they become a topic for official German politics. On Wednesday, the German government was forced to devote a question time session in the Bundestag (parliament) to the topic of the meat industry. The Greens had requested the debate. Their agricultural spokesman, Friedrich Ostendorff, expressed outrage. The primitive employment and housing situation was an imposition even before the corona crisis, now its becoming an epidemic hotspot. Absurdly enough, Hubertus Heil was also indignant about the situation. The deputy chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Heil has been federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs for over two years. It was his party and the Greens which created the conditions for low wages in the slaughterhouses with the introduction of the Hartz labour and welfare reforms under Gerhard Schroder. First, Heil complained that the lockdown must now be restored in Coesfeld, causing great harm to the whole of society, and then promised to sort out these conditions. Society must no longer stand by and watch as people from Central and Eastern Europe are exploited, Heil said, and announced mandatory nationwide controls. In fact, the government has long had detailed information about conditions in the meat industry. A so-called voluntary obligation of meat companies and contractors was agreed upon in 2015, which was renewed two years later. Nothing has changed fundamentally. In the autumn of 2019, an extensive inspection revealed serious violations of the regulations in over 85 percent of the companies. On Wednesday, the meat industry itself announced a new round table with Minister Heil as well as Agriculture Minister Klockner and Health Minister Spahn (both Christian Democratic Union, CDU). At the same time, the Association of the Meat Industry (VDF) rejected any criticism of working conditions. It claimed that the meat processing bosses, middlemen and subcontractors had complied with German labour law and that of the EU. The prevailing conditions are the intended result of the EUs eastward expansion. They were deliberately sought and brought about by the same parties that are now hypocritically expressing outrage. The labour contracts, temporary working and subcontracting structures are part of the market reforms which followed capitalist restoration in Eastern Europe 30 years ago. Between 2004 to 2009, the eastward expansion of the EU massively intensified the social crisis in the new member states there. The EUs austerity dictates maintained countries like Bulgaria and Romania as the poorhouses of Europe. This benefited especially the German corporations, which in the following years succeeded in replacing standard employment relationships subject to social insurance contributions with low-wage jobs. Todays slave conditions and mafia-like structures are the logical consequence of this development. The meat industry is only the tip of the iceberg. Similar conditions face workers in agriculture, in the cleaning industry, at parcel delivery companies, at Amazon, in the construction industry (for example large construction sites like Stuttgart 21), in bus companies and the entire local traffic, transport, airport ground services, etc.and of course in the care sector and the entire health service. It is the most oppressed sections of the working class that are most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, including suffering numerous fatalities. They bear the greatest social burden. They also bear the economic costs of the crisis in the form of short-time working, wage cuts and redundancies. To fight against this, it is necessary for workers to break with the nationalist trade unions. They must organise themselves in independent action committees. The International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) and its sections, the Socialist Equality Parties, are the only organisation in the world that stands up for a socialist perspective in this struggle. On May 12, Foreign Affairs, the leading journal of the US foreign policy establishment, carried an article arguing for large portions of the US and world population to be infected with COVID-19. The article is headlined "Sweden's Coronavirus Strategy Will Soon Be the World's: Herd Immunity Is the Only Realistic Optionthe Question Is How to Get There Safely. It concludes, Efforts to contain the virus are doomed to fail in many countries, and a large percentage of people will be infected in the end. It asserts that managingrather than defeatingthe pandemic is the only realistic option. The central argument made by the proponents of herd immunity is that once enough people become infected with COVID-19, perhaps 5070 percent of the population, rates of infection will naturally fall. As a corollary, the proponents of herd immunity claim that efforts to contain the spread of the pandemic, such as testing, contact tracing and isolation of those infected, as well as the closure of schools and businesses, should be abandoned to allow the disease to spread as widely as possible. Two developments this week have exposed this pseudoscientific theory as false and dangerous. In congressional testimony on Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci made clear that there exists no conclusive evidence that infection with COVID-19 results in longterm immunity, seconding the warnings of the World Health Organization (WHO) last month. Moreover, countries all over the world have begun reporting the results of large-scale tests of their populations for COVID-19 antibodies. Universally, these tests have shown that, even in areas with the worst outbreaks, only a small fraction of the population has been infected. One study released this week found that just five percent of the Spanish population has COVID-19 antibodies. This is despite the fact that Spain has the highest number of COVID-19 cases as a share of population of any large country in the world. Even if recovery from infection guarantees immunity, which again is not clear, the hypothetical immunity for five percent of the Spanish population cost 27,459 lives. This means that the 50 percent infection rate necessary to see a decrease in cases would require the sacrifice of a quarter million human beings. If similar figures hold in the United States, with its 330 million people, a hypothetical herd immunity would require the sacrifice of nearly two million people. It is for this reason that WHO spokesman Mike Ryan responded in disgust this week when asked about the policy of herd immunity. Humans are not herds, said the veteran Irish epidemiologist. He said the term is relevant only to the field of animal husbandry, in which an individual animal in that sense doesnt matter from the perspective of the brutal economics of those decisions. The use of the term, he said, can lead to a very brutal arithmetic which does not put people and lives and suffering at the center of that equation. This idea that maybe countries who had lax measures and havent done anything will all of a sudden magically reach some herd immunity, and so what if we lose a few old people along the way. This is a really dangerous calculation. To justify their utilization of this dangerous calculation, the authors of the Foreign Affairs article cite the Swedish model. They write: Swedish authorities have not officially declared a goal of reaching herd immunity, which most scientists believe is achieved when more than 60 percent of the population has had the virus. But augmenting immunity is no doubt part of the governments broader strategyor at least a likely consequence of keeping schools, restaurants, and most businesses open. They continue: Rather than declare a lockdown or a state of emergency, Sweden asked its citizens to practice social distancing on a mostly voluntary basis. Swedish authorities eschewed harsh controls, fines, and policing. Swedes have changed their behavior, but not as profoundly as the citizens of other Western democracies. Many restaurants remain open, although they are lightly trafficked; young children are still in school. However, Swedens approach to the COVID-19 pandemic has been fiercely criticized by doctors, scientists and academics, thousands of whom have signed a letter urging the government to pursue a more aggressive policy. These critics point to the fact that the country has suffered a substantially more deadly outbreak than its neighbors, with 361 deaths per million people compared to Denmark (93 per million), Norway (43), Finland (53) and Iceland (29). Swedens wildly irresponsible policies have given ammunition to the far right internationally, which has used it as an example for arguing for a premature reopening of businesses and schools. Like all advocates of the policy of herd immunity, the authors of the article, who include a political scientist, a sociologist and an economist, do not attempt to square their claims with the universal statements by epidemiologists, public health experts and the WHO that COVID-19 can and must be contained through conventional public health measures. They simply assert, in the face of all available evidence, that it is impossible to control the disease and prevent people from being infected. Countries that have invested in testing, quarantining and contact tracing, in line with the prescriptions of the WHO, have brought the daily number of new cases into the single or double digits. South Korea, an early center of the outbreak, has had only 260 people die. China, the country in which the disease originated, has a death rate that is nearly 100 times lower than the United States. Malaysia has seen similarly low numbers. By contrast, the disastrous toll of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, which has five times more cases than any other country, is directly related to the fact that the United States failed to conduct any widespread testing of its population for months, as indicated by the testimony Thursday of ousted health official Dr. Rick Bright. It is worth noting that the article in Foreign Affairs excludes the word testing. That is because it is thoroughly dishonest. It uses lockdown measures as a strawman for all measures to contain the pandemic, decrying the economic and social costs of lockdowns as an argument for inaction. In reality, the WHO has made clear that lockdowns are only a temporary measure to prevent health systems from being overwhelmed, and should be used to provide the time needed to massively expand public health care infrastructure to stop the pandemic. Regardless of whether they publicly embrace herd immunity or not, the reality is that no country in North America or Europe has a plan to prevent the widespread infection of its population with COVID-19. The temporary lockdowns carried out in the United States and Europe have not been used to build up the necessary infrastructure for testing, quarantining and contact tracing. Rather, states and countries are reopening regardless of their rates of infection, testing or medical capacity, all but guaranteeing, in line with the warnings of Fauci and Bright, a major resurgence of the disease, whether in the near term, during the next flu season or both. In accordance with the brutal economics of capitalism, the lives lost to the COVID-19 pandemic are simply the cost of doing business. While trillions of dollars have been spent propping up financial markets, no serious efforts have been made to contain the pandemic, and whatever mitigation measures have been put in place, including the closure of businesses, are being rapidly abandoned. The efforts by the ruling class to counterpose workers lives to their livelihoods is an entirely false choice. Both can be defended with the necessary allocation of social resources to stop and eradicate COVID-19 and all other communicable diseases. Non-essential workplaces must remain closed for as long as it takes for these measures to be put in place. But containing the pandemic requires an investment in social infrastructure that the capitalist class is not willing to make. The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear the utter incompatibility of the capitalist system with the preservation of the most basic social right: the right to life. The latest North Dakota coronavirus news: fishing tourney, bomber flyover, farm aid, census, cookies and more. Governor's Walleye Cup North Dakota's premier walleye fishing tournament won't be held this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The North Dakota Governor's Walleye Cup on Lake Sakakawea has been canceled. "Our main concern was to put the health and well-being of hundreds of people that participate in the event a priority," organizers said in a statement. Registrations will be carried over to next year. Anglers can have organizers retain their fee and hold their spot, or they can have their entry fee refunded and be removed from the team list for 2021. A team from the waiting list will then fill that spot. Anglers who are on the 2020 waiting list and want to drop out can have their checks returned or destroyed. The majority of anglers who compete in the annual tournament based out of Garrison and nearby Fort Stevenson State Park are from North Dakota or surrounding states, though about a dozen states are typically represented. The Bismarck duo of Ricky Schumacher and Kerry Wentz won the 44th annual North Dakota Governor's Walleye Cup in 2019. Bomber flyover Monday A B-52H Stratofortress assigned to Minot Air Force Base is scheduled to fly over medical facilities in Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks and Minot on Monday. The flyover known as an Air Force Salute is to honor front line responders, health care professionals, essential employees and volunteers in the fight against COVID-19. "We have a deep respect for our doctors, nurses, medical personnel and all other essential employees who are on the front line defending us," Lt. Col. John Burrell said. "We are honored to serve alongside each and every one of you who are risking their lives to keep us and our families safe." The bomber is assigned to the 23rd Bomb Squadron of the 5th Bomb Wing. It will pass over CHI St. Alexius Health and Sanford Medical Center in Bismarck, Sanford Medical Center Fargo, Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, and finally Trinity Medical Center in Minot. Bismarck residents can expect to see the plane at about 1:35 p.m. Monday, flying from northwest to southeast. Ongoing coverage will be at www.facebook.com/minotafb. New PPP forms The U.S. Small Business Administration and U.S Department of the Treasury have released the Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Application, along with detailed instructions. That enables borrowers to apply for forgiveness of their PPP loans. SBA also will soon issue regulations and guidance to further assist borrowers as they complete their applications, and to provide lenders with guidance on their responsibilities. The PPP was created through the federal CARES Act economic rescue package to provide forgivable loans to eligible small businesses to keep American workers on the payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. The newly released documents will help small businesses seek forgiveness at the conclusion of the eight-week covered period, which begins with the disbursement of their loans. Farm aid coming The state Department of Agriculture is urging producers with losses related to the coronavirus pandemic to gather information in preparation for the opening of applications for the U.S. Department of Agricultures $19 billion Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. The goal of the program is to compensate producers for price and supply chain impacts. CFAP is available to farmers and ranchers with an eligible loss, regardless of size and market outlet, state Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said. USDA will soon begin taking applications, and impacted producers are encouraged to gather recent sales and inventory data. Participation in U.S. Small Business Administration programs does not limit producer eligibility for the new program, other Farm Service Agency loans or any other USDA programs. More information can be found at https://www.farmers.gov/cfap. Census 2020 The North Dakota Department of Commerce is encouraging rural residents to respond to the Census 2020 survey, as delivery of material packets resumes for remaining residences. This is an opportunity for the state to get caught up with where it should be in the rate of responses, said Kevin Iverson, manager of the departments Census Office. The state is behind where it should be at this point with just 58% of residents having responded to the census, below the national average. Unfortunately, we have some counties in the state where less than 30% of residents have responded. Iverson attributes the low response rate to the impact that the coronavirus pandemic had on the delivery of materials to residents who do not receive mail at their house. About 10% of North Dakotans receive their mail via a post office box, he said. Field staff began hand-delivering census materials to households on March 15 but suspended delivery three days later. The North Dakota Census Office, which reopened on May 4, is training and equipping staff to deliver census materials to remaining locations. Girl Scout cookies Girl Scouts-Dakota Horizons has donated 60,000 packages of cookies to health care workers, first responders, school administrators, trucking companies and others. The nonprofit Girl Scouts-Dakota Horizons serves nearly 13,000 members in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. The Girl Scouts canceled cookie booths and door-to-door sales earlier due to the coronavirus pandemic and went to online sales only. This change in plans meant that the council had some inventory available, and we took a look at how we could use it to help other people out, Board President Jennifer Baloun said. Giving back to our communities is at the heart of who we are as Girl Scouts, so it felt natural to use the cookies to support those on the front line of the pandemic. Packages of cookies have been donated within several communities throughout the councils 164,000-square-mile territory. NCI goes online The Northern Crops Institute in Fargo recently held its annual Pasta Production and Technology course online due to the pandemic. It was the first fully online course offered by the institute, which is funded by the states of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota and commodity groups in those states and Montana. This course typically has a lot of hands-on elements, which is why it has always been in-person," Program Manager Brian Sorenson said. "It was a challenge to turn this into an online course, but it ended up to be a big success thanks to those involved. Going forward, we still hope to have our traditional in-person courses, but this experience has opened the door for us to look into new online opportunities such as webinars, and additional online courses. North Dakota virus numbers North Dakota has 1,848 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 112 in Burleigh County and 39 in Morton County. There have been 1,111 recoveries and 42 coronavirus-related deaths. A total of 130 people have been hospitalized; 33 remain so. State and private labs have conducted tests on 53,487 people, and conducted 63,353 total tests. Coronavirus FAQ What is the coronavirus? The coronavirus outbreak started in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and has spread worldwide. The new virus causes a disease known as COVID-19. The virus is part of a larger family of coronaviruses, which can lead to illnesses ranging from a mild common cold to more severe respiratory diseases such as SARS and MERS. Who is at risk and what are the symptoms? Public health experts say the new coronavirus is more contagious than the seasonal flu. The majority of people who become sick experience mild symptoms, but some become more seriously ill. People who contract the virus can develop pneumonia, and some have died. People who are elderly or have underlying medical issues are at greater risk of becoming more severely sick. Symptoms of the virus include a cough, fever and shortness of breath. What should I do if I develop symptoms? The North Dakota Department of Health advises that people call their health care provider to tell them about recent travel or exposure, and to follow their guidance. Try to avoid contact with other people in the meantime. What can I do to prevent the virus from spreading? The health department advises that people wash their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer for at least 20 seconds. People who are sick should stay home from work or school, both to protect themselves and others with whom they would come in contact. Avoid touching your face, cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue or an elbow, clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces, and avoid contact with people who are sick. Where can I find more information? People with coronavirus-related questions can call the state health department hotline at 866-207-2880. Those who need medical advice should contact their health care provider. The health department's online coronavirus page: www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's online coronavirus page: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov